It’s safe to say that The Bear came to dominate the 75th Emmy winners list, because it ended up taking ten trophies last night, including one for Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who plays everyone’s favorite cousin, Richie. There’s no question that the actor was deserving of the win for Oustanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, and looking back on his candid comments about what fuels his character made it even clearer.
I spoke to Ebon Moss-Bachrach long before he received his first Emmy nomination for The Bear. During our interview, he gushed about Jeremy Allen White and how hard it is to play Carmy, and he gave us the inside scoop on how Jon Bernthal ended up on the FX dramedy. However, now it’s time to give the Richie actor his flowers, because as we talked about Season 2 of the show, he opened up about what fuels his character, and he was very candid about it all, saying:
[Richie] fought like crazy to preserve [The Beef] and lost. And I don't think he's licking his wounds or anything. I think he's genuinely trying to figure out how he can be relevant and part of this new iteration of the restaurant. But, I think it was a struggle to even figure out how he fit into the old one, let alone this new sort of gastronomic kind of conception.
We were specifically discussing the place Richie was at when Season 2 began. Moss-Bachrach explained how lost Cousin was, and how he was “trying to preserve” The Beef. However, as Season 2 goes on, his character evolves, and he truly finds his place and drive both literally and figuratively. It’s a gorgeous arc, and he plays it out beautifully – belting Taylor Swift and all.
Ultimately, Richie’s story through the first two seasons of The Bear came down to the idea that he just wanted to help, that's what fueled him. Moss-Bachrach eloquently and candidly explained this to me too, saying:
It's very simple for me. I mean, he doesn't have much going on, he doesn't have many opportunities for connection at all in his life. And this is a place that he loves, you know, he threatens to quit in the first season, but he's not capable of that. I mean, she says, ‘Where are you going to go, Richard?’ You know, and she's right. And he knows it. So what's going through my head as an actor, I'm just trying to figure out what can I do, where can I help. Like, let me help, just let me be needed.
Now, not only has Richie found his place in The Bear, Ebon Moss-Bachrach was rewarded for it too by winning an Emmy.
Along with the Cousin actor, two others from The Bear cast took home awards from the Television Academy. Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri both won in their categories – plus the show won Best Comedy. Overall, it was a wickedly successful night for the show, and it was in part because its cast and crew took the time to think about their characters and storylines in deep and thoughtful ways as Ebon Moss-Bachrach did with me.
I assume this thought process and what drives Richie will stay the same as Season 3 of The Bear gets into production. Hopefully, we’ll get to see another fabulous installment starring Richie and co. on the 2024 TV schedule that results in more Emmys. In the meantime, you can go back and see why Ebon Moss-Bachrach won one of the biggest awards in television by streaming the first two seasons of The Bear with a Hulu subscription.
