December 3, 2025 • 34 mins
Ever wondered if it's too late to chase a new dream? Tune into this question with the legendary Fritz Coleman, former Los Angeles weatherman turned stand-up comedian and podcaster. How did a chance opportunity lead Fritz from forecasting weather to cracking jokes on stage? Join hosts Merry Elkins and Cathy Worthington as they explore Fritz's inspiring journey of reinvention.
Fritz shares his serendipitous leap into broadcasting, the joy of stand-up comedy, and his latest show, Unassisted Living. He reveals how comedy unites us, especially in a divided world, and why staying active and optimistic is key to aging gracefully. Plus, hear about the comedic legends who shaped his career and his plans to spread laughter beyond California.
It’s never too late to pursue your passions and create a vibrant 'third act.' Ready to be inspired? Listen now! 🎧
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Episode Transcript
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Merry Elkins (00:01):
This is the EWN Podcast Network.
Cathy Worthington (00:14):
Welcome to Late Boomers, our podcast guide
to creating your third act withstyle, power, and impact. Hi.
I'm Kathy Worthington.
Merry Elkins (00:24):
And I'm Mary Elkins. Join us as we bring you
conversations withentrepreneurs, entertainers, and
people with vision who aremaking a difference in the
world.
Cathy Worthington (00:34):
Everyone has a story, and we'll take you
along for the ride on eachinterview, recounting the
journey our guests have taken toget where they are, inspiring
you to create your own path tosuccess. Let's get started.
Welcome to the late boomerspodcast where we bring you
(00:55):
inspiring stories of peoplecreating new chapters in life
with style, power, and impact.I'm Kathy Worthington.
Merry Elkins (01:04):
And I'm Mary Elkins. On Late Boomers, we'd
love to talk about reinvention,how people find new passions and
careers and callings in thesecond half of life. And because
really it's never too late to dosomething extraordinary.
Cathy Worthington (01:19):
That's right. Sometimes the biggest
opportunities come after wethink the best years are behind
us. When experience,perspective, and humor start to
come together.
Merry Elkins (01:29):
And what we've seen in our podcasts and life
really is so many examples ofpeople who take what they've
learned, pivot, and findsomething even more meaningful,
whether it's writing a book orlaunching a business or taking
the stage or just living withmore joy and purpose.
Cathy Worthington (01:48):
And that brings us to today's guest,
someone who embodies all ofthat.
Merry Elkins (01:53):
Our guest today is Fritz Coleman, a legendary Los
Angeles weatherman who spentdecades on television bringing
calm and humor to SouthernCalifornia's very unpredictable
weather.
Cathy Worthington (02:07):
But Fritz didn't stop there. He's also an
award winning stand up comedian,storyteller, and now a podcaster
himself. His podcast Media Pathdives into fascinating
conversations about culture,creativity, and life after
broadcasting.
Merry Elkins (02:25):
And Fritz proves you can reinvent yourself, stay
creative, and keep making peoplesmile at any age. Fritz, welcome
to late boomers.
Fritz Coleman (02:35):
Wow. You perfectly described my life. I
love talking to my demographic.It's nice to be here. Thank you
for inviting Welcome.
Cathy Worthington (02:46):
Well, Fritz, you've had such an iconic career
in Los Angeles broadcasting. Sowhat made you decide to make the
leap into stand up andpodcasting?
Fritz Coleman (02:57):
Well, very few people know this story. And real
meteorologists hate this story,but I'm gonna tell
Merry Elkins (03:05):
you the Yeah.
Fritz Coleman (03:06):
I was hired to do the weather from working at the
comedy store. Was doing I a showwas working at the comedy store
in 1982, and my friend who wasan anchor person at channel four
brought his wife I'm sorry, hisboss and his boss's wife to see
me through a show. And I hadtalked in my show at the comedy
(03:29):
store about having done theweather in the navy. I worked
for armed forces radio andtelevision when was in the navy,
which was my introduction to mycareer. But I didn't know
anything about the weather, butthat didn't seem to matter to
the navy.
And so I just I just made stuffup, and I had some Oh,
Merry Elkins (03:45):
You made it up?
Fritz Coleman (03:46):
I had some anecdotes about that. And after
my show with The Comedy Storewas over, went backstage to meet
this gentleman. And he said,this is an odd question, but do
you have any desire to come tochannel four and do some
vacation relief weatherforecasting for me and vacay and
(04:09):
weekend, you know, fill in? I Ihave guys that need a vacation.
I said, you did hear me say Idon't know anything about the
weather.
And the guy said, perfect.There's no weather in
California. This will work outgreat.
Merry Elkins (04:22):
Oh, that's that's true. I
Fritz Coleman (04:25):
had to I had to audition. I got the job, and I
did a weekend fill in for twoyears. And then the predecessor
to the weekday job, the the fulltime job left, and I was
promoted to the weekdayweathercaster where I did the
five, six, and 11:00 news. And Iretired two weeks shy of my
(04:47):
fortieth anniversary. I alwaystell people it was the greatest
stroke of show business lucksince that woman was discovered
at Schwab's Pharmacy in theforties.
Merry Elkins (04:57):
Well, shows you you got a woman yourself in the
right place at the right time.Right? Don't they
Fritz Coleman (05:02):
say that? A thousand percent. I have been
the beneficiary of someastonishing good luck in my
life. I just hope I haven't runout of it, but it's it's truly
what it is. It's it's aboutbeing at the right place at the
right time, and not being afraidto try something that you hadn't
considered.
I didn't come to California tobe a weatherman. I came to be a
(05:22):
comedian. But this opportunitypresented itself. I had two
children that I was trying toprovide a stable home for. I
didn't wanna go on the roadanymore as a comic because I I
was not known, so I wasn'tmaking any money.
This was the perfectopportunity. So really, the only
thing I brought to the table wasI wasn't afraid to try something
(05:44):
I hadn't considered.
Merry Elkins (05:45):
Wow. What about the jump
Cathy Worthington (05:47):
then after the broadcasting? The jump
Fritz Coleman (05:50):
After the broadcasting, you know,
truthfully, while I was doingthe weather, I continued to
perform. My my job was five,six, and 11:00 news. I would go
to work about noon. It was asplit shift. I would go to work
at noon every day.
I would prepare the five and sixbroadcast. I would do the five
(06:10):
and six broadcast. And if theweather was tranquil, we weren't
in the middle of an El Ninosiege, I would leave at 06:30
and have to be back about 10:00.And in that time, I would go
perform at the comedy store andthe improv and the ice house and
those places. So I was workingaround town the whole time.
I never stopped and restarted. Ijust went to my avocation when I
(06:34):
retired.
Merry Elkins (06:35):
So you yeah. So you never really reinvented
yourself. You just knew whereyou were going when you were
ready to I
Fritz Coleman (06:42):
massaged that part of my heart when I retired
a little bit more. It's so muchfun. I'm doing nonprofits. I'm
on the board of two nonprofits,and I'm performing. And to to to
speak to the great issues thatyou talk about on your wonderful
podcast, I'm so happy becauseI'm spending all of my energy
doing things I love, as opposedto doing it for a paycheck or
(07:05):
working for the corporate man.
Cathy Worthington (07:07):
That's pretty special. Yes. How would you say
your years as a weathermanenhanced your comedy?
Fritz Coleman (07:16):
Well, being on live television teaches you to
not be intimidated by or toreact well to unforeseen
circumstances, like computerglitches or things going awry in
the studio, and it it taught meto think on my feet. And it also
(07:36):
introduced me to the public.Yeah. It really I I it made it
easier for me to get comedy jobsaround town because people knew
who I was. And I really learnedan interesting thing about
television, and that is it'ssuch an intimate medium.
