September 18, 2025 • 32 mins
It’s a BIG SHOW edition of Calm Down with Erin Andrews and Charissa Thompson — and this week, they’re joined by the one and only Ken Jeong!
Ken sits down with Erin and Charissa for a hilarious and heartfelt conversation about his unconventional journey from doctor to Hollywood star. He opens up about his breakout role in Knocked Up, becoming a global sensation with The Hangover, and why he believes Steve Carell is the Michael Jordan of comedy.
Plus, Erin and Ken dish on behind-the-scenes moments from their new FOX game show “99 to Beat”, and Charissa finds out why she would have crushed it as a contestant!
This episode is packed with laughs, inspiration, and stories you won’t hear anywhere else.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ken, you are a renaissance man. You do it all.
Thank you so much for being.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Here with us and more importantly taking good care of
my girl while you were, you know, making this incredible
show that I can't wait to watch.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Oh, we're taking care of each other. It was wonderful.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
No, you lifted my ass up. Let's be honest, not
that it's a light ass, but you get it. Calm
Down with Erin and Carissa is a production of iHeartRadio.
Hey guys, well I have to go. I can't calm
down right now because I don't even know where we're
looking though, Who cares? Ken is here, Carissa, and I'm
(00:38):
so excited about this. Welcome to the Calm Down Podcast.
First of all, Ken, John so excited to have you
and your publicist forced this on us. No, I'm kidding.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Hi.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
The first time I met you and spent three weeks
with you in the UK to film ninety nine Debat,
I would text Chrissa all the time and I kept
saying to her, we have to have you on the podcast.
We have to have you on the podcast. So thanks
for coming. Are you kidding? Thank you?
Speaker 3 (01:04):
So?
Speaker 4 (01:04):
I'm just it is great to be I feel like
This is a very special edition of the podcast of
Calming Down.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
I'm not going to calm down.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
There's many things Ken that she said she loved working
with you on this new show. Of course, you've got
the graphic in the background. Look how official it is
ninety nineteen.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
God, I didn't even see it.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
We will get into the show in a second. But
this was Ken, and it came as no surprise to
me that Aaron's first thing that she told me when
I asked her how it's going, and she said, Ken
is hysterical. Thank god, I'm working with him, so I
know you guys had such a good time.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Give us your version.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Since I've heard Aaron's version of the time over there
and the show and everything.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Well, what she won't say is how funny she was.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
She kept me in stitches the whole time, so many
in jokes or we're having long hours on set and
just probably seemingly simple things that won't make you laugh
out of context, but we would. There are just so
many things we would just say just to keep each
other going and laughing.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (02:07):
To me, it was just it was that from Jump
that was the best part of it. The chemistry was
like right there in as immediate.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
I was nervous because, okay, so, just to give you
an idea of this show, and Chris and I have
talked about it on this podcast, is that it is
seemingly simple games for serious cash. The winner of this
game can win a million dollars, will win a million dollars.
And what I didn't really understand was is how do
I fit in with Ken. We know Ken is hysterical,
(02:35):
we know he is a doctor and super smart, but
I just didn't really know how that would unfold. And
so we sat up kind of like in a booth
that you see Kevin Burkhart, Tom Brady, Greg Olsen in
and we watched these contestants players live out these challenges,
do these challenges, and then Ken, the way you just
Ken would put himself in, like in the shoes of
(02:59):
the challenge of the plays the challengers and challenges, and
he would get so emotional and it was like this
is where my heart hurts, and Chris I would become
Bill Bellichack. I'm like, what do you mean? They need
to be our teammates, they need to work harder, And
it was incredible. You were emotional, you were hysterical, and
I loved the way it all came together.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
Yeah, I feel the same way because just I you know,
both of you are broadcasting brilliant geniuses, and I think
just to have selfclaimed, it was just surreal to you
eventize the show. You know, it's one thing just to
(03:39):
you know, have a game show and with competitions and
call it. But you made it an event, so everything
felt like, you know, a playoff atmosphere. It was like
feel the sixty eight March Madness. Now it was our
version of March Madness on a Fox game show. Really wise,
and you just raise the stakes with your I don't know,
your broadcasting ability is just it was.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
It was a thing of wonder.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
To watch, just just even with techniques would die at
the showrunner is just saying, you know, like, oh, Marissa,
how do you feel going into the sag nuts competition?
And what do you feel about that? And then before
you can finish the sentence, you're already starting it. You know,
that's just kind of the pros you both are, and
it was I loved learning those kind of techniques from you.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
It was great. It was so much fun.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Go ahead, Babe, Ken, you're obviously no stranger to television.
How long have you been in the industry now? Because
you stopped practicing what? And I don't know that origin story.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Tell this story. That's what I wanted to get to.
Enough about broadcasting, Come on, your story is fascinating. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
I I left medicine around I believe it was December
of six.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
And what kind of doctor internal medicine general practitioner?
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Great, and I do I love I.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
Love those generalists generally speaking, because you're not a specificist. No,
it was really it's been almost nineteen years. And my
wife Tran, who is a doctor still is she practices
like part time family practitioner, and it she really encouraged
(05:17):
me to quit my job and do this full time.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
So I would not have quit my job if it
wasn't for her.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
So what were you doing? Go ahead?
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Yeah, go ahead or sorry? I just was why did
you want to make the switch?
Speaker 1 (05:30):
I don't I don't know this right, Yeah I had.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
I was doing stand up comedy and for lack of
a better word, like acting on the side, like for.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
What does that mean? What does that look? OK?
Speaker 4 (05:41):
So it also like when I I went to college
at Duke, I took my first acting class there.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
I fell in love with it.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
Was kind of koreaned by my father into staying pre
meds and so I did, but I kept I kept
doing stand up comedy and kept performing even when I
was in med school and resident and see, and I
even won uh stand up comedy competition when I was
doing my residency.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
In New Orleans. Seriously, yeah, and the winner.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
Got to perform at the Improv in Hollywood. So I
was like probably twenty nine years ago in that stand
up routine. Do you remember, No, Man, I really did not.
I the jokes were, I sang a lot, I had
a guitar, like doing song charities.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
It was.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
It was way out there.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
I'm not.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
I don't consider myself a great stand up by any means.
You know.
Speaker 4 (06:30):
It was more of a means to an end to
doing stand up comedy. So I could, you know, do
comedic acting. I thought that was where I you know,
that was my my sweet spot. But I like doing
stand up at least for me, it was great to
it was a great outlet. It was a great I
always told people friends of mine, it's like my golf,
you know, as a dog is my golf.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
I would.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
I would just do open mics, didn't matter what stage
it was, and I'd always like to perform. And I
just kind of kept that up even when I eventually
moved out to LA and worked at Kaiser at Woodland Hills.
I was just I was known as the doctor stand
up guy, and I eventually got on Comedy Central, b
E T Comicview, like so while I was a practicing doctor.
(07:14):
So I had a reputation even as a practicing physician
of like doing comedy and already being on television. And
then my first movie was Knocked Up, playing the doctor
and Judd Apatow is Knocked Up. That was my movie debut,
and I shot that while on like like on a
vacation week, you know, and I shot still having my
(07:35):
day job.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
That's insane. It was that point my.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Wife was like, Okay, it's time to go pro.
