Whether beneath the bright lights of Broadway’s stage or in front of the camera, when the director yells “action,” alumnus Michael Stuhlbarg is ready for the challenge.
Stuhlbarg has established himself on Broadway and is now emerging on screen, starring as Larry Gopnik in the new movie “A Serious Man,” hitting theaters Friday.
In “A Serious Man,” written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, Stuhlbarg portrays a Jewish physics professor in 1967 whose home life is thrown through a whirlwind of conflict and misfortune.
Unlike his character, however, Stuhlbarg’s acting career has been a less treacherous journey.
Stuhlbarg said his two years studying theater as an undergraduate at UCLA from 1986 to 1988, in addition to time spent at The Juilliard School to complete his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, were integral acting experiences.
“I had an amazing time at UCLA, it was hugely influential,” Stuhlbarg said. “I did everything I could possibly do. I designed sets, I directed, I acted in every venue I could from the New Miracles to the main stage shows in the Little Theatre (on campus) and all over the place,” Stuhlbarg said.
While Stuhlbarg was a student, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television professor Michael McLain directed the school’s theater production of “Romeo and Juliet,” casting Stuhlbarg, who was a sophomore at the time, as the lead.
McLain noted that Stuhlbarg proved himself a “serious,” albeit young, man.
“(Stuhlbarg) was rather young for taking on such a big thing, but it was very clear at the time that he was a very talented actor,” McLain said.
Fresh out of college, Stuhlbarg landed theater gigs in New York City, gaining acclaim on the stage with a Tony Award nomination and a Drama Desk Award for his role in the Broadway production of “The Pillowman,” and various Shakespearean plays.
With a wide range of characters under his belt from Romeo and King Richard II, to Ernst Ludwig in “Cabaret” and now Larry Gopnik, Stuhlbarg put his acting chops to the test with chameleonic versatility and even studied mime from the great Marcel Marceau.
“I really try to mix it up. I have very little control over the things that come my way, so I really just respond to something depending on what it is,” Stuhlbarg said.
“In some cases, it tends to be drama. Some people think of me as a completely silly comic actor ”“ I love to do both.”
Although Stuhlbarg departed from Broadway, he feels his dedication to performance and quality is the same.
He described his transition from theater to the film industry as an interesting one.
“I feel like I’m responsible for doing the same kind of work. I have to show up and try to bring my character to life any way I can, whether it’s for a camera or for an audience, and there are different challenges for both,” Stuhlbarg said.
For his role as a 1960s physics professor in the Coens’ film, Stuhlbarg researched the scientific theories of the paradox of Schrödinger’s Cat and the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, both of which concern quantum mechanics. He also drew from his own background, having grown up as a child of the 1970s.
“There were remnants of that (time period), a lot of the sort of knickknacks on the wall and the decor, that reminded me of my youth,” Stuhlbarg said.
Following his movie debut, Stuhlbarg has a lineup of television and film spots ranging from playing Jewish gangster Arnold Rothstein in Martin Scorsese’s HBO show “Boardwalk Empire” to an assistant headmaster in Antonio Campos’ feature “Afterschool.”
Stuhlbarg said he hopes audiences will enjoy his performance in “A Serious Man” and all his roles, regardless of the medium ““ be it theater, film or TV.
“I hope they laugh, I hope it makes them think and I hope they let it wash over them and not let it bring any fear in terms of not being able to understand anything,” Stuhlbarg said.
More than just an example of his versatility as an actor, Stuhlbarg looks for this film to touch audiences with the relatability of its message.
“Although it’s specific to one community, I think it’s a universal story.”