WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.140 Welcome back to the Deep Dive. Today we're attempting 00:00:03.140 --> 00:00:05.799 something pretty ambitious. We're trying to chart 00:00:05.799 --> 00:00:09.119 a career path that's so incredibly varied, so, 00:00:09.240 --> 00:00:12.019 well, complex, it almost forces you to rethink 00:00:12.019 --> 00:00:15.039 what a character actor even is. Exactly. We are 00:00:15.039 --> 00:00:18.039 talking about arguably one of the ultimate chameleons 00:00:18.039 --> 00:00:20.199 in the business. David Krumholz. David Krumholz, 00:00:20.260 --> 00:00:24.239 yeah. An actor who can just slip seemingly effortlessly. 00:00:24.750 --> 00:00:27.510 From playing, you know, a fantasy creature to 00:00:27.510 --> 00:00:29.609 a Nobel laureate. Yeah. It's quite the journey. 00:00:29.710 --> 00:00:31.289 It really is. And he's been doing it for a long 00:00:31.289 --> 00:00:34.250 time. Born May 15th, 1978 in New York City. Active 00:00:34.250 --> 00:00:37.270 since 92. Right. But the real hook, the thing 00:00:37.270 --> 00:00:39.810 that makes his career so fascinating to dive 00:00:39.810 --> 00:00:43.289 into is just the sheer extremity of the genres 00:00:43.289 --> 00:00:45.829 he's navigated over, what, three decades now. 00:00:45.850 --> 00:00:47.689 Yeah. And that dynamic, you see it immediately 00:00:47.689 --> 00:00:49.810 when you just look at. two of his maybe most 00:00:49.810 --> 00:00:52.590 recognizable roles on one hand okay you've got 00:00:52.590 --> 00:00:54.909 the guy who basically cemented himself in holiday 00:00:54.909 --> 00:00:57.869 movie history for like generations of kids and 00:00:57.869 --> 00:01:00.070 adults bernard the head elf bernard from the 00:01:00.070 --> 00:01:02.810 santa claus movies you know perpetually sarcastic 00:01:02.810 --> 00:01:05.430 slightly wound up super organized pure family 00:01:05.430 --> 00:01:08.709 comedy pure fantasy absolutely pure holiday magic 00:01:08.709 --> 00:01:12.280 you could say but then You track that same career, 00:01:12.439 --> 00:01:14.099 you know, fast forward a couple of decades later, 00:01:14.200 --> 00:01:17.540 and that same actor is getting serious critical 00:01:17.540 --> 00:01:20.879 praise, sharing ensemble awards for playing a 00:01:20.879 --> 00:01:23.359 real person, the Nobel Prize winning physicist 00:01:23.359 --> 00:01:26.079 Isidore Isaac Rabi. In Oppenheimer, no less. 00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:29.260 Christopher Nolan's huge biographical drama from 00:01:29.260 --> 00:01:32.560 2023. The distance between those two roles. I 00:01:32.560 --> 00:01:34.180 mean, think about it. The North Pole workshop 00:01:34.180 --> 00:01:37.099 and the labs at Los Alamos during the Manhattan 00:01:37.099 --> 00:01:41.200 Project. It's just staggering. So that journey, 00:01:41.260 --> 00:01:44.079 right, from like managing elf logistics to being 00:01:44.079 --> 00:01:46.319 the moral compass for the guy building the atomic 00:01:46.319 --> 00:01:49.040 bomb. That's what this deep dive is all about. 00:01:49.239 --> 00:01:51.019 Yeah. Our mission today is basically to figure 00:01:51.019 --> 00:01:52.760 out how he did it. What were the choices, the 00:01:52.760 --> 00:01:54.959 strategies that allowed him to pull off these 00:01:54.959 --> 00:01:56.920 incredible shifts? How do you go from playing 00:01:56.920 --> 00:01:59.280 a math genius like Charlie Epps on network TV 00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:02.280 for six years? Which was huge. Huge. And then 00:02:02.280 --> 00:02:06.019 turn around and wear like heavy full body prosthetics 00:02:06.019 --> 00:02:08.599 to play an elderly Jewish woman in a comedy he 00:02:08.599 --> 00:02:13.110 created. Gigi does it. Wild. Wild. Or be the 00:02:13.110 --> 00:02:15.650 stoner sidekick in the Harold and Kumar movies. 00:02:15.830 --> 00:02:18.569 Or, you know, the sort of prophetic hacker in 00:02:18.569 --> 00:02:21.729 a cult sci -fi western like Serenity. And that's 00:02:21.729 --> 00:02:24.189 just a snapshot. Even listing those few roles, 00:02:24.330 --> 00:02:26.310 it forces you to look beyond just the credits 00:02:26.310 --> 00:02:29.189 and think about the career itself. It shows he's 00:02:29.189 --> 00:02:32.759 not just versatile. He's kind of become indispensable 00:02:32.759 --> 00:02:34.879 across different genres. Yeah, it feels like 00:02:34.879 --> 00:02:36.939 he managed this balancing act, right? Commercial 00:02:36.939 --> 00:02:40.180 success, but always prioritizing artistic risk 00:02:40.180 --> 00:02:42.960 somehow. He really did. So that's what we're 00:02:42.960 --> 00:02:46.400 diving into. How did David Krumholtz become arguably 00:02:46.400 --> 00:02:49.159 Hollywood's most reliable, most versatile, and 00:02:49.159 --> 00:02:52.080 maybe... Just maybe one of its most underrated 00:02:52.080 --> 00:02:54.080 character actors. OK, let's do it. Let's start 00:02:54.080 --> 00:02:55.719 at the beginning. Where does this all come from? 00:02:55.740 --> 00:02:57.840 That New York City background seems pretty important. 00:02:58.020 --> 00:03:00.219 Oh, absolutely crucial. Krumholz was born and 00:03:00.219 --> 00:03:02.939 raised in Queens, New York City. And you really 00:03:02.939 --> 00:03:05.280 need to understand this context because it seems 00:03:05.280 --> 00:03:08.199 to lay the groundwork for his whole sort of pragmatic 00:03:08.199 --> 00:03:10.699 working artist approach. He described it himself, 00:03:10.919 --> 00:03:14.060 didn't he, as very working class, almost poor. 00:03:14.539 --> 00:03:16.740 Exactly. This wasn't a family with, you know, 00:03:16.759 --> 00:03:18.960 deep roots in the arts or Hollywood connections. 