Best known for comedic gems Mad About You, My Two Dads, and The Kominsky Method, the sci-fi thriller Aliens, and the current season of the supernatural chiller Stranger Things, Paul Reiser recently found himself in unfamiliar territory with the raunchy superhero satire, The Boys. Introduced in last week's episode, "The Last Time to Look on This World of Lies," the Hollywood veteran portrayed The Legend, the nickname of Vought International's former Vice President of Hero Management.
The Legend is a far cry from his comic book counterpart, a potty-mouthed comic book store owner and caricature of Marvel icon Stan Lee. Instead, The Boys' version depicts him as a cigar-chomping, one-legged Hollywood player who holds vital intel on Soldier Boy that Butcher, Hughie, and Mother's Milk desperately need. Reiser recently spoke with CBR about his recent string of high-profile gigs, crafting The Legend, whether he will be back on The Boys, and filming Aliens.
CBR: Between The Boys and Stranger Things, how does it feel to be on two of the hottest shows on the planet right now?
Paul Reiser: I presume that their success is because of me. I might be wrong, but it seems pretty obvious. It's crazy. What's the opposite of stepping into bad stuff? I stepped into good stuff. Both of these came my way, and I was familiar with Stranger Things when they called. I was not familiar with The Boys. I didn't know the show, had not heard of the show. I certainly didn't know the comic book world. To be in these worlds that are alien to me -- forgive the expression -- it's funny. They are not even the kind of shows I would seek out… But they are so good. They are so good.
I'm used to creating so much of my own stuff. As a stand-up, that's all you do. You write things, and you tell them it's all you. I am working on a film now. I'm in Ireland, working on a movie I wrote and have been pushing uphill for a couple of years, and finally making it. It's a lovely set of problems, and a lovely luxury, to be able to create and mold your own stuff. On the other hand, it's really also a great experience to jump into a world that has nothing to do with you, that you have nothing to do with but, "Here's your limited role. We've got this all figured out. You don't have to solve any problems. You don't have to figure out things. Here's the character. Go have fun."
To answer your question, it's surprising to me, and I kind of pinch myself. I was in Ireland when [Stranger Things] came out, being recognized on the street, in a way that I don't at home because Stranger Things had just come out... Then this week, it's The Boys. People are watching these shows all over the world, and I am on the other side of the world. I feel it. I can feel the recognition. I don't usually think in terms of megahits. I don't write things and go, "This is going to be a billion-dollar show or movie." It's foreign to me to be in these things. It's ridiculous that I am actually in two of them in the same summer.
Audiences only got a small amount of time with the Legend, but he comes across as that classic Hollywood sleazeball. What was your point of reference for the character? What was your approach to him?
You say sleazeball. I say legend. When I first talked to Eric Kripke about it, the name Robert Evans came up. We were talking about the look of the guy, which we stole shamelessly. He was very unique, with tinted glasses. His style was very specific. My greatest discovery of doing The Boys was putting on a smoking jacket. Why I would ever wear anything else? Even if you are not smoking, it's velvet. It's the greatest thing. It takes a certain kind of balls to wear in life.
There was a thing about Robert Evans that really fed the character, which was this guy who was so clearly beyond his formative years. His day has come and gone, but he still refers to it, clings to it, and expects people to treat him the same way. That line, which I think we improvised on the set with Jack Quaid, "How does he not know who I am? Read a book, kid." It's that sort of ego of -- not only should you know, but what's wrong with you that you don't know me? That piece of it was really informative. I have certainly met people like that in Hollywood, who wear their reputation, their legacy, like a crown that has been bestowed upon them. In fact, they are just another guy trying to make movies. So, there is something cartoonish about a guy with an ego like that. You find out that old Legend was actually important and did have a place. Oh, he's not crazy. He was the guy.
It's interesting because his comic book counterpart was a comic book store owner and a parody of Stan Lee. What kind of discussions did you have with Eric about the evolution of the character from page to screen?
Very little. It is a world that I have started to learn more about. There is a creative license that is taken when you read a comic book and go to television. It's like, "It may work in this form, but it doesn't work in this form, and by the way, this form is hopefully going to go for four, five, six years, so it has to expand and go beyond." I don't recall talking about how we honor the [source material]... or, at least, I didn't. I'm sure in the writers' room they talk about it. You don't want to alienate the fanbase, to whom it is very important. I am a bit oblivious to these things.
A couple of years ago was the first time I went to an Aliens convention. We had a 35th anniversary of Aliens at San Diego Comic-Con. Up until that point, I did not know how many people loved that movie, that there was this whole subculture. They had props and magazines and comic books. I went, "What?" It was important to them. If you don't respect that, if you take it lightly, it's an insult. I can guarantee it was discussed at length in the writers' room with Eric, of "How do we stay true?" I know they had all these Easter eggs and references and callbacks. If you pay attention, you know we are doing this. We are also taking it in a creative way. Certainly, with my character, they weren't trying to become Stan Lee and what it was in the comic. They were more than happy to let it evolve into what it has become.
The Legend shares a history with Mother's Milk and Butcher. He's also not a one-appearance wonder in the comic books. How prepared are you to do more of The Boys? What kind of conversations have you had about returning?
I haven't had any conversations. I only found out moments ago that it was picked up for a fourth season. I'm ready. I have my bag, and I'm sitting by the phone waiting for the call. I am happy to come back to Toronto. At first, it was unknown. It was jumping into a pool and not knowing if you can swim. Now, I go, "Oh, the water is nice. I would love to come back." Hopefully... We'll see. Sometimes you write something, and we go, "Oh, we have plenty for that character to do," or, "We love the guy, but we have nothing for him to do." Who knows where their stories are going, but if they have more for the Legend, I will be more than happy to come back and put on that smoking jacket.
You referenced Aliens. At the time, you had Diner and Beverly Hills Cop under your belt. What were your expectations going into Aliens, and when did you realize that you had something special on your hands?
That was a rare case where I felt confident going in. I went, "This is a huge movie." I had seen Terminator, and I knew James Cameron's genius. I read the script, and I haven't had this experience since, where you are out of breath reading a paper. "Ohhhh…." It was written almost comic book style, with very short sentences and, "BAM," "SLAM,' and written-out sound effects. I was reading it going, "This is unbelievable, and Sigourney Weaver... She's great. Alien, I loved the first movie." That was not a risk. The risk was on their part, letting the likes of me come into the pool.
I remember thinking, "This is going to be a huge movie, far bigger than anything I have been involved in and for a different world, and your part is this big... Just don't mess that up." My goal was, "If the movie doesn't come to a grinding halt when you come on screen, it's a victory." When I watched it, I went, "Nobody's throwing stuff, or, if they are, it's because they hated my character." I knew it was great, and when I saw it, I was just blown away. "Oh my gosh. I can't believe I am in something this good." That's the other thing I found out in these conventions is how many people watch it still. It influenced so many movies. So many movies stood on its shoulders. People will still throw that at me. "Oh boy, you seem like a nice guy, but boy, I hated you. You were just a bad guy." "You say bad guy… I say misunderstood."
New episodes of The Boys air Fridays on Prime Video.