WEBVTT - “Big Breaks Part 2” 0:00:14.200 --> 0:00:17.360 And welcome back to those amigos. This is part two 0:00:17.480 --> 0:00:22.040 of our big break conversation. Break and get ready because 0:00:22.040 --> 0:00:26.720 we're about to get very colorful here. So of course 0:00:26.720 --> 0:00:29.200 I had done all the little things right, Like, you know, 0:00:29.240 --> 0:00:33.960 I played like, you know this flashback young kid and 0:00:34.280 --> 0:00:38.280 four corners. I'd done a little thing on Disney Channel 0:00:38.320 --> 0:00:41.239 called Amba Makamba, where like I pop up in a 0:00:41.280 --> 0:00:43.800 little box on the bottom left. I'm like, hey, Amba, 0:00:44.280 --> 0:00:47.599 how told is a giraffe? You know? And so I've 0:00:47.600 --> 0:00:49.800 done little things like that, you know that you but 0:00:50.360 --> 0:00:53.040 like there's some region of Sony commercial for a camera 0:00:53.120 --> 0:00:55.200 that was only releasing in Japan, you know, like I 0:00:55.280 --> 0:01:00.480 never saw these things, you know. And then finally, you know, 0:01:00.520 --> 0:01:02.120 he's like, I'm going to send you this pilot edition. 0:01:02.360 --> 0:01:05.720 We don't have the script, right you. All you get 0:01:05.800 --> 0:01:09.200 is these three little pages. And I was like, this 0:01:09.280 --> 0:01:11.360 is it. I just got to do this scene and 0:01:11.360 --> 0:01:13.160 he's like yeah, he goes okay, e's he money. 0:01:13.680 --> 0:01:14.200 Yeah. 0:01:14.640 --> 0:01:17.160 So I asked my dad if you you know, if 0:01:17.160 --> 0:01:19.160 you know, if he can take me to the to 0:01:19.240 --> 0:01:22.399 this audition. Well, you know, and some of you who 0:01:22.440 --> 0:01:25.200 have read an American story, everyone's invited which is my 0:01:25.240 --> 0:01:30.280 memoir You were you know, you will remember this this story. 0:01:31.120 --> 0:01:34.760 My my dad had to borrow money from the neighbor 0:01:35.520 --> 0:01:37.720 because we didn't have gas money for him to drive 0:01:37.760 --> 0:01:40.880 me to this audition. So he took me to this 0:01:40.959 --> 0:01:44.960 audition in Studio City. I crossed the street from CBS Rafford, 0:01:45.000 --> 0:01:47.880 where Davey Gross was the casting director at the time, 0:01:48.640 --> 0:01:53.280 and I went in an audition, and you know, she 0:01:53.280 --> 0:01:55.440 she's like, okay, cool, We're going to bring you back 0:01:55.440 --> 0:01:57.200 to more and I want you to have a little 0:01:57.200 --> 0:01:59.400 more fun with with your character, you know, just have 0:01:59.440 --> 0:02:01.760 a little more more and more fun with that. I 0:02:01.800 --> 0:02:05.480 was like, okay. So I went back that night and 0:02:06.200 --> 0:02:08.040 you know, I said, Dad, they want me to come 0:02:08.080 --> 0:02:11.720 back tomorrow. I was, okay, cool, And I'm playing around 0:02:11.720 --> 0:02:14.080 with my little sister, you know, and I you know, 0:02:14.120 --> 0:02:18.320 and I make this voice and she starts laughing, and I'm. 0:02:18.160 --> 0:02:19.600 Like, you make a noise. 0:02:19.880 --> 0:02:22.720 I make a voice. I got a little high pitched, 0:02:22.760 --> 0:02:25.680 kind of innocent voice, and she's like she starts laughing. 