Interview: 'Life' Star Adam Arkin Hits the C-Spot

When you think of actor Adam Arkin, it’s hard to think of just one thing, simply because he’s been involved in so many television, film, and theater projects throughout his lengthy career.

He currently stars on the engaging NBC crime procedural Life, which will return for a deserved second season this fall. And, that’s not to mention his past roles on popular TV series like Chicago Hope (of course), Northern Exposure, 8 Simple Rules… for Dating My Teenage Daughter, and The West Wing.

Few people may realize that Arkin has also appeared on many, many other seminal shows etched in television history, such as Barney Miller, China Beach, Frasier, Happy Days, Hawaii Five-O, L.A. Law, Law & Order, The Love Boat, Monk, Picket Fences, and even the nighttime soap Knots Landing.

The range of productions is truly impressive and diverse, which is why it makes perfect sense to the informed that Arkin also recently paid a visit to C-Spot’s online comedy series Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show.

C-Spot, an original scripted comedy channel available at Crackle and other video-sharing websites like YouTube, is brought to the Web-savvy by Sony Pictures Television. Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show’s host, creator, writer, and executive producer Kim Evey, who plays the fictional character Kiko, has fashioned the viral series in the style of a zany Japanese talk show where anything often goes.

Evey’s latest guest is Adam Arkin, and you can catch his appearance at Crackle and other C-Spot destinations around the Internet starting today. But first, take a minute or three to check out the really fun interview I had the pleasure of conducting with Arkin just this week.

He discusses his legendary (at least to fans) role as Adrian Monk’s nemesis Dale “The Whale” Biederbeck, what’s in store on his current TV series Life, and, of course, what it was like hitting the C-Spot on Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show as mycologist Brad Small, a fungi specialist.

People who aren’t familiar with Kim Evey’s Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show at C-Spot might be quite surprised when they see your appearance on it. Did you have a similar “Whoa!” reaction when you arrived on the set? What was the experience like?

Adam Arkin: The set is actually in Kim Evey and her husband Greg Benson’s garage. [Kim created the series and her husband Greg directs.] Because they are friends of mine, I’ve spent time at their home, so it was not like showing up cold and having to take it all in. I’ve worked with Greg and Kim before, and I know I have to be ready for anything when I step into their environment. Nothing caught me off guard — I was meticulously prepared.

Was performing on a show for an online audience any different than acting on a traditional television show like Chicago Hope? Did anything crazy happen on the set?

Adam Arkin: Yea, I wasn’t paid. (kidding) I can say there was never a time during Chicago Hope when anyone opened a giant container of balls on my head.

You played Adrian Monk’s now notorious archenemy Dale “The Whale” Biederbeck during the show’s very first season. In fact, you pioneered the character because you were the first of three actors thus far to portray him, which means you’re forever linked to the history of one of USA Network’s and cable TV’s most successful series. How in the world does an actor prepare to portray such a vile, mean-spirited, mentally warped criminal?

Adam Arkin: I just make sure to schedule about 2 or 3 hours every day at the local DMV, so by the time I come out of there, I’m ready.

Excellent answer. You’ve performed in stage productions numerous times, as well, and you also have a new theatrical film called Graduation opening in limited release on May 2. This diverse background begs the question of which medium you prefer: television, movies, or theater?

Adam Arkin: I really don’t have a medium I prefer. I’ve had great experiences in all three and ultimately it’s about having things going well and working with people that I respect. And I’ve been lucky to do that in all three mediums.

I happen to love your current NBC series Life, on which you play Ted Early, the ex-con confidant and housemate of Damian Lewis’ central character Charlie Crews. Is acting on the show as much fun as watching the show is for fans? May we devotees please have an example?

Adam Arkin: Acting on the show has been a lot of fun, primarily because most of the acting I get to do is with Damian, who I have felt a great deal of camaraderie with and I like to think we have similar approaches to the work. We are serious about the work but we don’t take it seriously, which translates to being able to relax, have a good time, and get the work done.

Any time you get a chance to work with live animals and have horses on sound stages and swim with coyotes, how can you not be having a good time? And I also have to give a shout-out to Sarah Shahi, who has been doing fantastic work on the show. She’s both a terrific person and professional.

I have to squeeze in a second question about Life because I was also more than a little ticked when, after so much finger-crossing and vocalizing by fans to persuade NBC to give the series a second season, the network obliged but then announced earlier this month that Life will air on Friday nights — the desert island of broadcast television — when it returns.

Can fans expect anything different from/on the series as a result of this unfortunate time-slot change? For instance, how are the cast and crew coping with the news? Will there be belly dancers, weekly giveaways, devious subliminal messages, and such to lure viewers in?

Adam Arkin: I think they’re planning on giving belly dancers to the cast members to cheer us up after the schedule change. (kidding)

First of all, we haven’t been working together as a company since we got the news. We’ve been on hiatus since the writer’s strike began, and we don’t start working until June. But that being said, there are pluses and minuses to the schedule change. The minus side is that it’s not considered a hot night, and it’s a night that’s traditionally considered for a lower number of viewers.

But there are two additional pieces of information in response to that. Number one, because of the preponderance now of people using their TiVos, and the amount of people watching shows online or recording and streaming video, the scheduled night is not as important as it once was.

And the other issue is that being on Friday night also means that the network doesn’t have as much vehement competition on that night. It’s a night on which we may have a very long life (no pun intended), so I don’t think anyone’s overly upset about it. The fact that we were picked up by NBC is a much bigger deal than what night we air on.

The first TV show most writers mention after mentioning your name is Chicago Hope, the acclaimed medical drama you starred on as Dr. Aaron Shutt from 1994–2000. Considering that you are the esteemed predecessor and he’s the current fan fave, who would win in a boxing match, you or Hugh Laurie of House, M.D.?

Adam Arkin: Well, to even be considered the predecessor to someone as talented as Hugh would be an honor. I’d have to say that because he has the cane, he’d probably beat the crap out of me.

I’ll close with an “easy” question. If you could resurrect or rejoin any one of the previous TV series you’ve been involved with — whether as a regular, recurring cast member, or guest star — and resume your role on it, which show would you choose and why?

Adam Arkin: That’s an interesting question. It would not be Chicago Hope, and not because I didn’t love it, but simply because we did it for so long and I was in every episode for an eight-year span. I’d have to say all things considered, probably Northern Exposure. I just had a ball with that character [a moody chef named Adam reminiscent of Laurie's House].

But I’d have to put The West Wing as a close second. With Northern Exposure there was just a magical overall environment created on that show. Everything about it, from shooting in northern Washington, and the writing, and the spirit of the experience was just really wonderful. It was like they were doing a small European comedy every week.

And then the character on The West Wing I got to play [psychologist Dr. Stanley Keyworth] was something that I felt in a certain way was closer to me than anything I’ve ever done. And the writing was extraordinary. Aaron Sorkin’s writing was pretty near perfection.

And there we have it! Many thanks to very kind Adam Arkin for answering all of Comedy Centric’s questions. Now on to his Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show appearance on the episode “Bad Smell”…