Author: Brandon Kirby

HBO

“I’ve been dying to go back to San Francisco,” says Jonathan Groff, who plays Patrick in HBO’s Looking. Now he will, with the gay-centric show from Michael Lannan and Andrew Haigh officially renewed for a second season and production kicking off this summer.

The season one finale airs on March 9, and Groff spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about what to expect, why Patrick singing would be horrendous and that drunken kiss between Patrick and Russell Tovey‘s Kevin. “That kiss was done in so many different ways. We did a lot of takes,” Groff reveals.

First off, congratulations on season two.

Thank you. We are so stoked. We’ve been keeping our fingers crossed for a season two since the day we wrapped. We had so much fun, it’s ridiculous. We try to get together every week and watch the episodes together. I’ve been dying to go back to San Francisco. I had celebratory drinks in New York with one of our producers Sarah Condon, Murray [Bartlett] and Frankie [J. Alvarez], and with our writers in L.A. and Michael Lannan. And two weeks ago in London with Andrew Haigh.

STORY: ‘Looking’ Renewed for Second Season at HBO

And congrats, too, on Frozen at the Oscars.

I’m in an afterglow moment of Frozen winning. “Let It Go” is still stuck in my head. I was with my friend yesterday saying, “How can we not get this song out of our heads?”

For Looking‘s finale, do you think Patrick ends up in a better or worse place after season one than when we meet him?

When we meet Patrick, he’s awkwardly in the woods, uncomfortable but trying to expand and find a new side to himself and putting himself out there. We see a huge evolution in him reflected through his relationship with Richie (Raul Castillo), and then with Kevin, there’s a lot of sexual tension. By the end of the finale, he’s gotten himself into a really tight spot because he’s dealing with the repercussions of letting himself go. He went from not having a boyfriend to having these two amazing men interested in him, and they are two very specific, wonderfully confusing relationships. He doesn’t know where to turn.

And everybody else?

Everything definitely comes to a head, and the characters take a giant step forward. Whether that’s for the better or worse, it’s hard to say.

You and Russell Tovey have such chemistry. Did you two know each other before shooting?

I met Russell on Broadway when he was doing History Boys, and I was doing Spring Awakening. I met him briefly then, but we officially met at the screen cast for Looking because we were both up for the part of Patrick. They loved him and wrote him this role, and from then we hit it off. We both come from similar acting backgrounds, from the theater and the stage, and we just get each other on a certain level. Also, luckily, we just naturally get along.

STORY: ‘Looking’ Recap: A Wedding to Remember…For All the Wrong Reasons

And then there’s the kiss from last week’s episode.

We did a lot of takes of that kiss. I didn’t know what was going to happen until I finally saw the episode because that kiss was done in so many different ways. I think the way they decided to do it was perfect. It’s fitting, especially considering the finale. You don’t want to blow your wad too soon, so to speak.

We’ve seen Agustin and Patrick come at each other this season. How do you think their friendship is able to endure so much?

I totally relate to their friendship. They’ve known each other for years, and I think, just like family, it’s one of those people in your life you can fight with who call you on your shit whether what they’re saying is true or not and can express openly their opinions to you. You can bounce back from fighting and be friends again.

And they bond over their love for The Golden Girls. So, Patrick is a fan. Are you?

Of course. You kind of have to be. I mean, it’s on all the time.

If Patrick is Rose, which Golden Girl are you?

I would say I’m a mix of Dorothy and Rose. I’m a good hybrid. You don’t want to be as naive as Rose, so you don’t want to be one hundred percent her.

Patrick’s confrontation with his mom, also last week, was interesting. It read a lot into his character.

That was the most rewritten scene of the entire series because everybody had an opinion of what the mom would be. It came out complex and not one-note; she’s not just the mom who’s completely accepting of her son, but she’s also not the mom who isn’t accepting. She’s in a grey area, which I find really interesting because while Patrick may be getting some resistance from her about being gay, he’s also projecting a lot of his issues on to her at the same time. Perhaps he sees himself in his mother.

What about the moment in episode six in the park where Patrick does that prance? Some have described that as self-loathing.

In that moment, he’s expressing his version of what it means to be over-the-top and gay, but I think the bigger picture is asking, what is queer? How do we fit into the gay community? I feel like that moment was an exploration of that. We’re not meant to state what gay men are like now; it’s meant to start the conversation, not put anything into stone of what a gay series is.

