William "Rusty" Russ Meets World

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Speaker 1: Writer, I have a very important question to ask you. Do you still quartal every day? So do I? Although then I got into set Chordal and there's another one. There's sixteen at the same time. Sorry sorry, Actortal is eight and I was doing that and then Scordal is sixteen of them at the same But here's what I figured with with those, it completely changes the game because then all you would have to do because you would have nine chances or even more than because Quartal gives you how many seven, so set Chordal would give or what they would give you like twelve. So I just realized all I gotta do is a do story pros night and then I would have like covered the entire out And then it was just like so I was like, this isn't fun, So I do Quartal. It is a word. You have your first two quirt like words, choose a different one every time. So Gensen I do it together. It's kind of like a bonding thing we do. Uh and so sometimes depending on how we're feeling, Gentsen will make it really hard and he'll be like, first word, pinch. I'm like pinch, okay, but listen to waste and or not and I start with always start with I do. I start with Earth. Earth is pretty good, pretty good. I do a do story every time, like, I'm what am I doing here? What's the point of this? Welcome to pod meets World, a podcast where we deep dive into episodes of boy Meats World until you are behind the scenes, stories, feelings, and we do a lot of unpacking. If you will, I will, I absolutely will. We should have called this Unpacking the World. You're right. We all know that this podcast was Will's idea and so oh sorry, sorry, you're right. It was actually right idea. It was Will's idea. He came up with it on the side yard where Phoenie was. It's like when I get asked to call, I'm like, oh, you think I'm Will? Oh, I get that all the time. It's like you were old man. What is it like playing Corey's friend? Like I don't know, asked Rider, Speaking of which I am Daniel Fishel, I'm wilfrid l and I am right or Strong may be better known to you as to Panka, Eric and Sean um. So. I am absolutely thrilled we have our first ever guests World podcast. This is an incredible guest. Please welcome Rusty Russ. William Rusty Russ. You're talking about you know when they're going to show up? Oh my god, here, Rusty's here, Rusty. They just did a screening of Cruising. Did you know this? Who did this creating of Gosh? What theater was it? Let's see if my our podcast producer Jensen Carp could send it in the our chat. It was a theater in l A. They just did another like a live showing of a screening of the movie. And I wanted to ask you were you at the original premiere? No? Probably not. No, No, I actually I don't even remember what I do. Remember, you've had such a career, you don't even remember. It was literally the second movie ever that you did. No, it actually was the third movie. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I did. You and me Kid Brookshield. Yeah, she was about fourteen. Oh my gosh, how are you okay? Six? Remember I came back. I came back from Mexico. Was doing a show called Catalanian Little Bridges with Burt Lancaster, Rod Steger, etcetera. And uh and then and I'd work with with al Pacino on Broadway, and so I'm doing this movie. Come in and I think you can do this part and great And it was like for the audience who doesn't know Rusty has been in everything, I mean aside from where you will know him best as Alan Matthews. I did not say that. I just yes, the dad, the Matthews family, Matthews family patriarch, and you are truly an iconic TV dad and grocer. I know, ralps, I'm right up there with the other managers and the picture bananas are open there, thank you. You know I don't know where the can soup is. Thank you. Still still a Methodist, Rusty worked at a grocery store for three years before taking on the role of Alan Maths. And then what you guys were a camping store by the end outdoor? What are the jobs did you have? Those are the two main on the show. Yeah, I know, Betsy was a real estate agent at one point. Level one. It's so funny. There are certain lines I guess just because as a as a community we thought certain things were funny. I was like in jokes because I remember the brick split level when you said clean up on Aisle seven and the pilot or remember when you remember we used to say that, Oh yeah, we used to do all that fill or whatever you had. And the second I heard that line, I was like, I remember we used to reference to what like we decided to make a an inside joke and that was Yes, it was one of the one of the ones that you and I had. Rusty was years later at the at the camping store with you doing the we're trying to sell hiking shoes to or or climbing shoes to climbers and you have to go like and then halfway down they're like they're falling off the cliff. And you and I did that for years after that, Right, Yeah, you better get these good hiking shooes and you don't want to be on the hike going Hell, look over here. That's all right, So Rusty, let us walk us through coming on too, boymate's world. What what was it like? What? How? What was your experience coming on? Did you audition? Did you get offered this part? You were replacement there shot a pilot with a different dad, Matt McCoy, So I want to hear how you came to this world. Well, and let me stay right off. Matt McCoy was a friend of mine and a terrific actor, and I love Matt but then yeah, it's it's just funny. I was at a certain point in my career as working and I've done the series, and I've done movies and I've done this, but you know, and I remember someone asked going and would you you could take a meeting on this show, and I said, I don't. I'm not, you know, honestly, on the sitcom it was hard for me. Yeah, you didn't. I didn't get it. I didn't understand it. I didn't know how people did them. I didn't. I just didn't understand, and I frankly thought I wouldn't be any good. And so actually when the first audition or meeting came up, I just said, no, I'm really not. I'm sorry. I just don't feel comfortable. I think this is not right for me, even the genre. And then um so then obviously you guys went on