1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,520 Speaker 1: Talk singing. Yeah, I'm great at that. You talking rhythm, 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:06,160 Speaker 1: You just talk like in a twenty months ago. I 3 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:09,119 Speaker 1: am free like a breeze. Flee like a bode in 4 00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:11,840 Speaker 1: the woodland. Flee like a gypsy. Please, like a chick. 5 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: I am other touch. It's it's just that kind of 6 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:17,160 Speaker 1: you know. So anyway, Trevor Nunn was directing Oklahoma and 7 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:23,920 Speaker 1: Broadway was the National Theater. Your Shakespeare starts. Yes, I'm 8 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:32,919 Speaker 1: great at that. Yeah, there you go, so you're great. Hi. 9 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:38,920 Speaker 1: I'm Assip Monvi and I am I'm an actor and writer, father, 10 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:51,120 Speaker 1: a son. What I am not is calpan. Hello and 11 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 1: welcome everybody. That's right. This is a brand new episode 12 00:00:56,520 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: of Off the Beat, and I am your host, Brian 13 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:03,160 Speaker 1: bamb Gartner, today's guest. Well, he has been a staple 14 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 1: of nightly television for close to a decade, and he 15 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 1: was once almost arrested in a two headed fish costume. 16 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 1: I am talking, of course, about film, TV and daily 17 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 1: show icon Asif Monvy. Now, Assif and I have a 18 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:22,480 Speaker 1: lot in common. We both wrote a book, we both 19 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 1: love the theater, and we both might start breaking into song. 20 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 1: So I loved every minute of diving into Ass's past 21 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:35,679 Speaker 1: and his start as an actor. He was a child 22 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:39,839 Speaker 1: born in India who moved to England and then to Florida. 23 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 1: So Asif calls himself a human to Ducan, and it 24 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 1: was fascinating for me to hear how his childhood as 25 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:51,600 Speaker 1: an immigrant became later rich material for his career. We 26 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 1: even hear a few insider secrets about what's really going 27 00:01:55,400 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 1: on at Walt Disney World. Intrigued, I am, you're gonna 28 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:08,800 Speaker 1: want to miss this one, Ausif monv everyone Bubble and squeak. 29 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:15,959 Speaker 1: I love it. Bubble and squeak on Bubble and squeaker, 30 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:31,639 Speaker 1: cookie every moment, lift over from the nut before. Hello, 31 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:35,079 Speaker 1: how are you? How are you? I'm doing well? How 32 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:38,520 Speaker 1: are you good? I don't think we've ever met before. 33 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 1: I don't think we've ever met either, which is weird 34 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 1: because I find you so funny and delightful and we 35 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 1: have well, I know, I'm just kissing your ass right now, 36 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 1: but yeah, I understand that a lot of people kiss mask. 37 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 1: Oh no, that's great. I likewise, I you know, I 38 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:58,919 Speaker 1: feel like when they didn't realize it was you when 39 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:02,679 Speaker 1: they originally told me about this podcast, and then I 40 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 1: and then I googled it and then I was like, 41 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 1: oh wait, that's so great, you know, like it's so 42 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 1: weird in this business, Like you think that we would 43 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:13,360 Speaker 1: run into each other at some point, but you know, yes, 44 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: I know, I'm sure I saw you like across the 45 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 1: Emmys three or four times, but no one was nice 46 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 1: enough to introduce us. I'm guessing. Well, and we've worked 47 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 1: with so many of the same people too. Yeah, that's true. 48 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:25,960 Speaker 1: So this is fun. You've been doing that. You're doing 49 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:29,360 Speaker 1: this podcast. I'm doing this podcast. I'm talking to people 50 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:33,359 Speaker 1: that I like about their life and about the sort 51 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: of unexpected moments that take our careers or your career 52 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: on different trajectories. I think it's fascinating in this business. 53 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 1: How well, I mean, we'll talk about you. For first 54 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 1: of all, you you born in India and then you 55 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 1: moved to England very early and then eventually to the 56 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 1: United States. How is that for you to uh grow 57 00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 1: up kind of in so many different places. Well, it's 58 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: you know, often have described myself as a human to 59 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 1: duck it, which is so you know what to ducan is, 60 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 1: it's like a duck stuff and the duck right, So 61 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:15,840 Speaker 1: I've often described myself that way, because I feel like 62 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:20,719 Speaker 1: there's like an Indian baby with an English schoolboy wrapped 63 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 1: in an American adult. That's kind of what I feel 64 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 1: like sometimes, you know, Like, so I was born in India, 65 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:29,039 Speaker 1: and of course that was you know, I don't have 66 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 1: any really memory of that, but you know, grew up 67 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 1: in an Indian southday, you know, Indian family with that 68 00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 1: cultural peace and that heritage and that thing. And then 69 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 1: grew up as in the North of England sort of 70 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:49,360 Speaker 1: like this little English public school kid. So my childhood 71 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:51,960 Speaker 1: and all of my formative years and like all the 72 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 1: TV shows I watched between like five and sixteen, we're 73 00:04:56,640 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 1: all like English shows. And I was a little British boy. 74 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:04,040 Speaker 1: And then came to America and of all places, moved 75 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 1: to Tampa, Florida, which is as America as you can get, really, 76 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:12,760 Speaker 1: you know, so it is I've been to Tampa. I 77 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 1: know exactly what you mean. Yes, So it's like I 78 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:18,800 Speaker 1: come from like the north of England, like a coal mining, 79 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:25,120 Speaker 1: textile wool factory, dirty sort of the sguise gray all 80 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:29,040 Speaker 1: the time, even in summer town, and moved from there 81 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:33,880 Speaker 1: to Florida, which is just like it's not even like Miami. 82 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:37,480 Speaker 1: It's like, you know, it doesn't even have like a 83 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 1: Florida culture of its you know, like whatever that is. 84 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:45,760 Speaker 1: But it's Tampa. I've never even heard of it before. 85 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:48,479 Speaker 1: You know, But before Tampa, why the why a cold 86 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 1: mining English town? Was this your parents dream or work 87 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 1: or what? My dad was a coal miner? He was, okay, no, 88 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:02,719 Speaker 1: it wasn't. He wasn't. My dad's dream was to go 89 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:06,839 Speaker 1: to have a coal mine. And no, it was he 90 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 1: wanted to. It was like a little Indian boy. He 91 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 1: was like one day I was work in the coal mine. 92 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:23,719 Speaker 1: That's a great little short film. I can sell that 93 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:27,600 Speaker 1: idea to Netflix. Like, okay, there you go. He's an 94 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:30,800 Speaker 1: Indian kid, grew up in Bombay. But his dream used 95 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:39,400 Speaker 1: to be a coal miner. No, my dad got a 96 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:43,359 Speaker 1: job at Bradford University of all places, because he was 97 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:46,360 Speaker 1: a color chemist at the time, which was a thing 98 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:49,760 Speaker 1: at the time. This was in the late sixties, and 99 00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:52,839 Speaker 1: so you know, it was like moving to England, battle life, 100 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:55,880 Speaker 1: you know, all that stuff. I don't think my parents realized. 101 00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:58,279 Speaker 1: They didn't do much recent Like there was no Google. 102 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:02,719 Speaker 1: They didn't like Google Bradford then and and go what's 103 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:06,040 Speaker 1: what's the what's the weather like there? You know, so 104 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:10,720 Speaker 1: they show up in this like cold, wintry northern English 105 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:14,680 Speaker 1: town and uh, and that's where I was I raised. 106 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:18,360 Speaker 1: But also it happens that Bradford also has a very 107 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 1: large and I think even today has a very large 108 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:26,200 Speaker 1: Indian Pakistani population for some reason. So it's one of 109 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:28,560 Speaker 1: those cities. It's it's a city that has a lot 110 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:32,240 Speaker 1: of there was a precedent to it. Okay, it wasn't 111 00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 1: quite as random as it seems to me. Yeah, yeah, no, 112 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 1: it it wasn't so randy. It was like there was 113 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:38,720 Speaker 1: there was a lot of people who look like us 114 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:43,560 Speaker 1: in Bradford, and also Bradford subsequently suffered some of the 115 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 1: worst racial riots and stuff in the history of the 116 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:50,640 Speaker 1: country later years later. You know, um, yeah, it's it's 117 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:53,440 Speaker 1: an interesting, interesting place. It was a it was a 118 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 1: kind of a lightning rod for a lot of political 119 00:07:57,200 --> 00:08:00,840 Speaker 1: immigrant sort of stuff, you know, that got stowed up 120 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:05,120 Speaker 1: by the various political parties in the UK. Interesting. Do 121 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 1: you do you feel like some of your work later 122 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 1: on where you were were examining some of them, what 123 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 1: did that come from there? Do you think or was 124 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 1: that more of the United States. No, I think that 125 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:20,360 Speaker 1: was more here. I mean, I definitely experienced racism in England, 126 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:24,280 Speaker 1: you know, very early on, Like there was definitely an 127 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:29,280 Speaker 1: anti immigrant sort of thing in the politics of the 128 