Get to Know a GODSPELLer: T.J. Anderson

Special skills: Musical instruments of many shapes and sizes. Rubik’s cube solving – just like Jake!

Something you’re REALLY bad at: Replacing things once they’re old and crappy. I can’t remember the last time I bought a pair of shoes for myself. Usually somebody just takes pity on me and buys me new ones.

Did you have any particular mentors or inspirations as a young actor? My Aunt Roseanne. Her community theater performances in The Music Man and Arsenic and Old Lace (among others) are legendary in my hometown.

Current local show you have been recommending to friends: I actually haven’t seen very many shows lately. Two shows I really liked (but are now closed unfortunately) were Sordid Lives (Ludicrous) and References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot (National Pastime). References in particular made me feel like I was in a David Lynch film from the moment I walked into the building. Very cool. Also, I’m super excited to see Pirates of Penzance on the Tall Ship Windy.

Favorite show tunes of all time: Pretty much anything Sondheim or (yes I’ll say it) Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Favorite musical: Impossible to choose one, but… Man of La Mancha?

Your personal acting idols: Daniel Day-Lewis, Kevin Spacey, Laura Dern, Jeff Bridges

MAC or PC? Mac for the most part

Most played song on your iPod: WFMU live stream (in iTunes)

Must-see TV show(s): Arrested Development, Louie, Spaced, Rocko’s Modern Life, The Office (U.S. and UK are both good in my book)

Some films you consider classics: The Godfather (of course), There Will Be Blood, The Big Lebowski, Mullholland Drive

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Louie C.K., Chris Rock, Jeff Mangum, Norm Macdonald

Pop culture guilty pleasure: Kanye West

Three favorite cities: I am not well-travelled, but let’s say Chicago, Rome, and Marquette, MI.

First stage kiss: As Finch in How to Succeed…

Moment you knew you wanted to perform for a living: I was in Odyssey of the Mind (anybody remember that?) in 5th grade. I made a joke in a skit about how horrible the Detroit Lions are. Everybody laughed. It was awesome.

Pre-show rituals or warm-ups: Fretting

Most challenging role you have played onstage: Probably Daniel in The Complete Works of Shakespeare [Abridged]. Only because it involved rapping.

Leading man role you’ve been dying to play: Leo Bloom in The Producers, Mozart in Amadeus, Bobby in Company, the list goes on…

Three things you can’t live without: Music, Laughing, Pasta.

“I’ll never understand why”: Most things happen. I am in a perpetual state of confusion.

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See T.J. in The Brown Paper Box Co.’s production of GODSPELL September 20 – October 7, 2012 at Collaboraction Studio 300 in the Flat Iron Arts Building, 1579 North Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago. For tickets and additional information, visit brownpaperbox.org.