'Transparent' :: The Transformation of Jeffrey Tambor

Usually when you hear the term "character actor" bandied about, it is often in the context of, "You know, it's that one guy... What is his name? He was on that TV show."

That is not the case for Jeffrey Tambor, the actor who has left an indelible mark with his impressive body of work. After a string of television guest spots of the day during the '70s - which includes his first small role on Kojak - Tambor went on to co-star on the 1979 "Three's Company" spin off "The Ropers" as snobbish neighbor Jeffrey P. Brookes III.

He has since peopled his nearly four-decades-old resume with a wealth of interesting characters that vacillate between film work in "There's Something About Mary" and "Girl, Interrupted," with voice work on animation projects including "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie" and "Archer." He garnered his most widely-known characters while on TV, enjoying successful stints as characters such as Hank Kingsley on "The Larry Sanders Show" and of course, his most recognizable role as George Bluth, Sr. on "Arrested Development."

Currently, he is tackling the part of Mort Pfefferman in Amazon Prime's new original series "Transparent" -- a father who is in the process of "coming out" to his three adult children (Gaby Hoffman, Jay Duplass and Amy Landecker) as the transgender woman Maura, all the while contending with an ex-wife (Judith Light).

The show, created by Jill Soloway, is being heralded as one of the best to watch out for this fall season. It is also definitely a must-see, binge-watch worthy entry in the online platform format that has sprung up in recent years.

The Rage Monthly spoke with Tambor about what he calls a "career defining role,"one that the actor deeply immersed himself in as he prepared to become Maura.

As he explained, "It's beautifully laid out; the map is quite apparent in Jill's sensational writing. But, I was also aided and instructed by Zackary Drucker and Rhys Ernst (two transgender consultants and associate producers for the show), and I read and I interviewed. Zack and Rhys took me under their wing, they made me up as Maura, and they put together my wig and wardrobe. We went downstairs in the hotel and then out to a North Hollywood nightclub; that was my first field trip."

"I had great help and I remember every single second of it," Tambor reflected. "I don't know if I've ever been as nervous as I was that day. I remember thinking as I was walking through the hotel lobby, 'Don't forget this, do not forget this.' I tried to put as much of that into Maura as I could. For me, Jeffrey Tambor, the failsafe in Maura is that she, just like Jeffrey, is very, very new into this. A lot of Maura's mistakes are Jeffrey's mistakes and vice versa, because Maura is very young into her transition. I approached the role and said to them (producers) my politics are going to be in my performance; I want to make her as human as possible and as real, not a symbol, not a saint, but a person who is'coming out.' "

After viewing the pilot episode on Amazon Prime, it is very apparent that the research Tambor put into his portrayal paid off. Though he said he was "throw-up nervous" on that first day of filming, he gives a much nuanced performance that hinges on being extremely believable, as does the palpable chemistry between the character and his co-stars.

"Well, that's the genius of Jill Soloway," he stated. "Casting is not only the 'best person to play the role,' but the actor who will also induce the best from others. I remember when we were doing the barbecue scene, sitting around the round table; that was very strong and as I looked out to Gaby, Amy and Jay, and beyond them I could see Jim Frohna, our director of photography, and Jill Soloway, and I said, 'My god, there's genius everywhere I look.' " He also had high praise for his friend of 40 years, Judith Light, who he cited as being "quicksilver" in terms of her acting. "You'd better be on your game when you act with Judith Light... She takes no prisoners. She is what they call an artistic killer!"

He also has nothing but accolades to the aforementioned creator of the show, Jill Soloway, especially when it comes to her ability to walk the tightrope between comedy and drama.

"All the great writers know that people are funny and people are sad," Tambor explained. "The genius of Jill is, that she zigs when you think she's going to zag... and that's very human. Also, this is a deeply Jewish family and there's a very Jewish humor to it that is authentic. I come from a Jewish family, and the family to me rings true. The real drama isn't about Maura; it's what Maura does to affect everybody and everybody else's secret. There are scenes that I have never seen on television; it's just uncanny."

It seems that transgender issues have been coming to the fore-front of the LGBT acronym, as of late, especially with "Orange is the New Black"'s Laverne Cox making the historic cover of TIME Magazine. So, did Tambor feel any added pressure in this representation of a community through his acting work?

"We had roughly 50 people from the trans community in front of the camera
and in back of the camera," Tambor detailed. "So, our set was very inclusive. There was nobody with crossed arms or raised eyebrows - everybody was supportive. If any pressure was on me, it was from me, because I knew I had a responsibility."

Tambor would love it if the responsibility and diligence he has taken in creating Maura onscreen, which he said was "one of the great honors of my life," were to have a great takeaway for viewers of "Transparent." "I hope it goes its own way to create empathy and respect for families, for love, for connection," he said. "For the transgender community, I hope that there is the furthering of the disappearance of any bias, hatred, prejudice and ignorance. I hope for a connectedness in the community, the courage to be their authentic selves and feel that they are not alone; to do everything they can to be free and have freedom."

Catch all episodes of "Transparent" online at amazon.com/prime