From Ozzy to Keefe: Tony Cavalero on Transformation and Staying Grounded

Photos / Lee Jameson 

Stylist / Briana Jørgenson

Hair and Makeup / Autumn Skibinski 

In Conversation with Phil Gomez

Tony Cavalero is the comedic powerhouse you know as the lovable and unhinged Keefe Chambers on HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones. A main company member at The Groundlings, Tony’s improv chops and boundless energy make him a scene-stealer wherever he goes. We caught up with him as he prepped for The Righteous Gemstones’ fourth and final season premiere, where he spilled on all things comedy, chaos, and what’s next.

Phil: Tony! I’m a big fan of the characters you’ve played. I mean, the movies are great too, but your characters—like Dewey Finn, Ozzy Osbourne, and now Keefe Chambers—are just so impressive. I’ve really enjoy your work.

Tony: Thank you!

Phil: What has been the biggest transformation you’ve had to go through for a role?

Tony: I’d have to say it’s probably, it kind of ties in together. I had done School of Rock, and that had been canceled. I got this random audition to play Ozzy Osbourne in The Dirt, and I was like, “I’ve never been an impressionist by any means, but I’ll take a stab at it.” It was my first audition– I mean, I think we had been canceled in October, and that was my first audition around Christmastime, two months later. I put this audition on tape and hadn’t heard anything. My wife was like, “Put on eye makeup.” I put on a robe to kind of look like a dress and kind of went all out and did my best, but didn’t hear anything. I was like, “They’re going to get somebody that does, like, a professional that is like an impression person.” And next thing you know, I’m in the director session, and I booked the part.

Part of that was, I had never done this before, but they sent me to a salon in Beverly Hills before flying to New Orleans to shoot, to get my hair done just like Ozzy in ’84, to match the look exactly. Dude, I’m not kidding, I spent seven hours at the salon, back and forth with the producers in New Orleans. They wanted this look to be exact. The hardest thing about it was, it couldn’t look perfect, because Ozzy was probably getting his hair done at home. The hair products weren’t probably that great, who knows what substances he was on, or whatever. So, it wasn’t a perfect art. I did seven hours in the chair there, which I’d never experienced before, to get my hair into that crazy mullet that I had in the movie. Then, when I flew to New Orleans, we did another three hours in hair. So, I mean, just timing wise, it was wild.

Phil: There’s that saying, “It takes a lot to look cheap.”

Tony: Dude! I’ve never heard that before, but gosh, is that the truth. It’s so funny because there was all that prep to get into character. Again, that was like studying Ozzy from tapes I found online from the ’80s. Then there was the whole hair situation. I shot for one day; I did all of my Ozzy stuff for one day in New Orleans. And that was my one day of work for a six-month period. Then I had to go into pilot season with this crazy mullet. And I was like, “Maybe this look will be different. People will like it or whatever.” But pilot season was crickets. So that was my one day of work for six months, and then this magical “Gemstones” audition came about. It just so happened that terrible mullet had kind of grown out a little bit and the roots were really showing—now it was a genuinely disgusting, very authentic mullet, and it turned out to be absolutely perfect to pair with the character of Keefe for “Gemstones” when I actually went in to audition. My wife and I were on a long drive prepping for that audition. Again, that was another big swing for the fences. I didn’t really think I was right for that role, but I was like, “All right, I’m going to take a really big risk here and try a really different character.” It was actually a character that I did at The Groundlings that I just kind of tweaked a little bit. My wife and I worked on it together, and I made him southern. Synchronicity, luck, effort, and support—everything all kind of came together perfectly for that moment. So those two roles really both kind of combine to be…it’s worth the preparation. And the other thing is learning from both of those is that it’s really worth taking the big swings.

Phil: Yeah… you nailed it. Your scene in The Dirt with your Ozzy Osbourne was so small but so dynamic. Ozzy is such a legend, and you embodied him perfectly—I believed it was him. It was so cool.

Tony: Thank you.

Phil: Did you do any type of method acting for that?

Tony I am a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, so I guess there’s some method acting to that. The other thing too is coming up through The Groundlings. Anyone who knows me knows my wife makes fun of me all the time. She’s like, “You either want to be at a full sprint or laying on the couch eating pizza and donuts half asleep.” I don’t do anything half-assed, and I think that shows with that  performance and Keefe’s performance. For me, it’s just like, if you stay focused and keep taking big swings, the right things tend to come down the pipeline.

