When Michael Zegen read the first script for βThe Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,β he thought Joel Maisel was doomed.
βI thought he was going to be a guest starβ¦ and then they sent the cast breakdown and it said he was a series regular, so I was like, βOh, even better.β I had no idea. I honestly thought this was it for him.β
In the first season of the series, Zegenβs Joel Maisel and his wife, Midge, divorce. She embarks on a standup comedy career and he bounces from the family business to his own enterprise. In five seasons, he takes big swings and remains a vital part of the Emmy-winning series.
βThey were able to create this whole journey and evolution for the character,β Zegen says. βHeβs still in Midgeβs orbit but heβs probably like Pluto as opposed to Venus.β
Now, in its final season, βMrs. Maiselβ updates viewers on her career success, his business savvy and the future ventures of their children. As in previous seasons, the series covers a lot of territory and surprises with plot twists most didnβt see coming.
As the last episodes were being filmed, co-stars Tony Shalhoub and Kevin Pollak told Zegen they felt sorry for him. βThereβs no way youβre going to top something like this,β they said.
βSo itβs over for me, basically,β Zegen says with a smile.
Michael Zegen plays Midge Maisel's ex-husband in "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."Β
A big start
In its first season, βMrs. Maiselβ won just about every award a television show can get. It was bigger than most series, too, dropping in period settings that werenβt easy to construct. βIt was just lightning in a bottle,β Zegen says. βI didnβt know it was going to be this big. I knew people were going to like it. Iβve done shows that people watch, but this took it to a new level.β
Much of the seriesβ success can be attributed to creator Amy Sherman-Palladino, who knows how to marshal troops. βThereβs a level of trust involved with her thatβs unparalleled,β Zegen says. The secret to her success: βSheβs a former dancer and she thinks like a dancer. Even our background actors, a lot of them are dancers and itβs always like a dance.
βWe get there at like 5:30 in the morning and then we start blocking it out and sometimes theyβre huge scenes but itβs clear sheβs in charge. To have a director who knows what she wants is, in my experience, rare. Iβll just do anything she wants.β
Archie Cleary (Joel Johnstone) and Joel Maisel (Michael Zegen) check out a club in "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."Β
Among those anythings: A shirtless scene in which Joel shows he clearly has been working out. βI like to take care of myself,β Zegen says with a smile. βIf I have to show off the goods, so be it. You should always think like that.β
The moment caused a social media stir and helped propel Joel Maisel into another realm. Over the years, he has encountered a whole world of characters who didnβt interact with Midge. When the two worlds combined, βMrs. Maiselβ was magic, the 44-year-old actor says.
REVIEW: 'Mrs. Maisel' ends with marvelous update
A marvelous audience
Often, Joel would be in the audience when Midge was doing standup. Watching her, Zegen says, was a delight. βRachel (Brosnahan, who plays Midge) can do anything. She always talks about how nervous she is. I donβt buy it. Anytime I got to work with her was a joy. Our scenes together were always my favorite. She was born to perform. I donβt know if she would be a standup comedian, but Iβm sure she could handle that as well.β
βThe Marvelous Mrs. Maiselβ stands out from other comedies because it dared to try new things and wasnβt concerned if it took more than 20 minutes to do it.
βThe scripts are always long,β Zegen says. βOur show is supposed to be like 55 to 60 pages. Our scripts are like 90 to 100 pages. And the show is big. Itβs been big from the beginning. We went to Paris in the second season, the Catskills and Miami, so thereβs a lot of stuff. And yet, itβs still βMaisel.ββ
Now that filming is over, the actors havenβt drifted apart. They still text and talk. βI donβt think itβll ever quite feel βover over,ββ Zegen says. βI know the reality of it β weβre not going to be filming anymore β and thatβs devastating.β
While he moves on to the βThe Penguin,β a new Max series, Zegen admits everything post-βMaiselβ will be measured against the hit comedy.
βThis has been the greatest experience of my life so far, workwise,β he says. βItβs going to be very hard to top this.β
Miriam "Midge" Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan) and Lenny Bruce (Luke Kirby) meet at the airport in the fifth season of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."Β
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The Journal's Top Stories for the week of April 9, 2023
