Oscar-Winning Comic Roles, with Special Guest Rob McClure: 'A Fish Called Wanda' (1988), 'City Slickers' (1991), and 'My Cousin Vinny' (1992)
Julian, Madeline, and Emilio are graced by the enthusiastic presence of Tony-nominated actor Rob McClure to finish off their episode cycle on Oscar-Winning Supporting Performances with a "Close-Up" about three classic comedic roles, which each garnered their performers the coveted trophies. The first of these would be Kevin Kline's role in "A Fish Called Wanda" (1988), the British-American, Monty Python-adjacent caper where Kline plays the audaciously stubborn diamond thief Otto West. Next is that of Jack Palance in "City Slickers" (1991), the story of three New Yorkers on a cattle-herding vacation in the American West, in which Palance plays their rugged-yet-warm-hearted trail boss, Curly. And rounding out this trio is Marisa Tomei in "My Cousin Vinny," the courtroom dramedy where the titular Brooklyn lawyer is enlisted to represent his wrongfully-accused cousin and best friend in Alabama, depending on crucial contributions from his brash and mechanically-astute fiancée Mona Lisa Vito to work towards their exoneration.
Though all of these films were released in nearby years, the group discusses why these performances stand the test of time, be it due to laugh-out-loud physical gags, the contrast between locals and fish-out-of-water, or the resonant truths at each role's foundation. Aided by Rob McClure's inimitable experience and expert insight about the "actually, actually" that defines a great comic performance, they trace the vast range of humor among these characters and the greater stories in which they appear, making notable stops along the way at unforgettable facial expressions, one-armed push-ups, and scathing instruction-manual retorts.
Rob McClure has earned Tony nominations for his roles in the Broadway productions of Mrs. Doubtfire and Chaplin, and has also appeared in Something Rotten!, Mary Poppins, Hello Dolly, Beetlejuice, and many more productions On- and Off-Broadway. You can follow him on Instagram @mcclurerob
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