April 21, 2026 • 56 mins
This week on Thanks Dad, Ego sits down with actor and musician Utkarsh Ambudkar! Ego and Utkarsh talk about growing up in Baltimore, being the kid to say “I love you” first, and how that’s influenced the way Utkarsh raises his own children with honesty and bravery. They also discuss his new animated album, Too Beautiful, his work on Ghosts, and finding purpose on stage.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
I'm we're gonna get it. This is fucked up. No,
I just saw something on this paper that I'm like,
this is not true, but we're gonna talk about it.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Oh, we're starting, Ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to We Got Dads, Everybody, Dad.
My name is zutkarsham Wood Car. I'll be your host
for today.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
I'm gonna do your intro.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
No, that's not what they told me anyway, Welcome to
What's Up?
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Dad? What up? Pops?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Hey?
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Hey guy, Hey, I'm gonna do your intro. You deserve it.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Let's do it, and then I'll reveal myself.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Okay, and the mic is not going to be in
the right place for the rest of the podcast. This
episode will have to be canned because when he does
put it bring it down, it's gonna be in the
wrong place. But we'll have a nice talk. I'm okay
with that. Okay. My next guest, you know from this
you're distracting me and you're making it very hard and
I already struggle with these My next guest, I can't
(01:09):
look at you. He's being distracted.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Just let's be normal.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
My next guest is an actor you know from the CBS.
Hit show Ghost and his new animated album Spaceman A
love Story. It's Utkarsh and Bookcary.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Hey dad, No, I'm not a dad. What what are
we doing here? Then?
Speaker 1 (01:29):
We're just we're getting I told I was meeting my
father today. I do not know him. I do, I
do very well. What's his vibe?
Speaker 2 (01:35):
His vibe is as opposite from this one as you
can get.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
So very serious. He's a serious man.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
He's a scientist, PhD doctor, player, hated a doctor research biochemist.
And he's the kind of guy who will talk to
you about science all day, all night. Yeah, but that's
about it.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
No emotions is he giving? He has them, for sure,
but he's learned. He learned how to s I love you.
Who taught him?
Speaker 2 (02:01):
I did?
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Okay, can you tell me more about the first time
you said I love you and made him say it back?
Speaker 2 (02:07):
I think I was thirty and I was like, you, guys,
I'm fucked up. Like we have to start saying I
love you to each other. If I'd grown up in India,
maybe it would be different. But all these white people
are saying I love you to each other, and they
say it in the movies and it's really messing me up.
And to their credit, they started almost immediately. Really now,
I love you's poor. They just they poured from the skies.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Isn't it crazy when you break the seal? Because I
broke the eye love you seal? How old were you?
I was nineteen twenty and it's because there was a
Kanye lyric and I know, but there was a lyric
that said people never get the flowers while they can
still smell them, and I thought.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, smell me, smell smell me.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Yeah, smell this love right now. I'm gonna tell you
so yes, I'll that go over fine and awkward. I
one of my brothers, when I say it, he's like,
didd oh, oh, you get hit oed. He does love me,
but he doesn't have tools. He goes, it's not that
he doesn't have tools. I think he is like didd oh, yes, okay.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Also, do you ever say, like, say it to me?
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Say it back? Say it now with a little with
a little gun emoji. I would like say it back here,
Yeah yeah yeah, I like say it back and then
he will. But it's the text.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
You've never gotten audible. I love you from him. We
need to call him right.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
I was gonna say, should I call himont answer? But
should I call? What's his name? Screens my calls? We
shan't say. Okay, we'll keep him on famous bets. I
bet it's Barry, Barry like the killer is there? Oh? Like?
Speaker 2 (03:41):
What's his name? You're a st guy, Bill. They're all
your guys, aren't they.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
I don't know all of them. But he's nice Bill
hit Bill? Should I tell him? Tell him? Bill?
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Hater? What are you doing? Man? Get your head out
of your ass. Give this girl some work over hereodcast America.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
I didn't say I needed work.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
You were a call see how she's doing.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Of course you're from Baltimore, Maryland. Yep.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
I grew up born in Baltimore.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Not Baltimore, Ohio.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Not Baltimore, Ohio.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
I'm from Baltimore, Maryland also.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
And then we moved to Columbia, Maryland. We didn't, And
then we moved to Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
You're a Maryland boy through and through. Did you go
to University of Maryland?
Speaker 2 (04:21):
I didn't. I went to New York University, I know,
the subsidiary of University of Maryland.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Of course. Famously, and your co star Sheila went to NYU.
I remember because you and I did a film together
and this is one of the conversations we had. And
now you guys work together. What are the odds?
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Sheila Carrasco so funny. I'm so happy she's on the show.
And weirdly, yeah, Brandon Scott Jones, who plays Isaac on
the show, he's from Maryland. Rebecca Wisaki, she's from chevy
Chase who plays Head, which is Maryland not MYSNL. Guy, Okay,
and whew that one. And then Frickin' Richie Moriarty, who
plays He and I actually went to high school together
(05:03):
at the same time. Didn't know each other because he
was class president and I was this guy. Yeah, but
he was a senior when I was a freshman.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Well that's why I didn't know you.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Yeah, maybe maybe.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
More because he was a senior and you were a freshman.
I mean, come on, Seniors don't talk to freshmen in
high school.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
No, he had no reason to talk to me.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
He's from he's from Maryland.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
He's from Gaithersburg, Maryland, Maryland, stay five hundred yards away
from where my parents live.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Now, that's crazy. How did I feel like you and
I did not discuss the Baltimore of it all.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
No, you were pretty cagy. You were stand office.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Oh yeah, it was tough.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Bernadette Peters was there, and I think I can't.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Say things like this on my podcast.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
I thought this was my podcast. I thought this was ahead.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Be for real. You can't. People are gonna believe you. No, no, no.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
We were in Toronto.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
You know the internet. You know how the Internet works.
It's gonna get clipped.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Stop interneting.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Okay, geez his cup literally world's best Internet.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Dad found this over there. It was that the guy
from uh uh not Dante's Peak. What's his name, Kurt Keith?
I don't know, sorry, Keith sounds like Kyle McLaughlin. Yeah,
I got the k sound right.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
You knew that much, you do. You're not just the
world's Internet dad. You have real kids.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Since we did that film at the time, I had
we had my stepdaughter. And then on that job, we
found out that we were pregnant with our boy I
remember Boomy, and I was very excited because we had
sort of we had not sort of we lost our
first pregnancy, which happens to a lot of people, very tough,
and then we had another baby.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Girl.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
So I got three now, two girls and one boy.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Three yeah, girls, one boy. That's very sweet. You've got
a whole family.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Now, I'm I'm like, I'm a thanks dad kind of guy.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
This is perfect. You've got kids. What are you learning
about yourself through fatherhood? Oh?
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Man, it's I have a low threshold for like energy.
I do a lot of horizontal parenting. Oh yeah, like
a lie down and like I got a toothache and
then my two year old will bust out the dentist kid.
I get a lot of kids, you know, a lot
of doctor kids, dentist kids, a lot of drawing, stamping. Okay,
(07:20):
but I'm learning so much. I mean, this is the truth.
Is like you learn about your own parents and you're like,
this must have been very difficult, and especially because my
parents came to the US and were essentially existing in
a new country while they were figuring out what to
do with me t ball, soccer, basketball, whatever, what have you.
So I think there's a lot more empathy for that
(07:42):
and for them.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Yeah, I can imagine where do you fall. Do you
have siblings? No, I'm You're an only child.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
So that's the weird thing too. I have three kids,
and I have no context of what having a sibling
is like. So I'm like, why do you fucking hate
each other? What are we doing here?
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Well, I say little kids. Now the siblings that are
like the kiddos are like really getting along. I see
this in a lot of families, but I feel like
I saw I didn't get along with my siblings in
some magical like that's big bro, this is my big
sister kind of way. It was like fine, But I
feel like also TV reflected that at the time, growing up,
it was like siblings, they're tussling. But now I see
(08:21):
kids and like, I don't know what the parents are doing.
The siblings are getting along like the kids. It has
nothing to do with us.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
It's all whether or not they're bored enough to spend
time with each other or not. I have no clue
what I'm doing right or wrong at any given time. Yeah, okay,
other than obviously feeding, wiping butts things like that.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Sure, sure, but yeah, your first diaper change, were you nervous,
did you feel equipped? Did you just go for it?
Speaker 2 (08:47):
You know, my wife had gone through it already with
our with our oldest one, so she was like a
good coach. She for sure, let me do my thing.
But yeah, you're always scared. You never know it's gonna happen,
especially with the boys, because that thing will go. Oh,
this is common knowledge. You've been on then for sure
several times. Yeah, you get pissed on, shit on, farted on,
(09:10):
burped on.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
It's it's awful. It's disgusting. It's really disgusting, now that
you know. I didn't get the getting Pete on feels
like to me, the odds of getting Pete on as
a parent, And this is so ill informed because I
don't have kids. This is where my ignorance comes from.
I'm like, it's like the same ods is getting like
shot on by a bird, but.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
It's not like the same odds is like putting on
socks that match.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
It's like very odds.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Yeah, and the girls too, girls are I mean, look,
it's so allid inside baseball stuff, but I mean all
that stuff sort of it really does melt away.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
I have a two year old girl.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
She climbs into my lap, she plays with my beard,
and she says, Papa, I love you, Papa, Oh, Papa,
I love you, And she'll put her head on my
chest and I'll go dude, you shit on me anytime
you want.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
This is exciting.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
So this has all occurred since you and I worked together, a.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Lot has happened. I mean that was my friend. That
was seven years ago, almost almost before the pandemic, I believe,
pre pandemic we were in Canada shooting a film.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
In Toronto, and now here we are. Dude, you're freaking
crushing it.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
No you are.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
I mean we're doing okay.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
I think Little carsh How many seasons of Ghosts is it? Now?
Speaker 2 (10:25):
We're going into season six. I'm on hiatus.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
Now. You know that's crazy and so rare in the
Year of Our Lord, twenty twenty six. Six seasons on
a TV show. Yeah, it's a big deal. Yeah, that
is great.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
I'm excited.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
I'm excited for you, and you're working with such great
people in her shout out from Maryland. What part of
Baltimore are you from? I can't fathom that we never die.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
I was born. I was born in University of Maryland Hospital. Yeah,
like in Baltimore, like right where Camden Yards wasn't a
baseball stadium, it was just a park, and there was
a gas station that behind that gas station.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
Where did you guys, Oh you live Oh you lived
in Baltimore City. Yeah, I'm a county girl.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
So we were there, and then when I was three
or four, moved to that suburb Columbia and it was
all it was a great community. It was mostly like
it was us and like Jewish people and black people
and we all just kind of like got bussed, just
different schools.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
And then they my parents both work at nih National
Institutes of Health and Bethesda, and they were like, we
got to get closer to work because my mom was
commuting two hours a day.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
So then we moved to Gaithersburg Rockville, which was a
bit of like a culture shock.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
Yeah. I would say I've never I don't even think
I've been to Rockville.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
No, it was like the difference between like all of
a sudden, you were like, if I have a Jordan
Jersey and Tims, I'm good to. Like if I'm not
wearing Abercrombie and Fitch, I don't even exist. Oh and
I'm not. You're not gonna catch me dead in Abercrombie
and Fitch.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
I used to work at Abercrombie. Wow, And that is
a pession. No, No, it's shade and that's okay, And
it's okay because that's something that I'm I can't believe
is true, but it's true, and I have to be
honest with the listeners.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
I would rather wear like a bugle boy jumpsuit with
cigarette burns in it than Abercrombie and Fitch.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
You know, that's okay if you were wearing Abercrombie and Fitch. Now,
as a father of three, No, you kick me in
my oh, I will never do. I will not kick you.
I'm not going to kick you because you're not wearing it.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
No, I'm not wearing no, no, no.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Now what inspired you though to make an animated album?
Because I know you do music?
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Yeah, I love making music.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
It feels great.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
And we just sort of like I had worked with
this guy, Alex Salzburg, who's a great animator illustrator, and
we had done this video called Boohoo during the pandemic,
and then I just put this album together and I
was like, let me get Alex again because I love
his style. It's so strange and visceral, and I love
the way it makes me feel like kind of those
old red and stimpy carts tunes and Roco's Modern life
(13:01):
very strange style of animation. And then we had time
and Ghost Season one had just happened, and I was like,
you know what, I could I do have the resources
to just make this entire album animated. It sort of
fits in this weird space. It's twenty two minutes long.
It's essentially a short film set to music, and he
(13:24):
and I came up with his story based on the
immigrant experience and love and the commodification of art and
what that means. And so it's a spaceman who crash
lands on Earth, meets a girl and finds a community
of artists and everything is like brand new to this guy.
