A Divine Entry Into Paradise

Justin Kirk, who plays brokenhearted AIDS sufferer Prior Walter on HBO's Angels in America, has the kind of impossible good looks that bad-TV actors are made of. And while he has done some bad TV — he played Barto Zane for two years on the WB's forgettable Jack & Jill — in reality, Kirk, 34, is an accomplished stage actor. He did his first play at 7 (Brecht, no less) and has since racked up accolades that include an Obie for playing the blind man in Terrence McNally's Love! Valour! Compassion!--"the other gay play of the '90s," says Kirk, who reprised the role in the movie.

All the buzz caught the attention of Angels' director, Mike Nichols, who invited Kirk to audition for the role of Prior. But that couldn't stave off his self-doubt when confronted with the enormity of Angels, which Kirk calls "the play for my generation of New York theater guys."

And then there was the enormity of Meryl Streep. "My first day with Meryl Streep was a pretty horrible day," says Kirk. "Mike would give me instructions even when I was off-camera because I was so afraid to engage with her. I was like, 'You just do your Meryl Streep thing, and I'll be over here.'"

The rest of the shoot wasn't much better. Though he had prepared technically--"I read stuff, watched stuff, lost weight and talked to people — most important my hair guy on the movie, who has lived with HIV for many, many, years, went through that time and watched his friends die"--Kirk kept doubting that he was ready to play in such a high-stakes arena. "You're sitting there knowing it's a dream come true," he says, "but you can't enjoy it because you're so racked with horror over the idea of playing this classic role and maybe not coming through."

He shouldn't have worried. Kirk delivers a performance that manages to be witty and self-assured as well as physically wrecked by the disease and emotionally sucker-punched by the Angel who has selected him to be her prophet. While Prior's situation is pitiable, Kirk never plays for easy sentiment.

Now that he has survived his dream role, Kirk, who recently bought a house in Los Angeles, says he is looking for some easier fare, maybe the kind of gig that can bring him some fame and fortune. "I was thrilled to be a WB hunk," he says with a laugh. "It's all I've ever wanted." Like Prior, Kirk may get more than he bargained for.