WEBVTT - Eric Stonestreet 0:00:00.520 --> 0:00:05.200 Your earliest dream was to be a clown. Is that correct. 0:00:05.360 --> 0:00:07.520 That's where it all started. Yeah, I wanted to be 0:00:07.560 --> 0:00:09.400 a clown in the circus. After I went to the 0:00:09.440 --> 0:00:11.959 circus and it was explained to me that clowns were 0:00:12.000 --> 0:00:14.680 just normal people with makeup on. Oh you didn't know 0:00:14.720 --> 0:00:17.840 that at first. Yeah, you know. I thought that's just 0:00:17.880 --> 0:00:20.760 how those people looked. So I was like, hold on 0:00:20.840 --> 0:00:23.919 just a second. You're telling me I can look like that. 0:00:24.200 --> 0:00:27.720 They're like, yeah, yeah, just makeup on. Okay, Well that's 0:00:27.720 --> 0:00:35.360 what I want to do. My name is Eric stone Street. 0:00:35.640 --> 0:00:39.080 I played Cameron Tucker on Modern Family, and I am 0:00:39.120 --> 0:00:49.880 a Chiefs fan. Hello everybody, it's a new day. It's 0:00:49.880 --> 0:00:55.160 a new Tuesday, which means a new episode of Off 0:00:55.240 --> 0:00:58.800 the Beat. I'm your host, Brian Baumgartner. I am so 0:00:58.920 --> 0:01:01.440 excited to share with you today. This is the reason 0:01:01.720 --> 0:01:06.039 that we're doing Off the Beat conversations like today, my guest, 0:01:06.360 --> 0:01:10.760 you just heard the one and only Eric stone Street. Now, 0:01:10.800 --> 0:01:13.399 I've known Eric for a long time and I know 0:01:13.760 --> 0:01:16.600 that he had a bit of an unconventional start in 0:01:16.680 --> 0:01:20.880 show biz. Well I'm not sure if performing at parties 0:01:21.000 --> 0:01:24.800 quite counts as jobiz, but it certainly was the road 0:01:24.880 --> 0:01:27.840 that led him to where he is today. You probably 0:01:27.880 --> 0:01:31.479 know him as Cam from Modern Family, half of the 0:01:31.720 --> 0:01:35.720 iconic duo that was Mitch and Cam, a couple that 0:01:35.800 --> 0:01:40.120 would pave the way for same sex couples on primetime television. 0:01:40.520 --> 0:01:45.840 He's one Emmy's He's made appearances on everything from America's 0:01:45.880 --> 0:01:49.640 Got Talent to C s I to even a weird 0:01:49.680 --> 0:01:53.880 Al Yankovic music video. Now like me, he is a 0:01:54.000 --> 0:01:57.320 huge sports fan. Yes, and he's done his fair share 0:01:57.480 --> 0:02:02.440 of voice acting. And oh yeah, I almost forgot. He 0:02:02.520 --> 0:02:08.280 could have been Kevin Malone on the Office. So there's that. 0:02:08.560 --> 0:02:12.600 Let's just dive right in. Please welcome my friend and 0:02:12.720 --> 0:02:23.200 yours America's sweetheart, Eric stone Street. Bubble and Squeak. I 0:02:23.440 --> 0:02:29.440 love it, Bubble and Squeak on Bubble and Squeaker Cookie 0:02:29.440 --> 0:02:44.000 at every month left over from the NAT before. What 0:02:44.240 --> 0:02:48.520 is happening? Wi, Brie, Brian? How are you good? How's 0:02:48.520 --> 0:02:51.399 it going? You know? I almost wore my packers hat. 0:02:51.600 --> 0:02:55.280 I was wondering if you would have the Chiefs thing rolling? 0:02:56.760 --> 0:03:00.280 I know, I mean what I heard so much? It does? 0:03:00.960 --> 0:03:04.600 It does? I mean, especially after you guys won, what 0:03:04.760 --> 0:03:09.200 might be the greatest game in the history of the NFL. Yeah, 0:03:09.400 --> 0:03:11.959 it was the greatest game. Is there any good feelings 0:03:12.000 --> 0:03:15.399 about that or is it just still no? It makes 0:03:15.400 --> 0:03:18.720 it worse, like because none of it matters. I mean, 0:03:18.720 --> 0:03:21.120 that's the great thing about the sport we love so much, right, 0:03:21.480 --> 0:03:24.320 it only matters what you do in this game. It's 0:03:24.360 --> 0:03:31.639 like it's just immediately erased from meaning anything means zero. Now. Yeah, 0:03:31.720 --> 0:03:35.800 well listen, I want to get back, go back into 0:03:35.800 --> 0:03:38.040 your history. But the first thing I feel like we 