Matt Cook – Man With a Plan

By starrymag | April 2, 2020

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

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

 

A) Well, before everything shut down, I was at the Groundlings a lot.  I’m in the Main Company and I was doing the Main Sketch shows on Friday and Saturday nights.  I also jump into the various improv shows at the theater throughout the weeks.  It’s a great way to stay busy between projects, helps keep you sharp and it’s a ton of fun too.  During my hiatus this past summer, I shot a feature called Film Fest. The film follows my character, Logan, a struggling filmmaker, as he travels to an obscure film festival to sell his movie.  Film Fest is fun ride with an amazing cast and will likely be on a streaming service/VOD at some point soon.  I also recently shot a throw-back episode of “Will and Grace” called We Love Lucy.  In the episode Will (Eric McCormack) claims living with Grace (Debra Messing) is like Ricky living with Lucy; when Karen (Megan Mullally) and Jack (Sean Hayes) hear this, they each claim that they are the Lucy of the group; Grace, Karen and Jack each imagine themselves as Lucy, with Will as the Ricky to all of them.

 

Q) What can you tease is new this season on “Man With a Plan” and with Lowell?

 

A) With Season 4 Lowell is even more in the family circle than he has ever been.  So, he’s getting to help out with more of the situations that arise and the Burns family is getting to know even more about what’s going on in Lowell’s world. It’s a lot of fun, we’ve got a great season headed your way!

 

Q) How was Lowell originally described to you?

 

A) Originally in the breakdown for the part they just kind of described Lowell as a very buttoned up dad.  Very much the opposite of Adam (Matt LeBlanc) and that’s what I kind of locked on to.  I thought, “Oh, this guy is the main character’s worst fear come to life. He’s what Adam is afraid will happen to him.” So, I kind of just ran with that.  And with Adam being such a man’s man, I thought it would be fun to have Lowell be WAY too comfortable with his emotions.  So, in the audition we did the scene from the pilot where Adam and Lowell meet and I chose to have Lowell get way too emotional about connecting with another man.  Adam was already so far out of his depth and I made the situation tougher for him by throwing a crying man at him. This situation got a laugh in the room and I eventually got to do it when we taped the pilot!  It feels like the writers have been giving me opportunities like that over the last four seasons which has been so much fun.

 

Q) You have great comedic timing. Has it always been a natural ability for you or have you had to work at it?

 

A) Thanks! I think timing is so complicated. I’ve definitely worked on it professionally and in classes for many years.  But I was born into a family of incredible storytellers.  My family knows how to tell a joke and I’ve spent my whole life laughing with them, so I think that helped for sure.  And I don’t think I’d be where I’m at if it wasn’t for them.

 

Q) Who would you love to see as a guest star on the series and why?

 

A) Oh, there are so many people I’d love to see guest star on the show.  I would love to meet Lowell’s parents! I can’t even imagine who those characters would have to be in order to match up with Lowell.  It would be so fun. I’m binging “Schitt’s Creek” currently and I’ve always loved Catherine O’Hara and she’s so impossibly funny on that show.  I’d love to see her on our show. I would just love to meet her. Or even see her somewhere.  She’s amazing.

 

Q) What have been some of your favorite scenes over the years?

 

A) I’ve had so many fun scenes over the past few seasons, it’s so hard to pick out my favorites. I really liked the moment early on when Adam went to give Lowell a high five and I shook his hand instead.  That was so silly and fun and pretty much exactly who those two characters are.  And the “Wall Hole” episode was fun because everyone was playing Wall Hole for the entire week.  We had little tournaments and everything.  And pretty much any scene in the trailer.  Just working in that tiny space with those guys is so much fun.  I’m usually having too much fun no matter what scene we’re doing and most of my job is just me hiding what a blast I’m having in real life.

 

Q) What do you think it is about “Man With a Plan” that has made it such a fan favorite show?

 

A) I think fans really connect with the show because it’s about a bunch of people, who love each other, trying their best.  That’s all I can really ask for, you know?  Some shows the comedy can be a little mean spirited, but in our show the characters really care about each other. And even if they get frustrated, they still love one another and want to do as good of a job as they can with whatever the situation is.  It feels like a real classic sitcom.  It reminds me a lot of “The Dick Van Dyke” show actually, which I watched all the time growing up and I think still holds up. It’s about a family, who cares, and is really funny.  I think people can see themselves and their own family in the characters on our show in some form or another.  And I’m so glad people enjoy it because we all love making it.

 

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

 

A) I love hearing from fans on social media about our show. It’s so fun to hear what parts they loved.  Social media can be a scary place but we’ve been lucky to get a lot of love from the fans on there.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who are fans and supporters of you and the work you do?

 

A) I’d like to say THANK YOU! to all the people who tune in and watch our show.  It means so much to us to know that you enjoy watching the show as much as we enjoy making it. So, thank you! And get ready for more laughs because Season 4 is packed with great episodes!

 

 

You can check out Matt in the new season of Man With A Plan which premieres on Thursday, April 2nd on CBS at 8:30pm and then on April 9th on Will and Grace on NBC at 9pm

 

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