Peter Gallagher Returns To His Song-And-Dance Roots In ‘Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist’

Given that Peter Gallagher started out as a song-and-dance man on Broadway in shows like Grease and Hair, then made his big-screen debut doing the very same thing in The Idolmaker, it’s not a major stunner to see him smack dab in the middle of the cast of NBC’s new musical dramedy, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.

As it happens, Gallagher’s role in the series is one that finds him with limited opportunities to do the things that helped make him famous in the first place, but in addition to being a role that challenges him as an actor, it also makes his character’s opportunities to sing and dance all that more poignant when they occur. 

NBC teased viewers with the pilot episode of Zoey’s back in January, but with the series finally beginning its proper run last night, Gallagher hopped on the phone with Decider to discuss the intensity of his role, the majesty of the music in the series, his love of past TV gigs like The O.C. and Covert Affairs, and whether he’d be up for a return to Law & Order: Special Victims Unit if the powers that be gave him the go-ahead.

DECIDER: I’ve had a chance to watch the first several episodes of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, and I just love it. It’s just an extremely fun blend of comedy, drama, and – of course – musical.

PETER GALLAGHER: Yeah, I’m pretty excited about it. I’m really thrilled to be part of this show, especially at this time and where we are in the nation and the world. I was really drawn to contributing to a story that was all about the things that connect us and all the things that we share with each other, regardless of what we look like. And all done with hit music! [Laughs.] Which already resides us. Those strings are just waiting to vibrate!

You’ve got a role that may look deceptively easy to perform: because your character – Zoey’s father – is suffering from Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), you seem like you’re not necessarily doing a lot. But his situation was inspired by (series creator) Austin Winsberg’s father, who actually had PSP, so I know you’re trying to do justice to the real effects of the disease.

Right! Yeah, the funny thing about some parts you play… They surprise you, in terms of what they do to your body and mind. And this is no different. As you said, I felt a real obligation to honor Austin’s experience and his dad’s experience. Also, PSP is classified generally as a Parkinsonian kind of disease, but it has some similarities to Alzheimer’s Disease, which my mom had for 20 years. But what I didn’t expect about the PSP thing is that when you’re matching the rigidity of the body, the restricted ability of the way the eyes can move, and what happens to your automatic reflexes like swallowing and breathing… It takes a toll! Because at the end of a day of shooting, it’s, like, “Oh, I can’t move my neck. Oh, I can’t get out of the chair. Oh, and now I’ve got to get up and dance?! Oh, wow!”

And the other thing was, I was just constantly reminded of my own mortality every minute of the day! Because, you know, I’m looking at these glorious young actors and actresses and singers and dancers, and I’m thinking, “Oh, yeah, when you’re on your fourth series, I’ll perhaps be pushing daisies!” [Laughs.] Who knows? 

And another thing I kept thinking about was when I worked with James Cagney. When you have a part like that and you don’t have lines… I mean, you still get notes sometimes, like, “Do a little less.” And I knew that Austin would be watching every frame, and we had also had a technical advisor there, so if I was really assaulting his memory or his sense of what was going on, I’d know. But what happens if you just sit there between takes because you’ve got your body where you want it, people kind of forget you’re there. It’s, like, they’ll lean over you to talk to Mary or to Jane. And because I’m not taking up much space, sometimes I’d just stay there between set-ups. Because we’ve got a great crew, and I love hanging out with them. But I just kept thinking about James Cagney, because I was so lucky to have worked with him on his last thing. In fact, Mary Steenburgen and I both did films with James Cagney. 

Oh, that’s true. And both were lasts: she did Ragtime, which was his last movie, and then you did Terrible Joe Moran, which was his last TV project. 

That’s right! And the thing was, Jimmy was really much older then and weakened by a stroke and was tired, and after the first couple of weeks of shooting, his energy got low, and he had sort of a hard time speaking. Sometimes he’d just be in his wheelchair in the middle of the set, and everybody’d be walking around him and going, like, “Hey, you gotta move that over there!” “Yeah, I’m walking it over there!” And I’m going, “That’s Jimmy Cagney!” [Laughs.] So I’d come in even when I wasn’t working, and I’d hang out with him. Or I’d box with him. Not that I could box. Even though he was in a wheelchair, he could still kick my ass, I’m convinced! He’d put his dukes and go [Does a Cagney impression.] “Kidneys! Kidneys!”

So doing this show, I just thought about how ephemeral it all is. Physically, emotionally…I just found myself moved a lot. And it seemed like everybody had a parent or someone close to them die during production! Jon Turteltaub directed two episodes of the show, including the last episode, and of course I did While You Were Sleeping with him. So after the first take, he said, “What is it with you? Every time I get to work with you, you don’t say anything!” [Laughs.] But his dad… I don’t know if his dad died, but his dad had been ill, so he had to leave before the last day of shooting because he didn’t want to take a chance and miss his chance to say goodbye to his dad. 

