Will Forte Bravely Admits He Was “Jumping For Joy” When Fox Canceled The Cult Fave ‘The Last Man On Earth’

Will Forte first burst onto the comedy scene in a big way in 2002 when he secured a spot as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, but what’s often forgotten is that it was the very same year when he made his debut as a voice actor in MTV’s cult animated series Clone High, voicing a teenage version of Abraham Lincoln. Later this year, the series will finally return with new episodes, and Forte will once again be providing the voice of Abe, but before that happens, Forte will be appearing in a fun new indie film, Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out, which is making its debut at the Sundance Film Festival. In the midst of a minor press blitz for the film, Forte took a few minutes to chat with Decider, during which he talked about how he found his way into playing one of the film’s titular parents, whether he’d consider reviving Last Man on Earth for a proper final season, and where things stand with MacGruber.

DECIDER: I was fortunate enough to be able to watch your new film last night, and it was really great and sweet, and I was just so pleasantly surprised by it.

WILL FORTE: Oh, that’s awesome! Thank you for watching it, and I’m happy to talk to you about it…although I haven’t even seen it yet!

Well, first of all, how did you find your way into your film? Did the filmmakers approach you personally with the pitch?

Yes! I have known the guy who directed it, Jake [Van Wagoner] since… He was actually a production assistant on the film Don Verdean, which I had a small part in. So there was one day that I remembered where the schedule had changed, so I had to sit around for awhile, and I decided to go for a walk and look for a place to get a little food. And I talked this P.A. into walking around the streets of Salt Lake City with me! And I remembered this very pleasant person, but I kind of lost touch with whoever it was.

And then years later I was asked to do this show for BYU TV called Show-Offs, this improv show. And I got there, and this P.A. was one of the actors! So Jake and I had this delightful day improvising together, and I became friends with him and this other actor on the show named McLean. And we really kept in touch after that experience, and then Jake asked me to come back and do Studio C, also for BYU TV. And each time I would go do something with them, It was just always very fun. So during this Studio C thing, he said, “Hey, I’m trying to get this movie together, and I think you’d be good for this dad role. Would you ever consider this?” And McLean was producing it, Jake was directing it, and I said, “Yeah! When are you doing it? And it turned out the dates worked out, so I said, “Sure!” I don’t even think I’d read the script! [Laughs.]

So he sent me the script and I read it, and…that would’ve been embarrassing, if I’d read it and went, “Oh, uh, well…” [Grimaces.] But, no, it was delightful! Which I knew it would be. He’s just got a very unique sense of humor. He’s delightfully absurd, but he can deliver this complex, absurd stuff in a very palatable way, and also a clean way. Whereas a lot of my stuff is kind of on the dirtier side. So I’m equal parts comfortable and feel like I’m right at home because some of it is kind of absurd, but then also it’s new territory because I’m doing stuff that’s not as dirty as MacGruber. No groin jokes or poo-poo / pee-pee jokes. So it was just a no-brainer, because I wanted to help my friends out, who are just delightful, but…I mean, who would’ve ever expected this? You don’t ever really expect anything to make it to Sundance, but especially this. This was a tiny budget, and when you think of Sundance, you think of edgy independent movies, and this is certainly independent, but I don’t know that I’d call this particularly edgy! [Laughs.]

No, it’s a sweet family film that also presents teenage relationships in a way that’s not entirely unrealistic.

Yeah, it was such a delightful, unexpected surprise that this was making it to Sundance, and I could not be happier for everyone involved, because it was just a delightful group of people to work with. Of course, I was only there a couple of days, but you can just feel it when you’re on a set. You can feel everyone loving each other. And I think I was there towards the end, so that’s usually when tensions are fraying and everyone’s snapping at each other. But this was really just a great group of people.

I don’t want to spoil anything about the movie, but there’s a scene where you’re wearing some very specific attire, and I was wondering if you had any say in the design of your wardrobe.

No, because if I did, I would’ve had a much warmer outfit. [Laughs.] Because it was so cold, and I was freezing, and I would be feeling so bad for myself. “How could they subject me to these elements?” And then I’d look over, and there were a bunch of kids who were in the same scene, and they’re wearing basically the same outfit. But they’re a bunch of Utah kids, so they’re used to this. So I really had to stop my grousing, because I’m a 52-year-old man, and here are these 5, 6, and 7-year-olds and they’re fine! But it was very cold. [Laughs.] I’m excited to see it. I still haven’t seen it! I’ve obviously read the script, but…

It’s great. I’m not just saying that. I have a teenage daughter, and I’m sure she’s going to enjoy it, too. 

