Cunningham
“So little about him is known, and everybody you talk to that’s seen this thing is like, ‘What’s his story?’ ” Cunningham said on an Austin, Texas, hotel patio during the recent SXSW Film and TV Festival, where the series had its world premiere.
“He’s got the U.N. secretary-general on the end of the phone, and people do what he tells them to, and you go, ‘Who’s giving him this authority?’ And the funny thing is, I never felt the need to talk to the boys” — Weiss and Benioff, that is — “they never offered, and I never asked, which probably is not a good thing to say, I should probably say to everybody, ‘Oh, I know everything about him, but I’m not telling you.’ ”
Cunningham, 62, came to acting relatively late in life. He worked as an electrician until he was 29, spending a chunk of his 20s in Zimbabwe bringing electricity to rural communities. “You know the song ‘Wichita Lineman’?” he asks, referring to the ’60s country hit by Glen Campbell. “That was me, except I was the Zimbabwe lineman. For an Irish, pale-skinned elf from Dublin, it was mind-blowing.” For a time he worked in a national park, “the size of Belgium and with 16,000 elephants.”
This was new and exciting, and when he returned to Dublin and resumed driving from job to job in a little yellow van, he found he missed the charge of his life in Africa. Always interested in film and television, he saw a newspaper ad for an acting school and figured he could pick up a new hobby. As he began landing theater roles, it started to feel more like a vocation. He fell in love with the process.
“It was the problem solving, the ‘How do we get that to work?’ ” he said. “I just found all of that so fascinating.”
Then it was time to break the news to his family. “I love my poor wife,” he said. “I told her, ‘We may
be starving for the rest of our lives: I’m about to say goodbye to a nicely paid, semi-government job where the only way you can get sacked is if you shoot someone.’ And I walked away from it.”
She gave her blessing. Next he told his father, a practical-minded dockworker. Cunningham said that after he broke the news, his dad, without
looking up from his newspaper, uttered just three words: “For (expletive) sake.”
Cunningham soon found steady work in film and television, landing roles in movies like Alfonso Cuarón’s “A Little Princess” (1995), Michael Winterbottom’s “Jude” (1996) and opposite Cillian Murphy in Ken Loach’s “The Wind that Shakes the Barley”
(2006). Benioff and Weiss fell hard for Cunningham when they saw him in “Hunger” (2008), Steve McQueen’s movie about the hunger strike of Irish Republican Army martyr Bobby Sands.
They were taken with a long scene, much of it shot in a continuous take, in which a priest played by Cunningham tries to talk Michael Fassbender’s
Sands into ending his strike.
“It was just one of the most gripping things that any of us had ever seen,” Weiss said, sitting by Benioff and their fellow “3 Body Problem” creator, Alexander Woo, in an interview in Austin. Benioff and Weiss first cast Cunningham in “Thrones” in Season 2, and Davos became a fan favorite.
When the showrunners came back to Cunningham for “3 Body Problem,” they almost didn’t get him. “We were like Dustin Hoffman at the end of ‘The Graduate,’ ” as Benioff put it, begging Cunningham, who had already committed to a movie, to join their project.
“I got a phone call from Dave and Dan, who had obviously done their intel,” Cunningham recalled. “They said, ‘You’re not going with those guys, you’re coming with us.’
And I went, ‘Yep, OK, thank you.’ I hung the phone up, and then the professional side of my brain kicked in, and I thought, ‘That was a bit … stupid, this could be a week’s work or a couple of days. I didn’t even ask them about the project.’ ”
Jess Hong, who plays physicist Jin Cheng in “3 Body Problem,” shares several scenes with Cunningham, as Wade tries to badger Jin into bringing her skills to the fight to save Earth. She said the Cunningham vigor also comes in handy when it’s time to get down to business.
“It’s incredible to watch him work because as soon as the camera rolls, all of that crazy, almost childlike energy gets focused into the lens,” she said in a call from London. “On the way to the set, he’s chatting away in the car about what decisions he might make, and when we rehearse, he’s chatting away, trying to figure out the best way we can collaborate. Those are always the most creatively fulfilling times, when you have someone really wanting to push the work to its potential.”
But Cunningham comes across as more intuitive than systematic, especially when it comes to choosing roles. “I try not to analyze that too much because you put up parameters, and if you analyze it, your parameters get a little bit smaller every time,” he said. “You start to find a niche and that involves repetition, and I get bored really, really easily.”
One gets the feeling he’d rather talk about something other than acting. For instance, barbecue. He had just been to one of Austin’s most popular pit stops, and he was still buzzing over the experience.
