No matter how many times I rewatch Friends with my HBO Max subscription, and no matter how many behind-the-scenes stories come out about the inner workings of one of the best sitcoms of all time, I am still enthralled anytime someone speaks out about their experience on set — especially if that person is one of the many fabulous guest stars. Craig Robinson is the latest to share his story, and I love how he said Lisa Kudrow spoke up for him during filming.

Craig Robinson is a well-known comedic actor these days for his roles in Hot Tub Time Machine, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and so many more. However, back in 2004 — a year before his breakout role as Darryl Philbin on The Office — one of his first acting jobs came on Friends’ 10th season, where he played an office clerk who helped Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow) change her name after marrying Mike Hannigan (Paul Rudd). Recalling his time with Kudrow, Robinson told EW:

Even though they did go on to work together again, Lisa Kudrow wouldn’t have known who Craig Robinson was at the time, but maybe she saw something in the up-and-comer, because the actor continued:

You have to love that. It didn’t matter that Craig Robinson was a relatively new actor and didn’t have a decade of experience under his belt like she did. Lisa Kudrow heard him throw out something that she thought would make the scene better, and she used her position to give him a platform for his voice to be heard.

Others must have agreed with them that the pitch was funny, because it sounds like it made it the show. Robinson said:

The episode in question is Season 10’s The One with Princess Consuela. Phoebe asks the clerk if she's supposed to write “Buffay-Hannigan” or “Hannigan-Buffay” on the name change form, to which he replies she can write down any name she wants. Because Phoebe is consistently and hilariously off-beat, she ultimately chooses to become “Princess Consuela Banana-Hammock.”

Too bad we didn’t get a scene between Craig Robinson and Paul Rudd, after Mike threatens to give Phoebe a taste of her own medicine by changing his name to “Crap Bag.” Ah, the missed opportunity.

You’ll be able to hear more of Craig Robinson soon, as he’s lending his voice to Toy Story 5, which hits the 2026 movie release calendar in June.

I’m not quite sure who out there needs to be reminded of this, but Steve Carell is an exceptionally funny performer. From his time as a correspondent on The Daily Show to leading The 40-Year-Old-Virgin to his most epic and beloved role as Michael Scott on The Office, he has been making audiences belly laugh for decades. Because of this impressive and still growing legacy, it’s hard to pick out just one particularly special moment – but for Craig Robinson, he can recall shooting a specific scene that left him stunned by the “genius” of his co-star.

While The Office was ultimately very scripted, there were opportunities for the cast to try out a bit of improv, and Robinson – who memorably played Darryl Philbin on the show – recalled a particularly special example during a recent sitdown with Entertainment Weekly. In “The Negotiation,” the nineteenth episode of the third season, Darryl schedules a meeting with Michael to discuss a pay raise, and everything goes to hell for the manager when his employee realizes that he is wearing a woman’s suit. Discussing Careel, Robinson remembered,

In said episode (for those who don’t specifically recall), the negotiation between Michael and Darryl gets so out of hand that Michael ends up requesting his own raise from Jan (Melora Hardin). Wanting his boss to get a pay bump so that he can get a pay bump, Darryl offers him some words of encouragement – which is what led to Steve Carrell’s memorable improv. Said Robinson,

It’s a perfect Michael moment, as it’s a wonderful illustration of the character’s obliviousness. There’s a bouncyness to Darryl’s verbal boost thanks to the rhyme, but the Dunder Mifflin Scranton boss steamrolls right over it while focusing on the military rank part.

There are a number of great Darryl/Michael episodes of The Office (“Safety Training” is another one of my personal favorites), and Craig Robinson recalls loving every opportunity that he got to work alongside the sitcom’s biggest star:

Those who ever want to re-experience the complicated Darryl/Michael dynamic and the great comedic talents of Craig Robinson and Steve Carell can do so at any time with a Peacock subscription. In addition to the seasons that originally broadcast on NBC, the streaming service also provides extended versions (a.k.a. Superfan cuts) of every single episode, and if you’ve never watched them before, I highly recommend it, as it’s like experiencing the show as brand new.

In Your Dreams is Netflix's big new outing on the 2025 movie schedule, meaning the world is finally getting to meet the disgusting-yet-oddly-adorable Baloney Tony. A lot of the new Netflix original is drawn from the real-life experiences of writer and director Alex Woo, including the fact that Craig Robinson’s over-the-top character was inspired by something called “Butthole Bear.”

No, your eyes aren’t fooling you, I said “Butthole Bear.” So, what’s the story behind that? Well, during a press event a few months before In Your Dreams became available with a Netflix subscription, Woo explained the origins of the imaginary character, which included a great (yet disgusting) story about his brother’s favorite stuffed animal.

In the movie, Tony is the imaginary friend of Elliot (Elias Janssen), a young boy who embarks upon a wild and fantastical journey with his older sister, Stevie (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport), as they attempt to save their parents’ marriage. Though the giraffe-like creature (with a bologna pocket) is messy and disgusting, the director sees Tony as a metaphor for the larger themes of the new movie.

But how does bologna fit into the equation? During a follow-up interview with CinemaBlend, Alex Woo revealed that the name Baloney Tony came from co-writer Erik Benson’s obsession with processed lunch meats, saying:

If you’ve already watched the new movie, or at least caught the In Your Dreams trailer a few months ago, and are a little grossed out by a stuffed animal with a seemingly unlimited amount of bologna hiding in its stuffing, you aren’t alone.

Even Craig Robinson And The Cast Of In Your Dreams Are 'Grossed Out' By Baloney Tony

Though In Your Dreams is an animated movie, the level of detail in the characters’ design makes it look like you can touch them. Or, in the case of Baloney Tony, get hit by a flying piece of processed meat.

Just before the release of the new family-friendly comedy, CinemaBlend asked three of the film’s stars about Tony’s signature bologna pocket, and the results are… Well, read for yourself:

• Craig Robinson: Disgusting…
• Jolie Hoang-Rappaport: I'm in Stevie's camp. I'm a little like, grossed out by it, but it makes sense for Elliot.
• Elias Janssen: Yeah. I thought it was funny. It's kind of subtle, but it shows both Baloney Toney and Elliot's personalities. Like, because it's just bologna, like Elliot loves bologna.

Robinson and Hoang-Rappaport are clearly not about that “bolgna in a pocket life,” but Janssen, channeling his goofy and fun-loving character, seemed to be totally on board with it. Hopefully, this isn't the final journey featuring Tony, as I'd love to see him throw some old lunch meat that’s been traveling through dreamworlds and nightmarish hellscapes.

While we don't know what's next for Tony, Elliot, or Stevie, we can finally enjoy In Your Dreams now that it's made it's streaming debut!

Though the 2025 movie schedule is in its final stretch, there are still a ton of promising releases set for the big screen in the coming weeks and months. In Your Dreams, Netflix’s upcoming original film about a sister and brother going on a fantastical journey to keep their family together, is honestly one I’m looking forward to the most. And while the new In Your Dreams trailer is out of this world, I’m more excited for what’s to come…

A few months after dropping the first taste of the upcoming kids movie, Netflix released a more extended look centering on siblings Stevie and Elliot as they travel into a world of dreams to find The Sandman in hopes of saving their parents’ marriage. However, as wonderful as the trailer is with its dream worlds full of talking breakfast foods, nightmarish lands with a vengeful whack-a-mole game, and a mysterious villain known as Nightmara, I have a feeling this movie will have so much more to offer when it becomes available with a Netflix subscription.

In Your Dreams Is Going To Be A Fantastical, And Highly Emotional, Ride

Back in July, Netflix invited me to attend a special press day even for In Your Dreams. There, I was able to take a deep dive into the production, meeting director and writer Alex Woo, chatting with the young voice cast over French toast (that’ll make more sense after you see the movie), and getting a peek behind the curtain of this fantastical adventure. I also watched the first 30 minutes, a chunk that’s largely set in the real world, opposed to the wild dreamscapes Stevie and Elliot visit with the scene-stealing Baloney Tony (voiced by The Office alum Craig Robinson).

Don’t get me wrong, the wild locations teased in this 30-minute chunk blew me away with some imaginative and stunning visuals, but it’s the real-world drama and a quest for a young girl to keep her parents together that really got me. Watching the new trailer a couple of months later, I was flooded with emotion when Stevie laid out her goal to save her family:

This whole dynamic of Stevie trying to keep your parents together was teased as a major factor in the story. Essentially, her mom (voiced by Emmy winner Cristin Milioti) and her dad (voiced by Simu Liu) are being pulled in two different directions, and this brave girl takes it upon herself to save the day. We’ve seen so many fun family movies where parents try to keep their kids safe, so it will be interesting when it’s the other way around later this fall.

Combine all the family drama with some of the most eye-popping visuals I’ve seen from Netflix this year, and In Your Dreams could be the streamer’s next big hit following the massive runaway success of KPop Demon Hunters over the summer.

I’m not sure how much more Netflix will reveal (there’s a “Perfect Princess” I can’t wait for the world to see) before In Your Dreams premieres on November 14, but this looks like it’s going to be a fantastical and highly emotional journey like no other.

I’ve never been in a movie before, so I’m going to have to take actors’ word for it when they tell me that making movies can be a fulfilling, yet exhausting experience where you’re constantly making little changes here and there. This is true for Best Picture winners, massive superhero spectacles and even some of the best comedies of all time. That last one is based on a story Craig Robinson told me about an experience with Seth Rogen on the set of the cameo-filled 2013 comedy This Is The End.

I recently sat down with Robinson to talk about the home release of The Bad Guys 2, which is available on Digital after debuting on the 2025 movie schedule. During our conversation, I asked the actor behind the master of disguise, Mr. Shark, what the biggest difference was between making an animated movie and a live-action one, and he told me that there are “great advantages” of voice work, “because you can go back”:

When I asked the Office alum if he ever had to “go back” and refilm something due to changes to a character or scene in one of his live-action movies, Robinson shared a story about Seth Rogen and the rest of the This is the End cast while they were filming the 2013 end-of-the-world disaster comedy:

With the 2013 comedy starring actors playing wildly exaggerated versions of themselves, it’s surprising that Robinson, Rogen and the rest of the large ensemble cast didn’t have to go back and refilm more scenes, like that random, yet amazing dance sequence. I mean, I know I would be cracking up filming that over-the-top heavenly scene with the Backstreet Boys and would have to refilm that way too many times.

With Robinson’s background in music, which could open the doors for a Bad Guys musical, I’m sure he was having the time of his life playing a version of himself hanging out in heaven with his best friends getting up to trouble with one of the biggest pop groups of all time.

The Bad Guys 2, like multiple other new and recent movies streaming, is currently available to rent or buy on Digital. It will also be available on 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD starting October 7.

Ever since they first jumped from the pages of a graphic novel to the big screen back in 2022, the titular group of anthropomorphic animals in The Bad Guys has done a little bit of everything. From crashing black-tie galas in their debut, to entering the ring in luchador matches and going to outer space in the 2025 movie The Bad Guys 2, they’ve done it all. Now, Craig Robinson, who voices master of disguise Mr. Shark, has an outrageous idea for a musical.

I recently sat down with Robinson to discuss the home release of The Bad Guys 2, and during our chat, I floated the idea of his character having more musical moments moving forward, considering The Office alum’s background. Expecting to hear an idea for a song, I was blown away when he came up with an idea so crazy that it would have to work:

Well, considering Mr. Shark is such a great master of disguise in The Bad Guys 2 (I still don’t know how this works, but I’ll allow it), it makes perfect sense for the massive apex predator to act like his fellow slightly-reformed criminals. Just imagine Robinson impersonating Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina and Anthony Ramos while swapping out costumes and instruments. It practically writes itself.

When I asked Robinson, who once told us about a mind-blowing idea for Hot Tub Time Machine 3, if performing songs as Mr. Shark (something he’s done already in the DreamWorks Animation franchise) opens a different side of him, he had this to say:

I won’t ruin this hilarious scene for those who didn’t see The Bad Guys 2 when it opened in theaters in early August, but just know that it involves a wedding, a certain wolf under a veil, and a whole lot of soul. Though the scene wasn’t as ridiculous as a certain fart joke in Earth’s orbit, it created some of the most absurd moments in the whole movie.

Nothing has been set in stone when it comes to a third movie, but Craig Robinson sounds like he’s more than down to take this franchise to new heights, with or without over-the-top musical numbers. If and when that happens, I’ll be there to see the wild, crazy, beautifully animated book-to-screen adaptation.

The Bad Guys 2 is now available to rent or buy on VOD services. If you don’t want to watch the new movie streaming, it will be available on 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD starting October 7.

Netflix just dropped the first extended footage from its upcoming animated film In Your Dreams, and it looks like a lot of fun. It’s about two siblings who escape into their own dream world to try and save their family. The first teaser trailer goes heavy on the comedy, but its subject matter and the tone give hints that it’ll likely have a big emotional payoff too.

As a fan of animated movies, I’m stoked about the unique animation style and the promises of absurd imagery. As someone who can’t remember any of my dreams, I have a lot of feelings. I can get to those in a minute though. First, you can check out the teaser trailer which has a whole lot more footage than you’re probably expecting…

My entire life, people have been talking to me about their dreams, and it’s always made me extremely jealous. Maybe like twice a year I’ll wake up with a vague sense that I may have been thinking about something while I was sleeping, but it’s always gone almost immediately. I’m sure something is happening inside my mind while I’m out, but it just gets discarded immediately.

Meanwhile, everyone else I talk to seems to be having these wild adventures every night. When I was a kid, I was even jealous of people who had bad dreams. I just wanted to feel something, wanted to know I was up to some kind of shenanigans while I was asleep. I’ve mentally adjusted and am not actively bothered by it anymore, but then I see a trailer like that and get a flush of feelings about what I’m missing out on.

Regardless, this movie looks like a lot of fun. It follows Stevie and her little brother Elliot who discover a book that talks about The Sandman’s ability to make their dreams come true. In order to accomplish that, they seemingly have to enter a dream world and fight off whales and giraffes and a giant hot dog to find him. They’ll do that with the help of Elliot’s favorite stuffed animal Baloney Tony, who is voiced by Office standout Craig Robinson in a role he was born to play.

The film is scheduled to hit Netflix on November 14th, which has quietly been building up a really solid library of animated films filled with hidden gems. It stars the aforementioned Robinson, as well as Simu Liu, Cristin Milioti, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport and Elias Janssen. It’s directed by Alex Woo and co-directed by Erik Benson, who together wrote the screenplay. Judging by the teaser trailer, it may also have a lot of fun music.

Whether you remember your dreams or not, you’re going to want to check In Your Dreams out, which is now one of my most anticipated upcoming movie releases.

At this point, The Office is basically guaranteed to go down in history as not only one of the best sitcoms of all time, but also as one of the comedies that people love to rewatch and as a series that made a number of actors famous because of their roles on the nine-season hit.

Speaking of which, many of the actors we know and love from the ever-popular mockumentary about the (frequently wacky) employees at the Scranton branch of the Dunder Mifflin paper company have starred (or popped up memorably) in a number of other movies and shows both before, during and after their time on the NBC classic. So let’s take a look at what else you can watch the cast of The Office in!

Foxcatcher

Even though Steve Carell was known as a comedic actor before he led The Office cast as the sometimes good at his job Michael Scott, it was definitely his role on the comedy that propelled him to new heights and led to opportunities for him to branch out. One such case of that was his creepy starring turn in the drama Foxcatcher, an acclaimed biographical sports thriller that saw him nominated for a Best Actor Oscar in 2015.

Inside Out

It seems that 2015 was a good year for The Office cast, as this was when the Pixar mega-hit Inside Out was released, starring the voice of Phyllis Smith as Sadness. The animated film, of course, followed the personified emotions of a young girl going through a tough time, and was popular enough to get a sequel in 2024.

Away We Go

Of all The Office characters, it’s possible that John Krasinski’s Jim Halpert is the most beloved, and the actor rode that wave into 2009’s romantic road trip film Away We Go. The comedy-drama is about a couple in their early 30s trying to decide where to settle before the birth of their first child, and really should be sought out if you haven’t seen it yet.

Blades Of Glory

I know what you’re thinking, What about Pam? Well, Jenna Fischer’s Pam Beesly Halpert was, many think, the heart of the sitcom, and the actress became the heart of the ice-skating comedy Blades of Glory in 2007.

The Mindy Project

While Kelly Kapoor is one of the most memorably ridiculous staffers at Dunder Mifflin, the same can’t (totally) be said for Mindy Kaling’s OB/GYN, Mindy Lahiri, in The Mindy Project. The doctor may be analytical, friendly and good at her job, but she’s also blunt and shallow, making her fun to watch.

Bridesmaids

Because of the number of hilarious performances from the ensemble cast of the one-liner-filled comedy, Bridesmaids, you might have forgotten that Ellie Kemper (that’s receptionist Erin Hannon to you) starred in the somewhat raunchy 2011 hit as Becca, a newlywed member of the bridal party who loses some of her naivete because of the antics of the assembled group.

Parks And Recreation

Did you forget about Karen Filippelli? You know, Jim’s girlfriend who quickly realized that he was in love with Pam once they were all working together? Well, Rashida Jones was a much bigger part of Parks and Recreation, where her nurse, Anne Perkins, was a (mostly) reasonable member of the wacky ensemble.

Super

There probably aren’t a lot of us who watched the NBC workplace sitcom and envisioned any of the characters as superheroes, which is part of the point to Dwight Schrute actor Rainn Wilson taking on his reading role in Super. The dark comedy follows a short order cook who becomes a masked vigilante, and should be experienced at least once.

The Hangover

A hit comedy you’ve almost definitely seen at least once is 2009’s The Hangover, starring Ed Helms, a.k.a. Andy Bernard. Actually, no one would be surprised if you’ve seen this movie plus its two sequels multiple times.

This Is The End

Apocalyptic horror comedies don’t come around all that often, and when they do they’re rarely as insane as This Is The End. The 2013 film stars a number of notable famous folks playing versions of themselves who try to survive the Biblical event, including Darryl Philbin’s portrayer, Craig Robinson.

Leatherheads

John Krasinski also lent his talents to the George Clooney-directed, 1925-set football comedy, Leatherheads. It might not have been a big hit, but it definitely let fans see more of Krasinski’s big-screen potential early on.

Fresh Off The Boat

It hasn’t been uncommon for some of the cast to pop up on other popular shows, and that’s what we saw with Angela Kinsey (yup, she played Dwight’s eventual boo Angela) when it came to the ABC family comedy Fresh Off the Boat. Kinsey guest starred in a handful of episodes across Seasons 4 and 5 as Amy Chestnut, a nemesis for Jessica Huang.

The Lost City

It’s a bit of a wonder that Oscar managed to continue working at Dunder Mifflin Scranton, considering how professional and free of foolishness he was. But, his portrayer, Oscar Nuñez, did play an important oddball in 2022’s The Lost City, and to hilarious effect.

The Morning Show

Steve Carell continued to take on more dramatic roles after leaving The Office behind, and he kept his streak going by playing the disgraced former co-host for the first two seasons of the titular show that’s the focus of this Apple TV+ series.

The Giant Mechanical Man

While none of our beloved Office cast members have led what will come to be known as one of the best romantic comedies of all time just yet, Jenna Fischer did star in a lovely little rom-com called The Giant Mechanical Man, where she plays a struggling zoo worker who falls for a financially strapped street performer.

