(NBC)
Sept. 24, 2019 By Shane O’Brien
Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer has expressed his desire to feature in NBC’s new comedy series, Sunnyside, which is set to air this Thursday.
Van Bramer told AM New York that he’d be interested in making his acting debut in the new show, which centers around a disgraced former council member played by Kal Penn.
The new series, which was also created by Penn, follows Penn’s character, Garrett Modi, after he is thrown out of office for a public intoxication arrest.
Van Bramer told AM New York that he offered his services to the show, but said that it was being filmed in Los Angeles which made it unlikely that he would feature. They told him that they would consider him if they ever decided to film in the area.
“If they do come to Sunnyside to shoot some scenes, they will keep me in mind,” Van Bramer told AMNY. “I don’t have my SAG [Screen Actors Guild] card just yet, but we’re hoping for one.”
The series is being filmed in Universal Studios Hollywood, although Sunnyside is the focal point of the show and Van Bramer said that the local residents were very excited about its release.
“The whole neighborhood is thrilled, tickled a little bit to see our beloved Sunnyside become a national sensation, we hope,” Van Bramer told AMNY. “It’s also going to be fun to watch and see how the neighborhood is showcased,” he added.
The Council Member reached out to Penn over Twitter in May when the show was announced to offer his congratulations, however, his tweet went unanswered.
Congrats @kalpenn! Can’t wait to see you in the neighborhood! https://t.co/ArxCgxjh6K
— Jimmy Van Bramer (@JimmyVanBramer) May 7, 2019
Van Bramer told AMNY that he saw Penn a few months later at an event for politician Pete Buttigieg and that a line of communication was established with the show thereafter.
“I walked up to him and introduced myself as the council member from Sunnyside he said, ‘We know, you tweeted at us. We’ve been talking about you!'”
Van Bramer said that he discussed the role of a council member in Sunnyside with the show’s writers and producers over a 90-minute Skype interview.
“We did about an hour and a half Skype interview. They asked me all sorts of questions about what it’s like to be a council member, what it’s like to be in Sunnyside” Van Bramer said. “I appreciate their attention to detail and their desire to get it right.”
“Sunnyside” makes its debut on NBC on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 9:30 p.m.
