Josh Gad, despite receiving accolades, including a Tony nomination for his role in The Book of Mormon on Broadway, didn’t have the best experience on set. In his memoir In Gad We Trust, the Frozen actor reflects on his challenging time working with the director, Casey Nicholaw. While Gad acknowledges Nicholaw’s incredible creative vision, which played a huge role in the success of the show, he reveals that the director’s leadership style left much to be desired.
Gad describes Nicholaw as lacking “social skills” and “team-building leadership,” which led to a tense atmosphere on set. He recalls feeling the brunt of Nicholaw’s anger, particularly when it came to him. “To the best of my knowledge, he either did not like that I predated him on the project or that he was saddled with me,” Gad writes, adding that the director’s treatment of him made each day on the show feel “unpleasant.”
What made this all the more difficult for Gad was a “deeply hurtful” public comment made by Nicholaw about him. In an interview with The New York Times, the director compared Gad’s comedic style to that of his co-star Andrew Rannells, saying Gad’s comedy came across as “Watch me. Love me,” while praising Rannells for his “grace and dignity.” It was this remark, Gad explains, that prompted him to open up about the tensions he felt while working with Nicholaw.
