What’s Up, Dennis Haysbert? The Race Star On 'Luxuriating' In His Broadway Debut

On television, Dennis Haysbert’s booming baritone voice has made him recognizable for his roles as the first African-American President, David Palmer, on 24’s pre-Obama years, Sergeant Major Jonas Blane on David Mamet’s The Unit and as an Allstate Insurance pitchman. Now that recognizable voice is filling the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, as Haysbert makes his Broadway debut as lawyer Henry Brown in Mamet's hit play Race. Broadway.com talked to Haysbert about working with Mamet, playing president, and yes, those catchy commercials.

Race marks your Broadway debut. How’s the show going?
Everything’s going well. I’m working with some very great people. We have a great cast and a great chemistry going. I’m very much enjoying it.

You’ve done mostly TV work in recent years. Is it scary to now have a live audience?
It’s daunting, but it’s also invigorating. I’ve studied theater since high school. Of course it’s a different story altogether being on Broadway, but it’s still theater and you have to be in front of a live audience and that’s very exciting. It’s something I’ve definitely wanted to do, but I got involved in movies and television and then it became a luxury to get back on the stage. Now I’m luxuriating.

Has working in a stage environment with Mamet differed from TV’s The Unit?
Well, [theater] is his home. I feel very fortunate to be invited to his home and to do a show like this, that’s very intense, and also one that’s already very successful. It’s a pleasure. I don’t know what other accolades I can lay on it.

Is Mamet as intense a man as his writing suggests?
He’s intense, but he’s also a very generous man and director. I’ve gotten a chance to learn more about him in these last few weeks than I did in four years shooting the television show. He’s very supportive and light-hearted and has a lot of jokes and stories that intertwine with learning the text and what the show is about.

On TV you’re usually Mr. Serious. While Race itself is serious, your character has some pretty funny lines.
I don’t see them as one-liners so much as they’re laughs that come out of the drama. Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying, or getting overly angry or to maintain control. The laughs come, but it’s not necessarily out of playing them for laughs. I think if we delivered them with the expressed desire to get the laugh, they would fall rather flat.

Fair enough, but your co-star Eddie Izzard is one of the world’s most popular comedians. Is he hilarious off-stage?
I love working with everyone but I get to work with Eddie the most and I find him to be the most generous actor. We go up there and have a great time. He’s very funny offstage. He’s Eddie Izzard!

Sounds like you’re in good hands. Speaking of…do people approach you more for your acting work or your Allstate commercials?
The commercials are on TV 24/7/365. Even your most popular TV show is on maybe once a week for an hour, so more people see these commercial than any television show. It’s not a problem at all though. The kicker is I have to do the shows in order to do the commercial, so it’s all good all the way around.

Your performance as President Palmer before Obama taking office is widely known. During his election campaign, you mentioned the show may have helped him.
If I did anything at all it was open the minds and eyes of the American public to the possibility [of an African-American president]. I played a role to the best of my ability that I believe people vibe to. Barack Obama had to step forward and become that man David Palmer is, and I believe he has.

Do you think Obama’s presidency has been like your portrayal?
I didn’t suffer nearly as much backbiting and open racism as he’s received, quite frankly. I think he’s been doing an exemplary job and people who don’t agree with him have marked him unfairly with some very hateful dialogue and some really unfortunate and false portrayals.

You’ve also played another important political figure, Nelson Mandela, in 2007’s Goodbye Bafana.
That was daunting. I almost turned that down. I didn’t know if I was up to it and I was going to be playing that character on his home soil! But I did it, and I’m glad I did. I don’t think the movie got the press it should have received, but who knows? It’s one of those movies people will find in time.

When you’re not a top government official, you’ve also frequently played FBI agents and soldiers. Do you have that down to a science now?
There are always different roles and questions to be asked about certain characters. If I was to play five FBI agents it would be five different ones and I look forward to it. I like those characters because I like suspense and good thrillers and the drama.

And now in Race you’re on the other side of the law, as a lawyer.
It’s a completely different dynamic. These are the guys who bring the criminals to the lawyers so they can prosecute them. They bring them to justice and let the courtroom do what it does.