Tony Hale Q&A: ‘Veep’
“I’m the guy that breaks the most. I can’t stop laughing when something is very funny” confesses Tony Hale as we chat via webcam (watch above) about his work on “Veep.” He readily admits, “Last year I was laughing during the middle of a take. Very unprofessional. Julia Louis-Dreyfus turned to me and said ‘Tony you know you’re not watching the show. You are IN the show.’ I said ‘I know, but it’s a funny bit.’”
In 2015, Hale won his second Emmy for Comedy Supporting Actor and “Veep” finally won the Comedy Series award after three losses. As he recalls, “it was very exciting with the acting category, but when the show won everyone flipped out. We all ran on stage. I get excited just to be at those parties for free drinks and food. To have the show win, we were all floating. We were hugging and going dancing and screaming. It was so exciting.”
He plays Gary Walsh, the bag man for President Selina Meyer (Louis-Dreyfus). The actor has submitted the season finale (“Inauguration”) in which Gary goes on a tirade blaming Meyer’s staff after she loses the presidency. Hale says that scene “was so gratifying; he cannot believe these morons let her down. So years and years of pent up anger came out and it was glorious. It was so fun to let them have it.” The actor recalls that he “sat with several of the writers and talked about his rant. It was nice to be a part of that process.”
Another big scene for Gary this past season was when he walked in on Selina having sex with Vice Presidential candidate Tom Jane (Hugh Laurie). For Hale, “it was like walking in on mom and dad having sex. I’ve never had that experience but I’m sure it’s horrifying. She’s everything to Gary. To see another man doing that to her is devastating.”
Hale reveals” “there are so many awkward and tense moments that give me supreme joy to play. If I’m watching a show and something gets awkward and tense I have to leave the room. It makes me too nervous to watch. For some reason it’s different being the player in the middle of performing the anxiety. That’s fun!”
