‘Dave’ Season 3 Makes Good Use Of Celebrity Guest Stars – IndieWire

(Editor’s note: The following interview contains clarification spoilers for “Dave” Season 3.)

Not everything that happens in Dave is real. The FX comedy inspired by the life of Dave Burd, rapper Lil Dicky, is just that: inspired. By now, enough meta shows about fictionalized versions of real people have aired that viewers can recognize when their scripts prioritize quality entertainment over factual reenactments.

But that doesn’t mean the episodes lack truth.

“I was in a situation where my fans stripped me naked so I could see my dick? Definitely not,” Burd told IndieWire in an interview, referring to a scene from the Season 3 premiere. “(But) right before that happens, I open up to them and reveal these truths (about myself). And I remember once standing in line before a meeting. (…) I was just talking to a couple and for whatever reason I opened up to them. I don’t remember the specifics, but I do remember thinking, ‘Wow, I’m sharing a very interesting, nuanced look into my soul.’

“(But) their only reaction was, ‘Can we take a picture?’ Burd said. “That moment stuck with me – I’m not saying it reflects badly on them. It’s almost funny. They didn’t ask me to open like this. Maybe they came (just) for a picture. Who am I to assume that just because I’m a famous person they want to hear it? At that moment, they weren’t as interested in the 30-second monologue as I thought they were. care.”

Season 3 of “Dave” slyly explores the relationship between knowing someone and being known. Dave (played by Burd) is looking for the love of his life. At the same time, he is on his first professional music tour. Your personal and professional ambitions can make it difficult to discover an intimate, rewarding relationship with another person while thousands of anonymous fans shout, “I love you, Dave!” What voices are real and relevant? Which ones are enchanted solely by fame? And when do you begin to believe that an overabundance of the latter can make up for a continual lack of the former?

Dave may sometimes not know the difference between true love and its reflection, but “Dave” always does. Season 3 takes a thoughtful examination of celebrity — and features plenty of celebrity guests.

“The two main themes this season are of course the search for love, but it also centers around the search for fame, validation and success,” Burd said. “And there are certain people who represent these core themes. (…) I don’t (want people) to just think, “Oh, we think it’s cool that we’ve got these high-profile people as random guest stars who just say hello.” Their characters represent many things (more than that).

Demi Lovato, Don Cheadle, Killer Mike, Machine Gun Kelly, Megan Fox, Rick Ross, Travis Barker, Usher, Jack Harlow, and Rachel McAdams all appear in Season 3. Initially, Rick Ross and Usher contribute to his continuing education about Dave Black. culture through famous rappers and their chains. The story goes back to the themes of the past seasons, but the tasks of the guest characters are constantly evolving. Some, such as Cheadle, accompany Dave from his moral imperatives. At the Met, she’s forced to question whether it’s worth speaking out about climate change if it means losing her cigars with Cheadle and Denzel Washington (who doesn’t show up). The answer is obvious, but the struggle, as they say, is real.

McAdams blurs that line even more. Dave’s relationship with Robyn (Chloe Bennett) is going well. Among the crowds of obsessive fans, he finds a down-to-earth “girl next door” type who understands, appreciates and pushes him. But when he bumps into McAdams — who, in “Dave,” is as sweet, caring and chill as many on-screen characters — Dave can’t help but question who he wants to be with. Was he just blinded by fame? Or have you finally discovered the kind of simple movie love you’ve always dreamed of?

“I don’t know anyone who represents the hopeless romantic better than Rachel McAdams,” Burd said. “I think she is the dream woman of my generation. Seeing it in Wedding Crashers and The Notebook shaped my idea of ​​what love is.

Burd isn’t blind to what celebrity cameos can do for his show. A lot of series employ famous guest stars as a marketing stunt – attracting new viewers to a show they might otherwise have ignored. But “Dave” makes them work for a greater purpose—a purpose his crew trusts in, and one that old and new audiences alike will follow.

“I’m hyper-competitive and I want this show to be received at the (highest) critical level and recognized by every single award show? Of course, Burd said. (But) not just me. Everyone who works on this show. They are proud because everyone who works on the show knows how special it is.”

“People ask me, ‘How did you get these (famous) people on the show?’ And really, it just speaks to the greatness of the show that they love the show and wanted to do the show. It’s not like I’ve had any weird relationships with anyone or been set up in any weird industry way. I just heard they loved the show and I loved them from afar and reached out. (…) I don’t want to say that they were indispensable, but I took a big risk to write these people into the show.”

The Season 3 finale—which we won’t spoil here—takes Dave’s internal struggle into another stratosphere, helping the show’s points about love, fame, and their overlap while pushing the lead toward a new perspective. Burd likes to talk about these topics because they happen to him, but “Dave” is not a celebrity sob. Season 3 broadens the conversation beyond a show about how fans should communicate with their idols. It asks us to identify and appreciate what is real in life.

“I see the finale as a cool way to shine a sick, distorted mirror in front of Dave’s face,” Burd said. “(It’s) what his personality and pursuit of validation might be if he was at 10, if he was really hyperbolized. I think it brings together all the themes of this season.”

Though much credit goes to co-showrunner and co-creator Jeff Schaffer — who has some experience working with famous people playing themselves on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” — as well as the writing staff and entire creative team for the vision of Season 3. , Burd is part of that team, and his ability to see beyond himself adds depth to the series that bears his name.

“We take a core truth about me — like I’m a selfish person — and then we just take that core and turn it into TV,” Burd said. “Sometimes my selfishness has never shown itself in such an extreme way, but it all comes from a grain of truth, which is then perhaps hyperbolized to make the comedy or the plot better, etc., etc.

Like the previous two seasons, “Dave” brings you closer to the central theme. As extreme as some episodes may be, his emotional connection to the audience is rooted in Dave himself.

“I’m pretty sensitive because at the end of the day, the show is my perspective, and I never want my character to take on a huge mood or perspective that’s so out of line with what I feel in real life,” Burd said. “The cornerstone of the show is my POV, so I don’t want to deviate from that.”

To that end, Burd insists that he loves his fans and that the bad eggs introduced in Season 3 aren’t representative of his feelings.

“A lot of times when I meet people, they feel like they really know me when we haven’t even met,” Burd said. “I don’t hit anybody for that because first of all I want people to feel that way about me. I don’t want to be this totally mysterious, “I have no idea what that man is like” type of celebrity. I think there’s a kind of kinship — I’m very approachable.”

“I’m sure it’s not just Lil Dicky or me that has the idea of ​​getting a reputation that precedes it. It probably happens to all famous people.”

But by exploring Dave’s insecurities and how they subvert expectations, the series opens people up to a broader worldview. For Burd — and perhaps some of the celebrities on his show — that means people are starting to see him differently.

“I used to feel like, ‘Oh, you’re so nice. This is a surprise. I don’t know if I get that because of the show,” Burd said. “You might watch a Lil Dicky rap video and think, ‘Maybe that guy’s a cocky ass or something.’ show puts it all into context.”

“For people who have seen the show, when they meet me now, it’s more like, ‘You’re just like this.’

Not everything that happens in Dave is real. But it helps inspire a more honest reality—for both its namesake and its audience.

“Dave” Season 3 is available to stream on Hulu. The premiere of the finale will take place on Wednesday, May 31 at 10 p.m.