Part 2 of our conference call with Peter! This half was really fun because the other reporters ran out of questions, so Peter and I just kept talking. Enjoy!
You’re well known for your role in House, which lasted for several seasons. How hard is it as an actor to transition – is there a transition to go from a show like that to a show like this? Do you approach things differently? And then I have a quick follow-up after that.
Peter: I don’t approach it – as an actor there’s no difference for me. It’s all about the character and the relationships and the life of the show. And Dr. Taub in House was just – that was that world and I had the great luck of being able to be in that world for five years. And, that was a good three years ago and I’ve played some other things in the interim. But this is the first opportunity to sort of dive into a long arc of a character where I knew I had at least 10 episodes to really flesh it out.
But in terms of my approach it’s just, “Oh. Well here’s a new person.” And this guy is nothing like Dr. Taub. At the same time, it’s me. So I’m going to bring, you know – the qualities that I brought to Taub, I’m going to bring them to Snyder. But they’re going to obviously be manifested in very different ways. And certainly nothing is more fun for an actor than to have really, a wildly different character to play. And I see that, the jump from Taub to Snyder is a pretty big one. And that’s been really fun.
Your view – like I said – you’re the guy from House. Anytime your name is mentioned it’s the guy from House, and now for Colony as it grows. Who do you see yourself as? Who are you to you? You know. You’re a father. You’re a parent. Who is the real you?
Peter: In terms of characters that I play or just me in my life? Interestingly, I have – for the last seven or eight years, starting with House – been playing mostly people who were there – not bad guys, but there’s a certain negative quality that our – I’ll put it this way – negative qualities are in the forefront. And I don’t think that’s somebody that I am in real life. I think that I’m generally a more, sort of a positive and friendly and nice person and I’m not playing a lot of those guys. And I’m not quite sure why. I think it’s been funny and fun and interesting but definitely Peter Jacobson is not a power-hungry, philandering asshole lawyer. I’m just – I’m a nice guy and I love being with people. And I think people who know me and love me think of me as a pretty friendly, fun person. And strangely that’s not who I’m playing.
Last week (Episode 4), we saw the first major death on the series, which was Phyllis. How is that going to affect the Transitional Authority and how will that affect Snyder going forward?
Peter: Well there will be – certainly – ripples in terms of who’s in what position of authority. I will act to fill that vacuum. I already did. I put Will in her position. So already we begin, the ripple effects to her death. It’s certainly the death that motivates Snyder in a big way because the shocking nature of somebody of that status being, killed in the Green Zone – the place where we’re all supposed to be protected – just shows how potentially more dangerous the Resistance is and can be.
So Snyder’s got that very much on his mind and it really does propel him forward in terms of the actions that he takes and also the fears and concerns that he has that fuel those actions. So it was a very pivotal moment. And again we’ll see that in the more intense, personal, human level – the ways in which it’s playing out for Snyder in this episode tomorrow night when, three people stuck in the same spot under these intense circumstances. There’s going to be a lot of sparks flying and a lot of – frankly, a lot more honesty than what we’ve seen so far.
TIBS: You’ve done a lot of stage and some feature film work. What do you prefer – TV, film, or stage – and why?
Peter: TV and film are more similar. Stage is a completely different animal. I started out doing nothing but stage and it was my first love as an actor. And it’s been a long time since I’ve been doing it. And I miss it but I love, love, love doing film and television – much more television than film for me – in the last few years. I just love the intimacy of it. I like the schedule better. I like the money better.
But mostly it’s just a much more internal process and it’s quieter and it feels more real. And that’s just something that I’ve – as I’ve gotten older and stayed in TV I’ve just really begun to love and appreciate even, more and more as I go. It’s just – it feels very, very intimate and I like that. It, it just – some of the more – the artifice of the theater – of making sure that you’re out there projecting every night and hitting your mark and doing it for a paying audience – is thrilling.
But for some reason that’s not been as exciting to me as the sort of – again, the immediacy of TV as in – you always get the chance to do it over again in the moment, which is nice. The bummer is that once you’re done, you’re done. That scene is over forever. And in theater you get to try again the next night and make it better.
TIBS: That’s interesting. And if you come to Chicago let me know and I’ll take you out for a drink.
Peter: Thank you. I don’t know when I’m coming back, but hopefully soon. I’ve got a lot of family there.
TIBS: That would be great.
You said that you wrapped filming for this season. Can you give us some insight on some future projects that you’re working on?
Peter: I am currently playing a recurring role on The Americans – as I mentioned as a show that I like. I like it even more now that I’m on it. And we’re – my character comes on the end of the fourth season, and so I’ve been doing that for the last few weeks and I’ve got a few more weeks on that. And just, poking around looking for other stuff to fill the gaps until we get revved up again for Colony.