STORY: HBO’s ‘Looking’ EPs: ‘Obviously It’s More Than Just About Being Gay’ (Q&A)

Where would you like to see Patrick go in season two?

I’d love to spend more time with Agustin and Dom because in the first season they spend a lot of time apart. And I definitely want to go deeper into the triangle of Patrick, Kevin and Richie. They have both been upped to series regulars for season two, so I think they’re going to explore more of that, obviously.

Would you ever like Patrick to have a secret singing talent, to get some singing into the show?

I think Patrick would be a terrible singer, actually. I have an instinct that he is the kind of person who would get super drunk and sing Madonna at karaoke, but it would be horrendous. So that would be fun.

You’ve had a lot of guest directors this season. Dream guest director for season two?

I had a really amazing experience with Kyle Patrick Alvarez on C.O.G. I would love for him to come do an episode.

In terms of the gay community, do you feel a sense of importance to the show getting renewed?

I think we do feel that. There hasn’t been a show in a long time with a bunch of leading gay characters also played by gay men in certain roles. The audience is growing week to week, so I think it’s amazing for the community for sure.

Email: brandon.kirby@thr.com
Twitter: @bkkirby

Courtesy of John P. Johnson/HBO

[Warning: spoilers ahead for this week’s episode of Looking, “Looking for Plus-One.”]

When Agustin (Frankie J. Alvarez) presents his final art piece, prominently featuring CJ (T.J. Linnard) getting down with Frank (O-T Fagbenle), the other guys don’t know what to say. “We’re your friends,” Patrick (Jonathan Groff) says to him. “What do you expect us to say?” Agustin, in line with his increasingly selfish ways, argues they’re just projecting their own life drama onto him: Dom (Murray Barlett) being nervous about his restaurant pop-up and Patrick being nervous about bringing Richie (Raul Castillo) to his sister’s wedding.

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Agustin sort of sets up the three tracts we follow this episode, which includes his own realization that he’s been treating his boyfriend like garbage. Most prominent, however, in “Looking for Plus-One,” is the wedding. It serves as a catalyst for Patrick, unveiling the core problem with his mother and therefore Richie, and the skewed view he has of himself, not to mention the immense pressure he places on his relationships. And it’s all summed up in one conversation with his mother, who we finally meet. More on that later.

The episode, written by John Hoffman and directed by Jamie Babbit, feels notably special and momentum-pushing for the show in lieu of the recent pick-up announcement.

Patrick is frazzled, dressing for the wedding while simultaneously Skyping with his mom, who’s panicking about losing her phone. Like mother, like son. “We’re really excited to meet your…friend,” she hesitantly tells Patrick about him bringing Richie. And then there’s Richie, being a great sport and showing up clean-shaven (but with a giant coffee stain on his shirt). Richie already knows Patrick well, picking up immediately on how anxious he is. “You say ‘totally’ a lot when you’re nervous,” he tells him.

STORY: ‘Looking’ Renewed for Second Season at HBO

Getting a ticket for turning his wheels the wrong way, not being able to find his mom’s phone at the hotel where she left it and getting frustrated when Richie tries to fix his bowtie while driving, Patrick loses it and flips out. It’s not entirely intentional; he’s hopped up on nerves, dwelling on the thought of his mom meeting anyone new in his life. And when Richie asks him to pull over, tells him to smoke a joint to calm down and that he’ll drive the rest of the way, that doesn’t sit well with Patrick either. “You brought pot to my sister’s wedding to meet my family?” Richie gives up and walks off. “I’m not gonna follow you; we’re already late!” Patrick shouts after him.

It’s such a telling moment for their dynamic, even more than the previous episode. Patrick is inhibited by something, clearly, and that something is himself, which brings us to that mom conversation:

After making up an excuse that Richie was sick, Patrick tells the truth. “You’re the real reason he’s not here tonight. Because I know he’s not the kind of person you want me to be with.” He goes on: “Every guy I’ve ever been on a date with, I judge him based on what you’re gonna think of him, and it’s really f–king me up.” The anger and resentment Patrick holds toward his mother borders on unfounded and comes from within. She admits to not reacting the best way she could’ve when he first came out to her, which is likely what drove Patrick away, but she notes she’s come a long way since then. And it’s Patrick who never returned to her.