When you come into people'shomes at the same time every
(07:59):
night, say 05:18, every nightfor forty years, they they they
incorporate you into theirfamily. It's like you're part of
their daily existence. So Chrisis on at 05:18, that must mean
I'm still alive. I don't likethe tie he's wearing, but it's
good to see him. And you know,but but you you become part of
(08:21):
the continuity of people'slives, and that that gave me a
great respect for fans andpeople who watch me and watch my
Merry Elkins (08:32):
were television part of mine for that long.
Mean, I unbelievable.
Fritz Coleman (08:35):
It's
Merry Elkins (08:35):
it's I tuned in to you for the laughs and for the
weather. Yes. Me too. Yeah.
Cathy Worthington (08:43):
Well, I'm from here.
Fritz Coleman (08:44):
I I I was hired because I was a comedian. And in
those days, you know, in 1982, Iwas my first day on the air was
Christmas Eve nineteen eightytwo.
Cathy Worthington (08:58):
Mhmm.
Fritz Coleman (08:59):
And back in those days, news wasn't as severe as
it is now. It's all breakingnews and freeway chases and
drive bys
Cathy Worthington (09:07):
and
Fritz Coleman (09:07):
all of it, and there wasn't as much
competition. So they didn't mindhaving somebody in the newscast
that was a sort of a a lightertouch. I always said that my job
was to be the palate cleanserbetween the tragedy and the
sports. I would give people alittle breather, and I had the
least threatening part of thenewscast. And so over time, it
(09:32):
was just fantastic.
I forgot what your question was,but I'm just I'm talking. Just
tell me. Oh,
Cathy Worthington (09:37):
just about how the weatherman thing
enhanced your comedy.
Fritz Coleman (09:41):
Oh, yes.
Cathy Worthington (09:42):
Do pull stuff from that?
Fritz Coleman (09:44):
Yes. I I if you when you come and hear my show,
you'll hear me talk about theweather briefly. That sets the
stage, but what I really talkabout, particularly in this new
show that I have calledUnassisted Living, it's for
people of a certain age. I thinkif you have a Medicare card in
your wallet, you need to comeand see this show. Uh-huh.
(10:08):
It's about what we have incommon in the aging process.
That's all it's about. And Ifound that in these times, these
dark times, when there's so muchdivision and rancor and
division, even in families,people don't wanna be reminded
in a comedy show about whatdivides them. Tell us what we
(10:29):
have in common. I talk about,ninety minutes, the experience
that we all have of getting old.
And what resonates with peopleis it's all the recognition of
those same symptoms inthemselves, and just having a
great time doing
Merry Elkins (10:45):
It's so true. Well you talked earlier about not
being afraid to try somethingnew, but what would you say to
people? What advice would yougive people who feel it might be
too late to start over, or tocontinue with their passion to
retry her from the real job, andcontinue with their passions?
Fritz Coleman (11:04):
It's never too late. If you still have the
intellectual faculties and thedrive, I I have to work. I'm I'm
always a person who had to beactive during the day. Even your
retirement, I'm busier now thanI was when I was doing the
weather. Mhmm.
That's Me my character. I haveto stay active. And as long as
(11:27):
you stay active and do things tomassage your mind, read, and you
know, engage in pursuits thatstimulate your brain, you're
gonna be fine. It's never toolate. I have more performance
opportunities now at 77 yearsold than I had when I was
younger.
And it's I'm so grateful. We'rebuilding we just finished our
(11:49):
second year at the El PortalTheatre, and we have a full show
every time, and it's justhonestly, I'm not exaggerating
when I say it's a gift. I'm sothankful that I'm able to still
generate this kind of businessat my age.
Cathy Worthington (12:05):
It's fabulous, but you you've always
been known for your humor andoptimism as we talked about. How
important do you think laughteris in staying young and
resilient?
Fritz Coleman (12:17):
It's so important. And I'll tell you, I
don't think that the the valueof comedy has been more
important than it is right now,because again, this is a very
threatening world. Every day onthe news, we're learning about
things that divide us. We'rewe're talking about The Us and
(12:38):
them syndrome every day. We'relearning about not being able to
afford food and all these otherthings.
But I think people appreciatewhen they come to a show they
come to my show because I don'tdo any politics at all. I I
think people just appreciatethat we talk about the common
experience of being a humanbeing, and what draws us
(13:01):
together. And then after theshow, always meet everybody out
in the lobby, and they bring melittle stories. You know that
thing you said about shavingcream? I'm like, god, it's so
funny, and here's my story.
It's just the things we have incommon, because really, all I'm
doing is putting into words thefeelings other people are
having, but they don't have thenarcissistic tendency to have to
say it in front of an audience.They they they you know, I'm
(13:24):
putting into words what theyfeel, and and and that's that's
the release. That's the comedyrelease for them. It's the the
laugh of recognition. So I Idon't think the job of a comic
has ever been more importantthan it is right now.
Merry Elkins (13:39):
Oh, yeah. So tell us more about your show,
Unassisted Living, and talk
Fritz Coleman (13:43):
a little bit about what
Merry Elkins (13:44):
inspired it Fritz, and is there a message that you
hope audiences take away?
Fritz Coleman (13:50):
Well, think your show perfectly describes the
message. It's you will surviveand have a long life positivity,
if you maintain your you know,you you can stay in good shape
physically, and you maintain aninterest in life, and maintain
the ability to laugh at yourselfand other people. And I have
(14:15):
gone back thirty years to doingwhat I call single topic
monologues. That is every show Ido takes a topic, and then we
expand it to an hour, an hourand a half. For instance, thirty
years ago I had a show calledit's me dad, which was about
being a single father and all ofthe struggles of my family with
(14:37):
alcoholism and all those things.
And I it it it resonated so wellwith people. Public television,
KCET bought the show, and theyput it on their broadcast on
Father's Day every Father's Dayfor seven years in a row because
it resonated with me. Then whenthat show was done, I did one
called the reception, which wasabout divorce. And then I did
(15:00):
one about the news. It wascalled tonight at eleven.
Ten night at eleven. Then I didthe first one about aging when I
was just discovering I was old,but it hadn't overtaken my life
yet called flying to gravity.And now this one, on the living,
which is, oh my god, I'm old.There's nothing I can do about
it. Let's all hold hands.
Somebody said that this show islike a baby boomer support
(15:22):
group. It's just the
Cathy Worthington (15:24):
Oh, I saw that written and I thought
that's so good.
Fritz Coleman (15:27):
Yeah. I was so happy to get to get that review.
It's a great review.
Cathy Worthington (15:31):
Uh-huh. I love
Fritz Coleman (15:33):
So that's that's where I I like to write about
one topic and then just flesh itout. And the various things I
talk about are the changes I'vemade in myself since retirement
and not being particularly happywith the person I've become. The
combination of the changes sincethe pandemic and being old and
how it's changed my direction,being a grandparent, not being
(15:54):
able to see my grandchildrenenough, taking too many
medications, all that kind ofstuff. All the comics is very
old.
Merry Elkins (16:02):
What? Do you ever talk about relationships in old
age?
Fritz Coleman (16:05):
Yes. Yes. I talk about that. I get very you as
you'll see, I get I get I getvery personal about the romantic
lives of senior citizens. Cool.
And you'll see that too.
Cathy Worthington (16:20):
Oh, I
Fritz Coleman (16:20):
love it. And Yeah. And and I talk about my
parents, my relationship with myparents, Their their hideous
twenty years in a retirementhome in Vero Beach, Florida. I
talk about going to my fiftyfifth high school reunion and
(16:42):
all the fruit that that bore. Soit's just all the stuff we all
go through as seniors.
