1 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:21,919 Speaker 1: Hello, everybody, Guess what it's me, Brian Baumgartner here, welcoming 2 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 1: you very warmly to a very special episode of Off 3 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:30,640 Speaker 1: the Beat. What a year it's been, am I Right? 4 00:00:31,040 --> 00:00:34,320 Speaker 1: Where did the year go? I can't believe we're already 5 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:37,519 Speaker 1: to the end of twenty twenty three. I don't know 6 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 1: about you, guys, but I tend to get a little 7 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:43,519 Speaker 1: nostalgic at the end of the year, and I can't 8 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:47,479 Speaker 1: help but reflect on everything that's happened this year, the 9 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 1: memories made, all of the fascinating people that I have 10 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 1: had the great good fortune and pleasure of meeting and 11 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: speaking to, and most of all, getting to share so 12 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:03,160 Speaker 1: many of those conversations with all of you, my truly 13 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 1: amazing listeners making this podcast. This is a highlight for 14 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 1: me every single week, and I want to thank all 15 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 1: of you for allowing me to keep doing it for 16 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 1: another year. And since I'm being sentimental, guess what We're 17 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:21,480 Speaker 1: going to take a look back on this year of 18 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 1: Off the Beat. Listen back to a few of the 19 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:30,200 Speaker 1: many insightful, informative, and at times extremely funny moments that 20 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 1: have happened on the show. Now, this isn't a ranked list, 21 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 1: or even moments in any particular order. In fact, there 22 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:41,960 Speaker 1: are so many more moments I wish I could have included. 23 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:44,679 Speaker 1: But if I truly wanted to put in all of 24 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 1: my favorite moments, well then you would just have to 25 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 1: listen back to every single episode this year. So I 26 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: thought i'd save you a little time pick out just 27 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 1: a few fantastic clips that I love, and I hope 28 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 1: that you will too. Let's die, shall we? To start 29 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 1: us off, let's listen to this story from the legendary 30 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 1: Angela Gibbs sharing how she started off. And well, it 31 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 1: wasn't as Angela Gibbs per se. You'll hear what I mean. 32 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:19,360 Speaker 2: I was very political. I was a hippie slash revolutionary. 33 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 2: Remember my name is Angela. They were looking for Angela Davis. 34 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 3: You know. 35 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 2: I thought it was it was on me to carry on, 36 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:31,080 Speaker 2: you know, And so I went to Africa, changed my 37 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 2: name Totamu. Don't tease me, and you know it was Tamu. Yes. 38 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 1: And why why wait, I'm not hening to just let 39 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:43,079 Speaker 1: it go? 40 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:44,400 Speaker 2: Oh come on now? 41 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:45,919 Speaker 1: Why? 42 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:47,799 Speaker 2: Well you know what back then? 43 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: Does that mean something? 44 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:49,359 Speaker 4: Yeah? 45 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:51,920 Speaker 2: Well yeah, well here's okay. This is where it gets worse. 46 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 2: The story starts to go downhill because my name was Utamu, 47 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 2: and that was, you know, taking on my African culture 48 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 2: and heritage. And I wanted a new name to kind of, 49 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 2: you know, express my connection to Africa. The problem was 50 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 2: the friend who gave me the name. The problem was this, 51 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 2: people would say, oh, Tamil, what does that mean right? 52 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 2: And I said, sweetness, can you imagine I'm a young woman, 53 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:27,080 Speaker 2: not bad looking. The guys are like, yeah. 54 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 1: I bet you are. 55 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:31,560 Speaker 2: I'm like, this has nothing to do with the revolution. 56 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 2: I want a new names. So my son teases me, 57 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 2: I got a name changed to Aoka, and then they 58 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 2: call me a Yoka for a while that meant light, 59 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 2: she comes with light. Turns out my middle name, Elaine, 60 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 2: means the same thing. So I eventually just trapped it off. 61 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:51,839 Speaker 2: My mother knew what she was doing because I came 62 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 2: from Africa and I said my name was Utamo, and 63 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 2: she said I named I said, well, I'm not answering 64 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 2: anything but Utami, and I'm a vegan terry. My mother 65 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 2: says she has lost her mind. But I digressed. I digressed, 66 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 2: so I came back and back then there weren't a 67 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 2: lot of roles that we could play as black women. 68 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:15,600 Speaker 2: So I decided to go away to college, and she 69 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 2: teases me because she's still knocking down doors. I've worked 70 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:22,839 Speaker 2: with John Foresight, I've had a pilot, I've had some things. 