Albert Brooks, as reported last month, will join the cast of Weeds for several episodes in the upcoming fourth season. His recurring role on the Showtime dark comedy marks his return after almost 30 years of absence on the TV canvas since his recurring role on The Odd Couple, unless we consider his minimal talk show appearances promoting his movies and a few voice-overs on The Simpsons. So what enticed him back to television?
Based on Brooks’ interview with the New York Times, his return to TV has a lot to do with his fondness of Weeds, the series that revolves around a widowed housewife from an affluent California suburb who becomes an upper-middle-class marijuana dealer to make ends meet.
“They called. I like the show, and that was the most important thing. It was really good writing. And the part was something I never played before. The character was different and, even when I do independent films, I sort of look for something that I haven’t played before. But some of the independent movies I’ve made, they just disappear. I call them David Copperfield productions. And it’s frustrating. So I figured, this, at least it’s on eight times a week for a month,” Brooks told the New York Times.
On Weeds, Brooks will be lending his signature neurotic touch as he plays the role of Len, the estranged father-in-law of Mary-Louise Parker’s character, Nancy Botwin. The 60-year-old actor has signed on to appear in at least four episodes.
Meanwhile, Brooks is also working on something else other than his scenes on Weeds. In fact, he is currently writing on film, which also features him as one of the stars.
“I certainly am interested in what a real future might look like, you know? Let’s just put it this way, all the warnings we’re hearing from political candidates, what if some of them actually came true? That, to me, makes an interesting story,” Brooks said of his new project.
-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: New York Times
(Image courtesy of Showtime)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