00:03:19.280 --> 00:03:21.740 This sounds like it was built on hustle, on grit. 00:03:21.939 --> 00:03:24.400 His parents' jobs kind of underline that. His 00:03:24.400 --> 00:03:27.740 dad, Michael, a postal worker. His mom, Judy, 00:03:28.080 --> 00:03:30.620 a dental assistant. Yeah, it points towards, 00:03:30.780 --> 00:03:33.960 like you said, stability, hard work rather than 00:03:33.960 --> 00:03:36.180 glamour. And the immigrant story is strong there, 00:03:36.219 --> 00:03:39.000 too. Very strong. Paternal grandparents came 00:03:39.000 --> 00:03:42.419 over from Poland. And his mother's story is even 00:03:42.419 --> 00:03:44.460 more immediate. She emigrated from Hungary in 00:03:44.460 --> 00:03:47.340 1956. Right after the Hungarian Revolution. Yeah. 00:03:47.419 --> 00:03:50.199 So this is a family narrative shaped by resilience, 00:03:50.259 --> 00:03:52.659 by starting over. You can almost see echoes of 00:03:52.659 --> 00:03:54.960 that in the professional risks he'd take later 00:03:54.960 --> 00:03:57.370 on. He went through the NYC public school system, 00:03:57.509 --> 00:04:00.530 PS -196, Halsey Junior High, a bit of Forest 00:04:00.530 --> 00:04:02.909 Hills High. But the really wild part is how he 00:04:02.909 --> 00:04:04.750 got started professionally. It wasn't planned 00:04:04.750 --> 00:04:07.210 at all. Completely accidental by his own account. 00:04:07.430 --> 00:04:09.909 He was 13, just tagged along with some friends 00:04:09.909 --> 00:04:11.990 to an open audition. For a Broadway play, no 00:04:11.990 --> 00:04:15.599 less. Conversations with My Father in 1992. And 00:04:15.599 --> 00:04:18.579 boom, he lands the role of young Charlie, his 00:04:18.579 --> 00:04:21.660 Broadway debut, just like that. It suggests this 00:04:21.660 --> 00:04:24.720 raw, natural talent that kind of skipped the 00:04:24.720 --> 00:04:26.740 usual training path and threw him right into 00:04:26.740 --> 00:04:29.480 the deep end. And what a deep end. Debuting alongside 00:04:29.480 --> 00:04:32.300 Jason Biggs, who was also making his debut, but 00:04:32.300 --> 00:04:35.720 also acting with established pros like Judd Hirsch 00:04:35.720 --> 00:04:38.240 and Tony Schauhub. Imagine the learning curve 00:04:38.240 --> 00:04:42.120 there, 13 years old. That kind of intense live 00:04:42.120 --> 00:04:46.579 stage training. it Cheaps you differently than 00:04:46.579 --> 00:04:48.420 just starting in film, I think. For sure. And 00:04:48.420 --> 00:04:50.560 it clearly paid off fast because he transitioned 00:04:50.560 --> 00:04:52.459 into film almost immediately after that. Right 00:04:52.459 --> 00:04:55.579 away. 1993, he's co -starring with Michael J. 00:04:55.620 --> 00:04:58.319 Fox in Life with Mikey. Even got a Young Artist 00:04:58.319 --> 00:05:00.680 Award nomination for it. He clearly took to the 00:05:00.680 --> 00:05:02.899 camera quickly. And then for so many of us, especially 00:05:02.899 --> 00:05:04.939 if you grew up in the 90s, he became unforgettable 00:05:04.939 --> 00:05:07.360 that same year. Joel Glicker. Joel Glicker. In 00:05:07.360 --> 00:05:10.139 Adam's Family Values, this sort of goth, cynical, 00:05:10.420 --> 00:05:12.720 allergic to everything kid at Camp Chippewa, 00:05:12.839 --> 00:05:15.209 opposite Christina Ricci's Wednesday. Perfect 00:05:15.209 --> 00:05:18.170 casting. He nailed that awkward, smart mouth 00:05:18.170 --> 00:05:21.129 outsider thing. Great comedic timing, even then. 00:05:21.310 --> 00:05:23.550 But the role that really, really put him on the 00:05:23.550 --> 00:05:25.689 map early on and the one that sets up that whole 00:05:25.689 --> 00:05:27.750 contradiction we started with has to be Bernard. 00:05:28.199 --> 00:05:32.339 Bernard the Elf, the Santa Claus, 1994, sarcastic, 00:05:32.379 --> 00:05:34.740 efficient, kind of the stressed out middle manager 00:05:34.740 --> 00:05:38.000 of the North Pole. Yeah, that role got a ton 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:40.459 of attention, critically and from audiences. 00:05:40.759 --> 00:05:44.160 And it just stuck. It became his defining role 00:05:44.160 --> 00:05:46.300 for a whole generation of kids and honestly, 00:05:46.439 --> 00:05:48.699 adults too. What's interesting about Bernard 00:05:48.699 --> 00:05:50.839 though is how long that character has lasted 00:05:50.839 --> 00:05:53.079 in his career. He came back for the Santa Claus 00:05:53.079 --> 00:05:55.860 2 in 2002. Right. He actually missed the Santa 00:05:55.860 --> 00:05:58.660 Claus 3 in 2006. because of a scheduling conflict. 00:05:59.040 --> 00:06:00.920 Which tells you something about how busy he was 00:06:00.920 --> 00:06:02.839 becoming with other projects by then. Exactly. 00:06:03.379 --> 00:06:06.459 But then, 20 years after the first movie, he 00:06:06.459 --> 00:06:08.839 reprises the role for the Disney Plus series, 00:06:08.980 --> 00:06:11.819 The Santa Clauses, in 2022. That's a serious 00:06:11.819 --> 00:06:14.000 commitment to a character over decades. It's 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:16.019 pretty rare. So what does that signal? Is it 00:06:16.019 --> 00:06:18.259 just pragmatism? Like, okay, this role is beloved, 00:06:18.339 --> 00:06:20.220 it provides stability, keeps me recognizable. 00:06:20.660 --> 00:06:22.220 I think it's definitely smart career management. 00:06:22.399 --> 00:06:25.629 Bernard is like... Well, like insurance, in a 00:06:25.629 --> 00:06:27.990 way. It keeps him in the public eye, offers that 00:06:27.990 --> 00:06:30.750 commercial stability, which then maybe gives 00:06:30.750 --> 00:06:33.569 them the freedom to take bigger risks on smaller, 00:06:33.689 --> 00:06:36.129 artier projects, the kind of projects that build 00:06:36.129 --> 00:06:38.589 his reputation as a serious actor. Makes sense, 00:06:38.649 --> 00:06:41.129 because during that same early period, he was 00:06:41.129 --> 00:06:43.569 also trying to get a foothold in TV. Yeah. But 00:06:43.569 --> 00:06:45.910 it didn't quite stick initially. Yeah, the industry 00:06:45.910 --> 00:06:48.569 seemed... interested but maybe didn't know quite 00:06:48.569 --> 00:06:50.569 where to put him long term. He did that short 00:06:50.569 --> 00:06:52.810 lived sitcom Monty with Henry Winkler in 94. 00:06:53.110 --> 00:06:55.089 I vaguely remember that. Blink and you missed 00:06:55.089 --> 00:06:57.410 it. He did guest spots like on Law and Order 00:06:57.410 --> 00:06:59.870 in 93. Yeah. And he was in a couple of pilots 00:06:59.870 --> 00:07:02.250 that didn't go like Chicago Sons in 97 with Jason 00:07:02.250 --> 00:07:04.730 Bateman and The Closer in 98 with Tom Selleck. 