(upbeat instrumental music) – Tony nominee and Broadway favorite, Jonathan Groff, has been keeping busy. On top of starring in season 2 of the Netflix hit, “Mindhunter,” And gearing up for Frozen 2’s hotly anticipated movie release, he is back on the New York stage as the adorably nerdy Seymour, in the off-Broadway revival of “Little Shop of Horrors.” Hear about why “Little Shop” might be the most fun he’s ever had, what Luke Skywalker and Elsa have in common, and more, on this week’s Show People. (upbeat instrumental music) – Mr. Groff, good to see you. – So good to see you. – Welcome back to Show People. – Thank you, I’m so happy to be back. – [Paul] I love when you’re on the boards. – Me too. – I know. You know, the last time you were here, you said that nothing makes you happier than being on a bike, in New York City, riding to a theater, even to see a show, but ideally starring in a show. – Yes. – So you must be living your best life right now. – You know me so well. – And I saw you at “Little Shop” and you literally had your bike helmet, you were ready to get on your bike. – Yes. Yeah, my mom got me a new bike helmet, in San Francisco, that’s blue, that lights up, that does a blinking light. – Safety first. – Yeah, safety first. – Yep. – Yeah, it’s so great.
I was riding home on my bike last night. Really, it’s such a amazing feeling, thinking like, I’m living my favorite version of my life right now. – Well, congratulations. – Thank you. – And you’re singing and dancing. – Yeah, yes. – With a killer plant, off-Broadway. It’s very interesting, this “Little Shop” production. – Yeah. – They’ve brought back “Little Shop of Horrors,” which obviously was an off-Broadway institution. – Yep. – [Paul] Went on to be a great film and a big Broadway production. And they’ve sort of been everywhere. But they sort of, Michael Mayer, I guess, who you’ve known forever, had a dream of bringing it back down a little bit, right? – To its “roots.” – Look at that.
Aren’t you clever. – As they’ve been saying. It’s not me, that’s like the marketing people, that it’s, like, on a flag now inside the theater. “Back to its roots.” – Got it, okay. – But Michael, when he called us all to do it, that was his pitch. – Right. – He said, “I love “Little Shop of Horrors.” “I saw it in the ’80s. “We’re gonna do it off-Broadway. “It’s never moving to Broadway.” And he said to all of us, “I wanna do this show “for the reason that we all used to do shows.” Which was just to have a blast and have a great time, without the pressure of award season, no one’s doing this to make a lot of money. He assembled a team of people that wanted to celebrate the show, and have fun, like we were doing Summer Stock. And from the first day of rehearsal, it’s been that vibe. And it’s funny because you really get the, as a cast, and a crew, and a band, we feel that energy when we’re about to do the show, but then you also feel that energy from the audience, that people, because they’re so close are there to celebrate the show and to have a good time.
And it’s like, explosive in that little church on 43rd Street, every night. It’s been such a blast. – Is it a former church? – Yeah. – Oh, who knew? – Former church, converted into– – I didn’t even know that. – Yeah. – I said to Michael, I was like the last time we were in a church was at the Atlantic Theater. Where we were “Spring Awakening.” – Ah, the “Spring Awakening.” I saw it there, yeah. – Yeah.
It’s such a perfect venue for the show. And we’re all just so obsessed with the show, that it’s like doing the high school musical, or something. It might be the most fun I’ve ever had. – Wow.
You had a big statement. – I know. – You’ve done a lot of fun things. – I know, I know. There’s just something really joyful about this whole experience. – I am also a “Little Shop of Horrors” super fan. – Okay, good to know. – I have been forever. – Okay. – Super fan. I saw it really early. I saw a few previews, kind of unfairly, I saw it like a maybe two or three previews into the run. And, you know, the show was in great shape.
You, however as Seymour, you looked like you were, like Carol Channing in her final farewell tour as Dolly. (laughs) You looked like you had been rehearsing the role of Seymour your entire life. – Oh my god. – You were like, you were already giving the epic performance. You were so… Is it true, have you been singing “Skid Row” and “Grow For Me?” – Yeah, listen, I’m like– – “Down on the Farm.” – Yes. – When you were a kid. It felt that way. – They’ll tell you that when I showed up to rehearsal, I’m like a horse, literally chomping at the bit, to get out and do this show. When I was 11 years old, I was singing “Skid Row” in the kitchen, crying. – Sure.
You were like sweeping the floor? – Yeah, well– ♪ Sweep that floor ♪ Your mom would sing “Sweep That Floor, Kid.” – Totally. I would actually sweep the barn, my dad’s barn. – Singing it, yep. – We’d be sweeping. Yeah, so that it can really call on, it was horse shit, so it was like a slightly different than dirt, like plant dirt, but… – Not that different. – Kinda not that different. Same vibe, sort of. – Right, for sure. – When Michael presented it to us in May, and I listened to it, I just, as an adult, as a 34-year-old, I had a memory of it as a kid, of singing, “Someone show me a way “to get out of here,” and crying. And then I was like, oh, “Little Shop,” yeah.
And I listened to it. And then from the day he told me about it, to this day, I’ve listened to it every single day, so for months. I became obsessed. – Which version are you listening to? – The original off-Broadway – Off-Broadway. – Recording. – Lee Wilkof. – Well I listened to all of them, really. – [Paul] Ellen Greene. – [Jonathan] Yes. – [Paul] The iconic. – I mean, it is– – The original. – But I also listen to Hunter. – [Paul] Sure. – And I listen to the movies. I listen to all of it. – Yeah. – But really, because we were doing the off-Broadway version, I listened to that one the most. – Yeah. – I just became obsessed with the show, and obsessed with how brilliantly written it is. – I know. – And so it was like, kind of coming back to something that I had a childhood obsession with.