did the pilot and I did something or whatever it was, and Michael, for whatever reason, Michael Jacobs I wouldn't let it go. He did the pilot, and then when they sold the shows, he had decided that somewhere he still he had wanted me, and I think he had seen a Baseball movie, I did Past Time some other stuff, and he just had something in his head and at that time they came back to me and literally it was kind of a practical thing. He said, Yeah, they still would like to maybe see you on this, but now they're doing thirteen shows. Right, it's not a pilot anymore. It's not just one one off and there's you know, I mean, I hate to say it, but there's real money and you know, and I was just at a point in my life I said, well, you know, I've always been an exponent of if you have door A and door B in front of you and you keep banging your head on door A and it's just not opening, and door B opens, you're a fool. If you keep banging your head on door A, you walk through door B and you go, well, let's see where this leads. You know. It's funny you said that you didn't feel comfortable with the sitcom form or didn't really get it, because in a lot of ways, I think that's why you were perfect for the show. And I think that because I think you know, what happens with any form, right is that it becomes stale. And I think if actors like, in other words, if if the more sitcomy of an actor they had found the sort of less meaningful the character would have felt. I mean, what what's incredible to me is that your presence is so grounding in the show. Yes, you know, and it's it's it's it's remarkably like relaxing, and you're not trying to go for laughs. You're not trying, You're not a goofy, put upon dad, You're you know that. I feel like that the father on a sitcom is such it's the Homer Simpson trope, right, Like the idea that you're like nom and don't know anything and you your character ends up feeling like a real dad, not being a joke but also being funny, and it's just like it's an amazing balance. So I really do think that's probably what Michael saw, and I think it's what the show needed. It's it's really uncol it is. Yeah, I mean, Michael, did I mean for a quote unquote kid show, the adults on our show were great. I mean that's the thing, as adults on a lot of kids shows are like the most ridiculous pulling one over on them. They're kind of buffoons. Michael didn't do that with any of the adults on it. I mean, all the adults were written like adults. You know, it was it was a totally different thing. Well, that's a great observation, and I think, you know, like I said, it's hard to be objective, but you know it's actually I haven't seen the shows and like forever, and I watched the other day and I kind of went, oh, and now that you mentioned that, yeah, oh, okay, I don't really have a banana in my ear right. I mean, it seems so wonderful that all I had to do is kind of sit back and you know, not knock over the furniture. When did you meet Betsy? Did you and Betsy have a relationship before Boy Meets World started or did you guys meet your first episode? Met probably in the first prepisode or the first the photo shoot you where we all met. You were seeing petrified. I was petrified because I wasn't at the photo shoot. So I need to know what was your first impression of Will and Writer and the rest of the cast. You could be honest, by the way, what have I gotten a nicelf? Know? They were it was great, and I you know, one thing you have to have as an actor, or hopefully you can is you can walk into a situation and kinda hopefully listen and watch and not impose anything. I was really just trying to stay out of the way and not scare anybody, because I have a very you know, I've been told I mean, I can have an ambrasive or you know, I'm the kind of guy you look and go, why are you so angry? I agree, I just just my face, you scared me. You did, you really, he absolutely did. And it was nothing that you did. It wasn't that you were angry or had you were just you came in and were like I knew who you were and you were the consummate actor, and it was I was intimidated. So it was like you, you know, you're meeting everybody at the at the photo shoot, which by the way, that the poster is is five feet from where we're sitting right now outside this door. Um, and it's it's one of those things where it's like here's your family, this is your dad, this is your mom, here's your little brother. You're going, oh, no, that Kathy my dad, And it was it was just like no, put your arm around your dad and it's you're going like, what's your name again? Like, oh, that's right, Oh you're a William too. It's like, no, call me Rusty. And I was like, okay, he's this Gary guy now he played I mean, he had just played a gangster and wise guys and then rolled into being America's dad. That's the thing. So it was like, and you know, I've seen him on a bunch of things and you're you're the consummate actor where you were always I mean again, you were not. You were not sitcom dad. That's what that's exactly right here saying you're gonna go cast TV sitcom dad on a kid show quote unquote. Other than Michael, there's probably not a lot of people at the time that would have been like, get me William Russ. So there was something like that was brilliant. The same thing with Bill Daniels, Right, it's like you take people out of their context as like you know, they're acting context, and you you you borrow from that to make the show more meaningful. You know. It's like it's what I think is part of the reason why the show has that level of seriousness is that there's the adults with presents and and you know the real actors and they're able. No one's just no one's hamming it up. No one's like just here for the lacept except Ben. But again, but but it was he did it. That was the perfect balance of the stuff that we needed because Ben was like a little stand up comedian, so he he did exactly what he was supposed to. And then there was this kind of realism surrounding this chaotic twirling character in the center, which was which was a great way to do it. I mean, that was exactly what you needed. That's why the balance between especially uh Ben and Bill was so different, because it was that wiley coyote