FOX’s “Ben and Kate” premieres on Tuesday (September 25) night and the single-cam comedy has already made my list of the season’s Best new shows.
Much of the “Ben and Kate” appeal comes from the very real chemistry between the eponymous siblings played by Nat Faxon and Dakota Johnson, who form an unconventional parenting unit for Maddie (Maggie Jones), her daughter and his niece.
A couple weeks back, I sat down with Faxon (an Oscar winner for the “Descendants” screenplay), Johnson (daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith) and Jones (who stole “We Bought a Zoo” scenes as well) about finding the rapport to portray this quirky family unit and about the real-life inspirations for their characters.
One of the things I’ve mentioned liking about “Ben and Kate” is Jones isn’t just coasting on undeniable pint-sized cuteness. She’s pretty funny in her her own right. Case-in-point, dig the improvised mixture of timing and comedy in her answer at the 4:48 point in the interview.
Check out the full interview.
“Ben and Kate” premieres at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday night on FOX.