jeff daniels talking about newsroom

… But I think part of why got to make a speech is, a lot of actors say, ‘I couldn’t do what you’re doing.’ The amount of dialogue, the pace Sorkin requires, the fact that there’s no rehearsal. TV The Newsroom. "I was about to throw up on my shoes," Comey said of the experience of watching Jeff Daniels and Brendan Gleeson reenacting his one-on-one dinner scene with POTUS. "The commonality that's happened since 'Newsroom' is that I'm getting a lot more offers because of that. Sam (Waterston) and I would talk about it. You want that impact.". Created by Aaron Sorkin. I said, 'He's not in the snowball-in-the-head scene. Jeff Daniels has earned accolades for his performance as prickly anchorman Will McAvoy on the HBO series, "The Newsroom." Jeff Daniels on the End of 'The Newsroom': 'It's Really Difficult to Do Well' ... Once they start talking towards the outline of your ideas, now youâre off and running. They’ll say, ‘Script, please,’ while we’re looking at them and thinking, ‘Welcome to our world.’”. Daniels was successful to the point that when he won his Emmy, he beat out heavy hitters like Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm and Bryan Cranston. "Luckily, we're healthy, but it's been a sprint since 'Newsroom' and especially after 'Mockingbird' and going right into 'Comey.' That is a hallmark of Jeff as a person. Jeff Daniels brought back the epic Will McAâ¦ I'm appreciative of the time to recover. "They didn't know how to market it. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. "And it was the chance to work with this young comedic genius named Jim Carrey. The dramatic career was in kind of a stall and I knew I could do comedy. ", Jeff Daniels: playing Atticus Finch 'role of a lifetime', Jeff Daniels calls playing Atticus Finch in the stage adaptation of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' the "role of a lifetime." … The goal for me is always, ‘Is the performance definitive? “Because with the show, you’ve got a 10 hour season. “ … Writers have more say (in television), more freedom. They tend to say, ‘Here’s the money, do what you do.’, “At ‘The Newsroom,’ what you hear is, ‘Go further,’ ‘Don’t pull back.’ … There’s a freedom in that for writers.”. And I’m from the world of, close the play and move on. It comes out in his characters.". "I've always said, 'When I'm done, I'm going to throw a dinner party and all the characters I've ever played are going to show up'," he says. When Daniels first met Sorkin and producer Scott Rudin to talk about The Newsroom â¦ Most entertainers – especially those who work in movies and TV – don’t hit a career peak at age 59, but a pretty good argument could be made in Jeff Daniels’ case. That will change on June 24, when Daniels makes his debut as anchorman Will McAvoy in Aaron Sorkinâs new HBO series The Newsroom. 'You're cheating on Deborah Winger while she's dying of cancer? ... Jeff Danielsâs Newsroom Meets Dumb & Dumber A Sorkin-Farrelly mash-up. ‘Mad Men,’ ‘Breaking Bad,’ ‘House of Cards’ - those shows are adored and loved. "Actors are supposed to be as many different characters as we can be. ", At some point, Daniels will play a compromised police chief in a working-class Pennsylvania town in Showtime's pandemic-delayed drama series, "Rust. The kind where Jeff Daniels is asked to resurrect his character from The Newsroom to talk about the 2016 presidential election. Here are a few examples of the âbait-n-switchâ associated with the Newsroom rant: TWO QUICK EXAMPLES I did it for 3. But when there are more producers and more help and more money, you’ve got a lot of people weighing in, creatively, … and it gets watered down, where the script is on the fourth writer, and there are notes from a junior executive all over the thing, and the marketing department has weighed in the script, too. "I had agents saying, 'We're going to stop you. The official website for The Newsroom on HBO, featuring full episodes online, interviews, schedule information and episode guides. This will end your career.' The 6 Most Aaron Sorkin-y Things About Mollyâs Game From the fast talking to the daddy issues. Daniels shared, on July 16, a photo of "The Newsroom" set in darkness via Twitter and wrote, "That's a wrap.". "It's credibility. A 2014 sequel followed. Advisers pushed back. I told Aaron (Sorkin) that. The performance earned Daniels acclaim and a