July 23, 2025 • 19 mins
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Dollar bills transform into works of art and vehicles of human connection in the hands of Jim Vess, the beloved "origami guy" of the New Orleans film scene. Recorded at the inaugural Galaxy Con New Orleans, this conversation reveals how Jim's creative habit has touched lives across the entertainment industry and beyond.
Sponsored by Jana McCaffery Attorney at Law. Have you been injured? New Orleans based actor, Jana McCaffery, has been practicing law in Louisiana since 1999 focusing on personal injury since 2008. She takes helping others very seriously and, if you are a fellow member of the Louisiana film industry and have been injured, she is happy to offer you a free consultation and a reduced fee to handle your case from start to finish. She can be reached at Support the show
Follow us on IG @nolafilmscene, @kodaksbykojack, and @tjsebastianofficial. Check out our 48 Hour Film Project short film Waiting for Gateaux: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5pFvn4cd1U . & check out our website: nolafilmscene.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Noble Film Scene with TJ Plato.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
I'm TJ.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
And, as always, I'm Plato.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Welcome back to Noble Film Scene with TJ Plato.
I'm TJ, I'm Plato.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
And we are here at GalaxyCon New Orleans, the first
ever GalaxyCon New Orleans.
First one, we brought somebodyback from the dead.
It's Bob Ross.
Happy little trees.
It's no accident.
It's no accident.
It's no accident.
He's here, but TJ tell them whohe is.
So we're here with our friendJim Vest.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Jim is an actor and I met Jim on set.
Jim is pretty well known in theNew Orleans acting community.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Not for painting.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Not for painting, but he is known for making some art
on set.
If you've ever workedbackground and worked with Jim,
you know who Jim is.
If you've ever heard of theorigami guy in the acting
community in New Orleans, that's.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Jim.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Vess.
Yeah, and as we're walkingthrough GalaxyCon, jim told us a
story about an interaction withone of the celebrities and a
few minutes later, we're walkingby a hall where the celebrity
is doing a panel and we hearthat celebrity telling the story
of the interaction with.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Jim.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
So, Jim, tell us about that, because that's
pretty funny.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
I will tell you the story.
John Barrowman, who was ondoctor, who he was on um, it was
the other show arrow.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
So he was captain jack and then he was I don't
know his character name on arrow.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
He was somebody's dad bad guy, captain jack on uh on
his show.
But um, I I went up to him andI did like I said, I do my
origami.
I've had some greatinteractions with all the stars
here.
They all love my origami.
Actually, I've had some greatinteractions with all the stars
here.
They all love my origami.
Actually, I caught like five ofthem sharing their origami, so
they were hiding behind thecourt curtain like little kids
(01:52):
like that.
They're Pokemon cards, you know.
Oh.
I got this and I got that.
So I went up to John and I wasdoing one of.
I asked him about doing myorigami.
He was signing my autograph andI asked him what he'd like to
have and he asked me if this wasmy real hair.
It's not a great wig.
It moves a lot and you can seeright through it.
And I said, of course it is Notthinking anything about it.
(02:15):
And I laughed.
And then we're talking and I,you know, we went to do a selfie
, you know.
He's like oh, I got this andhe's got the camera.
He tells me to get around to oneside of him and he's a little
bit taller than me so he seesthe top of my head and he kind
of realized at that point that Idon't have that.
This is not my real hair.
But he didn't realize that itwas a costume until I pulled out
(02:35):
my little paintbrush and I didthis and he's like oh, my God,
you're the painter guy.
He's like yeah, and I said,yeah, I'm the painter guy, and I
went like this and he just lostit.
He's like you told me that wasyour real hair.
I said I didn't think youbelieved me.
I got quite the laugh out ofhim and it's a lot of fun doing
(02:58):
this type of stuff.
It's even more fun when theyshare stories about you.
But as we were coming in to doour interview, like TJ said,
we're walking by and I saidthey're talking about me, you
know, and I'm like trying topull on doors and seeing if I
can get it.
It's me, it's me, they'retalking about me, but no, no, no
(03:19):
.
I mean, yeah, I would have,probably would have gotten
thrown out of the con.
But you all know that.
You know, I'm kind of a hamanyway.
So I would have done it and Iprobably would have got thrown
out.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
I don't think he got thrown out.
The crowd would have gone crazy.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
We'll never know, though, because the door's on
this side of the wall.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Somebody planned it that way.
They knew he was going to trythat.
They knew.
They just knew.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
They have security in place for people like me.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
So you told us about your origami, but what's it made
of?
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Oh, I do dollar bill origami.
It's just the medium I likedoing.
Everybody says, why don't youdo it out of paper?
Well, why don't you?
No, nevermind, I don't know, Ijust that's what I learned on.
