April 27, 2021 • 61 mins
An enigma wrapped in a riddle... Creed Bratton is full of surprises as always when he sits down with Brian. Creed tells tales from his rock-n-roll days and reveals the name that is actually on his passport, PLUS a special bonus interview about writing our Deep Dive theme song, Bubble and Squeak.
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
The Gangster Chronicles podcast is a weekly conversation that revolves
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Find a forest near you and discover the force dot
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Org brought to you by the United States Forest Service
and the AD Council. Hey, it's deer Lipa. I'm here
to tell you about my brand new podcasts, deer Lepa
at your service. I'll be sitting down with the world's
most inspiring minds to uncover what makes and take and
what they've learned from the obstacles life has thrown at them,
including Sir Elton John. After a lot of upsets, a
(01:06):
lot of disappointments, a lot of betrayals. It's turned out
to be the most wonderful life right now that I
could ever imagined. Listen to do Relief at your service
on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever
you get your podcasts. I'm Creed Bratton and I played
(01:28):
Creed Bratton on the Office. It's so amazing. It's so amazing.
None of those have been funny before. Hello everyone, this
is the Office Deep Dive and I am your host,
Brian bond Gartner. Today I am pleased to present to
(01:50):
you America's favorite weirdo, Creed Bratton. I know the Dozeks
guy thinks that he is, but Creed tr rerually maybe
the most interesting man on earth. Seriously, if you don't
know Creed story, buckle up, folks. Creed was a professional
(02:13):
musician before the Office, like a legit toward with the
doors musician, and of course he is still a musician
to this day, though as far as I know, he's
no longer doing cocaine with Jim Morrison put more on
that shortly. Needless to say, every time I get to
(02:35):
see Creed is a is a total delight. In fact,
the night before this interview you're about to hear, Creed
invited myself, Angela Kinzie, Rain Wilson and others to participate
in a benefit concert that he was giving for the
(02:56):
wildfires that were ravaging Australia at the time. And let
me tell you, I'm sure I was terrible, but Creed
was awesome. It was so amazing. I felt transported back
in time as he is playing to an absolute packed
house on the Sunset Strip at the Roxy. It was
(03:21):
so fun. Anyway, uh, sitting down with Creed for this
conversation was strange and wonderful, and I hope that it
will be for you as well, both strange and wonderful.
And be sure to stay tuned at the end of
this episode because I brought Creed back in for a
(03:42):
second interview the first time that's happened, because I wanted
to talk to him about his song Bubble and Squeak
and why we chose it to be our theme song,
the song you're about to hear. So please welcome to
your ears, Mr creep brotton Bubble and Squeak. I love it,
(04:08):
Bubble and Squeak on Bubble and Squeaker, Cookie every moment
left over from the night before. Hey, what's happening? Hot stuff?
(04:31):
My voice? Is that done? You know? Yeah? You guys
rocked rock. Thank you man for coming. It was a
good guy that the people loved it. Yeah yeah, oh yeah, yeah,
here we go. Yeah, I do the guy on your
list is your volume? Hi? Thank you, sir? Do do
(04:54):
do do one to want to Hello? Hello? Hello, he's
gonna start singing you guys. Uh, there we are. Hi, Hello, Brian, buddy,
how are you good? I'm good? Yeah, that was very
fun last night. It was great. Thank you so much
for coming. Yes, well, you know anything for the animals
(05:14):
or for you indeed, and for your right back at
you via V. Yeah. So it's been so amazingly fun
just talking to people. Um, you had for four hours,
you said I had Greg for four hours. But it
has come to our attention that he talks really slow.
(05:34):
So I think it's more like an hour and forty
five minutes each where there's a train passing through. Yeah.
Well he's smarter than all of us, without a doubt,
without a doubt. Okay, so I want to I want
to take you back back, okay back you started in music,
you started where you want to go back back to you.
(05:56):
I want to go back. I want to know, I
want to hear a little bit. I want to all
the uterous kind of Yeah, all back there, um, okay
um born in Los Angeles. Yes, at the age of two.
If you really want to go back to this, William
Charles Schneider, William Charles Schneider. Just like it said on
the thing when I had the passport thing, it's all true.
(06:19):
All this stuff is true. All this stuff about killing people.
I'm sorry to say. Is there a statute of limitations?
I think that's the only thing. Maybe I shouldn't discuss.
I don't discuss that. Probably Wait, um, do you go
by William Charles Schneider at all? My passport says it doesn't. Really, Yeah,
my passport says it. Yeah, because you've never officially changed
your name. Well, it's my My lawyers and everybody says,
(06:42):
it's just a house. You have to go to court
and do it. I've been trying to do it, but
say just it's say, it's really a lot of hassle.
So my passport says William Charles, I fly over to
Europe under that in the name. What about your license
here it's Creed Bratton. Yeah, and then he goes, he
goes back and forth. You know, I have them running
from the law for years. You know, that's not jokes.
Not surprised, you know exactly. Um okay, so was your
(07:07):
was your first big year? I mean, was your first
band the grassroots? No? My goodness, gracious, okay, So my
my I was born in l A. My father died
in the war, moved up to cour School, California. By
the age of thirteen, I started playing guitar. I mean
I had played trumpet for years, and I was first
chaired all the way through grammar school and high school
(07:27):
and stuff like that. And I read music. And then
my grandfather, Charles, he played guitar in a country and
Western band and my grandmother played drums called the Happy Timers.
Then I had a band called the tour Case. We
played seventeen. I was working professionally with this band, playing
lead guitar, playing all songs from the fifties and stuff. Yeah,
(07:49):
up in bass Lake, California. And then I had a
band called the Leanders, which means Greek Lovers. I was
in college and I and I always played to make money,
you know, time I got through school to play guitar
and that was a drama major at Sacramona State and
I had another band there. But right at the end
of college I went off to Europe and then I
(08:10):
got joined a group called the Young Californians and that
was the band. I traveled around for almost two and
a half years in Europe, North Africa, the Red Curtain countries, Israel.
We worked on a castigat Shadow movie there with Frank Sinatra. Yeah,
I did. I I still remember Frank Sinatra coming to me.
I was just like a early twenties kids, you know,
(08:30):
working on the set and I had my hand on
this board which I didn't know it was going to
be exploded with with the squibs and stuff. It comes
up and said, hey kid, and he's smoke in a
cigarette and he said, a kid, you can blow your
hand up, put your hand on the thing. I said what.
He just moved me away. It was my only Frank
Sinatra movement. Movement. That's true. He saved your life. He
saved my hand. That's what this is what your Frank
(08:54):
Sinatra says. You're you're right, You're you're you're good at
this promo thing. So then, uh, then I got act
to Europe while later and I had a band called
the Umte Floor not to be confused with the Austin
Man the thirteenth Floor Elevator, which was a big band.
It would have confused me, well confused to most people.
And we were playing at the London Fog right next
(09:15):
to the Whiskey Go Go, and we've been playing all
over a year and we had a chance to become
the grassroots first song, Live for Today goes right up
the charts and they were off that was your first song.
That was the first song was Live for Today, and
I was I played guitar and worn that and they
played guitar on that. My friend Bobby Ray played bass,
and the Great Session Drumber hal Blaine played drums on it. Wow. Yeah,
(09:37):
the Wrecking Crew and I used to play with the
Wrecking to a lot. You know, they'd be hard, they
had hope kind of things. They bring in different people
and we play with them. That's one of the reasons
I left the band is because we came back from
tour about the third album and they had cut some
tracks without me, you know, and I went and they said, well,
this is the way they do it. I said, well, no,
I don't. I don't like this at all because I play,
(09:58):
so I didn't like. Yeah, that was the deal. Interesting
And so you were with the Grassroots for how long?
Four albums from sixty seven, sixty sixty six to seventy Okay, yeah,
so you you were the biggest star on the set
of the Office before the Office, you were kind of
(10:20):
the only stuff. Well, I would say that about the
time arrived there with Steve Carrell on the fourty year
Old Virgin. He was started after we started. I think
you were the biggest star. Well, I I like you
like the thing about you know me? Yes, I like
the way you put you putting this are you did you? Well? No,
but it's true. I mean it might be technically true
(10:41):
as far as pop culture. Yeah, you had I mean
you had lived a rock star life for yeah years, yeah,
for years? Like you to be alive, my friend, I
remember in a very Creed Broughton way, meaning you and
your character on the show John Krasinski and I talked
(11:01):
about this all the time, you walking in and beginning
to tell a story and truly going that story is
so outlandish it can't possibly be true. But maybe it is,
and I think you did both. I think you told
stories that I might have embellished a movement, Brian, you know,
but I know I don't have to be bembell much.
(11:24):
You don't. But my son parted with Jim Morrison of course. Yeah,
the Doors by John Densmore, the drummer with my best
man at my wedding. I hung out with that band
all the time we toured together. Yeah, of course. Yeah,
that's all real. I mean, that's that's all real. Yeah,
it's all real. So you you become an actor and
(11:44):
you um studied with the method. Charles Conrad, I did
a bunch of stuff before the office. People just think
that that was my first thing. But if you look
at IMDb, I've done a bunch of stuff twinci'es and
eight is Enough, and a bunch of TV recent things.
You know. John Crosby, that there Will, the famous agent
(12:05):
saw me at the Odyssey Theater. I've done a play
with bow Bridges, you know, and I had my hair,
you know, it's kind of kind of attractive, you know,
and very very confident. So he signed up and I
didn't have to go out on anything. He just said,
you got a job. Over here back in those days
that we just said, you got a job over here,
and I was just working for a couple of years
wow with him. And then immediately prior to the Office
(12:26):
you were working with Ken Kappas And I met Ken
on Bernie Matt Show. He came on the show and
he was a big Grassroot fans. So he sent out
to Ambre Records for me to sign some albums for him,
and I found he was like an encyclopedia of pop knowledge.
Ken knows all that stuff he does, he does and
I healed it off. He's such a sweetheart. We know
(12:48):
we love Kim. So I heard from Joe that he
was directing uh the Office in American Workplace, and I went,
I loved the Rickey Gerbis things. So I did something
I've never ever done. Moore Brian I called. He gave
me his number. I called the director up and he
was he wasn't that starting? Oh? I said, look, I
just heard you were doing the show. I love the
Ricky Gervais show so much. I said, is there any
(13:11):
way I could come and read for something over there?
And he went, you know what? He said, where can
let me talk to Greg? He calls me back. He said,
I told him we were a very interesting guy, and
he said I think I think, he said, he said, well,
if he's that interesting, let's see if we can work
him into the mix. His words were work him in
the mix. So there, I mean, you know, in the
background at the desk the first season, and I read
(13:33):
right away. I felt very comfortable with everybody, you know.
So when I saw what I had to do, I
wrote a scene. I wrote a bunch of talking heads
and shot about hours where the stuff AD left a
bunch of stuff, wrote all this crazy stuff and cut
it down to about five or seven seven minutes or so,
gave it to Greg. You did this yourself? Yeah, yeah,
I did it all myself, did all myself. Okay, no, wait,
(13:54):
all right, wait, hold on. So you're in your in
the back, in the background. You're in the background season one, right,
but you're like, I want to people, I want to
play with you. I want to play with these people exactly.