Speaker 4 (07:39):
She was just like, because I went back to work
after filming Knocked Up, and jud Apatow had said you
are my discovery.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
I'm going to put you in all my movies and
he did.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
I mean, that's a great person. It wasn't for Judd.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
Apatow, I wouldn't be talking to you right now. Because
he put me in Knocked Up, Pineapple Express, Step Brothers.
He gave me cameos in all these movies, and so
I really owe it to him.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
I want to know. So you always hear from like
players in the draft or the combine obviously when the
GM or you know, the coach sees them. What was
it for Judd? Like how did he see you? How
when did you know you had made an impression on him?
Speaker 4 (08:14):
It was it was I think the first day of filming,
because I knew he liked his actors to improvise.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
And I'm a big fan of forty old version.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
That was the movie that was out in theaters before
Knocked Up came out, and and I remember watching the
back back in the day we watched DVD's and DVD commentaries,
and jud had said like famously, like, oh, I like,
I expect all my actors to improvise, and that's something
that that's in my that's in my repertoire. So the
very first day, I don't think I even had any
(08:44):
lines in the script, and jud was like, Okay, you're
going to tell Catherine heigelu in Steth Rogan what to
do and and none of it was in the script
and we just improvised from thin air a whole scene
that went on for like five ten minutes. And I
remember like that kind of being my I don't know
(09:05):
that that was my my big break, I think. And
then and jud really from that point on he just
became such a big advocate for me.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
Yeah, so incredible.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
You mentioned your wife giving you, you know, the full
green light that go ahead. So but was that always
the case, because I can't imagine how that first conversation went,
where You're like, honey, I don't want to be a
doctor anymore. I want to go be an active or
a stand up comedian. And she's like, have you lost your.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Mind right now?
Speaker 3 (09:29):
A great question because she we met at work.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
She also worked at Kaiser, and she and I was
known as the stand up guy, the weird stand up guy,
and so she came to see my shows. In fact,
our first our first quote unquote date date was it
was supposed to be a group a group of people
watching me perform at the Ice House in Pasadena, and
it just ended up only being tran coming.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
And it was great to happen.
Speaker 4 (09:53):
So we had full audience, no no, no, no, just
among friends, among friends. Everyone was so busy, and I
was kind of it would just be me and and
so it went out to work, eat out. It worked
out and went out to eat and it was a
Tuesday night. They I think it was an open mic
night at at the Ice House. And fortunately I had
a good set. And Tran just loves comedy like I do.
(10:15):
And I think that's what bonded us, because we both
love We have the exact same taste in comedy, you know,
I loved Judd Apatow films, just almost exact same taste
of what we like in movies. And she knew she
married a comedian at heart anyway, And so by the
time I was by the time I was kind of
torn of what to do after filming knocked up, she
(10:37):
was like, you gotta you gotta go for it full time.
If anything, I was more reluctant because I was a
partner at Kaiser. I was, you know, I was vested,
you know, I had I had a career and making
good money. And Trean was like if we She was like,
if you don't do it now, you'll never do it.
And we had just gotten married. She goes, I'm not
(10:59):
going to stand in the way of your success or failure.
Even if you if you really want to do it,
I will support you. And though so she did for
you know, I think for two years really she was
really supporting me and until The Hangover came out and
then the rest is history.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
And you lead us right to it. I mean, first
of all, the audition for the Hangover, how the hell
does that go? What do you know about the role
that you are auditioning for? Do you audition? I guess
that's a stupid question. That's something you told me about too, right, No,
I know this kind of stuff. It's fascinating right.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
Well, back in the day, I did, and especially around
that for that one. Yeah, oh yeah, I mean I
auditioned for mister Chow and I I just remember improvising
the whole I didn't go. But there wasn't much of
a script for mister Chow, and I believe in the
bodyguards in the script they were my sons. So everything
(12:01):
had just kind of changed, so they were looking to
cast an older and older man like.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
In the sixties.
Speaker 4 (12:06):
Yeah, and I just there's somewhere on the Blu Ray
DVD of The Hangover cuts of my audition, and I
just went unhinged. It was like early Chow and it's
somewhere like like there's like five ten minutes of me
just all unhinged, improv and you hear Todd Phillips laughing
(12:26):
in the background. And I got the part the next day,
So my god, Yeah, it was one of those magic moments.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
I'm sitting in Las Vegas currently right now for something
that I'm working on, and I'm just waiting for the
tiger to come out of the bathroom. As we're having
this conversation. I'm like looking at at the Las Vegas
script and the memory that's that whole movie, all of
the the actors. So it brings me to the question
when Aaron and I go on the road with our crew.
We have so many great memories. The game is obviously
(12:56):
the game, but there's all these side stories of the
group hanging out in different you know, things that we
get into. So I can only imagine what your guys's
crew was, Like, how long did you shoot the movie
and what stories could you share with us or one
anecdotal story to just sort of embody that group all
together making that movie.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
That's a great question.
Speaker 4 (13:15):
I do remember one of the first day I was
shooting out in the Vegas desert. Me and Bradley Cooper
were walking through the Caesar's Palace hotel lobby and I
think we still had like fake blood and all just
grimy costume and wardrobe and we're headed back to our
rooms and no one batted an eyelash.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
You know, we weren't.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
We were famous and we were recognizable, and it was Vegas.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
No one here, no one.
Speaker 4 (13:45):
Bradley just walking through the lobby and no no. And
that was like every day in the first Hangover and
by the third Hangover, we were we were taking the
same I think entrances that Obama would take to get
the VI, you know, you know, just the side entrances.
And it was a complete it was like night and day.
(14:07):
So that was kind of that was kind of a
very full circle to go to Vegas the very first time,
not yet recognized, and then the third one everything was
was completely different, and it was definitely a very full
circle moment that movie.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
I you know, I feel like when I remember when
I first saw it, you just laughed so hard and
now and I remember every age did I mean, my
parents loved the Hangover, And I feel like anytime I
check into a hotel anytime I'm just flipping through the channels.
I can't imagine your residuals. Also, congratulations for that. It's
(14:45):
just always on. When Harry met Sally Sleepills in Seattle,
the Hangover, It's always on. When did you guys know
shooting the first one that you're like, man, we're onto something. Damn,
this is going to be a hit.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
I didn't mean no, I was.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
I remember telling Tran I said, I think this is
the funniest movie I've ever been a part of. But
I actually was one. I said, I hope women like it.
I didn't know if it was too much of a
guy's movie.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
And then so we went.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
We had the early screening like three months before the
movie came out, like a friends and family screening, and
Tran went and the moment Bradley says, Tracy, we fd
up and Tran just guess it. She's laughing from that
moment on, and she was like, can rest your cares.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
You know, women are going to love this movie.
Speaker 4 (15:32):
They want to know what the bachelor party is like,
what you know, what that night in Vegas is all about.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
And she actually was one of the first to call it.
She goes.
Speaker 4 (15:42):
Back then, it was like if you made one hundred
million dollars at the box office for a comedy movie,
that's considered a success. And I was like, do you
think it'll hit one hundred And she was like, it's
going to hit two hundred and that was her prediction.
And it hit like two hundred and seventy eight just
domestic gross.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
It was.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
It was such at that time.
