Ebon Moss-Bachrach has three roles for which he is stopped on the street: Desi in Girls, David Lieberman in The Punisher and Richie in The Bear, which earned him an Emmy nomination. Born in Massachusetts 46 years ago, the actor talks to EL MUNDO about his atypical career and about this last character, who returns this Wednesday to Disney + with the second season of the series.
The Bear, created by Christopher Storer, portrays the anguish of transforming a filthy light food restaurant into a restaurant with infulas. Its half-hour chapters hide humor, almost always dark, but do not be fooled by the length. It is better to assume that what is told is a full-fledged drama, a bit in the style of Shameless, the other series that raised Jeremy Allen White, a chef who here inherits a place whose past crusts are the most difficult to scratch.
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Disney + joins the content with ads: this is the plan that arrives in Spain in November
- Writing: ESTHER MUCIENTES Madrid
Disney + joins the content with ads: this is the plan that arrives in Spain in November
Moss-Bachrach is almost the only major character who does not cook in The Bear, although he declares himself an expert in the art of preparing a potato omelette, which he learned when he lived in Alicante for four months. "In my house I am the head chef. One of my favorite dishes in the world is the Spanish omelette. In Spain I ate it every day and it's not something that people cook much in the United States. I've made hundreds, always in a very traditional way: just potatoes, onions and eggs."
The interpreter even jokes about the possibility of a Spanish chef giving him classes for the series. "I once met Ferrán Adriá at Barcelona airport. We were in an elevator together and started talking. It's fantastic. We both had young children and carried our babies in our arms."
I imagine the creator of the series, Christopher Storer, as a genius perhaps similar to the character of the chef. How is it? You'd be surprised. Cris is responsible, caring, very funny and a very outgoing person. If I had been put in a room with 20 people and asked who wrote The Bear, he would probably be my last choice. You never know. It has merit to create such a success without sex scenes or violent or action plots. Yes, that gives me hope. It makes me optimistic about the future of storytelling and television. If audiences respond so much to this without those things, maybe other people will be inspired to write only about people trying to get through the day. My influences are Cassavetes, Paul Mazursky and Woody Allen. As an actor, I like character-driven stories. 'The Bear' is very faithful to small-scale living.
At home I am the head chef. One of my favorite dishes is the Spanish omelette.
The series was one of the surprises of the last year. During filming did you already feel that it would be so bright? When I read the script I knew there was something special. It was very well written and the characters are very vivid. They are fully formed on the page, and that is not frequent. Often you only get a vague impression. I was very clear about who Richie was and that he had a real energy that I tried to reciprocate. The camera tends to get very close to faces. Is it invasive for actors? Is it an extra difficulty? Yes, really. It can distract you, but you get used to it when you spend a lot of time in the studio and forget. It's much harder when you're going to work for a single day and you barely have a meeting before shooting. It's okay for you to mention that point. Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Jeremy Allen White, in The Bear.DISNEY +
If I had been put in a room with 20 people and asked who the creator of The Bear is, my last choice would have been Storer.
Are you more proud of this series than other works? I'm very proud of The Bear. If the script is well written, you always feel better. I'm very proud of some of my performances when the script was bad, but when it's brilliant and you're trying to do it even better, that elevates you and makes you feel really good. On screen it shows a special energy. Do you carry it inside or is it part of the performance? It comes from within, but I don't really know what it is. I hope it's something different for everyone. I hope that my performances are a mix between the text and the way I filter it. Some accuse him of being a "scene thief." I definitely don't do that on purpose, although I've also heard it and it makes me nervous. I really don't like flashy performances. I like it when the actor disappears. If I see a performer trying to like me, win an award or something, I lose interest. If I steal a scene, I hope it will be for the benefit of the story.Why do you usually play roles of undesirable people? Do you see him that way? Maybe [laughs]. I probably don't want to know the answer to that question. I'm not afraid of the ugly. They're usually the most interesting roles, I think. The actor who plays the handsome guy who gets the girl probably makes a lot more money than me, but I have a better time. Jeremy Allen White stars in The Bear.DISNEY+
It makes me nervous to be called a 'scene thief'. I don't like flashy performances
Do you miss more money or other characters? First of all, nobody asks me to play those roles, so it's not that I refuse money or anything like that, but no. I'm very happy with the kind of work I usually do. I quote a phrase of his: "People respond to nuance and complication." Is the public smarter than the industry imagines? I agree. There is nothing worse than seeing something and anticipating history. I think they have been insulting the public for too long. If you treat people with respect, people understand. I also like the feeling of being confused and wanting to learn more. When you don't feed people, they are forced to pay more attention. And it's a much better way to tell a story. On the other hand, I don't know if The Bear is too picky and would have been even more successful if it wasn't. Maybe. I don't know. I enjoy Aaron Sorkin's writing or Succession, and it takes a lot of effort to understand them. It's almost like a jargon or a secret language. They make deals and things that I don't really understand, but it forces me to pay close attention and try to figure it out. It may alienate some people, but I like it.
The actor who plays the handsome guy who gets the girl probably makes a lot more money than me, but I have a better time.
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Richie is an extreme character. How similar are they? I think we're both very loyal and we both like to be around people. I'm a very sociable person and I think he is too. But the way we express ourselves and live in the world is very different. I'm probably a little more sensitive on the outside and he on the inside. And we both care a lot about our daughters. His wife is Ukrainian. I imagine the war has touched him more than most Americans. I don't know if when things like this happen the importance of making series or movies takes a back seat. I don't think it will lose importance or that the importance of art will ever disappear. I also believe that sometimes, and this may sound pretentious, in times of suffering, what we do creates ways of understanding what is happening and perhaps better ways of being. At the same time, it's a big distraction. People are happiest when they can escape reality. I think it works both ways. Richie's character is afraid of being abandoned. What are your fears as an artist? I'm very afraid of what we're doing to the planet, fossil fuels, climate change and storms. I am afraid of capitalist egoism, of isolation. I'm afraid of another pandemic. I could go on with many more fears.