June 13, 2023 • 60 mins
Brian meets a new friend today, the talented and omnipresent Jake McDorman (he’s everywhere!). He shares his experience moving to Hollywood by himself at 17, the NSFW first scene he shot for What We Do in the Shadows, and how he stays in the zeitgeist by being in multiple shows at once.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
I think John Alan McDorman as I've gotten older sounds stronger,
because in my mind when I think of Jake, maybe
it's because it has no roots in my actual name anywhere.
But I'm like, that's not a real name. I was
talking to a co star at one point and I
was like, I don't know Jake McDorman. This is like
(00:20):
not too long ago either, like four years ago. So
I'm deep into the Jake. This is like a conversation
I had, you know, twenty years ago. But she was like, no,
Jake mcdormand's great, that's good. I was like, she's like,
what's your what's your legal name? I was like John
Allen McDorman and she was like, oh, I take it back,
that's way better. She was like, Jake McDorman wins, like
(00:40):
maybe a people's choice. John Allen McDorman wins Academy. I
was like, I'm fucking I know Jake. John Allen McDormand.
The fourth rode into Hollywood on a big white horse.
(01:00):
He said, I'm an actor. I'm here to stay. I'm
gonna be a big star someday.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Hi everybody, and welcome back to I would call an
entrancing and poetic episode of Off the Beat. Just like
every week, it's me your host, Brian Baumgartner. Now, how
can I possibly follow a self introduction like that? Well
with a poem of my own of course, So let's
(01:35):
see poem introduction beginning now. Jake McDorman a versatile star
from drama to comedy. He's traveled so far. He came
to la as just a teen to see his face
on the big screen. He was first cast in Quintuplets
and later in Greek landing Gig after Gig on an
(01:57):
epic streak. He's in Murphy Around Dope, Sick and if
that wasn't enough, Limitless, shameless and the right stuff, American Sniper,
what we do in the Shadows. Jake captivates wherever he goes.
Now you can watch him in Missus Davis and Class
of Nine and see for yourself his work is divine.
(02:21):
You know that this episode won't be a bore man
with my awesome guest, the great Jake McDorman, Hold your
applause till the end. Here he is Jake McDorman. Bubble
and Squeak, I love it, Bubble and Squeakna, Bubble and Squeak,
(02:48):
I could get every moleft over from the ninety before.
What's up, Jake, Brian, It's so good to meet you.
It's very nice to meet you. How's it going.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
It's going pretty well, man, going pretty well? Can you
hear me? Okay, I'm so embarrassed. I was just doing
a tech setup. I've gotten no better at this in
the three years we've been doing. I'm a shit millennial.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Listen. I mean the fact that I can manage it.
I'm sure you're fine. Let's just let's put it that way.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
I'll go with that.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
I'm seeing you all over my TV left and right.
We're going to talk about that in a minute, some
of my favorite shows of last year. But you grew
up in Dallas? Is that right?
Speaker 1 (03:41):
I did? Yeah? Yeah? Did I see that you're from?
Are you from Georgia?
Speaker 2 (03:45):
I am from Georgia. But hail to the Red and
the Blue, the Mustangs of SMU. I spent my formative
years there.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Dude, my dad went there. Really yeah, I think I
have that I but yeah, yeah, I definitely would go.
This was like a big deal for I have other
people that were born in like eighty five, eighty six
whose dads when we were little, would take us to
play racquetball. I think it was just like a big
deal for dads born in the fifties that like racquetball
(04:17):
in the eighties and their thirties probably like you know,
coked up and drunk on whiskey, was throwing a battle
around a closed room. But like I'd go to SMU
with my dad to play racquetball forever. Yeah, it was
my acci.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Dad's where I started playing racquetball. Oh shit, man. In college. Yeah,
we In fact, I think I took like racquetball one
oh one. And that's not a that's not a course.
That's not a course.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
When wait, when were you at SMU? Do you know
when you were there playing racquetball?
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Well, yeah, you would have been young ish. I was
their early nineties.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Right, I'm telling you. I think we were we probably,
I mean I was too young to be playing racketball.
I think my dad was not great at racketball, and
it gave him a huge vote of self confidence to
just eviscerate a ten year old ketball.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
I mean I also, as you know then, the basketball
courts were right out there. Yeah, so, I mean I
was trying to hustle people on the basketball courts as
much as possible, but then eventually it got shoved into
one of those rooms, the racquetball rooms. But yes, I
had a great, great time in Dallas, and it sounds
(05:32):
like you did too. You started well, first off, when
did you start getting interested in acting or performing?
Speaker 1 (05:42):
You know, I was really reluctant. It started in I'm
no longer spiritual or really religious or religious, but it
started in the church I went to, which if you
went to SMU and you spent some time, you know
in Dallas, you know that they can mega church like, yeah,
none other. You know, everything's bigger in Texas, Stephen Jesus.
So like I went to one of those huge, huge
(06:05):
megachurches that had these like children's choirs that would put
on you know, bi annual big musicals and stuff. And
my mom was really, i think, just based on you
know the kind of kid I was, which was you know,
imaginative and running around and playing with action figures, probably
too old, thought that I'd really like it. And I
reluctantly kind of joined that, and then in doing that,
(06:27):
really got bit by it and I thought it was fun.
So like technically I started in a version of a theater.
But like you know, for for instance, Betty Gilpin on
Missus Davis, she's like a proper theater actor. So like
anytime I say like, oh, yeah, I got my start
in theater, because technically I was on a big stage
in front of a thousand people, right, I should be like, oh,
(06:49):
what did you put up? Like what was the play?
Speaker 3 (06:51):
And I was like, it's called the Amazing Scripture of
Memory Maze, small production. So like definitely can't you know,
sit toe to toe with anyone who actually carved their
teeth on theater. But that was the first I think,
that feeling of kind of overcoming the nerves of something
(07:12):
like that, right, and then getting out, you know, with
a plan with your You had this plan that you'd
rehearsed with your cast, and you go execute it.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
And in that moment of being in front of all
those people under the pressure, all you have is each other,
and the kind of unique bond that creates between all
of you just became really intoxicating. And I just I
just knew pretty quickly I wanted to do that. I
wanted to chase that feeling kind of forever. And I
don't even think I knew at the time that that's like,
because I also love TV and movies, Like I grew
up watching movies and TV. I didn't quite equate those
(07:41):
two as being the same thing. Okay, that was in
a box over there, and this was this weird thing
I was doing over here, and it took a while
for those to like overlap, and I'm right, yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
But I mean, look, let's be honest. It doesn't matter
how quote unquote serious the theater that you're doing. I mean,
having experiences on stage in front of people, that's kind
of step one. I mean yeah, I mean I think.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
It should be. I think you're lucky it is right
like that. I feel really grateful it came in that order,
Like I not, there's there's probably a million different ways
to crack it. But like I've thought about this a
lot that, like, I'm glad I got that feeling first
before I was like ooh, I want to be you
know Harrison Ford, Like how do I reverse engineer that?
From a place of like vanity gushing, you know, I mean,
(08:29):
like he's so cool, I want to be that cool.
It really came from a place of just that feeling
and the like connection that you have when you do
theater was like terrifying and exciting, and then bonus, it's
also you know the root of all these performances you've
been enjoying forever.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Right, so you have this feeling that you want to chase.
You start studying at the acting studio and is it
Nancy Charitier?
Speaker 1 (08:58):
She is one of I had two like acting gurus.
Excuse me. I had two like acting gurus in Dallas
that like together were like the yin and yang of
me actually believing maybe I could make a go of it.
So Nancy was second, but very amazed that you know
by name. And then uh, the there's the Dallas Young
(09:18):
Actors Studios Linda Sito and then uh, I think the
class was called React with Nancy Chardier. And the first
one my dad. I don't know if you do. You
remember little Miss Sunshine, Greg Kinnear's character and little Miss Sunshine.
He'd go around and do these kind of ten steps
to success. My dad's gonna kill me if you ever
listens to this. Thank god. He's a complete fucking ludite
(09:39):
and has no idea how to listen to this podcast.
I love you, dad, but uh, you know.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
To your phone click podcast podcast.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
Brian, he's not gonna hear these instructions.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
You can't find it.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
But anyway, he would give this seminar every Monday night
the church, and these people who were in career transition,
you know, leading one job or seeking another job, or
had been you know, let go from their own job
would come and listen to seminar. And an agent from
a Dallas agency like came up and approached him because
about his voice. You're like, you're interested in voiceover work,
(10:16):
and God bless him. He was like, no, not really,
but my son is an actor. So got me a
meeting like that way with a local agent. And then
she was like, sure, we'll take a meeting with him.
We'll see what he's all about. We'll have him read
a scene. I must have been like twelve years old
and had just dyed my hair like hydrogen peroxide eminem
(10:38):
yellow like the day before, and like walked in there
with like orange pants from Abercrombie. It's just the worst,
kind of just the worst. I can't even imagine what
they thought. And they were like, yeah, no, you should
go to class. You should definitely go to class. So
they sent me to those two places and I went
to the first one for a long time, and it
(11:00):
really was the first time I learned anything about just
how to do it. It also put me in a
kind of tribe of people that also wanted to do this.
That was a huge part of it. You know, you
moved to LA and you forget you know, how weird
of idea this is. In some parts of the country
or certainly some parts of the world. You know, right La,
(11:22):
everybody is there's a homogeny to like wanting to do
something in the entertainment industry, and there it was very
rare to meet someone who else who someone else who
wanted to do this. So even putting me in a
class full of people who like nerd it out about
the same shit that I did, and like, you know,
loved the same kind of movies and TV that I did,
(11:42):
was great. And so yeah, that that class and then
and then I met Nancy, and Nancy was the people
in Nancy's class were doing the La thing, were like
breaking their families in half and sending them to the
oak Woods, which sounds insane, but at the time it
was like, oh, I'm breaking my family. Definitely, what's next?
You guys are to hold on tight we're going to
(12:04):
the oak Woods. So yeah, that was like the beginning
of starting to actually have conversations about like, okay, we're
doing this in Dallas. It wasn't an overnight decision. There's
now like five years of moving in this direction and
getting representation locally and then meeting other parents who have
like kind of done the pilot season thing, which I
(12:25):
don't even know if that's a thing anymore, but it
certainly was, you know, when you and I were coming up,
and so eventually I wore them down to let me
try it for like a few months.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Now. For those of you who don't know the oak Woods,
I don't know if we've talked about this, this is
a legendary place.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
Oh my god, it needs to be an HBO series.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
It really does. The oak Woods is an apartment complex
kind of directly adjacent to both Universal and Warner Brothers
kind in this up in the hill, which sounds very romantic,
but it's not. At that time at least, it was
(13:06):
like a commune for people who would come out for
pilot season for as you said, like a month, two months,
three months, and like commune together, like yeah together, yeah,
do auditions, right.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Do auditions for like three months to give people an
idea of the size of this compound. There was a
North Clubhouse, a South Clubhouse, three entrances from different streets
and buildings, three stories for every letter of the alphabet.
So it's massive. You don't need to leave. In fact,
there was people who had been there since Oakwood opened.
I remember Lou had some guy named Lou had his
(13:40):
ninetieth birthday at South Clubhouse, right, So it's like old
Hollywood kind of, you know, a group of people that
lived there and like never left. They went to the
salon there, and they would like go to the pool
and all this stuff. There was a convenience store that
we used to get beer and cigarettes from when we
were way too young. Like I mean, it was it
was overrun with musicians touring, elderly people that had been
(14:03):
there since the sixties, child actors and stage moms and securities.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
It's like the villages, yes, for it's like the villages
for young people who are trying to be musicians and
actors really and their families.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
Yeah, that's the perfect that is the perfect analogy. It
is exactly the villages. It's a democratic.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Probably mostly Yeah, were you and So how old were
you when you finally went out.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
To the So we couldn't stay in the oak Woods
because those were fancy, but my girlfriend at the time
lived there, and I spent all my time there. I
mean it was like even even if you you know,
didn't live there and you were an actor that you know,
was out there auditioning for past season, you just have
your mom drop you off there for like the day
and you'd run around with nothing to do with a
bunch of actor kids. That was when I was sixteen,
(14:52):
So twenty and three, twenty years ago. Wow, this is
twenty years as of this spring. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Well you know what's crazy is I actually landed in
La the exact time you did two three.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
So you must have seen me at the raquetball courts.
