THE PAGE'S TURN- My Interview w/30 Rock's Jack McBrayer

THE PAGE’S TURN

WITH AN EMMY NOD FOR 30 ROCK, JACK MCBRAYER HAS HIS MOMENT IN THE SPOTLIGHT

By Bret Love

 

It’s not difficult to gauge the impact the scene-stealing role of Kenneth Parcell has had on 30 Rock star Kenneth McBrayer’s career. Before he was cast on the critically acclaimed show (which has won 14 Emmys and been nominated for an amazing 37 more), McBrayer’s biggest claim to fame was a 2-episode stint on Arrested Development; now he’s got a Best Supporting Actor Emmy nod under his belt, not to mention roles in hit films like Talladega Nights, Walk Hard and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. We recently caught up with the 36-year-old actor to discuss his Southern roots, improv background and what’s next for everyone’s favorite NBC page in the fourth season of 30 Rock.

 

 

You actually grew up in Georgia, didn’t you?

 

Yeah, I lived in Macon until I was 15 and then I went to high school in Conyers, which is a little suburb right outside Atlanta.

 

How has being so Southern impacted your ability to get ahead in show business? Did you have any problems before 30 Rock with people wanting you to get rid of the accent?

 

Yes, absolutely! But it was one of those things where it's like, this is what I have to work with. You know, if they said, “I wish you were shorter,” there's not really a lot I can do about that either. So you just maximize your assets and minimize your liabilities and hope that something will stick to the wall at one point.

 

You've done improv for years at Upright Citizens Brigade, improvOlympic and Second City. How did that training help when went into acting for television and film?

 

I think in a very general sense doing improv taught me to be prepared for anything and just roll with the punches. It’s also about working together with a group to create something that's ideally funny at the end of the day. In terms of making it easy to work with this group in particular, anything that the writers give you– no matter how ludicrous it is– you're like, “Yes I will do this and do it with gusto!” So it’s just about commitment to their ideas, and a lot of that I did learn through improv.

 

You initially worked with Tina Fey at iO and Second City, right? Could you talk about working with her?

 

Oh God, absolutely. I wouldn't be talking to you right now if it weren't for old Tina Fey. I was in Chicago for seven years, 1995-2002, and that is where I met Tina. Her husband, Jeff Richmond, was my first director at Second City. Although I probably knew Jeff better than Tina there, when I moved to New York I got to know her and her comedy better. Chicago totally prepared me 100% for what I'm doing now. And it’s weird that, without even knowing it, I was networking back then and it really did get me to where I am.

 

Your comedic timing is excellent. Was that something that always came naturally to you or did you have to work at it?

 

Well, I always enjoyed making people laugh when I was growing up and being in school and stuff. But I spent several years at the Second City and improvOlympic in Chicago, and that's where I honed my skills. But I'm telling you, the writing here on 30 Rock makes it so easy. Even if I had the worst timing in the world, these guys will make you look funny week after week.

 

How much interplay is there between the writers and performers? Do you guys ever improvise stuff that makes it into the script?

 

There's very little improv involved with this, mainly because the writers do such a good job in the first place. Also, what I didn't realize getting into this is that a 30-minute sitcom is actually only 21.5 minutes, so there ain't a lot of breathing room. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, so we've just been trusting the writers for the most part.

 

Do you have any favorite episodes of 30 Rock?

 

Oh, definitely! I’ve enjoyed so many of the episodes, but I guess one that really sticks out in my mind is where Kenneth has a party at his apartment that everybody has to get an invitation to. We only saw three seconds of the actual party, but it was just so fun shooting that because it's so rare that the entire cast gets together. In Season 1 I had to play a poker game with Alec Baldwin's character. That was fun, but also very scary because I still wasn't real familiar with Alec Baldwin as a person, so I was very grateful that I had to be nervous during that scene.

 

Are there any roles other than Kenneth you’ve played that you especially enjoyed?

 

Yeah! I mean, I haven't even done too many other gigs, but in Forgetting Sarah Marshall I just loved being a newlywed at a Hawaiian resort. So if you’ve got any more roles like that, please feel free to pass those on to my people. (Laughs)

 

You're so closely identified with Kenneth now. When you’re on hiatus and doing other things, are you actively trying to get away from that type of role?

 

Unfortunately I'm not that great of an actor! (Laughs) I can lose the navy blazer, but that's about it. No, I know what I can do and what I like to do and they're pretty much along those same veins, so when people are tired of seeing that then I might flex some other muscles. But right now I'm real happy with where I am and what people are asking me to do.

 

Tina Fey has said that she created the character for you and made Kenneth a lot like you. What are the things you have in common with him?

 

Well, I think just very generally being a people-pleaser and always wanting to do good at my job. And I will be the first to admit that sometimes I'm not exactly sure how this big world works, but I just try to cope with it as well as I can.

 

What continues to challenge you about the role now that you’re four seasons into 30 Rock’s run?

 

Well, it sounds like I'm complaining, but if this is the worst part then I guess I'm doing all right. Sometimes I just have to have a LOT of caffeine to be that peppy at ungodly hours in the morning or at night, you know? Sometimes I'm like, “Oh, daddy needs a nap!” That's where the Diet Mt. Dew comes in handy and all is well.

 

Why do you think people continue to tune in and watch the show?

 

Well, what we’ve found is that it is just so relatable as a workplace comedy. Anybody who's ever had a job has had a domineering boss or very needy coworkers or just crazy people around. So in that sense I think that people can just relate to it.

 

With the economy nudging companies to hire more interns as the new entry-level positions, do you think Kenneth is becoming a hero of this rising young working class?

 

Well, the thing about posing yourself as a hero is that one day it's going to bite you in the ass! (Laughs) My only frame of reference for the role that I'm playing and the people that I deal with are the real-life pages over at Rockefeller Center. So far they seem happy with the way they're being depicted and how they're being treated by people, but I’m always awaiting the day that kind of thing will come back and get you.

 

What do you think of Community joining your Thursday night comedy block?

 

I'm a big fan of it! One of the actors on the show was previously one of our writers– Donald Glover, who plays Troy on Community– so I'm real happy for him. And honestly I'm just happy whenever NBC gets anything fun and enjoyable on there because, you know, TV is just a very tenuous area right now. I'm like, let's go with anything that might stick around for a while!

 

Can you talk a little bit about what storylines Kenneth might have coming up this season?

 

Well, it’s pretty much my usual high-jinx. We do have a little bit of fun with Kenneth in a couple of things. I don't think I'll get in trouble here, but at one point Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey's characters go down to Kenneth's hometown of Stone Mountain, GA for a talent search. I think some of the characters that you will see in that hometown might resemble Kenneth quite a bit, but you have to look closely. It’s kind of like Where's Waldo, but we had some fun with that. Otherwise it's just the usual stuff. Kenneth’s just always wanting to be the best at the job, as menial as it may be. The more menial, the better!

 

(originally appeared in INsite Magazine)