StarWars.com chats with Henry about playing R2-D2 in the Family Guy: Star Wars specials, launching The Cleveland Show, hanging out with director David Lynch and rediscovering Star Wars with his son.
What is your first Star Wars memory?
In 1977, I saw Star Wars at the Ridge Cinema in Richmond, Virginia with my still-good friend Gordon Stettinius when I was 11. I was just blown away. Darth Vader has such a presence I had never seen before. Then against all odds, Luke blows up the Death Star! It's truly the all-time classic story.
I have a 5-year-old son, so he's reintroduced me to Star Wars. We watch Star Wars a lot. I always loved Episodes IV, V and VI, and my son has gotten me into Episodes I, II and III. We've seen all The Clone Wars episodes. We just finished reading The Life and Legend of Obi-Wan Kenobi which is a little bit older book for him. So I love, love Star Wars!
Who do you think is the funniest character in Star Wars?
Chewbacca! I used imitate Chewbacca all the time. It used to be part of my stand-up act in the early '90s. I'd imitate Magic Johnson doing a commercial with Chewbacca for a bathroom air sanitizer called Clear the Zone.
What was your favorite Star Wars toy you had as a kid?
If we're going to talk toys, I have to shift the conversation to my son Jack who has almost every Star Wars toy imaginable. My wife and I got him the really cool Millennium Falcon that does everything last year for Christmas. He gets an action figure every time we go to Target.
He has three lightsabers, three different blasters, the Rex and Cody costumes, the Star Wars pop-up book and Star Wars Fatheads of Darth Vader, Yoda and Boba Fett on his wall.
Since you're obviously a fan, how was it playing the role Cleveland as R2-D2 in the Family Guy: Star Wars specials?
I enjoyed it tremendously. The whole experience of doing the Family Guy version of those movies has been fun. I also played old Ben Kenobi, and I think of that more than I think of Artoo. And I loved playing Greedo!
Why is it so much fun to do Star Wars references on TV shows like Family Guy?
The imagination it took to bring Star Wars to life is something that we all appreciate. It's the ultimate thing we all wish we could have thought of and it just gets you so excited. You always want to do the same things your heroes do, so this is a chance to pay tribute to Star Wars in our own way with our own voice. It's just basically an homage to the awesomeness of it all.
Why did you want to take Cleveland out of Family Guy and let him have his own show?
Certainly in making a TV spin-off you don't want to re-create the original. Out of all the characters on Family Guy, Cleveland is kind of a departure. He's a sensible, sweet, likeable person as an individual. He's someone that you root for. And frankly, having written for Family Guy for seven years, there's a lot of Cleveland stuff that never made it to air because there wasn't room for it.
It's a sweeter show, and more of a family show since it's family-based with Cleveland and his son 14-year-old Cleveland Jr. combining with his high school sweetheart and her children.
We are just as out there with our jokes, celebrity references, pop culture references, bathroom humor and everything else that will hopefully make you laugh from the gut. At the end of the day though, we have some nice feelings coming out of the episode.
How much do you relate to the character Cleveland?
Cleveland is largely me. He's a good guy. He can react to the craziness around him, and create his own craziness, but it's all coming from a place of good intentions.
What can Family Guy fans expect to see on The Cleveland Show?
It's the same brand of humor. You can expect musical numbers that will be much funkier. In fact, we have Scottie Pippen, the former Chicago Bulls player singing a song with Cleveland Jr. called "Balls Deep" which is about being so deep in love that it's like falling into the ball pit at Chuck E. Cheese's.