So you when when we're done with those first six episodes,
you put together essentially a reel for yourself. I did, yeah,
(14:16):
and submittedive. Now, the thing is what what gave me
the impetus was on diversity day. I don't can you
remember the name of our first assistant director, the woman
she was with us that first season? Remember her? I
can't remember her name. So we're in diversity day. She
comes up to me and Phillis and we have the
name tags on our foreheads and stuff, and she says, okay,
(14:37):
now you guys just start ad living as Phillis goes,
oh wait, he's I said, that's okay, and she looks
at me and I just give her the eyes and
she said, all right, fine, your your funeral, you know.
So we started talking and stuff, and later on they
come back and we said, you were talking and and
they asked her and says, well, I just thought he
was part of the group, you know. That's because that's
the way I was react acting. And they said they
(14:59):
said no. So they paid me off the side, but
they wouldn't give anything after. I also did the voice
for the elevator the thing. Yes, I did the voice
and that went over really well. The coal but the
coal of the coalmat yeah, And so they saw that
I could that I could do the funny stuff, you know.
And so I had two things happening already, kind of
like doing some little level, little fulk room, as it were,
(15:20):
to kind of give me a segue me into this thing.
And then you're right, I wrote, I wrote all this
stuff down. He creed was psychic. I had a scene
where I said, Krazynski comes up behind me and I'm
in acquisitions, and I just flip a step over my shoulder.
I already know what he wants. I think it scared
the cast, scared the crew. I liked the scaring people,
(15:41):
he said, and this is the guy, you know. And
then of course they took it. They took it far
beyond I could ever I could ever think it would
how crazy he would be. But they still incorporated a
lot of the weird stuff that because I would tell
him about rock and roll stories, you know, and the
crazy stuff I've done. Yes, so you submit this tape
to give it to Greg Big Daniels and and I
(16:03):
think I gave it to maybe it was it was
greg Or Ken Ken Siborne. And before I know it,
they throw a six snap page scene on my desk
and say, Okay, here's your big chance with Steve Carrell.
Make it to break it the Halloween episode. Halloween episode,
and then that was it. Man, I told the story before.
When they came in, I met had this thing memorized
backwards and boards, absolutely memorized, and I could in the
(16:26):
middle of and I could go, but I kept that
back in my head anywhere I wanted, I could go
in on that on that scene and know it right
away natural, you know, it goes bro. They come and say, okay,
well we've changed the thing around. It's gonna be in
this order here, and we've changed that some new stuff.
And Steve goes, yeah, fine, I'll just plant it over
flop sweat. I go outside. I'm shaking. I've absolutely shaken,
(16:48):
and I said, okay, look I've come this far. I'm
just gonna wing it. You know. So a lot of
that stuff that that that that that stuff, a lot
of that stuff is improv too. You know. It just worked,
just work. I was I was fighting for my life.
Wou That is amazing. That is amazing. And and from
then on I am a guest star. But right away
(17:10):
I heard Todd when I talked to Greg, he said,
once he heard me do which one pam and someone
making soup, he knew, he said, he knew at that
time that was it. And then that just you know,
it was off and running and lucky es ye, lucky
me to get to play with you guys. And you
said you were a fan of the British first, Yes,
so you'd watch I'd watched them all and I thought
(17:30):
it was the best. I remember the first time on
that old place where we were shooting there over in
Las Area City in studio and Greg said, look, we're
gonna try to do this thing. We're gonna have a
laugh track, We're gonna have a lot of uncomfortable pauses,
you know. And I looked around everybody and everyone's nodding,
you know, sage like like we all knew it was cool.
(17:51):
We didn't know if it's gonna work or not. Yeah,
and it did. It's interesting now that I'm thinking about it, because,
you know, I don't think I was aware until today,
like how actively you were trying to get in. I knew,
and I didn't know obviously, I couldn't know the show
(18:12):
was going to be that show. I just knew that
was my little voice was saying this feels right, this
is what you want to be a part of. And besides,
I was very comfortable with everywhere, you know, we all laughed,
We enjoyed each other's company. I mean, I certainly did
I know that I'd get feedback from everybody. So I said,
you know what, I think I could just be very
very happy here. So I did everything I could. I
(18:33):
worked hard. I don't think I've ever ever shot a
thing like that and submitted it before, you know, And
if I had told anybody, they are tried to talk
me out of it, you know, damn well, right, because
you just don't do stuff like you don't do that. No, no,
but I wasn't gonna let anybody know my my macav
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On the latest season of the Next Question with Katie
Couric podcast, Katie dives into Well Katie Here exclusive podcast
only conversations between Katie and the people who made her
memoir Going There Possible. We spent a lot of time
(21:21):
together around a dining room table here and in the city,
and you know, it was a very intense experience. All
episodes of Next Question with Katie Couric are available now.
Listen on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you get your podcasts. When as you're watching the
(21:51):
first episodes unfold and certainly being a part of it,
like you talked about in Diversity Day, but when, when
did you feel like we might have something cool? Was
it right away? No? No, some people say that I didn't.
I didn't have a clue and I knew, well, right
for the first we know we were gonna thought the
possibly would be going to be canceled. We thought we
(22:13):
were going to be canceled. There and then he called
us back. Um, I guess I think it's one day
driving in there to work and it's seen Steve's four
year old virgin right there on Woodman right therefore before
SADIKOI and I saw the post and I went, okay, wow,
this is this is kind of interesting. And uh, I
think if we'd been on a lot, it would have
(22:34):
been different. Been being off in that little uh micro
caused him that we were we which was great to
be by ourselves like that. You know, we didn't we
didn't really we were in a bubble. We didn't really
see it. I I think it probably took two took
me maybe to the end of the second season or
the third season, realized wait a second, you know, this
looks like this could be something serious, you know, right, yeah,
(22:55):
but you but you said before, like in terms of
not necessarily becoming hit, but that we were doing something cool. Yeah,
we're doing good work. And I know I laughed because
I watched shows all the time, and most stuff doesn't
make me laugh. But I see and I knew what
these shows were, and I would still laugh. So I'd say, well,
if I'm laughing and I already know what's happening, there's
got to be pretty good. That's that's the criteria. Yeah, right,
(23:19):
what do you think that it did for the show? Right?
So the office comes out of you know, for lack
of a better phrase, like the Friends era. You know,
people were expected to look a certain way on television. Um,
what do you think that that did for us? That
that Alison Jones and Ken and Greg, that that they
(23:41):
cast people who didn't necessarily look like primetime TV stars.
I think that was the genius of it. I think
it was the beauty of it because people the average
joke and could could relate to it, you know, and
I mean the average Joe, not an accept deprecating way
at all, just your basic person on the street. They're
not glamorousses, you know, not everybody was a glamorous you know,
(24:02):
these are average people. And as you know, a lot
of people thought it was a documentary and they really
didn't know it was a show for a while, which
which is that's brilliant if that happens. That It's really
not about the way the characters looked, but it was
the specific way that the characters were written, the specific
(24:23):
traits that they had. Um, that I think made people
respond to it, right. I think everybody is trying to
find lightning in a bottle and they're they're trying to
to say, how did how did this happen? How did
this thing become? Or the zeitgeist? But well, it's the
synergy between us as as a cast, the writers, the directors,
(24:46):
the crew, and when you throw it all together, you're
you're trying to go, Okay, where is this little spark
that makes it work. It's it's up in the It's
up in the air. You know. It's like treads now
blowing with these fingers, this professed I don't know what
it is thing, but we'll know, but it's it's it is.
It was magic. It was a little bit of magic. Yeah.
(25:08):
And I I think the writing was so brilliant. You know,
I don't know about you, but I get scripts all
the time sent to me to you know, to try
to do that cree character again, and I look at it.
It's not not anywhere near those ring. The writers we
had come on. The writers are so important, so we
just had to be ourselves and in character and then
(25:29):
say I say the lines without adding anything to it.
And it worked. They saw the big picture. Yeah, there
was something about the construction of the writing staff and
the actors and the crew and really everyone involved that
everybody cared. Yes, Yes, that was it that we cared. Yeah,
(25:52):
that that there wasn't It wasn't about so often it's
about self promotion or about you know, well, off I
do this, then this will get me to this other show,
or you know, I want people to see that I
can do this or that or whatever. But I felt like, really,
at its core, the people on this show, we're just
(26:13):
trying to make a really good show. Yes, I totally agree.
When we were there on the set in those days,
it was all about just that was the office and
everybody there was part of the office, the crew and
the cast and the writers. And I think we've all
mentioned before having the writers in the in the cast
and having them take their ear on the street and
(26:34):
then going back to the writer's room, and then that's
that parlayed into that brilliance too. Yeah. Well you talked
before about you telling stories. Yes, and they here and
they come around and pick my brains sometimes, you know. Um,
I think I told the story about Live for Today
with the grass Foot Hits. There was one of the
lines in Live for Today was baby, I need to
(26:56):
feel you inside of me. I need to feel you
deep inside of me. Build Or magazine came out with
an article and said, regarding the band The Grassroots and
the hit song Live for the Day, we assumed that
The Grassroots are a heterosexual band, and we went what
we were freaking out because we're all from you know, uh.
(27:16):
Warren and I had been the rhythm guitar and I
had been to Europe and college. The other two had
never been out of California, I don't think, so they
were freaking down. I'm saying, chill, chill, It's okay, relax,
and I said, but I had this seriously after that article.
For a year, I had this reoccurring dream and I'd
wake up in the middle of the night and all
my ex girlfriends were coming at me in a circle, angry,
(27:38):
naked with strap on, and I'd wake up in a
cold sweat, a cold sweat and a little titillated to
I gotta say, but but I told that story to
the thing, and then of course they did the the
the gay witch hud story. This is what I'm talking about.
I don't know how much of that is true. I
(28:00):
don't know how much of that you don't know either.
The one I always true though, that's true? Yeah, yeah, yeah,
so I remember, I remember just I mean, I think
this is when you used a lot. But the one
that I always tell was us in the conference room
(28:20):
one day. This is really early on, and um, I
don't even know if we can use this or not,
but I'm gonna at least tell you now I remember
you something happened and you go, yeah, yeah, that reminds
me snorting cocaine off of Hooker's ass at the Playboy
Mansion with Jim Morrison's and looking around. What did he
(28:47):
just say so many words together? It sounds wrong? Yeah,
And we'll never know. Now, we'll never know that is
don't know anymore as I am. So, what combination is
the character Creed Bratton? How much of the character of
(29:07):
Creed Broton is you? Well, you've known me long enough
to know that that I am not actually and used
and we used to play him up to I wrote
him as because I did write the character at the beginning,
so he was Um, think of myself as a as
a crack tuning fork. It's a it's a it's filibrating
(29:28):
and it's all mated to break and this it's and
I wrote the physical comedy is from Jacques Tati and
the way he physically walks, the facial expressions are Jack, Benny,
George Gobel, Bob new Heart, and it's it's in a
juxtaposition of all those characters that I loved. And that's
(29:48):
that's how my comedy came around. And then I then
I so I tried to write a character. My original
premise was that Creed rock Star had an over overdose
st out on a Greyhound bus, ended up in a
dumpster in Scratton, and Ed Truck brought him in and
gave him a job as in the stores, a salesman
in the in the under Mifflin, where he was horrible
(30:10):
at and then they were frightened of him and stuck
him over that that was the premise basically, and so
he was just Yeah, he's an extension obviously extension of
this rock and roll guy. But I mean, I would
be worn out if I had to be him all
the time because because he's he's operating out that higher
he's what that kind of he he's hyped up. You know,
(30:32):
was there something physically you did in terms of getting
to that character, like what what was It was almost
like getting myself a hiccup, the physical hiccup. It's just
almost a nervous twitch to be him. Yeah, and even
and I had I they thought he was joking some
notes like wait a minute, I'm not I'm not ready,
I'm not ready. Well, what do you mean you're I'm not.
