T.J. Miller answers our ‘Ridiculous’ questions
A recent review of T.J. Miller’s comedy special is almost as bizarre as the show itself. In HBO’s T.J. Miller: Meticu
lously Ridiculous (Saturday, 10 ET/PT), the Silicon Valley actor jests that he spent $73,000 on carnival games in the past year. But a write-up from the Sioux
City Journal took the joke literally, saying that it gives “a bit of an insight into his tendencies.”
“How could I spend $73,000 on carnival games? Is that possible?” laughs Miller, 36, sitting in the cable network’s Midtown offices with a beer in hand. “Carnival games are only a dollar to three dollars. Theoretically, I’d need to play 73,000 times. You can’t do that in a year!”
Miller calls it his “favorite review I’ve ever received,” but also says it illustrates the potentially divisive nature of the standup special, which features the comedian wielding a battle ax and drenching himself with mineral water spray.
“There’ll be people that will get it and be on board, and this special is for those people,” Miller says. “The people who aren’t into it, that’s why I did Silicon Valley,” the tech satire in which he plays blowhard Erlich Bachman. He’ll depart Valley (Sundays, 10 ET/PT) June 25, when the HBO comedy wraps its fourth season.
QDo you find the more absurdist jokes land better in certain places?
AIt’s pretty weird, like (in) Omaha, Neb., the weirder it is, the more they’re like, “Yeah, this is insane!” Then I’ll play for a New York audience and they’re like, “Why does he keep saying ‘snerd it?’ ” (Meaning: “When you smell something a nerd heard.”) It’s random “who gets on board and who doesn’t,” but it’s not supposed to make sense. Spectacle and circus are a big part of the special, and then riffing with the audience.
QOne of the funniest interactions is when you find a person named Derek in the audience and call his parents. Are some people more game than others?
AYeah. I found out later in the (Meticulously Ridiculous) tour that some parents don’t think it’s funny to say, “Is your son’s name Derek?” Because it sounds like a police officer is saying something terrible has happened to Derek and I never thought of that. But you never really get a bad Derek. I found a couple pockets of the country where no one’s name is Derek. (In that case), what I’d do is talk about them, like, “God, these Dereks are ruining the country. Don’t you guys think?”
QAlot of fans were surprised you’re leaving Silicon Valley.
AI didn’t expect for that announcement to break the Internet. People were saying, “He’s this breakout character in a big, big comedy that’s at its height. Why would a person ever leave that?” But to me, television is not like wine and women — it does not get better with age. I was working so much that I did not even know what the season was about. On the weekends, I was going out and doing stand-up and promotion, and this film and this appearance, and it was getting to be too much.
Q There’s been some speculation online that Erlich will be killed off. What can you tell us?
AHe does not die, but he goes to a better place. The decision to leave was made after the season finished. The possibility of leaving only arose when I read the cliffhanger. (Because the gang lives in Erlich’s “incubator” home) they’re going to have to figure out how to have these guys live in that place for free, or go and finally have offices.
QMaybe Jian Yang (Jimmy O. Yang) can take over the incubator.
AI’d love that. (Yang) was the first guy I talked to when the mechanics of (my exit) started rolling and I was like, “Dude, I’m not coming back.” The biggest loss, in many ways, is that we’ve built this Laurel and Hardy chemistry, and it’s so funny. He’s so frustrating, but he’s also so mean to Erlich. It’s fantastic.
‘Silicon Valley’ actor says TV ‘is not like wine and women — it does not get better with age’