The third season of “The Morning Show” raised the stakes for its characters and the fictional network UBA, putting its future in jeopardy.
For Billy Crudup, navigating the complexities of his character, Cory Ellison, the charmingly flawed chief executive of UBA, presented a unique challenge.
While the writers delved deeper into Cory’s backstory, Crudup initially resisted, wanting to maintain the character’s enigmatic appeal.
Protective of Cory’s Enigma
“They kept putting the screws to Cory and trying to illuminate some of his previous life and his previous relationships and his thinking outside of the office, which at first I felt very protective about,” Crudup explained. “I was like, ‘No, don’t show any of that s—.’ His whole game is that people don’t know what he’s thinking.
The unpredictability of his mental gymnastics, his own certain way of managing social and corporate situations, is the special sauce for him, and it’s what makes chaos so useful for him because he’s very, very good at processing information on the fly. It’s uninteresting to me to know how that is made.”
Cory’s Compelling Complexity
Cory Ellison has become one of the most compelling figures on “The Morning Show.” His ability to juggle multiple complex ideas and find connections between them has fascinated Crudup since he first read the script.
This skill set, reminiscent of a college friend, imbues Cory with a unique delight in his mental agility. “I have a friend who has a similar capacity. We went to college together. He finds delight in it, and I think that’s where I got some of Cory’s delight. Like, ‘Oh, my brain just thought of this,’” Crudup recalls. If you want you can also read- The Morning Show Season 4.
A Different Kind of Media Executive
Crudup was intent on portraying Cory as more than a typical media executive. He wanted Cory to be a character who could sincerely challenge protagonists Alex Levy and Bradley Jackson.
“If he’s a buffoon or if he’s just in service of his own ego or manipulating them, it’s not terribly interesting to me,” Crudup says. Instead, Cory uses his conventional appearance to gain entry into elite circles, only to destabilize them from within.
Challenging Scenes and Character Development
One of the most challenging scenes for Crudup was in Episode 7, “Strict Scrutiny,” where Cory manipulates Bradley into meeting his mother, Martha, to push through UBA’s intended merger.
The episode required Crudup to sing “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and navigate Cory’s complex relationship with his mother. “It didn’t exactly meet my idea of who she was or what their relationship was, what kind of caretaker he was,” Crudup says.
This scene forced him to re-evaluate Cory’s background and weave it into his character portrayal.
Cory’s Downfall and Resilience
Season 3 sees Cory falter and end up jobless by the finale. Despite the setback, Crudup believes Cory will process this failure with his characteristic delight. “I think his failure will be processed in the same way he processes learning something new, with delight,” Crudup explains.
“He does it in the last episode with Bradley when he goes, ‘Well, I’m still the architect of the biggest failed deal of the 21st century.’ And he thinks that’s pretty cool. That energy will carry him forward and give him an opportunity to rise again.”
Gratitude and Success
Reflecting on his journey with Cory, Crudup expresses gratitude for the opportunity to play such an intriguing character. When Jennifer Aniston first approached him about “The Morning Show,” Crudup was drawn to Cory’s complexity.
Despite the challenges in securing the role, his portrayal earned him an Emmy for supporting actor in a drama for the show’s first season. “I have two brothers, so I am prone to competitive gloating, but what I actually felt was incredibly grateful,” he remembers.
Currently, Crudup is working on a role alongside George Clooney in Noah Baumbach’s next film and will return to “The Morning Show” set this summer.
As for Cory’s future, Crudup is as uncertain as the viewers but remains intrigued. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in a movie that’s made money. ‘Almost Famous’ lost money. But I have been pleasantly shocked and amused by the success and the staying power of ‘The Morning Show.’”
Billy Crudup’s portrayal of Cory Ellison continues to captivate audiences, blending charm, complexity, and a touch of unpredictability. As “The Morning Show” evolves, viewers eagerly await the next chapter in Cory’s journey.
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