ET has an exclusive clip of the actor playing an energetic fitness instructor on the Apple TV+ series.
The moment is finally here: Murray Bartlett is making his anticipated debut as weight-loss guru Vincent “Vinnie” Green on season 2 of Physical. In ET’s exclusive sneak peek of episode three, “Don’t You Go Far,” Vinnie and his short shorts grab your full attention as he leads a fitness class at his studio.
Set to “Proud Mary,” the clip sees Sheila (Rose Byrne) sneaking into Vinnie’s class, only to be taken aback by the instructor's incredibly relentless energy as he works out to the Ike and Tina Turner hit.
On the Apple TV+ dramedy, Sheila continues to rise within the fitness world after the successful launch of her first video. But it’s not long before she encounters new obstacles on her way to the top, especially some fierce new competitors who threaten to block her from building a full-fledged fitness empire.
Joining the series in season 2, Bartlett’s charismatic character, who is also a pioneer of the late-night infomercial world, poses a potential threat to Sheila’s ambitions.
“The writing in this season is really fantastic,” Bartlett told Variety, when his casting was announced. “That stuff that I get to do is really fun, but it’s twisted and smart. It’s interesting because it’s got that whole like ’80s fun thing, but there’s a depth to this show that’s really moving.”
The role marks the latest high-profile project for the former Looking star, who has garnered awards-season attention for his scene-stealing turn as the put-upon resort manager Armond on HBO’s The White Lotus.
“I’m often asked to play characters that are much closer to myself. And so, this was really exciting for me to step out of that,” Bartlett previously told ET about joining the series from creator Mike White.
When it comes to playing Armond, “He’s this showman and someone who has to be completely together. He has to take care of these really difficult guests often, and so, he has to present himself as a professional and hold it together,” the actor said. “But underneath, we find out everything is sort of unraveling.”
And unravel they did, with Armond going from rimming one of his male employees (Lukas Gage) during a drug-fueled night at the Hawaiian resort to seeking revenge on a deplorable guest named Shane (Jake Lacy). “It’s so satisfying to play a character that fully follows through on any impulses, even if it’s outrageous and ugly,” the actor said. “That’s something we often don’t get to do as humans.”
In addition to appearing on Physical, the actor is also set to play a survivalist who lives in isolation named Frank on The Last of Us. The HBO series, which is an adaptation of the zombie apocalypse video game series, is led by Pedro Pascal and Belle Ramsey.
“It’s an incredible cast,” Bartlett teased when asked about being part of the series. “They’ve put in a lot of love and energy into making the show, you know, do justice to the game. It’s epic.” He added, "It’s gonna be a really beautiful show.”
New episodes of Physical season 2 debut Fridays on Apple TV+.
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