Latest news with #TomFrancis
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Nicole Scherzinger Brings Tony Awards Crowd to Its Feet with Captivating 'Sunset Blvd.' Performance
Nicole Scherzinger brought Broadway's elite to their feet at the 78th Tony Awards. The Sunset Blvd. star, performing a show-stopping number from that Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, earned a standing ovation from the crowd at Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, June 8. Wearing a simple black dress amid stage smoke, Scherzinger, 46, in character as screen star Norma Desmond, the lead role in the acclaimed Jamie Lloyd-directed revival, belted 'As If We Never Said Goodbye." Preceding the musical moment was a heartfelt introduction from none other than Glenn Close, who originated the role of Norma Desmond and won a Tony for the show's 1993 Broadway debut. Close, 78, saw the current production of Sunset Blvd. back in April, visiting Scherzinger backstage after the show. "As If We Never Said Goodbye," written by Don Black, Christopher Hampton, Amy Powers and Webber, is considered one of the latter's most memorable tunes. Among those who have made the song famous are Close, Barbara Streisand and Chris Colfer. For her Broadway debut performance, Scherzinger is nominated for her first Tony after previously winning the 2023 Laurence Olivier Award after Sunset Blvd.'s West End run. Costar Tom Francis, who plays young screenwriter Joe Gillis, is also among the production's seven nominations. Also recognized alongside the former Pussycat Doll in this year's to-be-announced lead musical actress category were Audra McDonald for Gypsy, Jasmine Amy Rogers for Boop! The Musical and Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard for Death Becomes Her. Among the other contenders at this year's Cynthia Erivo-hosted Tonys ceremony are new musicals Buena Vista Social Club and Maybe Happy Ending, plus new plays John Proctor is the Villain and The Hills of California. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Sunset Blvd., also starring David Thaxton and Grace Hodgett Young, is scheduled to play its last performance at the St. James Theatre on July 13. Those who have praised the show and Scherzinger's lead performance include Close and Patti LuPone, another actress who has previously played Norma onstage. See PEOPLE's full coverage of the 78th annual Tony Awards, hosted by Erivo at New York City's Radio City Music Hall and airing on CBS and Paramount+. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Sunset Boulevard' star Tom Francis reveals how he plays ‘the complete and utter opposite' of Nicole Scherzinger's Norma Desmond
'It literally hit me like a ton of bricks,' says Tom Francis about the moment he finally realized that he earned a Tony Award nomination for his performance in Sunset Boulevard. The feeling of recognition ebbs and flows for the actor, who plays Joe Gillis in the musical revival. He shares, 'I was really overcome with joy and now it feels not real at the moment. I keep fluctuating between being confused as to how it happened and so overjoyed as to the fact that it's happened.' Francis recently sat down with Gold Derby to discuss his leading role in the radically reimagined revival, playing to the cameras on stage, his iconic walk through Shubert Alley, and much more. Gold Derby: I know when you auditioned for director Jamie Lloyd, you didn't know either the original film or Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical very well. What about the opportunity most excited you a few years ago? More from GoldDerby Cannes: 'Die, My Love' reviews kickstart early Oscar buzz for 'astonishing' Jennifer Lawrence 'Shrinking' Season 3 spoilers exposed during set visit, including Harrison Ford's 'extraordinary' time with Michael J. Fox How 'Mad Max: Fury Road' became an unlikely Oscar contender 10 years ago Tom Francis: For sure, the initial thing was the attraction to work with Jamie. I remember watching his production of Betrayal and I was just blown away by how he directed the show. I've always said, if I ever got the opportunity to try and work with him, I'd take it up. And then once I started delving into the audition material, I just fell in love with the score. I just think it's such a beautifully written score and the melodies are so enjoyable to sing. It's those two things that really made me want to delve into it. is a period piece, but you and Nicole Scherzinger and the whole ensemble really brings a modern sensibility that makes the show feel timeless. When you step into Joe Gillis, do you feel like you're playing a character in the 1950s? That's a good question. I think that the words and how the sentences are formed in the book and the lyrics that I sing, they definitely make it feel like it's of that period. But the contrast to that is the fact that I'm in Dickies