Family Switch

Sometimes you just need a good, fun family movie, and Ed Helms helped give us one with Family Switch. The movie, which you can watch with your Netflix subscription, gets its Freaky Friday on by having two parents (and the family dog) swap bodies with their two teens (and the baby of the family).

Galaxy Quest

Unfortunately, sci-fi and comedy simply don’t overlap that much, because when they do we end up with wondrous movies like Galaxy Quest. This now classic features Rainn Wilson as one of the decent, octopus-like Thermians, who juuuuust manage to pose as human.

Gone Baby Gone

Though she’d been a working actor for many years, most people really got to know about Amy Ryan because of her Oscar-nominated role in 2007’s Gone Baby Gone as the mother of a missing girl; a role that was quite different from her sweet Holly Flax.

The Bold Type

It’s a bad idea to get involved with your boss; that is, if your boss is like the domineering Jan Levinson, as played by Melora Hardin. However, if your boss is tough but fair and an all-around good human like The Bold Type’s Jacqueline Carlyle, then maybe things won’t go as badly for you as they did for Michael.

Silicon Valley

While Zach Woods brought even more weirdness to The Office as Gabe Woods for Seasons 6-9, he was more of a secure and stabilizing presence for the tech team on HBO’s comedy, Silicon Valley.

Ocean’s Eight

The Mindy Project hasn’t been the only way to watch Mindy Kaling outside of Scranton. In 2018 she branched out by starring as jeweler Amita in the crime comedy Ocean’s Eight, as one of the so-named group with a plan for a big jewelry heist.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Naive, nice and endlessly hopeful seems to be a specialty of Ellie Kemper. She added another such character to the one from Bridesmaids and The Office when she took on the role of former underground (literally) doomsday cult member Kimmy Schmidt as she attempted to make a life for herself in New York City after being rescued. You can watch her in all four seasons and one interactive movie on one of the best streaming services, Netflix.

The Blacklist

Anyone who enjoyed James Spader as the intimidating and mysterious Robert California, odd though he was, would probably have no problem seeing the actor as, well…mysterious, intimidating and charming criminal mastermind/FBI informant/probable sociopath, Raymond “Red” Reddington for 10 seasons of the NBC drama, The Blacklist, which wrapped its long run in 2023.

The Wire

The Wire is an amazing drama that is one of the TV shows that actually ended well, and it also made Idris Elba a household name because of his long-running role as smooth criminal Stringer Bell. Were it not for this series, we might not have gotten him as Michael’s strict (and eventually antagonistic) boss who had quite an effect on the ladies, Charles Miner. FYI, you can also see Amy Ryan in this show, beginning in Season 2.

Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness

Few fans of our favorite mockumentary could have guessed that there would be a time when superhero fans around the world would call for John Krasinski (he of the flippy Jim haircut and consistent bemused looks to the camera) to portray Marvel icon Mister Fantastic, a.k.a. Reed Richards. Well, Disney finally gave them their wish in a wildly short-lived fashion when he appeared as a version of the Fantastic Four leader in 2022’s multiverse-hopping Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness.

Six Feet Under

Yet another 2000s HBO drama has delivered another way to see someone from The Office. One of the rare family shows that’s about death in a real way, Six Feet Under helped Rainn Wilson show the world a happier, though still incredibly peculiar, character in mortuary intern Arthur Martin during Season 3.

Hot Tub Time Machine

One of the stranger time travel movies in recent memory can easily be said to be Hot Tub Time Machine, where our time travelers do, indeed, trip through time via an energy drink-powered hot tub. In both this classic comedy and its sequel, you can watch Craig Robinson experience the many benefits and dangers of time travel.

The Daily Show

A number of correspondents have passed by the news desk on Comedy Central’s politically aware pop culture program, The Daily Show. From 2002-2006, Ed Helms lent his talents to segments like Digital Watch, We Love Showbiz and This Week in God. The added bonus for you? This series launched Steve Carell’s early career, as he was also a correspondent from 1999 through 2005, and has returned several times since then as a guest.

Inglourious Basterds

We’ve already come upon some surprising portrayals from our wild and wacky Office workers, and fans were treated to another one with the release of Quentin Tarantino’s Academy Award-nominated Inglourious Basterds in 2009. While B.J. Novak’s Smithson "Little Man" Utivich was simply a loyal soldier and accomplished smart-alek, the environment he thrived in was much more stressful than anything Ryan could have survived.

Upload

Remember that dutiful movie and TV viewers can easily spot one of the Scranton denizens as they pop up in any number of other well-known projects. However, when Creed Bratton (yes, that Creed) appeared in a Season 1 episode of Amazon Prime’s Upload, he probably delivered the briefest, most hilariously gruesome guest star spot of them all.

Doctor Who

If there’s any one show in the history of TV shows that continues to provide us with a near-endless stream of cameos and guest starring roles from up-and-comers, it would be Doctor Who and its 60-year, 40-season history. And, we can actually watch a whole season (the fourth modern one) plus six specials of Catherine Tate (Nellie Bertram, Seasons 7-9) as The Doctor’s companion, Donna Noble.

The White Lotus

Last but not least, we take you to The White Lotus. This Emmy-winning HBO (Should we all just stick with HBO if we want to see our Office mates?) satire has already given us innumerable memorable characters and performances, and Season 1 saw Jake Lacy (who played Pete “New Jim” Miller in Season 9) take on the role of the easily unlikable, arrogant rich guy Shane Patton.

As you can see, The Office cast has thrived outside of the comedy that made so many of them famous!

Dunder Mifflin’s 9-to-5 shenanigans may have retired years ago, but recently much of the cast of The Office reunited to sell ASMR pillows for an AT&T Business ad campaign. When CinemaBlend spoke to Rainn Wilson and Craig Robinson about “getting the old band back together” for the series of commercials, the conversation turned to a sweet idea from Robinson about how he’d like to reprise his beloved role of Darryl Philbin.

In the AT&T Business campaign, Wilson and Robinson are joined by Jenna Fischer, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, and Creed Bratton. In the series of commercials, The Office actors are all involved in selling “Sleep With Rain” pillows, which are pillows with speakers that emanate the calming sounds of Wilson’s voice. Check out the fun commercial:

During our interview on the campaign, I asked the pair of comedic actors if they ever considered doing the commercials as their The Office characters. Here’s the conversation that followed:

Rainn Wilson: “No, and it's a weird thing too 'cause I mean, I don't think any of us would wanna play those characters really, maybe even ever again. But, at the same time, like we don't own those characters. NBC owns those characters. So even if we wanted to…”

Craig Robinson: “I'll play Darryl in a heartbeat, for the record.”

Rainn Wilson: “You would? You would do it?”

Craig Robinson: “I would, yeah. What I'm thinking about opening Darryl's Bar.”

Rainn Wilson: “Maybe Dwight has gotten divorced and fired and his only recourse is to be the bartender at Darryl's Bar.”

Craig Robinson: “I smell a spinoff right here.”

As Rainn Wilson explained that the ad collaboration does not involve NBC along with sharing how the original cast may never play their iconic characters again, Craig Robinson had other thoughts. The actor shared that he would absolutely play the Dunder Mifflin employee once again! When prompted by Wilson, Robinson shared his own spinoff idea: Darryl’s Bar.

Wilson jumped in, sharing that he could only see Dwight Schrute joining in on that idea if he got divorced, fired and really needed work. It’s a pretty solid idea, and we’d absolutely tune into something of that sort, especially if it meant these characters coming back to life after over a decade. Also… can you imagine Dwight being a bartender? It’d be hilarious.

The conversation comes at an ample time as The Office's Greg Daniels is bringing a new take on the franchise with an upcoming Peacock spinoff. As revealed last week, there will be a new version of the comedy that will take place at a struggling newspaper in the Midwest. Domhnall Gleeson and Sabrina Impacciatore have been cast in lead roles and it’s been said it takes place in the same universe as the original U.S. series.

While we wait for the new The Office show and imagine what antics would occur on Darryl’s Bar, you can see the full original show with a Peacock subscription and check out shows like The Office as well.

It's hard to believe it's been over a decade since The Office wrapped up after nine seasons and 201 episodes. Now, there's a new Office series on the way that serves as a spinoff of sorts to the OG show. And, as we officially learned earlier this month, the long-awaited sitcom is heading to Peacock The upcoming series will be a “new take on the franchise and per the first plot details, will take place in the Midwest at a struggling local newspaper. CinemaBlend recently spoke to franchise alums Rainn Wilson and Craig Robinson amidst their reunion for an AT&T ad, and the former shared what makes him "sad" about the new show.

Considering their connection to the original show, it's not surprising that either actor would have thoughts, and Rainn Wilson made some solid points on the subject. Additionally, Craig Robinson shared what he thinks about the original cast being part of the streaming production.

Rainn Wilson And Craig Robinson Tell Us Their Thoughts On The Office Spinoff

While many comedies have emulated The Office, there’s nothing quite like the long-running NBC series starring Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer and co. When I asked Rainn Wilson about possibly appearing on the spinoff as Dwight Schrute, here’s what he had to say: 

Based on his comments, he’s a bit bummed out that the new series will take the franchise to a completely new city and region. And, because of that, it makes it less believable for Dwight Schrute to turn up. He also shared his idea for The Office to take cues from the Law & Order franchise and have all sorts of documentaries being around the Scranton area. As for Craig Robinson, who spoke to CinemaBlend alongside his co-star, he said this: 

After working with Greg Daniels for so long, surely there’s a lot of trust from the original The Office cast regarding what he’ll do next. Since the new show will be in the same universe, one would hope that there’s certainly a place for the original characters to “pop in.” Still, Rainn Wilson makes a great point regarding how it wouldn’t really make sense if they did. 

Much Of The Office Cast Reunited For An AT&T Ad Campaign

While Rainn Wilson and Craig Robinson are not among the cast of the new The Office series, they did just work together again, alongside Jenna Fischer, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery and Creed Bratton. Check out one of a few AT&T Business ads they collaborated on: 

During our interview, Rainn Wilson opened up about working with AT&T Business on their new ad campaign, which is called "Sleep With Rain." When talking about working with his former co-stars again, he shared that it was like “getting the old band back together.” In the commercial, Wilson is the lead of the startup small business and his Office friends assist him with promoting his pillow, which has speakers on the side where the calming sounds of his voice can play as the customer dreams. Wilson recalled the whole cast “showed up early” due to the excitement of being back together. 

While it’s not the reunion special fans likely crave, it’s great to see these TV stars back together. And, who knows, Maybe at least some of the stars will get a chance to show up on the new show at some point. In the meantime, you can stream every season of The Office with a Peacock subscription. 

Mild spoilers below for Killing It Season 2, so be warned if you haven’t yet watched.

In Season 1 of Peacock’s must-watch series, the hilarious genre-bender Killing It, Craig Robinson’s less-than-dependable Craig was revealed to have not only wed, but also sired a child with Stephanie Nogueras’ Camille, though the two characters split up in the aftermath. Thankfully, Camille returned for more in Season 2, and with an extra passenger on board, leading even more chaos for the exes to deal with. Making it all the more unique for TV is that they communicate through lip-reading and sign language, with Noguera being a deaf actress as well as an ASL teacher (and more). 

When I had the chance to talk to co-stars Craig Robinson and Claudia O’Doherty for Killing It’s cliffhanger-addressing second season — as seen in the video above — the Office vet brought up sign language when I asked what they were interested in having explored with their characters in the new episodes. In his words:

I was happy to hear that further developing his ASL skills was a highlight of the season, as I’d already planned on asking him about working opposite Nogueras, since they’re easily one of the most adorable ex-couplings currently on the small screen. When I inquired about filming Craig and Camille’s scenes, and how it compared to others with more improvised dialogue. Here’s what he told me:

Strides have definitely been made in recent years for TV shows to embrace more characters who are deaf and hearing-impaired — among many other conditions — and more people than ever have the ability to learn ASL with ease. Killing It hits all the right notes in my book by immediately normalizing their relationship and communication patterns.

• Killing It: 7 Questions I Have After Season 2 Of The Peacock TV Show

That said, Craig Robinson also mentioned the Season 2 episode with moments that did hinge specifically on the use of ASL for plot mechanics.  

The episode in question, “Help Me Pay My Bills,” features some of Killing It’s most atrocious and awful characters by way of Tommy Dewey’s Tate and Ayden Mayeri’s Blythe, the couple paying Camille to carry their baby. I mean, they didn’t exactly make Tim Heidecker’s Rodney LaMonca look like a great person, but were awful nonetheless. In any case, Craig and Camille didn't have to worry much about any of the event's stuck-up guests chiming in on their low-key conversation.

Stephanie Nogueras didn’t just play a pregnant woman on TV, but was herself expecting, and gave birth to a daughter in November 2022. Thankfully, Tate and Blythe had nothing to do with that bundle of joy. 

If you haven’t yet binged the entirety of Killing It with a Peacock subscription, get on that immediately so the powers that be know there are more than enough of us out here waiting for Season 3 news. 

Summer is about to get a lot funnier for people with a Peacock subscription with the release of Killing It Season 2. The comedy, which stars The Office alum Craig Robinson, Claudia O'Doherty, and Rell Battle, returns for Season 2 more than a full year after the first season ended on some serious unanswered questions. Fortunately, Craig Robinson and his costars spoke with CinemaBlend to shed some light on what's to come, and they weren't all as tight-lipped as Star Wars stars! 

Killing It returns for Season 2 on August 17 to pick up where Season 1 left off with Craig making a big decision about his family and his own happiness over enabling his brother. After braving a hurricane to go on one last python hunt, Craig decided to kill a particular snake and turn it in to collect the grand prize, even though the snake was digesting a body that could incriminate Isaiah. Craig called his brother to give him a head's up that the police were going to find some damning evidence, but that was about as much help as Isaiah was going to get. 

I spoke with the cast of Killing It earlier this year at SCAD TVfest in Atlanta, and took the opportunity to ask Craig Robinson – who plays Craig Foster – where the relationship stands between his character and Isaiah when Season 2 picks up. He explained:

It says something that Robinson could preview their relationship being "tested," considering all that they already went through in Season 1! At least it's safe to say that the events of the first season finale didn't mean Isaiah going on the run off-screen in Season 2 and removing Rell Battle from the cast. Robinson went on to share how Season 2 compares to Season 1:

Getting his farm won't be the end of Craig Foster's problems, and the trailer for Season 2 suggests that his struggles will result in plenty of laughs for viewers. Especially if his partnership with Jillian Glopp is anything like it was in Season 1! Given where we last saw the characters, I asked Robinson if there would be a time jump. He shared:

While it seemed like a safe bet that the Season 2 premiere in the 2023 TV schedule wouldn't pick up immediately where the first season finale left off, a lot can happen over the course of a full year time jump! I spoke to Rell Battle and Claudia O'Doherty, who respectively play Isaiah and Jillian, shortly after talking with Craig Robinson on the SCAD red carpet, and Battle had a hilarious reaction when I mentioned the time jump reveal from his co-star: 

O'Doherty chimed in to reveal that Jillian will have longer hair and a better car for Season 2. Of course, it would be hard to have a worse car than Jillian had the first time around, but according to the actress: "It's a Kia, a 2017 Kia, because the show is set in 2017." As for Isaiah, I asked Rell Battle if his character would have expected Craig to go after the game-changing python and then tell him to go on the run, and the actor said:

Isaiah and Craig didn't exactly part on good terms, so it should be interesting to see what's in store for them in Season 2... and to see if we can guess what episodes had Rell Battle saying "Oh shit!" at the table reads! For a taste of what's ahead for one of the top Peacock originals worth checking out, take a look at the trailer: 

Season 2 of Killing It premieres on Thursday, August 17 with Craig Robinson and Co. back to deliver laughs all over again! It already ranked as one of the best shows to watch on Peacock after the first season, so only time will tell if it still holds up after the time jump and all that that will entail. 

There’s a disturbing trend that seems to be happening for live performers this year. Following “The Slap,” in which Will Smith infamously confronted Chris Rock on live TV at the Academy Awards, there have been other scary on-stage occurrences, including comedian Dave Chappelle being attacked in the middle of a show. The beloved rock band Rage Against the Machine was the latest to experience such an incident, at least somewhat, after a fan rushed the stage during a concert in Toronto.

On Saturday, July 23, Rage Against the Machine was wrapping their set with the hit “Killing in the Name,” video footage taken at the concert showed a man running (or leaping) onto the stage from the side. Security was quick to try to intervene, but as the fan tumbled off the front of the stage and into the pit, a security guard plowed into guitarist Tom Morello, knocking him off the stage as well. Check out the alarming video below:

The fan who rushed the stage likely was just looking to attempt a stage dive into the crowd, despite it looking like a pretty massive jump. But with the incidents we’ve seen this year and in the past — especially given Rage Against the Machine’s strong political views, expressed through their lyrics and with visuals throughout their shows — the security guard was absolutely right to react in such an instinctive way. Unfortunately his instincts didn't equate to his physical efforts, since the fan was able to jump out of his grasp, causing the guard to tackle the esteemed 58-year-old guitarist.

Singer Zack de la Rocha continued the song for a few seconds after watching Tom Morello take the hit, but when his guitarist stayed down amid the chaos, surrounded by multiple security guards, the frontman called for his bandmates to, “Hold up, hold up, hold up,” while a fired-up Morello returned to the stage. The audience roared, and de la Rocha seemed to be making sure all was good before addressing the crowd. He told the concertgoers (per People):

Even though the stage-crasher likely intended no harm to the band, security guards don’t have time to wait to find out what fans’ intentions are before taking action, with the gravest example of that being the Damageplan shooting in 2004 that left five dead. Legendary Pantera and Damageplan guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott was killed during a concert in Columbus, Ohio, after a fan ran on stage and shot him multiple times. The shooter killed three others who tried to stop him, before he was shot and killed by law enforcement.

That was, of course, the worst-case scenario — and one we’ll hopefully never see again — but it does highlight the importance of keeping stage performers safe. Dave Chappelle was attacked by a man in possession of a makeshift blade while on stage at the Hollywood Bowl in May. That incident was mere weeks after the Oscars ceremony that saw Will Smith slap Chris Rock and then go on to receive a standing ovation for winning the award for Best Actor, an occurrence some including Jim Carrey found “sickening.”

Actor and comedian Craig Robinson experienced his own scary moment this month, when the North Carolina comedy club where he was set to perform had to be evacuated when a gunman entered. No one was injured, and even though The Office alum was still in the green room when the shooter entered the building, all of these incidents show just how important quality security and awareness are to live events. 

Hopefully Tom Morello, the security guard and all others involved have recovered from the dramatic scene at the Rage Against the Machine concert, and the band is able to continue their tour without any further problems.

Actor and comedian Craig Robinson experienced a scary situation at one of his shows, when someone opened fire in the North Carolina comedy club where he was set to perform less than an hour later on Saturday, July 16. The Office actor was backstage at the time. Officials said there were no injuries, and they were able to apprehend the alleged shooter. Robinson’s show, however, was canceled, and he took to Instagram Live to inform his followers about what was happening.