Cathy Worthington (16:49):
And I think when you go to these events like
a reunion, you're making notesback in the hotel room in
between because it's so good.Juicy. Yeah. Juicy stuff. Tell
us now about your podcast, MediaPath.
Merry Elkins (17:04):
What inspired
Cathy Worthington (17:05):
you to start it, and what do you love most
about doing it?
Fritz Coleman (17:08):
Well, I I have a very good friend Louise
Palankar, who is my co host, whomade her fortune starting a
radio company called PremierRadio Networks, and they
provided services to radiostations, and they syndicated
radio shows. And she she did sowell, they sold the company to
(17:30):
Clear Channel, and then toiHeart Radio, and she retired.
And she was doing podcasts. Andthen when I retired, she said, I
I had a contract at NBC whichprecluded me from doing things
out on the media outside channelfour. I couldn't do anything.
I was I was Mhmm. Not allowed todo that. So when I retired, she
(17:51):
said, why don't you come and dothis podcast? And we we we solo
life the same. Our politics werethe same.
Our movie tastes were the same.Our tastes in books. So let's
just have a conversation. We'llcontinue like what we do in
life. So we started this thing.
We've done 300 episodes. It'sit's like five years. And
Cathy Worthington (18:15):
Nice. We're almost up to you. We have 270, I
think.
Fritz Coleman (18:18):
God bless you. You know Yeah. And the way I I
you can't look at it, and youknow this better than I do. You
can't look at it like you lookat television. For instance, in
television, you get up in themorning, and you look at the
overnight ratings to make sureyou succeeded, and everything is
all the your newscasts areparsed down into fifteen minute
blocks.
Podcasting is not like that. Ittakes a long time to cut out
(18:43):
territory in a podcast. I mean,I think the number like a
180,000 podcasts in America now,some insane number. So I had to
put that out of my mind. I do itbecause I love the conversation.
And I do it because I lovelearning things that I didn't
know before from our variousguests. We had a great guest on
(19:04):
yesterday. We do it everyTuesday. His name is John
Capellas. He's a Canadian actor.
He started in the improv worldat second city in Chicago. He
was in all the the John Hughesmovies of 16 Candles.
Cathy Worthington (19:19):
Oh, god. I love those movies.
Fritz Coleman (19:21):
Breakfast Club, and he had a great story, but
he's my age. And so here's a guythat had an arc in show
business, and we learned the upsand downs, and all the friends
he made, and I just love theconversation. He really didn't
have anything to promote. Hejust came on and told us about
it.
Cathy Worthington (19:37):
Oh, I'd love to have him on our show.
Fritz Coleman (19:38):
Yeah. I'll give you his contact. Said he
Cathy Worthington (19:40):
would to.
Fritz Coleman (19:41):
And a great conversationalist.
Cathy Worthington (19:43):
We're not a great pairing.
Fritz Coleman (19:45):
Yeah. Yeah.
Merry Elkins (19:46):
Absolutely. I I just like the conversation. You
started during COVID, didn'tyou?
Cathy Worthington (19:53):
Yes. We did. We did too.
Merry Elkins (19:55):
That's exactly what we did. Talking about
carving out your life.
Cathy Worthington (19:58):
Five years. Yeah.
Fritz Coleman (20:00):
Lot of podcasts were giving birth during COVID
because we couldn't get out ofthe house. Mhmm. But I think you
you have a great demographic,and you provide a great service.
At the very least, the serviceyou provide is being a friend to
people who are not sure aboutthe last third of their life,
and what direction they wannago. You
Merry Elkins (20:19):
know it's interesting because more and
more older people are listeningto podcasts now. And it's
especially When first startedit,
Cathy Worthington (20:28):
it was like what's a podcast? Now they now
they say, but how do I listen toit? And you have to give them a
link. You have to spoon feedthem the link because No.
Fritz Coleman (20:37):
Do. Especially
Cathy Worthington (20:38):
people don't realize it's on everything. Just
turn it on.
Fritz Coleman (20:42):
People. Yeah. You know, the the Gen Xers and the
all that.
Cathy Worthington (20:46):
Yeah.
Fritz Coleman (20:46):
It has replaced radio in their lives.
Cathy Worthington (20:49):
Wow, radio's gone.
Fritz Coleman (20:51):
They listen all the time, and it's it's
fantastic.
Merry Elkins (20:55):
It is. Oh yeah.
Fritz Coleman (20:57):
I I think it's it's just getting started.
Merry Elkins (21:01):
So I have to ask you, Fritz, because I'm curious.
You've you've been on so many TVshows with so many famous
people. And I'm curious, whoinfluenced you? Who's had the
biggest influence in your careerand in your comedy?
Fritz Coleman (21:19):
Well, I think the person that made me wanna be on
TV the most was Johnny Carsonand Bob Hope. Mhmm. I just
thought their charm and theirability to off handedly be so
funny and convulse the 500person audience, I thought that
was just fantastic. As acomedian, my great inspiration
(21:39):
was George Carlin.
Merry Elkins (21:41):
Ah.
Fritz Coleman (21:41):
When I was in eleventh grade, my uncle gave me
tickets to see George Carlin inconcert at a performance venue
on the East Coast called theValley Forge Music Fair. I was
born and raised in Pennsylvania,and every summer, these East
Coast cities would have thesemusic fairs where they would put
up a big tent like a Cirque duSoleil tent, and it could fit
(22:04):
3,000 people, and that and itwas an outdoor, but not really
outdoor venue. And he gave metickets to see George Carlin,
and I'd never seen anybody do along do a complete, what we say,
comedy set, like an hour, hourand a half show on their own. I
mean, I'd seen comedians on theEd Sullivan show, on the Johnny
Carson show do five minutesnippets, but I never saw
(22:25):
anybody do a whole show. So Iwent to see this Carlin show,
and he talked for ninety minutesflawlessly, and what I loved
about him was his wordplay.
He he was a great master of theEnglish language, and that and
that was most of his act. And hejust convulsed this 3,000 person
(22:50):
audience with his own words andhis own thoughts, and it was I'm
telling you, I'm notexaggerating when I say it was a
religious experience. I feltlike I was watching a TV
evangelist for the first time.He just knew how to work the
crowd, and it was it changed mylife. Now, I never thought I
could do it professionally untilI got older, but it it sort it
(23:14):
endeared me to him.
And then another hero of minewas Robert Klein, who was
another charismatic wonderfulperformer as well. So I have the
old school guys that are myheroes. Sure.
Cathy Worthington (23:26):
That makes perfect sense.
Fritz Coleman (23:27):
Yeah.
Cathy Worthington (23:28):
Well, and speaking of old school guys, do
you think retirement is anoutdated concept for creative
people?
Fritz Coleman (23:37):
Yes. 1000%. I'm glad you brought that up. I
First really of all, I think I'mdoing the best writing of my
career now.
Cathy Worthington (23:45):
Oh, good.
Fritz Coleman (23:46):
Because you know, 50% of the joy of stand up for
me is the writing process. I Idiscipline myself pretty well. I
do an hour or two every day ofeither rehearsing what I've
written or writing new material.Oh. And that routine is very
important to me.
And because, you know, it's it'spart of my performance process,
but it also, as I say, keeps mymind stimulated. And I'm doing
(24:10):
the best writing of my life, andI as I said to you before, I'm
having success in theatersgreater than I had when I was a
younger man. So I am I am themanifestation of what you're
talking about is your your yourcareer doesn't end with
retirement. Plus, physically andmedically, we're having longer
(24:31):
lives now. I mean, if somebodydies at 72 years old or
something, you say, my god, thatyoung man.
