Podcasts about groundlings theater

If you have subscribed for EXTRA JUICY SCOOP, Click on this link: https://zc.vg/4eF8F The hilarious Wendi McLendon-Covey is back on Juicy Scoop! She is best known for "The Goldbergs", "Bridesmaids", and "Reno 911" but now is staring in a new hospital comedy on NBC. So isn't it fitting that we discuss the Peacock documentary “Anatomy of Lies” about a "Grey's Anatomy" writer who lied about having cancer, terrorist attacks, family abuse and so much more. We share about a pathological liar we both worked with at The Groundlings Theater. I explain some of the initial lies that sucked me into a grifter's friendship. We talk truth about Hollywood and why someone will or won't get hired again. I also cover the Liam Payne tragedy and why Ariana Grande got on Elvira's shit list. Enjoy!  Stand Up Tickets and info: https://heathermcdonald.net/ Shop Juicy Scoop Merch https://juicyscoopshop.com  Get EXTRA Juicy on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/juicyscoop  Follow Me on Social Media: Instagram: https://www/instagram.com/heathermcdonald  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heathermcdonald  Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherMcDonald Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Being present in the moment and staying open to whatever unfolds.We all want to lead lives and careers full of joy and fulfillment. Maggie Baird certainly has, and the key, she says, is to stay open to new possibilities and “let your passion lead.”Baird is an accomplished actress, improv teacher at the Groundlings Theater, mother to music sensations Billie Eilish and Phineas, and founder of Support and Feed, a nonprofit addressing food equity and the climate crisis. Through it all, she has embodied the improv principle of "Yes, and..." — being present in the moment and staying open to whatever unfolds. “I have done many things,” she says, “but I never approached any of them as a career change. They all came out of new interests and new experiences.”In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Baird joins host Matt Abrahams to explore the critical role of communication in developing a career, and how improv principles can help us engage, as Baird says, “From a place of open-heartedness, appreciation, [and] collaboration.”Episode Reference Links:Support And FeedEp.118 Maximizing your Personal Brand: Communicating Who You Are to Help Get What You WantEp.1 Speaking Without a Net: How to Master Impromptu CommunicationEp.9 Quick Think: How Being Present-Oriented Improves Communication Connect:Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.ioEpisode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart WebsiteNewsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.ioThink Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTubeMatt Abrahams >>> LinkedInChapters:(00:00:00) IntroductionHost Matt Abrahams introduces guest Maggie Baird, actor and founder of Support and Feed.(00:00:53) Career Transitions Advice on embracing new opportunities without rigid planning.(00:01:45) Teaching and Confidence Through Improv Discovering improv and how teaching led to a new sense of confidence and creativity.(00:04:03) Improv as a Communication Tool The principles of improv and how they can enhance communication and collaboration.(00:05:45) Structure and Freedom in Improv How improv provides structure that frees individuals to speak spontaneously.(00:07:37) Teaching with Empathy Empathy in teaching, remembering what it's like to be a beginner, and avoiding jargon.(00:10:34) Advocacy in the Music Industry Using questions and collaboration to drive change in the music industry and other sectors.(00:13:18) Collaboration and Positive Change The importance of collaboration, positivity, and meeting people where they are to create change.(00:16:07) The Final Three QuestionsMaggie shares her next career change, a communicator she admires, and her ingredients for successful communication.(00:17:46) Conclusion (00:00) - Introduction (01:36) - Career Transitions (02:28) - Teaching and Confidence Through Improv (04:46) - Improv as a Communication Tool (06:28) - Structure and Freedom in Improv (08:20) - Teaching with Empathy (11:17) - Advocacy in the Music Industry (14:01) - Collaboration and Positive Change (16:50) - The Final Three Questions (18:29) - Conclusion

A Los Angeles native, Phil is an alumnus of Yale University and The Groundlings Theater and is perhaps best known as one of the original cast members of MAD TV, the voice of SAMURAI JACK, “Hermes” on FUTURAMA,  “Static” on STATIC SHOCK, “Green Lantern” on JUSTICE LEAGUE and as "Marvin" in PULP FICTION. For over 30 years, Phil has thrilled audiences with his work on camera and behind the mic on TV shows such as FAMILY GUY, YOUNG JUSTICE, STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS, STAR TREK:LOWER DECKS, THE FLASH, SUPERGIRL, GET SHORTY, LUCIFER, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM and VEEP; feature films like MADAGASCAR 2, INCREDIBLES 2, and THE LION KING (2019) and video games including JAK & DAXTER, FORTNITE, SHADOW OF MORDOR, and the METAL GEAR SOLID, INJUSTICE and MORTAL KOMBAT series. His stage work includes productions with The Actor's Gang, South  Coast  Repertory, Sacred  Fools  Theatre,  and Phil also portrayed “Cowboy Curtis” in "The Pee-wee Herman Show" both on at The Stephen Sondheim Theatre on Broadway and in  the Emmy-nominated  HBO  special.  Currently, in  addition  to  writing  and  producing  the  animated  series  "GOBLINS," (goblinsanimated.com), Phil  is  performing monthly  onstage with  "THE  BLACK  VERSION" (theblackversion.com), performing onscreen in HAMSTER & GRETEL, the CRAIG OF THE CREEK movie, INVINCIBLE, MULLIGAN, Amc's COOPER‘S BAR, a new season of FUTURAMA on Hulu and performing the role of “Sherlock Holmes” in Audible's series MORIARTY. You can catch Phil LaMarr at Supanova Comic-Con & Gaming 2024

At seventeen, Philadelphia native Stephanie Little moved to Los Angeles, where she studied at The Groundlings Theater, with Howard Fine, Anthony Meindl, Lesley Kahn and in London at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art's summer immersion program. Stephanie currently resides in New York, where she continues to write, produce, and direct projects; all of which have taken her on the festival circuit. The web series she created and co-wrote, KILLING THE apologetic GIRL, won best pilot at the 2016 Dances With Films festival in Los Angeles and followed up shooting her indie pilot, The Small, and the web series, Other Plans, starring Tig Nataro and Annette Bening. Most recently, Little's project, Coach Von Pidgeon sold to Funny or Die where she served as the co-writer, co-EP, show-runner and director for the eight-episode show. Currently, she's making another round of Oscar-qualifying festivals with her project, Tara Messenger of Death starring Margaret Cho, while also developing FBI-centered content for Anne Beagan Productions. ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ STEPHANIE LITTLE ⌲ IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1102713/ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ The Moving Spotlight Podcast ⌲ iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-moving-spotlight/id1597207264 ⌲ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7cjqYAWSFXz2hgCHiAjy27 ⌲ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themovingspotlight ⌲ ALL: https://linktr.ee/themovingspotlight ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ #Groundlings #NewYorkActress #KillingTheApologeticGirl #DancesWithFilms #FunnyOrDie #CoachVonPidgeon #TaraMessengerOfDeath #MargerateCho #Emmys #TVTime #iTunes #Actor #ActorsLife #Believe #Success #Inspiration #Netflix #Hulu #Amazon #HBO #AppleTV #Showtime #Acting #Artist #Theatre #Film #YourBestBadActing #Content #CorbinCoyle #JohnRuby #RealFIREacting #TMS_Pod --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-moving-spotlight/support

Episode 420."Pulp Fiction"Actor: Phil LaMarr.Actor Phil LaMarr joins me to talk Pulp Fiction, Star Wars, his career in acting and so much more.A Los Angeles native, Phil is an alumnus of Yale University and The Groundlings Theater and is perhaps best known as one of the original cast members of MAD TV, “Hermes” on FUTURAMA,  "Marvin" in PULP FICTION, “Green Lantern” on JUSTICE LEAGUE and as the voice of SAMURAI JACK.For over 30 years, Phil has thrilled audiences with his work on camera and behind the mic on TV shows such as STATIC SHOCK, FAMILY GUY, YOUNG JUSTICE, STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS, THE FLASH, SUPERGIRL, GET SHORTY, LUCIFER, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM and VEEP; feature films like MADAGASCAR 2, INCREDIBLES 2, and THE LION KING (2019) and video games including JAK & DAXTER, FORTNITE, SHADOW OF MORDOR, and the METAL GEAR SOLID, INJUSTICE and MORTAL KOMBAT series.Welcome, Phil LaMarr.https://www.instagram.com/mondaymorni...https://twitter.com/mdmcritic?lang=enhttps://www.tiktok.com/@mondaymorning...https://www.facebook.com/mondaymornin...www.mmcpodcast.commondaymorningcritic@gmail.com#starwars #pulpfiction #clonewars #greenlantern #dc #dccomics #interview #podcast #samuraijack #madtv #justiceleague #futurama #familyguy

We are so freaking lucky, Fortune Feimster is here! We had a blast diving into her character alter egos, hoarding wigs, and her start at the Groundlings Theater. We talked about Fortune's transition from journalist to comedian and she gave me a sneak peek into Chelsea Handler's hilarious hiring practices.   Please note, Funny Cuz It's True contains mature themes and may not be appropriate for all listeners.    Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.    Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.    Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors   You can find all show transcripts on the Funny Cuz It's True page here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Ted Michaels, the stage isn't just a platform – it's a portal to infinite creative dimensions. As luminary of the Jim Henson Company's "PUPPET UP!" and a trailblazer of improv, he's a founder of the uproarious "The Crazy Uncle Joe Show" at the Groundlings Theater in LA, where his comedic brilliance shines as a main company member. Ted's improvisational genius reached new heights alongside Eddie Izzard in the "One Word Improv" spectacle at LA's Coronet Theater. Beyond the limelight, his pen has contributed to hits like "MIKE TYSON MYSTERIES" on Adult Swim and "BUCKET AND SKINNER'S EPIC ADVENTURES" on Nickelodeon. Ted Michaels is a name synonymous with innovation, laughter, and an unparalleled artistic kaleidoscope.

Welcome to Misery Loves Mandy a Mostly Happy Podcast, where comedians discuss miserable moments and whether or not they made them into jokes. 

