Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi) is a computer salesman who works with the thinly-veiled Best Buy-inspired Buy More in their Nerd Herd (Geek Squad) who just so happens to possess a vast stash of CIA secrets in his noggin.
09/27/2008 - Zachary Levi - NBC's "Chuck" Season 2 Launch Party - Arrivals - Pure Nightclub at the Caesars Palace Hotel and Casino - Las Vegas, NV, USA © PRN / PR Photos
CIA operatives Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski) and stoic and cold John Casey (Adam Baldwin) - are dispatched as minders for Chuck, because the government needs to call on him to fight evil-doers.
Any good spy caper worth its salt has complications, namely the Cipher which is a doppelganger of what is inside Chuck’s head, and everyone wants their hands on that.
Chuck is sought after by cold-blooded killer Mr. Colt (Michael Clarke Duncan).
Tonight's second-season premiere begins with Colt dangling our hero by the ankles from a building.
Monsters and Critics spoke to Zachary Levi and Josh Gomez on a conference call about the new season of “Chuck”.
What do you guys like about working with each other?
Josh Gomez: Zach, you want to start off how wonderful it is to work with me?
Zachary Levi: I wish there was something I could say to that but he’s really just a horrible person. No, , honestly yeah, from day one when I first met Josh I had been cast in the part of Chuck - no, I was cast as Casey and then they thought no, you’re really not - you’re not tough enough.
No they cast me in the role of Chuck and then they had me come in and do chemistry reads and audition - in the auditioning process with various other characters.
And Morgan was one of them and so I got the privilege to meet Josh before he got the role. And the first time we ever read together immediately there was a really great chemistry. We have very similar comedic styles.
And he’s just an all around great dude and so Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak, and McG, and the powers that be saw that I think in the room and Josh got the role, as he should have.
Then right after that we were sitting around just kind of talking about life, getting to know one another and immediately we came to the realization that we’re both avid and rabid videogame players.
So because of that and because both Chuck and Morgan are avid videogame players in our fictitious world, we hit it off, like peas and carrots I suppose, and to quote the genius, Forrest Gump.
Josh Gomez: Yeah, ditto to what he said and the chemistry you see is on camera is natural and it’s for real, and it’s kind of what happens off camera as well.
I’m lucky enough to have the head guy be Zach - our number one on the show is Zach, and I said it again and again -- it’s just like the guy should teach a class in Hollywood on how to treat people on a set and how to conduct themselves and how to just make everybody feel like a family and welcome.
It’s just a pleasure everyday and I may start to cry so I’m going to cut it there.
How tall are you Josh?
Josh Gomez: Five eight.
Five eight and Zach’s about six two or so?
Josh Gomez: Six four, Zach?
Zachary Levi: Yeah. Yes, I know. Yeah, make sure everybody knows that because everybody thinks that I’m shorter than I am.
Josh Gomez: Zach’s just taller than you think.
Talk about how you see Morgan overall. What kind of person is he?
Josh Gomez: I think he’s a good kid. He’s sweet natured and but he’s a little bit - he can be a little on the - he’s not so goal oriented.
He’s a little lazy and I think it’s just like he wants to do as little work as possible, hang out with his buddy, play some videogames and not cause too much trouble...
The simple things make Morgan happy, like a sandwich, a nice videogame.
And he’s lusted for Chuck’s sister his whole life hasn’t he?
Josh Gomez: Yeah and I mean, that’s his best friend’s older sister and I feel like there’s a lot of guys that can relate to that.
It’s just that sweet first love - I think sometime’s Ellie and Morgan’s affection for Ellie is a very sort of like a little boy’s kind of infatuation kind of thing that’s just carried on a little way too long.
Chuck reminds me of one of my favorite series, ‘Get Smart’ -- the 1960’s TV series, as far as the absurdist nature of the writing.
Zachary Levi: Thank you.
Do Josh and Chris, the show creators, ever talk to you about what shaped their ideas for the show or what kind of inspired them as far as just the premise and the overall feel of the series?
Zachary Levi: Well interestingly enough, what I do know is that they don’t want it to be Get Smart - as much as I agree with you in the sense that I really loved Get Smart when I saw it in reruns and whatnot.
And I think we definitely do have elements that you just can’t hide it. There is kind of some absurdity to some of the missions we go on.
It’s just really a very tough line to walk when you have the comedy and the action, and when they - those two worlds collide it ends up - can be just very fun and very funny and entertaining sometimes.
But as far as I know, I think it came out of Josh and Chris having known each other for awhile, both being writes at USC and they wanted to make kind of a quarter life, crisis, mid-20s to late 30s, like what are you doing with your life kind of a premise.
