Full Transcript for Impractical Jokers' Joe Gatto Gets Vulnerable About His Marriage & Starting Over | Dropouts EP 05

it. But it depends on his, what's his reading level? 00:02:28 Speaker 2: He's actually brilliant. That sucks. Yeah, you can't change the name. He's solving the Rubik's Cubes. He's nine years old. 00:02:33 Speaker 1: He would definitely know if you changed his name. I gave him options though. Okay, so he came out the one we thought we were going to name him Ace. 00:02:40 Speaker 2: Because I love to gamble. And a horn high ace is my thing. And I love an ace, right? Smart. So I thought ace was a funny name. Degenerate addictions are amazing to name your children. But keep going. My son Budweiser. So I'm going to name him Ace. But then there's this thing where you meet your kid, right? Like you saw him. And he was just like a little husky fella. An ace in field, right? Yeah. 00:02:58 Speaker 1: So I was like, oh, it looks like a Vito or a Gino. But I'm not going to name him Gino Gatto. Like I'm not doing that. And then the name Remo came up. And the full thing of Remo was Remington. So I was like, okay, Remington's super versatile. So we named him Remington Joseph. So he could go by Remington Gatto if he becomes a lawyer, right? RJ if he becomes like a lacrosse player or Remo if he becomes like an enforcer for the mob. 00:03:17 Speaker 2: Or like Lil. 00:03:19 Speaker 3: Noodle in case things get weird. Weird in case he gets into the, you know, the rapping market. 00:03:25 Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure. Lil Noodle. Do you ever think you'd get into the rapping market? I used to try to freestyle. You got a quick brain. I bet you're good at it. 00:03:31 Speaker 1: So my claim to fame was Hot 97 in New York. It was the hip hop radio station growing up. 00:03:36 Speaker 2: They used to do a call in and you do a roll call with Ed Lover. 00:03:40 Speaker 1: And I always sat on this thing and we always laugh about it because I still remember it. They say, where are you calling from or what city or whatever. And I would say, my name is Joe. I kick the funky flow. I rock your ass from. 00:03:52 Speaker 2: Here to Idaho. Hey. And that was my thing. I just rested on those laurels. Listen, and I just want to be honest. And I would just ride the rest of the day in silence. I would have to because my day would have been ruined. No, I'm just kidding. No, that's a good way to start a morning, a little funk. 00:04:09 Speaker 1: It's scary because some people can do it so well, that freestyle stuff. That's a different level for me. 00:04:14 Speaker 2: I have that talent. Do you really? Yeah, give me a new word. Parsnip. All right. A little bit tougher words. I was playing with her nip. I was parsnip. Do you mind if I take three to six weeks and then come back? Will you get back to me? Well, we can cut it in. We can cut it in? It's just going to be... You mean a different shirt and a solo? It's just, unfortunately, one of us died. We're like, oh, yeah, but we had to do it. We'll have to AI it. 00:04:44 Speaker 3: Even if I do have a dead body, I do want to tell the producers to, like, fill my dead casket and then put a cool wrap of me over it, if you don't mind. 00:04:50 Speaker 2: Nice. Do you want to be buried with anything? 00:04:53 Speaker 3: Honestly, don't bury me. Just put me on top of the ground. I think that's what I want to do. Yeah, I think it should be like an artful experience. You know, this was. 00:05:02 Speaker 2: Installation. Yeah. Are you scared of death in any way? 00:05:06 Speaker 1: I wouldn't say I'm scared of death. I became aware of my mortality when I had kids. I think like really quick. My dad died when I was young. So I was always like, you could die tomorrow. Didn't matter kind of thing. So, but when I had my kids, I was like, oh, wow. And I started like worrying about like... cholesterol and being like a little bit more mindful of some of the activity stuff i would do as far as like daredevil-y kind of thing. 00:05:27 Speaker 2: So so you're met with death early and that took out the sting for you. 00:05:31 Speaker 4: It was just interesting 100 always a joke about how old was my dad i was uh 19 just 19 i was like 18 basically my dad uh pancreatic cancer so when he died like my mom had a full like complete like her version of it was like okay all right Let's go. 00:05:48 Speaker 2: You know, he's, he's gone, but it doesn't mean you could just live your life. It doesn't mean life's over. And she lived a very full life. My mom. That's amazing. I mean, I can't imagine. 00:05:55 Speaker 3: I think that is my greatest fear is having someone you consider your true partner where it's like someone that holds all of my memories, maybe even more memories than I can even remember of myself and themselves and us together. 00:06:13 Speaker 2: And then losing that person. That got dark. No, yeah, but it's true. 00:06:17 Speaker 1: I think about that, too, with my aunts and uncles, right? Because they're the vault of, like, the older, like, things. Like, when you want to know about your history and stuff, because I have a weird family history stuff, and it's like, when you want to go to those people, and then when they're gone, it's gone, right? 00:06:29 Speaker 2: And then it's all, like, hearsay. It's like, well, I think he told me this kind of thing. 00:06:33 Speaker 3: And they have those books, but I just kind of feel bad giving it to, like, my grandpa. 00:06:38 Speaker 2: It's like... I mean, you're in your eighties. So let's write down a couple of memories so I can read them later and then forget that exists and we'll lose the book and get a coffee stain on it. Yeah. I keep a book for my kids. Actually. 00:06:50 Speaker 1: I have a journal that I wrote just for my kids that when I don't get, when I die, do they know that they do, they. 00:06:56 Speaker 2: Do, they don't say it. 00:06:57 Speaker 1: I don't have it, but it's all, it's literally anything and everything. I think I'd want to leave my children. I think that's the one thing I missed out about. My dad was like, what would be

cool to be able to hear from it literally has my favorite movies and then it goes into how to deal with something heavy and then it goes to like what i think the most important values are and then it goes into like top songs you should know for karaoke and like it's just literally all over a drawing like if i'll just jot down a drawing it's really so like uh top of mind just like free kind of thing i mean those certain things. 00:07:26 Speaker 3: Are so valuable as as i get older they become more and more valuable of the memories and the lessons and the things I can learn from the people that I have in my life. And I think that will be a big regret that I have if I don't ask more questions. And I don't know, it's like, like, I don't know how my grandpa and grandma met. It's like, I bet that's like a, such a beautiful story or it's such a little story, but because it's little, it's also beautiful. Um, I, my, one of my grandmothers, I kind of knew was on the way out. Um, and I could sense for whatever reason, this was her last time of like cognitive performance. Um, so without her knowing, and this isn't, this isn't something I was ever going to post. So it didn't feel as invasive, but I just like, I put up a phone, um, and recorded and just kind of asked her so many questions. 00:08:27 Speaker 2: About her life. 00:08:29 Speaker 3: Cause I just wanted her to like be raw. And then she started like talking crap about family members. I'm like, well, can't show this at the wake. 00:08:36 Speaker 1: Um, yeah, my, uh, my dad was in hospice actually. So he lived at home when he was passing away. 00:08:41 Speaker 2: How, how, I guess how long from they gave him, they gave him, they gave him three months. 00:08:46 Speaker 1: He had listed six, but this is so my father, my father, as soon as it happened, I was 18 years old. As soon as it happened, he's like, all right, we're going to Vegas. He's like, oh, my bucket list was to play blackjack with my son. He's like, we're going to Vegas, get a fake ID. 00:08:56 Speaker 2: I'm 18. I'm a geek. I don't know anything. I don't even know where to get a fake ID. 00:08:59 Speaker 1: So I finally, I get one, whatever, from a friend of a friend in high school. 00:09:03 Speaker 2: I mean, but that must have been the coolest thing your dad could have said. It was so cool. The trip was unbelievable. 00:09:09 Speaker 1: It was like, I really haven't talked about most of this stuff, so. But my dad, so he had pancreatic cancer in the time. It was like 1990. My dad died in 95. So it was like 95. So I'm still figuring out a lot of stuff about cancer back then, right? 00:09:21 Speaker 2: Can I say a dark joke? Yeah, sure. I was born in 95. Really? If I'm your father, that's crazy. Maybe that's why we clicked. Okay, okay. Where were you born? Wait, I was born in Vegas. I'm not joking at all. Okay. But we also met over poker. Okay, it doesn't matter. Keep going. Wait, what was your birthday? September 4th. Don't. It's not. So don't let it. My father died September 2nd. Swear? Swear to God. September 2nd, 1995. Holy cow, that's so weird. How do we never put this together? I don't know, but you're grounded. That's over. No, that's okay. Look, sorry for derailing. It was just, that's not a derailment. Yeah. Okay. So he's like, I'm taking my son. He's like, well, he talked to the kids, everybody. 00:10:04 Speaker 1: He booked my, my two sisters, I have two older sisters and they have husbands and boyfriends, whatever at that time. And then we went to, and then we go to Vegas and the doctors at that time, like my dad was such a people person. 00:10:16 Speaker 2: Right. 00:10:16 Speaker 1: And my, the doctor was like, look, you're going to Vegas. He's like, This thing isn't really cleared by anybody, but it should make you feel better. And he gives him this pill. And my father goes and he starts popping this experimental pill that was like in human trials. And it just works on him. Because the thing with pancreatic cancer, my dad. 00:10:32 Speaker 2: Loved to eat. And you can't really eat. He's like on a tube or whatever. And all of a sudden, this pill just did something to him that he was able to eat. He was literally dipping pizza in a barbecue sauce. He's like, they're wrong. I don't have cancer. Like that kind of thing, right? Do you remember the hotel? Yeah, we stayed at the Rio. Okay, great. When it just opened, I think. Yeah. 00:10:51 Speaker 1: And it was, my dad had like, he had like the big scar on his stomach and he was, I had a lot of a sense of humor and he had this big star on his stomach and he's just sitting there and these little kids like swim by and saw like the scar. 00:11:00 Speaker 2: And they just like looked at him and he's like, shark bite. Hell yeah. Like, oh yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:11:05 Speaker 1: But so he had this thing and we had just such a great, trip together but when he was at home in hospice and he started fading i literally went in with a notebook and i think this is probably where i got it from putting saying this all out loud and you don't know what to ask your dad when he's done right and i literally had asked him like how do i close the pool during the winter like you know like that was my big question and stuff you know and then as you become a father and go through all this shit in life there's so many more important questions or many things that you'd want to do you know and get answers for. 00:11:33 Speaker 2: Yeah, but I don't know. 00:11:34 Speaker 3: There was probably something deeper in your mind that you didn't even realize at the time. You were probably trying to take care of the family in such a way because it's like that's a thing that dad did was like make sure that that was okay for winter. 00:11:46 Speaker 2: Yeah. So maybe it was just like your way of being like– Man of the house kind of. Yeah. I got you, dad. I'll take you over. Was it a strange experience? 00:11:56 Speaker 3: I guess growing up, a lot of people

