[Published at Living Life Fearless] An alumnus of The Second City in the 1980s in Toronto and Los Angeles (one of the most prominent and influential comedy theaters in the world) actor, writer, and producer Don Lake honed his improvisational acting skills among other soon-to-be giants of the industry, eventually joining filmmaker Christopher Guest’s comedy “troupe,” if you will, starring in seven of his nine narrative feature films (Waiting for Guffman, Almost Heroes, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, Family Tree, and Mascots), as well as several of his commercials. The Second City’s prestige of talent begets a difficulty level of which only the most formidable can ride – Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, John Candy, Harold Ramis, John Belushi, Chris Farley, Fred Willard, Alan Arkin, Alan Alda, Ed Asner, Jerry Stiller, Elaine May, Dan Aykroyd, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Mike Myers, Bob Odenkirk, Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Bonnie Hunt, Tim Meadows, Stephen Colbert, Richard Kind, Jane Lynch, Amber Ruffin, Sam Richardson, and Tim Robinson, are among the many other talented Second City alumni.

Lake’s latest role as Brad Gregory, General Naird’s (Steve Carell) loyal, one-star general secretary in Netflix’s wildly entertaining Space Force, is his largest yet. A passive pushover, Brad carries an endearing aloofness to him, with Lake delivering some of Space Force‘s funniest lines with ease. For Lake, working with Greg Daniels (The Office) and co-creator Carell, a fellow Second City alumnus was a dream. Other Second City and Guest alumni, Willard and Lynch, also appear in the series as Naird’s father and the Chief of Naval Operations, respectively.

Fresh off of Space Force‘s May 29, 2020 season one release, I spoke with Lake about his role in the series, the magnetic chemistry and mutual respect among the all-star cast, his roots at The Second City and his career with Guest, reflecting on his time with Willard, the age of binge watching versus the weekly water cooler TV of entertainment past, and more.

I loved Space Force. I finished it in a day.

Is that right? That’s great. When you watch them, what do you watch – three or four, and then take a break, and then go back and watch another three or four, and then hunker down with the final [episodes]?

Yeah. But my breaks probably aren’t as long as other people’s; I’ll fix a meal and then go right back to it.

It’s such a different way than when I grew up, being able to watch television. The fact that you can watch a whole season in a day – some people sit there for five hours and finish them all off. Back in my day, when I was young, you got to see one episode, then you had to wait a week. Right?

Right. And there was the buildup and anticipation for the next week’s episode.

Right. And people would talk around the water cooler at work – it used to be our social media, so to speak. And that’s where they’d talk about, “Well, what do you think’s going to happen next week? Oh, I like this character.” So they’d talk it up for a week, and then you’d heavily anticipate the next episode coming out. But now, you don’t get that as much because – I’m as guilty as the next person – you just watch as many as you can. You don’t have to wait anymore. It’s fantastic but it’s different. Because you go through them, and then you either watch them again or you wait until they’re in production and they come back.

And then you’re like, “Uh oh, I might’ve watched that too fast, and now I’v got to wait.”

You’ve got to wait a year for it to come back. I’ve always been a fan of Peaky Blinders. And we watch it, and then, “Okay. I gotta wait a year now for six more.” But I’m glad you liked Space Force.

It balances sincerity and satire very well, making great use of its talented cast and crew. How did this project find you?

I had an audition set up with Greg Daniels. And I was out of town at the beginning – I was in Atlanta shooting, and this came up – and it was like, “I’ll be back next week. Please let me come in.” So they waited for me, which I appreciated. And so I auditioned for Greg, and then they had me back a week [or] two weeks later, I auditioned with Steve [Carell], and got the part, which I was thrilled – just thrilled.

Greg Daniels really is a genius. He really is so gifted and talented. And so many layers to his writing and his imagination, and so I really wanted to work with him. I had gotten a chance to work with [Steve] on a short-lived series for NBC many years ago called Watching Ellie with Julia Louis-Dreyfus. So I knew working with him was a dream, and, of course, I’m a huge fan. So when I heard Greg Daniels and Steve Carell, it was like, “Oh, yeah!” And they were so nice.

In stepping into the shoes of a more substantial character such as Brad, do you prepare any differently than you have with smaller roles in the past?

