How Billy Crudup turned an 8-minute scene in ‘Jay Kelly’ into the performance of his career

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Billy Crudup knew the first time he read it that the part was nearly impossible.

Noah Baumbach’s new film, “Jay Kelly,” is a witty and sometimes sad look at Hollywood. George Clooney stars as a veteran actor who starts to question the price of his fame. When he unexpectedly reconnects with a former acting school friend, Timothy (played by Crudup), he’s thrown into a crisis, filled with self-doubt and regret.

In just a few minutes of screen time, David Crudup’s character, Timothy, manages a complex emotional arc. Once a rising actor, he’s now a child therapist who left Hollywood behind. Over two scenes, he reconnects with an old friend, reveals hidden jealousy, shifts between fond memories and bitterness, and ultimately gets into a somewhat awkward physical fight. A particularly striking moment shows him dramatically reading a restaurant menu, which unexpectedly leads to a breakdown and tears.

On paper, it’s the kind of sequence that could go wrong in a hundred ways.

Crudup, 57, chuckled during a Zoom interview from his New York apartment, dressed casually in a hoodie and baseball cap. He explained that when he learned about a difficult stunt in one of Noah Baumbach’s films, his initial reaction was, ‘Wow, that’s incredibly challenging.’ He was eager to be involved in Baumbach’s work, but the scene—which he described as lengthy and complex—absolutely depended on the stunt being performed flawlessly. It was crucial to the story.

Despite facing challenges, the film delivers, and even exceeds expectations. “Jay Kelly,” releasing in theaters November 14th and on Netflix December 5th, boasts a talented cast featuring George Clooney as the troubled main character, Adam Sandler as his loyal manager, and Laura Dern as his patient publicist.

What really stood out from the first viewings was David Crudup’s incredible performance in the restaurant scene. It builds to a moment where his character tearfully reads a menu – listing items like truffle parmesan fries and Brussels sprouts with balsamic honey glaze – which is both ridiculous and deeply moving. It suggests the kind of person the character, Timothy, might have been if his life had taken a different path.

Noah Baumbach, known for films like “The Squid and the Whale,” “Marriage Story,” and “The Meyerowitz Stories” which often explore the conflicts between pursuing one’s goals and maintaining close relationships, views David Crudup’s performance in “Jay Kelly” as fitting into this ongoing theme.

The director explained that whenever the film is shown at festivals, a particular scene consistently receives applause. He admitted being surprised, as he hadn’t experienced that before. He believes the audience connects with the actor’s skill and the glimpse into his creative process, describing it as captivating—almost like watching a magic trick where just enough of the method is revealed to make the result even more impressive.

It’s a bit ironic that Corey Crudup, a highly respected actor known for his skill and nuanced performances, is currently gaining new recognition for playing a character defined by missed opportunities. Throughout his nearly thirty-year career, Crudup has appeared in a wide range of acclaimed projects, including films like “Almost Famous,” “Big Fish,” and “Watchmen,” as well as “Jackie” and “Spotlight,” and the Apple TV+ series “The Morning Show.” He’s even won a Tony Award for “The Coast of Utopia,” two Emmys for “The Morning Show,” and a Screen Actors Guild award for his work on “Spotlight.” Despite all this success, he has never been nominated for an Oscar.

Movies

The Telluride Film Festival, a key preview of the upcoming awards season, made several Oscar races much clearer thanks to a number of outstanding performances.

As an actor, you definitely have those ‘Timothy’ moments – times you desperately want a role but it just doesn’t happen. I’ve lost count of the parts I’ve gone for and didn’t get, and sometimes, honestly, I only landed a role because someone else backed out. It’s wild to think Brad Pitt almost did ‘Almost Famous,’ or that Keanu Reeves was once attached to ‘Watchmen’! It feels like being on the sidelines, always ready to jump in. But you know what? If you can actually make a living solely from creative work, that’s a huge achievement in itself. It really is.

The film, co-written by Noah Baumbach and Emily Mortimer, depicts a reunion between two old acting friends that begins pleasantly but soon turns sour. Their initial warmth gives way to tension when Timothy remembers an audition they both went to years ago – a role that launched Jay’s career while Timothy was overlooked. He angrily accuses Jay of taking both his job and his girlfriend, lamenting that, at 23, those were the only things he felt he had going for him.

Crudup found the scene where his character reads the menu particularly stressful. It started as a lighthearted challenge from another character, Jay, but quickly became emotionally intense. Because Crudup doesn’t rely on the Method acting technique—unlike his co-star Timothy—he needed to approach the scene in his own way.

Crudup explains there are a few challenges to the role. First, he had to demonstrate the process of acting itself. But it was also tricky because he wasn’t playing himself – he was playing an actor who was different from his own approach. He wondered how to portray someone similar to him, yet still show the audience a unique performance style.

Initially, Crudup attempted to convince Baumbach against the scene. He proposed that instead of simply reading the menu, Timothy’s character could improvise about actors seeking emotional release, transforming the scene into a meta-commentary rather than a straightforward performance.

Baumbach remembers him saying, ‘I have a different approach. Perhaps we could try it this way.’ Baumbach let him take the lead, believing he was capable. He explains that many talented actors, like Billy, often point out all the challenges before brilliantly executing the task.

So, about two weeks before we were set to start filming, it hit me – the script hadn’t been revised at all. I knew then I really needed to get a handle on my character and the story, because what was on the page was what we were going to work with.

