May 5, 2025 • 53 mins
Little orphan Tommy is all grown up and joining the podcast! The gang reconnects with an adult JB Gaynor, best known to BMW fans as little Tommy from Season 6. What was meant to be a one-off guest spot, turned into possibly Eric’s most important story arc in the history of the show, and now it’s time to give JB his flowers.
The now scratch golfer shares his memories from set, and how it was much different than working on Frasier. Plus, they revisit his surprise return for Girl Meets World, which apparently features some incredible acting from Danielle.
And, we take another lesson from “Will’s Etiquette Corner,” right here on a new Pod Meets World!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
First of all, I apologize my voice.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
I'm sick again or still I should say still been
like six weeks. Whatever rider had that was never going away.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Now I got it.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
I actually got it on a plane. And I think
when you get something on a plane, it just socks.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
In, yeah, and doesn't go away. It's a clinger, it is.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
But that's neither here nor there, depending which which of
those you look at. I have another etiquette question.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Did somebody else break into your house?
Speaker 2 (00:46):
No? No, that was I think I think we've we've
we've heard from many people that I was, in fact
right and that was the breach of etiquette. I'm going
to start calling this little section Will's etiquette corner.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Okay, I'm not going to do that at all. Sunday Sunday. See,
that's a good one. No, I just want to hear
a butler go, you're welcome.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
How many free samples are too many free samples?
Speaker 4 (01:18):
I think if you have to go for like multiple toothpicks,
like you should just take one toothpick.
Speaker 5 (01:23):
You can't, like, you know, if.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
If it's set out on like a plate and there's yeah,
you only take one.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Okay, But at a time, what if you take one,
and you discussion store, and you go back and then
you do more. Here, what point do you feel shame?
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Well?
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Do you buy the thing or not?
Speaker 1 (01:43):
Because if you want a question, yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
That's what I'm saying. I think there's lots of factors
to this.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Here's the question.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
So Susan and I, you know, are redoing our kitchen
and there is a big sale up the street at
a big appliance store and.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
You were eating tile worse than that.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Once a year they do this big sample, this big sale,
and there's all this food around, I.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Mean plates of everything you can imagine from.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Wait, what store are you at? I mean the store.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
It's an appliant store.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
An appliant store, and they samples of food.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Once a year they do this massive private sale quote
unquote private sale that everybody knows about, and people literally
line up and like to the point where when we
first walked in, there's a guy handing out pieces of
filet mignon.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
What And we're like, because they've brilled them on their.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Bills, yes, correctly, So they use the big green egg
to make it. And so the guy's like, hey, would
you like some flame mignon? And I was like Uh, yes,
so Sue and I of course eat that. Then we
walk in it and there's people walking around with ladders,
there's cookies.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Now something else you need to know about my wife.
She cannot say no to free food.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
I know, to the point.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Where there's times I will look over at her and
she looks green and she's eating something.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
They go, baby, what are you doing? She's like, Oh,
it's free. I can't I can't not.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
But we were talking to the guy at this place
who said that he that several people come to this
thing every year with bags in their purses to load
up the free food.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
And walk away too much free samples. Where do you go?
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Is it when you start bringing bags in? Are you
in a whole different levels?
Speaker 3 (03:24):
How do you put a toothpick with toothpick with a
piece of steak on it in a bag?
Speaker 2 (03:28):
They had sandwiches, pieces of pizza, they had desserts cooking.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Together in a bag. Tupperware.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
That's not a bad idea, bring me tupperware.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Yeah, I'm a little I don't know. I think that's
I think that's I mean, honestly, it sounds like you
may need it, Like if you have to bring a
bag to a sample sale to load up. Then you
might struggling, you might need the food, and I'm not
I am not here to judge that if you do
not need the food and you're just like, oh, they
offer it for free, and here's my chance to take advantage. Yes,
(04:01):
that's what.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
He alluded to. It was more that I thought.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
We were having a normal discussion, which was like, what
if I wanted three samples, that's the same thing, and.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Then we're in Costco sweatshirt. I mean, that's the best
part of going to Costco is the sample.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
One of the best carts of going to samp of
Costco is the samples. Another best part is that I
can get my pap smear, I can get my eye exam,
I can get my tires rotated, and you can buy
it often the same place at the same time. So
that's that's the other best part of Costco. Big supporters
(04:35):
of Costco here, two of two of the three.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Of the two of the three of us exactly, we
want to sell our show in bulk, so we want
to do Did you.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
End up buying any appliances for your kitchen Rhno, we.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Bought all the appliances for our RAH we're officially in
it now.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
We bought it was it was a little crazy pants.
We got everything then you can take home, Yeah you're allowed.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
We were yes, No, we got a we got a fridge,
we got a we've got a dishwasher. We got to
bring bring the tupperware. Yeah, we and we got a
new a new hood vent for our thing. Like where
we doing my Our kitchen is almost thirty years old.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Wow, to the.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Point where when you go and open a cabinet the
door will come off in your hand if you don't.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
It is it must be so exciting.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
She's ecstatic, she's etatic. Yeah, how did it go?
Speaker 3 (05:22):
There was also a little brew haha with your contractor
and the bids. How did that?
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Which was the brew ha?
Speaker 3 (05:32):
We were at dinner in Vegas and you got the
bid back and it had like jumped up.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Oh yeah, well.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
That's that's it's like, oh, wait, you you want us
to actually do.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
It, you don't just want to talk about it?
Speaker 6 (05:42):
Well, and you want.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Yeah that cabin Yeah, we got We did our due
diligence because we don't normally do that. We got five
different bids from people, all from recommendations from people that
we know that have used them, and we ended up
going with producer Tara's guy Wow, which is which is great.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
So we're we're very happy. We're excited to have It's.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Everything we always joke in our house, whenever anything is
done built, put in any of that stuff, you will
invariably hear from the other room, the plumber, the electricians,
somebody go, huh, never seen this before. So because the
guy who built our house just did it himself, so
it's there's not really a right angle anywhere. So it's
(06:24):
gonna be interesting to see. This is what we say
it's gonna cost. But now that we're in there, it's like.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Oh wow, you used live ducks to make this wall.
I've never seen this before, so exactly, So we're gonna
see how this goes.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
I can't wait for this to be the reason you
end up hating Tara, you know, and you just get
to blame Tara. That's what's gonna happen. Yeah, so whole
podcast will explode, I think so to.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Well, we'll have to see.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
But as long as we have access to free samples,
I'm good, So we'll be fine.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
So you're gonna have a sample sale when like when
you're right, We'll come over and get.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
You guys, taste all the food, do all that kind
of stuff. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
No, I figure I'm getting ready because Ryder hosted the
last Pod Meets World party.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Uh huh, I'll host the next one.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Yeah, I'll do it.
Speaker 5 (07:14):
Amazing, We'll get that.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
Welcome to Pod Meets World. I'm Danielle Fischel, I'm right
or Strong, and I'm Wilfordell. It's almost time to go
back on the road.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Are you ready?
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Are your bags packed?
Speaker 5 (07:24):
You rode to go?
Speaker 4 (07:26):
I actually have no plan yet living around and the
van again or I mean like yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Wow, this is late in the game.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
The van well for certain parts you know, like what
you know, what's funny is like uh San Francisco, Like
I already have like ten people coming, like yeah, all
like everyone from my hometown and you know, all old
friends are going to be around. So I got a
lot of people want to come to the San Francisco show,
which will be great. Portland I'm super excited about. I
know a lot of people there too, But yeah, those
(07:56):
but that section, like the West Coast, you know, I'm
already going to in Portland for a period before that,
So yeah, so we might just end up vanning it
again for the west coast.
Speaker 5 (08:05):
The yeah, the.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Northwest will and I will travel buddies it up again.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Yep. Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
I just want to kick this cold because I don't
want to be on the road with these allergy cold things, because.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
No, you've got to get that, You've got to get
get rid of that.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
I'm doing my best.
Speaker 6 (08:20):
Been six weeks.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Okay, where are we going? Exactly?
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Okay? So first we start in Denver, Colorado on June fourth,
Then we are in Phoenix, Arizona on June fifth, and
June sixth we are in Austin, Texas.
Speaker 4 (08:32):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
And then gosh right back in June June nineteenth and twentieth,
we are in Columbus, Ohio, and then Las Vegas, baby
at the Palazzo, and you know me gonna be so excited.
And then in July July eleventh we are in Portland, Oregon.
July thirteenth, Seattle, Washington. So excited about that little Pacific
(08:56):
North Leg, Pacific Northwest Leg. And then we finish it
off in July July twenty fifth and the twenty seventh,
that in San Francisco and then in Sacramento, so very
excited about that.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
Sorry, I can't get I can't get the phrase Pacific
North leg out of my head.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
I just want to know what a Pacific like. I get. Dude,
I gave her a Pacific North leg the other night.
It's awesome. Why is it going to go some dirty
always does, always does.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Hi, I'm will it's a good chicken order Pacific North leg.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
Danielle always goes for food.
Speaker 5 (09:32):
Yeah, of course it's actually it's a crab leg, right, Like,
just grab Pacific North leg.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
You take a Pacific North leg. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
So.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Anyway, if you have not already gotten your tickets, you
can go to Podmeats Worldshow dot com and click the
city you are interested in seeing us in. I highly
suggest Vegas cause you you want to come to all
of them.
Speaker 5 (09:53):
You know, I want some costumes. Come on the West coast.
Let's bring out the costumes. I have some stiff competition
from the rest of the country. You got to bring it.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
It's gonna be fun. It's gonna be it's gonna be
fun to be on the road again. It really is.
It's gonna be we we It's a lot, but it's
it's all. It's mostly laughing laughing and travels on stage laughing, laughing,
and travels.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Bringing you on stage to join us for that thing.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Well, I gotta get my scripts out. I gotta out
the scripts for people who win.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
You got to get those original Boy Meets World scripts
out if we signed. Those are the prizes for whoever
wins the costume contest. We also have some BTS footage
we share and some you know, funny stories. Uh so, yeah,
it's a really good time. Come out and meet us.
Tickets available now at Pod Meets worldshow dot com. Over
(10:53):
the past few seasons of our rewatch, we have waxed
poetic about the relationships of the show, whether it's Corey
and Tapanga, Sean and Angela, Alannamy, even Cory and Lauren.
But we've noticed and rightfully pointed out the disappointment of
Eric never having a companion of his own. Sure, he
couldn't stop talking to girls on the phone in season one,
(11:15):
and we all like to point out that Jack and
Eric were actually together in subtext, But that golden retriever
of a human being had a big heart and he
should have been able to share it with a real storyline.
But maybe we've been looking at it all wrong. Maybe
Eric was given someone to express that love to, and
unfortunately it was just a three episode arc that involved
(11:38):
the possible adoption of a young orphan. Eric may have
been too young and inexperienced to accept that possibility then,
But this week we reunite Tommy and Eric for one
last shot at family. Our guest made his TV debut,
appearing on legendary sitcoms Frasier and Mad About You, then
making stops on Party of Five and Veronica's Closet before
(12:00):
he landed on Boy Meets World at just eight years old.
He may not have been on the show for long,
but he became a cult favorite for fans to wonder
what if Eric did take the jump and adopt a son.
He'd act for a few more years, popping up on Buffy,
the Vampire Slayer, Grounded for Life, Touched by an Angel,
to name a few shows, but then he'd retire, dropping
(12:21):
out around two thousand and five, walking away from Hollywood
for good, well kind of for good, minus one constantly
posted appearance on Girl Meets World over fifteen years after
he first originated the character. So what is Tommy up
to now? What's life been like since he walked away
from the industry. It's time to find out. This week
(12:42):
on Pod Meets World, we talked to the former actor
who may have been the true love of Eric's life.
It's forever our Tommy JB. Gaynor yaw are you?
Speaker 6 (12:57):
I'm good?
Speaker 3 (12:58):
So good to see you. Man. It seems crazy that
I guess it.
Speaker 6 (13:02):
Was second was it? Come on?
Speaker 1 (13:06):
That can't be ten years ago that we say.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
Indy wasn't born yet, Man, Like, that's no, come on,
that's wrong on soil levels.
Speaker 5 (13:15):
I can't believe that.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
I know it's so it's so crazy, uh GB. We
are so happy to have you here.
Speaker 6 (13:24):
For the past.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
I find we have one of the more difficult people
for us to trap down. And I would like to
take this moment to give a special thank you to
Barbie Block, who is the reason we were able to
find you. She I sent her an email and she
was like, let me look into it, and eventually within
like forty eight hours, I think we had had reached
(13:47):
out to you.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Good.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
She's the greatest. So thank you, Barbie. Uh So, we
just watched your first episode of Boy Meets World, Santa's
Little Helper, But by that point in your life, you
had already been on quite a few classic TV shows, Frasier,
Mad About You, Party of Five. Did you get into
acting at seven years old?