No. Not really. You try to be authentic and you try to service the humor that’s in there. And if anything, you think of, if you were to elaborate on him, ways to let that personality and my personality show through, because that’s what helps make you unique to that role. So in preparation, it’s just bring your A-game, because everybody brought their A-game. That’s why it was so fun on that set. Everybody was in the moment, prepared, ready to improvise if you want to, but the script is there and everybody delivered everything so well. But preparation is just know the story, know your lines, be in the moment so you’re ready to play if somebody wants to. It’s what I’ve been doing my whole life, really, so nothing different. I kind of hoped that there was something I was doing up to this point was the reason they wanted to see me.

I did all the Christopher Guest films with that group. And so I always know that people, when I come in, are open if I want to improvise a little bit. And they also know that I respect the script and I’m not just going to go off on these wild, irresponsible tangents. I’m going to stick to story, stick to character, and if you need me to improvise a little, I’m happy to do that. And everybody’s always open to it, usually. So you get to play a little. And you do it knowing that, most likely, it’s not going to end up, but it’s fun to entertain the crew and your castmates.

I’m sure. The character of Brad is the charmingly oblivious glue that holds Space Force together. “Major sleepover energy” is one of my favorite lines.

Oh, that’s great. That’s great.

As a one-star general, what did you like about the character of Brad, and what did you see as his redemptive arc in season one?

It was [my] best role because of the people involved before the camera and behind the camera. It was just super talented people. What I loved in him was his complete devotion to General Naird. They’ve known each other a long time. We mention in one of the episodes that I pulled General Naird from a burning F-15, and that’s why he’s always indebted to me – because I saved his life. That’s why I haven’t been fired, because I’m terribly inept. And that’s what I loved about the character as well – he’s not good at his job at all. That computer on his desk? He knows how to turn it on. That’s about it. He’s a Post-it Notes guy. He keeps a journal. He’ll even, if he needs to, write something on his hand to remember it. He never bothered to catch up with technology.

The man in charge of the man in charge. Brad Gregory is Space Force. pic.twitter.com/12lRLw4yU5

— Space Force (@realspaceforce) May 23, 2020

But General Naird has him as his assistant because he feels indebted, because there was a moment of bravery somewhere back there where he pulled him from that burning wreckage. They’ve been together a long time. With Brad as his secretary, so to speak, it does kill me that he is a one-star general; that makes me laugh. And that’s why Naird’s always telling him, “You’re a one-star general. Act like it.” It’s like, “I am. I’m trying. I’m doing my best. I’m not to mold, I know that.” As long as I get him on a phone call at the right time or I get someone in to meet him at the right time and he’s there to meet them, that’s all I’m concerned about. When I read it, I loved it. A guy I always loved growing up was Don Knotts, and there’s a little bit of Don Knotts and Barney Fife in Brad.

I could definitely see that. When you get into heated words with Fuck Tony (Ben Schwartz), I love that. It shows a darker side to Brad.

Right. And they have a great relationship, him and Fuck Tony. They’re abrasive with each other, but deep down they like each other, because there is a fist pump once in a while when we resolve something. We figure it out and we get it done, but you know those people who love to bicker? They love the verbal jousting, Fuck Tony and Brad.

And you have an ability to riff with every character. Brad has these funny side adventures throughout the series. You mentioned that there was, to a certain extent, some improvisation during principal photography. How did you become so adept at improv comedy?

I was part of Second City in Toronto in the early ’80s, up to ’84. That was where you really got to improvise; that’s all you did. And then, years later in ’89, they opened up a Second City company in Los Angeles. So they took three or four people from Chicago, and three of us from Toronto, and they put us together and they formed a new company in LA. So my wife and I moved down from Toronto for that, and I did more improv there. And then [I] started working, started doing some series’, so it’s something I learned early on. It’s always been something I really enjoy doing. It’s just writing on your feet. And having a character and just keep embellishing the character and move a story along at the same time.

And it’s always [so fun] to be on the cliff, as they say, where you don’t have anything – you have no idea what’s going to happen next, and then these things are born from it. And you always do, “Yes, and.” That’s the rule in improv. “Yes, and,” so you heighten and explore. Those are the only rules you follow. But if you do that you can pretty much go anywhere with anyone and improvise together. It’s like a jazz musician. You can go anywhere, set down that trumpet, and play with the rest of the guys on a given take.

On that note, which actor on the show – and don’t throw anyone under the bus if you don’t want to – did you have the best chemistry with?

