The Fox funnyman talks about the season finale of this popular skit comedy programIt's funny how missing an assignment can turn out for the best sometimes. I was scheduled to be in on a conference call with Bobby Lee for the season finale of MadTV recently, but, due to a series of miscommunications, the call-in information was never sent to me. I placed a call to one of the contacts on the conference call and found out that Lee was generous enough to give me a few minutes of his time after the call. So, a non-exclusive conference call turned into an exclusive one-on-one interview. Score! Here's what Lee had to say about the upcoming season finale on May 17, alongside guest star Dave Navarro.

So what can we expect from this season finale?

Bobby Lee: Do you know who Dave Navarro is, Brian?

Oh yeah. Definitely. He's a great guitarist.

Bobby Lee: Yeah, Navarro is doing it. I did his internet show, so I manipulated him into doing me a favor, so he did the last episode. He wanted to do it, but I also coerced him to do it. He's playing guitar in my bedroom, while I'm laying in bed, which was great for me because, when I was in high school, I went to the first Lollapalooza. Jane's Addiction played and I almost died in the mosh pit when they played. Yeah, so I reminded him that I almost died at his show so he did it.

Oh yeah. Those pits are crazy. I went to one of the Lollapalooza's.

Bobby Lee: Yeah. At those things, white people just love to crush my skull in. Not just white people in general, mostly skinheads that do it, but anyway... (Laughs)

(Laughs) So how did the writers strike affect you guys, in terms of the show?

Bobby Lee: The strike was horrible, in many ways. I really felt it was going to be the downfall of MadTV, because a lot of shows were up in the air. It was a very dark time, but you had to do it. I masturbated a lot, obviously a lot of TV.

Gotta fill the hours somehow.

Bobby Lee: Yeah. Played video games, masturbated and, I don't know if you want to mention that I masturbate, but I do.

(Laughs) I'm sure they'd like to know that.

Bobby Lee: Thank you, Brian. Thank you.

Yeah, it's weird but I actually know your brother.

Where did you run into my brother?

My roommate is friends with him.

Steve? Really? That's great. He's a good kid.

Yeah, it was weird when I found out about the conference call because I just thought, 'Hey, I know his brother.'

Bobby Lee: Yeah. It's a small world.

So, do you have anything else that you're working on?

Bobby Lee: Yeah, I'm in a movie this summer called Pineapple Express. I have three lines, but it's a Judd Apatow movie so I'm kind of excited about that. I'm also writing a show for Comedy Central, my own show. I don't know if it's ever going to get made, but that's what I'm doing. I may or may not come back (to MadTV). I want to, Janice (the rep on the line) tell them that, but I don't know what's happening.

Oh, so you're still up in the air for next season then?

Bobby Lee: Brian, I'm in this business, man, and I honestly don't know anything about show business at all. I don't know how it works. I just get a call one day and it happens. It's up in the air. I think it's 50-50.

So when will they start going back to work on the next season then?

Bobby Lee: I don't know. Janice?

(Janice tells us that they will probably go back to work in early September or late August.)

Bobby Lee: Am I coming back, Janice? Do you know?

(Janice tells us that she doesn't know, but we'll get the press release when everything is official.)

Bobby Lee: You know, they're calling in too many Asian people right now, to audition. All my Asian friends are calling me, 'Dude, I've got an audition. Are you coming back?'

(Laughs)

So you're in Pineapple Express then? I can't wait for that. That looks hilarioius.

Bobby Lee: Yeah. I do have a scene where Seth Rogen hits me in the face with a gun. And my head explodes, so I can't wait for that. I did some wire work in that movie too, which was crazy.

So are you a thug in that movie?

Bobby Lee: Yeah, I'm a thug in it and I play an Asian thug with Ken Cheung. You know who that is? He was in Knocked Up?

Oh yeah.

Bobby Lee: Yeah. We both come in with machine guns, and it was crazy. I was like an action star for like a week. It was crazy because I smoke cigarettes and I don't really move much and I was running around, doing karate, it was crazy.

Since you're not sure about MadTV, besides that pilot you're working on, Is there anything else that you'd like to be working on?

Bobby Lee: Well, I've been writing the show for Comedy Central. I have a deal there, so I don't know how that's going. They really like my pilot, It's like The Bobby Lee Show, I'm playing myself, so we'll see what happens with that. Everything else is kind of up in the air right now.

So, is that sort of a variety show, sketch variety show?

Bobby Lee: No, it's more like The Sarah Silverman Program. Kind of like Curb Your Enthusiasum, starring me. I just never know what's going to happen. I could be working at Starbucks a year from now. Who knows.

Well, thanks a lot for taking the time, Bobby.

Bobby Lee: Thanks very much, Brian.

You can catch Bobby Lee on the season finale of MadTV on May 17 at 11 PM ET on Fox.