Lionel Boyce on Playing Pastry Chef Marcus on 'The Bear' - All Of It with Alison Stewart

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Transcript40 lines

[00:00]
A
Foreign. This is all of it. I'm Alison Stewart. And welcome back. All this hour, we're talking with some of the actors behind some Emmy nominated shows. The Emmys will be held on September 14th. Let's talk about an award show favorite, the bear, which depicts the realities of working in the kitchen of a Chicago restaurant. For the 2026 Emmys, it earned eight nominations. The fifth and final season dropped in June. You can stream it all on Hulu. In the bear, the chefs are like a family. A key member of that group is pastry chef Marcus Brooks, played by Lionel Boyce. Marcus is gentle, maybe a little shy, but it is clear that he has talent, even genius, when it comes to making original desserts. Marcus has gone through his own journey throughout the show, his memorable trip to Copenhagen and his grief over losing his mom. I started by asking Lionel Boyce about when he first heard about the bear.
[01:08]
B
I heard about it. Was that some. Maybe 2021. Cause we shot the pilot in 2021, so I think it was maybe February. I'm impressed with my memory. It was February 2021 that I got the pilot script. I read it and I sent in an audition tape.
[01:28]
A
What interested you about your character, Marcus?
[01:31]
B
I think I immediately had an entry point where it felt like a person that I knew. I understood it was something about it. I first fell in love with the pace of the pilot, the way it was written. You can feel the tone. It was palpable. And I was like, wow, this is really cool.
[01:45]
A
It was hard for me to watch it first. I was like, I got enough stress in my life.
[01:48]
B
Yeah, well, that was the thing it read. It had such a quick tone, simple with the script, but we didn't know how story was thinking about it visually because obviously the pilot hadn't been shot. So it didn't have that intensity of the edit with the. With the music and the sounds. So you're just reading like, wow, this feels quick. This is cool. And then when we. I remember after we shot the pilot maybe a couple of months later, they sent us the. The finished pilot and you're like, wow. Yeah, this is cool. It's very encaps. It just grabbed you and you're just like, yes, this is a lot, but I love roller coasters. So I'm with it.
[02:22]
A
What was a moment when you knew that it hit when you realized this show is more than just a job you show up for?
[02:30]
B
I think the cool thing about this show, it was pretty instantaneous. The way we shoot it and it comes out, it's within the same. Almost the same quarter. Like, we shot it in the winter and it came out in the summer. Well, it was just so immediate. And with season one, I remember memes started popping up and you know that. Okay. That it's like, crossed a barrier and it was watching a wildfire grow where you saw, like, one or two memes, and then the meme pages you follow start to post memes, and we're just sharing it in a group chat. You're like, wow, Jeremy's face is everywhere. And then within, like, two weeks, there's like, everyone's watching the show, everyone's talking about it, and you're like, wow, I've never been a part of something a that's reached that critical mass and reached something that big that fast.
[03:14]
A
How was Marcus originally described to you?
[03:17]
B
Marcus was described as. I don't remember. I remember talking to Chris about it, and we. He mostly just talked about he's the pastry chef and where he wants him to go, which was season four, where he's like, you know, he's going to hit. Become one of the best pastry chefs in all of Illinois. And I remember that was cool. And we mostly just talked about just the. His creativity and just like. And we talked about, like, our love of pastries and my favorite donuts, desserts. Xyz. It wasn't much about his personality. I think it was just like, he's cool. He's a cool, everyman kind of guy. And I think through the scripts, you just really got a sense of who he was more than it was the description. Up top.
[04:02]
A
What has been your understanding of how Marcus has evolved over the course of these four or five seasons?
[04:09]
B
That's good. I think my understanding of it is how your relationship to something you love evolves with the external forces of the inevitable changes that come with life. I think the point of life is to experience and understand temporary. So it's like, how do you hold onto something that you want to be permanent as everything is temporary around you? I was fortunate working with Courtney Storer, who's an incredible chef, and the culinary producer, Malcolm Livingston, who's.
[04:35]
A
They have a culinary producer?
[04:36]
B
Yeah, we have a culinary producer, Courtney Store. Yeah. And Courtney Store and Maddie were really instrumental, especially in the beginning, where we leaned on them a lot because they had so many stories, so many specifics where if you had any insecurity about, like, how do I hold this? Or what's like, the physicality of this, they're like, yeah, this. Or they just give you a story. And it was Just a way to keep our us out of our heads with and, like, focus on, like, the character and the story as opposed to, like, can I do this? But it also helped us because it was just a place to train. And, like, I want to work on specifically, like, understanding this. How do you do this? Cutting or xyz. But I say that, say I worked with Courtney throughout every season, and then season three, I believe three or four, work with Malcolm Livingston, who is this incredible pastry chef who I feel is, like, a guru of creativity in this way, where it was so many isms about, like, life and approach to creative practice, where I think before meeting him, I understood baking a science, and it's just that everything is precise. And he took science and turned it into magic. To me, where he's just all creative and creative expression. It's a place where he's like. He's a heart in a steel cage. And I'm like, that's so cool. And it was so. I got so many things from him just from, like, the times of talking to him. And just when as he's teaching me how to do these simple things, I'm like, wow. Like, this. This relates to actually what I'm working on outside of this.
