I understand that the film was actually shot in Africa — fun, or a pain in the ass?
Africa is a continent of extremes. You see extreme poverty, you see extreme opulence, you see extreme despair, you see extreme hope. Occasionally, it’s difficult to be shooting a comedy there in the midst of it. The crews were phenomenal, and couldn’t have been more excited or gracious about having us there. Even though there are certain logistical problems about moving a production to the middle of nowhere, we came off without a hitch. There was a cobra underneath the craft service area. Nobody got hurt. We all lived to tell the tale.

How were you received by the locals?
We had a really phenomenal two days while we were in Kenya, shooting in an actual Masai village. That was fantastic, getting time to spend with them, to trade with them, buy some of their wares, and learn a little bit about their culture. They're masterful negotiators. When I got back, I fired ICM and now am represented professionally by the Masai. I get all of my contracts from them.

Bob Newhart is such an iconic figure. What was it like working with him?
Getting to spend time at [Bob's] knee, learning from the master, is a memory I will take to my grave. He could not be a more generous person, or more talented onscreen. Basically, the only pitfall of working with him is that you st-st-a-a-rt to pick u-up his-his vocal pa-patterns.

And Jonathan Frakes, aka Commander Riker? What was it like working with him?
[Jonathan] was terrific. If you ask him to do any of his monologues from [Star Trek], he’ll do them at the drop of a hat. He’s got a great sense of humor, and a really firm grasp on the genre and the tone that we’re trying to set.

Last question: What are your favorite TV shows?
Whenever Deadwood is off the air, I can’t say — that was my favorite show over the last couple of years. I enjoyed that immensely. I like The Office. British predominantly, but I’m really pleased with the American version. I like Heroes — that’s a really good show. That’s about all that my four- and one-year-olds allow me to TiVo.