In recent years, Ben Schwartz has become well known as the witty and lovable character, Jean-Ralphio, on NBC’s hit comedy series, Parks and Recreation. Now, Schwartz is set to take his improv comedy skills to the big screen in Dreamworks’ Renfield, an animated comedy that follows Renfield, a mischievous, bug-eating vampire, as he navigates life in a castle full of monsters and minions.
In a recent interview with io9, Schwartz discussed how he balanced scripted comedy and improv while playing the voice of Renfield. He credits the benefit of being able to record the majority of the dialogue in the studio, which allowed him to be comfortable and create a natural dialogue between the characters. “I had a lot of freedom and the written words were very helpful setting up the context,” he said.
Schwartz also discussed his approach to improv. He believes that a good improv performance requires a lot of listening, trust, and confidence in a comedic partner. To make sure his improvisations fit into the world of Renfield, Schwartz watched the visuals and imagined the scenarios unfolding before him as he recorded, relying on the proper beats from the script to be available to him as he worked.
Ultimately, Schwartz was able to take the world of Renfield and make it his own, melding both scripted comedy and improv. He expressed how happy he is with the end result and appreciated how Dreamworks allowed him freedom to explore and flesh out the world of Renfield.
The animated comedy, Renfield, is set to release on July 16, 2021. It is sure to bring Schwartz’s trademark wit and charm, something that fans of Parks and Recreation have come to adore over the years. It’ll be exciting to see what he does with this unique story, balancing scripted comedy and improv to create an entertaining and unique take on the classic vampire saga.
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