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By
Suzanne

Interview with Lucas Neff and Greg Garcia of "Raising
Hope" on
FOX 11/1/11
FBC PUBLICITY:
Raising Hope Conference Call with Lucas Neff and Greg Garcia
November 1, 2011/5:10 p.m. EDT
SPEAKERS
Jennifer Sprague – FBC Publicity
Greg Garcia – Creator and Executive Producer, Raising Hope
Lucas Neff – James “Jimmy” Chance, Raising Hope
PRESENTATION
Moderator Welcome to the Raising Hope Conference call. At this time, all
participants are in a listen-only mode. Later, we will conduct a
question and answer session. Instructions will be given at that time. As
a reminder, this conference is being recorded.
I would now like to turn the conference over to our host, Miss Jennifer
Sprague.
J. Sprague Hi, everybody. Thank you so much for joining us today for the
Raising Hope Conference Call with Lucas Neff and our creator and
executive producer, Greg Garcia. As a reminder, Raising Hope returns
with all new episodes tonight at 9:30 on Fox. With that, we’ll just get
started with the first question, Gregory.
Moderator First, we go to the line of Paul Arca, with shakefire.com.
P. Arca The first one’s for Greg. How did the concept for the show
actually come about?
G. Garcia Well, I had a couple of ideas for movies, but I didn’t really
know how this movie would end. So, then it was time for me to go and
pitch new shows after Earl got cancelled. So, I went into Fox and
pitched this. I think I kind of wanted to do a domestic comedy, but, a
twisted domestic comedy. So, this is what I came up with.
P. Arca The next question is for Lucas. What attracted you to the role
of Jimmy Chance; and what are the differences and similarities between
the two of you?
L. Neff Well, what attracted me to the role was twofold. One, I was
really broke, and unemployed. It’s the best job offer I’ve ever received
in my life. So, I’d have been a fool to turn it down. Then, two, the
writing is really good. It’s especially good considering it’s in the
sitcom format, which can be difficult to write for. And, Greg obviously
has a lot of experience writing comedies for television. So, it, just
seemed like a wonderful opportunity for me, you know, a gift from the
sky.
And, then as far as similarities between myself and Jimmy, I guess sad
to say, I think we both try really hard. But, we don’t always succeed on
the first go around. We both have a learning curve. I think both Jimmy
and myself have to learn to accept that we don’t always get it right out
of the gates, and to keep trying and hope for the best, and know that
we’re surrounded by good people.
Moderator Next, we turn to the line of Helen Vanuk with TV Week
Magazine.
H. Vanuk We haven’t seen the second season here yet in Australia, but
I’m wondering about getting in Grayson to play the young Jimmy, which
sounds like a fantastic kind of idea. I was just wondering how all that
came about, how you got Grayson on the show. And, did you come up with
the storyline just because he does look a little bit like Lucas. And,
also, will he be back?
G. Garcia Yea. Well, how it came about was I have three sons. One of
them was at a bar mitzvah. Grayson was playing at the bar mitzvah, so
one of these insane bar mitzvahs that they seem to have these days
around here in an airplane hangar. They had hired Grayson to perform. My
son came home and was raving about him.
So, I looked him up on the internet and then I realized, “oh, yeah,” I
had seen this kid’s YouTube clip. Then, as I watched him, I was like,
gosh, you know, I think he could look like a young Lucas pretty much.
And, then, I just kind of got this idea that what if Lucas used to have
this crazy musical talent that nobody told him about. Then, we could do
a flashback to that time. And, then we figured out a whole episode about
it.
He comes back; he’s come back once so far. He’s going to come back; he’s
come back twice so far?
(Muted voice in the background)
G. Garcia Yes, he’s been on there once, but he’ll be in three episodes
in the second season.
H. Vanuk Oh, excellent. Lucas, what do you think of having someone so
talented playing your younger self?
L. Neff Well, unfortunately, I feel like you instantly start getting
into a bit of a comparison game. There’s no way I’m going to beat this
little tween phenom, who is super-talented. But, he’s also a really nice
kid. You’re actually going to get to see him act a little bit too, which
he’s got a lot of talent. I was really happy to meet him. His YouTube
videos blew my mind along with all of the other teen girls out there.