I do some with other, likeorigami paper, but it's not like
you carry around origami paperin your pocket all the time.
I usually have a dollar or twoin my pocket, yeah, so I just
(04:03):
started doing more and more withdollar bills and you know it's
just one of those fun things.
I really enjoy doing it and itbrings such a smile on people's
faces.
And you know, I mean there aretimes, you know Brian said
earlier, there are times I'm onset that I probably are no use
of it.
There are times I'm on set thatI probably spent more money
(04:24):
than what I've made that day.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
But that's right.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
It's, it's the fun.
You know, I don't act because,well, I don't background act for
the money.
I background act becausesometimes the craft is really
good.
Him, him, him, him.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
That's why I do a pig .
I can't think of a better thingto network and meet people on
set than that you can hand outbusiness cards, you can tell
them about your podcast or youcan talk to them about just
about anything, and they may ormay not remember it, and they
may not even remember where theymet you.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Terry Farrell.
I was talking to her From DeepSpace.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Nine, crazy Terry.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
Farrell.
I was standing there talking toher From Deep Space, nine Crazy
.
I'm the Terry Farrell.
I was standing there talking toher.
I mean, we just started.
I, you know, did the origamiand I'm standing there and we're
talking and she takes up mybusiness card Because Brian, you
know, suggested I start whenI'm doing this, I should give
somebody a card so they have away to find me on Instagram or
whatever.
Not, like you know, anybody'sgoing to call me on a telephone.
(05:23):
If they do that phone, I don'thave any more.
So, uh, no, I still have thephone, but I just, uh, I don't
care, just get new cards, butanyway, go on with your story.
You know Brian's like.
You know you need to have someway that they can find you for,
(05:51):
probably more known for myorigami.
But you know I've I've had somany great interactions with
people over just the silliestthings.
I've had people come up to meyears later and say you know,
when you gave me that bill I washaving the worst day of my life
.
I was just having this horrible, horrible day and you turn that
around for a dollar I madesomebody's day.
One dollar made somebody's day.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
And Jim's not just like.
I'm going up to the stars andthe celebrities.
No, this is just everyday people.
We were just sitting down,jim's eating lunch and he's
starting to follow this stuff.
And at the Comic-Con it's notlike you have your private
tables, you know what I mean.
So we're sitting down, twoladies probably the grandma and
the mom and the little baby comeup, a little toddler, and Jim
just goes here, you go, and herface lights up Probably better
(06:34):
than the puppies that they havehere.
Puppies yeah, there's a wholebooth with puppies.
I got to go.
He didn't get anything out ofit, he actually lost the dollar.
But that's who Jim is.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
I just I love doing it, and you know I mean so many
people get excited, was it?
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Giancarlo Esposito.
That remembered you from doingone on set, and the next time he
saw you, he remembered you.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
He remembered my name A year later, remembered my
name and he said Jim, right, andI'm looking down, it's like
where's my name Actually atBarrowman's table I was talking
to the girl at Vassar.
She represents him and JohnBarrowman and they go all over
the place and she was talkingabout how great he has worked
(07:16):
with and how he just has has.
It's this incredible memory andI told her that story and she
said that's incredible.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
She said for him to remember a year later, you must
have really made an impressionand it's like, oh, that makes me
feel good you know, it'ssomething that's unique, you
know, we, we were talking toluke hawks earlier and wrestler
actor wrestler actor, prettygood, dude, pretty good he said
no one's ever given him anorigami, yeah, on set before.
I've never before, jim, andnobody's given me one since.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Watch this, he might beat me.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Oh, we're going to show it to him and then we're
going to film him beating you.
But also, jim and I, being partof Kevin Smith's fan club, we
won tickets to the Clerks 3premiere, and so we took Spirit
Airlines over to Los Angeles,which is it was nice, it wasn't
bad.
It's not as bad as you hear,but Jim's folding his origami.
He gives them to thestewardesses, to the you know
(08:03):
stewards, I don't know whichterm.
And he got us upgraded tobetter seats.
Yeah, their first class, justfatter seats.
Yeah, it works.
More leg room.
He also got us free waters, butthen, when you think about it,
you did give him a couple ofdollars, so I think it balanced
out, that's right, that was fun.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
I have a slight fear of flying.
I think I might have told youthat.
I don't know, I almost have themarks out of my arm.
Now I don't really have a fearonce I'm in the air, once the
wheels leave the ground, I'mokay.
But actually taking off likethey're going down the runway, I
(08:40):
am freaking the heck out, yeah.
And I mean I just I don't liketo fly.
I love flying, I love flying.
I don't like to take off.
Kind of same way about landing,but you know, the taking off,
for whatever reason, I have todo my little org on.
I have to sit there and I haveto fold five of them.
You know, I have this weirdthing in my head.
