December 16, 2022 • 28 mins
He’s had his first appearance so what better time to bring on the future baby daddy than NOW?! Jesse is here!!
Mark Damon Espinoza joins Jennie and Tori.
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Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
With Jenny Garth and Tori Spelling. You guys, we have
a special treat for you. Right now. We have Jesse Basquez.
Do you heber Jesse Basquez, Andrea's mark, Damon Espinoza, Andrea's
love interest, like leading man Mary had babies, baby babies?
(00:28):
How many they had? It's just one, I think Andrea. Yeah,
that's yeah. We get to talk to him and we're
gonna you guys hear it right about now. Hey, guys,
how you doing good? How are you? I'm very well? Thanks?
Where are we talking to you? Where are you? I'm
at home in the living room in l A. Yeah,
(00:49):
I live here downtown. You'll never believe where we are.
You are well, they told him, right, no, I don't
wanna tell me anything. I'm looking at the one You'll
never or now. It looks totally different inside. If we
showed you the view out, it's not West Covina right, No,
you mean Elsa Gundo. No, we that's that's the beach.
(01:15):
I think he's hinting what we think he's hinting that
the beach house and Kelly, which was which is in
her most speech. Wow, and one of the locations I
never went to years. I don't think Jesse ever came
over for a barbecue. Never. Never speaking of Jesse, how
(01:40):
you were on the show for a long time. You
had a long run, No, well, two years, the year
and a year and three quarters, but that was it.
There was episodes or because they did the episodes a year, right,
good old days, good old days. Oh my god. That
(02:00):
I don't think anyone does that anymore. You did not
come on to the scene until your biggest bartending scene
in season four, early on season four, Uh, the anniversary
episode for Yeah, we just watched it. Yeah, will never
(02:21):
forget you, Like, that's one of those iconic moments over
the ten years when we first see Jesse, Like, everyone
always remembers that the bartender. Yeah, the cheating bartender. The
cheating We got to that because I, in learning and
in looking up some of the facts about your character
over the years, I had totally forgotten that this was
(02:44):
a part of Jesse. Like, let's start with when you
came onto the show, what was your understanding of your
character and your role and how long you would be
on the show. We go back to the audition to start. Yeah,
it's not it's not a long story, but um, I got.
I got that audition, I think the day before the
(03:06):
night before. And back back in those days, you go
and you pick up your sides at the casting office.
Remember that before they would back them to you, they
would leave them out on the like the chair or something. Yeah.
And I had had two auditions that day. One was
for yet tatted up gang member on NYPD Blue and
an audition for nine O two and oh, and I thought,
(03:27):
there's no way, there's no way nine o two and
these kids are like super cool and gorgeous and popular.
And what I'm gonna be a you know, a gang
member on that an NYP Blue. So the tile actor,
that's what you are? What's that versatile actor? Well? I
went in and I was late getting to the casting
(03:48):
office and they uh to Diane's office and uh, that
day there was nobody left in the waiting room. So
I went in and did the audition and she said, well,
can you come back later? Are on this afternoon and
meat producers? And I thought, what me? Come on? Really? Uh?
And I was wearing a white monogram shirt that I
(04:09):
bought at a thrift store with someone else's monograms on it.
But it was the nicest shirt I owned that was
basically living out of the back of my Toyota pick
up at the time. And uh, I went back that afternoon,
and that afternoon they were it's just the legion of
like all these good looking dudes with hair, you know,
and like, you know, twenty inch waistline. You don't know
(04:31):
about hair, you have hair? You had hair. I didn't.
I didn't. Well not I have less now, but I
had I had ton't have a whole lot then either,
And so what I would do is I would push
it towards the middle and and just you keep your
head up a little bit and it looked like you
have a little more air that these guys were in
there doing this and that, flicking their hair. And we
(04:52):
had a lot of guys with gorgeous hair on the show.
We right, no more hair inside burns. We were done.
Those guys looked like it belonged there. And anyway, to
try to make a long story short, I went and
did the audition. They was so nice, everyone was so cool.
And I got a call later that day saying, well,
they want you to come meet Mr Spelling when they
(05:13):
want you to meet Aaron and at that time age
and it told me, it's it's probably it could be
a two or three episode gig as a boyfriend. This
is what I was told then, So I went that Monday.
They gave me another scene and went that money met
met your pop, and I guess I did what I
was told. Later, I did what you're not supposed to do,
and that was going around the desk and shake his hand.
(05:35):
And that's the first thing. Well, I've never heard that one.
Tell me more. They told me, you know, we should
have told you ahead of time. You shouldn't, you know,
break the barrier. He shouldn't go just go shake his hand.
That's that's by the way. He was so nice, and
I think he actually appreciated the fact that I went
up and shook his head um and did the audition
(05:59):
went really well. Uh got a call later that day saying,
you booked it. We'll find out when the episodes are
gonna air. So I got I got called two days
later after they negotiated a deal, and he said, my
agent said, you're not gonna believe this. They want you
for two years. And I just remember sitting down on
(06:20):
the bed completely blank because I you know, I was
staying at a friend's apartment, sleeping on a bared mattress
next to his piano, with everything I owned in the
back of my seventy seventy six toy to pick up Um.
And I had no concept of what that meant, because
I would see you guys, uh, you know, when I
(06:40):
check out the grocery store. I'd see you guys in
the magazine and you were everywhere. You were everywhere, like
the worldwide. At that point, it was insane, and the
very notion of being in the company of these characters
was I wasn't worried about that as an actor so much.
