The infinite sadness of comedy: Did Will Arnett’s favourite movie make him a better actor?
Will Arnett is an actor who it has always been easy to root for, given that he excels at playing underdog roles.
Although he spent several years on the underground comedy circuit, where he began getting recognised for how cutting-edge his style of performing was, he eventually earned his breakout role on Arrested Development.
The show was hailed as a breakthrough for Arnett, given that he had struggled to find acting work previously. Gob Bluth was seen as one of the funniest characters in the show, and perhaps in television history, but the series proved to be too unconventional for Fox at the time, and didn’t end up getting renewed after the end of its third season.
It’s a testament to his hard work that he was able to keep working to get other opportunities, and it may have something to do with his all-time favourite film, Withinal & I. He once stated that the film was more than just a hilarious story that makes him laugh every time he watches it, but is a very honest portrayal of what it is like working in a difficult business.
Written and directed by Bruce Robinson (who drew loose inspiration from his own life), Withnail & I is the story of two out-of-work actors who live in London, played by Richard E Grant and Paul McGann, and while Arnett mentioned it was the first major project for nearly everyone involved, it also captured something pure about the desperation of young performers that still resonates with him. It doesn’t matter that the actor is American and Withnail & I has a very British sense-of-humour; to him, it’s truthful, heartfelt, and unbelievably funny.
While Arnett has always been a scene-stealer who can play a multitude of great characters, his best work has been when he can tap into the same darkness that made Withnail & I so unconventional, especially compared to other comedies of the same decade.
Even with a stacked ensemble cast, Arnett genuinely poured his heart into his performance as the titular failed actor in BoJack Horseman, the Netflix animated sitcom that ended up being one of the best series ever made about depression, addiction, the machinations of the movie industry, and self-love.
The influence of Robinson’s film extended to his performance in Is This Thing On?, a film that he also co-wrote with its director, Bradley Cooper, with whom he has been friends for years and they have often slept on each others’ couches, so much so that their real-life relationship isn’t that far from the dynamic between the characters played by Grant and McGann. Both films are honest about the challenges of balancing personal and professional obligations, which is particularly tough for artists who draw so heavily from their own experiences in their work.
Is This Thing On? sadly was not a box office hit and failed to earn Arnett the Academy Award nomination for ‘Best Actor’ that he certainly deserved. However, if Withnail & I is able to keep inspiring people years after it was looked over in its initial release, then it is entirely possible that something similar could happen for Is This Thing On?, if more people get the chance to see the incredible work that Arnett turned in.