I can't fold every one of them.
(09:03):
I do, but I used to have to dofive of them.
Now I do whatever I can dobefore we take off.
I don't have any number in myhead, but it used to be.
I had to do this many to makethe plane day on the ADD.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
So I'm like all over the place anyway, not only to
distract yourself, but you hadto keep the plane up in the air
by folding, exactly, exactly.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
I did that.
I, I'm, I appreciate yougetting us to California for
that.
We made it in one piece.
That was.
That was fun.
You know, that was also.
I watched Brian.
You know, at every con we go tohe takes pictures and he's
posting like right away andeverything else and and I'm
always like oh, come on.
Brian and we're in the LasVegas airport.
And he takes a picture of aWonder Woman slot machine Before
(09:44):
we even got on a plane.
In Las Vegas, Linda Cartertagged.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Responded and re-quoted yeah, wow, oh, that's
cool.
I'm usually not that noisy.
I was like fanboying out overhere, wow.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
And I'm like holy shit, that just shit, that just
happened, you know.
Okay, any other questions,anything else you'd like to do?
Speaker 2 (10:04):
well, well.
So it's kind of funny howthings come full circle.
When brian and I first startedtalking about doing the podcast,
when we were first kickingthings off and really had
formulated the plan for the show, the name for the show and the
format, y'all were on your waytogether to go to geek con and
(10:26):
we we did a little testinterview just testing out the
software in the vehicle.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
And now here we are at a convention together doing
an episode funny and shementioned geek, kind of like we
I think you were talking aboutit earlier.
Today was the very firstconvention that I actually wore
a costume.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
And I was scared.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
I was freaking out.
We were actually staying in ahotel room.
I had all kinds of extraclothes because I thought
there's no way I'm staying in acostume all day.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
Let me apologize At that con.
The hotel was connected soanytime you needed to just go
change, take a break, hit theelevator and go up.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
It was beautiful it was incredible to be that close
to our hotel room.
We had all the stars staying inthe same hotel as us.
Yeah, we were on our way toGeekCon and that was, I remember
, the call, and we were in a badspot and we kept losing you a
little bit with the audio.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
I think we also learned that in a car is a lot
of background noise.
We've got a little bit.
You might have heard somesecurity and stuff back there.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
And on top of that, we've come to find out that the
software that we use is verydata hungry.
A cell signal in a vehicle isnot the best yeah For that.
So it is what it is, I guess.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
And another fun thing you know when you're talking
about that in the car andeverything, you guys, almost
every guest you have you metwhere.
Where'd you meet him?
Circle?
Speaker 2 (11:49):
exercise.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
I've never taken the circle exercise, so this episode
will never air.
No, we've had some non-circlepeople.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
We've had a few that weren't.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
We're documenting you before you finally take the
circle, and then after, to seehow much you've grown.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Commercial for Jim, please, yeah, yeah, insert
commercial right here.
So yeah, it's.
You know, I would tell anybodythat's doing any acting or
anything like that get out there, have fun, play with this kind
of stuff.
Start out doing this, you know,find something.
You know I did Bob Ross.
There were several peoplewalking by going Bob Ross and
(12:30):
somebody next to him going who,and then you know it's like you
see the connection and it's avery, very bad wig and a
paintbrush.
That's what I'm working with.
You have to find yourself in inthe paintbrush, in the bad wig,
and and and make your spot.
You know, I've seen some ofy'all's work and and it's just
like.
You know it's very low budgetand stuff like that.
(12:50):
But but you, you bring your,you bring your stuff, you bring
your a-game and and it shows itreally does.
Yeah, it's really impressive.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
To paraphrase and change a little bit, there are
people who have perfectstormtrooper costumes, yeah, and
they spend hundreds of dollars,which is beautiful, which I
never do.
So I do something, usually fora photo op, like I had star trek
curtains when I met williamshatner and recreated the
twilight zone gremlin, so I putmy spin on it.
It's unique to walk through aroom you got to be.
You know people can like makefun of you.
(13:20):
I had my fun and so then thepicture people love when I share
it.
You know what I mean.
So I think to go with whatyou're saying find your bliss,
and that will inspire others tofollow.
Yeah, and bring their own bliss.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
My first acting coach .
I don't know if I can say hername yet because I don't know if
she's going to be doing it yet,but my first acting coach, she
taught me a couple of thingsthat were really incredible, and
one of the things she used todo to me was she would hand me a
script to have what I wassupposed to do, highlight it and
everything, and we'd read itonce and she said okay, now
(13:55):
you're the other character.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
It's like what A couple of times that she would
do.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
I would read my line and she would make a line funny
instead of serious.
And then I have to shift mycharacter into comedy mode
instead of being.
You know, I had rehearsed itover and over again as serious
and she would.
