The Most Unhinged Quotes from Brett Gelman's Decidedly Unhinged Guardian Interview
Actor and comedian Brett Gelman is on a press junket to promote the recent release of children’s movie Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile in which Brett plays Lyle’s aptly named neighbor, Mr. Grumps, who serves as the antagonist to our semiaquatic hero. We’re happy to report that the chaotic energy that made Brett such an exciting part of shows like Fleabag and Stranger things isn’t an act – he really is that manic in real life.
UK publication The Guardian released an interview with Brett this morning, and what started as a simple discussion about a touching crocodile film turned into a manifesto in which Brett talked about himself in the third person, self-mythologized in the style of Joseph Campbell and discussed the welcome news that he is reuniting with Fleabag production company Two Brothers on a new “gothic comedy” TV show. Lots to unpack here.
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Comedy fans first got to know Brett from his early work on shows like Adult Swim’s Eagleheart, in which he played Brett, the slow-witted sidekick to US Marshall Chris Monsanto as they battle smugglers, art thieves, kidnappers, and con artists. After numerous comedy specials and appearances on Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Office, Happy Endings, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and The League, Brett became remarkably recognizable as “that unhinged guy with the beard who wanted Will Ferrell to sleep with his wife in The Other Guys.”
During his talk with The Guardian, Brett revealed his unique point of view on his character in, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, and the moral questions raised by a naive family adopting a singing crocodile and moving it into their Manhattan apartment, saying, “That family is disgusting. I am the hero of the movie. It’s really a tragedy. I’m publicly humiliated, and they let this ridiculous creature just live in an apartment. I mean, at least get him a house. Get him a nice house in Woodstock or something. He deserves more space. This crocodile is victimized.”
Brett wouldn’t stay on-topic for too long. After a brief back-and-forth about the music in the film, Brett attempted to hijack the interview, according to The Guardian’s Stuart Heritage – “He then proceeds to write the next part of my article for me. ‘Brett Gelman is an instrument of comedy, an instrument of so many things. An instrument of emotion, an instrument of pathos, an instrument of the collective unconscious.’”
If that sounds grandiose, don’t worry – Brett’s description of himself gets even loftier as the piece continues. When the topic of his growing role on Netflix’s smash hit series Stranger Things comes up, Brett said, “To become one of those myths that Joseph Campbell wrote about is just incredible. And that’s exactly how I see it. And that might sound arrogant and pretentious, but too bad.”
Brett’s last little tidbit is the one that excites us at Cracked the most – he is currently filming a new TV series for Two Brothers, the production company responsible for Fleabag, which is arguably the greatest comedy show of the last ten years. The description of the new series, named Entitled, reads, “An American widower gets to know his British wife's estranged family In their crumbling gothic mansion in the English countryside as they compete for his affections - and his newly inherited fortune.”
Entitled is currently filming in Manchester, England, with Brett playing the starring role. Said our batty bearded leading man about the project, “We really dived into gothic comedy in a very bizarre way. We are messing with tone. I’m immersed in a lot of very deep psychological turmoil, too. It’s been an intense experience.”
Two Brothers has yet to announce a release date for Entitled, but Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is currently in theaters nationwide.