0:02:26.520 --> 0:02:30.320 And then I was like, okay, well, let me combine 0:02:30.360 --> 0:02:33.920 accents from different countries and make it an accent that 0:02:34.840 --> 0:02:36.880 you know that you can't even dephrase where he's from, 0:02:36.919 --> 0:02:41.880 you know. And as soon as I said the word yes, 0:02:43.760 --> 0:02:46.359 I knew, oh, wait a minute, I think this might 0:02:46.440 --> 0:02:50.480 just wait, you know. And so I think to me, 0:02:50.639 --> 0:02:52.000 I was like, all right, let me see it is. 0:02:52.040 --> 0:02:53.680 So I went the next day and I combined actions 0:02:53.680 --> 0:02:55.760 with different countries and I played with this, and I 0:02:55.760 --> 0:02:58.680 came in audition for the producers. At the time, I 0:02:58.680 --> 0:03:01.200 had no idea who they were, so they were later, yeah, 0:03:01.919 --> 0:03:05.839 They're like. There was like a moment of silence while 0:03:05.880 --> 0:03:08.440 they register, and then there was an explosion of laughter, 0:03:08.560 --> 0:03:10.799 and so I thought, oh, man, I really messed up. 0:03:11.680 --> 0:03:13.799 I really missed Oh you thought they were laughing at you? 0:03:13.840 --> 0:03:16.960 And I missed up. I messed up Freddie because I 0:03:17.040 --> 0:03:20.200 said this thing, I auditioned with something very different than 0:03:20.200 --> 0:03:22.440 I had done it before. I took this like hell Mary, 0:03:22.440 --> 0:03:24.280 and she said, have fun with it. I went too far. 0:03:24.520 --> 0:03:27.040 I had too much fun with it. And then immediately 0:03:27.040 --> 0:03:31.320 they're like, they're like, and then they're like and then 0:03:31.320 --> 0:03:34.320 they started laughing. So I was like, I couldn't translate that. 0:03:34.360 --> 0:03:36.520 I was like, I messed up. So I went home 0:03:37.480 --> 0:03:41.480 and finally I get a phone call from the studio again. 0:03:41.520 --> 0:03:43.320 They're like, hey, they want you to go to twenty 0:03:43.320 --> 0:03:46.520 century Fox. I was like, oh, I'm getting another edition, 0:03:47.840 --> 0:03:49.840 all right? So I told my dad my dad had 0:03:49.880 --> 0:03:52.480 to borrow money again from the neighbor to drive me 0:03:52.520 --> 0:03:55.840 to twenty century Fox, this time the same studio. Yeah, 0:03:56.080 --> 0:03:59.520 then I would Yes, man, that's mind blowing. Wow, bro, 0:04:00.160 --> 0:04:02.320 that's what I'm telling you. That's why I said, like, 0:04:02.520 --> 0:04:05.920 you walking to that gate and there's this magnetic thing 0:04:05.960 --> 0:04:07.600 where anything can happen. 0:04:07.320 --> 0:04:11.040 For you, you know, And I never put that together. 0:04:11.160 --> 0:04:14.840 Yes, we were at that wow. So you know, I entered, 0:04:15.000 --> 0:04:16.919 you know, my dad gets a little money, drives me 0:04:16.960 --> 0:04:19.240 over there. And you know, when you are auditioning for 0:04:19.279 --> 0:04:22.760 a TV show, they make you sign a contract before 0:04:22.800 --> 0:04:25.839 you get the part, and you read the contract and 0:04:25.880 --> 0:04:27.920 you don't understand what those letters are, you know, and 0:04:28.360 --> 0:04:30.480 like ultimately it says that I was going to make 0:04:30.520 --> 0:04:34.839 fifteen thousand dollars for the pilot yeah, and ten thousand 0:04:34.920 --> 0:04:35.960 dollars per episode. 0:04:36.080 --> 0:04:36.279 Yeah. 0:04:36.400 --> 0:04:42.640 Like I am like right, yeah, And so I told 0:04:42.640 --> 0:04:45.840 my dad, I say, Dad, but it was such a 0:04:46.560 --> 0:04:50.760 ridiculous paragraph in that contract that I looked at my 0:04:50.800 --> 0:04:53.960 that we're obviously not getting this because it makes no sense, 0:04:54.080 --> 0:04:56.240 like we don't get this kind of stuff right, Like, 0:04:56.279 --> 0:04:58.359 it's just that's like more money. Even if I just 0:04:58.400 --> 0:05:00.200 get the pilot, that's more money that we made in 0:05:00.200 --> 0:05:00.599 the year. 0:05:01.240 --> 0:05:04.240 Did the contract say how many episodes you would do? 0:05:04.839 --> 0:05:07.080 No, just it was said all produced. So I was 0:05:07.080 --> 0:05:08.960 supposed to be a regular because. 0:05:08.760 --> 0:05:10.240 I'm wondering if you did the math in your head, 0:05:10.279 --> 0:05:14.520 were you like ten episodes times? 