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:32,800 Speaker 1: nineties seventies in England, with like the National Front and 129 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 1: Enoch Powell and all these people who were very much you're, 130 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:40,120 Speaker 1: sort of anti immigrant people. So there was definitely that, 131 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:43,160 Speaker 1: and my dad, I think dealt with that because he 132 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:45,920 Speaker 1: had a little corner shop look into like a bodega 133 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:49,000 Speaker 1: here in New York. But it was interesting because it 134 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:51,360 Speaker 1: was all sort of like you know, today you think 135 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:53,680 Speaker 1: about that stuff and you go like that's horrible, but 136 00:08:53,760 --> 00:08:55,920 Speaker 1: back then it was like it was sort of thought 137 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:58,520 Speaker 1: of it was just the price you paid for being 138 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:01,280 Speaker 1: an immigrant, you know, you just you just sort of 139 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:03,400 Speaker 1: took it as like that's all in a day's work. 140 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 1: So so there was that sense of other nests that 141 00:09:07,559 --> 00:09:10,520 Speaker 1: I always felt that then probably was in all the 142 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:13,679 Speaker 1: work I did in some ways, but then most noticeably 143 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:15,640 Speaker 1: in the Daily Show, I think it was like I 144 00:09:15,679 --> 00:09:18,280 Speaker 1: got to really kind of address that in some ways 145 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 1: or like deal with it even those years later, and 146 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:23,839 Speaker 1: it was much more about post nine eleven in America 147 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:25,840 Speaker 1: and all the racial ship that was going on in 148 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:29,000 Speaker 1: this country at that point. But the probably on some 149 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 1: level of America post nine eleven when I was started 150 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:34,360 Speaker 1: on the Daily Show, resembled a little bit of There 151 00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:37,960 Speaker 1: was some memory of like the sort of racial stuff 152 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:41,240 Speaker 1: that I dealt with as a kid in Bradford, just 153 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:45,360 Speaker 1: getting chased home from the bus stop, you know, just 154 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:50,000 Speaker 1: for being brown, right, right? Was that a reason when 155 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:52,880 Speaker 1: you were sixteen that you moved to Tampa looking for 156 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:55,360 Speaker 1: something else? I mean I read that your dad said 157 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:57,840 Speaker 1: it was because there was brunch in the United States. 158 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:01,280 Speaker 1: That's what I heard. So that is part well, part 159 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 1: of it is that my dad discovered brunch and was like, 160 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:07,440 Speaker 1: this is the greatest thing ever, and actually wrote about 161 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:09,080 Speaker 1: it in my book, and it was like it was 162 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:11,640 Speaker 1: such a funny thing because I remember him talking about brunch. 163 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:14,520 Speaker 1: This was the eighties and there was no brunch in 164 00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:16,640 Speaker 1: the UK, like we didn't have there was no such 165 00:10:16,679 --> 00:10:20,000 Speaker 1: thing as brunch, and he misunderstood it. I think he 166 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:23,440 Speaker 1: thought what it was was another meal. So I think 167 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 1: he thought, like you have breakfast, like in England, you 168 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:28,280 Speaker 1: have breakfast, you have lunch, and then you have dinner. 169 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:31,800 Speaker 1: Whereas in America you have breakfast, then you have brunch, 170 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:36,360 Speaker 1: then you have bunch, thank you. So he was like, 171 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:39,600 Speaker 1: you get a whole extra meal over there, Like did 172 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:41,920 Speaker 1: he feel cheated in the end when he realized that 173 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:43,920 Speaker 1: he was actually taking two and one and it was 174 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:47,480 Speaker 1: left meal now right right right? I think later in life, 175 00:10:47,679 --> 00:10:50,000 Speaker 1: later after red, I think he was kind of like, okay, 176 00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:52,520 Speaker 1: but he still did like the idea that it was 177 00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:55,280 Speaker 1: seven all you can eat, like it was that back 178 00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:56,840 Speaker 1: in the eighties. So that was what it was. You know, 179 00:10:56,880 --> 00:10:58,600 Speaker 1: you go to you go to I help and he's 180 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:01,280 Speaker 1: just playing the buffet is like, you know. I think 181 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:03,079 Speaker 1: there was that, And then I think it was also 182 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:06,000 Speaker 1: just that we were living in in sort of in 183 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:09,760 Speaker 1: England at the time that cheers England, you know statute, 184 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:12,439 Speaker 1: and and there was it was a recession the economy. 185 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:15,600 Speaker 1: My dad was a small business owner. It wasn't doing 186 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:19,280 Speaker 1: that well and he always wanted to get out of England. 187 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:22,720 Speaker 1: At some point, his original dream was to move to Canada. 188 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:25,360 Speaker 1: I don't know why. I've never actually asked him about it, 189 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:27,600 Speaker 1: Like he was just like, we live in Canada one day, 190 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:32,480 Speaker 1: so random one day. We won't always be living here. 191 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:37,080 Speaker 1: One day, We're going to live in Canada. Canada, Well 192 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:40,839 Speaker 1: it was just another really cold place. Yeah. I don't 193 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:43,719 Speaker 1: think he realized that. I don't think Yeah, yeah, I 194 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:45,520 Speaker 1: don't think he realized that. I think he was just 195 00:11:45,559 --> 00:11:47,120 Speaker 1: I think he had a friend who lived in Canada 196 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:49,600 Speaker 1: and liked it, so he was like, we'll live there. 197 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:51,920 Speaker 1: But then he found a friend who lived in Tampa, Florida, 198 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:54,960 Speaker 1: and this friend was like, Tampa was even better than Canada. 199 00:11:55,040 --> 00:11:57,680 Speaker 1: It's like it's sunnier. And this was in the eighties 200 00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:01,320 Speaker 1: of Florida was like a place that you wanted to live, 201 00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:05,080 Speaker 1: not like now, you know, like it was like back then, 202 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:09,719 Speaker 1: it was like it was the fastest growing state in 203 00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:12,080 Speaker 1: the Union. There were businesses exploit it was. It was 204 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:16,960 Speaker 1: just like this really developing place, you know. And so, uh, 205 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:19,720 Speaker 1: the idea was, you can you can make a fortune 206 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:23,480 Speaker 1: in Florida, you know. So yes, thank you everyone from 207 00:12:23,520 --> 00:12:25,840 Speaker 1: Florida just tuned out, by the way, but thank you 208 00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:31,800 Speaker 1: for that. I'm from Florida, and I and I have 209 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:35,440 Speaker 1: a complicated relationship, like like, Florida is where I spent 210 00:12:35,679 --> 00:12:38,880 Speaker 1: many of my formative years, so I love it, and 211 00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:42,120 Speaker 1: I also, uh, have a healthy critique of the place. 212 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:47,079 Speaker 1: Was it was it more racially diverse than Bradford or 213 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:50,920 Speaker 1: or did you know well it was. The joke I 214 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:53,720 Speaker 1: made about it was that, like, this was a difference 215 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:55,760 Speaker 1: between being an immigrant in England and being an immigrant 216 00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:58,720 Speaker 1: in America at that time, and that was that in England, 217 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:02,080 Speaker 1: the idea was that no matter how hard you tried, 218 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:05,600 Speaker 1: you would never be English. That was the sort of 219 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:07,360 Speaker 1: the message that was sent to you. And I think 220 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:10,160 Speaker 1: it's probably even so true today, which is that you 221 00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:13,360 Speaker 1: can speak like us, dressed like us, talk like us, 222 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:17,240 Speaker 1: eat our food, eat fish and chips every day, you can, 223 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:21,040 Speaker 1: you can do all that, and you'll never really be 224 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:24,480 Speaker 1: English because being English is something. And then I think 225 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:27,320 Speaker 1: is a legacy of colonialism and and sort of like 226 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:31,400 Speaker 1: that whole relationship that England has with the subcontinent, which 227 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:35,280 Speaker 1: is very specific in America. On the other hand, I 228 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:37,679 Speaker 1: got here in the eighties and went to high school, 229 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:40,800 Speaker 1: and I felt like most people didn't couldn't tell you 230 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:44,400 Speaker 1: what India was on a map. Like it was like 231 00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:48,480 Speaker 1: this idea of like where are you from Mexico? No, India, 232 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:51,600 Speaker 1: what where's that? You know? Is it near Mexico. No, 233 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:59,080 Speaker 1: it's not near Mexico. So anything like it was like 234 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:01,840 Speaker 1: that sense of like, well, don't worry about that. Wherever 235 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:05,080 Speaker 1: you're from, I'm sure it's fine. But now you're in 236 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:08,080 Speaker 1: the greatest country in the world. You're in America, and 237 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 1: so just pledge allegiance to the flag and forget all 238 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:14,560 Speaker 1: that stuff. You know, you've got, sorry, five thousand years 239 00:14:14,559 --> 00:14:19,480 Speaker 1: of history, forget that. Now you're an American. And that 240 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:23,040 Speaker 1: was the attitude here, right, like, just pledge allegiance and 241 00:14:23,560 --> 00:14:27,600 Speaker 1: just get on board with the with the American way now. 242 00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:29,480 Speaker 1: And so then that was it, and it was like 243 00:14:29,480 --> 00:14:33,720 Speaker 1: nobody really cared. But the racial divide in this country 244 00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:37,240 Speaker 1: when I got here was between blacks and whites, and 245 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:39,600 Speaker 1: it was very clear. I remember going to high school, 246 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:42,400 Speaker 1: like the first week of high school and realizing that 247 00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:44,480 Speaker 1: all the black students sat on one side of the 248 00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:47,040 Speaker 1: cafeteria and all the white students sat on the other 249 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:49,680 Speaker 1: side of the cafeteria. And that was just the way 250 00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:53,280 Speaker 1: they decided. Nobody was forcing them to do that. That 251 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:56,600 Speaker 1: was just how it went down. This was like self 252 