Okay, here's the thing. Bradley Cooper rocks.
If you're coming to this interview to find out the dirt on him, if you think that all that talk about how the cast gets along great and all mutually admire each other is a load of crap, if you're curious about what kind of underwear Bradley wears, if any, then you've come to the wrong place. This is pretty much a former actress-turned-writer chatting for over an hour with one of the nicest, coolest, sweetest men on the face of the planet. If that sort of thing just isn't your bag, well, stop reading RIGHT NOW.
See, I posted a request for an interview with Bradley Cooper in one of the forum threads without a hope in the world that anyone associated with the show would even bother to enter the forums. Imagine my surprise when I got an email from one of the producers; instead of telling me to stop cracking wise on the writing crew and to please bring a few degrees less of snark to the table, the remarkably cool guy actually asked me if I was serious about wanting to interview Bradley. After I passed out from shock, I believe my response was, "Hell YEAH!"
So, anyway, the lovely producer gave me a number to call, and the even lovelier press agent and her equally lovely assistant helped me set up the whole interview time and everything, and, well, let's just say I was so tweaked that I was interviewing Bradley Cooper that I might have downed half a bottle of Skyy vodka the night before just to get my brain to turn off so I could go to sleep.
That still doesn't explain how I could call Bradley "Will" at the end of our conversation. Yeah. I really shouldn't be allowed to interview anyone EVER AGAIN.
Bradley Cooper: Hello, Regina.
Regina: Hello, Bradley.
How's it goin'?
Good. How're you?
Good.
Where are you?
I just got into my apartment. Just walked in the door.
Were you just workin'?
Uh, I was just workin'.
Well, I'm glad that you had the chance to talk to me.
Yeah, well, I'm glad that you had the interest.
Oh, God YES. Are you kidding? I mean, all of the people on the boards are like, "Where's Bradley lately? He's not on the show at all!"
Really? Well, that's nice to hear.
Oh, man. They're freaking out. They're all dying that you haven't been on the last --
Used to be the other way around...
Sweetie, your storylines were not great there, early on. I'm just sayin'.
["Sweetie"? I'm calling him "sweetie"? What, am I his elderly -door-neighbor or something? Good holy Mary on a moon pie.]
Right.
So, how are ya?
I'm good, actually. I just moved to Venice...are you in California?
No, I'm in Chicago. But I was born in Long Beach.
Well, I'm from New York -- well, originally Philadelphia, so this weather...I still don't get it...
Does it kind of freak you out?
No, in a good way!
Yeah, like it's actually SUNNY all the time?
Yeah. And I just moved to Venice, which is ridiculous, because it's the kind of place where you can actually, you know, walk around. Which is key, 'cuz I came out here to do Alias from New York, so I was in this little place just east of Laurel Canyon, in the hills, for the past year and a half and it was just driving me nuts.
Really? Why?
Because I had to drive everywhere!
Oh, that sucks! That's right. I read an interview you gave where you said something about how just getting a bottle of water is ridiculous. Like, it's not like New York where you can just walk half a block to a deli whenever you want.
Like, I literally would not even bother! I'd be like, "Ahh, I don't need to eat, really." Seriously!
And you can't order in! What's UP with that?
You can't order in! Nah, it's ridiculous. So, when you go out, you go, "I have to get this, this, this, and this done, otherwise, who knows when I'll be back here?"
Because you have to take, like, five freeways, and take eighteen exits...
Well, you know, the sad part was, all I really had to do was go down the street.
[laughs while attempting to light fourteenth cigarette]
But the act of getting in your car to go work out somewhere...that still escapes me.
That's kind of weird to me, too. Like the neighborhood I live in here in Chicago, there's stuff around but, like, I can't go out anywhere and just pick up a salad or something. Everything I eat has to come from, like, Peapod. That's why I love visiting my friend Sars in New York. I want an ice cream at 3 AM? I GO DOWNSTAIRS.
Right! And as much as people are like, "Oh, fuck it. I don't wanna talk about L.A. and New York!" You know what? I could talk about it forever.
I know. One of my questions for you was going to be, "Would you rather live in New York or L.A.?" And, like, that's really easy.
One-word answer.
L.A.'s awesome, weather-wise, it is just not an environment that I feel like having fun in.
Yeah, no. Although, I do have to say, to be honest with you, living where I do now, in Venice, I really love it.