He's like, using Q tips is like the world has
opened up to him. Eating pizza is gigantic. And then
(13:48):
you know, the guys from back home try and come
and essentially take him away from this new community. And
at the same time, he's being used because he's so
unique to make money and he loses his way.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
So it's just it's the it's the story of I.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Think what most artists go through. You show up, you're
like what's going on. Somebody's like you're pretty good, and
the next thing you know, you're sort of losing the
fire that started the whole thing to begin with. So
how do we get our Spaceman back to love? Is
part of this story and it's set to this new
album that I made with this guy cal McCammon, and
it came out.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
When is this going to air?
Speaker 2 (14:27):
Dad?
Speaker 1 (14:28):
I don't know, Poppy, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Anyway, it's available right now, it'll be available. You can
watch it.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
The album's on Spotify. It's called Too Beautiful. The short
film is called Spaceman A Love Story. Yeah, and it's
full indie like every share, every like every anything counts.
So if you've been a day one and you please
do it, go to the comments below, like comments, subscribe,
subscribe to the You're welcome pops. Yeah, and just for
(15:00):
to thank your dad and also tell me which song
is your favorite song and which song that Ego sings
is your favorite song?
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Because I do sing a song on the album. You'll
know the voice when you hear it, because I'm like,
turn this shit off, No, never turn this off.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
So that happened, and then Ghosts is kicking. I got
to like direct my first episode.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
That's so cool. Have you always wanted to direct or
been interested? Curious?
Speaker 2 (15:24):
You know, I don't know. Let me with SNL. Right,
you write so much, you do your own material all
the time. Do it sort of feels like directing is
part of that package that you get where you're like,
this is how I see it, this is how I
want it to be. And especially with us whose stories
are kind of unique as far as Hollywood is concerned,
still you wish they weren't. But like the immigrant story
(15:46):
is still something where people are like, ooh, not so
much anymore than they kind of diversity is taboo again,
they don't.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Learn whites are back. Yeah, whites are back in vogue.
Okay up guys.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
Yeah I had a good run. Yeah I had a
really good run.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
Oh I'm here to let you know that they're wrapping
up ghosts.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Yeah no, they're not wrapping up. They're replacing me with
Jason Biggs.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
There we go.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
He's been waiting and he's been Okay, I'm ready to go.
But in wanting to like sort of write, create, do
that whole month multi hyphen thing, a lot of times
like I sit in rooms and they're like, we love
the story, we want you to be a part of it.
Do you have any interest in directing? And the answer,
very foolishly has always been out. I've never directed, but
(16:34):
I'd love to try, which to a high level executive,
Disney is like, all right, cool, maybe we'll just we'll talk.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
We'll talk later.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Yeah. Yeah, well we'll find you somebody else.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
So I wanted to get that tool in my belt,
and Ghosts is the safest, most loving, and really supportive.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Crew that you could ask for.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
I know how the show works, I know how my
cast operates, and I know that I'm in the hands
of people with this guy Michelle who's our DP, Matt
who's our first ad our writers, our showrunners Amy Riisenback,
and CBS like nobody's trying to trip me. So I
got really lucky with a lot of people who were like,
(17:16):
we see all of your weaknesses and we were gonna
help cover them up. And the thing that you do well,
which is comedy and timing and sort of the music
of a show, we're gonna help enhance that. So I yeah,
it was cool. I got to take like a DGA
course which had like very cool people on this zoom.
I was just sitting there. I don't care. I'm gonna
just WGA can yell at me. Felicia was shot was
(17:38):
on my class cool and she kept falling asleep.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
Why are you gonna out her?
Speaker 2 (17:44):
But miss Felicia, it was fine. But Miss Felicia, every
time you woke up, you said something and we all
took notes. I just want you could have slept through
the whole thing and you'd have been fine, because every
time you spoke, all of us just stared at you
with awe and.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
Maybe the sleep was like I've been here, done this,
done it before. Here's something brilliant to say.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
I should be so lucky to be able to fall
asleep in a during a DGA course and then wake
up and just be like, nah, I don't agree.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
That would be We didn't think you were paying attention, No, no, no,
oh my eyes I could do this shit with my
eyes closed. That's the vibe. That's the vibe. So were
you nervous on the day doing directing?
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Yeah? I mean I over prepared, which felt good, Like
it felt like you get all these floor plans and
you draw and you're like, oh, this is where this goes,
and that goes, and then I'd send my the first
ad and the writers and everyone, Richie Keene, who's our
production director, producing director.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
I was like, is this right? Does this work?
Speaker 2 (18:45):
And everyone's like, yeah, it'll work. These are some issues, yeah,
and they're like, oh my god, yeah, I didn't even
think of that.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
I fucking suck. What do I do?
Speaker 2 (18:52):
And you keep going back to the drawing board. The
most awkward thing is that this episode that I directed,
I also act in a lot. I'm like eighty in this.
So day one in the morning, I had Danielle Rich
Danielle and Brandon anyway, I had a scene with people
that weren't me, and I was like, this is great
(19:14):
and it's VFX and I'm crushing it and we're an
hour ahead of schedule. And then scene two comes and
I'm acting in it and I had forgotten to prepare
any of the lines.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Like half the job. I didn't do this in the
director off.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Yes, director me and actor me did not get along.
Director me tried to fire actors several times. This guy
actor me like, staged.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
A coup on set. It was crazy.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Dam Yeah, they had hr had to come through.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
It was weird.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
But I yeah, I forgot to memorize my lines, which
fucked everybody up. And luckily they were all like, well,
obviously you forgot to learn your lines because you're clearly,
you know, preoccupied. But the shame of that immediately gave
me memorization powers. But I I remember the first ad
Matt was just laughing.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
This helped too.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
He laughed at me in front of everyone and he
was like, you don't look like you're having fun. He's like,
you wish you didn't do this, didn't you know? I
was like, yeah, I don't like this right now.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
This feels bad.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
But him laughing and being able to take the piss
and that being the general vibe of our set really helps.
It's not cutthroat, it's not get it done.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
It's just like, oh, you fucked up.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
That's funny. Yeah, like, because we all know you can deliver,
so to watch you fall in your face is actually
quite humorous.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
So are you a perfectionist at all?
Speaker 2 (20:45):
I think you have to be if you've Yeah, you are.
My parents are both PhD biochemists who came from India
and hung their hat on education and what their son
would do with it. And yeah, I'm the cliche of like,
if you get a ninety eight out of one hundred,
it should have been one hundred and ten. So that
is very much my mentality. And then you know too,
(21:07):
like as a person of color and trying to make
it in hollyweird or whatever.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
This is very blessed to.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
Be where I'm at, but like, you have to do
significantly more than your quote unquote peers to be seen
heard and for a lot of these pre existing notions
or blah blah blah. You guys are so sick of
fucking diversity. It's true, though. Sorry, if I could change
the color of my skin for you, I would, you
(21:36):
would No, No, no, I can't. Yeah, now if I
could like press a button and be like I'm green,
like maybe, But point is is, I think I've had
to find several different ways to get in and still
maintain my connection to something higher where it's like the
authenticity is there and you can look in the mirror
(21:58):
and be like cool, I'm good with that work. And
also I feel like I'm playing at a level that
I'm where I'm growing. And yeah, you gotta like gotta
learn how to rap, you gotta learn how to.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
I mean, I can't shoot you, right.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
These are all things, These are all things that I
think were like sort of forced where it's like well,
what are you gonna do? They're not there are no
roles available.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
So I guess I'll.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
Just go perform with this hip hop group and we'll
go to south By and do all these shows, and
I'll open up for of all people, Moby Like, and
then I'm opening up for Public Enemy, and then there's
some off Broadway play and then the next thing you know,
I'm vjaning for MTV and then I'm speaking at the
New Aurikan Poet's Cafe and all this. I mean, thank
(22:41):
god I had hip hop and rap. Thank God, like honestly,
thank god for for black culture, cause like it was
like when you're Indian in the eighties and nineties, you
pick one or the other. You're either in tims or
you're in boat shoes. There's no in between.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Describe this to someone about growing up in Baltimore. Genuinely,
I was like, uh, in Baltimore growing up, everyone was
either black or white, not because they actually were black
or white. It was like you're black or you're white. Yeah.
And I had a friend who was Filipino and he
was telling me this story once in class where I
think he was like, oh, I'm not black, and his
(23:17):
classmate a black dude was like, but are you white?
And it was just like, okay, so then you're black.
That's that was mine was Baltimore growing up.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
That was my experience. Yeah, oh this I remember Chris
called me the N word and then Ashley Georgia, Regina,
Terrence Showers and Mika Harding shout out, We're like, where
are you from? And I was like India and they're like,
we don't know where the fuck that is, but come
on in. And it was like that was literally in
third grade.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
And I was like, okay, I left out the part
where they called him the N word also, but it happened.
That's what happened.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
And I was like, so we don't like when they
call us that. And then he's got to take it
on and I'm like, it was my identity confused. It's
like Martin Luther King Day and I'm just like, so
all about it.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
I didn't know.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
This is eight year old me just being like, oh man, oh,
eight year old me was confused.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
Shout out to a grown up and Marylyn. I mean,
but I think to your point, though, there's something about
like just being it's almost strategic in a way though
too to be like, yes, it's the perfectionism. But it's like,
all right, I gotta get better at something else as well.
I gotta like pad my resume my skill set. I
(24:33):
can't just be a good actor, it do. You have
to be able to do a lot more than that.
Of course.
Speaker 2 (24:39):
Yeah, I'm sure you feel the same way. And watching
your career grow and seeing you pop and which sketches
are really taking off, Like I know you understand what
I'm talking about. Also, it's like it was really validating.
I turned. I had my birthday while I was directing,
So I turned forty two while I am I set learning
(25:01):
a new craft, executing something I've never done.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
Before at a high level.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
And it's like, all right, good dude, Like you know,
you're you're slower, your knees hurt, but you're still learning,
Like you're still growing as an artist and as a
human being, and you're actively fighting off dementia and Alzheimer's.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
It's good, come on, new skill.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
Yeah, man, rewire those brains. Yeah brain. But I will say,
just to bring it back to the kids, that's the
biggest hurdle I've had to jump over is like my
kids are not growing up in the same country or
the same community as I did. And so so much
of that fear or whatever of like, oh my god,
(25:41):
they're going to be treated differently, They're going to be
looked at a certain way, they're going to be discriminated against,
called names. None of that exists.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
God bless these children in the community where your kids
are going, where.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
We are now because and part of it is also
because they are they are mixed, so they're like samo
in white and Indian, and so they look they're literally
the aa pi. That's like what my children are. They
just look like these ethereal moana creatures. So and they
(26:14):
move through the world with this confidence and this ease
that I never had and they have and I think
so much of that is my wife and teaching me
how to like let them fall, let them get back up,
like instill in them and me too, like I want
them to be fearless. So whereas you know, my parents
were conservative emotionally in a country where they're like, yo,
(26:35):
don't rottle feathers, don't rock the boat. Like you know,
they got robbed really early on, so they were really
about safety and like all that stuff. We're like, yeah,
go dude, go walk, try, yeah, run, jump, fall, Let's
do this. So that's been the biggest thing to unlearn
is like, my kids are different. They're brown in a
(26:56):
different world now.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
Yeah yeah, and also brown in a different way. Yeah yeah, yeah,
different way. Yeah. But you did did you feel like
you could confide in your parents growing up? Though?
Speaker 2 (27:08):
Yes? I think I always told them the truth, but
it almost never went the way I wanted it to.
You know what I'm saying, Like, if you're afraid, and
you're naturally kind of a nervous person, like me telling
my mom at fourteen that Elaine Goldstein and I are dating,
that's a red flag.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
Yeah, because are you gonna marry Elaine Goldstein? That's what
your mom's asking. Are you gonna get a Lane Goldstein pregnant?
Yea her pregnant?
Speaker 2 (27:32):
And I'm like, I even don't even know what you're talking.
I don't know how buttons work, Like, I wouldn't even
know what to do if if that was offered to me,
I would get scared and probably lie down and go to.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
Sleep horizontal An I have a nap. I was just
saying that too. I'm like napping. I forgot how good
napping is for escapism yeh by ceiling, oh bye. I
used to do that all the time, like I'm stressed,
I'm gonna take a nap. Got to get paid. I'm
taking a nat.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
You have to you have to recharge.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
But you could. But you were always honest, which.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
Is I generally have always been like yeah, just sort
of like, hey, I want to be an actor. Well
that's not going to happen, yeah, but I really want
to do it. Well, if you want to do it,
you have to apply to fourteen different schools and half
of them have to be academic, and you do all.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
This acting and stuff by yourself because.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
We don't know what it is. So they, you know,
I think they supported, but always from a cautious place.
The only thing I didn't tell him about was when
I was getting wild with like I'm sober now a
long time, okay, quite a while. But that part was
I think jarring for them. When I called up and
(28:43):
I was like, hey, I gotta go to summer camp
for twenty eight days and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
And they did that send them into a panic.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
I think it devastated my mom. I think it's really
scary and my dad, God bless him, Like I think
he was also very scared, but he educated himself completely,
like read every book, super supportive, and I think our
relationship has only gotten more honest and deeper and like
way stronger.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
Yea, so it's just us three, right, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
So I don't ever want to alienate them or keep
them out of my life and vice versa. I want
us to I mean, they're my parents, right, and in
many ways they're my heroes. They're not they're flawed individuals.
