Interview with actors, director and writer of “State of the Union”

TV Interview!

"State of the Union" panel

Interview with actors Brendan Gleeson, Patricia Clarkson, and Esco JoulĂ©y; director Stephen Frears and EP Nick Hornby of “State of the Union” on SundanceTV by Suzanne 2/10/22

This was such a fun and funny TCA (Television Critics Association) panel to listen to. These are great actors in an emotional show. You should check it out if you can. It airs on Sundance and SundanceNow. They’re only 10 minute episodes, so it’s easy to watch, in that sense.

Brendan and Patricia were asked if they ever had to adjust the speed of their dialogue to keep the episode length to 10 minutes, or whether they ever went longer than 10 minutes. (I’m sure the editing would take care of this. It’s not like it’s live.) Brendan explained that their director kept them going at a fast pace. However, the way the dialogue is written makes them want to go fast. He found it “exhilarating.” Patricia agreed and said that they had to make the most of their “brilliant 10 minutes.” No time was wasted, and they love how director Frears kept them going. Esco jokingly imitated Frears, saying, “Faster. Faster.” Frears made jokes of his own that all esteemed directors Billy Wilder and Steven Spielberg ever said was “Faster!” This was a very fun panel with a lot of jokes and laughing.

A journalist asked if they felt the same frustrations as Scott did (ordering coffee, etc.) and whether they were on his side in the story, or more on Ellen’s side. Brendan replied that he wasn’t familiar with a lot of the subjects addressed in the show, such as using the correct pronouns. Esco helped him with that. He said, “it was very liberating to explore how gender has become such a kind of imprisoning definition.” He loves how the writing makes Scott very curious about things, even though he does complain a lot. Esco chimed in to say he learned from the script, too. Nick added that he didn’t have the same problems as Scott does in the show, but he does “completely understand the mindset,” which is how he was able to write it. He agrees with Brendan that he “discovered a lot of things through the writing and then through talking to Esco.” He explained that “I go into a complicated coffee order, then it’s difficult the first time, and then I order the same thing 3,000 times in a row.” This made everyone laugh. Nick quoted one of Scott’s lines, where he was yelling at himself for saying the wrong pronoun: “Oh, Scott, you stupid old man.” Nick confided that someone had pointed that out to him one time, and he said it to himself. So it worked out well to give it to Scott. Everyone laughed at that, too.

Esco admired how Scott was able to recover from making a mistake a recognizing that someone else wasn’t pleased by it. He said, “Because at the end of the day, we all want to be respected. This person just wants it differently than you and it’s like, okay, I’m going to go on this journey with you to respect you the best way I can because I appreciate you.”

Patricia joined in the conversation by explaining that there were non-binary assistants and others on their set, so they had to do in real life what their characters were doing on-screen, so it was “wonderful” and helpful for them to learn all of these things. She noted that it was “quite remarkable at times.” Nick joked that “I think it’s kind of a miracle that Brendan, Stephen, and I managed to get through it without Esco stalking off the set and never coming back.” Everyone laughed and joined in the joking. Esco complimented them all for being “amazing.” He points out that the intention matters. If someone isn’t being mean (just ignorant), then he’s happy to help them learn because he’s meeting them for the first time, too.

Patricia told Esco that he’s “one of the coolest people ever put on this planet.” She went on to compliment him more. Brendan added in his own praise, too. Esco talked about how we all “make assumptions” so it’s amazing how people can see you differently that you see yourself. In the show, Jay is able to “know Scott even more.” There was more joking around after that.

A journalist asked Nick if there was any difference for him, writing for men or women. Nick says that he just writes for people, and there are so many different kinds of people out there to write about. He starts with a character and then builds the story from there. He doesn’t think of them as being a particular gender. A writer’s job is to write everyone. Of writing people of different sexuality than him, he said, “you’ve just got to hope for the best, observe as much as you can, and get people to read.” He asks for help from others if he’s not sure about certain things, which he did for the part of Jay. He turned the question over to Patricia. She replied, “Oh, honey, I’ll take anything you want to write me, any day of the week.” This led to more laughter, of course. Then Patricia praised him a lot, saying, “I’ve never had such a delicious, glorious feast of words.” She says that his dialogue is very fast and funny. She added, “it moves so quickly between the emotional and the poignant and the poetic and then into brilliant comedy. It’s just all in one quick breath sometimes and it’s an actor’s dream. It’ll kill you, but it’s an actor’s dream.” There was more laughing.