“I went down to the room where they cook, and it looks like the engine room of a submarine,” he said. “And the pit master, you can tell he loves his work. It was really cool just to watch him and the pride he took and how they were loading it all up; six hours for the pork ribs, eight hours for the beef ribs, 12 hours for the brisket. He went through the whole thing, it was really entertaining. Beautiful smells.”
He’s going to save the world, but first he’ll try the ribs. And, of course, tell you how good they are.
OPENING
Putting Down Routes: From Native Trails to Interstates: Learn how ferries became bridges, industrial routes became recreational trails, and Native American trails became bridle roads, auto roads and occasionally interstates. Panels and maps help illustrate the origins and evolutions of five selected routes traversing the five-county Corridor, while additional pit stop panels will feature different modes of transportation as well as the effects of transportation over time. Artifacts on display will include nostalgic memorabilia of car culture. Opening reception, 5-6 p.m. April 4. Through Dec. 22. National Canal Museum, 2750 Hugh Moore Park Road, Easton. http://www.canals. org.
ONGOING
ALLENTOWN ART MUSEUM, 31 N. Fifth St., Allentown. 610-432-4333. The Making of Gustave Baumann’s El Velorio (The Wake): Exhibition focuses on Baumann’s El Velorio (The Wake) (1927), featuring works from the museum’s collection: the graphite and pastel sketches of his initial idea, the carved wood blocks from which the completed woodcut was printed, and individual color proofs. Through April 28. Nostalgia for My Island: Puerto Rican Painting from the Museo de Arte de Ponce (1786-1962): Explores this innovative period in Puerto Rican art through 20 exceptional works from the Museo de Arte de Ponce. The exhibition highlights a rich array of approaches and voices, including paintings by earlier Puerto Rican masters Jose Campeche y Jordan (17511809) and Francisco Oller y Cestero (1833-1917), whose work offered inspiration to 20th-century artists. Through April 28. allentownartmusuem.org.
AMERICA ON WHEELS, 5 N. Front St., Allentown. 610432-4200. What’s Cooler Than Cool?: Air-Cooled Engines No radiator, no water, no kidding: Seventeen vehicles from a 1920s style Pembleton Brooklands Race Car and a 1934 Franklin Airman Club Sedan to a 1989 Trabant on display. Through April 14. americaonwheels. org.
BETHLEHEM TOWN HALL ROTUNDA GALLERY, 10 E. Church St., Bethlehem. Glass Works: Five glass artisans who specialize in glass as a medium along with three artists who celebrate glass as an inspiration in painting, pastel, and photography. Works by Richard Begbie, Sue Berkenstock, Jan Crooker, Barbara Kozero, Jacqueline Meyerson, Suzanne Oswald, Lee Riley and Ward Van Haute. Through April 2. bfac-lv.org.
DIMMICK MEMORIAL LIBRARY, 54 Broadway, Jim Thorpe. 570-325-2131. Amelia Jean’s Art Show: Through May 4. dimmicklibrary.org.
EASTON PUBLIC MARKET, 325 Northampton St., Easton. KSAT 2021. A Walkabout: A Walkabout: Capturing Beauty Along the Karl Stirner Arts Trail. Edward Shaughnessy’s daily walks along the 1.75-mile trail served as an opportunity to capture the trail’s beauty and charm through his lens, 365 of his photographs will be on display alongside select prints available for acquisition. Through April 6.
GLENCAIRN MUSEUM, 1001 Cathedral Road, Bryn Athyn. Easter Eggs: Symbols of Rebirth and Renewal: Featuring an unparalleled display of historic and contemporary Easter eggs, artifacts, documents and ephemera, the exhibition traces the origins, history and cultural diversity of Pennsylvania’s unique role in the development of Easter traditions in North America. Through May 5. glencairnmuseum.org.
JAMES A. MICHENER ART MUSEUM, 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown. 215-3409800. CFEVA at 40: Four Decades of Supporting Contemporary Art: Celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Center for Emerging Visual Artists with an exhibition of work by 40 contemporary artists affiliated with the center who represent the Philadelphia region’s artistic excellence, its legacy, and its future. Through May 25. michenerartmuseum.org.
KALMBACH MEMORIAL PARK, 200 Cotton St., Macungie. 610-965-1140. Deb Haaf: Through April 30.