About 50 people were inside The Comedy Zone when employees said a man walked in just after 9 p.m. Saturday — about a half-hour before Craig Robinson was set to hit the stage — waving a gun and demanding everyone leave the building, WSOC-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina, reported. Police said after everyone was evacuated, the shooter fired the gun inside the club. Officers detained the suspect and were working to determine his motive. Meanwhile, Robinson — who’s likely best known for the role of Darryl as a member of the cast of The Office — updated fans on Instagram following the incident:

Craig Robinson was taken to a nearby venue, where the band Big Time Rush was performing a concert. As the actor responded to concerned fans — and commented on the lively show happening in the background — Robinson can be heard asking someone off-screen if anyone in the comedy club had been shot. He was told they didn’t think anyone had been hurt and that the shooter might have fired into the ceiling.

Despite any disappointment about the canceled show, the most important thing is that nobody was physically injured. Check out Craig Robinson’s full Instagram Live video from the moments after The Comedy Gold was evacuated:

Employees said that there was “a lot of chaos,” on the scene, and WSOC reporter Tina Terry tweeted images of the heavy police presence that responded to the AvidXchange Music Factory, where The Comedy Zone is located. Check out the local coverage below:

Aside from The Office, Craig Robinson has been in a number of TV shows and movies  that you might've forgotten about. including Hot Tub Time Machine (and has a mind-blowing idea for a third movie), Pineapple Express and Dolemite Is My Name. As well as those movies, he had a memorable recurring role as “Pontiac Bandit” Doug Judy on Brooklyn Nine-Nine (and on some of its most memorable episodes), and he’s leant his voice to a number of projects as well, including The Bad Guys, American Dad and Big Mouth. And when it comes to stand-up, Robinson may also be working on a secret Netflix special.

We’re relieved there were no injuries in the incident in North Carolina, and our thoughts are with Craig Robinson and all those affected by what was still an alarming situation. 

Since The Office ended in 2013, musician, comedian and actor Craig Robinson has been just as busy as the rest of the NBC series' cast. He’s starred in films like Dolittle, Dolemite Is My Name, and Sausage Party, as well as TV shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Killing It and his now-defunct sitcom Mr. Robinson. Still, with all of this work on his plate, he manages to do frequent stand-up sets around Hollywood and its surrounding cities. Case in point, he has six nights booked for this week alone. So in this age of streaming specials and what is perhaps the emergence of more new stand-up than ever before, why hasn’t he released a special himself? As a fan of the man’s comedy for over a decade, I had to get to the bottom of it.

We spoke recently on behalf of his newest film The Bad Guys, and found ourselves discussing the current state of comedy in the industry. When I asked if Craig Robinson was developing a set with a full-length Netflix special in mind, or if there was any discussion of such a thing internally, he told me this:

While Craig Robinson may have dodged the question, this in itself is quite telling. As you can see in the video at the top of the article, it seemed as if he was bashfully keeping a secret project close to his chest, and one can only hope it’s some sort of full-length special. When I asked why he gets on stage night after night despite his success in film and television, Robinson said the following:

Well, that’s just wholesome as hell. If he’d be doing it regardless of the presence of an audience, he really is doing what he loves. It’s kind of unfair to call what Craig Robinson does on stage “stand-up,” as it always involves a musical element. He told me that he’s a musician first and foremost, as his mother exposed him to the art form while he was still “in the womb.” He was even a music teacher for a number of years before making it in Hollywood. A typical set of Robinson's involves laying down a sexy, soulful track on the keyboard, while interacting with the audience and, of course, telling jokes. If you haven’t checked out his stuff, do so:

It should be mentioned that Craig Robinson's new animated film The Bad Guys has taken down some top contenders at the box office, and you can tell by his explanation of Dreamworks’ pitch that he’s rather proud of the project. The film is a lot of fun for all ages, and you can see it now in theaters or on home video. 

As for the potential streaming special, Craig Robinson already promised me we’d speak about it when the time comes, so I’ll keep you updated! One would assume that it’s coming to Netflix, which currently boasts a massive list of original comedy specials (despite its recent comedy-related controversy). Subscribe to Netflix now to check those out, and we here at CinemaBlend will keep passing on news about the worlds of comedy and entertainment!

Let’s be honest here, Hot Tub Time Machine is an absolutely absurd film. I mean, with a name like that, it’s clear they weren’t trying to be anything but. The movie sees John Cusack, Rob Corddry, and Craig Robinson’s characters go back in time to the 80s (via a magic hot tub courtesy of Chevy Chase), where ridiculous shenanigans ensue. The film nearly doubled its budget at the box office and garnered a cult-like status on home video, which paved the way for Hot Tub Time Machine 2 in 2015. So, can we look forward to a third installment that will complete the Hot Tub trilogy? It’s certainly possible, as apparently there’s a mind-blowing idea floating around out there.

I recently caught up with Craig Robinson to discuss his new animated film The Bad Guys, and being a huge fan of the absolute nonsense that is Hot Tub Time Machine, I couldn’t help but ask if there’s been any chatter on that front internally. He told me this:

As you can see by the interview clip at the top of this article, Craig Robinson feels some excitement surrounding Hot Tub Time Machine. And although they don’t seem to be actively working on the threequel, he would like to see that happen. It’s nice to know that it’s not the furthest thing from their minds, as he and writer Josh Heald have obviously discussed the potential project at some point over the last seven years since Hot Tub 2’s release.

It would probably be fair to say that Hot Tub Time Machine 2 bombed at the box office, failing to make back the initial budget. Stories like this do tend to find their audience on home video, so it doesn’t mean that Hot Tub 3 is dead in the water. In fact, the long hiatus since the second installment might be good to increase interest, as seeing Cusack, Corddry, and Robinson reunite after all these years would be a real treat for fans. Especially once we learn about this bonkers concept that Josh Heald is cooking up. 

By saying it would “be a lot of work,” Craig Robinson is likely referring to just how busy he is. Like the rest of the cast of The Office, Robinson has been working a lot. His latest film, The Bad Guys, has taken down some top contenders at the box office, and he seems pretty proud of the project given the story he told us about Dreamwork’s pitch. The film was released on home video today, June 21, yet still currently holds a spot in the top ten films playing at movie theaters. Not bad, Craig. Not bad.

As for any updates on Hot Tub, we’ll certainly keep you in the loop. And again, you can see The Bad Guys on home video OR in theaters right now. As for everything else that’s coming to cinemas, check out our 2022 movie release schedule. 

The Bad Guys is a different kind of children’s film that presents a story about misunderstood antiheroes in a way that we haven’t really seen in animated features. Consequently, the story becomes much more accessible to adults, given elements like twisted heists and references to films that certainly aren’t intended for children. Case in point, The Bad Guys' opening scene is a clear reference to Reservoir Dogs. Even if it’s not quite the Reservoir Dogs reboot fans have been waiting for, it was certainly enough to get musician, comedian and actor Craig Robinson on board to voice Shark.

CinemaBlend recently spoke with Craig Robinson about The Bad Guys, and as he explained what made him take on the project, “Tarantino” was one of the first words out of his mouth:

It’s not surprising that Craig Robinson was sold after hearing about the cast, which boasts names like Sam Rockwell, Awkwafina, Anthony Ramos, Zazie Beetz, and Marc Maron. He’s right in saying that the film is gritty. Of course, that's not to a jarring extent, as it is primarily for kids, but the twists, turns and double-crosses really set it apart from anything we’ve seen from Dreamworks. 

The Bad Guys is based on the illustrated children’s book series of the same, which is about a group of animals typically considered to be “bad” who set out to do some good. Despite their best efforts, it doesn’t usually work out. This includes Wolf, Snake, Piranha, Tarantula and Craig Robinson’s Shark, who is big and lovable (just like the man himself) and a master of disguise. The humor, of course, being that it’s near-impossible to properly disguise a shark.

Just like the rest of the primary cast of The Office, Craig Robinson has been very busy since his days of being pelted in the head by Rainn Wilson. He hosted The Masked Dancer, starred in a slew of films, including Hot Tub Time Machine and Dolemite Is My Name, and he even led his own, now-defunct sitcom called Mr. Robinson. With a ton more projects on the way, he’s showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. 

The Bad Guys has surpassed some top contenders at the box office, and you’ll be able to own it on home video starting June 21! As for everything else that’s coming to theaters this year, check out our 2022 release schedule.

When it comes to animated films, DreamWorks is one of the kings. From Shrek to How To Train Your Dragon, DreamWorks has made some amazing films in its time. My personal favorite has always been the amazing biblical musical, The Prince of Egypt, but now, a new film has come to join that list of awesome animated movies - The Bad Guys. 

Debuting as part of the 2022 movie release schedule, The Bad Guys is the latest DreamWork's venture, which follows a gang of animals who are criminals and try to pull off the ultimate heist, but when they are caught, have to pretend they want to be reformed citizens. Here is the cast of The Bad Guys and where you might have seen or heard them before. 

Sam Rockwell (Mr. Wolf)

Mr. Wolf is the leader of the “Bad Guys” gang, and he is voiced by the superbly talented Sam Rockwell. Don’t be surprised if that name sounds familiar, as Rockwell is certainly one of those actors you’ve seen or heard many times before. 

In terms of movies, Rockwell has been in a variety of films, both critical and box-office hits. Some of these movies include Lawn Dogs, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Matchstick Men, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Moon, Seven Psychopaths, Richard Jewel, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Stephen King adaptation, The Green Mile, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, The Way Way Back, Vice, Jojo Rabbit, and many, many others. 

Rockwell hasn’t been as active in television as he has in movies, mainly keeping his talents to the big screen. However, one of his biggest TV roles was voicing the character Vic Reynolds in the animated Netflix TV series, F is for Family. 

Marc Maron (Mr. Snake)

Next up in The Bad Guys, we have Mr. Snake, the second-in-command to Mr. Wolf who's voiced by Marc Maron. Primarily a stand-up comedian, Maron is known for his comedy and many guest-spots on late night shows, such as the Late Show with David Letterman or Late Night with Conan O’Brien. However, he has plenty of acting credits that you might recognize him from, as well. 

Maron has had roles in films like 2019’s Joker, Get A Job, Sword of Trust, Stardust, To Leslie, Respect, and more. He has also had experience in television. From 2013-2016, he starred in his own show, called Maron. He’s also had roles in shows such as Harvey Beaks, Easy, the Netflix series, GLOW, and many other small guest roles that you might have seen him in before. 

Anthony Ramos (Mr. Piranha)

Moving on to the next member of The Bad Guys, Anthony Ramos voices Mr. Piranha, who is the youngest of the gang and has a bit of a temper. Ramos has been making a name for himself the last few years with his musical and acting talent, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you have heard of him. 

Ramos was a part of the original cast of Hamilton, which was released on Disney+ in 2020 and gave him even more exposure. Since then, Ramos has appeared in a variety of movies and television shows. He was a part of the In the Heights cast as the lead character, as well as having smaller roles in movies like Godzilla: King of the Monsters, A Star Is Born, Trolls: World Tour, and more. 

Ramos is also no stranger to television. He had a big role as Mars Blackmon in She’s Gotta Have It, as well as a big role in Season 4 of In Treatment, and a guest role on the Starz series, Blindspotting. He’s also going to be in the upcoming Disney+ series, Ironheart, so keep an eye out for this one. 

Craig Robinson (Mr. Shark)

The fourth member of The Bad Guys gang is Mr. Shark, who is a supposed master-of-disguise. He is voiced by Craig Robinson, a hilarious actor and comedian who has been in many movies and television shows that you might recognize him from - or, at the very least, recognize his voice. 

Robinson has appeared in many big screen comedies, including This Is The End, Hot Tub Time Machine, Pineapple Express, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Sausage Party, and more. He’s also done a few dramatic films, with roles in movies like Dolemite is My Name and Morris from America. 

However, I know Craig Robinson originally from his work on television. One of his most prominent characters was Darryl Philbin as part of The Office cast. He’s also had many roles in other shows such as The Cleveland Show, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, American Dad!, Ghosted, and more. Robinson has also stepped into hosting a little bit, with his gigs on both The Masked Danced and Your Attention Please. Currently, he stars as Craig in Killing It on Peacock. 

Awkwafina (Ms. Tarantula)

Last but not least for the gang members in The Bad Guys, we have Ms. Tarantula, voiced by the talented Awkwafina. I’m sure at some point over the last couple of years you’ve heard Awkwafina’s name, and for good reason, as the actress is so funny and a star. 

Awkwafina has been in many films over the last few years. Some of her best include Crazy Rich Asians, The Farewell, being part of the Raya and the Last Dragon cast, and a big role in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. She’s even going to be in the upcoming The Little Mermaid live-action remake as Scully. 

The star has also had a lot of experience in television as well. Awkwafina stars in her own series called Awkwafina is Nora from Queens, a comedy, but she’s also had other prominent roles as well, including a voice role in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, as well the host of Tawk. 

Richard Ayode (Prof. Rupert Marmalade IV)

Next up, we have Professor Rupert Marmalade IV in The Bad Guys, who is voiced by the talented Richard Ayoade. Ayoade has been in a number of movies and TV shows during his career, so you might have seen him in a couple of things before. 

With movies, Ayoade has appeared in many films such as The Watch, The Double, The Boxtrolls, was a part of the Soul cast, and many more. Ayoade has also been very prominent in television. His biggest role this far was portraying Maurice Moss in the comedy, The IT Crowd, but he’s also appeared in many other shows such as Time Trumpet, The Big Fat Quiz, Strange Hill High, Gadget Man, Travel Man, Apple & Onion, and many others. 

Zazie Beetz (Diane Foxington/The Crimson Paw)

Moving on, we have Zazie Beetz, who voices Diane Foxington in The Bad Guys, otherwise known as The Crimson Paw. Zazie Beetz is a name I’ve grown very familiar with over the last several years, due to her iconic portrayal of Vanessa in the FX series, Atlanta, which just returned for Season 3. 

However, Beetz has done more than just that and has been in many TV shows and movies. Some of her best known work thus far has been playing Domino in Deadpool 2,  Joker, Wounds, Dead Pigs, Geostorm, Lucy in the Sky, The Harder They Fall, and more. She’s also going to be in the upcoming Brad Pitt-led film, Bullet Train. 

Beetz's television works besides Atlanta includes playing Noelle in Easy, having a guest spot on Jordan Peele’s The Twilight Zone, and voice roles in Robot Chicken. 

Lilly Singh (Tiffany Fluffit)

Tiffany Fluffit, a news reporter in The Bad Guys, is voiced by Lilly Singh, and as someone who grew up watching her, it is so cool to see her in a big-time movie like this. Lilly Singh got her start making sketches on her YouTube channel, Superwoman, but then broke out into the mainstream media when she started to host her own late-night talk show, A Little Late with Lilly Singh. 

Even though she hosted her talk show for two seasons, Singh has also had a variety of television and movie appearances. Some of her movie roles include a voice role in Ice Age: Collision Course, Bad Moms, and more. Her TV appearances include small guest roles in shows such as Life in Pieces, Fahrenheit 451 (which was a made-for-TV film), The Simpsons, Medical Police, and a recurring role in the Hulu original series, Dollface. She’s also a judge on Canada’s Got Talent. 

Alex Borstein (Misty Luggins)

Last but not least, we have Alex Borstein, who voices Misty Luggins in The Bad Guys. I’m sure if you’re a voice-actor fan, you’ve heard of Alex Borstein, who has done an extensive amount of voice work during her career, but one of her biggest roles thus far has been voicing Lois Griffin in the iconic animated show, Family Guy. 

However, besides her big voice role, Borstein has done plenty of other parts as well in both movies and TV shows. Some of her movie work includes Catwoman, Little Man, The Lookout, Killers, Ted, the stopmotion film, ParaNorman, Love the Coopers, Extinct, The Angry Birds Movie, and more. 

Her other TV roles include being a part of MADtv and doing several sketches, guest roles on Gilmore Girls, voices on Robot Chicken, voicing Latoyah in Slacker Cats, portraying Lou Deckner in Shameless, Dawn Forchette in Getting On, Susie Myerson in the Amazon Prime original series, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and many others. 

With such a large cast, it’s no surprise that all of these characters are played by such talented actors and actresses. Maybe now you've found a new show or movie to watch because of them. Hopefully they’re not as bad as the Bad Guys gang in their other projects, though. 

We know there are those of you out there who root for the bad guy. DreamWorks Animation must know it too, and their upcoming movie The Bad Guys gives you plenty of them (duh). The trailer for the film, which shows off its A-list cast, makes it look like a pretty fun heist flick, with even some Reservoir Dogs inspiration, but what else can we expect from Pierre Perifel’s feature directorial debut? The critics have screened the movie, and they’re here to help us figure that out.

Voicing the animated bad guys are Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Anthony Ramos, Craig Robinson and Awkwafina. This group of criminal animals who, upon being caught, pretend to attempt to reform themselves as model citizens. However, leader of the pack Wolf (Rockwell), is unexpectedly drawn to change his ways for real. So what’s the verdict? Let’s check out what the critics have to say, starting with the CinemaBlend review of The Bad Guys. 

Our own Eric Eisenberg rates it 3 out of 5 stars, saying while the movie looks fun, it never really tries anything interesting. He says it’s impossible not to notice similarities to 2016 hit Zootopia, and this one doesn’t stack up favorably to the Disney film:

Tom Santilli of Movie Show Plus doesn’t give the film quite as much credit, grading it a D. He says the film’s premise is ripe for fun, but there’s nothing good to be found, and the audience — both the children and the adults accompanying them — deserve better:

However, for some audiences, it’s hard to beat a redemption story, and Danielle Solzman of Solzy at the Movies enjoyed this one, rating it a 4 out of 5. She draws attention to the beautiful animation — which is one point the critics agree on, even in other, less favorable reviews. Solzman says: 

Frank Schek of The Hollywood Reporter says The Bad Guys is “criminally fun” — especially with some older-generation references to Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs for the grown-ups — although the final act devolves into manic vehicular mayhem. This critic especially likes the casting of well-known actors who are actually well-suited to the roles:

Aaron Neuwirth of We Live Entertainment rates it a 7 out of 10, saying The Bad Guys incorporates plot twists, compelling character reveals, and engaging action sequences with plenty of space left for jokes and sight gags:

Josh Spiegel of SlashFilm rates the movie 6.5 out of 10, saying it has its charms but doesn’t quite stand up to some of its Pixar peers, including Luca and Turning Red. He also mentioned the animation style, which he says is a nod to Aaron Blabey’s book series that the movie is adapted from:

It sounds like critics are all over the place on The Bad Guys, but they do agree on the beautiful animation. Many also mention that the film tries to provide enough shout-outs to other movies to keep the adult portion of the audience on their toes while the kids are otherwise distracted by the more expected child-geared humor (yes, I’m talking about fart jokes). 

If you want to check this one out, you can soon. The Bad Guys premieres in theaters on Friday, April 22. While you’re at it, take a look at our 2022 Movie Release Schedule to see what other films are coming soon. 

It’s been nearly nine years since we had to say goodbye to Dunder Mifflin on NBC’s The Office, but it still remains a favorite today. Craig Robinson, who portrayed Darryl Philbin throughout the show’s nine-season run, recently shared a hilarious story about the late Patrice O’Neal that explains why his character Lonny Collins stopped appearing on the series. 

Craig Robinson was a guest on Red Line Radio, where he got to talking about the beloved mockumentary series. The topic of Patrice O’Neal came up, and Robinson had a pretty funny story to tell in remembrance of his friend and former co-star, who died of a stroke in 2011. 

O’Neal only appeared on three episodes of The Office throughout the first three seasons as warehouse employee Lonny. The reasoning for him not appearing in more, explained by Robinson, is that he just didn’t care:

If only we could all be like O’Neal! It sounds like he knew what he wanted, and if he was doing something he didn’t love, he just quit. And it sounds like Robinson was all for it as well, which makes it even more hilarious.

