Matthew Perry, Fred Armisen and more Comedy Actors on THR's Roundtable | Emmys 2013

what is the craziest thing you've ever done for a laugh and this can be on your current show it's gonna be in any other job that you've had I don't think we want to answer that private taking your stay we answer every question as a group like that that's private we how did you sure it's a good question with my resume as a group we're going to say it frankly I mean I think it's a as a group we decided to disband our lives pretending to the other people that's the craziest thing that's a big very large overarching crazy thing yeah yeah as opposed to doing something else or something funny there's some funny answer that I could have loved it I guess I probably put on a wig you put on a wig yeah as a kid probably that was my first thing to like do something stupid to make someone laugh how old were you uh you know 32 yeah uh you know there's pictures that would say no there's pictures of me from 5:00 on like all the sudden in a way I'm like who in the hell put me in this wig it's like oh you always went to wear wigs I've always wanted wear wigs and makeup did i okay all right yeah do you still have any copies those pictures yeah have a member in my room when you still have any copies of those wigs yeah yeah that a week this is a wig good one thank you anyone else anything come to mind you know when I was a kid I used to we used to do talk shows with my family where I would be the host and my siblings would be the guests and our draw little bit chest hair and a mustache and we knew that like you know hosts had like booze but we didn't know his room so we'd have like glasses that were a dream so we would do that for us I like that the talk show host had chest hair yeah pictures about Rochester a month I knew the kind of guy I wanted to be like seven right but so a lot of the pictures I'm like holding a glass just doing like the the fake big laughs like amazing who was your inspiration like who was a talk show host that had a lot of chest hair you think I can't hear what talk what public access shows were you watching it's a good man I can't handle I'm sorry Burt Reynolds had a talk show yeah yeah well he did guest hosts the Tonight Show all of them but was he able to inserted I kid about I don't know at least in my like seven-year-old you know fantasy version it was open shirted mustache the sad reality is my cousin was always you know one of my cousin's always was like a football player my brother was a politician you know my sister was creating stuff and my other countries it was always like a hooker but in terms of like what that would be at the talks you just like where Keith dress and be like I'm bubbles so just getting back it's like what were you doing we're not gonna go so just curious what's she up to these days this is Joe not here no no yeah break mirror here you know you could pitch that show now you got that power tool and get it out there that's a very involved production at your house though I like to the talk shows too but I only just wanted to come out from behind the curtain and I did that a lot when I was very young like Johnny but I didn't want to do the rest of the job or maybe I have the energy to organize everybody in the family to do the whole thing I'm not sure I'm very impressed it but you do the willing to oh yes as the host ER is the guest on as the host Oh gotcha ears I don't know Jim Jim well yeah but I think I wonder if it was I don't know what I said that Mister Rogers sweater those are the two things I wanted want to take a sweater out of the closet I wanted to come from behind the curtain how often did you do that I don't know it stopped around three or four this was very young so I think it happened I was done with it by them I think here's we're done I'll be back in an hour it's really more together that's also a really high concept idea for a talk show is just coming out of a curtain and then roll credits what it's done do you pay overtime to pay for it yeah it's for methanol from SNL yeah well I mean they're all crazy you know the whole schedule the whole thing is crazy so it's almost like I can't think of any part of it that's not but as far as trying to get a laugh I mean I don't think I we think so much about trying to get a laugh I mean I think they happen or they don't and it's kind of beyond our control really you know if it would be nice if we could control it but can't really no killing you stumble upon them yeah I think landmines yeah I'm taking it in a little bit of a different direction if you've got to be a network executive for a day what's the first change you'd make or thing you do oh my god I would change the way actors get jobs for TV shows I mean I think that's kind of slowly changing where the whole test process is kind of being old-fashioned where you go in front of a roomful of you know executives wearing suits and ties multiple times to get your job versus you know putting a performance on tape and letting an editor edit it with the showrunners the best performance because in reality that's what happens on our TV shows I would I would change that because I feel like there's there's a better process to finding great talent than that whole situation I was my rock but I had to test in front of everybody yeah it - I kind of want like I this year I was like talking to people who said their whole test experience was they were recommended did something on video and then three weeks later got offered the part and they're like crazy yeah doing the test there's so much anxiety it's a nice kind of like hazing in fraternity or like I don't want everyone to go where people are get on TV shows to have to go through that it's terrible and you get nervous and like yeah test in front of everybody but I think it's smarter especially with a single cam show to you know shoot it and edit it see how it actually be on the show I wonder I wonder if like the psychology behind it is they just want to see how much pressure you can take and still be competent I think it's sadistic and and not great not a great system but there must be some reason behind because I like 10 years ago I I remember going it was like an arena full of people like it was it was like 40 people and you have to do these it was horrible my standard line when I would go in and get the opportunity to test in those rooms well I would always say like I've done theater for less people in this like it was all I've done a play for less people than resort oh sure for sure what other changes might you make if you had power on that executive level you know in the way people consume the programs the way they're disseminated anything there's a couple