Taran Killam has already had a wonderful career, from Saturday Night Live to Single Parents, and now he gets to bring his comedic genius to Stumble, the new NBC cheerleading mockumentary comedy series.
On top of that, he’s still appearing on High Potential as Ludo, Morgan’s ex and father to two of her children — and also a wonderful stepfather to Ava.
TV Fanatic chatted with Taran Killam about his time on both shows, working with wonderful scene partners, and the struggle for an actor to break the fourth wall.
I have to say that I’ve loved Stumble from the first scene, and I love the way your character, Boon, and Jenn Lyon’s character, Courteney, are so amazing together. What’s it like to bring a supportive and positive marriage to a comedy series?
It’s an honor. It’s very easy with Jenn Lyon as your scene partner.
I don’t know that I’ve had this much fun with a fellow actor before. I’ve worked with some really great people that I’ve loved to do scenes with, but I’m so excited to go into work with Jenn, because she’s so smart, and talented, and grounded, but she’s also so funny and goofy.
She just has this beautiful balance between a very grounded believability and the ability to go full silly, idiot, nutcase. That’s my wheelhouse.
I think the way that we really enjoy being around each other in real life — sometimes, they have to quiet us down, because we’re doing too many bits, and they’re like ‘Please, stop making references to Pocketful of Kryptonite.’ — but to your point, playing a loving, supportive couple is what I want to see more of in this world.
It’s what I’ve been quite spoiled in my own personal life. Playing a husband obsessed with his wife comes very easily to me.
I love that. I think it’s refreshing in comedy because, usually, we get this wife who is constantly putting her husband down. And while Boon makes mistakes and has idiotic moments, his heart is always in the right place, and Courteney sees that, and they support each other.
Yeah, it’s that compromise that I think a lasting marriage takes. I love the romance of them being high school sweethearts and having been in each other’s lives the whole time. They have their priorities in order, despite all the chaos in their lives, all the new jobs, and all the pieces of football helmets stuck in their brains.
These are two people who prioritize each other and are willing to compromise and sacrifice for one another. Yeah, that is such a joyful thing to play.
You mention football helmets. We’ve had a tease of Boon’s backstory and the head injury. Will we see more of that play out, because that is a serious element to football?
Yeah, it’s finding the fine line. I’m a huge football fan. That’s my number one sport to watch as an LA Rams fan, and sports injuries are a very serious thing and not an enjoyable aspect of the sport.
The Astrofs, Jeff and Liz [Stumble’s showrunners], are just so seasoned, smart, and considerate. They’re constantly trying to thread the needle between where we can have fun and where we cross a line and become insensitive.
That’s something that everybody’s very conscious about, so I think the second it seems like it’s tiptoeing toward that, they’re really good at introducing some ridiculous elements like a parachuter falling on top of Boon.
I can say what they shot of that incident is sillier and sillier, and more ludicrous, so they sort of slowly reveal that throughout the season.
Just saying, parachuter, you’ve made me need a Stumble and Ghosts crossover.
Yeah! Fingers crossed. Your lips to God’s ears.
Let’s talk about filming a mockumentary rather than a traditional comedy. What’s that been like for you?
I am realizing that in all the comedy I’ve done, I’ve never done a mockumentary where you can look to the camera as a third or fourth scene partner. This scene partner that you can play with.
Obviously, it’s become very popular. I feel that since the success of The Office — and The Office UK is maybe the best narrative mockumentary comedy — it’s joyful, but it took some adjustment.
To spend 30 years cheating out and playing to the fourth wall, but if you look at the camera, you’ve ruined the take. Now, if you don’t look at the camera, you’ve ruined the take. It’s really sort of inverse.
Second point, our camera operators are top-notch.
They’re truly scene partners with you, and once you get the hang of it, you can see where they’re popping in. You know when they’re doing their little pushes and zooms, and that just adds to the melody of the scene and the rhythm of the scene. They’re taking a joke and turning it into two or three jokes in one. It’s been really fun.
But I’ve also already found myself in scenes where the director said, ‘Okay, that’s too much for the camera. Let’s go back two steps.’
I want to touch on High Potential, because while you’re in Stumble as a series regular, you’re still able to guest star in High Potential a bit. They’ve written you out in a way that you can easily be written back in.
Yeah, that’s been a wonderful experience. I just shot [High Potential Season 2 Episode 8], which I think airs when they come back in January [Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 9/8c]. It’s a really sweet one. I’m excited for people to see that one, but I love that people are loving that show.
I was doing press here at 30 Rock, and a little girl, I think from Holland, recognized me as Ludo, and that was impressive to me.
I love that job, and I love working with Kaitlin [Olson], another great scene partner. High Potential’s production schedule goes a little later than Stumble’s. I think they shoot into January and February, so the hope is that we haven’t seen the last of Ludo.
I love that you have two different network shows. CBS needs to pick you up, too.
Yeah, CBS, why are you sleeping on me? But no, I feel very, very, very, very fortunate.
What would you love to see for Ludo, like a dream storyline?
Oh, I want to see a little bit of Ludo’s love life. Getting back out there to see how it affects the family dynamic and who is threatened. I think that could make for some interesting storytelling.
Oh, Morgan would not like that, and it would be fun.
What do you mean? She’d be very understanding and fully supportive. Ludo wouldn’t get the third degree at all. Morgan wouldn’t track her down, learn everything about her life, and immediately find her flaws. Yeah, that’d be something fun to play.
Stumble airs on NBC at 8:30/7:30c on Fridays and streams on Peacock. High Potential is currently streaming on Hulu.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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