Alex Désert Meets World

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Speaker 1: This episode was recorded on June eighth, twenty twenty three.

00:00:20
Speaker 2: How often do you update the apps on your phone?

00:00:25
Speaker 3: I have them set to update automatically.

00:00:27
Speaker 4: Yeah, it just does it automatically.

00:00:29
Speaker 2: But then why will I look at because I'll look down at that my phone occasionally and it'll say like that you have sixty two updates, and it'll just I'll have to then actually go in and say update.

00:00:38
Speaker 4: All okay, Grandpa, go to settings, Like what's a setting?

00:00:45
Speaker 5: First of all, you're you're using an iPhone, right, You're not like danding out without um, yes, I'm annoying every everyone in everybody's dad.

00:00:52
Speaker 1: You don't have a superior phone. You have a normal, janky phone, got it? Okay?

00:01:00
Speaker 5: Okay, you go, yeah, you just go to settings, man, and you just put it like it has like a whole updates area, and I swear you just type like automatically, and then then it'll do it at night while you're correct like, well, no, that's what I'm hoping it does that and it sings to me and it tucks me in and it keeps me safe.

00:01:14
Speaker 2: That's what I'm hoping my phone does as well. For the money I'm paying, that's what it better do. With how expensive these things are nowadays, it better curl me and hold me at night.

00:01:23
Speaker 6: I mean, come on, I've been.

00:01:25
Speaker 5: Trying so hard to institute like a putting the phone down when I walk in the house rule, and I've like discussed since the moment India was born. And now he's old enough to actually call me out on it. He'll be like, dat, why are you looking at your phone?

00:01:38
Speaker 4: Oh it's the worst. It's the worst feeling to be called out.

00:01:41
Speaker 7: Well.

00:01:41
Speaker 1: Yeah, speaking of tech, have you guys seen the new Apple VR headset vision pro. I think it's called No my gosh, you guys. So Jensen is on the side of it.

00:01:54
Speaker 3: Doesn't look dumb. It looks cool.

00:01:58
Speaker 1: Okay, it is exactly what you would think of a VR looking, you know, headset thing you wear across your eyes. And then it's like but so when you put it on it apparently you be it becomes a three d oh eastern look at that.

00:02:14
Speaker 3: Okay, So there it.

00:02:15
Speaker 1: Is, right, But then the view for you inside is that it's your environment. So it's your house, like your correct augmented reality, and then all of your apps in front of you, so now it's you know, any one of those movies we've seen where the apps and that's exactly what you can do now, you can just flick your wrist. But in the advertisement for it, every single person.

00:02:43
Speaker 3: Is alone in their house.

00:02:47
Speaker 1: See Jensen's wearing my Mantai masks that.

00:02:52
Speaker 6: I see you with.

00:02:55
Speaker 4: Looks awesome, dude, it's so cool.

00:02:57
Speaker 6: That works.

00:02:58
Speaker 4: So cool.

00:03:00
Speaker 2: Does anybody else remember when your parents used to tell you don't get that close to the screen because it's bad for your eyes. Now we're wearing the screen on our feet, we wear the.

00:03:09
Speaker 3: Screen on your face.

00:03:10
Speaker 1: And then the people who they show that aren't alone, it's like, oh, you can see them and they can see you. So you can see out of it, like if you were sitting in a room.

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Speaker 5: Almost like you were really next to each other. It like it's almost like you were seeing each other in real life.

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Speaker 3: Oh my exactly.

00:03:28
Speaker 1: So then the other thing is the fact that you can see your own place. I'm like, don't most people not want to be in their own house?

00:03:37
Speaker 3: Like, wouldn't you kind of.

00:03:38
Speaker 6: Be like one thousand dollars to be in my living?

00:03:40
Speaker 3: I put I paid thirty five hundred.

00:03:42
Speaker 1: Dollars for this VR headset and like it to still look at my crappy apartment happen.

00:03:46
Speaker 4: Man, we've been primed.

00:03:47
Speaker 5: I mean, think about the way the pandemic accelerated our comfort with video conference. Yeah, you know, like this would have been unheard of for me to think that we were actually going to have a conversation to talk to each.

00:03:58
Speaker 6: Other, and now we do it every week, yes, yeah, twice a week. And it's also become going.

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Speaker 2: It's just become normalized because what we're saying is we haven't seen each other in a while and be like, see you tomorrow, and it's still like I haven't seen you guys in a while.

00:04:10
Speaker 6: So it's yeah, it's weird. But the other thing room's gotten smaller.

00:04:14
Speaker 1: Is that we when we first started this podcast, we were all in one hundred percent agreement that it needed to be in person, that our.

00:04:23
Speaker 3: Energy, that are what you know.

00:04:25
Speaker 1: And by the way, there is some stuff that's really great about being that you can't duplicate on zoom, but about eighty five percent of it ninety percent we can, and it just became so much easier, so much easier.

00:04:38
Speaker 5: So yeah, I don't know, it's just there's this amazing passage that David Foster Wallace wrote, I forget what book it. I think it might have it might have been its own essay or no, I think it was in Infinite Jess.

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Speaker 4: It's like you can look it up.

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Speaker 5: It's amazing, he wrote, you know, because it's it takes place in the future, and it's just an analysis of why video conferencing didn't take off, like didn't become a thing. And he's you know, he's writing this in the nineties, like way before the technology existed, but he predicts that like what we why we will not adopt video conferencing, And he's absolutely right. It's what happened when like FaceTime came out. It was like people used it to like look at their babies, right, and then that was about it, like nobody else used But then, you know, what he describes is like how you can tell when somebody's not listening to you when you're looking at them, like when they get a little bored, right, Whereas like on a phone call, there was like the natural habit you just you assume somebody was engaged with it even while they were like making the dinner or whatever. And that was like that sort of disembodied voice. Actually made for a cool social engagement that like zoom requires like the the constant listening face or the nod air and it requires a lot more energy. Right, But I think you know he was correct and that it wasn't going to be adopted, But then the pandemic just made it happen like it was the only option.

00:05:51
Speaker 4: It was our social life for so.

00:05:52
Speaker 6: Long, and it very quickly.

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Speaker 2: Do my danielle ficial impression of when I can tell she's not listening and she and she's writing somebody else. Watch and you see the hands got like you can see you tell she's typing and.

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Speaker 3: I'm still looking at you. He's looking at you.

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Speaker 6: But when is it going and she's totally talking to somebody else?

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Speaker 4: It's the funny.

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Speaker 6: I'm like, oh, yeah, Daniel's in a whole nother conversation right now.

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Speaker 5: I don't think I can do that. I can't type, and like, do you want to be that's.

00:06:24
Speaker 1: Because you have a terrible iPhone And on my Android, I have a swipe text feature where all I have to do is.

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Speaker 5: Drag me jumping into people's text conversations and ruining them.

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Speaker 6: Yeah, I know, we can't.

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Speaker 4: We can't tap back to Danielle.

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Speaker 2: I tried were up that personal zoom yesterday all of us, and the zoom ended and I tried to FaceTime you all and I had to send like what do you go through?

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Speaker 6: Nine levels? Like I was going to Nora.

00:06:51
Speaker 2: D And both people had to turn the keys at the same time to launch the missile to get Danielle. It was ridiculous. Where we're at gon for daniel fit like, oh man, So yeah, that was We'll talk about it later.

00:07:07
Speaker 3: Yeah, Grandpa, bring your phone over and I'll hook you up. Okay.

00:07:10
Speaker 4: Also, just google this.

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Speaker 5: I'm sure there's answers for all the.

00:07:16
Speaker 4: What's a Google?

00:07:17
Speaker 3: Put your VR headset on and ask you what Hey.

00:07:20
Speaker 4: I'm on a zoom with you.

00:07:22
Speaker 6: It's like I'm really in this room.

00:07:23
Speaker 3: Still Welcome to Pod meets World.

00:07:26
Speaker 6: I'm Daniel Fischel, I'm right or Strong, and I'm Wilfordell.

00:07:40
Speaker 1: As we enter season three of Boy Meets World, it's difficult to brace for what's to come when you don't really remember much. But we did know one thing this season around. We were about to meet the coolest new character Boy Meets World has seen so far, and he was going to be played by an actor who was just as cool. Imagine being fourteen years old as I was, and they introduce you to the newest teacher on the show, who was also the lead singer of a popular SKA reggae band, dresses like he just left a VIP table at.

