Ben Schwartz Can (And Will) Do It All

"Let's fucking trade BB-8 photos Ben Schwartz insists one morning over bacon and eggs at the Bowery Hotel. To be clear, he's the one currently pouring ketchup over his eggs, as I pull out my phone to search for photographic evidence the variety of BB-8s I own. (It's a lot.) As I scroll through years of personalized photographs and memes saved in perpetuity, the 38-year-old comedian reaches into his pocket to show me his own BB-8 memory: a behind-the-scenes video from Star Wars: The Force Awakens where Schwartz was tasked with giving the galaxy's cutest new droid a voice. "It's me yelling at him because we couldn't figure out," he says. He keeps it up and continues to scroll. "Oh, this is me as a stormtrooper."


For years, Schwartz has been quietly carving out one of the most diverse resumes in Hollywood — from a scene-stealing efficiency as Jean-Ralphio on Parks and Recreation to lending his voice to the DuckTales revival (in addition to one-half of BB-8) to a leading role in an indie dramedy alongside one of his comedy heroes, Billy Crystal. This weekend, he's voicing the titular Sonic the Hedgehog in Paramount's big-screen adaptation of the beloved video game. He recently wrapped filming Netflix's anticipated comedy, Space Force, starring Steve Carell, and he's currently working on another project for him and his buddy Sam Rockwell. There's also numerous other things — a Disney animated show here, an improv special with Thomas Middleditch there, and the occasional possibility to punch-up some of the jokes in a Star Wars movie — leading one to wonder, "Is 2020 the Year of Ben Schwartz?"


MTV News spoke to the multi-hyphenate about his busy year, his dramatic turn in Standing Up, Falling Down, what he loves so much about improv, and what he wants to do next.


MTV News: You have a lot of diverse assignments this year — an indie film, a studio film, a Netflix show, and an improv tour. What does it feel like any time while you have all of those assignments happening at once?


Ben Schwartz: It's very surreal because also the breadth of how big each project is, for me at least, sort of big. So Sonic is like a $100 million movie, or $90 million, whichever it is. And I get to be the lead voice of that, which is exhilarating. And then immediately after that I did a movie with Billy Crystal, and it also comes out. And then all these comedy specials. So I think we're going to release three comedy specials at the same time on a pretty big platform. And then immediately after that is Space Force. I don't know quite once it ends, although all this crazy stuff that I made, that insinuates a lot to me, and I worked really hard. I'm not ashamed of anything coming out, I'm really excited for people to be able to see it.


MTV News: Of course, given your background in improv, you’re very comfortable on a stage. Nevertheless is that where you’re most comfortable?


Schwartz: I sort of like it all. There’s certain stages, like as soon as we perform [Middleditch & Schwartz] at Largo, which we perform at each month. It used to be like UCB in LA, however I haven't played there in a little, nevertheless you feel like you're on residence court. It's almost like once you're watching basketball, if the Knicks are at MSG. So that feels good. Nevertheless there really are moments where if you're with the correct actors and you're acting and something is just going, it's heaven. It's like the reason why you do it all, to have that nice flow. With Billy Crystal, this movie was so fun. So it changes, nevertheless in terms of stepping onto the court, those Largo shows, or having a really good tour show is pretty exhilarating. Because that's the thing I have been doing for so long, before anything else. So to get a bit of validation, and sell out that 3,000-person venue in Philly. That was crazy.


MTV News: For your film with Billy Crystal, Standing Up, Falling Down…


Schwartz: I like how you memorized the title. Crystal, I'm very impressed. You haven't looked down once yet.


MTV News: Thank you. Certainly, it's a slightly more dramatic turn for you, which must have been really exhilarating for you. Is that segment of why you wanted to take on role that’s a little bit more grounded and possibly even broken?


Schwartz: Well, the largest thing was Billy Crystal was attached, and then, yeah, he had chosen me because the person to act with him. So it almost didn't even matter what the script was, because it was Billy Crystal. Then right after I saw the script, this guy Peter Hoare wrote it, who's good. And he was open to changes, so me and Billy helped rewrite a little, which was astonishing. So I got to work with an idol of mine. To play with him is bananas. However the idea that I get to be dramatic in it is big. It's like a lot of these indie movies that I pick right now are because I get to do things that I don't generally get to do. Outside In was a Lynn Shelton movie where I had a very emotional scene with Jay Duplass and Edie Falco. And this one I get to work with my idol, although also you're right, I'm damaged, I'm not a good — I’m learning about how to be a higher end person and stuff like that.


MTV News: I feel like comedic actors don’t habitually get the same acting recognition that dramatic actors do.


Schwartz: It's interesting. I find that Whenever I meet a dramatic actor they habitually mention that, "Comedy's impossible, I can't do that." And then any time as soon as you meet comedians they're like, "Drama's harder than comedy." However it's different. Comedic timing is such an interesting thing that you work on for fucking ever. I wonder in case you could just grab a person off the street who's never done comedy before, and if they can have brilliant comedic timing. Nevertheless it's the same with drama. I think it's just the grass is greener. Although those people that can do them both are astonishing. Did you visualize [Adam] Sandler in Uncut Gems? He's astonishing. He's incredible. There's so several comedians right now that are doing really cool stuff. Although Billy was one of these people that did drama whenever he was doing comedy. Sam Rockwell can do both, which is fucking insane. Better than anybody in the universe.


MTV News: Do you view dramatic acting as a challenge?


