CHICAGO — As Murray Bauman on “Stranger Things,” Brett Gelman said he channeled a number of Chicago performers into the character, from John Belushi to Harold Ramis to Bill Murray. “All those guys are very influential on the Murray performance because all those guys were omnipresent forces in ‘80s comedy” — which makes sense for a show set in the ‘80s.
“I’m just grateful for the whole arc that (show creators Matt and Ross Duffer) gave me this season,” said Gelman. “They made Murray very much a hero. I was talking to Matt the other day and he was like, ‘People are liking Action Murray!’ I get to fire a flamethrower! You start a career and you find a niche and then the artistic process is like, what more can I do? And being able to do martial arts and action sequences, it made me really hunger to do more of it.”
A Highland Park native, Gelman’s credits include roles on everything from “Fleabag” to “American Dad.” Up next, he’ll star in his own comedy series for Showtime called “Entitled,” about an American widower who travels to a crumbling gothic mansion in the English countryside to meet his wife’s estranged family.
When asked about a cringey moment from his career, Gelman told a story about the time he appeared on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” — ironically, a show premised on cringe comedy.
My worst moment …
“I was offered the role. I don’t know how, I didn’t audition. This was in 2011. But one of the benefits of auditioning for the show is that you meet Larry David (the show’s creator and star) before you work with him. I didn’t get to do that, obviously. Larry is a huge hero to me. One of the biggest influences on me. Possibly the greatest comedic genius in television with ‘Curb’ and ‘Seinfeld’ (which he also co-created). So it was a big deal and a dream come true to just even get to be in a scene on the show.
“My character’s name was Pig Parker. And the whole basis of the scene is that when I park my car, I’m over the line and Larry gets really mad and calls me out: ‘Hey, you parked over the line! Now every other car is going to park over the line!’ And I’m supposed to be like, ‘It doesn’t matter, why don’t you mind your own business?’ and we get into a huge argument. So that’s the scene. That’s all I knew, there was no script.
“If you’re a fan of the show, you know that the craft of it is just being in that universe — it’s just a version of yourself getting angry and annoyed at Larry. And I knew how to do this. As an improv comedian, you are very trained in the art of an argument. There are a lot of arguments that are happening when you’re in improv comedy (laughs), not just on stage but at the bar afterward. But I was also very nervous because I’m about to do the creme de la creme of this, the most holy version of the form, and meet my hero.
“So I’m waiting in my trailer for a while, and then finally somebody comes and says, ‘Alright, let’s go, let’s go, let’s go.’ And they rushed me to set. There’s all the hubbub going on. And Larry and Jeff Garlin are sitting at a table. I’m led up to the table and Jeff sees me first. I knew Jeff from comedy, so he was like, ‘Aw, Brett! Larry, I want you to meet one of the funniest guys coming up right now, this is Brett Gelman!’ And Larry’s texting on his phone and he looks up at me and goes: ‘Hey,’ and then goes back to looking at his phone.
“I did not get upset or offended. I loved it, actually. I was like: That’s so him. And also I get it. You don’t necessarily have the energy for every day player that comes in.
“So they put me into this giant Mercedes truck, and the front of the car is so large, I couldn’t see the lines for the parking spaces. I was really nervous. We start rehearsal. I drive into the space and I get out of the car. And then Larry starts walking toward me and he’s shaking his head, and I think he’s starting the scene.
“And he goes (imitating Larry David’s voice and intonation): ‘No, no, no. You see, you did it wrong. You parked perfectly in the space.’ And I looked down, and sure enough, it was one of the most perfect parking jobs I had ever done (laughs). And he’s like, ‘You see, the whole concept of the bit is that you park outside of the space, and that’s what makes me mad at you.’ And I’m like, ‘I know, I know. I understand the bit. I promise, Mr. David, I’m not stupid. I just couldn’t see over the hood. I promise I’ll get it right the next time.’ And he’s like, ‘OK,’ and he walks away.
“And I proceed to have a full-on panic attack.
“It’s not like I could filter this nervousness into the lines and have the lines as my safety net. I had to improvise in the middle of this panic attack. I was spiraling.
“Between rehearsal and the first take it was about 20 minutes and I was just freaking out in the car with this stream of consciousness: Oh my god, I’ve ruined it. I’m going to regret this moment for the rest of my life. I’m going to tank my dream. This is so awful. I don’t know how I’m going to get over this. And my agent’s going to drop me. You know what I’m going to do? When I wrap today, I’m going to immediately call my agent and when they ask how it went I’m going to say, ‘Terrible. Larry David was such a (jerk), it completely ruined the scene and it’s probably not going to be used in the show — and if it is and it’s bad, that’s the reason why, because he was such a jerk.
