Actor Josh Pais stops by Close-Up Culture to talk about his role in the new Netflix limited series, A Man in Full.
Facing relentless foes and sudden bankruptcy, an Atlanta real estate tycoon (played by Jeff Daniels) must claw his way back to the top when his empire begins to crumble. Josh portrays ‘Herb Richman,’ an assertive, high powered business man who Daniels turns to for money in hopes of an investment to ease his bankruptcy burdens.
Hi Josh, can you tell us about your character, Herb Richman, on the new Netflix series A Man In Full?
Sure! Herb’s a powerhouse. A beast. A business mogul who runs a huge fitness corporation. He’s completely confident and doesn’t need to brag or let people know he is a dude that got bank. He’s liberal, smart and very sexual.
What excited you about this story and project?
Jeff Daniels, of course. The guy is a legend. Was great to work with, and hang out with on set. Every now and then he’d pull out his guitar and make some sweet music. Plus with Regina King and Thomas Schlamme directing – it was a no brainer.
What was your experience like on set and working with the likes of Jeff Daniels and Diane Lane?
Jeff is one of those actors who, even after all his outstanding work, continues to explore the craft of acting. He continues to work from the moment, not relying on what worked in the past. He loves discussing the artform, and exploring new angles of uncovering a scene take-to-take. Those are the kind of actors I love working with. I only had one scene with Diane, but she was so playful. I improvised a little differently in each take we shot and she riffed right along with me.
You’ve been in so many great projects lately, including The Dropout and Younger. How do you reflect on some of those experiences?
Dropout was a blast. Amanda Seyfried was a brilliant scene partner. It was great to work with director Michael Showalter again. We hadn’t worked together since we did a Comedy Central series called Michael and Michael, with Michael Ian Black. There was total camaraderie on the set. Playful and intense.
Younger – well Kathy Najimy and I were brazen. We just improvised so much, and the directors and producers just let us rip it up. It was a total blast and didn’t feel like work. So many laughs, and heartfelt moments, as well.
You’ve had a three-decade long career. What was the first project that you felt like you had ‘made it’ and felt comfortable as an actor?
For years, after every job I did, my mind would say, “Well Josh, you had a good run, and now it’s over.” And then, my agents would call with another offer. I’ve been blessed to work steadily year after year. In terms of ‘made it’ – this artform is not something that can ever be mastered. But we can get closer and closer to the mark of bringing our whole being to the work, staying present, and exploring new ways of bringing a character to life without hiding behind a facade. So, for now the notion of I ‘made it’ refers to the most recent project I completed. I made that. I attempted to make it to the best of my ability. I attempted to make choices that made me spontaneous, and hopefully enjoyable for an audience to watch.
And yes, I am more comfortable and feel at home on set. It can be a magical place to make something out of nothing.
Which project in your career was the biggest learning curve for you?
I continue to learn on every job. I also teach, and am the founder of Committed Impulse, so I am always looking for nuggets I learn on set to bring to my workshops.
Early on in my career I did a Broadway play, I’m Not Rappaport. I did over 750 performances. I worked with amazing actors who taught me to make each show the first show. To surrender to the unknown and play full out. To increase my stamina, to breathe while acting, and really see what and who was in front of me without going on auto-pilot. The play ended up winning the Tony Award, which was a pure thrill, as well.
What are your hopes and ambitions for the future?
I have a book deal with Hay House / Penguin Random House. The book, Lose Your Mind, The Path to Creative Invincibility comes out September 2025. My hope is that the content in that book will teach people a simple path to presence that is going to radically shift how mankind operates in the world. It is going to transform how people experience their bodies. And it will teach us how to get out of self-debilitating thinking, give us access to our creative power, and offer simple tools to free us of all the crap that unnecessarily gets in our way.
Photo Credit: Kevin Scanlon