Exclusive: Michael Cyril Creighton on the Evolution of Howard Morris in ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Only Murders in the Building Season 5 Episode 9

Howard Morris has gone on quite a journey in this season of Only Murders in the Building. With his boyfriend Jonathan away on a tour of Thoroughly Modern Millie, he has been left to his own devices- quite literally, in fact. After the death of Lester the doorman, the sweater-wearing Arconia resident was assigned as the official trainer for his robot replacement, Lestr. 

To be needed is Howard's great joy and so, while the trio attempts to solve the crime of Lester's murder, Howard remains attached to the new doorman at his artificial hip. However, in the latest episode, things take an unexpected turn. With the future of the Arconia at risk, a new leader has taken charge of Lestr, thereby breaking the connection between Howard and his robot companion. 

Following this development and throughout the rest of the episode, Howard experiences the extreme ends of the emotional spectrum. Long-gestating feelings of loneliness come bubbling to the surface in a poignant moment shared with Charles (Steve Martin) where viewers learn about the end of his relationship with Jonathan. But, just when it seems all hope is lost, Howard becomes an integral part of the ongoing investigation after he discovers an important clue that proves critical to solving the ongoing case.

With the penultimate episode of Season 5 now streaming, BroadwayWorld caught up with Michael Cyril Creighton, who plays the lovable character in the Hulu series. The actor spoke about the many layers of Howard's personality, his evolution as a character, and how he might continue growing in the future.

This interview has been condensed for clarity and length.

I love how we’ve gotten to learn more about Howard this season, especially with the introduction of his mother in the flashback. What do you think that relationship really looked like, and how did it shape the Howard that we see in the show?

It's so interesting because I notoriously don't like to know what's coming, so I don't usually know where the storyline is going until it gets there. In season three, he says that he acted on stage, and his mother said she never wanted to hear his voice again because it was so matronly and shrill. To me, that was such a harsh, horrible thing to say to a young gay kid. I assumed that his relationship with his mother was very fraught and very dark. But then we see these lovely flashbacks this season, and I learned, along with the audience, that it was maybe a complicated relationship. Maybe she was a little overbearing, but there was so much love there, and it was a story of acceptance as opposed to a story of disappointment. I think it's so lovely that she might not understand his sexuality, but she definitely accepts it in the long run. 

Everything that comes out in episode nine makes everything that came before make sense. Sometimes Howard is addled with silly things. He has a pig, or a bunch of animals, or the robot this season. But I feel like, for the first time, we see him drop his guard and be very plain and real. Ever since his mother died, he feels deeply alone, and it makes the pig, the robot, and the animals make sense. I was a little nervous at the beginning of the season about the robot. I was afraid Howard was losing some of his humanity and some of his softness, even though he is sort of sharp and soft at the same time. But I always trust the writers, and when I got the script for episode nine, I felt like they really stuck the landing with Howard's storyline in this season. I feel like it was really satisfying.

Episode 9 really allows Howard to be vulnerable, especially in that conversation he shares with Charles. Why do you think he feels comfortable opening up to Charles at that moment, rather than to one of the other members of the trio?

I don't believe that Steve Martin and I have ever had a scene, just the two of us. It's always with the rest of the trio. The character of Charles is so lonely. He is someone who is deeply trying to find connection every season. He loves a dangerous woman. He gets in these awful situations and has a really complicated relationship with his parents. I think Howard might see some of himself in Charles, and just, in that moment, felt safe. Charles tries to connect with him, and sort of stumbles a bit, which is very human. 

Howard has a couple of major breakups in this episode. First, Howard loses the ability to unlock Lestr, but then we learn that Jonathan has broken up with him. What might have led to that breakup, and how can Howard move forward from here?

I didn't know there was a breakup until I read it in the script, and I did cry. The episode moved me a lot. I do love that Howard had that beautiful relationship with him that we saw in previous seasons. But also, I deeply believe it's Howard's first relationship. And as we all know, a first relationship may be fantastic, but it's oftentimes fraught and sometimes not the last relationship. 

I could see Howard getting a little jealous with Jonathan out on the road. He's out doing a tour of Thoroughly Modern Millie, and there are a lot of beautiful chorus boys. I could imagine him stalking Jonathan's Instagram a bit, getting a little micromanagey with their communications and whatnot. I don't think there was anything very dramatic in their breakup. I just think maybe it was time and maybe they were right for each other for a certain amount of time.