And then, coming back to it, knowing that we were gonna get to perform it. But I’m not the only one. Michael felt that way, and Christian, and Tami, and everyone that’s – Christian Borle, Tammy Blanchard. – [Jonathan] Yeah, everyone that’s been working on the show. – They’re amazing co-stars. – They were all fans of the show. But yeah, I mean, I was like, became deeply obsessed. Deeply obsessed. – Your Achilles heel is your uncontrollable laughter. (laughs) – [Paul] Like that. – Yes, oh my god.
Remember when I had to do that intro the last time. – [Paul] Yeah, there’s a great post on, we put it on YouTube, it’s 107 seconds of you just laughing and not being able to speak. (claps) Not being able to do a very simple– – [Jonathan] Yes, yes. – [Paul] One line. – [Jonathan] Yeah! (laughs). – We don’t do those anymore. We don’t have time. – Right. Yeah, we don’t (laughs) – We don’t have time for you to try to figure it out. – Ain’t nobody got time for that. Yeah, exactly. – You’re a laugher. And, you also have talked about laughing on the set of your Netflix hit, “Mindhunter.” Which I love, and which we’re gonna talk more about. – [Jonathan] Okay, great. – You have this problem, and I don’t know how you’re on stage with Christian Borle. – [Jonathan] I don’t either.
Well I’m just, my sphincter is very tight whenever Christian Borle is on stage. – Too much information. That’s a headline. (laughs) That’s a headline. – I’m like (sucks in air), trying not to. But it also doesn’t work. He will then, in turn, laugh at me, because oftentimes, especially in the second act when he does, what I call, his hat trick, where he comes in as those three characters, boom, boom, boom, during the “Meek Shall Inherit.” – During the “Meek Shall Inherit.” – Yeah. And he comes out, I’m just like (laughs).
Just, not in character, I’m just laughing at him because he’s so funny. I just, I can’t help but smile. – Yeah. And Tammy Blanchard, Tammy Blanchard of Bayonne.
Do you like Jersey girls? She’s a real Jersey girl. Very authentic, I love Tammy. – I feel the actual love for her. (laughs) – I am in love with her. – [Paul] Yeah. – We all are. She is, well as you know, she is just insanely lovable, so unique, so special.
And, when I see her, I feel love in my heart. I’m just deeply, deeply in love with her. And “Suddenly Seymour” is just like, never anything I would have ever anticipated.
The way that she, what she brings to that, and the way I feel towards her, while it’s happening, is like, it’s real love. I mean, I just, I feel so in love with her, and I just am deeply obsessed. We all are, we’re all so obsessed with Tammy. – Deeply obsessed. – Mm-hmm, everyone. The whole… We all try to do her accent backstage. (laughs) She has her beautiful daughter Ava, has came to our rehearsals, and came to our run through in the rehearsal room, and sat next to Michael, the director.
And the girls come out at the beginning, Salome and Joy, and Ari. And they were like, “Tell your momma “somethin’ gonna get her.” Right, so they’re looking at her daughter. (laughs) Her family’s kind of been apart of the show from we’re always asking about Ava. And so, it’s just been a really special, special experience with her. – I love it. I also love you being just like super nerd.
People think of you as a hunk because of some of the things you’ve done. I always thought, knowing you, I’ve always found you to be kind of an unlikely hunk. Is that fair to say? (laughs) – Sure. – Because your personality isn’t…
Like, I love when I see you smoldering in a photograph. (laughs) – You do (murmurs), right. (laughs) – Not smiling, ’cause it’s so not who I am. Yeah, Michael, well this was when Michael, we went to see, he invited me to “Rigoletto,” his final “Rigoletto” at the Met, That’s been going on for years. This was back in May.
And we were at the first intermission, and he said, “I think I found.” ‘Cause it’s been 13 years since we’ve done a show together. But we’ve stayed friends, and hang out. – [Paul] Little show called “Spring Awakening.” – [Jonathan] “Spring Awakening,” right. And we were at the intermission and he sorted of teased me, he was like, “What are you doing this fall?” I was like, “I don’t know, I’m not doing anything.” And he said, “I think I have the next show “that we’re gonna work on, because I know something “about you that people don’t really know.” – Which is what?
That you’re– – And I was like, “What?” Such a good– – That’s literally all he said? – That was all he said. And I was like, that’s such a smart director, ’cause as an actor I’m like, “What do you know about me that…” You know it’s like the smart thing to say to an actor. And then, a week later, we’d talk about “Little Shop of Horrors,” and he was like, “Because I know you’re “a nerd, like as a person. “I know that this is gonna be more of a natural fit for you, “just in who you are, than Melchior or “King George III.” – Right. – Which it does feel like more who I am. – Right. – And my friends that have come to see it are like, “Oh, I feel like I’m actually seeing you onstage.” – Right.
A big nerd. – Yeah (laughs). – We’ll be back with Jonathan Groff, after this break. (upbeat instrumental music) (upbeat instrumental music) And we’re back with super sex symbol and Broadway nerd, Jonathan Groff. How you doin? (laughs) – I’m good. – [Paul] You havin’ a good time? – Such a good time. – Everything’s good. – It’s speeding by. – Okay, yeah I know. – I’m also appreciating your flowery green tie. – Thank you, Target. – No way. (laughs) – Target. – I love it. I don’t know if you intended it as part of the “Little Shop” theme, but… – I think about these things sometimes. – Maybe subconscious, or I don’t know. – Yeah.