They're just human beings like me, trying to figure out
what you know, not to get trying not to get
pissed on by your kids. Basically, it's just that simple.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
So you know, hopefully they see that I'm trying to
like instill in my children the same kind of they're
good qualities, right, and sort of shift away from the
stuff that wasn't working for us as a family.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
Yeah. Did you feel obviously they cautiously supportive in your
performance endeavors? They were Did you get to study whatever
you then wanted because I know you said you had
to go to college that was like academic adjacent?
Speaker 2 (30:05):
No, No, I got when I got into n YU
for acting, it was for acting. Yeah, they were like
oh that's a good school, Okay, all right, And I
was like, we know that, okay, Okay. I was like,
I guess I'll go to New York and so I
went there and just sort of tried to figure it out.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
Yeah, okay, Yeah. I love how close you guys are
and how Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
The thing they don't tell you is like they came
up with one person to take care of, and now
I gotta take care too, So it's not fair. They
could have had some more kids.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
And you wish, say, do you wish you had siblings?
For real? Now? I do, because seeing your kids makes you.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
I think siblings would have been a huge asset to
generally my entire upbringing, I think. And by the way,
like I think my parents did try. So it's not
like they were like we just want the one and
this guy sucks, we don't want it anymore.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
But I think you learn learn conflict resolution, you learn
how to share, or that life probably isn't fair. I
think you learn a lot about getting in where you
fit in. Like watching my children sort of effortlessly go
from saying I love you and hugging to just taking
swings at each other and then barreling out of that naturally, Like,
(31:21):
I think you learn a lot. I also at this stage,
at this age where like a young family, I'm working
seven months out of the year in Montreal. I've got
a lot of beautiful blessings that come with responsibility at home,
and my parents live across the country in Maryland.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
Like you want backup.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
I want to be able to call little sister and
be like, yo, fucking go check on mom and dad, Like,
go help them with the mattress. I want like a mattress. Go, dude,
be that mattress flipped. Go change the filters for the
ac Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
Another conversation. I was just having a basic I need.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
You to go see if the contractors like doing the
bathroom stuff, like whatever it is, Like you, I wish
I had backup.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
Yeah, that would be That is nice to have the
shared responsibility and then and then it would just be
an annoyancet. If you had a sibling, which I know
some people do, who's like this sibling is not helpful.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
Well, that's why you have more than one sibling. How
many you have? I have three, So there's four of you,
four of us total. That's dope because two of them
can fuck off as long as you.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
Have times I feel like each of us are like, okay,
we've fallen off you two. Have you guys tagged in?
It is? It is nice and that's not to rub
it in your face. You've done well with the children.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
Thank you, you've done well.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
I don't know them. They just sound delightful. They're good.
Did you always know you wanted to be a dad? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (32:45):
I think so.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Yeah, thanks dad, You're welcome.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
I think I think I was always interested in it,
and then one it's not for everyone, obviously, but then
I think it was, Uh, it's just it's my bag.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
I like it, joy the I just like.
Speaker 2 (33:02):
Having little mees running around. We get to hang out
and be Betty's and be besties.
Speaker 1 (33:09):
Do you want your kids to see you as a friend.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
No, I want them to be terrified of them. I
want them to shiver.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
In imagine being scared of this guy.
Speaker 2 (33:19):
I want them to feel my power. No, hear my wrath.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
I want them to trust that they can come to
me with anything. We do these things and it's really helpful.
Do you know how much I love you? Yes? Do
you know I'll always be there for you?
Speaker 1 (33:36):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (33:36):
Do you know that you can tell me anything. Yes,
do you know that I pooped my pants today?
Speaker 1 (33:42):
No?
Speaker 2 (33:42):
You didn't, Yeah I did three times. Like I try, and.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
Like you're the one pooping your pants.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
I try and ship my pants often so that they
don't feel like it's it's the thing they should be
ashamed of.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
You've shipped your pants three times in a day. Who
am I to judge? Because I certainly.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
Come on now and I share my pants and they
look at me and they go, thanks, dad, it's great.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
Thank you for these plugs.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
No, I try. We just try, and I just try
and instill a feeling a freedom and bravery and like
being afraid is okay. Yeah, Like we're gonna walk as
far as we can walk, and if we get too scared,
we're gonna walk back together, and we're gonna keep going
one step further every time until we get to where
we gotta be.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Dang, you got it unlocked? Did you read this stuff
in a book or this is off the top of
the dome experience.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
I think it's some combination of both. But for me,
like I just wanted somebody to tell me to swing, Yeah,
just swing.
Speaker 1 (34:40):
What were you being told? If you weren't being told
to swing. Was it like be careful, be careful, be careful.
Speaker 2 (34:44):
I think it was like a lot to be careful,
and a lot of just like.
Speaker 1 (34:49):
After the fact, like you.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
Strike out and someone's like just swing and it's like, yeah,
I know, but we all know it's so hard. You
have to train someone's heart, mind, muscle to be brave
to face the thing. Otherwise you freeze up every single time.
Like if we didn't know what to do with a mic,
every time we were in front of a mic, even
if we had this talent, we'd be like no, no, no, no, no.
(35:14):
You get scared, you start sweating, you start shaking. I
don't know if that's how I.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
Used to be.
Speaker 2 (35:19):
Even at the beginning, knowing I wanted to do it,
I was so afraid and I needed I didn't really
have anyone to be like, yeah, that's how it goes,
we're going to keep going. I kind of had to
do that by myself, so I don't they don't need to.
Speaker 1 (35:35):
Yeah. I love that. I love that what you're instilling
in them. I'm finding it fascinating though, that even with
the fear, don't hide, Yeah, don't hide. It's okay. Even
with the fear of pursuing this, you still did it,
And so what do you think that was inside of
you that made you, with all the fear and the
shaking and the sweating, to like still pursue this because
(35:56):
it's so easy to not.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
I needed the attention more than the fear.
Speaker 1 (36:01):
There we go, validation.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
I needed to fit in. No, I honestly, I think
it's just some delusion where you're like, I've explained it
several times, but the best way is like I'm here
now with you, and I'm sort of I'm like, I'm existing.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
I go to the grocery store, I go pick up.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
The kids, I drop them off, I do all that,
and then someone's like, hey, you got to go on
stage at nine o'clock. You're gonna go wrap or freestyle
or do improv or something. And I go, oh my god, no, no,
I can't. Why do I do this to myself? I
don't know how did I pick this profession? This is
so stupid, Like I'm sick. This is how I felt
(36:45):
when I wrapped at the Oscars.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
You idiot? Why would you.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
Say yes to this? And then something happens with me
and God or whoever whatever wizard is controlling or helping.
And I walk out on stage and it's quiet, it's calm,
it's so beautiful, and I realize, like, oh, I've just
been on land. I'm a fish on land all through
(37:12):
the day, and when you put me on stage, it's
like dropping me into water. And I'm like, I just
that's just what I was supposed I'm supposed to do,
and then everything else is like is like noise. Yeah,
if you put me on stage with a mic, I'm
generally I will always say no, no, thank you, and
then I'll get up there and you will not be
(37:33):
able to get.
Speaker 1 (37:33):
Me off stage.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
So I don't know if that makes sense at all.
Speaker 1 (37:37):
It does. It sounds like you're describing like just some
inexplicable draw but that's yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
Yeah, some foolish purpose.
Speaker 1 (37:46):
Yeah, which I think that's what is that you two
for me? Yeah? I think so. Actually, I don't know
if I was ever nervous. I used to be a
ballerina and I loved I love I know, I hated rehearsing,
which is probably why I love improv right, yeah, me too,
you get your But I hated like rehearsing, but I
(38:09):
loved doing the performance, loved being on stage so fun,
I don't, Yeah, but so I. But you do have
to have a level of delusion to pursue this whole thing.
Oh yeah, if you hadn't done this, would you do
something else? Like? Is there is there not a plan B?
You don't have to say you had a plan B,
but like, is there something else that you would have
done that's not on stage that you might have been
(38:31):
able to enjoy?
Speaker 2 (38:32):
I think it's obvious. I would have been probably point
guard in the NBA. M I think I would.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
I'm not one to tell anyone they can't achieve.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
Probably probably would have been starting point guard for the
Washington Wizards, totally National Basketball League, totally professional.
Speaker 1 (38:51):
Great.
Speaker 2 (38:52):
I mean, at worst, what.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
About not on stage? What about not on stage? No audience?
Only people that know your name are your co workers
in the office and the FedEx delivery person who has
to come to your office.
Speaker 2 (39:06):
Sometimes maybe education, Okay, maybe I could have got or Like, honestly,
if I had done the plan the way that it
was laid out for me, I'd be sitting in a
lab right now somewhere with a pipette doing some gene
therapy or doing something trying to.
Speaker 1 (39:24):
Do great work to help people.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
But yeah, I would have been in a lab and
the politics of a lab, trying to get your papers
published so that you get tenure and all that stuff. Yeah,
and I would be in that world, which is not
too dissimilar from any other field like Hollywood or field,
because everything is sort of merit based and things like that.
But the only thing that had been laid out before
(39:47):
me was science. Okay, other than that, since I'm twelve
years old, this is what it is. Yeah, I would
the NBA thing is real, just to let you know real. Hey, hey,
I'm forty two. Now I could give you buckets.
Speaker 1 (40:02):
Did you play basketball in high school?
Speaker 2 (40:04):
No, what happened was because I broke my wrist and
I didn't get on the team. And then then I.
Speaker 1 (40:10):
Auditioned because you broke your.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
Only because because broken wrists. And then I auditioned for
the play The Taming of the Shrew play Shakespeare. And
that's when I caught the buck and I was like,
this is way quite frankly, this is comes way easier
to me to then basketball, because it's about community, Whereas
(40:32):
in basketball, I'm hurting a lot of people's feelings.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
I'm in the well it's not about community.
Speaker 2 (40:37):
I'm in the state of constant domination. The power is
getting to my head.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
Whereas I wish we had a basketball here right now
and a court and we could cut to it.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
Do you play no? Oh my god, I barely.
Speaker 1 (40:53):
Oh I'm bad.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
I wish we could cut to a court right now.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
I would just be watching on the sideline.
Speaker 2 (40:58):
Send it to the Washington.
Speaker 1 (40:59):
Was, say, the Washington Post. I don't think send it
to the Washington Post. They don't care.
Speaker 2 (41:04):
That ship to Al Jazeera right now. And let's fucking
gett you.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
Did you like science in high school? Because I was
a biology major and I didn't like Really.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
Yeah, no aptitude for it, couldn't do it, couldn't remember
a goddamn covalent bond to save my life.
Speaker 1 (41:19):
I haven't heard that phrase since nineteen ninety five.
Speaker 2 (41:23):
It was a bad year, covalent bonds.
Speaker 1 (41:26):
I'm like I'm always when I'm telling people, I don't
know anything photosynthesis, Calvin cycle, what's the punnics, Jager theorem,
pythagorant theor math math A square plus b stcrat equal
c scret And why do we need it? No idea?
Why do we need it? No, one knows, no idea.
Speaker 2 (41:44):
It probably helps an architecture, right, maybe design, perhaps physics potentially.
So none of those things piqued my interest. They were
I was very bad at them. Actually yeah, my grades
were awful.
Speaker 1 (41:56):
How did your parents take that? Bad grades? And I
feel that they're did you get in? Did you get punished? Yeah? Yeah,
it was punishment.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
You punishment was so opposite of what regular punishment is.
Like I got a job at a movie theater and
I was stoked to get my like whatever, it was
four fifty an hour and then you get one ice
cream bar and you maybe you get to go see
some movie. But they made me quit that job cause
I got a C in bio or ap bio Honors Biology.
(42:26):
And they were like, you gotta quit And I was like,
everybody else is being forced to get a job, yeah,
and you I have to quit mine. They threatened, but
never followed through, thank god, with like taking me out
of all the school plays and everything. Okay, that would
have been devastating, okay because that really was my happy place.
Speaker 1 (42:43):
And they realized that.
Speaker 2 (42:44):
I think so, I think they're not.
Speaker 1 (42:46):
They're like, what do we do this kid?
Speaker 2 (42:47):
Is everyone likes what he's doing He's fine.
Speaker 1 (42:50):
Yeah, so then but you never got so punishment was
like you have to quit your job. I'm sure it
was grounded.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
I'm sure things were taken away, but I'm gonna be honest,
like I never I didn't like it was a conservative
they were safe. So like I didn't get a car
till way later, I didn't get a license till later
like the normal people. My curfew was always much earlier
than everyone else's, so like I didn't have there wasn't
(43:17):
like a lot of things to punish. Yeah, you know
what I mean.
Speaker 1 (43:20):
Did you go to prom?
Speaker 2 (43:22):
I did go to prom.
