Not many schools can count an Emmy winner among their graduates. Thanks to Tony Hale, now Samford University can.
Hale, a 1992 Samford graduate, was the surprise winner of the Emmy for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Gary Walsh in the HBO series “Veep,” awarded during the Sept. 22 live telecast. It was an experience Hale labeled as “mind-blowing” and “surreal.”
Born in West Point, N.Y., Hale spent his formative years in Tallahassee, Fla., where he and his family were members of First Baptist Church. As a teenager, he became involved with Young Actors Theatre, an organization he saluted in his Emmy acceptance speech. Through opportunities at Young Actors Theatre and his church, he began to realize his love for acting.
After graduating from Tallahassee’s Leon High School, Hale enrolled in Samford University in Birmingham, and it was during his college years he committed his life to Christ. He was a member of Samford’s Word Players, a student team which ministers to people of all ages through drama and other creative expressions of the gospel. Interestingly though, he pursued journalism rather than theater because, he says, he didn’t know if he could make a living as an actor and wanted a career he could fall back on.
But two other even more significant things happened in New York. He and 10 others founded The Haven, a community of artists whose mission is to encourage and equip artistically minded individuals to be more effective for Christ in their various areas of influence. And it was at one of The Haven’s gatherings that he met his future wife, Martel Thompson, an Anniston native and herself an Emmy winner (for makeup on “All My Children,” 2003).
The two were married in May 2003 in the midst of Hale being cast in the Fox sitcom “Arrested Development.” This meant a move to Los Angeles, with Thompson having to leave her successful job as a makeup artist for “Saturday Night Live.” “Arrested Development” ran for four seasons and has recently been given new life on Netflix. Hale’s character of Buster Bluth is a favorite among the show’s fans.
Hale says the success of “Arrested Development” taught him an unexpected lesson. “I always thought the ultimate thing in life would be to have a sitcom, and that would completely satisfy,” Hale told RELEVANT magazine in 2003. “Now that I have it, it doesn’t. It’s great, and I’m very blessed to be in the position I’m in, but it doesn’t completely satisfy. Whatever someone’s ‘ultimate’ is, it will never fully satisfy. Only God can do that, and I had Him all along.”
When Hale speaks to Christian audiences, he continues to use that experience to remind people to be content where God has placed them and that true satisfaction comes from Christ.
Since “Arrested Development” ended its network run, Hale has not lacked for work, appearing in a variety of successful films and television programs, leading to his role in “Veep.” He is often asked how he lives out his Christian faith in the entertainment industry. Surprisingly to some, he says he doesn’t feel a tension between the two.
He told RELEVANT magazine, “It’s about showing the love of Christ wherever you are. In comedy, there’s a lot of cynicism because some of the really good comedy comes out of extreme brokenness. A lot of people in this industry are hurting, and you find it’s a good opportunity to show the love of Christ to those around you.”
Hale remembers his Samford days fondly and enjoys returning to Birmingham as often as he can. In a 2011 interview, he told Brad Radice, Samford’s director of media relations, “When I was here at Samford, it was such a fantastic time and I had such great opportunities.” His advice to students? Don’t put too much pressure on yourself in college to have everything all figured out. “It’s up and down, it’s an emotional roller coaster, but it unfolds itself in time.”
Calming words from a man who, at least these days, has quite a bit of activity swirling around him.
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