Ex-Saturday Night Live [1] and 30 Rock [2] star Rachel Dratch needs a job. Like, really needs a job. The woman probably best known for Debbie Downer [3] sounded an awful lot like her former character chatting with New York Magazine recently. Talking about her downtime, she said [4]:
I'm starting to go crazy. I’m ready for a job. . . . I'd work in a black-box theater company at this point. I'd work with George W.
Dratch definitely wasn't a good fit on 30 Rock, but given the right role, she can be hilarious. The trick, I think, will be finding the right balance between lovably awkward and flat-out crazy.
If I'm playing career counselor, I'd urge Dratch to stay away from movies: Frankly, if it didn't work for Molly Shannon, it probably won't work for her, either. But she could take a cue from Shannon's more recent decisions [5] and nab a job on TV. To see some places I could picture her landing, just .
- The Office [6] or its spinoff — Dratch could have some fun as a new transfer to Scranton, but I could also see her anchoring the as-yet-untitled spinoff. Maybe she's a cranky assistant who hasn't left her desk in 20 years or a gossipy, socially awkward middle manager.
- Miss Guided [7] — If by some miracle this ABC comedy returns, I could see Dratch as a grumpy school counselor and rival to Judy Greer's perky Ms. Freely. And hey, if the show doesn't come back, give Dratch her own show where she plays a counselor.
- Chuck [8] — Suddenly, I'm having a very easy time picturing Dratch as a wisecracking, uniformed government operative.
- Ugly Betty [9] — Playing on Dratch's unconventional looks could be a good strategy — especially if it lands her at the Mode offices as a potential ally for Betty. Or maybe as a faux ally who turns to be evil. Hey, on that show, anything's possible.
Where else do you think Dratch could get a job?
Source [10]