Only Murders in the Building Official Podcast

S4 E4: The Stunt Man (Part 1)

Release Date: September 18, 2024
Host: Michael Cyril Creighton (Howard); with Ryan Tillotson, Maggie Bowles
Notable Guests: Madeline George (Episode Writer), Michael McFadden (Concussions Bartender)

Overview

This episode dives behind the scenes of Season 4, Episode 4 ("The Stunt Man") of Only Murders in the Building. The hosts and guests examine the episode’s focus on the secretive and tight-knit world of stunt performers—complete with a fictional stuntman bar, the invented tradition of a “stuntman’s funeral,” and zany, layered comedy set pieces. The podcast also explores the writers’ room creativity, enchanting set design, and Paul Rudd’s delightfully Irish turn as stunt double Glenn Stubbins. Notably, the episode shares candid, funny moments with cast and crew, opening a curtain on the process, inspiration, and on-set antics that shape the show’s signature blend of mystery and comedy.

Episode Recap and Key Plot Points

00:48–02:51

• Charles’s Dream and Paradise Lead:
  • Charles dreams about Saz and constructs a new murder board, adding “paradise”; Oliver and Mabel join the investigation.
• Clues & Locations:
  • Suspicious activity by Vince Fish with a Portuguese flag.
  • Loretta’s Instagram leads trio to “Concussions,” a stuntman bar.
• Meeting Glenn Stubbins:
  • The trio meets Ben Glenroy's Irish stunt double, Glenn Stubbins (Paul Rudd, with an Irish accent).
  • Learn Saz was seeing a chiropractor and experiencing pain before her death.
• Howard & the Dudenoff Apartment:
  • Howard pig-sits and is lured out to a movie audition; hints at a rent control sub-plot.
• Oliver’s Insecurities:
  • Reveals he’s made a finsta (fake Instagram) to chat with Loretta.
• Mabel’s Westies Discovery:
  • Mabel finds her neighbors moving her bed as part of a rent control scheme; learns about Helga, Rudy’s Finnish ex, as the ham radio voice.
• Stuntman’s Funeral:
  • Charles fills in at a stuntman’s funeral and is hit with a real bottle, recalling Saz’s trampoline park dream.
• Showdown at the Stunt School:
  • The trio visits Saz’s planned stunt school and encounters Bev Melon with a gun.

Writers Room Insights

03:30–06:57

• Season 4 Writing After the Strike:
  • Madeline George describes the post-strike writers’ room as energized and full of creative risk:

    “Every single time we start again, it’s like, can we pull this off again?” (03:41, Madeline George)

• Creating Saz’s World:
  • Jane Lynch’s portrayal of Saz inspired more character exploration.
  • Set decoration went deep: “I wish that you all could see the exquisite set deck... the amazing work the team did filling out all the props in Saz’s apartment.” (05:01, Madeline George)
  • Writers researched real-life stunt communities but also invented aspects for storytelling.

Building the Stunt World: What's Real and What’s Invented

06:57–09:18

• Stunt Culture:
  • Writers “did a lot of research into stunt communities” but invented the tradition of a “stuntman’s funeral.”

    “The funeral thing is made up... that was the pitch of Alex Bigelow, one of the incredible writers…” (07:41, Madeline George)

• Stunt Dynasties:
  • Real-life families of stunt performers influenced the backstory.
  • Stunt people are “very safety oriented” and “thoughtful about listening to fear.” (08:13-08:44, Madeline George)
• Podcast and Research:
  • Daniel Radcliffe’s podcast with his long-time stunt double “Cunning Stunts” was a favorite research source.

    “I listened to dozens of episodes. I can’t recommend it enough… stunt performers representing all the best accents of the British Isles.” (09:48, Madeline George)

  • Stunt performers all have dream stunts they've never tried, like being set on fire or horse work.

Paul Rudd as Glenn Stubbins: The Irish Stunt Double

11:14–13:38

• Casting and Character Choices:
  • Paul Rudd’s involvement was never certain, “What a bananas idea… obviously that can't possibly work.” (11:40, Madeline George)
  • The Irish accent was Rudd’s own request:

    "He asked to be Irish, by the way. He was like, can I be Irish?" (12:15, Madeline George)

• Comedic Stunt Scene:
  • Rudd’s commitment to physical comedy:

    “He wanted so badly to throw himself into that dumpster… producers were like, stop, stop, stop, you know, swap in the other person.” (13:06, Madeline George)

• Stunt Choreography:
  • Chris Barnes (stunt coordinator) expanded the stunts beyond the script’s basics.

Inventing the Stuntman Funeral and Bar Fight

14:07–15:50

• Brawl Inspiration:
  • The idea of a stunt bar and subsequent bar fight set piece grew out of the writers’ room love for big, fun set pieces:

    “Wouldn’t it be great if somehow it could erupt into a massive roadhouse style bar fight... we could watch people smash each other with breakaway furniture?” (14:44, Madeline George)

• Narrative Motivation:
  • The funeral allowed Charles to honor Saz and deepened the emotional themes.