Speaker 1 (43:23):
Do you remember what it was like for you?
Speaker 2 (43:26):
I thought it was fun. Did you go to prom?
Speaker 1 (43:27):
I did go to prom. I love how you're like, yeah,
sure prom because somebody it's such a like thing for
people being like, oh my high school prom. And I
remember being like, yeah, cool, that's kind of fun. Like,
sure it was.
Speaker 2 (43:40):
It was fun. I think it was a huge deal
for me at the time. I think I very much
thought I was going to marry the person that I
went to prom with, be with them forever and ever.
Speaker 1 (43:49):
I really did you did because you were in a
relationship where you thought that's what prom represented.
Speaker 2 (43:54):
No, I was. We were like boyfriend and girlfriend, okay.
And I was like it was first girlfriend, like first
well not first like love, that type of thing. Read
between the lines, and I very much was.
Speaker 1 (44:05):
Like, oh yeah, read between the lines. Yeah people, yeah, okay,
yeah okay.
Speaker 2 (44:11):
And I was like me and her are locked in.
This is what we're doing. And so it was. It
was a special night.
Speaker 1 (44:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (44:18):
Homecoming freshman year was a different story. I went with
somebody my parents don't know anything, and this girl was like,
let's go as friends. I was like cool, and I
didn't bring a corsage because I didn't know. I like
showed up with a Tasmanian devil tie and an oversized suit,
and I was like, let's go.
Speaker 1 (44:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (44:42):
I was like, I came to have fun.
Speaker 1 (44:44):
It's just like you were embarrassing.
Speaker 2 (44:46):
Basically, and her mom had to go to the Giant
or shoppers and get a fake corsage. They didn't even
have any flowers.
Speaker 1 (44:57):
Left because at homecoming everyone had gotten that.
Speaker 2 (44:59):
So she got her a fake thing. This poor girl
is crying.
Speaker 1 (45:02):
I think it's her fault, No, f her for saying
let's go as friends. So she got a friend who
came in a big suit.
Speaker 2 (45:09):
I came looking like a cartoon character and by the way,
feeling real good about it.
Speaker 1 (45:15):
So when when the corsage moments happening, are you like, fuck,
I fucked up? Are you kind of like, what's kind
of still none the wiser? No? I was.
Speaker 2 (45:23):
So I was mortified, and I was like, oh my god,
these guys are like we'reing Akwa to Geo and cool
Water cologne and I showed up in a fucking tazz
Hi What am I thinking? This is not the barmits
for circuit. So because Tasman and Devil Tie had a
barmit's for crushed rushed, but not so.
Speaker 1 (45:43):
Much cassage for the girl. But you got it right,
prom you had the carssage.
Speaker 2 (45:49):
Was like tucks, Yeah, we got the limo all that stuff.
It was fun.
Speaker 1 (45:54):
You thought you were gonna marry her. That is absolutely
first love. Yeah, it was good, that's sweet, that's very
It was really nice.
Speaker 2 (46:02):
I missed that guy. That guy was great, pure so
wide eyed people love romance. Yeah, making mix tapes with
John Mayer on it and ship body is wonderland.
Speaker 1 (46:15):
Like a lot of your bodies as the Wonderlands goodness. Yeah, yeah,
that was That was an iconic song. You have to
give it up to that acoustic version. Are you a
romantic in general?
Speaker 2 (46:26):
I think I think so. I think I I'm but
romantic about lots of things. I think that human beings
like that. My work, I want to bring a lightness
of being in a joy and a sense of like
harmony and camaraderie. I think I often err on the
side of trusting the good in people. But yeah, I
mean I guess I'm a romantic. Things change over time, obviously,
(46:50):
time passes, people let you down, you let other people down.
So you're kind of like, am I romantic? Or am
I kind of like what does this mean?
Speaker 1 (46:59):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (47:00):
But I think generally Yeah, if romanticism is just seeing
the brighter side of things and hoping for the best,
I think I kind of I'm like that. Otherwise I
don't know how I would succeed in our industry.
Speaker 1 (47:15):
Yeah. I mean, some people are so existential about it
and they still get work though, where.
Speaker 2 (47:22):
It's like existentialism is fun. Yes, yeah, to a certain extent,
Like if you're like, dang, dude, I really just want
to like, let's see how how far I can go
down the rabbit hole before, like jumping off a bridge
seems like a good idea, and then you're like, oh,
that's it, that's the end of that thought. Yeah, yep,
Now I want to jump off the bridge because none
of this means anything. And that's not even real water.
That's just molecules, which is made of me, which doesn't
(47:46):
the Pete Holmes routes.
Speaker 1 (47:47):
Science because the science is actually in there. I just
want to say, yeah, I'm like, you are hitting me
with words that i'm I'm like, I studied this and
I don't know the molecules. I do know.
Speaker 2 (47:59):
Once you hit terminal, it's just like whatever, what have you?
You know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (48:03):
This is legit.
Speaker 2 (48:04):
I'll hear Pete Holmes or like how Jim Carrey used
to be, how we're all nothing and everything means nothing.
I'm like, bro, part of me definitely on board with that,
and I just want like an alien to beam down
or something to happen, an angel to come up and
be like, not Pete, this is like, sorry, dude, you're wrong.
Speaker 1 (48:24):
I wouldn't put it out of the realm of possibility.
We don't know. There's so much left in store of cash,
what from your childhood do you want to emulate in
your parenting of your children, Because I recognize you're like,
I want them to be brave. I want to tell
them to swing. What's something that you're like, this is
(48:45):
something I did get and I'm trying to give them
kind of a to a.
Speaker 2 (48:52):
I think, you know, it's very very It's not a
juicy answer, but financial stability, safety at all times, that's discipline.
I think those things are really good basic things for kids.
(49:16):
A lot of it's different. I'm in, you know, I'm
raising my parents. I'm my parents.
Speaker 1 (49:22):
Well that's that's so yeah.
Speaker 2 (49:25):
Yeah, but a lot of my children, you know, I'm
reminded so much. My boy reminds me so.
Speaker 1 (49:31):
Much of me as a kid.
Speaker 2 (49:33):
My little girl reminds me so much of what I
believe my mom would have been as a child. And
I'm like, oh my god, I'm like raised my mom.
My mom is my base.
Speaker 1 (49:42):
Like they look exactly the same.
Speaker 2 (49:44):
What'sing? I love you so much that I look at
my mom, I'm like, I love you so much, Holy shit,
what's happening? And then my oldest like, being a stepdad
is a whole nother uh frontier it's wild to just
like have this girl who I've known for many years now,
who's like we're like in each other's lives for eight years,
and she's in many ways more like me than any
(50:07):
of the other kids. Wow, she's so she's the one
who wants to like she wakes up at five thirty
in the morning and comes to set with me. She's
the one who's like, we're writing a comic book together.
She's the one who's been on TV with me, who
wants to be on TV and did Yo Gabba Gabba
with me. She's the one doing all the plays and
singing and like talking about music with me. Like yeah,
(50:27):
so that's wild too of just being like like what
what does it even?
Speaker 1 (50:33):
What does this?
Speaker 2 (50:34):
What does it even mean? And then it gets existential
and the next thing you know, I'm like, you know,
back in the molecules.
Speaker 1 (50:40):
But you can you can take the boy out of
the lab, but you can't take the lab out of
the boy. Never Yeah, it resonates. They made they made
me dissect rats eight years old. That's I think we
dissected it. Was it a roach.
Speaker 2 (50:57):
I used to go to nih and they would a
rat in the neck cut it open and I would
take out the salivary glands with my mom and like
her post docs. That's what I did for take your
kid to work day?
Speaker 1 (51:09):
Oh did you You didn't like? You were not happy
about it? No? I loved it. Are you hitting me
a chop and open a rat? It was incredible? Okay.
Speaker 2 (51:16):
So I was eight years old and I'm like, is
this green? What's the green stuff?
Speaker 1 (51:20):
So the tears were faked, fake. I was so stoked.
Speaker 2 (51:24):
I loved going to my mom's work. But I think
that's what I would instill in my children, like how
to dissect a rat at a young ageop.
Speaker 1 (51:32):
Okay, about the stability that would you buy? Would you?
Are we going to buy their first cars for them?
Speaker 2 (51:39):
No, they'll get I don't know.
Speaker 1 (51:42):
I never know what to this was. Now we're in.
That's nice, But what about me time? That's a segment. Okay,
let's do it unofficially. There's no music cue. I just
say it, and it's and then we're here. Do you
buy your kids their car their first car?
Speaker 2 (51:58):
I want to say no. I want to say that
they're functionally functional enough at that time to just like
we get one car and then just passes down like
how it was with me.
Speaker 1 (52:09):
Youngest getting the shortest end of the stale.
Speaker 2 (52:11):
Yeah, that the youngest is getting that twenty twenty eight
freaking Honda Civic baby in the year is forty two. Yeah, okay, yeah,
so you got a twelve year old car and like
it doesn't even have a touchscreen, but it doesn't even
talk to me in a British accent?
Speaker 1 (52:28):
Sorry, where's the harbordboard?
Speaker 2 (52:34):
So yeah, I think it was, so it's no.
Speaker 1 (52:36):
So so it's it's no.
Speaker 2 (52:39):
My kids live a charmed life, a life that I
could never imagine having lived at their age.
Speaker 1 (52:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (52:44):
My son's first basketball game.
Speaker 1 (52:47):
Ever was courtside at a Lakers game.
Speaker 2 (52:50):
Wow, I was forty one, and it was also my
first time sitting courtside at a Lakers.
Speaker 1 (52:57):
Game and one and you were happy to have him there,
but also.
Speaker 2 (53:01):
The ref gave this little motherfucker the ball to hold,
and this dude is looking at me like, Papa, take
the ball, because poor sweet Boomy my son thought that
having the ball meant that he was going to have
to play against Lebron James because the whole time he
was like, Papa, I don't want to play against Bron
James actually not Bron Ron. I don't want to play Ron.
(53:23):
I cannot play Ron James. He's very big. I'm like,
I can't take the ball from you. I can't be
the father that took the ball from his son.
Speaker 1 (53:30):
And we're just circulating social media and they're like, I
mean he didn't.
Speaker 2 (53:33):
I'm just like whispered and like, just hold hold bro,
I got your back.
Speaker 1 (53:37):
I got you. I'll get you a Twizzler right after this.
Shiit just don't give me the ball. The trauma that
would have been if they had actually been like, go
out there and shoot with the Ron like it's okay,
it's okay, No, no, I will I will.
Speaker 2 (53:51):
Come to run.
Speaker 1 (53:52):
What a charm life.
Speaker 2 (53:53):
So it's like, how do you give them everything like that?
That is an incredible thing that he won't even remember happening.
Speaker 1 (54:00):
I will forever.
Speaker 2 (54:01):
So I guess I'm giving it to myself as much
as I am to him. Yeah, but uh no, in
a perfect world, they work and they've saved money and
we've taught them that, and they're getting their own vehicles
for themselves, or would they get a hand me down?
Speaker 1 (54:16):
Okay, it could be that twelve year old car that
doesn't have the British accent. Sounds to me. No, I
don't know. I don't have kids, so doesn't It doesn't
matter what I think. But sounds to me like you
and your wife are doing a lovely job. So yeah,
she's a beast. Yeah, she's really She's so good at it. Yeah. Yeah,
you learn a lot from her. It sounds like I.
Speaker 2 (54:36):
Learned how to be adventurous for sure. She's the one
who got the whole family to bungee jump in New Zealand.
We jumped off a bridge.
Speaker 1 (54:45):
I'm not doing who the kids kid?
Speaker 2 (54:47):
Eleven year old? She was ten. My ten year old
jumped off a bridge with a bungee cord attached to her,
like my kids zipline in Montreal, and I mean the
zipline like sixty feet in the air on the ground.
Speaker 1 (55:00):
Oh, I'm scared.
Speaker 2 (55:02):
My three year old when Boomi was three, he was
doing Space Mountain. They're just different kids.
Speaker 1 (55:09):
Yeah, yeah, it's cool. Yeah, that's so cool. Thank you
so much of carsh.
Speaker 2 (55:15):
Hey guys, thanks for being here with me and ago on.
Thanks Dad. Remember to like and subscribe.
Speaker 1 (55:21):
They don't say that anymore. By the way, you're gonna
aid yourself. What do they do? What do they do?
Matt in the YouTubers do they say like and subscribe anymore? Everyone?
Here's too old?
Speaker 2 (55:35):
Okay, listen, listen you wherever your podcasts are available. You
can just eat this up.
Speaker 1 (55:40):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (55:41):
She's had some great guests like Bowe and Yang and
Will Ferrell and and me and Footgar former President Gerald Ford.
Three quarters of Boys to Men.
Speaker 1 (55:57):
Yeah, that was a juicy one. Guys, look out for
that episode. She's crush.
Speaker 2 (56:00):
You know, I wish did you actually have Boys to Men? No?
