‘I was quite cranky and grumpy this year'
David Schwimmer admits he’s found the past 12 months tough, but he’s happy to be playing for laughs again
David Schwimmer is back calling the shots – or at least just bossing his colleagues around a lot – in the second series of Intelligence.
After narrowly avoiding extradition to the United States on charges of treason, National Security Agency agent Jerry Bernstein (Schwimmer) once again finds himself the centre of attention when the Russians obtain a cyberweapon that Jerry himself helped to develop.
With his intel vital to the safety of the nation, he is more than willing to again step into the role of the office alpha male and save the day. But with the stakes so high, and still facing demons from his past, can he avoid a national disaster?
Along with co-star and series writer Nick Mohammed (who plays Joseph Harries), David,
54, was thrilled when the series was recommissioned and filming started when COVID restrictions allowed.
The first series was a hit with audiences. What was the reaction like among your friends?
In the States, I think it was less on the radar. But, of course, I brought it to the attention of my friends, family and people who follow my Instagram! And I think people were, as you Brits would say, chuffed. They really enjoyed the originality of the workplace and that environment. They like the “fish out of water” story, and basically how much of a dick I was [as Jerry]. From what I understand, it was pretty well received in the UK, so my British friends and family really enjoyed it. So, I’m happy.
Was it easier making the second series or harder because there was pressure for it to be as good as the first?
We’d settled in by the end of series one as an ensemble and by the time we started series two, everyone hit the ground running because we felt pretty confident in
the characters and the dynamics and the relationships. So, it seemed like slipping into a really comfortable jacket, although obviously the working conditions were different with COVID. And this year was a tough one for me personally. It was tough on everyone in terms of COVID, but I was also unfortunate because I was dealing with an ear injury and had to take different medications just to get through shooting without real pain and discomfort at times. I’m still learning how to behave because I was quite cranky and grumpy this year. And I’m grateful, in retrospect, with how much people put up with my behaviour.
How did you injure your ear?
I was trying to make my daughter laugh. We’d been visiting people who had a place with a pool, so we took advantage of it. I was standing at the edge of the pool and wanted to make her laugh, so I did a kind of dead fall into the pool and I slammed my ear at such a perfect angle that I immediately ruptured my
Playing Jerry in
eardrum, and gave myself an inner ear concussion. That healed eventually after six weeks, but then a whole new condition migrated into both ears and gave me a combination of tinnitus and something called hyperacusis. It’s finally just on its way out now. It’s been seven months. It’s crazy. I have bad days and good days. The thing that bothers it the most is talking. So, if I talk too much and at significant volume, it generates the ringing. That’s why being that particular character, who’s pretty loud, was challenging at times.
Where do we find Jerry in this series?
He’s in further pursuit of power and trying to work his way up the ladder as much as he can. Maybe he’s harbouring some secret fantasy of running for President, he certainly thinks very highly of himself and believes he should be in charge of pretty much everything. But at the same time, there’s a real attachment, a bromance forming between Jerry and Joseph. Jerry’s feelings and friendship for Joseph are growing deeper, I think.
Do you ever feel bad about the things you have to say to Nick as Joseph?
Oh, no, I don’t feel bad. There’s a great amount of respect and trust among the whole cast, and when we approach those jokes that are sexist, racist, homophobic, or generally insensitive, we do make sure Jerry is always the fool. The joke is on him, as Nick says. He’s the one whose ignorance is shining bright. I really like those moments because the reality is that there are racist, homophobic, sexist people in almost every workplace, and these comments and jokes and behaviours persist and will persist for a while. So, for us to shine a little light on it and acknowledge that, you know, this is real, it actually affects people. The supposed victims of Jerry’s comments, we never really feel they’re injured. We feel that he’s an idiot or a buffoon – the racist, sexist, homophobic man in this situation. For me, it’s cathartic because I’ve been around these jokes in different settings. And I feel like, for a lot of men in power, these behaviours and these attitudes persist, and so it’s quite cathartic to be able to play that guy. At the same time, we have a great team who we check in with if we’re going to have a joke that is, let’s say, racist with Nick’s character or the character of Tuva. We always check in and make sure we shoot alternatives to these jokes. As a team, we will all weigh in and discuss what we feel we can get away with and what’s maybe too much over the line. We want to go right up to the line, maybe sit on it, but never cross it.
There’s a lot of physical humour. Do you enjoy that?
So much, so much. And Nick’s a brilliant physical comedian. Not everyone can do it. What I do love about this show is that it hits on so many comedic levels. As an actor, I just love physical comedy, so to have an opportunity to play some of those scenes, especially with Nick, is just a joy.
● Intelligence, Tuesday 8 June, Sky One and Now