Venice rocks.
And, in fact, I see myself staying here for a while.
Really?
Yeah.
Where you live right now, can you see water and stuff like that?
I'm four blocks from the water. It's actually in a really bad neighborhood, but, like, because of that, it's sort of diverse and there are actually people walking around. You know, that have other lives.
Yeah. It's funky. Which I love. When I was a kid, we used to go to this open park just to Venice and we used to go see bands play and stuff, during the summer.
Oh, really? That's pretty great.
Growing up in Long Beach was cool. But I don't know that I'd want to spend my formative years there.
You know, I've never been to Chicago, but I hear it's great.
Oh, it's awesome. It's a very small town but a big city. Except for my neighborhood which is, like, Latin Kings and shit.
Well, that's sort of comparable to my neighborhood. We heard, like, four gunshots the other night.
Excellent! Makes you feel really alive!
Exactly. We could die at any minute! Not like the rest of the world doesn't let us know that.
Oh, I know. On a daily basis. [pause] Did the press agent tell you that I know Zak?
Zak Orth?
Yeah.
No, dude!
Totally!
You're kidding? Dude, he is literally one of the most talented actors I've ever worked with.
I know. I went to college with him.
What's that?
I went to college with him.
Oh -- I thought you said, "I had sex with him."
[laughing] No! Although I think I wanted to at one point.
Um, you know, he has a little baby.
I heard about that.
Yeah. About a year ago.
I can't believe that.
Yeah. Did you ever know Heidi?
Yeah. I went to their wedding.
Oh, well, Jesus. Yeah.
Yeah, I knew Heidi when she was still in children's publishing and then she went into acting once they moved to New York.
Yeah, they just moved to Brooklyn and he's taking a break to look after the kid.
Dude. He's so fucking talented.
Dude. It's ridiculous.
I know. He's one of those people who just...I knew it when I met him, like, in high school. And then, when we went to college together, at the Theatre School, he just was one of those people who walked in and you went, "Oh. Okay. Well, I'm gonna stop now."
Yeah. Seriously. No, it's true. No, he's so fucking good. I hope he gets back into it.
Yeah, I do too. He was one of those people who, when we had our auditions in New York, he just got an agent like that. [snaps] And started working. I mean, his first movie was Spanking the Monkey.
Oh my god. And he had, like, a three-picture deal with Miramax. He was so great. He was so nice when I met him at Wet Hot. We just continued the relationship.
How did you get the Wet Hot gig?
Do you mind, uh, I'm eating a bar while I'm talking to you.
No, go ahead.
Really? You don't mind?
No. Munch away. I'm smoking a cigarette.
Oh, good. Okay. I'm eating a Zone bar. See what's happened to me?
Oh, dude. You're so L.A.
I'm eating a fucking Zone bar. Gimme a cigarette! Oh...I just auditioned for Wet Hot.
You didn't know the guys from The State first?
No, didn't know anybody. I was in grad school and my agent sent me on this audition and I went in there and met them all that day. And they cast me, thank god. I had to miss graduation to do the movie. Thank god I did it.
I'm so glad you did.
Since then...those guys are still my friends. I just talked to Janeane Garafalo yesterday. She's in town. I became good friends with her. And Amy Poehler --
Oh, I LOVE Amy Poehler. I saw her a lot when she was here at the Improv Olympic, and that's where they first did the Upright Citizens Brigade.
Which is genius.
I know. It's fucking brilliant.
And Jen just did SNL and she and Amy had a great time together.
It looked like such fun. I think Zak met all those guys when he was out there, so he became friends with them first. And that's how he continued...and I think my friend Kathy dated one of the guys for a bit. Not Michael Ian Black but...
Michael Showalter?
Yup.
"Coop."
Heh. "Coop."
Did you see the movie?
Oh, GOD. Like, five times! I own it, dude.
It's a great movie.
I have to own everything that Zak's in. I have to. That whole movie is so fucking funny. The whole gay wedding thing...[breaks down in laughter] Oh, wait, did you and Michael Ian Black get to pick your own sweat socks for that scene?
Heh. The truth is, that was our choice. When we were shooting, we said, "Can we keep our socks on?"
[hissing with laughter]
Yeah, and it was actually, um, they cut it out, but, when we're having sex, I say to him, "What's my name?" And he's like...wait...what was my name? I can't remember...