Speaker 6 (14:08):
Honestly, it was my sister. My sister got into acting first,
and she was actually on Wonder Years. Oh so it
was It was super crazy because then I was on
Boding to twelve have been right? Yeah, she was. She
was on Wonder Years. She was on an episode she's on.
I forgot what episode it was, like, I forgot. I
think he was dating some girl and she was one
(14:29):
of the sisters or something.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Okay, And so how much older is your sister than you?
Speaker 6 (14:33):
She's eight years older.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
Oh okay, oh.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
Okay, eight years older. So you were seven she was
like fifteen.
Speaker 6 (14:38):
Yeah. So she was my lines. She was always reading
me my lines and stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
She was really fun. And were you going to a
traditional school at the time or were you home school?
Was your schooling situation?
Speaker 6 (14:52):
I was pretty I was in public school pretty much
all my life. And okay, so like maybe fifth grade
through seventh grade, I was working a lot, so I
was home, but yeah, I was in public schoobs. I
lived pretty much a double life. I would go out
there in Hollywood, and then I would come back here
and I would just put with my friends play sports outside.
And yes, I was living like two double double life.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Yeah, you were the you were the o G. Hannah Montana.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Just put a j even though it's no one, he
takes off the glasses.
Speaker 6 (15:22):
Who is it?
Speaker 3 (15:25):
What was the set of Fraser like for a seven
year old? I don't think of that show as being
a show that had a lot of kids.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
It was not.
Speaker 6 (15:32):
That one was not very welcoming really really, it was
a lot of they didn't have kids, so it was
a lot of cussing, a lot of a lot of
you know, it was just very high intensity and I
just went in there. I'm glad I just had a
little part because I just went in there. I did it.
I got out. But yeah, that was the one that
was the more unenjoyable that I was on. Yeah, but
(15:56):
I mean it's still Frasier. So yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
So one of the greatest shows of all time. But wow,
not not exactly a warm and fuzzy memory for you,
for sure. Do you remember your audition for Boy Meets World?
Speaker 6 (16:11):
I honestly, I don't remember my audition, but I remember
everything else. I just remember Michael Jacobs liked me because
I looked kind of like his son. Okay, he said, yeah,
you look kind of like my son. That's the reason
why I give you the part.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Sounds about right.
Speaker 5 (16:27):
I love that he just said that to you. It's
not your talent, it's.
Speaker 6 (16:32):
Just you're not that great. It's just you look like
my son.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Do you remember when when you first auditioned, was it
supposed to be just a one off?
Speaker 1 (16:41):
Or were did you was the one?
Speaker 6 (16:42):
It was a one off? But I watched Boys World
when I was younger, Like we watched IF that was
one of my shows, and so I was so like,
I don't know. I think it was just kind of
the vibe and I just went into it like with
a good energy and they wanted me back, I guess.
So that was that was awesome.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
So you were a fan of the show even before
you auditioned, which is amazing. Do you remember if the
connection that your sister had been on Wonder years and
now you were was that discussed?
Speaker 6 (17:12):
Was that talking was discussed when? Because remember uh Fred
had the TV show on at the same studio right
on the right, Yeah, and he's yeah CBS Radford, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
and he's so he came over and he said hi
to my sister and stuff like that. But yeah, that
was funny. That was pretty crazy. Small.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
Do you remember the first time you met Will Yeah.
Speaker 6 (17:38):
Honestly, it was like it was like meeting my big brother.
I remember when you did everything together. We would go out,
we would go we would do everything. I was falling
around like a little.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
We got a lot. I just remember we got along
really really well, really well. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (17:54):
And then and then you were Batman Batmans Forever.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
Or Batman Behind Right, Batman Beyondy.
Speaker 6 (17:59):
Yeah, and so that was like my one of my
favorite shows too. So I was like, it was cool.
Speaker 5 (18:04):
You were a dream.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
So explain to me when you let's talk about you
guys going to lunch together? Was it who was on
set with you? You mentioned your sister.
Speaker 6 (18:14):
Yeah, my mom would always be there. My mom. My
mom was my angel. She would take me everywhere she was.
She was always there for me.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
So yeah, so you your mom and then sometimes your sister.
Speaker 6 (18:24):
Yeah. Yeah, my sister would come and read lines with
me and stuff like that. She always helped me out.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
But yeah, you know that.
Speaker 6 (18:30):
Yeah, we'ld always get lunch at that you know that
cafeteria that that was on the CBS. Yeah, but it
was it was pretty cool. That was super fun.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Well, do you remember thinking, like, this is a care
this is a kid I'm supposed to have a close
bond with. I want to in our downtime also develop
that bond. Do you remember thinking that or did you
just know?
Speaker 1 (18:52):
I wish I was the actor at that point, was
to develop the bond. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
No, to me, it was like, well, I'm getting lunch
and he's getting lunch cigarette And we got along very
very exactly. Yeah, not quite, but no, we got along
really well. And you were fun to hang out with,
and I knew you were kind of a like me.
You were a kind of a comic book nerd, a
little bit of a superhero nerd, and so we would
(19:18):
talk about stuff like that, and uh yeah. It was
also just it was very strange because it was you
didn't know what Eric was going to be from week
to week, and so now it was like, yeah, Michael's like, yeah,
Eric might adopt a kid, like what, so you just.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
He never knew when it's.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
Like okay, now all of a sudden, he's a you know,
I remember him specifically telling me like, Oh, it's going
to be an emotional arc and it's going to be
a you know, a good kind of run for you.
And I was like, great, no problem, h And Eric
is a kid, so Eric with the kid just works.
I mean, it just It's one of those things we
saw also with the the single mom episode. I can't
(19:58):
remember the name of that that episode Uncle Daddy, Uncle Daddy,
but the I mean it just worked. And then JB
came in and I didn't. That's why because we saw
the first one with the with the where Eric was
Santa Claus, your first episode ever, and that's why I was.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
When I rewatched it, I was like, huh, I wonder
if this was supposed to be the only episode with you.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
Yeah, it was, it was only I went off, which
is so strange because it's what two episodes later is
the is the arc?
Speaker 1 (20:22):
So had they not arked out the season.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Had they not written two episodes ahead already, and they
and they just rewrote everything. I'm curious to know how
that came about because that's a pretty massive change because
I think we're the a story in at least one
if not, we will be upcoming episodes. Yeah yeah, So
if they hadn't planned that. I'm really curious to see
how they want to.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
Pull it off.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
Possible that it was only going to be a second
episode and it wasn't going to involve the kid again.
It was just going to be Eric determined to adopt
a child, and it was going to be Eric having
those conversations. But maybe we weren't going to see Tommy again.
But once was Once JB was so good and your
chemistry was so great, it was like, we've got to
have it.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Was it was a Bludman bus Gang episode, wasn't it
when that not not Uncle Daddy, but are not to
the Santa Claus one? But I think the next one
because then Mark is the one who brought the Tommy
character back for Girl Meet World and bus Gang were gone,
And I wonder why it was Bludman that brought Tommy
back because he called me.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
He's like, I'm bringing Tommy back. I'm so excited.
Speaker 6 (21:25):
I thought he was there because I remember seeing him.
I remember seeing Mark.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
Yeah, I don't know, I don't know, very strange, but yeah,
when they told me you were coming back from Girl
Me Trill, I was like, we're going to get to.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
Girl Get there, a chance. Yeah, do you remember do
you remember meeting any any of the other cast members
or what are some of your favorite memories.
Speaker 6 (21:48):
I remember I liked writer, but right it was very
very quiet, you know, cordial. I just always said hi
to him. But you were you were one of the
people that that i'cated towards two because you're just so sweet.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
Actually, it was very maternal.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
I actually have a.
Speaker 6 (22:05):
Picture, I don't see it, and it's the same sweater
that you're wearing in that episode.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
Oh that's so sweet. I loved, loved, loved kids, and
so anytime there was a young kid on the set,
I took it upon myself to be it was my
duty to make sure I was their little friend. So
(22:32):
I remember having a blast with you for sure. Do
you remember, JB. Did you watch your episodes when they aired?
Did you have a watch party?
Speaker 6 (22:40):
I didn't watch it when it aired, but I've watched
it a lot growing up because all my friends always
always say, hey, look, did you see this episode? They
always they always do it whenever they meet new people.
They're always like, this guy was on TV and I'm like,
oh my god, that's so cute.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
But you were a fan of the show before you
were cast on it. So why do you remember why
you didn't?
Speaker 6 (23:03):
I don't. I didn't like watching myself, oh even that young. Yeah,
because I was a very nervous person. So I would
see things that I would do that that it was
like my nervous little twitches. In the new episode, I
would play with my hand. In the second episode, I
would play with my hands, and they get that on screen.
(23:24):
So I was like, I don't want to watch that.
I do like little things that that I knew that
wasn't right, and so I didn't like watching myself.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
It's such an actor thing. You pick up on these
little things.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Writer and I have had conversations about this all the time,
little facial ticks or I always do this when I'm
gonna or something like my hair thing.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
Had the hair thing two seasons.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
I'm soda can every time I watch. I mean, we
have all these little kiss that we do that you
just and but again, I think it adds to the character.
Frankly doesn't even notice it's your nervous take.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
They just think it's part of the character.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
That's so amazing though, that even at eight you were
already self conscious to the point where you were like,
I don't want to watch myself.
Speaker 6 (24:06):
I started when I was five, so I was already
in it pretty for Like, yeah, you.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
Were like, who is this frasy guy? Anyway?
Speaker 6 (24:18):
Come on?
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Do you remember what the process was for you learning
your lines or memorizing your lines?
Speaker 6 (24:27):
Honestly, it was so easy back then. Yeah, but when
I did Girl, it was so much harder.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (24:35):
I had that monologue and I was like, oh my god,
I don't do it. And then poor Rusty was trying
to coach me through it, and I was like, I
can't do it.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
I can't do it.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
I can't keep doing it.
Speaker 5 (24:46):
Yeah, it's a muscle, you lose it, you know.
Speaker 6 (24:48):
Like I was thinking about that because my son's doing.
Speaker 4 (24:51):
Plays now and he memorizes thinks so quick, and I'm like, wow,
that's right. When you're younger, brain just.
Speaker 5 (24:56):
Doesn't like wow.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:59):
So then why didn't that Why did that not translate
to me in school?
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Why can I always remember dialogue but I couldn't remember Yeah,
It's like it was so strange.
Speaker 6 (25:08):
I can remember lyrics to every songs and then I
can't remember history lessons exactly.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
So the episode we have seen of yours the Santa's
Little Helper episode, you are dealing with will or Eric
(25:34):
as Santa Claus. Was that at all confusing for an
eight year old?
Speaker 2 (25:40):
No?
Speaker 6 (25:40):
Because Claus.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Oh yeah, so somebody else puts all the gifts under
the tree JB.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Santa Geez Okay, so that thankfully no one had to
explain that to you.
Speaker 6 (26:02):
Yeah, yeah, no, it was you know, I think I
did it. I already did another another show where I
was a Christmas episode and I had to sit on
Santa's lab in that in that episode.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
Two.
Speaker 6 (26:14):
No, that was Crez you same thing. Kelsey Grammar was
actually the Santa Claus.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
A bit of a different Santa.
Speaker 6 (26:25):
Kid.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
I was gonna play the lap pick.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
Since the time that you had been on Boy Meets World,
Tommy has lived on and become a bit of cult folklore.
Was Tommy always the character you were most recognized for?
Or has it just been that way over the last
couple of years?
Speaker 6 (26:48):
It was that one in George Lopez.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
Those are the two.
Speaker 6 (26:52):
Those are the two ones that I would get recognized for.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
What did you play on the George Lopez Show?
Speaker 6 (26:56):
I was Ricky. I was actually supposed to be in
one off for that one too, and was in like
four or five episodes. I was like the kid, Yeah,
the kid I left the garage. What I know? Right,
that was my only bad role.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
I was always a.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
You were always tugging at heart strings and now now
you were blowing up garages. Oh man, okay, serious question here.
Speaker 6 (27:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
Do you think Eric should have adopted Tommy?
Speaker 6 (27:32):
Of course, of course to California at that time?
Speaker 3 (27:39):
What about you?
Speaker 2 (27:40):
No?
Speaker 1 (27:41):
No, Eric, of course Eric wasn't right. And I think
that that's one of the things.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
I don't remember the actual dialogue of the episode, but
I remember specifically the episode I think it's your last episode, JB,
where I remember thinking that it was really well written.
