J.K. Simmons: 'Character actor' just means not super handsome
J.K. Simmons told CBS Sunday Morning on July 5, 2026, that he happily accepts the label "character actor," joking it simply means an actor who is "not super-handsome." The Oscar-winning Whiplash star used the Tracy Smith interview to preview his mob-boss turn in MGM+'s The Westies, which debuts July 12.
The segment, titled "J.K. Simmons: A real character," aired as Simmons prepares for one of the busiest stretches of his 50-year career. At 71, he remains a fixture in celebrity breaking news for blending self-deprecating humor with reflections on survival, family, and the craft that turned a starving New York waiter into an Academy Award winner.
Key Takeaways
- Simmons told correspondent Tracy Smith he defines "character actor" as someone who is "not super-handsome," and said he likes the term.
- He stars as the tough Irish-American mob boss in The Westies, an MGM+ series about 1980s New York that debuts July 12.
- Simmons recalled filming Whiplash in just 19 days and said he and Miles Teller goofed between takes despite the on-screen intensity.
- Up next: Heart of the Beast with Brad Pitt in September, plus The Brink of War opening August 14.
- He traced his path from roach-filled apartments and waiting tables at Joe Allen to more than 200 screen and stage roles.
What did J.K. Simmons say about being a 'character actor'?
When Smith asked whether Simmons likes the term "character actor," he answered without hesitation. "Yeah," he said. "You know what? I mean, to me, that's always just been like an actor who's, like, not super-handsome. That's basically what that means."
People.com and AOL.com both reported the quote after the CBS News profile aired. Simmons did not treat the label as an insult. CBS Sunday Morning noted that he relishes being a character actor.
Why is Simmons headlining 'The Westies' on MGM+?
Simmons stars in The Westies, a series about the Irish-American mobsters who ruled the West Side of New York in the 1980s. He plays the boss—described in the CBS piece as tough, smart, and "bad to the bone."
The series arrives on MGM+ July 12, one week after the interview aired. CBS Sunday Morning billed the conversation as a look at Simmons' role as a mob leader and his difficult early years in New York, including an unexpected kindness from an actor friend when he needed it most.
How does Simmons look back on 'Whiplash' and his long road to the Oscar?
Simmons won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for playing the brutal jazz instructor Terence Fletcher opposite Miles Teller in 2014's Whiplash. He told Smith the indie film was shot in only 19 days and felt intense on camera, but off set the mood was lighter.
"Total idiots," Simmons said of their between-takes behavior. "You know, talking sports and giving each other hard time. Miles was just being Miles, and me being my dumb-ass self." He also noted that at 71 he has often played characters older than he is, even though he is a married father of two in real life.
What is next for J.K. Simmons after CBS Sunday Morning?
Beyond The Westies, Simmons told CBS he now has his pick of projects. He co-stars with Brad Pitt in Heart of the Beast, due in theaters September 25, playing what he called "a character who he bumps into—a character in every sense of that word." The Brink of War opens August 14.
Simmons closed the profile by marveling at the distance from "the nervous guy at the Bigfork Summer Playhouse" to a career of more than 200 characters. "I'm grateful every day," he said, "and trying to enjoy, you know, all of it."