I have to credit Austin, because he lived it. He was just the perfect person for this show, because he’s written a musical, he knows how a song can carry on when the text can’t and can illuminate a story in such a direct and powerful way, and he also knows what it’s like to live with a dad with PSP and what that causes you to do, trying to imagine how you can reach somebody you can’t reach. My dad didn’t have PSP, but I couldn’t reach him. He was a World War II veteran from Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge and all that, and I was always wondering what was going on in his mind, what he was seeing in that faraway gaze. I would’ve given anything if I could’ve heard his heart song. So it’s not just for people who are sick. It’s for people who appear to be inaccessible. It’s such a powerful desire. 

There’s this reading in the Zulu Nation… Oh, boy, I hope I don’t screw it up! [Laughs.] But what I love… The general philosophy is Ubuntu, but the greeting – and I can’t pronounce it – is “I see you.” And then the response to the person is “I am here to be seen.” Meaning that you don’t quite exist until you’ve been seen, until you’ve been recognized. And I think that’s true in our culture. The act of trying to ignore someone’s existence or deprive them of their individuality is really an awful thing. And, conversely, it’s a very powerful thing to realize that everybody has a story, first of all, but then to realize that you have no idea what a person’s story is just by looking at them. You’ve got to listen.

I have to tell you that your song in the pilot episode (“True Colors”) left me with tears streaming down my face.

Well, you know… [Hesitates.] I feel so lucky, man. I’ve been doing this for awhile, and that’s certainly one of the loveliest cinematic moments that I’ve ever been given. So I have to thank Austin for that, because it’s not often that I get to play a guy you’d have those kinds of feelings for. Also, I just love playing a dad. It’s just powerful. And that song… It was great. It sounded to me like they used one of our live recordings. We did a studio version, but we recorded it live on all those takes, too. So maybe it wasn’t perfect perfect, but I thought it was cool that we were able to do that.

Absolutely. And what’s great about the scene is that it’s multifaceted: he’s finally able to express himself to his daughter, and his daughter is finally able to hear from her father again.

Right. It’s big! Sometimes that’s all you need: a little bit of permission to believe what you know already. 

It’s also impressive that they’ve secured the rights to so many songs for the show, including artists like Van Morrison and the Rolling Stones. And for Van, the timing is perfect, because it was just announced that he’s been knighted.

Was he really? Oh, my God! Well, what’s so cool about that is that, in order to get the rights, Austin had to write a real personal plea to Van Morrison for the rights. It was the only way he was going to get them, because Van apparently just gives you approval or not, but he makes all of the decisions himself personally. And we got it. It was such a thrill. 

You know, years ago when I was doing a movie in London, I would go to this breakfast place, and he would be there every morning having breakfast, too. In fact, I adjusted my breakfast schedule so I could make sure that I could be there at the same time that he’d be there. [Laughs.] I never said anything to him. God, I don’t know what I would’ve said! I just sat on the other side of the room going, “Oh, my God, that’s Van Morrison. Oh, my God. Oh, my God.” 

And then I was doing [High Spirits] in Ireland with a wonderful Irish singer, Mary Coughlin, and she and a bunch of us on the film jumped in a van and drove to Cork and watched him live at his club. And once again, even when we were standing backstage after the show, I was going, “Oh, my God, it’s Van Morrison.” I didn’t dare walk over to him. So it was a real thrill to sing that song.

You and Mary Steenburgen sort of share that Van Morrison moment on the show, which reminds me: which did you film first, this series, where you play husband and wife, or Grace and Frankie, where you play ex-husband and ex-wife?

We actually filmed Grace and Frankie first. [Laughs.] What’s funny is that everybody thought we were old friends and we were saying, “Oh, my God, have you guys worked together before?” And we had to say, “No, we just met!” We just hit it off. 

But she started talking about this `really cool show she was doing up in Vancouver that was song and dance, and I’m thinking to myself, “What do you have to do in this life to get a crack at some of these jobs? I’ve only spent, like, 40 years on Broadway off and on. Geez!” But, of course, I was very happy for her, and I tried to give her all the local information I had about Vancouver… And then I got a phone call. And then she got a phone call saying, “We just wanted to let you know that we’re making Peter Gallagher an offer…” And she said, “I think that’s a great idea!” [Laughs.] So it was really serendipitous…and Jane Fonda gave us permission to reignite our marriage vows!

In regards to your singing experience, I couldn’t help but think of The Idolmaker and wonder if Jane Levy had ever seen a clip of you in that film. 

