I am Tony Hale of VEEP and Arrested Development. Ask me Anything.

I wouldn't expect too many responses; he is, after all, a Milford Man.

Good call.

Heyyyyyy brother.

Heyyyyy Reddit friend.

Hi Tony, i think you're great in AD. how many takes did it require when Jessica Walter exhaled her cigarette smoke into your mouth and had you open the door and blow it outside?

Not enough! I could have done that all day long.

Want to come to my birthday party? I can provide unlimited juice

Don't tempt me like that!

Will we ever see a Buster chicken dance on Arrested Development?

Buster has entirely too much respect for chickens to make fun of them.

Heyyyyy Brother! What is one of the funniest stories that you have from behind the scenes of Arrested Development?

Too many. My favorite thing to watch is the gag reel from each of the seasons because that's what I remember....the constant cracking up.

How did your portrayal of Buster actually develop? Were you imitating any combination of actual mental disorders or somebody you've seen or did you just randomly play somebody who is just out of his mind?

Who's your favorite character other than Buster?

I lived in New York for 8 years and you see A LOT of fun subway characters. I think he's combination of a lot of folks. Hard to pick a favorite character...love em all!

were you really naked in season 4 or was it a body-double?

You betcha! And I apologize for that image.

"Alias is a show about a spy!" is one of the best line deliveries I've ever seen and your portrayal of Buster is just magnificent in every way possible. My question is what was the most fun scene to shoot on Arrested Development that you can remember?

Thanks. I would definitely say the cussing rant Buster had about his mother with Michael. Buster has A LOT of inner angst that needs to come out!!

How do you get into character for a guy like Buster?

Also, do you like juice in real life?

I overdose on juice boxes and watch 15 hours of Sponge Bob.

Huge congratulations on the Emmy nomination and thanks for doing an AMA, I'm a huge fan of both Veep and Arrested Development!

In the Veep episode 'Shutdown,' Selina tells Gary to get something from the rubbish that is never revealed, but seems to horrify Garry. Will we ever find out what it was, or will it remain a mystery?

Also, do you think there would ever be a Veep and The Thick of It crossover?

Hi! I will never reveal those unmentionables...Selina would kill me! And I would love a Veep, Thick of It crossover!

Do you enjoy it when fans on the street parrot your characters' catch phrases back to you? How do you typically react in those situations?

I love it. They also remind me about things on the show that I've forgotten. I have a horrible memory.

Thanks for this! Huge Buster fan. What would be the first thing you did if you actually had a hook for a hand? Also, how does your relationship with your real mom compare to Buster's relationship with Lucille?

Thankfully my relationship with my mom is nothing like the one Buster has with Lucille. And if I had a hook...my daughter would definitely paint it pink and bedazzle it.

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If it happens, we're definitely all on board. We love the writing and we love Mitch.

As someone who doesn't know anything about VEEP other than Tony Hale is in it, how would you, as someone involved with the show, describe the show to someone who has never heard of it?

It's a satire that takes a behind the scenes look at politics. We show these people, who daily make massive decisions, get insecure and have freak outs. Its hilarious. I have a lot of respect for anyone who wants to sign up for politics.

Hey Tony, season four of Arrested Development was amazing! Out of all the long running jokes, which one is your favourite? Personally I think Tobias' blue man part was the best

I love the Blue Man, can't get enough of it! Any costume he puts on made me crack up.

Do you share any simmilarites with Buster?

Oh God I hope not. However, I did have a relationship with a Roomba once.

Is it true the scene where you blow smoke out for Lucille was filmed using a real cigarette?

Can't remember...I was pretty high from that day.

If you could have done anything but acting, what would have it been?

Social Worker or Teacher.

Just wanted to say that I loved your character on Chuck. I was totally shocked when they... y'know.

They took me OUT!

Hey, Mr. Hale. Been a fan of you for a very long time. I was wondering two things-

1. Both of your roles on Veep and Arrested Development are those of subservient men dominated by strong women that need him to pamper them, yet they are very different from each other. How difficult is it for you as a performer to keep them from blending together?

