Will Arnett, Bradley Cooper team for dramedy “Is This Thing On?”
Longtime friends Will Arnett and Bradley Cooper co-wrote and co-star in Friday s Is This Thing On a divorce reconciliation comedy-drama that Cooper also directed Arnett and Laura Dern are Alex and Tess Novak who ve divorced but continue to see each other to raise their two sons and mingle in the same social circle On impulse Alex who has moved into the city and a bachelor apartment tries standup at an open mic night It changes his life including reconfiguring his status with Tess Can they find love the second time around Bradley and I have been friends for years Arnett disclosed in a virtual press conference I d come across this story inspired by the real British comedian John Bishop who advised me how he came to standup I really connected with the idea of this guy who finds something that allows him to start speaking his truth at a time when his life is cratering And what it does for him and his connection to his wife How with their relationship standup allows him to reimagine who they are later in life When I started writing it Bradley and I were traveling together Because we re so close if I m being honest I just thought I could get particular free notes out of Bradley when I m writing this script with Mark Chappell I sent the basic outline to him He called a week later and declared I want to direct this If that s okay So that s how it came to be To co-write produce and star did that affect Arnett s performance It wasn t by design Arnett explained I came across this idea and started writing it Invariably with the hope that maybe I could play Alex Novak Once Bradley came on he solidified that Yes I want to make it and I want you to be Alex Novak And produce it with me All those hats I didn t choose them They just happened to be thrown on my head I never really felt the weight of it in that way I felt very lucky to build the story build Alex I got to understand hopefully who Alex was and what he s going through It helped that Cooper who also costars was open to innovation improvisation A great example Arnett reported was while we were shooting scenes in Oyster Bay The night before Bradley announced I m going to ask Andra Day who plays Cooper s wife to sing Amazing Grace The upcoming day So he called the night before Would you be willing to do it She was forthwith like Sure That kind of openness to roll with it was how it was Making sure Is This Thing On was really on Will Arnett in a scene from Is This Thing On Photo by Searchlight Pictures Jason McDonald Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