0:03:38.080 --> 0:03:40.960 need to talk about because I think we have never 0:03:41.040 --> 0:03:47.119 discussed this specifically, but you we're up for the role 0:03:47.120 --> 0:03:51.800 of Kevin Malone in the office. And I don't know 0:03:51.840 --> 0:03:54.320 if you've ever heard this story, but when Steve left 0:03:54.360 --> 0:03:56.880 the show, Alison Jones came to me and said, you know, 0:03:56.920 --> 0:04:00.400 I was looking for like momentum. Alison Jones throws nothing away. 0:04:00.520 --> 0:04:04.840 She keeps every document, every casting sign in sheet, every 0:04:04.880 --> 0:04:07.360 note ever written. I'd love to see some of my notes, 0:04:07.960 --> 0:04:11.640 like from maybe my Curb your Enthusiasm audition. But she said, 0:04:11.680 --> 0:04:13.320 I didn't really find that much for Steve, but I 0:04:13.360 --> 0:04:16.719 found this for you. So this is, you know, seven 0:04:16.800 --> 0:04:21.000 years into our run. This is circa and she hands 0:04:21.040 --> 0:04:24.359 me up a sheet of paper and it says, Kevin Malone, 0:04:25.320 --> 0:04:32.039 Brian Baumgartner, Eric stone Street and Jorge Garcia. What and 0:04:32.240 --> 0:04:36.680 this was the final three for Kevin Malone. We were 0:04:36.520 --> 0:04:40.200 the three? Did you know that you were that close? 0:04:40.600 --> 0:04:44.000 Or is this a surprise to you know? Not a surprise, 0:04:44.040 --> 0:04:46.919 but what's so cool about this? And you're right that 0:04:46.960 --> 0:04:51.400 we've always known this little bit of Hollywood trivia. I 0:04:51.520 --> 0:04:56.440 have perspective on it from my end because I was 0:04:56.520 --> 0:05:01.920 friends with Angela Kinsey and Warren lieberste from my improv 0:05:01.920 --> 0:05:07.400 Olympic days. Well, when I came in and read like 0:05:07.480 --> 0:05:10.839 I'm sure you did. It started with me reading for 0:05:11.440 --> 0:05:14.240 you know, the Steve Carell part, like that's was my 0:05:15.160 --> 0:05:16.920 just go in and meet Allison Jones and read and 0:05:16.960 --> 0:05:19.000 then she called back and said, well, you're not right 0:05:19.040 --> 0:05:21.359 for that, but come in for this other part. So 0:05:21.400 --> 0:05:23.200 then I went in and I read for your part, 0:05:23.560 --> 0:05:26.039 and I called Warren and you know, I knew his 0:05:26.080 --> 0:05:27.719 brother had something to do with the show, and his 0:05:27.760 --> 0:05:30.279 brother in law, you know, had created the show with 0:05:30.320 --> 0:05:33.520 the old Marin version. Mike, Dude, I'm testing for the 0:05:33.560 --> 0:05:36.799 show and he's like, yeah, you're you're in the top three, 0:05:36.960 --> 0:05:41.279 Like there's three tapes that they're looking at, and I 0:05:41.320 --> 0:05:43.240 don't know what time of year it was, this is 0:05:43.279 --> 0:05:46.640 your story, so you would have better references than I would, 0:05:46.720 --> 0:05:49.600 because I quickly tried to have to forget about this moment. 0:05:50.360 --> 0:05:52.840 But for whatever reason, whether it was a football game, 0:05:52.920 --> 0:05:56.680 a baseball game, or whatever, I was over at Paul 0:05:56.720 --> 0:06:02.479 Deieberstein's house and I saw your picture. I saw your 0:06:02.680 --> 0:06:07.920 picture at his house, really, and I yeah, like the 0:06:07.960 --> 0:06:12.040 decision hadn't been made yet, and so I knew who 0:06:12.080 --> 0:06:14.600 you were and I saw your picture and tapes, and 0:06:14.640 --> 0:06:16.600 I just wanted to be like, be like nose over 0:06:16.600 --> 0:06:18.320 there and be like, what's there any of that? What's 0:06:18.360 --> 0:06:20.800 you know? Like, what's any of this? Say? Like is 0:06:20.800 --> 0:06:23.400 there anything written down yet? Is it decided? But then 0:06:23.400 --> 0:06:25.320 it wasn't long after that that you know, you got 0:06:25.360 --> 0:06:28.520 it and and I didn't get it. But yeah, what 0:06:28.600 --> 0:06:31.080 a great what a great moment. But it's