How Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker inspired Matthew Morrison’s Grinch

David Cotter/NBC Niko Tavernise/Warner Bros.

Comparing an unhinged Batman villain to the key character of a beloved children’s holiday cartoon might seem to be off the deep conclusion of Mount Crumpit — but for Matthew Morrison, the Grinch and Joaquin Phoenix‘s Joker have far more in prevalent than a penchant for green hair.

For starters, you can find their shared signify streak, fueled by isolation and loneliness. But Morrison most particularly took inspiration from the Clown Prince of Crime’s fancy footwork. “I did not want the Grinch to be a great dancer,” he tells EW. “I took a lot from Joaquin Phoenix’s effectiveness in Joker, just going down those techniques, like unfastened and [reveling in] abandon and just carefree and raw. I really felt like that was how the Grinch would dance. At 1st, I was like ‘I do not feel the Grinch dances’ it didn’t truly feel quite Grinch-y, but then I arrived up with that and it felt right.”

In no way concern, this is nevertheless a household-welcoming musical. Morrison is taking part in the notorious holiday break hater in Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Musical, which will air Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. It was filmed stay at the Troubadour Theater in London, and it also stars Tony winner Denis O’Hare as grownup Max (the Grinch’s devoted doggy), Booboo Stewart as youthful Max, and Amelia Minto as Cindy-Lou Who.

Morrison has been a facial area of musicals on television for the far better portion of the previous ten years, breaking out as the earnest Mr. Shue on Glee (following currently racking up a profitable Broadway resume that provided originating Link Larkin in Hairspray and portraying Lt. Cable in the Lincoln Heart revival of South Pacific). But this, shockingly, marks his very first of the dwell Tv musicals, a craze the networks 1st revived in 2013 with The Audio of Audio. (Though this musical distinctive won’t be entirely dwell like its predecessors, due to COVID-19 related protocols.)

The musical version of The Grinch was previously observed on Broadway in 2006 and 2007. It functions a guide and lyrics by Tim Mason with music by Mel Marvin.

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Forward of the distinctive, we identified as up Morrison to chat about what it was like obtaining carried out up in all that green makeup, why 2020 felt like the appropriate time to be a part of the live musical entertaining, and why the Grinch is the ideal story for suitable now.

Entertainment WEEKLY: You’ve got carried out Broadway, film, Television set, etc., but we have yet to catch you in just one of these live Television set musicals. What took so long, and why was now the time at final?

MATTHEW MORRISON: Effectively, I essentially did a live tv musical for 6 years. [Laughs] No, but I experienced entertained it a small bit, but it was not one thing I was identified as to or in search of out. But this 1 seriously resonated with me. They asked me to do it, and I claimed sure immediately for the reason that I consider the theater local community demands this appropriate now. Honestly, the tale of the Grinch is so relatable. At this moment in time with everyone feeling loneliness and isolation, most likely a ton of persons are experience a minimal Grinch-y this calendar year. It was just the suitable aspect and the right time, and those had been amongst quite a few more factors to do this exhibit.

You have usually performed fairly good, good men: Website link, Lt. Cable, J.M. Barrie, Fabrizio. Was it difficult to participate in the king of imply himself?

I love participating in filthy and dastardly. That is so much enjoyable for me. Most people know me from Glee, and so this is a pleasure for me to do. But also this element in specific is a person of individuals areas where by anything goes. You can genuinely do anything you want to with this character, and it won’t be too major or too above-the-leading. Getting not worked in nine months, I definitely just also had this deep appreciation for what I get to do for a living. To not be executing that for so very long, I experienced this starvation to really set every thing into my up coming challenge. Fortunately it was this one, simply because I took some big swings. I never know if they are likely to be great or horrible, but I just went for it, and it felt hazardous and liberating all at the identical time.

This makeup is also almost certainly the most intense we have at any time witnessed you in. Can you convey to us a little bit about the search, how you devised it, and what it really is like accomplishing under all that?

I are unable to envision remaining Jim Carrey and performing an real motion picture of this, having to day in and working day out for months on end put that experience on. I had to place the total outfit on maybe five moments. But it took 3 and a half hours to put on and an hour to take off. It was a small inhibiting, if I am trustworthy, just due to the fact you never want to shift your confront as well much for the reason that the prosthetic could slide off. I am singing and dancing in this, and I am a sweater and that messes with a whole lot of makeup issues as nicely. It truly is not live, but it felt are living-ish, for the reason that we had 1 choose, probably like a get and a 50 %, to do this. The capturing agenda, which was in excess of two times, was incredibly ambitious. It felt really alive. It was enjoyment. It surely helps you get into that character and to take you away from any sense of moi about self-importance or everything like that. You are the Grinch, you might be green. I now have so considerably regard for any woman who has ever played Elphaba [in Wicked]. Having to go as a result of that each evening, oh my gosh!