of things that are that just don't make any sense to me the whole idea of making a bunch of pilots making a hundred pilots knowing that you're going to so paying for a hundred pilots knowing you're only going to use seven it's just such a crazy ridiculous waste of money so I don't know how you fix that but that just has always seemed ridiculous to me and I guess if like if I was running a network the ideology that you have to sort of aim right down the middle that you're aiming for something that 20 million people will watch I think it would be nice to just put on a show that you think would be great I think there's nothing wrong with putting on a show that twenty million people will watch but aiming to put on a show that 20 million people watch is not the smartest thing it doesn't well 29 people don't watch comedy I mean primetime shows anymore anyway yeah don't I know it do you miss my attention to you may things Minh is that something you were or focused on sure absolutely I oh my cousin done it well I mean it depicts I mean it dictates well if you get to keep your job so and it sent to you all the time you know you get an email or with somebody again CRO all the time unit but it is what your thing it's you know the Shama we just finished season two your everything you're hearing about it you want to come back so yeah you know people can say like oh you guys will come back for sure and you hear that but if the ratings start really slipping on anything they're not going to put something on and spend a lot of money if people aren't watching it yeah so you watch the ratings and you want people to like it so that you can keep working I think the actors who don't pay attention to it at all either are on such like huge monster shows where it's like great you don't have to at that point I feel the rest of it's like everybody does I think I would also kind of try and if I was running a network which will I will never do I don't know you know I think that's selling yourself short yeah I think you're right I think really honor India roundup made plans yes essentially have not changed my mind I'd rather you know okay forget it's not you actually will make it great mr. green with everything everyone said yeah I think I would try and pick the right showrunners and then leave them alone I think when we really have seen the results of that it's it's different than when there's constant Network meddling I think that shows sort of kind of get watered down and turn into something other than they were originally intended to be and as long as you pick the right people to make the shows I think leaving them alone and trusting them empowering them with the creative voice of the show I think always or not always but you know it's a big gamble anyway so why not gamble on the person that you've asked to make the show and see what they come up with because that's I think that's where the great shows come from is from that there's the creative people how involved are you guys with the notes process on your shows do they trickle down to you or sort of the writers shield you from not a lot really a lot yeah we go through them on Portlandia IV all the time so is it's trying to find the balance between seeing if it's a real exit is an actual valuable note or if it's something to be ignored what's a really ridiculous note they've gotten in the last few years oh my god they're in so many but I think I mean they're just they're just so many but I don't want to you know all these people are trying to do is just make the show better so it's that we all have the same goal so I don't have ridiculed it too much but um but sometimes it's the opposite of what we're thinking because sometimes it's some of it is nonsense and abstract you know of what the kind of joke we're trying do so you just have to figure out a way to ignore it or take it and sometimes they're great notes sometimes it really does turn things around and it sometimes it really helps so I'm not against notes I'm not I don't I don't subscribe to like they're crazy or they're they're dumb or anything like that sometimes it has helped does NBC give notes to Lauren anymore about us at all I mean this is that I have no idea you know I'm no idea and what about in your characters in the writing process do you weigh in no I wish that I could deliver this line a little differently do I wish that my character could do this in your case do do you want they can just to get together do you not do you do a voice opinions like that well these on our show we improvise a lot so we're given takes where we can kind of do it away we want to do it and our Creator you know Liz Merryweather is open to things so you know I probably email her and talk to her too much but in the truth she has final say so I kind of think that I can throw any idea at her if she doesn't want to do it it's her show but yeah I like being able to throw ideas oh do you do that before you shoot or as you're shooting do you come up with stuff I I'm Monday Morning Quarterback it a lot uh-huh so after it airs what people don't like I go like Liz I knew that was insane that was really bad you should listen no I will I'll go before I'll pitch things we're also like it'd be great if we could do this and then you know a lot of most of it is thrown out and then on set you know we'll do we'll be shooting it as we're shooting we can say what if we try that and you know it's a little bit of both how about the rest of you that's what working on your shows I think on our show we kind of just do it until everyone agrees that it's not right and then it's an all-hands-on-deck approach like people ask all the time like do you improvise on the show and it's like minut moments do we improvise like in interviews sometimes we'll improvise but for the most part it's kind of a bigger thing than that in it that when the scene is just not playing the way it intended then it's writers and producers we either have Chris or Steve on set with the writer so we always have you know at least two producers there plus the director and plus us so we all have input but my personal thing is I just in it I guess it's just from like being a bunny to be a pleaser is I just do it until somebody says something and I just assume that I'm going to trust everyone around me that it's not good and if they if I hear something from someone then I'll you know change it but in the beginning you know I just go with like you know my instincts and then I wait and listen and see if anybody has anything besides similar with us too we don't we don't improv at all and and that's just not the way it's set up it's not that it's like a hard environment where you would be scared to it would just