Speaker 4 (16:02):
It was the biggest comedy R rated comedy in the
you know that hit the box office. It gave me
a career. I know, none of us knew it would
be that big. We knew we made a great movie,
but you just never know if the you know, the
public's gonna like it, if it's really going to resonate.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
So there's so many things out of your control.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Are we on a text chain, all of you guys?
Speaker 3 (16:21):
Do you still do have it?
Speaker 1 (16:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (16:23):
I just I just texted Bradley last week.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
It's the title of the text change.
Speaker 4 (16:28):
Well, no, there, no, there's no title. But I think
I think I started it. No one really participated, but
usually it's like one on one, but we've all like
remained close and it's just it. I don't know one
of those things where it's it's like a family, it's
I don't.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
Know, I can't it must be.
Speaker 4 (16:47):
We got it in sports analogies, just like just when
a championship team just gets together, and when you win
your first championship, that's kind of a very special kind
of kind of bond.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
I think, yeah, well, I'm going to tell you what
else is going to be a winner, and that's ninety
nine to be. I have the rat privilege of hearing
from Aaron some of the different challenges that you had.
Can which one stuck out to you? And which one
(17:20):
do you think is going to be one that like?
Because that's the fun thing about this show is that
these are challenges you can do at home with your family,
and you know, it's not this like crazy obstacle course
that you can't recreate in your own world. So what
is you like most about working on this show?
Speaker 4 (17:34):
I mean, I think the best games people are going
to single out the Frozen Whistle, the Frozen ice block game,
but I think my favorite game is the Dominoes game
because it's high stakes, there's a lot of twists and turns.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
So far team of twelve.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
That that do these you know, larger you know that
these large dominoes and they have to tip it over
and you just see a lot of drama that unfolds.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
Gain So it's not your typical size domino. It's like
something they're like bigger ones or what is that? Like
this big yeah, and you have to it's incredible. So
you think about it, and I've I've, with.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
A lot of cocktails, tried to describe this game to
Cursa many times. In fact, I stood up and showed her.
You have like a long beam almost right, yeah, and
they have to place them and you think you have it.
You're like, oh, I'll do it this far apart, and
you're upstairs in the booth going that's too far apart.
And then if you run out of dominoes, you have
to reconfigure them. Then you try to push it and
(18:30):
only if half if if half of them go and
then they fall over, you got to run back and
do it again. It's so hard to do. Chrisa would
be really really good on ninety ninety PA. She's competitive
as hell, she's super smart, she's got the whole thing
going for but she also can make an adjustment. Me
if I threw an interception screwed up a report or
(18:51):
effed up the Domino game. I'm done. I'm crying and
that Yeah, CHRISA would crush this game. Oh well, I
can't wait for people to see this, So for you can.
How is it different preparing for a show like this
versus let's say a Mass Singer.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
Great questions, because like, those are the the shows that
I have done are music based and and and actually,
you know, that's kind of up my alley because I do, like,
especially like Mass Singer at like, there's there's something I
really gravitate to that show in terms of like I
have a background like playing piano and and and violin
(19:29):
as a kid, So there is this kind of musical
thread that I don't talk about much except on Calm
Down podcast and Aaron so so so for me to
do that and I could see your voice, that's really
up my alley. But this one, you know, I got
the job because they had seen me at like during
March Madness. Uh, Like Bleach Report did a segment of
(19:52):
me just micing me up during a duke game in
the playoffs this past year, and they're just seeing me
just having this energy, having this passion and just just
standing up after every play, good or bad. And I
got the job because you know, they wanted someone that
could bring that energy into this kind of competition.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
You know that wasn't from sports.
Speaker 4 (20:15):
And then they wanted Aaron because she is from sports,
so you have that energy together. I thought that it's
a good combination. So I think what I bring to
this and what I all I bring to all these
shows are really energy and just being authentic, like being
invested and caring about the game. If you care about
the game, you know then the audience know, then that
(20:37):
will the audience will will trust the game.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
If that makes sense.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
I have to brag about Ken Curs. I didn't realize this.
The Mass singer is going into their fourteenth season. I can't.
That'sana's Ken. What is it with you?
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Look the jet optile connection, then you get the hangover,
then you get the Mass.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
I'm going to say it's you Ja right now. I mean,
this guy is crushing it all I write it to
him as playing money. I mean he like tucks into
these amazing projects and like, I think that that's what's
incredible is you were talking today to the media and
you were saying you didn't know certain things were going
to be a hit. You guys had no clue about
(21:16):
mass singer. You just said you had no clue about
the hangover. I can't wait for ninety nine to be
what are we getting a jail?
Speaker 4 (21:25):
But it's that same excitement we we knew with those projects,
we knew we were doing something good and something special.
And with nine nine to beat, you know, I think
it's safe to say behind the scenes everyone knew that
we were doing something special. It was I felt like
we overachieved at every level of this show. Behind the scenes, said,
I mean, just to have you and I together and
(21:46):
having the chemistry that we do, and then honestly having
these contestants, these players.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
There's so much drama and.
Speaker 4 (21:53):
Much drama, so much like Aaron's sidelining report, sideline reporting experience.
She would, yeah, she would find the storylines right there.
They're fighting, they hate each other's fu.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
Can you'll love this.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
Our nickname for Aaron is Nosy Rosie. But she becomes
an investigative journalist real quick. Nothing is getting by this girl.
She is head on a swivel. Nothing is getting by her.
That track track wait for this c Chris and I
have this thing. I don't know if Tran is involved
in this kind of nonsense. But when we go to
dinner with our significant others, it's either we're together or
(22:27):
we're you know, just on.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
A date with our guys. We enjoy our time with them,
but we also need to know the storylines with everybody
else in the restaurant. Like all lose track of the
conversation with Jared, CHRISA will do this, the same with Steve,
and I'll look over and at this point Jared doesn't
fight with me. He goes, what do you got going
on over there? And be like, I'll tell you in
a minute. First date not going great, She's gonna leave
(22:51):
when the appetiteser, Like does Tran do that? Because we,
as you know in sports broadcasting, we're into the storylines.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
I don't think I don't think any of us. I
don't think any human being alive has your eye as you.
No one has your talent, no one has your gift.
You're just I'm not.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
Saying that, but I'm just like knowing what's going on.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
I'll tell you what else. If you don't know this
about Aaron, can you soon learned? After the significant amount
of time, sixteen hour days. I was just going to say,
on the long days, I want to know how many
times Aaron asked you a question and the doctor hat
got put on with Ken because my girl likes a
diagnosis so many times feeling something, She's like, I have
a stomach ache. Oh, she pepper you with questions about
(23:32):
maybe her own ailments or other people's.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
I don't remember. I remember some reallypos we had offline.
I won't share them, but I was asking you some
things about some things not personal, but just like, hey,
what do we think about this?
Speaker 4 (23:45):
What do you think about that? Medical each other? You like,
oh what about that? What do you think of this?
We were asking you, but yeah, I'm trying to remember.
Maybe I was just too stressed out, just trying to
keep up with you.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
I've never seen anyone drink more coke zero And I wait,
tell me you don't coffee? You just have coke there?
Speaker 4 (24:05):
Right?
