Patrick Ecclesine/CW*Note: Do not read this story if you haven't yet seen the most recent episode of Veronica Mars.*
Oh, for the love of Lamb! If you're like me, you're still reeling after last night's Veronica Mars, in which our beloved Sheriff Lamb met his maker. So. Freaking. Sad.
Not only was Lamby a fan favorite, but Michael Muhney also just so happens to be one of my favorite people in this town (charming, sincere, talented and let's not forget hilarious), so his character's death carries an extra sting.
Earlier today, I spoke with Muhney to find out what happened when they whomped the Sheriff, what's next for this fan favorite's exploding career and, oh yeah, why he's not wearing any pants.
I can't believe you died!
I gotta tell you—throughout, from East Coast, to then West Coast airing time, probably every 12 minutes, I got an email from a journalist, whether it be a Website or a newspaper or TV Guide or whatever, and I'm like, sorry, can't talk. I'm just one of those guys, I know you and I have a special thing.
Really? Oh my god, you are so sweet! Thank you so much.
It's something that I've wanted to do, you know?
So, let's get to it. Why? Why did they kill you off?
To be honest. I don't know. No one told me. I have no idea.
So, no one called you before this script to let you know?
No. There’s a lot of secrecy about this show and, to be honest, I don't know if I would have wanted to know. You know? It maybe would have just made me stress out about it or feel sad about leaving the character behind.
And you've heard the fans are upset about this, right?
Yeah, I’ve heard that. I’ve been reading what everyone is writing online and hearing all the different points of view, and I found what one person said to be interesting. They said that last night’s episode sort of cheapened the pilot for them, because they made such a big deal about Keith being ousted as sheriff and no longer being an '09er, and their family income was so much that they were going to be an '02er, and they were going to live on the wrong side of the tracks, and it was a huge adjustment in setting the tone for noir in Neptune. You know, I had always thought in my mind that the only way that Keith was ever going to be sheriff again was in the final episode of the final season to put a happily-ever-after spin on it.
Honestly, I had to pause and go back and watch the part where, all of the sudden, Keith's in uniform and saying he's the sheriff.
I know! And from my recollection, upon reading the script, that is supposed to literally be the next morning. I really don’t want to sound like I'm disgruntled, because I realize it was a job and jobs do end. But I would like to challenge anyone to find a black armband on any of the deputies or the new sheriff, in honor of an officer fallen in the line of duty. There ain't a single one.
Well, you know what? I'm going to wear a black armband. And I'm going to start a movement.
And then over time, it won't be called black, it'll be lamb. It'll be called a lambband.
I'm going to be doing more television. And I actually wanted to have news to tell you today, but they haven't closed the freakin' deal. But it's been almost a week that it's been down to me and one other guy to star in this Fox pilot, Canterbury's Law, where my character would play opposite Julianna Margulies.
I've heard of that show. It sounds really good. Unless you don't get it, and then I think it sucks.
Ha! You and I are simpatico, girl. Yeah, what I like about it is the heroine is so flawed. She's...she's got so many dark secrets, and I'm one of them to a degree. And it's produced by Dennis Leary, and it's going to be shot completely in New York. So, I know it's just going to have that cool New York vibe, the authentic feel to it.
Any chance you'll do a comedy? You're so good with the comedy!
Thank you. Yesterday, I actually met with Paul Reiser. I’d love to get on a sitcom. And it's so tragic, for seven or eight years now, I've been testing a few times a year for sitcoms, and they give it to the other guy every time, and most often, the most common phrase uttered when I'm being told I didn't get it is, "They didn't think you were quirky-looking enough." That's what happened with me with Scrubs, the biggest one of all the sitcoms I ever tested for. I was supposed to be J.D. I went in twice. They brought me back in with a couple new guys after they let them all go, and here I am testing to play the lead, and ultimately the president of Touchstone pulled me aside and said, "Kid, my stomach's cramping, I'm laughing so hard, but you just don't look like the guy that's gonna have trouble getting the girl every week." They literally asked me to dork up my wardrobe.
So, what's the thing with Reiser?
Basically, he's getting back to his roots of Mad About You and wrote a new comedy. It's not an ensemble piece, it's just a couple that sort of runs the show, carries the show. When I was there, Scott Wolf was there and James Van Der Beek, and I ended up spending quite a great deal of time with Paul, so we’ll see.
Any chance you might get on Battlestar? I heard you're a big Battlestar fan.
How frakkin’ perfect would that be? I don’t believe in all that Hollywood pomp and circumstance, so I actually contacted the producers myself a while back and told them I love their show and would love to be on it and they don’t even have to pay me. And this is going to be fun. In about three weeks, I'll be watching the third to last episode of Battlestar Galactica with the show's producers and a friend of mine, who is going to take over the show on the last three episodes. He's very close friends with the producers.
Is this an actor or a writer?
He's an actor, Mark Sheppard. I am going to be over at Mark’s house with the two executive creators, and Jamie Bamber is going to be there and a couple other castmembers, but I certainly plan on telling Ronald Moore and David Eick that I am a fan of Battlestar Galactica, and it wouldn’t break my heart if they wanted to have me be one of the final five Cylons!
Do you have any sense of whether Veronica Mars will go another season?
I haven't heard anything official, because there isn't anything official. At this point, I'm just another fan who watches the show, but my opinion is that people need to prepare to have closure with the show this season, because the numbers keep dropping. But what do I know? Watch. Veronica Mars is going for another seven years.
What are you going to miss most about Veronica Mars?
I'm gonna really, really, really miss all my interactions with Enrico. The guy really is a genuinely nice, sweet guy. I'm gonna miss playing in the world of Neptune, because that was just so much fun to breathe life into that character and be that guy, that seedy sheriff in some shady, noirish town. I'm gonna miss a lot of the crew. Because they're just a bunch of good San Diegans, hard-working people who were fans of the show. But honestly—it's so cheese ball, but whatever, that's kind of my style anyway—I'm going to miss the fans the most. But I think, and judging by the floods of emails, people are saying, "I'll follow him anywhere," so it seems like, I'm not going to have to miss the fans for long, because it seems like they're going to watch the next thing I'm doing.
Anything you won't miss?
I won't miss wearing the most wildly uncomfortable and ugly sheriff's uniform of all time! I felt like I was walking around in a brown paper bag. So, I am not going to miss that brown piece-of-crap shirt and those tight-ass pants. At any given time, if there was a scene that was shooting me from the chest up, I was always wearing flip flops and board shorts. I could not stand wearing those pants!
Hey, I thought you looked good!
Those pants were so tight they gave me unicheek. Just one butt cheek smooshed together. If I had any advice for Keith I would say, if you have any gas, let it all out before you put those pants on, because it ain’t coming out once you get them on.
So there you have it, tubers. The post-mordem with the best dang reflection-shooting sheriff Neptune has ever seen. Lamb, you will be missed. Now, can we start that fan campaign to get Muhney on Battlestar? Who's with me!?