Kevin Pollak on his characters, comedy, and his return to Big Slick this weekend

Photo Courtesy of David Shultz

Guess who’s back in town? That’s right—comedian, actor, and all-around scene-stealer Kevin Pollak is making his umpteenth appearance at this year’s Big Slick Weekend, and fans couldn’t be more excited.

Known for his razor-sharp wit and spot-on impressions (his Christopher Walken is the stuff of lore), Pollak is no stranger to the Big Slick stage. The annual charity bash, which benefits Children’s Mercy Hospital, has long been a favorite of The Usual Suspects star.

Whether he’s roasting fellow celebs, charming crowds, or quietly crushing it at poker tables, Pollak always brings his A-game—and a healthy dose of Hollywood-meets-Midwest heart.

Now he’s back to help raise money, crack some jokes, and, let’s be honest, probably deliver an impression or two that’ll have the crowd in tears (of laughter).

We caught up with the actor just a couple of days before he heads to the metro for a busy weekend of helpful, humble hobnobbing.

Photo Courtesy of Stephen Lovekin

The Pitch: I feel a certain amount of pressure interviewing you today given that you interviewed celebs for ten years on your Chat Show Podcast. 

Kevin Pollak: I only did 400. I’m sure you’ve done lots more.

Bless you. Out of those ten years, who really sticks in your medulla oblongata? Like, good, bad, or otherwise?

Well, there was an embarrassment of riches—from Tom Hanks to Larry David to a very young Chris Pratt. And a very innocent Elon Musk in 2009—uh, before the Model S rolled off. Yeah, a lot of filmmakers and brilliant, funny people. I’m very, very lucky.

Do you get nervous beforehand? I’m guessing not. I rarely get nervous anymore before interviews. Is that the same for you?

I don’t get nervous about anything. Yeah, it may be signs of a sociopath, but nothing’s ever made me nervous, including sitting on Johnny Carson’s couch. The televised one.

Ever since I was 10 years old and started being a natural-born ham in front of an audience, I’ve always felt excited, like it’s Christmas morning. Not nervous. Not, ‘Oh, no—what if this doesn’t go well?’ Again—sociopathic terms—that never crossed my mind.

Since you’ve been in literally everything, what’s the one show or movie everybody wants to discuss with you? Or is everyone different?

Well, because I’ve been around quite a while, and I’ve done a number of films. I don’t know the exact number… 93.

But I will say, six of them are quite good. My wife and I play the game of—based on the person’s demographic, as they’re approaching—what the film or TV thing might be. But then Mrs. Maisel gathered a worldwide audience again. And after turning 60, suddenly I’m relevant beyond the pale.

And then come this September, relevance returns as I become a series regular on Tulsa King!

Photo Courtesy of Stephen Lovekin

Wow. That show was originally supposed to be called Kansas City King.

How about that? There is a part of the show set in Kansas City.

So, what are the demos? When you spy someone younger, what do they want to talk about?

Photo Courtesy of Stephen Lovekin

Well, younger is not always a tip. Younger—believe it or not—is also Maisel, but it’s also something like The Usual Suspects, which generates a new audience through college dorm rooms every year. It’s almost like a rite of passage.

Speaking of Mrs. Maisel, this question is from a reader. If Moishe Maisel time-traveled to 2025, what’s the first thing he would complain about?

Ha! I love the assumption that he’s gonna complain. The first thing? Probably, the travel. Yeah, the unfortunate use of time during the time travel. That’d probably be the very first thing. Or the accommodations during the travel.

Have you felt a kinship with that particular character as the evolution has gone on?

It is strange that after a Few Good Men, where I, out of abject fear, underplayed my scenes using the very least is more technique, and then getting so much attention. I’m going from auditions to getting offers. Then, I just based my whole repertoire on doing less is more.

And then came the moment I was cast as a loud, obnoxious Jew. It is written and yelled from the rooftops, including by my wife: It was the role I was born to play. So, clearly, by making a career of 35 years of doing nothing, I wasted a lot of time.

When you were shooting the infamous courtroom scene with Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, did you know that it was going to be epic? Or that you’d still be talking about it decades later? 

