Thomas Lennon, aka short-shorts-wearing Lieutenant Jim Dangle, has already sneaked in a career’s worth of gems as an actor, writer, and sketch comic. But as his booming spring suggests, he’s just getting started.
Jim Dangle to the Rescue
There’s a decent chance that you recognize Thomas Lennon, either from his role as Lieutenant Jim Dangle — he of the short-shorts and ambiguous sexuality — on Reno 911!, or from his Snickers bars commercials, or maybe even from the mid-nineties MTV sketch show The State, a solid cult favorite. But there’s a better-than-even chance that you only know the tip of the iceberg of Lennon’s wide-ranging accomplishments. Did you know that, for starters, he’s co-written eight films, including the blockbuster Night at the Museum and its upcoming sequel Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian, which comes out on May 22 and stars Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, and Jonah Hill? Lennon also co-wrote Balls of Fury, the Vin Diesel kiddie flick The Pacifier, and the overlooked Let’s Go to Prison (which The New York Times called “a sly, very funny comedy”). As an actor, he’s turned up in Memento, How to Lose a Guy in 70 Days, and Hancock, among many other films.
That’s all impressive enough-and surprising for its under-the-radar factor-but this spring, Lennon is truly making his mark: In addition to Museum 2, he starred in I Love You, Man in March, opposite Jason Segel and Paul Rudd; will appear in this month’s 17 Again with Leslie Mann and tween idol Zac Efron; and is in the midst of his sixth season of Reno. It’s Tom’s world, gentle readers — we’re just living in it. Lennon carved out some time between writing, appearing in Funny or Die clips, shooting Reno, doing stand-up and sketch comedy, and acting in films — whew! — to talk to us about all of the above.
In the interest of full disclosure, let’s just let our readers know that my brother Tom worked with you in the past, and has appeared on Reno 911! But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to ask the tough questions.
I’ve actually worked with your brother many times. Several times on Reno 911!, and all the way back to Viva Variety, when he played Johnny Bluejeans’s “sexy” brother. And, yes, he is one sexy mofo. I hope it runs in the family.
I think it stopped with him. I’ve got a clubfoot and am completely hairless. And I didn’t even know my own brother appeared on Viva Variety. When are we going to see that show on DVD?
Oh, man, I would give anything for that to come out. That show is so forgotten, but Viva Variety ran longer than The State. Viva Variety ran for 39 episodes; The State only ran for 26 or so. And the first Viva Variety episode had Ben Stiller and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. They Might Be Giants were on once, too. There were some really cool comedians and bands on that show.
It was also a unique premise for a show.
It was a really weird premise. To us, it seemed like, “Oh, my God, what a perfect thing to spoof. Isn’t everybody waiting for a spoof of a Belgian variety show?” And it turns out the answer was no — no, they weren’t. We were the only four people waiting for that. I think that’s why it was never more popular. It was just too weird for people, you know?
But apparently people were waiting for a spoof of Cops, because the sixth season of Reno 911! just launched. When you started back in 2003, did you think you’d still be doing it in ’09?
If I knew we’d be doing the show for this many years, I would have chosen different pants. Something with a little breathing room for my nuts. I think the longevity of the show is 100 percent due to the fact that we improvise most of it. If we had to write full scripts, and get every joke approved, we would have been canceled years ago.
Since it’s largely improvised, how many takes do you typically shoot before you call it a scene?
We usually only do one or two takes. Sometimes three. After that, if it’s not funny, we move on and don’t use the scene. But sometimes we’ll shoot long takes. If you check our DVDs’ bonus materials, you can see that we sometimes shoot half-hour takes. Those are my favorite scenes to do.
What advice do you give to newcomer guest stars?
The best thing when you’re improvising is not to have a plan. If you have a plan, it will feel fake, and it won’t be as funny as what you find if you let the scene unfold naturally.
Can you tell us about any new characters or story lines for this season?