(upbeat instrumental music) – Tony nominee and Broadway favorite, Jonathan Groff, has been keeping busy. On top of starring in season 2 of the Netflix hit, “Mindhunter,” And gearing up for Frozen 2’s hotly anticipated movie release, he is back on the New York stage as the adorably nerdy Seymour, in the off-Broadway revival of “Little Shop of Horrors.” Hear about why “Little Shop” might be the most fun he’s ever had, what Luke Skywalker and Elsa have in common, and more, on this week’s Show People. (upbeat instrumental music) – Mr. Groff, good to see you. – So good to see you. – Welcome back to Show People. – Thank you, I’m so happy to be back. – [Paul] I love when you’re on the boards. – Me too. – I know. You know, the last time you were here, you said that nothing makes you happier than being on a bike, in New York City, riding to a theater, even to see a show, but ideally starring in a show. – Yes. – So you must be living your best life right now. – You know me so well. – And I saw you at “Little Shop” and you literally had your bike helmet, you were ready to get on your bike. – Yes. Yeah, my mom got me a new bike helmet, in San Francisco, that’s blue, that lights up, that does a blinking light. – Safety first. – Yeah, safety first. – Yep. – Yeah, it’s so great.
I was riding home on my bike last night. Really, it’s such a amazing feeling, thinking like, I’m living my favorite version of my life right now. – Well, congratulations. – Thank you. – And you’re singing and dancing. – Yeah, yes. – With a killer plant, off-Broadway. It’s very interesting, this “Little Shop” production. – Yeah. – They’ve brought back “Little Shop of Horrors,” which obviously was an off-Broadway institution. – Yep. – [Paul] Went on to be a great film and a big Broadway production. And they’ve sort of been everywhere. But they sort of, Michael Mayer, I guess, who you’ve known forever, had a dream of bringing it back down a little bit, right? – To its “roots.” – Look at that.
Aren’t you clever. – As they’ve been saying. It’s not me, that’s like the marketing people, that it’s, like, on a flag now inside the theater. “Back to its roots.” – Got it, okay. – But Michael, when he called us all to do it, that was his pitch. – Right. – He said, “I love “Little Shop of Horrors.” “I saw it in the ’80s. “We’re gonna do it off-Broadway. “It’s never moving to Broadway.” And he said to all of us, “I wanna do this show “for the reason that we all used to do shows.” Which was just to have a blast and have a great time, without the pressure of award season, no one’s doing this to make a lot of money. He assembled a team of people that wanted to celebrate the show, and have fun, like we were doing Summer Stock. And from the first day of rehearsal, it’s been that vibe. And it’s funny because you really get the, as a cast, and a crew, and a band, we feel that energy when we’re about to do the show, but then you also feel that energy from the audience, that people, because they’re so close are there to celebrate the show and to have a good time.
And it’s like, explosive in that little church on 43rd Street, every night. It’s been such a blast. – Is it a former church? – Yeah. – Oh, who knew? – Former church, converted into– – I didn’t even know that. – Yeah. – I said to Michael, I was like the last time we were in a church was at the Atlantic Theater. Where we were “Spring Awakening.” – Ah, the “Spring Awakening.” I saw it there, yeah. – Yeah.
It’s such a perfect venue for the show. And we’re all just so obsessed with the show, that it’s like doing the high school musical, or something. It might be the most fun I’ve ever had. – Wow.
You had a big statement. – I know. – You’ve done a lot of fun things. – I know, I know. There’s just something really joyful about this whole experience. – I am also a “Little Shop of Horrors” super fan. – Okay, good to know. – I have been forever. – Okay. – Super fan. I saw it really early. I saw a few previews, kind of unfairly, I saw it like a maybe two or three previews into the run. And, you know, the show was in great shape.
You, however as Seymour, you looked like you were, like Carol Channing in her final farewell tour as Dolly. (laughs) You looked like you had been rehearsing the role of Seymour your entire life. – Oh my god. – You were like, you were already giving the epic performance. You were so… Is it true, have you been singing “Skid Row” and “Grow For Me?” – Yeah, listen, I’m like– – “Down on the Farm.” – Yes. – When you were a kid. It felt that way. – They’ll tell you that when I showed up to rehearsal, I’m like a horse, literally chomping at the bit, to get out and do this show. When I was 11 years old, I was singing “Skid Row” in the kitchen, crying. – Sure.
You were like sweeping the floor? – Yeah, well– ♪ Sweep that floor ♪ Your mom would sing “Sweep That Floor, Kid.” – Totally. I would actually sweep the barn, my dad’s barn. – Singing it, yep. – We’d be sweeping. Yeah, so that it can really call on, it was horse shit, so it was like a slightly different than dirt, like plant dirt, but… – Not that different. – Kinda not that different. Same vibe, sort of. – Right, for sure. – When Michael presented it to us in May, and I listened to it, I just, as an adult, as a 34-year-old, I had a memory of it as a kid, of singing, “Someone show me a way “to get out of here,” and crying. And then I was like, oh, “Little Shop,” yeah.
And I listened to it. And then from the day he told me about it, to this day, I’ve listened to it every single day, so for months. I became obsessed. – Which version are you listening to? – The original off-Broadway – Off-Broadway. – Recording. – Lee Wilkof. – Well I listened to all of them, really. – [Paul] Ellen Greene. – [Jonathan] Yes. – [Paul] The iconic. – I mean, it is– – The original. – But I also listen to Hunter. – [Paul] Sure. – And I listen to the movies. I listen to all of it. – Yeah. – But really, because we were doing the off-Broadway version, I listened to that one the most. – Yeah. – I just became obsessed with the show, and obsessed with how brilliantly written it is. – I know. – And so it was like, kind of coming back to something that I had a childhood obsession with.
