WEBVTT - “More Inspirations” 0:00:05.240 --> 0:00:07.920 Welcome back to those amigos. I'm Wilmer Valderama and I 0:00:07.960 --> 0:00:09.160 am Freddie Rodriguez. 0:00:09.520 --> 0:00:11.640 So last week we were talking about inspirations, right, the 0:00:11.640 --> 0:00:14.200 moments that really stuck with us, the moments that made 0:00:14.240 --> 0:00:16.720 us like, you know, like the moment when I was 0:00:16.760 --> 0:00:19.840 talking about seeing my show in the small town that 0:00:19.880 --> 0:00:21.800 I grew up in. You know, the bizarre of like, whoa, 0:00:21.920 --> 0:00:24.440 that's me on TV in the same place that I said, oh, 0:00:24.440 --> 0:00:26.040 maybe I'll be on be on TV. 0:00:26.440 --> 0:00:29.280 Yeah yeah, Or the times that that I saw other 0:00:29.320 --> 0:00:31.440 actors speaking Spanish, right, which. 0:00:31.280 --> 0:00:33.920 I know, those are moments that really kind of told us, 0:00:34.120 --> 0:00:36.400 oh well maybe maybe us too. For me, as we 0:00:36.479 --> 0:00:39.120 are nas with someone that kind of made it obtainable. 0:00:39.120 --> 0:00:40.680 I had an accident when I first got a year. 0:00:40.840 --> 0:00:43.120 I felt like that was something that really kind of 0:00:43.120 --> 0:00:44.760 made me feel like I could I could do that, 0:00:45.040 --> 0:00:47.559 And while we were at it, we just kept talking. Yeah, 0:00:47.680 --> 0:00:51.239 so clearly we were inspired. So let's get back into it. 0:00:55.800 --> 0:00:59.840 You know, what I try to tell the younger generation 0:01:00.160 --> 0:01:03.800 is like, especially the ones that are like I'm going 0:01:03.840 --> 0:01:05.679 to be an actor and that's it, right, I go, 0:01:05.880 --> 0:01:08.160 I go. You look at people like Ron Howard right, 0:01:08.280 --> 0:01:10.399 like he started off as an actor and then became 0:01:10.800 --> 0:01:13.880 a director, you know, or even like Ben Stiller or something. 0:01:13.920 --> 0:01:17.120 You know, they're they're you got your Larry David's right, 0:01:17.160 --> 0:01:19.560 who were like they started off as writers and then 0:01:19.600 --> 0:01:22.800 they became actors. It's like, as long as you're sort 0:01:22.800 --> 0:01:25.920 of in it somehow, you know, like keep your options open. 0:01:26.000 --> 0:01:29.560 You know, maybe maybe if you explored or dug a 0:01:29.640 --> 0:01:32.559 little deeper, maybe you're you're a good writer, Maybe maybe 0:01:32.600 --> 0:01:35.759 you should also explore that as well. Maybe you should 0:01:35.760 --> 0:01:39.440 explore directing, especially now that we have the youtubes of 0:01:39.480 --> 0:01:42.640 the world and other and and and where you can 0:01:42.800 --> 0:01:47.360 shoot an entire movie on your phone. Yeah. Yeah, so 0:01:47.360 --> 0:01:50.720 so be taking advantage of that, which which also I 0:01:51.000 --> 0:01:53.800 I you know, when young actors ask me, uh, you 0:01:53.840 --> 0:01:55.960 know what, what what should I be doing? You know, 0:01:56.000 --> 0:01:59.480 I always tell them, dude, just be doing it, right, 0:01:59.720 --> 0:02:02.240 be doing it whatever it is is. Starting to just 0:02:02.360 --> 0:02:05.120 be doing it and doing it. Could be making movies 0:02:05.160 --> 0:02:07.560 for YouTube, you know, making your own stuff, you know, 0:02:07.640 --> 0:02:10.880 because every time you do it, you're gonna get better, 0:02:11.000 --> 0:02:14.800 Your skills are gonna get sharper. Maybe somebody's gonna see 0:02:14.800 --> 0:02:17.959 something you did. I mean, man, look at like Isa 0:02:18.080 --> 0:02:21.639 Rey for example, or Quinta Brunson or some of these 0:02:21.639 --> 0:02:24.920 people who did fantastic work on like YouTube and then 0:02:24.960 --> 0:02:26.960 all of a sudden somebody saw their stuff and that 0:02:27.400 --> 