The actiomedy ran on NBC from 2007-2012. Chuck (Zachary Levi) is your average dude who works in the electronic store, Buy More, in Burbank, California. Before he got that job, he was expelled from Stanford University. Then one day, he gets an email from his old college roommate (believe it or not, it was a young Matt Bomer), and his life is changed forever.
That email contained something called the Intersect, which is the entire merged database of the CIA and National Security Agency). Now, all of that information is stored inside Chuck’s brain, and it turns him into a supercomputer.
The NSA’s Major John Casey (Adam Baldwin) and CIA Officer Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski) are sent out to investigate what happened to the Intersect. When the find out that it is in Chuck, they recruit him to be their newest spy. Together they fight crime in their own special way for five seasons.
Chuck has some of the most loyal fans in television history. Their viewers did whatever it took to keep the show on the air, including eating Subway. This morning they got a nice surprise as Levi (Chuck Bartowski), Strahovski (Sarah Walker), Baldwin (Colonel John Casey), Joshua Gomez (Morgan Grimes), Sarah Lancaster (Ellie Bartowski), Ryan McPartlin (Captain Awesome), Vik Sahay (Lester Patel), Scott Krinsky (Jeff Barnes), and Mark Christopher Lawrence (Big Mike) along with creators Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak get together to read one of the show’s favorite episodes.
One of the favorites from Chuck was Jeffster. It was the combination of two of Chuck’s co-workers, Jeff Barnes (Krinsky) and Lester Patel (Sahay). Not only did they cause mayhem at Buy More, but they were also in the coolest band. There was something so special about them, and I caught up with Sahay before he caught up with co-stars.
To read the interview and to watch the table read, then
Question: How did you find out that this reunion was happening?
Vik Sahay: For me, it felt like it was a lightning bolt from nowhere, and kinda last minute…but I believe the idea was first thought up by Sarah Lancaster, and it came to me via text-message through Ryan McPartlin.
Question: What was your reaction to it?
Vik Sahay: After the initial adrenalized-alarm of, ‘wait wait wait, how does one even revisit that particular atmosphere known as Lester Patel.’, I focused on how much I loved the idea of doing it for charity (a charity which I’d already noted and given to), and I loved the idea that we could do something for these most-loyal fans….during this absolutely terrifying and odd and strange time.
Question: What does this reunion mean to you?
Vik Sahay: Means an opportunity to give-a-little-something back, make people smile for a moment, and, of course, to reignite that blaze of passionate outrage that was Lester’s engine.
Question: Who are you most excited to see virtually?
Vik Sahay: The dynamic. I’m excited to dive back into the ol’ dynamic this cast had.
Question: What episode are you hoping they chose for the table read? Why?
Vik Sahay: I don’t think I have my heart set on any episode in particular. I’m just curious as to what the fans feel they want to hear again.
Question: Who do you think will break script first? Even though you are reading the script in front of you.
Vik Sahay: Depending on what you mean by ‘break script’, if i can speak for myself, I had a tendency to relentlessly improvise. Dare I say, it’s most likely that, in some form or another, not a single line I say will be exactly as written, even in the moment of rereading again for the first time in yeaaaars.
Question: Do you keep in touch with the cast?
Vik Sahay: Off and on. But really whenever the cast does see each other, it’s like no time has passed.
Question: When was the last time you got together?
Vik Sahay: Don’t even remember….! Though a few months back, I ran into Scott at a producer’s bday party. Pre’stay-at-home, obviously!
Question: What is your favorite memory from the show?
Vik Sahay: There are too many to list, but to be honest, being in Tim Jones’ studio, just he and I, working on the Jeffster songs, utterly last minute, was such a surprising, wild, unexpected five-year element, that I’d be remiss not to mention that.
Question: Where do you think Jeffster would be now?
Vik Sahay: Berlin, drenched in friesengeist or some such, lit on fire, recreating versions of Schiele paintings come to life with the locals, in komplett chaos, total verrückt, purer Rockstar-Wahnsinn.
Question: How are you handling the self-quarantine?
Vik Sahay: I’ve been told now by too-many people that nothing has changed for me in particular, now that I’m forced to stay-at-home and social-distance; damn them!, only partially true, of course…that being said, my brothers are doctors so I’m eternally in awe of, and in fear for, them.
Question: Do you have a memento in your house from your days as Lester Patel?
I have his full Buy More wardrobe, and somewhere in a back closet, I think I still have his beating heart.
Question: Do people still recognize you from the show?
Vik Sahay: Relentlessly, constantly, and beautifully.
Question: What do you want people to take away from this table read?
Vik Sahay: Joy.
Question: What have we seen in you in recently?
Vik Sahay: You can catch me on HULU in LODGE 49. I am also starring in the Sundance-winning film THE INFILTRATORS. Due to the Coronavirus, I am not sure when it is coming out.
Question: Any final words before the big table read reunion.
Vik Sahay: On my very first day shooting ‘CHUCK’, my very first scene, my very first time on the Buy More set, after my very first line on my very first take, I improvised three words, that I now offer you all to prepare for the reading….‘Sharpen your skates’….cuz…Here. We. Come.