0:05:14.600 --> 0:05:17.200 Like I didn't know. I once they got to pick up, 0:05:17.240 --> 0:05:21.480 that's when I was like, But so basically I go 0:05:21.560 --> 0:05:24.160 with my dad and my dad, could you imagine if 0:05:24.200 --> 0:05:26.240 I get this show right now? My dad looks at me, 0:05:26.760 --> 0:05:28.880 he's thinking, we're not getting this part, but he's just 0:05:28.920 --> 0:05:32.120 like he's like, may if you'll get it, I dined 0:05:32.200 --> 0:05:36.039 a very good If you don't get it, I dine 0:05:36.400 --> 0:05:39.400 very good. And you know, I always say this, My 0:05:39.480 --> 0:05:42.520 dad always sounded like he was drunk, and you know, 0:05:42.680 --> 0:05:44.520 but he you know, he wasn't drinking at the time. 0:05:44.680 --> 0:05:47.800 And so I auditioned and I entered the room and 0:05:47.839 --> 0:05:50.800 it's Peter Roth, president of a Fox all the time, 0:05:51.400 --> 0:05:54.840 Bonnie and Terry Turner, I mean, legendary writers and head 0:05:54.839 --> 0:05:57.359 writers of SNL at the time center in my life. 0:05:58.200 --> 0:06:01.960 You know, they created Cone's Heads, Cone Heads, you know, 0:06:02.360 --> 0:06:06.280 Wayne's World, the Brady Bunch movie, and on and on 0:06:06.279 --> 0:06:08.320 and on. I mean, the guys were like legendary comedy. 0:06:08.720 --> 0:06:10.479 And then also I created The Rock from the Sun 0:06:10.520 --> 0:06:14.320 at the time, and then it was like Mark Brazil 0:06:14.520 --> 0:06:17.200 and then there was you know, the old executives a Fox, 0:06:17.320 --> 0:06:18.840 you know, and and I just had no idea who 0:06:18.839 --> 0:06:21.400 they were. And I come in there and I do 0:06:22.480 --> 0:06:26.000 my my scene, you know, and then I go with 0:06:26.000 --> 0:06:29.080 with the with the voice with these and I just go, 0:06:29.360 --> 0:06:33.159 I go, what did I say? What was the one 0:06:33.200 --> 0:06:37.440 line that brought the house on? Oh? It's like I 0:06:37.560 --> 0:06:41.800 was like, uh, oh, so it did a boat whore 0:06:43.360 --> 0:06:48.119 and bro there was an explosional left in that room. 0:06:48.320 --> 0:06:51.520 And again I thought I messed it up. It couldn't 0:06:51.560 --> 0:06:54.000 translate to me that they were laughing that hard something 0:06:54.040 --> 0:06:56.760 I did. Then I was like, oh, and you know, 0:06:56.760 --> 0:06:58.440 they were laughing so hard in the room that I 0:06:58.440 --> 0:07:00.920 couldn't hear the casting director. So I because I had 0:07:00.920 --> 0:07:02.760 to memorize, and I would just wait for her lips 0:07:02.800 --> 0:07:05.080 to be done, and then I would say my line 0:07:05.520 --> 0:07:07.640 and then they would be laughing through her line, and 0:07:07.640 --> 0:07:09.320 then I will say my line, and then we'll be 0:07:09.360 --> 0:07:11.240 laughing through her line. So I was just reading her 0:07:11.240 --> 0:07:13.760 lips and I was like so attentively looking at her lips, 0:07:13.880 --> 0:07:16.000 and so I talked to myself, I'm like, wow, this 0:07:16.120 --> 0:07:19.720 is crazy. I'm definitely messed it up, you know, because 0:07:19.720 --> 0:07:22.680 I couldn't even hear her. But it added to the 0:07:22.680 --> 0:07:25.800 the chaos of my character when he was trying to comprehend, 0:07:25.800 --> 0:07:27.920 and I was like so wide eyed that it almost 0:07:27.960 --> 0:07:32.480 created character traits. And you know, I went home and 0:07:32.600 --> 0:07:34.880 my you know, my agent calls me at the time, 0:07:34.960 --> 0:07:38.280 and he said, uh, oh, they want you to come 0:07:38.280 --> 0:07:41.360 back tomorrow. And I looked at my dad and to 0:07:41.400 --> 0:07:42.800 my family, and you know, there's a time where you 0:07:42.840 --> 0:07:47.200 can pick up a line in the other