First-time Emmy nominee Brandon Victor Dixon is still riding high after receiving recognition for his role as Judas in NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert. “It feels very real in the best ways,” he tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I’m really excited for the amount of positive recognition our show got.”
Nominated for outstanding supporting actor in a limited series or movie, Dixon is one of 13 Emmy nominations the live musical event received, including stars John Legend as Jesus Christ and Sara Bareilles as Mary Magdalene.
On why he thinks Emmy voters resonated with Jesus Christ Superstar, Dixon explains: “The quality of work from all the actors, the ensemble, the musicians and even the stage crew, I just think the level of work that they put forth really translated.”
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He adds, “And the story is 40 years. Timeless. It’s been a hit and it’s always fascinated people.”
Dixon worked closely with Legend on set, and he relates to THR how “inspiring” it was to collaborate with the performer: “The best part of collaborating with John is that you see the commitment he has to his own work, his own music and the things that he’s created and put out into the world. And to see him step away from that into somebody else’s creation, to answer Andrew [Lloyd Webber] and Tim [Rice]’s creation, with the same level of commitment, I think that was what was most enjoyable and I think even inspiring to see him do and meet him on that plane was really lovely.”
Regarding stepping into the role of Judas, what the actor “found so interesting about the character and the story is that it’s an opportunity to make people feel differently about somebody that they think they know,” he says. “You enter the scenario thinking of him as a villain, as the betrayer, but hopefully you can break apart those stereotypes and just start to look at the man, the person, himself and hopefully that can translate to how we look at ourselves in the world.”