Again it maybe maybe it doesn't hould up. I think
it does though, where it was it's that's the whole
point is it's like, I know, you love the kid,
but he's a family wants to move him to California
(28:05):
and start a family. I mean, it's just it was
the right thing to do, was let him go, and
for the first time in boy Mets world, they did
what was right and that what love dictated, which was yeah, exactly,
so no, I I yeah, I mean it would have
been great but Eric got Eric wasn't ready.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
Eric wasn't ready. By Girl Meets World time, Eric wasn't ready.
Speaker 5 (28:27):
Could have been a spin off, could have been a
spin offs.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
The family was the Mansons, so you know.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
Exactly, in all fairness, they were very close.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
So yeah, no, yeah, that's that was. I distinctly remember
that episode.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
And I remember having to say goodbye to JB too,
because we we bonded over the three weeks we were
together and we had a lot of fun together, and
it was.
Speaker 6 (28:53):
I actually cried in that episode kind of because I
was actually just so sadly that it wasn't even in
the script, but I I just I was sad. Yeah,
it was a sad episode for me.
Speaker 4 (29:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
Well so you were you were able to cry.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
I was not. And I remember Michael came up to
me and you went, hey, can I talk to you
for a second. I wait, you so, uh you can't cry?
Speaker 1 (29:15):
And I went on cue like that.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
No, He's like, all right, just try to sell it, like, okay,
I'll never forget that can't cry.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
No, it was not in my repertoire at the time.
I'm made of stone, I don't. I just yeah, so
but yeah, I'll never forget that.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
He's just like, all right, just sell it, all right,
just sell it. That's your thank you.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
Here we go action.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
Well, after being on three episodes of Boy Meets World,
you continued to work quite a bit. You were on
Buffy the Vampire Slayer nine episodes have Grounded for Life,
George Lopez, and then you retired around two thousand and five.
Tell us about that decision and what led to it.
Speaker 6 (29:58):
It was it's just of transition from a child actor
to like getting older. Yeah, I think.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
You're talking about.
Speaker 6 (30:13):
Like once you when you're younger, it's easy to get
all that criticism, it's so much easier to just let
it roll off. And then when you get older, you
start thinking about that criticism and what am I doing wrong?
What's making yeah? Like, who am like? Why am I
getting said no? All these times? You know, and it
just kind of hurts you a little a little more
as to get older, And I fell in love with golf,
(30:35):
and I was just I just wanted to I just
wanted to spend all my time doing that.
Speaker 3 (30:39):
And so tell us about your your love of golf.
Speaker 6 (30:43):
I honestly I started playing when I was ten, and
I just loved it. It's it's just a nice getaway.
You go out there, you have four or five hours
just to just to clear your mind and just it's
just fun. It's just I played in college and I
played in high school. I played in the high school
golf team. I played in college golf team, and it
(31:03):
was it was just it's just a fun time.
Speaker 1 (31:05):
So are you gonna go pro?
Speaker 6 (31:07):
Nah? Probably it's I'm I'm close, but I'm not. I
can't be that. I'm not that good.
Speaker 1 (31:12):
See that's what what what's not good?
Speaker 2 (31:14):
Like? What's your hit? Do you even handicapp or you
don't even handy? You're a scratch golf. You're a scratch golfer. Okay,
that's why you can say golf's just fun because you're
a scratch golfer when you're somebody like me, I I
it's the old saying that golf is a nice walk ruined,
which is exactly what it is. It's like, you know,
you hit the ball as far as you can, once
you find it, put it in your pocket. Congratulations you
found it, and then you got to hit it again.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
Where did you go to college? JB.
Speaker 6 (31:42):
I went to Citrus. A lot of my friends. Actually,
a lot of my friends actually saw you at when
you went to college and they were like, yeah, because
I live right around there.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
So it's so fun.
Speaker 6 (31:54):
And I were like, I'm so scared to say hi
to I was like, dude, she's nice, go say hi.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
Oh my gosh, do you know how amazing it would
have And if somebody had come up to me and
been like, hey, just want you to know I'm friends
with JB a reason go say hello, Daniel.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
When did you when when you went to college? Where
were you on the golf team?
Speaker 6 (32:13):
Well?
Speaker 3 (32:13):
I have a two handicap, do you really Yeah, it's great, Yeah, yeah,
handicap two. People.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
I was going to say your two handicaps are your
swing and that you don't own golf clubs. No.
Speaker 3 (32:34):
You know what's funny is that I actually love golf.
And I golfed for years, uh every weekend, and I
loved it. I never got anywhere close to being a
scratch golfer, but I do understand the appeal of being
outside for that long of just it being your You know,
you're competing against yourself week after week, and even minor
(32:55):
improvements that you see become big deals and feel you
feel really accomplished so well.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
They say, you can have the worst round in the world.
You get to the eighteenth hole, you hit one great,
don't be back tomorrow.
Speaker 6 (33:06):
I love. That's really insanity.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
Yeah, it's nuts.
Speaker 3 (33:13):
What did your parents think when you made the decision
that you wanted to back away from the entertainment industry?
Speaker 6 (33:18):
My mom loved me and in acting, but she didn't
She wasn't She didn't force me to do it. So
she would always say, do you still want to do this?
Like every year she'd be like, do you still want
to do this? And I'd be like, yes, yes, And
that was the year that I said, Nah, I'm done.
And I still I still auditioned a little bit, even
up until like my mid twenties, but but I didn't.
(33:41):
I only got like, I think one commercial when I
was eighteen, and then that's that's about it. I just
I just would go on auditions when casting directors would like,
ask for me something like that, Right, That's that's all
I did.
Speaker 3 (33:53):
Did your sister continue on?
Speaker 2 (33:55):
Nah?
Speaker 6 (33:55):
She was out when she was out early, like probably
because it's harder for girls. It's way harder for girls.
Boys is a lot easier girls. It's it's a lot
tougher when you when you get a little older.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
You know, yeah, there's a she was like.
Speaker 6 (34:11):
Thirteen or fourteen or something like that.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
Okay, yeah, yeah, do you at this point do you
ever look back on it and miss it or are
you perfectly comfortable with the choice.
Speaker 6 (34:23):
I miss. I miss being on set, that's yeah, that's
the one. I don't miss auditioning. I know tell us
and especially nowadays, because one of my friends got into
acting later and he was having to tape himself and
I was like, I don't know, that would be super awkward.
I don't know if I could do that.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
I know now with self tape, you like, actors have
to be casting directors, lighting technicians. You have to have
a nice spot to record yourself in. You have to
be an editor. It's like the amount of stuff you
have to do, it feels okay.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
It's easier to be a golfer.
Speaker 3 (34:59):
Yeah, you can record. You can put yourself on tabe
once or four or five hours. You can play a
whole round exactly what you want to do. Yeah, geez,
how many people in your life now, JB know that
you were Tommy from Boy Meets World.
Speaker 6 (35:17):
Most of my friends because I I keep her on
the same crew that I've been with since I was younger. Like,
I've have some friends group and they love to say
that I was on TV whenever we go.
Speaker 3 (35:31):
Does it ever help you?
Speaker 6 (35:32):
Guys?
Speaker 1 (35:32):
Do you ever?
Speaker 3 (35:33):
Do you forget anything? You ever get it?
Speaker 2 (35:34):
Hey?
Speaker 3 (35:34):
You ever seen Boy Meets World? You know who he is?
Speaker 6 (35:37):
Some free golf rounds in there.
Speaker 3 (35:41):
Let's get this guy some clubs. Yeah, get this guy
a new set of clubs for sure. Will you have
to do a signing with JB? I would be happy to.
Speaker 1 (35:51):
I'm just signed tiny little golf balls all the time.
Just yes, kidding.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
I want to get my own set of clubs so
it can really show you how to golf JB. Yeah,
I'll show you. What's up, my friend. I'm a scratch golfer. Two.
I'm just in the woods looking if my ball scratching
because I'm being bitten by all the things.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
Thank you very much, you will, all.
Speaker 3 (36:13):
Right, I think it's officially time that we talk about
something very near and dear to our listener's hearts. Your
return to Tommy on Girl Meets World. It was directed
by the one and only writer Strong and Strong. How
did that episode Come Together. What was the first What
did you first hear JB about them wanting to bring
(36:35):
you back?
Speaker 6 (36:36):
Honestly, my agent just called me and she was like, uh,
I think they want to bring you back for Growing's World.
I was all right, So I went on auditioned for it.
I like auditioned to see if I was fine.
Speaker 1 (36:46):
You know, I just need to play yourself.
Speaker 6 (36:49):
Yeah, audition. It's not like they just wanted to see
if I could read line right.
Speaker 3 (36:58):
Yeah, Okay, I guess I did.
Speaker 4 (37:01):
I guess.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
That is so crazy? What a weird business? What if
what if let's just say, what if he had a
quote unquote bad audition? Were they just gonna scrap the
whole idea?
Speaker 1 (37:15):
Or they would have recast They would.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
Absolutely imagine uproar if they had put like Timothy Shallow
and Jbi's spot.
Speaker 5 (37:30):
I mean we did it all the time on Boy.
Speaker 4 (37:32):
We would recast people all the time, so you know,
well sure on Boy Meets World.
Speaker 3 (37:37):
I'm talking about though, to like bring someone back in Girl,
to be like, look at this, we got the person
we were doing it with all the other characters, like,
you know, everyone coming back.
Speaker 6 (37:46):
I wouldn't mind to.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
Get Seriously, by the end of Girl Meets World, we
had both Lily and Lindsay on the show at the
same time. I know, I think it was just like
at that point, I mean yeah, because we you.
Speaker 4 (38:04):
Know, we also we brought Josh back, right, the brother
and the completely yeah, and it was but he was right,
he was like on the show a bunch. They had
a whole love story on Girl to remember that, but
it was but it was, you know, recast. It was
a different actor than because Josh was played in the
final episode by.
Speaker 3 (38:21):
Michael and Michael yeah the one who reminded him of.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
I was.
Speaker 6 (38:31):
It was just really tough because I remember when they
all came in and they were like, we don't like this,
we don't like this. That's the only time I got,
like yill that They're like, you're not doing it right.
Speaker 3 (38:39):
I was like, no, I don't remember again, just even
ten years ago, I don't remember the details, but I
remember that it was so stressful.
Speaker 4 (38:48):
It was so rough because he had a whole monologue,
Like I remember, it was like a big speech, yeah,
big reveal, big speech, and like you know, it was
supposed to be all this emotional stuff and it was like, wow, Okay,
we're going right.
Speaker 5 (39:00):
Into the deep end of the pool here.
Speaker 1 (39:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
But it was also it's like, hey, you know, sorry,
you haven't been acting in years, you haven't done this
in a while.
Speaker 1 (39:06):
Here's your three page bottologue. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
So I remember we were all because I was kind
of in the same boat. I hadn't done it in
a while either, So you and I were kind of like, all.
Speaker 3 (39:14):
Right, let's well this first episode back or second episodeisode.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Okay, yeah, this was the you were.
Speaker 3 (39:21):
Can we refresh my memory on the episode you were?
It's mister goes to washing Washing.
Speaker 2 (39:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:28):
So Eric is a senator who's running for president. No,
Eric eric is is a mayor.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
Is that he's the mayor of Saint up in Town
and he's now running for Congress or senator senate.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
Yeah, he's going to be a senator.
Speaker 3 (39:42):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
And then and and his his the guy who says
I'll take you under my wing as your political advisor,
turns out to be.
Speaker 3 (39:49):
Tommy, right, And it's a big reveal that it's Tommy
and Tommy sitting in the audience.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
And it's always Danielle's reveal that's always on the social
media machine.
Speaker 3 (40:01):
The amount of people who think I was legitimately surprised.
I was like, I mean, how good at no what
I remember? And apologies to write her and Shiloh because
I'm back there chewing the scenery. I remember. The thing
I remember the most is that we were trying, and
(40:22):
by we, I mean us as a production. We're trying
to get the background actors to give a facial reaction
of like because they wanted the oh my gosh reveal.
And so I remember there being so many guys when
he says I can die, and I I just was like,
(40:46):
I'll take everyone, I'll do it. Watch this, here you go,
and I'm like, right.
Speaker 1 (40:52):
Over the shoulder shot.
Speaker 5 (40:58):
I just need you all to know.
Speaker 3 (41:00):
Would have been impossible for me to not know because
I had been there all.
Speaker 5 (41:10):
To play it.