[06:05]
A
It's interesting with the culinary producer and all of these experts you talk to and helped you learn the craft of baking. What is something that you didn't know that now you know about baking, like holding a whisk or about egg yolks, something that just sort of blew your mind.
[06:22]
B
I think it's so much of. It's similar. I came from a sports background, and a lot of sports is about the physicality, like, putting yourself in the right position. And it's funny you say holding a whisk because that something Courtney would say to me a lot, where it's like. It's the way you hold the wiz. I would, like, hold it delicately and from the edge. She like, no, just get in there. Like, get your body in the position. And it's just like, yeah, go for it. And I was like, this is cool, because it's also learning to do something new. As an adult, you can kind of observe your own creative process in a different kind of way, where I'm just like, oh, that is funny. Whenever I'm, like, trepidatious about something, I am much more like, some people can, like, blaze through the door, and I'm just, like, delicate and, like, kind of poking and circling the surface, and they're like, no, just punch through the door.
[07:08]
A
Yeah.
[07:08]
B
And So I was like, yeah, that's like, take. It's a different form of, like, reminding yourself to take a different kind of ownership into the things you're doing.
[07:15]
A
My guest is actor Lionel Boyce, who plays Marcus Brooks, the pastry chef of the Bear, the restaurant on the show. This is a nice text we got from somebody. It says, I love Lionel Boyce. Marcus is my favorite character on the Bear entirely due to his touching portrayal. His performance has brought me to tears more than once.
[07:33]
B
Oh, that's cool. That's awesome. That makes me feel so great. Cause that's what I think. Everything we do, we hope it connects. And getting a text like that, for a second, I was worried it was a text from someone I knew, and I didn't know what they were gonna say, but that's much better.
[07:49]
A
It's interesting because Marcus does have to deal with grief on this show. The loss of his mom. What did that mean for your character in this show?
[08:00]
B
I think it means a. A lot of things, because I think season one was. He's carrying this thing internally that we have no idea of. We're just seeing an explosion happen in this thing that he. Maybe he'd been feeling disconnected. It's like it was a cog that caught a wheel where he's like, oh, I have an outlet for these things that I've been taking care of. My mom's in this debilitating state, and he's at every day. He's leaving the restaurant. He's going home to take care of her, and she's reached a point where she's nonverbal anymore. In season two, you really see that relationship, and you see what it means for him, the fear of taking up space for himself. He'd become comfortable being the one where he forewent any of his dreams, any of these things for stability. I think he is very much like the glue, in a way, in the kitchen, but it's just because of. He's okay with letting his feelings take the backseat and the back burner. And so I think the loss of his mother is, like, kind of having to confront, on one hand, these things that, like, your worst. One of your worst fears is, like, losing your parents is like, everyone's thinking about it. As our parents age, you're constantly hearing it, like, hearing the. I remember thinking about the first time I heard my mom's voice change on the phone, where I was like, you can hear a little bit of the rasp, like, start to onset, and you're like, wow, like, my parents are aging that like all these things. So that's what you're constantly thinking about. And I think for him. So on one hand, he's faced this worst fear that everyone reaches. And then on the other hand, it's like all of this time that was allotted to her has come back to him. So it's about, what do you do with it? And he has a place to focus it. So it's like taking up space for himself and allowing himself to. You know, he has. He has a goal, something to go for, and he understands what it takes by being around Carmi and Sid and Luca and these people who kind of act as guiding forces and showing him what it is that he wants to achieve and how to get there. So I think it's a left in the right hand and learning how to use both.
[10:00]
A
In this episode, I think it was called the donut you are. You come out and you show Carmi this donut you spent a lot of time working on, and he slaps it out of your hands right in that moment. First of all, did Marcus learn anything from that episode? Aside that Carmi can be a bit of a.
[10:18]
B
You know what? I think he did. I think you, like, there is funny, because I remember that was the season one. I remember being like, I actually understand Carmen. Like, this is the worst day in the kitchen. And like, it's like five times. And I think I remember IO gave a great gift where when we were like, rehearsing and stuff, she just, like, called him a space cadet. He's a space cadet today. And I was like, yeah, you're totally right. Like, and it is so much going on, and he's just ignoring it. He's not paying attention to doing his
[10:48]
A
job, and he just wants to set this donut.
[10:51]
B
