For recent guests of Backstage’s “In the Envelope: An Awards Podcast,” an Emmy nomination may be in their near future—and if you listen to their words of wisdom, one could be in yours, too! We’ve rounded up a few brief highlights from our exclusive “In the Envelope” interviews with 2019 Emmy contenders below. To hear craft and career advice from some of today’s most talented stars, tune in wherever you listen to podcasts.
Maggie Gyllenhaal, “The Deuce”
“The most interesting work that I do as an actress, like prep work, is somehow just kind of getting my mind in the territory of the piece and then...opening my mind—maybe my unconscious—to whatever’s going to come up.”
Mj Rodriguez, “Pose”
“[Early in my career,] women of my experience weren’t really understood at that point and it was very, very different. So I took time for myself to say, ‘I’m going to wait for y’all to get on board, and once y’all get on board, I’m going to show you all.’ I can be patient, but I’m not going to conform.”
John Krasinski, “Jack Ryan”
“When I first started out, everything terrified me; every part was scary. And that felt good. It felt good to be challenged.... If I do get comfortable, I’m pretty sure there’s a direct correlation to worse work. The moment you feel comfortable, push it. Push it further.”
Nick Kroll, “Big Mouth”
“I do believe just about everyone can be a writer.... If you’re smart enough to act, you’re smart enough to write.”
Regina Hall, “Black Monday”
“I think you have to firmly make the decision that you are going to pursue [an acting career] with a whole heart and with focus. Because that’s the only way you can know if it would ever work. It means you really have to meet the opportunities with the preparation.... Your conviction has to be very much a part of it.”
Timothy Simons, “Veep”
“Your timeline of success is different from everybody else’s, so do not judge your own success based on anybody else. I know that’s hard to do. I still do it. Trust me, I still do it! Try to keep that in mind.”
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, “Game of Thrones”
“Nobody knows anything—and if you meet someone who thinks they know everything, that’s not a teacher you want to work with.”
William Jackson Harper, “The Good Place”
“The financial and logistical piece aside, if you want to be [acting], there’s a lot that you’re willing to put up with to do it. And there’s no replacement for really feeling like you’ve gotten inside of a character, really in the moment with your scene partner, and you’re just there.”
Debra Messing, “Will & Grace”
“We, as actors, are set up to feel like we’re begging for jobs when we walk into that room. You’re apologizing for taking up space. I think what’s most important is to realize that those five minutes? Those are your five minutes. You own them. It’s your time.”
Seth Meyers, “Late Night With Seth Meyers”
“If you really believe you have something to say and something to share, you have to put your heart into getting that message out there. Be it your talent or something you want to say specific to the moment we’re living in, just keep working on your instrument. If you’re a writer, keep working on it. If you’re a performer, keep working on it. If you value it, there’s a high likelihood the audience will value it, too.”
This story originally appeared in the June 20 issue of Backstage Magazine. Subscribe here.
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