Characters such as Snyder eventually get their comeuppance. Out of whose hands would you like to see him go?
Peter: That’s a good question. I’m so lost in the righteousness of Snyder’s – of what Snyder’s doing that it’s hard for me to break outside enough to see – and see him going in any way, shape, or form. He feels immortal to me at the moment. But in terms of the characters, I mean, I’m – I really do think that Katie is – I mean, I just – she’s so – all these characters are beautifully drawn but her conviction and the intensity with which she pursues what she wants and what she thinks is right in the face of everything she’s up against just as a fellow person who is that committed. I would find it honorable to go at the hands of
TIBS: Hi. I’m all full of questions today.
Peter: My fellow Chicagoan. Of course.
TIBS: What do you think you – Peter – would do if you were in this kind of a situation? You know. All of us like to think we know ourselves one way or another.
Peter: Right. I like – yes. I like to think that I’d, I’d do something heroic. I know my first, you know – first and foremost I would be doing whatever I could do to make sure my family was okay. And my sense is that the Gray Zone in the situation like this is what’s more dominant – that people are doing what they can to protect themselves and their loved ones – but that, we’re not – that most people would not be, heroes or villains. That they would sort of live in that mid-range where you do what you have to do to get by and, you know, and what I think is beautiful about the show is that it’s not, you know – there’s a certain mundane quality to life, under this occupation.
Obviously the terror is always there. But on a daily basis you just, I would guess most people are just sort of trying to function. And certainly in the show, the extremities are who we’re dealing with – from Will and Katie and Snyder and all the others – the Resistance and those who are collaborating. But, in the middle there is where most people – I think – in real life would live. Where I would just be, save my family, try to get by. Don’t be a hero.
TIBS: One of the things that intrigues me about this show is the way morality seems to slip past some people at this point. With the government basically saying “It’s okay to be a jerk. It’s okay to hurt your fellow man.” You know.
Peter: And how would you respond to that? How would, you know – with those shifting social mores, how would, you know – what would you do?
TIBS: Right. Right. I think that’s – it’s an interesting question that the producers have begun to ask.
Peter: One of many. Yes. I agree with you.
TIBS: If you were going to put Snyder’s motivations into a chart where do you put, like, a fear of the hosts? Your self-serving belief that you’re the best choice to help people like somebody else would be worse and your enjoyment of being in that kind of a high position. Where do you think those three and maybe others – where do they fall?
Peter: I think enjoyment is number one. Even though he’s smart and he’s terrified of what could be around the corner and who’s up there. That’s the sort of – that’s the neat part about Snyder, is that all three of those things are very there. You sort of hit it on the head. You know. What, what he’s made up of. But my feeling is that it – what’s cool about him is that, you really have this sense that he just loves being in this situation. And I love playing that. That’s fun.
You’ve been on many different shows. You’ve guest-starred on many different shows. Is there a particular genre that you find yourself drawn to? And is there any guest stars that you would love to have visit Colony or that you’d love to work with?
Peter: That’s a good question. I don’t think that, I mean, I don’t think I have a particular genre that I’m always itching for. I mean, if I ever had a chance to do something like, be a cowboy or, ride off into the sunset or something like that – something that I’m so – would never do – that’s always fun. You know. All of a sudden you getting that chance to do something that is so outside your wheelhouse. Not that there are that many cowboy shows out there.
But I just mean something like, even like Game of Thrones where, it’s just not what people would normally think of me as and when I don’t normally think of myself in that world. That’s the world I want to try to be in, which was what kind of neat about, about Colony was – here’s a guy with a lot of power who can be a real asshole. He’s in charge. Why is this guy in charge? That was what’s exciting. I didn’t anticipate that that would be the kind of role that I would be drawn to or that others would be drawn to me in terms of playing it. That was a long-winded answer to the first part. What was the second part of your question?
Anyone that you would love to work with. You know a good reputation as a great actor. Is there anyone that you kind of like, “Ooh. I’d love to work with”?
Peter: Oh. So many. I literally can’t even begin to – I mean, that, you know – that was one of those, like, being on Colony is like “Oh. This – it’s Kathy Baker this week. And well, there’s Carl Weathers and Paul Guilfoyle. People who I had known and respected and love their work and was sort of fascinated by for a long time. And here I am working with them. It’s just, I – that’s the thing. I’ve been around for long enough now that I’ve seen and met so many great actors and it’s just hard to pinpoint one. Dee Moore is like a superstar. I would love to have Robert Duvall or Al Pacino show up. But I don’t think they’re going to be playing guest on a TV show anytime soon.
Peter: My pleasure. Thank you, everybody.
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