Phil LaMarr is an actor known for being one of the original cast members of MadTV, Pulp Fiction, and his voice acting roles in Samurai Jack, Futurama, Beavis and Butthead, Family Guy, Teen Titans Go! and a host of other animated series.Show NotesPhil Lamarr on IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0482851/Phil Lamarr on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/phillamarr/Phil Lamarr on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@phillamarrFree Writing Webinar - https://michaeljamin.com/op/webinar-registration/Michael's Online Screenwriting Course - https://michaeljamin.com/courseFree Screenwriting Lesson - https://michaeljamin.com/freeJoin My Watchlist - https://michaeljamin.com/watchlistAutomated TranscriptionPhil LaMarr:I was developing an animated show based on a friend of mine's web comic called Goblins. Okay. And my partner, Matt King and I, we are both performers, but we adapted the comic into a script. And I called a bunch of my voice actor friends, cuz we were, we were gonna make a trailer, you know, to bring these, you know, comic characters to life Yeah. In animation. And it was funny cuz Matt and I are actors. We had, you know, written the script and we'd acted out these scenes. And so in our heads, we, we thought we knew exactly how they'd sound. But then we brought in amazing Billy West, Maurice LaMarr. Mm-Hmm. , Jim Cummings. Mm-Hmm. Steve Bloom, Jennifer. And it was funny because when they performed the scenes we had written, they took it to a whole other level. Right. Beyond what existed in our, in our heads. Right. Like, oh my God, they made it so much better than I even imagined it could be.Michael Jamin:You're listening to Screenwriters Need to Hear This with Michael Jamin.Hey everyone, it's Michael Jamin. Welcome back to Screenwriters. Need to hear this. I, another, another. Cool. I got another cool episode. I, I was so excited about this. I, I tri over my own words. I am here with actor writer Phil LaMarr and this guy. All right. So I'm on his IMDB page cuz he going through his credits. Phil, I'm not joking. It's taking me too long to scroll through IMD,B to get through all your credits. It's nuts how much you work. But, so I'm gonna give you real fast an introduction and then we'll talk more about, what're gonna talk about but okay. So this guy does a lot of, a ton of voiceovers. I guess I think we met on King of the Hill and I know we worked together on Glenn Glenn Martin DDS, but fu you know, him from Futurama.From Beavis and Butthead family guy the Great North. All every single adult animated show, a ton of kids shows Star Bob's Burgers. That's adult, of course. Rick and Morty Bob Burgers, Bob's Burger's movie as well. I mean, I'm going through all your stuff here. It's nuts. You were a writer performer on Mad TV for many years. Mm-Hmm. . And I think the pro, I'm sorry to say this, but the, the coolest role that everyone knows you, that you maybe you get recognized most from. Right. We, you know what it is, is you were, you were in Pulp Fiction and you had your head blown off in the back of the car. And I remember watching like, oh my God, they killed Phil Phil LaMarr:.Michael Jamin:I mean, how awesome was that role? Oh man. But so Phil, thank you for doing this. Welcome, welcome to this. I want to talk all about your amazing career. But now tell me, so how did you get into acting? When did you decide you wanted to be an actor?Phil LaMarr:Well, it's funny because there are a couple of double steps in terms of how I started being an actor. And when I decided to be an actor and when I got into voiceover, both my first time performing was in eighth grade. My school was doing a production of a book that I loved. I didn't consider myself a performer. Right. It was the phantom toll booth. Right. And there's this little character towards the end of the Phantom toll booth. The senses taker who will take your sense of purpose. Your sense of duty, but he can't take your sense of humor. Right. And I wanted that part. So that's why I went and auditioned. But I wound up getting cast as one of the leads.Michael Jamin:Wow. Okay. AndPhil LaMarr:Opened a show alone on stage under a spotlight doing a two minute monologue.Michael Jamin:Okay. AndPhil LaMarr:It flipped a switch in my head. I'm like, oh, I love this. You were, that's what, so I started, you know, being an actor because I liked to bookMichael Jamin:. Right. But then, but okay. But it's one thing to be acting in as a kid in eighth grade and then to commit your career to it. What, what, what happened next?Phil LaMarr:Well, and it's funny because I didn't consider that a career or what I was doing. It's just, it's fun. Yeah. I get to play well, and also I went to an all boys private school. Yeah. So the time you got to see girls was when you did a playMichael Jamin:. Okay. That makes, now you're, makes sense. Now we know why you're being an actor, .Phil LaMarr:And I wound up graduating and I applied to colleges that had, you know, drama programs, Northwestern nor Carnegie Mellon, Yale University. But I wound up deciding not to go to Carnegie Mellon and I went to Yale. I was like, no, no, I just want to go to college. And I did not decide to pursue acting as a career. I just majored in English. It was on the flight back home to LA I said, you know what, maybe I should pursue this acting thing. I mean, I enjoy it. And you know, some people say I'm pretty good at it. I mean, I either gotta do it now or wait till my mid forties when I have a midlife crisis. Yes.Michael Jamin:But this is Yale undergrad. Yes. Yale's really not for the grad school of the school of drama. But youPhil LaMarr:Go back to thing. Cause when you were an actor and you say you went to Yale, people assume, oh, like Moral Streep and Henry Wiggler. It's like, no, no. I didn't know thatMichael Jamin:. But so after you got outta college and you got outta, we went to Yale and there was some pressure on you to are they Princeton over there? We're gonna continue, we'll continue our, we'll set aside our differences long enough to have this conversation. But so, but after college you're like, okay, I got a big fancy Yale degree and I'm gonna become an actor.Phil LaMarr:Right. And, you know, had I decided to be a comedy writer with a Harvard degree, that would've beenMichael Jamin:Yes. That would make sense.Phil LaMarr:A career path that made sense. Right. As a Yale, there were no famous Yales as writers or producers or anything. There were a handful of, you know, drama school actors. Right. But again, I didn't go to that drama school. So I'm like, okay.Michael Jamin:Yeah. There's no connect. People talk about the connections. No, there's no connection. Just because you, there's no inroad. Just cuz you went to Yale, you know, to No,Phil LaMarr:Yeah. No. The the only famous undergraduate actors at that time in the eighties were two women who were famous before they came to Yale, Jennifer Beals and Jodi Foster.Michael Jamin:Right. Exactly. Exactly. All right. So then you made this commitment to, or this, this leap. How long your parents must have been thrilled , how long before you started getting work and how did you start getting work, getting work?Phil LaMarr:Well, and, and this is another one of the double steps, Uhhuh I, when I made this decision, I already had my SAG card.Michael Jamin:How did you get that?Phil LaMarr:Because back in high school, a friend of my mother's worked for NBC Uhhuh. And I think my mother had dragged her to see a couple of my plays. And so she said, Hey, we're doing this cartoon and we're gonna use real kids for the kids' voices. Which back in the eighties was a rare thing. Yeah. And she asked me to, to come in and audition for it. And I got a job on the Mr. T cartoon in the mid eighties.Michael Jamin:Oh, wow. AndPhil LaMarr:That got me my union card. Now I did not, again, did not consider this a career path. I it was just a cool summer job.Michael Jamin:Yeah. Now, the thing is, cause I hear this a lot. People say to me, yeah, I, I can do a million voices and you could do literally a million voices. I, how do I get into you know, voice acting? And it's like, they don't seem to put the connection that it's not enough that you do voices. You have to know how to act. You have to be a trained, you have to, you know, know, be if you're trained or even better. But you have to know how to perform and act. And so yeah.Phil LaMarr:That's, that's what I always tell people who ask me that question. I say, the first thing you need to know is voice acting the term is a misnomer because the acting comes before the voice.Michael Jamin:Yes. Yes.Phil LaMarr:You know, that's why you have amazing people like Cree Summer, who has a really distinctive speaking voice, but she has the acting ability. Right. To make every character completely different and real. It's the same thing like, you know, a a movie star, it's the same face, but it's always a different character.Michael Jamin:But there's something else that you bring, and I say this because you are a consummate pro. You are truly a pro. It's well for what you bring to that other actors, that non-voice actors, I guess, I don't know what you would call 'em, but have, but what I'm directing a voiceover actor, sometimes if they haven't done avo, a lot of voice acting, they don't realize they're using their face or their body . And, and you say, no, no, no. I, I see you're acting the part I see you're playing mad, but I have to hear it in my ear. And so I don't look at them when I'm directing. I wanna hear it. And Right. And so to talk about that a little bit.Phil LaMarr:Yes, yes. I remember, cuz I started out, you know, even though I had that job in high school, I did not consider it a voice acting career. It was just a, a goofy summer job on a cartoon that nobody I knew watched. So I came home after college and pursued on camera acting and stage mm-hmm. . And so a few years later, actually it was after a several years of Mad TV where we did Claymation pieces and it got me doing multiple characters on mic as opposed to just multiple characters on camera, which I was also doing on Mad tv. And I remember I decided to actively pursue the voice acting thing. Cuz at this point, you know, in the post, you know, early nineties era when cable blew up, voice acting became a job. Right. You know, cuz when we were kids, it was just something that six guys that Mel Blanc and five other dudes Right.Voiced every cartoon of our childhood. Right. You know, Mel Blanc, dos Butler, you know, that was it. But in the nineties, once Nickelodeon had 24 hours of children's programming, there was a lot more cartoon voices. And so like, oh, this could be a path now. And I remember one of my early sessions, I fell into my on camera acting face, face acting mm-hmm. . And they said, okay, Phil, stop. Try it again. Do that line again. Angrier, I did it again. They said, hold on, we're gonna play them both back. And they sounded exactly the same. And I realized what you just said. Right. Oh my God, I just made an angrier face.Michael Jamin:Right.Phil LaMarr:And that's one of the, you know, skills of voice acting the same way that you have singers, singers can, you know, put forth feeling or fun or whatever through their voice.Michael Jamin:Right.Phil LaMarr:You know, dancers do it through their bodies.Michael Jamin:Right.Phil LaMarr:You know. ButMichael Jamin:When you perform, let's say you're doing something on camera, how much thought do you give? Do you, is it, is it just second nature to go, okay, now I can use the rest of my body? Or how much thought do you have to go in between different, you know skill sets, I guess, you know?Phil LaMarr:Well, the, the good thing is, you know, you do have to, you know, get a switch in your head because when you're on stage, it's the exact same job bringing this script to life. But you have to do it with different tools. Right, right. And the same thing when you're doing it on camera. And the same thing when you're doing it on microphone. You have to, you have to gauge. Okay. Cuz you know, you read the script, you see the character, you embody it. Yeah. But then it's how do you communicate it to the audience?Michael Jamin:Right,Phil LaMarr:Right. You know, and it's funny because with voice acting, you know, we learned to run the character through our, our ears. You know, when you see in the old days, you see, you know, announcers doing this. Do you know what that is about? No.Michael Jamin:What what is that?Phil LaMarr:It's because all of us, you know, regular people hear our voices from inside our heads. Right. We're not hearing what other people hear. But when you do this, you are channeling your voice.Michael Jamin:That's whatPhil LaMarr:Mouth into your ear. So you hear what your voice sounds like outside your head.Michael Jamin:Oh, I see. I, that's so funny. I thought they were stopping their ear, but they're not. They're just re redirecting the voice Yeah. Into their ear. Yes. Oh wow. I had no idea.Phil LaMarr:So you can hear the subtlety, you know, because if, if you don't do something with your teeth, you don't hear that inside your head. Yeah. It's only what people hear. But that's something you might want with a character. Right. You know, I always, when I teach workshops, I always try to tell people, like, there are things we hear. There's, it's the same thing with your face. Mm-Hmm. when you want to, you know, express anger. You don't just do your face flat. You, you know. And it's the same thing with if, if there's something about a character, let's say I'm doing this character, but then I see the drawing and the guy's got a big beard. Oh, well let me make him sound, let me make him sound beier.Michael Jamin:Right. Right.Phil LaMarr:Which isn't necessarily true, just growing a beard doesn't change your voiceMichael Jamin:Uhhuh.Phil LaMarr:But there are things that when we hear something, we get the sense of it.Michael Jamin:Right. Do you have a preference now, Kami? Cuz do you have a preference? You work so much in voice acting, but do you have a, do you prefer that overlap? You know, like on camera?Phil LaMarr:No, it's funny cuz you know, at Comic-Con, people will ask, what's your, you walk in so many media, what's your favorite? And the truth of the matter is, and this is what I tell them, it's not about the media, it's about the quality.Michael Jamin:Quality. The writing or, or what Yes.Phil LaMarr:Uhhuh Well, the, the, the quality of the writing, the quality of the directing, the quality of the experience. Because to me, the, the cartoon Samurai Jack, which is I consider a work of art that has more in common with pulp fiction. Right. Than it does with, you know, pound puppies or some like goofy little Saturday morning cartoon that's more focused on selling toys than on actually putting out story.Michael Jamin:Yeah. Right, right. But in terms of voice, a I mean, you don't have to get into hair and makeup. You don't have to memorize anything. And that's a whole nother skill as well. Memorizing the, the, the text.Phil LaMarr:Well, but that, that's actually harder because when you work on stage or on camera mm-hmm. , you get time to rehearse.Michael Jamin:Right.Phil LaMarr:You get to practice with a director helping guide you, your people, someone watching you, and you build the character over time. And then you don't have to make it work till the camera says, till they say action.Michael Jamin:Right.Phil LaMarr:But when you're doing voiceover, you're handed a sheet of paper, you're reading words off a page, and you have to bring those to life instantly.Michael Jamin:Yeah, that's exactly. Now do you, cuz when we work together on, on Glen, well we did King Hill first, but on Glen Martin, just so people know you didn't audition, we just, we call you up. Hey, we book you Theor agent, and you come in, you show up, you, you got the job, and you show up. And I remember approaching you saying, okay, Phyllis, the character, I remember the character's name was Rasmus, and the only thing you knew about him was that he had a milky eye. He was like seventies. He had a milky eye. And I go, what voices did you bring ? And you, you, you gave me like three different voices. And I think I said that one a little more gravelly and boom, that was it. You jumped right into it. Exactly. That was it. You're ready to go. . And that was the benefit of direction you got go .Phil LaMarr:Right. See, and we did that in a minute and a half.Michael Jamin:Yeah.Phil LaMarr:Had we been working on a movie, I would've had to go in for wardrobe, had them try on seven different outfits, had them send you the pictures, , you know, over two weeks. Right. While I was memorizing all the lines for us to come to that conclusion.Michael Jamin:But on most of the voiceover judo, is that how it is? It's just basically they book you for the day and you know, unless you're a regular, they just book you, you come on in and you spend an hour or two, and then that's it. Is that how it works for you? Mostly?Phil LaMarr:Well, ho hopefully. I mean, most of the time you get the script ahead of time, so you get to read the story, know the context. Right. But that's just one episode. You don't have the entire, you know, arc of the story. You know, don't know everything about the, you know, if you're playing the villain about the, the hero. So you learn most of it when you come into the session,Michael Jamin:But then there's another thing that you have to bring to the table, which is a whole, like, you okay, you're an excellent actor, but you also have the, the, when you do these voices, they don't sound like they're coming from you. Like, they sound like they're coming from 10 different people. And so the, how do you, like how do you approach that? How do you making voices that don't sound anything like the, any, any other voice that you do.Phil LaMarr:Well, it varies. I mean, there are, it's funny because now over the years, you know, people will bring up some old character. And I realize, okay, that sounds a little similar to that other one. But I realize it's not about, I used to think when I was younger, starting in voice acting, I used to think it was about no, no. Every voice should not sound anything like the other one. Right. You know? But I realize it's more about embodying the character. And the thing is, you know, these characters are all different. So I need them to, I want them to sound different.Michael Jamin:Right. I don't mean like, like when I first got the King of the Hill, I was shocked when you hear the voices that you've been watching the show forever, and then you see the actress playing, you go, whoa, that voice is coming from that person. That, that doesn't sound anything close to their, like, there's a transformation that you're able to do with your voice by, like, that's a different skill. I mean, forget about even, yes, I know embodying the character, but you're really playing with your vocal chords in a way that almost seems impossible to someone like me.Phil LaMarr:Oh, thank you. Well, I mean, in, it's, it's a, it's a skill set that not everybody has. Like I said, some people just like when on Samurai Jack, I worked with Mako Iwatsu Uhhuh, you know, an older Japanese actor who was an icon. He had starred in movies, starred on Broadway, you know, his name was above the title on a Stephen Sondheim musical. Right. But he had a very distinctive, you know, heavy, very textured, heavily accented voice. And I figured, okay, he's just doing his voice. And I remember there was one episode where they cast him as a secondary character mm-hmm. in the episode. And I remember thinking to myself, oh, Jesus, what are they doing? Uhhuh, his voice is so dis. I mean, that's like casting the rock in two characters in a movie. Right. You know, like, nobody's gonna get fooled. But he blew my mind and taught me a masterclass because what he did was, he did not completely transform his voice, but he acted the second character from a completely different perspective. You know, Lowe's dead, you know, complete, he performed it completely differently than he performed Aku the villain, Uhhuh . And I, and when you watch the episode, you can't tell it's him.Michael Jamin:You can Right. You can't tell.Phil LaMarr:Now, part of that has to do with the art, you know, because you're change your changing your voice, but they're also changing the drawing.Michael Jamin:Yeah. That, that's true. But I wonder how much work do you on your own at home? Like, how much do you think about other voice? Do you pra you go, do you hear a voice and you go, Hey, that's an interesting thing. Maybe I should, you know, do you practice at all? Do you, I don't know. Are you, are you constantly trying to invent new, new voices for yourself?Phil LaMarr:Well, I'm, I'm not a singer, but I've always had an ear. Right. For speech. It, I do a lot of impressions. Uhhuh, , you know, comedically and sometimes just job wise. Actually, weirdly, 10th grade, my second year of acting, I got the part in our, one of our high school plays. We did a production of Play It again, Sam.Michael Jamin:Okay.Phil LaMarr:And in 10th grade, I played Humphrey Bogart .Michael Jamin:Okay.Phil LaMarr:And I spent the entire production trying to do my best impression of Humphrey Bogart. If that plane leaves and you are not on it, you'll regret it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon. And for the rest of your life. And so I watched a lot of, you know, videotapes of Humphrey Bogart. And I, and I also had to learn how to do that impression and projectMichael Jamin:It Right.Phil LaMarr:In a, in a theater cuz there was no microphone. But I think maybe that helped start me right on the, you know, aping People's Voices thing. Which, when I started doing sketch comedy Right. I leaned into that too. Oh, I'm gonna do a Michael Jackson sketch. You know?Michael Jamin:Right. Cause you, so how is that you're talking about, so that, that brings us to Mad tv. So there goes your, I dunno, how, how did you get that that audition? What did you bring, what did you bring to that audition, you know, for yourself?Phil LaMarr:Well, I, when I was in college I was part of a improv comedy group that started and I loved it, you know, having been taught that the, you know, the key to drama is conflict, but then being introduced in your late teens, early twenties to this concept of Yes.Michael Jamin:And, and yes. And yeah.Phil LaMarr:You know, improv is collaborative theater, make your partner look good. Right. Work together, you know, all of this very positive energy. It's like, huh, wow. This isn't just about performance. This is a great life philosophy. Yeah. So after graduation, and I came home to LA and I started taking classes at the Groundlings Theater mm-hmm. , the sketch, comedy and improv group. And, and I did that not for the career, but because I wanted improv back in my life.Michael Jamin:Right.Phil LaMarr:And doing improv that led me into sketch comedy and writing.Michael Jamin:Right.Phil LaMarr:Because that's what the ground wings do. It's like, okay, that's a great improv. Write it down.Michael Jamin:Right. .Phil LaMarr:Yeah. Now do that character again. Come up with another scene for him.Michael Jamin:And so that's what you, you brought to the audition, like what, three different characters or something?Phil LaMarr:Y well, by the time Mad TV came around, I had been doing sitcoms, you know, from the early nineties to the mid nineties. This was 95. Right. So I went to audition for mad TV and the people at Fox had seen me guest on a bunch of shows. Right. And in fact, I went to audition for Mad TV in what they call second place because I had done a pilot for Fox right before Mad. So it's funny because I went in there thinking, no, this pilot is gonna, is amazing. We're gonna be the new Barney Miller. Alright, fine agents, I'll go for this sketch thing, whatever. I've been doing Sketch for six years, but whatever. And so I went in and they said, okay, bring in some, some of your characters.Michael Jamin:What Century is calling ah, . That's your phone from 1970, right?Phil LaMarr:?Michael Jamin:Or is it an alarm clock?Phil LaMarr:Ah, no, it's, I forgot toMichael Jamin:What's your phone? It's your iPhone.Phil LaMarr:It's my agent calling. Oh, you, you don't need to talk to them.Michael Jamin:That's Hollywood.Phil LaMarr:Yes.Michael Jamin:I can't believe your agent actually calls you. Mine doesn't call .Phil LaMarr:Alright, let me, let me go back.Michael Jamin:Yeah.Michael Jamin:We're gonna put all this in. This is all funny. .Phil LaMarr:Well anyway, I went to audition for Mad TV having done several years at the Groundlings and having been voted into the main company of the Groundlings, alongside Jennifer Coolidge. So youMichael Jamin:Were perform Oh, so you were, that's great. So you were performing regularly on stage. Yeah. Okay.Phil LaMarr:So, so sketch comedy was solidly in my backMichael Jamin:Pocket. Yeah.Phil LaMarr:And, you know, I'd been, you know, I'd finally started making a living as an actor. I didn't have to do my day job, you know, just doing guest spots and whatnot. And I went in there without any sense of desperation. I don't need this.Michael Jamin:Right. I'vePhil LaMarr:Already got this pilot. And they said, okay, bring us your characters and a couple of impressions and we'll show you a couple of our sketches. You know, so there were three steps to each audition, Uhhuh. And it's funny because later after I got the job, I talked to the showrunner and he said, oh man, you were so relaxed. We loved it.Michael Jamin:Oh wow.Phil LaMarr:You know, cuz I remember when we had a, a callback and there was somebody from the studio. This woman was sitting there like this. And I said, oh, I'm sorry. Did I wake youMichael Jamin:? And then wow. I mean, good for you. And then, but what became of that pilot, it didn't go to seriesPhil LaMarr:The other. No.Michael Jamin:Boy, had you known that ? IPhil LaMarr:Know. Well, and when we, when we got the call back from Mad tv, I'm like, what the heck? And might have said, yeah. Yeah. somebody at Fox said, don't worry about the second position.Michael Jamin:Right. Oh wow. Wow. . So, right. So you did that for a number of years. And then, and what, what along the way, when did pulp Fiction occur during this?Phil LaMarr:Actually I did Pulp Fiction before Mad tv.Michael Jamin:Okay.Phil LaMarr:It's funny cuz the first episode of Mad TV had a Pulp fiction parody in it. AndMichael Jamin:Did you play yourself?Phil LaMarr:Yes. They pitched me playing myself. OhMichael Jamin:My God, it was so fun. I mean it's such a classic role. I mean, do, do you, and does, do people want to talk to you about that all the time?Phil LaMarr:Not, not really. What I, I find that people only bring up Pulp Fiction around the time when a new Tarantino movie comes out.Michael Jamin:Okay.Phil LaMarr:But I mean, there are some people who, you know, are big fans of it. But the funniest thing is there will be a friend, somebody I've known for several years, but it's the first time they've watched Pulp Fiction since we met.Michael Jamin:Right. OhPhil LaMarr:My God, Phil. I didn't realize that was you.Michael Jamin:That's so great. I mean, so Right. Just to remind people again. So that was a scene was, it was Samuel Jackson and and John Travolta. They, yes. I guess the, the pla that plot line was a bunch of like straight-laced kind of college kids, kind of up, you know, they, you know, good kids who probably made one bad decision. Right. But they weren't troublemakers. They were good kids. And then they owed money and then, and then I guess they, you know, so they shoot, I guess they come into the apartment Right. And they they wind up shooting up the place and they take you, I guess they, they're gonna take you to the big guy, you're hostage and then he, you're in the back of the car and they got a gun trained on you and it hits a bump and they accidentally blow your head off . Right.Phil LaMarr:Well, well actually, the backstory that Quent and I talked about is that cuz my character is Marvin, he's the kid who gets his brains blown out in the back of the car. Right. but we decided that the story was Jules Uhhuh knew somebody who knew Marvin and arranged for Marvin to, that's why Marvin gets up and opens the door.Michael Jamin:Okay. AndPhil LaMarr:Lets them in. He's on their side.Michael Jamin:Oh, is that right? Is that, I should watch that again. I don't, I didn't pick that up at all.Phil LaMarr:And so he's not, they're not taking him as a hostage. Cause actually, Sam's like, how many, because John asked him how many are in there? It's like, well, there's, oh,Michael Jamin:There'sPhil LaMarr:Five plus our guy.Michael Jamin:Oh, I gotta watch that again. I missed that. Okay. It's been a while. Okay. So,Phil LaMarr:So the idea is that Jules knew somebody who knew one of the kids that took Marcellus briefcase. So he made a connection and was like, okay, we figured it out. He's our man inside is gonna open the door for us at 7 45. We're gonna come in, we're gonna get the briefcase. But of course, in my head, the idea is that Marvin didn't realize they were gonna kill everybody.Michael Jamin:Right. Right. He thought theyPhil LaMarr:Were just gonna take the briefcase.Michael Jamin:Right. So he'sPhil LaMarr:Freaked out.Michael Jamin:And so how many days is, were you, how many days of a shoot is that for you? Is that a week or what?Phil LaMarr:I spent about two weeks. There was the car scene and the apartment scene. But the, the most ironic thing was I shot my scene after they had shot the Harvey Kittel cleaning up my body scene.Michael Jamin:Right. So whenPhil LaMarr:I came onto set, everybody was looking at me like they recognized me because they had been see, looking at me dead for two months.Michael Jamin:. But how? Wait, but but when you say looking at you dead was, were there photos or something or what? No, no.Phil LaMarr:They built, they built a dummy. The dummy. Oh. Because there's a se there's a sequence where the Harvey guy tell character comes to clean up Yeah. And then carry the body out of the car into the Tarantino character's apartment. YouMichael Jamin:Know, that must been freaky. SoPhil LaMarr:Everybody been looking at this body in the trunk body, you know, and then when I walked on, they were like, it's, it's the same thing of like, when you walk into a room and you forget you're wearing a name tag.Michael Jamin:Yeah. Did you know how great that movie was gonna be at the time? Yes. I mean, you, you can tell. How can you tell? IPhil LaMarr:Couldn't tell how successful it was gonna be because, you know, reservoir Dogs was really good. Right. But it wasn't, you know, it was a big indieMichael Jamin:Movie. Yes.Phil LaMarr:Right. But when you read the script for Pulp FictionMichael Jamin:Uhhuh,Phil LaMarr:It leapt off the page.Michael Jamin:Right.Phil LaMarr:It's funny because like, when I went to audition for it, after meeting Quentin Tarantino, we did a Groundlings improv show.Michael Jamin:Oh, is that