Brett Gelman is ready for this Stranger Things 4 moment. Whether it’s turning his scene-stealing character Murray Bauman into his own brand of action hero, or channeling his comedy and red-carpet icons from the ‘70s into his personal style, Gelman is enjoying every moment of the bright spotlight that comes from an expanded role in the biggest show on Netflix. Stranger Things 4 launched the first seven episodes of its nine-episode season on May 27th, and Gelman has been promoted from guest to series regular. This year, journalist Murray travels to Russia with Winona Ryder’s Joyce to try to spring Jim Hopper (David Harbour) from a Russian prison. The plotline allowed Gelman to blend action and comedy in ways that he’d never really done before, and he checked in with GQ to talk about the new tone, the acting icons that influenced him, and the importance of style in his life.
Are the nerves a little different on launch day because you’re a bigger part of this season?
Yeah. Yeah. I’ve always felt like I was a part of the show and a part of the whole fam there, but yeah. I still felt like a regular last season, but it was also like warming up into becoming that. In my mind, and I think in everybody’s mind, I was essentially a regular. But this is being more fully in it and there being more on my shoulders to promote. More to do on the show in a really substantial way. That’s a true thrill. I feel incredibly blessed. Yeah, it’s amazing.
You also get to do some action this season, which is a little unusual for you. How did that feel?
It felt amazing. I took it very seriously. Murray is a black belt. And so I felt like, if he’s a black belt then I need to make that look as authentic as possible. And they already were setting me up with a karate trainer. I think that I trained more and requested to train more than they had originally anticipated that I’d want to. For three months—two months before the shutdown and then a month leading up to shooting—I was with these amazing trainers, Simon Rhee and Phillip Rhee, who are Taekwondo masters. They were both in Best of the Best, a classic ‘80s competition karate movie. Phillip was the main protagonist next to Eric Roberts, and Master Simon Rhee was the main fighter villain. Their knowledge is insane. They’ve trained so many people in this business.
I took it very seriously and it was really healing for me because I’ve never seen myself [like that]. When I was a kid, to play sports and do anything athletic was a nightmare. It was a true nightmare. I didn’t know how to run right! When I was a kid, I went to an occupational therapist because I had coordination problems and so to have these masters telling me that I was getting the stuff—this show is a real gift in terms of that and all the Russian training I did. Feeling that I can pick these things up so quickly at 45 years old feels like oh, wow, I am in my prime.
Did you know when you signed on how big a role that Murray would eventually play?
I thought from the get-go that they were going to expand the character. Absolutely. The Duffers are very honest people. And so if they’re being really warm to you…it just felt like this character is going to grow. There’s nothing else like this character on this show and I think he brings something that no other character is bringing.
How does your comedy background influence the flavor of the show?
My comedy background played so much into it. A lot of it is playing the script, but there was some improvisation. But I’m classically trained too and so I was always a student of acting and comedy growing up. Just watching my favorite comedies. I’d watch my favorite comedies three times in the same day sometimes.
What are those?
There’s the Holy Trinity, which is Mel’s best three: The Producers, Blazing Saddles, and Young Frankenstein. That’s to me the three funniest films of all time. Then the Marx Brothers. Peter Sellers. Eddie Murphy. The original SNL cast members. Ghostbusters. Doctor Strangelove. A Night at the Opera. Duck Soup. What was so cool about this season was how we really dipped into that ‘80s action-comedy aesthetic. So I was channeling my ‘80s heroes like the guys who were in their prime when I was a kid: Eddie, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, John Candy. Tom Hanks! When I was a kid, Tom Hanks was a comedic actor. Channeling those guys but also always having Gene Wilder in my mind.
Murray does almost seem like a ‘70s leading man, like Gene Wilder or Richard Dreyfuss.
Those were the two that I was channeling characteristically. Whenever I play somebody, I am thinking of other actors’ performances—not to mimic but to get their soul and the tone of what they’re doing. And it’s always been Dreyfuss and Wilder. But I will say a little bit of John Candy creeped in this season too. There’s a lot of tense laughing [big, nervous laughs]. Trying to fool the bad guys with laughter—that’s very John Candy.
The way that Murray freaks out is very Gene. And a lot of the we’re laying out the stark reality here stuff is very Dreyfuss in Jaws. Channeling that but bringing myself to it, of course. I’m very influenced by the ‘70s aesthetic, the ‘70s values of acting, both in comedy and drama. Wilder was a method actor. He studied with Strasburg. And then was working with Mel. In the Holy Trinity, Gene is the Jesus of those films and Mel is God! My two favorite comedic performances of all time are Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder in The Producers. I’m always thinking of those performances.
What are the ‘80s buddy comedies that were specifically mentioned as reference points for you and Winona this season?
