The King of Staten Island

Judd Apatow ’s latest drollery , The male monarch Of Staten Island , explore the collar development of Scott ( Pete Davidson ) in the wake of his firefighter father ’s destruction . His already tumultuous life history is further turn upside down when his female parent Margie ( Maria Tomei ) starts growing closer to another firefighter .

Bill Burr portrays enunciate fireman , Ray , who genuinely care for his Modern sept but also has a painful past that intersects with Scott ’s . The player utter with Screen Rant to celebrate the Blu - re release of the film , which get in on August 25 , and apportion his experience on exercise set and his thoughts on the Star Wars fandom he has freshly become a part of .

[ King Of Staten Island ] is so touch in so many dissimilar ways , specially recognize Pete ’s substantial story . What does Margie see in Ray ?

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Bill Burr : I intend , you ’d have to take her . I do n’t sleep with . I do n’t cognize . I was just saying what they compose ; trying to make it serious .

It ’s interesting how Ray work his path into Margie and Scott ’s life . He begins show understanding for Scott and Margie , but he does a quick reverse , especially after the ball game . How sincere do you feel that that Ray is regarding his concerns for Scott before he moves into the firehouse ?

Bill Burr : Well , before he moved in there , Scott had gone and utter to his ex-wife - married woman . And she , of course , record the riot bit . What I liked about that was … What Scott did is what everybody does on the net . They basically google " I ’m right . " They go to imright.com , and then they go " Well , there you go . " And that ’s all they need to know . Next thing you know , they think what they think .

Bill Burr with a handlebar mustache in The King of Staten Island

I wish the whole dynamic . I just thought they were both immature for where they were in their life , and they both call for to grow up . Where Ray was sort of a Father of the Church fig to Scott towards the last , Steve Buscemi ’s character was a don figure to Ray ; he gave him that advice when Pete ’s role was wash the hand truck .

What was it about this hand that really enticed you to unite the task ?

Bill Burr : The want of offers in any other movies .

Pete Davidson and Bill Burr sitting in chairs at a baseball stadium, looking at each other, in The King of Staten Island

I ’m have sex as a comedian . I ’ve only done a little bit of acting . So , when Judd Apatow says , " Hey , I ’m making a flick , " am I gon na say no ? Of course , I ’m gon na say yes . He did my podcast and said , " Hey , I want to monger this picture show to you . " And in my head , I ’m laughing . It ’s like , " Dude , I ’m gon na say yes . "

But we go out , we got something to wipe out , and he just put the picture out . And it just really seemed like it was going to be an opportunity for me to do something beyond play a pig . essentially , everybody complains out here about molding and poppycock like that , but there ’s a lot of money at stake . And if you walk in look like a fire-eater or a pig , that ’s what you ’re going to act until you show that you could [ do more ] .

To really run a firefighter , but actually have a real chronicle and everything was really a fun thing for me . I was honor to be able to finally get the chance to get something that had some height and valley to it , rather than some of the other thing that I ’ve convey .

Pete Davidson and Steve Buscemi standing together close to a fire truck in The King of Staten Island

What was the inspiration for your spirit with that mustache ?

Bill Burr : Well , we were assay to think of a smell . They ’re like , " Do you want to develop your hair out ? Do you want to have a moustache ? " I said , " Well , I think the plane capitulum will look cool . The reliever thing . " So , Judd told me in April when we pop inject in June , " Just do n’t shave your whiskers . "

So , I just let it go . And then we go in there and haircloth and physical composition go , " Alright , get ’s do a moustache . " And I was like , " permit ’s do a little bit of a handlebar . I think Ray ’s an old school guy . " He ’s gon na look more like a firefighter from back in the Clarence Day rather than his generation . It ’s his minuscule path of saying that he does thing the old direction , and the old way was the right style . It was all of that in there .

the king of staten island

I also learned when doing this function that you ca n’t have a face fungus as a fireman , because it break the seal of your mask . Your oxygen will leak out and the dope will come in ; you have to be clean - shaven so you get a overnice seal . But you are appropriate to have a much mustache .

Do you believe that Ray knew Scott ’s family when he first came over ?

Bill Burr : No . No , he did n’t .

This film seems more relevant now than perhaps even a yr ago , in that everyone ’s going through the same version of some kind of psychic trauma . Do you think that makes this come - of - age story any more relatable ?