Schwartz: For me, the largest test was in the last year. I did a lot of leading roles. I was the lead of a pilot for J. J. Abrams, and then I was lead of this movie. So the largest test for me was, can you work each and every day of a movie, work day-to-day, almost every scene, and not get sick? That was the hugest test, and the thing that I was most afraid of. However I wasn't scared of any of the dramatic scenes. I was really excited to get into it. The second I knew that I worked with Billy, and we worked really well with each other, that pressure sort of goes away. However there really are those scenes, like if you're doing a scene where you're crying, you cry like you think that character would cry, where it's like tears are coming up, although he's holding it in, he doesn't want everybody to be able to see him. So it's fun to do stuff like that, which I've watched actors I've fancied my entire life do.


MTV News: You do play a standup comedian in this one. And he's struggling, he's had several rough sets. You did standup very early on, right?


Schwartz: I did a bit of standup. Any time While I was a page at Letterman, I was writing jokes for Letterman, freelancing. And then I tried standup, which I noticed very tough, and I noticed very lonely. Whenever I succeeded it was an impressive feeling, [but] any time While I failed it hurt so bad because I was the only one on stage. And I felt very lonely.


MTV News: Your character bombs several sets. Did you write those jokes yourself?


Schwartz: A bunch of jokes were taken from my Twitter. They’re old, one-liner tweets from a long time ago. Because at the starting all my guy does is mention little one-liners. And then Billy Crystal is like, "You got to talk about stuff that's real."


Director Matt Ratner (left) with actors Schwartz (center) and Crystal (right) at the 31st Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival in January 2020


MTV News: So you're like, "Let me fire up my Twitter account."


Schwartz: There were three or four of these them that were just terrible old jokes that I wrote 10 years back. It is very scary. You have no idea.


MTV News: Do you like to work with art that is malleable and living and breathing like improv, versus sticking to the page and being word-perfect?


Schwartz: I like both. I've sold five or six scripts to studios, and I've punched up like a billion scripts. I'm writing a movie for me and Sam Rockwell right now for a cool studio. So I love writing. I mean, whenever you're in the method of it it's the worst. It sucks. I hate it more than anything in the world. Yet coming up with the idea, pitching the idea, selling the idea is very exhilarating. And then writing your first draft is pretty exhilarating. And then finally you get to a place that hopefully people will make it. I do like the idea that there really is something that you could play with and mold a little. Nevertheless I would love if a Sorkin script came my way. Word-perfect to me is a little nerve-wracking because in my head I was like, "Oh, I'm going to be worrying about if I mentioned "I am" or "I'm," as instead of just being myself." Nevertheless it's a challenge that I've done in the past and will do again. And I love the idea of watching something plus it just feels like a camera's there plus it happens to be picking up the efficiency. Marriage Story had pieces of that that I really liked.


MTV News: And then you have Sonic coming out, which is a very different sort of film altogether. As an example, there’s a Baby Sonic. I can't believe Baby Sonic managed to steal the spotlight from Baby Yoda.


Schwartz: They're companions, you know they're companions. They're good, close companions. Yet it's been fun as the fans are excited about the movie right now. Even before, as soon as people were unsure about the design at the starting, they were so accommodating of me because the voice of it.


MTV News: This is a big studio movie for you, which is exhilarating. And Jim Carrey's in it. Another thing to check off.


Schwartz: I've only met him twice. My hope is that once we do big press that I get to hang out with him just to listen to him. I’ve watched Dumb and Dumber maybe a billion times. Ace Ventura, The Mask, that whole run of his. Talking about comedians who do drama, then he does Eternal Sunshine [of the Spotless Mind], and he's just incredible. So to me, I would love just converse with him. It's like talking to Zemeckis about Back to the Future. Same kind of thing. A movie that really shaped me so you get converse with the person who made it, so it's crazy. That I'm in a movie with him is insane.


MTV News: There’s a lot of caution around Space Force. What can you tell me?


Schwartz: The thing that was reported is that it’s another branch of government, the Space Force. And what occurs with that categorize of people that are attempting to run that is the premise. I play the media manager called Fuck Tony Scarapiducci. F. Tony for short, in case you will. I feel so lucky to be on that show. Along with I love Netflix. We're doing my specials for Netflix, and maybe a cartoon show for Netflix, and then this for Netflix. So it's like, I love Netflix.


MTV News: I feel like you're really good in ensemble casts. And you’ve been piece of some memorable ones.


Schwartz: it could be the improv stuff, also. The idea of just having six people with each other and being able to play and just savoring it so much. However I think [this] will be good. I haven't saw a frame of it. There really are some scenes in that fucking TV show that [Steve] Carell is so funny in. And I just wish to be able to see what they look like. I have no idea what they look like, I've just read the script, because I wasn't in the room if he did that scene. So I cannot wait.


MTV News: OK, and you also certainly have a lot the opening half of 2020. What do you want the latter half of 2020 to look like for you?


Schwartz: There's a Disney movie that's going to come out called Flora & Ulysses that I did. That's in the can also. And then I really want people to dig these specials we did. Middleditch & Schwartz, it's a big deal for long-form improv to get the possibility to have a comedy special. And we did it in a big venue, and I really want that to translate because I've loved long-form improv for so long, I would love it. And people who may have never seen it before are able to be like, "Oh my God, what's this? I want to do this.” I'm writing this movie for Rockwell and I, which they'll announce soon. And I could be directing a movie that I wrote a bunch of years back. So I'm attempting to identify. The initial half of this year is a lot of press along with a lot of writing. The next half I'd like to jump in some fun shit. Does that make sense?