Interview: Ken Marino, Casey Wilson Are Wit and Heart of Great New Comedy MARRY ME

As I've mentioned a number of times in other articles, I don't watch a lot of sitcoms. While I have nothing against them, the fact that the good ones are just as entertaining out of order in syndication, doesn't inspire me to keep up with every new episode.

However, this fall, I have found a new half-hour comedy that has become Must See TV, MARRY ME. The single-cam comedy starring Ken Marino (VERONICA MARS) and Casey Wilson (HAPPY ENDINGS) is a fast-paced hyper-speed paced show about two people with individual quirks working to maintain a happy, stable relationship.

The show, which airs on Tuesdays at 9:00pm ET on NBC, is a mix of wit, sarcasm, sight-gags, physical comedy, and low-brow humor that never insults the audience's intelligence, or resorts to the least common denominator in providing a warm fuzzy of a television experience.

Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in a conference call with the show's stars, and while it was often difficult for the reporters involved to get a word in edgewise, Ken and Casey proved that they are just as funny as their characters.

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In describing this show to people, I've used the word "cute." Is that an appropriate term, or does that sound kind of juvenile?

Casey Wilson: I mean I think it is cute. I think it is - I hope. I think it's also kind of subversive, and has some heart. But I guess maybe if you combine those, we get cute. I'll take it.

Ken Marino: That's right. If subversive and heart ran into each other, they would make a cute baby.

There's a difference I think between cute and sexy, right?

C.W.: Now you're just hurting our feelings.

K.M.: Yes. I just - I assumed our show was sexy.

C.W.: I did too. I thought we were making a very kind of erotic comedy, but I guess now we're hearing from America differently. I think you know, at the end of the day we're hoping it's funny. But I do think everyone really does have really great chemistry, which is probably why you're feeling that way. So I think it's good, yes. And I think it has to be the right chemistry, and I think we did get lucky on the show.

K.M.: But the next episode we're all wearing fishnet stockings. So it should be a little bit more sexy for you.

Casey, how much of you is in Annie?

C.W.: I think Annie is a little more upbeat and probably friendlier than I am. There are definite similarities. I'm pretty emotional, and I get big ideas and I want to see things through and kind of - they're often wrong headed ideas.

But I feel as though I'm playing a character, but you never know. Maybe I'm not. You'll never know. Ken, do you want to tell them about your character process?

K.M.: Sure. I mean I have a whole process. You know, there's a big difference between me and Jake. I am actually six foot one. Jake is six foot. So every day I have to act an inch shorter on set.

K.M.: And sometimes by...

C.W.: It's very expensive to dig those trenches.

K.M.: Yes. Well sometimes if I act too hard, I'm like - I'll - they'll get the dailies back and I'll be 5'8". And then we have to do a whole re-shoot where I have to act less.

But, you know, the key to acting is less acting and just reacting. So when I get to the reacting part, I'm usually landing - I'm usually coming in at six foot.

C.W.: And I'll tell you, these are the kind of pearls that I get showered with all day on set. And it's really scintillating as everyone on the line can hear.

In the spirit of your fun Halloween episode a week ago, do you ever dress up like that on Halloween or is that just amateur night?

C.W.: Well, I love to dress up but, I don't have - what's fun about the TV show obviously is we have Kathleen Karridene who's a Makeup Artist extraordinaire and, you get the real costumes and the makeup. So, whenever I do it myself, it really looks like amateur hour for sure. But it was really fun getting to dress up.

K.M.: I usually just throw something together last minute. But I was impressed with my son this year. He decided that - my 7-year-old son wanted to be a sign spinner. So he just made a big sign that said "$99 Trips to Hawaii" and then he spun the sign around and put on a moustache. And so that's what I want to be next year. Maybe we'll both be sign spinners next year.

C.W.: I feel like a $99 trip to Hawaii is some kind of scam artist.

So for both of you; what stories from your real life relationships are making it on screen or what can we expect to see?

C.W.: Well, I'll tell one on you Ken.

K.M.: Go head.

C.W.: It's more of a runner (running joke) now, but I've heard news that it might turn into more of a full fledged intervention between Annie and Jacob about Jake's karaoke problem. And that is a problem Ken struggles with.

K.M.: It's not a problem. I have a...

C.W.: You can see that's the thing. He's in denial right now.

K.M.: There's no problem whatsoever. I enjoy karaoke. I can do it when I want. And...

C.W.: Who does it hurt? Who does it hurt?

K.M.: ...it doesn't affect the rest of my life.

C.W.: That's what he thinks. He thinks it doesn't hurt anyone. But I know a lot of artists who have been hurt be hearing his renditions.

K.M.: As a matter of fact I just went last night. I'm a little hoarse.

C.W.: See he can't get up in the morning. He can barely talk the next day. He can't go to work. It's a problem.

K.M.: I'm not - look. I'm not going to deny that I enjoy a good four or five hour karaoke session. But who doesn't?

And what about you Casey?

