Sure, you know him as David Puddy from Seinfeld, but will 36-year-old actor Patrick Warburton ever find a more memorable role? A more…suitable role?
This fall, FOX execs are hoping they’ve found the perfect fit. They’ve cast Warburton as the lead in the new, live-action adaptation of the cartoon/comic-book series The Tick–debuting Thur., Nov. 8 at 8:30 p.m.–about a group of inept superheroes fighting crime (poorly) in their pursuit of justice and a decent sandwich.
On Halloween day, Warburton sat down with Hollywood.com to discuss The Tick, his poor timeslot, getting lucky and why his new show must beat Survivor if his four kids are going to eat.
So today’s Halloween. How is The Tick celebrating it?
Warburton: Oh, I’ll be out trick-or-treating with my kids. I’m going as a Catholic schoolgirl this year.
You’re kidding. Please be kidding.
Warburton: Nope, my wife found me a dress that I can actually fit into.
Tell me you waxed.
Warburton: [Laughs.] Nah, didn’t bother with that. I think the hairy legs are going to be part of my charm.
Certainly your sense of humor is a big part of your charm. But on The Tick, which is drop-dead funny, you never even crack a smile. How on earth do you get through that dialogue without absolutely losing it?
Warburton: It’s just so much fun, I don’t really think about it. I really hope this show flies, man. [Executive producer] Barry Sonnenfeld is such a hoot to work with.
Speaking of those who surround you on the show, Liz Vassey is portraying Captain Liberty, decked out in a skimpy little outfit. Any chance we’re actually going to see The Tick get lucky?
Warburton: Oh, I think if The Tick was getting lucky, he wouldn’t even know he was getting any. [Laughs.] That’s really part of his charm–his sexual naiveté. That’s something I get to exploit to the max.
You pull off the role very well. Were you a fan of the original comic book or cartoon series?
Warburton: I’d heard of them, but wasn’t very familiar with the characters. Barry [Sonnenfeld] sent me the episodes of the cartoon and I watched them.
The fans are a loyal bunch, but you face a massive obstacle this fall in terms of your Thursday night competition. Are you confident you can stand up against Survivor and NBC‘s Must See lineup?
Warburton: I think first off, we’ll have a tough time. But the network has to be realistic. We’re not going to beat Survivor. We’ll probably finish up third or so. But if we can keep a small, steady core of viewers, the show just might fly. Let’s hope so. I mean, I’ve got four kids to put through college! What does [Survivor executive producer] Mark Burnett have?
Actually, when you think about it, Burnett‘s got much more than the both of us combined.
Warburton: Ah. [Laughs.] I guess that’s true, man.
Although you’re probably best known for Seinfeld, you’ve been closely involved with imaginative kids’ comedies for years: as Buzz Lightyear in various Toy Story videos, Agamemnon in Hercules and Kronk in The Emperor’s New Groove. Why do you keep coming back to this genre?
Warburton: Well, a few reasons. First of all, it’s just incredibly fun–just about all voice-over work is. Second, you get to work with Disney, some of the best creative minds out there. Like, doing The Emperor’s New Groove, I got to go around telling people, “Yeah, I’m working with Sting!” [Laughs.] Not bad, right? Plus, doing cartoon work, it doesn’t really interfere with your spare time, so I get to be with my kids more often.
Switching back to The Tick, what are you finding is the toughest thing to pull off in a cartoon-inspired, live-action comedy?
Warburton: I think–and this is going to sound silly–that the biggest difficulty is keeping it real. That probably sounds corny, but it’s true. We’re trying to stay tongue-in-cheek, without getting cheesy. That’s not as easy as it sounds.
Off the top of your head, are there any other cartoons or comic-book-inspired stories you’d like to see made into a live-action series or film?
Warburton: I don’t know. The Tick really stands off on its own. You accept it for what it is. It works.
But the whole timeslot thing has you skeptical? How would you feel about a Sunday night timeslot?
Warburton: Oh, Sunday night would be perfect! Absolutely. We were originally promised a Sunday spot, when we began shooting this thing a year-and-a-half ago. But they waited so long to put this on; we got thrown a curveball by the network and landed on Thursdays. Ya know, it’s just my interpretation, but since The Tick is very expensive to make, I think that’s the big reason we are where we are–we’re too expensive for them to keep around.
Yeah, well, plenty of shows aren’t doing so well this fall, namely Jason Alexander‘s Bob Patterson. Do you have any theories as to why your fellow Seinfeld co-stars are struggling with their own new sitcoms? Michael [Richards] first, and now Jason?
Warburton: Honestly, I have to admit, I’ve never even seen Jason’s show. What little television we do watch in our house is either on Animal Planet or Discovery. His show’s struggling?
ABC had to permanently move its timeslot because Frasier was spanking it on Tuesday nights.
Warburton: Ah, that’s too bad. I’ll have to check it out sometime.
Any big-screen projects hitting theaters soon?
Warburton: I’m shooting one now. It’s a small film, about a man who desperately needs to have his soul saved. It’s called Sex and Violence–but believe me, it’s not as graphic as it sounds, I’m sorry to say.
Well, good luck with that, and let me just say, if The Tick fails because of a bad timeslot, it’ll be a damn shame. Stuff this good needs to be seen. To hell with politics.
Warburton: Man, it’s good to finally hear someone say that. Let’s hope.
