In addition to starring on Veep right now, Tony Hale is also gearing up to reprise his role in the revival of Arrested Development. We talked to Hale about stepping into Buster's anxious shoes again, what he would call a Buster spin-off, and which character (and actor!) has changed the most since the series ended. We're definitely curious about whether he'll still be sporting that hook.
Tony Hale is currently starring as the very funny, slightly codependent Gary on HBO's Veep, opposite Julia Louis-Dreyfus. I recently sat down with him in NYC to chat about the hit show's second season pickup and his concerns about whether or not he'll have to strip down for the notoriously racy network. Check it out and stay tuned for part two of this interview, where I get him to spill about the upcoming Arrested Development movie!
HappyThankYouMorePlease was one of my favorite films at Sundance last year, and I'm glad to see that it's finally getting a theater release in March. How I Met Your Mother's Josh Radnor wrote, directed, and stars in this comedy about a group of twenty-somethings who are trying to sort out their careers and love lives.
Yes, it's a story we've heard before, but this time around the characters are a little more unique. Radnor plays a struggling writer who takes in a young boy after he's abandoned in the subway; Malin Akerman plays his friend who is determined to stay upbeat despite her withering dating life and her alopecia. The explanation of the title is definitely a bit cheesy — the key to happiness is giving gratitude and asking for more — but this little film is still a charmer. To check out the first trailer, just read more
I've had a little crush on Ted Mosby Josh Radnor ever since I got hooked on How I Met Your Mother, and I've had high hopes for the side project he's been working on between seasons. Radnor makes his debut as a triple threat writer/director/actor in HappyThankYouMorePlease — but don't let the quirky title turn you away. I'm happy to report the film is among my favorites from Sundance 2010, so let's get into the good stuff.
To see why I enjoyed the film so much, just read more
Wow, this week's episode of Chuck was one geek-iriffic hour. At one point, I asked my boyfriend, "Is Missile Command a real game?" He responded by burying his head in his hands (and bringing up a Wikipedia entry about kill screens). So maybe this one tested the outer limits of my geek cred; I think it's a tribute to Chuck that it didn't matter one bit. To talk about it, just read more
Photo copyright 2008 ABC, Inc.
Remember that week when Arrested Development alumni were getting cast in things all over the place? Well, possibly the wackiest member of the Bluth gang — Tony Hale, who played mama's boy Buster — was nowhere to be found. But no more! The Hollywood Reporter made my morning with its story that Hale has landed recurring roles on two series, NBC's Chuck and ABC's Samantha Who?
On Samantha, Hale will play Andy Adams, a new doctor for amnesiac Samantha (Christina Applegate). OK, fine. But what I'm really ready for is his turn on Chuck: He's playing Emmett, a new assistant manager at Buy More who surely will have numerous chances to torture Chuck, Morgan, and the gang. According to the Reporter, Emmett makes his entrance as an efficiency expert sent in from corporate to whip the Buy More into shape but ends up staying on when he realizes just how poorly the store is run.
Neither of those roles sounds quite as absurd as the hook-handed Buster, but I'm thrilled to get to see Hale back on TV after his all-too-short run as the best thing about Andy Barker, PI. Does his casting make you more curious about either show?
Andy Barker is, well, a pretty boring guy. He's an accountant prone to wearing putty-colored suits, and the closest he gets to cursing is muttering "oh, cheese and crackers!" But then he moves into the office of a former private investigator and inherits some of the man's clients, thrusting himself into a life of murder, mystery, and mayhem.
That's the premise of "Andy Barker, P.I.," Andy Richter's cop-drama spoof, which premieres Thursday as part of NBC's new comedy lineup. After checking out a couple of episodes, I have both good news and bad news about the show. The bad: The premiere episode isn't wonderful. The good: Other episodes are much better, giving me hope that "Andy Barker" could become a great comedy if NBC gives it time to grow.
The show is simultaneously silly and sincere, and much of the credit for that tone goes to Richter, whose bumbling Andy approaches investigative work with the childlike enthusiasm of a guy who watches "Law & Order" reruns in bed at night. But the show's supporting characters really make the show work, so read more
Watching the first few episodes of "Andy Barker, P.I." the other day, I was struck by its similarities to one of this year's other new comedies: the now-departed "Knights of Prosperity."
I was a big fan of "Knights" before its cancellation, and "Andy Barker" shares its screwball tone, layered with lots of pop-culture references and jokes that arise when normal folks are thrust into glamorous, intriguing circumstances. Interestingly, both shows also came from late-night writers: David Letterman's Worldwide Pants crew handled "Knights," while Conan O'Brien co-created "Andy Barker."
At first, those similarities made me fear that "Andy Barker" would end up following the low-audience, quick-cancellation path of "Knights." But upon further reflection, I think "Andy Barker" has a much better chance at survival. To find out why, read more
