During the third day of his peyote trip, Riggle finally saw Ultimate Party Dog
Rob Riggle is a rising star in comedy: the Marine Corps Reserve lieutenant colonel was a featured player on “Saturday Night Live” for one year (2004-05) and a “Daily Show” correspondent from 2006-08 before landing scene-stealing roles in several comedies, most notably as a taser-happy cop in The Hangover. He left “The Daily Show” after signing a talent holding deal with CBS that led to a recurring role on “Gary Unmarried” and the starring role in “Home Game,” a comedy pilot that didn’t get picked up this spring.
Presently, Riggle is in New Orleans filming 21 Jump Street (in which he’ll play a villain against Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum), and he can also be seen this summer in Larry Crowne and Adult Swim’s “NTSF:SD:SUV.” He took a few minutes last Thursday to talk about his career and promote the AXE Dirtcathlon, a web series he’s hosting for the relaunch of the shower gel’s brand.
NOTE: The interview has been edited for length and clarity, mostly to disguise the fact that I’m incredibly awkward on the phone, have poor interviewing skills, and often can’t muster subject-verb agreement when speaking. For example, here’s the unedited transcript of how the conversation started:
[There's a beep signifying that the PR guy has connected Rob and me via conference call.]
PR Guy: Hey Rob, you there?
Riggle: Yeah, I’m here.
PR Guy: Matt?
Warming Glow: Hey.
Riggle: Hey.
[excruciating pause]
WG: Oh! Sorry, I was expecting more of an introduction.
Riggle: (laughs) It’s Rob.
PR Guy: Sorry about that Matt, you’re on the phone with Rob Riggle.
WG: Thanks. Sorry.
See? This is why I conduct interviews so rarely. Well, that and the restraining orders.
From here on out, my questions are in bold and Riggle’s responses are in regular typeface. Notes appear in italics (and often).
![[avatar]](http://p.uproxxcdn.com/photo/226/thumb)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/tumblr_may1uv5Iva1qbhzp1_large-150x150.gif)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/cbss-the-millers-with-will-arnett-and-margo-martindale-150x150.jpg)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/cbs-the-crazy-ones-with-robin-williams-is-one-long-mcdonalds-ad1-150x150.jpg)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/himym1-150x150.jpg)
Rob Riggle was one of the few funny things about “Funny or Die Presents” on HBO. Nice work, Matt.
Whenever I think of Rob Riggle, I imagine him standing in Times Square in nothing but his underwear holding a Martin Backpacker guitar and slowly reciting the Rifleman’s creed but modifying it as necessary for a guitar.
“This is my Martin. There are many like it but this one is mine. ” etc..
NOT UP IN HERE!
There’s a standup comedian named Julia Lillis who’s a Naval Academy grad and I think worked on destroyers. She’s been on E and MTV a few times. So that’s one more person for your creative-military Venn diagram.
I remember hearing on one of Adam Carolla’s podcasts that Adam Scott (Ben on Parks & Rec) was a Naval Officer on a Guided Missile Destroyer. So yeah, there’s three, but like Matt said – exception, not the rule.
That was nice interview. The ten year story to get to SNL was pretty cool to read. Moral of that story is dream are worth fighting for. Good job, Matt.
Uh, wurst, I think that makes 4, because I count Matt as creative and funny.
*cough* BLOWJOB! *cough*
Too bad he did not get the CBS show bu given the fact that Mark Schelereth is a jerk and ended several guys careers with illegal blocks, kharma was too strong.
Someone needs to get Riggle on The League as the way too serious ex-football player. Money.
That Berkeley sketch was fantastic.
Matt, can you take a page out of Rob’s playbook and haze Berkley hippies? That would make my day.
OK, OK, it’s only three.
I like how he follows up meaning what you say and saying what you mean with Channing Tatum’s a really funny guy.
I bet him and Jonah Hill are just making fun of the poor whigger.
When would Adam Scott have been on a destroyer? IMDB has him working steadily since 1994, which is when he would have just graduated college (he was born in ’73). So unless he’s in the reserves or something, I don’t see how he had time for even the bare-minimum five years you have to serve as an officer. Was it someone else Adam Carolla was talking about?