71 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 2: I've been on Samford and Son, I've done the film. 72 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:26,760 Speaker 1: And I left. 73 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:30,480 Speaker 2: I left, you know, and I kind of looking back now, 74 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:32,560 Speaker 2: I used to regret it. I used to think it 75 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 2: was a mistake because when I came back, my mother 76 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:39,719 Speaker 2: was Florence. But like, maybe I made a mistake, Maybe 77 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 2: I should have stayed in La But I'm glad because 78 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 2: I wanted to have a purpose even as a young woman. 79 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:49,599 Speaker 2: I wanted my life to matter. I wanted to be 80 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:52,160 Speaker 2: involved in things that made a difference in the community 81 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:55,479 Speaker 2: and ended up coming back and opening up a theater. 82 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 2: So it was meant to be. Not Brian, I didn't 83 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 2: know it was gonna take you this long. Didn't take 84 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:06,719 Speaker 2: a long time. 85 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:10,479 Speaker 1: You wanted to take a short break and a little 86 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 1: bit locker. 87 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:15,719 Speaker 2: That's right, that's right. So you know, Shirley Ralph, she's 88 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 2: singing my song when she said don't give up. You know, 89 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:21,360 Speaker 2: my saying is if you stay in line, your turn 90 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:24,280 Speaker 2: will come. So when I came back, I realized I 91 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 2: loved this so much that hey, whether I make it 92 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:29,599 Speaker 2: or not, and you know, make it meaning and whether 93 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 2: I make a living at it or not, I got 94 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 2: to keep back it. And I think when I finally 95 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:38,919 Speaker 2: got there, things started to change. You know. That's my story, 96 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:39,920 Speaker 2: and I'm sticking to it. 97 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 1: Well, I for one, am very glad that she came 98 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:48,599 Speaker 1: back stateside and did what she did here. And I'm 99 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:51,400 Speaker 1: glad she's stuck with the name Angela too. In fact, 100 00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 1: there might be something special about that name, because I 101 00:05:55,040 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 1: spoke to another extremely successful, brilliant and hilarious Angela this year, 102 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:07,520 Speaker 1: Angela Johnson Reyes. Here she is describing how she weaseled 103 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 1: her way into a very fortuitous gig on a little 104 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:15,480 Speaker 1: show you might have heard of. You start in Los Angeles, 105 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 1: you move, your friend is helping you, and fairly quickly 106 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:22,400 Speaker 1: you get to do that thing, which is stand by 107 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 1: a car, and you're on friends. Is this right as 108 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:29,839 Speaker 1: a regular extra for a couple of seasons. Yes, I 109 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 1: don't remember you, but I believe you were there. 110 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:33,320 Speaker 5: Listen. 111 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:38,039 Speaker 6: I people will screenshot me and tag me on social media. 112 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 6: Sometimes they'll be like, is this you and I'm like, yeah, girl, 113 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:43,599 Speaker 6: believe it. And my hair was so long, it was 114 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:47,360 Speaker 6: like down to my waist, like I was like young 115 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:52,040 Speaker 6: and vibrant. But yes, I remember, I thought I had 116 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:55,440 Speaker 6: made it. I was like, this is it. I'm here 117 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:58,320 Speaker 6: and living in my dreams and even the story of 118 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:02,360 Speaker 6: how that happened. I remember going to Central Casting, where 119 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:04,919 Speaker 6: you know, they cast all the extras for TV shows 120 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:08,200 Speaker 6: and movies, and my friend who said she was going 121 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 6: to help me get started, she kept her word and 122 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:12,360 Speaker 6: she told me exactly what to do. She was like, 123 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 6: this is what I want you to do. I want 124 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 6: you to go to Central Casting. There's going to be 125 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:16,840 Speaker 6: a line of people waiting out the door, but don't 126 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 6: wait in line. I want you to come with a 127 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 6: tray of cookies and your radar at headshot, and I 128 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 6: want you to just go to the front window and 129 00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:28,200 Speaker 6: ask for Sam and then give him your head shot 130 00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:30,000 Speaker 6: and the cookies. Tell him you're new to town and 131 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 6: you want to be an extra. And I was like, 132 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:38,040 Speaker 6: this sounds real sleazy. It's just I don't know what 133 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:42,920 Speaker 6: cookies mean in Hollywood, but you listen. And so I 134 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 6: show up to Central Casting and sure enough, there's a 135 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:49,280 Speaker 6: line of people outside waiting to sign up to be 136 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 6: an extra on TV, and I'm like passing all these 137 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:54,640 Speaker 6: people with my sleezy cookies, like they know exactly what 138 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:58,160 Speaker 6: I'm doing. And this is probably, like I don't know, 139 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:00,400 Speaker 6: a month after the Super Bowl. This is after the 140 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:03,640 Speaker 6: readers