Uh...what..."B"...it started with a "B" --
Ben! So, I was like, "Say my name." And he was like, "Ben." And I was like, "No, say my Christian name." And he goes, "Benjamin."
[totally losing it with laughter here]
[laughing] They didn't keep it in there, dammit.
Was it all scripted? Or did you guys just make it up?
Nah, we just did that. But it was a nice moment.
[again, losing it in laughter]
[laughing] But that was...I think my idea was the socks, but his idea was just fucking genius, it was to lift me up and kick the --
[laughing harder] Yes!
[giggling] And then he was lifting my leg up and I was all, "Dude! What're you DOIN'?!"
That scene just killed me, man. When I first saw the movie, I rented it...I didn't even see it in theaters...and--
It got kind of a cult following.
Yeah, but it didn't do any kind of decent business, which really pissed me off.
Yeah.
And my friend Randy was all, "It missed it on a couple of points." And I was all, "It didn't miss it on ANY points! It's fucking HILARIOUS." The whole gum-chewing kissing crap...
I know! There's so many great moments like that. The whole "Rod" dude? When he's picking up the silverware?
Oh, wait, wait, and that guy -- Chris Meloni?
Dude!
When he's all, "I have to go fondle my sweaters now."
"I have to go...make some fondue...or something..."
And talking to the can of peas? I mean, I don't know how they came up with that shit.
Yeah. It was pretty genius.
They're still doing comedy, I think. It's Michael Showalter and --
Yeah, they're doing Stella.
Yeah. Stella. Have you seen their website?
Have you seen the show?
No, I haven't seen the show.
Oh, dude, it's great. Zak and I both did...during the show they do a couple of shorts --
Yeah, the short films! Did you do one?
I did a couple videos, yeah.
Oh, did you? They're online now.
Oh, dude. I did...me and the girl from Ed...who's the main girl from Ed?
Oh, the blonde girl? I can't remember her name...Julie? Wait. Lemme IMDb it. Julie Bowen!
Yeah, Julie! We did this Thanksgiving one called "Raking The Leaves." Dude. It's so funny. You gotta watch it.
Okay. I've got Stella bookmarked. So I'm gonna go to the Stella shorts.
Dude. Check it out.
Sars sent me the one with Sam Rockwell as the pizza guy?
Oh, yeah - the singing in Washington Square? That's genius. And he's got the big teeth in?
Yes! And he's like, "What, you think I'm a pussy? Whuh?"
[laughing through his Zone bar]
Oh, and that scene at the end where, who is it, David?
Yeah, David Wain.
And he's all, "I gotta tip for ya" and he has this huge black DILDO? Duuuude...
Yeah, it's pretty perverse.
I just wish them all the success in the world. They rock.
Check out "Raking The Leaves," though.
Okay, I got it tagged here. So, I will definitely check it out. Okay...so...let's chat for a sec about all this crap I gotta ask you.
Okay.
Actually, the interviews I do, I don't ask, like, "Where'd you grow up?" Because, like, I can get all that stuff from other sources. Although I do want to know, while you were growing up in Philadelphia, did you ever, like, dream of going to Pittsburgh and becoming a welder by day and a dancer by night?
That's not like a Deer Hunter reference, is it? Is it a Flashdance reference?
Yeah. It's a Flashdance reference.
'Cuz I knew Deer Hunter took place in Pittsburgh, but I didn't know Flashdance took place there.
Yeah, it did.
No, I didn't do that. YET. But I did dream of wearing shirts with one shoulder hanging out.
[laughing] Did you dream of taking off lingerie through the sweatshirt?
I did. I did that too. I dreamt that I'd fuck someone while eating lobster.
Exactly. And while putting your foot in someone's crotch. Excellent.
I did dream of those things. And then I saw them in the movie and I was like, "What the fuck?"
[laughing] This is like my psyche! What the hell?
This is INSANE!
[laughing]
Then I said, "You know, screw it! I'm still gonna wear the sweatshirt with the shoulder hanging out..."
You know, because, I bet you looked GOOD.
And it worked, man. It worked.
Yeah. I'm sure the auditions you went on were reaaaaallly interesting.
Luckily, that was pre-audition.
That was just your youth.
Yeah. I was just workshoppin' shit.
