When you hear the term “scene stealer,” who is the first person you think of? For me, it’s John C. Reilly. The Oscar nominee is great as a lead (Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule, a very funny show; Walk Hard, a masterpiece) or co-lead (Step Brothers, another masterpiece), but even when he’s in a supporting role, he’s, well, stealing scenes. Think: drunk R2-D2 in Cedar Rapids, “what do you bench?” in Boogie Nights, guiding Jack Black through his mushroom trip as Sasquatch in Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny.
In Showtime’s new comedy Moonbase 8, Reilly is one of three doofus astronauts, along with Fred Armisen and Tim Heidecker, who are preparing to travel to the Moon. With all due respect to Armisen and Heidecker, both of whom are extremely funny, I expect Reilly to be the show’s MVP. He’s very good at being very good.
Here’s more on Moonbase 8 (you can watch the trailer above):
Set in the isolated desert of Winslow, Arizona at NASA’s Moon Base Simulator, Moonbase 8 follows eager astronauts Skip (Fred Armisen), Rook (Tim Heidecker) and their leader Cap (John C. Reilly) as they attempt to qualify for their first lunar mission. While working vigorously to complete their training, a series of unexpected circumstances forces the astronauts to question their own mental sanity, trust in each other, and whether or not they’re cut out for space travel.
Moonbase 8 premieres on Showtime on November 8.