John Ross Bowie on Barry Kripke’s Return in Stuart Fails to Save the Universe

[00:00:08] John, thank you for joining me today on Pop Culture Unplugged. So happy to be here, man. Congrats on the series, man. How excited are you? It's finally out. You know, we've been hearing about it last year almost. We've been hearing a lot about this series. More. More. I mean, I've been hearing about it. You know, I was the last one cast, so I actually heard about it about, gosh, it might be two years ago now.

[00:00:30] So, yeah, it's crazy that it's out there for people to see. And there are billboards up in L.A. and New York. And, yeah, the whole thing has felt vaguely fever dreamy. In a good way, but it's been very it's been very strange, but people seem to be enjoying it, which is great. And I liked how, you know, I was watching clips on the on the Comic Con, like the fans are enjoying this, too.

[00:00:58] Yeah, well, it was great to watch it with because we had a premiere here in Los Angeles, but it was filled with a lot of people who had worked on the show, which is great. And it was nice to to celebrate the people who had devoted their time. But everyone kind of knew what was coming to watch it with a really fresh crowd at Comic Con was invigorating. And then we did the panel immediately afterwards. So, yeah, it was a really it went over really well.

[00:01:27] Yeah, people were really excited to, I guess, see these characters in a brand new context. Right. So you said you were one of the last people that got cast. Like when you got the call, bring Barry back, you know, like what was your reaction at first? Like, what did you think about it? Especially that it was gonna be different than the Big Bang Theory, too. Yeah, well, I was, you know, the full with full disclosure, you know, the initially the show was announced with just Kevin, Lauren and Brian.

[00:01:55] And, you know, I had a good 36, 48 hours sad, you know. But I was also of the opinion that like, OK, they're going to find a way for Kirby to come back in one fashion or another. And I had sort of. I'd accepted that I had, you know, I had moved on, I was doing other stuff. But then to get the call that I was going to be not only coming back, but coming back full time was mind blowing.

[00:02:25] And I was curious as to how the mechanics would work. But it was sold to me. Well, it was sold to me as if I was going to say no. It was not sold to me. I said yes. And then they explained what the details were and the details that I was I was given. And judging by the decor of your room, you're going to you're going to understand this. The idea was that I would serve the same function as Dr. Smith on the old Lost in Space.

[00:02:51] I would be the in-house irritant who is around but is often gumming up the works for the main characters. And I jumped at the chance. I love that show. I like the work that Jonathan Harris did playing Dr. Smith. I thought he was a very singular kind of villain.

[00:03:15] And I was so excited to put myself on that continuum of of sci-fi villains. You know, it just it was really, really exciting to me. So what was your reaction when you read the first episode, the script? The very first line of the very first script, like the first thing you read is the slug line, the scene heading, which read exterior post-apocalyptic hellscape. And I was in I was like, this is how you start a script.

[00:03:44] This is wonderful. And I was laughing a bunch. And I swear to God, I'm not one of those actors who just flips through and waits till we get to his character's name. I read the whole thing from the beginning. And there's so many great moments throughout that first script. And so many of them are so there's so many dry moments. I've talked to Bill Prady about this. He has a phrase. What is it? It's something like.

[00:04:14] The mundane and the miraculous. And when you have a crazy setting, but the people are reacting in a fairly normal day to day way, the Marvel movies do this to really good effect. You know, the better Marvel movies will have a moment where like New York is in ashes around them and somebody goes, you know what? We should go get shawarma. Yeah. And I love those moments. Those are the moments that make me laugh.

[00:04:40] And there's a moment in the show where before I even show up in that first episode, Stuart yells out to Bert. Bert, what's it like out there? And Bert destroys a zombie hand coming from the earth, turns and says, it's chilly out. We're layers. And I love that stuff. I love dry humor in a fantastical setting. You remember that?

[00:05:09] The the which Spider-Man was it where all three Spider-Man showed up? It was far from home. No, it was the previous. Not the one that just came out, obviously. The one. Yeah. Yeah. So that one has that amazing moment where the two older Spider-Men, Spider-Men are talking about back pain. I could have that could have been two and a half hours of just Tobey Maguire giving like stretching tips to Andrew Garfield.

[00:05:34] Because the thing is, is that it takes these outlandish things, these outlandish circumstances and makes them relatable, you know, particularly to those of us who are in our middle age. And I think it's it's both funny and accessible. You know, yeah, I've given an incredibly long answer to an straightforward question.

[00:05:59] But I love that aspect of the show, that it's still these nerds trying to negotiate their day to day life while also trying to escape a totalitarian A. So whatever. So which Barry do you like better, this one or the previous one? Well, I know this one a little bit better, you know, out of necessity, you know, on the old show for which I am impossibly grateful. Barry shows up for about two or three scenes every six months.

