Actors are often talked about as having a "breakthrough role," but sometimes, that feeling is more of a thing for the audience than the star. Take Quincy Tyler Bernstine. She has acted on stage and on screen for over 20 years. She attended grad school for theater and got an agent right after graduating. She has a Tony nomination and two Obie Awards—one for "sustained excellence of performance," which really hammers home the point that she's been working as an actor at a high level for quite some time.
But despite her resume, Bernstine is now being viewed as an overnight success thanks to her role on the Hulu crime series Furious, which premiered this summer.
"It really feels quite surreal, because I have been here in New York since 1999 doing this, and working and working and working, so to suddenly have this whole new audience exposed to my work is crazy," Bernstine says on the latest episode of Marie Claire's "Nice Talk" podcast.
Bernstine, who plays Nora, the head of an FBI sex crimes unit, says says that fans of the show have been reaching out to her on social media, saying, "I don't know who you are, but I really enjoy your work, and I can't wait to go back and see what other things that you've done." She adds, "That means a lot to me."
Those looking to check out Bernstine's filmography can see her pop up in movies and TV shows, including The Tender Bar, White Noise, And Just Like That..., and The Equalizer, and in her recurring roles in the series Power and Ray Donovan.
While Furious has brought on another level of fame, Bernstine's attitude about acting has always been that she's in it for the craft.
"You don't really make any money in theater," she says. "That's not why we get into this. I knew that going in, and it was more about I just wanted to act. I just needed to act, no matter what that looked like, and I would just figure out how to take care of myself."
She has been following that path ever since she got bit by the acting bug—or, rather, hit by the soccer ball.
"I was a freshman in college playing club soccer. We were practicing, and I got hit with the ball. Glasses broke. I got really rattled, and I was like, you know what? I don't think I want to play soccer anymore," Bernstine recalls. At the time, she was a public policy major planning to become a lawyer.
"And I walked past one of the theaters on campus, and I saw an ad for 'Audition August Wilson's Piano Lesson.' And I was like, you know what? I think I'm gonna audition for this play and just see what happens ... I got in, and I fell in love with it."
For more from Bernstine—including what she hopes to see in Furious season 2—check out this week's installment of "Nice Talk." The episode is available everywhere you listen to podcasts.
