Joel McHale on WA upbringing, role in Brittany Snow’s ‘Parachute’

Joel McHale is a man of many talents.

Primarily known for his starring role as Jeff Winger in the comedy “Community,” he’s also starred in “The Great Indoors,” “Stargirl” and “Animal Control.” McHale also excels as a television presenter, having hosted “The Soup” for 11 years, “Card Sharks,” “The Joel McHale Show With Joel McHale,” various awards shows and “Crime Scene Kitchen.”

Born in Rome, where his father was working as the dean of students at Loyola University’s Rome Center, McHale was primarily raised on Mercer Island, where his parents still live.

“My parents had to make a choice of either raising Italian kids or American kids. My mum is Canadian, so we could have even been Canadian kids. But they chose Seattle. They went from center-of-the-universe Rome to sleepy Seattle.”

A few years later, McHale’s parents briefly relocated the family to Haddonfield, N.J., only to quickly realize how much they liked Washington, so they moved back. But while their time on the East Coast was relatively short, this is where McHale’s love of performing and acting originated.

“I was in a stage version of ‘It’s a Small World,’ the Disney ride, in Haddonfield. That’s no joke. They used to do plays of Disney rides. My parents tell me I played all these little roles in the play. They said I was in the town newspaper. That’s where I caught the bug. It was just super, super fun.”

While attending St. Monica Catholic School on Mercer Island, McHale performed in plays around the sixth and seventh grade. By that point he’d also begun to excel in sports.

When he got to the University of Washington, McHale wasn’t just recruited onto its rowing team, he was a walk-on tight end of the football squad, too. But while McHale knew he wouldn’t be able to make it as an athlete, he knew he had the drive to make it as a performer. Over the years he’d been obsessed with television.

“I know people talk about work-life balance, but I just love acting, hosting and doing stand-up. That’s my escape. That’s my downtime. Much to the chagrin of my family sometimes. I just wanted to make my hobby work. I just love doing this thing, and I wanted to do it until the job police came and took me away. I can’t believe I get paid to do it. I don’t know why I got so lucky.”

Soon, Los Angeles was calling. While he didn’t have instant success, McHale’s charming yet mischievous presence soon helped him land many a role. It also caught the eye of actor Brittany Snow, who saw that McHale would be perfect for her directorial debut, “Parachute,” now available on video on demand. The drama revolves around Riley (Courtney Eaton), who, after being released from rehab due to struggles with food addiction and body image, meets Ethan (Thomas Mann). The two navigate love as they deal with a new addiction.

McHale plays Jamie, the father of Ethan, who suffers from alcoholism.

“I didn’t know Brittany. But I was a fan of her work, so I jumped at the chance to work with her when she offered me the role. I read the script and I just knew it was going to be good.”

While McHale’s part in “Parachute” isn’t that big, he says it was an “honor to be a part of something so fun and challenging.” Even though it was her Snow’s film behind the camera, McHale calls her a natural.

“She was in total control. It was a very small movie, with a small amount of shooting days, insane hours, everyone is moving at breakneck speed, and it was during COVID. But she knew exactly what she wanted. She had the whole puzzle in her head. “

This was particularly impressive to McHale, considering the sensitive subject matter.

“It’s about love and addition. It’s not an easy thing to cover. But she personalized it and made it funny. She unapologetically walks right into the issues, while still being really funny.”

In his own inimitable fashion, McHale even calls “Parachute” one of the films he’s most proud to have worked on.

“I’m just really happy to be in something that’s so good. I’ve been in a lot of crap, so I know when something is good.”