Phil: Yeah.

Tony: And that’s what I’ve been really lucky with and grateful for the last 12 years of my career. And I’ve been really lucky and grateful for that over the last 12 years of my career.

Phil: I mean, the evolution of your character, Keefe, has been really cool too.

Tony: I can’t wait for you to see this new season… It’s so special and really gives closure and completion to Keefe and the story. I think it’s really awesome. Everyone always says, “This is the best season,” but I truly believe this is the best season.

Phil: I’m definitely excited. I’m curious: was your romantic relationship with Kelvin (Gemstone) always planned, or did it develop organically?

Tony: Exactly! You hit the nail on the head; we didn’t know what it was going to be. And that’s why I think it’s so beautiful. Another amazing thing was how quickly the audience was like, “My gosh, we need this. We want this.” I feel like there was such fan support and push in that direction.

It’s so funny how naturally this evolved, and the writing just became so beautiful. We just kept trying to do justice to the characters and the story, and it just kind of unfolded into this—what started as a beautiful, awkward friendship turned into this beautiful, awkward love story.

Phil: Because it could have gone either way. It could have always been planned, but at the same time, you guys have such an awesome energy and chemistry that I could see the writers being like, “No, this is too real.”

Tony: Yeah. And I think it’s so funny because Danny (McBride) always writes toward our strengths, and I feel like he saw the genuine friendship that Adam (DeVine) and I had and was kind of writing toward that. Somehow that kind of turned into this love story, which is so funny because Adam and I would work out together all the time and go really hard, and then that came into the God Squad in season two. And then I think through that, it’s funny with Keefe, too, is that in this season, there’s no God Squad, there’s no Smut Busters. So, it’s just Keefe being able to support his partner now without any of the riffraff. And of course, being Keefe, he’s going to have to stumble through that and discover what that means for him too. And of course, there are going to be some tumbles and falls and mishaps, being that it’s the Gemstones.

Phil: I’m definitely excited for this new season and to see the rest of the character’s evolution. You also mentioned—I mean, you’re a Groundlings alum—has there ever been a moment of improv where you just totally went off script, and it actually made it into the final cut?

Tony:  Danny, again, writes to our strengths but is very open to, “Hey, what if we changed this a little bit?” or “I added this little physicality.” Keefe is so much about these little physicalities. So, for me, I can always kind of pinpoint those moments, but there’s a point in the trailer where Keefe says, “On Gay Reddit, they call them squirt yurts.” That’s in the most recent trailer, and that was one of our improvs.

The director, David Green, was like, “All right, let’s think of 10 in a row and just do them rapid fire.” And I’m 99% sure that was one of the improvs we came up with. And then, in another episode—I don’t want to give anything away—but there is a thunderstorm. And there is a, let’s say, erotic moment at the end of this thunderstorm scene that may or may not have been a pitch from me to the director and ended up making it in. I think it’s a very impactful—and I’m going to put this in quotes “pulsating” and funny scene that the audience will enjoy. But again, those are just little physicalities. There was a moment with the God Squad where there’s a big muscly dude, and I smack him in the titty. I remember going, it was David again directing, and I went up to him, and then I went up to the other actor. I said, “Hey, can I smack you in the pec on this take?” And again, that made it in, and it’s such a fun little moment.

So, I was really lucky to get a chance to do that. And again, a lot of my stuff, and even coming up through The Groundlings, was all physical humor. The God Squad stuff, where I do the splits and I bounce my butt cheeks—I mean, that was all improvised in the moment. And it was so gratifying to hear Danny laughing back in the video village right in the middle of the take. So, I’ve been really lucky in regards to having some really special little key physicality moments that have made it in, that have been improvised.

Phil: I’m sure it comes naturally to you, since that’s your background in acting—you probably can’t hold yourself back.

Tony: Everything’s especially The Groundlings when we come up with these characters, and we think point of view and perspective. That’s one thing, but you also don’t forget that physicality is a huge part of it. And so for me, coming from a Division One sports background, I did martial arts when I was younger. I was a three-sport athlete in high school. And even when I was teeny tiny, I did tap, ballet, and jazz dance. And so for me, I love to incorporate that stuff, and I love to use my body and find places where I can utilize some of those skills.

