BILLY CRUDUP
The Morning Show and Almost Famous star, 54, returns for his second streamìñê TV öèõìèö úì÷ë Hello Tomorrow! ¤Fèå. 1' òñ Aóóïè TVĵ¥ ä ñèú 1 ¡ episode, half-hour dramedy. Crudup stars as Jack, a talented salesman,
úëòöè óõòçøae÷ íøö÷ ëäóóèñö ÷ò åè lunar timeshares. As he sells these trips to the moon, Jack’s faith in a
åõìêë÷èõ ÷òðòõõòú ìñöóìõèö ëìö aeòúòõî¡ èõö äñç õèíøùèñä÷èö ëìö çèöóèõä÷è aeïìèñ÷èïè úëìïè ÷ëõèä÷èñìñê ÷ò ïèäùè ëìð çäñêèõòøöïü ïòö÷ ìñ ÷ëè ùèõü çõèäð that sustains him. The look is very it and has ‘50s—as feel robots. of Hello is How the Tomorrow! music—but does that the story? retro-future Amit [Bhalla] combo and work Lucas for [Jansen, both executive producers] set out to create a classic
American fable drawing on some of the themes that were of interest to them: what it means to be a salesman; what it means to try to sell hope to people; what it means to be a preacher and an evangelical for capitalism—all of those things.
This is a question that could be asked at any time during the history of this country [so] a setting that alludes to all of them was the most interesting and provocative.
I think they really leaned into the retro-future part of it as a way of describing the central problem that they’re trying to solve with the character of Jack, which is can you feel successful about your life as an American if you’ve inherited this idea that you have to be financially successful in order to be worthwhile? Would it be fair to compare Jack to
Harold Hill from The Music Man?I see him as a preacher in that way. I do. He wants to spread the good word, and the good word is buy.
It’s the notion that our lives cannot just be filled with the mundane quality of day-to-day living, but with magical hope that there is a better future around the corner. That’s a kind of preaching that gives us places like heaven, or imagination, where you know that we will live forever in the most beautiful, beatific space seated next to God or closely thereby.
That’s an existential theological belief system that brings enormous
comfort and engagement to millions of people.
In the same way, there are people who are indoctrinated in capitalism, and Jack’s one of them, so he’s just out there spreading the good word, and there is no such thing as false hope if it doesn’t cost you too much and brings a smile to your face for the day. Did you learn anything from your salesman father that you were able to use to create Jack? Most definitely. My dad was a wonderful salesman but terrible with success. He did not know how to manage something for very long, and gnat running dying ready page quality is that wherever he and as for to my had that soon through move the that dad the most blood they as big loved on attention he him. hit, applied and were, could. of meeting but So, a turn gambler and span he he to But the was Jack was that’s people the of a one great somebody life and of salesman. the then things where you You help that they encounter them does are in make figure their a out improvement. piece what’s of cutlery going Maybe for to the make that’s kitchen, a minor a new or maybe moon. You it’s a can timeshare be sure on that the
Jack—out of his curiosity and his love and his interest in humanity—is going to find somebody’s vulnerability and, certainly to his way of thinking, help provide a salve.
Sending people to the moon to start their life over—wouldn’t they just be taking their same problems with them? There’s no question of that. In fact, I think
Jack (Nicholas point, your waiting too.” Jack problems really says But “Hey, for I Podany) that think feels you you to could up what he’s know Joey there, at one be selling, potential interstellar in of addition vacation having to an the home, or vacation inner solarsystem home, is the idea of it.
I think when we all— certainly when we’re younger—think about our birthdays and about
Christmas, the lead-up to those events is one of the most thrilling aspects. And rarely does the Christmas present-opening meet the expectation of the 7-year-old, who stayed awake, eyes wide open all night, imagining what Santa is going to bestow upon him.
So, one of the things that Jack knows that he can sell and provide is the idea, which might give somebody enough space in their life to get through a bad relationship, to get over mourning the loss of a loved one, to navigate solitude. All of these things he sees when he opens the door time and time again.
What can you share about your character, fast-talking network executive
Cory Ellison, in the upcoming season three of The Morning Show on Apple+?
He has softened up a little bit, as feelings will do for you sometimes. One thing I absolutely adore about Cory is initially he really was invested in winning the corporate game with nothing more at stake than the wind.
There’s a kind of joy that comes with not taking anything else too seriously that I really revel in. I can assure you that that will be the first thing I miss at the point where we have to give
Cory up. It has been gleeful and truly liberating to play somebody who thinks as fast as he does and cares as little about the conventional things that we all care about.
The only thing that’s slightly harrowing, or sometimes more than slightly harrowing, is he still speaks as fast as he did in the beginning and that’s still a problem for me. I still have to work overtime to get those diatribes or monologues in my head and out as fast as the team requests. and It’s Witherspoon you actors question such Jon on of your Hamm a that about great toes and quality? is it. cast to joining. Jennifer It be has with working No been Does Reese Aniston— a it with total keep privilege material with to get these to explore guys because this they are top-drawer, not just collaborators, but content providers for a long time, and when you work with veterans of this caliber, it definitely changes your approach and attack on the material. Keeping up with them is not so easy.