‘Succession’ Star Arian Moayed Plays an Even Bigger Brute in Broadway’s ‘A Doll’s House’

thewrap.com:

“Succession,” which earned him an Emmy Award nomination for guest actor in 2022. And he’s now nominated for his second Tony Award for playing one of theater’s most disdained patriarchs in “A Doll’s House” opposite Jessica Chastain.

But in reality, he might just be one of the nicest, most humane and well-liked guys in entertainment today – and he’s got the seems-to-be-everywhere working actor’s resume to prove it.Starring in Amy Herzog’s revival of Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” as Torval, the sexist husband who ultimately sends his wife, Nora, out the door, Moayed manages to make himself not exactly likable, but somehow more understandable. “The consciousness came less about how he would be perceived, and more about what [director] Jamie Lloyd and Amy Herzog wanted to do,” Moayed told TheWrap. “Which was really to tackle the microaggressions that men have on women.

We felt it was important that when men see the show, they can’t easily say ‘that’s not me.’ Society has deemed upon them these rules and we can help them find relatability with that.”Of Torvald, he added, “I see him being more clueless, and I told Jamie, ‘If you want me to play him like a monster, I’m not your guy.’”Under Lloyd’s direction, the Broadway production at the Hudson Theatre, running through June 10, is condensed and severely minimal, leaving just the emotional guts of the original 1879 text.

There is no set, no props – simply a group chairs for the characters and their interactions.“The audience members are coming with their own DNA, and it’s amazing how different their world views are,” Moayed said.