Jane Leeves: Truth Is Always Funnier

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Leeves: Truth is always funnier
By Bill Harris, QMI Agency

Last Updated: January 17, 2011 12:59pm


Jane Leeves (WENN.COM)

Pasadena, Calif. -- Jane Leeves said she learned something very important during her years on Frasier that she utilizes every day on the set of Hot in Cleveland. "The basis of comedy, the funniest stuff, is always the truth," Leeves said. "If you're in a moment that's supposed to be funny and you try to make it funny, it's not funny.

"You have to attack the truth of that moment and that's what I learned doing Frasier. David (Hyde Pierce, who played Niles Crane) and Kelsey (Grammer, who played Frasier Crane) would say, 'Just go for the truth and it will be funny.' "That applies today and it will apply 100 years from now. The truth is always funnier."

Well, the truth about Hot in Cleveland is that its second season debuts across Canada on Monday, Jan. 24 on CTV. The sitcom -- which also stars Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Mallick and Betty White, and originates on the U.S. cable network TV Land -- drove onto the television landscape on paved roads in Season 1, thanks mainly to the four familiar faces at the show's centre. "It feels contemporary, because we are a little racy here and there, especially this season," said Leeves, who plays Joy in Hot in Cleveland and played Daphne on Frasier from 1993 to 2004.

"We are sort of pushing the envelope as far as four women hanging out together and the things we talk about, especially the things Betty's character talks about. But it does have that lovely, warm feeling. "My nephew, who is 19, said to me, 'I love the show, it's like watching an old, familiar sitcom but it's contemporary at the same time.' I think that's why young people are liking it as well as, you know, our obvious target audience."

When talking about the "obvious target audience" for Hot in Cleveland, Leeves is referring to the 35-and-up crowd. The very premise of the show is that three middle-aged-and-up women, played by Leeves, Bertinelli and Mallick, move to Cleveland because they are considered "hot" there, as opposed to "over the hill" in their former home of Los Angeles. "I haven't heard from anyone in Cleveland specifically, but I know the show does really, really well there," Leeves said. "We just did the cover of Cleveland magazine recently. They kind of like the show."

Because of the sitcom pedigree of the cast, Hot in Cleveland boasted a wide array of guest stars in its first season, everyone from Mary Tyler Moore to Carl Reiner to Susan Lucci to Joe Jonas. Leeves revealed that one of her old pals from Frasier -- Peri Gilpin, who played Roz -- will make an appearance in Season 2. "We come back to Los Angeles for an episode, so we meet up with a couple of our L.A. friends, and Peri plays one of my L.A. friends, which is really fun," Leeves said. "And there's a possibility you might see another couple of faces."

Eddie the dog, perhaps? Well, no matter which Frasier alumni show up on Hot in Cleveland, they'll continue to partner with Jane Leeves in mining the truth for giggles.

[Kristen]

Thanks for posting that, Jenny. I can't wait to see Jane and Peri together again!

[AB]

Enjoyed the article!

[Chocolate Moose]

Not sure if Eddie (Moose) is still alive, though.