People are living in theireighties and nineties now, so
you can retire from work at 65and have twenty five or thirty
years in front of you, and ifyou can find a productive way to
utilize that time, you're ingolden shape.
Merry Elkins (24:50):
Absolutely. Great. We love that because we have a
lot of
Cathy Worthington (24:54):
guests that talk about that. Fabulous.
Fabulous.
Merry Elkins (24:57):
And I have friends in their eighties who are really
doing more now than they've everdone before, it's very exciting.
Fritz Coleman (25:06):
Know what's really interesting? Our our
generation, the boomers, havemore expendable capital. We have
more savings than the Gen Xersand the Gen Zers and the
whatever comes after that group.Because for the first time in
American history, and this issad in a way, but not for our
(25:27):
generation, they're not youalways want your children to do
better than you are. Well, it'snot happening.
Financially, it's not happening.So we have this money. I find
that people our age are goingout and engaging and doing
theater and live performance,and they're getting involved in
other things more so becausethey have the wherewithal to do
it. And it's I I think it's thebest generation. I I as I close
(25:54):
my act with, and I don't wanna Idon't wanna give you this, I I
have a whole section toward theend of my act that says I've
never been happier in my lifethan I am right now, and I talk
about why.
Merry Elkins (26:04):
Oh, love that. Can't wait to see it. Love it.
You Me too. Talking about yourwriting, you've always described
comedy as truth telling indisguise.
So what truths are you mostpassionate about sharing these
days?
Fritz Coleman (26:22):
Well, it's just in general terms, the the the
truth of everybody's agingprocess. Really, that's where
the laughs come from. I'm not aI'm not a joke teller. I say
amusing things within stories,and I I think what gets laughs
in my show is the recognition ofthe familiarity of what I'm
(26:42):
describing. People are going,yes, I had that happened
yesterday.
Yes, I take yes, I take too manypills. Some are so small, I drop
them on the carpet and can'tfind them. All that stuff is I
just think the truer theobservation, what happens is my
comedy comes from finding thetruth, the nugget of truth in a
(27:05):
concept, and then exaggeratingit, and ginning it up with
adjectives and everything tomake it amusing, and that's what
gets the laughs. It's a laugh ofrecognition of the truth.
Cathy Worthington (27:18):
Mhmm. Love it. Love it. Love it. Love it.
Yeah. And you've said thatpeople underestimate the second
half of life. So what would yousay has surprised you most about
your own? What's the most
Fritz Coleman (27:31):
Well, I I as I've said it in different ways, I I
never thought I'd be this happyat this phase of my life.
Because I'll tell you, I wasafraid to retire from my
profession because I watched myfather, who was the classic post
World War two businessman, whoseentire identity was his work. He
(27:56):
didn't read books, he didn't goto movies, he didn't go to
plays, he did yard work, andthen he got too old to do his
own yard work, and that was theend of that. Like he all he did
was work. He worked twelve,fifteen hours a day, and
exhausted himself, and he'dwatch Wheel of Fortune and be in
bed by 07:30.
That was it. And and over time,I watched this man implode
(28:19):
slowly. His life just lostmeaning, there was nothing to
keep his enthusiasm, or hisheart, or his soul going.
Nothing creative. And it scaredme so much when I got to
retirement age and said, oh myGod, I hope that's not a
hereditary trait, because Idon't wanna be that way.
My life is a 180 degreesdifferent than that. I'm busier
(28:41):
than I've ever been. I'm doingwhat I love to do. I look
forward to every day, and as Isay, I've never been happier in
my life than I am right now.
Merry Elkins (28:51):
Your father would be very proud of you.
Fritz Coleman (28:54):
He was. He he got to see some early success. You
know, we had a complicatedrelationship. My father was an
alcoholic, and he he he putoffenses when he was an
alcoholic and it made itdifficult to get really close to
him until he was much older. Wedid repair our relationship and
it wasn't bad toward the end,but we wasted a lot of time when
(29:16):
he was younger and I wasyounger.
But so it was a different thing.It was a different world. You
know, post World War two men whohad lived through the depression
and World War two felt like,listen, I gave you a beautiful
home in the suburbs ofPhiladelphia, You got three
square meals a day. You havewonderful friends. You're not
(29:38):
gonna starve to death.
You go to a great school. My jobis complete. I and you know, I
don't have to give you the loveydovey emotional connection
stuff. I'm I'm the I'm theprovider and that's what he did,
or at least that's what hethought he did. So it was a
different time.
There was no quality and hedidn't look for quality in his
own life over and above what hedid for us.
Cathy Worthington (30:00):
Mhmm. Understood.
Merry Elkins (30:01):
So Fritz, I have I have a threefold question for
Fritz Coleman (30:06):
you. Okay.
Merry Elkins (30:07):
Alright. What's next for you? Any new projects
or directions you're goingtowards that excite you? And
also, what would you have ouraudience have as a takeaway
today?
Fritz Coleman (30:21):
Okay. I my my the next phase in my life is this
show that I'm doing now,Unassisted Living, is universal.
Although I can sell tickets,because I was on the air in LA
for forty years, so I can selltickets between Santa Barbara
and the Mexican border. What Iwould like to do is have
(30:41):
somebody help me take thiselsewhere in The United States
and share it with everybody,because there there's nothing
regional or local about this actexcept when I describe my job as
a weatherman, which everybodyunderstands, but it only takes
up two or three minutes of theshow. I would like to I would
like to spread out and take itelsewhere.
Now that my kids are all out ofthe house, and my cat is no
(31:04):
longer with us, I can leave forperiods of time. I'd love to go
work on the road a little bit.Just, you know, not crazy, a
couple times a month, and takethis show to other parts of The
United States. And I I would Iwould leave your audience with
the message that you sobeautifully described in your
mandate for your podcast. It'snever too late.
(31:26):
I am so surprised that I am asenergetic, and as creative, and
as passionate about what I do atthis phase of my life than I
ever thought I would be. I wasafraid to retire, and then I
retired, And then I said, oh,it's it's it's the greatest
aspect of my life. You no longerfeel guilty about the mistakes
(31:47):
you made with your children. Youcan you can raise your
grandchildren and not befamished about it all the time.
It's it's a great time of life.
Cathy Worthington (31:57):
I love Oh, that's great. Fritz, thank you
so much for joining us today.
Fritz Coleman (32:02):
I'm so happy. Thank you. Thank you for the
opportunity. I'd like to I'dlike to put your engineer on a
retainer.
Cathy Worthington (32:10):
Oh, she's great.
Fritz Coleman (32:12):
For helping me solve my problems.
Cathy Worthington (32:13):
But thanks so much for sharing your humor,
insight, and inspiration withus.
Fritz Coleman (32:19):
Well, you guys do a great job, and I wish you
continued success. Are more andmore boomers living longer, so I
see only good things for yourpodcast.
Merry Elkins (32:27):
Oh, you're great. Thank so much. We and we'd love
hearing how you continue tocreate and connect and make
people laugh. And it's really agreat reminder that the best
chapters can come later in life.Right?
Cathy Worthington (32:41):
And to our listeners, thank you for tuning
into Late Boomers.
Merry Elkins (32:46):
And Yeah. And be sure to follow and subscribe
whenever you listen to podcastsand wherever you listen to
podcasts, and share this episodewith someone who could use a
little inspiration to starttheir next adventure because as
Fritz says, it's never too late.
Cathy Worthington (33:04):
Yeah. I'm Kathy Worthington.
Merry Elkins (33:06):
And I'm Mary Elkins.
Cathy Worthington (33:08):
See you next time on late boomers. Thank you
for joining us on late boomers,the podcast that is your guide
to creating a third act withstyle, power, and impact. Please
(33:30):
visit our website and get intouch with us at lateboomers.us.