He believes getting older has a benefit: you become more open to learning because life has taught you humility. That’s why he began studying Method acting, realizing it’s a complex technique that takes dedication and years to master.

He often started by using sense memory – a technique where he’d recall a personal experience that evoked the same physical sensations as his character. He explains that while therapy aims to resolve trauma, sense memory actually brings it back to the surface. He’d relive a moment, triggering those sensations, and then use the script’s dialogue. He admits it wasn’t an enjoyable process and doesn’t understand why actors choose this method.

Baumbach filmed the scene at Chez Jay over two days, positioning the camera close to capture any tears. Before filming the menu reading, Crudup cautioned Clooney that the scene might evoke genuine emotion.

He explained to George that he was about to share some very personal thoughts. To help himself connect with those feelings, he focused on a memory of his grandfather, which immediately brought a strong emotional response. ‘That really worked,’ Crudup said. ‘I couldn’t stop crying all day. I went home and told my wife, Naomi Watts, that I felt like I could cry at anything.’

David Crudup portrays Timothy not as an angry man, but as someone seeking resolution. He’s seemingly moved on from past hurts, until he realizes he won’t receive the apology he was hoping for.

He was in a really good place in his life at the time, he explains. He was truly happy to see Jay, and likely relieved to move past their issues. A sincere apology from Jay would have been ideal, but that didn’t happen, and it changed everything.

Awards

The actor was immediately drawn to the character of Cory Ellison after reading the script, especially since Jennifer Aniston encouraged him to try out for the show.

Baumbach describes this back-and-forth between success and failure as central to the film, noting that both can actually stem from the same underlying insecurity. He’s explored this theme before in films like “Greenberg,” focusing on characters stuck between what they hoped to achieve and their current regrets. He explains that many of his characters, like Timothy, are defined by not living up to their imagined potential, and this prevents them from finding happiness.

Playing the character of Timothy forced Crudup to reflect on his own beginnings, when he was building his career but also trying to avoid the pressures of fame. After graduating from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in 1994, he quickly found success on Broadway, appearing in Tom Stoppard’s “Arcadia” at Lincoln Center alongside actors he’d always looked up to. As he recalls, “It felt like a dream come true, and I was determined to hold onto that feeling.”

Crudup intentionally kept things a bit private. He recalls being asked for interviews early in his career and thinking, ‘Why would I share anything?’ He jokes that he didn’t know much about famous actors like Meryl Streep or Robert De Niro at the time.

By the late 1990s, Michael Crudup was gaining significant attention after his compelling performance in the film “Jesus’ Son.” This 1999 independent movie, based on stories by Denis Johnson, featured Crudup as a wandering addict named FH, a role that earned him an Independent Spirit Award nomination. He’d already demonstrated his talent in 1998, playing Olympic runner Steve Prefontaine in “Without Limits,” establishing him as a versatile and promising actor in Hollywood.

Crudup quickly realized the situation felt like a trend. He recalls a whole industry building up around this ‘it’ factor, but understood that having potential wasn’t enough – you actually had to deliver on it. He wanted to be involved in projects with wide appeal, but on his own terms, not by simply following someone else’s vision of success.

He was most focused on the quality of his acting and realized, while watching his own films, that he still had room to improve. He explains, “I wasn’t satisfied with my performance on screen; I knew I could be better.” This desire to grow drove him back to the theater, where he’s spent years challenging himself with live performances in plays like Tom Stoppard’s “The Coast of Utopia” and “The Invention of Love,” as well as “The Pillowman,” “Harry Clarke,” and “No Man’s Land.”

After roles in “The Morning Show” and “Jay Kelly,” Billy Crudup appears to have hit a sweet spot in his career – a fresh creative energy without feeling the need to completely change his approach. His performance as a polished, witty executive on the Apple TV+ series has brought him two Emmy Awards and renewed attention, and his latest film with Noah Baumbach allows him to explore the vulnerable, introspective work that originally established him as a talented actor.

He says he’s achieved far more than he ever expected and has built a lasting career doing work he enjoys. That was his main ambition all along.

Billy Crudup has lived in New York City for most of his adult life, and he credits it with keeping him balanced. He finds the city creatively stimulating because of the sheer number of people living in close proximity – you’re constantly surrounded by others, and many aren’t concerned with your successes or failures, which he sees as a leveling force. He still regularly attends plays to support friends, often the same group he’s known for decades. He describes these outings as comfortably familiar, saying, ‘It just feels like another night out with the same people, after 30 years,’ and finds that continuity deeply satisfying.

Crudup isn’t surprised by the praise he’s receiving for his role as Jay Kelly. He understands the film explores the true meaning of success and the sacrifices people make to achieve it, and he’s glad those themes are resonating with audiences.

He points out that facing public disapproval is always a possibility. You might not get the job, the role, or even have your work noticed, even if it’s good. And even if you do achieve success, it can be fleeting – people quickly move on and forget you. He says rejection is just part of the process, no matter what.

He smiles, thinking back to when he first started out and people in the industry tried to mold him into a typical Hollywood star. He remembers his agent suggesting he change his name.

He immediately worried she was targeting Crudup. It’s a name people often stumble over – it’s actually pronounced CREW-dup – and it didn’t seem destined for stardom.

She asked me what I thought of William, and then surprisingly said that when she thought of ‘Billy,’ she pictured Jimmy Carter’s brother and Billy Beer. I was completely taken aback and asked her where she’d gotten that idea. I just told her, ‘I guess I’m just a simple guy, a ‘Billy’ type.’

After all these years, he still is.

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2025-11-07 14:35