Yes and no. I mean, no one knew that ‘You can’t handle the truth!’ would be part of the vernacular.

For eternity.

Yeah! Rob Reiner—in his first seven films— was batting a thousand. And we were in that group. Every genre was different from the last. In my opinion, he really had a historical run unlike any other filmmaker because he was allowed to do a different genre of film from Stand By Me to When Harry Met Sally to Princess Bride to Spinal Tap to this courtroom drama that’s heralded as one of the best.

It would have been pretty weird if the film didn’t land, especially with the Mount Rushmore cast. I was Where’s Waldo in that cast, by the way. Everybody else was extraordinarily famous. But also, the play ran for over 500 performances at that point on Broadway. So, there was quite a sense that this film was going to do well. Quite an expectation.

Photo Courtesy of Kyle Rivas

What is Kevin Pollak binge-watching these days?

We just started watching St. Louis’s own Jon Hamm in Your Friends and Neighbors. Just one episode. Loved it.

Oh, and I can’t get enough of Below Deck. It is my one true guilty pleasure that the Mrs. and I just cannot get enough of.Friends just recommended it because of the Upstairs/Downstairs nature. And they knew that we weren’t Bravo devotees, nor reality TV fans. But they just kept hammering us saying, ‘You may want to check this one out.’ It’s just the sheer madness of these super-wealthy morons who were willing to show themselves on camera, versus a crew who’s mostly just trying to get laid. It’s like going to the circus every episode.

That’s literally the best synopsis I’ve ever heard. Full stop. So, how did you get involved with Big Slick a hundred years ago?

Back in the ’40s. I don’t remember if it was Paul Rudd or Rob Riggle. It was definitely one of those two. Through the microcosm of comedy—be it film, television, or stand-up—my career is such that anyone who comes through those hallowed walls of comedy, there is a fraternal order that is deeply felt.

Do you have a go-to place that calls your name when you’re in Kansas City?

From the moment we land to the moment we go wheels up again, they have us fully functioning and involved in one event or gathering after another. So, I don’t get to spend a moment hanging in the city. My experience these last dozen years has really been focused on the Big Slick Weekend.

Photo Courtesy of Stephen Lovekin

Any highlights or memorable stories that stick out during your Big Slick Weekends?

We used to take these buses to the bowling alley and to dinner and then we’d come back. The point being that these were very drunk-filled buses at the end of the night. And the chanting and singing that takes place on the buses is always disarmingly fun, but horrendously filthy. This type of behavior, we just can’t help ourselves.

But also, I would have to say the highlight was always the baseball game, of course. And spending time with families at the hospital every year without question is what keeps all of us coming back. It centers every reason as to why we’re all there rather quickly. Show business folk ain’t good for much, but if we can move the needle a little bit in terms of families and their children, it’s a pretty remarkable aspect of alleged fame. So, that’s probably the single most outstanding memory of any of the experiences.

Plus, it’s probably like an old home week for you and your motley crew. 

Yeah, that’s true. We don’t gather as 30+ celebrities over the weekend on the reg, and this is probably the only annual trip for all of us to see each other as a group. That aspect of it is pretty remarkable. It speaks to our hosts—our very famous, lovely hosts. And I’m thrilled that Heidi Gardner is such an important part of that now. I love her to death.

Finally, if there are any casting directors reading this, what’s a TV show or sitcom that you’d kill to be on?

It’s Tulsa King. Yeah, it drops in September. I’m a new series regular the next couple of seasons. It came out of nowhere and I was shocked at how much fun it was. Sometimes, they make it fiscally irresponsible to stay on the couch. And it doesn’t really matter if it’s quote, unquote fun.

But every now and then, it’s incredibly fun, and then it’s this ridiculous bonus—that’s what Tulsa King has been.

Oh, and then I’ve got three films that I’ve been asked to direct, one of which I have a ‘Yes, please!’ from Heidi and Rob Riggle. It’s a comedy that I’m very excited about. We’re in pre-production.

Big Slick is being held on May 30 and 31. More information can be found on the event’s website.

Interview gently edited for content and clarity.