00:07:04.850 --> 00:07:06.870 So the interest was there but maybe the right 00:07:06.870 --> 00:07:09.189 vehicle hadn't come along yet for his particular 00:07:09.189 --> 00:07:12.149 you know blend of smarts and dry humor. Exactly. 00:07:12.350 --> 00:07:15.069 Which brings us to a really key moment in his 00:07:15.069 --> 00:07:18.879 strategy. The late 90s. This is where you see 00:07:18.879 --> 00:07:21.759 him making a very clear, very conscious effort 00:07:21.759 --> 00:07:26.379 to move beyond that kid actor or elf actor label. 00:07:26.560 --> 00:07:29.220 He starts pivoting towards serious independent 00:07:29.220 --> 00:07:32.379 film. Precisely. It's a make or break move for 00:07:32.379 --> 00:07:35.319 a lot of young actors. He pops up in Ang Lee's 00:07:35.319 --> 00:07:38.819 The Ice Storm in 1997. That's a heavy, complex 00:07:38.819 --> 00:07:41.329 drama. Right. And then Slums of Beverly Hills 00:07:41.329 --> 00:07:44.149 in 98, alongside Natasha Lyonne and Alan Arkin, 00:07:44.269 --> 00:07:46.470 another critically respected indie. These weren't 00:07:46.470 --> 00:07:48.430 blockbuster moves. They were artistic statements. 00:07:48.649 --> 00:07:51.029 He was telling the industry, look, I can handle 00:07:51.029 --> 00:07:53.569 serious dramatic material. But he balanced that 00:07:53.569 --> 00:07:56.110 seriousness perfectly because right after those, 00:07:56.269 --> 00:08:00.470 1999, he lands a key role in a massive teen hit. 00:08:00.689 --> 00:08:03.850 10 Things I Hate About You. Michael Ekman. Yes, 00:08:03.970 --> 00:08:07.000 the guy obsessed with Bianca Strafford. That 00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:09.699 movie was huge culturally. It put him right in 00:08:09.699 --> 00:08:11.279 the mix with that whole generation of rising 00:08:11.279 --> 00:08:13.560 stars, Joseph Gordon -Levitt, Heath Ledger, Julia 00:08:13.560 --> 00:08:16.540 Stiles. So he hits the mainstream teen zeitgeist. 00:08:16.600 --> 00:08:18.519 But then look what he does immediately after 00:08:18.519 --> 00:08:21.300 that. Same year, 1999. What was it? He plays 00:08:21.300 --> 00:08:23.839 Yusel in Barry Levinson's Liberty Heights. Ah, 00:08:23.879 --> 00:08:27.300 okay. Much heavier. Much heavier. Yusel is this 00:08:27.300 --> 00:08:30.279 young Jewish guy, really conflicted, struggling 00:08:30.279 --> 00:08:33.779 with identity, assimilation, morality in 1950s 00:08:33.779 --> 00:08:36.850 Baltimore. It's a deep, dramatic... character 00:08:36.850 --> 00:08:38.990 driven part. So it's not just taking the role. 00:08:39.049 --> 00:08:41.110 It's a statement again. It's about showcasing 00:08:41.110 --> 00:08:43.830 depth, tackling culturally specific, serious 00:08:43.830 --> 00:08:47.470 themes. Exactly. He follows up the big teen comedy 00:08:47.470 --> 00:08:51.450 smash with this really thoughtful, grounded, 00:08:51.570 --> 00:08:54.029 dramatic performance. That dual approach hitting 00:08:54.029 --> 00:08:56.029 the mainstream and immediately anchoring himself 00:08:56.029 --> 00:08:58.370 back in serious drama feels like the blueprint 00:08:58.370 --> 00:09:00.590 for his whole career, doesn't it? I think it 00:09:00.590 --> 00:09:02.389 really is. It sets the template for basically 00:09:02.389 --> 00:09:05.210 everything that comes next. Okay, so that groundwork, 00:09:05.250 --> 00:09:08.129 especially that useful role, leads us into what 00:09:08.129 --> 00:09:10.789 you could call his defining decade, maybe. Roughly 00:09:10.789 --> 00:09:13.710 2001 to 2011. This is where he seems to really 00:09:13.710 --> 00:09:16.389 solidify himself. Yeah, as both a potential leading 00:09:16.389 --> 00:09:19.909 man in certain contexts and as that go -to, super 00:09:19.909 --> 00:09:22.570 reliable ensemble player. The Usel role definitely 00:09:22.570 --> 00:09:25.070 acted as a calling card, it sounds like. For 00:09:25.070 --> 00:09:28.090 sure. It caught the eye of Edward Burns, who 00:09:28.090 --> 00:09:31.830 cast him in Sidewalks of New York in 2001. Krumholz 00:09:31.830 --> 00:09:34.250 played Betty Basler, who's kind of romantic, 00:09:34.269 --> 00:09:37.370 but also a bit obsessive. Again, a nuanced role, 00:09:37.490 --> 00:09:40.190 not just a stereotype. And he was aiming higher, 00:09:40.289 --> 00:09:43.110 too, right? Trying for lead roles? Yeah, he actually 00:09:43.110 --> 00:09:46.419 landed his first... sort of build theatrical 00:09:46.419 --> 00:09:49.419 lead in a rom -com called You Scoop It Man in 00:09:49.419 --> 00:09:52.980 2002 opposite Milla Jovovich. I don't remember 00:09:52.980 --> 00:09:55.220 that one. Well, it never actually got a theatrical 00:09:55.220 --> 00:09:57.659 release in the U .S., which is maybe why. But 00:09:57.659 --> 00:09:59.580 the point is, the industry saw him as having 00:09:59.580 --> 00:10:01.759 that potential to carry a movie. But the real 00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:03.779 game changer, the role that really shifted how 00:10:03.779 --> 00:10:05.980 people saw him, wasn't a movie at all. It was 00:10:05.980 --> 00:10:10.840 a TV film on FX in 2002. Big shot. Confessions 00:10:10.840 --> 00:10:13.470 of a Campus Bookie. Okay, right. Based on a true 00:10:13.470 --> 00:10:15.990 story. Very true, and pretty gritty. The 1994 00:10:15.990 --> 00:10:18.649 Arizona State basketball point -shaving scandal. 00:10:19.490 --> 00:10:21.470 Krumholz played Benny Sillman, the college kid, 00:10:21.529 --> 00:10:23.330 the bookie, who ended up going to jail for it. 00:10:23.370 --> 00:10:25.570 That's a serious departure. High -stakes drama, 00:10:25.850 --> 00:10:28.570 moral gray areas. And that's why Big Shot was 00:10:28.570 --> 00:10:31.470 so important for him. He was miles away from 00:10:31.470 --> 00:10:34.269 the elf or the funny sidekick. Critics really 00:10:34.269 --> 00:10:37.799 praised his performance. It was grounded, powerful. 