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08-21-2007, 11:03 AM
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#1 |
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TALKING TO CLARK DUKE
 Actor Clark Duke is having a great summer with hit shows on both TV and the Internet. Clark and Michael stars Duke and his friend Michael Cera (George Michael on Arrested Development) as…Clark Duke and Michael Cera, two young writers and actors trying to sell a show in LA. Inspired by the mockumentary format of such shows as The Office, the show features cameos by the likes of David Cross, Andy Richter and Patton Oswalt as it chronicles the self-absorbed Clark and Michael’s painfully embarrassing efforts at pitch meetings, working together, and handling such social situations as driving school and an extra dinner guest who orders four milkshakes.Originally a project Duke worked on in film school, CBS picked up the series and released it as weekly installments over the course of the summer. It’s become a huge critical success, earning write-ups in such publications as The New York Times and recently appeared on Entertainment Weekly’s “Must List.” Duke also has a small role in the film Superbad, which stars Cera and opened in theaters last Friday. Duke’s also enjoying a raised profile from his role on ABC Family’s series Greek, a college-themed dramady where he plays Dale, the (deep breath) frat-hating Southern Christian engineering student roommate of Rusty, the show’s main character. The show’s already proven successful for ABC Family, who ordered 10 additional episodes just a few weeks after the premiere. We ran into Duke at San Diego Comic-Con International, where he was filming some promo spots for ABC Family. After the con, we wound up chatting with him about his different projects, and his favorite comics. Believe us when we say that along with being a versatile talent…this is one hardcore comics fan. Newsarama: Clark, you were pretty excited to be at Comic-Con when I saw you there. How’d you like it? Clark Duke: I had a blast. It was my first one, but I plan to go every year from now on. I always wanted to go, but I was always tied up with school. I wish I’d had more time to walk around, but we were always shooting. NRAMA: Get to meet anybody? CD: Yeah! I met up with Seth Green, he’s a buddy. I met Stan Lee, briefly, got a picture of him. I met all the Oni Press guys, they’re cool… NRAMA: Are you a fan of Scott Pilgrim, because that strikes me as something you’d like… CD: Oh yeah, man. I love Scott Pilgrim, it’s one of my favorite books out. I message with Bryan Lee O’Malley on MySpace sometimes, he’s great, and I think Edgar Wight is going to do such a great job with the film version. I picked up some new books at Comic-Con, too. I loved Black Metal. It’s like the heavy-metal Scott Pilgrim. It’s really good. I wanted to get the Paul Pope exclusive, but I was so busy shooting stuff, I forgot it was there… NRAMA: They announced at the con that First Second is going to do a four-volume THB collection featuring the entire story… CD: They are?! That’s awesome. Someone told me they met Paul Pope at the con, and he looks like Mick Jagger in the 1960s… NRAMA: Ohhhh yeah. CD: That’s hysterical. I wish I would have met him. That Solo issue he did, the Batman stuff, it’s unreal.  NRAMA: Let’s talk about Clark and Michael. How do you feel about the response to the show?CD: It’s very gratifying. Me and Mike thought it might just be something that was only funny to us, and wouldn’t appeal to other people, but everyone’s really responded to it. It’s been great. NRAMA: You started the series as your senior film thesis… CD: Yeah, the pilot was my thesis in film school, so to have it widely watched is really amazing. NRAMA: Was this the same as the pilot that wound up on the site…? CD: It’s actually the same as the first episode, but we had to reshoot the entire thing for legal reasons involving the network. NRAMA: How did you and Michael meet? CD: We were next door neighbors at an apartment complex out here in LA. Mike needed into the gate one day but had forgotten his key, so I let him in. Love at first sight. NRAMA: You crazy kids. How’d you come up with the premise for the show? CD: It’s more or less what just me and Mike were doing at the time – just driving around, eating…most of the show is just verbatim conversations we’ve had and things that have happened to us, so it’s sort of like reality TV without the, you know, being real. NRAMA: And how’d it picked up by CBS? CD: I have a friend named Max Winkler who saw the pilot and loved it, and he had a friend at CBS. So he showed it to him, and they bought it. NRAMA: Was the show partially improvised and partially scripted, or did you use an outline like Curb Your Enthusiasm? CD: Actually, it’s all scripted. I mean, you’ll be shooting and you’ll change lines, or you’ll improvise a little bit, but every scene is scripted, there’s a shot list, everything.  