BRIAN GERAGHTY: Much better!
GERAGHTY: It’s a great question.
GERAGHTY: I was finding it out as I was getting scripts.This started as a one-season miniseries, like1883.
Image by Nimesh Niyomal
It’s 10 episodes and the prequel, and this was like the midquel, I guess.
For us, it continued much longer.
Hed been familiar with my work, and so he wanted to give me something to do, honestly.
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Im so blessed to have that.It kind of parallels a bit in my own life.
I’m married to a Hispanic woman, and so she helped me really understand what this would mean.
So, that’s how that went.
The great thing about Taylor is he hires the actors that he wants.
It was definitely a bonus.
Are Westerns making a comeback?
The Duttons face a new set of challenges in the early 20th century, including the rise of Western expansion, Prohibition, and the Great Depression.
It’s had a debilitating effect on his head and his movement.
How did you apply that to the physical aspects of your performance?
Did you look into what that key in of head injury would feel like?
GERAGHTY: Of course.
That’s one of the things that is good about the internet, especially for actors.
Its very easy to go down rabbit holes.
You take a stab at pull pieces that will work.
You try stuff on and go, That doesn’t help me, or, Is this too much?
It’s a collaboration with the director.
He’s like, Can you give me a little more of this or a little less of that?
That’s how I did it.
Your purpose in life is basically gone.
How do you exist?
That was the question that I asked.That’s where all the angst and fear comes in those scenes.
Its like, It’s all over.
When people get like, I can’t walk, what good am I?
That was the sentiment that we were going for.
It’s also something that Dr. Miller has never performed before.
I’m curious about the behind-the-scenes process and how that scene was staged.
Was it your head, or a fake head?
GERAGHTY: Jason Hamer is an amazing special effects guy, and they orchestrated this incredible head.
I mean, it was fantastic.
So,those were the three components.
I was okay with it going here or here, but I didn’t want it to go overhere.
It’s just really lovely to see that relationship between these two men.
He wants this show to be the best it possibly can be.
This is part of his storyline, and so he’s there to help me.
He’s there off-camera all day.
He said, Great work!
That’s very meaningful for someone like him to say that to somebody like me.
We knew it was a big scene, and we wanted to get through it.
Some people are really out for themselves, but not him and Darren [Mann].
They all want me to succeed.
We all have our moments on the show when it’s the other actors moments.
It’s not out of selfishness or, It’s my moment.
It’s, I have to get this right for this show.
That’s where,as an ensemble, we are all team players.
GERAGHTY: It’s just getting back to the, What do we have to do now?
But now, it’s a little bit more personal because we know where this is coming from.
New episodes of1923Season 2 premiere Sundays on Paramount+.
