The Bear: Will Poulter's Love For The Show & Own Culinary Passion Helped Him Land His Role
Contains spoilers for "The Bear" Season 2 Episode 4 — "Honeydew"
If you were wondering how Season 2 of "The Bear" snagged such an astonishing number of guest stars, it turns out some of them just asked very politely until showrunner Christopher Storer and his team said yes. Actually, that might only apply to one of those guest stars — specifically, Will Poulter, who popped up in the season's fourth episode as pastry chef Luca. When Marcus (Lionel Boyce) wants to train as a pastry chef under a real expert, Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) sends him to Copenhagen to work with Luca, and they strike up a fast friendship. So how did Poulter snag his role?
"I called them. I literally begged to be in the show. I asked if I could meet with Chris Storer and basically communicated that I was such a fan of so much of his work, but especially 'The Bear,'" Poulter told Variety in an interview about his role. "He was kind enough to gift me with the offer to play Luca and it really changed my life, to be honest. It kind of helped me realize a dream of playing a chef on TV. I have such an immense amount of respect for chefs and the women and men of that industry. I feel like the whole society stands on the shoulders of people in the food and beverage industry, and we don't even necessarily really know it or think about it. They sustain us and maintain us daily and they don't get enough thanks for what they do."
Will Poulter has a personal connection to the culinary arts
As Poulter revealed to Variety, he actually has a strong personal connection to cooking, and enjoys cooking when he's not acting — his mother actually attended culinary school, so it seems like cooking has been a huge part of his life all along. He also trained at high-end restaurants for his stint on "The Bear," a practice many of his fellow actors did as well, and he cites working at St. John, Black Axe Mangal, and Trullo in London as formative experiences not just for "The Bear," but for him as a person.
"I would honestly say that one of the days in particular that I had at Black Axe Mangal was maybe the most satisfying day of work I've ever had in my life, doing anything." Poulter said. "I also want to say, I don't think I've ever been more supported or felt more encouraged by production on any job, in terms of being given the tools and the opportunities to put your best foot forward and to be given the best chance of doing the best job possible."
Considering Poulter had to look like a pastry chef with years of experience, he definitely pulled it off — and apparently, he awakened a love of something other than acting in the process.
The calming vibe of Marcus and Luca's scenes was a welcome respite in The Bear
All things considered, the scenes with Poulter's Luca and Boyce's Marcus working and bonding in Copenhagen were a major highlight of Season 2 of "The Bear," largely because they took a much more relaxing approach to cooking than the show normally does. Rather than hazing Marcus and tormenting him for no reason, Luca is kind and welcoming; when the less experienced pastry chef doesn't know a recipe by heart, Luca shares it, and works with Marcus to teach him instead of just being awful to him.
Poulter even remarked on this to Variety, saying that this was something that really drew him to the role. Working with Storer, in particular, helped him find "the balance between being kind, confident or authoritative and stern, but then also not being an a**hole and being gentle and understanding and compassionate," which really comes through in his performance. Luca and Marcus might have come from two completely different worlds, but their love of cooking brought them together, and Luca seems to genuinely appreciate the effort Marcus puts in — even sending him a gift when The Bear opens its doors and cementing their friendship.
Season 2 of "The Bear" is streaming on Hulu now.