Apple TV+’s Smoke taught the cast about fire danger and safety while also leading to some unconventional NSFW role research.
During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, John Leguizamo and Anna Chlumsky reflected on the surprising challenges of being on the show.
“When I did a scene for the show with the dog that is set on fire, they had a real fire. I was scared. It was really terrifying,” Leguizamo, 64, recalled of the Friday, July 18, episode. “The heat that comes out — it burns you even if you’re like 10 feet away and it gives you respect for fire.”
Chlumsky, 44, meanwhile, used personal experience to help shape her role, adding, “My father was a chef. So in the restaurant, I was raised in the kitchen of a restaurant. I’ve burned plenty of times and all that. But for me, it’s the tool. It’s the tool and teaching your children about the tool.”
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She continued: “But in this way — even though it’s real — it’s still special effects. We’re not harming anybody. In that way, I don’t like it. I get more cautious around it.”
Before being cast in Smoke, Leguizamo said he had an appreciation for fire. “I like doing fires — not setting places on fire — but I love doing fireplaces and fire pits and I love doing that,” he quipped before sharing the lessons he learned. “I got that little blanket that they sell. I love that little blanket that helps put out fires. It did make me respect fire.”
Chlumsky noted that Smoke made her more aware of how people must use fire to harm others, saying, “It made me a little more aware. It also made me much more cynical in a way. Now when you see a fire on the news, right away I’m like, ‘Arson.’”
Inspired by the “Firebug” podcast, Smoke also stars Taron Egerton, Jurnee Smollett, Rafe Spall and Greg Kinnear and tells the story of notorious California arsonist John Leonard Orr. Orr was a fire captain and arson investigator who was convicted of serial arson and four counts of murder. He is believed to have set nearly 2,000 fires in a 30-year arson spree, which makes him the most prolific serial arsonist in American history. He has maintained his innocence but reached a plea agreement that resulted in him being paroled in 2002.
“I knew about John — or the original guy who set the fires in the ’90s. He was the preeminent arson investigator,” Leguizamo told Us. “It ended up being that he was the expert only because he set the fires, killed dozens of people, burned millions of dollars worth of property and would never have stopped if he hadn’t been caught.”
Leguizamo credited creator Dennis Lehane for elevating the story in Smoke.
“It’s a fascinating story and what Dennis did, it’s even better because he used that as a springboard,” he continued. “But I think what he’s done with it is even more exciting and more interesting. He brings all these complex characters that he throws into the mix. It’s so fun.”
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Friday’s episode finally introduced Us to Leguizamo’s character, who was previously paired up with arson investigator Dave (Egerton) before questioning whether his coworker was actually settling the fires himself. Esposito is not who Michelle (Smollett) expected to meet when visiting his trailer — only to discover Dave’s former partner renting it out for people to have sex in it.
“He’s always off the rails. That’s what I love about him. He’s this broken and beaten down guy. He’s a loser,” Leguizamo joked. “Loser with a capital L. I love losers because I feel like I can relate to that. We could all relate to people who are broken. We’re all a little broken. But then you go to therapy and you fix yourself.”
Leguizamo said it was “fun” building such a chaotic character for the show.
“It was all about trying to keep [up with] all the things that are going on in his life. His divorce and then he lost his job. He’s broke so now he’s got to rent his trailer out for people to have sex in and he films it. He’s a porn director basically,” the actor continued. “I did a lot of research. I’m very method so I started studying porn. Not for myself but for the character.”
Leguizamo quipped: “I’ve never seen it before. I’ve never seen porn before until this show. I’m sorry, I sacrificed myself for Dennis Lehane.”
New episodes of Smoke are released Fridays on Apple TV+.
