On BradleyCooper’s current press tour for Is This Thing On?, he’s mentioned many, many times that his longtime buddy, WillArnett (who is also the star of the movie he directed), is the funniest person he knows. Which, sure. We all know Will Arnett is funny. And it’s a nice thing to say on a press tour. Here’s the thing about Will Arnett when you meet him in person … he’s supernaturally funny. Somehow, every single word that comes out of his mouth is hilarious — to the point that, when he was actually telling a serious story about the making of Is This Thing On?, I had to interrupt and say, “I can’t tell if you’re joking or not.”
He wasn’t, which led to a pretty pointed, “Come on, dude, get in the game,” facial expression. Which, yes, was also hilarious, if you’re wondering.
Is This Thing On? is loosely based on the life of comic John Bishop, and Arnett stars as Alex Novak. Alex and his wife, Tess (LauraDern), have decided to get divorced. While in New York City, pretty high on a gummy, Alex wanders into the Comedy Cellar and, in an effort to weasel out of the cover charge, agrees to go onstage for open mic night, where he pours his heart out to an unsuspecting crowd who … doesn’t hate him. Alex eventually fine-tunes his act and gains some traction as a comic, using the experience as a sort of therapy, knowing it’s one of the few things that can get him through this experience. Well, comedy and his supportive friend, Balls (played by Arnett’s supportive friend and the film’s director, Bradley Cooper).
The week before this interview, I had met Arnett, briefly, through a mutual friend at an event for the movie. At the time, I did mention we had a scheduled interview coming up (You know, familiarity never hurts before diving into one of these things). So, I decided to start this off by mentioning that recent interaction.
Will Arnett Gives a Great Performance in ‘Is This Thing On?’
We briefly met last week at an event at a restaurant…
Will Arnett: Yes! And you did say we’d see each other again!
I did say that.
Arnett: I thought you were a liar!
And since we had that two-minute exchange, the awkwardness is gone. We can just pick up where we left off, like old friends.
Arnett: We totally can, Mark.
See, just like in the movie, you’re good with the jokes.
Arnett: Ahhhh, just kidding, Mike.
I did ask a mutual friend of ours for tips on things you like to talk about. I was told “hockey” and “Liverpool soccer.”
Arnett: Yeah!
So I tried to do some research on Liverpool soccer, and I didn’t come up with much other than their record…
Arnett: They’re having a bit of a tough season, so I don’t want to talk about that, Mike.
Here’s my takeaway about your performance in this movie: You are great.
Arnett: Full stop! Okay! Am I supposed to respond to that?
Yes.
Arnett: Okay, hang on. “No, I’m not.”
No, sir, I disagree. I think you are.
Arnett: Mike, tell me why?
This is actually a real answer, but I think stand-up comedy in a film is very hard to recreate, and you really do a great job of capturing that.
Arnett: Well, there are two layers to that. Stand-up, in general, is tough to pull off. In the sense that, no matter who you are, you’re up on stage in front of people, and they’re waiting for you to make them laugh. Now, there are comics who have baked in credibility with audiences. The audience is lubed up by experience with that particular performer that they are ready to receive them. Again, they are lubed up and ready to receive, Mike.
That’s right.
Arnett: But in a film, there’s another layer to that. You have the audience there, then the separation as a film audience to that. So it’s a two-step venture. Luckily for us, the way that the stand-up works is it serves as the barometer of Alex’s emotional quota – where he is at in his life. The first time he goes up is not to wow an audience. The first time he goes up is because he’s on half a gummy…
And wants to get out of the cover charge.
Arnett: He didn’t want to pay the cover, which is a true story. And it’s the first time he says out loud he’s getting divorced, even to himself. So, for us, because the objective is different, we have the luxury of approaching that dynamic from a different angle.
Will Arnett Did Stand-Up for Weeks to Prepare for ‘Is This Thing On?’
In a movie like Punchline, the comedy just feels off. Maybe too scripted sounding?
Arnett: Well, we had the luxury of, when I was prepping for the film, I was going up every night for weeks and weeks and weeks. And that afforded me the luxury to work out a lot of that stuff in real time. But, at the same time, there are different levels to it. Because the first time he goes up, it’s sort of deer in the headlights, if you will. The second time he goes up, he’s coming off a very emotional moment that he’s had after revisiting the family home, and Alex is filled with all of that emotion when he goes onstage, and he’s looking to let loose of that. He goes up again, and he finds out his soon-to-be ex-wife might be seeing somebody, and that fuels him. So, it’s all scripted, but I did get to work it out onstage. But we still had to play those moments within the context of doing the stand-up.
There’s a scene where you deliver a joke about the Adrian Lyne movie Jacob’s Ladder. At the premiere, I laughed so hard, but I don’t think anyone else in my vicinity got the reference.
Arnett: [Laughs] Even in the moment when we shot that, we have audiences who are real background performers, but they are there, and we haven’t even instructed them how to react to anything. I remember when we were shooting that, and I was onstage and I said, “RememberJacob’s Ladder?” Then I realized, oh, I’m kind of dating myself here. I knew in that moment. But, of course, that’s a reference Alex would have. Or that you and I would have.
