Kevin Bacon And Kathryn Hahn Tackle Complex Issues In ‘I Love Dick’
Kevin Bacon returns to the small screen with Amazon Prime’s new comedy, I Love Dick, but, as the series star reveals, the show’s plot makes room for more than just laughs. Bacon opens up about introducing his character as something of a mystery man, only to be exposed through the progression of the first season of I Love Dick. Kevin credits the longer running format of a television series, as compared to a 90 minute film, for being able to address complex issues more fully over the span of several episodes.
In speaking with NZ Herald, Mr. Bacon was asked about television’s new golden era. The I Love Dick star credits that new surge of success to the big draw for new and emerging writers, but adds that there’s a public demand for compelling characters on television as well. Even the best written film is only a couple hours at most and that’s just not enough time to really delve into a character’s psyche, which is something Kevin feels audiences are keen to experience.
Speaking specifically of I Love Dick, the series star feels that the characters are far too complex to be adequately portrayed in a two hour film.
I Love Dick tells the story of a married couple, Chris (Kathryn Hahn) and Sylvere (Griffin Dunne), who both fall for the same college professor, Dick (Bacon).
Kevin says playing Dick has been a challenge, because he wasn’t quite sure which direction the series would take, as far as developing his character.
“As an actor, it’s been a kind of leap of faith. Because Dick in the pilot has some mystery, I had to trust that in the course of the season we’d be able to peel back the onion skin and show some other characteristics — less guarded, more vulnerable, and the side of him that is struggling.”
The I Love Dick star says he spoke with series creators Sarah Gubbins and Jill Soloway about the way Dick is portrayed in Season 1. As the first installment of I Love Dick plays out, Bacon says his character comes off as being a “jerk” and that was something he didn’t necessarily want to continue with future seasons.
The showrunners promised that other aspects of the male persona would be explored with new story arcs in subsequent seasons, indicating that the character will evolve throughout the life of the series.
Kathryn Hahn is Delighted That I Love Dick Makes People Uncomfortable
The I Love Dick actress admits to Entertainment Weekly that, when she first started to work on the series, she felt uncomfortable with saying the show’s title herself. That awkward feeling was increased, when Hahn’s children talked to her about the show, because hearing her children say the series title created more than a few cringeworthy moments.
How does Kathryn feel about it now? She says she likes the idea that I Love Dick makes people uncomfortable.
“But it really is an awesome bait and switch. Underneath this title is this beating, feminist heart. I love how it makes people uncomfortable to say it — especially men,” Hahn laughs.
Even that bold title doesn’t compare to the 1997 book, written by Chris Kraus, says Kathryn. The actress read the book as she began working on the Amazon Prime series and she says the one thing that really grabbed her was the “insatiable hunger” evident in the author’s prose.
“It was fearless, hilarious, maddening, complicated, and sexy — all the messy, delicious stuff you cross your fingers for as an actor,” said the I Love Dick actress.
While I Love Dick is presented as a sexy comedy, Kathryn Hahn says what she loves most about it is that, at its heart, it’s a feminist story. The central female character takes charge and doesn’t give in, until she gets what she wants. At times, Hahn says this makes her character seem petty and jealous, but only because she’s determined.
I Love Dick is streaming on Amazon Prime.
[Featured Image by Amazon Prime]