trousers and a vest and a t-shirt, so that brings it into the modern day, so you're always in this juxtaposition. Those things really inform how you move, but you've got these words which feel very period coming out. Getty I knew I was going to enjoy this production from the very beginning when you come out of the body bag. I thought that was such a smart, bold opening. When you're lying in that body bag getting ready to start the show, what is going through your head? What are you thinking about when you're zipped up in there? Just don't forget the words. I always tell myself, if you can get through 'Let's Do Lunch,' then the rest of the show should be fine. I always just try and just focus in and breathe. I have a little bit of a hole, my head's kind of slanted and my mouth is kind of out, so I can breathe a little bit, and so I just try and breathe through that and just take some deep breaths and focus in for the next two-and-a-half hours. 'Let's Do Lunch' is such a kinetic way to start the show, and then we get that brilliant and inspired car chase sequence with you holding the camera. Were there moments when you were learning about what Jamie was going to do with his staging when you were putting it up on its feet that you were just in awe? I knew it was going to be a pretty interesting process when we walked in on day one and we started going through all the movement and figuring out what the language was going to be for the movement. Then a few days in, there was a video screen installed in rehearsals, so we had a half-size video screen which came in and out, and when that came in and we started playing around with cameras and figuring out what the show was going to be, that was a pretty jaw-dropping moment. There are so many things that were on camera, and then there are so many things that weren't on camera, and there were so many different drafts of the show when we were making it. I think we found a good balance between stage and camera in this production. SEE 'A fever dream': Jamie Lloyd and Tom Francis describe their radical new take on 'Sunset Boulevard' There are so many moments when your face is up on that 23-foot screen. Do you modulate your performance between playing to the camera versus the audience? Massively, massively. I feel like a good way to describe it is a head tilt. When I do 'Let's Do Lunch,' I use my head a bit more and I use my body a bit more to convey how I'm feeling, whereas when the camera's in front of my face, I basically think everything and let it come through my eyes a lot more. There's definitely a switch-up. Let's talk about the physicality. I'm sure you're probably tired of folks asking you about the title number, 'Sunset Boulevard,' but it is really such a dynamic part of the show. Did you play around with different iterations in New York until you settled on the route through Shubert Alley? Oh, I love it! I'm not sure how many iterations Jamie and our brilliant video team had, but I know that there were a few. I think there was one that was potentially starting on the roof, and there was one that was starting in Times Square, and I think there was one that involved a golf buggy. There were a lot of things to try and make things work, and then we decided to fix on this route, and I think we went with the best option. I don't think many folks realize how physically demanding what you're doing is, to coordinate your movements, to control your breath, and sing this song and navigate ridiculous crowds, especially at night in Shubert Alley. It is insane! How physically challenging do you find it to make it look so effortless? If I think about it, then it becomes really hard. I use this analogy: if you go to the gym and you lift a certain weight for a certain amount of days, then that weight becomes really easy and you need to lift a higher weight. Now, I'm not saying it's easy and it becomes easy, but it's come to a point now where I think it's a bit more of a muscle memory, which is definitely more enjoyable because I feel like I can really focus on the storytelling. But it's really tough, especially that last bit where you're walking back and then you have to go up the stairs, all of the turning, and then you go up the stairs onto the stage to hit that last long note, that bit's tricky, so you just have to have a lot of breath control there. SEE Tony Talk: Breaking down those surprise nominations and early winner predictions for 'Maybe Happy Ending,' 'Sunset Boulevard,' and more I want to talk about working with Nicole Scherzinger. She's giving an audacious performance as Norma Desmond. Watching her take the character to such extreme places, what does that make you do as an actor to match that energy? To allow her to go where she needed, I made the decision with Jamie that I needed to be as still as possible. We thought that if she goes to that place, then I need to go to