Esco piped up that he really loved that he writes for humans because once he read the script and saw that Jay was a real person, he had to do it. He added, “it made me feel so three-dimensional.” Brendan joked, “I think it’s worth mentioning on top of that that men are humans, too.” He also praised Nick’s writing. He noticed that, “even when they’re chatting to each other, the whole idea of being able to learn and listen, and also then a certain generosity of spirit, I mean it’s what obviously has united this particular troop.” He said it was a “a joy” to work with these people because they were “so committed and so vigorous in what they were doing, but also emotionally brave.” He went on and on, but you get the idea.

Esco was getting emotional and said he missed them all, confessing that he felt all the feels at that moment. He just thought it was “amazing” and it made him feel “like a superhero and we were on the A-Team.”

Another press person asked Brendan and Patricia if the dialogue, which is sometimes “so raw and painful” ever made them feel things about their own lives or reflect on their own mistakes. Brenda replied that as an actor, you always have to use part of your own experience to fit your character. Patricia told us that it was never easy to say these type of lines as an actor, that it’s “brutal.”

Brendan added that he can really relate to Scott’s confusion, and Nick agreed. The press person agreed that it’s probably “a male thing…We’re all baffled. We’re all baffled in relationships.” There was a lot of laughing and agreeing.

Nick was asked a question that had nothing to do with the show. He was asked whether any of his other books would be turned into TV shows. He also asked his opinion about “Ted Lasso.” Nick refused to talk about “Ted Lasso.” He enjoys when he books become movies or TV shows, so it’s fine with him if it happens more. He said that back when he sold “High Fidelity,” it was a new experience for him. He related that he made “incredible friendships with people that I might not otherwise have met, one of them the director of this series and another one with the writer of the original movie.” It allowed him to learn about other industries. He mentioned that another TV series of his novel “Funny Girl” will be coming out later this year, so he’s enjoyed getting to know those people.

MORE INFO:

"State of the Union" season 2 posterEmmy-winning State of the Union Renewed for a Second Season with New Cast on SundanceTV 

BACK FOR A LITTLE MORE, THE EMMY AWARD-WINNING SHORT FORM SERIES STATE OF THE UNION RENEWED FOR A SECOND SEASON ON SUNDANCETV

CREATOR NICK HORNBY AND DIRECTOR STEPHEN FREARS REUNITE TO DELIVER A PROFOUND EXPLORATION OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS IN THE NEXT INSTALLMENT OF GROUNDBREAKING SERIES FROM SEE-SAW FILMS

NEW SEASON PREMIERING LATER THIS YEAR ON SUNDANCETV AND SUNDANCE NOW STARS BRENDAN GLEESON, PATRICIA CLARKSON AND ESCO JOULÉY

NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES – January 27, 2021 – SundanceTV announced that it has renewed the EmmyÂźaward-winning short form drama series, State of the Union, for a second season. Produced by See-Saw Films, Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges), Patricia Clarkson (Sharp Objects) and Esco JoulĂ©y (High Maintenence) will lead the second installment of the innovative format, 10 episodes, each 10 minutes in length, which commenced production in January. The second season will premiere on SundanceTV and AMC Networks’ streaming service Sundance Now later this year.

Written by Nick Hornby (Brooklyn, An Education) and directed by Stephen Frears (The Queen, A Very English Scandal), State of the Union, cleverly explores relationships and the human experience. In this season, liberal campaigning Ellen (Clarkson) drags her traditional, self-made husband Scott (Gleeson) out of his comfort zone and into a hipster Connecticut coffee shop, where they have ten minutes before their marriage counseling session to drink a coffee, gather their thoughts and argue about everything from Quakerism to pronouns. Amongst the bickering they also discuss betrayals from their past, how they’re changing as people, and what the future of their relationship might look like in a changing world.

“The first season of State of the Union was a triumph of storytelling form, captivating audiences – 10 minutes at a time – by smartly and authentically exploring our fundamental humanity and curiosity around what makes people think, feel, love and interact,” said Dan McDermott, president of original programming for AMC Networks. “We are thrilled to once again partner with the great Nick Hornby and Stephen Frears, and welcome Brendan, Patricia and Esco, to break new ground in short-form storytelling with a series built on the most universal and unifying element of all – the human relationship.

