Luke Kirby's Emmy-winning portrayal of Lenny Bruce on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has introduced a whole new generation of viewers to the legendary comedian. Luke Kirby is a phenomenal tease. Season 4 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel premieres on Amazon Prime on Friday, February 18. All Rights Reserved. Is that how it works? Theyre so on top of their work that its almost not something they planned. Its easy to see how the actor spun a one-episode appearance as comedian Lenny Bruce on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel into a multi-season arc, one that has culminated in Bruce becoming a romantic interest for the titular Miriam Maisel (played by Rachel Brosnahan) and a runaway fan favorite. It feels like a nightmare. He didnt live through the 60s, when it really was going down, so to have that voice in comedy silenced was truly a loss, especially at the time that it happened. Stand up does strike me as a pretty terrifying occupationBeing on stage in any kind of capacity is really vulnerable and yet by the time things are wrapping up, you do not want to leave. ", Kirby also surmises that Bruce has been thinking about Midge ever since their night together and their fight at Carnegie Hall. He is this real-life person who lives almost in the realm of fable. In some ways, I think at the end of that scene, hes left the ball in her court because its always been in her court. When police raid The Wolfard, the illegal strip club Midge has been an MC at for the majority of the season, Lenny takes Midge to hide out in his hotel room that has now been painted blue just for him. I actually switched the, I sort of flipped the screen so I could watch it like a mirror. Luke Kirby bears an uncanny resemblance to Lenny Bruce, the controversial, groundbreaking comedian he plays on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Marie Claire is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. The Roys will be back for more backstabbing-filled fun. If we had been doing a biopic, I would have a lot stronger feelings about what story we would need to tell. Youre not going to please everybody but definitely wanted to, you know, honor a person who clearly loved other people and not to tamper with that. Is it funny to be kind of like on the show but also in your own universe? Its exhausting trying to replicate it, he says of Bruces onstage riffing. It is news to me. Read more from THRs chat with the Palladinos and an interview with Brosnahan here. Luke Kirby has captivated us with his charm and suave good looks while playing the real-life comic. And it felt like it fit, frankly, with the journey that Midge is on, that shes so doggedly trying to find the right way for herself whether its misguided or not and this mission that she set herself on this year that she felt it was like, Its my way or the highway. It felt like the shake-up needed to happen from somebody who understood her, revered her. Because there's always this concern: What if they get together and it's a disaster? Why did you feel that this finale moment with Lenny Bruce was a good place for Midges romantic storyline to go? Theres not a lot of visual on Bruce, with him actually moving, so [the footage] was good for mirroring him and seeing his physicality. Luke Kirby says new season of 'Mrs. Maisel' to honour Lenny Bruce's And it makes it easier in the moments where you are going for laughter. While Kirby noted that its not up to him if Lenny and Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) will get together, he did confess that he hopes the show will deal with the ramifications of his characters eventual death. When we learned Luke Kirby was no longer a series regular on Mrs . "Midge has certainly found her way into his wheel of love. She came to set. By Emma Dibdin December 12, 2019 9:15am Amazon Studios The. 'Maisel' Creators Set Next Amazon Show: Ballet Drama Starring Luke Kirby But then it was great to get invited back for whatever peculiar reason. Luke Kirby, Camille Cottin, Simon Callow, Lou de Lage, Gideon Glick, and David Alvarez. I mean, youve done a lot of television work and done guest roles on shows, but youre part of this show. Luke explained that Lennys role in the show has never stuck strictly to what happened in real life. He was about to hit his downward spiral," Sherman-Palladino reflects. Brosnahan: Ive stopped asking questions and learn to take information as it comes and figure out how it works. MC: Have you ever or since getting cast as Lenny tried to do standup, just to put yourself in his shoes? Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, and director Rob Marshall share the tale behind making their underwater musical with a groundbreaking Disney princess. Ive gotten some good time with everyone. Rachel Brosnahan stars as Miriam "Midge" Maisel, a 1950s housewife in New York City who discovers she has a knack for stand-up comedy after her husband leaves her. Yeah. LK: Any time I'm doing Lenny's bitsalmost every single one of them that's been on the show has been sourced from a recording. Marie Claire: Lenny and Midge finally got together! So, I had found this book at a relatively young age and had many times gone over the photos. All rights reserved. They do like to keep us on our toes. I dont know. I think that actually, in a way, really helps enrich the story and make it have even more meaningful than just an argument or a moment between two colleagues/new-ish lovers. So even if this is a fantasy version of him, it, it seems pretty true to life. Prime Video Gives Two-Season Order To Ballet Drama 'toile' W Luke MC: Did you guys try and replicate it as best as possible? Those things were very much a presence in how I got to know him. LK: No, not especially. "Sometimes it's better not to say things out loud." Some, some comedians have come forward, espousing the virtues of it. In the faintly charmed New York of the show, created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, Bruce flits in and out of scenes like a fairy godmother, meeting up with our heroine Midge Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan) to offer counsel, crack a few jokes, andin the emotional season two finaleseek some advice himself. Bruce died in 1966. In the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 5 premiere, while taking Alfie (Gideon Glick) to the airport for his first ever out-of-town gig, Midge Maisel (. In the fall of 2005, he was a series regular in HBO's Tell Me You Love Me, directed by Patricia Rozema, whose first season aired in September 2007. Thats not why we were put on Earth. You can feel his excitement. Did that feel like kind of the most work youd had to do to embody him at that point? Heres how it works. LK: There probably was a feeling of, Here we go. Its a great story to get to live in not just that scene in the hotel; its their whole history. Tell me about stepping into that. But yeah, it is a little peculiar. Fans are eagerly anticipating the hit show's third season. His mother is from Brooklyn, New York, and his father grew up "along the eastern seaboard." 