The new season of “Archer” sends the ISIS gang to Miami with a literal ton of cocaine for “Archer Vice.”
The day after the season premiere, FX presented an “Archer” panel to the Television Critics Association. Afterwards, we got an exclusive interview with two of the leading ladies from “Archer,” Jessica Walter and Judy Greer.
Walter is best known in live-action as Lucille Bluth from “Arrested Development.” In “Archer,” Walter plays Mallory Archer, Sterling Archer’s boss and mother. Greer plays Cheryl Tunt and many other characters. During the panel they played a clip of Greer’s character singing “Danger Zone” with Kenny Loggins.
We followed up with more discussion of the new season and some of Walter and Greer’s highly anticipated upcoming projects.
CraveOnline: When they did the silent opening of the season premiere, did you each record your actual silence?
Judy Greer: No.
Jessica Walter: You mean the sort of dream ballet sequence? No, God, wasn’t it brilliant though? And the editing was brilliant.
Judy Greer: So good.
When did you get to see that sequence?
Jessica Walter: I saw it last night.
Judy Greer: I saw something a long time ago.
Jessica Walter: It was quite something.
Jessica, when they had your voice muffled, did you still record lines?
Jessica Walter: Oh yeah, sure. I don’t remember them.
Do you have to record some really fast, sped up dialogue if your characters get coked up this year?
Judy Greer: I don’t do that much coke. I just do a lot of screaming. I scream a lot. That’s more Amber [Nash]. She’s all coked up all the time.
Jessica Walter: Yeah, the Pam character is the one who’s coked up. Mallory does not do coke. She just drinks.
Judy Greer: A lot.
Jessica Walter: A lot.
Does it feel like doing a different show this year with the “Miami Vice” angle?
Judy Greer: No.
Jessica Walter: It doesn’t, except it’s better. It’s better than ever. I just feel like there’s an infusion of new life because they’re scrambling and they don’t have their comfort zones. It makes them desperate which I think is really important for comedy.
Judy Greer: The stakes are higher.
Was it about time they had some consequences?
Judy Greer: I think yes.
Jessica Walter: Yeah, there’s no free lunch, even for them.
How did you like your “Archer Vice” character poster?
Judy Greer: I love mine. I love mine because now my hair is down and I’m all slutty and it’s awesome.
Jessica Walter: I haven’t seen it.
Judy Greer: I saw a picture on Saturday at “Archer Live.” That’s where I saw the opening sequence, on Saturday in Austin. We did “Archer Live.”
Jessica Walter: She’s not busy enough, this woman, and she goes to Austin to do “Archer Live.” I really admire you. They don’t even ask me anymore. If I’m in New York I’ll do it. It’s too racy for me.
Judy Greer: it’s pretty racy. We answered a question in your honor on Saturday.
Jessica Walter: Did you? Thank you. Was it a good one?
Judy Greer: I’ve heard you answer this before when they ask if there’s anything we ever won’t say. We all answered it and then I think I said, “Jessica has said she’s asked what things mean but she’s never not said anything.”
Jessica Walter: Of course I say everything, but sometimes I don’t even want to know what it means, you know what I mean?
Judy Greer: And then [executive producer] Matt Thompson was like, “It’s really upsetting when we have to explain to Jessica Walter what a horrible thing means that we’ve written and we don’t want to because we don’t want to offend her because we love her so much.”
Jessica Walter: Aw, how sweet. Honestly, a lot of things go right by me.
Judy Greer: By the way, me too. I don’t know what some of the stuff is that the kids are doing these days with their private parts.
What were some things you had to ask Matt and Adam [Reed] about?
Jessica Walter: One of the main things was last year there was something in an episode, it said in the script, “Bam chicka bam boom” or something. I said, “Well, what is that?” He said, “Well, that’s the porn signature sound.” I said, “Well, why don’t you just do it and I’ll imitate it.” So he did it and I imitated it.
Judy Greer: I have a lot of that.
Jessica Walter: Bam chicka bam boom? Anyway, that was one example.
