Tim Bagley had no idea what was happening St.Louis sushi “It was before I joined.”Someone Somewhere.” The quirky appetizer of pickles coated in cream cheese and wrapped in ham is the signature dish of his character, Brad Schraeder, and the signature dish of the show’s star duo, Sam (Bridget Everett) and Joel (Jeff Hiller) get to know him. The other comes before they’ve even tasted it, in a vocal recital where Brad gracelessly recites Francesco Durante’s solfeggio.Danza danza fanciulla gentile“

As for Brad’s kitchen coup, he said, “The day we shot that scene, I Googled it and saw that it was a real thing, it looked scary to me, and it is.”

But he also understands why something like this would make sense at a post-recital reception table in Manhattan, KS. “Most of the time in the Midwest they eat disgusting food like this. And I grew up with that food, so I say this with love.

“Anyway,” Bagley added, “I’ve never experienced this before, never since. And it was really fun when they introduced my character: I’m responsible for giving them both explosive diarrhea. So how is it possible for anyone to be friends with me?”

If you love television, especially comforting television, Bagley is no stranger. Long before joining “Somebody Somewhere,” he starred in classics like “Coach,” “Wings” and “”.seinfield“and” had a recurring partWill and Grace“before stealing the show from Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda”Grace and Frankie.”

“Somebody Somewhere” and Brad are closer in temperament to who he really is than many of the outsized characters he’s played on other shows. Brad is a kind, prayerful man who won both Joel’s heart and ours.

In the third and final season of the tender comedy, which premiered Sunday night, Joel and Brad merged their lives and their home, creating some of the sweeter season premiere scenes where they barely disagreed on how to organize the kitchenware. Elsewhere, Sam’s sister Tricia (Mary Catherine Garrison) is divorced, restarting her life as a successful entrepreneur, and her cursed pillows become popular on Etsy.

This leaves Sam, who has inadvertently grieved the death of his sisters, alone to decide how to move forward in life, and the first glimpse of how he recovers from this unexpected bout of loneliness is heartbreaking.

But “Someone Somewhere” frames that pain as part of survival, and Bagley appreciates that. “This series is very hopeful about humanity and people, and it deals largely with kindness.” Bagley said HBO also “Inheritance.”

“The things people love are often terrible people behaving badly, and this is a very sweet, kind, gentle show that’s all about possibility and hope,” he said. “This is something we collectively need in our culture.”

In our conversation about season three, Bagley talked about the show’s loving portrayal of Brad’s faith, how his stories reflect the theme of growing up, and what it’s like to sing again.

This interview transcript has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Were you a fan of “Somebody Somewhere” before you received the script?

I watched the show and loved it. This is definitely my sensibility; funny and very sincere; Everything I love about comedy. So I loved it instantly. Then I got a call… I didn’t have to audition. It was a direct offer. They wanted to use me and I think initially it was only going to be three episodes, then they kept writing.

People know you from many different shows. I think this will be an interesting juxtaposition for anyone who remembers all the scene-stealing stuff you did on “Grace and Frankie” and your work on “The Perfect Double.” There is such a dynamism and difference between those roles and this one. And I’m wondering what you want to bring out in Brad that might resonate with you?

This is a good question. I think of myself as someone who climbed his own mountain, figured it all out on my own, and made it despite some of the obstacles Brad faced. I’ve been quietly walking this path on my own for a very long time and I’ve had relationships and things like that.

But I responded with this: I realized that Brad is someone who climbs his own mountain; she gives these vocal lessons, she knows she’s not a great singer but it makes her feel good to do it. I love this. There is also a religious part. Back in the days when churches were really open and welcoming to LGBTQ people — when there wasn’t even LGBTQ, just gays or lesbians, that was it — I would leave the church when they started talking about gays and homosexuals and murderers. and pedophilia are all the same thing.

I eventually left maybe six different churches and couldn’t find a church that supported gay people. And I thought, okay, I’m going to do institutional religion, I’m going to have a special relationship with God. And it’s still a part of my life. And I really identified with that part of Brad. No matter what the church says or does, there is an unshakable spiritual side to it.