But everybody has a take on that. What’s a fresh take on that? Well a fresh take would be that you’re wrapped up in espionage. That’s a heck of a quarter-life crisis right there.
And because Chris is such a huge fan of great action movies like Die Hard and Total Recall, and all these types of things, that’s I think where he’s drawing a lot of his influence in that world.
And because Josh Schwartz was so successful with finding that young audience with The O.C. and that kind of pop culture buzz - if you take The O.C. and Die Hard, and Get Smart, and the Bourne Identity and The Office and all these various kind of genres and influences - you throw them altogether and that’s Chuck, I suppose.
How much fun do you have doing your scenes with Adam Baldwin? Do you ever goof on him and do Full Metal Jacket impersonations or anything with him? He’s so serious and wrapped up in his character on Chuck.
Zachary Levi: Adam is so dedicated to the character and shares many aspects with him. But I would also tell you the biggest surprise is that Adam’s probably the most - because he can get sillier than almost anyone on set.
He’ll do funny voices and joke around, and he’ll bust out some fully, Full Metal Jacket stories about - even just for example the - I can’t remember the actor’s name but the head of the squad when he gets shot by the sniper bullet and he’s sitting there dying.
And I can hack it, I can hack it - well when the cameras weren’t rolling he’s - this is a guy sitting there, fake bleeding. He’s like oh, I’ve been shot. I’m dying…like just really funny, great stuff and he’s such a veteran and been around the block numerous times. And I mean he’s our rock. Adam Baldwin is our rock...
Josh Gomez: Yeah, but the biggest surprise also is that like he plays these characters and he just like - it’ll be the cameras are rolling and he’s polishing his gun, and he’s grunting at Chuck and he’s doing the scene.
But when the cameras aren’t rolling, he couldn’t be the biggest teddy bear you probably have ever - I mean, just all he - he loves his cast and he loves his family. And he’s just like the biggest sweetheart and it’s mush.
And then all of a sudden (cha-cha) and he’s like uh, he’s grunting and he’s doing - he’s slamming my face into a wall. It’s just like so - and then he says oh are you okay, whatever and he’s just like a sweetheart, so yeah it’s funny.
What’s with all the Huey Lewis and the News music in the first couple of episodes?
Josh Gomez: I don’t know, do you remember - I remember - I just - Chris Fedak, just got asked this question
Zachary Levi: Yeah, I think it was something like they were both big fans of Huey Lewis and because the show lends itself so well to music and especially because, if you look at what Josh did with The O.C. and really - and breaking a lot of bands and new stuff, I think it’s important to also stick to really classic stuff, especially when we have so many references to classic films or actors, or music or what have you to weave that in.
And I mean, I was pleasantly surprised by it. I mean, I watch Back to the Future and half of the reason I want to watch it is because of the Huey Lewis in it.
I think Chuck wishes he could be Marty McFly. And so for that to be in the show is a great touch.
Do you have a favorite Bond movie ?
Zachary Levi: I’m a huge fan of spy movies. I wish I was better versed in all of them. We were actually just talking about it on set the other day and someone talked about the movie The Spy Who Came in from the Cold which I now own on DVD because someone gave it to me because I had no idea what it was.
And a lot of the classic Bond, I wish I knew better. But I’m 27, but the stuff that I’ve grown up with - well I guess, Brosnan was really the first Bond, probably because there was a Nintendo 64 game that was in conjunction with Goldeneye which was maybe one of the greatest videogames ever.
Josh Gomez: Yes.
Zachary Levi: I thought Goldeneye was very good. And most recently I thought Casino Royale was very good. I think Daniel Craig is a great Bond and and a cool departure a little bit with the blond hair, blue-eyed thing. And kind of going back to how he might have started off as being 007 and a little bit more gritty, and not so refined.
So I really dig it. I like it with it’s a little bit more in the kind of - I like - well another spy movie, Jason - any of the Bourne movies I think are very well done.
Liman and Greengrass both did great jobs - and of course, Matt Damon and anyone that they put in them. So I would - since I was a kid I always thought being the first American Bond would be incredible because there’s never been an American Bond.
Jason Bourne is the closest thing we have. But if they can cast an Australian as a Bond, they can cast an American. I mean, we all came from the same gene pool ultimately, didn’t we?
Josh Gomez: Here here, Zach, here here. I cast my name - I cast my name out there by the way, Josh Gomez for consideration.
Do you get sweet hook-ups at Best Buy ?
