At the risk of proving that I completely missed the point: as the premise is that the interviewer is there to see "how an American actor prepares for a big show like Rove," MW is riffin' on his fellow thespians.
Having done my time growing up in a local theatre run on a resident reperatory company model (as in, each department had professionals -- director, designers, etc) and then getting a theatre degree (long since abandoned) I assumed this was MW's parody on all the ~*great*~ (ahem) AC-TORS who do various vocal warm ups & exercises before going on state, often way over the top in their self-importance (the calls of "What? What?" with the sharp 't' sound are like some of the vocal warm ups you hear backstage 15 minutes before they open the house.)
...and what English-speaking actor worth his make-up kit doesn't have a soliloquy or two memorized, so they can boom out Shakespeare any time they (like Michael) find themselves in a hall with such a GREAT echo???
That being said, I have no idea about the platypus (an affectation?) but assume the sunglasses, the "don't make eye contact" and the bow and "Exeunt" are just part of the AC-TOR schtick, along with looking for the stars while nearly ignoring the interviewer ("Is Rove here? How about Hamish and Andy?")
And as for the pawing of the interviewer (my favorite part) I have no idea at all, but I just love it!
(and if anyone has any better ideas, please let us know, all the better to love this vid!)
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Having done my time growing up in a local theatre run on a resident reperatory company model (as in, each department had professionals -- director, designers, etc) and then getting a theatre degree (long since abandoned) I assumed this was MW's parody on all the ~*great*~ (ahem) AC-TORS who do various vocal warm ups & exercises before going on state, often way over the top in their self-importance (the calls of "What? What?" with the sharp 't' sound are like some of the vocal warm ups you hear backstage 15 minutes before they open the house.)
...and what English-speaking actor worth his make-up kit doesn't have a soliloquy or two memorized, so they can boom out Shakespeare any time they (like Michael) find themselves in a hall with such a GREAT echo???
That being said, I have no idea about the platypus (an affectation?) but assume the sunglasses, the "don't make eye contact" and the bow and "Exeunt" are just part of the AC-TOR schtick, along with looking for the stars while nearly ignoring the interviewer ("Is Rove here? How about Hamish and Andy?")
And as for the pawing of the interviewer (my favorite part) I have no idea at all, but I just love it!
(and if anyone has any better ideas, please let us know, all the better to love this vid!)
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