Patrick’s mom may be a little stuck-up and have high standards, but she’s far from a bad parent. But a woman like her, you wouldn’t expect to pull out a pot-filled Rice Krispies treat to calm herself, but she does. It’s because she’s off her Lexapro. This all stuns Patrick, who didn’t even know his mom was on any meds to begin with. “If you asked me how I was doing every now and then, you’d know.” Opening up to each other is a two-way street, Patrick learns.

Patrick also gives a less-than-stellar description of Richie to his mom, suggesting she’d probably prefer him to end up with someone like Kevin or Jon. “What’s wrong with that?” she asks. “They seem lovely. They seem just like you.” And how does she even know about them? Well, Kevin’s boyfriend, Jon (Joseph Williamson), is apparently best buds with the groom. Kevin, of course, arrives on the scene charming as ever and ties Patrick’s bowtie with ease. What a coincidentally perfect fill-in for Richie.

STORY: ‘Looking’ Recap: Lordy, Lordy, Look Who’s Turning 40

Taking his friends’ advice, Agustin pulls out of the art show. The thing is, Frank is the one who made it happen and practically begged his boss to get him in. While it’s actually the best thing for Agustin to do, Frank wouldn’t see it that way considering he doesn’t know the art is a result of him getting whored out. “You needed help; you were stuck,” Frank yells at Agustin. It forces Agustin to give in: “I paid him.” Frank is understandably infuriated, feels betrayed, lied to and demands that Agustin moves out. Agustin’s arc has really hit rock-bottom, and we can only see him go up and better himself from here.

Like Patrick, Dom buckles under stress, but for him it’s pulling together his pop-up restaurant in a space that could certainly use more than some Swiffers. Lynn (Scott Bakula) and Doris (Lauren Weedman) are there to help, but Dom unintentionally pushes the former away with his intensity and one remark in particular: “I don’t need you watching over me like I’m some teenager.” Lynn responds accordingly, down-talking Dom like a father. It’s another jab from Dom at Lynn’s age, and we feel the sting just as he does. “I am your partner,” he hesitates, “in this.” Foreshadowing that he’s only going to get hurt in this scenario, Lynn leaves.

And then there’s the kiss; the drunken kiss Kevin plants on Patrick, leaving a spark of heat but mostly confusion in its wake. Before this, probably to cleanse himself of the Kevin saturation going on at the wedding, Patrick leaves Richie a voicemail. He ends with, “Call me if you want.” It’s not the most sincere thing in the world. And a sloppy Kevin getting way too close to Patrick’s face and landing a kiss, well, that only complicates things further.

Email: brandon.kirby@thr.com
Twitter: @bkkirby

John P. Johnson/HBO

[Warning: spoilers ahead for this week’s episode of Looking, “Looking in the Mirror.”]

In the first moments of Looking‘s sixth episode, “Looking in the Mirror,” directed by Joe Swanberg (Drinking Buddies), Patrick (Jonathan Groff) lets the boyfriend label slip out to Richie (Raul Castillo). This comes after him anxiously going through the list of friends Richie will meet at Dom’s (Murray Bartlett) 40th birthday party. “It’s the first time they’re meeting my boyfriend,” he says. “Who said I was your boyfriend?” Richie responds playfully.

Beyond Patrick backpedaling out of a conversation, it’s a fun moment to hear his own take on the friend group (“They can be intense, particularly Agustin,” and “Doris will be there, and she’s, you know, a lot”) not to mention the confirmation that Patrick and Dom have hooked up, though we figured already. “I’m a little old for Dom at this point, if you know what I mean,” he tells Richie.

Flash forward a few scenes to Richie telling Patrick he’s on board with the boyfriend label and offers him to wear a scapular, a cultural tradition of Richie’s. “It would mean a lot to me,” he tells Patrick, putting it on him.

Dom and Lynn (Scott Bakula) are busy having dinner with potential investors for Dom’s restaurant and feed them a meal of Dom’s peri peri chicken. Meanwhile, Agustin (Frankie J. Alvarez) is in a huff over his CJ (T.J. Linnard) project, tearing down photos from his collage wall, much to the concern of his actually very nice and very caring boyfriend, Frank (O-T Fagbenle), though Agustin would never acknowledge that.

While cleaning up after dinner, Dom’s phone starts going off with birthday messages, his idea of the death knell. “At 40, Grindr emails you a death certificate,” he bemoans to Lynn. Of course Dom would know that. Lynn kindly reminds him that maybe he’s self-diagnosing his death certificate a little early.

