Latest news with #AndySamberg


New York Post
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Andy Samberg on 'Digman!' role: 'Deep insecurity' like me
Move over, Indiana Jones – Andy Samberg is here. Andy Samberg's Comedy Central animated series 'Digman!' has returned for Season 2. Co-created by Samberg and showrunner Neil Campbell, the show is set in a world where archaeologists are celebrities, and follows Rip Digman (voiced by Samberg), a washed-up archeologist. Advertisement Samberg quipped that Digman's quality that he finds most relatable is, 'Probably his deep insecurity and propensity to spiral at the drop of a hat.' 'I think it speaks to our modern moment, frankly,' the former 'Saturday Night Live' star exclusively told The Post. 'His hair trigger, and his spirals. It doesn't take much to spin him out. And I feel like that is one of my favorite things comedically about him – but I'll admit it, it's relatable.' 8 Andy Samberg in his video interview with The New York Post. The New York Post Advertisement 8 Neil Campbell with Andy Samberg in a 2023 Instagram photo. neilerdude/Instagram 8 Rip Digman, voiced by Andy Samberg, on 'Digman!' Comedy Central Samberg, who shares two kids with his wife, singer Joanna Newsom, 43, explained that the show's premise started because he and Campbell were laughing about, 'how, growing up watching movies like 'Indiana Jones' and 'National Treasure' where there's a [message] from the filmmakers to the audience that 'this is a world where archeologists are the coolest people.'' He added, 'Which we all just accepted a face value. And, in re-examining that as adults, we found it very funny.' Advertisement 'Digman!' showrunner and co-creator Campbell, who worked on 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' with Samberg, told The Post, 'We both like goofy, absurd comedy, where we can just be like 'how do we take this joke as far as possible?'' 'But then I think the nice thing about working on 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' is we wrote half hour stories that have characters you care about, and moments of poignancy,' he explained. 'And so, I think we wanted to find a way to combine those things – but if you just heard the story, would it sound funny on its own, and not sound like a drama?' They focused on that tone for 'Digman!' but also wanted to fill up time with jokes that just made them laugh. 'We wanted it to be joyful,' he said. 8 'Digman!' poster art. Comedy Central Advertisement 8 Andy Samberg attends the UK Premiere of 'Lee' at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on September 3, 2024 in London, England. Getty Images Samberg based his voice performance on Nicolas Cage. 'It also tied into the fact that we had been talking about my voice being sort of like my Nic Cage impression, and he was in a franchise like that,' he said, referring to 'National Treasure.' 'And it sort of all just fell into place.' The rest of the Season 2 cast includes big name guest stars, such as Tim Robinson, Tim Meadows, Fred Armisen, Stephanie Beatriz, Mark Hamill, Nathan Lane, Seth Meyers, and Kate Winslet. 'You ask people because you think they're good and they're right for the part. But if you have a relationship, it makes it easier to ask,' Samberg said about reuniting with old colleagues like Beatriz, Armisen, and Meyers. 'It's wonderful to have worked in the business long enough to know so many people that you respect and admire, and would want to include,' he told The Post. 8 Andy Samberg and his wife Joanna Newsom at 'SNL50: The Anniversary Special' on February 16, 2025. Getty Images Advertisement 8 'Digman' showrunner Neil Campbell in an Instagram photo. neilerdude/Instagram 8 Andy Samberg in the 'Andy's Song' sketch on 'SNL' on Sunday, February 16, 2025. Holland Rainwater/NBC via Getty Images Samberg, who rose to fame on the high-pressure environment of 'SNL,' which he was on from 2005 to 2012, said that this show is a walk in the park compared to the NBC variety show. Advertisement 'There's not a lot of stress for me around making 'Digman!' For Neil, maybe. He's really running point on every single department and pulling it all together and making it happen,' he said. '[But], I don't generally get stressed out unless it's like time pressure, like, something has to be done – and done to the quality that we want – by a certain time.'


