fredarmisen-portlandia-season4.jpg

Fred Armisen, wearing a wig and makeup for a sketch the "Portlandia" cast and crew were recently filming in a North Portland house. Season 4 of the IFC hit premieres in winter of 2014.

(Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian)

For

viewers near and far,

has become virtually synonymous with Portland. Through three seasons of the IFC hit, Armisen and co-star, co-creator and co-writer

have portrayed characters who capture the essence of a certain slice of ripe-for-the-satirizing locals -- overly earnest do-gooders, smugly superior progressives, and assorted alt-culture oddballs.

But even as he continues filming Season 4 of

in and around the city, Armisen modestly insists he's still just a visitor, one who's grateful for the hospitality he has encountered in Portland.

"I love the city," Armisen says. "I'm sort of a permanent tourist, but the whole city has made me feel very welcome."

On this particular autumn afternoon, Armisen is in costume for a sketch in which he plays a Latin character, which accounts for the makeup and black wig he's wearing. Armisen jokes he doesn't want someone to see a photo of him in this get-up and jump to the conclusion that he's started sporting a wig.

The new season of "Portlandia" won't debut until winter of 2014, but Armisen, Brownstein and their co-creator, co-writer and director

are in the thick of shooting. On this recent day, they're filming a sketch that takes place inside a house in North Portland.

Armisen takes a few moments during the lunch break to talk about his thoughts on Portland, on "Portlandia," and how he made the decision to leave "Saturday Night Live" at the end of its last season, after 11 years as a cast member. Questions and answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.

Q:

How connected do you feel to Portland, considering the time that you spend working on 'Portlandia'? Is there any truth to the rumor that you've purchased a place here?

A:

No, I never bought a place, not yet. My life is all over the place, and I don't know where I'm going to buy a place or anything. I have a place year-round here, but I don't know where I'm going to end up. But I'm here a lot. I do feel connected (to Portland), but I'll never lose the curiosity for finding out more about it. I've been coming here for literally 10 years, but there's always a little new thing that I haven't learned about it.

Q:

Are you thinking of recent examples? Like what?

A:

The outskirts. Sometimes I think I know Portland, and I'm like, oh, it's great, I know the right restaurants and all that stuff. But this summer, I went to this place called

There's the

there. And it's a whole other part (of the area), that says to me, I don't really know it. All these things keep opening up.

Q:

You left

at the end of last season,

How did you decide to leave, and how much of a role did your work on 'Portlandia' play into the decision, if it did?

A:

'Portlandia' did play a role. I wouldn't feel the same about leaving 'SNL' if I didn't have this to come to. The schedule was, I would do this in the summer, and 'SNL' in the fall, winter and spring. I found 'Portlandia' becoming more and more a reality, as opposed to a pilot, as opposed to six episodes. By Season 2, it was like, oh, I think this is something that we've got to pay some attention to. The decision wasn't one thing or the other -- it was more that ('Portlandia') sort of pushed me along.

It was a very complex and long decision. It doesn't happen overnight. There are many things to think about, your cast members, and your family members and all these things kind of come together. Little by little, you start seeing an end date. It's really funny, because I had spoken to cast members who have left, like

and I remember not being able to understand why you'd ever want to go. And then I saw that all my favorite bands had end points, that they had break-ups, and stuff. Those bands still mean a lot to me, and they had a beginning and end point. Amy Poehler was describing it as, you just feel it. And it's actually a very peaceful feeling, because you know that you never truly leave. Amy left the show,

left the show, and they were back all the time hosting, and being there. So that felt good, like even if you go, you're still around. And even this summer, after May when I left the show, I'm still in touch with everyone at the show. I'm still working with them, and communicating with them. It's a true thing that you don't really leave.

Fred Armisen, in character and on location in North Portland shooting Season 4 of "Portlandia."

Q:

Would you go back as a guest host?

A:

I'd go back and do anything. I'd go back and do prosthetic makeup. I don't care. I like the environment.

Q

: How has leaving 'SNL' impacted your work on 'Portlandia'?

A:

I didn't realize how much it would. It's really very helpful that I don't have to think about getting on a plane. Now, just for my own well-being, I like being able to pay attention to the little things. I can just be around for everything. I also just love this crew, and I love Carrie, and Jon and the writers, so it's nice to be settled in. It's also been nice watching 'SNL,' and watching it grow, and become something else. That's how much I love that show. I still feel a responsibility towards it. It's great to not be there. And it's great to watch it, and it's great to be here. So, as hippie as it sounds, I'm like in perfect happiness.

Q:

Once again this year, you and your 'Portlandia' collaborators were nominated for an

Do you wish you'd won? ('The Colbert Report' was the 2013 winner in the category)

A:

I can't think like that. It's bad for making things if you start thinking about things in those terms. This is a small show, and to be invited into that room, and to be talking to the people from

or

or whatever, it's tremendous. This is a small crew in Portland, and we're representing the show there. It's just an insane miracle to be invited. The moment I start even a little bit complaining (about not winning), that's bad. Because when I see it in others, I feel like you should never feel entitled to anything. You know what the alternative was? We could've not been nominated. Which would've been fine, but that could've happened very easily.

Q:

I know it's an old question by this point, but why do you think 'Portlandia' has been able to make the impact it has, and have the broad appeal it has?

A:

I'll never know, because just when I think I know the answer, something else pops up that's kind of a surprise. Where I used to think, oh, well, it's because there are so many artsy cities -- you know, like Brooklyn or Austin, or whatever. But then a mom and her kid will come up to me, and say, 'Oh my kid loves the show.' And I know that has nothing to do with hipsterdom, or art. So I have no idea. It's a really nice thing, but I have no idea what the science is of it, or how it works.

Q:

You've been active in making appearances at Portland events. Has that been a deliberate choice as a way of being more involved in the community here?

A:

(In a deadpan joking tone) I just need attention. I'll always want attention, so whatever it takes. All the projects I get involved in here, I could care less, I'm just looking to get those numbers up. No, really, I just do whatever's fun. I do feel very appreciative that anyone watches the show at all. You have to remember, I'm a guest here. I'm still in that phase where if someone says to me, will you come up and do this thing, I think, oh my God, that's really nice of you to invite me.

-- Kristi Turnquist