It makes sense that The Office and Hollywood weren't Patrice O'Neal's ideals. Besides acting, he was known for stand-up comedy. Although it is possible to be an actor and a comic, O’Neal was leaning more towards one thing, and now Robinson has that funny story to tell for years to come.

While Lonny wasn’t seen on The Office after Season 3, he was still mentioned in the following seasons. However, due to O’Neal’s death in 2011, any chance of another appearance was no longer possible. Patrice O’Neal still did a decent amount of acting after The Office, including 2010’s Furry Vengeance and 2012’s Nature Calls, the latter of which released after his death.

It’s safe to say that (mostly) anything surrounding The Office is hilarious, even when it comes to remembering a late cast member and their reasoning for no longer being on the series. It is nice to know that it was Patrice O’Neal’s decision and not him getting fired. However, it does make me wonder if there would be more storylines including Lonny, if he made the decision to stay on The Office. 

The legacy of The Office is clearly lasting, as Craig Robinson is not the only The Office alum to share a hilarious story as of late. Rainn Wilson, who memorably played Dwight, recently took to Twitter to share an experience he had at a dentist’s office of a woman sitting next to him wearing a Dunder Mifflin shirt. The Office fans are seen in the wild, and they are dedicated. 

Be sure to get a Peacock subscription so you can binge-watch the comedy, among other titles, whenever you want.

The idea of the Muppets spending the night in the spookiest of Walt Disney World’s famous attractions is so brilliantly funny on its own that I am surprised it has never been done before. The fact that the the likes of Will Arnett, former Community cast member Yvette Nicole Brown, Academy Award nominee Taraji P. Henson, and Darren Criss from the Glee cast will be joining them makes me even more excited to see the Disney+ original special. There are plenty of other humans in the Muppets Haunted Mansion cast to look forward to seeing interact with Jim Henson’s iconic creations, but we will begin with our spirited guide.

Will Arnett (Ghost Host)

In Disney’s original attraction, the Ghost Host is a disembodied voice, but in Muppets Haunted Mansion, the felted friends are guided by multi-Emmy nominee Will Arnett, who first skyrocketed to fame in the Arrested Development cast as the despicable Gob Bluth. The Canadian actor might have even gotten this part with his voice alone, which is famous from his role as Batman in both of the LEGO Movie installments and his own spin-off, as well as the animated Netflix original, Bojack Horseman, as the title character. Arnett will next lend his voice to the 2022 monster comedy, Rumble, and you can currently see him on The Morning Show Season 2 on Apple TV+.

Taraji P. Henson (Constance Hatchaway)

One of the most famous (and sinister) entities from the Haunted Mansion attraction is Constance Hatchaway (otherwise known as “The Black Widow Bride”), who will be brought to life in Muppets Haunted Mansion by Taraji P. Henson (no relation to Jim) - best known for her Golden Globe-winning role on Empire as Cookie Lyon, whose own spin-off is now in the works. On the big screen, she earned an Oscar nomination for playing Brad Pitt’s adoptive mother in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, earned praise for the Oscar-nominated biopic Hidden Figures, and earned laughs in movies like Date Night, Think Like a Man, and What Men Want (a gender-swapped update of What Women Want). She will also lend her voice, in 2022, to Minions: The Rise of Gru and is playing Miss Hannigan in NBC’s upcoming Annie Live! broadcast.

Darren Criss (The Caretaker) 

Someone with previous experience performing in musicals is Glee alum Darren Criss, who stars as the Caretaker of the Haunted Mansion in the Disney+ special, which is not too far from qualifying for one of his darkest roles to date. The 34-year-old appeared on American Horror Story: Hotel, won an Emmy as Gianni Versace’s killer in American Crime Story Season 2, and has crossed comic book adaptations off his bucket list by voicing Superman in two animated DC movies, Raphael in Batman vs. the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and playing Music Meister in the Arrowverse shows. The star of Netflix’s Hollywood miniseries has also recently lent his voice to two original anime series for the platform (Yasuke and Trese), and to Rick and Morty Season 5, as well.

Yvette Nicole Brown (The Hearse Driver)

Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon made a star out of Emmy nominee Yvette Nicole Brown (who drives the horse-drawn hearse in Muppets Haunted Mansion) by casting her as Shirley Bennett on Community, despite already achieving sitcom royalty for younger audiences as Helen on Nickelodeon’s Drake & Josh. She was also a series regular on CBS’ The Odd Couple reboot, had a recurring role on Mom, and has been involved with both Marvel movies and DC TV shows with an Avengers: Endgame cameo and by voicing a lighter version of Amanda Waller on DC Super Hero Girls (to name just a couple). Her next big Disney project is Disenchanted - the long-awaited Enchanted sequel.

Chrissy Metz (Harriet)

Muppets Haunted Mansion finally confirms that Harriet (whose name appears on a tombstone in the attraction) is a ghostly opera singer seen near its end, who is played in the special by Chrissy Metz. One of her earliest breakthroughs (not meant to be a pun relating to her part in the 2019 faith-based film Breakthrough, initially at least) was playing Ima “Barbara” Wiggles on American Horror Story in its fourth season, but it was her Emmy-nominated role on This Is Us that made her a household name. She will continue to voice Mei Mei on Season 2 on Amazon Prime’s series spin-off from Kung Fu Panda, and her upcoming drama, Stay Awake, is in post-production.

Alfonso Ribeiro (Fred)

Playing Fred, a man who died when a "great big rock fell on his head,” in Muppets Haunted Mansion is Alfonso Ribiero, whom you may recognize best from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast as Carlton Banks. If you do recognize him by his real name, then you must be a fan of Dancing with the Stars (on which he has appeared as a contestant and guest judge) or of America’s Funniest Home Videos, which he has hosted since 2015. 

Sasheer Zamata (Mary) 

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was the inspiration for a few funny sketches on Saturday Night Live, on which Sasheer Zamata was a main cast member from 2013 to 2017 before playing a ghost named Mary in Muppets Haunted Mansion. In addition to other comedies like the Amy Shumer movie I Feel Pretty from 2018, the animated Tuca and Bertie, or Netflix’s The Mitchells vs The Machines, the actress has also starred in darker films, such as Blumhouse’s Sleight in 2017 or the Joe Keery-led found footage thriller, Spree, in 2020. She is currently a series regular on ABC’s Home Economics and will voice a role in Disney Channel’s upcoming series Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.

John Stamos (Himself) 

John Stamos has played many different kinds of characters since he became a star by joining the Full House cast as Jesse Katsopolis (whom he reprised on Netflix’s Fuller House). The actor has been a doctor (on ER, Glee, and You), a suave burglar (on short-lived ABC drama Thieves), a celebrity publicist (on short-lived ABC dramedy Jake in Progress), a playboy restaurateur (on Fox’s Grandfathered), and even a killer (in the 1991 TV movie Captive). However, it seems quite fitting that he is credited as himself in the Muppets Haunted Mansion cast.

Danny Trejo (Huet) 

I would not have been surprised if Danny Trejo was also playing himself in Muppets Haunted Mansion, but I love the idea of him playing one of the attraction’s most famous unseen characters, Huet. The 77-year-old Mexican-American actor and former convict’s breakout acting role was in Heat from 1995, the same year as Desperado - his first of many collaborations with Robert Rodriguez, including From Dusk Till Dawn and the Spy Kids movies. The next of his 400-plus credits will see him re-team with Taraji P. Henson in Minions: The Rise of Gru and, hopefully, his most badass character ever will return in Machete Kills… in Space soon.

Ed Asner (Claude) 

Since starting his career in the late 1950s, seven-time Emmy Award winner Ed Asner became a legend of both the big and small screen, from his role as Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, to playing Santa alongside Will Ferrell in Elf in 2003. The role of Claude in Muppets Haunted Mansion marks the final collaboration with Disney for the Up actor, who passed away in August 2021 at the age of 91. However, he is set to appear posthumously in several more titles, including a documentary profiling Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and the star-studded animated film, Back Home Again.

Craig Robinson (Singing Bust #2)

One of the five Muppets Haunted Mansion cast members portraying the famous Singing Busts is Craig Robinson, who would evolve into one of the most prominent voices in comedy after his recurring stint in the Office cast as Darryl Philbin became a series regular role. This promotion came following the comedian’s starring roles in hit movies like Zack and Miri Make a Porno from 2007, Pineapple Express in 2008 and 2010’s Hot Tub Time Machine (and its 2015 sequel). The This Is the End star (who also had his own short-lived sitcom on NBC called Mr. Robinson) has also appeared in dramas like 2020’s Songbird and the upcoming thriller, Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon. 

Justina Machado (Singing Bust #4)

Sitcoms, dramas, and reality TV competition shows, as well, have defined Justina Machado’s career, which include recurring roles on shows like Six Feet Under and Jane the Virgin, her acclaimed lead role on the Netflix’s One Day at a Time, and her success on Dancing with the Stars as a contestant. She once worked with Steven Spielberg on A.I.: Artificial Intelligence and is a bit of a Scream Queen, appearing in horror movies Final Destination 2 and The Purge: Anarchy. After playing one of Muppets Haunted Mansion’s Singing Busts, Machado will star in Covid-19-themed anthology film With/in: Volume 1, and has landed the title role in Amazon Prime’s The Horror of Delores Roach.

Skai Jackson (Singing Bust #4) 

So far, playing a Singing Bust in Muppets Haunted Mansion is the closest Skai Jackson has come to starring in a horror movie, but her relationship with Disney goes back a long way, starting with her role on Disney Channel’s Jessie as Zuri Ross, whom she reprised on the spin-off, Bunk’d, after playing Dwayne Johnson’s daughter in G.I. Joe: Retaliation. She has lent her voice to a few animated Marvel TV shows, Dragons: Rescue Riders (Netflix’s series spin-off of How to Train Your Dragon), and an upcoming modern twist on J.M. Barrie’s classic novel called Peter Pan, Land of Forever.

Geoff Keighley (Uncle Theodore) 

The leader of the Singing Busts, Uncle Theodore (voiced by Thurl Ravencroft in the original attraction), is played in Muppets Haunted Mansion by Geoff Keighley, in what is technically his acting debut. His claim to fame is being one of the most high-profile journalists to specialize in video game reporting. In fact, one of his only other real acting credits is voicing an asylum patient in the PlayStation 3 release of Twisted Metal from 2012. 

Pat Sajak (Singing Bust #1) 

While Pat Sajak’s role as a Singing Bust in Muppets Haunted Mansion is not his acting debut, it is one of the few times he is not playing himself on screen, which he first did in Airplane II: The Sequel in 1982, before doing it again on TV shows like The A-Team and even Rugrats. Of course, his best-known “performance” is hosting Wheel of Fortune since 1983.

Seeing the likes of Pat Sajak and Geoff Keighley in the Muppets Haunted Mansion cast is quite a surprise, making one wonder what other surprises (and even scares) are also in store. Find out by watching the special on Disney+ on Friday, October 8, 2021.

Warning! The following may contain spoilers for The Masked Dancer's "Group A Playoffs." Read at your own risk!

The Masked Dancer has a few episodes under its belt in Season 1, and one thing is remarkably clear to me to this point. The greatest move this show has made to date is putting actor and comedian Craig Robinson as the host of the show. He's the real winner of this show in my opinion because he's showing a side of himself that may soon make him one of the best television hosts out there.

Craig Robinson really brings an energy to The Masked Dancer that complements this bizarre premise in the best way possible. Usually, if a host is practically invisible or merely moving the show along with their commentary, they're doing exactly what they should be doing. Robinson doesn't only do that, but he also finds a way to blend himself into the show's goofiness while still performing the expected duties of corralling the show.

I think the best example of this is the way he opens up the show. For me, this moment of the episode is nearing The Simpsons couch gag levels of anticipation because Craig Robinson is always mixing it up with each outing. In one opening, he may be striking a pose amidst a crowd of the show's bodyguards, or he's strutting out with some quick and snappy dance routine. I hate to compare it to Nick Cannon walking out on stage wearing a random mask on The Masked Singer because there really is no comparing how much better Robinson is doing it.

And I know I should've known from The Office and Hot Tub Time Machine that Craig Robinson is a funny guy, but the subtle humor he injects into his hosting duties really elevates the show that much more. It's not too much, nor does it need to be with Ken Jeong usually filling the role of the class clown on the program, but Robinson's humor always comes at the time you least expect it.

The best example I can think of is the latest episode when he was doing some bizarre serenade of The Cricket as the crowd chanted for him to remove his mask. It was a moment that The Masked Dancer didn't even call attention to, really, with just a quick random shot of Robinson in between the crowd and panel shots. The moment, however, was noticed by me, and now I'm convinced we need Robinson hosting all the award shows in addition to The Masked Dancer.

The Masked Dancer airs on Fox Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Sound off on your thoughts on Craig Robinson as a host in our poll, and let us know in the comments whether you think his talents are award-show worthy.

This poll is no longer available.

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When it was announced The Office would leave Netflix, I bet the hit comedy’s biggest fans were at least happy to learn a subscription to Peacock, on which it is now exclusively available, was free. Yet, after an insurmountable number of times binging Michael Scott’s (Steve Carell) managerial bumbling, Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam’s (Jenna Fischer) blossoming romance, and other workplace misadventures, it might be time to find something else to watch. However, if you still cannot get enough of The Office cast, there is plenty more from them available to stream.

In fact, the stars of the NBC hit, itself inspired by Ricky Gervais’ acclaimed British mockumentary style sitcom, have since gone on to lead some incredibly impressive careers in front of and behind the camera. For instance, Steve Carell is a respected Academy Award-nominated actor, John Krasinski is a successful filmmaker and action star, and Mindy Kaling is the brains behind some of the most groundbreaking comedy series in recent memory, just to name a few. The amount of exciting big and small screen projects that involve the cast of The Office outside their Dunder Mifflin tenure is almost too big a number to compile.

However, we are going to try anyway by focusing primarily on just 12 of the series’ biggest names and the most noteworthy titles of their respective filmographies. The following are the best movies and TV shows a fan of The Office can also spend their time with right now, starting with the man who gave you a reason to admire someone you would be ashamed to call your boss otherwise.

Steve Carell (Michael Scott)

Following his stint as Scranton’s inept Dunder Mifflin manager, Steve Carell recently played an Army general whose job challenges are less his fault on the satirical Space Force (which he co-created with Greg Daniels) and a TV host whose career mistakes are far more despicable (but to Emmy-nominated acclaim) on The Morning Show for Apple TV+. The former Office lead has also exhibited wonderful acting range in films like the clever rom-com Crazy Stupid Love, Adam McKay’s bold, Oscar-nominated political biopic Vice, heartbreaking family drama Beautiful Boy opposite Timothee Chalamet, and even the animated Dr. Seuss adaptation Horton Hears a Who! - his second collaboration with Jim Carrey.

Stream Space Force on Netflix here.

Stream The Morning Show on Apple TV+ here.

Stream Crazy Stupid Love on Hulu here.

Stream Vice on Hulu here.

Stream Beautiful Boy on Amazon Prime here.

Stream Horton Hears a Who! on Disney+ here.

Rainn Wilson (Dwight Schrute)

Outside of creating the website SoulPancake, Rainn Wilson has done well to outgrow his otherwise best known role of the ridiculously self-serious Dwight Schrute by playing a widow upended by Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s mysterious derelict in Hesher, a gym teacher battling zombie children in Cooties, the voice of Lex Luthor in The Death of Superman, and, most recently, on Utopia as one of several people who believe they must save the world. Plus, to see the actor in something crazy before he landed The Office, Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses easily does the trick.

Stream Hesher on Amazon Prime here or on Tubi here.

Stream Cooties on Peacock here.

Stream The Death of Superman on HBO Max here.

Stream House of 1000 Corpses on Shudder here or on Tubi here.

Jenna Fischer (Pam Beesly)

Even if receptionist-turned-saleswoman Pam Beesly is destined to remain Jenna Fischer’s defining role, it is still always a treat to see her in big comedy movies like Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story as the second wife of John C. Reilly’s titular musician and in Hall Pass as the fed-up wife of a horny Owen Wilson. The St. Louis-born The Office alum has also known for impressive turns in indie films, such as the quirky 2012 rom-com The Giant Mechanical Man or the mid-life crisis dramedy Brad’s Status, in which she plays Ben Stiller’s wife.

Stream Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story on IMDb TV here.

Stream Hall Pass on Cinemax here.

Stream The Giant Mechanical Man on Peacock here, on Tubi here, or on IMDb TV here.

Stream Brad’s Status on Amazon Prime here.

John Krasinski (Jim Halpert)

When you are not checking on Some Good News in the world with John Krasinski, you can also watch him save the world in the title role of Amazon Prime’s Jack Ryan series - a massive leap from Jim Halpert. Of course, we can easily call everything the A Quiet Place director and husband of Emily Blunt has done since The Office (or even during) a massive leap, including Sam Mendes’ delightful Away We Go, Kathryn Bigelow’s harrowing Detroit, and Disney’s nature documentary Born in China, in which he serves as the narrator of.

Stream Jack Ryan on Amazon Prime here.

Stream Away We Go on Peacock here.

Stream Detroit on Hulu here.

Stream Born in China on Disney+ here.

Mindy Kaling (Kelly Kapoor)

After ending her stint as Kelly Kapoor in 2012, Mindy Kaling starred in the acclaimed comedy The Mindy Project - the first TV series of her own invention before co-creating the semi-autobiographical coming-of-age sitcom Never Have I Ever for Netflix and co-developing a series reimagining of Four Weddings and a Funeral for Hulu. The multi-talented comedian, who wrote and directed several episodes of The Office, too, also penned and starred in Amazon Prime’s Late Night with Emma Thompson, but stuck purely to acting duties for the heist comedy Ocean’s Eight and when providing her voice to Wreck-It Ralph and Inside Out for Disney.

Stream The Mindy Project on Hulu here.

Stream Never Have I Ever on Netflix here.

Stream Four Weddings and a Funeral on Hulu here.

Stream Late Night on Amazon Prime here.

Stream Ocean’s Eight on HBO Max here.

Stream Wreck-It Ralph on Disney+ here.

Stream Inside Out on Disney+ here.

B.J. Novak (Ryan Howard)

Also pulling triple-duty as a star, writer, and director on The Office was B.J Novak, who played Ryan Howard - Dunder Mifflin's temp turned mainstay and love interest of Kelly Kapoor (and, supposedly, Michael Scott, too). While his, arguably, best known big screen role in Inglourious Basterds is currently unavailable to stream, you can catch him in other period pieces like The Founder, also starring Michael Keaton as McDonald’s franchise developer Ray Croc, and Saving Mr. Banks, in which Novak’s Robert B. Sherman tries to convince P.L. Travers to allow his cheery songs into Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins adaptation.

Stream The Founder on Netflix here.

Stream Saving Mr. Banks on Netflix here or on Disney+ here.

Ellie Kemper (Erin Hannon)

Ellie Kemper made a smooth transition from The Office after landing the title role of Netflix comedy Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, which would lead to further big screen roles, like as dog owner Katie in The Secret Life of Pets and its sequel from 2019. Before hitting it big as eccentric Dunder Mifflin secretary Erin Hannon, the actress starred alongside a young Donald Glover in the film Mystery Team, which he also wrote with his old troupe Derrick Comedy.

Stream Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt on Netflix here.

