Will Arnett Gets Serious With Is This Thing On?

Will Arnett is a very funny man. From playing Gob Bluth, a failed magician, in the sitcom Arrested Development to voicing the title character in the animated comedy BoJack Horseman and interviewing guests on his hit podcast, SmartLess (cohosted with Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes), his career is usually about making people laugh. But his latest role is angstier. In Is This Thing On?—which he cowrote with Mark Chappell and Bradley Cooper (who also directed)—Arnett plays a man contending with a faltering marriage. He inadvertently finds refuge in stand-up comedy. While dry humor runs through the film, it’s a poignant exploration of middle-aged reinvention. The result is Arnett's most vulnerable performance to date.

How did Is This Thing On? come into your life?

I was on a canal boat in Amsterdam, and I met a comedian by the name of John Bishop. He told me the story of how he became a stand-up comedian: He was going through a divorce, went into a bar, didn't want to pay the cover charge for the open mic night, and so he put his name down. He ended up getting called onstage and, for the first time in his life, he admitted what he was going through. I liked that idea, so I asked him if I could write a movie about it.

Have you ever done stand-up?

No. I’ve spent a lot of time around comedy, but I’ve never done actual stand-up. I had to do it for the filming preparation, and it was scary, but fun as well. When I went onstage, I was introduced as my character’s name, Alex Novak. Some people recognized my voice, and that caused some confusion: They looked at me like I was having a full mental breakdown. And then I started talking about getting a divorce, and they’re like, “Wait, what’s happening?! He really thinks he’s somebody else.”

You’re known for comedy, but the film is quite dramatic.

I wanted to be a dramatic actor. It was my first love. You hear stories of people who reconnect with their high school sweetheart—it’s kind of like that.

Were you a theatrical child growing up?

I was the class clown. I like to do stuff and make voices that make people laugh.

Are you more like a dog or a cat?

A dog. Dogs live out loud. Cats sort of hide their true feelings, and you’ve got to read them. Cats are like, “Scratch me, but don’t.” Dogs are like, “Scratch me!” I’m a “Scratch me, please scratch me behind the ear” person. My favorite thing is when somebody rubs by my ear. If you do that, I’ll give you my PIN.

What skills have you lied about to get a part?

I once said I was French to get a voiceover job. I speak French, but they wanted somebody actually French for a Calvin Klein Escape ad. I booked the gig, and they asked, “You’re French, right?” I said, “Yes, of course.”

What’s something everyone has done that you have not?

I've never seen Titanic.

What is your pet peeve?

How much time do we have? I hate when people say, “I resonated with that.” No, you didn’t: It resonated with you. And when people use the word “notorious” wrong. They think it means famous; they don’t understand that it has a negative connotation. And when people don’t use their turn signal, it makes me crazy. I’m a grouchy old man shaking my fist at cars going by.

What are your feelings on self-driving cars?

I'm worried we're going to be at a restaurant at the valet, a car will pull up, the door will open, and the person will be dead in the backseat. They've had a heart attack. We're going to have cars delivering dead people everywhere.

Style Director: Allia Alliata di Montereale. Codirector: Frank Lebon. Director of photography: André Chemetoff. Hair by Jawara for L’Oréal Professional at Art Partner; makeup by Lauren Parsons for Sisley Paris at Art Partner; manicure by Jolene Brodeur for Dazzle Dry at the Wall Group. Set design by David White at Streeters.