Favorite Collaborative Comedy Moments

16:09–18:10

• Birth of the “Rat Baffler”:
  • The running gag where Glenn hides on an inversion table turned into a collaborative writers’ room highlight:

    “One of my, like, a peak moment of collaborative delight of my entire life is... they can’t recognize me when I’m upside down. … For me, Rat Baffler is really like peak comedy joy.” (16:50–18:10, Madeline George)

Rent Control Scheme: Art Imitating (New York) Life

18:10–20:49

• Real-life Rent Control Stories:
  • Madeline George and hosts compare outrageous fictional rent ($200/month) to actual rent control experiences in NYC (about $46/month for an apartment in the ‘90s).

    “It was kind of like, it was like me or the apartment moment. It's real.” (20:00, Madeline George)

  • The subplot’s plausibility is playfully debated.

Bar Culture & Performance: Actor Michael McFadden Interview

21:49–29:07

• Playing the Bartender at Concussions:
  • McFadden drew from 20 years as a bartender, from high-end to “buckets of blood” dives.

    “I've had plenty of time to find that character.” (23:12, Michael McFadden)

  • On keeping a straight face with comedy legends: “Marty especially, you really have to be in the scene to not break for him because he’s... [going] off script, give him a different line, and he'll just try anything.” (23:55, Michael McFadden)
• Bar Location:
  • “Concussions” was filmed at a real Queens bar, Windjammer.
• Stunt Bar Philosophy:
  • In-joke: Regular actors are “faces” and “deep down, you’re all asses.”

    “We have nothing but contempt for the faces... you know what we say about faces? Deep down, you’re all asses.” (26:13–26:22, Michael McFadden)

• Character Backstory:
  • No set backstory for the bartender; McFadden prefers to “just know the text and listen.”

On Set with the Cast and Paul Rudd

31:01–34:27

• Working With Comedy Legends:
  • McFadden describes working with Martin Short, Steve Martin, and Selena Gomez as intimidating but exciting.
• Steve Martin's Many Doubles:
  • Reveals there are three Steve Martins on set—himself, his stunt double, and his picture double—plus several more for other characters, leading to an “infinity mirror of Steve Martin.” (32:55, Michael McFadden)
• Paul Rudd’s Kindness:
  • McFadden and Rudd bonded over having the same fencing teacher, and Rudd’s genuine excitement for McFadden’s success.

    “I was up for another job that day... when we broke for lunch, I found out that I booked it and I told him, and he [Paul Rudd] was more excited about it than I was.” (34:04, Michael McFadden)

The Joys & Trials of Keeping Show Secrets

34:57–36:30

• Difficulty of Secrecy:
  • McFadden jokes about being “one step below SEAL training for torture” when keeping plot secrets from eager friends and restaurant customers.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Set Design:
  • “Even the silverware has Christmas trees on it. How are they doing this? They are magic.” (06:40, Madeline George)
• On Writers’ Room Comedy:
  • “Only four people’s minds all inclined in the same direction, trying to solve this absolutely cuckoo bananas problem...” (16:50-18:10, Madeline George)
• On Stunt Community:
  • “You might think that stunt people are fearless or daredevil types... but actually they’re very safety oriented.” (08:13, Madeline George)
• On Paul Rudd’s Irish Turn:
  • “He asked to be Irish, by the way. He was like, can I be Irish?” (12:15, Madeline George)
• Bar Culture by McFadden:
  • “We're not stunt doubles. The actors are our actor doubles.” (25:42, Michael McFadden)
  • “We have nothing but contempt for the faces... deep down, you're all asses.” (26:13–26:22, Michael McFadden)

Key Timestamps

• 00:48–02:51 — Episode 4 Plot Recap & Main Beats
• 03:30–06:57 — Writers’ Room & Creating Saz’s World
• 07:21–09:18 — Real vs. Fictional Stunt World Details
• 11:14–13:38 — Paul Rudd Irish Stunt Double & Stunt Scene Creation
• 14:07–15:50 — Building the Bar Fight & Stuntman’s Funeral
• 16:09–18:10 — The “Rat Baffler” Gag & Collaborative Writing
• 18:10–20:49 — Dudenoff Rent Control Realism
• 23:12–26:22 — Interview: Michael McFadden (Bartender at Concussions)
• 31:01–32:55 — Life on Set: Legend Encounters & Multiple Steves
• 32:55–34:27 — Paul Rudd’s Generosity
• 34:57–36:30 — The Pressure of Spoiler Keeping

Tone & Style

The episode maintains the signature humor, charm, and casual banter of the show, laced with genuine awe for the collaborative process and the behind-the-scenes magic that makes Only Murders in the Building beloved by fans and cast alike. Both guests and hosts openly geek out about the extraordinary attention to detail, the bonds among cast and crew, and the peculiarities and joys of the mystery-comedy genre.