SCOTT KRINSKY Interview “Jeff Barnes”
CHUCK Mondays at 8 PM EST on NBC
March 13, 2011
By Lena Lamoray
Photo by Noah Schutz
I spoke with SCOTT KRINSKY who plays “Jeff Barnes” in CHUCK on NBC. He filled me in on the inner workings of “Jeff”, his stand-up comedy and how I would like to hang out and have drinks with “Jeff”, chaperoned of course. Scott has been featured in “The O.C.” and I realized that pretty much everyone I have ever interviewed can be traced back to “The O.C.”. Scott has a role in “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” which will be premiering this summer. Scott was fantastic to speak with and he is very thankful for all of your CHUCK love. Watch SCOTT KRINSKY every week in CHUCK, Monday nights at 8 PM EST only on NBC.
Lena: Did you wrap up CHUCK, yet?
Scott Krinsky: No, we still have a few more episodes to go.
Lena: So, you are still filming then.
Scott Krinsky: Yeah, we have about three or four episodes left.
Lena: I loved the last episode of CHUCK; when you brought the Renaissance Fair to you because you couldn’t get any time off from work. Are you a Renaissance Fair kind of man?
Scott Krinsky: (Laughing) Not really, no.
Lena: Have you ever been to one of those fairs?
Scott Krinsky: I’m not a Renaissance geek.
Lena: Those are awful. I went to one of those.
Scott Krinsky: Yeah, you’ve been to one of those? I think I went to one where you eat and you watch a show. They do sword fighting and jousting; like a Renaissance dinner theater.
Lena: Oh, like in “The Cable Guy” but Jim Carrey isn’t there.
Lena: What is it like working with McG again? I know he was involved in “The O. C.”
Scott Krinsky: I didn’t work with him on “The O.C.”. He did the pilot for that show and I came along in season four, at the end. I didn’t really cross paths with him until I did CHUCK and he directed the pilot.
Lena: I know he is the producer for CHUCK, too.
Scott Krinsky: Yeah, he’s the producer but we don’t see him. Sometimes he will be on the Warner Brothers lot for other business that he has going on but we don’t see him a lot. Sometimes at the wrap parties but the only time that I’ve actually worked with him as a director was when he directed the pilot, which turned out very well.
Lena: Have you ever been in “Supernatural”?
Scott Krinsky: No, I have not.
Lena: I’m surprised. He usually puts a lot of his own people in there.
Scott Krinsky: I’m just in my own world, in my supernatural world.
Lena: (Laughing) You should definitely get on that show.
Scott Krinsky: Okay, is this the last season of it?
Lena: I hope not.
Scott Krinsky: I don’t know but it’s one of those shows that have been around for a long time.
Lena: Yeah, it’s one of those shows that has everyone on it so that’s why I asked if you have been on it. People always pop up.
Scott Krinsky: Well, maybe I will be now.
Lena: That’s right, you should be. You could play a ghost or something fun. It’s funny because I recently interviewed Nicholas Gonzalez from “The O. C.”, as well. He was really nice but I know he was on there before you. I don’t know if you guys have met. He’s on “Off the Map” on ABC now.
Scott Krinsky: No, I don’t think so.
Lena: Can you talk about your “O. C.” experience?
Scott Krinsky: It was great. That was a really nice break for me because I was only supposed to be in one episode, the Thanksgiving episode. It turned into five episodes. It was a really great experience. Of course, “The O. C.” was before the new “90210” came around, it was kind of like the “Beverly Hills 90210” of another generation in a way, watching kids with money grow up and it was still part of pop culture at the time. It was fun to work on it and of course I was probably the last person in the world that would expect to be working on “The O. C.”(laughing). I played a homeless guy, so it all sort of made sense.
Lena: (Laughing) You had Peter Gallagher in that, too.
Scott Krinsky: Yeah, he was amazing.
Lena: Yes, I really like him.
Scott Krinsky: That was pretty cool because growing up “Sex, Lies and Videotape” is probably the first film where I became aware of him and he has been in such great works since like, “American Beauty”.
Lena: Oh, yeah. Do you watch “Covert Affairs”?
Scott Krinsky: I have not seen it but I hear it is really good, though.
Lena: Yeah, it’s not bad.
Scott Krinsky: He’s in it, right?
Lena: Yes he is but he’s not in it a lot. He should be in it more. That would make it a better show.
Lena: I was on your Myspace page and I read one of your older blogs, “The Colonoscopy Chronicles” and I could not stop laughing.
Scott Krinsky: (Laughing) Yeah, oh thanks. It’s a true story, though.
Lena: (Laughing) You did such a great job explaining everything and you should really put out a series of books about your experiences.
Scott Krinsky: I’ve thought about doing more of that and I’ve been doing a lot more writing lately.