right? BecausePhil LaMarr:He's, he was friends with Julia Sweeney, who was a Groundlings alum. Right. And she invited him to come do a show. I was in the cast. Right. And when he was casting pulp Fiction, he was thinking about Marvin. He told the casting lady, Hey, there's this black guy at the Groundling, he's go find him.Michael Jamin:Right.Phil LaMarr:And I remember preparing for the audition, reading through the scene three times. It jumped into my, I w I had it, I was off book by the time I memorized. Because the way it's written, even though it's not everyday life, every line follows exactly what the one before it would say. And it feels natural, even though it is such a heightened world he's created.Michael Jamin:Yeah. He really is. I mean, you know, he's a master with, with words. He doesn't, does he, he doesn't, I can't imagine allow much improv. I mean, it seems like he knows what he wants, right?Phil LaMarr:Oh, yeah. No, no, no. Yeah. The, the script is like a Rosetta Stone. It is carved, yes. Actually, the, the only two things that changed in the script were one a line of Samuel Jackson's character about porkMichael Jamin:Uhhuh ,Phil LaMarr:Because originally they're talking about a pig and he is like, oh, that's the Kerry Grant of pigs. And Sam was like, no, Manam my guy. I don't think this guy would ever think Kerry Grant was cool.Michael Jamin:Right. So theyPhil LaMarr:Changed it to the, the reference to the the at Albert showMichael Jamin:Oh, oh green Acres. Green Acres, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Right.Phil LaMarr:Yeah. It's like the pig on Green AcresMichael Jamin:. And,Phil LaMarr:And the o and the other moment that changed from the script to what, what we shot was because of what a thought that John had.Michael Jamin:Uhhuh GunPhil LaMarr:Travolta. Yeah. Oh. Because, because this was a low budget indie movie. They made this movie with all those stars for only 8 million.Michael Jamin:Are you kidding me? Really?Phil LaMarr:Yeah. And part of that saving money was we rehearsed the entire movie on stage before we started shooting. Right. And I remember going to a sound stage at, at cul in Culver City on Sony and meeting John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson for the first time in rehearsal.Michael Jamin:Right.Phil LaMarr:And I remember walking in there and it's like, Quinn's like, oh, hey Phil, this John Sam, this is Phil. And John Tra goes, oh geez, this is a guy. I had to kill this guy. The eyes is gonna hate me.Michael Jamin:That's a pretty good Travolta sound just like him. . Oh, thanks.Phil LaMarr:And he just, I thought he was just joking. But eventually he talked to Quintin. Cuz originally in the back of the car, the gun is supposed to go off accidentally. Yeah. And shoot Marvin in the throat.Michael Jamin:Okay.Phil LaMarr:And then he sits there g gurgling while they go back and forth bantering, oh, dad, what are we gonna do? Right. Well, we can't take him to the hospital. Well, I don't have nobody in the valley. Well, alright. Put him out of his misery. When I, on the count of three, I'll hit the horn. And so John's character was supposed to shoot me the second time on, and John said, no, no. Quentin Quinn. Quinn. If my character kills this kid on purpose, it's gonna ha people won't, won't like him. And he was right. It would've negatively affected his sequence with Umma Thurman.Michael Jamin:That's absolutely right. But do you think he was, Travolta was interested in protecting the character or protecting himself as an actor? You know, like how people saw him? What do you think?Phil LaMarr:I think it was, he had a connection to the audience, which I guess was mostly through him, but also through the character. Because I mean, I mean, I guess, you know, Quintin's could have just said No, no, the character's just, he's a nasty, you know, junky. Yes. He does nasty stuff. But I think John was like, no, no, no. This whole sequence with the girl, he's not nasty.Michael Jamin:Right. So, right. I see. And andPhil LaMarr:Quintin agreed with John Yeah. His take on the character.Michael Jamin:Yeah. That's so interesting.Phil LaMarr:Isn't thatMichael Jamin:Wild? Yeah, that is. See, it's so funny listening to you, you can so hear like how thoughtful you are about acting, how mu how much, how it's not, it's a craft, it's a, you know, you, I really hear that from you, how much you put how passionate you are about the craft of acne. Not just being on stage, not just you know, doing voices, but the craft of it. You know? Exactly. Yeah. How do, do you miss, or do you get a chance to perform on stage a lot? Because that was your original lovePhil LaMarr:Mm-Hmm. . Yes. Thankfully. I'm still holding on to my performance foundation. My friend Jordan Black, who is another Groundlings alum Uhhuh about what, 12 years ago now, created a group. And we do a show monthly live on stage, an improv show at the Groundlings Okay. Called the Black VersionMichael Jamin:Uhhuh. It's,Phil LaMarr:It's an all black cast, and we take a suggestion from the audience of a classic or iconic motion picture, and then we improv the black version of it. ButMichael Jamin:What if you're not familiar with the, the classic?Phil LaMarr:Well that's the tricky part is our director Karen Mariama mm-hmm. , who was one of my teachers at the Groundlings and is now one of my peers, has an encyclopedic knowledge mm-hmm. , she can take a movie from the black and white era and know the entire structure or something that dropped that dropped on Netflix last week. And she knows everythingMichael Jamin:But you, but if you don't know itPhil LaMarr:Well what we do, what she does is she, she, as the director, she guides the scenes Uhhuh . Okay. Alright. Phil, you are gonna play this, you know, like let's say we're doing the black version of Princess Bride. Phil, you'll, you are this you know, swordsman who is incredibly skilled audience, what do you think his name? Okay. In Negro Montoya, that's your name.Michael Jamin:That's funny. AndPhil LaMarr:Like she'll assign the characters Right. And then guide us from scene to scene. But, you know, our choices, you know like when we did the black version of Princess Bride, it was called her Mama and them, and Prince Humperdink was Prince Humpty Hump. Right. You know, and sometimes the choices will change the, the, you know line, line of the story. But she tries to keep us, you know, take us through the iconic scenes.Michael Jamin:Right. And this is once a month you do this.Phil LaMarr:Yes.Michael Jamin:Yeah. That's a big commitment.Phil LaMarr:Yeah. And for 12 years. Yeah.Michael Jamin:Yeah. I mean, you must, you probably took a break during the pandemic for a little bit. Yes,Phil LaMarr:Yes, yes, we did.Michael Jamin:But Wow.Phil LaMarr:And recently we've you know, we've built an audience and a reputation and we've started booking on the road. We've we've played the Kennedy Center in Washington DC twice now.Michael Jamin:So you take it on the, and, and how were you able to sell tickets on the road? I mean, so easily.Phil LaMarr:It's, I I think it's, it's the, the venues and also you know, somewhat just the, those of us in the group. I mean, Jordan was a writer on SNL and part of the guest cast on community Cedric Yarborough from Reno 9 1 1, and tons of other shows. SoMichael Jamin:Just your name. Just your name. So it's kind of just your names people like, Hey, we want, you know, we recognize these names, we wanna go see it. If you, you know this.Phil LaMarr:Yeah. I, I mean, I'm, I'm not exactly sure how we managed to sell out, youMichael Jamin:Know? That's amazing. All overPhil LaMarr:TheMichael Jamin:Place. That sounds like a lot of fun.Phil LaMarr:It's so much fun.Michael Jamin:Hey, it's Michael Jamin. If you like my videos and you want me to email them to you for free, join my watch list. Every Friday I send out my top three videos. These are for writers, actors, creative types. You can unsubscribe whenever you want. I'm not gonna spam you and it's absolutely free. Just go to michaeljamin.com/watchlist.Wow. I mean, is there a limit to how much you can, I mean, just organizing that to get everyone to get the time off. I mean, that's gotta be logisticallyPhil LaMarr:Gotta be hard. Yeah. The, the tours aren't that we don't do them that often because, you know, Gary Anthony Williams from, you know, Malcolm in the Middle and stuff, everybody in our cast works a lot. Yeah. So we can really only guarantee the show once a month. Right. but sometimes when we tour, not everybody goesMichael Jamin:Because Yeah, you have to, I mean, if someone books apart and you're shooting that at night, what, what are you gonna do? That's the way. Right.Phil LaMarr:Or you or you have to fly to Vancouver for six months.Michael Jamin:Yeah. Right. Right. And that's part of, that's, I mean, that's part of the, the plus of, of the do for you for doing a lot of voice acting is that, you know, you probably get to lead a pretty sane in life if for an actor it's, it can be very hard, you know, being onPhil LaMarr:Their Well, and, and it's also one of the wonderful things about the progress that has come since we started the show, because part of the reason Jordan created the show is because those of us in the improv world, you know, who are people of color, oftentimes spent the majority of our time being the one.Michael Jamin:Yeah.Phil LaMarr:But over the years, the, you know, the numbers, the diversity in the improv world, you know, expanded, it used to be a very suburban art form.Michael Jamin:Yeah.Phil LaMarr:But now, you know, I I I credit this mostly to Wayne Brady doing whose lives in anyway.Michael Jamin:Yeah. Right. Yeah. And so that really opens up more opportunities and more of what Yeah. That, that's, that's interesting that, you know, that really has changed a lot. How, how have you seen it change your opportunities in the past, I don't know, whatever, 20 years, 30 years, you know, however long?Phil LaMarr:Well, it's, it's, it's changed be in a lot of ways. One, when I got voted into the Groundlings in 1992, I was the first black person to get voted into the company in its 18 years of existence.Michael Jamin:You're kidding me. Yeah. That's crazy. That's crazy.Phil LaMarr:And now the pool of, you know black people, you know, who are Groundlings has expanded. It's not just one every 18 years.Michael Jamin:Yeah. Right. But, and in terms of more, you know, more opportunities for you even, you know, I mean, everything's, everything's really opened up for you. Right. I mean, I imagine Well,Phil LaMarr:Well, because we have, you know, the, those of us in entertainment have expanded. Yeah. You know, what we consider will work. You know, I was talking my son just graduated from NYU and one of his classmates is the son of the woman who directed the woman king. Okay. At Viola Davis, you know. Right. Action movie. Right. And I remember watching and thinking, oh my god, when I was 18, no studio in the world.Michael Jamin:Right. Would touch that. Right. Would'vePhil LaMarr:Would've, you know, green lit Yeah. A action movie, you know, about black women.Michael Jamin:Yeah. Right.Phil LaMarr:And, and the fact that, you know, it's out there now and is just another big movie. It's, it's not considered, you know you know, a once in a lifetime thing anymore. That's the progress and the fact that we have, you know, middle-aged women mm-hmm. leads of s of TV series. Yeah. You know, back in the old days, the only lead of a TV series was one beautiful person or one famous, you know, hilarious person. Yeah. But now they've opened it up.Michael Jamin:I wonder, is your son planning to going through the arts now that he graduated from nyu?Phil LaMarr:Yes. Yes. He's, he's musician. He oh, writes and sings and dances and raps and produces, and he's part of the Clive Davis recorded music program where they teach them music and the music business.Michael Jamin:Yeah. Wow.Phil LaMarr:One of his teachers was Clive Davis's daughter. Wow. Who's a lawyer.Michael Jamin:And do, I mean, it's, but it's, the music is different from what you do. I wonder, I wonder if you're able to, does it all feel like, I don't know how to help , you know? Yeah.Phil LaMarr:Yeah. There's a lot of that uhhuhMichael Jamin:Like,Phil LaMarr:Dad dead. Because when your kid goes into, you know, show business, you think, well, I've been in show business for 40 years, like, you haven't been in the music business. I'm like, you're right.Michael Jamin:That's true. So interesting. Wow. Wow. And, and, and so what about, I guess, you know what's next for you? Is you just, is it more of the same? Is there more, well, actually I know you have a pilot that you, that you were, you're working on, you know, you're getting into the writing side of the business. Yes.Phil LaMarr:More so. Yes. And that actually over the last couple of years has been a, a slight shift you know, having been performing. Yeah. You know, for so long now, since the eighties. I've also, and I've also been writing since the nineties when I started at the Groundlings. Right. I was writing sketches and I wrote on Mad tv. But just recently, earlier in this year, I took a job as a professional writer on a television show for the first time.Michael Jamin:Right.Phil LaMarr:And it was pretty wild to have 30 years of sitcoms under your belt and then suddenly see it from a completely different angle.Michael Jamin:And what, and what was your impression of that?Phil LaMarr:It, it was wild to cuz like you were talking about the way I look at acting and break it down. Yeah. And, you know, look at all the subtle distinctions. I had never looked at, you know, TV writing that way. Okay. But to suddenly be in a room with people who look at who see it that way for decades, you're like, oh wow. How do I feel like a rookie at 56?Michael Jamin:Yeah. Right. And so there's a lot of catching, a lot of catching up little Yeah. You know, that's so, and, and are, are you enjoying it as much or as much as you thought? Or what do you think?Phil LaMarr:Well it, the challenge part was, was a little bit, you know, tough. Yeah. But it was great to be working on a really good show with great, talented people and to be learning something new. It's like, yeah. Oh, like for me, like when we would write sketches at the Groundlings Uhhuh, you didn't think about anything about like, well, beginning, middle, and end. Right. Three minutes.Michael Jamin:Right, right.Phil LaMarr:You know, but now you have to think about, you know, character arcs and the, you know, okay, well if you introduce the character's father, we have to think about their entire family. Is the mother still a alive? You're like, oh, right. When you write a sketch, you don't have to think about,Michael Jamin:You don't think about any of that. Right. And when you, and when you're acting the part you, you know. Yeah. Yeah. And so it's, it's so interesting cause I always say like, acting and writing are really, they're two sides of the same coin. It really helps to study both whatever you want to do, study both. Exactly. it's all, and so yeah, that, that finding that emotional arc and, you know, it's all, it's all new for you, but yeah. I wonder, you know, but you're enjoying it.Phil LaMarr:Well and, and working alongside, I mean, cuz there were people who, you know, one guy at show run Will and Grace, another guy worked on Arrested Development. I mean like, you know, one guy was showrunner on five other shows to, to watch how they mm-hmm. . Cause for me, I would like, Hey, I would just pitch out a joke. I'm just gonna say something I think is funny. Right. But they had this like s you know, Superman MicroVision where they could take that joke and see Yeah. How it could affect the mm-hmm. the entire scene, the entire episode and the entire season.Michael Jamin:Yeah. Right. It's like, where does that, but offPhil LaMarr:The top of their head.Michael Jamin:Right. And where does it go? Where does that moment go into the script, into the, you know, is it act one or is it Act three? And so that Yes.Phil LaMarr:Yeah. That yes. I mean I'm sure you have that, that x-ray vision too. Yeah. Where you can look at a script and see the act structure Yeah. And you know, and or just even the structure of just the scene. Yeah. Like what does this character, where do they start and where do they finish?Michael Jamin:Yeah, that's right. Well we were, we ran a show for Mark Maron for four years and you know, he was one of the writers in it and he would pitch an idea, cause I wanna say this, and then we'd put up Neck one and then I remember at one point , we were talking about it and we said, mark, I don't think this can go in Act one. Is it okay if we put a neck three? And he'd say, oh, I don't care where you put it is. Right. long as in the script,Phil LaMarr:I'm just thinking about what the character would say.Michael Jamin:Yeah. That Right. I was like, was like, oh, that's a relief. I thought you were gonna get mad for, you know, you didn't care about that. So funny.Phil LaMarr:Right. Yeah. Just cuz as performers we are not looking at the app structure.Michael Jamin:Right, right. You know,Phil LaMarr:Most of us, I, I may imagine there are some people who do like, well I wanna build up from act two to act three, you know? Yeah. But most of us don't. We're just, what is the guy feeling in this scene right now?Michael Jamin:Right. And how to get to that, the truth of that, how difficult is it for you to make yourself vulnerable like that on stage to like, to go there, you know, whatever, maybe it's crying or whatever it is. How difficult it is for you just to allow yourself to go there?Phil LaMarr:Well, it's not necessarily easy. It's definitely something that I had to, you know, a skill set to build Uhhuh . You know, I was not one of those people when I started acting who could make themselves cry on cue, UhhuhMichael Jamin:,Phil LaMarr:You know. But I remember I had to do a scene on a, a Steven Boko show called Philly. And it's like, okay, well this character is really, you know, emotionally, you know, I gotta figure out how to make sure I'm putting that out there. Right. So I thought about something sad and let it, you know, something different than what the character was thinking about mm-hmm. . But it's again, like, you know, with the voice acting like what sounds bey you also have to think about your face, what looks Yeah. Sorrowful and how do you make yourself look sorrowful. Right. You know, although one of the things that helped me learn where to, to try to go was working on Pulp Fiction with Samuel L. Jackson.Michael Jamin:What he what? Go on. He gave you some great advice or what?Phil LaMarr:No, he just, what he showed because you would stand there offset talking to this cool old guy who was amazing, you know? Yeah. He's just talking about golfing or his daughter. But then when the camera started rolling Yeah. The person you were just talking to disappeared. Right on set. I looked over and I was looking into the eyes of someone completely different than Samuel L. Jackson. Right. And I remember standing there in my twenties thinking, oh my God, he transformed himself internally. And so that it shows externally. Yeah. That's like, I gotta learn how to do that.Michael Jamin:And then how did you learn how to do that?Phil LaMarr:Well, I, I'm still haven't gotten to his level , but what I learned is you have to figure out one, how you look and how you get, it's, it's like a map. Mm-Hmm. , you know you know, if you figure out how to guide your internal self to a place where your external self does what's on the page, that's what acting is. You know, otherwise you would just be reading words to be or not to be. That is the question. You know, it's not just about the words. It's how do you express the feeling? And Sam taught me there is a way where you don't have to do nine minutes of to get into character.Michael Jamin:Okay. IfPhil LaMarr:You know the root within yourself, you can do it like that. Right. So I, I realized it was about learning your internal, you know, where do, where do you put your sadness? Where do you put your anger and where's, what's the difference between your anger and this character's anger? Guide yourself there and then, you know, connect the two.Michael Jamin:And do you have moments where you feel like, I I didn't do it. I didn't get there. You know. Well,Phil LaMarr:I mean that's the, the one good thing about on camera work and what we were talking about about the rehearsal Uhhuh is you can find, take the time to find it, but yes, no, there's, there's always, you know, not every job is a home run. Mm-Hmm. , you're like, oh, I wish I had gone a little bit deeper with that. Right. You know and sometimes you feel it there. Yes. Other times you don't realize it until after you see it. And maybe it's, they picked a take that Right. You didn't No. That wasn't the best one. Why didn't they, you know, not nothing is ever perfect.Michael Jamin:Right, right. YouPhil LaMarr:Know,Michael Jamin:And, but do you, like sometimes I'll watch, I'll be on set and I'll watch an actor do something. Usually it's drama and or a dramatic moment. Right. And, and they let it all out. And after you, you'll cut. I'm always like, I wonder if they need a moment alone. You know what I'm saying? It's like Right. I mean, what are your, what's your take on that?Phil LaMarr:Well, I mean, I'm not a, a method guy. I don't put myself into, because Yeah. You, you hear a lot about that, about a guy's like, yeah man, I had to play this character and my girlfriend hated me for a month because when I went home I was still part of that dude. Yeah. You know? And I don't know if it's my improv and sketch background where I take my character off like a hat,Michael Jamin:Uhhuh . IPhil LaMarr:Don't take them home and, you know, I, I try to embody it during the performance, but I don't feel it's, you know, required to have to be the character.Michael Jamin:Right. But if you spend a whole day as a character,Phil LaMarr:It can, it can be draining.Michael Jamin:Yeah. Right. It can be draining. Right. You have to wash yourself up that if, if you don't like that, you know, if you don't like that person, you have to wash yourself of that. Right. And how do you do that?Phil LaMarr:Yeah. Well, I mean that's, that's about, you know, when you leave the set mm-hmm. , you leave those feelings behind, although some actors don't, but you'veMichael Jamin:Just experienced, you spent the whole day experiencing that mm-hmm. that whatever it is, and yes, I understand you left it, but you spent the whole day angry or, or mournful or bitter or whatever it is. Like how do you, you still have to wash yourself from that, don't you? Well,Phil LaMarr:But I mean, the, for me, I'm not fooling myself. I'm not trying to convince myself that the script and the character is real and me. Cuz that's the thing. Like, if you spend all day with your drunken uncle who's nasty on Thanksgiving, that's not fun.Michael Jamin:Right.Phil LaMarr:You know, and then when you leave, you're like, ugh. You can, you can still be right, you know, upset about it, but you're, you're con but because you're connected to that person. For me, it's about, that is fiction. Right. I only, you know, I'm connected to the fiction while performing. I don't feel like I have to be, you know, like when I play Hermes on Futurama, I don't have to speak in a Jamaican accent for the entire season.Michael Jamin:Right.Phil LaMarr:You know?Michael Jamin:But are there moments, and maybe this is less so for a voice acting, but when you're, when you're on, when you're on camera, are there moments when you're like, you're cognizant that, oh, I'm acting now. Mm-Hmm. , you know, and then you, and you have to, oh, I gotta get back. You know, and you're, you're delivering your lines right in the middle of the line, you realize I'm acting.Phil LaMarr:Well, it, it's interesting because I think part of this mental philosophy I have is, you know, comes from watching Sam Jackson Uhhuh because he wasn't method, he wasn't acting like Jules, you know, acting like a gangster, a man with a gun the whole time.Michael Jamin:Right.Phil LaMarr:And he showed me that. And it's funny because while he was doing that, Frank Whaley who had worked on the doors was telling anecdotes about how when Val Kilmer was playing Jim Morrison, he was the exact opposite. Right. He, before they started shooting, he sent out a memo. Everyone is to refer to me as Jim or Mr. Morrison.Michael Jamin:Right.Phil LaMarr:You know, and he had a tent set where he would, you know, work to be in character and would only come on set as Jim Morrison. Right. He was ne They never s they never spoke to Val.Michael Jamin:Right.Phil LaMarr:Right. So, you know, what about, yes. It's definitely difficult for some people if that's their approach. No, no. My approach is I have to live this character.Michael Jamin:Right. You know, so you're, so you, okay, so that's not your problem. You don't have to worry. That's not something you have to Yeah, no. Interesting. I, I'm so interested in the, the actor's approach to the material, you know? Yeah. Because, you know, we write it, but how do you guys do, how do you guys do it? Because there's a difference. There really is a difference. You know, we hear it one way we envision it, but we can't do it. Do you know what I'm saying? Yeah. We can't get it out of our heads onto, into reality, but you can. And so I'm always like, how did you do thatPhil LaMarr:? Right. Well, it was, it was, it was interesting experience, you know, from the writing, acting, you know, crossover. Mm. I worked on a, I was developing an animated show based on a friend of mine's web comic called Goblins.Michael Jamin:Okay.Phil LaMarr:And my partner, Matt King and I, we were both performers, but we adapted the comic into a script. And I called a bunch of my voice actor friends, cuz we were, we were gonna make a trailer, you know, to bring these, you know, comic characters to life Yeah. In animation. And it was funny cuz Matt and I are actors. We had, you know, written the script and we'd acted out these scenes. And so in our heads we, we thought we knew exactly how they'd sound. But then we brought in amazing Billy West, Maurice La Marsh. Mm-Hmm. , Jim Cummings. Mm-Hmm. Steve Bloom, Jennifer. And it was funny because when they performed the scenes we had written, they took it to a whole other level. Right. Beyond what existed in our, in our heads. Right. Like, oh my God, they made it so much better than I even imagined it couldMichael Jamin:Be. Right, right.Phil LaMarr:And it was wild cuz I'd heard writers, you know, express a similar kind of thing. It's like, oh my gosh, you guys did such, such amazing with, and, but to have it, you know, as someone who'd been a performer, to have someone take your and do that miracle with it was an eye-opening experience. Like, ah, butMichael Jamin:There's something else that you do. Cause you know, there's a handful ofri actors, voice of actors, they always work. You're one of them. But pro you call 'em in and it's, it's knowing, especially in comedy, knowing where, how to hit the joke. I mean, we always say, can they hit a joke? And knowing where the laugh falls, not just somewhere, but which word makes it, makes it funny, you know? Mm-Hmm. , you know. And do you think that's your instinct? Or is that just something you've gotten better at?Phil LaMarr:Yes, I think that's something that has grown from performing, especially in the sense of, in the sense of comedy. Because I remember, you know, starting out on stage doing, you know, plays, then doing, doing improv, which is specific comedy cuz when you're doing a play mm-hmm. , the writer has decided which moments are funny, which moments are dramatic, you know. But when you're doing improv, you and the audience are deciding what's funny. Right. And, and I remember coming, you know, back to LA and pursuing acting and then starting to get work on camera and doing comedy. And I realized, huh. Oh wow. I don't have an audience.Michael Jamin:Yes. And youPhil LaMarr:Have, you have to create a gauge in your head for, is this funny? Because when you're on stage and you're doing a funny bit, you're, you know, you can feel from the audience whether, oh, I need to push that up a littleMichael Jamin:Bit. Right.Phil LaMarr:But when you're working on camera, this, the crew is not allowed to laugh outMichael Jamin:Loud. Right.Phil LaMarr:You know, so you have to create an audience inside you, an internal audience in your head to help, you know, is, is this the timing of this?Michael Jamin:Right.Phil LaMarr:And, and it's funny because I've developed that and a couple of years into it, I remember I got a job working on N Y P D, blueMichael Jamin:UhhuhPhil LaMarr:Playing a guy who was being questioned, you know, interrogated in the police station and then gets roughed up by Ricky SchroederMichael Jamin:Uhhuh.Phil LaMarr:But the, the lines, because this guy's on drugs. And I remember like, oh wow, I gotta be careful. This could be funny . Cause he's like, you know, like, you know, cause Ricky Schroeder, you know, sees blood on his, on his clothes, like, take your clothes off. It's like, and the guy take my clothes. What you wanna do? What you ain't gonna put no boom on my ass. Right. And I remembered I have to gauge the funny way to do this and not doMichael Jamin:That. Yes. Right, right. Because,Phil LaMarr:You know, there was, I, and I realize no, no. Pull back the tempo and lean into the anger, not the outrage.Michael Jamin:Right. Right. So, andPhil LaMarr:Then it'll be, then it'll be dramatic, not comedy.Michael Jamin:It's, again, here you are approaching it really from the craft. It's not Yeah. I just wish it's, when I hear people, I want to be an actor. Okay. Take it serious. Are you gonna study? Are you just gonna, do you wanna be famous? Which, what is it you want? You know?Phil LaMarr:Right.Michael Jamin:And well, let's talk about that for a second. What, what's your relationship with, with fame? How do you, you know?Phil LaMarr:Well, that's a very interesting thing because I feel like that has changed mm-hmm. from the generation, like when you're our age, when we were growing up pre-internet mm-hmm.Michael Jamin:Phil LaMarr:Fame only applied to stars.Michael Jamin:Yeah. Right.Phil LaMarr:Now, you know, I mean, nobody knew voice actors, only voice actor anybody knew was Mel Blank.Michael Jamin:Right.Phil LaMarr:You know, people to this day still don't know what Das Butler looks like. Right. But the now anybody who appears on anything, even a YouTuberMichael Jamin:Right.Phil LaMarr:Has some level of fame. Right. You know, and, and it's wild because, because of the internet, the, you know, it now matters what you say. In the old days, if you were a television character actor, like if you were Richard MulliganMichael Jamin:Yeah.Phil LaMarr:It never, nobody was ever gonna post what you said about something.Michael Jamin:Right.Phil LaMarr:It was only if you were Joan Crawford. Right. Or