Speaker 3 (41:10):
Let's see weekend.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
It's awesome, but I'll see the I love how it's
also though, like they're like, all right, everybody's got to
be so shocked that this is Tommy.
Speaker 1 (41:22):
You prepair know that Eric almost adopted a kid years ago.
Speaker 5 (41:27):
I know, it's like, how are they?
Speaker 1 (41:29):
How are we shocked about?
Speaker 6 (41:30):
I don't care.
Speaker 1 (41:32):
Yeah, if you can find it. Danielle, She's she's acting.
Speaker 3 (41:36):
It is so over the top of people.
Speaker 6 (41:40):
People believe it as that to it. I was like, no, no,
everyone know. Everyone, everyone knew.
Speaker 5 (41:50):
I can't find it everything on search.
Speaker 3 (41:52):
We'll find out.
Speaker 5 (41:54):
I really want to see it.
Speaker 3 (41:56):
Okay, So did you tell your friends and family when
you found out and you auditioned for your yourself, you
found out your audition you learned the job again?
Speaker 6 (42:05):
Oh yeah everyone? Oh yeah, I told everyone else.
Speaker 1 (42:11):
My gosh, it was how old were you when you
came back for Girmy World? And you were eight?
Speaker 2 (42:18):
When?
Speaker 1 (42:18):
Oh my god, so it wasn't almost twenty years later.
Speaker 3 (42:20):
It was seventeen. Yeah, and now here we are ten
years past then.
Speaker 1 (42:27):
We're old city, We're all old. You're still a child, sir.
Speaker 3 (42:35):
Tell me the details, please?
Speaker 1 (42:37):
Oh god?
Speaker 3 (42:39):
Did you? I mean you mentioned it was a stressful week,
and you remember being yelled at.
Speaker 1 (42:47):
Me, not by writer. This was tough for I remember
this being tough for you writer.
Speaker 5 (42:56):
Oh yeah, it was so stressful for all of us.
It was like there was a lot of rusher for
some reason.
Speaker 1 (43:01):
You know, it came out good, It was great, It
came out right.
Speaker 3 (43:07):
Do you remember was that the first time you remember
being yelled at?
Speaker 6 (43:10):
You never yelled at yelled at You were too young,
I guess, but yeah, I was fine on Boarding World.
But yeah, that was the first time I got yelled at.
Speaker 3 (43:27):
I am sure that this uh maybe already answers the
question then, But did it give you the itch to
go back?
Speaker 5 (43:33):
To? You getting yelled at it and told you everything
wrong make you want to get back.
Speaker 6 (43:39):
You gave me to go back, but it may give
me good memories to look back at.
Speaker 3 (43:45):
Okay, good. Did you feel like it was a nice
button on the arc you started on Boy Meets World?
Did it feel like there was a nice little bit
of closure for Tommy?
Speaker 6 (43:55):
Definitely? I really, I really did. I'm glad that they
brought me back just for you know, even though I
was only in like what two episodes? Three?
Speaker 2 (44:03):
Two?
Speaker 3 (44:04):
Three episodes?
Speaker 6 (44:05):
Yeah, three episodes, Like it was nice to feel part
of the whole.
Speaker 1 (44:10):
Series, Well you did. I mean, the the the Tommy
Eric storyline.
Speaker 2 (44:14):
To this day, at conventions and stuff like that, when
people are talking about Eric, they talk about the Feenie call,
they talk about plays with squirrels. Yeah, they talk about Tommy.
I mean, those are the three things I get more
than anything else. So there was something about the relationship
between those two characters, and that three episode that just
stuck with people. Yeah, I think so too. It was
(44:36):
it was good and it was also Danielle was talking
about this in the in the introduction. By this point,
Eric was almost on an island, like they never really
gave him a relationship of any kind, and so the
one time that they do give him somebody to play
off of really in any sort of relationship is like
the son younger brother kind of vibe. And there was
something too, you know, by this point in the series,
(45:00):
we've talked about how the show is really separated by
by the A story and the B story.
Speaker 1 (45:05):
There was really Corey, Sewan and Tapanga and Angela.
Speaker 2 (45:08):
What's going on in the A story and then Eric
and Jack and Rachel and whatever's going on in the
B story. And it's kind of maybe we have a
scene in the student union where everybody's sitting together, but
for the most part they're separated. So we haven't seen
Eric and Corey together in kind of a brother capacity
in a while.
Speaker 5 (45:25):
Now, God, that's true.
Speaker 1 (45:26):
So does he almost forget them?
Speaker 6 (45:28):
Relieved?
Speaker 5 (45:28):
Right?
Speaker 3 (45:29):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (45:29):
So, and people really liked the dynamic of Eric and
Corey together, especially when Corey was very young at the
you know, season one and season two. So to kind
of see Eric back in that older brother role with
another young man is something I think people really gravitated
towards because that's what people loved about Eric was the
heart that he had when he was with Corey. So
I think I think Tommy for three episodes kind of
(45:51):
became the Corey surrogate, where it was it's like, oh,
you're the older brother again.
Speaker 5 (45:55):
It was also just a chance for Eric because I
mean that b story that you were a part of
was so goofy most of the time comedy, and so
to have a real, any sort of real moment, it's powerful.
Speaker 2 (46:07):
You know.
Speaker 5 (46:08):
It was kind of shocking I think for people, and
great in a great way.
Speaker 1 (46:10):
Yeah, I think so too. It was it was it's
still mentioned all the time. People loved it.
Speaker 3 (46:15):
Well, we found the Girl Meets World clip.
Speaker 1 (46:17):
Excuse me, my name is t J. Murphy, Thomas Jonathan Murphy, Eric.
Speaker 3 (46:24):
Matthews, everyone's everyone's.
Speaker 5 (46:36):
My god.
Speaker 1 (46:37):
Daniel's like, I'll take this entire crowd on my shoulders. Listen.
It's not that big, only one, you know, the only one.
Speaker 5 (46:47):
Everyone was.
Speaker 6 (46:49):
In the audience.
Speaker 5 (46:50):
Why are you talking about.
Speaker 6 (46:51):
That's actually right.
Speaker 1 (46:53):
I love all the kids too, just like I remember them, Like,
you gotta film it.
Speaker 2 (46:57):
You gotta film it because if this is gonna go
viral and that's what gets Eric elected.
Speaker 3 (47:00):
Like okay, all right, that's a stretch, but that's all right.
Speaker 1 (47:04):
God's so funny.
Speaker 3 (47:07):
My gosh, I have seen that so many times because
people are like, they tagged me, Danielle, were you surprised?
Speaker 1 (47:12):
And I'm like, the reality world we even surprised Dan Yelle.
Speaker 3 (47:23):
Yeah, oh my gosh, JB. Please what tell us? What
are you up to now?
Speaker 1 (47:30):
What are you doing?
Speaker 6 (47:31):
What is it?
Speaker 2 (47:31):
What?
Speaker 1 (47:32):
What?
Speaker 3 (47:32):
What do you do for work?
Speaker 2 (47:34):
Us?
Speaker 3 (47:34):
About your life?
Speaker 6 (47:34):
Pretty regular, boring life. I go to I work for
my dad, but I go, I go golfing, go to
call me shows. That's about it.
Speaker 1 (47:42):
What do you do?
Speaker 3 (47:43):
You work for your dad?
Speaker 1 (47:44):
But what do you do?
Speaker 6 (47:45):
It's an printing industry but nothing too crazy. But yeah,
because I'm gonna probably start teaching golf soon, but I
want to I want to get all my good swings
out before I start teaching canceling.
Speaker 2 (48:03):
Right then, Gez, can you print like I'm trying to
get giant posters of myself all over the country.
Speaker 1 (48:12):
Talking several hundred feet high? Is that okay?
Speaker 3 (48:16):
Is that you?
Speaker 1 (48:17):
I just want to start hanging them everywhere so we'll
talk great.
Speaker 3 (48:21):
Oh my gosh, well JB. We could not have been
any happier to have stopped you, tracked you down, begged
you to come on our podcast, because truly it's it's
impossible to discuss the legacy of Boy Meets World without
talking about you and without having you be a part
of it. You were an indelible part of the show
(48:42):
as well mentioned you're one of the most memorable parts
of the show for so many people you for whether
you consider it to be a short time or a
long time, the time you spent in the entertainment industry,
at the very least on our show made a ginormous
impact on the people who watched. So thank you for
your contrabutions to the industry and to our show and
(49:03):
now our podcast. And thanks to your mom and Barbie
Block who helped get you here so much. It was
really wonderful reconnecting with you. Are you your I was
gonna say, are you on social media? The answer is no,
Is there.
Speaker 1 (49:17):
Anything all your lives?
Speaker 2 (49:20):
I'll get one back I got it hot, so okay, yeah, okay,
I don't need to Well, you don't have to do that.
Speaker 3 (49:27):
When you do start teaching golf, send us your information
and we will put it out there for people who
are interested in taking golf lessons from you. We'd love
to help support you in any way we can. So
great reconnecting gears you. Yeah, exactly, baby mane bye. Oh
(49:53):
my gosh. She's exactly the way I remember him from
Girl Meets World time, and I remember at Girl Meets
World too, thinking like, it's not that far off from
the sweet little boy that we worked with in the nineties,
like you are who you are, who you are, you know.
Speaker 2 (50:10):
It's also the thing that's amazing that that he had
in common with the little kid that was from Liar
Liar and Uncle Daddy.
Speaker 1 (50:16):
The thing I remember most was how professional they were.
Speaker 3 (50:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (50:20):
I mean, even at that age, you think that you're
gonna be They're gonna be running around and all, we
got it. There's kid wranglers on the set.
Speaker 5 (50:26):
We got it.
Speaker 1 (50:27):
It was never like that with him.
Speaker 2 (50:28):
He was always fun and still a kid. But when
work it came time to work, he'd work, you know.
It was it was one of those things people like,
don't never work with kids and animals, Well, there's some
kids that are pretty darn good even at that age.
Oh yeah, And he was one of those where it
was not it was never like, oh man, I gotta
go do a scene with a seven year old.
Speaker 1 (50:45):
It was like, okay, cool, what are we gonna do
on this one? It was it was great. So he
was a lot of fun to work with us and
grew up to be a pretty pretty special man.
Speaker 4 (50:52):
So yeah, yeah, so healthy to like recognize as a
teenager like I'm not I'm not cut out for this,
Like this is not because there's a lot of pressure
to be like to keep it going, and like, you know,
it took me a long time to come to.
Speaker 5 (51:05):
Basically the same realization.
Speaker 4 (51:06):
It's like I love acting if I have the job,
but like auditioning makes me feel really bad about myself.
And like that was you know, I was thirty by
the time I was like, I think I need to
just for my mental health, take a break and like
take a step back, you know, because but there was
so much there's so much momentum, there's so much like
you have to keep doing this, you have to prove
but you you know, part of being an actor sometimes
(51:27):
is that you're a sensitive person, You're emotional, you're and
like you have to have like a thick layer of
skin to really be a professional adult actor because you're
constantly getting rejected and I like, you know, I'm It's
so great that he realized that at a young and
then I had something else that he loved, like golf.
Speaker 5 (51:43):
You know, he was able to be like, no, this
is not who I am like and.
Speaker 3 (51:46):
So apparently got out early enough with that realization that
then when they offered him the part on Girl Meets World,
his feeling wasn't oh no, I cannot do that again.
It was oh fun, absolutely, yeah, yeah the job, Yeah exactly,
that'd be good.
Speaker 2 (52:01):
Yeah. He never once said anything like yeah, I really
thought this was gonna be my foray back into the business.
Speaker 1 (52:04):
He was just like, yeah, it's cool, came out, fund
out on the set, got yelled at.
Speaker 3 (52:08):
You know, happy to go back to.
Speaker 1 (52:11):
Hit the links again.
Speaker 3 (52:12):
Thank you very much, Well, thank you all for joining
us for this episode of Podmeets World. As always, you
can follow us on Instagram Pod Meets World Show. You
can send us your emails at Podmeets World show at
gmail dot com.
Speaker 5 (52:24):
And we have merch.
Speaker 1 (52:27):
I'm not gonna buy you any merch. Tommy, geez, there
you go.
Speaker 3 (52:32):
Can't cry, all right, Welcome to so sell the best
you can. Pod Meets Worldshow dot com writer send us out.
Speaker 5 (52:42):
We love you all, pod dismissed.
Speaker 4 (52:46):
Pod Meats World is an iHeart podcast producer hosted by
Danielle Fischel, Wilfredell and Ryder Strong executive producers Jensen Carp
and Amy Sugarman Executive in charge of production, Danielle Romo,
producer and editor, Tarasubosch, producer, Maddie.