If you would like to listen toor download other episodes of
late boomers, go toewnpodcastnetwork.com.
Merry Elkins (33:44):
This podcast is also available on Spotify, Apple
Podcast, and most other majorpodcast sites. We hope you make
use of the wisdom you've gainedhere and that you enjoy a
successful third act with yourown style, power, and impact.
This is the EWN Podcast Network.
Cathy Worthington (00:14):
Welcome to Late Boomers, our podcast guide
to creating your third act withstyle, power, and impact. Hi.
I'm Kathy Worthington.
Merry Elkins (00:24):
And I'm Mary Elkins. Join us as we bring you
conversations withentrepreneurs, entertainers, and
people with vision who aremaking a difference in the
world.
Cathy Worthington (00:34):
Everyone has a story, and we'll take you
along for the ride on eachinterview, recounting the
journey our guests have taken toget where they are, inspiring
you to create your own path tosuccess. Let's get started.
Welcome to the late boomerspodcast where we bring you
(00:55):
inspiring stories of peoplecreating new chapters in life
with style, power, and impact.I'm Kathy Worthington.
Merry Elkins (01:04):
And I'm Mary Elkins. On Late Boomers, we'd
love to talk about reinvention,how people find new passions and
careers and callings in thesecond half of life. And because
really it's never too late to dosomething extraordinary.
Cathy Worthington (01:19):
That's right. Sometimes the biggest
opportunities come after wethink the best years are behind
us. When experience,perspective, and humor start to
come together.
Merry Elkins (01:29):
And what we've seen in our podcasts and life
really is so many examples ofpeople who take what they've
learned, pivot, and findsomething even more meaningful,
whether it's writing a book orlaunching a business or taking
the stage or just living withmore joy and purpose.
Cathy Worthington (01:48):
And that brings us to today's guest,
someone who embodies all ofthat.
Merry Elkins (01:53):
Our guest today is Fritz Coleman, a legendary Los
Angeles weatherman who spentdecades on television bringing
calm and humor to SouthernCalifornia's very unpredictable
weather.
Cathy Worthington (02:07):
But Fritz didn't stop there. He's also an
award winning stand up comedian,storyteller, and now a podcaster
himself. His podcast Media Pathdives into fascinating
conversations about culture,creativity, and life after
broadcasting.
Merry Elkins (02:25):
And Fritz proves you can reinvent yourself, stay
creative, and keep making peoplesmile at any age. Fritz, welcome
to late boomers.
Fritz Coleman (02:35):
Wow. You perfectly described my life. I
love talking to my demographic.It's nice to be here. Thank you
for inviting Welcome.
Cathy Worthington (02:46):
Well, Fritz, you've had such an iconic career
in Los Angeles broadcasting. Sowhat made you decide to make the
leap into stand up andpodcasting?
Fritz Coleman (02:57):
Well, very few people know this story. And real
meteorologists hate this story,but I'm gonna tell
Merry Elkins (03:05):
you the Yeah.
Fritz Coleman (03:06):
I was hired to do the weather from working at the
comedy store. Was doing I a showwas working at the comedy store
in 1982, and my friend who wasan anchor person at channel four
brought his wife I'm sorry, hisboss and his boss's wife to see
me through a show. And I hadtalked in my show at the comedy
(03:29):
store about having done theweather in the navy. I worked
for armed forces radio andtelevision when was in the navy,
which was my introduction to mycareer. But I didn't know
anything about the weather, butthat didn't seem to matter to
the navy.
And so I just I just made stuffup, and I had some Oh,
Merry Elkins (03:45):
You made it up?
Fritz Coleman (03:46):
I had some anecdotes about that. And after
my show with The Comedy Storewas over, went backstage to meet
this gentleman. And he said,this is an odd question, but do
you have any desire to come tochannel four and do some
vacation relief weatherforecasting for me and vacay and
(04:09):
weekend, you know, fill in? I Ihave guys that need a vacation.
I said, you did hear me say Idon't know anything about the
weather.
And the guy said, perfect.There's no weather in
California. This will work outgreat.
Merry Elkins (04:22):
Oh, that's that's true. I
Fritz Coleman (04:25):
had to I had to audition. I got the job, and I
did a weekend fill in for twoyears. And then the predecessor
to the weekday job, the the fulltime job left, and I was
promoted to the weekdayweathercaster where I did the
five, six, and 11:00 news. And Iretired two weeks shy of my
(04:47):
fortieth anniversary. I alwaystell people it was the greatest
stroke of show business lucksince that woman was discovered
at Schwab's Pharmacy in theforties.
Merry Elkins (04:57):
Well, shows you you got a woman yourself in the
right place at the right time.Right? Don't they
Fritz Coleman (05:02):
say that? A thousand percent. I have been
the beneficiary of someastonishing good luck in my
life. I just hope I haven't runout of it, but it's it's truly
what it is. It's it's aboutbeing at the right place at the
right time, and not being afraidto try something that you hadn't
considered.
I didn't come to California tobe a weatherman. I came to be a
(05:22):
comedian. But this opportunitypresented itself. I had two
children that I was trying toprovide a stable home for. I
didn't wanna go on the roadanymore as a comic because I I
was not known, so I wasn'tmaking any money.
This was the perfectopportunity. So really, the only
thing I brought to the table wasI wasn't afraid to try something
(05:44):
I hadn't considered.
Merry Elkins (05:45):
Wow. What about the jump
Cathy Worthington (05:47):
then after the broadcasting? The jump
Fritz Coleman (05:50):
After the broadcasting, you know,
truthfully, while I was doingthe weather, I continued to
perform. My my job was five,six, and 11:00 news. I would go
to work about noon. It was asplit shift. I would go to work
at noon every day.
I would prepare the five and sixbroadcast. I would do the five
(06:10):
and six broadcast. And if theweather was tranquil, we weren't
in the middle of an El Ninosiege, I would leave at 06:30
and have to be back about 10:00.And in that time, I would go
perform at the comedy store andthe improv and the ice house and
those places. So I was workingaround town the whole time.
I never stopped and restarted. Ijust went to my avocation when I
(06:34):
retired.
Merry Elkins (06:35):
So you yeah. So you never really reinvented
yourself. You just knew whereyou were going when you were
ready to I
Fritz Coleman (06:42):
massaged that part of my heart when I retired
a little bit more. It's so muchfun. I'm doing nonprofits. I'm
on the board of two nonprofits,and I'm performing. And to to to
speak to the great issues thatyou talk about on your wonderful
podcast, I'm so happy becauseI'm spending all of my energy
doing things I love, as opposedto doing it for a paycheck or
(07:05):
working for the corporate man.
Cathy Worthington (07:07):
That's pretty special. Yes. How would you say
your years as a weathermanenhanced your comedy?
Fritz Coleman (07:16):
Well, being on live television teaches you to
not be intimidated by or toreact well to unforeseen
circumstances, like computerglitches or things going awry in
the studio, and it it taught meto think on my feet. And it also
(07:36):
introduced me to the public.Yeah. It really I I it made it
easier for me to get comedy jobsaround town because people knew
who I was. And I really learnedan interesting thing about
television, and that is it'ssuch an intimate medium.
When you come into people'shomes at the same time every
(07:59):
night, say 05:18, every nightfor forty years, they they they
incorporate you into theirfamily. It's like you're part of
their daily existence. So Chrisis on at 05:18, that must mean
I'm still alive. I don't likethe tie he's wearing, but it's
good to see him. And you know,but but you you become part of
(08:21):
the continuity of people'slives, and that that gave me a
great respect for fans andpeople who watch me and watch my
Merry Elkins (08:32):
were television part of mine for that long.
