Interview: Robert Michael Morris on THE COMEBACK's Comeback

I'm gonna make this nice and simple: if you're not watching the HBO comedy series THE COMEBACK, you should be. The sitcom stars Lisa Kudrow as Valerie Cherish, a former A-list actress who agrees to document her attempt at rediscovering fame by being the subject of a reality show. It's genuinely hilarious and full of heart - and boasts an extensive list of guest stars, to boot (I'm looking at you, Sean Hayes and Seth Rogen). If you don't believe me, maybe you'll listen to the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, which just recognized the series with an Emmy nomination for Lisa Kudrow for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

Searching for a way to jump on the bandwagon and catch up on both seasons? Look no further! Seasons 1 and 2 of THE COMEBACK will be released on DVD on August 4, 2015! To celebrate (and to get the inside scoop on all things COMEBACK related), I had the pleasure of chatting with Robert Michael Morris, who plays Mickey Deane, Valerie Cherish's hair dresser, confidante, and best friend, on the show.

For those of you who are new to the program, Mikey Deane is easily one of the most loveable characters on THE COMEBACK. "He's her biggest fan, her most loyal supporter, and her greatest friend," explains Morris. "They are very, very close. His radar is always out when there might be a problem so that she doesn't have to deal with the problem." Basically, Mickey's the friend that everyone wants, but few people actually have - which is why everyone loves him! Mickey's genuine humor and care is the perfect counterpart to Valerie's guarded exterior.

At a glance, it all seems like a recipe for success. However, the show essentially disappeared from the airwaves after Season 1, which premiered in 2005. Critics loved it, but the fan base, although strong, was not what anybody had hoped. However, nine years later, HBO made the ridiculously perfect decision to try again - and it worked.

"A lot of people still find it difficult," Morris reveals, which makes sense considering that when the show premiered in 2005, the mockumentary format was still quite new to television audiences. "This show really is a groundbreaker. All the stuff they were doing at the beginning with the reality cameras and such, it exploded and they're doing that all over the place now - and they're using the techniques that THE COMEBACK people developed!"

Morris urges viewers to stick with it, even if they're on the fence after the first episode. "I keep telling them to watch the whole thing, because it's like a play: there's a beginning, a middle, and an end, and there's an arc." ADD MORE. "It's a very, very intelligent show," says Morris. "It's not a show for couch potatoes. Your mind has to be engaged in this, too. It's funny and it's tender, but it's always intelligent."

Intelligent writing is undoubtedly one of the reasons that HBO decided to have another go at THE COMEBACK after nine years of it being off the air. Not many television series have had the privilege to return to the airwaves after that amount of time, and not many actors have had to jump back into a role they haven't looked at for nearly a decade. So, what was it like to step back into Mickey Deane's fabulous shoes after being away for so long?

"Delightful! All the people at that show are really great people. It was really nice, being able to go back and be with them all again. The first table read after was taken up with people hugging each other!" Ah, the answer the fan inside all of us has always hoped for: your favorite actors are also awesome people! In a time when celebrity feuds rule social media, it's always nice to hear that there are still nice, funny actors left in Hollywood. "If there was any ego," reveals Morris, "I must've just been terribly naïve."

That chemistry translates seamlessly to the screen, which is part of what helps make these characters so identifiable and loveable. In fact, Season 2 of THE COMEBACK had one of the best finale episodes in a comedy series that I've seen in a long time (this is where those guest stars I mentioned earlier come in). Not only was it hilarious, but it was also actually very touching, and technically daring.

Before I continue, I do have to wave a red flag: I'm about to give away the ending to Season 2, so if you haven't seen THE COMEBACK yet and would like the finale to remain a surprise (note: this is the highly suggested route), skip ahead...let's see...two paragraphs. Or maybe five. Let's go with five. That'll do it.

Just as Valerie Cherish arrives for her potentially huge night at the Emmy Awards, Mickey gets sick - really sick - and is rushed to the hospital. Valerie has to make a decision: does she stay at the Awards knowing that it's likely that she'll win, or does she run to the side of her best friend and care for him? "Mickey was just scared out of his mind at that point," says Morris. "We really don't know what's going on in our bodies, and when things just start going south, we don't know what to do."

Valerie knew that - she made the right decision and headed to the hospital. Mickey is okay, but the day takes an emotional toll on everyone involved. Valerie is able to make amends with her husband, who also came running when he heard the news, and she watched, with two of the most important people in her life by her side, as her name was announced at the Emmy's. Was it just as emotional to film as it was to watch?

"It was the last scene we shot for the show; it was quite late," explains Morris, "actually very early in the morning when we finished. So Lisa was just exhausted. It was an easy scene for me, though, all I had to do was lie in bed!"

"In the very last scene," says Morris, "when there are no reality cameras, you see a very different kind of Valerie. It's the same woman, but she's softer, she's more vulnerable, and now she's taking care of someone and it isn't about someone taking care of her." This last scene echoed that in a perfect way technically when the format of the show switched from mockumentary to straight sitcom. The reality cameras went away, and suddenly, viewers experience everything with Valerie instead of watching her experience them. Morris explains how that one, simple change impacts an audience's view of Valerie Cherish: "On a set, they're always fussing - hair and makeup, all that stuff. And now, [Valerie]'s come through the rain in that fabulous dress that they give her, and her hair's a little damp, but her goal is, 'I've got to get to him.' And that, I thought, was so important for her character. People can finally see that there's a person in there."

In the end, the seemingly vain, desperate, yet good-hearted Valerie Cherish isn't that different from the rest of us, after all. (A metaphor for Hollywood in general? Absolutely.)

Valerie's character development, actually, is one of the main reasons that Morris thinks audiences should buy the DVD. "They'll see a whole movie! It all makes sense. You see a woman go through a lot of stuff." What's more, Morris bets that "the people who like the first 13 will love the second 13. I think they're much more deeper and profound episodes."

It's true: the second season does dig a lot deeper. It also includes (as I've mentioned quite a few times now) quite a few guest stars. But which star would Robert Michael Morris most like to have drop by set?

"You know what I think would be great? I would love to see someone like Julia Louis-Dreyfus do a guest spot." Yes! It makes perfect sense! As Morris explains, "The first time Lisa [Kudrow] was nominated, she lost the Emmy to Julia Louis-Dreyfus. And this time, she's up against Julia Louis-Dreyfus again! I think that would be perfect! Life imitating art, you know."

But hold on to your hats, Broadway fans - Morris isn't done daydreaming just yet! "I would love to see her try to do New York." Another brilliant idea, and another one that even ties into the characters on the show! "Mickey knows New York like the back of his hand. It would be marvelous to have people like Patti LuPone and Angela Lansbury just walking into Sardi's - all of that kind of stuff. There's just so many who can be on as guest spots." Let your minds go wild. Like Morris said, "It's a perfect segue. I mean, what do you do after you win an Emmy?"

Speaking of Emmy's, the Emmy buzz around THE COMEBACK is growing by the minute, which may be good news for fans (like me!) who desperately want a Season 3. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but hopefully the powers that be will make the wonderful decision to let us hang out with Valerie and Mickey for another season!

And now, I only have 3 words left for you: Ready, set, binge!

Photo Credit: HBO

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