C.W.: I'm trying to think. Well we did have an episode where my character, or actually Ken's character, tried to get me to do this thing called the "Open Eye Cuddle," which is an intimacy exercise that I learned in acting school that I tried to get my husband to do where you stare about two inches from each other's face and just stare into each other's eyes. And my husband thought I was insane and refused to do it.

How did that go?

C.W.: It did not go well. It went on about eight seconds. I don't even think that much. And if anything, we are less close from that experience.

Ken, does your wife kind of - does she feel the need to remind you of things you've done that might work on the show? Good things. Bad things.

K.M.: She hasn't yet. I mean, you know, hasn't said anything that we should put on the show. But she's constantly reminding me of all my flaws and things that I need to be better at in the house.

Like putting my socks in the hamper as opposed to just kind of leaving them close to the hamper. She's like, "You'd be right next to it. Just get them in there. Why just put them near it? Just go the extra distance."

That's almost more insulting to her.

K.M.: Yes. And just like I go close to it and then I drop them there as if I've done enough. The socks will make it the rest of the way. I'm trying to encourage the socks to make it the rest of the way without me. It hasn't helped. It hasn't worked.

You have to want it harder.

K.M.: That's right. That's what I keep yelling at the socks, but they don't listen.

I was wondering, given that both you guys are writers and both you guys are super funny, how much of (the show) is actually scripted and how much is stuff that you come with?

K.M.: Well I mean David and the room full of writers are amazing and they write great scripts. So, David will encourage us to improvise off of that a little bit, but probably 95% of it is scripted I would say. Right Casey?

C.W.: Yes. Yes. It's definitely collaborative in a sense of if there's something we want to do; we definitely do it and have fun with it. But the scripts are pretty tight, but Ken and I have initiated our own writer's room with just the two of us that...

K.M.: We go off...

C.W.: ...I wouldn't say it's gone over well.

K.M.: No, no. They're not big fans of it. But we mostly use stuff from Bazooka Joe bubblegum wrappers, and just kind of try to reinvent those jokes, because those are classics and I think America wants to enjoy the classics. You can't get enough of it.

C.W.: It's caused a rift, but it's okay. We think that the writers will move our way by the end.

K.M.: I mean who wants to talk to the writers of the show anyway?

My question is for Casey. Other female comedians like Lena Dunham show that women don't have to be perfect to be considered funny or sexy or smart. They're breaking down barriers, which I think you are doing as well. Do you think your character Annie feels the same way and why do you think she's so relatable to women?

C.W.: Well, thank you. I don't know if Annie feels exactly the same way. I think Annie's a little more high-strung and self-conscious about how her life should look. And it obviously never works out the way she's planned. But, you know, I've seen a little bit of criticism about (the show), especially our opening episode because Annie really wants to get married.

I actually think there's something a little bit more about it in the sense that this couple's been together for six years and for a woman who works and does it all, sometimes getting engaged is the one thing you don't have any control over, which I think can be kind of frustrating.

I think it is actually relatable that, I know a lot of women like this. You want to be in control of the one thing you can't be in control of in a way. So I don't know if that answers your question, but I think Annie does think everything needs to be perfect.

I love that Gilda Radner's referenced in this week's episode ("Dildo Radner"). She's such a beloved and talented comedian. So are either of you fans of hers? And is there anyone else you guys look up to or find inspiration from?

C.W.: Well I'm a huge fan of hers for sure

K.M.: Yes, we're such huge fans of hers in our house that we named our dog after her. That is true. Our dog's name is Gilda.

C.W.: Yes. I know. It's awesome. I mean I think for me, I just grew up by loving her- there were so many funny women that I loved. Some of them were more labeled comedians than others. But I loved Lucille Ball. I loved Shirley McLean, and Debra Winger I thought was really funny growing up, and Madeline Kahn and Catherine O'Hara and Molly Shannon.

Will Annie and Jake have as long of an engagement as they did a courtship?

K.M.: I think the idea is that we're going to marry sooner than later. Right Casey? No?

C.W.: Yes. I think we're probably going to get married at the end of the season, because I don't think the show's going to be about, will they, won't they really. That's kind of a spoiler alert. I think we will get married. And the show's more following this couple and their friendships and it's more about what happens when you are committed to someone than when you are on the fence.

Good. So I'm glad we'll see a wedding. I can't even imagine.

K.M.: Yes. But then we'll probably get divorced a number of times and get back together throughout the seasons.

C.W.: It'll be funny though. Yes. It'll be handled in a really loving way.

K.M.: It will be handled in a really funny situational comedy way.

C.W.: Yes. Because divorce is very funny.

This week's episode dealt with curses; do you guys believe in curses?

C.W.: Some people are cursed.

K.M.: Yes. I'm going to have to agree with Casey on that. I think some people are really cursed.

C.W.: And a lot of animals are cursed too.

Have you ever gotten a script and there's some humor in it that we haven't seen on network TV before and you think, "How are we going to get away with this?