Yeah. And it's like, yeah. Like 20 minutes later you come back and like I said four times, like, hey, what's going on with your things? And you're like, in a minute. And you're like, hey, no, actually, I know this is a bad time, but look at this creation. So I think. I think he learned two things in that moment where it's like he had this great breakthrough where he's, like, understood how to make this donut he'd been spending all season to make. And on the other hand, it's like you can't get caught up in. In your own world. Like, you have to learn how to balance. I think that's kind of what has been his journey. Because even when you think about season two, it's about balancing, like, this new love with his mother. And then season three is balancing the grief with the work. And then season four is, like, balancing, like, this loneliness that's come, like, with this void with connecting to the people around you and, like, choosing the family.
[11:38]
A
Lionel, when you heard that you had to go to Copenhagen for that specific episode, it was directed by Rami Yousef, who's a great guy.
[11:46]
B
Yeah.
[11:47]
A
And you had to. So Marcus has to go study underneath another chef in Copenhagen. It's culture shock in the best way. You're living on a boat. What was your reaction when you first read about that particular role?
[12:00]
B
It was. It was both awesome and terrifying because it's like, they didn't say anything before. And you're reading the scripts. We're fortunate. We get all the scripts at once. So I get to episode four, and I'm reading it, and then just like, oh, yeah, it starts in the kitchen. Cool. And then it's like, it focuses on Marcus, and it's like, oh. And it keeps going by page 16. I'm like, it's only been Marcus. Okay.
[12:20]
A
It's only.
[12:20]
B
Okay. And so you're like, this is cool. It's exciting because, like, you, like, this is also part of it. I love traveling. Like, oh, we get to go to Copenhagen to, like, shoot this episode. And then you're like, oh, yeah, it's only me. And it's only. I didn't know Will Pozer at the time, but I'm just like, this is a person who, as a fan, I've been a fan of, and I just know he's a great actor and stuff. So I'm like, you're just, like, wrestling with all the, like, the natural doubt insecurities that come with that, where you're like, well, I don't know. I haven't done anything like this. This is rise to occasion. I don't want to be the one to let the show down by not, like, executing and delivering on my behalf. So I became worried about it. But it was very exciting at the same time because I was like, wow. Like, I think every. Everyone's trusting me to believe that I could do that is, like. I was very appreciative and warmed by.
[13:11]
A
I loved watching you and Will Poulter in that scene because you're not necessarily facing each other. You're facing outward, and you're having this deep conversation, and you're working at the same time, but you're not really looking at each other. It was really interesting.
[13:22]
B
Someone told me a funny thing where they said the way that men express emotions is side by side, not looking at each other, looking out of something. And I'm like, it's totally true. I think about all the time where I make a new friend and we're like doing an activity and it's like mumbling words and eventually it's a cog that catches a wheel. So. Yeah.
[13:40]
A
Did you find. Did you find that Marcus, when you played Marcus, did he. Does he come back as a different person after that trip?
[13:46]
B
100%. I think that's. It's the first time he never left Chicago. He'd never been on his own. It's like kind of a. It's not necessarily an ego death. It's just like. I think the walls of the ego, like, fall down and you're like, oh, I didn't know I can expand. It's like, you didn't. Where he assumed the walls where he's like, reaching. Oh, it's like further away. So he's like. It's possibility. Possibilities are open. He's like, there's a person I could be that I never considered before.
[14:17]
A
What are you thinking about as the show enters its final season? What went through your mind as you were shooting? Like, this is the last time we'll do this?
[14:25]
B
Yeah, I think that that was exactly. I tried to always be aware of the. The present and what's happening, and I just kept thinking about it just makes you realize how much time has passed more than anything. Where I was like, wow, we shot the pilot five years ago. This is. I didn't. I didn't go to like a college and go to four year. I went to a community college for a year and a half. And then I stopped to. I found this track which has led me to the show. So I never really experienced that feeling of graduating high school except for graduating high school. And so it's. In. This industry is very much built around, like, kind of everyone's freelance. So it's like you finish a job and it's freefall till you find the next one. And with that comes the understanding of nothing will ever feel exactly like the previous thing. Good, bad, or whatever. They're all singular feelings. And even if it's parallel, some might be more successful than others. You'll never replicate what this was. And I've ex. I understand that. And it'll have. It'll read constantly, redefine itself throughout my career. But I've just been trying to be very present. Just like, I'll absorb it all so that I can at least have it in my memory and I can recall as much as possible.
[15:32]
A
That was actor Lionel Boyce reflecting on his character Marcus Brooks in the final season of the Bear. It's now available for streaming on Hulu. Next, we'll finish the hour with the Emmy nominated Julianne Nicholson and her co star Thomas Dougherty on the second season of their show Paradise.
[15:52]
B
It's like math. McDonald's is now introducing all new Caesar sauce plus an even crispier McCrispy strip. This all equals a creamier creamy snack wrap. Try the new caesar sauce at McDonald's.