Stream The Secret Life of Pets 2 on Netflix here.

Stream Mystery Team on Tubi here.

Ed Helms (Andy Bernard)

Joining the cast of The Office as Andy Bernard immediately made Ed Helms an exciting comedic talents, which increased with The Hangover and its two sequels (the first being the most successful). In addition to playing prolific TV personality Tom Snyder in A Futile and Stupid Gesture and producing (and appearing) on Australian comedy trio Aunty Donna’s American debut sketch series Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun on Netflix, Helms has also found success with more dramatic roles, such as in the tragic Joe Kennedy biopic Chappaquiddick.

Stream The Hangover Part II on HBO Max here.

Stream A Futile and Stupid Gesture on Netflix here.

Stream Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun on Netflix here.

Stream Chappaquiddick on Netflix here.

Angela Kinsey (Angela Martin)

It is hard to separate Angela Kinsey from her uptight character on The Office, partially because they have the same first name. To help better disassociate the two, check out the actress in Hulu’s reality TV parody The Hot Wives of Orlando, her supporting role in Netflix’s Miranda Sings series Haters Back Off!, or playing opposite the late Fred Willard in the 2014 sports comedy All Stars.

Stream The Hot Wives of Orlando on Hulu here.

Stream Haters Back Off! on Netflix here.

Stream All Stars on Peacock here.

Oscar Nuñez (Oscar Martinez)

The actor behind fellow Dunder Mifflin accountant Oscar Martinez has also been hard at work outgrowing his Office days. Oscar Nuñez plays one of many Chilean coal miners trapped underground in The 33, which is based on a true incident, and can also be seen on Mr. Iglesias, a the Netflix original sitcom led by comedian Gabriel Iglesias.

Stream The 33 on Hulu here.

Stream Mr. Iglesias on Netlflix here.

Phyllis Smith (Phyllis Vance)

Phyllis Smith was able to to reunite with one her fellow The Office alums in the beloved Pixar film Inside Out, in which she provided the voice of “Sadness” alongside Mindy Kaling’s “Disgust.” She also played a flight attendance in the third Alvin and the Chipmunks movie (which was cheekily subtitled Chipwrecked) in 2011 and later scored a starring role as high school teacher Betty Broderick-Allen on The OA - a unique sci-fi series on Netflix.

Stream Inside Out on Disney+ here.

Stream The OA on Netflix here.

Stream Alvin and The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked on HBO Max here.

Craig Robinson (Darryl Philbin)

It was Craig Robinson’s success outside The Office (in movies like Pineapple Express, for instance) that earned him (and his character, Darryl Philbin) a promotion on the show and his own short-lived series, Mr. Robinson, on NBC after the 2013 finale. The comedian has not slowed down since, appearing in unique comedies like the Rudy Ray Moore biopic Dolemite Is My Name alongside Eddie Murphy or An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn with Parks and Recreation alum Aubrey Plaza.

Stream Pineapple Express on Netflix here.

Stream Mr. Robinson on Peacock here.

Stream Dolemite Is My Name on Netflix here.

Stream An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn on Netflix here.

What do you think? Which The Office alum has the most successful career following the series’ end? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on this beloved sitcom, as well as even more of our own recommendations for movies and TV shows you can stream right now, here on CinemaBlend.

Fox made a brilliant decision when first ordering a U.S. version of South Korea's The Masked Singer. Its ratings success can easily be measured by the network airing four seasons in the span of slightly less than two years, along with a Season 3 premiere that earned the coveted post-Super Bowl time slot. Adding another notch to the franchise's belt is the upcoming spinoff series The Masked Dancer, and below is a quick rundown of just about everything viewers should know before going into Season 1. (Bonus detail: it's currently an event series, but Season 2 will probably happen if the ratings are solid.)

The Masked Dancer's Judges Include Ken Jeong And More

In true spinoff form, The Masked Dancer isn't just an offshoot by name, but it also includes one of the flagship series' stars. For the new show, resident excellent-guesser Ken Jeong is joined by American Idol vet Paula Abdul, Beverly Hills 90210 vet Brian Austin Green and the High School Musical series' Ashley Tisdale. All three non-Ken judges have many years of combined experience within the worlds of music and choreographed dancing – and it's not like Ken can't belt out a tune – so they should all make for qualified game show detectives. Plus, Green already has the expertise of being a former Masked Singer contestant.

Another bonus detail! The Big Bang Theory vet Mayim Bialik already confirmed via wardrobe malfunction post that she will be one of the guest judges during the season, partly in promotion of her own new Fox series, the fourth-wall-breaking comedy Call Me Kat.

Craig Robinson Is The Masked Dancer's Host

Anyone who's a fan of Craig Robinson knows that the comedic entertainer knows how to get his groove on, both with his voice and his moves. So he's as natural a fit for The Masked Dancer as Nick Cannon was for The Masked Singer. Viewers can probably expect to see Robinson bust a move at least once during the show's nine-episode season. Fingers crossed it happens at least once an episode, though.

The Masked Dancer Features 10 Contestants

The Masked Singer has featured everywhere from 12 to 18 celebrities across its four seasons, so The Masked Dancer is setting a franchise low by only featuring ten different celebrity contestants. Everyone has to start somewhere, though, and The Masked Dancer is kicking things off with a lineup of themed costumes that includes Cotton Candy, Cricket, Disco Ball, Exotic Bird, Hammerhead, Ice Cube, Miss Moth, Sloth, Tulip, and Zebra. As it goes with seasons of the flagship series, expected to be impressed, confused, and sometimes a little creeped out by the over-the-top visuals.

The Masked Dancer Originated As A Parody

Not every TV show can make the claim that its existence ties back to a spoof segment from a TV show on a completely different network. But so it goes here, with The Masked Dancer being ordered straight-to-series at Fox after a popular run of spots on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which went on to include enough Masked Singer judge cameos that it almost seemed silly for it not to exist as a full-blown series. Will the Fox show pull a fast one on fans by featuring a star who already showed up on Ellen? It's definitely a possibility.

The Masked Dancer Will Feature More Clues Than The Masked Singer

At this point, The Masked Singer viewers are aware that some of the clues used for its contestants are incredibly silly and hard to decipher, but take note that the producers were aware of that notion when putting The Masked Dancer together. They totally understand that it's more difficult to recognize someone's dance steps as opposed to someone's voice. Here's what Brian Austin Green had to say during the show's panel at Fox's virtual Television Critics Association presentation.

What's more, Paula Abdul followed that up by saying the clues are absolutely everywhere for viewers to pick up on. Not just in the clue packages, but also from within the costumes that the contestants are wearing, as well as the stage decorations and even in the choreography. It'll be interesting to see how particular dance moves may provide pertinent information about one of The Masked Dancer's competitors.

The Masked Dancer Will Include A Clue Type That Couldn't Happen On Masked Singer

Not only will The Masked Dancer include more all-around clues than its predecessor, but the spinoff series will also introduce a new kind of clue that wouldn't have been possible to utilize on The Masked Singer without the risk of spoiling people's identities. Here's how executive producer Craig Plestis explained it during the show's TCA panel.

Hearing someone's undisguised voice would definitely be a major giveaway clue on The Masked Singer, but that element wouldn't necessarily shake things up on The Masked Dancer. At least, assume the celebs they apply that clue to don't have the world's most recognizable voices. So don't expect to see Friends vet Maggie Wheeler or Picard's Patrick Stewart or South Park's Eric Cartman. (If any show on TV would feature an animated character as a contestant, it's going to be one of Fox's Masked shows.)

The Costumes Were Designed Differently For The Masked Dancer

To be sure, the elaborate and eye-grabbing costumes that are created for The Masked Singer aren't exactly designed to making stage performances easy feats for singers. But the producers had to come up with a different game plan for The Masked Dancer, since it requires a different set of physical skills, and all while being produced under COVID-19 guidelines. According to executive producer Craig Plestis, the designers took care to consider the wide variety of movements that go along with dancing. In his words:

Clearly, the biggest takeaway from that answer is: we're gonna see contestants flipping around at some point, and it's probably going to look weird and/or awesome. One of The Masked Dancer's trailers did show a contestant falling to the ground from a large hoop, which may have involved some flips, but hopefully that wasn't a serious accident.

The Masked Dancer Premieres On December 27

Before 2020 has bid everyone its final farewell, Fox is giving viewers a post-Christmas taste of The Masked Dancer on a special night. The competition spinoff will debut on Sunday, December 27, at 8:00 p.m. ET, with the network giving the series premiere a key time slot after that day's NFL games, which is consistently helpful for The Simpsons and Fox's other animated series. After that, though, The Masked Dancer will flip to regularly airing on Wednesday nights starting on January 6, where it will serve as the lead-in for the game show revival Name That Tune.

Well, you should have just read when The Masked Dancer will make its premiere on Fox, so we won't reiterate that. But while you're waiting to start logging your guesses, head to our Fall 2020 TV premiere schedule and our Winter and Spring TV premiere guide to see what other new and returning shows are on the way.

By all accounts, the good people who starred on the mega hit NBC sitcom The Office had a great time working together. They all seen to still genuinely like each other and regularly come out to support one another or make appearances in each others social media feeds. It's extremely rare to hear about any troubles behind the scenes on the long-running show, but it turns out that Rainn Wilson made quite the mistake while filming one scene with Craig Robinson, and he still feels so bad about it that he took the time to apologize publicly for the incident.

Craig Robinson, who played warehouse foreman turned office worker Darryl Philbin on The Office, recently stopped by Rainn Wilson's Soul Pancake podcast on Instagram, Hey There, Human. After a warm welcome from Wilson for taking the time out to speak with him, he relayed a story about how bad he still feels for the "horrible thing" he accidentally did to Robinson when they filmed a scene for the Season 8 episode "Mrs. California."

Part of the episode features a storyline where Dwight opens a gym (appropriately known as The Dwight Schrute Gym for Muscles) in the building and agrees to train Darryl so that he can impress a new female warehouse employee. Apparently, though, during a conversation between the two characters at one point in the episode, Wilson decided to play around with a small weight on Darryl's desk, and it led to an accident that he still feels terrible about. Here's what he had to say:

Egad! Can you imagine just trying to spice a funny scene up a little with a bit of prop business and then conking your scene partner in the head with a weight? I'm sure most of us would still feel as terrible about it as Rainn Wilson clearly does to this day. Wilson was sure to let everyone know that Craig Robinson was incredibly gracious about the accident when it happened, especially since Robinson pointed out that the small weight wasn't actually as light as Wilson originally thought it to be.

While not by any means one of the largest weights that could sit on someone's desk, according to Craig Robinson it did weight more than the one pound that Rainn Wilson thought it did. I can certainly see where Robinson would be more aware of the heft of the object in question, since it was on his character's desk, but I can also imagine that Wilson didn't have any idea that tossing it around would go horribly wrong.

You can take a look at the full interview, which starts at the 13:29 mark (and does include some lovely, non-apology conversation), right here:

Luckily, not only was Craig Robinson eventually totally fine, but he continues to be cool about the accident and harbor no ill will toward Rainn Wilson, which is fantastic, because otherwise, we might not have gotten this wonderful interview.

For now, you can still stream The Office on Netflix until it heads over to Peacock next year. While you wait for word on whether or not we'll get some kind of reunion special or revival of the beloved workplace comedy, feel free to check out what's new on Netflix this year and see what's coming to the small screen this summer!

During its nine season run on NBC, The Office became one of the most biggest, most culturally adored sitcoms of the early 21st century. Through its relatable brand of everyday characters, accompanied by warm performances, inspired plotlines, and engrossing emotional stakes, it's easy to see why so many viewers loved it (and continue to love it). 

Based on the excellent UK series of the same name, The Office became one of the most endearing, quotable American sitcoms of the modern era. But now that The Office has closed its doors, what is the cast up to now? Looking at stars like Steve Carell, John Krasinski, and Mindy Kaling, to name a few, the popular sitcom has launched some of our biggest comedy stars. Several other cast members have also seen their profiles soar thanks to the show's continued success. Let's take a look at where The Office cast has relocated.

Steve Carell (Michael Scott)

As the clueless, socially awkward (if not heartless) regional manager of Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch, Steve Carell served as the central figure on NBC's The Office for the majority of its run. The one-two punch of The 40-Year-Old Virgin and The Office's success turned Carell into a comedy A-lister, resulting in an expanding movie/TV career. These days, Carell is seen in Apple's The Morning Show, which got renewed for a second season. He's also starring in Irresistible, a new political comedy written and directed by Jon Stewart. And he once again lent his voice to the role of Gru in the upcoming Minions: The Rise of Gru, which has now been delayed to the summer of 2021. Additionally, Carell stars in the Netflix comedy series, Space Force, which he co-created alongside The Office's Greg Daniels. It's expected to premiere in May.

John Krasinski (Jim Halpert)

As a good-natured prankster salesman with a heart, John Krasinski's Jim Halpert often served as the one half of the emotional core of The Office, particularly with the ongoing "will they, won't they" relationship between him and his co-star, Pam (Jenna Fischer). Since The Office's final half-hour, Krasinski has continued to expand himself as both an actor and filmmaker. That was certainly seen with his surprise hit horror movie, A Quiet Place, which he directed and co-wrote in addition to starring in. Last month, audiences would've seen the much-anticipated sequel, A Quiet Place: Part II, which he once again wrote and directed, but the film was unfortunately delayed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to this burgeoning horror movie franchise, Krasinski has also found a great deal of success playing the title role in Amazon's hit streaming series, Jack Ryan.

Rainn Wilson (Dwight Schrute)

As Dwight Schrute, the "assistant to the regional manager" and the constant source of Jim's pranks, Rainn Wilson played a memorable presence on The Office. While he didn't quite reach the same career heights as a few of his Office co-workers, he continues to have an active career in both movies and on television. Most recently, he was seen in the series finale of Transparent and a few recent episodes of Mom. Up next, he'll star in Gillian Flynn's new series, Utopia, and he's set to appear in the drama series, The Power. He'll also be seen in the thriller Don't Tell A Soul and he provided this voice to the animated movie Robodog, both of which are expected to come out at some point later this year. He also founded the website SoulPancake.

Jenna Fischer (Pam Beesly)

As Pam Beesly, the receptionist of Dunder Mifflin who forms a "will they, won't they" co-worker relationship with Jim Halpert (John Krasinski), Jenna Fischer was the other half of The Office's emotional arc. The dryly funny actress who has primarily worked in TV since The Office ended, including Splitting Up Together, Drunk History, and You, Me, And the Apocalypse after her time on The Office. Fischer also wrote a book, The Actor's Life: A Survival Guide, which was published in 2017. She currently hosts the podcast Office Ladies alongside her friend and former co-star, Angela Kinsey.

BJ Novak (Ryan Howard)

As Ryan Howard, a low-level employee who became an active member of the office, B.J. Novak played a prevalent role both in front of and behind the camera on The Office. Serving as a writer and director on the popular series, Novak used his popularity from the series to continue working as both an actor and creative in the business. As an actor, Novak has been seen in The Mindy Project (which he also helped direct), Saving Mr. Banks, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Community, and The Founder since The Office came to a close. Up next, B.J. Novak will make his feature directorial debut with the horror-mystery-thriller Vengeance, which he also wrote and will star in. He appears to be following John Krasinski's steps by getting into the horror game.

Ed Helms (Andy Bernard)

A Dunder Mifflin salesman who found himself promoted to Regional Manager shortly after Michael Scott left Scranton, Ed Helms went from supporting star to the head of The Office over the course of the show's run. Promoted in part due to his rising popularity thanks to The Hangover movies, among other projects, Helms remains active following his tenure on The Office. He's appeared in movies both big and small, including Vacation, The Clapper, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, Chappaquiddick, Father Figures, Tag, and more. Up next, Helms will star in the new Netflix action-comedy, Coffee & Kareem, which hits the streaming service on April 3rd. Helms is also soon set to be seen in another new comedy, Togetherish, later this year.

Mindy Kaling (Kelly Kapoor)

As a customer service representative for Dunder Mifflin, Mindy Kaling's Kelly Kapoor grew in prominence throughout the course of the show's run. The actress, who was also a writer for the NBC sitcom, has also continued to rise in prominence since the show's finale, notably with her own TV series, The Mindy Project, as well as acting parts in A Wrinkle in Time, Ocean's 8, and a voice role in Pixar's Inside Out. Most recently, Kaling wrote and starred in Late Night, and she appeared in a few episodes of The Morning Show. She also created the Hulu series, Four Weddings and a Funeral, based on the 1994 movie of the same name, and she is the creator of the new Netflix sitcom, Never Have I Ever, which will premiere later this month.

Angela Kinsey (Angela Martin)

As the head of accounting at Dunder Mifflin, Angela Martin, played by Angela Kinsey, could often be a cold and careless person around the office. But as an actress, Kinsey has continued to brighten the screen through different film and television roles in Tall Girl, Fresh Off The Boat, Haters Back Off, and more. Up next, Kinsey stars in Mindy Kaling's Netflix series, Never Have I Ever. Also, she co-hosts the podcast Office Ladies with Jenna Fischer.

Oscar Nunez (Oscar Martinez)

As an accountant for Dunder Mifflin, Oscar Martinez, played by Oscar Nunez, is another character who has seen their role expanded on the show as it grew in popularity. Most recently Nunez has been since in shows like Life in Pieces, Mr. Iglesias, NCIS: Los Angeles, and more. Most recently, Nunez lent his voice to 3Below: Tales of Arcadia and Where's Waldo? He was also seen in a series of State Farm Insurance commercials.

Phyllis Smith (Phyllis Vance)

As the sweet-natured Phyllis Vance, Phyllis Smith's role on The Office grew over the source of the series. As an actress, Smith has since been seen or heard in The Middle, the Netflix series The OA, and she took on the voice of the adorably gloomy Sadness in Pixar's Inside Out.

Leslie David Baker (Stanley Hudson)

As a long-time Dunder Mifflin employee who is quick to scoff or roll his eyes at anything happening around the Dunder Mifflin offices, Leslie David Baker's Stanley Hudson always had a wonderful reaction to the goofiness of his work environment, particularly with his dry, witty, loaded retorts. As an actor, Baker has continued to work primarily in television since The Office's series finale. Most recently, he has been lending his voice to the animated series, Puppy Dog Pals. He also recently appeared in an episode of the CBS sitcom, Fam.

Brian Baumgartner (Kevin Malone)

Playing the part of the lovable Kevin Malone, a good-hearted — if not the brightest — accountant for Dunder Mifflin, Brian Baumgartner provided us with one of the most endearing characters on The Office. The actor continues to bounce between film and TV since The Office came to a close. He's been seen in shows like Melissa & Joey, Chicago Fire, The Goldbergs, and Good Behavior, to name only a few. He will next be seen in Electric Jesus.

Kate Flannery (Meredith Palmer)

As Meredith Palmer, Kate Flannery constantly found herself in some of The Office's most outrageous moments. Since her time on The Office, Flannery has continued to work primarily in television, notably doing voice work for shows like Steven Universe and OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes. She'll next be seen in the comedy Golden Arm. Also, last year, Flannery appeared on the recent season of the competitive dancing series, Dancing with the Stars.