the complete and utter opposite place to allow her to have that space and that support. When you come and see the show now, I'm very, very still. A lot of my notes from Jamie were, like, "Don't wipe the sweat off your nose. Don't draw anything, just let her do that thing." A lot of the notes that I get are, like, "Can you just be even more still?" Speaking of extremes, I love watching Joe break down during that final conversation with Betty (Grace Hodgett Young). I love what you do in the last few scenes, especially the death scene. Is it more challenging or cathartic at the end for you? It's a mixture of both. There are two things that come over me. There's an absolute relief normally that I've remembered my lyrics, because there are just so many words in this production, and then there's also the technical aspect of not shouting too much, but shouting enough, and not shouting too safely, but shouting safe enough. That's always something that you have to deal with. It definitely is a relief that comes over you at the end. Since Cecil B. DeMille is such an important figure in this musical, I want to ask you if there are any theater or film directors who you're dying to work with once this chapter comes to a close? For sure. I'd love to work with Tarantino. I'd love to work with Scorsese. I'd love to work with Wes Anderson. There's a few. Believe it or not, we're coming to the close of , which concludes its Broadway run on July 13. You have the finish line in sight. If you could project into the future, what are you going to miss most about living in this universe when you play that last performance? That's such a brilliant question. I'm going to miss the people. I'm going to miss the satisfaction of the job. I'm just going to miss this point in my career, I think. This job has changed my life in so many ways and it's given me so many opportunities. Now it's almost a little bit scary because I've now got to go and prove myself in those opportunities, which is going to be really fun, it's going to be an exciting new chapter, and an exciting challenge. But this has been such a beautiful way to start my twenties, and so I think it's sad that's coming to an end, but I'm excited for what comes next. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby Sadie Sink on her character's 'emotional rage' in 'John Proctor Is the Villain' and her reaction to 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow' 'It should be illegal how much fun I'm having': Lea Salonga on playing Mrs. Lovett and more in 'Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends' 'Death Becomes Her' star Jennifer Simard is ready to be a leading lady: 'I don't feel pressure, I feel joy' Click here to read the full article.
New York Times
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
In ‘Sunset Boulevard,' Tom Francis Writes His Own Story
Tom Francis asked to meet on a rugged corner of the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. It was a bright April day, and in some ways Francis, 25, in a vintage sweater and slacks, looked like any other member of the creative class with a matcha habit. Still, I had picked him out a block away. Onstage, in Jamie Lloyd's coruscating Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Sunset Boulevard,' his brooding features projected onto a 23-foot-tall screen, Francis looms large. But even here on Roebling Street, the actor, who stands 6-foot-2, with shoulders that would not demean a musk ox, was not exactly small. Francis is nominated for a Tony Award, and to see him pictured alongside his fellow nominees in the leading actor in a musical category is to believe that he could take any of them in a bar fight, maybe more than one at once. His 'Sunset Boulevard' co-star Nicole Scherzinger described him succinctly. 'He is a man,' she said in a phone interview. But, she was quick to emphasize, Francis is also a sweetheart, 'a 25-year-old teddy bear.' In 'Sunset Boulevard,' Francis stars as Joe Gillis, a dead-behind-the-eyes screenwriter who becomes entangled, in an asphyxiating way, with an aging queen of the silents. Here is the New York Times critic Jesse Green's take: 'Francis, as Joe, does shutdown-cynical-corpse very well.' Yet in person, Francis, who wields those shoulders lightly, is boyish, candid, eager, almost unable to believe his good fortune. And yes, that good fortune requires him to remain onstage for nearly every moment of a two-and-a-half-hour mega musical, except when he is leading the cast — in wind, in rain, amid tourists — through a portion of the Theater District as he sings the title number outdoors. He ends the show in his underwear, sunken-eyed and covered in blood. It's physically exhausting, he'll admit that, but on a deeper level, he also finds it restful. That's the calm that comes from performing work he feels he was made to do. The role, which has already won him an Olivier Award, has given him confidence, allowing him to trust his instincts and his powers. Audiences know that Francis is, every inch, a leading man. And now Francis knows it, too. 