Wendell Pierce shines a spotlight on Broadway

Actor Wendell Pierce drops by “GMA3” to dish on his role in the Broadway play, “Death of a Salesman,” and his first Tony Award nomination.
5:23 | 06/01/23

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Transcript for Wendell Pierce shines a spotlight on Broadway
>> TODAY IS ALL CUT AND DRY, NO CHANCE OF BRINGING FRIENDSHIP TO CHANCE OF BRINGING FRIENDSHIP TO BEAR OR PERSONALITY, THEY DON'T BEAR OR PERSONALITY, THEY DON'T KNOW ME ANYMORE. KNOW ME ANYMORE. IF I HAD $40, THAT IS ALL I IF I HAD $40, THAT IS ALL I NEED. NEED. IN THE YEAR AL SMITH -- I'M IN THE YEAR AL SMITH -- I'M TALKING ABOUT YOUR FATHER, THERE TALKING ABOUT YOUR FATHER, THERE WERE PROMISES MADE, YOU HAVE WERE PROMISES MADE, YOU HAVE PEOPLE TO SEE. PEOPLE TO SEE. I PUT 34 YEARS INTO THIS FIRM I PUT 34 YEARS INTO THIS FIRM AND NOW I CAN'T PAY MY AND NOW I CAN'T PAY MY INSURANCE. INSURANCE. YOU CAN'T EAT THE ORANGE AND YOU CAN'T EAT THE ORANGE AND THROW THE PEEL AWAY. THROW THE PEEL AWAY. >> Demarco: CHILLS, PHENOMENAL >> Demarco: CHILLS, PHENOMENAL ACTING. ACTING. >> Eva: SHINING SPOTLIGHT ON >> Eva: SHINING SPOTLIGHT ON BROADWAY, THAT WAS A CLIP OF BROADWAY, THAT WAS A CLIP OF "DEATH OF A SALESMAN." "DEATH OF A SALESMAN." IT TELLS THE STORY OF A MAN'S IT TELLS THE STORY OF A MAN'S INABILITY TO ACCEPT CHANGE INABILITY TO ACCEPT CHANGE WITHIN HIMSELF AND SOCIETY. WITHIN HIMSELF AND SOCIETY. >> Demarco: NEXT GUEST STEPPED >> Demarco: NEXT GUEST STEPPED ON TO THE BROADWAY STAGE AS ON TO THE BROADWAY STAGE AS WILLIE LOMAN, MAKING THE ROLE WILLIE LOMAN, MAKING THE ROLE HIS OWN. HIS OWN. HE IS TONY AWARD NOMINEE, PLEASE HE IS TONY AWARD NOMINEE, PLEASE WELCOME TO THE "GMA3" STUDIO, WELCOME TO THE "GMA3" STUDIO, WENDELL PIERCE. WENDELL PIERCE. WHOO! WHOO! [CHEERING] [CHEERING] >> I DON'T THINK I HAVE HEARD >> I DON'T THINK I HAVE HEARD THAT LOUD FOR ANY GUEST, SPEAKS THAT LOUD FOR ANY GUEST, SPEAKS VOLUMES. VOLUMES. PROUD AND HAPPY FOR YOU. PROUD AND HAPPY FOR YOU. YOU GOT A TONY FOR PRODUCING AND YOU GOT A TONY FOR PRODUCING AND NOMINATION FOR ACTING. NOMINATION FOR ACTING. WHAT IS IT LIKE AND WHAT DO YOU WHAT IS IT LIKE AND WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEING ON THE STAGE COMPARED LIKE BEING ON THE STAGE COMPARED TO THE BIG SCREEN? TO THE BIG SCREEN? >> YOU KNOW, THERE IS NOTHING >> YOU KNOW, THERE IS NOTHING LIKE THE THEATER, IT IS LIKE THE THEATER, IT IS IMMEDIATE RESPONSE FROM THE IMMEDIATE RESPONSE FROM THE AUDIENCE. AUDIENCE. THERE IS ENERGY BETWEEN YOU AND THERE IS ENERGY BETWEEN YOU AND THE AUDIENCE THAT CANNOT BE THE AUDIENCE THAT CANNOT BE COMPARED. COMPARED. IF ACTING WAS LIGHT, BEING ON IF ACTING WAS LIGHT, BEING ON THE STAGE IS LIKE A FLOOD LIGHT THE STAGE IS LIKE A FLOOD LIGHT BEAMING THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSE. BEAMING THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSE. THE FILM IS SAME LIGHT, THE FILM IS SAME LIGHT, CONDENSED TO LASER AND VERY CONDENSED TO LASER AND VERY SPECIFIC. SPECIFIC. IT STARTS WITH GOOD WRITING AND IT STARTS WITH GOOD WRITING AND GIVE AND TAKE BETWEEN ACTORS AND GIVE AND TAKE BETWEEN ACTORS AND AUDIENCE. AUDIENCE. >> Eva: SO BEAUTIFULLY SAID, AND >> Eva: SO BEAUTIFULLY SAID, AND YOUR VOICE. YOUR VOICE. >> Demarco: YES. >> Demarco: YES. >> Eva: EVERYTHING SOUNDS >> Eva: EVERYTHING SOUNDS AMAZING. AMAZING. YOU COULD READ THE PHONE BOOK. YOU COULD READ THE PHONE BOOK. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> Eva: YOU KEPT A DIARY DURING >> Eva: YOU KEPT A DIARY DURING YOUR TIME, IT GOT LOST, YOU PUT YOUR TIME, IT GOT LOST, YOU PUT A CALL OUT TO FIND IT AND IT WAS A CALL OUT TO FIND IT AND IT WAS FOUND. FOUND. DO YOU ALWAYS KEEP A DIARY ON A DO YOU ALWAYS KEEP A DIARY ON A PROJECT? PROJECT? >> I DON'T, "DEATH OF A >> I DON'T, "DEATH OF A SALESMAN" IS ICONIC PIECE OF SALESMAN" IS ICONIC PIECE OF AMERICAN THEATER AND CHANCE TO AMERICAN THEATER AND CHANCE TO DO IT AND JOIN SMALL FRATERNITY DO IT AND JOIN SMALL FRATERNITY OF MEN ON BROADWAY, I KNEW IT OF MEN ON BROADWAY, I KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE SPECIAL AND I WAS GOING TO BE SPECIAL AND I WANTED TO DOCUMENT IT AND GO WANTED TO DOCUMENT IT AND GO BACK AND RELIVE THE EXPERIENCE. BACK AND RELIVE THE EXPERIENCE. IT WAS SO MONUMENTAL FOR ME AS IT WAS SO MONUMENTAL FOR ME AS AN ACTOR AND MAN, DEEP AN ACTOR AND MAN, DEEP SELF-REFLECTION AND I PUT IT SELF-REFLECTION AND I PUT IT DOWN AND DOCUMENTED IT. DOWN AND DOCUMENTED IT. ONE DAY, A VOICE TOLD ME, DON'T ONE DAY, A VOICE TOLD ME, DON'T TAKE IT OUT. TAKE IT OUT. I SAID, I WILL TAKE IT ANYWAY, █ I SAID, I WILL TAKE IT ANYWAY, █ AND I LOST IT AND THOUGHT IT WAS AND I LOST IT AND THOUGHT IT WAS GONE FOREVER. GONE FOREVER. I SPILLED MY GUTS TO THE WORLD I SPILLED MY GUTS TO THE WORLD OF SOCIAL MEDIA HOPING THE WORLD OF SOCIAL MEDIA HOPING THE WORLD WOULD BRING IT BACK TO ME. WOULD BRING IT BACK TO ME. I RETRACED MY STEPS AND FOUND I RETRACED MY STEPS AND FOUND IT. IT. SEREN DIPITY, SHOWED HOW SPECIAL SEREN DIPITY, SHOWED HOW SPECIAL THIS ROLE WAS FOR ME AND HOW THIS ROLE WAS FOR ME AND HOW SPECIAL "DEATH OF A SALESMAN" IS SPECIAL "DEATH OF A SALESMAN" IS FOR OUR CULTURE AS A WHOLE. FOR OUR CULTURE AS A WHOLE. >> Eva: IT REALLY IS, I WAS >> Eva: IT REALLY IS, I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO SEE YOU IN THIS LUCKY ENOUGH TO SEE YOU IN THIS PERFORMANCE AND YOU ARE JUST PERFORMANCE AND YOU ARE JUST SPECTACULAR. SPECTACULAR. >> Demarco: DYNAMITE. >> Demarco: DYNAMITE. >> Eva: SO MOVING, ESPECIALLY >> Eva: SO