NRAMA: Sort of like The Office.CD: Yeah, definitely. Everybody asks that about our show, and I think a lot of people think it’s improv. But it’s scripted, all of it. NRAMA: It does have a very spontaneous feel. CD: Yeah, and I’m glad it comes across like that. I think that helps make the show seem more real. NRAMA: How’d you develop your persona for the show? Because that is not how you are in real life at all… CD: I know, thank goodness, right? (laughs) No, they’re just kind of like these exaggerated asshole versions of ourselves. They’re kind of fun to walk around and play in, but you couldn’t really live life like that…I wouldn’t want to, for the sake of everyone else! It’d be a nightmare. NRAMA: Do you have plans to do more Clark and Michael? CD: I don’t know! You know, there’s been a lot of questions about a movie. We’ll see. It remains to be seen if there’s enough demand, I guess. NRAMA: A movie would be very cool…what about DVDs of the series? I’m guessing there’s a lot of footage that didn’t show up on the site. CD: Oh my God, dude. There is an obscene amount of footage that we shot…hours and hours and hours for each episode. Hopefully (there will be something)…I know me and Mike have talked about it a lot, but it’s totally up to the network. We’ll see. I’d like to see it on iTunes, at the very least. That seems like an obvious fit, you know? NRAMA: And now, a fanboy question: Do people ever call you “ma'm” like on the show? CD: Yeah, that's based on real life. I used to have pretty long hair, so people would actually call me ma'am. It happened enough that I cut my hair. Seemed to happen a lot at the grocery store… NRAMA: How does it feel to have both Greek and Clark and Michael catch on so quickly?  CD: It's weird, because you work on stuff for so long that nothing seems that quick. I mean when you count the original pilot I shot in college we worked on Clark and Michael for like a year. But it's extremely gratifying and flattering that people are responding to it.NRAMA: What was it like working on Superbad? CD: Really fun. I only worked a few days, but it was great hanging out with my friends. The food was really good. NRAMA: Are you getting recognized more for Greek or Clark and Michael? CD: Clark and Michael, which is kind of bizarre, but… They won’t release the numbers for Clark and Michael for advertising reasons or something, but I get approached about it a lot. Like, at Comic-Con, it was kind of crazy, like all the audience was in one place! I’m in LA right now, but when I was in New York recently, every bar I was in, someone would come up to me ask about the show. So, yeah, Clark and Michael is apparently well-watched. NRAMA: It must be pretty crazy for you, because Clark and Michael and Greek both came out during the same two-month period. CD: Yeah, the pilot for Greek – I got that at the same time we were shooting Clark and Michael, so we were literally shooting both at the same time. NRAMA: What's coming up for you on Greek, and what appealed to you about the character of Dale? CD: Dale gets some fun stuff in the upcoming episodes. He has a band, gets a crush on a girl. It was appealing to play someone who's very much a character, especially after Clark and Michael, where I was essentially playing an exaggerated version of myself. NRAMA: Did the Greek cast show up in any Clark and Michael episodes? CD: They did! Jake McDorman, who plays Evan, showed up in episode seven, the one where we go to dinner, he’s the guy who brings the guy who eats a lot. But he’s got a beard and he’s wearing a hat, so he’s kind of in disguise. And Spencer Grammer (Casey) and Jacob Zachar (Rusty) are in the background in the party scene (in episode five)….they just kind of, as they say, “showed up,” but we’ve become really good friends, so it’s cool. It’s a cool cast, and they’re all Clark and Michael fans, so that’s nice. NRAMA: Are there any other comic fans in the cast? CD: I don’t know! I don’t think so, not to my knowledge. I think everyone’s aware of the bigger stuff now, like Watchmen and Dark Knight now, but I don’t really have many friends who are into comics. NRAMA: That’s a shame. Speaking of comics, where do you get yours? CD: (laughs) I get ‘em all over LA, man. NRAMA: What books are you currently enjoying? CD: The Grant Morrison Batman right now is awesome. I’m glad they’ve gotten away – and I think DC is acutely aware of this – from Batman being this psychopath like he’s been portrayed in the last couple of years. It’s like they took how he acted in Morrison’s JLA and ran with it, but there, it was more like Batman was fully prepared than full-on crazy. I’m a huge, huge Blue Monday fan. That’s