April 28, 2016 | People
We chat with Rob Huebel on why he loves working with comedic duo Key & Peele, the struggles of containing his laughter on Children’s Hospital, and how a car chase makes for a hot date night.
As a comedian and actor, Rob Huebel can wear many show business hats. From playing a sarcastic doctor on Adult Swim’s Children’s Hospital to playing the son-in-law to transgender Maura on Transparent, his versatility knows no boundaries. Next up, he’s playing a not-so-nice guy in Key & Peele’s highly anticipated comedic film, Keanu, which is about two guys who take on a street gang to get back a stolen kitten.
Find out why playing a doctor is the best job he’s ever had, how Key & Peele have changed the comedy show spectrum, and why comedians deserve more free stuff.
Your upcoming film, Keanu, with Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele looks absolutely hilarious. Can you tell us a little about your character Spencer?
ROB HUEBEL: Well, I don't want to spoil the whole movie but I play an a--hole. I'm Keegan's neighbor. And I'm white. So you do the math.
What’s it like working with such a dynamic duo?
RH: They're the funniest MF'ers. And they made a really hilarious movie with Keanu. It's that magical combo of jokes plus action plus stupidness plus more jokes. I saw it at SXSW and people went nuts!
You recently presented Key & Peele with the Comedy Duo Icon Award for the TV Land Icon Awards. What did it mean for you to be able to present them with that award?
RH: There are a lot of awards shows. But this was the MOST important one. And the MOST important award at that awards show is the Comedy Duo Award. It's more important than the Comedy Duo Oscar and the Comedy Duo Emmy combined. But for reals, the guys deserve any/all awards in the comedy department. Their show was a game changer and will go down as one of the truly great sketch comedy shows.
You play Dr. Owen Maestro on the hilarious show Children’s Hospital with an all-star cast. How much fun do you have with them—especially the amazing guest stars?
RH: That show will no doubt be the best job I ever had. Years and years of belly laughs with the strongest comedy cast in the biz (slang for show business). All we did was try to crack each other up. And Adult Swim pretty much let us do whatever we wanted. So it was a rare creative experience. Over the years, the cast became very close. Emotionally. Physically. Sexually. A lot of them had sex with me. For free. So yes, it was very nice.
What is one misconception that people might have about comedians?
RH: I think there is a belief that comedians don't like free stuff. Like if a company sent me a free product, I would get pissed off and send it back. No way! Clothes, suits, watches, cars, flat-screens, and jet skis. These are all things that dramatic actors get sent to them. But comedians like that stuff, too. In fact, I lost my virginity to a jet ski!
Photography by Smallz & Raskind/Getty Images for Samsung