00:10:38.220 --> 00:10:41.019 He wasn't just playing a character. He was embodying 00:10:41.019 --> 00:10:44.620 a real person involved in a major scandal. So 00:10:44.620 --> 00:10:46.480 it proved he could carry that kind of weight. 00:10:46.620 --> 00:10:48.620 Yeah. That he was more than just comic relief. 00:10:48.899 --> 00:10:51.639 Exactly. It definitively established him as, 00:10:51.759 --> 00:10:55.019 like the critics said, not just a sidekick. That 00:10:55.019 --> 00:10:57.679 was crucial for avoiding being typecast, especially 00:10:57.679 --> 00:11:00.200 with Bernard the Elf still looming large. But 00:11:00.200 --> 00:11:03.039 OK. The reality for a working actor, even one 00:11:03.039 --> 00:11:05.600 proving dramatic chops, is you still need to 00:11:05.600 --> 00:11:08.379 work, right? So he's balancing these serious 00:11:08.379 --> 00:11:11.539 bids with more commercial supporting roles. Oh, 00:11:11.559 --> 00:11:13.539 absolutely. And while he's doing Big Shot, he's 00:11:13.539 --> 00:11:15.820 also about to lock into another iconic, though 00:11:15.820 --> 00:11:18.039 very different, recurring role. Goldstein. Enter 00:11:18.039 --> 00:11:20.399 Goldstein from the Harold and Kumar movies. He 00:11:20.399 --> 00:11:22.320 played their neighbor and buddy in all three 00:11:22.320 --> 00:11:25.639 films, 2004, 2008, 2011. That role gave him this 00:11:25.639 --> 00:11:28.019 whole other fan base, right? Cemented his place 00:11:28.019 --> 00:11:30.559 in stoner comedy legend, great ensemble chemistry 00:11:30.559 --> 00:11:33.440 there. Totally. But again, look at the juggling 00:11:33.440 --> 00:11:36.080 act. While he's becoming Goldstein for the comedy 00:11:36.080 --> 00:11:38.840 crowd, he's also appearing in a serious historical 00:11:38.840 --> 00:11:42.559 biopic. Ray. The Ray Charles story, 2004. He 00:11:42.559 --> 00:11:44.820 played Milt Shaw, Ray's manager. It just speaks 00:11:44.820 --> 00:11:47.539 volumes about how casting directors saw him. 00:11:47.899 --> 00:11:50.740 Not as one type, but as this adaptable pro they 00:11:50.740 --> 00:11:53.120 could trust to bring authenticity, whether it 00:11:53.120 --> 00:11:56.059 was a period drama or a raunchy comedy. And then 00:11:56.059 --> 00:11:58.820 right smack in the middle of that, 2005, he jumps 00:11:58.820 --> 00:12:01.100 into a completely different sandbox again. Sci 00:12:01.100 --> 00:12:04.820 -fi. Joss Whedon's Serenity. Mr. Universe, the 00:12:04.820 --> 00:12:07.059 hacker, the info broker, living out in space 00:12:07.059 --> 00:12:10.480 with his companion robot. Such a memorable, almost 00:12:10.480 --> 00:12:13.279 tragic character in that film. A total cult favorite 00:12:13.279 --> 00:12:15.440 role. And think about the demands there. It's 00:12:15.440 --> 00:12:18.220 that stylized Whedon dialogue delivered super 00:12:18.220 --> 00:12:21.399 fast within this really specific sci -fi world. 00:12:21.789 --> 00:12:24.330 So in the space of like two years, he goes from 00:12:24.330 --> 00:12:26.990 historical drama, Ray, to broad stoner comedy, 00:12:27.149 --> 00:12:29.830 Harold and Kumar go to White Castle, to stylized 00:12:29.830 --> 00:12:32.269 sci -fi serenity. That's the signature move right 00:12:32.269 --> 00:12:34.330 there. That's the Krumholtz versatility in action. 00:12:34.450 --> 00:12:37.090 He really became this like Swiss army knife actor 00:12:37.090 --> 00:12:40.230 for casting directors. Pretty much. You need 00:12:40.230 --> 00:12:42.750 someone reliable for your ensemble. Someone who 00:12:42.750 --> 00:12:44.870 can instantly ground a scene or provide the right 00:12:44.870 --> 00:12:48.289 tone. Call Krumholtz. Whether it's the 1950s 00:12:48.289 --> 00:12:51.480 jazz scene or a futuristic spaceship. And he 00:12:51.480 --> 00:12:53.799 sprinkled in some great cameos too during this 00:12:53.799 --> 00:12:56.940 time. Popping up in Superbad in 2007 as Benji 00:12:56.940 --> 00:12:59.600 Austin. Hilarious scene. And Schwartzberg in 00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:02.620 Walk Hard. The Dewey Talk story, small parts, 00:13:02.779 --> 00:13:05.240 but in movies that everyone saw. It keeps you 00:13:05.240 --> 00:13:07.000 relevant, keeps you working with interesting 00:13:07.000 --> 00:13:09.539 people. But the absolute centerpiece of this 00:13:09.539 --> 00:13:11.879 whole decade, the gig that really anchored him 00:13:11.879 --> 00:13:13.980 professionally and financially. Had to be number 00:13:13.980 --> 00:13:17.299 threes. Number three on CBS, ran for six seasons, 00:13:17.379 --> 00:13:20.860 2005 to 2010. That was a huge commitment. A total 00:13:20.860 --> 00:13:22.519 watershed moment for his career, definitely. 00:13:22.700 --> 00:13:24.779 He was the co -lead of a major network procedural. 00:13:25.370 --> 00:13:27.789 Playing Charlie Epps. The brilliant mathematician 00:13:27.789 --> 00:13:31.230 who helps his FBI agent brother solve crimes 00:13:31.230 --> 00:13:34.370 using, like, actual complex math. Yeah, it was 00:13:34.370 --> 00:13:36.570 part of that wave of smart procedurals that were 00:13:36.570 --> 00:13:39.350 big back then, like House. It made being brainy 00:13:39.350 --> 00:13:41.309 kind of cool for primetime. What do you think 00:13:41.309 --> 00:13:43.169 the main challenge was playing a character like 00:13:43.169 --> 00:13:46.169 Charlie for 118 episodes? Well, probably two 00:13:46.169 --> 00:13:49.129 things. First, the technical stuff. He had to 00:13:49.129 --> 00:13:51.750 convincingly deliver all that really complex 00:13:51.750 --> 00:13:54.710 mathematical jargon week after week and make 00:13:54.710 --> 00:13:56.649 it sound natural like he actually understood 00:13:56.649 --> 00:13:59.889 it. Which is hard. Incredibly hard. And second, 00:14:00.049 --> 00:14:03.039 he had to keep the character human. Charlie could 00:14:03.039 --> 00:14:05.399 easily have just been the quirky genius stereotype. 