Andrew Scott has become one of the most fascinating actors working today, moving seamlessly from his breakout turn as the “Hot Priest” in FLEABAG to his mesmerizing lead performance in ALL OF US STRANGERS, and now he’s bringing his particular brand of wounded intensity to BLUE MOON as composer Richard Rodgers. The film, arriving in theaters Friday, reunites Scott with Ethan Hawke and Bobby Cannavale in a story about legendary songwriter Lorenz Hart, and the three actors discuss aging into different types of roles and the importance of selfless collaboration in their craft. Scott’s recent trajectory has been remarkable—he’s carved out a space for himself playing men grappling with complicated emotions and buried pain, and his Rodgers fits perfectly into that continuum, a creative partner watching his longtime collaborator navigate success and struggle while moving forward with new creative partnerships.

BLUE MOON opens on March 31, 1945, as Hart (Hawke) watches the opening night performance of OKLAHOMA!, co-written by his former partner Rodgers and new collaborator Oscar Hammerstein (Simon Delaney). At a bar after the show, Hart eagerly awaits the arrival of a young woman named Elizabeth (Margaret Qualley) as Rodgers arrives, setting up a compressed narrative that unfolds over a single evening. The choice to pack everything into one dramatized night creates an intimate chamber piece reminiscent of ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI, focusing on a pivotal moment rather than sprawling across decades. Hawke captures Hart’s wit and lyricism beautifully, while the production design uses oversized suits and carefully scaled sets to recreate the physical presence of the five-foot-tall songwriter, with the five-foot-ten-inch Hawke transforming into the diminutive Hart through meticulous visual choices.

For Scott, who also discussed upcoming projects including the new MAN ON FIRE series, BLUE MOON represents another opportunity to explore the complicated dynamics between creative partners, the jealousies and dependencies that fuel great art. His performance captures Rodgers at a crossroads, torn between loyalty to an old friend and the pull of new creative possibilities. The film joins a growing body of work that showcases Scott’s ability to embody complex men at turning points in their lives, and his chemistry with Hawke creates a portrait of artistic partnership that feels both specific to the Rodgers and Hart story and universal in its emotional truth.

Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke’s three-decade creative partnership has produced some of cinema’s most intimate and conversational masterpieces, from the Before trilogy’s meandering philosophical exchanges to BOYHOOD‘s revolutionary time-spanning narrative. Their latest collaboration, BLUE MOON, marks another triumph in their storied relationship, this time transporting audiences to the smoky confines of Sardi’s bar on the evening of March 31, 1943, for what may be their most theatrically confined yet emotionally expansive work to date.

The film centers on legendary lyricist Lorenz Hart, played by Hawke in a bald cap that transforms him into the tortured wordsmith, as he grapples with professional betrayal and personal demons during the afterparty for OKLAHOMA!, the groundbreaking musical that marked his former collaborator Richard Rodgers’ first venture without him. “We write together for a quarter of a century and the first show he writes with someone else is gonna be the biggest hit he ever had,” Hart laments to Bobby Cannavale’s sympathetic barman. “Am I bitter? Yes!” This opening salvo, delivered against a sprightly, waltzing score, sets the tone for an evening of loaded conversations and painful revelations.

Andrew Scott, fresh from his acclaimed turn in ALL OF US STRANGERS and his scene-stealing work in FLEABAG, brings his trademark intensity to Richard Rodgers, the composer navigating success tinged with guilt over abandoning his longtime creative partner. Scott’s recent career trajectory has been nothing short of remarkable, transforming from a respected Irish character actor into one of cinema’s most compelling leading men. His work in Lenny Abrahamson’s ROOM established him as a dramatic force, while his portrayal of Moriarty in SHERLOCK showcased his ability to be both charming and menacing. His recent starring role in ALL OF US STRANGERS, where he played a man reconnecting with his deceased parents, demonstrated his capacity for vulnerability and emotional complexity, qualities that serve him well in BLUE MOON’s intimate chamber piece setting.

The film’s Irish production, shot last summer in Dublin through Wild Atlantic Pictures, benefits from Scott’s natural presence on home soil, while the international cast including Margaret Qualley as rising starlet Elizabeth Weiland, Simon Delaney as Oscar Hammerstein II, and Cillian Sullivan as a young Stephen Sondheim creates a rich ensemble perfect for Linklater’s dialogue-driven approach. The director’s signature style of rapid-fire, intellectually charged conversations finds perfect material in the world of Broadway’s golden age, where wit was currency and every exchange carried the weight of artistic legacy.