Speaker 5 (52:59):
Moore engineer and boy Mets World Supervan East and Out.
Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon.
Speaker 4 (53:05):
Follow us on Instagram at Podmets World Show or email
us at podmetsworldshowat gmail dot com
First of all, I apologize my voice.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
I'm sick again or still I should say still been
like six weeks. Whatever rider had that was never going away.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Now I got it.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
I actually got it on a plane. And I think
when you get something on a plane, it just socks.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
In, yeah, and doesn't go away. It's a clinger, it is.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
But that's neither here nor there, depending which which of
those you look at. I have another etiquette question.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Did somebody else break into your house?
Speaker 2 (00:46):
No? No, that was I think I think we've we've
we've heard from many people that I was, in fact
right and that was the breach of etiquette. I'm going
to start calling this little section Will's etiquette corner.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Okay, I'm not going to do that at all. Sunday Sunday. See,
that's a good one. No, I just want to hear
a butler go, you're welcome.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
How many free samples are too many free samples?
Speaker 4 (01:18):
I think if you have to go for like multiple toothpicks,
like you should just take one toothpick.
Speaker 5 (01:23):
You can't, like, you know, if.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
If it's set out on like a plate and there's yeah,
you only take one.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Okay, But at a time, what if you take one,
and you discussion store, and you go back and then
you do more. Here, what point do you feel shame?
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Well?
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Do you buy the thing or not?
Speaker 1 (01:43):
Because if you want a question, yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
That's what I'm saying. I think there's lots of factors
to this.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Here's the question.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
So Susan and I, you know, are redoing our kitchen
and there is a big sale up the street at
a big appliance store and.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
You were eating tile worse than that.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Once a year they do this big sample, this big sale,
and there's all this food around, I.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Mean plates of everything you can imagine from.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Wait, what store are you at? I mean the store.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
It's an appliant store.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
An appliant store, and they samples of food.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Once a year they do this massive private sale quote
unquote private sale that everybody knows about, and people literally
line up and like to the point where when we
first walked in, there's a guy handing out pieces of
filet mignon.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
What And we're like, because they've brilled them on their.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Bills, yes, correctly, So they use the big green egg
to make it. And so the guy's like, hey, would
you like some flame mignon? And I was like Uh, yes,
so Sue and I of course eat that. Then we
walk in it and there's people walking around with ladders,
there's cookies.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Now something else you need to know about my wife.
She cannot say no to free food.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
I know, to the point.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Where there's times I will look over at her and
she looks green and she's eating something.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
They go, baby, what are you doing? She's like, Oh,
it's free. I can't I can't not.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
But we were talking to the guy at this place
who said that he that several people come to this
thing every year with bags in their purses to load
up the free food.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
And walk away too much free samples. Where do you go?
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Is it when you start bringing bags in? Are you
in a whole different levels?
Speaker 3 (03:24):
How do you put a toothpick with toothpick with a
piece of steak on it in a bag?
Speaker 2 (03:28):
They had sandwiches, pieces of pizza, they had desserts cooking.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Together in a bag. Tupperware.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
That's not a bad idea, bring me tupperware.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Yeah, I'm a little I don't know. I think that's
I think that's I mean, honestly, it sounds like you
may need it, Like if you have to bring a
bag to a sample sale to load up. Then you
might struggling, you might need the food, and I'm not
I am not here to judge that if you do
not need the food and you're just like, oh, they
offer it for free, and here's my chance to take advantage. Yes,
(04:01):
that's what.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
He alluded to. It was more that I thought.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
We were having a normal discussion, which was like, what
if I wanted three samples, that's the same thing, and.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Then we're in Costco sweatshirt. I mean, that's the best
part of going to Costco is the sample.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
One of the best carts of going to samp of
Costco is the samples. Another best part is that I
can get my pap smear, I can get my eye exam,
I can get my tires rotated, and you can buy
it often the same place at the same time. So
that's that's the other best part of Costco. Big supporters
(04:35):
of Costco here, two of two of the three.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Of the two of the three of us exactly, we
want to sell our show in bulk, so we want
to do Did you.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
End up buying any appliances for your kitchen Rhno, we.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Bought all the appliances for our RAH we're officially in
it now.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
We bought it was it was a little crazy pants.
We got everything then you can take home, Yeah you're allowed.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
We were yes, No, we got a we got a fridge,
we got a we've got a dishwasher. We got to
bring bring the tupperware. Yeah, we and we got a
new a new hood vent for our thing. Like where
we doing my Our kitchen is almost thirty years old.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Wow, to the.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Point where when you go and open a cabinet the
door will come off in your hand if you don't.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
It is it must be so exciting.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
She's ecstatic, she's etatic. Yeah, how did it go?
Speaker 3 (05:22):
There was also a little brew haha with your contractor
and the bids. How did that?
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Which was the brew ha?
Speaker 3 (05:32):
We were at dinner in Vegas and you got the
bid back and it had like jumped up.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Oh yeah, well.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
That's that's it's like, oh, wait, you you want us
to actually do.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
It, you don't just want to talk about it?
Speaker 6 (05:42):
Well, and you want.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Yeah that cabin Yeah, we got We did our due
diligence because we don't normally do that. We got five
different bids from people, all from recommendations from people that
we know that have used them, and we ended up
going with producer Tara's guy Wow, which is which is great.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
So we're we're very happy. We're excited to have It's.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Everything we always joke in our house, whenever anything is
done built, put in any of that stuff, you will
invariably hear from the other room, the plumber, the electricians,
somebody go, huh, never seen this before. So because the
guy who built our house just did it himself, so
it's there's not really a right angle anywhere. So it's
(06:24):
gonna be interesting to see. This is what we say
it's gonna cost. But now that we're in there, it's like.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Oh wow, you used live ducks to make this wall.
I've never seen this before, so exactly, So we're gonna
see how this goes.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
I can't wait for this to be the reason you
end up hating Tara, you know, and you just get
to blame Tara. That's what's gonna happen. Yeah, so whole
podcast will explode, I think so to.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Well, we'll have to see.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
But as long as we have access to free samples,
I'm good, So we'll be fine.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
So you're gonna have a sample sale when like when
you're right, We'll come over and get.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
You guys, taste all the food, do all that kind
of stuff. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
No, I figure I'm getting ready because Ryder hosted the
last Pod Meets World party.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Uh huh, I'll host the next one.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Yeah, I'll do it.
Speaker 5 (07:14):
Amazing, We'll get that.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
Welcome to Pod Meets World. I'm Danielle Fischel, I'm right
or Strong, and I'm Wilfordell. It's almost time to go
back on the road.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Are you ready?
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Are your bags packed?
Speaker 5 (07:24):
You rode to go?
Speaker 4 (07:26):
I actually have no plan yet living around and the
van again or I mean like yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Wow, this is late in the game.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
The van well for certain parts you know, like what
you know, what's funny is like uh San Francisco, Like
I already have like ten people coming, like yeah, all
like everyone from my hometown and you know, all old
friends are going to be around. So I got a
lot of people want to come to the San Francisco show,
which will be great. Portland I'm super excited about. I
know a lot of people there too, But yeah, those
(07:56):
but that section, like the West Coast, you know, I'm
already going to in Portland for a period before that,
So yeah, so we might just end up vanning it
again for the west coast.
Speaker 5 (08:05):
The yeah, the.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Northwest will and I will travel buddies it up again.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Yep. Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
I just want to kick this cold because I don't
want to be on the road with these allergy cold things, because.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
No, you've got to get that, You've got to get
get rid of that.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
I'm doing my best.
Speaker 6 (08:20):
Been six weeks.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Okay, where are we going? Exactly?
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Okay? So first we start in Denver, Colorado on June fourth,
Then we are in Phoenix, Arizona on June fifth, and
June sixth we are in Austin, Texas.
Speaker 4 (08:32):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
And then gosh right back in June June nineteenth and twentieth,
we are in Columbus, Ohio, and then Las Vegas, baby
at the Palazzo, and you know me gonna be so excited.
And then in July July eleventh we are in Portland, Oregon.
July thirteenth, Seattle, Washington. So excited about that little Pacific
(08:56):
North Leg, Pacific Northwest Leg. And then we finish it
off in July July twenty fifth and the twenty seventh,
that in San Francisco and then in Sacramento, so very
excited about that.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
Sorry, I can't get I can't get the phrase Pacific
North leg out of my head.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
I just want to know what a Pacific like. I get. Dude,
I gave her a Pacific North leg the other night.
It's awesome. Why is it going to go some dirty
always does, always does.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Hi, I'm will it's a good chicken order Pacific North leg.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
Danielle always goes for food.
Speaker 5 (09:32):
Yeah, of course it's actually it's a crab leg, right, Like,
just grab Pacific North leg.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
You take a Pacific North leg. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
So.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Anyway, if you have not already gotten your tickets, you
can go to Podmeats Worldshow dot com and click the
city you are interested in seeing us in. I highly
suggest Vegas cause you you want to come to all
of them.
Speaker 5 (09:53):
You know, I want some costumes. Come on the West coast.
Let's bring out the costumes. I have some stiff competition
from the rest of the country. You got to bring it.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
It's gonna be fun. It's gonna be it's gonna be
fun to be on the road again. It really is.
It's gonna be we we It's a lot, but it's
it's all. It's mostly laughing laughing and travels on stage laughing, laughing,
and travels.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Bringing you on stage to join us for that thing.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Well, I gotta get my scripts out. I gotta out
the scripts for people who win.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
You got to get those original Boy Meets World scripts
out if we signed. Those are the prizes for whoever
wins the costume contest. We also have some BTS footage
we share and some you know, funny stories. Uh so, yeah,
it's a really good time. Come out and meet us.
Tickets available now at Pod Meets worldshow dot com. Over
(10:53):
the past few seasons of our rewatch, we have waxed
poetic about the relationships of the show, whether it's Corey
and Tapanga, Sean and Angela, Alannamy, even Cory and Lauren.
But we've noticed and rightfully pointed out the disappointment of
Eric never having a companion of his own. Sure, he
couldn't stop talking to girls on the phone in season one,
(11:15):
and we all like to point out that Jack and
Eric were actually together in subtext, But that golden retriever
of a human being had a big heart and he
should have been able to share it with a real storyline.
But maybe we've been looking at it all wrong. Maybe
Eric was given someone to express that love to, and
unfortunately it was just a three episode arc that involved
(11:38):
the possible adoption of a young orphan. Eric may have
been too young and inexperienced to accept that possibility then,
But this week we reunite Tommy and Eric for one
last shot at family. Our guest made his TV debut,
appearing on legendary sitcoms Frasier and Mad About You, then
making stops on Party of Five and Veronica's Closet before
(12:00):
he landed on Boy Meets World at just eight years old.
He may not have been on the show for long,
but he became a cult favorite for fans to wonder
what if Eric did take the jump and adopt a son.
He'd act for a few more years, popping up on Buffy,
the Vampire Slayer, Grounded for Life, Touched by an Angel,
to name a few shows, but then he'd retire, dropping
(12:21):
out around two thousand and five, walking away from Hollywood
for good, well kind of for good, minus one constantly
posted appearance on Girl Meets World over fifteen years after
he first originated the character. So what is Tommy up
to now? What's life been like since he walked away
from the industry. It's time to find out. This week
(12:42):
on Pod Meets World, we talked to the former actor
who may have been the true love of Eric's life.
It's forever our Tommy JB. Gaynor yaw are you?
Speaker 6 (12:57):
I'm good?
Speaker 3 (12:58):
So good to see you. Man. It seems crazy that
I guess it.
Speaker 6 (13:02):
Was second was it? Come on?
Speaker 1 (13:06):
That can't be ten years ago that we say.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
Indy wasn't born yet, Man, Like, that's no, come on,
that's wrong on soil levels.
Speaker 5 (13:15):
I can't believe that.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
I know it's so it's so crazy, uh GB. We
are so happy to have you here.
Speaker 6 (13:24):
For the past.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
I find we have one of the more difficult people
for us to trap down. And I would like to
take this moment to give a special thank you to
Barbie Block, who is the reason we were able to
find you. She I sent her an email and she
was like, let me look into it, and eventually within
like forty eight hours, I think we had had reached
(13:47):
out to you.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Good.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
She's the greatest. So thank you, Barbie. Uh So, we
just watched your first episode of Boy Meets World, Santa's
Little Helper, But by that point in your life, you
had already been on quite a few classic TV shows, Frasier,
Mad About You, Party of Five. Did you get into
acting at seven years old?
