Ben Schwartz FULL UNEDITED SECRET Audition for Peter Bishop in Fringe
Here?s the full unedited version of my secret audition for the newly vacated role of Peter Bishop on Fringe. Last week at Comic Con, the audition was included in a montage of actors auditioning for the role. Fingers crossed!
Interview: Jim O'Heir ('Parks & Recreation')
A few weeks ago, I had the incredible oppurtunity to talk with Jim O'Heir. You know him as Jerry on Parks and Recreation, the guy that everyone picks on. But the real life Jim couldn't be farther from the seemingly pathetic Jerry. He was just about to go back to work on the now Emmy nominated show and couldn't have been more excited. There is nothing greater than talking with someone who loves what they do and that was my experience with Jim O'Heir.Are you on vacation right now?
I just got back from Chicago and we go back to work next Tuesday.
Are you excited?
So excited.
What?s it like working on Parks and Rec?
It?s a gift, working with everyone is a blessing and the writing is incredible. Some people love to take vacations, but I honestly can?t wait to go back.
What drew you to Jerry?s character in the show?
I love playing these sad characters. Originally, I auditioned for the role of Ron Swanson, but that went to Nick Offerman who plays the character brilliantly. They were still interested and the character of Jerry came up. He?s the guy that doesn?t know a lot and the guy that always gets made fun of. I love that, I love those type of characters. I was thrilled when I got the part.
What was your favorite episode to shoot so far?
"The Hunting Trip" episode (Season 2, Episode 10) was the first time really working together as a group and it revolved around this crazy experience. In my opinion it was really when the show took a turn to show what we were all like together, which was great. I also loved "The Harvest Festival" in season 3 (episode 7) as well and the finale of "Lil Sebastian". It puts us in situations when we?re all out of the office and it gets into a more playful element.
It?s a great ensemble, you guys work so well together.
Everyone is amazing. Even Adam Scott and Rob Lowe. I say to Adam, I feel like he?s been there for every episode. He says ?I wasn?t here for the first 30.? It?s like he?s been with us since the very first day. It was just a natural to have him come on board with us. It worked perfectly.
Is it hard for you to play the office punching bag? You said that you liked playing characters like that.
Everyone always says ?I?m so sorry for that they put you through.? I say, ?No, no, no, it?s all good." There is always this type of person in most offices that most people talk about, joke about, and tease. What I love about this show is that as much as they do all of that- I?m mocked, I?m talked about- they ultimately care for me, they show me love. Leslie in particular, when push comes to shove, she?s got my back. It?s like a family of brothers and sisters, but ultimately there?s love. My favorite thing about Parks and Recreation is that it?s willing to show the love that characters have for each other, it?s not all just set up, set up, laugh. Or mocking. There?s genuine concern for each other there.
It drives the show as far as who you want to see and the office chemistry.
Amy?s character Leslie is so passionate about her work and what she does so as quick as she is to yell at Jerry, like ?DAMNNIT JERRY!?, when the parks was going to be shut down she also was asked about Jerry?s importance to the workplace and Leslies response was ?Invaluable, we couldn?t work without him.? She?s got his back.
Did you meet Amy with your work in Second City or after?
No, the only time we?ve ever met previously to this is when we were in a parade together, some kind of Hollywood parade near Thanksgiving. It was all through mutual friends. We?ve never worked together. I?ve worked with people from her UCB days and through theater friends.
I would assume you have a built-in family coming from Chicago.
It?s amazing. Nick Offerman has roots there, Amy, of course. When we all start talking we know a bunch of the same people. When you?re doing a show together you have to show how comfortable you are with each other and once we started doing Chicago-talk, we clicked. We worked at all the same theaters, went to the same parties.
I just recently visited Chicago for the first time and I can?t wait to go back.
Is it not the best?
It?s so beautiful, even when I was there and it was raining and gross, but I fell in love with the city.
I?m from there so of course I have a certain bias about it. But there?s just something special about that city, special about the people. I did some press stuff downtown and I just spent a couple of hours walking around afterward and it just felt so homey. Everyone is so kind.
Going back on Parks and Recreation, are there any future guest stars that you?d love to see?
So many I would love to see! When I finally go back to work next week, we finally get to figure out the question of who is Tammy One. I think there?s a lot of pressure to really hit that hard. There?s been a lot of support of for Oprah and the names that have been talked about are Judy Dench, Meryl Streep, among others. It will be interestesting to see who they come up with.
I haven?t read the scripts yet, but there is talk that we?re going to begin exactly where we left off in the last season which would mean literally Tammy One being in Ron?s office. But I?m not sure if that?s what?s going to happen.