Speaker 3 (24:05):
No, I drink coffee too, you do.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
So as a doctor, you are absolutely approved that combo.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
Well, I don't know if I approve it, but I
lived in being a doctor. It came from being a doctor,
being on call for thirty six hours at a time. Oh,
my god, you would have to caffemate, you know, you
would have to drink. So all that came from being
on call as a phone.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
That's so interesting now that you just said that, I'm
thinking because those days that you guys are on the
site you mentioned fifteen to sixteen hours, those are long days.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
Of course, if you are up in your rounds and
sometimes you just said thirty six.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
Hours, you're a sleep.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
It was harder being good CT for a sixteen hour
shoot day or having to be you know, on the
floor to thirty six hours as a doctor.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
Good question, I think.
Speaker 4 (24:51):
I think being on the floor as a physician doesn't
get any more intense to that, and that definitely prepared
me for these long hours because whenever we're shooting into
the night, I go into another mode of being on
call and then either I just get silly or for
eating pizza or light lips sinking Benson boone or whatever.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
I don't mean to go deep here, and you can
tell us to edit this out, but you joke about
it all the time. You're like my crippling anxiety. But
I find that fascinating that you're very honest about that,
and yet you are a doctor.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
I mean, I think there's like always I think it's
healthy to be anxious. I think it's healthy to be nervous.
And even you know, first day before any shoot, first
day before doing a TV show, first day before doing
a movie, I'm I always have like a relatively sleepless night,
even to this day. I mean, anytime I'm on a
(25:42):
new set, if I'm not feeling those butterflies, then something's
wrong with I love that.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
I really believe.
Speaker 4 (25:49):
I think I believe having the anxiety just actually focuses me.
That means I care and if I if I don't,
I don't think. Is there anything I've done in my
career in entertainment where I haven't felt some anxiety?
Speaker 1 (26:03):
Wow?
Speaker 4 (26:03):
And I because yeah, if I, if I did, that
meant I wasn't taking this seriously.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
Who'd you look up to in the comedy world, I
thinking world.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
Steve Carell is our Michael Jordan. I think, Wow, he's there.
He just doesn't have a weakness in his game. And
one of my earliest TV credits was the Office that
was before Knocked Up, and I got to do a
couple of scenes with him, and he would every take
was slightly different and he and even the director didn't
(26:34):
even say do it differently. He just knew how to
self edit. It was like a quarterback just being able
to have a different read or just seeing the default. Oh,
I'll just do it this way with that. Just think
you so quick, okay, just making these reads. And Correll
was kind of like the quarterback of the office. I
think it was already established, and I think forty old
version had already come out in theater. So everyone on set,
(26:56):
anyone was a guest star, was just starstruck. But what
was amazing he was also just better than everybody else.
And I still think I think he is a goat
of comedy for sure.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
I love that quote of Steve Carrell's The Michael Jordan
of Comedy. You started outlining quarterbacks and making adjustments at
the line. Peyton Manning very famously would yell out omaha
for his audible What is your one word audible at
the line of scrimmage? If you were a quarterback, ken
you're saying, what that's hot? Chrissa?
Speaker 3 (27:28):
What a question?
Speaker 1 (27:29):
How great is she? You know?
Speaker 4 (27:32):
My version of omaha is if in a comedy movie
or a TV show, if there's like a single on
me and I'm and I'm allowed to reset myself and
just give off. Even the NFL promo that we did,
I asked to do the Buffalo line a couple of
different times, so I'll do that a lot, where Okay,
do you mind if I just take a run and
just do just do my own variant of this line
(27:55):
over and over and that will be I've been known
to do three four different takes just for me just
to experiment with it. So I think on a single
and then I'll ask the director if we have enough time.
It's like, oh do you wand if I just do
a run of these and that that is kind of
my version of Omaha, Wow, who's.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Someone you want to work with that you've never worked
with us? He works with the incredible people, But is
there that wish list? Is there that one person?
Speaker 4 (28:22):
Eddie Murphy? Yes, I would love just to watch him
work on set. I don't even have to have a
scene with him. I just would love to be even
in a group scene with him and just see him go.
Because to be able to be that fascile with characters
and voices and acting and emotion within a comedy, that's
(28:42):
another goat right there. You know that's another Michael Jordan
because to watch Eddie work would just be a dream.
Speaker 3 (28:50):
Just to watch him work. I don't even need a line.
I just want to watch him work.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
I would be a CTU. Know how this gets that
we've done it before. I mean, you're tired, but when
somebody says something and you just start I would start crying.
And a big fear is peeing my pants with you
because I was in a very light pant suit, so
there was no disguising if I I peed myself. There
just wasn't. And there were times I was like, please God,
(29:14):
Please God, don't pee. But you had me laughing so hard.
What do you watch that makes you want to pee
your pants?
Speaker 4 (29:22):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (29:23):
That's any any like go to thing that you're like,
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 4 (29:27):
Me and Tran will watch old Peter Sellers like Pink
Panther movies back in the day.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
What makes you laugh about that?
Speaker 4 (29:35):
His physical comedy Peter like I think the Return of
the Pink Pants. I will watch it over and over
again for comfort Food, where there is a whole scene
where Peter Sellers as Inspectacluso is examining this home gym
and just failing miserably and he is on these the
uneven parallel bars, like and just trying out saying he.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
Was a in this in the day.
Speaker 4 (30:00):
And then he and he does he does a flip
and he doesn't know there's a stairwell right where the
right where the parallel bars are, and he just falls
straight down the stairs. You don't see it coming. The
camera doesn't even establish it until the very end. And
his gift for physical comedy is unparalleled.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
People falling, My nanny keeps texting enough Barbara, people falling
is my like I lose myself. My One of my
really good friends who has kids said that will change,
like kids falling off slides or like falling down. She's like,
that'll change once you have a kid, and she is right.
But the Jackasses back in the day, like the first
(30:38):
Jackass where people would just eat it. I was peek,
like dying dying. You love physical comedy? Oh the Chevy
Chase falling down and like snl back in the way. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (30:49):
I think Peter Sellers is at to me like he
and and bust your keat and they're kind of at
the top of the top of the list in terms
of that, in terms of history of comedy.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
So are you, my friend, do you do physical comedy
or no?
Speaker 3 (31:03):
I don't see myself in the same light as those
guys at all.
Speaker 4 (31:07):
I just kind of I think, I just do what whatever.
This sounds precious, but whatever the scene calls for me
to do. If I have to do a lot, I'll
do a lot. But I don't have to do anything.
I won't because sometimes there's just elements of physical comedy
where you just stay still so someone else can move.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
So it's all like a I look.
Speaker 4 (31:27):
At comedy as a team sport where coming from a
show like Community or the Hangover, where there's huge talent ensemble.
I just look at myself as serving the scene, you know,
just doing whatever it takes for the team to win. Yeah. Yeah,
I've always first mentality, I've always I've definitely always had
that because I've never I've never thought of myself as
(31:49):
the lead or anything. I just wanted to I just
wanted to contribute a verse that that that's my honest truth.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
Here's my verse with Robin Vick. So I would instantly
do they tired?
Speaker 2 (32:01):
You mean, like sixteenth hour? You guys make a great team.
