Will Chase on Extending His Stint on TV's Smash: 'I’m Completely Freaking Happy'
Broadway vet Will Chase (Rent, Billy Elliot) will extend his previously reported recurring stint on the forthcoming NBC series Smash for five additional episodes, with an offer to become a series regular should the Broadway-centric show be picked up for a second season.
“I’m completely freaking happy,” Chase told Broadway.com of the news, while taking a break from filming the series. “I knew all along it was going to be a great arc, but after only filming a few episodes, finding out that I was going to be a more integral part of the show this season and be made a regular for season two was overwhelming. I'm absolutely thrilled!”
Chase plays Michael Swift, a Broadway star who is hired to play Joe DiMaggio in the workshop of a new musical about the life of Marilyn Monroe from composers Julia Houston (Debra Messing) and Tom Levitt (Christian Borle). Swift is also the father of a three year-old with his wife, who will be played by fellow Broadway veteran Michelle Federer. The couple might not be in a state of marital bliss, however, as Chase teases, “You can expect Michael to stir the pot a bit as he might become a love interest for one of the other main characters, but I don’t want to give away any secrets!”
Chase, who appeared in the pilot of TV’s Pan Am earlier this fall, is enjoying bringing his Broadway background to a TV project. “The most exciting part has to be filming the musical sequences,” he said, “having the marriage of both mediums. When we nail it, it's the best feeling. It's criminal how much fun we're having and to sit around and watch the likes of Anjelica Huston [who plays a hotshot producer] is a great day at work!”
Smash begins its run on February 6, 2012. Along with Chase, the show will also feature appearences from Broadway performers including Megan Hilty, Bernadette Peters, Wesley Taylor, Savannah Wise, Brian d'Arcy James and Nick Jonas.
