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"Jim Gaffigan"
Update: 2024-11-25
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Ladies and gents, it’s Jim Gaffigan the clapping sea lion! 200 commercials, 11 specials, 5 children, and a bunch of bottles o’ bourbon. “Did they introduce new numbers?” Welcome to SmartLess.
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Transcript
00:00:00
(upbeat music)
00:00:02
- Hey guys, I got a mouth full of English muffin with a glass full of apple juice here on the rocks.
00:00:08
Thank you very much.
00:00:09
And here with my surprise guest today, who is a clapping sea lion.
00:00:14
(baby crying)
00:00:16
(laughing)
00:00:19
Oh my God, this is by the way, before Jason and Will are on.
00:00:22
Welcome to "Smarlet's."
00:00:24
- "Smarlet's."
00:00:25
(upbeat music)
00:00:28
(upbeat music)
00:00:31
- "Smarlet's."
00:00:32
- "Smarlet's."
00:00:33
- "Smarlet's."
00:00:39
- "Smarlet's."
00:00:40
(upbeat music)
00:00:43
- Crazy.
00:00:44
I can't see surprise guest yet.
00:00:47
Maybe we're not supposed to.
00:00:48
- Wait, how does it work?
00:00:50
- You're not supposed to.
00:00:51
(laughing)
00:00:52
- By the way, he won't stop clapping.
00:00:56
(laughing)
00:00:57
- Oh, we got a live one.
00:01:00
- Yeah, yeah.
00:01:00
- We got a live one.
00:01:01
- Oh boy.
00:01:02
(laughing)
00:01:04
- My one, I just get right to this guest and you're chatting up towards him.
00:01:08
- Sailing, we're going on over here.
00:01:09
- We had, by the way, what a wonderful dinner we had last night.
00:01:13
- We had a nice dinner, didn't we, the three of us?
00:01:15
- We really did.
00:01:16
Listen, the three of us don't really get a chance to have just a three-top, you know.
00:01:22
- Not really.
00:01:23
- It's really handy.
00:01:24
- It went really well.
00:01:25
Sean generously picked up the bill.
00:01:28
- I know.
00:01:29
- Kind of sneaky-like.
00:01:30
- Very sneaky.
00:01:31
- I know, I got to be honest.
00:01:32
- People are doing it.
00:01:33
- I know it's nice to do, but consider this sometimes, and again, I don't want this to seem like I'm being ungrateful because it was very nice of you, so thank you.
00:01:41
This is all dressed up and a thank you, but keep in mind.
00:01:44
- I got a heart out in five minutes.
00:01:45
- Other people might want to have the opportunity to do that as well.
00:01:50
- I know.
00:01:50
- So you don't want to take away from other people.
00:01:53
- Well, the ability to save it.
00:01:55
- Will's got about the fucking shortest fucking T-Rex arms you'll ever find at a dinner table.
00:02:02
This fucking guy, you could drop a check on fire in front of him, and he wouldn't bat it out.
00:02:12
He wouldn't touch it.
00:02:13
- It is so ungrateful.
00:02:14
- He just let it catch his fucking pants on fire before he touched a burnage, and that is so untrue.
00:02:21
That is patently untrue.
00:02:24
- Oh, I can't hear you.
00:02:25
- You shot me wrong.
00:02:26
- You shot me wrong.
00:02:27
- Crew member is just part through.
00:02:28
- Yeah, a bear just walked through your living room.
00:02:31
- A bear crew member.
00:02:32
- I'm not a thing of livestock.
00:02:37
We ate a lot of cooked cow last night, and I woke up at 2.30 in the morning and had to chug Pepto Bismal because my stomach is so unused to...
00:02:49
- It was like, it was like a four pound steak.
00:02:52
- That's so good going down though.
00:02:54
- Oh yeah, it was great.
00:02:55
- It was so good.
00:02:56
Actually, you know what, Sean, after you left us, we went and tried, we were both stuffed.
00:03:03
We were tied.
00:03:04
We only went five or four blocks after that.
00:03:06
- That fucking steak sandwich.
00:03:07
- We're at Bradley's house and he's got his steak.
00:03:09
You know, he's opening a steak sandwich shop in the lower east side.
00:03:13
- Yeah, so good.
00:03:14
- By the way, you made them all up.
00:03:16
- Danny and Coops, something like that?
00:03:18
- I think that's right.
00:03:19
Is it Danny and Coops?
00:03:19
- Check it out.
00:03:20
I think it's on Avenue A, you said.
00:03:22
- Yeah, in the lower east side, it makes just so good.
00:03:25
- I think, what did he say on the menu?
00:03:27
It's just steak sandwiches.
00:03:29
Yeah, either with cheese or without, period.
00:03:32
- No, with onions or without.
00:03:33
- Oh God, right, right.
00:03:36
- It's gonna be huge.
00:03:37
So Sean, it's so fun.
00:03:38
- So after that menu, after that meal we had last night, Jason, I go over there.
00:03:42
And then Bradley's literally cooking these up in his house and he goes, here we go again, he's got kids there and a bunch of other people and he's like, here you go.
00:03:48
And we're like, no man, we just fucking, we just had an absolute feast.
00:03:52
- Yeah.
00:03:53
- And then within 20 minutes, JB gets up and has, no wonder you got up at 230 in the morning.
00:04:00
- Well, 'cause he walked me through the whole process of how he got the recipe from this guy who makes the best steak sandwiches in Philadelphia and then Bradley like perfected it over like a year 'cause he just loved these sandwiches so much and he taught himself how to cook them.
00:04:14
And then the first guy to open up an axe.
00:04:16
- It's so good.
00:04:17
- Basically.
00:04:18
- 'Cause you remember, you made them for us, like, I don't know.
00:04:20
- Yeah.
00:04:21
- Eight, nine months ago.
00:04:22
- But it was so good.
00:04:22
- Yes, I do remember.
00:04:23
Anyway, it was really, and I ended up having one too and they were absolutely delicious.
00:04:27
- But how about this?
00:04:28
- I walked back because.
00:04:30
- First of all, I got two things to say about.
00:04:32
So when we got it from the, remember one, when we got it from the table last night at dinner, Jason, you pulled aside and said, I gotta run in the bathroom quick.
00:04:40
So, me and Will went outside and waited for you.
00:04:42
- I should have thrown it all up at that point.
00:04:44
I could have taken it all out of me in the bathroom.
00:04:47
And then we're standing there and then you come out and both Will and I are like, wait a minute, who's this fucking guy coming up and talking to us out of the blue?
00:04:56
He's like-- - Wow, he's crazy.
00:04:57
- And I thought-- - And you thought-- - There's a B.
00:05:00
- Yeah.
00:05:01
- And he's kind of like-- - Who's this twink?
00:05:02
(laughing)
00:05:04
- Yeah.
00:05:05
- I told you, I'm not.
00:05:06
- Well, I don't even know what a twink is.
00:05:09
Is that, is there a better about it?
00:05:11
- No, you're a twink.
00:05:12
- So listener, I, they're talking about because I've had my, I've looked like Jesus Christ for the last nine months, basically was I'm playing this guy with long hair and long beard and all that stuff and I just cut it all off because we came to the end of that.
00:05:27
- The number of people in Sean, you're probably the same, who have come up to me as if I'm your wife over the last six months ago.
00:05:35
Hey, or texted me, people have gone so far going, hey, what's up with Jason?
00:05:38
How come he's here so long?
00:05:40
And I'm like, he's an actor.
00:05:41
You, what are you talking about?
00:05:43
But they all assume-- - I love it, I love it, nobody assumes that I would be doing it for any sort of acting part.
00:05:48
- No, I don't even think so.
00:05:49
- You're in trouble.
00:05:50
- Everybody thinks I've been trouble.
00:05:52
They go there instead of like, well, he's not much of it.
00:05:55
That's spinning, I'm gonna change his love for part.
00:05:57
He must have just hit fuck it and we gotta send him some money.
00:06:01
- Yeah.
00:06:02
- Why did, why did Marty Bergside?
00:06:04
- He was here.
00:06:06
- And then you, and then you dropped me off and then he said, I went, I'm like, well, where's uptown?
00:06:10
'Cause I'm so lost down to like, I don't understand.
00:06:13
And you go, just go that way.
00:06:14
I was walking for like 20 minutes.
00:06:15
I'm like, I don't-- - He was a half a block from eighth Avenue and he walked all the way into the Hudson River.
00:06:20
- I was, I had no idea where I was.
00:06:22
I was scared out of my mind.
00:06:24
- No.
00:06:24
- And then I asked these four people, I'm like, do you know where like, uptown, like which direction uptown is?
00:06:30
- Well, first give us your wallet.
00:06:32
- Yeah, you got mugged and then show me.
00:06:34
- You ask people which direction uptown is?
00:06:38
- I know.
00:06:39
It was a, it was a young married couple and then in laws.
00:06:41
And the married couple was like, yeah, you go that way and then the mom of the in laws goes, oh my God, Will and Grace.
00:06:47
And then the two young married couple was like, oh my God, smartless.
00:06:50
And then the dad goes, just to make sure to keep me real, he goes, I don't know who the hell you are.
00:06:56
- Right.
00:06:57
- And I go-- (laughing)
00:06:59
- I go out.
00:07:00
- It's the funniest.
00:07:01
Isn't that the funniest instinct that people have?
00:07:03
I've had people come and go, like, hey, my friends want to pick, I have no idea.
00:07:07
I want to know, pick you out of a lineup of one.
00:07:09
- Yeah, I'm good, you're zero to me.
00:07:11
- Yeah, you're zero.
00:07:12
That's basically me.
00:07:13
- They want to get it picked.
00:07:14
And you're like, okay, well, thanks for telling me, man.
00:07:16
I didn't ask.
00:07:17
- Right.
00:07:18
- Anyway, let's get into our guess.
00:07:20
He's been waiting long enough.
00:07:21
(laughing)
00:07:22
It's like-- - Honestly, I feel like, where are you crying?
00:07:26
(laughing)
00:07:28
- This is anyway, we've on hurts.
00:07:30
Okay, let's not get into it.
00:07:31
(laughing)
00:07:33
- Okay, this guy makes me laugh so hard.
00:07:35
I love this guy.
00:07:36
We've got a lot in common.
00:07:37
Both men, Western boys, large Irish families.
00:07:41
Interesting fact, he's been in over 200 commercials.
00:07:44
He's performed for the Pope.
00:07:46
I think that means stand up.
00:07:47
And how-- - 200 commercials, that's amazing.
00:07:51
- And how when he was eight, he stood in line for two hours to meet Jimmy Walker from good times just to have him sign Dynamite.
00:07:57
Well, today, we get the other explosive Jimmy guys.
00:08:00
It's the brilliant, the prolific, the funny, the lovable Jim Gaffigan, who we love.
00:08:05
- Oh, wow.
00:08:05
- Jim Gaffigan.
00:08:06
- Wow, wow, hello there, I'm a big fan of yours.
00:08:10
- He was shocked, he was so weird.
00:08:13
Is you guys went to dinner last night?
00:08:15
No, I don't know why.
00:08:17
And I think the listener should know this, that you made me be the waiter, which I thought was strange.
00:08:22
- Well, it's just as a rehearsal, you know.
00:08:24
- You hear us out, Jim.
00:08:25
We just figured that you know how real you like to keep it.
00:08:30
- Yeah.
00:08:30
- I mean, a lot of people should know that Sean Hayes does not tip.
00:08:33
- No, not financially.
00:08:35
- Which is weird.
00:08:36
- I said, is this it?
00:08:38
Do you need change?
00:08:39
And he said, I need you to change your attitude.
00:08:41
- Oh my god.
00:08:42
- Jim, do you still have that autograph says dynamite from Jimmy Wong?
00:08:50
- No, no, I love that.
00:08:53
- I only remember that because I saw a photo of it, 'cause I had a dynamite hat.
00:08:59
- Yeah.
00:09:00
- I'm probably older than all you guys.
00:09:01
But like, there was a big, I mean, we'll look at the oldest, but like, the big, exactly, the widest second.
00:09:09
No, I think it's will could be like, well, I think will would be.
00:09:14
There is, a lot of people don't know.
00:09:16
He's doing a movie where he's playing Gavin Newsom's dad.
00:09:20
- Yeah.
00:09:21
- Wow.
00:09:21
(laughing)
00:09:24
- This is the Arnette roast.
00:09:26
Will, we didn't want to tell you before we got started.
00:09:29
- You know, Will, I just do that because I'm scared.
00:09:31
- Why?
00:09:32
- I'm a little scared.
00:09:33
I'm intimidated.
00:09:34
- Why?
00:09:35
- My buddies, I'm the new kid.
00:09:37
I don't know how to fit in.
00:09:39
- You're so safe here.
00:09:40
- You're already fitting in beautifully.
00:09:42
- The dirty little secret about this podcast is it really doesn't matter who we have on as a guest because we don't let them talk anyway.
00:09:48
We just like to hear ourselves talk.
00:09:50
You're on cruise control for the next hour.
00:09:53
- Right.
00:09:53
- J45.
00:09:54
- Jim, we don't know each other well, but you came up to very kindly to Canada and did that hospital benefit.
00:10:00
Do you remember that?
00:10:00
- Yes, that right.
00:10:01
- No, did you block it out?
00:10:02
- No, I remember it.
00:10:03
I remember it very clearly.
00:10:05
He was, you were hilarious.
00:10:07
- Oh, absolutely crushed.
00:10:09
- Always is.
00:10:09
- And you always crushed.
00:10:11
- Yeah, I know.
00:10:12
- Because you've been doing it so much.
00:10:13
- He never pushes, never pushes.
00:10:15
- Just trying to get my dad to like me.
00:10:17
And I don't know if it's gonna work.
00:10:18
- Is dad still with us?
00:10:20
- No, he's been dead for like 20 years.
00:10:22
You're waiting for a message?
00:10:24
- He's right over here.
00:10:25
- He's just off camera.
00:10:29
- When you're here, wake up.
00:10:30
- I've been telling every morning, I'm like, wake up.
00:10:33
He's really tired.
00:10:34
- He's really tired.
00:10:36
- He just put new eyes on him every day.
00:10:37
- Yeah, he's just.
00:10:40
- Hey, how did you get, how did you get to be in 200 commercials?
00:10:44
I'm actually envious of that.
00:10:47
- I was on this show, Silver Spoons.
00:10:49
- No.
00:10:50
(laughing)
00:10:52
- That was Jason.
00:10:53
- No, there was an era in the 90s where they really love the idea of the dumb white guy in every commercial.
00:11:02
- Yeah.
00:11:03
- I was like, I'll do that.
00:11:05
Sean wasn't available.
00:11:06
- I did those two, I did a ton of them.
00:11:07
- There's a lot of dumb white guy work.
00:11:09
- I immediately started thinking, oh wait, this is one of those guys that's got one of those campaigns.
00:11:13
It's like, you know, like the Jack in a Box guy.
00:11:16
- Like the progressive girl.
00:11:17
- Yeah, exactly, you could, it would add up quickly.
00:11:21
- Yes, I would do, I did Rolling Rock and Saturn, which was a car company.
00:11:29
- And this is back in the days when they would pay, right?
00:11:32
- You could, you could about 30 grand - Oh my God.
00:11:34
- By the time a national commercial's done with its cycle, right?
00:11:38
Wasn't it about, you could count on about $30,000?
00:11:41
- Absolutely.
00:11:42
- But how many brands did you think?
00:11:44
Do you think?
00:11:45
(laughing)
00:11:46
- I would say.
00:11:47
- Rolling Rock and one Saturn for two.
00:11:49
- Saturn for two.
00:11:50
(laughing)
00:11:51
- Jimmy, so you were born in Elgin, Illinois.
00:11:54
That's so crazy.
00:11:55
- Is it Jimmy?
00:11:55
- Yeah, it is, it is.
00:11:56
- I was when I was a little kid, I was Jimmy.
00:11:58
Now where are you from, Sean?
00:11:59
- Glenn Ellen, so it's like 20 minutes from Elgin.
00:12:01
- Yeah.
00:12:02
- He moved pretty quickly to Northwest Indiana.
00:12:07
I mean, when I was eight, I guess.
00:12:09
- And you, and you wanted to be a farmer?
00:12:11
- I did.
00:12:12
- What kind of, what did you want to farm?
00:12:14
- You know, I think corn.
00:12:16
- I'm just sure.
00:12:18
- It's weird.
00:12:18
(laughing)
00:12:19
It's pretty vintage, right?
00:12:20
- Not soybeans, yeah.
00:12:22
- It was a...
00:12:22
- Not something sexy like soybeans are right.
00:12:26
But like corn, you know, like a normal plant.
00:12:29
(laughing)
00:12:30
- I know, I did want to be a farmer.
00:12:34
And then, but I also wanted to be an actor and...
00:12:37
- I know, like early on, like, and your dad was the CEO of the Mercantill National Bank of Indiana.
00:12:45
- Yeah, so crazy.
00:12:46
- And then you wanted to be, and what did he think of you wanting to be an actor?
00:12:50
- He thought it was pretty fucking stupid.
00:12:54
- Sure.
00:12:55
- No, you know, it was, my parents were children of, you know, like, their parents went through the depression.
00:13:02
So like, the whole objective was to seek security.
00:13:06
- Yeah.
00:13:07
- And I think my family had been in the country and my father was the first one to go to college.
00:13:12
But before that, everyone was coal miners.
00:13:14
So it was just like, we finally got to the middle class and you want to become a show person.
00:13:20
It was just absurd.
00:13:21
It was like, why throw it away?
00:13:23
- Yeah, but it's interesting because this happens all the time.
00:13:26
We talk about this all the time.
00:13:27
You're the youngest of six.
00:13:29
I'm the youngest of five.
00:13:30
And it seems to be like a lot of people we talk to, the youngest and the family always wants to be, the actor, the performer or the attention seeker, I guess.
00:13:39
Isn't that weird?
00:13:39
- Well, the alcoholism was so significant by the time we were teenagers.
00:13:44
- Yeah, where you close with your dad?
00:13:48
- My dad was this huge influence on me, but it was weird.
00:13:53
I think it was mostly trying to make my mom laugh.
00:13:56
But the whole father relationship is so complex.
00:14:01
And again, I think, I don't know about with you, there was such a parental fatigue that had hit by the time I was a teenager.
00:14:10
My dad was like, I didn't even sign up for any of this.
00:14:14
- Yeah, I mean, and having children myself, I'm kind of like, can we, can they go to boarding school and middle school?
00:14:21
Can they do that?
00:14:22
It's just, it's exhausted.
00:14:24
- You say you do have children yourself or you don't?
00:14:27
- Yes, yes, I have five, I have five.
00:14:29
- Oh my god, why?
00:14:30
- No, that's a lot of kids.
00:14:31
- I'm a very fertile guy.
00:14:33
- How old's your youngest, Jim?
00:14:36
- He just turned 12.
00:14:38
- Oh wow.
00:14:39
- And wow.
00:14:40
And I feel like with every kid, there was a reason for me to like him.
00:14:44
You're like, all right, this one likes me so much.
00:14:47
I like him.
00:14:48
And then my youngest one looks like me.
00:14:51
And so I'm like, all right, I got a mini me.
00:14:53
I gotta be excited about that.
00:14:55
- It is amazing, right?
00:14:58
Like how do you develop these different relationships with the kids based on completely different stuff?
00:15:05
I mean, I know you're kind of making a half a joke, but like there is something to be said for like, well, the initial bond started because that little thing that couldn't speak or do anything yet has an attraction to me and there's a,
00:15:19
it's almost like a puppy.
00:15:21
Like kids are like puppies before they could have it.
00:15:23
- Of course.
00:15:24
- Right?
00:15:24
That's like, oh, they jump on my lap all the time.
00:15:26
And so, well, I like you too.
00:15:28
And now you're my favorite pet.
00:15:30
- Yeah, and then you, then your role changes.
00:15:33
And you're like, okay, I'm the peacekeeper between, 'cause daughters and mothers go through some weird crap.
00:15:40
And now I'm kind of butro's, butro's golly here.
00:15:43
You know, trying to keep some peace.
00:15:45
And then there's just different ones where you're like, all right, I'm the evil cop that, you know, has to be the discipline area.
00:15:52
- Yeah, or the one kid's actually less like a puppy, a much more like a cat.
00:15:57
So they're different, they don't give you the time of day.
00:15:59
So you end up being very drawn to that one.
00:16:02
You know, I got to win that one over, right?
00:16:04
- Yeah.
00:16:05
- Independent.
00:16:05
I don't know, you've got almost a half a dozen there.
00:16:07
It must be.
00:16:08
- Yeah, and my relationship with my kids is so good.
00:16:10
I don't have to like worry about roles.
00:16:11
We just kind of like, oh, man.
00:16:13
Sorry, I just wanted to just click, click, click, click.
00:16:16
- Hey, Jim, you don't really think I look older than the other guys, do you know what I'm saying?
00:16:19
- Let's double back a little bit.
00:16:20
- You get stuck on that.
00:16:22
- Okay.
00:16:22
- Now, Jim, where are you?
00:16:23
Are you in Los Angeles, New York?
00:16:25
- I'm in New York.
00:16:26
- Yeah, I'm in New York.
00:16:27
- That's cool.
00:16:28
- Have you been in New York a long time?
00:16:30
- I've been here for 35 years.
00:16:32
I've done some time in, you know, when I was on a show, I would be in LA for six months or six weeks.
00:16:41
I did pilot season.
00:16:43
- Oh yeah, every year.
00:16:44
Now, your time in Los Angeles is this something you kind of hold your nose and kind of get through it or do you like it out there?
00:16:51
- I don't have anything against Los Angeles.
00:16:54
I mean, I'm not a fan of sunlight, but I'm very much, too much show business is not good for my mental health.
00:17:06
Like that's what I like about New York, that like you have friends that are not in the business and you can kind of separate yourself from it, if that makes sense.
00:17:16
- Yeah.
00:17:16
- And we will be right back.
00:17:19
- And now back to the show.
00:17:24
- Do you ever worry that like by having that healthy kind of distance from show business and the pursuit of it and all that stuff that you run the risk of not going to the places that you wanna go career wise?
00:17:41
I ask because these guys always keep me in check and give me proper ridicule about how sort of on keeping my eye on the ball I am about like, what's happening in the business tree and what should I be doing next and all that stuff?
00:17:55
I can't help it, but I envy those that have a healthy distance from you.
00:18:00
- You also grew up in it so that's a little different in that way.
00:18:03
- Yeah.
00:18:03
- Yeah, I feel like I've definitely, I think my career might be completely different if I lived in LA.
00:18:11
I mean, it is 99% of the business.
00:18:15
- Right.
00:18:16
- But it's also, I don't wanna sound like the person, you know, like there's a, you know, like, I'm not like Sam Shepard said, I'm on a farm in Virginia.
00:18:26
- Right.
00:18:27
- And you can fact me only.
00:18:28
- You're right.
00:18:29
- It's like, I wish I could be that guy.
00:18:31
I mean, I definitely care.
00:18:33
I'm definitely the guy who's, you know, works really.
00:18:37
I'm the guy who does his homework.
00:18:39
You know what I mean?
00:18:40
- Yeah.
00:18:41
- I don't even know my agent's name.
00:18:43
- No, yeah.
00:18:44
You've been able to stay so relevant for so long.
00:18:47
You've had this really long career.
00:18:48
And yet you've been able to, you know, live outside of it to a certain extent.
00:18:54
Yeah.
00:18:55
- Oh, thanks.
00:18:56
- Yeah.
00:18:56
- It's admirable.
00:18:58
Jim, how many years, what was your first break and how many years have you been doing stand up?
00:19:03
- I've been doing it for like 35 years.
00:19:07
- And was it always stand up first or was it an actor first and then you'd wanted it?
00:19:11
- It was a little bit of both, but it was, I would say, yeah, it was, you know, stand up was something I always did, but I always wanted to act and,
00:19:24
but there's such fantastic actors in New York.
00:19:27
- Yeah, but the Jim Gaffigan show was hilarious.
00:19:30
- But wait, wait, wait.
00:19:31
- I want to give the stand up, I want to give the show.
00:19:33
- First of all, what was the first night?
00:19:35
What was the first time you were like the first time?
00:19:37
- I was so, you know, there's such an audacity necessary to go into this business, right?
00:19:43
But and also was stand up to go on stage that I waited 'til someone dared me.
00:19:51
I had a fear of public speaking, so I took an improv class as way before UCB existed.
00:19:57
And in the improv class, someone was like, there's a stand up seminar.
00:20:02
This is in 1990, 1991.
00:20:05
- Is this New York or Chicago?
00:20:07
- New York, and then I, so I did stand up for the first time.
00:20:12
And it was, I fell in love immediately.
00:20:16
And then, how about that?
00:20:18
- Kind of bomb for six months and, yeah.
00:20:21
- Did you write, did you write, did you write jokes at first time or did you just kind of wing it?
00:20:25
What'd you do?
00:20:26
- Oh yeah, no, it was, I did this.
00:20:28
It was kind of like a seminar thing.
00:20:30
It was like someone really holding your hand, you know.
00:20:33
It was yeah, it wasn't like me and my buddies went to a club and I got on stage and it was magic, you know.
00:20:41
- Do you still, like, what is your, the oldest joke that you still have in your rotation?
00:20:46
Like, still one from that, from the early years?
00:20:49
- I mean, it's, it's, I, you know, at this point, I, you know, I haven't done jokes from back then for at least a decade.
00:21:01
And sometimes, I'll write a joke and I'll think, "Oh, this is great."
00:21:05
And then, you know, my wife will be like, "You know that was on like your third special, that joke."
00:21:11
I'm like, "Oh, all right."
00:21:12
You know, like, I don't even remember that.
00:21:14
It's done a joke.
00:21:15
You already complained about your kids that way.
00:21:18
- Does she, does she dabble in our industry as well?
00:21:23
- Yes, yes.
00:21:24
So she was the, she did directing and she also, like, was the showrunner of the Jim Gaffigan show.
00:21:33
And when we were, but, you know, initially when we stand up, we used to totally, once we had, once we were married, we wrote together.
00:21:43
And then, with five kids, it's, you know, you're lucky to have a conversation with, you know, your partner.
00:21:49
- Wait, so she's the showrunner for Jim Gaffigan show?
00:21:51
So what you had an overall with the network or with the studio and-- - Yeah, that was, you know, before cable completely fell apart,
00:22:01
or even though I guess it's coming back, we had a deal at CBS.
00:22:06
We did two rounds of pilots.
00:22:09
They were committed to single camera comedies and then they weren't.
00:22:14
And so they released us and we were, we had an offer from a, you know, a couple cable things.
00:22:24
But like, the most attractive offer came from TV land.
00:22:29
TV land was gonna do this massive rebranding thing.
00:22:34
And of course, we were like, all right, yeah, great.
00:22:37
And then they, then we went over there and then like a month before the show started airing.
00:22:42
They, yeah, we're not gonna do a massive rebranding.
00:22:45
- Shawnee did some TV land work.
00:22:47
- Yeah.
00:22:48
- Yeah, that was good.
00:22:49
- We did.
00:22:50
We produced-- - With Betty White.
00:22:52
- Hot and Cleveland.
00:22:52
Were you on, was teachers you guys, or, no, that was Melissa, I think?
00:22:57
- Hot and Cleveland with Betty White.
00:22:58
- Yeah.
00:22:59
- That was the first, I think that was the first show that launched TV land.
00:23:02
- Yeah, I think that was the big, that was part of the big TV land relaunch.
00:23:06
- Yeah, we got lucky.
00:23:06
- Wait, so what network was Jim Gaffkin show on that?
00:23:09
I forget.
00:23:10
- It was on TV land.
00:23:11
- Yeah.
00:23:11
- It was on TV land.
00:23:12
So you and your wife write the pilot together.
00:23:14
Or she writes the pilot?
00:23:16
- I wrote the pilot with Peter Tolen.
00:23:19
- Oh, yeah.
00:23:20
- Who's that?
00:23:21
- Really funny, yeah.
00:23:22
- So he was under a Sony deal and so he couldn't go when we went to TV land.
00:23:30
I mean, sometimes they re-aired every episode on Comedy Central.
00:23:33
So that's where people would end up seeing it.
00:23:36
- Yes.
00:23:36
- So wait, so God, so much, I'm gonna tell you this is it.
00:23:39
Oh, wait, by the way, I heard you loved to go to Steakhouse after each standup thing.
00:23:44
- I love Steak, yeah.
00:23:46
- We just had, we just went to a Steakhouse last night.
00:23:48
- Great Steakhouse.
00:23:49
- You ever been to strip Steakhouse?
00:23:50
- Strip.
00:23:51
- Yeah, and so do you guys try, how often do you guys get together and pretend they're like each other?
00:23:56
- Yeah, not very, not too hard.
00:23:58
- Not too hard, yeah.
00:23:59
- We're not that good at acting.
00:24:01
- No, we have dinner quite a lot.
00:24:02
We have dinner when we're on town like once a week, but it's with everybody in family.
00:24:06
- Yeah, just the three of us is a rare thing.
00:24:09
- Yeah.
00:24:10
- Yeah, I mean, that's what's also so great about whenever I do podcasts is like, it forces you to have these conversations with your friends because things can spin out like control and it's like getting paid to hang around your friends is not bad.
00:24:26
- Yeah, that's how they started.
00:24:27
- I know you guys donate all your money.
00:24:29
- Yes, yes, yes, yes.
00:24:30
- All the money is donated.
00:24:32
- Wait, are you, are you, are you, are you worried though?
00:24:36
Like, I do think about, 'cause I love Steakhouse too, like in L.A.
00:24:41
- I'm sure, I'm sure, I'm still at the Steak, sorry.
00:24:43
- Yeah, yeah, I love, can't wait to hear what Jim might be worried about in the Steakhouse industry.
00:24:48
What is his job?
00:24:49
- I mean, I'm sure, jump in if you want.
00:24:51
But, I love, I like the simplicity of the menu.
00:24:56
There's like six things.
00:24:57
Because remember Jerry's Deli in Los Angeles.
00:25:00
- Oh, Jerry's Deli.
00:25:01
- You sit down.
00:25:02
- I bet, she's cake factory must really piss you off.
00:25:04
- She's cake factory too.
00:25:05
It's a book and it's like 200.
00:25:07
And I almost have to get up 'cause my anxiety, like there's too many choices, I can't do it.
00:25:11
But a Steakhouse, it's like there's four things here and there's four sides.
00:25:15
What do you want?
00:25:16
- The sauces that get me pissed off at a Steakhouse though.
00:25:18
I never know which way to go.
00:25:20
- That's why I always do ketchup.
00:25:21
I always do ketchup with my steak.
00:25:23
- You are Midwestern.
00:25:24
- Yeah.
00:25:25
- I like it.
00:25:26
- I like it at a Steakhouse when they kind of show you the meat or they show you a potato.
00:25:30
We got a potato.
00:25:31
We got this lobster flown in from Maine.
00:25:34
It's just like-- - It just does that.
00:25:36
- It's like so dumb guyish, like, hey, you're a dumb guy.
00:25:39
This is a potato we can cook it for you.
00:25:42
I love it.
00:25:43
- Now, I know I'm jumping all around, but I want to go back to your career.
00:25:46
- Jimmy, when you first did Beyond the Pale, that was your first stand-up special, and you had, I don't know how many after, and what blew my mind is how many Grammys you've been nominated for?
00:25:57
- Oh, thanks.
00:25:58
- Like how many times you've been nominated?
00:26:01
- I think seven times.
00:26:03
But, you know, I'm never gonna win one, but like, that's what it is.
00:26:06
- But that's crazy.
00:26:07
- That's amazing.
00:26:08
- Well, because some of it is like, I'm just so thrilled that the Grammys even include, you know, stand-up comedy.
00:26:16
And, in the end, there's always, you know, some very important newsworthy comedic event that's occurred, you know, whether it be,
00:26:26
you know, Chappelle doing anything, or like, you know, one year was Weirdel, Yankewek had did the first comedy album in 25 years.
00:26:35
It's like, obviously he's gonna win.
00:26:37
You know what I mean?
00:26:38
- Right, right, right, right.
00:26:39
- Yeah, but I don't know.
00:26:40
I think it's-- - Yeah, you're right, you're never gonna win.
00:26:43
- Which is the award with the, which is the award with the, with the circle that spins around?
00:26:49
Is that the Tony?
00:26:51
Sean?
00:26:52
Right?
00:26:52
Does it spin?
00:26:54
- It does spin.
00:26:55
- It does.
00:26:56
Wait, do you have it there?
00:26:57
Is it in LA?
00:26:58
- In LA.
00:26:58
- The Grammys are on with the horn.
00:27:02
- Yeah, by the way, it's so funny.
00:27:03
- That's the Grava phone, yeah.
00:27:05
- With the horn.
00:27:06
- It's funny.
00:27:07
Jim, sometimes you sit back and just, just marvel.
00:27:10
Just one.
00:27:11
- You just point the pointer and these two little kitties, they just go all over the grid, all over the row.
00:27:15
You just point the pointer.
00:27:17
- You have, you have all yarn.
00:27:20
- I usually ask people if they have any crazy theater stories, but in this case, do you have any crazy fan stories that you have that any kind of insane out of all the touring you've done for sure,
00:27:33
but the specials or the tour, were just somebody insane, didn't ever stop.
00:27:37
- Yeah, no, there's, I mean, there's definitely, you guys were talking about, I feel like I'm so goofy looking, so I'm very recognizable if you know who I am.
00:27:50
- You like John America, that's what you look like.
00:27:53
- But like a pale version of it.
00:27:55
So it's like, I'm either the guy that, you know, shovels your driveway, or I'm Jim Gaffigan, right?
00:28:02
So there is, so I could be, and I have horrible vision, so, but because I'm pale and goofy looking, people can see me from far away.
00:28:12
They're like, oh, is that, hey, is that Jim Gaffigan?
00:28:14
And I can't see who they are, because I'm blind.
00:28:17
But.
00:28:18
- But you've been, you've been, you've been loved and on television or some form of media for so long.
00:28:25
You, you must not be able to walk down the street often without without getting stopped or going, hey, hey, that's, hey, yeah, do you get a lot of that?
00:28:35
- Yeah, a lot, you know, like I'm playing, I'm, you know, I've provided them a riddle.
00:28:41
You're, I mean, like, hey, do I, how am I supposed to know you?
00:28:45
- Yeah, you catch a lot of people just staring at you from across the room, trying to, trying to figure it out.
00:28:50
- Especially in strip clubs, there are, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:28:54
- It's too dark in here, I mean, you've got five kids.
00:28:56
What are you doing here?
00:28:57
- Yeah.
00:28:58
(laughing)
00:28:59
- And then you take it a six-kit.
00:29:00
(laughing)
00:29:01
- You take their phone out, click.
00:29:03
No, but you were, you were maybe gonna tell us, go down.
00:29:06
You know what I would say is the, the, you know, there is a theater story.
00:29:11
I did that championship season on Broadway.
00:29:15
And it was, the amount of testosterone in the cast was absolutely insane.
00:29:23
It was me, Kiefer Sutherland, Brian Cox, Chris Doath, and Jason Patrick, whose dad wrote the play.
00:29:31
And so it's a great play and it was, but like so, like when you talk about theater stories, we went, I mean, it's also like this, this last,
00:29:42
I think of like, there's this last generation of people that, and there's a segment of this generation that drank like our parents did.
00:29:51
And those guys are those guys.
00:29:53
And so every night, we would, every night was like a, it was, the stamina is just bizarre.
00:30:01
Like these guys can throw it away and then get up and do a matinee.
00:30:06
And I was just like, I can barely walk.
00:30:09
Right.
00:30:10
Yeah, I wonder how that's, I'd love to check in on those fellas now and see how it's, see how it's aging, you know, because at some point you do, you do pay the bill.
00:30:19
Yeah, you know, like you, just the stamina isn't forever.
00:30:22
Well, I'm sure they're all doing, but like they were, it was so bizarre to go out on stage, because I always had this vision of Broadway being,
00:30:34
oh my, you know, like people in top hats and stuff like that.
00:30:38
And it's like, people would walk out 24, a section, this it, you know, it was just bizarre how it was.
00:30:45
Russ, it was a, people were going to, so they could see Mr.
00:30:50
Bigg.
00:30:50
Right, right, right, right, right.
00:30:52
But yeah, people really, really like it.
00:30:55
But your earlier stand-up stuff, do you, is there, as, when you were first starting, is there?
00:31:00
Oh, yeah, you tend to remember the good performances more than the bad ones.
00:31:04
Are you like, I try to block out some really humiliating things, but I did a show on Long Island at governors and, and,
00:31:15
you know, Long Island is, is great, but like parts of Long Island, you know, it can be, not necessarily combative, but just kind of,
00:31:25
oh yeah.
00:31:26
And I would walk on stage when I started, you know, looking like the farm boy that I wanted to be.
00:31:32
And these, you know, like these New Yorkers would be like, look at this guy, you know what I mean?
00:31:37
And so like early 90s comedy was very combat-driven.
00:31:41
Like this guy's just a pussy, you know what I mean?
00:31:44
And so I remember, I was, I was on stage.
00:31:49
It was a late show at governors and I got on stage and someone in the audience was mowing.
00:31:55
They were actually mowing.
00:31:56
Moo, moo, moo.
00:31:59
And I was like, oh, this is great.
00:32:01
OK.
00:32:02
So because I'm from Indiana, they're mowing.
00:32:06
And so then I've, I tried to, you know, deal with the heckler.
00:32:10
And normally, you know, you, you, you have a microphone, you have an advantage, but it didn't really work.
00:32:16
And so then eventually, there was enough slack to move on the microphone.
00:32:21
So I walked into the audience to find out who this mowing person was.
00:32:27
And there was somebody severely handicapped, lying in a hospital bed who could only articulate-- No, Jim.
00:32:35
--only communicate by going, moo, moo.
00:32:38
So I had spent a good 20 minutes tearing into this severely disabled, like the keyboard and everything.
00:32:47
And I'm just like, and but the crowd had known.
00:32:51
And, and I was like, all right, I'm just going to kill myself.
00:32:54
And they, you know, they were very forgiving.
00:32:56
And the person, you know, loved the, the attention.
00:32:59
But that was probably the one of the other people that's quite a story.
00:33:04
Sean, have you learned your lesson?
00:33:06
Never asked that question again.
00:33:07
It's, yeah, I'm very sorry.
00:33:10
Wow.
00:33:11
Do you have a clear, I'm sorry if you've answered this question a million times, but do you have a, do you have a clear preference between stand up and acting?
00:33:18
Because you've done tons of both.
00:33:20
And, you know, one, that the words come beforehand, the other, the words come after.
00:33:24
I, I, I love doing both of them because I think that stand up is such a bizarre existence at night and stuff like,
00:33:35
and it's so solitary and it can, whereas the collaborative thing of acting is so amazing.
00:33:43
But I think the, the process of getting acting jobs is so maddening.
00:33:50
Oh, that I would totally lose my mind if I had to rely just on that emotionally.
00:33:58
Yeah.
00:33:59
I mean, some of those jobs, security to have created an audience.
00:34:02
Yeah.
00:34:03
And you can control in one, one, one lane of your career, you, you're fully in control of that.
00:34:08
Yes.
00:34:09
You can sit down and write some great stuff.
00:34:10
You can get the creative fulfillment.
00:34:11
Whereas, yeah.
00:34:12
You know, I've been, I've done a lot of dramas, but to this day, I had a meeting two days ago and I've done tons of dramas and people are always,
00:34:23
they all have the idea, what if we put Jim Gaffigan in a drama and I'm like, all right, I mean, I, I mean, most of them have been in these, but like, I'm like, and you want to be polite and go,
00:34:35
yeah, sure, that would be great.
00:34:37
Even though like, I've done it.
00:34:38
I've been doing that for a long time.
00:34:39
Yeah.
00:34:40
For sure, for sure.
00:34:42
We'll be right back.
00:34:46
And now back to the show.
00:34:49
Do any of your, any of your kids share the, the business tree passion?
00:34:55
Yeah.
00:34:56
I think, you know, my, I've toured doing stand up with my 18 year old son.
00:35:00
He's really funny.
00:35:01
Oh, no way.
00:35:02
So like, he opens for you or closes for you or together.
00:35:04
Yeah.
00:35:05
He's done.
00:35:06
Yeah.
00:35:07
Oh, really?
00:35:08
That's cool.
00:35:09
It's, you know, last couple of spring breaks we've done that, but it's such a weird business.
00:35:14
It's like, and my, my oldest daughter, who's 20, has really loves acting.
00:35:19
And I'm like, you know, there's no jobs, right?
00:35:22
There's just, you want to, and so I'm like, if you want to, you have to create your own job.
00:35:28
So I'm like, I'll pay for film school.
00:35:29
But like, there's no, you know, right, that used to be.
00:35:34
Yeah.
00:35:35
It is a tough thing because you can't walk around with that diploma and, and sort of, guarantee yourself, at least an entry level position.
00:35:41
No.
00:35:42
For all.
00:35:43
But it's even different from it used to be like you talked about pilot season, like I, yeah.
00:35:48
And commercials.
00:35:49
You could have been able to.
00:35:50
Commercials.
00:35:51
You did commercials.
00:35:52
Like, when I was a young actor was, I supported myself doing voiceovers that a time voiceovers in and around New York.
00:35:56
And then every year by about January for a few years, I would fly out to California.
00:36:03
And well, not every year, sometimes I would go for like a month and sometimes, but you'd have pilot, at least pilots, auditions, couple a day here in New York and you do, you do the circuit.
00:36:12
Right.
00:36:13
You do it all the places.
00:36:14
And then they'd fly you out.
00:36:15
And there was like, there was a good chance.
00:36:18
Once you kind of got in the mix, there was a good chance you might, you'd get a job, you'd get a pilot.
00:36:23
And wasn't the arrest of development year, like the last year you were going to do this goddamn pilgrimage out to Los Angeles for pilots?
00:36:29
No, I did.
00:36:30
I, I, I got fired the year before and I wasn't going to do it.
00:36:33
And I didn't audition for anybody.
00:36:35
And Deb Burilsky reached out and said, well, come on, Will, please just put yourself on.
00:36:40
I was like, I was like, I'm not going to do the TV industry.
00:36:42
They're really going to feel the pain of me not being around.
00:36:45
Wait a minute.
00:36:46
Wait a minute.
00:36:47
I show them.
00:36:48
Right.
00:36:49
I think arrest the development I tested for the, or I was, or the, wait, maybe not network test, but a studio test.
00:36:56
What part?
00:36:57
I think the David Cross one.
00:37:00
Yeah.
00:37:01
Okay.
00:37:02
Wow.
00:37:03
I think that.
00:37:04
Oh my God.
00:37:05
That's great.
00:37:06
No, it's even worse than that.
00:37:07
Because there's also during pilot season, there's like, do you want to commit to this pilot?
00:37:13
Do you want them in first position?
00:37:15
Yes.
00:37:16
And I think I had been offered a pilot to be in first position.
00:37:23
And I was like, all right, fine, you know, that, yeah, let's do that first position.
00:37:26
It was, you know, it was garbage, but I'm like, all right, fine, I just want to act.
00:37:31
And then, because I had worked with Mitch Horowitz the year before on Ellen DeGeneres sitcom.
00:37:38
And he's like, hey, why don't you come in and audition for this, because I had been schmoozing him to get a part on it, because, you know, obviously he's brilliant, right?
00:37:47
Yeah.
00:37:48
Yeah.
00:37:49
And so, but I, and then I, and then he was like, yeah, you're in first position.
00:37:54
And this is a low budget thing.
00:37:56
We can't have anyone in, because we're going to do it.
00:37:59
Oh, yeah.
00:38:00
But the premise was like that they were going to do it in a different way.
00:38:03
Oh, yeah.
00:38:04
Remember, remember he wrote that cover letter on it?
00:38:06
Yeah.
00:38:07
If you want to, if you want to dressing room larger than a honeywag in this job, it's not for you.
00:38:11
Don't even bother auditioning.
00:38:12
Yeah.
00:38:13
Mike Terry, who works on our show, whom you met, he sent me his wife worked in the cat, worked for Deb Rilski.
00:38:23
I think it was.
00:38:24
Oh, yeah.
00:38:25
He sent me recently the, the list of people, and my name's on it, of people who were sent, you know, because I put my, I eventually put myself on tape here in New York.
00:38:33
I was doing a play in New York, and I was so bummed about being fired from this show the year before that I was like, I'm not going to do another done fuck fuck sitcoms.
00:38:40
I don't do that.
00:38:41
It's beneath me.
00:38:42
Like I kind of tried to flip it in my mind that I'm above it, because I'd been fired.
00:38:47
And anyway, so I went and I read for Deb Rilski, but Mike just sent me, I've got it in my office at home.
00:38:53
Wow.
00:38:54
Yeah.
00:38:55
The sign-in sheet or whatever.
00:38:56
He sent me the videotape of my actual audition for Michael Bluth, I've got it on my computer.
00:39:01
Wow.
00:39:02
Yeah.
00:39:03
And that was the last day you ate, right?
00:39:04
Like, and that's why you started.
00:39:05
Yeah.
00:39:06
I've been swimming ever since.
00:39:07
I just looked too puffy, you know.
00:39:11
Jim, I forgot that you were on that, on that Ellen show with Mitch that year before I remember that.
00:39:16
Yeah.
00:39:17
Yeah.
00:39:18
Martin Mull was on that show.
00:39:19
That was so, we loved Martin Mull.
00:39:22
It was so.
00:39:23
I mean, he was such a sweet guy.
00:39:24
He was a sweet guy.
00:39:26
And it was so bizarre to see this guy that I had watched on Fernwood tonight.
00:39:31
Yeah.
00:39:32
And Fernwood tonight was great.
00:39:33
I mean, it was just, and you know, I mean, I know I'm older than you guys, but like, you have to understand that was this, that was the bizarre, him and Fred Willard.
00:39:45
That was like my first exposure to like, bizarre comedy.
00:39:49
And they did like cutting edge super racy.
00:39:53
It was so clever because it was, yeah, I love that show.
00:39:57
Well, also, I had no idea that Martin Mull was this brilliant painter.
00:40:02
Like, he went to art school to be a painter.
00:40:05
And then he would just tell stories about Steve Martin, which was amazing because, you know, Jason, is that a mull behind you?
00:40:11
Yeah.
00:40:12
Yeah, yeah.
00:40:13
That's a mull right there.
00:40:14
A mull.
00:40:15
I got this one cheap.
00:40:16
Jim, tell me about like, unusual jobs before you got all this work when you were starting.
00:40:21
I started off, well, I studied finance, but then that's wild.
00:40:25
You went to school.
00:40:26
I was, I was a copywriter in an advertising agency and really, I, I think it was really helpful in learning some, you know, some word economy and efficiency of writing.
00:40:40
But it was, I was the weird guy in the corporate setting, like Jim's crazy, you know, like he's snapping in his room.
00:40:47
Meanwhile, I, you know, I got like three hours of sleep the night before.
00:40:52
But yeah, there was, I was definitely, I was the last of my friends to have a day job because I think the remnants of that retaining security had really stayed with me.
00:41:04
And I also knew that I didn't want to just do some horrible bar gigs and, you know, I tried to limit some of the humiliations where you keep up with financing.
00:41:17
Is that still like, kind of like a hobby of yours?
00:41:19
I did, I didn't really, I still, I don't know anything about finance.
00:41:24
And it's like, I went to college and I even shook around about that in my new special.
00:41:30
It's like, it's really sad.
00:41:33
I mean, I have middle schoolers and I look at their math and I'm like, or did they introduce new numbers?
00:41:40
Because I don't know what's going on.
00:41:44
And so, and also like, if I looked at the Wall Street Journal financial section, I wouldn't know.
00:41:49
And I probably, you know, passed a class in it.
00:41:52
Right.
00:41:53
Yeah.
00:41:54
Got it.
00:41:55
Right, right.
00:41:56
But speaking of your special, it's called The Skinny.
00:41:57
It's on Hulu right now.
00:41:58
Yes.
00:41:59
Yes.
00:42:00
And so this is number 11.
00:42:01
This is the 11th special.
00:42:02
Yeah.
00:42:03
Is that amazing?
00:42:04
It's crazy.
00:42:05
And I'm only 22.
00:42:06
Jim.
00:42:07
That's pretty impressive.
00:42:08
Yeah.
00:42:09
That's pretty cool.
00:42:10
The 11th of 22.
00:42:11
You've decided.
00:42:12
Yeah.
00:42:13
I'm only 22 years old.
00:42:14
No, he's only 22 years old.
00:42:15
Oh, oh, oh.
00:42:16
Yeah.
00:42:17
Where do you see, I mean, what do you, as a performer, do you see yourself as you sort of get older that you want to keep making special, do you like the process of making specials or do you get a thing?
00:42:28
You're like, I just want to act more because the specials, I've kind of, I've done 11 of them and I don't, or does it, where does the fire live?
00:42:36
It's all self assignment, right?
00:42:38
Like every aspect of this business, right?
00:42:41
There's, we have this notion that someone's in a sitting at a counter at a soda shop and someone comes up.
00:42:48
It's like, you have to like steer it.
00:42:50
You have to sit there and go, I want to do this.
00:42:53
And but what I love about writing stand up is that it's something I have control over.
00:43:01
So it's like, look, I would, you know, I would love it if I didn't have time to do it as much as I do, but, and I have turned down a fair amount of,
00:43:14
I mean, I love just complex characters and, you know, so if it's a good acting role, I'd love to do it, but like if it's, you know, some kind of silly comedy where I would have fun doing it,
00:43:27
but it wouldn't be something great, you know, I try not to, and also I have kids, so I have to be very selective on why I'm being out of town,
00:43:38
why I'm going out of town, meaning I got to make money, you know, but I do a lot of indies where I make nothing, you know.
00:43:43
Do you still go, do you still go and like jump on stage of the comedy show in a place like that?
00:43:48
Absolutely.
00:43:49
I try, you know, I, that's why we're still in New York City.
00:43:53
I mean, I wanted my kids to be New Yorkers, but also, I, you know, it's so great, I can just go and do a show at, you know, Gotham or, you know, the New York comedy club,
00:44:04
and I can be home and, you know, try and tear the screens away from the kids, you know?
00:44:09
Yeah, yeah.
00:44:10
Your life sounds frickin perfect.
00:44:11
I, I want to come back as Jim Gaffigan.
00:44:14
I know.
00:44:15
It's far from it.
00:44:16
But thank you.
00:44:17
What's your, what's your favorite non-comedy or non-businessy thing?
00:44:20
I know you love gardening.
00:44:21
Yes.
00:44:22
I do love gardening.
00:44:23
And where do you get a chance to do that downtown?
00:44:26
During the pandemic, we got a place in Westchester, and so, and they had some raised beds.
00:44:34
And I love that, but I love gardening and I, during the pandemic, I got into bourbon.
00:44:40
I just, if I'm talking to like three people in the entertainment industry, I assume two of you don't drink any longer, you know, but like, like, so I was like a beer guy.
00:44:52
And then during the pandemic, I kind of got into bourbon and then, I mean, we've all probably been approached, maybe you guys have a celebrity spirit,
00:45:03
but I didn't want to do that.
00:45:05
So but I have a buddy from Louisville and I was like, can't because it's some of merch is so bad.
00:45:11
So I was like, can't we just pick our own and do this?
00:45:14
And he's like, you might just end up with a bunch of barrels of, a bunch of bottles of bourbon.
00:45:18
And I'm like, that's fine.
00:45:20
So, I'm doing that until I go it, until I eventually join AA, I guess, three years.
00:45:26
I don't turn a profit first.
00:45:27
Yeah.
00:45:28
That's right.
00:45:29
If I say I went from beer and then I got into bourbon, it's like saying, like, I used to do coke and then I got into crap because I was like, you know, it's just like it.
00:45:37
Catamine is great.
00:45:38
It's just a starting point.
00:45:41
Well, they always say I'm drinking bourbon in the morning, but it's actually apple juice on the rocks.
00:45:46
Oh, there you go.
00:45:47
So it is.
00:45:48
By the way, every step of the way, Jim, Sean will out midwest you in every respect.
00:45:54
You can't believe.
00:45:55
Yeah.
00:45:56
You see how exciting he was when we was like, and you're from Oakmont, right?
00:46:00
Yeah.
00:46:01
You're over here.
00:46:02
I'm from 20 minutes away from there.
00:46:04
The world is like, in that fucking crazy, people are from places.
00:46:08
I'm always fascinated that people get out of the place they live to pursue their dreams in other places.
00:46:15
Sean, you got the courage.
00:46:16
I love the quick lunch.
00:46:17
Lunch today, Sean.
00:46:18
Really quick.
00:46:19
What's on the menu quickly?
00:46:20
Got it.
00:46:21
What's for lunch, mac and cheese?
00:46:22
He's chop and celery for the ex salad right now.
00:46:23
Yeah.
00:46:24
I think it's going to be.
00:46:25
So you can, so you can still eat like you're in third grade and a little bit.
00:46:31
A little bit.
00:46:32
A little bit.
00:46:33
Yeah.
00:46:34
I've always got a cookie pouch.
00:46:35
Sean, the cookie pouch.
00:46:36
I got a cookie pouch.
00:46:37
There it is.
00:46:38
There it comes.
00:46:39
Oh, there you go.
00:46:40
That's it.
00:46:41
That's my cookie pouch.
00:46:42
No, I thought it was growing up in the Midwest.
00:46:43
I was, I used to look around and be like, I mean, I know I wanted to be a farmer and everything, but like, sure.
00:46:48
I was like, oh, I think there's, I used to, oh, there's been a mistake.
00:46:53
I'm not supposed to be here.
00:46:54
I'm supposed to be in New York and, right.
00:46:56
And then I got to New York and I was like, oh, well, I'm finally home and they're like, you're the most Midwestern looking guy I've ever seen in my life.
00:47:03
Yeah.
00:47:04
So I realized how Midwestern I was when I, because we look plain.
00:47:09
We look plain.
00:47:10
We look plain.
00:47:11
We blend in.
00:47:12
Yeah.
00:47:13
And it's a sexiness.
00:47:14
Right.
00:47:15
Like when you think Midwestern, they think sex is, you know, you know, Tim Walls, sexy, you know.
00:47:20
It's not the overalls.
00:47:21
And let's get after it.
00:47:22
And be, oh, Sean, be honest, how long between now and when are you, I've, you started looking at rascals online, are you like what's being am I gonna get?
00:47:32
Yeah, yeah.
00:47:33
I'm just eating your way into a rascal right now.
00:47:36
Is that, is that the end goal?
00:47:37
You put special tires on that, max or anything, spinners.
00:47:41
Yeah.
00:47:42
Yeah.
00:47:43
Jim, you're the greatest.
00:47:44
Oh, it's actually, yeah.
00:47:45
Thanks for being here today.
00:47:46
It's a funny day.
00:47:47
Yeah.
00:47:48
Very nice of you to spend some time with us.
00:47:50
We're all big fans of you.
00:47:51
Yeah.
00:47:52
Yeah.
00:47:53
And next day, dinner, you know, when I wait to, you know, your table, please tip some of it's for the bus boys.
00:48:00
And we'll act like we're just going to pick it up next time next.
00:48:02
I'm going to pick it up all the time.
00:48:05
Would you, if, if we're ever here in New York again and we say, Hey, we're going to go to Strip House.
00:48:10
Would you join us?
00:48:11
I would totally do that.
00:48:12
Okay.
00:48:13
I'm going to see you at the, at Gotham first.
00:48:15
No, I love it because there's certain excuses like when I go out with Seinfeld, I'm like.
00:48:21
Like Jerry wants me to have pizza in my wife's like, I understand.
00:48:24
But if I'm just, you know, hanging out, you know, there has to be a reason behind it.
00:48:29
Yeah.
00:48:30
And you guys are, you know, very high status.
00:48:32
Wow.
00:48:33
Sure.
00:48:34
Yeah.
00:48:35
We're worth the cholesterol.
00:48:36
I love it.
00:48:37
Wow.
00:48:38
Jimmy, the skinny.
00:48:39
The skinny on Hulu.
00:48:40
Thanks for being here, pal.
00:48:41
We love you.
00:48:42
And thanks for making this laugh for so many 75 years.
00:48:45
Thanks, dude.
00:48:46
Yeah.
00:48:47
Thanks, Jim.
00:48:48
Thanks, Jim.
00:48:49
Well, I think you look 12.
00:48:53
Okay.
00:48:54
Thank you.
00:48:55
That's my opinion.
00:48:56
I can't believe he said that.
00:48:57
I really, I found it very hurtful.
00:48:58
And, you know, and he started, he came, kicked the door down with it.
00:49:01
Didn't he?
00:49:02
Yeah.
00:49:03
He started right out with it.
00:49:04
You know why?
00:49:05
I think he's got to crush on me.
00:49:06
Yeah.
00:49:07
You are a little intimidated, you know?
00:49:08
That's the way I got to, I got to frame it.
00:49:10
I'm proud of you for working right through that, you know.
00:49:12
That could erect the whole interview.
00:49:14
But no, you didn't let it happen.
00:49:16
I love that he, I love that he doubled down on it.
00:49:18
- He said, "I'll never know what the gap is."
00:49:20
- And he said, "It's my kind of joke.
00:49:22
It's my kind of joke."
00:49:22
- I love it.
00:49:23
- I love it.
00:49:24
- I love it.
00:49:25
- I love it.
00:49:25
- I love it.
00:49:26
- I love it.
00:49:26
- Dad.
00:49:27
(laughing)
00:49:29
- Mr.
00:49:29
Newsom.
00:49:30
- Mr.
00:49:30
Newsom.
00:49:31
- Oh, he's doing a new sitcom called Mr.
00:49:34
Newsom.
00:49:35
- Yeah, you know, you should send your headshot to Lauren Michaels if Newsom makes a run at it on the next election cycle.
00:49:41
- Oh my God.
00:49:41
- Oh my God.
00:49:42
- Election cycle.
00:49:43
- Is any, he's one of those guys, when you watch him doing a special, like you said, Jason, he's so calm.
00:49:51
- Yeah.
00:49:52
- Like he's not like a, he's not like allowed in your face kind of, right?
00:49:55
- Yeah, you see him, you just kind of start with a grin.
00:49:57
He doesn't need to be talking yet, you know?
00:50:01
- He's authentic and he's, and he's such a nice guy too.
00:50:05
- Oh my God, I love him.
00:50:06
- He's so nice.
00:50:07
- Yeah, I love him.
00:50:08
He's a huge fan.
00:50:09
I'm glad we had him.
00:50:10
I'm trying to think of a buy.
00:50:12
- Okay.
00:50:13
- And I looked up.
00:50:13
- Finally, seeing your honesty, finally by the way, look at this photo that just got sent.
00:50:18
- Oh my God.
00:50:19
- Is that Ricky?
00:50:20
- Wait, so you looked up synonyms or cinnamon treats.
00:50:25
I cut you off.
00:50:26
- What happened?
00:50:27
- I have two tabs open.
00:50:29
- Okay.
00:50:30
- Cinnabon's near me.
00:50:33
- By the way, that sounds so good.
00:50:39
- Right?
00:50:40
- Yeah, I love that.
00:50:40
- Well, just talk to your mac and cheese.
00:50:42
You guys can jump in a calf.
00:50:43
- Yeah.
00:50:44
- I love mac and cheese.
00:50:46
So there's like, there's via, there's through, there's a cross, there's a long, there's near, there's, there's a beyond.
00:50:53
There's also a bite.
00:50:53
- Oh synonyms to buy.
00:50:55
- Yeah.
00:50:56
- Right?
00:50:56
- Like, well, but what you did is you spelt it wrong.
00:50:59
- Oh, I did spelt it wrong.
00:51:00
- You need to, the problem is to be BYE.
00:51:02
- I did spelt it wrong.
00:51:04
Oh my God.
00:51:05
- Okay, ready?
00:51:06
So there's a few, take your time Sean.
00:51:09
- I'll leave it there.
00:51:10
- You need to put the word BYE into the BYE.
00:51:14
We don't need to send in him a rivet-air cheese not going to help you get to the BYE.
00:51:18
- Here's the thing, we've been doing it so long.
00:51:20
- Yeah.
00:51:21
- Right.
00:51:22
- And so the rain's out.
00:51:23
- Yeah, you want to believe that.
00:51:24
So whatever we come up with, fine, but for our audience, we just got to make sure that they BYE.
00:51:30
- Oh man, that's not common.
00:51:32
- BYE.
00:51:32
- That's good, that's really good.
00:51:41
- Smartless is 100% organic and artisanally handcrafted by Michael Grant Terry,
00:51:59
Rob Armjarve, and Bennett Barberco.
00:52:07
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00:52:17