Speaker 1 (56:04):
Motherfucker. THEA Thanks Dad is a production of Will Ferrell's
Big Money Players and iHeart Podcasts. I'm your host aego
wodem Our producer is Kevin Bartelt and our executive producer
is Matt Appadaka
I'm we're gonna get it. This is fucked up. No,
I just saw something on this paper that I'm like,
this is not true, but we're gonna talk about it.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Oh, we're starting, Ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to We Got Dads, Everybody, Dad.
My name is zutkarsham Wood Car. I'll be your host
for today.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
I'm gonna do your intro.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
No, that's not what they told me anyway, Welcome to
What's Up?
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Dad? What up? Pops?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Hey?
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Hey guy, Hey, I'm gonna do your intro. You deserve it.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Let's do it, and then I'll reveal myself.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Okay, and the mic is not going to be in
the right place for the rest of the podcast. This
episode will have to be canned because when he does
put it bring it down, it's gonna be in the
wrong place. But we'll have a nice talk. I'm okay
with that. Okay. My next guest, you know from this
you're distracting me and you're making it very hard and
I already struggle with these My next guest, I can't
(01:09):
look at you. He's being distracted.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Just let's be normal.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
My next guest is an actor you know from the CBS.
Hit show Ghost and his new animated album Spaceman A
love Story. It's Utkarsh and Bookcary.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Hey dad, No, I'm not a dad. What what are
we doing here? Then?
Speaker 1 (01:29):
We're just we're getting I told I was meeting my
father today. I do not know him. I do, I
do very well. What's his vibe?
Speaker 2 (01:35):
His vibe is as opposite from this one as you
can get.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
So very serious. He's a serious man.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
He's a scientist, PhD doctor, player, hated a doctor research biochemist.
And he's the kind of guy who will talk to
you about science all day, all night. Yeah, but that's
about it.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
No emotions is he giving? He has them, for sure,
but he's learned. He learned how to s I love you.
Who taught him?
Speaker 2 (02:01):
I did?
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Okay, can you tell me more about the first time
you said I love you and made him say it back?
Speaker 2 (02:07):
I think I was thirty and I was like, you, guys,
I'm fucked up. Like we have to start saying I
love you to each other. If I'd grown up in India,
maybe it would be different. But all these white people
are saying I love you to each other, and they
say it in the movies and it's really messing me up.
And to their credit, they started almost immediately. Really now,
I love you's poor. They just they poured from the skies.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Isn't it crazy when you break the seal? Because I
broke the eye love you seal? How old were you?
I was nineteen twenty and it's because there was a
Kanye lyric and I know, but there was a lyric
that said people never get the flowers while they can
still smell them, and I thought.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, smell me, smell smell me.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Yeah, smell this love right now. I'm gonna tell you
so yes, I'll that go over fine and awkward. I
one of my brothers, when I say it, he's like,
didd oh, oh, you get hit oed. He does love me,
but he doesn't have tools. He goes, it's not that
he doesn't have tools. I think he is like didd oh, yes, okay.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Also, do you ever say, like, say it to me?
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Say it back? Say it now with a little with
a little gun emoji. I would like say it back here,
Yeah yeah yeah, I like say it back and then
he will. But it's the text.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
You've never gotten audible. I love you from him. We
need to call him right.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
I was gonna say, should I call himont answer? But
should I call? What's his name? Screens my calls? We
shan't say. Okay, we'll keep him on famous bets. I
bet it's Barry, Barry like the killer is there? Oh? Like?
Speaker 2 (03:41):
What's his name? You're a st guy, Bill. They're all
your guys, aren't they.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
I don't know all of them. But he's nice Bill
hit Bill? Should I tell him? Tell him? Bill?
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Hater? What are you doing? Man? Get your head out
of your ass. Give this girl some work over hereodcast America.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
I didn't say I needed work.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
You were a call see how she's doing.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Of course you're from Baltimore, Maryland. Yep.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
I grew up born in Baltimore.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Not Baltimore, Ohio.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Not Baltimore, Ohio.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
I'm from Baltimore, Maryland also.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
And then we moved to Columbia, Maryland. We didn't, And
then we moved to Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
You're a Maryland boy through and through. Did you go
to University of Maryland?
Speaker 2 (04:21):
I didn't. I went to New York University, I know,
the subsidiary of University of Maryland.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Of course. Famously, and your co star Sheila went to NYU.
I remember because you and I did a film together
and this is one of the conversations we had. And
now you guys work together. What are the odds?
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Sheila Carrasco so funny. I'm so happy she's on the show.
And weirdly, yeah, Brandon Scott Jones, who plays Isaac on
the show, he's from Maryland. Rebecca Wisaki, she's from chevy
Chase who plays Head, which is Maryland not MYSNL. Guy, Okay,
and whew that one. And then Frickin' Richie Moriarty, who
plays He and I actually went to high school together
(05:03):
at the same time. Didn't know each other because he
was class president and I was this guy. Yeah, but
he was a senior when I was a freshman.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Well that's why I didn't know you.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Yeah, maybe maybe.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
More because he was a senior and you were a freshman.
I mean, come on, Seniors don't talk to freshmen in
high school.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
No, he had no reason to talk to me.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
He's from he's from Maryland.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
He's from Gaithersburg, Maryland, Maryland, stay five hundred yards away
from where my parents live.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Now, that's crazy. How did I feel like you and
I did not discuss the Baltimore of it all.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
No, you were pretty cagy. You were stand office.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Oh yeah, it was tough.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Bernadette Peters was there, and I think I can't.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Say things like this on my podcast.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
I thought this was my podcast. I thought this was ahead.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Be for real. You can't. People are gonna believe you. No, no, no.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
We were in Toronto.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
You know the internet. You know how the Internet works.
It's gonna get clipped.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Stop interneting.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Okay, geez his cup literally world's best Internet.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Dad found this over there. It was that the guy
from uh uh not Dante's Peak. What's his name, Kurt Keith?
I don't know, sorry, Keith sounds like Kyle McLaughlin. Yeah,
I got the k sound right.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
You knew that much, you do. You're not just the
world's Internet dad. You have real kids.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Since we did that film at the time, I had
we had my stepdaughter. And then on that job, we
found out that we were pregnant with our boy I
remember Boomy, and I was very excited because we had
sort of we had not sort of we lost our
first pregnancy, which happens to a lot of people, very tough,
and then we had another baby.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Girl.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
So I got three now, two girls and one boy.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Three yeah, girls, one boy. That's very sweet. You've got
a whole family.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Now, I'm I'm like, I'm a thanks dad kind of guy.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
This is perfect. You've got kids. What are you learning
about yourself through fatherhood? Oh?
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Man, it's I have a low threshold for like energy.
I do a lot of horizontal parenting. Oh yeah, like
a lie down and like I got a toothache and
then my two year old will bust out the dentist kid.
I get a lot of kids, you know, a lot
of doctor kids, dentist kids, a lot of drawing, stamping. Okay,
(07:20):
but I'm learning so much. I mean, this is the truth.
Is like you learn about your own parents and you're like,
this must have been very difficult, and especially because my
parents came to the US and were essentially existing in
a new country while they were figuring out what to
do with me t ball, soccer, basketball, whatever, what have you.
So I think there's a lot more empathy for that
(07:42):
and for them.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Yeah, I can imagine where do you fall. Do you
have siblings? No, I'm You're an only child.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
So that's the weird thing too. I have three kids,
and I have no context of what having a sibling
is like. So I'm like, why do you fucking hate
each other? What are we doing here?
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Well, I say little kids. Now the siblings that are
like the kiddos are like really getting along. I see
this in a lot of families, but I feel like
I saw I didn't get along with my siblings in
some magical like that's big bro, this is my big
sister kind of way. It was like fine, But I
feel like also TV reflected that at the time, growing up,
it was like siblings, they're tussling. But now I see
(08:21):
kids and like, I don't know what the parents are doing.
The siblings are getting along like the kids. It has
nothing to do with us.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
It's all whether or not they're bored enough to spend
time with each other or not. I have no clue
what I'm doing right or wrong at any given time. Yeah, okay,
other than obviously feeding, wiping butts things like that.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Sure, sure, but yeah, your first diaper change, were you nervous,
did you feel equipped? Did you just go for it?
Speaker 2 (08:47):
You know, my wife had gone through it already with
our with our oldest one, so she was like a
good coach. She for sure, let me do my thing.
But yeah, you're always scared. You never know it's gonna happen,
especially with the boys, because that thing will go. Oh,
this is common knowledge. You've been on then for sure
several times. Yeah, you get pissed on, shit on, farted on,
(09:10):
burped on.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
It's it's awful. It's disgusting. It's really disgusting, now that
you know. I didn't get the getting Pete on feels
like to me, the odds of getting Pete on as
a parent, And this is so ill informed because I
don't have kids. This is where my ignorance comes from.
I'm like, it's like the same ods is getting like
shot on by a bird, but.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
It's not like the same odds is like putting on
socks that match.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
It's like very odds.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Yeah, and the girls too, girls are I mean, look,
it's so allid inside baseball stuff, but I mean all
that stuff sort of it really does melt away.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
I have a two year old girl.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
She climbs into my lap, she plays with my beard,
and she says, Papa, I love you, Papa, Oh, Papa,
I love you, And she'll put her head on my
chest and I'll go dude, you shit on me anytime
you want.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
This is exciting.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
So this has all occurred since you and I worked together, a.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Lot has happened. I mean that was my friend. That
was seven years ago, almost almost before the pandemic, I believe,
pre pandemic we were in Canada shooting a film.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
In Toronto, and now here we are. Dude, you're freaking
crushing it.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
No you are.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
I mean we're doing okay.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
I think Little carsh How many seasons of Ghosts is it? Now?
Speaker 2 (10:25):
We're going into season six. I'm on hiatus.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
Now. You know that's crazy and so rare in the
Year of Our Lord, twenty twenty six. Six seasons on
a TV show. Yeah, it's a big deal. Yeah, that
is great.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
I'm excited.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
I'm excited for you, and you're working with such great
people in her shout out from Maryland. What part of
Baltimore are you from? I can't fathom that we never die.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
I was born. I was born in University of Maryland Hospital. Yeah,
like in Baltimore, like right where Camden Yards wasn't a
baseball stadium, it was just a park, and there was
a gas station that behind that gas station.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
Where did you guys, Oh you live Oh you lived
in Baltimore City. Yeah, I'm a county girl.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
So we were there, and then when I was three
or four, moved to that suburb Columbia and it was
all it was a great community. It was mostly like
it was us and like Jewish people and black people
and we all just kind of like got bussed, just
different schools.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
And then they my parents both work at nih National
Institutes of Health and Bethesda, and they were like, we
got to get closer to work because my mom was
commuting two hours a day.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
So then we moved to Gaithersburg Rockville, which was a
bit of like a culture shock.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
Yeah. I would say I've never I don't even think
I've been to Rockville.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
No, it was like the difference between like all of
a sudden, you were like, if I have a Jordan
Jersey and Tims, I'm good to. Like if I'm not
wearing Abercrombie and Fitch, I don't even exist. Oh and
I'm not. You're not gonna catch me dead in Abercrombie
and Fitch.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
I used to work at Abercrombie. Wow, And that is
a pession. No, No, it's shade and that's okay, And
it's okay because that's something that I'm I can't believe
is true, but it's true, and I have to be
honest with the listeners.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
I would rather wear like a bugle boy jumpsuit with
cigarette burns in it than Abercrombie and Fitch.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
You know, that's okay if you were wearing Abercrombie and Fitch. Now,
as a father of three, No, you kick me in
my oh, I will never do. I will not kick you.
I'm not going to kick you because you're not wearing it.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
No, I'm not wearing no, no, no.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Now what inspired you though to make an animated album?
Because I know you do music?
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Yeah, I love making music.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
It feels great.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
And we just sort of like I had worked with
this guy, Alex Salzburg, who's a great animator illustrator, and
we had done this video called Boohoo during the pandemic,
and then I just put this album together and I
was like, let me get Alex again because I love
his style. It's so strange and visceral, and I love
the way it makes me feel like kind of those
old red and stimpy carts tunes and Roco's Modern life
(13:01):
very strange style of animation. And then we had time
and Ghost Season one had just happened, and I was like,
you know what, I could I do have the resources
to just make this entire album animated. It sort of
fits in this weird space. It's twenty two minutes long.
It's essentially a short film set to music, and he
(13:24):
and I came up with his story based on the
immigrant experience and love and the commodification of art and
what that means. And so it's a spaceman who crash
lands on Earth, meets a girl and finds a community
of artists and everything is like brand new to this guy.
He's like, using Q tips is like the world has
opened up to him. Eating pizza is gigantic. And then
(13:48):
you know, the guys from back home try and come
and essentially take him away from this new community. And
at the same time, he's being used because he's so
unique to make money and he loses his way.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
So it's just it's the it's the story of I.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Think what most artists go through. You show up, you're
like what's going on. Somebody's like you're pretty good, and
the next thing you know, you're sort of losing the
fire that started the whole thing to begin with. So
how do we get our Spaceman back to love? Is
part of this story and it's set to this new
album that I made with this guy cal McCammon, and
it came out.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
When is this going to air?