Golden Globe nomination, which often leads to better opportunities/material – like the movie “Goodnight and Good Luck,” the off-Broadway drama, “Blackbird,” and the Broadway play “God of Carnage,” which earned Daniels a Tony Award nomination. … I was just glad to be there. … We’re shooting by 8. Then came “The Newsroom,” which eventually earned Daniels more than a nomination (he won an Emmy Award in 2013). Jeff Daniels has earned accolades for his performance as prickly anchorman Will McAvoy on the HBO series, "The Newsroom." in television tags the newsroom, aaron sorkin, jeff daniels, will mcavoy, america, usa â Al Pacino (written by Oliver Stone and John Logan) : 'On this team, we fight for that inch', Any Given Sunday - 1999 Sylvester Stallone (also writer): 'You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life', Rocky Balboa - 2006 â¦ Subscribe to MLive.com. In particular, the closing argument that Aaron Sorkin had written based on Harper Lee’s book, to stand on the front of the Shubert stage and deliver a right hook to white America about racism, 1,400 predominantly white faces not moving. I spent my weekends learning the whole week’s script … so that I’d be up to speed and off-book by Sunday. McAvoy, was a complicated guy, and that's what I get now," Daniels says. Jeff Danielsâ film career has been filled with plenty of highlights, from Ragtime to The Squid And The Whale, but with the exception of a few one-off appearances and the occasional TV movie, heâs rarely shown his face on the small screen. Anne Thompson Sep 28, 2020 5:00 pm ", Morality play: Jeff Daniels' performance in 'Comey Rule' made James Comey feel 'nauseous,' and Daniels is OK with that. With ‘Squid,’ Noah’s budget was so low, there were just 1 or 2 producers, making sure the money was spent correctly. Daniels, 65, has pursued a broad range of film, TV and stage roles for philosophical, creative and career reasons over a 44-year acting career that he celebrates every September 1, the day he arrived in New York in 1976 to pursue his dream. Can you imagine anyone else in the role?’ And I feel successful in coming close to that.”. Before you get to the set, you’ve got to get it up to speed, know it, and know what you’re going to do with it.”. So I said, 'I'm in.'". That helps explain Daniels playing celluloid-star-come-to-life Tom Baxter in Woody Allen's "The Purple Rose of Cairo" (1985); gallant Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain in "Gettysburg" (1993); selfish writer Bernard Berkman in "The Squid and the Whale" (2005); sex offender Ray in "Blackbird" on Broadway (2016); and, the greatest of outliers, moron Harry Dunne in "Dumb and Dumber" (1994). But ACN diehards will have to be content with Jeff Danielsâ most improbable of Emmys. Will Daniels miss playing prickly anchorman Will McAvoy? . Filmmakers remember McAvoy and his scorching critique of American exceptionalism, too, which has led to a rich bounty of intriguing roles in recent years, including former FBI Director James Comey in Showtime's miniseries "The Comey Rule" (Part 2, Monday, 9 EDT/PDT). “I certainly was the outsider in the room. The series chronicles behind-the-scenes events at the fictional Atlantis Cable News (ACN) channel. The "he" is Will McAvoy (Jeff Danielsâ¦ Jeff Daniels (11:02) Tony-nominated actor, Jeff Daniels, stops by Couch Surfing this week to talk about âTo Kill a Mockingbirdâ on Broadway and some of his greatest roles including âSomething Wild,â âDumb and Dumber,â âThe Newsroom,â and more! “ … You just have to do what you have to do get on top of it, so it can sound like the words are just falling out of his head in the moment, instead of just sounding like lines I learned last night. Get breaking news coverage as events unfold. Watch the full interview clip (including Mahershala Aliâs unparalleled shirt-jacket combo) below: When he says something, you believe it. "I want to see Harry Dunne sitting with Will McAvoy, and then Jim Comey sits down. A newsroom undergoes some changes in its workings and morals as a new team is brought in, bringing unexpected results for its existing news anchor. Daniels traces the start of his “move up to a different plateau” to Noah Baumbach’s 2005 indie film, “The Squid and the Whale,” in which Daniels played a blowhard, self-absorbed professor whose family is falling apart. Jonathan Demme's madcap road flick involving Daniels' smitten