Paul Lieberstein (Toby Flenderson)

As Toby Flenderson, the long-suffering Human Resources Representatives who was often the bane of Michael Scott's existence (while earning the wrath of a few other Dunder Mifflin employees as well), Paul Lieberstein played a memorable punching bag on The Office, though Lieberstein also had an extensive influence on the program as a writer and director. Since The Office came to a close, Lieberstein has continued to work in front and behind the camera, directing and starring in episodes of The Mindy Project and The Newsroom while also appearing in the TBS series People of Earth. Most recently, in 2018, Lieberstein made his feature debut by starring, writing, producing, and directing the dark comedy, Song of Back and Neck.

Creed Bratton (Creed Bratton)

Playing a fictional version of himself, Creed Bratton was one of the oldest members of Dunder Mifflin and he was certainly among the most spirited. Although he is primarily a musician, his memorable role in this popular sitcom is what he might now be best known for. Bratton was an actor before the show became a hit, though the series definitely helped him find more roles. He was most recently seen in The Sisters Brothers and an episode of Into the Dark. He'll next be seen in the comedies Maybe There's a Tree and Mayfield's Game.

Craig Robinson (Darryl Philbin)

Although Craig Robinson didn't have a sizable role at the beginning of The Office as Darryl Philbin, his character was brought closer to the forefront in later seasons, and the actor's profile has continued to soar throughout the years. Most recently, Robinson has been seen in Dolemite Is My Name, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, and Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made. He also was heard in Dolittle and Big Mouth. He also has a reoccurring part on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Up next, he lends his voice to The Ark and the Aardvark. Robinson will also appear in the fantasy film, Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon.

Ellie Kemper (Erin Hannon)

As Erin Hannon, the new receptionist at Dunder Mifflin, Ellie Kemper played a lively role in the later seasons of The Office. Since her time on the show, Kemper has continued to rise in prominence. Most notably with the title role in Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. She has also done voice work for The Secret Life of Pets movies, Sofia the First, We Bare Bears, and more. She'll next be seen in the comedy The Stand-In, and she's set to star in the upcoming Home Alone reboot. Also, in 2018, she published her first book, My Squirrel Days.

Who is your favorite Office actor? Let us know in the comment section.

Robert Downey, Jr. surrounds himself with a supporting cast of animals, with whom his physician character possesses the ability to speak to, in Dolittle. The animal characters are brought to life by, of course, CGI trickery and an A-list ensemble voice talents.

In his first role outside of the MCU sandbox in years, Robert Downey, Jr. clearly owns much of the spotlight as the title role of the adventure fantasy based on Hugh Lofting’s novels. However, we believe the animal cast of Dolittle, now playing in theaters, deserve just as much attention. In that spirit, who are these animals and who is voicing them?

Barry (Ralph Fiennes)

In comparison to previous sinister roles, such as Lord Voldemort or Amon Goeth in Schindler’s List, Barry may be one of the more lighthearted villains Academy Award-nominee Ralph Fiennes has played. Despite making friends with most of the animals he meets, Dr. John Dolittle finds an adversary in the gold-fanged tiger who eyes the physician for his next meal when he finds himself locked in a dungeon with him.

Betsy (Selena Gomez)

Easily the tallest of Robert Downey Jr.’s onscreen animal friends, Betsy is a giraffe voiced by former Disney Channel star and current pop star, Selena Gomez. The actress and singer, who made a recent surprise turn in Jim Jarmusch’s horror-comedy The Dead Don’t Die last year, has also lent her voice to Sony Animation’s Hotel Transylvania trilogy as Count Dracula’s daughter, Mavis.

Chee-Chee (Rami Malek)

You have heard of the Cowardly Lion - now, meet the Cowardly Gorilla. Oscar-winner Rami Malek, who will also appear as James Bond’s next villain in No Time to Die, goes from portraying a larger than life rock star in Bohemian Rhapsody to a larger than life jungle beast in Dolittle. However, despite his size, Chee-Chee is far meeker and more anxious than one would expect a gorilla to be, but that does not stop Robert Downey, Jr.’s Dr. John Dolittle from selecting him as his right-hand man.

Dab-Dab (Octavia Spencer)

Octavia Spencer, the titular antagonist of last year’s thriller Ma, plays an absent-minded duck named Dab-Dab in Dolittle. This is the third time the Oscar-winning actress has voiced an animal, after playing a snake in Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters and an otter in Zootopia, and her second voice role in 2020, along with playing the Manticore in Pixar’s upcoming fantasy Onward.

Dragon (Frances de la Tour)

Of all the creatures in Dolittle’s ensemble, none is more “fantastic” than the fire-breathing dragon that the film’s trailer sees Robert Downey Jr. and his pals awkwardly crossing paths with. Dragon is voiced by Tony-winning English actress Frances de la Tour, who is no stranger to fantasy, having played half-giant Madame Maxime in Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and a full giant in Into the Woods.

James the Dragonfly (Jason Mantzoukas)

In addition to a dragon, Robert Downey Jr. also interacts with a (much smaller) dragonfly named James in Dolittle. Providing the voice of James is Jason Mantzoukas, a comic actor of Greek descent known best as co-host of the How Did This Get Made? podcast, the impeccably crass fan-favorite Rafi on the long-running FX comedy The League, and his surprisingly earnest turn as the ominous Tick Tock Man in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum.

Jip (Tom Holland)

How fitting for Tom Holland, whose Peter Parker follows Tony Stark like a dog in Spider-Man: Homecoming, stars in Dolittle, alongside MCU co-star Robert Downey Jr., as a dog. Playing Dr. John Dolittle’s house pet, Jip, also allows Holland the unusual opportunity to use his natural British accent, unlike his other big voice acting role this year in Pixar’s Onward, alongside fellow Dolittle animal star Octavia Spencer.

Kevin (Craig Robinson)

Like his co-star Octavia Spencer, Craig Robinson also provided the voice of a talking snake in Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, but in Dolittle, he and Spencer do not have animals in common. The former Office actor who recently starred in the Golden Globe-nominated Netflix biopic Dolemite Is My Name is the voice of a rambunctious squirrel named Kevin.

Plimpton (Kumail Nanjiani)

After playing a dog named Rusty in the animated HBO series Animals., Kumail Nanjiani is once again lending his voice to a talking animal character, this time an ostrich named Plimpton in Dolittle. Plimpton is the second CGI character in a live action movie voiced by the Pakistani-born comedian after playing pint-sized alien Pawny in Men in Black: International. The Academy Award-nominated co-star and writer of 2017’s The Big Sick just starred in the sixth and final season of HBO’s hit comedy Silicon Valley and is set to make his MCU debut later this year in Eternals.

Poly (Emma Thompson)

Polynesia (“Poly” for short) is a parrot with a far more sophisticated vocabulary than the typical squawk of your average tropical bird. In Dolittle, she is often seen going toe-to-talon with Robert Downey, Jr.’s character as to who should be considered the alpha of the group. Voiced by Academy Award-winner Emma Thompson, whose performance in the comedy Late Night recently earned her a Golden Globe nomination, Poly’s British accent gives her a heartwarming classiness that rivals most humans.

Tutu (Marion Contillard)

It is not very often that foxes are depicted as French, but French-born Marion Contillard’s performance as the voice of Tutu must be a unique turning point for the animal in cinema. Dolittle is the first English-language voice acting role for the actress, best known as a Christopher Nolan regular and for her Oscar-winning performance in La Vie En Rose, which depicts the life of French singer Edith Piaf.

Yoshi (John Cena)

After playing a kind bull in Ferdinand, John Cena once again plays a walking contradiction to nature in Dolittle as Yoshi, a polar bear who cannot stand to be cold. The wrestling star began his onscreen career as the title role of the WWE-produced action flick The Marine in 2006 and has gone on to play a variety of roles, such as an overprotective dad in Blockers and a hostile government agent in the Transformers spin-off Bumblebee. He is set to star in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad and also recently followed in his WWE colleague Dwayne Johnson’s footsteps by joining the cast of Fast and Furious 9.

It seems that Robert Downey Jr. has an impressive zoo of talent to back him up in Dolittle. Be sure to check back for more updates on the family adventure and its large cast here on CinemaBlend.

Fox has been the home of paranormal investigation TV shows since the debut of The X-Files way in 1993. The network is bringing the paranormal back to primetime this fall for a brand new series, but it won't be a sci-fi drama this time around. Ghosted will be a half-hour comedy starring comedic legends Adam Scott and Craig Robinson as they channel their inner Mulder and Scully. The first trailer for Ghosted has finally hit the web, and it's pretty fabulous. Check it out!

Ghosted will follow the adventures of the skeptic Leroy Wright -- a.k.a., the Scully -- and the paranormal believer Max Jennifer -- a.k.a., the Mulder -- after they are recruited by the "Bureau Underground" to investigate the unexplainable and solve the mysteries of the supernatural in Los Angeles. Captain Ava Lafrey (Ally Walker) has to try and wrangle these two into actually helping to save the planet, while forensic pathologist/chatty kidnapper Barry (Adeel Akhtar) and tech genius Delilah Ward try to keep everybody alive and investigating. I predict many shenanigans are in store once this motley crew falls in together.

There will clearly be a fair amount of slapstick to start off, with the emphasis on slap. The three-minute trailer obviously isn't long enough to really given a thorough idea of what the series will be. Still, we can at least bet that Ghosted won't retread much of The X-Files. At the very least, I don't expect a whole lot in the way of heat between the two leads, and their lives will probably be less tragic than good old Mulder and Scully. I'll admit that I had my doubts about Craig Robinson and Adam Scott on this series, but they sold me right from the scene in the trailer when they're tied to chairs and complaining about Lafrey taking a phone call. I'm willing to see where this goes.

My best guess is that the success of Ghosted will be determined by how well Adam Scott and Craig Robinson work as co-leads. If we're lucky, they'll be able to build a chemistry right off the bat in the same way that Damon Wayans and Clayne Crawford did on Fox's Lethal Weapon last fall. If we're not so lucky, Ghosted may not have what it takes to last in the long run. I'm actually optimistic. Scott and Robinson are hilarious on their own, and the trailer indicates that they'll be more than capable of working together as a comedic duo. We'll have to wait and see.

Ghosted will air on Sundays at 8:30 p.m. ET on Fox, in what is a pretty sweet time slot between The Simpsons at 8 p.m. and Family Guy at 9 p.m. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in TV news, and don't forget to check out our summer TV premiere schedule to discover all your viewing options now and in the coming weeks. Be sure to drop by our rundowns for cable/streaming and broadcast TV renewals and cancellations as well. Our TV season finale schedule can give you all you need to know about your shows ending.

Spike has found success in the past with adapting games from late night TV for standalone series. The phenomenally popular Lip Sync Battle show came out of a segment on The Tonight Show that pitted Jimmy Fallon against his guest of the night. Now, Spike will be trying again to channel the popularity of a late night bit. The network will produce a series that combines the "Carpool Karaoke" segment from The Late Late Show with the in-car trivia game show Cash Cab to give unsuspecting participants the chance to win prizes. The show is fittingly called Caraoke Showdown.

Caraoke Showdown will be hosted by actor Craig Robinson, who will pose as a driver and pick up folks who are surprised to discover that they're contestants in a game show (like Cash Cab). Those who decide to play will participate in multiple rounds of different musical games , ranging from singing their favorite songs to finishing lyrics to songs to acting out the lyrics of songs. The cameras will be rolling the whole time as Robinson convinces riders that prizes are worth going karaoke crazy in a car.

Filming will take place in New York and Los Angeles this summer, and the series will make its grand Spike debut at some point in 2017. Craig Robinson is on board to executive produce in addition to lead the contestants in song. He really could be the perfect person to kick off the somewhat bizarre show. Robinson is recognizable enough that unwitting contestants will be able to tell that Caraoke Showdown is a legitimate production with a TV star rather than a creepy car ride on camera with a random driver. I know I'd be convinced that I was really being asked to sing for Spike if Craig Robinson were asking.

Deal or No Deal host Howie Mandel will executive produce alongside Craig Robinson. Mandel has the game show experience that Caraoke Showdown might need in order to work for more than a single season. Ten episodes of a half hour each are all that have been ordered so far. If Robinson's and Mandel's combined efforts are enough to make a solid show, Spike may have another big hit.

It should be interesting to see if Robinson is able to fly under the radar in New York and L.A. for the first season of Caraoke Showdown. Most people probably won't have heard enough about the new Spike show to suspect that there might be any game show shenanigans awaiting them in a car. Hopefully he'll find plenty of people willing to belt their best for possible prizes.

We still have a while to wait before we get to see Caraoke Showdown hit the airwaves on Spike. Check out our fall TV premiere schedule to see what you'll be able to watch on the small screen in the meantime.

Every year the Sundance Film Festival produces several great films that most movie fans never see, but really should. This year, one of those films is Morris From America, a coming of age story with a twist. A24 has now released the first trailer for the film and if you're in the mood for a story that has as much humor as it does heart, this may be the film for you. Check it out.

Morris From America follows Morris Gentry, played by newcomer Markees Christmas, as a young boy whose father moves him from the US to Germany. As an African-American, aspiring hip-hop star, he's even more out of his element in Germany than he would have been at home. Now, he needs to find a way to fit in, while also being a boy who stands out more than anybody. Comedian Craig Robinson plays Morris' father, a professional soccer coach who has to make the move for work reasons. Along the way, Morris falls for a girl, because, as dad says, "it's always a girl" and begins to make friends and share his rap music.

Movies like Morris From America come around a lot, but it's not about being original here, a good coming of age story is simply about doing something interesting with the well-understood material. The contrast of an African-American family in Germany is certainly a significant one that we don't see all the time which helps the film stand out, much like its main character. The idea of Morris trying to fit in as an aspiring "gangsta" is the sort of story that we might expect to see in any film, and the concept could be charming, but by transplanting the plot to Germany it puts a new spin on what would otherwise be played out. We can imagine that your average German doesn't see a character like Morris often and would probably find him to be more interesting than odd, that's certainly the implication. Morris' new girlfriend seems thrilled to have a rapping boyfriend, even if he's not quite able to pull off the image quite as well. We don't think most ganstas choke on their smoke quite this much.

From what we can see here, Markees Christmas certainly looks to have the energy to carry a film like this. We're certainly interested to see more. We'll finally get our chance when Morris From America is released August 19, and exclusively on DirecTV starting July 7th. Are you interested in checking this one out? Let us know what you think of the trailer in the comments.

The holidays mean many different things for many different people. For some, it’s about spending time with family. For others, it’s about seeing how much food can be eaten, and how many gifts can be opened. For companies, it’s about winning over consumers with holiday-themed commercial campaigns. So far this year, there have been plenty of ads vying for shoppers’ attention, and it’s perhaps non-shocking to find out that the most successful campaign of all comes from Walmart, which utilized Craig Robinson’s golden vocal cords to reach the masses.

Walmart’s “As Sung by Craig Robinson” commercials, in which the former Office star plays the keyboard and sings to people about deals and holiday policies, have been crushing almost everything beneath them on their way to becoming part of the most-viewed holiday campaign of 2015. According to RetailDive, analytics firm Visible Measure reports over 39.8 million viewers have witnessed the magic of Robinson singing about Same Day Pick-Up, holiday gift recommendations, and more since the campaign started up at the beginning of November. And those stats aren’t up-to-the-minute, so I’d imagine that number will be quite a bit higher now.

Now, to be fair, there are quite a few of these “As Sung by Craig Robinson” commercials out there, so that total number of views is spread out over a dozen or so videos. Does that take away from the victory? Nope, but it’s worth mentioning. And in any case, the ad seen below was watched well over 13 million times on its own, which almost gets it into the Top 10 by itself. Check out why people are all about that humorous credit card information.

All the Walmart lovers and haters out there will certainly love and hate to find out that this campaign wasn’t even Walmart’s only entry on the chart. The super successful retailer also landed in the #5 slot for its more heartwarming “Christmas 2015” push, and also at #7 for a series of how-to videos offering advice on making holiday get-togethers memorable. Maybe they’d have both landed higher if Craig Robinson was the one telling stories about kids and teaching people how to add more flavor to their parties.

Thankfully, there are other companies whose holiday ads were embraced by everyone. Taking the second-place slot is “Battle for Christmas Morning,” the Star Wars-centered commercial from Duracell that featured C-3PO, R2-D2, Stormtroopers, lightsabers and more; it has also been watched by over 39 million people. The list is rounded out by ads from Samsung, Ziploc, Target, Toys ‘R’ Us, and AT&T. The outlier in this bunch is the Mormon.org spot “A Savior is Born,” which has been watched over 17 million times.

Now that all that has been settled, who wants to come with me to Walmart? Anyone? No one?

Like most people, I’ve been a huge fan of Craig Robinson since he broke out on The Office a little less than a decade ago, and I’ve enjoyed him in just about everything he’s done since he first came on the radar. I thought I could watch anything he put out there, but his new NBC series Mr. Robinson is another example of major comedic talent being watered down by lazy joke writing in an identity-free sitcom. As it’s said in the show at least a dozen times, “Oh HELL no.”

It’s already hard to pinpoint all of the ways in which creator and former Office EP Owen Ellickson sinks the Mr. Robinson pilot at almost every turn, but Cop Out screenwriters Mark and Robb Cullen managed to take it down even further as showrunners for the rest of the six-episode first season. The sex-related jokes are the kind you’d hear at the worst family reunion, the race-related jokes are the kind you’d hear a work seminar, and this is possibly the most unbelievable school scenario since Saved by the Bell. I just hope everyone involved spent their paychecks wisely.

Robinson naturally plays struggling musician Craig Robinson, who cycles through the Chicago club scene with his libido-laden funk band The Nasty Delicious, a real-world tie-in that was the most enjoyable aspect of the show to me. His brother Ben (Brandon T. Jackson) is his guitarist as well as his sloppy, jobless roommate, and although the band aims to make it as far as possible, Craig chooses to supplant his artistic dreams with a substitute-turned-permanent teaching position at his high school alma mater, mostly based on the fact that Victoria (Meagan Good), a girl he “dated” all those years ago, teaches there now. And even though she has a boyfriend, Craig won’t be dismayed. After all, he finagled his way into a music teacher job seemingly based only on the fact that the principal, played by Frasier vet Peri Gilpin, thinks he’s got a great physique.

It’s a shame that the show didn’t expand its throwback approach by showing what Craig was like in high school, instead just offering up witless banter with a handful of coworkers that seem to be the only other adults in the school (which also has barely any children in it). Beyond the lifeless Victoria, we’ve got Ben Koldyke’s “Magnum P.E.” Jimmy, the worse-than-your-worst-uncle gym coach, Asif Ali’s nerdy science teacher and Spencer Grammer’s math teacher Ashleigh, whose schtick is that she’s also a stripper. The (almost) always enjoyable Tim Bagley plays the big boss Supervisor Dalton, though he’s just another layer of incompetence.

Craig’s students aren’t any better. Dante Brown has the most personality as the rap-spewing Deandre, and there’s Ethan Josh Lee as Quan Phook, whom Craig refers to as DJ Phonebook, who speaks solely in terribly awkward non sequiturs. Otherwise, the child actors could have been changed from episode to episode and I wouldn’t have noticed.

It’s mind-boggling that NBC spent the last year or so diminishing its comedy slate, only to drop this vapid nonsense on summer viewers. Instead of School of Rock, this is more like School of Cock, considering all the penis jokes that are made. (Yes, the pilot even has a hermaphrodite “joke.”) If there’s one piece of proof beyond all others that Mr. Robinson is a failure, it’s that the impeccable Gary Cole makes a guest spot as a substance-abusing record exec, and he’s quite possibly the least enjoyable character of all the six episodes. How does anyone ruin Gary Cole?