I cannot wait to see the show. Can you are
a renaissance man. You do it all. Thank you so
much much for being here with us and more importantly
taking good care of my girl while you were, you know,
making this incredible show that I can't wait to watch.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
We're taking care of each other. It was wonderful.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
No, you lifted my ass up. Let's be honest. Not
that it's a light ass, but you get it, light
ass you.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
I can't wait to watch the show. You guys can
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (32:38):
We love you, guys. Calm Down with Aaron and Carissa
is a production of iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
For more podcasts from iHeart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Ken, you are a renaissance man. You do it all.
Thank you so much for being.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Here with us and more importantly taking good care of
my girl while you were, you know, making this incredible
show that I can't wait to watch.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Oh, we're taking care of each other. It was wonderful.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
No, you lifted my ass up. Let's be honest, not
that it's a light ass, but you get it. Calm
Down with Erin and Carissa is a production of iHeartRadio.
Hey guys, well I have to go. I can't calm
down right now because I don't even know where we're
looking though, Who cares? Ken is here, Carissa, and I'm
(00:38):
so excited about this. Welcome to the Calm Down Podcast.
First of all, Ken, John so excited to have you
and your publicist forced this on us. No, I'm kidding.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Hi.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
The first time I met you and spent three weeks
with you in the UK to film ninety nine Debat,
I would text Chrissa all the time and I kept
saying to her, we have to have you on the podcast.
We have to have you on the podcast. So thanks
for coming. Are you kidding? Thank you?
Speaker 3 (01:04):
So?
Speaker 4 (01:04):
I'm just it is great to be I feel like
This is a very special edition of the podcast of
Calming Down.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
I'm not going to calm down.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
There's many things Ken that she said she loved working
with you on this new show. Of course, you've got
the graphic in the background. Look how official it is
ninety nineteen.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
God, I didn't even see it.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
We will get into the show in a second. But
this was Ken, and it came as no surprise to
me that Aaron's first thing that she told me when
I asked her how it's going, and she said, Ken
is hysterical. Thank god, I'm working with him, so I
know you guys had such a good time.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Give us your version.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Since I've heard Aaron's version of the time over there
and the show and everything.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Well, what she won't say is how funny she was.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
She kept me in stitches the whole time, so many
in jokes or we're having long hours on set and
just probably seemingly simple things that won't make you laugh
out of context, but we would. There are just so
many things we would just say just to keep each
other going and laughing.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (02:07):
To me, it was just it was that from Jump
that was the best part of it. The chemistry was
like right there in as immediate.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
I was nervous because, okay, so, just to give you
an idea of this show, and Chris and I have
talked about it on this podcast, is that it is
seemingly simple games for serious cash. The winner of this
game can win a million dollars, will win a million dollars.
And what I didn't really understand was is how do
I fit in with Ken. We know Ken is hysterical,
(02:35):
we know he is a doctor and super smart, but
I just didn't really know how that would unfold. And
so we sat up kind of like in a booth
that you see Kevin Burkhart, Tom Brady, Greg Olsen in
and we watched these contestants players live out these challenges,
do these challenges, and then Ken, the way you just
Ken would put himself in, like in the shoes of
(02:59):
the challenge of the plays the challengers and challenges, and
he would get so emotional and it was like this
is where my heart hurts, and Chris I would become
Bill Bellichack. I'm like, what do you mean? They need
to be our teammates, they need to work harder, And
it was incredible. You were emotional, you were hysterical, and
I loved the way it all came together.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
Yeah, I feel the same way because just I you know,
both of you are broadcasting brilliant geniuses, and I think
just to have selfclaimed, it was just surreal to you
eventize the show. You know, it's one thing just to
(03:39):
you know, have a game show and with competitions and
call it. But you made it an event, so everything
felt like, you know, a playoff atmosphere. It was like
feel the sixty eight March Madness. Now it was our
version of March Madness on a Fox game show. Really wise,
and you just raise the stakes with your I don't know,
your broadcasting ability is just it was.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
It was a thing of wonder.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
To watch, just just even with techniques would die at
the showrunner is just saying, you know, like, oh, Marissa,
how do you feel going into the sag nuts competition?
And what do you feel about that? And then before
you can finish the sentence, you're already starting it. You know,
that's just kind of the pros you both are, and
it was I loved learning those kind of techniques from you.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
It was great. It was so much fun.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Go ahead, Babe, Ken, you're obviously no stranger to television.
How long have you been in the industry now? Because
you stopped practicing what? And I don't know that origin story.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Tell this story. That's what I wanted to get to.
Enough about broadcasting, Come on, your story is fascinating. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
I I left medicine around I believe it was December
of six.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
And what kind of doctor internal medicine general practitioner?
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Great, and I do I love I.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
Love those generalists generally speaking, because you're not a specificist. No,
it was really it's been almost nineteen years. And my
wife Tran, who is a doctor still is she practices
like part time family practitioner, and it she really encouraged
(05:17):
me to quit my job and do this full time.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
So I would not have quit my job if it
wasn't for her.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
So what were you doing? Go ahead?
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Yeah, go ahead or sorry? I just was why did
you want to make the switch?
Speaker 1 (05:30):
I don't I don't know this right, Yeah I had.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
I was doing stand up comedy and for lack of
a better word, like acting on the side, like for.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
What does that mean? What does that look? OK?
Speaker 4 (05:41):
So it also like when I I went to college
at Duke, I took my first acting class there.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
I fell in love with it.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
Was kind of koreaned by my father into staying pre
meds and so I did, but I kept I kept
doing stand up comedy and kept performing even when I
was in med school and resident and see, and I
even won uh stand up comedy competition when I was
doing my residency.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
In New Orleans. Seriously, yeah, and the winner.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
Got to perform at the Improv in Hollywood. So I
was like probably twenty nine years ago in that stand
up routine. Do you remember, No, Man, I really did not.
I the jokes were, I sang a lot, I had
a guitar, like doing song charities.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
It was.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
It was way out there.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
I'm not.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
I don't consider myself a great stand up by any means.
You know.
Speaker 4 (06:30):
It was more of a means to an end to
doing stand up comedy. So I could, you know, do
comedic acting. I thought that was where I you know,
that was my my sweet spot. But I like doing
stand up at least for me, it was great to
it was a great outlet. It was a great I
always told people friends of mine, it's like my golf,
you know, as a dog is my golf.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
I would.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
I would just do open mics, didn't matter what stage
it was, and I'd always like to perform. And I
just kind of kept that up even when I eventually
moved out to LA and worked at Kaiser at Woodland Hills.
I was just I was known as the doctor stand
up guy, and I eventually got on Comedy Central, b
E T Comicview, like so while I was a practicing doctor.
(07:14):
So I had a reputation even as a practicing physician
of like doing comedy and already being on television. And
then my first movie was Knocked Up, playing the doctor
and Judd Apatow is Knocked Up. That was my movie debut,
and I shot that while on like like on a
vacation week, you know, and I shot still having my
(07:35):
day job.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
That's insane. It was that point my.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Wife was like, Okay, it's time to go pro.
Speaker 4 (07:39):
She was just like, because I went back to work
after filming Knocked Up, and jud Apatow had said you
are my discovery.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
I'm going to put you in all my movies and
he did.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
I mean, that's a great person. It wasn't for Judd.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
Apatow, I wouldn't be talking to you right now. Because
he put me in Knocked Up, Pineapple Express, Step Brothers.