character running around and then Bill Daniels right next to what was your relationship with Bill? Had you known Bill before the shows? Actually I had. I had actually worked on st Elsewhere three episodes they did one they did they did like three episodes where they went into the past and they followed a patient like not just me, but through thirty years. I was there as a young person with an accident middle age, and then I was there as an older chargery had a heart at and so I'd work with Bill there and then Also I had come out to l A and we had done a TV movie together called Rehearsal for Murder Movies Movies of the Week with Lynn Redgrave and uh music man actor anyway, but a lot of big actors, pytro McGee, you know, Jeff Goldbloom's and it was a murder mystery and I ended up to being the guy that did it. Alert it was just semi five bucks. I'll send you the link. But anyway, so, yeah, i'd work with Bill and you know, so and so we you know, we knew each other, and so Bill didn't scare the crap out of you, like did us. Look, there's there's a picture we're looking Okay, we'll put this on our Pod Meets World show. At the photo you can see it. It's a picture of Bill Daniels and Rusty in Jeff and Jeff Goldblum row who in that? But then you got to work with right or Strong Wilfred of course. Yeah, you may remember him as Sean Hunt, Shawn Hunt. He did the Phoenie Call, you know. Honestly, Rusty and I barely got to work together on Boy Meats World until later, until later you know we So, I mean, I I. Yeah, it's funny because, like I, I just we never even had scenes together because I was always you know, isolated from I was always at the school situation, you know, So I didn't get to know Rusty, I would say, for a couple of years, like really get to know him, you know, and it was actually anybody gets to really get to know Rusty. Well, Postboy Meets World, Rusty and I spent more time together. We did a movie together that I produe and he came up, and that's when I really became friends with him. And then Girl Meets World. But yeah, during Boy I remember, you know, both he and Betsy were kind of a distanced from from my experience, which is interesting to think. We we we've we've often talked about the multiple boy meet worlds, and it started right at the beginning. I mean, it really was. There was a show that took place in the school, and then there was a show that took place at home, and then the through line thread was Mr Feenie, who was in both areas. But other than that, I mean, that's why I always said, you and I did not work together for years and years ago. Well there's a rumor and you guys can clear this up if it's true or not. There is a rumor that goes around on the internet that the reason you guys didn't do a lot of scenes together is that you could not keep it together. You guys were constantly laughing, making each other laugh. No, that's not true at all. It's actually that rider steals things. You'd be halfway through a scene and be like, my wallet's gone. That is absolutely true. Is true, It is true. But that was that was later. That was what happened is Will and I started asking to be able to do a scene together because we hated We were friends in real life, we were constantly hanging out, but we were never in scenes together. So we asked them to write us scenes. They wrote one and we could not get through it, and we in front of the audience. I mean, and that's like time consuming. That is that you know when you're when you can't get through a scene. Uh yeah, I have. I have a tendency to indicate that I'm about to laugh and try and overcompensate by making a very serious face, which, if you know me, is so transparent. I'm sure we're going to see it when we're watching episodes. And because I'm sure it made it to air, and hopefully nobody knows at home. But I am constantly trying not to laugh when I'm in a scene with Will, and he sees it and loses it. So yeah, it was a disaster. And so then they decided we can never work together. So, Rusty, you had worked with al Pacino a million different people who were professional, and then you get to work with a bunch of kids. What, truthfully, you don't have to you don't have to sugarcoat anything for us. What was it like working with a bunch of kids. It was fascinating. Yeah, I know it was. It was. It was really fun. I mean, you guys are just fun to watch, and I I kind of totally loved it, tell you the truth. You know, once I let myself just relax and go okay, okay, and I was a learning process because you guys are funny and spontaneous and I loved watching you. I still remember, and I remember not so much even the war, but just you as people going to school and working so hard. I still can see you guys during Halloween walking across to this stage in a line on Halloween, going from school to the set right this is indebted in my in my memory, you guys all in your Halloween costumes parade a little post first season. Yeah, I remember that. You have that photo burned in my memory. Jane, what were you a french Maid about? Sexy Hallow sexy french Maid? I had a picture of it. We can also post that on the Boy Meet the Pod Meets World show Instagram account. Pictures that I have with April Kelly. How did we decide? Because I remember we made a big deal out of that Halloween. Will and I went and rented costumes. Then we rented costumes. Joker, you were Batman. I bought mine at the Halloween store for like you guys did something much more. But what was like? So I guess maybe the teachers or we did we decided to do that. I mean, I've always been a huge Halloween fans. Maybe weach of us guaranteed, but yeah, so we it was our table read day, so it was a Thursday. I guess Halloween landed on that day. And we dressed up and went to the table red table read in full costume and everybody stood up and applauded. Was don't you remember you and I did a fake fight because I had blood. We had blood cat so everybody like their bleeding look, even a blood caps It was such a one of the most memorable halloweens in my first season of Boy Meat the World. That's so funny. So one of the things getting back to you, Mr Russ, I remember, thank you, thank you for being here. Um. One of the things I remember is always thinking I didn't know