Does this make sense?

It totally makes sense. When I talked to Jeff (Hiller), he said that this story, which not only depicts a small town in the Midwest in a way you don’t usually see, but is also about a place where there is a place, makes a lot of sense. The completely hospitable belief is central and not seen as an outlier. It’s a natural part of the fabric of society. What I loved most about this season was seeing Brad and Joel having to find a way to unite their lives. . . as they figure out what they want in terms of their spiritual path.

Right. . . I feel like this is a fully developed relationship between two gay men that includes spirituality. People who start living together at our age and trying to figure out how to include someone in your life no matter how old you are can be misleading. I can’t even tell you how exciting it is to play a fully realized gay character, or a character who happens to be gay.

This season captures a different way of considering the show’s overarching theme of moving forward. At first I thought it was “ongoing” but I don’t anymore. I mean, now that the show itself is over, it wants us all to move on. But I think this is a show that starts in the middle of a pandemic when everyone is retreating and opens up a different part of the world, showing the sunshine and possibilities.

You’re someone who has seen this from the beginning and been a part of it in the middle of the season. How do you think this final season will leave us, and how did it leave you?

It’s not all about a little arc. It left me with the feeling that the continuity of life continues. This somehow continues and who knows what will happen to these characters? Unless another network catches us or something. But that’s just the continuation of life, and Bridget, who plays her role so beautifully and is so heartbreaking, shows how we can all grow. We can all learn, and no matter how old you are, you can continue to grow, be curious about life, and move forward as you say. My hope is that people will be encouraged to take voice lessons or not be afraid to go on a date if you’re a certain age or whatever. Being open to what life can offer you. No matter what age you are, you can continue to learn, wonder and progress.

One of the things Jeff said was that music is the other unspoken main character in the community, and we see that in the song you performed this year. I know things have changed in the writing and execution of the scene, and I’m curious what that’s like for you.

You know, my character in the second episode of season two sings in front of people and it’s not very good, but you know, I did it the best I could. I knew that was how they could see that Brad wasn’t a great singer, but he really meant it.

Then Bridget showed me how to sing a personal song, and my character had never done that. How did I approach it? I learned the song, but then what I really wanted to do was get everything I needed at that moment from Bridget and Jeff.

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So I don’t know if I should mention this, but before we shot the scene, I listened to a certain song through my headphones. It’s a very upbeat song because I didn’t want it to be sad for me, but to really try to show how much I love him (Joel). And then being with Bridget and looking at that beautiful face and having her give me all this support and love, letting me know that everything is okay. . . Everything I needed was right there with those two. Does this make sense?

Yes. Now I want to know what song you’re listening to. Unless it’s too personal.

Yes of course. I hope this doesn’t ruin people’s lives. But Sounds of Blackness’ “Optimistic.” It’s just a beautiful, uplifting song about going through life, all the troubles, staying optimistic, and all the things we have to be grateful for.

Why did you think this would ruin the surprise for people?

Because it’s like telling people how sausage is made.

But sausage is good! We’ll still eat the sausage. Now I’m going to go listen to Sounds of Blackness.

They are very good. To me, this is one of my go-to things for any time I really want to feel good. Their music catalog is so powerful and positive and uplifting that, I don’t know, it makes me feel connected. Bridget I didn’t even tell Jeff or anyone. I never told anyone what I was listening to beforehand, but it put me in the right frame of mind to be in at that moment.

Was it intentional not to tell them?

No, I didn’t tell them. Sometimes players like to have secrets about how they work. And to me, that was something I didn’t really want to tell them. I knew that what got me into that moment would be in a way that I wanted to be there.

I think that’s one of the reasons why this series is so magical, because you can feel all these emotions. It is conveyed very well visually.

You know, in my opinion, the important thing about acting is to prepare yourself for the right conditions. All you have to do is look at the person’s face and listen to what they say; everything is in its place. Like Jeff, you know his face, he’s so sweet and wonderful. And every time I look at his face, I fall in love with him.

New episodes of “Somebody Somewhere” air Sundays at 10:30pm on HBO and stream on Max.