The news cycle was too fast.
Jeff Daniels, who starred in the Emmy-winning HBO drama “The Newsroom” as anchor Will McAvoy, told the Post that the series couldn’t have held up against the Trump presidency.
“I think one of the reasons (creator Aaron Sorkin) decided to quit was because we couldn’t keep up,” Daniels, 69, told the Post while promoting his Prime Video show. American Rust: Broken Justice,” in which he plays a small-town cop.
“I remember when — I think it was the beginning of Season 3 — we started with the Boston Marathon,” he said.
“We were shooting this in November. It happened in March, right? So we are still months and months behind schedule. And then, by the time it airs, it’s even further behind schedule. So now Trump is elected and there’s something every 15 minutes. I don’t think we could have kept up.
“The Newsroom” aired on HBO for three seasons from 2012 to 2014, following the behind-the-scenes drama of the fictional Atlantis Cable News (ACN), including Will McAvoy, its executive producer MacKenzie McHale (Emily Mortimer), the editorial staff Jim Harper (John Gallagher Jr), Maggie Jordan (Alison Pill), Sloan Sabbith (Olivia Munn), Neal Sampat (Dev Patel), Don Keefer (Thomas Sadoski) and ACN chief Charlie Skinner (Sam Waterston).
The role earned Daniels a Golden Globe nomination in 2012 and an Emmy win in 2013.
“I’m in my office here at home,” said Daniels, who is among the actors choosing to opt out of Hollywood because he lives in Michigan.
“I can see that (Emmy) around,” he said.
“You wouldn’t see it unless you glanced out the window and looked up. It’s not like it’s in a glass case with three lights on it.
Regarding the Trump presidency, he said: “His presidency was certainly a spectacle in itself that could not be written about, as they say. And I think that’s one of the reasons why shows like ‘House of Cards’ and ‘Veep’ left the scene just when they did,” he said, referring to to how the Netflix political drama ended in 2018, while the HBO political satire ended in 2019.
“I mean, it was just… It couldn’t be better.” What he was doing,” Daniels said.
Referring to him running again, he added: “And here we are again.”
Daniels also told the Post that rumors of a third “Dumb and Dumber” movie were unfounded.
“I talk to Jim (Carrey) from time to time. We are still great friends,” he said. “I have no idea where he is. None of this happens if Jim doesn’t want it to happen. It would be fun to get together with Jim and (filmmakers) the Farrelly brothers again, that’s for sure.
“But no, there’s not a word (about a third film), not for me.”
New York Post
