Most younger viewers know Jeff Garlin for his role as the perpetually pantsless father on the hit ABC sitcom The Goldbergs; older viewers most likely know him for his co-starring role as Larry David’s agent and best friend on Curb Your Enthusiasm (he’s the only actor besides David who’s appeared on every episode). And if little kids know him, they know him as a Pixar voice (he’s popped up in WALL-E, Cars 2, and Toy Story 3).
But he’s also carved out a niche for himself as writer/director/star of modest, semi-improvised comedy films, starting with 2006’s marvelous I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With, which he followed with 2013’s Dealin’ With Idiots. And now his third feature is on deck, with an assist from Netflix.
In Handsome, Garlin stars as Gene Handsome, an LAPD homicide detective attempting to solve the murder of a beautiful young woman. Garlin also directs, from a script he penned with Andrea Siegel (who previously wrote the wonderful Laggies, in which Garlin co-starred as Keira Knightley’s dad). Natasha Lyonne co-stars as Handsome’s partner; the supporting cast includes Leah Remini, Steven Webber, Kaley Cuoco, Eddie Pepitone, Christine Woods, and (glory be) Amy Sedaris. And here’s the trailer:
Handsome (or, as they’re insisting on titling it, Handsome: A Netflix Mystery Movie) lands on Netflix on May 5. In the meantime, check out our interview with Garlin.