Oh, no. Nobody on the show had. In fact, I don’t think any of them had any clue. I might as well have asked if any of them had seen [D.W. Griffith’s] Birth of a Nation. You just sort of say, “Oh, yeah, I did a little dancing in my first movie,” and they go, ‘Oh, yeah? Really?” But we were talking about it, and she said, “Oh, I don’t know that one.” So I showed her a clip – probably my big song – and she just went, “Oh, my God!” So that was nice. She had the exact right response! [Laughs.]

Just to confirm, “Oh, my God” definitely is the right response when seeing that clip for the first time. 

That, or “You’re so young!” [Laughs.] But that was just an amazing movie to be a part of. It would’ve been nice if it had succeeded at the box office, but it succeeded over time, and it doesn’t really seem to go away. It was brilliant. And it was the perfect thing, because I’d just come off of Grease on Broadway, a show that took place in a similar era. I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of it.

You mentioned how much you enjoy playing a dad. I presume that extends to The O.C.

Oh, I still love The O.C. so much. I likened The O.C. to Zoey’s. I had a similar response in terms of what was going on in the world at the time. It was 2003, we were racing to war in the Gulf, 9/11 was still very much fresh in everyone’s mind and experience, and it was just time enough for this sort of xenophobia to start to build a little momentum, where we were being very suspicious of outsiders and people who weren’t “us.” 

And then I got this script for The O.C., about this Jewish guy, a public defender from the Bronx who’s married to a shiksa in a conservative Christian enclave, and he doesn’t lose his sense of humor or his identity. And just because he’s in a gated community, he’s not afraid to open his arms and accept people in his life who need help, like Ben McKenzie’s character. I thought, “You know, that’s a story I want to be telling at this period of time.” That felt more American than being afraid of people who are different. It just felt like the right thing to do. 

With Zoey’s, we’re in this terribly divided time where we’re encouraged by some to look down on others or look suspiciously or disdainfully at others that might not be like us, and this is the exact opposite. It blows all the barriers away to remind us of what’s essential. Everybody needs security, affection, recognition, and new experiences. To be loved. To be heard. And then when you see everybody singing and dancing and moving to the same song, you can’t help but be struck by the power of the shared experience. In the theater, when you do your job well, you get to be there when those moments happen, and when they happen, for that moment, no one is alone. Everyone’s a member of the same tribe. That’s the power of good storytelling. And that’s why I thought, “Wow, we don’t want to screw this up, because this could be a similar kind of thing.” And if we do screw it up… Well, it was worth trying!

How did you enjoy the experience of doing an action show like Covert Affairs?

I loved doing Covert Affairs, and I loved it because… Well, for one thing, because it was a job working with Dave Bartis, who was one of the producers on the first season of The O.C., and I love working with Dave. And I also got to work with Doug Liman, who shot the pilot, and I loved working with him, too. But it came out about I just sat down with Dave after The O.C., because we’re friends, and my kids were starting to go to college, and I said, “Oh, my God, do I need a job…” [Laughs.] “…and a job that’ll pay enough for us to not go belly-up while they go to college!” So I said to Dave, “What have you got going on?” And he said, “I’m doing a show called Covert Affairs, and… You know, there’s actually a part in there that you could do without makeup, if you’re interested.” And I said, “What’s the asshole quotient?” And he said, “Zero.” And I said, “Oh, well, I’m there!” And that was that. 

It was actually very imaginative, and I really have to credit Shawn Ryerson, our unit production manager up in Toronto, as well as Doug and Dave, for being so innovative in how they approached the show. They figured out a way for us to shoot all over the world with a skeleton crew and bring these actual cities to people and give that to the viewers. So it was really fun. I had a feeling sometimes that the writers would’ve just as soon shipped my character off somewhere. [Laughs.] But fortunately Dave and the gang kept me on enough to keep us out of destitution!

Speaking of being shipped off, do you think we’re likely to see Captain Dodds return to Law & Order: SVU anytime soon? 

If it’s up to me, we will. But as we all know, these things aren’t up to me! The thing was, because SVU and Zoey’s are both for NBC, NBC wouldn’t let me do both, so…it depends on what happens. But I hope so, because Warren Leight’s running the show now, and I love him. He’s the one who wrote the wonderful role of Chief Dodds, which is one of my favorite roles ever. So I hope so. And I hope I get to wear the same suits, the same shoes, the same shield, the same gun that I’ve had since I started doing it. Because I love Mariska (Hargitay), I love the whole cast, and I love the whole crew. A lot of them are New Yorkers from the same era as I am that I recognize, so it’s very personal. 

