Judah Friedlander stood at a table, picking at the Greek buffet at the after party for the New York City premiere of Promised Land, the new film co-written by and starring old 30 Rock co-star Matt Damon, who guest starred in several episodes. A regular on the New York stand up comedy circuit, Friedlander is instantly recognizable, with his beard, long hair, trucker hat and old jacket, but his national exposure will soon be turned down, as the NBC comedy, on which he plays slovenly writer Frank Rossitano, will end this season.
"It’s good and weird, you know? It’s like, some days people are getting kind of emotional because things are winding down. We have about two or three weeks to go," he told The Hollywood Reporter at the event, which took place last week. "They’ve been showing little documentary movies, like five minute movies, that are just different cast and crew talk about their experiences, like at lunch and stuff."
Earlier in the season, Liz Lemon (series creator Tina Fey) finally found marital happiness, in the form of Criss Chross, a happy-go-lucky man played by James Marsden. In November, the pair got married, though it's not something Friedlander is not totally sold on.
"It’s a little weird. A little weird," he mused. "It’s weird seeing a happy, more fulfilled Liz. Speaking of Matt Damon -- or Carol -- how do you pick this hot dog vendor guy over a pilot? I don’t know. What does that say about the airline industry?"
Though Friedlander knows how the show ends, he was happy to write his own future for Frank on the spot, and after playing the less-than-savory character for seven seasons, he knows him all too well.
"I think Frank would probably move to an old age home and make a porn or something," he joked. "It’s good exercise, as long as it doesn’t get too rough, and it gets people to know each other, and it’s probably a little healthy on some level."