'Yeah, it's nice to find something that I feel good doing,' he said. Matcha in hand, Francis swung north, then west toward the East River. His publicist assured me that he had taken up photography and would be shooting while we walked, but owing to nerves or distraction or a desire to focus on the conversation, his camera stayed in his bag. Still, Francis's enthusiasm for the neighborhood, where he lived while filming the final season of the hip Netflix psycho killer drama 'You,' was palpable. He pointed out favorite restaurants and fat robins, and spoke about his love of cycling across the Williamsburg Bridge, the skyline at his back. 'That's the time when I take in the fact that I've got to Broadway,' he said. Admittedly, Francis's path to Broadway has not been especially circuitous or long. Music has always made sense to him. He is severely dyslexic, though this wouldn't be diagnosed until his late teens, and as a child he struggled in school. But when he played guitar or sang — first with the cathedral choir in his small town in the south of England, then with other choirs — he excelled. 'It was really nice not to be the dumbest kid in the room all the time,' Francis said. Choral singing led him to youth theater, then to drama school. Onstage, he could forget himself, give himself over to the role. 'You can just switch off and hang out in somebody else's skin for a little bit,' he explained. When Francis said this, earnestly and full of good will, it didn't sound creepy. (The accent helps.) He graduated from drama school, ArtsEd in West London in 2020, and despite the pandemic, he began to work almost immediately, in a live-capture performance of 'Rent,' a concert version of 'Hair,' and the Tom Jones musical 'What's New Pussycat?' He was then a replacement Romeo in the London production of '& Juliet.' When his contract for that show finished, he thought he might rest for a while, work on some original music. Then his agent told him about an audition for a 'Sunset Boulevard' revival, which Lloyd would direct. Francis didn't know the show, or the 1950 Billy Wilder movie that inspired it, but he knew Lloyd by reputation and was desperate to work with him. Lloyd, who remembered Francis from 'Rent,' liked what he heard at the first audition. He kept calling him back and back. (Lloyd said there were four auditions; Francis believes there were nine.) But Lloyd didn't really need to see more. 'I just knew in an instant that was Joe Gillis,' Lloyd said in a phone interview. That Francis looked more like a noir hunk than a typical musical theater actor helped. ('He wasn't in any way glossy,' Lloyd said. 'He looked a real guy.') And while Francis isn't naturally cynical — or naturally a baritone — he let the words and music take him there, with a voice that could go barroom smoky or church-bell clear, which convinced Lloyd and, later, Lloyd Webber. 'I mean, he's a really good singer,' Lloyd Webber called to tell me. FRANCIS WAS JUST 22 during those auditions, and 23 when rehearsals began. Scherzinger, who plays the fading star Norma Desmond, remembered meeting him and thinking: 'He's so young. Then I realized the whole cast was so young. I was like, 'Wow, I really feel like Norma Desmond now, because I feel so old.'' The show opened in London in the fall of 2023 to rapturous reviews. Talk of a New York transfer was immediate. A month into the run, Lloyd came into Francis's dressing room and asked him if he would like to go to New York. Francis had known that Scherzinger was a lock; he hadn't thought that Lloyd would take him as well. But the chemistry between the two of them was undeniable. Offstage, this manifests as a brother-sister closeness. ('He's a good boy, and I love him,' Scherzinger said.) Onstage, it's a lot steamier. Lloyd wanted them both. Francis didn't have to think about it. 'I was like, 'Hell yes, a thousand times over,'' he said. The show's Broadway theater, the St. James, was larger than the London one, and the outside jaunt — during which Francis sings the title number while being filmed live — trickier, though Francis insists that the crowds that gather to watch him are typically polite. (Those crowds are more rapacious at the stage door. Francis doesn't mind it. 'It's quite a nice feeling knowing you've made someone's day,' he said.) But the demands of the show wore at him. He sings or speaks for perhaps 90 minutes of it. And toward the close of the show he has to scream, gutturally. 'It's not a sustained note kind of scream, it needs to sound like you've been shot,' he said. That screaming, combined with a case of laryngitis, made for vocal cord damage, which meant that Francis had to miss a week of performances in November. After that, he adjusted his exercise routines and his diet. A nutritionist told him that he was undereating by about a thousand calories per day. He also became a regular at the trendy day spa Bathhouse. 