0:02:29.640 translated into like their own television show. 0:02:29.800 --> 0:02:33.200 Yeah. Yeah, no, that's that's that's really good. 0:02:34.320 --> 0:02:36.200 I'm trying to think in my mind, like what what 0:02:36.280 --> 0:02:45.240 could I offer in this moment about ambition vision, you know, 0:02:45.400 --> 0:02:48.679 having a vision that you want to materialize, that you 0:02:48.880 --> 0:02:50.320 want to come when I become real. 0:02:52.080 --> 0:02:54.720 The truth is that you can't wait. 0:02:56.320 --> 0:02:58.360 For the opportunity to come with you, to come to you, 0:02:58.400 --> 0:03:01.840 because that's that's just kind of how it work. You 0:03:01.960 --> 0:03:04.560 really got to be ambition enough to go after it. 0:03:05.880 --> 0:03:09.519 And I always you know, I always tell young people. 0:03:09.560 --> 0:03:11.960 I was like, look, there's two ways that get this 0:03:12.000 --> 0:03:15.480 can go right. You're working, you're nine to five, and 0:03:15.520 --> 0:03:18.600 somebody goes, hey, you can be a star. He you, buddy, 0:03:18.720 --> 0:03:19.679 And I promise. 0:03:19.440 --> 0:03:22.519 You you're gonna wait a loan that for that. Yeah. 0:03:22.639 --> 0:03:26.040 Or you can say I am a star. I do 0:03:26.160 --> 0:03:27.959 have the talent and I'm gonna continue to work on 0:03:28.000 --> 0:03:30.080 this craft. So in the moment I get that shot, 0:03:30.840 --> 0:03:34.400 I cannot only nail it, but hold that opportunity and 0:03:34.560 --> 0:03:39.040 stretch it into a career and ultimately, like you know, 0:03:39.080 --> 0:03:41.200 I also also tell a lot of people it's not 0:03:41.280 --> 0:03:44.440 what you it's not the movie and it's not the show. 0:03:44.560 --> 0:03:46.560 It's what you leave on that screen that gets you 0:03:46.640 --> 0:03:47.280 the next job. 0:03:47.440 --> 0:03:50.480 Oh man, I couldn't agree with that more. I mean, 0:03:50.680 --> 0:03:54.440 I've been on stuff where, you know, I work with 0:03:54.560 --> 0:03:57.480 actors who think, like, no one's gonna watch this, you know, 0:03:57.600 --> 0:04:01.000 and they'll phone it in or something. Like My biggest 0:04:01.040 --> 0:04:03.600 fear is to like do do something that I think 0:04:03.760 --> 0:04:05.960 no one's gonna watch, and then it's like on at 0:04:06.040 --> 0:04:12.200 three in the morning, and I suck in it because 0:04:12.200 --> 0:04:14.320 I thought no one was gonna see it. And then 0:04:14.320 --> 0:04:16.800 all of a sudden, like someone who's about to make 0:04:16.800 --> 0:04:19.560 a decision sees me at three in the morning on 0:04:19.680 --> 0:04:21.360 something that I'm absolutely terrible. 0:04:21.880 --> 0:04:28.240 Yeah you know he never consisted. Yeah it's a mad. 0:04:28.200 --> 0:04:30.520 You know, Yeah, he kind of sucked in this thing 0:04:30.560 --> 0:04:33.440 I saw no I've in the morning. Yeah, So so 0:04:33.680 --> 0:04:36.280 like I don't care what it is. I remember when 0:04:36.279 --> 0:04:38.080 it you know, when I first started even doing like 0:04:38.160 --> 0:04:41.400 Network TV, you know, people were like, well, you know, 0:04:41.440 --> 0:04:43.960 you came from cable and film, and like, you know, 0:04:44.080 --> 0:04:46.799 I'm like, I don't care, man, I said, whatever, I'm 0:04:46.839 --> 0:04:50.960 delivering the same type of quality performance I did on film, 0:04:51.240 --> 0:04:55.240 like cable, whether I worked with Christian Bale or not. Like, 0:04:55.320 --> 0:04:58.520 I don't care if it's network, Like, I am always 0:04:58.560 --> 0:05:01.800 going to deliver that thing. You know, I'm never gonna 0:05:02.360 --> 0:05:03.560 phone it in or what do. 0:05:03.520 --> 0:05:04.200 You think it is? 0:05:04.720 --> 0:05:08.159 What do you think it is that drives your soul 0:05:08.279 --> 0:05:09.680 to say it like that. 0:05:09.800 --> 0:05:13.240 Because it's all I know how to do, because it's 0:05:13.279 --> 0:05:16.760 what it was taught to me when I was eighteen 0:05:16.880 --> 0:05:20.400 nineteen years old. Because I had the privilege of working 0:05:20.680 --> 0:05:22.880 with so many wonderful great. 