Michael Yarish/AMC Who wears short shorts? James Wolk as Bob Benson on “Mad Men.â€Every office has its Bob Benson: that one person whose hard work and good intentions are unfortunately canceled out by their overeagerness and ingratiating ways. (Don’t worry, it’s not you.)
On “Mad Men,†at the offices of Sterling Cooper & Partners, that position has been filled by Bob Benson himself: the guileless character played by James Wolk, who showed up at the start of the season and never really went away. His unparalleled aptitude for showing up at the right place at the wrong time has everyone wondering what he might really be up to.
Mr. Wolk, who has appeared on “Lone Star,†“Political Animals†and “Happy Endings,†among other shows cannot yet divulge what â€" if anything â€" might be in store for his character, but he did speak recently to ArtsBeat about how his own inner Bob Benson (and perhaps a few years spent working in his father’s shoe store) helped him win his “Mad Men†role. These are edited excerpts from that conversation.
I don’t mean to blow anyone’s cover, but the publicist who just connected us on the phone introduced you â€" jokingly â€" as Bob Benson. Have you embraced the fact that you and the character have become one and the same?
[laughs] I don’t mind that association at all. It’s amazing to see everyone really respond to Bob Benson. Just the other night I was out for dinner with some friends, and someone comes up to me and they go, “Hey, is it you?†And I didn’t know what to say. “My name’s James Wolk.†And I waited for him to finish the sentence. And of course he said, “Bob? Bob Benson?†And I said, “Yes. Yes it is me.â€
How were you chosen for the part?
In my short career so far, “Mad Men†was something that in the back of my mind, I always thought, God, it would be wonderful to be a part of that group. So when the opportunity presented itself to read for Matt Weiner [the creator and show runner of "Mad Men"] and the people who make those decisions, I leapt at it. I didn’t fully know, exactly - as none of us really do - where the character was going. But you trust Matt and the pedigree of “Mad Men†and go with it.
What do you think you did right in the audition?
One anecdote I can share: when I went to leave the audition, the door wouldn’t open. I don’t know why it wouldn’t. I’m finishing what I felt was a pretty good read and I have the handle in my hand, and I decide I have to say something, so I turn around to the group and I go, “I promise, don’t worry, I know how to open a door.†I think I said it in a kind of Bob Benson way. I’d like to think I’m very different from Bob Benson in a lot of ways. But perhaps the inner Bob came out in that moment.
What are the qualities you hope you don’t share with him?
I think he fancies himself a fixer, as we’ve seen so far. He’s attempted to solve some problems for people, whether it be taking Joan to the hospital or helping Pete with a nurse. That part of him, wanting to help, is something that I’d like to associate myself with. I think he can go a little far with it. Always walking around with two coffees? I’d like to think I have a little more eloquence.
You work in an industry where people will do just about anything to get their foot in the door.
That is where we do differ. I always feel like hard work leads the way, and from there, I leave it up to the powers that be. I try to stay away from the more schmaltzy side of things. That can backfire quickly.
Have you ever actually worked in an office?
My work experience is really unique. My father owned - and still owns - a women’s shoe store, and has for almost 40 years. So I grew up selling women’s shoes, from age 9 to when I graduated high school. At 9 I was doing stock work and putting shoes away. As I got older I would sell shoes to full-grown women, which is always an interesting thing for a 13-year-old boy to be telling them they look really nice in this high heel.
Do you think that had some lasting effect on your psyche?
It absolutely did. I feel like if you took a sampling of really successful people, people who fancy themselves hard-working individuals, there’s some sort of shoe salesman in their past. It’s just you and the shoe and the customer. It was an interesting way to grow up - you have to have confidence as a 13-year-old to do that.
But when people tell you they’ve worked in offices with guys exactly like Bob Benson, you don’t necessarily know what that means.
That’s very true, and I’ve heard that from numerous people. For a little while I worked as a paralegal, right after college. But in talking with friends who are in the office place, and talking with Matt, hearing his stories, I think this is definitely based on those individuals that everyone can associate with. Perhaps it benefitted me that I never really did work closely with one of those individuals, because it allowed me to play Bob with no judgment, so I really want to get behind him and believe in my actions as the character.
The purposefulness with which Bob goes around the office, and the way he seems to turn up everywhere, has viewers suspicious of his true motivations, and has spawned a lot of theories about the character. What do you think of them?
They’re hilarious. I can tell you my favorite one. Someone said he was Peggy’s son, time-traveling back from the future. [starts laughing] I laughed for like 10 minutes. I thought that was hilarious.
I notice you’re not denying this.
I am saying nothing.
One scene from this season that will live on is the sight of Bob Benson in his summer shorts. What was it like for you to shoot that?
I personally am not a shorts-wearing guy. That goes for any form of shorts, beside sports shorts, that I have to wear. So for me this was like someone who’s afraid of heights bungee-jumping. I remember in fitting, we were looking at a number of shorts. These were the shortest of those shorts that we looked at.
And you chose them?
It was done by jury. I don’t think my vote necessarily counted. And after seeing the episode and seeing the shorts, now I’m thinking about getting a pair in my closet. I enjoyed it.
You’ve already been cast in a coming CBS series, “The Crazy Ones,†with Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar. Does that imply some sort of finiteness to the tale of Bob Benson?
What I can say is that, if there is a story to be told further for Bob, hopefully there’ll be a way to figure that out. As of right now, I’m revving up for the fall show. Time will tell.
We’ve only been speaking for a little while but you seem like a pretty eager and hard-working guy. Are you going to start barking orders at an assistant as soon as we finish this conversation?
Hold on one second. [slightly away from phone] Keep it down, Isaac, and go get my coffee! [comes back on] What was your question?
