Matt Letscher – Boardwalk Empire

Q) We’re currently seeing you as Joe Kennedy on “Boardwalk Empire.” What drew you to this role?

A) Like a lot of the characters on “Boardwalk Empire,” he’s a little complicated. I could tell from the writing that they were going to be drawing parallels between Nucky and Joe, as two sides of the same coin. Joe is the one who managed to do almost the same thing as Nucky, but legitimately and in full view. I thought that was an interesting compare and contrast for the show to explore. I also had worked with Howard Korder before as a playwright. I loved his writing for years. So, for me to come on as Joe it was a no-brainer.

Q) Was there anything about the role that you added that wasn’t originally scripted for you?

A) No, you have some pretty darn good writers on this show between Terry Winter and Howard Korder. They have some great directors on top of that. It’s in the fifth season so they know what they are doing. I just did my homework and followed the script, pretty much.

Q) What kind of complications can you tease are in store based on Joe and Nucky’s partnership and where will Joe’s loyalties lay?

A) Joe’s loyalty always lies with himself and his family, what is in the best interest of that. There is the relationship between Joe and Nucky that gets turned around a couple of times. I won’t say who gets the better of whom, but I will say it is an interesting exploration of status.

Q) Joe seems pretty straight-laced (beyond his new venture proposal). What are his motivations for getting into bed with Nucky?

A) Well, I think as a business man, Joe likes to pursue every avenue. If he thinks he can get away with something, he will venture into the morally ambiguous, more gray area. He will do that if it will benefit his business. Nucky is someone who has the infrastructure in place to distribute the booze that Joe has a stake in once Prohibition is over. While he doesn’t personally drink and indulge in a lot of other things that Nucky does, he’s not stupid. He’s somebody who recognizes the potential for a good deal, probably before anybody else does. Nor is Joe Kennedy in this world a pillar of morality. He was a notorious womanizer, amongst other things. He used people for his own gain.

Q) Joe had quite an epic exchange with Nucky recently where we see Joe pointing out that Nucky doesn’t seem himself as a gangster. What were your thoughts filming that scene?

A) Don’t screw it up! Mainly, I just loved the territory the writers were exploring there. It was so clear to me that these men shared a lot of the same history or historical context with Irish-Americans having to pull themselves by the boot straps and having to make something of themselves. Nucky does it in such a way that lands on one side of the line and Joe does it in a way that lands on the other side of the line. Really, at the end of the day, there is just a razor’s edge that kind of separates the two of us.

Q) It was quite interesting to see Nucky’s response to Joe’s lack of drinking.

A) I think that was one area where Joe was really smart. Booze and excess always leads to bad decisions. If you can remove that variable from the equation then your chances of success goes up dramatically. 

Q) Nucky usually doesn’t bend for his associates. It was very telling to see him scramble to emulate Joe’s behavior.

A) Oh yeah! There is a big change coming to the landscape during Prohibition as they have known it. It’s not only something that Nucky sees coming, but also something that he craves. He craves a certain level of acceptance. He craves being able to leave the threatening illegality of it all behind him and live something of a “normal life.” I think that is the main motivating factor.

Q) We also know that you have an upcoming role on “Castle” that is top secret. What can you share at all about your character and episode?

A) I can share that I’ll be featured in multiple episodes, including the premiere. I’m not allowed to say much of anything, but I can say that I am presenting myself as someone other than who I actually am. Who that is will be revealed as the season goes on.

Q) Was there any of the stars of “Castle” that you wish you had the chance to work with more or maybe not have gotten to film at all with?

A) I think I worked with most everybody and they were all lovely. It was a lovely set. No wonder so many people love that show. Since I shared that I was going to be on it I have received a great amount of support. I’m excited to see where it goes!

Q) You have created a web series called “One & Done.” What can you tell is the premise and how did it come about?

A) “One & Done” is a series I wrote with my writing partner, Nipper Knapp, who is a good friend of mine from college. It is about four guys in their forties who are approaching that presuppose of middle age. They decide to re-form their high school basketball team to compete in order to escape the various responsibilities, concerns and fears of their middle aged life. On one side, it’s a comedy about old guys getting hurt playing basketball and on another level it’s about the very real fear and concern of losing your powers (so to speak) by saying goodbye to your youth. The project came about because, simply, this is the period of life that I am in. I have kids and all kinds of responsibilities now. You just don’t notice how quickly things are going by until they are already past you. This is an attempt for these guys to go, “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Slow things down! Let’s reclaim some bit of our youth for as long as I can!” We’ve shot the pilot and we are starting our Kickstarter campaign to film the first season (seven episodes) in October. They will all be written by us and are already written, as a matter of fact. We just need to get everything all in place to shoot this sucker, but it’s been a lot of fun and I think a certain segment of the population can connect with it.

Q) Who can you tease will be making appearances on the show?

A) Michael Gladis who was on “Mad Men” for a number of years is in the pilot. Marin Hinkle who was on “Two and a Half Men” for many years. There are friends of mine that have not been set in things yet, but I am definitely looking to bring other people on board if they like what they see.

Q) “One & Done” will be promoted through Kickstarter. How else can fans get involved to help with promotion?

A) They can find us on our website, which is http://www.oneanddoneshow.com or our Twitter handle is @1anddonetheshow. All our announcements and videos that we have (trailers and other specialty videos) will be posted on our Facebook page and all of these outlets leading up to October 1st, which is when we release the full pilot. We’re peppering the airwaves and the digital waves as much as possible to get information out there.

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with fans?

A) It’s direct! It’s one-on-one. My favorite part of Twitter and social media is being able to live tweet during shows. There are certain shows that I have been on (“Scandal” being the most prominent example) where fans are just really excited for the episode each week. They are very, very active on Twitter. So, you get to have conversations with people halfway around the world about the scene that is airing right then. It has kind of transformed TV. As an actor, it’s really fun. It’s fun to be able to examine what is happening in the moment with the people who are watching it. That’s what I enjoy about it most.