Speaker 2 (14:27):
Dad?
Speaker 1 (14:28):
I don't know, Poppy, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Anyway, it's available right now, it'll be available. You can
watch it.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
The album's on Spotify. It's called Too Beautiful. The short
film is called Spaceman A Love Story. Yeah, and it's
full indie like every share, every like every anything counts.
So if you've been a day one and you please
do it, go to the comments below, like comments, subscribe,
subscribe to the You're welcome pops. Yeah, and just for
(15:00):
to thank your dad and also tell me which song
is your favorite song and which song that Ego sings
is your favorite song?
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Because I do sing a song on the album. You'll
know the voice when you hear it, because I'm like,
turn this shit off, No, never turn this off.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
So that happened, and then Ghosts is kicking. I got
to like direct my first episode.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
That's so cool. Have you always wanted to direct or
been interested? Curious?
Speaker 2 (15:24):
You know, I don't know. Let me with SNL. Right,
you write so much, you do your own material all
the time. Do it sort of feels like directing is
part of that package that you get where you're like,
this is how I see it, this is how I
want it to be. And especially with us whose stories
are kind of unique as far as Hollywood is concerned,
still you wish they weren't. But like the immigrant story
(15:46):
is still something where people are like, ooh, not so
much anymore than they kind of diversity is taboo again,
they don't.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Learn whites are back. Yeah, whites are back in vogue.
Okay up guys.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
Yeah I had a good run. Yeah I had a
really good run.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
Oh I'm here to let you know that they're wrapping
up ghosts.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Yeah no, they're not wrapping up. They're replacing me with
Jason Biggs.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
There we go.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
He's been waiting and he's been Okay, I'm ready to go.
But in wanting to like sort of write, create, do
that whole month multi hyphen thing, a lot of times
like I sit in rooms and they're like, we love
the story, we want you to be a part of it.
Do you have any interest in directing? And the answer,
very foolishly has always been out. I've never directed, but
(16:34):
I'd love to try, which to a high level executive,
Disney is like, all right, cool, maybe we'll just we'll talk.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
We'll talk later.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Yeah. Yeah, well we'll find you somebody else.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
So I wanted to get that tool in my belt,
and Ghosts is the safest, most loving, and really supportive.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Crew that you could ask for.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
I know how the show works, I know how my
cast operates, and I know that I'm in the hands
of people with this guy Michelle who's our DP, Matt
who's our first ad our writers, our showrunners Amy Riisenback,
and CBS like nobody's trying to trip me. So I
got really lucky with a lot of people who were like,
(17:16):
we see all of your weaknesses and we were gonna
help cover them up. And the thing that you do well,
which is comedy and timing and sort of the music
of a show, we're gonna help enhance that. So I yeah,
it was cool. I got to take like a DGA
course which had like very cool people on this zoom.
I was just sitting there. I don't care. I'm gonna
just WGA can yell at me. Felicia was shot was
(17:38):
on my class cool and she kept falling asleep.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
Why are you gonna out her?
Speaker 2 (17:44):
But miss Felicia, it was fine. But Miss Felicia, every
time you woke up, you said something and we all
took notes. I just want you could have slept through
the whole thing and you'd have been fine, because every
time you spoke, all of us just stared at you
with awe and.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
Maybe the sleep was like I've been here, done this,
done it before. Here's something brilliant to say.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
I should be so lucky to be able to fall
asleep in a during a DGA course and then wake
up and just be like, nah, I don't agree.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
That would be We didn't think you were paying attention, No, no, no,
oh my eyes I could do this shit with my
eyes closed. That's the vibe. That's the vibe. So were
you nervous on the day doing directing?
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Yeah? I mean I over prepared, which felt good, Like
it felt like you get all these floor plans and
you draw and you're like, oh, this is where this goes,
and that goes, and then I'd send my the first
ad and the writers and everyone, Richie Keene, who's our
production director, producing director.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
I was like, is this right? Does this work?
Speaker 2 (18:45):
And everyone's like, yeah, it'll work. These are some issues, yeah,
and they're like, oh my god, yeah, I didn't even
think of that.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
I fucking suck. What do I do?
Speaker 2 (18:52):
And you keep going back to the drawing board. The
most awkward thing is that this episode that I directed,
I also act in a lot. I'm like eighty in this.
So day one in the morning, I had Danielle Rich
Danielle and Brandon anyway, I had a scene with people
that weren't me, and I was like, this is great
(19:14):
and it's VFX and I'm crushing it and we're an
hour ahead of schedule. And then scene two comes and
I'm acting in it and I had forgotten to prepare
any of the lines.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Like half the job. I didn't do this in the
director off.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Yes, director me and actor me did not get along.
Director me tried to fire actors several times. This guy
actor me like, staged.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
A coup on set. It was crazy.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Dam Yeah, they had hr had to come through.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
It was weird.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
But I yeah, I forgot to memorize my lines, which
fucked everybody up. And luckily they were all like, well,
obviously you forgot to learn your lines because you're clearly,
you know, preoccupied. But the shame of that immediately gave
me memorization powers. But I I remember the first ad
Matt was just laughing.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
This helped too.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
He laughed at me in front of everyone and he
was like, you don't look like you're having fun. He's like,
you wish you didn't do this, didn't you know? I
was like, yeah, I don't like this right now.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
This feels bad.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
But him laughing and being able to take the piss
and that being the general vibe of our set really helps.
It's not cutthroat, it's not get it done.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
It's just like, oh, you fucked up.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
That's funny. Yeah, like, because we all know you can deliver,
so to watch you fall in your face is actually
quite humorous.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
So are you a perfectionist at all?
Speaker 2 (20:45):
I think you have to be if you've Yeah, you are.
My parents are both PhD biochemists who came from India
and hung their hat on education and what their son
would do with it. And yeah, I'm the cliche of like,
if you get a ninety eight out of one hundred,
it should have been one hundred and ten. So that
is very much my mentality. And then you know too,
(21:07):
like as a person of color and trying to make
it in hollyweird or whatever.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
This is very blessed to.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
Be where I'm at, but like, you have to do
significantly more than your quote unquote peers to be seen
heard and for a lot of these pre existing notions
or blah blah blah. You guys are so sick of
fucking diversity. It's true, though. Sorry, if I could change
the color of my skin for you, I would, you
(21:36):
would No, No, no, I can't. Yeah, now if I
could like press a button and be like I'm green,
like maybe, But point is is, I think I've had
to find several different ways to get in and still
maintain my connection to something higher where it's like the
authenticity is there and you can look in the mirror
(21:58):
and be like cool, I'm good with that work. And
also I feel like I'm playing at a level that
I'm where I'm growing. And yeah, you gotta like gotta
learn how to rap, you gotta learn how to.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
I mean, I can't shoot you, right.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
These are all things, These are all things that I
think were like sort of forced where it's like well,
what are you gonna do? They're not there are no
roles available.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
So I guess I'll.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
Just go perform with this hip hop group and we'll
go to south By and do all these shows, and
I'll open up for of all people, Moby Like, and
then I'm opening up for Public Enemy, and then there's
some off Broadway play and then the next thing you know,
I'm vjaning for MTV and then I'm speaking at the
New Aurikan Poet's Cafe and all this. I mean, thank
(22:41):
god I had hip hop and rap. Thank God, like honestly,
thank god for for black culture, cause like it was
like when you're Indian in the eighties and nineties, you
pick one or the other. You're either in tims or
you're in boat shoes. There's no in between.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Describe this to someone about growing up in Baltimore. Genuinely,
I was like, uh, in Baltimore growing up, everyone was
either black or white, not because they actually were black
or white. It was like you're black or you're white. Yeah.
And I had a friend who was Filipino and he
was telling me this story once in class where I
think he was like, oh, I'm not black, and his
(23:17):
classmate a black dude was like, but are you white?
And it was just like, okay, so then you're black.
That's that was mine was Baltimore growing up.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
That was my experience. Yeah, oh this I remember Chris
called me the N word and then Ashley Georgia, Regina,
Terrence Showers and Mika Harding shout out, We're like, where
are you from? And I was like India and they're like,
we don't know where the fuck that is, but come
on in. And it was like that was literally in
third grade.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
And I was like, okay, I left out the part
where they called him the N word also, but it happened.
That's what happened.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
And I was like, so we don't like when they
call us that. And then he's got to take it
on and I'm like, it was my identity confused. It's
like Martin Luther King Day and I'm just like, so
all about it.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
I didn't know.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
This is eight year old me just being like, oh man, oh,
eight year old me was confused.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
Shout out to a grown up and Marylyn. I mean,
but I think to your point, though, there's something about
like just being it's almost strategic in a way though
too to be like, yes, it's the perfectionism. But it's like,
all right, I gotta get better at something else as well.
I gotta like pad my resume my skill set. I
(24:33):
can't just be a good actor, it do. You have
to be able to do a lot more than that.
Of course.
Speaker 2 (24:39):
Yeah, I'm sure you feel the same way. And watching
your career grow and seeing you pop and which sketches
are really taking off, Like I know you understand what
I'm talking about. Also, it's like it was really validating.
I turned. I had my birthday while I was directing,
So I turned forty two while I am I set learning
(25:01):
a new craft, executing something I've never done.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
Before at a high level.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
And it's like, all right, good dude, Like you know,
you're you're slower, your knees hurt, but you're still learning,
Like you're still growing as an artist and as a
human being, and you're actively fighting off dementia and Alzheimer's.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
It's good, come on, new skill.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
Yeah, man, rewire those brains. Yeah brain. But I will say,
just to bring it back to the kids, that's the
biggest hurdle I've had to jump over is like my
kids are not growing up in the same country or
the same community as I did. And so so much
of that fear or whatever of like, oh my god,
(25:41):
they're going to be treated differently, They're going to be
looked at a certain way, they're going to be discriminated against,
called names. None of that exists.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
God bless these children in the community where your kids
are going, where.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
We are now because and part of it is also
because they are they are mixed, so they're like samo
in white and Indian, and so they look they're literally
the aa pi. That's like what my children are. They
just look like these ethereal moana creatures. So and they
(26:14):
move through the world with this confidence and this ease
that I never had and they have and I think
so much of that is my wife and teaching me
how to like let them fall, let them get back up,
like instill in them and me too, like I want
them to be fearless. So whereas you know, my parents
were conservative emotionally in a country where they're like, yo,
(26:35):
don't rottle feathers, don't rock the boat. Like you know,
they got robbed really early on, so they were really
about safety and like all that stuff. We're like, yeah,
go dude, go walk, try, yeah, run, jump, fall, Let's
do this. So that's been the biggest thing to unlearn
is like, my kids are different. They're brown in a
(26:56):
different world now.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
Yeah yeah, and also brown in a different way. Yeah yeah, yeah,
different way. Yeah. But you did did you feel like
you could confide in your parents growing up? Though?
Speaker 2 (27:08):
Yes? I think I always told them the truth, but
it almost never went the way I wanted it to.
You know what I'm saying, Like, if you're afraid, and
you're naturally kind of a nervous person, like me telling
my mom at fourteen that Elaine Goldstein and I are dating,
that's a red flag.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
Yeah, because are you gonna marry Elaine Goldstein? That's what
your mom's asking. Are you gonna get a Lane Goldstein pregnant?
Yea her pregnant?
Speaker 2 (27:32):
And I'm like, I even don't even know what you're talking.
I don't know how buttons work, Like, I wouldn't even
know what to do if if that was offered to me,
I would get scared and probably lie down and go to.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
Sleep horizontal An I have a nap. I was just
saying that too. I'm like napping. I forgot how good
napping is for escapism yeh by ceiling, oh bye. I
used to do that all the time, like I'm stressed,
I'm gonna take a nap. Got to get paid. I'm
taking a nat.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
You have to you have to recharge.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
But you could. But you were always honest, which.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
Is I generally have always been like yeah, just sort
of like, hey, I want to be an actor. Well
that's not going to happen, yeah, but I really want
to do it. Well, if you want to do it,
you have to apply to fourteen different schools and half
of them have to be academic, and you do all.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
This acting and stuff by yourself because.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
We don't know what it is. So they, you know,
I think they supported, but always from a cautious place.
The only thing I didn't tell him about was when
I was getting wild with like I'm sober now a
long time, okay, quite a while. But that part was
I think jarring for them. When I called up and
(28:43):
I was like, hey, I gotta go to summer camp
for twenty eight days and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
And they did that send them into a panic.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
I think it devastated my mom. I think it's really
scary and my dad, God bless him, Like I think
he was also very scared, but he educated himself completely,
like read every book, super supportive, and I think our
relationship has only gotten more honest and deeper and like
way stronger.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
Yea, so it's just us three, right, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
So I don't ever want to alienate them or keep
them out of my life and vice versa. I want
us to I mean, they're my parents, right, and in
many ways they're my heroes. They're not they're flawed individuals.