0:05:23.120 --> 0:05:24.159 I mean came to play. 0:05:24.480 --> 0:05:29.040 I mean, I've worked with some of the greatest directors, producers, actors, 0:05:29.080 --> 0:05:31.680 writers of all time, you know, and there's just a 0:05:31.680 --> 0:05:36.200 certain level that they function in. You know, they fire 0:05:36.320 --> 0:05:39.720 on very specific cylinders, you know, and that's what I 0:05:39.800 --> 0:05:42.680 know how to do, you know. And so you know, 0:05:42.760 --> 0:05:45.760 we're in an industry where, you know, back in the day, 0:05:45.800 --> 0:05:48.320 when we were coming up, right, it was like, well, 0:05:48.400 --> 0:05:51.760 you're a TV actor, you're a commercial actor, you're a 0:05:51.760 --> 0:05:53.040 film actor or whatever. 0:05:53.200 --> 0:05:53.440 You know. 0:05:54.520 --> 0:05:58.440 Now it's none of that all that stuff is out 0:05:58.480 --> 0:06:02.560 the windows, you know. So like so I was taught 0:06:02.600 --> 0:06:05.400 a very specific way, and I don't care if I'm 0:06:05.400 --> 0:06:08.320 doing a freaking M and M's commercial, Like I'm going 0:06:08.400 --> 0:06:12.200 to bring that level of quality to that performances. 0:06:12.360 --> 0:06:12.760 That's right. 0:06:12.800 --> 0:06:18.080 And I and I never forget that someone three feet 0:06:18.160 --> 0:06:21.960 away from me is waiting for me to trip. Yeah, 0:06:22.680 --> 0:06:26.880 somebody is waiting for me to to slow down and 0:06:26.880 --> 0:06:29.359 take a deep breath and sit on the sidewalk and 0:06:29.480 --> 0:06:32.640 just rest because I think I've travel enough. Somebody is 0:06:32.720 --> 0:06:37.320 literally maybe less than five yards away from you, ready 0:06:37.400 --> 0:06:41.440 to lap you. They have to, ready to like, you know, 0:06:41.760 --> 0:06:44.480 run over you, you know, if they have to. And 0:06:45.440 --> 0:06:48.719 the only thing that holds the line for you is 0:06:48.760 --> 0:06:54.320 your level of consistency and dedication to your craft and 0:06:54.360 --> 0:06:56.240 to yourself, you know. 0:06:56.400 --> 0:06:59.120 And I think that's you know, I don't know. 0:06:59.120 --> 0:07:01.240 That's why I try to do so many things right, 0:07:01.279 --> 0:07:04.560 That's why you know, I venture into so many different 0:07:04.560 --> 0:07:07.960 aspects of my of my industry because I just feel 0:07:08.000 --> 0:07:11.520 in my heart, while I have the opportunity, might as 0:07:11.520 --> 0:07:14.040 well leave a little imprint in all these different places 0:07:14.040 --> 0:07:16.720 that I can show up, so then I can create 0:07:16.800 --> 0:07:20.560 an atmosphere in an environment, a landscape where like most 0:07:20.600 --> 0:07:22.720 of us can come in and make it all possible. 0:07:22.800 --> 0:07:24.880 And I don't know, I'm that dude. Man. 0:07:25.000 --> 0:07:27.440 I really feel in my heart that, like I just 0:07:27.720 --> 0:07:31.000 this is my call in here is to continue to 0:07:31.520 --> 0:07:34.880 you know, lock arms with the Freddie rodriguezz the world 0:07:34.880 --> 0:07:37.559 to say like, oh, let's keep pushing the line forward, 0:07:37.600 --> 0:07:40.480 Let's push the let's push that bar higher, you know. 0:07:40.520 --> 0:07:43.440 And I think that that's that's the gift of this moment. 