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Jeremy Strong is set to return to Broadway this winter in a new translation of Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People, in which he takes on the lead role of Dr. Thomas Stockmann, a man who tries to warn the townspeople about contaminated spa waters but faces pushback from those who say the truth will ruin the town’s economy.
Strong, known for his award-winning turn as Kendall Roy on Succession, said he was naturally drawn to the role of Dr. Stockmann, whom he views as a “reluctant hero.” Despite the intensity he brought to Succession, Strong said he’s still “terrified” of having to bring forth the “emotional force” of his idealistic character on Broadway night after night.
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“I’m terrified. I’m always terrified,” Strong said at a panel for the play in New York on Nov. 15. “But I also feel, in the same sense, I’m drawn to that. I think that’s how we all grow. As artists, you move towards the danger.”
Speaking on the panel, moderated by Tony Kushner, which included his co-star in the play, Michael Imperioli (The White Lotus), director Sam Gold (Fun Home) and scribe Amy Herzog (A Doll’s House), Strong added that he felt his time on Succession helped him prepare for his Broadway return, which will see him acting to an audience sitting in the round. Strong last appeared on Broadway in the 2008 play A Man For All Seasons.
“I think working on something for seven years, which is how long I worked on that show, was just a real sort of trial by fire of gaining more freedom and comfort as an actor, more trust in my own instincts,” Strong said. “And also the practice is essentially the same. The practice is a practice of listening and being present. So whether you’re doing that with a camera around, with an audience around, I think it’s pretty indistinguishable.”
When thinking of how the play, which dates back to the 1880s, ties into modern politics and global challenges, Gold said he found the current climate crisis was “the animating emotional core” of this adaptation. With that in mind, Gold said he’s been viewing the character of Dr. Stockmann as a type of Greta Thurnberg character, as in someone who’s willing to speak the truth and be themselves, and ignore any potential blowback. This also made him immediately think of Strong, whom he has known for decades.
“There’s something about the way he approaches the world that really matches that to me,” Gold said.
An Enemy of the People begins previews at the Circle in the Square Theatre on Feb. 27, 2024, before an opening on March 18.
A version of this story first appeared in the Dec. 7 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
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