‘The Kominsky Method’: Paul Reiser Landed His Role by Paying Chuck Lorre a Compliment
Paul Reiser didn’t take home an Emmy Award for his role in The Kominsky Method this year. Still, fans loved seeing him as Martin in the purposefully short-lived Netflix original. Reiser’s involvement in the series didn’t happen in the traditional Hollywood way. The famed comedic actor once explained that he landed the role of Martin simply by paying show creator Chuck Lorre a compliment.
Paul Reiser took on the role of Martin after complimenting Chuck Lorre on Season 1
Reiser’s involvement in The Kominsky Method felt totally natural, even if his exaggerated look stunned fans of the Mad About You star at first. For what it’s worth, Reiser doesn’t actually look like that. His involvement in the series felt natural because it came about in the most organic of ways. The offer didn’t involve lawyers, scripts, and auditions. The conversation about joining the cast all started when he paid Lorre a compliment.
In an interview with The New York Post, Reiser recalled that he sent an e-mail to Lorre after watching the first season of The Kominsky Method. He said, “I know Chuck from years ago and just e-mailed him and told him how much I loved the first season.” The conversation flowed from there. Reiser noted that, over the years, he and Lorre toyed with the idea of working together. When Reiser brought it up again during their e-mail exchange, Lorre invited him to lunch. The rest is now a part of Netflix history.
Paul Reiser and Chuck Lorre worked together before ‘The Kominsky Method’
Reiser makes it sounds like he and Lorrre knew each other just in passing, but that’s not the case. The actor and the show creator have a history that stretches back decades. Before he became the prolific creator of shows like The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men, Lorre was a writer. One of his first television writing jobs was on a little show called My Two Dads.
The show follows two men who try to navigate parenthood after their common ex-girlfriend leaves custody of her teenage daughter to them after her death. Reiser played the straight-laced Micheal Taylor. Greg Evigan took on the role of Joey Harris, a free-spirited artist. The series was marginally successful, running for three seasons from 1987 until 1990. Lorre wrote 12 of the show’s episodes.
What’s next for Reiser now that the show is officially over?
During season 2 and season 3, Reiser’s role on The Kominsky Method intensified. All told, he appeared in 12 of the show’s 22 total episodes. Reiser doesn’t have plans to sit back and relax now that the series is over, though. In fact, the famed actor has a couple of new projects already in the works.
Reiser appeared in the 2021 movie Fatherhood after wrapping production on The Kominsky Method. He’s working on another flick that is in pre-production right now, too. As for returning to television again, it doesn’t seem like it’s out of the question, but he doesn’t seem to have a project in the works. Perhaps another e-mail to Lorre will help a new project materialize.
