Fred Savage

[0] Welcome, welcome, welcome to armchair expert.

[1] I'm Dach Shepherd.

[2] I'm joined by an Emmy nominated.

[3] Mm -hmm.

[4] Oh, we have an Emmy nominated a guest today as well.

[5] Two -time Emmy nominee, not to rub your nose in it.

[6] Something I want to be.

[7] Two -time Golden Globe nominee.

[8] I mean, maybe more.

[9] That all just happened just from one show when he was a preteen.

[10] So there could be more.

[11] They're likely more.

[12] Oh, there's more?

[13] There's probably more.

[14] If you're already taking stabs at who the guest is and you didn't read it when you hit play, It's Fred Savage, just a delightful son of a gun who I've bumped into socially over the years and always found him to be just an extraordinary conversationalist, great sense of humor, humble, and likable and cute.

[15] All of those things, I would concur.

[16] You know him from The Wonder Years, Princess Bride, The Grindr, he has a new show on Fox right now, Sundays, I believe.

[17] What Just Happened, is the name of it, on Fox?

[18] What Just Happened?

[19] And one of the funnier concepts I've heard for a show in a long, long time.

[20] We talk a lot about this on the episodes, so I want to prime people.

[21] I would imagine that most people in the country don't really take stock of who's directing television.

[22] Right.

[23] He is probably directed 100 episodes of television at this point.

[24] He directs nonstop.

[25] Yes.

[26] He's a favorite of actors who've worked with him.

[27] Yeah.

[28] His name is Fred Savage, but he's not Savage.

[29] No. No, he's kind and nice.

[30] So please enjoy Mr. Savage.

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[33] Or you can listen for free wherever you get your podcasts.

[34] The thing I realize with headphones is that I don't need to project nearly as much as I do in real life.

[35] And I'm screaming most.

[36] I'm just a general, a loud person.

[37] You're a projector.

[38] I am.

[39] Uh -huh.

[40] To the back row from the diaphragm.

[41] Oh, sure, sure.

[42] Way down deep in the cockles.

[43] Yeah, we've been trained.

[44] I've always been super, super loud.

[45] This makes me feel like, no, they can hear you fine.

[46] Yes.

[47] And so I sound much more relaxed, composed, and thoughtful.

[48] Yes.

[49] Rather than just like with this foghorn.

[50] Yeah.

[51] I completely agree.

[52] I communicate the exact same way as you.

[53] I think that's why we both went into directing, probably.

[54] We can communicate with like 120 people at once without a megaphone, right?

[55] Have you found on your game show?

[56] You're very good on it.

[57] You're very relaxed.

[58] Okay.

[59] We did two seasons when I did one.

[60] Yeah.

[61] With Ricky Jervais, you did one?

[62] Yes.

[63] And we shot the whole season in four days.

[64] So it's all you get a chance to review your work.

[65] I had no qualifications for the job.

[66] Same.

[67] And all of a sudden, there I am.

[68] And I'm not so arrogant that I'm like, oh, I got this.

[69] Right.

[70] But I'm not dumb to be like, no, thanks.

[71] Like, sure, why not?

[72] What a fun gig.

[73] I'm into it.

[74] Yeah.

[75] And so I had no skills.

[76] Mm -hmm.

[77] So I watched the show and I'm like, oh, they have, like, sound capturing equipment there.

[78] Right.

[79] I don't need to yell over the applause.

[80] I have a four -story wheel spinning behind me that sounds like it's one bolt away from falling right off and landing on me. And you can talk over it.

[81] Yes.

[82] And the thing is making very scary noises the whole time, you know, and I'm supposed to be recapping what money they have and everything.

[83] But I always have one eye just like, is that fucker about to break loose?

[84] What was the name of the show?

[85] The name of the show was child support.

[86] Child support.

[87] Not a great name.

[88] But it had a different title of originally, like five something.

[89] Yes.

[90] It was like five, five for fighting is a band.

[91] That wasn't that.

[92] Yeah.

[93] It was.

[94] Well, that would explain the name change.

[95] Five to stay alive or five to survive or something.

[96] Right.

[97] And they change a child support, which no one has a positive association with that phrase.

[98] No, I'm not like, oh, yeah, let's get into some child support.

[99] You know what I need more of my life?

[100] Yeah.

[101] Child support.

[102] Either it reminds you that you could end up be divorced in paying child support or you're already divorced and you're paying child support.

[103] It reminds you of something that painful that happened or a fear that you might have or the reason you've never even had children.

[104] That's right.

[105] Did Ricky predate you?

[106] Ricky predated me. Because I just got to say, for me personally, if they say, hey, we'd like you to be in this diarrhea medication commercial.

[107] I'm like, never, not over my dead body.

[108] And they go, well, Ricky Jervais in it.

[109] I'm like, I can't get there soon enough.

[110] Who doesn't suffer from diarrhea?

[111] Right.

[112] I have it weekly.

[113] I'm helping people out.

[114] Yes.

[115] I can speak from the heart.

[116] Yes.

[117] I can speak from the heart.

[118] So, yeah, obviously.

[119] And I never met him.

[120] Oh, you didn't?

[121] Never met him.

[122] I talked to him on the phone a couple times.

[123] And right before we started shooting the first episode and I was nervous.

[124] And he gave me this in the middle of the call.

[125] I'm like, oh, I'm getting a pep talk from Ricky Jarvis.

[126] Right, right.

[127] Which was awesome.

[128] Like, all the stuff you'd want to hear.

[129] I shouldn't sip this into the microphone, right?

[130] That was gross.

[131] It appears half our audience has misophonia.

[132] They don't like the slurping sound.

[133] Because that could be very ASMR -y.

[134] That could be a very soothing thing.

[135] 10 % will.

[136] love it and get aroused, 50 % will throw up and smash their car into a tree.

[137] So it's really hard for us to decide.

[138] Boy, that's tough.

[139] Yeah.

[140] Because that 10 % will really love it.

[141] Well, and that's, I think, more of a diehard bass probably.

[142] Like more rabid base.

[143] I was setting it outside.

[144] Sorry, guys.

[145] Sorry for the misophonia.

[146] The pep talk, though.

[147] Yeah.

[148] And it was all the stuff that you know about performing or comedy or improvisation or anything.

[149] Anything you say is the right thing.

[150] You know, don't worry about it.

[151] Right.

[152] The worst thing you can do is, check yourself.

[153] So if there's something that you want to say and it comes out, just go with it.

[154] And he just gave me this freedom.

[155] And I was like, I got to be good and I have to be right.

[156] It's all those things about performing and comedy and the looser you can be the better.

[157] Like the worst thing you can do is try to manhandle it.

[158] Yeah.

[159] Well, I remember Bill Murbin interviewed on Letterman, I don't know, eight, ten years ago or something.

[160] And Letterman said, you know, you recognize that you created an entirely new comedy paradigm starting in the 80s.

[161] that's just been replicated ever since.

[162] And Bill's like, I don't know that I want to accept responsibility for that.

[163] And he said, what's your trick?

[164] He said, if I can do a single thing, if I can calm myself down and breathe, everything will happen.

[165] Yeah.

[166] And I'm like, oh, isn't that the truth?

[167] And isn't that so hard to accomplish?

[168] Just even thinking about it, saying that's hard to accomplish it out, is like, you know, but just by talking about it, you make it a thing.

[169] Yeah.

[170] You can't even really do that.

[171] People always talk about Bill Murray's comedy or you can talk about, I don't know, Day Lewis is acting or these really craft center people and Merrill Street famously never talks about her process for 40 years, 50 years people wanted to know.

[172] Yeah.

[173] What do you do?

[174] Sure.

[175] Step one, wake up in the mirror and if you see Merrill Street in your reflection, you're good.

[176] But like I think just by talking about it, you make it this thing.

[177] And you were talking about directing, and I don't know how you are about this, but I feel like it's totally a different muscle than what we're talking about.

[178] Like for me as a director, I'm super prepared.

[179] Yeah.

[180] I walk through every shot.

[181] I know the sets inside and out.

[182] I walk through all the blocking.

[183] I want to make sure I'm not asking an actor to make a cross that can't be made.

[184] Every eye dotted, every T -crossed, especially behind the camera.

[185] Like, there's our people who are certainly more talented, but like no one will outwork me. Right, right.

[186] I'll put in the effort, you know, the sweat.

[187] And then when you come on set, knowing you've done all this preparation, you can get loose and just roll with things.

[188] And the preparation allows me to then just throw it all out.

[189] But I need to be like super, I'm just kind of a teetoler.

[190] But acting is the exact opposite.

[191] You want to feel a little bit chaotic or that you're finding your way.

[192] Yeah, or just freeness.

[193] It's the total opposite.

[194] And so, like, there are those actors who direct themselves and I don't know how they do it.

[195] For me, they're two totally opposite and oftentimes in conflict approaches to the work.

[196] Well, it is interesting in that when.

[197] you're directing, you're supposed to have a global perspective of the whole story you're telling.

[198] And then the actor's job is to be telling a very real moment.

[199] Yeah.

[200] And often those don't, they're in opposition sometimes.

[201] You've got to make the sausage, I guess, is what I'm saying.

[202] Yeah, but I also think as an actor, and also as a director to a certain extent, like your job is to kind of find some art in the sausage.

[203] Oh, yeah, yeah.

[204] Like some craft in it.

[205] Sure.

[206] But it's, yeah, it's a fine line of like doing the work and then letting it go.

[207] Uh -huh.

[208] It's a note I give actors sometimes, and it's received with varying amounts of positivity.

[209] But, you know, I'll tell an actor, like, you're Lennying it.

[210] You're just squeezing the rabbit so tightly.

[211] Oh, Lenny from a mice and man. Well, you've got to hope that they've read of mice and man. I explain it, and sometimes you just nod.

