J.K. Simmons says he “loves” finding humanity in hard-edged roles in new MGM+ mob drama

In a CBS News interview, the Oscar-winning actor discussed the character work that defined his career, his early days of waiting tables, and his new role in MGM+’s The Westies.

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J.K. Simmons, the Oscar-winning star of Whiplash, is leaning into what he calls the core craft of acting as he prepares for his next major TV role. In an interview with CBS News, Simmons described his career as built around playing distinct characters rather than relying on a conventional leading-man image, and he discussed how that approach shaped both his professional trajectory and his personal life.

Simmons revisited his pre-fame work in New York, saying that like many people from the area he did not start in show business. He recalled waiting tables at Joe Allen and said he was “not very good” at the job, adding that he tried to be pleasant and charming while moving at a pace that would have required multiple trips to set up a table. He said the butter would be melting by the time he got it to guests, a detail he offered as an example of the uneven, learning-phase work he went through before he found his place in acting.

The actor’s new series, The Westies, is a mob drama centered on Irish-American figures who controlled the West Side of New York in the 1980s. Simmons plays the boss, and he described his attraction to roles that look tough on the surface while still offering an internal logic for the character. He said he enjoys “going back and forth” during the process of playing someone, and that when he can latch onto something other than “pure evil,” he can find “the humanity in the guy somewhere,” which he said is what makes the work enjoyable.

Simmons also addressed why he became closely associated with older characters even when he was younger than many of the roles he played. In the CBS interview, he said that for much of his career he took on parts where his on-screen age did not necessarily match his real age, then connected that professional experience to being a married father later in life. He said he and his spouse did not get married until he was 41, and that their son, Joe, was born when he was 43, adding that he would sometimes be in public with an infant in a carrier and hear a checkout worker mistake him for a grandfather.

For Whiplash, Simmons was known for portraying Terence Fletcher, a brutal band leader, a casting choice he framed as part of the same larger pattern of playing intense, demanding figures. Looking ahead, he said he continues to value variety within character work, even when the roles are darker or more menacing, describing the pleasure of identifying a person’s motives rather than approaching them as a one-note villain.

The CBS interview also included discussion of the difficult early days of Simmons’ career and an “unexpected kindness” he said he received from an actor friend during a period when he needed help most. The story did not specify the individual’s identity or the exact gesture, but it emphasized the role that peer support can play when a performer is trying to break into the industry and establish stability.

The Westies is set to arrive on MGM+ next week, bringing Simmons back to a New York-centered world and continuing his run of prominent roles across film, television, and commercials. The interview overall portrayed Simmons as an actor who views character parts as a disciplined craft, grounded in preparation and in the effort to locate something human inside even the most ruthless screen personas.

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Why It Matters

The Westies arrival on MGM+ next week shows continued streamer investment in period-set crime drama and star-driven casting.
Simmons’ remarks underscore how casting and audience expectations for “leading man” versus character roles shape long careers in mainstream Hollywood and television.
By connecting early-life timing and family experiences to his public persona, the interview highlights how personal milestones can influence an actor’s perspective on roles and age onscreen.
Simmons’ focus on motivations and humanity in antagonists reflects an ongoing trend in character-driven writing, where audience engagement depends on dimensional characters rather than stereotypes.

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Key Facts

J.K. Simmons discussed being a character actor and how he approaches roles that have edge or menace.
Simmons said he worked waiting tables at Joe Allen in New York and described himself as “not very good” at the job.
He plays the boss in MGM+’s The Westies, a mob series about Irish-American operators who ruled New York’s West Side in the 1980s.
Simmons said he enjoys playing hard-edged characters when he can find “the humanity” inside them rather than treating them as pure evil.
In the CBS interview, Simmons said he married at 41 and that his son Joe was born when he was 43.
Simmons recalled difficult early career days and said an actor friend offered him unexpected kindness, without providing additional details in the interview text provided.
The Westies is scheduled to premiere on MGM+ next week.