Jermaine Fowler joins veteran Judd Hirsch in tasty comedy
RTHUR (Judd Hirsch) has owned Superior Donuts since 1969. He wouldn’t know a Cronut from a hazelnut, but in a changing Chicago neighborhood, the customers at upstarts such as Starbucks are hipsters who carry adult coloring books. Enter Franco (Jermaine Fowler), a child of the social media age who convinces Arthur he can bring the shop into the 21st century and talks himself into a job. Their old-school-newschool dynamic forms the backbone of this sitcom, based on a play by Tracy Letts (“August: Osage County”). While Hirsch, a Tony and Emmy winner, is more than a familiar face to viewers, stand-up comic Jermaine Fowler is a relative newcomer. Fowler, 28, spoke to The Post mere hours before taping a segment for “The Late Late Show With James Corden.” Do you like donuts? I like glazed donuts. What do you with the uneaten donuts on set?
They haven’t disclosed that information to us. I eat the most doughnuts of anyone in the cast and we eat more of them than the crew. Is this your first series?
It’s my first major network series. I had a sketch show, “Friends of the People,” on Tru TV for two seasons. It was like seeing some high school drama class. What is it like working with Judd Hirsch? What can you say? He’s a legend. TV and film and Broadway. I keep quiet and listen to him. He’s been a mentor. He has more energy than me sometimes. On “Superior Donuts,” Franco teaches Arthur about Instagram and other social media. How active are you on social media? Pretty active. I have to be for the fans when I’m out doing [comedy] shows. I read that you once lived with your grandmother. How did that come about?
My dad kicked me out of the house when I was 18. I was supposed to go to community college. I wasn’t really into going because I wanted to do stand-up and he felt I was wasting my time. I was spending most of my time skateboarding and hanging out with my friends and he said, ‘You can’t do that here.’ I’m glad he did it. I love my dad. So I stayed with my grandma for two years. She gave me extra space to figure life out. She’s very sweet. I named my company, Delores, after her.
What lies in store for Franco as the show continues? You’re going to meet his dad. Who would you like to play that role?
Dave Chappelle. He’s one of my favorite icons. I can’t think of anyone who’s funnier. It would be kind of cool.