were just in the Super Bowl. I show up 141 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:05,960 Speaker 6: and I'm waiting for this guy Sam. He comes walking 142 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:08,320 Speaker 6: out from the back offices and he's wearing a Raiders 143 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 6: hat and I was like, oh my god, no way. 144 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:16,280 Speaker 6: He's like, hey, what's up. And I give him the 145 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 6: cookies and my Raider at headshot and I was like, 146 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:22,320 Speaker 6: this is for you. And he sees my radar at 147 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:26,880 Speaker 6: headshot and he's like what, no way. Like clearly he's 148 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:29,560 Speaker 6: just like the biggest Raiders fan. We just came off 149 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:33,600 Speaker 6: the Super Bowl, like no freaking away Raider at Oh 150 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:35,760 Speaker 6: my gosh whatever. And he's like, yeah, here, give me 151 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:38,559 Speaker 6: your name and number. I'll call you blah blah blah whatever. 152 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:40,319 Speaker 6: So I do that and I leave. I don't even 153 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:43,559 Speaker 6: sign up, and he calls me like two days later 154 00:08:44,080 --> 00:08:45,680 Speaker 6: and he's like, hey, do you want to be an extra? 155 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:46,360 Speaker 4: Friends? 156 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:48,560 Speaker 6: And I was like, you mean, like my favorite show 157 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:52,680 Speaker 6: of all time. Yes, I do want to be an extro. Friends, 158 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 6: And so he signs me up in the system, and 159 00:08:57,320 --> 00:08:59,240 Speaker 6: I don't know what I'm doing, but he gives me 160 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:01,800 Speaker 6: all my instructions. Park in this parking lot, walk to 161 00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 6: this stage, blah blah blah blah blah. And I remember 162 00:09:04,679 --> 00:09:08,280 Speaker 6: my first time walking on the Warner Brothers lot and 163 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 6: it was just magical. It was like butterflies and just 164 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:18,080 Speaker 6: goosebumps and walking by the sound stage and then you 165 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:20,640 Speaker 6: know the smell of a sound stage, like it's that 166 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:24,400 Speaker 6: paint and wood and there's just something about it. And 167 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 6: it's just like all the things are like this is wow, 168 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:32,199 Speaker 6: this is movies, this is TV, this is I'm doing it. 169 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:36,280 Speaker 6: And I remember walking into the stage at the big 170 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:40,200 Speaker 6: door was open, and I just walk right in and 171 00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:43,800 Speaker 6: you see like here's the guy's apartment, here's the girl's apartment, 172 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 6: here's central perk, and here's you know, the studio audience 173 00:09:47,679 --> 00:09:51,240 Speaker 6: where the audience sits. And I just remember walking in 174 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:54,720 Speaker 6: and being like a kid in a candy store, could 175 00:09:54,760 --> 00:09:57,120 Speaker 6: not believe I was living my dream, like I was 176 00:09:57,200 --> 00:10:00,320 Speaker 6: just here to be an extra, but that was not 177 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:02,160 Speaker 6: even what was on What I was on. My mind 178 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 6: was like I cannot believe I made it, Like I 179 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:10,040 Speaker 6: am here. This is wild. And I ended up making 180 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:13,480 Speaker 6: friends with the ad who was very funny and I 181 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 6: was funny, so we would just make each other laugh. 182 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:18,080 Speaker 6: And so he'd be like, Okay, I'm going to bring 183 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:21,000 Speaker 6: you back tomorrow, and I'm like, okay, cool, i'come back tomorrow. 184 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:24,880 Speaker 6: And then he's like, okay, I'll bring you back next week. 185 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:27,800 Speaker 6: And next thing you know, I'm an extra for season 186 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:30,560 Speaker 6: nine and ten, like a regular, just in the coffeehouse, 187 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:33,680 Speaker 6: and they end up inviting me to their Christmas party 188 00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:38,000 Speaker 6: and I was able to have a conversation with every 189 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:41,280 Speaker 6: single one of the cast members without me being that 190 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:43,480 Speaker 6: weird extra who's just trying to talk to them. 191 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:44,200 Speaker 4: You know. 192 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:50,040 Speaker 6: Yeah, it was just an incredible experience that's still until 193 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:53,520 Speaker 6: this day, twenty years later. It's my favorite job I've 194 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:54,240 Speaker 6: ever had. 195 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:58,160 Speaker 1: Now, coming from a woman who was a former Raiderret 196 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:01,360 Speaker 1: went on to be on Mad Team and had a 197 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:05,280 Speaker 1: hugely successful stand up career, it is pretty high praise 198 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:09,439 Speaker 1: that being an extra on Friends is still her favorite job. 199 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:13,880 Speaker 1: My next guest also had a stint on Friends, well 200 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:17,679 Speaker 1: not on the show itself, but Kevin Riley was an 201 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:21,679 Speaker 1: executive at NBC during its run. There, let's hear him 202 00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 1: discuss how another enormous primetime hit came to be and 203 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:31,480 Speaker 1: one that didn't do so great. You also during that 204 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 1: time developed Er the network, and you supervised the first 205 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:41,280 Speaker 1: season of Law and Order. I mean, these are legendary 206 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:46,480 Speaker 1: primetime television shows, both going over twenty seasons. So I 207 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:49,479 Speaker 1: guess they let you off of the Saturday morning events. 