Lena: Yes, I loved reading it.
Scott Krinsky: Sometimes I think when I’m writing that, that I am the only one being entertained.
Lena: (Laughing) No way, it was great. Everything was so detailed and perfect.
Scott Krinsky: Well, as funny as the story was it is really important that people get that checked. It runs in my family so it’s something I have to do like every three or four years; I have to get a colonoscopy.
Lena: Yes, those are good times and that is why it would be good if you wrote a book about the importance of colon health. You could do it from your viewpoint and be funny about it and that would make people comfortable.
Scott Krinsky: I will try to make it a tradition when I do the next one.
Lena: That’s right because you have to do the series.
Scott Krinsky: (Laughing) With good results, hopefully.
Lena: Yes, definitely. You don’t want to hear any bad stuff. I love the fact that you are a stand-up comedian, too. I have a sweet spot for comedians. How often do you get to perform live? What topics do you enjoy covering?
Scott Krinsky: I haven’t been performing as much this year. I’ve done some smaller shows around L. A. but just because I’m trying to keep my focus on work and CHUCK. I have not done as much. It’s just a lot of observational humor and I try and spin it with my own interpretation.
Lena: Do you pick on people from the audience?
Scott Krinsky: No, I’m a little more introverted when I’m on stage. There are a lot of comics that are great with working with the audience and having them bring it on by talking. I like to go up and tell my stories and just hopefully everyone’s enjoys them.
Lena: Do you ever do it in character and maybe bring out a little “Jeff” for people?
Scott Krinsky: I think there’s a little “Jeff” in me naturally, as I play the character. Every time you go and do stand-up it’s never the same so depending on the vibe of the club and the audience you are always going to have a different experience. I’ve had friends see me a few times and every time it’s a little different to them. I guess they are always seeing a different side of me.
Lena: That’s good, right?
Scott Krinsky: Yeah, I think that is what keeps it fun. It’s new every night and you never know what’s going to happen. You never know how the audience is going to react. They laugh at the jokes and sometimes in different places.
Lena: Can you talk about how you got started in acting and comedy and what are the best and most challenging aspects of both?
Scott Krinsky: Well with acting, as a kid and as a teenager, I was always sort of the class clown. Starting in elementary school I was always getting in trouble; not doing really bad stuff but just by being the clown that interrupted the class and kept the teacher from doing their job. I got better at it and I was a class clown in high school, as well. I sort of mastered the art of it, I guess. I always just remembered growing up and loving to watch movies and TV and I don’t know that I wanted to be an actor right then and there when I was a teenager but I knew that I was drawn to that. I was drawn to performing and what these people that I was watching were doing and it looked like a lot of fun. I just never saw myself having a job where I was going to go to an office every day. It was just never in the cards for me. I just couldn’t see that kind of life. I needed to do something where I could play and have fun and always mix it up and never be in the same place twice.
Lena: What keeps challenging you, regarding your roles?
Scott Krinsky: Just always trying to be grounded in the character and always trying to be truthful to whom the character is. No matter if you are doing comedy or drama, you are still playing the truth of that character’s experience as it relates to the story and the other characters. I think the challenge is to just stay grounded in what you are doing.
Lena: You are not the most loveable character on CHUCK but you have to have some redeeming qualities, so what is it about “Jeff” that you love the most?
Scott Krinsky: Well “Jeff”, he’s a good friend to “Lester”. They have their moments and little plans that they hatch but I think ultimately “Jeff” believes that he is doing the right thing, even though it doesn’t always turn out to be the right thing. In his mind, he is doing the correct thing like the time he jumped those guys and saved “Casey”.
Lena: Yes, we will leave out the time he tried to butter his friend to get him in the air duct.
Scott Krinsky: Yeah, right. I think he’s a little bit of a loveable guy, right? You would want to hang out with him and have drinks with him one night, right (laughing)?
Lena: (Laughing) Maybe.
Scott Krinsky: You would make sure there was a chaperone watching from a distance, but (laughing).
Lena: (Laughing) Yeah, you definitely want to bring backup if you are planning on hanging out with “Jeff”.
Scott Krinsky: Yeah (laughing).
Lena: Where do you think he can improve? Can you fill out a “Jeff” comment card for him?
Scott Krinsky: “Jeff” could use a little bit more moderation with his illegal substances and his legal ones, as well.
Lena: One of my readers wanted me to ask you: Out of all the “hotties” who would “Jeff Barnes” want to hook up with the most?
Scott Krinsky: From the girls on CHUCK, that is a good question. Let me see, I always have a lot of fun working with Mini Anden who played Carina. So, I think it would be fun for “Jeff” to have a scene with her if she kept coming back. She was on the show a few times and she was on recently. She is really beautiful and a lot of fun to work with, so that would be fun for me, the actor and the character, as well. Well Morgan, now that he has Alex, he might get a little jealous but maybe not because he’s now dating Alex.