My guest is my friend Mandy Martino. She's a stand-up comedian, writer, and actress, from South Florida. Her comedy journey began during college at SAKs Comedy Lab and The Orlando Improv while getting her Bachelors Degree at The University of Central Florida. Inspired by her SNL idols, Mandy pursued her passion in Los Angeles, honing her skills at The Groundlings Theater and School and performing all across the country.Sit down with your favorite comedian and filmmaker Mike Eshaq from REVOLT TV, Comedy Central, & NETFLIX. He's the creator of The Ed and Moe Show , MTV CRIBS ARAB AMERICAN STYLE & former producer of Swamp People on History Channel. Buy Merch! https://mikefromdetroit.com/shopFind Mike Eshaq:Website: https://mikefromdetroit.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikefromdetroit/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MikeFromDetroit/Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikefromdetroitYouTube #1: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChcotyIbOkdK6eKwE_ZNBpwYouTube #2: https://www.youtube.com/user/MikeEatsnaxTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikefromdetroit?#PublicYemeniPodcast #MikeEshaq #MandyMartino #MikeFromDetroit

Check out her movies if you can figure out how to watch them: Killer Twin, The Perfect Pairing Jenna is a stand-up comic, actress, storyteller and screenwriter. She trained in improvisational comedy and sketch comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York City and The Groundlings Theater in Los Angeles. She was voted "Best Live Act" in the 25th Annual Los Angeles Comedy Festival. Jenna was born and raised in Washington state, and has a B.A. in Communications from Linfield College in Oregon.

