James Austin Johnsonis heading fromSaturday Night Liveto Whoville.
With an official title of’Tis the Grinch Holiday Talk Show, the series will followDr.
Seuss' iconic green miser as he sits down with celebrity guests to talk all things Christmassy.
James Austin Johnson will voice the Grinch in ‘Tis the Grinch Holiday Talk Show.'.Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC;Courtesy Everett Collection
(Check out the trailer above.)
(Past Grinch actors include Boris Karloff,Jim Carrey, andBenedict Cumberbatch.)
The series will premiere Nov. 1 on Wondery+, before going wide Nov. 6 with new episodes releasing weekly.
(Watch exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of him getting into character below.)
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: A lot of iconic actors have played the Grinch.
Did you have any trepidation about stepping into those furry green shoes?
JAMES AUSTIN JOHNSON:I mean, he’s an icon.
I think the Grinch is bigger than all of us as actors.
[Laughs] It’s a little intimidating, but it’s also familiar.
It’s something that’s within us all.
We’ve all been there.
What’s the secret to the perfect Grinch voice?
It’s a mix of a lot of things.
How is the Grinch as a talk show host?
I would say there’s a little…
He’s not quite as straight-laced as that.
Jim Carrey famously played the Grinch, and he also portrayed Joe Biden onSNL,before you took over.
Tell me a little bit about your approach to the perfect Biden impression.
With Biden, it’s quiet.
[Whispers] “Jobs, family, security.”
First, it’s a slow rumble, sort of like a storm is gathering.
Then, that storm breaks and crashes and explodes, and he just starts yelling out of nowhere.
Those are the two speeds.
He can be real low and quiet and lull you in, and then he explodes with righteousness.
I found that I could bring some of that dynamism to the Grinch, too.
I definitely felt inspired by all the Grinches.
But it really does just feel like I’m having fun with my comedy friends.
It definitely has different stakes or a higher expectation, maybe.
Of all theSNLhosts you’ve worked with so far, what’s been the most memorable experience?
Well, my first episode was alsoOwen Wilson’sfirst episode.
So, we both learned how to read cue cards at the same time.
We basically just learned how to doSNLat the same time.
That first episode for me is frozen in time.
I love those old text-to-speech voices on old Mac computers.
Do you know what I’m talking about?
I grew up with an old Mac.
So, you know how sometimes your battery would be running low?
My favorite voice was Bruce.
I’m dying to play Bruce from the Mac OS from the ’90s.
The minute the world hears this Bruce voice, it’s over.
I anxiously await that future sketch.
There’s always next week!
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