00:14:56,680 --> 00:14:59,760 Speaker 1: imposed segregation that was happening. It was kind of an 253 00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 1: interest sting thing and I was like, it was like, 254 00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:04,320 Speaker 1: I was like, oh, and I also fit in with 255 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:06,680 Speaker 1: like the drama kids. Like I basically I found my 256 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:11,760 Speaker 1: tribe in the drama kids who were mostly white because 257 00:15:12,440 --> 00:15:15,440 Speaker 1: only only white parents were going to be like, you 258 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:20,280 Speaker 1: want to drama. Okay, that's fine, even Indian parras drama. No, no, 259 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:24,480 Speaker 1: you know, but I managed. I managed to get away 260 00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:26,240 Speaker 1: with it. And when did that start for you? Your 261 00:15:26,280 --> 00:15:28,520 Speaker 1: interest in theater? When did that start for you? Oh? 262 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:32,200 Speaker 1: Very young. I actually was in the school play when 263 00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:34,320 Speaker 1: I was like eight years old or something, and then 264 00:15:34,360 --> 00:15:37,240 Speaker 1: I fell in love with it and realized like, oh, 265 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:41,000 Speaker 1: this is gonna be It was very acting and theater 266 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:45,360 Speaker 1: and performing. Once I discovered it at a very young age, 267 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:47,960 Speaker 1: it was like that was it. Like I never looked back, 268 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:50,320 Speaker 1: like I basically was like, I'm gonna I want to 269 00:15:50,360 --> 00:15:52,600 Speaker 1: do this. And I didn't know obviously, Like I had 270 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:54,920 Speaker 1: no idea if I was going to be successful at 271 00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:57,920 Speaker 1: it or anything or make it a career. It didn't 272 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:00,120 Speaker 1: seem like a realistic thing to be able to do 273 00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:02,240 Speaker 1: that as a career. But I just knew that I 274 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:06,080 Speaker 1: loved it. And I have to say my parents were 275 00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:09,160 Speaker 1: smart enough because honestly, I couldn't do anything else. I 276 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:12,440 Speaker 1: was terrible at every other subject in school except English 277 00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:16,160 Speaker 1: and and theater. It was like my parents were smart 278 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:20,160 Speaker 1: enough to not discourage it, but also to not encourage it, 279 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:22,560 Speaker 1: you know, they were kind of just like neutral about it. 280 00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:25,440 Speaker 1: My mother so in my in my school in England, 281 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:28,400 Speaker 1: we didn't have theater. We had art, but she knew 282 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:30,200 Speaker 1: that I loved theater because I would go to an 283 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:33,960 Speaker 1: after school kind of kids theater thing on Wednesday nights 284 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:35,680 Speaker 1: when I was in England, and I started going there 285 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:38,760 Speaker 1: and it was just like the first time I felt. 286 00:16:39,280 --> 00:16:40,560 Speaker 1: I mean, I don't know how it was for you, 287 00:16:40,640 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 1: but like it was just like I was like, oh, 288 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:45,680 Speaker 1: this is awesome, Like I love doing this, you know 289 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:47,720 Speaker 1: what I love. And it was funny because I actually 290 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:51,400 Speaker 1: so it was. I saw the movie bug z Malone. 291 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:56,120 Speaker 1: That movie so not not the one with Warren Baby, 292 00:16:56,600 --> 00:16:58,680 Speaker 1: Oh not that one. No, then, no, No, I'm talking 293 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:01,280 Speaker 1: about a movie called bug Z Alone, which was with 294 00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:05,480 Speaker 1: a very young Scott Bayo and a very young Jodie Foster. 295 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:07,600 Speaker 1: Now I don't know that you don't know this movie. 296 00:17:08,359 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 1: I don't know this movie. Check check it out. It's 297 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:14,719 Speaker 1: a tree. It's basically a gangster movie, but it's all kids, 298 00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:18,399 Speaker 1: and it's done totally straight. But the kids come in 299 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:21,440 Speaker 1: with guns and instead of shooting bullets, the shooting pies. 300 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:26,920 Speaker 1: But it's done completely straight, like it's not like campy 301 00:17:27,080 --> 00:17:29,600 Speaker 1: or send out or anything. It's like a straight up 302 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:32,520 Speaker 1: gangster movie. But everybody in the movie is like fourteen 303 00:17:32,600 --> 00:17:35,879 Speaker 1: years old. And I just remember it was on TV 304 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:38,720 Speaker 1: Christmas Eve when I was like about the same age 305 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:42,520 Speaker 1: as as the characters in the movie, and I watched 306 00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:46,960 Speaker 1: it and I just thought that is the greatest thing, 307 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:50,200 Speaker 1: Like like wait a minute, they get to do this 308 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:53,000 Speaker 1: and like that's what they do and they were the 309 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:54,280 Speaker 1: same age as me, and I was like, why am 310 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:58,000 Speaker 1: I not doing that? Like it's so fun. And that 311 00:17:58,119 --> 00:18:00,320 Speaker 1: was like, weirdly when I decided, like I want to 312 00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:01,760 Speaker 1: do that. I just want to I want to be 313 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:03,840 Speaker 1: in a movie where I get to, like, you shoot 314 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:06,680 Speaker 1: pies and people's faces and just pretend to be a gangster. 315 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:09,879 Speaker 1: And and that's when I sort of got involved with 316 00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:14,080 Speaker 1: this after school theater program and uh, and then it 317 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:35,679 Speaker 1: just all picked off from there. For people. You went 318 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:38,720 Speaker 1: to the University of South Florida studying theater. Then by 319 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:41,560 Speaker 1: then are you thinking because before you said you weren't 320 00:18:41,600 --> 00:18:44,240 Speaker 1: sure about doing it as a career, But by then 321 00:18:44,320 --> 00:18:46,680 Speaker 1: were you settled that this is what you wanted to do? 322 00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 1: Well again, So I went to the University of South 323 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:55,919 Speaker 1: Florida because I had shitty grades. Here's like what happened 324 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:57,640 Speaker 1: was we came to Florida and there was a big 325 00:18:57,680 --> 00:19:00,320 Speaker 1: transition period for me because I was sixty. Even when 326 00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:02,040 Speaker 1: we got to Florida, it was like I was a 327 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:04,520 Speaker 1: junior in high school and I was adapting to this 328 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:08,720 Speaker 1: new world and this new country and life and everything 329 00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:11,760 Speaker 1: was different, and I think my academics just sort of 330 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:14,920 Speaker 1: like fell off. And the only saving grace I had 331 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:19,199 Speaker 1: was theater class was drama class, and so I like 332 00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:23,240 Speaker 1: lived for fifth period every day, which was drama class, 333 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:25,720 Speaker 1: and that's where I like got to like just you know, 334 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:28,760 Speaker 1: do what I did. So my grades were terrible, but 335 00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:31,119 Speaker 1: because I sucked on my SA t s and I 336 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:34,960 Speaker 1: ended up getting a theater scholarship to the University of 337 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:38,400 Speaker 1: South Florida. So the only way they would accept me 338 00:19:39,119 --> 00:19:42,960 Speaker 1: was if I was a theater major, and they gave 339 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:45,680 Speaker 1: me what's called a freshman incentive scholarship, so they would 340 00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:48,000 Speaker 1: pay for my entire freshman year. But I had to 341 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:51,879 Speaker 1: be a theater major. And my parents had just moved 342 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:54,720 Speaker 1: to this new country. They were struggling. They were trying 343 00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:57,520 Speaker 1: to figure out, like, you know, how to survive in 344 00:19:57,520 --> 00:20:01,280 Speaker 1: this new place. And so I had this. They basically said, look, look, 345 00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:04,879 Speaker 1: I didn't get into USF, but I got in. You 346 00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:07,480 Speaker 1: don't have to pay my tutition, and they'll pay my 347 00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:11,560 Speaker 1: tuition if I am a theater major. And so sometimes 348 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:15,080 Speaker 1: it's just like destiny just fucking leads you down the 349 00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:17,440 Speaker 1: path that you're supposed to go on. And this is 350 00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:20,840 Speaker 1: just one of those moments where my parents were like, Okay, 351 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:24,239 Speaker 1: they weren't happy about it, but they were also like 352 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:26,720 Speaker 1: if they're going to pay for it, then great. And 353 00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:29,000 Speaker 1: I was like, they're going to pay for it. So 354 00:20:29,040 --> 00:20:32,639 Speaker 1: I became a theater major and then just stayed at 355 00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:34,800 Speaker 1: theater major and that was you know, and I just 356 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:38,160 Speaker 1: went that went through the program there, you know, yeah, 357 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:40,080 Speaker 1: and that's what I learned. You know, I did all 358 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:45,359 Speaker 1: my checkov and Ibsen did you begin writing then as well? 359 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:47,680 Speaker 1: I actually started writing when I was really young. I 360 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:50,800 Speaker 1: actually was always writing stuff. I was also always writing, 361 00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:53,239 Speaker 1: like I wrote a short play when I was like 362 00:20:53,359 --> 00:20:55,520 Speaker 1: thirteen years old, and then I would write poetry. It 363 00:20:55,560 --> 00:20:57,160 Speaker 1: was one of those I was that kid who would 364 00:20:57,160 --> 00:21:00,040 Speaker 1: write poetry, talk about an artsie FARSI kid like I 365 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:02,240 Speaker 1: literally like, I would write, write poetry and then people 366 00:21:02,280 --> 00:21:04,760 Speaker 1: will come over, like my friends. My parents would have 367 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:07,960 Speaker 1: dinner parties and or have their friends over, and then 368 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:10,399 Speaker 1: their friends kids will come over. There was like a 369 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:13,359 Speaker 1: big South Asian community at Bradford, so they the kids 370 00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:15,639 Speaker 1: of my parents friends would just become my friends by 371 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:18,399 Speaker 1: virtue of the fact that we all our parents were friends. Right. 372 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:20,479 Speaker 1: It's the opposite of what happens now, which is like 373 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:23,120 Speaker 1: you become friends with people because your kids are friends. 