Nick Offerman is a big deal. Thanks to his memorable turn as the no-nonsense Ron Swanson on NBC's underrated Parks & Rec, Offerman's likely an actor that many want to work with. So it's borderline delightful to see the normally stoic and straight-laced actor get practically giddy when he talks about sharing scenes with Michael Keaton on behalf of John Lee Hancock's The Founder, about the founding of McDonald's. Offerman explains, in an exclusive clip that I will include down below, how and why he routinely blew take after take with Keaton, saying:
It's been pretty ridiculous getting to work with him. He makes a pretty bad actor out of me because in my scenes, I keep thinking, 'That's Michael Keaton, and he's looking right at me! [laughs] That's amazing! And he's talking to me. He's talking... oh, that's my line. Sorry, guys...'
Totally understandable. Run through just a few of Michael Keaton's credits on-screen. It's the textbook definition of "overwhelming." He is Batman. He is Mr. Mom. He is Birdman. He is Beetlejuice. He has worked with everyone, and everyone wants to work with him. We can forgive Nick Offerman for flubbing a few lines and blowing a few scenes until he figured out just how he's supposed to collaborate with Keaton in a big-screen drama.
And get angry with him! For as The Founder plays out, Michael Keaton's conniving Ray Kroc plays the man who, in real life, negotiated the McDonald's brothers (played by Offerman and John Carroll Lynch) out of their stake in the hamburger restaurant that they founded in California. Kroc, a traveling salesman with a nose for corporate innovation, appreciates the uniqueness of the McDonald's business model... and that name. He wants to franchise the concept, while the brothers want to focus their efforts on perfecting the one restaurant they own. If you have ever eaten at a McDonald's in your town (and you likely have), you know how this story goes.
This new featurette on The Founder has been provided to CinemaBlend exclusively, so give it a spin below:
We have been writing about Michael Keaton as of late because he will be playing the villain, The Vulture, in this summer's Spider-Man: Homecoming. But you can see how Keaton con-artisted his way to the top of the fast-food chain now that The Founder is available on home video. John Lee Hancock's winning drama arrives on digital HD on Tuesday, April 4. It will be on Blu-ray combo pack and DVD beginning on April 18.
