Tony Hale’s knack for delivering iconic characters with a mix of charm and neurosis has landed him a slew of unforgettable roles—from Buster Bluth in Arrested Development to the hilariously loyal Gary Walsh in Veep. But his latest turn in Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut, Woman of the Hour, is anything but funny.
Based on the real-life nightmare of Rodney Alcala, the serial killer who appeared as a contestant on The Dating Game in the 1970s, the film offers a sharp and unsettling narrative shift: the focus is on the women he harmed, not on the killer himself. Hale plays the fictionalized game show host, a character whose flashy veneer barely masks his misogynistic underpinnings.
“I did a deep dive on old Dating Game episodes,” Hale tells Kyle Meredith with a chuckle. “The hosts had this rhythm to their speech that felt so mechanical. It was like this cadence of charm and detachment—‘Welcome to The Dating Game!’—but underneath, there was this pervasive disregard for women that feels really jarring to look back on now.”
For Hale, the project was a no-brainer. “I’ve known Anna for a while, and working with an actor-turned-director is such a gift,” he says. “She knows exactly what you need as a performer and answers your questions before you even ask them.”
While Hale’s host is only loosely inspired by the real-life Dating Game host Jim Lange, his character embodies the casual sexism of the time. “The way he treated women both on and off camera—it mirrored this larger culture of turning a blind eye,” Hale explains. “Anna was brilliant in paralleling that with the horrifying actions of Rodney Alcala. It’s all part of the same toxic system.”
The Arrested Development alum, known for his comedic timing, admits the film’s darker tone was a shift. “It’s tough to say some of the things my character says,” he confesses. “It doesn’t feel good. But the script forces you to confront the ways these things were normalized.”
Despite the heavy subject matter, Hale found some humor in stepping into the ’70s aesthetic. “That hair!” he laughs. “It was like a helmet—I felt like I needed a chin strap to keep it in place. And the plaid polyester pants? My character thought he looked amazing, and I just had to roll with it. It was part of his whole detached, showman persona.”
While Hale’s stint on Woman of the Hour lasted only a few weeks, he acknowledges how characters can leave an imprint. “When you’re in a dark role, it’s important to know how to shake it off,” he says. “Playing Buster for years, I’d come home with this defensive energy—it’d even bleed into social situations. My wife would have to tell me to snap out of it!”
That muscle memory came in handy when Hale revisited Arrested Development after a five-year hiatus. “I was really nervous about getting back into Buster,” he admits. “But the minute I heard Jessica Walter say, ‘Buster!’ it was like a switch flipped. Her voice brought me right back into it.”
And while another Arrested Development revival remains uncertain, Hale is hopeful for a return to Veep. “We all love each other so much, and I know every single one of us would jump at the chance to do more,” he says. “It’s like stepping into a comic dance with people you adore—it’s just magic.”
Hale has been busy beyond Woman of the Hour. His passion project, Sketch, co-directed by longtime collaborator Seth Worley, has been making waves on the festival circuit. “It’s Inside Out meets Jurassic Park,” Hale says. “It took us seven years to make, and it’s so special. I can’t wait for people to see it.”
Whether he’s mining neuroses for laughs or leaning into something far darker, Hale’s versatility keeps him at the top of his game. “I love the challenge of finding the voice of a character,” he says. “Even in the lightest roles, there’s always depth to explore.”
With Woman of the Hour, Hale proves he can channel that depth into something chillingly real. The movie—now streaming on Netflix—delivers a haunting portrayal of a time and a crime that feels uncomfortably familiar.
Hale pauses before signing off: “It’s not an easy watch, but it’s an important one.”
Watch the interview above and then check out the trailer below.
