Created, written, and executive produced by Danny McBride, the HBO series The Righteous Gemstones continues to follow the televangelist Gemstone family and their internal struggle over which of them will get to take over the megachurch from family patriarch Eli (John Goodman). Always under threat by outsiders who wish to destroy their empire, a mysterious figure from Eli’s past (Eric Roberts) with clearly questionable motives shows up, making the Gemstones wonder whether he’s friend or foe.
During this interview with Collider, co-stars Tony Cavalero (who plays Keefe, the loyal best friend of Kelvin Gemstone) and Eric André (who plays Texan megachurch pastor and Gemstone rival, Lyle Lissons) talked about what they’re excited about with Season 2, having all of those muscle men around, whether Keefe and Kelvin are ever going to figure out what their strange dynamic is all about, the fun of getting to emulate a preacher, and what a fun and collaborative environment the show is to work on.
Collider: What were you guys excited about with Season 2?
ERIC ANDRÉ: That it’s bigger and better than the last season, and more complex. It’s like a Jackson Pollock painting.
TONY CAVALERO: It’s The Godfather: Part II.
ANDRÉ: Or The Naked Gun 2 ½ . Leslie Nielsen, RIP.
CAVALERO: He was a legend. I just think that everything that the fans loved in season one, we got the bigger, stronger, faster version of insanity, in season two. For a show where you’re like, “How big can this show get?,” it’s a whole other level.
Tony, when you found out about the idea for the muscle man farm, what was your reaction? What was the reality of it like, being on set with all of those very manly men?
CAVALERO: At first I, was like, “Well, I feel like Danny [McBride] is making fun of Adam [Devine] and I.” We all worked out together a few times, Danny included and some of the other producers, so he knows that we go really hard at these workouts. So on set, we’ll be comparing quads or biceps. I feel like they were like, “This is too good of a dynamic not to utilize.”
ANDRÉ: I’m gonna answer for Tony, it was the role he was born to play.
CAVALERO: It is, but being around guys that were like 6'7" or 6'8" and have these Greek statue bodies, it was like, “Okay, all right, I know where I am in the world now.”
ANDRÉ: Do you know how hard it is to have abs after the age of 18? Anybody that has abs, and they’re not a teenager, you’re like, “How?” I’ve gotta go to work. I don’t have time for abs.
CAVALERO: They’re all the sweetest guys imaginable. Brock O’Hurn, Miles [Burris], Hank [Strong], and all these guys, are just so nice. I went with eight of these muscle men, and it was like something out of a cartoon, sitting at a table with these guys. The amount of meat that was set down on the table was amazing.
Eric, what was it like to join this ensemble? Were you at all disappointed that you weren’t asked to join as one of the muscle men?
ANDRÉ: No. I’ve been naked enough. It’s time to keep my clothes on. I think I’ve put in my time. I love Eastbound & Down and Vice Principles. I love everything Rough House does, and I’m such a big fan of Danny and his directors, his producers and his writers. I just wanted to be involved. I’ve been pestering them for a decade, trying to get into something they’re doing, and it finally worked. The persistence paid off. This was such a fun role. And Charleston was such a fun town to shoot in and eat my way through. It was a really lovely experience. And I was in a creepy, old, tiny house that was 250 years old. It was haunted, but it was awesome.
Do you get nervous every time you start a project, or do you never get nervous?
ANDRÉ: I’m always nervous and anxious. I have imposter syndrome and low self-esteem. I never feel like I belong anywhere. I’m like, “Am I allowed to be in front of the camera?” I always feel like I’m imposing.
CAVALERO: Which is not the truth. It’s also so respectable because this dude puts in more work than fucking anybody, to prepare for scenes and the role and the whole nine yards.
ANDRÉ: My man, Tony C, has got my back. That’s what’s up. He’ll take every little square inch of subtext out of the script and make a big and bold choice. It’s not always the notes you play, it’s the rest. It’s the notes you don’t play.
Tony, what is the deal between Keefe and Kelvin? It’s quite possibly the strangest dynamic on TV. What have you enjoyed about the way that dynamic has developed? Does Keefe have an official duty for Kevin?
CAVALERO: I feel like, if Kelvin didn’t have all this other shit going on, trying to prove himself to his dad, they’d be working this shit out, like what’s genuinely going on. But I feel like the Keefe and Kelvin dynamic has to be swept under the rug. They don’t really get to dive into that relationship themselves because it’s super uncomfortable for both of them. It’s also like, “Okay, we’re gonna focus on each other. Wait, somebody’s got this huge thing going on, so we’ve gotta focus on that,” or “Daddy’s done this to me, so we’ve gotta focus on that.” I think they both play a little bit of therapist, best friend, and maybe even a little love interest in there. It is a really interesting, odd dynamic, for sure.
You can’t control who you have chemistry with.
CAVALERO: There you go.
ANDRÉ: The heart wants what the heart wants.
Eric, what’s it like to do these religious performances on stage? Do you feel like a rock star?
ANDRÉ: I love emulating preachers. It’s like the joy of standup without the pressure of having to deliver a joke that works. It was quite fun.
What did you enjoy about the dynamic that the Lissons bring to the show and how they play off of Jesse and Amber?
ANDRÉ: I like being this slick, silver-tongued, Texas player and preacher, who’s manipulating Danny and his wife. They’re sitting ducks. I like our dynamic. I’m treading very carefully because I don’t wanna spoil anything.
When you were with a lot of really funny people on this show, and you’re also really funny people yourselves, what is it like to find your moment and figure out where you fit in? When you’re in those moments, does it feel like everybody is coming from the same place because everyone wants to make it the best that they can, or does everybody approach comedy differently?
ANDRÉ: All of that is applicable, but this group is so kind and sweet and genuine. Edi [Patterson], Danny, Cassidy, John [Goodman], Tony and Adam are so friendly and nice, and they created such a healthy working environment. And Jessica Lowe, my fake wife, kills it. She was so nurturing and giving. It’s a good group. I always felt taken care of, and like I had a safe environment to experiment and try wild choices. You don’t wanna be too rigid in your performance, ever. You wanna prepare, so that you can let loose when you start rolling. I felt like I was in a good, healthy environment.
CAVALERO: There will be scenes where I have no lines, and multiple times, Adam has gone out of his way to be like, “What if Tony did this, so that I can do this?” It’s so mutual, especially working with that guy. A lot of my scenes were just with him and the muscle men. Whenever I’m with Danny, Eric, John or Edi, for any of those scenes, I find myself out of body, just enjoying myself and being like, “You’re Keefe. Don’t laugh. Just enjoy it and don’t fuck it up for them.” But with those scenes with Adam, he’s so collaborative and he knows exactly what makes that whole dynamic work. It’s such a dream to get to do that stuff and collaborate with these total comedic geniuses.
The Righteous Gemstones airs on Sunday nights on HBO and is available to stream at HBO Max.