IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Nellson Moore – An Xperience Interview

By J Hunter.

Because my father spent most of my formative years climbing the corporate ladder, I got to live in Zurich, Switzerland, when I was seven. During that time, my parents were members of an “American club” that screened English-language films monthly for overseas Yanks. It was through that series that I first heard how brilliant “The Lion in Winter“ was. I didn’t get to see it until many years later, but I promptly agreed with my parents, mostly because it was nothing like I was expecting.

In 1968, a film set in 1163 would be lots of swords, a little sorcery, some heaving corseted cleavage, and maybe a duel or three. Instead, James Goldman dropped a sorcery-free political soap opera that had historical characters facing problems, decisions, and – most importantly – royal family brawls that would be completely unremarkable on “Game of Thrones,” but in 1968, it was a stunning revelation. “Lion” won three Oscars, including a Best Actress for Katherine Hepburn’s astounding performance as King Henry II Plantagenet’s long-imprisoned Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Playing Henry in Confetti Stage Inc’s “LiW” is Nellson Moore, who tried to join the Capital Region theater community when he moved here in 2020, but only found closed doors due to COVID. Fortunately for Moore, the Albany Gay Men’s Chorus was still up and running, so he joined up. Five years later, Nellson is on AGMC’s Board of Directors and is preparing to be part of their concert series “Stand Up & Sing Out”, Sunday, June 7, and Saturday, June 13. (For details and showtimes, go to www.albanygmc.org.) 

Just on resume points alone, Moore is perfectly suited to play Henry. He graduated from NYC’s Fiorello LaGuardia High School of Music & Art, studied acting under Uta Hagen, and auditioned for Harvey Fierstein when he was developing “Torch Song Trilogy.” None of that tells you what an amazing person Nellson is. He combines the power of his size with the sharpness of his mind and gentleness of his soul, making him one of the most enjoyable cast members I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with.

Nellson was good enough to step In The Spotlight to discuss “The Lion in Winter,” the journey that got him there, and the fact that this role would have never been available to him during his early years as an actor.

RRX: You certainly had a varied theatrical year in 2025: You went from an honor-bound Marine in “A Few Good Men” to a Scripture-spouting serial killer in “Jesus Hopped the A Train.” Did you approach these two roles differently, or do you have an established process when you take on a character?

Nellson Moore:  I approach any character I am asked to play in an established manner. I read the play to find out who they are. I research aspects of their reality that I am not familiar with. I study folks with similar lives to the character.  I try to keep my thoughts within the four walls of the script. I love history and can sometimes get distracted by elements that ultimately will not serve the character, within the four walls of the play. Then I begin to think about how I can use and/or adjust my voice, body, attitude, and sense memories to best embody the character. A small example: for Hoke in “Driving Miss Daisy,” I very rarely stood up straight. Men of African descent in those years had to defer to folks of European descent to live. However, for Henry II, I need to try to tower always! Once that work is done, I simply try my best to let the character live, breathe, and exist within the four walls of the play. I find it hard to learn my lines until I have worked with the other actors, discovering the lives of their characters. My acting teachers, Mary Crowley, Miranda McDermott, and Uta Hagen, all said that acting is reacting. Once I know how the other characters are coming at me, how my character reacts becomes clear.  I have discovered over the years that the set, the props, the costume really can propel me forward in understanding my character’s world.

RRX: When was the first time you encountered “The Lion in Winter”? Was it on stage or on film?

NM: I first saw the film with my parents. It was a topic of much conversation. Neither of my parents finished grade school, but they soaked up knowledge from living, films, television, and the nightly news. They had a pact to never go to bed angry with one another. So, the marital bickering in the movie astonished them. I did a scene from the play in class in high school, and thought that I would love to play this role when I get older. Of course, then I thought (in 1974) that may never happen. I’m thrilled that it has. When I discovered that Robert Preston originated the role of Henry II on Broadway, I wished I could have seen him; he’s one of my favorites.

RRX: Tell us about Henry II Plantagenet. What has playing Henry taught you about him?

NM: Wow, I learned so much. Henry was a man of his time. He was fortunate to be born into nobility. He was lucky to be physically fit and relatively intelligent. He loved having a good time! He loved Eleanor because she was beautiful, strong, a woman that he could plan with. Kings having sex outside of marriage was commonplace, but he fell in love with another woman. That was unforgivable. And the qualities he loved in Eleanor are why he had to imprison her. I have learned that I am not so bad a dad. Henry was awful as a dad. He raised his sons to fight, negotiate, be kings. He did not raise them to love, care, or create. The play has reinforced the idea that affluence and power do not always make shiny, happy people. 

RRX: What’s it been like having Jennifer Madison as your spouse, Eleanor of Aquitaine?

NM: Jen is marvelous. We auditioned together, and I felt a bond. She is a formidable actress. I sometimes forget my entrance because I’m watching her be so truthful. She has great comedic timing, and she moves seamlessly into the more dramatic moments. It’s easy to jump out on the ledge with her. She was the second actor off book. Aaron Lambert, who plays Geoffrey, was the first off book. I’m jealous of them both, as I am the last actor off-book. 

RRX: We both worked with Thom Ingram in “A Few Good Men,” and you two had a fiery existence on stage in “A Train.” When I heard Thom got Richard, I was like, “He’ll be perfect!” Was I right?

NM: Yes. Thom and I have now done three shows in a row for me. First, I pulled a gun on him in “A Few Good Men,” then he spat in my face & took my cigarettes in “Jesus Hopped the A Train,” and now we have a sword fight. He is another actor who just puts his all into the role. He is nailing Richard’s bravado and his vulnerability. Again, I am sometimes lost watching him work. I just hope our next show together we’re on the same side.

RRX: John and Alais seem like pretty simple roles: One’s an idiot, and one’s a chess piece for Henry. But it’s not that simple, is it? How have Alex Grandin and Emily Crist built their respective characters among the Plantagenet infighting?

NM: This is a really good cast. Alex is superb at bringing out the complexity of being the last in line to succession, but his father’s favorite. Alex has excellent timing and nuance. There are moments when I, as Henry, want to slap him silly, and other times I just want to give him a hug. Alex gives us the impetuous boy and the reluctantly brave king to be. Yeah! Emily is a marvel. She is imbuing Alais with the sweetness and ease that made Henry take her as a mistress. Yet she brings the fire and opposition that show the woman Alais is becoming, and maybe not liking. The talented actors in the Capital Region are very impressive.

RRX: Can “Lion” be boiled down to “Your typical family drama – with swords”? Or does all the politics underpinning the play make it bigger than that?

NM: When I was researching the original Broadway production, I was surprised to learn that it closed rather soon, yet garnered many Tony nominations. I imagine the audiences were expecting Shakespeare and got Edward Albee. I have been telling my friends, who aren’t familiar with the play, that indeed James Goldman took a royal medieval family and gave them Tennessee Williams-like situations to maneuver. The audience gets to peek behind the curtain and see how the sausage is made – how strong, powerful men behave, plot and manipulate, and how they pass that on to their children and affect the lives of everyone around them. Because of that, the play is quite relevant to our current times.

RRX: What’s your favorite line of Henry’s?

NM: “Nothing in life has any business being perfect.” 

My mother often said this to my brother and I, followed by “Do the best that you can at anything you do, and be proud of your work, no matter what that job is.”

 

Confetti Stage, Inc. presents James Goldman’s “The Lion in Winter,” February 27th through March 8th at the Albany Masonic Temple, 67 Corning Place in Albany. For tickets and showtimes, go to www.confettistage.org.)