1 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:06,080 Speaker 1: What do you do when life doesn't go according to 2 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:09,760 Speaker 1: plan that moment you lose a job, or a loved one, 3 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: or even a piece of yourself. I'm Brookshields and this 4 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:18,759 Speaker 1: is now What a podcast about pivotal moments as told 5 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:21,599 Speaker 1: by people who lived them. Each week, I sit down 6 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:23,840 Speaker 1: with a guest to talk about the times they were 7 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: knocked off course and what they did to move forward. 8 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: Some stories are funny, others are gut wrenching, but all 9 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:38,320 Speaker 1: are unapologetically human and remind us that every success and 10 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 1: every setback is accompanied by a choice, and that choice 11 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 1: answers one question. Now what Okay, so you're married to me? 12 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 2: Shall we get work off? 13 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 1: Do you want to shout out at something about can 14 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 1: you talk about that a little bit? 15 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 2: Like? 16 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 1: Is it weird being married to me? Like I had 17 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:06,720 Speaker 1: to tell you in the beginning not to beat up paparazzi, Like, okay, 18 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 1: what was it like in the beginning where you're like, 19 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: oh shit, I'm this is a pain in the ass. 20 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 2: No, I was never the paparazzi was alive in the 21 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 2: early days. 22 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:15,400 Speaker 1: What do you think of like y'all of a sudden 23 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: you're like, I know, no, here I don't want to 24 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 1: hear anything, but I know. 25 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:20,480 Speaker 2: People would like into restaurants very easily. 26 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 1: My guest today is simply my guy. He's the man 27 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:35,040 Speaker 1: of my dreams. Chris Henchy is my husband for more 28 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:39,399 Speaker 1: than twenty two years. He is a wonderful father to 29 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:42,640 Speaker 1: our two daughters, and he's quite possibly one of the 30 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 1: funniest people on the planet. He and I met on 31 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 1: the Warner Brothers lot back in the nineties. That's when 32 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 1: he was working as a comedy writer and I was 33 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 1: doing Suddenly Susan. And since then he's continued to write, direct, 34 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: and produce some of the biggest films and TV shows 35 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 1: of the past two decades, including Spin City, Entourage, I'm 36 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 1: With Her, Impractical Jokers, The Other Guys, The Campaign, Daddy's Home. 37 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 1: The list goes on. Chris is also one of the 38 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:14,080 Speaker 1: founders of Funnier Die and has been instrumental in helping 39 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 1: a new generation of comedians get off the ground. I 40 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:20,480 Speaker 1: adore him, and while I am quite shocked that he 41 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:23,639 Speaker 1: agreed to do the show, I am not the least 42 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:26,839 Speaker 1: bit surprised at how great his interview was. So here 43 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 1: is the wonderful Chris Henchy. All right, Henchy, thank you 44 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:34,399 Speaker 1: for being here. 45 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 2: Have we started? 46 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:38,120 Speaker 1: Yeah? We started. I can't say I really did any preparation, 47 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 1: or I can say I did twenty two plus years 48 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:45,200 Speaker 1: of preparation. I'm not quite sure years years. He hates 49 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 1: sitting down talking about feelings. He hates sitting down talking 50 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 1: about anything. You have the attention span of like a gnat. 51 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 2: Well, you're the one whose glasses are flogging up. 52 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:55,360 Speaker 1: All right, I know, I get you know what. I'm 53 00:02:55,400 --> 00:03:00,240 Speaker 1: around you, Henchy. You still fog my glasses up. Okay, 54 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 1: So people have been asking all sorts of questions, so 55 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:04,720 Speaker 1: I don't even know where to start. But I remember 56 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 1: the day we first met. Yes, take me through it. 57 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:07,920 Speaker 1: What do you remember? 58 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 2: I was twelve, I just purchased a ticket for the lagoon, and. 59 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 1: I have here no jokes. Tell me, seriously, before I 60 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 1: could even say that, you started with a joke. Do 61 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 1: you remember, seriously? What do you remember? 62 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:26,800 Speaker 2: I remember? I was I was at Warner Brothers on 63 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:30,520 Speaker 2: the lot and why I was doing intelligence show there 64 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 2: and writing, and I went to the gym because I 65 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 2: work out, and there was a I was working out 66 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 2: and there was a dog in the gym, kind of 67 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 2: running without with a leash, but no, you know, like 68 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 2: nobody taking care of it. Real good foreshadowing. So I 69 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 2: go to pet the dog and was at least literally 70 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:51,440 Speaker 2: went around the corner, so it was. 71 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:52,840 Speaker 1: She had the leash still around. 72 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 2: At least she was around. She was around the corner. 73 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 2: It was a kind of pit mix. So I started 74 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 2: petting the dog and lo one hold around the corner. 75 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:03,880 Speaker 2: It comes Brookshields and we just started chatting. Now what 76 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 2: I've told you once, I don't think you remember or 77 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:08,320 Speaker 2: anything like that. I so Brooke was doing our show, 78 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:11,600 Speaker 2: Suddenly Susan I was doing another sitcom. But you're on 79 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:13,680 Speaker 2: a lot and there's just a bunch of other TV 80 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:16,120 Speaker 2: riders running around, so you know, Andy, it's a small community, 81 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:18,719 Speaker 2: so you know everybody. So I think I went over 82 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:22,200 Speaker 2: to see somebody at Suddenly Susan and you were eating 83 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 2: lunch because there was other writers over there that we know, 84 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:28,360 Speaker 2: and you guys were having Suddenly Susan cast was having 85 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 2: their lunch on one of the sound stages, and that's 86 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 2: where before the show on Friday night, they put a 87 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:33,400 Speaker 2: whole spread of food. 88 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 1: And you like a good spread of food, like stray food. 89 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 2: And I walked through and I'm looking good. I'm in 90 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 2: shape from the gym. The hair's parted down the middle, 91 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:46,919 Speaker 2: feathered back. I got, I've got clothes came back in 92 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:50,520 Speaker 2: ninety six. I had clothes that I bought on lot 93 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:54,159 Speaker 2: at the sample store from because you know the productions 94 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:55,640 Speaker 2: when they would go out, they'd sell their clothes that 95 00:04:56,040 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 2: there was a market there, see you by actually kind 96 00:04:58,240 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 2: of cool clothes. 