Years before Danielle Deadwyler captivated audiences with her powerful performances in films like "Till" and "The Piano Lesson," she described herself as a "goofball." This seemingly contrasting persona, however, is now taking center stage in HBO’s amiable new half-hour comedy, "Rooster." While Deadwyler has earned critical acclaim and a devoted following for her ability to embody profound emotional depth in stories of significant resonance, her current role as Dylan Shepard, a poet and professor, showcases a different facet of her versatile talent. This shift in her career trajectory, marked by a willingness to explore unconventional opportunities, reflects a deliberate choice to broaden her artistic horizons and embrace the full spectrum of her capabilities.
A New Chapter for a Versatile Actor
Deadwyler’s recent career has been characterized by a series of high-profile and diverse projects, signaling a conscious move beyond the dramatic roles that initially brought her widespread recognition. Her involvement in the highly anticipated third season of HBO’s "Euphoria," though details remain under wraps, hints at her continued exploration of complex characters. Furthermore, her leading role in Ryan Coogler’s upcoming "X-Files" reboot signifies a significant step into a new genre and a collaborative partnership with a filmmaker known for his visionary storytelling. This deliberate diversification of her portfolio is precisely how Deadwyler intends to navigate her burgeoning career.
"Rooster": A Grounded Comic Performance
In "Rooster," Deadwyler stars alongside Steve Carell, who plays Greg Russo, a popular novelist taking on an adjunct teaching position at a New England liberal arts college. Deadwyler’s portrayal of Dylan Shepard, a poetry professor navigating the complexities of her academic department, is lauded for its grounded and nuanced comedic performance. The series, which has already been renewed for a second season, centers on the evolving relationship between Dylan and Greg, which transitions from initial flirtation to a sweet, platonic bond. This dynamic serves as an anchor for the show, even as Dylan temporarily assumes leadership of her underfunded department during Dean Vincent Riggs’ (Alan Ruck) recovery from a heart attack.
Deadwyler’s personal background in academia and her deep appreciation for poetry lend an immediate authenticity to her portrayal of Dylan. The character’s journey of finding her footing among new colleagues and navigating departmental challenges mirrors Deadwyler’s own professional evolution. This role represents a significant opportunity for her to leverage her full range of acting tools, moving beyond the intense emotional demands of her previous work.
Audience Reception and Shifting Perceptions
The airing of "Rooster" has elicited a notable response from audiences, with many expressing surprise and delight at Deadwyler’s comedic prowess. "I’m a wreck. I don’t know what’s happening," Deadwyler admits with a laugh when asked about the show’s reception. "It’s people receiving you in a new way. There are traces of that available, but people don’t have a full plate. So this is getting a full meal’s worth and people are into it." She describes the audience’s reaction as a sense of receiving "an emotional blanket they didn’t know that they needed."
This positive reception has also led to a re-evaluation of public perception. Deadwyler notes some of the comments she’s encountered: "People were saying, ‘Oh, you don’t have to be so serious and hard and downtrodden.’" She finds this amusing, stating, "It’s as if the capacity to do the thing means I’m not laughing and joyful in the sharing of a thing all the time." This highlights a common industry phenomenon where an actor’s success in a particular genre can lead to a narrow perception of their capabilities. Deadwyler is consciously challenging this, asserting, "So here you go, people: I have teeth. I have a boisterous laugh and a beating heart."
The Comfort of a Different Pace
The making of "Rooster" has also offered Deadwyler a different pace and energy compared to her more demanding dramatic projects. "Sometimes I would call my team after the first couple of weeks they’ll be like, ‘Hey guys, I’m not losing my mind. I got a good night’s sleep. Is that normal? Do actors get that?’" she shares. The less intense schedule, which sometimes involved working only twice a week, provided a much-needed sense of comfort and balance. "It gave me room to do other things. It gave me room hang with my son. It gave me room to read more. It gave me room to sleep. It was the coziest of blankets. I laid in the bed more often than I thought. Yeah, it did that for me. It’s comforting." This experience underscores the value of diverse work environments in preventing burnout and fostering sustained creative engagement.
Building Chemistry with Steve Carell
The on-screen chemistry between Deadwyler and Steve Carell has been a focal point of "Rooster’s" early success. Their easy rapport and engaging interactions are rooted in a shared sense of curiosity, a quality Deadwyler emphasizes as crucial for authentic connection. "Steve and I are curious. Curiosity is such a critical thing when you feel you already know something, you’re failing and there’s no easy footing," she explains.
As their characters, Dylan and Greg, navigate their evolving dynamic, both the actors and the characters are engaged in a process of discovery. "So just: Stay on your toes. That’s what the characters are forced to do because they have to learn each other. We are encouraged to do that too – Steve and I didn’t know each other beforehand, so like Dylan and Greg, we are learning each other, that awareness and that pull and magnetism into: Who are you? What do you do and why do you do it?" Deadwyler elaborates, highlighting that this shared exploration is the bedrock of compelling chemistry.
