Inside With: Thomas Middleditch, Comedian and Actor
Thomas Middleditch has been in Chicago for just about a year, and has already earned a reputation as a sharp and energetic comedic performer. The people who know him best say they expect big things from him in the near future, and when we told him that our recent attendance at some of his shows proved to us that he lived up the hype, he was very modest in his receipt of the compliment.
You can still see the shy, polite Canadian kid he was not so long ago when you first meet him, but onstage you can't miss the charisma, the quick thinking, and the unrestrained happiness he feels while performing. While he has performed drama and stand-up, Middleditch professes that nothing quite matches the challenges and joys of the group give-and-take of improv, which gives him a palpable buzz that he misses every minute he's not onstage.
The Bastion recently braved a post-Cubs-game crowd in busy Wrigleyville to share tater tots and chitchat at the Salt and Pepper Diner, conveniently located near i.O., where Middleditch spends a lot of quality time onstage, developing his skills and providing great fun for audiences. Our conversation digressed into discussions about video game mastermind Will Wright's latest opus, Spore, the delights of professional dog walking, and Chicago's great museums.
Middleditch grew up in Canada with British parents, who, despite strongly valuing education (Dad is a principal, Mom and older brother are both teachers), supported his decision to leave a university theater program to come to Chicago and pursue comedy and acting. He's a busy fellow, performing in six or seven shows per week, but believes in taking time off to recharge his creative energy and enjoy life's other pleasures, including movies (most recently, he enjoyed Little Miss Sunshine), museums, and perspective-checking vacations whenever possible.
He's been spending more time in New York lately, performing with various groups, and working on several projects, including a pseudo-documentary comedy project called Very Bad Porn, and developing a soon-to-be-fruitful relationship with managers at Brillstein and Grey, who obviously know bright talent when they see it.
Catch Thomas Middleditch at shows at i.O. before he leaves our fair city to become a superstar. You might not have much time.
Can you tell us about childhood experiences that shaped your appreciation for comedy, such as humor in your family, and shows/movies/performers that you enjoyed or were inspired by when you were little?
I grew up pretty shy. I played with a lot of action figures and got teased a bunch. My name could be easily made fun of, and since I was really into the environment and picked up litter, other boys thought it was a good idea to relentlessly tease me. No surprise, that's the story for just about every comedian ever, so it's no big deal.
But in Grade 8 (we say Grade 8 in Canada), I was introduced to acting by my drama teacher. I realized that when I acted funny, people laughed, and there was a profound realization of the direct effect of my actions on people, which to this day is a feeling I live for.
My parents are very supportive and have a good, British sense of humor. I attribute my knack with accents to my parents, with my mom and dad both putting on various sorts of voices. My dad called me Bogey or Super Tom.
Influences through media, as a Canadian, will surely include Kids In The Hall to a great degree. We've also got Monty Python. But what's most evident, I would say, are the non-comedic influences. I was really into The Dark Crystal and The Labyrinth. Fantasy and action movies, especially things that dealt in stop motion and puppets, were my bread and butter. Army Of Darkness and a random movie that no one I talk to has seen called The Blood Of Heroes are great examples.
What are some of your favorite Kids in the Hall and Monty Python memories?
As for Kids...hmmm..there are so many. I always loved "These Are The Daves I Know". The Gavin character is great. "Screw You, Taxpayer!" and...dammit, I don't know the title of it but it's that "slipped my mind..." sketch where Dave's trying to get Kevin to return his video tape. Also, the one where it's a brief documentary of "Shirling" which is just men chained together circling a spitting cobra. Absolutely brilliant. They are just so timeless. I'll look at a show like SCTV and honestly, maybe I'm an idiot or something and I don't get that it's so bad it's good, but it's really hambones and lame to me. I understand that back in the day that was the bee's knees, but now it just seems dated. Kids, however, still makes me bust guts and I've seen all the episodes. Oh, and Monty Python stuff is great. I love their movies. I am a huge fan of Terry Gilliam, and the way they weave adventurous tales with absurd comedy, a feat I hope to accomplish someday.
Can you share with us some memories of favorite moments that have taken place onstage, where you and fellow improvisers have really been in a groove, and been able to surprise yourselves with something you collectively created on the spot?
A great example of a moment onstage is actually a Baby Wants Candy show. There are lots of great moments, but this one happened recently. We were in D.C. at a comedy festival. Our title for our improvised musical was "Joseph Stalin Is My Milkman". I was Mr. Stalin, and the show had been going great - we were at full steam, doing bits and songs at the top of our game. Well, the space we were performing at, at the back, had this 12 foot rise. At the end, I came out on the rise and, you know, declared what I had learned that day, wrapping up my story in a pleasant manner as is the case for most musicals. Then, out of nowhere my castmate, Mary McCain, shouted, "If you really love us, you'll do a trust fall off that ledge!" There was a moment where all of us onstage, and everyone in the audience was like, "What?!! Oh man...ok...sure! YEAH!" Then the audience started chanting and going crazy, and my castmates got below me and prepared themselves, and then I leapt off Superfly Snuka style into their arms. The stage manager was pissed. We sang the final chorus to the closing number as the audience went ballistic. That's just a really great memory of trust and guts, from everyone involved. They're a great bunch to play with.
When you were doing improv and theater work in Toronto and wanted to go somewhere with broader opportunities, why did you choose Chicago over, say, New York? Also, what are some of your favorite things about Chicago?
Honestly, the main reason for Chicago was because at the time I wanted to work at Second City, and I figured the best place to go would be to where it all started. At that time, I didn't know of "longform" or i.O. I thought about New York, and almost went to L.A. and enrolled in The Groundlings school, but I chose Chicago because of Second City. Now I'm hardly there at all.
I love Chicago because here, they treat improvisation as an artform. Really, it's a craft. Everyone's trying to challenge themselves and take it further, and since everyone's been trained to some degree, we're all playing with the same rules and understand what's been done a bit better.
I also like $1 double cheeseburgers.
Can you tell us a little about your ongoing discussions with Brillstein and Grey?
With the B & G guys it's still in the early stages. I can say that I'm with them and right now we're generating ideas on where we'd like to go. I'm putting together a character reel and I'll be sending it soon, and when that gets to a point where we're satisfied with it, we'll show it to people who would be interested. I've currently got a bunch of projects going so I'm trying to get them involved with those. One of those is Very Bad Porn with TJ Miller. I don't know where it'll go in the end, but I'm very excited and honored to be a part of their roster.
What would you like to be doing in five years?
In five years, and in life, I'd like to be at a point where I'm living off my earnings as an actor/comedian. Of course, TV and film would be a great destination, and that's currently my goal. Shows like SNL and MadTV are an interest in that they can launch you to a crazy status, and to me they look like a really fun thing to be a part of. The real satisfaction would come from a successful, original idea that I conceived or helped create. I'd like to be known as not only "the funny guy," but also someone with integrity and vision. The artists' dream, really. I also want a girlfriend and a miniature dachshund. And the ability to speak any language I want.
