Fred Armisen on the Popularity of ‘SNL’s “The Californians” and Having it Quoted Back at Him at Coachella: “What Are You Doing Here?”

Summary

The first four episodes of Wednesday Season 2 are available on Netflix, with Fred Armisen returning and Steve Buscemi joining the cast.
Collider’s Steve Weintraub interviews the actors, where both reflect on the unexpected comedy of the series.
Buscemi discusses the challenges of his career, particularly emotionally demanding scenes, while Armisen talks about overcoming his fear of heights for a role.

It’s time to return to Nevermore Academy with Wednesday Season 2. Executive-produced in part by Tim Burton, the eight-episode second season is premiering with four episodes on August 6, pushing Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) further into psychic investigations, family mysteries, and threats lurking within the school grounds.

Fred Armisen returns for Season 2 as Uncle Fester, Wednesday’s uncle, a role which will be expanded this season to allow Armisen to bring more of his signature blend of humor and physical comedy. Meanwhile, Steve Buscemi is joining the cast this season as Barry Dort, the new principal of Nevermore.

Ahead of Season 2, Collider’s Steve Weintraub interviewed the pair of comedic icons about being central players in Wednesday Season 2. Armisen reflects on the comedy sketch that gave him an interesting Coachella experience, while both actors look back at their previous work to name the sequence that has presented the most challenge to them as a performer. As for Wednesday, both actors discussed the unexpected comedy of the series.

Armisen Will Always Be Reminded of One ‘Saturday Night Live’ Sketch

“I just want to run away up the 110. On the shoulder.”

Custom image by Federico Napoli

COLLIDER: I really want to say, sincerely, to the two of you, thank you for making me laugh and thank you for your work. It’s really meant a lot over the years.

FRED ARMISEN: Thank you. Appreciate it.

Fred, I have to ask you an individual question, and it’s not about Wednesday. I love the sketch, “The Californians.” It made me laugh a lot. How many times do people come up to you and ask you to talk about directions or give directions? You never know if a sketch is going to catch on. When did you realize that it was a special one?

ARMISEN: I have a real answer to that. I went to Coachella the same year that that sketch debuted, and some people in the crowd did ask me, “What are you doing here?” And I didn’t understand what they meant. I was like, “Well, I want to come here to see a show”. And then I was like, “Oh my god, they’re talking about the sketch.” So, that was a definite moment. That’s what really happened. And all the time, people will show me how they do it, how they do the impressions of how to do directions in California. I live in California, and that really is what it’s like. You really do have to talk about how, still to this day, I talk about how I got someplace. I didn’t even realize that I’d be like, “I took Beverly all the way here.” Always happens. So, that’s a really fun thing to experience.

Also, you got to get paid for it by doing a VW ad.

ARMISEN: That’s right.

I also live in California and LA, and I talk about directions a lot. It’s not a joke.

Fred Armisen on the Unexpected Comedy of ‘Wednesday’

“Sometimes you forget that something is going to be funny.”

Going into the show, I really want to say congrats on the first four episodes. Fans are going to love them. You never really what you’re going to be doing until you get the scripts, so for both of you, what was your reaction to the scripts and what you were going to be asked to do?

STEVE BUSCEMI: I loved it. I mean, coming into this world after being a fan, not only of the first season, but of The Addams Family since I was a kid, and Tim Burton, who I was lucky enough to work with years ago on Big Fish, and to then come in as the new principal of Nevermore was a huge undertaking and part. It was challenging, a little intimidating, but also very, very exciting that I was going to be a big part of this world. I loved it.

ARMISEN: And for me, as soon as I read this script, it was funny, but sometimes you forget that something is going to be funny, so you take it for granted. You’re like, “Oh, we’re going to show up, and we’re going to do all these scenes.” But then, “Oh, that’s right! There are these really solid lines,” really, really good jokes that also don’t present themselves as obvious jokes. They’re just so well written. So yeah, laughing right away, right into it.

From Boardwalk Empire to Portlandia, these two have had to conquer fears and difficult characters.

You’ve both worked on so many projects. Which shot or sequence in your career do you still think is the hardest one you’ve had to do, and for what reason? You never know that with camera moves or dialogue, or a combination of both.

BUSCEMI: For me, it’s about what I have to do as an actor. When I did Boardwalk Empire, that character started out as a really fun character to play, and he was. But as the years went on, it got darker and darker until he had to start killing people just to set an example. In one episode, I had to kill this young kid, and it was questionable whether he was a teenager or a young adult, but I had to like it, and emotionally, that was one of the hardest things I had to do. So for me, it’s about, sometimes, what I’m asked to do as a character, rather than the technical stuff. The technical stuff, I think, sometimes the more challenging it is, the more fun it is.

ARMISEN: Man, that’s such a good answer. Too, too good. I don’t want to just balance it out. I’ll keep mine, like, different territory. It’s gonna be a different side to acting and stuff because that is such a good answer. For me, my memory of the most difficult time I’ve had was something that was technical and physical, which is that I’m afraid of heights. There is a scene in Portlandia where I had to lean over this balcony and act and talk, and I remember that being hard because it is a real fear. It’s not like something quaint, that I’m like, “Oh, I’ve got a fear of heights.” I mean, for real, I feel it physically. So, over and over, I had to lean on this thing and talk to someone down there, and that’s what I felt like was the hardest. So, that’s an appropriate counter story to Steve’s.

Part 1 of Wednesday Season 2 is available to stream on Netflix now.