And then, coming back to it, knowing that we were gonna get to perform it. But I’m not the only one. Michael felt that way, and Christian, and Tami, and everyone that’s – Christian Borle, Tammy Blanchard. – [Jonathan] Yeah, everyone that’s been working on the show. – They’re amazing co-stars. – They were all fans of the show. But yeah, I mean, I was like, became deeply obsessed. Deeply obsessed. – Your Achilles heel is your uncontrollable laughter. (laughs) – [Paul] Like that. – Yes, oh my god.
Remember when I had to do that intro the last time. – [Paul] Yeah, there’s a great post on, we put it on YouTube, it’s 107 seconds of you just laughing and not being able to speak. (claps) Not being able to do a very simple– – [Jonathan] Yes, yes. – [Paul] One line. – [Jonathan] Yeah! (laughs). – We don’t do those anymore. We don’t have time. – Right. Yeah, we don’t (laughs) – We don’t have time for you to try to figure it out. – Ain’t nobody got time for that. Yeah, exactly. – You’re a laugher. And, you also have talked about laughing on the set of your Netflix hit, “Mindhunter.” Which I love, and which we’re gonna talk more about. – [Jonathan] Okay, great. – You have this problem, and I don’t know how you’re on stage with Christian Borle. – [Jonathan] I don’t either.
Well I’m just, my sphincter is very tight whenever Christian Borle is on stage. – Too much information. That’s a headline. (laughs) That’s a headline. – I’m like (sucks in air), trying not to. But it also doesn’t work. He will then, in turn, laugh at me, because oftentimes, especially in the second act when he does, what I call, his hat trick, where he comes in as those three characters, boom, boom, boom, during the “Meek Shall Inherit.” – During the “Meek Shall Inherit.” – Yeah. And he comes out, I’m just like (laughs).
Just, not in character, I’m just laughing at him because he’s so funny. I just, I can’t help but smile. – Yeah. And Tammy Blanchard, Tammy Blanchard of Bayonne.
Do you like Jersey girls? She’s a real Jersey girl. Very authentic, I love Tammy. – I feel the actual love for her. (laughs) – I am in love with her. – [Paul] Yeah. – We all are. She is, well as you know, she is just insanely lovable, so unique, so special.
And, when I see her, I feel love in my heart. I’m just deeply, deeply in love with her. And “Suddenly Seymour” is just like, never anything I would have ever anticipated.
The way that she, what she brings to that, and the way I feel towards her, while it’s happening, is like, it’s real love. I mean, I just, I feel so in love with her, and I just am deeply obsessed. We all are, we’re all so obsessed with Tammy. – Deeply obsessed. – Mm-hmm, everyone. The whole… We all try to do her accent backstage. (laughs) She has her beautiful daughter Ava, has came to our rehearsals, and came to our run through in the rehearsal room, and sat next to Michael, the director.
And the girls come out at the beginning, Salome and Joy, and Ari. And they were like, “Tell your momma “somethin’ gonna get her.” Right, so they’re looking at her daughter. (laughs) Her family’s kind of been apart of the show from we’re always asking about Ava. And so, it’s just been a really special, special experience with her. – I love it. I also love you being just like super nerd.
People think of you as a hunk because of some of the things you’ve done. I always thought, knowing you, I’ve always found you to be kind of an unlikely hunk. Is that fair to say? (laughs) – Sure. – Because your personality isn’t…
Like, I love when I see you smoldering in a photograph. (laughs) – You do (murmurs), right. (laughs) – Not smiling, ’cause it’s so not who I am. Yeah, Michael, well this was when Michael, we went to see, he invited me to “Rigoletto,” his final “Rigoletto” at the Met, That’s been going on for years. This was back in May.
And we were at the first intermission, and he said, “I think I found.” ‘Cause it’s been 13 years since we’ve done a show together. But we’ve stayed friends, and hang out. – [Paul] Little show called “Spring Awakening.” – [Jonathan] “Spring Awakening,” right. And we were at the intermission and he sorted of teased me, he was like, “What are you doing this fall?” I was like, “I don’t know, I’m not doing anything.” And he said, “I think I have the next show “that we’re gonna work on, because I know something “about you that people don’t really know.” – Which is what?
That you’re– – And I was like, “What?” Such a good– – That’s literally all he said? – That was all he said. And I was like, that’s such a smart director, ’cause as an actor I’m like, “What do you know about me that…” You know it’s like the smart thing to say to an actor. And then, a week later, we’d talk about “Little Shop of Horrors,” and he was like, “Because I know you’re “a nerd, like as a person. “I know that this is gonna be more of a natural fit for you, “just in who you are, than Melchior or “King George III.” – Right. – Which it does feel like more who I am. – Right. – And my friends that have come to see it are like, “Oh, I feel like I’m actually seeing you onstage.” – Right.
A big nerd. – Yeah (laughs). – We’ll be back with Jonathan Groff, after this break. (upbeat instrumental music) (upbeat instrumental music) And we’re back with super sex symbol and Broadway nerd, Jonathan Groff. How you doin? (laughs) – I’m good. – [Paul] You havin’ a good time? – Such a good time. – Everything’s good. – It’s speeding by. – Okay, yeah I know. – I’m also appreciating your flowery green tie. – Thank you, Target. – No way. (laughs) – Target. – I love it. I don’t know if you intended it as part of the “Little Shop” theme, but… – I think about these things sometimes. – Maybe subconscious, or I don’t know. – Yeah.
