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INTERVIEW: Brian Posehn
by Kittenpants
with special "metal" correspondent, Boogie-B.

You may not recognize the name, but you'll never forget the face of Brian Posehn, comedy's tallest, deepest-voiced, dearest nerd. After years of writing and performing on Mr. Show with Bob and David Brian later came to be known as "Kevin the mail clerk" on TV's Just Shoot Me, and his love for heavy metal has led him to roles in music videos and the latest Rob Zombie movie.

From his website: "If you had told me in 1984 that I was going to shoot a video with Anthrax in twenty years, I would have kicked you in your dick and pushed you back into your time machine."

For the first time since Gary Gygax, I felt a little interview-unqualified, so I brought in another Brian whose metal knowledge (and coincidentally, D&D knowledge) is far greater than mine.

kp: How tall are you?
bp:
6 foot 6. 6 – the height of the beast.

kp: How did you first get involved in Mr. Show?
bp:
I was friends with David before I moved to LA. I met Bob through him, right when I got down here. We all hung out a lot back then--practically every night. I was just around and tall when they were working on live sketches.

I played a “slacker” in the Three Goofballs, the live show that would become Mr. Show. I was also writing sketches on my own; I did a show at the Diamond Club of a bunch of sketches I wrote called Only I’m Funny. Bob was in one of them; I guess he liked my writing because when season two [of Mr. Show] started, he asked me to submit sketches.

They had no money so they were just going to buy one sketch off of me. They liked a couple of my submissions (which became NAMBLA: “We’re not killers” and Subway/Four Voices). I forget how the deal went down, but they basically had me work there for two months for the price of two sketches.

That was an amazing time. Walking into that writers room that first time, I knew something special was happening.

kp: How did the "Hooray for America!" tour compare with the original format?
bp:
Way less stress. That was one of the most fun experiences of my life. The shows were awesome. The crowds were so fun. Mr. Show fans are the coolest people in the world. And driving around America on a huge tour bus with Bob, David and Ennis was a good fucking time. That bus smelled like Patron tequilla, weed, and feet. I don’t know why.

kp: Tell us a story! Tell us something awesome that happened behind the scenes at Mr. Show.
bp:
Once, John Ennis and I got high with Snoop Dogg in front of our writing bungalow while those other assholes were shooting a scene. That was awesome.

kp: Do feel that you get typecast into the same type of roles?
bp:
I don’t know what you mean. I’ve played weird mail boys, surly convenience store clerks and slightly retarded people. All over the map, I’d say.

What other roles am I gonna get? I’m fine playing weird guys that work at menial jobs. I want to start doing it in dramas.

kp: What's the most ridiculous job you were ever offered?
bp:
Twice I’ve turned down parts where I’d be required to wear ass-less chaps. I’ve saved America’s eyes twice.

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more

Kittenpants
PAGE ONE
INTERVIEW: BRIAN POSEHN
FEATURE: 2005: Those Were the Days
FEATURE: Choose Your Own Adventure
FEATURE: I, Ant
FEATURE: What I Learned at Bible Camp
FEATURE: The Case of the Fucked Up Fan Club
FEATURE: Questions for My TV
FEATURE: My Unfinished Novel
COLUMN: Music News + Reviews
COLUMN: Corn Mo's Tales of Wonder

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