Nowadays, Michael Urie spends most nights scribbling his title on Playbills after performances of “Oh, Mary!,” Cole Escola’s bawdy comedy about First Girl Mary Todd Lincoln through which Urie performs her instructor. And every so often, within the bustle of signing and posing for fan selfies, he says, somebody will chirp “Good luck on the Emmys!” and it looks like a whiplash reminder of his different main profession achievement this yr.
“It’s like, ‘Oh, yeah! That’s proper, I’ve to go do this, don’t I?” he says, nonetheless very a lot processing his first Emmy nomination.
The 45-year-old is nominated for supporting actor in a comedy sequence for his flip in Apple TV+’s “Shrinking” as Brian, an property lawyer whose friendship along with his widowed therapist bestie Jimmy (Jason Segel) is on the mend after an estrangement. The actor is finest identified for his comedic flare in TV sequence similar to “Ugly Betty” and stage productions similar to “As soon as Upon a Mattress” or “Purchaser & Cellar,” however the second season of “Shrinking” supplied Urie a possibility to mix humor with coronary heart. Urie’s Brian is working by way of his insecurities about turning into a mother or father whereas additionally inadvertently bringing the drunk driver accountable for Jimmy’s spouse’s loss of life — a personality named Louis performed by co-creator Brett Goldstein — again into their lives.
Michael Urie in Apple TV+’s “Shrinking” Season 2.
(Apple TV+)
“I used to be like, how on earth are they going to convey this character into this world?” Urie recollects considering. “Seems, it was my character that brings him in. And but, it’s kind of inevitable. [Brian] runs into him in a second the place [he] must discover ways to assist any individual, and he [Louis] wants assist. I feel [Brian’s] strolling a canine that he virtually killed after I run into him. Right here’s a grown man who’s busted and damaged and wishes any individual and I’m there for him. This man wants forgiveness in an enormous means and since I’m in a position to fold him into the group — in a really messy means — he will get that.”
Urie is nominated within the class alongside his co-star Harrison Ford, who performs Paul, a curmudgeon therapist with a tender spot who finds love once more whereas navigating Parkinson’s illness. (Urie says he acquired a textual content from Ford that morning that learn: “You too? And Jessica. And Massive Head.”) Co-created by Segel, Goldstein and Invoice Lawrence, the sequence acquired a complete of seven nominations, together with for comedy sequence and performing nods for Segel and Jessica Williams.
Urie‘s first and solely Emmys till now was in 2007, the yr the awards present leaned into host Ryan Seacrest’s gig on “American Idol.” Attendees surrounded a rotating theater-in-the-round stage, an experiment that was broadly criticized and by no means repeated. Urie was there as a part of the forged of “Ugly Betty,” when the then-freshman ABC sequence acquired 11 nominations; that evening, the present’s star America Ferrera took dwelling the prize for lead actress in a comedy.
“At one level, I went to the lavatory and my buddy texted me, ‘The place are you?’ I assume I missed a possibility to be on digicam,” Urie says of the weird setup. “I keep in mind America profitable and that being actually, actually thrilling.”
Now, he will get to have a good time his achievement with a brand new group of co-stars: “There’s so many cool individuals which can be going to be there and our entire forged will get to be there. I’m so excited for what the evening will convey.”
One concern heading into the large evening? Perspiration. He made a vital request to his stylist: an outfit that received’t give him “swamp ass,” as he describes it, after hours of sitting. How’s that for thorough planning?
Urie invited The Occasions alongside completely as he prepares for and experiences the Emmy Awards as a first-time nominee. Observe our stay updates under.
“I used to be at extra events final evening than I’ve been to all yr,” Michael Urie says.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Occasions)
12:56 p.m.: The evening earlier than the Emmys is sort of a high-intensity dash of party-hopping as Hollywood toasts the yr’s prime TV nominees. Urie was recent off a flight from New York to Los Angeles Saturday as he made his spin by way of pre-ceremony fêtes placed on by BAFTA, Warner Bros. and Apple TV+, in addition to the annual “Night Earlier than the Emmys” soirée hosted by the Movement Image and Tv Fund.
“I used to be at extra events final evening than I’ve been to all yr,” Urie says. “It was 4 events in 5 hours. I obtained to see [fellow category nominee] Ike Barinholtz on the Apple social gathering. He was so good. And I noticed Bowen [Yang], Jeff [Hiller] and Colman [Domingo], who I do know from the gang mafia.”
We’re in a set on the West Hollywood Version resort and he’s stationed by the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking Los Angeles, eye patches soothing any tiredness away as he will get his hair styled by his groomer, Jenna Nelson. His accomplice, actor Ryan Spahn, is seated close by, describing their social gathering run-ins as Whitney Houston’s discography performs within the background. They have been up by 9 a.m. to start preparing.
The texts of effectively needs have already been flooding in, he says. And we couldn’t assist however ask if his “Ugly Betty” co-stars have been amongst them. Uh, duh.
“I obtained a video from Vanessa [Williams],” he says. “She’s in London. She was like, “So happy with you!”
He was exchanging texts with Becki Newton. And he noticed America Ferrera just a few days in the past whereas they have been each taping segments on “The View.”
Michael Urie’s outfit for the Emmy Awards.
(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Occasions)
1:36 p.m.: With Urie busy with “Oh, Mary!” by way of the tip of September, after which making ready to play the title function of a reimagining of Shakespeare’s “Richard II” off-Broadway this fall, the actor has little time to look at TV.
“Besides …! ” Spahn shortly interjects, “‘The Gilded Age.’”
“However we’re behind, so don’t spoil something,” Urie says. “I simply like it as a result of it’s filled with all these New York actors and also you by no means know who you’ll meet in actual life.”
I ask what sort of function he might see himself taking part in if he had his means. However others weigh in with some good concepts.
“I might see you as an equestrian,” Nelson says.
“I might see you working for metropolis council,” Spahn says.