00:08:12
Speaker 3: The Dresden Lounge.

00:08:13
Speaker 1: And was working on some little indie comedy with his friends about trying to find work in Hollywood called Swingers. To say we were all in awe of the guy would be an understatement, and the fans loved the newest edition to John Adams High just as much as we did, even though it never really felt like the writers knew exactly what to do with him, but other writers sure did.

00:08:34
Speaker 3: He'd go on to appear in almost one hundred and.

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Speaker 1: Thirty episodes of Becker, and show up on Grey's Anatomy, Reno nine to one, one, Scandal, Better Call Saul, and most recently, the TV reboot of A League of Their Own, Not to mention the movie High Fidelity and that little indie movie I mentioned Swingers that ended up defining an entire generation. But none of that means anything today because we're going to focus on the sixteen.

00:08:58
Speaker 3: Episodes of Boy Meets World.

00:09:00
Speaker 1: He appeared on as the new media are hire and mister Turner's best friend. Mister Eli Williams. Please welcome to Pod Meets World. Still the coolest guy in the room until he says it's dead anyway and leaves. Alex stays air, Yes, you sound great.

00:09:22
Speaker 7: Look at professional looking people. How's it going guys?

00:09:29
Speaker 4: Good for you?

00:09:31
Speaker 7: You know, I think I'm all right good? A right, I'm feeling good this morning. Wow. Man, great to see your face.

00:09:38
Speaker 3: I wish I could give you a hug.

00:09:40
Speaker 1: I feel it feels so weird to just not be able to give you a giant hug.

00:09:44
Speaker 3: I'm feeling some take Okay, good you feel you feel the hug vibes.

00:09:48
Speaker 7: Maybe maybe I should turn the heat on. I don't know.

00:09:52
Speaker 1: Yes, man, we have been so looking forward to talking to you.

00:09:56
Speaker 3: We have been.

00:09:57
Speaker 1: We've had so many great guests on the show, but we really from the time we started, we were like, oh man, I just can't wait to get to season three and talk to Alex.

00:10:06
Speaker 8: Wow.

00:10:07
Speaker 7: So that's how you're doing it. You're doing it season by season.

00:10:10
Speaker 6: Yeah, yeah, by episode, episode by episode.

00:10:12
Speaker 5: We're only we've only watched at this point We've only watched three episodes of season three three, so we've only seen you in two, and that first one super awkward.

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Speaker 4: It is so not you, not you. It's just like they didn't introduce you. You're just like there.

00:10:27
Speaker 7: Well, the thing is I was also super awkward.

00:10:29
Speaker 3: So so Alex did watch the two same episodes we've seen.

00:10:35
Speaker 5: Okay, okay, okay, good because that first one was like we were watching this. The next one it was like, oh, okay, now they're introducing this character, like why.

00:10:45
Speaker 4: Which should have been the first one.

00:10:46
Speaker 2: Yeah, But like when you're just it is apartment, you're like, Okay, now we know you apparently yes.

00:10:52
Speaker 7: And now there's someone new.

00:10:54
Speaker 3: Yeah.

00:10:55
Speaker 1: And I think they wanted to say, obviously, we're trying two friends up boy meets World, where they wanted to have that, you know, late twenties cool friendship storyline going.

00:11:07
Speaker 3: But it would have been.

00:11:09
Speaker 1: Nice to know who this guy was instead of just being like so it was a little odd that they that they did it that way.

00:11:16
Speaker 3: Do you remember your audition for Boy Meets World.

00:11:19
Speaker 7: Here's the thing I will say though, Boy Meets World was the innovator for the idea of a teaser because that's what that was.

00:11:28
Speaker 9: It's like you're doing up here, just gone right, yeah, the mass Man, Yeah, it was.

00:11:39
Speaker 2: It was like, well, at least in the second episode they're going to have him at.

00:11:42
Speaker 6: All, Okay, an interesting choice. Yeah, it was so weird.

00:11:50
Speaker 7: It was.

00:11:50
Speaker 6: It was so bizarre.

00:11:51
Speaker 7: But do I remember the audition, yes, Okay, No, I don't remember which audition I remember, right. I remember were getting the call going yeah, all right, yeah, all right, yeah, I'll go in on this show, you know, jaded actor at twenty four. However, I was like, yeah, yeah, I'll go in, I'll go in. And I think I remember being shocked getting a call back or something, and then meeting Michael Jacobs and all the writers and it was hilariously if I remember correctly, and yeah, I told you guys, my memory sucks in general. But if I remember correctly, what I love about the writers on that sure that they all had watched me work, which was kind of like this this you know, it was a combination of rooting for you as well as being in awe of what you're doing. Yeah, so I remember that, And I also remember Michael Jacobs and he did this at the audition as well as many times when we were shooting where he'd do that thing where he'd pulled me over. He was like, yeah, that was good, but you just read this same joke three times in a row, so there there are variations. And I was like what And then I remember him pointing out the variations and I was like, well, I'll be damn okay, let's try it again. And I think he did that for one of the auditions, which was really cool too.

00:13:16
Speaker 2: At least he did that for you. For us, he would give us sounds. He'd go, you're going blah blah bah oh okay, sorry to.

00:13:27
Speaker 3: You, like you understood English, which.

00:13:34
Speaker 1: You wanted them bah blah blah blah blah music note exactly.

00:13:38
Speaker 7: You know, that's kind of how I work. It's about rhythm, right.

00:13:43
Speaker 1: But you know what else you talk about that look that they had, because I'd never really thought about that before. But you know what else it was that we've now discovered with doing the podcast is how much they paid attention to who all the actors were as people to try to extract, to try to write specific for them. So part of that eagerness you saw behind their eyes was what what are his strengths what are his strengths, what are his strengths?

00:14:10
Speaker 4: Come up with this character and how do we get.

00:14:12
Speaker 5: A character more like do they have did you have any like actual character before?

00:14:16
Speaker 4: Like what was there a sense that before.

00:14:18
Speaker 7: You If I remember what it was, it was just like, you know, it was like cocky, No, that's exactly what I remember. I remember my notes to myself was like, oh, this guy thinks his poop does not stink, right, right, Okay, That's what I remember, And so that was definitely acting.

00:14:37
Speaker 5: That's what comes across in the second episode with PHOENI, Right.

00:14:42
Speaker 7: That's what it was. It's like this insecurity being covered by this sense of ego and arrogance and you know, he's a puppy dog, you know. Yeah, if I remember, that's what I remembered going into it, thinking.

00:14:56
Speaker 2: That would have been nice if they showed that at all in the first episode, even slightly. But the thing that was cool at least was so the thing I remember most about your first the first episode is that we had a really what we call a wu audience. So it was like every time you'd say something, people would go wooo.

00:15:15
Speaker 6: So yeah, it was by your first line. It was like they were already.

00:15:19
Speaker 1: They were super behind you, even though they had no idea who you were. They were like this guy, I love him.

00:15:25
Speaker 7: Yeah, it was a funny thing. When I was watching it too, I was like, wow, I just like shot out of a cannon. I know exactly.

00:15:33
Speaker 4: Yep, yes, yeah.

00:15:34
Speaker 5: Season three started with a bang, that's for sure, Alex. How much sitcom had you done before Boy Meets World?

00:15:41
Speaker 7: You want to hear the funny thing? Boy Meets World was the first sitcom I think I was not fired from really, although I only did one season, so I had a minute going, hey, wait a minute, yeah, but yeah, because I'd had like issues, like i'd go do a day or two and they'd be like, yeah, don't, don't, don't come for the reader.

00:16:01
Speaker 4: Really yeah, And so I had passage. Man, you gotta get fired.

00:16:06
Speaker 7: Man, you know. And of course it's like, hey, well you know what I got paid for? Old episode, right right? But I think Boy Meets World was the first one where I was like, the second episode, I was like I'm back, Oh okay, third episode, I was like really still man, Yeah, so I think I've done. I think I did an episode. No, I know, I think I did two sitcoms. I did an episode of Free Spirits and a Different World, which is hilarious. You know the great thing about getting older guys is like when people throw your old work at you and you go, oh yeah, and then I yeah, I think I did something else where. I was shooting a pilot and yeah, got fired after like you know, four or five days. I'm like, guys, we're about to tape.