I was more so stressed out, like what are they
(07:01):
going to be? Like? What do I do? I don't
know how to behave like this. All I've ever done
was theater, you know, and it's a very different world.
Everyone was so nice. Everyone was so incredibly nice. Um.
I can't say enough good things about the cast, event
and that show. Two years. I mean, they hadn't even
seen you on camera yet. Now I had done one
(07:24):
little episode of Gabriel's Fire as a burrito sales. No,
I mean they hadn't seen you on on the show,
and they just committed to year. I'm hungry right. Yeah.
I think I think part of that was also Gab
was four ft eleven and she was getting pregnant and
showing real fast. I think they had to do something
(07:45):
that was she like, did you have a chemistry read
with her? Did she come into my dad's office with you?
That's why I met Gab on set that night, the
first night, uh, and we chatted she uh the minute
I met her, I knew, I knew where would get along.
(08:06):
I knew I was in the right hands. Uh, incredibly welcoming.
So she was GABU hasn't changed a bit. We're still
best friends, still see her. I'm going to see her
in a couple of weeks. As a matter of fact,
I was so nervous and just be here for the
first time put me at ease completely completely. So that's Gab. Yeah.
(08:31):
So I didn't realize this, but your character Jesse was
actually based on our executive producer Jessica Klein, her college boyfriend. Right.
I found that about. I found out later his last
name was Voskez, and if had she married him, she
would have been Jesse Voskuez or j Jeez. I said
(08:52):
it wrong. It's a qu's and you should hear people
with slaughter Espina? Oh my god, kidding. So going back
(09:14):
to the character, did you know what they had in
store for you? Like, did you did they talk to
you about like, Oh, here's what's going to happen. And
you just knew that Gab was pregnant, So your characters
got together real fast, real quick. Correct? And I think
they had to speed things up because she was getting
pretty pregnant pretty fast. And I haven't seen the show
in the episode right right, I haven't seen like what
(09:35):
happens next with you guys, or what starts to happen
even But so you're saying, does she get pregnant with
your baby on the show? Just for a little backstory,
I have no idea. She's a very method rewatch podcaster,
so she has decided to go into this forgetting everything
(09:57):
that happened on the show so she can view it
wasn't it wasn't unfortunate. So wait, so you remember Jessie
and Andre get pregnant with a baby right away? Uh?
Pretty quick? Yeah, And so then she got it, got it?
So then they have her pregnancy, her real pregnancy be
(10:20):
Andrea's pregnancy. Yes, correct, Wow, good to know Okay, now
it's a spot for you. What are you gonna do? Okay,
he'll still enjoy it, So you do you guys, realize
that I've got friends who have kids who have kids
who are watching this show. Nowez. My daughter's in college.
(10:43):
Uh here in her roommate's boyfriend. He's a huge nine
o two and oh fan, he's a film he's a
film student, and he's watched every episode of all ten seasons.
What's his name? Uh Aram tell Aram? Hi? Hey, wrong,
thanks for watching. That's nice that we're reaching the young guns.
(11:05):
It's insane well that the show has as a longevity
and as it still has a validity because they tackled
so many personal issues. It wasn't a sensationalist kind of show.
You talked about the things that kids. It doesn't matter
what generation you're in, you're gonna be dealing with those issues.
And I think it does have an appeal still today obviously.
(11:26):
So sorry. Going back to the casting, So you meet
my dad, He's like, oh, yeah, this is the guy.
That's so good. I feel like I'm with him. I
don't remember. I assume he had to obviously go to Fox,
(11:47):
even though if he didn't he would say like this
is who I'm using anyway, like with Yuke, with Luke Um.
But we have heard that. Our showrunner at the time,
Larry Mullen, says in an interview, he was dismayed at
the casting of you what is this? What does that mean?
(12:07):
News tomorrow? That's what we were told we should ask.
Larry Mullen, we haven't been running here in an interview
said he was expressed dismay at the casting of what
do you think dismay means? Like? What does that mean? When?
When referring to Mark Espinoza in a two thousand ten interview,
(12:28):
former writer, because I when I did an episode with
the Yes, the other pod, the ship, the other one,
the other he in so many words, said that that
you know he didn't realize what they had then with
me as an actor, he had a new appreciation for
(12:49):
what I did. Maybe that means maybe initially he was like,
I'm not sure, but then you want him over, like
you want all of us over. Wait, but so Jesse
becomes a cheater, like I know you guys are having
a baby now, but now you're cheating. Well, no, I
cheated later, I mean, oh, I don't tell her don't
(13:12):
tell her, You're I don't want to talk about it,
for your sake. She was cheating. First, Wait what listen, listen, listen.
You're gonna have to watch the show all night, and
I don't know if I'm gonna love it. This is
a lot. Don't tell her. Okay, So the relationship, it's
(13:33):
the skids. Let's just say that, right, she said, skins.
But I can't believe that. But so do you? How
so you were there for two seasons? How long do
you guys stay together? Like? No, what'd you break up
to the least script? I want to know to be
I don't know what happened. I left together, and apparently
(13:53):
I think I guess we're still together. But they are
Andre and jesserom so together. But us they were trying
trying to get a divorce or thinking about a divorce.