Scott’s Berlin International Film Festival win for Best Supporting Actor validates what discerning audiences have long recognized about his abilities. His recent choices reflect an actor unafraid to tackle complex, emotionally demanding roles, whether playing the vulnerable gay man in ALL OF US STRANGERS or the morally ambiguous Hot Priest in FLEABAG. This trajectory culminates beautifully in BLUE MOON, where his Rodgers must balance professional ambition with personal loyalty, success with friendship.

Already hailed as a triumph at Berlin, with Hawke’s performance being touted as one of his finest, BLUE MOON represents the perfect marriage of Linklater’s conversational genius and the kind of intimate, character-driven storytelling that has defined his partnership with Hawke. The film arrives in American theaters on October 24th, with Irish audiences getting their chance on November 14th, while UK viewers await further release details. For Scott, it marks another milestone in a career that continues to evolve from character actor to leading man, proving that sometimes the most powerful performances come not from action or spectacle, but from the simple act of two people talking in a room about everything that matters.

Andrew Scott has never been one to take the easy path. This past spring, while most actors were content with single-character roles, Scott spent two months at New York’s intimate Lucille Lortel Theatre performing all eight characters in a one-man adaptation of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya. Night after night, he transformed seamlessly between lovelorn romantics and debonair cynics, executing solo love scenes and emotional breakdowns with the kind of theatrical virtuosity that leaves audiences breathless. The production, directed by Sam Yates, had already conquered London with sold-out performances and critical acclaim before making its way to the barely 300-seat New York venue.

“On the last day, the crew came to the theater dressed as me, and each played one of the characters,” Scott recalls with characteristic humor. “I thought, Jesus, there are loads of people in this play, no wonder I’m exhausted.” It’s a moment that perfectly captures both his humility and the sheer magnitude of what he accomplished on that stage.

This theatrical tour de force represents just one facet of Scott’s remarkable recent trajectory. The Irish actor has spent the past decade crafting a career that defies easy categorization, moving fluidly between stage and screen with an intensity that few performers can match. Following his star-making turn as the maddeningly irresistible priest in FLEABAG, Scott has chosen projects that showcase his range while maintaining his commitment to emotionally complex storytelling.

His 2023 performance opposite Paul Mescal in ALL OF US STRANGERS delivered one of the year’s most devastating portrayals of grief and connection. The film’s exploration of loss and desire allowed Scott to channel his trademark vulnerability into something profound and universal. He followed this with his chilling interpretation of Tom Ripley in 2024’s moody Patricia Highsmith adaptation RIPLEY, proving his ability to inhabit darkness with the same authenticity he brings to tenderness.

Between these screen triumphs, Scott continued his stage work, earning a Laurence Olivier Award and cementing his reputation as one of the few actors equally commanding in both mediums. His friend Josh O’Connor, who first witnessed Scott’s magnetic stage presence at London’s Royal Court while still a theater student, has long admired this balance. “You’ve managed to balance film and theater, but I find it really hard,” O’Connor admits. “If you keep avoiding it, it becomes a monster in your mind.”

Both actors share an affinity for independent films that probe the psychological complexities of human experience, the kind of intimate character studies that generate festival buzz and critical acclaim. However, their recent collaboration in WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY marks a departure from these smaller-scale projects into blockbuster territory. For Scott, the timing provided necessary comic relief during a particularly challenging period; he was simultaneously grieving his mother’s death while filming Richard Linklater’s BLUE MOON, set for release later this year.

The friendship between Scott and O’Connor, built on mutual respect and relentless teasing, reflects a shared understanding of the craft’s demands. O’Connor had just completed work on his forthcoming drama THE HISTORY OF SOUND and was preparing for Kelly Reichardt’s THE MASTERMIND when they began the KNIVES OUT shoot. Early glimpses of the film reveal O’Connor channeling his own version of Scott’s most iconic creation: the hot priest. Rather than imitation, it feels like homage between artists who understand each other’s work intimately.

Scott’s recent career choices reveal an actor unafraid of emotional extremes, whether channeling Chekhov’s melancholy on stage or exploring contemporary trauma on screen. His ability to move between mediums without losing his essential authenticity speaks to a rare kind of artistic integrity. In an industry often driven by commercial considerations, Scott continues to prioritize the depth of human experience, creating performances that resonate long after the curtain falls or the credits roll. His exhaustion after those eight-character performances wasn’t just physical; it was the inevitable result of an actor who refuses to hold anything back.