Josh Gomez: I wish. Why isn’t that happening? I go to Best Buy’s all over just to see if it happens and it doesn’t. I go no it didn’t happen at this one and I cross it off my list, and I drive to the next one and it doesn’t happen.
No, but it is funny. It’s weird to walk in there because our set is so amazing in that it looks - except if you look up and see all the gigantic lights, but when you’re standing in that set, you feel like you’re in a Best Buy or in this big box electronic store.
So when I go into Best Buy I get like wow, I feel like I’m at work only I’m not that tired. And the other day I saw the funny - (Libby) - I went in with my friend and there was this guy there.
I went to ask him for help and Best Buy had blue shirts on, the blue polo’s or whatever. But I just saw him from behind. I kind of like - I was like ‘hey could I ask you a question’ or whatever, and he turned around. And it was like oh my god, Morgan.
My friend was like oh my god, just watch him and you can study him and use it. You can use it, And he had a beard. He had this thing - and it was like looking into a mirror only he was probably a little better looking.
But yeah, I don’t know, you - do you get free stuff or anything? Do you get razzed, there Zachary?
Zachary Levi: No I mean, we haven’t gotten - again, I wish. maybe after the show has been on a little bit longer and if people don’t mind losing their jobs by giving us free stuff then maybe we’ll get something.
But honestly it’s just kind of cool to walk in - like Josh was just saying, you walk into a Best Buy and for them to know who we are because they watch the show, it’s kind of like the biggest compliment you can get.
if you’re emulating somebody else in their profession and what their life must be like at work, and they dig it and they’re into it, and they think you’re doing a good job doing it then, clearly we’re doing something right.
And the last time I went into a Best Buy, there was a whole gaggle of employees that, , I took pictures with them and signed some stuff. And it’s funny because at the Buy More, we’re really just a bunch of slackers.
I don’t know if we really accomplish anything. I don’t know how anything is sold in that store. And yet, when I go in everyone at the Best Buy says oh, you’ve nailed us. You’ve got it.
Josh Gomez: Yes.
Zachary Levi: So I don’t know if that should inspire confidence in employment.
Josh Gomez: Or Buy More -or Best Buy should look into their employees.
Zachary Levi: Yes, I know right? But that’s really cool. And I’ve read a review as well - there was a review last season of - some publication had actually gone to a Best Buy or a couple of them and just asked the people - , they said have you seen the show and what do you think.
And it was rating.the employees that they talked - they have a night where they sit together and watch the show together. Well I guess I suppose that would be Mondays because that’s when we’re on, unless they TiVo it but whatever.
Do you have videogame battles on the set, off the set?
Zachary Levi: Well just to clarify, it’s both our love for videogames and Shetland ponies, but we can’t - we don’t have enough time to get into that right now.
Josh Gomez: I’d rather yet - thank you.
Zachary Levi: Yeah, I’d rather not. We’ll leave that for another...
Josh Gomez: Yeah.
Zachary Levi: Anyway but no, during the pilot we brought our Xbox to set and we were playing. I mean, McG would be like guys come on, we’re about to shoot.
So we’d run over and go do our shot and then we’d go back and start playing. But we had a little bit more time for the pilot. It was - now that we’re actually - , when you’re in the season you’ve got nine days to accomplish what you should have a month to do, I suppose.
We’re making kind of a mini movie every week. So there’s not a tremendous amount of time to be playing videogames. But hopefully if we get a little bit more time and get some cool setups then we’ll be rocking out - doing some Gears of War II, some...
Josh Gomez: Make no mistake, we have these phones. When we’re done here today there will be headsets on and there will be game playing. We’re on hiatus. Believe me, the headsets will be back on and there will be game battles tonight. I kid you not, I assure you.
Give us a little sense of what Morgan’s going to be up to in this season and how he’s going to fit into all of the action and romance, and things or will it be mostly at the store when Chuck’s life overlaps into the store from the spy end of things?
Josh Gomez: Yeah I think the latter. I think that it’s going to be very Buy More centric. Morgan’s very heavy in the Buy More and the B Story and it’s sort of, kind of taking a little bit of the reigns over there at the store because, as you said, Chuck finds himself I think more and more wrapped up in the spy world.
He becomes less and less kind of present at the store which actually is one of the sort of side stories where we have this new guy, Emmett (Milbars) who is played by the very, very funny and very talented Tony Hale - comes in and he’s just like where - how come I hear all this great stuff about this Chuck Bartowski and yet he’s never here kind of thing.
And then I kind of do my best as a friend not really - I don’t know why exactly I’m covering for Chuck but as a friend it’s my job to cover for him so I have to cover for him.
