Meet WEST SIDE STORY's Officer Krupke, Broadway Favorite Brian d'Arcy James

Hello, I'm Richard Ridge for Broadway World

One of the most eagerly awaited new films this holiday season is Steven Spielberg's reimagined West Side Story

It'll open in theaters on December 10th. And I caught up with one of the film's co-stars and one of Broadway's favorites

Brian Darcy James, who plays Officer Krupke. You were at the premiere

What was it like seeing the film with everyone connected with the movie

When I saw you, I hadn't seen the movie yet. when I last saw you

And now I can say that my world has changed. It really, really has

And I don't want to be hyperbolic, but I don't want to sound hyperbolic

But truly, I was absolutely floored by this movie. And I think that what Steven Spielberg

and Tony Kushner and Justin Peck and everybody who has put their stamp on this

did it so magnificently, I feel like I'm a kid in the candy store to be anywhere near it. It's an extraordinary film

Okay, you are so wonderful as Officer Krupke. What kind of conversations did you have with

Stephen and Tony Kushner about how your Officer Krupke was going to be

We discussed generally what the police presence was going to have in this storytelling

and I think that is inherent with Tony's script and just in terms and also the original just

this kind of authoritarian authoritative presence represented by the police so that that that is kind of an inherent thing across the board but specifically for Krupke

Stephen and I had a very interesting conversation out of the gate where

he had a great, great vision for him, which, which I loved in that he felt that Krupke was a guy that

would probably be more happy in the back room filing papers, uh, rather than being out on the

on the razor's edge, kind of breaking up fights between gangs. Uh, and the one thing that he said

to me that I, that, that really just kind of made me, uh, appreciate Steven Spielberg even more than

I thought I could is one of the first things he said about Krupke is that he said, I think that

that Krupke is duodenally challenged, meaning that he definitely suffers from some kind of

peptic challenges, some ulcers. So that became kind of a cornerstone for me to run with that

and just be perpetually uncomfortable with all the things that I had to do to kind of keep these

guys these hooligans in line What makes him such a wonderful director Because you worked with some of the finest directors on film and on stage of course I mean what was it like just working with him Once you get over the initial shock of being you know standing you know and talking to him and realizing that you in the relationship of director and actor

He makes that go away very quickly because he's such a human being and he's such a humble guy

and you get the sense immediately that he is there to do a good job he wants to do a good job

and one of the things that is brilliant about him is and it's not hard because I think it's just who

he is his leadership is is uh is built on his generosity and his open heart and and it's not

to say that he doesn't have a very clear clear-eyed uh way of getting things done but you never feel

like that your participation or your contribution isn't 110% appreciated and expected. So that kind

of communal mindset that he imbues on everybody instantly, just by virtue of his personality and

his warmth, I think is one of the many things that makes him great. And I'm so grateful that

I got to experience that firsthand. I've had a relationship with him as an actor in shows that

he's produced and movies that he's produced and television shows that he's produced. But this was the first kind of chance to kind of be in the lab as it were and making something

together, which was, it was a thrill. What was that first day on the set like for you? It's like

here we go, Brian, you're now on Steven Spielberg's West Side Story set. What do you remember about day

one? Well, I'll tell you very specifically what it was like, because this is again, this goes to

his way of working. My first shot was in the precinct that leads into the number, Officer

Krupke. And it was a shot, an establishing shot with me, you know, way back in the way back. And

I was just there drinking a cup of coffee, just kind of part of the furniture, really

And after we shot that scene, he stopped and he said, ladies and gentlemen, Brian Darcy James is

in the movie and everyone clapped. And it was such a great, incredible experience

to know obviously that he's kind of saying, come on in, come on in, you're here

And of course he did that for any other actor that was there that day

who was starting to work on that film. And so that just again, goes to his sense of community

and the ability to kind of give everyone on the same page. So that the memory I have of my first shot Okay and just saying Tony Kushner words I mean what an incredible screenplay He you know every character is so beautifully flushed out Yeah It it really impossible to

overstate the beauty of, of Tony's contribution to the theater and, and to literature really

so when you are when you're working on something that is beloved and has such heft and is so good

to begin with to know that he is kind of you know putting like sub basements onto that foundational

thing and exploring things that you never thought you could with character with story

you know just the opening shot of kind of like establishing where we are and Lincoln Center

being the reason why this urban renewal is happening and the destruction of all these

neighborhoods and these buildings, these buildings where people live in the effort to create space

and to create business and to create this urban sprawl that was taking place in the 50s

Just that alone. And that's a very easy thing to talk about. I mean, the other nuanced things

of course, are the development of character, the way that these communities are interconnecting

and butting up against each other, whether it's through language or through their own sense of themselves

and their own kind of idea of their own destiny. I mean, big, big, big ideas that are so beautifully rendered by virtue of like a turn of a phrase

That's the genius of Tony Kushner. So I could go on and on about it. So the fact that I got to speak any of his words is a real honor for me

So after seeing the film last night with everybody who, you know, your whole entire cast and the creatives who worked on this, like what went through your mind

I really couldn't believe that I was in it. My sense of history, my sense of history, anybody who's in the theater, I think it's safe to say holds West Side Story as kind of the gold standard

One of the gold standards, if not the gold standard of what a musical can be

And all of the work and all of the expert, you know, craftsmanship and the genius of Sondheim, Bernstein, on and on, Robbins, all of those things that started this beautiful thing

Shakespeare, let's go back to Shakespeare, can't forget him. um all of that kind of tidal wave of history really kind of slapped me in the face last night

realizing that we are actually carrying the ball now and and knowing that if I if I may say so

myself we've done a damn good job and it's it's it's just an extraordinary thing to be a part of

that finally what are you the proudest of of being a part of this film again I think it that sense of history and knowing what it means to me to be a part of the theater community

and knowing my desires to want to be associated with great artists and to work, whether it's on a stage or in a film

The fact that I could do this thing that means so much to me and to so many people

and to do it well with the likes of Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner

that is something that I think is, I could basically say I'm done and be very happy

This is my first time in New York City. I want to be happy here

I want to make a life at home. Are you ready? Tonight is about family

The first green gold boy who smiles at you. I never seen you before

You're not Puerto Rican. Is that okay? Do you want to start World War III

You know, I wake up to everything I know, either getting sold or wrecked

or being taken over by people that I don't like. You keep away from him as long as you're in my house

I'm a grown-up now, Bernardo. I'm gonna think for myself Tony We need you if we're going to war

Who are you? Friend or foe? If you go with him No one will ever forgive you

Life matters even more than love