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“Foundation” star Jared Harris is a recognizable and well-regarded two-time Emmy nominee who can make his mark in just about any role. However, every actor needs to start somewhere, and Harris credited a very specific actor for teaching him the all-important art of standing out. In an interview with IGN Nordic, he described an encounter with Danny DeVito during an audition that took place when Harris was still a comparatively unknown name. There, DeVito spoke the words that influenced Harris greatly: “Good luck, kid, because you’re going to need it.”
When Harris was understandably confused by the future “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” star’s comment, DeVito elaborated. “He goes, ‘You really need me to explain this to you? You’re so different in everything you do,'” Harris told IGN Nordic. “I say, ‘Isn’t that the idea?’ He goes, ‘A successful actor is a recognizable actor. You are trying to start from scratch every single time you appear in a role. You have to hope that one day it will catch up with you.'”
Harris credits this conversation as a game-changer that helped him realize that his career path, which was largely based in independent films, wasn’t necessarily viable in the entertainment industry environment at the time. Considering the fact that the prolific actor has since become known for his appearances on prestige TV shows (“Mad Men,” “The Crown,” “Chernobyl,” “The Terror,” “Foundation,” and many others) and big-budget movies (“Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” and “Lincoln”) alike, it’s probably fair to say that he took DeVito’s words to heart.
Harris has discussed DeVito’s influence before
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Danny DeVito was in a prime position to speak about these matters. He’s a highly successful actor who might be most closely associated with sitcoms, thanks to his time as part of the cast of “Taxi,” one of the best workplace comedies of all time (and “It’s Always Sunny,” of course), but who’s nevertheless tackled numerous different genres over time. In 1992 alone, he both co-starred with Jack Nicholson in the crime biopic “Hoffa” (which DeVito also directed) and disappeared under a mountain of makeup and prosthetics to portray “Batman Returns” villain the Penguin.
The IGN Nordic interview wasn’t the first time Harris had spoken about the meeting. In a 2009 interview with Daily Actor, he elaborated on the encounter, saying that it had happened a couple of years prior and that he auditioned for a film DeVito was directing. Harris also said that DeVito was excited to meet him since he knew his work and admired his chameleonic talent — but still laid down the risks of obscuring one’s self in a profession that’s all about being recognized.
It’s easy to start wondering precisely which movie Harris was auditioning for when they had this conversation. DeVito has directed only three movies that fit the rough time frame Harris describes — the Robin Williams-led dark comedy “Death to Smoochy” (2002), the slapstick “Duplex” (2003) with Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore, and the TV movie “Queen B” (2005), starring Alicia Silverstone. Unfortunately, none of these films feature Harris in any way, so whatever role he had in mind, it doesn’t seem that he got it … but maybe that handy career advice from DeVito made up for it.
