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Check It Out!: John C. Reilly on working with Dr. Steve Brule


“If you’re raking the leaves and it gets all over your driveway, just hose it off, dummy.”

Actor John C. Reilly, along with Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, is the executive producer of Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule, probably the single funniest show on the tee-vee at the moment. I asked the Oscar-nominated thespian a few questions about the show and its star. Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule is now midway through Season Three on Adult Swim, airing Thursdays at 12:30am ET/PT. You can also watch at the Adult Swim website.

After we watched the promo DVD for the new season, my wife remarked that there is an entire generation who might happen upon an “old” movie like Boogie Nights on cable and think “Holy shit, that’s Dr. Steve Brule!” If they saw Chicago their minds would just explode. I’m guessing that there’s a pretty strict age divide between folks who say “I like your work, Mr. Reilly” vs. the ones who shout out “For your health!”?

John C. Reilly: My career has been one exclamation of “holy shit!” after another. If there is one thing I am consistently known for it is being inconsistent. I am a lucky man who has been allowed to try different things by those who watch my work. Whenever people compliment Dr. Steve Brule I always tell them I will pass along the kind words to him and Denny. I have their pager numbers. Finally, age is an illusion that older people become fixated by. Congratulations on having an understanding and insightful wife.

For the record, I’m one of those people who’d shout “For your health” and in fact, I have said it to you. Not to give your fine film and stage work short-shrift, but the way you inhabit Dr. Steve’s skin is deeply impressive to me as a big comedy nerd, I must say. He’s the greatest “schnook” character since Chris Elliot in Get a Life or Fred Willard as Jerry Hubbard on Fernwood 2night. You have obliviousness down to an art form and that’s a rare talent, indeed. Was there ever a character like Dr. Brule who you observed up-close in your life, like a bumbling high school chemistry teacher or someone like that?

JCR: I will pass along your kind words to Dr. Steve. I know, however, that he does not think of himself as a “schnook.” Most people who refer to him as that are most likely “hunks.” I have never met anyone quite like Dr. Steve Brule and I doubt I ever will. Like all humans, he is unique.

To what extent is the show improvisational? And who is clued in to what’s happening and who is not?

JCR: The show is loosely scripted by Steve according to the topic discussed. Each episode is shot strictly in order by Steve and his technical adviser Denny. All interviews are with actual people with actual fields of expertise. The interviewees are not prepared or pre-interviewed by the Doctor. When you see Dr. Steven Brule meet someone on the show that is the exact moment that they meet. Obviously the Doctor’s family and friends know of him and his work already.

How involved are you in the editing process?

JCR: As an executive producers of the show Tim, Eric and I go over the episodes once Denny has finished duping the master VHS copies. We then arrange to have them sent to a video tape duplication facility in order to make copies for the station and viewers. Thank you for helping make people aware of this important show and its information.

For your health!

Here’s a clip from Season Three of Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule, where Dr. Steve visits The Playpen (“Home of the $2 Lap Dance!) with his guest Ron Don Volante, gangster rapper and owner of the club. Then he interviews a wizard before making a trip to Heaven where he meets “Gord.”
 

Posted by Richard Metzger
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03.26.2014
01:31 pm
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