Summary5 min read

Podcast Summary: Lionel Boyce on Playing Pastry Chef Marcus on 'The Bear'

Podcast: All Of It with Alison Stewart (WNYC)
Host: Alison Stewart
Guest: Lionel Boyce
Date: August 3, 2026
Episode focus: Lionel Boyce discusses his experience and insights playing Marcus Brooks, the gentle pastry chef, on the Emmy-nominated TV series 'The Bear.'

Overview

This episode explores the journey of Lionel Boyce as Marcus Brooks, a character at the heart of Hulu’s acclaimed series 'The Bear.' Boyce and host Alison Stewart delve into the origins and evolution of his character, the impact of grief and ambition, lessons learned from culinary experts, and memorable moments from the show, including an iconic Copenhagen episode. The discussion is rich with reflections on growth, creative process, and the emotional resonance of television storytelling.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Discovering 'The Bear' and Joining the Cast

Timeline: Boyce first encountered the script in February 2021 and immediately connected with the character (01:08).
- Quote: "I'm impressed with my memory. It was February 2021 that I got the pilot script. I read it and I sent in an audition tape." – Lionel Boyce [01:16]
Initial Attraction: The pace, writing, and palpable tone of the pilot drew him in (01:31).
- Quote: "I first fell in love with the pace of the pilot, the way it was written. You can feel the tone. It was palpable." – Lionel Boyce [01:34]

2. Behind the Scenes: The Success and Reception

Viral Impact: The show’s success was "instantaneous" with memes proliferating soon after release (02:29).
- Quote: "It was watching a wildfire grow...everyone's watching the show, everyone's talking about it, and you're like, wow, I've never been a part of something...that reached critical mass that big that fast." – Lionel Boyce [02:45]

3. Evolving the Character of Marcus Brooks

Character Description: Marcus began as "the everyman" with few explicit personality notes—his character organically emerged through scripts and conversations with the creators (03:17).
Emotional Evolution: Boyce sees Marcus’s journey as a lesson in embracing change amid life’s impermanence (04:08).
- Quote: "How do you hold onto something that you want to be permanent as everything is temporary around you?" – Lionel Boyce [04:12]
Culinary Training: Hands-on experience with culinary consultants like Courtney Storer and Malcolm Livingston greatly shaped his approach both as Marcus and as an actor (04:34).
- Quote: "[Malcolm Livingston] took science and turned it into magic to me." – Lionel Boyce [05:46]

4. Learning the Craft: Real Kitchen Insights

Physicality and Process: Learning how to “own” baking tasks, such as holding a whisk energetically rather than delicately, mirrored personal growth (06:21).
- Quote: "Get your body in the position. And it's just like, yeah, go for it." – Lionel Boyce [06:38]
Metaphors for Creativity: Adapting to new skills as an adult illuminated parallels between baking and acting (06:54).

5. Portraying Grief and Marcus’s Inner World

Handling Loss: The impact of Marcus’s mother’s illness and death provided an authentic throughline of grief and ambition (08:00).
- Quote: "He's okay with letting his feelings take the backseat...It's about, what do you do with [the time]?" – Lionel Boyce [08:32]
Character Growth: The show artfully navigates how Marcus transitions from self-sacrifice to seeking fulfillment and pursuing his own dreams (08:00–10:00).