probably my favorite book right now, with Scott Pilgrim. As far as monthly stuff, I’m still reading Ultimate Spider-Man, still reading Daredevil. I enjoyed 52 when it was coming out, but I’ve kind of dropped off on Countdown, because it didn’t seem as good…but I do think Paul Dini is really good, I love what he’s doing on Detective. I’m more of a trade guy now, because a) I’m running out of room, and b) it’s hard for me to go to the store every week. Let me dig through the pile right now, see what I’m reading…I got a ton of the Oni books I have to read. I like a lot of Bendis’ stuff, Avengers and things like that. I got the Brian K. Vaughan Dr. Strange miniseries, that was incredible. I’m reading Uncanny X-Men, because Brubaker’s writing it. Runaways is really good. I really enjoy Marvel Zombies…Darwyn Cooke is good, I love The Spirit. I got Absolute New Frontier by my bed, and it’s gorgeous! I’m looking forward to the cartoon of that. I’m digging Buffy a lot…like I said, I love Morrison’s Batman….right now, I’m getting into Tintin. I love Tintin, those little collections…they’re great, they’re just solid fun. I loved that documentary on Herge that they did on PBS. I read Dork whenever it comes out, I’m a huge, huge Dorkin fan. What else…I’ve been reading more manga than I used to…I love FLCL, and the cartoon…it’s fu And I love Michael Allred – I have the big Madman hardcover they did recently, and I loved The Atomics. I still want to read that Book of Mormon adaptation he did – I can’t find it anywhere! I’m tired of all these events, but I like World War Hulk. It’s like a big action movie, it’s awesome. And I’m always looking for new stuff – mainly by checking your site. NRAMA: I have to say, that’s a pretty impressive list. CD: I’ve been reading for a while! (laughs) NRAMA: How much would you say you spend on comics in a week? CD: Too much, man. (laughs) Way too much. NRAMA: What are some highlights of your collection? CD: I recently got the Morrison New X-Men Omnibus. I had all the single issues, but it’s great to have them all in one place. This is how nerdy I am – I’ve got all four Flex Mentallo issues…hard copy. No Internet for me! That’s like the coolest thing in my collection, along with my complete run of Miracleman. That one took a while – the last six issues were impossible to find. It took me years on eBay – issue #15, the one with Kid Miracleman, that cost me like $80, but it was worth it. It was a CGC copy that I took out of the case. NRAMA: You…you are nerdcore. CD: All the way, man. All the way. I’ll throw down. NRAMA: What are some of your favorite comic-related TV shows and movies? CD: Unbreakable's one of my favorite movies. I think it's really underrated. As for recent stuff, Batman Begins was fantastic, the first two Spider-Man movies were really fun. X2, obviously. I kinda thought Once Upon A Time in Mexico was Punisher vs Daredevil... NRAMA: Have you ever thought of writing any comics yourself? CD: I have! The Oni guys asked me if I wanted to write anything, so we’ll see. It’s not an official thing or anything, but it’s not like I have any ideas at the moment…actually, I take that back. I have one idea, but I haven’t written it down yet. (laughs) NRAMA: What's next for you? CD: Greek starts shooting again in September. I'm writing too. And a couple things I can't talk about yet… NRAMA: Any final thoughts? CD: Go to www.ClarkAndMichael.com (please). Greek airs a 9 p.m. EST Mondays on ABC Family (and is also on iTunes and ABC Family’s web site), Superbad is in theaters everywhere, and Clark and Michael is…available any time you want to watch it. Check out a preview for the series here. |
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08-21-2007, 11:10 AM
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#2 |
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Clark and Michael is a funny-ass show.
(I also found it weird that we had similar tastes in comics...Avengers, Batman etc. Mainly cuz I usually don't agree with anyone on the 'rama  )Last edited by froinlaven : 08-21-2007 at 11:12 AM. |
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08-21-2007, 11:20 AM
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#3 |
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[QUOTE
That’s like the coolest thing in my collection, along with my complete run of Miracleman. That one took a while – the last six issues were impossible to find. It took me years on eBay – issue #15, the one with Kid Miracleman, that cost me like $80, but it was worth it. It was a CGC copy that I took out of the case.[/quote] This guy rules!!!  |
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08-21-2007, 11:49 AM
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#4 |
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Cool interview.
