Martha Kelly in ‘Baskets’: Funny, if You’re O.K. With That

Martha Kelly isn’t sure why Zach Galifianakis called her “out of the blue” a couple of years ago and asked her to star in his new FX comedy, “Baskets,” which debuts Thursday, Jan. 21. But she’s pretty sure it wasn’t for her dramatic gifts.

A longtime comic who has known Mr. Galifianakis through comedy circles since the late 1990s, Ms. Kelly has performed stand-up on Comedy Central and late-night shows but had never acted in so much as a commercial before shooting the “Baskets” pilot. Created by Mr. Galifianakis, Louis C.K. and Jonathan Krisel, the series stars Mr. Galifianakis as Chip Baskets, a sad rodeo clown with more ambitious aspirations, both personal and artistic. Ms. Kelly is Martha, the demure insurance claims adjuster who tries to befriend him. She is gentle but persistent, with an unexplained cast on her forearm, and shares a muted but agreeably guileless manner with the woman who plays her.

“Zach said not to worry about the acting stuff,” Ms. Kelly said. “He 

wanted me to act like I would in real life.”

Onstage, Ms. Kelly, 47, specializes in caustic, self-deprecating jokes that often play off her bookish looks and deadpan delivery. (Her signature move in the bedroom, according to one punch line, was “what I like to refer to as the Mannequin.”) Early success on talk shows and in comedy competitions was derailed somewhat by a drinking problem, something she now refers to in her act.

“Now that I’m sober, I find I have a lot of energy to do stuff I never did before,” goes one joke, “like crying and cussing at strangers.”

Ms. Kelly (pictured with her dog, Rosie) spoke by phone from Austin, Tex., where she’s based, to discuss “Baskets,” Jar Jar Binks and that mysterious cast. These are excerpts from the conversation.

Q. Chip is pretty prickly. What do you think Martha sees in him?

A. To be honest, I’m still a little bit in the dark about that stuff. I think it’s supposed to be that he’s a really lonely person, and she’s maybe a few notches lonelier.

Why does she wear a cast?

I don’t think we find out.

You don’t have any theories

??

• r had just accidentally sat on her own hand and broke it. A lot of Zach’s humor is instinctive — knowing something’s going to be funny without overthinking it. The cast mak

• es my character seem more vulnerable, which maybe makes it funnier that his character is not very gentle toward her. I don’t know if he thinks that way or if he just thinks, Oh my God it would be so funny if she just has a cast for no reason.

• 
  

See More »

I thought it would be funny if the 

characteew York Times

Martha Kelly and Zach Galifianakis in “Baskets.” CreditBen Cohen/FX

What did you think when Zach asked you to be on the show?

At first I didn’t want to do it, because I’m not an actor. I was really scared that I would ruin it. I don’t know yet whether I did ruin it. I hope not. I don’t know why they didn’t fire me, to be honest. But I’m glad they didn’t.

The tone and energy of the performance seemed consistent with your stand-up.

That’s kind of what Zach said before we did it. However, I feel in retrospect maybe I should have taken some acting lessons. It’s like if your friend invites you to an awesome party, and they’re like, “You don’t have to bring anything,” you should bring something anyway.

Have your feelings about acting changed after doing the show?

If there is a Season 2, I will definitely put a lot more effort into acting. Can I ask you something? I haven’t done interviews and stuff — have I done anything that made anybody or the show in any way sound negative?

No.

O.K. Hopefully I don’t become the Jar Jar Binks of the show, and hopefully we do another season because I really would love to see everyone again. Also, I love money, and I’d love to get some more money.