“We are over the moon to be given another opportunity to work with Nick and Stephen on a new season of State of the Union with our friends at SundanceTV.” Said Jamie Laurenson and Hakan Kousetta, Executive Producers, See-Saw Films. “We are incredibly happy to welcome Brendan, Patricia and Esco to the team for a new story this season.”

Emmy Award-winning and multiple Golden Globe nominee, Brendan Gleeson recently played the role of Donald Trump in the CBS miniseries The Comey Rule and will soon be seen in the role of King Duncan in Joel Coen’s film adaptation of Macbeth. Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe- Critics’ Choice- and Emmy Award-winning actress, Patricia Clarkson was recently seen in the HBO limited series Sharp Objects and the sixth and final season of Netflix’ House of Cards. Burgeoning multi-talent Esco Jouley recently wrapped a role on the upcoming Starz series Blindspotting, from creators Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs, and was recently seen in HBO’s High Maintenance. Full Bios and Headshots

Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta, Iain Canning, and Emile Sherman are executive producers along with Hornby and Frears, with Sophie Reynolds producing the series for See-Saw Films. Kristin Jones, EVP of international programming for AMC and SundanceTV, is the executive in charge for SundanceTV. Endeavor Content is handling international sales.

The first season of State of the Union starred Oscar¼-nominee Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl, A Private War) and Emmy¼-winner Chris O’Dowd (Bridesmaids, Get Shorty) in an innovative look at a couple who meet for drinks ahead of their weekly marriage counseling appointments. The short form series premiered as an official selection of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and screened at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival.  State of the Union received three Emmy awards: Short Form Comedy or Drama Series, Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama (Pike) and Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama (O’Dowd).

About SundanceTV

Since its launch in 1996, SundanceTV has remained true to founder Robert Redford’s mission to celebrate creativity and distinctive storytelling through unique voices and narratives found in the best independent films. From delivering critically acclaimed Emmy¼, Golden Globe¼ and Peabody Award-winning television featuring some of the world’s most talented creators and performers, to showcasing some of the most compelling and iconic films across genres and generations, SundanceTV is a smart and thought-provoking entertainment destination.  SundanceTV is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc.; its sister networks include AMC, IFC, BBC America and WE tv. SundanceTV is available across all platforms, including on-air, online at www.sundancetv.com, on demand and mobile.

About Sundance Now

AMC Networks’ streaming service Sundance Now is for culture craving TV watchers looking for their next series to obsess over and offers a rich selection of original and exclusive series from engrossing true crime to heart-stopping dramas and fiercely intelligent thrillers from around the world, all streaming commercial-free. Adding exclusive new programs every week, Sundance Now has exclusively premiered several distinctive, critically acclaimed Sundance Now Original Series, including supernatural drama A Discovery of Witches; glamourous thriller Riviera; and critically acclaimed French spy drama The Bureau; plus Sundance Now Exclusives, such as Nordic noir thriller Wisting and British drama Des starring David Tennant; as well as riveting true crime series like No One Saw a Thing.

Follow Sundance Now on:

Twitter@sundance_now

Facebook@SundanceNow

Instagram@SundanceNow

YouTube@Sundance Now

About See-Saw Films

Academy AwardÂź, BAFTA and Emmy Award winning producers Iain Canning and Emile Sherman founded See-Saw Films in 2008. With offices in London and Sydney, See-Saw specializes in international film and television production.

See-Saw’s film projects include this year’s awards contender Ammonite, written and directed by Francis Lee, starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan which was selected for the Cannes, Telluride, Toronto and London Film festivals. In 2016 they released the six-time Academy Award¼ nominated Lion, starring Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman and Rooney Mara, as well as The King’s Speech, which was nominated for twelve and won four Academy Awards¼ in 2011 including Best Motion Picture. Recent projects include Widows directed by Steve McQueen and starring Viola Davis. Upcoming projects include Operation Mincemeat, directed by John Madden and starring Colin Firth, Matthew Macfadyen and Kelly Macdonald; The Power Of The Dog, written and directed by Jane Campion, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons; and The Unknown Man directed by Thomas M Wright, starring Joel Edgerton and Sean Harris.

