By Christina Radish
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Andy Samberg at the MTV Movie Awards held at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, Calif. on June 3, 2007. |
In the Paramount Pictures crude comedy Hot Rod, Rod Kimble (Andy Samberg) is a self-proclaimed stuntman, convinced he has bravery in his blood. Having grown up believing he’s the son of Evel Knievel’s test-rider, Rod is committed to fulfilling his father’s legacy. The only problem is that he really sucks.
Making the leap from small screen to big screen, 29-year-old Saturday Night Live star Andy Samberg talks to MediaBlvd Magazine about pretending to be a stuntman, adjusting to his newfound fame, and working on the show he’s been a fan of since he was eight years old.
MediaBlvd Magazine> How did Hot Rod come about?
Andy Samberg> [SNL executive producer] Lorne Michaels had the script, and his production deal is with Paramount. I took meetings with a bunch of the studios and they gave me a bunch of scripts, and one of them was Hot Rod. I read it and said I really liked it. Then, after the “Lazy Sunday” video happened, they realized that me and my buddies, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, are a team, so they asked us if we’d be interested in doing it together, and we said, “Yes.”
MediaBlvd> Do you do the directing, writing and everything together?
Andy> Akiva’s the director. Jorma has directed a few digital shorts now, but Akiva’s our point man with direction.
MediaBlvd> What does Rod Kimble want out of life?
Andy> He’s a wannabe Evel Knievel, stuntman guy, but he’s really terrible at stunts. He’s got a really tumultuous relationship with his step-father, Frank, who is played by Ian McShane, from Deadwood. They’re constantly fighting and he’s trying to earn his respect. And then, McShane’s character gets sick and my character is going to stage one big stunt to raise the money to save his step-dad’s life, so he can kick his ass.
MediaBlvd> Had you ever ridden a motorcycle prior to Hot Rod?
Andy> No, I had to learn. I didn’t hurt myself too bad. I banged myself up a little. There were some ice packs involved.
MediaBlvd> What’s it like being a stuntman?
Andy> Well, Rod Kimble is not really a stuntman. I had never really done anything like that before. We had a great stunt coordinator -- this guy, Nick Powell -- who did Gladiator and Bourne Identity. He was way over qualified for our movie. So, I trained with him on the moped and the motorcycle. He taught me pretty quickly.
MediaBlvd> Did you have to go to the gym more to work out, so that you could prepare for the role?
Andy> No, but it kicked my ass. I was more out of shape than I should have been for it. I did a lot of fight scenes with Ian McShane, so there was a lot of rehearsals and choreography for that.
MediaBlvd> Would you like to do more romantic comedy stuff now?
Andy> No, I don’t want to do romantic comedies. Hot Rod is not a romantic comedy. That’s never been my favorite genre, to be honest. Immature, silly, dumb humor is more my forte.
MediaBlvd> What was the experience of shooting in Vancouver like?
Andy> It was awesome. I really enjoyed it up there. The three of us are from Berkeley, California, in the Bay Area, so it wasn’t too different from that, except that it’s a little less political and the people are a little nicer. But, it was beautiful and everyone treated us great. There were a lot of people who are fans of what we are doing, so we felt very welcomed there. It was cool.
MediaBlvd> You have Space Chimps coming out in 2008. What made you want to do that?
Andy> I love space and chimps, so it’s an ideal title.
MediaBlvd> Have you voiced anything for it yet?
Andy> Yeah, we’ve done a few sessions. It’s going good.
MediaBlvd> When did you realize you were funny?
Andy> I don’t know. I had a very silly family, so we were always joking around and cracking each other up.
MediaBlvd> What was it like receiving all of that attention for the “Dick in a Box” skit you did on SNL with Justin Timberlake?
Andy> It was bizarre. It was a rush. It was really cool, but a little bit terrifying as well. That’s not common ground for comedians.
MediaBlvd> When you come up with ideas for sketches on SNL, how often do you think, “Wow, this would make a great movie”?
