This is my apology to Jon Bass.
The actor was the lead in a Broadway show in which I sat nearly on top of the stage.
Hes since landed appearances on HBOsGirlsandThe Newsroom, two shows I regularly watch.
No longer an Oh, that guy!
On stage and screen, life isnt getting any easier for Bass.
Hes already been kidnapped and bitch-slapped by Ben Stillers Jimmy Staats, a recovering addict turned pretend drug dealer.
Upon further review, I realized I saw you play Elder Cunningham inBook of Mormonon Broadway.
Jon Bass:Yes.
He wanted me to be myself and thats what I did and it was life changing.
It was the craziest thing.
I was a hugeSouth Parkfan.
I was actually a biggerBASEketballfan.
I remember I used to watchBASEketballover and over and over again.
It was very dream come truey, to have Matt and Trey want to work together.
I got a masterclass in comedy from two of the most genius comedians of the 21st century.
Lets switch gears and talkBig Time in Hollywood, FL.
Howd you get involved with the show?
Del is essentially a punching bag early on in the series.
By the fourth episode, you start to see Dels sunny disposition start to get screwed with.
Dels just a guy who is constantly looking for the good in life.
Hes looking to make people happy.
With Ben and Jack being the people hes the punching bag for, hes happy to be that.
He loves Ben and Jack and gives them what they need because they are his family.
It gets so wild.
My character goes on a crazy arc.
Ben and Jack go on their crazy arc.
We all have these A, B and C stories that just get weirder and wilder and sicker.
The creators and Lenny Jacobson, who plays Ben, and I did a marathon.
We watched all ten episodes at once.
Its just so much fun to see where everyone went.
Im so excited for people to catch on.
Despite being on cable, was this show created with the idea that this will probably be binge-watched somewhere?
Yes, 100 percent.
Our show is meant to be binge-watched with ramen noodles in a college dorm.
Thats sort of what I want people to do with this show.
Was that something you were able to recognize when you first saw the script?
I think theres a renaissance of serialized television right now.
Its sort of the it thing.
IsBig Timea show that could have worked on web link television?
This would have never worked on data pipe.
Some of the best comedy comes out of a shows setting.
How does it play into the storyline and the humor of the show?
I think the reason that we chose Hollywood, FL is that we wanted somewhere that is nondescript.
These two brothers who are reaching for fame are never going to find it in Hollywood, FL.
Besides that, its a backdrop for the story.
Its not exactlyBreaking Bad, where New Mexico became a character within the show.
From the handful of episodes Ive seen, I have to agree about your bananas assessment.
I was enjoying the first episode and the ending totally blew me away.
Can you take me through the final scene of the premiere?
It was very messy lots of moving parts.
Its just a testament to our director Dan Schimpf.
Ive never seen a more level-headed person who was just calm and collected with all these extras and guns.
Youre looking at [Dan] thinking youre 28 years old and you are running a whole room.
It was magical to watch and it made me never want to be a director.
Hes one of those people you meet and you know hes meant to be a director.
Whatever it is, hes got it.
In that final scene you got to play alongside one of those classic over-the-top Ben Stiller characters.
That had to be pretty special.
There is a point in the script where I get slapped by Ben Stiller.
Then Dan called action and he just slapped me.
This is my life now.
Why should you go watchBig Time in Hollywood, FL?
Big Time in Hollywood, FLairs Wednesdays at 10:30 on Comedy Central.
*Images courtesy of Comedy Central