I'm gonna follow Zach. I'm gonna creepy way, not in
a creepy way.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Well, let's hold not. Yeah, I'm going to travel around
the country and eventually, when when, when Jake is on
the move, that I am too.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
This is a long play. I'm proud of you here.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
Yeah, now we're finally meeting twenty years later. It's been
going on forty years. Not quite Uh, your name. By
the way, I have to mention your name is John.
I heard a story about your name becoming Jake. Tell it.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Oh, I'm so curious. It's this is the story you've heard?
Uh So, my name is John Alan McDormand the force.
My dad. This is the third. I'm his only son.
He had two daughters before I was born and a
third after I was born. And I think just the
weight of continuing the progeny made him name me on
(16:05):
paper John the Fourth. But he didn't want to name
me John, so uh he there was I've heard it.
I've actually heard a couple of versions of this between
my parents, depending on how drunk they are. The story
that's kind of where it comes from, is that, like
I guess in the eighties, saying you got that right,
(16:25):
Jake was a saying and he was like, and you know,
Jake from Chinatown. So when I cry as a baby,
he'd tell me, relax, Jake, it's just Chinatown. When I'm
butchering Jacknickilson's.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Line, No, that was pretty close story.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
I heard.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Relaxed, Jake, it's Chinatown.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
Yeah, And then it stuck and now I'm an actor
and everyone thinks it's a stage name. It just has.
It's been a pain in the ass at airports and
security gates, at Warner Brothers and anywhere else and explaining
it to people where I'm like, oh, well, my real
name is John, that's what's on my license, and they're like, oh,
so you're you go by Jake as a stage name, Like, no,
(17:05):
my dad just thought he'd fuck with me eternally by
me going as Jake my whole life. I think, So,
you've got a great name, Brian Baumgardner, that's a that's
a that's a cool name. Oh it sounds cool, man.
It could be like, yeah, I'm jealous. I think John
Alan McDorman, as i've gotten older, sounds stronger because in
(17:27):
my mind when I think of Jake, maybe it's because
it has no roots and my actual name anywhere, But
I'm like, that's not a real name. I was talking
to a co star at one point and I was like,
I don't know Jake McDorman. This is like not too
long ago either, like four years ago. So I'm deep
into the Jake. This isn't like a conversation I had,
you know, twenty years ago. But she was like, no,
(17:49):
Jake mcdormand's great, that's good. I was like, she's like,
what's your what's your legal name? I was like John
Allan McDorman and she was like, oh, I take it back,
that's way better. She was like, Jake Dorman wins like
maybe a people's choice. John Allen McDorman wins a cab.
I was like, I fucking I know. So.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
Yeah, so you one of your first roles, you get
cast on Run of the House. Now was this during
a time you were just visiting this was my first
pilot season, your first pilot season, you get cast?
Speaker 4 (18:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
I was had the fear of God that I would
not get something, and you know, have to kind of
face all the decisions that I had made about like
pulling myself out of school, because you know, the different
the levels of commitment that go into a pilot season
when you're in the middle of like public school system.
Like I wasn't some savant. I wasn't some Ronan pharaoh
that graduated early like and could go run off to you,
(18:47):
you know, a good college. At some point it was
very much like, all right, you're just ending your education,
and like it was there was there was some you know,
I had gotten like a homeschool program that a lot
of child actors were going to a lot of headshots
on that wall. And there was even another like accredited
(19:09):
diploma that you could test out of school so that
a studio could hire you without having to hire an
onset tutor. But like that that was the goal marketability,
not education. It was like, get get this out of
the way, you want to be hireable, right. So I
had made those decisions quick because like before we even
hit the ground running for a first pilot season, like
(19:29):
did the get rid of the education and be like,
you know, completely no strings attached. So I was really really,
really really hyper aware that if this didn't work out,
at least work out enough to send the signal that
we should try it, you know, continue, that I was
going to have to like go back to school with
all my friends with my head held low and rejoin
(19:52):
a grade beneath them now, right, So yeah, I think
I tested for a handful that first year. Didn't get
any of the things I tested for, which was like
really devastating at the time. I didn't I didn't have
any gauge for how good or well I was doing
other than like get something or you're going home, So
(20:13):
callbacks or you know, any of the other Bellweathers that like,
you know, oh it's going well, just didn't compute. I
didn't know what to you know, invest that kind of
hope in. So I got this this co star on pilot.
This is back when CW was actually WB with the
Singing Frog yep, and it went for a season. They
brought me back for one episode after the pilot. But
(20:33):
that was enough. That was enough for my agents that
had like kind of they were doing like a dry
run with me, be like, well, sign you proper sing
with my manager at the time, and the signals send
the signal to my folks that like I can I
can maybe do this. It was great.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
It was a sitcom yeah, live audience fun. Ye, your
(21:09):
first main role you get cast on Quintuplets. Do you
feel like at that point your life is transitioning into
a totally new direction, Like do you feel the weight
of it? Is it a big deal for you?
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Oh? Yeah, oh yeah definitely. That was also I was
able to pay my parents back with that, and I
think that was when, you know, because that would have
required I was seventeen when I did Quintuplets and it
was going to go for a full season. Yeah, I
don't know when we got our back nine again for
people listening, you know, the pilot to first Order to
(21:44):
back nine might be weird now, but it shows back
then did like twenty two full episode seasons. And once
it was clear that that was going to happen, you know,
my family had to stop because it's me and my
mom out here and my dad and my sister in Texas,
and that split just was untenable. So I got emancipated
and I was turning turning eighteen soon just to legally
(22:05):
let my mom go back and I could start living
on my own in seventeen. So yes, I mean that
not only you know, bolstered confidence being having the set
experience of being like a series regular and having a
place to show up too, that's going to pay you
and have you learn as much as something like that,
but also just living on my own for the first time.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
How was How was that? Was that was that difficult?
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Like?
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Looking back, were you able to manage it? Okay?
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Look looking at the time, Yeah, I mean I really
And again there was there was there's a lot of
structure baked in with a with a show yes, so, like,
you know, having a place to report to, it would
be a little different. I think if I had, you know,
just moved out there, got an apartment at eighteen, and
was trying to get an agent, because that's really like
then you'd have to find structure in a job and
(22:53):
find something part time that would allow you auditions. So
I got to kind of circumvent that mess and have
somewhere to report to. It is mind blowing. I mean,
just having the like, I think the there's a level
of tell me what you think about this, there's a
level of like hubris that has to come. Like I'm
almost grateful that I started as a teenager when I
(23:14):
was stupid enough to think that this was a good idea,
you know. Like so like in hindsight, I'm kind of
mind blown because now I'm just so much more pragmatic
about things that something that kind of outrageous would I
don't know, I'd just be hyper aware of how much
I'd be putting everyone out in the likelihood and this
and that. So like at the time, I was so
(23:36):
I was laser focused on this and moving this forward.
But in retrospect, it just feels like bizarre.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Yeah, I have a similar story as what I mean,
not similar at all. But by the time I got
to La and I got the Office, and even though
The Office was almost canceled like fourteen times, there was
sort of this weird like, oh no, this is this
is going to go like everything's going to be good,
right and I'm going to be fired. It's all going
(24:06):
to be like I bought a house after like three episodes,
which which was ridiculous. No, I mean, like totally ridiculous,
which is like, you know, in retrospect, it's like, what
this is something I would vehemently argue anyone who told
me that was the choice that they were going to make.
When when was that?
Speaker 1 (24:26):
So you came out two thousand and three? When was
the pilot of The Office.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Two thousand and four? January, oh, February January, February of
two thousand and four, and then yeah, like really yeah.
Then we weren't on the air until spring of two.
We were mid season of two thousand and five, so
there was a long time in there. But I bought
a house before the show had aired.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
That's crazy.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
I mean, it's yeah, well done. No, it's really stupid.
I mean, again, in retrospec it all sort of worked out,
I guess, but of course, but yeah, no, I kind
of know what you And I'm really only telling that
story because I kind of get what you're saying. Like
looking back, like you were laser focused. I was certainly
laser focused and thought, Okay, well this is gonna this
(25:15):
is gonna all be fine. Yeah, but yeah, that's it's
that's fast.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
You kind of have to I mean, you kind of.
I mean even even I mean, there's still an element
of that that's you know, hasn't shaken. I mean, I
think it's twenty years later. You have more experience and
you've seen you know, peaks and valleys and all the
stuff that everybody talks about. But I mean there's still
has to be kind of an irrational burning for it, right,
like it still lives and it doesn't quite live irrational.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
No, that's true. And you know I was for my
age way more responsible when I was seventeen now really
just like just like for my A, I was mature
and blah blah blah. And I don't say that like bragging.
I was boring in a way. But I can't sitting
(26:03):
here now, I can't imagine living on my own in
Los Angeles seventeen.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
Yeah, it was a lot of you know, I'll say too,
because like I had met my it was my first
my first girlfriend lived out here, and I met her
in Nancy Chardier's class, So we met in Dallas, and
she was actually one of the one of the students
who was an example of someone that would go back
and forth from pilot season and I would hear she
would like come back from La and regaleus with stories
and it sounded like such a magical place. Obviously La
(26:29):
is very dangerous and not magical, but like the in
these kind of like you know, rose colored glasses in
an acting class, focusing on that specific element of like, wow,
here's somebody that I put up scenes with that just
went and did a pilot with Chevy Chase, you know,
like it just sounded like too good to be true.
And Oakwood. Honestly, this is something else I look back
on retrospect, but at the time Oakwood sounded like Sherwood forest,
(26:53):
like it was incredible, sound like all the stuff they'd
get into and just all this, Like, you know, if
I felt like I had found the tribe in a
pocket of Dallas that had a few acting classes right
Oakwood and Los Angeles felt like the mecca, Like it
just felt like right And obviously it's a sixteen year
old's idealized version of this place. Sure, but then to
(27:13):
right on the heels of idealizing it, get to be
of it and among it was. I think it helped
that I had a built in again, kind of a
built in community through her and her circle of friends.
She'd been doing this since even younger. I mean to
give you an idea, sixteen in retrospect is so young
(27:34):
that it blows my mind that I was even allowed
to do that. But I remember the feeling when I
got here at sixteen, looking around at all the other
kids that had been doing it since they were eight,
and being like fuck too old. Like I had that
thought where I was like, I can't believe I waited
till I'm an old man. Right sixteen, Now I can
drive like it's just you were. I was, so you know,
(27:58):
just enmeshed in that kind of you know, world and
culture socially that I think it was part of what
made my parents be like, oh, okay, he's not that
the child actor circle of Los Angeles is like, oh
he'll be fine.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
Yeah, but.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
Have you ever heard Yeah, exactly, exactly, name me what. Meanwhile,
they're depositing money in my cougan.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
In two thousand and seven, you're now fully la and
you get your first multi year, multiple season run of
a little show called.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
Greek Brian My only, my one and only.
Speaker 4 (28:47):
You're oh, that's the only?
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Well yes, yes, okay, so so far sure, fine, maybe technically,
but I mean we'll you know, we'll talk about that
in a minute. But wow, okay, so that's that's your
one and only. Well, first off, how did you get cast?
You audition? This was yeah, Greek, I'm talking about Greek. Yes, Greek.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
Greek is was on ABC Family Now I think it's
free form, And yes, it was in between Quintuplets and Greek.
I had gone to Australia to shoot a movie called Aquamarine, which,
by the way, is having a very bizarre to me,
not bizarre. I understand why it's happening. I guess it's
a kids movie and they've grown up now, but it's
having a little bit of like a weird resurgence. Mm hmm,
(29:34):
Like I get sent tiktoks a lot that are acha
marine centered. So did that in between, and then came
back to La and got on Greek And yeah, it
was an audition, but every character on that show, we
all auditioned for different parts of me played without exception,
every single one. So it was a little bit of
a mixed match and we got to know each other
through that process. I think.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
No, I know.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
Originally I had gone like all the way to the mat,
like all the way to student a network test for
the role of Cappy, which was like the complete inversion
of the character I got. He's like the fun John
Belushi animal house like you know, fraternity guy, right, and
I'm the more clean cut, preppy fraternity president. And so yeah,
(30:17):
they mixed this around, and I was really interested in
playing that part. So when they came back and were like,
how would you like to play the opposite of that part?
