“Office Space ”Star Stephen Root Says He Drew Inspiration for His Loner Characters from His Own Childhood

The iconic character actor, 74, feels connected to his characters because he 'knows' them

NEED TO KNOW

• Stephen Root has always felt connected to his outcast characters, from Milton in Office Space to his latest role as Wyck on Widow’s Bay
• “You’re always on the outside looking in. I know these guys,” the Emmy-nominated actor told Rolling Stone
• The iconic character actor noted that he always tries to find the “humanity within the character”

Stephen Root has played a lot of outcasts and loners over the years, but that's the way he likes it.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Root explained that he connects with often-overlooked characters, such as Milton in Office Space and his latest role as Wyck on Widow's Bay, since he spent most of his childhood moving from town to town.

The iconic character actor, 74, was born in Florida, but had moved around the country as his dad built power plants for a living.

“I identify as an internal nerd,” Root shared. “Moving around, you don't connect, but you become an incredible observer. I didn't have close friends until junior year. You're always on the outside looking in. I know these guys.”

Still, whether he is playing an outsider or an "evil f—" like his Barry character, Monroe Fuches, Root always tries "to find the humanity within the character."

Root's big break came when he was cast as the eccentric Jimmy James on the NBC sitcom NewsRadio in 1995. After his stint on the show, he landed his most iconic role as Milton in Mike Judge's 1999 comedy Office Space. The satirical comedy also featured Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Gary Cole, David Herman and Ajay Naidu.

Root was already working with Judge on King of the Hill, playing another loner character, Bill Dauterive, when he was cast as the often-abused office worker. From there, he went on to land roles on Barry, for which he earned an Emmy nomination, and most recently in Apple TV's Widow's Bay.

In the new horror-comedy series, Root portrays a curmudgeon trying to convince Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) not to open their small island up to tourism.

In a recent interview with Esquire, Root explained how he got into character for the role.

"To me, shoes are really important for a character. That's how he walks," he shared. "Wyck walks in boots, but if they were sandals, that's something else. And we knew this guy—old fisherman with the hat and the vest. I had a beard, but not heavy, and they said, 'Please don't shave for the next two months.' We let it grow from there."

"So that's also helpful. But sometimes you have to go outside-in to a character, and this was that. Clothes help the man," he added.

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