97 00:04:59,040 --> 00:04:59,919 Speaker 1: Cool clothes from Secon. 98 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 2: It's like from old from Wardrobe Wardrob. When they wasn't used, 99 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:05,480 Speaker 2: they were going to be used. They were used. Your 100 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:07,159 Speaker 2: you're buying used clothes, but they're always really. 101 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:09,280 Speaker 1: We got him as actors. We got him at half price. 102 00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:11,359 Speaker 2: And then we would go buy them after that. But 103 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 2: I was walking through, I was looking good, and you 104 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 2: did check me out in the story. 105 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 1: That is what you remember that you had. 106 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:19,160 Speaker 2: Curlers in your hair, and I remember you just you 107 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:22,479 Speaker 2: held the gaze. Yeah, you held the gaze for about 108 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 2: five seconds. 109 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 1: Really anyway, that was prior to the gym. 110 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:27,599 Speaker 2: Prior to the gym. So a month later, do the gym. 111 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 2: You're in the dream world and then I go back 112 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:32,200 Speaker 2: to my office and that was it. So but then 113 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:35,120 Speaker 2: this was probably October like a week later, so I 114 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:39,279 Speaker 2: get a call to come and write an NBC holiday 115 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 2: special and then they I said, who's hosting? And I 116 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:44,720 Speaker 2: they said Brook. I go, oh, tell her the guy 117 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:46,720 Speaker 2: she met at the gym a couple of weeks ago 118 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:47,920 Speaker 2: as the guy who's writing the show. 119 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:49,560 Speaker 1: So you know, it's like a hat. 120 00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, you have, hopefully what you think is a funny writer. 121 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:55,479 Speaker 1: It's funny because I remember going coming back from the 122 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:58,040 Speaker 1: gym and calling my roommate from college and going, I 123 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:00,279 Speaker 1: just met a really kind of cute guy. I like, 124 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 1: he's like a really normal guy, and I think you 125 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:05,719 Speaker 1: should date him, and she goes, oh, well, I kind 126 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 1: of like somebody else. And so I never even knew 127 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:12,080 Speaker 1: your name until they told me you were writing the show. 128 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:16,559 Speaker 1: And then I increasingly got again foreshadowing more and more 129 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:20,680 Speaker 1: and more pissed off at you because you never gave 130 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:23,719 Speaker 1: me my material, right, and I wanted to get my 131 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:26,000 Speaker 1: material and be the nerding Brook that I am. 132 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, but they didn't tell you. What I told them 133 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:30,640 Speaker 2: is I'm not going to get it till Friday. I'll 134 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 2: start writing, but I probably won't get all until Friday. 135 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:34,359 Speaker 2: And you have Saturday's on teleprompters. You can do it. 136 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:35,719 Speaker 2: You're pro and. 137 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:38,479 Speaker 1: So I like highlighting and memorizing and underlining. 138 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:41,720 Speaker 2: You have highlighted and made notes on our life that 139 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:42,920 Speaker 2: you know I don't know. 140 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 1: Ye, well, got ready for a book, Okay, go back. 141 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:48,760 Speaker 1: I mean, I know the answers to these, But a 142 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:52,160 Speaker 1: lot of people don't know how you became a writer, 143 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:55,960 Speaker 1: what your trajectory was. You didn't plan on being a writer. 144 00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:59,479 Speaker 1: You went to You were kind of an army brat, right. 145 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:02,479 Speaker 2: Yes, we moved around a lot. Uh. I was born 146 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 2: in New York, but I went to college in New Mexico. 147 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:08,480 Speaker 2: Wanted University of New Mexico. Uh. And I wanted to 148 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:12,000 Speaker 2: be a comedy writer, but had no ties, no connections, 149 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 2: no no anything. 150 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 1: So I know you wanted to be a comedy I 151 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:17,160 Speaker 1: don't know. 152 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 2: I just would watch sitcoms. I'd watch Started Night Live. 153 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 2: Letterman seemed to be funny around my friends, and uh 154 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:26,480 Speaker 2: and they seem to think so. But it was like, yeah, 155 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:30,040 Speaker 2: you know, it was just let me try it. I said, 156 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 2: let me move to New York under the guys who 157 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 2: work on Wall Street because I didn't want to tell 158 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:36,200 Speaker 2: my parents. After four and a half years, of college, 159 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:40,040 Speaker 2: yes four and a half. Uh that I was going 160 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:41,320 Speaker 2: to go to New York and be a comedy writer, 161 00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:43,720 Speaker 2: because they would just say no. So what I did 162 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:48,960 Speaker 2: was no, that's not my family. Everybody wanted. My whole 163 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:52,920 Speaker 2: thing with family was my grandmother. Everybody was get your benefits. 164 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:55,840 Speaker 2: You know your bennies, So get a job that has benefits. 165 00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 1: So I am your grandmother from Ireland, from Ireland. 