208 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:52,160 Speaker 4: They did they Yeah, then I kind of came back 209 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:57,560 Speaker 4: and did that again. Crazy. You know, the success squeaks 210 00:11:57,559 --> 00:11:59,680 Speaker 4: its three through in weird ways, you know, like we 211 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:03,760 Speaker 4: went through in the office, where you know, a super 212 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:08,240 Speaker 4: impactful generational show barely squeaked its way through life. I 213 00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:10,559 Speaker 4: mean that was my experience more often than not. I 214 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:13,160 Speaker 4: mean Law and Order, which is now thought of as 215 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:15,720 Speaker 4: like this insane institution. You know, for a lot of 216 00:12:15,760 --> 00:12:18,560 Speaker 4: listeners were probably like, yeah, my mother's watched it forever. 217 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:22,559 Speaker 4: But at the time it was this very novel thing. 218 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:26,880 Speaker 4: Dramas were not selling into syndication because nobody wanted to 219 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:29,840 Speaker 4: buy one hour shows, so Dick Wolf literally designed it 220 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:33,240 Speaker 4: as two half hour shows originally that we're going to 221 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:36,440 Speaker 4: do the Law and the Order, but then they could 222 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:39,680 Speaker 4: be joined on the first run on television, but then 223 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:43,920 Speaker 4: they would be syndicated separately. NBC bought the show not 224 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:46,800 Speaker 4: because they wanted this this was Dick's like big show, 225 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:49,480 Speaker 4: but they wanted his hit show, which was going to 226 00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:53,160 Speaker 4: be a thing called Nasty Boys, which was these guys 227 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:55,400 Speaker 4: with a souped up boat and they were a squad 228 00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:57,840 Speaker 4: that came in in mass and they seized your property 229 00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:00,559 Speaker 4: for drug raids and things, and when they did, they 230 00:13:00,559 --> 00:13:03,319 Speaker 4: got to keep it. So they had super cool motorcycles 231 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:06,120 Speaker 4: and boats. And it was not a good show. And 232 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:09,560 Speaker 4: I'm working on I'm, you know, now, only a couple 233 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 4: of years into my career, and they kind of gave 234 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:16,040 Speaker 4: them to me in this and I oversaw them. Everybody's like, 235 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:18,560 Speaker 4: how's Nasty Boys going. I was like, you know this 236 00:13:18,679 --> 00:13:20,640 Speaker 4: thing Law and Order is like really, oh yeah, that's 237 00:13:21,559 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 4: talk about Nasty Boys. So Nasty Boys aired, I think 238 00:13:24,640 --> 00:13:27,240 Speaker 4: it like came and went in less than one season, 239 00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:30,760 Speaker 4: and Law and Order was not a huge hit at 240 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:33,800 Speaker 4: the gate, but was always a very kind of groundbreaking 241 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:36,600 Speaker 4: show at the time in terms of its rhythms and 242 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:38,920 Speaker 4: the kind of the dour. It was one of the 243 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:42,560 Speaker 4: early shows that talked took policing as police was kind 244 00:13:42,559 --> 00:13:45,280 Speaker 4: of talking about a job, you know, like guys would 245 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:48,440 Speaker 4: be there like, you know, talking about their donuts and 246 00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:50,440 Speaker 4: sort of stepping over the body, not like the old 247 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:52,760 Speaker 4: cops who were like we just saw this case, you know, 248 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:55,880 Speaker 4: which was like the old school way, like they're like, yeah, look, 249 00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:57,880 Speaker 4: we see a lot of this stuff. And you know, 250 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:01,640 Speaker 4: witnesses weren't cooperative and lawyers had to make deals and 251 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:04,800 Speaker 4: those were like kind of a step forward. And then 252 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:07,400 Speaker 4: you know, that was an institution. And then Er was 253 00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:09,560 Speaker 4: a similar kind of thing where it was when it 254 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 4: was screened. It was in the screening room from the powers. 255 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:14,400 Speaker 4: It'd be were like, we don't get it. 256 00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:18,360 Speaker 1: Right. Talk to me a little bit. Because those two 257 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:22,920 Speaker 1: shows I consider at least differently what people refer to 258 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:28,600 Speaker 1: as procedurals. Yeah, and then there's what's the opposite of. 259 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:32,040 Speaker 4: That, Well, there were serialized shows, so two different things. 260 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:34,680 Speaker 4: So the procedural means a closed ended thing, you know, 261 00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:36,600 Speaker 4: And that's one of the reasons that Law and Order 262 00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:39,800 Speaker 4: had such incredible staying power. You didn't need to see 263 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:42,400 Speaker 4: season one, you didn't need to bring season five to 264 00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:45,080 Speaker 4: catch up. You just you could drop into any episode 265 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:48,040 Speaker 4: a body dropped in the beginning, and the crime was solved. 266 00:14:48,040 --> 00:14:51,680 Speaker 4: At the end, case closed, and they've done. I don't 267 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:53,680 Speaker 4: know at this point between the franchise of all the 268 00:14:53,680 --> 00:14:57,160 Speaker 4: different iterations, I don't know how many hundreds of episodes, 269 00:14:57,200 --> 00:15:01,160 Speaker 4: thousands maybe at this point. But Serial Eye show, which 270 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:05,120 Speaker 4: ER was, and many other great shows and many of 271 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:08,960 Speaker 4: the biggest shows today are you know, it's an ongoing storyline. 