Victor Garber has appeared on and off Broadway and in dozens of films and television series dating back to the early 1970s, but now has a major role in the NBC series Deception. In many ways it’s the biggest role of his five-decade career. That’s because Garber is what would be traditionally labeled a character actor, but as he tells the New York Daily News, he is fond of that because it has allowed him to play so many different roles in his long career.
Unlike some who see the term “character actor” as a slight (i.e., “he’s not leading man material”), Garber has no issue with the classification. He says, “I don’t see that term as diminishing at all. I’ve always been a character actor. I think almost everyone is. Perhaps if you’re Tom Cruise it’s a bit different. But I’ve played all types of roles over my career — and with this show, I’ve got another one I haven’t played before.”
It’s been a long progression for Garber, who arrived in New York City as a teenager in the late 1960s. He explains, “I remember having no money and getting a job in an Off-Broadway show for $110 a week. I know that probably 99% of people who want to become actors don’t get there. I’ve been fortunate enough to keep getting great roles like this one.”
So in the end, Garber admits he’s quite happy with where his career has taken him. He sums it up by saying, “I enjoy my life. I’m very contented.”