room and 0:07:48.840 --> 0:07:51.560 and everybody's listening from different phones in the rooms in 0:07:51.600 --> 0:07:53.680 the house, you know, in our little tiny little house 0:07:53.720 --> 0:07:57.360 in Vanies, California, and they're on the phone and they're 0:07:57.400 --> 0:08:00.440 like and they're like, once you come back tomorrow. And 0:08:00.520 --> 0:08:02.280 I was like, oh my god, I got a call back. 0:08:02.880 --> 0:08:04.600 And then he says, and they want you to come 0:08:04.680 --> 0:08:08.400 back the day after that, and the day after that, 0:08:09.640 --> 0:08:12.880 the day after that, and the day after that, and 0:08:13.200 --> 0:08:17.080 we're all crying and screaming, and we're like Jesus Christ, 0:08:17.160 --> 0:08:20.200 like what just happened, dude, And honestly cue it like 0:08:20.280 --> 0:08:23.480 a movie. I look outside the window, dude, and our 0:08:23.600 --> 0:08:25.640 neighbor's American flag is waving. 0:08:26.560 --> 0:08:27.800 Oh man, wow. 0:08:28.680 --> 0:08:33.240 And that was the moment where I said, this is why, 0:08:34.520 --> 0:08:37.959 that's what this country affords all of us, you know. 0:08:39.120 --> 0:08:41.800 And I was relentlessly knowing that I needed to pay 0:08:41.840 --> 0:08:45.280 it back in that moment. As soon as I saw 0:08:45.400 --> 0:08:49.920 that flagwave, I said that that's that's what everybody talks about. 0:08:50.000 --> 0:08:53.400 That's what where everybody writes movies about. It's this called 0:08:53.480 --> 0:08:58.040 American dream thing, that it's American dream that that could 0:08:58.160 --> 0:09:01.439 happen for those who are willing to die, who want 0:09:01.480 --> 0:09:03.319 to get in the dance floor and when to get 0:09:03.360 --> 0:09:07.760 out there and try, you know. And dude, I made 0:09:07.800 --> 0:09:09.920 a promise to myself that moment. I was like, you know, 0:09:10.280 --> 0:09:11.520 if I'm going to do this, I have to be 0:09:11.559 --> 0:09:14.679 the best. Everything that comes out of my mouth has 0:09:14.679 --> 0:09:17.360 to be the funniest thing that anybody has ever heard. 0:09:18.080 --> 0:09:20.800 And I just relentlessly would look at every line and 0:09:20.920 --> 0:09:23.280 think about it, like talking about Keanu Reeves, like Neil 0:09:23.320 --> 0:09:26.200 and the Matrix, I'm like, I'll move this comma here 0:09:26.679 --> 0:09:29.319 and bring this period there that would make it super 0:09:29.440 --> 0:09:33.160 awkward and offbeat, and I will play with the comedic 0:09:34.640 --> 0:09:38.520 cadence of the actual lines. And so every time I 0:09:38.640 --> 0:09:41.920 deliver a line, people wouldn't know why you make that choice, 0:09:42.480 --> 0:09:44.360 how you come do that choice. And I just I 0:09:44.480 --> 0:09:48.480 was really thinking, like a different type of creature on TV. 0:09:58.480 --> 0:10:01.240 You were creating a character for you. You kind of 0:10:01.360 --> 0:10:04.120 really knew what creating a character was. 0:10:04.280 --> 0:10:06.800 And it was based on the promise that like I 0:10:06.960 --> 0:10:08.959 was not going to mess it up, that I was 0:10:09.000 --> 0:10:11.640 going to just appreciate this opportunity and I was going 0:10:11.720 --> 0:10:15.040 to bring all of myself into that and as the 0:10:15.080 --> 0:10:17.959 audacity of thinking, like whatever I have in me is 0:10:18.040 --> 0:10:21.959 what this character needs, It's like I got it, you know. 0:10:22.760 --> 0:10:24.559 And I don't even think my coasters at the time 0:10:24.600 --> 0:10:27.840 even understood, you know, like what this character was. At 0:10:27.880 --> 0:10:29.240 the time. They thought I was like, well, it's like 0:10:29.320 --> 0:10:31.079 the foreign kid with the accident. I guess I don't 0:10:31.120 --> 0:10:33.000 know if it's like a They didn't know if I 0:10:33.160 --> 0:10:36.000 was a serious regular or if I was like something 0:10:36.240 --> 0:10:37.359 like a power. 