Ken Marino has now directed two films, How To Be A Latin Lover and Dog Days, but you shouldn't exactly expect him to give up working in front of the camera. His acting career goes back to the early 1990s, when he starred in the popular sketch series The State, and he continues to perform on both the big screen and small. That even extends to his latest directorial effort, as the filmmaker has a small part to play in the movie -- but without listening for it, you probably won't catch is his audio-only cameo in the first act.
There is a scene early in Dog Days featuring Nina Dobrev's character, Liz, the host of a morning show, interviewing Tone Bell's Jimmy, a former athlete. Without giving too much away, things get a bit contentious -- but there is one tension-breaking moment where a lone laugh rings out from the studio audience. Watching the film, I was certain I recognized the voice of Ken Marino, and he confirmed it was him when I spoke with him the next day:
That is me laughing. I put that in. Thank you very much for recognizing that. I put that in early in my director's cut, and then we actually pulled it out and put somebody from the loop group in. And then the producers were like, 'Put yourself back in there.' And I'm also in it for just a hair. But I put my laugh in there.
Being a fan of Ken Marino's, particularly from his work on the cancelled-too-soon Starz series Party Down, I was 90 percent positive of what I heard -- and won't like and say I wasn't kind of proud to catch it. Of course, in order to save you any spoilers I won't reveal any details about what happens when Marino shows up on camera in Dog Days -- you'll just have to see the film and find out for yourself.
You can watch Ken Marino talk about his surprise, miniature cameo in Dog Days by clicking play on the video below:
Based on an original screenplay by Elissa Matsueda and Erica Oyama, Dog Days is a film crafted with five interwoven stories - each of them set in Los Angeles and showcasing how our canine friends can change lives. The massive ensemble cast includes not only the aforementioned Nina Dobrev and Tone Bell, but also Eva Longoria, Vanessa Hudgens, Adam Pally, Finn Wolfward, Rob Corddry, Thomas Lennon, Jon Bass, Ron Cephas Jones, Tig Notaro, and more. The movie arrives in theaters this Friday -- and be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more from my interview with the director and stars.
