Episode 196 - Lou Mustillo Interview

How did the role on Seinfeld first come about?

Um, I got a call.

I've alwa- I wanted to do it.

I was a huge fan of the show.

And, um, think I auditioned maybe k- one or two other time, maybe one other time.

And it was the final season, and I kept saying to my agents, "I really would love to do Seinfeld.

Is there anything?" So they came to me, um, and they said, "There's a really cool role.

This guy that lives in the building, Phil.

And, you know, they don't let him in, and, and [laughs] then he's sort of their foil.

He, you know, they, they bust his chops." And so I, I read it and I loved it.

And I went in and, um, it went really well.

And, um, later that day I found out that I got it.

Do you remember which scene you read for them at the audition?

It was, uh, me at the door saying, "I live here." And it was basically everything that was in the show.

Um, me, um, they, they had me standing as if I'm on an elevator, and [laughs] we read that scene.

And then when I come to the door and say, uh, he says, "Could your maid [laughs] clean up for the ..." And I say, "That's my wife." So it was basically what you saw on the show.

Gotcha.

A- and were there any specific choices you made during the audition that they really responded to? Like a line delivery or, or anything like that?

From what I remember, uh, they, what you see on the show is what I did mainly in the audition.

Um, 'cause they really, during the whole process, they didn't, there were n- they didn't give me any notes.

They, they liked what I was doing.

Um, but I remember me just saying, "Yeah." He says, "You live here?" on the elevator, and I, "Yeah."

[laughs]

And then I, "You right next?" "Yeah." And that, I think that might have been, uh, one of the, uh, moments where they said, "This guy, maybe this is Phil," you know?

[laughs] Nice.