James Urbaniak is a character actor. In fact, you’ve maybe come across him playing some miscreant or sycophant in one of your favorite television shows without even realizing it. He’s perhaps most famously known for providing the voice of ultimate underdog, Dr. Rusty Venture, on Adult Swim’s The Venture Bros., but is slowly moving into the spotlight.

He fills the crucial role of Grant, Forrest MacNeil’s Machiavellian producer, on Comedy Central’s Review, but most recently he’s been staring in Julie Klausner’s Difficult People on Hulu, playing the role of Arthur, Julie’s (relatively) straight-laced, PBS-supporting boyfriend. With Difficult People’s second season beginning this week, we got the chance to catch up with Urbaniak regarding his history of playing ne’er do wells, Klausner’s unique writing style, and whether his character on Review is the Devil.

DEN OF GEEK: Difficult People, aptly enough, is full of characters that have such extreme personalities. What’s it like being the somewhat moral sounding board and straight man amongst this mad house?

JAMES URBANIAK: Well I appreciate that question because in my career I tend to play oddballs, psychopaths, murderers, red herrings, pervs, weirdos… And I’m sort of the straight man in Difficult People, which funny enough is a bit of a stretch for me. Julie Klausner who created the show is an old friend of mine—I’ve known her for many years—and she wrote that part with me in mind. I think she knew because we have a history, and are old friends, that we could land as a couple, but also that it would be funny if I were the more grounded partner and she is the sort of manic, crazy one. So I find that refreshingly challenging to be normal—relatively normal—he still has his quirks.