The name Dustin Milligan may not always ring a bell, but Ted from Schitt’s Creek definitely does. The Canadian actor, whose career includes many film and TV credits, is perhaps best known for playing the affable vet and Alexis’ doting boyfriend in Schitt’s Creek. He now stars in the comedy film The People We Hate at the Wedding, which will stream on Amazon Prime Video from November 18. Over a Zoom call, The Telegraph chatted with Dustin, 37, on the film and beyond.

What was the experience of filming The People We Hate at the Wedding?

The character, Dennis, that I play was so well-written and from start to finish, he does such a great job of jumping in in the middle of these peoples’ lives and sort of tumbling towards this inevitable disaster that the wedding will become. I think the relatability of that dysfunctional family, all the different people who make up that family and have their own dysfunctions, is something that immediately grabbed me.

Then there is also a lot of sweetness and a lot of heart, but none of that ever overshadows the straight — often raunchy — comedy. That is a lot of fun. I liked playing Dennis who is this kind of happy-go-lucky guy who accidentally stumbles into Alice’s (played by Kristen Bell) life and ends up being part of the reason why she is able to step back after the dust has settled on the wedding and realise: ‘Oh, this is who I actually want to be.’ To be able to be that character who plays that role for her... it’s a dream come true. Not to mention that the cast is incredible!

Apart from the relatability factor, what do you think makes the dysfunctional family such a popular screen trope?

I think it stems from the idea of what a wedding is supposed to be, and directly attached to that is the idea of what a family is supposed to be. And there is so much pretense and so much building up to this day being perfect... and as a result, we all need to be perfect on that day. But the ironic thing is that, of course, no one is perfect, and, of course, when we are all trying our hardest to be perfect, that’s when it’s all going to fall apart.

All of us, at a wedding, feel that we are under a microscope, even if we are not. And that’s what I think makes wedding comedies so enjoyable. Almost everyone has experienced weddings like this and we all have these stories from our own weddings or from someone else’s where we saw something go wrong, but it turned out to be a lot of fun!

So wedding comedies bring on a sense of memory, the audience knows they are going to have a good time. This film has all that, but the wedding isn’t the point of the movie... there is so much more there. The script so beautifully uses the wedding to get us to that point where we have to confront this dysfunctionality and who we really are. I really hope that people are able to recognise that and take that away when they are watching it.

Distin Milligan with Kristen Bell in The People We Hate at the Wedding, streaming on Amazon Prime Video from November 18

How are you at family weddings?

Are you a happy, excited attendee or do you try and avoid them?I have never really experienced a disaster at a wedding, except the usual catering mishaps. I have definitely experienced bad speeches, but secretly, I revel in them when I see them happening. (Laughs) Maybe that’s why I loved the idea of this film so much because that’s who I am at a wedding. I kind of wait for something — it doesn’t have to be a blow-up — and I love the idea of sipping my champagne and giggling while someone’s uncle is going on and on and on! (Laughs) And then someone gets up and pats them on the back to let them know that it’s time to wrap it up, but they don’t get the hint and keep going for another 20 minutes! I just love that.

Have you ever made a bad speech at a wedding?

I have only made one speech at a wedding and I hope it wasn’t too bad! (Laughs) It was at my sister’s wedding, so I hope it was good.

The characters that you play seem so much like who you are in life. Does that happen by chance?

First of all, I don’t really get to pick a lot of the parts that I play… so let’s get that out of the way! (Laughs) I am out there auditioning... I am as desperate as any other actor to get roles.

Having said that, I love earnestness. I love it when characters are pure and genuine. That can be represented in the form of nice guys, and I try and bring in some earnestness and honesty of intent from who I am into these kinds of parts. That can manifest in a lot of different ways. Lately, it’s manifesting a lot in the rom-com space. But that’s not the only kind of role I want to play. I have also played a lot of guys who are not so nice!

Dustin Milligan as Ted with Annie Murphy, who plays Alexis, in Schitt’s Creek

Which roles of yours do audiences tend to talk the most about?

Obviously, Schitt’s Creek is right up there. On social media, the more popular shows are what people connect to you about. What I feel fortunate about is that there are a lot of movies of mine which aren’t so well known but they had me playing a few dream roles... and when I am out and about on the street, those are the roles people tend to talk to me about. And that for me is always really nice because that reminds me that social media is not my only audience, it’s not the only version of the world that’s out there. In fact, the participants on social media are a pretty narrow scope of what your audience is. And when I meet people face to face and they talk about roles that meant a lot to them and meant a lot to me, that’s what makes me happy.

Is there a part that you are itching to play?

I love playing jerks, really loser kind of characters... and I want to play more of that! (Laughs) But I also love a decent drama. I am a huge sci-fi fan, so any role in sci-fi is the shizz for me. My idea of falling asleep is just playing Star Trek: The Next Generation on my laptop... just the hum of the ship, you know (smiles). I also love doing comedy... comedy is inherent in how I live my life. But I can’t be too picky.