[212] Maybe they don't know.

[213] I get the impulse.

[214] You want to be so good and you sculpt it, but you just kill the rabbit.

[215] Can't squeeze so tight.

[216] I think it was Bradley Cooper.

[217] I'm name -dropping, but it's relevant because he's fucking beast.

[218] Yeah.

[219] So it has some weight to it when he said this.

[220] I did some scene and I fucking didn't think I hit where I was supposed to get to and blah, blah, blah.

[221] And he goes, dude, how many times have you thought you crushed a scene, you go and see it in the movie and it's fine?

[222] And then the scene you thought you sucked at is your best scene.

[223] Totally.

[224] And I'm like, once I took stock of it, I was like, oh, that is absolutely the truth.

[225] We're not that great of assessors of our performance anyways.

[226] No. Well, with Bradley Cooper, he really changed the way I direct.

[227] I directed an episode of Kitchen Confidential.

[228] Oh, you did.

[229] A million years.

[230] Yeah, yeah.

[231] I was there for one episode, and between him and Frank Langella, like, I learned so much about directing.

[232] I would go out to Bradley and start talking, you know, and use lots of words.

[233] Right, right.

[234] He goes, you don't have it yet, meeting the note.

[235] He's like, oh.

[236] You don't have the note.

[237] Oh, interesting.

[238] And I was like, oh, my God, you're right.

[239] And I came away with this.

[240] If you can't convey a note in a sentence.

[241] Yeah.

[242] You yourself are still struggling.

[243] have the note yet.

[244] Oh, very interesting.

[245] And you can't give it to the actor.

[246] So I started making this speech about whatever, you know, how to come into the kitchen, you know.

[247] He's like, that's not, you know, and then the other thing he corrected me on, which was great.

[248] I started directing in Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, doing a lot of kids stuff.

[249] And, you know, I never want to give line readings.

[250] I hate that.

[251] I didn't like that as an actor.

[252] So I don't want to do that to other actors.

[253] But I would find, I would like, indicate a performance in the way I would give the note.

[254] Of course.

[255] and he called the out of it.

[256] Ah.

[257] And I was like, you're absolutely right.

[258] He wasn't a dick.

[259] Like, I've run into him since then, and I've told him how he just totally changed my approach to directing.

[260] He was completely right.

[261] He's a craftsman.

[262] Yep.

[263] Always has been.

[264] And always.

[265] He really changed the way I approach things.

[266] Well, just really quick.

[267] A line reading is when the line says, like, hey, can I help you?

[268] And then the actor goes, hey, can I help you?

[269] And then the director comes in and goes, you know, it's more like, hey, can I help you?

[270] You're actually reading the line.

[271] You want to deliver it.

[272] But there's also this famous quote, right, that's the only four directions that should ever be given are louder, quiet, or slower, faster.

[273] Yeah.

[274] Have you ever heard that?

[275] I mean, they all boil down to that.

[276] Yeah, yeah.

[277] I want to be surprised.

[278] The worst thing I could get as a director is exactly what I asked for.

[279] Yeah.

[280] I don't want that.

[281] Right.

[282] Because you're going to deliver the line way better than I could, you know, in that part.

[283] Like, I can give you a general idea or a feeling or a direction.

[284] Yeah.

[285] That's what I love about being a director is the being surprised, you know?

[286] At people's talent, I don't want to be surprised like, oh, shit, it's 4 o 'clock in the sun going to be screwed.

[287] Like, that's not a great surprise, those are too.

[288] But just a surprise that people's talent can bring to it.

[289] Yes, I also want to say that I do believe of all the different directing jobs out there, you have been in the lane that is the hardest.

[290] I've only directed two episodes of TV.

[291] When I've directed shows that are already established in tone, already established in all these things, and the script is out of my hands entirely.

[292] Right.

[293] Right.

[294] You're now executing someone else's vision.

[295] I find that to be more challenging and particularly challenging in television because you're entering a clubhouse where people have been friends for four years and you're an outsider.

[296] So what you've chosen to do, I do think, is the hardest.

[297] Clubhouse thing that you mentioned is definitely something I had to get over.

[298] I found it's just me in my own head.

[299] And whether it's true or not, it's not super productive.

[300] Because you do, you walk into a clubhouse.

[301] And I feel like no matter how many times you've done it, there's kind of like a. Let's see what this is all about.

[302] When you're on a TV show, you get a different director almost every episode.

[303] So you have a different boss every week, which is just by design, a very weird dynamic.

[304] Yeah.

[305] So there's who's this guy?

[306] And then there's also, I'm not going to let them screw this up for us, you know?

[307] Right.

[308] Everyone feels that way.

[309] From the actor to the showrunner to grip or an electrician, like, I love this job.

[310] I'm not going to let this guy, you know, screw it up.

[311] So you have to come in there and put everyone at ease.

[312] Mm -hmm.

[313] But the thing I like is the sandbox is defined.

[314] But what you do in that sandbox, it's up to you.

[315] I think episodic directors get a bad rap because there's a very easy way through that and you just kind of take what's come before you.

[316] Or you can say, okay, here's a sandbox.

[317] Let me try and do something a little different.

[318] I like that challenge.

[319] And also as an actor, it's a good exercise of, I think your job is to find some emotional toehold in the script.

[320] You can anchor yourself into it.

[321] And that's what it's about.

[322] Right.

[323] I remember when I first started out, I was saying I was doing Disney Channel Nickelodeon, for a minute, for a brief, bad minute, thought I was kind of better than the material.

[324] Oh, of course.

[325] And be like, I would hold it at arm's length and say, you know what, this is not who I am.

[326] I'm doing this right now.

[327] Right.

[328] But I'm really that guy.

[329] And I realized that not only was that just jerky move, but the work was not good because I held it at arm's length and I wasn't invested in it.

[330] Yeah.

[331] And then I felt even shittier because I'm like, not only am I here, but I'm doing bad work.

[332] Right, right, right.

[333] So just so I can feel better about myself and say, oh, I'm better.

[334] It was terrible.

[335] So then I had just really change of heart.

[336] I don't journal.

[337] Like, I'm not a diarist.

[338] But I remember sitting down and like writing down how I was feeling.

[339] Yeah.

[340] I never do.

[341] Yeah.

[342] And I was like, you know, it's a bad way to approach the work.

[343] I remember this episode of Hannah Montana.

[344] I was directing.

[345] And I was like, you know what?

[346] This show is about identity and who you really are and the fear of being accepted.

[347] And this is going to be the best fucking episode of Hannah Montana ever.

[348] And I still stand behind the performances that they turned into that episode.

[349] Yeah.

[350] But it felt great.

[351] I was like, I was a good episode of that.

[352] show it.

[353] I feel like that's your job as a director and as an actor to find some foothold.

[354] Yeah.

[355] They can hold on to some emotional connection.

[356] And sometimes that's really easy.

[357] And other times it's really difficult.

[358] But that's your job.

[359] Well, you know what I have to do for myself.

[360] The very first thing I have to tell myself is this is for the audience that loves this show.

[361] And they are entitled to this show in the same way I'm entitled to Master of None.

[362] Like this, there is no high watermark of what, it's just what people like.

[363] Right.

[364] Yeah.

[365] It's for the fans of the show.

[366] And it's also for you.

[367] Like, you need to feel good about your work.

[368] Yeah.

[369] I remember talking to someone about reviews.

[370] I did this show for Netflix called Friends from College that I really liked when the first season came out, like the reviews were not good at all.

[371] Not ideal.

[372] Not ideal.

[373] And Nick Stoller, who wrote it and directed it and created it with his wife, Francesca, he was super bummed about it.

[374] I'm like, we liked the show.

[375] Yeah.

[376] Like, That's all you can control.

[377] I feel like I'm broken enough to not believe anything good that anyone says or writes about me. Sure.

[378] But I'm not so broken that I'll only believe the bad.

[379] Right.

[380] Do you what I mean?

[381] Yeah, absolutely.

[382] So it's all just noise, the good and the bad.

[383] Yep.

[384] And at the end of the day, it's how do you feel about the work?

[385] I'll go even beyond that.

[386] My place now is, how did I feel making it?

[387] Fuck the result.

[388] Right.

[389] Fuck how it turned out.

[390] It's over.

[391] Did I have an awesome five days on set of that thing?

[392] Because that's my life.

[393] I'm not going to be 80 years old watching fucking shit I did.

[394] I'm going to be thinking back on my time on set.

[395] Right.

[396] I remember auditioning and it was unconscious and only later that I realized why I did it.

[397] And then I did it consciously.

[398] I'd walk out of the room and the nearest trash can I would throw out the script.

[399] Not that I was angry or pissed, but it's just like it's over now.

[400] All you're fretting, did I get it?

[401] Did they like me?

[402] Am I going to get a call back?

[403] What am I going to say?

[404] The only thing you can control is you prepare for the work and did you do a good job?

[405] Yeah.

[406] And once you walk out, it's over.

[407] You leave it behind you.

[408] And do you think that just has come with having been in this business now for 31 years?

[409] Is it something that just over time you can right size the stakes?

[410] No. I mean, I still feel like my current job is my last one ever.

[411] Yeah, yeah.

[412] But as far as the perspective of the reviews on the Netflix show.

[413] Oh, yeah, yeah.

[414] Is that just time served or effort you put into that point of view?

[415] I think it's, yeah, the work that you kind of do to stay sane.

[416] I think that at the end of the day, you know, you go to sleep at night, it's you in your bed and your head with your head and, you know, your spouse, your siblings, your parents, your best friend, whatever that circle is.

[417] But you don't want to let the circle of approval be too wide.

[418] Yes, it's not healthy.

[419] But, yeah, I think, you know, you're so quiet.

