Queue And A

Adam Pally is “Heartbroken” About Kanye and Trump, But His New Show ‘Making History’ Just Might Be The Cure

Adam Pally had a pretty great 2016, professionally. He emerged as a damn good leading man by appearing in movies such as Joshy and Don’t Think Twice, the TV shows Lady Dynamite and The Mindy Project, and pops up in this week’s edition of go90’s sports mockumentary series, The 5th Quarter. Plus, he was hard at work developing late night shows and starring in his own half hour comedy for Fox. After chatting with him this week, we finally got an idea of when we can see the buzzy new show about guys who go back in the past to make their current lives better, and why his co-star Leighton Meester is probably going to blow our socks off in it. Pally also explains why he hopes Kanye is just currently pulling a Britney, and what he’s been watching lately on his phone.

Blake Griffin was fun in the first episode of this go90 series, but he makes me angry because he’s good at both basketball and comedy and that doesn’t seem to be fair. Do you get angry about that too?
Yeah, I do. It angers me greatly.
Have you done improv with him?

God no, I wouldn’t share a stage with him. The same way he wouldn’t share a court with me.
Chris Parnell got to do an accent in this episode, did you ask to do one?
I did not ask to do an accent because I value my career, and I know what that would’ve looked like.

You do make fun of British guys and soccer, and I got a little bit nervous for you because you know how sensitive they are about that. Were you worried?

You know honestly I didn’t even think about it until now, but I should’ve passed on the project because of that. It was a huge mistake. Anyone in Britain that is looking at 90-second mockumentaries on their phone, I’m sorry.

Is there anything you do worry about joking about?
Yeah, I think it’s all about context. Obviously you have to be careful and check yourself, first off, as a man. And then I don’t know if Jews are considered white, but as a man of privilege I would say, you don’t want to be making jokes that come across as if you don’t care, because I do care. I think it’s about context.
In being a Knicks fan, have you felt inspiration to create your own web parody just based on your experience there?
What a loaded question and no absolutely not. As a Knicks fan, I have been inspired to do nothing in the past 15 years but weep. But this team is a little different this year so I have some optimism. I feel like I inspire the Knicks more than the Knicks inspire me. Because I’m just a fan and the fact there are any of us left is amazing.
You’re a big Kardashian fan too, how are you feeling about the state of the Kardashians right now?
Well, I’m heartbroken. I would say I’m heartbroken about Kanye and Trump. It’s going to take me a while to recover from that. I’m hoping that Trump and Kanye is the equivalent of when Britney Spears shaved her head. It’s just like pray for Ye, I hope he’s crazy, because I really like his music and I really like his shoes. So that’s where I’m at for the state of the Kardashians right now.
Maybe in 8 years or he’ll be playing Vegas too.
That would be good. That would be frickin’ great if he was on some kind of slow schedule where his handlers had him going from the hotel suite to the show because he’s too medicated to do anything else. I would be psyched about that.

Do you know when we’ll be able to see Making History?
Making History is going to air in March and I’m so excited, it’s awesome. I’m really proud of it and I can’t wait for people to see it, I feel like people are really going to enjoy it, especially at this time in our climate.
Did you binge-watch Gossip Girl before you started to get a sense for your co-star Leighton Meester’s comedic talents?
I was able to find her rhythm without watching 100 episodes of Gossip Girl but I think that show’s great. I think that she was amazing on that show, especially knowing her now, she’s so different from that. She’s unbelievable.
Does she do any music at all on the new show? She’s underrated as a singer and a musician.
Not on this so far, it’s just a straight ahead comedy. But I think always when they know you can do something, they start to make you do that over and over again, so hopefully season 2.
I loved your Late Late Show hosting appearance which was just about two years ago; have you been approached about it or thought about doing it anymore?
I have definitely not been approached about it. I don’t know if the network liked it or quite saw what the fans saw in it, but that’s very nice of you. I’ve been working a little bit in late night more developing shows for other people. It is a space that I really always loved and now that I’ve hosted it and I’ve been a guest certainly on a lot of it, I started to get my bearings in it. I think there’s a lot of room to do a lot of funny stuff that isn’t just a white guy behind a desk.

You also worked on A Little Of Your Time on ABC, right?
I’m dipping my toe and figuring it out. I love that series and will hopefully be doing a half hour version of that series, and there are a couple other things that I’m trying to do in late night because I really do value that space.
More Mindy?
Always more Mindy. Whatever Mindy needs, whenever she needs it.

Hulu

Right answer! So many interesting things you’re in are streaming now, from Joshy to Happy Endings, to Night Owls; do you notice people are finding these things and mentioning them to you?
I think the coolest thing about where the industry’s at right now is that places like go90 and Hulu and Netflix, your stuff can get out there. You know, I’m not a superhero, my movies don’t have that reach, but they’re starting to be able to reach a lot of people online. I think there’s a lot of interesting value in that space as well. I haven’t noticed necessarily an uptick in people hitting me up, but I do notice an uptick of general awareness of my shit. Which is nice!
Is there anything you’re going to be binge-watching at the end of the year?
I have 2 babies so I’m not allowed to watch TV. If I am mostly it’s like The Lion Guard which is ok, not good. I’ve seen Moana 4 times. I really like Fleabag, I love Billy on the Street, I watched all those. I get my shit from everywhere lately. I watched the whole Chance the Rapper tour documentary the other day for like 45 minutes. I don’t really binge necessarily, I just get my shit from everywhere. It’s awesome. My favorite show right now is Fuck, That’s Delicious and I watch that on my phone on Vice. It’s certainly beneficial to people like me.

Watch 'The 5th Quarter' on go90