LEHIGH UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem. 610758-3615. Nick Brandt: Environmental Photographer: Through his photographs, Brandt creates a vision of environmental devastation, with both human and animal victims suffering in the aftermath of progress. Brandt envisions a world overwhelmed by development, where there is no longer space for animals to survive. Through May 24. luag.lehigh.edu.
LOWER MACUNGIE
LIBRARY, 3450 Brookside Road, Macungie. 610966-6864. Glenn Kratzer: Through April 30.
LUTHER CREST GALLERY, 800 Hausman Road, Allentown. 610-432-0782. Judy Leisenring, Betty Allender: Through April 30.
MARTIN GUITAR MUSEUM, 510 Sycamore St., Nazareth. Joan Baez: Musician & Artist: Journey through her life’s work, from her early interest in the arts through her impact on popular music, civil rights, anti-war movements, and humanitarian causes. The exhibit includes Baez’s iconic 1929 Martin 0-45 and signature prototype, original paintings, drawings, rare photographs, tour memorabilia, handwritten lyrics, letters and setlists. Through April 30. martinguitar.com.
MORAVIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 214 E. Center St., Nazareth. 610-759-5070. Grounds for Meditation: Moravian Pleasure Gardens: Explores the international influences which the Moravians brought together to create their own distinct landscapes and pleasure gardens in Europe and Pennsylvania. Through Dec. 12. moravianhistory.org.
MUSEUM OF INDIAN CULTURE, 2825 Fish Hatchery Road, Allentown. 610-797-2121. Native American Beadwork: Evolution, Economics, and Artistry: The exhibit traces the progression of imported glass beads as a medium of trade, artistic expression, and identity for indigenous peoples throughout North America. Through April 27. museumofindianculture.org.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF INDUSTRIAL HISTORY, 602 E. 2nd St., Bethlehem. 610-694-6644. New & Improved! The Age of Convenience in the Home:
Exhibit examines what it means to strive for the American Dream following World War II through the end of the 1970s. Through June 29. nmih.org.
NAZARETH CENTER FOR THE ARTS, 30 Belvidere St., Nazareth. 484-554-5867.
International Women: Oil painting, mosaic and stained glass by Marie Jeanne Habba, Monika Stefany and Judy Holland celebrating Women’s History Month. Through March 31. nazaretharts.org.
PENN STATE LEHIGH VALLEY, 2809 Saucon Valley Road, Center Valley. Something About the Sky:
Cloud drawings and skyscape light paintings by Lori Hepner, Penn State Laureate. Through April 27.
PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN CULTURAL HERITAGE CENTER, KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY, DELIGHT E. BREIDEGAM BUILDING, 15155 Kutztown Road, Kutztown. 610-683-1589.
Dengelschtock: Through installations of early Pennsylvania Dutch hand tools and their farm contexts, the exhibition highlights the cooperative spirit of inter-generational family farming that sustained the region’s culture for centuries. Through May 24. pagerman.org.
RICHLAND LIBRARY, 44 S. Main St., Quakertown.
Antique Zithers: Collected by Matt Koch. Through April 17. Christine McHugh: Oil and watercolor paintings. Through April 17.
SIGAL MUSEUM, 342 Northampton St., Easton. 610-253-1222. Forged by
Fire: the Heroism, Honor, and History of Firefighting: Explores the history of firefighting in Northampton County tracing the roots of local fire prevention to William Penn and the Great Fire of London in 1666, highlighting Colonial Era town planning, Moravian technological innovations for moving water, the bucket brigade, the horse-drawn steamer engine, and the formation of volunteer firefighting companies. Through July 7. sigalmusuem.org.
STONY RUN WINERY,
150 Independent Road, Breinigsville. 610-398-7231. Valerie Schramak, Gloria Hasel: Through April 30.
STOVER MILL GALLERY, 852 River Road (Rte. 32), Erwinna. Reflections and
Visions: Landscapes, still life and abstract paintings by Lauren Travis in oil and oil and cold wax. Opening reception, 1-5 p.m. April 6. Through April 28.
STUDIO B FINE ART GALLERY, 39A E. Philadelphia Ave., Boyertown. eARTh & Climate: Annual exhibit featuring the environment. Through April 21. studiobb. org.
THE BANANA FACTORY, CRAYOLA FACTORY, 25 W. 3rd St., Bethlehem. 610-332-1300. Bear In
Mind: Interactive and sensory friendly art exhibit is a reminder that Bethlehem’s history in the production of steel and distribution of goods helped to build a middle-class economy, and that our personal histories are a map toward how we can work together to build a more equitable future. Through April 7. bananafactory.org.