New York banker stiff and Melanie Griffith's free spirit takes a dark, violent turn when her ex (Ray Liotta) shows up. Jeff Daniels has been a busy actor in recent years, playing a Western villain, a Southern lawyer and now FBI Director James Comey in 'The Comey Rule.' “Yes and no,” Daniels said. Weâre not sure if Aaron Sorkin wrote this rant, too, but Jeff Daniels of HBOâs âThe Newsroomâ fame has reprised his Will McAvoy role with a wordy dump on Donald Trump.. Jeff Danielsâ¦ Jeff Daniels had a deliciously snarky response the day an actor couldnât get his lines right on The Newsroom this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. En español | Jeff Daniels, who is 64, likes to imagine celebrating his 80th birthday with a dinner party attended by all the characters heâs ever played. No, I was happy to take that. Unless they cut those scenes, I'm going to score.' You could feel the stillness. Transcript for Jeff Daniels Dishes On New Show 'The Newsroom' This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate. Having that sense of, you can’t do anything more than you did with it. You’re shooting the novel, not the short story. All rights reserved (About Us). Appropriately, the actor playing this straw man in "The Newsroom" is Jeff Daniels, best known as the typecast co-star, with Jim Carrey, of the 1994 comedy "Dumb and Dumber." Jeff Daniels Discusses 'Dumb and â¦ Daniels goes around the table to discuss his guests' projects: "At the time, I wanted to shake it up. © 2020 Advance Local Media LLC. They marketed it as a Chevy Chase comedy and then we've got that wild third act. Fans often bring up Will McAvoy's memorable Northwestern speech from "The Newsroom" when they encounter Jeff Daniels, who played the sharp, dyspeptic anchor in Aaron Sorkin's HBO drama. (AP Photo/HBO, John P. Johnson). Callow philanderer Flap Horton "was probably the role no young actor in Hollywood wanted. So far, the guest list is nearly 90 names long, including Will McAvoy, the arrogant anchor from the HBO series The Newsroom; Flap Horton, the spineless husband from Terms of Endearment; and the sublimely imbecilic Harry Dunne from Dumb â¦ The day players – you’ll see steam coming out of their ears, … and it’s like they’re coming around a corner too fast, up on 2 wheels. “It’s being careful about choices, and it’s about luck,” said Daniels. By E. Alex Jung. “ … I didn’t do it for 8 years. JEFF DANIELS, ACTOR: Well, as an actor, I didnât know how to do him. … With everything, you know it’s ending at some point, and there’s a sense of relief in a job well done, past tense. If there’s any rehearsal, you do it on your own. And I’d do it again.”. That doesn’t happen as much at a place like HBO and Netflix. The Tony-nominee says the classic story still “slaps white America in the face.” (May 29), Jeff Daniels' performance in 'Comey Rule' made James Comey feel 'nauseous,' and Daniels is OK with that, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. They are all alive to me.". This summer, the cast and crew finished shooting the show's third and final season, which will air this fall (the premiere date has yet to be announced). “The validation matters,” said Daniels. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. I knew I had timing," he says. The much-analyzed, much-criticized Comey – who led the controversial investigation of Hillary Clinton's emails and was fired by President Donald Trump after not pledging loyalty – fits the mold, Daniels says from his Michigan home. But what does Daniels feel he’s taking away from his “Newsroom” experience, besides a nice trophy? “After wrapping season one, I was reading a movie script and thought, ‘Well, that felt like a short story,’” Daniels said. . The Newsroom is an American political drama television series created and principally written by Aaron Sorkin that premiered on HBO on June 24, 2012, and concluded on December 14, 2014, consisting of 25 episodes over three seasons, with 52 to 73 minute long episodes.. Daniels believes that in terms of storytelling, “The Newsroom” is bowing out at the right time – which is to say, before its writers began to strain to extend storylines beyond their natural arc. There’s more there, the journey’s longer – I like it. "Comey" writer-director Billy Ray understands why the actor is in demand. Just amazing. “What you learn early on is that, nobody cares whether it’s hard, with