She did things like that to meand she said you have to think
on your feet.
She said you will go in for anaudition and they're going to
(14:25):
say you know what, read this.
They want you to read this andthey're going to do that to you
probably more times than just astraight audition.
So if you're going to anaudition, if they're seeing you
again, they like something aboutyou.
It doesn't mean they like youfor that one, but they want you
for something.
They like something about you.
You for that one, but they wantyou for something.
They like something about you.
So be prepared, you know.
Be able to think on your feet,take the time, you know.
(14:47):
Learn a little bit of improv,you know, and just know what you
can do and be ready to changeyour character.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
I had a cast and director tell me one time that
sometimes they'll tell peopleexactly what you're saying to do
it a different way that is notappropriate for the character
Funny when it should be serious,or vice versa.
Just to see how well you takedirection.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
And then do it again, and it's just to see that you
can implement what they'reasking you to do.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
Yeah, and I mean they usually always that they're
going to hand you somethingdifferent.
They're going to give you a fewminutes to look it over and,
kind of, you know, build it alittle bit, but you have to.
They're not going to give youan hour, they're going to give
you five minutes here.
Take a look at this and let'sgo.
You know, like I said, you know, it's just a matter of being,
you know, a little bit more thanjust one layer.
(15:38):
I'm just kind of a layer and ahalf.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
You're a many layered onion, but you know we're
talking about your foldingorigami on set, which is fun,
but not that giving out money isthe way you have to do it.
But you're a pleasure to workwith on set, so that adds a good
atmosphere, because it's astressful time.
We can later, but maybe not oncamera, and you got to pay me $5
.
So what I'm saying is, ifyou're a nice person on set,
(16:05):
people want you to come back toset.
That's right.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
They really want him to come back to set with the
dollars.
But you know, well, I'm goingto talk about that because I was
walking to set I was on a TVshow called the Winchesters
working background actually, andI was just kind of walking down
the road to to go to the wherewe had set up for, and this
woman's like running behind me,one of the costume women that's
running behind me and she, shesaid she stops me.
(16:31):
She said you're jim, right?
I said yeah, and she's like I'mfrom atlanta.
I just got here yesterday.
She said I had to stop you.
She's like you know, they talkabout you all over the place.
Like you know, I've heard yourname before I even came to to,
uh, stop you.
She's like you know, they talkabout you all over the place.
Like you know, I've heard yourname before I even came to to
Louisiana.
She's like you know.
And I was like oh, that's sosweet.
And I reached in, I grabbed mywallet.
I said here, just take thewhole wallet.
(16:52):
She laughed.
So no, I'm not after an origamior anything.
She said I just want you toknow how, while that somebody's
talking about you, it's nicethat people find you fun.
I mean it's been a rough coupleof years in the movie business
and personally it's been a roughyear too, for people to see
(17:13):
more than just the dollar billthat they're happy to see you is
a very special day, cool.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
I think we're coming to the end, so let's just double
check in, I think.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
I have one in this bag.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
We'll be back after this man.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
Yeah, we'll edit it into making an origami and hand
it to him real quick.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
This is my normal set bag, but I think I might have
moved it.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
You know how many times it's happened to me where
somebody pulls out their origami.
It happens a lot origami whenit happens a lot, and it just
makes me smile and and I, like Isaid over and over again, I've
heard people tell me the storyof of me changing their day or
making something better for themthat day.
Yeah, had a couple of really,really hard stories told to me.
You know, after you know myorigamis and stuff, and you know
(17:58):
, one girl said she changed herentire trajectory on what she
was doing with her life and it.
It's like I didn't do that.
I don't take credit for that,but just the idea that she was
able to stop and think aboutwhat she was doing made her want
to.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
Your generosity was the pebble in the lake and the
ripples that came out from that.
You know.
So, yes, you started theavalanche that helped her.
Yeah, you know.
Claim it, that's right.
Yes, you started the avalanchethat helped her.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Yeah, you know, claim it, that's right.
Oh, you want to take us out.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
Yep, we're done.
We don't have to listen to Jim.
No, I'm just kidding Jim.
It's been a pleasure.
Jim and I always go to constogether.
It's fun.
I call him my con husband.
My wife's like, yeah, take him,you don't care.
Spirit of generosity and justbeing ready to do anything to
her laugh.
It makes it a pleasure to behere.
So thank you for being on theshow.
(18:45):
Thank, you.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Yeah, jim, thanks for coming on, and I think this is
our second con together.
Now, you and I, I do want toplug December right.
Yep, december, cajun Con AtCajun Con.
Speaker 3 (18:58):
I'll be somewhere around probably folding dollar
bills, real close.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
Well, so probably at our booth.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
What I was going to say is we're actually going to
sponsor the con.
