William Mapother

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UCB Sketch Cram

Posted on: July 5th, 2010 by wmapother 3 Comments

So apparently I just can’t get enough of the UCB Theatre.  I was there a couple months ago for the ‘Lost’ skits, then last month for Assscat!, and I’m returning this Saturday night at midnight.

This time I’ll be performing in Sketch Cram, in which a sketch is written, directed, memorized and rehearsed, all within 12 hours.  If it’s like the other shows at UCB, it’ll be a fantastic time.  Hope to see all of you there — especially those of you from overseas.

Posted in Acting Projects, Funny Like Ha-Ha, In Person (or, like, Live), Los Angeles, Stage, TV

‘e’s ‘orrible!

Posted on: June 30th, 2010 by wmapother 6 Comments

Okay, my agent is going to kill me for posting this — so look for me in a bikini in my next role — but over to the right is a shot of me from my never-seen guest spot on the 2005 Fox show The Inside.

There I recline as Ronald Ewing, an 800lb cannibal.  Yes, an 800lb cannibal.  I lured my victims into my home..and they never left.  My only mode of transportation?  A motorized lounge chair.  My favorite food?  Anorexic women.

Yes, dark, and yes, disturbing.  But also very, very funny.  Few minds in Hollywood are able — or willing — to conceive of something like this, but Tim Minear (Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse, etc., etc.), god bless him, is one of them.

I wore a 60lb rubber suit, a wig, fake teeth, and prosthetic hands and cheeks.  (All created by the renowned Rob Hall, who also created my prosthetics for The Burrowers.)  The make-up required four hours to apply and nearly two hours to remove.  They had to build an air-conditioned tent for me, because if I perspired — not unexpected in the L.A. summer under 60 pounds of rubber [insert [insert joke here] joke here] — my face and hands would start to slide off.  ‘Access Hollywood’ devoted a segment to the freakiness of it all.

My ep, Skin and Bone, was the show’s 13th and final.  It never aired in the U.S. and isn’t available on DVD, as far as I know.  However, Tim has just posted short five clips from it on Facebook: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.  You may need to friend Tim first to see them.  For god’s sake, don’t tell him I sent you or you’ll get nowhere with him.

Fans, friends and family often want to know, “William, oh, William, Why don’t you do more comedy?”  Well, people, you asked for it.

Posted in Acting Projects, Film, Funny Like Ha-Ha, Photos of Wm, TV

Asssscat!

Posted on: June 2nd, 2010 by wmapother 3 Comments

There are just so many tempting directions to take that title…  But we have ground to cover, people, so that’s a riff for another day.  (sigh.)

Asssscat! is the name of a regular show at the fabulous UCB comedy theatre (which held the ‘Lost’ show two weeks ago – posts here and here).

The set-up:  Using a suggestion from the audience, a guest monologist spills his guts for 5-10 minutes by sharing his thoughts, feelings, or a meaningful story from his past.  Then a group of improv comedians comes up on stage, takes those guts, and spins them into comic gold.  Then we do it again:  Suggestion, guts, comic gold.  Repeat until guest dies.

So who are these mystery monologists?  UCB website:  “Some guest monologists are talented celebrities, others are screwed up weirdoes.”

This Saturday’s monologist and guts-spiller?  I am he.  It should be loads of fun — for everyone else.  (Kidding!)  I’m sure it’ll be a blast.

The UCB schedule is here, and the show description and link to tickets is here.

Posted in Funny Like Ha-Ha, In Person (or, like, Live), Los Angeles, Stage

‘Lost’ explained – finally

Posted on: May 31st, 2010 by wmapother 10 Comments

So this is what post-it’s are for:  this rather helpful young man explains ‘Lost’ in 3 minutes here.

Posted in Acting Projects, Funny Like Ha-Ha, Random, Recs, Video (Online & Home)

Report on Last Night’s HI-larity

Posted on: May 24th, 2010 by wmapother 1 Comment

Zap2it has a report here on last night’s “Dharma Station: UCB: A ‘Lost’ Comedy Event, the evening of ‘Lost’-themed sketches.  Damn, was it a blast.  No, I’m not just glad to be there:  That’s a papaya in my shirt.
It’s a safe bet I’ll be hanging out a bit at the UCB for the foreseeable future.  The comedians are hysterical and friendly.  Sigh.

Posted in Acting Projects, Funny Like Ha-Ha, In Person (or, like, Live), Press, Stage