Dan Bakkedahl – Life in Pieces

By starrymag | November 3, 2016

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) I’ve been pretty busy with “Life in Pieces.” It takes up the vast majority of my time. I’ve also been fortunate to do a couple episodes of “Veep” this year. I’ve been out publicizing a film I shot last year called Brave New Jersey that stars Anna Camp and Tony Hale as well. I’m currently working on a really exciting animated series for TBS called “Tarantula” that is written, created and stars Carson Mell. He is a brilliant writer and a really funny guy. It is a great story about a seedy little motel in the desert in California and I play a series of characters on the show. It’s been a lot of fun to do. We have Steve Jones from The Sex Pistols and Carson and myself and my friend Miles Strong. I’m as excited about that just as much as anything right now.

Q) How was Tim originally described to you?

A) The way it was pitched to me was that he was this average, modern day TV dad. That’s kind of who I am in real life. I’m just kind of the goofy dad that wants to have fun and be with the family. At the time, what it really specified was the doctor part of it. They didn’t know what kind of doctor he was going to be so that was all secondary. At first, it was just that Betsy Brandt was going to be playing the wife. As an actor, they call you to see if you’d be interested in reading this and I said, “Yes, of course!”

Q) Was there anything you have added to him that wasn’t originally in the character breakdown for you?

A) What happens in a process like this, they have been really great at sitting just down and asking what we’re into, where we come from and what we like to do. They take some of our personal stories and wrap them in. I told them that I really love heavy metal and I’ve always been a fan of heavy metal and glam rock. Tim kind of became that kind of guy as well as a result of that.

Q) There is such great cast chemistry on the show. Were you familiar with any of your costars before working with them?

A) I knew who they were, but I’d never met any of them. Betsy and I hit it off at the chemistry read. That’s when there are three people who they feel might that one of the guys will end up being the lead so they brought us in to read with Betsy and right off the bat we hit it off in a way where I thought, “Wow! This is really comfortable.”

Q) You have great comedic timing. Is it something that has always come naturally to you or have you had to work on it?

A) I think it is a little bit of both. I grew up in a funny family. My father was funny and my older brother Tom is very, very funny. We’re kind of a funny family. Also, I moved to Chicago in 1995 to study at Second City and I was fully immersed for about eight out f o the ten years I was there in improvisation and sketch comedy. When you’re performing for Cubs fans five nights a week in Chicago you find out pretty quickly what swings and doesn’t swing with the vast majority of the population.

Q) With your comedy background, is there room to improv much on the show?

A) They will give you one “for free” where it is just going nuts. We don’t often do that. There is such a large cast and there is such a large order. So, we don’t often get to do full takes. What they will do is say, “We have an alt for this line.” For instance, you could say, “I’m more tired than a working mom at the end of the week.” Then, they might say, “We have an alt for you,” which is an alternate line. They’ll say, “Unless you have something else.” They let us play with that. So, if there is a joke line that isn’t furthering any action, but is just a joke they are always wide open for us to play with it and improvising. I always ask first to make sure that on that day there is time to play around with a take.

Q) What is the difference between your time filming on “Life In Pieces” and “Veep?”

A) Well, “Life in Pieces” is my five day a week nine to five. It’s kind of funny to say that a television show is my day job. It’s my commitment. So, I’m there every day that they want me or need me. With “Veep,” it’s more of when they can have me and “Life in Pieces” allows me. Then, I get to go over there and do that. I went a couple weeks ago and shot two scenes for “Veep.” I was there one day for four hours and shot two scenes for different episodes. So, I shot two episodes of material for myself in one morning. With “Life in Pieces” we take five days to shoot an episode so I’m there five days a week.

Q) With such a large cast is there someone you would like to work with more or haven’t worked with yet?

A) I haven’t had a lot of time with Tom Sadoski. We had a couple scenes last year – little scenes here and there. But nothing extensive. We really have a great off camera chemistry. I would love to see Tommy and I get the opportunity to play a little more. The same goes for Angelique [Cabral] who plays his fiancée. I have a great chemistry with her as well and would like the opportunity to play with her a little more, too.

Q) What have been some of your most memorable behind the scenes moments?

A) It’s a really fun atmosphere behind the scenes. Everyone gets along so well. I always say that stuff starts at the top. If you the number one cast member, your biggest name on the show, not a joy to be with then things kind of trickle down. With our case, we’re so fortunate because Dianne [Wiest] is so sweet and so fun to play with and so giving as a performer and Jim [Brolin] as well. Everyone enjoys being there. It comes through in the work. Two weeks ago we were filming at The Coliseum and we were going to do an episode about going to a Rams game. While everyone is not mercenarily a Rams fan, we were just hanging out in the parking lot in the tents. It is nothing specific that stands out, but we’re standing out there talking about our lives. You’re hanging out and sharing stories. So, you have the opportunity to get to know one another and that is really unique. Usually when people aren’t filming they are gone and in their trailer. You don’t see them. Here everyone is hanging out and sharing together. Colin Hanks brings a little speaker with him everywhere he goes so he’ll ask, “Who wants to hear some music?” And Diane will say, “Bob Dylan!” So, he’ll play Bob Dylan and then everyone hangs out and sings along.

Q) You are a part of social media. Do you enjoy the instant fan feedback you receive to episodes?

A) I do. I am not as engaged as some of our other cast members. It’s just not what I was brought up on. I engage in it. I can probably do better at being more involved. When I get direct feedback from a fan, I always respond. I do my best to carry on a bit of a conversation because I’ve met people that I respected in show business and I didn’t expect them to be my best friend but thought we could exchange a couple of nice words between us. Sometimes they are a little off-putting or aloof and you think, “Wow. I wish I hadn’t met that person.” So, I always try to leave a better impression than that so that a person feels, “I’m glad I met him or spoke to him.”

Q) What can you tease is in store this season?

A) The big thing is that Heather wants to go back to work now that our youngest has a life of her own and the oldest is old enough to babysit. So, Heather comes to work in my office. It’s an ocean of worlds colliding with my work life and my home life. You get to see Tim kind of under the pressure of that. We also have a great storyline that includes Jeff Probst where I’m helping John put together his audition tape for “Survivor.” That’s a really fun one, too!

Q) Who are some of the guest stars that we will get to see this season on “Life in Pieces?”

A) We have some great guest stars this season! Curt Warner is going to be on the show – the former St. Louis Rams quarterback. We have Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman. Fortune Feimster is coming back. She played Colleen’s new roommate. She’s hilarious! I think it is a fantastic season. I’m so excited about the scripts I’ve been reading. Everything looks great. I feel like we’re onward and upward.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) I enjoy acting. I have a good time doing it. I always felt like the reward was in the doing. If people happen to agree with you and like how you do it then that is icing on the cake. So, I appreciate that some people validate my own ideas of what I find to be funny or believable because afterall I feel that comedy should be believable first and foremost. Otherwise, there is really no point to it. If people like what I do then that tells me they are believing it and enjoying it. And I know without them that does not exist in the vacuum.