6. Iconic Moments: The 'Donut' Episode

Creative Breakthrough vs. Kitchen Chaos: Marcus’s donut scene with Carmy shows both personal achievement and the lesson in not losing perspective amid chaos (10:00).
- Quote: "You can't get caught up in your own world. You have to learn how to balance." – Lionel Boyce [11:19]
Seasonal Balances: Each season brings Marcus new challenges—balancing care, grief, work, and loneliness (11:21).

7. The Copenhagen Episode: Growth through Discomfort

Solo Spotlight: Boyce discusses the excitement and anxiety about carrying an episode almost alone, shot in Copenhagen (11:46–13:10).
- Quote: "It was both awesome and terrifying...you’re wrestling with all the natural doubt insecurities." – Lionel Boyce [12:01]
Male Friendship and Expression: The “side-by-side” emotional connection scene with Will Poulter's character stood out for its subtlety (13:22).
- Quote: "The way that men express emotions is side by side, not looking at each other, looking out of something. And I'm like, it's totally true." – Lionel Boyce [13:24]
Personal Change: The episode catalyzes Marcus’s growth, opening his world beyond his old limits (13:45).
- Quote: "I think the walls of the ego, like, fall down and you're like, oh, I didn't know I can expand...Possibilities are open." – Lionel Boyce [13:52]

8. Reflecting on Endings and Legacy

Final Season Emotions: As the series closes, Boyce is poignantly aware of time passing and the singular nature of the experience (14:24).
- Quote: "Nothing will ever feel exactly like the previous thing...I've just been trying to be very present. Just like, I'll absorb it all so that I can at least have it in my memory." – Lionel Boyce [15:09]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

"You can feel the tone. It was palpable. And I was like, wow, this is really cool." – Lionel Boyce [01:34]
"Watching a wildfire grow...within, like, two weeks, everyone's watching the show, everyone's talking about it." – Lionel Boyce [02:45]
"He took science and turned it into magic to me, where he's just all creative and creative expression." – Lionel Boyce on Malcolm Livingston [05:46]
"You can't get caught up in your own world. You have to learn how to balance." – Lionel Boyce [11:19]
"The way that men express emotions is side by side, not looking at each other, looking out of something. And I'm like, it's totally true." – Lionel Boyce [13:24]
"I've just been trying to be very present. Just like, I'll absorb it all so that I can at least have it in my memory." – Lionel Boyce [15:09]

Timestamps for Key Segments

[01:08] — Boyce first hears about 'The Bear'
[02:29] — Realizing the show's massive cultural impact
[03:17] — Original description and creation of Marcus Brooks
[04:08] — Marcus’s evolution and themes of impermanence
[06:21] — Surprising baking lessons and parallels to acting
[08:00] — Exploring Marcus’s grief and ambition
[10:00] — The famous 'donut' episode and its message
[11:46] — Preparing for and filming the Copenhagen episode
[13:24] — Reflections on male friendship and emotional expression
[13:45] — Marcus’s transformation after Copenhagen
[14:24] — Reflections on closing the show and legacy

Conclusion

Alison Stewart’s conversation with Lionel Boyce reveals the artistry and authenticity behind Marcus’s journey in 'The Bear.' Through personal anecdotes and reflections, Boyce highlights the collaborative, demanding, and rewarding process of blending real-world culinary skill with heartfelt acting. Listeners come away understanding both Marcus’s evolution and the indelible mark the series has left on its actors and audience alike.