2. Would you rather have toes for fingers or pinky fingers for toes?

The characters do have similarities but I think Gary is a high functioning Buster. Buster could use some therapy from Gary and Gary could use a hug. And I'm going to go for the pinky finger...I'd look like a Lord of the Rings character!

If there were to be a biopic made about your life, who would you want to play the role of Tony Hale?

Clearly a mix between Ryan Gosling and Pee Wee Herman. Are they available?

Hey Tony! Great to see a fellow Christian with a sense of humour. Do strangers ever give you awkward 'heyy brother' shoulder massages from behind??

I wish they'd do it more!

Hi Tony! What is your favourite type of juice?

Any and all...Jamba Juice is Buster's Happy Hour.

Tony, what was the most interesting thing to happen between takes? Thanks for doing this AMA.

Laughing and eating the free food. I don't ever NOT get excited about free food.

Who would win in a fight, Buster or Annyong?

Season 1-3: Buster. Season 4: Annyong.

You are great Tony! How was it filming the smoking scene in the new AD episodes when your helping Jessica Walters smoke in the penthouse?

A.W.E.S.O.M.E! I love that woman and loved inhaling smoke out of her mouth.

Can you send me a medal from army?

You don't have any stuffed animals?

Favorite AD memory on set?

Having lunch with Liza Minelli and hearing all of her fantastic stories.

Mr. Hale just wanted to say you're my favorite character on arrested development. Please convince the writers to make buster marry lucille 2. Best wedding ever.

That would be THE BEST! No need for champagne...just tons of juice.

You’ve played opposite of many of my favorite comical leading ladies! Out of Liza Minnelli, Jessica Walter and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who is the funniest off-screen and why?

That's a hard one. The are all crazy talented and I feel very fortunate to have worked with them all. The crack me up in different ways!

I was listening to your episode of the Nerdist and, being from Alabama, it made me super happy to hear you went to Samford. Do you ever come back to Birmingham?

I do. I love Birmingham. And I love walking around that Campus. A lot of great memories.

How did you find your brief time on Community.

Loved it. Anthony and Joe Russo directed it and they did the pilot for Arrested Development.

how many hey brothers do you get in a day?

I make my family say it to me 113 times a day.

Do you feel that your character's roles are at conflict with your Faith, and how do you reconcile the two very different worlds?

Not at all. Life is chaotic and funny...not perfect. We gotta laugh more!

Hi Tony! I'm a huge fan of your work. Keep up the great work. You are very entertaining :)

How did you get into acting?

Thanks so much! I started doing commercials and theater in New York and then moved to Los Angeles when I got Arrested Development.

do you watch out for loose seals at the beach now?

Don't even mention that word. Loose or Seal...not good.

when i say Volkswagen.. you say?

Mr. Roboto baby!

So how did that giant hand work? Cgi?

No. They made it for me. It was awesome. It was like a massive glove over my hand and I could move the fingers and everything.

What's your favorite episode of AD? How are you in real life compared to your character?

Bringing up Buster. Hopefully I don't have that many similarities except I do love to give my wife a Buster-like back rub.

Does the pecorino really taste as good as Dana says it is?

Better.

I have always enjoyed the show, your character is one of my favorites. What was it like when the show finally started back up after all these years? When are we going to see the AD movie?

It was very surreal. But the minute I heard Lucille's abusive, condescending tone...it was like riding a bike again.

Hi Tony! You have worked with some great writers. Which do you think is more important in your comedy: the script, or the delivery?

EDIT: By the way, it was great to meet you in Pasadena a couple years ago at Providence Christian College. http://imgur.com/MzEuOlx

Great question. It always has to start with a solid script. If that's not there, the delivery can help but can't save it.

Hi, Tony. Who came up with the idea of referencing your work in the VW commercial in Arrested Development? Thought it was brilliant.

Thanks for your work, VEEP is on my list of shows to watch before September. Very excited.

So glad you like Veep! I love it. The VW joke was all the writers. Those guys are crazy good.

What was your favorite adlibbed moment on set?