374 00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:26,400 Speaker 1: Like the opposite. You know, these kids will be like, hey, 375 00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:28,560 Speaker 1: you want to go kick a ball around or something that, 376 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:31,720 Speaker 1: and I'd be like, no, but let me read you 377 00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:34,560 Speaker 1: some of my poems and and I would like. They'd 378 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:36,000 Speaker 1: be like, why don't you and so and so go 379 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:37,840 Speaker 1: and play it together. And they want us to go 380 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:40,240 Speaker 1: to the backyard or whatever and just play. And I'd 381 00:21:40,240 --> 00:21:42,360 Speaker 1: be like, come in my room and I pull out 382 00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:44,720 Speaker 1: like my tray of poems that had written from under 383 00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:47,520 Speaker 1: the bed and just like and I just remember like 384 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:51,520 Speaker 1: some poor kids sitting there, like some poor girl who 385 00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:54,240 Speaker 1: was like like my age, who was the daughter of 386 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:56,400 Speaker 1: some friends and my parents, and just having to sit 387 00:21:56,400 --> 00:21:59,680 Speaker 1: there and listen to me like read my poems to her, 388 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:04,760 Speaker 1: you know, like not I like a completely dorky thing. 389 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:07,080 Speaker 1: Like I was like, I was like, what do you think? 390 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:10,439 Speaker 1: And then they'd be like I don't. I don't have 391 00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:12,919 Speaker 1: any thoughts about it at all. Like so anyway, so 392 00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:16,360 Speaker 1: I was, I was always writing, and then I think 393 00:22:16,359 --> 00:22:19,159 Speaker 1: when I got to college and stuff that I was 394 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:21,879 Speaker 1: writing a little bit more and sort of yeah, writing 395 00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:24,240 Speaker 1: was always I was always doing it. I was always 396 00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:28,160 Speaker 1: sort of writing something. Right, So you're doing Absen and 397 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:31,800 Speaker 1: Shakespeare and check off in college and then you go 398 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:35,000 Speaker 1: work for Disney. Right, you're a performer at Disney. Is 399 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:38,240 Speaker 1: that your first job? Yeah? Yeah? Were you like Mickey? 400 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:44,679 Speaker 1: Were you like Mickey Mouse? I'll have you know, Brian 401 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:52,200 Speaker 1: that Mickey Mouse is a girl. So really it's always 402 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:55,760 Speaker 1: a girl because Mickey Mouse is very short, Mickey. They 403 00:22:55,760 --> 00:23:00,240 Speaker 1: don't usually find boys not short, so it's often a 404 00:23:00,359 --> 00:23:03,720 Speaker 1: young girl. Mickey and Mini are both often the young 405 00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:08,080 Speaker 1: girls because we actually shared a trailer, like, so I 406 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:10,399 Speaker 1: was in I was when I got the job at Disney. 407 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:12,200 Speaker 1: It was at the MGM Studios, and I was actually 408 00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:15,800 Speaker 1: with all these like comedy improv people and then and 409 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:18,320 Speaker 1: we would do like comedy improv stuff and it was 410 00:23:18,359 --> 00:23:20,280 Speaker 1: actually kind of great. It was like a really great 411 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:22,800 Speaker 1: It was like because I left school to go do 412 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:25,600 Speaker 1: that job. I I I didn't graduate and I left 413 00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:27,760 Speaker 1: because at the time, we were not we were still 414 00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:29,920 Speaker 1: not citizens of the United States. So I was still 415 00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:32,960 Speaker 1: paying out of state tuition. And my parents because now 416 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:35,240 Speaker 1: I was like three or four years in my parents 417 00:23:35,960 --> 00:23:38,240 Speaker 1: were working, but they weren't making we weren't doing that well. 418 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:40,359 Speaker 1: We were very very lower middle class like sort of 419 00:23:40,400 --> 00:23:43,520 Speaker 1: you know, and so I was paying for like I 420 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:45,240 Speaker 1: was taking like one class of semester. So it was 421 00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:47,240 Speaker 1: taking me a long time to get from school. And 422 00:23:47,280 --> 00:23:50,720 Speaker 1: then I get this job where Disney MGM Studios is 423 00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:55,880 Speaker 1: opening up in Orlando and they're hiring actor, comedians, performers, 424 00:23:55,920 --> 00:23:58,119 Speaker 1: not like Mickey's and Minis and goofies. They were like 425 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:01,320 Speaker 1: looking for like comedy people because they wanted to do this, 426 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:04,000 Speaker 1: like they wanted to have a comedy troup. And so 427 00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:06,879 Speaker 1: me and all of my friends we all went an audition. 428 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:09,399 Speaker 1: We all drove to Orlando and we auditioned, and I 429 00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:13,159 Speaker 1: remember I auditioned with this Eric Pogosian piece that I 430 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:16,280 Speaker 1: had been working on in my scene study class, and 431 00:24:16,359 --> 00:24:18,560 Speaker 1: it was just this piece that I had from his 432 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:24,120 Speaker 1: show Drinking in America. And I did this Burgosian monologue 433 00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:29,640 Speaker 1: and got this job at Disney MGM Studios. And at 434 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:31,639 Speaker 1: the time, they were paying me more money than I 435 00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:34,159 Speaker 1: had ever seen. You know, I was making four hundred 436 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:37,920 Speaker 1: and fifty dollars a week and they were gonna get 437 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:39,600 Speaker 1: me my They were like, I was gonna have my 438 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:42,040 Speaker 1: own apartment and they put me up, you know, the 439 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:44,959 Speaker 1: whole thing. So I was like, I'm going I'm going 440 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:47,120 Speaker 1: to do this. I'm gonna go leave school and drop 441 00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:49,720 Speaker 1: out of school and go make some money. And then 442 00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:50,959 Speaker 1: at the idea was I was going to come back 443 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:53,399 Speaker 1: and finish my degree, but I never did. I I 444 00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:56,000 Speaker 1: went to Orlando and started working. So it was like 445 00:24:56,040 --> 00:24:59,760 Speaker 1: an improv comedy troup. And the people they hired from 446 00:24:59,800 --> 00:25:02,359 Speaker 1: all over the country, so you know, there were people 447 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:06,879 Speaker 1: from like Dudley Riggs and and UCB and in fact, 448 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:10,080 Speaker 1: mc collins, who later went on to become a cast 449 00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:13,920 Speaker 1: member of Mad TV. Her and I were both in 450 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:18,520 Speaker 1: the original comedy cast at Disney MGM Studios. That's amazing. 451 00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:20,840 Speaker 1: I was in Minneapolis doing theater for a while, so 452 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:25,360 Speaker 1: I was never at Dudley Riggs, but newm collins, who yeah, 453 00:25:25,680 --> 00:25:29,000 Speaker 1: from from Minneapolis and oh yeah, yeah yeah, So she 454 00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:34,159 Speaker 1: came from there, and what a genius improviser she is 455 00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:37,639 Speaker 1: and was and continues to be. But I was it 456 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:40,840 Speaker 1: was like a great training ground for me. Like it 457 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:42,960 Speaker 1: was just it was kind of like what The Daily 458 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:45,480 Speaker 1: Show was much many years later, which is like I 459 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:48,600 Speaker 1: just got to work with these incredibly funny people, you know, 460 00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:51,200 Speaker 1: and and we were all kind of in our early 461 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:55,639 Speaker 1: twenties and our careers were all just starting, and you know, 462 00:25:55,720 --> 00:25:57,880 Speaker 1: it was it was Mo and then there was Peter 463 00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:00,639 Speaker 1: and Paul Vote. Peter Paul Vote I think also was 464 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:03,399 Speaker 1: a cast member on that TV later. There was just 465 00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:06,480 Speaker 1: all these great people and I got to work there 466 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:09,560 Speaker 1: with them and we would basically just do improv and 467 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:13,560 Speaker 1: play these characters at the Disney MGM Studios, and I 468 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:16,440 Speaker 1: just learned so much. I just learned so much about 469 00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:19,800 Speaker 1: comedy and and improvisation and timing and all. All of 470 00:26:20,320 --> 00:26:22,679 Speaker 1: it was almost like my grad school because I never 471 00:26:22,720 --> 00:26:24,680 Speaker 1: went to grad school, and I dropped out of Underground 472 00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:27,040 Speaker 1: and then I went here and Disney and just and 473 00:26:27,080 --> 00:26:28,399 Speaker 1: I worked there, and I worked there, and then I 474 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:31,040 Speaker 1: worked to Universal Studios down the road. So I was 475 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:33,520 Speaker 1: in Orlando for like a couple of years, just doing 476 00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:37,040 Speaker 1: like the theme park thing and just doing you know, 477 00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:39,600 Speaker 1: I worked with I don't know, if you're familiar with 478 00:26:39,720 --> 00:26:44,280 Speaker 1: Sack Theater. They're like a improv comedy troupe and they 479 00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:47,080 Speaker 1: would do a lot of the Renaissance fairs, and so 480 00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:50,280 Speaker 1: a lot of people who worked at MGM also came 481 00:26:50,359 --> 00:26:53,879 Speaker 1: from the renfair circuit. So I was doing like Renaissance 482 00:26:53,960 --> 00:26:57,440 Speaker 1: fairs and all that stuff and so deep in that 483 00:26:57,560 --> 00:27:00,399 Speaker 1: world for a little while. So it was right, it was, 484 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:03,800 Speaker 1: but it was a great training ground for just doing 485 00:27:03,880 --> 00:27:07,000 Speaker 1: funny stuff. You know, When did you decide to move 486 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:09,159 Speaker 1: to New York? You were there a couple of years there, 487 00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:11,360 Speaker 1: a couple of years. I started dating a girl down 488 00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:14,040 Speaker 1: in Orlando, and she wanted to move to New York. 489 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:17,520 Speaker 1: And I was done with my contract. I was done 490 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:20,360 Speaker 1: with my contract at Universal, and I was like, yeah, 491 00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:21,960 Speaker 1: that's you know. I was like, what am I gonna do? 492 00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:24,440 Speaker 1: I kind of done. I got my equity card. I 493 00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:26,879 Speaker 1: kind of was like, maybe it's time to like go 494 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:29,359 Speaker 1: drive my luck in New York City and you do 495 00:27:29,880 --> 00:27:34,600 Speaker 1: a number of shows fairly quickly. Brig a Dune disgraced. Well, 496 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:37,679 Speaker 1: that was that was later. That was all later. When 497 00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:40,359 Speaker 1: when I first got to New York. Okay, so this 498 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:44,200 Speaker 1: was what year was that? And the first show that 499 00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:46,760 Speaker 1: I get it was like a week after I got 500 00:27:46,800 --> 00:27:52,480 Speaker 1: to New York was a show called Saddam Oh No. 501 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:56,800 Speaker 1: And it was a car. It was a comedy about 502 00:27:56,880 --> 00:28:00,919 Speaker 1: Saddam was saying. A comedy. Yeah, it was this weird 503 00:28:01,359 --> 00:28:05,600 Speaker 1: comedy about Saddam was saying. And it was in Baltimore, Maryland. 