what I was doing and wasn't doing enough homework every time I saw your script, because your script was like script marked up, ripped apart this world, and I eventually I was like, why is that word circle? But that one is a square? Why is that diamond shape? I love Rusty during a table read with his pencil and then and then he would put the scripts everywhere on the set, so you would be in the middle of a scene in front of the audience and he'd be like, hang on, and he'd reach under the cushion of the chair that he was sitting on and marked script. And I remember just looking at you and thinking to myself like I'm I'm he's he's doing this better than me because I don't know what I'm doing. Breakdown how you mark up your scripts well? It's because I'm kind of have kind of you know, special needs as an actor, and I found many many years ago that physically underlining marking. I mean, it's really just really I've always done it. What we're doing plays. I mean, if you look at copies of plays I did, they're like falling apart. But physically, I'm literally saying, physically writing something down goes into my brain. I can't just look at I have to physically. There's a connection between physically doing something and in my part of my brain that records that I've heard of actors actually like writing out their entire Yeah, but that's all. It really was your process and yeah, you guys really weren't working enough. You're so naturally talented. I had to actually thank you the first night I saw it, and being like, I guess I'll underline this line we're supposed to get. I'm supposed to do this, so I'm going to circle this and put a triangle around Phoenie. So there isn't like a glossary. It's literally just any particular marking you do around things like the diamond or the square doesn't actually mean something to you specifically. It's just okay, it's and it's just it's just the physical thing of getting it into my head. It's like being an athlete. I had to physically do the movement and write it down, and that would something and also would help me get very as an actor specific with everything that I was saying. Otherwise I didn't know what was going on, right. I guess one of the things we should probably do with our guests, at least a little bit, is find out what why did you become an actor? Where you know? Where did you? Where did you start? What made you decide that you wanted to become an entertainer? Desperation? Really, man, I didn't I didn't know anything else. I mean, honestly, I I think about this all the time. And then because I see how other people choose where they're going in their life, and there's usually something and I couldn't really figure it out. Um. I mean, I went to college. I had no, no desire to be an actor. I didn't know what that was or anything. But then I look back and I look at high school and I remember going to everyone all these high schools will go to the local repertory company would come through and we'd see two or three plays. I do remember sitting in the balcony going and this is weird. But then I'm watching these actors are going it looks like fun. And then they go out and they have lunch with their dinner with their friends. I mean, that looks like kind of a good life. They yeah, they go all around the country. And then I forgot about it, never really the thing. And then I literally went to the University of Michigan totally lost. Just went in athletic kind of scholarship and what was your sport. I was a diver, you know, and like high diving, like all the yell then the world class of gymnasts. It was all men cheerleaders, all world class gymnasts and divers and you know, but it was also put it on a show. You're going to the stadium and there's a hundred thousand people in there. Bring the energy up and you're doing the flips and welcome to the circus. Let's go. But anyway, I didn't quite know what I was doing, and I just wanted to get away from home. And I thought I had a loving home, but I had five brothers and sisters, so I really wanted to get away in New Orleans, right, yeah, kind of grew up. I'm a navy brat. I grew up all over actually, um, but yeah, and then I someone said wanted. I was in speech class and someone said can you do a scene? And go what's the scene? Go? Oh, we do this thing? And I did it. And one of the teachers is what happens in your life, you have to pay attention. Someone said you're really good at this, you should do this. I went, well, really, yeah, maybe I should. And then I just had blinders on and they went, oh, this is what I should do. And then based had blonderds onto We're better or force and that's what I focused. And so that was what like the early seventies by this point in an Arbor, Michigan and I and it was a great period because there was a lot of political theater. We were creating theater. We went to Europe and did mime lunchtime theater in Edinburgh. We traveled and you know, did The Tempest, Shakespeare's play in London in the round wow for six people. One of the classic theater experience. I can tell you so many Well, when you say mime, are you like literally painting your face? We were called the ann Arbor Mime Troupe, and it was this guy who had conned some money from somewhere and they're like, you know ten or twelve ohists and Anna Arbor, we're all doing off and our shows and lunchtime theater and political shows. And he had supposedly put together this tour of Europe and we got that ed and we flew into London and got to Edinburgh. We had this whole band at that Annabur Mime Troupe and we got to Edinburgh and realized that none of this was true. This is a guy hoping to get more money. So then we had to figure out what how do we do this money? Thank you very much, Yes they did. Unfortunately money was to send a mind. Well, it wasn't that we had to make money. It's like we didn't know money for food. It was like Christine Lotty, Oh my Christine. And then there's some there's some wonderful actors, and we all knew each other and we'll said, we're stuck in at what are you doing like busting on the street for money, like how did you Basically we did lunchtime theater, mime shows and then people come and have lunch and on French bread, not from ime. You know, it's really clunchy