see their fathers as the hero, the strongest man that's ever existed and then– maybe to see him weaken at that time, was that different? 00:12:07 Speaker 2: That's not something that registers with me, really. No. 00:12:09 Speaker 1: The thing that was the most, honestly, was like the eating, right? Because like big Italian family always around. He also, he used to love to watch me eat because like when I got older, like I started like eating like everything. 00:12:20 Speaker 2: I wasn't a picky eater. 00:12:21 Speaker 1: So my dad, that was like a weird thing, like to not be able to like eat with him and that stuff. 00:12:26 Speaker 2: But then he would be like bedridden. So, and his bedroom was. 00:12:29 Speaker 1: Next to my room. We had an old house in Staten Island. It was like a railroad room, you know what that is? So they had to walk through my bedroom to get to theirs. 00:12:36 Speaker 2: Really? So it was like literally the next door to their room. 00:12:38 Speaker 1: So my dad, he would just be in the bed and I would hear like the stuff in his room as I was sleeping. 00:12:42 Speaker 2: So that was kind of weird to get used to. But also it happened so quick, right? Like if you think about it, like six months is insane. It's nothing. Yeah, it's nothing. 00:12:50 Speaker 3: Did you always have like the hope of like, oh, it's just going to go away? Or were you kind of, were you immediately. 00:12:56 Speaker 2: Understanding me like this is the circumstance. Let's make the best of the situation. I think that's what the that's what the family did That's great circle. The is it is that just kind of your mom's? Yeah, she was position. 00:13:07 Speaker 1: Well, it was more him My dad was like we're gonna ride this thing out because they're like we could give you chemo blah blah He's like look what's that gonna give me? 00:13:13 Speaker 2: He's like is it gonna kill me? They're like no, it's too far advanced. He goes. 00:13:16 Speaker 1: All right So I'd be sick for two years or could I die in six months and be okay and have good four months and So. 00:13:21 Speaker 2: That's, it was like, that's why I did. And he literally did that. Like we went to Vegas, he was up and about, you know, and everything. 00:13:26 Speaker 1: He was only bedridden for maybe, maybe a month and a half and then gone, you know, this kind of thing. 00:13:32 Speaker 3: What was your mom's transition into taking care of the family? Or, I mean, I can't imagine her internal struggles, but I... From the way you're speaking, she really stepped up to the plate. 00:13:43 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, my oldest sister was already married. Oh, nice. Bigger age difference? Six years. Oh, nice. 00:13:50 Speaker 1: So the middle sister was just in college, right, doing her thing and had a boyfriend or whatever. 00:13:55 Speaker 2: So she was in college. 00:13:56 Speaker 1: And I was literally going back to my sophomore year of college on September 4th, the day we were born. 00:14:04 Speaker 2: Yeah, literally. 00:14:05 Speaker 1: Or maybe it was September 5th or whatever it was. It was the day after we buried him. I had to go back to college. And I told my mom, I'm not going back to college. I can't leave you. 00:14:11 Speaker 2: And she goes, and she was like, you're going to college. She was like, your father would want that. You're going to college. What are you going to do here? I don't need you. I have my job. I'm in the house kind of thing. And I was local too. I went to school out on Long Island. 00:14:23 Speaker 1: So she very quickly created a new life for herself. She had a boyfriend pretty quickly. 00:14:31 Speaker 2: Was that okay with you? Absolutely. Yeah. She was young, 54 years old. Yeah. 00:14:35 Speaker 1: It's crazy to be a widow at 54. And they had to, my family was very open. My dad talked about it and he's like, look, you're good. He's like, he would joke around. He was like, look, he's like, you just can't get married. He's like, you know, I'm always your husband. 00:14:44 Speaker 2: She's like, I don't need another husband. You know, that kind of thing. She never got married again, but. 00:14:47 Speaker 1: She like dated and stuff, but she just like enjoyed, like she would love to like, just like go out and have fun and stuff. So she was still very young and very active. And I think that actually helped her that she was able to do that. 00:14:59 Speaker 2: So we were all. 00:15:01 Speaker 1: Embraced that kind of thing. Like, Hey mom, you know, what are we doing? She'd be like, Hey, I want to go to Aruba. And she would say, and we're like, okay. Cause my dad, my dad was an insurance salesman and he definitely fakes some paperwork. Like when he died, my mom came to some, like some serious cash and he was like, definitely backdated some shit. 00:15:16 Speaker 5: He's just like, yeah, me and my son did well in Vegas. You know, it's like, he's like, he had like, she got left like crazy insurance, life insurance policies. I didn't know where, like, she was like, we didn't have this much money. And so she was like, Hey, I want to, I want to celebrate your dad. 00:15:30 Speaker 2: Let's go to Aruba. And so we were like, okay. 00:15:33 Speaker 1: And we like booked an Aruba trip and we took my grandmother with us and everybody. My grandmother and my mother became widows at. 00:15:39 Speaker 2: The same time. 00:15:39 Speaker 1: My grandfather died three days before. He had something with his lymph nodes, I think it was, or whatever. It came quick. 00:15:44 Speaker 2: And he was like, he was sickly, but then he was just like, oh, he's in the hospital? Oh, he's dead. It was like one of those. And then three days later, my father passed. And so my grandmother and mother became like best friends, like crazy. Like they were like the widows. They were hysterical together, you know? 00:16:00 Speaker 1: My grandma looked like Mrs. Claus, a little fat, a tiny little big rosy cheek, super fun. And they would just go on

vacations together. And she's like, we want to go to Aruba. Let's go to Aruba. So we all went to Aruba and all hung out in Aruba. My mom lived a very fun life of celebrating that. 00:16:15 Speaker 2: You never know what's going to get, it's going to be over kind of thing. Yeah, I mean, that's beautiful. 00:16:19 Speaker 3: And her ability to transition and kind of still live life, I think is pretty powerful because obviously that's what your father wanted. And how did that immediately maybe affect your like, It doesn't have to be like a negative, but did you have maybe stronger passions of I've got to try out the things I'm really interested in because. 00:16:40 Speaker 2: Does it matter? Like, you know what I mean? 00:16:41 Speaker 1: In the moment, I mean, if I reflect on it, you can look back and think. But I think in the moment, I was just like taking it all day by day. I was in college getting an accounting degree knowing I didn't want to be an accountant. I was getting an accounting degree because my dad said be an accountant. Because he's like, what company do you want to work for? 00:16:54 Speaker 2: I was like, I don't know. He's like, guess what every company has? He goes, an accountant. He's like, you get in the door and then you figure out what you want to do, which was a pretty good, solid plan. Right. But I couldn't see myself and my personality being in a cubicle. Yeah. So I was like, I don't want to do this. So when I graduated college, I had this accounting degree and I was like, I'm not going to be an accountant. 00:17:10 Speaker 3: Was that, was that hard to transition out of his wish though? It's like, okay, this is my dad thought I was going to be this and now he doesn't know what I'm going to be. 00:17:18 Speaker 2: So it's weird to transfer. No, he was always super supportive, but he was very business oriented. 00:17:24 Speaker 1: My father was a businessman and was like, you know, How are you going to provide for your family? 00:17:28 Speaker 2: That's it. Yeah. Like that kind of thing. 00:17:29 Speaker 1: Like, how are you going to provide for your family? What's your, your kind of plan thing? So I always had a plan mentality. So when I had to drop the plan to chase the dream, that was a big thing for me to be like, shit, I'm going to, how am I going to do this? Did you go into sales immediately or what was? No, when I moved out here to LA. So the drop in the, I quit my consulting job and then I moved to LA to chase the dream. So I moved out here and then I started working at Nordstrom's and that was it. And that was in 2003. When did the dream manifest? Because it felt like when you left college, it's like, I don't know, maybe what I want to do. What was, I guess, the ember that eventually became like the flame of the career? Well, it hasn't manifested yet because I always wanted to make a movie. Like movies are my thing. I want to be a director, make film. That's why I got into entertainment. The comedy was always a side hustle and fun. And then when that manifested and became like an option, I had to decide, okay, what am I going to do? Am I going to quit the sales job because I had built a career in sales? And like, which was my second career. My first career was in consulting. My second career was in sales. And my third career is in. 00:18:28 Speaker 2: Entertainment, you know? 00:18:30 Speaker 1: So I was like, okay, am I going to leave this? I just rebuilt this thing again. Am I going to try it again? Lose this all again? You know, so I built this whole thing for five years and lost. Built this whole thing for five years and lost it and took another. When I say lost, I mean transitioned. 00:18:41 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know? And then I moved into the entertainment thing. 00:18:44 Speaker 1: So when we went into the show, I was like, I'm not an actor. 00:18:49 Speaker 2: I'm not funny when I'm not being me. I don't consider myself a funny actor, you know? Um, I can do character stuff. Sure. I can do sketchy stuff. Yeah. But I'm not like, you know, we tried a couple of. 00:18:58 Speaker 1: Shows that failed where we like playing caricatures of ourselves. 00:19:01 Speaker 2: Was this before Jokers? Before Jokers. 00:19:03 Speaker 3: Yeah. 00:19:03 Speaker 2: So how many, so as a group you came together and put some pilots together? What was, yeah. Can you talk about that? Yeah. 00:19:09 Speaker 1: So when I moved back from New York in 05, we started our whole thing and then we did a bunch of sketch comedy stuff, whatever we built. 00:19:17 Speaker 2: We got a spike TV pilot. Oh, wow. Where we played characters of ourselves, which was our true story, you know? Did you all move out to L.A. together? No, nobody moved out. Well, Cueley's lived down here for a little bit, but they were New York-based. Gotcha, gotcha. And when we signed the, we're true, we were like, we're not leaving New York. Oh, wow. We, like, didn't want to leave. It was like, our whole families are here, our whole life is here. Yeah. 00:19:36 Speaker 1: So we said, we're true, we want to film this in New York, which is such a good thing, I think, because New York people made the show so. 00:19:44 Speaker 2: You know. I mean, that's another character in itself. 00:19:47 Speaker 1: Even the city, just the pulse of the city, and also just the... uh, the magnitude of chances of people, this guy doesn't work. There's somebody around the corner that might, you know, how many shows did you try to pitch before two? We had two failed pilots, one pilot. 00:19:59 Speaker 2: We did borrow. So one, one pilot we got hired for, and we did with spike. It didn't go. 00:20:03 Speaker 1: And then one we did for Fox, which was kind of a self-funded kind of thing that we had. 00:20:08 Speaker 2: What was the premise? 00:20:09 Speaker 1: Uh, It was the craziness of Staten Island. So we were the tenderloins and it was like, it was called Meet the Tenderloins. And it was the premise of it was we spent a

day in a hospital in Staten Island and our four, Q was a fireman in real life. So Q goes into the hospital because he had smoke inhalation. And then he meets this kid. I pretend I'm a doctor. 00:20:31 Speaker 2: Murray likes a hot nurse. and pretends to be the magician that's been on the show. Was it scripted or under-scripted? Scripted. Wow. 00:20:38 Speaker 1: And then Sal falls asleep in the waiting room and wakes up with breasts. 00:20:44 Speaker 2: So it was just the zaniness and craziness to stand on. Really funny, really well done. I was really proud of it. I liked it a lot. 00:20:50 Speaker 1: But it was a little ahead of its time, a little really out there, like a mix of it all. 00:20:56 Speaker 2: It's kind of always sunny-ish. 00:20:58 Speaker 1: Yeah. 00:20:58 Speaker 2: Did you ever see the light of day? Did you guys ever post it? I don't think it went anywhere. I don't know. There might be clips of it somewhere. 00:21:06 Speaker 1: Recently, crazy old clips of us are coming up because we have a huge digital footprint. 00:21:11 Speaker 2: You know, we've been around since MySpace, you know. So I don't know if that ended up anywhere. 00:21:16 Speaker 1: But then we had our last shot. Murray was working in TV and they were finding out about like the one in a prank show kind of thing. 00:21:23 Speaker 2: And then we're like, well, what's our version of it? And then we just started talking. I was like, well, look, we just make each other laugh this way. Let's see how it goes. And we literally, cell phones made a sizzle. The rest is history, you know. 00:21:33 Speaker 3: Yeah, I guess the whole time while you were doing it, the success can be a little– it can be intoxicating. But I guess if it's not– not that you didn't enjoy it, not that it didn't give you so many successes. But if there's something like lurking in the back of like a true obsession of something you're so interested in, did it feel at times the more successful it got, the more distant you felt from actually what you wanted to do? 00:21:56 Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, but not– Not in a negative way. Not in a negative way? Yeah. Exactly. It's like, okay, this is a blessing, but it's like, you'll constantly have that thing talking to you. It's like, you know you have a passion. Yeah. Yeah. 00:22:08 Speaker 1: It always created opportunity, though. And then when we made our Impractical Jokers movie, like, I wanted to direct it, and. 00:22:13 Speaker 2: They wouldn't let me. Just the studio? Yeah. The network. And I was like, I want to direct it. I was like, we're talking about our movie. Like, let me direct it. And they're like, no, we have to get a director to do it. And then we had to get a director. And then I was like... I was like, this is, that really upset me because I was like, this is my fucking thing. I built all this. I felt like I was building toward a moment. Yeah. You know, I was like, let me direct this thing, you know. 00:22:33 Speaker 1: But then I ended up having a great time and I learned a lot in the movie and I felt it was good. And, you know, I liked our director, but it was just like, I felt like that was it. And then when that didn't happen, I was like, all right, well, now I just have to make it happen on my own. And I got into screenwriting, which I had done a little bit, but I liked it a lot. And then I got to write some great scripts, and I really enjoyed that whole part of the process. So I guess the side product was me not being able to direct. It made me be like, all right, what movie do I want to direct? 00:22:56 Speaker 2: And I think a lot of what we talked about is your interest in going to horror, actually. Yeah. Where does that stem from? I didn't necessarily even like horrors. I'm not going to be. 00:23:08 Speaker 1: One of those guys who's like, oh, I loved horror. I liked horror movies. I loved movies my whole life. Horror I got into because of my wife. My wife is a huge horror fan, hates comedy, which is so funny. 00:23:16 Speaker 2: And I. 00:23:18 Speaker 1: You know, never really into horrors. But then there's some really good, like, stories. And you see, like, the success of comedians inside horror. And it's like there's definitely parallels. 00:23:27 Speaker 2: To it, right? You know, you have. Well, I think it's such a timing thing. 00:23:31 Speaker 3: I've had friends, you know, Curry and Cooper, who, you know, were amazing comedians online that I knew beforehand. And then, you know, they make Obsession. And it's, you can just tell that the care of timing was by a comedian. And it's, you know, you're almost, like, switching out. scares for laughs. So there's a really beautiful storytelling technique from comedians when they switch over to horror. 00:23:57 Speaker 2: But yeah, so she got you into it? So I started watching more horror because she liked them. Were you just scared like, oh, this is going to keep me up at night? Or were you just not interested? Just not interested in the stories. I felt like the stories were, I'm not a big. 00:24:09 Speaker 1: Jump scare guy. I feel like the jump scare kind of thing was, well, in the beginning, I was like, this is, you know, it just feels like a crutch. It doesn't feel like there's any story. But then when you realize it was like, Three friends in a cabin kind of thing, you know. And then I saw some ones and I was like, oh, these are really like good movies by themselves, Barbarian. You know, they're just good films, you know. And I was like, this is great, like Obsession. As soon as I saw it, I like went around the line. I was like, go see the movie. I don't care if you don't like horrors. 00:24:31 Speaker 2: It's an amazing film. It's just great. 00:24:34 Speaker 1: The story of it is just insane. So I was, those kind of things were like inside me. And then I got a script from a good friend of mine. I think you know Jiggy, Mark Jagardian. He was a stand-up comic-y. open for me we're on the road together for a long time

he's like hey I had this kind of horror script and he sent it to me and it was a very it was a script but it was a great act one and I was like can I take this and write something and I was just inspired by a story and we wrote this great script that I love and that was like one of my first horrors but before that I even had an idea for a comedy and I got hooked up with a screenwriter through my agency and they were like hey work with somebody to do it because I didn't know exactly how to you know craft the whole thing and the punctuation. There's learning to be done. I wrote a great comedy and then I had this idea for an action movie. Now I have multiple scripts and I have different things and I just enjoy it. 00:25:24 Speaker 3: Is it hard to get people to take you seriously in that space? I can imagine, especially when something becomes so iconic, again, not to take away from all the things it helped with because obviously it was more blessing than anything else, but it does pigeonhole you to where. 00:25:41 Speaker 2: You're the Sprint guy. Just go make us laugh, dude. What are you talking about? It's like, what. 00:25:45 Speaker 1: Anything I'm trying to do outside of, like, hidden camera has always been. 00:25:49 Speaker 2: Which, I mean. 00:25:51 Speaker 1: It's interesting because the show is so not a hidden camera. It's so not a... It's labeled as, like, a hidden camera reality TV show. And it's really a scripted hidden camera comedy. Like, everything is so well thought out, so well produced, so much work goes behind the scenes, you know? Because just because there's so many of those iconic moments where you just, something happens and because of our improv background, we're like, oh, we're going to go with that. Like that Dave Jacob clip. I don't know if you know about this Dave Jacobs thing, but there was this guy playing this stupid thing in a, playing this stupid game in the supermarket where you just have to get somebody to have your back if the security guard's going to come, which is our guy. 00:26:29 Speaker 2: Yeah. And just, they have to warn you with a silly word. Yell bonanza, you know, whatever, whatever. 00:26:34 Speaker 1: And you have to talk to these people, right? And Q goes up to this guy and he's this, It's just such a character. It's in Brooklyn or whatever. And he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, what's your name? 00:26:42 Speaker 2: He's like, oh, Brian. He goes, oh, I'm Dave Jacobs. He goes, and Dave goes, how old do you think I am? It's a Q. And Q goes, I don't know, what, 57? He goes, try it in 20 years. I'm 77 years old. And all of a sudden, immediately we know we have a character. This guy's phenomenal. Right? So he starts talking to him and he goes, he goes, I'm, you know, he goes, I'm a superhuman athlete. And as soon as I say that in the back, I go. A superhuman athlete, right? 00:27:03 Speaker 1: And he takes out out of his pocket, he has a folded up newspaper article that he's showing Q. 00:27:07

Speaker 2: He's talking about it on YouTube. He just has it on him. He's like showing it to him, you know, whatever. And we're like, oh my God. So I come up with a bit. 00:27:14 Speaker 1: I'm like, this is hysterical. I was like, give me a second. I go out and Q is talking to him. I go, holy shit, Dave Jacobs. And he goes, well, can I shake your hand, man? 00:27:21 Speaker 2: First time this ever happened. And he goes, of course. I said, superhuman athlete. He goes, what? Oh, you're putting me on. And then, of course, the game starts. Sal follows. Murr follows. 00:27:29 Speaker 1: We do this whole thing. We take a selfie with him when we go. And that moment is just like, you can't write that. 00:27:34 Speaker 2: No. It happens. 00:27:35 Speaker 1: It comes from seasoned comedians and improvisers that know the game instantly kind of thing, right? So that kind of stuff is what people know and see. And they think that is always what we're doing. But a lot of it is just pre-planned. 00:27:46 Speaker 3: And also probably they see it as, oh, throw these guys in a room and– it's probably easy. They'll just go shoot for 20 minutes and something funny will happen. 00:27:55 Speaker 2: It's like, they don't understand. It's like all the setups and like you're waiting nine hours. Oh yeah. 00:27:59 Speaker 3: It's like all that to get, you know, 20, 40 minutes, whatever it is. But afterwards, uh, I assume you guys have that guy signed something. And then was he a good sport? 00:28:08 Speaker 2: It was a great sport. 00:28:08 Speaker 3: Yeah. 00:28:09 Speaker 2: He's like, Oh, I love it. I love it. Yeah. He was like, Oh, he's like, he's like, people are going to see this. And it was like, you know, we had to tell him what the show was, but well, no, that's, I mean, it is Admiral though. 00:28:17 Speaker 3: Like regardless of, your ability to walk away from something when you know a true passion somewhere else. I think a lot of people, um, not even on a smaller scale, but in the life that they currently have, that's maybe not in front of the public eye. Don't take those chances where it's, you know, taking a bet on themselves. They know they're not happy and they know they're, they're living through something. Um, where it's not their true authentic self, but it's almost scarier to the process of starting something new than it is to live 40 years in something you don't enjoy. 00:28:58 Speaker 2: Yeah. 00:28:59 Speaker 1: I think that comes, that stems from like a lot of talk, you know, my dad, I think that stems from that. 00:29:03 Speaker 2: You know, my dad was a very played it safe kind of guy though. 00:29:05 Speaker 1: You know, where as when I was like, I'm going to move to LA, I don't know anybody, 2003, I quit my job, packed up and came to LA and I was, you know, working at Nordstrom, sharing, Canes of Tuna with my friend Justin, you know, living together, who I met at Nordstrom. I didn't know anybody out here, you know. And then when I go there, I build up this whole career, getting six figures, training program manager for this 12-store retail company. 00:29:26 Speaker 2: And then I'm like, no, I'm going to take this thing. 00:29:29 Speaker 1: I remember going to talk to the CEO and I was like, I took my two weeks vacation to film the pilot. Then they come back like, okay, we want a season. We need you for six months. So I go to my CEO at the time, Allie. She's a super wonderful lady. I said, hey, I'm going to need a six-month hiatus. 00:29:42 Speaker 2: She goes, oh, so you're quitting? I said, no, it's a hiatus. She's like, no, you're going to go be a TV star. I said, no, that doesn't happen. Lightning in a bottle. It doesn't happen to people. I was prepared to be like, I'm just going to come back to this. Did you never think it was going to happen? No. 00:29:58 Speaker 3: I guess what kept you pursuing it then? 00:30:01 Speaker 2: It was fun. Okay. 00:30:03 Speaker 1: Comedy on the side, I was able to do both. I didn't have to make a choice until I had to. 00:30:07 Speaker 2: So you were pretty content with, yeah, this is something I do. This is my hobby. 00:30:13 Speaker 1: Improv comedy, sketch comedy, putting up this stuff, editing. I got to direct our sketches. I got to edit those sketches. I told myself how to edit. 00:30:21 Speaker 3: I think that contentness, though, gives you an ability to probably be more free in the moment where if you don't have the bigger expectations, you're probably more authentic in what you're producing. Sometimes I struggle to live in the day-to-day and it's like I have a lot of these lofty ambitions and I feel like I'm almost wiping my memory clean of each day because I'm like, okay, this is like a means to it, like the really big things I want to do and I'm trying to get a lot better at understanding this moment is just as important as a giant movie that has all the money. 00:31:06 Speaker 1: I just got into the whole mindfulness thing about taking care of the moment kind of thing over the past two years. It's really just been like, this is the moment you're in right now. Because I've always been wondering about when is that. 00:31:17 Speaker 2: You're always building. Ambition is a thing, right? It's a curse, ambition. It is. 00:31:20 Speaker 1: If you're an ambitious person, you're playing the balance of not being happy with what you have, knowing that you want. 00:31:27 Speaker 2: To do greater. kind of thing, you know? So it's, it's, it's tough to do that. 00:31:31 Speaker 3: I have a cousin and, um, and this is like, this is in a very positive way. He works, you know, he's worked at Taco Bell. He's worked as, um, uh, changing oil. And I'm so envious of his brain because he is, he's so happy in that instance and so content. And those aren't negative things to work at, but it's just, it's just like, sometimes I can get into Again, the running after ambition that I'm not as currently in the moment as he is. He'll probably see something and really

stare at it and just enjoy his day rather than the constant, what can I be doing next to improve? 00:32:10 Speaker 2: What can I be blah, blah, blah? So, yeah, people that are content are really inspiring to me. There's a jealousy for it. 00:32:21 Speaker 3: For the college football championship, I'm taking Georgia. And you might be like, you're just picking Georgia. A really good team. And to that I'll say no. I used to live near Athens and I used to be a bouncer. 00:32:31 Speaker 2: Zach, you've got such small arms. How'd you keep anybody out from the bar? I'll tell you what, if someone was really. 00:32:36 Speaker 3: Scary and they looked like they had a fake ID and could beat me up, I would just let them in. I don't know what that pertains to my pick, but just let me know. I've been around Georgia. And I've seen. 00:32:43 Speaker 2: Them big old boys out in them bars and them boys are going to come in and they're going to attack with other ones. 00:32:50 Speaker 3: Anyway, Georgia's, I grew up in Georgia, so I'm going to pick Georgia. Kalshi is an exchange where you can trade on what you think will happen across sports, politics, culture, whatever really is on your mind. You're going up against other traders directly, so there's no house setting the odds or taking their big cut. It's just people putting their money behind their opinion. If the market changes, you can cash out for a profit or you can hold it to the end. 00:33:13 Speaker 2: The benefit of. 00:33:14 Speaker 3: Trading on Kalshi is the cash out button is never grayed out, so you can exit a trade whenever you want. 00:33:19 Speaker 2: Trade $ 25 with code dropouts and Kalshi will throw in an extra $ 25 instantly. Trade responsibly. Where would you say you are in your contentness from a 1 to 10? With what you've done? Because you've done a lot. You take time to take stock in what you've done, right? What you've built. Zero percent. Okay, that's stupid. I genuinely don't know how. 00:33:41 Speaker 3: It's something that I actively see outside of it and I really want to. I'm very proud of the people that are around me and that work and that do their best work. I'm just– I never feel like I'm doing enough. Yeah, I don't know what it is, but it's definitely something I struggle with. 00:34:02 Speaker 1: Okay, so you've identified that you struggle with it. Do you take any steps to try to fix that or do you just say I struggle with it? 00:34:07 Speaker 2: I try to. 00:34:08 Speaker 3: Like sit and like be mindful and like it's almost like I'm yelling at myself to be present. 00:34:16 Speaker 2: In my head. And then it's like, how do, yeah. I'm like, you're not being present because you're young yourself. Yeah. 00:34:21 Speaker 3: So it's, it's, I don't, I'm not, I don't have the full answer and I probably do need to do a lot better job of, of figuring out what that is. I'd love to hear how you kind of came into the last two years of, um, would you say mindfulness? 00:34:35 Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah. I would love to hear about that. Yeah. 00:34:37 Speaker 1: I mean, it's, it's, it just really is like, I've gotten to like breath work and, Like I've taken a turn like on some stuff, like I do. 00:34:43 Speaker 2: Yoga, which I've never thought in a million years I would do any of that stuff. 00:34:46 Speaker 3: Yeah. I think a lot of people, I don't know. It's a lot of the basic stuff that everybody's like, say, do this. And I guess I try, sometimes I just try to will myself to decisions where it is a lot more of a process and trying things outside of your comfort zone. And there's like ancient practices like breath work or yoga that people have done for decades. 00:35:09 Speaker 2: Hundreds of millions of years. And I'm, and I'm just like, I'll figure it out in my head on my own. 00:35:12 Speaker 1: You know, I have this out here, but I'll figure out my word. Well, you do, you do, you make your own version of stuff, right? Because like a lot of the stuff didn't work for me. A lot of stuff did, you know, when my, you know, I had an issue when I had my life, like get really. 00:35:25 Speaker 2: Turned upside down a couple of years ago. 00:35:26 Speaker 1: And I was like, all right, what I'm going to do is I'm going to try everything and I'm going to go at everything with an open mind. 00:35:31 Speaker 2: You know, I, my wife was like, look, you have to, you have to try it, you know, before you just sit there. 00:35:36 Speaker 1: And I, I left because I met like, I have like a guy that helps me with like breath work and stuff. And the first time I met him, when I came out, I was in LA and I met him and he was like, it felt like he was a character on SNL. Like he was like, every, like take your shoes off, feel the earth, breathe. And I was like, and I was like, it's tough for a comedian too. Cause you're like, I was like, brother, what are we talking about? Like the chain, like I was laughing. 00:35:59 Speaker 2: Right. And I literally was like, took a moment to be like, okay, you need this. You need to do this. You need to do this. Get in. 00:36:07 Speaker 1: Be a man of your word and fucking do what you said you were going to do. And I remember like at the end of that one hour session being like, I don't know everything. 00:36:14 Speaker 2: Like this felt really good. And I actually still work with that guy. And it's just really cool to admit that you don't know everything. It's like, okay, what am I doing to fix it? 00:36:25 Speaker 1: So like now that you know that there's a thing where you need to be more content and not just. 00:36:32 Speaker 2: Chasing your tail, right? 00:36:33 Speaker 1: Like that was what it was. It was like, okay, well, how can I help get there? And then I just started like doing all this research, talking to people, trying all this stuff. Some stuff works, some stuff didn't. I tried equine therapy where like you hang out with horses. I was like, this is not, I did like four weeks of that. 00:36:47 Speaker 2:

And I was like, that's not going to work. 00:36:48 Speaker 1: Equine therapy is not, you know, then I got in like, you know, talk therapy and stuff and all these things just all help because you know, it's life's tough. 00:36:55 Speaker 2: Minds, your mind goes crazy. 00:36:57 Speaker 1: If you're ambitious and like work life balance, you know, For me, having a family, being a dad, and being in the public eye and all that stuff, all of it's just a whirlwind of shit. And you feel like, how do I battle this thing? And I think you have to find those little things in life. 00:37:14 Speaker 3: What were some of the immediacies that you found from the mindfulness? I guess, what are some things that felt different or what parts of your life opened up? 00:37:25 Speaker 2: That's a good question. 00:37:26 Speaker 1: So when I came home, I was gone for like 30 days. I came home and I got back in front of my kids and I'm with my daughter and I'm talking to her. 00:37:37 Speaker 2: How old was your daughter? This is two years ago, right? So she's a nine. 00:37:41 Speaker 1: And she's like, I was talking to her. I was like, oh, and she's like, dad, you seem different. 00:37:47 Speaker 2: I said, why? She goes, you're just really patient. And I was like, oh, I said, was I not patient? She goes, no. She's like, but now I would call you patient. 00:37:56 Speaker 1: And I was like, oh, that's interesting because she wouldn't have called me impatient, but that was one thing that it was. I think big thing for me was I was able to take it like one thing at a time and just be. 00:38:05 Speaker 2: Like, okay, be in the moment. 00:38:07 Speaker 1: And I think what she called patience was me being actively present, which is a little different. 00:38:13 Speaker 3: Because yeah, I'm sure in the past it's like, oh, I love spending time with my daughter, but you probably are thinking about other things in that moment and the innocence of a. 00:38:22 Speaker 2: Child and probably... their. 00:38:26 Speaker 3: Ability to just sense what's happening without having too many opinions on it because they haven't been crowded by the world. They're just like, oh, I noticed my dad is here for me. That must have meant the world to. 00:38:40 Speaker 2: You, right? The best. 00:38:41 Speaker 1: I tell the story all the time about my daughter right before COVID. I was working with the guys. We spent 37 days together. 00:38:48 Speaker 2: That's insane. I saw them more than anything. 00:38:51 Speaker 1: We went from one of our cruises to touring, to shooting the show, to wrapping the season, blah, blah, blah, which is like insanity, 37 days, right? So then I came home and my daughter goes, it was right before COVID, my daughter goes, oh, dad, she's five years old. She goes, dad, oh, I love when you come to visit. And she gave me a hug, which is hysterical and heartbreaking at the same time, you know? So I was like, oh, something's wrong. And then COVID happens and I'm like home. I was like, all right, I'll start trying to figure that out and just everything. 00:39:13 Speaker 2: You know? The whole world's unraveling as your world's unraveling. And so it was just tough. But it is true. Like from the mouths of babes is the thing. Like kids just call them as they say it. 00:39:22 Speaker 3: You know, you said you were going through a hard time. Did the kids, could they feel that? Or did you kind of try to keep them separate? 00:39:27 Speaker 2: They are aware of me. 00:39:30 Speaker 1: Now in a different way where they could tell if I'm off because I'm so, I don't hide. 00:39:36 Speaker 2: Yeah. 00:39:37 Speaker 1: I'm trying to teach a son that it's okay to be upset where with men, it's like, that's a huge thing. Like I can't even remember. Five times I saw my dad upset. 00:39:47 Speaker 2: You know what I mean? 00:39:48 Speaker 1: Not that he would hide it from me or was like, my dad wasn't like a toxic man or anything, but he just, I just don't know that part of my father. So I want him to know it's okay to be upset. And then I want him to know it's okay. Like I'm teaching him, like he breathes, I watch him. Like when he's getting overwhelmed doing something, I'll see him like, be like, take a breath and just, I'm like, oh, that's nice that he does that kind of thing. So my kids are aware of that part of me now where I don't think they were, not that I was hiding it from them, but now I show it, you know. 00:40:14 Speaker 2: Which is kind of a thing. 00:40:16 Speaker 3: I guess, are there any other things that you're proud of yourself in your fatherhood where you're like, I'm glad I figured this out and I'm glad I'm this type of person for my kids? 00:40:31 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think showing to put the work in is a huge thing, right? And the relationship with their mother, showing them that, showing. 00:40:42 Speaker 2: Them that It's. 00:40:45 Speaker 1: Funny because they see me as famous now because they're older, 11 and 9. They see people taking the pictures and whatever. And their friends in school know that, oh, that's Joe. 00:40:54 Speaker 2: Gatto's daughter kind of thing. She just started middle school. Now it's all the kids in the school. 00:40:58 Speaker 1: So it went from 100 kids in her class to like 350 kids. 00:41:02 Speaker 2: So now it's like it's a thing with her. How do they handle that treatment, I'm sure? she sees through it. My daughter, I'm lucky. Like she'll be like, no, why would people want to be her friend? Like she'll have, she has her core thing kind of thing. And I was like, that's the only, that's a thing I worry about for them. 00:41:16 Speaker 1: It's like, you know, them being treated truly as people want to know them because they're so awesome, you know, kind of thing. But I, I think that's something that I'm proud of is that I'm able to be like, this is, this is our life now, not just my life. So you're part of this whole thing and trying to show them like, as I'm a famous person, truly

talking to fans, being with people, taking a moment, that kind of thing. And then also at the same time, shutting them out when it's not time for fans. When we're in Disney World and we're on my son's birthday trip, I'm not Joe Gatto, I'm dad. 00:41:47 Speaker 2: So it's like... How do you approach that? Somebody comes up to you, is it just like a, hey. 00:41:51 Speaker 1: People are more, are definitely very aware of it. And as long as you set the boundary, it's fine, I think. I'm not rude, but I'm not the same Joe you'll meet if I'm by myself. you know kind of thing and that's fine. 00:42:05 Speaker 2: It's like just say hey I'm here with my kids I appreciate it. 00:42:07 Speaker 1: People for the most part are very you know very nice fine with that yeah which is which is good and then also part of it of me had to be like I don't care if they're okay with that yeah that's my thing I'm with my kids I'm with my family right now you know we're making memories so that's it you know and I will and I will break that rule and my daughter's good at that sometimes like if she sees a girl a little girl walk away really upset she'll be like oh dad you should take a picture with her and if she says it absolutely you're right baby I will kind of thing. 00:42:33 Speaker 2: But for the most part, parents are good. Parents are like, Hey, he's with his family. Just wave high. Hey, high five. You know, what's your name? Talk to them for a second. Fine. Like that. 00:42:41 Speaker 1: But I'm not going to stop and open up the floodgates because once one happens, you know, once one happens, it's over. 00:42:45 Speaker 2: Everybody wants one. 00:42:47 Speaker 1: You're doing a meet and greet at the frigging on the line for it's a small world. 00:42:50 Speaker 2: You know, that's not what I'm here for kind of thing. 00:42:53 Speaker 1: So I think my kids seeing that part of me too, where I'm empathetic and also setting. 00:43:00 Speaker 2: A boundary of being like, it's not that time in my life right now. I can't imagine raising a kid right now. It's tough. 00:43:07 Speaker 3: Cause like, even, I don't know when I'll have a kid, even if it's in like five, 10 years, I don't think my kid will ever have a driver's license. 00:43:13 Speaker 2: You know what I mean? Like I, I. 00:43:16 Speaker 3: Just can't, how do you battle just the rapid technological change with, I guess what you were used to growing up and how to be, and then it's, you almost have to learn so many new things that, And every week something's better or more advanced or there's a new way to capture your kids' attention. 00:43:33 Speaker 2: How do you navigate all of that? We talk about it all. 00:43:37 Speaker 1: We make it very easy to talk about things in my house, which I love and which reminds me of my house growing up. We would literally talk about anything and everything all the time. So I think that's it. The way that you can help your kids the most, in my opinion, is by letting them know that you're there to talk to them about anything they need to talk about. And that now a lot of that is like technology stuff, social media stuff, whatever it is, you know, or this, my son's getting bullied at school right now. 00:44:03 Speaker 2: So like, dad, what do I do? Kind of thing. 00:44:05 Speaker 1: I was like, all right, let's talk about options. What can we do here? And he said, I'm not going to be one of those parents. That's like, you know, punch your kid, punch this kid if he punches you, or am I going to be like, all right, but you need to be able to assert yourself with this situation. 00:44:17 Speaker 2: You don't like what's going on. How do you fix it? Like, so that's how we approach it kind of thing, you know? Cause I grew up being bullied. 00:44:22 Speaker 1: I grew up, uh, you know, having to deal with technology, the internet I had to go, you know, when the internet came out, it was like kind of like a similar thing. My parents didn't have the internet, and then I was able to have the internet kind of thing. 00:44:33 Speaker 2: Yeah, it must be so interesting to balance, okay, I don't want my kid to be suffering and like being bullied, but also not coddling so much that they can't learn some type of life experience. 00:44:47 Speaker 3: Because, you know, I think there is an amount of negativity from peers and where you kind of need that to develop, but you don't, it can't get to a point where it's harmful. So, so it's, it must be a tight rope of like. 00:45:03 Speaker 1: Well, it's, I mean, if it comes down to it, it's conflict resolution, which you have to deal with as a man, as a woman, as. 00:45:09 Speaker 2: Anybody growing up. Like, so this is like the training ground for that. 00:45:12 Speaker 1: You need to be able to handle situations on your own, but you also need the tools to do that. So I think my job is to give my son the tools to be able to handle the conflict on my daughter. to handle these conflicts things, you know? Cause like she's coming into that mean girl stage, you know, she's 11, right? So now it's going to start, it's going to start with that stuff. Now she's going to start, she even opened up and told me some things and I was like, Oh, I didn't know you were going through this kind of stuff, but I'm glad that she's able to talk to me about it. 00:45:35 Speaker 2: You know? Yeah. 00:45:35 Speaker 3: That's, that's pretty incredible. Just having that openness with your kids and that, that trust. 00:45:41 Speaker 2: And I really liked that. How have things been going with, I guess the next transition of your career? It's been, uh, interesting, you know, I've been, I mean, I love performing live. You know that. I mean, you've seen me out on the road. And, you know, there's nothing like making an event for people. I love that. I love, because I really honestly do believe the world more than ever needs that. 00:46:03 Speaker 1: Needs to come out together and laugh and just forget about everything for a minute.

So to be able to do that really feels like a blessing in a different way now than that. And then also just on to be able to like have time at home and to build up, you know, side projects and stuff, but also just like to not have my cup be filled from career stuff but from family stuff is totally different for me now and I'm trying to be like oh that's cool too like where my accomplishments come from fatherhood and my family and things like that instead of being like oh I got the script okayed or whatever you know so it's interesting to be able to balance all that stuff a little bit different you know but yeah I mean I still have aspirations and things that I'm chasing and trying to do which is good and I love that about me you know and I love that I have the opportunities to do that stuff how did you and your wife meet So she worked for the company that I was the training program manager. She worked in California. So I worked as a training program manager, but I was a hell of a salesman. 00:47:00 Speaker 2: Mrs. Orchard? This is Giggle. It's a baby stock company. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:47:05 Speaker 1: So they had a store out in Corte Madera. And they did this thing where they would just send me to. 00:47:12 Speaker 1: Live at or help set up the store and just like live at that place like three weeks. 00:47:16 Speaker 2: So when it opened, I would just be selling the shit out of everything. They'd be like, oh, look on the books. Look at this. It's great. It's doing great kind of thing. 00:47:21 Speaker 1: So she was out in California and she had just moved back from Seattle and she was working there. And I met her and then we dated long distance for a year and a half. And then she, we were going to break up and, or she was going to move to New York and she decided to move to New York. And then we, rest is history. She lived with me and Murray in a 750 square foot apartment. 00:47:42 Speaker 2: Wow. That was crazy. Oh, man. What is the relationship? 00:47:47 Speaker 3: Because what was it like having no separation? That must be a struggle, right? 00:47:52 Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure. Yeah. But she also did not sign up for fame. Yeah. She's a complete introvert. This life is nothing she wished for. What was it like for her then, I guess, that transition? 00:48:04 Speaker 4: Miserable. 00:48:05 Speaker 2: Yeah. 00:48:05 Speaker 1: I mean, I don't want to talk for her, but I know that she wasn't like it. It's not like what she expected. I also didn't handle it perfectly, you know, because it was all brand new for me too. So we went through this together, you know, kind of thing. And it's like, all right, this is weird. 00:48:18 Speaker 3: Do you feel like you established too much of an ego or do you feel like you just like. 00:48:22 Speaker 2: I don't think ego was a thing at all. I think it was... Didn't like the attention? Yeah, it was like the balance. Sorry, did you like the attention or didn't like the attention initially? 00:48:32 Speaker 1: I like the challenge of creating something so like intensely, like I love diving into it. Because I quit my job and I was the only one that quit my job. So I jumped right into the whole production part of it. Directing, editing, that kind of stuff. I was all on my plate because that was my full-time gig. Sal Q and Mer still had jobs. So I was focusing on that really hard and then also my girlfriend just moved across the country for me. 00:48:56 Speaker 2: So that's like very... I guess how did she choose you over her discomfort in that? 00:49:05 Speaker 3: I think I'm speaking about this, like right now I'm going through a little bit of heartbreak. And it's almost kind of the opposite situation, semi off and on uh, with someone who I just genuinely really cared about. And, uh, you know, they, they decided in their life, they need to go explore other places to live. And it's, it was a lot of like, it's hard to think about two people while you're so far away. Um, so I'm just, yeah, I'm just interested to see through those challenges, um, in your life, um, with your wife and like The fame and the, I guess, any advice on how you navigated that? 00:49:45 Speaker 2: I think the distance. 00:49:48 Speaker 1: So I did it two ways, right? The first way was long distance for a year and a half, which is a long time. A year and a half long distance. And this was what year? 00:49:56 Speaker 2: This is 2012. 2010, 2009, 10. Okay. So before, we filmed the pilot in 2011. Gotcha. 00:50:06 Speaker 1: So when she moved to New York, I had just submitted the pilot. We just got greenlit for the first season. 00:50:10 Speaker 2: Yeah. So I was still, I just like quick giggle and whatnot. And what was your cadence of, I guess, communication? Talk. 00:50:17 Speaker 1: I would see her probably once a month or once every couple months. She would come to New York or I would go there. Mostly she would come to New York because she would have jobs she didn't care about. 00:50:28 Speaker 2: She was working these retail gigs. I'm going to quit and come to New York for a couple of days. She would just do that. She would come here and then we would talk probably every day. We would Skype. We would Skype. We would talk all the time. When she moved here, I. 00:50:48 Speaker 1: Would work a lot. Then I would come home. We lived down on Wall Street in Manhattan. And she started working at a bar down there. 00:50:58 Speaker 2: It was a wine bar. 00:50:59 Speaker 1: And she would work till, you know, she would go in at 8 and get out at like 3 a.m. And then I would have to, you know, I'd be coming home and then we got to get up. 00:51:08 Speaker 2: At 8 o'clock and leave. So we would barely see each other. So that was tough for a while, too. What got you through that? I made her quit. I didn't make her. 00:51:17 Speaker 1: I said, look, you could quit your job. I was like, because we're, you know, we're okay. You know, we have enough money right now. I mean, we're living together. I could

pay the rent. 00:51:24 Speaker 2: Don't worry. 00:51:24 Speaker 1: It's not, I can handle it. And I was like, and I want you to be able to have, I want us to have a life together kind of thing. You know, I want you to be around when I'm around and I'm. 00:51:31 Speaker 2: Tired kind of thing. But I don't think we communicated well. 00:51:36 Speaker 1: And I definitely don't think I gave the attention I should have for what it's worth to develop it correctly. 00:51:43 Speaker 2: And now I'm doing a lot of repair on all that stuff. 00:51:48 Speaker 1: Um, even before, like if I even look at it back before, even before we had like the kids, just the relationship of like feeling like I was this to her, she was this to me, they weren't equal, you know? Um, I cherished her, loved her, you know, but I also had something else I was cherishing and loving. I built my whole life to chase, you know, which is also something she couldn't understand, you know, cause she didn't have these aspirations that I did or had the ability for a dream coming true kind of thing, you know? which is funny now because I see that happening with her now that she has her dog rescue, which is something that she is passionate about. So we now have something very much in common that she is shedding light into the way I felt. So it's like a weird time travel-y kind of thing where she's like, oh, I can see why in 2014 you were feeling that way versus now kind of thing. So I think the long and short of it is really just communication is 100% what you need. 00:52:42 Speaker 2: And when you don't do it, you fuck up everything. 00:52:45 Speaker 3: I guess to get a little bit more tactical, is there any advice on the type of communication or even the type of questions or is there a check-in cadence that you guys do or I don't know, I'm really just really asking how you learn how to be positively communicative. 00:53:07 Speaker 2: I still struggle with it. 00:53:09 Speaker 1: I think part of it is, and I think she does too, but I think part of it is the first part of it is knowing that the communication needs to be better. And I think that's what we've been building over the past, you know, five or six years. It was like, okay, communication needs to be better. We both identify what was wrong, what are we going to do about it? 00:53:27 Speaker 2: Right. So, um, you know, I, I, I tactically, I think first and foremost is, uh, active listening is huge. 00:53:34 Speaker 1: You know, I think a lot of times back in the day, I was just waiting to respond with why I was right or, uh, you don't get what, you don't understand what. 00:53:43 Speaker 2: I'm saying, was like the entry point to everything that was said. 00:53:47 Speaker 1: You don't understand, you don't get, you don't understand, you don't know what I'm going through, you don't know blah, blah, blah. 00:53:51 Speaker 2: Yeah, they don't. 00:53:53 Speaker 1: So to accept that's a hard pill. It's like, yeah, they don't understand it. That's not their fault. 00:53:58 Speaker 2: You know? 00:53:59 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think for me, I had a disagreement with this person and from my perspective, they were very upset by something that seemed very trivial to me where it was in my, in my head, it was so quick to be like, this is not a very big deal. I, I understood my intent in this situation and it, and it wasn't what you're making it out to be. And, and then I think that was doing a disservice to the complexity of that human being. It's like they have so many past things or trauma or things that, um, I might not even know about where it doesn't, there wasn't even really a right, or wrong, and I was kind of seeing it in a black and white way, it was, this is a human with experiences that, based on something that happened, she had a negative response to it. And rather, I think I was trying to explain away, like, no, this is why this is, this is, of course. Like, I'm trying to explain why her feelings are not right. 00:55:06 Speaker 2: And that was... not right. No, but of course it's not. And it's, but in the moment it feels like you're trying to help them. Yeah. 00:55:13 Speaker 3: Well, and I, in the way that it progressed, I, I, I thought it was coming at a little bit more of an attack rather than coming from actually a place from hurt from her where I, and I was seeing it as like an attack on something I was doing where it really was just like a misunderstanding of her, of, of things that she's gone through in her past. So, um, yeah, trying to explain that into, and then it just goes deeper and deeper. 00:55:35 Speaker 1: And then, How open were you to hear all that from her though? In the moment, like now reflecting on it, you have this perspective. 00:55:43 Speaker 2: In the moment, not at all. Cause it was presented. 00:55:46 Speaker 3: There had been a shutdown time where I hadn't heard from her. And I realized now she needed to take a break from, cause she was feeling very strong feelings about this situation. And I just hadn't heard from her. And so in my mind, I'm like, what's going on? I haven't heard from her. I, I'm like getting very worried. I very much care about this person. And then when they did present what their issue was, like, you know, after a day in the time, I was like, that didn't equate to the worry that I had for not hearing from you. 00:56:24 Speaker 2: And it felt like it was out of balance. Yeah. It felt was out of balance. So I came forward from that of like, wait, this is the reason I didn't hear from you. And I was like worried. And And, you know, she ended up, you know, apologizing for, you know, not telling me that she kind of needed that mental break. 00:56:42 Speaker 3: And instead, we just didn't talk. And so, like, when we came back to it and she presented the problem, it was, for me, it was like, I didn't hear from you. 00:56:51 Speaker 2: This was the problem? Yeah. 00:56:53 Speaker 3: And for her, she was just, like, still hurt from that

problem. And now it looked like I was making my issue bigger than hers, which. 00:57:00 Speaker 2: Let me ask you a question. Yeah. 00:57:04 Speaker 1: You were making it, you made it look like that? Or is that what you were doing? Because there's a difference. What do you mean? So you just said, I was making it look like my problem was bigger. Or was that actively your intention to be like, yeah, but this is my problem. 00:57:17 Speaker 2: It's bigger. 00:57:18 Speaker 3: No, I wasn't meaning to say that my problem was bigger. I hadn't heard from someone in. 00:57:25 Speaker 2: A little bit of time. 00:57:25 Speaker 3: And I was very, yeah, I was just like. I had put myself and my feelings ahead of this person. And then when you get out of the immediacy of kind of a negative interaction with someone you truly care about, it's just like you never want to hurt that person. And then you did. And it's like, that is really tough. 00:57:52 Speaker 2: That's hard. Yeah. 00:57:53 Speaker 1: It's the most terrible memories I have of her just crying and just knowing the reason why that happened. 00:58:00 Speaker 2: It was because of me, yeah. 00:58:02 Speaker 3: How did you, I guess, rebuild that faith together, that trust? First of all, just talking about anything and everything, being open about everything. I think that's a big thing. But also just accountability is a huge thing too, right? 00:58:16 Speaker 1: And then also realizing what your problem is. You have to be able to look in the mirror and be like, okay, I could do something better. What am I not doing? And you have to be able to be like, fix what you think is, and fix is too heavy a word, I think maybe just adjust the way that you're going, because you can't really fix something ever. 00:58:40 Speaker 2: The way you are is the way you are, especially me, I'm 50 years old. 00:58:43 Speaker 1: I've had a long thing, lots of things built up over time, traumas, experiences, life, things that have just happened. But I think the big thing is just you have to take ownership of what you've done. And also believe and act in a way that'll never happen again. And that is the huge difference for me, Like to be like, I know that that isn't, there's nothing that's going to ever come close to that again. And then flip it over and be like, look, there's so much joy that we can have together. And for her to be like, okay, yeah, but we, we could have had that and we didn't. 00:59:19 Speaker 2: And now I have to catch up. So now that's, that's where you're at. I think I've noticed that a lot. 00:59:24 Speaker 3: Um, in my life where even if it's situations where I could completely justify I was a victim in whatever it is, if I find a way to take accountability in that situation, because even if it, anyone in a courtroom would be like, not that it was anything criminal for, you know what I mean? If anyone was judging it and being like, Oh no, that person did you wrong. I still try to now actively try to take that accountability. I'm not always perfect at it, but I found that gives me a lot more peace and control over the situation. Um, and at least gives me those lessons in my head of how I can act next time. And that's not always relationships that could be business that could be, um, just friendships and. 01:00:09 Speaker 2: Things like that. Yeah. Any relationship. Yeah. 01:00:12 Speaker 1: You know, you have, you have lots of relationships that. 01:00:14 Speaker 2: You have balance. Especially being you. 01:00:16 Speaker 1: So with this relationship that you're talking about, is that closed door or do you think there's possibilities of that firing back up? Have you had candid conversations about it as we are having now? 01:00:28 Speaker 2: Yeah, we have. I mean, it. 01:00:31 Speaker 3: Was a long distance thing. So that's, I think, a lot easier for miscommunication to happen. Because if you're not in the moment and you're relying on text on a screen and then you're deciphering what they're in like you're. 01:00:50 Speaker 1: Reading it in different voices 50 different times you don't you don't were they happy sad were they saying that passing while getting into a car were they trying to respond to it fast they were talking to someone it's like that. 01:00:59 Speaker 2: Trend where you're trying to say the same sentence in different emotions that's on like tiktok yeah oh yeah exactly angry. 01:01:04 Speaker 3: Say it happy right that's what you do as you're reading it yeah yeah i i think it's a lot more closed off from their perspective because they have i don't know they just have life opportunities now that are coming up very fast. And, um, I, I, there was a time where I felt like the long distance, even like we're together, not together, that we might be even be closer. Um, and now it feels like because of, you know, the roughness of a situation, they should go explore other places like to live. So it's, and in their mind, it's probably okay. It's easier not to think about two human beings, And it's probably also not right to think about two human beings when you can just think about one in a transition period in life. 01:01:54 Speaker 2: I think for me, I will always be hopeless hopeful. 01:02:00 Speaker 3: I like to take my chances on 0.01%. So for me, I guess it's never completely a shut door. But then it's a learning to respect that other person. 01:02:12 Speaker 2: And not pushing. Because again, I... I think it stems from when I was younger. 01:02:17 Speaker 3: Um, it grew up with just my mom and I, so I'm very affected by women and, and if they're feeling bad or, or yeah. 01:02:25 Speaker 2: Um, cause you were, you were that for your mom. Yeah. Well, like she would, um, get emotional about something and I just want to fix it. I don't know why. And then. 01:02:34 Speaker 3: In like a negative situation with, with a romantic partner, uh, I, again, I just kind of want to explain and explain and fix and fix and fix. And as, and as someone

who might even be avoidant, That does the opposite of my intention. 01:02:49 Speaker 2: You're like the Tasmanian devil. Yeah. I remember we were having a pretty deep conversation. I was almost to a point of honestly begging at one point, which is raw, but it kind of what happened. And I remember her saying in an honest way, not in a cruel way at all. 01:03:06 Speaker 3: She's like, this is almost giving me more reason to distance myself. And in that moment, it just clicked. It's like, oh, you can't explain your way into fixing someone's hurt. 01:03:18 Speaker 2: You know? For sure. Yeah. 01:03:21 Speaker 1: I mean, we have a very similar thing because my mom, you know, my mom lived, you know, for 50, for, you know, 13 more years and I was her, you know, everything for her. Like she would be, I'd be her plus one at everything, you know, whatever I would do, whatever would drive her anywhere, you know, those things. So I became very hyper aware of that and I've treated my wife with that thing and I've learned that through all my, you know, self-work about like the fixer mentality. It's like, it's like, it's a terrible thing. 01:03:50 Speaker 2: Yeah. It's a terrible thing. Cause it's not, you know, either people don't want to be fixed. You're not able to fix them or you're not supposed to. Yeah. Right. 01:03:59 Speaker 1: So like, it's like that. So that's like never, it's such a weird thing that people who have dealt with things in the past take with them and take it forward. And that becomes part of the personality. 01:04:07 Speaker 2: Yeah. 01:04:08 Speaker 3: Cause I, I've definitely catched myself a lot where someone will bring me a problem and And I think genuinely if they took my advice, it would fix the situation. This could be in any walk of life, but that's not what they needed. 01:04:21 Speaker 2: Yeah. 01:04:22 Speaker 3: You know, they don't need to be fixed right now. They're not in the point of getting up and taking action. They're in a point of vulnerability and being, they need a friend to be heard. And, um, that's something I try to step back on and try to analyze the person when they're telling me something. And it's like, are we comforting or are we, are we helping, you know? Um, I guess it'd be fun to say, what was the initial connection that we had, do you think? 01:04:46 Speaker 2: I think we have a lot of similarities. Oh, I met your dad. That is such a weird coincidence. Isn't it? Yeah. I would say, let me think. We met at a poker game. We sat at the same table at the poker game. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 01:04:58 Speaker 1: And I had known your face and we hadn't met. I had seen some of your stuff, not a lot. I had seen most of it when Blake had sent me who I was sitting with. 01:05:06 Speaker 2: Gotcha. I was a little worried about who I was sitting with. Yeah. I wanted to make sure that, you know. Yeah. 01:05:10 Speaker 1: I was sitting with some people I would enjoy spending so much time with and especially just because it's all live. 01:05:14 Speaker 2: And kind of thing. 01:05:15 Speaker 1: And when you sat down, I remember you said something very smart and funny that nobody laughed at. 01:05:23 Speaker 2: I don't remember what it was. And I recognized. Might have been dumb. I remember being like, that was, that was funny. That was funny. 01:05:33 Speaker 1: And then we just started talking and we had a conversation about something and I just clicked. 01:05:37 Speaker 2: With you and I locked in and you and I basically hung out the whole time and talked. 01:05:40 Speaker 1: And then after, as soon as it was over, we had a genuine moment because I remember walking around that room. 01:05:47 Speaker 2: Like you walk around that room, it's a lot of people that want to meet you. A lot of people are like, what can we network? What can we do? Kind of thing. 01:05:52 Speaker 1: And then there's also some genuine things. And I remember our interaction being a genuine hand on the shoulder. Like, hey, well, and you asked some questions about where I live and whatnot and being like, hey, I would love to hang out kind of thing. 01:06:03 Speaker 2: And it was like, oh, we had like a really cool thing. 01:06:05 Speaker 1: So I think from that moment on, we actually snowballed into a couple more times where we were able to hang out. And now you're actively, whenever I'm in LA, one of the first people I call. 01:06:14 Speaker 2: No, I appreciate it. 01:06:15 Speaker 3: I mean, you're one of the people where, you know, we don't see each other like crazy often, but you'll have check-ins that always mean a lot. And that's always been a big thing for me. It's, you know, there's certain things that feel transactional, but this has felt like a great friendship. So I just wanted to say thank you for that. But yeah, you got some shows coming up. You're going to, is it North? 01:06:39 Speaker 2: I'm going to North Carolina. Yeah, they'll be over by the time this is out. They missed it. 01:06:45 Speaker 3: I've got to do, wait, before we do that, I forgot. Okay, so we're trying to do this at the end of every show. So a show is called Dropouts. I'm going to call it Dropout, but it's because I decided to drop out of like other people's expectations on certain things. So last question I want to ask is what was your dropout moment, no matter how big or small it could have been? I got this dessert when everybody said to get this one or it's like I chose this life path when everyone said to do this. 01:07:09 Speaker 2: Is there any moment that speaks to you? I think I've had a couple. 01:07:14 Speaker 1: But I think my number one was probably to risk it all and move to LA to chase my dream in 03. 01:07:21 Speaker 2: Because I remember Sal's one of my best friends. I was at a movie with him. 01:07:27 Speaker 1: We were coming out of the movie theater in Staten Island and I told him, hey, I'm moving to LA. 01:07:31 Speaker 2: And he said, why? 01:07:34 Speaker 1: And I said, because I said, I want

to, you know, I think that's where I need to like chase my dream a little bit. 01:07:39 Speaker 2: And he goes, all right. He's like, well, when? I said, in two weeks. And he goes, what? 01:07:42 Speaker 1: He goes, you're going to go in two weeks? And then I remember just going fast forward. I'm six months in LA. It was literally raining and I'm on the rooftop talking to Sal being like, this place is breaking me. 01:07:53 Speaker 2: I don't know that I can make it out here. And he said, dude, he said, everybody says that you got to try something at least for six months. 01:07:58 Speaker 1: I was like five months, two weeks in. He's like, you have to just try it for six months. You have to try it for six months. He's like, yeah, I have to. And then I remember like the juxtaposition of that and being like, okay, I gave it all up, literally just came out here not knowing anybody. And I was like, and I was ready to give up in like five months. That didn't seem right. And then to stick in and do it. So I think for me, it's that built so much of my personality to come here, even though I didn't make it when I came here, but I had a good life here. I made a lot of good friends here. I brought a lot of that back with me, a lot of the experience, a lot of the stuff. And then I also knew L.A. a little bit when I became famous and came here for work and to meet people and stuff. So I think that was probably one of my biggest moments was just to leave New York, come to L.A. 01:08:42 Speaker 2: And try it. Oh, yeah. Well, dude, this is, I mean, I always love talking to you, but this is extra special. This is nice. 01:08:49 Speaker 1: I really like that there's nobody in this room. I mean, for anybody at home that doesn't know, you normally go to podcasts and there's a room full of people and chatter and whatnot, but this is feels really weird like I forgot. 01:08:58 Speaker 2: It says I'm watching well that's not good oh no but I do want to make sure people can find you and like what's the easiest way to My Instagram's always the best way. I'm building up my YouTube, baby. Oh, hell yeah, brother. That's right. Look out. I'm going to start posting. I am now. 01:09:13 Speaker 1: I'm coming up with a couple different ideas I want to do, but I'm going to reinvigorate it. 01:09:17 Speaker 2: Have you tried hitting cameras, though? You know what? Maybe a prank. That's lemonade. Got you. 01:09:23 Speaker 4: Zwingers. 01:09:24 Speaker 2: Dude, I knew I had a little sugar rush, and that was you? Yeah, it was me, buddy. Hell yeah. Awesome, man. Well, yeah, go find them. Links in the description, obviously. Perfect. Cheers, brother. Thank you, bro. 01:09:34 Speaker 3: Hey guys, if you don't mind liking and subscribing, I promise I won't enter your home and take your favorite possessions. That is a promise from me. And then also, if you could rate and leave five stars, yes, it helps the show, allows us to get great guests so you guys have entertainment. But I also won't take your family hostage. And that's a promise from me. If you do those things, like, subscribe, and leave us some stars. 01:09:56 Speaker 2: Thank you so much.