But it was a bummer. I love that character of Jonathan, and I love that actor Jason Veasey. I think it's wonderful that we showed that kind of love on the show, and I'm kind of glad we didn't see the breakup. It would almost be too much, I think. It leaves to Howard open to a whole new world now. He's a man about town and he definitely has some things he wants to explore, considering his relationship with this robot. The robot breakup was a lot of fun. It felt like a Tennessee Williams play in me, like Howard was going full Blanche DuBois. 

In that conversation with Howard and Charles, there's this really beautiful moment where they talk about finding one's people and the idea that maybe Howard hasn't found his people yet. Do you think that Charles, Mabel, and Oliver are his people and he just doesn't realize it? And if not, what kind of people do you think he truly belongs with?

I think he deeply wants to be part of the trio. He wants to be the fourth wheel on the tricycle. He wants to be validated by them. He idolizes them so much that I don't think Howard's ever going to get what he needs from Charles, Mabel, and Oliver. But I hope that, after what transpires in this episode, they have a newfound respect for him because he really is quite helpful. I mean, he has made some big mistakes. He has tried to figure out what he's good at and failed so many times throughout this series. But he really comes through this time with a pretty giant clue. I feel like that is such a satisfying and new beginning for him and his relationship with the trio, as far as who his people are. They're his people for sure, but I think that there's a gay community that he probably hasn't fully connected with. I would love to see what extracurricular activity he does that sticks because he has so many that just sort of are fleeting. He loves puzzles. He loves yodeling. He loves documentary filmmaking. He loves podcasting. He loves animals. And what is his relationship like with these people he works with at the library? 

But as the series goes on season to season, I think Howard is learning more about himself and becoming more of a confident person. This season, I think his confidence was a little misguided because he was convincing himself that he didn't need the trio, and he turned to technology as a way of comfort. I don't think that ever works for anyone, but I'm so glad that it came around. This episode, just as an actor, made me so happy because it really made the whole season make sense. It turned the whole story on its head for me as far as what was happening with Howard this season. I think he's going to continue to grow as a person and become more confident and more of the real version of himself that he's supposed to be. I love this guy, so I wish him the best. 

In addition to playing Howard, you’re also hosting the Only Murders in the Building podcast this season. How did the podcast come to be, and how did you figure out its format and tone? 

A few seasons ago, there was an after-show called One Killer Question that I hosted. There has always been an unofficial podcast that Straw Hut Media was doing for Only Murders and they started working with Hulu on this podcast. So it's the same people, Ryan [TIllotson] and Maggie [Boles], working with Hulu to create the format and the show and the questions. They love games, so they put them in there. I'm not particularly great at games, but I try. I do love a good round of Celebrity.

They asked me to host it, and I asked if I could also executive produce it. I love doing it. I never thought I wanted to host a podcast. It wasn't something that was on my wishlist, but this show I could talk about forever. The people involved with this show, I just adore so much, both behind the camera and in front of the camera. The conversations feel very smooth and exciting, and I have so much knowledge that the audience wouldn't know because I'm there all the time, and I know the inside ins and outs of little anecdotes and jokes, and stories. 

What kind of acting skills do you use for hosting? Does it feel like a completely different thing, or does it feel similar because you're still in front of the camera?

I don't consider hosting acting. I consider it the most confident, easy version of myself possible, which sometimes is acting. Sometimes I'm nervous. Sometimes I am not as comfortable as I present. But I think the thing I love about hosting is that it's my job to make people comfortable and set the tone and keep it moving and engaging. And that's fun to do. I'm sitting in my five-floor walkup, zooming with Christoph Waltz from another country, trying to make that seem like a normal thing that I do. There are a lot of skills that I don't really think about that are there. But I'm really proud of it. 

In Season 3, we learned that Howard originally wanted to be an actor. So I have to ask: what would Howard’s dream Broadway role be?

Oh, there are so many. He would want to be Peachy in The Last Night of Ballyhoo. He'd want to be Mr. Bumble in Oliver! If they ever did a revival of The Food Chain, he would want to star in that. And I'm sure he would make a wonderful Mrs. Lovett, to be honest. And basically any role that Mary Testa has played. I'm sure he would be incredible in Xanadu. There are so many. But it's never going to happen for him. Well, maybe it will happen for him. Maybe he will find a way to channel that. Who's saying he can't take an acting class?

Photo Credit: Hulu