The rhythm I tried to find was,Information, information, information … side note.
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Roxana Hadadi: Did you know theresan hour-long Richard Splett compilationon YouTube?
Its one of the most-viewedVeepvideos.Sam Richardson: Really?
3, behind two far shorter best-insults videos.Thats cool.
A lot of profiles and interviews still introduce you as Veepstar Sam Richardson.
How do you feel about that?I feel two ways about it.
First, Im incredibly honored, and I will forever be grateful.
I think about that show constantly, and it really allowed me to have a career.
I loved playing the character of Richard so much.
I read that you had auditioned for a couple of other roles onVeepbefore being cast as Richard.
They made the song a parody of that.
Kumail Nanjiani ended up playing that role.
Im wasting their time, Im wasting my time I probably shouldnt go.
Then I was like,What are you talking about?
You are unemployed living in Los Angeles, and you have rent.
Go to this audition.
So then you get cast as Richard youre getting bumped up.
When did you personally feel like,Oh, Im part of the fabric of this show?
It went well, so I got brought back for the second episode of that season.
And then I got asked to join the cast.
It felt like,Oh yeah, Richard is, like, in the mix.
You had spoken once aboutVeephaving its own comedic language.
And also everyone insults everyone.
Richard doesnt get any insults.
Like, you you went away for two minutes and came back to a life-ending insult.
Things need to move so quick.
Our scripts were, like, 55 pages.
And you certainly didnt wanna be the reason you couldnt make the day, you know?
You know, its a show where everybody has their phones.
We used to have a little green-screen app, so itd be fine to use on the show.
But then when its backward to the camera, you could just have your lines on there.
You guys would get the scripts and then put the script aside and sort of improv lines.
And you cant sayMeet the Parentsbecause thats automatically No.
Richard was a character who I felt I could play without telling jokes.
He can just say a joke, you know?
Most of my favorite lines were written by the writers.
One of my favorites was Nice to meet you.
My name is Richard T. Splett.
I dunno why I saidT my middle name is John.
Thats, like, my favorite Richard line.
That was definitely written.
And it was so important to me to get the rhythm of that joke, you know?
Cause hes offering information; hes trying to be helpful here.
So its like, Its splett2@splett.net.
Ill be sad to see him go, but I cant wait to get that handle.
Its my favorite joke, so I was trying to do that with the performance of that joke.
Im glad it resonated.
How did you craft your line deliveries for Richard?
And I was like, Oh, sorry.
Shes like, No, use that.
So how fast would that person be talking to do that?
And then whats the funniest rhythm and patter to get all the words out before anybody can interrupt him?
It got pretty ingrained in me.
I could read a script and just know how he would say it and then also improvise within that.
Not to talk about he-who-must-not-be-named, but its funny when you would watch Donald Trump do speeches.
Like, We got a thousand new jobs a lot of jobs!
Im like,Yeah, buddy, thats what was said in the speech.
Thats why that was there.
You said that the information is coming from you!
So was that also something that you worked on?
How did you land on that?It was just the energy.
Now be very conscious of your legs.
Youre walking with your legs.
What does that do?With Richard, he was very straight-backed and also very open.
First, how did you feel about the dog mayor of Lurlene, Iowa?
Did you meet Mayor Biscuit?I never met the actual dog in person.
You gotta be kidding me.
Im looking at my cat right now, whos offended by me saying that.
[Speaking to cat] Im talking about you.
Youd be a bad leader.
You know it, Conan.
But, like, Dave Mandel wanted it exactly, point to point.
And I think we nailed it every part: this little subtle, make-you-snap-your-neck-over moment.
How do you play the realism of an adult who doesnt really understand masturbation?
I had so much fun with that scene.
It was truly so funny to peel back a layer of Richard.
That was a fun thing about Richard in general: that he was an onion.
In every episode, there was a new, fresh, weird thing.
You know, I think I started hearing that rumor, like, maybe halfway through season five.
And then when Dave told me, I was like,Oh, how perfect.
I love it because its also a little tinge of hope at the end ofVeepyou get.
And also, hes found peace in the Middle East with the three-state solution.
Im still trying to figure out what that third state is.
I like that Richard becomes the president and hes the greatest president.
You know, truly perfect.
And now I also get to say that Im in the pantheon of television presidents.
Like, I was a TV president.
I get to say that.
So many people seem to define Richard differently.
There is the flaky optimist descriptor, lovable idiot, kindly nerd.
I read an interview where you called him anti-cynical.Yes.
Toward the end ofVeep, we almost went into this place that was post-satire.
That anti-cynicism is sort of like how he existed in that world.
And it also allowed him to propel because no insult would land on him.
He refused to be discouraged, because the idea of being discouraged doesnt really exist to him.
As an actor, you do that very well.
One is my personality, where I do want to participate and be present.
But at the same time, the No.
1 tool of improv is to listen and respond.
With Richard, I was trying to play the off notes.
If the scene or the characters are like a chord, Richard is a little minor key there.
I think it makes the full spectrum a little bit wider.
I guess that goes back into Second City training, where youre in an ensemble and were all creating.
Knowing what piece you play and what the macro view of these ensembles and scenes is is the goal.
Is it weird to exist asa Funko Pop!
So its truly one of the greatest honors.
In Ghana, I brought some Funko Pop!s to my family.
is there among those like its an equal achievement.
And Im like,Oh, thank you.
My uncle Godfrey, his catchphrase is [Mimics uncles voice] My nephews got toy.
Have you got toy?
Like, do you have a toy?
I dont think so.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
