Q&A: Maury Chaykin in Less Than Kind
Source: AOL
Posted: 10/03/08 2:03PM
Filed Under: Television
By SORAYA ROBERTS
In Canada you see Maury Chaykin everywhere. On TV, in films, on billboards and, if you're like me, you may have even seen him trying to parallel park on College Street in the middle of rush hour. Chaykin is a national treasure, for certain, but he also happens to be one of those rare Canadian actors who effortlessly moves back and forth across the border.
Since he started out in 1975, Chaykin has appeared in no less than 149 productions. The 59-year-old's more high profile gigs have included roles opposite Diane Keaton in Mrs. Soffel, Kevin Costner in Dances With Wolves, Joe Pesci in My Cousin Vinny and, more recently, Philip Seymour Hoffman in Owning Mahoney. Last year he also guest-starred in four episodes of the popular HBO show Entourage as Harvey Weingard (a send up of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein). But Chaykin has never gotten too big for his britches (so to speak), forever returning to Canada to work with old friends like Atom Egoyan and Don McKellar.
Chaykin's latest role, this side of the border, is as a self-destructive driving instructor in a new TV dramedy produced by Mark McKinney. Less Than Kind revolves around Sheldon Blecher, an overweight 15-year-old who is attempting to come of age in an eccentric family in the frozen tundra of Winnipeg. Chaykin plays Sheldon's dad, Sam, whose business is going down the toilet and whose relationship with his wife leaves a lot to be desired.
The actor spoke to AOL in August about his new TV show, why he hates Little Mosque on the Prairie and what Harvey Weinstein thinks of him.
What made you want to be a part of 'Less Than Kind'?
That it was funny. Not only funny but that it also just had an edge to it. An edge of reality. Not in terms of reality programming but in terms of having a lot of heart. I also liked the fact that it was not afraid to be what it is, which is a show about a Jewish family in Winnipeg. There were no fears of watering down the Jewish part of it or the Winnipeg part of it.
Did it have the reality because it was based on the life of the producer/writer of the show?
Yeah, because I think it’s based on real pain. As I’ve learned, good comedy is based in pain - the pain in life and what it throws at us and how we deal with it.
Do you think having Mark McKinney as a producer on the show gave it that weird edge?
Absolutely. In fact, I think Mark was very instrumental in keeping that tone of the show and not having it slip into a sitcom version of itself. I think that would not have done the show justice. I was also very protective of the show in making sure that it didn’t have neat tag lines, that it didn’t do beat beat beat laugh.
There are certain shows that need laugh tracks because you have no idea where to laugh. [Laughs] A show like Little Mosque on the Prairie, you kind of look at the show and there’s no laugh track and it’s not funny and it’s not serious and it’s like, “What am I looking at?” I have no idea what the show is about or what it’s supposed to be about or who it’s for or who’s watching it. I looked at that show and my mouth hung open.
I don’t get why so many people like it.
Well, if you notice the people who like it they’re kind of stupid. I shouldn’t say that. Everyone has his or her own taste, I was just mystified by it.
It must have been cold shooting in Winnipeg.
We shot the show for a week and it was so cold at the beginning of November – it was 40 below zero – we had to close down production for 10 days and revamp the entire schedule and the script so that most of the show was inside. I think part of the harshness of the environment set the tone of the show. We kind of huddled together for warmth, creatively but also physically because it was so f---ing cold.
Your CV is long and distinguished. You must have an awesome agent.
I have someone representing me in Toronto, but I fired my agent in LA while I was shooting this.
Why did you fire him?
It’s something that he did on my behalf – I don’t really wish to discuss it - but it was inappropriate and he treated some young producers with disrespect and they were people who I liked and wanted to work with. He was kind of a bully-ish person and I didn’t want anyone representing me being a bully.
How do you decide which projects to do?
I just go by instinct. I don’t decide to do everything that’s offered to me - I do things that I really like a lot. Things that satisfy me creatively are what the role is and basically the business deal. There are certain situations where there is no money available to pay me, but usually if there’s a will there’s a way; we come up with some compromise. The main thing is the role, it always has been.
I didn’t realize you were born in the U.S., you seem so Canadian.
I used to go to L.A. for the winter but I don’t divide my time that way anymore. I go there when I’m offered something then come back here. This is my base of operations. It’s a good city and I have a 9-year-old daughter so...
Has Harvey Weinstein ever said anything about you playing him in 'Entourage'?
Apparently they asked him to play himself – they always do on that show. He said he liked the show too much and didn’t want to ruin it. So, then they asked me and my agent at the time said: “Are you sure you want to do this? What if he gets mad? He’ll never hire you!” I said, “He’s never hired me before! I’ve got nothing to lose." It’s a very extreme version, but I think he’s pretty extreme himself.
At the film festival last year he came up to me and congratulated me. I saw him coming towards me and I thought, “Aw, s---, do I have to defend myself? What’s he gonna do, punch me?” Then he gave me a big hug and that was it.
Less Than Kind premieres October 13 at 10.30pm on Citytv.
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