Joel McHale adds hosting Spirit Awards to the soup

By Greg Braxton, Los Angeles Times

Feb. 25, 2011 12 AM PT

The title “The Hardest Working Man in Show Business” will forever belong to the late singer James Brown. But Joel McHale is certainly a front-runner for “The Artist Most Likely to Juggle Multiple Gigs.”

When he bounds on stage Saturday to host the 2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards honoring independent filmmakers, which McHale will audiences see?

Joel McHale, star of NBC’s struggling but critically acclaimed comedy series “Community.”

Joel McHale, the wicked host of E!’s “The Soup,” which comically trashes outrageous celebrities and reality TV staples such as the Kardashians and the cast of “Jersey Shore.”

Joel McHale, the veteran stand-up comedian who recently sold out Carnegie Hall.

All of the above

Ask McHale, and he has a quick, snappy response: “It will be the Joel from ‘Pride and Prejudice.’ I’ll be in period attire, walking around with a British accent.”

One thing he won’t be: Ricky Gervais. McHale said that the caustic approach of “The Soup,” which has laid comedic waste to numerous TV personalities, will not be employed to make fun of those present at the Spirit Awards, which airs Saturday evening at 10 p.m. on IFC. This year’s Golden Globes, in which host Gervais was accused by some of being mean-spirited, raised a few anxieties about McHale’s approach.

Film Independent executive director Dawn Hudson said she had no idea what McHale was planning and had not given him any guidance: “He wouldn’t take our notes anyway,” she quipped. “But Joel is so winning and so funny I have no worries about what he’ll do.”

Said McHale: “Our simple goal is that we’re there to honor terrific movies and terrific filmmakers. This isn’t ‘Bridalplasty’ or ‘Bad Girls,’ which are shows bent on destroying America. This is art that is building America.”

On the eve of the awards, McHale appeared relaxed, even with a flurry of commitments hanging over his head: He and the writers of “The Soup” were pulling double duty, working on the weekly installment of the E! show while also perfecting his material for the Spirit Awards. McHale was also bouncing between media interviews hyping the awards show. He returns to “Community” next week to film the final episodes of the season.

“I’ve been so busy running around I haven’t had time to be stressed out about the awards,” McHale said as he was tended to by a makeup artist at the Wilshire Boulevard headquarters of E! “I feel good, feel fine.”

As for what the star-studded crowd at the awards, which is considered a raucous and irreverent opening act for the Oscars, can expect, McHale would say only, “Hopefully this will be a well-executed show, with well-written material. I want to be keep the ball moving.”

The frenzy of activity surrounding McHale, who costarred in “The Informant!” and has several films opening soon, is the fulfillment of his ambition to be able to bounce between projects. He maintains he is not overwhelmed, despite marathon days juggling his two TV shows. On some Thursdays, he will spend all day at “Community,” rush over for a taping of “The Soup” and return to “Community,” sometimes until the early morning hours.

“The opportunities are coming now, and I want to do as many as I can reasonably do,” he said. Unlike Greg Kinnear, who launched his movie career after hosting an earlier incarnation of “The Soup” called “Talk Soup,” McHale is dedicated to staying with “The Soup” while having the flexibility to do other projects.

He added, “My main goal to help make ‘Community’ the best show it can possibly be. I can’t believe I’m a series regular on a show as good as this.”

Producers for both shows praised McHale’s ability to handle the various projects. “The Soup” executive producer K.P Anderson said, “Joel has to be engaged in what’s he doing, and he has this focus to be good at everything.” “Community” executive producer Joe Russo added, “He’s the hardest-working man I know. It’s impressive how he’s able to do all this. He exudes this confidence which comes easily to him. He’s very comfortable in front of a crowd.”

Much of his motivation is tied to improving the performance of “Community,” which is locked in a David-and-Goliath battle on Thursdays against “The Big Bang Theory” and “American Idol.”

“We’re the underdog,” McHale said. “We have a very tough time slot, but we’re holding our own and the network seems to have confidence in us.”

He joked about a future turnaround. “We’re not ‘American Idol,’ ” he said before adding with a smile, “yet.”

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