166 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:03,760 Speaker 2: So I basically sort of used the Wall Street connection 167 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:06,240 Speaker 2: or job had agree in finance. I should have studied 168 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:08,400 Speaker 2: something more fun. But look, I'm here right now doing 169 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:10,320 Speaker 2: my HEARTRITI here with my wife. 170 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:12,440 Speaker 1: But I but honestly, can I just tell you, I 171 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:14,320 Speaker 1: don't know if you would be the kind of person 172 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 1: who then study creative writing and then go that way. 173 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 1: You're just you write the way you write, and you 174 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:24,240 Speaker 1: write it instinctually, and you write instinctively, and you don't 175 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:24,640 Speaker 1: like to. 176 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:28,880 Speaker 2: I would have gone to Santa Fe become a poet. 177 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 1: If state seriously that would have that would have. 178 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:35,720 Speaker 2: No. So but I moved to New York and worked 179 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:40,200 Speaker 2: at a big firm that has since gone under and 180 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:43,640 Speaker 2: created a huge savings alone scandal. I had nothing to 181 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:48,080 Speaker 2: do with it. But I, and it was it was 182 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:51,760 Speaker 2: a fun job, and it didn't. I wasn't made out 183 00:08:51,840 --> 00:08:54,200 Speaker 2: for it. It wasn't going to last. 184 00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:57,040 Speaker 1: And did you like anything about No, I hate it. 185 00:08:57,040 --> 00:08:59,199 Speaker 1: I just liked the vouchers, the vouchers for. 186 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:02,000 Speaker 2: Cars we go out to afterwards. That I had fun, 187 00:09:02,559 --> 00:09:04,360 Speaker 2: but it wasn't. It wasn't for me. I knew it. 188 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:07,120 Speaker 2: So when I when Drexa was going under, they offered 189 00:09:07,160 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 2: me a job in LA which I turned down. And 190 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 2: it was then I said, if I'm going to write, 191 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:15,719 Speaker 2: I'm getting a severance package from this company. Now is 192 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:17,320 Speaker 2: the time to go rite. And I thought the severance 193 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:20,080 Speaker 2: package would last a year. I thought it'd be six 194 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:22,560 Speaker 2: months before I got a job writing, and I thought 195 00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:24,120 Speaker 2: my whole world was gonna be great. And none of 196 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 2: that happened. Well it was, I burned through the severns 197 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:29,559 Speaker 2: in six months and no job within a year. 198 00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 1: So what happened when you told your mom and dad? 199 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:33,520 Speaker 2: I didn't tell my parents. I said, I'm gonna keep 200 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:35,400 Speaker 2: looking for a job. I remember someone got me an 201 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:37,720 Speaker 2: interview at Oppenheimer, which was a bank back then, and 202 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:39,440 Speaker 2: I was just I was just not into it. I 203 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:43,200 Speaker 2: was like, so what I my in my head was 204 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:46,560 Speaker 2: this sounds horrible, like to your parents, just string them along, 205 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:49,640 Speaker 2: just keep saying I'm looking for work. But it was 206 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:52,440 Speaker 2: a race, and like everything's a racist with me. It's like, 207 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:56,840 Speaker 2: can I can I make money writing before I have 208 00:09:56,920 --> 00:09:59,800 Speaker 2: to tell them the truth? I'm at this time writing 209 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:03,600 Speaker 2: everything I can write them, learning how to write spec scripts. 210 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:05,080 Speaker 2: You know television sitcoms. 211 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:07,839 Speaker 1: Script is a script that you just write without getting paid. 212 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:11,440 Speaker 2: They call it on spec, and that has the idea 213 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:13,679 Speaker 2: that you might get paid. At my level, You're never 214 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:16,720 Speaker 2: gonna get paid. It's really just a writing sample to 215 00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:18,720 Speaker 2: get an agent, to get a manager, to get anybody 216 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:21,520 Speaker 2: to look at your stuff. I was writing jokes for anything. Uh. 217 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:24,280 Speaker 2: I was writ just writing everything that was on Tellivision 218 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 2: sketches and just constantly uh writing. 219 00:10:27,840 --> 00:10:30,080 Speaker 1: And did you do any stand up at that time? 220 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:33,640 Speaker 2: I did stand up. I was. I would immerse myself. 221 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:36,559 Speaker 2: I was. I wasn't horrible, and I wish I kind 222 00:10:36,559 --> 00:10:37,839 Speaker 2: of It's one of those things I wish i'd kept 223 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:41,040 Speaker 2: up because I wasn't. It was not great and bombed, 224 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:44,559 Speaker 2: but I was like, oh I could this could be fun? 225 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:48,440 Speaker 2: But it was such a I mean, every bar had 226 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:50,600 Speaker 2: open mic night every and then you'd go in there 227 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:52,280 Speaker 2: just you see the same people, and it was like 228 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:55,800 Speaker 2: ten other struggling bad comedians in a room writing jokes 229 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:58,120 Speaker 2: and writing like taking hustle that it was bad. It 230 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 2: just wasn't great. It was, but I just figured writing 231 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:03,200 Speaker 2: might be the better way to go because the stand 232 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:05,560 Speaker 2: up world seems so flooded. 233 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:08,320 Speaker 1: So that's that era. Do you remember, did you sell 234 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:12,320 Speaker 1: your first joke in New York City before the MTV situation? 235 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:15,720 Speaker 2: Talk about so I So I would paper the city 236 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:18,400 Speaker 2: with my made up resume, just try and pad my 237 00:11:18,440 --> 00:11:24,319 Speaker 2: resume with anything I did. And then I just write scripts, 238 00:11:24,559 --> 00:11:26,840 Speaker 2: a Murphy Brown scrap with a little red like like 239 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:30,079 Speaker 2: it was produced what you lied? No, I wrote one. 240 00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:33,800 Speaker 2: It just wasn't the never just no one ever read it. 241 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:36,520 Speaker 2: And then you know, stand up at these these four 242 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:38,840 Speaker 2: clubs and writing for a comedian that nobody knew about 243 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:42,760 Speaker 2: put anything down. But finally somebody at MTV picked up, 244 00:11:43,160 --> 00:11:44,760 Speaker 2: he said, yeah, these are good, and there it was 245 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 2: back when MTV actually had scripted content and shows. They 246 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:50,600 Speaker 2: had a show called Remote Control that Adam Sandler was 247 00:11:50,920 --> 00:11:53,280 Speaker 2: a performer on it. And is this that I want 248 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:55,920 Speaker 2: that's the I want my MTV days. But remote Control 249 00:11:55,960 --> 00:11:59,760 Speaker 2: was just like a Jeopardy for MTV audience. So I 250 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:03,199 Speaker 2: would write sample questions and send those to those guys, 251 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:07,400 Speaker 2: and finally they hired me to come write promos. So 252 00:12:07,640 --> 00:12:10,160 Speaker 2: I would come in and write a promo once a 253 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:13,040 Speaker 2: month and sit and try to immerse myself and go, hey, 254 00:12:13,080 --> 00:12:14,520 Speaker 2: can I sit while you guys produce it just as 255 00:12:14,559 --> 00:12:17,000 Speaker 2: I can learn? And I made one hundred and fifty bucks. 