It’s always good to see the Chuck guys at NBC parties, especially because you’re never positive year to year if they’ll be back. Chuck got its fourth season and Zachary Levi was already back to work over the summer. He hung out on the rooftop of the Beverly Hilton hotel at NBC’s party for the Television Critics Association, and I found him before everyone else did.
Crave Online: Have you worked with Ms. Hamilton yet?
Zachary Levi: No, Ms. Hamilton has worked a day on the show but I did not work with her. I wasn’t even working that Friday. I was down at Comic Con so I didn’t get to meet her, but the whole arc of the season is the quest for mom, so would hope that I didn’t work with her on Friday. That would be a very short arc.
Crave Online: What issues does the possibility of having mom back in the picture bring up for Chuck?
Zachary Levi: All kinds. Our mom disappeared a long time ago and we never knew why. We thought she just walked out on us. I come to find out that it’s a much deeper story than that so I investigate it. I go to go find my mom and I engage the help of Morgan and Sarah and Casey along the way. We’re just trying to keep it hush hush from Awesome and Ellie, kind of similar to the situation I was in before but on a different mission.
Crave Online: It’s been a paternal issue for a while. How different is a maternal issue?
Zachary Levi: Well, our dad stayed with us a lot longer when we were kids so we were okay with our dad. He just kind of checked out on us at some point. But on a maternal level, a mom is a nurturing kind of being. She checked out on us far before our dad did so there’s very big severed ties for us and our mom. Ellie had be the mom in that family.
Crave Online: I know it was important to you to have Chuck’s secret come out to Ellie last year. How do you feel to have a new secret?
Zachary Levi: I don't know. Honestly, I don’t like secrets as much. I mean, I like secrets that I don’t’ know about and the audience doesn’t know about but I don’t like having to keep secrets. I liked that Morgan found out the secret. I liked that Ellie found out the secret finally because trying to constantly lie and keep the lies up and having to play the characters in those lies can be tough. Not just difficult from an acting standpoint but it just ends up going and going and going. But for various reasons, we have to do that again.
Crave Online: When they told you, “You’re going to have to keep another secret from Ellie,” how did they sell it to you?
Zachary Levi: They said it’s a different thing and that’s where it’s going to go. I just have to trust our writers. I go to work and do the best I can.
Crave Online: What is it like being back at work for the fourth time?
Zachary Levi: I’m just trying to enjoy every day as much as I can. The biggest blessing is to be back with our cast and crew. They’re family. We worked with them for long enough. A lot of love, we gave a lot of fun. Then along with that, being able to give the fans more of the show that they’ve supported and fought for, it’s a beautiful symbiotic relationship we have with them. I love and appreciate our fans so much, like beyond. It’s really amazing.
Crave Online: We know that because you’re always good about giving props to the fans.
Zachary Levi: I try to.
Crave Online: How was your fourth Comic Con?
Zachary Levi: It was cool. It’s amazing how every year is a little different and there’s new faces down there and new shows. But I had a great time. I got to be down there all day Friday this time which I never had in the past. I was always working and then I got to go down at some point on Friday or Saturday. So I was there all Friday, got to do different things on Friday and then all day Saturday, got to do a lot of things on Saturday. I threw a party launching my own brand, NERD. Really I just wanted to throw a party for all of my friends that are at Comic Con every year and an after party because everything kind of shuts down at around midnight or whatever. We’re all down there so why not keep going and dancing? We had a great time. I danced until four in the morning. It was amazing.
Crave Online: That room overflows every year. Can you do anything to get the overflow fans in?
Zachary Levi: No. Unfortunately we’re kind of just shuttled wherever we’re told to go so I don’t have a lot of say in that. It’s that kind of weird thing where you want it to be a full house and we’re in the second largest venue there. I think Hall H is the biggest. I’ve seen panels in there and it’s incredibly impressive but it’s also a little detached because some fans are so far back there, and you also don’t want to have that venue and then only be half full, whatever. But it is a bummer for all the fans who can’t make it in. I hope they stick with us and I hope that if we come back to Comic Con next year, they get in line a little earlier.
Crave Online: Would your work be different if you were working on a more mass, mainstream appeal show than a niche fan show?
Zachary Levi: I don't know, it’s tough to tell because it’s just an alternate reality. First and foremost you stay true to the character and the story but you definitely have to on top of that understand the type of show you’re making as far as how it appeals to whatever demographic you’re trying to reach. I think that does influence the tone of the show and therefore the tones of the characters and the acting, so I don't know. If I’m ever on a show like that, I’ll let you know.
Crave Online: Well, you were in a movie like that.
Zachary Levi: Kind of, I don't know. That movie was going to sell any which way. The Chipmunks are an incredible franchise. They’ve been successful for 50+ years so I didn’t really have anything to do with that.
Crave Online: Have you worked with Olivia Munn yet?
Zachary Levi: I did, yeah. She worked in the first episode. She was great.
Crave Online: What’s the dynamic with her character?
Zachary Levi: Morgan and I walk into the Buy More for the first time since it’s been rebuilt and she greets us and kind of tells us a little more about the new store. She takes Morgan on a little tour of the store.
Crave Online: Did you talk games with her?
Zachary Levi: A little bit. Josh and I talk more games than anybody else.
Crave Online: What are you playing these days?
Zachary Levi: I just beat Red Dead Redemption. Now I’m playing Limbo but I’m so stuck. I don’t want to go online to find the answer but I think I might have to because I have no idea what to do. Then other than that I don’t really have a lot of time honestly because we’re back to work now.
Crave Online: Over the summer, were there any multi-player games you were into?
Zachary Levi: I was on vacation. I took off and went to Europe?
