Tom Pelphrey On Shocking Last Scene in "Man in Full"
Warning: This post contains major spoilers for “A Man in Full.”
If you've watched "Man in Full," then you know that in the final moments of the show, main characters Charlie Croker (Jeff Daniels) and Raymond Peepgrass (Tom Pelphrey), faceoff in a violent confrontation that leaves them both dead.
Directed by Regina King and written by David E. Kelley, the new Netflix show is a satirical tale of an Atlanta billionaire whose A-list life comes to a screeching halt when his bank decides to call in his loans, and a banker (Peepgrass) who's obsessed with taking him down.
The six-episode series builds to a jaw-dropping conclusion, not only because the finale is a drastic departure from the Tom Wolfe book it's based on, but also for Peepgrass' full-frontal nudity, which leaves nothing to the imagination. Zero. In fact, it probably deserves its own billing in the end credits under the title "Big Red Dog."
"Somebody asked me, 'Was there ever a conversation about not using a prosthetic?' And I said, 'I don't even think you can do that,' Tom Pelphrey tells TODAY.com of the revealing scene during a phone interview after the show's release.
Still, if there are any lingering doubts about whether or not it's actually Pelphrey in those final moments of "Man in Full," the actor puts them to rest.
"Listen, this is a prosthetic penis," he laughs. "Whatever talents I may have an actor, I not sure I could just maintain a full erection during a scene where I'm getting choked to death."
Besides, Pelphrey says, the anatomic real deal would never fly on television. He knows this because he asked and was told that something along the lines of, "That has never been done before on TV because, frankly, it's just not allowed."
Instead, Pelphrey wore "a well-designed and tested prosthetic," which he says "served us well."
Real or not, the image is striking and unforgettable. Pelphrey says the shocking image was intentional to help drive home the point that Peepgrass' envy of Croker was so obsessive that even in death, his desire was still plain to see. Literally.
"It's a very tongue-in-cheek, satirical look at what we call 'toxic masculinity,'" says Pelphrey of “Man in Full.”
“Of course it’s done in, to me, a wild and humorous way.”
Fatherhood and how Kaley Cuoco convinced him to do 'A Man in Full'
Given the racy and revealing nature of the scene, was Pelphrey nervous to shoot it?
He might not have been if not for the fact that he and Kaley Cuoco (of "The Flight Attendant and "The Big Bang Theory" fame) were expecting their first child during the filming of "Man in Full."
“I never thought twice about anything like that — ever. And, suddenly, when I knew I was going to be a dad, all of a sudden, I’m thinking about things differently, so I was a nervous wreck about it,” he explains.
Cuoco, however, had no reservations. "She was just very supportive," says Pelphrey.
"Kaley, God bless her, read the whole thing, and she said, 'This is hilarious. You have to do it.'"
In March of 2023, the couple welcomed a daughter, Matilda. Of his new father status, Pelphrey says it's a "miracle" and the most "beautiful, amazing thing ever."
But it's also changed everything, including the way he looks at life.
"There was a complete realignment of priorities, values, things that I cared about that I've never cared about. And it didn't happen in a conscious way," he says.
Instead Pelphrey says he realized that he simply had a different perspective.
"You don't realize until you do. But all of a sudden, you have a healthy baby and you go, 'This is literally the only thing I really care about.' Everything else? We'll figure it out," he says.
Pelphrey on his relationship with 'Man in Full' co-star Jeff Daniels
Earning an Emmy nomination in 2021 for his role as Ben Davis in the Netflix series "Ozark," Pelphrey says that he enjoyed the unique challenge that was playing Peepgrass in "Man in Full."
"My first thought was, 'Wow, I can't believe they're going to let me do this because it's so different from a lot of the things I've done before. And I was excited by that," he explains.
The "Mank" actor was also excited by the prospect of working with actors he'd long admired including veterans Diane Lane, who Pelphrey calls a "legend," as well as Jeff Daniels.
"I absolutely love Jeff Daniels. That man is the definition of a professional. I admire the hell out of him. I respect him. I had a blast working with him," he enthuses.
According to Pelphrey, during their screen test for "Man in Full," Daniels approached him with a proposition.
"He said, 'If this is going to work, we're going to have to jump off a cliff together.' And I said, 'Yes sir, I agree.' He said, 'You know, this isn't a kitchen-sink drama.' I said, 'I agree.' He said, 'So, we both got to do it.' And I said, 'I'm with you.' And, man, it was so much fun," recounts Pelphrey.
Calling him a "good dude," Pelphrey says Daniels' talent is next level, citing the actor's versatility in being able to successfully pivot from a comedy like "Dumb and Dumber," to turning in a Emmy-winning performance as Will McAvoy in "Newsroom."
"How many actors could do both of those things? I'm telling you, not very many. There are other actors who could do 'Newsroom' and I think there are some other actors who could do 'Dumb and Dumber', but to be able to do both, that's where you get to see that he's a real actor," says Pelphrey.
Pelphrey also gushes about working with Bill Camp, who plays fellow banker, Harry Zale, in "Man in Full."
"I just need to say that Bill Camp is a national treasure," he says. "Every scene I got to be with him, I felt like I was in high school again."
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