UPDATED (16:50): Just as I wondered who would play John Belushi, who starred in and MCed the NATIONAL LAMPOON'S LEMMINGS show and album as well as, of course, ANIMAL HOUSE, The Wrap goes and reports that the role's going to John Gemberling, who plays Bevers on BROAD CITY and who's featured in MARRY ME, KEY & PEELE, and THE OFFICE. Gemberling is an Upright Citizens Brigade vet, so hopefully, he can evoke the kind of madcap, anarchic live comedy that made John Belushi the breakout star of his stage troupe. Those are as big of shoes to fill as any in this cast.
ORIGINAL STORY BELOW
David Wain is working with Netflix on a film depicting the early days of NATIONAL LAMPOON called A FUTILE AND STUPID GESTURE, focusing on its founder Doug Kenney, and is making interesting choices for his lead actors. First, he got Will Forte to play Kenney, who co-founded the magazine with Henry Beard and Robert Hoffman, co-wrote ANIMAL HOUSE (the source of the title quote) and CADDYSHACK, was heinously addicted to cocaine, and died in a tragic accident at the age of 33 (Forte’s currently 45). Then, he paired him with 2015 MVP Domhnall Gleeson as Beard, who was actually older than Kenney and is still alive today. Then, today, it came out that they’ve almost locked Joel McHale to play his former classmate/study group co-member, Chevy Chase, who starred in the LAMPOON radio show and stage play and who became one of Kenney’s closest friends.
There was some legendary-level tension between Chevy and the cast/crew on the COMMUNITY set during the four seasons he starred on the series, but it was usually McHale who would come to his defense, both publicly and (allegedly) privately. He clearly has a deep respect for the guy, and fought for his presence on the show (his first regular TV gig since SNL) even as his acidic voicemails to Harmon became fodder for the internet. He’s being offered the chance to replicate peak-era Chevy here, maybe even some Ty Webb on the CADDYSHACK set, and I’m sure he’ll jump at it like the chance of a lifetime. Sure, he’s not quite as funny as Chevy, never has been, but he might excel in the more personal stuff with Chase and Kenney where they bond as two funny dudes in the drug-fueled mid-70s comedy scene.
The recent doc, DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD, did a great job of outlying who Kenney, Beard, and their cohorts were and what their work with NATIONAL LAMPOON did to permanently change the comedy landscape for the better. Kenney’s story is ultimately a sad one, given his untimely and unfortunate end, but there’s a ton of comedy, drugs, and excess in there too no matter which way you cut it. Wain and Forte are trying to pay service to some of their comedy icons with this, and having McHale in there as Chevy gives them an extra boost of both authenticity (given McHale's firsthand experience with the actor) and street cred.
Who you think they’ll get for Hoffman, Michael O’Donoghue, Harold Ramis, both Bill and Brian Doyle-Murray, John Belushi, and Gilda Radner?