00:14:05.919 --> 00:14:08.779 But Krumholtz grounded him, gave him believable 00:14:08.779 --> 00:14:11.679 family dynamics, made him relatable despite the 00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:14.340 off -the -charts IQ. And critics noticed that. 00:14:14.399 --> 00:14:16.960 Matt Rausch, a TV guide, called it probably his 00:14:16.960 --> 00:14:19.980 best TV work to date. It really solidified that 00:14:19.980 --> 00:14:23.399 image of him as this smart, maybe slightly eccentric, 00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:25.879 but ultimately very grounded actor who could 00:14:25.879 --> 00:14:28.379 carry a show. And that long run, that stability. 00:14:29.000 --> 00:14:31.379 It must have given him a platform, both financially 00:14:31.379 --> 00:14:33.419 and professionally, to then think about what 00:14:33.419 --> 00:14:35.580 came next, maybe take more risks. Although even 00:14:35.580 --> 00:14:37.820 before No. 3, he'd shown he could do serious 00:14:37.820 --> 00:14:40.600 TV drama. You mentioned he did a stint on ER. 00:14:40.940 --> 00:14:43.200 Yeah, a three -episode arc playing Paul Sabriki, 00:14:43.320 --> 00:14:45.740 a patient dealing with schizophrenia. So he was 00:14:45.740 --> 00:14:47.759 always seeking out those challenging roles, even 00:14:47.759 --> 00:14:50.379 in guest spots. But coming off a hit like Number 00:14:50.379 --> 00:14:52.860 3's, finding the next big thing is always tough, 00:14:53.019 --> 00:14:55.759 right? Always. It's the classic challenge after 00:14:55.759 --> 00:14:58.820 a long procedural run. And yeah, you see that 00:14:58.820 --> 00:15:01.259 reflected in his career right after Number 3's 00:15:01.259 --> 00:15:04.120 ended. There's a period with a few projects that 00:15:04.120 --> 00:15:06.519 didn't quite take off. Like that Taxman pilot 00:15:06.519 --> 00:15:09.399 in 2010. Right. And then the Playboy Club in 00:15:09.399 --> 00:15:11.840 2011, which got canceled really fast after just 00:15:11.840 --> 00:15:15.320 three episodes. Ouch. Yeah. It's just a reminder 00:15:15.320 --> 00:15:18.539 that even for a super reliable talented actor, 00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:21.840 you're still dependent on the show itself connecting 00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:24.100 with an audience. Okay, so that brings us into 00:15:24.100 --> 00:15:27.200 the 2010s. Post number three is post -network 00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:30.279 anchor. This feels like a period of real reinvention 00:15:30.279 --> 00:15:33.299 for him, moving away from network TV towards 00:15:33.299 --> 00:15:36.500 maybe more auteur -driven stuff, prestige cable, 00:15:36.740 --> 00:15:39.340 and some really bold transformations. I think 00:15:39.340 --> 00:15:41.539 strategic reassessment is a good way to put it. 00:15:41.600 --> 00:15:43.820 After those quick cancellations, like another 00:15:43.820 --> 00:15:46.779 show called Partners in 2012. With Michael Urie, 00:15:46.840 --> 00:15:49.779 yeah. Didn't last long either. Right. After those, 00:15:49.980 --> 00:15:52.399 he seemed to lean more into high -quality recurring 00:15:52.399 --> 00:15:55.039 guest roles on shows that already had critical 00:15:55.039 --> 00:15:58.159 buzz. Maybe less time commitment, but more artistic 00:15:58.159 --> 00:16:00.929 cachet. Like on the newsroom, Aaron Sorkin's 00:16:00.929 --> 00:16:04.210 show. Exactly. He played Dr. Jacob Jacobi for 00:16:04.210 --> 00:16:07.169 three episodes, and he did a longer arc, seven 00:16:07.169 --> 00:16:10.350 episodes, as Josh Mariner on The Good Wife. So 00:16:10.350 --> 00:16:13.490 he is embedding himself in that prestige TV world. 00:16:13.730 --> 00:16:16.610 His presence starts to signal a certain level 00:16:16.610 --> 00:16:19.470 of quality for the show itself. Yeah, he becomes 00:16:19.470 --> 00:16:21.289 that actor where you see him pop up and you think, 00:16:21.389 --> 00:16:23.929 OK, this show is serious. But the most radical 00:16:23.929 --> 00:16:26.169 move, the thing that really showed he wanted 00:16:26.169 --> 00:16:28.750 to break molds and maybe take control. That was 00:16:28.750 --> 00:16:31.929 Gigi Does It in 2015. Okay, Gigi. This was the 00:16:31.929 --> 00:16:34.690 IFC comedy series where he played the main character, 00:16:34.830 --> 00:16:37.970 Gigi, an elderly Jewish woman. Yep, head -to 00:16:37.970 --> 00:16:40.710 -toe prosthetics, bodysuit, the whole nine yards, 00:16:40.990 --> 00:16:43.710 hours in makeup every day. What does a commitment 00:16:43.710 --> 00:16:46.330 like that signal? Especially coming off the relative 00:16:46.330 --> 00:16:48.450 safety of network TV just a few years earlier. 00:16:49.039 --> 00:16:53.100 It signals, I think, a real desire to shatter 00:16:53.100 --> 00:16:55.360 any lingering typecasting and just fundamentally 00:16:55.360 --> 00:16:57.460 challenge themselves as a performer. The sheer 00:16:57.460 --> 00:16:59.759 physical and vocal transformation required for 00:16:59.759 --> 00:17:01.980 Gigi is immense. It's about as far from Turley 00:17:01.980 --> 00:17:04.960 Epps as you can possibly get. Exactly. But here's 00:17:04.960 --> 00:17:07.819 the really crucial part. He didn't just star 00:17:07.819 --> 00:17:11.240 in Gigi, does it? He co -created it. He wrote 00:17:11.240 --> 00:17:14.519 it. Ah, okay. So he's taking ownership. Completely. 00:17:14.970 --> 00:17:17.230 This wasn't just an acting gig. It was him stepping 00:17:17.230 --> 00:17:20.390 up, saying, I have stories to tell, I can create, 00:17:20.529 --> 00:17:22.670 I can write, I can do broad physical comedy. 00:17:23.289 --> 00:17:26.029 He was demanding to be seen as more than just 00:17:26.029 --> 00:17:27.970 the guy who could deliver technical dialogue 00:17:27.970 --> 00:17:31.529 convincingly. That's a huge leap. From math genius 00:17:31.529 --> 00:17:35.900 solving crimes to... Well, to Gigi. That kind 00:17:35.900 --> 00:17:38.200 of artistic boldness, did it open other doors? 00:17:38.440 --> 00:17:40.900 Maybe with filmmakers who appreciate risk. It 00:17:40.900 --> 00:17:43.160 seems like it might have, because after Gigi, 00:17:43.180 --> 00:17:45.180 he starts collaborating with some really major 00:17:45.180 --> 00:17:48.140 filmmakers, specifically the Coen brothers. Right. 