A new sitcom, Mulaney, about an aspiring standup comic,
his friends and mentors, co-stars Ann Arbor's Zack Pearlman.

Alice Burdick Schweiger
Special to the Jewish News

A

nn Arbor's Zack Pearlman is
doing pretty well for himself
these days. He's one of the stars
of the new sitcom Mulaney, along with
former Saturday Night Live writer John
Mulaney, Elliott Gould, Martin Short,
Nasim Pedrad (also of SNL) and Seaton
Smith. Debuting Sunday, Oct. 5, at 9:30
p.m. on FOX, the show is produced by
SNL's Lorne Michaels.
Set in New York City (although taped in
Los Angeles), the series is loosely based
on John Mulaney's life (he is head writer
for the sitcom as well as starring in it)
about a stand-up comedian looking for a
big break. The show is a mix of ensemble
comedy, stand-up performances and an
observational point of view, a la Seinfeld.
Pearlman, 26, plays Andre Van Horn, an
annoying trust-fund baby who has a knack
for showing up in Mulaney's life at the
worst possible moments.
"I'm like the unwanted friend who is
always there laughs Pearlman, who was
born and raised in Ann Arbor and has
family still living there. "It's fun playing
him. Knowing you aren't really wanted is
usually upsetting, but when you are dim-
witted like Andre, it's fun to play."
Pearlman thinks his character might be
Jewish.
"There is a joke in one of the episodes
about Andre being late to Sabbath dinner,
but it might not have been used [during
the editing process], so the jury is still out
about his religion:' Pearlman says. "Andre's
last name isn't Jewish-sounding, but plenty
of Jews have 'non-Jewish' names:'
Pearlman can thank his bar mitzvah at
Beth Israel Congregation in Ann Arbor
for his bourgeoning acting career. That's
because he used his bar mitzvah money to
fly to his first audition.
It was back in 2008, and Pearlman had
been working at a local comic book/video-
game store when he joined an online
site called Actors Access. Through that
website, he was able to land an audition
in New York City for a role in an Adam
McKay-Will Ferrell-produced 2010 movie,
The Virginity Hit.
Using his bar mitzvah money to travel
to New York paid off for Pearlman: He
landed the part of a teenager trying to help
his friend lose his virginity

The cast of Mulaney: Zack Pearlman, Nasim Pedrad, Seaton Smith, John Mulaney,
Martin Short and Elliott Gould.

"It was a risk using up all that money:'
says Pearlman, who was doing some
stand-up around Michigan in little
clubs. He'd dropped out of Washtenaw
Community College, giving up academics
and his plan to transfer to the University
of Michigan. "It was a one-in-a-million
chance, and I got the role he says.
The Virginity Hit was the vehicle that
enabled Pearlman to move to L.A., which
opened the doors to many opportuni-
ties, including guest-starring roles on TV
shows including Community, Key & Peele,
The Inbetweeners and Workaholics.
For Pearlman, acting, comedy and
improv have been a longtime passion.
"I knew I should be doing this:' says
Pearlman, whose two sisters, Allison and
Hannah, also are actresses. His brother,
Aaron, is an interaction designer at
Blackbaud, a software provider to non-
profits.
Growing up in Ann Arbor afforded
Pearlman opportunities to develop acting
and comedic skills, including performing
in shows at the Young People's Theater and
the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre.
At Burns Park Elementary School, he
was a member of the Burns Park Players,
acting in shows and musicals, and at
Pioneer High School, he was one of the
founders of a comedy troupe.
"We did sketches and improv and even-
tually got sponsored so we could put on a
show at the school and charge admission:'
says Pearlman, a 2006 graduate. All the
shows that I was in [at Pioneer] were sold
out. The group became popular enough

Zack Pearlman: From Ann Arbor comic-
book store to prime-time TV.

that people wanted to come see us. If any-
one wanted to join our group, they had to
audition:'
Pearlman's mom, Susan Weldon
Pearlman, a former nurse who makes
costumes for various shows around Ann
Arbor, remembers how determined Zack
was to learn the ins and outs of the film
industry.
"He loved to watch movies over and
over again and showed an incredible
interest in not just the movie itself, but
the DVD commentaries to hear what the
director and actors had to say:' she recalls.
"Zack wanted to understand how every-
thing fit together in the process of making
a movie:'
His father, Dr. Mark Pearlman, an ob-
gyn and breast-cancer specialist at the
University of Michigan Medical Center,
says Zack was a creative child from the
start.

"He has special talents and was able to
channel those talents, even at a young age
says Mark Pearlman, who grew up in Oak
Park. Zack's grandfather, Joe Pearlman,
a retired buyer for Grosse Pointe Quality
Foods, still resides there.
According to Mark Pearlman, acting
and humor are in Zack's genes.
"My mom, Rebecca (known as Becky or
Eve) was a comedian, too:' he says. "She
passed away 12 years ago, but she used to
perform Borscht Belt humor in Detroit-
area synagogues. Comedy is definitely in
Zack's blood:'
Zack Pearlman admits that along the
way he has changed the focus of his career.
"I loved the movie and television shows
I was in, but I was concerned with the
wrong parts of the business — I was
obsessed with making enough money,
and I had to get back in touch with what I
wanted to do.
"I began to approach everything with a
lighter [vibe], which made me a more con-
tent, funnier person — and it worked. I'm
so happy about being a part of Mulaney.
It's such a well-written show, and the cast
is out of this world. Elliott Gould and
Martin Short? To get one of these guys is a
miracle; the fact that we got both gives me
a lot of confidence in the show:'
Pearlman, who says he "runs his life
with good Jewish values and morals that
make him a better person:' is looking for-
ward to this new chapter in his life.
He also recently finished filming the
movie The Intern, starring Robert DeNiro,
Anne Hathaway and Linda Lavin. Directed
and written by Nancy Meyers (Something's
Gotta Give), it is scheduled to be released
in 2015.
"The experience of working with Robert
and Anne, as well as Nancy, was amazing;
he says. "Very rarely do you get a chance
to meet the people you idolize and then
find out they are not only professional but
are enjoyable on a personal level. Every
day on set, I would try and find a minute
to just laugh out loud to myself and say,
`How is this happening?'
"To think that just six years ago I was
working in a comic-book shop in Ann
Arbor — what's happened to me is unbe-
lievable. I am excited for what's to come,
and all I can be now is thankful."

❑

Mulaney debuts at 9:30 p.m. Sunday,

Oct. 5, on FOX.

October 2 • 2014

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