And all these kind of things happen at the Buy More and we have a - , even for this season obviously for the first time, like even in the B Story we had a great guest star like - Michael Strahan came in it was sort of a David and Goliath type scenario of Morgan having to face off against this mammoth human being who works next door at this like sports chalet type of place called the Mighty Jocks.
He just keeps coming in and he just keeps using our videogames and him and his jock friends are playing games in our home theater room. And I have to kick them out, and it doesn’t go well.
So - but yeah so it’s definitely heavily featured in the Buy More stuff I think this season.
How do you feel about the long season?
Josh Gomez: Ding, ding, ding. Yeah, we couldn’t be happier. I mean, when I got the call I was just really - you can’t hear better news and it’s sort of unprecedented which I thought was really cool.
To kind of get it this early just based off of what the network had seen and the studio had seen and stuff, it feels really good. It just gives you that confidence. You go okay, we’re doing something right,
So we kind of go forward now hopefully with a little swagger in our steps and feel confident, and know that we’re on the right path. So yeah.
Zachary Levi: Yeah and I know that I should say the same but I’m really only in this acting game to work my way into infomercials. I was hoping that the 13 episodes would just wrap up and I could get on with my dream. But, whatever - 9 more, that’s fine.
What is it like to work with Michael Clarke-Duncan?
Zachary Levi: Oh it was awesome, yeah. I mean, first episode back and we have, a bona fide movie star. That’s really everything you can hope for.
When you’re doing a television show you hope that you’re making a product that other actors and directors of a certain caliber watch and appreciate themselves - and say what, I’d like to go play with those guys for an episode and hang out, and enjoy what they’re doing.
And so it was really an honor that he decided to come and play in our sandbox. And he was a really sweet dude. I mean, kind of like Josh was talking about Adam, how he’s just from the outside he’s very imposing and this strong, rough guy and then on the inside he’s a big teddy bear.
Michael kind of has that same thing. I don’t know him as well as I know Adam of course, but he seemed to be just really laid back, down to earth, had a good time shooting the episode and,was easy to talk to and really professional, and very imposing. He is a large man.
What are we going to see more of that this season, are you guys getting closer?
Zachary Levi: I definitely think so. I mean, I think one of the - A, I think that they want to show that Casey isn’t just a robot. And we kind of touched a little bit upon that last season.
And B, I think they want to show that Chuck - part of his charm I suppose is that no matter how irritating he may be to his handlers -- particularly Adam Baldwin/John Casey -- he’s like an infectious disease almost - a good infectious disease whichever that may be.
I can’t think of any good infectious diseases. But - Casey has no choice but to just kind of embrace him and as many times as Casey has saved Chuck’s life, Chuck has also saved his and Sarah’s in return; albeit, in some clumsy un-thought out way but does still managed to get the job done in some way.
Casey is privy to my whole personal life and my sister, and my friends and knows that I’m a good dude just trying to do my best in the world.
And I’ve been thrown into this situation, completely outside of my own control. So you definitely see him hesitating on the orders that he’s given and I think he’s relieved that he doesn’t have to follow through with it, .
What do you guys have on your DVR schedules that you watch regularly and love?
Josh Gomez: We are both - and you don’t mind me speaking for you, right, because you will agree with me?
Zachary Levi: No, you go right ahead buddy.
Josh Gomez: Thank you, sir. Gigantic - what do we call ourselves? Lost-ians?
Zachary Levi: Lost-ians? Yeah.
Josh Gomez: Yeah, Lost-ites.
Zachary Levi: Lost-ites.
Josh Gomez: Yeah, I don’t know.
Zachary Levi: Whatever sounds most horrific
Josh Gomez: Huge, huge, huge Lost fan - yeah. I mean, we come back to - we’ll come to work after a Thursday or whatever and it’s like did you watch? And it’s like dude, .
Zachary Levi: Dateline.
Josh Gomez: Dateline.
Zach, I want to know what’s going on with Chuck and Sarah this season?
Zachary Levi: Well I could tell you but then I’d - well then you’d know.
Are they finally going to have their chance to be together or and fortunately or unfortunately, the way that the best television is keeps you on the edge of your seat.
So they break them up again and everybody is watching the show. So I think that, people want to see the tension. They’re rooting for them - for Chuck and Sarah to get together.
But we can’t go there yet. We’re all hoping that we’ll, have a healthy span of, five to seven seasons - god willing. I have no idea what NBC has in mind.
Of course, I’m trying to get to my infomercials so I’m not pushing it. But...
Josh Gomez: He’s really gung-ho on the infomercials.