wouldn't fit in and I don't personally give any character suggestions for two reasons the number one I've never wanted for anything as far as doing the show I've always I've always been very well I enjoy what I do and I'm entertained by the ideas that come down I love executing them but the other thing is and this is kind of sneaky I think on my part but I can tell it's in my head I don't I like not being responsible for it I like executing an idea that isn't my own and that that frees me I don't have to defend it I don't have to sell it I just I just have to do it and then it's exactly like you said when it's not if it doesn't work they change it because they don't want to air it any more than I would want it aired so I just have to keep doing it and finding my way with it and for me that's really freeing you know but we don't improv at all it's just never been that way it's interesting Matthew how about on your show well I'm the exact opposite are you really I really am the exact opposite I Scott Silveira is the showrunner for my show and we did friends for you know a long time together and at the pilot he'd written was so good it was so smart and my only question for him I said I don't have any creative questions it's a great script and the way we did friends was there was no there was no nobody tyrannical there was you know everybody was you know best joke one no matter where it came from the craft service person anybody and I said you know my only question is in the last eight years have you become an [ __ ] that's all I said and he said no I have and I said great I'm in and so he allowed me to do like a quick pass you know I'm on the scripts and and then just you know a quick little punch up of my stuff if if it didn't sound right coming out of my mouth because he brought that for you and with you in mind I guess I guess he writes that kind of change this dynamic probably while he was writing yeah I I really like the you know they have a little hand in it if I if I can and it makes the job much harder but I you know by now because I've been doing this so long I sort of know my voice and know you know and so but the same token it is his show so it's up to him yeah I guess I think about that all the time with with my character is like well who I mean Steve and Chris created the character I say the words for the character so I I don't know who's who's the shepherd of the character I mean I get to put on the shoes and the shirt and get my hair blown dry and walk into it but that's not literally my character and it's like they passed it off to me so it's those moments where I'm like where I hear other actors like say well would I would kick with the character say that's like wool who knows what the character would say it's not real like it's just you know but but then you do become the voice of it so you specifically with my stuff it's like regional things Kam's from you know the part of the country where I'm from so I have I have a say in how farm terms come out of my of my character or you know I just lost a little battle on the show I want to say we're in the episode where we were explaining to Lily she's not gay she's Vietnamese like when her little friend says she's Italian she's from you know she's from Italy she's Italian and I kept wanting to say Italian I said kam would say just like little so-and-so's from Italy that means he's Italian and they were like you know it just does I'm like I'm telling you people were on from saying Italian and they wouldn't let you well they did but then they didn't news that's how they make social they do this they do that all the time they're like it's really smart check let's do it and I'll shoot it up like thank you guys it just felt better then I watch on Tuesday no one else at all right I guess they feel better so that's you mentioned the friends piece and I'm curious obviously ratings aside because we're at a different era what's the biggest difference between being an NBC star today versus 10-15 years ago the the free Ferrari again Friday morning yeah the laughs was first perhaps answer or not but it's I mean it's completely different you know do you know when friends started there were no there was no cable there was no like hot food there's no mass transit you know it's like just the other day no no it's a mean it's just really really completely completely a different thing I mean friends was getting I guess what like American Idol gets every week so it's a it's completely completely different do you feel more or less pressure as talent now than before like on a day-to-day basis sort of the shows riding on me I mean you obviously part of a large ensemble their show's ensemble now but you're the sort of center of it yeah I mean I don't know it really is because the because it's it's all changed so much that I had no expectation of it even being close to you know I always have the same thing I think it I think it just comes out of a out of fear of not getting a laugh like I that I had from the time I was a kid so I really sort of obsess on this joke doesn't quite work we've got a we've got to get this right I was always like that whether I was a member of it like a six person ensemble or whether I'm the center of a show I was just always kind of like that but it just feels 90 day with your taping process completely different too right yeah I mean y'all a single coming multi-camera in before an audience on friends yeah and that's a very different because I was talking to you about at the Kings game that was that job was ridiculous it was you know it's in front of a live audience it's you know it was like a ten to four kind of job and we only worked a third of the time like you yeah on my show I do okay take it easy no I'm just saying it's amazing we only worked a third at a time and on my show I worked like 15 hours a day like every day and I was like why in the world did we stop we all decided you know what let's stop I'd love to get anti machine right now and go let's not stop I don't think anyone wanted you to stop either do you miss the live audience I do a little bit because it you know it's a completely different type of acting I think you know it certainly breeds a like playing the last the back seat in the audience it's breeds of slightly bigger performance and I also get a kick out of being able to play something a little bit more real yeah but it really is it really is different it's probably like in you you probably have it ever in you on Saturday nights like that rush of the live audience it must be it would I would think it would be tough to give it up and move on to something something else and to say goodbye to that like it must be so fun to have that every week