Amanda McCants is a comedic actress and content creator who based some of her Calabasas Mom character on me! She shares a very disturbing story from an acting teacher. We discuss The Groundlings Theater and struggling in Hollywood. What is it like to be a hot girl dating in LA these days, and what not to look for? Can Real Housewives of Salt Lake survive next season without Jen Shah? Enjoy! Get extra juice on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/juicyscoop https://heathermcdonald.net/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seinfeld Podcast Interview With Patrick Bristow. We welcome Patrick Bristow. Patrick played The Wig Master in the Season 7 Seinfeld episode "The Wig Master." Patrick is an actor, comedian and director. He is an alum of the famed Groundlings Theater. You know him from Showgirls, Ellen, Mad About You, Family Guy, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Follow Patrick: https://patrickbristow.com This Podcast Is Making Me Thirsty is a podcast dedicated to Seinfeld, the last, great sitcom of our time. We are The #1 Destination for Seinfeld Fans. We talk in-depth with Seinfeld Guest Stars, Cast, Crew, and Writers. Hear the stories about your favorite Seinfeld scenes from those who were there. We also welcome well-known Seinfeld fans from all walks of life including Authors, Entertainers, Comedians, and TV & Radio personalities. We analyze Seinfeld and breakdown the show with an honest insight. We rank every Seinfeld episode and compare Seinfeld seasons. If you are a fan of Seinfeld, television history, sitcoms, acting, comedy or entertainment, this is the place for you. Official Website: http://www.seinfeldpodcast.com iTunes: https://apple.co/2RGC89m Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3tqDVh6 List of Podcast Episodes and Sponsors: https://bit.ly/3rn0PUp Seinfeld Episode Rankings: https://bit.ly/3ic8mEi Social: https://linktr.ee/ThisThirsty Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThisThirsty Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisthirsty/ "This Podcast Is Making Me Thirsty" is The #1 Destination Seinfeld Fans. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisthirsty/message

For our last show of the year, we continue our foray into the high strangeness that is Christmas, Yule, and the dark winter months. Author and Ghostly Talk's very own "writer in residence" Mark Onspaugh shares some strange tales, folklore and of course his original story specially written for this show, "The Best Gift Ever" and a retelling of the heartstring puller "Vulpecula."  Isolated versions of Mark's stories are available at www.ghostlytalk.com. Make sure to check out Mark's books on Amazon! Bio: Mark Onspaugh is a native Californian who grew up on a steady diet of horror, science fiction and DC Comics. He's a proud member of the Horror Writers Association and the International Thriller Writers association. In addition to the produced film Kill Katie Malone, he has several other screenplays in various stages of development, and was also one of the writers of the cult favorite “Flight of the Living Dead”. While Onspaugh is definitely a fan of the horror genre, he also writes science fiction and comedy.  He polished his comedy writing (and improv skills) at the Groundlings Theater in L.A., where he studied under Lisa Kudrow (“Friends”), Michael McDonald (“Mad TV”) and Heather Morgan (“The Dana Carvey Show”). Earlier in his career, Onspaugh studied Special Effects Makeup in college and continued to pursue this passion under the tutelage of premier makeup artist Thomas R. Burman (“Invasion of the Body Snatchers”,” Cat People”, “Scrooged”) with additional lectures by such notables, among others as Oscar-winning makeup artist Rick Baker (“American Werewolf in London”, “Men in Black”, “Planet of the Apes”).  An active member of the Horror Writers Association, Onspaugh has won recognition for his screenwriting and a novel, Kushtaka, at the Austin Film Festival and the Writers Network competition, respectively. In 2003, his feature scripts, RAZORFISH and STRANGERS both made the second round at the Austin Film Festival. In 2007, his script THE DEAD LIFE was a quarterfinalist in the 9th annual Scriptapalooza competition. STRANGERS is a backdoor pilot for a series of the same name. Onspaugh has written the STRANGERS bible, debut episode and a regular episode. Onspaugh's previous television credits, include episodes for Night Man (“Burning Love”), X-Men Animated (“Secrets, Not Long Buried”) and Street Fighter Animated (“Getting in Guile”). Mark knows people expect horror writers to be lurking misanthropes, but hasn't lurked since leaving L.A.  A native Angeleno, he now lives on the central coast of California with his wife, author/artist Tobey Crockett and two off-kilter cats.