That's all I know. So, if it came back today
or you know, like the other nine O, two and oh,
when it came back in c W, they had different
storylines created. What had happened, Like Kelly and Dylan had
(14:17):
ended up together? How did a child together? David and
Donna had a child together. But we're in the midst
of separating, possibly getting a divorce. If Andrea and Jesse
had come back, where would they be in your opinion,
I am in my life would still be married and
probably grandparents are great. I like it. I like it
(14:38):
happily ever after. I mean, I have to be to
be honest. You know who doesn't. Yeah? Yeah? Um so
if you okay, So you went on after have a
long acting career, you're still acting, I'm assuming. Yeah, what
are you working on right now? You were an American
Horse Story? How did I Miss It? Is my favorite?
(15:00):
How did I miss you? In it? He were you
as scary characters? I only had a couple episodes I got.
I got to work with Jessica Lange and that was
She's okay. So you're either in season one to three
or four? Wait what season? Season? Season? Uh? The season too?
The I can't watch it? Miss this now I have
(15:25):
to go back. Yeah I can't. It's one of my own.
That makes you. That makes me that much closer to
Ryan Murphy. Just because you were on there? Was it
a great experience? What was it like? Uh? Well it
was Jessica Lange and I was so worried. Maybe you know,
maybe she's not real nice. And I don't know, you know,
because I've only met a handful of people who weren't nice.
(15:48):
You know. On set? She who are those? Amazing? Such
a pro and we we did probably takes and she
gave it and thousands every single time. Such a such
a pro, amazing, just an amazing, amazing person. Who's somebody
(16:08):
else that you've loved working with over the lounge of
your career, There's been a lot. I mean, I just
I just did a Jenny that's not the answer. I
was on tap, but okay, okay. I just finished working
on a show called The End Game on scenes that
(16:28):
I think you can get on Peacock or Hulu or
something like that. They didn't renew it for a second season.
But it was the best job I've ever had. I
think the Castle crew were amazing, but it was Marentha
Backer and in Rayma show Bath. Uh, there's been There's
been a lot of actors that have been great. I
just did an episode of Quantum Leap with Raymond Lee
(16:51):
and nice guy, nice, nice nice. It all comes back,
you know what it all makes. It makes a difference
when to show up on set and everyone's pleasant I've
been on sets where people aren't pleasant or there's an
ego thing going on, and it just it just it's
a wedge between you and the work. And yeah, I
(17:11):
like to think of myself as you know, uh, Jerryman,
who just wants to come in and do his job.
You know, you were so kind and so fun and
(17:32):
we loved always being with you. But take us back
to those days. Did you feel like, uh that ever
happened on our set? I mean, everyone was at the
height of their career, like it was young people. We
didn't always get along and it's so nervous when you
asked this question, like what if it's me that day? Well,
(17:53):
you guys, you guys are crazy nice to me, uh,
And I never felt uncomfortab We didn't have a lot
of work together because so much of my stuff was
with gab or Or it was a big group group stuff. Yeah,
we didn't know when we do all those those were fun.
(18:14):
I remember. I remember stressful days for different reasons, you know,
and things were a little askewed at times, But as
far as people being professional and being nice to each other,
and the crew was amazing as well. No, I have
I have nothing but good memories on set. To be honest,
(18:35):
I mean I feel the same way. All the all
the bad little moments are stressful moments seemed to fade
away and you're left with all the best memories because
it was such a magical time in all of our lives.
Well that I can't imagine what it was like for you.
I remember Jason coming in probably my first couple episodes.
(18:55):
I was in for fitting and Jason walks in and
with the ten dollar bill and Molly who was Moll
David David we call him spo Swoopieooo. Jason Jason bill
in his hand, and he goes, can somebody please go
(19:17):
buy me a package of tube socks? Before guy could
not go to a mall and buy tube socks because
you guys were so famous. Wait, I thought he was
like doing a prank and like I'd like to buy
a pack of tube socks. That would be meaning like
doesn't tu socks mean something else? Like what like like
(19:37):
like a sausage, like a penis? What would you want
a penis? Tube socks? Guys? Am I off base here? Yes,
there's there's some someone older Randy. Wait, do you know
what tupsocks used to mean? Too steak. It does have
(19:59):
a dirty I apologize, I apologize. She's always apologizing for me.
And how do you? How do you? How do you
do it? How do you? How do you hold up?
It's not easy? She goes off on tangents, but they're fun.
You're talking about tube socks. Yeah, he couldn't buy his
(20:21):
own socks, so we had to ask Molly to do it.
It would have been the same for you guys. You couldn't.
You probably couldn't run into McDonald's and grab a big
mac if you wanted it, because you've been bombarded. We
did it, We actually didn't. That was It was definitely
a weird time. I don't think any of us were
quite prepared for it. And but the best memories from it,
(20:45):
Oh my gosh, it's such appreciation for you know, all
of that good, the bad, weird, well, because you know,
as you know, get older, life throws you enough bs
so you can look back and relish. They're really good
times and it gives an appreciation for what you have
(21:05):
now in your life as well. Wait, I want to
know what you have in your life. I heard you're
a girl. Dad. I've got three, I've got I've got
we have a modern family. I've got a partner of
twenty years. We've got three three dogs, three rescue dogs.
I and the father for three gorgeous daughters. Ones in college,
ones in um uh high school, and the other is
(21:29):
finishing up middle school. So I started way like, wow,
the middle school. How old is your youngest? She's gonna
be fourteen in March fourteen fourteen. Yeah, it's the best though, right,
three girls, I'm three girls life. I remember what life
was before life. I remember what life was like before them.
