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I play Nikola Tesla on the History Channel's "Men Who Built America" - AMA
My name is Alex Falberg and when I'm not playing geniuses on TV, I'm an unemployed actor who plays the banjo with my pals in the PigPen Theatre Company! And if you like folk music, here's our album, which just turned one year old! Bremen - Ask Me Anything!
PROOF! me taking a self-shot on set - http://imgur.com/BWzm63v
UPDATE as of 11:24am April 23, Eastern Standard, I'm officially exhausted! Thanks for such an incredible experience. I love the REDDIT community so very much! I'll keep checking in and answering questions. It'll just be a lot slower from here on out. If you have any pressing issues or are involved with TESLA MOTORS, please PM me :)!
CaptainApathy419417 karma
Have you thought about approaching Tesla Motors as a potential spokesman?
alexfalberg508 karma
Thats... an amazing idea! I haven't. Don't even know about how I would go about doing that...
MaximusTheGreat309 karma
Make a Youtube video proposing it. Ask some of your PR friends/agents (I'd imagine you have some!) if it's a good idea to post it and try to make it go viral. If yes, get a marketer who specializes in social media (there are freaking hundreds of them, if not thousands, at this point) to do all the Twitterings and Facebooks and such. Given the love people have for Nikola, it can really take off.
Make it popular enough to make Tesla Motors see it as a benefit to hire you! :) (Not sure how much you'd charge for such a job but I'd imagine if their marketing department has ANYTHING budgeted, hiring you would be good value!)
taylormackaffair389 karma
I just want to say, your acting is quite good. One might call it "electric"
JoshLazer329 karma
Would you say you're more into Current music, or the older stuff like AC/DC?
alexfalberg220 karma
That's a tough one. I enjoy everything.
Top three I've been listening to in the past day are Alt-J, Bela Fleck, and Chopin.
taylormackaffair4 karma
Haha that reminded me of this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dww9UjJ4Dt8
alexfalberg10 karma
If there's one thing I can't get enough of, it's Asian pop. And I'm dead serious.
thespacecowboi288 karma
Every comment I've seen so far has at least 2 upvotes. Are you upvoting everyone who asks a question? It's not super related but I was just wondering.
alexfalberg766 karma
Tesla would have mysterious parties at his house and invite Mark Twain over to play with Tesla's x-ray gun...
The two would take countless x-rays of one another and marvel at pictures of their skulls. #oldschoolinstagram
cjt09274 karma
Yup, here's a picture of Mark Twain hanging out with Tesla. A lot of Twain's interest in science and engineering manifested itself in his novel A Connecticut Yankee in King's Arthur's Court, wherein an American from the late 19th century gets transported back to 6th century Britain and hijinks ensue. It's really funny and definitely worth reading.
petriflora61 karma
Tesla would have mysterious parties at his house and invite Mark Twain over to play with Tesla's x-ray gun...
sounds like the beginning of a shitty great romance novel.
Shaysdays186 karma
My son is obsessed with Tesla and loves your portrayal, could you take a picture holding up a sign saying something like, "Keep up the good work, Little Dude!" (We call him that.) He wants to be an inventor before he grows up. Apparently it's an important distinction.
So far he has invented the ice cream soup bowl- it's a bowl with holes in the bottom that sits on another bowl. The melting ice cream drips through the holes, and when you're done your non-melted ice cream, you take the top bowl off and drink the ice cream soup.
(Okay, so it is his sister's three part ceramic tea strainer cup put to a different use, but the idea is sound.)
alexfalberg190 karma
That's absolutely phenomenal! I look a bit of a mess at the moment, but I did my best. If you want something a bit more official, like an autographed headshot, let me know and I'll send one!
Shaysdays84 karma
LOVE IT! He is going to be so excited, he knows you are an actor and that makes it really cool to see something behind the scenes!
Tomorrow I'll sit with him and we'll watch it again (still on the DVR) and then I'll try to get a picture of his face when I give him this picture, printed out. Thanks!