Right, we are going to be ourlogo on their banners when they
make the announcements of hey,thanks for these people.
People will be hearing that,and then we could use some
people at our booth.
So if we need to exit, you'dhave a place to fold your
dollars.
So come see Jim, don't evenworry about us.
Come see him, get a dollar,bring a dollar, take my money.
(19:24):
We might have to have them giveyou a dollar so you don't go
broke, that's right.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
I start folding slower when I start running out
of dollars.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
That's right.
All right, folks.
See you next time.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
See you December.
Welcome to Noble Film Scene with TJ Plato.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
I'm TJ.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
And, as always, I'm Plato.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Welcome back to Noble Film Scene with TJ Plato.
I'm TJ, I'm Plato.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
And we are here at GalaxyCon New Orleans, the first
ever GalaxyCon New Orleans.
First one, we brought somebodyback from the dead.
It's Bob Ross.
Happy little trees.
It's no accident.
It's no accident.
It's no accident.
He's here, but TJ tell them whohe is.
So we're here with our friendJim Vest.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Jim is an actor and I met Jim on set.
Jim is pretty well known in theNew Orleans acting community.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Not for painting.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Not for painting, but he is known for making some art
on set.
If you've ever workedbackground and worked with Jim,
you know who Jim is.
If you've ever heard of theorigami guy in the acting
community in New Orleans, that's.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Jim.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Vess.
Yeah, and as we're walkingthrough GalaxyCon, jim told us a
story about an interaction withone of the celebrities and a
few minutes later, we're walkingby a hall where the celebrity
is doing a panel and we hearthat celebrity telling the story
of the interaction with.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Jim.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
So, Jim, tell us about that, because that's
pretty funny.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
I will tell you the story.
John Barrowman, who was ondoctor, who he was on um, it was
the other show arrow.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
So he was captain jack and then he was I don't
know his character name on arrow.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
He was somebody's dad bad guy, captain jack on uh on
his show.
But um, I I went up to him andI did like I said, I do my
origami.
I've had some greatinteractions with all the stars
here.
They all love my origami.
Actually, I've had some greatinteractions with all the stars
here.
They all love my origami.
Actually, I caught like five ofthem sharing their origami, so
they were hiding behind thecourt curtain like little kids
(01:52):
like that.
They're Pokemon cards, you know.
Oh.
I got this and I got that.
So I went up to John and I wasdoing one of.
I asked him about doing myorigami.
He was signing my autograph andI asked him what he'd like to
have and he asked me if this wasmy real hair.
It's not a great wig.
It moves a lot and you can seeright through it.
And I said, of course it is Notthinking anything about it.
(02:15):
And I laughed.
And then we're talking and I,you know, we went to do a selfie
, you know.
He's like oh, I got this andhe's got the camera.
He tells me to get around to oneside of him and he's a little
bit taller than me so he seesthe top of my head and he kind
of realized at that point that Idon't have that.
This is not my real hair.
But he didn't realize that itwas a costume until I pulled out
(02:35):
my little paintbrush and I didthis and he's like oh, my God,
you're the painter guy.
He's like yeah, and I said,yeah, I'm the painter guy, and I
went like this and he just lostit.
He's like you told me that wasyour real hair.
I said I didn't think youbelieved me.
I got quite the laugh out ofhim and it's a lot of fun doing
(02:58):
this type of stuff.
It's even more fun when theyshare stories about you.
But as we were coming in to doour interview, like TJ said,
we're walking by and I saidthey're talking about me, you
know, and I'm like trying topull on doors and seeing if I
can get it.
It's me, it's me, they'retalking about me, but no, no, no
(03:19):
.
I mean, yeah, I would have,probably would have gotten
thrown out of the con.
But you all know that.
You know, I'm kind of a hamanyway.
So I would have done it and Iprobably would have got thrown
out.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
I don't think he got thrown out.
The crowd would have gone crazy.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
We'll never know, though, because the door's on
this side of the wall.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Somebody planned it that way.
They knew he was going to trythat.
They knew.
They just knew.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
They have security in place for people like me.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
So you told us about your origami, but what's it made
of?
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Oh, I do dollar bill origami.
It's just the medium I likedoing.
Everybody says, why don't youdo it out of paper?
Well, why don't you?
No, nevermind, I don't know, Ijust that's what I learned on.
I do some with other, likeorigami paper, but it's not like
you carry around origami paperin your pocket all the time.
I usually have a dollar or twoin my pocket, yeah, so I just
(04:03):
started doing more and more withdollar bills and you know it's
just one of those fun things.
I really enjoy doing it and itbrings such a smile on people's
faces.
And you know, I mean there aretimes, you know Brian said
earlier, there are times I'm onset that I probably are no use
of it.
There are times I'm on set thatI probably spent more money
(04:24):
than what I've made that day.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
But that's right.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
It's, it's the fun.
