“Desmin Borges: Always Say Yes”
Interview by Michael Aaron Gallagher of StayFamous.Net
Actor Desmin Borges. Photo by Byron Cohen/FX.
“I think we’re about to witness something that’s never been witnessed on television before,” actor Desmin Borges told me in a recent interview. “Definitely not within a comedy or romantic comedy or an anti-romantic comedy, setting.”
Desmin was talking about his wildly unorthodox sitcom You’re the Worst, which airs on the FXX network. As he explained in a press conference, his show is headed “down the rabbit hole” in upcoming episodes, as it dials up the level of sexiness, comedy and drama, leading up to its second season finale.
You’re the Worst, which also stars Chris Geere, Aya Cash and Kether Donohue, explores both the light and dark sides of love, friendship and everything in between. Fans and critics have called his character Edgar Quintero, the “voice of reason,” in a group of friends whose lives are hilariously interwoven.
Desmin Borges as Edgar Quintero in the FXX original comedy “You’re the Worst. Photo by Autumn De Wilde/FX.
So what impresses Desmin the most about the second season of the show?
“Well, there’s a lot of things,” Borges said, “But the ease of which we were able to transition into the second season – we picked up, running full speed ahead. We leapt off the final four episodes of the first season that really I feel like, pushed us over the edge and put us out in front.”
The series, which is set in the not-so-glamorous parts of Los Angeles, California, continues to capture a side to relationships that is gritty and unvarnished.
Desmin Borges and Kether Donohue on the red carpet. Photo by Jack Plunkett.
“I’m floored by the way Stephen [Falk] and the writers can set up three to four individual story lines that weave in and out together.” Borges said. “And that’s just a credit to how brilliant they are in that room.”
As a successful Hollywood actor whose star is on the rise, Desmin has managed to land roles on several popular television shows including, Law and Order: SVU, The Good Wife, The Mysteries of Laura and Castle. I asked him what was the best advice he’s been given as an actor and how that has influenced his work on the show.
“The best advice that I’ve been given is: Always say yes,” he said. “And that, oddly enough, comes from the world of improv, which Edgar finds himself in.”
In his role as Edgar, a veteran, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, Desmin has had to be mindful of the delicate balance between being funny and provocative, while at the same time being respectful of the real-life struggles that many veterans face.
Desmin Borges as Edgar Quintero. Photo by James Minchin/FX.
“It’s very easy to say yes within the confines of the world that Stephen and the writers have created, but sometimes you find yourself hesitating in certain areas because you don’t want to offend or portray anybody with PTSD or any sort of issue like that in an incorrect or negative light. That’s never what we’re trying to do,” Borges said. “So I’m always saying yes to finding out information and taking it one step further, so that we can give those vets who have never had their story told before, an outlet through Edgar. Which I find to be refreshing and scary all at the same time… and one of the reasons why I love to do it.”
You’re the Worst airs Wednesdays at 10:30 p.m. on the FXX television network.
“Desmin Borges: Always Say Yes”
Copyright 2015 by Michael Aaron Gallagher
Photography courtesy of FXX
To request permission to use excerpts from StayFamous.Net on television or in print please contact:
StayFamous Media Contact: Michael Aaron Gallagher
