Warning: spoilers forward for season two of The Bear

It’s the uncommon present that may come again swinging after a shock hit first season, and expectations have been excessive for the second installment of FX’s The Bear, which dropped in full on Hulu this week. However the second season has carried out simply that, elevating the stakes with a number of high-profile cameos (together with Jamie Lee Curtis as head chef Carmy’s mentally unwell mom and Will Poulter as a tattooed English chef), and diving into the deep backstory of every character, not least of all Cousin Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), who emerged as a fan favourite this season. Moss-Bachrach, who earlier than The Bear was finest identified for roles like Desi in Women and David Lieberman in The Punisher, infuses the self-sabotaging, everyman character with a stunning tenderness that wins everybody over—from the opposite characters to followers of the present—alike.

When the heartfelt drama a few scrappy Chicago beef stand first landed on the streamer final summer time, it grew to become an instantaneous hit. Two years after COVID hit, it was a pleasure to root for the motley crew of real, sophisticated characters doing their finest to outlive in a restaurant on the point of monetary damage, anchored by Jeremy Allen White’s portrayal of prodigal son Carmy (who is predicated on creator Christopher Storer’s real-life childhood pal), and his platonic inventive soulmate and chef de delicacies, Syd (Ayo Edebiri). Individuals have been calling one another chef and yelling “nook” and “behind,” and whereas seemingly each efficiency within the ensemble was praised for its authenticity and appeal (White took house the Golden Globe for Finest Actor), Moss-Bachrach held his personal as Richie, the dirtbag dad of the bunch who, although interesting in his personal means, was a bit caught up to now, vulnerable to cursing and by no means lacking a chance to say the flawed factor.

When W caught up with the 46-year-old Brooklyn father of two, who additionally performs Jennifer Lawrence’s ex on this summer time’s blockbuster comedy No Laborious Emotions, he was on trip in Greece along with his household, absorbing the “overwhelming” love for The Bear’s second season. Under, Moss-Bachrach on Richie’s transformative season and what he thinks will occur subsequent:

Going into season two, what did you anticipate for Richie?

I had an excellent understanding of his trajectory. Someplace in the midst of season one, Chris [Storer] casually walked me by his concept of the entire lifetime of your complete sequence, and particularly Richie’s journey, by the primary season, the second season, and even past if we do extra. So no, I wasn’t shocked in any respect. I knew that he was going to have a giant change and a few victories.

It’s so uncommon to have an concept of the place the story goes.

Matthew Weiner famously would maintain again all the things from his forged on Mad Males, and I keep in mind once I was engaged on The Punisher, they have been very secretive about all the things. So it does really feel luxurious. But in addition, it makes lots of sense to me to only share these items with actors.

Within the midst of the chaotic Christmas “Fishes” episode, we see Richie on the cusp of a extremely hopeful time. It was heartbreaking to see that issues have been as soon as actually nice for him, in comparison with the place he’s ended up.

That is a tremendous episode, as a result of we do get to see what may have been for Richie. It is a actually thrilling second in his life. He will be a father. We see him possibly making an attempt to go away the restaurant. It simply actually underlines how far he is fallen, how a lot issues have modified. I imply, that night time for Richie, it is Christmas. He is surrounded by people who he loves who love him. Of all of the individuals at that celebration, he is possibly having fun with himself probably the most. It is actually revelatory for the viewers to see what possibly may have been. It is actually sensible storytelling.

That episode was so well-coordinated. However I additionally cherished “Forks,” the place he’s staging on the Alinea-style restaurant—it actually captures the loneliness of being the brand new particular person at a restaurant, or anyplace actually. What was it like filming that episode in comparison with the extra frenetic scenes The Bear is thought for?

It was lonely. I did not like being in that restaurant. It was so antithetical to all the things—Richie’s so pushed by his coronary heart. That was such an mental area, and so rarefied and elite and constructed in a means that is diametrically against all the things that he loves. From an performing perspective, it gave me a lot to work by. Even the visible look, it is chilly, the lighting is totally totally different. It is so clear. That restaurant appears like a science lab. It is sexless in a means. It comes proper after “Fishes,” and also you simply could not get extra of a distinction.

His transformation is sort of full as soon as he begins carrying fits—I assumed the all-black was a pleasant contact.

The costume designers [Courtney Wheeler and Christina Spiridakis] and I at all times see very eye to eye. In season one and the start of season two, he’s preserved on this ’90s look. Richie’s an actual Michael Mann man. I assumed that he would possibly take his style cues from Al Pacino in Warmth, so he chooses this darkish go well with, darkish shirt, darkish tie. There’s a bit of little bit of a samurai factor in a means, or a ninja factor to that, that I feel may be very interesting to him. Personally, it’s not likely what I need out of a go well with, though, I sort of received into it. These items have a means of leaching into your private fashion.

The season ends with a extremely vicious verbal combat between Carmy and Richie. Do you suppose there’s any getting back from that?

To be completely sincere, I have not seen that episode but. After we have been doing it, there have been many alternative takes. There have been takes the place Richie was screaming by the wall, like, “I like you, I like you, I like you, I like you.” However Carmy is such a thriller to Richie. He is so closed off and inexpressive in a means that Richie just isn’t. When Richie feels one thing, he says one thing. Carmy’s the other. That’s left in a giant query, even for anyone like me, who has an concept of the place all the things goes. Richie’s undoubtedly able to amends and has a sure resilience and flexibility and loyalty along with his love. It is possibly extra on Carmy.

You even have No Laborious Emotions out proper now. What are you wanting ahead to subsequent?

No Laborious Emotions is a extremely humorous film, however most of my vitality is about The Bear proper now. The suggestions from the individuals which were watching it’s so overwhelming. I am simply deeply grateful for all this love from individuals. If you make one thing nobody’s ever heard of and it turns into a shock hit, that is actually thrilling. However then, for the second season, there’s expectations. That actually made me nervous. It is undoubtedly a departure tonally from the primary season, and I am a fairly insecure particular person, so I wasn’t certain. I am blissfully shocked. Not that I assumed it was unhealthy or something. However I am simply, I assume, principally overwhelmed with the season two Bear love. It is past my wildest goals.