also great 0:06:31.120 --> 0:06:33.440 for everyone who wants to be an actor and in 0:06:33.440 --> 0:06:37.240 our business to understand that you know, you got the 0:06:37.320 --> 0:06:41.479 part because you deserved the part. It was your part. 0:06:41.800 --> 0:06:44.560 They just didn't know it was your part yet. And 0:06:45.040 --> 0:06:47.479 it wasn't my part and it wasn't my time. And 0:06:47.520 --> 0:06:50.360 then a couple of years later, then another audition rolls 0:06:50.400 --> 0:06:53.200 around for Modern Family and that turned out to be 0:06:53.240 --> 0:06:57.000 my part, and Hey obviously had his part. He found 0:06:57.040 --> 0:07:01.240 his part. So it's pretty cool little Hollywood intersection for us, 0:07:01.480 --> 0:07:04.159 it is. And I think the other thing that is 0:07:04.320 --> 0:07:07.880 so cool about it was, you know, we were three 0:07:07.920 --> 0:07:12.640 guys not well known at all at that point, um, 0:07:12.680 --> 0:07:15.400 but everybody ended up getting their part. As you said, 0:07:15.480 --> 0:07:18.120 everybody ended up. You know, it's not like who was 0:07:18.160 --> 0:07:22.440 that guy? Has anybody ever heard from him before? Yeah? 0:07:22.560 --> 0:07:27.000 Everybody did. Yeah, really really neat And you know, you 0:07:27.000 --> 0:07:29.760 you were the best, Like we as fans of TV 0:07:29.960 --> 0:07:33.080 and fans of things like you, you watched TV shows 0:07:33.080 --> 0:07:34.880 and think like, well, nobody else could have done that. 0:07:35.080 --> 0:07:38.200 And my version of that character certainly wasn't your version. 0:07:38.240 --> 0:07:40.800 Your version wasn't mine. And you know I went to 0:07:40.840 --> 0:07:43.800 the right person. Now here we are, here we are, Yeah, 0:07:43.840 --> 0:07:47.040 you could be talking to me right now. I guess 0:07:48.200 --> 0:07:50.760 I will disagree with you about Alison Jones not throwing 0:07:50.760 --> 0:07:53.400 anything away though, because she threw me away a lot 0:07:53.480 --> 0:07:58.480 of times out of those but she kept the mementos 0:07:58.520 --> 0:08:01.120 of throwing you away. Yeah, she it and she I 0:08:01.120 --> 0:08:03.280 know you've talked to her and talked about her many times, 0:08:03.280 --> 0:08:06.280 but I just want to reiterate she's the greatest, the best. 0:08:06.760 --> 0:08:08.800 And here's a great Allison Jones story for you. So 0:08:08.840 --> 0:08:11.480 when I came from Chicago, I had an acting teacher 0:08:11.480 --> 0:08:15.320 in Chicago named Glenn Haynes. And when I moved out here, 0:08:15.360 --> 0:08:17.520 Allison was nice enough to you know, she came to 0:08:17.640 --> 0:08:20.440 prop Olympic and I got a one line part on 0:08:21.040 --> 0:08:24.160 um Michael J. Fox's TV show that he was the 0:08:24.200 --> 0:08:29.080 mayor assistant. Well, all of a sudden, I get called 0:08:29.080 --> 0:08:30.960 from my agent and said, hey, you've got to You're 0:08:30.960 --> 0:08:33.280 gonna work on Spin City this week. I'm like, I've 0:08:33.280 --> 0:08:36.120 never even auditioned for Spin City and she's like, yeah, well, 0:08:36.160 --> 0:08:38.080 Alison Jones saw you in an improv show and there's 0:08:38.120 --> 0:08:40.240 one line of a photographer and she's just giving you 0:08:40.280 --> 0:08:43.400 the part. And I'm like, that's awesome. So I go in, 0:08:43.520 --> 0:08:46.360 I do the part whatever, and then this is you know, 0:08:46.400 --> 0:08:51.160 we're talking here. So then Allison would call me in 0:08:51.200 --> 0:08:54.240 for different things over the years, never got anything. Then 0:08:54.520 --> 0:08:58.880 got you know, close with with the office and we'll 0:08:58.920 --> 0:09:00.640 hear from her every once while. Ever got anything. Well, 0:09:00.679 --> 0:09:03.439 Glenn Hayes, this acting teacher. I happened to run into 0:09:03.559 --> 0:09:06.000 him in Los Angeles. He was out here. I said, 0:09:06.000 --> 0:09:07.600 what's going on? He's like, Oh, I'm out