504 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:08,440 Speaker 1: So I get to New York. I have an audition 505 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:14,200 Speaker 1: for this regional theater gig in Baltimore. Right in New York. 506 00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:15,880 Speaker 1: I auditioned for it and it was like a four 507 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:20,320 Speaker 1: character play and I played in Iraqi, an Iraqi soldier 508 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:28,119 Speaker 1: who's also a stand up comic and it was so 509 00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:32,240 Speaker 1: this was the first show that I got in New York. 510 00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:34,480 Speaker 1: And then I go to Baltimore for like four weeks 511 00:28:35,119 --> 00:28:38,840 Speaker 1: and we do this play Saddam, a comedy in two acts, 512 00:28:39,200 --> 00:28:45,400 Speaker 1: and it was like, so we're doing this show and 513 00:28:45,520 --> 00:28:48,920 Speaker 1: the same guy that owns the cabaret space also owns 514 00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:52,720 Speaker 1: the nightclub next door, so in the middle of the show, 515 00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:56,240 Speaker 1: he would open up the nightclub. So we'd be like 516 00:28:56,720 --> 00:29:00,200 Speaker 1: in the middle of this play with like cabaret ondien 517 00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:02,840 Speaker 1: people drinking what I didn't have it, and then suddenly 518 00:29:03,360 --> 00:29:08,480 Speaker 1: like the wall would just be like to poop boop boop, 519 00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:11,280 Speaker 1: and we were like, dude, you can't do that, Like 520 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:14,280 Speaker 1: we were being drowned out by this noise coming from 521 00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:17,040 Speaker 1: the club next door. And he was like, no, man, 522 00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:19,680 Speaker 1: because because he owned both spaces and he didn't want 523 00:29:19,680 --> 00:29:21,920 Speaker 1: to like lose any money, so he was just like, 524 00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:25,920 Speaker 1: I'll just opened the club. That was my It was. 525 00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:27,880 Speaker 1: It was crazy. It was like and they were competing 526 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:31,040 Speaker 1: against this like dance music coming through the walls. And 527 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:34,360 Speaker 1: so that was my first gig. So you were really 528 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:37,240 Speaker 1: living that New York theater actor life, like you're doing 529 00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:40,240 Speaker 1: regional theaters and yeah, I was doing the regional theater gig. 530 00:29:40,280 --> 00:29:43,360 Speaker 1: I was doing Shakespeare. I did the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival. 531 00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:46,560 Speaker 1: I did like you know, Saddam the comedy in two 532 00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:50,040 Speaker 1: acts in Baltimore. I did, yeah, And I was doing 533 00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:52,640 Speaker 1: like off off Broadway stuff, you know. I was really 534 00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:55,040 Speaker 1: I was getting up like five o'clock in the morning 535 00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:57,080 Speaker 1: and standing. It used to be back in those days. 536 00:29:57,480 --> 00:29:59,920 Speaker 1: You get up and you'd go to actor's Equity and 537 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:02,960 Speaker 1: you stand in line outside after exequity at like six 538 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:05,200 Speaker 1: o'clock in the morning with your bagel and a cup 539 00:30:05,280 --> 00:30:07,640 Speaker 1: of coffee, and you get an appointment to just have 540 00:30:07,840 --> 00:30:11,920 Speaker 1: an audition for some assistant of some casting director, just 541 00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:15,440 Speaker 1: to get seen for like for pipping in like in 542 00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:18,440 Speaker 1: Oklahoma or something you know, like and so that was it, 543 00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:21,520 Speaker 1: and then you know, you do these open calls, and 544 00:30:21,640 --> 00:30:23,840 Speaker 1: so that's the life I was living for a long time. 545 00:30:24,080 --> 00:30:26,160 Speaker 1: I was just like trying to just get like a 546 00:30:26,280 --> 00:30:29,040 Speaker 1: gig here, a gig there, like maybe get a commercial. 547 00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:31,720 Speaker 1: I was doing extra work for a while. I was 548 00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:34,920 Speaker 1: an extra on a bunch of movies, and so like 549 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:36,760 Speaker 1: I was just I was making I was literally getting 550 00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:39,920 Speaker 1: my like my SAG insurance just done, but doing extra 551 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:42,520 Speaker 1: work for like a couple of years. You know. I 552 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:45,920 Speaker 1: saw I saw brigadoone Oklahoma on your resume. Do you sing? 553 00:30:46,440 --> 00:30:49,160 Speaker 1: So I don't sing. I mean, okay, let me, let 554 00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:53,480 Speaker 1: me paraphrase that I sing well enough to like be 555 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:57,160 Speaker 1: an actor who can sing. But I'm not like a singer, 556 00:30:57,320 --> 00:31:00,280 Speaker 1: Like I don't like have like a Broadway singing voice. 557 00:31:00,760 --> 00:31:03,400 Speaker 1: So Oklahoma came much later. Oklahoma came in two thousand 558 00:31:03,480 --> 00:31:05,760 Speaker 1: and two, and by then I've already done my one 559 00:31:05,800 --> 00:31:07,680 Speaker 1: man show and all this stuff like that. That was, 560 00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:09,920 Speaker 1: you know, like my big break, right. I did my 561 00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:12,480 Speaker 1: one man's show and stuff, and and then I got Oklahoma, 562 00:31:12,840 --> 00:31:14,800 Speaker 1: and it was the weirdest thing. Because I had done 563 00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:17,440 Speaker 1: my one man show, I've gotten a lot of attention 564 00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:20,360 Speaker 1: for it. I did this movie with this smile merchant 565 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:24,480 Speaker 1: with merchant Ivory called The Mystic Massure, and I was thinking, like, okay, 566 00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:27,040 Speaker 1: now my career is I'm gonna do movies. That's what 567 00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:29,000 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do, because this is gonna be it now. 568 00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:31,320 Speaker 1: And so I went out to l A and the 569 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:33,760 Speaker 1: phone's not ringing. The phone is not ringing. Nobody saw 570 00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:36,600 Speaker 1: Mystic Massour. It was like a movie that no, it's 571 00:31:36,600 --> 00:31:39,160 Speaker 1: just basically nobody saw it, like nobody cared, you know, 572 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:41,920 Speaker 1: like you know, and so I'm sitting in l A 573 00:31:42,480 --> 00:31:44,080 Speaker 1: and I'm thinking like all right, and then the phone 574 00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:46,920 Speaker 1: rings and my agents are like, you have an audition 575 00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:51,440 Speaker 1: for Oklahoma on Broadway. And I was like what and 576 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:53,240 Speaker 1: they were like, yeah, they want you to read for 577 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:58,719 Speaker 1: the Peddler. And it's a non singing comedy role. Right, 578 00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:01,120 Speaker 1: there's a song, but it's like a pattern song. It's like, 579 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:04,360 Speaker 1: you know, you can talk, you sing, it talks sing. 580 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:08,320 Speaker 1: That's that's my that's my forte. That's your fourte Yeah 581 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:12,320 Speaker 1: talk singing. Yeah, I'm great at that. You talk in rhythm. 582 00:32:12,400 --> 00:32:14,840 Speaker 1: You just talk like in a twenty minutes ago. I 583 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:18,400 Speaker 1: am free, like a breeze, free like about in the woodland, 584 00:32:18,760 --> 00:32:21,080 Speaker 1: flee like a gypsy, flee like a child. I am 585 00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:22,880 Speaker 1: on the touch. It's not it's just that kind of 586 00:32:23,240 --> 00:32:25,960 Speaker 1: you know. So anyway, Trevor Nunn was directing Oklahoma and 587 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:32,680 Speaker 1: Broadway was the National Theater. Your Shakespeare starts. Yes, I'm 588 00:32:32,720 --> 00:32:36,560 Speaker 1: great at that. Yeah, there you go. So you're great. Yeah, 589 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:38,520 Speaker 1: so that wash. So they were like, you know, they 590 00:32:38,600 --> 00:32:40,800 Speaker 1: want to read you and they want you to do 591 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:44,200 Speaker 1: like a song. So I sent in a tape from 592 00:32:44,280 --> 00:32:46,880 Speaker 1: New York, I mean from l A and then they said, oh, 593 00:32:46,960 --> 00:32:48,600 Speaker 1: you have a you have a call back, and they 594 00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:50,160 Speaker 1: want to see you. So then I came back to 595 00:32:50,240 --> 00:32:54,360 Speaker 1: New York and read for Trevor Nunn, who couldn't have 596 00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:56,840 Speaker 1: been nicer and and it was just great and and 597 00:32:57,000 --> 00:33:00,080 Speaker 1: and they were bringing the production that had done the 598 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:03,640 Speaker 1: National Theater was with Hugh Jackman as as Curly and 599 00:33:03,760 --> 00:33:06,320 Speaker 1: Sula Hensley, who went went on to win The bath 600 00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:08,400 Speaker 1: Tub and then the Tony in New York. So then 601 00:33:08,440 --> 00:33:12,719 Speaker 1: the production in New York was with Patrick Wilson as Curly, 602 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:15,640 Speaker 1: and they had sort of lost some of their British 603 00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:18,400 Speaker 1: cast and so they need to recast it with Americans. 604 00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:21,240 Speaker 1: So I auditioned for the peddler and I got the 605 00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:23,400 Speaker 1: part and I was just it was just it was 606 00:33:23,480 --> 00:33:25,400 Speaker 1: like I was funny, so like they were like great. 607 00:33:25,760 --> 00:33:27,360 Speaker 1: I think the problem was that the guy in England 608 00:33:27,680 --> 00:33:30,160 Speaker 1: was not very funny and they wanted it to be funnier. 609 00:33:30,280 --> 00:33:32,000 Speaker 1: So they were like, okay, we didn't we don't care 610 00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:33,959 Speaker 1: if you can stick. And I remember going in from 611 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:37,120 Speaker 1: my audition with Susan Stroman, of all people, she was 612 00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:40,280 Speaker 1: the choreographer, and I was like, oh my god. I 613 00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:41,960 Speaker 1: was like listen I'm not a dancer, and I told 614 00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:43,800 Speaker 1: my agents I'm not a dancer and I'm not. I 615 00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:46,680 Speaker 1: don't It was a Michael Jackson in personator in high school. 616 00:33:46,720 --> 00:33:48,200 Speaker 1: But that's about it, you know what I mean, Like 617 00:33:48,800 --> 00:33:51,160 Speaker 1: not this Oklahoma dancing. I don't do that, Like my 618 00:33:51,240 --> 00:33:54,320 Speaker 1: body doesn't move that way. And so they were like, 619 00:33:54,360 --> 00:33:55,920 Speaker 1: don't worry about it, and so like I go, await 620 00:33:56,000 --> 00:33:58,480 Speaker 1: and I just could ship the bed in the dance 621 00:33:58,520 --> 00:34:02,560 Speaker 1: audition and I that's it. That's never happening. And then 622 00:34:03,080 --> 00:34:04,520 Speaker 1: they called me and they were like and they don't 623 00:34:04,520 --> 00:34:06,320 Speaker 1: actually care if you can't dance. They just want you 624 00:34:06,360 --> 00:34:09,040 Speaker 1: to be funny. And so I was like, well that's good, 625 00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:10,840 Speaker 1: you know. So it was great and I so I 626 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:14,480 Speaker 1: ended up doing that for a year. It was the 627 00:34:14,680 --> 00:34:18,120 Speaker 1: greatest time. You know, I can honestly say like it was. 628 00:34:18,560 --> 00:34:22,680 Speaker 1: I've been fortunate to have a very diverse career, you know, 629 00:34:22,920 --> 00:34:25,040 Speaker 1: like I've gotten to do a lot of things that 630 00:34:25,440 --> 00:34:28,200 Speaker 1: you wouldn't expect, you know, but I never wanted to. 631 00:34:28,239 --> 00:34:31,080 Speaker 1: I never expected to be in a musical. No less 632 00:34:31,160 --> 00:34:33,960 Speaker 1: two because then years later City Center was doing Brig 633 00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:37,400 Speaker 1: a Dude and Patrick Wilson was starting in it again 634 00:34:37,560 --> 00:34:41,080 Speaker 1: and he said, oh, there's this comic sidekick character who's 635 00:34:41,160 --> 00:34:43,640 Speaker 1: like a great part. There's no singing, it's just gotta 636 00:34:43,680 --> 00:34:45,680 Speaker 1: be funny. And they're like, why don't we get awesome? 