(21:51):
But it's a blur because you know, you've always heard
how you guys have kids. You've I've always heard you
never love anything more than you love your kids. And
I assume that's probably true to a certain level. I
didn't realize the depth, Darvin, I would. I would throw
myself on the tracks for them. I wouldn't think you
wouldn't think twice about it, You would just do it.
(22:13):
You love them so much, even when they're rotten a
really crappy day, You adore them. You love them more
than you love anything. And being in this business where
it's me, me, me, me me all the time to
be able to set aside and go I love something
more than I love myself. That that's a revelation. I
think on a certain level it is. Yeah, it is well,
(22:37):
But she doesn't love herself at all because she has
five kids to love. There's no love left over, no left,
no love left. Don't love me. I'll love herself. I
love you more than I love myself. But that's another
would for me. Yeah, that's a good friend. I'm sweet.
(22:59):
Is that mean I would? I would do whatever, I
could stop the train, like, I don't know if I would,
you know what I mean? I would think that out first,
Like what if you didn't have a moment. I mean,
I guess if I had, I don't know. I'm like
when it comes to things happening, I'm not like a
strong person. I wouldn't imagine, but when something happens, I
(23:20):
dive in deep, like I'll go fast. So I probably
would not think about it and throw myself on the
train attraction, and then I'd feel really guilty. If would you, um,
you would say my eulogy? Yes, okay, No, you'd make jokes,
of course I would. Oh, it's so fun to talk
(23:42):
to you and catch up with you. Yes, it's been
a really long time, you honestly look the same. It's weird,
it's bizarro. I knew. See, we all have our like
personal things we are self conscious about, and you brought
it up earlier, so we knew we were to say
your okay, aside from your hair, you're still as exactly
(24:06):
from fella. It's like a man swoon over you. Did
you notice that or you didn't get it because you're like, oh,
Jason Priestly Luke Perry, like you're swooning over me. Girls
loved you, by the way. I go back to my
my thirty and forty years men, everyone they they all
(24:26):
liked a little Jesse. I that's a long story, but
I well, no, I just like it's so bizarre. I
couldn't I couldn't find a date in high school. And
you go back to your high school reunion and you
hear these these girls, women, young women have grown up
to be women, and they're all still gorgeous, and they say,
(24:48):
I had such a crush on you in high school.
What nobody had a crush on me? And I couldn't
find a date to home coming? So do people recognize
you from from Nino too? I know? Is that like
the most recognizable thing that you find people seeing you
out in public from Yeah, that people still do it.
When I was on The End Game, people would stop
me about the End Game. Uh. And the character is
(25:10):
a really serious character, doesn't smile at all, And one
kid stopping and said, dude, you smile. I really like
the show Man. Uh. But yeah, I still get the night.
But people look at you a little bit like, yeah, yeah,
maybe I go to school with you. Yeah, get a
little foggy for people. Well, I played a lot of
(25:33):
cops and doctors and judges, so on occasion people stop
and start talking to me like I'm a professional, like
a dude, I just playing on TV. Man. That's the
best response. Was this your most notable like character playing
a leading man sex symbol? Uh? Jesse? Yes, Well, I
(25:56):
mean I don't. I don't. I wouldn't consider him a
sex symbol. I still wear plaid, by the way I might.
I might ask plaid and stone washed jeans. I mean,
maybe you don't hear you didn't hear it as much
as we did. But girls used to like fawn over you,
and I can't take it anymore. No, I don't remember
(26:19):
that it is. I will say, I will I will.
I will to backtrack a tiny bit. I moved from
Chicago back to l A. And in those three weeks
before I had the nine or two and o audition,
I was only in town less than a month. When
I got the audition. Those three weeks, I was trying
to find a job waiting tables. I could not get
(26:39):
a job waiting tables anywhere. Uh, And the idea of
asking someone out on a date was impossible. You fast forward,
all of a sudden, I'm eating at restaurants I couldn't
get a job at and I'm getting you know, women
were giving me their business cards and things like that.
But at that point it doesn't seem real, you know,
you You wonder about their motives in that respect. So
(27:01):
I if someone thought I was a sex symbol, I
never heard it. Well we do, yeah, we heard it.
We thought it. Still do. Yeah. Look at that smile,
always the best for this thing. Best smile. It's so
great catching up with you. We really really appreciate your
green now on the pod. It's so good. It's so
(27:23):
good to see you. Likewise, you guys look amazing, Oh
my gosh, than mirrors smoking mirrors, no good genetics, good
living gorgeousness period so thank you. No periods. Well, we
hope we see you soon. Look up, look up the
end game. It's it's it's a really fun show. It's
(27:44):
a great show. Okay, lets everybody go out and check
out the end Game. See Mark Espinoza in actually wearing
some really nice suits. We miss you. We it's so
great seeing you hopefully. Well, I know we have talked
before with Gab about getting together with you, and and
all said they're eating they have a pot luck, so
hopefully that works out. I'll see you in a couple
(28:05):
of weeks, so I'll bring it up. Yeah, tell her
we want to We still want to do that the
pot luck year. Yeah, in the new year. Okay, we
love you, Love you guys. Oh my gosh, what fun
it is. That was Mark Damon Espinosa. He literally looks
the same. It must be nice being a man because
(28:27):
you basically, for the most part, you look the same.
