It may not just be enough to act anymore for Bradley Whitford. He has now also gotten the directing bug.
Whitford, who has won three Emmys for three different series in three different categories – (a real feat) with his Supporting Actor -Drama Series win for The West Wing, a Guest Actor-Comedy Series for Transparent, and a Guest Actor -Drama Series for The Handmaid’s Tale, the show he joined in its second season and has risen to be a regular as Commander Joseph Lawrence. Could he turn up in yet another Emmy category this year as director ? It is possible because Whitford went behind the camera for the stirring Allegiance episode 9 this season, and he joins for the season premiere of my Deadline video series, Behind The Lens to talk about it, as well as the challenge of directing himself in the show in an episode he says, surprisingly, turned out to be perhaps the biggest one ever for his character.
Now this is not the only time he has directed because his West Wing colleague Aaron Sorkin had him take the reins for the final episode of the short-lived 2007 series, Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip. He jokes that gig may have killed the entire series as it never came back. So it has taken 15 years to try it again, and he credits much of the inspiration he received to the support of series star, producer, and sometimes director Elizabeth Moss for whom he has the highest praise. He followed her lead, he says and decided to give it a try. To prepare he said he re-watched every single episode of the show which has been on for five seasons and will return at an unspecified date for its final go round. He even stood in for the characters to get the feel of things. There was much to discuss as Bradley Whitford takes us ‘behind the lens’ on The Handmaid’s Tale. To watch our conversation just click on the link above.
Join me every Monday and Friday this Emmy season for a new edition of Behind The Lens.