it really is fun we I my theory on it was I've done it you know we did 236 episodes but it's like it's like the difference is sort of if you are sad about something if your character sad about something or very angry instead of just playing it exactly the way somebody would play angry or sad you're sort of saying I'm going to be angry and sad now so so watch this you're going to enjoy it and in a one camera show you you you play it more right you know that's sort of the difference or at least for me it is right a lot of these characters are some iconic characters do you guys worry as you're as you're taking them and you're and becoming them about being typecast at all no that wouldn't be very fun to work under that worry you know but is it a concern I understand what you're saying and I'm not you know I certainly things like that happen but I don't know it doesn't that doesn't matter it can't matter you know what I mean if that makes any sense yeah why what are you supposed to do backpedal and do less of a character or something I don't know I don't know how you you know do you have a do you think that people have a hard time thinking of you for different roles I'm sure some people do okay because I'm like that's okay that's that's that's a you know that's just what obviously this isn't the only thing you're doing you do know everybody or does bad things and then that's my job is to keep doing other things too that's the only way around that you know and that's why it's okay with me too because I enjoy working I enjoy doing other things so having that hurdle you know is that's fine that's fine I always see it as sort of a reflection of the person that says anything about it like my view on it might like when people tweet me when they've seen me on American Horror when they've seen me in an episode of a TV show I did well before Modern Family and they say cams in this episode of NCIS I can't take it seriously anymore I just think you're stupid I think well you don't understand acting and people because that's not cam that's a different that's me I mean or somewhat close to me I just think it's hilarious just get ready yeah I love that you know ed O'Neill's ed O'Neill's the same way I said I just started keeping track in a different way uh you know and I think Al Bundy versus yes and I think what he meant was dollars I mean if I'm to interpret it it's like he's like I'll just keep track it's not people saying yeah when people say hey al bundy he just keeps track that way that's hilarious I kind of feel like I was kicking around for like 15 years before having any semblance of success so if I'm I'd cast my great fine like I'm on a TV show I'm like type cast away or whatever because I'm just psyched to have a job and so I don't really look at that as I think that's a very nice problem item but I I just feel kind of excited to be in danger of being typecast it's kind of you're typecast cuz you've done like such a good job with a character that everybody loves it actually so you're like awesome right right that's a really hilarious way to think about it somebody goes yo Chandler and I just go red bull machine yeah crushed ice machine I should just do that you're really gonna do that yeah well speaking of fan interactions what are some of your that's great so computer j-law see what I'm getting very nice on the moment see how beautiful infinity pool Fred I'll start with you what are some funny fan interaction do you had are weird things that people have said to you um I went I was in Portland kind of going to the movies on my own and this woman just came up to me and said I work at his bakery here's a loaf of bread there's a large thing everything yeah but you know I couldn't like dump it out I mean I had to you know take it with with me to the movies because I just had this bread with me um I get given things she carrying that around in the hopes of running into you I think she was just off work she just finished work he just had a lot of bread with him so it wasn't teeny it was something that was that's really sweet when you think about it that's great you can be laughs see I give you bread yeah lunch is very literal greatly nice did you end up eating it part of it I couldn't do the whole kitchen sink it's a lot of product online yeah it's all carbs not watching normally by definitely theater to watch a movie yeah bread yeah well you don't maybe oh how was the rest of you any bizarre interactions I got given a knit cap at a taping the other night it was very I heard it happening we were in the middle of a scene or between scenes and so I was on the stage and I heard I made knit cap and I thought I'm not hearing this right and finally kept making its way down and finally I had to kind of walk it at the stage and get the are the set the audience and get the knit cap and say thank you did you put it on no I mean I was in Show hair how you want to cause anybody more work the whole thing but I thought that was very funny I don't know it was nice but I don't know what my character nor I are big into knit caps so it was just something to give I guess because of the character I play I get a lot of dust and register a tremendous amount of disappointment on people's faces when they made me me honestly people think oh that's probably not true but like it really is true because I as lovely as I think you all think I might be I'm nowhere near as lovely as people's hope that my character very different yes and so I get people literally say to me like Oh like or uh now Duke am like well you know I'm just well that's fun yeah for you yeah it is it what's doing cam like what are you supposed to do I don't know well washer and dryer yeah but the one that the one I think I love the most is when people come up to me and I and I can't imagine it happens to any of you guys cuz you're all extremely like traditionally handsome but people come up to me and tell me that I'm much better-looking in person and I'm not as heavy as they thought I would be like they literally say that out loud and then I'm left there just with like what do you have to say to that well I usually tell him to go [ __ ] himself no of course not no no no no no no no I'm always nice I was like well thank you very much you know that's so sweet I think women women actors or actresses get that a lot too yeah it seems to be a trend the skinny thing for sure you know the smaller short yeah I get you're taller you're more handsome and you're not as big as I thought you'd be like okay we're all positives are they we're right yeah back whoa you are fatter and uglier that would be way worse I get I got the first season the show it really spooked me up because I would get being like a