Well, I know we need to start wrapping up, but…

Hey, you don’t have to wrap it up! I love talking about me! [Laughs.]

Fair enough, then.  I was just going to jump back to your musical history again and ask if there was one in particular that you looked back on as your favorite. 

Let’s see… What musicals have I done? I did Hair, Grease, A Doll’s Life, Guys and Dolls… You know what? I’d be proudest of my work on Guys and Dolls, because it was a very difficult environment to be Sky Masterson in that production, and I felt like I really overcame a lot of obstacles to try and get a half-decent portrayal of the character. I think I succeeded as best I could in the confines of that production. Actually, not even within that production. I succeeded the best I could, period. So I’m pretty proud of what I was able to accomplish.

Funny coincidence that Lauren Graham played Adelaide when they revived the musical in 2009.

I know. That’s so crazy! Now, we won’t compare which one was more successful, because that wouldn’t be nice… 

Nor was I going to go there. I was, however, going to mention that her performance of the Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” on the show was pretty wonderful. I mean, we’re talking Gilmore-Girls-level-crush-back-in-full-effect wonderful.

I was speaking with Andrew Leeds, who plays my son, and he said, “God, I really like everybody.” I said, “I do, too! It’s weird!” [Laughs.] But it’s true. Lauren, I didn’t know her at all before this, but she’s just lovely. And Mary’s just lovely. And Jane. And Alex, who I’d seen in Once on This Island. And Skylar [Astin], and Michael [Thomas Grant], and John [Clarence Stewart], and all of these people. They’re so talented. 

Oh, and the dancing! We’ve got to talk about the dancing. We’ve got to talk about Mandy Moore and Jeffrey Mortensen and Jillian Meyers, our dance team. I don’t know how they did so many dances in each episode for a whole season and never lost their temperature and never said, like, “Just stand over there and shut up!” [Laughs.] Which I’ve more or less heard on a number of occasions. My favorite was on Hair, when our choreographer said, “Peter, Michael, just stand over stage right and just stand there and sing, okay?” Everybody else is getting blocking for their choreography, and we’re getting, “Just stand there.” But Mandy, Jeffrey, and Jillian, they never made us feel like idiots. They made us feel like anything was possible. They were the heartbeat of the show. They kept the beat, they kept the rhythm going. Oh, and Harvey Mason, Jr., our music producer, he’s the one who did the sessions, which was unbelievable. I get to sing with him again next week, actually, because we’re doing an extended version of one of the songs. 

It was one of these projects where every day I went to work, I didn’t even have to remind myself, I just knew, “You may never get a chance to do any of this stuff again, so enjoy every second of it. Even if it takes forever.” Usually when you have two days of shooting, you fly out the day before, you shoot your stuff, and then you get out of Dodge. With this, you’d shoot your scene, but then you had dance rehearsal, and then you had recording sessions, and you had to learn the music. And we were all joking about it, because our idea about how much time it was going to take was just so off. We basically got there in August and just got back last week! [Laughs.] I mean, there were trips back and forth, of course, but I think I spent maybe five nights in my own bed. Because it was a massive organization. And if you’re gonna do song and dance, you don’t want to do it poorly! Especially if you’re not confident about it. So you spend all day and night practicing in your room or at rehearsal or whatever. But that’s great, because it’s exactly what you should be doing. 

There was a lot of love in that cast, both for each other and for the opportunity we’d been given. And for such great producer! Because, you know, they could’ve said, “Oh, we don’t want to get that Van Morrison song! It’s too expensive!” But instead they said, “Let’s get it!” So they did. And that’s the kind of stuff that makes all the difference. They got Van Morrison, they got the Beatles and the Stones, the Isley Brothers, Billy Joel, Ed Sheeran… All the songs I’ve sung are either songs that I’d already loved or songs I didn’t know that now I love. Every song gets better.

And I liked the touch that Zoey pointedly doesn’t know some of the songs that she’s hearing. 

Yes! Again, that’s genius, because she’s reflecting the experience of her generation. And it’s also an opportunity to educate. It’s what I liked about The O.C., where mothers and daughters in particular would watch the show together and talk about stuff. I feel like that could happen with this, too, where your kid says, “That sounds like a cool song.” [Excited.] “Cool song?! That’s one of the greatest songs ever written! Oh, my God, you should hear this song! And this song! And how about this song?” It’d be nice to lead people into debating the various merits of the Van Morrison discography rather than the latest political event!

Will Harris (@NonStopPop) has a longstanding history of doing long-form interviews with random pop culture figures for the A.V. Club, Vulture, and a variety of other outlets, including Variety. He’s currently working on a book with David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker. (And don’t call him Shirley.)

Where to stream Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist