Steven Prusakowski
Upon learning of the new HBO comedy series Rooster, one name stood out among the cast: Danielle Deadwyler.
Up until this point, the acclaimed actress was known primarily for her powerful dramatic roles, bringing unforgettable depth to complex characters – from her searing performance as Mamie Till-Mobley, the determined mother of the brutally slain Emmett Till in Till, to her turn as Berniece in The Piano Lesson (both roles earning her SAG nominations), and as the resilient Miranda in the critically acclaimed dystopian series, Station Eleven. With no comedy on her resume and given the raw emotion she consistently delivered on screen, it was easy to expect she would be a stoic, self-serious actress.
Who I found when she was my guest on TV Topics defied many expectations in the best of ways. While Deadwyler showed herself to be a thoughtful, intellectually curious artist who deeply processes the art she consumes as she returns to it again because as she shared, “our purview shifts every day, every moment, and the way you understand something becomes new at each juncture.”
Deadwyler was warm, playful, and endearingly goofy. It is no wonder the actress has been pursuing comedy roles, a new challenge to conquer and a chance to bring this side of herself to the screen.
Our spirited conversation dove deep into her shift into the lighter world of comedy for Rooster and how it offers new challenges and experiences, as well as the television that she loves which consists of a wonderful array of shows from The Wire and Game of Thrones to Living Single, Full House, and Family Matters (aka Full Matters). Just like her work and the woman herself, exemplifying a love from both the dramatic as well as lighter fare such as the often forgotten Dinosaurs!.
Deadwyler also touched on her next big project, The X-Files with Hamish Patel (her Station Eleven co-star), helmed by two time Oscar-winner Ryan Coogler. While I gently pried for information, she was careful with what she shared… the truth is still out there. Be sure to listen to the full conversation below.
When it came to Rooster, where she plays Dylan Shepherd, a poetry professor and friend/colleague to Steve Carell’s Greg, when reading the script she had found her comedy.
“We have been looking for it (comedy) and been calling it in, attracting it, wanting it, but wanting it in a certain kind of way,” shared Deadwyler. “The initial conversations with Billy (Bill Lawrence) and Matt (Tarses) and reading the script said. What does it mean to be a professor at an institution? You’re navigating professional life as well as personal madness in a kind of way and it just made sense. It was just smart. It’s adult. It’s zany in a kind of way and yet still deeply, deeply grounded and real. I felt attracted to that.”
Of course, for Deadwyler, it was critical that Dylan was much more than a joke delivery system. Her characters have always felt fully human, just because it was for a comedy, this part was no exception. What she delivers is a flawed yet deeply likable character that co-creator and writer Bill Lawrence brought to life so effectively in the scripts, while she breathes life into her on screen.
“I feel like she’s playful. When you think about drama, I can lean into like someone, a harsh reaction. She’s poised in a kind of way because she has to navigate an institution. She’s deeply thoughtful in how she talks to people. And yet she is flawed,” said Deadwyler. “I think the thing that I love about her is her flaw. We have this face that we share publicly, and then we have this other face that she’s trying to congeal. You can only come into something if you are accepting of flaws and are revealing of that in the strangest of places to the strangest of people. That’s what I find endearing and lovable.”
Dylan is driven and successful, yet even while working on a busy college campus and constantly surrounded by people, she carries a loneliness with her that makes her instantly relatable. Her immediate connection with Carell’s Greg Russo is one of the series’ highlights. Though their dynamic doesn’t always go as expected, their scenes together are packed with chemistry and hopeful charm that reveals the natural rapport between the two actors.
She credits this to the workshopping scenes with Carrell which she said, “takes any pressure away and it gives you the ability to just experiment. So we had this knowledge of this stuff beforehand in that way.”
In several memorable moments when Dylan allows herself to be vulnerable, the will-they-won’t-they energy between them adds even more muffled sparks to every scene. Deadwyler injects a subtle layer of depth to Dylan while at the same time unafraid to break a few barriers.
“It’s just people who naturally are curious about each other. Academic institutions should be places where people are curious. When you don’t know each other, you lean in,” explained Deadwyler. “That’s what Steve and I just naturally did. You’re curious, you stay extremely present and know that there is a gulf that is there, and yet you can keep swimming towards each other. I think that’s how we got to buoy with each other along as the season progresses.”
Ultimately, Deadwyler delivers a witty, charming character who adds a refreshing dynamic to every scene she is in. Dylan is grounded while also endlessly fun and magnetic to watch.
“Presence is the greatest thing. And playfulness. Like, I think you have to have that. … Steve says like characters don’t know whether they’re in a comedy or drama. And so either way, always leaning in on presence in the now and always leaning in on being playful and then good things, fun things, surprising things will arise.”
Watch all of Danielle’s work on Rooster which just finished its first season on HBO – with season two in the works. Just as importantly, watch/listen to our full interview below. It’s insightful, funny, and quickly adds another uppercase ‘D’ to Danielle Deadwyler’s name… this time for Delightful.
(Some quotes were edited for clarity or brevity.)
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