Loading summary

Transcript40 lines

[00:00]
A
Foreign. This is all of it. I'm Alison Stewart. And welcome back. All this hour, we're talking with some of the actors behind some Emmy nominated shows. The Emmys will be held on September 14th. Let's talk about an award show favorite, the bear, which depicts the realities of working in the kitchen of a Chicago restaurant. For the 2026 Emmys, it earned eight nominations. The fifth and final season dropped in June. You can stream it all on Hulu. In the bear, the chefs are like a family. A key member of that group is pastry chef Marcus Brooks, played by Lionel Boyce. Marcus is gentle, maybe a little shy, but it is clear that he has talent, even genius, when it comes to making original desserts. Marcus has gone through his own journey throughout the show, his memorable trip to Copenhagen and his grief over losing his mom. I started by asking Lionel Boyce about when he first heard about the bear.
[01:08]
B
I heard about it. Was that some. Maybe 2021. Cause we shot the pilot in 2021, so I think it was maybe February. I'm impressed with my memory. It was February 2021 that I got the pilot script. I read it and I sent in an audition tape.
[01:28]
A
What interested you about your character, Marcus?
[01:31]
B
I think I immediately had an entry point where it felt like a person that I knew. I understood it was something about it. I first fell in love with the pace of the pilot, the way it was written. You can feel the tone. It was palpable. And I was like, wow, this is really cool.
[01:45]
A
It was hard for me to watch it first. I was like, I got enough stress in my life.
[01:48]
B
Yeah, well, that was the thing it read. It had such a quick tone, simple with the script, but we didn't know how story was thinking about it visually because obviously the pilot hadn't been shot. So it didn't have that intensity of the edit with the. With the music and the sounds. So you're just reading like, wow, this feels quick. This is cool. And then when we. I remember after we shot the pilot maybe a couple of months later, they sent us the. The finished pilot and you're like, wow. Yeah, this is cool. It's very encaps. It just grabbed you and you're just like, yes, this is a lot, but I love roller coasters. So I'm with it.
[02:22]
A
What was a moment when you knew that it hit when you realized this show is more than just a job you show up for?
[02:30]
B
I think the cool thing about this show, it was pretty instantaneous. The way we shoot it and it comes out, it's within the same. Almost the same quarter. Like, we shot it in the winter and it came out in the summer. Well, it was just so immediate. And with season one, I remember memes started popping up and you know that. Okay. That it's like, crossed a barrier and it was watching a wildfire grow where you saw, like, one or two memes, and then the meme pages you follow start to post memes, and we're just sharing it in a group chat. You're like, wow, Jeremy's face is everywhere. And then within, like, two weeks, there's like, everyone's watching the show, everyone's talking about it, and you're like, wow, I've never been a part of something a that's reached that critical mass and reached something that big that fast.
[03:14]
A
How was Marcus originally described to you?
[03:17]
B
Marcus was described as. I don't remember. I remember talking to Chris about it, and we. He mostly just talked about he's the pastry chef and where he wants him to go, which was season four, where he's like, you know, he's going to hit. Become one of the best pastry chefs in all of Illinois. And I remember that was cool. And we mostly just talked about just the. His creativity and just like. And we talked about, like, our love of pastries and my favorite donuts, desserts. Xyz. It wasn't much about his personality. I think it was just like, he's cool. He's a cool, everyman kind of guy. And I think through the scripts, you just really got a sense of who he was more than it was the description. Up top.
[04:02]
A
What has been your understanding of how Marcus has evolved over the course of these four or five seasons?
[04:09]
B
That's good. I think my understanding of it is how your relationship to something you love evolves with the external forces of the inevitable changes that come with life. I think the point of life is to experience and understand temporary. So it's like, how do you hold onto something that you want to be permanent as everything is temporary around you? I was fortunate working with Courtney Storer, who's an incredible chef, and the culinary producer, Malcolm Livingston, who's.
[04:35]
A
They have a culinary producer?
[04:36]
B
Yeah, we have a culinary producer, Courtney Store. Yeah. And Courtney Store and Maddie were really instrumental, especially in the beginning, where we leaned on them a lot because they had so many stories, so many specifics where if you had any insecurity about, like, how do I hold this? Or what's like, the physicality of this, they're like, yeah, this. Or they just give you a story. And it was Just a way to keep our us out of our heads with and, like, focus on, like, the character and the story as opposed to, like, can I do this? But it also helped us because it was just a place to train. And, like, I want to work on specifically, like, understanding this. How do you do this? Cutting or xyz. But I say that, say I worked with Courtney throughout every season, and then season three, I believe three or four, work with Malcolm Livingston, who is this incredible pastry chef who I feel is, like, a guru of creativity in this way, where it was so many isms about, like, life and approach to creative practice, where I think before meeting him, I understood baking a science, and it's just that everything is precise. And he took science and turned it into magic. To me, where he's just all creative and creative expression. It's a place where he's like. He's a heart in a steel cage. And I'm like, that's so cool. And it was so. I got so many things from him just from, like, the times of talking to him. And just when as he's teaching me how to do these simple things, I'm like, wow. Like, this. This relates to actually what I'm working on outside of this.