While there are slipshod attempts to give a couple of these characters minor story arcs, these six episodes are clearly more comfortable using the limited time to shoot for broad humor over carving out meaningful dialogue and relationships. Which, to be fair, is what high school could be like sometimes. But those aren’t the times that anyone remembers years later, and few will remember Mr. Robinson after NBC expels it from our lives. We'll be looking for you elsewhere soon, Craig.

Rating:

Mr. Robinson will be holding viewers in primetime detention when it premieres on NBC on Wednesday, August 5, at 9 p.m. ET for a double-episode airing.

The Bahamas might be a great place to spend time relaxing, but for The Office star Craig Robinson, his journey to the Caribbean proved to be the exact opposite thanks to some questionable decisions. Yesterday, he was busted with a baggie full of drugs and was forced to go in front of the magistrate to try and keep himself out of jail.

According to TMZ, Robinson was in the Bahamas in order to perform at the gigantic Atlantis Hotel. While there, authorities found half a gram of marijuana and eighteen ecstasy pills, which is serious business in the Bahamas. Under the law, being caught with such substances carries with it a maximum penalty of four years in jail, but rather than fight it out, the actor decided to fall on the sword. He admitted the drugs were his and used the classic I-didn’t-know-ecstasy-was-illegal-in-the-Bahamas excuse, which went over fairly well. He got slapped with a one thousand dollar fine and was promptly given the boot out of the country.

This isn’t Robinson’s first brush with drug-related charges. Back in 2008, he was caught with meth and later pled guilty to possession of a controlled substance. He escaped any kind of harsher penalties by completing a drug diversion program. Given how regularly he works and what little problems he seems to cause on the set, Robinson’s drug problem seems to be purely recreational. That being said, with two busts under his belt plus the health problems long-term ecstasy usage can cause, he should probably think of toning it down a bit and making wiser decisions.

Pop Blend’s sincerest thoughts go out to Robinson during this time of need. He’s one of the most inventive and brilliant comedians working today, and I think I speak for all of his fans when I say we’d like to see him around (and out of jail) for decades to come. Here’s to hoping that happens.

The above poster came straight from iTunes Movie Trailers, so we are fairly certain that it wasn’t just the work of a bored teenager wasting his time with Photoshop instead of cleaning his room. Paul Middleditch’s upcoming dark comedy Rapture-Palooza looks absolutely amazing, full of absurdist humor and surreal situations. In a year strangely full of post-apocalyptic comedies – such as the “Seth Rogen ‘n’ Friends” flick This is the End and Edgar Wright’s The World’s End - Rapture-Palooza’s red band trailer put it out in front as far as zany subject matter.

So why does this poster read 1992 direct-to-video? I’d try and seriously consider how generic it looks, but it’s kind of impossible, even though I like the way the pitchfork is used as the letter E in “rapture.” Silver linings, if nothing else. Seeing Craig Robinson in anything is a plus, but having his Antichrist character stand next to Anna Kendrick in front of a flame graphic is a step down from even the lamest Office episode. Why does co-star John Francis Daley (Freaks and Geeks) have to get shafted?

The film will follow Daley and Kendrick as a married couple who find themselves trapped on Earth after the Rapture hits, and the world is now full of talking crows and a laser-beamed Jesus and general malaise all around. Robinson appears and aims to bring Hell to Earth, but not if our lead couple can help it. These characters are joined by a bunch of co-stars, including Ken Jeong, Rob Corddry, Thomas Lennon, Tyler Labine, Rob Huebel, Paul Scheer and Ana Gasteyer.

The film comes to theaters and to VOD on June 10th, hopefully with a better poster out by then. Check out the trailer below if you missed it the first time. Remember, red band means NSFW.

On some set visits, you spend a lot of time talking to the people who make the film look the way it does, from the production designers to the costumers to the director, all of them showing you their amazing special effects and the unique world they've created, usually within a soundstage. And while the effects on This Is The End will no doubt be impressive-- directors Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg still seemed slightly amazed that Sony even gave them the budget they had-- the movie is really all about the talking, and the comedic spark between the six main characters, all of whom we've seen playing friends in one combination or another for years.

There's Rogen and James Franco, who met over a decade ago playing buddies on Freaks & Geeks. There's Rogen and Franco and Danny McBride and Craig Robinson, who were at the center of the stoner action comedy Pineapple Express. There's Rogen and Jonah Hill and Jay Baruchel, who were three of the slacker roommates in Knocked Up. And behind it all there's Rogen and Goldberg, childhood friends who wrote Superbad together when they were 13 and who are making their directing debut on This Is The End, which at moments looked like an expensive excuse to get all their friends together and improvise in a giant set that was supposed to be James Franco's Los Angeles mansion.

You've probably caught one of the many hilarious trailers or clips for This Is The End, which show off the party at Franco's house that gets disrupted when, well, the world seems to be ending. But for how the movie came together, how the guys improvise together on the set and how they avoid keeping in too many in-jokes, check out this compilation of the interviews we conducted on This Is The End's New Orleans set last June. And for everything you need to know about This Is The End, click here.

The whole project started with "Jay and Seth vs. The Apocalypse," a short that debuted online in 2007 and was rumored to become a feature film not long after.

Baruchel: It’s been six, seven years that I’ve been waiting for this thing to finally get going and I’m still blown away that people think our little short can be a movie, so it’s pretty neat to see it come to fruition.

The short happened because a friend of ours named Jason Stone, who is over there at video village. He was graduating from USC and he kind of wanted a calling card for potential directing gigs so he and Evan came up with this silly idea of me and Seth being stuck in an apartment together and just bitching at each other, so we went to USC and shot for two days on this awesome set that these kids built and yeah, that was it.

Was there ever a point when the feature version was just going to be the two of you or was it always going to be more people?

Baruchel: Oh, I have no idea. Yeah. I think maybe at the very beginning, but I think that would have limited the scope of the thing and the voices that could be in it. I think just him and I made sense for seven minutes or a trailer but I think for a whole movie people would probably get sick of just the two of us…

Goldberg: The basic idea was: What’s the biggest concept we could do at the cheapest price possible? And that lends itself to making a big movie. We never wanted to do a small version but we would’ve. If it came down to it.

Rogen: I mean we made an End of the World movie in that short, for like literally like zero dollars. So that was kind of the idea, was to make an epic giant movie that, you know, was somewhat contained at times so you could kind of afford to spend your money on the big stuff when you needed to basically. I mean, visual effects have come so far at this point, you really can do a lot with not a little money.

Goldberg: Like Chronicle kind of blew our fucking minds.

Rogen: Yeah, we look to movies like Chronicle and Cloverfield and a lot of movies that use practical effects in great ways. Those were really what guided us and let us know what we could do something that was visually epic and gigantic but for a price that we could do whatever the fuck we wanted basically.

When Rogen and Goldberg finally had a script ready for the feature version-- and a studio willing to finance it-- they started assembling the story specifically for each actor, but only once they could get the schedules worked out.

Rogen: We talked to all these guys about doing it like before we started writing.

Goldberg: We never ever thought they’d all do it - just by scheduling and all that.

Rogen: Yeah, we told them. We were like: “We don’t want to write a fucking movie with you guys in it if you guys aren’t going to do it. So just let us know if it’s something you think you would do.” And everyone said yes and so then we wrote it, after having talked to them all. So we knew we could do it basically.

Robinson: Everyone said I was the first one to say, I'm in. I don’t know if this had been done with people just, everybody's using their real names and stuff like that, so I thought it was ambitious and exciting.

Hill: It was right after I finished Jump Street, I think. I came over to Seth's house and they discussed it with me. There are a few people in my career I've been lucky enough to work with who I would do anything for, and Seth and Evan are those guys. If they ask me to show up, I show up. It doesn't really matter what it is.

McBride: They were fishing around for when was a window of time when everybody would be available. Somehow the continents shifted and everyone could take off for these three months just to come here and have fun.

Rogen: We have some friends that weren’t able to do it, but when you watch it, you’ll notice that not every single person we’ve ever worked with was in it. That’s because a few of them had scheduling conflicts.

Each of the actors were asked to play themselves, but all of them different in some way-- McBride is a much more obnoxious version of himself, Hill a much sweeter one, and Baruchel is presented as the "friend from out of town," even though he acts as much as his co-stars. Some of the actors were on set wearing their own clothes, while others were quick to point out how different they were from their characters.

Goldberg: We definitely started off with everyone being full-blown assholes and then realized that it was too silly and we kind of give them each more realistic characters.

Rogen: Not everyone is an asshole. I don’t think any of these guys are really playing themselves in any real way, but I think every character is rounded to some degree within the reality of the movie.

McBride: Everybody is definitely portrayed in a way that is a little more grotesque than they normally are. Seth oddly enough doesn’t really have any negative attributes in this movie. (Laughs) He comes off as courageous, bold… I don’t know.

Baruchel: I think they take the aspects of our personalities that are most conducive to punchlines and story arcs and exacerbate them, so it’s a tightrope. There’s definitely some stuff I do or say in this movie that real Jay wouldn’t do or say but yeah, it’s strange. We are ourselves and we’re not. It’s kind of Curb Your Enthusiasm-ish in that respect.

Franco: When we started talking about it in pre-production, they said "You're sort of playing the version of yourself that's the most distant from you who you are." Part of that has to do with the dynamics they need for the film. There are aspects of me-- like I'm an actor, I like art, I like Seth-- that the character shares, but it's pushed to a goofy extreme. The character's, y'know, stupider, he's got the emotional level of a 13-year-old. They all do, I think. And you know, he's just a little shallower than I like to think that I am.

Robinson: I don’t think I am as whiny. I cry a lot in this movie, for the silly factor, but I don’t think I am that cry babyish. I think I'd be more like, "Yeah, bring it mother fucker."

Hill: I wanted to play a version of myself – and they'd originally written it differently – but someone who always saw the sympathy in a situation. Someone who was overly sympathetic to everything. And I poke fun at myself. Obviously everyone does in this movie. I went to dinner with an actor who was shooting out here the night before we started shooting, and he had a big diamond stud earring in his ear. So the day we started shooting I said I wanted to wear a big diamond in my ear and they thankfully let me do that.

Robinson: [wearing a T-shirt that says "Take Yo Panties Off] I had a similar t-shirt on at one of the parties that these guys throw, this was a few years back and they remembered it, and they wanted us all to be as close to our actual selves as possible. Literally, some days I have worn these actual jeans to set and then switched into them, into these actual jeans. It's the most comfortable I've probably been [on-set].

McBride: It’s just funny when you read it and you read the fate of your character, you kind of invest a little more, like “Really? This is what happens of me? This is what these guys think of me?” Then you realize everybody gets shit on.

Franco: This is I think unusual because it's being done in a mainstream, commercial movie. But I think other shows, like reality shows, like the Osbournes pushed it further than what we're doing, the Kardashians push it further than what we're doing. You think you're getting a real taste of who they are. I hope nobody watches this and thinks "Oh, that's what they're really like." There are ways to push it further. This is just, this is new because of the commercial film frame and bringing it into a heavy effects kind of film. LIke if the Kardashians suddenly were fighting aliens or something like that, sorta like that.

Baruchel: At this point, who the fuck cares? Like people will infer what they infer, I’ve learned that a long time ago, and if I got worried about people assuming I’m like the characters I play I probably would have quit ten years ago. In those rare moments when I’m faced with that, I just remind myself that less than a quarter of actors can feed themselves from acting and I’ve been able to have a career doing that for 18 years, so that trumps any of that stereotyping issue.

All of the actors have worked together previously, of course, and their comfort with each other showed clearly on set. Some were more open than others about how much this reunion meant to them personally.

McBride: I’m trying to think of when we have all been in the same room together. Independently we have all been together, but yeah this is union hasn’t happened… I think my wedding was the last time all four of us [Franco, Rogen, Robinson and McBride-- the Pineapple Express crew] were together, yeah, in a swimming pool filled with piss.

Hill: My college experience was making movies with these guys. We all started out together and have grown and evolved in different ways. To have everyone assembled together for a movie like this, and have had them start together, is rare. I know this is my last comedy for the next year, year-and-a-half probably, so it feels like a cap to my early 20s. I don't know how to put it without making it sound like it wasn't important for anyone else, only me, but it's rare to get to work with this many people you've known for years and years and years. The next three things I'm doing are more hardcore, emotionally, and this is really fun. It's cathartic and fun, there's no other adjective I have for it. It's fun, there's no pressure or intensity, it's just really a laugh.

Robinson: We definitely done some hanging, seen some suns come up, like… One night we went to the House of Blues, we went at 2:30 and just hung out and then everyone sharpened themselves up… We had some dinners, went on a swamp tour. You know, New Orleans, you got to get your rhythm, this town will exhaust you, but it's been fun every night.

There are drastic differences between each take we see them shoot, with Rogen, Goldberg and even some of the actors throwing out line suggestions while the camera rolls. As you'd expect from guys who have worked this long with Judd Apatow, improv is highly encouraged, and Rogen and Goldberg know they're setting themselves up to find the movie in the editing room.

Rogen: The truth is we’ve had a hundred billion conversations with every element of this movie, literally, for the last six years when we started thinking of it. We kind of know how we want everything to be in a general way, and then there’s the general throw out any idea you want during the scene rule.

McBride: It’s one of those things where you really have to be really paying attention to what’s happening in a scene. You’ve got to be able to feel those rhythms of when someone is going for a run you’ve got to be able to step back and let them do it. It does become that game where it’s like you don’t want it to be like every single person is just trying to fill every blank space with a joke and I think all of these guys have been really good about that, like you can kind of sense when it’s somebody’s turn to do something.

Rogen: It’s so silly to have all these guys in a movie together and not let them riff-off each other. You know, that was always our plan. It’s not that different then from capturing stunts at times. We put as many cameras on it as we can and we hope something fucking awesome is going to happen - and that is kind of what it’s like. So it would be silly for us to be too, strict with the lines because these guys - most of them are movie writers in their own rights. So it’s silly to not get their ideas and shit like that.

McBride: All of these guys, from Jay to Franco to Craig, everyone has worked with these guys before and they know the routine and much improv is involved and so yeah, it’s just easy. You’re just in the scene and if you’re on a good run, Seth and Evan will encourage you to keep going or throw things your way if you’re going down the wrong path. It’s actually been very easy working with them as directors.

Baruchel: This flick is their voice, 150%. It’s obviously a collaboration—that’s not just lip service—but they encourage it. You guys will see that they foster that atmosphere. That being said, this is Seth and Evan effectively given a blank slate to do whatever they want with. I won’t go so far as to say carte blanche but damn near close, as close as they’ve come so far. As a friend and a fan of theirs, that’s kind of exciting.

Rogen: I mean I think our style is probably closest to Judd in the way that he is willing to completely let a new scene materialize on the day and in the moment. We haven’t worked with that many other people and on our movies you know, the ones that aren’t Judd movies, there’s usually a different writer than director - so there’s some level of respect that happens. The director won’t just suddenly say like, “Throw out all the fucking lines go crazy!” But since we’re both, we can do that, which is nice and there have been some scenes that we’ve done one take of and it’s like “This isn’t right” and we’ll literally, completely, re-write all of it in a few minutes. Or we’ll just improvise for an hour and see if something better comes up and it usually does and then we’ll just go with that version.

As a movie that pokes fun at a bunch of Hollywood actors who have no idea how to deal with real danger, This Is The End is crammed with jokes about each star's previous work-- right down to James Franco's giant mansion, which he concedes was probably supposedly built with his Spider-Man money (though he says "I'm sure Seth has made more money than I have.") But all of them are aware that the in-jokes can only go so far before the audience gets irritated.

Baruchel: There’s a lot of shitting on each other’s work in this movie. The only concern with that stuff is for my money, the average working class person that buys tickets probably couldn’t care less about shit like that. Nobody goes to the movies to see a movie about people talking about movies. Aside from that, no, we’ve been able to say whatever we want.

Robinson: Nothing is off limits… nothing is off limits. We had some Office moments. In fact I poked fun of myself in a scene that comes after this, when I go outside and I'm like what's going on, "It's me, Daryl from The Office." That happened.

The film went into production as End of the World and had started as a short called Jay and Seth vs. The Apocalypse. They settled on This is The End after the film was finished, but Rogen admitted they were having a hard time settling on anything at the time.

Rogen: We suck with titles, we’ll be the first to admit it. If it’s not completely apparent what the movie should be called, then we have a hard time with it. So, this is what we’ve got for now. We’ll see what happens.

Were people just wanting to know what “Apocalypse” this was?

Rogen: No, we just couldn’t legally clear that title. Fox owns it! Titles are a motherfucker. Everyone owns every fucking title in the universe. Like they’re all registered with MPAA and it’s crazy. It’s really hard to get a title. Even with 50/50, Disney owned it. We had to call fucking Sean Bailey to get permission to use it. And I’ve called Tom Rothman over and over [for the rights to use "Apocalypse" in the title] - they won’t let it go.

Those who loved the 2010 comedy Hot Tub Time Machine may want to toast this news with a can of "Chernobly." This is the End's Craig Robinson says the sequel to the film is set to go into production in the beginning of June. At this point though, it sounds like negotiations are still ongoing and there's an updated script coming.

The original movie starred Robinson, John Cusack, Clark Duke and Rob Corddy as three guys and a nephew who head off to a ski resort that was once a hot spot but is now especially rundown. When their Russian energy drink gets mixed up in the controls of their hot tub, they find themselves sent back to the 80s and into their former selves where they're given an opportunity to set things right in their lives. As Collider points out, the film has a reputation for being a flop because its opening weekend only logged $14 million, but the movie did manage to gross $50 million domestic and the film certainly has its fans. Enough for a sequel? It sounds like we'll find out.

Robinson told Collider that they're "going back into production in the beginning of June" for the sequel. It sounds like the core cast isn't locked down just yet, and there's no confirmation of whether or not John Cusack is confirmed - back in January, word was that he wasn't going to be involved - but it also doesn't sound like a sure thing that the star has ruled it out. "Negotiations are still going on," Robinson said, when asked about the status of the cast. So who knows? Maybe they'll find a way to get Cusack back on the slopes, or wherever it is that this sequel is set.

Robinson didn't have any specifics to offer on the plot, as he says he saw an early version of the script, but it sounds like things have changed since then. He did say Hot Tub Time Machine 2 will aim to pay homage to the first movie and keep it fresh and funny. So does that mean Crispin Glover's limbs will be safe this time around? Or not safe? I suppose the answer to that would fall somewhere near the line between paying homage and being fresh and funny. I'm sure they could come up with a host of new scenarios that put the Back to the Future star in danger if Glover ends up returning for the sequel. There's also the matter of the time period, will the film return to the 80s? Or is it time to visit the 90s for a bit? Again, there's no word on that, but if Robinson is right about the timeline for the sequel's production, we may be hearing more details on the project as June approaches.

NBC’s still-untitled comedy pilot starring The Office’s Craig Robinson has made a casting change after the table read. Jean Smart is coming in to replace Jane Adams; the Hung actress exited the project last week leaving NBC to find someone to fill her role.

Deadline says Smart will come on board to play Jeannette, the principal at the junior high school where the project is set. She’s described as erratic and in a constant state of stress as she spends her days doing damage control. Craig Robinson will star as a musician who comes to the school as the new music teacher who finds that his rough-edged style makes it a little hard to fit in among the teachers at the school, and also finds himself fighting the temptation of all the single women he now encounters at work.

