As a lifelong Toronto Maple Leafs fan, Will Arnett knows all about heartbreak.
He narrated the Amazon documentary series All or Nothing: Toronto Maple Leafs, which chronicled the club's disastrous 2020-21 NHL season. Most recently, he watched the team lose to the Florida Panthers several times in the NHL playoffs.
But the loss opened up a new perspective for Arnett. It taught him a new word: toughness.
“I think being a Toronto sports fan, you learn to be resilient,” the Toronto-born comedian and co-host of the SmartLess podcast (along with Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes) said last month while in the city to promote his upcoming divorce comedy Is There Something Happening?
After a rocky start, the Maple Leafs defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0 this week.
Arnett, 55, says when (not if) Toronto wins its next Stanley Cup, it will be even sweeter for Maple Leafs fans.
“They'll break through, and it'll be even sweeter when they do,” Arnett says.
Sports Misery is a good starting point for a conversation about Arnett's latest film, the divorce comedy Is This Thing Coming?, which opens in Toronto on December 19 and will be released in other theaters across Canada on January 9.
In the film, Arnett, who split from his second wife Amy Poehler in 2016, plays Alex Novak, a father of two who tries his hand at stand-up comedy to cope with his divorce from his wife Tess (played by Laura Dern). Bradley Cooper is directing the film from a script he co-wrote with Arnett and Mark Chappelle. The film was inspired by the life of British comedian John Bishop.
“It was seven years and a month from the time I met John Bishop to our first show. It was a long journey,” says Arnett.
The role is the most demanding of Arnett's career, which began in the 1990s and was highlighted by his breakout role as George Oscar “Gob” Bluth II in Arrested Development.
“There was preparation for stand-up and preparation as an actor; I gave up everything I thought I knew about acting in order to portray this character authentically… That was probably the hardest part of it all,” says Arnett.
In Toronto over the Hall of Fame weekend, Arnett spoke with Postmedia about the trendy new movie and explained what life as a Blue Jays and Maple Leafs fan has taught him.
Q: You co-wrote, produced and starred in “Is It Coming?” How did this happen?
A
It is inspired by a true story. A few years ago I met comedian John Bishop, we had lunch and he told me the story of how he started doing stand-up while he was splitting up with his wife. He wandered into the bar during an open mic night and didn't want to pay to get in, so he wrote down his name. He was there and didn't know how to talk about what was going on in his life and just started talking about it on stage. This really got to me. I just liked the idea that he could find relief by doing this… I thought it was a really good way to tell a story about marriage and this transformation of this middle-aged guy.
Q: So you perform as Alex Novak in comedy clubs in New York. Have you tried your act in real life? Because initially he can't be too funny.
A
I went to the Comedy Cellar in New York every night for about six weeks while we were getting ready. I got up several times during the night. I asked them to imagine me as Alex Novak, and I went and worked on that first moment where he doesn't know what he's doing. Then I would come back and work on other shoots. We had all these different (routines) that we worked on to really try to track where he would be as a person and in his stand-up. But he couldn't be too good. He couldn't be the Michael Jordan of comedy. He couldn't go out and become Richard Pryor.
Q: We know you're a big sports guy from Toronto and a big Maple Leafs fan. We know everything about grief. But what's the best thing about being a Toronto sports fan?
A
You must have a certain amount of unjustified optimism. The Jays came so close. The stars aligned in Game 7's favor for the Jays. Things could have gone differently, and they definitely did. It just so happened. But as a lifelong Leafs fan, I hear people say, “A lifetime of suffering,” it’s hard, but it’s the joys of life. To have moments like this… It teaches you that no matter what, you have to get up the next day and keep going. There's something very Canadian about it that I love. Yes, it sucks. Shake yourself off. Like this.
Q: Is there an ideal Maple Leafs player for you?
A
Yes, Wendell Clark. I got to spend some time with him last night and it was amazing.
Question: What is it like when you meet Wendell Clark?
A
I first met Wendell Clark during the NHL All-Star Game a couple of years ago… He's such a cool dude, and six months ago I messaged him about something… By the way, the most embarrassing thing was that I had a photo of him on my avatar when I messaged him. I realized that after I sent this, he would see my avatar… the guy I don't want to embarrass myself in front of. I felt very embarrassed.