(30:54):
I'm I'm a I'm a rock guy. I'm a musician.
You know. I write these soulful songs and that's that's
who I am. You know, I'm more much more serious
and thoughtful than that character. But when I'm in the
behind the desk, I'm the chicanery involved. There's escaping from
the law. There's there's always been one step somebody in
my eyes and just thinking they're gonna find me out.
(31:16):
That was always my backstory. Are they going to find
me out? So that's when every time we look at anybody,
the thing in the back of my mind was going
to see that I'm just faking it here and I'm
cheating them and stealing from them. We were there so
much that after a while just it becomes ingrained in
your behavior and you keep it. Sometimes in between when
say when Creed is leaving the office. Sorry, that's been
(31:37):
a murder. I'm in it here. Oh I'm Steve. I
go well, I'll be right back. And you see my body,
my body, head out. That's that's very Jacques Tati. You know,
when I was in Europe, I watched a lot of this,
that his comedy, and I just loved his physical movement,
you know, so I would emulate emulate this and that's
very cool. Yeah, yeah, because it's funny. It's it's half
(31:58):
Charlie Chaplin and of Jacques Toti. Yeah. What was your
job in the office? Uh? Quality ashlets quality, quality, quality assurance,
which he never did. He never did, was there any
but the one time he didn't he game He came
in one time in a year and missed up on something.
(32:20):
That's when the car too characters rabbing sex on the yeah,
and then and he frames Debbie Brown. He finds she's
the only one not at work that day, and so
he blames on her. Then he collects money at the
end and pockets and himself. He's such a scump, scummy guy.
What what exactly is the job of quality? Oh, I
(32:41):
don't know, that's the thing. I didn't want to be
found out because they didn't do any work. Push papers,
literally pushed papers round on the desk. Yeah, I'm not
sure Kevin did either. He invented the Clevin. He did
invent the Cleven did that. So that's you have that
to live with. UM, so you talked about season two,
(33:06):
you know, the end of season two, Um, we win
the Emmy Casino Night, the last one we had in
the Casino Night. Such a fun episode we had gotten,
you know, shortly before that, after like getting six episodes
and two and four and one and three, and in
season two, you know, we get a full season pick
(33:27):
up first season three and we win the Emmy after
season two, K, what do you remember about those I've
never I always i'm I'm almost mystoic philosophy, Gu'm ryan,
and I just I live in the moment. I don't
predict that anything's gonna happen. I just do the work
as a day comes, and so I didn't look too
far ahead. I just, you know, I just tried to
be there and be there now. As they say when
(33:48):
we go to the red carpet events in the Limos.
That was the first time that I felt a little
like and it felt like back in the Grassroot days,
kind of something you and going to a big show
or something like that, going okay, I kind of remember
this this energy, it's a rush. It's kind of great. Yeah.
When did you start getting recognized as being creed brought
in from the office. I think about the third season.
(34:09):
I was in Trader Joe's and walking along and a
woman pulled her child away from me and I and
I was alarmed, but I was kind of pleased that
my character did that to someone, you know, And then
she looked apologetic, and I did say to her, said,
I'm just an actress, said, I said, I'm not. I did,
I'm not that guy. And she's like, she just sugar,
and she just pulled ahead child's eyes away, and I
(34:35):
took it as a compliment. I remember my U. I
did this movie years ago, a Peter mcdonaldi's film called
Mask with Eric Stoltz and Samuel and Share. I was
the ticket taker in that in that movie, and my
daughter was studying at the Performing Academy in Manhattan, and
she went with her friends to see the movie and
the she didn't tell him that I was in it.
(34:57):
And when I did my scene with Samuel, you know, yeah,
wherever the line was, you know, like that day, Oh
what an asshole? And she should Dad. I was so
proud of you, and I felt really good that they
thought it was an asshole. Yes, yes, that's awesome, so great,
that's so awesome. What grows in the forest trees? Sure, No,
(35:28):
what else grows in the forest, our imagination, our sense
of wonder and our family bonds grow too, because when
we disconnect from this and connect with this, we reconnect
with each other. The forest is closer than you think.
Find a forest near you and start exploring. I discover
(35:48):
the forest dot org. Brought to you by the United
States Forest Service and the AD Council. I'm Colleen with
Join me the host of Eating Wall Broke podcast while
I eat a meal created by self made entrepreneurs, influencers,
and celebrities over a meal they once eight when they
were broke. Today I have the lovely AJ Crimson, the
official Princess of comfin Asia Kidding and Asia is professor.
(36:13):
We're here on Eating While Broken Today, I'm gonna break
down my meal that got me through a time when
I was broken. Listen to Eating While Broke on the
I Heart Radio app, on Apple podcast or wherever you
get your podcasts. Hey, this is Paris Hilton. Last year
I revealed the story of my abuse at Provo Canyon School.
(36:34):
Since then, thousands of survivors have come forward. Now I'm
on a mission to expose the truth of the entire industry,
and this weekly investigative podcast me and my host Rebecca
Mellinger and Caroline Cole. We'll examine one infamous team treatment
facility each season. First up, Provo Canyon School. This one
(36:56):
is personal. When you first get there, you are to
experience girls screaming, locked up, peeing themselves in the hallway, sleeping,
and you're like, where am I? Holy heck, this is
not what I expected. Listen to Trapped and Treatment on
(37:21):
the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast or wherever you
get your podcasts. You talked about the magic and it
is unexplainable. It is Why do you think that the
(37:42):
show connects so well with young people? You know, like
it's a show about I actually looked this up. I mean,
this is a side story last night because we did
the thing for your birthday that But then, by the way,
thank you guys so much. Just blew my mind. I
(38:03):
didn't see it coming. Yeah, I didn't. By the way,
everyone it's tomorrow, it's his birthday, because I looked it
up because I was like, is it actually today? And
nobody knew, so I looked it up. And this is
a very weird story that I'm saying this because I'm
I'm pretty sure you're the oldest, but I was looking
at it and going, other than John and Jenna and
(38:26):
b J, I'm the youngest likely yeah, like all those
guys and so, but even I, you know, when the
show started, I was thirty one. Oh my god, I
thought you were older. There. Yea, that's what you're such,
you're a kid, sut there Yeah, well anymore a long time. Um.
(38:46):
But my point is it was that, you know, we
were still like, you know, early middle age to upper
middle aged group of people who worked in an office.
And I always thought, oh, well this, you know, if
every one works in an office or everybody goes to work,
like thinking, those are the people that it would really
appeal to. Not and not that it doesn't, but it
(39:08):
has such a young audience base. Why do you think that, man, Brian.
I I used to think it was because of the
sweetness of the show and and there was a heart
that the show has a heart without a doubt, it's undeniable.
And how how does that happen? I don't know. But
I also think now that in retrospect um, there's so
(39:31):
much anguish, there's only so much vampire's blowing up and
and threats of all this stuff, and the angst, the
existential angst of whatever we're experiencing. Own to my god,
there's a cartoon there a day where guys looking at
his dog, he says, I'm so glad you don't have
to know what's going on right now. It's kind of
that thing. Our show didn't really torture people with the
(39:53):
immediency of our demise as and so it relaxed. It
relaxes people. I think it's one of those shows that
relax with people and they go to it to make
themselves feel happy. And I think we also came in
at a time where it doesn't look that dated for
an office. You know, there were cell phones, there were computers.
You know, if you go back a little board, you
(40:14):
don't see that stuff so kind of dates. We just
came in at that sweet spot, I think too. And
it's and it's it's definitely funny and people can relate
to it, not even if you're an office or not.
The interpersonal relationship all these people and who do it
so well, you know, yeah, well it's I have to
give credit because I'm not the smart. But I was
speaking to um, this woman who's a television critic, and
(40:40):
she was talking about some of the you know, political
economic things that are going on in our world. And
you know, it was a show about a small paper
company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. But what what she was talking
to me about is those businesses now they don't exist now,
and there's in this nostalgia in a way, like like
(41:01):
who would have thought that would actually be a good
job right now? If you're in that industry, you work
at Staples or office Max or Target or Walmart, you know,
like you're working for Superstore like that television show. Now,
like if that's the progression from the office, it's a
big box store in person, humanity or heart. I think
(41:24):
that's a very interesting idea. I agree. And if you
wanted to work with people and make relationship, you'd want
to be at dunder Mifflin, not an impersonal Staples, you know,
because you get lost and you might might happen and
people want to kind of where we need that stuff
in in our lives. We're losing a lot of it unfortunately. Yeah,
like the concept of the show, the conceit, right, is like, oh,
(41:49):
here's a boring here's a boring office job in a
paper company. Right, But if you look at the alternative,
it's slinging paper at target, Like that's not no, no,
this is much better. Yeah, we're a little we're a
little biased too, though. Well yeah, I know certainly. Um,
(42:14):
when Greg left to go start Parks and Rack, Mike
and Greg laugh and Jon Salotta and Paul were there,
did you notice any any change really because Greg was
still around. Yeah, he's around for a while. I think
I think it it took me a while to to
feel that there was more of a I don't know,
a hodgepodgy hodgepodgy feeling after he left for a while.
(42:38):
I don't know. I couldn't I couldn't even actually put
my finger on if there was a cohesive thread that
there was missing. But I think there was to some degree.
And maybe it's just my hindsight that I know that
now so that I can, you know, superimposed those feelings
over it, but I I kind of felt, I did
feel for sure when he came back, that the ship
(43:00):
was righted to it at some degree. Yeah. I have
to say that I'm a big Greg fan obviously, you know,
we all are, but you know, well, because he just
seemed to always support he had my back, you know,
and he he allowed me to play music, allowed me
to play music in the show, which is a huge thing,
you know, And he gave me I remember one time
(43:21):
I was did some ad lib stuff and I thought
maybe I was right in the beginning, and I thought
maybe I was usurpre my position somewhat. I came to
him and said, do you think I should have thrown
that thing? And they said, no, no, no, I don't
want you to center yourself every creek, just just say
it out there. Patted me on the back, and I went, Okay,
this is He gave me the carte blanche to continue
on being my insane self sweetness. Yeah, and he's so
(43:45):
damn smart it's ridiculous. Yeah. Um, Steve basically becomes a
giant movie star. Yes, in season two, talk to me
a little bit about either any recollections, not even recolle actions.
How was he like to work with You know, you
started that first scene in Halloween. It was six and
(44:05):
a half pages with him, right. Well, he was very
giving and gracious, you know, and uh he he allowed
me the space to to jump up and just do
do stuff, you know, and uh and and we just
kept going, which a professional just kept going. It was
a long day. We were in that office for a
long time. But I had so much respect for him.
