Tootsie's John Behlmann on Being 'Terrified' to Do a Musical, Seeing Santino Fontana in a Dress & More

Tootsie is known for being one of the most acclaimed and profitable movies of the 1980s, and now all the memorable characters are getting a second life in the new musical of the same name. John Behlmann has a different challenge than his co-stars as he plays Max Von Horn, the only new character added to the plot. In a recent episode of Broadway.com's #LiveAtFive, Behlmann explained how he makes Von Horn stand out in a crowd of well-known names. "I'm a reality-show star, the winner of Race to Bachelor Island," Behlmann said. "It's freeing in the playing because I don't have to carry the weight of another actor or character but it's difficult in describing it. But to have no preconceived notions has been excellent."

This marks Behlmann's third Broadway production, but it is his first venture into the realm of musicals. "If you had told me I was going to be in a Broadway musical fifteen years ago, I would have laughed you out of the room," Behlmann said. "One of the great things about being an actor is getting to use all the random skills you have acquired and singing was a skill I hadn't really used. I was a little terrified about doing all the singing and dancing. I peed my pants a little bit but then I said yes."

Working alongside Santino Fontana who stars in the title role has allowed Behlmann to see the Tony nominee in a whole new light. "It's surprisingly not weird at all anymore to see Santino all done up [as Dorothy Michaels] because we've seen every phase of it," Behlmann said. "We've seen him fully done up for a video shoot where he looks like a legit woman, and there are other times mid-rehearsal where he has heels on and some eyelashes and a baseball cap and no wig. We've seen more of him than his wife probably."

Catch Behlmann in Tootsie, now playing at the Marquis Theatre.

Watch the full episode of #LiveatFive below!