Rory O'Malley on His Role on Lifetime's American Princess

In honor of the 2019 Tony® Awards, we’re celebrating with Broadway Week on One-on-One. Steve Adubato goes One-on-One with Tony®️ nominated actor, Rory O'Malley, to discuss his new role as William Shakespeare on the Lifetime series American Princess. 6/4/19 #2225

 

 

 

 

Excerpt:

"Where am I? At the Renaissance Festival. Google it. [applause] To be? Or not to be? This place is insane. [music playing] Are you hiring? I have a degree in English from Vassar. Do you have any felonies? No. You're hired. That is Rory O'Malley, a Tony nominated actor. And we were just looking at American Princess on? Lifetime! June 2nd. That's when it starts. By the way, we're taping just a little bit before that. Sure. Sure. Sure. It'll be on after. Okay. Set this up for us. It's on Lifetime. Sundays at 9... or 10 o'clock. 9 Central. Don't screw that up. Gosh. I gotta get that together. Central Time is very important. Yes. It is at a Renaissance fair. And I play Brian, the Shakespearean actor, at the Renaissance fair. So I'm a pretentious actor. I didn't have to do any research. [laughter] Totally had it under my belt. It was one of the most fun experiences I've ever had as an actor, just hanging... Because? It was just hanging out for a Summer with a bunch of theatrical over-the-top people at a Renaissance fair. I mean it was a TV show about a Renaissance fair, but they had to recreate an entire Renaissance fair outside. So we were like, you know, shooting arrows and jumping in mud pits and putting on Shakespearean plays in the mud. It was a total blast, and I can't wait for everyone to see it. When did we have you on last? When I was nominated for a Tony for the Book of Mormon. And I didn't win Steve. You did not? If only we had worked harder. Okay. Play this out for a little bit... for us a little bit. You're there at the Tony's? Yeah. You're nominated? That's right. It's an honor to be nominated? It is. Your name is not called? Yeah. And you think, "I'm so happy for that person"? I do. I... well, one, I think I'm so happy I don't have to say anything in front of these TV cameras right now. I really was very scared about that. But the other thing was, is that for some reason, the TV camera came up, they said... they announced the winner. [laughter] And they started going into my face, closer and closer. So I was like, "I'm happy!" Really! [laughter] "I'm so, so happy!" But I was. Because it was truly a dream come true. The entire time I was at the Tony's, I thought, "This is the real Tony's? They let me in?" Like, "This is insane!" You're in? I was in. Yeah, you're part of it? Yeah, and it's one of the greatest honors of my..."