David Krumholtz on Heath Ledger & 'Sausage Party'

Of all the things that David Krumholtz has going on right now — a movie, The Big Ask , in theaters; four more in the works; a handful of TV shows he may or may not be returning to — what gets him most excited is weather. Specifically, a 70-something woman named Gigi, played by a makeup-clad Krumholtz, who reads off sarcastic, funny forecasts on the comedian's new website, Weather From.

"Yeah, this is definitely the most out there thing I’ve ever done," he tells Bustle, laughing, "and it's also the most fun thing I've ever done."

On the site, which launched last month, Krumholtz morphs into Gigi with the help of an Oscar-nominated makeup team, and provides accurate, up-to-date weather reports in a series of pre-recorded videos. Visitors to the site type in their location or pick one at random, and proceed to listen as a "feisty Jewish grandmother" fills them in on the day's forecast. It's an odd, amusing project — and the total opposite of what one would expect from the actor, which is exactly why he did it in the first place.

"I think it surprised a lot of people," he says.

Right now, Weather From features videos of 35 unique forecasts, but Krumholtz hopes to have 100 before long, and to get even more specific with the weather — holidays, natural disasters, important locations. The main goal, however, is to add more characters, including, possibly, some played by Krumholtz' famous friends.

"That would be incredible," he says. "We'd certainly like to have celebrities come on and do the weather.... it'd be fun for Gigi (below), to have Joseph Gordon-Levitt try to get in those pants."

Oddly enough, it just might happen. Krumholtz, a comedy veteran with a mile-long resume, has worked with with just about every funny actor in Hollywood, many of whom have already voiced their support for Weather From on Twitter; getting them to sit in the makeup chair is only the reasonable next step. And if anyone can corral his famous friends to join in on a project, it's Krumholtz, who'd done a whole lot for them these last twenty years. Over the course of his career, the actor has been sacrificed to the apocalypse by Seth Rogen, been made fun of by Harold and Kumar, and, most memorably, let Andrew Keegan draw a penis on his face, all in the name of comedy. His friends owe him a few favors — not that he's looking to cash in.

"I’ve been so privileged to work with so many great actors who are also great people," Krumholtz says, adding that "you know, if I can make a career out of being part of ensemble films, then that’s a pretty sweet career."

And it's getting even sweeter. After years starring on TV shows like Numbers and making cameos in whatever Apatow-style comedy was out, Krumholtz's career has never been better. There's The Big Ask, an indie dramedy released May 30; The Judge, a drama with Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall out this fall; an untitled, upcoming spinoff to Madagascar; and, most excitingly, Sausage Party , Seth Rogen's dirty, star-studded passion project that just might be the strangest animated movie to ever hit theaters.

"Basically, it’s talking food having sex with each other," explains Krumholtz.

The actor plays Vash, a lavash (it's a Middle Eastern flatbread), who battles with Sammy Bagel, Jr., a "very Jewy bagel" voiced by Edward Norton who acts as his "neighbor slash enemy."

"It's a really, really filthy movie," Krumholtz says, adding that "the stuff I’ve seen and the stuff I’ve recorded is just out there."

Although Krumholtz has taken on roles in several of his friends' projects over the years (like Superbad, below), Sausage Party is perhaps their highest-profile collaboration to date.

"I mean they’re my best friends," he says. "Evan [Goldberg] and Seth were groomsmen at my wedding, and Jay Baruchel, and Martin Starr... we've spent years just kind of fooling around, smoking weed and talking about all the ideas we had for movies, what kind of stuff we’d like to do together, and we’re finally getting the opportunity to do it. It’s just a dream come true for everyone."

For Krumholtz, the film marks something equally special: the ability to go back and forth between comedy and drama with absolute ease.

"For me, it's really just about being into the work and extending my abilities by diving into experiences that I’ve never had before," he says. "So whether that be comedy or drama, I just feel blessed that people are willing to accept that I can do both and are willing to see me in more than one light."

And, even better, some films allow him to do both at once; The Big Ask, for instance, is fully a dramedy, a film that doesn't shy away from dark themes — cancer, grief, the fragility of friendships — but handles them with humor. Krumholtz plays Andrew, who copes with the death of his mother in an unusual way: by asking his male friends if he can sleep with their girlfriends.

"What I loved more about it was not so much his question as how the film handles the other characters’ responses," he says. "It’s just a very realistic film."

Krumholtz came on-board The Big Ask two years ago, after a friend (who ended up having a small role in the film) handed him the script. He read it, fell in love — "it was just beautifully written and very funny and also very honest" — and, after an audition, got the part.

"It's very relatable," he says. "It makes you wonder... how far you would go to help a friend?"

The Big Ask isn't Krumholtz first thought-provoking dramedy; that'd be 10 Things I Hate About You , of course, a movie that celebrated its 15th anniversary back in March, and whose legacy will likely live on for another decade to come.

"I don’t think any of us knew that was going to happen when we made the film," Krumholtz says. "I don’t think anybody anticipated that it would become such a seminal film for a certain generation of moviegoers, and so it’s really lovely that it’s still being celebrated as much as it is."

And, Krumholtz says, it's all because of Heath Ledger and "his abilities as a movie star."

"The fact that it’s still popular is a tribute to Heath," he says. "It’s just nice that he’s being invoked in that way."

Krumholtz, who played A.V. geek Michael, became close with the late actor on set. The two of them, along with one of Ledger's friends, would "hang out a lot" on their off-days and "explore Seattle."

"I just remember us all, the whole cast, getting together every single night and just enjoying each other’s company," Krumholtz says "That summer was a lot of fun. It was like going to camp, you know?"

But don't ask him for anything more specific than that; like many members of Judd Apatow's crew, Krumholtz's recollections are a little, um, hazy.

"Gosh, you know – I smoked a lot of weed," he says, laughing. "Memories are at a premium."

Images: Columbia; Tribeca Film; Buena Vista