The Bear opens its doors for the hit show’s much-anticipated third season. And this time around, things are being elevated as Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto [Jeremy Allen White] has Michelin stars in his eyes.

What began with Carmy taking over The Original Beef, his brother’s Chicago-based Italian sub shop, and its misfit staff, has since been refined as The Bear, a fine dining restaurant where chaos and culinary brilliance are paired together in a delicious combo. As the series has evolved, the writers have deepdived into each character’s individual story, creating multi-layered portraits of the team. Grief is a throughline that connects them all, beginning with the suicide of Carmy’s brother Mikey, kickstarting the show’s premise, and at the end of season two, we saw dessert chef Marcus lose his mother.

Played by Lionel Boyce – formally a member of Odd Future and soon to star in Jack Stanley’s next movie Shell opposite Elisabeth Moss and Kaia Gerber – Marcus’ story comes to the fore throughout the new season as he gradually acknowledges the death of his mother and finds acceptance through his work and the support of those around him. We spoke to Boyce about Marcus’ story, that Copenhagen episode, and his favourite dessert.

Alex James Taylor: Congrats on the new season, it’s really nice to have The Bear back in our lives. You had the premiere a few days ago in LA, how was that?
Lionel Boyce: It was wild, they had it at the El Capitan Theatre and shut down Hollywood Boulevard. It was a very Hollywood premiere. It was the opposite of what we had for season one, where it was this very small thing, and there wasn’t one for season two, because of the strike. So it was a very cool way to celebrate this season and all the love the show has received over the past couple of years.

AJT: Before reading this season’s script, what were your expectations for Marcus and where his journey might go this time?
LB: Before I got the scripts I was thinking… What seemed like an inevitable thing was the cliffhanger with his mama. Like, that’s going to happen and it’s going to have an effect on him. I wondered, will this turn him cold? Will he turn into Carmy? Or what will become of him as this real-life situation of death takes a toll on him and his psyche?

AJT: Do you find yourself thinking about Marcus between seasons?
LB: I think so, because it’s an ongoing character I’m playing and constantly thinking about. At random times I’ll just reflect or like, because it’s a show centred around food and much of our lives revolve around food, you can relate it back to the character. I now have a newfound appreciation for restaurants and food, so you’re always learning in real time and relating it to this character. You also have interactions with people in the culinary world because they love the show, that adds to my experience and understanding.

AJT: Going back to the death of Marcus’ mother, how does he deal with it this season? Especially compared to other characters such as Carmy?
LB: He’s addressing it, but I don’t know if he’s processing it. He has a bit of a wall up, but it’s not like he’s trying to alienate and push everyone away, he just doesn’t want people to worry about him, he wants to keep things moving and not be a burden. That’s his version of processing and grief. You have no control over getting past the hump of processing [something like this], because it’s going to blindside you at a later date in a different way. It finds different ways to puncture your armour. That’s just how grief works.

AJT: It’s similar to the way he was when the restaurant first started and he didn’t want to be a burden on the team. It’s great to see him evolve as a character. I want to talk to you about the pace of the show, speed, flow, rhythm is such a big deal, in the cuts, the speech and the actions. How is that when filming? Does it translate to you guys on set?
LB: The cool thing is that when you’re shooting, those scenes aren’t shot [in one go], it’s very rhythmic and structured. It’s choreographed and to a certain extent, not as wild as it appears, it’s much more technical. And then in other scenes, there are times where it’s natural and slower-paced, they let the camera linger a little bit and give space to riff, keeping the camera rolling until you get something natural. A lot of that comes together in the edit.

“I wondered, will this turn him cold? Will he turn into Carmy?”

AJT: That’s one of my favourite things about the show, the timing of particular lines and the flow. I need to ask you about the Copenhagen episode where we really discover Marcus’ true personality. How was it filming in Copenhagen?
LB: It was super sick. I love Copenhagen, it’s a fun city. We were there in like, end of April, early May, so the weather was nice and we got to go around the entire city and shoot in different places, try different food. It very much felt like I got a free tour around the city. What more can you ask for? It was awesome and everyone out there is super nice.

AJT: There’s a lot of great food there too.
LB: A lot of great food, yeah.

“[Marcus] just doesn’t want people to worry about him, he wants to keep things moving and not be a burden”

AJT: This is your first role in a major show, how do you relate to Marcus in terms of your growth in parallel with his?
LB: The common denominator between the two of us is trust. It’s the trust and belief in me [from the show] and the way Carmy believes in Marcus. Chris [Storer, producer] and Joanna [Calo, producer] and everyone involved with the show, the cast and everyone believed in me and made me feel confident. Like, “OK this show’s working and what I’m doing is contributing to it as a whole.” That push allows you to build your confidence, to keep wanting to do more and more. You’re going through a door and looking around like, “There’s so much more space in this room.”

AJT: As the seasons go by do you feel more relaxed? Does it get easier as a team?
LB: I think it gets easier, but also different things become challenging, it’s that thing; the more you learn, the less you know. For me, the best part about this is all the other actors on the show, like Jeremy, Ayo [Edebiri], Ebon [Moss-Bachrach], Liza [Colón-Zayas], everyone is such a good actor. I’m getting to observe them up close and personal. Do take after take, do different things. I’m constantly growing.

AJT: I have to ask, what is your favourite dessert?
LB: It’s usually cake… boxed yellow cake is one of my favourites, you get it at the grocery store in the US and I’ve had it since I was a child. I also like the marble cake from this bakery near where I grew up.

Seasons 1-3 of The Bear are now streaming on Disney+