And later on, I think it was season two, he
(44:27):
was doing some scenes and oh it was at the
end of is that wonderful, wonderful scene where the children
come up at the end of Halloween and you see
what heart this guy has, you know, and remember some
other scene you could see it. And I came up
to him one day and I told him, I said,
you are really really good dramatic actor, Steve. And I
think it was a little embarrassed and taking because he's
shy in a way, you know he is, And I said, no,
(44:50):
really needs to. I think I embarrassed him just a
little bit because I had such great respect for the guy.
And also, you know, you know how hard it is
not to laugh when he's doing when he comes to
this prison Mica or in the big overweight suit, you
know the thing it's so hard on collapse, Michael closing,
so so brilliant, you know, just great to watch it.
(45:11):
I learned a lot from watching him too. I learned
a lot from everybody that came on, just you know,
uh Spader. When I watch Spader work, I was picking
his nuances and stuff like crazy. I pay very close
attention to that stuff people that I respect, and I
watched and file it away for characters for later. Yeah,
when did you find out that he was leaving? I
(45:34):
basically that scene in there when I say see you tomorrow, boss,
I thought he was still staying. No, No, we all knew,
and uh, that was hard. That was hard. I wasn't sure,
you know. I think I probably voiced it with a
few people. I said, you know, when I think it
might be time to just stop, you know, I really
felt that. I thought, you know, without him, how can this,
(45:56):
how can it possibly go on? How can I go on?
And I would have understood, you know, really, I'm glad.
Obviously we got to go on, And obviously the finale
redeemed us in a way. I believe that finale just
kind of like pulled the thing together. There were some
great moments too, but I don't think they ever came
up to his stuff with Steve. I just don't think
(46:17):
so do you. I am tremendously proud, quite frankly, of
the entire ninth season. I feel like it's a little
underappreciated in a way. I think that we were continuing
to try to find the right formula in terms of
who was the boss, but I think the show just
started functioning differently. I feel like not a whole lot
(46:40):
of shows gets to end on their own terms and
and tell the end of a story that they wanted
to tell, and the idea of you know, Greg wanting
to finish the story in that way. I felt like
he was able to do it and and and I
thought did it very effective? Well? That was like I
said that that finale was so But did you feel
at the time that when when Steve left that you
(47:02):
would have been happy saying okay, let's just call it
no no now you wouldn't to continue on. Personally, I
think the show could still be on right now. It
would have turned into like E R and people would
have laughed and new people coming in dead. My character
would be dead. You know, although I don't think Greg
would ever let anybody die. Who was there, I don't know,
(47:23):
but maybe maybe. Um before the finale, did you have
a conversation with Greg? Yes, yes, he he called me,
and you know, he'd asked everybody. He said, I want
to know what your your feedback is, how do you
think the character Creed should leave? And I told him
(47:44):
I thought it well, And I said, I think this
is this song of mine. All the faces. I could
be at poor Richards playing my guitar. You guys, the
cast all walks in and I'm singing all the faces
and the camera comes in on each of you. He said,
I like that idea. That's the last I heard of
it until the table read. And then I saw at
that time and almost cried. I literally, Brian, I went,
(48:06):
oh my god. Looked around. There was my guitar. I
didn't know I was going to sing that song until
the table read. That's the first time I heard about it.
They kept they kept it, They kept it just as
a surprise. It was emotional. Wait, they they had your guitar. Now.
The p A went and got my guitar and had
it there. And I looked around like this and I
went and I seen reading the scripting. But oh my god,
I'm gonna sing this song. And what there is Gregs
(48:29):
letting me sing my song? And look around they're they're
all they're standing bick they're smiling, and they got my guitar.
They planned this, you know, we play. Will you play
a little bit for me? All right? Okay, I gotta
tear my phone on just for second, guys to uh
tune up this acts. This is the guitar I used
(48:50):
actually on the on the show. This this old Martin
and John think it's a good story. John, we couldn't
get the microphone on the think and then the shot
so Krasinski said he'd hold the shotgun. He had it
under his arm when we were recording. You couldn't hide him, mind,
I couldn't hide the mic for the guitar itself. And
then John said, well, I'll just hold the shotgun mic
(49:11):
under my arm because he was the closest. He was
the closest to me and since he was sitting there
talking to looking over the pammit all the time, he's
holding them right there on the sound hole. He's a
team player, like boy, we know that all right? For
you I saw a friend today. It had been a while,
(49:50):
and we forgot each other's name, but it didn't matter,
because deep inside, feeling still remains. We talked of knowing
one before you've met, how you feel more than you see,
(50:14):
and other worlds that lie spaces in between angels. We
can see. All the faces that I know have that
same familiar glue. I think I must have known them
(50:35):
somewhere once. Beefful. All the faces that I know, and
all the faces were seeking air every day. When we
(50:56):
get home at night, there's one face me. And when
my mind's absorbed on my private little screen and I'm walking,
climbing through a sea of unknown men, I hear a
(51:17):
voice reminded they're across the street, walks an old forgotten friends.
We don't have to say a word. It's really better
left unsaid, just light through as that recognize all the faces,
(51:45):
all the faces I know, and while the faces we
see each in air day when we get home at night,
(52:06):
there's one face week, all the faces I see each
chin every day when I get home at night, face
I knee. When I get home at night, You're the
(52:33):
only face I need. So great there we go, so
great dude, yeah it Um that gets me every time. Um,
(52:59):
we're six years since you sang that song in the finale, right,
do you feel like the show is bigger now than
it was then? Without a doubt, without a doubt. And
I can tell because I'm always out on the road,
play in front of people. And I started out on
the show with two people, and now it's eight hundreds
(53:21):
of thousand coming to see my show, and they come
up to me and they're younger, and the kids that
watched the show then are grown up. They turned their
younger symbolis onto it. Their children. Oh my god, there's
young people who were born by that time who've already
have seen the show and and know the show. It dones,
it dones. It's crazy, right it is. And I don't
know how long how long this thing will last, but
(53:42):
it seems to me that just keeps growing. You know,
went away. Why do you think I think all this
stuff we talked about before the Heart the Heart, I
just think we should just enjoy it, and you just
tryed to try to figure out why. I mean, if
somebody can figure it out, sure that would be great,
But I don't think you can. Our ticket exactly where
(54:03):
where the magic occurs and how it occurs. Yeah, just
accept it and be grateful. What are you most thankful
for waking up in the mornings from your experience from
the off? Um, Oh my gosh, so many things, Brian,
So many things, you know, just to to find that
(54:24):
you can actually get together with a bunch of people
in a community effort and and make make a wonderful thing,
you know, and get like, like you said, without the backbiting,
without the egos and stuff like that. For everybody pulling
together for a purpose. It's that it's that sixties thing
and we grew up. We thought we could change something,
you know, and we did with that show as a
(54:44):
game changer. And to find that you can work and
in a harmonious environment is pretty rewarding stuff. We all
got to laugh every day, so it wasn't like work
to get to be And that's the thing for me.
I get to go to do something I just enjoy.
It's never like we're it's a it's a blessing. It's
an absolute blessing. Yeah, it's too bad a head end.
(55:06):
But if they have good things have to all good things.
We got a song all good things come to an end.
It's true, you know, Creed, we were a family without
I think we still are anyways, you know we still are.
Can't take that away. It's it's ingrained in us now. UM.
I love you. I love you man, and thanks for
(55:26):
coming in and talking. Come on, it was my pleasure
offering well not just your song, but you're your your
sense of humor and thoughtfulness. So thank you, thank you,
thank you. Is this now? Are you recording right now
(55:51):
from your home studio? I'm going to turn the recording
on right now. Thank you for me. There we go.
I'm recording from my home studio. Yeah. Us, indeed, you're
recording from your home studio. It's so good to talk
to you. Um. So when I was putting together this podcast,
we started talking about, oh what music, and I was like, whoa,
(56:16):
what if we go to Creed, Like, let's let's look
at some of Creed's music, some of his new stuff.
And I hear your song Bubble and Squeak, and I
just fall in love with it, Like I just it
was like the perfect vibe for me. So where did
Bubble and Squeak come from? Where did the inspiration for
(56:36):
that come from? Bubble and squeak. I um a year
last year or the year for I. It's been so
long which we have been held held up, you know,
held for ransom in these in our homes. Um. I
went to Romanian shot this movie called The Sisters Brothers,
and UH came back and I was spent spending some
(56:56):
time in London, staying at a hotel. They're just kind
of cruising around and I this is my fun to
third third or fourth time there. And I went to
have dinner or lunch or something, and they're on the menu,
had said bubble and squeak. And all these years that
I've been there, I never had it. I never I
was always curious. So I finally asked the wait I said,
(57:16):
what does this mean? They said, oh, it's when you
take a bunch of stuff, you know, and you just
from from lunch or dinner the day before, and next
morning you throw it all in a pan. And you
had some eggs. So I said, well, I do that
all the time, and I do. I I keep my
dinner leftovers and a lot of people do just toss
me with eggs. It's a great way to have a
(57:37):
breakfast that way. So UM, it's kind of like your show,
and I commented, I think this is just kind of
like your show because you're taking all these bits and
pieces and stuff and you're not really sure what's gonna
you hope it's going to turn out great, and you
throw you throw it in the pan and you see
what's what's gonna happen. Yes, we're taking what everybody said,
(57:57):
whatever is left, and we're gonna put it in a
pan and cook it up and try to deliver something
fun and good. Well, Creed, thank you so much for
coming back on and talking about this song. Thanks for
letting us you bub and sweet, Thank you for you,
thank you for using it. I do appreciate my friend
now absolutely. I cannot wait for people to hear the
(58:18):
rest of Mr Creed Broughton. So thanks so much, man,
I really appreciate you. Love you too. Alright. Well, folks,
(58:38):
I don't know about you, but something about that guy
just I don't know, it just tugs at my old
heart strings. He is truly one of a kind and
I am a better person for knowing him. So thank
you so much Creed for joining me in the studio
(58:58):
and again for letting me use your fantastic song that
works so perfectly for this podcast. You rock and thanks
to all of you for listening. You rock as well.
I guess and uh I will see you all right
back here next week for another episode of the Office
(59:21):
Deep Dive. The Office Deep Dive is hosted and executive
produced by me Brian Baumgartner, alongside our executive producer Langley.
Our senior producer is Tessa Kramer, our producer is Adam Massias,
(59:42):
our associate producer is Emily Carr, and our assistant editor
is Diego Tapia. My main man in the booth is
Alec Moore. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak, performed by
my great friend Creed Bratton, and the episode was mixed
by seth Olandski. Hello, this is Christina Hutchinson and Karin Fisher.
(01:00:18):
We're thrilled to announce that our show, guys, We the
Anti flut Schaming Podcast, is returning to wide release. That's right,
every Friday we talked to one of our favorite comedians
or an expert in the field of sexuality, love and
relationships to hear what all theos are about. Subscribe now
and listen to the Luminary original podcast. Guys. We've starting
January one on the I Heart radio app, Apple Podcasts
(01:00:42):
or wherever you get your podcasts. Have you ever felt
depressed about work only to have your dad be like,
why you're so down? So you told him you hate
your job and he said, well, you better talk yourself
out of it. And then you thought, I love to talk.
