Legendary actor Christopher Lloyd won two Emmy Awards in the early 1980s for the classic comedy “Taxi”, a third Emmy in the early 1990s for “Avonlea” and only this year found favor with the Television Academy thanks to his guest appearance in the comedy series “Hacks”. For his role as Larry Arbuckle, the (fictional) grandson of the silent film star Roscoe “Fat” ArbuckleLloyd is among this year’s Emmy nominees for the first time in over 30 years.
“You just never know,” he tells Gold Derby in an exclusive video interview about the nomination.
At 85, Lloyd is still very busy. Over the past decade, he has appeared in several series, including “The Mandalorian,” “AP Bio” and “The Connors,” not to mention feature films like “The Tender Bar” and “Nobody.” But getting started on “Hacks,” he says, proved a little daunting.
“The cast is so incredible that I felt kind of intimidated, you know, I really do,” he says of the show in which the Emmy winner Jean-Marie Schneider as Deborah Vance, a legendary comedian hoping to get a chance to host a late-night show. “Just getting in there with them and the artists that they are, the professionalism that they display, that was the point. I wanted to radiate their energy, feel the energy of the show and contribute.”
Although he only appeared in one episode, “The Deborah Vance Christmas Spectacular,” Lloyd thought deeply about his character, a recluse whose gruff demeanor betrays a sensitive inner life. “He craves contact and communication,” Lloyd says of Larry. The character comes into the world of “Hacks” because he wrote a script about his grandfather that Deborah’s manager Jimmy (Emmy-nominated Paul W. Downsa previous award winner for writing) and his assistant Kayla (Meg Stalter), I think Deborah could help take down one of her late-night competitors – a dapper young comedian who wants to make a film about Arbuckle. “I think the script he wrote about his grandfather is an attempt to communicate, to reach out and get some kind of recognition for himself and his grandfather.”
The episode ends with a bit of a twist: Jimmy, who is initially resistant to the material—including the fact that Larry uses two fonts, including Comic Sans, to help potential script readers identify when jokes are occurring—is intrigued by the script and Larry, and agrees to produce the project with Larry.
“I’ve speculated about it in my mind, but I’m not telling anyone,” Lloyd says of the future when “Hacks” returns for Season 4. “I don’t know if I should be doing that yet. But I’ve just imagined the future where Jimmy is producing the movie. And me, of course, as a writer, obviously being involved and wanting everything to be exactly that way – the energy and vibration that could come out of that situation (could be interesting).”
PREDICTIONS the 2024 Emmy winners until September 15
Make your predictions now at Gold Derby. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans as well as our experts and editors for the best prediction accuracy scores. Check out our latest prediction champions. Can you top our respected leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated as they influence our latest racetrack odds that strike fear into the hearts of Hollywood bosses and stars. Don’t miss out on the fun. Have your say and share your angry opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders flock daily to follow the latest awards buzz. Everyone wants to know: What do you think? Who are you predicting and why?
SIGN UP for the free Gold Derby newsletter with the latest forecasts
