Garret Dillahunt interview

Two new interviews, pics from Raising Hope 1×04

One interview is at the Philadelphia Daily News, the other is at Stars Entertainment. Pics in the post are from the episode that airs in two weeks.

Raising Hope 1×02, “Dead Tooth,” airs tonight at 9.

Here is the synopsis for episode 1×04, “Say Cheese:”

RAISING HOPE “Say Cheese” Season 1 Episode 4 – When Sabrina visits Jimmy at home for the first time, she comes across a photo album that makes Jimmy realize he doesn’t have any family photos that include Hope. Although past family photo shoots have been filled with chaos and stress, Jimmy decides to organize a family photo shoot in the all-new “Say Cheese” episode of RAISING HOPE airing Tuesday, Oct. 12 (9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

And some snippets from the interviews below:

Garret Dillahunt,Martha Plimpton,Raising Hope

As for his reputation for scaring the bejesus out of viewers, “people’s memories are so short,” he said. “I actually play lots of good guys. I played Jesus Christ, for goodness’ sakes.”

But even Dillahunt’s Jesus – who appeared to an Episcopal priest played by Aidan Quinn in NBC’s short-lived “The Book of Daniel” – was kind of disturbing, I suggested.

“He was disturbing? I mean, the show might’ve been disturbing,” Dillahunt said, laughing. “I just like a good story, you know. In most stories, there’s a good guy and a bad guy. I just want to be part of a good story.”

Had Dillahunt, whose last regular sitcom gig was in Norm MacDonald’s Fox series, “A Minute With Stan Hooper,” been looking for another comedy?

“I’ve been making a lot of movies this past year and the kind of movies that I do, that I get good roles in, are independent movies, which I love very much” (including “Amigo” and “Oliver Sherman,” both of which screened at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this month).

“But those kind of movies don’t pay too well,” so he looks to TV to help finance his work in them.

One difference between “Raising Hope” and some of Dillahunt’s other TV work is the presence of infants (a set of twins played the baby in the pilot, and Dillahunt said he expected “we’ll go through a lot of them, like the ‘Babe’ piglets”).

Has he worked with babies before?

“I have, yeah. And there’s good days and bad days, that’s for sure. I generally just feel horrible for them, you know? Because there’s no good reason, other than some laughs, or the story, for them to be going through this when they’re miserable. But when they’re having a ball, it’s all right,” he said. [Philly.com]

Garret Dillahunt,Martha Plimpton, Lucas Neff,Raising Hope

First of all, I wanted to quickly ask you about your recent trip to Toronto for the film festival. I know you were here for the premiere of your new movie, Oliver Sherman. Did you like Toronto? Was it your first time?

It wasn’t my first time in Toronto but I love Toronto. I shot a series there back in 2001 for Showtime so I was in Cabbagetown for about nine months and I just loved it. But it’s only my second time that I’ve been able to go to the festival. There is a lot of energy, there is a lot going on. It’s not really a vacation, its sort of business, but it’s exciting to have all those cool and interesting films going on.

You’ve acted in a lot of murder, crime and thriller-type movies, how did you end up with this role as Burt Chance on Raising Hope?

I actually started in comedy. My first jobs out of school were in theatre where you did all kinds of things including farces and romantic comedy. When I decided to start doing film and television, the first jobs I got were all sit-coms and I had a couple that were picked up and a few that were just pilots. In 2003, I was doing A Minute With Stan Hooper and then I got Deadwood and really ever since Deadwood, I’ve been the drama guy. People forgot that I started in comedy. It’s interesting because you feel that people have short memories and they only remember the last thing you did. So it’s a constant state of proving yourself or reinventing. I liked the comedic elements that I could bring to my other movie, No Country for Old Men and it had been while since I did comedy and I just thought that I needed to look for something funny to do. Plus, I just needed a break from all the raping and killing that I’ve been doing on other movies.

Did you ever want to pursue a career in comedy?

No, no, I could think of nothing more terrifying than doing stand-up. Oh! It’s scary; I used to work the door at a comedy club called, ‘Catch a Rising Star’ in New York at the time, its not longer there. Just watching those guys and the nerves before they went up on stage, if they were having a bad night or there were hecklers. There is no safety net. I have a lot of admiration for people that can do stand up comedy because I sure can’t. [Stars Entertainment]

Raising Hope,Raising Hope 1x04,Garret Dillahunt,Lucas Neff,Martha Plimpton

New interview for Raising Hope

Raising Hope poster,Garret Dillahunt,Lucas NeffBullz-Eye.com has new interviews with Garret, Martha Plimpton and Lucas Neff. You can read them here.

Snippets:

Bullz-Eye: I’ve got to tell you, man, that the scene in the pilot with the car seat…? I can’t remember the last time I’ve laughed so hard.

Garret Dillahunt: Oh, yeah? There’s a few of those in there. For me, it’s the puking moments. Mmmm-mmm! (Laughs) (…)

BE: Martha was just saying that you guys have a connection to Tim Blake-Nelson.

GD: Yeah! There was a play [Eye of God] I did a long time ago, and…did she tell you the story?

BE: She did. And, actually, I talked to Tim a few months ago.

GD: Oh, cool! Yeah, I love Tim. I really wanted to be in that movie, but at the time, I had no name. I think Kevin Anderson played my part. And it was a shame, because Martha and I had always kind of passed each other without actually working together. And, then, her dad…you know, I killed her dad (Keith Carradine) on “Deadwood.” (Laughs)

BE: I had forgotten that!

GD: Yeah, she’d come hang out, and she was going to be in the fourth season, I think, but they didn’t pick it up. It’s just been a constant series of missed opportunities to work together…but, now, here we are, and it’s great! (…)

BE: So what can we expect to see from the show beyond the pilot?

GD: Well, it’s going to be a process, I think, of everyone in the family maturing and beginning to become better parents. I like the fact that Burt has kind of a warm, fuzzy center, even though he likes to sort of fuck around with the kids. That’s what I think you’ll see, though: them maturing.

BE: Were you sorry that “The Sarah Connor Chronicles” ended when it did?

GD: Yeah, man, I would’ve been happy if it’d come back. I like sci-fi stuff. I’m kind of a geek about that. I have a lot of comic books at home. It was a good job.

BE: Lastly, what’s your favorite project that you’ve worked on that didn’t get the love you thought it deserved?
GD: Oh, geez. Uh…I don’t know. It sort of would’ve been nice if “Deadwood” had had a final year…but I was done on it, anyway! (Laughs) I guess it’d be “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.” I think that’s a great movie, and it didn’t get nearly the studio support that I thought it should’ve.

Raising Hope posters and promotional stills

Several updates for Raising Hope today, since the show premieres in less than a week (Tuesday, Sept. 21 at 9 on Fox):

First, here is an interview from the Fox All-Star Party back in August (Fancast uploaded it a couple of weeks ago):

Some posters (click to enlarge):

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