Entertainment
Daniel Radcliffe on the Ridiculous ‘30 Rock’ Cameo He Wants in ‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins’
Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for ‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins’ Episode 4
Summary
As we near the halfway point of NBC’s funniest new sitcom, The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, Daniel Radcliffe’s documentarian character, Arthur, is already in much deeper than he was probably meant to be. What starts as a film about Reggie’s (Tracy Morgan) comeback turns into something a lot more personal for Arthur, who Radcliffe tells Collider is “actually pretty unhinged and in a pretty desperate place in his life.”
That kind of tension gives the show’s fourth episode, “Save the Cat,” so much of its edge and humor. Reggie’s search for Namath the cat might look like a way to earn back Duck Donovan’s (Corbin Bernsen) trust, but it turns into something a lot sadder and more revealing, especially as Arthur starts to understand why this so-called lost cause matters so much. Back at home, Monica’s (Erika Alexander) attempt to get back into dating brings out some of the episode’s biggest laughs thanks to Rusty (Bobby Moynihan), even if Carmelo’s (Jayln Hall) reaction reminds us how much change this family is dealing with all at once.
When Collider spoke with Radcliffe, Moynihan, Hall, and Precious Way, the cast revealed how Arthur is becoming a big part of the family, Rusty’s place as the home’s unexpected source of comfort, and Carmelo’s real fear of losing the one constant he thought he could count on. Radcliffe also had one very clear response to a possible 30 Rock crossover moment: “Please make that happen.”
Radcliffe Teases Arthur Gets More Unhinged as ‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins’ Goes On
Meanwhile, Moynihan says Rusty might be “the most emotionally at peace” in the house.
From Episodes 1 to 4, the show really nails the nuance between people that you think you know who they are, but you really don’t. Did either of you feel a connection to that while playing your characters?
MOYNIHAN: I have it easy. I feel like Rusty thinks he’s the king of his own world, and I think he kind of is. [Laughs] I think Rusty might be the most…
RADCLIFFE: There is a world in which he’s kind of the most emotionally at peace, I think, of any of the characters.
MOYNIHAN: He is! I think he is. He’s figured it out. But he just wants people to join him. He wants to be included.
RADCLIFFE: Honestly, you just remind me of my son. My son is like that. Sorry, it’s a tangent. We were in a library the other day, and he was at this little kitchenette set that they had in the library, and he was playing with some stuff. My son’s almost three, and this older kid, like five or six, just came over and absolutely rinsed him. He took a bunch of the stuff he was playing with, threw a bunch of other stuff on the table, and walked away. My son turned to me and went, “He’s playing with me.” It was heartbreaking. It was so sweet. I was like, “No, bro, he’s not, but it’s really nice that you think he was.” Sorry. I’ll answer your question now.
MOYNIHAN: I’m sorry. I’m going to go leave and beat up that kid.
RADCLIFFE: It was tough. So, I do think the appeal about Arthur is that he’s somebody who, on the surface, when he comes in, seems like he has got it all under control and like he’s got himself together, but actually, as you learn more about him, you realize that he’s actually pretty unhinged and in a pretty desperate place in his life. As the series goes on, his desperation to make this documentary work means he is becoming a more and more unhinged person.
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Bobby, your character, I love how there’s a lot behind him that we don’t know yet. He enters the show as Reggie’s best friend, but by Episode 4, he’s also the emotional utility player for the entire house. When did you realize Rusty’s job wasn’t just to be funny, but to also sort of absorb everyone’s tension and be that relief for everyone when they need it most?
MOYNIHAN: Oh my God, that’s me in real life. [Laughs] No, coming in, I knew my job was to be the funny guy in the basement, but then by Episode 4, my favorite thing about this show is it’s like, “Oh, this is a me and Erika [Alexander] episode,” or “This is a me and Tracy [Morgan] episode.” Once we started pairing off, or we all started having our own little pockets of like, “This is how we act together,” and “This is how we act together,” when we all come together as a family in that living room to shoot a scene, it felt better. It felt like we were becoming more of a family. So, I think I and Rusty naturally just feel more comfortable around them and got better with them.
Radcliffe and Moynihan Explain Why Arthur and Rusty Can’t Stay on the Sidelines
Radcliffe’s response to a possible Tracy Jordan cameo: “Please make that happen.”
Daniel, Arthur mirrors Reggie more and more as the season goes on. From Episodes 1 to 4, we see that there’s the avoidance, the shame, the fear of being seen going out. By Episode 4, though, do you think Arthur realizes he’s no longer just the observer, he’s sort of enabling things to be a certain way?
RADCLIFFE: I think that’s the battle that he has throughout the series, is that he has these rules and this code of ethics when it comes to documentary filmmaking, and we must remain separate, a sort of church and state thing. But actually, as he’s carrying on, he realizes that not only is that becoming harder to maintain, but also he really likes these people, and they have actually been incredibly kind to him and are showing him more kindness and friendship than a lot of other people in his life have. So, I think his journey across this series is admitting to himself that he’s not going to be objective, and he is becoming a part of this family.
I know you’re both huge fans of 30 Rock, so for a show that quietly lives in that universe, I clocked little things, but are there any Easter eggs that you guys saw, or even had no idea they were going to be put in there when you were watching and looking at the script?
MOYNIHAN: They’re drinking Donaghy wine in the first episode. I’m looking through files or something, and Mr. Frumpus comes up, from [Unbreakable] Kimmy Schmidt. There’s a lot of Tina [Fey]/Robert [Carlock] universe Easter eggs in it.
RADCLIFFE: And Mike Carlsen, who plays… What’s the character’s name in our show?
MOYNIHAN: The guy who screams at Reggie.
