'I hate the internet, but I got to see it': 7 Emmy contenders on fame, fandoms and more

Academy Award victor Billy Bob Thornton, who plays chain-smoking situation manager Tommy Norris successful Taylor Sheridan’s latest deed “Landman,” seems similar a feline who can’t beryllium intimidated. But get him successful a country with Allison Janney and the information comes out.

“I was acrophobic of you,” helium tells her sheepishly connected The Envelope’s Emmy Roundtable for play actors.

“Really?” says Janney, the Oscar-, Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning performer who appears arsenic cunning Vice President Grace Penn connected the Netflix governmental thriller “The Diplomat.”

“The archetypal clip I met Allison, it was astatine different property relation thing,” helium says to the room. “And conscionable seeing you, arsenic an actor, and parts you play ... But also, you person this precise dignified prime astir you.”

“It’s my height, I think.”

“No,” helium continues. “You conscionable person the look of idiosyncratic who is almighty and truly intelligent. So immoderate idiot similar maine comes in, and I’m like, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t speech to her.’”

This is what happens erstwhile you stitchery 7 Emmy contenders whose performances truthful convincingly signifier our perceptions of who they are successful existent life. This year’s radical besides included Sterling K. Brown, who plays Xavier Collins, a Secret Service cause seeking the information successful Hulu’s “Paradise”; Britt Lower, who plays some affluent heiress Helena Eagan and defiant information refiner Helly R. successful Apple TV+’s “Severance”; Jason Isaacs, who plays Timothy Ratliff, an American financier desperately trying to support a concealed from his household successful HBO’s “The White Lotus”; Noah Wyle, who plays Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, a elder attending doc astatine a Pittsburgh trauma halfway successful Max’s “The Pitt”; and Kaitlin Olson, who plays the underestimated but superb constabulary advisor Morgan Gillory successful ABC’s “High Potential.”

Read connected for excerpts from our treatment astir however they pat into their layered performances, navigate the concern and much — and ticker video of the roundtable below.

The 2025 Emmy Drama Roundtable. Back enactment from left: Britt Lower, Jason Isaacs, Noah Wyle and Kaitlin Olson. From enactment from left: Billy Bob Thornton, Allison Janney and Sterling K. Brown.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

Tell maine astir an “Oh, my God, did that conscionable happen?” infinitesimal — bully oregon atrocious — from your aboriginal years connected a Hollywood set. Kaitlin, your archetypal recognition was “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” I can’t ideate what it’s similar making Larry David laugh.

Olson: Oh, you conscionable person to shriek successful his look and insult him, and past helium thinks that’s really, truly funny. But yeah, determination were nary marks and determination were nary lines. So I didn’t truly person an “Oh, my God” moment. You conscionable speech and unopen up erstwhile you should unopen up.

Isaacs: On my archetypal time [on 1989’s “The Tall Guy”], I retrieve I arrived archetypal happening successful the morning. I was playing Surgeon No. 2 successful a imagination series that Jeff Goldblum was in. The director, who’s hassled and busy, helium goes, “OK, we’re going to commencement with you. We’re coming successful connected the dolly. But due to the fact that I’m connected a precise wide lens, if you could commencement the eyeline determination adjacent the bottommost of the jib and past conscionable spell to the country of bottle, past instrumentality it to the borderline of the matte container erstwhile we’re getting close.” And I went, “Right ... What the f— did immoderate of those words mean?” Jeff is conscionable retired of frame. And he’s successful his underpants, and it’s a imagination series for him. And we’re conscionable astir to spell and rotation the cameras, and Jeff goes, “Hold connected a second.” And helium stands up and helium starts lasting connected a seat reciting Byron emotion poems adjacent though helium was not successful the shot. I’m like, “I don’t recognize what the hellhole is going connected here.” Years later, I sat adjacent to him astatine a wedding and I said, “Do you retrieve that night?” He went, “Yeah.”

Jason Isaacs of “The White Lotus.”

Have determination been moments wherever you fell retired of emotion with acting oregon wherever you felt like, “This isn’t moving out”?

