On 'The Bear,' Lionel Boyce Loves His Place in the Chaos

Just over a decade ago, Lionel Boyce was running around and screaming—like the crazy teenager he was—in Odd Future's comedy sketch series, Loiter Squad. Boyce, now 32 years old, went by "L-Boy" back then, pranking unsuspecting people alongside a young Tyler, the Creator. So, it's a little funny that on a chaotic series like FX's The Bear, Boyce has found himself playing the most sensitive and silent character in the ensemble: Marcus, the kind-hearted pastry chef.

"To be ten years removed from that now, I would never have [predicted] that this is where I would end up," Boyce told Esquire over Zoom. "It's crazy. Sometimes people will connect the dots—You were this person and now you're this person?!—and see that I've been in their life longer than they realize. But it's a cool thing that, as a core group of friends, we can still grow at the same pace—just parallel. I still talk to Tyler, Taco, and Jasper. It's a unique, rare thing and I'm very grateful for it."

As Marcus, Boyce's old Loiter Squad antics—like, ahem, "Lionel the Booty Hunter"—have been replaced by the punishing reality of life in the culinary world. While everyone runs around and curses at each other, Marcus lives in his own little world, baking donuts and learning about the world of fancy desserts. "[Marcus] makes sense and I understand who he is," Boyce says. Even if Boyce didn't get the role of Marcus, the actor maintains that he would still do anything to help get this show made. "Even if I have to get behind the camera," he joked.

Just before The Bear's return last week, Boyce dished on his expanded role this season, filming Episode Four in Copenhagen, and how he manages to look like a real chef when he's working the dough.

ESQUIRE: Marcus has a much larger role this season—he even starts the whole thing off.

LIONEL BOYCE: Yeah, which is wild to me. I was nervous. It felt like a natural, organic way of [series creator] Chris Storer finding the way to change the tone and pace of the show. The first season was all ramped up and you want to start Season Two with a [relaxed] way to do it. Everyone's home life is different, and each episode has a different feel. That was such a good way to just get right into it. Like, this is not the show that you spent all day binging last year.

Do you think people will be surprised that Marcus came back to work for Carmy after he threw his donut on the ground?

In Season One, [Carmy] was getting carried away. It was a shitty situation, but you kind of get an understanding of it. [Marcus] makes the decision to come back, and it's like, we don't need to acknowledge it. In Season Two, he's learning how to balance and dedicate care. I think that he loves Carmy and came back because of what he unlocks in him. He unlocks the passion—and Sydney cultivates and helps push him toward it. Take it to the next level. You can get lost in this and fall apart, and they just needed to learn to take time for themselves.

Were you nervous about having such an expanded role?

I was nervous. They were like, Yeah, you're going to be doing some more acting. We're going to learn more about who you are. But it was cool because I love the show and I love the story. I just have to make sure it's watchable. [Laughs.] You don't often get to see other characters outside of the main cast get further developed. Even Ebraheim and Tina, they found smart ways where it's genuine and specific. You feel like they're growing.

Is it nice being the quiet one when everyone else is running around and screaming?

Sometimes I wish I was a part of the chaos, but I'm also glad that I don't have to get all worked up and strung out. At the end of the day—it's funny—we'll be done shooting and I'll ask, Does anybody want to go eat? And Ayo [Edibiri], will be like, Dude, I got to got home and just sit in silence and peace.

Tell me about filming in Copenhagen.

I love that place, just the city as a whole. In my spare time off, I would go to a couple restaurants, but I kept going to the amusement park, Tivoli. They have a haunted maze there where the people can touch you. It's insane. I had my hand out and someone just grabbed it. I was like, Oh shit!

I really liked that Marcus got his own episode this season—and that is was directed by Ramy Youssef.

Working with Ramy was so cool. The things that he cared about and paid attention to were different. It was the small things. He went out on his own, did some scouting, and found more spots, more restaurants. We went to Poulette, the chicken sandwich spot. It was like, If you know you know. It layered a lot more texture to the background.

," Boyce remembers, "and one of the owners came out and said, When you broke down crying, I’ve been there. I did that three days ago. So, that’s cool that [The Bear] resonates."' expand='' crop='original'][/image]

What do you hope Marcus explores next?

I truly have no idea, but I'm excited. I trust what they make and I like it myself. So, I just try to look into the uncertainty with optimism.

Are you ever worried about making sure that you're working the dough correctly?

Yeah, it's a big worry whether or not I'm doing it right. People who spend all day in kitchens know what's real and what's not. And this is a show that's like—if it doesn't ring true, then they're going to throw it out the window. So, you want to make sure that at least my hands look proficient. We're lucky, because we have Matty Matheson and [Culinary Producer] Courtney Storer. Without them, I'd feel insane. One time I went to eat with Ayo and one of the owners came out and said, When you broke down crying, I've been there. I did that three days ago. So, that's cool that it resonates.

Have you ever tried to make donuts yourself?

Yeah, but I crashed and burned so many times. I tried to make my own donuts and I lost my nice thermometer. I got a cheap one and the gauge wasn't working—it looked like a time-lapse just how quickly it turned black. Donuts are hard to make. [Laughs.]

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