So, “Frozen 2” is about to hit movie theaters. I’m sure it’s gonna be huge. It must be nice to have a big, epic thing about to come out. Sure. – So exciting, yeah. – Sure. – Of course. – The opposite of 270 people a night at “Little Shop,” right? – Yeah, yeah, yeah, totally, totally. – It’s a lot, it’s a lot.
You’re obviously the voice of Kristoff, everyone knows that. And you did it in the first film as well. And, you know, some of your film co-stars, I don’t even know if they saw “Frozen” on Broadway, but you were literally at opening night of the out of town run in Denver. And I saw you there. You were like, “I’m really excited to see Frozen.” – [Jonathan] Yeah (laughs). – There’s no, like, level of cool to you sometimes. – No. – Which is what everyone loves about you, I think. – Okay, good.
That’s just how I am. – [Paul] I know, and you were there, and you like– – I couldn’t wait to see it. – At intermission you were like, “Oh my god,” like, “Let It Go” had just happened, and you were losing your mind. – Yes. – And I love that. – That dress rip off was everything I wanted it to be. – I know, you were like, “Did you see that?” (laughs) – It was like, “Yeah, we all saw it.” It was amazing, it was amazing. So I think that’s– – I can’t even pretend to not be that way. – [Paul] No, I know, that’s great though, that’s great. We appreciate that. – Okay, good. – Don’t ever change. – Okay. – And if you do, I’m gonna call you out on it. – Okay. – So “Frozen 2,” I really had big dreams of Kristoff having more of a moment, and it looks like Kristoff has a little song, called “Lost in the Woods.” There’s a solo track. – Oh yeah. – [Paul] On the new soundtrack.
That’s exciting. – It is a moment. – Does Kristoff… Okay, well, I was dreaming of this moment. I’d like to think I helped secret it. – You totally helped secret it. – Because I said we’re doing a sequel, Kristoff needs his big moment.
I don’t know if they knew you could sing, but you are able to do a big musical moment. – Right. – “Lost in the Woods” sounds highly dramatic. I don’t know the context yet. – It is highly dramatic. (laughs) – [Paul] Good, okay good. – It is highly dramatic. I honestly, the sort of funny story of this, that I haven’t really told yet, is that they had written a song, first of all, everyone came up to me, on the creative team of the movie, and they were like, “So apologetic, “you didn’t get more of a song, and we’re gonna “get you a musical moment in the second movie,” whatever.
And I was like, “Look, I don’t care. “I’m just happy to be in “Frozen.” “I would love to sing in “Frozen.” But I also was like, how are they gonna make the mountain man character sing? How do you get Kristoff to sing? I couldn’t really imagine how that was ever gonna happen. – Yeah. – And they wrote a song while we were making the second season of “Mindhunter.” And I flew to New York on the weekend and recorded this amazing song that Bobby and Kristen, who cannot write a bad song, wrote for the movie. Two months later, I’m then in a recording session in Pittsburgh, on the weekend.
And they were like, “So, we’re cutting the number.” And I was like, “Oh, “okay, okay.” – Wow. – I get it. – Wow, okay. – And they were like, “But we’re gonna, “we’re gonna write you, we have this idea “about this moment that he could have, about…” And I though, that’s, they’re being very sweet to say that they… And maybe, you know, maybe the song will play over the credits of the– – Sure. – They were being very apologetic and very sweet. And I was like, they’re being so nice. And then they wrote the song. – So it’s a new song. And you’re with this one. – Oh my god, it’s so good. – Is this gonna become one of your new anthems?
Is it powery? (laughs) Is it a power anthem? – It is very funny, and very emotional. – [Paul] Good. – And very surprising. Even, I had recorded it, and when I saw the movie I was like, I cannot believe they are going there right now with this particular moment. But honestly, with the entire movie as a whole, I was completely blown away by where they go with the story, where they go with the characters. – [Paul] It looks like “Game of Thrones.” – [Jonathan] It does. And it– – [Paul] Or a Marvel film. – [Jonathan] Totally. – [Paul] I mean, it’s big.
From what I’ve seen. – [Jonathan] It’s big, it’s complicated, it’s emotional, it’s insanely moving. I took my mom, on her birthday, to see an early screening of the movie. And it was the first time I had seen it as well. And, we went to dinner afterwards, and we were both just like, “Whoa, that was so good.” And she took out these, I have two adorable, a two and a four year old niece. And she took out these tissues out of her bag, and they were Elsa, Anna tissues, right? ‘Cause there’s like bath soaps, right.
And I looked at the tissues and I was like, I will never look at these two women the same way, after seeing that second movie. They’re on tissues. You know, ’cause you sort of relate, at least I did, you relate to now, the dolls, and the little kids dressing up. The maturation and the depth of these women, in this movie are, Kristoff it’s great, he gets an amazing moment, I’m so happy about that, but this, the depth that they go to with these female characters are like, it’s truly extraordinary.
And, I can’t wait for people to see it. And it’s, I was shocked. My hair was like (breathes in).
It’s so dramatic. That trailer is a very good, sort of teaser, into how the movie feels. Where they just went for it. In just a completely unexpected, very beautifully profound way, in my opinion. – I think it’s also interesting, ’cause it feels like the Broadway musical was sort of a bridge for that. – Yeah. – Because they spent so much time making the Broadway musical a little deeper, and– – Totally, totally. – That’s interesting how– – And filling in the gaps, kind of. And sort of stretching out the characters a little bit.
