Esai Morales looks back at the legacy of his friend and co-star Raúl Juliá, and discusses what made him acting and the energy he had as a performer.
Watch the full American Masters episode Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage online for free until October 12th.
- Of course, just watching him work, watching him be so effortless.
What he did with his work, it didn't feel like acting.
He wasn't just, 'Look at me!'
Yes, he could do that, he could do 'Man of La Mancha,' to dream the impossible dream, but he also could bring it home, like in 'The Burning Season,' and you just felt the weight of the world on his shoulders.
He can go from being extremely silly and campy to just soul- and gut-wrenchingly somber, where you wanna go, 'Wait, wait, what's going on?
'How can I help you?'
Pathos, he really knew how to deal with the human pathos of his characters.
He took his work seriously.
And he was just fun-loving person, a real balanced human being with a joie de vivre and a seriousness about his work.
He's been an inspiration (laughs), to say the least.
(sad instrumental music)
