Tony-nominated actress Julia Knitel chatted about starring in “Operation Mincemeat” on Broadway.
‘Operation Mincemeat’
On being a part of the Tony award-winning musical “Operation Mincemeat,” Knitel said, “Oh, my God. It’s so different from anything I’ve ever done. At first, I get to play a man.”
“Last year, I was the picture of femininity in ‘Dead Outlaw’ within this masculine universe,” she said.
“I played nine different characters in that show, and they were almost all female. Now, I am the picture of masculinity, which is quite the difference a year makes, but it has been so much fun,” she elaborated.
“It’s really a very cool show, and it’s another multi-role show,” she said. “In ‘Dead Outlaw,’ I played nine characters, and now I’m playing five men and one woman, so it is really wonderful to stretch my muscles in that way.”
“It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever learned from the start. It is so demanding… physically, vocally, and emotionally,” she admitted.
“I had to figure out how to literally learn and absorb the material, and then, to build up the stamina to do this show eight times a week,” she said.
“I had met most of the ‘Operation Mincemeat’ cast during last year’s Tony season, so to get to come in and join their company and keep the torch going was such a treat,” she acknowledged.
Future plans
On her future plans, she said, “I want to expand my comedic horizons. I want to do something like ‘Veep’ or ‘Seinfeld’ Basically, I want to be the next Julia Louis-Dreyfus.”
‘Broadway Barks’
Knitel recalled being a part of the charitable event “Broadway Barks” last July (of 2025) in Manhattan, which was hosted by Tony winners Bernadette Peters and Beth Leavel.
“I almost adopted a dog that day. It was the most beautiful dog I had ever seen. It was so cute! Broadway Barks was so much fun. I had never done it before,” she said.
“I know myself, if I go somewhere where there are a lot of beautiful cats and dogs, it’s a dangerous place for me,” she said with a sweet laugh.
The digital age
On being a part of the digital age, Knitel said, “I am sort of very analog. I don’t have a TV, and I am using my boyfriend’s computer.”
“Otherwise, I would be FaceTiming you from my phone. I am fighting against the digital age as much as I can,” she noted.
“I feel like I’m very fortunate to be a theater actress in the digital age because theater is where we all come together and there is no technology between us and the audience,” she elaborated.
“We are standing on that stage, and we are giving our souls to you and you are receiving them right there, which is such a unique experience,” she admitted.
Knitel on why film and TV actors are craving to do theater
Knitel remarked, “I know why a lot of TV and film actors crave theater… when you spend all day on a set and you spend your life working in front of a camera, so many come the theater for reprieve, and for a reminder of the original form of this art form of storytelling and acting.”
“I feel so lucky that I’ve been able to do so much of it, especially in New York this year, from ‘Dead Outlaw’ to ‘A Christmas Carol’ Off-Broadway to ‘Operation Mincemeat.’ What is crazy is that both ‘Dead Outlaw’ and ‘Operation Mincemeat’ are about a dead body,” she explained.
“The dead body is imaginary on our stage, but we’ve got a dead body there almost the whole time. So I’ve got a, I’ve got a type,” she said with a sweet laugh.
“At my core, I’m an actor and before anything else, and if I can keep populating my career with huge swings from role to role, from ultra-feminine to ultra-masculine to quite serious to extremely comedic, then that’s what keeps me coming back. That’s what keeps me alive. That’s what keeps me excited,” she expanded.
Stage of her life
On the title of the current chapter of her life, Knitel revealed, “I think probably ‘Make them laugh and then rest’.”
“I’ve never done anything so physically demanding like ‘Operation Mincemeat’ before, and I’ve played big roles,” she said.
“I did Beautiful: The Carole King Musical for many years,” she said. “In the show ‘Operation Mincemeat’ though, unlike ‘Beautiful,’ I am constantly on stage for 2.5 hours supporting my fellow cast-mates and leading the way.”
“We are working really hard in this show. It’s so singular and unique in that way,” she added.
Superpower of choice
If she were to have any superpower, it would be “time travel.”
Success
On her definition of the word success, Knitel said, “Success to me is twofold. Career-wise, success would mean being able to do whatever work I want to do at the highest caliber with the highest quality of people around me.”
“I want to be able to do roles that challenge me, and have an impact on this art form and be able to sort of always challenge myself and always grow with whatever I’m trusted with on the stage or on the screen,” she said.
“Also, the balance of that is to be able to live a beautiful life and find time for travel and find time for rest and find time for expansion of my mind and heart… and just keep a balance while also living my dreams,” she added.
Message for her fans
For her fans and supporters, Knitel said, “Thank you for being a fan. It’s sort of a new sensation for me to have people who are fans of mine. It has been really cool to meet so many fans at the stage door for ‘Operation Mincemeat,’ and I appreciate them telling me that they are enjoying seeing me do something different.”
“I appreciate how willing they are to go on the journey with me and to trust me, to make them laugh, make them cry, and to make them feel something,” she added.
Closing thoughts on ‘Operation Mincemeat’
For fans and viewers, she stated about “Operation Mincemeat,” “I want them to have a safe space to come to, especially during these dark and trying times the world is going through right now.”
“It’s a very dark and scary world, especially in America,” she said. “I hope they are able to come to a theater and feel safe to laugh and cry and watch the fall of fascism on a stage.”
“I think it is very important, very cathartic, and very healing,” she concluded.
To learn more about Tony-nominated actress Julia Knitel, follow her on Instagram.