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"But I definitely played it differently than any other time that we've said goodbye to each other. MC: Do you typically listen to the records of Lennys performances and try to mimic it exactly or were you doing your own take on his stand up? TV Shows. Of course it changed something, but it actually didn't feel like it changed anything. Who is Luke Kirby? Lenny Bruce actor and 'Gossip Girl' DILF Kirby recently spoke with Gold Derby se Shes the one person I would hate to upset.. But, no. I do think that that scene that they have together at the bar in season 2 before he goes to do The Steve Allen Show, there is something so comforting in her telling him her reality of being a parent. There was a copy of [Bruces autobiography] How to Talk Dirty and Influence People in my grandparents attic, which must have belonged to my Uncle Peter, says Kirby, 40. Luke Kirby ('The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel') video interview - GoldDerby LK: No. Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action. Portrayed by Luke Kirby, the Lenny Bruce of this show tends to pop up once or twice a season to bail Midge out of jail or give her some much-needed advice about the stand-up comedy. Luke Kirby wins Emmy Award for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2019) Lenny and Midge will cross paths again in the fifth and final season, which premieres on April 15. May 19, 2022 11:30AM. And that's the best part about it.". The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Yeah, exactly. Brosnahan: Its him throwing s at her on stage. The question now is, how will it play out when the show comes to a close next season? You know, whats the point of saying goodbye? She was sort of like the godmother to all the comics, and they all sort of took care of her in Los Angeles. It just felt, most of the time, seamless. But it does seem clear that you did a lot of work on the mannerisms in the way of speaking and the, in some, you know, actual of his actual comedy line. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Mars Voltas lead singer broke with Scientology and reunited with the band. His credits also include The Deuce and a lead role in Panhandle. Youve been an actor for a long time, but I know that doesnt always overlap with stand-up. Somebody like that, its a true loss just to the art form, because he was young when he died. I dont really like that side of you. Its like, Oh, shit. It felt organic to what we were doing with her this year. You can hear the full interview on Little Gold Men later this week, but in the meantime, read the interview with Kirby below. We wanted to leave with the moments that Midge would take with her and lean back on. She chose to live her ethics. Is that a misinterpretation? The two are a bit cagey with each other at first, and Lenny reveals he's off to California where he'll be renting a house and spending more time with his kid (and, for those that know the details of the real Bruce's life, likely beginning the downward spiral that ends with his death from an overdose in 1966). "Under the heft of all of that litigation, it's another level of exhaustion. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Lenny Bruce will reflect real history more Anything else you hope comes out of his character's arc? 'toile' at Amazon: Luke Kirby Stars in New Amy Sherman-Palladino Show He had this whole other aspect and it was such an emotional thing to watch, and you really feel his sorrow about it and his kind of having cast the die of regret into his life about losing a person like that. Did you do anything to kind of prepare for that moment? LK: I bought that album the first time I went to Los Angeles. For almost four complete seasons, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel teased its fans with the dynamite chemistry between its lead Midge Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan) and fellow comedian Lenny Bruce (Luke Kirby . After four seasons of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) and Lenny (Luke Kirby) havent spent much time together on-screen. I dont know that he has any sense that anything will come to it. Yeah. Within the show it feels like one of the places where Midge grows the most are the scenes with Lenny. That was another thing we wanted to show. The 42-year-old Ontario native, who plays comedy legend Lenny Bruce and won an Emmy for his performance in 2019, exudes an effortless charm and brooding appeal of a Hollywood leading man from a. New York, We have this leverage that we get to play with who he was in this realm of fable and make believe, but then we also have to honor who he was and that responsibility has made [Amy and Dan] a lot more considerate in how they evolved their relationship. I auditioned [for Mrs. Thats moving, oh no thatyou know. They meet in a car, and shes already glowing with a vitality that is impressive and aligned with his idea of the truth. And it felt like youre never going to go wrong, and we always wanted to do Lenny at Carnegie Hall. Luke Kirby - Wikipedia Happy twelfth wedding anniversary to the Prince and Princess of Wales. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel cast share behind-the-scenes details The loneliness and travel, it's a treacherous business to be in and it can do terrible things, even to the strongest and the most gifted. The final season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is now streaming on Prime Video with new episodes dropping every Friday through May 26.