Andy Samberg interview
American actor and comedian Andy Samberg - a regular on Saturday Night Live and a member of The Lonely Island sketch group - talks about appearing in his first British sitcom.
How did you get involved with the series Andy?
Ash Atalla contacted my manager, asked if I'd ever be interested in doing a BBC show and described the premise. I said 'absolutely', they sent the script for the first episode and I loved it and said I'd do it.
For those that don't know Cuckoo how would you describe him? What can viewers expect?
Cuckoo's an American back-packer, faux philosopher type. He's done a lot of traveling and partying and sees himself as a guru or teacher of sorts by way of his worldly wisdom. And he's also an idiot. So it's a fun combination of qualities. Viewers can expect to find him irritatingly optimistic and hairy.
Life in suburbia is very different to Cuckoo's previous nomadic lifestyle, is there a danger that he'll get itchy feet?
I'm not a writer of the show, so no one can really say but them. But my guess would be not likely as he's madly in love with his new wife, Rachel. He believes them to be destined for each other.
Marrying Rachel was very impulsive - what other surprises can we expect from him?
Well, I don't want to spoil anything, but he's very much up for a good time. His open-mindedness is often astounding, both in positive and negative ways.
Is there any Andy Samberg in Cuckoo?
We have very similar noses.
Ken isn't Cuckoo's biggest fan, how does he win him round?
I think he just wears him down with positivity. And it's tough to hate someone who truly loves your child. That's almost always a winning trait with a parent. But I don't believe Ken is ever completely on board. That's the beauty of their relationship. Cuckoo never understands what he does that annoys Ken so he can never address it and stop.
Tell us about his relationship with Mum, Lorna, and younger brother Dylan?
He's very fond of Lorna and Dylan. Lorna actually comes to enjoy him, and Dylan thinks he's ridiculous, but again, Cuckoo has no idea because it never occurs to him that anyone wouldn't like him.
How does this British comedy differ from your previous shows in the States?
Aside from the obvious cultural reference differences (Dexy's Midnight Runners?) and various common phrases, I think there's less and less difference ever year. The old line on this was that Brit humour was much wordier and dry, but this show felt very much a mix of that and some more outrageous and more 'American' comedy I've seen. Overall though, the main difference between this show and others I've done personally is that everyone in the cast and crew has an accent.
What were your highlights from filming the series?
I guess just the prospect of coming into a completely new situation where I knew literally no one and having to figure it out on the fly was a highlight. That and sneaking into Greg Davies' dressing room every day when he was out and dancing around in his giant clothes.
What was the best/worst thing about filming in the UK?
Best: we filmed during the Olympics.
Worst: we filmed during the Olympics!