David Alan Basche is a talented actor who has already worked with some of the great directors in the business such as Alan Ball and Steven Spielberg. He has appeared in movies such as United 93, The Adjustment Bureau, Sex and the City 2 and Real Steel.
His television background landed recurring roles on Frasier and The Starter Wife, now leading him to The Exes. With such hit shows as Hot in Cleveland and Happily Divorced, TV Land hopes this new sitcom starring David is moving in to stay.
Windy City Times: Hey, David. Let's talk about your new show…
David Basche: I'm in! I'm sitting at a street corner at 76th & Amsterdam and I just saw a bus go by with my face on it so that's always a good sign.
WCT: Oh my gosh. That's like Sarah Jessica Parker!
DB: [ Laughs ] That's right.
WCT: The show is coming out in the next few weeks.
DB: Yes, Nov. 30.
WCT: You must be excited.
DB: Very excited—I had a great time making the 10 episodes. It is a great cast and we had a lot of fun. It is silly and I made quite a fool of myself in every episode and that is a good thing.
WCT: So what is the basic story of the show?
DB: The Exes is as it sounds—three ex-husbands living together. It is sort of The Odd Couple, but with three guys: I'm Felix and I have two Oscars! It is a compliment to playing the kind of role that Tony Randall played. Our divorce lawyer lives across the hall. She has taken us all in as stray dogs and put us in this apartment she has. We have nowhere to go and been kicked out by our wives. Hilarity ensues…
WCT: How is it working with this cast?
DB: I am arguably the new guy and that is saying something because I have been around the block a bit. Working with Wayne Knight from Seinfeld and Jurassic Park, I couldn't even list his credits. Wayne is spectacularly funny and his timing is impeccable. Donald Faison from Scrubs is no slouch and equally funny.
We also have a wonderful cast member, Kelly Stables, who was on Two and a Half Men for quite sometime. She's a little dynamo of comedy. Kristen Johnston from 3rd Rock from the Sun plays our divorce attorney, so I felt like I was in good company. When you play tennis with someone who is better than you, your game improves. I probably look good and funny because I'm surrounded by these people. I'm just happy to be here. That might be the title of my biography—I'm Just Happy to Be Here.
WCT: The TV Land channel is very good about picking shows up for second seasons, so I hope that The Exes continues and goes on.
DB: From your mouth to God's ears. This is one of those that it would be fun to go back and do more. I have done some pilots where I thought it wouldn't work even though I gave it my all. This is one time I had a great time on the pilot and wanted it to get picked up. It did. I would love to come back for a second season. TV Land does want more original programming so fingers crossed that it will do well once it is on the air.
WCT: You were on The Starter Wife with Debra Messing from Will & Grace. How was she?
DB: I played her ex-husband so [ I was ] another ex, except I was the asshole rich movie producer. It was a very different role but still a guy who is controlling. That was really fun with, again, a great cast. Debra was stellar—just as good as they get. Her being compared to Lucille Ball is not out of line. She was also an executive producer on the show and really hands-on. She worked very hard to make it a success. We were unfortunately a victim of the downturn in the economy for that show. People on the subway still ask me when the show is coming back.
WCT: So you are currently in New York. You did some theatre there for a show called Snakebit.
DB: I love theatre. I started in theatre and it is my first love. It is very hard to make a living at so I am lucky that I got a chance to be on TV and film. I always like to come back to theatre. Right now it is tough for me to do anything because I don't know what will happen with the show on TV Land. I've recently done some charity readings and my wife is onstage right now.
WCT: Have you seen Hugh Jackman's show? Everyone is talking about that one…
DB: I know! I really want to see it. I am going to try to get there. He was so wonderful. I worked with him on Real Steel, a movie that is in theaters now. He is such a great guy and fantastic. He is wildly talented. That show and the Book of Mormon are on the top of my list.
Real Steel was shot in Chicago, by the way. We were in Pontiac [ Mich. ] and then downtown Chicago.
WCT: When are you coming back?
DB: I don't know. I would love to. Find me a job there and I will. I got a chance to visit my roommate from college there and fell in love with the city.
WCT: Do you think there will be a Sex and the City part three?
DB: Of course I do! I wonder what it will be? When I was in part two I played a couple with Kelly O'Hara trying to tell Big and Carrie to have kids. I imagine the third one would pick up there.
WCT: With a baby, maybe!
DB: Who knows?
WCT: They were really going for the gay dollar with part two.
DB: I didn't get to go to Dubai but I did shoot here in New York City with live swans and Liza Minelli.
WCT: Who could ask for more? You have worked with some major directors in your career.
DB: Yes, I have been lucky. When you look down the resume to see Spielberg and Martin Scorsese, I can only hope that it continues. Small roles in big films or big roles in small films would be fun too. It doesn't matter to me. I just love telling stories and working.
Check out his website, www.davidalanbasche.com, and visit www.tvland.com for listings and details about The Exes.
