Jonathan Groff on Facing Off With Red’s Alfred Molina and Joining TV's Boss: 'I Definitely Get Naked'

Tony nominee Jonathan Groff is starring in the Los Angeles production of Red opposite Alfred Molina, but he won’t be doing any Googling to find out what fans think of his performance. “I decided to stop looking at myself on the Internet,” the actor told Out magazine. “Your ego wants to see, but I was looking at myself online…and thought, ‘You know what? This is doing me no good.’” Groff, who has the “complex and intense” job of going head-to-head with Molina as artist Mark Rothko’s assistant, is resolving to focus only on his career and healthy eating—no Googling allowed.

Groff recently gave up his favorite soft drink (Diet Coke), and adopted a strict diet of mostly chicken, broccoli and eggs for his newest TV role in the second season of political thriller Boss. Groff, who plays Ian Todd, advisor to Mayor Tom Kane (Kelsey Grammer), has a good reason for his new regimen. “I mean, the show is on STARZ, so I definitely get naked at some point,” the actor revealed. The Spring Awakening alum admits he’s been swimming at a “secret” public Los Angeles pool to get ready to bare it all on screen.

Groff, who came out as “gay and proud” in 2009, still isn’t sure how the decision has impacted his stage and screen work. “When I came out, people said it may have a negative effect on my career, and that’s definitely something I thought about before I did it,” he said. “But I don’t hold that belief. I just go on my auditions and plug away as I normally would. At the end of my career I can look back and ask, ‘Well, did it or didn’t it?’ But at the moment, I just have to move forward and hope that people will follow my actions.”

Until then, the Glee veteran is keeping busy—Boss’ second season premieres August 17, and Red will play a limited engagement at Los Angeles’ Mark Taper Forum through September 9. “We’re painting a huge canvas onstage,” Groff says of John Logan’s Tony-winning play. “It’s a dream job.”