00:17:05
Speaker 1: Are you sure you want to fire me the day before we shoot it?

00:17:09
Speaker 7: Yeah? Yeah, And you know what hindsight is twenty twenty because I was like, man, I'm glad that didn't go anywhere exactly.

00:17:18
Speaker 6: That happens quite a bit.

00:17:19
Speaker 7: Yeah, yeah, So yeah, Boy Meets World was my first, like steady, okay, let's learn the craft of doing a sitcom. Wow.

00:17:29
Speaker 1: You know, I feel like in every article we read about swingers, we hear about this just very cool group of guys Jon Favre, Vince Vaughn, Ron Livingston, Adam Scott, Mike White, all just trying to make it in Hollywood and going to failed audition after failed audition in hopes of ending up.

00:17:45
Speaker 3: On a sitcom.

00:17:46
Speaker 1: Can you explain what that scene was like, especially considering that all those names like run Hollywood.

00:17:52
Speaker 7: Now you want to hear the funny you know, I was shooting that while we were doing the show.

00:17:55
Speaker 6: I knew it was your car. I remember it was your car that Vince Vaughn.

00:17:59
Speaker 4: Drives in the movie.

00:18:00
Speaker 7: It was kind of cool because I remember going, man, I'm living the dream. I'm like, I'm doing the sitcom during the day, which is awesome, and then at night, I'm hanging out with the boys, you know, doing this other game you know, which he wrote for us, right, you know what I'm saying. I mean, you guys remember me. That was like Swingers. Me was the caricature of me times ten. I wish I could be that cool. Okay, it was, yeah.

00:18:38
Speaker 4: No, you were that cool even telling me about Swingers, because I remember you said, you said, I'm doing this little movie called Swingers, and I was like, what is it.

00:18:46
Speaker 5: You're like, you'll hear about it, you knew, And then of course I did, like the next year going to the movie theater.

00:18:53
Speaker 4: I was like obsessed, like, oh my god, that's the boy that I was. You were just like you'll hear about Yeah.

00:18:59
Speaker 7: I remember any a day coming into work, like you don't don't talk to me really tired.

00:19:04
Speaker 1: Yeah, And I remember talking to you one day on set and finding out when you were like, yeah, I'm in a band, the Hecats.

00:19:11
Speaker 3: I was like the Hadcats because I.

00:19:13
Speaker 1: Was like fourteen, I knew nothing about anything in your world.

00:19:16
Speaker 3: You were just so cool.

00:19:19
Speaker 2: So you had you done PCU by the time you got to Boy Meets World you did right. Yeah, yeah, because I recognize you walked down That was one of my favorite movies at the time.

00:19:28
Speaker 7: Yes, I guess, yeah, you know, it's funny. I look at my life. I'm so bizarre. It's it's set up like by what era job I had, as well as what my hair was doing. Oh yeah, so uh PU was before Boy Meets World and then I cut my dreads off and then I was able to get apart. Like on Boy Meets World. It was very like this is what where you're gonna be. You're gonna be a musician.

00:20:04
Speaker 4: That's all you're gonna play, right, you know?

00:20:07
Speaker 7: And so yeah, pcus before and that's how I met Favreau and Vince and all those guys. Yeah, that must have been like a year or two before.

00:20:17
Speaker 6: I think it was a great movie.

00:20:19
Speaker 2: And I just remember you walking onto the set and me thinking to myself like, oh man, I'll say I love PCU. He's coming on to play Tony's friend, Tony's my good friend. We got it, We got a third for the crew, Like this guy is gonna be And then by about the second day we're together, it's like, this guy's way too cool to hang.

00:20:35
Speaker 3: Out with.

00:20:37
Speaker 6: And this is never going to happen.

00:20:41
Speaker 2: Stop trying to hang out with him. He's never gonna hang out with you. It's not going to happen.

00:20:46
Speaker 7: Well, I just remember what tripped me out about you. I was like, I remember like talking to you, and I was like, this dude is way smarter than I thought.

00:20:54
Speaker 10: Yes, because he'd be like breaking out some like theories and talking about Navy seals up and I was like, what I was in that brain of yours, you know, getting.

00:21:06
Speaker 7: All that's up there. I was like, oh, there you go.

00:21:09
Speaker 6: Well sweet, So that's what it was.

00:21:11
Speaker 2: I was too smart to hang out with you. It wasn't too cool, Yeah, right, I did. I tried for like the first two episodes. I was like, this is never gonna happen.

00:21:20
Speaker 4: Never, never.

00:21:22
Speaker 7: Happened. Maybe in the back of my head, I was like I don't want to be a bad influence. They don't want to see my daughter.

00:21:31
Speaker 3: We heard that a lot.

00:21:34
Speaker 4: Yeah, because you were like you were twenty five.

00:21:36
Speaker 7: You said twenty five, twenty six.

00:21:38
Speaker 4: Yeah, my god, that's not that much older than us. But no, you know the difference between fifteen and twenty.

00:21:44
Speaker 3: Yeah, Like I was fourteen at the time, and.

00:21:47
Speaker 6: I was probably eighteen or nineteen at the time.

00:21:49
Speaker 11: Fifteen fifteen, Yeah, okay, Yeah, it's kind of crazy because, like thinking about it, it's like you guys have been professionals forever and like, you know, I moved out to at eighteen, and I was.

00:22:01
Speaker 10: Like you guys, And now that I think about it, it's basically we're all like learning everything at the same time.

00:22:10
Speaker 1: Yeah, right, r came first for you when you came out to LA. Was it a music draw or was it acting?

00:22:16
Speaker 7: No, No, acting has been my first, Like, you know, since I was a little kid. You know, acting was the draw. Like I went to performing arts in New York, you know, the Fame School. Yep. It's funny because you know, I wanted to audition for stuff and my mom was like no, no, no, I'm like okay, sure, sure. Years later, I come to find out. I was like, why wouldn't you let me go to auditions? She was like, it's not that I didn't want you to. I just couldn't take off work. I'm like, oh, wow, well that makes sense. And so yeah, I went to performing arts. I booked a job. My senior year, I booked The Pilot. Almost got kicked out of high school because you're not allowed to do profession from the work right when you go to PA and so I was like, man, I forget you. That's why I'm here. Came out to La, shot the Pilot, went back to school. This is hilarious. Well it's not really, But went back to school, almost got kicked out. My grades sucked, But the show got picked up and we were supposed to start shooting, you know whenever it starts like in the summer again. But then the nineteen eighty eight writers started happening. Oh here's a good thing. Because of that strike, I was able to go to summer school, get all my credits. Oh nice, So I am officially a high school grad. And then literally the strike was over, got on a plane, came to LA and started working.

00:23:44
Speaker 3: Unbelievable.

00:23:45
Speaker 4: That's great good timing.

00:23:47
Speaker 3: Yes, exactly.

00:23:49
Speaker 2: That's when I was there eighty like eighty six to eighty nine in New York. Was it was a magical time in the industry.

00:23:55
Speaker 6: It really was. Yeah, that was a great time in the city.

00:23:58
Speaker 2: There was just a vibe to the city that was so it wrapped you in this piss smelling.

00:24:04
Speaker 6: Hug and show and it was awesome. It was just full of life and it was it was magical.

00:24:10
Speaker 7: I really was the smell of subway in the morning.

00:24:12
Speaker 4: Yeah.

00:24:13
Speaker 6: Absolutely, it was great.

00:24:16
Speaker 7: It was school life for me because, like I said, we're you know, Pa, we're all like drama geeks. Imagine a whole school and it's nothing but geeks, music geeks, drama geeks, dance geeks, and we're all like, Hi.

00:24:28
Speaker 6: Yeah, where you went?

00:24:31
Speaker 7: I have a whopper?

00:24:36
Speaker 6: Were you from New York?

00:24:38
Speaker 7: Yeah?

00:24:39
Speaker 6: From the city.