and everything. And then we were premiererying a new play at the Edinburgh Late Night Theater, which is a very famous theater. And that's a whole another story. Uh and uh, and then just hustling until you know, we literally ran out of money and how to get people to send its money to get home. But were you having fun though? I mean it must have been the time. Of course it was a great time, or up all night. But what's so crazy to me about hearing these stories is how like for me showing up on the set of Boyan's World, how little life experience like my comparison. So when I think of of our time when boy I sort of imagine everybody showing up with the same blank slate and it's like, no, Rusty was like, how old were you when we weren't? Like right? So you were my age now. And so for me to like wrap my head up because and we said this before we started recording, Uh, when your kid, all grown ups are the same age to you, you know, And so for me, there was no difference between you and Bill Daniels, For it was just an anybody else, anybody old. It was not in school three. It was basically the same age to me, and like, so it's so mind boggling now to be able to put myself in your shoes and say, like god, that must have been a trip to see us little kids running around getting paid as much as you working as it's so weird, like you know, but you had already lived this huge life and now I can appreciate it so much. I really it's it's really cool. Wow. I was, you know, as I said, it was like I've always been hopefully open to the new thing, and it was like, okay, I'll try this. I mean, I didn't know what a play was. I mean literally I can remember the table read that we did, and I actually got up during the table read to get a cup of coffee. I've never been in a table scom before. And I was literally called out after the reading going people noticed you got up and had a coffee, and I was really, really I couldn't do that, no disrespect. It's just because you know, you weren't in the scene. I didn't know again that the whole sitcom experience was new to me. Um, had you ever done even a guest starre on a forecamera before never so this done one? Wow, it's true. Really not done? Is your only sitcom experience all the way around? Pretty good? Only one to do? I would I would say, that's what's so ironic and funny and special, and I'm grateful and I'm constantly amazed. Were the adults friends offset like we Obviously the three of us here have always been very close, but we were kind of forced together too because we were in school together. Then we were on set together, and then we did spend time our social time ticket and yeah we did that a lot. Did you guys do that? Yeah? We did. We had you know, at the time, We're living in the Hollywood Hills and we had the big house. You guys were there when we finished. Yeah, but yeah, Bill and Bonnie Bartlett, Bill Daniels would come over for dinner, and Betsy and John and other friends. Then we'd have dinner, yeah, sometime, and it was a great bunch of people, you know. Really, Yeah, we had a special time. You know what I remember. One of the things I remember about you is you came up to me one day. Well, I have stories all day long, but when first of all, we'll get into this. The only bad car accident I've ever been in my life was Rusty and tell the story. We will get to that story. Okay, we gotta talking. That's exactly what I was gonna say. Rusty comes up to me one day on the set and he says, Hey, I gotta I gotta a favor to ask. I go what he goes, will you drive for me? I said, what he goes, will you drive for me? Just come come to my house. You're gonna drive my truck for me. And I didn't honestly didn't even know what he meant at the time. He goes, I'm gonna I'm going hang gliding. I go, all right, So I come. I meet him at the house. It's like, you know, four o'clock in the morning or whatever it is. And we get there and I pick him up. We drive all the way out, it's like an hour hour and a half away, and then we drive he's driving the truck at this point, and we drive up this like steep hill in this on this mountain. What was a big truck? What kind of car was? It? Was a biger. I ended up I ended up having that was stolen from my actual actual truck, which was not technically legal, the truck the way they had it rigged up, and there wasn't like seat belts or anything. But anyway, so we drive up this hill and Rusty pulls out his his hang lighter, all the stuff, sets it all up. He's talking to me the whole time. Then he looks at me, He's like, all right, I'll meet you at the bottom, and just runs and jumps off the hill and takes a kidding. Now I'm at the top of this mountain in a truck. I've never driven, having to drive down these trails set in. You ever seen a hang glider much much less somebody who literally just runs and jumps off the side of a mountain and and and then goes I'll meet you at the bottom. Oh gosh, is an incredible athletic. Yes, he's obviously stream sports guy, like you've done all of it. And I remember, yeah, I remember you came in. You had an accident one time with your hang glider. I just remember him coming in all scraped up. Do you remember this at all? Usually I don't have an accident flying probably get you, But I don't even remember. Maybe no, no, I did. I had a really bad bike accident years ago. And that's really I love riding bikes. I'm just not very good at it. But yeah no, usually most of us flying usually hurt ourselves. So what happened with the car accident? So Rusty is trying to teach I just bought my first cool car. And what I mean just bought it. There were two hundred miles. It was new. It was a brand new BMW M three. I remember it, so I think i'd had it like a week. By the way, how did BMW not sponsor BMW not driving BMW? Okay, So, so I want to set this up though, how old are you? We were at k T l A at this point, so it was yeah, seen three or four and three or four eight or nineteen No, no, no, sorry, we went Disney Disney. So so Rusty was trying to in vain, God love them teach me how to play racquetball, and teaching me how to play racquetballs like teaching a potato to whistle. So um he literally he's like, well, come on, we're gonna go. We're gonna try this again. And what you would