See-Saw’s television division kicked off with the multi-award winning first season of Jane Campion’s ‘Top of the Lake’. Campion returned with ‘Top of The Lake: China Girl’ starring Elisabeth Moss, Nicole Kidman and Gwendoline Christie which premiered at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for a Golden Globe.  ‘State of the Union,’ written by Nick Hornby, directed by Stephen Frears and starring Rosamund Pike and Chris O’Dowd had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival 2019 and won three Emmy Awards. Recent projects include Samantha Strauss’ ‘The End’ for Foxtel and Sky Atlantic, starring Harriet Walter and Frances O’Connor. Upcoming projects include ‘The North Water’ for BBC Two written and directed by Andrew Haigh, starring Colin Farrell, Jack O’Connell and Stephen Graham; ‘Slow Horses’ for Apple TV+, starring Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden and Kristin Scott Thomas; and ‘The Essex Serpent’ for Apple TV+, directed by Clio Barnard.

Nick Hornby Bio

Nick Hornby is an OscarÂź-nominated screenwriter and award-winning author. He won an Emmy for his short form series State Of The Union directed by Stephen Frears and starring Rosamund Pyke and Chris O’Dowd. He adapted Nina Stibbe’s memoir Love, Nina into a BBC1 television series and received Academy AwardÂź and BAFTA nominations for his screenplay adaptation of Colm Tóibín’s novel Brooklyn, which was directed by John Crowley. The film starred Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Julie Walters and Jim Broadbent, received three Oscar nominations in total and was awarded BAFTA’s Outstanding British Film. Nick’s previous film and television projects include his Oscar and BAFTA-nominated adaptation of Lynn Barber’s memoir An Education, which was directed by Lone Scherfig and starred Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Dominic Cooper, Rosamund Pike and Emma Thompson, his adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s New York Times bestselling memoir into the film Wild, which starred Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern, and his adaptation of his own memoir for the screenplay of Fever Pitch starring Colin Firth.

Nick’s best-selling books have served as a rich stream of inspiration for filmmakers: the British film of Fever Pitch was re-made by the Farrelly brothers, starring Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon; High Fidelity was directed by Stephen Frears, starring John Cusack and Jack Black, and in 2020 was re-imagined as a TV series starring Zoe Kravitz; About A Boy was directed by the Weitz brothers, starring Hugh Grant, Rachel Weisz and Toni Collette; A Long Way Down was directed by Pascal Chaumeil, starring Pierce Brosnan, Aaron Paul and Toni Collette, and his young adult novel Slam was adapted into an Italian language feature directed by Andrea Molaioli. Jesse Peretz directed an adaptation of his novel Juliet, Naked, starring Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke, and Chris O’Dowd.

Nick’s other novels include How to be Good (2001), Funny Girl (2014) and Just Like You (2020). His non-fiction work includes Fever Pitch, 31 Songs, and The Complete Polysyllabic Spree, a collection of Nick’s book columns for US magazine The Believer, to which he continues to contribute a bi-monthly column. Among other recognition for his literature, Nick received the EM Forster Award from the American Academy of Arts & Letters. In 2010, he co-founded the children’s writing charity The Ministry of Stories, located in East London and now expanding to other UK cities.

Stephen Frears Bio

Unanimously regarded as one of Britain’s finest directors, Stephen Frears has always embraced a wide variety of styles, themes and genres. He worked almost exclusively for the small screen in the first 15 years of his career, with programs such as One Fine Day by Alan Bennett and Three Men In A Boat by Tom Stoppard. Stephen’s more recent TV work includes Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight for HBO and Channel 4’s The Deal starring Michael Sheen and David Morrissey. In the mid-1980s he turned to the cinema, shooting The Hit (1984), starring Terence Stamp, John Hurt and Tim Roth. The following year he made My Beautiful Laundrette for Channel 4, which crossed over to big-screen audiences and altered the course of his career. After directing its companion piece Sammy And Rosie Get Laid and the Joe Orton biopic Prick Up Your Ears, he began working in Hollywood, with Dangerous Liaisons and the Grifters (for which he was Oscar¼-nominated) among his most notable titles.