I could host a podcast. And then you went to
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ring job and told your dad thanks for the advice.
And he was like, well, that's not what I meant,
(01:01:03):
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seem happy, So that's great, kiddo. You ever do that? Well,
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Org brought to you by the United States Forest Service
and the AD Council. Hey, it's deer Lipa. I'm here
to tell you about my brand new podcasts, deer Lepa
at your service. I'll be sitting down with the world's
most inspiring minds to uncover what makes and take and
what they've learned from the obstacles life has thrown at them,
including Sir Elton John. After a lot of upsets, a
(01:06):
lot of disappointments, a lot of betrayals. It's turned out
to be the most wonderful life right now that I
could ever imagined. Listen to do Relief at your service
on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever
you get your podcasts. I'm Creed Bratton and I played
(01:28):
Creed Bratton on the Office. It's so amazing. It's so amazing.
None of those have been funny before. Hello everyone, this
is the Office Deep Dive and I am your host,
Brian bond Gartner. Today I am pleased to present to
(01:50):
you America's favorite weirdo, Creed Bratton. I know the Dozeks
guy thinks that he is, but Creed tr rerually maybe
the most interesting man on earth. Seriously, if you don't
know Creed story, buckle up, folks. Creed was a professional
(02:13):
musician before the Office, like a legit toward with the
doors musician, and of course he is still a musician
to this day, though as far as I know, he's
no longer doing cocaine with Jim Morrison put more on
that shortly. Needless to say, every time I get to
(02:35):
see Creed is a is a total delight. In fact,
the night before this interview you're about to hear, Creed
invited myself, Angela Kinzie, Rain Wilson and others to participate
in a benefit concert that he was giving for the
(02:56):
wildfires that were ravaging Australia at the time. And let
me tell you, I'm sure I was terrible, but Creed
was awesome. It was so amazing. I felt transported back
in time as he is playing to an absolute packed
house on the Sunset Strip at the Roxy. It was
(03:21):
so fun. Anyway, uh, sitting down with Creed for this
conversation was strange and wonderful, and I hope that it
will be for you as well, both strange and wonderful.
And be sure to stay tuned at the end of
this episode because I brought Creed back in for a
(03:42):
second interview the first time that's happened, because I wanted
to talk to him about his song Bubble and Squeak
and why we chose it to be our theme song,
the song you're about to hear. So please welcome to
your ears, Mr creep brotton Bubble and Squeak. I love it,
(04:08):
Bubble and Squeak on Bubble and Squeaker, Cookie every moment
left over from the night before. Hey, what's happening? Hot stuff?
(04:31):
My voice? Is that done? You know? Yeah? You guys
rocked rock. Thank you man for coming. It was a
good guy that the people loved it. Yeah yeah, oh yeah, yeah,
here we go. Yeah, I do the guy on your
list is your volume? Hi? Thank you, sir? Do do
(04:54):
do do one to want to Hello? Hello? Hello, he's
gonna start singing you guys. Uh, there we are. Hi, Hello, Brian, buddy,
how are you good? I'm good? Yeah, that was very
fun last night. It was great. Thank you so much
for coming. Yes, well, you know anything for the animals
(05:14):
or for you indeed, and for your right back at
you via V. Yeah. So it's been so amazingly fun
just talking to people. Um, you had for four hours,
you said I had Greg for four hours. But it
has come to our attention that he talks really slow.
(05:34):
So I think it's more like an hour and forty
five minutes each where there's a train passing through. Yeah.
Well he's smarter than all of us, without a doubt,
without a doubt. Okay, so I want to I want
to take you back back, okay back you started in music,
you started where you want to go back back to you.
(05:56):
I want to go back. I want to know, I
want to hear a little bit. I want to all
the uterous kind of Yeah, all back there, um, okay
um born in Los Angeles. Yes, at the age of two.
If you really want to go back to this, William
Charles Schneider, William Charles Schneider. Just like it said on
the thing when I had the passport thing, it's all true.
(06:19):
All this stuff is true. All this stuff about killing people.
I'm sorry to say. Is there a statute of limitations?
I think that's the only thing. Maybe I shouldn't discuss.
I don't discuss that. Probably Wait, um, do you go
by William Charles Schneider at all? My passport says it doesn't. Really, Yeah,
my passport says it. Yeah, because you've never officially changed
your name. Well, it's my My lawyers and everybody says,
(06:42):
it's just a house. You have to go to court
and do it. I've been trying to do it, but
say just it's say, it's really a lot of hassle.
So my passport says William Charles, I fly over to
Europe under that in the name. What about your license
here it's Creed Bratton. Yeah, and then he goes, he
goes back and forth. You know, I have them running
from the law for years. You know, that's not jokes.
Not surprised, you know exactly. Um okay, so was your
(07:07):
was your first big year? I mean, was your first
band the grassroots? No? My goodness, gracious, okay, So my
my I was born in l A. My father died
in the war, moved up to cour School, California. By
the age of thirteen, I started playing guitar. I mean
I had played trumpet for years, and I was first
chaired all the way through grammar school and high school
(07:27):
and stuff like that. And I read music. And then
my grandfather, Charles, he played guitar in a country and
Western band and my grandmother played drums called the Happy Timers.
Then I had a band called the tour Case. We
played seventeen. I was working professionally with this band, playing
lead guitar, playing all songs from the fifties and stuff. Yeah,
(07:49):
up in bass Lake, California. And then I had a
band called the Leanders, which means Greek Lovers. I was
in college and I and I always played to make money,
you know, time I got through school to play guitar
and that was a drama major at Sacramona State and
I had another band there. But right at the end
of college I went off to Europe and then I
(08:10):
got joined a group called the Young Californians and that
was the band. I traveled around for almost two and
a half years in Europe, North Africa, the Red Curtain countries, Israel.
We worked on a castigat Shadow movie there with Frank Sinatra. Yeah,
I did. I I still remember Frank Sinatra coming to me.
I was just like a early twenties kids, you know,
(08:30):
working on the set and I had my hand on
this board which I didn't know it was going to
be exploded with with the squibs and stuff. It comes
up and said, hey kid, and he's smoke in a
cigarette and he said, a kid, you can blow your
hand up, put your hand on the thing. I said what.
He just moved me away. It was my only Frank
Sinatra movement. Movement. That's true. He saved your life. He
saved my hand. That's what this is what your Frank
(08:54):
Sinatra says. You're you're right, You're you're you're good at
this promo thing. So then, uh, then I got act
to Europe while later and I had a band called
the Umte Floor not to be confused with the Austin
Man the thirteenth Floor Elevator, which was a big band.
It would have confused me, well confused to most people.
And we were playing at the London Fog right next
(09:15):
to the Whiskey Go Go, and we've been playing all
over a year and we had a chance to become
the grassroots first song, Live for Today goes right up
the charts and they were off that was your first song.
That was the first song was Live for Today, and
I was I played guitar and worn that and they
played guitar on that. My friend Bobby Ray played bass,
and the Great Session Drumber hal Blaine played drums on it. Wow. Yeah,
(09:37):
the Wrecking Crew and I used to play with the
Wrecking to a lot. You know, they'd be hard, they
had hope kind of things. They bring in different people
and we play with them. That's one of the reasons
I left the band is because we came back from
tour about the third album and they had cut some
tracks without me, you know, and I went and they said, well,
this is the way they do it. I said, well, no,
I don't. I don't like this at all because I play,
(09:58):
so I didn't like. Yeah, that was the deal. Interesting
And so you were with the Grassroots for how long?
Four albums from sixty seven, sixty sixty six to seventy Okay, yeah,
so you you were the biggest star on the set
of the Office before the Office, you were kind of
(10:20):
the only stuff. Well, I would say that about the
time arrived there with Steve Carrell on the fourty year
Old Virgin. He was started after we started. I think
you were the biggest star. Well, I I like you
like the thing about you know me? Yes, I like
the way you put you putting this are you did you? Well? No,
but it's true. I mean it might be technically true
(10:41):
as far as pop culture. Yeah, you had I mean
you had lived a rock star life for yeah years, yeah,
for years? Like you to be alive, my friend, I
remember in a very Creed Broughton way, meaning you and
your character on the show John Krasinski and I talked
(11:01):
about this all the time, you walking in and beginning
to tell a story and truly going that story is
so outlandish it can't possibly be true. But maybe it is,
and I think you did both. I think you told
stories that I might have embellished a movement, Brian, you know,
but I know I don't have to be bembell much.
(11:24):
You don't. But my son parted with Jim Morrison of course. Yeah,
the Doors by John Densmore, the drummer with my best
man at my wedding. I hung out with that band
all the time we toured together. Yeah, of course. Yeah,
that's all real. I mean, that's that's all real. Yeah,
it's all real. So you you become an actor and
(11:44):
you um studied with the method. Charles Conrad, I did
a bunch of stuff before the office. People just think
that that was my first thing. But if you look
at IMDb, I've done a bunch of stuff twinci'es and
eight is Enough, and a bunch of TV recent things.
You know. John Crosby, that there Will, the famous agent
(12:05):
saw me at the Odyssey Theater. I've done a play
with bow Bridges, you know, and I had my hair,
you know, it's kind of kind of attractive, you know,
and very very confident. So he signed up and I
didn't have to go out on anything. He just said,
you got a job. Over here back in those days
that we just said, you got a job over here,
and I was just working for a couple of years
wow with him. And then immediately prior to the Office
(12:26):
you were working with Ken Kappas And I met Ken
on Bernie Matt Show. He came on the show and
he was a big Grassroot fans. So he sent out
to Ambre Records for me to sign some albums for him,
and I found he was like an encyclopedia of pop knowledge.
Ken knows all that stuff he does, he does and
I healed it off. He's such a sweetheart. We know
(12:48):
we love Kim. So I heard from Joe that he
was directing uh the Office in American Workplace, and I went,
I loved the Rickey Gerbis things. So I did something
I've never ever done. Moore Brian I called. He gave
me his number. I called the director up and he
was he wasn't that starting? Oh? I said, look, I
just heard you were doing the show. I love the
Ricky Gervais show so much. I said, is there any
(13:11):
way I could come and read for something over there?
And he went, you know what? He said, where can
let me talk to Greg? He calls me back. He said,
I told him we were a very interesting guy, and
he said I think I think, he said, he said, well,
if he's that interesting, let's see if we can work
him into the mix. His words were work him in
the mix. So there, I mean, you know, in the
background at the desk the first season, and I read
(13:33):
right away. I felt very comfortable with everybody, you know.
So when I saw what I had to do, I
wrote a scene. I wrote a bunch of talking heads
and shot about hours where the stuff AD left a
bunch of stuff, wrote all this crazy stuff and cut
it down to about five or seven seven minutes or so,
gave it to Greg. You did this yourself? Yeah, yeah,
I did it all myself, did all myself. Okay, no, wait,
(13:54):
all right, wait, hold on. So you're in your in
the back, in the background. You're in the background season one, right,
but you're like, I want to people, I want to
play with you. I want to play with these people exactly.