Mean, I unbelievable.
Fritz Coleman (08:35):
It's
Merry Elkins (08:35):
it's I tuned in to you for the laughs and for the
weather. Yes. Me too. Yeah.
Cathy Worthington (08:43):
Well, I'm from here.
Fritz Coleman (08:44):
I I I was hired because I was a comedian. And in
those days, you know, in 1982, Iwas my first day on the air was
Christmas Eve nineteen eightytwo.
Cathy Worthington (08:58):
Mhmm.
Fritz Coleman (08:59):
And back in those days, news wasn't as severe as
it is now. It's all breakingnews and freeway chases and
drive bys
Cathy Worthington (09:07):
and
Fritz Coleman (09:07):
all of it, and there wasn't as much
competition. So they didn't mindhaving somebody in the newscast
that was a sort of a a lightertouch. I always said that my job
was to be the palate cleanserbetween the tragedy and the
sports. I would give people alittle breather, and I had the
least threatening part of thenewscast. And so over time, it
(09:32):
was just fantastic.
I forgot what your question was,but I'm just I'm talking. Just
tell me. Oh,
Cathy Worthington (09:37):
just about how the weatherman thing
enhanced your comedy.
Fritz Coleman (09:41):
Oh, yes.
Cathy Worthington (09:42):
Do pull stuff from that?
Fritz Coleman (09:44):
Yes. I I if you when you come and hear my show,
you'll hear me talk about theweather briefly. That sets the
stage, but what I really talkabout, particularly in this new
show that I have calledUnassisted Living, it's for
people of a certain age. I thinkif you have a Medicare card in
your wallet, you need to comeand see this show. Uh-huh.
(10:08):
It's about what we have incommon in the aging process.
That's all it's about. And Ifound that in these times, these
dark times, when there's so muchdivision and rancor and
division, even in families,people don't wanna be reminded
in a comedy show about whatdivides them. Tell us what we
(10:29):
have in common. I talk about,ninety minutes, the experience
that we all have of getting old.
And what resonates with peopleis it's all the recognition of
those same symptoms inthemselves, and just having a
great time doing
Merry Elkins (10:45):
It's so true. Well you talked earlier about not
being afraid to try somethingnew, but what would you say to
people? What advice would yougive people who feel it might be
too late to start over, or tocontinue with their passion to
retry her from the real job, andcontinue with their passions?
Fritz Coleman (11:04):
It's never too late. If you still have the
intellectual faculties and thedrive, I I have to work. I'm I'm
always a person who had to beactive during the day. Even your
retirement, I'm busier now thanI was when I was doing the
weather. Mhmm.
That's Me my character. I haveto stay active. And as long as
(11:27):
you stay active and do things tomassage your mind, read, and you
know, engage in pursuits thatstimulate your brain, you're
gonna be fine. It's never toolate. I have more performance
opportunities now at 77 yearsold than I had when I was
younger.
And it's I'm so grateful. We'rebuilding we just finished our
(11:49):
second year at the El PortalTheatre, and we have a full show
every time, and it's justhonestly, I'm not exaggerating
when I say it's a gift. I'm sothankful that I'm able to still
generate this kind of businessat my age.
Cathy Worthington (12:05):
It's fabulous, but you you've always
been known for your humor andoptimism as we talked about. How
important do you think laughteris in staying young and
resilient?
Fritz Coleman (12:17):
It's so important. And I'll tell you, I
don't think that the the valueof comedy has been more
important than it is right now,because again, this is a very
threatening world. Every day onthe news, we're learning about
things that divide us. We'rewe're talking about The Us and
(12:38):
them syndrome every day. We'relearning about not being able to
afford food and all these otherthings.
But I think people appreciatewhen they come to a show they
come to my show because I don'tdo any politics at all. I I
think people just appreciatethat we talk about the common
experience of being a humanbeing, and what draws us
(13:01):
together. And then after theshow, always meet everybody out
in the lobby, and they bring melittle stories. You know that
thing you said about shavingcream? I'm like, god, it's so
funny, and here's my story.
It's just the things we have incommon, because really, all I'm
doing is putting into words thefeelings other people are
having, but they don't have thenarcissistic tendency to have to
say it in front of an audience.They they they you know, I'm
(13:24):
putting into words what theyfeel, and and and that's that's
the release. That's the comedyrelease for them. It's the the
laugh of recognition. So I Idon't think the job of a comic
has ever been more importantthan it is right now.
Merry Elkins (13:39):
Oh, yeah. So tell us more about your show,
Unassisted Living, and talk
Fritz Coleman (13:43):
a little bit about what
Merry Elkins (13:44):
inspired it Fritz, and is there a message that you
hope audiences take away?
Fritz Coleman (13:50):
Well, think your show perfectly describes the
message. It's you will surviveand have a long life positivity,
if you maintain your you know,you you can stay in good shape
physically, and you maintain aninterest in life, and maintain
the ability to laugh at yourselfand other people. And I have
(14:15):
gone back thirty years to doingwhat I call single topic
monologues. That is every show Ido takes a topic, and then we
expand it to an hour, an hourand a half. For instance, thirty
years ago I had a show calledit's me dad, which was about
being a single father and all ofthe struggles of my family with
(14:37):
alcoholism and all those things.
And I it it it resonated so wellwith people. Public television,
KCET bought the show, and theyput it on their broadcast on
Father's Day every Father's Dayfor seven years in a row because
it resonated with me. Then whenthat show was done, I did one
called the reception, which wasabout divorce. And then I did
(15:00):
one about the news. It wascalled tonight at eleven.
Ten night at eleven. Then I didthe first one about aging when I
was just discovering I was old,but it hadn't overtaken my life
yet called flying to gravity.And now this one, on the living,
which is, oh my god, I'm old.There's nothing I can do about
it. Let's all hold hands.
Somebody said that this show islike a baby boomer support
(15:22):
group. It's just the
Cathy Worthington (15:24):
Oh, I saw that written and I thought
that's so good.
Fritz Coleman (15:27):
Yeah. I was so happy to get to get that review.
It's a great review.
Cathy Worthington (15:31):
Uh-huh. I love
Fritz Coleman (15:33):
So that's that's where I I like to write about
one topic and then just flesh itout. And the various things I
talk about are the changes I'vemade in myself since retirement
and not being particularly happywith the person I've become. The
combination of the changes sincethe pandemic and being old and
how it's changed my direction,being a grandparent, not being
(15:54):
able to see my grandchildrenenough, taking too many
medications, all that kind ofstuff. All the comics is very
old.
Merry Elkins (16:02):
What? Do you ever talk about relationships in old
age?
Fritz Coleman (16:05):
Yes. Yes. I talk about that. I get very you as
you'll see, I get I get I getvery personal about the romantic
lives of senior citizens. Cool.
And you'll see that too.
Cathy Worthington (16:20):
Oh, I
Fritz Coleman (16:20):
love it. And Yeah. And and I talk about my
parents, my relationship with myparents, Their their hideous
twenty years in a retirementhome in Vero Beach, Florida. I
talk about going to my fiftyfifth high school reunion and
(16:42):
all the fruit that that bore. Soit's just all the stuff we all
go through as seniors.
Cathy Worthington (16:49):
And I think when you go to these events like
a reunion, you're making notesback in the hotel room in
between because it's so good.Juicy. Yeah. Juicy stuff. Tell
us now about your podcast, MediaPath.
Merry Elkins (17:04):
What inspired
Cathy Worthington (17:05):
you to start it, and what do you love most
about doing it?