00:24:40
Speaker 7: Grew up in Queen's. Always went to school in the city, you know. So the son of my from the first my parents came from Haiti in sixty seven and then I popped out a couple of years later. The Restless History.

00:24:59
Speaker 6: It's so fun.

00:25:00
Speaker 1: So you came in as a new teacher and mister Turner's best friend.

00:25:05
Speaker 3: What do you remember about working with Tony Quinn.

00:25:11
Speaker 7: Burst off his hair, Yes, all about the.

00:25:16
Speaker 3: Hair man bullet, the power mullet.

00:25:19
Speaker 7: It was like and it was just like did it have its own credit?

00:25:24
Speaker 2: It should should have it should Basically it wasn't even hair band. It was like early eighties had it was like Rio Speedwagon hair.

00:25:33
Speaker 7: And what people need to know. It was always perfect people. There was never a hair out of place.

00:25:41
Speaker 1: No, it was gorgeous, a glorious name.

00:25:46
Speaker 7: Yeah. I remember Tony just being a real cool just like taking me under his wing. It's like, no, we're really good family hair. You just have fun. You know. One of my favorite things. I think you guys started singing that with me where I discovered a song called corn bread Earl and me. Yeah, and I kept on changing the words of Tony queen.

00:26:08
Speaker 4: That's right, Like, oh my god, that's.

00:26:17
Speaker 7: We did.

00:26:20
Speaker 4: You're unlocking like a core memory it is.

00:26:26
Speaker 6: Oh that's so funny.

00:26:27
Speaker 7: And it rolled so trippingly off the tunnel.

00:26:31
Speaker 3: Had you had you ever worked with kids before?

00:26:34
Speaker 7: No considering I was one myself. Yeah, you know what you know, here's a funny thing. Now that I think about it, I remember the whole time going I don't know if anybody's gonna buy me as a.

00:26:45
Speaker 4: School because you've grown up.

00:26:49
Speaker 7: Yeah, I'm like, I don't buy it. And then I was thinking about it. How old was what was Bill Daniels when we were doing it? Because I and eight, you know, he was probably like my age he.

00:27:01
Speaker 6: Was he was sixty five.

00:27:03
Speaker 1: He's ninety six now, thirty years ago, sixty six six to sixty eight when you were there, he was sixty eight years old.

00:27:10
Speaker 6: Yeah, right, yeah, right.

00:27:13
Speaker 7: Wow, man, Yeah, what an experience. It's wow. Okay, things are starting on the lot. Guys.

00:27:21
Speaker 2: You when you do your when you put your your age you are now to when we were doing Boy, and you look at all the writers, all the producers. I think I'm older now than ninety percent of the people that.

00:27:30
Speaker 6: Worked on one.

00:27:31
Speaker 2: That's insane and it's just weird when you do that. When you're like Michael, I think was what in his late thirties early forties when Boy and he must have been right, I think it's got to be what sixty five now sixty six.

00:27:43
Speaker 3: I think he's probably close to seventy.

00:27:45
Speaker 6: Okay, close to so, say he's seventy so he was forty eight.

00:27:48
Speaker 2: Yeah, you're forty seven now, right, right, So, I mean it's just so weird to think that we were all the people, all the adults in charge, were younger than most of us are now.

00:27:58
Speaker 7: Really weird.

00:27:59
Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm how aware of Bill Daniels were you? Like, did you know his career? Did you know him on?

00:28:04
Speaker 7: Man?

00:28:05
Speaker 5: Well, I had no clue because I was a kid, man, I mean, besides the kid from Night Rider. I had no idea.

00:28:11
Speaker 7: You can just start.

00:28:12
Speaker 3: There, man, exactly, Yes.

00:28:15
Speaker 7: You start there and either go backwards or forwards.

00:28:19
Speaker 6: Yeah, it was awesome sometimes.

00:28:21
Speaker 7: I'm just like to say it for me, Michael.

00:28:24
Speaker 1: Michael, were you as intimidated by Bill Daniels as we all were?

00:28:29
Speaker 7: Oh? Absolutely, absolutely absolutely. And then it started obviously getting easier, like because I just asked him questions, so when did you start the business? Yeah, how did you do this? And then like him telling me that he was a dancer and like with bo Jingles and stuff that blew my mind. And then I was like, right, so tell me about seventeen seventy six, right, you know, John Adams, I get it.

00:28:59
Speaker 6: That was always a good way in with Bill.

00:29:01
Speaker 2: He would always talk about the industry, talk about acting, talk about the craft. So anytime you were kind of like, I don't know what to talk about, jumping into that was a great starting off point with him.

00:29:09
Speaker 7: Yeah, and then like every once in a while because I like my one of the things I do, like you know, in between takes or whatever, like just I do fake tap dance and stuff just for myself. I don't know how to tap, but I do that. And then he'd joined in on it.

00:29:25
Speaker 5: A video of the.

00:29:29
Speaker 7: D's start talking and he telled me about Bojangles and stuff like what you were doing. You were you were song and dance man first.

00:29:37
Speaker 6: Yeah, when he five five or six, I mean he was. And he never told us. He would never jump in and tell us about that.

00:29:45
Speaker 2: Yeah, it was cut yeah, and even and that wasn't until later. Especially, he didn't want us to know. I've talked to him about this. He did not want us to know he was a child actor.

00:29:53
Speaker 6: Oh wow, he said, I don't.

00:29:54
Speaker 2: I didn't want you to look at me like a resource for how to be a child act or. I wanted you to look at me as just another actor and part of the cast, as opposed to oh, you did what I did.

00:30:06
Speaker 6: He didn't for some reason, just didn't want that.

00:30:08
Speaker 7: That's actually pretty smart, actually, yeah, journey.

00:30:12
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's also a great way to keep all the little smelly kids away from you.

00:30:18
Speaker 4: Self protection. Just did not want question.

00:30:23
Speaker 7: Me.

00:30:23
Speaker 4: I am so different from you.

00:30:25
Speaker 7: That's how good he is. He was able to trick you into thinking he was looking up for Yep, he's actually just looking up for his own damn. Now that's what you call years in the business.

00:30:39
Speaker 4: Yep, that's true.

00:30:41
Speaker 3: We've all learned to do it now. We learned from the best. So did you?

00:30:45
Speaker 1: Adam Scott was in a few episodes in season two and then also did an episode in season three.

00:30:51
Speaker 3: Were you in the episode when he was in? Did you? Was he the only person you knew that was a part of the show.

00:30:57
Speaker 7: Yeah, And it was funny, like, yeah, yeah, I'd seen him on the show. And then it was funny because I guess we lived in the same neighborhood for a while years later, and so like, oh, what's up, Oh what's up there? You know? Yeah?

00:31:18
Speaker 3: Who else were some of your peers at the time.

00:31:21
Speaker 7: I don't even I don't even know.

00:31:24
Speaker 2: I don't You introduced me to Jeremy Piven. I remember that at an at an ABC party. You know, every year at the beginning of the show, they would always have these ABC parties in some strange location, Yeah, like the Ladea tar Pits or Libret of tar Pits or something like that. And you and I were sitting there talking and somebody tapped you on the shoulder and turn around with Jeremy Pip and You're like, hey, I want you to be will And I was like and he was like, yeah, hey, how you doing. And he gave you a big hug, and you guys talked. I was like, I'll be over here if you need any drinks. But it was it was I was like, all right, cool met Jermy Piven, like all right, you introduce me.

00:31:57
Speaker 3: Well, did you go to a Hepcat show.

00:32:01
Speaker 6: I don't think I did.

00:32:02
Speaker 4: I might have.

00:32:03
Speaker 6: I don't think I did.

00:32:04
Speaker 2: I didn't go out a whole lot as they would say, which was another reason why I think Alex was like, yeah, we can't be friends.

00:32:13
Speaker 6: It was like you want to come hang out the oak Wood.

00:32:16
Speaker 2: No, It's just we were different people, you know, you know, you had a life and stuff. I hadn't found that yet, So no, I never Actually, I don't think I ever went to a Hepcat show Again, I may have once.

00:32:28
Speaker 3: I can't remember some.

00:32:29
Speaker 7: Reason, I'm feeling that you guys did, but.

00:32:31
Speaker 3: I feel like I did. I did too.

00:32:35
Speaker 6: Then we then we went together me where would it have been?