STORY: ‘Looking’ Recap: Working (and Wearing Leather) on the Weekend

A glowing Dom then gets the inquisition from Doris (Lauren Weedman) about Lynn. “Did he impregnate you?” she pokes at him. As sarcastic as she is, she really does hope Dom is on to something with Lynn and changing his relationship ways. “God forbid you actually f–k somebody who’s not half your age and could actually care about you,” she tells him.

Upon arrival to Dolores Park, Patrick introduces Richie as his boyfriend, which takes Agustin aback. He also notices the scapular. “What are you, accessorizing now?” he asks a little scathingly. Agustin revs up to being a complete jerk when he confronts Patrick, demanding to know what he’s doing with Richie. “It would be really shitty if you’re using this poor guy to prove something to us — or to yourself. You’re slumming.” Of course Richie overhears this last bit and tells Agustin off. Patrick remains conspicuously silent.

Patrick also doesn’t do a good job in front of his boss Kevin (Russell Tovey) when the long-distance boyfriend, Jon (Joseph Williamson) gets introduced and is long-distance no more. When Richie walks up, Patrick fumbles, forcing Kevin to introduce himself. “This is Richie,” Patrick says. That otherwise important boyfriend label suddenly drops off here. When Richie says he cuts hair and gets retorted with “for a living?” Patrick interjects and suggests Richie wants to eventually open his own place. Richie has not once mentioned that to Patrick.

Before this, there’s a rather bizarre conversation about gayness that happens among the group. They make fun of Patrick for having a gay-sounding voicemail. There’s a line to follow, which some viewers might take issue with: “It’s not gay. I sound completely normal.” Then Patrick launches into a whole song and dance of putting on an effeminate voice and prance. It’s an interesting choice for sure, considering a show that aims to normalize queerness. Granted, this is a group of guys, none of whom are entirely effeminate, and again emphasizes being a display of one gay experience, not all.

Dom gets a beautiful flower delivery from none other than Lynn, and Doris basically falls over in excitement. The smile that spreads across Dom’s face is also hard to ignore. As perfect juxtaposition, Dom gets hit on by a built young guy who holds up Dom’s Grindr profile to him: “This is you, right?” Resisting what must be such temptation for Dom, he decides instead to head over to Lynn’s after the party to thank him for the flowers. When Lynn tells Dom the investors weren’t interested, he then suggests they do a pop-up restaurant on their own to garner interest. “How would you feel about just us?” he asks. Dom is so infatuated, probably with both this idea and the fact this man cares enough about him to suggest it, that he goes in for a kiss. Lynn denies, telling Dom they can’t mix business and romance. “We’re friends, OK?” It’s a heartbreaking moment for Dom, especially considering he’s really trying to turn over a new leaf.

STORY: ‘Looking’ Recap: 5 Things Learned from Patrick and Richie’s Date

Back in Agustin’s world, he is fully aware of how mean he was to Patrick. But caring seems off the table for him as he also openly invited CJ to Dom’s birthday party. Sounds horrible, but Frank actually ends up hitting it off with CJ to the point where their after-party becomes them having sex back at Frank and Agustin’s place. Agustin knows — and is there recording it all with a camera — and as much as Frank may think it’s for his boyfriend’s art, the fact is Agustin hired a hooker, and as a result is becoming a harder character to sympathize with.

This episode is all about this trio finding out what they really want, and it comes to a head with Patrick’s intentions with Richie. He asks Patrick point-blank, “Are you embarrassed of me? I take this boyfriend thing very, very seriously.” Patrick responds with, “So do I,” but they’re likely on completely different planes. Written by JC Lee and Tanya Saracho, “Looking in the Mirror” is smart about peeling away Patrick and Richie’s layers to reveal a core cultural difference between them. Patrick’s uncertainty is relatable, and he overcompensates by then brashly inviting Richie to his sister’s wedding. It’s worth wondering what Patrick is trying to prove by progressing so quickly.

While looking in the mirror (ah, what an episode title), Patrick fiddles yet again with the scapular and gives an expression could easily be read as confusion about his desires. Maybe he really doesn’t know what he wants, and maybe, just maybe, he’s kidding himself after all.

Email: brandon.kirby@thr.com
Twitter: @bkkirby