0:07:44.040 --> 0:07:48.320 You know, we're entering a moment of our industry where 0:07:48.320 --> 0:07:50.720 it's the most receptive to our culture that has ever 0:07:50.760 --> 0:07:54.640 been because if now I realized we are incredibly valuable 0:07:54.640 --> 0:08:00.320 to the success of just entertainment as a whole. Yeah, 0:08:00.600 --> 0:08:04.160 corporate is following suit, you know, national communities are waking 0:08:04.240 --> 0:08:06.400 up to it, you know. And and what a gift 0:08:06.440 --> 0:08:08.840 for us to be not only alive, but to be 0:08:08.960 --> 0:08:11.360 sitting where we're sitting, to be able to shepherd and 0:08:11.360 --> 0:08:13.640 shine a light in the different directions our culture can 0:08:13.680 --> 0:08:17.000 go to. To me, you're an inspiration, Freddy. And you 0:08:17.040 --> 0:08:19.760 talk about inspirations, you talk about the people that were 0:08:19.840 --> 0:08:22.200 there along the way, and most important images that did 0:08:22.240 --> 0:08:25.160 it before you, and you did it before me, and 0:08:25.200 --> 0:08:27.360 you've done it a couple of years before me. 0:08:27.560 --> 0:08:28.880 You know, we're about almost. 0:08:28.640 --> 0:08:30.679 The same age, you know, but you started a little younger. 0:08:30.800 --> 0:08:31.160 I didn't. 0:08:31.200 --> 0:08:34.240 I had to do too many no, no, not too many years, 0:08:34.400 --> 0:08:37.280 you know, enough years that I had to burn, those 0:08:37.440 --> 0:08:40.400 early years and learning how to speak English, you know. 0:08:41.080 --> 0:08:42.319 But I think the the. 0:08:42.320 --> 0:08:44.560 Idea that I could, you know, sit across from you 0:08:44.600 --> 0:08:47.959 and say, man, you you did it right. You opened 0:08:47.960 --> 0:08:50.640 the door for so many of us to continue to 0:08:50.679 --> 0:08:53.840 expand in the different directions that you had been as 0:08:53.880 --> 0:08:56.480 possible for all of us to carve those roads, you know, 0:08:56.640 --> 0:08:58.920 and you should take grades and you take pride in that. 0:08:59.040 --> 0:09:01.600 And you know, that's what those amigos is about. Like, 0:09:01.640 --> 0:09:05.080 it's about getting to know the battles, cars, the wounds, 0:09:05.120 --> 0:09:07.480 you know, how we got here and what kept us 0:09:07.520 --> 0:09:10.880 alive through the best and the worst version of our industries. 0:09:12.120 --> 0:09:15.960 And the fact that you've had the pedigree to to 0:09:16.120 --> 0:09:21.560 outrun most and outlive the best. You know, it's something 0:09:22.920 --> 0:09:25.280 I need you to be proud of. And you know, 0:09:25.360 --> 0:09:29.600 if it never anything ever happens, you know, after this conversation, 0:09:30.920 --> 0:09:35.160 I think I can at least historically recorded, so you know, 0:09:35.360 --> 0:09:38.720 so your children and children like yours can live up 0:09:38.760 --> 0:09:41.800 to a moment where someone like you existed. You know, 0:09:42.000 --> 0:09:43.800 you think back at all the people that did it 0:09:43.840 --> 0:09:46.800 before us, you know, And that's why, you know, johny 0:09:46.840 --> 0:09:48.600 with someone you brought you like, with someone with some 0:09:48.640 --> 0:09:50.920 of our you know, inspirations. The fact that in our 0:09:50.920 --> 0:09:54.480 lifetime we can tell that dude, you you broke it 0:09:54.480 --> 0:09:57.560 in half and broke it open for us too, you know, 0:09:57.640 --> 0:10:00.400 and for us to make weird choices too, right through 0:10:00.520 --> 0:10:02.840 a little outgoing with the choices we make, you know. 0:10:02.880 --> 0:10:05.320 And I was I saw myself in him because I 0:10:05.360 --> 0:10:07.559 always wanted to play dirty. I wanted to play the 0:10:07.679 --> 0:10:09.640 dirty guy, you know. I wanted to kind of dirty 0:10:09.720 --> 0:10:11.480 myself up and play something I wasn't. 0:10:11.880 --> 0:10:14.839 Yeah, yeah, you know I was privileged enough to get 0:10:14.880 --> 0:10:16.720 to tell