Two 1997 Dartmouth graduates will make appearances on NBC's "Caroline in the City" television series this fall.
Beginning with the show's Nov. 16 episode, Phil Lord '97 and Chris Miller '97 will play cartoonists who fall in love with the show's main character, Caroline, played by Lea Thompson.
"I lust after Lea Thompson like no other girl," Lord said about his real-life feelings for the star. "I saw 'Howard the Duck' in the theater six times."
On the show, Lord and Miller's office is located across the hall from the one Caroline moves into.
Lord and Miller, who primarily work as cartoonists for Disney, said their office on the show is replica of their office at a prior studio, only with more fun toys. "It's a case of art imitating life imitating art," Lord said.
When prodded, the two admitted plans to steal some of the toys from the show's set for their new office.
The two begin filming this Friday for the Nov. 16 show. Lord and Miller said they have a guaranteed contract for three shows with lots of options.
"If we really suck, we'll really suck for three episodes," Lord said.
Lord and Miller will also be animating their own characters on the show. Each of them maintains that acting has never been a part of their career plans.
"We didn't come out here to be actors," Miller said. "We came to make up funny cartoon shows."
Lord echoed the sentiment. "Acting is just a big joke to me," he said.
According to Lord and Miller, the part on "Caroline in the City" came about almost by accident.
"We have a really good agent," Lord said.
Lord said his parents will be happy to see him on television and that they tell all of the neighbors around their home in Miami, Fl.
Lord himself seemed less excited. "We have no business being in front of a camera," he said.
"I'm going to make a big ass out of myself," he said, "and I'm cool with that. And I hope millions of Americans are cool with that."
At the College, Lord and Miller both wrote comic strips for The Dartmouth. They also took many studio art classes and produced several short animated cartoons.
Miller animated his "Sleazy the Wonder Squirrel" strip from The Dartmouth in two films, one of which played at the Stutgart International Animation Festival in 1996.
Lord and Miller's quirky personalities and occasionally outrageous antics -- they claim to have sledded down the Dartmouth Skiway in the full moon and crashed the Hanover High School prom several times -- made them recognizable figures on campus.
Although the two never collaborated on a project at Dartmouth, they lived together for several years and were always close.
"We used to room together. It was very bad," Miller joked. "We're not speaking to each other now."
Since graduation, the two have worked on various projects for Disney, and have shared an office. They currently work for Buena Vista Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.
Although they have spent their entire working careers together, each says that he is not tired of the other's company.
Lord and Miller have made great strides in their quest to make funny cartoons -- they said that they have a deal to animate a show for ABC Television for late night or prime time.
They also didn't rule out the possibility of continuing with the characters from their comics in The Dartmouth.
"We'll pitch a lot of things and see what happens," Miller said.