[06:05]
A
It's interesting with the culinary producer and all of these experts you talk to and helped you learn the craft of baking. What is something that you didn't know that now you know about baking, like holding a whisk or about egg yolks, something that just sort of blew your mind.
[06:22]
B
I think it's so much of. It's similar. I came from a sports background, and a lot of sports is about the physicality, like, putting yourself in the right position. And it's funny you say holding a whisk because that something Courtney would say to me a lot, where it's like. It's the way you hold the wiz. I would, like, hold it delicately and from the edge. She like, no, just get in there. Like, get your body in the position. And it's just like, yeah, go for it. And I was like, this is cool, because it's also learning to do something new. As an adult, you can kind of observe your own creative process in a different kind of way, where I'm just like, oh, that is funny. Whenever I'm, like, trepidatious about something, I am much more like, some people can, like, blaze through the door, and I'm just, like, delicate and, like, kind of poking and circling the surface, and they're like, no, just punch through the door.
[07:08]
A
Yeah.
[07:08]
B
And So I was like, yeah, that's like, take. It's a different form of, like, reminding yourself to take a different kind of ownership into the things you're doing.
[07:15]
A
My guest is actor Lionel Boyce, who plays Marcus Brooks, the pastry chef of the Bear, the restaurant on the show. This is a nice text we got from somebody. It says, I love Lionel Boyce. Marcus is my favorite character on the Bear entirely due to his touching portrayal. His performance has brought me to tears more than once.
[07:33]
B
Oh, that's cool. That's awesome. That makes me feel so great. Cause that's what I think. Everything we do, we hope it connects. And getting a text like that, for a second, I was worried it was a text from someone I knew, and I didn't know what they were gonna say, but that's much better.
[07:49]
A
It's interesting because Marcus does have to deal with grief on this show. The loss of his mom. What did that mean for your character in this show?
[08:00]
B
I think it means a. A lot of things, because I think season one was. He's carrying this thing internally that we have no idea of. We're just seeing an explosion happen in this thing that he. Maybe he'd been feeling disconnected. It's like it was a cog that caught a wheel where he's like, oh, I have an outlet for these things that I've been taking care of. My mom's in this debilitating state, and he's at every day. He's leaving the restaurant. He's going home to take care of her, and she's reached a point where she's nonverbal anymore. In season two, you really see that relationship, and you see what it means for him, the fear of taking up space for himself. He'd become comfortable being the one where he forewent any of his dreams, any of these things for stability. I think he is very much like the glue, in a way, in the kitchen, but it's just because of. He's okay with letting his feelings take the backseat and the back burner. And so I think the loss of his mother is, like, kind of having to confront, on one hand, these things that, like, your worst. One of your worst fears is, like, losing your parents is like, everyone's thinking about it. As our parents age, you're constantly hearing it, like, hearing the. I remember thinking about the first time I heard my mom's voice change on the phone, where I was like, you can hear a little bit of the rasp, like, start to onset, and you're like, wow, like, my parents are aging that like all these things. So that's what you're constantly thinking about. And I think for him. So on one hand, he's faced this worst fear that everyone reaches. And then on the other hand, it's like all of this time that was allotted to her has come back to him. So it's about, what do you do with it? And he has a place to focus it. So it's like taking up space for himself and allowing himself to. You know, he has. He has a goal, something to go for, and he understands what it takes by being around Carmi and Sid and Luca and these people who kind of act as guiding forces and showing him what it is that he wants to achieve and how to get there. So I think it's a left in the right hand and learning how to use both.
[10:00]
A
In this episode, I think it was called the donut you are. You come out and you show Carmi this donut you spent a lot of time working on, and he slaps it out of your hands right in that moment. First of all, did Marcus learn anything from that episode? Aside that Carmi can be a bit of a.
[10:18]
B
You know what? I think he did. I think you, like, there is funny, because I remember that was the season one. I remember being like, I actually understand Carmen. Like, this is the worst day in the kitchen. And like, it's like five times. And I think I remember IO gave a great gift where when we were like, rehearsing and stuff, she just, like, called him a space cadet. He's a space cadet today. And I was like, yeah, you're totally right. Like, and it is so much going on, and he's just ignoring it. He's not paying attention to doing his
[10:48]
A
job, and he just wants to set this donut.
[10:51]
B
