'Peeples' Star Craig Robinson on Safe Words & First Impressions

Okay, I'm forward.

I'm here with Craig Robinson.

and right before we started rolling, I was mentioning that Jack Black and I did an interview where he could wiggle body parts and and and your response was I wiggled an ear.

Both ears.

What is it with actors and being able to wiggle wiggle ears?

You just, you know, you've It's one of those things you figure out when you're young and you just, you know, figuring out things about your body.

I guess.

I was doing other things.

I'm sorry.

So the last time we interviewed you was at the office Office Party.

Wrap party.

Yes, but we interviewed you before you went into the party.

How did it how did it go?

Cause when you're do when you have a wrap party for The Office.

I imagine it would get pretty pretty insane.

It was uh, it was, you know, it was a lot of fun.

There's a lot of people from uh different seasons, you know, from every department came in.

It was really a nice, you know, send off and uh uh way to say goodbye and um, get drunk.

It's always key at an office party, right?

Always key, yes.

So in the spirit of Peeples, which you're here for today, um, we have a gift for you.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Don't get too excited.

Okay, okay.

What is this?

You can open your eyes now.

Feel it.

See if you can figure out what it is.

Ice cream?

No.

Peeples.

Oh, if you're not allergic.

Peanuts!

Because Grace says peanuts.

That's her safe word.

That's her safe word.

That's Carrie's safe word.

Who's just in here, by the way, and I have a girl crush on Carrie.

Just saying.

I have a boy crush on Carrie.

Do you do you when you shoot with her the whole time, are you just sort of like trying to get past the fact that she's the whole package, gorgeous, talented?

I cherished every kiss with Carrie.

Yeah, it was yeah, it was phenomenal.

I think there was a take and a scene where we're where we all, she's dancing with her sister and uh and um her father's playing sax.

You know the big scene at the end where like we shared a kiss, uh and I think I kissed her a little longer than she expected me to.

They they said cut and you just kept going.

Well, well, I would cut when they cut, but but I I just think it went on a little longer than she expected.

Right.

And how did she cope with that?

Which uh Hey, you gotta hey, you're acting.

You gotta stay in the You gotta stay in the scene.

That's what it is.

You can't break character, right?

Exactly.

And you would be because you were absolutely in love with her and wanted to propose, which reminds me to ask you, you you present her with a ring in this film.

The diamond's a little small.

I'm being frank.

I know it's a family heirloom.

However,

Well, Wade is a, you know, a council with a K. He can't even afford the C. So, you know, you gotta figure that Yeah.

he's going to uh

So, do you think women care about the size of the ring?

Uh, absolutely.

I think I mean, I mean, I think there are different versions.

I think some women don't

Different versions of women or different different versions of women who care about the, like some women like don't want a ring and some women are like, it's gotta be

I've never met that woman.

I yeah, but then you know, you gotta watch those cuz they might want something else.

Yes.

You know.

True.

When did the ring start?

How about that?

Do you know that the answer to that?

No.

Who started the tradition of the wedding ring?

No.

Did you find this out when researching for this film?

I have no idea.

I was just asking you.

Oh, I thought you had some a great piece of trivia.

What do I look like that kind of girl that's researched rings?

Oh, you just you just know things.

I don't know.

I've seen you in action.

Oh.

Yes, you you absolutely have.

So wait, did I read somewhere that you used to be a teacher?

Cuz in this film, you play a Music teacher.

Kindergarten through eighth grade.

You you sing and you, you know.

I taught in Indiana for a year and then Chicago for three years.

So was this a happy coincidence?

In elementary.

Um, well, for the movie?

Yeah.

Uh, yeah, no.

Kind of.

The music has always been uh my partner in life and and especially through my career.

So, usually if I end up in something, uh a lot of times it's happened that, oh, it's like I'm a musician or let's put this music scene in here, uh for whatever reason.

So, it's it's uh, yeah, a happy coincidence.

I mean, I've heard you sing before, but never Say It, Don't Spray It.

Say it, don't spray it.

Yeah, speak it, don't leak it.

Um, well, that was the character.

I did not write that.

Stephen Bray wrote that.

It's a very funny script.

It's ridiculous.

Uh, well, thank you very much.

The film is hysteric.

I mean, the the theater that I saw it in, you almost couldn't hear the film cuz people were laughing so hard.

We had such a I'm so glad that that's transferring Yeah.

to these crowds because uh we couldn't have had more fun making it.

I mean, it's the most fun and I've had a lot of fun in my career making movies and TV and stuff, but uh this was the most fun uh I've had to make a movie.

Why do you think that is?

Because, well, David Alan Grier for one, funnest dude on the planet.

Um, and then everybody's like super talented, so we were like singing and harmony and just hanging out and uh living in a house together while we were working.

So, we have a little game for you.

Okay.

It's an either/or and it's about making first impressions, which you try to make a great first impression on your father-to-be in this film.

And it doesn't always go well.

Searching for that validation.

But we are going to give you a couple a couple.

We're going to play either/or.

We're going to give you a couple instances.

You tell me which, when making a first impression, which is worse.

Okay.

Clogging the toilet or burping several times at dinner?

Clogging the toilet.

I would spend hours.

I would just not come out.

Like so clogging the toilet is worse.

Backing into your significant other's parents' car in the driveway or playing a game of football and shattering a window?

I'm gonna go with the shattering a window.

Carrie said the opposite.

The car.

The car.

Because not only do you destroy property, but with the car, but you look massively irresponsible.

Like, football, nobody expects me to play football, but driving, people sort of are gonna assume, hopefully, that I can drive.

Yeah, she's smarter.