Former U.S. Army general and former Secretary of State Colin Powell once said: “A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work.” Bill Barrett is an actor that embodies this quotation.
“The Oval has been awesome,” he admitted. “From Season 1, it was been a riot. The pace is really intense so I’ve learned so much about preparation and work ethic before you even get to the set. It is one of the larger projects that I’ve worked on. I know I am not going to have room to mess around, so if I am not ready, I am going to sink. It’s a sink or swim type of environment. In a way, it’s fun to keep the adrenaline up. You are in character the entire time, and I really enjoy that.”
Particularly impressive about The Oval is that it’s the No. 1 show (and most talked about) on cable TV. “That is amazing,” he said. “That doesn’t even sound real, which is really cool. I am very excited about that.”
He is drawn to his character, secret service agent Max Carter, for a number of reasons. “Max has a very good heart, especially in the first season. He is very synonymous with everyday life, we make choices and get affected by the environment. Max is a very good character, who is influenced by the environment such as the First Lady, Kyle, and Jason, and the people he interacts with. You see him playing by their rules in order to survive,” he said.
“I am excited to see my character’s evolution in this season to see how much further he goes,” Barrett added.
He acknowledged that doing the stunt-work in this series was “a lot of fun.” “We put a lot of work into that fight,” he said. “I got some scrapes and bruises for that but I think it turned out well.”
Barrett complimented his fellow acting partners Brad Benedict and Ed Quinn for being “great” to work with. “They made me feel really comfortable and it felt good to film with them,” he said. “Ed Quinn has felt like a mentor to me from the first season on, and I look up to him as a mentor on the show.”
On being an actor in the digital age, he said, “It feels really good because before it was just theater. I’ve only been doing acting for a few years, and now, there are so many more opportunities between the different platforms. It’s a sigh of relief. You are getting to see so much different content. The digital age has been great for the entire community and the industry.”
For young and aspiring actors, he said, “Try to do five to 10 things that you don’t succeed at, and eventually you will find the right thing.”
Regarding the title of the current chapter of his life, Barrett said, “Growth.” “I’ve grown as an actor and I finally feel like I am doing what I am really passionate about and what is actually welcoming me. I feel connected with what I am doing in acting, and it makes me fulfilled and happy.”
Barrett defined the word success as “finding contentment and fulfillment” in life. “From my own experience, that takes a lot of courage because it’s not easy to go against what you are told by your parents and your friends,” he said. “Success is doing what truly fulfills you.”
For viewers and fans, Barrett concluded, “I am excited for you to watch it, I really am. Season 2 is such a bigger jump in intensity, chaos, and insanity. What makes the first season beautiful, dynamic, and fun to watch is really emphasized, exaggerated, and comes to life even more in Season 2. You get to see more character development in this season, where it’s a more in-depth look at their lives. You feel like a fly on the wall. Each character’s story is sharpened.”
To learn more about The Oval, check out the official BET website.
For more information on actor Bill Barrett, check out his IMDb page.
