David Denman Talks Juilliard, Living in NYC And 'Puzzle'

DJ Sixsmith 

New York will always have a special place in David Denman's heart. The actor went to school at Julliard, lived in NYC and recently returned to the Big Apple to film his new movie "Puzzle", which hits theaters on Friday.

"The city started evolving when I moved here from California," Denman told CBS Local's DJ Sixsmith. "I was here in the late 90s and it used to be a little sketch to go near Times Square. Now, there are luxury apartments and restaurants on every corner."

Denman was the first member of his family to go to college and didn't realize a school specifically for acting existed until his friend told him. The Juilliard School features prominent alums such as Robin Williams, Jessica Chastain and Miles Davis, and Denman says the experience at the prominent New York theater school lived up to the hype.

"Juilliard has the luxury of a certain standard of excellence. The training was great for me, it was very challenging and very difficult," said Denman. "There was a lot of pressure, but that pressure prepared me for the business where I had to do a monologue in front of 150 people on a set."

David's fondest New York memories include getting pizza with friends at Sacco Pizza and frequenting several bars on 9th Avenue near Lincoln Center. In fact, Denman got the chance to live in New York for the first time in 20 years while filming his new movie and checked out some of the same bars with his friends.

The 45-year-old actor is best known for his roles as Roy in "The Office" and Boon in "13 Hours." Denman has worked with stars such as Gene Hackman, Keanu Reeves, Will Smith and Daniel Craig, but he will never forget his time on "The Office."

"There were only six episodes in the first season and the numbers weren't great. The only reason they kept us on the air was because we were the most downloaded show on iTunes. You don't always get the opportunity to be on something like that with so many talented folks."

While Denman has played many great roles in his career, he is excited about his new movie "Puzzle," which was shot right here in New York. The movie features scenes at Grand Central Terminal, Washington Square Park and several other iconic spots in the city.