0:10:37.240 --> 0:10:39.360 They when you like, when they first heard it, were 0:10:39.360 --> 0:10:42.640 they like they were like, this is ridiculous. 0:10:42.600 --> 0:10:48.079 Right, especially Telfer. Telford thought I was brilliant. Telford gave 0:10:48.120 --> 0:10:50.240 me so much love and so much like they looked 0:10:50.240 --> 0:10:53.160 at me and they were like, yeah, Tolfer's like, you're 0:10:53.280 --> 0:10:58.880 either weird, yeah, like a really like a weirdo, or 0:10:59.000 --> 0:11:02.240 you might just be a I mean, a brilliant. 0:11:02.679 --> 0:11:03.439 It's one or the other. 0:11:03.480 --> 0:11:06.840 It's one of the between. 0:11:07.360 --> 0:11:09.199 I was bet the weird, you know. 0:11:09.600 --> 0:11:12.439 Yeah, but I let him believe it was brilliant, you know. 0:11:12.679 --> 0:11:14.800 And I and I think I think at the time 0:11:16.320 --> 0:11:19.599 that part became this anthem for me, you know, and 0:11:19.800 --> 0:11:22.319 starting my career, you know. And I was I was 0:11:22.360 --> 0:11:25.800 asking you, what did you feel like on set? Because 0:11:26.160 --> 0:11:29.360 but for me, I had a live audience. Oh yeah, 0:11:29.520 --> 0:11:33.720 so imagine they go okay, action and you say your 0:11:33.760 --> 0:11:34.360 first line. 0:11:34.679 --> 0:11:35.760 Yeah, was that scary? 0:11:36.440 --> 0:11:40.360 I was to do it? Yeah, it was so scary 0:11:41.200 --> 0:11:43.840 because you know, I had done theaters, so I was like, oh, 0:11:43.840 --> 0:11:45.560 I'm not afraid of that. But then I was like, oh, 0:11:45.600 --> 0:11:48.120 there's two hundred and thirty people on that on the outstand. 0:11:49.160 --> 0:11:51.679 The trick was not to play for the audience in 0:11:51.840 --> 0:11:54.559 the sound stage. The trick was not to perform it 0:11:54.640 --> 0:11:57.079 for the people in the audience. The trick was to 0:11:57.520 --> 0:12:00.480 perform it for the people at home, right. So whatever 0:12:00.559 --> 0:12:03.240 I did on that screen, I was I needed to 0:12:03.320 --> 0:12:06.640 tell it to the people at home, right, which prevented 0:12:06.720 --> 0:12:10.240 me from going too far to try to make the 0:12:10.280 --> 0:12:13.520 people in the audience laugh, which is a trap for sitcoms. 0:12:14.080 --> 0:12:15.640 You think you're playing for the people that are laughing 0:12:15.679 --> 0:12:16.319 there in front of you. 0:12:16.720 --> 0:12:20.240 Did you learn that through trial and error or like, 0:12:20.360 --> 0:12:22.760 how did you how did you learn how to calibrate 0:12:23.360 --> 0:12:24.160 how far you go? 0:12:24.880 --> 0:12:27.880 I think I was. I think I was bringing my 0:12:28.480 --> 0:12:32.880 fear from not listening, not hearing the casting director in 0:12:32.920 --> 0:12:35.760 the audition, and I was hanging by every word that 0:12:35.880 --> 0:12:39.080 the other actor was saying, which allowed me to stay 0:12:39.200 --> 0:12:43.320 here and like really engage here, and so I didn't 0:12:43.360 --> 0:12:44.839 have to play for them because I was just like 0:12:44.920 --> 0:12:46.920 I got to get my lines right, I got to 0:12:46.920 --> 0:12:49.079 say them like this, and I got to listen to you, 0:12:49.920 --> 0:12:51.920 and so it allowed me to be here. So it 0:12:52.000 --> 0:12:56.280 was like this contain madness, you know that it didn't 0:12:56.440 --> 0:12:59.839 have to play that colorful out loud and so so 0:13:00.440 --> 0:13:03.439 you know my first line I remember, you know, the 0:13:03.559 --> 0:13:08.880 scene was, you know, it was uh to for Grace 0:13:09.120 --> 0:13:12.000 a