And then they really took that. Now it feels to me, when I saw the second movie, with all due respect to the first movie, which I also love, but it really felt like. – Well it did well for you. – It did (laughs). Yeah. – Good for your career. – But the first movie feels like a tee up for like… It feels like “Empire Strikes Back.” (laughs) – Okay. – To me. As far as sequels, you know how you see “A New Hope,” and it’s like, oh wow, this seems very simplistic, compared to the depths that you go to in the second film. – So it’s “Frozen 2: Elsa Strikes Back.” (laughs) – Exactly. – Somebody. – Kind of. – So is Kristoff still hot? – I think so. – He’s super sexy. (breathes out) – Yeah. – Yeah, he’s super sexy, okay. – I feel really lucky to be his voice box. – So you have feelings for the guy who’s voice is you.
Must be a weird relationship. – He’s so handsome. (laughs) – Well he’s a cartoon, and so it’s not like complicated in that way, but… (laughs) Yeah, no, he’s… – Who doesn’t like two-dimensional guys? – Yeah (laughs). Exactly. And he’s, in the second movie he’s very into taking his relationship with Anna to the next level. – Oh, I’ve heard, I’ve read some rumors. – Oh, you did? – He seems to be ready to have a life with Anna. – [Jonathan] I feel like Anna and Kristoff, both, as characters, are very quirky. And kind of unexpected romantic partners.
And so, there’s a lot of humor in that. And Kristen Bell is so amazing and hilarious. And it’s fun to play a sort of quirky version of that. – Yeah, so do you record with her a lot? – Never. Never recorded with her once. – Everything you do is by yourself? – Mm-hmm. – It must be kind of mind blowing to hear your voice and to remember you said these things, but now you’re watching it in the context of this entire experience, and interacting with people you’ve never sat in a room with. It must be so weird. – I have no feeling of ownership over it. – [Paul] Right, right. – I have no feeling.
Just ’cause it also, the animators are really the, not to downgrade anything that voice actors do. – Right. – Because I’m so proud to be the voice of, but, like when we recorded the song that I get to sing, that was so fun and it’s a beautiful song. And then you see what the animators do. And it’s like, they’re just so brilliant.
Even though we’re in it as the voices, I feel like lucky to be the voice coming out of the character that the animators have created. – Well, I can’t wait to see it. I’ll be there. – I can’t wait for you to see it. We’ll have to have a full on download. And the songs, like Bobby and Kristen also, it’s next level. They just wrote these incredible, incredible, gutsy, amazing songs.
And Idina, it’s like– – Menzel, yeah. – I mean, it’s… – Still delivering it. – I mean, come on. (laughs) I can’t believe I’m in a musical movie where Idina Menzel sings her face off. – Yeah. – And we sing, we sing together a little bit, there’s like this cute opening number that all the four of us all sing in. And we’ve done press events where we’re singing together. And I’m just like, “I can’t believe it’s so crazy.” – You keep your cool though. – Yeah.
She’s so cool. And she’s so, just there to work. She doesn’t have like, she’s not diva-y at all. – [Paul] Right, right. – And so, you’re singing with her and there’s no Idina, like her, it’s just her talent that’s, you know, she doesn’t carry any of that mystique as a person. She’s so chill, and so, also kind of nerdy in her way, and adorable. – Broadway loves nerds. On that note, we’ll be back with more Jonathan Groff after this break. (upbeat instrumental music) (upbeat instrumental music) We are back with Jonathan Groff in “Little Shop of Horrors.” Little, or “Frozen 2,” huge. (laughs) Options. – Exactly. – Options. – Well, what’s funny, too, is like, I’m reminded when I’m listening, every night, to “Little Shop,” it’s Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, and it’s sort of the birth, which “Little Shop” is kind of the origin – Oh, I know. – of the birth of– – The entire Disney career started because – Yes. – of the “Little Shop.” – Yes. – Show and film.
And then that turned into this. – The rebirth of the late ’80s Disney wave. – “Frozen” is on a, is totally, they’re linked. – There’s a relationship to “Little Shop of Horrors.” – [Paul] You’re right. – You can really feel that. And, Howard Ashman, you know, they said was, when he came to Disney with “Little Mermaid, it was his idea, they called him another Walt. For that, as he was developing “Little Mermaid,” and “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Aladdin.” Tragically, died of AIDS in 1991 and couldn’t continue that, sort of, reign, you know, with Alan, but, yeah, you can really feel the seeds of it in “Little Shop.” The storytelling, the way that those Disney musicals are so perfect. That is how I feel about “Little Shop.” It’s like a hit parade of songs, really amazing dynamic story with a lot of humor, and then just like, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. You learn so much, getting the opportunity to do it eight times a week, when you do something that’s well-written. – I have a honest, embarrassing question.
What the hell is Groffsauce? (laughs) – It came from Lin, that I know. Lin started calling me Groffsauce. I don’t know why he started calling me Groffsauce, but I think it was in that period of time when people used to say awesomesauce. – Ah. – Remember people used to say that? But he started calling me that, and then he started Tweeting that, and then it became like – It’s a thing. – No one, in my life, calls me that. Lin occasionally does, – Why would they? – But no one really actually calls me that. – [Paul] Right, so what does it taste like?
It’s just… – Great question. I think if you sit in the front row of “Little Shop of Horrors,” you’ll find out. Because I’m spewing Groffsauce all over the first three rows, (laughs) while I’m singing. And whatever that tastes like, that’s what it tastes like. – Are you referring to projectile spitting. – Spitting, yes. – You’re referring to that. – Yes. – You brought it up. (laughs) So, yes, you do, you have that.