Andy> I’ve never had that thought.
MediaBlvd> Will you ever think about taking the kind of humor you do on SNL and transplanting it into movies?
Andy> I wouldn’t rule it out, but I don’t have anything totally branded on the show yet. Generally, anything I would take to a movie would be more of a version of myself.
MediaBlvd> Is it part of your SNL contract to be in every single digital short?
Andy> No. Me and my buddies -- Akiva and Jorma -- are a three-man team. We got hired together. The digital shorts are our domain. It’s what we did before we got to the show, and we cultivated that slot there, once we showed up. I’m not always in them, but a lot of times, that’s my way in.
MediaBlvd> Do you come up with the ideas?
Andy> We haven’t come up with all of them, but the majority of them. We’ll take ideas from anyone, but generally, we’re the creative force behind them
MediaBlvd> What has SNL done for you, overall?
Andy> It’s changed my life. It’s turned my life completely upside down.
MediaBlvd> What’s been the biggest change that you’ve had to get used to?
Andy> I can afford my rent.
MediaBlvd> Was it nice, making switch to the movies?
Andy> It was interesting. I had a great time. I got to work with my buddies. We were working from a really crazy script, and we had creative carte blanche from Paramount and from Lorne, so we had a great time. It’s a really intense process, and a lot of work.
MediaBlvd> Isn’t SNL?
Andy> SNL is also very intense and a lot of work.
MediaBlvd> So, you survive well under pressure?
Andy> Yeah, I would say so.
MediaBlvd> How do the two compare, as far as the time and intensity?Andy> My schedule is much more at night, by nature. I’d rather do an SNL schedule. That’s how it is for a lot of comedians. If you do stand-up a lot, it’s that schedule. With a movie, you’ve got to get up at 5 in the morning because you’re shooting daylight, so you’ve got to get out there. But, you get used to it and it’s worth it ‘cause you’re doing stuff that you like. You’ve got to do more takes on a movie, but they’re both awesome.
MediaBlvd> What were you like as a kid?
Andy> I was wild, goofy and spazzy. It’s a good thing they hadn’t come up with ADD yet ‘cause I certainly had it.
MediaBlvd> Did you calm down in college at all, or were you wilder?
Andy> When I wasn’t sleeping, I was quite wild. My family was very silly. We goofed around a lot. And, all my friends are always very silly.
MediaBlvd> Did you have brothers and sisters?
Andy> I have two older sisters.
MediaBlvd> Were you treated like the baby of the family?
Andy> Oh, yeah. I got away with everything.
MediaBlvd> What do you think fans are looking for on the next season of SNL?
Andy> I think they’re always just looking to laugh.
MediaBlvd> What are you looking to do?
Andy> I want to see what everybody else does. I’m a big fan of everyone else on the show, so it makes it a lot easier to work there. The stuff that doesn’t get on the show is usually my favorite. I get to work with weird, funny people.
MediaBlvd> Are you writing for other cast members on SNL, or just yourself?
Andy> The cast is very supportive of each other. Sometimes, someone will have an idea for someone else. We are that good of friends. People will say, “I have this idea I think you’d be great for.” A lot of times, it will involve them as well. We try to help each other out as much as we can.
MediaBlvd> Do you have any favorite characters that you created for SNL that you want to do again this year?
Andy> I really liked doing Laser Cats with Bill, and Akiva and Jorma are big in that. I had fun doing Wizard Man. Stuff like that.
MediaBlvd> When you’re on your hiatus, do you get lots of ideas that you store up for the new season, or do you wait until the season is getting ready to start?
Andy> I generally wait until the last minute. That’s the same way I got through school. A week at SNL is a lot like a week of finals in college. It’s all got to happen really fast. You cram, get it together, and there’s that one big shot, which is the test, or the show.
MediaBlvd> Will you get a break at all before you go back to SNL?
Andy> I think I’m going to get a little time in August.
MediaBlvd> What are you going to do?
Andy> I’m going to try to see my family and catch up with some friends and maybe look for a new apartment.
