DIRECTOR'S CUT: Psychology of an Actor with Giancarlo Esposito
How does an actor get into the psychology of their character?
Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright are joined by special guest, Giancarlo Esposito, to talk acting and psychology in this Psychology of an Actor series. Giancarlo shares his approach to acting and what he does in each role to learn something about himself. Together they look at some of his iconic characters: Buggin Out in Do the Right Thing, Gustavo Fring in Breaking Bad, Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian, and Stan Edgar in The Boys. And they talk about Giancarlo’s latest role in Parish, which debuts on March 31st on AMC!
Comments (30)
I love when Giancarlo Esposito mentions that acting is like being a child again. When I first got into drama in High School, I had just experienced the most traumatic year of my teenage life. Acting was such an excellent outlet for everything I was feeling. Such a small line from him from this wonderful video, but means so much to many. Great job!
Couldn’t finish the episode… this guy came across to me as lacking humility. The episode was more of a monologue of him blowing his own horn rather than the back and forth of a meaningful and enlightening conversation. Jono and Alan great as per usual.
I feel you. I feel like I have to finish it though. I've been watching a few minutes at a time for a week so far...
OMG i could listen to this artist talk ALL DAY ! I have loved Giancarlo Esposito since i saw him as a little girl in Do the Right Thing, so i appreciate the in depth look at that character. it was so amazing to get to know the psychology of the one behind so many iconic characters i love to hate 🥰
I'd LOVE to see him play Magneto! I would like to ask though, as someone who has been stuck in retail his entire adult life, why would I risk my life for property? In general. But then to suggest I should for a company? Why would I do that? I've been attacked in a store by customers. Yes. Plural. Just a thought, maybe we should look at the underlying conditions. And maybe not lecture the victims of our system, retail workers and homeless folks alike. Again, just a thought.
Just mentioning that I used to do retail security. It's dangerous. Asking minimum wage walgreens employees who are already overworked and underpaid to tackle often-armed shoplifters (knives, needles) because Big Corporate doesn't feel like funding security and certainly has no interest in paying out for injured employees. It has nothing to do with personal responsibility.
Agreed. I worked in a movie theatre for a bit. In training, it was basically employee safety first. If anyone was threatening you give them what they want, call 911, and get out. We occasionally had a security guard at the theatre entrance but not box. People walked in without paying all the time. I would just let the managers know so they could handle it or not. I wasn't about to risk my self for $7.50/hr.
Omg!! 😍 Story time! So many moons ago, I got the opportunity to meet Giancarlo Esposito at a convention. At the time, he was playing two very different characters in two very different TV shows that I happened to be watching at the same time. I've met a fair share of actors working and visiting conventions, but I'm most proud of my question that I asked him as I got his photo. I asked him if it was hard to play such different characters, and how he prepared for each part. He didn't really have time to give me an in-depth answer, but said it wasn't very difficult because they were such different characters that they were different people in his head. He was absolutely kind to take the time to give me that much of an answer to a question that was really too big for the photo autograph line. But I'm glad I asked and grateful that he gave me what he could. Especially now that I'm gettng to see the in depth answer! 😍
If anyone cares, in Once Upon a Time he was. Very... Doormat kind of character. He gets trampled on a lot for a while. In Revolution, he's a military leader. He's absolutely self contained and self righteous and absolutely a dick. The more I watched of each show, the more respect I gained for him as an actor.
Just watched it. I LOVE that he played along with you and Grogu, Jono. I would've been over the moon! :) I feel the need to impart, though, being in an LEO family almost my whole life, reference Walgreens, the employees are instructed by the company not to stop the theft, and if they do intervene, they will lose their job. The company would rather foot the cost of the theft than their employees become injured or killed. Being part of the mantra that protection of the people is paramount to protection of property, I wish I could say that's the reason. But liability insurance premiums and payouts rise in each instance of employee injury, and are more costly than loss due to theft. In the end, "it's just business".
YASSS!! I've been waiting for this one ever since the March poll!! This is gonna help me make it through this flu!
Giancarlo was one of two reasons I kept watching Breaking Bad. The other being the brilliant cinematography. He's an incredibly brilliant person and actor, and this video was so insightful. This was a better crossover then Endgame, and a wonderful edition to my day.
I’m literally losing my mind that y’all got to get with Giancarlo to do an episode! He’s the best of the bad guys!
Oh my god! How did you nab this guy?
I got to see Giancarlo just a couple weeks ago when he partook in a Q&A at my college. Genuinely funny guy; as he said, "I'm Gus Fring--my job is to do whatever the f*** I want" 😂
What an insightful interview. Always loved his characters you could tell he puts allot of craft, thought and artistry in creating his characters.
What a fascinating man! I'm hype for you guys getting so many awesome guests! 🥰
This is amazing!!!!
thats amazing you got a ledgend on your show
OMG I'm so stoked for you guys! What an amazing individual to discuss the art of acting with. Gus Fring is one of the best written and acted 'baddies' to ever grace the screen (big and small). Congrats you two!
I remember seeing once he's also a fellow yogi! And used pranayama for one of his characters, I believe it was Fring. So interesting, can't wait to watch this one! But off to work I go now. 😄
no waaay!! i love Giancarlo! first time i saw him was in once upon a time when i was a kid- been obsessed ever since. aaaand my mom has a huge crush on him (she loves once upon a time and the maze runner) so she always finds ways to talk about him 😂💗
Once Upon a Time was a good show; I really enjoyed it as a kid. I didn't realize that was Giancarlo Esposito until I was older and actually knew who he was
Yay!! I love this man! He is such a great actor!!! Also and totally unrelated, is Alan going over to the dark side? Half of him is in the dark.... (ba dum pst)
I ran out of time to light myself!
Holy cow!
This is awesome! I first discovered Giancarlo in Breaking Bad. Such a great actor, and even in voice acting. Was surprised to hear his voice in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.
Aaaaaa you guys got Giancarlo Esposito, this is so amazing!!!
Damn!!! Nice
WHAT! I’m ready.