637 00:34:47,360 --> 00:34:49,239 Speaker 1: You know, by then, like people knew who I was, 638 00:34:49,600 --> 00:34:51,680 Speaker 1: so they got me to do that. Now I'm gonna 639 00:34:51,680 --> 00:34:54,840 Speaker 1: be honest. I'm gonna be totally honest. Oh here we go. 640 00:34:55,200 --> 00:34:58,160 Speaker 1: I'm not a big musical guy, as I displayed. I 641 00:34:58,239 --> 00:35:01,560 Speaker 1: don't sing that well. I saw you in Oklahoma. I 642 00:35:01,680 --> 00:35:05,920 Speaker 1: don't remember much. But Schuler, who I don't really know, 643 00:35:06,239 --> 00:35:08,239 Speaker 1: so I'm not going to pretend. But he went to 644 00:35:08,280 --> 00:35:10,880 Speaker 1: my high school. He did. He was he was older 645 00:35:10,920 --> 00:35:12,520 Speaker 1: than me. Yeah, he was older than me. So I 646 00:35:12,520 --> 00:35:15,399 Speaker 1: didn't even know him in high school. But yes, I saw. 647 00:35:15,640 --> 00:35:18,600 Speaker 1: I saw the production with Patrick and with you. I 648 00:35:18,640 --> 00:35:20,360 Speaker 1: didn't know you at the time, but I knew Schuler, 649 00:35:20,800 --> 00:35:23,239 Speaker 1: and yeah, wow, I was there. I was one of 650 00:35:23,280 --> 00:35:25,919 Speaker 1: those you were one of the billion audience members. Yeah, yeah, 651 00:35:26,280 --> 00:35:29,480 Speaker 1: I just remember we had a rehearsal once and Trevor, 652 00:35:29,600 --> 00:35:31,279 Speaker 1: you know, we were in the Gerchewin Theater, which is 653 00:35:31,320 --> 00:35:36,880 Speaker 1: that ginormous theater right there on fifty Street and it's concrete, right, 654 00:35:37,360 --> 00:35:41,920 Speaker 1: So it's one of the few concrete theaters in Broadway houses. 655 00:35:41,960 --> 00:35:44,120 Speaker 1: Like it's not like the Broadway houses for those of 656 00:35:44,200 --> 00:35:48,000 Speaker 1: you don't know, like they're acoustically beautifully built, so the 657 00:35:48,080 --> 00:35:51,560 Speaker 1: sound bounces, but the gershwind is not is like a 658 00:35:51,960 --> 00:35:55,200 Speaker 1: sound black hole, you know, it's just like and so 659 00:35:55,440 --> 00:35:58,320 Speaker 1: it's just like concrete which just absorbed the sound. So 660 00:35:58,440 --> 00:36:01,560 Speaker 1: you really got to project. And it's also the biggest 661 00:36:01,600 --> 00:36:04,280 Speaker 1: Broadway with you on probably it's like two thousand seeds 662 00:36:04,360 --> 00:36:06,960 Speaker 1: or something, so you really got to hit that back wall, 663 00:36:07,120 --> 00:36:09,160 Speaker 1: you know, you got and everyone's miked and you know 664 00:36:09,239 --> 00:36:11,759 Speaker 1: in those musicals and stuff. So right, I remember Trevor 665 00:36:11,840 --> 00:36:13,520 Speaker 1: giving a note to the cast. He was like it 666 00:36:13,680 --> 00:36:15,800 Speaker 1: was like after like I think a first stress rehearsal 667 00:36:15,880 --> 00:36:18,439 Speaker 1: or something, and he was he was like, he said, 668 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:21,160 Speaker 1: you know, in his in his very proper English, and 669 00:36:21,160 --> 00:36:23,799 Speaker 1: it's like, now, everybody really just needs to just hit 670 00:36:23,920 --> 00:36:27,080 Speaker 1: that back wall. I know your miked, but really it's 671 00:36:27,120 --> 00:36:29,960 Speaker 1: a it's a very large theater. You just really just 672 00:36:30,080 --> 00:36:32,520 Speaker 1: have to get all the way to the back of 673 00:36:32,640 --> 00:36:35,920 Speaker 1: the house and everybody, every last seed should hear clearly, 674 00:36:36,080 --> 00:36:40,000 Speaker 1: crystal clear. So everyone make sure you hit that back wall, 675 00:36:40,480 --> 00:36:49,200 Speaker 1: except you as if you're fine, you can bring it 676 00:36:49,280 --> 00:36:53,239 Speaker 1: down a bit. Actually, that sounds like every director that 677 00:36:53,360 --> 00:36:55,719 Speaker 1: I ever had as well, You and I would have competed. 678 00:36:55,800 --> 00:37:01,800 Speaker 1: I think I would have red like it was so 679 00:37:02,080 --> 00:37:04,440 Speaker 1: much like it was just like I was like, oh, yeah, okay, 680 00:37:04,880 --> 00:37:08,480 Speaker 1: you might be overacting a little bit, but it was 681 00:37:08,600 --> 00:37:11,000 Speaker 1: so much fun. It was so much fun to do that. 682 00:37:11,400 --> 00:37:13,520 Speaker 1: And then getting to work with Patrick again years later, 683 00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:16,520 Speaker 1: and also Kelly O'Hara went never worked with. But but yeah, 684 00:37:16,560 --> 00:37:18,920 Speaker 1: it's weird. I'm not a musical theater guy either, you know, 685 00:37:19,040 --> 00:37:22,759 Speaker 1: full disclosure, I don't even really go to musicals, not much. 686 00:37:23,200 --> 00:37:26,400 Speaker 1: But I have to say being in a musical was 687 00:37:26,560 --> 00:37:30,920 Speaker 1: just a blast. It was just the greatest thing to do. 688 00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:34,440 Speaker 1: I'll share with you. I was doing theater in Minneapolis, 689 00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:37,239 Speaker 1: you know, summer was usually there wasn't a lot going on, 690 00:37:37,440 --> 00:37:42,440 Speaker 1: and I got offered a an opera in Northern Michigan 691 00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:44,759 Speaker 1: and I was like, I don't sing, I can't do 692 00:37:44,880 --> 00:37:46,480 Speaker 1: and they were like, no, no, no. I think it 693 00:37:46,600 --> 00:37:50,759 Speaker 1: was The Fleet r Mouse And there's like a fifteen 694 00:37:50,920 --> 00:37:56,360 Speaker 1: minute or something just set piece a drunk jailer that 695 00:37:56,480 --> 00:38:00,440 Speaker 1: comes in does is like stick for fifteen minutes and 696 00:38:00,480 --> 00:38:02,600 Speaker 1: then get you know, falls asleep in the cell or whatever, 697 00:38:02,719 --> 00:38:05,120 Speaker 1: and then everybody keeps singing again. But there's like fifteen 698 00:38:05,120 --> 00:38:08,719 Speaker 1: minutes of just one character acting on the stage. And 699 00:38:08,840 --> 00:38:10,440 Speaker 1: I did that, and I'll tell you it was the 700 00:38:10,520 --> 00:38:12,719 Speaker 1: most fun job because I could show up like in 701 00:38:12,800 --> 00:38:16,520 Speaker 1: the middle of act two, going through my little thing 702 00:38:16,800 --> 00:38:19,279 Speaker 1: and then move along. Yeah. It was Yeah, it was 703 00:38:19,360 --> 00:38:21,160 Speaker 1: a good time. It was just like a lot of 704 00:38:22,040 --> 00:38:43,160 Speaker 1: a lot of fun. So during this time in New York, 705 00:38:43,400 --> 00:38:46,759 Speaker 1: I saw your resume and I was like, oh, yeah, no, 706 00:38:47,040 --> 00:38:49,920 Speaker 1: he was doing the New York thing Law and Orders 707 00:38:51,400 --> 00:38:56,919 Speaker 1: multiple times, right, doing all those shows in New York. 708 00:38:57,040 --> 00:39:02,799 Speaker 1: So through theater through I assumed commercials, but also film roles, 709 00:39:02,840 --> 00:39:05,160 Speaker 1: and as you said, you know early on doing extra work. 710 00:39:05,480 --> 00:39:07,879 Speaker 1: You know, you were making a living as an actor. Yeah. 711 00:39:08,280 --> 00:39:11,800 Speaker 1: Mostly the good thing was it was steadily I was 712 00:39:11,920 --> 00:39:14,439 Speaker 1: getting like better parts, and you know, I was also 713 00:39:14,800 --> 00:39:17,480 Speaker 1: supplementing my income with kat Waiter ring. But I was 714 00:39:17,560 --> 00:39:21,120 Speaker 1: getting enough, like I would get a commercial every now 715 00:39:21,200 --> 00:39:24,040 Speaker 1: and then, or I get like a small theater gig. 716 00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:27,719 Speaker 1: Later I started getting small parts in movies, and it 717 00:39:27,840 --> 00:39:30,759 Speaker 1: was just sort of like my resume was slowly just 718 00:39:30,880 --> 00:39:33,919 Speaker 1: starting to build. And I think it's what kept me going. 719 00:39:34,160 --> 00:39:36,480 Speaker 1: I think if I had stalled out or felt like 720 00:39:36,520 --> 00:39:38,759 Speaker 1: I wasn't getting anywhere, you know, I don't know what 721 00:39:38,800 --> 00:39:40,319 Speaker 1: I would have done. I might I might have ended 722 00:39:40,400 --> 00:39:42,560 Speaker 1: up going back to Tampa or whatever, you know, like, 723 00:39:43,400 --> 00:39:46,759 Speaker 1: but it was enough to keep me. Like I was 724 00:39:46,840 --> 00:39:49,560 Speaker 1: like and honestly like, I was living in this place 725 00:39:49,719 --> 00:39:53,759 Speaker 1: in Long Island City, Queens, where I had like one room, 726 00:39:54,120 --> 00:39:56,880 Speaker 1: and I was sharing this apartment with the South American 727 00:39:56,920 --> 00:40:00,200 Speaker 1: grad students. And I was basically had one room and 728 00:40:00,239 --> 00:40:03,200 Speaker 1: I shared the bathroom and the kitchen with these grad students. 729 00:40:03,520 --> 00:40:06,440 Speaker 1: And it was in this building that was like right 730 00:40:06,520 --> 00:40:09,840 Speaker 1: there in Longon City, and I was paying three hundred 731 00:40:09,880 --> 00:40:13,600 Speaker 1: dollars a month in rent for that one room. And 732 00:40:13,760 --> 00:40:15,799 Speaker 1: had it not been for the fact that my rent 733 00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:19,440 Speaker 1: was it was very and even three hundred bucks a month. 734 00:40:19,520 --> 00:40:21,840 Speaker 1: Sometimes I was like I can't you know. It was 735 00:40:21,960 --> 00:40:24,719 Speaker 1: that scene with Will Ferrell and the little girl. You know, 736 00:40:24,800 --> 00:40:27,560 Speaker 1: it was like I was like, I can't afford the rent, 737 00:40:27,680 --> 00:40:29,120 Speaker 1: you like, you have to pay that, right, you know. 738 00:40:29,640 --> 00:40:31,880 Speaker 1: But I managed to survive, you know, I managed to 739 00:40:32,080 --> 00:40:35,520 Speaker 1: somehow just keep stepping up the ladder a little bit, 740 00:40:35,680 --> 00:40:38,440 Speaker 1: a little bit, and then I started getting bigger opportunities, 741 00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:41,319 Speaker 1: and then and then bigger things started to come my way, 742 00:40:41,360 --> 00:40:44,000 Speaker 1: you know. I think the first sort of real thing 743 00:40:44,120 --> 00:40:48,120 Speaker 1: that I got was in nine four, which was a 744 00:40:48,160 --> 00:40:50,360 Speaker 1: couple of years after years, so after I came to 745 00:40:50,440 --> 00:40:53,719 Speaker 1: New York, I was an understudy at Lincoln Center in 746 00:40:53,840 --> 00:40:56,800 Speaker 1: the place Suburbia by Eric Pagoshan, who was like my 747 00:40:56,960 --> 00:41:00,200 Speaker 1: idol from way back when, and so Begosian had writen 748 00:41:00,239 --> 00:41:02,960 Speaker 1: this play called Suburbia and it was with Steve Zon 749 00:41:03,320 --> 00:41:07,640 Speaker 1: and Martha Plimpton and zach or If and Tim Guinea 750 00:41:07,920 --> 00:41:10,680 Speaker 1: and all these like New York theater actor. Steve Zon 751 00:41:10,719 --> 00:41:13,520 Speaker 1: at the time was like the guy Josh Hamilton's you know, 752 00:41:13,680 --> 00:41:16,240 Speaker 1: they were like all breaking out into movies and stuff. 753 00:41:16,239 --> 00:41:19,480 Speaker 1: Steve's on had just done reality Bites with Ben Stiller 754 00:41:19,600 --> 00:41:22,200 Speaker 1: and Ethan Hawk, and it was kind of a cool 755 00:41:23,040 --> 00:41:26,640 Speaker 1: little gig and I got. I didn't even get in 756 00:41:26,760 --> 00:41:29,239 Speaker 1: the show. I was. I was the understudy in the show. 757 00:41:29,800 --> 00:41:32,280 Speaker 1: But you know, it was better than I did anything 758 00:41:32,320 --> 00:41:33,600 Speaker 1: else that, you know, So it was like it was 759 00:41:33,680 --> 00:41:36,200 Speaker 1: like suddenly I was getting like stuff where I was 760 00:41:36,239 --> 00:41:38,480 Speaker 1: starting to like move up the ladder. And then the 761 00:41:38,560 --> 00:41:41,359 Speaker 1: year later, I got like an off Broadway gig, an 762 00:41:41,400 --> 00:41:44,440 Speaker 1: off Broadway play called Depth Defying Acts where I was 763 00:41:44,480 --> 00:41:47,600 Speaker 1: actually in the show. It was a three one acts 764 00:41:47,680 --> 00:41:51,520 Speaker 1: written by Elaine May, David Mammitt, and Woody Allen, and uh, 765 00:41:52,200 --> 00:41:55,160 Speaker 1: I was in this play with Linda Lavitt, and it 766 00:41:55,320 --> 00:41:58,000 Speaker 1: was like me and Lynda Lavitt on stage together for 767 00:41:58,160 --> 00:42:00,400 Speaker 1: like ten minutes in the middle of this little one 768 00:42:00,440 --> 00:42:03,759 Speaker 1: act where I played her her the delivery guy who 769 00:42:03,880 --> 00:42:07,960 Speaker 1: was coming to her apartment where she's trying to commit suicide. 770 00:42:08,040 --> 00:42:09,759 Speaker 1: And so it was like a funny little play by 771 00:42:09,800 --> 00:42:13,239 Speaker 1: Elaine May that ran for a year or so and 772 00:42:13,400 --> 00:42:15,399 Speaker 1: I was on I was doing that, and so it's 773 00:42:15,480 --> 00:42:18,080 Speaker 1: just like starting to like sort of build stuff and 774 00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:22,279 Speaker 1: get more and more. Yeah, you mentioned before you were 775 00:42:22,320 --> 00:42:25,799 Speaker 1: on The Daily Show for almost a decade. Why did 776 00:42:25,880 --> 00:42:28,200 Speaker 1: you decide to audition for that show or how did 777 00:42:28,239 --> 00:42:30,759 Speaker 1: that come about? I I ended up on The Daily 778 00:42:30,800 --> 00:42:33,400 Speaker 1: Show in a very unusual way, which is not the 779 00:42:33,600 --> 00:42:36,800 Speaker 1: usual trajectory for people on the Daily Show, because I 780 00:42:36,920 --> 00:42:40,200 Speaker 1: wasn't doing stand up. I had done stand up, but 781 00:42:40,640 --> 00:42:42,359 Speaker 1: it wasn't my world and I had done a one 782 00:42:42,400 --> 00:42:44,080 Speaker 1: man show and all this stuff, but I was an 783 00:42:44,120 --> 00:42:47,920 Speaker 1: actor doing like theater and they just had written this 784 00:42:48,160 --> 00:42:51,960 Speaker 1: piece and they needed a Middle East correspondent and they 785 00:42:52,000 --> 00:42:54,680 Speaker 1: didn't have one, and it was written. I remember it 786 00:42:54,760 --> 00:42:56,960 Speaker 1: was like Tim Carvel wrote this piece, and you know, 787 00:42:57,000 --> 00:43:00,040 Speaker 1: Tim Carvel was now head writer for John Oliver and 788 00:43:00,120 --> 00:43:02,840 Speaker 1: it was all about the Iraq War. And this was 789 00:43:02,920 --> 00:43:06,000 Speaker 1: two thousand six, and it was after nine eleven. It 790 00:43:06,120 --> 00:43:10,080 Speaker 1: was it was really a beautifully written piece of satire 791 00:43:10,320 --> 00:43:12,440 Speaker 1: and comedy. It was just I think it's still one 792 00:43:12,480 --> 00:43:14,960 Speaker 1: of my all time favorite pieces that I ever did 793 00:43:15,040 --> 00:43:17,759 Speaker 1: on the show. But they were looking and so they 794 00:43:17,880 --> 00:43:20,399 Speaker 1: called my agent. They were like, and I remember that day. 795 00:43:20,960 --> 00:43:24,920 Speaker 1: It was August nine, two thousand six, and you know, 796 00:43:24,960 --> 00:43:29,800 Speaker 1: there are those days in your life where your life changes, 797 00:43:30,800 --> 00:43:34,359 Speaker 1: you know, not not always, but this was a day 798 00:43:34,760 --> 00:43:37,960 Speaker 1: when my life changed. And I woke up in that 799 00:43:38,080 --> 00:43:41,280 Speaker 1: morning and I was writing a letter to my ex girlfriend. 