‘Smash’ Star Brian d’Arcy James on the Move from Stage to Screen

A Broadway veteran, Brian d’Arcy James has played characters ranging from a lonely, 1950s press agent to an angry green ogre. For his latest gig, James left the stage to star in the NBC television series “Smash,” but his musical theater roots still play a part: the series is about the making of a new Broadway show.

He was in good spirits at the Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards on Sunday night, even as host and “Glee” star Darren Criss jokingly referred to “Smash” as “Glee 2.” James was there to present a some awards with Tammy Blanchard, who recently guest-starred with him on the Showtime series, “The Big C.”

Before the show, James chatted with Back Stage about the transition from stage to screen, and offered some words of wisdom for aspiring young actors.

How do you like acting for television?
Brian d’Arcy James: I love it. It’s new for me. I’ve done it before, but I’ve never been on a series. The consistency of it is something that I love. I’ve been doing theater since 1984, and making a living in it, so to be able to have a chance to do something in the same field but with a different kind of exercise is thrilling. You get to learn something. And obviously it’s really exciting when you get to work with people like Debra Messing and Anjelica Huston. That ups the ante. I love them both, and I’m enjoying the novelty of this new experience for me.

Was it difficult to adapt from a live audience to a camera?
d’Arcy James: I’ve been lucky enough, over the years, to amass a handful of experiences being on a set.  That is, I think, the big hurdle. You have to speak a different vocabulary, it moves at a different tempo, it’s obviously not on a stage. And all these things may seem clear, but once you’re doing them, they have their own set of rules. So getting a chance to cut my teeth, as it were, in those experiences, made it easier for me to just jump in and enjoy it.

Do you plan on returning to Broadway anytime soon?
d’Arcy James: I hope so! I have nothing I can tell you right now, but certainly not for my lack of trying to scratch my way back into this.

What advice do you have for actors?
d’Arcy James: Never leave your wallet in the dressing room. And on a serious note, I think the three Ps: patience, passion, and persistence. You’ve got to be patient, especially in the beginning, because it’s a big wheel you have to crank. You just have to be patient when you’re turning it, and you have to be persistent with going to auditions and getting used to the fact that you’re not going to get every single one of them. And of course passion speaks for itself. So the three Ps!