Will Forte Says ‘MacGruber 2′ Is ‘Priority No. 1′ Behind New Fox Show ‘Last Man on Earth’
If you interview “The Last Man on Earth,” does he make a sound?
If he’s Will Forte, yes. The writer, producer and star of Fox’s newest sitcom regaled this reporter with his hopes for both the new series and the sequel to cult classic movie “MacGruber” during a recent sitdown with TheWrap.
Forte intimated that, after “Last Man,” MacGruber is “Priority No. 1.”
“It seems like we have a realistic shot at getting [‘MacGruber 2′] made,” Forte told TheWrap. “We have a loose outline of the first couple of acts, which we’re really excited about. So we’ve just got to flesh it out a little more.”
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But first things first.
“If [‘The Last Man on Earth’] were to ever be successful enough to get a second season, we’d probably have to wait until after that season to make it,” Forte said. “If the show isn’t successful enough to do that, we’d probably jump in right away.”
All indications point toward the entire cast returning for the full-length follow-up, the “SNL” alum added.
Forte hopes, of course, that “MacGruber 2″ ends up waiting a while, because for now, the “Nebraska” star is happy with his small-screen sitcom.
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On “The Last Man on Earth,” Forte plays Phil Miller, the — you guessed it — last man on Earth. Of course, Miller doesn’t remain alone forever, as anyone who follows casting announcements can surmise. But he does spend a good portion of the pilot chatting with inanimate objects and humorously bouncing around an empty America.
Being alone is a challenge for anyone, comedically, and Forte admitted that the issue was “pretty tough” to overcome in the writing stages. But he did so, and couldn’t be happier with the result.
“For a network show, it’s very, very different,” Forte explained during last month’s Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour.
The actor is actually surprised he’s even on network TV. “I figured if there was any interest it’d be on cable,” he said.
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Still, Forte is pleasantly surprised with his new home, where he’s had minimal interference and notes from the net.
“They pledged to us that they really want to do something different, and they’ve really stuck to their word,” Forte, known for his offbeat humor, stated.
Of course, he’d maybe change two things for the sake of the art. If the comedian had his druthers, he’d do even more talkless scenes, he told TheWrap.
And when he does talk? “It’d be nice to have some swearing. I would probably use the F word a couple times, and that’s about it,” Forte said. “But you know what? I should probably cut down on my F words anyway, so this is good.”
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Also good? “The Last Man on Earth. But it’s hard to predict success or failure on TV in 2015 because it’s difficult to even understand ratings. Forte doesn’t try, doesn’t care.
Or as he put it: “I don’t give a shit about that stuff,” Forte told TheWrap. “I honestly don’t.”
Here’s what he does care about: “With this TV show — God, I hope people watch it, because I’m really proud of it,” Forte concluded. “But, at the end of the day, if people don’t watch it … I can go to bed knowing I worked my ass off and did the show I wanted to do.”
“The Last Man on Earth” debuts Sunday on Fox at 8 p.m.
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