supermarket and I would make eye contact with somebody and I would register that I think they just recognized me but they wouldn't be clear and then you would like see them around the grocery store and it's a really off-putting thing because they're not saying anything there being like polite about it but everywhere you go you would like see Sonia walk who just does like a and you're like like if you're gonna kill me just do it what are you planning just do it this is killing me I'm always curious with guy with you like how like because I think as actors we're aware of people like I think the reason we're probably actresses were investigators we were upward thinkers we look at yeah we're paying attention to things how do you like how do you just like skate by that because I mean I would be I would tell you the same thing like I've been on the show a couple years longer than you and I've already found myself being at the grocery store of like you know trying to not pay attention to that person who's totally circling me the whole time yet my nature is to know like hey I see circling you that's right and then all you're thinking about is that party like yeah I was on a nice train of thought yeah I want to go back to that thought I think about bread yeah and I was in a nice zone but do you just like how do you like how do you like do it well it's it's it's ah dinnae like well one thing is you don't go to the grocery store anymore yeah I don't want to do that I want to go to the grocery store I I like grocery stores - well then you guys have a real bill I'm not so but at but you know I go to the Kings games all the time you just sort of you know you you you know where you're going but that but the thing is that that some people turn really fast like they're big fan and wow I can't believe I'm meeting you this is great can I take a picture and I've air because I've been in the situation before and I very nice ice it's very nice to meet you the only problem is so many people around if we take a picture now it's going to a whole thing and then they just go well you're an [ __ ] yeah and that's when you have to just go you have to just let's not really like a wager to just really walk away yeah yes that's that change the way you do that yes you continue to say like I can't do a photo right now yeah because the book is also such a different time too because now you never know where that picture is gonna go and everybody that puts it on front Twitter and everyone has a camera but that's why I love when people come up and ask for like an autograph I think that's like such a cool thing it's like a retro thing it's like that yeah yeah absolutely what's your first name like and that's like a genuine like it's like a genuine moment in that time like a camera just like reduces it to like I'm gonna do this and you're gonna I'm gonna smile and we're gonna have this moment and then that that's it it's but like I always say like you know when that moments like we'll so where are you from and like try to talk and have a moment but you know picture just sort of puts it right down to its bare bones which is just stand there and smile I had a guy at the Patriots game I was at a Chiefs Patriots game and he's he was just walking down the aisle just like taking pictures and like hey man hey I'm just watching the game here goes you know in that he just started cussing me out just cussing me out telling me that he's never watching the show again how quick people turn it's refreshing to know that that doesn't change you can just say well lucky for me seventeen million other people well Adam what do you find people most sort of identity been in a lot of movies even in dramas you know it depends on the the demographic but I was going to say that the one cool thing is I get a lot of love from caterers at when I'm at events from Party Down I get like and that's a cool that's a fun group to kind of be in with when you're at the party yeah and they they can't they're just over the port they don't care about the poor they're kind of just working and over the whole thing and that's kind of usually how I'm feeling once I arrive you could have arrived at them a lot a lot of actors have the catering subculture like all right right right right um so so yeah so I get I get attention from the caterers which I which I actually do enjoy I had a weird experience recently where I was out in the front driveway of my house playing basketball with my son and one of those there's we live kind of in the in Hollywood and so there's all these Hollywood tours these open-air sort of vans and it seems like there's 70 of them and there they all just have their van painted in bright colors and have sawed the roof off and they just drive people around and which is very cool for someone's never been here it's fun but I was out front it was a surreal and this is going to sound sort of like a humble brag but it was actually a a strange shitty moment which was which just made it sound even more like humblebrag but was when I was there and they came by and I heard the guy on the loudspeaker say and now we're looking at parks and recreations Adam Scott's house and we're just standing there and I just had to like bring my kid inside and try and it was just a weird not great moment did he notice he did he and he didn't he's six so he's registering that this is weird and he knows that that's and so I don't know how they figured out that that's where we live but but it was a strange I think that's the thing people like I for myself like you know go to acting school and learn how to like deal with famous oh yeah deal with the the things that come along with your dreams coming true like that's the way it really comes down to it and I feel like yeah you know I can really empathize with someone young that hasn't happened I mean thankfully for me it was it my dreams came true but at 38 like when I was like able to really be grounded and smart with money and things like that but like I get like when you're 26 and super famous and have all the money like how things can go bad but also like just dealing with with with that part of your life it's not easy and you're learning it as it's happening so you're not always making the right choice the best choice you're learning how to go get a new pair of shoes and Jess go get a new pair of shoes and not like just you know kids you start to lose a little bit of what it is to be you may also be going off on this thing really fast there's also something that had because I was the same I didn't get in anything really until my late twenties early thirties and so I had that like well this is me I was a caterer so I was like oh I'm not really day job in it this is