It's not always true either age or you don't. And
if you age the same, he looks exactly the same thing.
With Jenny Garth and Tori Spelling. You guys, we have
a special treat for you. Right now. We have Jesse Basquez.
Do you heber Jesse Basquez, Andrea's mark, Damon Espinoza, Andrea's
love interest, like leading man Mary had babies, baby babies?
(00:28):
How many they had? It's just one, I think Andrea. Yeah,
that's yeah. We get to talk to him and we're
gonna you guys hear it right about now. Hey, guys,
how you doing good? How are you? I'm very well? Thanks?
Where are we talking to you? Where are you? I'm
at home in the living room in l A. Yeah,
(00:49):
I live here downtown. You'll never believe where we are.
You are well, they told him, right, no, I don't
wanna tell me anything. I'm looking at the one You'll
never or now. It looks totally different inside. If we
showed you the view out, it's not West Covina right, No,
you mean Elsa Gundo. No, we that's that's the beach.
(01:15):
I think he's hinting what we think he's hinting that
the beach house and Kelly, which was which is in
her most speech. Wow, and one of the locations I
never went to years. I don't think Jesse ever came
over for a barbecue. Never. Never speaking of Jesse, how
(01:40):
you were on the show for a long time. You
had a long run, No, well, two years, the year
and a year and three quarters, but that was it.
There was episodes or because they did the episodes a year, right,
good old days, good old days. Oh my god. That
(02:00):
I don't think anyone does that anymore. You did not
come on to the scene until your biggest bartending scene
in season four, early on season four, Uh, the anniversary
episode for Yeah, we just watched it. Yeah, will never
(02:21):
forget you, Like, that's one of those iconic moments over
the ten years when we first see Jesse, Like, everyone
always remembers that the bartender. Yeah, the cheating bartender. The
cheating We got to that because I, in learning and
in looking up some of the facts about your character
over the years, I had totally forgotten that this was
(02:44):
a part of Jesse. Like, let's start with when you
came onto the show, what was your understanding of your
character and your role and how long you would be
on the show. We go back to the audition to start. Yeah,
it's not it's not a long story, but um, I got.
I got that audition, I think the day before the
(03:06):
night before. And back back in those days, you go
and you pick up your sides at the casting office.
Remember that before they would back them to you, they
would leave them out on the like the chair or something. Yeah.
And I had had two auditions that day. One was
for yet tatted up gang member on NYPD Blue and
an audition for nine O two and oh, and I thought,
(03:27):
there's no way, there's no way nine o two and
these kids are like super cool and gorgeous and popular.
And what I'm gonna be a you know, a gang
member on that an NYP Blue. So the tile actor,
that's what you are? What's that versatile actor? Well? I
went in and I was late getting to the casting
(03:48):
office and they uh to Diane's office and uh, that
day there was nobody left in the waiting room. So
I went in and did the audition and she said, well,
can you come back later? Are on this afternoon and
meat producers? And I thought, what me? Come on? Really? Uh?
And I was wearing a white monogram shirt that I
(04:09):
bought at a thrift store with someone else's monograms on it.
But it was the nicest shirt I owned that was
basically living out of the back of my Toyota pick
up at the time. And uh, I went back that afternoon,
and that afternoon they were it's just the legion of
like all these good looking dudes with hair, you know,
and like, you know, twenty inch waistline. You don't know
(04:31):
about hair, you have hair? You had hair. I didn't.
I didn't. Well not I have less now, but I
had I had ton't have a whole lot then either,
And so what I would do is I would push
it towards the middle and and just you keep your
head up a little bit and it looked like you
have a little more air that these guys were in
there doing this and that, flicking their hair. And we
(04:52):
had a lot of guys with gorgeous hair on the show.
We right, no more hair inside burns. We were done.
Those guys looked like it belonged there. And anyway, to
try to make a long story short, I went and
did the audition. They was so nice, everyone was so cool.
And I got a call later that day saying, well,
they want you to come meet Mr Spelling when they
(05:13):
want you to meet Aaron and at that time age
and it told me, it's it's probably it could be
a two or three episode gig as a boyfriend. This
is what I was told then, So I went that Monday.
They gave me another scene and went that money met
met your pop, and I guess I did what I
was told. Later, I did what you're not supposed to do,
and that was going around the desk and shake his hand.
(05:35):
And that's the first thing. Well, I've never heard that one.
Tell me more. They told me, you know, we should
have told you ahead of time. You shouldn't, you know,
break the barrier. He shouldn't go just go shake his hand.
That's that's by the way. He was so nice, and
I think he actually appreciated the fact that I went
up and shook his head um and did the audition
(05:59):
went really well. Uh got a call later that day saying,
you booked it. We'll find out when the episodes are
gonna air. So I got I got called two days
later after they negotiated a deal, and he said, my
agent said, you're not gonna believe this. They want you
for two years. And I just remember sitting down on
(06:20):
the bed completely blank because I you know, I was
staying at a friend's apartment, sleeping on a bared mattress
next to his piano, with everything I owned in the
back of my seventy seventy six toy to pick up Um.
And I had no concept of what that meant, because
I would see you guys, uh, you know, when I
(06:40):
check out the grocery store. I'd see you guys in
the magazine and you were everywhere. You were everywhere, like
the worldwide. At that point, it was insane, and the
very notion of being in the company of these characters
was I wasn't worried about that as an actor so much.
