C.J.: Cyrus Beene can spot the better kisser, even if Olivia Pope won't

The actor who plays despicable White House chief of staff Cyrus Beene on ABC's "Scandal" is directing a play at the Guthrie through Nov. 2.

Jeff Perry will be in and out of the metro while Keith Huff's play "A Steady Rain" is staged starring Thomas Vincent Kelly and Sal Viscuso. It's about six climactic weeks in the careers of two Chicago cops, whose friendship since childhood is changed forever.

That delightfully demanding "Scandal" shooting schedule gives Perry about a day's notice that he has no scenes and, therefore, the time to catch a flight from L.A. to here for a day to check on the play.

Perry, who loves teaching, directing and acting, has been coming to Minneapolis' Guthrie since he was a Chicago-area teenager. He is a founding member, along with Gary Sinise and Terry Kinney, of Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the distinguished Chicago ensemble theater that recently announced a leadership change.

During our phone call, Perry was also generously game to talk about "Scandal," which has brought him even greater fame than playing Meredith's father on ABC's "Grey's Anatomy." Perry was tremendous fun as we talked about Kerry Washington's recent claim that she doesn't enjoy kissing either of her leading men — not the president, not the captain. Riiiight. And I learned from Perry that TSA agents may be the biggest Gladiators of all.

Q: "A Steady Rain" is a great project. How'd you get it moved to Minneapolis?

A: When I and Sal Viscuso and Tom Kelly knew we were in love with the play, I probably wrote 40 letters to artistic directors around the country. Pretty much all of them had their 2014-15 seasons completely planned and committed. Joe Dowling happened to lose a project, I don't know the name of it. He responded immediately [saying] I know this play, I like this play, I'm going to come out. Within a couple of weeks he saw the L.A. production. We started figuring out the logistics and here we are in Minneapolis. I'm talking to you from L.A. but I was with you yesterday and I'll be there tomorrow. I'm on a very happy but very traditionally short tether with my television shows. They plan about eight, nine days at a time but if certain things go wrong you can knock that down to newspaper time. I know the night before what I'm doing the next day, very often.

A: Sal and I met at the Hollywood Y. Both on one of those funny little not-a-bicycle [but elliptical machines]. Sal started referring to a 1989 production at the La Jolla Playhouse of the "Grapes of Wrath" I was in and we started talking about everything under the sun. I said, "Sal, I love teaching. Why don't you come play around in a scene study class." And this was 25 years ago. Sal tackled everything — Chekhov, Tennessee Williams, John Steinbeck, Tony Kushner, all sorts of interesting playwrights. I was in such admiration of his talent and dedication, we started looking for a play. Sal knew Tom Kelly. Tom and I didn't know each other in Chicago, even though we both have roots there. Sal asked Tom that we all sit down and read it. I was immediately convinced that Tom would be great for it and we started working. It was brokered around my gig at the time because mine was the most known gig that the three of us had. In kind of the non-"Scandal" time in L.A. over months we'd be in each others' living rooms and chip away at what would be in normal circumstances a four- to six-week rehearsal. We did it when we could but with regularity. Got to know the playwright, Keith Huff, all three of us. "A Steady Rain" is such a unique [play], almost like a brilliant audio book meets a play. The word imagery and the dexterity and fluidity with which it takes these six very climactic weeks in the lives of two guys who have been friends since they were kids, who are partners on the Chicago police force. We see so many ways in which their relationship changes forever.

Q: The theater community wants to know what is the story behind the changing of the guard at Chicago's Steppenwolf, where Martha Lavey is out as artistic director after 15 years or so?

A: Martha's been there 19 years. There have been discussions with Martha, with her associate artistic directors, and kind of the tribal elders who are Gary Sinise, Jeff Perry and Terry Kinney. Discussions have kind of gone on over the last year or two. And it's a broader discussion of how do we keep infusing and making sure … 20-, 30- and 40-years-olds [are] interested. There is a big chunk of the company that is in its 50s and early 60s. That's a part of the discussion. Another part was Anna [Shapiro, the Tony-winning director who will succeed Lavey, considering other offers.]… In [Lavey's] heart and our heart it was, "Oh, man, we know that a succession is going to make sense. Martha is absolutely beloved but she held it longer than any artistic director we've had by quite a long shot." And she herself said new voices and new kinds of conversations are vital. It felt like she brought it up as much as anybody: We all know Anna is starting to get these opportunities. I think we'd all kick ourselves if she was running a theater in New York, or somewhere else when she's grown up here. That's really a lot of the impetus of the discussion.