256 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:19,360 Speaker 2: And then there was a show they had on at night, 257 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:21,480 Speaker 2: this kind of fake news show, and then they hired 258 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:23,440 Speaker 2: me to write and then hire me. They would buy 259 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:25,440 Speaker 2: your jokes at one hundred and fifty bucks a pop, 260 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:28,160 Speaker 2: and so you would be lucky to sell two jokes. 261 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:30,640 Speaker 2: So once a month I was making three hundred to 262 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:33,760 Speaker 2: four and fifty dollars. And that's where I was able 263 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 2: to tell my parents, I'm a professional comedy writer. You 264 00:12:36,679 --> 00:12:38,960 Speaker 2: can't tell me no. Look at these checks that are 265 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:39,439 Speaker 2: coming in. 266 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:51,640 Speaker 1: Talk to me a little bit about our beloved Gary Shandling. 267 00:12:52,800 --> 00:12:56,200 Speaker 1: How did you meet him and what was that like? 268 00:12:56,360 --> 00:12:56,920 Speaker 1: Was he a mentor? 269 00:12:57,720 --> 00:13:01,000 Speaker 2: I through that MTV show met a bunch of people, 270 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:06,720 Speaker 2: and there wash there were three amazing basketball games in Hollywood, 271 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:09,839 Speaker 2: all run by Gary's. 272 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:14,520 Speaker 1: Pickup game, and uh, I thought that meant you went 273 00:13:14,559 --> 00:13:15,720 Speaker 1: and just picked up girls. 274 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:21,080 Speaker 2: Come on. So anyway, a friend of mine said, hey, 275 00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:24,720 Speaker 2: you and I was starting to you know, like meet people, 276 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:25,640 Speaker 2: and it's like, do you want to come up and 277 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:28,160 Speaker 2: play at Channey's game. I was like yeah. So I 278 00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:30,080 Speaker 2: got invited to that game and it was like one 279 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:32,559 Speaker 2: of the most amazing things. And it's been written up 280 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:35,880 Speaker 2: in like ESPN dot com and stuff like that. It 281 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:40,120 Speaker 2: was you were playing, I was playing, and and and 282 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:42,280 Speaker 2: you know, I don't talk about that off because it's 283 00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:44,040 Speaker 2: kind of a private game. It was a private well 284 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:46,480 Speaker 2: you had to get invited again, you had to be invited, 285 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:49,400 Speaker 2: and you had to you know, like Gary curated that 286 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:52,560 Speaker 2: list so that it was always great people, fun people, 287 00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:55,120 Speaker 2: and you know, people who can weren't going to dominate 288 00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:57,400 Speaker 2: the game, but just we're there to have, you know, uh, 289 00:13:57,600 --> 00:13:59,560 Speaker 2: two hours of fun basketball and then hang out for 290 00:13:59,559 --> 00:13:59,920 Speaker 2: two hours. 291 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:02,000 Speaker 1: But they were funny people. We had Sarah Silverman on 292 00:14:02,040 --> 00:14:04,360 Speaker 1: the show and you know, she was one of the 293 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:06,760 Speaker 1: only girls asked to couple. 294 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:08,600 Speaker 2: You came and played, I didn't play. 295 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:10,720 Speaker 1: I came in babysat to Covenany's kids. 296 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:15,240 Speaker 2: You played a little there, yeah, very but but it 297 00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:17,800 Speaker 2: was it was, you know, it was what kind of 298 00:14:17,960 --> 00:14:22,000 Speaker 2: got me. You know, even those days I was struggling 299 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:25,520 Speaker 2: because I remember, uh, breaking up with a girlfriend and 300 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:27,720 Speaker 2: having what yeah, and having stuff and most of my 301 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:30,160 Speaker 2: stuff in the car and go and play basketball instead 302 00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:31,960 Speaker 2: of trying to figuret where I was going to live 303 00:14:32,280 --> 00:14:35,000 Speaker 2: insteading of his house, going you didn't place to live. 304 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:37,160 Speaker 2: I'm the only guy up here who's homeless. 305 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:39,640 Speaker 1: And so were you just living at her apartment? 306 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:41,680 Speaker 2: We were living together, but I moved out. 307 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:45,880 Speaker 1: Okay, it's good to know. 308 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:49,600 Speaker 2: And then uh uh, so I moved out, so he 309 00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:54,320 Speaker 2: will move out and we'll move out, so uh and 310 00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:55,400 Speaker 2: then I went to a friend's house. 311 00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:59,520 Speaker 1: But then, okay, so that's like the that's the trajectory 312 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:02,080 Speaker 1: part of it. One personal thing we do all get 313 00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:03,680 Speaker 1: back to. But one of the one of the things 314 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:05,760 Speaker 1: that I want to just say is I remember one 315 00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:07,800 Speaker 1: of the ways that not the ways, one of the 316 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:12,280 Speaker 1: reasons why I was so enamored with you. First of all, 317 00:15:12,280 --> 00:15:14,360 Speaker 1: on our first kind of date, it was all about 318 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:17,920 Speaker 1: SNL sketches and we just laughed so much but when 319 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:20,320 Speaker 1: you started talking to me about nanime and how you 320 00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:23,320 Speaker 1: used to go take care of nanime and buy her groceries. 321 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:27,440 Speaker 2: My Irish grandmother up in Yorkville, Yeah, Yorkville. What in 322 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:28,080 Speaker 2: New York City? 323 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:29,680 Speaker 1: In New York City? Where did she? 324 00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:30,080 Speaker 2: What was her? 325 00:15:30,120 --> 00:15:30,960 Speaker 1: Where was her apartment? 326 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:34,000 Speaker 2: She had eighty eighth and first and then she was 327 00:15:34,040 --> 00:15:36,840 Speaker 2: like a sort of housekeeper. 328 00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:39,280 Speaker 1: We used to river dance. 