here doing 0:09:07.640 --> 0:09:10.120 some classes and I'm I'm actually living, um stay with 0:09:10.160 --> 0:09:13.640 Alison Jones. I'm like, this is before Modern Family. I said, 0:09:13.760 --> 0:09:16.400 would you do me a favor? Like, would you ask 0:09:16.480 --> 0:09:21.280 Alison Jones honestly? Like, what's what her assessment of me is? 0:09:21.360 --> 0:09:24.040 You know, I never know because I'm this insecure actor 0:09:24.160 --> 0:09:26.600 like all of us that she keeps calling me in 0:09:26.640 --> 0:09:30.440 but I'm not booking anything, And so he asked her. 0:09:30.520 --> 0:09:32.240 He called me the next night and he said, Alison 0:09:32.320 --> 0:09:34.920 Jones said, you are a series regular waiting to happen. 0:09:36.559 --> 0:09:38.880 And you know what, whether it was true or not, 0:09:39.320 --> 0:09:42.560 it was so gracious of her to give me that 0:09:42.760 --> 0:09:45.840 moment of confidence. She knew. The basis of my question 0:09:45.960 --> 0:09:48.600 was I'm not feeling great about myself right now, like 0:09:48.720 --> 0:09:52.120 I'm not I have traction, but I'm not really I'm 0:09:52.120 --> 0:09:55.440 not really making it. And Alison's response was whether she 0:09:55.520 --> 0:09:58.240 believed it or not, which I think she's an honest person, 0:09:58.280 --> 0:10:00.680 and I value her opinion. She said, you're a series 0:10:00.720 --> 0:10:04.079 regular waiting to happen, and that just lifted me so 0:10:04.200 --> 0:10:07.120 much and made me feel so good. And that's what 0:10:07.200 --> 0:10:10.160 a casting director can do to you in addition to 0:10:10.200 --> 0:10:13.960 helping you get hired on jobs. Yeah, that's that's an 0:10:14.000 --> 0:10:17.440 amazing story. And also the first part of your story 0:10:17.440 --> 0:10:20.880 about Spin City. I mean, she is the hardest working 0:10:20.880 --> 0:10:23.800 casting director in Hollywood, and she is out there all 0:10:23.840 --> 0:10:25.720 the time. And the fact that she goes and sees 0:10:25.720 --> 0:10:29.080 an improv show and sees you and it's like, Okay, 0:10:29.080 --> 0:10:31.320 that guy needs to work, that guy needs let's throw 0:10:31.400 --> 0:10:33.760 him something. No, I mean let's throw him something because 0:10:33.800 --> 0:10:40.280 he he's got it. And yeah, she's she's the best. Um. So, 0:10:40.360 --> 0:10:43.720 before your audition for the office, we're gonna get back 0:10:43.760 --> 0:10:48.920 to some of those other things. Apparently every funny person 0:10:49.120 --> 0:10:53.920 in Hollywood working today grew up in or around Kansas City, Missouri. 0:10:54.200 --> 0:10:58.040 You know, I've talked Keckner, Wriggle, all of these guys. 0:10:58.480 --> 0:11:03.440 You're in Kansas City. Your earliest dream was to be 0:11:03.480 --> 0:11:06.600 a clown, Is that correct? That's where it all started. Yeah, 0:11:06.600 --> 0:11:08.480 I wanted to be a clown. In the circus. After 0:11:08.520 --> 0:11:10.560 I went to the circus and it was explained to 0:11:10.600 --> 0:11:13.320 me that clowns were just normal people with makeup on. 0:11:13.600 --> 0:11:16.320 Oh you didn't know that at first, Yeah, you know. 0:11:16.400 --> 0:11:19.000 I I thought that's just how those people looked. So 0:11:19.040 --> 0:11:21.680 I was like, hold on just a second, you're telling 0:11:21.679 --> 0:11:27.000 me I can look like that, Like, yeah, just makeup on. Okay, 0:11:27.040 --> 0:11:29.559 Well that's what I want to do. How old are you? Oh? 0:11:29.640 --> 0:11:35.080 I was like eight when that epiphany happened. And then 0:11:35.240 --> 0:11:38.480 at my Grandma's making me clown costumes, and I'm going, 0:11:39.000 --> 0:11:41.600 you know, in four h and I'm taking makeup classes 0:11:41.600 --> 0:11:44.120 with shrine clowns. And you know, I always give my 0:11:44.200 --> 0:11:46.800 dad so much credit, you know, and my mom too, 0:11:46.840 --> 0:11:49.160 but my dad more importantly because here he's you know, 0:11:49.160 --> 0:11:52.160 I'm in Kansas, I have pigs and cows, I'm playing football, 0:11:52.400 --> 0:11:56.120 taking karate, put on my mom's wig and makeups, you know, 0:11:56.400 --> 0:11:59.160 things like that. So I know at some point he's like, 0:12:00.040 --> 0:12:03.160 what's going on? Uh, And he didn't yield. He just 0:12:03.960 --> 0:12:06.080 he's just like, this is my son, and I'm not 0:12:06.120 --> 0:12:08.600 gonna you know, they encouraged me so much to just 0:12:08.720 --> 0:12:13.680 follow any and all my dreams and interests. I wanted 0:12:13.679 --> 0:12:15.360 to play the drums. I had a snare drum. I 0:12:15.360 --> 0:12:17.280 was in karate, I had a karate I wanted to 0:12:17.320 --> 0:12:19.520 be a clown. I had a red nose, you know, whatever, 0:12:19.679 --> 0:12:22.280 whatever it was. So I'm thankful that they allowed me 0:12:22.360 --> 0:12:26.040 just to do that. And you went then to k 0:12:26.280 --> 0:12:30.959 s U Kansas State, and yeah, and you when did 0:12:31.040 --> 0:12:35.080 you decide that this was something that you wanted to do? 0:12:35.400 --> 0:12:37.760 That was it? Was there a moment? Was it a 0:12:37.800 --> 0:12:41.400 gradual progression to say, oh no, I want to be 0:12:41.440 --> 0:12:45.760 an actor? M hm? So I had a high school 0:12:45.760 --> 0:12:48.200 girlfriend that broke my heart, broke broke up with me, 0:12:48.440 --> 0:12:52.400 and she stayed behind. That's okay, so anyway, she stayed behind. 0:12:52.520 --> 0:12:54.240 I went on to Kansas State. I did a year 0:12:54.280 --> 0:12:56.640 of track and field. I threw the shop putting discus 0:12:56.760 --> 0:12:59.600 until I found out that sixteen pounds is a lot. 0:12:59.640 --> 0:13:02.320 Every of the twelve pounds and I'm like, I can't 0:13:02.360 --> 0:13:07.280 throw this thing. This is too heavy, this is this 0:13:07.360 --> 0:13:11.040 is this is really heavy, guys. So I went to UH. 0:13:11.080 --> 0:13:12.920 I went to Kansas State, left my track and field 0:13:13.000 --> 0:13:16.400 dreams behind and we ended up ending our relationship. And 0:13:16.440 --> 0:13:18.600 my best friend then Paul, who I met is still 0:13:18.600 --> 0:13:21.600 my best friend, Paul. Now he saw that I was 0:13:21.640 --> 0:13:24.560 bombed and down and you know, melancholy, and he's like, 0:13:24.679 --> 0:13:27.000 you know, you you always want to be a clown. 0:13:27.480 --> 0:13:29.120 I know it's not clowning, but why don't you audition 0:13:29.160 --> 0:13:31.120 for a play? Have you ever thought about doing it? 0:13:31.200 --> 0:13:34.440 I'm like no, He's like, well, I did forensics and 0:13:34.440 --> 0:13:36.760 plays in high school. All audition, if you will. So 0:13:36.800 --> 0:13:38.679 we both went up to the theater department. It was 0:13:38.800 --> 0:13:42.280 to fraternity guys in audition for Hamlet and pray Lude 0:13:42.280 --> 0:13:45.200 to a Kiss to plays. He got cast as Bernardo 0:13:45.280 --> 0:13:47.680 and Hamlet, and I got cast as Uncle Fred in 0:13:47.720 --> 0:13:51.120 pray Lude to a Kiss. Smallest part ned Baby played 0:13:51.120 --> 0:13:53.520 at the movie. So I did that. I had a 0:13:53.520 --> 0:13:56.000 few lines, and I loved it. Man. I loved writing 0:13:56.040 --> 0:13:58.360 my little notes on my pages. And I loved all 0:13:58.400 --> 0:14:01.280 the people. I mean, you're talking about this not that 0:14:01.320 --> 0:14:03.920 I was a farm kid, but I certainly was mostly 0:14:04.040 --> 0:14:06.800 farm kid. But now I'm I'm in the theater department 0:14:06.840 --> 0:14:10.160 with all these people with piercings and tattoos and having 0:14:10.480 --> 0:14:13.360 these crazy parties that I knew nothing about, that we're 0:14:13.400 --> 0:14:16.960 going on on campus. I'm like I love this, like 0:14:18.320 --> 0:14:20.360 it's a pass for me on a lot of it. 0:14:20.440 --> 0:14:25.200 But wow, this is really interesting. Uh. And you know, 0:14:25.280 --> 0:14:27.520 met some of my closest friends still