Returning closer to home, he directed The Snapper and The Van, two Irish films based on Roddy Doyle stories and, after a second spell of making American films (The Hi-Lo Country and High Fidelity), based himself largely in Britain. Frears showed his versatility with two vastly different movies – Dirty Pretty Things, a realistic account of immigrant life in London, and Mrs Henderson Presents, a nostalgic backstage comedy-drama. For his 2006 film The Queen he was again nominated for an Oscar. His subsequent films included Cheri and Tamara Drewe. He followed these with Philomena, starring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan, which won a BAFTA and was nominated for three others, along with three Golden Globe and four Oscar nominations; The Program, which starred Ben Foster as seven time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong; and Florence Foster Jenkins, starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant, which received various accolades including a Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture and an Oscar nomination for Streep. Frears followed this with Victoria & Abdul, which starred Judi Dench, who received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance. Frears’ return to TV was with the acclaimed three-part BBC television series A Very English Scandal, which won Stephen a BAFTA for Best Director. He followed this up with an Emmy win for Nick Hornby’s short form series State Of The Union – starring Rosamund Pike and Chris O’Dowd; and most recently directed James Graham’s QUIZ for ITV starring Michael Sheen and Matthew Macfadyen.

Patricia Clarkson as Ellen and Brendan Gleeson as Scott - State of the Union _ Season2, Episode3 - Photo Credit: Laura Radford/See-Saw Films/Sundance TVSTATE OF THE UNION Season 2 – BIOS
Brendan Gleeson (Cast, “Scott”)

Brendan recently played the role of Donald Trump in the CBS miniseries The Comey Rule. He will next be
seen in the role of King Duncan in Joel Coen’s film adaptation of The Tragedy of Macbeth, which is due
for release this year.

He played the lead role in three seasons of the acclaimed, Mr. Mercedes based on the Bill Hodges novel
trilogy by Stephen King.

Other recent projects include Frankie opposite Marisa Tomei and directed by Ira Sachs, The Ballad of
Buster Scruggs directed by the Coen Brothers, Paddington 2 directed by Paul King, Hampstead opposite
Diane Keaton and directed by Joel Hopkins, Live By Night directed by Ben Affleck, Justin Kurzel’s
Assassin’s Creed with Michael Fassbender, Vincent Perez’s Alone in Berlin opposite Emma Thompson,
Adam Smith’s Trespass Against Us, Sarah Gavron’s Suffragette with Meryl Streep and Carey Mulligan,
and In The Heart of the Sea directed by Ron Howard.

Other projects in recent years include Calvary directed by John Michael McDonagh, Doug Liman’s Edge
of Tomorrow with Tom Cruise, and Cartoon Saloon’s Song of the Sea, directed by Tomm Moore. He is
also wellknown for his role as Professor Alastor Moody in the Harry Potter films, and for his portrayal of
Sergeant Gerry Boyle in John Michael McDonagh’s The Guard.

Brendan was nominated for Golden Globe and BAFTA awards for his role as Ken in Martin McDonagh’s
In Bruges, and won an Emmy for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in HBO’s Into The Storm, directed by
Thaddeus O’Sullivan. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe and BAFTA for this performance.

He is an accomplished musician, playing the fiddle and mandolin.

Patricia Clarkson (Cast, “Ellen”)
Academy Award nominee, Golden Globe Award, Critics’ Choice Award and Emmy Awardwinning
actress, Patricia Clarkson takes on roles as varied as the platforms for which she plays them. This multi
faceted approach makes her one of today’s most respected actresses.

Clarkson’s continuous innovative work in independent film earned her the 2018 British Independent
Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Sally Potter’s film The Party. In 2010 she received
rave reviews for her starring role in the award winning romantic drama, Cairo Time, which put her
career in the American spotlight. She won the Independent Award for Acting Excellence at the 2009
ShoWest Awards. In 2003, her role in Pieces of April earned her nominations for an Academy Award,
Golden Globe, SAG, Broadcast Film Critics and Independent Spirit awards. The National Board of Review
and the National Society of Film Critics named her Best Supporting Actress of the Year for her work in
Pieces of April and The Station Agent.
2019 garnered Clarkson the Golden Globe Award and Critics’ Choice Award for her role in HBO’s Sharp
Objects. Last year she was also seen at the helm of the Krewe of Muses Mardi Gras Parade, she was
honored with the Precious Gem Award at the Miami Film Festival, and honored with the prestigious
“Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema” from the 54th annual Karlovy Vary
International Film Festival.