Lena: Well, he would have to be happy for Jeff, right?
Scott Krinsky: Yeah. He was quite the stud back in high school.
Lena: (Laughing) Okay. CHUCK has some pretty crazy storylines but what would you like to see covered that has not been done, yet and how would Jeff be involved?
Scott Krinsky: I’ve always thought it would be great to explore a storyline with some of Jeff’s family because they are a little shady. His mom is in jail and his sister is a stripper so they seem to run with a wild crowd. It might be fun to have a storyline that incorporates a little bit of Jeff’s family.
Lena: Oh, that sounds good. Do you ever get to use the clothing machine that they have?
Scott Krinsky: Not, yet (laughing).
Lena: That’s crazy.
Scott Krinsky: I’m usually, you know, blessed to be in my Nerd Herd outfit.
Lena: I know but they should let you borrow it on occasion.
Lena: What can you tell me about the rest of the season of CHUCK and what we can expect from “Jeff”?
Scott Krinsky: Well, the rest of the season, let me tell you exactly what is going to happen because I know you are not going to tell anyone else. You know, I don’t really know. We are really shooting down to the end of the wire with each episode. The episodes that we are shooting are coming on fairly quickly, within a few weeks of shooting them. I don’t know what the plan is for the big finale. I know the “Chuck” and “Sarah” romance is growing, as it has been over the series but I don’t really know what is going to happen and if I did, I don’t think I could tell you.
Lena: (Laughing) What are some of your favorite episodes of CHUCK?
Scott Krinsky: “Chuck Versus the Best Friend”, when we had “Jeffster”. That was a great episode and it showed another side of “Jeff” and “Lester’s” relationship, a bit more of a serious side of their friendship. Also, “Chuck Versus Tom Sawyer” where we got to learn about Jeff’s background, his family and his own beginnings and glory days as a teenager and winning the Missile Command World Championship.
Lena: Are you doing Comic Con again this year?
Scott Krinsky: I’m not sure. We have not heard, yet. I think that will probably have a lot to do if we will be back for season five.
Lena: When do you think you will find out about season five?
Scott Krinsky: I guess we could find out from any time between now and when they do the up fronts and announce the whole season for next year. Every year that is generally when we found out is that day when they make the big scheduling announcement and that would be the second week of May.
Lena: I’ve been seeing all of the Save CHUCK petitions.
Scott Krinsky: Yeah, we definitely owe a big thanks to our fans. They really have been a force in keeping our show alive and we owe a lot of gratitude to them.
Lena: Definitely. What would you like to see in “Jeff’s” future and why?
Scott Krinsky: In “Jeff’s” future, wow, I think it would be great to see him get involved in the spy world. I love when he’s involved in the spy world and he gets involved in the plot lines in and he doesn’t realize what is going on around him. I just hope that there are a lot of great stories that get to be explored in that way. Also, it would be fun to just dig into his own life some more. Maybe his mother will get out of jail.
Lena: He definitely needs more screen time.
Scott Krinsky: Well, thank you.
Lena: You guys are not on that much and I think those are some of the funniest parts of the show.
Scott Krinsky: Thank you, very much.
Lena: You are kind of creepy, but it is good.
Scott Krinsky: You have to have a little creepy in there all the time to make the really good people look good.
Lena: That’s right (laughing).
Scott Krinsky: It’s a nice little balance.
Lena: (Laughing) What do you have coming up for projects? Do you have anything other than CHUCK that you can tell me about?
Scott Krinsky: I have a part in the “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”. I’m anxious to see how that turns out. That was a really great experience, working on that.
Lena: Isn’t that coming out over the summer?
Scott Krinsky: Yeah, on or around July 4th weekend.
Lena: Yes, I think that is when those movies come out all the time. Are you going to do a comedy tour or anything like that?
Scott Krinsky: It just depends on what other projects come up right now. I would love to do more movies and with some of the TV jobs I have to be more focused on being in town to be available to audition for other projects.
Lena: Would you like to say to your fans?
Scott Krinsky: Thank you fans, again. We have the most amazing fans and I really believe that. It’s been so amazing to work on a show that you can feel so proud of and that your fans really love and it’s a joy to do it and we can keep on doing it because they have been so supportive.
Lena: Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me. It was a pleasure. I will see you on Twitter sometime. Is that your official Twitter account?
Scott Krinsky: Thank you, Lena. Yeah, I don’t tweet a lot. I’m a little tweet shy (laughing). I’m Twitter shy, as you can tell.
Lena: (Laughing) Twitter shy.
Scott Krinsky: I’m a shy tweety bird (laughing).
Lena: Thank you again, it really was great.
Scott Krinsky: Thank you, Lena.