It was strange, it was but they kind of they
didn't have to test for it, so it was like,
in a weird way, it's not technically an offer, like
I did audition for another role, but but it was
the first time that they were like, you've already gone
(30:38):
through the steps. If you're interested, we'd like you to
play this role. Read it and see what you think
of that? And I was like, yeah, maybe that could
be fun. So did that here in LA for four years?
I think? And just I mean, you know, you know
how quickly you become a family with a cast that
you get to do more than one season of let
(31:00):
alone four because these are all still like my best
friends from that show.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
Yeah, but it also I mean just clearly young people
all sort of in as you have referred to in
this tribe. This everyone's sort of there in their own place.
No one hugely broken out at that point, right, And yeah,
it seems like totally that you would you would form
this family that you're referring to.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Yeah, yeah, I mean it's it's the only people that
know the I mean, you spend fourteen hours a day
with these people, like a weird amount of time that
you wouldn't even spend with your you don't even usually
get to because of this job, spend with your partner. Right,
So they've become such a constant in your life. And
then you're navigating press, which is always weird. And then
to have like a circle of eight people to go
(31:47):
through that process with brings you closer or not. I mean,
I know that we're really lucky that we had like
a good group of personalities, because that doesn't always happen.
But like, yeah, it was great, and I learned so
much just about being on the set. Those two classes
I was talking about earlier did a really good job
of preparing me. And they had like studio sets built,
(32:08):
like you learned how to do a multi cam sitcom.
They had like a you know, a film summer camp
where you're essentially working half the time as cast, half
the time's crew. So to their credit, like I was
maybe more used to the feeling of being on a
single camp than somebody who's just completely fresh off the boat,
but getting four years of you know, the hours and
(32:32):
watching a character develop, trying things that fucking don't work,
you know. And that's like one of the things I'm
most grateful for about it is the Greek has its
like pocketive fan It as like a cult, you know,
following of people who watched it when they were either
you know, in college or about to go to college.
But it was never like a breakout hit like a
Gossip Girl or something else at that time. And I'm
(32:54):
kind of just super grateful it wasn't, because like I learned,
like I knew how to act, but then there's so
many things that you just get from trying stuff and
watching it and cringing it that you tried that, and
to be able to kind of have it be like
a school in real time just sharpened me up a lot.
(33:17):
And I think if I was under this, if I
was under the scrutiny of like everyone in America is watching,
that would have been devastating, you know.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
Yeah, I think that time time with a character, having
the ability to explore that character with the same tribe
of people with the same ensemble for such a long time. Yeah,
it teaches you. You get comfortable with those things that
are so difficult when you're starting out, and then it
(33:47):
allows you, I feel, to go deeper into Okay, I'm
not worrying about my mark anymore. I'm not worried about
the lights or the camera or the crew walking around
or getting touched every fifteen seconds by a different person,
and like all that stuff sort of goes away and
you're able to sort of go go deeper. And what
a gift, right, Oh?
Speaker 1 (34:07):
I agree? And it's like, really, and I don't know
how else you would break through that without just an
insane amount of hours doing it. Yeah, you know, like
they come with a multi season kind of situation.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
You've done comedy and drama. I want to talk a
little bit about what we do in the Shadows. Talk
to me about playing Jeff. And had you seen the
movie before?
Speaker 1 (34:27):
Yes? Yeah, yeah, I was. I was a big fan
of the movie. Okay going into this and I didn't
actually I was, so this is you know, Alison Jones?
Speaker 4 (34:34):
Yeah, obviously, so this is.
Speaker 1 (34:36):
An Alison Jones. I was actually reading. I've known her
since I was sixteen. I was reading for I know,
it's crazy. There's a few casting directors here that have
that have literally watched me grow up. It's really it's
a it's a crazy thing. So this is Alison. She
was casting something else for FX that I was going
in for a couple of times, and I was close
(34:59):
on that thing, but it didn't look like it was
going to happen. And while I was there on like
the third callback for it, she just pivoted in the
rooms like would you be interested in reading something for
what we do in the Shadows? And I was like
the sequel, Like what is this? She's like, well, they're
making a series in America and I'm always I was
(35:19):
like this with the British Office, so hats off to
you guys, where I was like, I'm a complete snob
where I'm like, oh, it's perfect, it can't be improved upon.
There's no point in trying. How american of us, you know.
So I was kind of like, I don't know, Alison,
what is it? Is it? Who's involved is it? You know,
like like I had any power, and she was like,
it's it's Tiken Jimmy. I was like wow, I was like,
(35:41):
and no, it's like it's like an addition to the movie.
They're not carrying the characters. It's like a whole new thing.
But she just had me sight reading, so just gave
me the sides in the room I had. I watched
the movie so much. I didn't like know it like
line for line, but I knew all the characters from
it and really really was a fan. And the couple
of lines I had in the audition were like from
(36:03):
that first encounter in the first episode where like I
meet Nada and we'd like, you know, she thinks I'm
the reincarnation of this beheaded lover of hers from ten
thousand years ago, like that that's it, and he has
like five lines in this audition. So all I thought
about I was like, remember that character from the movie Stu,
the guy that like clearly wasn't an actor, you know,
(36:24):
like that that like they all like love him in
the movie. And I think I've heard some interview with
Tayka talking about how that's just somebody's mate in New
Zealand that they asked to be in the film. I
was like, I feel like this character's got to be
like Stu, Like just don't act, don't try to be funny.
That would be the death, Like just don't be an
actor at all, Like try to try to be the
most boring, no offense to this. But I was like,
(36:46):
just try to just try to strip it down. And
so I read it like that, and she threw me
on tape and then like heard later that day that
I got it, which was so insane. It's so crazy.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
I mean, by the way, I I have not in
all of the conversations that I've had on this podcast
or any other what you just talked about. Why does
that happen so often that you're in this happens a lot. Yeah,
that you're in for something else. Yeah, and you haven't
(37:18):
been granted an audition on this other project. But a
good a good casting director will see it or see
something right. Suddenly you're getting just like a full on
offer cast in something I know, I know, this is insane.
Speaker 5 (37:35):
Wow, oh this is what I'm This is pretty this
is what I miss about going in rooms on Yes,
not that that can't happen in a zoom and not
that you know, Allison doesn't have the dexterity to make
that happen outside of a room, but just that is
one of those like, you know moments where it's like, look,
you're here, you drove all the way here, would you
mind reading this new pressure?
Speaker 1 (37:54):
And it's just one of those kind of serendipitous kismet
things that works out.
Speaker 2 (37:57):
It happens all the time, all it's wild the time.
Speaker 1 (38:01):
Also, I had that one scene. They called me to
say you got it. They say, your first day is tomorrow,
let's send you the full script. And in the scene
that precedes that scene, I'm jerking off in bed.
Speaker 2 (38:16):
Like, oh okay, she didn't have any audition that No, no.
Speaker 1 (38:22):
Not so much, all right, but yeah, that was and
that was the first scene I shot. It was like
midnight on Paramount with Taiko and Jamaine and Alwakie Talkie
giving me like instructions on like how to jerk off camera. Yeah,
it was, it was. It was great.
Speaker 2 (38:38):
I love that. I love that, and I love her
for that. I mean, I'm not I don't mean to
say that it's typical like it. It just it happens
all the time. I mean, it's just it's just nothing.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
I really, but you feel really lucky anytime that just
something you do. Like because again, that other project all
of a sudden didn't matter at all. Like not that
it wasn't a good project is really good project, but
like we just fell into this and it felt right
and it just took off.
Speaker 4 (39:04):
I mean, I read it the Office, wasn't it.
Speaker 2 (39:06):
It was it was the Office or Parson rect I
(39:32):
talked to your your mate John Huganaker not too long ago,
Dope Sick what one of, if not my favorite show
of the last year. I was just talking to someone
this morning when I said I was going to be
talking to you, and just the relevance of that movie,
the power of that movie, the currency of that movie,
(39:55):
and the compassion that that movie showed towards people who
are truly struggling with addiction for a very specific reason.
Is is changing, I mean in the best way that
art can change people's mind. There's such a stigma behind it.
(40:18):
There has been such a stigma for so many years
about people who are drug addicts, right, even just a phrase,
even the way you say it, drug addicts, but just
the way that that story was told from the kids
in high school addicted to the doctor, to you know,
to everybody, talk to me a little bit about your
(40:40):
experience working on of course I'm talking about Dope Sick.
Speaker 1 (40:44):
Yes, everything you're saying, Strong agree. And that was the
biggest thing I took away from you know, Danny Strong
has such an ability to take complex information and synthesize
it through overlapping the storylines. Being able to do that
with something like Dope Sick, which spans so many different timeframes,
(41:04):
and he even put together connected some dots that weren't explicit,
you know that he had to kind of use by
talking to different people and different characters in the story
to put together and put into the show with their permission. So,
I mean, it was really just an incredible investigative reporting
from Danny and then being able to like synthesize it
(41:24):
and put it into an art But exactly what you
said was I talked to John about this, was yeah,
we all have that connotation with drug addicts, and we
all came up with that, you know, feeling like the
impetus is on them to change, not knowing that that's
a narrative that was perpetuated and in many cases just
completely fabricated by pharmaceutical companies when they were knowingly getting
(41:49):
people hooked. So the fact that you know, not only
is a drug addict someone that's sick and needs medical care,
that the fact that they're even hooked in the first
place is something a lot more sinister than a lack
of control or genetic predisposition. So yeah, it's all pretty
just dark and sinister from you know, the pharmaceutical aspect
(42:13):
of it. Getting to work on it creatively was great.
It was also coming out of that I went through
like I think, I don't know a lot of people
I've talked to went through this post twenty sixteen into
like the next few years, Like even I know we
skipped over this, but it's like doing Murphy Brown was
the other one where it was felt like I felt
(42:35):
relieved that I could act in something that's like a
creative release for me. That still felt like it was
having conversations that I in my personal life were having
for the first time and trying to work through and
or frustrated about politically and otherwise. Murphy Brown was that
and Dope Sick even more pointedly was that. So to
be able to shine a light on this stuff and
(42:58):
also work with people like John and Peter and Danny
just was really really edifying. We were coming out of
the pandemic too, so it was a really weird time,
you know, where there was a lot of question about
pharma and doctors and how important it is, you know,
in a pandemic to be able to trust your doctors
and trust vaccines, which was obviously you know where I
(43:21):
stand with those things. But at the same time, have
these examples where you're like, Okay, well, you're we're building
a show based around the real truth that you can't
always you know, trust these companies, and and just the
fact that it went as high as it did, Juliani, right,
It's just it's yeah, it was, it was. It was
(43:41):
I feel really fortunate to you know, be part of
that for sure.
Speaker 2 (43:45):
Playing the real life attorney John Brownlee. Did you talk
to John?
Speaker 1 (43:50):
I didn't talk to John. Danny talked to John. Danny
would sometimes be Danny talk to all these people a lot,
but uh no, we didn't talk directly.
Speaker 2 (44:00):
Did you feel a responsibility or were you creating a
character that just well, that just did what he did?
Speaker 1 (44:07):
You know, honestly, Danny's writing was so good, like and
is so good that you know, he puts these things
together in a way that I think he's he's cleared
his conscience by talking to all these people. So it's
it's set up. I mean, it works like a swift swatch,
you know, like and it's all based on the hours
(44:28):
and hours and hours that Danny's talk to these people
on the phone. So I always, for sure you have
like a little bit of ans or I do have
like a little bit of anxiety. This was the case
in American Sniper. And anytime I've played someone who you
know isn't just a character on the page, but is
actually being you know, is somebody from real life, there
is a level of responsibility that otherwise wouldn't be there.
(44:51):
But but Danny's script did such a service to him
and his efforts and Rick and Randy like that that.
I think, you know, I was all I had to
do is stay on track. There was nothing I felt
like I could do to mess it up. You know,
it was written so air tight.
Speaker 2 (45:07):
Yeah, fourteen Emmy nominations. What was that like for you
in the cast? I mean was it? I mean it
sounds self evident. But when you're involved in something that
is recognized because other people think it's great, that's one thing.
