I realize that it’s much more about relationships and friendships and love and family and all of the things that are kind of intangible, yet tremendously meaningful. I think that is the journey that Coop is on. He makes some questionable decisions as to how to get to the end game, but he’s doing his best.
As an executive producer, how much say do you have in where the story goes?
I have a pretty significant amount of input, mostly because I’m the guy who has to play the parts and do the stuff. And Jonathan trusts me as an actor and as a collaborative creative partner. So we have a very open line of communication. He runs ideas by me, and plots and thoughts and things, and that’s a great relationship to have with the person who’s writing the words that come out of your mouth. You definitely don’t want to have an adversarial relationship with that person. So I’ve put my trust in him. I love his work. I think he’s a very, very compelling storyteller, but also a tremendously intelligent guy. And those are good hands to be in.
Finally, when I spoke with Isabel Gravitt, who plays your daughter, Tori, on the show, I asked her if she understood the gravity of what it meant to play your TV kid, and she said she first knew you as Peyton Sanders from Gilmore Girls.
Wow, that’s a deep cut. [Laughs]
She said it her took her a while to get up the nerve to tell you because she knew that wasn’t going to be what you’d expect. [Laughs]
Well, yeah, she’s got some big shoes to fill with Kiernan Shipka, my other TV daughter. Kiernan’s done all right. So apparently as a TV dad, I’m two for two.
A new episode of Your Friends & Neighbors drops on Friday, May 9, on Apple TV+.
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