[420] I feel like I listen to the show.

[421] I'm so into the show and I'm getting now self -conscious.

[422] No. It's, you know what it is?

[423] It's a bad layout.

[424] It's not your fault.

[425] But I just feel like I listen to this show.

[426] I'm a fan and I enjoy your interjections and I don't know if I'm, you know, there's a part of me that's like, oh, I'm killing it.

[427] I don't need the help.

[428] I love it.

[429] There's that.

[430] Like me and that's just vibe it and it's hard to get in.

[431] Or you're just like planning your day and they're horrified.

[432] I'm here.

[433] I'll tell you the truth.

[434] I want to know because I enjoy the show.

[435] I'm a fan.

[436] I enjoy when you take part.

[437] Thank you.

[438] I'll tell you the truth about this specific interview.

[439] We have an hour.

[440] Oh, you're stressed about time.

[441] So I'm a little bit like, no, it has nothing to with you being late.

[442] You're punishing me. I'm mad at you.

[443] I'm mad at you.

[444] No, no, I just don't want to take up any space because the space is very valuable today.

[445] And I'm also thinking ahead of what we're going to keep and what we're not going to keep.

[446] So you're editing right now in your head.

[447] I am a little stressed out that he hasn't talked at all about your...

[448] Yeah, we're getting there.

[449] That was going to be right now.

[450] I'm just getting nervous, you know?

[451] Right, right, right.

[452] That's what's happening.

[453] There's nothing to do with you.

[454] Time is valuable, but I would argue that your audition, you know, is part of that value.

[455] Thank you.

[456] That's very nice to say.

[457] Yeah, oh, 100%.

[458] Well, you're editing it now in your head and what do you do?

[459] Well, I just'm like, oh, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, but I was very late today.

[460] It's okay.

[461] It's really apologize.

[462] You had an eye appointment.

[463] It was important.

[464] Yeah.

[465] But I was thinking of you guys, they were like, oh, do you want to put that stuff that dilate your pupils, you know?

[466] I was like, no. I've got a podcast to record.

[467] I want to have my wits about it.

[468] I wish you came in with manhole cover eyes.

[469] I know my conclusion would be like, oh, wow, Fred does come.

[470] And he has really kept it on the rails for years.

[471] Okay, so the things that I know you and I both want to talk about because of the theme of our show in general.

[472] Yes.

[473] We're endlessly fascinated by identity.

[474] And really, it's a self -imposed thing you give yourself.

[475] And then in rare situations, you become a public figure and is also then imposed on you by the outside.

[476] And, of course, you had this incredibly unique, literally there's a dozen people we could that you're in this club yeah yeah in my lifetime yeah where you were 10 years old and you get on a show well first you get in princess bride which is incredible and then you get on this show and you become a famous 10 year old and I imagine like Bateman who was in here he said you know at one time my name was a great asset and then for many many years my name was something I had to overcome and it's such a peculiar fascinating interest dynamic to have lived through.

[477] It's true.

[478] It's true.

[479] And although you mentioned Prince of the Bride real quick, when you talk about the noise and reviews and all that stuff, that was one, it was panned.

[480] Really?

[481] And I don't know a single person who wouldn't put that movie in their top 20.

[482] No, now it's like this iconic thing.

[483] And I feel like I can talk about it because I was just a small part of it.

[484] But like, it's a huge iconic thing that people share with their kids.

[485] Seth Green, I went to his wedding and we watched it immediately after the ceremony.

[486] We went straight into a movie theater and watched the Princess Bride.

[487] But so people's opinions, even now, there's.

[488] They're so knee -jerk.

[489] They're so fast.

[490] They're so instant.

[491] And time just kind of lets it all.

[492] It all kind of...

[493] The truth kind of rises to the top.

[494] People throw these rocks in the water, whether it's great or bad.

[495] Yeah.

[496] And then just the ripples just kind of settle.

[497] And then it doesn't really matter.

[498] You're from Chicago.

[499] From Chicago.

[500] And you somehow convince your parents, I guess, to move out here?

[501] I started acting in commercials when I was a kid in Chicago.

[502] Auditions being held to the local community center, hot dog commercial.

[503] Went there with my friends, you know, our moms took us not to break into show business but just something different like instead of the park you know that day we went to go to this cool fun bit of hollywood in our small town yeah didn't get the job which was fine wasn't even aware of it and then the six months later the same director called me for another audition and this time it was downtown oh which was like a big deal like there was a bit of a drive and so i went down and nothing came of it and not the same director called me about six months later and said oh we want fred to come for one more audition and we didn't know anything about showbiz my mom's like look we've been to two of these things it's for the we didn't know if you auditioned like forever It's going to happen.

[504] Yeah, we've done two.

[505] This is enough, enough.

[506] And we'll just ask Fred.

[507] And it happened to be for Pac -Man vitamins.

[508] And this was like 1982.

[509] Jesus.

[510] And it was the biggest thing in the world.

[511] I think I may remember that.

[512] It's on YouTube.

[513] It's on YouTube, which is crazy.

[514] My first job ever, you can find it.

[515] And it's amazing.

[516] I watch that.

[517] I'm like, I can't believe that launched this.

[518] So I heard Pac -Man vitamins.

[519] Oh, my, of course I got to go.

[520] Let's go.

[521] And I got that job.

[522] And I really enjoyed it.

[523] Chicago now is, you know, like L .A. or New York.

[524] But then it was very.

[525] small and there were a lot of ad agencies you know leo b b bdio were all in right chicago yeah and so there was a lot of commercial work being done but not a ton of people and so unless john hughes was making a movie and so just became one of these kids that worked a lot and were you aware of the fact that you were making good money was that on your radar at that age like i can't fucking buy any big wheel i want no no no never i remember i got a job and i think it was like a sears catalog i got paid three hundred And I remember I went to Toys R Us.

[526] I got Defender.

[527] I got an Atari.

[528] And my parents, I told someone I made $300.

[529] And they're like, never again.

[530] And I never knew about money.

[531] You probably made $80 ,000 off that Pac -Man commercial, and you don't even know.

[532] Yeah, I'm just swimming in that palace, you know.

[533] So no, I never was aware of money.

[534] I was never aware of anything.

[535] I just, I really enjoyed it.

[536] I really did.

[537] And my parents saw that.

[538] So they encouraged it.

[539] You had nine years of anonymity.

[540] And so I was six.

[541] I was six when I did that Pac -Man by this commercial.

[542] Okay, but I'm talking now Wonder Years.

[543] Oh, so yeah.

[544] So Wonder Years, I was like 11.

[545] Okay.

[546] So you had 10 years of what I'll put in quotes a real life.

[547] Sure.

[548] And so.

[549] People say that.

[550] Like, do you have a normal child?

[551] I'm like, what is that?

[552] Yeah.

[553] What is, I mean, did you?

[554] Right.

[555] No such thing.

[556] Yeah.

[557] Well, lots of violence and stuff.

[558] Is that normal?

[559] Yeah, exactly.

[560] So, I mean, it was definitely public.

[561] I'll grant everyone that.

[562] But it was my childhood, you know.

[563] But when you went places as an 11 -year -old, 12 -year -old, if you go to the mall, Beverly Center, wherever the fuck you got your shit at.

[564] Galleria, I was a kid.

[565] Okay, great, great.

[566] Sherman Oaks Galleria.

[567] Sure.

[568] When you went there, you know, adult human beings probably said hi to you and stuff.

[569] And I think that's the part we're all probably focusing on in our minds is like, I just imagined me when I was 11, all I wanted was a Honda Sprie.

[570] And if I went to AECO Hardware and half the people in there said hi to me, Because they liked my show.

[571] It's very hard to comprehend.

[572] It's just weird to say it.

[573] I never felt overwhelmed or scared.

[574] I felt like, and I still feel this way now.

[575] I'll tell my wife, she's like, oh, I went to the store.

[576] They were not nice.

[577] I'm like, they were great.

[578] Like, are you an idiot?

[579] Yeah.

[580] I'm like, I walked in.

[581] I feel like I knew everybody.

[582] You know, everyone said hi.

[583] Yeah.

[584] I'm willing to help me. And she's like, you're a moron.

[585] Yeah.

[586] A, she's completely right.

[587] Yeah.

[588] And I think that I really mean it.

[589] It was always so positive.

[590] Everywhere I go, even when, like, I was working a lot as a kid and I didn't work as much, I'm working more now.

[591] Even in, like, the bit of the dip, you know, I went to college and I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do.

[592] There was still, I feel like when people would see me, there'd be like an immediate excitement.

[593] Or, like, I went to high school with him.

[594] Yes.

[595] They're like, I know him and I feel like I have a positive association.

[596] I can't put a finger on it, but, yeah, sure, I can get you a table at 8 .30.

[597] You know, whatever that is.

[598] Yeah.

[599] So growing up, we never took advantage of it.

[600] I remember the Man Valley Six on Ventura Boulevard in Tarzana.

[601] We always go see movies.

[602] That was our movie theater.

[603] And there was a line.

[604] And we were staying in the line.

[605] And the manager came out, oh, what are you doing?

[606] Come and come inside.

[607] And my dad was like, why?

[608] Oh.

[609] Well, you know, just, you know, he goes, no, we're okay.

[610] We're good.

[611] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[612] And there was never like celebrity.

[613] Like, I just feel like it was like people knew who I was and had this positive feeling.

[614] Your dad was successful, though, right?

[615] My dad was in real estate, broker and developer.

[616] So he probably made good money, yeah.

[617] Well, I was not in a situation sometimes when things go sideways for young actors.

[618] They are the earner for the family.

[619] And that pressure is put on their shoulders, like earn for the family.

[620] Like, I can't handle that pressure.