Speaker 6 (14:08):
Honestly, it was my sister. My sister got into acting first,
and she was actually on Wonder Years. Oh so it
was It was super crazy because then I was on
Boding to twelve have been right? Yeah, she was. She
was on Wonder Years. She was on an episode she's on.
I forgot what episode it was, like, I forgot. I
think he was dating some girl and she was one
(14:29):
of the sisters or something.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Okay, And so how much older is your sister than you?
Speaker 6 (14:33):
She's eight years older.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
Oh okay, oh.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
Okay, eight years older. So you were seven she was
like fifteen.
Speaker 6 (14:38):
Yeah. So she was my lines. She was always reading
me my lines and stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
She was really fun. And were you going to a
traditional school at the time or were you home school?
Was your schooling situation?
Speaker 6 (14:52):
I was pretty I was in public school pretty much
all my life. And okay, so like maybe fifth grade
through seventh grade, I was working a lot, so I
was home, but yeah, I was in public schoobs. I
lived pretty much a double life. I would go out
there in Hollywood, and then I would come back here
and I would just put with my friends play sports outside.
And yes, I was living like two double double life.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Yeah, you were the you were the o G. Hannah Montana.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Just put a j even though it's no one, he
takes off the glasses.
Speaker 6 (15:22):
Who is it?
Speaker 3 (15:25):
What was the set of Fraser like for a seven
year old? I don't think of that show as being
a show that had a lot of kids.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
It was not.
Speaker 6 (15:32):
That one was not very welcoming really really, it was
a lot of they didn't have kids, so it was
a lot of cussing, a lot of a lot of
you know, it was just very high intensity and I
just went in there. I'm glad I just had a
little part because I just went in there. I did it.
I got out. But yeah, that was the one that
was the more unenjoyable that I was on. Yeah, but
(15:56):
I mean it's still Frasier. So yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
So one of the greatest shows of all time. But wow,
not not exactly a warm and fuzzy memory for you,
for sure. Do you remember your audition for Boy Meets World?
Speaker 6 (16:11):
I honestly, I don't remember my audition, but I remember
everything else. I just remember Michael Jacobs liked me because
I looked kind of like his son. Okay, he said, yeah,
you look kind of like my son. That's the reason
why I give you the part.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Sounds about right.
Speaker 5 (16:27):
I love that he just said that to you. It's
not your talent, it's.
Speaker 6 (16:32):
Just you're not that great. It's just you look like
my son.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Do you remember when when you first auditioned, was it
supposed to be just a one off?
Speaker 1 (16:41):
Or were did you was the one?
Speaker 6 (16:42):
It was a one off? But I watched Boys World
when I was younger, Like we watched IF that was
one of my shows, and so I was so like,
I don't know. I think it was just kind of
the vibe and I just went into it like with
a good energy and they wanted me back, I guess.
So that was that was awesome.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
So you were a fan of the show even before
you auditioned, which is amazing. Do you remember if the
connection that your sister had been on Wonder years and
now you were was that discussed?
Speaker 6 (17:12):
Was that talking was discussed when? Because remember uh Fred
had the TV show on at the same studio right
on the right, Yeah, and he's yeah CBS Radford, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
and he's so he came over and he said hi
to my sister and stuff like that. But yeah, that
was funny. That was pretty crazy. Small.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
Do you remember the first time you met Will Yeah.
Speaker 6 (17:38):
Honestly, it was like it was like meeting my big brother.
I remember when you did everything together. We would go out,
we would go we would do everything. I was falling
around like a little.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
We got a lot. I just remember we got along
really really well, really well. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (17:54):
And then and then you were Batman Batmans Forever.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
Or Batman Behind Right, Batman Beyondy.
Speaker 6 (17:59):
Yeah, and so that was like my one of my
favorite shows too. So I was like, it was cool.
Speaker 5 (18:04):
You were a dream.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
So explain to me when you let's talk about you
guys going to lunch together? Was it who was on
set with you? You mentioned your sister.
Speaker 6 (18:14):
Yeah, my mom would always be there. My mom. My
mom was my angel. She would take me everywhere she was.
She was always there for me.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
So yeah, so you your mom and then sometimes your sister.
Speaker 6 (18:24):
Yeah. Yeah, my sister would come and read lines with
me and stuff like that. She always helped me out.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
But yeah, you know that.
Speaker 6 (18:30):
Yeah, we'ld always get lunch at that you know that
cafeteria that that was on the CBS. Yeah, but it
was it was pretty cool. That was super fun.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Well, do you remember thinking, like, this is a care
this is a kid I'm supposed to have a close
bond with. I want to in our downtime also develop
that bond. Do you remember thinking that or did you
just know?
Speaker 1 (18:52):
I wish I was the actor at that point, was
to develop the bond. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
No, to me, it was like, well, I'm getting lunch
and he's getting lunch cigarette And we got along very
very exactly. Yeah, not quite, but no, we got along
really well. And you were fun to hang out with,
and I knew you were kind of a like me.
You were a kind of a comic book nerd, a
little bit of a superhero nerd, and so we would
(19:18):
talk about stuff like that, and uh yeah. It was
also just it was very strange because it was you
didn't know what Eric was going to be from week
to week, and so now it was like, yeah, Michael's like, yeah,
Eric might adopt a kid, like what, so you just.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
He never knew when it's.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
Like okay, now all of a sudden, he's a you know,
I remember him specifically telling me like, Oh, it's going
to be an emotional arc and it's going to be
a you know, a good kind of run for you.
And I was like, great, no problem, h And Eric
is a kid, so Eric with the kid just works.
I mean, it just It's one of those things we
saw also with the the single mom episode. I can't
(19:58):
remember the name of that that episode Uncle Daddy, Uncle Daddy,
but the I mean it just worked. And then JB
came in and I didn't. That's why because we saw
the first one with the with the where Eric was
Santa Claus, your first episode ever, and that's why I was.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
When I rewatched it, I was like, huh, I wonder
if this was supposed to be the only episode with you.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
Yeah, it was, it was only I went off, which
is so strange because it's what two episodes later is
the is the arc?
Speaker 1 (20:22):
So had they not arked out the season.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Had they not written two episodes ahead already, and they
and they just rewrote everything. I'm curious to know how
that came about because that's a pretty massive change because
I think we're the a story in at least one
if not, we will be upcoming episodes. Yeah yeah, So
if they hadn't planned that. I'm really curious to see
how they want to.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
Pull it off.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
Possible that it was only going to be a second
episode and it wasn't going to involve the kid again.
It was just going to be Eric determined to adopt
a child, and it was going to be Eric having
those conversations. But maybe we weren't going to see Tommy again.
But once was Once JB was so good and your
chemistry was so great, it was like, we've got to
have it.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Was it was a Bludman bus Gang episode, wasn't it
when that not not Uncle Daddy, but are not to
the Santa Claus one? But I think the next one
because then Mark is the one who brought the Tommy
character back for Girl Meet World and bus Gang were gone,
And I wonder why it was Bludman that brought Tommy
back because he called me.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
He's like, I'm bringing Tommy back. I'm so excited.
Speaker 6 (21:25):
I thought he was there because I remember seeing him.
I remember seeing Mark.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
Yeah, I don't know, I don't know, very strange, but yeah,
when they told me you were coming back from Girl
Me Trill, I was like, we're going to get to.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
Girl Get there, a chance. Yeah, do you remember do
you remember meeting any any of the other cast members
or what are some of your favorite memories.
Speaker 6 (21:48):
I remember I liked writer, but right it was very
very quiet, you know, cordial. I just always said hi
to him. But you were you were one of the
people that that i'cated towards two because you're just so sweet.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
Actually, it was very maternal.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
I actually have a.
Speaker 6 (22:05):
Picture, I don't see it, and it's the same sweater
that you're wearing in that episode.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
Oh that's so sweet. I loved, loved, loved kids, and
so anytime there was a young kid on the set,
I took it upon myself to be it was my
duty to make sure I was their little friend. So
(22:32):
I remember having a blast with you for sure. Do
you remember, JB. Did you watch your episodes when they aired?
Did you have a watch party?
Speaker 6 (22:40):
I didn't watch it when it aired, but I've watched
it a lot growing up because all my friends always
always say, hey, look, did you see this episode? They
always they always do it whenever they meet new people.
They're always like, this guy was on TV and I'm like,
oh my god, that's so cute.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
But you were a fan of the show before you
were cast on it. So why do you remember why
you didn't?
Speaker 6 (23:03):
I don't. I didn't like watching myself, oh even that young. Yeah,
because I was a very nervous person. So I would
see things that I would do that that it was
like my nervous little twitches. In the new episode, I
would play with my hand. In the second episode, I
would play with my hands, and they get that on screen.
(23:24):
So I was like, I don't want to watch that.
I do like little things that that I knew that
wasn't right, and so I didn't like watching myself.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
It's such an actor thing. You pick up on these
little things.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Writer and I have had conversations about this all the time,
little facial ticks or I always do this when I'm
gonna or something like my hair thing.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
Had the hair thing two seasons.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
I'm soda can every time I watch. I mean, we
have all these little kiss that we do that you
just and but again, I think it adds to the character.
Frankly doesn't even notice it's your nervous take.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
They just think it's part of the character.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
That's so amazing though, that even at eight you were
already self conscious to the point where you were like,
I don't want to watch myself.
Speaker 6 (24:06):
I started when I was five, so I was already
in it pretty for Like, yeah, you.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
Were like, who is this frasy guy? Anyway?
Speaker 6 (24:18):
Come on?
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Do you remember what the process was for you learning
your lines or memorizing your lines?
Speaker 6 (24:27):
Honestly, it was so easy back then. Yeah, but when
I did Girl, it was so much harder.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (24:35):
I had that monologue and I was like, oh my god,
I don't do it. And then poor Rusty was trying
to coach me through it, and I was like, I
can't do it.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
I can't do it.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
I can't keep doing it.
Speaker 5 (24:46):
Yeah, it's a muscle, you lose it, you know.
Speaker 6 (24:48):
Like I was thinking about that because my son's doing.
Speaker 4 (24:51):
Plays now and he memorizes thinks so quick, and I'm like, wow,
that's right. When you're younger, brain just.
Speaker 5 (24:56):
Doesn't like wow.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:59):
So then why didn't that Why did that not translate
to me in school?
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Why can I always remember dialogue but I couldn't remember Yeah,
It's like it was so strange.
Speaker 6 (25:08):
I can remember lyrics to every songs and then I
can't remember history lessons exactly.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
So the episode we have seen of yours the Santa's
Little Helper episode, you are dealing with will or Eric
(25:34):
as Santa Claus. Was that at all confusing for an
eight year old?
Speaker 2 (25:40):
No?
Speaker 6 (25:40):
Because Claus.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Oh yeah, so somebody else puts all the gifts under
the tree JB.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Santa Geez Okay, so that thankfully no one had to
explain that to you.
Speaker 6 (26:02):
Yeah, yeah, no, it was you know, I think I
did it. I already did another another show where I
was a Christmas episode and I had to sit on
Santa's lab in that in that episode.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
Two.
Speaker 6 (26:14):
No, that was Crez you same thing. Kelsey Grammar was
actually the Santa Claus.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
A bit of a different Santa.
Speaker 6 (26:25):
Kid.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
I was gonna play the lap pick.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
Since the time that you had been on Boy Meets World,
Tommy has lived on and become a bit of cult folklore.
Was Tommy always the character you were most recognized for?
Or has it just been that way over the last
couple of years?
Speaker 6 (26:48):
It was that one in George Lopez.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
Those are the two.
Speaker 6 (26:52):
Those are the two ones that I would get recognized for.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
What did you play on the George Lopez Show?
Speaker 6 (26:56):
I was Ricky. I was actually supposed to be in
one off for that one too, and was in like
four or five episodes. I was like the kid, Yeah,
the kid I left the garage. What I know? Right,
that was my only bad role.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
I was always a.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
You were always tugging at heart strings and now now
you were blowing up garages. Oh man, okay, serious question here.
Speaker 6 (27:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
Do you think Eric should have adopted Tommy?
Speaker 6 (27:32):
Of course, of course to California at that time?
Speaker 3 (27:39):
What about you?
Speaker 2 (27:40):
No?
Speaker 1 (27:41):
No, Eric, of course Eric wasn't right. And I think
that that's one of the things.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
I don't remember the actual dialogue of the episode, but
I remember specifically the episode I think it's your last episode, JB,
where I remember thinking that it was really well written.
