Armin Shimerman: “Luck is a huge factor in every career”

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Armin Shimerman made his name in television - Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Seinfeld, Boston Legal (to name a few) – by playing unique, memorable characters. But did you know his true love is theater?

I caught up with Armin at the tail-end of his run of The Seafarer where he was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to talk about theater, how he prepares for a role and much more!

For ticket information on The Seafarer at the San Diego Repertory Theater, click here!

You’re currently starring in The Seafarer. Even though it’s a short run, how do you keep your performance fresh night after night?
How do I do that?  How does any actor do that?  By being inspired every night by what the other people are doing and finding new things in the play as we go along.  Although it’s a rehearsed and performed piece, there’s always something new.  That’s the great thing about live theater, you can always find something new and fresh each performance.  The audience and the actors give you things.

How do you choose your theatre projects?  Do you have a master list of shows or characters that you want to do somewhere?
I tend to prefer classical theater.  That is what I’ve been trained in and what I’ve mostly done and what intrigues me the most.  However, I saw this particular play in New York when I was visiting a couple years ago, and it was an incredible production directed by the playwright on Broadway.  And when I saw it, after I saw it, I was just absolutely enthralled by it and there was a particular part in it that I really wanted to play.  That is not the part that I’m playing, but I was really enthralled by the play.  And I particularly wanted to play the Devil, but instead the theatre here, very wisely in my opinion, cast me as Richard Harkin which is the host of the party for want of a better term.  And I’m just tickled pink.  Without doubt it’ll always be one of my favorite character’s that I’ve ever played.

I’ve heard you’re fantastic in the show.
It’s turned out very well.  We’ve had a wonderful director.  Delisha [Turner Sonnenburg] did a great job directing it.  The theatre has done a terrific job of producing it.  And it’s an incredible ensemble of actors.

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UNNATURAL HISTORY
COVERT AFFAIRS
COPPER
THE DEEP END
THE SAINT
PREPPED
LOVE THAT GIRL
A GAME OF THRONES
THE STATION
UNTITLED BUGLIARI & MCLAUGHLIN PROJECT
PAIR OF KINGS
TERRIERS
FANCY
UNTITLED ALIEN INVASION PILOT
THE LEAGUE
ABC FAMILY PILOT SEASON STARTING
SHOWTIME PILOT SEASON STARTING
THE ASSOCIATES
THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE
COMMUNITY
COUGAR TOWN
DAY ONE
DEEP END
HUMAN TARGET
FLASH FORWARD
THE MIDDLE
MODERN FAMILY
MERCY
NCIS: LOS ANGELES
PARENTHOOD
V
VAMPIRE DIAIRES