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On the Starz sci-fi espionage seriesCounterpart, J.K. Simmons plays two different versions of the same character.
How are you doing today?I am here on a rare rainy day in L.A.
Thats veryCounterparty.
Its not particularly sunny on that show.No, it is not the sunniest show around.
And in Sundays episode, Olivia Williamss character, Emily, finally finds out.
One Howard, because hes a superspy, hes initially a little bit better at assuming somebody elses persona.
Do you hold your body differently?
Are there physical differences between the two Howards?Ultimately there are subtle I hope detectable differences in physicality.
But really, I didnt think of it that way, with rare exception.
And that manifested itself physically.
I feel like Im contradicting myself!
I think you know what I mean?
Im very bad at talking about process.
Theres a reason Ill never be a director or an acting teacher.
Because the process is hard to articulate?Yeah, for me, it very much is.
And then when we met the more badass Howard, I was really blown away.
Theres a great appeal to playing someone whos just, you know, more badass!
Speaking of that, you have a fight scene in this episode youre quite fit.
I readelsewherethat youve been doing a lot of work in the gym for several years.
Is this … recent?
For the last eight or nine years, I got very consistent with it.
And I kept nodding my head and saying, Yeah, well …
The last time I was really overweight was on purpose foolishly on purpose for a part.
A director asked me to put on weight and I was already in pretty bad shape.
You know, for all the reasons that include health and also vanity.
Male ego, all that stuff.
[For] the one Howard, I wanted to appear emaciated because hed been incarcerated and underfed.
And there are more fireworks to come from badass Howard.
Should I say that?
Or should I not say that …
I think more fireworks to come is the right level of teaser.
Especially guys of a certain age.
I do it in a very healthy way.
I felt this wave of happiness for your character, but then it instantly got yanked away.
As you said, that tighter range of color, the subtle variations need to be increasingly subtle.
But the persistent, uh …
Intensity?Dark intensity, perhaps?
You dont even have to shave or put on a decent shirt if you dont want to.
Lots of sweatpants and hoodies in voice-over sessions.
So, J. Jonah Jameson only makes a small cameo inSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Is there ever a chill version of J. Jonah?Never chill.
Some dedicated comic nerd will have to dig into that and find out what episode that would be of.
I dont remember the show!Avengersanimated thing.