You have this significant belly as well, and in truth you might be a svelte male. What was it like navigating the bulk of the costume when you happen to be dancing?

It was challenging throwing the more excess weight around. We experienced some amazing costume designers, and they did the most effective position that they maybe could to make it as mild as it was. But it was even now fairly heavy. If I was ever to lose excess weight on a challenge, this was the a single. I took that detail off just about every working day, and in addition to the scent of it, it was just like, covered with sweat. This may possibly be also much details, but I was drinking so a lot h2o, and I never ever had to go to the lavatory.

You pointed out how the current instant assisted informed your variation of the Grinch. How so?

You will find so several mental wellbeing challenges that are likely on at the second. I did a whole lot of investigation on that, going into what he have to be likely by way of and to sense harmless in that isolation and loneliness. Due to the fact which is the toughest point we’re all going by means of appropriate now. As human beings, we crave connection and group, and which is some thing that has been stripped away from us. I used a great deal of the collective sorrow that we are all emotion globally. I utilised a lot of that power that I come to feel each and every morning when I wake up. I have some spouse and children members that have some mental wellness concerns, and it was basically great since it was the initial time I genuinely overtly talked to them about it. I feel it was seriously therapeutic for them, so it was a get-acquire for everybody, and I genuinely bought additional insight into it.

The Grinch is identified for his distinct voice and has been portrayed by the likes of Boris Karloff, Jim Carrey, and Benedict Cumberbatch. How did you find your acquire on it?

That was a problem for me due to the fact I have to sing in the demonstrate much too. I failed to want to go also harsh since that actually has an effect on your voice, chatting like that regularly. But at the identical time, I knew we were heading to have two times to shoot this matter. I just saved up all my growliness and pain for people two times and remaining it on the desk. It was pleasurable I did feel a very little sore later on.

You went above to London to movie this. Can you inform us much more about that ingredient and what it entailed?

NBC is airing this, but it was a bunch of London producers that place the whole detail jointly. It was as lengthy as I have at any time been absent from my spouse and children, but it actually aided with that feeling of loneliness and isolation. I was able to do the perform that I necessary to do for this element and put all my sources and vitality into it, so it all worked out for the greatest. I adore London, and with the West End currently being shut down, we experienced our decide on of the litter of all the very best talent.

The plan of accomplishing stay theater in the age of COVID-19 is weird. What has that expertise been like?

The rehearsal method was as opposed to everything I have experienced to do. We all experienced to don masks for the whole month, and we all had to manage six feet. It was definitely an fascinating system for me as an actor, just relying on someone’s eyes and which is it. It was a little something when the masks ultimately came off in that very last week, to see all the expression that we demonstrate with our deal with. It was counterintuitive. There ended up scenes exactly where I had to maintain Little Cindy-Lou Who’s hand and stuff, but we actually were being so much apart and weren’t touching. Just all these small issues that we experienced to do for the duration of the rehearsal course of action. NBC was so excellent in earning this experience really secure, even while it felt awkward. I required to rip that mask off so a lot of times. Specially as I was doing some of the dance quantities I had to do. Huffing and puffing via a mask, I experienced to go in a corner and just lift it up a minimal little bit simply because it was difficult.

What is a holiday getaway tradition or some thing around this time of calendar year that turns you into a Grinch?

I’m a really positive man or woman. Truthfully, I consider social media is the greatest Grinch in a ton of our lives. It is just a place exactly where men and women just can be detrimental and hide driving their screens and snark. Which is the major Grinch in all of our lives correct now.

You recorded “You happen to be a Indicate One, Mr. Grinch” on Glee, but is there a prospect you’d incorporate a song from the clearly show into your solo concert repertoire?

Oh my God which is suitable, I totally did not even place that jointly! There is certainly a possibility. There’s the tracks we all know. But also there is some wonderful gems in this rating. I failed to actually know the tunes of this exhibit prior to doing this undertaking, and I fell in love with it. The audio is so sturdy, and it truly is truly heartfelt things, so it could be possible if there is another Xmas album.

Finally, you happen to be aspect of the Broadway local community. What does it signify to you to be bringing dwell theater to people’s houses at a time when levels are dark?

Truthfully, which is the most important cause I took this position. I experience like the theater group requires this, to sit back again and delight in anything that does sense live-ish. The design of the established is pretty just about two-dimensional. It really is all black and white. It’s a genuinely recreation of the original Dr. Seuss guides. They actually saved it theatrical, which I thought was so vital. It was just a gorgeous way to blend television and theater but in no way say we’re doing a thing for television or in a cinematic way. It felt incredibly theatrical, and I appreciate that it held that integrity.

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