[621] I'm 43 years old.

[622] The pressure to, like, support my family is, like, keeps me up at night.

[623] Yes.

[624] So to put that on someone who's eight or nine or 10 or 15, I couldn't imagine.

[625] So I didn't have that pressure.

[626] I will also just say, if your dad had some amount of money and he could do nice things, It wasn't like you got pulled out of a trailer park and the whole family would be like, wait, we can go to the front of the...

[627] You know what I'm saying?

[628] There's something probably in the fact that your father had to accomplish some stuff and had some means that the experience wasn't like going to Disneyland.

[629] Yeah, my dad was like a really strong work ethic.

[630] It wasn't like a fancy guy.

[631] Is he dead?

[632] Yeah, he passed away like three years ago, four years ago.

[633] Oh, I'm in the Dead Dad Club too.

[634] Welcome.

[635] Yeah, you know, it's so funny.

[636] I remember calling a friend and asking about, like, hospice care?

[637] He said the exact same things.

[638] Like, oh, welcome.

[639] It's true.

[640] It sucks.

[641] Yeah.

[642] But he was really hard worker, you know, not super fancy, not extravagant.

[643] And so that's kind of how we grew up and how I approach work.

[644] But as far as, like, the fame or celebrity or whatever you want to call it, it was definitely around, but it never, like, penetrated.

[645] I never thought I was that special.

[646] Yeah, Monica and I were talking.

[647] I think, you know, because we'll go around the country and do live shows and we'll, like, we go into a Starbucks or whatever.

[648] And the person's like, oh, my God, what do you want?

[649] Right.

[650] And I have said, can you imagine if everyone was just treated like I'm treated?

[651] The world would be so happy.

[652] And also, oh, this is what hot girls have experienced their whole life.

[653] You know, it's so funny you say that.

[654] People ask me about it.

[655] There was a great 30 rock episode with John Hamm when just being handsome, just life just like 13 % easier.

[656] Yes, it does.

[657] That's how famous I am.

[658] I'm like a really handsome man. Or you're 6 '4.

[659] Yeah.

[660] Like just the presence is here.

[661] People are just like slightly more accommodating.

[662] It's not like, you know, security details and the restaurants are closed for you.

[663] Right.

[664] Everyone's sort of presenting their best version of themselves to you.

[665] Yeah.

[666] Yeah.

[667] Like, you know, maybe there is a large in the back.

[668] It's not all on the floor.

[669] Yeah.

[670] Maybe they'll take the extra effort to check in the back, you know?

[671] Yes.

[672] It's a little bit nicer.

[673] Yeah.

[674] Stay tuned for more armchair expert, if you dare.

[675] What's up, guys?

[676] This your girl Kiki, and my podcast is back with a new season, and let me tell you, it's too good.

[677] And I'm diving into the brains of entertainment's best and brightest, okay?

[678] Every episode, I bring on a friend and have a real conversation.

[679] And I don't mean just friends.

[680] I mean the likes of Amy Polar, Kell Mitchell, Vivica Fox, the list goes on.

[681] So follow, watch, and listen to Baby.

[682] This is Kiki Palmer on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcast.

[683] We've all been there.

[684] Turning to the internet to self -diagnose our inexplicable pains, debilitating body aches, sudden fevers and strange rashes.

[685] Though our minds tend to spiral to worst -case scenarios, it's usually nothing, but for an unlucky few, these unsuspecting symptoms can start the clock ticking on a terrifying medical mystery.

[686] Like the unexplainable death of a retired firefighter whose body was found at home by his son, except it looked like he had been cremated, or the time when an entire town started jumping from buildings and seeing tigers on their ceilings.

[687] Hey listeners, it's Mr. Ballin here, and I'm here to tell you about my podcast.

[688] It's called Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries.

[689] Each terrifying true story will be sure to keep you up at night.

[690] Follow Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries wherever you get your podcasts.

[691] Prime members can listen early and ad -free on Amazon Music.

[692] After Wonder Years, which just to throw it out there, you were nominated for two Emmys and two Golden Globes, and you were the youngest actor in history to have gotten those.

[693] So that's impressive.

[694] Now, at that time, did you have a someone you were striving to become?

[695] It was always Ron Howard.

[696] Yeah.

[697] I mean, that's definitely the path you took.

[698] Acting at a really young age, transitioning to a young adult actor, you know, going from Andy Griffith to happy days.

[699] Right.

[700] That was from, like, I don't know, three to 20.

[701] I mean, it was crazy.

[702] Yeah.

[703] And then starting to direct.

[704] Really quick, was it because you were laying it up, as we would say, or playing it safe?

[705] Like, you knew the best chess move for longevity would be to diversify your skill set.

[706] It was a genuine interest in directing, but I think the longevity of the career, I really admired.

[707] I knew at a young age, I loved being in show business.

[708] And I also was aware enough to know how tenuous that is, especially as a kid.

[709] Like, there's a shelf life to how old you are just because of the calendar.

[710] You turned out to be exactly as cute as you were on that show.

[711] Come on.

[712] Come on, no, you did.

[713] And some actors, the transition isn't as graceful.

[714] I thought a lot about that because it depends on what your commodity is.

[715] What's your superpower?

[716] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[717] What are you selling?

[718] You're selling your cuteness just because time passes.

[719] Like, you're not going to be that.

[720] It's got a shelf life.

[721] Or if, you know, I was never an ingenue or a hottie, you know.

[722] I don't know if you were aware of that.

[723] But I wasn't.

[724] But that has a shelf life.

[725] And I really lucked out, you know, just ending up on this show, you know, that was a really quality show and took like a broad view of life.

[726] I was able to kind of live in this space and play this character that it had a much wider scope.

[727] It wasn't just about this one being cute or being, like, that gap in your teeth is adorable.

[728] And that's why you're going to be in that commercial.

[729] Well, you had the very rare opportunity to be solely driving the narrative of a show at a young age.

[730] Generally, the kids on the show, and we're going to him 30 % of the time to be cute and funny, but you were actually our protagonist.

[731] And it was being told also from an adult, nostalgic looking back perspective, which gave you these other layers that probably wouldn't have been there without that construct.

[732] Yeah.

[733] And I think, I mean, look, there's definitely young actors way more talented than me that were in stuff or on shows that weren't as well written as the Wonder Years.

[734] I just lucked into that.

[735] But now these actors had to carry the mantle of like maybe not a great show, like it was their fault or something, but their talented actors.

[736] That was Bert Reynolds always complaint.

[737] He was like, listen, I'm not getting nominated for anything.

[738] I'm going away and shooting 30 -page scripts, smoking the band, and turning it into the biggest movie of the year.

[739] There's got to be a prize for that.

[740] I'm not sitting down with the Lawrence Casden script and this director.

[741] How are we doing?

[742] We're doing good.

[743] Everyone's doing great.

[744] Why do you make the decision to go to Stanford?

[745] First of all, it's impressive.

[746] You went to Stanford?

[747] Wow, I didn't know that.

[748] Monica and I are both.

[749] I'm very impressed by that.

[750] Oh, good.

[751] We're edgy -files.

[752] We're kind of obsessed with the potential status of that.

[753] We are.

[754] A, what made you decide to do that?

[755] B, how do you get into Stanford?

[756] Were you on the lacrosse team, fakily?

[757] I was a rower.

[758] A rower and a lacrosse player.

[759] No, college was always.

[760] You were always going to do it.

[761] Always.

[762] It was never a question.

[763] It was just for my family.

[764] Like, that's what you did.

[765] Also, in high school and starting to think about college, it was that Ron Howard like view of a career more than one person was like you're an idiot like why are you doing this yeah and I was like well kind of look at like a career 10 year chunks for a 40 year career like you're like China planning their economy 50 years out you know and also I'm not some hot body that was going to go in for you this body would wait for me at the end of college it really embraced me with open arms but I was like I should be able to take a few years off in the scheme of a whole career that's going to be a blip yeah and so it was never an issue whether or not I was going to go You have a powerful frontal lobe.

[766] At that age, I'd be like money, sex, and drugs, and that's the conduit to those things.

[767] I like that you're here saying this because sometimes Dax lumps every human into his own philosophy, and so it's good to have people.

[768] I relate much more to Lindsay Loham.

[769] Like, if you would have given me $8 million, I would have jumped a Ferrari off of Mulholland, high on Coke, engaged in a three -way while driving.

[770] Right.

[771] I didn't have access to any of those things.

[772] Or else I'd be.

[773] That's very tempting.

[774] And you majored in English?

[775] I majored in English.

[776] I knew I wanted to be a director, or at least wanted to try it, you know?

[777] And I just felt like I didn't want to go to film school because I felt like I've been on sets for so long.

[778] But I wanted to know storytelling.

[779] That was important to me. So I felt like studying English, you know, you're reading and studying and parsing like all these great stories.

[780] And so I did.

[781] I came away from there.

[782] I feel like knowing how to approach a text.

[783] Sure.

[784] And so I still use those skills when you look at a script about it.

[785] story and structure and character.

[786] Now, having been on TV, did that make the college experience easier or harder or both?

[787] Certainly, you're getting more attention from girls than you would otherwise.

[788] No, because college was a lot, like, you know, I was in and out of high school working, but college was what I would imagine high school, all the girls like the jocks.

[789] Oh, okay.

[790] Even though you had been on TV.

[791] Yeah, that's what I would, you sound just like me. Guys.

[792] What I was at?

[793] Yeah.

[794] But he plays water polo.

[795] I was like, ah, shoulders are so broad.

[796] I get it.

[797] They are.

[798] They're so athletic, those guys.

[799] But how I ended up at Stanford was, I don't know.

[800] I mean, I'm sure the TV thing played into that a little bit.

[801] Sure.

[802] But I was a good student.

