Jeffrey Tambor on WTF with Marc Maron

Live episodes of WTF with Marc Maron usually involve multiple guests, but for a recent show taped at South By Southwest, the exclusive guest was Jeffrey Tambor, of The Larry Sanders Show, Arrested Development, and other works done before my time. Like …And Justice For All. I just learned about …And Justice For All.

Tambor tells some great tales from his life. He grew up in San Francisco, born to Orthodox Jewish parents, although he was raised Conservative.

TAMBOR: I was Gus-Gus in Cinderella, I’m telling you. When I saw Cinderella, I went “That’s me!”

Tambor talks about doing regional theater, getting twelve years of roles out of one four-minute audition, and the acting lessons he’s learned along the way.

TAMBOR: Preparation can sometimes work against you.

I had forgotten that Tambor was on the short-lived Three’s Company spin-off The Ropers.

TAMBOR: If you look at my eyes during that show, it looks like someone put a broom up my ass. I was so scared. I was so scared of going up on a line.

Maron and Tambor speak about the drive needed in order to create art and entertainment, with Maron asking Tambor if he’s driven by spite. Tambor requests a definition of spite.

MARON: Spite is like: “Fuck that guy. I can do that.”

TAMBOR: Yeah, that’s spite. That’s me.

The two of them definitely have a terrific rhythm together, coming close at times to being a comedy team. Imagine the following exchange within a rapid-fire Broadway show.

MARON: I’d like to be in the LBJ suite drinking with Rip Torn. I don’t drink anymore, so it’s not going to happen.

TAMBOR: How long have you been sober.

MARON: Twelve years. You?

TAMBOR: Nine years.

MARON: Really? Congratulations.

TAMBOR: Want to get a drink.

MARON: Sure.

Much of it is in the timing, of course, so I do encourage you to listen to the show.

It was nice to get a sense of the actual Jeffrey Tambor. When I was a kid, it felt like he had been around forever. Of course, when I was a kid, the following was the the height of network television comedy. It also gave me the impression of what California would be like, and I have to say that I currently live in an apartment complex that reminds me of Three’s Company. Minus Chrissy, though, and she was the glue.

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