Michael Chiklis Interview: Winning Time

screenrant.com:

HBO's new series Winning Time chronicles the rise of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers dynasty, led by team owner Dr. Jerry Buss and electric star point guard Magic Johnson. Those Lakers teams won five NBA championships and had an intense rivalry with the Boston Celtics. During that era, legendary Celtics coach Red Auerbach worked in the front office, putting together his own star-studded roster to compete with the Lakers year in and year out. On Winning Time, the role of Auerbach is played by actor Michael Chiklis.

Screen Rant spoke with Chiklis about taking on Auerbach (Chiklis is from the Boston area), his advice for the MCU's rebooted Fantastic Four, and much more.

Related: Winning Time Episode 1 True Story: What's Real & What's Changed

Screen Rant: I didn't even recognize you in this role. I thought Michael Chiklis was in this! What physical transformation did you go through for this part?

Michael Chiklis: Honestly, hair and makeup and wardrobe were huge and integral with this, and then the cherry on top was that stogie. I think he was just so specific. He had this very gaudy appearance and it was part of his character and something that we all, as Bostonians, love. I was born, raised, and educated in the Boston area and I went to Boston University from '81 to '85, right as this blew up. So I bore witness to this whole thing and, from a physical transformation standpoint, it was just a way of holding myself and wearing all of this stuff. Again, once I got into that wardrobe and lit up that stogie, I had slipped into the jacket.

You've done things that fans love Shield, Gotham, Fantastic Four where does Winning Time rank just in terms of responsibility and pressure to get it right? Especially since you are playing a real