Hey Dermot Mulroney, Is A Hot Dog A Sandwich?

This single line will contain this article's sole mention of Dylan McDermott. While the satisfyingly similar names and handsome-guy faces of that actor and Dermot Mulroney have made for some great comedic fodder over the years—notably in this Saturday Night Live sketch and culminating last year in a joint appearance on the former's Fox series L.A. To Vegas—Mulroney is his own man, with his own talents, his own relationships, his own projects, and his own opinion on whether or not a hot dog is a sandwich.

We'll get to that last. First, let's talk about the talents/relationships/projects bit, all of which come together in Homecoming, Amazon's upcoming Sam Esmail-produced adaptation of the Gimlet podcast of the same name. Homecoming stars Julia Roberts, Mulroney's co-star from August: Osage County and My Best Friend's Wedding. She also happens to be his best friend. That's not cute supposition on my part. That's a gosh-darned fact. In Mulroney's own words, at the Television Critics Association summer press tour:

Dermot Mulroney: It's always been such a privilege to work with Julia. When I was first cast with her, I was just thinking these three jobs—even in this where I have a more modest-sized role in the narrative—I've had incredible scenes with this incredible actor. She happens to be my best friend and all of that's been pretty well-chronicled I think. But when you step back and look at you put these together, this would be a privilege for any actor to work with her in material like this. ....

Julia Roberts: Did everybody get that?

Dermot Mulroney: Did you get all that about how grateful I am to have a buddy like Jules and to get these great scenes? ... Incredible experiences I've had with her.

If their work together in those two previous projects is any indication, both Mulroney and Roberts will be great in this series, trading on all that comfort together, the affability, the honesty. Mulroney is the kind of actor who has an abundance of those particular qualities at his disposal.

So we asked him if a hot dog is a sandwich. Who cares about that other guy's opinion? (We care, actually—Mr. McDermott, if you'd like to weigh in, please let us know.)

The Takeout: Is a hot dog a sandwich?

Dermot Mulroney: [pause] Yes, it is. Now you're going to ask me why, aren't you?

TO: Yes, I am.

DM: And then I'm going to be like, "Why don't you ask Bobby [Cannavale]?"

TO: I did!

DM: And what did he say? Because I agree with Bobby.

TO: He said it's not a sandwich.

DM: It's not a sandwich. Hmmm. Maybe it's... [sigh] God, I don't know, I don't know. Is it? I'm going to have to recuse myself, I don't know. Is it?

TO: I can't tell you that, I don't have a dog in this hunt.

DM: I don't either!

TO: Well, your gut instinct was yes?

DM: Yeah, because of the bread, and the... [gestures vertically]

TO: I think that's perfectly sound.

DM: Good.

Amazon's series adaptation of Homecoming, starring Julia Roberts, Stephan James, Mulroney, Bobby Cannavale, and others premieres Friday, November 2.