00:17:48.440 --> 00:17:52.900 He was in Hail Caesar in 2016. As communist screenwriter 00:17:52.900 --> 00:17:55.119 Hashtag Four, which is such a Coen Brothers character 00:17:55.119 --> 00:17:57.599 name. And then he was in their anthology film, 00:17:57.680 --> 00:18:00.539 The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, in 2018, playing 00:18:00.539 --> 00:18:02.799 a Frenchman in one of the saloon segments. Working 00:18:02.799 --> 00:18:04.839 with the Coens, even in smaller roles like that, 00:18:04.920 --> 00:18:06.859 it gives you serious industry cred, doesn't it? 00:18:07.130 --> 00:18:09.769 Oh, immense currency. It basically tells everyone 00:18:09.769 --> 00:18:12.309 that you're trusted by filmmakers at the absolute 00:18:12.309 --> 00:18:14.329 highest level. And he kept being that reliable 00:18:14.329 --> 00:18:17.349 guy in big ensemble casts, too. He was in The 00:18:17.349 --> 00:18:20.250 Judge in 2014 playing Mike Kattan. He was in 00:18:20.250 --> 00:18:23.029 Woody Allen's Wonder Wheel in 2017 as Jake. He 00:18:23.029 --> 00:18:25.450 even did voice work in Sausage Party, the R -rated 00:18:25.450 --> 00:18:28.890 animated movie from 2016 voiced Kareem Abdul 00:18:28.890 --> 00:18:31.650 -Lavash. He literally covers every corner of 00:18:31.650 --> 00:18:34.029 the industry from Broadway stages to animated 00:18:34.029 --> 00:18:37.069 food items. He really does. And we shouldn't 00:18:37.069 --> 00:18:39.670 forget his skill in ensemble work has been recognized 00:18:39.670 --> 00:18:42.529 before. He actually won a Hollywood Film Award 00:18:42.529 --> 00:18:45.390 for Ensemble of the Year back in 2006 for the 00:18:45.390 --> 00:18:48.170 film Bobby. Oh, right. The ensemble film about 00:18:48.170 --> 00:18:50.269 RFK's assassination. Yeah. And he was nominated 00:18:50.269 --> 00:18:52.769 for a SAG Award for that same ensemble. He's 00:18:52.769 --> 00:18:54.869 the actor you want on your team when you need 00:18:54.869 --> 00:18:56.430 every single part to work perfectly together. 00:18:56.630 --> 00:18:59.250 But arguably his most significant. sustained 00:18:59.250 --> 00:19:01.950 dramatic work in this later period wasn't in 00:19:01.950 --> 00:19:05.289 film. It was a return to TV, but this time prestige 00:19:05.289 --> 00:19:09.089 cable, specifically HBO. Yeah, and this is where 00:19:09.089 --> 00:19:10.769 you really see the difference between network 00:19:10.769 --> 00:19:13.809 and premium cable drama. He landed a major role 00:19:13.809 --> 00:19:16.430 on The Deuce. David Simon's show about the rise 00:19:16.430 --> 00:19:19.029 of the porn industry in New York. Exactly. From 00:19:19.029 --> 00:19:22.930 2017 to 2019, he played Harvey Wasserman, an 00:19:22.930 --> 00:19:25.609 adult filmmaker. Started as recurring, got bumped 00:19:25.609 --> 00:19:28.500 up to series regular for the final season. appeared 00:19:28.500 --> 00:19:31.220 in 20 episodes total and those david simon shows 00:19:31.220 --> 00:19:35.000 they demand a specific kind of realism complexity 00:19:35.000 --> 00:19:38.059 nuanced dialogue completely different skill set 00:19:38.059 --> 00:19:41.119 than say number threes it's gritty it's morally 00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:43.859 ambiguous it's long form character study and 00:19:43.859 --> 00:19:46.019 that work seemed to lead directly into another 00:19:46.019 --> 00:19:49.180 big hbo project for him the plot against america 00:19:49.519 --> 00:19:52.180 in 2020, the adaptation of the Philip Roth novel. 00:19:52.279 --> 00:19:54.099 Right, the alternate history series. He was a 00:19:54.099 --> 00:19:55.900 series regular in that, too, playing Monty Levin 00:19:55.900 --> 00:19:57.960 across all six episodes. Yeah, tackling really 00:19:57.960 --> 00:20:00.079 heavy themes again. The character work in shows 00:20:00.079 --> 00:20:02.059 like The Deuce and Plot Against America requires 00:20:02.059 --> 00:20:04.920 a depth and consistency that's, frankly, hard 00:20:04.920 --> 00:20:06.880 to maintain. He also popped up more recently 00:20:06.880 --> 00:20:09.700 in White House Plumbers on HBO in 2023. He's 00:20:09.700 --> 00:20:11.539 really carved out a niche for himself in that 00:20:11.539 --> 00:20:14.339 top tier of television drama. But then something 00:20:14.339 --> 00:20:16.420 really poignant happens. He comes full circle, 00:20:16.539 --> 00:20:19.079 in a way. Back to his roots. Back to the stage. 00:20:19.240 --> 00:20:22.019 Back to Broadway. After decades away, he returns 00:20:22.019 --> 00:20:25.339 in 2022 for a major production. Tom Stoppard's 00:20:25.339 --> 00:20:28.880 play, Leopoldstadt. A huge deal, not just returning 00:20:28.880 --> 00:20:31.160 to Broadway, where his career literally started 00:20:31.160 --> 00:20:34.640 at age 13, but doing it in this incredibly significant 00:20:34.640 --> 00:20:37.519 semi -autobiographical play about the Holocaust 00:20:37.519 --> 00:20:40.160 by one of the world's greatest living playwrights. 00:20:40.220 --> 00:20:42.579 He played Herman Mertz. What was the reception 00:20:42.579 --> 00:20:45.400 like? Really strong. He earned a Drama League 00:20:45.400 --> 00:20:47.579 Award nomination for Outstanding Performance. 00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:50.880 Variety called his performance... vulnerable 00:20:50.880 --> 00:20:53.900 and powerful. Taking on a role like that, so 00:20:53.900 --> 00:20:56.200 deeply rooted in Jewish history and identity, 00:20:56.400 --> 00:20:58.680 especially given his own family background, it 00:20:58.680 --> 00:21:01.299 feels like more than just a job. It feels like 00:21:01.299 --> 00:21:03.619 an artistic homecoming. Yeah. And maybe a deliberate 00:21:03.619 --> 00:21:05.440 choice to connect with something deeply personal 00:21:05.440 --> 00:21:08.279 after decades navigating the, you know, often 00:21:08.279 --> 00:21:10.740 less personal demands of Hollywood, moving from 00:21:10.740 --> 00:21:12.819 the business side to pure artistic expression. 