Comedian, actor and improviser Fred Willard—who delivered a legendary performance as TV commentator Buck Laughlin in “Best In Show,’ the classic Christopher Guest-directed mockumentary set in a canine competition not unlike the Westminster Dog Show—discusses an array of topics, including animals, “Best In Show,” animal welfare organizations, comedy, Twitter, his birthday, his cat Mittenz, Hawaii, and more. 
He explains a bit about the history and mission of Actors and Others for Animals, an animal welfare
organization founded in 1971 by the late actor Richard Basehart and his wife, for whom Willard is performing on their huge fundraising event, Best In Show Celebrity Pet Competition, to be help Sept. 28 in Universal City. (He’s also lent his talents to Farm Sanctuary and PETA.) He mentions that he and “Best In Show” onscreen partner Jim Paddock will reprise their roles at the Sept. 28 event, and later describes how Guest initially approached him about the role of Laughlin, and how he prepared for it. Willard outlines some of his current and pending projects, including a small turn in “Anchorman 2” and more episodes of his Emmy-nominated guest role on “Modern Family.” Forty-plus years into his career, he responds to a question about what criteria he uses in deciding which roles to take and projects to do. (http://fredwillard.com, www.facebook.com/FredWillardOfficial, http://www.actorsandothers.com)
COMEDY CORNER: A “Best In Show” clip–a Fred Willard (Buck Laughlin) highlight reel
MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Johnny Cakes And The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypso’s “The Donkey Song,” Miike Snow’s “Animal,” instrumentals
NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Peter Gabriel’s “Shock The Monkey”
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