Q: Do you have a nephew, Jai Henry, who is your social media adviser and from Minneapolis?

A: Yes, I do! [Playfully.]

A: That is true. Jai was born in Minneapolis and his mom, my sister, has passed away. But Jai and I have always been real close. He is a [Chicago] composer and band leader and musician. He was savvy with Twitter long before I was. I said, "Jai, would you help me, man?" We've had a really good time with the "Scandal" Twitter-land.

Q: The great success you are having between "Grey's" and "Scandal," I am assuming, is easier to deal with when you're not 20?

A: It is, I'll bet, in any profession. … I'm 59, you get seasoned by now. It is remarkably easy to appreciate the beauty of the circumstances that I'm in. I'm with colleagues who love going to work. We're under the guidance of, I think, one of the greatest television writers of the 20th century — I'll be bold, the 21st century: Shonda Rhimes. I just think she's an incredibly unique and powerful and gifted voice. She writes great ensemble work. We're an ensemble of nine regulars and at any given time four to six really interesting recurring parts feel like regulars, they are written with such richness, such depth, such dichotomy. I could not be happier. I love this. Friends ask me if I'm having a good time, I said, "My cheeks hurt, man, I've been grinning so hard."

Q: You getting recognized much on the plane rides back and forth between the Twin Cities and L.A.?

A: Funny you bring up the flights. If it were legal I'd pay [all the TSA agents] and say, "You all are kind of my agents." That is the more rabid, wonderful fan base for Cyrus Beene on "Scandal." The men and women of the TSA invariably, this whole three years, are just Oh my gosh, could you just tell me what's going to happen? I'd get fired. I would not have any more fun if I tell you what's happening."

A: She runs a tight ship. This show relies on seven OH MY GOD moments per episode. I can't ruin any of those.

Q: Cyrus Beene is a widower with a kid now. Would you want someone as evil as Cyrus raising your child?

A: I'll tell you what, C.J. I've been wondering where Cyrus is going to go and what's different about him. What has this done to him? The death of his husband [played by Dan Bucatinsky] was part of a bigger storm in his life. The most important, obviously, and deepest loss and a personal loss. Cyrus is smart enough to know that rather than putting out fires everywhere, he helped cause this. There are early indications, I am three or four episodes ahead of the public in shooting and reading scripts, but there's kind of growing indication and I think the jury is out [regarding] how Cyrus has changed. I say all that to say: Can Cyrus possibly be a father? Shonda hasn't really addressed that yet.

Q: Do people on the street seem to hate you more for not being a good father to Meredith Grey or for being so horrible as Cyrus?

A: It's funny. I think people like some evil if there is complication to it. You are going to try to get at the ying and yang of people and their complications. There are these strange moments where Cyrus is kind of undeniably idealistic, really faithful, even kind of romantic.

A: Well, there you go. Then I've got to act better.

Q: No, no, no. I just think he's a bad seed. Moving on … Kerry Washington is quoted in People magazine as saying she doesn't enjoy kissing either Tony Goldwyn or Scott Foley. Which one looks to you like he'd be the better kisser?

A: [Sustained laughter] Um, I think there might be a little more mischief in Mr. Scott Foley. A little bit more bad boy. And Tony Goldwyn, oh, he's like Abe Lincoln, you know, to me. If you're lucky like Olivia you just go well I think tonight it'll be this, tomorrow it'll be that.

Q: I didn't believe . I just think she is saying that so her retired NFL player husband doesn't get jealous.

A: [More laughter] That thought jumped into my head. She so loves her Nnamdi [Asomugha].

A: We love talking about work. The only thing we don't really ever, ever, ever abuse — we're kind of boy scout and girl scout about it — is that she naturally has one week, two weeks' advance on where a story is going, because right after writing starts, casting needs to know what's up. She'll see drafts and outlines and character analysis we actors never see. We might see the seventh draft of something. We never talk about that. There were a couple funny times, C.J., where she'll let out a yelp and I'll find out 10 days later. … She'll say: Oh, I can't believe … No, it's not about you. Don't worry about it. And I know she's lying. And then I find out, oh, Shonda has made my character gay, as she did in the fourth episode of the series. Or, I have to be entirely naked. It's pretty funny. Yeah, one of those yelps was from the adjoining room and one was all the way from the back yard.

Q: I know that TV money is great but if you can only do one for the rest of your life: theater or TV? Please pick.

A: Ahem, oh, C.J., that's too mean. Theater is home base. It's love. I never, ever, ever will give it up. But I've grown to loooove camera work. And I didn't know if I could. So, I refuse. I can't answer it, hon, I've got to have my cake and eat it, too.