Ebon Moss-Bachrach scored a big win at the Critics Choice Awards — which he thinks wouldn’t have been possible without Taylor Swift.
“I’ve gotta thank my two special scene partners this year, Olivia Colman and Taylor Swift,” Moss-Bachrach, 46, said on Sunday, January 14, while accepting the trophy for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
The actor was referencing his character Richie’s stand-alone episode in season 2 of The Bear. Throughout the episode, Richie juggled a week-long training retreat at one of the best restaurants in the world alongside Colman’s character, Chef Terry. In a pivotal scene, Chef Terry inspired Richie to find excitement and pride in his job again.
Richie’s personal life was also explored as he tried to score tickets to Swift’s concert for his daughter. He was able to get the tickets, but his mood took a turn when he found out that his ex-wife got engaged to another man. Richie was subsequently seen driving home while rocking out to Swift’s “Love Story” in the car.
In addition to being name-dropped throughout season 2, Swift’s music became a memorable part of the hit FX series. The singer’s songs have recently been used on several shows to elevate onscreen moments. Bridgerton, You, The Summer I Turned Pretty and Heartstopper are just some of the other shows that have taken advantage of Swift’s catalog.
After season 2 of The Bear started streaming in June 2023, executive producer Josh Senior discussed how the show was able to secure “Love Story.”
“No, [it wasn’t hard]. A lot of people ask that question, and I wonder why they’re asking. Her team was like, ‘Great. This is cool. How much money do you have? You have that much money? Let’s go,’” Senior recalled to Billboard in July 2023. “She was exceedingly generous and cool with one of our actors singing along to the song. Those are things that sometimes people just say no to, and that was probably one of the easiest songs to clear.”
While accepting his trophy at the Critics Choice Awards on Sunday, Moss-Bachrach also mentioned his wife, Yelena Yemchuk, and their two daughters.
“This is such a privilege to play this part,” he added. “Really beautiful experience to take this man kind of from a tough place into the light. It’s not often you get to do that — to play joy. And it’s been a really wonderful, special, special experience for me.”
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