But when you yourself feel positive about the work and
(45:29):
the story that you're telling, it's got to be even
more gratifying, right.
Speaker 1 (45:33):
Yeah, for sure. I mean it's also typically awards for us.
It's like the longer I've done this, the more you
realize that translates in our industry to like career mileage,
you know, like, oh, okay, you just got some miles
because you're a part of this thing. This was the
first one that like that meant so much less than
(45:58):
the fact that, you know, awards have an ability to
put things on the map and to bring awareness to
a cause like dope sick. You know, I don't think
people didn't know the Sackler family. You know, they had
done a pretty good job and worked pretty hard to
even admist the kind of trials that were going on,
staying under the radar. And I think most people now
(46:22):
when you hear Richard Sackler because of things like Dope Sick,
because of like reporting in the Times, in the Post,
and you know other outlets that kind of really nailed them.
Speaker 2 (46:30):
That's more.
Speaker 1 (46:31):
You know commentates, everyone knows who you're talking about and
notes that they have a little bit of a scarlet letter.
Speaker 2 (46:36):
Now, yeah, well, congratulations. I really think in terms of
building awareness, empathy, compassion toward people struggling, you guys did
did an amazing job.
Speaker 4 (46:48):
So thanks congrats on that.
Speaker 2 (46:51):
Your newest show out now, Hey on a peacock near you,
missus Davis the Mad Scientist confusing genius Damon Lindelof's show
with You, a nun and a rebel walk into a
(47:12):
bar and chase down AI. People amazing reviews and audiences
are loving it. What was it like? Well, what was
it like for you working with Damon again? And was
this was this a situation where he said come and
join me or was it where you auditioning again?
Speaker 1 (47:33):
I was auditioning, but I mean it definitely had I
mean we had worked together on Watchman and on Watchman
the episode I was a part of was Jovon a
Depot's episode. Yes, and Jovon had worked with Damon on Leftovers,
as had Regina, and they were very That was like,
you know, they did Leftovers and now Damon had asked
(47:53):
them to come do this, and just that kind of
community Damon builds with his players was something that was
just so cool to watch jove On have that experience
on Watchmen. So I had always you know, been like, Wow,
that'd be really cool if that were to happen with
me because I love I'm such a fan of all
of Demon's work, and Watchman was such a great experience.
(48:14):
It was like one of the best experiences professionally at
the time that I had ever had.
Speaker 2 (48:18):
I'm gonna be honest, I haven't watched Watchmen, but I'm
going to now because The left I mean, I've heard
about it forever, but you're going You're making me. I'm
gonna watch it. The Leftovers. I freaking loved that show.
I mean, I loved that show and like this weird
humble brag thing, it was, you know, like an Emmy party.
(48:40):
I ran into those guys and I like spent the
entire time just telling them how amazing it was, to
the point where I think they all left me and
went to the bar because I could not stop talking.
No way talking about the leftovers, but anyway, I interrupted,
But no, but that's you.
Speaker 1 (48:59):
Know, honestly, I guarantee you they did not leave you
and go to the bar, because that's it does feel
like That's the one thread of everybody that I've met
that's worked on a Damon show or with Damon is
that you you become such a fan of it, you know,
like it's it's fun to me an actor. You're a
cog and a big machine, right, and to be such
a fan of the machine as a whole. It is
something that I've found with everybody that's worked with him,
(49:22):
one common thread is like we all like nerding out
and talking about it.
Speaker 2 (49:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (49:25):
I always love when I meet someone who's kind of
gotten deep obsessed over the materials, which as like we
have left Efver is amazing. You should check out Watchman.
It's it's a great series.
Speaker 4 (49:37):
I will.
Speaker 1 (49:37):
Are you a fan of the graphic novel?
Speaker 2 (49:40):
Sure? I mean novel? Yeah, I don't read, but yeah, no,
I it's no Bran, it's it's pictures. I know you
love picture I do love pictures. Yeah, I know I
need to pick that up. I hear this all the time,
but I.
Speaker 1 (49:56):
I yeah, I read it in preparation for or that.
I had read it once forever ago, when I was
really really little, And I don't think even like, I
don't even think I read it because it's really it's
a proper graphic novel. It's like thicks a lot of texts.
The only time I read it, like top to bottom
was before shooting the show. But I actually really enjoyed
even I think before before I read it, I'd seen
(50:19):
Zack Snyder's movie and I even really liked that, just
the concept of it there. So anyway, I went into
that like a pretty big fan of it and it
was a really great experience. When Missus Davis came around,
I knew I wanted to make a tape for it.
It was an audition. I was working on something in Atlanta, actually,
and it was such it was such tricky material, especially
(50:40):
without a script. I couldn't I couldn't tell which way
to lean. I think they had described it. Vicky Thomas
in the casting notes had kind of described it as
taking place in a heightened reality similar to Watchman, and
Watchman has a lot of opportunities for you know, dark comedy.
So I was like, I think it's funny. It feels
(51:01):
like it could be funny or I'm completely off and
it should be you know, deadly serious. I couldn't tell
exactly what the tone was, and you know, if you've
watched the show, it really does strike this weird tone
that kind of oscillates between you know, slapstick and serious drama. Yeah,
so they snuck me a script, maybe two scripts, and
once I read those, I was like, oh wow, I'm
(51:23):
so on board.
Speaker 4 (51:24):
I get it.
Speaker 1 (51:25):
But even still hitting that target felt hard. And I
don't know, but sometimes when you're working on something else,
like making a tape for another thing, can be just
it's just it's really disorienting and takes a little bit
of an extra you know. And so I failed at
making a tape to just get it the way I
wanted to, like two times, and then on my third try,
with my sister, who was like ready to kill me,
(51:47):
I made a tape that I felt like, Okay, I
think this is it and sent it off did like
a zoom callback with Damon and Tara and Owen and Vicki,
and after that callback got it, it just kept you know, man,
it's it's like, I I've done this long enough, and
I feel like I've seen things that I have read
(52:09):
the scripts for turn out not as great as the script.
It's so easy to have something as ambitious as Missus Davis,
or even half as ambitious as Missus Davis somewhere along
the process just get completely fucked up and lose its way,
Like it could come from a million different directions, but
by the time you you know, say action on day
(52:29):
one to like that's a wrap on post, it just
doesn't have the same just doesn't pack the same punch
that it did in the script. So I was like
apprehensive because I loved the scripts so much, but I
wasn't sure about Peacock and how much they were behind it.
You know, watching was on HBO, which just has, you know,
(52:50):
a reputation for taking big sweetens like this, So I
was kind of waiting for something to jump out and
expose itself as like, oh, this is going to actually suck,
and you're like ah, and it just didn't happen. Like
meeting Betty was a big part of that. I don't
know if you're a fan of Betty Gop and you shouldn't,
but she's incredible. That elevated everything. Then meeting Owen and
(53:14):
like what he planned to do with just the set design.
He brought in his set designer and his costume designer
from London and all of them were on this same
kind of like Looney Tunes live action page and then
props in one by one. It's just like a domino effect.
As before we got to like the actual sets, it
(53:35):
was like, holy shit, I think they're actually going to
go for this, And and to Peacock's credit, they were
so bhying the whole time. I think one of my
favorite things I see certain people say, like when I'm
like trawling Twitter or something, is like, how the fuck
did this get made? It's amazing. I'm like, ah, yes,
I know. More more encouragement for people to take big swings,
especially people in like Peacock's position, where you know it
(53:59):
really does come to on to the bottom line. You know,
will really take big risks like this because it's so
fun to watch.
Speaker 2 (54:06):
Well, congratulations, I don't want you to give any spoiler alerts.
We're getting there to the end. But I do want
to ask your opinion. What do you think that the
show says about AI versus faith man or to you at.
Speaker 1 (54:26):
Least maybe that there's a place for both. Okay, that
sounds like a shitty Press answer, doesn't it, Brian? I'm sorry,
I don't know what's the show?
Speaker 2 (54:38):
Okay? All right? Fair enough?
Speaker 1 (54:41):
Yeah, yeah, Well, you know it has faith and technology,
it also has magic. I think one of the things
to be deadly serious that I didn't think about when
it comes to AI until our show was just if
you have, you know, something that can legitimately answer all
your prayers, like an algorithm, you know, with access to
the internet, cumulative knowledge of everything. Ever, what happens to
(55:03):
things that rely on mystification like magic, Like magic's a
big element in the show, and never thought about that,
or probability like in poker and gambling like that all
kind of falls away when when you have the answers
to everything, it's you lose a little bit of life. Spark.
I guess this sounds like another Press answer, kill me.
I don't fucking no. No.
Speaker 2 (55:21):
I think that's very no. I think that's very interesting.
I think that's very interesting. I mean that that really is.
Speaker 1 (55:28):
It wasn't until we were, you know, maybe halfway through
shooting the show that those pieces kind of fell in
place for me where I was like, that's not a
question I had even thought about. Strange because now I
think we're we're all talking about it. Now we're seeing
that happen, and I feel like it's you can see
the snowball effect of thinking this, this this like corner
(55:51):
of our paradigm is safe from rapidly accelerating AI. And
then you realize like none of it is, Like you
can really you can really imagine a world where it
can come kind of take over everything, or do improve anything,
or or improve to a fault everything, you know, Like,
so these are all things we're talking about and thinking
about now. When we were making this show seven months
(56:13):
ago or whatever it was, this was less on everybody's.
Speaker 2 (56:17):
Yeah, that's what makes That's what makes the man. He's
a very very smart man. He sees it coming. No,
but I you know, it's something that faith is something
that is important to well to everyone, not necessarily religious faith,
but the idea in believing in something that you can't
(56:39):
prove or that is improbable totally be it religion, be
it sports, be it anything like.
Speaker 1 (56:48):
Brian like we were talking about before, even this, I
mean like it takes a little bit of faith despite
the odds and despite knowing better right that it's still
worse jumping in and giving it a shot. Yeah, it's
it's very human faith.
Speaker 2 (57:06):
And if everything can be proven right, where does that leave.
Faith's fascinating to me. If an amazing show with Damon
Lindelof is not enough, you also have with Kate Marra
an FX series Class of Nine out, Now, go check
that out. I mean you you're just like in my brain.
(57:30):
You're in my eyeballs and my brain now anywhere I look.
It doesn't matter what channel. I'm gonna talk to your
agent about exclusivity because you don't. Never sign up for exclusivity.
Speaker 1 (57:43):
This is why you do two shows about AI so
you get the algorithms on your side. See a Class
of nine is about AI, Missus Davis is about AI.
That's how you stay in the zeitgeist.
Speaker 2 (57:54):
You're current, that's all I know. You don't know how
to set up a zoom meeting. You're currently. You're current, exactly.
Congratulations on all of your success. I have really enjoyed
chatting with you today. I wish you nothing but the best.
I'm a I'm a big fan, and You're welcome back anytime.
(58:17):
So next month when you have another show, come out,
come back, come back, and we'll chat about that.
Speaker 1 (58:24):
I would love to Brian, I'm such a fan. I
was so excited that you asked me to do this,
so thank you man. I'd love to come back anytime
you'd have me.
Speaker 2 (58:33):
Awesome. Jake McDorman, everybody, John Allen Doorman, Congratulations my friend.
Speaker 4 (58:43):
Thanks buddy, Jake, my new friend.
Speaker 2 (58:58):
This was a delight.
Speaker 1 (58:59):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (59:00):
Thank you for bringing your insight. Now I'm not going
to do that again. Thank you for coming on, Jake.
That was very, very fun sharing your story. I'm looking
forward to owning you on the racquetball court sometimes very soon. Listeners,
if you haven't already, be sure to catch up on
Missus Davis and Class of Nine. Missus Davis fascinating show.
(59:24):
I highly recommend, and that should keep you busy until
next week when guess what. I'm going to be back
with another amazing an old friend from HR.
Speaker 4 (59:36):
We'll see you next week.
Speaker 2 (59:44):
Off the Beat is hosted and executive produced by me
Brian Baumgartner, alongside our executive producer Lang Lee. Our senior
producer is Diego Tapia. Our producers are Liz Hayes, Hannah
Harris and Emily Carr. Our talent producer is Ryan Papa Zachary,
and our intern is Sammy Katz. Our theme song Bubble
(01:00:05):
and Squeak, performed by the one and only Creed Bratton,
I think John Alan McDorman as I've gotten older sounds stronger,
because in my mind when I think of Jake, maybe
it's because it has no roots in my actual name anywhere.