lower pripant and me like, and we were at 0:13:12.040 --> 0:13:15.079 the hob and we're having like you know, hobb it's 0:13:15.120 --> 0:13:19.920 like the little hangout, little diner, and we're playing you know, 0:13:20.720 --> 0:13:23.760 we're playing like pinball and whatever, and I think me laid. 0:13:23.840 --> 0:13:26.320 Jackie's character gets up and goes up to Donna lower 0:13:26.360 --> 0:13:29.920 Prepan's character and says, uh, Donna, I have to go 0:13:30.000 --> 0:13:34.040 to the bathroom. He goes, okay. He goes, well you 0:13:34.160 --> 0:13:35.640 have to come with me or something like. She's like, 0:13:35.880 --> 0:13:38.040 I'm not gonna go alone because girls go to the 0:13:38.080 --> 0:13:41.679 bathroom together, right, And she goes okay, he goes and 0:13:41.800 --> 0:13:43.760 I look at that, and then I go all the 0:13:43.800 --> 0:13:49.720 way up to Eric Foreman Toll for Grace and I say, Edic, 0:13:50.720 --> 0:13:53.640 I'm I'm what is it? Let me start again? So 0:13:53.920 --> 0:13:56.959 so like I really know it? Eric, Oh, yes. So 0:13:57.080 --> 0:13:59.800 I go up to to for Grace, who is playing 0:14:00.120 --> 0:14:03.240 for Men, and I go, I do much go to 0:14:03.320 --> 0:14:09.760 the bathroom dy And he's like, that's not how it 0:14:10.000 --> 0:14:11.720 works with guys fast or something. 0:14:11.800 --> 0:14:11.920 You know. 0:14:12.480 --> 0:14:14.319 As soon as I said that, the audience was like 0:14:14.600 --> 0:14:17.040 the same thing like the casting Like the casting room, 0:14:17.480 --> 0:14:21.240 there was like this pause to them like, oh, that's 0:14:21.280 --> 0:14:24.000 how he's gonna play it. Oh, they've never seen it 0:14:24.000 --> 0:14:26.120 because it shows a pilot. Yeah, and it's never air, 0:14:26.760 --> 0:14:30.480 so they're like, oh oh oh right. They kind of 0:14:30.560 --> 0:14:32.160 it kind of clicked that I was going to play 0:14:32.200 --> 0:14:34.000 this for inning Sten student that was going to say 0:14:34.080 --> 0:14:36.520 I'm off the walls time. So as soon as every 0:14:36.560 --> 0:14:38.520 scene came up and all of a sudden, like it working. 0:14:38.560 --> 0:14:39.560 It was like this magic thing. 0:14:40.280 --> 0:14:42.880 But I think it worked because it was grounded, you know, 0:14:43.200 --> 0:14:45.640 like you know how like sometimes you see people do 0:14:45.800 --> 0:14:50.360 characters and they're acting the character, you know, where yours 0:14:50.520 --> 0:14:53.680 was more grounded. So even if it was big, even 0:14:53.720 --> 0:14:55.760 if it was external, it was it was grounded. 0:14:55.840 --> 0:14:56.400 He believed it. 0:14:56.920 --> 0:14:59.440 Yeah, he believed it. And so so if you believe 0:14:59.480 --> 0:15:02.600 in the audience believes it and you were you weren't 0:15:02.640 --> 0:15:05.480 performing it, you know, you were, you were doing it, 0:15:05.680 --> 0:15:08.600 you're living it, you know. And so I find that 0:15:08.720 --> 0:15:12.000 sometimes when when actors perform it, you know, then then. 0:15:12.000 --> 0:15:14.160 Then you know it could be a trap, right, Like 0:15:14.240 --> 0:15:17.120 sometimes you read the characters description and you're like I 0:15:17.200 --> 0:15:19.480 got to play the grumpy guy. So to your point, 0:15:19.560 --> 0:15:21.360 it's like for me, it was like the more I 0:15:21.480 --> 0:15:24.720 focus on my my scene partners, that the more grounded 0:15:24.760 --> 0:15:27.840 it became, you know, And that the funnier it was 0:15:27.920 --> 0:15:29.640 for the audiences because they were looking at it from 0:15:29.640 --> 0:15:32.480 a screen as well, you know, so I knew that. 0:15:32.560 --> 0:15:33.880 I was like, oh, they're looking at it from a 0:15:33.880 --> 0:15:36.080 screen if they're not