(Haha, I also made chocolate sugar cookies with a mustache shape (another of his obsessions- mustachios!) this week, I'll send you some if you want!)
alexfalberg74 karma
You're the best! I am trying to stay off sugar for a bit though!!! Too many cookies for Tesla...
Shaysdays6 karma
Well, if I ever get a pigeon shaped cookie cutter, maybe I'll hit you up again. :)
Sort of random, but have you ever seen "Drunk History" featuring Edison and Tesla? It's a hoot.
Shaysdays36 karma
I wish they had switched the actors though.
But enough with my silliness, you have my favorite AMA ever because you will send my kid over the moon! Thank you for the picture, and your awesome portrayal, and good luck!
Shaysdays6 karma
Well, if I ever get a pigeon shaped cookie cutter, maybe I'll hit you up again. :)
Sort of random, but have you ever seen "Drunk History" featuring Edison and Tesla? It's a hoot.
Shaysdays36 karma
I wish they had switched the actors though.
But enough with my silliness, you have my favorite AMA ever because you will send my kid over the moon! Thank you for the picture, and your awesome portrayal, and good luck!
TrapperKeeperGuy156 karma
I absolutely loved these shows and the JP Morgan/Thomas Edison/Nikola Tesla one was my favorite. I thought you did an awesome job and portrayed him real well.
I'll just go ahead and ask what we're all thinking: would you rather get a handjob from a Golem or a blowjob from Charizard?
Ole_Ship_Diversity137 karma
What's the coolest Tesla fact you've learned playing this part? Can't imagine what this guy could design with modern technology.
alexfalberg320 karma
My first day on set, I was caught in a debate between the director and the producer in regards to my hair, both on my face and on my head.
I showed up with bushy curly hair and a full grown mustache and beard so that hair-make up could groom me according to their wishes and interpretations.
The producer wanted me to look crazed... saying my current look (bushy) was great! The director insisted that I get groomed to look more like the character actually looked: prim, proper, meticulously groomed.
TL:DR I learned that Tesla had obsessive-compulsive tendencies in regards to his physical appearance.
Beginish2Finnish119 karma
Why does the history channel show the same half hours worth of footage for the entire show. The same shot sometimes gets shown about 12x a show. Is it because of low budget or directors preference?
alexfalberg161 karma
While I don't have access to production reports/decisions, it seems like they kept costs quite low all around to maximize their earnings.
DivinityCycle90 karma
How did you end up with the Tesla gig? Seems pretty good. Also, you get residuals from something like that?
alexfalberg152 karma
My representation sent me in on audition. I memorized the sides. I auditioned for the director. He asked me how quickly I can grow a mustache. I said quickly, and I got the job!
I don't get residuals no :( I should!
DivinityCycle74 karma
Hey man, a paying gig is a paying gig, plus there's gotta be a bunch of hipsters who are way into steampunk who would totally buy you a drink :)
yaroma75 karma
This is my favorite show on the history channel! Thank you for making the show what it is. I'm sure there will be many other great opportunities in line soon. You are a great actor. Did you have to over come any challenges before playing your part?
alexfalberg169 karma
That's so great to hear!
I'd say the only challenge was trying to get away with having a mustache while off-set and not getting called a hipster...
alexfalberg136 karma
I mean... I think a mustache is great! But it's the community... It's all about the community...
VictorClark63 karma
Did you base any of your character off David Bowie's portrayal from The Prestige?
alexfalberg110 karma
Not at all actually. I hadn't seen The Prestige at that point.
My family is Eastern European, so I based my voice and inflections on my grandfather who also has a mustache and is very smart... :)
alexfalberg103 karma
I was born in Kharkov, Ukraine! And we're all Jewish. So we're kind of these European Jewish mutts...
Sparked9440 karma
Fellow Urkainian Jew here-- you're totally a worthy representative.