You know, I don't act because,well, I don't background act for
the money.
I background act becausesometimes the craft is really
good.
Him, him, him, him.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
That's why I do a pig .
I can't think of a better thingto network and meet people on
set than that you can hand outbusiness cards, you can tell
them about your podcast or youcan talk to them about just
about anything, and they may ormay not remember it, and they
may not even remember where theymet you.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Terry Farrell.
I was talking to her From DeepSpace.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Nine, crazy Terry.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
Farrell.
I was standing there talking toher From Deep Space, nine Crazy
.
I'm the Terry Farrell.
I was standing there talking toher.
I mean, we just started.
I, you know, did the origamiand I'm standing there and we're
talking and she takes up mybusiness card Because Brian, you
know, suggested I start whenI'm doing this, I should give
somebody a card so they have away to find me on Instagram or
whatever.
Not, like you know, anybody'sgoing to call me on a telephone.
(05:23):
If they do that phone, I don'thave any more.
So, uh, no, I still have thephone, but I just, uh, I don't
care, just get new cards, butanyway, go on with your story.
You know Brian's like.
You know you need to have someway that they can find you for,
(05:51):
probably more known for myorigami.
But you know I've I've had somany great interactions with
people over just the silliestthings.
I've had people come up to meyears later and say you know,
when you gave me that bill I washaving the worst day of my life
.
I was just having this horrible, horrible day and you turn that
around for a dollar I madesomebody's day.
One dollar made somebody's day.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
And Jim's not just like.
I'm going up to the stars andthe celebrities.
No, this is just everyday people.
We were just sitting down,jim's eating lunch and he's
starting to follow this stuff.
And at the Comic-Con it's notlike you have your private
tables, you know what I mean.
So we're sitting down, twoladies probably the grandma and
the mom and the little baby comeup, a little toddler, and Jim
just goes here, you go, and herface lights up Probably better
(06:34):
than the puppies that they havehere.
Puppies yeah, there's a wholebooth with puppies.
I got to go.
He didn't get anything out ofit, he actually lost the dollar.
But that's who Jim is.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
I just I love doing it, and you know I mean so many
people get excited, was it?
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Giancarlo Esposito.
That remembered you from doingone on set, and the next time he
saw you, he remembered you.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
He remembered my name A year later, remembered my
name and he said Jim, right, andI'm looking down, it's like
where's my name Actually atBarrowman's table I was talking
to the girl at Vassar.
She represents him and JohnBarrowman and they go all over
the place and she was talkingabout how great he has worked
(07:16):
with and how he just has has.
It's this incredible memory andI told her that story and she
said that's incredible.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
She said for him to remember a year later, you must
have really made an impressionand it's like, oh, that makes me
feel good you know, it'ssomething that's unique, you
know, we, we were talking toluke hawks earlier and wrestler
actor wrestler actor, prettygood, dude, pretty good he said
no one's ever given him anorigami, yeah, on set before.
I've never before, jim, andnobody's given me one since.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Watch this, he might beat me.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Oh, we're going to show it to him and then we're
going to film him beating you.
But also, jim and I, being partof Kevin Smith's fan club, we
won tickets to the Clerks 3premiere, and so we took Spirit
Airlines over to Los Angeles,which is it was nice, it wasn't
bad.
It's not as bad as you hear,but Jim's folding his origami.
He gives them to thestewardesses, to the you know
(08:03):
stewards, I don't know whichterm.
And he got us upgraded tobetter seats.
Yeah, their first class, justfatter seats.
Yeah, it works.
More leg room.
He also got us free waters, butthen, when you think about it,
you did give him a couple ofdollars, so I think it balanced
out, that's right, that was fun.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
I have a slight fear of flying.
I think I might have told youthat.
I don't know, I almost have themarks out of my arm.
Now I don't really have a fearonce I'm in the air, once the
wheels leave the ground, I'mokay.
But actually taking off likethey're going down the runway, I
(08:40):
am freaking the heck out, yeah.
And I mean I just I don't liketo fly.
I love flying, I love flying.
I don't like to take off.
Kind of same way about landing,but you know, the taking off,
for whatever reason, I have todo my little org on.
I have to sit there and I haveto fold five of them.
You know, I have this weirdthing in my head.
I can't fold every one of them.
(09:03):
I do, but I used to have to dofive of them.
Now I do whatever I can dobefore we take off.
I don't have any number in myhead, but it used to be.
I had to do this many to makethe plane day on the ADD.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
So I'm like all over the place anyway, not only to
distract yourself, but you hadto keep the plane up in the air
by folding, exactly, exactly.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
I did that.
I, I'm, I appreciate yougetting us to California for
that.
We made it in one piece.
That was.
That was fun.
