7 Questions With … Jonathan Kite of CBS’ “2 Broke Girls”

Three seasons into 2 Broke Girls, it still happens. People are shocked when they find out Jonathan Kite is a regular American guy from Skokie, Ill., and not Oleg, the lecherous short-order cook who perpetually harasses— er, flirts with Max (Kat Dennings) and Caroline (Beth Behrs). The hirsute funnyman left his accent at home, but brought his killer Vince Vaughn impersonation with him when he answered our “7 Questions.”

Jonathan Kite 2 Broke Girls CBS1. You’re at a magazine rack and can only pick three titles. Which ones do you choose?

GQ, Esquire and ESPN.

2. If your TV only carried three shows, which ones would you want?

The Daily Show, Bob’s Burgers and Real Time With Bill Maher.

3. What has been your strangest fan encounter?

I had a woman in her late 40s come up to me at the Kentucky Derby two years ago, drunk. Hammered. My friend and I were just sitting at a bar sober and waiting to get some food. This woman walks up to me and says, “I’m with my friends over there. They all say you’re on a TV show, but I don’t think you’re on a TV show.” I said OK, and went back talking to my friend. This woman was not coherent. She grabbed my shirt, and she pulled it open and she goes, “Oh, yeah, I guess you are that guy. You have the same chest hair.” I have no idea what she was talking about. Maybe she’d seen something on the Discovery Channel or Animal Planet.

4. Tell me about a time when you were starstruck.

I was on a [red] carpet with Melissa McCarthy once, and we were just standing next to each other taking pictures. Not in the same shot, we were just there. I went to say, “I’m a huge fan, and I really enjoy your work,” and just put out my hand. Instead I just turned to her and I said, “I love you!” She went, “Oh … thank you.”

5. Name three things you must have in your fridge or pantry.

I can tell you three things that are in there. Air, batteries and champagne.

6. You have some interesting credits on your IMDb page, including “Hacky Sack Hippie,” “Black Pearl Pirate,” “Tourist Dad,” “Cultist” … is there another nameless character you’d like to add?

I kind of want to be Lincoln’s college roommate, maybe just even in a photo. Just me and Abraham Lincoln, and I’m his beer pong partner. Or maybe they could insert me into an old Golden Girls episode.

7. You do many impressions. Have you had much opportunity to meet anyone you impersonate?

I met Vince Vaughn, and it was really cool. He was such a nice guy. I did a table read with him, and he came into the room and he knew that someone did an impression of him. He didn’t ask at all. We just did our read, said our goodbyes, but as soon as he left his buddy Peter Billingsley was like, “Yo, do Vaughn.” And as soon as I was going to do it, Vince Vaughn walked up and was like, “Yeah, do me.” … I did the impression and his face just kind of went white. I told him I do other impressions because I didn’t want him to think I was vocally stalking him. That was better for him to know that, but he couldn’t have been nicer.

2 Broke Girls airs at 8:30pm Mondays on CBS.

Photo: © 2011 CBS Television Network. Credit: Darren Michaels