'Water and steam are my best friends,' he said. It would be natural for a handsome 20-something to want to explore the New York nightlife, but aside from a good restaurant meal, Francis limits his extracurriculars. Lloyd appreciates that. 'Even with all the temptations in New York, he keeps his feet on the ground and stays focused and disciplined and consistent,' he said. 'It's amazing someone of that age can do that.' After walking for about an hour, Francis arrived at Marsha P. Johnson State Park, which runs down to the river itself. He sat down on a log and looked out at the Manhattan skyline. 'This city,' he said, 'it just has my heart.' Yet it's an open question how long Francis will stay here. Scherzinger has known this since the first rehearsal. 'I said we've got to get that face on the screen,' she said. Hollywood has already come calling. The producer Greg Berlanti, having seen Francis in 'Sunset Boulevard' in London, cast him in 'You,' Francis's first television role. He played Clayton, a writer who maneuvers against Penn Badgley's Joe. It doesn't end well. (Francis joked that if he has a type, it's writers who die.) 'We would cast him again in a heartbeat,' Berlanti said. 'He's got strength mixed with vulnerability and mystery.' Francis has since spent a couple of days on the set of the upcoming Noah Baumbach movie, 'Jay Kelly,' and been cast in Peter Berg's World War II project, 'The Mosquito Bowl.' 'I'm ready to go and try something new,' Francis said. 'I really want to have a multifaceted career.' For now there are the Tony Awards and several more months to go in 'Sunset.' And at the moment there was sun on the water and more sun reflecting on skyscraper windows and a smell from the river that wasn't entirely nice. It all still feels like a dream to him, but it's a dream in which he belongs — here and on Broadway, and just maybe on the Radio City Music Hall stage where the Tonys will be awarded this year. 'I'm equally confused and just proud of myself,' he said.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cannes: Aaron Eckhart to Star in Angel Studios' ‘The Old Man in the Dunes' (Exclusive)
Aaron Eckhart has signed on to star in The Old Man in the Dunes, an 'inspirational thriller' from Angel Studios, the faith-based distributor behind Sound of Freedom and The King of Kings. The feature, based on an award-winning short, traces the story of an enigmatic old man living in the dunes who is unjustly accused of killing a local. His only hope is a steadfast public defender determined to unearth the truth. According to a summary of the plot, the story 'delves deep into the human soul, underscoring the consequences of concealing the truth and the redemption that can be found in repentance.' More from The Hollywood Reporter The Most Influential Women in International Film Tom Francis Is Ready to Flex His Muscles for Hollywood Daisy-May Hudson Debut 'Lollipop' Follows a Young Mother's Journey Post-Prison (Exclusive Trailer) Christian Guiton wrote The Old Man in the Dunes and will direct the film as his feature debut. Noli Molla and Mark Holder are producing for Wonder Street, alongside Jacques Abrahamian. The film is set to begin shooting in the third quarter of this year for a planned 2026 release. 'The Old Man in the Dunes has been part of my family's story for nearly a century, and it's a dream come true to finally bring it to life,' said Guiton in a statement. 'With Aaron Eckhart leading the cast, a raw and emotional approach to the storytelling, and the incredible support of Angel, we're excited to create something both gritty and hopeful. I'm beyond grateful for the team that's making this dream a reality.' Angel Studios will bow the film stateside. Pia Patatian's Cloud9 Studios are handling international sales and will be pitching the project to buyers at the Cannes film market next week. Cloud9′ Cannes slate also includes Barry Levinson's thriller Assassination starring Jessica Chastain, Brendan Fraser, Al Pacino, and Bryan Cranston, which will begin shooting this summer, and the romantic comedy Under the Stars starring Toni Collette and Andy Garcia. Wonder Street is currently in production on the Mark Wahlberg film By Any Means, and in pre-production on Naomi Watts' The Housewife. Angel Studios is riding high on the success of The King of Kings, an animated feature from South Korean company Mofac Animation about the life of Jesus Christ, with a voice cast that includes Oscar Isaac, Ben Kingsley, Mark Hamill, and Forest Whitaker, and which has grossed close to $60 million at the domestic box office to date. Angel's breakout film was Alejandro Monteverde's The Sound of Freedom, which earned more than $184 million domestically and over $250 million worldwide but became associated in the public discussion with the QAnon conspiracy movement. Eckhart is represented by CAA and Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum Matlof and Fishman. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now "A Nutless Monkey Could Do Your Job": From Abusive to Angst-Ridden, 16 Memorable Studio Exec Portrayals in Film and TV The 10 Best Baseball Movies of All Time, Ranked