looking at it live, so I'm 0:15:36.200 --> 0:15:38.560 kind of playing it to the screen too. So that's 0:15:38.600 --> 0:15:42.240 when I figured out the tone between you know, theater, 0:15:43.440 --> 0:15:49.400 TV and like film, you know, and that that dial 0:15:49.600 --> 0:15:53.200 it would really helped me understand more. And that was 0:15:53.360 --> 0:15:55.960 I mean, that was it. Man. That moment was just 0:15:56.120 --> 0:15:58.880 magical and all of a sudden, you know, instead of 0:15:59.240 --> 0:16:01.400 going to the nine nine cents stores when my mom, 0:16:01.520 --> 0:16:05.240 I was taking her to Ralphs. Yeah oh, instead of 0:16:05.320 --> 0:16:07.840 getting a little cola, we were getting Coca CoA. 0:16:08.800 --> 0:16:11.040 Yeah. You know, what was it? What was it like 0:16:11.200 --> 0:16:14.520 when when you guys premiered? So, okay, so you shot 0:16:14.560 --> 0:16:19.080 the pilot obviously, right, they see the pilot. You guys 0:16:19.120 --> 0:16:21.440 didn't shoot the entire season before it premiered, right. 0:16:21.600 --> 0:16:24.320 No, we shot probably close to like maybe five or 0:16:24.320 --> 0:16:28.360 six episodes before it premiered. We premiered August twenty eight 0:16:28.560 --> 0:16:31.880 of nineteen ninety eight. It was on I believe it 0:16:31.960 --> 0:16:35.080 was a Wednesday night. Yeah you no, sorry, it was 0:16:35.200 --> 0:16:38.480 Sunday night at eight thirty between The Simpsons and the 0:16:38.680 --> 0:16:39.120 X Files. 0:16:39.840 --> 0:16:41.200 That's a damn good slot, man. 0:16:41.440 --> 0:16:44.360 Yeah it was. It was massive, Yeah, some massive times. 0:16:44.840 --> 0:16:46.920 But we were in a hit right away, you know. 0:16:47.080 --> 0:16:48.720 It was like took a while to build. And the 0:16:48.760 --> 0:16:51.080 Simpsons and the X Files were really mad at us 0:16:51.760 --> 0:16:55.120 because you know, they thought that we were leading them well, 0:16:55.360 --> 0:16:56.880 and you know, most of those shows have been on 0:16:57.000 --> 0:17:00.320 for multiple seasons, you know, so they really were trying 0:17:00.360 --> 0:17:02.760 to blame us. In fact, like you know, I think 0:17:02.800 --> 0:17:04.959 even the Simpsons were so mean to us. They did 0:17:05.000 --> 0:17:08.600 an episode where they did a montage of like the 0:17:08.800 --> 0:17:14.840 behind the alleyway of these stores, ninety nine cent stores. 0:17:14.920 --> 0:17:19.800 They were like tossing, you know, you know, stuff that 0:17:19.880 --> 0:17:22.800 didn't sell through the trash, and then they go to 0:17:22.960 --> 0:17:24.879 like fifty nine cent stores, and then they go to 0:17:25.000 --> 0:17:27.879 like twenty cents or or like ten cent stores, and 0:17:28.000 --> 0:17:32.040 the ten sy store was throwing seventy show mugs in 0:17:32.160 --> 0:17:34.560 the trash, so like they were just like so bitter, 0:17:34.760 --> 0:17:38.760 you know, and we outlive all those. We did eight 0:17:38.960 --> 0:17:43.359 seasons within two hundred episodes, and you know, we were 0:17:43.400 --> 0:17:46.399 averaging nineteen twenty million people a week, you know, and 0:17:47.359 --> 0:17:50.640 and you know they were averaging twenty one twenty two. 0:17:50.760 --> 0:17:52.720 So they looked at us as like, well, we're dropping 0:17:52.800 --> 0:17:55.159 millions because of these guys. So as soon as they 0:17:55.240 --> 0:17:57.760 moved us to Tuesday, they moved us to Wednesday, Then 0:17:57.760 --> 0:17:59.959 they moved us to Mondays. Then they moved us back 0:18:00.160 --> 0:18:02.280 to Wednesdays. And that could have killed us. But all 0:18:02.320 --> 0:18:04.520 we did is we gather fans from every night and 0:18:04.640 --> 0:18:07.040 all of a sudden, we by season three, we were 0:18:07.160 --> 