Zach Galifianakis is a recurring character in season four of Only Murders in the Building. He is the actor playing a fictionalized version of Oliver in the movie based on the podcast and is portrayed by Zach Galifianakis.
History[]
Zach came to a party thrown by Bev Melon with the intent of persuading them to sign the contract allowing Bev to make the movie based on their lives. Zach was offended when Oliver, whom he was cast to play, didn't recognize him. He threatened to walk, but when Bev agreed to green light his dream project, he stayed. He then offended Oliver by asking what Oliver thought about him playing Oliver as talented and successful.[2]
Zach, along with Eugene and Eva, went to New York at the recommendation of the Brothers sisters to shadow Oliver, Charles, and Mabel to get into character. While the other two were eager to follow their counterparts, Zach was disinterested in Oliver or learning anything about him. After they came up with two viable suspects to investigate, they decided to split up, with Eva and Mabel talking to Rudy Thurber, Charles and Eugene to Vince Fish, and Oliver and Zach staying behind to monitor the ham radio.
Instead of actually doing that, Oliver brought Howard over to monitor the radio while he taught Zach how to be like him, starting with his hair and wardrobe. They spent the day playing music and shopping. At the end of the day, Zach was able to mimic Oliver well and Oliver was pleased. However, when Zach stepped out to take a call from his agent, Oliver and Howard overheard him telling his agent that Oliver was a loser and he hated the role. Howard stepped in to defend Oliver, lauding the way he got back up no matter how many times he got knocked down. This inspired Zach, who finally believed he would take on the role.[3]
Zach came to the promotional photo shoot to take pictures for the movie. While taking pictures with Oliver, Zach asked if he'd seen the changes to the script. When Oliver said he hadn't, Zach said that Marshall had made Oliver more insecure. Oliver then shared that Loretta was working with Jack Jonk and Zach said that he'd worked with Jonk on a previous movie and he had quite the amorous reputation. Soon after this, the photo shoot was interrupted by gunshots.[1] Zach was injured when a bullet hit the plate in Glen's head and then hit Zach in his fat. Zach was taken to the hospital, where Bev visited him. He told her he wanted out of the movie, but she threatened to sue him and then sucked the pain medication out of his IV.[4]
When Charles, Mabel, and Oliver fled New York for their safety, the actors followed, including Zach, who had left the hospital to do so. They wanted to help with the case. Mabel initially refused, but after Loretta told her actors were investigators and seeing them correctly deduce three key traits about Bev, Mabel gave them a rundown of the case and left them to work together in one room while she worked in another.
The next morning, the actors woke everyone in the house and told them that the case actually went back to season one, with the question of who poisoned Winnie and who left the note and Jan's door. Charles realized that Sazz knew and surmised that that's what she wanted to tell him.[5]
The actors continued to assert themselves as members of the investigative team. After talking to the podcast trio, they developed a plan to get the Westies to confess to killing Dudenoff and Sazz. This involved inviting them over for a star-studded game of "Oh Hell." The Westies accepted the invitation, but when they arrive, they shut the door, pulled out a knife, and said they knew they knew about the checks. They demanded that everyone hand over their phones. They denied killing Dudenoff and, one at a time, explained how they had met Dudenoff and come to live in the Arconia in one of his apartments. Then Dudenoff made good on his dream to live in Portugal and left. And they hadn't heard from him since. They kept up the ruse by cashing his checks. Just as they finished, Helga came to the door and said she was there to tell the truth. She shared her own story of meeting Dudenoff and coming to live in the Arconia after her father's death. She believed the Westies had killed Dudenoff because she'd gotten a letter saying he had moved to Portugal and then they began acting strangely. This led to her eventually moving out. Helga's revelation forced the Westies to tell the truth. The night of the power surge, Dudenoff invited all of them except Helga to the basement. He had a terminal illness and had taken a large amount of pills. He asked them to burn his body in the incinerator and keep cashing his checks so they could continue to live in the Arconia together. He recorded a message for Helga in case she found out, but didn't want her to know because she had had a hard time bouncing back after her father's death. They showed her the recorded message and then held her as she cried. They asked her to move back in and she agreed to do so. As they left, Eva revealed she'd recorded the Westies confessing to Social Security fraud. Despite Eva's insistence that it would make a good podcast episode, Mabel declared they wouldn't be using it, as the podcast had brought them together and she didn't want to use it to split the Westies apart. Instead, they recorded an episode, using the story of Dudenoff moving to Portugal.[6]
After the trio solved the case, pinning Marshall P. Pope as the murderer, filming of the movie continued, with Sazz finally being recognized as the actual writer of the script. Eva, Zach, and Eugene were happy to take credit for helping solve the case.[7]
Personality[]
Relationships[]
He is married. He and his wife get re-married quarterly, themed based on their recent history and where they want to go next.[6]
Career[]
He is an actor. He was cast to play Oliver in the movie based on the Only Murders in the Building podcast.[2]
Notes and Trivia[]
Gallery[]
Episodic[]
Episode Stills[]
Appearances[]
| Season Four | |||||
| #01 | "Once Upon a Time in the West" | #05 | "Adaptation" | #09 | "Escape From Planet Klongo" |
| #02 | "Gates of Heaven" | #06 | "Blow-Up" | #10 | "My Best Friend's Wedding" |
| #03 | "Two for the Road" | #07 | "Valley of the Dolls" | ||
| #04 | "The Stunt Man" | #08 | "Lifeboat" | ||
| List of Characters | ||
| MAIN | Charles-Haden Savage • Oliver Putnam • Mabel Mora • Howard Morris • Jan Bellows • Oscar Torres | |
| RECURRING | Tim Kono • Donna Williams • Sazz Pataki • Teddy Dimas • Theo Dimas • Zoe Cassidy • Ursula • Cinda Canning • Uma Heller • Arnav Kapoor • Bunny Folger • Lester • Poppy White • Ndidi Idoko • Grover Stanley • Amy Huang • Will Putnam • Sam • Paulette • Marv • Alice Banks • Daniel Kreps • Joy Payne • Lucy • Ben Glenroy • Bobo Malone • Cliff DeMeo • Dickie Glenroy • Donna DeMeo • Jonathan Bridgecroft • Kimber Min • K.T. Knoblauer • Loretta Durkin • Tobert • Eugene Levy • Eva Longoria • Zach Galifianakis • Marshall P. Pope • Vince Fish • Rudy Thurber • Milton Dudenoff • Glen Stubbins • Bev Melon | |
| GUEST | Sting • Roberta Putnam • José Torres • Jimmy Fallon • Silvia Mora • Amy Schumer • Matthew Broderick • Scott Bakula • Doreen • Ron Howard | |
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Adaptation" (2024). Season 4, episode 5.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Once Upon a Time in the West" (2024). Season 4, episode 1.
- ↑ "Two for the Road" (2024). Season 4, episode 3.
- ↑ "Blow-Up" (2024). Season 4, episode 6.
- ↑ "Valley of the Dolls" (2024). Season 4, episode 7.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Lifeboat" (2024). Season 4, episode 8.
- ↑ "My Best Friend's Wedding" (2024). Season 4, episode 10.