him that. I mean, you know, I've you know, 0:10:17.000 --> 0:10:19.559 and hopefully we'll have John on here where I get 0:10:19.720 --> 0:10:22.440 we all get to tell him this in person. But 0:10:22.559 --> 0:10:24.680 I you know, I've I've done two films with him, 0:10:24.720 --> 0:10:28.200 and I obviously i've I've said this to him face 0:10:28.280 --> 0:10:33.320 to face many times. But my sophomore year of high school. Uh, 0:10:33.679 --> 0:10:35.800 you know, I was a drama major and I was 0:10:35.840 --> 0:10:40.640 in drama class. He came to my high school to 0:10:40.720 --> 0:10:43.840 speak to my drama class. Oh way, yeah he was. 0:10:43.920 --> 0:10:46.680 He was doing Did you ever tell him? Oh yeah, 0:10:46.679 --> 0:10:48.280 oh yeah, no, no, no, we've just John and I 0:10:48.320 --> 0:10:52.000 have had extensive conversations and he came to speak to 0:10:52.080 --> 0:10:54.880 my class. He was doing Spicorama, one of his one 0:10:54.920 --> 0:10:57.760 man shows at the Stephenwolf Theater, which was only a 0:10:57.760 --> 0:11:00.480 block away from my high school. And so somehow my 0:11:00.559 --> 0:11:03.400 drama teacher, Miss Robinson, got him to come and speak 0:11:03.400 --> 0:11:06.000 to our class, right, and our class was only like 0:11:06.120 --> 0:11:08.760 you know, I don't know, twenty people or something. And 0:11:08.800 --> 0:11:11.000 he came and he spoke and I was the only 0:11:11.080 --> 0:11:14.000 Latin kid in the class, you know, and so my 0:11:14.120 --> 0:11:17.040 drama teacher was like, well, we got to introduce the 0:11:17.080 --> 0:11:20.440 one Latino kid to John, you know, the other Latino 0:11:20.480 --> 0:11:23.439 guy in here. And you know, she introduced us and 0:11:23.480 --> 0:11:26.800 then we exchanged pleasantries and I you know, and you 0:11:26.840 --> 0:11:28.800 know John and John's sense of humor, you know, he 0:11:28.920 --> 0:11:30.920 kind of rubbed me on my head and he was like, yeah, 0:11:30.960 --> 0:11:33.480 maybe one day, you know, you'll play my little brother. 0:11:34.040 --> 0:11:35.640 And then I was all cocky, you know, and I 0:11:35.679 --> 0:11:37.000 looked him in the eye and I was like, yeah, 0:11:37.000 --> 0:11:39.640 well maybe one day I'll be where you're at. And 0:11:39.640 --> 0:11:41.720 then we just kind of locked eyes for like a second, 0:11:41.760 --> 0:11:43.640 and then he left, you know. And that was like 0:11:43.800 --> 0:11:46.040 ninety two or something, and like three years later I 0:11:46.080 --> 0:11:48.600 was starring in a movie with him. That's crazy. 0:11:48.679 --> 0:11:50.320 Yeah, yeah, that is crazy. 0:11:50.320 --> 0:11:53.280 He did a movie called The Pest Together of course, 0:11:53.320 --> 0:11:55.160 the best, the classic for all of us. 0:11:55.280 --> 0:11:56.440 Yeah, we shot that movie. 0:11:56.440 --> 0:11:59.600 If any of you who's listening or watching you hear 0:11:59.640 --> 0:12:02.040 about the past and you're like, what is that, do 0:12:02.120 --> 0:12:05.080 yourself a favor right now, make it a movie night. 0:12:05.240 --> 0:12:07.240 This is this is a movie you have to watch. Yeah. 0:12:07.280 --> 0:12:09.680 And then a couple of years later, like you know, 0:12:09.920 --> 0:12:11.880 I walk into this rehearsal and I'm like, you don't 0:12:11.880 --> 0:12:14.360 remember me, And he's looking at me like I'm crazy, 0:12:14.400 --> 0:12:16.160 and he's like, no, man, who the hell are You's 0:12:18.440 --> 0:12:21.040 you came to my class and he's like, well, now. 0:12:21.040 --> 0:12:22.360 We're starring this movie together. 