WALKIN’ THE BEAST
McHale takes ‘Control’ as cranky ex-cop in new milieu on Fox sitcom ‘Animal Control’
Joel McHale said his new Fox sitcom, “Animal Control,” is a “different take” on the workplace comedy genre.
“I thought maybe someone had done it, but they hadn’t,” McHale, 51, told The Post. “I was like, ‘That’s a good sign that it seems like this could have and should have been done.’ Let’s be the first ones to do it!’”
Airing Thursdays at 9 p.m., the sitcom follows the personal and professional lives of Frank (McHale) — a cranky ex-cop who works for Animal Control in Seattle — and his co-workers: friendly-but- gullible former snowboarder Fred (Michael Rowland); party-girl Victoria (Grace Palmer); frazzled family man Amit (Ravi Patel); and their nervous and insecure boss Emily (Vella Lovell, “Crazy ExGirlfriend”), who Frank likes because he thinks she’s easy to manipulate.
“The cast really is an extraordinary group of actors. I’m so excited about them, and I hope the series continues because they’re so phenomenal,” McHale said. “I don’t doubt that they’re going to become big huge stars.”
McHale is no stranger to playing snarky and/or cynical characters. His resume includes the manipulative Jeff Winger on “Community,” a grifter on “Sons of Anarchy” and a ruthless, in-your-face chef in “The Bear.”
“I’m very sarcastic, and now my two sons are very sarcastic, so that has come back to haunt me in a big way,” he said. “I was asking for it. So, I think that’s the part where I relate to Frank. I like characters that are somewhat [morally grey]. Playing somebody like that is fun. He’s someone who is deeply unsatisfied, and is reluctantly trying to work on it.”
In each episode of “Animal Control,” the team deals with a variety of critters, from foxes to weasels to ostriches. McHale said he found himself in his element.
“If you ask my wife, she was like, ‘This is truly the perfect job for you.’ I love animals, I have three dogs now, and we have a rabbit,” he said. “When I was younger, I worked at a Catholic CYO camp, and they had a horse camp part of that … for summers, I was a wrangler-in-training and I helped lead trail rides and water the horse and put saddles on them. I’m thrilled by that stuff. And I’ve been hosting the Beastly Ball at the LA Zoo for the last five years. If my wife would let me, I’d be bringing animals home every week. I’m not allowed to … anymore.”
“Animal Control” uses a mix of puppets, CGI and real animals. But even for a self-proclaimed animal lover like McHale, there were some furry co-workers that took getting used to.
“I had never worked with a tarantula before,” he said. “And once I got over the initial ‘This is something I’ve been nervous about,’ once I got to know her – her name is Gretchen – I fell in love.”
In addition to “Animal Control,” McHale hosts the Fox cooking competition series “Crime Scene Kitchen” and he’s also starring in and producing the “Community” movie that’s resurrecting the cult show.
“We’re planning on shooting it this summer,” said McHale. “I know the outline for the script [and] it’s on track now to happen. Peacock has given us the money. We still are all kind of like ‘Can you believe this is actually happening?’”