Zachary Levi: It’s crazy. I mean, I got a food dehydrator lined up. It’s all this stuff.
Josh Gomez: He’s fantastic by the way. You’ve never seen a man talk a blender on the air like this man.
Zachary Levi: But you’ll definitely see lots of good stuff that will satiate your desire for Chuck and Sarah. And there’s,a little DTR - a little define the relationship discussion that we have a couple episodes in.
Will we see (Bonnie)’s character featured more prominently this season, especially after what’s going to happen at the beginning? And any guest stars that you would personally like to see on one of the episodes?
Zachary Levi: Yeah, first of all I commend you sir, for a (Bonnie) question.
Not many people ask about Bonita which is - and it’s so odd because we never get to see her. They shoot her stuff in a little set and she’ll do her things and then they play it back for us when we’re having to talk to her.
And it’s frustrating. Occasionally I’ll see her as she’s coming into work, going out or vice-versa. But she’s such a lovely woman and does a great job on the show.
There are a few little things that connect her to our world a little bit. Look - how many episodes have you seen, the first three?
Okay, so then you see the little love connection that perhaps she and John Larroquette had at one point which is so freakin’ fantastic to me. That was a freakin’ by the way, that was not an F-bomb...
I guess the kind of fortunate and unfortunate thing about it is that she’s in D.C. , she’s running things out there so - but, I don’t know.
Josh Gomez: I would love to see ALF, but I know it’s not going to happen. But I think he’d be great in the Buy More. I don’t know. What do you think?
Zachary Levi: I just want to see - for me I love seeing just actors that I love and respect that I’d look at their talent and their craft, and how long they’ve been doing it.
And that’s the great thing about television as opposed to film. if you do a film you get to work with your cast and then that was the experience.
But in television you get to work with new actors and directors all the time. They’re always coming in. And so I just would love for more just solid awesome actors and actresses to come through.
Hopefully they’d dig the show and they want to be a part of it in some way, shape or form because just having those few days - we just had Gary Cole who was Lumbergh from 'Office Space' and has done all kinds of work.
And not to be confused with Gary Coleman who is also a monster of the craft.
And I was over the moon. I mean - I felt like such an idiot because the first thing - I see him in the hair and makeup trailer and I’m like, 'Peter what’s happening?'
'Listen, did you get the memo about the TPS report?' I mean, he probably gets that all the time but I couldn’t resist. Iit’s one of those huge things for me and I’m such - again, he’s such a great actor and he kills the role. He plays a great character that I can’t tell you who he is but he will be great, I assure you.
Blooper reels only tell part of the story. What regular cast member is most likely to laugh during a scene and which scene from Season 1 was the most difficult for each of you to get through without laughing?
Zachary Levi: That’s a great question.
Josh Gomez: That is great. We’re actually probably - and the funny thing is we’re both equally prone to laughing.
Zachary Levi: Yeah.
Josh Gomez: Then also the follow-up to that is both equally prone to slapping each other across the face to stop us from laughing. That seems - that’s our normal cure-all.
When it’s about four or five times - if we go through about four takes and we’re like crap, crap, crap, right, stop, stop, stop - if it’s about four or five times, slaps are coming.
And it usually surprises the crew because they’re loud, they’re hard and they’re for real. I kid you not. This kid’s got mitts on him and they - so yeah. I don’t know. Well...
Zachary Levi: I couldn’t tell you, I think we’re all equally as prone to laugh just because we’re always having a great time. But I will tell you the person - I think the person who has the hardest time getting the giggles out is Yvonne.
If Yvonne gets going, she’s done. You got to cut. We just got to take a moment because of course, , Josh and I have this method that we’ve worked out of just beating each other. And pain normally helps take away the happy’s.
And then as far as a scene, oh gosh, I mean, there were so many scenes that we were busting up - one in particular for me was in Chuck versus the Marlin, the Episode 13 of last season when Adam and I go in to confront Scott and Vik -- Lester and Jeff -- about where the Marlin is and they’re playing the hard ball and then they dive in.
And then Vik, who is - he’s just - in my opinion, he’s so underutilized. The man is so talented. But, hopefully he’ll get some good episodes to really sink his teeth into.
But he goes off on this riff about how they were at Bennigan’s - at Bennie’s.
Josh Gomez: Oh that’s right.
Zachary Levi: And, had too much to drink and all that. And he had - I mean, Vik’s got takes for days. He could ad lib and riff, and just go wherever and he had all these great things worked out.
Thank god for half of that scene the camera was on my back because I had a grin from ear to ear. I could not stop laughing. And so yeah, for me that was probably that scene.
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