Janney: My vocation didn’t commencement till I was 38 oregon something, due to the fact that I’m truthful tall, and I was virtually uncastable. I went to the Johnson O’Connor [Research Foundation]. And I did 3 days of investigating to spot what other I could perchance do.

Issacs: What is that?

Janney: It’s an aptitude investigating place. They inquire you to bash each this stuff, and astatine the extremity of it they say, “This is what you should be.” And they told maine I should beryllium a systems analyst. I had nary thought what that was. And the adjacent day, I got formed understudying Faith Prince and Kate Nelligan successful “Bad Habits,” a play astatine the Manhattan Theatre Club.

Allison Janney of “The Diplomat.”

Brown: I’ve ne'er fallen retired of emotion with it. I was an economics large successful assemblage who coiled up switching to drama. When I got retired of grad schoolhouse and [was] hopping astir done determination theater, I coiled up booking a TV show, “Army Wives,” for six years, and a fewer years into the show, I was like, “I deliberation I’ve done everything that I privation to bash with the character.” So erstwhile they came dangling the carrot for radical to reup aft Season 6, I was like, “I’m funny to spot what other the beingness has successful store.” I was capable to wage disconnected pupil loans. We had our archetypal child, I had a location and I was like, “Let’s instrumentality a gamble connected Brown.” I did a aviator for AMC that didn’t get picked up; past had a recurring [role] connected “Person of Interest” for six episodes. I was like, “Oh, man, I got a woman and a kid and a house. Did I messiness up? Should I person stayed connected the amusement oregon not?”

Then I auditioned for [“The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story”], and I didn’t perceive thing for 4 months. I was down successful New Mexico shooting this movie, “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot,” and I was having this truly benignant of morbid infinitesimal of going done my IMDb Pro relationship and looking astatine everybody who had booked each of the things that I had auditioned for. I was like, “Oh, Bokeem Woodbine booked Season 2 of ‘Fargo.’ Good for him.” And I got a telephone from my manager saying, “They privation you to surface trial with Sarah Paulson for this thing.” I was the lone idiosyncratic that they brought successful to audition for it.

Sterling K. Brown of “Paradise.”

Your bid are mostly confronting oregon commenting connected real-world anxieties oregon subjects that are changing successful our satellite successful existent time. Noah, with Dr. Robbie and what helium says astir what’s going connected successful the healthcare strategy — we’re seeing him header with the aftermath of COVID-19. We’re seeing stories that are precise timely astir vaccinations. Talk astir what was important to you with this bid and what you wanted to amusement done these characters.

Wyle: “ER” was precise overmuch a patient-centric amusement successful a batch of ways. And this was much of an workout to beryllium practitioner- and physician-centric, to truly amusement the toll that the past 5 years since COVID has taken connected that community. The thesis being that it is arsenic fragile arsenic the intelligence wellness of the radical that we person successful those jobs and the quality’s what we received. Even though we had to adjacent into a crystal shot and effort to fig retired a twelvemonth agone what would beryllium the topical cases of today, we were truly much funny successful however everybody’s coping mechanisms person allowed them to signifier what they’ve been doing for the past 5 years. How they’ve compartmentalized the toll it’s taken connected them personally, and research that successful existent time. Aggregate hostility connected a displacement wherever you’re conscionable embedded with them without release. The outset was much astir identifying the intelligence wellness of the practitioner than identifying the ills successful nine ... Can I conscionable accidental however effing chill it is to beryllium astatine this array with you each and beryllium the uncool 1 to accidental that I consciousness similar my impostor syndrome is disconnected the rails close now?

Olson: No way.

Noah Wyle of “The Pitt.”

Hopefully you’ll each impermanent prima connected each other’s shows by the clip this is over.

Janney: I would emotion that.

Britt, what truly spoke to maine astir “Severance” was its exploration of grief, but wrong that too, there’s the firm overreach and the work-life equilibrium that I deliberation each of america tin appreciate. Did it amusement you thing astir however you navigate your work-life equilibrium oregon what you could bash better?

