Note: This story contains spoilers from “Hacks” Season 5, Episode 3.
Fresh off wrapping up “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” Christopher Briney turns to a quite different role in HBO Max’s “Hacks,” an opportunity the actor relished as he turns the page in his career.
“I’m happy to have any job, but I’ve been a fan of ‘Hacks’ for a long time,” Briney told TheWrap, adding that he would “be lying if [he] said anything else was the best comedy of TV the past five years.” “As soon as I got the opportunity, I was like, ‘Of course, I’m gonna do it’ — there’s no world in which you don’t agree to an invite to hang out on ‘Hacks.’”
Christopher Briney’s role in the final season of “Hacks” is quite a departure from the boy-next-door he played in the YA sensation, trading Conrad’s pressed khakis for loud, largely unbuttoned button-down shirts and tattoos fit for the likes of Harry Styles and Mick Jagger as he plays up-and-coming rock star Nico Hayes, the new artist-in-residence at the Palmetto.
The first images of Briney as Nico immediately sparked comparisons to Styles, which Briney undoubtably agreed the character’s style leans into, but isn’t the only pop icon he drew from, pointing to rock stars across various decades including Jagger. “It is not one person — there’s obvious inspiration from a few of those,” Briney said.
“I think it’s important to this character that he is sort of an old soul, and he’s been through a lot, and he’s had to grow up quicker than than most people have to,” Briney said. “I wanted him to have some sort of swagger of someone older, of a different generation … I watched a lot of videos of dudes in the ’70s, the original rock stars.”
It’s Nico’s old soul quality that strikes up a connection with Jean Smart’s Deborah Vance, which leads to a romantic spark between the pair, and of course, plenty of laughs. Briney unpacks it all below.
TheWrap: How did this guest star spot come together? What was the audition process like?
Briney: I had a Zoom with casting, a Zoom audition read. There’s more to the story here, and I forget it because it was a while ago now, but I got the info and the sides two days before the Zoom, but I was in the middle of really long press days, and I had no time to look at it, and … I think it was like 8 p.m. or something for me, and I was rushing home, and I got back at like 7:59 and I was running upstairs, and I flipped my laptop open and hop on the Zoom, not really knowing the material at all, but casting was lovely. I settled down a little bit, and we got into running the scene a few times, and they asked me if I sing, and I said, “yes,” even though I don’t and … a few days later I got the job, and I was like, “Yeah, I’ll figure out the singing later.” And then I was in Vegas doing that for like two weeks and … it was just wonderful. What a good group of people, what a great show.
What was it like getting on set that first day and meeting the team? Was there any improv?
They have alts written in sometimes, and they’re calling out alternate jokes, especially for Jean. And Paul [W. Downs] directed the episode, and he would come over and sort of talk about some jokes with Jean.
The first scene we shot, the first day I shot, was the last one where he’s taking the car away … I haven’t seen it yet … [but] I think it is kind of funny, but it’s less of an improv, funny kind of scene, but it was great. I was sitting in a chair, in my cast chair, and Jean came over, and we just chatted for a little bit, and she was just so warm and lovely and welcoming, and it was nice because I had a lot of nerves … I mean, it’s “Hacks” … It’s not like I’m doing a short film with my buddy — this is a real, established, award-winning, well-regarded show. I had a lot of nerves like, “f–k, I hope I can play ball.” And her being as lovely as she was helped a lot.
Your character gets Deb out of her comfort zone with a fun, giddy crush. How did you and Jean figure out that dynamic between your characters?
In reading the script, I think one of the things that I liked is … this is a different side of Deborah from what we’ve really seen her do and it was really just cool to read her in that different light. She’s a real f–king pro, and … I tried to show up prepared, and it was just sort of there. It’s a set where they move quick and have fun with the material. I hope it comes across.
Deborah seems slightly unclear on Nico’s intent. Was he genuinely interested in her from the start?
I don’t think it was ever a PR thing for him. I think the only reason that it’s weird is because he’s lived this weird life where he’s been in the public eye since he basically had memories … and I think just things work differently in that world, but no, I think it was always genuine in his mind … genuine interest in Deborah.
Things get steamy pretty quickly with them. How did you approach those scenes with Jean as a scene partner?
She’s just the best and a total pro. You approach it like any other scene. I mean, we were just trying to make sure that the funny was there, and that it settles into what it needs to be at the right times, and she’s very good with that and Paul [had] great insight on that on the day. We’re just trying to make something cool and funny, and I was like, “F–k yeah, let’s do it.”
As they’re walking out Deb is hilarious with the paparazzi holding onto Nico. Did she make you break at any point?
Oh, it was hilarious … every single take, the second I get in the car, I was just dying. She’s so funny. She’s just so good. Yeah, I definitely broke. I’m not the best at that.
Everything shifts between them when Nico hears Deb called the paparazzi the first time they hung out. How does that information change things for him?
It’s just a knife in his wound. I think it’s just hitting him exactly where it hurts the most. Obviously she wasn’t trying to hurt him, but I think he’s also the type of dude that’s like, “You hurt me, I’m out.” At least at this point, they’ve gone on a couple dates, so I think he was just like, “Well, that’s sort of like broken trust.” But he comes around in the end, he’s just a little sad boy.
Is this setting the scene for the caliber of projects you’d like to do next?
I’d love to, I would totally love to, definitely a dream to do something of this sort of caliber, and hop on to something as established as that show is. I feel really lucky … I’d love to do more comedy, but for now, I’m just happy to be a part of [it] … I got in right before they finished — I just snuck in and happy to have that on my IMDb.
“The Summer I Turned Pretty” had some moments of humor, but not as much for your character.
It’s such a different tone. There are moments in that show that I think I’ve probably taken some liberties of improv that have or haven’t made it in the show, but it’s just a different goal. I feel like the goal of “Hacks” is … we’re funny, and there’s heart — there’s a lot of heart, but it’s funny … you read the script and you’re like, “Oh, these are really well-crafted jokes and really well-crafted humor.”
What will you take away from your time on set, working with Paul [W. Downs], Lucia [Aniello] and Jen [Statsky] as well as Jean [Smart]?
The most obvious is just how welcoming they were and how game they were to play and talk about these characters. It was just cool to be somewhere where they are so stoked about their project. I feel like that happens a lot — it’s not the first time I’ve experienced that — but it’s nice to be on a set where everyone’s just stoked about it … They’re just so smart with the comedy and with what they’re making — they know it well. They know where to sacrifice comedy for the heart. They know where to punch the comedy. It’s a clever, smart group of people.
Were there any lessons learned in terms of finding that comedy?
I think it’s more my character’s goal to … hand it off to Jean, because, first of all, Deborah is really funny, but also Jean is just so good that … I was like “I’ll do my best to tee it up for you, and if I tee it up well enough you’ll hit a lot of the part, because that’s what you do.” That’s what she does. I had to stay ready to just play and have a good time, and mix things up … [you] can’t be too cemented in your choices — I had some ideas of things that I thought were funny, and some of them work, and some of them don’t and you just sort of figured out.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
“Hacks” drops new episodes Thursdays on HBO Max.
The post ‘Hacks’: Christopher Briney Talks Emulating Harry Styles and Romancing Jean Smart appeared first on TheWrap.