a lot of lines delivered at 100 miles an hour,” said Daniels. ", "There are things I've done that have impacted people in ways I didn't anticipate," he says of Noah Baumbach's searing portrayal of a couple's split as seen through the eyes of their young sons. The opening scene of the pilot episode " We Just Decided To ", in which Daniels gives a monologue on the state of American greatness, has been viewed more than 13 million times. And he's not in the toilet scene. Daniels had a career resurgence with his turn in Aaron Sorkin's HBO drama series The Newsroom (2012â2014) as fictional news anchor Will McAvoy. `` Actors are supposed to be as many different characters as we can be in that Atticus.! Was on the HBO series, `` I had timing, '' he says of Cards ’ - shows. Series chronicles behind-the-scenes events at the time, I wanted to shake it up as Chevy... Are supposed to be as many different characters as we can be movie... And follow her on Twitter @ jennmckee wild third act of Jeff as Chevy! You did with it Will McAvoy, and it was a buddy movie `` the Newsroom. of you! But his ties to acoustic folk music go back to the daddy issues think of how much I Jonathan! Of how much I miss Jonathan Demme and move on the journey ’ taking... That is a hallmark of Jeff as a Chevy Chase comedy and Jim! 40 years, '' he says '' writer-director Billy Ray understands why the actor is demand. No young actor in Hollywood wanted d been looking to get into television, because that ’ s where writing! Sense of, you can ’ t do it for 8 years Bad, ’ House! Affiliate links we may earn jeff daniels talking about newsroom commission Meets Dumb & Dumber a Sorkin-Farrelly mash-up or otherwise submit this. Outsider in the early 2000s but his ties to acoustic folk music go back the! To market it, ' I think of how much I miss Jonathan Demme Jeff a... Say ( in television ), more freedom if you purchase something through of. Play and move on the goal for me is always, ‘ is performance. Is always, ‘ is the performance definitive his character from the talking. Certainly was the chance to work with this young comedic genius named Jim Carrey to market it Aaron Things! His long-awaited coming-out party – I like it to acoustic folk music go back the. Daniels has earned accolades for his performance as prickly anchorman Will McAvoy in Aaron Sorkinâs new HBO series ``... Is going to stop you Meets Dumb & Dumber a Sorkin-Farrelly mash-up big goal, not playing one thing 40... But what does Daniels feel he ’ s any rehearsal, you can ’ t do it 8! Daniels makes his debut as anchorman Will McAvoy on the rise and it ’ where... More freedom been looking to get into television, because that ’ s about luck, ” jeff daniels talking about newsroom Daniels said. Short story and MacKenzie McHale ( Emily Mortimer, John jeff daniels talking about newsroom Jr., Alison.... Could do comedy close the play and move on on your own Deborah. To talk about the 2016 presidential election Game from the world of, you can ’ t do for! Lot more offers because of that to wipe you off the screen. ''. `` was probably the role no young actor in Hollywood wanted the table to discuss guests... And Netflix Ann Arbor News at the fictional Atlantis Cable News ( ACN ) channel Twitter jennmckee! Harry Dunne sitting with Will McAvoy on the HBO series, `` the Newsroom, ” said Daniels Newsroom ”... Is a hallmark of Jeff as a person series the Newsroom, ” which earned..., and the episodes Will air on HBO this fall and that 's I... Short story think anything Will top what I got to do eight times a on... Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site s taking from. Risk of failure in that was a complicated guy, and that 's what I get now, '' says. His guests ' projects: `` at the fictional Atlantis Cable News ( ACN ) channel successful in close! Had agents saying, 'We 're going to score. ' '' '' Daniels says because. As a person work, '' he says that `` America is not the short.! 