Lower: The formed talks a batch astir however the “Severance” process is benignant of similar what we bash for a living. We spell to enactment and enactment connected a antithetic outfit and presume a caller identity. There were immoderate moments wherever you’re walking down the corridors connected the mode to your job, and there’s benignant of this meta prime of being wrong of a amusement astir compartmentalizing and switching into a antithetic portion of yourself. But I deliberation it’s truthful relatable. I deliberation we bash that arsenic humans. We amusement up otherwise successful antithetic spaces successful our lives, whether it’s enactment oregon location oregon going location for the holidays, versus your shot team. You conscionable enactment connected a antithetic idiosyncratic really.

Britt Lower of “Severance.”

Isaacs: If I spell distant to bash a occupation connected determination somewhere, I tin really — adjacent astatine my ripe aged age; I’m a begetter and I’m a hubby — conscionable parkland my beingness and hide that. Now I spot that metaphor precise intelligibly and it’s irresponsible. I’m truthful overmuch much comfy successful the fictitious satellite than I americium successful the existent world.

Do you consciousness similar there’s a misconception that you guys are conscionable each astatine the pool?

Isaacs: I’m not truly an histrion anymore; I conscionable bash “White Lotus” publicity for a job. And successful the billions of interviews, radical expect you to say, “It was a holiday. We were successful this resort.” Well, we’re not truly successful the resort. So I’ve said a fewer times, “You marque friends. You suffer friends, romances oregon whatever; things hap betwixt departments and each the backstage play that we’re each utilized to.” Well, the online satellite went huffy trying to deconstruct, trying to enactment retired who knew who and who was [doing what]. Actually, I’m talking astir all the unit and each the departments — not that it’s anyone’s business. But it’s trying to deconstruct what we each deliberation of each other. And what happened determination is truthful overmuch little absorbing than Mike White’s superb stories. You shouldn’t beryllium funny successful who went to meal with who. I benignant of privation I hadn’t opened my rima astir it, but I don’t privation to unreal it was a holiday. Not conscionable the mode that the amusement blew up but besides the level of microscopic involvement successful thing immoderate of america said, tweeted, posted — determination aren’t galore caller experiences for actors who’ve been astir a agelong time, but this 1 has been shocking, and I’m rather gladsome that it’s abating now. I’d similar to instrumentality to my mean life, but I don’t cognize however radical who are uber-famous woody with it.

Billy Bob, however did you travel to navigate it? You’ve experienced the utmost effects of that.

Thornton: You mean successful the satellite of Hollywood and each that?

Isaacs: Do you spell to the supermarket, instrumentality the subway ... Do you bash the worldly I do?

Thornton: It depends connected what twelvemonth it is. I’ve gone done times wherever I couldn’t spell anywhere. Once my beingness got bigger, and that truly happened with ... I mean, I was a moving histrion doing OK, but “Sling Blade” is the 1 that, virtually overnight, it was a brainsick thing. From that constituent on, it’s been beauteous steady. What I’ve done to not get progressive successful each that is I don’t truly spell anywhere. I’m either moving oregon I’m astatine location with the household oregon successful a signaling workplace oregon connected the road. You don’t spot maine successful the [tabloid] magazines, astatine the parties and each that benignant of stuff.

I’ll enactment it this way. Right now, with “Landman,” we thought it was going to beryllium successful. We had nary thought that it was going to beryllium similar this. I mean, we’ve got fans successful Iceland and stuff. I can’t spell to a Walmart successful Texas. It’s virtually impossible. I tried it. I would locomotion 3 feet astatine a time. Texans, their personalities are besides precise big, and they don’t truly travel up and go, “Excuse me, mister.” It’s not similar that. It’s like, “Hey man, what’s going on? Get successful a representation with me.”

I’ve had a estimation — weirdo. Angelina and I were vampires. We drank each other’s blood. You look connected the internet, and there’s immoderate benignant of happening you’re trying to look up and, inevitably, it’ll amusement thing else. So you go, “I hatred this. I hatred the internet, but I got to spot it.”

Billy Bob Thornton of “Landman.”

Isaacs: There’s nary bully mentation of you. You either look overmuch amended connected the surface oregon overmuch amended successful existent life. I wanted to accidental [looks astatine Allison], due to the fact that I was a immense “West Wing” fan, I did immoderate “West Wing,” I couldn’t interruption retired of reasoning that Bradley [Whitford] and Janel [Moloney] were, successful fact, Josh and Donna. Did radical deliberation you were that political? People assumed you were that character?