I'm a big fan of 'Clark and Michael', I checked it out because of Cera after finally watching Arrested Development, but Clark is just as funny, as the more pathetic character. It's cool to see he has a similar comics taste to me too, Scott Pilgrim! Come to think of it, he could play the supporting charater of Comeau, and Cera would make a good Young Neil... oooh. |
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08-21-2007, 11:54 AM
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#5 |
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"I kinda thought Once Upon A Time in Mexico was Punisher vs Daredevil..."
hah! I like this guy. |
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08-21-2007, 12:01 PM
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#6 |
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Oh man Clake Duke is a hilarious individual. Seriously clark and micheal is pure genius.
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08-21-2007, 12:07 PM
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#7 |
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Yeah-ha! Clark Duke!
Write them comics. -mE! |
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08-21-2007, 12:17 PM
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#8 |
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Clark Duke on Newsarama? Holy smokes, that's AWESOME!
For the zillionth time, clarkandmicheal is the bomb. I'm with you on the Morrison Batman brother, it's nice to see Batman humanized again. "...along with my complete run of Miracleman." I am so jealous right now. DAMN YOU, CLARK DUKE! |
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08-21-2007, 12:46 PM
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#9 |
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Why does liking comics make us nerds anymore than liking movies or tv shows? I've never had that inferiority complex about it.
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08-21-2007, 02:07 PM
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#10 |
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i am so happy that xbox live carries dl's of Michael and Clark.
Superbad was freakin funny "Yeah, like a man dick", sucks Clark only had a few lines in it though. Greek is also pretty funny, i hope it continues for a little while longer, it has been a while since there was a good college "Undeclared" type show |
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08-21-2007, 03:26 PM
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#11 | |
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Quote:
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08-21-2007, 03:31 PM
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#12 |
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I never heard of this guy or Clark and Michael...but I love him!
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08-21-2007, 03:39 PM
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#13 | |
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Quote:
You guys are young. It doesn't make you nerds...now. Once upon a time, geek (computer whiz kid) was a derogatory word - then they all made a zillion bucks and left technological illiterates (like me) behind. Now geek is no longer a pejorative. Some day nerd won't be either. I've been reading since the fall of 1965 and while I held my head up proudly, I was definitely labeled a nerd. It's been a long road to acceptability. Stan himself used to tell people he was a writer (not a comic writer) because he felt it was unacceptable. |
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08-21-2007, 04:29 PM
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#14 |
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This is was a great interview. Love him in his shows but I never knew he was into comics as extensively as he is. That's just great to know! Both Jonah Hill and he are into comics!
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08-21-2007, 04:40 PM
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#15 |
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I could totally be best friends with this guy.
And that picture with the Billy Dee Williams star cemented him as awesome. |
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08-21-2007, 06:01 PM
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#16 |
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great interview, and yeah clark and michael really is awesome
Last edited by Kareeeeem : 08-21-2007 at 06:06 PM. |
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08-21-2007, 07:20 PM
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#17 | |
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Quote:
Because it is more specialized. Comics Nerds and Vinyl Audiophiles are the same type of breed. We like something that is not a mass medium, but brings us such joy whenever we find the exact thing we're looking for. Comics are an OCD Medium. It thrives on people loving minutia. Film and Television has that too, but it had to develop its minutia following...probably based on the availability of DVD commentaries and IMDB and replayable media in general. And where and when did it become okay to really really stake out very minute bits of information that will reward the reader later through close reading? Comic Books. Both the film and tv guys who work in the medium these days learned most of their storytelling techniques and minutia storytelling through comic books. - l.k. |
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08-22-2007, 12:24 PM
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#18 | |
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Quote:
Interesting take. I just wonder if that still applies in an era where people watch shows like Lost and then analyze every single bit of it on the internet in addition to posting fan fiction, attending signings, watching additional podcasts, buying dvds of the shows and listening to the commentaries etc. etc. |
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