He gave me cameos in all these movies, and so
I really owe it to him.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
I want to know. So you always hear from like
players in the draft or the combine obviously when the
GM or you know, the coach sees them. What was
it for Judd? Like how did he see you? How
when did you know you had made an impression on him?
Speaker 4 (08:14):
It was it was I think the first day of filming,
because I knew he liked his actors to improvise.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
And I'm a big fan of forty old version.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
That was the movie that was out in theaters before
Knocked Up came out, and and I remember watching the
back back in the day we watched DVD's and DVD commentaries,
and jud had said like famously, like, oh, I like,
I expect all my actors to improvise, and that's something
that that's in my that's in my repertoire. So the
very first day, I don't think I even had any
(08:44):
lines in the script, and jud was like, Okay, you're
going to tell Catherine heigelu in Steth Rogan what to
do and and none of it was in the script
and we just improvised from thin air a whole scene
that went on for like five ten minutes. And I
remember like that kind of being my I don't know
(09:05):
that that was my my big break, I think. And
then and jud really from that point on he just
became such a big advocate for me.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
Yeah, so incredible.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
You mentioned your wife giving you, you know, the full
green light that go ahead. So but was that always
the case, because I can't imagine how that first conversation went,
where You're like, honey, I don't want to be a
doctor anymore. I want to go be an active or
a stand up comedian. And she's like, have you lost your.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Mind right now?
Speaker 3 (09:29):
A great question because she we met at work.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
She also worked at Kaiser, and she and I was
known as the stand up guy, the weird stand up guy,
and so she came to see my shows. In fact,
our first our first quote unquote date date was it
was supposed to be a group a group of people
watching me perform at the Ice House in Pasadena, and
it just ended up only being tran coming.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
And it was great to happen.
Speaker 4 (09:53):
So we had full audience, no no, no, no, just
among friends, among friends. Everyone was so busy, and I
was kind of it would just be me and and
so it went out to work, eat out. It worked
out and went out to eat and it was a
Tuesday night. They I think it was an open mic
night at at the Ice House. And fortunately I had
a good set. And Tran just loves comedy like I do.
(10:15):
And I think that's what bonded us, because we both
love We have the exact same taste in comedy, you know,
I loved Judd Apatow films, just almost exact same taste
of what we like in movies. And she knew she
married a comedian at heart anyway, And so by the
time I was by the time I was kind of
torn of what to do after filming knocked up, she
(10:37):
was like, you gotta you gotta go for it full time.
If anything, I was more reluctant because I was a
partner at Kaiser. I was, you know, I was vested,
you know, I had I had a career and making
good money. And Trean was like if we She was like,
if you don't do it now, you'll never do it.
And we had just gotten married. She goes, I'm not
(10:59):
going to stand in the way of your success or failure.
Even if you if you really want to do it,
I will support you. And though so she did for
you know, I think for two years really she was
really supporting me and until The Hangover came out and
then the rest is history.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
And you lead us right to it. I mean, first
of all, the audition for the Hangover, how the hell
does that go? What do you know about the role
that you are auditioning for? Do you audition? I guess
that's a stupid question. That's something you told me about too, right, No,
I know this kind of stuff. It's fascinating right.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
Well, back in the day, I did, and especially around
that for that one. Yeah, oh yeah, I mean I
auditioned for mister Chow and I I just remember improvising
the whole I didn't go. But there wasn't much of
a script for mister Chow, and I believe in the
bodyguards in the script they were my sons. So everything
(12:01):
had just kind of changed, so they were looking to
cast an older and older man like.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
In the sixties.
Speaker 4 (12:06):
Yeah, and I just there's somewhere on the Blu Ray
DVD of The Hangover cuts of my audition, and I
just went unhinged. It was like early Chow and it's
somewhere like like there's like five ten minutes of me
just all unhinged, improv and you hear Todd Phillips laughing
(12:26):
in the background. And I got the part the next day,
So my god, Yeah, it was one of those magic moments.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
I'm sitting in Las Vegas currently right now for something
that I'm working on, and I'm just waiting for the
tiger to come out of the bathroom. As we're having
this conversation. I'm like looking at at the Las Vegas
script and the memory that's that whole movie, all of
the the actors. So it brings me to the question
when Aaron and I go on the road with our crew.
We have so many great memories. The game is obviously
(12:56):
the game, but there's all these side stories of the
group hanging out in different you know, things that we
get into. So I can only imagine what your guys's
crew was, Like, how long did you shoot the movie
and what stories could you share with us or one
anecdotal story to just sort of embody that group all
together making that movie.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
That's a great question.
Speaker 4 (13:15):
I do remember one of the first day I was
shooting out in the Vegas desert. Me and Bradley Cooper
were walking through the Caesar's Palace hotel lobby and I
think we still had like fake blood and all just
grimy costume and wardrobe and we're headed back to our
rooms and no one batted an eyelash.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
You know, we weren't.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
We were famous and we were recognizable, and it was Vegas.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
No one here, no one.
Speaker 4 (13:45):
Bradley just walking through the lobby and no no. And
that was like every day in the first Hangover and
by the third Hangover, we were we were taking the
same I think entrances that Obama would take to get
the VI, you know, you know, just the side entrances.
And it was a complete it was like night and day.
(14:07):
So that was kind of that was kind of a
very full circle to go to Vegas the very first time,
not yet recognized, and then the third one everything was
was completely different, and it was definitely a very full
circle moment that movie.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
I you know, I feel like when I remember when
I first saw it, you just laughed so hard and
now and I remember every age did I mean, my
parents loved the Hangover, And I feel like anytime I
check into a hotel anytime I'm just flipping through the channels.
I can't imagine your residuals. Also, congratulations for that. It's
(14:45):
just always on. When Harry met Sally Sleepills in Seattle,
the Hangover, It's always on. When did you guys know
shooting the first one that you're like, man, we're onto something. Damn,
this is going to be a hit.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
I didn't mean no, I was.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
I remember telling Tran I said, I think this is
the funniest movie I've ever been a part of. But
I actually was one. I said, I hope women like it.
I didn't know if it was too much of a
guy's movie.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
And then so we went.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
We had the early screening like three months before the
movie came out, like a friends and family screening, and
Tran went and the moment Bradley says, Tracy, we fd
up and Tran just guess it. She's laughing from that
moment on, and she was like, can rest your cares.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
You know, women are going to love this movie.
Speaker 4 (15:32):
They want to know what the bachelor party is like,
what you know, what that night in Vegas is all about.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
And she actually was one of the first to call it.
She goes.
Speaker 4 (15:42):
Back then, it was like if you made one hundred
million dollars at the box office for a comedy movie,
that's considered a success. And I was like, do you
think it'll hit one hundred And she was like, it's
going to hit two hundred and that was her prediction.
And it hit like two hundred and seventy eight just
domestic gross.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
It was.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
It was such at that time.
Speaker 4 (16:02):
It was the biggest comedy R rated comedy in the
you know that hit the box office. It gave me
a career. I know, none of us knew it would
be that big. We knew we made a great movie,
but you just never know if the you know, the
public's gonna like it, if it's really going to resonate.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
So there's so many things out of your control.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Are we on a text chain, all of you guys?
Speaker 3 (16:21):
Do you still do have it?