They're just human beings like me, trying to figure out
what you know, not to get trying not to get
pissed on by your kids. Basically, it's just that simple.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
So you know, hopefully they see that I'm trying to
like instill in my children the same kind of they're
good qualities, right, and sort of shift away from the
stuff that wasn't working for us as a family.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
Yeah. Did you feel obviously they cautiously supportive in your
performance endeavors? They were Did you get to study whatever
you then wanted because I know you said you had
to go to college that was like academic adjacent?
Speaker 2 (30:05):
No, No, I got when I got into n YU
for acting, it was for acting. Yeah, they were like
oh that's a good school, Okay, all right, And I
was like, we know that, okay, Okay. I was like,
I guess I'll go to New York and so I
went there and just sort of tried to figure it out.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
Yeah, okay, Yeah. I love how close you guys are
and how Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
The thing they don't tell you is like they came
up with one person to take care of, and now
I gotta take care too, So it's not fair. They
could have had some more kids.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
And you wish, say, do you wish you had siblings?
For real? Now? I do, because seeing your kids makes you.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
I think siblings would have been a huge asset to
generally my entire upbringing, I think. And by the way,
like I think my parents did try. So it's not
like they were like we just want the one and
this guy sucks, we don't want it anymore.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
But I think you learn learn conflict resolution, you learn
how to share, or that life probably isn't fair. I
think you learn a lot about getting in where you
fit in. Like watching my children sort of effortlessly go
from saying I love you and hugging to just taking
swings at each other and then barreling out of that naturally, Like,
(31:21):
I think you learn a lot. I also at this stage,
at this age where like a young family, I'm working
seven months out of the year in Montreal. I've got
a lot of beautiful blessings that come with responsibility at home,
and my parents live across the country in Maryland.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
Like you want backup.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
I want to be able to call little sister and
be like, yo, fucking go check on mom and dad, Like,
go help them with the mattress. I want like a mattress. Go, dude,
be that mattress flipped. Go change the filters for the
ac Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
Another conversation. I was just having a basic I need.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
You to go see if the contractors like doing the
bathroom stuff, like whatever it is, Like you, I wish
I had backup.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
Yeah, that would be That is nice to have the
shared responsibility and then and then it would just be
an annoyancet. If you had a sibling, which I know
some people do, who's like this sibling is not helpful.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
Well, that's why you have more than one sibling. How
many you have? I have three, So there's four of you,
four of us total. That's dope because two of them
can fuck off as long as you.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
Have times I feel like each of us are like, okay,
we've fallen off you two. Have you guys tagged in?
It is? It is nice and that's not to rub
it in your face. You've done well with the children.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
Thank you, you've done well.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
I don't know them. They just sound delightful. They're good.
Did you always know you wanted to be a dad? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (32:45):
I think so.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Yeah, thanks dad, You're welcome.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
I think I think I was always interested in it,
and then one it's not for everyone, obviously, but then
I think it was, Uh, it's just it's my bag.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
I like it, joy the I just like.
Speaker 2 (33:02):
Having little mees running around. We get to hang out
and be Betty's and be besties.
Speaker 1 (33:09):
Do you want your kids to see you as a friend.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
No, I want them to be terrified of them. I
want them to shiver.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
In imagine being scared of this guy.
Speaker 2 (33:19):
I want them to feel my power. No, hear my wrath.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
I want them to trust that they can come to
me with anything. We do these things and it's really helpful.
Do you know how much I love you? Yes? Do
you know I'll always be there for you?
Speaker 1 (33:36):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (33:36):
Do you know that you can tell me anything. Yes,
do you know that I pooped my pants today?
Speaker 1 (33:42):
No?
Speaker 2 (33:42):
You didn't, Yeah I did three times. Like I try, and.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
Like you're the one pooping your pants.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
I try and ship my pants often so that they
don't feel like it's it's the thing they should be
ashamed of.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
You've shipped your pants three times in a day. Who
am I to judge? Because I certainly.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
Come on now and I share my pants and they
look at me and they go, thanks, dad, it's great.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
Thank you for these plugs.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
No, I try. We just try, and I just try
and instill a feeling a freedom and bravery and like
being afraid is okay. Yeah, Like we're gonna walk as
far as we can walk, and if we get too scared,
we're gonna walk back together, and we're gonna keep going
one step further every time until we get to where
we gotta be.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Dang, you got it unlocked? Did you read this stuff
in a book or this is off the top of
the dome experience.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
I think it's some combination of both. But for me,
like I just wanted somebody to tell me to swing, Yeah,
just swing.
Speaker 1 (34:40):
What were you being told? If you weren't being told
to swing. Was it like be careful, be careful, be careful.
Speaker 2 (34:44):
I think it was like a lot to be careful,
and a lot of just like.
Speaker 1 (34:49):
After the fact, like you.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
Strike out and someone's like just swing and it's like, yeah,
I know, but we all know it's so hard. You
have to train someone's heart, mind, muscle to be brave
to face the thing. Otherwise you freeze up every single time.
Like if we didn't know what to do with a mic,
every time we were in front of a mic, even
if we had this talent, we'd be like no, no, no, no, no.
(35:14):
You get scared, you start sweating, you start shaking. I
don't know if that's how I.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
Used to be.
Speaker 2 (35:19):
Even at the beginning, knowing I wanted to do it,
I was so afraid and I needed I didn't really
have anyone to be like, yeah, that's how it goes,
we're going to keep going. I kind of had to
do that by myself, so I don't they don't need to.
Speaker 1 (35:35):
Yeah. I love that. I love that what you're instilling
in them. I'm finding it fascinating though, that even with
the fear, don't hide, Yeah, don't hide. It's okay. Even
with the fear of pursuing this, you still did it,
And so what do you think that was inside of
you that made you, with all the fear and the
shaking and the sweating, to like still pursue this because
(35:56):
it's so easy to not.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
I needed the attention more than the fear.
Speaker 1 (36:01):
There we go, validation.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
I needed to fit in. No, I honestly, I think
it's just some delusion where you're like, I've explained it
several times, but the best way is like I'm here
now with you, and I'm sort of I'm like, I'm existing.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
I go to the grocery store, I go pick up.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
The kids, I drop them off, I do all that,
and then someone's like, hey, you got to go on
stage at nine o'clock. You're gonna go wrap or freestyle
or do improv or something. And I go, oh my god, no, no,
I can't. Why do I do this to myself? I
don't know how did I pick this profession? This is
so stupid, Like I'm sick. This is how I felt
(36:45):
when I wrapped at the Oscars.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
You idiot? Why would you.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
Say yes to this? And then something happens with me
and God or whoever whatever wizard is controlling or helping.
And I walk out on stage and it's quiet, it's calm,
it's so beautiful, and I realize, like, oh, I've just
been on land. I'm a fish on land all through
(37:12):
the day, and when you put me on stage, it's
like dropping me into water. And I'm like, I just
that's just what I was supposed I'm supposed to do,
and then everything else is like is like noise. Yeah,
if you put me on stage with a mic, I'm
generally I will always say no, no, thank you, and
then I'll get up there and you will not be
(37:33):
able to get.
Speaker 1 (37:33):
Me off stage.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
So I don't know if that makes sense at all.
Speaker 1 (37:37):
It does. It sounds like you're describing like just some
inexplicable draw but that's yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
Yeah, some foolish purpose.
Speaker 1 (37:46):
Yeah, which I think that's what is that you two
for me? Yeah? I think so. Actually, I don't know
if I was ever nervous. I used to be a
ballerina and I loved I love I know, I hated rehearsing,
which is probably why I love improv right, yeah, me too,
you get your But I hated like rehearsing, but I
(38:09):
loved doing the performance, loved being on stage so fun,
I don't, Yeah, but so I. But you do have
to have a level of delusion to pursue this whole thing.
Oh yeah, if you hadn't done this, would you do
something else? Like? Is there is there not a plan B?
You don't have to say you had a plan B,
but like, is there something else that you would have
done that's not on stage that you might have been
(38:31):
able to enjoy?
Speaker 2 (38:32):
I think it's obvious. I would have been probably point
guard in the NBA. M I think I would.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
I'm not one to tell anyone they can't achieve.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
Probably probably would have been starting point guard for the
Washington Wizards, totally National Basketball League, totally professional.
Speaker 1 (38:51):
Great.
Speaker 2 (38:52):
I mean, at worst, what.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
About not on stage? What about not on stage? No audience?
Only people that know your name are your co workers
in the office and the FedEx delivery person who has
to come to your office.
Speaker 2 (39:06):
Sometimes maybe education, Okay, maybe I could have got or Like, honestly,
if I had done the plan the way that it
was laid out for me, I'd be sitting in a
lab right now somewhere with a pipette doing some gene
therapy or doing something trying to.
Speaker 1 (39:24):
Do great work to help people.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
But yeah, I would have been in a lab and
the politics of a lab, trying to get your papers
published so that you get tenure and all that stuff. Yeah,
and I would be in that world, which is not
too dissimilar from any other field like Hollywood or field,
because everything is sort of merit based and things like that.
But the only thing that had been laid out before
(39:47):
me was science. Okay, other than that, since I'm twelve
years old, this is what it is. Yeah, I would
the NBA thing is real, just to let you know real. Hey, hey,
I'm forty two. Now I could give you buckets.
Speaker 1 (40:02):
Did you play basketball in high school?
Speaker 2 (40:04):
No, what happened was because I broke my wrist and
I didn't get on the team. And then then I.
Speaker 1 (40:10):
Auditioned because you broke your.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
Only because because broken wrists. And then I auditioned for
the play The Taming of the Shrew play Shakespeare. And
that's when I caught the buck and I was like,
this is way quite frankly, this is comes way easier
to me to then basketball, because it's about community, Whereas
(40:32):
in basketball, I'm hurting a lot of people's feelings.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
I'm in the well it's not about community.
Speaker 2 (40:37):
I'm in the state of constant domination. The power is
getting to my head.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
Whereas I wish we had a basketball here right now
and a court and we could cut to it.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
Do you play no? Oh my god, I barely.
Speaker 1 (40:53):
Oh I'm bad.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
I wish we could cut to a court right now.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
I would just be watching on the sideline.
Speaker 2 (40:58):
Send it to the Washington.
Speaker 1 (40:59):
Was, say, the Washington Post. I don't think send it
to the Washington Post. They don't care.
Speaker 2 (41:04):
That ship to Al Jazeera right now. And let's fucking
gett you.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
Did you like science in high school? Because I was
a biology major and I didn't like Really.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
Yeah, no aptitude for it, couldn't do it, couldn't remember
a goddamn covalent bond to save my life.
Speaker 1 (41:19):
I haven't heard that phrase since nineteen ninety five.
Speaker 2 (41:23):
It was a bad year, covalent bonds.
Speaker 1 (41:26):
I'm like I'm always when I'm telling people, I don't
know anything photosynthesis, Calvin cycle, what's the punnics, Jager theorem,
pythagorant theor math math A square plus b stcrat equal
c scret And why do we need it? No idea?
Why do we need it? No, one knows, no idea.
Speaker 2 (41:44):
It probably helps an architecture, right, maybe design, perhaps physics potentially.
So none of those things piqued my interest. They were
I was very bad at them. Actually yeah, my grades
were awful.
Speaker 1 (41:56):
How did your parents take that? Bad grades? And I
feel that they're did you get in? Did you get punished? Yeah? Yeah,
it was punishment.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
You punishment was so opposite of what regular punishment is.
Like I got a job at a movie theater and
I was stoked to get my like whatever, it was
four fifty an hour and then you get one ice
cream bar and you maybe you get to go see
some movie. But they made me quit that job cause
I got a C in bio or ap bio Honors Biology.
(42:26):
And they were like, you gotta quit And I was like,
everybody else is being forced to get a job, yeah,
and you I have to quit mine. They threatened, but
never followed through, thank god, with like taking me out
of all the school plays and everything. Okay, that would
have been devastating, okay because that really was my happy place.
Speaker 1 (42:43):
And they realized that.
Speaker 2 (42:44):
I think so, I think they're not.
Speaker 1 (42:46):
They're like, what do we do this kid?
Speaker 2 (42:47):
Is everyone likes what he's doing He's fine.
Speaker 1 (42:50):
Yeah, so then but you never got so punishment was
like you have to quit your job. I'm sure it
was grounded.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
I'm sure things were taken away, but I'm gonna be honest,
like I never I didn't like it was a conservative
they were safe. So like I didn't get a car
till way later, I didn't get a license till later
like the normal people. My curfew was always much earlier
than everyone else's, so like I didn't have there wasn't
(43:17):
like a lot of things to punish. Yeah, you know
what I mean.
Speaker 1 (43:20):
Did you go to prom?
Speaker 2 (43:22):
I did go to prom.
Speaker 1 (43:23):
Do you remember what it was like for you?
Speaker 2 (43:26):
I thought it was fun. Did you go to prom?