[00:06:29] Is super obnoxious and then goes away until it's time to bring Sheldon down a peg again in this one. He has real arcs and he has goals and he has things he wants and he has things that are getting in his way and he's a fully fleshed out character. So. So and also but it's also important to remember that technically this is the same Barry, you know, we're just going to need to know him more.

[00:06:55] You know, he's suddenly in a world that has, you know, fourth walls and ceilings and things like that, you know. So at the end of the day, there isn't a huge difference, but I definitely had more fun playing this fleshed out version of Kripke. Definitely. What about tell us a little about the scene where Barry shoots Raj? The fans were talking about it.

[00:07:18] Boy, were they, you know, I I was, again, super grateful to be there. Love working with all these people. Love canal especially. Especially. But the fact of the matter is it's, you know, I mean, it's like shooting Benji. I mean, it is shooting one of the most likable loved characters in the history of the show.

[00:07:45] I mean, the reaction when the mothership show ended and he sort of he didn't really have a girlfriend, but he was there with Sarah Michelle Gellar, but he didn't really have a girlfriend. And everyone was like, when is Raj going to find love to shoot this incredibly vulnerable character in the back? It was a real, it was not my favorite thing to do, but I was so relieved when they immediately show the preview coming up on this season of Stuart Fails.

[00:08:15] And you see that in another universe, Raj comes back. The episode that streams tonight, we are taping this on Thursday, the 30th. The episode that streams tonight has Kripke giving a a mathematically sound rationalization for shooting Raj that I do hope people listen to.

[00:08:41] But, yeah, it was not my favorite thing I've gotten to do on the on the show. And mind you, my character sent dick pics to Amy. So, I mean, I've done some unsavory things on that show. That was probably the worst. How would you describe the chemistry between you, Kevin, Lauren and Brian? Just golden, treasured.

[00:09:07] It's it's not just that we like each other and it's not just that we make each other laugh. But there was a very similar sensibility when you cast four journeyman actors who have been all over the call sheet. You know, they've some of us have been, you know, as high as number two. Some of us are down in the 20s. You know, we have played, you know, we've played witnesses.

[00:09:34] We've played occasionally, very occasionally. We've played criminals. We've played a ton of goofy neighbors to actually. Be the center of a show is rare air indeed. And the four of us understand that. There wasn't a moment where we took it for granted. There wasn't a moment where it felt like we were.

[00:10:01] Getting entitled or or bitchy there. I saw no diva behavior. You know what I can? I keep saying this in interviews because it bears repeating. Everybody was punctual. Everybody showed up when they were supposed to. And you know what? That shouldn't be the exception, but it is. And everybody showed up when they were supposed to. They were eager to get to work. They didn't want to hold up the crew who were incredible, who we loved. So the chemistry is really special.

[00:10:29] You have four very grateful, appreciative actors who are very grateful and appreciative that they are surrounded by grateful and appreciative people. It's a really good vibe. It is, in terms of vibe, the best set I've ever been on. And I, you know, a perusal of my IMDB will suggest that I have been on quite a few sets. Oh, yeah, definitely. You mentioned before, you know, earlier we were talking about the whole Spider-Man thing, multiverse thing, you know, like, is there like an alternate version of Barry if we see

[00:10:58] a season two that you would like to explore? Or a different side of him? I, um, I would suggest merely that you watch the rest of the season. Okay. There you go. I, I, I can say no more. I mean, there's always, there's always places to go if we get a second season, which we still haven't heard about. But, um, there, there is, there is a great deal of dimensionality brought, uh, literal

[00:11:26] dimensionality brought to the character, uh, as these 10 episodes progress. Mm. What can you, okay. I don't want to use the word tease. How would you describe his journey then throughout this season? Um, no, we'll say tease, you know, he, out of necessity, he has to learn to work well with others, which is not his strong suit.

[00:11:48] But as the series progresses, you get to see him become a little more of a team player and you get to see people tolerate him a bit more. Um, Bert and I have a really nice arc together. Um, and part of that comes with the fact that I fucking adore Brian and have been a fan for 30 years and a friend for close to 25. Oh.

[00:12:17] But it's the two characters come to an understanding that is, uh, it's really sweet. Actually. It's really nice. So yeah. Um, he is given a, uh, a bit of an arc that is really fun to play. Would you change anything about this version of, uh, Barry? Well, again, you know, did he have to shoot Raj? Right. Right. Uh, did he have to?

[00:12:46] I can, I can, I can, I can hear from now on. I can list other three characters. I get easily three other characters that I would have been more comfortable shooting. Um, but, um, but no, I mean, look, Kripke serves a purpose and Kripke is, um, the, the regular antagonist. Um, again, he's gone from Newman on Seinfeld to Dr. Smith on lost in space. That's a big jump.

[00:13:15] That's a real big jump. Um, my wife, my wife had some downtime last year and she, she was checking something on IMDB and she calls out to me and she goes, honey, you did, you did more episodes of big bang than Janice did of friends. And I was like, wow, that's, you know? And the, the, the corollary being that we both had singular vocal patterns, I'll say.

