'It's Very Un-Hollywood': Jared Harris On HBO's 'Chernobyl,' 'Mad Men' & Steven Spielberg

(CBS Local)-- We live in an entertainment world with a boatload of movie and TV options, but one show that has cut through this summer is HBO's Chernobyl.

The mini-series looks back at the 1986 nuclear accident in the Ukranian SSR that is considered the worst nuclear disaster of all-time. Jared Harris has been nominated for an Emmy as the lead of the show and says playing Valery Legasov has been one of the most fascinating experiences of his career.

"This one was immediate and there was a sort of momentum that was created by word of mouth," said Harris in an interview with CBS Local's DJ Sixsmith. "The real Legasov was married with children. From watching the footage of him that exists still, and there's not a lot because they did a good job of scrubbing him from the record, he felt like that traditional alpha male and that wasn't appropriate for our story. There was a lot of nuance to his journey when you talk about the guilt factor. They didn't expect ever to be put in that situation. It's very un-Hollywood."

"Chernobyl" was nominated for 19 Emmy awards. This is the second time Harris has been nominated for an Emmy. His first came when he appeared on "Mad Men." While the show was already hit by the time Harris jumped on, it was still a great feeling to be on a show everyone was talking about.

"I was watching a few episodes recently and it's just so smart," said Harris. "The incredible thing about that show is that nobody pulled out a gun and no one is murdered. It's about relationships. It's fascinating and so well written."

While Harris has worked with greats like Brad Pitt and Adam Sandler, he will never forget his time on set with Steven Spielberg in "Lincoln."

"I was really deeply impressed and thrilled by Spielberg," said Harris. "He has this excitement, joy, and enthusiasm about making films. He was making three films at that point. It was the constant feeling of the joy of discovery. He moves his actors, so that he doesn't have to constantly move his camera. He is so famous for moving his camera, but he moves his actors a lot."