Yes, he was fun. I wish the best to him.
G. Garcia This was nothing new to Lucas. My son plays the four-year-old
version of Jimmy, and he’s way more talented than Lucas. So, Lucas has
been getting used to this for a while.
L. Neff Yes. Greg’s son likes to say that I play his part.
G. Garcia You play the grown up version, yes.
L. Neff I play the older him.
Moderator Next, we turn to the line of Pat Healy with Metro Newspapers.
P. Healy I don’t want to spoil anything for anybody in Australia, but,
Jimmy. Sorry, Lucas. I wonder if your talents for singing are on par
with Jimmy’s or are they better or worse, or what you have to do for
that?
L. Neff The truth is a mysterious thing. No. They dubbed in a voice for
me for the good singing, which was to the good of the show. I’m
certainly not a trained singer. The only place I could probably carry a
tune is my shower. So, no, I’m not that great of a singer. I’m not
necessarily bad as I was on the show. I’m still more in that gray, murky
territory in between the two, but closer to the bad.
G. Garcia He’s not bad enough to be funny. He’s not good enough to be
good.
L. Neff Yes, exactly.
P. Healy Great. If I still have the line, I have a quick question for
you. Greg, I wondered as I watched the season finale last year, at what
point you knew that was going to be Jimmy’s backstory? It felt like
something like, “well, heck, if we’re not green lit for another season,
let’s get crazy with this.” Was it at all? Or, did you always know that
he was going to be a crazy guy?
G. Garcia No. More it was like we got our pick-up very early. So, if
anything, it’s more like “hey, we’re green lit for a second season.
Let’s do something, … get crazy with this.” But, no, I think just
towards the end of the season, we, the writers and I, sat down and
thought about what would be a good season ender. And, then we came up
with all those people’s backstory and stuff. It was just fun and we knew
what we had done during the year. So, we knew what we kind of had to
stick true to as far as the reality of things.
Moderator We have a question from the line of Jenny Rarden with
TVIsMyPacifier.com.
J. Rarden Well, Greg, first of all, you know I wouldn’t ask this if I
didn’t at least believe it a little bit. What’s it like having the
greatest comedy current on TV and possibly in the history of TV?
G. Garcia Wow. That is a brilliant question. I’m so flattered by that
question and that you would think to ask a question like that. Gosh. I
don’t even know how to answer. But, it’s very fulfilling to have the
best comedy on television and possibly in the history of television.
Thank you, thank you very much for asking that.
J. Rarden Well, it really is absolutely great. My husband and I both
really enjoy it. I know you Tweet quite a bit. And, Lucas, you’re still
pretty much a newbie on there, but ….
G. Garcia Well, to be fair to Lucas, I think the cat is kind of out of
the bag … Lucas does not involve himself in Twitter at all. That is just
me creating a Twitter thing for Lucas. And, then I just Tweet probably
the most ridiculous things that I can think of, like tummy aches or ….
L. Neff The most emasculated things he can think of.
G. Garcia And, I just kind of torture him with showing him what I Tweet.
So, yes, he doesn’t do anything with Twitter.
J. Rarden Well, how do you think Twitter is changing the relationship
between fans and the actors and executive producers and everybody behind
the scenes?
G. Garcia Well, look, I just think it’s a fun little way to get feedback
and to have a little contact with your audience. I’m not so sure how
it’s wildly changing ratings or anything like that. I don’t think the
8,000 people following me on Twitter. If they’re following me, they’re
probably already watching the show. So, I’m not so sure what it does
there. But, it is fun and it’s a nice little diversion from the day to
get feedback on the show and to say stupid things.
J. Rarden Well, just another quick question, Lucas, for you. There was a
photo from an upcoming episode. I can’t remember which one it is, maybe
from tonight’s with Jimmy holding Hope. It’s the most adorable picture,
I swear. You said in a previous interview that playing this role really
hadn’t made you want to have a baby yet. Has that changed at all? I
mean, are you getting more comfortable with being around a baby every
day?
L. Neff I think I’m getting a bit more comfortable. I’m a creature of
habit. I spend a lot of time around these babies. So, I would be really
surprised and saddened if I wasn’t getting a bit more comfortable.