I hope to see more of the Serbian God of Lightning on the history channel!
matthewjer1863 karma
How large was your part on the program?
What do you enjoy about acting? What frustrates you about it?
alexfalberg259 karma
Sadly I didn't have anywhere as much airtime as I would have liked. In hopes of changing this, I mentioned to the director and producer that Nikola Tesla is kind of an iconic underground figure now, with a rather eclectic but loyal following.
I love acting because of the people. You just get to meet so many lovely people.
What frustrates me about acting is probably the people. You just meet so many ass-hats and weirdos who speak in contradictions.
hicketre200644 karma
- How long have you been in the acting field?
- How long was your gig was the History Channel?
- Time between filming and air?
- Is this your biggest role?
- Are you gaining more attention as an actor now that you've done this?
alexfalberg77 karma
- Graduated from Carnegie Mellon University Drama program in 2011.
- The gig was very brief. A week of shooting at most.
- Shot in July of 2012, Premiered October 2012 -3 Months.
- This is my first TV role! Yay!
- It has definitely opened doors to great opportunities, but I still have a LONG way to go...
ScenesfromaCat23 karma
Carnegie Mellon University
Damn, it's all connected. That's what I love most about that show. Nobody really realizes how connected all the big money guys were back then. Morgan buys out Carnegie, Carnegie founds a university, university trains OP, OP plays Tesla. Carnegie Steel is what made Pittsburgh famous for steel, OP is probably a Steelers fan.
bootsandcatsandboots32 karma
I made an account solely for this because I simply must know what the Russian bit at the end of "We Stand Alone" means. Please end my suffering!
alexfalberg47 karma
Believe it or not, it's just a translation of one of the English verses. It translates roughly to
We stand alone on the bones of our fathers breath. (also the word for breath can mean soul)
jvfran226 karma
Quite possibly my favorite series the History Channel ever produced. You played the role of Tesla very well.
- I learned some really cool things from the series, what was the most interesting thing about the other characters did you learn? (Either Westinghouse, Rockefeller, or JP Morgan?
jvfran213 karma
That's very cool. I used to work for JP Morgan Chase, so when the series came on, I would think it was very interesting, then did a bit of studying on Pierpont himself. He was an interesting man.
Also, kudos on the great acting. The whole series was very awesome. Best of luck with your acting and music gigs!
Bahet26 karma
Besides your role, what characters do you like the most, and who are the coolest actors?
alexfalberg62 karma
The guy who plays J.P. Morgan, Eric Rolland is a delight of a human being on and off set.
justin4601725 karma
I have one question. Why weren't you in the Epic rap battles of history episode about Nikola Tesla?
jas111124 karma
Do you speak Croatian or Serbian? (basically the same languages but people get upset if you don't separate them)
shortstopandgo23 karma
The Show has a bunch of look-alikes - The guy playing Rockefeller looks like a young John Cleese, The guy playing JP Morgan kinda looks like a circa Magnum PI John Hillerman and you could pass for a mustachioed Orlando Bloom. Even the guy playing Edison could sorta kinda be Liev Schreiber.
alexfalberg73 karma
I like to think I've gotten to a point in my experience where I'm able to identify a weird gig before I commit to it...
But when I was a freshman in college, I auditioned for a student director, and the audition was the weirdest/strangest.
It was just me and him in the room. And the part I was auditioning for was this bad guy character... I did a monologue. And the director stood up from his chair and approached me. He stood within arm's reach. He told me to close my eyes. I did. Then he told me to slap him in the face as hard as I could and the part would be mine. And so I did...and I got the part.
It was terrible.
alexfalberg41 karma
It really is as straight-forward as that. I don't speak to the director anymore. And I quickly learned that there is a really important balance to be struck between ambition and stupidity.
nipnip5422 karma
this is by far my favorite AMA even if it hasn't gotten much attention, you are answering practically every question you have been asked with honesty and enthusiasm
lilshawn17 karma
Nikola Tesla is the shit man. One of the coolest dudes in science. I wish I could have lived in his time and worked with him. Congrats, you get to BE him!!!
alexfalberg25 karma
Unfortunately no.