Again it maybe maybe it doesn't hould up. I think
it does though, where it was it's that's the whole
point is it's like, I know, you love the kid,
but he's a family wants to move him to California
(28:05):
and start a family. I mean, it's just it was
the right thing to do, was let him go, and
for the first time in boy Mets world, they did
what was right and that what love dictated, which was yeah, exactly,
so no, I I yeah, I mean it would have
been great but Eric got Eric wasn't ready.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
Eric wasn't ready. By Girl Meets World time, Eric wasn't ready.
Speaker 5 (28:27):
Could have been a spin off, could have been a
spin offs.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
The family was the Mansons, so you know.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
Exactly, in all fairness, they were very close.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
So yeah, no, yeah, that's that was. I distinctly remember
that episode.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
And I remember having to say goodbye to JB too,
because we we bonded over the three weeks we were
together and we had a lot of fun together, and
it was.
Speaker 6 (28:53):
I actually cried in that episode kind of because I
was actually just so sadly that it wasn't even in
the script, but I I just I was sad. Yeah,
it was a sad episode for me.
Speaker 4 (29:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
Well so you were you were able to cry.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
I was not. And I remember Michael came up to
me and you went, hey, can I talk to you
for a second. I wait, you so, uh you can't cry?
Speaker 1 (29:15):
And I went on cue like that.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
No, He's like, all right, just try to sell it, like, okay,
I'll never forget that can't cry.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
No, it was not in my repertoire at the time.
I'm made of stone, I don't. I just yeah, so
but yeah, I'll never forget that.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
He's just like, all right, just sell it, all right,
just sell it. That's your thank you.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
Here we go action.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
Well, after being on three episodes of Boy Meets World,
you continued to work quite a bit. You were on
Buffy the Vampire Slayer nine episodes have Grounded for Life,
George Lopez, and then you retired around two thousand and five.
Tell us about that decision and what led to it.
Speaker 6 (29:58):
It was it's just of transition from a child actor
to like getting older. Yeah, I think.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
You're talking about.
Speaker 6 (30:13):
Like once you when you're younger, it's easy to get
all that criticism, it's so much easier to just let
it roll off. And then when you get older, you
start thinking about that criticism and what am I doing wrong?
What's making yeah? Like, who am like? Why am I
getting said no? All these times? You know, and it
just kind of hurts you a little a little more
as to get older, And I fell in love with golf,
(30:35):
and I was just I just wanted to I just
wanted to spend all my time doing that.
Speaker 3 (30:39):
And so tell us about your your love of golf.
Speaker 6 (30:43):
I honestly I started playing when I was ten, and
I just loved it. It's it's just a nice getaway.
You go out there, you have four or five hours
just to just to clear your mind and just it's
just fun. It's just I played in college and I
played in high school. I played in the high school
golf team. I played in college golf team, and it
(31:03):
was it was just it's just a fun time.
Speaker 1 (31:05):
So are you gonna go pro?
Speaker 6 (31:07):
Nah? Probably it's I'm I'm close, but I'm not. I
can't be that. I'm not that good.
Speaker 1 (31:12):
See that's what what what's not good?
Speaker 2 (31:14):
Like? What's your hit? Do you even handicapp or you
don't even handy? You're a scratch golf. You're a scratch golfer. Okay,
that's why you can say golf's just fun because you're
a scratch golfer when you're somebody like me, I I
it's the old saying that golf is a nice walk ruined,
which is exactly what it is. It's like, you know,
you hit the ball as far as you can, once
you find it, put it in your pocket. Congratulations you
found it, and then you got to hit it again.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
Where did you go to college? JB.
Speaker 6 (31:42):
I went to Citrus. A lot of my friends. Actually,
a lot of my friends actually saw you at when
you went to college and they were like, yeah, because
I live right around there.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
So it's so fun.
Speaker 6 (31:54):
And I were like, I'm so scared to say hi
to I was like, dude, she's nice, go say hi.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
Oh my gosh, do you know how amazing it would
have And if somebody had come up to me and
been like, hey, just want you to know I'm friends
with JB a reason go say hello, Daniel.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
When did you when when you went to college? Where
were you on the golf team?
Speaker 6 (32:13):
Well?
Speaker 3 (32:13):
I have a two handicap, do you really Yeah, it's great, Yeah, yeah,
handicap two. People.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
I was going to say your two handicaps are your
swing and that you don't own golf clubs. No.
Speaker 3 (32:34):
You know what's funny is that I actually love golf.
And I golfed for years, uh every weekend, and I
loved it. I never got anywhere close to being a
scratch golfer, but I do understand the appeal of being
outside for that long of just it being your You know,
you're competing against yourself week after week, and even minor
(32:55):
improvements that you see become big deals and feel you
feel really accomplished so well.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
They say, you can have the worst round in the world.
You get to the eighteenth hole, you hit one great,
don't be back tomorrow.
Speaker 6 (33:06):
I love. That's really insanity.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
Yeah, it's nuts.
Speaker 3 (33:13):
What did your parents think when you made the decision
that you wanted to back away from the entertainment industry?
Speaker 6 (33:18):
My mom loved me and in acting, but she didn't
She wasn't She didn't force me to do it. So
she would always say, do you still want to do this?
Like every year she'd be like, do you still want
to do this? And I'd be like, yes, yes, And
that was the year that I said, Nah, I'm done.
And I still I still auditioned a little bit, even
up until like my mid twenties, but but I didn't.
(33:41):
I only got like, I think one commercial when I
was eighteen, and then that's that's about it. I just
I just would go on auditions when casting directors would like,
ask for me something like that, Right, That's that's all
I did.
Speaker 3 (33:53):
Did your sister continue on?
Speaker 2 (33:55):
Nah?
Speaker 6 (33:55):
She was out when she was out early, like probably
because it's harder for girls. It's way harder for girls.
Boys is a lot easier girls. It's it's a lot
tougher when you when you get a little older.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
You know, yeah, there's a she was like.
Speaker 6 (34:11):
Thirteen or fourteen or something like that.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
Okay, yeah, yeah, do you at this point do you
ever look back on it and miss it or are
you perfectly comfortable with the choice.
Speaker 6 (34:23):
I miss. I miss being on set, that's yeah, that's
the one. I don't miss auditioning. I know tell us
and especially nowadays, because one of my friends got into
acting later and he was having to tape himself and
I was like, I don't know, that would be super awkward.
I don't know if I could do that.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
I know now with self tape, you like, actors have
to be casting directors, lighting technicians. You have to have
a nice spot to record yourself in. You have to
be an editor. It's like the amount of stuff you
have to do, it feels okay.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
It's easier to be a golfer.
Speaker 3 (34:59):
Yeah, you can record. You can put yourself on tabe
once or four or five hours. You can play a
whole round exactly what you want to do. Yeah, geez,
how many people in your life now, JB know that
you were Tommy from Boy Meets World.
Speaker 6 (35:17):
Most of my friends because I I keep her on
the same crew that I've been with since I was younger. Like,
I've have some friends group and they love to say
that I was on TV whenever we go.
Speaker 3 (35:31):
Does it ever help you?
Speaker 6 (35:32):
Guys?
Speaker 1 (35:32):
Do you ever?
Speaker 3 (35:33):
Do you forget anything? You ever get it?
Speaker 2 (35:34):
Hey?
Speaker 3 (35:34):
You ever seen Boy Meets World? You know who he is?
Speaker 6 (35:37):
Some free golf rounds in there.
Speaker 3 (35:41):
Let's get this guy some clubs. Yeah, get this guy
a new set of clubs for sure. Will you have
to do a signing with JB? I would be happy to.
Speaker 1 (35:51):
I'm just signed tiny little golf balls all the time.
Just yes, kidding.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
I want to get my own set of clubs so
it can really show you how to golf JB. Yeah,
I'll show you. What's up, my friend. I'm a scratch golfer. Two.
I'm just in the woods looking if my ball scratching
because I'm being bitten by all the things.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
Thank you very much, you will, all.
Speaker 3 (36:13):
Right, I think it's officially time that we talk about
something very near and dear to our listener's hearts. Your
return to Tommy on Girl Meets World. It was directed
by the one and only writer Strong and Strong. How
did that episode Come Together. What was the first What
did you first hear JB about them wanting to bring
(36:35):
you back?
Speaker 6 (36:36):
Honestly, my agent just called me and she was like, uh,
I think they want to bring you back for Growing's World.
I was all right, So I went on auditioned for it.
I like auditioned to see if I was fine.
Speaker 1 (36:46):
You know, I just need to play yourself.
Speaker 6 (36:49):
Yeah, audition. It's not like they just wanted to see
if I could read line right.
Speaker 3 (36:58):
Yeah, Okay, I guess I did.
Speaker 4 (37:01):
I guess.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
That is so crazy? What a weird business? What if
what if let's just say, what if he had a
quote unquote bad audition? Were they just gonna scrap the
whole idea?
Speaker 1 (37:15):
Or they would have recast They would.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
Absolutely imagine uproar if they had put like Timothy Shallow
and Jbi's spot.
Speaker 5 (37:30):
I mean we did it all the time on Boy.
Speaker 4 (37:32):
We would recast people all the time, so you know,
well sure on Boy Meets World.
Speaker 3 (37:37):
I'm talking about though, to like bring someone back in Girl,
to be like, look at this, we got the person
we were doing it with all the other characters, like,
you know, everyone coming back.
Speaker 6 (37:46):
I wouldn't mind to.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
Get Seriously, by the end of Girl Meets World, we
had both Lily and Lindsay on the show at the
same time. I know, I think it was just like
at that point, I mean yeah, because we you.
Speaker 4 (38:04):
Know, we also we brought Josh back, right, the brother
and the completely yeah, and it was but he was right,
he was like on the show a bunch. They had
a whole love story on Girl to remember that, but
it was but it was, you know, recast. It was
a different actor than because Josh was played in the
final episode by.
Speaker 3 (38:21):
Michael and Michael yeah the one who reminded him of.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
I was.
Speaker 6 (38:31):
It was just really tough because I remember when they
all came in and they were like, we don't like this,
we don't like this. That's the only time I got,
like yill that They're like, you're not doing it right.
Speaker 3 (38:39):
I was like, no, I don't remember again, just even
ten years ago, I don't remember the details, but I
remember that it was so stressful.
Speaker 4 (38:48):
It was so rough because he had a whole monologue,
Like I remember, it was like a big speech, yeah,
big reveal, big speech, and like you know, it was
supposed to be all this emotional stuff and it was like, wow, Okay,
we're going right.
Speaker 5 (39:00):
Into the deep end of the pool here.
Speaker 1 (39:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
But it was also it's like, hey, you know, sorry,
you haven't been acting in years, you haven't done this
in a while.
Speaker 1 (39:06):
Here's your three page bottologue. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
So I remember we were all because I was kind
of in the same boat. I hadn't done it in
a while either, So you and I were kind of like, all.
Speaker 3 (39:14):
Right, let's well this first episode back or second episodeisode.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Okay, yeah, this was the you were.
Speaker 3 (39:21):
Can we refresh my memory on the episode you were?
It's mister goes to washing Washing.
Speaker 2 (39:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:28):
So Eric is a senator who's running for president. No,
Eric eric is is a mayor.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
Is that he's the mayor of Saint up in Town
and he's now running for Congress or senator senate.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
Yeah, he's going to be a senator.
Speaker 3 (39:42):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
And then and and his his the guy who says
I'll take you under my wing as your political advisor,
turns out to be.
Speaker 3 (39:49):
Tommy, right, And it's a big reveal that it's Tommy
and Tommy sitting in the audience.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
And it's always Danielle's reveal that's always on the social
media machine.
Speaker 3 (40:01):
The amount of people who think I was legitimately surprised.
I was like, I mean, how good at no what
I remember? And apologies to write her and Shiloh because
I'm back there chewing the scenery. I remember. The thing
I remember the most is that we were trying, and
(40:22):
by we, I mean us as a production. We're trying
to get the background actors to give a facial reaction
of like because they wanted the oh my gosh reveal.
And so I remember there being so many guys when
he says I can die, and I I just was like,
(40:46):
I'll take everyone, I'll do it. Watch this, here you go,
and I'm like, right.
Speaker 1 (40:52):
Over the shoulder shot.
Speaker 5 (40:58):
I just need you all to know.
Speaker 3 (41:00):
Would have been impossible for me to not know because
I had been there all.
Speaker 5 (41:10):
To play it.
Speaker 3 (41:10):
Let's see weekend.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
It's awesome, but I'll see the I love how it's
also though, like they're like, all right, everybody's got to
be so shocked that this is Tommy.
Speaker 1 (41:22):
You prepair know that Eric almost adopted a kid years ago.
Speaker 5 (41:27):
I know, it's like, how are they?
Speaker 1 (41:29):
How are we shocked about?