I remember when that movie came out, I thought it had something to do with the Huey Lewis and the News song, “Jacob’s Ladder.” They are not related at all.
Arnett: They are not related.
Two mainstream releases around the same time were both called “Jacob’s Ladder.”
Arnett: What are the odds?
Because there are movies based on songs, like Convoy…
Arnett: Sure. Convoy?!?!
That was a song first by C.W. McCall. Then they decided to turn it into a movie with Kris Kristofferson and Ali MacGraw.
Arnett: And you thought Jacob’s Ladder was a reference people wouldn’t get?
But I’m not in front of an audience right now. I’m in front of you, and you know what Convoy is. The reference to this phenomenon no one would get is Take This Job and Shove It.
Arnett: There was a movie called Take This Job and Shove It?
Yeah, starring Robert Hayes from Airplane!
Arnett: Wow. I remember that song.
Johnny Paycheck.
Arnett: “Take This Job and Shove It,” that song reminded me of “9 to 5.”
The movie 9 to 5 is incredible.
Arnett: DollyParton, LilyTomlin, JaneFonda, DabneyColeman…
Dabney Coleman is also great in Cloak & Dagger.
Arnett: Cloak & Dagger. The good news is I don’t think we’ve veered off-topic, Mike. That’s the good news.
Well, obviously, for a movie like Is This Thing On?, it’s assumed you have to discuss Take This Job and Shove It and Cloak and Dagger.
Arnett: Obviously. And Convoy.
Okay, I’ll get back on subject now…
Arnett: It would be great if your question is, “Did you ever see Convoy 2?”
Well, now you’re being ridiculous, there’s no Convoy 2. You just made up a movie. Though if there were a Convoy 2, I’d be the first in line.
Arnett: If you think I’m not pitching that tomorrow to Warner Bros., you’re out of your mind.
It does feel like you have the juice right now. If you ever want to get Convoy 2 made, this might be your moment.
Arnett: “Green light!”
Will Arnett Brought ‘Is This Thing On?’ to Bradley Cooper, Who Asked to Direct
Between you and Bradley Cooper, who you’ve known forever, who contacts whom here first? I know you know the people the film is based on. Does he contact you and say he’s got a movie idea?
Arnett: I brought it to him.
Oh, see, I didn’t realize this…
Arnett: [Laughs] That’s why I’m telling you! Because it’s very apparent you didn’t know this. I met John Bishop, the great English comic, whose story inspired the film. We are at a lunch, and he told me the story about how he became a stand-up comic. I asked John ifMarkChappell, my writing partner, and I could write the film inspired by his story, and he said yes. So, Mark and I worked on it for a couple of years, and we had it set up at Searchlight already. But we were kind of languishing a little bit. I was traveling with Bradley when he was making Maestro, and I sent it to him. I just wanted his thoughts on it. He called me a week later, FaceTimed me, and said, “I want to direct this, if that’s okay?” And I said, “Yeah.” That’s how it happened.
It would have been funny if you had said no.
Arnett: It would have been really funny. It would be funny even if I had just said, “Let me sleep on it.”
“Let me decide after a good night’s sleep.”
Arnett: To be honest, I thought at the very least I thought I’d get some good free notes from him. That he’d say, you know, “Maybe think about this character doing this.” And he did have those thoughts, but it was, “I want to help you do that.” So, that was the good news. He said, “I’d like to direct it, if it’s okay with you.” I’m like, “Of course it’s okay with me, dude.”
So you honestly just wanted some notes. You never considered he might want to direct it?
Arnett: No, he was in the middle of making Maestro. So he was right in the thick of that. So I didn’t think there was a world where he’d dedicate any time to this, other than maybe reading it because he was on a hiatus. They had a few weeks off in the schedule as they were shooting. We were talking because we were on a flight together. He was talking to me about Maestro, and he asked me what I’m working on. He said, “That’s interesting,” and I said, “I’ll send it to you, tell me what you think.”
In the movie, Bradley Cooper plays Balls. Is Balls based on someone you know?
Arnett: Balls was… we always had this idea. Balls is a character who has lived forever. Initially, we wanted him to be the guy who’s got that name, and you get the sense that he’s kind of the idiot, and maybe, at some point, he’ll have some savant, which he ends up having. But he has a name his wife hates. We had a scene where Alex moves into his new apartment and Balls shows up, and he brings beer. And then he says, “Hey, I have to go, Christine is in the car.” Alex says, “Wait, Christine is here?” “Yeah, she didn’t want to come up.” His wife kind of hates him, resents him, he’s an idiot, but lets him go and be a friend to Alex when he needs him. Bradley really responded to him and said, “I think I should play Balls.” Given our history and connection, it really made sense. And Bradley really fleshed out how he wanted Balls to be and rewrote a lot of what Balls does to kind of fit how he saw him and where he fit into the story.
Before we wrap up, I did want to say I’m looking forward to your version of Convoy 2.
Arnett: You know what?
What.
Arnett: I’m going to let you watch a rough cut.
