Primetime Emmy-nominated actor Aidan Quinn chatted with Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos about portraying Theodore Roosevelt in the HBO Max miniseries “The American Guest.”
A Brazilian miniseries, “The American Guest” was created and directed by Academy Award nominee Bruno Barreto, and it premiered on September 26. “I was given a great opportunity, and I wanted to take advantage of it,” he admitted.
The production also stars Chico Diaz as Cândido Rondon and Dana Delany. It was inspired by true events, and it consists of four episodes that recount the expedition of the former U.S. president through the Amazon region, alongside the Brazilian marshal.
On taking on the role of President Theodore Roosevelt, Quinn said, “It was one of the great challenges and honors of my life. He is one of the most extraordinary men in the history of American politics. It was a great, great honor. He was such an incredible intellect, he was very passionate, and he worked for social change.”
“Theodore Roosevelt was the first man to make the environment the No. 1 priority and he created the national parks and the Grand Canyon. He saved 260 million acres. We wouldn’t have national parks if it weren’t for him. He was an extraordinary moralist,” he said.
Synopsis of ‘American Guest’
The plot takes place in the early 20th century. After a bitter defeat in the U.S. presidential campaign, Roosevelt (Aidan Quinn) sets out in search of his lost youth in the Brazilian Rainforest alongside his long-time friend Farrel Nash (David Herman) and his son Kermit (Chris Mason), with the objective of exploring the last uncharted river in the country: the River of Doubt, in Rondonia.
On a journey fraught with deadly dangers, the former president counts on the support of indigenous expert Marshal Rondon, then responsible for connecting the most remote regions of the country. In this journey, the two men from different backgrounds will have to test their physical and moral limits, as well as learn to deal with their conflicting personalities in order to survive.
“This miniseries showcases that a president (a leader and a politician) can be incredibly moral and courageous and stand up to the money interests and work for the people. Theodore Roosevelt did what is right for everyone, and that’s what the miniseries is all about,” he said.
‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’
On October 21, Quinn will be a lead guest star on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” as part of their 500th episode (the second-longest television series in history behind “The Simpsons”).
Quinn portrays Ben Nicholson, a man who was once involved with Olivia (Mariska Hargitay’s character) returns to seek her help solving a cold case. “Mariska was amazing to work with. The whole crew and the cast was phenomenal,” he said.
“Mariska creates a wonderful atmosphere and she is phenomenal and down-to-earth. It was quite an intense role for me but we had a lot of fun working together. It comes out on October 21st,” he said.
‘Blacklight’
In February of 2022, Quinn can also be seen in “Blacklight,” the new action thriller starring Liam Neeson. A wide domestic theatrical release for “Blacklight” has been set for February 11, 2022. “The ‘Blacklist’ was great. It was a lot of fun. I got to work with my old buddy Liam. This was our third or fourth film together, even 10 years we work together, and it was great to work together again,” he said.
The digital age
On being an actor in the digital age, he said, “It’s fascinating. I’m old-fashioned, I like that our series ‘The American Guest’ is dropping one episode a week. I like that, especially have a week to digest the story.”
Two Primetime Emmy nominations
His television credits include the groundbreaking AIDS drama “An Early Frost” for which he scored a Primetime Emmy nomination for “Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special” and “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee,” where he earned an Emmy nod for “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie.”
“My Primetime Emmy nominations were both great experiences,” he said. “With ‘An Early Frost’ we were able to educate America about the tragedy and prevalence of AIDS.”
“Also, ‘Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee’ chronicles what happens to indigenous people when the white man’s exploring goes into their areas. To chronicle that was a great honor too since it was an incredible story, we had a great time doing that too,” he said.
In his respected career in the entertainment business, Quinn has starred in over 40 feature films. He started his career on stage in Chicago, and starred on Broadway in “A Streetcar Named Desire” and Off-Broadway in Sam Shepherd’s “Fool for Love” and “Lie of the Mind.”
‘The Man From Atlanta’ production
Most recently he starred in Horton Foote’s “The Man From Atlanta” at the Signature Theatre in New York City. “That was a phenomenal role from a Pulitzer Prize-winning play. I am playing a right-wing Republican from Texas, and that was a great challenge too,” he said.
“I got to work with Kristine Nielsen, who is a great Tony-nominated actress. It was a pleasure to work with her and the whole cast was great,” he added.
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he said with a sweet laugh, “Promoting ‘The American Guest’.” “Also, trying to get back to a normal life after COVID,” he said.
For young and aspiring actors, he encouraged them to “work hard” and if they really want to do it, they need to “absolutely love it.” “Do theater, especially when you are young since you learn chops there that helps you for the rest of your career,” he said. “Don’t wait for the phone to ring.”
On his definition of success, he responded, “Success feels when you are happy with yourself, it’s not about what others think about you.”
To learn more about actor Aidan Quinn, check out his IMDb page.