Speaker 6 (41:30):
I don't care.
Speaker 1 (41:32):
Yeah, if you can find it. Danielle, She's she's acting.
Speaker 3 (41:36):
It is so over the top of people.
Speaker 6 (41:40):
People believe it as that to it. I was like, no, no,
everyone know. Everyone, everyone knew.
Speaker 5 (41:50):
I can't find it everything on search.
Speaker 3 (41:52):
We'll find out.
Speaker 5 (41:54):
I really want to see it.
Speaker 3 (41:56):
Okay, So did you tell your friends and family when
you found out and you auditioned for your yourself, you
found out your audition you learned the job again?
Speaker 6 (42:05):
Oh yeah everyone? Oh yeah, I told everyone else.
Speaker 1 (42:11):
My gosh, it was how old were you when you
came back for Girmy World? And you were eight?
Speaker 2 (42:18):
When?
Speaker 1 (42:18):
Oh my god, so it wasn't almost twenty years later.
Speaker 3 (42:20):
It was seventeen. Yeah, and now here we are ten
years past then.
Speaker 1 (42:27):
We're old city, We're all old. You're still a child, sir.
Speaker 3 (42:35):
Tell me the details, please?
Speaker 1 (42:37):
Oh god?
Speaker 3 (42:39):
Did you? I mean you mentioned it was a stressful week,
and you remember being yelled at.
Speaker 1 (42:47):
Me, not by writer. This was tough for I remember
this being tough for you writer.
Speaker 5 (42:56):
Oh yeah, it was so stressful for all of us.
It was like there was a lot of rusher for
some reason.
Speaker 1 (43:01):
You know, it came out good, It was great, It
came out right.
Speaker 3 (43:07):
Do you remember was that the first time you remember
being yelled at?
Speaker 6 (43:10):
You never yelled at yelled at You were too young,
I guess, but yeah, I was fine on Boarding World.
But yeah, that was the first time I got yelled at.
Speaker 3 (43:27):
I am sure that this uh maybe already answers the
question then, But did it give you the itch to
go back?
Speaker 5 (43:33):
To? You getting yelled at it and told you everything
wrong make you want to get back.
Speaker 6 (43:39):
You gave me to go back, but it may give
me good memories to look back at.
Speaker 3 (43:45):
Okay, good. Did you feel like it was a nice
button on the arc you started on Boy Meets World?
Did it feel like there was a nice little bit
of closure for Tommy?
Speaker 6 (43:55):
Definitely? I really, I really did. I'm glad that they
brought me back just for you know, even though I
was only in like what two episodes? Three?
Speaker 2 (44:03):
Two?
Speaker 3 (44:04):
Three episodes?
Speaker 6 (44:05):
Yeah, three episodes, Like it was nice to feel part
of the whole.
Speaker 1 (44:10):
Series, Well you did. I mean, the the the Tommy
Eric storyline.
Speaker 2 (44:14):
To this day, at conventions and stuff like that, when
people are talking about Eric, they talk about the Feenie call,
they talk about plays with squirrels. Yeah, they talk about Tommy.
I mean, those are the three things I get more
than anything else. So there was something about the relationship
between those two characters, and that three episode that just
stuck with people. Yeah, I think so too. It was
(44:36):
it was good and it was also Danielle was talking
about this in the in the introduction. By this point,
Eric was almost on an island, like they never really
gave him a relationship of any kind, and so the
one time that they do give him somebody to play
off of really in any sort of relationship is like
the son younger brother kind of vibe. And there was
something too, you know, by this point in the series,
(45:00):
we've talked about how the show is really separated by
by the A story and the B story.
Speaker 1 (45:05):
There was really Corey, Sewan and Tapanga and Angela.
Speaker 2 (45:08):
What's going on in the A story and then Eric
and Jack and Rachel and whatever's going on in the
B story. And it's kind of maybe we have a
scene in the student union where everybody's sitting together, but
for the most part they're separated. So we haven't seen
Eric and Corey together in kind of a brother capacity
in a while.
Speaker 5 (45:25):
Now, God, that's true.
Speaker 1 (45:26):
So does he almost forget them?
Speaker 6 (45:28):
Relieved?
Speaker 5 (45:28):
Right?
Speaker 3 (45:29):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (45:29):
So, and people really liked the dynamic of Eric and
Corey together, especially when Corey was very young at the
you know, season one and season two. So to kind
of see Eric back in that older brother role with
another young man is something I think people really gravitated
towards because that's what people loved about Eric was the
heart that he had when he was with Corey. So
I think I think Tommy for three episodes kind of
(45:51):
became the Corey surrogate, where it was it's like, oh,
you're the older brother again.
Speaker 5 (45:55):
It was also just a chance for Eric because I
mean that b story that you were a part of
was so goofy most of the time comedy, and so
to have a real, any sort of real moment, it's powerful.
Speaker 2 (46:07):
You know.
Speaker 5 (46:08):
It was kind of shocking I think for people, and
great in a great way.
Speaker 1 (46:10):
Yeah, I think so too. It was it was it's
still mentioned all the time. People loved it.
Speaker 3 (46:15):
Well, we found the Girl Meets World clip.
Speaker 1 (46:17):
Excuse me, my name is t J. Murphy, Thomas Jonathan Murphy, Eric.
Speaker 3 (46:24):
Matthews, everyone's everyone's.
Speaker 5 (46:36):
My god.
Speaker 1 (46:37):
Daniel's like, I'll take this entire crowd on my shoulders. Listen.
It's not that big, only one, you know, the only one.
Speaker 5 (46:47):
Everyone was.
Speaker 6 (46:49):
In the audience.
Speaker 5 (46:50):
Why are you talking about.
Speaker 6 (46:51):
That's actually right.
Speaker 1 (46:53):
I love all the kids too, just like I remember them, Like,
you gotta film it.
Speaker 2 (46:57):
You gotta film it because if this is gonna go
viral and that's what gets Eric elected.
Speaker 3 (47:00):
Like okay, all right, that's a stretch, but that's all right.
Speaker 1 (47:04):
God's so funny.
Speaker 3 (47:07):
My gosh, I have seen that so many times because
people are like, they tagged me, Danielle, were you surprised?
Speaker 1 (47:12):
And I'm like, the reality world we even surprised Dan Yelle.
Speaker 3 (47:23):
Yeah, oh my gosh, JB. Please what tell us? What
are you up to now?
Speaker 1 (47:30):
What are you doing?
Speaker 6 (47:31):
What is it?
Speaker 2 (47:31):
What?
Speaker 1 (47:32):
What?
Speaker 3 (47:32):
What do you do for work?
Speaker 2 (47:34):
Us?
Speaker 3 (47:34):
About your life?
Speaker 6 (47:34):
Pretty regular, boring life. I go to I work for
my dad, but I go, I go golfing, go to
call me shows. That's about it.
Speaker 1 (47:42):
What do you do?
Speaker 3 (47:43):
You work for your dad?
Speaker 1 (47:44):
But what do you do?
Speaker 6 (47:45):
It's an printing industry but nothing too crazy. But yeah,
because I'm gonna probably start teaching golf soon, but I
want to I want to get all my good swings
out before I start teaching canceling.
Speaker 2 (48:03):
Right then, Gez, can you print like I'm trying to
get giant posters of myself all over the country.
Speaker 1 (48:12):
Talking several hundred feet high? Is that okay?
Speaker 3 (48:16):
Is that you?
Speaker 1 (48:17):
I just want to start hanging them everywhere so we'll
talk great.
Speaker 3 (48:21):
Oh my gosh, well JB. We could not have been
any happier to have stopped you, tracked you down, begged
you to come on our podcast, because truly it's it's
impossible to discuss the legacy of Boy Meets World without
talking about you and without having you be a part
of it. You were an indelible part of the show
(48:42):
as well mentioned you're one of the most memorable parts
of the show for so many people you for whether
you consider it to be a short time or a
long time, the time you spent in the entertainment industry,
at the very least on our show made a ginormous
impact on the people who watched. So thank you for
your contrabutions to the industry and to our show and
(49:03):
now our podcast. And thanks to your mom and Barbie
Block who helped get you here so much. It was
really wonderful reconnecting with you. Are you your I was
gonna say, are you on social media? The answer is no,
Is there.
Speaker 1 (49:17):
Anything all your lives?
Speaker 2 (49:20):
I'll get one back I got it hot, so okay, yeah, okay,
I don't need to Well, you don't have to do that.
Speaker 3 (49:27):
When you do start teaching golf, send us your information
and we will put it out there for people who
are interested in taking golf lessons from you. We'd love
to help support you in any way we can. So
great reconnecting gears you. Yeah, exactly, baby mane bye. Oh
(49:53):
my gosh. She's exactly the way I remember him from
Girl Meets World time, and I remember at Girl Meets
World too, thinking like, it's not that far off from
the sweet little boy that we worked with in the nineties,
like you are who you are, who you are, you know.
Speaker 2 (50:10):
It's also the thing that's amazing that that he had
in common with the little kid that was from Liar
Liar and Uncle Daddy.
Speaker 1 (50:16):
The thing I remember most was how professional they were.
Speaker 3 (50:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (50:20):
I mean, even at that age, you think that you're
gonna be They're gonna be running around and all, we
got it. There's kid wranglers on the set.
Speaker 5 (50:26):
We got it.
Speaker 1 (50:27):
It was never like that with him.
Speaker 2 (50:28):
He was always fun and still a kid. But when
work it came time to work, he'd work, you know.
It was it was one of those things people like,
don't never work with kids and animals, Well, there's some
kids that are pretty darn good even at that age.
Oh yeah, And he was one of those where it
was not it was never like, oh man, I gotta
go do a scene with a seven year old.
Speaker 1 (50:45):
It was like, okay, cool, what are we gonna do
on this one? It was it was great. So he
was a lot of fun to work with us and
grew up to be a pretty pretty special man.
Speaker 4 (50:52):
So yeah, yeah, so healthy to like recognize as a
teenager like I'm not I'm not cut out for this,
Like this is not because there's a lot of pressure
to be like to keep it going, and like, you know,
it took me a long time to come to.
Speaker 5 (51:05):
Basically the same realization.
Speaker 4 (51:06):
It's like I love acting if I have the job,
but like auditioning makes me feel really bad about myself.
And like that was you know, I was thirty by
the time I was like, I think I need to
just for my mental health, take a break and like
take a step back, you know, because but there was
so much there's so much momentum, there's so much like
you have to keep doing this, you have to prove
but you you know, part of being an actor sometimes
(51:27):
is that you're a sensitive person, You're emotional, you're and
like you have to have like a thick layer of
skin to really be a professional adult actor because you're
constantly getting rejected and I like, you know, I'm It's
so great that he realized that at a young and
then I had something else that he loved, like golf.
Speaker 5 (51:43):
You know, he was able to be like, no, this
is not who I am like and.
Speaker 3 (51:46):
So apparently got out early enough with that realization that
then when they offered him the part on Girl Meets World,
his feeling wasn't oh no, I cannot do that again.
It was oh fun, absolutely, yeah, yeah the job, Yeah exactly,
that'd be good.
Speaker 2 (52:01):
Yeah. He never once said anything like yeah, I really
thought this was gonna be my foray back into the business.
Speaker 1 (52:04):
He was just like, yeah, it's cool, came out, fund
out on the set, got yelled at.
Speaker 3 (52:08):
You know, happy to go back to.
Speaker 1 (52:11):
Hit the links again.
Speaker 3 (52:12):
Thank you very much, Well, thank you all for joining
us for this episode of Podmeets World. As always, you
can follow us on Instagram Pod Meets World Show. You
can send us your emails at Podmeets World show at
gmail dot com.
Speaker 5 (52:24):
And we have merch.
Speaker 1 (52:27):
I'm not gonna buy you any merch. Tommy, geez, there
you go.
Speaker 3 (52:32):
Can't cry, all right, Welcome to so sell the best
you can. Pod Meets Worldshow dot com writer send us out.
Speaker 5 (52:42):
We love you all, pod dismissed.
Speaker 4 (52:46):
Pod Meats World is an iHeart podcast producer hosted by
Danielle Fischel, Wilfredell and Ryder Strong executive producers Jensen Carp
and Amy Sugarman Executive in charge of production, Danielle Romo,
producer and editor, Tarasubosch, producer, Maddie.
Speaker 5 (52:59):
Moore engineer and boy Mets World Supervan East and Out.
Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon.
Speaker 4 (53:05):
Follow us on Instagram at Podmets World Show or email
us at podmetsworldshowat gmail dot com
Hosts And Creators
Will Friedle
Danielle Fishel
Rider Strong
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