Forbes
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
'Digman!' Hunts Down The Antichrist in Season 2 Clip (EXCLUSIVE)
'Digman!' Season 2 Andy Samberg's washed-up archaeologist Rip Digman 'will not hesitate to decapitate' his possessed wife in an exclusive clip from the Season 2 premiere of Digman! (premiering on Comedy Central Wednesday, July 24 at 10:30 p.m. ET). The first-look footage finds Rip, his Arky assistant Saltine (Mitra Jouhari), and trusty pilot Swooper (Tim Robinson) making their way through a dimly-lit cave in search of the Rip's newly-resurrected spouse, Bella (Melissa Fuermo), whose body is currently serving as host to the Aunty-Christ. And no, that isn't a misspelling of the famous apocalyptic harbinger. But where there is an Aunty-Christ, there must also be an Uncle-Christ, right? Well, duh! That avuncular evil takes the form of Quail Eegan's father (Jeffrey Wright). Before he can chop off their heads, though, Rip must first show off his impressive mastery of the English language. Watch an exclusive clip from Season 2 of animated Andy Samberg comedy Digman! Speaking over Zoom, Samberg and fellow series co-creator Neil Campbell recall how the show began to take shape during their time on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. 'In between takes, we'd talk about how much we'd love to create an animated show, how much we loved the genre,' Campbell says. 'It was also a way to sort of combine what we loved about Brooklyn, which was getting to tell these stories about characters you care about, with our sketch backgrounds. Obviously Andy with SNL and Lonely Island, and I worked on the TV show Comedy Bang! Bang!" He continues: 'What's nice about those, is you can just have a sketch heightened to infinity and be absurd and crazy in a way that maybe you can't always do on a live-action TV show that's set in reality. So we just started talking about how we'd love to do something that combined those things. Eventually, Andy had the idea of a dickhead archeologist and we started building from there; brainstorming other characters that would be fun, or people we knew who would be fun to have in the cast and and how to write for them.' 'It was a show that we had been talking about for years before it actually happened,' adds Samberg. 'It was the pandemic and having everything come to a screeching halt that allowed the space for that. We just started Zooming every day, writing the pilot and conceiving it all. Once we actually had the space to start working on it, it came really quickly, and we had a blast.' Given that they weren't beholden to any studio or network at the time, the creative duo were free 'to write the show we wanted to make,' finishes Campbell. 'We hadn't pitched it and weren't dealing with notes from anybody or anything like that. We were just like, 'Alright, let's write it first, and then take it out and see if anyone wants to make it.'' Season 2 of Digman! premieres on Comedy Central this Wednesday — July 23 — at 10:30 p.m. ET, immediately following the Season 27 premiere of South Park. All Season 1 episodes are now streaming on Paramount+.


Forbes
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
'Digman!' Creators Talk Season 2 & Potentially Landing Nicolas Cage
'Digman!' Season 2 The Arky-based adventures of Rig Digman (Andy Samberg), Saltine (Mitra Jouhari), Swooper (Tim Robinson), Agatha (Dale Soules), and Fleety the fast loris will officially continue this Wednesday (July 23) Digman! Season 2 premieres on Comedy Central. You may recall that we last saw our favorite underdog archaeology crew dealing with the fact that Rip's beloved wife, Bella (Melissa Fuermo), had been resurrected from the dead, only to serve as a vessel for the Aunty-Christ. Her evil soulmate, the Uncle-Christ, meanwhile, possessed the body of Quail Eegan's father (Jeffrey Wright). 'Hearing you say it sounds crazy,' Samberg, who co-created the series with Brooklyn Nine-Nine writer Neil Campbell, says after I give a quick recap of the Season 1 finale over Zoom. He goes on to promise that the show's sophomore outing will tie 'that story up a little' before the characters begin to seek out new MacGuffins in an effort to restore Rip's once-great standing in the Arky community. Campbell also teases further character development for Saltine as she continues her training under Rip's tutelage. 'Can Rip train her into becoming a full-blown Arky? Not just his assistant, [but] more of a partner?" he muses. "It doesn't dominate storylines, but it's an arc that's prevalent throughout the season.' A comedic riff on swashbuckling action-adventure films like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Romancing the Stone, The Mummy, and National Treasure, Digman! takes place in a reality where archaeologists (better known as 'Arkies') are revered as rock star-level celebrities by the public and hired by museums to track down valuable artifacts. 'There's nothing that I would rather watch … than an Indiana Jones movie,' Samberg admits. 'Those big, '80s tentpole, franchise-y things were the fabric of our youth and really important to us. A lot of work I do is dealing in genre and in tropes — and finding a comedic angle on them. I had never done it with [the action-adventure genre], and it just seemed like a really fun world to [play in], especially if you're doing an episodic where you get to choose an adventure of the week." The ultimate goal with Digman!, continues the Saturday Night Live alum, is that the show appeals to both genre fanatics and casual viewers alike. 