Reel It Back is Shadow And Act’s series when we sit down with your favorite actors and actresses as they reflect on and react to memorable scenes and roles from their storied careers. Guests have included Lynn Whitfield, Ryan Michelle Bathe, and numerous others.
Our latest guest, William Jackson Harper, sat down with us at S&A HQ to reflect on his roles in the NBC comedy The Good Place, the A24 horror film Midsommar and the television series The Electric Company.
Harper, who plays Chidi Anagonye on The Good Place, recalled the infamous episode when his character went shirtless.
“That was a terrifying week to be on The Good Place because I had to be shirtless so many times for so long in front of so many people,” Harper said. “That was actually the last scene before I actually got to eat like a person again.”
Jackson also told an anecdote about the time he “shame ate” Five Guys, gifted to him by fellow co-star Kristen Bell after filming commenced.
Aside from The Good Place, Harper also discussed his performance as Josh in the Ari Aster horror film, Midsommar. “This movie is a psychedelic bullet train of a nightmare,” Harper said. “If there’s any tea about this movie, it’s that they wouldn’t let me use my curl sponge the way I wanted to. Anytime something on my head looks smooth or symmetrical, I just look like a straight herb,” Harper joked.
Harper also reminisced on the time he portrayed Danny Rebus in the musical skit The Electric Company and appeared with Lin-Manuel Miranda. “I remember the rap was really hard because Lin had a very specific flow style and we didn’t have a whole lot of time,” he said. “This was a really, odd, strange, fun time.”
Watch the full video below.
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