We’re starting this season off with actor Jonathan Groff. He’s known for starring in the show Mindhunter, as well as in Broadway shows like Hamilton. But what piece of art can he not stop thinking about? Press play to find out.
We’re starting this season off with actor Jonathan Groff. He’s known for starring in the show Mindhunter, as well as in Broadway shows like Hamilton. But what piece of art can he not stop thinking about? Press play to find out.
Katherine Cohen [00:00:03] Welcome back to another season of I hate Talking About Myself, the podcast that has your favorite stars from Netflix series and films interviewing themselves. We write the questions and then our guests pick them out of a fishbowl at random. We're kicking things off this season with Jonathan Groff. He plays FBI agent Holden Ford in the Netflix series Mindhunter. Jonathan might be a Tony nominated actor for his roles in Spring Awakening and Hamilton, but what I want to hear about is the worst flight he's ever had. Here's Jonathan Groff.
Jonathan Groff [00:00:38] Hello this is Jonathan Groff. I play Holden Ford on Mindhunter and I'm about to interview myself.
[00:00:47] Who was the first famous person you met? Were you awkward?
[00:00:51] The first thing that's coming to my brain is Sutton Foster who is a theatre Broadway famous person. And I definitely was awkward. Judging by the picture that I have of the two of us where I'm 17 years old and it looks like I just put my hand in a light socket I'm like my face is I've never looked happier. And she was very nice and I asked her a lot of questions about how to be an actor. And then I wrote them all down in a notebook that I still have.
[00:01:23] What superpower would you like to have and why.
[00:01:26] I would like to fly because I loved Peter Pan as a kid and I've always wanted to fly.
[00:01:33] I'm going to pick a fat one. When was the first time you saw a piece of yourself reflected on screen?
[00:01:43] OK so. I'm going to take that for the poetic definition, meaning, I feel like I really saw myself on screen for the first time when I did a TV show called Looking that was about a group of gay friends living in San Francisco. And it was the– I like, it was the first time I played a gay character to that extent on screen and it was exciting and scary to see it in front of my face and it kind of helped me become more relaxed and at home in my own gay identity.
[00:02:27] Tell us about the worst flight you ever had.
[00:02:29] OK. I was dating this guy who really wanted to sit in first class and I didn't want to pay the money to sit in first class. So we had this relationship discussion where I was like, It's gonna be fine if I'm in coach and you're in first class. Like, we're good. And so we were like, OK. And so we kind of went on the flight and whatever. And then he got on the– first of all he sent back like a half a bag of jelly beans from the like, kind of sassy gay steward who was like, your boyfriend sent you this. And I was like OK. And then, then like 30 minutes later a half-drunk glass of champagne came back and he was like, wh– your boyfriend's hilarious! Why aren't you up there with us? And I was like OK. And then– I was in literally the last row of the plane next to the bathroom. And then my boyfriend came back and said, was kind of drunk and we had sort of an awkward conversation which was all kind of fine. And I was kind of, it was all fine. And then as we were landing my boyfriend came over the loudspeaker and did the, the, you know, please fasten your seat belts. Drunk laughing. It was like Please fasten your seat– And I was like, This. Mother. Fucker. That was the worst flight I ever had.
[00:03:55] Tell us about a time in your life when you made a conscious decision not to play it safe.
[00:04:00] That's a really good question. I would say the moment when I was 19 years old and I decided to move to New York instead of going– I'd been accepted to a college to major in theater and I had no real friends or no job prospects and I just completely on instinct decided to move to New York.
[00:04:28] OK. What piece of art can you not stop thinking about: book, painting, podcast, song.
[00:04:36] Fleabag. Just Fleabag is such a fucking incredible show and I can't stop thinking about it. Also I just saw a production of the Lehman Trilogy which is a play that was in London and it's coming to Broadway in the spring and it's just like theater at its best. And I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.
[00:04:58] If you could have one food for the rest of your life what would it be?
[00:05:02] Lasagna.
[00:05:07] Which character that you've played would you most want to get brunch with? What would you talk about?
[00:05:12] Probably King George the Third from Hamilton because it would be an incredible brunch. And I just would want to talk to him about that time in history.
[00:05:25] Have you ever used your acting skills IRL?
[00:05:30] I can't do it. I just really can't do it. I can kind of like, fake be nice, but I can't really act.
[00:05:39] Okay. What piece of pop culture shaped you the most?
[00:05:45] Beyoncé has. Beyoncé. Just I'm always listening to Beyoncé.
[00:05:53] Natasha Leone? Oh my God. Natasha Leone asks: Dracula or Frankenstein? Please do choose.
[00:06:02] This seems like such a question Natasha Leone would ask. So bravo to you for staying on brand. I'm gonna say Dracula.
[00:06:12] What restores your faith in humanity?
[00:06:15] Kids. My niece-es. My nieces, both of them restore my faith in humanity because they're both incredible.
Katherine Cohen [00:06:22] And that was our first episode, that great interview and a perfect paper sounds came courtesy of Jonathan Groff, actor and amateur foley artist. That's all for this week. But we've only just begun. We've got a whole season's worth of interviews coming out every week. So make sure to subscribe right now to catch them all. I Hate Talking About Myself is produced by Pineapple Street Media and Netflix. Music is by Hansdale Hsu and it's hosted by me, Katherine Cohen, fresh from everyone's favorite Edinburgh Fringe show.