Yeah, what is UP with that, by the way? Like, when I was growing up, it occurred to me to wear the off-the-shoulder sweatshirts even though I wasn't a welder by day and a dancer by night?
That's what my sister did.
Like, the big hair and the layered skirts and all the Madonna jewelry? The hell?
She did all that.
That's good stuff.
It woulda been weird if I'd done all that.
Well, kind of. Or, like, you might have gotten different kinds of dates in high school.
Exactly.
How did you get the role on Alias? Did you just audition for it?
Yeah. I auditioned in New York. J.J. happened to be out in New York, so I met him. And we just hit it off, like, boom! And he flew me out and then I tested the week and then I got it.
That's so cool.
Yeah.
It sounds like he picked people...not just based on talent, like, obviously you're talented, because you have to know that we think you're all just great, great actors but --
Yeah, but no one was like a name or anything. I mean, even Michael Vartan who had, like, probably the most notoriety coming in, I mean, Never Been Kissed had been, like, five years before that.
That's right.
Yeah, he wasn't --
He wasn't a household name.
No, not at all! I mean, J.J. really picked people that he thought, you know, that he just thought would work. Which is really great that the network allowed him to do that.
I know. Well, of course, he is Armageddon boy.
Right. But, like, Jennifer Garner...the now iconic Jennifer Garner --
I know! She's everywhere now! I think she's getting to the point where SHE'S sick of herself.
It's pretty crazy.
Did you see the SNL with her on it?
Oh, YEAH.
She sang! I thought it was one of the better SNL's, actually.
She's set too. I mean, you know, the musical, they're gonna be asking Jennifer Garner to --
Oh, yeah. Like, I made fun of her for singing in the Paris episode where you scream like a girl?
Right. Right.
Which I just loved. We all just dug that.
That was a great moment!
It WAS a great moment!
Like, I never thought I was screaming like a girl, but hey --
Dude, it was funny though! Because you actually got a chance to be involved and, like, DO something!
Oh, it was great. You know, it was one of those...I think J.J.'s said this in interviews, it's nice that there are a couple of moments from last year where the whole year built up to it and it was so nice that, in that moment, it was a reaction that meant that level of the moment.
Yes! That whole episode.
It was cool. It was really cool. I'm glad they used that take too. I mean, it was real! It was really real! If you put yourself in that situation, it's fucking CRAZY. I remember Ken was like, Ken Olin was directing that episode, and he was all, "Dude, just fucking GO for it, man."
And you did! I loved it! And I loved that they used the take in all of the promos.
Yeah! And you know! You know what's gonna happen!
And we were all like, "Dude! week -- WILL SCREAMS!" I actually reread that recap last night, because it's one of my favorite episodes and you're in it so much, and I had written something like, "Will's on a thousand different drugs and he's talking about 'fuzzy bunnies.'" And Will was like, "Oooh, tracers..." and then you were like, "AIIIIEEEE!" I loved that shit.
[laughing]
We were just psyched that you got something to do. And I read in one little piece, I think it was in Movieline, where you said something about the horrible crap they write about people on the internet boards. I mean, they're really rough.
Yeah.
I went back over your lurve thread in our boards, I went back over the posts for about four months, and in the beginning, we were all like, "He's really bugging me! Will's really annoying!" And I was like, "What we need to understand is that it's not HIM that's annoying us, it's the storylines!" And we all sort of started getting more positive, like, "Just give Will something else to do!"
Right.
We were dying for you to, like, get a gun or something!
Right. Give him somethin'! Well, any character who's constantly the victim, it's hard to --
Yeah, it's hard to identify or sympathize with them. I mean, after awhile, you're like, "Okay, you're a wingnut. Get on with it." I mean, that's the same thing we felt about Francie as well.
Exactly.
But now things have progressed...I mean, what I kind of liked is that, I think J.J. had in mind all along to have you sort of progress. I just think the first season was just sort of getting you oriented with characters, getting you to really like them.
Completely.
People were just waiting for Sydney and Vaughn to get together and it's like, you know, you gotta give that a little more time. I can see the story arcs are going somewhere. Taking that time made it an even bigger payoff when Will started figuring shit out.
Yeah. Definitely. But I think that it's definitely starting to come around with my character.
Oh, I think so too. I'm glad that he's finally getting employment with the CIA and whatever. I mean, do you actually have an idea of what your story arc is? Or do you just get a script one day --
I literally have no idea.