It’s hard to compare, only because his relationship with everyone is different. Personally, I get along with them all. He can be abrasive – verbal jousting with Fuck Tony – and that’s a lot of fun to play with. At the same time, he’s intimidated and so devoted and wants to not let down General Naird. Yet that’s all he does is let him down and mess up. I have a whole other different relationship with Erin [Diana Silvers], the daughter, because I’ve known her for a long time and I used to babysit her. I don’t think I’ve had as much fun and been with such a talented cast as this group. And Jimmy [O. Yang], who plays Dr. Chan, is a different flavor, completely, and we hope to do more. I don’t have a favorite because you get to play a different game with each person; a different relationship with each person – I can’t compare them because they’re all so different; they’re so beautifully unique – and that comes from a great show that Greg and Steve created.

And Malkovich – he’s so fun and he’s so smart. Of course, with all his work, I was so intimidated. It was like, “Oh, I’m going to meet him. Oh my god, that’s John Malkovich.” He is so funny. He tells such great stories. He’s so generous with telling stories of movies when people ask him about them and his experiences in the business, and all his interests are so fascinating. He was a wonderful surprise, because I had no idea he was going to be like that.

Is he as eloquent in person as he is delivering his lines in all of his work?

Yeah. He is. He’s very smart. He’s very well-versed. He’s interested in so many things. I mean, he has fashion clothing lines in Europe, I believe the States too. He makes his own wine. He’s a builder. He’s an architect. And he’s done so much work. But like I said, he’s so funny and he’s so nice and he so much likes to laugh.

You sit around on these breaks when you’re shooting, and you’re just talking and laughing. He said one day, “I really think that everybody in this cast truly enjoys each other’s work.” They truly enjoy watching somebody else work or working with each other. And they appreciate each other’s humor, and they so enjoy it. And you don’t get that all the time, but this group was really like that.

Space Force has a team of all-star directors – Dee Rees of Mudbound, Paul King of the Paddingtons, Tom Marshall, Daina Reed, Jeffrey Blitz, David Rogers. They all have prestigious resumes. Rees and King appear to be the most established feature film directors among the directorial lineup. And this is very much a series with a big-budget feel. What was it like working with them?

Wonderful, because you’re in such good hands. And also, Paul and Dee were great in coming up to me and whispering a little something like, “Make a little comment.” Paul would come up and say, “Say this when he walks by you.” Or he’d tell me, “It could be a little Brad moment here.” And that’s all you need. That’s a green light. I think it’s show three or four, and they think I’m the spy, and it was Dee who yelled out from where she was behind the monitor. She yelled out, “The Bloomin’ Onion.” We played a lot with all of that, but the Bloomin’ Onion still stayed in. But we had a lot of fun with, “Get your reservation,” and all that stuff. Man, we played and she was letting us go. She was feeding us stuff from the wings at the monitor, and yet, at the same time, getting what she needed. And she had a big job. She had the big fight on the crater.

And that was a lot because it looks like a movie, and you still get seven days to shoot it. She got a lot done. It was a lot to cover. She’s very talented. Same with Paul. And David Rogers is big. My goodness, I believe he edited all of The Office, so he always knew exactly what he wanted. He could see it in his head, and he was fun. They were all great to work with. They were all tremendous.

I wanted to talk a bit about your work with Christopher Guest. Do you have a favorite Guest moment or story, or are there too many?

I was lucky to do movies with him, and also, we did quite a few commercials together. And of course I love doing the movies, and that’s a great group as well – and those are people, too, who are also very generous with their laughter and sharing stories – but the neat thing on a commercial set was it was just me and Chris, usually. Or there might be one other person on the cast. But the thing with Chris is he would have all of the advertising people in another room. They wouldn’t be on the set. So he created total freedom. And he would let you go. He would just let you go, and then they would edit things together. They’d go in with one spot and you’d come out with five or six. I just remember that was such a gift to just let you play. He would just let you play.

And there was one Chris Guest film, Almost Heroes. And that was so fun. And I remember Chris Farley [and I] were doing the scene – and of course, Chris is Second City, so there’s a shorthand we have with each other – and I remember him saying just before a take and whispering to me, “Let’s not have any dead air or he’s going to yell, ‘Cut.’” And so I was like, “Yeah. All right. All right. So we just need to leave out your pause. Don’t pause, just keep the stuff going back and forth and Chris won’t yell, ‘Cut.’” And so I remember having that kind of fun game of cat and mouse with Farley and Chris Guest. The other thing is when you get a belly laugh to Chris Guest, it’s like a, “Ha!” It’s just the one, “Ha,” and that’s a belly laugh to him. That’s what you live for. Hearing that on the other side of the monitor; hearing that simple, “Ha!” Or the other thing I remember you would love to hear is just him going, “Wow.” He’d just kind of throw it away like Jack Benny. “Wow.” And you’d live for that. But that helped me tremendously, my work being associated with him and those people and those movies, for sure.