Bill Burr : Oh , as far as COVID and all that ? I just think it ’s a great motion picture because it ’s a funny movie , and it also has heart and everything . I retrieve , if anything , people do n’t want to watch a moving-picture show that reminds them of what everybody ’s going through . I feel like they want an escape , and I palpate like this film is a gang of people hang around , not weary masks , in a firehouse . So many multitude go to college and stuff like that . I think it ’s definitely a nice escape for people .

Judd Apatow is know for his improvisational directing style . How did that help you discover things in the dramatic import ?

Bill Burr : That ’s an interesting question . I signify , the striking moments were there . The whole thing was there ; it was very mellow stakes , I feel , emotionally . At least for what my bozo was blend in through - blend through a bestial divorcement and notice somebody new . And of all the betting odds , the soul you feel is the mom of this kid who did this ugly matter to your own Word .

So , I did n’t have to really look too much to try and find it . It was kind of already there on the page .

You and Scott grow to share a bond in the film over firefighting . Did you and Pete have the standardised comradery and mentorship when it came to stand - up comedy as well ?

Bill Burr : Yeah , he was just somebody that I very apace considered a peer . He just was sort of wise beyond his years . I do n’t know if that ’s because lose his dad at such a young historic period , he had to grow up and be the man of the house really young .

He was n’t somebody that had to do it a long metre to get my respect . I mean , I respect all comics , but as far as for me to notice him and be like , " This guy ’s going to be really good . " But I sense like hanging with him all last summertime finally solidified a friendship , because we were really coolheaded with each other but I live in LA and he lived in New York .

Has the pandemic been good for writing young material , and are you working on any raw pedestal up projects ?

Bill Burr : No , I have n’t really done any of that . I finish writing a movie with a brother of mine . We ’re trying to sell that affair right now , but it ’s a very strange sort of open - ended time . Fortunately , some of the smartest people in the world are work out on this affair . I already know somebody who ’s working on a movie , and they have examine that in 30 minutes , you’re able to get the results . Which is huge .

It ’s like when flat screen TVs first came out . They were mammoth , and they were like 12,000 long horse . And now everybody can afford them . I experience like that ’s how capitalism works . At first , the super rich are going to be able to get a test and get a consequence in 30 minutes . And then by the oddment of next year , you ’ll be able to do that at a gas post when you go in . If you sneeze , you ’re just like , " Let me get one of those COVID tests with my Snickers bar . "

I ’m hope that ’s gon na happen , because I like everybody else - we all lost a mountain of money , we recede momentum , we lost a lot of stuff and some hoi polloi . Fortunately , I have n’t lost anybody , thank God . But some people in reality fall behind family members . So it ’s been it ’s been really tough . That ’s another reason why it ’s near just to have a flick out there that ’s fun , has a good message , and earth in a nice place .

You wanna watch another good one ? Go on Netflix and look out a documentary film call off Tread .

Everyone was shock by your appearance inThe Mandalorian , and you have a whole new fanbase for it . What has been the expectant surprise since have on that role ?

Bill Burr : How cool Star Wars sports fan are . And how assume they were , because I used to tease them all the time . I used to make playfulness of Star Wars all the sentence , not because I in reality did n’t like it . It ’s just a comedian thing : you see a crew of the great unwashed that like something - a banding or a movie or a genre - and you do a bit on it . You just make fun of them . It ’s a comedian thing .

But when I met him , I cogitate they ’d be like , " Oh , this is the guy wire that ’s been making merriment of the movie that I have intercourse . " They were psyched . The ace that I ’ve meet , they ’ve just been really psyched that I was in it . They really liked the character , and I feel them to be really cool . I ’m used to sports rooter come up to me , a little buzz , loud , slapping me on the back . Idiots like me . But then these guys , they were really respectful . " I ’m really psyched that you ’re in . Ca n’t expect to see it ; do n’t want to bug you . "

It was really coolheaded how nice they were .

What are the chance we get you in season two ?

Bill Burr : I would say not skillful . They left me in a slammer in the heart of nowhere .

I do n’t sleep together . You screw , I did get a kick out at some the great unwashed give me dirt . I do n’t have like a full - on Boston accent , but you fuck I ’m from the east slide . So , they ’re run low , " I never heard an East Coast accent mark in kayoed outer space . " I was just giving them s * * * back , like , " How about English ? Is n’t it weird that we ’re all speak English ? I had no dialect , and you believe that I ’m in a galax far , far off ? And I ’m utter the same language that you are ? "

More : Screen Rant ’s King of Staten Island Interview

The King of Staten Islandis available on Blu - ray August 25 , 2020 .