O-T Fagbenle joins Jenny Curtis on Hollywood Unscripted to talk about THE HANDMAID’S TALE, being a new part of the marvel universe in BLACK WIDOW, and his new Hulu show MAXXX. Through the conversation they discuss:
1:02 - creating MAXXX
2:09 - working with Second City improvisers when developing the show.
4:23 - a hiccup in starting production and changes that C4 wanted changes
6:21 - bringing on more weight to the production team
7:31 - reflections of O-T in the character of Maxxx.
8:16 - exploring the cultural phenomenon of social media in the show.
9:20 - O-T seeing himself in his characters and leaning into different parts of himself.
10:23 - really embodying the character
11:18 - working with his brother Luti and the gift of working with family.
12:13 - Getting Christopher Meloni involved
13:16 - The struggle of working on a passion project and the blessing of hiring a diverse crew.
14:45 - Finding believable extras for the party scene by casting from a real fetish community.
15:44 - The two opposing songs in MAXXX.
17:16 - learning to play drums, guitar and bass specifically for the show.
18:05 - loving to play in the cringe-worthy moments and the British tradition of that style of comedy.
18:57 - getting Jourdan Dunn on the show and expanding her role.
20:40 - the development of the character of Tamzin and the talent of Pippa Bennet-Warner.
22:19 - Maxxx’s adopted son and the dynamic of the non-binary love affair.
26:40 - The joy of experiencing Luke’s pain in THE HANDMAID’S TALE
27:45 - The crew of THE HANDMAID’S TALE helping O-T prepare for MAXXX.
28:24 - The best advice showrunner Bruce Miller had for writing.
29:18 - The funeral scene in MAXXX being the seed of the idea for his character.
29:50 - Joining the Marvel Universe with BLACK WIDOW and the surreal path his career has taken.
32:07 - Almost passing on the audition for BLACK WIDOW and his story of booking the role.
35:47 - Trying to not care about accolades and focusing on what’s important.
36:44 - His charity, ABC foundation (find more at www.abcfoundation.me)
38:24 - Choosing theater or film, the relationship with the audience, and the style of writing in theater.
40:15 - Loving the language of Shakespeare and Jenny’s favorite Shakespearean insult.
41:21 - Final thoughts on MAXXX and finding peace.
Find more about O-T's charity ABC Foundation: https://www.abcfoundation.me
Learn more: Hollywood Unscripted
Follow Us: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
--------------------
Hosted by: Jenny Curtis
Guest: O-T Fagbenle
Produced and Edited by: Jenny Curtis
Executive Producer: Stuart Halperin
Theme Music by: Celleste and Eric Dick
A CurtCo Media Production
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.