great but what people do when they recognize you is a lot of it's really nice and a lot of it really is like a cool moment but people take weird liberties that they wouldn't say to me have they not seen me on TV and it puts you in a spot where you're like like if some it with the phone someone takes your photo and then there's a few others and now you don't want to be that guy so you're like that's just yeah let's get this group really fast and I've honestly had my arms around some random dude someone's taking a photo he goes I don't know who you are but everybody else is doing it and I'm like your arms on my back man like it looks not you're like that was kind of a dig like your buddies are laughing your cheek is touching my cheek I don't know how to roll with this Mayo yeah and you just go like right up mammal all he cares that someone may recognize you in that later I want to be thanks for not watching new girl because I know you don't and thanks for telling me I love that's one of the why it has to be your favorites when people feel the need to come up to you and say I don't watch TV yeah I always ah I always mess with those situations like I always say well that's not true yeah I always love saying like the guy let's get the camera out of this situation yeah let's get the camera and these all these people out of this situation like I love to say that to that looking back is is there a - the camera yes by the way that doesn't happen to movie people it happens to TV people much more exciting people come up to me and just go I just got this sweater what do you think dude I really don't know but they're not going up to Anthony Hopkins and doing that you know I was wearing their that yeah I think it's a lovely sweater is there job you wish you could scrub off your resume ah you got a yeah set of that one oh sure I did a show up I did a pilot about a guy who was in charge of separating aliens luggage at the LA Airport in the year 2199 there's a real part of me to do this trip I did that the same year the same pilot season his friends Wow lax 2194 as it is it on YouTube it must be I wore a futuristic shirt and the aliens were little people little people wearing wigs yeah such a bother yeah who's this do you remember the showrunner was like I was a real show Barry Kemp you know he's God their world would be a different place at that I certainly wish it in here like that and friends to hear like your agents back then be like we love them both yeah Mac you're so good and bone I mean you're both home Hans let's just see what your great and I mean we love ya Fred about you I know you have a good story do i yeah I know you do no I actually think I mean to me um you know I know it sounds like a sort of utopian thing or a pretty thing to say but like even the jobs that it didn't enjoy very much kind of got me to where I am and I mean if it was a week out of my life or whatever I could never complain or think that like it was any detriment to me or the song editing job to like maybe a job you had on your way to I mean I've been in commercials and stuff is that what you mean no no even just a not like you know he'd done catering or doors oh you mean like non shows what are those those two yeah I wish I mean it would have been nice not to have worked in that many restaurants I think I have amnesia about it you know I mean I'm sort of just like deleted it from you know my life but yeah it would have been nice that was scaled down a bath mitt just like show business either either yeah anything egregious in your mind you that you just wish were not on your record they are in my memory correct in your memory if you could erase your memory I think working for a nightclub and having to go all I had to work for the I we had put flyers up everywhere and that was just I mean it was endless in every um shareable no reason it was awful just like packs of and them just handing me these these little packets of flyers to put in bags and stuff this is in Chicago okay I spent some time there so yeah that was like a room in Chicago it was um all through the 90s so you know 88 through 2000 oh Willy I was there 96 to 98 did you ever put flyers at 44:43 newspapers yes I'm gonna tell you me living no solicitors let me explain to you we didn't work she listed lycée oh no I know but they went but there's a technicality where it was actually outside of your property which actually we were totally allowed okay yeah and that ordinance did not pass it did pathway was it not true the research there's time for a phallus yeah we do have a Chicago City Councilor here yes one of the question I always have about SNL I mean obviously this is a show that is it's different ago through all their embarrassing jobs no this was good Fred's answer was really good they no matter how embarrassing at the time it was probably a big deal to get this job and and yeah like I've seen things pop up on TV and it's embarrassing but it's like well at the time I was really excited and you know so whatever yeah you're starstruck starstruck to be on a set of a and you're like wow I'm actually doing this so you do also learn from there some that I've had that I'm really embarrassing I've also learned like there was one that was terrible that the director called and told me I I go I didn't like the script I didn't like anything involved in it movie and the director called he's like I didn't like his shorts and I was like man my gut says no and he goes look my man we are making he's like I want to make Bottlerocket and at the time I was like all Rockets cool as hell so I said yes and I got down there and I'm like why did I trust that and I was like oh you can't just listen to the movies the director wants to make yeah yeah I want to make that too but your track record says you're not making that and that maybe had already been made yeah but all if you're near that I would have been thrilled if I've had the opposite experience where you you're kind of worried about doing something or you think like well it's such a it's an opportunity and I don't know if I should do this or not but then you listen to people and they say it's really good it's you know and then you trust it and then you see it and you're like oh my gosh I got I really did work with a whole lot of talented people like people are really good and this all really did come together better than I could have thought and I think it's saying the opposite is true as well where you take for granted that people are going to be good as good at their job as you hope to be as at yours and that's a mistake that I think people make sure the SNL piece of things which is obviously this show has created more stars than perhaps anything else out