Dave Adler is the epitome of a dreamer. But he’s in denial about it. He thinks he’s different from Tim and Frank, because he is 100 percent going to “make it.” Yet, he is blind to the facts, which are that he has had zero success as a comedian.
Unfortunately, since he went to a great school (UPenn, not Penn State)—and he pretty much threw it all away for comedy—he refuses to accept that it’s not working out. Instead, he has chosen to trudge through the world of document review, convinced that he is only passing through for a short time. Through the course of the season, we will see him starting to actually fit in down there and get a little too comfortable with his life as a document reviewer. Obviously, having Paige to fantasize about makes it a lot easier. He has convinced himself that he’s only staying because he needs more time to convince her to get rid of her boyfriend and fall in love with him. It’s safe to say it’s a case of unrequited love . . . so far.
It seems a bit narcissistic and weird to talk about the actor that plays Dave, because, obviously, that’s me. I took on the role because, as someone who has done document review and performs standup, I felt I could relate to the character. Who am I kidding, I took on the role because, if I am going to write and produce a series about document reviewers, I’d be a fool not to put myself in it. I really hope I don’t suck, and I hope all of the other fantastic actors around me cover for my shortcomings.
How similar I am to Dave? I’m only “slightly” more successful than Dave. But I’ve got a bit of Tim Kennedy (constant scheming) and a tad of Locker (anger about the world) in my real life.
Watch the rest of the Bottom Rung, including character sketches of the dreamers, gunners, and lifers that make up document review.