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Eric Petersen, who played the affable but oblivious Kevin McRoberts on AMC’s “Kevin Can F**K Himself,” recently discussed his experience on the show in an interview with the Temple of Geek Podcast.
“Kevin Can F**K Himself” – A television series that deserves far more recognition
It’s baffling that “Kevin Can F**K Himself” remains under the radar and rarely receives the media attention it deserves. The show stars Emmy winner Annie Murphy, known for her role as Alexis Rose in “Schitt’s Creek,” as Kevin’s wife, Allison. Murphy is just as incredible in this dramatic role as she was as Alexis. But it’s not just her performance that makes the show fascinating; it’s the premise itself.
“Kevin Can F**K Himself” juxtaposes sitcom and dramatic television. This isn’t just about comedic and dramatic tones; the show literally shifts between multi-cam and single-cam formats, changes color grading, adds and removes laugh tracks, and alternates filming styles to tell its story.
That story explores the reality of being the wife of a goofy, often incompetent, sitcom protagonist. These shows often feature attractive wives who are mistreated by their husbands. “Kevin Can F**K Himself” adds another layer by portraying this relationship as an allegory for abuse.
Eric Petersen on playing Kevin McRoberts on AMC’s “Kevin Can F**K Himself,”
In the interview, Petersen shared insights into how he approached playing the sitcom version of Kevin, a character designed to be a stereotypical sitcom husband. He revealed that his main task was to portray Kevin as static and unchanging, even as the other characters around him underwent significant development.
I’ve played bad guys before, not in all of my career, but I have played bad guys in other stuff. One of the main things when you’re an actor playing a bad guy is you can’t judge the fact that he’s a bad guy. Every character views themselves as the hero of their own story, even the worst of the worst. Even if you’re a maniacal, psychopathic, “I want to murder the world” kind of person, you would have a reason for doing it. “The world is terrible and it needs to go down.” In your mind as the bad guy, that is a positive goal that you are moving towards, right? As an actor, you can’t ever judge the actions or the intentions or the wants or the objectives of your character as being bad. They view them as being good. The way that I viewed Kevin, even though he was a selfish prick who was unaware of the people around him and how his actions were affecting them, he viewed it as, “Man, I’m having a great life, and aren’t I proud of myself for making this great life for myself? Things seem to work out for me. I have great people around me, and they seem to be having a good time too. So I bring the life of the party.” These are all positive things. While truly delusional, through Kevin’s mind, he’s not doing anything wrong. “I’m a great guy to be around.” So you have to view it through that lens. You can’t judge, “Oh man, he’s so rude to his wife. He’s so rude to his friends and to his dad.” That’s not how he views it. As an actor, you can’t put yourself in there. Once the show is done, and I rewatch it, I can be like, “Oh man, he really is such a dick.” Then you can have those judgments once the project’s done. But when you’re doing the actual doing of it, you have to find the positive in that character’s mind. That’s how I approached the foundation of the character. – Eric Petersen
This deliberate lack of growth highlighted the show’s exploration of sitcom tropes and the contrast between Kevin’s perception of reality and the darker reality experienced by his wife, Allison. Ultimately, Peterson’s portrayal of Kevin McRoberts is a crucial component of “Kevin Can F**K Himself,” contributing to the show’s commentary on sitcom conventions and the stark contrast between the two worlds it presents.
Additionally, the actor discussed the challenges of playing a character who remains essentially the same throughout the series. Despite the turmoil and changes happening around him. He noted that while it was fun to portray Kevin’s obliviousness, it was also a unique challenge as an actor to resist the urge to infuse the character with more depth and growth.
About Eric Petersen
Eric Petersen is a dynamic American actor who has made his mark on both stage and screen. First and foremost, he’s a seasoned Broadway performer. He’s appeared in various popular productions, including playing the title role in Shrek the Musical. Furthermore, he’s showcased his talent in shows like The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Escape to Margaritaville. He is demonstrating his versatility as an actor.
In addition to his stage work, Petersen has also made a name for himself on television. You might recognize him from his roles in shows like Kirstie, Disney Channel’s Jessie, Pair of Kings, and Kirby Buckets. Beyond live-action roles, Petersen has lent his voice to animated projects, notably The Angry Birds Movie 2. This demonstrates his ability to bring characters to life in various mediums.
You can find Eric Petersen on Instagram: @EricPete and on TikTok: @EricPetersen44. You can even check out his Instagram account dedicated to men’s fashion: @ThePortlyGentleman.
About the Temple of Geek Podcast
The Temple of Geek Podcast launched in 2012, features a rotating cast of geeky hosts from the Temple of Geek team. We cover a wide range of geek and pop culture news and events. You can listen to the Temple of Geek Podcast directly on this page. Additionally, you can stream it on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, iHeartRadio, and Spotify.
