Eric Petersen talks about playing Kevin McRoberts in “Kevin Can F**K Himself.”

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Eric Peterson, who played the affable but clueless Kevin McRoberts on AMC’s Kevin Can F**K Himself, spoke about his experience on the series in a recent interview.

“Kevin Can F**K Himself” – A TV series that deserves far more recognition

It’s baffling that “Kevin Can F**K Himself” stays under the radar and rarely receives the media attention it deserves. In the show, Emmy winner Annie Murphy, known for her role as Alexis Rose on Schitt’s Creek, plays Kevin’s wife, Allison. Murphy is just as incredible in this dramatic role as he is as Alexis. But it’s not just her performance that makes the show fascinating; it is the premise itself.

“Kevin Can F**K Himself” juxtaposes sitcoms and dramatic television. It’s not just about comedic and dramatic tones; The show literally switches between multi-cam and single-cam formats, changing color grading, adding and removing laugh tracks, and switching filming styles to tell its story.

This story explores the reality of being the wife of a goofy, often incompetent sitcom protagonist. These shows often feature attractive wives who are abused by their husbands. “Kevin Can F**K Himself” adds another layer by portraying this relationship as an allegory for abuse.

Eric Petersen on playing Kevin McRoberts in AMC’s “Kevin Can F**K Himself”

In the interview, Peterson offered insight into his approach to playing the sitcom version of Kevin, a character designed to be a stereotypical sitcom husband. He revealed that his main task was to portray Kevin as static and unchanging, even as the other characters around him underwent significant development.

I’ve played villains before, not in my entire career, but I’ve played villains in other things. One of the most important things about playing a villain as an actor is that you can’t judge whether they’re a villain. Each character sees themselves as the hero of their own story, even the worst of the worst. Even if you’re an insane, psychopathic guy who could say “I want to murder the world,” you’d have a reason for it. “The world is terrible and it must end.” For you as a villain, that’s a positive goal you’re moving towards, right? As an actor, you can never judge your character’s actions, intentions, desires, or goals as bad. They think they are good. The way I saw Kevin, even though he was a selfish idiot who was oblivious to the people around him and the impact his actions had on them, he saw it like this: “Man, I have a great life, and I don’t.” I’m proud of myself for creating this great life? Everything seems to be working for me. I have great people around me and they seem to be having a good time too. So I bring the life to the party.” These are all positive things. Although Kevin is truly delusional, in his opinion he is not doing anything wrong. “I’m a great guy to be with.” So you have to look at it through that lens. You can’t judge, “Oh man, he’s so rude to his wife. He’s so rude to his friends and his father.” He doesn’t see it that way. As an actor you can’t put yourself in that situation. Once the show is over and I watch it again, I can say, “Oh man, he really is such an idiot.” Then you can make those judgments once the project is finished. But when you actually do it, you have to find the positive in that character’s head. This is how I approached the basics of the character. –Eric Petersen

This deliberate lack of growth underscores the series’ exploration of sitcom tropes and the contrast between Kevin’s perception of reality and the darker reality experienced by his wife, Allison. Ultimately, Peterson’s portrayal of Kevin McRoberts is a crucial part of Kevin Can F**K Himself, contributing to the series’ commentary on sitcom conventions and the stark contrast between the two worlds it presents.

Additionally, the actor discussed the challenges of playing a character that remains essentially the same throughout the series. Despite the turmoil and changes around him. He noted that while it was fun to portray Kevin’s ignorance, it was also a unique challenge for an actor to resist the urge to add depth and growth to the character.

About Eric Petersen

Eric Petersen is a dynamic American actor who has made a name for himself on both stage and screen. First and foremost, he is an experienced Broadway performer. He appeared in numerous popular productions, including playing the title role in Shrek the musical. Furthermore, he has showcased his talent in shows like The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee And Escape to Margaritaville. He demonstrates his versatility as an actor.

In addition to his stage work, Petersen has also made a name for himself on television. You might recognize him from his roles in series like KirstieDisney Channels Jessie, Pair of kingsAnd Kirby bucket. In addition to his live-action roles, Petersen has particularly lent his voice to animated projects The Angry Birds Movie 2. This shows his ability to bring characters to life in various media.

You can find Eric Peterson on Instagram: @EricPete Eric Peterson and TikTok: @EricPeterson44. You can even check out his Instagram account dedicated to men’s fashion: @ThePortlyGentleman.

About the Temple of Geek Podcast

Launched in 2012, the Temple of Geek Podcast features a rotating cast of geeky hosts from the Temple of Geek team. We cover a wide range of geek and pop culture news and events. You can listen to the Temple of Geek Podcast directly on this page. Additionally, you can stream it on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, iHeartRadio, and Spotify.