Jimmi Simpson a felt huge responsibility with Westworld!

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Jimmi Simpson a felt huge responsibility with Westworld!

Key Points

Career transition from comedy to dramatic roles represented a major challenge and growth opportunity
Westworld marked a pivotal moment where the actor was hired to "not be funny" for the first time
The character in Westworld had swagger and sexiness that allowed audiences and casting directors to see the actor differently
Taking on major story responsibility was intimidating after primarily doing comedic work
Long 18-hour filming days on Westworld tested acting abilities to their limits
Exhaustion and lack of preparation time made the role particularly challenging
The experience served as "film acting 101" due to its demanding nature
Success required "unpacking yourself and giving over to the process"
MasterClass sponsors the podcast and offers learning opportunities for busy schedules
Parental burnout is real due to historically high expectations for parents
MasterClass offers classes from world-class mentors like Amy Poehler and Mindy Kaling
Amy Poehler's improv class emphasizes the power of play and spontaneity
Learning can be incorporated into parenting approaches
MasterClass provides unlimited access to over 200 classes for $10/month when billed annually
Lessons are designed to be bite-sized and fit into busy schedules
15% discount available at masterclass.com/katie for podcast listeners
The importance of mentorship and continuous learning in personal and professional development
Transformative roles can fundamentally change an actor's career trajectory and self-perception

Full Transcript

Language: en
Is there ever a character that's come
across your proverbial desk where you
were like, I don't know if I can. That
intimidates the out of me.
Yeah. I mean, um I I feel like I've I
feel like I've had that specific thought
and I'm trying to think of of what it
was. I feel like it was um it was a few
years ago, you know, cuz my career
really began with uh mostly comedy.
Mhm. Um, and it probably wasn't until
like Westworld that that I started being
hired to not be funny on some level. Um,
yeah. Well, there was I mean there was a
there was a a a swagger to that
character, a sexiness to that character,
if you will, if I might be so bold.
um that um I think is that people may
have in the audience, maybe in the the
people that were hiring that allowed
them to potentially see you in a
different light because I know as a
viewer I did for the first time um where
at least in the work that I'd seen you
in because I'd always known you as as um
in comedy
um and your performance in Westworld was
very different that I'd seen before. And
I I think that um it was just it was
very good. I mean, you always are, but
it was it was really
um different.
Yeah, it was. Well, it was um I honestly
felt I I wonder if you felt this way on
on on Battlestar. It it was just like
I all of a sudden um I'm responsible to
tell major story.
Mhm. like I had never been my job was to
go and be like
and um and so it was a it was really a
huge undertaking to me that was like
film acting 101 for me because it was
repeated and it was those you know those
Westworld 18our days and all that stuff.
Um and it really tests your abilities to
the limit because now you're exhausted.
There's there's been no preparation.
It's just trying to process story
because it's your job and it has to be
good. And so it's that kind of like just
unpacking of yourself and you give
yourself over to the process. Um so so
yeah, it was uh it was such a it was
such a new experience for me to be able
to fall fully.
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