Send to KindleEXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: LENNY VENITO ON “THE NEIGHBORS”
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“Lucky” is a word that comes up a lot in conversation with actor Lenny Venito. It is ABC’s party for the Television Critics Association press tour, and Venito wants to make sure that it is mentioned that he is in line at the sushi bar when this interview takes place. “People at home have to know – I need sushi to function.”
Venito plays Everyman Marty Weaver, husband and father, on ABC’s half-hour comedy THE NEIGHBORS, now in its second season. In the opening episode of the series, Marty makes the decision to move with wife Debbie, played by Jami Gertz, and their three children Amber (Clara Mamet), Max (Max Charles) and Abby (Isabella Cramp) from the city to a house in a gated community. This slice of suburbia turns out to be entirely populated by aliens from the planet Zabvron who got stranded on Earth ten years earlier and who favor using the names of Earth sports celebrities. The Weavers’ next-door neighbors are Larry Bird (Simon Templeman), his wife Jackie Joyner-Kersee (Toks Olegundoye) and their children Reggie Jackson (Tim Jo) – who is romantically interested in Amber – and Dick Butkus (Ian Patrick).
In his career, Venito has dealt with extraterrestrials before, having appeared in the films MEN IN BLACK II, MEN IN BLACK 3 and Steven Spielberg’s WAR OF THE WORLDS. He toggles between film and television and comedy and drama, with arcs on NYPD BLUE (as a good-hearted snitch) and THE SOPRANOS (as a mobster). He was also a regular on the short-lived half-hour comedy KNIGHTS OF PROSPERITY.
However, asked if he has roots in the standup comedy world, Venito says, “No, actually. A lot of people think that. I’ve done a lot of comedy, but never standup. I think it’s a lot harder than it looks.”
Renewal in series television is usually not a sure thing. THE NEIGHBORS originally got a thirteen-episode order in its first series, then earned its “back nine,” bringing the first season up to twenty-two segments. Then it was renewed for a second season.
Venito says he had a sense it would come back. “I sure did. I mean, I saw a lot of the episodes that are on their way and I said it would be a shame if we didn’t, but I think a lot of people, even with the numbers, are showing that the show is sustainable. It’s a sustainable show. It reaches a lot of different audiences.”
When the pickups were announced, Venito says, “There was relief and a lot of gratitude. This is a great job to have.”
One of the perks of playing ordinary guy Marty opposite his strange new friends, Venito explains, is that it allows the actor to do something new. “Usually, I’m the one being irregular, so it’s nice to have that different job this time, the job of reacting, rather than being the react-ee. It’s kind of nice and I find a challenge in it.”
Venito also likes to work physical comedy into Marty’s reactions. “I have that anyway in me. I grew up watching Jackie Gleason, the hits that he came out with, and I love people who are physically [comedic] – Steve Martin and so it’s in me. I can’t help it. A lot of times, I’ll get a line and maybe it doesn’t call for it, but I’ll throw it in anyway. So I’m lucky I have a cast that lets you improvise a lot.”
Asked about acting opposite Jami Gertz, Venito responds, “Are you kidding? Have you seen her? I’m a lucky man. She’s a professional and I’m learning so much from her. She’s been around and she knows what she’s doing.”
As for playing the father of three minor children, Venito relates, “You know what? I’m not a parent, so I was worried about that – I was very worried about that – but I’m finding my way. I have brothers and sisters, so I’ve been lucky enough to parlay that over, the [experience of taking care of] the younger ones.”
Venito says THE NEIGHBORS continues to surprise him. “I’m finding that I’m getting to build relationships with different characters that I might not have thought I would at the beginning. It’s not just my family. It’s with the neighbors and their children. Each day, each script, it’s somebody new that I get to work with. It’s a nice feeling.”
The real-world neighborhood in Southern California’s San Fernando Valley where the exteriors for THE NEIGHBORS are filmed has proved quite welcoming, Venito notes. “They love us. It’s in North Hills, and when we get there, the kids run up to us, and the adults, they say, ‘Come in, sit down.’ In between shots, instead of going into the trailer, we go into the houses and they let us watch ESPN. So we’re very lucky to have the neighborhood, and everybody loves to have us, which is a good feeling. It’s not always that way.”
Is Venito getting a lot of fan reaction for his work on THE NEIGHBORS? “I mean, from my family, I am. From what I hear, the kids love it, which is fantastic. And [there were] reruns on the Disney Channel, and I think we get a lot of reaction on the street. A lot of people are watching the show, and that’s got to be good for the show.”
Venito has two feature films due out in 2014, GOD’S POCKET and ST. VINCENT DE VAN NUYS, both shot while the actor was on hiatus between seasons of THE NEIGHBORS. When the series is in production, he explains, “The hours on the show are fourteen hours a day for six straight months, so there’s no way to do anything else.”
Is there anything else Venito would like to say about THE NEIGHBORS right now? “Keep watching!”
Interviewed by Abbie Bernstein