that worked for 0:14:27.560 --> 0:14:29.400 Blue Man Group in New York and have you know 0:14:29.480 --> 0:14:32.480 forever I always called Tim my first GID guy I 0:14:32.480 --> 0:14:35.760 ever met tim O Miller Tim, and so I loved it. 0:14:36.000 --> 0:14:38.840 And then people made the mistake of telling me they 0:14:38.840 --> 0:14:41.320 thought I was good, and I made the mistake of 0:14:41.400 --> 0:14:44.520 believing that people in Manhattan, Kansas knew what good was. 0:14:45.520 --> 0:14:47.440 And then I was like, well, Ship, I guess I'm 0:14:47.440 --> 0:14:50.040 going to give this a try. So I kept auditioning 0:14:50.120 --> 0:14:52.120 for plays and got bigger parts in the plays, and 0:14:52.160 --> 0:14:55.600 then I think it was after my first lead that 0:14:55.680 --> 0:14:59.320 I decided, well, I'm gonna go for this, and that 0:14:59.440 --> 0:15:03.600 was it. Yeah, at that point, there's probably not a 0:15:03.640 --> 0:15:08.520 whole lot of outside of college in Manhattan, Kansas opportunities. 0:15:09.000 --> 0:15:11.760 You eventually go to Chicago. So was that the decision, like, 0:15:11.960 --> 0:15:14.360 you're gonna leave school, You're gonna graduate from school and 0:15:14.400 --> 0:15:16.320 go to Chicago and try to pursue this. How did 0:15:16.360 --> 0:15:19.080 you make that path? Yeah? I basically stayed in school 0:15:19.200 --> 0:15:22.360 an extra year and learned kind of the business just 0:15:22.480 --> 0:15:24.440 and did another play, got a little more experience, and 0:15:24.480 --> 0:15:27.080 then always knew Chicago would be where I went because 0:15:27.120 --> 0:15:30.280 of the improv stuff and Second City, and so I 0:15:30.360 --> 0:15:33.400 moved there just to kind of figure out, like if 0:15:33.440 --> 0:15:36.680 I could hang with people that maybe had gone to 0:15:37.080 --> 0:15:41.400 DePaul or Loyola or acting schools, and just to see 0:15:41.600 --> 0:15:44.880 like where I ranked, you know, and if I was good. Again. 0:15:44.920 --> 0:15:47.640 It was really me testing out to see if you know, 0:15:47.680 --> 0:15:50.640 my professor in Manhattan, Kansas knew what good was. I 0:15:50.880 --> 0:15:53.640 didn't know. So I needed to go figure that out. 0:15:54.200 --> 0:15:56.280 In Chicago seemed like a safe place to kind of 0:15:56.400 --> 0:16:00.760 land first, So I went there, and of course, you know, 0:16:01.360 --> 0:16:03.680 ended up being around some of the people that we 0:16:03.760 --> 0:16:06.080 now rely on for a lot of our humor in 0:16:06.120 --> 0:16:09.000 the world. The Tina Phase, the Rachel Dredges, the Keckner's, 0:16:09.080 --> 0:16:13.640 the Brian Stacks, Pat Finns, you know, tons of improvisers 0:16:13.640 --> 0:16:17.120 and actors that are just really truly funny people. They 0:16:17.120 --> 0:16:19.080 had all kind of moved on, but I got to 0:16:19.120 --> 0:16:21.800 see them performed. Tina Fe was my level two teacher 0:16:21.880 --> 0:16:25.480 at the Second City Conservatory program, and so I just 0:16:25.480 --> 0:16:30.680 started taking classes and assessed that for my experience. I 0:16:30.760 --> 0:16:34.000 was doing okay and then said it in my mind 0:16:34.040 --> 0:16:35.600 that I'm going to move to l A. I'm going 0:16:35.640 --> 0:16:38.080 to give this a run here in Chicago, and then 0:16:38.080 --> 0:16:40.280 moved to Los Angeles because my friends Paul, that guy 0:16:40.360 --> 0:16:43.440 talked about he had moved out here and was pursuing 0:16:43.440 --> 0:16:45.240 a writing career. So I was like, well, my best 0:16:45.240 --> 0:16:47.080 friends in l A. I don't really have any close 0:16:47.120 --> 0:16:51.160 friends in Chicago, So well that direction right. How long 0:16:51.200 --> 0:16:54.240 were you in Chicago? Two years? One year in eleven months? 