In FX’s adaptation of The Shards, Igby Rigney has a tall order. He plays Bret, the teenage proxy for Bret Easton Ellis and the nervous center of the story’s increasingly sinister high school universe. He also seems to be the only one appropriately suspicious of Robert Mallory (played by Homer Gere), the mysterious newcomer who’s about to wreak havoc on everyone’s lives. In the series, which premiered earlier this month, Rigney lives up to the task, turning Bret into a bundle of nerves with an easy charm, trying to make sense of the strange world around him and stumbling through his own closeted coming-of-age dramas in the process. Off-screen, though, the 23-year-old actor seems considerably more at ease. To get to know the rising star, we gave him a questionnaire to find out what makes him tick.
———
What’s on your mind?
You 😉 what’s on yours cutie?
What time do you wake up?
When my alarm goes off. Although goes off isn’t really the right term. I have one of those sunrise alarm clocks so I’m gently bathed in light until my eyes open on their own accord. Game changing stuff.
What’s your summer about?
Sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll baby!
What does it feel like to be you?
Gosh my therapist asked me this one time, wish I had her notes from that session. Right now? Peaceful.
What are you running from?
This guy in leather pants… He won’t stop following me!
What’s the last thing you cooked?
I boiled water for tea a month ago. Does that count?
What do you do when you’re nervous?
Focus on my breathing, find my center of gravity and to connection between it and the ground, scan and feel every inch of my body inside and out and relax the tension out of my tissues.
What’s a hill you’ll die on?
El Capitan.
What are you over?
The Atlantic. (I’m writing this on a plane.)
What doesn’t make sense?
The men that don’t wash their hands after they using a public restroom… Do you think nobody noticed that you just walked out? Gross.
What do you love?
A hard days work. Yeehaw.
Who makes you happy?
Can anything really MAKE you happy? Have you ever heard hedonic adaptation? “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” –Abraham Lincoln
Who do you miss?
The child I used to be. Where’d that little guy go?
What’s your favorite taste?
Expensive.
What’s your greatest temptation?
To disappear to a temple somewhere and never be heard from again. Except in legend.
What are you allergic to?
Technology. But I’m not sure if I’m allergic to it or if it’s allergic to me.
How do you get around?
I’m on the apps.
What’s the last thing you bought?
An iced americano.
What happens when we die?
Well if you accept the premise that the universe is a closed system, then the first law of thermodynamics applies.
What are you ignoring?
My physics and theology homework, thanks for the reminder.
What do you drink too much of?
Caffeine. Can’t stop, won’t stop.
What do you do with a free day?
Find somewhere in nature to sit and enjoy the gift that is this planet.
What are you ready to let go of?
Shame, regret, negative self talk. It’s time.