0:18:07.760 the number one. 0:18:07.960 --> 0:18:10.920 Season three, So is that is that when it really 0:18:11.040 --> 0:18:14.280 started to like like when did you finally notice that 0:18:14.400 --> 0:18:18.119 it was cooking right or that people were being receptive 0:18:18.200 --> 0:18:18.440 to it. 0:18:19.119 --> 0:18:21.159 It was hard because I was still living such a 0:18:21.320 --> 0:18:23.359 like I was still going to high school. Yeah, and 0:18:23.520 --> 0:18:25.720 you know kids in high school have a way to 0:18:25.800 --> 0:18:28.560 make you feel like you were still physically going to 0:18:28.680 --> 0:18:29.119 high school. 0:18:29.200 --> 0:18:29.800 Yeah, oh wow. 0:18:30.040 --> 0:18:31.680 So you know we would shoot, we would be on 0:18:31.960 --> 0:18:36.240 two off, one on three off one two three, two three, 0:18:37.080 --> 0:18:39.360 and so during those off weeks, I would go back 0:18:39.359 --> 0:18:40.280 to regular high school. 0:18:40.480 --> 0:18:40.720 Wow. 0:18:40.800 --> 0:18:42.639 And I was finishing up my senior year high school 0:18:42.640 --> 0:18:45.760 at that point, and you know, kids are kids could 0:18:45.760 --> 0:18:47.920 be so mean. Yeah, So they would look at me 0:18:47.960 --> 0:18:49.680 and they would come up to me like why is 0:18:49.720 --> 0:18:52.080 her hair like that? And why do you sound like that? 0:18:52.160 --> 0:18:54.320 What do you sound so stupid? Because whyn't you the 0:18:54.400 --> 0:18:56.040 cute one. You're like not even the cute one on 0:18:56.119 --> 0:18:58.560 the show, like like forget that you got a TV 0:18:58.640 --> 0:19:03.480 show four years ago. Wo, forget that you you know, 0:19:03.720 --> 0:19:06.920 like you're making some money. Like it was literally like 0:19:07.200 --> 0:19:10.320 like you're not even the cool one, you know. And 0:19:10.440 --> 0:19:12.760 so high school didn't make me feel special about And 0:19:12.880 --> 0:19:13.119 that was. 0:19:13.119 --> 0:19:16.960 Season one, yeah, and and so did it start to 0:19:17.000 --> 0:19:17.600 cook season? 0:19:17.800 --> 0:19:21.080 When? When was it like just just season three? That's 0:19:21.119 --> 0:19:24.640 whatever Season three was when we were a household characters 0:19:24.680 --> 0:19:26.440 and people I will walk down the street and be 0:19:26.600 --> 0:19:29.480 like fast. You know, it took a while for my 0:19:29.600 --> 0:19:32.280 character because in real life I look so different, so 0:19:33.040 --> 0:19:34.840 right because you had your like your hair, Yeah, I 0:19:35.160 --> 0:19:37.040 was wearing beanies and hats because my hair was like 0:19:37.200 --> 0:19:40.359 Eric Strata alone, and that was your real hair, that 0:19:40.440 --> 0:19:45.600 was my real hair. Yeah, I was very gifted right eye. 0:19:56.280 --> 0:19:58.640 But yeah, so so, but my coasters were like, I'll 0:19:58.680 --> 0:20:00.400 be standing next to my coasters and they're like, hey, 0:20:00.440 --> 0:20:02.040 you guys are awesome here. You make sure you tell 0:20:02.280 --> 0:20:04.000 fans and say what's up, and I'll be standing next 0:20:04.040 --> 0:20:07.320 to them. Really just because your hair looked that different. Yeah, 0:20:07.960 --> 0:20:10.280 Also I carried myself very different. I didn't stand the 0:20:10.359 --> 0:20:12.240 way I stand. I didn't do my mouth the way 0:20:12.240 --> 0:20:13.919 I did when I talked. I mean, I d all 0:20:13.960 --> 0:20:16.359 these things that made them a different human and you 0:20:16.440 --> 0:20:19.080 didn't speak like that, and I didn't speak like that character, right, 0:20:19.160 --> 0:20:21.639 So so people couldn't recognize me, which was funny. You 0:20:21.720 --> 0:20:24.440 actually worked to my advantage because I was fine. But 0:20:24.600 --> 0:20:26.760