Bryan Batt is well known for his role as the closeted art director Salvatore Romano in the popular TV series, Mad Men, set in a 1960s Manhattan advertising agency. He is making his London stage debut as the long-serving FBI boss, J. Edgar Hoover in Here Gomes J. Edgar!. This highly anticipated show is written by renowned American comedy writers Harry Shearer, known for The Simpsons and This Is Spinal Tap, and Tom Leopold, famous for Seinfeld and Cheers. The musical score for the production is composed by the legendary musician, composer, arranger, and conductor Peter Matz, known for Barbra Streisand and Carol Burnett. Bryan was kind enough to take time out from his busy schedule to talk to QX.
Hello, Bryan. You have portrayed a variety of prominent gay characters across stage, film, and television, with your most famous being the closeted art director Salvatore Romano on the Mad Men series. Which has been the most fun, and which has had the most impact on you personally?
As much as I loved every second of portraying “Sal” in MAD MEN, and the role has had a huge impact on my life still to this day, I must say “Darius” in Paul Rudnick’s play and film of JEFFREY. It was a truly magical experience from the 1st table read of the play to the final “martini” shot of the film, which I shared the screen with the one and only Sir Patrick Stewart. It was an AIDS comedy at the height of the crisis, and we all needed a bit of levity. If one loses one’s sense of humour in the face of adversity, then the adversity has won.
You are now playing another closeted gay man, J. Edgar Hoover, the former head of the FBI. Can you tell us more about your character and provide any insights into the kind of person he was?
Historically, he was a power-hungry, nefarious man who headed up the FBI and fought crime in addition to the gay community and more progressive groups for over 40 years. He also was a homophobic homosexual, so that’s pretty interesting fodder for a musical comedy in my book.
Here Comes J. Edgar! is a comedy musical. What is there in this story that will make us laugh?
Human beings are funny; there can be humour found in almost any situation, it just depends on where or how you look for it and who is telling the story. Hell, they’re laughs in HAMLET. Harry Shearer and Tom Leopold are kings of comedy, so let the games begin!
You sing and dance. Please tell us a little about that side of your career and the numbers you will be performing in the show.
Well, I’m hoping I don’t have to dance too much given my age. However, I will be singing a lot in the show. Some show biz up tempos as well as love songs.
What do you hope audiences will take away from Here Comes J. Edgar! when they leave the theatre?
I hope they just have a great time, a good laugh, and learn more about this notorious, complicated man.
Finally, what other projects are you working on at the moment?
I’ve written a solo play that’s ready to be produced …DEAR MR. WILLIAMS… It’s my story of growing up in New Orleans, but also told through the words of Tennessee Williams. Various quotes from his plays, films, poems, letters, and other works guide me to follow my dreams and live an authentic life. In addition, several films are in the can and waiting to be released…LOVES COMPANY, LONE STAR BULL, and Tom McCarthy’s THE STATEMENT.
Tickets: £10 – £30
Here Comes J. Edgar! runs from 10 July – 16 August 2026 at King’s Head Theatre, 116 Upper St, London N1 1QP, United Kingdom.
