ROAST ON A LOW FLAME
Koechner says comics went easy on George Wendt
Looking back at the celebrity roast of George Wendt at Second City, comedian and roaster David Koechner described the experience in one word: “Magical.”
In recalling the event — which was not open to the press — the entertainer, who started his career doing improv in Chicago at iO Theatre and Second City Northwest, revealed that Wendt’s reallife kindness made roasting him a challenge.
“We all did pretty much the same approach: picking on everyone else who was there, rather than picking on George,” said Koechner, wellknown for his role as Champ Kind in the “Anchorman” films and as Todd Packer on “The Office.”
“Nobody was going to go out there and say anything truly hurtful, because we all know that George is truly a guy with a heart of gold that we all love and adore. I’d describe it as respectful teasing.”
Knowing he had to zing Wendt a bit, Koechner decided to focus on how the “Cheers” star landed his attractive and talented wife, Bernadette. “I surmised that because Bernadette is such a strongly religious woman, she went to confession and instead of 1,000 Hail Marys, the priest told her she had to marry the guy on the back pew — who just happened to be George.”
In addition to the tweaks of Wendt delivered by roasters including Betty Thomas, Bob Odenkirk and surprise guest Chris Rock, Koechner loved how the event — benefitting both Gilda’s Club and the Second City Alumni Fund — handled the live auction.
“They did the classic Bears ‘ Superfans’ sketch from ‘ SNL’ with another surprise guest, Robert Smigel, plus Joel Murray, Jason Sudeikis and George. They auctioned off the chance to join the sketch right then and there. So the woman who was the win- ning bidder got to go up and do it right then.
A Saturday night standup comedy show at the Metropolis in Arlington Heights will mean a return visit for Koechner, who quipped, “I’m double- dipping in Chicago. I can’t remember the last time I was back in town twice in one year, let alone twice in one week!”
As for his role on “Superior Donuts,” Koechner explained there are two reasons he loves doing the CBS series: “First of all, it’s set in Chicago which I adore, but secondly, it shoots 10 minutes from my house in L. A.
“For an actor it’s as close as it gets to a regular, 9- to- 5 job!”
From Cookie to Caulfield
For Danny Strong, being a co- creator of “Empire” means long stretches of time spent in Chicago, where the hit Fox TV series is shot.
Along with waxing poetic about Our Town’s physical beauty and excellent restaurants, Strong explained a favorite pastime — “when I have a bit of free time, which I don’t have when working in Chicago” — is to rent a bike and ride around the city.
“Chicago is a very eclectic town. The variety of buildings and neighborhoods and parks is wonderful. I often will spot a building or a spot that I know will be great for ‘ Empire’ — simply by riding by on my bike.”
While he declined to give away any details about stories on the show, returning Sept. 27, Strong did promise with a laugh that “Season 4 is going to be crazy — even by ‘ Empire’ standards.”
The former actor and writer now adds big- screen director to his resume with “Rebel in the Rye” ( opening Friday), about the early career of reclusive “Catcher in the Rye” author J. D. Salinger. “It would be great,” he said, “if we could stir up a whole new Salinger renaissance.”
‘ Marshall’ to open festival
Reginald Hudlin’s biopic of the early career of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall will open this year’s Chicago International Film Festival on Oct. 12, festival planners announced Wednesday.
“Marshall,” which stars Chadwick Boseman ( as the title character), Josh Gad, Kate Hudson and Dan Stevens, centers around the true- life 1941 trial of a black chauffeur accused of assaulting his white, wealthy socialite employer.
Boseman, whose credits include Jackie Robinson in “42,” James Brown in “Get On Up” and Black Panther in “Captain America: Civil War,” is expected to attend the opening- night festivities. Gad (“Beauty and the Beast,” “Frozen”), Hudlin and producer Paula Wagner also are slated to be on hand for the screening at AMC River East 21, 322 E. Illinois.