Actors Sebastian Maniscalco & Omar J. Dorsey talk to The Inside Reel about intonation, comic timing and environment in regards to their new comedy series: "Bookie" on Max.
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00:00 [MUSIC]
00:28 But that's what's interesting, that's where the comedy comes from.
00:31 Because as well intentioned or professionals these guys wanna be,
00:36 they do some dumb shit.
00:37 [LAUGH] To find a point on it, but that's where the comedy comes from,
00:42 that sort of error.
00:44 And we see that in the first two episodes I've seen, you see that again and
00:48 again, and that's what makes it sort of, it's not over the top.
00:52 It's just enough of that reality to make you think, wow, okay,
00:56 people can actually get into this kind of trouble, but you have to laugh about it.
01:01 >> That's where the comedy comes from, right?
01:02 Comedy doesn't have to come from people just acting bananas,
01:05 it comes from the situation.
01:07 And the situation that these two guys put themselves in.
01:10 I mean, if I was to walk into an apartment and
01:14 I saw someone sitting on an edge about to jump off,
01:20 I would probably even call the cops or something.
01:23 But these guys wanna, let me save the day.
01:26 No, let's go in there and save the day.
01:27 Why would you, okay, we're gonna go in there and
01:30 they think they've done a good job of saving the day.
01:33 They're downstairs giving themselves a pat on the back, and
01:36 then you hear a splat, and the balloons go off.
01:39 You know what I'm saying?
01:40 These are situations that people normally wouldn't get themselves involved in,
01:45 especially with somebody who I really don't know, the dude just owes us money.
01:50 So yeah, that's where the comedy really lies in, is the situations.
01:55 And not just people just walking around trying to be funny.
01:59 Even when we're leaving the scene of the first shooting,
02:06 and the gun falling down the leg of Danny continuously,
02:11 which really happened, and it was not in the script.
02:14 It just happened while we were doing our dialogue, it was just falling.
02:18 And that's funny as hell to me, but we can't play the funny,
02:20 we gotta play the urgency of it.
02:23 Cuz it wasn't in the script, it was really happening while we were walking,
02:27 so which is I was really glad to use that take.
02:30 But yeah, those are the things that really bring the life into it.
02:37 [MUSIC]
02:39 >> Nothing pisses me off more than people.
02:41 [MUSIC]
02:45 >> What kind of job do I got?
02:47 Nobody pays me.
02:48 [MUSIC]
02:50 >> What if I make this right with some baseball memorabilia?
02:53 Guys, I've got Babe Ruth's autopsy report.
02:57 [MUSIC]
02:58 >> I'm gonna tell you something I never told a client ever.
03:01 You shouldn't bet on sports.
03:04 >> For you, Sebastian, can you talk, cuz your timing and your comedy mind,
03:09 you probably had to, did you have to adjust a little bit?
03:12 And how did you make it your own,
03:15 while still sort of seeing what Chuck was doing and
03:19 how they were doing their thing too?
03:22 >> Being around Chuck, it made me think a lot differently as an actor.
03:25 For example, there's one moment where we go looking for Charlie Sheen, and
03:29 there's some muffins there.
03:31 And Danny's character grabs a muffin and leaves the scene.
03:36 Now, that wasn't in the script, but Chuck goes, you know what?
03:39 Why don't you come over here and just grab a muffin?
03:44 And it worked so well in the scene, I was actually mad at myself going,
03:49 why didn't I think of that?
03:51 Why don't I start using the environment a little bit more to my advantage?
03:56 And I think that comes with just being more of a seasoned actor.
04:00 Also, the scene that Ray or Omar's referring to is when we go to collect
04:05 the money from the guy who's gonna jump.
04:08 At the end of that scene, before we leave, I actually ask,
04:13 I saw some rugs when we came in that look pretty expensive, whatever.
04:19 And then the next scene, I'm walking out with one of the rugs.
04:21 Nobody says anything about it, we don't mention it as characters.
04:27 It's just, I love those moments where you don't have to
04:32 explain the joke, it's just there.
04:36 >> Right.
04:37 >> So yeah, for me, being around Chuck and
04:40 his gut instincts, you start to almost think that way as an actor.
04:46 Going, okay, what else in this scene can I do to enhance it?
04:50 So that's what I'm looking for when I go into these things.
04:54 [MUSIC]
04:59 >> Hi, honey.
05:00 >> We got a problem.
05:01 >> Go.
05:02 >> Go?
05:03 I'm not one of your scumbag losers.
05:06 >> What do you need?
05:07 >> 1,500.
05:09 >> I just gave you three grand.
05:10 >> My Invisalign, hello.
05:12 >> Why are you doing that?
05:13 I like your snaggletooth.
05:15 >> Also, Anthony's tuition's due.
05:17 >> At what point is his father gonna kick in a few bucks?
05:19 >> His father's in a psych ward eating with a spork.
05:21 >> Hang on.
05:22 [SOUND]
05:25 >> Yeah.
05:26 >> Hey, 703.
05:27 >> Go 703.
05:28 >> How's your day going?
05:30 >> Life's a cabaret.
05:31 >> Because you guys have created in a lot of these scenes,
05:34 which you can't do on the page.
05:37 Are these little moments, these little breathers.