So you when when we're done with those first six episodes,
you put together essentially a reel for yourself. I did, yeah,
(14:16):
and submittedive. Now, the thing is what what gave me
the impetus was on diversity day. I don't can you
remember the name of our first assistant director, the woman
she was with us that first season? Remember her? I
can't remember her name. So we're in diversity day. She
comes up to me and Phillis and we have the
name tags on our foreheads and stuff, and she says, okay,
(14:37):
now you guys just start ad living as Phillis goes,
oh wait, he's I said, that's okay, and she looks
at me and I just give her the eyes and
she said, all right, fine, your your funeral, you know.
So we started talking and stuff, and later on they
come back and we said, you were talking and and
they asked her and says, well, I just thought he
was part of the group, you know. That's because that's
the way I was react acting. And they said they
(14:59):
said no. So they paid me off the side, but
they wouldn't give anything after. I also did the voice
for the elevator the thing. Yes, I did the voice
and that went over really well. The coal but the
coal of the coalmat yeah, And so they saw that
I could that I could do the funny stuff, you know.
And so I had two things happening already, kind of
like doing some little level, little fulk room, as it were,
(15:20):
to kind of give me a segue me into this thing.
And then you're right, I wrote, I wrote all this
stuff down. He creed was psychic. I had a scene
where I said, Krazynski comes up behind me and I'm
in acquisitions, and I just flip a step over my shoulder.
I already know what he wants. I think it scared
the cast, scared the crew. I liked the scaring people,
(15:41):
he said, and this is the guy, you know. And
then of course they took it. They took it far
beyond I could ever I could ever think it would
how crazy he would be. But they still incorporated a
lot of the weird stuff that because I would tell
him about rock and roll stories, you know, and the
crazy stuff I've done. Yes, so you submit this tape
to give it to Greg Big Daniels and and I
(16:03):
think I gave it to maybe it was it was
greg Or Ken Ken Siborne. And before I know it,
they throw a six snap page scene on my desk
and say, Okay, here's your big chance with Steve Carrell.
Make it to break it the Halloween episode. Halloween episode,
and then that was it. Man, I told the story before.
When they came in, I met had this thing memorized
backwards and boards, absolutely memorized, and I could in the
(16:26):
middle of and I could go, but I kept that
back in my head anywhere I wanted, I could go
in on that on that scene and know it right
away natural, you know, it goes bro. They come and say, okay,
well we've changed the thing around. It's gonna be in
this order here, and we've changed that some new stuff.
And Steve goes, yeah, fine, I'll just plant it over
flop sweat. I go outside. I'm shaking. I've absolutely shaken,
(16:48):
and I said, okay, look I've come this far. I'm
just gonna wing it. You know. So a lot of
that stuff that that that that that stuff, a lot
of that stuff is improv too. You know. It just worked,
just work. I was I was fighting for my life.
Wou That is amazing. That is amazing. And and from
then on I am a guest star. But right away
(17:10):
I heard Todd when I talked to Greg, he said,
once he heard me do which one pam and someone
making soup, he knew, he said, he knew at that
time that was it. And then that just you know,
it was off and running and lucky es ye, lucky
me to get to play with you guys. And you
said you were a fan of the British first, Yes,
so you'd watch I'd watched them all and I thought
(17:30):
it was the best. I remember the first time on
that old place where we were shooting there over in
Las Area City in studio and Greg said, look, we're
gonna try to do this thing. We're gonna have a
laugh track, We're gonna have a lot of uncomfortable pauses,
you know. And I looked around everybody and everyone's nodding,
you know, sage like like we all knew it was cool.
(17:51):
We didn't know if it's gonna work or not. Yeah,
and it did. It's interesting now that I'm thinking about it, because,
you know, I don't think I was aware until today,
like how actively you were trying to get in. I knew,
and I didn't know obviously, I couldn't know the show
(18:12):
was going to be that show. I just knew that
was my little voice was saying this feels right, this
is what you want to be a part of. And besides,
I was very comfortable with everywhere, you know, we all laughed,
We enjoyed each other's company. I mean, I certainly did
I know that I'd get feedback from everybody. So I said,
you know what, I think I could just be very
very happy here. So I did everything I could. I
(18:33):
worked hard. I don't think I've ever ever shot a
thing like that and submitted it before, you know, And
if I had told anybody, they are tried to talk
me out of it, you know, damn well, right, because
you just don't do stuff like you don't do that. No, no,
but I wasn't gonna let anybody know my my macav
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On the latest season of the Next Question with Katie
Couric podcast, Katie dives into Well Katie Here exclusive podcast
only conversations between Katie and the people who made her
memoir Going There Possible. We spent a lot of time
(21:21):
together around a dining room table here and in the city,
and you know, it was a very intense experience. All
episodes of Next Question with Katie Couric are available now.
Listen on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you get your podcasts. When as you're watching the
(21:51):
first episodes unfold and certainly being a part of it,
like you talked about in Diversity Day, but when, when
did you feel like we might have something cool? Was
it right away? No? No, some people say that I didn't.
I didn't have a clue and I knew, well, right
for the first we know we were gonna thought the
possibly would be going to be canceled. We thought we
(22:13):
were going to be canceled. There and then he called
us back. Um, I guess I think it's one day
driving in there to work and it's seen Steve's four
year old virgin right there on Woodman right therefore before
SADIKOI and I saw the post and I went, okay, wow,
this is this is kind of interesting. And uh, I
think if we'd been on a lot, it would have
(22:34):
been different. Been being off in that little uh micro
caused him that we were we which was great to
be by ourselves like that. You know, we didn't we
didn't really we were in a bubble. We didn't really
see it. I I think it probably took two took
me maybe to the end of the second season or
the third season, realized wait a second, you know, this
looks like this could be something serious, you know, right, yeah,
(22:55):
but you but you said before, like in terms of
not necessarily becoming hit, but that we were doing something cool. Yeah,
we're doing good work. And I know I laughed because
I watched shows all the time, and most stuff doesn't
make me laugh. But I see and I knew what
these shows were, and I would still laugh. So I'd say, well,
if I'm laughing and I already know what's happening, there's
got to be pretty good. That's that's the criteria. Yeah, right,
(23:19):
what do you think that it did for the show? Right?
So the office comes out of you know, for lack
of a better phrase, like the Friends era. You know,
people were expected to look a certain way on television. Um,
what do you think that that did for us? That
that Alison Jones and Ken and Greg, that that they
(23:41):
cast people who didn't necessarily look like primetime TV stars.
I think that was the genius of it. I think
it was the beauty of it because people the average
joke and could could relate to it, you know, and
I mean the average Joe, not an accept deprecating way
at all, just your basic person on the street. They're
not glamorousses, you know, not everybody was a glamorous you know,
(24:02):
these are average people. And as you know, a lot
of people thought it was a documentary and they really
didn't know it was a show for a while, which
which is that's brilliant if that happens. That It's really
not about the way the characters looked, but it was
the specific way that the characters were written, the specific
(24:23):
traits that they had. Um, that I think made people
respond to it, right. I think everybody is trying to
find lightning in a bottle and they're they're trying to
to say, how did how did this happen? How did
this thing become? Or the zeitgeist? But well, it's the
synergy between us as as a cast, the writers, the directors,
(24:46):
the crew, and when you throw it all together, you're
you're trying to go, Okay, where is this little spark
that makes it work. It's it's up in the It's
up in the air. You know. It's like treads now
blowing with these fingers, this professed I don't know what
it is thing, but we'll know, but it's it's it is.
It was magic. It was a little bit of magic. Yeah.
(25:08):
And I I think the writing was so brilliant. You know,
I don't know about you, but I get scripts all
the time sent to me to you know, to try
to do that cree character again, and I look at it.
It's not not anywhere near those ring. The writers we
had come on. The writers are so important, so we
just had to be ourselves and in character and then
(25:29):
say I say the lines without adding anything to it.
And it worked. They saw the big picture. Yeah, there
was something about the construction of the writing staff and
the actors and the crew and really everyone involved that
everybody cared. Yes, Yes, that was it that we cared. Yeah,
(25:52):
that that there wasn't It wasn't about so often it's
about self promotion or about you know, well, off I
do this, then this will get me to this other show,
or you know, I want people to see that I
can do this or that or whatever. But I felt like, really,
at its core, the people on this show, we're just
(26:13):
trying to make a really good show. Yes, I totally agree.
When we were there on the set in those days,
it was all about just that was the office and
everybody there was part of the office, the crew and
the cast and the writers. And I think we've all
mentioned before having the writers in the in the cast
and having them take their ear on the street and
(26:34):
then going back to the writer's room, and then that's
that parlayed into that brilliance too. Yeah. Well you talked
before about you telling stories. Yes, and they here and
they come around and pick my brains sometimes, you know. Um,
I think I told the story about Live for Today
with the grass Foot Hits. There was one of the
lines in Live for Today was baby, I need to
(26:56):
feel you inside of me. I need to feel you
deep inside of me. Build Or magazine came out with
an article and said, regarding the band The Grassroots and
the hit song Live for the Day, we assumed that
The Grassroots are a heterosexual band, and we went what
we were freaking out because we're all from you know, uh.
(27:16):
Warren and I had been the rhythm guitar and I
had been to Europe and college. The other two had
never been out of California, I don't think, so they
were freaking down. I'm saying, chill, chill, It's okay, relax,
and I said, but I had this seriously after that article.
For a year, I had this reoccurring dream and I'd
wake up in the middle of the night and all
my ex girlfriends were coming at me in a circle, angry,
(27:38):
naked with strap on, and I'd wake up in a
cold sweat, a cold sweat and a little titillated to
I gotta say, but but I told that story to
the thing, and then of course they did the the
the gay witch hud story. This is what I'm talking about.
I don't know how much of that is true. I
(28:00):
don't know how much of that you don't know either.
The one I always true though, that's true? Yeah, yeah, yeah,
so I remember, I remember just I mean, I think
this is when you used a lot. But the one
that I always tell was us in the conference room
(28:20):
one day. This is really early on, and um, I
don't even know if we can use this or not,
but I'm gonna at least tell you now I remember
you something happened and you go, yeah, yeah, that reminds
me snorting cocaine off of Hooker's ass at the Playboy
Mansion with Jim Morrison's and looking around. What did he
(28:47):
just say so many words together? It sounds wrong? Yeah,
And we'll never know. Now, we'll never know that is
don't know anymore as I am. So, what combination is
the character Creed Bratton? How much of the character of
(29:07):
Creed Broton is you? Well, you've known me long enough
to know that that I am not actually and used
and we used to play him up to I wrote
him as because I did write the character at the beginning,
so he was Um, think of myself as a as
a crack tuning fork. It's a it's a it's filibrating
(29:28):
and it's all mated to break and this it's and
I wrote the physical comedy is from Jacques Tati and
the way he physically walks, the facial expressions are Jack, Benny,
George Gobel, Bob new Heart, and it's it's in a
juxtaposition of all those characters that I loved. And that's
(29:48):
that's how my comedy came around. And then I then
I so I tried to write a character. My original
premise was that Creed rock Star had an over overdose
st out on a Greyhound bus, ended up in a
dumpster in Scratton, and Ed Truck brought him in and
gave him a job as in the stores, a salesman
in the in the under Mifflin, where he was horrible
(30:10):
at and then they were frightened of him and stuck
him over that that was the premise basically, and so
he was just Yeah, he's an extension obviously extension of
this rock and roll guy. But I mean, I would
be worn out if I had to be him all
the time because because he's he's operating out that higher
he's what that kind of he he's hyped up. You know,
(30:32):
was there something physically you did in terms of getting
to that character, like what what was It was almost
like getting myself a hiccup, the physical hiccup. It's just
almost a nervous twitch to be him. Yeah, and even
and I had I they thought he was joking some
notes like wait a minute, I'm not I'm not ready,
I'm not ready. Well, what do you mean you're I'm not.