Clarkson’s recent films include Isabel Coixet’s The Bookshop, the independent film drama Jonathan,
opposite Ansel Elgort, the final installment of the Maze Runner trilogy, the detective film Out of Blue
based on the Martin Amis novel, in which she plays the lead character, and Sally Potter’s film The Party.

Recent television projects include the HBO limited series Sharp Objects and the sixth and final season of
Netflix’ House of Cards. She will next be seen in State of the Union.

In 2014 she starred alongside Sir Ben Kingsley in Learning to Drive directed by Isabel Coixet. The film
won runner up honors for the People’s Choice Award at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival and
was released in August 2015 and opened to critical acclaim. Other recent films include the timely thriller
The East, opposite Brit Marling and Alexander SkarsgÄrd, the comedy Friends with Benefits, in which she
costars with Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis and the Lone Scherfig directed drama, One Day with Anne
Hathaway and Jim Sturgess. In 2010, she was seen in the box office hit Easy A.

Clarkson and the cast of Good Night, and Good Luck. with George Clooney and David Straithairn,
received both Screen Actors Guild and Gotham Award nominations for Best Ensemble. Far From Heaven
won her a New York Film Critics Circle Award for Supporting Actress, All The Real Girls won her a Special
Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and The Safety of Objects earned her an Acting Prize at the
Deauville Film Festival. The Green Mile earned Clarkson and cast (including Tom Hanks and James
Cromwell) a Screen Actors Guild Best Ensemble Award nomination, and High Art earned her an
Independent Spirit Award nomination for Supporting Actress.

Other film credits include: Martin Scorsese’s thriller Shutter Island, Woody Allen’s Whatever Works and
Vicky Christina Barcelona, Blind Date with Stanley Tucci, Elegy, No Reservations, All The King’s Men, Lars
and the Real Girl, Simply Irresistible, The Pledge, Jumanji, Rocket Gibraltar and The Untouchables.

In 2011, Clarkson was seen in Lifetime’s Five, an anthology of five short films exploring the impact of
breast cancer on people’s lives directed by Jennifer Aniston, Alicia Keys, Demi Moore, Patty Jenkins and
Penelope Spheeris. She previously guest starred in the critically acclaimed HBO series Six Feet Under, for
which she won an Emmy in 2002 and again in 2006.

In December 2014, Clarkson returned to Broadway, after a 25 year hiatus from the stage, to star in The
Elephant Man, opposite Bradley Cooper and Alessandro Nivola. Following its successful run on
Broadway, the cast reprised their roles on the West End at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London the
following year. That year, Clarkson was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle award for “Outstanding
Featured Actress in a Play” and a Tony Award nomination for her role in The Elephant Man.

Esco JoulĂ©y (Cast, “Jay”)
Esco Jouléy is an actor, singer, dancer, clown, movement artist, and creator located in New York City.
Esco recently wrapped a role on the upcoming Starz series Blindspotting, from creators Rafael Casal and
Daveed Diggs. Recent credits include HBO’s High Maintenance, Netflix’s upcoming series Inventing Anna,
Hulu’s Monsterland and Bravo’s In A Man’s World, where they appeared as a movement coach. Esco’s
theater credits include: Interstate, Runaways, Galatea, The Demise (Magic Theater Player), and Beowulf.
Esco was a resident actor at the historic Barter Theater for three and a half years and is an alum of the
ABC Discovers Showcase.
As a movement artist, Esco is the creator and performer of One, a mute character that lives in the same
world as the great artists Charlie Chaplin, Burt Williams, and Harpo Marx. Esco has used this character
to explore the language of movement and how one would communicate with people if one could not
speak. Esco is a Penn State University graduate with a BA in Integrative Arts and a minor in Dance. Esco
also graduated from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in NYC. Esco was awarded the Robert
J. Prindle and Doris P. Prindle Memorial Award and the Lauren M. Becker Memorial Award in creative
art. More information about Esco and their work can be found at
escojouley.com, @escojouley,
onezlife.com
, and @onezlife.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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Patricia Clarkson as Ellen, Brendan Gleeson as Scott and Esco Jouléy as Jay - State of the Union_Season 2, Episode 10 - Photo Credit: Laura Radford/See-Saw Films/Sundance TV