None.
None.
So, like, one day you're a mild-mannered reporter and the day you get the note saying you're gonna be a heroin addict?
Pretty much.
Really?
Yeah. It's pretty crazy.
Like, week by week?
Week by week. Yeah.
Dude, that SUCKS.
I have no idea! We're shooting the fifth-to-last episode right now and I have NO idea what happens to my character.
Does that kind of freak you out a little bit?
You know, you sort of get used to it. It helps you, ultimately, because, all of this helps you ultimately, because it sort of toughens you up. Which you really have to be.
Really?
It also just makes you appreciate what you have, while you have it.
Yeah, I guess.
That's kind of a bullshit answer. Yeah. It drives me nuts!
[laughing]
[laughing -- then, in a sort of snarky voice] And you can print that.
And you can put that in. Thank you! Goodnight, everybody! I think it would really...I mean, when you do a play, or even a movie, you have the whole thing right in front of you.
It's pretty crazy, I have to say. It's a pretty crazy ride. Especially, I do think, in terms of my character, it's been a really crazy ride.
Yes. Because you started out, mild-mannered, best friend, in love with Sydney, and all that stuff. And I thought it was sort of run-of-the-mill, initially, and then when J.J. started pumping up the action, then you realized what Will's place was. You were the one person she could trust.
And also, he was getting fed information by The Man, you know, which is this whole other thing.
Yes. And we're all sort of dying for them to come back to this Rambaldi/The Man crap.
Well, they're definitely coming back to the Rambaldi.
Do you guys have, like, a storyboard on the Rambaldi crap? Because I need, like, a diagram and a compass...
Yeah, it's pretty crazy. I'm actually glad they brought that back. Because I was a fan of that.
Yeah, I liked that too. I liked that whole, is it about eternal youth, is it about ancient weapons of destruction --
Yeah, I also think it's good where the show's going. I think it's fucking phenomenal that SD-6 is gone. I really do.
Yes. I do too!
Because think about it. The show has to be forty-two minutes long; they pack stuff in. So, they just got rid of about eight minutes of exposition.
I know! That episode was brilliant!
And how much better is Ron Rifkin out doing stuff now?
Oh, he is SO tasty. I love it when he's, like, "Satan Sloane." It's so much better when he's not being held down by any corporation.
Oh, completely. And he'd just wear a suit and then fuckin' say all this dialogue and then that'd be it. And then he'd be like, "Good luck on the mission." And that's it.
Totally. Although I did like the Conference Room of Endless Expositions where Marshall would do his requisite blathering and annoy Sloane.
And now you have that with the CIA. Which is perfect. And Kendall was BORN to be that guy. First of all, I think Kendall, Terry O'Quinn, is one of the hugest assets to the show now.
Doesn't he rock? Did you ever see his movie The Stepfather?
No, but Greg Grunberg told me about how ridiculous he is in that.
It's...it's insane. Like, there's this whole scene in the basement where he's playing with tools and having rage-a-thons. Oh, it's just kick-ass. It's one of the best B-movies EVER.
Yeah, yeah. He's somethin' else. And he's the nicest guy, man. We're such a tight group and, just like Lena Olin, he came in and assimilated right away.
Really?
And he's a guy who pretty much just stays to himself, you know. So...well, actually, I shouldn't say that, because I don't really know. All I know is, I never work with him. Except for, well, an episode that airs this week, that was the first time that I worked with him.
Oh, really? So you're doing something...when you're getting involved with the CIA and stuff.
Yeah, uh, Will briefs the CIA on something.
Gotcha.
And it's a cool scene. And, uh, it was a chance to work with him, because I'd always sort of admired him from afar, and he is just the most down-to-earth guy.
I mean, he's been in this business forever, so it seems that he would be that kind of guy who just gets along with everybody and just does his role and does his work. Very professional, but also very laidback. I mean, you don't get to where he is, a consistent character actor -- which, by the way, I think is the ultimate honor. Being a character actor is, like, a billion times better than having to be an ingénue.
Yes. It's really great. And being able to sustain it through your career.
Oh, yeah. And his stuff -- his lines...I can already tell he's less tolerant of Marshall than Sloane.
Oh, completely! He's got no time for him. And how great, what's happened with Marshall?
I know!
Yeah, I mean, he's become a whole character now.