Smart, who has several Emmy wins under her belt, did a pilot for ABC last year, The Smart One, which in spite of a cast that also included David Arquette and Portia de Rossi didn’t go anywhere. She’s had recent guest-starring roles on Up All Night and Hawaii Five-0.

The plot project comes from Greg Daniels and Owen Ellickson, both of whom also come from the departing The Office. It’s a single-camera pilot that has been oddly low-profile considering it comes from a strong team off a hit show. Hopefully it’s a better project for Smart, who I’d love to see back on TV in a starring role.

From The Office to Pineapple Express and Zack and Miri Make a Porno, comedian Craig Robinson has been stealthily stealing scenes, regularly knocking it out of the park in supporting roles. In 2010, he memorably co-starred in the hit time-traveling sex-comedy Hot Tub Time Machine alongside John Cusack, and now he's headlining his own the upcoming comedy, called Peeples.

Formerly known as We The Peeples, it stars Robinson as a child psychologist who desperately wants to marry his lovely girlfriend (Kerry Washington). She's game, but first he must ask her hand from her very hard to please father played by David Alan Grier. When the couple goes to meet his future in-laws, this shrink discovers the Peeples family is far loonier than any of his patients. Get a glimpse at the mayhem below in the film's first trailer, courtesy of Moviefone:

Peeples marks the directorial debut of Tina Gordon Chism, who previously penned the Nick Cannon vehicle Drumline and the coming-of-age drama ATL. With Tyler Perry producing and presenting this comedy, it seems destined for box office success, so maybe it doesn't really matter that this trailer is crudely cut and overall pretty weak. Right now Peeples looks like an unimaginative Meet the Parents remake. Here Grier plays the intimidating, scornful father, who in this instance prefers skinny-dipping to a lie detector when it comes to soon-to-be son-in-law torture tactics.

Based on this trailer, my hopes aren't terribly high for Peeples. But I like Robinson, so I'll pulling for him to make the best of the leading man opportunity he's been working so hard for. But I think he deserves better.

Peeples opens May 10th. Posters via Imp Awards.

Hot Tub Time Machine was one of the last movies put out by MGM before the company went bankrupt, and looking at the box office receipts it's not hard to see why. Despite having a great cast that included names like John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson and Clark Duke, the comedy managed to bank only $50 million domestically on a $36 million budget, opening at number three on its opening weekend behind the newly released How To Train Your Dragon and Alice in Wonderland in its fourth week. Numbers like that don't typically warrant sequels, yet we're having the discussion anyway, apparently.

The Hollywood Reporter has word that MGM is now putting together pieces to make a follow-up to Hot Tub Time Machine. While John Cusack is not involved with the project at this time, the three other main stars have all been in talks with the studio and there's a possibility that Corddry will be working on a script with Steve Pink, the director of the last film (who is also in talks to return). Apparently they've been secretly developing the movie over the last few months, but "sources caution that deal-making is in an early stage and could fail." The trade adds that should everything work out, however, the film could be fast-tracked by MGM.

I liked the first film well enough, but I'm not entirely sure where the story goes from where the last movie ended (with Corddry staying behind and becoming a millionaire by "inventing" Google - or Lougle). The last film was a send-up of 80s movies, so maybe the sequel could head to the 90s?

I leaned a number of new things about Crispin Glover while at the Hot Tub Time Machine junket in Lake Tahoe. First off, he’s a successful commercial actor, but also pursuing some personal passion projects on the side. Secondly, the guy is poised to the max. Lastly, damn, Glover’s got gorgeous hair.

There’s a good chance you didn’t even know Glover was in Hot Tub Time Machine. John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Clark Duke and Craig Robinson are featured on the posters and in the trailers, but it’s Glover who’s got one of the most memorable running gags throughout the film. He plays Phil, the hotel bellhop who escorts the gang to their room and the same guy who did so back in 1986. When we meet Phil at the beginning of the film, he’s missing a little something, an arm. But after some hot tub time traveling, we meet the 1986 version of Phil and he’s fully limbed. You know what that means; he’s eventually losing that arm.

Not only did Glover dish on the physicality of his role, but he also addressed his involvement in another little time travel film, Back to the Future. Then there are Glover’s plans for the future. His dedication to use his mainstream work to finance his own films have led him to the Czech Republic where he’s building his own sets. Will It Is Mine be next on his agenda? Find out that and more below.

How’d you get involved with this movie?

I got a message from my agent that they’re interested in meeting with me, with John Cusack and his co-producer for lunch. I got the script that was the existing script at the time and they let me know that they’d only gotten the script two weeks before and that there was this time limitation that they had to do it and there was a release date that was already set and if they didn’t say to do it then, it just wouldn’t be done at all. They did it and it was apparent that there was a lot of reworking that would happen. I had a good time working on the film and I’m very happy to be in it. All of the people were nice to work with. They’re funny and it feels like the film has a good humor.

Did you get to do much adlibbing?

Oh, yeah! A lot of the things that were in the screenplay are there, but it was done in a slightly different fashion than it was written – as it was written in the screenplay …, which would be improvisation. [Laughs]

Your character is part of this great running gag, which would likely have its limits when it comes to improvisation. How much leeway did you get?

There was a fair amount of leeway, but also the things were being changed as we were shooting. Like the elevator sequence that’s in the film, that wasn’t something that was originally written in, but it became apparent that we really needed to have three times where we saw that. We were looking for something that would be visually interesting and that I felt I could play and there were different possibilities of that happening and that’s what we came to agree as being a good thing to do. Another thing that wasn’t in the script was when I come back at the very end. Even when I first read the script when I met with John Cusack and Grace Lower, the first time, I thought it seemed like there should be a payoff for the character. Luckily there was a good energy about going into it and didn’t feel restrictive.

Did Steve ever say to you that one of the reasons he wanted you in the film was as an homage to Back to the Future?

Nobody said that to me, but I’m assuming it was thought. [Laughs] It seemed fairly evident. But nobody actually did say that. Nobody at all, but I figured. It made sense that that had something to do with it.

Phil seems like a victim of his own destiny; he’s going to lose that arm. Do you believe in destiny?

Well, I like to believe that it’s good to like what you’re doing. That’s important therefore whatever it is that your destiny is, if you’re liking it then it’s okay. If you’re not liking it then that isn’t okay. It’s bad if you start comparing yourself with other people as opposed to what it is that you’re interested in doing. I’ve been touring around with my own films that I’ve been self-financing and self-distributing and I really like doing that. It’s a lot of work, it’s not easy to do, but I like doing it and then I’ve been funding these films with the films that I’m acting in. I started really doing that in about 2001, but in a certain way, it actually made me appreciate acting in corporate films more than I ever had before and it made me more grateful about the whole thing.

Do you have a selection process when these roles come your way? How do you react to a role like this?

It was a pretty easy decision that it was a good thing to do. There are some films that I haven’t done and at this point now, I would feel like if I can’t make it work on some level then I wouldn’t want to do it. But usually I feel like I can make it work. Not always. There’ve been a couple of things in the last few years that I did not feel like I could make work. But, for the most part, if something comes along and it fits within my quote, which is important for me to adhere to, then it seems like a good thing to do. This film, which I did within, I think, six months of Alice and Wonderland. They’re coincidentally out in the same month. Both of them were just very easy decisions of ‘Is this a good thing to do?’ and I had a really good time working on both of them. And of course Alice in Wonderland is doing really well at the box office and it feels like this film has potential to do quite well as well so I’m happy about it, I’m happy to be in both. And they’re both quite divergent from one another. There’s very different kinds of characters. I don’t know if any of you have seen Alice in Wonderland, but you can see that I’m playing a very different kind of person than I play in this and they were done within a very short time period of each other.

What self-projects are you working on now?

I own property in the Czech Republic and it’s a historical piece of property that was built in the 1600’s. I bought it about six years ago. Next to it is horse stables that I’ve been making into small soundstages. I like to shoot my films on sets and there have been a couple of different variations of what I was planning to do next, but I’ve been getting that whole thing set up to start shooting. My father’s an actor and he and I have never acted together and I’m thinking of doing a screenplay for he and myself to play a series of fathers and sons, so that’s what I’m planning to do next.

What happened to It Is Mine?

It will be another film that I’ll shoot at some point in the future, but both What Is It? and Everything is Fine!, which are parts one and two of what will be a trilogy of films ending with It Is Mine, I had set out when I made those films to make very simple movies, but I had never produced a film or financed a film before those films and now in hind sight after actually having gotten to the point of having two feature 35mm print films, I understand what is genuinely, a simple production and neither one of those films are simple productions. I know what I need to do in the Czech Republic, which is a different country, a different language. I have to make genuinely simple productions for a little while and build myself up to making more complex productions and It Is Mine is actually a far more complex production than either What Is It? or Everything is Fine!. I want to do that right when I get to it, but there’s no rush for me to need to do that in terms of what the trilogy is. I can wait a while and I would like to do a number of simpler productions before I return to the trilogy. I’d also like to visit other thematic elements. There’s certain theme that runs though the trilogy and I would like to go away from that theme to work on slightly different things.

Will you ever release the first two on DVD?

I don’t have plans to do that. I still tour with the films and people can find out where I’m going to be with which film on crispinglover.com and they can sign up and a news letter will go out to them and I already have a show booked in Milwaukee that’s coming. I haven’t’ been very aggressive about booking because I’m doing a lot of stuff with Alice in Wonderland and this film, but starting in spring and summer, I’m going to be touring again. That’s my main interest for those two films on how to recoup my investments. I’m protective of the films for different reasons. I like having the Q&As that I do after the films. I don’t necessarily want them at this point in time to be out digitally and I feel like things could be taken out of context and comments can be made that most of the actors in What Is It? have down syndrome and I just don’t want things taken out and put out on the internet in ways that I’m not comfortable with. Maybe at some point I’ll feel like that, but there are different reasons why I don’t want to put them out in that way and, at some point, that could change. This next film that I’m planning to do with my father would be the first film that I would at least consider distributing in a more normalized fashion than kind of the vaudeville way I’ve been distrusting these two films. But these two films it’s been appropriate to distribute them that way and I enjoy doing the show. I’m still planning to continue to work with these films for a number of years to come and I’ve been doing it since 2005, so it’s been a long time and a lot of work, but I’m very glad to be doing it.

These Q&As are very lengthy. You really get to know the audience and they get to know you. Are you ever surprised by who is drawn?

Yeah, that’s definitely happens. They both get into taboo areas and I don’t consider them family films at all and no one under 18’s allowed; they’re not children films. They’re strictly for adults but I get families coming to the films, which is always strange to me, but then they ask questions and they’re happy to be there. I know I get all kinds of people and it’s interesting. It does surprise me in a certain way the variation of people that we get.

And the reactions are positive.

Yeah, when I do the Q&As, particularly after What Is It?, not so much after Everything is Fine!, people can get very upset with What Is It?. There are things that can make people uncomfortable. I would say a majority of the audience doesn’t get upset. It depends on what the order of the questions are. If it starts out with a more, what I call an aggressive question, the tone of the questioning can tend to be more aggressive and the reverse is true that if they’re, what I call easier questions, that people get intimidated in the group element. I’m open to the more aggressive questions and if I feel like it’s become too easy, I actually ask for the questions of people who are maybe upset or they feel like they’re going to go home and write some angry thing on the Internet. I’d rather them ask me the question because the purpose is to have these kind of forums where people can talk. My experience that people by and large have a really good time. It seems like 95% of the audience, to me, really enjoys it and then there’s some people that leave before the show’s over, but it really isn’t a large about of people. In What Is It? maybe of the two hundred-person audience three or four at the most will walk out.

You mentioned three scenarios about your character losing his arm. Was there anything you filmed that didn’t make it into the final cut?

There were takes that we talked about for the scenario, but everything we shot was in the film. There’s like portions of scenes that are edited out, lines, which is normal but everything that I shot in the film is in there.

Scenario-wise, what other ways did you guys come up with?

I think that one that was written with a truck that was backing up, a car tire being changed, there was a concept of a military device that was an amputation device. Something like that. But the one that really seemed to be the most applicable and visually interesting to pull off was the elevator thing. That wasn’t originally in there and it seemed like a visual scenario to be able to play.

What was the physical comedy like for you in this movie?

Well, I actually – my finger got crushed. I have most of the feeling back. [Laughs] I actually lost a little. The nerve got crushed because the elevator it was a combination of an old-fashioned elevator and new elevator. It was rigged, my finger got stuck in the thing and they didn’t know I was saying stop. They thought I was acting! But everything worked out alright. But, I generally don’t try to play comedy for comedy, there’s that adage which I like to follow, play comedy like tragedy and tragedy like comedy. I think in this culture playing comedy like tragedy is pretty well understood, but what doesn’t happen so much is playing tragedy like comedy and a lot of my favorite performances have been actors or actresses that do that, but that’s a rare thing to do. Usually the performances that get Academy Awards are films where tragedy’s played like tragedy and there’s less of a dynamic of range for that. But usually in either case it’s about the character figuring out what the character wants and needs and going after that in the scene. Like the elevator scene, it was clear that at first I was just going to get this luggage and then I was trying to get out of having my arm cut off.

If you could time travel back to a specific year, what year would it be and why? And what would you change?

It’s a varied question because just in terms of like aesthetics I kind of like the idea of going to Europe just before WWI before all of the destruction of the architecture. I like architecture and I’d like to see what the various cities looked like at that time. I like the idea of going to the 1800s or the middle ages. They seem like interesting places or times, but also it would be disconcerting if you got stuck in that time period in the 1500s and then got the Bubonic Plague. That would be really bad. [Laughs] And in terms of what I would change, I guess, personally, there’s a book I read around the year 2000 called How To Win Friends and Influence People, which is a great book by Dale Carnegie, and something that I learned from that book that I didn’t really understand was about not proving people wrong. I went to an academic school where logic was considered a very good thing and if you had debates or logical arguments, if somebody said A doesn’t equal C and then you say, well, A equals B and B equals C, therefore A equals C, and then everyone would say, ‘Well, okay that’s logical,’ and everyone would be happy about it. But in real world application it’s like if you do that to somebody they can really get upset. I tended toward doing that kind of thing up until I read this book around the year 2001 or so, so I would have liked to have read that when I was like 15 or something. It’s a good book with good lessons.

So you have the film you want to shoot with your father, but is there anything else you have coming up?

I’m in a film that comes out later this year called Mr. Nice and I’m in a Drunk History episode that’s going to be on HBO I think. I’m Edison and John C. Reilly’s Tussle. Those things are well done and I like that the general concept of that where you get somebody really drunk to the point that they’re just about to vomit, in fact they do vomit, and then they tell this piece of history. But what’s great about it is that it actually is probably about as accurate as anybody that’s telling history from a sober point of view because it’s always going to be wrong, but in the midst of that, there’s an emotional truth that comes out which I appreciated.

You guys are sort of pantomiming what the person is saying. How long does it take to nail that down?

It was pretty simple really. It was just listening to it, becoming familiar with it. They play it and then you just kind of speak it at the same time the person’s speaking it. That part of it wasn’t really very difficult. We shot it in a single day. They’re only about seven or ten minutes or something like that. John C. Reilly is the protagonist and I’m kind of the antagonistic character so I was there for just a number of hours It was less than a day for John and less than four hours for my side, but it was fun. I’m glad I got to do that.

By now you may have heard that NBC is trotting out Last Comic Standing for another summer run -- it's been off the air since 2008. The show has had its share of problems, from bringing in professional comedians, to issues with the judges, the voting and poor hosting, but at least one of those appears solved, as they've tapped Craig Robinson to host.

Robinson is one seriously funny dude, and he doesn't get nearly enough air time on his other NBC show, The Office. The network is also promising that they've tweaked the format as well, according to TV Squad, in order to add some credibility to the proceedings. It's never a good thing when a competition show has to worry about their credibility. Clearly there have been some serious, serious problems in the past.

With America's Got Talent performing well during the summer, reality shows have been the strongest thing in NBC's lineup -- The Biggest Loser is their best performer in the fall and spring seasons. Adding one couldn't hurt, but they're really going to have to work hard to convince us that this is a "new and improved" product. We don't watch these televised talent shows to see seasoned comedians, like Doug Benson, competing with newcomers.

If you've been on one of VH1's "talking head" shows, you should stay away from this one. I'd love to see the producers behind Last Comic Standing fix the show, because I think the idea of a show that finds undiscovered and brilliantly hilarious comedians could be as wonderful as American Idol. Plus, it would have given poor Grandma Lee a better shot of winning than she had on America's Got Talent.

Virginia Madsen has been hurting for some decent roles after Sideways proved to us all what a good actress she can be given good material. And bless Kevin Spacey for being the guy to pull her up back up to the big leagues; Madsen will star alongside Spacey in Father of Invention, an indie comedy starring Spacey as an egomaniacal billionaire who gets out of prison to find that his former life has fallen apart.

Variety writes that Madsen will play Spacey's ex-wife, who spends all his money while he's in jail and winds up remarried, hilariously, to The Office's Craig Robinson. I have no idea how anyone can keep up with Craig Robinson comedically, but I wish Madsen all the best in giving it a shot anyway. Father of Invention is dreicted by Trent Cooper, and has already started filming.

Like Doc Brown says, if you’re gonna build a time machine, do it with style. Chris Lloyd made his out of a DeLorean but John Cusack and Rob Corddry have an even better idea: Theirs is a hot tub.

They’re already set to star in a comedy called Hot Tub Time Machine, and now the hilariously titled film is lining up a supporting cast. HR says underrated comic genius Craig Robinson is on board along with Sebastian Stan and Lizzy Caplan. Also in the cast is Crispin Glover. Glover ought to know a thing or two about a good time travel movie by now, since he had a run in with the aforementioned Doc Brown's time-tinkering machinations in Back to the Future as George McFly. Time travel seems to be his density.

The movie’s title tells you everything you need to know about the plot. A group of friends go to a ski lodge where they party as teens, and are transported back to 1987 through their hot tub. I guess they turned up the bubbles or something. The frequently deranged Mr. Glover plays “a one-armed, accident-prone bellhop” at the Silver Peaks Lodge. Stan is a ski-jock and arch nemesis of Rob Corddry while Caplan is the movie’s obligatory female love interest for Cusack.

Craig Robinson is facing felony drug charges. Did I just hear a collective, who? You might know who I’m talking about if I say that he’s on The Office, and he’s the manager of the warehouse. Yup, Darryl.

Apparently, he was arrested way back on June 29th for possession of ecstasy and meth. Mr. Robinson certainly doesn’t look like your typical “meth-head”, so this news is more than a little surprising. “Los Angeles County prosecutors charged Robinson with two felony counts of drug possession and one count of being under the influence of illegal drugs. Robinson's publicist declined comment Friday. The 36-year-old is scheduled to appear in court on August 21.”

Eonline mentions that he was also under the influence of cannabis…that’s right…mary jane, reefer, dope…marijuana. Is anyone shocked by that one?

According to IMDb.com Robinson has had appearances in many different shows: Friends, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Arrested Development to name a few. His characters in those shows were (in the same order) “Man at Counter”, “Studio Guard #1”, and “Attendant #1”. He made it big with his Office role, but he might be headed back to his former status after this stunt.

I really am saddened by this news. Darryl has really grown on me, and the summer webisodes were freaking awesome. He and Kevin were absolutely hilarious.