With MacGruber blessing our timeline with eight new thirty-minute episodes on Peacock, I recently got to speak with Ryan Phillippe and Joseph Lee Anderson about making the series. They talked about why Will Forte is the most fearless actor they’ve worked with, what it was like reading the scripts for the first time, how you’ll laugh a lot while watching the eight episodes, which of their friends and family were the most excited they were part of MacGruber, and more. In addition, they each revealed what someone should watch if they’ve never seen anything they've done.
If you haven’t seen the trailer, the series picks up ten years after the events of the film, where MacGruber (Forte) has been locked up in prison for the brutal killing of Dieter von Cunth (Val Kilmer). But when a mysterious villain from his past, Brigadier Commander Enos Queeth (Billy Zane), threatens the world, MacGruber must reassemble his old team, Vicki St. Elmo (Kristen Wiig) and Dixon Piper (Phillippe), in order to defeat the forces of evil. As you can easily guess, nothing goes according to plan and it’s fantastic to watch. For more you can read Ross’ review.
MacGruber also stars Sam Elliott (Perry), Laurence Fishburne (General Barrett Fasoose), Billy Zane (Brigadier Commander Enos Queeth), and Timothy V. Murphy (Constantine Bach). Jorma Taccone, John Solomon, and Forte serve as writers, executive producers, and showrunners of MacGruber. Solomon and Taccone direct all episodes. Lorne Michaels, John Goldwyn, Andrew Singer, and Erin David are also executive producers.
Finally, as a longtime fan of MacGruber, I’m happy to say the new episodes are fantastic and loaded with scenes that will make you laugh out loud. I can’t recommend the series enough. Watch what Ryan Phillippe and Joseph Lee Anderson had to say in the player above and below is exactly what we talked about.
Ryan Phillippe and Joseph Lee Anderson
- If someone has never seen anything they’ve done before what is the first thing they should watch and why?
- Which of their friends and family were the most excited they were part of MacGruber?
- What was it like reading the scripts for the first time?
- How can they tease about the eight episodes?
- How you should expect to laugh a lot watching the episodes.
- What is it like working with Will Forte when he is so committed to the role?
- How much did they know about story being signing on or getting the scripts?