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tom Francis Is Ready to Flex His Muscles for Hollywood
Tom Francis first discovered his talents while listening to Oasis. The British-born actor, who is currently starring (alongside Nicole Scherzinger) in the Broadway run of Sunset Blvd., was seven years old. The album was Don't Believe the Truth. 'I became absolutely obsessed with the band, and there's a song that closes the album called 'Let There Be Love,' and I remember sitting down with my guitar and figuring out how to play and sing it,' he explains to The Hollywood Reporter. Francis' parents happened to be eavesdropping. 'I got so embarrassed, and shouted at them like, 'Don't ever do that to me again,'' he laughs. 'I didn't want any to watch me sing, ever. But then that night at dinner, my dad told me, 'I think you're really very good.' And I took that on.' Eighteen years later, Francis, 25, is nominated for a Tony Award for his work in the Jamie Lloyd-directed adaptation; last year, he won an Olivier Award for the West End production. He spoke with THR about his career and his time onstage two weeks before the nominations were announced, as he tried not to let the looming milestone get the better of his nerves. (When reached for comment about the nod, he told THR, 'This is absolutely wild. I am stunned and a bit lost for words. To be recognized among this incredible group of artists is an unbelievable honor and beyond my wildest dreams. Massive congratulations to my fellow nominees and all the nominated shows this season.') More from The Hollywood Reporter Daisy-May Hudson Debut 'Lollipop' Follows a Young Mother's Journey Post-Prison (Exclusive Trailer) How London Became the New Hollywood Jirí Bartoska, Czech Actor and Longtime Karlovy Vary Film Festival President, Dies at 78 But Sunset Boulevard is delivering more than just trophies for Francis. He appears in the final season of You as Clayton, an egotistical aspiring author (with a wolf cut, no less) who serves as one of Joe Goldberg's many antagonists; co-creator Greg Berlanti came to see the actor in Sunset and invited him to send in a tape. 'I auditioned, and then the visa came through, and then I flew out the next day,' Francis says of his whirlwind first onscreen role, which he filmed in between the musical's London and New York runs. Next, he'll be (briefly, he admits) in Noah Baumbach's George Clooney starrer Jay Kelly, and then he'll be joining Bill Skarsgård and Nicholas Galitzine in Peter Berg's Netflix film The Mosquito Bowl. Below, Francis reflects back on his most memorable moments onstage and looks forward to his dream career. Tell us about how you got started as an actor — after you discovered yourself, as it were, while playing Oasis, did you ever make a conscious decision to pursue it professionally? I started first doing all sorts of choirs through childhood. I really didn't like school. I'm severely dyslexic, and my attention span in terms of academia is pretty terrible. I was having piano lessons and school and my teacher was like, why don't you go to the college next door, they've got a theater program. I'm not even joking, the college was literally next door. And then I finished up my formal drama school program during the pandemic — like, doing tap classes on Zoom. (Laughs) So it feels like I'm only just now figuring out what's really going on with my career. You guys have had all sorts of legendary actors come to see , from Samuel L. Jackson to Jonathan Groff — do you get nervous about that? In London we called the nights when someone really important was in the crowd 'come for blood' shows, which mean just really go for it. That was always fun. Now I get most nervous when my girlfriend [Hadestown actress Maia Reficco] comes, to be honest. She's come probably seven times now, and it's never less nerve-wracking. I don't even know why. I used to get a lot of stage fright and it would manifest physically, my ears go red and my body shakes. I've gotten better at controlling it, and the start of Sunset is great for the nerves because my character has the mental breakdown and you can just let it all out. The show gets really enthusiastic and vocal reactions from the crowds — mid-act standing ovations and cheers. Are you able to describe what that feels like, and what your relationship is to the audience and that sort of feedback? The hardest