David Koechner makes obnoxious men funny without making them especially agreeable. We rate him as an ensemble comic, though the repeated casting as a loud nuisance can leave too little for him to do.
Fi1m perspective
The rasp and the volume tell us what sort of company David Koechner is going to be. He is frequently cast as the crass supporting character, and we like the bluntness he brings to ensemble comedy. The limitation is familiar too: being asked to play an obnoxious man does not always mean being given enough to play.
Wag the Dog (1997) offers an early appearance, with Koechner credited as the Director in Barry Levinson's comedy. We laughed at Dustin Hoffman's practical approach to deception, which he treats as another production problem to be solved. The performances and dialogue make the film worth watching even when its satire is less searching than its confidence suggests. This is an early example of the supporting work that makes up much of Koechner's career, though hardly the place to start for Koechner himself.
His familiar comic character comes into focus with Champ Kind in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004), his breakthrough alongside Will Ferrell and Steve Carell. Todd Packer, the crude salesman he played on The Office (2005–2013), helped establish that reputation. These ensemble parts suit a performer with an improvisational background and an appetite for playing disagreeable men. The risk is repetition: casting him as the obnoxious man can become a substitute for writing that man.
In Steven Soderbergh's Behind the Candelabra (2013), he plays an adoption attorney. The film belongs to Michael Douglas's watchful, controlling Liberace and Matt Damon's willingness to be remade; it would be an odd place to seek Koechner's comic signature. We recommend it for Soderbergh's refusal to smirk at the people on screen, despite a more routine second half. That smaller place in a cast is worth remembering alongside the conspicuous comic parts for which Koechner is better known.
Cheap Thrills (2014) gives him a different assignment as Colin, a sinister, manipulative lead in a black comedy thriller. That darker casting interests us because his forcefulness can make a character threatening as readily as tiresome. We would sooner see him given another part with that kind of threat than another opportunity to be the loudest man present.
Biography
David Koechner is an American actor and comedian. Born on 24 August 1962 in Tipton, Missouri, he trained in improvisational comedy in Chicago at ImprovOlympic and the Second City Northwest.
Koechner appeared as a cast member on Saturday Night Live (1995–1996) and later gained prominence for his role as Champ Kind in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) and its sequel (2013). He is also known for playing Todd Packer in The Office (2005–2013) and for supporting roles in films including The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005), Get Smart (2008) and Paul (2011). He has appeared in over 120 films and television productions.