[803] And I feel like, you know, I worked really hard in school.

[804] You know, I feel like that school, when I got there, everyone was extraordinary.

[805] You know, so my thing, that was my thing.

[806] Sure.

[807] But then my freshman year, like the guy next door, spent the summer cloning the tuberculosis gene to find a cure.

[808] Oh, sweet.

[809] And the guy on the other side of me was the world wiffleball champ.

[810] Oh.

[811] And Tiger Woods was in my freshman class.

[812] And Chelsea Clinton wasn't far behind.

[813] And Reese Witherspoon was in my class.

[814] All these people went to Stanford.

[815] I had no idea.

[816] Wait, hold on.

[817] Let's back up to Tiger Woods.

[818] Did you actually see him in class and shit?

[819] Yeah, we were friendly.

[820] You were friendly.

[821] He was awesome.

[822] Get out of here.

[823] But then he left after like sophomore year, I think.

[824] To go make $100 million a year.

[825] Unlike your profession, he would have been right to be playing golf.

[826] Yeah.

[827] When you're young.

[828] I think he won the Masters when we were freshmen.

[829] Oh, my God.

[830] Oh, my God.

[831] Now, was he pulling down a ton of attention from the females?

[832] Or still only water polo players?

[833] I think he was really real straight and narrow.

[834] Didn't go out.

[835] Oh.

[836] Didn't drink.

[837] Okay.

[838] And obviously there was a pressure release valve.

[839] Well, I was going to say that.

[840] He was very super focused guy.

[841] I see him as someone who was probably robbed of their childhood through the pursuit of that sport and then needed to go out and do all that stuff.

[842] Then, early bed, early to rise, didn't smoke pot, didn't drink a sip of liquor.

[843] Right.

[844] Like he was, and look what it, I mean, he's the, you know, greatest of all, the greatest ever.

[845] Yeah.

[846] I didn't know all these people went to Stanford.

[847] I know.

[848] Maybe we could go there.

[849] Let's go.

[850] Yeah.

[851] We were just talking about Stanford being the college we both thought was like the one to get into.

[852] It was great.

[853] I loved it.

[854] Yeah.

[855] It was great.

[856] That was the one we idolized the most because it was a free thinking Harvard.

[857] Did you go to college?

[858] UCLA.

[859] University of Georgia.

[860] So, I mean, do you feel like that mattered at all?

[861] Like where you went to school or?

[862] Yeah, not at all.

[863] Does it, your life today, would it be different if you'd gone somewhere?

[864] Like, I don't know.

[865] Maybe my life wouldn't be different, but I have felt more tremendous pride for having gone there and graduated than any other probably accomplishment in my life.

[866] The fact you went to and graduated college, you're from that specific school, which I had also held up.

[867] In a high school.

[868] As a dyslexic kid who didn't learn to read till fifth grade, it held a real significance to me to have gone there and gotten honors and all that stuff.

[869] That's amazing.

[870] Like, I gave the commencement speech a couple.

[871] You did?

[872] Last year.

[873] For the Anthro Department.

[874] Wow.

[875] And I tried to say out loud that I was proud to have gone there.

[876] And then I completely couldn't talk for about 12 seconds.

[877] Or I would have completely started bawling.

[878] Did you cry?

[879] Yeah, I was like totally caught in my voice.

[880] I felt I spoke, maybe that as prestigious.

[881] I spent my high school graduation a couple years ago.

[882] Very meaningful to me. Very meaningful to me. Yeah.

[883] When I speak in public, I get very emotional.

[884] Very emotional.

[885] Yeah, I guess the stakes are just high.

[886] It's like when you're in the airplane, you know your life's in danger and you cry at movies easier.

[887] Oh, that's interesting.

[888] This is Monica informed me of this.

[889] Yeah, that's my theory.

[890] Based on some science.

[891] Yeah.

[892] Let's also just say publicly, we love Rob McElhenney.

[893] Oh, the best.

[894] The best, right?

[895] Yeah, great.

[896] The best.

[897] Oh, we met at their wedding.

[898] That's right.

[899] That's where I first met you.

[900] Boy, you guys can cut a rug.

[901] Oh, thank you.

[902] I tore my suit at that wedding.

[903] You earned everywhere.

[904] I ripped the crotch right out and then my dick and balls were hanging out in my underwear, mind you, but it was just a full fucking shlong hanging out at the end of that.

[905] I didn't see your penis which now I feel short change but your moves on the dance floor.

[906] You guys are amazing.

[907] Thank you so much.

[908] I brag all the time on here about being a good dancer and I bet people are probably wondering if I'm exaggerating because I exaggerate about most of my accomplishments.

[909] I can vouch for it.

[910] Thank you so much.

[911] Now knowing what you were working against, I can only imagine if you were properly but it's sweatpants on?

[912] Yeah, if you were properly hammered.

[913] A hammered, drop, crotch.

[914] Holstered, yeah, people were probably holstered.

[915] I can't, oh, boy, the heights you could have swore to.

[916] But when I met you, I went through what I assume most people go through, which is, oh, God, that's Fred Savage from Wonder Years.

[917] And he's an adult now.

[918] And he directs Rob's show.

[919] So he must be good, because Rob's a perfectionist.

[920] For me, there's a 45 -second processing of everything.

[921] Oh, that's cool.

[922] Oh, he grew up to be a nice person.

[923] You know, I want to walk away with some conclusion about you.

[924] It was all positive.

[925] It was all very positive.

[926] And then we just bumped into each other going to the up fronts in New York because we were both promoting shows and you have a new show.

[927] I was so excited to sit next to you by me. Me too.

[928] And you told me about your show then and I immediately thought it was a brilliant idea.

[929] Tell everyone the concept because it's really, really a good concept.

[930] It's called What Just Happened.

[931] And the concept is it's an after show, you know, like talking dead or watch what happens.

[932] it's an after show for a show that doesn't exist.

[933] Isn't that, Monica, the best premise?

[934] Yeah.

[935] There's a whole industry of shows that talk about the popular show that was on.

[936] So Walking Dead is a huge show.

[937] And then Talking Dead became a huge show.

[938] Massive show.

[939] Yes, Game of Thrones had a follow -up show.

[940] And there's all these follow -up shows to others.

[941] Yeah.

[942] It's a genre now.

[943] It's a genre of the after show.

[944] And so we are doing a show for a show that doesn't exist.

[945] What's the name of the fake show?

[946] It's called The Flair.

[947] Ooh, I'm already interested.

[948] And Ziegers is the star of the flare?

[949] Ziegers is the star of the flare.

[950] He plays a character named Chester Hastings.

[951] And the Flair, of course, was based on a series of books by T .J. Whitford.

[952] It was written in the 50s.

[953] And like so many things written then, it was kind of an allegory for the Red Scare, the terrified people based on the series of books.

[954] And we came up with this whole mythology.

[955] And so the first, like, you know, two minutes of each episode is the last scene of that week's episode of the Flair.

[956] And so it always ends in some moment of, you know, great suspense or trauma.

[957] Yeah.

[958] And then it minimizes in the corner of the screen and it cuts to us on stage, go, what just happened?

[959] That was incredible.

[960] And I never talk about it.

[961] Such a good idea.

[962] So, and because you can only talk about something that doesn't exist for so long, then it would become just a basically, it's basically just a more interesting way or a different way to get into like a traditional late -night talk show.

[963] Talk show, right?

[964] We have a band, co -host.

[965] And you have a guest, come on, right?

[966] Rob Lowe was on and Tiffany Haddish and Ken Jung and Joel McAil and Eric Stone Street.

[967] Vince Gilligan came on.

[968] Oh, wow.

[969] We've terrific guests.

[970] So here's the tricky balance, I would imagine.

[971] It's not unlike Colbert's original show, which where is...

[972] You're playing a version.

[973] Yeah, he's playing right wing, but we know he's left wing.

[974] And then the guests are largely left wing, but then the guests are forced to treat him as if he really is a right -wing person.

[975] Yes.

[976] Which is interesting.

[977] I feel like when I'm doing it and giving interviews, because I'm like a super fan.

[978] Like, I'm so into the books that I have a speech in the opening up.

[979] I read the books as a kid and I was super lonely because I moved to L .A. from Chicago because I was working on the Wonder Years.

[980] Okay.

[981] They didn't have a lot of friends.

[982] These books came to mean so much.

[983] Oh, so it's so meta.

[984] It's grossing in and out.

[985] It's really me. And they made this show and I get torn because sometimes I deviate from the books.

[986] And we have these guests on.

[987] And there's times where the interview will just be like a straight interview.

[988] And other times people really want to play into it.

[989] We borrow a lot from, you know, early Letterman or Conan.

[990] We do like remote pieces and comedy bits out in the field.

[991] Right.

[992] So we're kind of kind of come up with this new way to do a show.

[993] We're figuring it out.

[994] If we aired a couple episodes on Sunday nights, we want to just try and establish like a baseline.

[995] Like our first few episodes, like, here's the baseline.

[996] Now, like, can we grow it?

[997] You know, can we grow an audience?

[998] Can we get people?

[999] Because it's a different kind of show.

[1000] Yes.

[1001] If you want to anticipate what you think the show is going to be, we're not going to reach the bar that you've created in your head for the show you think we are.

[1002] Right.

[1003] But if you get along for the ride and kind of embrace it, I think over the course of the first season, people will kind of get what we're doing and get into it.

[1004] because it's really fun.

[1005] Well, it sounds very positive.

[1006] It's like sincerely energetic and excited.

[1007] It's all about like embracing fandom.

[1008] Yeah.

[1009] There's a few different shows that are our favorite shows, Monica and I's.

[1010] What are your shows?

[1011] But, you're big shows.

[1012] Well, Fleabag bag, but that's a given.