0:12:32.440 --> 0:12:34.600 But you know, as we talk about inspiration, you know, 0:12:34.800 --> 0:12:37.160 it was it was such a moment for me to 0:12:37.760 --> 0:12:40.480 tell him how much he inspired me. And we've become 0:12:40.520 --> 0:12:42.800 good friends since and I've gotten to tell him a 0:12:42.840 --> 0:12:45.400 million times how much he's inspired me. And and that's 0:12:45.440 --> 0:12:47.880 big bro to me, you know. But but to turn 0:12:47.920 --> 0:12:50.880 it around on you, Wilmer, you know, what you've been 0:12:50.920 --> 0:12:55.720 able to achieve has been I mean just phenomenal inspirational. Listen, 0:12:56.040 --> 0:12:59.600 not only to like the next generation is coming inspirational 0:12:59.679 --> 0:13:02.520 to me man, you know, and and to your peers 0:13:02.600 --> 0:13:08.319 and the people who watch you become this incredible entrepreneur, 0:13:08.760 --> 0:13:13.640 you know, which is so incredibly important for everyone who's 0:13:13.679 --> 0:13:16.120 listening here. You know, is it important to see you 0:13:16.200 --> 0:13:17.520 on TV every single week? 0:13:17.720 --> 0:13:17.960 Yes? 0:13:18.080 --> 0:13:23.080 Are you a visual representative, yes, But what you're managing 0:13:23.080 --> 0:13:26.200 to do, like even with this show right here as 0:13:26.240 --> 0:13:29.640 a producer, as a prolific producer, that you're becoming, I mean, 0:13:29.679 --> 0:13:33.800 I can't really think of too many other Latinos who 0:13:33.800 --> 0:13:36.080 have been able to do that. And for you to 0:13:36.120 --> 0:13:42.120 be put in that incredibly privileged position you must feel 0:13:42.640 --> 0:13:44.640 and I'll let you answer that, but I would imagine 0:13:44.960 --> 0:13:48.480 the sort of deep sense of responsibility. And let me 0:13:48.480 --> 0:13:51.360 tell you as somebody, as your friend, as someone who's 0:13:51.400 --> 0:13:54.040 doing this with you being able to look in I mean, 0:13:54.120 --> 0:13:57.760 I feel that you're handling that responsibility incredibly well, you know, 0:13:58.760 --> 0:14:01.760 and you're handling it. Well, oh, you're you're you're laying 0:14:01.800 --> 0:14:04.960 the foundation down for the next generation. You're laying the 0:14:05.040 --> 0:14:08.960 foundation down to make us a more commercially viable force, 0:14:09.480 --> 0:14:11.480 which is obviously the you know, you and I have 0:14:11.559 --> 0:14:15.160 had this conversation in order for latinos to become a 0:14:15.320 --> 0:14:19.320 more commercially viable force in the industry. And how important 0:14:19.320 --> 0:14:22.400 that is because once we become a commercially viable force, 0:14:22.440 --> 0:14:24.880 and we continue to prove that, we're the ones buying 0:14:24.880 --> 0:14:27.840 the tickets to come and see the new investible marketable. Yes, 0:14:27.960 --> 0:14:29.800 we're we're the ones. You know, the stuff that we 0:14:29.880 --> 0:14:34.640 put out makes money. You know, people watch uh and 0:14:34.640 --> 0:14:37.120 and you're you're, you're right at the forefront of that. 0:14:37.200 --> 0:14:37.360 Man. 0:14:37.960 --> 0:14:40.280 No, thank you, Freddy. I I brother, I appreciate that. 0:14:40.320 --> 0:14:42.280 I appreciate that. And you know, I am the guy 0:14:42.280 --> 0:14:44.640 who doesn't take a bad to look back and say, like, what, 0:14:44.880 --> 0:14:46.960 you know, how much we've been laying the groundwork. 0:14:47.720 --> 0:14:50.000 You know, we just take it the day, day by day. 0:14:49.840 --> 0:14:52.000 And one at a time and try not to overwhelm 0:14:52.080 --> 0:14:56.160 myself with with you know, any grace. And I think 0:14:57.000 --> 0:15:00.840 I would just say this. I have this, this urgent 0:15:00.960 --> 0:15:06.480 desire for it to it all change. Yeah, dude, we've 0:15:06.520 --> 0:15:11.880 been waiting so long for people to understand the value. 