there I think one of the questions that comes up is when do you know when it's the right time to move on and I imagine that I mean you certainly witness many move on but well wherever the description that people have whenever they leave the show is you just know it they just feel it in their gut and it's just like they know that they could go even longer but they just feel it physically like you know what I think this is a good place to stop so that's how everyone's described it so far and do you guys try and keep them on board I mean there there's plenty of people that have-not know what it's not I mean that's up to that you know the talent department or Lorne I mean that's their this guy and it's different for everybody so everyone has different experiences with it but that's the way I've had it described to me ha leanness okay are they just it's almost like just being done with something you know they've done it enough years and they want to see what else is out there you know any any went through it she just knew and you know while she was doing great on SNL - she just felt like it was a good time to go so that that's what that's what I've heard and if you weren't acting right now what do you think you would be doing for work teaching teaching but still like to teach but I don't know if that's actually gonna happen but what specifically would you like - um Theatre real interesting not uh physics or anything no no but I would I really I loved being in school I especially loved being in college and I would I would happily spend time back there working I say that you know I think there's a lot of things that look attractive to me I'm like oh no I just want to play a teacher I don't actually want to spend Hardware every three days at the University but that I do suspect maybe that when I would actually have a higher tolerance for first for whatever reason not doctor not lawyer you're not anything like that hmm the rest of you what would you be doing if you weren't acting I was going to school to be a prison administrator I was studying criminal justice and I yeah I went to work in the federal penal system penal huh yeah yeah phenol but it's people that's my penis different being a pianist is not really good being a penis comedy working with penis no not then I guess system a system made entirely like a penis yes penal original right at what point did you that's a very different call earlier didn't play in college loved it like writing stuff down in my little book being told to come in stage left go downstage stand there deliver wine people afterwards said I was good at it I was stupid enough to believe them moved to Chicago got solicited by this mother I was hired to do it okay the tie me but uh you know that's it I I and there's no doubt I would be doing that because I like where I was from was 11 Neera Leavenworth Kansas and Leavenworth is known for its federal facility its Disciplinary barracks for the military like it's a prison town and so my dad knew a lot of people and so not only was I studying it I had an in you know my goal was to be like a mid I remember reading the career path I would I could expect to be a mid-level administrator by 35 it's a Terre Haute Indiana you know I just was always fascinated with prisons and crime so I thought well you can study that I'll do that intense yeah pretty crazy obviously the piece that you liked the most about your jobs is fairly I love what you do what is what is the piece of this job that you like the least I don't like the hours of a single cam you know we've got the same hours I think is you - where were you know 15 hours a day five days a week and we did 25 episodes this season so although you like everybody and you know we're having to be lucky and that we all get along with each other and we have a good crew we all crack a lot of jokes you know middle of episode 11 Wednesday at 2:00 in the morning or in video village is like we're not sure if this is working I'm like man let's just press the buttons on those boxes go home tonight yeah the average is very tough - in that way as you get deeper into the season I work with a huge cast and they are all so eager and so excited to be there that into the 14th hour they're singing know they're singing that's and joking around 14th hour like through like the action sometimes they'll say rolling there singing that's on me I got to talk about my wife just died I'm like guys can you stop the song just for a second so I can I got a quick sort of cry here we could just they're so excited and I'm you know a little jaded I've done a few shows before and I'd like to maybe go home so it's it's a it's a very different thing because this is a nice shot for them and just for some of them is the first shows and they're just thrilled you know but I'm like it's four o'clock in the morning backs and like the back lot of universal we've been here since 6:00 in the morning yeah once let's get this and go home I think that's always demonstrated when visitors come to sets in you know somebody gets there and we have great hours on our show so I have no complaints about that but like when people come from Kansas or Chicago or wherever to visit a set and they're so excited at 8 o'clock in the morning and then you look at them by 4:00 and you're like it's just like this every day yeah you do this like and it's not make no mistake we are not digging holes here we are not chained together making large rocks into small rocks it is not hard work but it it's always reflected back when visitors come are like oh my god this is now boring it started off so excited how today yeah if I just realized like the first part of penal is exactly like penis right it changes the second syllable is where it changes turns into a different word but since well it on that I should have said a correctional system since it starts out for action sounds like direction like very funny and then it's and then you realize he's meeting something else but it's almost more funny just because it's it ends up being something else entirely right you just think I'm saying penis is part of it it's insane raising people yeah yeah yeah this is actually what I imagined when they say there was like a group at Harvard who like all like the writers are at where they're like all the writers were in this Harvard group and they discussed comedy this is actually my fantasy like all those what those writers would do of like well this is why the jump were queer but nobody's just mentally discussing everything well the reason I might I don't I go here is I think there's something very unfair happening here if you've won an Emmy you should not be allowed here you know what I mean you've won Emmys you