Tuesday Just the murders in the building was a happy reunion for Broadway fans as it reunited Matthew Broderick and Mel Brooks two decades after their film and stage triumphs with Producers.
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In this week’s episode, while Broderick was playing a weird version of himself ready to potentially replace Charles (Steve Martin) in Oliver’s (Martin Short) upcoming musical, Brooks jumped in for a quick cameo via FaceTime to hilariously fire Broderick.
One would imagine that playing the role of two film and stage legends would be a difficult feat, but ISOMITB executive producer Jess Rosenthal tells PEOPLE that getting Broderick, 61, and Brooks, 97, to sign on was surprisingly easy.
Actually, Broderick — who played producers hapless accountant Leo Bloom — it was more than game to play the “out of control” caricature for the Hulu series.
Patrick Harbron/Hulu
“You’re never sure how an actor might react to playing a version of themselves,” says Rosenthal. “Will they be timid about going too far? Are there aspects of their lives that they wouldn’t want to touch? Fortunately, Matthew was just the opposite. He found it all hysterical and kept asking to push it further and further.”
Broderick’s eccentric on-screen antics, which involved an insane level of perfectionism, were actually improvised by the performer.
“Matthew brought a wonderful tone to it all,” says Rosenthal, who assures that Broderick is actually very “warm and cooperative” in real life. “I love that his incredible devotion to acting and authenticity becomes what causes Oliver so much grief.”
Shortly after realizing that Broderick was difficult to deal with, Oliver FaceTimed Brooks, who warned him not to cast a performer in his musical. But when Oliver admitted it was too late, the comic legend replied: “Oh, Oliver, you’re fucked.”
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It was also a reunion for Short (73), who played Leo Bloom in the 2003 Los Angeles production of the film. Producers two years after the historic success of Brooks’ Tony-winning Broadway adaptation of his 1967 comedy. (In a West Coast production, Seinfeld alum Jason Alexander stepped into the co-starring role of Max Bialystock, created by Nathan Lane on The Great White Way.)
Despite this triple reunion being a long time in the making, it actually came together pretty quickly when it came to Brooks’ cameo. The Blazing Saddles the director made the decision just days before production on episode 7 began in a moment that sent the crew into a frenzy.
“We dreamed of the great Mel Brooks and [were] overjoyed to get our wish,” says Rosenthal, recalling the moment the crew heard the news that Brooks had agreed to film his scene. “Did you hear, did you hear? He’s doing it!”
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Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
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While his scene is only 38 seconds long, it required some behind-the-scenes technical ingenuity to pull it off. The crew had “multiple” meetings to prepare for the finer details, including which communication device they should use, how the actors would see each other, what the crew’s cameras would capture and how the actors’ eye lines would line up.
“We envisioned complications every step of the way, but in practice it became quite simple,” explains Rosenthal. “Two all-time legends and professionals in Mel and Marty agreed, laughed at their history together… they double-checked the scene and after five minutes we made it.”
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Only in the Building airs Tuesdays on Hulu.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education