But it was massive. The DP had to leave the set on several occasions due to exhaustion.
Rosetta_Toned13 karma
Not sure if you can answer this or not but what do you think about the content of the history channel? I personally am appalled at the amount of nonsense speculation that takes place on the channel. Easy example ancient aliens. I just find it odd. Otherwise, I have seen the series and your acting was fantastic. Have a nice night and welcome to reddit if this is your first time!
alexfalberg23 karma
Thanks so much!
I do think about the content sometimes. I grew up watching the History Channel and it's changed a great deal over the years. As with a lot of programming, it has to continuously change or face collapse...
If it were a publicly funded network, we might see a little more consistency and accuracy.
AloyJr10 karma
Did you see the "Epic Rap Battles" video on Youtube featuring Tesla vs Edison?
AloyJr11 karma
well, why don't you look it up right now? I think you'll enjoy it!
nofanofham10 karma
You guys are so talented! I date Ben's sister, and we are planning on seeing you guys this summer.
alecsteven69 karma
Do you have an address I can send some fanmail to? I would love to have your autograph!
alexfalberg16 karma
Oh wow! How about this, if you want to write me a message, just PM me on reddit along with your address and I'll send you an autographed headshot!
Harleysaurusrex8 karma
That Tesla photo would be fabulous (though small). You make an awesome Tesla.
williemcbride9 karma
Hi! My girlfriend goes to Muhlenberg and she wanted to tell you that she absolutely loves everything that you and everything else in PigPen do. She wants to know if you remember her and her friend playing the harmonica at one of your first shows?
Also, she loved The Old Man and the Old Moon soooooo much. She is so ridiculously excited about the fact that you're doing this, and she's really sad that she's not a redditor.
I personally just want to thank you for bringing so much happiness into her life. Talking about The Old Man and The Old Moon is a guaranteed way to cheer her up. Thank you.
surelyURjoking8 karma
I've basically been stalking PigPen since I saw you guys at McKittrick Hotel one night. If the members start getting big roles like Tesla, are you going to break up the band?!
alexfalberg12 karma
Firstly, thank you!
Secondly, the group is the coolest gig to have.
Not goin anywhere!
alexfalberg16 karma
Funny you should say that! I guess I should clarify. Though an unemployed actor, I'm an employed self-starter and entrepreneur with my fellow shadow puppetteers!
I do love the music side of things. And the drummer's my best friend!
HazzaTheAlmighty7 karma
Who played Rockefeller? You and him where the greatest on that show..
HazzaTheAlmighty5 karma
Thank you :D He's got such a serious look on his face, i just love it!
strictlyme5 karma
Hey, big fan. Nikola Tesla was definitely one of the coolest dudes in history. I plan on being an engineer(electrical or mechatronic) so he's been a pretty big influence on my life. Good luck with your future endeavors!
alexfalberg6 karma
Thanks so much. When I was at Carnegie Mellon, I had several friends who were in the electrical engineering department. Incredible field of study. You must have a lot of guts and smarts to pursue it... Take over the world!
strictlyme4 karma
I am only in high school right now, but I did get a scholarship to my school(we share a campus with the university)'s robotics camp, and I got invited to the National High School Conference of Tech and Engineering this summer at MIT. Anyway, thanks for responding, you seem like a cool dude to hang out with.
kasukali4 karma
What's your favorite moment that's happened to you while acting on the show?
Hangnail124 karma
I was interested in this serious but I didn't think Tesla was in it so I didn't bother. I'm certainly going to watch it now. Congrats on the role and keep looking for more parts! I wish all the best to you, but can you ever play another role as cool as Tesla?
skysplitter4 karma
Damn, you've just given me a reason to watch the History Channel! Also, kudos on The Old Man and the Old Moon, it was captivating and ridiculously imaginative.