[1013] We're obsessed with Fleabagbag.

[1014] But the one I want to give the example of is the Patriot.

[1015] Do you watch The Patriot?

[1016] No. It is the best fucking show.

[1017] It's really good.

[1018] There's two seasons of it and it's on Amazon Prime.

[1019] I have to tell everyone I recommend to watch it, give it three episodes.

[1020] Yeah.

[1021] Because it takes three for your body to accept the tone.

[1022] Yeah.

[1023] Because at first you're like, is this a comedy or is this like an espionage show?

[1024] And you're not sure when you're supposed to laugh and when you're supposed to be scared and all that.

[1025] But all of a sudden, once you settle into what is a completely original tone, you're like, this is the most original thing.

[1026] I've watched in years.

[1027] And then you're off to the races and you can't stop watching.

[1028] I think three episodes is a good...

[1029] You're talking about Fleabag.

[1030] I remember watching the first episode of Fleabag and she looked in the camera.

[1031] I'm like, oh, she's doing Ferris Bueller.

[1032] I'm out.

[1033] I'm out.

[1034] And I'm like, I'll watch a couple episodes.

[1035] And then, of course, it's the most amazing, emotional, heartfelt, honest thing, and it's just poetry.

[1036] And I think if you recognize it right away, you might still like it, but it's not going to push you.

[1037] It's not, because it'll just feel familiar.

[1038] Some episodes feels right.

[1039] Because there are those shows, I don't know if you have those shows, but people will say, like, watch it.

[1040] It doesn't get good until, like, halfway through the second season.

[1041] You've got to watch the first 20.

[1042] You're going to be glad that you did.

[1043] I can't.

[1044] No, come on, man. I've heard that so much.

[1045] Yeah, the first 10 are agony.

[1046] But at 12, you're can't.

[1047] It's like, I have kids, man. I can't.

[1048] Yeah.

[1049] But three sounds fair.

[1050] And it allows you to try and get used to the water.

[1051] You know, like when you dive in, like, you got to just get used to the water.

[1052] Yes.

[1053] And, but I think we're doing something really different.

[1054] You know, there's jobs that you have and you do and throughout your career.

[1055] If someone gives you the reins of something and says, like, go make a show.

[1056] You know, go do something.

[1057] I want to just.

[1058] try and do something different.

[1059] Sure, yeah, yeah.

[1060] I want to do something that excites me and that scares me and that challenges me and not to turn my nose up at anything because I love all the job.

[1061] I mean, we've talked about it.

[1062] Like, I want to try and emotionally find some connection to every job.

[1063] But when those rare opportunities, when they're like, here you go, here are the keys, I want to try and do something.

[1064] And clearly with your writing and your films and even just doing this, like you're making something that's uniquely yours and it's speaking to people, which has got to be the most gratifying thing in the world.

[1065] For the first time, I think.

[1066] That's got to be the most gratifying thing.

[1067] It's like, this is incredibly personal.

[1068] It's all yours.

[1069] It's sprung from you.

[1070] Like, that's got to be the greatest feeling in the world.

[1071] No, this thing is like the greatest thing to ever happen to me. It's, yeah, it's the most fulfilling.

[1072] It's the most pleasurable.

[1073] It's the most effortless.

[1074] It's the most rewarding.

[1075] It's incredible.

[1076] You know, I'm sure if it was someone else's thing that they plugged you into, it it'd feel great too.

[1077] Yeah.

[1078] But there's something knowing that this is on your terms, that you made it happen.

[1079] Like, that's how I feel about this show.

[1080] Well, if people respond to it, that's amazing.

[1081] And if they don't, at least you're like, well, at least I did something that I can feel proud about.

[1082] Created the show with two other guys.

[1083] You know, I'm a writer on the show.

[1084] I'm hosting the show.

[1085] I'm executive producer of the show.

[1086] So I'm editing it.

[1087] And it's a lot of me. It's a lot of me. It's hard to watch yourself.

[1088] There's a lot of like psychological gymnastics I have to do to sit there.

[1089] Like when I used to just act in things and I'd watch it, I would have this really bizarre critique of the whole thing.

[1090] But when I was just editing myself, I saw myself.

[1091] right size, which is, I'm just a cog in this machine.

[1092] And the machine has to function.

[1093] So my ego, for the first time ever, probably, while editing my own performance, got right size.

[1094] I think that's kind of where I've gotten to is like, you're just a cog in the wheel.

[1095] Yes.

[1096] Anything about me like, oh, I don't, I'm not good.

[1097] I don't know.

[1098] I didn't look good.

[1099] Or any self -aggrandizement.

[1100] Oh, that was great.

[1101] That's got to go on the show.

[1102] I killed that.

[1103] We got to keep that.

[1104] David Sedaris, when we had him on, he said that when he goes back and reads through, if anything stands out that he thinks is really great, he cuts it out.

[1105] He kills it, yeah.

[1106] Yeah, because he's like, it's too precious then.

[1107] I feel like, yeah, if you could step back and just see it as like just a cog in the wheel or something, it's much better.

[1108] Fred, you're awesome.

[1109] I really hope you'll come back and just stay for two or three hours.

[1110] This was great.

[1111] Honestly, like I said, I'm a fan of the show.

[1112] I love what you guys are doing.

[1113] I was thrilled to be seated next to a good weirdo.

[1114] Uh -huh.

[1115] Yeah.

[1116] I always sit next to some weirdo on the plane, but this is a good one.

[1117] Now, just quick question before you go.

[1118] Had the flight attendant come on the loudspeaker and said, both pilots are incapacitated.

[1119] One of the passengers is going to have to fly.

[1120] Are there any pilots?

[1121] And then no one's hands goes up.

[1122] Now we're just selecting from the folks.

[1123] Would you have felt confident with me trying to land the plane?

[1124] You landing the plane?

[1125] Yes.

[1126] All the random people on the plane.

[1127] But would, okay, answer.

[1128] Because this is a longstanding debate between Monica and I. I got to tell you something.

[1129] Yeah.

[1130] I mean, not jets, but I'm a pilot.

[1131] I can fly a plane.

[1132] Oh, okay.

[1133] I can fly a plane.

[1134] Well, you would have had to put your hand up then.

[1135] I would have had to put my...

[1136] But I will say, as a pilot, even as a pilot, I would have no idea how to operate those kinds of planes.

[1137] They're very automated.

[1138] I feel like, yes, I think you are a gearhead to some extent.

[1139] So I think that is good.

[1140] I think you communicate well, which is very important over the radios.

[1141] And I think that you have enough arrogance to think you can do it.

[1142] 100 % But enough humility to know you need a little help Yes The scale is still tipped a bit In the arrogant side But yeah To your point You need to be a little cocky You need to be a little cocky Because who's gonna grab that stick The yoke So you have the yoke Yeah the yoke right But you also have the humility Like you know you're gonna need Some help I think you would land that plane Here's a difference You're an actual pilot And you're saying I'm an actual pilot And I don't think I could do that That's having some good knowledge of yourself in the world And he's saying he wants to just do it without even me being like, what kind of skills do people have on the plane?

[1143] No, no, I don't think I couldn't do it.

[1144] I'm saying that even as a pilot, I don't think I'm any more qualified than Dax to land.

[1145] Oh, wow, that's a big...

[1146] I think we bring similar skill sets, but I believe that, yes, just by virtue of his hand going...

[1147] If your hand went up, yeah, you can land that plane because you think you can.

[1148] Oh, the way.

[1149] The person has to think they can.

[1150] Fred, thank you so much for arguing in my favor.

[1151] This will be ongoing and we'll tell it up at the end of the year.

[1152] Fred Savage, I wish you so much luck, and your show is on on Sundays.

[1153] What just happened?

[1154] What time?

[1155] 9 .30, 8 .30 Central.

[1156] 9 .38 Central on Fox Television.

[1157] Thanks for coming and come back.

[1158] It's a pleasure.

[1159] Thank you for having me. Stay tuned for more armchair expert, if you dare.

[1160] And now my favorite part of the show, the fact check with my soulmate Monica Padman.

[1161] We're going to have fun, fun, fun, till Monty checks.

[1162] those facts in the sun.

[1163] I got sun on the brain because it's hot as balls out.

[1164] It is.

[1165] It's sunny in Los Angeles.

[1166] It is.

[1167] You love it.

[1168] You're in heaven.

[1169] Yeah, it's my favorite weather.

[1170] You're a sun worshipper.

[1171] You would have done great in Egypt.

[1172] I would have.

[1173] Yeah.

[1174] Wasn't Raw the Sun God?

[1175] Is Ra the Sun God?

[1176] Well, it's with Rod the Sun God.

[1177] Today I was sitting out and I did get a little too sweaty for comfort so I had to move.

[1178] Which I don't like doing.

[1179] And the attic is a nice stagnant 97 degrees right now.

[1180] We got the AC going, but boy, it's a hard, big ship to turn around, if you know what I mean.

[1181] Yeah.

[1182] Do you feel like I do that your temperature has a huge impact on your mood?

[1183] Oh, sure.

[1184] If it's too cold, I just can't be happy or nice to people.

[1185] If it's too hot, kind of the same thing.

[1186] But what would you pick?

[1187] Because I know what I'd pick.

[1188] I go back and forth when I'm in squeltering heat, I think I would rather have.

[1189] have it be freezing and vice versa.

[1190] But I would prefer heat.

[1191] I'd prefer cold because I can always layer up.

[1192] There's a certain point when it's hot.

[1193] There's nothing to do.

[1194] You get down to your birthday suit and you're still sweating.

[1195] What the fuck's next?

[1196] That's true.

[1197] But if you're layered up but your face and your hands and stuff are still exposed, you can still be freezing.

[1198] Mm -hmm.