“So I’m thinking of all these ways to throw Larry David under the bus (laughs).
“And then the other part of my brain took over. And it was just like: No, no. No. You cannot let this happen. This has to go well. It has to go amazingly well. You are going to regret it you don’t get it together and step it up.
“So I pumped myself up for the first take. I parked the car outside the lines this time. I get out of the car. Larry starts walking to me. We start the scene. And the thing about Larry, if you do something funny, he will laugh in the middle of the scene. And as awkward as he made me feel earlier, getting that laugh from him? It was like getting a laugh from God. It just filled me immediately with confidence. And then I was able to have fun and I had a blast with him.
“There’s a magic when you improvise with him. His comedic genius hugs you and wraps you and leads you to the right thing to do, you know? All you gotta do is follow Larry’s lead and you’re gonna be OK. It’s like, you’re the surfer, he’s the wave, and if you trust the wave and let the wave take you, you’ll go to glory.
“So the first take goes great. And I’m like, oh thank god. Second take goes even better. And at the end of the take, Larry starts laughing with me about the scene. We’re sharing a laugh! And I’m like, oh my god, I’m sharing a laugh with Larry David right now!
“We were analyzing a little bit why it was so funny and laughing at how horrible we were being. And I looked at him and said, ‘This is so wild, we’re literally arguing about nothing.’ And just as I’m saying the word ‘nothing,’ it was like being in a car accident: I have just quoted the most famous quote about ‘Seinfeld’ in the most cliched way possible, to the person who is the least sufferer of fools and (butt) kissing and stupidity! I couldn’t believe I said that.
“And he stops laughing and he looks at me. And he goes, ‘Yeah. Well. That’s pretty much the basis of my whole career.’
“We do a couple more takes and then we wrap. And I start walking away and I hear, ‘Hold on, hold on, hold on.’ And I turn around and it’s Larry. And he goes, ‘You’re really good!’ And I start shaking. He’s like, ‘Yeah, you’re really funny. What are you, a stand-up?’
“And I said, ‘No, I came up at UCB doing sketch and improv, but I did a lot of the alt rooms.’ And he’s like, ‘Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, I know those rooms. I could have used some of those rooms when I was coming up.’
“And I’m so nervous talking to him now. I felt like a child. So I said, ‘Oh, yeah? Do you still get up on stage anymore?’ And he looks at me and goes: ‘Nuh.’ (Laughs) And I’m like, ‘No, no, of course not. You know, I’ve been doing a bit lately where I’ve been accusing other comedians of stealing my cadence …” and he goes, ‘That’s great, I’ll see ya later,’ and he just walked away (laughs). And I was like, well, that was that.
“It was so amazing. I literally had a ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ experience off camera with him as well as on camera — and I would not have it any other way.
“As much as I felt like such a schmuck, of course I remember it as a positive memory. But at the time I felt like a total moron.”
What a roller coaster of emotions, from insecurity to an ego boost to insecurity again.
“Harry Dean Stanton once said this, he was attributing it to someone else, when he was asked, ‘What is your greatest performance ever?’ he said, ‘The ride home from set.’ Because you’re just second-guessing everything you did.
“There’s a part of acting, at least for me, where when you’re done you’re like, I don’t totally know what just happened and if I start to analyze it too much, that’s going to be bad because I am an artist and I have darkness. A major part of that darkness (laughs) is low self-esteem that can lead to self-sabotage.
“So yeah, after that, I was spinning. And there was part of me that was like, what if it was bad?
“And I so worried about that last interaction I had with him. I was so pissed at myself because I could have ended it on a high note and just been cool and not started talking to him about my stupid cadence bit that he obviously had no interest in whatsoever (laughs). I mean, he was doing me the biggest favor to talk to me — which I don’t think is something he really likes to do — and I took that opportunity and just made a (fool) of myself.”
Maybe that’s how he exits pretty much any conversation, though.
“Yeah, exactly. My way is to always be a little not chill, so that was going to bump up against somebody who really can’t handle that particular energy. We’re both a lot, but in different ways.
“I’ve known people who have reached out their hand and he’s not a toucher so he backs away. I don’t think he’s really a fan of interacting with human beings, which I can relate to at times too.”
The takeaway …
“I love Larry David even more.
“And my mantra, which I hope to learn more and more throughout my life: Say less (laughs).”
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