800 00:43:41,680 --> 00:43:43,960 Speaker 1: It was one of those dear John, like I'm sorry, 801 00:43:44,320 --> 00:43:46,120 Speaker 1: Like you know, I just found out she gotten engaged, 802 00:43:46,360 --> 00:43:49,120 Speaker 1: and I was like still holding onto some idea that 803 00:43:49,160 --> 00:43:50,919 Speaker 1: we were going to get back together. So I write 804 00:43:50,960 --> 00:43:54,160 Speaker 1: this letter and I'm writing it Longhand and I'm sitting 805 00:43:54,400 --> 00:43:56,360 Speaker 1: and the phone rings. Now my manager was like, the 806 00:43:56,440 --> 00:43:59,720 Speaker 1: Daily Show wants to see you for an audition today, 807 00:44:00,239 --> 00:44:03,080 Speaker 1: and I remember just being like, yeah, I'm kind of 808 00:44:03,160 --> 00:44:07,400 Speaker 1: sad today. How about tomorrow? And I was like, I 809 00:44:07,440 --> 00:44:09,440 Speaker 1: don't feel very I don't feel great today. I'm kind 810 00:44:09,480 --> 00:44:12,360 Speaker 1: of really in a miserable place. And they're like tomorrow, 811 00:44:12,760 --> 00:44:14,480 Speaker 1: I don't think so it looks like if they don't, 812 00:44:14,480 --> 00:44:17,480 Speaker 1: they're gonna find someone today or not. That's it. And 813 00:44:17,560 --> 00:44:19,920 Speaker 1: I was this close to not going because I thought 814 00:44:20,280 --> 00:44:24,480 Speaker 1: it was gonna be like some stupid thing where, you know, 815 00:44:24,600 --> 00:44:27,080 Speaker 1: like I've done these on letters, on Letterman and other 816 00:44:27,120 --> 00:44:29,239 Speaker 1: places where I go down and I pretend to then 817 00:44:29,320 --> 00:44:31,759 Speaker 1: do the voice of some terrorists or something, or on 818 00:44:31,840 --> 00:44:34,360 Speaker 1: a flying carpet or something, you know, like some weird 819 00:44:34,800 --> 00:44:36,279 Speaker 1: thing where they put a turban on me or some 820 00:44:36,400 --> 00:44:38,560 Speaker 1: ship and then they pay you a couple of hundred 821 00:44:38,560 --> 00:44:40,759 Speaker 1: bucks and you go home. You know. I thought it's 822 00:44:40,840 --> 00:44:42,800 Speaker 1: sucking bullshit, like I don't want to, and so I 823 00:44:42,880 --> 00:44:45,040 Speaker 1: said to my manager, I was like, what's it for. 824 00:44:45,320 --> 00:44:47,400 Speaker 1: They were like, it's actually for a correspondent. Because I 825 00:44:47,400 --> 00:44:50,200 Speaker 1: originally I said no, and then they call back and 826 00:44:50,239 --> 00:44:52,120 Speaker 1: they're like, you know, it's for a correspondent, so just 827 00:44:52,600 --> 00:44:54,640 Speaker 1: just that fire if that changes your mind. And I 828 00:44:54,680 --> 00:44:56,320 Speaker 1: didn't know it was like a full time gig or 829 00:44:56,320 --> 00:44:59,000 Speaker 1: anything like that. So I was like, fucking I'll go. 830 00:44:59,440 --> 00:45:01,760 Speaker 1: So I said, what time they've seen people for four o'clock. 831 00:45:01,840 --> 00:45:03,399 Speaker 1: I was like, I'll be there at three forty five 832 00:45:04,200 --> 00:45:06,040 Speaker 1: and and and the time I lived on the Eppleworst 833 00:45:06,040 --> 00:45:08,600 Speaker 1: Side and the Daily Show taped like twenty blocks down 834 00:45:08,640 --> 00:45:10,360 Speaker 1: from where I lived. So I just literally just walked 835 00:45:10,760 --> 00:45:14,080 Speaker 1: down to the Daily Show and I walk in. There's 836 00:45:14,160 --> 00:45:17,239 Speaker 1: Jon Stewart and he's got his you know, his khaki's 837 00:45:17,480 --> 00:45:20,960 Speaker 1: is now his Cornu roys, and his his sweatshirt baseball cap. 838 00:45:21,360 --> 00:45:23,120 Speaker 1: And I watched the show, you know, so I was like, 839 00:45:23,200 --> 00:45:26,440 Speaker 1: oh cool Jon Stewart, you know, and uh oh. And 840 00:45:26,520 --> 00:45:28,400 Speaker 1: at first I remember first they gave me the sides 841 00:45:28,840 --> 00:45:31,080 Speaker 1: and there was all this stuff, and I was like, 842 00:45:31,360 --> 00:45:32,880 Speaker 1: I was like, oh my god, I gotta memorize all 843 00:45:32,920 --> 00:45:34,480 Speaker 1: this right now. And I was like sitting there trying 844 00:45:34,480 --> 00:45:35,880 Speaker 1: to memorize it. And then they came out they were 845 00:45:35,880 --> 00:45:37,480 Speaker 1: like no, no, no, it's on the teleprop jet. And 846 00:45:37,560 --> 00:45:39,400 Speaker 1: I was like such a theater snob. I was like 847 00:45:39,520 --> 00:45:42,360 Speaker 1: teleprop jet, like, this is fucking bullshit. Like so I 848 00:45:42,440 --> 00:45:46,120 Speaker 1: literally was just like, alright, fine, funck it whatever. So 849 00:45:46,239 --> 00:45:48,759 Speaker 1: I just go in there, and honestly, it was one 850 00:45:48,760 --> 00:45:51,160 Speaker 1: of those moments where I really was like I'm not 851 00:45:51,280 --> 00:45:53,520 Speaker 1: going to get this, and I was like if I 852 00:45:53,600 --> 00:45:56,200 Speaker 1: don't get it, who cares? If I do get it, great, 853 00:45:56,480 --> 00:45:58,399 Speaker 1: you know, And it was one of those moments where 854 00:45:58,400 --> 00:45:59,920 Speaker 1: I just didn't care. So I literally just went in 855 00:46:00,120 --> 00:46:02,160 Speaker 1: and I read the teal prompter and I did the 856 00:46:02,239 --> 00:46:04,719 Speaker 1: bit with John, and John was super nice and he 857 00:46:04,840 --> 00:46:06,160 Speaker 1: was like, you know, and I remember him saying to 858 00:46:06,200 --> 00:46:07,880 Speaker 1: me like, have you ever performed in front of a 859 00:46:07,920 --> 00:46:10,279 Speaker 1: live audience before? Because you know, the Daily Show tapes 860 00:46:10,320 --> 00:46:12,120 Speaker 1: in front of a live audience, so he was like, 861 00:46:12,600 --> 00:46:14,080 Speaker 1: you ever performed in front of a live audience? And 862 00:46:14,080 --> 00:46:16,560 Speaker 1: I remember just looking at him being like, dude, I've 863 00:46:16,600 --> 00:46:22,279 Speaker 1: been on Broadway and he was and he was like, 864 00:46:22,440 --> 00:46:27,520 Speaker 1: oh okay. He was like. I was like, he's like, 865 00:46:27,600 --> 00:46:31,080 Speaker 1: let's see you Mr Broadways. And then I did it 866 00:46:31,160 --> 00:46:35,719 Speaker 1: and I literally just did my best Stephen Colbert impression, 867 00:46:35,800 --> 00:46:37,320 Speaker 1: like that's all I knew how to do. Like, I 868 00:46:37,400 --> 00:46:39,520 Speaker 1: was like, I watched the show. I kind of would 869 00:46:39,520 --> 00:46:42,120 Speaker 1: watch Stephen Colbert, watched the Corral all these guys, you know, 870 00:46:42,600 --> 00:46:44,600 Speaker 1: and helms and everyone and then and I was like, 871 00:46:44,640 --> 00:46:46,200 Speaker 1: all right, I'll just do that. I'll just do what 872 00:46:46,280 --> 00:46:49,120 Speaker 1: they did. So I just did it. And then John 873 00:46:49,239 --> 00:46:51,279 Speaker 1: was like after the thing, he looked at me and 874 00:46:51,320 --> 00:46:54,840 Speaker 1: he stood up and he was like, dude, congratulations, welcome 875 00:46:54,840 --> 00:46:57,839 Speaker 1: to the Daily Show. He just said it right away. Yeah, 876 00:46:58,239 --> 00:47:00,399 Speaker 1: he just like said, welcome to the Daily Show. You're 877 00:47:00,400 --> 00:47:02,800 Speaker 1: gonna be on tonight. And now, to be fair, it 878 00:47:02,880 --> 00:47:05,640 Speaker 1: was a one off gig, right, it wasn't a contract, 879 00:47:06,040 --> 00:47:07,560 Speaker 1: so it was like a one off game. And he 880 00:47:07,680 --> 00:47:09,200 Speaker 1: was like, you're gonna be on the show tonight. And 881 00:47:09,280 --> 00:47:10,799 Speaker 1: I was like all right. He was at you busy. 882 00:47:10,840 --> 00:47:14,279 Speaker 1: I was like, no, of course not. And so that 883 00:47:14,600 --> 00:47:17,759 Speaker 1: night I'm on the Daily Show. I'm taping at like 884 00:47:17,920 --> 00:47:20,840 Speaker 1: five o'clock. I go off for rehearsal and they, you know, 885 00:47:20,960 --> 00:47:22,319 Speaker 1: I don't know if you've ever been to the show, 886 00:47:22,440 --> 00:47:25,840 Speaker 1: but like basically before they do the taping, there's a 887 00:47:26,480 --> 00:47:28,880 Speaker 1: rehearsal with the producers and stuff and the writers. So 888 00:47:28,920 --> 00:47:30,680 Speaker 1: the writers and producers sitting out there, and I see 889 00:47:30,719 --> 00:47:33,680 Speaker 1: this guy sitting in the audience with a baseball cap on, 890 00:47:33,840 --> 00:47:35,759 Speaker 1: and I'm looking at him and I'm staring and I'm like, 891 00:47:35,800 --> 00:47:39,839 Speaker 1: I know that guy. And it's Bruce Springsteen and yeah, 892 00:47:40,160 --> 00:47:43,560 Speaker 1: and so Springsteen he's a big fan of the show, 893 00:47:44,080 --> 00:47:47,320 Speaker 1: Love John John, you know, like Hugh Springsteen fan. So 894 00:47:47,440 --> 00:47:49,640 Speaker 1: he just came by to see the taping and he 895 00:47:49,760 --> 00:47:51,719 Speaker 1: just brought his son, and so the two of them 896 00:47:51,719 --> 00:47:53,440 Speaker 1: were just sitting in the rehearsal because they led him 897 00:47:53,440 --> 00:47:54,840 Speaker 1: in early so he wouldn't have to deal with the 898 00:47:54,880 --> 00:47:57,560 Speaker 1: crowds and stuff. So like he's sitting in the audience 899 00:47:58,040 --> 00:48:00,319 Speaker 1: and I'm like, are you freaking kidding me right now? 900 00:48:00,400 --> 00:48:02,360 Speaker 1: And then they go backstage and I'm like and I 901 00:48:02,440 --> 00:48:06,000 Speaker 1: remember talking to the crew and I was like, guys, 902 00:48:06,400 --> 00:48:08,560 Speaker 1: do you know the Bruce Springsteens out there? And they 903 00:48:08,560 --> 00:48:11,000 Speaker 1: were like, yeah, yeah, we know, we you know. And 904 00:48:11,320 --> 00:48:14,120 Speaker 1: I was like, is that like a normal thing here, 905 00:48:14,280 --> 00:48:17,400 Speaker 1: Like you just have like mega stars to show up 906 00:48:17,440 --> 00:48:20,759 Speaker 1: and sit in the rehears and sitting roar And they 907 00:48:20,800 --> 00:48:23,120 Speaker 1: were like no, they were like a couple of weeks ago. 908 00:48:23,320 --> 00:48:25,800 Speaker 1: J k Rowling was here, but nobody knows what she 909 00:48:25,880 --> 00:48:31,520 Speaker 1: looks like so she was totally fine, and so that 910 00:48:31,760 --> 00:48:34,960 Speaker 1: night I taped. I taped the show. Then we get done. 911 00:48:35,160 --> 00:48:37,520 Speaker 1: It was a great piece. It was like a phenomenal 912 00:48:37,920 --> 00:48:39,440 Speaker 1: I can take no credit for it except for the 913 00:48:39,520 --> 00:48:42,680 Speaker 1: fact that I performed it and did it and sold it, 914 00:48:42,760 --> 00:48:45,120 Speaker 1: and John, I think, was really happy with it. I 915 00:48:45,200 --> 00:48:48,320 Speaker 1: went backstage after the show. John's like, stick around and 916 00:48:48,360 --> 00:48:49,719 Speaker 1: want you to come into the They have a post 917 00:48:49,800 --> 00:48:52,239 Speaker 1: mortem room where they go over the show afterwards. John 918 00:48:52,360 --> 00:48:53,880 Speaker 1: was like, come back. I wanted you know happen. So 919 00:48:53,920 --> 00:48:55,719 Speaker 1: I'm going to post mortem room. All the writers and 920 00:48:55,760 --> 00:48:58,320 Speaker 1: everybody's sitting around like discussing how the show went. And 921 00:48:58,360 --> 00:49:01,400 Speaker 1: as I'm walking out, spring scene is in the hallway 922 00:49:01,920 --> 00:49:05,239 Speaker 1: waiting to say hi to John and he sees me 923 00:49:05,920 --> 00:49:08,239 Speaker 1: and he puts out his hand. He's like, hey, he 924 00:49:08,320 --> 00:49:09,960 Speaker 1: did a really good job. I heard it was your 925 00:49:10,000 --> 00:49:12,800 Speaker 1: first time, and I was like, yeah, it was my 926 00:49:13,120 --> 00:49:17,040 Speaker 1: first time. It was so weird, and that was the day. 927 00:49:17,200 --> 00:49:20,120 Speaker 1: That was the day because then everybody was just calling 928 00:49:20,160 --> 00:49:22,160 Speaker 1: me like the funk. It was just a guy that 929 00:49:22,200 --> 00:49:24,239 Speaker 1: looked like you on the Daily Show, and I'm like, 930 00:49:24,440 --> 00:49:26,319 Speaker 1: that was me. It was like because I didn't even 931 00:49:26,320 --> 00:49:28,680 Speaker 1: have a chance to tell anyone. I didn't tell my parents. 