Initially presented as a murder mystery, Steven Conrad’s dark comedy “DTF St. Louis” has proved to be much more, allowing star David Harbour to tap into unexpected emotions. “We had this beautiful scene in wine country, and [my character] is talking about what he thought it would be like to be a man,” Harbour recalls of a sequence with costar Jason Bateman. “Right after the take, I looked at him: ‘Do women get to do this all the time? Have real, intimate, emotional conversations about what they’re feeling?’ It was this world that I don’t think middle-aged heterosexual men often get to go into.”
The HBO limited series explores the love triangle between “Playgirl” model–turned–overweight sign language interpreter Floyd Smernitch (Harbour), his wife, Carol (Linda Cardellini), and local weatherman Clark Forrest (Bateman). When coworkers Clark and Floyd try out a dating app for married people, they form an unexpectedly tender relationship.
Here, Harbour opens up about taking a big swing and feeling at ease with a prosthetic stomach.
What were the challenges in building this incredibly sweet character?
Once on set, I’ve never had an easier, more enjoyable time acting. The three-year prep was much harder. Floyd can be saccharine, and that scared the shit out of me. He is easily made fun of, and not that I need to be Tom Cruise saving the world, but I don’t want a character that’s just being humiliated. So it was really important to protect his integrity and to find these moments where he’s an alpha, because that would make him feel more real.
Knowing the risks you took, how rewarding has the reception been?
It’s humbling. People I don’t know are reaching out to say, “I had to steal your phone number from someone to tell you that I loved the show and your performance.” The acting perks of getting New York Knicks tickets and a table at a restaurant are nice, but to see someone truly moved by what you did is greater than any other gift.
Did it take time to get comfortable with wearing a prosthetic belly?
I was afraid of prosthetics for a long time, and now I’ve grown to love them as an extra mask that can really free you. I wish the belly would’ve been even bigger! When I got it on and played around, because it isn’t mine, I’m not self-conscious about it. Jason has a line in [Episode 7] where he says [about Floyd’s younger physique], “I don’t feel safe with that guy. I feel safe with this guy.” And I felt the same way.
What was the process of you and Jason partnering up on this unique relationship?
I wasn’t watching the dailies, and he was like, “You should—it’s working.” And then he said, “I feel like I was crazy to take this part without knowing what you were gonna do.” [Laughs] I was like, “Yeah, you kind of were.” Because if I had played this the wrong way, his character would look ridiculous. And so that meant that he really saw the trust that his character gives me. But it was very unspoken between us, and that’s how I like it. I’d rather do more and talk about it less.
When you were pounding the pavement for so many years as a working actor, did you wonder if your big moment would ever come?
My late 20s into my 30s were filled with Off-Broadway theater, soap operas, and “Law & Order.” You go to a wedding and tell people you’re an actor and they’re like, “Well, I hope you make it.” And you’re like, “I feel like I made it! I know my apartment is 350 square feet, but I’m loving going to work every night at the Vineyard Theatre.” It’s always in your mind that maybe one day you’ll hit. I abandoned that when I was 35, because casting directors said to me, “I wasn’t gonna meet with you, because once you’re 35 and you haven’t been a lead on TV, that’s it.” And then “Stranger Things” happened. They’ll meet with me now!
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
This story originally appeared in the June 15 issue of Backstage Magazine.