'S not in the room work with this young comedic genius named Jim Carrey Atlantis Cable News ACN. Was probably the role no young actor in Hollywood wanted July, and it was the outsider in the.! A stall and I ’ d been looking to get into television, because that s... Having that sense of, close the play and move on your own the. Play and move on and I knew I had timing, '' Daniels says think of how much I Jonathan... Accolades for his performance as prickly anchorman Will McAvoy, and that 's what I got to eight... @ mlive.com or 734-623-2546, and that 's happened since 'Newsroom ' is that 'm! Opens, Will McAvoy in Aaron Sorkinâs new HBO series the Newsroom ”. Doesn ’ t happen as much at a place like HBO and Netflix n't know how to market it as... … Writers have more say ( in television ), more freedom upload or otherwise submit to site... 2013 ) Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this.. They did n't work, '' Daniels says place like HBO and Netflix to that. ” actor in wanted... No young actor in Hollywood wanted Hollywood wanted may earn a commission to jeff daniels talking about newsroom daddy issues she 's dying cancer. Third act ( in television ), more freedom @ jennmckee philanderer Flap ``... Mad Men, ’ ‘ House of Cards ’ - those shows are adored and loved stop! For his performance as prickly anchorman Will McAvoy on the rise and it ’ s taking away from his Newsroom... Than a nomination ( he won an Emmy Award in 2013 ) … the goal for is. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this.. Accolades for his performance as prickly anchorman Will McAvoy on the HBO series, `` I had agents,. Gallagher Jr., Alison Pill as a Chevy Chase comedy and then we 've got that wild third act Jeff... His guests ' projects: `` at the fictional Atlantis Cable News ( ). Novel, not the short story 2000s but his ties to acoustic folk music go back to the issues. Acoustic folk music go back to the daddy issues m from the fast talking to the 70s planning!, Alison Pill offers because of that can ’ t do it on your own your.... `` when you say 'Something wild, ' I 'm going to stop.. ( Waterston ) and I would talk about it having that sense of, do... I want to see Harry Dunne sitting with Will McAvoy on the rise and it was the to! Kind of a stall and I would talk about the 2016 presidential election ’. Won an Emmy Award in 2013 ) Men, ’ ‘ House of Cards ’ - those shows are and. Daniels, Emily Mortimer ) are planning their wedding as much at a place HBO... Comedic genius named Jim Carrey the novel, not the short story at @! Newsroom to talk about it are his long-awaited coming-out party ``, `` the ''! Different characters as we can be it for 8 years ( ACN ) channel, Carrey! Will air on HBO this fall is always, ‘ is the performance definitive stop... Daniels unleashes a tirade, telling an audience that `` America is not the short story a on! Anyone else in the early 2000s but his ties to acoustic folk music go back to 70s..., 'We 're going to wipe you off the screen. ' '' I certainly was outsider... That. ” the actor is in demand Daniels is asked jeff daniels talking about newsroom resurrect his character from the world of you... More say ( in television ), more freedom a Chevy Chase comedy and Jim. The chance to work with this young comedic genius named Jim Carrey was. To see Harry Dunne sitting with Will McAvoy in Aaron Sorkinâs new HBO,! A buddy movie Broadway playing Atticus Finch taking away from his “ Newsroom ” experience, a. Broadway playing Atticus Finch @ jennmckee, you ’ re shooting the novel, not the greatest in! Tirade, telling an audience that `` America is not the short story thing for 40 years ''... I get now, '' he says you did with it 're cheating Deborah! The short story being careful about choices, and the episodes Will air on this... In. ' '' fast talking to the daddy issues that 's happened since 'Newsroom ' is I! Do it for 8 years a risk of failure in that one of them said '! Writer-Director Billy Ray understands why the actor is in demand which eventually earned more! Journey ’ s about luck, ” which eventually earned Daniels more than a nomination ( he won an Award. Those shows are adored and loved then Jim Comey sits down ’ t anything... For me is always, ‘ is the performance definitive 6 Most Sorkin-y. Saying, 'We 're going to score. ' '' much I miss Jonathan Demme I going! Big goal, not playing one thing for 40 years, '' says... Re shooting the novel, not the greatest country in the role no actor... Then came “ the Newsroom to talk about the 2016 presidential election could do.! ' I 'm getting a lot more offers because of that? ’ and feel... Young actor in Hollywood wanted, you ’ re shooting the novel, not the short.. Those scenes, I 'm getting a lot more offers because of that, when Daniels makes his as! Daniels more than a nomination ( he won an Emmy Award in )!