My favorite thing is the different guest stars. Speaking as a television addict, when they tell me the people who are coming and going, I get so excited. Working with them is just so exciting. We had Parker Posey last season, the "Queen of Indies". A bunch of the SNL people. I mean, I?m the type of guy who never misses an epsiode of SNL so to work with them is a thrill. I think what?s helping us is because we?ve been so recognized by the press and critics, we?ve been getting more people showing interest of wanting to be in our shows. I don?t think it?s a big battle to get someone because the show is so respected.
I knew that when Nick Offerman suggested Oprah everyone started freaking out.
I know! But she did 30 Rock, so you never know. We open it up to everyone. Everyone wants their name pitched. It?s going to be interesting.
Another thing about the show is that everyone thinks we improv, but the writing is so incredble. The writers are totally open to our ideas. If you need something you just text Mike and say ?Listen, I just thought of this idea or that idea.? They throw it out there, they see how it hits. There?s a lot of back and forth in the writers room.
It sounds like you have a really close relationship with the writers room.
They?re the best, I remember losing two of them this year and it was heartbreaking. We?re losing them for good reason, they both have shows on the air. They both have pilots that they got picked up. So if you?re going to lose somebody that?s what should happen. But it?s all gotten so tight that that it's hard to imagine anyone else. But we?ll fall in love with our two new writers.
I don?t know if you?ve seen it, but there?s a joke Ben & Jerry?s flavor for Ron Swanson called ?All the Bacon and Eggs You Have.? If Jerry had an ice cream flavor, what would it be?
Jerry?s obsessed with all terribly fattening foods. So it would have to be some sort of Lasagna, Mac & Cheese. That?s nauseating. But yeah, I think it would have to be Lasagna, Mac & Cheese.
I?ll see if anyone knows Photoshop and could work on that for you. What?s next for you? Do you have anything besides Parks & Rec that we should keep an eye out for?
I just shot a Steve Carrell movie called Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. I don?t know if I can say the other thing but I just got offered a role in the film and I?m really excited about that. That's another nice thing about doing Parks & Rec is that it generates more work. I love this business so it?s great. I was the kid in high school who followed ratings. It sounds ridiculous and corny, but that was me. I have been a television guy forever. It?s great to be on a show that I respect so much. I?ve been on a lot of shows that have always been great but there?s something about Parks & Rec- to be on a show that you know it?s good. We?re actors. Sometimes you just take work that you can get for insurance and to pay your bills. But this a show that you just love to go to and be a part of.
It?s a phenomenal show. I recap it and went through withdrawal when the show was over. It keeps on blossoming and blooming.
I know I shouldn?t do this, because I may be setting myself up for heartbreak, but I would read the reviews after each episode and think ?they [the critics] have to start turning on us at some point.? But every episode was killing it! Each review, to paraphrase, said ?I?m sick of saying this, but this show is incredible.? Season 3 absolutely nailed it from episode 1 to episode 16. I can say that because I didn?t write it so I can?t take credit for it. I think they hit it on every level.
There was a lot of back and forth for a while if the show was going to stay on the air and you guys had a rocky start. And now you?ve grown to become one of the most revered show on TV.
I?ll never forget I was at a friend?s birthday party and I was sitting there and checking emails. I got this email from Amy saying ?Just to let you know, we?ve been pushed to midseason.? We all freaked out a bit, we thought season 2 was strong, but Mike, the co-creator was like ?You guys, all we can do is do an amazing show. What the networks decide to do, we have zero control over. The better we do, the more we can push their hands.? So we shrugged and went ?Yeah, that?s all we?re going to do.? You can have a number one show and then you get a call and find out it?s off the air. You just have to let that go, if you can, and I just think that week after week you have to put out the best show you can and on top of that have an amazing time doing it.
Well, that?s all you can ask for.
Yeah! Even at this time we?ve had 46 that we?ve shot, most shows never see past 13. Sometimes 22, but usually 13. So even to be at 46 is an accomplishment. But of course, I want us to be on for years.
We all do.
Our fans are so die hard, it?s amazing. Just amazing. Just so dedicated. I was at a Dunkin Donuts in Chicago and there was a guy who literally came up to me shaking and he goes ?OK, I know I shouldn?t bother you but my friends and I are obsessed with Parks. I had the picture of you with the black eye up in my office, I had the pyramid of greatness as my screensavor. May I take a picture with you?? So of course, I took a picture with him and while I?m standing there, he?s getting all these texts ?NO! Not possible!? It was amazing.
That must make you feel great.