But if you're still answering questions- favorite places to eat in Pittsburgh? I'll be back there for a wedding and haven't been there since college (although I was up near Lake Erie).
alexfalberg4 karma
Ah thank you :)
If you like Thai, Bangkok Balcony in Squirrel Hill.
And a place called Pamela's - delicious diner!
DongofOdin3 karma
What makes you think your doing a correct Serbian accent and not a cheap Russian knock off one?
alexfalberg4 karma
(I'm doing a cheap Russian knock off one)
(How do I know this?)
(I grew up speaking Russian)
Oy Vey... I'm also Jewish!
ScottyFromScotland3 karma
If you could meet the real Nikola Tesla, what's one think you'd ask him?
oldwhippersnapper3 karma
I saw The Old Man and the Old Moon in December. All you PigPenners are beautiful and talented. My 17 year old daughter was in heaven. Any chance you'll come to California?
alexfalberg3 karma
Ah, thank you so much! Hopefully we'll make it out there at some point soon. We're doing a gazillion different things on the music and theater side of things... Stay in touch on our official PigPen Facebook page for updates, and drop us a line next time you're in NYC :)
LoganXup3 karma
There are theories out there that many great scientists and writers were actually just cover ups of their wives great works. I've also heard this about tesla...any insight or facts that you've heard?
alexfalberg3 karma
Fascinating theory! I haven't come across this in my research. Do you have a source?
alexfalberg2 karma
Doing our best!!! Look us up on FaceBook and throw some suggestions to the group!!
sqrip3 karma
I have you on Facebook I'm a new fan after seeing "when I'm 64" and the Beatles argument from cdza. you guys are very talented and am so happy to have found you :3
alexfalberg2 karma
Doing our best!!! Look us up on FaceBook and throw some suggestions to the group!!
sqrip3 karma
I have you on Facebook I'm a new fan after seeing "when I'm 64" and the Beatles argument from cdza. you guys are very talented and am so happy to have found you :3
grantkmartin3 karma
Can you send a copy of this picture to my friend Kim? She loves Tesla. She is kind of weird.
alexfalberg7 karma
it changes depending on season/mood.
at the moment, it is too long, very curly and bushy. it's a mess.
saroo872 karma
You were amazing! By far our favorite character played out. Thank you for sharing your talents with us!
JohnsHouse2 karma
The banjo, you say? You fascinate me, sir. Please elaborate*.
*Write me a song.
alexfalberg5 karma
Ooo ahhh John... Ooo ahh John...
Just a first stab at the lyrics. I'll get pickin at the banjo ASAP!
Bramsey892 karma
I think you're right about the same time as a result of the most important things that you have any idea how much I can do that for me and the other dev the same thing as a friend of a new job and I will be a good time with the increase risk of birth defects in children's books and in my head
slayer_of_potatoes2 karma
- Does playing Tesla give you access to Tesla's knowledge? If so, how do you make ball lightning?
- Do you prefer pineapple or mango?
- Would you rather fight one Edison-sized duck or 100 duck-sized Edisons?
- What is your opinion on potatoes?
alexfalberg4 karma
*I don't have access to Tesla's knowledge! Argh! *Mango, for sure! *Edison sized duck! *MASHED!
geekmuseNU2 karma
What's your opinion on David Bowie's portrayal of Tesla in The Prestige?
SilenceSeven2 karma
No question, just wanted to say It was an excellent series. I would like to see more like this done, maybe pick different time periods each time.
alexfalberg6 karma
Hmm.. I don't really smoke. But if I had to pick I guess I'd go with American Spirits? #hipsterwithamustache
Stegosaurus51 karma
how does it feel, portraying the smartest man maybe to ever live? hopefully fucking awesome
-nhops-751 karma
They need to get Donald Trump off that show - he completely ruins it.
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