00:32:38
Speaker 4: Where were you playing?

00:32:39
Speaker 7: Like what kind of like we were doing House of Blues a lot.

00:32:42
Speaker 6: I want to say we went.

00:32:43
Speaker 2: I went to the House of Blues one time, because I think that night, leaving the House of Blues on a whim, I got a tattoo.

00:32:49
Speaker 1: Wow, you only vaguely remember the evening huh.

00:32:53
Speaker 4: Well, because.

00:32:56
Speaker 2: Yeah, it was right next to Sunset Strip tattoo where I got my first several tattoos was at the same place, and I believe I left and I was like, all right, I'm just going to get another tat, and the same guy gave me another tat.

00:33:05
Speaker 6: I believe that I wasn't with you for that, so I was OK that I think that was yes, So I believe I did.

00:33:11
Speaker 4: I believe I did too.

00:33:12
Speaker 1: But I also have a memory of going to a Hepcat show that was like years later, because, like I said, when you were on the show, I was only fourteen, So like, where was I going to a my parents were club.

00:33:23
Speaker 4: You were in fifteen.

00:33:25
Speaker 1: I was at least eighteen years old before I attended a nightclub, so I think I went.

00:33:32
Speaker 3: At least I waited until I moved out of my parents' house.

00:33:38
Speaker 1: At eighteen, and then I went. I had some respect, But yeah, I did. I know, I went to a show like around that time, which is cool to think about because like that means that even years after you were off the show, I was.

00:33:54
Speaker 3: We were still like, I'm going to go see Alex Man.

00:33:58
Speaker 7: I didn't tell you. I haven't told you guys, So this was actually cool. So I knew the show was, you know, good, and it was big and all that stuff. It didn't hit me until like maybe a year after leaving the show. We were on tour, and we're doing the Work tour, so we're going all across America, every crop cross section of life, you know, because work towards like SKA bands, punk bands, like you know, everything, hip hop and all that, and we do our set and inevitably, like every night, every day we finished the set, oh my god, hey man, Heapcat was really cool, but mister Williams and it was like every night. And then I remember one of the funniest ones. Was like, no, you don't understand what boy meets world meets us. It was this guy and his girlfriend. You don't understand what the show means to us. It's like, you know, it's like our days of our lives. It's our General Hospital and I will never forget that. Yeah. As he was saying that, I was backing away slowly, going.

00:35:06
Speaker 3: That's really nice.

00:35:08
Speaker 7: That's cool. But it was. And that's when it dawned on me, because you know, in my head, I'm like, God, we're just working, We're just what we do.

00:35:16
Speaker 6: Yeah.

00:35:17
Speaker 7: No.

00:35:17
Speaker 5: We've talked a lot about how none of us really knew the reach of the show until years later.

00:35:24
Speaker 4: You know.

00:35:24
Speaker 5: It's yeah, yeah, when we were on, we weren't like a huge hit. We were just kind of a drugging shit.

00:35:30
Speaker 7: Yeah. Yeah.

00:35:32
Speaker 3: Do you remember how many episodes you originally signed up for?

00:35:36
Speaker 4: Did you?

00:35:37
Speaker 3: Were you a series regular that through that season?

00:35:39
Speaker 7: It was, yeah, I was a serious regular. But like, what do they call it, like ten out of thirteen or something?

00:35:44
Speaker 3: Yeah, but you did sixteen?

00:35:45
Speaker 7: Yeah I did?

00:35:47
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah out of twenty three.

00:35:49
Speaker 3: Out of twenty four or something.

00:35:51
Speaker 7: Yeah, okay, yeah, yeah, that sounds about right.

00:35:54
Speaker 3: Look at you.

00:35:55
Speaker 4: Yeah.

00:35:59
Speaker 2: I was telling them story before we got on. That was very special to me. So it was years, several years after Boy Me Twelve finished, I was doing another show that wasn't very good. But actually I take that back. The show was okay, the cast was great, they were good friends of mine. But I was having a bad day. I remember specifically, I was having a very bad day and I'm sitting there and I look up and standing in between two of the cameras on rehearsal day, is you with your.

00:36:25
Speaker 6: Arms wide open?

00:36:27
Speaker 7: Yeah?

00:36:28
Speaker 2: Because you were doing Becker right next door, and I was doing a show called Random Years, and you saw me on the internal like monitors of rehearsal, and you came over and it was like my whole day brightened up, just all of a sudden.

00:36:44
Speaker 6: It was like, oh my god.

00:36:46
Speaker 2: And you came over and embraced me, and we sat there and hugged and talked for like twenty minutes, and my whole day turned around. And I don't think I ever told you how special and important that was to me.

00:36:54
Speaker 6: It really was.

00:36:56
Speaker 2: It just you turned my whole day around. It was incredible. It was just such a wonderful surprise. After all those years and it was amazing, really was.

00:37:03
Speaker 7: Man, that's awesome. I remember that too.

00:37:06
Speaker 4: What a lot was that on? Where were you guys? Paramount?

00:37:11
Speaker 2: So yeah, it was just such it was like, yeah it was that was very special to me.

00:37:16
Speaker 6: So yeah, it was really cool.

00:37:18
Speaker 3: Yeah, I know, that's so sweet.

00:37:20
Speaker 1: You know, I love those stories because how many times have you seen somebody out somewhere and your I always think, well, they're not going to know they're not going to remember me, like they're not yet. Oh yeah, like I'm just a They're not even know who I am. So I'm not even going to say anything. You like, talk yourself out of whether or not you should go up and say hi to somebody, But then every time you do, you're always like, I'm so glad I did.

00:37:40
Speaker 3: And in that case, you made the effort. You saw him on him monitor.

00:37:42
Speaker 1: You very easily could have been like, oh that was so many years ago, I'm not going to go say hi to Will, but you did, and he was having a bad day and it turned everything around and it's like something he remembers forever.

00:37:51
Speaker 6: It was awesome. Yeah, yeah, it was awesome.

00:37:53
Speaker 7: Yea. The moral of the story, folks, if you think of someone.

00:37:57
Speaker 3: Yes, that's exactly right.

00:37:59
Speaker 7: Moral.

00:38:05
Speaker 12: Hey guys, it's Jen Ashchwitz and Kevin McHale from and That's what you really missed podcasts.

00:38:10
Speaker 13: We are going through all six seasons of Glee and we are giving you the behind the scenes stories of what it was really like filming, the musical numbers and episodes.

00:38:20
Speaker 12: It's been so special to revisit the show that changed our lives with some of our closest friends and to share some of the most authentic and real experiences we had together, completely raw and unfiltered. Plus we chat with our co stars like Jane Lynch, Chris Kolfer, Heather Morris and Berilly, Harry Schamp, Junior court over Street, Josh Susman, Max Adler, Rome Rosemont, John Stamos, Alex Snull and Dot Marie Jones on the pod, and so many more to come. We have some exciting guests coming up.

00:38:45
Speaker 13: And we can't forget the behind the scenes crew who made it all happen. Our dear friends and literally the hardest working crew in Hollywood. From creators Ryan Murphy and I and Brennan, to directors, camera operators, musical directors. We are sharing all of our experiences on Glee.

00:39:01
Speaker 12: So meet us in the choir room at McKinley High and join us weekly on and that's what you really missed available wherever you listen to your podcasts.

00:39:09
Speaker 14: Hi, I'm Chris Harrison, host of the Most Dramatic Podcast Ever. I'm just like you, always looking for something interesting, heartfelt and entertaining to listen to. You know, look, maybe you used to watch a show every Monday night and now you have a lot of time on your hands and you're looking for something new, someone who's here for the right reasons. If you will, I've got you. Listen to the Most Dramatic Podcast Ever on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

00:39:45
Speaker 1: So, do you remember anything about being told that you weren't coming back for season four?

00:39:51
Speaker 3: Or were you not told?

00:39:52
Speaker 7: Like?

00:39:53
Speaker 3: How did that? Do you remember how that situation came about? I really don't, Okay.