A lot of people have that. I mean, that’s a thing. And in a very small venue you see it. – Yes. – So, are you self conscious about it? – I was self-conscious. The first couple of weeks I felt bad, ’cause I spit all the time before– – Do you see people with, like, do they give towels out in the first couple rows? What– – They should. (laughs) I knew that I had spit before, and in “Spring Awakening,” at the stage door, occasionally people would ask me to spit in their program. – That’s weird. – Bizarre. – “Spring Awakening” had a weird fan base at times. (laughs) – And, but in the Westside Theater I’ve never been so close to people, so I’ve spit before, and I’ve seen it in the lights as I’m…
And I can’t help it. Or in “Hamilton” I would do it. But I’ve never been so close to people, where I’m seeing it happen, and then I’m seeing the reaction of people while it’s happening. (laughs) And so, the first couple months I felt, I actually felt like in my heart I would go like. I would feel like, oh no, I’m taking them out of the show.
Suddenly they’re thinking about me spitting on them, and they’re not lost in the story of what’s happening. And then, a couple of weeks ago, I got over it. – Yeah, own it. – And I was like, you know what, this is just how it is. I can’t, I really can’t control it. – Well, right, sure. – It just is what happens when I project. On “Glee” they would say, “Could you,” I really remember when we were doing “Bohemian Rhapsody,” they said, “Could you please dial it back on the spitting? “Because you’re spitting into the camera.” – Dial it back, like you were doing it on purpose. (laughs) – I’m not, it just is what happens.
Yeah, and I was like, I could lip-synch, and then not do it, but I can’t not do it when I’m singing. – It’s part of your charms. – Okay, thank you. – I’m into it. – The past couple of weeks, I’ve just been like, this is just what’s happening, I’m just gonna keep moving forward, and then hope that people will just catch up to me. – You know if you were – And get over the spitting. – A horrible singer it would be really annoying. It would be like, this guy can’t sing and he’s spitting on me. – This isn’t worth it. This isn’t worth it. (laughs) Right. – This is not worth it. – Right. (laughs) – [Paul] You don’t spit on “Mindhunter.” I love “Mindhunter.” – [Jonathan] Oh, good. – [Paul] Season two was fantastic, it totally lived up to the promise of season one. – Good. – I don’t know if there’ll be a season three. – I hope so, we don’t know yet. – You don’t know?
I hope so. I would love to keep seeing you, and serial killers, and moody lighting, and… – Same, same. – It’s good. I love, also, thinking about how crazy your fan base is now, like how diverse it is (laughs). It’s kind of funny. – Totally. – It’s funny to be on something like that, and these other things that we’re talking about. – Totally. – Even like “Frozen 2” and “Mindhunter.” It’s just cool. – Yeah, yeah, totally, totally. – It’s cool. – It’s funny, ’cause a lot of Lea’s husband’s friends, it’s like straight dudes.
There’s like a whole straight dude contingency. – [Paul] Lea? – Lea Michele’s husband. – Michele! – Yeah. – Lea Michele, how is she? – Yes, Lea Michele. – [Paul] Say hi. – [Jonathan] I know, she’s great. – [Paul] Lea Michele’s husband, she got married? – [Jonathan] Yep. Her husband, yeah. – There’s a full pack of straight dudes. – Yeah, like dudes– – That you are now exposed to. – Yes. – A new pack of straight dudes. – Yes, and then I met all of them at the wedding. – Right, okay. – And they were like, “Dude, it’s Holden.” (laughs) Right. And so, I was like, wow. Or even, sometimes when I’m in the West Village, I’ll get dudes.
I’ve had musical theater people. – [Paul] Right, sure. – I’ve had teenage girls and moms. And, you know, like theater fans. Or whenever with “Looking” I had a lot of gay guys. And where I live in Chelsea, – You’ve reached the straight dudes. – Coming out the city about “Looking.” And then, I was like, wow, this is interesting, “Mindhunter,” it’s like a different type of person that I’m used to coming up and recognizing me. They’re like, “Dude, are you Holden?” I’m like, “Yeah.” (laughs) Completely different thing, it’s great. (laughs) And it, at Lea’s wedding, one of Zandi’s friends, we like made a joke about like, “I think there’s a seat over there next to Ed Kemper.” It’s like, that’s so cute. (laughs) – Inside joke, I love it. – Yeah (laughs). – I love that.
I love your co-star, Holt. – [Jonathan] Ah, me to. – Who I got to meet at the “Little Shop” opening. – Yes. – He was there, ’cause he likes the Groffsauce. He was very excited to see “Little Shop.” – Oh my gosh. Well, Holt is, Holt’s mother is a– – Julie Wilson. – [Jonathan] Julie Wilson. – [Paul] Julie Wilson was a cabaret icon. – [Jonathan] Yes. – [Paul] Also on Broadway in “Legs Diamond.” – [Jonathan] Yes. – [Paul] Tony-nominated. – [Jonathan] Tony-nominated.
Yes. – I saw her in that. – Yes. – I’m old enough. – Oh my god, did you tell him? – Yes. – That you saw her in that? – I didn’t, – You’ll have to tell him the next time. – ’cause I didn’t wanna, like, fan girl about his mom. – No, he would love it. – She was fantastic. – He and his mom were very close. – So, and so he grew up around music. – Yes. – He sings. – Yes. – Which I didn’t realize. – This is, I love Holt for a– – You sing. – Yes. – So now I’m wondering, maybe there’s something you guys could do together. – What we would sing, oh, I would love to. We would sing all the time on set. And Holt, there’s so many reasons to love Holt. – Yeah. – And the things that make him lovable. And one of them is that he’s got this random, unexpected knowledge of obscure Gershwin songs. (laughs) – I love that. – And he’s very entrenched in the cabaret community, – Yeah. – Because he became friends with all of those people through his mom. And so, he’s got this real insider-y view of musicals, and of theater. – Right. – And he and I, whenever we are hangin’ out in New York, we always go see a play.
