The busy actor opens up to ET about his new Audible series, 'The Comedy Show Show.'
Will Arnett is one busy guy -- but it hasn’t stopped him
from doing more!
Following the summer releases of Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, and his two
Netflix series, BoJack Horseman and Flaked, the actor is now lending his
star power and emcee skills to the new Audible series The Comedy Show Show.
Making its debut on Nov. 10, the weekly audio series gives
listeners a hilarious all-access pass to the best live themed comedy shows
around the country. The debut episode, “Schtick or Treat,” features spot-on impressions
of Aziz Ansari and Joan Rivers. “It’s such a testament to how funny and strong
the performers are,” Arnett tells ET about the impressive celebrity
impersonations heard -- and not seen
-- on the first episode.
MORE: 'BoJack Horseman' Creator on What Happens When Celebs Turn Down Cameos
But the audio series is only the latest for the funny man
audiences first fell in love with as G.O.B. Bluth on the Fox-turned-Netflix
series Arrested Development, which creator Mitch Hurwitz said filming for a fifth season could begin in 2017. Arnett has two animated films coming in 2017,
including the highly anticipated The Lego
Batman Movie -- after watching the trailer, you’ll be excited too! -- as
well as new seasons of both of his original Netflix series.
During a break from production, Arnett caught up with ET to
share his thoughts on live stand-up, his appreciation for subtle humor and BoJack Horseman.
What impresses him
most about the live stand-up featured on The
Comedy Show Show:
“I generally don’t watch a lot of stand-up, but every time I
do, I am always really impressed with how funny everyone is. For me, what
always is a constant is people who do something that surprises you, that
element of something that is sort of unusual. And by unusual, I don't mean
finding a different way to say something or saying something that is dirty -- a
dirty word or taboo is not necessarily hilarious to me -- but actually saying
something clever and surprising in a way that you have to sort of pull that
off.”
What he likes about BoJack Horseman’s comedic style:
“It has moments of punny word play, which I enjoy. But at
the same time, we did a table read and a record for BoJack today and it was a funny episode and there were a lot of
things going on, and then at the end, in the BoJack style, things happened that left a sort of a bittersweet
taste in your mouth.”
MORE: Will Arnett Jokes About Using His 'Lego Batman' Voice to Scold His Kids
How age has
influenced his comedic interests:
“I think that as I have gotten older, things that I want to
write are probably getting subtler and subtler in a lot of ways, and I like
things that have mixture of both comedy and drama. It kind of scratches an itch
for me. It still is suggestive and I don't expect everybody to like it, and
that is OK.”
Advice he has -- or
rather, doesn’t have -- for other actors:
“My days of giving advice to people outside my kids are
over. I will tell you this -- as my grandfather used to say: Free advice is
worth what you pay for it.”
The latest update on Arrested Development:
[Laughs] “I don’t
know anything!”
-- Additional reporting
by Darla Murray