0:15:12.720 --> 0:15:17.680 But most importantly, you know what we've contributed that continues 0:15:17.720 --> 0:15:19.480 to subliminately disappear from. 0:15:19.320 --> 0:15:26.560 History, and so to me, it goes beyond like I've seen. 0:15:26.800 --> 0:15:29.120 I read the story of the underd and twenty five 0:15:29.160 --> 0:15:33.240 Mexican infantry unit, you know, unit that was building out possible, 0:15:33.240 --> 0:15:36.400 that was dropping the rope in a Nazi infested rome during. 0:15:36.200 --> 0:15:36.920 World War Two. 0:15:37.440 --> 0:15:40.440 Then nobody wrote about one hundred and twenty five Mexicans. 0:15:40.480 --> 0:15:42.840 They were all put together in one infantry union. They 0:15:42.880 --> 0:15:44.440 were sent to the front to see where the fire 0:15:44.560 --> 0:15:47.080 was coming from, and they did some of the most 0:15:47.120 --> 0:15:51.560 heroic stuff in World War Two. You know, they make 0:15:51.640 --> 0:15:54.160 friends with the Italian villages, and they almost spoke the 0:15:54.160 --> 0:15:58.360 same language because Spanish and Italians, you know, we're so similar. 0:15:59.240 --> 0:16:02.840 You know, they send a signal to the Germans, to 0:16:02.880 --> 0:16:05.440 the Nazis that that wait a minute, look at all 0:16:05.440 --> 0:16:08.760 these Latinos speaking Spanish and Spies were saying, this is 0:16:08.840 --> 0:16:13.760 proof that Mexico has joined World WARLD two. Meanwhile, these 0:16:13.760 --> 0:16:16.239 are Mexican Americans that were coming from. 0:16:16.000 --> 0:16:18.160 A pasto Texas. 0:16:18.720 --> 0:16:21.160 And I think about stories like that, and I go, WHOA, 0:16:21.440 --> 0:16:25.479 if we knew that, if we knew. 0:16:25.280 --> 0:16:26.720 That we also fought. 0:16:28.120 --> 0:16:32.080 For the freedom and the gift that is this land 0:16:32.720 --> 0:16:36.600 to everyone, we'd feel a little differently about ourselves. We 0:16:36.640 --> 0:16:40.400 wouldn't think we're just a guess in this country. You know, 0:16:40.480 --> 0:16:42.600 if we had more images, more of our stories to 0:16:42.680 --> 0:16:48.320 be portrayed at that level, what would the world look 0:16:48.440 --> 0:16:49.960 like for my daughter? 0:16:51.520 --> 0:16:51.680 Right? 0:16:51.840 --> 0:16:53.400 So, for me, like as soon as that, and I 0:16:53.520 --> 0:16:56.360 kind of almost four years ago, you know, I was 0:16:56.400 --> 0:16:59.160 always I always was in a you know, gear five, 0:17:00.040 --> 0:17:01.600 put it in six as soon as she was born, 0:17:01.640 --> 0:17:04.199 because I said, I want her to wake up to 0:17:04.240 --> 0:17:08.400 a reality when she's a teenager, when she sees her language, 0:17:08.440 --> 0:17:14.760 her culture portrayed on effortlessly and subliminately on screen. And 0:17:14.880 --> 0:17:17.399 somebody goes, wow, look at how colorful. Look at how 0:17:17.400 --> 0:17:19.479 I included this. But you look at the presentation. She goes, 0:17:19.520 --> 0:17:23.200 what are you talking about? I don't see the difference, 0:17:24.160 --> 0:17:28.240 and she almost forgets you know what it wasn't. 0:17:29.440 --> 0:17:32.359 You know, or like what it was not like you know? 0:17:32.359 --> 0:17:33.600 I think so so I think A lot of my 0:17:34.040 --> 0:17:36.840 passion comes from, like, you know, can we create a 0:17:36.880 --> 0:17:38.800 world where they can wake up and know like, oh, 0:17:38.840 --> 0:17:41.879 I can also be an attorney. I can also be 0:17:41.920 --> 0:17:44.760 the hero of my story, you know, And doesn't matter 0:17:44.800 --> 0:17:47.680 what I look like, right, And for her to get 0:17:47.680 --> 0:17:49.679 to that point where it doesn't matter what she looks like, 0:17:50.359 --> 0:17:52.920 the world has to be painted differently, and it has 0:17:52.920 --> 0:17:55.359 to be painted with the true colors you know that 0:17:55.840 --> 0:18:00.359 we commute with every single day in our country, you know, 0:18:00.440 --> 0:18:06.960 and in the world. Latinos are, Latinos are Italian, They're Japanese, right, 0:18:07.119 --> 0:18:10.840 Latinos are are you know, you know, are from everywhere. 