272 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:09,240 Speaker 7: Now. 273 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 4: You had procedural elements in ER, which is you know, 274 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:16,680 Speaker 4: the the medical cases would close, you know, come on, 275 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 4: stat get on the thing coming away. Somebody's gonna lose 276 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:21,360 Speaker 4: she's gonna lose the baby. You know, oh great, at 277 00:15:21,400 --> 00:15:23,040 Speaker 4: the end of the thing they saved the baby, like 278 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:26,840 Speaker 4: so all right, so that's closed. But the ongoing soap 279 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:28,600 Speaker 4: opera part of it, if you will, would go on 280 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:31,280 Speaker 4: sometimes the whole season, right, and then you had to 281 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:34,240 Speaker 4: kind of catch up, and you know, it was really weird. 282 00:15:34,760 --> 00:15:37,080 Speaker 4: You know, it was a very sticky way of watching television. 283 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 4: But you think about it now, there was no catch 284 00:15:39,520 --> 00:15:41,440 Speaker 4: up or binge device. You had to just kind of 285 00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:42,120 Speaker 4: watch to stay. 286 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:44,600 Speaker 1: You had to watch next time you're watching Law and 287 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:47,760 Speaker 1: Order late at night, maybe in a hotel room or 288 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:50,600 Speaker 1: wherever you happen to be flipping through the channels, be 289 00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:54,000 Speaker 1: sure to thank Kevin and the Nasty Boys, of course 290 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:55,840 Speaker 1: for putting it there for you. 291 00:15:56,480 --> 00:15:57,320 Speaker 3: We'll be right back. 292 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:19,240 Speaker 1: We're back, just like I told you. And our next 293 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:24,080 Speaker 1: clip comes from the brilliant actor and comedian Maz Jobrani, 294 00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 1: who was born in Iran and raised in California. Let's 295 00:16:27,880 --> 00:16:31,480 Speaker 1: hear him talk about some well shall we say, cultural 296 00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:35,520 Speaker 1: differences he had to bridge between his Iranian upbringing and 297 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:38,600 Speaker 1: his American dreams coming to America. 298 00:16:39,040 --> 00:16:41,160 Speaker 5: I mean, you know, as a six year old and 299 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:44,280 Speaker 5: then seven and all those young ages, you don't want 300 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:46,040 Speaker 5: to be different, you know what I'm saying. It's like 301 00:16:46,080 --> 00:16:48,520 Speaker 5: the last thing you want is to be different. And 302 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:52,160 Speaker 5: first coming over from Iran to America, Iran I think 303 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:55,360 Speaker 5: had some European influence, so my mom would dress me 304 00:16:55,440 --> 00:16:59,680 Speaker 5: up a little more Europeany, and already in America they're like, 305 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:01,520 Speaker 5: you know, what's wrong with you? Why are you wearing 306 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:03,720 Speaker 5: those clothes? And then and then there was times when 307 00:17:03,720 --> 00:17:07,399 Speaker 5: like just little minor things became big things in our grade. Right, 308 00:17:07,480 --> 00:17:10,040 Speaker 5: so we had a day called Pizza Day, and Pizza 309 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:12,239 Speaker 5: Day was where every kid was going to bring some 310 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:14,920 Speaker 5: ingredient to the school. We're going to cook pizza together. 311 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 5: This is I think third grade. And so I was 312 00:17:17,320 --> 00:17:20,239 Speaker 5: in charge of sausages. So I go grocery shopping with 313 00:17:20,240 --> 00:17:23,640 Speaker 5: my mom and my aunt and in Persian the word 314 00:17:23,680 --> 00:17:27,560 Speaker 5: for hot dog is so cise, sausage so cise. So 315 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:29,679 Speaker 5: we're there, I go, I need sausages. I go, oh, 316 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:31,760 Speaker 5: you need so cise, So give me a pack of 317 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:35,800 Speaker 5: hot dogs, which really is like, I mean, it's a 318 00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:39,359 Speaker 5: small sausage. Really, I mean sausages are it is. So 319 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:40,680 Speaker 5: I show up with a city, you know, pack of 320 00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:42,240 Speaker 5: hot dogs, and of course all the kids. 321 00:17:42,119 --> 00:17:43,320 Speaker 8: Ah, he brought hot dogs. 322 00:17:43,359 --> 00:17:44,480 Speaker 5: I go, no, these are sausages. 323 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:45,560 Speaker 4: Those are hot dogs. 324 00:17:46,280 --> 00:17:46,480 Speaker 1: You know. 325 00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:49,919 Speaker 5: It's like ruin my my, my whole life. And I 326 00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:51,800 Speaker 5: go home and tell my mom these are not this 327 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:54,760 Speaker 5: is hot dogs, like this is so cis. Now that 328 00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:58,399 Speaker 5: story comes full circle when years later I went to 329 00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:01,800 Speaker 5: study abroad in Italy. When I was in college, I'd 330 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:05,200 Speaker 5: go to Pizzaiha and they have pizza with hot dogs 331 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:05,399 Speaker 5: on it. 332 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:10,960 Speaker 9: I'm like, you bastards. I was right all along. So Yeah, 333 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:12,439 Speaker 9: so I was just trying to blend in. Man, I 334 00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:15,199 Speaker 9: just wanted to be American. I mean I played baseball, 335 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:18,440 Speaker 9: I you know, American culture. Like that's probably where I 336 00:18:18,520 --> 00:18:19,600 Speaker 9: discovered listen. 337 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:20,280 Speaker 8: By the way. 338 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:23,160 Speaker 5: Also, my dad and I think this was just parenting 339 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:25,600 Speaker 5: of the time. I didn't play catch with me or 340 00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:26,960 Speaker 5: any of that. I mean, he was a great father. 