Working: A Succession Actor on Playing Unlikeable Characters

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Music, Tv & Film, Arts

4.2 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 30 July 2023

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to actor Arian Moayed, who played Stewy on the hit HBO series Succession and more recently played Torvald Helmer in a production of A Doll’s House on Broadway. In the interview, Arian talks about his early career in theater and the valuable acting techniques that he learned in college. He also discusses his experiences playing unlikeable characters, his pivot from stage to screen, and the overwhelming amount of feedback that actors receive. [NOTE: This interview was recorded before the SAG-AFTRA Union began its strike.] After the interview, Isaac and co-host June Thomas discuss the benefits and downsides of high-intensity creative work. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Arian explains how he got the hang of Succession’s unique tone. Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	There was once a family on a road trip to keep everyone entertained that created a fun, personalized audio story using AI,
0:05.9	starring themselves about their trip.
0:08.0	So by the time they arrived, they'd already had quite an adventure.
0:11.0	Make your free personalized audio journey in the McDonald's app, fancy your McDonald's.
0:17.0	18 plus only, stories made using AI, terms of use and privacy policy apply.
0:30.0	I have a lot of hats. Acting for me is the hardest hat because I feel like I'm unveiling a portion of myself to the audience.
0:40.0	And that is a scary thing to do.
0:42.0	That's why people are definitely afraid to go and talking in front of public.
0:46.0	You know, they don't want to reveal that shit.
0:50.0	Welcome back to Working. I'm your host, June Thomas.
0:54.0	And I am your other host, Isaac Butler.
0:56.0	Isaac, it's so nice to see you again. It's been a while.
0:59.0	Tell me though, who's voice did we hear at the top of the show?
1:03.0	Well, we heard the voice of Aryan Moyed, an actor who's probably best known for playing Stewie on Succession,
1:10.0	a role which recently garnered him in Emmy nomination.
1:13.0	I like weird sex. I like bad drugs. I'm a very complicated individual.
1:18.0	Excellent. And what drew you to speak with Aryan right now?
1:22.0	Well, I've known him for a really long time. I directed Aryan in a play in 2005.
1:28.0	I think, and his theater company Waterwell, which you'll hear us talk about in the show,
1:33.0	one of the members was a really good friend of mine.
1:36.0	And the roommate of a playwright I worked with all the time and blah, blah, blah, blah.
1:40.0	It's a small world off of Broadway theater.
	...

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