329 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:42,440 Speaker 2: I should go, I go entertain or take her to movies. Uh, 330 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:46,440 Speaker 2: take her out to dinner every Sunday, loved or she 331 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:46,960 Speaker 2: would cook. 332 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:48,960 Speaker 1: She had odd jobs even though she so. 333 00:15:48,920 --> 00:15:52,560 Speaker 2: She worked for this guy who lived further down and 334 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:55,400 Speaker 2: I would uh First Avenue and she would have me 335 00:15:55,440 --> 00:15:57,760 Speaker 2: come up there and help her take curtains down to 336 00:15:57,920 --> 00:16:00,360 Speaker 2: go to take me to the cleaner whatever. I'd help out. 337 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:04,360 Speaker 2: And he would also go away for most of August, 338 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:07,480 Speaker 2: and she used to watch his cat and he would 339 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:12,000 Speaker 2: leave her enough money to buy fancy feast cat food. 340 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:17,080 Speaker 2: And that's the expensive that's that's nobody uses a phrase anymore. Well, 341 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 2: that's the Cadillac of cat foods. It's the flat mignon 342 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:21,800 Speaker 2: of cat foods. Back in the early nights. I'm sure 343 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:25,280 Speaker 2: there's much better. It was fancy feast, and he would 344 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:28,800 Speaker 2: leave you know, a dollar can. He was gone for 345 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:31,920 Speaker 2: forty days. He'd leave her forty bucks and tax. But 346 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:35,840 Speaker 2: my grandmother would go to the grocery store and buy 347 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:40,360 Speaker 2: the Grand Union Grand Union brand three four dollars and 348 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 2: pocket the twenty five bucks. And it was a big bargain. 349 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 2: And I would be in the living room watching television 350 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:48,160 Speaker 2: on a Sunday and she's cooking dinner. But she'd go 351 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:50,480 Speaker 2: feed the cat, and I'd hear from the kitchen and 352 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:53,440 Speaker 2: that brog that it'd be no fancy feast for you tonight. 353 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:58,840 Speaker 2: Tonight is Grand Union Jesus man trying to make a buck. 354 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:04,560 Speaker 1: That's enterprising. And in the Bible, by the way, there'll 355 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:07,960 Speaker 1: be no fancy fast for you. No, But the cat 356 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:08,920 Speaker 1: didn't know the difference. 357 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:10,720 Speaker 2: Well, the cat wouldn't be for three days, and she's 358 00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:14,000 Speaker 2: like soon enough. I heard that. 359 00:17:14,320 --> 00:17:18,640 Speaker 1: I was like, good God, okay, so cut to you. 360 00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:21,360 Speaker 1: You start working, you start making you have you've I mean, 361 00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:24,719 Speaker 1: whenever I mention you, like especially if we're like in 362 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:30,200 Speaker 1: a party situation and there's like young guys there, I'll 363 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:31,680 Speaker 1: go over to them and I'll say, like, do you 364 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:33,600 Speaker 1: know who that guy is. And they'll say like no, 365 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:36,119 Speaker 1: and I'll say, well, he ran on an entourage, she 366 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:39,960 Speaker 1: wrote Spin City, The Practical Jokers, the movie. And then 367 00:17:40,240 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 1: then once I get to the campaign, the other guys 368 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:50,000 Speaker 1: or Daddy's home, they start like absolutely palpitating because they 369 00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:53,600 Speaker 1: they they they'll come up and quote quote things about 370 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:57,399 Speaker 1: the baby punch from the campaign, or they'll start quoting. 371 00:17:57,440 --> 00:18:01,360 Speaker 1: So how did you was it Gary Shanling that kind 372 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:03,040 Speaker 1: of started, you know, the. 373 00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:05,919 Speaker 2: Gary Shanling and I I was lucky enough to get 374 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 2: hired to come and write sitcoms. And then Gary David 375 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:12,320 Speaker 2: Goldberg read something, and then Gary David Goldberg, Gary David Goldberg, 376 00:18:12,359 --> 00:18:14,320 Speaker 2: and he and I wrote a couple of sitcoms together 377 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:18,520 Speaker 2: that lasted this season. But he was just an unbelievable mentor. 378 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:21,000 Speaker 2: And then I went to Spin City and Gary Goldberg 379 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:23,119 Speaker 2: had the other great Hollywood basketball game. So I was 380 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:25,600 Speaker 2: playing a Gary's game on during the weekend, Challey's game 381 00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:27,840 Speaker 2: on Sunday. So I was and I'm still not a 382 00:18:27,880 --> 00:18:31,280 Speaker 2: great player, but fun uh, I. 383 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:33,720 Speaker 1: Was, okay, make some good screens or what. 384 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:38,120 Speaker 2: I said, screens. So you to start, well, it was interesting, 385 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:41,400 Speaker 2: like you like I never thought past writing for sitcoms, 386 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:43,520 Speaker 2: like being on staff. That was as far as my 387 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:46,639 Speaker 2: dream went. And now I was creating a couple of 388 00:18:46,640 --> 00:18:49,240 Speaker 2: sitcoms I wrote. I wrote a movie land Lost, and 389 00:18:49,240 --> 00:18:52,080 Speaker 2: that was finished writing that, and I'm laying in my 390 00:18:52,119 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 2: office trying to figure what to do next. In my 391 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:58,600 Speaker 2: phone writing was my manager mentioned that Will Ferrell and 392 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:00,280 Speaker 2: Adam Kay want to start a company. And I done 393 00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:03,520 Speaker 2: some punch up on a couple of other movies like Anchorman 394 00:19:03,680 --> 00:19:07,320 Speaker 2: and uh Elf. And we used to do round tables 395 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:08,280 Speaker 2: where they would get a script. 396 00:19:08,359 --> 00:19:08,920 Speaker 1: Play what that is? 397 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:12,439 Speaker 2: Yeah, they'd get a script, and before they would start shooting, 398 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:15,159 Speaker 2: they would want to bring a few comedy writers in 399 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:18,639 Speaker 2: and we'd all sit around the table. They'd throw some 400 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:21,720 Speaker 2: food into the room like we're animals and shut the 401 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:23,760 Speaker 2: door and uh and. 402 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:24,639 Speaker 1: We're all still kind. 403 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:26,639 Speaker 2: Of and we would write. We'd go through the script 404 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:29,919 Speaker 2: and give alternate jokes and stuff like that. Really, it's 405 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:32,280 Speaker 2: just a great time. And managers said they want to 406 00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:35,000 Speaker 2: start a company. They keep saying somebody like CHRISSCENTI, would 407 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:38,440 Speaker 2: you consider writing less and running this company? And I said, 408 00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:39,240 Speaker 2: let me talk to my. 409 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:41,040 Speaker 1: Wife, And what did I say? 410 00:19:41,119 --> 00:19:42,359 Speaker 2: You said yes for sure, So I. 411 00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:45,040 Speaker 1: Went and agents weren't keen on it. 412 00:19:45,119 --> 00:19:47,120 Speaker 2: No, my agent wasn't too keen on it. And because 413 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:48,480 Speaker 2: he was like, it's going to take you out of 414 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:50,560 Speaker 2: the writing game, and I ended up just writing more At. 415 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:54,199 Speaker 1: The time, I said, are you nuts associated with those guys? 416 00:19:54,240 --> 00:19:58,679 Speaker 1: It's it's comedy mecca and you'll kick yourself if you 417 00:19:58,760 --> 00:20:02,000 Speaker 1: don't do this and like that you can't make is okay? 418 00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:03,800 Speaker 1: Let me ask you this. Do you think that you 419 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:08,160 Speaker 1: can't make safe moves in Hollywood? Like do you have 420 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:11,639 Speaker 1: to risk things like that to to kind of keep moving? 