(30:54):
I'm I'm a I'm a rock guy. I'm a musician.
You know. I write these soulful songs and that's that's
who I am. You know, I'm more much more serious
and thoughtful than that character. But when I'm in the
behind the desk, I'm the chicanery involved. There's escaping from
the law. There's there's always been one step somebody in
my eyes and just thinking they're gonna find me out.
(31:16):
That was always my backstory. Are they going to find
me out? So that's when every time we look at anybody,
the thing in the back of my mind was going
to see that I'm just faking it here and I'm
cheating them and stealing from them. We were there so
much that after a while just it becomes ingrained in
your behavior and you keep it. Sometimes in between when
say when Creed is leaving the office. Sorry, that's been
(31:37):
a murder. I'm in it here. Oh I'm Steve. I
go well, I'll be right back. And you see my body,
my body, head out. That's that's very Jacques Tati. You know,
when I was in Europe, I watched a lot of this,
that his comedy, and I just loved his physical movement,
you know, so I would emulate emulate this and that's
very cool. Yeah, yeah, because it's funny. It's it's half
(31:58):
Charlie Chaplin and of Jacques Toti. Yeah. What was your
job in the office? Uh? Quality ashlets quality, quality, quality assurance,
which he never did. He never did, was there any
but the one time he didn't he game He came
in one time in a year and missed up on something.
(32:20):
That's when the car too characters rabbing sex on the yeah,
and then and he frames Debbie Brown. He finds she's
the only one not at work that day, and so
he blames on her. Then he collects money at the
end and pockets and himself. He's such a scump, scummy guy.
What what exactly is the job of quality? Oh, I
(32:41):
don't know, that's the thing. I didn't want to be
found out because they didn't do any work. Push papers,
literally pushed papers round on the desk. Yeah, I'm not
sure Kevin did either. He invented the Clevin. He did
invent the Cleven did that. So that's you have that
to live with. UM, so you talked about season two,
(33:06):
you know, the end of season two, Um, we win
the Emmy Casino Night, the last one we had in
the Casino Night. Such a fun episode we had gotten,
you know, shortly before that, after like getting six episodes
and two and four and one and three, and in
season two, you know, we get a full season pick
(33:27):
up first season three and we win the Emmy after
season two, K, what do you remember about those I've
never I always i'm I'm almost mystoic philosophy, Gu'm ryan,
and I just I live in the moment. I don't
predict that anything's gonna happen. I just do the work
as a day comes, and so I didn't look too
far ahead. I just, you know, I just tried to
be there and be there now. As they say when
(33:48):
we go to the red carpet events in the Limos.
That was the first time that I felt a little
like and it felt like back in the Grassroot days,
kind of something you and going to a big show
or something like that, going okay, I kind of remember
this this energy, it's a rush. It's kind of great. Yeah.
When did you start getting recognized as being creed brought
in from the office. I think about the third season.
(34:09):
I was in Trader Joe's and walking along and a
woman pulled her child away from me and I and
I was alarmed, but I was kind of pleased that
my character did that to someone, you know, And then
she looked apologetic, and I did say to her, said,
I'm just an actress, said, I said, I'm not. I did,
I'm not that guy. And she's like, she just sugar,
and she just pulled ahead child's eyes away, and I
(34:35):
took it as a compliment. I remember my U. I
did this movie years ago, a Peter mcdonaldi's film called
Mask with Eric Stoltz and Samuel and Share. I was
the ticket taker in that in that movie, and my
daughter was studying at the Performing Academy in Manhattan, and
she went with her friends to see the movie and
the she didn't tell him that I was in it.
(34:57):
And when I did my scene with Samuel, you know, yeah,
wherever the line was, you know, like that day, Oh
what an asshole? And she should Dad. I was so
proud of you, and I felt really good that they
thought it was an asshole. Yes, yes, that's awesome, so great,
that's so awesome. What grows in the forest trees? Sure, No,
(35:28):
what else grows in the forest, our imagination, our sense
of wonder and our family bonds grow too, because when
we disconnect from this and connect with this, we reconnect
with each other. The forest is closer than you think.
Find a forest near you and start exploring. I discover
(35:48):
the forest dot org. Brought to you by the United
States Forest Service and the AD Council. I'm Colleen with
Join me the host of Eating Wall Broke podcast while
I eat a meal created by self made entrepreneurs, influencers,
and celebrities over a meal they once eight when they
were broke. Today I have the lovely AJ Crimson, the
official Princess of comfin Asia Kidding and Asia is professor.
(36:13):
We're here on Eating While Broken Today, I'm gonna break
down my meal that got me through a time when
I was broken. Listen to Eating While Broke on the
I Heart Radio app, on Apple podcast or wherever you
get your podcasts. Hey, this is Paris Hilton. Last year
I revealed the story of my abuse at Provo Canyon School.
(36:34):
Since then, thousands of survivors have come forward. Now I'm
on a mission to expose the truth of the entire industry,
and this weekly investigative podcast me and my host Rebecca
Mellinger and Caroline Cole. We'll examine one infamous team treatment
facility each season. First up, Provo Canyon School. This one
(36:56):
is personal. When you first get there, you are to
experience girls screaming, locked up, peeing themselves in the hallway, sleeping,
and you're like, where am I? Holy heck, this is
not what I expected. Listen to Trapped and Treatment on
(37:21):
the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast or wherever you
get your podcasts. You talked about the magic and it
is unexplainable. It is Why do you think that the
(37:42):
show connects so well with young people? You know, like
it's a show about I actually looked this up. I mean,
this is a side story last night because we did
the thing for your birthday that But then, by the way,
thank you guys so much. Just blew my mind. I
(38:03):
didn't see it coming. Yeah, I didn't. By the way,
everyone it's tomorrow, it's his birthday, because I looked it
up because I was like, is it actually today? And
nobody knew, so I looked it up. And this is
a very weird story that I'm saying this because I'm
I'm pretty sure you're the oldest, but I was looking
at it and going, other than John and Jenna and
(38:26):
b J, I'm the youngest likely yeah, like all those
guys and so, but even I, you know, when the
show started, I was thirty one. Oh my god, I
thought you were older. There. Yea, that's what you're such,
you're a kid, sut there Yeah, well anymore a long time. Um.
(38:46):
But my point is it was that, you know, we
were still like, you know, early middle age to upper
middle aged group of people who worked in an office.
And I always thought, oh, well this, you know, if
every one works in an office or everybody goes to work,
like thinking, those are the people that it would really
appeal to. Not and not that it doesn't, but it
(39:08):
has such a young audience base. Why do you think that, man, Brian.
I I used to think it was because of the
sweetness of the show and and there was a heart
that the show has a heart without a doubt, it's undeniable.
And how how does that happen? I don't know. But
I also think now that in retrospect um, there's so
(39:31):
much anguish, there's only so much vampire's blowing up and
and threats of all this stuff, and the angst, the
existential angst of whatever we're experiencing. Own to my god,
there's a cartoon there a day where guys looking at
his dog, he says, I'm so glad you don't have
to know what's going on right now. It's kind of
that thing. Our show didn't really torture people with the
(39:53):
immediency of our demise as and so it relaxed. It
relaxes people. I think it's one of those shows that
relax with people and they go to it to make
themselves feel happy. And I think we also came in
at a time where it doesn't look that dated for
an office. You know, there were cell phones, there were computers.
You know, if you go back a little board, you
(40:14):
don't see that stuff so kind of dates. We just
came in at that sweet spot, I think too. And
it's and it's it's definitely funny and people can relate
to it, not even if you're an office or not.
The interpersonal relationship all these people and who do it
so well, you know, yeah, well it's I have to
give credit because I'm not the smart. But I was
speaking to um, this woman who's a television critic, and
(40:40):
she was talking about some of the you know, political
economic things that are going on in our world. And
you know, it was a show about a small paper
company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. But what what she was talking
to me about is those businesses now they don't exist now,
and there's in this nostalgia in a way, like like
(41:01):
who would have thought that would actually be a good
job right now? If you're in that industry, you work
at Staples or office Max or Target or Walmart, you know,
like you're working for Superstore like that television show. Now,
like if that's the progression from the office, it's a
big box store in person, humanity or heart. I think
(41:24):
that's a very interesting idea. I agree. And if you
wanted to work with people and make relationship, you'd want
to be at dunder Mifflin, not an impersonal Staples, you know,
because you get lost and you might might happen and
people want to kind of where we need that stuff
in in our lives. We're losing a lot of it unfortunately. Yeah,
like the concept of the show, the conceit, right, is like, oh,
(41:49):
here's a boring here's a boring office job in a
paper company. Right, But if you look at the alternative,
it's slinging paper at target, Like that's not no, no,
this is much better. Yeah, we're a little we're a
little biased too, though. Well yeah, I know certainly. Um,
(42:14):
when Greg left to go start Parks and Rack, Mike
and Greg laugh and Jon Salotta and Paul were there,
did you notice any any change really because Greg was
still around. Yeah, he's around for a while. I think
I think it it took me a while to to
feel that there was more of a I don't know,
a hodgepodgy hodgepodgy feeling after he left for a while.
(42:38):
I don't know. I couldn't I couldn't even actually put
my finger on if there was a cohesive thread that
there was missing. But I think there was to some degree.
And maybe it's just my hindsight that I know that
now so that I can, you know, superimposed those feelings
over it, but I I kind of felt, I did
feel for sure when he came back, that the ship
(43:00):
was righted to it at some degree. Yeah. I have
to say that I'm a big Greg fan obviously, you know,
we all are, but you know, well, because he just
seemed to always support he had my back, you know,
and he he allowed me to play music, allowed me
to play music in the show, which is a huge thing,
you know, And he gave me I remember one time
(43:21):
I was did some ad lib stuff and I thought
maybe I was right in the beginning, and I thought
maybe I was usurpre my position somewhat. I came to
him and said, do you think I should have thrown
that thing? And they said, no, no, no, I don't
want you to center yourself every creek, just just say
it out there. Patted me on the back, and I went, Okay,
this is He gave me the carte blanche to continue
on being my insane self sweetness. Yeah, and he's so
(43:45):
damn smart it's ridiculous. Yeah. Um, Steve basically becomes a
giant movie star. Yes, in season two, talk to me
a little bit about either any recollections, not even recolle actions.
How was he like to work with You know, you
started that first scene in Halloween. It was six and
(44:05):
a half pages with him, right. Well, he was very
giving and gracious, you know, and uh he he allowed
me the space to to jump up and just do
do stuff, you know, and uh and and we just
kept going, which a professional just kept going. It was
a long day. We were in that office for a
long time. But I had so much respect for him.