Fritz Coleman (17:08):
Well, I I have a very good friend Louise
Palankar, who is my co host, whomade her fortune starting a
radio company called PremierRadio Networks, and they
provided services to radiostations, and they syndicated
radio shows. And she she did sowell, they sold the company to
(17:30):
Clear Channel, and then toiHeart Radio, and she retired.
And she was doing podcasts. Andthen when I retired, she said, I
I had a contract at NBC whichprecluded me from doing things
out on the media outside channelfour. I couldn't do anything.
I was I was Mhmm. Not allowed todo that. So when I retired, she
(17:51):
said, why don't you come and dothis podcast? And we we we solo
life the same. Our politics werethe same.
Our movie tastes were the same.Our tastes in books. So let's
just have a conversation. We'llcontinue like what we do in
life. So we started this thing.
We've done 300 episodes. It'sit's like five years. And
Cathy Worthington (18:15):
Nice. We're almost up to you. We have 270, I
think.
Fritz Coleman (18:18):
God bless you. You know Yeah. And the way I I
you can't look at it, and youknow this better than I do. You
can't look at it like you lookat television. For instance, in
television, you get up in themorning, and you look at the
overnight ratings to make sureyou succeeded, and everything is
all the your newscasts areparsed down into fifteen minute
blocks.
Podcasting is not like that. Ittakes a long time to cut out
(18:43):
territory in a podcast. I mean,I think the number like a
180,000 podcasts in America now,some insane number. So I had to
put that out of my mind. I do itbecause I love the conversation.
And I do it because I lovelearning things that I didn't
know before from our variousguests. We had a great guest on
(19:04):
yesterday. We do it everyTuesday. His name is John
Capellas. He's a Canadian actor.
He started in the improv worldat second city in Chicago. He
was in all the the John Hughesmovies of 16 Candles.
Cathy Worthington (19:19):
Oh, god. I love those movies.
Fritz Coleman (19:21):
Breakfast Club, and he had a great story, but
he's my age. And so here's a guythat had an arc in show
business, and we learned the upsand downs, and all the friends
he made, and I just love theconversation. He really didn't
have anything to promote. Hejust came on and told us about
it.
Cathy Worthington (19:37):
Oh, I'd love to have him on our show.
Fritz Coleman (19:38):
Yeah. I'll give you his contact. Said he
Cathy Worthington (19:40):
would to.
Fritz Coleman (19:41):
And a great conversationalist.
Cathy Worthington (19:43):
We're not a great pairing.
Fritz Coleman (19:45):
Yeah. Yeah.
Merry Elkins (19:46):
Absolutely. I I just like the conversation. You
started during COVID, didn'tyou?
Cathy Worthington (19:53):
Yes. We did. We did too.
Merry Elkins (19:55):
That's exactly what we did. Talking about
carving out your life.
Cathy Worthington (19:58):
Five years. Yeah.
Fritz Coleman (20:00):
Lot of podcasts were giving birth during COVID
because we couldn't get out ofthe house. Mhmm. But I think you
you have a great demographic,and you provide a great service.
At the very least, the serviceyou provide is being a friend to
people who are not sure aboutthe last third of their life,
and what direction they wannago. You
Merry Elkins (20:19):
know it's interesting because more and
more older people are listeningto podcasts now. And it's
especially When first startedit,
Cathy Worthington (20:28):
it was like what's a podcast? Now they now
they say, but how do I listen toit? And you have to give them a
link. You have to spoon feedthem the link because No.
Fritz Coleman (20:37):
Do. Especially
Cathy Worthington (20:38):
people don't realize it's on everything. Just
turn it on.
Fritz Coleman (20:42):
People. Yeah. You know, the the Gen Xers and the
all that.
Cathy Worthington (20:46):
Yeah.
Fritz Coleman (20:46):
It has replaced radio in their lives.
Cathy Worthington (20:49):
Wow, radio's gone.
Fritz Coleman (20:51):
They listen all the time, and it's it's
fantastic.
Merry Elkins (20:55):
It is. Oh yeah.
Fritz Coleman (20:57):
I I think it's it's just getting started.
Merry Elkins (21:01):
So I have to ask you, Fritz, because I'm curious.
You've you've been on so many TVshows with so many famous
people. And I'm curious, whoinfluenced you? Who's had the
biggest influence in your careerand in your comedy?
Fritz Coleman (21:19):
Well, I think the person that made me wanna be on
TV the most was Johnny Carsonand Bob Hope. Mhmm. I just
thought their charm and theirability to off handedly be so
funny and convulse the 500person audience, I thought that
was just fantastic. As acomedian, my great inspiration
(21:39):
was George Carlin.
Merry Elkins (21:41):
Ah.
Fritz Coleman (21:41):
When I was in eleventh grade, my uncle gave me
tickets to see George Carlin inconcert at a performance venue
on the East Coast called theValley Forge Music Fair. I was
born and raised in Pennsylvania,and every summer, these East
Coast cities would have thesemusic fairs where they would put
up a big tent like a Cirque duSoleil tent, and it could fit
(22:04):
3,000 people, and that and itwas an outdoor, but not really
outdoor venue. And he gave metickets to see George Carlin,
and I'd never seen anybody do along do a complete, what we say,
comedy set, like an hour, hourand a half show on their own. I
mean, I'd seen comedians on theEd Sullivan show, on the Johnny
Carson show do five minutesnippets, but I never saw
(22:25):
anybody do a whole show. So Iwent to see this Carlin show,
and he talked for ninety minutesflawlessly, and what I loved
about him was his wordplay.
He he was a great master of theEnglish language, and that and
that was most of his act. And hejust convulsed this 3,000 person
(22:50):
audience with his own words andhis own thoughts, and it was I'm
telling you, I'm notexaggerating when I say it was a
religious experience. I feltlike I was watching a TV
evangelist for the first time.He just knew how to work the
crowd, and it was it changed mylife. Now, I never thought I
could do it professionally untilI got older, but it it sort it
(23:14):
endeared me to him.
And then another hero of minewas Robert Klein, who was
another charismatic wonderfulperformer as well. So I have the
old school guys that are myheroes. Sure.
Cathy Worthington (23:26):
That makes perfect sense.
Fritz Coleman (23:27):
Yeah.
Cathy Worthington (23:28):
Well, and speaking of old school guys, do
you think retirement is anoutdated concept for creative
people?
Fritz Coleman (23:37):
Yes. 1000%. I'm glad you brought that up. I
First really of all, I think I'mdoing the best writing of my
career now.
Cathy Worthington (23:45):
Oh, good.
Fritz Coleman (23:46):
Because you know, 50% of the joy of stand up for
me is the writing process. I Idiscipline myself pretty well. I
do an hour or two every day ofeither rehearsing what I've
written or writing new material.Oh. And that routine is very
important to me.
And because, you know, it's it'spart of my performance process,
but it also, as I say, keeps mymind stimulated. And I'm doing
(24:10):
the best writing of my life, andI as I said to you before, I'm
having success in theatersgreater than I had when I was a
younger man. So I am I am themanifestation of what you're
talking about is your your yourcareer doesn't end with
retirement. Plus, physically andmedically, we're having longer
(24:31):
lives now. I mean, if somebodydies at 72 years old or
something, you say, my god, thatyoung man.
People are living in theireighties and nineties now, so
you can retire from work at 65and have twenty five or thirty
years in front of you, and ifyou can find a productive way to
utilize that time, you're ingolden shape.
Merry Elkins (24:50):
Absolutely. Great. We love that because we have a
lot of
Cathy Worthington (24:54):
guests that talk about that. Fabulous.
Fabulous.
Merry Elkins (24:57):
And I have friends in their eighties who are really
doing more now than they've everdone before, it's very exciting.
