First Look: Kristen Bell on 'Party Down'
For anyone who isn't watching "Party Down" on Starz, I feel sorry for you. But I feel even worse for "Veronica Mars" fans who aren't watching because the series -- which comes from "VM" mastermind Rob Thomas -- is a like a Neptune reunion every week. And considering Rob told me that "Veronica Mars: The Movie" is a long time off, we have to get our fix where we can, right?
Not only do Dick Casablancas and Vinnie Van Lowe star on the show, but you've got cameos from Logan Echolls, Parker Lee, Cyrus O'Dell and now the one and only Veronica Mars herself. In these exclusive shots from the "Party Down" season finale, you can see Kristen as the most hard working cater waiter in the world. And to hear Rob tell it, reuniting felt -- as they say -- so good.
PopWrap: You and Kristen finally reunited on set a few weeks ago. How was it?
Rob Thomas: Oh man, it was great. It was wonderful having her around because she's such a professional. The "Party Down" set tends to get a little loosey goosey because it's filled with all these comedians. Then Kristen shows up and is so perfect with all the aspects of being an actor -- so sharp, finding her light and on script that it injected a sense of "oh, this is how other TV shows work" to the set. There is no one better than Kristen.
PW: Does she play a cater waiter in the show?
Rob Thomas: She is a cater waiter in the season finale. She works for a rival team called Valhalla Catering where everyone is beautiful. A bunch of us went to this gay wedding and there was this company called Adonis Catering -- every waiter was the most beautiful man you've ever seen. So I took that idea and applied it here.
PW: So is it all women then?
Rob: Actually, Valhalla is all men, but Kristen is their leader. She is very ambitious and runs this very good looking catering team very well.
PW: "Party Down" does seem to be like a "Veronica Mars" reunion every week
Rob: It kind of is. It's been so great to pull in a lot of people we've worked with for the first season.
PW: Let's run through them -- obviously Ken Marino played Vinnie, but then there's Jason Dohring, Alona Tal, Ed Begley Jr., and Kristen. Oh, and you got Keith Mars to go full frontal! That was unexpected!
Rob: [laughs] Yeah, it was unexpected for us too. We had originally shot the pilot with our own money a year and a half ago. We wanted to imply that Enrico Colantoni's character was naked, but we weren't sure how he'd feel about it. In the final take, we had about 75 extras in my backyard and I think, simply for shock value, he got out of the pool and walked through them all. He really surprised us with his bravery.
PW: That's a pretty good amount of ex"Mars"ers
Rob: Oh and Daran Norris who played Cliff McCormack makes an appearance in episode four and Ryan Devlin who played the rapist on "VM" plays, once again, an oily rich kid.
PW: Is he like your go-to dirt bag?
Rob: He's convinced I'm trying to turn him into James Spader.
PW: But he does it so well
Rob: He's actually one of my favorite people but he just plays that kind of character so well. I consulted on ABC's "Big Shots" and when a script called for a rich kid schyster, I rang him up.
PW: That's just how you have him saved in your cell, rich kid schyster, isn't it?
Rob: Yes! "Hey Ryan, it's Rob -- I need somebody who breathes entitled, are you available?"
PW: And of course you have the great Ryan Hansen, aka Dick.
Rob: Oh man, I wish I could invest in his career. I got sent links by 15 people when they announced he was cast in the "Gossip Girl" spin off. I feel like the Major League Baseball team that brought him up through the farm system and now someone else is going to grab him and turn him into this huge star.
PW: If that show goes to series, will you lose him on "Party Down?"
Rob: No, that's apparently just a recurring role, so he'll be back if we get a season two.
PW: You co-created "Party Down" with Paul Rudd. Did you two meet when he guested on "Veronica Mars" or did you know one another before that?
Rob: Strangely, I met Adam Scott (Henry on "Party Down") and Paul about 11 years ago in this really crappy bar in Austin, Texas. At the time, I was still teaching high school and writing young adult novels, and went to this bar because a friend of mine was bar tending. Paul and Adam were in town filming this movie and had heard how cool Austin was, so they drove there for the weekend and managed to find the worst bar in town! She introduced us and I was like, "oh my god, that's the guy from 'Clueless!'"
PW: I'm sure that's his favorite sentence of all time.
Rob: [laughs] It is sort of odd and mind blowing when we reminisce and think back.
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More stills of KBell on the show here @ kbell_fans.