Brett Goldstein has had a packed month at the Warner Bros. lot. While Season 3 of “Shrinking” wraps up filming there, he’s also working in the writers’ room for the much-awaited return of “Ted Lasso.” But he can’t reveal much about either show just yet.
In the last season of “Shrinking,” Goldstein played Louis, the man behind the drunk driving accident that killed Tia — the wife of Jimmy (Jason Segel) and mother of Alice (Lukita Maxwell).
To play Louis, Goldstein shaved off his well-known dark beard — but during his visit to Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast, the beard had returned. Goldstein is a writer and executive producer on “Shrinking,” but does the return of his beard mean he won’t be acting on screen again?
Does Louis grow a beard? Or has he gone? Who knows, exactly?
teases Goldstein
Here’s what we do know about the new season of “Shrinking”: Michael J. Fox will appear as a guest star, Jeff Daniels will guest as Jimmy’s father, and Candice Bergen will also make an appearance.
Being on set when Harrison Ford and Michael J Fox are doing a scene, you’re like, Am I tripping? Am I back in my bedroom in the 80s? As for “Lasso,” obviously, I can’t tell you a single thing about it, of course, but we’re working on it, and it’s good. It’s exciting to have everyone back together.
Goldstein says
More importantly, it means he no longer has to keep answering the question about whether “Ted Lasso” will ever come back.
That is such a relief.
he says
Goldstein talks about those shows, along with his Emmy-worthy HBO Max stand-up special “Brett Goldstein: The Second Best Night of Your Life,” and whether he’s working on a new one.
He named the recent special “The Second Best Night of Your Life” because of “Sesame Street.” As he mentions in the special, being a guest on “Sesame Street” was the best day of his life.
And I thought, well, then nothing matters now.
he adds
This was the first time he recorded his stand-up; Goldstein had always stayed away from sharing his comedy online.
I believe in it so much as a live experience, as in, I know it works in the room, because I’m in the room and you feel it and they laugh. But I don’t know if it works on screen, because it’s a completely different way of presenting.
he says
Goldstein says it was especially hard to edit the special.
It really does matter when you cut the shot, it affects the rhythm of the joke. And you’re so long in the edit, you get so obsessive and detailed that by the end, you’re like, ‘I don’t even know anymore, is this funny? I hope it’s funny.’ Whereas live, you know, it’s a yes or a no.
he says
Goldstein recorded two shows for the special – one early and one late. He realized the early show would be tough when the audience didn’t give a big cheer at the start.
In a way, it was good, because it made me go, ‘right, you have to fucking nail this, because they’re not gonna be easy.’ So the first show, I was really locked in. Then the later show, they were much more up for it. There was much more energy, I was much more loose, I improvised a lot, and I played around more. It was sillier.
He was certain the second show would end up being the one used for the special.
I went back and watched the first show, and I was like, the first show is better for TV because you’re not there. You, the audience at home, are not there. So me messing around and being loosey goosey is less fun because you weren’t there.
he says
Goldstein filmed the special in New Jersey — though Minneapolis was his first pick. But since he had to film in February, plans changed.
And I was told that if we went shot it there, that the equipment would freeze. It was so cold we might not make it.
As for the next show after “The Second Best Night of Your Life,” Goldstein says he already has its structure in mind.
I’ve got many months to figure it out.. but it’s a good one. I think I came up with a thing that I think structurally is very satisfying.
Also in this episode, David Oyelowo shares how his Apple TV+ series “Government Cheese” is completely different from anything he’s done before.
Source: Variety