Actor Josh Gad has a lot of talent. That much is obvious.
At 34-years-old, Gad has proven to be an impressive song-and-dance man with real comedic chops. His plucky nature helped push "Book of Mormon" to nine Tony Awards and box office records in its inaugural year. His turn as Olaf in "Frozen" was a memorable part of the fifth highest grossing film in history.
But like a professional athlete, talent isn't always enough. A lot depends on the situation you're placed in and when it comes to television, Gad's situations have been pretty awful.
"1600 Penn" managed just 13 episodes before getting the axe. "Good Vibes" came in at 12 episodes before the plug was pulled. Although Gad has left his mark as a guest on popular series such as "Modern Family" and "New Girl," he's never been able to capture that same success as a lead on the small screen.
"I think you're being way too gracious," Gad said to me when I noted on a media conference call that his television resume is fairly hit or miss. And you know what, he's right. I was trying to put it delicately.
"Look, as I've said before, I've been very unlucky in love with TV," Gad said. "...So yes, it's been a downhill battle and I didn't really want to come back to TV. I had no ambition of wanting to return. I'm not a glutton for punishment."
But return he did. Gad stars with Billy Crystal in "The Comedians" which will premiere on FX tonight at 10 p.m. But after so many very public flameouts, there was one big question I wanted answered: why return to a medium that has been so unforgivingly harsh? With all the cache he's built up, Gad could easily find another play to star in or continue building his growing film career. But, as it turns out, "The Comedians" offered him a unique opportunity.
Both Gad and Crystal play fictionalized versions of themselves in the show. It is in that space - the make believe with a touch of reality - in which Gad has found his next big challenge and source of professional excitement, something his other roles may not have been providing.
"As ironic and strange as it is to say, by virtue of the fact that I'm playing Josh Gad on this series, and a heightened version of Josh Gad, you will be seeing a side of me that I don't believe you've ever seen before.
"There is a cynical prism that I don't usually do in my work that is sort of the foundation for this bizarre version of myself. He's a guy with a healthy ego, he's a guy who is absolutely clueless when it comes to certain social behaviors. And I'm excited about showing - let's just say a somewhat uglier side of myself. And it's dangerous, it's tricky, but it's also enormously rewarding...I do think it's going to afford viewers...the opportunity to see me in a different light than they've seen me previously."
It's a stark departure from the benevolent buffoons Gad normally plays. In fact, it's a stark departure from the person Gad actually is. He estimates that his character is just "eight to ten percent of the real Josh Gad."
Just based on our brief discussion, it's easy to see how truthful that is. Of course, being nice and charming to the media is part of an actor's job, especially with a big project about to be unveiled. But listening to Gad speak about the show, you can tell he takes the creative process very seriously; that he peels back the layers to figure out what makes this so unique. It's why his name isn't listed in the show's credits as a co-producer just for kicks. He offers legitimate input before the cameras start rolling and understands what "The Comedians" is all about.
"There's an episode that really speaks to what the crux of the series is about, which is this generational disparity that exists between two guys who are after the same goal, but approach it differently."
Gad cut his teeth in theater, graduating from the Carnegie Mellon College of Fine Arts in 2003. On stage, everything is scripted and regimented. Deviating from the plan in any way is akin to mentioning the perfect game a pitcher has going in baseball. You just don't do it. Which is why, I think, Gad was drawn to "The Comedians" in the first place.
Most of you don't know the name Larry Charles, but you probably know his work. "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Borat" were practically built on the foundation of improvisation. So with Charles executive producing "The Comedians" and writing and directing several episodes in the first season, Gad has been let off the leash for the first time in his career. Unhinged with free reign, he's relished the opportunity to delve into the gonzo world he and Crystal, an improv maestro, are able to create together on the fly.
"You know, the scripts pretty much always come in very strong, so that's always a great foundation to go off of. Having said that, I can't really think of a situation where there's been more leeway to improvise. Like I said, given Larry Charles' direction, he sort of set the tone in the pilot and the subsequent episodes that he directed, nine of which he directed, that the cameras stay rolling long after the scripted material is done."
I have not yet seen "The Comedians" so I cannot say whether it is good or bad. But, listening to Gad, the show sounds as if it's something new for the actor, an opportunity to present a completely different style of performance while wearing a somewhat different face. It isn't going to be the Josh Gad fans are starting to become familiar with. But for the sake of interesting entertainment, I think that's a good thing.
Maybe, finally, Gad has found the right situation on TV.