I was more so stressed out, like what are they
(07:01):
going to be? Like? What do I do? I don't
know how to behave like this. All I've ever done
was theater, you know, and it's a very different world.
Everyone was so nice. Everyone was so incredibly nice. Um.
I can't say enough good things about the cast, event
and that show. Two years. I mean, they hadn't even
seen you on camera yet. Now I had done one
(07:24):
little episode of Gabriel's Fire as a burrito sales. No,
I mean they hadn't seen you on on the show,
and they just committed to year. I'm hungry right. Yeah.
I think I think part of that was also Gab
was four ft eleven and she was getting pregnant and
showing real fast. I think they had to do something
(07:45):
that was she like, did you have a chemistry read
with her? Did she come into my dad's office with you?
That's why I met Gab on set that night, the
first night, uh, and we chatted she uh the minute
I met her, I knew, I knew where would get along.
(08:06):
I knew I was in the right hands. Uh, incredibly welcoming.
So she was GABU hasn't changed a bit. We're still
best friends, still see her. I'm going to see her
in a couple of weeks. As a matter of fact,
I was so nervous and just be here for the
first time put me at ease completely completely. So that's Gab. Yeah.
(08:31):
So I didn't realize this, but your character Jesse was
actually based on our executive producer Jessica Klein, her college boyfriend. Right.
I found that about. I found out later his last
name was Voskez, and if had she married him, she
would have been Jesse Voskuez or j Jeez. I said
(08:52):
it wrong. It's a qu's and you should hear people
with slaughter Espina? Oh my god, kidding. So going back
(09:14):
to the character, did you know what they had in
store for you? Like, did you did they talk to
you about like, Oh, here's what's going to happen. And
you just knew that Gab was pregnant, So your characters
got together real fast, real quick. Correct? And I think
they had to speed things up because she was getting
pretty pregnant pretty fast. And I haven't seen the show
in the episode right right, I haven't seen like what
(09:35):
happens next with you guys, or what starts to happen
even But so you're saying, does she get pregnant with
your baby on the show? Just for a little backstory,
I have no idea. She's a very method rewatch podcaster,
so she has decided to go into this forgetting everything
(09:57):
that happened on the show so she can view it
wasn't it wasn't unfortunate. So wait, so you remember Jessie
and Andre get pregnant with a baby right away? Uh?
Pretty quick? Yeah, And so then she got it, got it?
So then they have her pregnancy, her real pregnancy be
(10:20):
Andrea's pregnancy. Yes, correct, Wow, good to know Okay, now
it's a spot for you. What are you gonna do? Okay,
he'll still enjoy it, So you do you guys, realize
that I've got friends who have kids who have kids
who are watching this show. Nowez. My daughter's in college.
(10:43):
Uh here in her roommate's boyfriend. He's a huge nine
o two and oh fan, he's a film he's a
film student, and he's watched every episode of all ten seasons.
What's his name? Uh Aram tell Aram? Hi? Hey, wrong,
thanks for watching. That's nice that we're reaching the young guns.
(11:05):
It's insane well that the show has as a longevity
and as it still has a validity because they tackled
so many personal issues. It wasn't a sensationalist kind of show.
You talked about the things that kids. It doesn't matter
what generation you're in, you're gonna be dealing with those issues.
And I think it does have an appeal still today obviously.
(11:26):
So sorry. Going back to the casting, So you meet
my dad, He's like, oh, yeah, this is the guy.
That's so good. I feel like I'm with him. I
don't remember. I assume he had to obviously go to Fox,
(11:47):
even though if he didn't he would say like this
is who I'm using anyway, like with Yuke, with Luke Um.
But we have heard that. Our showrunner at the time,
Larry Mullen, says in an interview, he was dismayed at
the casting of you what is this? What does that mean?
(12:07):
News tomorrow? That's what we were told we should ask.
Larry Mullen, we haven't been running here in an interview
said he was expressed dismay at the casting of what
do you think dismay means? Like? What does that mean? When?
When referring to Mark Espinoza in a two thousand ten interview,
(12:28):
former writer, because I when I did an episode with
the Yes, the other pod, the ship, the other one,
the other he in so many words, said that that
you know he didn't realize what they had then with
me as an actor, he had a new appreciation for
(12:49):
what I did. Maybe that means maybe initially he was like,
I'm not sure, but then you want him over, like
you want all of us over. Wait, but so Jesse
becomes a cheater, like I know you guys are having
a baby now, but now you're cheating. Well, no, I
cheated later, I mean, oh, I don't tell her don't
(13:12):
tell her, You're I don't want to talk about it,
for your sake. She was cheating. First, Wait what listen, listen, listen.
You're gonna have to watch the show all night, and
I don't know if I'm gonna love it. This is
a lot. Don't tell her. Okay, So the relationship, it's
(13:33):
the skids. Let's just say that, right, she said, skins.
But I can't believe that. But so do you? How
so you were there for two seasons? How long do
you guys stay together? Like? No, what'd you break up
to the least script? I want to know to be
I don't know what happened. I left together, and apparently
(13:53):
I think I guess we're still together. But they are
Andre and jesserom so together. But us they were trying
trying to get a divorce or thinking about a divorce.
