Karl Bury – Right Hand Man

Q) What are the current projects that you are working on?

A) I just finished a film called Pride and Glory for New Line Cinema and it was directed by Gavin O’Connor. I also did a film called We Own the Night, which is directed by James Gray. They are actually both cop dramas, but different types of cop dramas. They certainly have family themes, though. That was with Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg and Robert Duvall.

Q) Please tell us about your character Alex on the show “Brotherhood.”

A) Alex is kind of like Tommy Caffee’s “Guy-Friday.” He is his Chief of Staff, despite the fact that it is a staff made up of just him and Tommy. He makes things happen for Tommy and he takes the hits for him, too. The teamsters call him “The Hammer” because he really can put the screws to people. When Tommy needs to put the pressure on someone, Alex is the bad guy for him.

Q) What made you want to be a part of this project?

A) It’s really one of the best television scripts I’ve ever read. The piece was originally called “Southie” and it was going to be set in south east part of Boston. The characters just ring so authentically true. I remember actors in New York were all talking about the script and they were all crossing their fingers that they could be involved in it. It’s just excellent. The people who are involved in it are excellent.

Q) How did you prepare for your role on the show?

A) We interviewed our real-life counter parts. We ate where the politicians ate and did dialect coaching on a daily basis to get that Rhode Island dialect down. There was also the normal process of learning your lines, going to work and getting to know your other cast members.

Q) What is your most memorable moment from filming?

A) I would probably say the first day of the pilot when Blake came into the trailer and asked me if I got the rewrites from overnight and me thinking he was joking with me. He said, “No, no. I have a whole page of dialogue that you need to do today.” That makes it pretty memorable when you have to do things on the fly like that.

Q) Why should viewers take the time to tune into “Brotherhood?”

A) I think it’s just old fashioned. There is nothing slick about it. It’s a deeply entertaining show. It’s about all life. It encompasses all aspects of life. It’s about family, loyalty and ambition. It has all the major themes in life and they are so well executed. The writing is brilliant, the direction is brilliant and it’s a wonderful working environment.

Q) You recently filmed the movie Pride and Glory. What was it like working with Ed Norton and Colin Ferrell?

A) I didn’t work with either one of them. I worked with Noah Emmerich, the other star of it. It was great! He plays kind of the good brother. We have a mutual friend in Jim Carrey and we had an instant rapport. We had a nice time together. The director, Gavin, is an old friend. He, like a lot of the good ones, continue to work with the same crew. Gavin has a lot of trust in his actors that he hires so you can work faster and you just feel more comfortable as an actor to really go deep. The same can be said for “Brotherhood,” which is another reason to watch. There was the freedom to be true and explore deeply.

Q) What has been your favorite project to work on?

A) I would have to say right now it would be “Brotherhood.” I did a movie with Jim Carrey called The Majestic and that was very fulfilling to me, although the movie didn’t make money at the box-office. Creatively, it was a great experience for me because I really got to research the part. I play an amputee in it so I got to research about that. It was challenging and, ultimately, very artistically fulfilling.

Q) What do you do in your spare time?

A) I do a lot of yoga. I write for myself, as well. I am kind of a closeted writer.

Q) What is your latest obsession? A book? A movie? A sport? An activity?

A) It’s funny because it’s pretty much yoga. I do yoga six to seven times a week. It’s pretty much my obsession, really. I find it takes care of a lot of problems. You can think the weight of the world is on your shoulders and then you go in there, take a couple of good deep breathes and you realize it’s going to be okay. In a crazy business like show business, you really need some kind of centering, whether it is a solid family life, a great hobby or yoga.