Pet vet, FBI agent purrrrvocateur or just a fish out of water? We get the scoop about Corky Romano.
In his new comedy Corky Romano, Chris Kattan plays the title character–a genial veterinarian drafted by his mobbed-up family to infiltrate the FBI after his dad (Peter Falk) lands in jail–as such a sunny, affable and well-intentioned presence, he doesn’t even get upset when a python invades his pants and puts the squeeze on him.
Kattan’s collaborators all agreed that the limber-limbed comedian has a lot a common with Corky as far as that irrepressible attitude goes. And it’s that easygoing nature, Kattan himself admits, that has helped him begin to bounce back from the recent events in New York City, where he performs each week as part of the Saturday Night Live cast.
“In the city I think the spirit’s coming back,” said Kattan, who remarked that the many of the castmates celebrated into the wee hours following last week’s episode hosted by American Pie 2‘s Seann William Scott. He added that the the SNL revelry these days is approaching the level of the legendary original cast (including Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Gilda Radner and Dan Aykroyd)–minus the notorious narcotics. “There are crazy after-parties… We don’t get out of the studio until about 1:30 a.m. The regular after-party goes until 4 in the morning. And then there’s an after-after-party.”
The comedian also revealed that softening some of SNL‘s traditionally sharp edges in the wake of the attack has been a challenge–and not always in a bad way. “It’s harder than usual because we have to be cautious,” he said, but noted that he actually preferred having to work within some stricter limitations. “It’s better to have some kind of rules. That way we have to work a little harder.”
Another Corky cast member was hit much harder by the World Trade Center attacks. Peter Berg, who plays one of Corky’s oafish brothers, had been working with a number of New York firefighters on an undisclosed project prior to Sept. 11, and 12 of them have most likely perished in the aftermath. “He was so shattered he couldn’t show up [to promote the film],” said co-star Chris Penn, who plays Corky’s other brother. “He’s doing what he feels is more important. It’s very tough on him.”
But the team behind Corky Romano are betting that their film–typically loose and lightweight fare from producer Bob Simonds (Little Nicky, The Wedding Singer, The Adventures of Joe Dirt), who has specialized in that sub-genre of film featuring SNL cast
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members in non-SNL movies–will be the perfect antidote for audiences seeking escapist fare.
“Our goal was to make a really friendly comedy, instead of an angry, cynical comedy,” said Simonds, who paired Kattan with TV-commercial-director-turned-first-time-feature-helmer Rob Pritts (think Jerry Seinfeld and American Express) to create what he calls “a reverse Donnie Brasco,” pitting the sweetest guy in the world against some of the toughest straight men imaginable. “Corky is such a caring gentle soul,” said Pritts, “and that’s so much of what Chris Kattan is.”
This time Kattan’s on his own in the comedy department, with no back-up from any of his TV co-stars. “Chris is a fish out of water,” said Pritts. “Surround him with comics and he’s a fish in the tank.” So to make the Mafia/FBI angle work, the filmmakers decided to play Kattan’s trademark goofball dorkiness and highly physical humor against hardboiled character actors who aren’t exactly known for comedy, including Penn, Berg, Richard Roundtree, Fred Ward and Peter Falk.
Penn said he wasn’t exactly seeking out a broad comedy, but when the script came his way he was intrigued. “Then when [my manager] said ‘Peter Falk’s in it,’ I said “I’m in!'” The actor remembered Falk from his childhood, when Penn’s father Leo directed several episodes of Columbo and the star playfully gave the young actor-to-be a hard time.
Some of the other players had to tone down their shtick. Screenwriter/actor Dave Sheridan–who made a memorably wacky impression as the shirtless convenience store customer in Ghost World–said he had to play things close to the vest as a novice FBI agent who learns to admire Corky. “I really am used to being much bigger and broader,” he said. “It was a challenge for me to keep a straight face.”
Kattan, however, was unfettered by such restrictions, free to go as way-out as he dared in disguises that included a delivery boy and the already famous Girl Scout guise (“You guys want some cookies?”). The comedian, who now hopes to develop a film with himself as a washed-up figure skater who’s forced to work as a pro hockey player, said he had hoped to take the outlandish outfits even further in Corky. “I wanted to dress up as E.T. at one point, but we couldn’t get the rights. Spielberg wouldn’t have been crazy about it.”
Corky Romano opens Oct. 12.
