The actor best known for his role in Lena Dunham’s series talks about his experimental new film Black Bear, lockdown comfort-viewing – and why his heart truly lies in theatre
“Gabe?” asks Christopher Abbott, and for a moment across the screen he looks befuddled. Then the penny drops: “Gabe, the name of the character?” He laughs. “I was like: ‘Who’s Gabe!’ I should know! It’s been a while …”
It has, indeed, been a while since Abbott shot Black Bear, the “meta comedy thriller” directed by Lawrence Michael Levine and set in the Adirondack mountains, and more than a year has passed since it premiered at Sundance. Anyway, such are Black Bear’s layers and twists that anyone – even its actors – could be forgiven for forgetting who was who and where and why.