421 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:13,680 Speaker 2: For me? Yeah, exactly, because you always hear the safe 422 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:16,000 Speaker 2: it's like fishing or gambling. You this. You hear the 423 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:18,440 Speaker 2: safe movies that pan out. You don't hear the safe 424 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:24,040 Speaker 2: moves that don't. 425 00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:29,440 Speaker 1: I call the show now what because it's like those 426 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:31,439 Speaker 1: moments when you're like, oh, fuck, now what do I do? 427 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:33,040 Speaker 1: Like I didn't see that coming and then all of 428 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:38,600 Speaker 1: a sudden something happens and you have said that Land 429 00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:40,960 Speaker 1: of the Land of the Lost wasn't now what moment 430 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:41,320 Speaker 1: for you? 431 00:20:41,359 --> 00:20:43,159 Speaker 2: Why? Well? It was, you know, it was. 432 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:44,480 Speaker 1: It was so funny. 433 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:47,480 Speaker 2: It was funny. It was the movie was like, it 434 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:49,919 Speaker 2: was just not what people wanted. 435 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:52,240 Speaker 1: But was it what you wanted? 436 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:56,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, we wrote a funny movie. Maybe another time it would. 437 00:20:56,400 --> 00:20:59,200 Speaker 1: Have been now it would be really well. 438 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:02,440 Speaker 2: People do come up to you occasionally talk about how 439 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:05,000 Speaker 2: funny it is, less so than back then. But it 440 00:21:05,119 --> 00:21:07,560 Speaker 2: was just it wasn't the time for it. I guess 441 00:21:07,600 --> 00:21:09,960 Speaker 2: I don't know. It just wasn't what people wanted. 442 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:12,680 Speaker 1: And how do you know what people want? 443 00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:16,400 Speaker 2: We took a swing and it just didn't work, and 444 00:21:16,680 --> 00:21:19,560 Speaker 2: or it didn't work then I think it. I'll stand 445 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:21,239 Speaker 2: by it, and I'm proud of proud of it, and 446 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:24,440 Speaker 2: I will come beyond. I'll watch I go this is 447 00:21:24,520 --> 00:21:25,760 Speaker 2: there's some funny stuff here and. 448 00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:28,119 Speaker 1: Wouldn't you rather take a swing at something big and 449 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:29,240 Speaker 1: kind of lose? Then? 450 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:32,800 Speaker 2: But so the crazy thing was and when you I Go. 451 00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:38,560 Speaker 2: It came out the same weekend as The Hangover, and 452 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:41,240 Speaker 2: it was it was like six weeks before, you know, 453 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:43,800 Speaker 2: people start tracking movies and I remember, my age is 454 00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:47,159 Speaker 2: going and I'm like I'm feeling common, like I'm so 455 00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:49,520 Speaker 2: naively like this movie's gonna be great and it's gonna 456 00:21:49,520 --> 00:21:51,080 Speaker 2: do great. People and love it. How they not love it, 457 00:21:51,440 --> 00:21:54,960 Speaker 2: you know, And six weeks out, you know, this hangover movies. 458 00:21:54,720 --> 00:21:58,159 Speaker 1: Track tracking track, it's the worst word you can hear. 459 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:02,720 Speaker 2: Its like five weeks this hangar movie is really growing. 460 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:04,840 Speaker 2: Like like three weeks out, this Hangover is gonna be 461 00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:07,760 Speaker 2: a monster. And then it just was the biggest phenomenon 462 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:11,840 Speaker 2: and it's opening weekend and we I was in New 463 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 2: Orleans writing here's the crazy. I was writing the other 464 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:17,920 Speaker 2: guys in New Orleans and working on a small movie 465 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:20,359 Speaker 2: we did down there, and just sitting in a hotel 466 00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:25,000 Speaker 2: room getting hourly reports on Friday on projections, and they 467 00:22:25,080 --> 00:22:27,320 Speaker 2: kept going down and hangovers kept going up, and then 468 00:22:27,359 --> 00:22:31,399 Speaker 2: getting on a plane and my wife and my daughter 469 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:33,440 Speaker 2: and I'm just sitting there staring at My daughter goes, 470 00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:37,760 Speaker 2: what's wrong? Dad? She's like, that is I learned a lesson? Yeah, 471 00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:43,000 Speaker 2: don't tell your kids everything about your career. What's wrong? Well? Yeah, 472 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:46,560 Speaker 2: And she knew about land loss and she's probably she's 473 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:49,399 Speaker 2: like six years old. I go, well, daddy's movie is 474 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:52,200 Speaker 2: not doing so well. And she's like, oh no, why 475 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:55,240 Speaker 2: she all got super protective and upset. I was like, 476 00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:56,720 Speaker 2: I stought that it was gonna be fine. 477 00:22:57,240 --> 00:22:59,520 Speaker 1: The thing was because I can picture you're talking to 478 00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:02,280 Speaker 1: a six years listen to the protections are the box 479 00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:06,920 Speaker 1: office well, and it's underform. 480 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:10,080 Speaker 2: The worst thing was is outside of our apartment was 481 00:23:10,119 --> 00:23:11,360 Speaker 2: a billboard for the Hangover. 482 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:15,919 Speaker 1: We were in downtown and soho. At that point we 483 00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:16,760 Speaker 1: had two children. 484 00:23:17,359 --> 00:23:21,040 Speaker 2: I was on lipstick younger, I think, and every time 485 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:24,040 Speaker 2: I got in a cab that weekend, it was it 486 00:23:24,080 --> 00:23:26,680 Speaker 2: was the Sandy Canyon movie moment, and. 487 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:28,240 Speaker 1: He'd go, Sandy Kenyon. 488 00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:30,000 Speaker 2: Canyon is a critic in the city. 489 00:23:30,280 --> 00:23:33,399 Speaker 1: Yeah, Sandy Kenyon does the TV critic, movie critic in 490 00:23:33,440 --> 00:23:34,200 Speaker 1: the cabs. 491 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:36,560 Speaker 2: Right, the cabs, So you get it every time, like 492 00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:39,399 Speaker 2: Sandy Kenyon with the movie, and he'd rave about the 493 00:23:39,480 --> 00:23:44,320 Speaker 2: un about the Hangover, and uh uh. Then he'd go, 494 00:23:44,600 --> 00:23:52,000 Speaker 2: h On the other hand, lad you you couldn't You 495 00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:54,320 Speaker 2: couldn't get to that X to mute it and shut 496 00:23:54,359 --> 00:23:55,800 Speaker 2: it off quick enough, kind. 497 00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:57,479 Speaker 1: Of like a little bit of a loop. Even now 498 00:23:57,520 --> 00:23:58,359 Speaker 1: it's hard to mute. 499 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:01,960 Speaker 2: And it was just like, oh, my first movie was 500 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:05,560 Speaker 2: a kind of a public failure. 501 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:08,640 Speaker 1: And so that happens, and how is it? And now 502 00:24:08,640 --> 00:24:09,160 Speaker 1: what moment? 