RADCLIFFE: Yeah, the Jets fan. Nick! In theory, he is potentially related to other versions of that character.
I loved seeing that. Robert and Sam [Means] were talking about having, in, like, Season 7, Tracy Jordan play Reggie Dinkins. It would look like the Spider-Man meme!
RADCLIFFE: That’s incredible. Please make that happen. We have to run long enough for that to happen.
MOYNIHAN: Yeah, exactly.
Hall and Way Break Down Carmelo and Brina’s Very Different Reactions to Monica Dating
Brina “becomes protective of Monica” as the season goes on.
So, in Episode 4, “Save the Cat,” Carmelo finds out that Monica is getting dating advice from Rusty, which hits him kind of hard, but it’s also very funny. Jalyn, what do you think Carmelo is really reacting to in that moment, especially when we see him supporting her later on with that video?
HALL: I think it’s more so the sentiment that Carmelo has really been focused on all the changes that his father has been going through, because there have been so many over the years. With mom, like you said, this is mom — mom is only ever going to be mom, and she’s going to stay that way. I think that this is the realization of, like, “Oh, not only is my dad going through changes, but my mom, my cornerstone, the one thing that is supposed to be a constant and never change, is trying to get back into the dating field?”
I feel like for him, he’s always been the one to get the most attention from his mother, and now with her getting back out there, that’s a change in the dynamic. And surprisingly enough, he’s seen the efficiency that Rusty dates with, so, “If he’s the coach, oh my god, I’m doomed.” So he has to put a stop to it. He has to put a stop to it.
Precious, Brina and Monica have this great scene in Episode 3, where she decides to trust her, and they have this really close relationship. What does that relationship start to look like as the series progresses, especially as we see her now rooting for Monica when she does eventually start dating?
WAY: To people’s surprise, Brina… Well, she already loves Monica, admires her, and wants to be friends. So, no matter how unlikely, that’s just the attitude that she has. She has such an appreciation for her, as do I with Erika [Alexander] in real life. I love her. And I feel like Brina becomes protective of Monica as the series goes on. I feel like Brina is a lover, you know? And she has no problem saying what’s on her mind and being out there with how she feels and protecting what she loves, and that includes Monica. So it’ll be fun to see how that unfolds and how people see that in the coming episodes. I think people will really get a kick out of that.
Hall and Way Share What Tracy Morgan Brings to the Set of ‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins’
After Episode 4, Brina is “locked and loaded” while Carmelo is pulled in two directions.
I will say, Tracy [Morgan] is a legend, and for you guys sharing those scenes with him, I love the dynamics because there are so many different elements of comedy that we see between all of you, but he’s also so human and heartfelt on camera. What’s the funniest thing that you learned just by watching him work so close to you guys in those moments you share, or maybe something you never thought to put into effect as an actor for yourself?
HALL: Oh, that’s a great question.
WAY: That really is a good question.
WAY: I mean, not that we don’t already, but I feel like Tracy has a way of fully committing. You know how people say, “Don’t just dip your toe in the pool, completely get in if you’re gonna get in?” Well, Tracy dives in, and he stays underwater, in the sense of his work and his acting. He brings so much of his heart and who he is as a person to the role, to where you just automatically feel comfortable and settled in. He has this way of making you feel comfortable as a viewer, as an actor, everything, and I feel like if I could steal or borrow or learn a little piece of that, that’s definitely a gift.
HALL: Yes. And then one thing I would say that’s not necessarily out-of-the-box thinking, but keeping the scene going through, even when we’re not filming. What that looks like is there’ll definitely be times where we’re setting up shots, or we’ve yelled cut!, but he’ll keep going. He’s talking, he’s building that rapport that can easily be picked up in the scene. So, those times where you’ll maybe cut to a group shot of us, the conversation, you’re catching us in the middle of it. That’s never the start of it. And I feel like that kind of helps the flow of the scene, the emotions through the scene, how we’re feeling through the scene, and also gets those creative juices and comedic juices flowing to help the scene be that much better. I’ve kind of watched and learned that from him, too.
After Episode 4, what’s the biggest shift for each of your characters? How will we see some of these dynamics shift for the rest of the season?
WAY: Ooh, I think for Brina, she just steps more into her power and more into her mission in life, and what she wants and her belief in her family. She really just takes the whole experience on fully. She’s like, “Okay, the cameras are going to be here. This is my family. This is what we’re after. I’m locked and loaded. I’m ready to be a team player. I’m ready to get the ball rolling for the whole game plan.” I feel like we see her step more into her power and where she lies within the family.
HALL: I think that for Carmelo, in comparison, I feel like he’s kind of like…a diagram. So, you have two circles and then the little oval, diamond thing in the middle. On this side, he’s still a teenage boy, right? He’s still living his life, growing up, and doing teenage things. But on this side, he wants to be there for his family in a way that may be a little bit like Overwatch. You know, when you walk behind someone, and they might drop something, you’re there to see it and pick it up. He kind of does that for his family. But he’s kind of in the middle, where he’s bopping between both of those sides.
I feel like the dynamic for him, you will definitely see him indulge in his teenage, living-his-personal-life side, and going out and doing teenage things, and then also having to jump back into his more parental, well, third parental side. I feel like that dynamic and that balance is very interesting to watch because you’ll see him do this, and you’ll be like, “Oh, look at Carmelo!” And then you’ll see this, and you’ll be like, “Look at Carmelo!” And I can’t wait for you guys to see that.
This interview has been edited and abridged for clarity and length.
The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins airs Monday nights at 8:30 p.m. EST on NBC and streams the next day on Peacock.
The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins
- Release Date
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January 18, 2026
- Directors
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Rhys Thomas