00:39:59
Speaker 7: I really don't. Maybe maybe it's PTSD exactly know what it happened. Again, I don't if I recall, I don't think I found out right away. I think it was like it wasn't because I found out with other gigs about not coming back in a very shady way. I don't think I think this was up front, Okay, okay, I think it was above board. I think it was. I'm pretty sure it was disappointing. I think for me when it happened, I remember going, oh, that sucks, but hey, okay, that freeze up some time, right, And like, I think after that is when I started, you know, touring a lot more with the band, because I had to miss a lot of shows. Yea, even when when I was doing Becker, like, I had to leave the band completely for a couple of years. And so I think, once again, it's that hindsight thing where you're like, Okay, this sucks, but now I can do this for a while and not more. Unfortunately, you know, I've got money in the bank.

00:41:06
Speaker 3: Yeah right, yeah, praise you up to tour with music.

00:41:09
Speaker 7: Yeah, exactly. And you know, for a while, that's where I looked at it too. I was like, Okay, I make a living acting, so I can go do music, and if I don't get paid as much, it's fine because I still get this right, go out and do that.

00:41:25
Speaker 2: You're That's the same thing they said about like River Phoenix, as he was a musician with a great day job. Yeah, and that's kind of like if music is your passion, that's what it is. It's like I'm making just enough acting to keep me in music.

00:41:36
Speaker 6: Which is which is pretty important.

00:41:38
Speaker 2: So I have a question for to to kind of help educate our dear listeners. Okay, what so Becker huge show, one hundred and thirty episodes you did, it was, you know, with Ted Danson and some of the best in the business. What other than salty language, what are some differences you noticed from being on a show with all adults and being on a show with a younger cast.

00:42:00
Speaker 7: Well, we stayed a lot later.

00:42:05
Speaker 4: And a half hours a day.

00:42:06
Speaker 7: Yeah, what is the difference? First off, for me personally, it was it was that thing of like we said, didn't have to watch the bad language, didn't have to watch my steps as much, right, which is a difference. The humor. We could do some darker things, and I think that that was the other thing too, I was being able to do that kind of stuff that we could Envoy meets World. I mean, I will tell you the same learning experience I got from both shows, which started on Voy Meets World but then really took shape for me personally on Becker was learning how to treat guest cast no, because you know, it's easy to be like is my shield. I don't know if I can curse on here, but I don't know.

00:43:06
Speaker 3: Absolutely go off.

00:43:10
Speaker 7: And I'm boy me. Tworlds was one of the places where I think it clicks for me. It's like, oh no, yeah, we're the core group here, but these people around us helped build this world. Because they're building this world with us, I have to treat them as if well, I have to treat them with respect because they are with us. Once I got on Becker, I really learned how to do that hardcore to the point like every cast, get every guest cast, I don't care how big or small. Thank you so much for coming out and playing with us, you know. And I learned that from Ted especially as well. It's just like, you know, we look good because you make us a little bit right, you know. So that was a big thing both shows. Yeah, I think that's it. I mean, because it's funny because writers. I love writers because no matter what show, no matter what genre, with writers, I can see what they look like when they were kids. Writers have this thing, you know, on any TV show you work on, you hang with them, and then all of a sudden you'll see them on the playground. I'm like, oh, I remember you. I remember your archetype. You know.

00:44:32
Speaker 4: All that's true, isn't it.

00:44:33
Speaker 7: Yeah, you can see it, you know, And you're like, okay, And for some reason that makes me like, hey, guys, what are we doing? What are we playing with today? Right? You know?

00:44:42
Speaker 1: You know, you know what I love like from our perspective. And I guess I'll just speak for myself, but I think I can speak for the other two as well when I say that one of the things we so appreciated and got so lucky with on Boy Meets World is that none of.

00:44:56
Speaker 3: You treated us like little kids.

00:45:00
Speaker 7: Yeah.

00:45:01
Speaker 1: You when I just asked you, like when weill asked you, what's the difference between working with kids, It had nothing to do with like like you, we were your peers as we were, we were fellow actors. We never felt like you guys talked down to us, or thought lesser of us, or ostracized us in any way for being kids.

00:45:19
Speaker 3: There were the.

00:45:20
Speaker 1: Natural barriers, of course, of like you know, we were in the school room and you guys were going to play golf or you know where you wouldn't you know, tell us about your dating exploits. There were those like appropriate boundaries, but as exactly but as professionals, we were all. You made us all feel like we were on your same level, which is really special because because I know other you know, child actors who worked on other shows and were on regular shows full time didn't have that experience, and we just we were so lucky and like just so lucky. You guys were the people we had to learn from.

00:46:00
Speaker 7: Plus, you know, it's well, I mean, give yourselves credit as well, because you hear horror stories about you know, actors or their children, and none of you were like that. You guys are actually like, hey, you know, I'm gonna be a kid. Yeah, I'm gonna be a kid, you know. I think at one point Ben asked me some some lady questions, like about love, and I was like, yeah, I think I'm gonna back away from this conversation. He's like yeah, I think. It was like yeah, I'm thinking about this girl, what do you think of this? And I was like, that's that's cool, that's that's cool. I'm gonna go and have a cigarette.

00:46:43
Speaker 2: It is it's basically like he was saying to you, this show is our general hospital.

00:46:49
Speaker 6: You're like, uh huh, thank you very much.

00:46:52
Speaker 2: The girl that's well, that was one of the other things that I didn't know if you wanted to get into it a little bit. But one of the other things I loved about you showing up on the show is for the first time, a might a smoking buddy.

00:47:01
Speaker 7: I know I did.

00:47:07
Speaker 6: I finally had a smoking buddy with me. Let's go grab a cigarette.

00:47:12
Speaker 3: Come on, Yes, gods.

00:47:19
Speaker 7: I've changed since then, But have you?

00:47:23
Speaker 6: I am Do you still smoke? Yeah, I'm nine years nine years without.

00:47:28
Speaker 7: Good on you, man.

00:47:29
Speaker 3: Well, do you.

00:47:30
Speaker 1: Want to share anything that worked for you? Since Alex said he's working on it is, do you is there anything you want to share that may work?

00:47:35
Speaker 6: And you know I did.

00:47:36
Speaker 2: The thing that worked for me was I went to a vape with with a high nicotine charge and then I backed they backed the nicotine off, and then when I was at zero, I was at zero for like a month, and then I've traveled somewhere and I forgot the.

00:47:48
Speaker 6: Vape and I never picked it up again. And that was nine years ago.

00:47:51
Speaker 7: Tailor Handy. Now it's like, now it's I'm at the point of taking the pause before the action.

00:47:59
Speaker 4: Okay, well that's good, you know, but.

00:48:01
Speaker 7: It doesn't always work. I'm like, yeah, but man, I know.

00:48:05
Speaker 2: Yeah, Sue and I joke about that and I'm always like, God, it's such a filthy habit and I miss it every day.

00:48:11
Speaker 6: Every day.

00:48:12
Speaker 7: Every day I can see, like I smoke more when it's a bad golf game.

00:48:19
Speaker 6: Oh yeah, Essentially it's all the time for me.

00:48:24
Speaker 7: I'll go to the golf course with three packs of cigarettes. No, I don't.

00:48:31
Speaker 4: Oh my yes.

00:48:32
Speaker 2: So we always One of the on running things we have in the show is we want to build a time machine and go back and change some things from the show. I'm going to force our friendship when I go back in time. That's what it's going to be. I'm hanging out with you all. You're gonna be like, who is this?

00:48:43
Speaker 10: Katie?

00:48:43
Speaker 4: Will not leave me alone? You would have had to have left oak Wood apartments? Will would be?

00:48:50
Speaker 6: It would have been so scary and dangerous.

00:48:53
Speaker 7: What would have happened? Will? Will you call that a shoe shot?

00:48:59
Speaker 8: I'm trying, Yeah, sir, Oh that's so funny.

00:49:10
Speaker 7: Too close, too close? I said, eight paces behind.

00:49:15
Speaker 2: Gosh, and then you and I. Here's the other thing that a lot of people don't know. I'm not sure you even remember this. You and I did a pilot together after Boy Mets World that you ended up coming to my house to shoot with Jeff Sherman wrote a pilot that starred Larissa Olenic, that's right.

00:49:33
Speaker 6: And I was in it, and you were in it the way he was. And weren't you. Weren't you dressed like a chicken? That's what it was.