503 00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:11,680 Speaker 2: What do you? What are you? Just like you say, wow, 504 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:16,680 Speaker 2: I am I going to get another at bat. 505 00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:17,920 Speaker 1: How do you do that? 506 00:24:18,119 --> 00:24:21,919 Speaker 2: Well, you get talking about this and I, like luckily 507 00:24:22,119 --> 00:24:27,800 Speaker 2: was writing the other guys, and we kind of rushed 508 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:28,600 Speaker 2: that script a. 509 00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:30,640 Speaker 1: Little bit and was that already going to be made? 510 00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:33,840 Speaker 2: It was not green lit, and. 511 00:24:33,320 --> 00:24:35,760 Speaker 1: They could have not green lit and then. 512 00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:39,439 Speaker 2: Then you're under a magnifying class. But and we almost 513 00:24:39,520 --> 00:24:41,159 Speaker 2: like the movie almost didn't get green lit, and they 514 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:43,000 Speaker 2: were like, you got a week to get to figure 515 00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:46,040 Speaker 2: the script at out, and McKay and I knuckled down 516 00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:49,520 Speaker 2: over July fourth weekend and fixed the script. 517 00:24:49,960 --> 00:24:52,960 Speaker 1: Then came came the campaign then, which he wrote. 518 00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:56,840 Speaker 2: Them with the campaign with Will and Zach Galvinakis, and 519 00:24:56,880 --> 00:24:57,640 Speaker 2: that was a blast. 520 00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:00,399 Speaker 1: One last thing about Land of the Last. Do you 521 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:04,000 Speaker 1: think that there's something about like if you're ahead of 522 00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:07,919 Speaker 1: the curve, it's not good, and if you're behind, Like 523 00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:09,560 Speaker 1: if you're ahead of the wave, it's not good. If 524 00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:11,320 Speaker 1: you're behind the wave, it's not good. You have to 525 00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:15,440 Speaker 1: be right on it, and who could know when you're right. 526 00:25:15,520 --> 00:25:18,400 Speaker 2: I don't know if these days. 527 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:20,119 Speaker 1: Is it like that? Was it like that then? And 528 00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:21,439 Speaker 1: not like that? No? 529 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:23,919 Speaker 2: No, it's just it wasn't a curve. It was just like, uh, 530 00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:27,959 Speaker 2: it just was the wrong time, and I think it's 531 00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:29,520 Speaker 2: I do think it's aged. 532 00:25:29,720 --> 00:25:32,720 Speaker 1: Well, talk to me about a very very serious, very 533 00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:38,200 Speaker 1: important project, bruddies, what is it? Explain what buddie's is. 534 00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:43,159 Speaker 2: Uh. So I've done several movies with Ben Falcone, who 535 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:47,960 Speaker 2: I love, and Melissa McCarthy and Steve Mallory, who's were 536 00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:51,800 Speaker 2: always together on a lot of movies, and Mallory and 537 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:53,840 Speaker 2: then and I just have a text shame we're working, 538 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:57,520 Speaker 2: you still have it all the time, and you're still 539 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:01,400 Speaker 2: jackasses about all all the times. And we arted with Mallory. 540 00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:04,240 Speaker 1: We go, and Steve Mallory is also. 541 00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:09,479 Speaker 2: So we were saying how we are very stilted texts 542 00:26:09,520 --> 00:26:12,640 Speaker 2: like we are buddies and uh, and I wrote back 543 00:26:12,640 --> 00:26:15,159 Speaker 2: to Ben and Malories on there, but we're not including him. 544 00:26:15,200 --> 00:26:17,159 Speaker 2: I we are brothers. I go, And then we were 545 00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:20,440 Speaker 2: we are more than buddies, but we're less than brothers. 546 00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:25,240 Speaker 2: We are bruddies, and uh we laughed. Then we go 547 00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:27,600 Speaker 2: and we told Steve, I go the show's bruddies, just 548 00:26:27,600 --> 00:26:29,359 Speaker 2: go write it. He's like, what are you talking? It 549 00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:33,560 Speaker 2: writes itself, bruddies. And so Steve the next day comes 550 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:37,720 Speaker 2: in with like three pages of of something. It's pretty 551 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:45,120 Speaker 2: fucking funny. It's Ben Frampton and Chris Henley, so they're 552 00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:46,200 Speaker 2: slightly based on. 553 00:26:46,840 --> 00:26:49,240 Speaker 1: Us, Ben Falcone and Chris Henchy. 554 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:55,239 Speaker 2: If we were badass mercenary soldiers, which just and we 555 00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:58,840 Speaker 2: do a lot of eater handshakes, and I would rewrite, 556 00:26:58,840 --> 00:27:00,800 Speaker 2: then Ben would write. Before long, we had like seventy 557 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:04,720 Speaker 2: pages of something called Bruddy's and we took it out 558 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:07,920 Speaker 2: and we had an animation company come with us, and 559 00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:10,040 Speaker 2: like we took it into some studios and like, wait, 560 00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:12,560 Speaker 2: what do you want to do? Or like they're they're 561 00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:17,520 Speaker 2: eight minute scenarios. There's very little plot. It's mostly just 562 00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:21,439 Speaker 2: all those scenes. It's it's a Michael Bay best of 563 00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:26,600 Speaker 2: animated and it's just jackass dialogue. And and then we 564 00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:30,200 Speaker 2: realized we need a little story. So we ended up 565 00:27:30,359 --> 00:27:33,280 Speaker 2: like the guy, uh, the guys at Tripper, Like we 566 00:27:33,359 --> 00:27:35,119 Speaker 2: kind of love this, Why don't why don't we just 567 00:27:35,160 --> 00:27:37,600 Speaker 2: do it? Because they're going to start a streaming platform. 568 00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:40,320 Speaker 2: We're like, all right, great, So we got paid to 569 00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:45,240 Speaker 2: write Bruddies and we put together a great cast, which 570 00:27:45,560 --> 00:27:51,560 Speaker 2: would be it has most of McCarthy, Ben Falcone, Joel McHale, 571 00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:59,639 Speaker 2: Reno Wilson, Richard Grant, Octavia Spencer, George to Kai and 572 00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:04,040 Speaker 2: you're why what oh so we are working together? Yeah, 573 00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:04,800 Speaker 2: and brickshields. 574 00:28:05,200 --> 00:28:06,720 Speaker 1: Can we talk a little personally? 575 00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:08,679 Speaker 2: No, I gotta go. 576 00:28:09,560 --> 00:28:11,400 Speaker 1: You know you're not going yet. You were talking about 577 00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:14,440 Speaker 1: having lunch. So I get ten more minutes with you. God, 578 00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:16,080 Speaker 1: you're you're the worst, the worst. 579 00:28:16,840 --> 00:28:17,159 Speaker 2: Okay. 580 00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:20,240 Speaker 1: We have two children, seventeen year old and a twenty 581 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:23,520 Speaker 1: year old. What do you think our biggest strengths are 582 00:28:23,840 --> 00:28:25,199 Speaker 1: as parents? 583 00:28:26,359 --> 00:28:30,560 Speaker 2: But but the I think we're relatively normal tradition, even 584 00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:34,320 Speaker 2: though we're untraditional traditionalists, Like we what. 585 00:28:34,359 --> 00:28:35,159 Speaker 1: It is traditional? 