Tony Hale plays ‘Gary-oke’ with the characters from ‘Veep’
Tony Hale of ‘Veep’ dishes on ’Gary-oke’ with the Los Angeles Times’ Glenn Whipp.
Tony Hale has spent five seasons whispering into Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ ear on “Veep.” Not sweet nothings, mind you. Hale’s ace bag man, Gary Walsh, is a repository of random facts pertaining to just about every possible person who could approach Louis-Dreyfus’ President Selina Meyer.
Hale has murmured so many things — many of them useful (say, which congressman has a predilection for prostitutes) — that he and Louis-Dreyfus have coined a term for their intimate communication.
“We call it Gary-oke,” Hale says in a recent video interview at The Times.
We were curious about what Gary might whisper to another Washington insider about the various “Veep” characters. Hale offered his thoughts.
On Selina Meyer: “She’s as close to the Messiah as they come.”
Amy Brookheimer: “Her heart is completely cold. Don’t even try to have a decent conversation with her. You’re an object of what you can do for her.”
Dan Egan: “Uses women.”
Mike McLintock: “Doesn’t know how to talk to women.”
Tom James, Selina’s veep-in-waiting: “Don’t trust him. He’s got a bit of an agenda.”
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James’ agenda was revealed in a recent episode (spoiler ahead) when Selina discovered his scheme to force an electoral tie and win the presidency for himself. (It’s all there in the 12th Amendment. Who says TV can’t educate and entertain?) She confronts him, and the power play leads to some self-hating sex that Gary witnesses.
“It was like a kid walking in on his parents having sex,” Hale says. “It’s such a horrific image. He’s just in a state of paralysis. He didn’t know what to do and just slowly backed out because his body was in a state of PTSD.”
We also got to the bottom of this “Arrested Development” teaser and talked about his Emmy win last year when, on the way to podium, the announcer revealed that Hale “was so excited about his nomination that he forgot to take his daughter to camp.”
He assures us she didn’t mind one bit. You can watch the full interview below.
The Los Angeles Times’ Glenn Whipp talks with Tony Hale from “Veep.”
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glenn.whipp@latimes.com
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