'The hope is that the show feels like a reward for people who know everything about it, because they love it the way we love it,' he adds. 'The references are like a fun extra layer to everything, and then, hopefully, you're also just laughing because the joke writing is good enough.' Samberg, who also serves as executive producer on the series alongside Campbell and fellow Lonely Island members Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, doesn't shy away from the fact that his performance as Rip is based on the fan favorite Nicolas Cage character he often played on SNL's 'Weekend Update' segment — one of which featured the real Cage alongside his outlandish TV counterpart (see below). 'Imitation," goes the old saying, 'is the highest form of flattery.' Or, in the words of Samberg's unhinged take on the National Treasure star: 'That's high praise!' 'Part of it was I loved writing jokes for that [bit]. It's an impression, but it really became its own kind of psychotic character,' Samberg explains. 'The moves I got to do in that voice were a lot different [compared to] the other stuff I did at SNL and elsewhere. I missed doing it and getting in that tone. So when we first started talking about this, I was like, 'Oh, that's a good entry point, comedically and performance-wise.' Because of National Treasure, but also because of Indiana Jones, The Mummy, and the genre having existed for so long, it's not going to be just 100% one for one that. It's a really good comedy starting place for me. One of the things I've been really happy about, working on the show, is seeing the character kind of evolve as we work on it, as we try new things, and as he does things comedically and character-wise that are not part of the Nic Cage impression at all. It turns into its own thing.' Still, the question remains: will Cage ever guest star on the show was Rip's father? It seems like the easiest slam dunk bit of casting…well, ever. The idea has occurred to the creators, who describe it as a Digman! bucket list item they're looking to make a reality. 'You're not first person to actually bring that up,' says Samberg. 'It seems like we really should." 'It is the dream, yeah,' echoes Campbell. Samberg continues: "Let's just keep the show going. I can't imagine it won't happen eventually, if we just keep begging him…" While the creators continue to chip away at Mr. Cage's resolve, however, fans can still look forward to a slew of A-list guest voices in Season 2. The list includes, which Comedy Central announced earlier this month, includes such mega-talents as Kate Winslet (Mare of Easttown), Tatiana Maslany (She-Hulk: Attorney at Law), Tom Kenny (SpongeBob Squarepants), Mark Hamill (Star Wars), Nathan Lane (The Lion King), Seth Meyers (Late Night With Seth Meyers), Amy Sedaris (BoJack Horseman), Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Geraldine Viswanathan (Thunderbolts*), Beck Bennett (Superman), Fred Armisen (Portlandia), and Kayvan Novak (What We Do in the Shadows), and cult filmmaking icon John Waters (Pink Flamingos). 'You have a responsibility to do something with those people,' Samberg affirms. 'It's not just asking them to come on so you can put their name in the trailer or something. You want them to really score and have something interesting.' 'We would never really ask someone to do a guest voice unless we felt like the A) the role was funny and B) they would be the person to really take it up to another level and make it as funny as possible,' finishes Campbell. Season 2 of Digman! premieres on Comedy Central this Wednesday — July 23 — at 10:30 p.m. ET, immediately following the Season 27 premiere of South Park. All Season 1 episodes are now streaming on Paramount+.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Andy Samberg remembers late' Brooklyn Nine-Nine 'costar Andre Braugher: 'I miss him a lot'
Andy Samberg is missing his late Brooklyn Nine-Nine costar Andre Braugher. The Lonely Island member and Saturday Night Live alum was asked about his offscreen friendship with the actor, who died of lung cancer at age 61 in 2023, during a new episode of Amy Poehler's Good Hang podcast. 'What was that dynamic like behind the scenes [between you and Braugher]? Because he's so good in the show, he's so poised, he's such a good actor — and also, to me, I never had the pleasure of meeting him, he seemed like he was just playful and fun,' Poehler said. To which Samberg replied, 'He was, and just a good person.' In addition to being immensely talented and funny, Samberg noted that Braugher was also 'so deeply moral and kind and pleasant and smart,' adding, 'We all absolutely loved him. I miss him a lot.' Samberg and Braugher starred opposite one another on all eight seasons of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which aired from 2013 until 2021. Samberg's character, Det. Jake Peralta, in particular had a close, almost paternal relationship with Braugher's stoic Capt. Raymond Holt throughout the series. While their characters may have initially butted heads onscreen, Samberg recalled how he and Braugher just clicked immediately. 'It was one of those things where you're just like, 'Okay, this is kismet. I don't know how to explain it,'' he said. 