But I'm like, that's not a real name. I was
talking to a co star at one point and I
was like, I don't know Jake McDorman. This is like
(00:20):
not too long ago either, like four years ago. So
I'm deep into the Jake. This is like a conversation
I had, you know, twenty years ago. But she was like, no,
Jake mcdormand's great, that's good. I was like, she's like,
what's your what's your legal name? I was like John
Allen McDorman and she was like, oh, I take it back,
that's way better. She was like, Jake McDorman wins, like
(00:40):
maybe a people's choice. John Allen McDorman wins Academy. I
was like, I'm fucking I know Jake. John Allen McDormand.
The fourth rode into Hollywood on a big white horse.
(01:00):
He said, I'm an actor. I'm here to stay. I'm
gonna be a big star someday.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Hi everybody, and welcome back to I would call an
entrancing and poetic episode of Off the Beat. Just like
every week, it's me your host, Brian Baumgartner. Now, how
can I possibly follow a self introduction like that? Well
with a poem of my own of course, So let's
(01:35):
see poem introduction beginning now. Jake McDorman a versatile star
from drama to comedy. He's traveled so far. He came
to la as just a teen to see his face
on the big screen. He was first cast in Quintuplets
and later in Greek landing Gig after Gig on an
(01:57):
epic streak. He's in Murphy Around Dope, Sick and if
that wasn't enough, Limitless, shameless and the right stuff, American Sniper,
what we do in the Shadows. Jake captivates wherever he goes.
Now you can watch him in Missus Davis and Class
of Nine and see for yourself his work is divine.
(02:21):
You know that this episode won't be a bore man
with my awesome guest, the great Jake McDorman, Hold your
applause till the end. Here he is Jake McDorman. Bubble
and Squeak, I love it, Bubble and Squeakna, Bubble and Squeak,
(02:48):
I could get every moleft over from the ninety before.
What's up, Jake, Brian, It's so good to meet you.
It's very nice to meet you. How's it going.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
It's going pretty well, man, going pretty well? Can you
hear me? Okay, I'm so embarrassed. I was just doing
a tech setup. I've gotten no better at this in
the three years we've been doing. I'm a shit millennial.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Listen. I mean the fact that I can manage it.
I'm sure you're fine. Let's just let's put it that way.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
I'll go with that.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
I'm seeing you all over my TV left and right.
We're going to talk about that in a minute, some
of my favorite shows of last year. But you grew
up in Dallas? Is that right?
Speaker 1 (03:41):
I did? Yeah? Yeah? Did I see that you're from?
Are you from Georgia?
Speaker 2 (03:45):
I am from Georgia. But hail to the Red and
the Blue, the Mustangs of SMU. I spent my formative
years there.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Dude, my dad went there. Really yeah, I think I
have that I but yeah, yeah, I definitely would go.
This was like a big deal for I have other
people that were born in like eighty five, eighty six
whose dads when we were little, would take us to
play racquetball. I think it was just like a big
deal for dads born in the fifties that like racquetball
(04:17):
in the eighties and their thirties probably like you know,
coked up and drunk on whiskey, was throwing a battle
around a closed room. But like I'd go to SMU
with my dad to play racquetball forever. Yeah, it was
my acci.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Dad's where I started playing racquetball. Oh shit, man. In college. Yeah,
we In fact, I think I took like racquetball one
oh one. And that's not a that's not a course.
That's not a course.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
When wait, when were you at SMU? Do you know
when you were there playing racquetball?
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Well, yeah, you would have been young ish. I was
their early nineties.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Right, I'm telling you. I think we were we probably,
I mean I was too young to be playing racketball.
I think my dad was not great at racketball, and
it gave him a huge vote of self confidence to
just eviscerate a ten year old ketball.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
I mean I also, as you know then, the basketball
courts were right out there. Yeah, so, I mean I
was trying to hustle people on the basketball courts as
much as possible, but then eventually it got shoved into
one of those rooms, the racquetball rooms. But yes, I
had a great, great time in Dallas, and it sounds
(05:32):
like you did too. You started well, first off, when
did you start getting interested in acting or performing?
Speaker 1 (05:42):
You know, I was really reluctant. It started in I'm
no longer spiritual or really religious or religious, but it
started in the church I went to, which if you
went to SMU and you spent some time, you know
in Dallas, you know that they can mega church like, yeah,
none other. You know, everything's bigger in Texas, Stephen Jesus.
So like I went to one of those huge, huge
(06:05):
megachurches that had these like children's choirs that would put
on you know, bi annual big musicals and stuff. And
my mom was really, i think, just based on you
know the kind of kid I was, which was you know,
imaginative and running around and playing with action figures, probably
too old, thought that I'd really like it. And I
reluctantly kind of joined that, and then in doing that,
(06:27):
really got bit by it and I thought it was fun.
So like technically I started in a version of a theater.
But like you know, for for instance, Betty Gilpin on
Missus Davis, she's like a proper theater actor. So like
anytime I say like, oh, yeah, I got my start
in theater, because technically I was on a big stage
in front of a thousand people, right, I should be like, oh,
(06:49):
what did you put up? Like what was the play?
Speaker 3 (06:51):
And I was like, it's called the Amazing Scripture of
Memory Maze, small production. So like definitely can't you know,
sit toe to toe with anyone who actually carved their
teeth on theater. But that was the first I think,
that feeling of kind of overcoming the nerves of something
(07:12):
like that, right, and then getting out, you know, with
a plan with your You had this plan that you'd
rehearsed with your cast, and you go execute it.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
And in that moment of being in front of all
those people under the pressure, all you have is each other,
and the kind of unique bond that creates between all
of you just became really intoxicating. And I just I
just knew pretty quickly I wanted to do that. I
wanted to chase that feeling kind of forever. And I
don't even think I knew at the time that that's like,
because I also love TV and movies, Like I grew
up watching movies and TV. I didn't quite equate those
(07:41):
two as being the same thing. Okay, that was in
a box over there, and this was this weird thing
I was doing over here, and it took a while
for those to like overlap, and I'm right, yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
But I mean, look, let's be honest. It doesn't matter
how quote unquote serious the theater that you're doing. I mean,
having experiences on stage in front of people, that's kind
of step one. I mean yeah, I mean I think.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
It should be. I think you're lucky it is right
like that. I feel really grateful it came in that order,
Like I not, there's there's probably a million different ways
to crack it. But like I've thought about this a
lot that, like, I'm glad I got that feeling first
before I was like ooh, I want to be you
know Harrison Ford, Like how do I reverse engineer that?
From a place of like vanity gushing, you know, I mean,
(08:29):
like he's so cool, I want to be that cool.
It really came from a place of just that feeling
and the like connection that you have when you do
theater was like terrifying and exciting, and then bonus, it's
also you know the root of all these performances you've
been enjoying forever.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Right, so you have this feeling that you want to chase.
You start studying at the acting studio and is it
Nancy Charitier?
Speaker 1 (08:58):
She is one of I had two like acting gurus.
Excuse me. I had two like acting gurus in Dallas
that like together were like the yin and yang of
me actually believing maybe I could make a go of it.
So Nancy was second, but very amazed that you know
by name. And then uh, the there's the Dallas Young
(09:18):
Actors Studios Linda Sito and then uh, I think the
class was called React with Nancy Chardier. And the first
one my dad. I don't know if you do. You
remember little Miss Sunshine, Greg Kinnear's character and little Miss Sunshine.
He'd go around and do these kind of ten steps
to success. My dad's gonna kill me if you ever
listens to this. Thank god. He's a complete fucking ludite
(09:39):
and has no idea how to listen to this podcast.
I love you, dad, but uh, you know.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
To your phone click podcast podcast.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
Brian, he's not gonna hear these instructions.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
You can't find it.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
But anyway, he would give this seminar every Monday night
the church, and these people who were in career transition,
you know, leading one job or seeking another job, or
had been you know, let go from their own job
would come and listen to seminar. And an agent from
a Dallas agency like came up and approached him because
about his voice. You're like, you're interested in voiceover work,
(10:16):
and God bless him. He was like, no, not really,
but my son is an actor. So got me a
meeting like that way with a local agent. And then
she was like, sure, we'll take a meeting with him.
We'll see what he's all about. We'll have him read
a scene. I must have been like twelve years old
and had just dyed my hair like hydrogen peroxide eminem
(10:38):
yellow like the day before, and like walked in there
with like orange pants from Abercrombie. It's just the worst,
kind of just the worst. I can't even imagine what
they thought. And they were like, yeah, no, you should
go to class. You should definitely go to class. So
they sent me to those two places and I went
to the first one for a long time, and it
(11:00):
really was the first time I learned anything about just
how to do it. It also put me in a
kind of tribe of people that also wanted to do this.
That was a huge part of it. You know, you
moved to LA and you forget you know, how weird
of idea this is. In some parts of the country
or certainly some parts of the world. You know, right La,
(11:22):
everybody is there's a homogeny to like wanting to do
something in the entertainment industry, and there it was very
rare to meet someone who else who someone else who
wanted to do this. So even putting me in a
class full of people who like nerd it out about
the same shit that I did, and like, you know,
loved the same kind of movies and TV that I did,
(11:42):
was great. And so yeah, that that class and then
and then I met Nancy, and Nancy was the people
in Nancy's class were doing the La thing, were like
breaking their families in half and sending them to the
oak Woods, which sounds insane, but at the time it
was like, oh, I'm breaking my family. Definitely, what's next?
You guys are to hold on tight we're going to
(12:04):
the oak Woods. So yeah, that was like the beginning
of starting to actually have conversations about like, okay, we're
doing this in Dallas. It wasn't an overnight decision. There's
now like five years of moving in this direction and
getting representation locally and then meeting other parents who have
like kind of done the pilot season thing, which I
(12:25):
don't even know if that's a thing anymore, but it
certainly was, you know, when you and I were coming up,
and so eventually I wore them down to let me
try it for like a few months.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Now. For those of you who don't know the oak Woods,
I don't know if we've talked about this, this is
a legendary place.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
Oh my god, it needs to be an HBO series.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
It really does. The oak Woods is an apartment complex
kind of directly adjacent to both Universal and Warner Brothers
kind in this up in the hill, which sounds very romantic,
but it's not. At that time at least, it was
(13:06):
like a commune for people who would come out for
pilot season for as you said, like a month, two months,
three months, and like commune together, like yeah together, yeah,
do auditions, right.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Do auditions for like three months to give people an
idea of the size of this compound. There was a
North Clubhouse, a South Clubhouse, three entrances from different streets
and buildings, three stories for every letter of the alphabet.
So it's massive. You don't need to leave. In fact,
there was people who had been there since Oakwood opened.
I remember Lou had some guy named Lou had his
(13:40):
ninetieth birthday at South Clubhouse, right, So it's like old
Hollywood kind of, you know, a group of people that
lived there and like never left. They went to the
salon there, and they would like go to the pool
and all this stuff. There was a convenience store that
we used to get beer and cigarettes from when we
were way too young. Like I mean, it was it
was overrun with musicians touring, elderly people that had been
(14:03):
there since the sixties, child actors and stage moms and securities.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
It's like the villages, yes, for it's like the villages
for young people who are trying to be musicians and
actors really and their families.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
Yeah, that's the perfect that is the perfect analogy. It
is exactly the villages. It's a democratic.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Probably mostly Yeah, were you and So how old were
you when you finally went out.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
To the So we couldn't stay in the oak Woods
because those were fancy, but my girlfriend at the time
lived there, and I spent all my time there. I
mean it was like even even if you you know,
didn't live there and you were an actor that you know,
was out there auditioning for past season, you just have
your mom drop you off there for like the day
and you'd run around with nothing to do with a
bunch of actor kids. That was when I was sixteen,
(14:52):
So twenty and three, twenty years ago. Wow, this is
twenty years as of this spring. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Well you know what's crazy is I actually landed in
La the exact time you did two three.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
So you must have seen me at the raquetball courts.
