Category Archives: Profiles

Hank Azaria Reveals His Biggest Parenting Mistake

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While at TCA winter press tour, I spoke with Hank Azaria for this Parade piece about his terrific new web documentary series Fatherhood, his biggest parenting mistake and why his son is “freaked out” by his voice acting:

“He doesn’t like when I do voices! He’s four and a half. He’s still a little freaked out by it. He’ll often stipulate before I read a story, ‘No voices, just normal!’ I think he’s particularly worried that the villain is going to have a scary voice. A couple of times, I would kind of go with one of these [he says in a deep-throated, sinister growl]. And he’s like… I kind of knew that from The Simpsons. Kids don’t like it…it flips them out a little bit. It’s too much for them.

Hank Azaria Reveals His Biggest Parenting Mistake

John Goodman on Getting Wooed by Clooney and Bunking with Bruce Willis

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INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS

I made one final visit to The A.V. Club to do one of their Random Roles features, in which they ask an actor with a lengthy resume to talk about several of their roles over the years. It was thrilling to do this with John Goodman, who often seems to appear in every film and TV show (including his latest film, The Monuments Men).

Why does Goodman say yes to so many roles? “They were just too good to pass up,” he tells The A.V. Club. “Or, they seemed that way at the time!”

This was a fun trip down memory lane, helping Goodman — who is often a man of few words, at least when it comes to doing interviews — recount a fraction of his memorable TV and film performances. I’ve loved reading these Random Roles stories for years, so it was nice to close out my A.V. Club writing by putting together one of them myself.

John Goodman on Getting Wooed by Clooney and Bunking with Bruce Willis

Elizabeth McGovern on ‘Downton Abbey’ and ‘Ordinary People’

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As if I hadn’t written about Downton Abbey enough for this weekend’s Parade, I also interviewed Elizabeth McGovern for the magazine’s “Sunday With” Q&A. She talked to me about playing Lady Cora, her accidental music career and why her husband, director Simon Curtis, doesn’t press her for spoilers:

He’s happy to wait and see the show. Once in L.A. somebody scurried over to him at one of these parties and said, “What’s happening on Downton Abbey next year?” He said, “I don’t know anything. I’m just going to watch it with you guys.” The next day, there was a headline: “Downton Husband Knows Nothing.” He was pleased he’d made the papers in that way!

I actually had been assigned this McGovern interview long before the Downton cover came my way, and it was a pleasure speaking with her, two years after editing a delightful story on her for People.

Elizabeth McGovern on Downton Abbey and Ordinary People

‘Downton Abbey’ A to Z: An Obsessive Guide to the Show’s Secrets

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Look, my first Parade cover! It was such a treat to reunite with my former People colleagues, Maggie Murphy and Andy Abrahams, for this cover on Downton Abbey. The whole thing came together so quickly that I barely had time to think. I immediately had to immerse myself in the minutia of the show so I could pull together this obsessive, A to Z look at the world of Downton Abbey. Thanks also to Downton creator Julian Fellowes, who shared all sorts of wonderful behind-the-scenes details, like this one for the “R” category, R.I.P.:

When actors Dan Stevens (Matthew) and Jessica Brown Findlay (Lady Sybil) broke the news that they would not return for a fourth season, “really, the grim reaper was the only option,” says Fellowes, who adds that “it’s easier when the servants leave,” because he can simply have them take another job.

I also wrote several sidebars for the story, including this one on the new characters being introduced this season. This cover story was a lot of work, but it all paid off in the end.

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‘Almost Human’s’ Karl Urban: This Futuristic Reality is Just Around the Corner

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At Parade, I spoke with Karl Urban about his new Fox sci-fi drama, Almost Human. He told me how the show’s executive producer, J.J. Abrams — who is also his Star Trek director — convinced him to sign on:

He said, “If you accept this, I will rename Star Trek Into Darkness [and make it] Star Trek: Bones Saves the Galaxy.” [Urban plays Bones in Abrams’s Star Trek films.] I upheld my end of the bargain, so the ball’s in J.J.’s court for the third film!

Almost Human‘s Karl Urban: This Futuristic Reality Is Just Around the Corner 

‘Homeland’s’ Tracy Letts, Writer of ‘August: Osage County,’ Says Oscar Mania is Frustrating

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tracy letts

It’s not often that I feel like I’ve unearthered tons and tons of new material from a subject, but that’s exactly what happened when I spoke with the brilliant Tracy Letts for this Daily Beast profile about his role on Homeland (he plays Sen. Andrew Lockhart), and the upcoming movie August: Osage County, which he adapted from his Pultizer-winning play. He was full of great stories, and didn’t pull any punches, like when he talked about the Oscar buzz surrounding August:

However, Letts is upset that the early reaction to August has been almost entirely in terms of its Oscar potential. Though he says “I hope it wins everything,” Letts admits that the awards season mania is “beyond frustrating. Man, this obsession with the Academy Awards in particular, who fucking cares? It drives me nuts. How the fuck are you going to compare Gravity with August: Osage County? Could you have two pieces any more different in every conceivable way? They’re both in color and they both have George Clooney involved with them [who is a producer on August], and that’s it. So I don’t know how or why you’re supposed to compare these things.”