00:21:13.059 --> 00:21:15.119 And that intense, dramatic work on stage seems 00:21:15.119 --> 00:21:17.599 to flow right into his most high profile film 00:21:17.599 --> 00:21:21.799 role in years. Oppenheimer. 2023, playing Isidore 00:21:21.799 --> 00:21:24.799 Isaac Rabi. Nolan's film. Huge ensemble cast. 00:21:25.259 --> 00:21:27.980 And Rabi, though technically a supporting role, 00:21:28.220 --> 00:21:31.700 is strategically vital in that film. He's Oppenheimer's 00:21:31.700 --> 00:21:34.279 friend. He's a fellow physicist. But crucially, 00:21:34.460 --> 00:21:37.000 he's kind of Oppenheimer's conscience. He's the 00:21:37.000 --> 00:21:38.839 one who doesn't join the Manhattan Project directly, 00:21:39.119 --> 00:21:41.640 right? He maintains that ethical distance from 00:21:41.640 --> 00:21:44.319 the bomb itself. Exactly. He represents that 00:21:44.319 --> 00:21:46.900 moral counterbalance throughout the story. And 00:21:46.900 --> 00:21:49.730 Krumholz's performance really landed. He shared 00:21:49.730 --> 00:21:52.470 the Gold Derby Award for ensemble cast for the 00:21:52.470 --> 00:21:54.950 film. It's almost unbelievable, isn't it? The 00:21:54.950 --> 00:21:57.329 same actor who gave us Bernard the Elf's cynical 00:21:57.329 --> 00:22:00.210 eye rolls is now embodying the moral scrutiny 00:22:00.210 --> 00:22:02.390 surrounding the creation of the atomic bomb. 00:22:02.849 --> 00:22:05.150 That's the arc. That's the versatility we're 00:22:05.150 --> 00:22:07.369 talking about. But to really get the full picture 00:22:07.369 --> 00:22:09.710 of how someone sustains that kind of career, 00:22:09.849 --> 00:22:13.019 that relentless drive. We have to touch on the 00:22:13.019 --> 00:22:15.079 personal context. Yeah. Especially the health 00:22:15.079 --> 00:22:17.259 challenges he faced. Right, because that reinvention 00:22:17.259 --> 00:22:19.980 decade we talked about, the 2010s, it didn't 00:22:19.980 --> 00:22:22.200 start easy for him personally. Let's maybe start 00:22:22.200 --> 00:22:24.859 with the positive anchor first, his family. Okay. 00:22:24.940 --> 00:22:27.420 Yeah, he married actress Vanessa Britting, her 00:22:27.420 --> 00:22:30.019 professional name. She's Vanessa Almeida Gunan 00:22:30.019 --> 00:22:33.200 back in May 2010. Big wedding at the Plaza Hotel 00:22:33.200 --> 00:22:36.059 in New York. And they have two children. Yes, 00:22:36.140 --> 00:22:38.880 a daughter and a son, both born in the 2010s. 00:22:39.180 --> 00:22:41.799 And that family focus maybe prompted a big life 00:22:41.799 --> 00:22:46.220 change, too. A move. It seems like it. In 2017, 00:22:46.599 --> 00:22:49.539 they relocated. moved from Los Angeles back east, 00:22:49.660 --> 00:22:52.079 settling in Wyckoff, New Jersey. Back closer 00:22:52.079 --> 00:22:54.420 to his New York roots. Feels significant, doesn't 00:22:54.420 --> 00:22:56.119 it? Especially with him returning to Broadway 00:22:56.119 --> 00:22:58.420 a few years later. Like a geographical shift, 00:22:58.599 --> 00:23:01.359 mirroring an artistic one, maybe moving towards 00:23:01.359 --> 00:23:03.440 things that felt more grounded or personally 00:23:03.440 --> 00:23:05.660 resonant. But before that move, right at the 00:23:05.660 --> 00:23:08.140 beginning of that decade, he faced a really serious 00:23:08.140 --> 00:23:11.900 health crisis. A major one. July 2011, right 00:23:11.900 --> 00:23:14.160 after number threes had ended, while he was sort 00:23:14.160 --> 00:23:17.039 of in that uncertain phase professionally. He 00:23:17.039 --> 00:23:19.779 was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Wow. That 00:23:19.779 --> 00:23:21.839 puts everything in perspective. Absolutely. He 00:23:21.839 --> 00:23:23.680 started radioactive iodine treatment about five 00:23:23.680 --> 00:23:25.799 months later, and thankfully the outcome was 00:23:25.799 --> 00:23:27.519 positive. He was declared cancer -free by the 00:23:27.519 --> 00:23:30.759 end of January 2012. Facing something like cancer, 00:23:30.920 --> 00:23:33.240 especially during a period when your career is 00:23:33.240 --> 00:23:36.460 already in flux, it must change how you approach 00:23:36.460 --> 00:23:38.859 things. You'd have to think so. It makes those 00:23:38.859 --> 00:23:41.420 subsequent creative choices, like taking the 00:23:41.420 --> 00:23:44.319 huge risk on Gigi does it, look less like... 00:23:44.559 --> 00:23:47.000 Just trying something random and more like. Yeah. 00:23:47.900 --> 00:23:50.720 Maybe a conscious decision to prioritize work 00:23:50.720 --> 00:23:53.380 that felt artistically fulfilling, challenging, 00:23:53.579 --> 00:23:56.460 maybe even necessary over just chasing the next 00:23:56.460 --> 00:23:59.420 stable gig. The urgency probably shifts. The 00:23:59.420 --> 00:24:01.279 what do I really want to be doing question becomes 00:24:01.279 --> 00:24:04.410 louder. Exactly. Maybe that explains the drive 00:24:04.410 --> 00:24:06.849 to create his own material, to tell his own stories 00:24:06.849 --> 00:24:09.369 in his own way. There's also another layer to 00:24:09.369 --> 00:24:11.650 the personal context, something much more recent 00:24:11.650 --> 00:24:14.089 that he spoke about very candidly. Yeah. In an 00:24:14.089 --> 00:24:16.029 interview with The New York Times just in October 00:24:16.029 --> 00:24:19.069 2024, he opened up about a different health struggle. 00:24:19.150 --> 00:24:21.829 This one related to cannabis use. What did he 00:24:21.829 --> 00:24:24.670 share? He talks pretty openly about developing 00:24:24.670 --> 00:24:27.769 a significant reliance on cannabis and described 00:24:27.769 --> 00:24:29.970 a really difficult period where it seriously 00:24:29.970 --> 00:24:33.049 impacted his health. He mentioned losing over 00:24:33.049 --> 00:24:35.349 100 pounds at one point, being hospitalized multiple 00:24:35.349 --> 00:24:37.950 times with severe physical symptoms. That takes 00:24:37.950 --> 00:24:40.390 courage to talk about publicly. Immense courage. 