Dorfuel caught up with Jonathan Kite, who plays Oleg in 2 Broke Girls, ahead of the premier of its second series, tomorrow. We asked him about the series, his role as Oleg and his fetching bow-tie collection.
Tell us about Two Broke Girls.
JK: Wikipedia defines the show as this: Set in Brooklyn, New York, the show follows the lives of two waitresses in their mid twenties—Max, who comes from a poor working-class family, and Caroline, who was born rich but is now disgraced and penniless due to her father, Martin Channing, getting caught operating a Bernard Madoff-esque Ponzi scheme—working together at a Brooklyn restaurant. The two become friends and build toward their dream of one day opening a cupcake shop. At the end of each episode a tally shows how much they have made toward their goal of $250,000 needed to open their business.
Yep. That sounds about right.
Tell us about Oleg
JK: Oleg is the sex driven chef at the Williamsburg Diner in Brooklyn where the girls work. His likes include: sex, Sophie, and tank tops. Dislikes include: abstinence, deodorant, and sleeves.
We hear you have quite an impressive ability to put on accents? What’s your best accent, and have you ever used it in a real life situation?
JK: My best accent is midwestern, because I grew up in Chicago. I do a pretty good Aussie. Whenever I am working on an accent, I use it on strangers to see what their reaction is. I once used an accent I was working on when I was pulled over by a police officer. No arrest and 8 years later I’m doing this interview, so I think everything worked out alright.
How did you get the role of Oleg? Are you enjoying it?
JK: I was auditioning for another project when the casting director suggested I come in and meet the producers for 2 Broke Girls. Since the only caucasian male in the cast was Oleg, I auditioned to play him. The role was originally written for a “45 year old bald Russian.” I grew my head and chin hairs out in hopes of presenting a different take on the character. At the end of a series of auditions I was lucky enough to land it. I am throughly enjoying myself and hope to single handedly bring back Greek and Roman facial hair trends.
Your dress-sense on-screen with Oleg, and off-screen as yourself couldn’t be more different. How do you adjust and feel comfortable in what Oleg wears?
JK: Though our styles are very different, the clothing worn by Oleg and I fits our personalities; comfortable, vibrant, and easy to take off for sex.
What are your top style tips?
JK: Ladies, know your colors. Fellas, stop wearing “Who Farted?” t-shirts. If you want to know, ask.
It looks like you have a fierce bow-tie collection?
JK: Thank you for noticing. I have always enjoyed the sophistication of the bow tied man. From Abraham Lincoln to Boo Boo Bear, the bow tie always conveys classiness. Whether it’s bringing the country back from civil war or stealing picnic baskets, its done with style. It also helps my neckwear stay clean when eating soup.
If you could work on any show in the world, what’d it be, and why?
JK: I’m pretty happy working on Two Broke Girls but if I could do another at the same time, probably Boardwalk Empire so that I could get more usage out of my bow ties.
Can we look forward to any surprises in Season 2 of Two Broke Girls?
JK: Oleg may or may not be pregnant.
