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Here's how Comedy Central's 'Broad City' lands such epic celebrity guest stars
Here's how Comedy Central's 'Broad City' lands such epic celebrity guest stars
Aly WeismanMar 17, 2015, 20:55 IST
Linda Kallerus/"Broad City"/Comedy Central"Broad City" creators and stars, Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson.The current season 2 of Comedy Central's "Broad City" has featured some pretty incredible guest stars, especially for such a new show.Seth Rogen, Kelly Ripa, Susie Essman, and more have made appearances on the cult favorite series about two twenty-something women just trying to get by in New York City.We talked to "Broad City" creators and stars, Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer, to find out how the cameos came to be.Seth Rogen as "Male Stacy":"Broad City/Comedy CentralIn the premiere episode of season 2, Seth Rogen plays Abbi's sweaty date who passes out in the midst of a hook up."With Seth, we wrote that part and we pictured him," Glazer tells us. "He's just so perfect for that part.""Everybody loves him," she added. "He inspired us in writing that character and we reached out to him and we're so glad that he could do it because I don't think it would have been the same episode without him."Comedian/actress Susie Essman as Ilana's mom, "Bobbi Wexler."The "Curb Your Enthusiasm" actress stopped by "Broad City" to play Ilana's lookalike mom."Susie Essman was a long time coming for us, we dreamed about her playing my mom for a long time, like, since the web series," Glazer tells us. "So we reached out to her and went to dinner with her. And in the same dinner she was like 'I'll think about it' and then was like, 'I'll do it.'""We've been seducing her," added Jacobson.The casting was spot-on, see for yourself below.Indie actor Bob Balaban plays Ilana's dad and Susie Essman's husband, "Arthur Wexler."Ali Goldstein/"Broad City"/Comedy CentralIlana's brother is played by her real-life older brother, Eliot Glazer.Comedy Central/"Broad City"In the most recent episode, Kelly Ripa plays an outrageous version of herself."Broad City"/Comedy Central"I play myself. I sort of play what I like to refer to as my alter-ego's alter-ego. So it's like an alter-ego twice removed," Ripa said last week on "Live With Kelly and Michael." "It is a very different version of me.""It's a party Kelly Ripa. A misguided Kelly Ripa," the perky morning show host added. "There may be booze. There may be other things! Who knows?"Watch the very out-of-character clip below:
In the same episode, "Arrested Development" actress Alia Shawkat plays Ilana's doppelgänger love interest, "Adele."Season one also featured a slew of celebrity guest stars, including executive producer Amy Poehler, Fred Armisen, and Amy Sedaris.But despite Abbi and Ilana's improv background at Upright Citizens Brigade, the show is all pretty solidly scripted, including the celebrity cameos."For the most part, guest stars come in after the scripts are pretty locked," explains Ilana. "So the way we shoot is that we get the scripted versions down and then we do fun runs where we allow for more improv than the other takes, which is where we let loose a little."And there haven't been an divas on-set yet, or actors uncomfortable with the sometimes risqué story lines."I don't think anyone had much of an issue with anything," adds Ilana. "I feel like if something is too risqué, we're like, 'we have to do this.'"As for dream guest stars of the future, Abbi would love to get Frances McDormand or Richard Jenkins, while Ilana, true to her character's personality, says, "I think Drake would be really funny."The season 2 finale of "Broad City" airs this Wednesday, March 18.
