INTERVIEW: From ‘Gotham’ to ‘Richard III’ with Andrew Sellon
Photo: Richard III stars Andrew Sellon in the title role. Photo courtesy of Will O’Hare / Provided by Jorgensen PR with permission.
Andrew Sellon, the celebrated actor of TV’s Gotham, is now performing the title role in William Shakespeare’s Richard III at the Nimbus Arts Center in Jersey City, New Jersey. Performances continue through March 29, offering local audiences a rare chance to see a top-billed actor in an intimate staging of one of the best plays in the English language.
This new version of Richard III, courtesy of The Curtain theater company, was adapted by Sean Hagerty, who also directs the production. For the unbeknownst, the Bard’s classic play is a bloody tale of revenge and power-at-no-cost, and Sellon is having a devilishly delightful time in the lead role.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with the actor to learn more about his approach to this iconic character, plus his time on Gotham and what’s it like working in Jersey City. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What attracted you to tackle the role of Richard III?
Tackle is a great word because you have to be an athlete to take on Richard! He is one of the most varied and challenging roles ever created, period. He speaks something like 75 percent of the play’s lines, and emotionally he’s all over the map. He also talks to the audience a lot, especially in our production. I love roles that push my limits and let me expand my skills — and yes, also show the world what I can do. So often as actors we are pigeonholed into a very limited character “type” that we are allowed to audition for. Richard isn’t a type; he’s a unique and fascinating monster, an incredible psychological study of a power-crazed sociopath. It’s an Olympic-level role; it calls on all my physical, verbal, vocal and emotional resources to capture his highs and his lows. That’s heaven for any actor.
Are there modern-day lessons to be learned from this classic play?
Oh, gosh. Audiences are literally gasping at so many of the lines from this play because they resonate so deeply with what’s going on in this country at the moment. I would love to make a series of T-shirts with some of them! And it’s not just about the very real dangers of having an unstable tyrant leading a country; it’s also about the gullible people he preys on and all the enablers he talks into helping him — the people willing to ignore their conscience because they think they’ll get ahead. They make the mistake of putting personal gain before the country’s good, and they all learn too late that the devil never plays fair.
How difficult was it to learn the language and memorize the lines?
I’m incredibly lucky that my parents were both very bright, highly verbal people. They also instilled in me a love of reading and especially of Shakespeare. I belonged to a Shakespeare club when I studied at Belmont High School, and my first onstage role at 14 was Malvolio in Twelfth Night. I also had excellent training in Shakespeare’s language while earning my Master of Fine Arts at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Because of all those things, verse now feels entirely natural to me, and it’s my favorite kind of script to play.
As to memorizing? That’s probably the #1 question we actors are asked. The simplest way I can put it is: Your character needs those words to get what they want. The more you explore, over and over, why your character chooses those exact words, the more easily the memorization comes. It’s not just repetition, the way we learned multiplication tables or French conjugations as children; it’s informed, emotionally explorative repetition. I’ve always been a reasonably quick study, but it still takes time and immersion in the story. Again, actors are athletes.
What’s it like working with director Sean Hagerty?
Sean is the best kind of director! Since he is also an actor, he understands our challenges and respects our efforts. Sean’s respect for the script as he trims (which one must do) and adapts is also incredible, as is his knowledge of the various versions of Shakespeare’s scripts. Sean does his homework. He also makes sure every word is going to be delivered clearly to the audience. Often people avoid Shakespeare productions because the language is not handled well. That will never happen in one of Sean’s productions. He casts carefully and always has his ear out for making sure the story is getting across simply and entertainingly. And in the rehearsal room, while he always has strong ideas for what he envisions, he is entirely open to any differing ideas the actor may contribute. He is a great collaborator. I always say my favorite directors to work with are the “best idea wins” ones. That’s Sean, and his support of and encouragement of young actors is exemplary. Given how much I respect his work, the fact that he has entrusted Richard to me is humbling.
You’ve done quite a lot of Shakespeare. What is it about the Bard that you enjoy so much?
My husband Tim always says there has never been another writer who has so completely understood and captured the complexities of the human heart, head and soul. That sums it up. Shakespeare’s major characters are astonishing for their depth and realism. Playing Shakespeare brings me more joy than any other acting role because of that uncanny, alchemical blend of poetry and deeply human passion. His characters were written so long ago, but in the hands of a good director and skilled actors, they still live and breathe — and resonate incredibly with our lives today.
Do you look back with fondness on your time on Gotham?
I miss the Gotham gang dearly! Given that almost everyone on the show was playing a sociopath, it’s incredible how lovely everyone was, on set and off. We worked hard but had such fun! It was a real family, and they welcomed me with open arms. I not-so-secretly hope that somehow we will return one of these days. Mr. Scarface and I have so many more stories to tell, and being the first live action actor in history to play the classic DC Comics villain the Ventriloquist is one of the greatest honors of my career. The fact that I actually am a ventriloquist in real life was a lucky coincidence that led to one of the best experiences of my life. I’m grateful to Danny Cannon for the gift of Gotham, and I’m grateful to Sean for the gift of Richard III.
Sellon added about why audiences should see Richard III …
Because you will understand every word effortlessly, and in our intimate playing space you will be drawn into the action in a way that rarely happens these days. Richard will amuse you — and appall you. And you will recognize him. Ticket prices are very reasonable; it’s only a couple of stops out of Manhattan on the PATH train, and there are lots of great restaurants in downtown Jersey City. It’s a great night out. This is a true zeitgeist production, and anyone who cares about this country and this world should rush to see it. Our later weekends tend to sell out — so I wouldn’t wait! We must close March 29.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Richard III, starring Andrew Sellon, continues at the Nimbus Arts Center in Jersey City, New Jersey. Click here for more information and tickets for The Curtain production.
