Will Arnett tells a story about lying on his Sullivan Street couch, wondering if he’s just delivered the best scene of his career or the worst.

He’s just wrapped the “vampire scene” in Bradley Cooper’s “ Is This Thing On ” — a brutal, unraveling stand-up set where his character Alex loses his grip on reality in front of a comedy club audience. There’s no certainty, no safety net. Just the raw vulnerability of a 55-year-old actor who spent decades hiding behind heightened characters and is now stripped down to nothing but truth.

Arnett has made a career out of playing characters who deflect emotion with wit, archness or bravado. From “Arrested Development” to “BoJack Horseman” to the self-parodying swagger of “The Lego Batman Movie,” he’s long been one of comedy’s most recognizable voi

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