0:16:55.320 --> 0:16:57.800 And the reason I decided to leave Brian was because 0:16:58.040 --> 0:16:59.960 here I had put all my eggs in the set 0:17:00.040 --> 0:17:02.320 Can City basket. I'm like, I'm gonna be on the 0:17:02.320 --> 0:17:04.320 main stage a second city someday, Like that's a goal. 0:17:04.359 --> 0:17:06.359 There was always one of our body types on the 0:17:06.359 --> 0:17:10.960 main stage, the Chris Farley's and Ratio Sands and John Candy's. 0:17:11.000 --> 0:17:14.040 There always was a heavy set dude. So I thought, well, 0:17:14.080 --> 0:17:15.840 I have a decent chance. Well, then I did my 0:17:15.920 --> 0:17:19.840 Level five conservatory program and at the end of it, 0:17:20.160 --> 0:17:23.679 I asked my teacher, John Hildreth, was Kelly Leonard here 0:17:23.680 --> 0:17:26.080 where the producers a Second City? Did they see me perform? 0:17:26.280 --> 0:17:29.760 And He's like no, Like, wait a minute, so no, 0:17:29.760 --> 0:17:33.600 nobody that makes decisions on like casting was here and no, 0:17:33.840 --> 0:17:36.800 like no, I'm in the pipeline and they're like no. 0:17:37.800 --> 0:17:40.160 So then I realized I had just done that conservatory 0:17:40.320 --> 0:17:43.840 just to start over and go and audition again at 0:17:43.840 --> 0:17:45.960 some other point, and I'm like, screw this, I'm going 0:17:45.960 --> 0:18:07.240 to Los Angeles. So you had a friend? Did that 0:18:07.359 --> 0:18:11.520 make that transition fairly easy coming to Los Angeles? Socially? 0:18:11.560 --> 0:18:15.280 At least socially for sure? You know, UH had no 0:18:15.359 --> 0:18:18.439 real traction other than one name of a casting director 0:18:18.840 --> 0:18:21.040 who you've run into. I'm sure. Her name was Julian O'Neill, 0:18:21.480 --> 0:18:25.480 and she worked with Nicky Valco Casting and the producer 0:18:25.480 --> 0:18:27.359 in Chicago that had helped me get my SAG card 0:18:27.359 --> 0:18:29.679 by doing three backgrounds. She's like, when I was moving, 0:18:30.119 --> 0:18:32.439 she said, Oh, I have a friend that is a 0:18:32.480 --> 0:18:35.040 casting associate for somebody in l A. And I'll give 0:18:35.080 --> 0:18:37.240 you her name. That was the only professional name I 0:18:37.280 --> 0:18:40.679 came to town with. And she was nice enough to 0:18:41.240 --> 0:18:43.040 accept my head shot and she's like, yeah, we'll call 0:18:43.080 --> 0:18:45.919 you in. You know, something comes up, we'll give you 0:18:45.920 --> 0:18:48.760 a call. And she called me in and it took me, 0:18:48.880 --> 0:18:50.720 you know, maybe four or five times of going in 0:18:50.760 --> 0:18:54.200 for I can't think of his name, biggest producer in town, 0:18:54.280 --> 0:18:59.560 TV wise, big bank, Theory Lori, Chuck Lori, Yeah, Chuck Lori. 0:19:00.080 --> 0:19:01.919 It took me like four or five times going in 0:19:02.000 --> 0:19:03.680 and getting called back. And finally I got a little 0:19:03.680 --> 0:19:06.600 part on Darman Greg and that was really the beginning. 0:19:07.080 --> 0:19:10.320 But I didn't, you know, know anybody. But again it 0:19:10.359 --> 0:19:12.800 all comes down to people just being nice and like 0:19:12.840 --> 0:19:16.480 giving me a shot, right. I think for me, a 0:19:16.520 --> 0:19:21.679 big lesson you learn is how important just like the 0:19:21.840 --> 0:19:24.439 number of jobs you get, regardless of what they are. Right. 0:19:24.480 --> 0:19:28.000 So there's like commercials and there's this show and that show, 0:19:28.040 --> 0:19:30.320 and you start to build a career. I know you 0:19:30.400 --> 0:19:33.680 did a lot of commercials. I hear over a hundred 0:19:33.800 --> 0:19:37.879 commercials you did. After arriving in Los Angeles. Well, I 0:19:37.920 --> 0:19:41.080 did a national campaign in Chicago for the n c 0:19:41.240 --> 0:19:43.560 A where I played this character named Joe Football, where 0:19:43.560 --> 0:19:46.960 I was painted red and blue. And then that helped 0:19:46.960 --> 0:19:51.400 me get a commercial agent in l A. And then 0:19:51.520 --> 0:19:54.840 I was lucky enough one day to meet a guy 0:19:54.920 --> 0:19:59.199 