Fritz Coleman (25:06):
Know what's really interesting? Our our
generation, the boomers, havemore expendable capital. We have
more savings than the Gen Xersand the Gen Zers and the
whatever comes after that group.Because for the first time in
American history, and this issad in a way, but not for our
(25:27):
generation, they're not youalways want your children to do
better than you are. Well, it'snot happening.
Financially, it's not happening.So we have this money. I find
that people our age are goingout and engaging and doing
theater and live performance,and they're getting involved in
other things more so becausethey have the wherewithal to do
it. And it's I I think it's thebest generation. I I as I close
(25:54):
my act with, and I don't wanna Idon't wanna give you this, I I
have a whole section toward theend of my act that says I've
never been happier in my lifethan I am right now, and I talk
about why.
Merry Elkins (26:04):
Oh, love that. Can't wait to see it. Love it.
You Me too. Talking about yourwriting, you've always described
comedy as truth telling indisguise.
So what truths are you mostpassionate about sharing these
days?
Fritz Coleman (26:22):
Well, it's just in general terms, the the the
truth of everybody's agingprocess. Really, that's where
the laughs come from. I'm not aI'm not a joke teller. I say
amusing things within stories,and I I think what gets laughs
in my show is the recognition ofthe familiarity of what I'm
(26:42):
describing. People are going,yes, I had that happened
yesterday.
Yes, I take yes, I take too manypills. Some are so small, I drop
them on the carpet and can'tfind them. All that stuff is I
just think the truer theobservation, what happens is my
comedy comes from finding thetruth, the nugget of truth in a
(27:05):
concept, and then exaggeratingit, and ginning it up with
adjectives and everything tomake it amusing, and that's what
gets the laughs. It's a laugh ofrecognition of the truth.
Cathy Worthington (27:18):
Mhmm. Love it. Love it. Love it. Love it.
Yeah. And you've said thatpeople underestimate the second
half of life. So what would yousay has surprised you most about
your own? What's the most
Fritz Coleman (27:31):
Well, I I as I've said it in different ways, I I
never thought I'd be this happyat this phase of my life.
Because I'll tell you, I wasafraid to retire from my
profession because I watched myfather, who was the classic post
World War two businessman, whoseentire identity was his work. He
(27:56):
didn't read books, he didn't goto movies, he didn't go to
plays, he did yard work, andthen he got too old to do his
own yard work, and that was theend of that. Like he all he did
was work. He worked twelve,fifteen hours a day, and
exhausted himself, and he'dwatch Wheel of Fortune and be in
bed by 07:30.
That was it. And and over time,I watched this man implode
(28:19):
slowly. His life just lostmeaning, there was nothing to
keep his enthusiasm, or hisheart, or his soul going.
Nothing creative. And it scaredme so much when I got to
retirement age and said, oh myGod, I hope that's not a
hereditary trait, because Idon't wanna be that way.
My life is a 180 degreesdifferent than that. I'm busier
(28:41):
than I've ever been. I'm doingwhat I love to do. I look
forward to every day, and as Isay, I've never been happier in
my life than I am right now.
Merry Elkins (28:51):
Your father would be very proud of you.
Fritz Coleman (28:54):
He was. He he got to see some early success. You
know, we had a complicatedrelationship. My father was an
alcoholic, and he he he putoffenses when he was an
alcoholic and it made itdifficult to get really close to
him until he was much older. Wedid repair our relationship and
it wasn't bad toward the end,but we wasted a lot of time when
(29:16):
he was younger and I wasyounger.
But so it was a different thing.It was a different world. You
know, post World War two men whohad lived through the depression
and World War two felt like,listen, I gave you a beautiful
home in the suburbs ofPhiladelphia, You got three
square meals a day. You havewonderful friends. You're not
(29:38):
gonna starve to death.
You go to a great school. My jobis complete. I and you know, I
don't have to give you the loveydovey emotional connection
stuff. I'm I'm the I'm theprovider and that's what he did,
or at least that's what hethought he did. So it was a
different time.
There was no quality and hedidn't look for quality in his
own life over and above what hedid for us.
Cathy Worthington (30:00):
Mhmm. Understood.
Merry Elkins (30:01):
So Fritz, I have I have a threefold question for
Fritz Coleman (30:06):
you. Okay.
Merry Elkins (30:07):
Alright. What's next for you? Any new projects
or directions you're goingtowards that excite you? And
also, what would you have ouraudience have as a takeaway
today?
Fritz Coleman (30:21):
Okay. I my my the next phase in my life is this
show that I'm doing now,Unassisted Living, is universal.
Although I can sell tickets,because I was on the air in LA
for forty years, so I can selltickets between Santa Barbara
and the Mexican border. What Iwould like to do is have
(30:41):
somebody help me take thiselsewhere in The United States
and share it with everybody,because there there's nothing
regional or local about this actexcept when I describe my job as
a weatherman, which everybodyunderstands, but it only takes
up two or three minutes of theshow. I would like to I would
like to spread out and take itelsewhere.
Now that my kids are all out ofthe house, and my cat is no
(31:04):
longer with us, I can leave forperiods of time. I'd love to go
work on the road a little bit.Just, you know, not crazy, a
couple times a month, and takethis show to other parts of The
United States. And I I would Iwould leave your audience with
the message that you sobeautifully described in your
mandate for your podcast. It'snever too late.
(31:26):
I am so surprised that I am asenergetic, and as creative, and
as passionate about what I do atthis phase of my life than I
ever thought I would be. I wasafraid to retire, and then I
retired, And then I said, oh,it's it's it's the greatest
aspect of my life. You no longerfeel guilty about the mistakes
(31:47):
you made with your children. Youcan you can raise your
grandchildren and not befamished about it all the time.
It's it's a great time of life.
Cathy Worthington (31:57):
I love Oh, that's great. Fritz, thank you
so much for joining us today.
Fritz Coleman (32:02):
I'm so happy. Thank you. Thank you for the
opportunity. I'd like to I'dlike to put your engineer on a
retainer.
Cathy Worthington (32:10):
Oh, she's great.
Fritz Coleman (32:12):
For helping me solve my problems.
Cathy Worthington (32:13):
But thanks so much for sharing your humor,
insight, and inspiration withus.
Fritz Coleman (32:19):
Well, you guys do a great job, and I wish you
continued success. Are more andmore boomers living longer, so I
see only good things for yourpodcast.
Merry Elkins (32:27):
Oh, you're great. Thank so much. We and we'd love
hearing how you continue tocreate and connect and make
people laugh. And it's really agreat reminder that the best
chapters can come later in life.Right?
Cathy Worthington (32:41):
And to our listeners, thank you for tuning
into Late Boomers.
Merry Elkins (32:46):
And Yeah. And be sure to follow and subscribe
whenever you listen to podcastsand wherever you listen to
podcasts, and share this episodewith someone who could use a
little inspiration to starttheir next adventure because as
Fritz says, it's never too late.
Cathy Worthington (33:04):
Yeah. I'm Kathy Worthington.
Merry Elkins (33:06):
And I'm Mary Elkins.
Cathy Worthington (33:08):
See you next time on late boomers. Thank you
for joining us on late boomers,the podcast that is your guide
to creating a third act withstyle, power, and impact. Please
(33:30):
visit our website and get intouch with us at lateboomers.us.
If you would like to listen toor download other episodes of
late boomers, go toewnpodcastnetwork.com.
Merry Elkins (33:44):
This podcast is also available on Spotify, Apple
Podcast, and most other majorpodcast sites. We hope you make
use of the wisdom you've gainedhere and that you enjoy a
successful third act with yourown style, power, and impact.
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