Phil: I mean, you have to. That’s what I feel like makes your characters dynamic because you pull from everything.

Tony: Exactly.

Phil: What keeps you sane in the madness of Hollywood?

Tony: My angel wife, our two rescue dogs, and then, of course, my 12-step program. I have a sponsor, and I sponsor guys. I’ve been doing that for a little over 15 years. I do therapy as well. I throw the kitchen sink at it. I know that as your life gets bigger, your spirituality and your self-care have to match that, and you can lose perspective and grip on reality really quick if you’re not grounded in that way. I’m not saying I’m perfect in any regard, but I really try and lean into that stuff and believe in the power of prayer. I don’t meditate as much as I should, but therapy and all of that—mental health is the real wealth, man. Self-care is key.

Phil: Therapy is very important. And I mean, a lot of the time, different cultures see therapy as a…

Tony: a sign of weakness. I think that whole stigma is ridiculous; it’s a sign of strength, self-care, and self-love. They say it all the time on planes, “You have to put the oxygen mask on yourself before you can put an oxygen mask on anyone else.” So, how are you supposed to take care of your family and friends if you’re not taking care of yourself?

Phil: No, totally. You have to be comfortable and truly own who you are—be grounded in your sense of self—before you can do anything for anyone else.

Tony: Bingo, Phil.

Phil: I know that you’re a big animal lover and your dogs are a big presence in your social media.

Tony: Yes, they are.

Phil: I was curious if there were to be a movie about your dogs, what sort of movie would it be?

Tony: It’s funny because we have two rescue pups: Tippi, who is 13 and a little terrier mix, and Maggie, who is 12 and a husky mix. They’re truly Pinky and the Brain, so I think it would be some kind of animated Pinky and the Brain type of feature where my wife and I would be background characters, but they would be scheming how to get the most treats or…

Phil: Wait, I love that.

Tony: But they’re rescue dogs, too. So, they both have a screw loose, so it’s just the wackadoodle characters that they would be so fun to see brought to life. my gosh, now you got me thinking I need to write a script for Tippi and Maggie.

Phil: I think you need to. That actually sounds like a fun movie.

Tony: It could be like “The Brave Little Toaster.” That’s kind of what I’m thinking—I’m thinking something like that, where it all takes place in one house and…

Phil: You left them alone for one day,…

Tony: Exactly! I was just going to say maybe a Home Alone type situation and somebody’s trying to break in and they have to save the day.

Phil: Hey, you heard it here first!

Tony: (laughs) Yes!

Phil: Your Instagram also I feel such a reflection of who you are. and feels very, just fun and authentic.

Tony: Thank you.

Phil: What’s something that about you that people are usually surprised when they meet you?

Tony: It’s a good question. I’m very much a heart-on-my-sleeve kind of person. I don’t know… For a long time… It’s funny. Before, I’d be like, “I can’t be emotional,” and it’s like you watch Keefe for any second and you’re like, “No.” I assume that person can be emotional. I mean, probably that I went to a military college, and I almost went that route. But I think anybody that knows my discipline and my kind of work ethic, and work ethic in the gym, they’re like, “That all makes sense.” But I say that would probably surprise people.

And, when I was a little kid… I was a fat kid. I was 215 pounds my freshman year in high school. And so Chris Farley was like my idol. And so I feel like as soon as people hear that, they’re like, “Okay. That all tracks. This all makes sense.”

Phil: No, the military is definitely a wild card for sure.

Tony: Yeah. I mean, I didn’t commission into the military, but there were sure a couple years there where I was seriously considering it. And then I vacationed in LA one time and was like, “Oh my gosh, I’ve never seen anything like this before.” I met a few actors, and when you’re growing up in Northern Virginia, and my parents were splitting up, my mom was coming out of the closet—it was just like, all right, this is a better time than any to, I guess, graduate from this military college and move to LA and see if I can make it in this crazy, acting industry.

Phil: And if you didn’t make it, what would you be doing?

Tony: It’s so funny, I didn’t have any outs, and I think that was really another great thing for my trajectory—I didn’t have any backup plan. I mean, of course, there’s a world where it was like, I guess I’d go back and get my master’s in history and be a history teacher, or I could have always commissioned into the army, and they probably would have let me go straight into officer candidate school right away because I went to the college that I went to.

