“I just wrapped shooting season four of How To Get Away With Murder so my girlfriend and I stayed at The Inn at Newport Ranch in the Lost Coast area of Northern California and it was absolutely stunning,” he told us. “It’s a bed & breakfast and the property is absolutely beautiful — it’s on the cliffs overlooking the ocean, and it’s near the Redwood Forest. If you’re into that sort of thing I cannot recommend it enough. It’s such a beautiful place. I can’t wait to go back. I was in heaven.”
Heaven is certainly a worthy description of the Northern California region, but what would Charlie think of spending the rest of his life on a deserted island with his HTGAWM character, Frank Delfino? “I think that he and I could hopefully adapt, but I think we would go our separate ways for a bit at the beginning. It would probably get a little volatile, but then we’d realize we needed each other and form some kind of survival pact. There would be some initial animosity, but ultimately friendship. In no time we’d probably be crying around a campfire together.” And when we asked if he had to pick just one of the following for his trip: 1) all the music in the world, 2) all the TV and movies in the world, or 3) all the gourmet food in the world? “That’s tough because I want all three. I honestly, if I know myself, I’m going to choose #2: all the movies and TV in the world.”
Campfires are something Charlie has been thinking about a lot these days. His time in the lush natural surroundings of NoCal have him thinking of the need for more of this kind of experience in his life. “When we went on that trip in late February I had just finished shooting season four of the show and my life was entirely city-driven. I hadn’t been out of the city in months. It was so nice to get away, and it was a real reminder that I need more of that in my life.” Charlie’s not going to be packing up and moving to the forest anytime soon tough. “Don’t get me wrong — I still love to be able to walk to an amazing restaurant from my home, but I’d say I’m hoping I can get to a point where half my time is in nature and the other half is in the city. But I fear that might be a ways away.” Later he added, “When I’m out in the middle of nowhere, and surrounded by the people who live there, I’m incredibly inspired by the ways in which these folks live their lives. There’s such a calm with these people that I don’t get to experience very often.”
Starring on one of the biggest shows on television has given Charlie a life that most can only dream of, but of all his blessings, what is the one that he treasures most closely? “I would say definitely it’s the people in my life. I keep a pretty small circle, but the people that are in it are just astoundingly wonderful and bring me so much joy. It’s this handful of people in my life that, in many ways, keep me going. I have a lot to be thankful for, but that’s probably my most cherished right now.”
Another item near the top of Charlie’s gratitude list is a recent trip he took to Rome. His time spent there was so profound he cannot wait to get back. “I went to Rome last year for the first time and I had never been. The city in and of itself is an open museum. It’s sort of shocking in the most beautiful way. It was a life-altering trip — to see the history of that city. I think when you go somewhere and can’t wait to get back, that’s a really special feeling. That’s what Rome did to me.”
His immersive experiences in nature and some of the world’s greatest cities have a lot in common with his immersion in the numerous characters he’s portrayed throughout his career. “There is a parallel in the way a place or a character can haunt you. It’s as if it’s always there tugging at you. I would say there is a relationship between how immersing yourself in a character and immersing yourself in a place can both sink themselves into your bones. In the same way that Frank is in my bones, my recent trip to Northern California also lingers with me and I want more.”
We asked Charlie what the #1 thing is he’s learned about himself during his HTGAWM experience that he didn’t know before. “I would say what I’ve learned the most from my journey on this show is a new understanding of commitment — commitment to one character for this long. That commitment has allowed me to watch Frank change shape, and my process change shape. Frank and I have gotten to know each other really well. He was a stranger at first, and now he’s a friend and someone I spend a great deal of time with.”
And speaking of exploring characters, we gave Charlie the BELLO Career Blender Challenge: pick three of your favorite TV series or movies, and mash them together to create a new series or film in which you would star. “It would definitely be a crime drama,” he laughs. “I’m thinking about True Romance, as well as The Sopranos, but I need a wildcard for #3. Why don’t we throw in Dumb and Dumber?! Otherwise you’re going to lose your audience if you don’t have the levity. So the title would be Dumb Sopranos Romance. And there’s going to be such a huge ensemble cast that it will be hard to pick which character I’ll want to play the most (laughing).”
Photography by Arthur Galvao | Creative Direction Aleksandar Tomovic
Styled by LoVon Rumpf
Grooming by Patrick Chai
Interview Brent Lambert