'Because they — [creators] Mike [Schurr] and [Dan] Goor — cast him from like, a meeting. They just did like a Zoom or something with him.' The comedian recalled meeting Braugher at a table read for the series and knowing straight away that they had found something special. 'He walked in and we had a very pleasant hello and then we started reading it, and as soon as we started reading it, like the first scene, which is he comes out and I'm goofing with him and being a dummy and he's being stoic, it just…' Samberg explained. 'You know how it is sometimes with creative stuff, where you're like, 'I don't care how this came to be. It's working and I'm so happy.'' In fact, they got along so well, that Samberg said they hardly ever had to discuss their own creative decisions for the show. 'The only thing me and him had to even talk about creatively was, in the beginning, he didn't trust himself to do comedy because he came so strictly from drama and Juilliard,' he said. 'And like, five or six times we would do a more serious topic on the show and he would flip that switch and everyone would be like, 'Oh my God, what is Andre doing here? He's so good. Like he should be in like, drama! He's like the best.'' Samberg continued, 'But then he would do his Captain Holt stuff and it was the funniest thing on the show.' Braugher was mourned by his fellow Brooklyn Nine-Nine costars online following his death, with Terry Crews, who played Terry Jeffords, thanking the actor in part for 'your wisdom, your advice, your kindness and your friendship.' Melissa Fumero, who starred as Amy Santiago, also noted that she will never forget 'the deep love and loyalty you had for your family.' The show's official Instagram account also honored the late actor, sharing a photo of him with the caption: 'Always our Captain. We love you, Andre.' Watch Samberg discuss his friendship with Braugher in the video above. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Andy Samberg remembers late' Brooklyn Nine-Nine 'costar Andre Braugher: 'I miss him a lot'
Andy Samberg is missing his late Brooklyn Nine-Nine costar Andre Braugher. The Lonely Island member and Saturday Night Live alum was asked about his offscreen friendship with the actor, who died of lung cancer at age 61 in 2023, during a new episode of Amy Poehler's Good Hang podcast. 'What was that dynamic like behind the scenes [between you and Braugher]? Because he's so good in the show, he's so poised, he's such a good actor — and also, to me, I never had the pleasure of meeting him, he seemed like he was just playful and fun,' Poehler said. To which Samberg replied, 'He was, and just a good person.' In addition to being immensely talented and funny, Samberg noted that Braugher was also 'so deeply moral and kind and pleasant and smart,' adding, 'We all absolutely loved him. I miss him a lot.' Samberg and Braugher starred opposite one another on all eight seasons of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which aired from 2013 until 2021. Samberg's character, Det. Jake Peralta, in particular had a close, almost paternal relationship with Braugher's stoic Capt. Raymond Holt throughout the series. While their characters may have initially butted heads onscreen, Samberg recalled how he and Braugher just clicked immediately. 'It was one of those things where you're just like, 'Okay, this is kismet. I don't know how to explain it,'' he said. 'Because they — [creators] Mike [Schurr] and [Dan] Goor — cast him from like, a meeting. They just did like a Zoom or something with him.' The comedian recalled meeting Braugher at a table read for the series and knowing straight away that they had found something special. 'He walked in and we had a very pleasant hello and then we started reading it, and as soon as we started reading it, like the first scene, which is he comes out and I'm goofing with him and being a dummy and he's being stoic, it just…' Samberg explained. 'You know how it is sometimes with creative stuff, where you're like, 'I don't care how this came to be. It's working and I'm so happy.'' In fact, they got along so well, that Samberg said they hardly ever had to discuss their own creative decisions for the show. 'The only thing me and him had to even talk about creatively was, in the beginning, he didn't trust himself to do comedy because he came so strictly from drama and Juilliard,' he said. 'And like, five or six times we would do a more serious topic on the show and he would flip that switch and everyone would be like, 'Oh my God, what is Andre doing here? He's so good. Like he should be in like, drama! He's like the best.'' Samberg continued, 'But then he would do his Captain Holt stuff and it was the funniest thing on the show.' Braugher was mourned by his fellow Brooklyn Nine-Nine costars online following his death, with Terry Crews, who played Terry Jeffords, thanking the actor in part for 'your wisdom, your advice, your kindness and your friendship.' Melissa Fumero, who starred as Amy Santiago, also noted that she will never forget 'the deep love and loyalty you had for your family.' The show's official Instagram account also honored the late actor, sharing a photo of him with the caption: 'Always our Captain. We love you, Andre.' Watch Samberg discuss his friendship with Braugher in the video above. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly