The Rhode Island native made his name with acclaimed performances in much-lauded plays like The Inheritance and Aaron Sorkin’s Camelot. Later this month, previews of a Kenny Leon-directed Othello will begin at the Barrymore Theatre—with Burnap starring alongside Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal. Next, the Tony-winning actor will appear opposite Rachel Zegler in the live remake of Snow White, as well as in the high-octane thriller The Up and Comer.
CULTURED: What was the biggest “pinch me” moment of your career so far?
Andrew Burnap: Sir Ian McKellen came to a play I was in at the Young Vic in London. I grew up watching everything he ever did, admiring him, learning from him. I walked out after the show and there he was. He took my hand and whispered, "You cannot let anyone else play this part." I was overcome. We spoke for a while and saw each other a few more times after that. I wrote it down in my journal that night and return to it in moments of need.
CULTURED: What do the characters you gravitate towards have in common?
Burnap: A healthy dose of mischievousness, and a big heart.
CULTURED: What's the strangest (or most memorable) compliment you ever received about one of your performances?
Burnap: I shared an elevator with a woman in New York who listed every play she had seen me in, along with her thoughts on each. Ten years ago, I would have only heard the negative—this time, it really tickled me.
CULTURED: If Hollywood made a movie about your life, what experience would it center on?
Burnap: The semi-final tennis match during my freshman year of high school at Slater Park in Rhode Island. I still have dreams about it. Coach Carr and the team were legendary, winning the Division I State Championship seven years in a row by the time I got there as a freshman. That season, we had lost to Barrington High School twice. Now, in the semi-finals, we were facing them again, and it all came down to my doubles match. It was tied. Whoever won our match would win the overall team match. It was just me—15-year-old, skinny freshman Andrew—and Jake, my sophomore doubles partner, with not only the season on the line but also our team's legacy.
The crowd was gathered around our court. We lost the first set and were down 2-5 in the second—four points away from losing it all. Alumni were back in town for the playoffs, and so many people had traveled to Providence to support us. Looking into their faces and hearing their cheers still gives me goosebumps! We must have gone to Deuce 15 or 16 times. It was my serve, and after many hard-fought points, we finally won that game. The crowd went absolutely buck wild. In my dreams it's thousands of people—in reality, it was probably 100. Slowly but surely, we climbed back. We won that set 7-5, and then won the next. Two days later, we won the state championship. It was one of the craziest, coolest experiences of my life. I had never experienced pressure like that before. Broadway has nothing on Slater Park.
CULTURED: What is the best advice you’ve ever been given? The worst?
Burnap: The two best pieces of advice I’ve received: "Do not waste your suffering," and "Everyone is just doing their best." The worst: "Dude, try this—they’re called Zyns."
CULTURED: What is one film that got you through an important moment in your life?
Burnap: Arrival. It sticks with me to this day. It got me through dark times when I couldn’t see past myself. In Arrival, [Louise Banks] sees inevitable devastation and pain in her life to come, and yet chooses to live through it for the love she will feel along the way—namely, from her daughter, who will leave her far too soon. That choice is life. It reminds me of a quote from a play I was lucky enough to do for quite a long time: “Whether through death or dissolution, to fall in love is to make an appointment with heartbreak.” We know our lives will be filled with pain and suffering, sometimes totally senselessness, and heartbreak. That is certain. Unavoidable. And yet, we try our best to live anyway, every single day, with hope for the joy and love that we know is possible. I find it pretty beautiful.
CULTURED: What is your ritual for managing rejection?
Burnap: I’ll let you know when I find it.
CULTURED: When did you learn what it meant to be an actor? What was your biggest misconception about the craft?
Burnap: I’m not sure that I’ll ever really know what it means to be an actor. I certainly know more than I used to and I manage my life more effectively now, but it’s constantly changing. Every new experience, good or bad, is useful information. If I know anything, it’s that I have to remain deeply curious and observant in my life. All the information I can gather about being alive is useful.
What did I think it would look like? I don’t know that I thought anything other than the fact that it was going to be really hard, as everyone loves to tell you. I remember when I first got out of school, I couldn’t believe how much of my life was auditioning. Over and over again, mostly no, thank yous sprinkled with the occasional yes. I thought that getting the job was the marker of a good audition. Everything below that was failure. It took me a while to rewire those neural pathways. I still am. I do my best to treat auditions now as just an opportunity to act for a while. It gives me a sense of agency I didn’t have when I was younger. I wanted to get it right—oof, just got a shiver. It made my work lifeless. No spontaneity. It wasn’t unique to me. Now, I have a different set of values for auditioning. Knowing that the people on the other side desperately want you to be the answer is a really freeing thought. I’m still heartbroken at some I don’t get, and every once in a while, I’m mystified at how I got others. Going about it this way makes it a lot easier to find the joy again.
CULTURED: What’s your on-set pet peeve?
Burnap: When people at the top of the call sheet ignore guest stars and day players, or even treat them poorly. That is your set. You’re the leader, right? What do you have to lose? They’re usually right out of school, incredibly nervous, and finally got a really cool job that will pay their rent for a little while. They probably even look up to you. Weren’t you there once? Chances are some of them will go on to have great careers. Your paths may cross again. It costs you absolutely nothing to say, "Hi, welcome, great to have you." Two seconds of generosity. Boils my blood.
CULTURED: What does success mean to you?
Burnap: Man, I often think about this. To 15-year-old me, this, right now, is a dream come true. I think the goalposts have moved along the way, as I move forward and more becomes possible. But, the idea of success? If I can live my life, as an actor, with enough means to sustain a level of contentment, meaning, and belonging—that’s it right there. Does one need more? Sure, do I want to be regarded or remembered as a great actor or great artist? Who doesn’t? But, that’s not really in my control. Also, I really cherish my anonymity. Fame looks like a tricky friend. It seems the price one pays for success in this field is one of public access, visibility, and scrutiny. I imagine that’s a constant negotiation. At the end of the day, I just want to be able to work on projects that I deeply care about, with people I love and respect, to travel where I want, eat where I want, live where I want, and to repay those who have brought me to this place, in whatever forms I can. That, to me, is success: having the ability and the means to choose my life where I can.
Casting by Special Projects
Hair by Ward Stegerhoek
Makeup by Frank B
Nails by Maki Sakamoto
Digital Tech by Jeanine Robinson
Tailoring by Martin Keehn
Production Coordination by Enya Cirillo
Photography Agent: Philippa Serlin
Photography Assistance by Daniil Zaikin and Sergio Avellaneda
Styling Assistance by Moses Moreno and Mary Reinehr Gigler
Hair Assistance by Sean Bennett
Makeup Assistance by Natsuka Hirabayashi
On-Set Assistance by Giuliana Brida
Furniture by Vitsoe
Set Design by Happy Massee