always do just very quickly racketball wise, was you just hit the same shot every time, and I get so frustrated because you're like, well, I'm gonna keep hitting it if you've got to learn how to hit. He'd hit it high off the wall. It would go over my head, dieds wear. That was us playing racketball. Um. So one day he's like, we're going to go at lunch. And if you remember, you come out the kt L at the gate, you took a left, you went up to the main street, and then you took a left or right that was like Hollywood Boulevard or some some major road up there. So Rusty grabs, He's like, let's go. He's in the passenger seat. I'm driving. We get up to the lights and I'm like halfway in the intersection and the and the light goes red, so I, by law have to go like I'm I'm in the thing. So there's three lanes coming from our right. The first lane stops, the second lane stops, and we can't see the third lane. So I pull out and I remember Rusty saying like, um, just just turn just turn left, just turn left. When we had to go straight, like no, be fine, And I went straight and the car in the third lane did not see us and slammed into Rusty side. And I mean like it was. It was a good hit. It was. It was a d It put a ripple through my entire car. The car was not total, but it was bad. But the thing I remember most is Rusty looking at me first and going are you okay? And I went, I'm fine, I'm fine, and then getting out of the car, going our fault, our fault. Wait a minute, it might not have been. It might not have been. Let's let's book my parents and lawyers and like, let's all calm down for a second. And what happened? What I meant to say, But it was, it was. It was the only knocking wood as I say this, knocking costco plastic as I say this, um, it was the only like real car accident I've ever been in. And I look like it's it's my TV, Dad and I and the car. They I again, I was, I had two hundred miles on it. They had to cut the entire car in half and and like meld on a whole another side. I didn't see it again for like another six months. Were you physically okay, Rusty? Did you have any But I remember the the I can still see, like you can see in your head, the four of us walking uh while dressed. I can still see looking over at you as the accident happened. The glass smashes in all over you and you rock all the I mean we were probably hit at doing you know, they were probably doing which is which is a good size smack in the car um so we were. It was like a full on accident. And then I remember going back to the set and Steve hay for going you guys are late, and it was like our first day. Who's the nicest guy in the world. And we were like, we were just in the carton and then he was like, oh, wait, is everybody okay? But but it was I remember going out to my car later that day because you'd walk where it was parked. You'd walk to the car and the side you saw was perfect and pristine and gorgeous in the coolest car in the world, and you'd walk to the other side and it was just destroyed. So yeah, those are a couple of rusty, rusty stories. That is really an honor to be there. Her fault. What was Will like as a TV soun What was your relationship like on the show, like, how would you guys describe the Alan Eric father son relationship. I think we had a really good We had the same problem that right or we have, especially at more relaxes getting through this scene. I have to say, as an actor, the hardest days I've ever had our days with like Will Um, you know, I've had with other actors, but mainly Will because he really you know, it was new to it all. But no, actually the hardest day they've had on the set. And I had this happen on Wise Guy many years later with grown up actors. Four of us got the giggles so bad that we would have to shoot a scene. We're sitting around a table, and as soon as the scene was cut, we'd have to all run a way and hide out in a bedroom so we couldn't look at each other. And it's the longest day I ever had. I couldn't hang out with my actor, right, But we had a lot of those we had time. There was one episode where you guys are in a museum or something and Rusty, you guys could not keep it together, but Rusty couldn't remember his lines, and so I remember, you just like went and we lost it. But you kept a straight face. You're just like you just like spoke gibberish. And I do remember Will could you were like crying, laughing, You're like what are you do? And I think it was in front of the audience too. I just remember, oh, we had fun, and that made me feel good because at the beginning, uh, you know, I was you guys, have to tell me what you thought, because I was like, I was wouldn't and I didn't know how to act right away. And I thought at the beginning that you were kind of like because it took us a little while to bond. And I thought at the beginning, you were kind of like this guy doesn't know what he's doing yet. He's not this is he's kind of saying the words that are written on the page. And then by like season two, I thought you and I really kind of started to get along and bond a lot better, which I thought was was a lot of fun. But I remember Rusty in front of the audience. It's the first episode we've ever done. Now we're we've talked about how we have never we we shot things out of order. So the first episode that I actually shot, which was the first episode you actually shot because we were both not in the pilot. Was the episode where we Eric goes to a concert with his first girlfriend and the parents are at the same concert having more fun than Eric and Nicki Cox who was who was the girl? That was the first episode we actually shot, and so um, I think it was maybe an episode later. Maybe it wasn't that episode. It's an episode later Rusty, there's I want Eric wants to get like a corvette or something like that. He wants, Dad, you gotta buy me a corvette. It's a scene between Corey and Eric and and the dad and Alan and they're sitting there and Rusty had something. We're in front of the audience and Rusty had something lodged in his throat and one of the lines is you want a corvette, I'm gonna buy you a Schwin so to try to clear his throat but not lose the scene where Rusty was going you want a corvette, I'll buy you yeah, so you