341 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:29,800 Speaker 5: He was very generous, he was giving, right, he wasn't like, 342 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:34,119 Speaker 5: let's go outside and play catch, you know. So because 343 00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:35,720 Speaker 5: of that, like I was learning a lot of stuff 344 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:38,959 Speaker 5: from American television. So I'd sit there and watch hours. 345 00:18:38,960 --> 00:18:42,679 Speaker 5: I'd watch Woody Woodpecker, Popeye, Leave It to Beaver, all 346 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:46,760 Speaker 5: these reruns. That's how I think I came upon comedy 347 00:18:46,960 --> 00:18:49,159 Speaker 5: my first you know, like finding Eddie Murphy when I 348 00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:51,920 Speaker 5: was ten years old and going, what's Saturday Night Live? 349 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:52,760 Speaker 8: I want to do this? 350 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:53,199 Speaker 1: You know. 351 00:18:53,359 --> 00:18:55,359 Speaker 5: So, yeah, I was trying to blend in. 352 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:59,960 Speaker 1: Yeah I read Eddie Murphy was one of your first loves. 353 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:04,760 Speaker 1: That sounds weird, but yeah, one of your heroes, one 354 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:08,120 Speaker 1: of your first heroes. There you go in comedy. When 355 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:12,920 Speaker 1: did you start performing? Were you in school plays or Yeah? 356 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:17,679 Speaker 5: It was basically so in the seventh grade, they had 357 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:20,400 Speaker 5: a musical. I went to Delmar Middle School in northern 358 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:23,760 Speaker 5: California and Tibron. They were doing The Boyfriend and I 359 00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:25,719 Speaker 5: don't know why we all decided to do but as 360 00:19:25,720 --> 00:19:27,760 Speaker 5: a handful of guys decided to do it, some girls 361 00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:29,439 Speaker 5: and I go, let's try this. So I go and 362 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:32,240 Speaker 5: I auditioned, and again it was seventh and eighth, so 363 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:34,879 Speaker 5: most of the leads went to the eighth graders. Seventh 364 00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:38,080 Speaker 5: graders were just background dancers. And there was a lady 365 00:19:38,119 --> 00:19:41,560 Speaker 5: named Shirley Bombright. She was our director. And Shirley Bombright said, 366 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:43,919 Speaker 5: when you're doing a musical, when you're on stage, you 367 00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:46,720 Speaker 5: always need to be smiling, when you're dancing, smiling and 368 00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:47,880 Speaker 5: singing and radiating. 369 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:48,440 Speaker 1: Oh and she said. 370 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:50,480 Speaker 5: The other thing she said is you're part of an ensemble, 371 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:52,919 Speaker 5: so you better be here. So one day I go 372 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:56,000 Speaker 5: to the rehearsal. I go, Miss Bombright. I just got 373 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:57,200 Speaker 5: to let you know I'm a little under the weather. 374 00:19:57,240 --> 00:19:58,960 Speaker 5: I got a cold, but you told me I got 375 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:01,200 Speaker 5: to be here, so I came. I'm here, and then 376 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:03,240 Speaker 5: we start the rehearsal and I'm up there, I'm singing, 377 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:05,359 Speaker 5: I'm dancing. I'm smiling, and then she stops. 378 00:20:05,359 --> 00:20:06,720 Speaker 8: The whole rehearsal. Everybody stops stop. 379 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:08,880 Speaker 5: She goes look at him, look at him. You see him. 380 00:20:09,040 --> 00:20:11,480 Speaker 5: He's sick. He's here, he's singing, he's smiling. You got 381 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:13,840 Speaker 5: to learn from him. And I was like, oh, that's me. 382 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:18,720 Speaker 5: So it was a moment of like positive reinforcement made 383 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:20,920 Speaker 5: me feel I can do this. And then the year later, 384 00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:22,520 Speaker 5: eighth grade, I come back and I get the lead. 385 00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:25,200 Speaker 5: I'm little Abner and Little Abner, and you know, I've 386 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:27,199 Speaker 5: been bitten. I loved it and I just wanted to 387 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:29,760 Speaker 5: do it. And every time I tell I tell a 388 00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:33,760 Speaker 5: story how like throughout my schooling, they would always be like, oh, 389 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:36,280 Speaker 5: you've got what it takes to do this. So my 390 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:39,280 Speaker 5: parents would come to the shows and the director or 391 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:40,959 Speaker 5: the teacher would say, you know, your kids got the 392 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:43,840 Speaker 5: thing for this, and my parents, oh, thank you. Thinking 393 00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:45,159 Speaker 5: we get in the car, my dad would be like, 394 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:48,840 Speaker 5: that bitch is crazy. Don't listen to her. You're going 395 00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:50,480 Speaker 5: to be a doctor or a lawyer. 396 00:20:50,840 --> 00:20:51,080 Speaker 3: You know. 397 00:20:53,160 --> 00:20:57,040 Speaker 1: So they didn't see the spark inside you. They were 398 00:20:57,040 --> 00:20:59,159 Speaker 1: not interested in you pursuing this as a career. 399 00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:02,159 Speaker 5: Yeah, that they didn't see the spark is that. I think, 400 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:05,919 Speaker 5: you know again, immigrant parents, that's all they knew, and 401 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:08,000 Speaker 5: it was a previous generation. I was just talking to 402 00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:10,600 Speaker 5: somebody about how my daughter's twelve now and I'm encouraging 403 00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:13,159 Speaker 5: her to become a DJ okay, and I was like, 404 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:15,160 Speaker 5: if I went to my Irani dad back then I want. 405 00:21:15,080 --> 00:21:16,399 Speaker 9: To be a DJ, I'd be like a D what 406 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:19,600 Speaker 9: you know, You'd be like, what are you talking about it? 407 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:21,720 Speaker 5: But you know, we live in a different world where 408 00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:25,280 Speaker 5: people are making millions on TikTok or whatever, and so 409 00:21:25,600 --> 00:21:28,960 Speaker 5: back then I don't think they understood at all what 410 00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:30,320 Speaker 5: this meant or how it went. 411 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:34,399 Speaker 1: I think you turned out all right, mos, and I 412 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:39,399 Speaker 1: know your daughter will make a fantastic DJ. My final 413 00:21:39,440 --> 00:21:43,680 Speaker 1: guest for today is my dear old friend Rain Wilson. 