8 Quick Questions for Benjamin Bratt

Poker Face has a throwback feel to it, like old-school network shows. Is that intentional?

That was very much part of Rian’s idea — to throw a nostalgic nod to [shows such as] McMillan & Wife, Columbo, McCloud — but he’s also mentioned publicly that he’s influenced by shows like Murder, She Wrote and Magnum, P.I. I certainly remember those shows. It was in that era of event TV [when] the entire family would gather round for the murder mystery of the week, and watch it together and figure it all out as a collective. It was a lot more fun to watch a story unfold in that way. I’m happy to see that format return. Of course, with the addition of Natasha, and Rian’s writing style, he’s completely injected it with rocket fuel and contemporized it and made it much more dark — much more darkly humorous, more shockingly violent —  and yet somehow still in the realm of family entertainment. … The fun is watching his lead protagonist — this very idiosyncratic, unique personality who’s got this incredible kind of one-off ability to tell when someone is lying — discover what the truth is, and then peel back the layers to find out what really happened.

Bratt, seen here with co-stars Natasha Lyonne and Adrien Brody, plays Cliff Legrand on the Peacock series “Poker Face.”

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Speaking of nostalgia, what decade stands out in your mind?

The decade I’m most emotionally attached to is the ’70s, for a lot of different reasons. A lot of my memories are linked to music. In any decade where you have the emergence of the Eagles and Queen and Earth, Wind & Fire, alongside divas like Aretha Franklin and Roberta Flack and Gladys Knight … they are truly the soundtrack of my life. … What’s remarkable is a lot of them are still touring and playing music, and the people in the audience are older than me, and I’m 59. It goes to show the staying power of the emotional connection that music provides.

You had a close relationship with your mother, who was a passionate activist for Native American rights. How did she influence you?

Listen, the number one lesson I learned from my mother is that you can’t love your kids too much. There’s no such thing as over-loving your children. The most successful, independent, self-actualized people in the world were more than likely deeply loved and nourished by their parents. So I know they go into the world with at least that confidence: that they know they belong somewhere, that they come from somewhere, that they are loved and that they are capable of deeply loving themselves. ... I also acknowledge it’s a tricky time for young people. I didn’t grow up in a time where there was such a thing as social media or even the internet. I count myself as blessed for having grown up in that time, because it teaches you how to survive and socially connect. I think a lot of young people are missing out on that today. With that in mind, my wife and I do our best.

Do you have big plans for your 60th birthday?

I don’t. And it’s not because I have a fear of getting old or I’m not enjoying it. I actually quite enjoy the ease I feel really in this era of my lifetime — in being very clear on what’s important to me and very clear on how to maintain a peace and harmony within my family life and the balance of my work. It’s the best time of my life. I will have been married for 21 years [to actress Talisa Soto] this coming April. My kids are thriving. I have a 20-year-old daughter and a 17-year-old son, and they really are the center of my universe. Work is important — it’s always been important — but it has always been secondary to those other priorities for me. And right now I’ve struck a really nice balance. I’m at a place now where I’m very clear on how to achieve that, and it’s harmonious.

Looking back, what advice would you give your 21-year-old self?

Keep doing what you’re doing. You’re on the right path.