By Brandon Voss
Do you see a lot of New York theatre?
Along with Jeff Goldblum and Zoe Lister-Jones, you're one of three new cast members joining Jerry O'Connell and Hettienne Park, Seminar's remaining original stars. What was the rehearsal process like for you?
In addition to rehearsals, would you also attend the performances?
10 Apr 2012
Justin Long
Photo by Joseph Marzullo/WENN
JL: I live in Austin part-time, so I go back and forth to New York, but when I am here and I'm not working, I try to see as much theatre as I can. Now, of course, there are so many things on Broadway that I want to see. It's funny, because I was talking with someone the other day about how desperate I am to see Death of a Salesman, and I caught myself almost saying, "Dammit, I won't be able to see that, because I'm on Broadway" — as if it's a bad thing.
JL: A lot of praying, a lot of watching tapes of Hamish and Alan Rickman… No, we were just trying to get through the blocking, most of which was already established, and learning the lines was daunting because we had so little rehearsal time. When I got the part, I had already committed to doing a few more episodes of "New Girl," so I had to go out to L.A. for a while. So for me — and I hate to sound trite — most of the rehearsal was about trying to solidify the lines in my head.
JL: I wanted to see the play out of sheer curiosity and also to help get the blocking down, but I didn't see it until after I had solidified my idea of the character and how I was going to play him. Seeing Hamish do it was surreal, because I knew the part in a totally different way. I had thought about seeing the play multiple times, but then I was so thrown by how different my interpretation of the part was, and I didn't want to fall even more deeply in love with what Hamish was doing. It was also terrifying, because it almost felt like his was the only way to do it, so I'm just hoping that my way works too. But there are parts of Hamish's performance that I don't think I could live without, so I may borrow them for a couple months. It's comforting to know how wildly different yet equally successful Alan Rickman and Jeff Goldblum are in the role of Leonard. I can't imagine two more disparate actors, but they're both just beautiful in such different ways.
JL: Yeah, well, you know who's been incredible is Jerry O'Connell. I've been hanging out with Jerry a lot. He and Hettienne came whenever they could to our rehearsals, ingratiating themselves into our little threesome of newbies. They've really gone out of their way to help us make the transition. I forgot that about theatre — how quickly you bond with people in such a short amount of time. There's pressure for all of us, and sometimes that pressure can be the best thing to galvanize relationships, especially for a play like this, which relies so heavily on the chemistry and the support between the actors. Establishing those connections was almost immediate, and I feel like we've gotten to a really good place. It also helps that everyone's a really good person. There are no divas or attitudes, which is surprisingly rare.
So you're confirming that Jeff Goldblum is not a diva.
JL: Jeff Goldblum is someone that could be a diva, because he's so successful and has had such a great career, but he works harder than I've ever seen an actor work. We had our first table read maybe a week after we'd been cast. I'd only been able to read the script a couple times at that point, because I was finishing up a movie ["A Case of You"] that I'd written and produced, so it was very consuming. I thought, Whatever, nobody else is going to be that prepared either. Goldblum was completely off-book, so analytical, already making choices — he could've gone onstage that night. It was incredible. That lit a fire under Zoe's and my ass and encouraged us to work harder. He's also very giving and he never complains. It's inspiring to see a guy who's gotten to that point in his career and is still so gracious and playful.
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| Long takes a first-night bow in Seminar. |
How do you see the character of Martin?
JL: When it comes to the characters I'm usually asked to play, especially recently in romantic comedies, my instinct has been to be more likable, more self-effacing, softer, and more passive. But Martin is not that at all, and I was struggling with that at little bit. Martin's a selfish narcissist, and he can be very aggressive, hostile, and punishing, even to his close friends. Those aren't my natural instincts, so I've had to work against how I would normally play somebody like Martin. But watching Hamish in the role gave me the confidence to be unlikable.
Did you speak with Hamish for any insights into the character?
JL: Yeah, he was awesome. We sat and talked for a little bit. It was probably strange for him, because actors can be so sensitive, and there's a certain etiquette when it comes to giving notes or suggestions, but I let him know that I was open to anything he wanted to tell me. I've never done Broadway, so I'm looking for advice wherever I can get it. The questions I had were more specific about certain lines or certain things I was having trouble with, like this one scene where I have to shovel chips in my mouth and still articulate properly. I don't have the clearest diction anyway — maybe my tongue doesn't fit in my mouth — so I've had to be more cognizant of things like enunciating and playing to the back of the house, especially after doing film for so long. Hamish gave me some notes and tricks about things like that. He's just so thoughtful, analytical, and prepared, but onstage he makes it looks so effortless. Those are some big shoes to fill, and I wish they were a little smaller.
