When David Spade spoke to the press last week about his CBS series Rules of Engagement, he described the comedy as “kind of funny, slightly edgy and maybe relateable.” I think that’s a fair assessment. Find out what else David Spade had to say about his career, Rules of Engagement and guest stars Joan Collins and Sara Rue, who will appear in this Monday’s episode.
Before we get to the specifics of the guest appearances and Spade’s comments on Collins, Rue and his mother, he had some interesting things to say on the subject of his career. He’s spent a lot of years banking on the sarcastic shtick and you have to admit, he’s good at delivering a dry, biting line. Still, after hearing what he had to say on the matter, I’m hoping there are some TV writers out there who might be creative and motivated enough to come up with a show and a role for Spade some time in the future that gives him the opportunity to reinvent himself.
Spade was asked about his career and the similar roles he’s played over the years and this is what he had to say…
“You spend your career trying to find your angle or some sort of voice. I did it for Saturday Night Live. To get on the show, you need something. Farley was the fat guy. Adam was singing songs. Chris Rock was angry. I couldn’t find anything and so, what surfaced was kind of sarcastic. This kind of… whatever I do. And then, the funny part is, the rest of your career you fight that. You try to do something different. And at some point I realized I don’t do that much different. The skirt-chasing guy like I did on Just Shoot Me, now I’m trying to make it slightly different, older version, a little beat up. I think I just fall into these things.This was Adam Sandler’s idea because this show was already up and running. I had done a sitcom before, obviously. I was up for doing one again. It was a little sooner than I thought, but when you get handed a script that’s kind of funny, a pilot’s already been shot, and a network likes it, it turned into, “Why don’t I do this?” Not knowing I’d do this for five years. The next time around that I do something, I will try to change it up a little bit. It’s hard to get work in this town, it’s hard to have a career. I’m lucky to be here and on the other hand of course you want to change it up a little bit. But on the show you can’t, while you’re locked into the show, so I just make it the funniest I can do it every week. I think we have some pretty good shows with everyone interacting.”
As for Monday’s Rules of Engagement, below is CBS’ description for the episode.
"Les-bro" - Jeff and Audrey finally settle on a surrogate. Meanwhile, Russell's mother, Bunny, comes to town, on RULES OF ENGAGEMENT, Monday, Nov. 8 (8:30-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Sara Rue (Less than Perfect, The Big Bang Theory) guest stars as Brenda, a member of Jeff's softball team and Joan Collins (Dynasty) guest stars as Russell's mother, Bunny Dunbar.
David had good things to say about both guest stars in this week’s episode.
Sara Rue was a sweetheart. My scenes were not with her, so I just got to chat with her in between but [she’s] another one we’re lucky to get. Someone people know, someone that’s cute and funny and she winds up, I think, playing a running character for a while, so that will be nice. Even Joan, I think was up for coming back, so we gotta figure out where that would go.
On the subject of his real mothers as compared to the mom Joan Collins portrays on Monday’s episode, Spade got serious and talked a little bit about tougher times during his youth and the role his mother played in giving him some kind of stability as a child.
The only thing they have in common is they’re both very pretty, and actually very sweet. My mom is not like Joan Collins on the show. My mom is really what saved me because the dad skidoodles on the three kids, the three boys. And this is Mom with the two jobs and no child support and just roughing it. She really had it tough, she really tried not to lead on how tough it was. I look back, it was brutal. We never had money, we never had anything. So, the fact that now I’m doing well, I gave her a diamond skateboard. I think that’s what she always wanted, she never said it (laughs). That’s what every mom wants. And a solid gold football helmet. I really try to take care of my mom now because it really was the only structurally sound thing in my life. It still is, thank God.
You can catch some photos from this Monday’s episode in the gallery below.
Rules of Engagement airs Monday at 8:30/7:30c on CBS.