00:49:41
Speaker 2: Okay, just remember you and a giant in my living room and you in some giant costume yea.

00:49:49
Speaker 7: From that.

00:49:53
Speaker 5: SpongeBob you know it.

00:50:00
Speaker 7: Bill did. Let me let me tell you about the glory.

00:50:09
Speaker 6: I do this little film called Oh That's so funny?

00:50:15
Speaker 3: Do you ever do you bet from that time?

00:50:18
Speaker 6: Will I bet you Sherman does? I'll bet you Sherman.

00:50:21
Speaker 4: And I'm seeing him tonight.

00:50:22
Speaker 6: I'm actually seeing him tonight, So yeah, that's so funny.

00:50:26
Speaker 7: Send him some love. WI.

00:50:28
Speaker 2: His wife, Wendy Leaveman, is a stand up comedian and she's performing in Burbank tonight with a whole group of people, and and Susan and I are going.

00:50:33
Speaker 6: So yeah, Yeah, it's gonna be great.

00:50:36
Speaker 7: Yeah. I gotta get back in touch with those folks like Jeff and I were hanging for a minute and that kind of I ended up working with Howard bust Gang on a pilot. Yeah, didn't get picked up, but it was one of those things. And I think if I recall, he had yeah, some of the Boy Meets World writers were helping me.

00:51:00
Speaker 2: Yeah, man, and maybe Matt Nelson.

00:51:04
Speaker 7: Not Matt, although it was great because I used to see Matt all the time in the valley too. Yeah yeah, man, yeah, are.

00:51:15
Speaker 4: You still in the valley?

00:51:17
Speaker 3: Are you in the valley?

00:51:18
Speaker 7: No? No, no, no no no.

00:51:20
Speaker 3: I've said, why were you running into him in.

00:51:22
Speaker 7: The valley because I had friends out there and coffee.

00:51:26
Speaker 6: You still do, Alex, you still have friends.

00:51:32
Speaker 4: Just avoid the valley never never.

00:51:38
Speaker 6: Oh that's so funny.

00:51:39
Speaker 3: Well, we can put you in touch with all those people.

00:51:41
Speaker 7: F y. Yeah, just reached out to me too on Instagram.

00:51:47
Speaker 3: That's not surprising.

00:51:48
Speaker 15: Yeah, it's it is high time, I think for a full Boy me World party reunion, everyone getting together somewhere, drinks, food.

00:52:01
Speaker 5: We said we were going to do it when we reached the end of season one, and we didn't say we should do it.

00:52:05
Speaker 4: I mean, I'm I'm happy to host it my place man to do it.

00:52:09
Speaker 1: So well, I have to ask, do you still get recognized for Boy Meets World at all?

00:52:14
Speaker 7: Uh? Huh to you? You know, it's funny. Streaming is hilarious because before streaming, like you know, you know how that somebody looks at you and you start walking towards you and they're like, okay here. I used to be able to tell what they recognized me from. So I'd be like, oh, I do not know you? Yes, that's it. If not know you, yeah, beckerl Oh And then like I could, you could always tell the Boy Meets World folks, which is great. But then streaming happened, and so now I can't tell ye people know me from. I'm like, what the what the who?

00:52:55
Speaker 3: It's probably all of it.

00:52:56
Speaker 7: Yeah, and it's funny. I didn't realize it's all Disney.

00:52:59
Speaker 2: I'm like, okay, it's very similar for all.

00:53:04
Speaker 6: Are you still playing are you still playing music?

00:53:06
Speaker 7: Uh huh? We actually just played The Will Turn last week.

00:53:09
Speaker 10: Wow.

00:53:10
Speaker 6: Yeah yeah, so we can go to a Hapcat show.

00:53:13
Speaker 7: Still we're still at a gun all right, We're still at it. We got our walkers, and we can get matching tattoos and matching tattoos.

00:53:21
Speaker 4: After you're now the you're the broken hepcats.

00:53:24
Speaker 6: Thank you very much. I broke my heap.

00:53:34
Speaker 5: Well wow, he had to repeat it. He had to reformulate it because he said broken hecats. We all were like, okay, but then, yeah, that's that's where should name your next door.

00:53:51
Speaker 4: I broke my head. I broke my head.

00:53:58
Speaker 7: There was once where we did a couple of years as ago, but I don't remember. It was the first time I was like, oh, yeah, we're getting older. Like we used to go on to it and be like, Yo, when's this, where's that? You got this? You got that? Who's that? And then one of these tours was like, hey man, did you bring any beat twelve? Hey, do you have any one of those moments like I'm sipping pee on Okay, it's.

00:54:22
Speaker 2: Happening here, we are, here, we are for those guys.

00:54:26
Speaker 6: Now that's awesome.

00:54:31
Speaker 1: Okay, Well, before we let you go, I absolutely have to talk about the Simpsons, otherwise my husband will kill me. You have had a very successful voiceover career four years, much like will you are a superhero.

00:54:46
Speaker 7: Man I'm just trying to stay in there.

00:54:49
Speaker 1: Yeah, right on the Simpsons, Yes, Simps. But you are now the voice of Carl and Lou. What has that legacy been?

00:54:59
Speaker 7: Like? Man, it's first off, I'm still going is this happening? I guess that's you know what, guys, I think that's just how I go through life. I'm like that this is really happen.

00:55:09
Speaker 6: That's how you know you're doing well.

00:55:10
Speaker 4: That's the joy of it.

00:55:11
Speaker 7: Yeah, No, it's been great. I mean there are a bunch of times on my really, I'm just like when I was I'm buying bro I'm still here, Okay. I mean it's been great. I mean it's you know, what a gift, what a what a blessing. When it came up, you know it was the right time, you know, it was you know, as we've all been living through this bizarre time, so it made complete sense. And it's been Yeah, it's just been a joy. It's you know, you know what it's like. You know how when you read a script, you know how rare it is when you read something you actually laugh out loud while you're reading. Yeah, and so to read something and be like oh snap, I just kind of and then like we'll do the table reads and you know, it's still all zoom at this point, but I'm in awe.

00:56:09
Speaker 6: Yeah, it's nuts all.

00:56:11
Speaker 7: Watching people do what they do, you know. Yeah, and to just have like a part of that, I'm completely grateful. And you know, even when we when we record with the directors and the writers are able to kind of the way Mike Jacobs was like, you see that joke there, you put these two together and turns into three different things. They're the exact same way where they just understand comedy and also understand the characters. So it's been a great, great experience.

00:56:40
Speaker 6: You know, it's amazing.

00:56:43
Speaker 7: That was a really nice sound by the kind of ramble, but it was a nice one.

00:56:47
Speaker 3: That I.

00:56:50
Speaker 2: Felt it we're talking about the Simpsons, I mean you're talking about arguably the most crisp comedy writing that's been on television for thirty five year impression.

00:56:58
Speaker 4: I mean, yeah, it's incredible.

00:57:01
Speaker 2: I mean it's and when you you know, I've always said I've been very lucky my voice over career, but I've never been one of those people that does twenty voices. So when you're sitting with those people and you're just going, how are you playing nineteen people in a row?

00:57:12
Speaker 6: It's you just it's like, how.

00:57:14
Speaker 7: Is this happening? Exactly? I'm like, you know my VEO stuff. I'm like, all right, I know my lanes. I can meet too. I can do that and that's me time. But then you watch you know, I always go back to mel Blank. I'm like, he did all those characters by himself.

00:57:28
Speaker 4: Yeah, in a room.

00:57:29
Speaker 7: And you'll watch these cats do this when we're doing the Simpsons. I'm like, they're just playing against each other yep, by them.

00:57:36
Speaker 6: So it's it's nuts. It's absolutely no, I do that. One of the coolest things being crazy.

00:57:42
Speaker 7: They do that, and.

00:57:43
Speaker 6: It's called being a billionaire exactly.

00:57:47
Speaker 12: Yeah, yeah, I love that.

00:57:51
Speaker 1: Our final question for you is now, almost thirty years later, how do you look back on your time at Boy Meets World?

