This fall,James Wolkwill play a cop.
Sorry, a nurse.
Wait… a rock star?
‘Ordinary Joe’ star James Wolk imagines three very different paths for himself.Illustration by Alex Fine for EW
“I’ve played two characters before, but I’d never played three.
It’s a great challenge because you really have to just switch gears….
When you’re playing three characters, you have no idea what day it is.”
The story felt very personal to me, even though it was different.
Meet James Wolk, righteous attorney-at-law!
FANTASY:“I become a trial lawyer, a good fit for someone with an acting background.
I’d be like Paul Newman at the end ofThe Verdict very forthright, intentional long pauses.
I defend people against corporations.
I do a lot of pro bono work.
I’m that guy who could belong to the country club, but he doesn’t.
I’m driving a used Jeep.
I’m single in this world; it’s hard to be a lawyer and work those hours.
I’m doing Friday dinners with myparents.
Meet James Wolk, Broadway star-turned-hippie recluse/acting teacher!
Let’s see what happens when Wolk pursues his love of musical theater.
Everyone goes, “Forget Robert Preston, who originated the Music Man.
James Wolk is the Music Man.”
It becomes one of those shows that runs forever on Broadway.
I do it for 20 years because you’re free to really age into that role.
I’m well-respected in the New York theater scene.
I get a Tony.
I’m married to a serious playwright named Claudia.
It’s a little Daniel Day-Lewis of me I marry Arthur Miller’sotherdaughter that we didn’t know about.
I’ve grown my hair long.
I don’t have a phone; I can only be reached by letter.
I open a small theater and a children’s camp for acting.
People [in New York City] go, ‘What happened to Jimmy Wolk?
Remember, he was on Broadway?
He went up to Woodstock and I haven’t seen him.’
And they go, ‘Oh!
He rides his bike there.
He calls himself the Music Man and he teaches classes.
He’s doing great.'”
Meet James Wolk, king of the bar mitzvah circuit!
“I was excited about the idea of starting a business.
I really considered it.”
FANTASY: “My wife and I, we happen to meet one day on a train.
We have a couple sets of twins, and that’s how things spiral out of control.
We’re doing weddings and bar and bat mitzvahs.
My go-to song is KC and the Sunshine Band’s ‘Get Down Tonight.’
That gets everybody excited about the party.
I’m living large in Bethesda.
That’s my more materialistic life because the company is really successful.
It’s all Mercedes, it’s the big house, I’m into the finer things.
I have a gold necklace that says ‘Mazel.’
That’s, like, my thing.
That’s my signature move to the audience: ‘You’re partying and I’m here with you!’
For more from our Fall TV Preview,order the October issueofEntertainment Weeklyor find it on newsstands now.