MOVING, ESPECIALLY THE REMAKE. THE REMAKE. I WANT TO SHIFT GEARS AND ASK I WANT TO SHIFT GEARS AND ASK ABOUT TOM CLANCY'S JACK RYAN, ABOUT TOM CLANCY'S JACK RYAN, FINAL SEASON, HIDRAMA. FINAL SEASON, HIDRAMA. CAN YOU GIVE US TIPS? CAN YOU GIVE US TIPS? WE WON'T TELL A LOT OF PEOPLE. WE WON'T TELL A LOT OF PEOPLE. >> JACK RYAN IS YOUR CLASSIC >> JACK RYAN IS YOUR CLASSIC ESPIONAGE SERIES. ESPIONAGE SERIES. WE TRAVELED AROUND THE WORLD, WE TRAVELED AROUND THE WORLD, BASED ON BUDAPEST AND PRAGUE AND BASED ON BUDAPEST AND PRAGUE AND VIENNA. VIENNA. THIS YEAR IS ABOUT CONVERGENCE THIS YEAR IS ABOUT CONVERGENCE AND DANGER OF CONVERGENCE AND AND DANGER OF CONVERGENCE AND CONVERGENCE IS IF TERRORISM AND CONVERGENCE IS IF TERRORISM AND DRUG CARTELS CAME TOGETHER. DRUG CARTELS CAME TOGETHER. SO YOU SEE HOW THAT CONVERGENCE SO YOU SEE HOW THAT CONVERGENCE CAN BE DANGEROUS AND WE HAVE OUR CAN BE DANGEROUS AND WE HAVE OUR WORK CUT OUT FOR US. WORK CUT OUT FOR US. COMES ON JUNE 30. COMES ON JUNE 30. YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT. YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT. >> Demarco: WE HAVE FANS IN >> Demarco: WE HAVE FANS IN HERE, HUGE FANS. HERE, HUGE FANS. YOU KNOW, THE WIRE, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THE WIRE, OF COURSE, YOU PLAYED SO MANY ROLES, YOU YOU PLAYED SO MANY ROLES, YOU CAN'T GET AWAY FROM THAT CAN'T GET AWAY FROM THAT CHARACTER. CHARACTER. EVERYBODY MEETS YOU AND TALK EVERYBODY MEETS YOU AND TALK ABOUT THAT. ABOUT THAT. ASIDE FROM THE BIG SCREEN AND ASIDE FROM THE BIG SCREEN AND STAGE, YOU GIVE BACK TO YOUR STAGE, YOU GIVE BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY. COMMUNITY. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT THAT YOU WHY IS IT IMPORTANT THAT YOU GIVE BACK? GIVE BACK? >> IT WAS AN EPIPHANY FOR ME, >> IT WAS AN EPIPHANY FOR ME, WHEN KATRINA HAPPENED IN NEW WHEN KATRINA HAPPENED IN NEW ORLEANS. ORLEANS. YOU REALIZE YOU HAVE TO STEP UP YOU REALIZE YOU HAVE TO STEP UP AND DO SOMETHING. AND DO SOMETHING. I WANT TO MAKE SURE 20 YEARS I WANT TO MAKE SURE 20 YEARS FROM NOW, PEOPLE SAID WHAT DID FROM NOW, PEOPLE SAID WHAT DID YOU DO IN NEW ORLEANS DARKEST YOU DO IN NEW ORLEANS DARKEST HOUR? HOUR? THE CITY IS BELOVED TO ME AND I THE CITY IS BELOVED TO ME AND I PULLED TOGETHER MY COMMUNITY. PULLED TOGETHER MY COMMUNITY. >> Demarco: ONE MORE TIME FOR >> Demarco: ONE MORE TIME FOR WENDELL PIERCE, EVERYBODY. WENDELL PIERCE, EVERYBODY. THANKS FOR COMING ON, WE THANKS FOR COMING ON, WE APPRECIATE IT. APPRECIATE IT. TONY AWARDS JUNE 11th AND FINAL TONY AWARDS JUNE 11th AND FINAL SEASON OF JACK RYAN STREAMING ON SEASON OF JACK RYAN STREAMING ON PRIME JUNE

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

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