Joel McHale talks photography, Seahawks, 'Community' and 'The Soup' [Exclusive]

Joel McHale is best known as the star of Community and the host of E!’s The Soup. But what you might not know - at least if you don’t follow him on Twitter - is that he’s a huge Seattle Seahawks fan. That could easily be explained, since he grew up in Seattle.

Later this week, McHale will be hosting an event in Seattle for Canon. The camera company has been hosting Canon PIXMA Pro City Senses galleries across the country, with each highlighting the work of local photographers and celebrities printed on the PIXMA PRO printers.

Last month, Donnie Wahlberg hosted an event in Boston, while Michael B. Jordan hosted a gallery opening in Austin earlier this month. McHale’s turn is on Oct. 16. On Oct. 17, there will be a free event for the public at Axis Pioneer Square to show off McHale’s work.

In addition to McHale, the work of Coco Aramaki, Nick Hall and Patrick Bennett will be displayed. The four photographers focused on bringing football to life in pictures.

TheCelebrityCafe.com spoke with McHale on Monday about the exhibit, football and Community.

TheCelebrityCafe.com: I have to ask you about the Canon PIXMA Pro City Senses Gallery. Otherwise, I could ask you 20 questions about Community.

Joel McHale: Well, you can ask some Community ones, but first let’s talk about Canon and then you can fire away. And I’ll fire it back away right to Canon. You’ll just be like “So, this year on Yahoo... Are you guys excited?” And I’ll say, “I’m very excited! As I am for the Canon Pro City Senses Gallery!”

TCC: Have you always had an interest in photography?

JM: I really became more interested in photography when I had children and then I wanted to document their lives. That’s when I bought a real camera and began printing out real images. So, I have a 9-year-old and a 6-year-old, so I’m documenting their lives. Because they’re going to want to look back at 7,000 photographs of themselves. It’s Los Angeles and people love to look at themselves.

When Canon called and said, “Hey, you want to do this?” And I said, “Did Donnie Wahlberg do it?” And They said, “Yes, he did.” I said, “I’m in!”

TCC: Your work is displayed with some professional photographers. Are you a little nervous about that?

JM: You’ll be able to tell the difference... Yeah! I hope some people will think it’s some of my photography because... obviously they are much better. We’ll all be there together... I think it will be [a] pretty stark [difference]. Most of my photos are out of focus!

I’m joking! They’re not. They’re totally focused, because that’s how awesome I am at photography.

TCC: Don’t Canon [cameras] have autofocus?

JM: Oh, I go Luke Skywalker and sometimes take that off and just try to do that myself. Yes, of course they do! ... I took the images and they printed them off. As you’ll see with the printers, it’s terrifying how good they are and you’ll see how it’s gallery-quality printing. So, it’s pretty remarkable. Even for the stuff that I shot... it can make it look good!

TCC: The theme for the gallery is supposed to be football. Since the Seahawks are actually good now, does that make it more exciting? You have a good football team to chronicle.

JM: I played college football, so I’m very interested in football. And, of course, being from Seattle, it works out perfectly. So, I get very excited for the games.

Seattle has really transformed. They are so pro-Seahawks. It’s crazy what the fans are like. I always say that they’re the best fans in football. And then people go, “Well what about Boston?” And I’m always like, “Never heard of it!”

We lost last week, so I might have to take a photograph of a single tear falling down the cheek.

TCC: It may be the only opportunity to capture sadness at home!

JM: Yes, I hope. Boy, that hasn’t happened in a while. The Cowboys looked pretty damn good [on Sunday]! It was hard to watch.

TCC: I grew up in Boston, where it took a while for the team to get good and then all of a sudden football was all anyone cared about. Is that how the environment in Seattle has changed over the past two years?

JM: Yes, it also helps when you have a multi-billionaire in Paul Allen really behind the team, building a stadium that is beautiful. It’s the loudest place in football now and it transformed the city. We just need a professional basketball team now.

TCC: Do you think any of your photography will get on The Soup?

JM: I don’t think so! Unless somebody holds the images up during an episode of Dating Naked or Bad Girls Club or something. At this point, they’re probably not going to make it on!

We should probably shoot an episode of The Soup with the Canon 5D, because the video is that good.

But no, not yet. Maybe it will make it into Community!

TCC: Since Community is online now, you might have lower budgets, so you’ll have to use Canon cameras while filming!

JM: Yeah, we’re going to have to do some product placements, so it might as well be products that I like! Jeff Winger can be printing out his homework on a Canon Pro printer.

TCC: Abed will get to shoot a whole documentary on a Canon camera.

JM: There you go! Yeah, we start that up in November, shooting it.

TCC: I know Yvette Nicole Brown is leaving. Does that change the dynamic of the show, since you are down another cast member?

JM: Yeah, obviously with anyone leaving or joining, it changes the chemistry of the cast. I don’t know who the new cast member will be or if it’s more than one. So, I’m very curious.

Having Yvette was great, but obviously her reasons for leaving are insanely understandable. So, she’ll be missed. She already got on another show [CBS’ The Odd Couple reboot] ... That’s definitely a schedule that’s conducive for her to take care of her father.

TCC: Is there any surprises that we could possibly expect in the new season?

JM: Not that I know of yet. People always want to know what’s coming up, but I won’t see that script probably until three days before we shoot it. And that’s how [creator Dan Harmon] has always been with the script. He’s never let them out in advance. He doesn’t tell us what is coming.

It’s not like he’s keeping it a secret, but it’s just coming together now, since we’re still about a month away.

I’m truly excited because being on Yahoo means there will be no commercial breaks. It’s going to be great. It’s their version of Netflix. I think it’s just going to blow the top off the show.

TCC: Since you’re now the Number 1 resident comedian at E! with Chelsea Handler is gone, do you feel the pressure?

JM: And also Joan [Rivers] is gone, too. She was one of the funnier people on the network and she was a terrific person.

I went to Chelsea’s final show. She will be missed. It’s not like The Soup is expanding to four or five nights a week, because there’s not that many clips we can show! I love being on the network and I love doing The Soup. I hope they want to continue doing comedy. They better, because I just signed a new contract!

E!’s been very good with me and the fact that they let me make fun of the Kardashians is one of the reasons why the show works.

image of Joel McHale courtesy of Jennifer Graylock/INFphoto.com

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