I'm gonna follow Zach. I'm gonna creepy way, not in
a creepy way.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Well, let's hold not. Yeah, I'm going to travel around
the country and eventually, when when, when Jake is on
the move, that I am too.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
This is a long play. I'm proud of you here.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
Yeah, now we're finally meeting twenty years later. It's been
going on forty years. Not quite Uh, your name. By
the way, I have to mention your name is John.
I heard a story about your name becoming Jake. Tell it.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Oh, I'm so curious. It's this is the story you've heard?
Uh So, my name is John Alan McDormand the force.
My dad. This is the third. I'm his only son.
He had two daughters before I was born and a
third after I was born. And I think just the
weight of continuing the progeny made him name me on
(16:05):
paper John the Fourth. But he didn't want to name
me John, so uh he there was I've heard it.
I've actually heard a couple of versions of this between
my parents, depending on how drunk they are. The story
that's kind of where it comes from, is that, like
I guess in the eighties, saying you got that right,
(16:25):
Jake was a saying and he was like, and you know,
Jake from Chinatown. So when I cry as a baby,
he'd tell me, relax, Jake, it's just Chinatown. When I'm
butchering Jacknickilson's.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Line, No, that was pretty close story.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
I heard.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Relaxed, Jake, it's Chinatown.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
Yeah, And then it stuck and now I'm an actor
and everyone thinks it's a stage name. It just has.
It's been a pain in the ass at airports and
security gates, at Warner Brothers and anywhere else and explaining
it to people where I'm like, oh, well, my real
name is John, that's what's on my license, and they're like, oh,
so you're you go by Jake as a stage name, Like, no,
(17:05):
my dad just thought he'd fuck with me eternally by
me going as Jake my whole life. I think, So,
you've got a great name, Brian Baumgardner, that's a that's
a that's a cool name. Oh it sounds cool, man.
It could be like, yeah, I'm jealous. I think John
Alan McDorman, as i've gotten older, sounds stronger because in
(17:27):
my mind when I think of Jake, maybe it's because
it has no roots and my actual name anywhere, But
I'm like, that's not a real name. I was talking
to a co star at one point and I was like,
I don't know Jake McDorman. This is like not too
long ago either, like four years ago. So I'm deep
into the Jake. This isn't like a conversation I had,
you know, twenty years ago. But she was like, no,
(17:49):
Jake mcdormand's great, that's good. I was like, she's like,
what's your what's your legal name? I was like John
Allan McDorman and she was like, oh, I take it back,
that's way better. She was like, Jake Dorman wins like
maybe a people's choice. John Allen McDorman wins a cab.
I was like, I fucking I know. So.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
Yeah, so you one of your first roles, you get
cast on Run of the House. Now was this during
a time you were just visiting this was my first
pilot season, your first pilot season, you get cast?
Speaker 4 (18:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
I was had the fear of God that I would
not get something, and you know, have to kind of
face all the decisions that I had made about like
pulling myself out of school, because you know, the different
the levels of commitment that go into a pilot season
when you're in the middle of like public school system.
Like I wasn't some savant. I wasn't some Ronan pharaoh
that graduated early like and could go run off to you,
(18:47):
you know, a good college. At some point it was
very much like, all right, you're just ending your education,
and like it was there was there was some you know,
I had gotten like a homeschool program that a lot
of child actors were going to a lot of headshots
on that wall. And there was even another like accredited
(19:09):
diploma that you could test out of school so that
a studio could hire you without having to hire an
onset tutor. But like that that was the goal marketability,
not education. It was like, get get this out of
the way, you want to be hireable, right. So I
had made those decisions quick because like before we even
hit the ground running for a first pilot season, like
(19:29):
did the get rid of the education and be like,
you know, completely no strings attached. So I was really really,
really really hyper aware that if this didn't work out,
at least work out enough to send the signal that
we should try it, you know, continue, that I was
going to have to like go back to school with
all my friends with my head held low and rejoin
(19:52):
a grade beneath them now, right, So yeah, I think
I tested for a handful that first year. Didn't get
any of the things I tested for, which was like
really devastating at the time. I didn't I didn't have
any gauge for how good or well I was doing
other than like get something or you're going home, So
(20:13):
callbacks or you know, any of the other Bellweathers that like,
you know, oh it's going well, just didn't compute. I
didn't know what to you know, invest that kind of
hope in. So I got this this co star on pilot.
This is back when CW was actually WB with the
Singing Frog yep, and it went for a season. They
brought me back for one episode after the pilot. But
(20:33):
that was enough. That was enough for my agents that
had like kind of they were doing like a dry
run with me, be like, well, sign you proper sing
with my manager at the time, and the signals send
the signal to my folks that like I can I
can maybe do this. It was great.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
It was a sitcom yeah, live audience fun. Ye, your
(21:09):
first main role you get cast on Quintuplets. Do you
feel like at that point your life is transitioning into
a totally new direction, Like do you feel the weight
of it? Is it a big deal for you?
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Oh? Yeah, oh yeah definitely. That was also I was
able to pay my parents back with that, and I
think that was when, you know, because that would have
required I was seventeen when I did Quintuplets and it
was going to go for a full season. Yeah, I
don't know when we got our back nine again for
people listening, you know, the pilot to first Order to
(21:44):
back nine might be weird now, but it shows back
then did like twenty two full episode seasons. And once
it was clear that that was going to happen, you know,
my family had to stop because it's me and my
mom out here and my dad and my sister in Texas,
and that split just was untenable. So I got emancipated
and I was turning turning eighteen soon just to legally
(22:05):
let my mom go back and I could start living
on my own in seventeen. So yes, I mean that
not only you know, bolstered confidence being having the set
experience of being like a series regular and having a
place to show up too, that's going to pay you
and have you learn as much as something like that,
but also just living on my own for the first time.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
How was How was that? Was that was that difficult?
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Like?
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Looking back, were you able to manage it? Okay?
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Look looking at the time, Yeah, I mean I really
And again there was there was there's a lot of
structure baked in with a with a show yes, so, like,
you know, having a place to report to, it would
be a little different. I think if I had, you know,
just moved out there, got an apartment at eighteen, and
was trying to get an agent, because that's really like
then you'd have to find structure in a job and
(22:53):
find something part time that would allow you auditions. So
I got to kind of circumvent that mess and have
somewhere to report to. It is mind blowing. I mean,
just having the like, I think the there's a level
of tell me what you think about this, there's a
level of like hubris that has to come. Like I'm
almost grateful that I started as a teenager when I
(23:14):
was stupid enough to think that this was a good idea,
you know. Like so like in hindsight, I'm kind of
mind blown because now I'm just so much more pragmatic
about things that something that kind of outrageous would I
don't know, I'd just be hyper aware of how much
I'd be putting everyone out in the likelihood and this
and that. So like at the time, I was so
(23:36):
I was laser focused on this and moving this forward.
But in retrospect, it just feels like bizarre.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Yeah, I have a similar story as what I mean,
not similar at all. But by the time I got
to La and I got the Office, and even though
The Office was almost canceled like fourteen times, there was
sort of this weird like, oh no, this is this
is going to go like everything's going to be good,
right and I'm going to be fired. It's all going
(24:06):
to be like I bought a house after like three episodes,
which which was ridiculous. No, I mean, like totally ridiculous,
which is like, you know, in retrospect, it's like, what
this is something I would vehemently argue anyone who told
me that was the choice that they were going to make.
When when was that?
Speaker 1 (24:26):
So you came out two thousand and three? When was
the pilot of The Office.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Two thousand and four? January, oh, February January, February of
two thousand and four, and then yeah, like really yeah.
Then we weren't on the air until spring of two.
We were mid season of two thousand and five, so
there was a long time in there. But I bought
a house before the show had aired.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
That's crazy.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
I mean, it's yeah, well done. No, it's really stupid.
I mean, again, in retrospec it all sort of worked out,
I guess, but of course, but yeah, no, I kind
of know what you And I'm really only telling that
story because I kind of get what you're saying. Like
looking back, like you were laser focused. I was certainly
laser focused and thought, Okay, well this is gonna this
(25:15):
is gonna all be fine. Yeah, but yeah, that's it's
that's fast.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
You kind of have to I mean, you kind of.
I mean even even I mean, there's still an element
of that that's you know, hasn't shaken. I mean, I
think it's twenty years later. You have more experience and
you've seen you know, peaks and valleys and all the
stuff that everybody talks about. But I mean there's still
has to be kind of an irrational burning for it, right,
like it still lives and it doesn't quite live irrational.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
No, that's true. And you know I was for my
age way more responsible when I was seventeen now really
just like just like for my A, I was mature
and blah blah blah. And I don't say that like bragging.
I was boring in a way. But I can't sitting
(26:03):
here now, I can't imagine living on my own in
Los Angeles seventeen.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
Yeah, it was a lot of you know, I'll say too,
because like I had met my it was my first
my first girlfriend lived out here, and I met her
in Nancy Chardier's class, So we met in Dallas, and
she was actually one of the one of the students
who was an example of someone that would go back
and forth from pilot season and I would hear she
would like come back from La and regaleus with stories
and it sounded like such a magical place. Obviously La
(26:29):
is very dangerous and not magical, but like the in
these kind of like you know, rose colored glasses in
an acting class, focusing on that specific element of like, wow,
here's somebody that I put up scenes with that just
went and did a pilot with Chevy Chase, you know,
like it just sounded like too good to be true.
And Oakwood. Honestly, this is something else I look back
on retrospect, but at the time Oakwood sounded like Sherwood forest,
(26:53):
like it was incredible, sound like all the stuff they'd
get into and just all this, Like, you know, if
I felt like I had found the tribe in a
pocket of Dallas that had a few acting classes right
Oakwood and Los Angeles felt like the mecca, Like it
just felt like right And obviously it's a sixteen year
old's idealized version of this place. Sure, but then to
(27:13):
right on the heels of idealizing it, get to be
of it and among it was. I think it helped
that I had a built in again, kind of a
built in community through her and her circle of friends.
She'd been doing this since even younger. I mean to
give you an idea, sixteen in retrospect is so young
(27:34):
that it blows my mind that I was even allowed
to do that. But I remember the feeling when I
got here at sixteen, looking around at all the other
kids that had been doing it since they were eight,
and being like fuck too old. Like I had that
thought where I was like, I can't believe I waited
till I'm an old man. Right sixteen, Now I can
drive like it's just you were. I was, so you know,
(27:58):
just enmeshed in that kind of you know, world and
culture socially that I think it was part of what
made my parents be like, oh, okay, he's not that
the child actor circle of Los Angeles is like, oh
he'll be fine.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
Yeah, but.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
Have you ever heard Yeah, exactly, exactly, name me what. Meanwhile,
they're depositing money in my cougan.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
In two thousand and seven, you're now fully la and
you get your first multi year, multiple season run of
a little show called.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
Greek Brian My only, my one and only.
Speaker 4 (28:47):
You're oh, that's the only?
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Well yes, yes, okay, so so far sure, fine, maybe technically,
but I mean we'll you know, we'll talk about that
in a minute. But wow, okay, so that's that's your
one and only. Well, first off, how did you get cast?
You audition? This was yeah, Greek, I'm talking about Greek. Yes, Greek.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
Greek is was on ABC Family Now I think it's
free form, And yes, it was in between Quintuplets and Greek.
I had gone to Australia to shoot a movie called Aquamarine, which,
by the way, is having a very bizarre to me,
not bizarre. I understand why it's happening. I guess it's
a kids movie and they've grown up now, but it's
having a little bit of like a weird resurgence. Mm hmm,
(29:34):
Like I get sent tiktoks a lot that are acha
marine centered. So did that in between, and then came
back to La and got on Greek And yeah, it
was an audition, but every character on that show, we
all auditioned for different parts of me played without exception,
every single one. So it was a little bit of
a mixed match and we got to know each other
through that process. I think.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
No, I know.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
Originally I had gone like all the way to the mat,
like all the way to student a network test for
the role of Cappy, which was like the complete inversion
of the character I got. He's like the fun John
Belushi animal house like you know, fraternity guy, right, and
I'm the more clean cut, preppy fraternity president. And so yeah,
(30:17):
they mixed this around, and I was really interested in
playing that part. So when they came back and were like,
how would you like to play the opposite of that part?
