PAUL REISER
The Mad About You and Stranger Things star takes us behind the scenes of a family sitcom in the new series Reboot (Sept. 20 on Hulu). Reiser, 66, plays Gordon, the creator of the series, who must find a way to work with his estranged daughter Hannah (Rachel Bloom), now his coshowrunner, to reunite the dysfunctional original cast for a 20-years-later relaunch.
Reboot is built around a TV show, but is it more about the characters? It’s about some really funny characters, all of whom have problems that I think are relatable: insecurities, families, egos, drinking problems, or in some cases growing up awkwardly. Those characters would work in any setting; this just happens to be in a showbiz setting.
You play Gordon, who has a touch of Archie Bunker in him. There are certain truisms that are just consistent, that mostly guys of a certain generation—my generation—are going to be a certain way. The character’s a little less evolved than I like to think I am. He’s a little bit out of touch, deliberately so for the contrast with Hannah.
You have roles in Stranger Things and the gritty vigilante drama The Boys, neither of which is in your normal comedy lane. What’s it like to be on two of the hottest shows on TV? I think it’s clear that without me they’ve got nothing [laughs]. Believe me, it is as surprising to me as it is to you. Those are not shows that are even in my viewing wheelhouse.
It’s been 20 years since you’ve done stand-up, and now you’re revisiting it. What will you talk about onstage? The material is all new, but my interests are the same. I still talk about relationships. I’m complaining about my kids instead of my parents. It’s still the personal stuff and my inability to wrestle the world. I always tell people, the truth is I’m not smart enough to make anything up; I can only tell you what happened to me that made me laugh, and I’ll talk about it with you and then we’ll laugh.
What item of clothing changed his mind about his role in the Prime Video series The Boys?
Go to Parade.com/reiser to find out.