414 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:49,240 Speaker 1: You know him, of course as mister Dwight k Shrewd 415 00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:52,840 Speaker 1: from the office, but maybe he kind of sort of 416 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:55,880 Speaker 1: wishes you knew him for some of his other stuff too. 417 00:21:56,560 --> 00:21:59,840 Speaker 7: But now my son is going off to college, can 418 00:21:59,840 --> 00:22:03,960 Speaker 7: you leave it now? Walter was born Walter was born 419 00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:07,000 Speaker 7: during the Hot Girl, Perse Girl episode of season one, 420 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:09,240 Speaker 7: right in a really traumatic. 421 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:13,080 Speaker 1: Berth yes you ran from set to go to the 422 00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:16,639 Speaker 1: hospital because there was a medical issue. Yes, I know. 423 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:19,800 Speaker 7: And now he's going off to college, so I'm going 424 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:21,399 Speaker 7: to have more time to do theater. 425 00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:26,800 Speaker 1: He he's the physical embodiment of how long we all 426 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:30,600 Speaker 1: were together. Just as he grew it was like, oh wow, 427 00:22:31,200 --> 00:22:33,560 Speaker 1: we've been together a long time. And now he's going 428 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:36,160 Speaker 1: off to college, which is nuts. 429 00:22:36,359 --> 00:22:38,880 Speaker 8: Nuts yeah, just not nuts. 430 00:22:38,960 --> 00:22:39,680 Speaker 1: Yeah. 431 00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:41,960 Speaker 8: But once he's gone, he's our only kid, and then. 432 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:43,800 Speaker 7: I've got a little more freedom, so i can go 433 00:22:43,880 --> 00:22:47,160 Speaker 7: do theater for very little money for six months here 434 00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:50,119 Speaker 7: or five months there. So I'm very excited about about 435 00:22:50,119 --> 00:22:52,720 Speaker 7: doing that because for me, you know, I always have 436 00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:55,919 Speaker 7: a little bit of the mystical, spiritual nature in me, 437 00:22:56,200 --> 00:23:00,800 Speaker 7: and for me, acting is about there is a magic 438 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:02,720 Speaker 7: about transforming into characters. 439 00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:04,000 Speaker 8: Yes, and people. 440 00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:07,560 Speaker 7: Always are like, you know, Dwight gets so much attention 441 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:10,080 Speaker 7: and focus about who I am as an actor and 442 00:23:10,119 --> 00:23:11,800 Speaker 7: as a person, and that's great. 443 00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:12,960 Speaker 8: I'm so grateful. 444 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:16,600 Speaker 7: Those nine years were magical, amazing, what a great character. 445 00:23:17,119 --> 00:23:21,680 Speaker 7: The writing, the cast, the thought, the you know, the producers, 446 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:26,040 Speaker 7: everything like that, the fans, the support, it's it's it's 447 00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:30,760 Speaker 7: been incredible. But people don't realize this, and a lot 448 00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:33,800 Speaker 7: of people aren't. In the acting world, like, I played 449 00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:38,600 Speaker 7: dozens of characters before I played Dwight, and since I've 450 00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:43,600 Speaker 7: finished Dwight, I've played another couple dozen characters. So for me, 451 00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:47,679 Speaker 7: it's about transforming into characters and telling stories. I played 452 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:51,399 Speaker 7: Hamlet in school. I did Eugene O'Neil at the Arena stage. 453 00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:53,280 Speaker 7: I did Philadelphia Here I come at the Guthrie. 454 00:23:53,359 --> 00:23:54,399 Speaker 8: I did you know? 455 00:23:54,520 --> 00:23:58,320 Speaker 7: I did Shakespeare tours. I've done lots of little I 456 00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:02,520 Speaker 7: played the guy in Supermarket and CSI. 457 00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:05,679 Speaker 8: But they're all characters. They're just like you know. 458 00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:08,560 Speaker 7: I hope that when I die, people will yes, I 459 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:11,000 Speaker 7: look at DWIGHTE but be like, wow, look at all 460 00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:15,359 Speaker 7: crazy different characters this guy played, like right, this was 461 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:19,919 Speaker 7: a panopoly of a very different characters, dozens and dozens 462 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:21,280 Speaker 7: and dozens over his life. 463 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:23,920 Speaker 8: And I love that act of transformation. 464 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:28,560 Speaker 7: It's so satisfying to me to just to build and 465 00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:31,960 Speaker 7: develop and play a character and then play a completely 466 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:35,000 Speaker 7: different character, you know, than the month after. 467 00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:39,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, I feel I really feel this way that for 468 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:44,280 Speaker 1: you and I I think we have a unique bond 469 00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:49,240 Speaker 1: and excitement about what you just talked about like actually 470 00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:56,880 Speaker 1: creating the physicality, the inner life, the external differences from 471 00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:00,280 Speaker 1: ourselves and melding that with who we are. That that 472 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:04,879 Speaker 1: for me as well, that is really my favorite thing 473 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:05,240 Speaker 1: in the world. 474 00:25:05,359 --> 00:25:09,160 Speaker 8: Yeah, like just it's I keep using the word transformation. 