[00:13:40] Um, but yeah, um, I, I feel like I don't remember your question. It was something about, um, uh, uh, how Kripke has changed. No. If you could, if you would change anything about him. Oh, if I could change anything about Kripke. Yeah. Yeah. I, I feel like they are letting Kripke change as much as he can change while still being Kripke. Hmm. How about if you, if you could drop him in any TV universe, you know, any show, which

[00:14:09] one he could survive in, would you say? Oh, what could he survive in? Oh, okay. All right. Well, cause that now we've shortened the list a little bit because, you know, initially I want to say something like, um, actually, you know what I was going to, you know what? I love a show that I love because it's production design was so awesome. And actually Kripke would thrive in it. Mad men. Okay. Why? Well, John loves mid-century architecture. I like that. I like the view. Um, uh, everyone on that show, men and women are gorgeous.

[00:14:39] Everyone is just, everyone on that show is just fun to look at. And I think, um, uh, I think Kripke's rather piggish old boy network attitude would mesh rather nicely. Uh, uh, especially in the earlier episodes of, uh, of that show. And again, I am not endorsing Kripke's attitude. I just think he would fit in nicely, uh, at, uh, Sterling Cooper. Hmm.

[00:15:07] So, you know, in the series, you know, he finally has some real power in this show. What's the first completely unnecessary thing you think he would remove from, uh, or ban from Caltech? Oh, interesting. Um, the first thing Kripke would ban from Caltech would be the human resources department. Why? That's my wife. I don't know if you're that, but that's my wife laughing in the other room.

[00:15:31] Um, um, I think that'd be the first thing that would go, um, uh, just so he would have absolute zero accountability moving forward. That would be, um, having played the character for 18 years. First thing to go is the human resources department. No question. Which Barry would John hang out with? Oh God. Big bang Barry or this Barry? For a day. Honestly, or for it, just for a day. I mean, probably this one.

[00:16:00] Um, just cause you know, I know him a little bit better now. Um, but really neither one is particularly appealing. I would so much rather hang out with Denise. Uh, I would so much rather hang out with, um, uh, Ramona. Uh, I'd love to hang out with, um, I actually have had the opportunity to hang out with LeVar Burton thanks to the show. So, um, yeah, there's a number of people I would hang out with. John would hang out with before he would hang out with Barry.

[00:16:30] That's awesome. John, what's next for you now? Any other projects you're allowed to tell us about? Are you just taking a little break? What's happening? Well, I am taking a break, but I, I, through some weird quirk of fate, I have a movie coming out in August that I shot almost two years ago now, um, that I really didn't think, um, I'm just very surprised it's coming out one month after Stuart is, but, um, movie called Brink of War, um, directed by Michael Russell Gunn, which is a complete about face.

[00:16:59] It's a, it's a historical drama about the 1986 nuclear summit in Reykjavik. Um, we shot it in Iceland. Jeff Daniels plays Reagan. Um, Jared Harris plays Gorbachev. Um, JK Simmons plays George Schultz and I got to hang out with him a bunch. I got to shoot in Reykjavik in the house where the actual, uh, summit took place. Um, and I've seen it. It's a good movie. It's a, it's a really interesting political drama.

[00:17:26] Uh, and I had a great time shooting it and I, and it's, I think it's the first time, one of the only times I've played a real character. I play a guy named Ken Adelman, who was one of Reagan's nuclear advisors. Um, and, uh, it was a, it w it was a really, it's an interesting chapter of history and it was really fun to, um, to play in that space, even though I wore the most drab 1986 yuppie suits.

[00:17:54] I mean, just the suits were terrible and the ties were worse, but, um, it, uh, it was fun to work on. Amazing. What, um, I know you mentioned that, uh, let's, I want to end it with this. Uh, what's John bitching these days? What are you watching? Oh, um, I just finished widow's Bay. Um, full disclosure. I know Katie Dippold, the creator, and I've known her for years through upright citizens brigade. Um, but this feels like the most Katie Dippold.

[00:18:23] She's, she's written other things. She wrote the heat. Um, she, she's written some, she worked on parks and rec. This is such a personal project for her because it, she's such a big horror fan and such a big comedy nerd. And I thought this, did you watch it? Not yet. It's on my list. Oh man. It's such a great blending of comedy and horror in a way I haven't seen effectively done since probably Sean of the dead, um, which is 20 plus years ago now. I loved that show.

[00:18:54] Really, really enjoyed it. Great cast. Um, really well directed and the writing achieves a very singular tone. Um, even if I didn't know Katie, I would be recommending that show. Sorry. I'll put it on my end. I just finished animal kingdom. I don't know if you've ever seen that. I bid you that. Oh, it's supposed to be great. I've heard a few people speak about that. Fantastic. Fantastic. So, so John, I want to thank you for giving me from us today. Hopefully we see a season two. We'll get you back on. We'll keep seeing what's going on with Barry. Thank you so much.