Actor, comedian, and producer Wendi McLendon-Covey is a master of comedy. With perfect timing and an unforgettable presence both on stage and on camera, she has been captivating audiences her entire career. As fan-favorite matriarch Beverly Goldberg on "The Goldbergs," New York Magazine's Vulture called her "The Greatest TV Mom of 2015" for her performance in the third season. For this role, she has been nominated for two Critics Choice awards. She is now a producer on the show. Many know Wendi from her starring role in "Bridesmaids," the 2011 groundbreaking female comedy. The ensemble cast garnered a SAG nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical. In addition, the film won an AFI award in 2012 for Movie of the Year. There has not been a comedy film since with this incredible amount of critical acclaim. Wendi can be seen in films such as Steve Harvey's "Think Like A Man Too," opposite Kevin Hart and Regina Hall, and before that, she starred in Tyler Perry's "Single Mom's Club," with Terry Crews and Amy Smart. She also starred in Adam Sandler's Happy Madison production "Blended," opposite Sandler and Drew Barrymore. Wendi is the lead actress in the independent film "BLUSH," which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019 and was released worldwide in 2020. Additionally, she can be seen in movies "Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar" alongside Kristen Wiig and Jamie Dornan, "Sylvie's Love" with Tessa Thompson, and "Sick Girl." In 2021, Wendi was cast in the independent film "Paint" alongside Owen Wilson. It will be released in early 2022. True comedy fans will recognize Wendi from her five-year arc on "Reno 911," a cult classic mockumentary about law enforcement. The re-boot was released in 2020 and has earned an Emmy nomination. Other television work includes "Lovespring International," "Modern Family," and "Rules of Engagement." Wendi started at the world-famous Groundlings Theater in Los Angeles, where she excelled at both improv and sketch comedy. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband. https://abc.com/shows/the-goldbergs Twitter: https://twitter.com/wendimclendonco Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendimclendoncovey/ ------------------------ Dave + Lisa www.facebook.com/lisachristiradio www.facebook.com/bravedaveradio www.instagram.com/lisachristi www.instagram.com/bravedaveradio

Chris Kattan is best known as one of the longest serving cast members on NBC's SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. In the 8 years Chris starred in the landmark late night program, he became best known for his characters ‘Mango,' ‘Mr Peepers,' and one of the ‘Butabi Brothers' opposite Will Ferrell which was such a hit that the sketch was adapted into the 1998 cult classic, NIGHT AT THE ROXBURY. Kattan went on to star in CORKY ROMANO where he plays the black sheep son in a family of mobsters and played the villain in the Malcolm D. Lee film, UNDERCOVER BROTHER, opposite Eddie Griffin. Kattan starred as a series regular in the ABC hit series, THE MIDDLE, and recently had some memorable appearances in the Adam Sandler films HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA and THE RIDICULOUS 6. He recently became a fan favorite on the third season of CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER. Kattan trained at Los Angeles' The Groundlings Theater is one of its most famous alumni. He currently tours the country with his extremely popular stand-up act. Upcoming Shows: Comedy Works – Las Vegas: 3/25 & 3/26 Off The Hook Comedy Club – Naples, FL: 5/26 – 5/29 Chris Kattan also has started fun little comedy shorts on his new YouTube channel “Hey Kattan!” https://www.youtube.com/c/heykattan Twitter: www.twitter.com/ChrisKattan Instagram: www.instagram.com/ChrisKattanOfficial

Friend of the pod, Kara Coraci, comes back for a second time to talk about all of the experiences, learning and progress she's made since she first started doing stand-up comedy. Her comedy career could've been over during the pandemic, but she didn't let it get her down. Instead, she sought out opportunities to attend classes through The Groundlings Theater, understand the SNL audition process and did online shows!  www.crotchie.com IG: @karacoraci @homance_chronicles Contact us: linktr.ee/homance

We got through so many topics and didn't go deep on any of them...we were just so excited to reconnect. There will need to be a part two...Just some of the random subjects we hopped to - Moving away, crazy weather, climbing through trunks, Paying attention to the news, Colonial Interns, Being newly socially awkward, psychedelics, origin stories, family history...I think we both had too much coffee or something. Always a great time.Follow her on the socials...(@jennabrister) & InstagramJenna is rad. She's written a bunch of Lifetime movies and is a hilarious stand-up comic. She trained in improvisational comedy and sketch comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York City and The Groundlings Theater in Los Angeles.  

Steve Bluestein is a stand up comedian, playwright, TV writer, and author. His talent has been honed from years of pounding the boards in countless comedy clubs across the nation. Born in Boston, his heart was always in New York, where he moved directly after graduating from Emerson College. Moving to Los Angeles, he immediately became one of the Comedy Store regulars and was a member of the Comedy Store Players as well as a founding member of The Groundlings Theater. It was there, at The Groundlings, he learned the improvisational skills he uses in his stand up act. After writing for Normal Lear and Playboy, he joined the sit-com staff of THIRTEEN EAST for NBC, then went on to write TOTALLY HIDDEN VIDEO for Fox TV and THE NEW CANDID CAMERA for Universal. Steve has also written the plays “Rest, in Pieces” which has had several success theater productions around the country. He then went on to pen five more stage plays “Gary's Gold”, “Why Wendy” and “The Vegetable”, being three. Steve is also an author of several books, including his latest "POINT OF PINES: A horrible childhood in a happy place." Thank you for listening! Please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your mom! Send questions: acomedyadvicepodcast@gmail.com Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acomedyadvicepodcast Follow Steve! https://stevebluestein.biz/ Buy Steve's Books! https://stevebluestein.biz/books --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/hyperbrole-podcast/message

Steve Hibbert – who is a recent transplant to Colorado - had a nearly 3 decade-long career as a professional actor, theater director, improv/sketch writing teacher, and as a TV/screen writer. He now teaches improv and sketch writing at the Bovine Metropolis Theater in the historic Larimer Square District of Downtown Denver. Steve got his start in the '80s and early '90s as a performer, writer (later teacher and director) at the justifiably famous breeding ground for comedy: The Groundlings Theater in L.A. And, yes, he played ‘The Gimp’ in "Pulp Fiction."

The Fancounters Celebrity Podcast Steve Bluestein is our guest. Steve has written for The Brady Bunch Variety Hour & Candid Camera as well as his own play Rest In Pieces. He is the author of several books including Point of Pines, Memoir of a Nobody, and Take My Prostate...Please! While doing stand up, he moved to Los Angeles and became one of the Comedy Store regulars and was a member of the Comedy Store Players as well as a founding member of The Groundlings Theater. This is our third video podcast so go over to Youtube to watch the show and SUBSCRIBE! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC42t8h1VPs_1bq_IJ4CHSsA Don't forget to leave Fancounters a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts! Follow us on Instagram @fancounterslive https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fancounters-podcast/id1278636568 https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-fancounters-podcast-29037863/ https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/fancounters https://tunein.com/podcasts/Television/Fancounters-Podcast-p1033633/ https://overcast.fm/itunes1278636568/fancounters-podcast

Our favorite storyteller Mark Onspaugh shares the eerie Yule Time lore that comes out of Iceland which can be terrifying and hilarious at the same time. If you have listened to our previous episodes with Mark, you know he doesn’t leave the show without sharing his amazing fiction with us. Mark reads two original stories: “Jack Frost” from his book Christmas Ghost Stories: A Collection of Winter Tales and a new one he wrote for the show, “Christmas Spirit.” If you want to listen to the stories on their own, we have them available for play below. Mark Onspaugh - Christmas Ghost Stories Mark’s books are available at Amazon. Mark Onspaugh is a native Californian who grew up on a steady diet of horror, science fiction, and DC Comics. He’s a proud member of the Horror Writers Association and the International Thriller Writers association. In addition to the produced film Kill Katie Malone, he has several other screenplays in various stages of development and was also one of the writers of the cult favorite Flight of the Living Dead. While Onspaugh is definitely a fan of the horror genre, he also writes science fiction and comedy. He polished his comedy writing (and improv skills) at the Groundlings Theater in L.A., where he studied under Lisa Kudrow (“Friends”), Michael McDonald (“Mad TV”), and Heather Morgan (“The Dana Carvey Show”). Earlier in his career, Onspaugh studied Special Effects Makeup in college and continued to pursue this passion under the tutelage of premier makeup artist Thomas R. Burman (“Invasion of the Body Snatchers”,” Cat People”, “Scrooged”) with additional lectures by such notables, among others as Oscar-winning makeup artist Rick Baker (“American Werewolf in London”, “Men in Black”, “Planet of the Apes”).

Our favorite storyteller Mark Onspaugh shares the eerie Yule Time lore that comes out of Iceland which can be terrifying and hilarious at the same time. If you have listened to our previous episodes with Mark, you know he doesn’t leave the show without sharing his amazing fiction with us. Mark reads two original stories: “Jack Frost” from his book "Christmas Ghost Stories: A Collection of Winter Tales" and a new one he wrote for the show, “Christmas Spirit.” If you want to listen to the stories on their own, we have them available for play on our website at www.ghostlytalk.com along with previous episodes and stories with Mark Onspaugh. Mark's books are all available at Amazon. Mark Onspaugh is a native Californian who grew up on a steady diet of horror, science fiction, and DC Comics. He’s a proud member of the Horror Writers Association and the International Thriller Writers association. In addition to the produced film Kill Katie Malone, he has several other screenplays in various stages of development and was also one of the writers of the cult favorite Flight of the Living Dead. While Onspaugh is definitely a fan of the horror genre, he also writes science fiction and comedy. He polished his comedy writing (and improv skills) at the Groundlings Theater in L.A., where he studied under Lisa Kudrow (“Friends”), Michael McDonald (“Mad TV”), and Heather Morgan (“The Dana Carvey Show”). Earlier in his career, Onspaugh studied Special Effects Makeup in college and continued to pursue this passion under the tutelage of premier makeup artist Thomas R. Burman (“Invasion of the Body Snatchers”,” Cat People”, “Scrooged”) with additional lectures by such notables, among others as Oscar-winning makeup artist Rick Baker (“American Werewolf in London”, “Men in Black”, “Planet of the Apes”).

Ryan Gaul (The Last OG, Bajillion Dollar Properties) moves in to the tower for good. Not really. But he and Taran do discuss their time at The Groundlings Theater and their love for horror movies as Ryan tries to survive "Until Dawn."

It's the premiere episode of Eatin' In Front of the TV with guest Henry Zebrowski (Last Podcast On The Left, Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell). Join us while we discuss binging all of Project Runway! We recorded this back in 2018 but we're finally releasing it! Join us on October 13th for a special live show to benefit The Groundlings Theater www.groundlings.com

This week I chatted to Drew Talbert! I like to say I knew Drew before he became Tik Tok famous as I took his improv classes at The Groundlings and I'm so proud of his new found success! He deserves because he is one funny guy! We chatted about all things comedy, groundlings, creating characters and we may have also created a genius new app on accident! So, grab a coffee and enjoy! Bio: Drew is an actor, content creator and improv coach with a comedic waiter-themed TikTok channel that ranks in the top 5 percent in followers and likes. His videos can also be found on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. He teaches improv to actors and non-actors at The Groundlings Theater and School, and has coached privately and in the corporate environment (Instacart, Community Coalition). As an actor, Drew’s recent credits include his multi-character one man show, Right Side of the Tracks, the film 4/20 Massacre, the pilot presentation, Corporately Challenged, as well as various national commercials. Insta/TikTok @drewtalbert

In this week’s special episode, host Michael Churven brings you a panel discussion with the main company women of the Groundlings Theater as they talk about working to find your essence, having confidence in your comedic point of view, and the importance of breaking through negative expectations.

