Will Arnett Discusses New Film with Bradley Cooper, Viral Twins, and Ron Rifkin

"Is This Thing On?": A Dramatic Turn

• 💡 Will Arnett stars in "Is This Thing On?", a new movie directed by Bradley Cooper, opening in select theaters on Friday and nationwide January 9th.
• 🎭 The film is a dramatic story about a stand-up comic, based on the true experiences of UK comedian John Bishop, who started stand-up during a divorce.
• 🎬 Arnett performs love scenes with Laura Dern and works alongside other acclaimed actors like Andrew Day in the movie.

Immersive Role Preparation

• 🎤 To prepare for his role, Arnett performed open mic nights in New York as his character, Alex Novak, writing jokes from the perspective of someone new to comedy.
• 😬 He admitted to being very scared to do stand-up, especially given his comedic reputation, but found the experience valuable for the character.

Personal & Professional Connections

• 🤝 Arnett has been friends with Bradley Cooper for nearly 25 years, having shared a back house in Venice early in their careers.
• 🎙️ His "Smartless" podcast partner, Sean Hayes, and his husband Scotty also have delightful roles in the movie, with Sean humorously taking a gummy for a scene.
• 👯‍♂️ Arnett met the viral Australian twins, Bridget & Paula Powers, who were "Clip of the Year" winners, and mentioned having twin sisters himself.

Amusing Off-Screen Stories

• 🗑️ Arnett humorously recounted how his former neighbor, actor Ron Rifkin, has been mad at him for 20 years for not taking out the trash.
• 🇦🇺 He revealed an endorsement deal with the Australian government, which he jokingly claims legally prevents him from promoting other countries, like the Toronto Blue Jays.
• 👨‍👦 His son made a humorous comment about Arnett's movie billboard, saying he was "farting in your face."