00:24:40.549 --> 00:24:42.710 He was eventually diagnosed with something called 00:24:42.710 --> 00:24:46.259 cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. Okay. And this 00:24:46.259 --> 00:24:48.680 openness, what does it add to our understanding 00:24:48.680 --> 00:24:51.240 of his career? Well, I think it provides crucial 00:24:51.240 --> 00:24:53.980 context about the pressures involved. The sheer 00:24:53.980 --> 00:24:57.079 emotional and mental toll of maintaining such 00:24:57.079 --> 00:24:59.339 a demanding, constantly shifting professional 00:24:59.339 --> 00:25:01.920 life -switching characters, dealing with the 00:25:01.920 --> 00:25:04.019 instability between jobs, the public scrutiny 00:25:04.019 --> 00:25:07.579 can manifest in very real, very intense personal 00:25:07.579 --> 00:25:10.059 struggles behind the scenes. It's part of that 00:25:10.059 --> 00:25:12.559 unseen emotional labor we sometimes talk about. 00:25:12.809 --> 00:25:14.710 And he also shared that he stopped using marijuana 00:25:14.710 --> 00:25:17.910 now. Yes, he confirmed he stopped entirely after 00:25:17.910 --> 00:25:20.430 the diagnosis and getting treatment, which again 00:25:20.430 --> 00:25:23.150 points to that resilience we keep seeing. The 00:25:23.150 --> 00:25:25.509 ability to face a profound challenge, whether 00:25:25.509 --> 00:25:28.630 it's cancer or addiction or a career crossroads, 00:25:28.650 --> 00:25:31.569 and make the necessary changes. The guy who plays 00:25:31.569 --> 00:25:34.049 resilient characters seems to practice it profoundly 00:25:34.049 --> 00:25:37.150 in his own life, too. So if we try to wrap this 00:25:37.150 --> 00:25:40.450 all up, synthesize this incredible three -decade 00:25:40.450 --> 00:25:44.180 journey. What's the core theme? What defines 00:25:44.180 --> 00:25:47.619 the career of David Krumholtz? For me, it's this 00:25:47.619 --> 00:25:49.940 unwavering commitment to the truth of the character 00:25:49.940 --> 00:25:53.140 no matter what. It transcends genre. It transcends 00:25:53.140 --> 00:25:55.660 physical demands. He's a deep actor. Totally. 00:25:55.700 --> 00:25:57.519 Whether that character needs him to understand 00:25:57.519 --> 00:26:00.200 and articulate complex math for years like Charlie 00:26:00.200 --> 00:26:02.660 Epps or disappear inside prosthetics like Gigi 00:26:02.660 --> 00:26:05.180 or find the cynical heart of an elf like Bernard. 00:26:06.009 --> 00:26:08.710 He brings this grounded intelligence, this authenticity 00:26:08.710 --> 00:26:11.490 every single time. He really does excel at being 00:26:11.490 --> 00:26:13.730 that vital supporting piece, doesn't he? The 00:26:13.730 --> 00:26:15.569 character actor who doesn't just fill a role, 00:26:15.589 --> 00:26:17.930 but elevates the entire scene, the entire project. 00:26:18.230 --> 00:26:21.160 He's never just one note. He often provides the 00:26:21.160 --> 00:26:23.900 context, the intelligence, sometimes even the 00:26:23.900 --> 00:26:26.539 moral compass, like we saw with Robbie in Oppenheimer. 00:26:26.720 --> 00:26:28.900 His career really proves that long term success 00:26:28.900 --> 00:26:31.099 in this business isn't always about being the 00:26:31.099 --> 00:26:33.500 flashy leading man. It can be about becoming 00:26:33.500 --> 00:26:36.299 indispensable, being the actor whose versatility 00:26:36.299 --> 00:26:38.940 means you're never typecast and whose skill means 00:26:38.940 --> 00:26:41.500 your absence would be genuinely felt. Well said. 00:26:41.660 --> 00:26:44.319 He's built a career on being consistently excellent 00:26:44.319 --> 00:26:47.900 in wildly inconsistent roles. So thinking about 00:26:47.900 --> 00:26:50.019 that range and especially. his recent return 00:26:50.019 --> 00:26:52.400 to really personal work like Lee Polstadt on 00:26:52.400 --> 00:26:54.779 Broadway, a role he said helped him reconnect 00:26:54.779 --> 00:26:57.400 with my own Judaism. It leaves you with a kind 00:26:57.400 --> 00:26:59.640 of final thought, doesn't it? What's that? How 00:26:59.640 --> 00:27:01.839 does an actor who started out channeling his 00:27:01.839 --> 00:27:04.000 working class queen's background on a Broadway 00:27:04.000 --> 00:27:07.200 stage manage to consistently bring such genuine 00:27:07.200 --> 00:27:10.180 humanity, such deep context to characters that 00:27:10.180 --> 00:27:14.099 span literal fantasy, complex history, and cutting 00:27:14.099 --> 00:27:16.460 edge science? That really gets to the heart of 00:27:16.460 --> 00:27:18.880 it. It makes you wonder about the unseen. effort, 00:27:19.000 --> 00:27:21.220 the emotional heavy lifting required to maintain 00:27:21.220 --> 00:27:23.640 that kind of fluidity. To be able to mentally 00:27:23.640 --> 00:27:26.819 and emotionally pivot from playing, say, Goldstein 00:27:26.819 --> 00:27:29.980 in Harold and Kumar, to embodying Herman Mertz 00:27:29.980 --> 00:27:33.180 facing the Holocaust in Leopoldstadt, or Isidore 00:27:33.180 --> 00:27:35.099 Rabi grappling with the ethics of the atomic 00:27:35.099 --> 00:27:37.650 bomb. The constant shifting of gears must be 00:27:37.650 --> 00:27:40.029 exhausting. You'd imagine so. But Krumholtz's 00:27:40.029 --> 00:27:42.529 career is kind of a masterclass in how that dedication, 00:27:42.730 --> 00:27:45.230 that hard -won versatility combined with personal 00:27:45.230 --> 00:27:48.690 resilience can pay off artistically. It feels 00:27:48.690 --> 00:27:50.789 like he somehow manages to inject a little piece 00:27:50.789 --> 00:27:53.450 of that queen's reality, that groundedness, into 00:27:53.450 --> 00:27:56.190 every single role, no matter how fantastical 00:27:56.190 --> 00:27:58.089 or historical. It makes you think, doesn't it? 00:27:58.539 --> 00:28:00.599 How does playing someone like Robbie, who carried 00:28:00.599 --> 00:28:02.920 such immense ethical weight, maybe influence 00:28:02.920 --> 00:28:05.640 how the actor himself reconciles the intense 00:28:05.640 --> 00:28:08.160 demands of his own career with his own life, 00:28:08.220 --> 00:28:10.720 his own well -being? That ongoing negotiation 00:28:10.720 --> 00:28:13.440 between the public artist and the private person, 00:28:13.599 --> 00:28:15.759 maybe that's the most compelling story of all.