‘Top Line’ at the Movies: David Rasche on ‘In the Loop’

July 15, 2009 2:56 PM

ABC News’ Rick Klein reports:

In the new political farce “In the Loop,” an American president joins with a British prime minister to bumble their countries into a war in the Middle East -- with hardheaded administration officials and loudmouthed spinmeisters leading the way. 

If that sounds familiar . . . well, that’s the point, according to actor David Rasche, who stars in the new film alongside James Gandolfini and Mimi Kennedy. 

“You don’t recognize a fictitious country across the pond who came over here and got involved, and another fictitious country’s war effort who came over to stop a fictitious war and ended up helping a fictitious war? You don’t remember any of that?” Rasche said on ABCNews.com’s “Top Line” today. 

Rasche plays Linton Barwick, a top State Department official who’s at the center of much of the silliness on the US side.

Rasche has said he thought of the part as a little bit Donald Rumsfeld, and a little bit John Bolton. (Rasche fans may see a little “Sledge Hammer” in the role, too.) 

“Let’s just say that I play someone who is arrogant, supercilious, condescending, and belittling. Now, if that reminds you of Donald Rumsfeld I can’t help it. No, if it reminds you of like Condoleezza Rice or maybe David Addington, I can’t help it --or any neocon,” Rasche said.

There’s political commentary in Armando Iannucci’s film. But more than that it’s a send-up of Washington/London politics, where spin is king and history is made by accidental connections as often as it is by world forces.

The film opens domestically next Friday, July 24. In  the Washington area, you can see it at Landmark Theatres’ E Street Cinema and Bethesda Row. 

Rasche gives some detail of what it’s like to improvise on the set with James Gandolfini -- “he’s huge and very scary but he’s a really, really, really terrific guy.”

And it’s worth watching the interview to the end for a “Sledge Hammer” sign-off . . .

Click HERE to see the full interview with David Rasche.

Also today, we spoke with Ana Marie Cox of Air America about the latest in the health care debate and the Sonia Sotomayor confirmation hearings. 

Click HERE to see the interview with Ana Marie Cox.