It does. The whole thing is... you can?t do anything without the fans. None of this would happen if you don?t have people behind you. If you don?t have being tuning in, talking about it, I could not be more appreciative of people like that. They can interuppt me at anytime.
Final question; we call our obsessions "ologies." What are your top Ologies?
Television. Always have been. I love television, I love working in television, I love following how television is made, what shows are going, what?s been cancelled, what are the ratings. I?m pretty obsessed with animal stuff. Dog, dog charities, animal charities.
You?re hitting the best ologies! Thank you so much for talking with me. I can?t wait for next season.
I can?t wait either. Thank you so much!
Guess who is playing Tammy 1? Nevermind. That shit was just posted.
That noise you hear is the sound of Ron Swanson?s trademark mustache wilting.Sources close to Parks and Recreation confirm to TVLine exclusively that Oscar-nominated actress (and Andy Samberg?s Motherlover) Patricia Clarkson has nabbed the coveted role of Tammy 1, the much-feared first ex-wife of Nick Offerman?s Ron.
The character was seen from behind in the May finale, triggering a mountain of speculation as to who would play the predecessor to Megan Mullally?s hilariously unhinged Tammy 2. TVLine even jumped into the fray, offering a litany of suggestions including Lucy Lawless and Kirstie Alley.
And although the sublime Clarkson was not on our short list, she will do very nicely. (Clarkson?s last significant sitcom gig was a decade ago when she appeared in a five-episode arc on Frasier as a love interest for Kelsey Grammer?s titular shrink.)
Exec producer Michael Schur says viewers should not expect Tammy 1 to be a retread of Tammy 2. ?We talked about pretty much every possible iteration of who she is and what her backstory is and all we knew is that we didn?t want to do the same thing we did with Tammy 2,? the boss recently told TVGuide.com. ?Tammy 1 is her own specific brand of demon. I think we came up with backstory for her that?s both funny and illuminating and also answers all of the questions that you would have when seeing people?s reactions to her presence in the finale.?
Clarkson is expected to appear in two episodes, beginning with Parks? Sept. 22 season premiere.
Because Ron Swanson Knows It's Not a Mustache, It's a Punch Line
The "Parks and Recreation" poobah knows the power of his character's secret weapon. But what does Ron Swanson look like without the mustache?
"When I was just starting out in TV, the 'cute guys' all had these boys' hairless torsos. It was suggested that I wax," says Nick Offerman, who plays "Parks and Recreation"'s hirsute libertarian bureaucrat, Ron Swanson. But rather than Bieber-fy himself, Offerman turned his God-given fur into an occupational advantage. Here he walks us through his many whiskered transformations.
Aziz Ansari and Rob Lowe at #SDCC
"Scrubs" actor Aziz Ansari leaving the Hard Rock hotel in San Diego after reportedly being denied entrance to the hotel. lol
WIRED Cafe at Comic-Con - Day 2
Entertainment Weekly's 5th Annual Comic-Con Celebration
I don't think anyone needs this many Aziz Ansari pictures, but I'm going to continue.
Maxim Celebrates FX And Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment At Comic-Con
Aziz Ansari at Katsuya
Other
This B list television actress on a hit network show has gone from one hit show to another. Both of them are still on the air. She also does movies, but they are not usually box office hits. Anyway, with her very nice weekly paycheck instead of spending it on p*rn stars and blow, she uses one paycheck each month to rent a furnished apartment for a year for a family that comes to her via a homeless shelter in LA. Her contact person at the shelter finds the family and our actress moves them in so the family has a chance at a better life. She has done this so far for seven families and four of them are now paying their own rent.
Most Popular And My Guess: Rashida Jones
Answer: Rashida Jones
Question: Pawnee, Indiana is the greatest town in America, possibly the world. Any Parks and Recreation news, please? ?Emma
Ausiello: A certain Ghostbuster?s window of opportunity to play Pawnee?s oft-referred-to-but-never-seen mayor is about to close. ?We?ve said before we really want Bill Murray to be the mayor, but he doesn?t seem to pay attention to the interviews we do, so we have to give up on that,? says exec producer Michael Schur. ?There?s someone who was pitched in the room the other day that we think would be kind of amazing, but there?s no concrete plans right now. But I?d say it?s 50/50 that sometime this year we?ll meet the mayor.?
Aubrey Plaza has been nominated at the 2011 ALMA Awards for ?Favorite TV Actress ? Supporting Role? for her work in ?Parks and Recreation?!
"Michael Schur walks us through Parks And Recreation?s third season" - The AV Club
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I haven't missed a Parks and Recreation post on a Thursday in months. This better work.
Ryan McPartlin Dawnn Lewis Angela Lindvall Alison Elliott Ludacris