While we’re on the topic of Guest and your work with him, I was so delighted to see Fred Willard in Space Force. Although you don’t share scenes with him in this series, you’ve obviously acted with him before. Do you have any stories about Fred over the years, on or off set? Maybe something he said or a funny bit that was left on the cutting room floor?

Oh my gosh. Fred’s brilliant. Fred’s just brilliant. I’ve always been a fan of his, and he just has that great look. And he’s a handsome guy for a comedian. What I loved about him, always, was that he plays it so well where he’s a guy who can be a little wheely, but you love him. And I remember seeing him for the first time – he looked great – he’s in a tuxedo. And then my eyes went to his shoes, and just before they got to his shoes I see a pair of bright red socks. And it was like, “Oh, yeah. See, he’s just a little off. He’s just a little crazy inside.” And he would improvise things and pull things out of mid-air. Sometimes it’s so fun to say something that has nothing to do with anything. And I can’t even begin to touch on how brilliant Fred was, and such a nice man, too.

I did a presentation once, which is a thing that’s not quite a pilot – it’s about 12 minutes, and it was something I’d written. And you want to sell it so we had to shoot it. And usually when you shoot it you call in favors or you do it for much less money. But I spoke to Fred about if he could come in and play this very key role, and he did. And I was always so touched by that – that he would help me out. He didn’t need to do this. And we shot it at my home and he drove out himself. And he was, of course, a pro, and so good. And it was a serious role. The show was funny, but it was very endearing what he was doing. And when I told him that, I said, “Look. We’re not really going for the jokes with your character. This is a heartfelt thing between the daughter and son, and he’s trying to get back into her life.” And Fred was so good. He was so good. It reminded me, in that aspect, of John Candy, who I absolutely loved, who was so honest and truthful when he did a dramatic role that it really connected with people. And I was sorry that the project that he helped me out on didn’t go, but I was eternally grateful for him doing that. I never forgot it. Such a nice man and a comedian’s comedian, and people just adored him. And rightly so. He was very, very funny.

Thank you for sharing that. As a producer, a writer, and an actor, which do you prefer?

It’s all about telling a story. When you’re writing and producing, it’s nice to know you don’t have to memorize lines, although you kind of know them so well in your head that you’ve got them memorized, but you’re just thinking on a different range. When you’re producing, now you’ve got this overview that you’re responsible for, and how all of the characters relate and how all the characters are going to go on some arc of evolving. You don’t have to worry about that when you’re acting. You take care of your business.

When we were at Second City, we were always writing the things you did anyway. You’d improvise them, and then you’d workshop them. Scenes that you improvised that you liked in the improv set, you would mark and say, “Okay. When it comes time to put up a show, let’s go back and look at that.” And then you’d workshop it, and then you’d hone it. And then you’d pretty much [say], “Okay. That’s a set piece. And now we’ll put that in the first two acts that are material we worked on from an improv set.” So you’re always writing and performing. That’s why so many Second City people write and act, because you’ve just been doing it your whole life if you started when you were in your early- to mid-20s. So you definitely use different muscles; as a producer, you gotta deal with networks, and you don’t have to do that as an actor. I’d like to say it’s a little more playful, but then you can think of lines for different characters when you’re writing, which can give you a lot of joy. Because then you’ve got a bunch of marionettes. And [you] watch them have fun with that. And that’s really gratifying too.

I just enjoy characters of a story. I enjoy it all. I’m just always grateful for the work, no matter what it is. But I think it was The Second City that made it possible to think of writing as well, and not just acting. That taught us to do both if the opportunity arises.

Looking forward, is there anything exciting on the horizon for you?

Whenever the sun’s going to come up, so to speak, we look forward to, hopefully, doing a second season of Space Force. And we were eager to jump into it, but I don’t know what’s going to happen now, as far as when everything will get back into production. Everything’s hit the pause button until they can figure out a safe way to get back to work, which, of course, we all want. I’ve been lucky. There’s always something coming up, but hopefully it’ll be the second season of Space Force.

Space Force was released on Netflix on May 29, 2020.