Oh, that’s great!

I want to ask you about a few other things while I’ve got you. Do you ever dream about possibly finally getting to do a fifth season of Last Man on Earth, just so you can bring it to a proper conclusion?

You know what? I’m so proud of that show, and when it first got canceled, I was so happy. I mean, it was so tough, physically and mentally, just because of the workload. I didn’t know what went into running a show and doing it that way. And I also was very bad at delegating. I mean, I had a ton of people supporting me in this, so I’m not trying to say that I did it all on my own, but at that time I don’t know that I would’ve made it through another season without breaking down physically or mentally. So I was jumping for joy when it got canceled. But after a little time passed, I miss it. I do miss it! I miss the people. I mean, I still keep in touch with everybody, but…for awhile I just couldn’t wrap my head around ever being back in that mind space. But I miss it now, and I feel like if somebody gave me the opportunity to wrap up that story, I think I would jump at it now. Both to honor the story that we told, and also just to be with those people again. It was a real family we had there for four seasons. It would be a really fun experience. I do think it would be fun to jump back in. Mentally, I’m back in a place where I think I could know how to do it a little more healthily, mentally and physically.

“When [Last Man] first got canceled, I was so happy. I mean, it was so tough, physically and mentally, just because of the workload. I didn’t know what went into running a show and doing it that way … At that time I don’t know that I would’ve made it through another season without breaking down physically or mentally. So I was jumping for joy when it got canceled.”—Will Forte

Will we ever get to hear you voice Abraham Lincoln again?

100%, yes. I mean, I’m currently doing Abe Lincoln for Clone High!

And that’s where I was going with that. I was hoping that was moving forward..

Yeah! It’s always [Phil] Lord and [Christopher] Miller. I’m their Abraham Lincoln, so I don’t think they’ll ever do Abe Lincoln without giving me first right of refusal…and I would never refuse doing anything with them! You’ll know our relationship is very rocky if there’s ever a time when they do Abe Lincoln without me doing it.

So have you recorded all of the new episodes of Clone High, or are you still recording? 

We have recorded a lot of it, and I know I have to go back and do a little. I think we’re close to being done with recording. I don’t know when it’s supposed to start airing, but I’m excited. Those guys are so funny, and everyone involved with that is so good. It’s just always fun to see the different jokes they come up with.

Speaking of Lord and Miller, I was glad to see you pop up in The After Party, too.

Oh, yeah, that was fun! I think that was my first time working on a set after COVID, so it was very… [Hesitates.] It was good to see that it could be done, and done safely. I love those guys. I’m very happy for their incredible success.

And I know we’re in the home stretch here, but where do things stand with MacGruber? Is there a Season 2 forthcoming?

You know, they have not said “yes,” which I think is a bad sign. But they have not said “no”! And we haven’t asked them in awhile, because we all got busy. But we all would jump at a chance to do another season. Even if Peacock ultimately says, “We don’t want to do anymore here,” we never thought we would’ve gotten a chance to do this season twelve years after the movie bombed at the box office, so we’re so thankful to Peacock for giving us the chance to make the season we made. And that was so unexpected that I’d never count it out. We love working with that group, so you just never know what could happen down the line. But we will always be looking for a chance to get a second season going or some other form of MacGruber. So never say never…and never ever say never ever.

If it happens, I will be as excited as my wife will be horrified. 

[Bursts out laughing.] Please apologize to your wife for me.

She said, “Please don’t tell him how much I can’t stand MacGruber.” And I said I wouldn’t. But here we are.

Hey, look, I totally understand it. We know it’s not for everybody.

Well, she went to see it in the theater with me, and she’s never let me forget it.

Good for her! She’s helping to keep MacGruber alive!

Aliens Abducted My Parents And Now I Feel Kinda Left Out is premiering at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday, January 20, and will be available to watch online at Sundance.org beginning at 10am ET on Tuesday, January 24.

Will Harris (@NonStopPop) has a longstanding history of doing long-form interviews with random pop culture figures for the A.V. Club, Vulture, and a variety of other outlets, including Variety. He’s currently working on a book with David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker. (And don’t call him Shirley.)