This year we’ve added two of the funniest guys around as full-time deputies: Ian Roberts, from the Upright Citizen’s Brigade, and Joe Lo Truglio from The State. They’re both amazing, and top-notch improvisers. I think season six is our funniest by far. It’s also got some amazing guest stars. Jonah Hill did an episode, Craig Robinson, Rainn Wilson — the show’s really finally hitting its stride this year.
“Dangle’s hair, mustache, and shorts are heavily inspired by Viggo Mortensen’s character in GI Jane. And those are the real shorts Navy SEALS wear.’’
It’s been six years, but Jim Dangle’s shorts still crack me up. What was the inspiration for those?
Dangle’s hair, mustache, and shorts are heavily inspired by Viggo Mortensen’s character in G.I. Jane. Seriously, check out the plum smugglers he’s wearing in that movie. And to top it off, those are the real shorts Navy SEALS wear. Dangle’s voice is just a very bad impression of Al Gore.
Was it me, or did the shorts get shorter in the film Reno 911!: Miami?
If you’re making them at home, the proper inseam for a pair of Dangle shorts is 11 inches. And yes, the blue ones were a little shorter and a little stretchier in the movie. A low-angle picture came up on my computer of me from behind in those shorts, and I actually thought, Who is that sexy lady? — I felt pretty bad a second later when I realized it was me.
You guys shoot at an actual police station; have you spoken to many real-life cops about the show?
Most cops agree that Reno 911! is the most accurate police show on television. I’m not kidding. I think our show feels more like what their day-to-day life is like. We don’t really solve that many crimes, and we spend part of our day trying to find out who’s been sticking his wiener in the peanut butter jar.
You’ve got a massive spring going on with I Love You, Man; Reno; 17 Again; and your screenplay for Night at the Museum 2. You’re blowing up-how does it feel?
It’s certainly a very busy time right now, which is good, as I have no other real “fall-back” skills. I’m proud of every one of these projects. I think people will be surprised by how funny Zac Efron is in 17 Again. He’s a natural, and a very solid improviser, too. Night at the Museum 2 is massive. They built an entire Smithsonian museum in Vancouver, on a scale of 1:1. It was pretty mind-blowing to stand on that set. And I Love You, Man was finally my chance to make out with Paul Rudd.
Speaking of 17 Again, how did you end up wearing elf ears in that one?
I have a joke about this in my stand-up, but it’s actually how I feel: I’ve been thinking about what kind of type I am, acting-wise, because if you know your type, you’ll get cast in more films. And I perceive myself as a Daniel Craig-type, a James Bond kind of guy. But in this movie, I spend a lot of time in elf ears, and I wear glow-in-the-dark footie pajamas, too. So apparently, the entertainment industry does not see me as a Daniel Craig-James Bond-type. They see me as the dude with the elf ears and the glow-in-the-dark footie pajamas.
Since this is Penthouse, I have to ask you about Formosa, a script about old-school porn you’ve written that’s currently on the shelf.
God, I hope that show goes forward at some point. It’s a period piece set in Hollywood in 1936 about two failed silent-movie producers who start making stag films. It’s more of a comedic drama, and a little bit of a thriller. It’s a great script and has some wonderful opportunities for us to make some silent black-and-white “jiggle” films.
I also heard a rumor about a possible film project from The State. True?
There is an entirely not-that-untrue rumor that The State is working on a project. Whether it will be a movie or a TV movie, I’m not really sure. I do know that we have done four live shows in the past year, which, for us, is a lot. And they were really fun. I also know that the DVD for the entire series is coming out next year.
Lastly, you’re from Oak Park, Illinois, outside Chicago. So: Cubs, White Sox, or couldn’t care less?
Cubs! Cubs! Cubbies! Cubs-Cubs-Cubs!
Is this the year?
How can they not go all the way this year?! Cubbies! Whoooo! Cubs rule!
As a matter of historical perspective, the Cubs did not in fact win the world series post 1945 until 2016, thus ending “The Curse of the Billy Goat” after 71 years. That was one powerful goat.