It was strange, it was but they kind of they
didn't have to test for it, so it was like,
in a weird way, it's not technically an offer, like
I did audition for another role, but but it was
the first time that they were like, you've already gone
(30:38):
through the steps. If you're interested, we'd like you to
play this role. Read it and see what you think
of that? And I was like, yeah, maybe that could
be fun. So did that here in LA for four years?
I think? And just I mean, you know, you know
how quickly you become a family with a cast that
you get to do more than one season of let
(31:00):
alone four because these are all still like my best
friends from that show.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
Yeah, but it also I mean just clearly young people
all sort of in as you have referred to in
this tribe. This everyone's sort of there in their own place.
No one hugely broken out at that point, right, And yeah,
it seems like totally that you would you would form
this family that you're referring to.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Yeah, yeah, I mean it's it's the only people that
know the I mean, you spend fourteen hours a day
with these people, like a weird amount of time that
you wouldn't even spend with your you don't even usually
get to because of this job, spend with your partner. Right,
So they've become such a constant in your life. And
then you're navigating press, which is always weird. And then
to have like a circle of eight people to go
(31:47):
through that process with brings you closer or not. I mean,
I know that we're really lucky that we had like
a good group of personalities, because that doesn't always happen.
But like, yeah, it was great, and I learned so
much just about being on the set. Those two classes
I was talking about earlier did a really good job
of preparing me. And they had like studio sets built,
(32:08):
like you learned how to do a multi cam sitcom.
They had like a you know, a film summer camp
where you're essentially working half the time as cast, half
the time's crew. So to their credit, like I was
maybe more used to the feeling of being on a
single camp than somebody who's just completely fresh off the boat,
but getting four years of you know, the hours and
(32:32):
watching a character develop, trying things that fucking don't work,
you know. And that's like one of the things I'm
most grateful for about it is the Greek has its
like pocketive fan It as like a cult, you know,
following of people who watched it when they were either
you know, in college or about to go to college.
But it was never like a breakout hit like a
Gossip Girl or something else at that time. And I'm
(32:54):
kind of just super grateful it wasn't, because like I learned,
like I knew how to act, but then there's so
many things that you just get from trying stuff and
watching it and cringing it that you tried that, and
to be able to kind of have it be like
a school in real time just sharpened me up a lot.
(33:17):
And I think if I was under this, if I
was under the scrutiny of like everyone in America is watching,
that would have been devastating, you know.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
Yeah, I think that time time with a character, having
the ability to explore that character with the same tribe
of people with the same ensemble for such a long time. Yeah,
it teaches you. You get comfortable with those things that
are so difficult when you're starting out, and then it
(33:47):
allows you, I feel, to go deeper into Okay, I'm
not worrying about my mark anymore. I'm not worried about
the lights or the camera or the crew walking around
or getting touched every fifteen seconds by a different person,
and like all that stuff sort of goes away and
you're able to sort of go go deeper. And what
a gift, right, Oh?
Speaker 1 (34:07):
I agree? And it's like, really, and I don't know
how else you would break through that without just an
insane amount of hours doing it. Yeah, you know, like
they come with a multi season kind of situation.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
You've done comedy and drama. I want to talk a
little bit about what we do in the Shadows. Talk
to me about playing Jeff. And had you seen the
movie before?
Speaker 1 (34:27):
Yes? Yeah, yeah, I was. I was a big fan
of the movie. Okay going into this and I didn't
actually I was, so this is you know, Alison Jones?
Speaker 4 (34:34):
Yeah, obviously, so this is.
Speaker 1 (34:36):
An Alison Jones. I was actually reading. I've known her
since I was sixteen. I was reading for I know,
it's crazy. There's a few casting directors here that have
that have literally watched me grow up. It's really it's
a it's a crazy thing. So this is Alison. She
was casting something else for FX that I was going
in for a couple of times, and I was close
(34:59):
on that thing, but it didn't look like it was
going to happen. And while I was there on like
the third callback for it, she just pivoted in the
rooms like would you be interested in reading something for
what we do in the Shadows? And I was like
the sequel, Like what is this? She's like, well, they're
making a series in America and I'm always I was
(35:19):
like this with the British Office, so hats off to
you guys, where I was like, I'm a complete snob
where I'm like, oh, it's perfect, it can't be improved upon.
There's no point in trying. How american of us, you know.
So I was kind of like, I don't know, Alison,
what is it? Is it? Who's involved is it? You know,
like like I had any power, and she was like,
it's it's Tiken Jimmy. I was like wow, I was like,
(35:41):
and no, it's like it's like an addition to the movie.
They're not carrying the characters. It's like a whole new thing.
But she just had me sight reading, so just gave
me the sides in the room I had. I watched
the movie so much. I didn't like know it like
line for line, but I knew all the characters from
it and really really was a fan. And the couple
of lines I had in the audition were like from
(36:03):
that first encounter in the first episode where like I
meet Nada and we'd like, you know, she thinks I'm
the reincarnation of this beheaded lover of hers from ten
thousand years ago, like that that's it, and he has
like five lines in this audition. So all I thought
about I was like, remember that character from the movie Stu,
the guy that like clearly wasn't an actor, you know,
(36:24):
like that that like they all like love him in
the movie. And I think I've heard some interview with
Tayka talking about how that's just somebody's mate in New
Zealand that they asked to be in the film. I
was like, I feel like this character's got to be
like Stu, Like just don't act, don't try to be funny.
That would be the death, Like just don't be an
actor at all, Like try to try to be the
most boring, no offense to this. But I was like,
(36:46):
just try to just try to strip it down. And
so I read it like that, and she threw me
on tape and then like heard later that day that
I got it, which was so insane. It's so crazy.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
I mean, by the way, I I have not in
all of the conversations that I've had on this podcast
or any other what you just talked about. Why does
that happen so often that you're in this happens a lot. Yeah,
that you're in for something else. Yeah, and you haven't
(37:18):
been granted an audition on this other project. But a
good a good casting director will see it or see
something right. Suddenly you're getting just like a full on
offer cast in something I know, I know, this is insane.
Speaker 5 (37:35):
Wow, oh this is what I'm This is pretty this
is what I miss about going in rooms on Yes,
not that that can't happen in a zoom and not
that you know, Allison doesn't have the dexterity to make
that happen outside of a room, but just that is
one of those like, you know moments where it's like, look,
you're here, you drove all the way here, would you
mind reading this new pressure?
Speaker 1 (37:54):
And it's just one of those kind of serendipitous kismet
things that works out.
Speaker 2 (37:57):
It happens all the time, all it's wild the time.
Speaker 1 (38:01):
Also, I had that one scene. They called me to
say you got it. They say, your first day is tomorrow,
let's send you the full script. And in the scene
that precedes that scene, I'm jerking off in bed.
Speaker 2 (38:16):
Like, oh okay, she didn't have any audition that No, no.
Speaker 1 (38:22):
Not so much, all right, but yeah, that was and
that was the first scene I shot. It was like
midnight on Paramount with Taiko and Jamaine and Alwakie Talkie
giving me like instructions on like how to jerk off camera. Yeah,
it was, it was. It was great.
Speaker 2 (38:38):
I love that. I love that, and I love her
for that. I mean, I'm not I don't mean to
say that it's typical like it. It just it happens
all the time. I mean, it's just it's just nothing.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
I really, but you feel really lucky anytime that just
something you do. Like because again, that other project all
of a sudden didn't matter at all. Like not that
it wasn't a good project is really good project, but
like we just fell into this and it felt right
and it just took off.
Speaker 4 (39:04):
I mean, I read it the Office, wasn't it.
Speaker 2 (39:06):
It was it was the Office or Parson rect I
(39:32):
talked to your your mate John Huganaker not too long ago,
Dope Sick what one of, if not my favorite show
of the last year. I was just talking to someone
this morning when I said I was going to be
talking to you, and just the relevance of that movie,
the power of that movie, the currency of that movie,
(39:55):
and the compassion that that movie showed towards people who
are truly struggling with addiction for a very specific reason.
Is is changing, I mean in the best way that
art can change people's mind. There's such a stigma behind it.
(40:18):
There has been such a stigma for so many years
about people who are drug addicts, right, even just a phrase,
even the way you say it, drug addicts, but just
the way that that story was told from the kids
in high school addicted to the doctor, to you know,
to everybody, talk to me a little bit about your
(40:40):
experience working on of course I'm talking about Dope Sick.
Speaker 1 (40:44):
Yes, everything you're saying, Strong agree. And that was the
biggest thing I took away from you know, Danny Strong
has such an ability to take complex information and synthesize
it through overlapping the storylines. Being able to do that
with something like Dope Sick, which spans so many different timeframes,
(41:04):
and he even put together connected some dots that weren't explicit,
you know that he had to kind of use by
talking to different people and different characters in the story
to put together and put into the show with their permission. So,
I mean, it was really just an incredible investigative reporting
from Danny and then being able to like synthesize it
(41:24):
and put it into an art But exactly what you
said was I talked to John about this, was yeah,
we all have that connotation with drug addicts, and we
all came up with that, you know, feeling like the
impetus is on them to change, not knowing that that's
a narrative that was perpetuated and in many cases just
completely fabricated by pharmaceutical companies when they were knowingly getting
(41:49):
people hooked. So the fact that you know, not only
is a drug addict someone that's sick and needs medical care,
that the fact that they're even hooked in the first
place is something a lot more sinister than a lack
of control or genetic predisposition. So yeah, it's all pretty
just dark and sinister from you know, the pharmaceutical aspect
(42:13):
of it. Getting to work on it creatively was great.
It was also coming out of that I went through
like I think, I don't know a lot of people
I've talked to went through this post twenty sixteen into
like the next few years, Like even I know we
skipped over this, but it's like doing Murphy Brown was
the other one where it was felt like I felt
(42:35):
relieved that I could act in something that's like a
creative release for me. That still felt like it was
having conversations that I in my personal life were having
for the first time and trying to work through and
or frustrated about politically and otherwise. Murphy Brown was that
and Dope Sick even more pointedly was that. So to
be able to shine a light on this stuff and
(42:58):
also work with people like John and Peter and Danny
just was really really edifying. We were coming out of
the pandemic too, so it was a really weird time,
you know, where there was a lot of question about
pharma and doctors and how important it is, you know,
in a pandemic to be able to trust your doctors
and trust vaccines, which was obviously you know where I
(43:21):
stand with those things. But at the same time, have
these examples where you're like, Okay, well, you're we're building
a show based around the real truth that you can't
always you know, trust these companies, and and just the
fact that it went as high as it did, Juliani, right,
It's just it's yeah, it was, it was. It was
(43:41):
I feel really fortunate to you know, be part of
that for sure.
Speaker 2 (43:45):
Playing the real life attorney John Brownlee. Did you talk
to John?
Speaker 1 (43:50):
I didn't talk to John. Danny talked to John. Danny
would sometimes be Danny talk to all these people a lot,
but uh no, we didn't talk directly.
Speaker 2 (44:00):
Did you feel a responsibility or were you creating a
character that just well, that just did what he did?
Speaker 1 (44:07):
You know, honestly, Danny's writing was so good, like and
is so good that you know, he puts these things
together in a way that I think he's he's cleared
his conscience by talking to all these people. So it's
it's set up. I mean, it works like a swift swatch,
you know, like and it's all based on the hours
(44:28):
and hours and hours that Danny's talk to these people
on the phone. So I always, for sure you have
like a little bit of ans or I do have
like a little bit of anxiety. This was the case
in American Sniper. And anytime I've played someone who you
know isn't just a character on the page, but is
actually being you know, is somebody from real life, there
is a level of responsibility that otherwise wouldn't be there.
(44:51):
But but Danny's script did such a service to him
and his efforts and Rick and Randy like that that.
I think, you know, I was all I had to
do is stay on track. There was nothing I felt
like I could do to mess it up. You know,
it was written so air tight.
Speaker 2 (45:07):
Yeah, fourteen Emmy nominations. What was that like for you
in the cast? I mean was it? I mean it
sounds self evident. But when you're involved in something that
is recognized because other people think it's great, that's one thing.
But when you yourself feel positive about the work and
(45:29):
the story that you're telling, it's got to be even
more gratifying, right.