"What if?" This is the big question Science Fiction asks. Writers of the beloved genre have been exploring that question since the time of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Writer and producer Mark Onspaugh returns to discuss Science Fiction and how it has tackled the concept of ghosts. Mark also wrote and read two brand new short stories just for the show - "The Ghost Gate" and "Captain Ballard and the Space Wraith." Both stories have been isolated on our website at www.ghostlytalk.com, so you can listen to them on their own. _____ Mark Onspaugh is a native Californian who grew up on a steady diet of horror, science fiction, and DC Comics. He’s a proud member of the Horror Writers Association and the International Thriller Writers association. In addition to the produced film Kill Katie Malone, he has several other screenplays in various stages of development and was also one of the writers of the cult favorite Flight of the Living Dead. While Onspaugh is definitely a fan of the horror genre, he also writes science fiction and comedy.  He polished his comedy writing (and improv skills) at the Groundlings Theater in L.A., where he studied under Lisa Kudrow (“Friends”), Michael McDonald (“Mad TV”), and Heather Morgan (“The Dana Carvey Show”). Earlier in his career, Onspaugh studied Special Effects Makeup in college and continued to pursue this passion under the tutelage of premier makeup artist Thomas R. Burman (“Invasion of the Body Snatchers”,” Cat People”, “Scrooged”) with additional lectures by such notables, among others as Oscar-winning makeup artist Rick Baker (“American Werewolf in London”, “Men in Black”, “Planet of the Apes”).

Welcome again to TMM… you know since there is so much love and unity in this country right now, both socially and politically, I think we’ll take a break from politics and news headlines.  Don’t worry… all of the toxic chaotic issues going on will be right there and waiting for you in less than half an hour… I promise.  They will not go away. I should never have waited a month to get to this interview with writer, performer, producer  Larry Dorf.  He has spent the recent past working on a very popular show on The Cartoon Networks Adult Swim called Mike Tyson Mysteries.  If you don’t know about this show, shame on you.  But you’re also in my 50 plus demographic so it’s to be expected.  You have to know about former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson even if you don’t follow sports. But back to Mike Tyson Mysteries… I’m sure you know about the Scooby Doo franchise… in fact we had the recent voice of Shaggy, Will Forte on the show a few weeks ago.  Imagine taking the concept of the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine… you know, the van?  Only instead of putting “mystery machine” on the side of the van you put Mike Tyson’s iconic face tattoo.  Instead of velma, you have Mike Tyson’s 15 year old adopted Korean daughter for which you create zero justification or backstory as to how he adopted a 15 year old Korean daughter.  Throw in an effeminate ghost who happens to dress in Dickensian wardrobe, add a sexist, womanizing, alcoholic pigeon voiced by Norm Macdonald and you have “Mike Tyson Mysteries.”  It’s a very funny and obviously odd show and you should check it out. We talk to Larry about writing on the show with his two partners Rachel Ramras and Hugh Davidson… who I’m pretty sure I can get on this prestigious podcast at some point.  We talk to Larry about how life has been for him and his family during the pandemic quarantine… or are we calling it a PLAN-demic now?  Isn’t that an adorable name?  I think so too!  We also talk about a trip Larry took with his associates to Comic Con one year in San Diego.  And if you just said to yourself “Comica… what?  What did he say?”  It’s Comic Con short for Comic Book Convention which includes all types of Animation… you know, for nerds and dorks.  Actually nerds and dorks like me.  By the way if you’ve never been to a comic book convention, you are missing out on some WONDERFUL people watching.  And by people watching I mean staring at freaks, nerds and geeks.  I mean they WANT you to stare at them.  It’s okay, go ahead.  I’m sure there’s one near you and you must put it on your bucket list.  It’s better than the freak show at the county fair, yet oddly similar. We start our conversation reminiscing about our performing days at the Groundlings Theater in Los Angles.  Larry liked to put up autographed head-shots of himself in the dressing area and I remind him of that… It’s an animated visit with Larry Dorf and a GREAT Mike Tyson Comic con story on TMM thanks for listening.    

Mindy Sterling is best known for her role as Frau Farbissina in the Austin Powers films. It was at the Groundlings Theater where Mike Myers workshopped his Austin Powers variety show with Mindy and several other Groundlings. Mindy relives her experience of working with Mike, the joy she discovered through performing and directing on the Groundlings stage and why improv is still a big part of her life.

Welcome to another episode of the Modern Moron!  Have I got a treat for you during these otherwise tough and troubling times, an optimist to my pessimism, a glass half full to my flask half empty, a yin to my Moronic and yang.  Speaking of Yang, I miss Andrew Yang. Remember when we had a democratic primary going on with a historic diversity of candidates that dwindled down to two old white guys?.... Ah, those were simpler times. My guest!  My guest!    My guest is a long time friend Susan Yeagley form my days in L.A. with the Groundlings Theater.  We were in the Sunday Company together which is kind of like comedy boot for stretches of 6 months at a time.  It’s pretty much a 24/7 affair, rewarding and emotionally brutal at the same time. And I’ll speak for all Sunday company alumni in saying that regardless of the outcome I don’t know of many people who regret the experience. I’m really digressing today.  Maybe it’s Cabin fever.   Susan and I cover a lot of ground… so I’ve decided to break it up into two parts… mainly so I can get you to come back for another episode. We’re going to talk about the corona virus and the self quarantine of course,  we also talk about ways to cope…. Like therapeutic plate smashing and ax throwing…  Not only do we talk about Covid-19 we will learn from Susan about the Self Quarantine Covid-15 which you’re definitely going to want to hear about. She tells us what it’s like to grow up in Nashville, Tennessee and not be able to sing.  Apparently that’s a given, that you’ll sing and play 5 different instruments. I said this last week and I’ll say it again that this is NOT a place to go for advice or information about this pandemic and I guarantee you that we will try to make light of this situation so, this is not the podcast for you if you are sensitive about the corona virus as a topic.  I do wonder if stores are selling much Corona beer these days. It’s definitely a temporary solution. You probably have seen Susan play her character Jessica Wicks on NBC’s Parks and Recreation.  which you can still catch on Netflix AND Hulu. What a great show to binge watch while you’re stuck in the house. Lot’s of good vibes and tips from Susan Yeagely, and we hint at the possibility of her running for public office… It’s a Modern Moron exclusive and as always, thank you for listening. 

Rick Plaugher holds a BFA in acting from Boston University and a masters degree in educational theatre from City College, New York City.  Rick has performed at The Groundlings Theater in Los Angeles, Upright Citizens Brigade, and the Peoples.Improv.Theatre. in New York.  As a member of Blue Man Group, Rick held several backstage positions at the Astor Place Theater in New York before later going on to perform onstage as a Blue Man for over three years in New York, Boston, and Chicago.  As an actor, Rick has performed at HERE, Manhattan Rep, the Huntington Theater, Boston Center for the Arts, The Gallery Players, ATA, Theater for the New City, and the New Perspectives Theater, among other venues.  As a voiceover artist, Rick can be heard on several ESL tapes for MacMillan Books and in the Boston Children’s Museum. Rick is currently in his tenth year as the head child wrangler for Disney’s The Lion King on Broadway, rehearsing and “wrangling” the cubs backstage.  He’s also a teaching artist, formerly of The Shakespeare Society, Lincoln Center Institute, Wingspan Arts, and Laguardia High School in New York City.  Rick has completed three full marathons and over a dozen half-marathons.

Episode 003 is with the wonderful Sam Jacks! Sam breaks down what it is to be a writer for Nickelodeon, and a Sunday Company member at the prestigious Groundlings Theater here in Los Angeles. Also, GIRL POWER! We talk to Sam and break down everything that is Tom Delonge, and his "To The Stars Academy" which made some major news 2 years ago.

Andrea Savage '94 is a comedic actress, writer, director and producer. Andrea created the hit television show, I'm Sorry, which is currently in production on season 3. As an actress on television, Andrea has starred as President Laura Montez on HBO’s Veep, Helen Basch on Showtime’s Episodes, Vivian Stoll on CW’s iZombie, and as Rhonda on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm. Andrea has also been featured in The League, Modern Family, House of Lies, and The Kroll Show. On the film side, Andrea has starred in Stepbrothers, The House, Sleeping with Other People, Dinner for Schmucks, Life Happens, You're Not You and Summer ’03. As a creator/writer/producer, Andrea has developed pilots for ABC, NBC, FOX, Comedy Central, etc. Savage hails from stand-up and the legendary Groundlings Theater. Tune in to this incredibly fun and energetic episode of Fresh from the Hill where host Juliana Garcia '14 chats with Andrea about show business, motherhood, and her own podcast called Andrea Savage: A Grown-Up Woman #buttholes. “I don’t know if [comedy] is any more difficult than anything else that you would do in the industry if it’s something that naturally comes to you. I would say one difficulty is often, you don’t get to shepherd a joke from beginning to end and that can be frustrating. Right now on my show I do get to, but often if you’re writing comedy, you don’t get to be there on set when it’s performed, you don’t get to direct it, and then you don’t get to edit it. Or, someone else wrote a joke that you wish it was a little different. And jokes really have beginning, middle, and ends in terms of their process, in terms of the writing, the performance, and then the edit. And when there’s too many people involved in that one joke’s journey, a lot can get lost in the translation.” *If you're sensitive to strong language, please note that there is swearing in this episode. Created and produced by Amanda Massa. Music by Kia Albertson-Rogers '13, koa3@cornell.edu. Artwork by Chris Kelly. *The views expressed by Fresh from the Hill hosts and guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Cornell University.

Roz is joined by her good friend actor/comedian Drew Droege this week to hear about his time sharing an apartment with a mischievous spirit, a possible celebrity ghost at the famous Groundlings Theater of Hollywood, and we hear his tale of a loving haunting at The Cavern Club Theater! Speaking of, come see “Ghosted!” at that very theater LIVE 10/19 at 8 pm! For tix go to cavernclubtheater.com! Do you have a real-life ghost story for Roz to read on the air? Please rate Ghosted! 5 stars on Apple Podcasts and leave your story in the review! Have an EVP? Send it on over to GhostedByRoz@gmail.com. Follow Roz on instagram @rozdrezfalez and be sure to join the facebook group! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Roz is joined by her good friend actor/comedian Drew Droege this week to hear about his time sharing an apartment with a mischievous spirit, a possible celebrity ghost at the famous Groundlings Theater of Hollywood, and we hear his tale of a loving haunting at The Cavern Club Theater! Speaking of, come see “Ghosted!” at that very theater LIVE 10/19 at 8 pm! For tix go to cavernclubtheater.com! Do you have a real-life ghost story for Roz to read on the air? Please rate Ghosted! 5 stars on Apple Podcasts and leave your story in the review! Have an EVP? Send it on over to GhostedByRoz@gmail.com. Follow Roz on instagram @rozdrezfalez and be sure to join the facebook group! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jessica Pohly (Gina) Jessica is thrilled to part of the amazing cast in DAMAGED FURNITURE. You can catch her every Sunday at The Groundlings Theater where she performs as a member of The Sunday Company...or if this was your one night out catch her from your couch in Netflix’s PEE WEE’S BIG HOLIDAY and Amazon’s second season of GOLIATH currently in release.

Matt Besser is a comedian, actor, writer, director and founding member of The Upright Citizens Brigade. He also hosts the weekly podcast improv4humans. He tells J. Keith about the two word prompts he’s banned at shows (hint: one’s a type of fruit and the other is a type of animal), and how it came about that he’s featured on his very own Topps baseball card. Lyric Lewis is an actress and Groundlings Theater performer who’s perhaps best known for her role as Stef on NBC’s A.P. Bio. You may also recognize Lyric from Comedy Central’s Drunk History, and she tells us about an upcoming episode she did about “Cleopatra’s punk ass little sister”. In this episode, we’ll learn about how Matt adapted the visual format of improv to an audio-only medium, how Lyric used astrology to sort out potential dating prospects, and why Matt claims his memory is spotty, even though Lyric has a hard time believing him. What’s the difference? What’s the difference between “damping” and a “dampening”? What’s the difference between “club soda” and “seltzer?” Areas of Expertise Matt Besser: Arkansas cults, Arkansas Razorback football post-1978 and the film Repo Man Lyric Lewis: The film Jurassic Park, Greek mythology and astrology. Appearing in this episode: J. Keith van Straaten Helen Hong Matt Besser Lyric Lewis With guest experts: Debby Schriver, an author whose book Whispering in the Daylight: The Children of Tony Alamo Christian Ministries and their Journey to Freedom is about to become a documentary. Jody Duncan, the author of numerous books about the making of movies. Go Fact Yourself was devised by Jim Newman and J. Keith van Straaten, and produced in collaboration with Maximum Fun. The show is recorded at the Angel City Brewery in downtown Los Angeles. Theme Song by Jonathan Green David McKeever is the Live Sound Engineer. Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher The show is edited by Julian Burrell.

Louis Virtel is a comedian and a co-host of the podcast Keep It. He’s also the winner of Jeopardy, whose Double Jeopardy celebration went viral shortly after it aired on TV. Laraine Newman returns to Go Fact Yourself, this time as a contestant. Newman is best known as an original cast member of the Not Ready for Primetime Players on Saturday Night Live, and she was a founding member of the legendary Groundlings Theater in Los Angeles. If she sounds familiar to you, you may recognize her as the voice of Crab Lady on Sponge Bob Square Pants, Nana from Trollhunters: Tale of Arcadia and lots of other shows. In this episode, we’ll learn how Louis’s love of publicly answering trivia questions stems from a 3rd-grade spelling bee that he came up short in and why the winners of Jeopardy love keeping in touch with each other after their victories. Laraine will explain why she never tires of hearing people announce her name in the fashion of SNL’s Don Pardo, and how she decides what the voice of each of her characters sound like. What’s the difference? What’s the difference between a “thumbs up” sign and the “okay” sign in SCUBA diving? What’s the difference between a “Dead-End” and a “No-Outlet” on the road? Areas of Expertise Louis Virtel: Jeopardy, world capitals, and Aimee Mann. Laraine Newman: Electronic Dance Music, cooking, Universal horror movies from the 1930’s and 40’s Appearing in this episode: J. Keith van Straaten Helen Hong Louis Virtel Laraine Newman With guest experts: Jerome Vered, writer and all-time winner of Jeopardy. Donnie Dunagan, U.S. Marine Corp Drill instructor and the voice of the titular character in the Disney movie Bambi. Go Fact Yourself was devised by Jim Newman and J. Keith van Straaten, and produced in collaboration with Maximum Fun. The show is recorded at the Angel City Brewery in downtown Los Angeles. Theme Song by Jonathan Green. David McKeever is the Live Sound Engineer. Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher. The show is edited by Julian Burrell.