We’ve seen a million plays together. – [Paul] That’s cool. – And it’s part of one of the things that we bonded over. – Oh, nice. – And he’s like a real theater, he made his Broadway debut as an understudy in “Biloxi Blues.” – Okay, all right. – Back in the ’80s. And so, he needs to come back on stage, regardless. – [Paul] Yeah. – Because he’s such a phenomenal actor. – Yeah, so you’re gonna work on making that happen? – We gotta make that happen. – I was actually, I just dreamt up, you guys could do “City of Angels” together. – Great, – Any other shows, what? – I don’t even know “City of Angels” that well. – One’s like a nerdy writer and one’s like a tough guy detective. – Perfect! – You would be the nerdy writer. – And he would be the tough guy detective, yes. (laughs) – Yeah, I don’t know, I mean there’s like, I’m gonna make a list of other ones because… – Great. – I like this idea. I wanna ask you, finally, you’re from Lancaster.
Am I saying it right? – You could say it however you want. There’s no right or wrong way. – No, I’m gonna say it right. – If you’re from where I’m from you would say Lancaster. – Lancaster. – Yeah, oh there you go. – Yeah, Lancaster. And I’ve been there, ’cause we did that shoot for Susan Blackwell. – [Jonathan] Yes. – [Paul] So I was actually on the farm where you grew up, which was amazing. – Yes. – And, I loved hearing that you go to community theater around there. ‘Cause I do that, I go to community theater all the time. – Yeah. – Like, I just saw “Mamma Mia!” this summer. You saw “Mamma Mia!” this summer, right? – I saw two “Mamma Mias” this year. – Every theater did “Mamma Mia!” this summer. (laughs) – There was a lot. Yes, totally. – [Paul] It’s kind of like what you said about “Little Shop,” like doing it for the right reason. – Totally. – Whenever I walk into a less professional theater environment, it’s like they’re all there because their heart and souls are really in it. – 100%.
The Fulton Opera House is like, or the Fulton Theater, now it’s called, is like for professional– – Is that where you did “Bat Boy?” – I did “Bat Boy” at – The other one. – The Ephrata Performing Arts Center, which is a community theater. – [Paul] Okay. – Where none of the actors get paid, and it’s people from the community that are phenomenally gifted. And, like you said, doing it for the love of it. – [Paul] Yeah. – And also so talented. – Right. – Like the people that I worked with there are so gifted. And, I love going back to, I saw “Spring Awakening” there, I saw “Hair” there a couple years ago, at EPAC. And, it’s always good. – You’re just going through your resume in community theater. “In my life.” – Yeah, I only see shows that I had previously done. Yeah, saw “In My Life” there. (laughs) But Michael Cerveris actually, when we were shooting “Mindhunter” in Pittsburgh. – [Paul] Ah, yeah. – He also saw everything in Pittsburgh. – Oh, wow. – He goes to see theater as well.
It’s like, it should be more part of, like, just going to movies, going to theater. – Yeah. – No matter where you are, because it’s always, and live theater is just always interesting. – [Paul] Yeah. – And always entertaining. – And you bought land near your parents. Or you bought a house or something? – Yeah, so I bought a house that is butting up against my dad’s horse farm, and my ultimate dream is to turn my dad’s horse farm into like an artist colony. And turn the horse stalls into an editing suite, for my friends to go there and edit their movie, or recording studio, to go record their album. And a little rehearsal area to workshop their show, or to write their novel, or, my dream is to, at some point, part of it was inspired by Susan coming down there and, actually on Gideon Glick’s final weekend of performances of “Spring Awakening,” my aunt and my mother came to New York in a short school bus, and picked up the entire cast, and we slept out – Oh, wow. – in tents – Oh, amazing. – on my dad’s horse farm.
So the entire cast, the original cast of “Spring Awakening” was there to celebrate Gideon’s last show. And it’s just a very, kind of, create, I did, I was Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” there when I was a kid. – Oh, I heard, yeah. – It’s a creative. It’s sort of always been a creative inspiration for me.
Just that land in general. And so, I wanna cultivate that. And it’s very close to New York.
And I wanna just create a space where people can go and make work, privately. Not like turn it into a performance thing, or anything, but just be a place where people can go to be in the quiet and build a little fire in the fire pit, and create art. – Cool. Where do you picture yourself as an 80-year-old man?
What’s the dream? – Probably riding my bike home from a play that I either seen or was in. – Riding a bike, in New York City, to a show. – I’m very consistent in that regard. That would be my ultimate dream. If I could still be riding my bike at 80, then I would be feeling very lucky. – They might just be like self-riding by then, or something. I don’t know. – Oh, god.
Well, there’s all those electronic bikes in the bike lane now. – [Paul] I know. – But I do, I like the single speed, do you know what I mean? – Old school. – Yeah, old school. – I like how classic you are, Jonathan Groff. (laughs) Thank you for being here. – Thank you for having me. – Hey, everyone needs to see you in “Little Shop of Horrors” at the Westside Theater. (Jonathan sings beats) And in every movie theater in the world, in “Frozen 2.” – Yes, yes. – [Paul] “Mindhunter on Netflix, there’s a lot of Groffsauce to go around. (laughs) Thank you so much for being here. Good to see you. – Thank you, thank you for having me. – Thank you for watching, we’ll see you next time. (upbeat instrumental music)