Coen brothers 'Serious' about Stuhlbarg

Vet Broadway star revisits their 1960s upbringing

By MALINA SAVAL

He's a good guy," is how Michael Stuhlbarg describes Larry Gopnik, an angst-ridden Jewish math professor who questions God, guilt and the meaning of life in "A Serious Man," Joel and Ethan Coen's semiautobiographical nod to their 1960s suburban Minneapolis upbringing.

"It wasn't so much about the conveyance of him being a Jew as it was about the journey," says Stuhlbarg of the soft-spoken, soul-tortured protagonist. "It's a universal situation for people to have things go wrong in their lives and for them to have to deal with it. (Gopnik) doesn't get many answers, and the journey allows him to crack a couple of times."

Depending on one's perspective, Gopnik is either the ultimate mensch or the world's biggest pushover. When two weeks prior to their son's bar mitzvah, his wife announces she's leaving him for a pretentious widower and old family friend, Gopnik moves to a local motel. When the arrogant schmuck dies in a car crash, Gopnik foots the bill for the funeral.

"He probably realizes he hasn't necessarily been the best partner or as communicative as he could have been," posits Stuhlbarg of Gopnik's plight. "And so he takes on the responsibility that his marriage is falling apart."

Conversely, Stuhlbarg's career is anything but crumbling. A celebrated stage actor, Stuhlbarg earned a 2005 Tony Award nom and nabbed a Drama Desk Award for his performance in Martin McDonagh's "The Pillowman." Other Broadway coups include Tom Stoppard's "The Invention of Love" and Sam Mendes' production of "Cabaret."

The Juilliard grad -- in college he won a prestigious summer scholarship to study with legendary master mime Marcel Marceau -- has also made his mark onscreen, with roles in Ridley Scott's "Body of Lies" and Boaz Yakin's "A Price Above Rubies." Next up is a dramatic turn as infamous mobster Arnold Rothstein in Martin Scorsese's new HBO series "Boardwalk Empire," which chronicles the high times and evolution of Atlantic City.

"You bring all your experiences with you," says Stuhlbarg of his segue from stage to screen. "All of those experiences in the theater prepared me to do 'A Serious Man.' But my work is the same in both film and theater: My job is to bring these characters to life."

P.O.V.

Lucky Break: "I've gotten a bunch of lucky breaks over the course of my life. 'A Serious Man' is one. I got to be on Broadway with Ed Harris and work with Tom Stoppard. There have been little and big breaks, and you take them as they come and you hope that they enrich your life. I feel very lucky."

Favorite Film: "I don't have a favorite film. I love each film for what it brings and each performance for what it brings."

Five Years From Now, I Will Be...: "I don't know. I hope to be happy, working and still enjoying my friends and family."