932 00:49:28,760 --> 00:49:30,799 Speaker 1: I didn't tell anyone. And then there was an article 933 00:49:30,880 --> 00:49:33,040 Speaker 1: the next day in the l A Times because I 934 00:49:33,160 --> 00:49:36,719 Speaker 1: was the first non white correspondent on the show. And 935 00:49:36,800 --> 00:49:39,319 Speaker 1: I remember this article was like the Daily Show has 936 00:49:39,400 --> 00:49:42,560 Speaker 1: this brown guy on there, Like what the fuck is 937 00:49:42,640 --> 00:49:46,560 Speaker 1: going on? Like you know, they've gone diverse. And then 938 00:49:46,719 --> 00:49:49,440 Speaker 1: John just really liked me, and he was like, you 939 00:49:49,480 --> 00:49:51,080 Speaker 1: know what, I'm just gonna call you back if we 940 00:49:51,160 --> 00:49:53,560 Speaker 1: need you again. And then they just kept calling me back, 941 00:49:53,800 --> 00:49:55,520 Speaker 1: and every couple of weeks I go down and do 942 00:49:55,640 --> 00:49:57,880 Speaker 1: a taping. I'll just get paid whatever for the day 943 00:49:57,960 --> 00:50:00,520 Speaker 1: or whatever. And then after about four months of that, 944 00:50:01,200 --> 00:50:03,839 Speaker 1: John offered me a contract on the show, and then 945 00:50:03,880 --> 00:50:05,960 Speaker 1: I and then the rest of history, as they say, 946 00:50:06,080 --> 00:50:08,200 Speaker 1: like it was just like and that really did at 947 00:50:08,280 --> 00:50:11,520 Speaker 1: that moment, like there was definitely a switch where my 948 00:50:11,680 --> 00:50:14,560 Speaker 1: career went from one point to another, you know, maybe 949 00:50:14,880 --> 00:50:16,719 Speaker 1: like for you probably on the office or something, you 950 00:50:16,760 --> 00:50:18,560 Speaker 1: know what I mean, Like like it was just suddenly 951 00:50:18,640 --> 00:50:21,920 Speaker 1: like boom. And the weird thing was that because on 952 00:50:22,000 --> 00:50:26,040 Speaker 1: the Daily Show they used my real name. People would 953 00:50:26,239 --> 00:50:28,840 Speaker 1: call me by my real name, and I just remember 954 00:50:29,000 --> 00:50:32,560 Speaker 1: like realizing like, oh, the impact that this show is 955 00:50:32,680 --> 00:50:35,799 Speaker 1: having in terms of like it's zeitgeist. Because I've been 956 00:50:35,840 --> 00:50:38,120 Speaker 1: on stuff I've done, like you said, Law and Order 957 00:50:38,200 --> 00:50:40,360 Speaker 1: and all the TV show done, movies have done something, 958 00:50:40,800 --> 00:50:42,799 Speaker 1: but I've never been on anything that had the level 959 00:50:42,880 --> 00:50:46,480 Speaker 1: of like cultural penetration then the Daily Show had. And 960 00:50:46,600 --> 00:50:50,000 Speaker 1: I remember going to a play and Danny DeVito was 961 00:50:50,120 --> 00:50:53,680 Speaker 1: standing outside the theater waiting with his family or whatever, 962 00:50:54,040 --> 00:50:56,759 Speaker 1: and I'm walking into the theater and Danny DeVito turned 963 00:50:56,760 --> 00:50:58,960 Speaker 1: around and looked at me and went awesome, how are 964 00:50:59,000 --> 00:51:01,880 Speaker 1: you doing? Put out his hand. That was like a 965 00:51:02,000 --> 00:51:04,000 Speaker 1: moment where I was like, oh, wow, what the fuss 966 00:51:04,120 --> 00:51:06,680 Speaker 1: going on? Like this is like that, you know, I 967 00:51:06,719 --> 00:51:09,600 Speaker 1: mean like that's when I suddenly was like, oh, there 968 00:51:09,640 --> 00:51:13,640 Speaker 1: are people in Hollywood watching this show that can change 969 00:51:13,719 --> 00:51:16,840 Speaker 1: the course of where my career goes. Well, what's interesting 970 00:51:16,960 --> 00:51:19,479 Speaker 1: is that you didn't just stick in the Daily Show, Lane, 971 00:51:19,800 --> 00:51:22,080 Speaker 1: I mean the number of projects that you have done 972 00:51:22,160 --> 00:51:27,480 Speaker 1: and the diversity of projects have been amazing. Drama creating 973 00:51:27,640 --> 00:51:30,279 Speaker 1: your own work After the Daily Show, you had the 974 00:51:30,360 --> 00:51:34,480 Speaker 1: Funnier Die sitcom Hall in the Family. Yeah, and it's 975 00:51:34,480 --> 00:51:38,239 Speaker 1: been amazing to see you take the platform that you 976 00:51:38,280 --> 00:51:40,759 Speaker 1: were given by the Daily Show and have done, you know, 977 00:51:41,239 --> 00:51:44,200 Speaker 1: such a diversity of projects. I think that at the 978 00:51:44,320 --> 00:51:46,720 Speaker 1: end of the day, I think I am an actor 979 00:51:47,360 --> 00:51:50,799 Speaker 1: and always had done a lot of dramatic work prior 980 00:51:50,880 --> 00:51:52,399 Speaker 1: to the Davision. I think what happened with the Daily 981 00:51:52,440 --> 00:51:54,239 Speaker 1: Show was that it was such a you know, like 982 00:51:54,360 --> 00:51:56,960 Speaker 1: I said, like a zeitgeist, think that people suddenly thought 983 00:51:57,040 --> 00:51:59,279 Speaker 1: of me as a comedian. They were like, Oh, You're 984 00:51:59,680 --> 00:52:02,440 Speaker 1: the Ly Show comedian guy, when the reality is like, 985 00:52:02,560 --> 00:52:04,600 Speaker 1: I've done a lot of dramatic work prior to it, 986 00:52:04,800 --> 00:52:07,239 Speaker 1: and and when I did the Daily Show. Actually, while 987 00:52:07,239 --> 00:52:09,400 Speaker 1: I was on The Daily Show, I did Disgrace at 988 00:52:09,440 --> 00:52:12,240 Speaker 1: Lincoln Center, which was the I adopted as poets surprise 989 00:52:12,320 --> 00:52:14,759 Speaker 1: winning play and I played the lead role in that. 990 00:52:14,920 --> 00:52:17,800 Speaker 1: It was an incredibly dramatic thing. And I got to 991 00:52:17,880 --> 00:52:20,000 Speaker 1: do some movies and stuff and and you know stuff, 992 00:52:20,000 --> 00:52:23,480 Speaker 1: And I always felt like my career has always been 993 00:52:23,560 --> 00:52:25,759 Speaker 1: one where I've gotten to go back and forth and 994 00:52:25,880 --> 00:52:28,360 Speaker 1: the writing. You know, I wrote a movie and I 995 00:52:28,719 --> 00:52:33,040 Speaker 1: produced and starting it and k and wrote a book. Yeah. 996 00:52:33,080 --> 00:52:35,360 Speaker 1: I think I think going all the way back to 997 00:52:35,560 --> 00:52:39,239 Speaker 1: early in my career, there was never a specific lane 998 00:52:39,440 --> 00:52:42,120 Speaker 1: for me, you know, like I never felt like I 999 00:52:42,239 --> 00:52:45,440 Speaker 1: had a lane and because I didn't have that, because 1000 00:52:45,520 --> 00:52:48,480 Speaker 1: there wasn't a space when I first started out, you know, 1001 00:52:48,600 --> 00:52:50,600 Speaker 1: like I went to l A, I remember, and just 1002 00:52:50,719 --> 00:52:52,840 Speaker 1: sat in my apartment and people were like, there's no 1003 00:52:52,960 --> 00:52:56,360 Speaker 1: parts for you. And as a brown actor, the only 1004 00:52:56,560 --> 00:52:58,680 Speaker 1: way for me to work. And that's when I wrote. 1005 00:52:58,719 --> 00:53:00,480 Speaker 1: When I wrote Sticking His Restaurant, which is my one 1006 00:53:00,520 --> 00:53:03,160 Speaker 1: man show, like it was out of necessity of like 1007 00:53:03,400 --> 00:53:05,759 Speaker 1: writing characters that I So it was always that thing 1008 00:53:05,840 --> 00:53:07,719 Speaker 1: of like I just always had to be kind of 1009 00:53:07,880 --> 00:53:10,879 Speaker 1: entrepreneurial about the whole thing. So so I think it's 1010 00:53:10,880 --> 00:53:12,560 Speaker 1: just you think it's part of that d n A 1011 00:53:12,760 --> 00:53:15,880 Speaker 1: of just like always going Okay, what can I create? 1012 00:53:16,040 --> 00:53:17,759 Speaker 1: And and you know that continues to this day where 1013 00:53:17,800 --> 00:53:20,560 Speaker 1: I feel like I'm always thinking about like, Okay, what 1014 00:53:20,680 --> 00:53:22,600 Speaker 1: can I create? What can I write? Can I do? 1015 00:53:22,880 --> 00:53:26,680 Speaker 1: And you know, and yeah, well Sechina's Restaurant, by the way, 1016 00:53:26,920 --> 00:53:30,239 Speaker 1: you're one man show, one an obie. Yeah, and got 1017 00:53:30,360 --> 00:53:32,719 Speaker 1: you a lot of attention for that, as I said, 1018 00:53:32,800 --> 00:53:36,000 Speaker 1: Halal and the family as well, and your book No 1019 00:53:36,320 --> 00:53:39,480 Speaker 1: lands Man, that book gave you by the way I 1020 00:53:39,520 --> 00:53:42,080 Speaker 1: wrote a book. Welcome to dunder Mifflin was my book. 1021 00:53:42,160 --> 00:53:46,200 Speaker 1: Yours talked about your your acting career, your experience on 1022 00:53:46,280 --> 00:53:48,960 Speaker 1: The Daily Show, and your life as an immigrant, and 1023 00:53:49,160 --> 00:53:52,480 Speaker 1: as we talked earlier, a lot of the material about 1024 00:53:52,560 --> 00:53:55,920 Speaker 1: the post nine eleven days, but also your life in 1025 00:53:55,960 --> 00:53:58,359 Speaker 1: England as well and where you came from. Right yeah, 1026 00:53:58,400 --> 00:54:00,320 Speaker 1: I mean the book was sort of while I was 1027 00:54:00,360 --> 00:54:04,040 Speaker 1: on the Daily Show and had that platform, a publisher 1028 00:54:04,080 --> 00:54:05,640 Speaker 1: approached me and said, you even thought about writing a 1029 00:54:05,680 --> 00:54:07,719 Speaker 1: book at that point, I hadn't, and I thought, well, 1030 00:54:07,760 --> 00:54:09,040 Speaker 1: it would be kind of a fun thing to do. 1031 00:54:09,080 --> 00:54:11,279 Speaker 1: I've written a one man show, and so I thought 1032 00:54:11,600 --> 00:54:14,200 Speaker 1: I could write a bunch of short stories. Little did 1033 00:54:14,239 --> 00:54:17,360 Speaker 1: I know it's not as easy as you think. It was, 1034 00:54:17,520 --> 00:54:20,239 Speaker 1: like you know, I mean, you know, so it's it's 1035 00:54:20,320 --> 00:54:23,880 Speaker 1: like you think, oh, yeah, yeah, I got ten short 1036 00:54:23,960 --> 00:54:27,480 Speaker 1: stories in me for sure, Right that Bangata and a 1037 00:54:27,560 --> 00:54:30,000 Speaker 1: couple of months got to like two years later, and 1038 00:54:30,080 --> 00:54:32,319 Speaker 1: I'm like, I get writer's block, and I'm sitting there 1039 00:54:32,680 --> 00:54:35,520 Speaker 1: and my my publishers calling me up, going like I 1040 00:54:35,880 --> 00:54:40,080 Speaker 1: really should get something so right, like, you know, but 1041 00:54:40,200 --> 00:54:44,120 Speaker 1: I had an amazing editor and it was definitely a 1042 00:54:44,239 --> 00:54:46,879 Speaker 1: lot of work. But I'm so proud of it because 1043 00:54:46,880 --> 00:54:49,080 Speaker 1: it was like it was really you know, it was 1044 00:54:49,160 --> 00:54:51,200 Speaker 1: a book that I didn't even know was in me. 1045 00:54:51,600 --> 00:54:55,160 Speaker 1: But once I started excavating, I realized, like, oh, this 1046 00:54:55,520 --> 00:54:57,680 Speaker 1: this dizzy stories. And I want to tell you know, 1047 00:54:58,120 --> 00:55:02,640 Speaker 1: that's great. Well, and your career keeps growing and expanding 1048 00:55:02,680 --> 00:55:06,120 Speaker 1: in new directions. Now Evil just got picked up, right 1049 00:55:06,160 --> 00:55:09,200 Speaker 1: for a third season. Yeah, Paramount Plus. We're on Paramount 1050 00:55:09,200 --> 00:55:12,320 Speaker 1: Plus now, Yeah, third season coming out. We're in the 1051 00:55:12,360 --> 00:55:15,480 Speaker 1: middle of shooting it right now. Yeah, and that's what 1052 00:55:15,680 --> 00:55:18,000 Speaker 1: we're almost done with the third season and and so 1053 00:55:18,320 --> 00:55:20,600 Speaker 1: it comes out in June. I have to say unfortunate. 1054 00:55:20,920 --> 00:55:23,360 Speaker 1: I mean, when you get to work with like really 1055 00:55:23,560 --> 00:55:27,799 Speaker 1: great creatives, you know, you know this like it makes 1056 00:55:27,880 --> 00:55:30,719 Speaker 1: everything just better, you know, like you just because you 1057 00:55:30,800 --> 00:55:32,840 Speaker 1: feel like you're in good hands and you feel like 1058 00:55:33,360 --> 00:55:35,480 Speaker 1: you're being taken care of and and and the writing 1059 00:55:35,600 --> 00:55:37,120 Speaker 1: is good, you know. And I felt that way when 1060 00:55:37,120 --> 00:55:38,719 Speaker 1: I was in The Daily Show working with John I 1061 00:55:38,800 --> 00:55:42,000 Speaker 1: felt and now working with Robert and Michelle King, you know, 1062 00:55:42,080 --> 00:55:44,480 Speaker 1: who are just at the top of their game, and 1063 00:55:45,239 --> 00:55:47,160 Speaker 1: you know, and and and it's just such a treat 1064 00:55:47,280 --> 00:55:51,360 Speaker 1: to get to work with them and learn from the 1065 00:55:51,440 --> 00:55:53,840 Speaker 1: way they work, and then also just work with the 1066 00:55:53,880 --> 00:55:56,960 Speaker 1: actors on the show, you know, Katcha and Mike and 1067 00:55:57,440 --> 00:56:01,000 Speaker 1: Christine and Michael Emerson who's delay to work with them. 1068 00:56:01,080 --> 00:56:03,520 Speaker 1: So it's just all everybody on the show just feels 1069 00:56:03,560 --> 00:56:05,560 Speaker 1: like we're just having a good time. Even though we're 1070 00:56:05,600 --> 00:56:09,640 Speaker 1: making this very dark, sort of weird show, it's so 1071 00:56:09,960 --> 00:56:13,320 Speaker 1: fun and so it's like it's like weirdly absurd and 1072 00:56:13,440 --> 00:56:17,160 Speaker 1: also dark and horror and comedy. It's kind of an 1073 00:56:17,200 --> 00:56:19,560 Speaker 1: amalgam of all of that, which I love, and that's 1074 00:56:19,600 --> 00:56:21,879 Speaker 1: what the Kings do. So well, it's been it's been great, 1075 00:56:21,880 --> 00:56:24,040 Speaker 1: and they've given me a nice um, given me some 1076 00:56:24,239 --> 00:56:26,800 Speaker 1: nice fun stuff to do, so it's been great. And 1077 00:56:26,880 --> 00:56:29,400 Speaker 1: then I'm also producing What I Lie to You with 1078 00:56:29,640 --> 00:56:32,400 Speaker 1: the Kings, which is also coming out on the c W, 1079 00:56:32,680 --> 00:56:36,040 Speaker 1: which is the panel show Yeah, which will have you 1080 00:56:36,160 --> 00:56:38,720 Speaker 1: on at some point. It's basically we're doing the American 1081 00:56:38,840 --> 00:56:41,440 Speaker 1: version of the British panel show What I Lie to You. 1082 00:56:41,560 --> 00:56:43,960 Speaker 1: It's been on for fourteen years that we're doing it. 1083 00:56:44,120 --> 00:56:47,600 Speaker 1: It's basically just celebrities coming on and telling wacky stories 1084 00:56:48,080 --> 00:56:50,160 Speaker 1: and other celebrities trying to figure out if they're telling 1085 00:56:50,200 --> 00:56:52,400 Speaker 1: the truth, we're telling a lie and it's just hilarious 1086 00:56:53,000 --> 00:56:55,400 Speaker 1: and super fun and actually I don't know. Do you 1087 00:56:55,440 --> 00:56:57,680 Speaker 1: know Matt Walsh? Do you know Matt? Of course, yeah, 1088 00:56:57,800 --> 00:57:01,160 Speaker 1: of course, Yeah. So Matt is one of our team captains, 1089 00:57:01,840 --> 00:57:05,080 Speaker 1: with Sabrina Jalis as the other team captain, and we 1090 00:57:05,200 --> 00:57:09,360 Speaker 1: just had the best time. And that comes up April 1091 00:57:09,480 --> 00:57:13,160 Speaker 1: ninth next week. Congratulations. I will definitely check that out. 1092 00:57:13,239 --> 00:57:16,720 Speaker 1: Ye awesome. We hadn't met before, but you are an 1093 00:57:16,760 --> 00:57:21,840 Speaker 1: amazing storyteller, as funny as I expected, and deep and interesting. 1094 00:57:22,080 --> 00:57:24,480 Speaker 1: I appreciate you coming on so much and talking to me. 1095 00:57:24,920 --> 00:57:27,280 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for having me. It's been a 1096 00:57:27,520 --> 00:57:32,160 Speaker 1: pleasure spending however long we spent together. Yeah, that was 1097 00:57:32,200 --> 00:57:34,400 Speaker 1: really fun. Thank you so much. This has been great 1098 00:57:46,640 --> 00:57:51,000 Speaker 1: as although we had never met until today, I feel 1099 00:57:51,040 --> 00:57:53,560 Speaker 1: like I've known you for years and maybe that was 1100 00:57:53,640 --> 00:57:56,760 Speaker 1: because I saw you in Oklahoma, but either way, it 1101 00:57:56,960 --> 00:58:00,600 Speaker 1: was an honor. Thank you so much for stopping and 1102 00:58:00,880 --> 00:58:04,240 Speaker 1: talking to me, and thanks to you for tuning in. 1103 00:58:04,680 --> 00:58:07,680 Speaker 1: Don't forget to like and subscribe wherever you get your 1104 00:58:07,720 --> 00:58:11,000 Speaker 1: podcasts and give us a follow over. On Instagram at 1105 00:58:11,440 --> 00:58:13,840 Speaker 1: Off the Beat. I can't wait to see you back 1106 00:58:14,240 --> 00:58:26,000 Speaker 1: right here next week. Have a good one. Everybody. Off 1107 00:58:26,080 --> 00:58:29,200 Speaker 1: the Beat is hosted an executive produced by me Brian 1108 00:58:29,280 --> 00:58:34,920 Speaker 1: Baumgartner alongside our executive producer Langley. Our producers are Diego Tapia, 1109 00:58:35,160 --> 00:58:39,320 Speaker 1: Liz Hayes, Emily Carr, and Hannah Harris. Our talent producer 1110 00:58:39,600 --> 00:58:43,600 Speaker 1: is Ryan Papa Zachary. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak 1111 00:58:43,880 --> 00:58:47,880 Speaker 1: performed by my great friend Creed Breton, and the episode 1112 00:58:47,960 --> 00:59:01,720 Speaker 1: was mixed by Seth Olandski m