can't lose it like together, Ben and I just losing it like I couldn't get That's classic Rusty. Rusty is were these actors you get through it no matter what, and yet wholehearted. You always stay present. You always go for it, and I just remember that that being results. You'd also talk about you in later episodes because you were at the time the only cast member who went on to direct the director. You directed several episodes that you're first directing experience on Boy. Oh yeah, yeah, and I, um, yeah, I hadn't really thought about it. I mean we were talking about earlier actors and directing and it hadn't really occurred to me. But you know, you guys were so good. I mean it was like, you know, let me try, you know, it was it was fun and it was like, you know, I hope we had a good time. I mean I didn't really know anything about directing really, but what season was that? Was that like fifth seas four fourth or fig and so how did that come about? You just asked Michael, like, Hey, can I direct one this season? Well? I said, you know, yeah, I think, I said, oh, I like to you know, I just went to him and said, yeah, Michael, do you think I mean, I think I like to direct one of days, like to see and he said sure, you know, and then I just followed David Trainer around and whoever else came here, and uh, I just learned it and it was so much fun. And you guys are so easy. I mean, well, you used to direct. I remember you used to direct. During the scene he was so he would like, we'd all be on the couch and we'd be in the middle of the scene. It'd be like, well, I don't know, Dad, what do you think you should do? And be like, I don't know, Eric, let's figure it out now, turn the audience is there, We're in the middle of the scene, and then you start laughing like, oh yeah, that's right. Sorry. You guys are so easy to work with. It was really fun. Your parents another Do you have a favorite episode? Is there one that sticks out in your mind as like, God, you know, I just remember pieces of a million of them, and you know, I mean I remember, you know, jumping the parachute one where we're jumping out of the the plane. I remember the one with the bear and the honey and the one arm bear trainer, and I remember, I mean, I remember moments you know that you guys did that were just you know, I mean I had to watch you know that we're just you know, you and Ben's relationship, and yeah, I know, I didn't get to work with you nearly as much as I as I wish I did. But you know, again the multiple Boy Meets worlds, I was mostly in the school setting. Um, and then of course as the show went on, I we would do more things. We had the Matthews family Christmas that topango was. You know. I was in the in the house a little bit obviously. Then the episode where you guys think we ran off and got married and then there's a big thing in the kitchen. That long walk to Philly. Is that the one that's the one where you just you show up again. That's the one where I show up again after I Pittsburgh the gas. Yeah, but I didn't get to work with you a ton obviously. Then I got to work with you. For people who don't know, Rusty was the dialogue coach on Girl Meets World, and so we got to I got to work with Rusty every single day. There was so much fun watching you guys and watching the girls. Yeah. And see, that was such a great experience for me because, like writer, like you're talking about being able to now put yourself in his shoes on Boy Meets World, I was then in those shoes the same way you were in those shoes on Girl Meats World. But I but we were there with Rusty who had been It was like, so the Girl you know, the girls looked at us as all the same age. I didn't understand that us. So how did you guys deal with seeing working with kids? It was great, it was amazing, It was they were great kids. But it was different. It was very different to be able to see what the kids on Girl were going through. Yeah, you know, it was the first you know, we talked about this podcast as a reflection on our experience on Boy. I feel like my first real reflection back was Girl was working on Girls World, and I was able to see what we went through with completely different eyes, clearer eyes, and and really, I you know, I I ended up directing a lot of episodes, and I think he directed more than anybody. Is that true? So UM and I ended up loving I loved it mostly because I want it to be for those kids what a lot of directors had been for me. You know what a lot of the group and I, you know, Jeff McCracken, David Trainer, UM and these people really UM protected us, supported us, encouraged us as actors, and you know, like there were times on Girl Meates World that I just was like we we we were ahead, you know, the day was made and we were fine. We had a couple of hours and I'd be like, let's let's just sit around and talk about acting. Yeah, and we would do like I have conversations with the kids and then we do running charades. I was like, you, guys, like make sure that you think about what like the fun of what we're doing. This isn't just delivering the lines. It isn't just like showing up and hitting your marks and pleasing the grown ups, but actually, this is an opportunity for you to explore acting. And like that was I cared so much about that. I hope some of that stayed with them, because I haven't seen the girls or anybody since. That was a great gift that you were able to give to them. I mean having that perspective. And it's because I remember working with the grown ups that that that gave us, you know, the feedback that we needed as kids to be like, oh, this is a real job and this is this is your show. You know. Also we hopefully hopefully we helped you be kids too, because I would be the first one I hope. I was the first one. Someone was not cool. I no, no, no, no, yeah, let's writer, let Daniel, let you will do what they need to do. And you did that on Girl as well. And I mean then I remember because I got then got to direct my very first episode on Girl Meets World, And I remember sitting around the table with you and other people who were so instrumental in helping me learn to direct, and me just asking Rusty Okay, I get I get the blocking, what is a shot list? How do you do that? What? And