David Cross on Todd Margaret, Tobias Fünke and A**holes Like Will Arnett

Todd Margaret doesn't seem like a fish out of water in the U.K. because he is a fish out of water everywhere really.

Oh yeah, he is very socially unaware and just doesn't get it. The whole scene with Amber Tamblyn is indicative of that. He is one of those guys -- and I know plenty of them -- who mistake kindness for affection.

Tobias was similarly socially unaware. What draws you to these characters?

It's not a conscious thing. When I originally got the Arrested Development script and they asked me to read for Gob, I didn't get the Gob character but I immediately got Tobias and he seemed more fun. There was definitely some kind of attraction and excitement. I saw what was written on the page and I immediately knew how I would play him. But with Todd Margaret, the story came first.

Why do you think you're so good at playing these types of guys?

That almost sounded like an insult. Because they're fun to play! Tobias was a blast. I think maybe, if you look at the bigger picture, I get to interact with just cream-of-the-crop great actors and great comic actors. That helps. I remember telling Will, because we wrote his part with him in mind, "Man, I'm kind of jealous. I like Todd Margaret but I'd really love to play your character. He's going to be so much fun to play."

If I had a choice, I'd play Will's character in the show because he is just such an unrepentant, crass douchebag and those are fun characters to play too.

Do you really think you could be a convincing a**hole though?

F*ck yeah! Absolutely. Maybe not like Will. <span

class="pullquote right">I think it's even grosser to see someone like me be that self-confident. There's almost a hate-able quality to it. With a good-looking guy, you go, "I kind of get it." But with a guy like me, you hate him even more.

Have you ever told a career-changing lie like Todd Margaret?

I'm actually not that good of a liar. I'm really bad at it. And I've done plenty of kind of jokey, pranky stuff where I've f*cked with people but to better my social status or my career or a relationship, no. Some people lie consciously or pathologically but I just can't do that. If anything, I am forthcoming to a fault. I've had people tell me, "No one wants to hear every one of your f*cking thoughts. You talk too much." I'm just about as far from the Todd Margaret character as I could be.

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