K.M.: You know, I think that it's always nice to read a script and see something that you haven't seen before or something that's pushing the envelope a little bit. And, that's always exciting for me to go in and do that. And then, whether or not it's going to work on TV is kind of out of (our) hands.

I mean, it's just an exciting thing to approach and do, and then you hope, especially if it's funny, that it gets on the air. I don't know if we've been pushing the envelope or anything, but we're doing what we want to do on the show and then, that stuff is getting out there, and I think that's what makes the show special.

C.W.: Yes. There's obviously so much programming and so many great cable shows that people love and gravitate to, to some degree, I think we're trying to do a show that exists on the line as much as we can just because I think there's a reason, you know, people love something a little bit edgier.

And I think in one episode - Ken, I'm thinking of the fertility episode- (because of) a scene (in that episode) the network had the show air like halfway through the season instead of earlier because it was a little too much. But I think ultimately it's better to try that and see where we land.

I have a question for you about the references to the HOUSEWIVES and Skinny Girls. Do you guys watch the HOUSEWIVES, and if so, which one is you favorite? And how do you like Skinny Girl?

C.W.: I am an obsessive HOUSEWIVES watcher and really love the show and was part of like a HOUSEWIVES spoof show and just really - I'm both ashamed and unashamed of my love for them. And I watch all the franchises. I love - I do love ORANGE COUNTY and NEWARK the best followed by BEVERLY HILLS.

And in terms of Skinny Girl Margarita, we've put it in a couple times because I love it. And I finally did - I've never done this before but I did tweet Bethenny Frankel and say, "Not for nothing. We've mentioned you twice. Can we get some?" We did on Friday we got - it was so good.

I'm horrified that I did that. I don't know what happened to me that day. And we got a huge box for the office. This poor woman. I basically bullied her into donating her product to us.

K.M.: I don't watch (HOUSEWIVES), but I did get very drunk on the Skinny Girl.

C.W.: Exactly. He reaps the benefits of my being so disgusting.

K.M.: That's right.

Well now that you've heard so much about the HOUSEWIVES Ken, will you start watching them?

K.M.: Actually the truth is I started watching HOUSEWIVES and I just - it's just a very hard show. When the fights break out, I get very uncomfortable and I can't - I have to walk away. It's just too much for me.

C.W.: Well see, Ken is a BACHELOR fan and I can't watch that show because I feel so uncomfortable. But it's funny that we'll both - we'll not watch the other one.

K.M.: I just - I like the saccharin and the gooeyness of BACHELOR, and how just gross and like falsely romantic it is. Whereas like the REAL HOUSEWIVES is just raw and it's just - it's the fights that get me. It's just very uncomfortable for me.

C.W.: Whereas yes, I can't watch people like stumble over matters of the heart. I can't watch it.

Oh, the fights are the best thing in the REAL HOUSEWIVES and I can't get enough of those.

K.M.: I know. It's like watching a car wreck. I don't want to do it.

C.W.: I know. Ken's a good person.

Last week there were two cancellations of new comedies. Do you feel like comedies have a harder road to success than dramas? And how have you felt about the reception that MARRY ME has gotten so far?

C.W.: I think it's very hard these days to make any television show. And anyone who's trying to do anything should be applauded. It's really hard. And I don't think shows are given enough of a chance. And it's a bummer because whenever I see anything on TV, and not to be too dramatic, but I think those people worked really hard on that show no matter how you feel about it. So I was bummed.

K.M.: And I think it's been nice the reception that MARRY ME's been getting. People have been responding mostly positive to it and both critically and fans and people I run into on the street and certainly my mom.

C.W.: Ken's mom loves it.

K.M.: You know, my mom really does love it. And so that's good. You know, so does my dad. And so it's nice to see that people are enjoying the show as much as we are enjoying making it, so.

Casey, what do you think it is about the show that's made it such a quick fan favorite program?

C.W.: Well, I'm happy to hear that. I think there is something nice. I like shows about a relationship, because right away there's some stakes to that, and I think most people are in a relationship of some sort; especially a long-term one.

There's so much that goes on in it that's funny. And I think it's kind of nice to see that. And obviously it's a sitcom and it's a comedy. I think there's something very relatable and it gives you a bit of a warm feeling, but also you're getting jokes out of it. So I hope that's why people like it.

K.M.: Yes. When I watch TV, it's nice to have a couple that you can root for; as opposed to something where it's, "Will they, won't they; are they going to get together, are they not going to get together?"

I like shows where like there's a team that they're against the world. And I feel like Jake and Annie are a team that you get to watch every week and enjoy the situations that they get into. And that's the exciting thing.

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Are you falling in love with Annie and Jake as much as I am? Let me know in the comments below, or on Twitter @BWWMatt.Also, don't forget to follow @BWWTVWorld on Twitter and Like us on Facebook for all of the latest TV news, reviews, and recaps.

Photo Credit: Greg Gaynes, Tyler Golden, Ben Cohen, Byron Cohen, Greg Gayne | NBC

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