Veep Star Tony Hale Shares What Makes Him Laugh In Real Life
For nearly seven years, Tony Hale has captured the essence of Gary Walsh, the long-suffering yet hopelessly devoted bagman to Vice President-turned-President-turned-private-citizen Selina Meyer (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) on HBO’s Veep. Wherever his boss goes, Gary goes with, whispering important information about people who approach her (“he’s got a glass eye,” or “he’s with his wife, not daughter”) while reaching into his giant shoulder bag full of Selina-essentials like Dutch eyedrops and her favorite sweeteners.
As Hale prepared to retire his character’s trusty leather Leviathan bag (the final season of Veep returns March 31 at 10:30 PM EST), he shared a few of his favorite things with O.
A really good mall. Malls have a special place in my heart. Every one has to have a kick-ass food court, terrific air-conditioning, a department store no one goes into, an open space in the center where you can see all the escalators, and great holiday decorations. And you know how people like that new-car smell? A good mall smell is just euphoric.
Prayer. Achieving stillness with God is my go-to soul soother. It sounds cheesy, but it's true. When I lived in New York, I'd walk up Fifth Avenue, and it'd be crazy because of all the lights, people, and noise-but stepping into one of the city's cathedrals, like St. Patrick's, let me shut out the world. Everything immediately shifted from chaos to peace.
Underwear. People who go commando baffle me. I like a barrier between my skin and denim.
A post shared by Tony Hale (@mrtonyhale) on Dec 18, 2018 at 8:40am PST
Practicing contentment. Working on Arrested Development was my dream job-but it didn't satisfy me like I thought it would, and that was terrifying. The experience made me realize I hadn't been very present in my life because I was always looking for the next big thing. So I try to actively practice contentment every day.
YouTube. If I want to bawl my eyes out, I watch videos of soldiers coming home to their children or dogs. When I want to laugh, I watch clips of Ellen DeGeneres sending someone through a haunted house. I’ve always been a fan of America’s Funniest Home Videos, and seeing a genuine reaction of terror gets me every time.
A bulletin board covered in my daughter's craft projects. It hangs in my office at DreamWorks and features things like a Valentine's Day card, a drawing of our dogs, and a Banksy-like artwork she made by melting crayons onto a canvas. That's where life is.
Chipwiches. They’re my favorite dessert. If I had my own Gary, his bag would be stocked with Chipwiches-and an inhaler, because I have asthma. Together, those two things bring me safety.
My wife. She's a loving devil's advocate. She doesn't necessarily tell me what I want to hear, but she always finds a way to cushion the hard news. Plus, show business can be very uncertain, and she's able to shine a bright light on which path is best.
Music. It makes everything else go away. After I drop off my daughter at school in the morning, I turn on Spotify. I love folksy artists, like Patty Griffin or the Eagle Rock Gospel Singers, and I listen to a lot of hymns. Then there are times I just blast Ben Platt’s version of “You Will Be Found” from Dear Evan Hansen. Lordy, I’m probably oversharing now.
McDonald's Quarter Pounders with cheese. Also fries and a McFlurry-one with M&M's!-because the mix of salty-sweet is everything. That will be my last meal.
Simplicity. When things feel complicated or overwhelming, I return to simple truths: God is with me, my family is with me, and we’re all spinning around on a planet. It’s a reminder not to give too much power to shit that doesn’t really matter.
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