Speaker 1 (16:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (16:23):
I just I just texted Bradley last week.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
It's the title of the text change.
Speaker 4 (16:28):
Well, no, there, no, there's no title. But I think
I think I started it. No one really participated, but
usually it's like one on one, but we've all like
remained close and it's just it. I don't know one
of those things where it's it's like a family, it's
I don't.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
Know, I can't it must be.
Speaker 4 (16:47):
We got it in sports analogies, just like just when
a championship team just gets together, and when you win
your first championship, that's kind of a very special kind
of kind of bond.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
I think, yeah, well, I'm going to tell you what
else is going to be a winner, and that's ninety
nine to be. I have the rat privilege of hearing
from Aaron some of the different challenges that you had.
Can which one stuck out to you? And which one
(17:20):
do you think is going to be one that like?
Because that's the fun thing about this show is that
these are challenges you can do at home with your family,
and you know, it's not this like crazy obstacle course
that you can't recreate in your own world. So what
is you like most about working on this show?
Speaker 4 (17:34):
I mean, I think the best games people are going
to single out the Frozen Whistle, the Frozen ice block game,
but I think my favorite game is the Dominoes game
because it's high stakes, there's a lot of twists and turns.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
So far team of twelve.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
That that do these you know, larger you know that
these large dominoes and they have to tip it over
and you just see a lot of drama that unfolds.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
Gain So it's not your typical size domino. It's like
something they're like bigger ones or what is that? Like
this big yeah, and you have to it's incredible. So
you think about it, and I've I've, with.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
A lot of cocktails, tried to describe this game to
Cursa many times. In fact, I stood up and showed her.
You have like a long beam almost right, yeah, and
they have to place them and you think you have it.
You're like, oh, I'll do it this far apart, and
you're upstairs in the booth going that's too far apart.
And then if you run out of dominoes, you have
to reconfigure them. Then you try to push it and
(18:30):
only if half if if half of them go and
then they fall over, you got to run back and
do it again. It's so hard to do. Chrisa would
be really really good on ninety ninety PA. She's competitive
as hell, she's super smart, she's got the whole thing
going for but she also can make an adjustment. Me
if I threw an interception screwed up a report or
(18:51):
effed up the Domino game. I'm done. I'm crying and
that Yeah, CHRISA would crush this game. Oh well, I
can't wait for people to see this, So for you can.
How is it different preparing for a show like this
versus let's say a Mass Singer.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
Great questions, because like, those are the the shows that
I have done are music based and and and actually,
you know, that's kind of up my alley because I do, like,
especially like Mass Singer at like, there's there's something I
really gravitate to that show in terms of like I
have a background like playing piano and and and violin
(19:29):
as a kid, So there is this kind of musical
thread that I don't talk about much except on Calm
Down podcast and Aaron so so so for me to
do that and I could see your voice, that's really
up my alley. But this one, you know, I got
the job because they had seen me at like during
March Madness. Uh, Like Bleach Report did a segment of
(19:52):
me just micing me up during a duke game in
the playoffs this past year, and they're just seeing me
just having this energy, having this passion and just just
standing up after every play, good or bad. And I
got the job because you know, they wanted someone that
could bring that energy into this kind of competition.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
You know that wasn't from sports.
Speaker 4 (20:15):
And then they wanted Aaron because she is from sports,
so you have that energy together. I thought that it's
a good combination. So I think what I bring to
this and what I all I bring to all these
shows are really energy and just being authentic, like being
invested and caring about the game. If you care about
the game, you know then the audience know, then that
(20:37):
will the audience will will trust the game.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
If that makes sense.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
I have to brag about Ken Curs. I didn't realize this.
The Mass singer is going into their fourteenth season. I can't.
That'sana's Ken. What is it with you?
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Look the jet optile connection, then you get the hangover,
then you get the Mass.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
I'm going to say it's you Ja right now. I mean,
this guy is crushing it all I write it to
him as playing money. I mean he like tucks into
these amazing projects and like, I think that that's what's
incredible is you were talking today to the media and
you were saying you didn't know certain things were going
to be a hit. You guys had no clue about
(21:16):
mass singer. You just said you had no clue about
the hangover. I can't wait for ninety nine to be
what are we getting a jail?
Speaker 4 (21:25):
But it's that same excitement we we knew with those projects,
we knew we were doing something good and something special.
And with nine nine to beat, you know, I think
it's safe to say behind the scenes everyone knew that
we were doing something special. It was I felt like
we overachieved at every level of this show. Behind the scenes, said,
I mean, just to have you and I together and
(21:46):
having the chemistry that we do, and then honestly having
these contestants, these players.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
There's so much drama and.
Speaker 4 (21:53):
Much drama, so much like Aaron's sidelining report, sideline reporting experience.
She would, yeah, she would find the storylines right there.
They're fighting, they hate each other's fu.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
Can you'll love this.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
Our nickname for Aaron is Nosy Rosie. But she becomes
an investigative journalist real quick. Nothing is getting by this girl.
She is head on a swivel. Nothing is getting by her.
That track track wait for this c Chris and I
have this thing. I don't know if Tran is involved
in this kind of nonsense. But when we go to
dinner with our significant others, it's either we're together or
(22:27):
we're you know, just on.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
A date with our guys. We enjoy our time with them,
but we also need to know the storylines with everybody
else in the restaurant. Like all lose track of the
conversation with Jared, CHRISA will do this, the same with Steve,
and I'll look over and at this point Jared doesn't
fight with me. He goes, what do you got going
on over there? And be like, I'll tell you in
a minute. First date not going great, She's gonna leave
(22:51):
when the appetiteser, Like does Tran do that? Because we,
as you know in sports broadcasting, we're into the storylines.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
I don't think I don't think any of us. I
don't think any human being alive has your eye as you.
No one has your talent, no one has your gift.
You're just I'm not.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
Saying that, but I'm just like knowing what's going on.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
I'll tell you what else. If you don't know this
about Aaron, can you soon learned? After the significant amount
of time, sixteen hour days. I was just going to say,
on the long days, I want to know how many
times Aaron asked you a question and the doctor hat
got put on with Ken because my girl likes a
diagnosis so many times feeling something, She's like, I have
a stomach ache. Oh, she pepper you with questions about
(23:32):
maybe her own ailments or other people's.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
I don't remember. I remember some reallypos we had offline.
I won't share them, but I was asking you some
things about some things not personal, but just like, hey,
what do we think about this?
Speaker 4 (23:45):
What do you think about that? Medical each other? You like,
oh what about that? What do you think of this?
We were asking you, but yeah, I'm trying to remember.
Maybe I was just too stressed out, just trying to
keep up with you.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
I've never seen anyone drink more coke zero And I wait,
tell me you don't coffee? You just have coke there?
Speaker 4 (24:05):
Right?
Speaker 3 (24:05):
No, I drink coffee too, you do.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
So as a doctor, you are absolutely approved that combo.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
Well, I don't know if I approve it, but I
lived in being a doctor. It came from being a doctor,
being on call for thirty six hours at a time. Oh,
my god, you would have to caffemate, you know, you
would have to drink. So all that came from being
on call as a phone.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
That's so interesting now that you just said that, I'm
thinking because those days that you guys are on the
site you mentioned fifteen to sixteen hours, those are long days.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
Of course, if you are up in your rounds and
sometimes you just said thirty six.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
Hours, you're a sleep.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
It was harder being good CT for a sixteen hour
shoot day or having to be you know, on the
floor to thirty six hours as a doctor.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
Good question, I think.