know I'll let the people who haven't wedding no I mean I think they were invited well you've course they were invited but you know I was a replacement I want them penalize ya until that happens till somebody writes that wrong thing I'm going to talk about penal and meanness I'm just glad we all got to shop at the same shoe store this yeah yeah no socks I'm very perfectly clear that I did not decide to wear no socks I would wear a song I'm big in the socks twos actually I said I'm not wearing those are really pretty nice action mister is our own Hamptons getaway you might say yeah um I won't do this yeah tomorrow sometime we're together yeah who or what makes you laugh the most either I could witness a word sounds like it's gonna be penis yeah we've moved on from now so what we mean I'll have you know is that's actually not judge having four appears yeah right yeah so I mean I'll implant would be of the of the peers yeah right yeah yeah so what about our side the swords to start with PE okay what about penis as resembling it there was running a penis right I think it always changes yeah I think it's I'll go through phases where there'll be something that makes me laugh the hardest right now I was late on the game but there's a character named dr. steve brule and oh my god you know it's guys check it out and I'd never seen it it's a part of the Tim and Eric john c reilly plays this character who's like a fake doctor it's ridiculous wine yeah but I just saw you know somebody sent me a youtube link of him the thing called like lizard kisses where like brings a lit like a lizard yes I was laughing so hard then this I'm still in this phase this has been like two with the last two weeks that all I do is watch dr. steve brule and will laugh until tears are coming out of my neck then one day I'll watch it and I'll be like that's it I'm over it yeah and then they'll be like something I won't have something for a period run like a nothing's getting me and then something will hit if you watch other comedies and and wish you were on them yeah what are I I like to okay do you locate it's great I love Portlandia has anyone seen Nathan for you this news show boy it's terrific yeah that is great and words that words that tell me so you sure the read a one no I've only seen the first episode I watched it last night I was and because everyone had been saying how great it is and finally I watch it it is fantastic yeah the hardest I've ever laughed at a TV show is Steve Coogan doing Alan Partridge that's the hardest I've ever laughed haven't had anything so great I used to just keep it on that it was serious too the one way is of the travel tavern I used to just have that on in my house for comfort I wasn't even watching it I just like it all just sounded right yeah yeah yeah career builder has for years had a monk email where you can type a message and email it to somebody and this monkey will will read it and there's different voices you can pick there's the wonderful woman British voice and different outfits the monkey will wear and you can I'm not kidding fruit I think for about eight years I've dealt with this and it's an obvious just tiresome but then a couple years later somebody sends you when you go hot damn it's bad among emails in the back of me and a couple weeks ago that would be the first time I've ever used that expression but I'll bet you we're all alone today that something's gonna go bring on the monkey mail Fred how about you what cracks you up oh you know I think being around writers you know sometimes if I'm with the SNL writers they're watching something on TV like the news just the way they sort of break everything down it just makes me laugh the way they think is just the real newscaster yeah just like a real news thing just anything or you know awards shows or whatever just the way that they look at it I just like sitting there just letting them do that it's just it that's really fun even just other comedians just being around them is just great who are your comedy heroes um what do you mean like above just people you've sort of admired your whole life at Chevy Chase um uh I actually have a strong memory of what and I really mean this watching Martin Lawrence he was he was so uh just great on his show and just like so much energy um I don't know just like I'm almost everybody I think it's all the same people we've all watched I think we all kind of grew up on the same stuff anybody else hear us I didn't know it at the time but probably Tim Conway and Harvey Korman you know watching that with my grandparents I remember vividly watching that but you know then of course I didn't know I wanted to be an actor but there's just no doubt that those characters that those two guys played had an influence on me and you know watching the random episode of Benny Hill on PBS to see a quick shot of a boob late at night as a kid definitely had some sort of influence on you know what my comedic abilities are allegedly became or whatever and we just lost you know Jonathan winters who I mean he was for my type specifically just a true true pioneer and John Candy's you know probably my all-time favorite that's probably one of my biggest I think it is probably my biggest regret like being an actor at this time in my life and never getting to share a moment or a piece of room with with John Candy because everything you hear about him is just you know what you would expect so did you meet him with hockey stuff at all I never met him yeah anyone else I think it's probably the same as everyone but for me it's Steve Martin and David Letterman and Albert Brooks yeah those three guys for me are pretty kooky yeah Michael Sheen Chris Farley for me I could no one made me laugh like Chris Farley was growing up yeah I worked with the ship's Farley he that guy one of the very few people that on a daily basis made me laugh it was his last movie right yeah he made me laugh really hard like really I have if I don't usually laugh and one of those guys that just goes that's really funny funny and he would make me laugh like this like Alan Alda crazy almost daily yeah

Channel: The Hollywood Reporter

Views: 577,305

Rating: 4.8762031 out of 5

Keywords: abc, actors, Adam Scott, CBS, comedy, emmy, Eric Stonestreet, Fox, Fred Armisen, GO ON, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, IFC, jake johnson, jim parsons, Matthew Perry, Modern Family, nbc, New Girl, Parks and Recreation, portlandia, roundtable, saturday night live, television, The Big Bang Theory, THR, friends, snl, comedic actors, the hollywood reporter, ross and rachel, chandler and monica, chandler bing

Id: lyCiJhbkq90

Length: 56min 47sec (3407 seconds)

Published: Thu Jun 13 2013