I know! I mean, this last one, where I actually had to transcribe some of his dialogue, I was like, "Yeah, I'm gonna just have to copy this shit from someone else's transcription because I can't understand what the fuck he's talking about."
Yeah, he was going pretty fast.
Do you guys actually hang out and stuff? You're pretty tight?
Oh, we're really tight. I live right -- I could yell to Ron right now.
Really?
He lives right door to me.
Hee! Aw, Ron Rifkin's so nice.
And Michael and I are like...he's one of my best buddies out here.
Oh, that's awesome.
Yeah. And Victor.
Dude. Victor Garber.
Dude.
Dude.
One of the great people.
I know.
Seriously.
Another one who's been around for ages.
Ohhh, yeah.
I mean, in everything. One of my favorite roles of his, because I do sort of like it when he's a sleazebag? Because I just think he's funnier --
You're not gonna say Light Sleeper, are you?
No...I wasn't!
That's my favorite Victor film.
That's, like, one of my favorite kind of sleazy films. Like one of those Romeo Is Bleeding films. Like, where you watch it and you're like, "Ewwwww." But you can't stop.
Yeah, he's the bad guy in that movie.
I forgot about that! I haven't seen that in forever. I'll have to rent that. Because I've watched that for Willem Dafoe, but --
Yeah, well, check that out again. You're gonna be like, "Holy shit!"
God, I'll have to.
Yeah.
No, I was gonna say First Wives' Club.
You know, I never saw it. Is he sleazy in that?
He's Goldie Hawn's ex-husband. So, basically, he divorces her and soaks her for all her money.
Oh, wow. He isn't sleazy in Legally Blonde, is he?
Yes. No. Kind of. He's sort of a hard-ass professor. It's just great because, everything we read about you guys is that you're all extremely nice and get along and have a great time and half the time you think, "Well, that's not really true and they all hate each other."
Yeah, which is, I guess what people say all the time and then the cameras go off. But, literally, it is like, probably as disgusting as it sounds, we like, hang out all the time.
[laughing]
It's pretty crazy.
I don't think it's bad, I just think people would rather have juice, you know?
Right. Right.
Of course it makes for better print if you and Michael Vartan are, like, having swordfights over Jennifer Garner on the back lot, or something.
Yeah, that's just, yeah. S'not happening.
Yeah, I know! That's the thing. You're all so supportive of each other, and you all have a really good time, which is so funny because the actual show is so built into conflict --
So built -- and lying and deceit!
I know!
That's an interesting point. I never thought of that. I think we just probably get our fill of it, you know, in the fiction. We're sort of cleansed.
Oh, that's true! I never even thought of that! Of course...
All you're doing is lying to each other while you're acting.
When you got the actual script that you and Merrin Dungey were supposed to be makin' out, what'd you think?
Pfft-huh! [laughs deeply]
Because, you know, honestly, I think I read something recently...it was one of those E! Online Ask Martha or Ask...
Wanda.
Ohhhh, yeah. Right. Who, by the way, is, like, stalking EVERYONE on your show.
Oh, she's sweet, though. I've met her a couple of times.
Is she?
Yeah, she's really sweet.
She just is a huge fan of the show. Which, I think, is great. Because she gives it a lot of time.
She's great, actually.
That's good. But there was something where a fan was asking you if anything was going to happen with you and Francie and I think your answer was, "Oh, I don't ever see that happening. I just see them as being platonic friends." And of course --
Yeah. "Cut to…" Heh. Great example of what I said about not knowing what's gonna happen. I'm like, "Yeah, I don't think that's ever gonna happen." Meanwhile, no one ever asks me anything AGAIN.
[laughing] Yeah, because god knows --
I have NO idea what I'm talking about. Um, ultimately, I love it. I think it's great. Because now those scenes are...wait'll you see what happens, which is really cool. It's pretty cool what happens with those two, just in terms of what we've filmed so far.
Really? I mean, do you like, get kind of clued into her? I mean, you don't have to tell me, if you feel like you can't --
Well, I can't tell you but --
Yeah, you're contractually obligated to NOT tell me, right?
Yeah. It's pretty cool what happens. I don't know what's gonna happen and there's a lot more TO happen, but, basically, all I'm saying is, I know one step ahead of what you know. So, I don't know anything other than that. But where it's going is pretty cool.