But for me, those weren’t even options. I was like, I’m doing this thing, especially when I started at The Groundlings where there were actual tangible goals. If I can get into one of these performance companies, I know those people work that are in those companies. I always tell people, you can change your goal or your goals as many times as you want, but the more finely focused you can get, I think the better. For The Groundlings itself, I was just like, I just want to get my face up on that wall. I want to get my headshot up on that wall and being in one of those performance companies because I know people who have their headshot on that wall, they work. And so, I was laser-focused, and that was my life for a decade, was just working my way up through there. And it worked out.

Phil: Yeah. I’m glad you’re getting your flowers  because it’s deserving.

Tony: Thank you, Phil.

Phil: I felt like I just watched a TED talk.

Tony: Thanks, I’ll take it, that made my day.

Phil: And I think your story is so cool

Tony: I mean, we didn’t even talk about me being a janitor for the first six years I lived in LA.

Phil: where?

Tony: I was a janitor. Cleaned the toilets — not very well. I was on the verge of being fired constantly. Again, I was drinking and using at the time, but I was a janitor at the El Portal Playhouse in North Hollywood, right off of Magnolia and Lankershim, for six years.

Phil: Hey, you have to get in somehow!

Tony: Hey, man, they were flexible. The pay was good. I actually got to meet some people. I mean, it’s so funny that Edi Patterson—who plays Judy on The Gemstones—actually did a play at that playhouse. And that was like the first time I got to meet her. I had finished up my shift, and she was grabbing some wardrobe or something. And I was like, “Hey, I work here, but I’m taking classes at The Groundlings.” Because she was in the main company at The Groundlings at the time, and she was so nice. And look at us 15 years later, now we’re on the same show.

Phil: That’s so crazy.

Tony: It’s just amazing.

Phil: I mean, that just means that you’re supposed to be where you are—everything happens in its own time. If you could give your future self some advice, what would it be?

Tony: I think it’s always—pause. You’re never too busy to just take a second, and a breath, and ask for some guidance. For me, a lot of the time that’s asking my higher power, “How can I be of service right now?” Because a lot of times when I get super wound up, I completely lose sight of anyone else.

And so, if I can take a step back… My wife just made me a ring for our anniversary. She makes amazing jewelry, and she put “pause” on the bottom of it. So anytime I feel crazy, I can just turn my hand upside down and read that, “pause,” and just remember to take a second to reflect and relax, and know that I’ve got a powerful higher power that loves me and wants me to be happy, joyous, and free.

Phil: I love that. That’s so great. And it’s true. I mean, we’re always trying to compete and see what’s next, but it’s important to, like you said, pause and really be present. We need to do that more.

Tony: Yes, you got that right though.

Phil: I feel like we’ve covered a lot and I know you have to get ready for the premiere. Are there any dream or upcoming projects you want to tell us about?

Tony: So, I got that awesome indie feature that I star in and executive produced called Cold Wallet, a cryptocurrency thriller. It’s in limited release in theaters right now, and it’s available for purchase and rental on all your video on demand platforms. And then obviously, we’ve got Gemstones coming on Sunday. I’ve got another movie that I did with Simon Rex and Brenda Song called Operation Taco Gary’s that will be out this year.

And then, not sure if it’s going to come out this year, but I just shot a boxing biopic with Sydney Sweeney—a really cool drama directed by Oscar-nominated David Michôd that should be out end of year or early next year. And then just shot a comedy pilot for CBS. So, we’re waiting to hear about that probably in the spring whether or not we’ll be doing that.

Phil: Nice! That all sounds great. Thank you, Tony, and have fun tonight.

Tony: Thank you, buddy!

Chainmail, Mythrojan. 

Sunglasses, Bonnie Clyde. Leather trench Jonathan Marc Stein. Leather Pants, De Florencio @maisonpriveepr_la. Boots, vintage (stylist own). Necklace and Rings, Rare Romance.

Jacket, Asta Razma. Sunglasses (stylist own). Chain and Rings, Rare Romance. Pants -De Florencio @deflorenciofashion @maisonpriveepr_la. Boots, vintage (stylist own).

Necklace, Annie Cavalero. Hat, vintage, Western Costume. Jacket, Leather Belt w heart buckle and Boots, Vintage (stylist own). Jeans, Wrangler.

Full look, Phipps.

CONNECT WITH TONY:

INSTAGRAM