Exclusive Interview With Jon Hamm And Joel McHale At NYCC

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Jon Hamm and Joel McHale hosted the Fox Comedy Hour Panel at NYCC this year. While I didn’t get to see the panel, I did get to interview both actors and talk about their respective shows, Grimsburg and Animal Control. 

Jon Hamm

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What made you interested in a show like Grimsburg?

I have always been a big fan of animation since I was a little kid, and I’ve been a big fan of Fox’s place in the world of televised animation. The Simpsons- we can all talk at length about. I was probably 18 when The Simpsons came out in 1989, or whenever that was. 87 maybe? Jeez, I can’t even remember. I don’t remember a time really when The Simpsons wasn’t on my radar, and then to see their tremendous success with Bob’s Burgers, which a very good friend of mine is a writer/producer on. It was just an honor to be asked to be a part of that world. And we were able to find a show in Grimsburg that really fills a niche that doesn’t kind of exist. It’s sort of adult. It’s funny, it’s creepy, it’s dark, but in a funny way. It doesn’t really step on the toes of Bob’s, The Simpsons, or Crapopolis, or any of the other ones that are out there. So it’s kind of staying in its own lane. It’s a funny lane and a fun lane. 

How does voice acting differ from live-action acting? 

You know, the obvious thing is that you’re living in a completely virtual world, and it’s super fun. You’re only limited by your creativity and imagination. So as an actor, that’s a fun place to be. You can be a werewolf, a cyborg, an alien, a K-POP version of yourself, and all of the things, and you don’t have to go through 4 ½ hours of prosthetics. It’s pretty fun. It’s a fun gig. 

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Joel McHale

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Was there anything about Animal Control that made you want to do the show?

The initial writing- that’s how all those go- and then I was like, “Oh, this is funny,” and I thought oh the bones are there, the parts are there, and someone said, “Office space comedies- like that’s the playing in that little sandbox,” and the animals are like the secret sauce. If you have cute animals, and you’re rescuing animals, hey, that might buy you a few viewers. And I tend to love them more than anything on this planet, so yes, the day I had a tarantula on my face, I was like, “How the hell did I get here?’. It was great. Her name was Gretchen, and it continues to be. She’s alive, and she fell asleep on my face. 

Five seasons of a show is impressive nowadays; why do you think the show has done so well? 

Thank you. Yes! I think Fox is really in there with the show and has allowed a comedy to find its audience, because so often it does not happen. So often. And they left it on the air, and people happened to watch, so I’ll take it. And then when it was on Hulu, it did well, and then it went on Netflix and has picked up. So, I don’t really know the numbers, but I know more people are grabbing Animal Control photos from these comic cons. Believe me, I can’t believe my good fortune, and I always think the real police are going to come and take me away, but I still have it, so thank god. 

Do you have a favorite moment from either your character or the show? 

Uh, boy. When I got to ride a horse down the center of the highway. That was pretty cool. Mostly, like, doing bits with Michael Rowland in the truck. So much fun.

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