CHICAGO _ From "New Girl" to "Stumptown," Jake Johnson is exceptionally skilled when it comes to playing cranky men who still maintain some semblance of charm. But on the Netflix animated comedy "Hoops," his foul-mouthed basketball coach is pure crank, zero charm.
What's eating at this guy? Here's Johnson: "I think he's mad at his daddy. He's mad at his ex-wife. He's short. He's got a little (appendage). He's got a low sex drive. He's not very smart. He's bad at basketball and he's a bad basketball coach. The world has passed him by and he's just pissed off."
It's not meant to be deep, he said. "It's a joke show. It reminds me of Rodney Dangerfield when he would go on a rant, just jokes piled on top of jokes." The show is "very R-rated," Johnson added. "Do not watch with kids."
Originally from Wilmette and Evanston _ "Nice seeing a 773 on your phone," he said when we connected _ Johnson honed his comedic timing on the Chicago improv scene before moving to LA, though he memorably returned home to star in Joe Swanberg's rom-com "Drinking Buddies."
When asked to share a cringe-worthy moment in his career, Johnson replied: "I got one that's recent."
My worst moment ...
"Mid-March of this year, I got asked to do the Jimmy Kimmel show. I was doing press for something, I don't know what it was. I think it may have been 'Stumptown.' And I've done Kimmel a few times, I really like him and I was happy to do it.
"And at the time there was a thing coming near America called corona. I had done a little research on COVID-19 and I didn't think it was going to be that big of a deal. Everyone was talking about what was going to happen and I was like, 'God, you guys are such doomsayers! This is not going to happen.'
"So I go on the show and Jimmy Kimmel's like, 'Thanks a lot for coming, because COVID.' And I said something like, 'Yeah, it's fine, COVID's not a big deal.' Something as stupid as that. Then I tell a bunch of stories, we get some laughs, I finish the interview.
"Then I get in the car to go home and I hear that the NBA had been canceled. So I went home that night and it was like the world was shut down and I have to say, I don't think I ever felt dumber in my whole life. A lot of people say really stupid stuff, but it's not recorded. There's no way for me to defend this! I did not think it was going to be that big of a deal! I was so embarrassed to be that wrong.
"So for my life I'll always have this goober mark on me basically saying about COVID-19: 'Oh, gimme a break!'
"What I really thought was going to happen was that it was going to come and, like Ebola, two or three people might die _ which is terrible _ and then life was going to move on. Five months later and I haven't left my house pretty much since."
Did Johnson watch his appearance that night when it aired?
"Um, no. I don't usually watch those anyhow. But I did have that moment of: You goober. Honestly I don't spend that much time on social media _ I don't need to hear the good or the bad that people think of me _ so it's more about how I judge myself. And that was a moment where I looked at myself in the mirror and was like: You're an idiot, buddy. You, my friend, are dead wrong here, pal.
"My brother, Dan Johnson _ who's still in Chicago _ said, 'That interview you did will not age well.' He said that on social media (laughs)!
"My brother also, I have another story about him: I did the seventh inning stretch for the Cubs (in 2015) and I was really nervous to do it. The music is a beat off, people are yelling and I did the best I could, but when it ended I thought, 'Man, I think I just yelled the song.' The Cubs announcers were really nice about it though. And the PR woman was like, 'You did great!' So I started feeling confident. And I looked at my brother and I was like, 'Yeah! How was that?' And he's like, 'You did not do a good job.' (Laughs)"
The takeaway ...
"Well, I would love to say I learned from it. Keep your mouth shut unless you know something for sure? Part of my job is just to keep talking while you're doing press, but maybe keep viruses _ and predictions of what's going to happen with them _ out of my mouth. Predictions are not my strength.
"The thing is, I had been reading the news and I knew that COVID was a very serious virus coming. I really just believed that America would have a very solid plan and we would control it. That's all I've ever known from our country. I didn't think it was going to be that bad here; I would have bet everything against it. I was very naive.
"Like when the shutdown started I thought, 'Oh this will be for a day.' It took me a couple weeks to be like, 'Oh, not only am I wrong _ there's video evidence of me being wrong.'
"If this comes up the next time I'm on Kimmel, what could my response be but, 'I was wrong'? There's no spin (laughs). I made light of something that ended up being really dramatic and I am really sorry about it and really sorry for anyone who has suffered through this pandemic _ myself and family included _ and what a (flipping) nightmare.
"Honestly, I see the comedy in it _ not in the virus but my blunder. Next time I do Kimmel I would hope he teases me for it because I deserve to be teased for it."