You know, that was also.
I watched Brian.
You know, at every con we go tohe takes pictures and he's
posting like right away andeverything else and and I'm
always like oh, come on.
Brian and we're in the LasVegas airport.
And he takes a picture of aWonder Woman slot machine Before
(09:44):
we even got on a plane.
In Las Vegas, Linda Cartertagged.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Responded and re-quoted yeah, wow, oh, that's
cool.
I'm usually not that noisy.
I was like fanboying out overhere, wow.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
And I'm like holy shit, that just shit, that just
happened, you know.
Okay, any other questions,anything else you'd like to do?
Speaker 2 (10:04):
well, well.
So it's kind of funny howthings come full circle.
When brian and I first startedtalking about doing the podcast,
when we were first kickingthings off and really had
formulated the plan for the show, the name for the show and the
format, y'all were on your waytogether to go to geek con and
(10:26):
we we did a little testinterview just testing out the
software in the vehicle.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
And now here we are at a convention together doing
an episode funny and shementioned geek, kind of like we
I think you were talking aboutit earlier.
Today was the very firstconvention that I actually wore
a costume.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
And I was scared.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
I was freaking out.
We were actually staying in ahotel room.
I had all kinds of extraclothes because I thought
there's no way I'm staying in acostume all day.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
Let me apologize At that con.
The hotel was connected soanytime you needed to just go
change, take a break, hit theelevator and go up.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
It was beautiful it was incredible to be that close
to our hotel room.
We had all the stars staying inthe same hotel as us.
Yeah, we were on our way toGeekCon and that was, I remember
, the call, and we were in a badspot and we kept losing you a
little bit with the audio.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
I think we also learned that in a car is a lot
of background noise.
We've got a little bit.
You might have heard somesecurity and stuff back there.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
And on top of that, we've come to find out that the
software that we use is verydata hungry.
A cell signal in a vehicle isnot the best yeah For that.
So it is what it is, I guess.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
And another fun thing you know when you're talking
about that in the car andeverything, you guys, almost
every guest you have you metwhere.
Where'd you meet him?
Circle?
Speaker 2 (11:49):
exercise.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
I've never taken the circle exercise, so this episode
will never air.
No, we've had some non-circlepeople.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
We've had a few that weren't.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
We're documenting you before you finally take the
circle, and then after, to seehow much you've grown.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Commercial for Jim, please, yeah, yeah, insert
commercial right here.
So yeah, it's.
You know, I would tell anybodythat's doing any acting or
anything like that get out there, have fun, play with this kind
of stuff.
Start out doing this, you know,find something.
You know I did Bob Ross.
There were several peoplewalking by going Bob Ross and
(12:30):
somebody next to him going who,and then you know it's like you
see the connection and it's avery, very bad wig and a
paintbrush.
That's what I'm working with.
You have to find yourself in inthe paintbrush, in the bad wig,
and and and make your spot.
You know, I've seen some ofy'all's work and and it's just
like.
You know it's very low budgetand stuff like that.
(12:50):
But but you, you bring your,you bring your stuff, you bring
your a-game and and it shows itreally does.
Yeah, it's really impressive.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
To paraphrase and change a little bit, there are
people who have perfectstormtrooper costumes, yeah, and
they spend hundreds of dollars,which is beautiful, which I
never do.
So I do something, usually fora photo op, like I had star trek
curtains when I met williamshatner and recreated the
twilight zone gremlin, so I putmy spin on it.
It's unique to walk through aroom you got to be.
You know people can like makefun of you.
(13:20):
I had my fun and so then thepicture people love when I share
it.
You know what I mean.
So I think to go with whatyou're saying find your bliss,
and that will inspire others tofollow.
Yeah, and bring their own bliss.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
My first acting coach .
I don't know if I can say hername yet because I don't know if
she's going to be doing it yet,but my first acting coach, she
taught me a couple of thingsthat were really incredible, and
one of the things she used todo to me was she would hand me a
script to have what I wassupposed to do, highlight it and
everything, and we'd read itonce and she said okay, now
(13:55):
you're the other character.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
It's like what A couple of times that she would
do.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
I would read my line and she would make a line funny
instead of serious.
And then I have to shift mycharacter into comedy mode
instead of being.
You know, I had rehearsed itover and over again as serious
and she would.
She did things like that to meand she said you have to think
on your feet.
She said you will go in for anaudition and they're going to
(14:25):
say you know what, read this.
They want you to read this andthey're going to do that to you
probably more times than just astraight audition.
So if you're going to anaudition, if they're seeing you
again, they like something aboutyou.
It doesn't mean they like youfor that one, but they want you
for something.
They like something about you.
You for that one, but they wantyou for something.
They like something about you.
So be prepared, you know.
Be able to think on your feet,take the time, you know.