See, because they've already built in this dynamic of her being a clone -- the whole cloning thing, by the way, I think is really stupid, but I like it because it's kind of funky and X-Files-y --
Yeah, and we'll see where it goes, you know what I mean? I think that what's cool is that people have, uh, the jury's still out. People are saying, "Okay, let's give it a chance." Which is good.
Well, I think they do. I think that one of the things that all my recaps entail is, like, okay, I don't what's going on or what in the hell they're talking about, but isn't it funny? Or isn't it excellent? Or doesn't it rock?
And Merrin is pretty great as the bad Francie, you know?
I know. She really is. Although, I have to say that, out of the box, I think that some of the episodes were mixed up --
Oh, yeah. For example, when she calls...yeah, they were really mixed up. Like, when Syd makes the call to Will to get Francie?
Yeah.
That was from another episode. Yeah, it was really mixed up.
Yeah, when your Bryan Burk, your producer, and I first talked, he was in the mixing room, so I was listening to him mix the episode in the background, and one of the things he said was that they were piecing it together from, like, eight different things, because they kind of got mixed up. And I understand why they did it, because it really made sense in the long run. But things were kind of all over the place.
Especially with the Will/Francie stuff.
Yes. Like, all of a sudden they're making out? Over lobsters? What is this, Annie Hall?
Right, right. Exactly. Hopefully, the audience will just keep goin' with it. Keep goin'. Don't look back. Whatever you do, don't look back!
Well, we're all fans of it. Because, well, in the recaps, I was calling Francie "Foolio" because they just kept making her this fool that just kept asking Sydney, "Oh, so, another trip to Australia?"
Which is so great because now she's fooling everybody.
Oh, yeah. And now we call her "The Francinator" which is actually Merrin's name for her.
Oh, Merrin made that up?
Yeah. She made that up! Well, she was quoted in an article as making that up.
Oh, I'm sure she did. I'm sure she has, like, four names for her character.
I actually was a fan of hers when she was on Grosse Pointe and she had this small role as this sort of kind of unctuous Fox executive.
I tell you, man, she's so good.
She used to be a stand-up comedian!
Yeah, she's really great.
Yeah, I think that's...I think one of my questions was gonna be, even if this show gets cancelled eventually, which all shows do, regardless of how good they are, I think it's been a great vehicle for all of you guys. I think you're all used very well, I think it's really been a standing point that you're talented and you get a chance to show that.
Yeah, no, definitely. When there's stuff to do, it's some good stuff.
I know. But you haven't been around in the episodes lately! What the hell?
Yeah, I know, man. But I think they're gonna -- well, they HAVE to deal with that situation.
They have to! It's been absent! I mean, all of a sudden you're in one episode, making out, and then you disappear when she becomes The Francinator and the time we see you, literally, you were in the last episode for, like, two seconds, when you looked at Syd's graduation gown.
Yeah, I know. "Oooh! You look great!"
"Yeah, okay, see ya!" Well, I think there's a scene coming up soon where you and Michael Vartan meet in the kitchen or something.
Yeah, we just shot that the other day. That's a good scene.
[laughing]
That's a funny...that's a funny little bit. That's in two weeks. It's funny what leads up to that scene, actually. It's really kind of ingenious on J.J.'s and the writers' part. It's a scene that's really fucking ingenious. It sort of toys with a lot of different things from an audience perspective.
Oh, that rocks. Because I do like the way that J.J. sort of twists it. Of course, on the boards, all the posters are like, "More Syd and Vaughn! More naked Vaughn! More naked Will!" They always want everyone naked!
Yeah. But all they get is Ron naked!
Yeah, I know!
It's so great.
It's so awesome. I love that it just doesn't pander!
[laughing] No, it does the OPPOSITE! "Oh, really? Is THAT what you want? Okay."
"Okay, let's show Ron Rifkin GETTIN' OUTTA THE SHOWER!" And of course, I'd just seen him on Sex and the City in his UNDERWEAR.
Right, right! But that man's in shape for his age, I tell ya.
Oh, he is. How was your Sex and the City thing, by the way? I still haven't seen that episode again. I saw it when it was on, but they didn't have it in stock at the Blockbuster when I went to rent it.
That was my first job ever! It was fantastic! It was great.
You got to make out with --
Sarah Jessica Parker.
There ya go, dude.
Pretty cool.