He also talked about getting married in the hospital after emergency gall bladder removal, a story that seems like it should be a part of whatever he writes next. Also, Homeland showrunner Alex Gansa tells me about wooing Letts for his first role in front of the camera since 2006.

Homeland’s Tracy Letts, Writer of ‘August: Osage County,’ Says Oscar Mania is Frustrating

‘White Collar’s’ Matt Bomer Picks His Favorite TV Duos

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matt bomer TV duos

My favorite USA show, White Collar, returns tonight for Season 5. I asked Matt Bomer, who plays con man Neal Caffrey to Tim DeKay’s FBI Agent Peter Burke, to share his 10 favorite odd couple duos from television. In this Daily Beast story, Bomer comes up with some great pairings, including a few unexepected ones like SpongeBob Squarepants duo SpongeBob Squarepants and Patrick Star:

Every parent knows SpongeBob and Patrick. I just love that it’s two fools who operate and succeed in the world through pure enthusiasm, joy, and best intentions. Regardless of how terrifying and real the world around them becomes, they tend to win out with sheer enthusiasm. And I don’t think that’s the worst message for kids to have. The writing is brilliant. I watch a lot of shows with my kids and there aren’t many that I actually enjoy sitting down to watch, but I can sit and take in an episode of SpongeBob with them.

All his picks were fun; check them out!

White Collar’s Matt Bomer Picks His Favorite TV Duos

‘Reign’s’ Adelaide Kane Takes on Mary, Queen of Scots: ‘It’s Fun — Not the History Channel!’

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At Parade, I spoke with Adelaide Kane about her new CW period drama, Reign. She tells me that the show’s critics need to get over themselves:

I find it incredibly frustrating that people harp on the fact that we’re not historically accurate. We’re not trying to make a documentary; it’s supposed to be fun! It’s not the History Channel!

Reign‘s Adelaide Kane Takes on Mary, Queen of Scots: ‘It’s Fun — Not the History Channel!’ 

Will Arnett on ‘The Millers,’ ‘Arrested Development’ and More

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Will Arnett

It’s been a rough year for Will Arnett, whose last show, Up All Night, was imploding just as his marriage to Amy Poehler was doing the same. But he’s bounced back with a new CBS sitcom, The Millers. And as he tells me in this Daily Beast profile, he couldn’t be happier:

“I’m really, really lucky,” says Arnett, 43. “The opportunity to make a really funny multicam with these people, on CBS, at this time in my life after having a few years of crushing schedules, on a schedule that’s a lot more civilized where I can take my kids to school every day, that is a fucking godsend. I have nothing to complain about.”

Arnett talks about the past, present and future of Arrested Development (and defends Season 4), gives some insight into what happened to Up All Night and also talks about a pair of upcoming films that should make him World’s Coolest Dad to his two sons. Millers creator Greg Garcia and his costar Margo Martindale also talk about him.

Will Arnett on ‘The Millers,’ ‘Arrested Development’ and More

James Wolk on ‘The Crazy Ones,’ ‘Mad Men,’ ‘Lone Star’ and More

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I first met James Wolk at a Fox event held the summer before Lone Star aired its season premiere one Monday, and its series finale the following Monday. (RIP, Lone Star!) From Lone Star to Political Animals, he keeps ending up in these terrific shows that don’t make it to Season 2 (through no fault of his own).

I profiled him for The Daily Beast before the debut of his new CBS advertising agency comedy The Crazy Ones, where even star Robin Williams agrees that Wolk steals the show right out from under him:

“Oh, he can go more than toe-to-toe, he leads the way,” says Williams. “He kicked ass. Literally, I was going, ‘Damn! I’ve got to catch up!’ Which was wonderful, because it was very freeing to know that you’ve got backup. You’ve got a riff, and somebody is just right along there with you.”

In addition to Williams, I also spoke to the show’s creator, David E. Kelley, and director/executive producer Jason Winer about Wolk. And Wolk himself reflects on his strange journey in Hollywood, and bouncing back after Lone Star’s crushing failure.

James Wolk on ‘The Crazy Ones,’ ‘Mad Men,’ ‘Lone Star’ and More