As much as we’re channeling Raiders of the Lost Ark and Return of the Jedi in our scenes this season, we’re also channeling Spies Like Us. And, of course, all of the great ‘80s action comedies—Beverly Hills Cop, The Blues Brothers. Spies Like Us was the big one. And we do give an Austin Powers shout-out! When I take off my robe in the premiere and I ask Joyce, ‘Can you remove her clothes?’ I take off my robe and I think the Maker’s Mark bottle is blocking my manhood. I was like, ‘Man, we’re doing an Austin Powers shout-out!’ That’s one of the great comedies. It was cool to bring that energy—merging ‘80s action comedy with ‘70s acting values as well.
What do you think of Murray’s style?
I love Murray’s style. He’s caught in a bit of a time capsule. We have to remember that when he was starting out in journalism, it was the ‘60s. He was this radical, almost Hunter S. Thompson type figure. He loves his vodka. Not as much as Thompson did. And I don’t think he was as immersive. I think he still kept more of a journalistic eye, but he was there. He was reporting the ’68 Democratic Convention. He was at the Chicago 7 trial. He’s this Chicago Jew. I think you see it in his hair, his beard, his glasses, and in a lot of his garb. He’s had these clothes for a while. He’s taken care of them. This season, he started rocking a gold chain. His fashion is upped a little more this season because he’s feeling better about himself and better about the world and being in it.
He seems more confident.
I think he’s always been confident. I think he feels more confident of other people. He’s more trusting of other people. And he wants to be a part of it a little more. He doesn’t hate people as much as he did in the previous seasons. I think that’s the gift of Joyce and Hopper. Some of those pieces almost look like Bode pieces.
How is your love for Bode part of your self-described Jaddy phase?
Bode is pure Jaddy. When we’re talking about bringing back that ‘70s aesthetic, Bode is to the ‘70s what Balenciaga is to the ‘90s. It’s this new take on it—taking that ‘70s aesthetic and bringing more chaos into it. But a very catered chaos that is very deliberate, and I think that’s why you can rock all of these different styles with Emily [Bode]’s stuff and it still not be too bizarro town. If she wasn’t such a genius and you had a lesser designer doing what Bode is doing, you’d look like a fucking Muppet. But she has such taste. She’s able to take these big swipes. She has such an impeccable eye for design that she can take these stylistic risks and it will still come together.
If gold chains go with it, it’s Jaddy! If you can open it and show some chest! We’re talking fringe. We’re talking terry cloth. We’re talking beautiful ‘70s patterns here. It’s the perfect garb for Jaddy.
How much do you think about personal style? Is it a big part of your life?
Gigantic. And it becomes more so every year. How you dress is part of your expression. Getting dressed feels the same to me, more and more, like preparing a role or writing. Getting on stage. It’s all that expression. And I think your expression doesn’t end. It continues into when you do red carpet or panels or press. You’re then putting forth this image of what you are. We are these creatures under the lights. So lean into that and have fun with it. Make that as expressive as you can. I think a lot of people shy away from that and start to see it as an obligation. I see it as a privilege.
When you’re getting dressed for a press event, are you amplifying who you really are or putting on something more like a costume?
It’s very much about self-creation. As I’m in this business longer, my self-creation becomes more and more catered. It’s not just in terms of the work I do, but in terms of how I enter into that work and in terms of how I promote that work. And in this I’m even channeling certain people like Jack Nicholson or Elliot Gould. I’m trying to emulate that type of movie stardom, which is something that is aspirational for me—to push myself more and more into that light, which will give me more and more opportunities to work with amazing people on amazing projects. And then give me more of an opportunity to get my own things made. It’s a fun thing!
When we were growing up, if you watched a great interview on Johnny or Letterman or Arsenio, it was inspiring. You saw how dope they looked. I get inspiration from seeing stars like Paul Newman showing up at Cannes. That is a piece of art. And they’re fitting into it as the subject. In a way, part of my job is to always be ready for that. I want to promote myself as a sexy man. I don’t want to be seen as a self-deprecating clown anymore. I want to promote myself as a leading man, whether that’s what the role is or not. Not that I won’t play hideous trolls! Of course, those are a blast, and it’s essential to play different roles. But in terms of how I show up, I’m very much wanting to show up hot.
How long are you willing to play Murray? Are you interested if they do the possible spin-offs?
I absolutely would, because I think it would be a completely new thing for the character and for his world. And I think he’s a really fun character to play. Not forever, but for a while longer absolutely. To think of getting to play him in a lot of precarious, high intensity, high stakes situations and to do more action and to do more languages and to feel really uncomfortable by being around more insane people and being more judgmental of more stupid people—it feels iconic! In that way that you feel about James Bond or Inspector Clouseau. I think he has that in him to be that kind of character.