PLEASE MAKE THE FIRST IMAGE THE FEATURED IMAGE AND PLEASE DELETE THIS BOLD REQUEST- THANK YOU!
When it comes to binge-favorite Orange Is The New Black, one thing has quickly become clear about the many characters presented through the halls of Litchfield; No one ever thinks in black and white. Whether they're behind bars or in front of them, these characters offer many complicated layers that can leave you sometimes overjoyed, sometimes extremely angry and sometimes absolutely baffled with their self-destructive behaviors -- and correction officer Sam Healy is certainly no exception. In fact, at times when he displays severe bigotry and patriarchal chauvinism, he can be one of the characters that often angers audiences most. But, the ever-sophisticated and smart actor Michael Harney who portrays Healy quickly informs audiences what drew him to the flawed character and the show as he explains that it really offers the complexities of human nature and that everyone is looking for absolution from something.
The main point of Orange is that it is a show about redemption. We are exploring a wide variety of characters who all come from different backgrounds and seeing that no matter what their circumstance, they are all seeking forgiveness in some way -- and that doesn't always depend on incarceration. Without complex characters like Sam Healy being in front of the bars, the show would lose its core idea that the people who are in prison are people too- just like everyone else with their own stories to tell. And Healy does have some deeply troubling demons that can be upsetting to audiences, but if we examined everyone under a microscope, who doesn't? These issues get beautifully explored this season, especially in a particular episode where Harney shines brighter than ever as he shows the softer side to his guarded character.
In real life though, Harney is actually the complete opposite of Sam Healy. An activist for everything from LGBTQ rights, to veterans, to abused children -- there isn't a single cause that Michael Harney doesn't want to jump on and radically raise awareness for, so much so that his art is most richly driven by his passion for spreading a strong message -- which is undoubtedly what drew him to OITNB in the first place.
The fantastic actor took time to talk about his dedication to activism, the fourth season of Orange, what else you can see him in, and what he would love to do!
The characters on Orange are so complex and ever-evolving. No one is black and white, or good or bad, and they are all seeking redemption of some sort -- whether they are behind the bars or not. Talk about that a bit and the many layers of your character.
I think the writers we have are great. They consistently give us these great contests within ourselves, as characters. And that touches on true humanity, because we are all in such a contest within ourselves anyway. So, each character, no matter where they come from, is dealing with their own human frailty, backstory, needs and self-destructive patterns -- basically their own kaleidoscope of being and the obstacles they have to go through, and our writing team really gives us the most wonderful and complex obstacles. And yes, that goes for whether you are incarcerated or not -- everyone needs redemption from something. And redemption most times comes to each of us through circumstances of life, not really through any higher virtue.
Let's trace back to his beginnings, which are really shown this season in their own special episode. Did you already know Sam's background, and if not, was it a lot different than what you thought of in your head?
No, I had no idea! I just show up and go with it! I've known Jenji for a while now, and we know each other very well through the work. She gets very turned on by painting with very rich colors and so do I.
One thing we saw is that Mr. Healy is constantly looking for love and has felt rejected, and holds a lot of resentment toward women because of this. He chooses very strong women to give kindness to and then feels bashed down when they don't reciprocate; Red, Piper, Doggett, and now Judy -- talk about Mr. Healy's desperation for love. Do you think his affection is more of a burden than a blessing with the way he turns on people?
Resentments are really seeded in a deep sense of pain and wounds, which is really a precipitating force for a longing for love and the desire to be accepted -- and I think we all have that. So, I think for Sam, he's very deeply wounded by the relationship with his mother that has been just so beautifully brought out in this backstory they've been showcasing the past few seasons. And for me, it's such an honor to portray someone with this backstory because there are so many people out there that do have these issues as well but they just aren't talking about them because in our culture we shame people for coming from these backgrounds, or places where they might feel emasculated -- and that's wrong. So, for Sam, I think the occasional anger toward women is usually a knee-jerk reaction due to a position of being overwhelmed by these past wounds. And as an actor you really can't play anybody that you don't like, so I'm always trying to do the most life-affirming thing. It's never so black or white, I always see him as many layered so I can embrace his gray area.
As this season really showed a softer side of Mr. Healey, the show brought in new bigger, badder correction officers with even more to prove, such as Piscatella and his team. Do you think there's any chance we will see Sam step up to the plate and rescue these girls?
[Cracks up] I actually said that to one of the producers on the show. I would so dig that! I'm an activist first and foremost. You want to piss me off? Hand me an injustice! So, to be able to step up and take that on? That would be my dream come true!
Now, this is not your first time working with Jenji Kohan. You also worked with her on the amazing Weeds -- talk about that a bit, and was that how you came into Orange Is the New Black?
It's funny -- when I worked on Deadwood, David Milch and I just communicated through the written word, and then afterwards we became such good friends...and that is how it is with Jenji. We focus on the work and communicate through it. When I see her, I put my arms around her, I give her a big kiss on the cheek and I tell her I love her. I have so much respect for her and our writers -- they are paying the internal price to make a difference as artists and they are doing a great job.
Your movie Bad Hurt, which came out at the Tribeca film festival last year was just released this year. Talk about that role a little bit and what fans can expect from it?
I had wanted to take time off, but the second I got this script, I knew I had to do it. I had my agent set up a phone call with Mark Kemble -- who has become a very dear friend of mine -- and we talked for an hour and a half and I was just sold. I wanted to do it because it addresses very key issues we are struggling with in our country like; the reality of special needs children and the demands on their family, the awareness we need to raise for veterans that suffer PTSD, and really just how families cope with very profound struggles in general.
And you also had an international film called Soy Nero which was selected to be in competition in Berlin? Can you tell us a little bit about that one?
That film exposes the process of how some immigrants become U.S. citizens by becoming soldiers. They are called "Green Card Soldiers." That was by my friend, who is a great director, Rafi Pitts, who had seen me on True Detective and given me the script and I was just so blown away by it because it really let me dream a lot. I remember calling him from the airport and telling him my idea of my character's backstory. He's so humble, he just said "That's so much better than what I wrote. Let's go with it." And we did. We must have added 5 pages to the script through improvisation of those ideas. I'm a big fan of John Cassavetes, and working with Rafi is probably the closest, aside from David Milch, that I've come to experiencing what a film set must have been like with him. He would just shoot everything and use these really long lenses. We never knew when it began or when it ended. It was all part of it. It was a great privilege for me.
You've worked on so many great shows and worked with so many great people; who would you love to work with and what kind of role would you love to play?
I would love to work with Robert DeNiro. As far as my dream role? I would like to do a show where I try an educate people on supporting kids, and raising awareness on the protection of advocacy of children so that they don't get hurt. A lot of kids in our country are gettin' hurt behind closed doors. It's wrong and needs to be brought to light. I'm actually thinking of writing something about that.
So dedicated to saving kids that he would write it himself if he had to? Damn. If you weren't convinced yet that Mr. Healy might have hero left inside of him, there's certainly no denying that Michael Harney is the full on Superman of television.
Season 4 of Orange Is The New Black is currently dreaming on Netflix.