When actor Jonathan Slavin auditioned for the ABC sitcom Dr. Ken, he actually went out for the role of Pat, now played by Dave Foley.
“They cast Dave—which they should have because he’s so brilliant—but they were having trouble casting another role which was written very differently,” explains Slavin. The role was Clark, Dr. Ken’s nurse, and it was based on somebody whom Ken Jeong had actually worked with when he was a physician in real life (yes, he was really a doctor).
Those doing the casting couldn’t find the right actor for the way Clark was written, but they liked Slavin, so they cast him as the character for the pilot. “Ken was so generous and so delighted when I made him laugh that I just wanted to be a part of the show,” recalls Slavin.
When the show was picked up, show-runner Mike Sikowitz began to talk with Slavin about his character, Clark. Since the character was going to be much different than originally written, they discussed how Slavin wanted to play him. He recalls Sikowitz asking if he wanted Clark to be gay. Since Slavin is gay in real life, his answer was ‘yes’.
“Clark is a gay character, and I’m a gay actor. I always love when we get to play ourselves; that’s very important to me,” says Slavin. “Clark is bubbly. He’s joyful. There’s a real brightness to him. It’s fun to play a character that’s so lighthearted. He’s very loyal and passionate about his friends and his relationships, and I’m actually a really loyal person as well. We share that in common.”
Slavin says that while Dr. Ken is a family comedy, he thinks it’s also one of the most diverse shows on television. The central family is Asian; Dr. Ken’s receptionist, Damona (played by Tisha Campbell-Martin) is African-American, and his nurse, Clark, is a gay man. “Dave Foley is literally our one white straight dude,” laughs Slavin. “What a beautiful snapshot of a workplace and a family show. I don’t think we can overstate how important it is to present everyone.”
Although Slavin has played roles on a number of sitcoms—including the occasional role of Mr. Powers on another ABC comedy, Speechless—he mostly played dramatic roles when he was acting in New York. “I played drug addicts, people who were suicidal, anyone with misspent youth,” he recalls. In fact, when he first came to Los Angeles, he says that no one wanted to audition him for comedies because he had primarily done serious plays.
When he landed two episodes on Caroline in the City, he said that casting people had a change of heart. They saw him as a comedic actor. Then others thought he was still more dramatic. Comedy. Drama. Comedy. Drama.
“I was like, all right, whatever. Just hire me. You send me to work, and I’m pretty happy,” says Slavin.
For Slavin, one of the best parts of working on Dr. Ken is that it’s like being part of a comedic troupe. “It’s wonderful to be with a group of people that I trust so much. When we find our funny, it’s great! There’s this wonderful exchange of energy, and so I’ve learned how to be really unguarded by having so much trust in the folks I work with,” says Slavin.
There are still times, though, when he still can’t believe where he is. “Dave Foley and I are very good friends now, and I love him. But every once in a while, I still look at him and think, ‘Oh my God—you’re a Kid in the Hall!” laughs Slavin. “I am super star-struck with all my co-workers.”
Watch Jonathan Slavin on Dr. Ken, Fridays at 8:30 p.m. on ABC.
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