586 00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:37,840 Speaker 2: Like you mean, well, we don't. Like there's certain things 587 00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:41,640 Speaker 2: we do every year, you know, like are Thanksgiving generally 588 00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:44,000 Speaker 2: as a tradition. And if we go on a road trip, 589 00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:47,240 Speaker 2: we don't eat at a chain restaurant. My dad always 590 00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:49,480 Speaker 2: drives off and sometimes it could take twenty minutes for 591 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:51,880 Speaker 2: me to find the mom and pop restaurant, and they 592 00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:54,480 Speaker 2: would used to sometimes get mad, but then they were like, god, 593 00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:59,960 Speaker 2: he always finds the grayst restaurant, Like like somewhere from 594 00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:04,280 Speaker 2: grilled soup tomato place. I just found, like it looked like, 595 00:29:05,080 --> 00:29:10,240 Speaker 2: you know, sometimes I'm sneaking on my phone like yelp review, 596 00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:12,640 Speaker 2: like oh here it comes a good place, it feels good. 597 00:29:13,320 --> 00:29:16,720 Speaker 2: But generally were and those are things they've taken away, 598 00:29:16,760 --> 00:29:19,560 Speaker 2: Like you know, you went to go see Rowan at school, 599 00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:23,520 Speaker 2: and she had her her local restaurants, and that's what 600 00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:25,280 Speaker 2: mom and dad avoid like and whenever we were checking in 601 00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:27,440 Speaker 2: hotels for a movie or whatever, we would find our 602 00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:30,360 Speaker 2: local coffee place. We'd find our you know, and and 603 00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:31,880 Speaker 2: and get to know them. 604 00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:34,160 Speaker 1: Food is a big food, a big big thing. 605 00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:36,680 Speaker 2: I think our kids realize that Dad says hi to 606 00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:39,880 Speaker 2: most bartenders and ends up becoming friends with them. And 607 00:29:40,040 --> 00:29:41,800 Speaker 2: you can see that happening with our kids too. 608 00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:44,840 Speaker 1: How you doing great. I love it when the bartender 609 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:50,440 Speaker 1: nurse your daughter drink a choice. I also think we 610 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:54,520 Speaker 1: have a lot of laughter we you know, food is 611 00:29:54,560 --> 00:29:57,680 Speaker 1: really important to us, like that kind of around the you. 612 00:29:57,880 --> 00:30:01,000 Speaker 1: I just want to go visit Rowan and Italy, where 613 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:06,720 Speaker 1: she's studying abroad. And Dad made up two trays of 614 00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:09,640 Speaker 1: enchiladas that he learned how to make in New Mexico 615 00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:13,520 Speaker 1: with Hatch chili green chili, and I traveled on the 616 00:30:13,560 --> 00:30:17,320 Speaker 1: plane with frozen enchiladas, and it was a huge hit 617 00:30:17,360 --> 00:30:21,120 Speaker 1: with all of her college friends and things like that. 618 00:30:21,240 --> 00:30:23,680 Speaker 1: You know, we we do create our own traditions. But 619 00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:27,760 Speaker 1: really quickly the first time that Chris asked me if 620 00:30:27,800 --> 00:30:30,840 Speaker 1: the girls could be in one of his movies, was 621 00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:33,920 Speaker 1: it the other the other guys? I said, oh, sure. 622 00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:36,160 Speaker 1: So he brings both girls down and of course he 623 00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:39,440 Speaker 1: treats them like their actual cast members, and as they were, 624 00:30:39,560 --> 00:30:41,040 Speaker 1: they were actual well I know, but they had a 625 00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:44,000 Speaker 1: little trailer, a little honeywagon, which never happens, and both 626 00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:45,840 Speaker 1: they had hair and makeup and. 627 00:30:45,720 --> 00:30:46,760 Speaker 2: They were tiny. 628 00:30:47,160 --> 00:30:49,680 Speaker 1: Was three three three or. 629 00:30:49,880 --> 00:30:52,240 Speaker 2: Rowing was six two thousand. 630 00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:57,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, so three three and six. And so they come 631 00:30:57,600 --> 00:30:59,440 Speaker 1: back home and I said, oh, how'd you like it? 632 00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:01,800 Speaker 1: And they said, well, they couldn't do it because they 633 00:31:01,880 --> 00:31:03,840 Speaker 1: lost the light, so they had to go back. Well 634 00:31:03,880 --> 00:31:04,400 Speaker 1: they went. 635 00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:06,240 Speaker 2: Back full hair and makeup again, full hair. 636 00:31:06,160 --> 00:31:08,880 Speaker 1: And makeup again, full outfits, little honeywagon got to go 637 00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:13,120 Speaker 1: to craft services. And then at the very last minute, 638 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:14,760 Speaker 1: Greer says, well. 639 00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:18,880 Speaker 2: They yeah, it was it was. I was in the scene. 640 00:31:18,960 --> 00:31:20,440 Speaker 2: It was a dad and his two daughters getting in 641 00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:23,560 Speaker 2: a cab and Rowan comes out smiling, ready to go, 642 00:31:23,640 --> 00:31:25,760 Speaker 2: and she's got a little wardrobe bomb Greer's hair for 643 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:28,080 Speaker 2: some reason, it's real boofontie, like big, and she's got 644 00:31:28,120 --> 00:31:31,640 Speaker 2: a purse and stuff like that, and she sees three 645 00:31:31,320 --> 00:31:37,680 Speaker 2: she sees everybody went nope, bus and just start crying. 646 00:31:38,120 --> 00:31:40,880 Speaker 2: And then Greer goes home and Mom says, how her? 647 00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:42,400 Speaker 1: I said, what would you do? She because I did 648 00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:44,280 Speaker 1: not do it? And I said why because I did 649 00:31:44,320 --> 00:31:46,640 Speaker 1: not want to? And I said why didn't you want to? 650 00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:49,400 Speaker 1: And she said I did not want to? And I said, 651 00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:53,880 Speaker 1: wait a minute. I said, you went through hair, make up, wardrobe, 652 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:58,040 Speaker 1: got snacks at the craft table. I said, you never 653 00:31:58,320 --> 00:32:00,680 Speaker 1: intended on doing it? Did you not want to do 654 00:32:00,720 --> 00:32:03,520 Speaker 1: it from the beginning? You just wanted hair and makeup? 655 00:32:03,720 --> 00:32:06,960 Speaker 1: And she said yes. So she went through hair and 656 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:10,520 Speaker 1: makeup and wardrobe, just knowing full well that she was 657 00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:12,440 Speaker 1: not going to do it, but she wanted the hair 658 00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:12,920 Speaker 1: and make it. 659 00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:15,160 Speaker 2: She wanted to be there, but she wanted to. 660 00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:17,560 Speaker 1: Be pampered and she wanted to get hair and makeup. 661 00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:20,080 Speaker 1: And she's still like that anyway. What do you want 662 00:32:20,120 --> 00:32:22,880 Speaker 1: to do next? What's not on the horizon for Chris 663 00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:25,520 Speaker 1: Henchi next divorce. 664 00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:31,000 Speaker 2: I am now, I'm just I'm out. You know, the 665 00:32:31,080 --> 00:32:33,440 Speaker 2: hustle never sleeps. A couple of movies. I got a 666 00:32:33,520 --> 00:32:36,160 Speaker 2: couple of movies out there and talking and to one 667 00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:40,040 Speaker 2: to direct, a couple to produce, and uh. 668 00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:43,920 Speaker 1: One to write, Well, Henchi, I love you, love you. 669 00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:53,240 Speaker 1: That was my love, Chris, Henchi, Chris babe. Thank you 670 00:32:53,280 --> 00:32:56,400 Speaker 1: for doing the show and thank you for creating such 671 00:32:56,400 --> 00:32:59,200 Speaker 1: a beautiful life with me. That's it for us today, 672 00:32:59,360 --> 00:33:00,000 Speaker 1: talk to you next to. 673 00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:05,360 Speaker 2: Now. 674 00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:09,080 Speaker 1: What with Burke Shields is a production of iHeartRadio. Our 675 00:33:09,160 --> 00:33:13,320 Speaker 1: lead producer and wonderful showrunner is Julia Weaver. Additional research 676 00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:17,880 Speaker 1: and editing by Darby Masters and Abu Zafar. Our executive 677 00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:22,920 Speaker 1: producer is Christina Everett. The show is mixed by Vahid Fraser.