05:41 I think there's, with all three of you are inside the office, and
05:45 you just wink over at Vanessa, Omar, just like you do that.
05:48 Like that, or actually in the bar after when the cop comes over,
05:52 it's the same thing.
05:53 And it's just sort of like, Sebastian, you almost just do a little just look over at
05:57 him, there's those little moments that you can't rehearse.
06:00 >> Right. >> Do you find more of those as you
06:03 continue shooting throughout the series?
06:07 >> I certainly do think so, because a lot of the things are things
06:13 that are left unsaid, right?
06:16 Like Vanessa says to me earlier, I see why you two get along,
06:20 because you're both pussies.
06:21 Because you're afraid to tell your brother that I'm sleeping with you.
06:24 So when Danny says, can you please control your girlfriend,
06:28 she looks over, it's like, did you tell him?
06:30 Yeah, see, and there's a lot of back and
06:34 forth looks between Ray and Danny.
06:39 Because they are in these situations that are, damn, they're unbelievable.
06:43 Like, do you believe this?
06:44 Like, we have to look at each other like, man,
06:47 you can't really say anything to the police officer.
06:50 Because the police officer is going to just kneel you more and more.
06:54 So we just have to look at each other like, man, this is some bullshit.
06:57 It's that type of look.
06:59 >> Yeah, I felt like the further and further as we got along in the season,
07:03 when we were speaking the same language unspoken,
07:08 then I could really feel us becoming that super team almost.
07:13 You know what I'm saying?
07:14 >> Go.
07:15 >> Packers, Rams over 52, Titans plus six, diamond age.
07:19 That's all I got, thanks.
07:21 >> All right, you're down.
07:22 Good luck, 703.
07:23 [SOUND]
07:26 >> All right, I'm sorry.
07:27 I'll come by later.
07:28 >> If you let me open up a checking account,
07:29 I wouldn't have to bother you like this.
07:31 >> Honey, what are the two conditions I gave you before we got married?
07:34 >> No banks, no musicals.
07:36 >> I love you, bye bye.
07:38 >> But you, Sebastian, did you feel the same thing, or how did that-
07:41 >> Yeah, I think as you get comfortable
07:42 with one another, as time progresses in each episode,
07:45 you feel a lot more connected to the characters and
07:50 kind of the unsaid, you know, Ray's wink is kind of prevalent
07:55 throughout the show, you know, and it's nothing that was on the script.
07:59 It's just, you know, he's throwing it in, and
08:01 there's a lot that is said with just a wink of the eye and nod of the head.
08:05 And I think as this progresses, you start to see a little bit more
08:10 non-verbal communication and kind of letting the audience in
08:15 on these two guys and what they're all about.
08:18 So it's not always in the spoken word, it's a lot is in the unsaid.
08:22 And yeah, I'm interested to see how people
08:28 digest that moving forward throughout the series.
08:31 There's a, I think it's an episode four or five where we're in downtown LA, and
08:36 I don't wanna give too much away, but we run into something that's
08:42 very specific in Los Angeles, what's happening right now with the city.
08:46 And that doesn't happen in any other, not that it doesn't happen in any other city,
08:51 but LA is going through a homeless problem right now, and Ray and Omar,
08:58 or sorry, Ray and Danny are confronted with this problem on the street.
09:02 >> No.
09:03 >> And it's very specific to Los Angeles, so I like the fact that Los Angeles
09:07 lends itself to a lot of these scenarios that happen to the two characters.
09:12 >> Give me the loot, give me the loot.
09:13 >> I can't do this anymore, Danny.
09:14 >> Give me the loot, give me the loot.
09:15 >> This is small time bookie shit.
09:17 >> Give me the loot.
09:19 >> Came at a time before California legalized sports betting.
09:22 >> If and when, what's our edge?
09:25 >> Now you extend credit to low life degenerates?
09:28 >> I have personal relationships with my clients.
09:30 [MUSIC]
09:32 >> Biggie the Oswalds are here.
09:34 >> Because LA, the fact you're El Coyote, the back alleys in LA,
09:38 all these things, it's all about the environment.
09:40 But it's using the environment that it's so ironic,
09:43 cuz a lot of stuff that happens in LA would never happen anywhere else.
09:46 The situation you find yourself in, could you talk about using the environment and
09:51 the notion of Los Angeles in a way to heighten up the idea of what
09:57 these characters do?
09:58 >> These guys go from downtown LA to Hollywood, to Malibu, to the Valley.
10:06 To be able to use, LA is such a diverse city and
10:11 just landscape that we are getting money from all of the whole city, right?
10:19 And this show really did, it's a workplace comedy that takes place,
10:27 the workplace happens to be the city of Los Angeles.
10:30 And so we get a chance to explore this whole city that I've been living in for
10:34 20 something years, and Sebastian's been living there for 20 something years.
10:37 This is I've never been before, and it has its own character.
10:45 Los Angeles is a character in this show, so yeah.
10:48 [MUSIC]
10:51 >> That was good.
10:53 >> Throw it like you're going to jail, forever.
10:57 >> Take my life.
10:58 [MUSIC]
11:01 >> You take my bet, I don't take all of you fishing on my boat.
11:04 >> You're threatening us.
11:07 >> Yes, are you stupid?
11:09 >> Go on now.
11:10 [MUSIC]
11:20 (whooshing)