That's all I know. So, if it came back today
or you know, like the other nine O, two and oh,
when it came back in c W, they had different
storylines created. What had happened, Like Kelly and Dylan had
(14:17):
ended up together? How did a child together? David and
Donna had a child together. But we're in the midst
of separating, possibly getting a divorce. If Andrea and Jesse
had come back, where would they be in your opinion,
I am in my life would still be married and
probably grandparents are great. I like it. I like it
(14:38):
happily ever after. I mean, I have to be to
be honest. You know who doesn't. Yeah? Yeah? Um so
if you okay, So you went on after have a
long acting career, you're still acting, I'm assuming. Yeah, what
are you working on right now? You were an American
Horse Story? How did I Miss It? Is my favorite?
(15:00):
How did I miss you? In it? He were you
as scary characters? I only had a couple episodes I got.
I got to work with Jessica Lange and that was
She's okay. So you're either in season one to three
or four? Wait what season? Season? Season? Uh? The season too?
The I can't watch it? Miss this now I have
(15:25):
to go back. Yeah I can't. It's one of my own.
That makes you. That makes me that much closer to
Ryan Murphy. Just because you were on there? Was it
a great experience? What was it like? Uh? Well it
was Jessica Lange and I was so worried. Maybe you know,
maybe she's not real nice. And I don't know, you know,
because I've only met a handful of people who weren't nice.
(15:48):
You know. On set? She who are those? Amazing? Such
a pro and we we did probably takes and she
gave it and thousands every single time. Such a such
a pro, amazing, just an amazing, amazing person. Who's somebody
(16:08):
else that you've loved working with over the lounge of
your career, There's been a lot. I mean, I just
I just did a Jenny that's not the answer. I
was on tap, but okay, okay. I just finished working
on a show called The End Game on scenes that
(16:28):
I think you can get on Peacock or Hulu or
something like that. They didn't renew it for a second season.
But it was the best job I've ever had. I
think the Castle crew were amazing, but it was Marentha
Backer and in Rayma show Bath. Uh, there's been There's
been a lot of actors that have been great. I
just did an episode of Quantum Leap with Raymond Lee
(16:51):
and nice guy, nice, nice nice. It all comes back,
you know what it all makes. It makes a difference
when to show up on set and everyone's pleasant I've
been on sets where people aren't pleasant or there's an
ego thing going on, and it just it just it's
a wedge between you and the work. And yeah, I
(17:11):
like to think of myself as you know, uh, Jerryman,
who just wants to come in and do his job.
You know, you were so kind and so fun and
(17:32):
we loved always being with you. But take us back
to those days. Did you feel like, uh that ever
happened on our set? I mean, everyone was at the
height of their career, like it was young people. We
didn't always get along and it's so nervous when you
asked this question, like what if it's me that day? Well,
(17:53):
you guys, you guys are crazy nice to me, uh,
And I never felt uncomfortab We didn't have a lot
of work together because so much of my stuff was
with gab or Or it was a big group group stuff. Yeah,
we didn't know when we do all those those were fun.
(18:14):
I remember. I remember stressful days for different reasons, you know,
and things were a little askewed at times, But as
far as people being professional and being nice to each other,
and the crew was amazing as well. No, I have
I have nothing but good memories on set. To be honest,
(18:35):
I mean I feel the same way. All the all
the bad little moments are stressful moments seemed to fade
away and you're left with all the best memories because
it was such a magical time in all of our lives.
Well that I can't imagine what it was like for you.
I remember Jason coming in probably my first couple episodes.
(18:55):
I was in for fitting and Jason walks in and
with the ten dollar bill and Molly who was Moll
David David we call him spo Swoopieooo. Jason Jason bill
in his hand, and he goes, can somebody please go
(19:17):
buy me a package of tube socks? Before guy could
not go to a mall and buy tube socks because
you guys were so famous. Wait, I thought he was
like doing a prank and like I'd like to buy
a pack of tube socks. That would be meaning like
doesn't tu socks mean something else? Like what like like
(19:37):
like a sausage, like a penis? What would you want
a penis? Tube socks? Guys? Am I off base here? Yes,
there's there's some someone older Randy. Wait, do you know
what tupsocks used to mean? Too steak. It does have
(19:59):
a dirty I apologize, I apologize. She's always apologizing for me.
And how do you? How do you? How do you
do it? How do you? How do you hold up?
It's not easy? She goes off on tangents, but they're fun.
You're talking about tube socks. Yeah, he couldn't buy his
(20:21):
own socks, so we had to ask Molly to do it.
It would have been the same for you guys. You couldn't.
You probably couldn't run into McDonald's and grab a big
mac if you wanted it, because you've been bombarded. We
did it, We actually didn't. That was It was definitely
a weird time. I don't think any of us were
quite prepared for it. And but the best memories from it,
(20:45):
Oh my gosh, it's such appreciation for you know, all
of that good, the bad, weird, well, because you know,
as you know, get older, life throws you enough bs
so you can look back and relish. They're really good
times and it gives an appreciation for what you have
(21:05):
now in your life as well. Wait, I want to
know what you have in your life. I heard you're
a girl. Dad. I've got three, I've got I've got
we have a modern family. I've got a partner of
twenty years. We've got three three dogs, three rescue dogs.
I and the father for three gorgeous daughters. Ones in college,
ones in um uh high school, and the other is
(21:29):
finishing up middle school. So I started way like, wow,
the middle school. How old is your youngest? She's gonna
be fourteen in March fourteen fourteen. Yeah, it's the best though, right,
three girls, I'm three girls life. I remember what life
was before life. I remember what life was like before them.