named Joe Picka. And Joe Picka is a legendary commercial 0:19:59.280 --> 0:20:02.240 director unless Angelists, and I went in and I auditioned 0:20:02.240 --> 0:20:05.960 for an American Express Tiger Woods commercial where the balls 0:20:06.040 --> 0:20:08.159 traveling all over the world and I was just a 0:20:08.200 --> 0:20:10.919 guy on a tea box somewhere and the ball lands 0:20:10.960 --> 0:20:13.800 and I smashed the ball. So I go into this 0:20:13.840 --> 0:20:16.920 audition and when before I went in, my agent called 0:20:16.920 --> 0:20:21.199 me and was like, you're auditioning for Joe pa Like, okay, 0:20:21.240 --> 0:20:24.480 what what does that mean. She's like, you don't know 0:20:24.720 --> 0:20:27.480 who Joe Pitka is. I'm like, no, what do I 0:20:27.560 --> 0:20:29.680 need to be right now? Do I need to pull over? 0:20:29.840 --> 0:20:34.879 What's happening? She's like no, he's very intimidating. He's very scary, 0:20:34.960 --> 0:20:39.160 you know, he's very loyal. Just be cool, becom, don't 0:20:39.200 --> 0:20:42.320 poke the bear. I'm like, what the hell? So I 0:20:42.400 --> 0:20:46.120 go in and I auditioned for this Tiger Woods commercial 0:20:46.119 --> 0:20:47.960 where it's like, I don't even think I have lines. 0:20:48.000 --> 0:20:49.760 He just was like looking me up and down at 0:20:49.800 --> 0:20:52.080 my body and maybe a swing the golf like a 0:20:52.119 --> 0:20:54.920 golf club or something. And I'm standing there and he's 0:20:54.960 --> 0:20:58.000 just staring at me, like literally like a lion about 0:20:58.040 --> 0:21:02.520 to pounce on a pound of meat. He goes worried from, 0:21:02.560 --> 0:21:05.720 and I said, um, from Kansas City. It was Kansas City. 0:21:06.320 --> 0:21:10.920 I said, yeah, where are you from? And he goes Pittsburgh. 0:21:11.200 --> 0:21:14.240 I said Pittsburgh. He goes, yeah, you got a problem 0:21:14.280 --> 0:21:16.240 with Pittsburgh And I said, well, no, but it seems 0:21:16.240 --> 0:21:18.600 like you have a problem with Kansas City. He's kind 0:21:18.640 --> 0:21:20.040 of have a problem with Kansas City. Why do you 0:21:20.040 --> 0:21:21.640 think I have a problem with Kansas City? And I said, 0:21:21.640 --> 0:21:23.639 well because I said where I was from, and you 0:21:23.680 --> 0:21:27.560 were like judgemental about it. Yes, I wasn't judgemental about 0:21:27.560 --> 0:21:29.280 He goes, what's your problem? And I go, well, I 0:21:29.359 --> 0:21:31.080 don't have a problem. And I'm like, oh my god, 0:21:31.119 --> 0:21:34.080 it's happening. Like she warned me that this could happen, 0:21:34.119 --> 0:21:36.480 and I've just been I'm engaged. Now I'm in an 0:21:36.600 --> 0:21:39.960 argument with the guy who like is maybe hiring me. 0:21:40.640 --> 0:21:42.359 So he's like, get the funk out of here, and 0:21:42.440 --> 0:21:45.000 like literally said it like that, and like I leave, 0:21:45.200 --> 0:21:47.040 and I'm like I call her and I said, well, 0:21:47.880 --> 0:21:50.000 I guess I screwed that moment up. I guess I 0:21:50.000 --> 0:21:53.320 didn't heed your warning. She's like, what happened? I said, Well, 0:21:53.320 --> 0:21:56.240 we got into an argument about where I was from like, 0:21:56.520 --> 0:21:58.680 She's like, what did you do? What did you do? 0:21:59.200 --> 0:22:03.160 I said, I didn't do anything. I just answered his question. Well, 0:22:03.280 --> 0:22:06.840 long story short, like a day later, she calls me 0:22:06.840 --> 0:22:08.439 and she's like, you are not going to believe this. 0:22:08.600 --> 0:22:11.480 And I said what she said, you are not getting 0:22:11.480 --> 0:22:14.960 that American Express commercial? And I said, well, yeah, clearly. 0:22:15.440 --> 0:22:18.160 She goes, but Joe Pitca had his casting director callback 0:22:18.240 --> 0:22:21.040 and say he can't wait to work with you on something. 0:22:21.680 --> 0:22:24.840 And I was like so confused. And then a month 0:22:24.920 --> 0:22:26.959