[1199] I've experienced that.

[1200] You've been freezing with it all bundled up down there in Georgia, that harsh Georgia winter.

[1201] I've been in other places.

[1202] I know you used to ski at fancy resorts with your friends.

[1203] Exactly.

[1204] You're uncomfortable because you're in a huge suit.

[1205] Padded suit.

[1206] So you fall down and not get hurt.

[1207] It's really conducive to getting drunk because you really run no risk of taking a flight of stairs the wrong way.

[1208] That's true.

[1209] That's a glass half full.

[1210] It sure is.

[1211] Fred Savage would have loved to have more time with him, to be honest.

[1212] Oh, man. I was stressed out.

[1213] He noticed, which was so nice that he noticed.

[1214] I left that.

[1215] We're tignalling.

[1216] Well, he noticed I was being very quiet.

[1217] And I was being very quiet because I was thinking, but we're not getting to the meat of Fred Savage.

[1218] There's a Fred Savage meat.

[1219] Right, right.

[1220] And time was just ticking.

[1221] And we were only on like the rye bread.

[1222] Time was just ticking and ticking.

[1223] We only had an hour and I was panic.

[1224] Yeah, you were a little panicked.

[1225] Yeah.

[1226] So I want him to come back.

[1227] We're going to have to do a part two with him so we can get more.

[1228] I'll do it.

[1229] I'll do it.

[1230] He is very fun to talk to him.

[1231] He was lovely.

[1232] Just said he had a crush on him Oh really?

[1233] Yeah I was about to ask you the same thing And then I thought you don't love when I do that Well I definitely don't love it when you ask in front of them Yeah that's not the ideal time or place To do that Thank you for learning Yes slowly Yeah he has some rhythm Oh yeah good Yeah He's got a very disarming humility to him Right?

[1234] Which is more impressive because he's been doing this for so long I would excuse some level of arrogance from somebody like that because I would just feel like, you know what, they really can't help it.

[1235] They've been living in this world.

[1236] They've been in a bubble for 30 years.

[1237] Yeah.

[1238] They don't know anything else.

[1239] But he is not like that.

[1240] No, not at all.

[1241] Down to Earth, lovely.

[1242] Reminded me of Josh Hutcherson in that way.

[1243] Absolutely.

[1244] Another child actor that chose the right lane.

[1245] You know, for every horror story, there's, you know, several that navigated it just fine.

[1246] Yeah, exactly.

[1247] I wish we'd talked a little bit about his brother, Ben Savage.

[1248] I was a huge fan of because of Boy Meets World.

[1249] That was prime.

[1250] Disney programming for you.

[1251] Yeah, but not even, was it Disney?

[1252] I don't think it was.

[1253] I think it was.

[1254] I would watch.

[1255] Yeah.

[1256] I think Fred directed those.

[1257] I mean, I shouldn't be introducing new facts, but I think I saw in his credits that he directed at Boy Meets.

[1258] God, I can't wait to talk about that in part two.

[1259] Yeah, how good.

[1260] It's warm in here.

[1261] I'm very close to having to take my top off.

[1262] All right.

[1263] Just do it.

[1264] You owe a few pennies in the jar.

[1265] You've complained about the heat a few times.

[1266] Oh, but that was not my.

[1267] Oh, that was my.

[1268] Yes, it was.

[1269] That's not what I was thinking about when I thought about it.

[1270] I was thinking more of the good things in my life that I complain about.

[1271] Sure.

[1272] The heat in this addict is not one of the good things in my life.

[1273] Is it?

[1274] Or is it?

[1275] It is.

[1276] This is your job.

[1277] You have a great job and you're complaining about the heat.

[1278] I'm not complaining about the job.

[1279] I'm complaining about the temperature at the job.

[1280] Okay.

[1281] Interesting that you have that like caveat.

[1282] Caviote.

[1283] Yes.

[1284] Well, when I made my New Year's resolution, I knew specifically the thing I wanted to stop doing and that was undercutting my good luck because I was embarrassed that I have good fortune.

[1285] Yeah.

[1286] Yeah.

[1287] But it's generally good to cut all the complaint.

[1288] Negative complaints.

[1289] Couldn't agree more.

[1290] If I had to sort the people in my life and rank who's the most negative who complains the most, you wouldn't be at the top.

[1291] So don't worry.

[1292] good.

[1293] I was nervous before that sentence concluded.

[1294] I was like, where she going with this?

[1295] Could have gone either way.

[1296] My number one, sure.

[1297] Could have gone either way.

[1298] No, not even close.

[1299] But we were all just on a beach for two weeks.

[1300] Topless, so I feel like this is fine in the workplace because we already did it.

[1301] That's true.

[1302] Yeah.

[1303] Okay.

[1304] That's true.

[1305] Here we go.

[1306] I'm back.

[1307] We've been basically nude for two weeks.

[1308] We have.

[1309] We've been scantily clad.

[1310] We have a friendship that predated our work relationship.

[1311] I do wonder like when companies take these retreats and these coworkers, you've known for five years and all of a sudden you're seeing them in swimwear and you're like wow I didn't realize Dan had a eggplant in his pants and an egg pump oh well okay yeah six pack or the great delts yeah or whatever I just went straight to the most problematic observation well of course she knows that he has a penis no but I said an eggplant that's a robust penile I think you'd be more surprised by the body and shoulders yeah sure sure because that's a under all your button -ups.

[1312] That's true.

[1313] But I wonder if it's just in general now, it's ill -advised for those retreats to take place somewhere where swimwear will be.

[1314] I bet so.

[1315] As we evolve, in quotes, evolve.

[1316] I think it's great to get the employees out at the beach and just everyone bounce around, splash in the water, play a little volleyball, maybe knock back some coronis or some heinis.

[1317] None of this is appropriate.

[1318] None of it's a good idea for longevity in a Fortune 500?

[1319] No. Okay.

[1320] Should we talk about what we watch this week, even though it's nothing to do with Fred Savage?

[1321] Yeah, I'd like to talk about a couple of things that have nothing to do with Fred Savage.

[1322] So let's say what we watch.

[1323] Okay, we watched Aziz's special.

[1324] Oh, my gosh.

[1325] Is it great?

[1326] Called right now.

[1327] It is so good.

[1328] He has found another gear.

[1329] Yeah.

[1330] I've watched it a few times.

[1331] A few times now.

[1332] Oh, wow.

[1333] I've only had the one viewing, but I love it.

[1334] And I was talking about today with the other thing I want to talk about that has nothing to do with Fred.

[1335] Okay.

[1336] To Lib Qualiz podcast, which I did this morning.

[1337] Oh, yeah.

[1338] Yeah.

[1339] I love talking to him.

[1340] Yeah.

[1341] I love talking to him.

[1342] He is a great host.

[1343] Great.

[1344] And he does great interesting research and just a very amazing conversational.

[1345] But I brought up to him, hey, have you seen it yet?

[1346] Because there's one area in particular, I'm so glad he tackled, which of course only he could tackle.

[1347] Or I could tackle.

[1348] You could tackle.

[1349] It can't be tackled by a white person, let's just say.

[1350] And that is kind of the patronizing, placating way in which white folks find a way to.

[1351] brag about how woke they are i thought that whole run was just delicious yeah yeah you would like that one the most i would because let's say i were a minority and all the majority said to me is like hey i really like billy joel he's a great piano player oh because he's white you're telling me this that whole all that stuff would get out my nerves i would rather have someone just being objectively hostile to me than condescending and placating.

[1352] That's way more of a trigger for me. Right.

[1353] Than just in your face hostility.

[1354] For me. Yeah.

[1355] I disagree.

[1356] Definitely agree that it's like, okay, I, okay, I know what you're doing.

[1357] Then you have to kind of pretend, like, I have to go with it.

[1358] That's not great.

[1359] Yeah, cool, because you see the intention is nice.

[1360] Exactly.

[1361] So that's why I prefer that, because at least the intention is nice and they are trying.

[1362] And I appreciate effort.

[1363] It easily swerves into pity in my book.

[1364] It's like, why are you talking like this in this bizarre way?

[1365] Yeah.

[1366] You don't talk.

[1367] I don't know.

[1368] I don't know.

[1369] I'm just, I love the way he broke it all down.

[1370] Yeah.

[1371] I really enjoyed it.

[1372] Among other things, he really killed a bunch of topics.

[1373] Yeah, it was, it was really good.

[1374] Back to Fred.

[1375] Back to Mr. Savage.

[1376] So he had that game show.

[1377] You couldn't remember the original name of it.

[1378] It's five to survive, which he did actually throw out there as one of the options.

[1379] He just couldn't remember.

[1380] Right.

[1381] And that it became child support.

[1382] Yep.

[1383] Child support.

[1384] Questionable title, we decided.

[1385] Yeah.

[1386] Okay, so I pulled up the Pac -Man vitamins commercial.

[1387] Oh, right.

[1388] In the children's vitamin game, this is today's leader.

[1389] Oh, here right.

[1390] But for moms who want to change the rules to no sugar and no additives, this is a bitter choice.

[1391] New Pac -Man, Children's Chewable multivitamin.

[1392] For no sugar, Pac -Man's better.

[1393] Flintstones is over 70 % sugar.

[1394] For no additives, Pac -Man is better.

[1395] They really put the target on that.

[1396] So for complete nutrition of 10 essential vitamins plus iron without sugar or additives.

[1397] Hello, Fred.

[1398] Hello, Bitman.

[1399] A better choice.

[1400] Oh, my.

[1401] I got to watch that part of the end again.

[1402] What a cutie pants.

[1403] Plus iron without sugar or additives.

[1404] Goodbye, Fred.

[1405] Hello, Pac -Man.

[1406] Goodbye, Fred.

