Ink Tony Nominee Bertie Carvel on Playing Rupert Murdoch, Enjoying Steak on Stage & More

Bertie Carvel made his Broadway debut playing quite the fictional character: the evil Miss Trunchbull in Matilda. The performance earned him a 2013 Tony nomination. Carvel is now enjoying his second Tony nomination for playing a real-life character: Rupert Murdoch in James Graham's Tony-nominated play Ink. The production tells the origin story of when Murdoch and editor Larry Lamb aimed to crush news competition by reviving the struggling newspaper, The Sun, with sensational stories and headlines. "You realize very quickly that this is the story of how it all began," Carvel said in a recent interview on Broadway.com's #LiveAtFive. "You have an underdog. Larry Lamb is the center forward, the team captain, the star player. Rupert Murdoch is the coach."



The talented actor received an Olivier Award for his performance in the role in London. "I can't claim any insight into the inner workings of Mr. Murdoch," he said. "What I can do is observe the world as I see it as an artist and give a subjective take on that. I can try and present something that's humane, that's exciting, that's worth watching, that has as much integrity as I can give it."

Carvel spends a large chunk of his time on stage in dinner scenes with Jonny Lee Miller, who plays Lamb. Fun fact: he's noshing on real steak in those scenes. "I'm eating a rare filet steak. I think it's cooked over the road at the Glass House [Tavern]," he said.

Though Carvel is electrifying in Graham's fast-paced play, Broadway fans want to know: When will he do another musical? "I don't really see a separation [between musicals and plays]. It's just a matter of finding the thing that lights up the imagination in the right way," Carvel said. "When the right match comes, I can't wait."

Catch Carvel in Ink, playing at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre through July 7.

Watch the full episode of #LiveatFive below!