talk about marking up scripts. I mean because Rusty as the dialogue coach, he had things marked for you know, every different person. And I mean Rusty was just he was so helpful. He's like, look, everybody does it a different way. There's not a right way or a wrong way to do it. Here's how I do it. And you can do whatever you want to do, but here's how I do it. Um. You were just so you were so wonderful and helpful. You've always have been. But you're such a um. The same way you were that like tent pole, that like that comforting uh dad on on Boy, you carried that same energy as just a human being onto the set of Girl Meets World, and all of us there who were in kind of chaotic life experienced times like boy Girl Meats World was a bit of a chaotic time for many reasons. But you were a person all of us flocked to for advice, stability, um just comfort. Remember my first Taming night, I was so scared directing because so intense you're directing, you have to keep track of four cameras all the performance, and there's an audience watching you, and of course for me it was also like the audience knew who I was. I was so scared, and you just looked at me and you were like, it's an acid trip, man, It's got to end at some Remember I leaned on you so heavy that first time, and I was so scared, and I always look over you. Would you would You knew it from every angle because you had been the acting, you had been the directing, and here you were dialogue coach, which is like being a right hand person for me. It was so helpful. Oh my god, I remember feeling so much better know when you were there. Well, we all guys all did a great job. Thank you. Well, we all know you as an iconic TV dad, but one person, Georgia. I asked what her experience was like having you as her real dad, And I'd like to play that for you. What was it like having Rusty as a dad in real life? A little edgier than Alan Matthews with his motorcycle and Rockert pants and choose. And he's a great dad though. When I was little, you know, he would drive me to competitions all over the country. Even um now he'll come to Florida and come with me to some of the competitions. He's truly one of my absolute best friends. You could say I'm a bit of a daddy's girl. Yeah, he's just he's incredible. Sweet. I'll tell you funny story about Georgia. Clara and I my wife, George's mom. We were with Georgia. We're coming from having dinner somewhere and she's about literally three or four years old, and uh, I said to her, oh, and we're doing the Christmas Show. When I said, oh, Georgia, how would you like to be in the Christmas Show? I have something to tell you about being a you know, boy meets world. Maybe it's something you can do. And she looks really at us, both, and she goes, oh am, I going to direct literally said that. Clara and I laugh. So, but that's kind of Georgia. You always used to do that though you always used to also try to make us laugh. I have one more very funny, rusty story that everyone always asked for behind the scenes stories, and I never remember them until the people are standing in front of us. So we're in the set for the now you're ninth job as Dad, which is the uh outward Store, the outback store, whatever you want to call it. Yeah, you know, And there is on the desk there is a giant tub of beef jerky. Ben has a problem with germs sometimes, as a lot of us do, and would refuse to eat any of the beef jerkey. And and you would reach in and grab it and take a bite and eat your beef jerkey. And Ben's like, well, look what you're doing. Your hands are in there the whole time. How is anybody's supposed to be. And you picked up a piece of beef jerky, you bit it in half, and you threw it back into the full jerkey and then you shut it and Ben went, that doesn't freak me out. He opened it up he reached in to grab his beef jerky, took a bite, and it was the exact one. Have been in half anyway across the chances don't. It's so it's etched in my mind. You and I then lost it because I mean, the chances of that happened. But it was Ben biting right into the beef jerky you had just eaten and then throwing it across the room. In my head, but I don't know. I grew up with five brothers, and sisters were not an issue. Other people was not an issue. Clara still yells big put get your hand off my plate. Yeah. Well, well, I'd love to talk about the episode, can we? Yeah, but we should do another episode. Let's do another episode. Join join us for the next episode. That's right where we're going to break down episode number one oh two. It's called on the Fence. I'm so glad this is the week that we asked you to come on because this was an Alan Matthews heavy episode. Yeah, it was fun to watch it. I hadn't seen it in a while. Alright, great, so we're gonna do that in the next episode. Uh, guys, we have an email address. Email us your thoughts, your questions, feedback, tell us what you think about the show thus far, what you'd like to hear more of. We are pod meets Wait, what meets World Show at gmail dot com and also check out our Instagram. We're gonna put a couple of pictures up there that I mentioned earlier. That picture of Rusty working with Bill Daniels will go up there. Um, I've got a Halloween picture will put up there. It's pod meats Show, no pod meets World Show. Okay, guys, I'm gonna get this work. I promose I'll have the name of the show memorized eventually. Uh. Pod meets World show on Instagram and yeah, go there. Email us though pod meats World Show at gmail dot com and world show dot com. Is that that pod meets show? Napster can't say world show meets World show? Pod meats World Show? Okay? Great, this is going well. All right, We'll see you in the next episode for number one O two on the fence. We love you all, pod dismissed. Pod Meets World is an I heart podcast produced and hosted by Daniel Fishel, Wilfredell and Right or Strong. Executive producers Jensen carp and Amy Sugarman, Executive in charge of production, Danielle Romo, producer and editor, Tara sup Boch, producer, Lorraine Vurez Engineering boy meets World super fan Eastern Allen. Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon. Follow us on Instagram at pod Meats World Show or email us at pod Meats World Show at gmail dot com