0:18:11.000 --> 0:18:14.480 Latinos are Indians, They're Australians, They're Canadians, Latinos are everything. 0:18:14.680 --> 0:18:17.520 Yeah, And I think nothing. 0:18:17.280 --> 0:18:18.840 Will give you more joy than to be able to 0:18:18.880 --> 0:18:21.280 just continue to build a path where we can continue to. 0:18:21.200 --> 0:18:22.640 Just tell this in I mean no other way. 0:18:22.680 --> 0:18:25.280 I look at it this one story at a time, Yeah, 0:18:25.400 --> 0:18:27.440 one venture at a time, and hopefully by the time 0:18:27.440 --> 0:18:29.800 we look back, it's like and if made that cannot 0:18:29.840 --> 0:18:30.399 be raised. 0:18:30.600 --> 0:18:31.040 Yeah. 0:18:31.080 --> 0:18:34.919 Well, I see the urgency. I feel it, and for 0:18:35.000 --> 0:18:38.400 those listening, for those listening, there are times I look 0:18:38.440 --> 0:18:40.439 at Wilmore and I go, dude, when do you sleep 0:18:41.720 --> 0:18:45.359 this guy? This guy works so much, man, It's like, 0:18:45.840 --> 0:18:48.560 you know, and then all of a sudden he wants 0:18:48.600 --> 0:18:52.439 to do a podcast. I'm like, are you sure this 0:18:52.520 --> 0:18:54.240 is where I come to rest though? Are you sure 0:18:54.280 --> 0:18:54.960 you have the time? 0:18:55.000 --> 0:18:55.560 The podcast? 0:18:55.600 --> 0:18:58.879 Is like, you know how I forced myself to I 0:18:59.000 --> 0:19:00.560 forced you to come out. 0:19:00.400 --> 0:19:03.160 With me, you know, man, I'm just trying to keep up. Yeah, 0:19:03.359 --> 0:19:04.920 I mean, this guy is like, I'm up at four 0:19:04.920 --> 0:19:07.080 in the morning working out. I'm like, so, then when 0:19:07.080 --> 0:19:07.840 do you go to sleep? 0:19:07.920 --> 0:19:09.639 You know, like two Like what do you sleep? Like 0:19:09.680 --> 0:19:10.440 two hours a night? 0:19:10.480 --> 0:19:13.280 I'm telling you, man, five feet in behind me, there's 0:19:13.320 --> 0:19:16.520 somebody waiting to let me. And uh, you know, so 0:19:16.600 --> 0:19:18.960 I gotta have this stamina of Sonic the Hedgehog. 0:19:19.160 --> 0:19:21.920 You know that's good. 0:19:22.240 --> 0:19:25.480 That's a good comparison. Thank you, man, Thank you. 0:19:25.640 --> 0:19:29.360 I was a Sega genesis, you know. 0:19:28.960 --> 0:19:31.920 But anyways, this is a great conversation, and I hope 0:19:31.920 --> 0:19:35.400 that we ever listen to this. You know, finds similarities 0:19:35.440 --> 0:19:37.800 no matter what industry, no matter what life you're living. 0:19:38.440 --> 0:19:40.959 Hopefully some of these little nuggets that Freddie and I 0:19:41.000 --> 0:19:44.719 have been exploring you know somehow you know, connects with 0:19:44.800 --> 0:19:49.440 you and whatever spiritual, whatever subliminal or or just a 0:19:49.800 --> 0:19:53.760 soulful journey that you're on that that whatever ingredients you 0:19:53.840 --> 0:19:56.280 feil here, maybe something applies to you. And right and 0:19:56.320 --> 0:19:58.720 I and we and we hope that you continue to 0:19:58.800 --> 0:20:03.399 enjoy this journey and more inspiration, more hilarious stories, and 0:20:03.480 --> 0:20:05.760 you know, we should we should definitely see when we 0:20:05.800 --> 0:20:07.480 can get John in here. That would be that would 0:20:07.480 --> 0:20:08.000 be amazing. 0:20:08.119 --> 0:20:09.520 Legs, where are you at? 0:20:09.760 --> 0:20:10.680 Where on you're Johne? 0:20:10.760 --> 0:20:23.120 Where you at? Can I actually jump into I wanted 0:20:23.119 --> 0:20:25.800 to ask the question if you ever had the opportunity 0:20:25.840 --> 0:20:29.680