Yes, if my kids were like Bailey and Riley, the two girls who play Hope,
yes, I would love to have those kids as my children. They’re adorable
and happy and playful and curious, all the great things about being
human, with not too much of the bad stuff – just mainly smells and odors
and things of that nature.
Yes, I want kids. I don’t know that I’ll ever be ready. But, I’ll
certainly want them. I’ll have them regardless of whether I am ready, I
think. I just don’t have a timeframe on it yet.
Moderator Next we turn to the line of Krista Chain with The TV MegaSite.
K. Chain I had actually talked to Martha not long ago, and I had asked
her this question. So, I thought I would ask you also. Has there been an
episode that was your favorite episode? If so, why?
L. Neff That’s always a tough question for me to answer, because there
are different episodes that are my favorite for different reasons. I’ll
always have a special place in my heart for the pilot, because it was
the first episode of television I ever shot in my life. It was a huge
door opening and life changing experience for me. So, it’s, that seminal
moment’s always going to be treasured by me.
But, I also loved our season finale for a ton of reasons. There’s almost
a moment or more moments in every episode where I just really love what
I do. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it. I have a lame
answer, but it’s just the truth. I really like, and am proud of, all the
episodes that we do. On any given day, any one of them could be my
favorite.
K. Chain Do you think that Jimmy will ever get a chance to be with his
girl?
L. Neff Well, I think that’s a better question for Greg as he’s the
writer. I hope so. I really hope so. I think that this season I can
safely say we will answer the “will they, won’t they” question. Or, at
least, we will have an answer along the way. Maybe that answer will
change. But, speaking as far as my hopes and Jimmy’s hopes, yes, I hope
they get together.
Moderator Next, we turn to the line of Alex Fletcher with Digital Spy.
A. Fletcher When I ask people why they love their show, they often say
because it’s very different than any other comedy out there. Can you
help us put your finger on what is the reason the show’s such a hit and
why people love it so much?
G. Garcia Gosh, I don’t know. I wish more people loved it. If you look
at some of our ratings compared to some of the other comedies on TV, I
certainly scratch my head as to why more people watch some of those than
ours.
But, I think that the people that do watch the show and like the show,
it’s because a lot of it, I think, has to do with our actors and how
they play these roles; and that they’re very believable and also very
likable. You like these people. You root for them. You want to see what
they’re doing on a daily basis.
Then, I think our writers do a fantastic job of not only coming up with
funny things, week to week, but really coming up with solid stories. I
think a lot of comedies you watch on TV, the stories aren’t always
there. I’m not sure that a lot of the audience cares about that too much
sometimes. But, we do. So, I think on a weekly basis the fact that
you’re getting a nice solid story every week, in addition to your
comedy, hopefully, that brings people back as well.
Moderator Next, we’ll turn to the line of Julia Hass with CliqueClack.
J. Hass I was just wondering if there’s a particular line or scene that
you either had a ton of trouble getting through or just gets quoted back
to you all the time that just really seems to define your role.
L. Neff Well, I know that a lot of people talk about. By the way, this
is Lucas. A lot of people talk about the car seat moment in the pilot as
being sort of a defining moment for the series as to what the show’s
sensibilities are, which is that we’re a family that’s figuring things
out. We make some, sometimes, pretty loopy mistakes, like not tying a
car seat to the seat. But, everything works out okay, she ends up fine.
We learn from it.
As far as an actor goes, there’s a scene almost every day that cracks me
up. I think, maybe a little to the detriment of our shooting schedule.
But, I think that and the execution scene in the pilot, I think, were
real tone setters for us.
Moderator Our final question for today comes from the line of Jamie
Steinberg with Starry Constellation.
J. Steinberg I get some fan questions from Twitter, and a charming
gentleman wanted me to ask Greg how he stays so young and handsome?
G. Garcia Well, that’s another great question. Gosh, Twitter, all the
great questions. You know, it’s diet, exercise, and just clean living.
L. Neff Yes. He does none of those three.
G. Garcia Fantastic.
L. Neff All right.
J. Sprague Thank you, everybody, for joining us today.
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