Speaker 1 (43:27):
I did go to prom. I love how you're like, yeah,
sure prom because somebody it's such a like thing for
people being like, oh my high school prom. And I
remember being like, yeah, cool, that's kind of fun. Like,
sure it was.
Speaker 2 (43:40):
It was fun. I think it was a huge deal
for me at the time. I think I very much
thought I was going to marry the person that I
went to prom with, be with them forever and ever.
Speaker 1 (43:49):
I really did you did because you were in a
relationship where you thought that's what prom represented.
Speaker 2 (43:54):
No, I was. We were like boyfriend and girlfriend, okay.
And I was like it was first girlfriend, like first
well not first like love, that type of thing. Read
between the lines, and I very much was.
Speaker 1 (44:05):
Like, oh yeah, read between the lines. Yeah people, yeah, okay,
yeah okay.
Speaker 2 (44:11):
And I was like me and her are locked in.
This is what we're doing. And so it was. It
was a special night.
Speaker 1 (44:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (44:18):
Homecoming freshman year was a different story. I went with
somebody my parents don't know anything, and this girl was like,
let's go as friends. I was like cool, and I
didn't bring a corsage because I didn't know. I like
showed up with a Tasmanian devil tie and an oversized suit,
and I was like, let's go.
Speaker 1 (44:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (44:42):
I was like, I came to have fun.
Speaker 1 (44:44):
It's just like you were embarrassing.
Speaker 2 (44:46):
Basically, and her mom had to go to the Giant
or shoppers and get a fake corsage. They didn't even
have any flowers.
Speaker 1 (44:57):
Left because at homecoming everyone had gotten that.
Speaker 2 (44:59):
So she got her a fake thing. This poor girl
is crying.
Speaker 1 (45:02):
I think it's her fault, No, f her for saying
let's go as friends. So she got a friend who
came in a big suit.
Speaker 2 (45:09):
I came looking like a cartoon character and by the way,
feeling real good about it.
Speaker 1 (45:15):
So when when the corsage moments happening, are you like, fuck,
I fucked up? Are you kind of like, what's kind
of still none the wiser? No? I was.
Speaker 2 (45:23):
So I was mortified, and I was like, oh my god,
these guys are like we'reing Akwa to Geo and cool
Water cologne and I showed up in a fucking tazz
Hi What am I thinking? This is not the barmits
for circuit. So because Tasman and Devil Tie had a
barmit's for crushed rushed, but not so.
Speaker 1 (45:43):
Much cassage for the girl. But you got it right,
prom you had the carssage.
Speaker 2 (45:49):
Was like tucks, Yeah, we got the limo all that stuff.
It was fun.
Speaker 1 (45:54):
You thought you were gonna marry her. That is absolutely
first love. Yeah, it was good, that's sweet, that's very
It was really nice.
Speaker 2 (46:02):
I missed that guy. That guy was great, pure so
wide eyed people love romance. Yeah, making mix tapes with
John Mayer on it and ship body is wonderland.
Speaker 1 (46:15):
Like a lot of your bodies as the Wonderlands goodness. Yeah, yeah,
that was That was an iconic song. You have to
give it up to that acoustic version. Are you a
romantic in general?
Speaker 2 (46:26):
I think I think so. I think I I'm but
romantic about lots of things. I think that human beings
like that. My work, I want to bring a lightness
of being in a joy and a sense of like
harmony and camaraderie. I think I often err on the
side of trusting the good in people. But yeah, I
mean I guess I'm a romantic. Things change over time, obviously,
(46:50):
time passes, people let you down, you let other people down.
So you're kind of like, am I romantic? Or am
I kind of like what does this mean?
Speaker 1 (46:59):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (47:00):
But I think generally Yeah, if romanticism is just seeing
the brighter side of things and hoping for the best,
I think I kind of I'm like that. Otherwise I
don't know how I would succeed in our industry.
Speaker 1 (47:15):
Yeah. I mean, some people are so existential about it
and they still get work though, where.
Speaker 2 (47:22):
It's like existentialism is fun. Yes, yeah, to a certain extent,
Like if you're like, dang, dude, I really just want
to like, let's see how how far I can go
down the rabbit hole before, like jumping off a bridge
seems like a good idea, and then you're like, oh,
that's it, that's the end of that thought. Yeah, yep,
Now I want to jump off the bridge because none
of this means anything. And that's not even real water.
That's just molecules, which is made of me, which doesn't
(47:46):
the Pete Holmes routes.
Speaker 1 (47:47):
Science because the science is actually in there. I just
want to say, yeah, I'm like, you are hitting me
with words that i'm I'm like, I studied this and
I don't know the molecules. I do know.
Speaker 2 (47:59):
Once you hit terminal, it's just like whatever, what have you?
You know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (48:03):
This is legit.
Speaker 2 (48:04):
I'll hear Pete Holmes or like how Jim Carrey used
to be, how we're all nothing and everything means nothing.
I'm like, bro, part of me definitely on board with that,
and I just want like an alien to beam down
or something to happen, an angel to come up and
be like, not Pete, this is like, sorry, dude, you're wrong.
Speaker 1 (48:24):
I wouldn't put it out of the realm of possibility.
We don't know. There's so much left in store of cash,
what from your childhood do you want to emulate in
your parenting of your children, Because I recognize you're like,
I want them to be brave. I want to tell
them to swing. What's something that you're like, this is
(48:45):
something I did get and I'm trying to give them
kind of a to a.
Speaker 2 (48:52):
I think, you know, it's very very It's not a
juicy answer, but financial stability, safety at all times, that's discipline.
I think those things are really good basic things for kids.
(49:16):
A lot of it's different. I'm in, you know, I'm
raising my parents. I'm my parents.
Speaker 1 (49:22):
Well that's that's so yeah.
Speaker 2 (49:25):
Yeah, but a lot of my children, you know, I'm
reminded so much. My boy reminds me so.
Speaker 1 (49:31):
Much of me as a kid.
Speaker 2 (49:33):
My little girl reminds me so much of what I
believe my mom would have been as a child. And
I'm like, oh my god, I'm like raised my mom.
My mom is my base.
Speaker 1 (49:42):
Like they look exactly the same.
Speaker 2 (49:44):
What'sing? I love you so much that I look at
my mom, I'm like, I love you so much, Holy shit,
what's happening? And then my oldest like, being a stepdad
is a whole nother uh frontier it's wild to just
like have this girl who I've known for many years now,
who's like we're like in each other's lives for eight years,
and she's in many ways more like me than any
(50:07):
of the other kids. Wow, she's so she's the one
who wants to like she wakes up at five thirty
in the morning and comes to set with me. She's
the one who's like, we're writing a comic book together.
She's the one who's been on TV with me, who
wants to be on TV and did Yo Gabba Gabba
with me. She's the one doing all the plays and
singing and like talking about music with me. Like yeah,
(50:27):
so that's wild too of just being like like what
what does it even?
Speaker 1 (50:33):
What does this?
Speaker 2 (50:34):
What does it even mean? And then it gets existential
and the next thing you know, I'm like, you know,
back in the molecules.
Speaker 1 (50:40):
But you can you can take the boy out of
the lab, but you can't take the lab out of
the boy. Never Yeah, it resonates. They made they made
me dissect rats eight years old. That's I think we
dissected it. Was it a roach.
Speaker 2 (50:57):
I used to go to nih and they would a
rat in the neck cut it open and I would
take out the salivary glands with my mom and like
her post docs. That's what I did for take your
kid to work day?
Speaker 1 (51:09):
Oh did you You didn't like? You were not happy
about it? No? I loved it. Are you hitting me
a chop and open a rat? It was incredible? Okay.
Speaker 2 (51:16):
So I was eight years old and I'm like, is
this green? What's the green stuff?
Speaker 1 (51:20):
So the tears were faked, fake. I was so stoked.
Speaker 2 (51:24):
I loved going to my mom's work. But I think
that's what I would instill in my children, like how
to dissect a rat at a young ageop.
Speaker 1 (51:32):
Okay, about the stability that would you buy? Would you?
Are we going to buy their first cars for them?
Speaker 2 (51:39):
No, they'll get I don't know.
Speaker 1 (51:42):
I never know what to this was. Now we're in.
That's nice, But what about me time? That's a segment. Okay,
let's do it unofficially. There's no music cue. I just
say it, and it's and then we're here. Do you
buy your kids their car their first car?
Speaker 2 (51:58):
I want to say no. I want to say that
they're functionally functional enough at that time to just like
we get one car and then just passes down like
how it was with me.
Speaker 1 (52:09):
Youngest getting the shortest end of the stale.
Speaker 2 (52:11):
Yeah, that the youngest is getting that twenty twenty eight
freaking Honda Civic baby in the year is forty two. Yeah, okay, yeah,
so you got a twelve year old car and like
it doesn't even have a touchscreen, but it doesn't even
talk to me in a British accent?
Speaker 1 (52:28):
Sorry, where's the harbordboard?
Speaker 2 (52:34):
So yeah, I think it was, so it's no.
Speaker 1 (52:36):
So so it's it's no.
Speaker 2 (52:39):
My kids live a charmed life, a life that I
could never imagine having lived at their age.
Speaker 1 (52:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (52:44):
My son's first basketball game.
Speaker 1 (52:47):
Ever was courtside at a Lakers game.
Speaker 2 (52:50):
Wow, I was forty one, and it was also my
first time sitting courtside at a Lakers.
Speaker 1 (52:57):
Game and one and you were happy to have him there,
but also.
Speaker 2 (53:01):
The ref gave this little motherfucker the ball to hold,
and this dude is looking at me like, Papa, take
the ball, because poor sweet Boomy my son thought that
having the ball meant that he was going to have
to play against Lebron James because the whole time he
was like, Papa, I don't want to play against Bron
James actually not Bron Ron. I don't want to play Ron.
(53:23):
I cannot play Ron James. He's very big. I'm like,
I can't take the ball from you. I can't be
the father that took the ball from his son.
Speaker 1 (53:30):
And we're just circulating social media and they're like, I
mean he didn't.
Speaker 2 (53:33):
I'm just like whispered and like, just hold hold bro,
I got your back.
Speaker 1 (53:37):
I got you. I'll get you a Twizzler right after this.
Shiit just don't give me the ball. The trauma that
would have been if they had actually been like, go
out there and shoot with the Ron like it's okay,
it's okay, No, no, I will I will.
Speaker 2 (53:51):
Come to run.
Speaker 1 (53:52):
What a charm life.
Speaker 2 (53:53):
So it's like, how do you give them everything like that?
That is an incredible thing that he won't even remember happening.
Speaker 1 (54:00):
I will forever.
Speaker 2 (54:01):
So I guess I'm giving it to myself as much
as I am to him. Yeah, but uh no, in
a perfect world, they work and they've saved money and
we've taught them that, and they're getting their own vehicles
for themselves, or would they get a hand me down?
Speaker 1 (54:16):
Okay, it could be that twelve year old car that
doesn't have the British accent. Sounds to me. No, I
don't know. I don't have kids, so doesn't It doesn't
matter what I think. But sounds to me like you
and your wife are doing a lovely job. So yeah,
she's a beast. Yeah, she's really She's so good at it. Yeah. Yeah,
you learn a lot from her. It sounds like I.
Speaker 2 (54:36):
Learned how to be adventurous for sure. She's the one
who got the whole family to bungee jump in New Zealand.
We jumped off a bridge.
Speaker 1 (54:45):
I'm not doing who the kids kid?
Speaker 2 (54:47):
Eleven year old? She was ten. My ten year old
jumped off a bridge with a bungee cord attached to her,
like my kids zipline in Montreal, and I mean the
zipline like sixty feet in the air on the ground.
Speaker 1 (55:00):
Oh, I'm scared.
Speaker 2 (55:02):
My three year old when Boomi was three, he was
doing Space Mountain. They're just different kids.
Speaker 1 (55:09):
Yeah, yeah, it's cool. Yeah, that's so cool. Thank you
so much of carsh.
Speaker 2 (55:15):
Hey guys, thanks for being here with me and ago on.
Thanks Dad. Remember to like and subscribe.
Speaker 1 (55:21):
They don't say that anymore. By the way, you're gonna
aid yourself. What do they do? What do they do?
Matt in the YouTubers do they say like and subscribe anymore? Everyone?
Here's too old?
Speaker 2 (55:35):
Okay, listen, listen you wherever your podcasts are available. You
can just eat this up.
Speaker 1 (55:40):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (55:41):
She's had some great guests like Bowe and Yang and
Will Ferrell and and me and Footgar former President Gerald Ford.
Three quarters of Boys to Men.
Speaker 1 (55:57):
Yeah, that was a juicy one. Guys, look out for
that episode. She's crush.
Speaker 2 (56:00):
You know, I wish did you actually have Boys to Men? No?
Speaker 1 (56:04):
Motherfucker. THEA Thanks Dad is a production of Will Ferrell's
Big Money Players and iHeart Podcasts. I'm your host aego
wodem Our producer is Kevin Bartelt and our executive producer
is Matt Appadaka
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