Andrew Caldwell and Ben Schwartz at Disney's Aim High Session In London
Ben Schwartz is definitely an actor and comedian on the fast track to big things. From his role is the brilliantly rude House of Lies to his appearances on Funny or Die, Ben’s got a whole lot of buzz around him.
Along with Andrew Caldwell, he stars in Disney XD’s great new animation Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja, which starts over here in the UK on November 15th.
We talked to the two stars of the show about the difficulties of doing voice work, its continent spanning production and Ben’s love of Calvin and Hobbes.
So, can you two tell us a bit about the show?
Ben Schwartz - The show revolves around Randy and his best friend Howard who find this ninja mask that turns him into, well, a ninja. He then has to fight all these big bad guys like this sorcerer played by Tim Curry, but at the very core of it there’s this action comedy that’s kind of like a buddy comedy between Randy and Howard.
Andrew Caldwell - I think that’s the appeal of the show. It’s a true friendship between two guys that are going to high school for the first time. So they’re dealing the normal high school experience that everyone’s gone through, trying to be popular, trying to get with the girls, but one of the just happens to be a ninja, which just really gets in the way.
How would having an 800 year old ninja outfit have helped you out in high school?
Andrew - Well, I didn’t much help much help in high school because I was the coolest person there.
Ben - I’m gonna say off the bat that Andrew wasn’t the coolest guy in school.
Andrew - I really was!
Ben - Well, when I was in high school I was in both the basketball team and the chorus group, so I got made of from both for being in the other.
Andrew - He was basically Zac Efron in High School Musical.
We’ve got used to seeing you in more grown up comedy like House of Lies, so what was doing this sort of show like in comparison?
Ben - Yeah , House of Lies is a really adult comedy so it’s a really fun to make a real departure and do a Disney XD show that’s family friendly and works both with the adults who might watch House of Lies and combine that with the kids who are passionate for this.
When me and Andrew were growing we were so in love with cartoons like Darkwing Duck, Gummi Bears and Duck Tales. We hope that kids watching this show will be inspired in the same way we were inspired by those shows.
Andrew - What I love most about the show is that I watch it with people of all ages and everyone finds something they really enjoy about the show. For me I feel like most animated shows have humour for the kids and then humour for the parents so they can watch together. What’s great about our creators Scott and Jed is that they mad it universal humour. It’s not a bunch of child jokes, then a few adult jokes, it’s just funny and everyone is laughing at the same time.
How is doing voice work then compared to the more vanilla sort of acting?
Andrew - Both Ben and I are guys more used to working on camera, but in animation it’s all your voice. You have to express everything with just your voice, you don’t have your face or your body to help you. Ben and I are both very physical though, so when we’re recording we’re very active, jumping around, I’m sweating profusely and getting headaches. It’s a lot of fun to do and I’m just excited about the show that comes out of the end of it all.
Ben - It’s also fun because when I do a ninja kick, I really do a ninja kick. When Andrew’s meant to be jumping up and down, he really is. We get to act like kids and we get to play it as fun and broad as we want which is really good as an actor.
Andrew - What’s beautiful is that now the show’s progressed, the writers have been able to see our merits too and a lot of Ben and Andrew is coming through in the characters now. So the physicality that we’re doing in the studio is now coming out on the screen too.
You’re a real fan of Calvin and Hobbes aren’t you Ben, so what drew you to those comics?
Ben - When I was growing up I wasn’t a huge reader but the thing that drew me to reading was that comic strip. I found it so smart and so funny and I loved the dynamic between the two of them. Actually, there’s a lot of that feeling in our show too. You just really connect with those first few books you read and that was Calvin and Hobbes for me.
The way it was drawn, the humour, it was just a special mixture that tickled my funny bone the right way, like shows like the UK version of The Office or The Larry Sanders Show, where every episode I watched just felt like it had been made for me.
I’m hoping that Randy Cunningham can be that same type of show for some of the people watching it, because I genuinely think it’s very, very funny and action packed. It’s for everyone, so it’s truly special show.
Randy Cunningham’s a truly intercontinental show though isn’t it?
Ben - Yeah, it’s a show that’s written and voiced in Los Angeles, produced in the UK and then animated in Ireland. So if the show really succeeds, then three countries succeed with it which is a pretty special and unique thing when it comes to animation.
Andrew - Its three different countries outing in amazing creative input, it’s the best of all three industries putting their minds to this one show. It really shows and really pays off to see how hilarious and beautiful and as much heat as there is on our show. I’m very proud to be part of something that so many amazing people are involved in.
So, how’s the UK been treating you two then?
Ben - We have lucked out. The people at Disney have taken care of us and gone out of work hours to take us all over the UK and Ireland. When we were in the UK we were lucky enough to see a few plays, I took a trip out to Bath and we went to Richmond Ponds and met some folk who were so, so kind to us. Andrew and I work really hard and we love the show, but we’d never been out of the country (I’d only been out one other time) and it was our first time in England and we loved it. It was funny, because we were only in Ireland for 24 hours doing press, but when we came back to England we were both saying “It’s good to be home!”
Andrew - It really is a beautiful place, and the people are so beautiful and charming so it’s been a really wonderful time.
You were on the other end of the questions recently hosting Attack of The Show Ben, what was that like?
Ben - It was amazing to do a live show. I used to be a writer for Letterman and used to watch him do a talk show every day for a year and a half. So to get to have guests on and do a monologue was great and exhausting and so fun. I got to interview Karen Gillan from Doctor Who which was great! The last day they actually let me plug Randy Cunningham so we showed some clips and talked about the show live on air and that was fantastic to get that out to such a big audience then.
So, to finish off, how long do you two think Randy Cunningham can go?
Andrew - Hopefully for the next 30 years! The goal for us is to have Randy and Howard in 9th Grade for a very long time. We would both love to do the show forever and I think people are going to really like the show so hopefully it’ll be on the air for a long time.
Ben - It should be really fun. At the same time, both of us are keeping ourselves busy with TV shows and movies and TV shows in the States. This is designed to go everywhere though. The idea to have something global is really amazing, we’re in London doing press for a show we’re truly proud of!
We've also got some special video of the two guys in London, so have a click for some more Randy Cunningham goodness.
Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja starts on Disney XD on November 15th.
FemaleFirst Cameron Smith
Tagged in TV Disney Ben Schwartz