JKTS Chat: Chaplin's Wayne Alan Wilcox (Part 2)

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The first part of my chat with Wayne Alan Wilcox covered a lot of his early career, including his New York debut in Suddenly Last Summer, his Broadway debut in Coram Boy and up to his drag turn in Priscilla Queen of the Desert.  (Click HERE for Part 1)  Today, I give you part two of this insightful interview in which Wilcox dishes on Carrie, his own experience with bullying and his current role as Sydney Chaplin in Chaplin.  Thanks, Mr. Wilcox!


JEFF KYLER (JK): OK, let’s talk Carrie.  It was one of my favorite experiences lastseason.  Tell me about your role.  It wasn’t in the original version, was it?  Why was your role added?  WAYNE ALAN WILCOX (WW):  Yeah,my role was added.  They needed a male “goodcop.”  I thought it was very smart to adda male teacher.  Margaret wasn’t asupportive mother; Miss Gardner was new to the school.  By adding a teacher who was generally likedby the students, and could talk to the guys the way Miss Gardner talked to thegirls, the writers grounded their story a bit more.  They also gave more of a presence to theworld outside the girls’ locker room.  

Carrie's Boys: Wilcox (right) with the male cast of the show

JK: As I recall, yourcharacter was part of a key plot point for poor Carrie and the noble Tommy…  How do you feel about how your role turnedout and the experience as a whole?WW: Forme, it fleshed out the story and gave the show a bigger scope.  It became a show about bullies, and less of ahorror flick.  I liked playing theteacher that all the girls (and one boy, tee hee) had a crush on.
JK: There was a lot ofscrutiny surrounding that production! What, for you, was the best part of being involved in such abeloved-by-fans and chomping-at-the-bit-media show like Carrie?  WW: Thefans came OUT!  That was cool to see –how many people have always just loved this show.  The album just came out - yay! – And it’sbeen great to see how well people have responded to it.
JK: What was the biggestchallenge?WW: Thebiggest challenge – accepting the fact that I am now playing a high schoolTEACHER, instead of a high school STUDENT! Grrr! Time goes by…
JK: With Carrie, yougot to work with several up-and-comers, like Molly Ranson, Derek Klena, andAndy Mientus.  What do you hope they tookaway from working with more experienced actors like you?  WW: Jeez,I don’t know.  I felt like we were alljust supporting each other.  I guess theycould get from me that they don’t have to hurry up and have a career beforethey get to be 29.  Because it won’t beover by then.
JK: What did you learn fromthem?WW: Fromthem, I certainly learned the art of bravery. They are fearless.  It wasinspiring to watch their choices.

Brotherly Love: Rob McClure and Wayne Alan Wilcox
in a scene from Chaplin

JK:  You get to play the plumrole of Charlie Chaplin’s brother, Sydney, in Chaplin.  There is probably a ton of information, not tomention the films of Chaplin for Rob McClure to study and learn from.  Was it easy or difficult to find out aboutyour character?  WW: Itwas actually a lot easier to research Sydney than I thought.  He has a great biography.  That was and still is my bible.  He became a film actor, too. [He] made a lotof films.
JK: How did you go aboutresearching the role? WW: I’veseen and continue to watch [all of his films]. Charlie’s autobiography has been helpful to get more of an insight onhis feelings for Sydney. 

Opening Night at Chaplin

The Cast of Chaplin cuts up with an #SIP

The Principal Cast of Chaplin on Opening Night

JK: How close to reality doyou think your Sydney is to the real one?WW: Howclose I get to Sydney in reality, well that’s anybody’s guess.  But I know how he felt about his brother, andI copied his movements, expressions, ticks, etc., where I could.  JK: What is your favorite partof the show?WW: There’sa scene in our little big skit [where] I go to LA to visit Charlie after he’sstarted to become famous, and I do a little walk that’s meant to be mugging onCharlie’s tramp shuffle.  But actually,it’s the same walk Sydney invented when he made a movie called The Big ‘Ole, which was based on acharacter he made up when he was on the vaudeville circuit as a kid.
 
