Kristen Schaal and Tony Hale are finally working together for the first time. Unbelievable, I know. It seems like something that should’ve happened already, given their shared funny-nerd vibes. But as Schaal herself put it, “You’ve gotta sprinkle one nerdy character per show.” The Mysterious Benedict Society premieres tonight on Disney+ and features Schaal and Hale in what is not only their first project together, but it’s also what — thanks to the strict COVID protocols that had them spending both Christmas and Thanksgiving together last year — made them officially friends. So, of course, we had to have them do an episode of Two Friends: A Nice Time Hanging Out With People Who Know Each Other Well, and they did not disappoint.
The two chatted for almost an hour about their shared love of co-star Ryan Hurst, advice for voice actors, raising toddlers, and how cool it is to work with Nicole Kidman. But for the purposes of this recap, I will focus on two things: Kristen Schaal loves Matt Berry, and Tony Hale is obsessed with rope bowls now. A question from a viewer prompted the Berry reveal: When asked about their favorite British comedy actors or shows, Berry was the first on Schaal’s list. Which is not only the correct answer to that question, but it’s also coming from someone who worked with Berry as a guest star on What We Do in the Shadows, so you know it’s serious.
Meanwhile, do you guys know about rope bowls? I didn’t, but then Hale and Schaal talked about being gifted some rope bowls by a crew member on The Mysterious Benedict Society, and Hale loved his so much that he has started making them. And they’re really good! He paints them, and he even bought a leather-embosser — I don’t even know what that is! Clearly he knows what he’s doing, though, because Hale’s rope bowls are primed to give Seth Rogen’s pottery a run for its money.
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