Hmmm...this requires a good memory and mine sucks.

I never thought I'd see you as anybody else but Buster, but I loooooooooove you on Veep! Is season 3 in the works? Will you and Selena ever hook up? In Gary's dreams maybe

Thanks! Gary's dream is that him and Selina will be married. Oh dear God, PLEASE!

Cannot think of a question but really enjoyed Arrested Development season 4.

Thanks!

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I love anything Paul Thomas Anderson does. Punch Drunk Love is one of my favorite movies.

Hi Tony! Are there any lines from the show that you catch yourself saying?

I have the worst memory but I do love Buster's "Motherboy Ball right?"

First off, you are amazing. I loved you in AD, but I also liked the time you had in the TV show Chuck.

When you did the scene in Chuck where you were hanging out with Jeff & Lester in the break room, you decline to drink their booze and pull out some juice. Was this something the writers added in as a shout out to AD? How was your experience working on Chuck and the most gorgeous Yvonne Strahovski?

I totally forgot about that. How funny. Good call! It was a great experience. I loved all those guys.

SPOILER ALERTS Hey there Tony, I was just wondering what your reaction was when you found out that Buster was going to lose his hand, and then your reaction to finding out you were getting one back in season 4?

Very very surreal. I was worried about the hand at first but then knew Mitch Hurwitz had a great plan about it. And he did.

Congrats on your Emmy nom! Who are some of your favourite television characters and why?

Anything Tim Conway or Bob Newhart played. They were huge inspirations for me.

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If you don't practice contentment where you are, you're not going to be content when you get what you want. Also, don't listen to the lie that things don't change...we are always in a constant state of change.

What happened to that NBC short Ctrl? I actually liked that, and it was cancelled after one season.

Thanks I loved it too. We wanted to do another season but there were a lot of factors that kept it from happening. never know, maybe it will happen!

Hi Tony!

Arrested Development is one of my favorite shows. I cannot get enough of Buster.Which cast members are you closest to on AD? If you didn't go into acting, what would be your dream career?

Thanks so much. Everyone is great. Our schedules are all over the place but when we do reunite, it's always great to see everyone. And I think a teacher.

You're a monster!

Ditto!

Thanks so much for doing this AMA! I quote Buster on a regular basis, and I feel like he's such a great character that you developed really well.

What was your fondest memory of shooting Arrested Development, and what was your favorite scene that YOU filmed?

Thanks again!

hmmm. Fondest memories are the trying to not laugh. Favorite scene was cussing out my mother and the long beep over the words. Awesome.

Did you learn how to massage for the "hey brother" scenes? Or is it all improv?

I worked with the Swedish Massage Institute for about 8 month for shooting. Could you tell I hope?

How did you like the new format for season 4 of AD? Would you want to keep it for any upcoming seasons or go back to a traditional episodic format (provided that was practical given the cast's schedule)?

Great question. i don't know. Pretty much whatever Mitch comes up with, I'm on board. He is crazy talented.

Hey thanks for the AMA. Big fan of Arrested Development and starting to get into VEEP.

Anyway what was it like doing the smoking scene with Jessica Walters? That was a really awkward scene I would imagine.

Was it awkward or amazing? I'd say AMAZING!

Tony! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this! I loved your work as Buster Bluth in Arrested Development! You are hilarious!!!

What was your favorite scene to film in Arrested Development as Buster?

Definitely inhaling smoke from my Lucille's mouth...I would have done that all day long!

i just want to say thank you for buster bluth

any idea of a timeline for the next part of the AD saga?

movie or tv? netflix again either way?

Thanks so much. I unfortunately have no clue about what could happen but that's what I love about the show. Tons of surprises!

How awesome was it to be on Chuck?

Awesome. Great people.

Hey Tony, you'd make my day if you could compare each character from the show to a character from game of thrones!

I just started watching it! i don't have the knowledge yet! sorry.

As Veep is vaguely based on The Thick of It, and is written by Armando Iannucci, I would just like to know your opinion on British comedy, and if you have have a favourite British comedy show?

