THR Emmy Roundtable: Behind-the-Scenes With TV's Outrageous Comedy Actors

Comedy Actor Roundtable

From left: Matthew Perry, 43 (NBC's departed series Go On); Jake Johnson, 35 (Fox's New Girl); Adam Scott, 40 (NBC's Parks and Recreation); Fred Armisen, 46 (IFC's Portlandia, NBC's Saturday Night Live, from which he departed in May); Eric Stonestreet, 41 (ABC's Modern Family); and Jim Parsons, 40 (CBS' The Big Bang Theory).

STORY: THR Emmy Roundtable: Jim Parsons, Adam Scott and More Comedy Actors on Failed Pilots and Mean Fans

The Funny Men

The Emmy contenders gathered at the Bungalow at the Fairmont hotel in Santa Monica, where they discussed with spirited candor the parts of the business that bug them, their worst acting gigs and the jobs they might have if they weren't actors.

Eric Stonestreet

On what part of the TV business he would change: "The way actors get jobs for TV shows. The whole test process is kind of old-fashioned, where you go in front of a room of execs wearing suits, multiple times, to get your job, versus putting a performance on tape and letting an editor edit it for the best performance. In reality, that's what happens on our TV shows."

Jim Parsons

Jim Parsons says he doesn't worry about being typecast, despite the huge success of The Big Bang Theory.

"It can't matter, if that makes any sense. Are you supposed to backpedal and do less of a character?" he says. "I'm sure some people have a hard time seeing me in different roles. And that's OK. It's my job to keep doing other things, too; that's the only way around that, you know. Having that hurdle is fine."

Matthew Perry

Though Matthew Perry says it's "completely different" being on network TV today than it was during his Friends heyday, he still worries about "not getting a laugh."

"I've had [that fear] from the time I was a kid; obsessing over 'This joke doesn't quite work, we've got to get this right,'" he says. "I was always like that whether I was a member of a six-person ensemble or whether I'm the center of a show."

Adam Scott

"For me, no matter how embarrassing at the time, it was probably a big deal to get an acting job," Adam Scott says when asked if there are any jobs he'd like to erase from his résumé. "I've seen things pop up on TV, and it's embarrassing. But at the time, I was really excited, so who cares?"

Jake Johnson

New Girl's Jake Johnson says being recognized in public "really spooked" him during the show's first season.

"I'd be in a supermarket, and I make eye contact with somebody," Johnson says. "I'd register that they just recognized me, but they wouldn't be clear about it. And you're like: 'If you're going to kill me, just do it. Whatever you're planning, just do it!'"

What Makes Him Laugh

"I'll go through phases where there'll be something that makes me laugh the hardest," says Jake Johnson. "There's a character John C. Reilly does on Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! named Dr. Steve Brule. It's ridiculous. The last two weeks, all I've done is watch Dr. Steve Brule until tears are coming out of my eyes."

Fred Armisen

On his comedy heroes: "Chevy Chase. And Martin Lawrence. He was so great on his show. So much energy"

Bad Jobs

"It would have been nice to not have worked in that many restaurants," Portlandia's Fred Armisen says of his worst jobs. "I think I have amnesia about it. I've deleted it from my life, but yeah, it would have been nice if it was scaled down. Also, working for a nightclub and having to put fliers up everywhere … and in bathrooms."