Tim Baltz picked up a new, unexpected skill for the fourth and final season of “The Righteous Gemstones.”
Viewers can look forward to seeing Baltz’s character BJ, husband of Judy Gemstone, showcasing his pole dancing hobby during this season, which premieres on Sunday.
And it is largely Baltz actually on that pole. “I did most of my own stunts,” he told Variety at the show’s fourth season premiere in Los Angeles Wednesday.
“I would go probably three times a week, and I’d train for about two-and-a-half hours each time,” Baltz said. “And then once I got the routine down, I would go every other day, and I would just do it three times. So for an hour.”
Baltz trained with Tanya Christopher, who is president of the U.S. Aerial Federation organization, one of multiple supporters encouraging pole dancing to be added to the Olympics.
“I was essentially getting trained by the Olympic coach if pole dancing were to get in the Olympics, and she was incredible,” Baltz said.
But his preparation started even before he first approached a pole.
He recalled that David Gordon Green, an executive producer and director on “The Righteous Gemstones,” first messaged Baltz and said, “‘Hey, you should start Pilates right now because you’re going to need an incredible amount of core strength.’”
Baltz’s moves impressed Edi Patterson, who plays Judy Gemstone. “I’m so blown away by what Tim ended up being able to learn to do,” Patterson told Variety.
Patterson took some lessons for a scrapped idea to have Judy pole dance as well. “The storyline ended up changing, and honestly, I was like, thank God,” she said.
She said she found pole dancing to be “so hard and so painful.”
Baltz said BJ’s pole dancing conveys his inner qualities: “He’s trying to show his elegance, but also his power because he has a different kind of masculinity, one that’s rooted in being very loyal, fiercely devoted to his wife despite all the trials and tribulations that they go through.”