Janney: I’ve been specified a disappointment for radical who deliberation that I americium C. J. [Cregg, her quality connected “The West Wing”], due to the fact that I couldn’t beryllium little similar her. I’m not that idiosyncratic who’s capable to verbally chopped idiosyncratic down successful the 2nd that she needs to. It was truthful large to play her, but I retrieve erstwhile they had the Democratic National [Convention] successful California and determination were much radical who came up to maine and asked me, “After this is over, volition you travel enactment for us? Will you travel to...” I’m like, “You don’t understand. I’m truthful not similar that.” And present connected “The Diplomat,” playing the president of the United States and the smartest idiosyncratic successful the room, it’s truthful overmuch amusive for maine to play those benignant of women due to the fact that I’m not [like that]. I mean, I’m not an idiot, but I cognize thing astir being successful the satellite of authorities oregon being manipulative.

Kaitlin, “It’s Always Sunny successful Philadelphia” is successful its 17th play now. You’re connected “Hacks.” When you’re signing connected to thing similar “High Potential,” what factors bash you see erstwhile reasoning astir however agelong you privation to perpetrate to something?

Olson: I don’t ever privation to play a quality that starts to get aged to me. “Sunny” doesn’t consciousness similar that to maine due to the fact that it’s a satire and the world’s ever providing america with caller content. And we bash 8 to 10 episodes a season. So it’s 17 seasons, which is insane, but it’s not adjacent 20 episodes. It’s truthful overmuch fun, which is the crushed I’m not sick of that quality yet. But I consciousness the aforesaid mode arsenic you, [Allison], erstwhile I’m playing characters who are super-smart, and past I person to speech astir it, I conscionable spell into panic mode.

How has it been getting into Morgan’s head?

Olson: I emotion the different characters that I play, but there’s bosom to this, and she’s a bully ma and she is precise insecure but puts connected a large show. I emotion that she’s scrappy and has to fig it out, and she trusts that she volition and doesn’t trust connected anybody other to assistance her fig it out. The astir important happening are her kids. I deliberation she’s conscionable fascinating to play.

Kaitlin Olson of “High Potential.”

What’s the astir awesome accomplishment you picked up connected the job? Noah, you cognize I’m going to commencement with you. You went to aesculapian footwear camp. You’ve done truly good with sutures. You tin intubate immoderate 1 of us, I think.

Wyle: I’ve ne'er performed one.

Isaacs: The nighttime is young.

Wyle: I privation everybody an accidental to gaffe into a relation that you person specified large musculus representation with from different facet of your beingness erstwhile you play a instrumentalist oregon erstwhile you bash circusing oregon whatever. When you bash thing you’ve done for truthful long, and past you get to bash it again, it is conscionable astonishing however overmuch it’s successful your assemblage and however you don’t person to interest astir that stuff. There was a infinitesimal earlier wherever Sterling choked connected the grape successful the greenroom. I was truthful acceptable to intubate him, adjacent if it wasn’t necessary.

Thornton: I went to air-traffic power schoolhouse for “Pushing Tin,” truthful I tin inactive say, “Delta 2376, crook left, 20-0-4-0” and “Clear the Alice attack one-four right, telephone the operation one-eight-three,” due to the fact that you conscionable don’t hide it. That’s not air-traffic control, that’s conscionable a line. With Noah, helium learns this accomplishment that helium has been doing implicit the years, and that benignant of cognition is invaluable. Anytime you person worldly to do, without conscionable acting, similar you’re doing engaged enactment — you’re, like, here’s however you bash an appendectomy — and you larn and erstwhile you’re picking up the close tools, you’re saying the close stuff, you’re making incisions — that worldly you’ve got to learn.

Isaacs: One of the large privileges of being an histrion that possibly doesn’t amusement up onscreen is you get to locomotion successful people’s shoes. I shadowed bosom surgeons and integrative surgeons and politicians and criminals and soldiers, and it’s conscionable an astonishing privilege to beryllium successful people’s lives and speech astir it. And determination whitethorn beryllium immoderate tiny spot you prime up for the screen.