And later on, I think it was season two, he
(44:27):
was doing some scenes and oh it was at the
end of is that wonderful, wonderful scene where the children
come up at the end of Halloween and you see
what heart this guy has, you know, and remember some
other scene you could see it. And I came up
to him one day and I told him, I said,
you are really really good dramatic actor, Steve. And I
think it was a little embarrassed and taking because he's
shy in a way, you know he is, And I said, no,
(44:50):
really needs to. I think I embarrassed him just a
little bit because I had such great respect for the guy.
And also, you know, you know how hard it is
not to laugh when he's doing when he comes to
this prison Mica or in the big overweight suit, you
know the thing it's so hard on collapse, Michael closing,
so so brilliant, you know, just great to watch it.
(45:11):
I learned a lot from watching him too. I learned
a lot from everybody that came on, just you know,
uh Spader. When I watch Spader work, I was picking
his nuances and stuff like crazy. I pay very close
attention to that stuff people that I respect, and I
watched and file it away for characters for later. Yeah,
when did you find out that he was leaving? I
(45:34):
basically that scene in there when I say see you tomorrow, boss,
I thought he was still staying. No, No, we all knew,
and uh, that was hard. That was hard. I wasn't sure,
you know. I think I probably voiced it with a
few people. I said, you know, when I think it
might be time to just stop, you know, I really
felt that. I thought, you know, without him, how can this,
(45:56):
how can it possibly go on? How can I go on?
And I would have understood, you know, really, I'm glad.
Obviously we got to go on, And obviously the finale
redeemed us in a way. I believe that finale just
kind of like pulled the thing together. There were some
great moments too, but I don't think they ever came
up to his stuff with Steve. I just don't think
(46:17):
so do you. I am tremendously proud, quite frankly, of
the entire ninth season. I feel like it's a little
underappreciated in a way. I think that we were continuing
to try to find the right formula in terms of
who was the boss, but I think the show just
started functioning differently. I feel like not a whole lot
(46:40):
of shows gets to end on their own terms and
and tell the end of a story that they wanted
to tell, and the idea of you know, Greg wanting
to finish the story in that way. I felt like
he was able to do it and and and I
thought did it very effective? Well? That was like I
said that that finale was so But did you feel
at the time that when when Steve left that you
(47:02):
would have been happy saying okay, let's just call it
no no now you wouldn't to continue on. Personally, I
think the show could still be on right now. It
would have turned into like E R and people would
have laughed and new people coming in dead. My character
would be dead. You know, although I don't think Greg
would ever let anybody die. Who was there, I don't know,
(47:23):
but maybe maybe. Um before the finale, did you have
a conversation with Greg? Yes, yes, he he called me,
and you know, he'd asked everybody. He said, I want
to know what your your feedback is, how do you
think the character Creed should leave? And I told him
(47:44):
I thought it well, And I said, I think this
is this song of mine. All the faces. I could
be at poor Richards playing my guitar. You guys, the
cast all walks in and I'm singing all the faces
and the camera comes in on each of you. He said,
I like that idea. That's the last I heard of
it until the table read. And then I saw at
that time and almost cried. I literally, Brian, I went,
(48:06):
oh my god. Looked around. There was my guitar. I
didn't know I was going to sing that song until
the table read. That's the first time I heard about it.
They kept they kept it, They kept it just as
a surprise. It was emotional. Wait, they they had your guitar. Now.
The p A went and got my guitar and had
it there. And I looked around like this and I
went and I seen reading the scripting. But oh my god,
I'm gonna sing this song. And what there is Gregs
(48:29):
letting me sing my song? And look around they're they're
all they're standing bick they're smiling, and they got my guitar.
They planned this, you know, we play. Will you play
a little bit for me? All right? Okay, I gotta
tear my phone on just for second, guys to uh
tune up this acts. This is the guitar I used
(48:50):
actually on the on the show. This this old Martin
and John think it's a good story. John, we couldn't
get the microphone on the think and then the shot
so Krasinski said he'd hold the shotgun. He had it
under his arm when we were recording. You couldn't hide him, mind,
I couldn't hide the mic for the guitar itself. And
then John said, well, I'll just hold the shotgun mic
(49:11):
under my arm because he was the closest. He was
the closest to me and since he was sitting there
talking to looking over the pammit all the time, he's
holding them right there on the sound hole. He's a
team player, like boy, we know that all right? For
you I saw a friend today. It had been a while,
(49:50):
and we forgot each other's name, but it didn't matter,
because deep inside, feeling still remains. We talked of knowing
one before you've met, how you feel more than you see,
(50:14):
and other worlds that lie spaces in between angels. We
can see. All the faces that I know have that
same familiar glue. I think I must have known them
(50:35):
somewhere once. Beefful. All the faces that I know, and
all the faces were seeking air every day. When we
(50:56):
get home at night, there's one face me. And when
my mind's absorbed on my private little screen and I'm walking,
climbing through a sea of unknown men, I hear a
(51:17):
voice reminded they're across the street, walks an old forgotten friends.
We don't have to say a word. It's really better
left unsaid, just light through as that recognize all the faces,
(51:45):
all the faces I know, and while the faces we
see each in air day when we get home at night,
(52:06):
there's one face week, all the faces I see each
chin every day when I get home at night, face
I knee. When I get home at night, You're the
(52:33):
only face I need. So great there we go, so
great dude, yeah it Um that gets me every time. Um,
(52:59):
we're six years since you sang that song in the finale, right,
do you feel like the show is bigger now than
it was then? Without a doubt, without a doubt. And
I can tell because I'm always out on the road,
play in front of people. And I started out on
the show with two people, and now it's eight hundreds
(53:21):
of thousand coming to see my show, and they come
up to me and they're younger, and the kids that
watched the show then are grown up. They turned their
younger symbolis onto it. Their children. Oh my god, there's
young people who were born by that time who've already
have seen the show and and know the show. It dones,
it dones. It's crazy, right it is. And I don't
know how long how long this thing will last, but
(53:42):
it seems to me that just keeps growing. You know,
went away. Why do you think I think all this
stuff we talked about before the Heart the Heart, I
just think we should just enjoy it, and you just
tryed to try to figure out why. I mean, if
somebody can figure it out, sure that would be great,
But I don't think you can. Our ticket exactly where
(54:03):
where the magic occurs and how it occurs. Yeah, just
accept it and be grateful. What are you most thankful
for waking up in the mornings from your experience from
the off? Um, Oh my gosh, so many things, Brian,
So many things, you know, just to to find that
(54:24):
you can actually get together with a bunch of people
in a community effort and and make make a wonderful thing,
you know, and get like, like you said, without the backbiting,
without the egos and stuff like that. For everybody pulling
together for a purpose. It's that it's that sixties thing
and we grew up. We thought we could change something,
you know, and we did with that show as a
(54:44):
game changer. And to find that you can work and
in a harmonious environment is pretty rewarding stuff. We all
got to laugh every day, so it wasn't like work
to get to be And that's the thing for me.
I get to go to do something I just enjoy.
It's never like we're it's a it's a blessing. It's
an absolute blessing. Yeah, it's too bad a head end.
(55:06):
But if they have good things have to all good things.
We got a song all good things come to an end.
It's true, you know, Creed, we were a family without
I think we still are anyways, you know we still are.
Can't take that away. It's it's ingrained in us now. UM.
I love you. I love you man, and thanks for
(55:26):
coming in and talking. Come on, it was my pleasure
offering well not just your song, but you're your your
sense of humor and thoughtfulness. So thank you, thank you,
thank you. Is this now? Are you recording right now
(55:51):
from your home studio? I'm going to turn the recording
on right now. Thank you for me. There we go.
I'm recording from my home studio. Yeah. Us, indeed, you're
recording from your home studio. It's so good to talk
to you. Um. So when I was putting together this podcast,
we started talking about, oh what music, and I was like, whoa,
(56:16):
what if we go to Creed, Like, let's let's look
at some of Creed's music, some of his new stuff.
And I hear your song Bubble and Squeak, and I
just fall in love with it, Like I just it
was like the perfect vibe for me. So where did
Bubble and Squeak come from? Where did the inspiration for
(56:36):
that come from? Bubble and squeak. I um a year
last year or the year for I. It's been so
long which we have been held held up, you know,
held for ransom in these in our homes. Um. I
went to Romanian shot this movie called The Sisters Brothers,
and UH came back and I was spent spending some
(56:56):
time in London, staying at a hotel. They're just kind
of cruising around and I this is my fun to
third third or fourth time there. And I went to
have dinner or lunch or something, and they're on the menu,
had said bubble and squeak. And all these years that
I've been there, I never had it. I never I
was always curious. So I finally asked the wait I said,
(57:16):
what does this mean? They said, oh, it's when you
take a bunch of stuff, you know, and you just
from from lunch or dinner the day before, and next
morning you throw it all in a pan. And you
had some eggs. So I said, well, I do that
all the time, and I do. I I keep my
dinner leftovers and a lot of people do just toss
me with eggs. It's a great way to have a
(57:37):
breakfast that way. So UM, it's kind of like your show,
and I commented, I think this is just kind of
like your show because you're taking all these bits and
pieces and stuff and you're not really sure what's gonna
you hope it's going to turn out great, and you
throw you throw it in the pan and you see
what's what's gonna happen. Yes, we're taking what everybody said,
(57:57):
whatever is left, and we're gonna put it in a
pan and cook it up and try to deliver something
fun and good. Well, Creed, thank you so much for
coming back on and talking about this song. Thanks for
letting us you bub and sweet, Thank you for you,
thank you for using it. I do appreciate my friend
now absolutely. I cannot wait for people to hear the
(58:18):
rest of Mr Creed Broughton. So thanks so much, man,
I really appreciate you. Love you too. Alright. Well, folks,
(58:38):
I don't know about you, but something about that guy
just I don't know, it just tugs at my old
heart strings. He is truly one of a kind and
I am a better person for knowing him. So thank
you so much Creed for joining me in the studio
(58:58):
and again for letting me use your fantastic song that
works so perfectly for this podcast. You rock and thanks
to all of you for listening. You rock as well.
I guess and uh I will see you all right
back here next week for another episode of the Office
(59:21):
Deep Dive. The Office Deep Dive is hosted and executive
produced by me Brian Baumgartner, alongside our executive producer Langley.
Our senior producer is Tessa Kramer, our producer is Adam Massias,
(59:42):
our associate producer is Emily Carr, and our assistant editor
is Diego Tapia. My main man in the booth is
Alec Moore. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak, performed by
my great friend Creed Bratton, and the episode was mixed
by seth Olandski. Hello, this is Christina Hutchinson and Karin Fisher.
(01:00:18):
We're thrilled to announce that our show, guys, We the
Anti flut Schaming Podcast, is returning to wide release. That's right,
every Friday we talked to one of our favorite comedians
or an expert in the field of sexuality, love and
relationships to hear what all theos are about. Subscribe now
and listen to the Luminary original podcast. Guys. We've starting
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(01:00:42):
or wherever you get your podcasts. Have you ever felt
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(01:01:03):
and I don't understand what a podcast is, but you
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(01:01:30):
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