JK: I saw your backstagesegment on Broadway.com.  First of all,is your dressing room as cramped as it looks? WW: She’sa tiny dressing room, but she’s not quite as small as she looks on TV.
JK: How do you like to relaxbefore and between shows?WW: Iwrite a lot before shows.  I also have thiswarm-up that I stick to.  LizCaplan taught it to me, and it’s gotten to the point now that if I don’t do it,I don’t feel ready for my show.  I do it beforeevery single performance.  Sometimes I hateit.  I still do it.
JK: Your sense of humor shinesthrough in the piece - are you a cast cut-up backstage?WW: Hmmmm.  I like to see people laugh.  If I’m the one that made them laugh, so beit.  They deserved it.


Bare... and Broadway Bares!
JK: Is there anythingcareer-wise, that you have no interest in doing?  Anything you won’t do or try? WW: There’sa great line in the John Waters film PinkFlamingos. “Reporter: Divine, are you a lesbian?  Divine: Yes, I have done everything.”  I guess I have no interest in actuallyhurting anyone.  I have no interest intelling someone they can’t have the same human rights I have.  I have no interest in telling someone thatthey can’t see the person they love in the hospital.  Does that count?
JK: As I said at the start ofthis interview, you have had quite a couple of years career-wise.  You have gotten to work with some amazingactors, directors and writers.  Who haveyou worked with - both onstage and creatively - that you think will influencethe rest of your career?  WW: JoeMantello, George C. Wolfe, Warren Carlyle, Mindy Tate, Darryl Roth, AmySheman-Palladino, Roger Reese…

Did you know that Wayne was the
original Fabrizio in Light in the
Piazza (with Celia Keenan-Bolger!)?

The Full Monty at Paper Mill with no lessthan the great Elaine Stritch!
JK: Where do you see yourselfin the next 5 years?WW: In5 years, I see my [name] on the marquee at the Barrymore Theatre, just as bigas Rob’s is now in our show.  (I loveyou, bother!)  And I think people willcome to the stage door after my show, and ask me where I came from.  And I’ll say, “Aww, I’ve always been here,doing what I do.”
WAYNE ANSWERS READERQUESTIONSBefore I interviewed Mr. Wilcox, I Tweeted my followersasking for some short answer questions, and here are a few of them, from sillyfun to pressing fan questions!
If you could be in anyBroadway show currently playing or coming this season, which would it be?  Any particular role?  Dream role in any show?Kiss of the Spider Woman.  Both roles! Hamlet and Guido.
Do you have any superstitions?  Post-show indulgence?Notreally any superstitions just STAY HEALTHY. Chocolate after the show.  Ourdoor lady, Elena, gives me Take 5 bars, and I LOOOVVVEEE THEM!  And her!

The Great American Trailer Park Musical:with Shuler Hensley, Orfeh and Linda Hart
Stage-dooring: You enjoyit? Dread it? Or is it just part of the job?Ilove it.  It’s a kind of support for ourshow, and most of the audience just wants to let you know just how good theythink you are.  It’s rewarding.                                                                                                                                       
I am a cliché - an actorwho waits tables.  I hate it!  What is the worst job you have ever had?  Why? Did it end badly? Wemay do cliché things, but no one has ever been or will be a cliché.  We have too many distinct feelings.  Worst job I ever had was I worked in afactory in college that made rags and stuffed them into boxes.Booorrriiinnnggg!  Thank God, it was onlyfor a summer!

"Will I Lose My Dignity?":
As Gordon in the film version of RENT

Big Carrie fanhere!  Were you ever bullied or knowsomeone who was?  If so, how did you dealwith it?Iwas bullied a lot in school.  I have manyfriends that were bullied, too.  I dealtwith it by deciding that I was going to be better at something than they (thebullies) were, and by the time all of the bullshit of high school society woreoff and we all grew up, that I was going to be more successful than theywere.  That worked out.  And I decided that I was never going to makesomeone feel they way they made me feel. Especially high school kids.
(If you want to ask questions to Broadway folks in the future, be sure to “follow” me on Twitter and watch for the question request!)

Video from Broadway.com; Photos: Chaplin photos by Joan Marcus, Getty Images, BC/EFA, The Full Monty photos by Linda Lenzi


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