thing about being a stage performer is that when you're not working, nobody applauds you. The fact that you get those reactions becomes most noticeable when you're not getting them. You mind of miss that dopamine hit. But it is also an unnatural feeling to have 1,700 people scream and shout and clap at you every night. But I try to think of it as celebrating the fact that we pulled off the show. It takes so many people to make everything happen every single night, so when there's a round of applause, it's a great camaraderie moment. Your look in this season of is very different than what's now become, by default, your signature look… They shaved part of my head, and I was wearing a toupée type thing. It started up high and then there were clips that went all the way down around the back of my head. I can't describe how good it felt to take that all off at the end of the day. But it was cool to play somebody like that, it was like flexing a different muscle. Was that your first time on a set? I'd already done a day or two on the new Noah Baumbach film, Jay Kelly. That was incredible to watch being made. But I loved the hustle and bustle of being on the You set, it really feels like an ant farm. Acting opposite Penn [Badgley] was just a joy, too. He's an unbelievable number one. He found out it was one of my first times on set and gave me pointers. And after my last day of shooting, which was a lot of me and him together, he came up to me afterwards and said so many lovely things. If I can ever be number one on a TV series, I want to do it just how Penn Badgley does. Have you watched your death scene yet? I've not really seen it. I've not watched the show properly yet, because you get a bit like, do I want to watch myself? It's a good death scene. If you're happy, then I'm happy. Maybe I'll start watching it tonight. Have you ever watched yourself perform ? Jamie put a ban on us seeing ourselves perform. I've never even listened to the album. He believes that if you watch yourself in this show, you ruin the innocence. I genuinely have no idea what happens in the show outside of my own perspective while performing. I spend most of the time at the front of the stage looking out at and talking to the audience and there's all sorts of stuff that goes on behind me. The other day, during the part where I'm holding Nicole's hand and say a line about two finance men, I noticed that the two finance men walk behind me during that scene. I had no idea until that day, and that's been happening for months and months. I really hope that after we finish, there's a good video of it somewhere. Your dressing room is part of the show's set, but have you done any personalizing or decorating? I'm using Jake Gyllenhaal's dressing room as the bar to measure against. The only thing I've done is put a 70-inch TV in there with a PlayStation. I play a lot of FIFA with other people in the cast. And I've got a little bar. It can be hard doing the show every night, when everyone else is socializing, so things like that help. Do you ever struggle with performing that often? No, the hardest thing about it is literally eating. I've ended up hyper-fixating and now I have just three meals that I eat, and I eat them at the same time every single day. On two-show days, I have to wake up early just so I can fit it all in. Once this run of is done, have you decided whether you'll go back to the UK? I need to go back to say hi to my family and friends, but I love New York and really I never want to leave. I'd love to book a job and start working in film and TV. I feel very new to that even being a possibility. Whose career would you most like to emulate? I love Matt Damon. To have a career like him in film would be the absolute dream. But it's really hard to emulate that, a Good Will Hunting only comes around once in a generation, you know? But I feel excited about figuring out what's next, and I have a fantastic team [at CAA and Linden Entertainment] who are helping me do that. We talk about everything, they give me so much advice and are wonderful human beings. As the Tony's approach, what's your approach to awards? It's like the biggest elephant in any room that you walk into. But I think if I think about it too much, I'll freak out and not be very good at my job. I'm trying to be like a police horse, with the blinders on. The Olivier Awards just happened and videos from last year's show were resurfacing, and I've been thinking about the moment when I realized I'd won and no one could ever take it away from me. I watched the video back, and all of those wild emotions resurfaced. It's still absolutely crazy. Best of The Hollywood Reporter From 'Lady in the Lake' to 'It Ends With Us': 29 New and Upcoming Book Adaptations in 2024 Meet the Superstars Who Glam Up Hollywood's A-List Rosie O'Donnell on Ellen, Madonna, Trump and 40 Years in the Queer Spotlight
