Jonathan Groff talks ‘Boss’, ‘Red’ and working with actors “who are better than you”

Can an actor be too gay?  Jonathan Groff courted a little controversy in the past regarding that question.

A Newsweek critic a few years ago deemed the actor too gay to be a convincing straight leading man.  “I feel the same away now as I did then,” he said in an interview with The Los Angeles Times.  “Here’s the deal—I go to my auditions and plug away and try and do my best.  People are going to say whatever they’re going to say about your performance, and at the end of the day, you can’t let that stuff affect you.  Everyone is entitled to his opinion, and it started a lot of good conversations probably.  All I can do is laugh and keep moving forward.  Sexuality is such an interesting thing.  Unless you’re playing a very effeminate person, a stereotypical queen, it’s hard to say what it means to play gay.”

The Tony-nominated actor is getting to show off his acting chops in a Los Angeles production of Red and on Starz’s series Boss.  Groff feels “that the best way to learn is to work with people who are better than you.” Read more

Kelsey Grammer on Why He Loves His ‘Boss’ Character and How He Takes Criticism

Sure, we all saw Kelsey Grammer play Dr. Frasier Crane for about a hundred years, but deep down inside we all knew that with that scowl and deep timbre of voice that he would make a fantastic villain.  I mean, the minds behind The Simpsons were obviously on to something with Sideshow Bob, right?  So Grammer was the perfect fit to play the corrupt Chicago Mayor Tom Kane in Boss, which will soon begin its second season. 

In an interview with Reuters, Grammer talks about transitioning from comedy to drama and his feelings on critics of his performances, including not being nominated for an Emmy.

Grammer admits that despite the character’s evil nature, he loves the role.  He points out, “He is a great character to play because he is so energetic. The guy’s vitality is fantastic. He is dying and yet he has more vitality than most people who have another 50 years to live. It is more energizing to play in a weird way.  We have explored and lifted from Shakespeare quite a bit. Apparitions in Shakespeare are common place and in the culture of that time they were meant as real things. It is up to the audience whether they want to accept it as a real thing or a figment of his imagination.” Read more