Collaborative Spirit in Television Production
Deadwyler also expressed her appreciation for the writers’ room and their approach to crafting the comedy. She was particularly struck by the immediate openness to creative input. "I was surprised by how quickly they enabled us to put our sauce in. Day one, I was like, ‘Wait a minute, are my ingredients ready? Let me chop my herbs first.’" This collaborative environment allowed her and the other actors to contribute their unique touches and "shenanigans," fostering a sense of ownership and creative freedom.
Drawing from her theatrical background, Deadwyler recognized the inherent rhythm of the show’s writing, comparing it to a train in motion. "You can see it in the quick-wittedness of the people, of each character. You can see it in the way they talk. All of it is there and you have to just ride that rhythm. I was elated to have that feeling." This attunement to the comedic timing and dialogue is a hallmark of successful television comedy.
Dylan’s Journey: Embracing Imperfection and Leadership
The narrative arc of Dylan Shepard in the first season of "Rooster" is multifaceted, encompassing both personal and professional growth. "There’s a personal and a professional journey," Deadwyler explains. "The personal is accepting, which was a complete note of surprise. She did not know how flawed she was and how fucked up she was and how that’s coming out in this person who’s seemingly the antithesis of her." This realization, sparked by her interactions with Greg, pushes Dylan to confront her own imperfections.
Professionally, Dylan is thrust into a leadership role, transitioning from educator to departmental head. This shift presents its own set of challenges. "Those are two difficult things: to reject perfectionism and to allow for your leadership voice to come full throttle," Deadwyler notes. The series explores the complexities of these transitions, particularly in the sixth episode, "Cop Hawk," where Dean Riggs’ unexpected return disrupts Dylan’s burgeoning sense of confidence and authority. "Yeah, it’s the fucking rug being pulled off from under you – and he’s so smug and nasty about it," Deadwyler says, describing the emotional impact of that moment. "That’s when you really start to fight for it. When you realize that you’ve had the capacity the whole time right when something is taken, you go, ‘I had so much to give, I had so much to offer, and is it not going to be witnessed now?’ That’s what that feeling is."
Looking ahead to the second season, Deadwyler anticipates further exploration of Dylan’s character. "Dylan has a lot more weirdness and freakiness to play with and push into. She’s vocalizing her challenges, lack of friends, which is a richer attraction to Greg – how she’s got a ripeness about her rhythm at the school, particularly with regard to dating and relationships." The potential for Dylan to truly exist outside her established academic framework is a narrative thread Deadwyler is eager to explore.
Expanding Horizons: "Euphoria" and the "X-Files" Reboot
Deadwyler’s presence in "Euphoria" season three, though yet to be seen, places her within another prominent HBO series, running concurrently with "Rooster." She reflects on the experience of working in episodic television, noting its unique demands. "I did a lot of episodic stuff early on – a TV movie was one of my first longform leading opportunities. I almost forgot how it felt to move with a certain level of pace." Despite the inherent differences in pace, she finds the cinematic quality of modern television appealing.
Her collaboration with Ryan Coogler on the "X-Files" reboot marks another significant venture into a new format. "Ryan is great. I have nothing to give you," Deadwyler jokes, but quickly elaborates on the profound respect she holds for him as a collaborator. "He is the epitome of what I love to work with: People who are deeply collaborative. That’s the most important thing." She emphasizes the interconnectedness of individuals on a film set and Coogler’s ability to foster an inclusive and supportive environment. "Ryan builds with that in mind and I couldn’t be happier to be in that orbit."
The Beauty of Intuitive Artistry
Deadwyler views her career trajectory as a continuous exploration, a process guided by intuition and a willingness to embrace new forms of expression. "And to be honest, it’s just going with the flow with a lot of it. Everything is deeply intuitive to some degree," she states. She likens this process to poetry, where connections are made and threads are woven, creating a continuous, evolving tapestry. "The beauty of poetry: You get to connect the web. The web is unceasing. It’s not like it stopped. You’re continuing the thread; this thread might be thicker, more viscous with something else than viscous to something that was 10 years ago. To be quite frank, you are always looping. That’s what a poet is – it’s looping things, it’s abstraction."
Her academic and artistic upbringing has instilled in her a deep appreciation for this fluid approach to creativity. "I’ve been reared in that academically and artistically and I do feel deeply blessed to be able to play in that way," she says. Deadwyler concludes by advocating for the necessity of diverse artistic platforms: "Give me all the new forms, give me all the other forms, all alt forms. We need alternative spaces perpetually to explore the multiplicity of our identities – and that is what I am doing with all these brilliant people."
"Rooster" airs Sunday nights on HBO and streams on HBO Max.