What an episode! Comedian/Writer/Actor Patricia Guggenheim (Mary&Jane, Hashtaggers, Barely Famous) has spent years honing the craft of comedy at The Groundlings Theater, a school which has fostered the talents of no-names like Will Ferrel, Melissa McCarthy, Phil Hartman, Kathy Griffin and so many more super-dope folks. As a main company member, Patty has performed hundreds if not millions of times and brings that unique perspective and experience to this week's episode. Utkarsh and Patty break down the process of joining an improv school, what creative exercises she uses to help nurture her students' creativity and what it's like to be a woman in the male-dominated field of comedy. And finally she answers an age-old question--Can You Teach Funny? DO NOT MISS HISTORY BEING MADE!!! this episode sponsored by the good folks at Blue Apron (thank you for helping Utkarsh get off the Top Ramen diet)

You Can't Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain (Plume Books) A keenly observed, humorous essay collection from celebrated stand-up comedian and WNYC podcaster (2 Dope Queens) Phoebe Robinson, in which she discusses what it's like to be the black friend, how to cope with others who have white guilt, and, of course, why you can't touch her hair. NOTE: As with all Skylight Books events, this reading is free and open to the public (first come, first served).  But because we're expecting a sizable crowd at this event, we'll be giving out numbered tickets to the signing line to keep things organized.  To get a ticket to the signing line, you must purchase a copy of You Can't Touch My Hair here at Skylight Books. Tickets will be available starting Tues, October 4th, 2016, the book's publication date.  They will be available in-store, or you can order on our website and leave a note in the "Order Comments" field.  We will also hold a ticket for you if you order and pay for a book over the phone. For further information on the signing guidelines, please be sure and check back, as we will be updating this listing as the date approaches. Thank you for your cooperation!  Phoebe Robinson is a stand-up comic, which means that, often, her everyday experiences become points of comedic fodder. And as a black woman in America, she asserts, sometimes you need to have a sense of humor to deal with the nonsense you are handed every day. Robinson has experienced her fair share over the years: she's been unceremoniously relegated to the role of "the minority friend," as if she is somehow the authority on all things racial; she's been questioned about her love of U2 and Billy Joel ("isn't that...white people music?"); she's been called "uppity" for having an opinion in the workplace; she's been followed around stores by security guards; and yes, people do ask her whether they can touch her hair all. the. time. Now, she's ready to take these topics to the page. As personal as it is political, You Can't Touch My Hair is an utterly modern essay collection: one that examines our cultural climate and skewers our biases, all told from Robinson's singularly witty point of view. Praise for You Can't Touch My Hair "You Can't Touch My Hair is the book we need right now. Robinson makes us think about race and feminism in new ways, thanks to her whip-smart comedy and expert use of a pop culture reference. The future is very bright because Robinson and her book are in it." --Jill Soloway, creator of Transparent "A must-read Phoebe Robinson discusses race and feminism in such a funny, real, and specific way, it penetrates your brain and stays with you."--Ilana Glazer, co-creator and co-star of Broad City  "Phoebe Robinson has a way of casually, candidly rough-housing with tough topics like race and sex and gender that makes you feel a little safer and a lot less alone. If something as wise and funny as You Can't Touch My Hair exists in the world, we can't all be doomed. Phoebe is my hero and this book is my wife."--Lindy West, New York Times bestselling author of Shrill  "You Can't Touch My Hair is one of the funniest books about race, dating, and Michael Fassbender. The world is burning, and Phoebe Robinson is the literary feminist savior we've been looking for."--Hasan Minhaj, senior correspondent onThe Daily Show  "Phoebe Robinson says the things that need to be said, and does so eloquently and hilariously."--Mara Wilson, author of Where Am I Now?"Moving, poignant, witty, and funny a promising debut by a talented, genuinely funny writer."--Publishers Weekly "Uproarious Robinson reflects on the annoying parts of black life in America with humor and soul."--RedBook  Phoebe Robinson is a stand-up comedian, writer, and actress whom Vulture.com, Essence, and Esquire have named one of the top comedians to watch. She has appeared on NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyersand Last Call with Carson Daly; Comedy Central’s Broad City, The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, and@midnight with Chris Hardwick; as well as the new Jill Soloway pilot for Amazon I Love Dick. Robinson’s writing has been featured in The Village Voice and on Glamour.com, TheDailyBeast.com, VanityFair.com, Vulture.com, and NYTimes.com. She was also a staff writer on MTV’s hit talking head show, Girl Code, as well as a consultant on season three of Broad City. Most recently, she created and starred in Refinery29’s web series Woke Bae and, alongside Jessica Williams of The Daily Show, she is the creator and costar of the hit WNYC podcast 2 Dope Queens as well as the host of the new WNYC podcast Sooo Many White Guys. Robinson lives and performs stand-up in Brooklyn, NY, and you can read her weekly musings about race, gender, and pop culture on her blog, Blaria.com (aka Black Daria). Michaela Watkins hails from the Los Angeles main stage company, The Groundlings Theater, where many distinguished SNL alum have performed. Watkins joined the "SNL" cast mid-season of the 2008-09 season and made her mark with spot-on impressions of Arianna Huffington, Barbara Walters and Kathie Lee Gifford's sidekick Hoda Kotb.  Watkins can currently be seen starring in the hit Hulu show Casual, now picked up for a third season.  She plays the lead role of "Valerie Cole", a newly divorced sex therapist who is just re-entering the world of casual dating. Born in Syracuse, N.Y., and raised in Boston, Watkins pursued a career in regionaltheater before moving to Los Angeles. She studied acting and theater, and received her B.F.A. from Boston University.

HBS 029 Interview with Sandi McCree | Actress  On BET - The New Edition Story, & HBO's The Wire (aka Delonda Brice)  Actress, youth advocate and educator, Sandi McCree, known for her edgy, street-tough performance as "Delonda Brice" on HBO's The Wire, has been on the front line of arts education and media literacy for over 21 years years. McCree began acting at age 4 growing up in Washington, D.C. where she gained love for storytelling. She went on to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree in Radio, Film and Television from the University of Maryland and her Master's in acting from Case Western Reserve University. McCree furthered her dramatic studies at the National Shakespeare Conservatory in New York and the British American Drama Academy in Oxford, England. It was during her time at Case Western where McCree developed her approach of Multimedia Arts Focused Prevention Education through the formation of her organization The Thought Provoking Arts Company (TPAC). TPAC was commissioned by Case Western Reserve University to develop original arts-based programs aimed at providing prevention awareness activities for the student body with an emphasis on freshmen residents. TPAC's mission to provide comprehensive arts education and art focused prevention programming to children was fulfilled in McCree's work with multiple Ohio Public School Districts, Cuyahoga Community College, the Center for Families and Children in Cleveland Ohio and Pin Points Theatre, a national educational touring company in Washington, DC, where she served as Eastern Regional Director. Meanwhile, McCree's professional career took two mutually beneficial tracks as actress and arts educator. While performing across the country in stage productions such as The Exonerated, Fires in the Mirror and the one woman show The Gimmick, McCree was simultaneously writing and presenting on childhood education. She co-authored Artful Strategies for Prevention Education Group Work with Adolescent African-American Girls at the 23rd International Symposium on Social Work with Groups and in 1999 presented Using a Psychosocial Network to Empower Parents of Children with Sickle Cell Anemia to Maximize Life's Opportunities for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America. McCree's work on stage and in education led to her serving as Media Liaison for the National Black Media Coalition. Her TV credits include The Closer Cold Case and Criminal Minds yet it is her work on HBO's The Wire that embodies the marriage of her passion for acting/storytelling with youth advocacy. Against type, McCree portrays "Delonda Brice," a villainous, misguided mother who would rather see her son selling drugs on the streets in order to support her ghetto fabulous lifestyle than attend and excel at school. Such a character couldn't be further from McCree's own and she's been able to use this deviant role as a platform for her dedication to the supportive development of young minds. McCree was a Producer of "BeBop to Hip-Hop" an educational performance at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz were she holds the position of Special Projects Coordinator. She recently appeared in the award-winning documentary "Keep On Keepin On" produced by the legendary Quincy Jones. Sandi performs weekly with several improv troupes including Most Humble. She can be seen weekly at such venues as: The Groundlings Theater, Second City, iO West, The Clubhouse, Asylum Lab, Danger Room and Neon Venus. In November 2013, Most Humble is the 8-time defending champion of Second City Hollywood's Thunderdome Improv Cagematch show. In the Summer of 2015, Sandi McCree was invited to join the prestigious Sunday Company at The Groundlings. Sandi McCree is has taught and directed students at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts and she teaches theatre arts at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts   Links to Sandi McCree: Twitter @SandiMcCree  Instagram @sandimccree BET.com: The New Edition Story The Wire on HBO: The WIRE    Thank You for checking out Hollywood Breakthrough Show  | Follow us on Twitter @TheBreakThur This podcast main purpose is to serve up positive information. Join us at Hollywood Breakthrough Show, as we interview some of the most talented people in the business, which names you may, or may not know! But you have seen their work! Whether they're well- established veterans of the business, or current up and comers, these are the people who are making a living in Hollywood. Screenwriters, directors, producers and entertainment industry professionals share inside perspective on writing, filmmaking, breaking into Hollywood and navigating SHOW BUSINESS, along with stories of their journey to success! HELP SPREAD THE WORD PLEASE! SCREENWRITERS, DIRECTORS, AUTHORS, we would love to help spread the word about your Film, Book, Crowdfunding, etc., Contact us! (EMAIL: Info@hollywoodbreakthrough.com ) See Videos of all interviews at Hollywood Breakthrough Show Please subscribe in iTunes and write us a review! Follow us on: Social Media Sites | Twitter @TheBreakThur| Facebook: facebook.com/HollywoodBreakthroughPodcast Subscribe! Or, Please contact us for Interviews or Sponsorship of an episode! Hollywood Breakthrough Show Website (EMAIL: Info@hollywoodbreakthrough.com ) View Apps Sponsor: Press and hold links to visit the page: Hollywood Hero Agent Fenix Hill Pro Scottie The Baby Dino   SANDI MCCREE Images:   

GARY AUSTIN, one of the country’s premiere improvisational acting teachers, is the Founder and Original Director of The Groundlings, Los Angeles’ premier character-based improvisational theatre company.Gary began his professional career as a performing member of San Francisco’s famed improvisational company, The Committee, where he worked with Second City’s Del Close. His work has been featured on NPR’s ”Fresh Air,” in major trades and in several books, including Acting Teachers of America by Ronald Rand, The Actor’s Guide to Qualified Acting Coaches, by Larry Silverberg, and The Funniest One in the Room – The Lives and Legends of Del Close by Kim “Howard” Johnson.Gary’s students work throughout the world of entertainment as actors, singers, comedians, writers, directors and producers. His students include Academy Award winner Helen Hunt, Paul Feig (Director Bridesmaids), Helen Slater, Lisa Kudrow, Paul Reubens (Pee Wee Herman), the late Phil Hartman, Academy Award & Emmy nominee Lindsay Crouse, Tony winner Lillias White, Jennifer Grey, the late Pat Morita (Oscar nominee), Donna Summer, Loretta DeVine, Mark Dacascos (Iron Chef America & Hawaii Five-O), Robert David Hall (CSI) and Daphne Zuniga.Gary holds a BA Degree in Theatre from San Francisco State University. He is Producer and Artistic Director of The Gary Austin Workshops and teaches, directs and performs in Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and Washington DC.www.garyaustinworkshops.com

We have a live show 3/24/2016 at Groundlings Theater, 10pm with Beth Stelling! Come! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Lynne Stewart appeared on Broadway in The Pee-wee Herman Show where she reprised her role as Miss Yvonne (The Most Beautiful Woman in Puppetland) whom she played on the TV series and in the original stage production at the Groundlings Theater in Los Angeles.  She has also worked with Tracy Ullman in both of her series Tracy Takes On…for HBO and State of the Union for Showtime. She can be seen as Charlie's Mom in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia on FXX and as Scott Aukerman’s mom on IFC’s Comedy Bang Bang.  You can also see Lynne on Funny or Die’s Parent News web series with Fred Willard. Current credits include K.C. Undercover for Disney, Two Broke Girls on CBS and the film Pee-wee’s Big Holiday premiering at SXSW this spring. She is proud to have had parts in two groundbreaking films American Graffiti and Bridesmaids. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0829620

This fight is with two hilarious comedians from the GROUNDLINGS THEATER in Los Angeles.Brian Pelermo and Jordan Black. It's hot, it's heated, and it's funnnnnnyyy!!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Groundlings Theater in LA has forged stars like Kristen Wiig, Will Ferrell, Melissa McCarthy and more. It has also been home to Sean Hogan who gives a brutal recount of the relentless process of being groomed for shows like Mad TV and Saturday Night Live. We learn why Sean wouldn't hang out with Ben Stiller and are privy to his personal message for Chris Kattan.