-This show is based off a memoir
of an actual medical director at Bellevue.
-Yeah.
-Did you read the book once you found out about the role?
-No, once I found out about it --
I hadn't heard of the book when I was auditioning for the --
when we were talking about doing the show.
And that was one of the things that drew me to it,
was that it was based on, you know,
Eric's real experiences in this hospital
with real people, real patients, that it was gonna be about
healthcare, you know, from very specific source material.
-And now he's a producer on the show and will stop by set.
Does he give any advice on how to be a better fake doctor?
[ Laughter ]
-Nobody does fake doctor like me.
Yeah. He -- He does.
He really, you know, runs quality control,
keeps us honest, and makes sure that we're,
A, telling the right stories.
You know, he provides a lot of ideas for sort of
real things that he experienced, and then, yeah, makes sure
that we're -- that we're doing it as honestly as we can.
-You come by playing a fake doctor honestly.
Your parents are real doctors. -Yeah.
-You have a sister who's a nurse?
-That's right.
-Did this ever appeal to you as a real path to take?
-No. -Okay.
-First off, my family's got it covered.
-Yeah, they really do.
-My sister's an amazing nurse, and my folks are the best.
And I would be just a terrible doctor.
-Why do you think --
I also think I'd be a terrible doctor,
but why do you think you'd be a terrible doctor?
-I just can't -- I mean, we'll be at work,
and they'll be doing a fake surgery scene.
-Yeah.
-Hopefully not a real surgery scene.
-Yeah. [ Laughter ]
And, you know, they'll play video of a heartbeat,
and I just can't even -- I can't even look at it.
I will immediately just -- [ Laughter ]
It'll come from here and all over the set.
-Yeah, that's a real bad sign. Yeah.
[ Laughter ] -It's not a bad move.
Honestly, it's just another expense to just clean that up.
-But you actually shoot in real hospitals.
And people -- So you're dressed for the part.
Do people ever mistake you for a doctor, a real doctor?
-That's my biggest fear, and sometimes it does happen.
Like when we were doing the pilot --
We shoot in real hospitals all the time --
Kings County, Bellevue, and, you know, you're in scrubs.
And people have no idea.
And someone will come up and, you know --
"Uh, this way." I just point and be like,
Go -- I can't help." -Yeah.
Well, the funny thing is, if somebody ran in and is like,
"Is there a doctor here?!" and you're dressed as a doctor,
if you were like, "No"...
-And they look at you, and you go...
-And then you just look like a really cowardly doctor.
-Just, like, a jerk. Yeah, yeah.
Just sitting next to you, bleeding, going,
"Sorry, man, I can't. -"It's not my thing.
It's not my thing." -Can't help you with that.
You have a catch phrase on the show.
Are you using it in your real life?
-Yes. I mean, it's a great catch phrase,
and it ends up making its way into my life --
anybody's life. It's, "How can I help?"
is what my character says. And I was on a plane.
I was flying back to New York, and this woman was struggling,
putting a stroller up in the overhead bin.
And I just said, "How can I help?"
And a few people kind of looked, like, "Dude, you're not on TV.
Relax." [ Laughter ]
"We get it. We've seen the show.
Just help..." "Sorry."
But, yeah. -Yeah whenever --
I do it, too, whenever my kids are like, "Daddy, what's this?"
I'm like, "It's time for 'A Closer Look.'"
[ Laughter ]
You -- I want to ask --
They're like, "We're over it." They're over it.
-Big eye-roll. -So, well, I want to start --
So, I've seen these, of course, on the subway, as well.
So, first of all, this is great, 'cause this --
First, I want to show the "New Amsterdam" poster.
But a lot of people on Instagram have pointed out
it looks like you're telling them about the other poster.
-Yeah. [ Laughter ]
-Yeah. -Yeah, they're like,
"Hey, go see Blue Man Group." -In addition
to playing a doctor, I also play a New York City tour guide.
And I'm just pointing at stuff to do.
-Yeah, and we should say, your show's great,
but also, you obviously want us to watch Amy Sedaris over there.
-It's a great cake. Yeah, it's a good-looking cake.
-Some of your co-stars,
they've really enjoyed mocking you.
-Everybody, yes. As often as they can.
She does it better than I do. -She does it better.
Topher Grace, one of your "BlacKkKlansman" co-stars.
-Yeah, he's auditioning for the role, as well.
[ Laughter ]
-This is the best one, though, because when you're in
New York City, you really want someone to put graffiti on it.
-Yeah.
-This person didn't even care about the hand.
Everybody else was drawn to the hand.
-This is how you know that you're really hitting home
with the core message... -Yeah.
-...of putting the care back in healthcare.
-Yes. And I think that's true.
You've talked about this show. This is a doctor with integrity.
-Right.
-And this graffiti artist obviously appreciated that.
-This really just kind of says it all.
-"Dis bitch." -"Dis bitch."
And you can see that there. [ Laughter ]
Yeah. As you can see.
This is how New York lets you know.
[ Cheers and applause ]
-That's how they let you know. -They love me.
That's New York.
I've seen other things drawn on my forehead.
I won't say exactly what. -Yeah.
-Pretty much anything, yeah, graffiti-wise.
-But that's really nice. It is -- that makes me laugh
so hard when someone sees that and is like, "I got it."
[ Laughter ]
-Real-life meme just on your poster right there.
-Hey, well, congratulations on the show
and everything else this year.
The film is great, and the show is great.
And thanks so much for being here.
-Thanks for having me, brother.