Interview: Craig Robinson from “The Office” and “Peeples”

Like his character in the new movie “Peeples,” Craig Robinson is a gentle giant—or as his co-star Kerry Washington put it, “A big ole Teddy bear.”  The veteran actor is best known for his comedic roles in “Hot Tub Time Machine,” and the TV comedy “The Office” (more on that in a moment) but in person, and like many stand-up comedians, of which he is one, he’s quieter and several notches more chill. Robinson is friendly and quick to smile, but he’s got a lot riding on his shoulders; He’s the lead actor in a “Tyler Perry Presents” film (not to be confused with an actual Perry film, “Peeples” has more mass appeal) that had to share space with “Iron Man 3” and “The Great Gatsby” at theaters this past weekend.  He made sure that he didn’t let that kind of pressure psyche him out during the process of making the movie.  In a quiet room at a Georgetown hotel last week, Robinson said the secret was to “Stay focused on the work. We were a team—we harmonized together. If you start thinking ‘Do I eat lunch with everybody else or..?’  that’s just stupid—just go and do the work.”

The fact that this little film had a budget smaller than the catering costs of the other gargantuan movies, and the fact that it had a very healthy per screen average—both of those bits of information are lost in the usual, breathless Monday morning box office round-ups.  One hopes that the positive word of mouth will help the unassuming date movie as it goes into its second weekend (this time with Star Trek added to the list—sheesh,  can a rom-com get a break?).

“Peeples” is a variation on something like, say, “Meet The Parents,” only more rooted in reality. Robinson plays Wade Walker, a nice enough dude, but seemingly way out of his league, with Kerry Washington as his girlfriend who’s been reluctant to let him meet her family. Wade Walker is about to meet a wealthy and sophisticated bunch whom he calls “The Chocolate Kennedys,” upon spotting their family portrait, inside their Long Island mansion.

More synopsis and my review here: “Peeples” Review

While Wade has to do a LOT of convincing when he meets the imposing family, headed up by a hilariously grumpy David Alan Grier, the real Craig Robinson said he never had a problem. “Parents liked me because I was always polite. It was always ‘Yes sir,’ and I played the piano and I was ‘safe.’”

I asked Robinson if it’s true that “comedy is serious business,” when it looks like the scenes between him and fellow comedian (and Yale Drama School graduate) Grier would have been tough to get through without one or the other cracking up and busting the scene. “Oh, David Alan Grier is the funniest dude on the planet, “said Robinson, “You’re not going to get through a scene without him cracking you up. It was an honor, a dream come true, to work with him, having grown up watching him.” As for some of Robinson’s other influences, he quickly cites Richard Pryor, Bill Cosby and actor Kevin Kline.

But music, rather than comedy, has had the most enduring influence on Robinson, something he started using onstage during his stand-up, and something that sneaks in along the way, as it did in his current portrayal of Wade Walker, an ivory tickler himself. “Music is my partner-I’ve been playing since I was little.” He started in church and kept playing and singing throughout his childhood. He gives his parents credit for caring and for making sure he practiced.

And now, at the age of 41, Craig Robinson is at a career crossroads—he waited a long time for his first lead role in a film, just like he waited four seasons for his smaller part as Darryl Philbin on NBC’s “The Office,” to expand. This is a man who knows how to reach for his goals. The show’s last episode is slated for this Thursday night—it’ll be gone, and yet people will yell out, “Hey Darryl” when they see him out in public. Other actors who have spent many years on the same TV show have not been as gracious about being identified as their character. Don’t expect Robinson to fuss about it, though. “Oh, man—you have to hear the love in people’s voices when they do that.”  In other words, there are worse problems to have.

Where does he go from here?  Well, there are two films completed and in the can, and an “Untitled Craig Robinson Project” listed on IMBD.com as a TV movie in pre-production.

And then again, there’s always his partner—music.  I ask him, “Could you ever see yourself recording a ‘straight’ CD of music with no winks or laughs—just music?” “That’s a great question,” he says while pondering the notion. “Yes—it’s gonna take me having some more life lessons first. I get a little more serious as I get older. I started with silly songs and I have my group “The Nasty Delicious,” but sometimes I think to myself ‘You gotta take some of this seriously.’”

Just last week, Robinson rode in a parade through the streets of Scranton, PA, the fictional home of his TV character. He waved goodbye, as his character, to adoring crowds who are sad to see the show and its actors go off the air.

But one hopes that he was also waving “hello,” as in “I’m just getting started, folks.”

For exclusive photos from “The Office” Farewell Parade n Scranton PA click here: http://www.examiner.com/article/interview-craig-robinson-from-the-office-and-peeples

Kyle Osborne and Craig Robinson