MediaBlvd> A bigger apartment?
Andy> Not bigger. I think maybe smaller. The place I’m in now has got bad upstairs noise and the shower turns really hot all the time. It’s not good. All I need is a good night’s sleep and a good, consistent shower. I need a place of solace.
MediaBlvd> Who and what is funny to you?
Andy> A lot. I really like everyone on SNL right now. Growing up, I watched a lot of I Love Lucy. I was huge into SNL since I was 8. Mel Brooks’ stuff, Monty Python, Steve Martin -- I love stuff, like The Jerk. Then, as I started getting a little older, I was really into Adam Sandler and Chris Farley, and their movies. Mike Myers was huge for me. Phil Hartman, Dana Carvey, Lovitz, those guys. I was big into Kids in the Hall, Strangers with Candy, The State. I’m a huge comedy guy.
MediaBlvd> Is there any one person that you would just love to work with someday?
Andy> There’s not any one person, in particular. I like so many different people. For me, just being at SNL right now is so ridiculous. I’ve already worked with so many, just being on the show for two seasons. Working with Steve Martin, and people like that, is ridiculous. It’s crazy.
MediaBlvd> How surreal is it to be doing comedy with those people that you admired so much? Do you consider yourself on the same level, since you’re a cast member?
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Andy Samberg at Spike TV's Guy's Choice Awards held at Radford Studios in Studio City, Calif. on June 9, 2007. |
Andy> I certainly don’t consider myself in the same category, but the fact that I’m even on the same stage is surreal and amazing. It’s a huge honor. I’m a little bit dumbstruck by it, every day. I’ve wanted to do this for so long. I know I’m not that old, but I’ve wanted to do it from when I was very young, and to actually get exactly what you want, career wise, doesn’t really happen to a lot of people. It’s a very surreal and cool experience for me. I’m just enjoying it.
MediaBlvd> Do you think about what you want to do beyond the show? Do you have a plan, as to what the future might hold?
Andy> No. I’m sure I should, at some point, but right now, everything’s happening so fast and there’s so much going on that I’m taking it day by day.
MediaBlvd> Do you plan on doing any more stand-up?
Andy> Yeah, I’d love to do more again.
MediaBlvd> Would you like to tour?
Andy> Sure, if there’s time, I would love to. I did it for seven years, before I got the show, so it’s definitely something I enjoy. It’s a great medium.
MediaBlvd> Have you had any crazy fan experiences?
Andy> I went to a White Stripes show and a girl who figured I could get anyone in said she’d sleep with me, if I could get her in. I said, “Don’t you dare say that to anyone else. You stop right there.” I think she was drunk.
MediaBlvd> Are you recognized a lot, walking around on the street, in New York?
Andy> More every day, now that there are posters and billboards for Hot Rod. It has not gotten old for me. It’s exciting, every time. I was driving to the airport and I looked out my window, and there was a cab with a Hot Rod thing on top of it, on the freeway, and I was like, “Oh, my God!” It’s weird. I drive places in L.A. now that I would drive every day, as a P.A., which was not that long ago.
MediaBlvd> When were you a P.A.?
Andy> When wasn’t I a P.A.? Maybe a year or two before SNL. I had to pay the bills, for me and my buddies.
MediaBlvd> What show did you work on?
Andy> I worked on Spin City. I worked on a National Geographic show, as a runner. I worked the graveyard shift at a post-coloring house. I did a lot of temp jobs.
MediaBlvd> Did you learn what to do and what not to do, from being a P.A.?
Andy> I learned that, if I was ever actually on a show, to be nice to the P.A.’s.
MediaBlvd> What do you do to relieve stress?
Andy> Sleep. Or, I’ll have a drink or two.
MediaBlvd> What is your drink of choice?
Andy> It depends. I get in a lot of different moods. Sometimes, I’m a beer man. Sometimes, I’ll have a vodka/soda. Sometimes, I’ll have a whiskey or a scotch.