Yeah. And it's like, yeah. Like 20 minutes later you come back and like I said four times, like, hey, what's going on with your things? And you're like, in a minute. And you're like, hey, no, actually, I know this is a bad time, but look at this creation. So I think. I think he learned two things in that moment where it's like he had this great breakthrough where he's, like, understood how to make this donut he'd been spending all season to make. And on the other hand, it's like you can't get caught up in. In your own world. Like, you have to learn how to balance. I think that's kind of what has been his journey. Because even when you think about season two, it's about balancing, like, this new love with his mother. And then season three is balancing the grief with the work. And then season four is, like, balancing, like, this loneliness that's come, like, with this void with connecting to the people around you and, like, choosing the family.
[11:38]
A
Lionel, when you heard that you had to go to Copenhagen for that specific episode, it was directed by Rami Yousef, who's a great guy.
[11:46]
B
Yeah.
[11:47]
A
And you had to. So Marcus has to go study underneath another chef in Copenhagen. It's culture shock in the best way. You're living on a boat. What was your reaction when you first read about that particular role?
[12:00]
B
It was. It was both awesome and terrifying because it's like, they didn't say anything before. And you're reading the scripts. We're fortunate. We get all the scripts at once. So I get to episode four, and I'm reading it, and then just like, oh, yeah, it starts in the kitchen. Cool. And then it's like, it focuses on Marcus, and it's like, oh. And it keeps going by page 16. I'm like, it's only been Marcus. Okay.
[12:20]
A
It's only.
[12:20]
B
Okay. And so you're like, this is cool. It's exciting because, like, you, like, this is also part of it. I love traveling. Like, oh, we get to go to Copenhagen to, like, shoot this episode. And then you're like, oh, yeah, it's only me. And it's only. I didn't know Will Pozer at the time, but I'm just like, this is a person who, as a fan, I've been a fan of, and I just know he's a great actor and stuff. So I'm like, you're just, like, wrestling with all the, like, the natural doubt insecurities that come with that, where you're like, well, I don't know. I haven't done anything like this. This is rise to occasion. I don't want to be the one to let the show down by not, like, executing and delivering on my behalf. So I became worried about it. But it was very exciting at the same time because I was like, wow. Like, I think every. Everyone's trusting me to believe that I could do that is, like. I was very appreciative and warmed by.
[13:11]
A
I loved watching you and Will Poulter in that scene because you're not necessarily facing each other. You're facing outward, and you're having this deep conversation, and you're working at the same time, but you're not really looking at each other. It was really interesting.
[13:22]
B
Someone told me a funny thing where they said the way that men express emotions is side by side, not looking at each other, looking out of something. And I'm like, it's totally true. I think about all the time where I make a new friend and we're like doing an activity and it's like mumbling words and eventually it's a cog that catches a wheel. So. Yeah.
[13:40]
A
Did you find. Did you find that Marcus, when you played Marcus, did he. Does he come back as a different person after that trip?
[13:46]
B
100%. I think that's. It's the first time he never left Chicago. He'd never been on his own. It's like kind of a. It's not necessarily an ego death. It's just like. I think the walls of the ego, like, fall down and you're like, oh, I didn't know I can expand. It's like, you didn't. Where he assumed the walls where he's like, reaching. Oh, it's like further away. So he's like. It's possibility. Possibilities are open. He's like, there's a person I could be that I never considered before.
[14:17]
A
What are you thinking about as the show enters its final season? What went through your mind as you were shooting? Like, this is the last time we'll do this?
[14:25]
B
Yeah, I think that that was exactly. I tried to always be aware of the. The present and what's happening, and I just kept thinking about it just makes you realize how much time has passed more than anything. Where I was like, wow, we shot the pilot five years ago. This is. I didn't. I didn't go to like a college and go to four year. I went to a community college for a year and a half. And then I stopped to. I found this track which has led me to the show. So I never really experienced that feeling of graduating high school except for graduating high school. And so it's. In. This industry is very much built around, like, kind of everyone's freelance. So it's like you finish a job and it's freefall till you find the next one. And with that comes the understanding of nothing will ever feel exactly like the previous thing. Good, bad, or whatever. They're all singular feelings. And even if it's parallel, some might be more successful than others. You'll never replicate what this was. And I've ex. I understand that. And it'll have. It'll read constantly, redefine itself throughout my career. But I've just been trying to be very present. Just like, I'll absorb it all so that I can at least have it in my memory and I can recall as much as possible.
[15:32]
A
That was actor Lionel Boyce reflecting on his character Marcus Brooks in the final season of the Bear. It's now available for streaming on Hulu. Next, we'll finish the hour with the Emmy nominated Julianne Nicholson and her co star Thomas Dougherty on the second season of their show Paradise.
[15:52]
B
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