Chicago Party Aunt may have the raunchy humor emblematic of Netflix adult-oriented animation, but it’s also got the heart of a Nick At Nite family drama. The series, which premieres September 17 on the streaming service, follows the misadventures of hard-partying Diane (Lauren Ash) as she mentors her teenage nephew Daniel (Rory O’Malley).
O’Malley spoke to Screen Rant about diving into his character, leaning into the humor, and celebrating the city of Chicago.
Screen Rant: How familiar were you with Chris Witaske’s Chicago Party Aunt parody Twitter account before?
Rory O’Malley: I didn’t know about the Twitter account before, but I’m from Cleveland. I’m from the Midwest, and I have tons of family in Chicago. And when I told them that I was going to be Chicago Party Aunt’s nephew in an animated series, they lost their minds. They were so excited. And I see why.
I’m going back and reading all of the tweets that Chicago Party Aunt, that Twitter handle, put out. It is just so funny, and it’s just so Chicago. And I love that people rallied around something that was celebrating and also poking fun at the city they love most.
Everybody has a party aunt or at least knows a party aunt. Do you have any party aunts that would fit Diane?
Rory O’Malley: I don’t think I could say that any of my aunts rise to the level of Diane because I want to speak to them again. But I have so many aunts. I was raised in a Midwest family, and we rely on extended family. I just had basically a pack of aunts who took care of me, who I love dearly, who worked very hard at nine-to-five jobs – and then knew how to relax and party on the weekends at the local Irish pub. You better believe it.
Daniel decides to take a gap year and spend time with his Aunt Diane. Tell me a little bit about their relationship in the show.
Rory O’Malley: They have such a great relationship. They’re really best friends. And to have an aunt and a nephew under the same roof, dealing with dating and all of that, makes for a lot of hysterical situations. But they’re really good for each other because Diane doesn’t care what anybody thinks. She’s totally fearless, she’s wild, she’s crazy, and she’s up for anything. And Daniel is 18 and smart, bright and sweet. But he also needs to break out of his shell, and he is just a little shy and scared of the world – as we all are at 18.
And he decides, like you said, not to go to college, to Stanford, and to take a gap year and stay at home to learn real-life lessons from his professor, Aunt Diane.
Your parents in this show are Mark (Ike Barinholtz) and Bonnie (Jill Talley). Can you talk to me about their relationship with Daniel?
Rory O’Malley: They are very strait-laced. Bonnie, played by the amazing Jill Talley, wants her son to do everything perfectly – getting into Stanford and doing everything by the book. So many parents are like that; they want the best for their kids and have the best intentions. But there was a lot of pressure being put on Daniel, and at one point he says, “I was so busy trying to do what everybody else wants that I never asked if this is what I wanted.”
And Diane is someone who doesn’t think that way. She is probably waking up every morning and just saying, “How can we make today the most awesome? What can I do to celebrate myself, to celebrate the city of Chicago and to party?” So, he is probably drawn to Diane because his parents are so strict. And probably his entire life, Aunt Diane was the one who was sneaking him candy or other things and showing him how much fun life can be.
Lauren Ash does such a great job voicing the character of Diane. What does she bring to the role of Diane that isn’t necessarily on the page?
Rory O’Malley: Lauren is such a good actress. She’s obviously hilarious and knows how to be funny in every situation, but she’s a great actress. And she also just brought so much heart to this role, because she’s a tough broad, Diane. But she has so much joy and so much positivity. It’s hard to bring her down. No matter what comes her away, she can find a positive light. And I think that’s kind of tricky. If you read it on the page, you can just be cussing or negative. And it may have some colorful language, but she might as well be reading the script of the Wizard of Oz. She’s just so joyful and happy.
One thing that I hope doesn’t go overlooked in this show is it has actually a ton of heart, and Diane is actually a really good person. Can you talk about the heart that Diane has in the show?
Rory O’Malley: I so agree. I think this entire show has a lot of heart. It’s obviously a love story between an aunt and a nephew, and also between a woman and her city. She loves where she comes from, so people from Chicago are going to love the show for that reason.
But also, if you love your hometown, if you love your sports team – you will love this show because this is about a woman who is dedicated to the people around her and her community. And she has a lot of hilarious ways of showing that, and it’s so hysterical. But truthfully, at the end of the day, she is just a woman full of joy for all the people around her.
Rory, you’re amazing as Daniel as well. What did you want to bring to that character that wasn’t on the page?
Rory O’Malley: I love the character of Daniel, and I was so happy to get to play him. Especially as a gay man, to play a gay character is so important. I’m so thrilled that they put me in this role, and [I wanted] to show that he has a lot of worries and anxieties that aren’t necessarily just about being gay, but that are about the world. Just like any other kid.
Whether you’re gay or straight, or wherever you’re from, becoming an adult is really hard. And I was so excited to get to play this character that – sure, yes, he was gay, but that’s not necessarily the storyline. His family completely accepts him, and that episode [coming out] happened. One day, that’ll be a flashback to when he told his family. But from the get-go, he is loved and accepted by his family, and I think that’s just such a great place to start telling a story about a gay character.
Diane has so many famous quotes in this. What are some of your favorite Diane quotes?
Rory O’Malley: The best quote of Diane’s is definitely, “When life gives you lemons, turn that into Mike’s hard lemonade.” Because that is what the show is. It’s familiar, it’s wise, and it’s also gritty and is telling you exactly the kind of person we are talking about – someone who likes Mike’s Hard Lemonade.
She’s so wise. It’s nonstop wisdom. It’s street wisdom, but it is really about being joyful and finding happiness no matter what’s being thrown at you.
If you can choose any famous Chicagoan to appear on the show that hasn’t already, who are you bringing in?
Rory O’Malley: Oprah. Oprah, we’re ready.
I’ve heard Barack Obama. I’ve heard Bill Murray, I’ve heard Michael Jordan.
Rory O’Malley: Oh yeah. But I’m here for Oprah.
I know that she wasn’t born in Chicago, but obviously, Chicago is her city. Growing up in Cleveland, I saw her show in Chicago, and it’s the capital of the Midwest. I think that Daniel could definitely get some different advice from Oprah, so maybe she’ll make a cameo at some point.
Chicago Party Aunt is now available to stream on Netflix.
