MANDY PATINKIN

The Homeland star, 69, is the voice of the famous Founding Father in Benjamin Franklin (April 4–5 on PBS). The two-part Ken Burns documentary sheds new light on one of the most consequential figures in American history— a prolific writer and publisher, groundbreaking scientist and inventor, world-renowned diplomat and signer of both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.

We tend to think of our Founding Fathers as uptight, but this presentation depicts Franklin with a sense of humor and a sex life. He’s a complicated guy. The fact that he was not very thoughtful to his wife, Deborah—he left her for years at a time—was an extraordinary contradiction to his moral and ethical brilliance, his humor, poetic writing, his genius to invent and his ability to be a charming ambassador for the founding of our country.

Did you learn any fun facts about Franklin? Oh, yeah. He had discussions with people about farting, trying to figure out a way to make farts not smell. He just thought that was not a helpful aspect of the human condition and he thought it should smell more like ladies’ perfumes. I love that stuff.

What is the message of Benjamin Franklin?

I think Ken Burns and his team have brilliantly put together this history lesson from the people who founded our country: “It’s a republic, if you can keep it.” And there are examples of these individuals who reached across the table—there was no aisle—and worked together, spoke to each other with dignity, listened to each other with grace and respect and held their own.

In your wide-ranging career, what have been your favorite roles? I’ve been really spoiled. There are many roles that I loved dearly; one certainly was The Princess Bride. Another that defined my being was playing George Seurat in the musical Sunday in the Park With George. And then I got to be Saul Berenson in Homeland for eight seasons. Saul is a much better person than I am.