Speaker 1 (45:33):
Yeah, for sure. I mean it's also typically awards for us.
It's like the longer I've done this, the more you
realize that translates in our industry to like career mileage,
you know, like, oh, okay, you just got some miles
because you're a part of this thing. This was the
first one that like that meant so much less than
(45:58):
the fact that, you know, awards have an ability to
put things on the map and to bring awareness to
a cause like dope sick. You know, I don't think
people didn't know the Sackler family. You know, they had
done a pretty good job and worked pretty hard to
even admist the kind of trials that were going on,
staying under the radar. And I think most people now
(46:22):
when you hear Richard Sackler because of things like Dope Sick,
because of like reporting in the Times, in the Post,
and you know other outlets that kind of really nailed them.
Speaker 2 (46:30):
That's more.
Speaker 1 (46:31):
You know commentates, everyone knows who you're talking about and
notes that they have a little bit of a scarlet letter.
Speaker 2 (46:36):
Now, yeah, well, congratulations. I really think in terms of
building awareness, empathy, compassion toward people struggling, you guys did
did an amazing job.
Speaker 4 (46:48):
So thanks congrats on that.
Speaker 2 (46:51):
Your newest show out now, Hey on a peacock near you,
missus Davis the Mad Scientist confusing genius Damon Lindelof's show
with You, a nun and a rebel walk into a
(47:12):
bar and chase down AI. People amazing reviews and audiences
are loving it. What was it like? Well, what was
it like for you working with Damon again? And was
this was this a situation where he said come and
join me or was it where you auditioning again?
Speaker 1 (47:33):
I was auditioning, but I mean it definitely had I
mean we had worked together on Watchman and on Watchman
the episode I was a part of was Jovon a
Depot's episode. Yes, and Jovon had worked with Damon on Leftovers,
as had Regina, and they were very That was like,
you know, they did Leftovers and now Damon had asked
(47:53):
them to come do this, and just that kind of
community Damon builds with his players was something that was
just so cool to watch jove On have that experience
on Watchmen. So I had always you know, been like, Wow,
that'd be really cool if that were to happen with
me because I love I'm such a fan of all
of Demon's work, and Watchman was such a great experience.
(48:14):
It was like one of the best experiences professionally at
the time that I had ever had.
Speaker 2 (48:18):
I'm gonna be honest, I haven't watched Watchmen, but I'm
going to now because The left I mean, I've heard
about it forever, but you're going You're making me. I'm
gonna watch it. The Leftovers. I freaking loved that show.
I mean, I loved that show and like this weird
humble brag thing, it was, you know, like an Emmy party.
(48:40):
I ran into those guys and I like spent the
entire time just telling them how amazing it was, to
the point where I think they all left me and
went to the bar because I could not stop talking.
No way talking about the leftovers, but anyway, I interrupted,
But no, but that's you.
Speaker 1 (48:59):
Know, honestly, I guarantee you they did not leave you
and go to the bar, because that's it does feel
like That's the one thread of everybody that I've met
that's worked on a Damon show or with Damon is
that you you become such a fan of it, you know,
like it's it's fun to me an actor. You're a
cog and a big machine, right, and to be such
a fan of the machine as a whole. It is
something that I've found with everybody that's worked with him,
(49:22):
one common thread is like we all like nerding out
and talking about it.
Speaker 2 (49:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (49:25):
I always love when I meet someone who's kind of
gotten deep obsessed over the materials, which as like we
have left Efver is amazing. You should check out Watchman.
It's it's a great series.
Speaker 4 (49:37):
I will.
Speaker 1 (49:37):
Are you a fan of the graphic novel?
Speaker 2 (49:40):
Sure? I mean novel? Yeah, I don't read, but yeah, no,
I it's no Bran, it's it's pictures. I know you
love picture I do love pictures. Yeah, I know I
need to pick that up. I hear this all the time,
but I.
Speaker 1 (49:56):
I yeah, I read it in preparation for or that.
I had read it once forever ago, when I was
really really little, And I don't think even like, I
don't even think I read it because it's really it's
a proper graphic novel. It's like thicks a lot of texts.
The only time I read it, like top to bottom
was before shooting the show. But I actually really enjoyed
even I think before before I read it, I'd seen
(50:19):
Zack Snyder's movie and I even really liked that, just
the concept of it there. So anyway, I went into
that like a pretty big fan of it and it
was a really great experience. When Missus Davis came around,
I knew I wanted to make a tape for it.
It was an audition. I was working on something in Atlanta, actually,
and it was such it was such tricky material, especially
(50:40):
without a script. I couldn't I couldn't tell which way
to lean. I think they had described it. Vicky Thomas
in the casting notes had kind of described it as
taking place in a heightened reality similar to Watchman, and
Watchman has a lot of opportunities for you know, dark comedy.
So I was like, I think it's funny. It feels
(51:01):
like it could be funny or I'm completely off and
it should be you know, deadly serious. I couldn't tell
exactly what the tone was, and you know, if you've
watched the show, it really does strike this weird tone
that kind of oscillates between you know, slapstick and serious drama. Yeah,
so they snuck me a script, maybe two scripts, and
once I read those, I was like, oh wow, I'm
(51:23):
so on board.
Speaker 4 (51:24):
I get it.
Speaker 1 (51:25):
But even still hitting that target felt hard. And I
don't know, but sometimes when you're working on something else,
like making a tape for another thing, can be just
it's just it's really disorienting and takes a little bit
of an extra you know. And so I failed at
making a tape to just get it the way I
wanted to, like two times, and then on my third try,
with my sister, who was like ready to kill me,
(51:47):
I made a tape that I felt like, Okay, I
think this is it and sent it off did like
a zoom callback with Damon and Tara and Owen and Vicki,
and after that callback got it, it just kept you know, man,
it's it's like, I I've done this long enough, and
I feel like I've seen things that I have read
(52:09):
the scripts for turn out not as great as the script.
It's so easy to have something as ambitious as Missus Davis,
or even half as ambitious as Missus Davis somewhere along
the process just get completely fucked up and lose its way,
Like it could come from a million different directions, but
by the time you you know, say action on day
(52:29):
one to like that's a wrap on post, it just
doesn't have the same just doesn't pack the same punch
that it did in the script. So I was like
apprehensive because I loved the scripts so much, but I
wasn't sure about Peacock and how much they were behind it.
You know, watching was on HBO, which just has, you know,
(52:50):
a reputation for taking big sweetens like this, So I
was kind of waiting for something to jump out and
expose itself as like, oh, this is going to actually suck,
and you're like ah, and it just didn't happen. Like
meeting Betty was a big part of that. I don't
know if you're a fan of Betty Gop and you shouldn't,
but she's incredible. That elevated everything. Then meeting Owen and
(53:14):
like what he planned to do with just the set design.
He brought in his set designer and his costume designer
from London and all of them were on this same
kind of like Looney Tunes live action page and then
props in one by one. It's just like a domino effect.
As before we got to like the actual sets, it
(53:35):
was like, holy shit, I think they're actually going to
go for this, And and to Peacock's credit, they were
so bhying the whole time. I think one of my
favorite things I see certain people say, like when I'm
like trawling Twitter or something, is like, how the fuck
did this get made? It's amazing. I'm like, ah, yes,
I know. More more encouragement for people to take big swings,
especially people in like Peacock's position, where you know it
(53:59):
really does come to on to the bottom line. You know,
will really take big risks like this because it's so
fun to watch.
Speaker 2 (54:06):
Well, congratulations, I don't want you to give any spoiler alerts.
We're getting there to the end. But I do want
to ask your opinion. What do you think that the
show says about AI versus faith man or to you at.
Speaker 1 (54:26):
Least maybe that there's a place for both. Okay, that
sounds like a shitty Press answer, doesn't it, Brian? I'm sorry,
I don't know what's the show?
Speaker 2 (54:38):
Okay? All right? Fair enough?
Speaker 1 (54:41):
Yeah, yeah, Well, you know it has faith and technology,
it also has magic. I think one of the things
to be deadly serious that I didn't think about when
it comes to AI until our show was just if
you have, you know, something that can legitimately answer all
your prayers, like an algorithm, you know, with access to
the internet, cumulative knowledge of everything. Ever, what happens to
(55:03):
things that rely on mystification like magic, Like magic's a
big element in the show, and never thought about that,
or probability like in poker and gambling like that all
kind of falls away when when you have the answers
to everything, it's you lose a little bit of life. Spark.
I guess this sounds like another Press answer, kill me.
I don't fucking no. No.
Speaker 2 (55:21):
I think that's very no. I think that's very interesting.
I think that's very interesting. I mean that that really is.
Speaker 1 (55:28):
It wasn't until we were, you know, maybe halfway through
shooting the show that those pieces kind of fell in
place for me where I was like, that's not a
question I had even thought about. Strange because now I
think we're we're all talking about it. Now we're seeing
that happen, and I feel like it's you can see
the snowball effect of thinking this, this this like corner
(55:51):
of our paradigm is safe from rapidly accelerating AI. And
then you realize like none of it is, Like you
can really you can really imagine a world where it
can come kind of take over everything, or do improve anything,
or or improve to a fault everything, you know, Like,
so these are all things we're talking about and thinking
about now. When we were making this show seven months
(56:13):
ago or whatever it was, this was less on everybody's.
Speaker 2 (56:17):
Yeah, that's what makes That's what makes the man. He's
a very very smart man. He sees it coming. No,
but I you know, it's something that faith is something
that is important to well to everyone, not necessarily religious faith,
but the idea in believing in something that you can't
(56:39):
prove or that is improbable totally be it religion, be
it sports, be it anything like.
Speaker 1 (56:48):
Brian like we were talking about before, even this, I
mean like it takes a little bit of faith despite
the odds and despite knowing better right that it's still
worse jumping in and giving it a shot. Yeah, it's
it's very human faith.
Speaker 2 (57:06):
And if everything can be proven right, where does that leave.
Faith's fascinating to me. If an amazing show with Damon
Lindelof is not enough, you also have with Kate Marra
an FX series Class of Nine out, Now, go check
that out. I mean you you're just like in my brain.
(57:30):
You're in my eyeballs and my brain now anywhere I look.
It doesn't matter what channel. I'm gonna talk to your
agent about exclusivity because you don't. Never sign up for exclusivity.
Speaker 1 (57:43):
This is why you do two shows about AI so
you get the algorithms on your side. See a Class
of nine is about AI, Missus Davis is about AI.
That's how you stay in the zeitgeist.
Speaker 2 (57:54):
You're current, that's all I know. You don't know how
to set up a zoom meeting. You're currently. You're current, exactly.
Congratulations on all of your success. I have really enjoyed
chatting with you today. I wish you nothing but the best.
I'm a I'm a big fan, and You're welcome back anytime.
(58:17):
So next month when you have another show, come out,
come back, come back, and we'll chat about that.
Speaker 1 (58:24):
I would love to Brian, I'm such a fan. I
was so excited that you asked me to do this,
so thank you man. I'd love to come back anytime
you'd have me.
Speaker 2 (58:33):
Awesome. Jake McDorman, everybody, John Allen Doorman, Congratulations my friend.
Speaker 4 (58:43):
Thanks buddy, Jake, my new friend.
Speaker 2 (58:58):
This was a delight.
Speaker 1 (58:59):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (59:00):
Thank you for bringing your insight. Now I'm not going
to do that again. Thank you for coming on, Jake.
That was very, very fun sharing your story. I'm looking
forward to owning you on the racquetball court sometimes very soon. Listeners,
if you haven't already, be sure to catch up on
Missus Davis and Class of Nine. Missus Davis fascinating show.
(59:24):
I highly recommend, and that should keep you busy until
next week when guess what. I'm going to be back
with another amazing an old friend from HR.
Speaker 4 (59:36):
We'll see you next week.
Speaker 2 (59:44):
Off the Beat is hosted and executive produced by me
Brian Baumgartner, alongside our executive producer Lang Lee. Our senior
producer is Diego Tapia. Our producers are Liz Hayes, Hannah
Harris and Emily Carr. Our talent producer is Ryan Papa Zachary,
and our intern is Sammy Katz. Our theme song Bubble
(01:00:05):
and Squeak, performed by the one and only Creed Bratton,
Host
Brian Baumgartner
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