475 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:13,200 Speaker 7: Yes, you walk different, you speak different, you think different, 476 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:15,960 Speaker 7: you see the world different, you have a different kind 477 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:19,439 Speaker 7: of energy. All of these things need to transform to 478 00:25:19,480 --> 00:25:21,840 Speaker 7: create a character. Now, of course, I'm it's the basic 479 00:25:21,840 --> 00:25:23,720 Speaker 7: building blocks are Rain Wilson. So I'm going to be 480 00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:26,520 Speaker 7: using this big, weird, ungainly body and I'm going to 481 00:25:27,040 --> 00:25:29,879 Speaker 7: always see things through a certain lens, so you're always 482 00:25:29,880 --> 00:25:33,760 Speaker 7: going to see Rain Wilson in those characters. And that's 483 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:37,920 Speaker 7: also a magical thing. But that's what I love about 484 00:25:38,119 --> 00:25:42,600 Speaker 7: the theater, and I think why you know, people have 485 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:44,679 Speaker 7: always loved the theater and they love to see their 486 00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:46,080 Speaker 7: favorite actors transform. 487 00:25:46,560 --> 00:25:52,919 Speaker 1: Do you resent that people only want to see you 488 00:25:53,040 --> 00:25:53,520 Speaker 1: be Dwight? 489 00:25:54,640 --> 00:25:57,359 Speaker 7: Sometimes I do, to be really honest, you know, to 490 00:25:57,440 --> 00:26:01,359 Speaker 7: be perfectly frank, It's just like I'll do an independent 491 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:04,440 Speaker 7: film that I worked my ass off on and play 492 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:08,800 Speaker 7: a villain or you know, played something completely different than me, 493 00:26:09,080 --> 00:26:13,600 Speaker 7: you know, unhinged, person or something you know, really funny 494 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:16,959 Speaker 7: or whatever, and I'll promote it on like social media. 495 00:26:17,240 --> 00:26:24,000 Speaker 7: They'll be like, hey Dwight, yeah, yeah, right and exactly, 496 00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:26,359 Speaker 7: and it's and it's it's like, guys, I get it, 497 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:26,840 Speaker 7: I got it. 498 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:28,360 Speaker 8: You love the show. I do too. 499 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:31,040 Speaker 7: It's beautiful, but also can you respect me as an 500 00:26:31,119 --> 00:26:33,600 Speaker 7: artist and that I'm trying to do some other things 501 00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:38,200 Speaker 7: here too. But at the end of the day, I've 502 00:26:38,200 --> 00:26:41,160 Speaker 7: been really lucky because I even think, like the last 503 00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:45,040 Speaker 7: ten years since I got out of the office, I've 504 00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:46,760 Speaker 7: done a lot of really cool stuff. I did this 505 00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:49,840 Speaker 7: show Backstrom, no one really watched it. I did the 506 00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:50,680 Speaker 7: show Utopia. 507 00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:52,560 Speaker 1: Backstrom is the role you stole from me. 508 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:54,520 Speaker 8: That is God. 509 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:56,640 Speaker 1: I wanted to play that role so bad and they 510 00:26:56,800 --> 00:26:59,920 Speaker 1: just really wanted you. I wanted to play that role. 511 00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:03,400 Speaker 1: We've discussed this. It's not in a long time, but literally, 512 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:05,720 Speaker 1: when I look at your at your at your when 513 00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:08,919 Speaker 1: I looked at your sheet and I see Backstrom, I'm like, 514 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:12,919 Speaker 1: motherfucker that one. That one's still yeah. 515 00:27:13,119 --> 00:27:15,359 Speaker 8: Yeah, there's another version of Backstrom. 516 00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:17,720 Speaker 7: There's another in a lot of maybe it would have 517 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:20,320 Speaker 7: worked and been better and stayed on the air with 518 00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:21,000 Speaker 7: you as. 519 00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:24,200 Speaker 8: The no as the cop. No, that's true. 520 00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:26,840 Speaker 7: Well, but the point I'm making is that you know 521 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:30,520 Speaker 7: this show Utopia and Amazon, I did Harry Mudd on 522 00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:34,919 Speaker 7: Star Trek and a bunch of independent films and some theater, 523 00:27:35,160 --> 00:27:39,840 Speaker 7: and like, I really love the actor's life that. 524 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:42,879 Speaker 8: I've had post office. Yeah, people haven't given a ship 525 00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:44,359 Speaker 8: about any of it. 526 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:50,800 Speaker 7: Like, no one is like what, but it's been really Uh, 527 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:52,800 Speaker 7: it's been fun for me. And these have been some 528 00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:56,159 Speaker 7: really great, satisfying characters. And then part of me has 529 00:27:56,320 --> 00:27:59,000 Speaker 7: thought recently like, oh, this is the life I always wanted. 530 00:27:59,160 --> 00:28:01,480 Speaker 8: Like I'm living the life I always wanted. I'm getting 531 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:06,399 Speaker 8: to play all of these cool roles. People haven't really 532 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:08,280 Speaker 8: vibed with them. 533 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:21,840 Speaker 3: That's okay, damn it. 534 00:28:21,920 --> 00:28:27,919 Speaker 1: Rain. He always has something so deep and consequential to say. 535 00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:31,320 Speaker 1: It's a great lesson to do what makes you happy, 536 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:36,080 Speaker 1: even if it's not always someone else's thing. I hope 537 00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:39,400 Speaker 1: the upcoming new year brings all of you at least 538 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:44,080 Speaker 1: a little closer to the life you always wanted. And 539 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:46,160 Speaker 1: I'll be back next week or some more of my 540 00:28:46,320 --> 00:28:49,840 Speaker 1: favorite memories from our year here at Off the Beat. 541 00:28:50,280 --> 00:29:03,080 Speaker 1: Until then, happiest of holidays and have a great week off. 542 00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:07,120 Speaker 1: The Beat is hosted and executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner, 543 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:11,360 Speaker 1: alongside our executive producer Lang Lee. Our senior producer is 544 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:15,479 Speaker 1: Diego Tapia. Our producers are Liz Hayes, Hannah Harris and 545 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:19,920 Speaker 1: Emily Carr. Our talent producer is Ryan Papa Zachary, and 546 00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:24,160 Speaker 1: our intern is Ali Amir Sahed. Our theme song Bubble 547 00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:28,240 Speaker 1: and Squeak, performed by the one and only Creed Bratton