Speaker 4 (24:51):
I think being on the floor as a physician doesn't
get any more intense to that, and that definitely prepared
me for these long hours because whenever we're shooting into
the night, I go into another mode of being on
call and then either I just get silly or for
eating pizza or light lips sinking Benson boone or whatever.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
I don't mean to go deep here, and you can
tell us to edit this out, but you joke about
it all the time. You're like my crippling anxiety. But
I find that fascinating that you're very honest about that,
and yet you are a doctor.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
I mean, I think there's like always I think it's
healthy to be anxious. I think it's healthy to be nervous.
And even you know, first day before any shoot, first
day before doing a TV show, first day before doing
a movie, I'm I always have like a relatively sleepless night,
even to this day. I mean, anytime I'm on a
(25:42):
new set, if I'm not feeling those butterflies, then something's
wrong with I love that.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
I really believe.
Speaker 4 (25:49):
I think I believe having the anxiety just actually focuses me.
That means I care and if I if I don't,
I don't think. Is there anything I've done in my
career in entertainment where I haven't felt some anxiety?
Speaker 1 (26:03):
Wow?
Speaker 4 (26:03):
And I because yeah, if I, if I did, that
meant I wasn't taking this seriously.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
Who'd you look up to in the comedy world, I
thinking world.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
Steve Carell is our Michael Jordan. I think, Wow, he's there.
He just doesn't have a weakness in his game. And
one of my earliest TV credits was the Office that
was before Knocked Up, and I got to do a
couple of scenes with him, and he would every take
was slightly different and he and even the director didn't
(26:34):
even say do it differently. He just knew how to
self edit. It was like a quarterback just being able
to have a different read or just seeing the default. Oh,
I'll just do it this way with that. Just think
you so quick, okay, just making these reads. And Correll
was kind of like the quarterback of the office. I
think it was already established, and I think forty old
version had already come out in theater. So everyone on set,
(26:56):
anyone was a guest star, was just starstruck. But what
was amazing he was also just better than everybody else.
And I still think I think he is a goat
of comedy for sure.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
I love that quote of Steve Carrell's The Michael Jordan
of Comedy. You started outlining quarterbacks and making adjustments at
the line. Peyton Manning very famously would yell out omaha
for his audible What is your one word audible at
the line of scrimmage? If you were a quarterback, ken
you're saying, what that's hot? Chrissa?
Speaker 3 (27:28):
What a question?
Speaker 1 (27:29):
How great is she? You know?
Speaker 4 (27:32):
My version of omaha is if in a comedy movie
or a TV show, if there's like a single on
me and I'm and I'm allowed to reset myself and
just give off. Even the NFL promo that we did,
I asked to do the Buffalo line a couple of
different times, so I'll do that a lot, where Okay,
do you mind if I just take a run and
just do just do my own variant of this line
(27:55):
over and over and that will be I've been known
to do three four different takes just for me just
to experiment with it. So I think on a single
and then I'll ask the director if we have enough time.
It's like, oh do you wand if I just do
a run of these and that that is kind of
my version of Omaha, Wow, who's.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Someone you want to work with that you've never worked
with us? He works with the incredible people, But is
there that wish list? Is there that one person?
Speaker 4 (28:22):
Eddie Murphy? Yes, I would love just to watch him
work on set. I don't even have to have a
scene with him. I just would love to be even
in a group scene with him and just see him go.
Because to be able to be that fascile with characters
and voices and acting and emotion within a comedy, that's
(28:42):
another goat right there. You know that's another Michael Jordan
because to watch Eddie work would just be a dream.
Speaker 3 (28:50):
Just to watch him work. I don't even need a line.
I just want to watch him work.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
I would be a CTU. Know how this gets that
we've done it before. I mean, you're tired, but when
somebody says something and you just start I would start crying.
And a big fear is peeing my pants with you
because I was in a very light pant suit, so
there was no disguising if I I peed myself. There
just wasn't. And there were times I was like, please God,
(29:14):
Please God, don't pee. But you had me laughing so hard.
What do you watch that makes you want to pee
your pants?
Speaker 4 (29:22):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (29:23):
That's any any like go to thing that you're like,
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 4 (29:27):
Me and Tran will watch old Peter Sellers like Pink
Panther movies back in the day.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
What makes you laugh about that?
Speaker 4 (29:35):
His physical comedy Peter like I think the Return of
the Pink Pants. I will watch it over and over
again for comfort Food, where there is a whole scene
where Peter Sellers as Inspectacluso is examining this home gym
and just failing miserably and he is on these the
uneven parallel bars, like and just trying out saying he.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
Was a in this in the day.
Speaker 4 (30:00):
And then he and he does he does a flip
and he doesn't know there's a stairwell right where the
right where the parallel bars are, and he just falls
straight down the stairs. You don't see it coming. The
camera doesn't even establish it until the very end. And
his gift for physical comedy is unparalleled.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
People falling, My nanny keeps texting enough Barbara, people falling
is my like I lose myself. My One of my
really good friends who has kids said that will change,
like kids falling off slides or like falling down. She's like,
that'll change once you have a kid, and she is right.
But the Jackasses back in the day, like the first
(30:38):
Jackass where people would just eat it. I was peek,
like dying dying. You love physical comedy? Oh the Chevy
Chase falling down and like snl back in the way. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (30:49):
I think Peter Sellers is at to me like he
and and bust your keat and they're kind of at
the top of the top of the list in terms
of that, in terms of history of comedy.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
So are you, my friend, do you do physical comedy
or no?
Speaker 3 (31:03):
I don't see myself in the same light as those
guys at all.
Speaker 4 (31:07):
I just kind of I think, I just do what whatever.
This sounds precious, but whatever the scene calls for me
to do. If I have to do a lot, I'll
do a lot. But I don't have to do anything.
I won't because sometimes there's just elements of physical comedy
where you just stay still so someone else can move.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
So it's all like a I look.
Speaker 4 (31:27):
At comedy as a team sport where coming from a
show like Community or the Hangover, where there's huge talent ensemble.
I just look at myself as serving the scene, you know,
just doing whatever it takes for the team to win. Yeah. Yeah,
I've always first mentality, I've always I've definitely always had
that because I've never I've never thought of myself as
(31:49):
the lead or anything. I just wanted to I just
wanted to contribute a verse that that that's my honest truth.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
Here's my verse with Robin Vick. So I would instantly
do they tired?
Speaker 2 (32:01):
You mean, like sixteenth hour? You guys make a great team.
I cannot wait to see the show. Can you are
a renaissance man. You do it all. Thank you so
much much for being here with us and more importantly
taking good care of my girl while you were, you know,
making this incredible show that I can't wait to watch.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
We're taking care of each other. It was wonderful.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
No, you lifted my ass up. Let's be honest. Not
that it's a light ass, but you get it, light
ass you.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
I can't wait to watch the show. You guys can
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (32:38):
We love you, guys. Calm Down with Aaron and Carissa
is a production of iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
For more podcasts from iHeart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Hosts And Creators
Erin Andrews
Charissa Thompson
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