[1407] Hello, Pac -Man?

[1408] Man is he cute.

[1409] Oh, undeniably adorable.

[1410] I think we should make a Hello Bellow Vitamins commercial where we're like, Pac -Man vitamins are terrible the way they did with the Fred Flintstones.

[1411] Well, clearly the Flintstones were leading in the vitamin world.

[1412] Yeah.

[1413] They might still be.

[1414] That's like Dr. Phil said, who do you tackle on the football field?

[1415] The guy with the ball.

[1416] Yeah, that's right.

[1417] That's right.

[1418] And the Flintstones had the ball, I guess.

[1419] Yeah, he did stay cute.

[1420] That's lucky.

[1421] Yes, it really is fortunate for him.

[1422] And I would argue rare.

[1423] I would argue, too.

[1424] I can't say who I'm thinking, but.

[1425] But I know you're thinking of.

[1426] Anyway, he's so cute, unlike some other not so privileged cases.

[1427] Right.

[1428] And I'm grateful because he's so nice.

[1429] Mm -hmm.

[1430] He deserved it.

[1431] He deserved it.

[1432] He really did.

[1433] What I really liked, because he said that he had a regrettable moment where he started directing kids shows and he felt like a little bit too good for it.

[1434] And then he found a way to sort of right -size -out, which I thought was awesome.

[1435] And of course you thought that.

[1436] Like, why wouldn't you think that?

[1437] You're a big star.

[1438] Anyone would think that.

[1439] And the fact that he had the wherewithal to have some acknowledgement that this isn't a good thing to think is so admirable.

[1440] Well, that's why we're talking to him is because when you don't have that attitude, you die.

[1441] You're too good for everything.

[1442] When you get humbled, as we all do, you get some setbacks, then you're just out.

[1443] Right.

[1444] Yeah.

[1445] You kind of see it.

[1446] There's been some actors who are like incredible.

[1447] You're like, where the fuck is that person?

[1448] They're still waiting to be in an inception.

[1449] They're not going to do anything but inception.

[1450] That just means they're not going to work.

[1451] Right.

[1452] Because they at one time had some clout.

[1453] Right.

[1454] And they just can't readjust.

[1455] Yeah.

[1456] Yeah.

[1457] It's true.

[1458] Now, me, I'll sell gardening equipment for true value hardware, whatever.

[1459] They'll do anything.

[1460] As the tide rises and falls, I'll just ride along with it.

[1461] Sure.

[1462] Yeah.

[1463] That's a good way to look at it.

[1464] Come on down to Burt's used cars.

[1465] Sorry, go ahead.

[1466] I think his perspective was perfect because it wasn't like, well, I'm in a rut, so I'll do it.

[1467] It was like, this is worthy, and I will find the truth in this.

[1468] It's Buddhism.

[1469] You take pride in your work, whatever your work is.

[1470] Yeah, exactly.

[1471] I don't think that's Buddhist.

[1472] I'm hoping.

[1473] At least it's positive.

[1474] So if I'm wrong, it's like, oh, darn, I accuse you guys of...

[1475] That's a good affirmation.

[1476] Yeah, yeah.

[1477] Okay, so he said Ron Howard went from Andy Griffith to Happy Days, and that was from age, basically from 3 to 20, that span.

[1478] So here's some math, okay?

[1479] So he was born in 1956, and then he did Andy Griffith in 1960.

[1480] Four.

[1481] Yep.

[1482] So he started when he was four.

[1483] That ran eight years.

[1484] Okay, so he's 12 when he got off of it.

[1485] Huh?

[1486] And then he got Happy Days in 1974.

[1487] Okay, so he's 18.

[1488] And then it ran 10 years.

[1489] 28.

[1490] Wow.

[1491] 18 to 28.

[1492] So really 4 to 28, roughly, with a four -year break between the two shows.

[1493] But he probably did other shows.

[1494] He was doing stuff in there, yeah.

[1495] Yeah.

[1496] Well, maybe he was launching Flintstones, vitamins.

[1497] He was darn cute on the Andy Griffith show.

[1498] He was, too.

[1499] Come if you can whistle with a dip in.

[1500] Well, yeah.

[1501] I'll tell everyone.

[1502] I can't whistle at all.

[1503] Either with your lips or your teeth.

[1504] Mm -mm.

[1505] Mm -mm.

[1506] How about your buns?

[1507] That I can do.

[1508] You called us edgophiles.

[1509] You made up that word.

[1510] Eddie file, yeah.

[1511] Educate.

[1512] You said a few things.

[1513] Anyway.

[1514] No such word.

[1515] There's no such word, and there really isn't a word that I could find that's people who are obsessed with universities.

[1516] Uh -huh.

[1517] There is.

[1518] Those people are just called snobs.

[1519] Yeah, probably.

[1520] But is it if we didn't go there?

[1521] That's true.

[1522] I don't think it is.

[1523] You're right.

[1524] Because it's like reverence.

[1525] It's not.

[1526] Oh, I went to Harvard.

[1527] Princeton was my second choice.

[1528] Yeah.

[1529] But a lover of learning and studying is a philomath.

[1530] Wait.

[1531] Oh, this is so interesting you bring this up.

[1532] Philomath?

[1533] Yeah.

[1534] So we were watching the Roger L's.

[1535] Showtime show, which we love with Russell Crow, the loudest voice.

[1536] So I emailed my buddy David Nevins at Showtime.

[1537] He's the president or the chairman or something.

[1538] And I just said, hey, love the show, miss you, hope you're well.

[1539] He wrote back, loving the podcast, something, something, you're a real polymath.

[1540] I was like, polymath, what fuck is that, looked it up.

[1541] So that's someone who is learned in many subjects.

[1542] Oh, cool.

[1543] And then I wrote back, I can't possibly be a polymath because I had to look up the word polymath.

[1544] Ah, that's funny.

[1545] So a philomath.

[1546] Yeah.

[1547] Really quick.

[1548] That's not, we don't love, we do love learning.

[1549] We are also phelomaths, but that doesn't describe this thing.

[1550] No, no, no, no. That's a separate thing that doesn't exist.

[1551] But we can make it up.

[1552] A uni something, I think it should be.

[1553] Unifile.

[1554] Yeah, unifile sounds great.

[1555] Okay.

[1556] Yeah.

[1557] Great.

[1558] We're unifiles.

[1559] Speaking of that, so he asked, we didn't really get to talk about it much.

[1560] But he asked, because we said we were obsessed with Stanford and all these and things.

[1561] And he said, well, do you think your life would have been better if you went there or if you went to school like that?

[1562] He was diplomatically, very diplomatically saying, do you think your life would have been better if you went to an Ivy League school like that?

[1563] That we are putting up on this pedestal.

[1564] Right.

[1565] And I said no immediately.

[1566] And I do stand by that because even when I have all these fantasies when we're like knee deep in our unified.

[1567] Unifiling?

[1568] Yeah.

[1569] Uh -huh.

[1570] I then think about my actual college experience, and I would never want to trade that in.

[1571] It was so perfect.

[1572] I think it's fair to say if you loved going to college, you probably would have loved going to any college.

[1573] I don't think so.

[1574] I do not think that I would have been just as happy at any college.

[1575] Why?

[1576] Because the experience at Georgia anyway is so unique.

[1577] To me, it feels so quintessential.

[1578] college like animal house sort of like the experience the football games right the everyone like rallying for one thing uh -huh so I'm grateful to have gone there and had that experience and like the downtown experience was like so fun and yeah I'm very grateful I had that you know I don't know I loved UCLA because I love the education I didn't have any fun on the campus I only made like two college friends because I was submerged in the comedy world and all my friends were comedians, and I was like four years older than everyone.

[1579] Yeah.

[1580] There's the only one riding a motorcycle there.

[1581] I lived way off campus.

[1582] So the whole campus aspect, I don't really have any nostalgia for.

[1583] Right.

[1584] That's my main level of nostalgia.

[1585] So for me, oh, well, yeah, I could have gone anywhere, I guess, where the instruction was good.

[1586] I want to list the three friends I made there.

[1587] Okay.

[1588] Alex Simcox.

[1589] Jason Delion, who we're going to interview, who's now a god darn professor at UCLA.

[1590] Right.

[1591] So exciting.

[1592] And then Christy Hoagay.

[1593] That's it.

[1594] Those are my three friends I made in two years there.

[1595] Okay.

[1596] You have about two dozen friends, right, you made in college?

[1597] Oh, more than that.

[1598] Even more, yeah.

[1599] Yeah, you really did it.

[1600] You did it.

[1601] Aren't you glad you weren't pursuing acting professionally at the same time?

[1602] It would have been so distracting.

[1603] Yes.

[1604] Ironically, yes, because I still was.

[1605] I was a theater major.

[1606] I wanted to be pursuing.

[1607] But there was no auditions for you to go on.

[1608] No, there wasn't.

[1609] But I was desperate to do that.

[1610] And it was all I could sort of think.

[1611] about, I of course wish I was a little more present in that time and could have been like, I'll do that.

[1612] Yes.

[1613] I got all the time in the world.

[1614] Yes.

[1615] That is a problem we all have.

[1616] Yeah.

[1617] Living in tomorrow.

[1618] It was so fun.

[1619] If you have one foot in yesterday and one foot in tomorrow, you pee all over today.

[1620] Oh, wow.

[1621] Another saying I picked up in the 12 -step program.

[1622] Nice.

[1623] That's a good one.

[1624] I guess that's all.

[1625] That's everything about Fred?

[1626] Yeah.

[1627] Okay.

[1628] I'm really excited to watch the show now.

[1629] I'm going to check it out this Sunday.

[1630] It sounds really good.

[1631] Okay.

[1632] All right.

[1633] Love you.

[1634] Love you.

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