00:58:00
Speaker 7: A great learning experiences, a great growing experience. It you know, it was it was a weird time too for me personally, because I think internally I was still trying to figure myself out. So as much light as there was, there was also dark going on. But to be able to go through it, you know, and have a place to come to where I could just hang was awesome and you know, like I said, if it wasn't for that, there would be no this, you know. So it was great and I still quote Bill Daniel's one of my favorite lines of all. I still sing Tony Tyler Quinn. But one of the other things, there was one episode you did where I think I stole like some fruit or something like that, and Bill had the most wonderful line and delivery, which I say at random now, which is uh that mango man, and that'll just pop up out of nowhere, you know, how you got stuff like yes, real life, you know, and you know I'll be in the VEO booth trying to get something right, not mango man. Okay, I got it. I think it was all my real too.

00:59:18
Speaker 1: I love that, and I I know I said that was my last question for you, but you touched on it twice talking about the darkness, and because we love what we do on this podcast for having people on and they talk about the funny and they talk about the good, but they also talk about that and we everyone can benefit and learn from it. Do you care to touch on it all, any of the personal darkness that was going on for you and.

00:59:40
Speaker 7: There's a lot of self doubt. You know. We're actors, actors, we're sensitive some some bitches, we're freelance. Yeah, you know. What always gets me And this is something you know, I'll be honest, I still struggle with and work on. Is I'm in a profession where I say, I have to say, Man, I'm the best, I'm the best. Like me, please.

01:00:05
Speaker 4: Yeah, hire me please.

01:00:07
Speaker 7: Yeah. It's a it's a weird thing to reconcile and like you know, you know, especially you know when we were doing the show. Well, I was five, six, seven years in the business. I'd already had you know, modicums of success, but scared of it.

01:00:23
Speaker 3: Yeah.

01:00:24
Speaker 1: Yeah, you'd also, like you said, had some failures, been fired from some sitcoms.

01:00:28
Speaker 7: Yeah, you know, and so the stuff to work out, you know, yeah, like the party a little bit back then too, and so about balancing it out, you know. And I think that's just part of growing things. I think that's the human experience, as I say, you know, and.

01:00:47
Speaker 6: It is though it's it's weird.

01:00:48
Speaker 2: It's a bizarre business where you've got this combination of ego and imposter syntem where it's like I need to be on the set because I deserve it, I don't deserve it.

01:00:57
Speaker 6: And it's all in the same emodent. It's very strange.

01:01:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, And I know we talked about when Boy Meets World was over for you and you you then took that time to go travel with music and stuff. But also it was then four years before you did High Fidelity, which, wow, come out, come out with another project with a bang with High Fidelity. But you know, over the course of four years, how much of that time was you saying I don't want to do another project, I'm focusing on music versus how much of it was Do you think was it hard to get work after Boy Meets World.

01:01:29
Speaker 7: I think I'm not sure what the what the percentages was both of them were there? Yeah, Because sometimes I'd be like, I'm not getting work. All right, let's get on the work, let's get on the road. I don't care forget this reason. And the funny thing is it's what did I was listening to Smartlus or something and they said it perfectly, that's Texian difference, right, And that's when the work happens. And so I'd go on tour and I'd come back, even with Becker if I remembered, Yeah, we got this great audition for it. Yeah, I can't make it. And I think I changed my audition like four or five times, you know, until I finally want you. Yeah, And that's what it is. It's like, it's the same thing. I book a ticket to Thailand. Oh, I got the movie that I always wanted.

01:02:16
Speaker 2: I was just going to say that, there's the old adage, if you want the audition, you want the part book a non refundable planet.

01:02:22
Speaker 7: I've been trying out a lot lately. It doesn't work as much.

01:02:26
Speaker 4: Now you're just stuck with all these vacations.

01:02:29
Speaker 5: I've been traveled the world for two years, just like.

01:02:37
Speaker 7: Man. But yeah, I mean, that's what it is. It's just finding that balance, man. And the great thing is I had a moment of going, do I still love being an actor or do I just need to get paid pay the bills? And then when I had that realization that I still love being an actor, I was like, Okay, that's it. We're good. That's awesome.

01:03:01
Speaker 6: Voiceover does that really well? Where you are.

01:03:05
Speaker 2: It's you and a microphone and it's pure acting, and you walk out of the booth.

01:03:09
Speaker 6: It's like the perfect golf shot.

01:03:11
Speaker 7: You go.

01:03:12
Speaker 6: I love this and it does. It just brings it right all back to you.

01:03:17
Speaker 4: It really does.

01:03:17
Speaker 6: Yeah, I'm so pure about it.

01:03:20
Speaker 7: I can go under the booth in a mood.

01:03:24
Speaker 6: And now it is perfect.

01:03:30
Speaker 4: It's just so good.

01:03:31
Speaker 6: I just played Superman like it's the greatest thing ever.

01:03:33
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's awesome. So yeah.

01:03:35
Speaker 2: Voiceover does that For any actor out there who's wondering, God, do I want to do this anymore? Just start playing with some voices. You'll see how happy you get, how quickly. Yeah, it's amazing.

01:03:44
Speaker 1: Wow, Alex, thank you so much for spending your time with us here today. We have really truly been so looking forward to reconnecting with you. And aside from doing a Big Boy meets World in person reunion, we will see you at a Hepcat show work. Yes, we will do. Thank you so much for being here. So much love to you.

01:04:08
Speaker 3: We will.

01:04:09
Speaker 1: We will immediately pick a date and and uh make something, make something happen because we need we need to do it.

01:04:15
Speaker 3: I thank you.

01:04:16
Speaker 7: I like it.

01:04:18
Speaker 4: So good to see you man.

01:04:20
Speaker 6: Wow, Thank you Alex. We're going to see you soon, right to work.

01:04:24
Speaker 3: Thank you bye? How great is he.

01:04:38
Speaker 6: Forgot that?

01:04:39
Speaker 2: Energy sometimes, you know, I just you forget that energy when you're not around it.

01:04:42
Speaker 6: And it's just so awesome.

01:04:44
Speaker 2: Yeah, this was one of my favorite conversations we've had too.

01:04:48
Speaker 7: He really was.

01:04:48
Speaker 4: Yeah.

01:04:49
Speaker 5: It's amazing when when somebody like that opens up about being insecure at all, because it comes across.

01:04:54
Speaker 3: As the most secure members I know.

01:04:58
Speaker 5: Yeah, that's what I remember about him coming on to Boy Metro is like just just he belonged there, and he was always cool and always comfortable, and it's so weird to think that he was like a twenty five year old business a.

01:05:10
Speaker 6: Lot of way he was twenty five, and I couldn't believe that. That's amazing. I thought he was older than that.

01:05:15
Speaker 4: Of course they were a old that's the thing. Everybody was like twenty plus was old, you know.

01:05:20
Speaker 3: Right right, and adults who knew everything.

01:05:23
Speaker 4: Oh yeah of course. Yeah, so cool.

01:05:27
Speaker 5: I wish I could go back, and just like the dynamic between him and Tony must have been super interesting. They're both incredibly nice people, but completely different lifestyles totally right, Like Tony was already married, had a kid already. Yeah, but he was, you know, and he's very religious, he's very clean, cut, and I imagined that Alex at that time was not as clean cut.

01:05:50
Speaker 3: It was very different life.

01:05:52
Speaker 5: Yeah, so it's so, but I'm sure they got along because totally you know, but very different lifestyles.

01:05:58
Speaker 4: So on it.

01:05:59
Speaker 1: Well, thank thank you all for joining us for this episode of Podmeets World. As always, you can follow us on Instagram pod Meets World Show. You can send us your emails Podmeets Worldshow at gmail dot com, and we have merch. This march is dead anyway, Podmeetsworldshow dot com will send us out.

01:06:16
Speaker 4: We love you all, pod dismissed.

01:06:20
Speaker 2: Pod Meets World is an iHeart podcast produced and hosted by Danielle Fischel, Wilfordell.

01:06:24
Speaker 6: And Ryder Strong.

01:06:25
Speaker 2: Executive producers Jensen Karp and Amy Sugarman. Executive in charge of production, Danielle Romo, producer and editor, Taras Sudbach, producer, Jackie Rodriguez, engineer and Boy Meets World superfan Easton Allen. Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon and you can follow us on Instagram at Podmeets World Show or email us at Podmeets Worldshow at gmail dot com