I love working those guys. And I love that a bunch of British guys are writing a show about American politics. Of course I have to say "The Thick of It"

Hey Tony, I loved your work in Veeb, but your work in Arrested Development was amazing. So what real life relationships do you have with your fellow AD actors/actresses, and did you stay connected with them after Season 4 was done filming?

We're all pretty busy, thankfully, but it's always so fun to reunite and catch up.

What's your favorite of Buster's lines?

So many. Of the recent season..."It's a Motherboy Ball...right?"

I've read that of all the AD cast, you get into your character the most and walk around the set in between takes pretty much as Buster. Is this true?

Definitely before I shot, I would have some "Buster time" alone. He is definitely on a different planet that one...a planet with a lot of argyle and pastels.

I'm instinctively reading all of your comments in Buster's voice.

Nice!

Hello!

I just wanted to tell you that I think you are hilarious and that Buster is my favourite Arrested Development character. Which Buster moment did you enjoy filming the most?

So nice. Thanks. I'd have to say Buster's cussing rant about Lucille was one of my favorites. Definitely.

Heeeeyyy Brother. Who is your favorite actor to work with on your shows?

hard to pick a favorite. I've been fortunate enough to work with some fantastically talented AND kind people.

What sets Mitch Hurwitz apart from other writers/producers?

Completely thinks outside of the box. Doesn't edit himself with ideas. He's crazy good.

What do you think a new season of AD will have in store?

Tons and tons and tons and tons and tons of surprises!

With the rise of such great tv over the past decade have you seen a shift in the way actors view tv opportunities vs films?

If an actor is being honest, a job is a job. We are all just thankful to be working!

What did you use for inspiration for buster's character? Did you base him off anyone?

A lot of crazy subway character from my time in New York!

Hi, Tony, I'm a huge fan. Buster is my favorite character. I was just wondering what it's like to work with so many other awesome stars on Arrested Development. Specifically, what's Mr. Tamboor like?

He's the best. Kind man. It's very overwhelming to work with such great talent. I'm very humbled to have the opportunity.

One of my favorite parts of Arrested Development was the callback to the Volkswagen commercial, tied to the "Mr. Roboto" joke, etc. - in any of your work outside of AD have there been nods/callbacks/in-jokes referencing Buster?

My character on Veep, Gary, did say "No touching" a couple of times. I love a good AD callback!

Have you gotten much better at massaging since you began working on AD?

Oh yes. But Buster was always good at it...he just didn't get a fair chance after the seal stole a very important massage instrument.

Is it hard staying in character and not cracking up during the filming of AD?

VERY HARD! And of everyone, I do not keep it together well.

Hey Tony thanks for the AMA! Just wanted to know if you are as obsessed with Jessica Walters in real life as you are in the show, because she's pretty awesome!

She's AWESOME! So good at what she does.

1) If you had to choose a different AD character to be, who would you pick?

2) Were you in on the running gags in AD? Like all the hand references that led up to Buster losing his hand? Or did you discover the connection like we all did?

I love all of Tobias' costumes. So fantastic. I discovered the connection like you did. It was definitely a fun surprise!

Hey Tony. When you hit your head with the coconut, was that on purpose or an accident and then put in the show?

On purpose. poor Buster.

Which actor you've worked with would you say you've learned the most from?

Also, how many times a day do people come up to you with a "Heeeey Brother!"

Both Jason Bateman and Julia Louis Dreyfus have taught me a lot. They brilliantly bounce off the chaos around them. It's awesome to watch.

Hi Tony,

Can you compare how similar or different working on Veep vs Arrested Development have been? (re cast/crew/amount of improv/etc)? I've only seen one or two eps of Veep but am a die hard AD fan. Curious to hear how they compare esp since there's some actors who have been on both shows

Totally different. But equally good. We rehearse on Veep for 2-3 weeks before we shoot and play and improv. Really fun. On Arrested, the scripts have so many dense, hidden jokes that we keep to the page.

Do you try to get roles for weird characters or does that just happen?

Just happens. What does that say about me? Hmmmmm.