(14:47):
Learn a little bit of improv,you know, and just know what you
can do and be ready to changeyour character.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
I had a cast and director tell me one time that
sometimes they'll tell peopleexactly what you're saying to do
it a different way that is notappropriate for the character
Funny when it should be serious,or vice versa.
Just to see how well you takedirection.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
And then do it again, and it's just to see that you
can implement what they'reasking you to do.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
Yeah, and I mean they usually always that they're
going to hand you somethingdifferent.
They're going to give you a fewminutes to look it over and,
kind of, you know, build it alittle bit, but you have to.
They're not going to give youan hour, they're going to give
you five minutes here.
Take a look at this and let'sgo.
You know, like I said, you know, it's just a matter of being,
you know, a little bit more thanjust one layer.
(15:38):
I'm just kind of a layer and ahalf.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
You're a many layered onion, but you know we're
talking about your foldingorigami on set, which is fun,
but not that giving out money isthe way you have to do it.
But you're a pleasure to workwith on set, so that adds a good
atmosphere, because it's astressful time.
We can later, but maybe not oncamera, and you got to pay me $5
.
So what I'm saying is, ifyou're a nice person on set,
(16:05):
people want you to come back toset.
That's right.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
They really want him to come back to set with the
dollars.
But you know, well, I'm goingto talk about that because I was
walking to set I was on a TVshow called the Winchesters
working background actually, andI was just kind of walking down
the road to to go to the wherewe had set up for, and this
woman's like running behind me,one of the costume women that's
running behind me and she, shesaid she stops me.
(16:31):
She said you're jim, right?
I said yeah, and she's like I'mfrom atlanta.
I just got here yesterday.
She said I had to stop you.
She's like you know, they talkabout you all over the place.
Like you know, I've heard yourname before I even came to to,
uh, stop you.
She's like you know, they talkabout you all over the place.
Like you know, I've heard yourname before I even came to to
Louisiana.
She's like you know.
And I was like oh, that's sosweet.
And I reached in, I grabbed mywallet.
I said here, just take thewhole wallet.
(16:52):
She laughed.
So no, I'm not after an origamior anything.
She said I just want you toknow how, while that somebody's
talking about you, it's nicethat people find you fun.
I mean it's been a rough coupleof years in the movie business
and personally it's been a roughyear too, for people to see
(17:13):
more than just the dollar billthat they're happy to see you is
a very special day, cool.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
I think we're coming to the end, so let's just double
check in, I think.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
I have one in this bag.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
We'll be back after this man.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
Yeah, we'll edit it into making an origami and hand
it to him real quick.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
This is my normal set bag, but I think I might have
moved it.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
You know how many times it's happened to me where
somebody pulls out their origami.
It happens a lot origami whenit happens a lot, and it just
makes me smile and and I, like Isaid over and over again, I've
heard people tell me the storyof of me changing their day or
making something better for themthat day.
Yeah, had a couple of really,really hard stories told to me.
You know, after you know myorigamis and stuff, and you know
(17:58):
, one girl said she changed herentire trajectory on what she
was doing with her life and it.
It's like I didn't do that.
I don't take credit for that,but just the idea that she was
able to stop and think aboutwhat she was doing made her want
to.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
Your generosity was the pebble in the lake and the
ripples that came out from that.
You know.
So, yes, you started theavalanche that helped her.
Yeah, you know.
Claim it, that's right.
Yes, you started the avalanchethat helped her.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Yeah, you know, claim it, that's right.
Oh, you want to take us out.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
Yep, we're done.
We don't have to listen to Jim.
No, I'm just kidding Jim.
It's been a pleasure.
Jim and I always go to constogether.
It's fun.
I call him my con husband.
My wife's like, yeah, take him,you don't care.
Spirit of generosity and justbeing ready to do anything to
her laugh.
It makes it a pleasure to behere.
So thank you for being on theshow.
(18:45):
Thank, you.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Yeah, jim, thanks for coming on, and I think this is
our second con together.
Now, you and I, I do want toplug December right.
Yep, december, cajun Con AtCajun Con.
Speaker 3 (18:58):
I'll be somewhere around probably folding dollar
bills, real close.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
Well, so probably at our booth.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
What I was going to say is we're actually going to
sponsor the con.
Right, we are going to be ourlogo on their banners when they
make the announcements of hey,thanks for these people.
People will be hearing that,and then we could use some
people at our booth.
So if we need to exit, you'dhave a place to fold your
dollars.
So come see Jim, don't evenworry about us.
Come see him, get a dollar,bring a dollar, take my money.
(19:24):
We might have to have them giveyou a dollar so you don't go
broke, that's right.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
I start folding slower when I start running out
of dollars.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
That's right.
All right, folks.
See you next time.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
See you December.
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