A Scandal Star Talks Good Eats & Playing POTUS

Life is good for Tony Goldwyn. As President Fitzgerald Grant III, not only does he run the country, but he gets to cozy up with none other than Kerry Washington's Olivia Pope. His character — and his character's character — is a subject of great contention among the show's fan base (and even the cast), but no one can deny that Goldwyn himself is a total charmer. It might be the adorable trait that lends itself to late-in-life success, but we just can't get enough of the actor. And, as it turns out, neither can The New Potato. The intrepid writers behind the food blog caught up with the actor at one of his favorite L.A. eateries, to um, grill him on his daily grubbing and the role of a lifetime.

To kick things off, Goldwyn dished (sorry, we had to!) on his ideal eating day, and it sounds a lot like our own. "First order of business, STRONG black coffee," he told The New Potato. "Ideally French roast, but I’m flexible." He also enjoys creature comforts like a true flaky croissant, fresh oysters, and authentic Italian sandwiches. It sure sounds like we have a lot in common.

He also disclosed how Scandal's success is partly due to the cast's active Twitter presence. "Scandal was truly a grass roots success," he said. "The ratings were respectable to begin with, but we were really discovered on Twitter. Given the exponential impact on Twitter, the fans basically told the mainstream media to pay attention. The press, and frankly the network, were caught by surprise. By the middle of Season Two, the show was on fire."

Outside of the show's breakout success, Goldwyn truly loves taking on the role of President Grant. "The great thing about playing Fitz is the contrast of dark and light in the character," he said. "I’ve played a lot of villains and more than a few upstanding guys, but Fitz is both at once. And he’s the freaking President of the United States!"

Head over to The New Potato for the full interview, and to check out musings from the other cast members as well. And, of course, don't forget about Scandal's season three premiere tonight — if you need us, you can find us glued to our TVs. (The New Potato)