Segarra stars as retired Rangers goalie in 'The Big Door Prize'

As soon as Josh Segarra heard his new role involved the New York Rangers, he knew it was the part he was born to play.

The 36-year-old actor stars as Giorgio, a retired Rangers goalie who now owns an Italian restaurant/sports center, on Apple TV+'s new show "The Big Door Prize."

"On that first zoom read I wore my red, white and blue Reebok tracksuit," Segarra said. "I had to represent right from the beginning. I didn't rock my Rangers jersey; I didn't want to go full [fan] there. I have a Messier jersey...but I had to rock the track suit at least."

Segarra is fresh off a starring role in the hit movie "Scream VI," the latest installment of the iconic horror franchise, which is set in New York City. And now his latest role is another with ties to the Big Apple.

"The Big Door Prize" is a comedy set in a small town where a machine appears that reveals resident's "true potential." Segarra's character, whose hockey career with the Rangers was derailed by an injury to his catching hand, receives the "Superstar" card from the machine and is continually trying to live up to the superstar Giorgio once was.

"I think in the episode we are going to get to, you really dig deep in that, and you see that he just wants to be loved and just wants someone to tell him he's doing okay," Segarra said. "He might live in the glory days he might talk about when he made the winning shot or scored the winning touchdown, but it's just because he's trying to remember those days."

In preparation for the role, Segarra broke out his ice skates just in case showrunner David West Read asked him to hop on the ice. He also watched videos of Igor Shesterkin and Henrik Lundqvist to get into the goalie mindset.

Segarra is loving the intensity of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He is all-in on the Rangers going all the way this year.

"In these playoffs you see everyone kind of find their roles," Segarra said. "I love our young guys, I love our kid line, which has been really fun to watch. We can play three four lines in the third period; we can go deep."

Hockey is also becoming popular in the Segarra household. The actor, who is the proud dad of three sons, says after showing his kids football, basketball, soccer and hockey, the oldest immediately gravitated towards the sport on ice.

"It's definitely something about the way the game is played on screen, I think he loves, so you know I have a feeling that hockey is going to be in our lives for a long time," Segarra said. "I didn't grow up watching, but now as an adult [with] my boys, definitely."