(21:51):
But it's a blur because you know, you've always heard
how you guys have kids. You've I've always heard you
never love anything more than you love your kids. And
I assume that's probably true to a certain level. I
didn't realize the depth, Darvin, I would. I would throw
myself on the tracks for them. I wouldn't think you
wouldn't think twice about it, You would just do it.
(22:13):
You love them so much, even when they're rotten a
really crappy day, You adore them. You love them more
than you love anything. And being in this business where
it's me, me, me, me me all the time to
be able to set aside and go I love something
more than I love myself. That that's a revelation. I
think on a certain level it is. Yeah, it is well,
(22:37):
But she doesn't love herself at all because she has
five kids to love. There's no love left over, no left,
no love left. Don't love me. I'll love herself. I
love you more than I love myself. But that's another
would for me. Yeah, that's a good friend. I'm sweet.
(22:59):
Is that mean I would? I would do whatever, I
could stop the train, like, I don't know if I would,
you know what I mean? I would think that out first,
Like what if you didn't have a moment. I mean,
I guess if I had, I don't know. I'm like
when it comes to things happening, I'm not like a
strong person. I wouldn't imagine, but when something happens, I
(23:20):
dive in deep, like I'll go fast. So I probably
would not think about it and throw myself on the
train attraction, and then I'd feel really guilty. If would you, um,
you would say my eulogy? Yes, okay, No, you'd make jokes,
of course I would. Oh, it's so fun to talk
(23:42):
to you and catch up with you. Yes, it's been
a really long time, you honestly look the same. It's weird,
it's bizarro. I knew. See, we all have our like
personal things we are self conscious about, and you brought
it up earlier, so we knew we were to say
your okay, aside from your hair, you're still as exactly
(24:06):
from fella. It's like a man swoon over you. Did
you notice that or you didn't get it because you're like, oh,
Jason Priestly Luke Perry, like you're swooning over me. Girls
loved you, by the way. I go back to my
my thirty and forty years men, everyone they they all
(24:26):
liked a little Jesse. I that's a long story, but
I well, no, I just like it's so bizarre. I
couldn't I couldn't find a date in high school. And
you go back to your high school reunion and you
hear these these girls, women, young women have grown up
to be women, and they're all still gorgeous, and they say,
(24:48):
I had such a crush on you in high school.
What nobody had a crush on me? And I couldn't
find a date to home coming? So do people recognize
you from from Nino too? I know? Is that like
the most recognizable thing that you find people seeing you
out in public from Yeah, that people still do it.
When I was on The End Game, people would stop
me about the End Game. Uh. And the character is
(25:10):
a really serious character, doesn't smile at all, And one
kid stopping and said, dude, you smile. I really like
the show Man. Uh. But yeah, I still get the night.
But people look at you a little bit like, yeah, yeah,
maybe I go to school with you. Yeah, get a
little foggy for people. Well, I played a lot of
(25:33):
cops and doctors and judges, so on occasion people stop
and start talking to me like I'm a professional, like
a dude, I just playing on TV. Man. That's the
best response. Was this your most notable like character playing
a leading man sex symbol? Uh? Jesse? Yes, Well, I
(25:56):
mean I don't. I don't. I wouldn't consider him a
sex symbol. I still wear plaid, by the way I might.
I might ask plaid and stone washed jeans. I mean,
maybe you don't hear you didn't hear it as much
as we did. But girls used to like fawn over you,
and I can't take it anymore. No, I don't remember
(26:19):
that it is. I will say, I will I will.
I will to backtrack a tiny bit. I moved from
Chicago back to l A. And in those three weeks
before I had the nine or two and o audition,
I was only in town less than a month. When
I got the audition. Those three weeks, I was trying
to find a job waiting tables. I could not get
(26:39):
a job waiting tables anywhere. Uh, And the idea of
asking someone out on a date was impossible. You fast forward,
all of a sudden, I'm eating at restaurants I couldn't
get a job at and I'm getting you know, women
were giving me their business cards and things like that.
But at that point it doesn't seem real, you know,
you You wonder about their motives in that respect. So
(27:01):
I if someone thought I was a sex symbol, I
never heard it. Well we do, yeah, we heard it.
We thought it. Still do. Yeah. Look at that smile,
always the best for this thing. Best smile. It's so
great catching up with you. We really really appreciate your
green now on the pod. It's so good. It's so
(27:23):
good to see you. Likewise, you guys look amazing, Oh
my gosh, than mirrors smoking mirrors, no good genetics, good
living gorgeousness period so thank you. No periods. Well, we
hope we see you soon. Look up, look up the
end game. It's it's it's a really fun show. It's
(27:44):
a great show. Okay, lets everybody go out and check
out the end Game. See Mark Espinoza in actually wearing
some really nice suits. We miss you. We it's so
great seeing you hopefully. Well, I know we have talked
before with Gab about getting together with you, and and
all said they're eating they have a pot luck, so
hopefully that works out. I'll see you in a couple
(28:05):
of weeks, so I'll bring it up. Yeah, tell her
we want to We still want to do that the
pot luck year. Yeah, in the new year. Okay, we
love you, Love you guys. Oh my gosh, what fun
it is. That was Mark Damon Espinosa. He literally looks
the same. It must be nice being a man because
(28:27):
you basically, for the most part, you look the same.
It's not always true either age or you don't. And
if you age the same, he looks exactly the same thing.
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