Ted McGinley was Almost Dr. Cox?!

Published Jan 28, 2025, 8:00 AM

Ted McGinley is not a great auditioner. He's got dyslexia and the process of presenting for strangers doesn't come naturally to him. But once he has the job, he's golden. His long career is proof enough. He's the guy, for decades, that was brough into a sitcom to pump up a dying series. He did it for Happy Days, Married with Children and The Love Boat. These were major projects in their era and McGinley helped save them from irrelavance. He tells Zach and Donald about traveling first class on the Love Boat and hunting nerds in Revenge of the Nerds. Plus, what it's like to play Proto Bill in Shrinking while Bill's wife plays his wife. 

Now I'm moving in a little bit of slow motion today, Donald and Joelle because you can hear my voice. I was overserved last night in Manhattan. I don't like to be overserved anymore these days, but occasionally in Manhattan it happens.

When in Rome, you know what I mean?

Yes, just once it.

You know.

It's like everything in Manhattan is like, what are you doing when are gonn drink? Yea, let's go a drink. Okay, should we go to dinner? Yeah, let's get more drinks? What should have to dinner? Do you guys want to get some more drinks?

Yeah?

Oh?

Should we stop by that the bitter end and get some more drinks? Yeah, let's go there. And then all of a sudden it's there.

They serve you they don't drinks are strong at the bitter end. Listen, my brother was a a He would perform at the bitter End quite a bit.

Huh. And let me tell you something.

Every time you're like, let me get a jack and coke, that shit is just jack with a spill. Like they took the coke and be like and just spit on it, like with the coke was spit like and in there here take that they serve you well at the bitter end.

It's so funnier because I left. I left La, which has no Christmas vibe at all, obviously, and I get into JFK and they're like chest nuts roasting open.

It's very interesting. Yeah, go ahead.

The second you get through the airport, you feel like you're in die Hard in the opening, and there's like trees and wreaths and people with presents. I felt like I was in a movie. I was like the polar opposite of La, which is just you want Christmas, go to the grove.

Die Hard too, you mean no?

In the opening of Oh sorry, you're right, I heard too. Sorry sorry Donald. But wait In Diehard one and he's getting off the plane and the passenger sees the gun. There's is that the end. There's no terminal section.

That's the beginning, but it's him landing in La to go visit the family. Die Hard two takes place in the airport where the wife is coming in on the plane him.

And he says, just the facts, ma'am. And even as a kid, I thought that was the most horrible joke. Do you remember that. No, he's waiting for a facts at the counter, back in the fax machine era, and he goes, can I get the fat fact? And she says something I forgot if it's flirty or not or something, and he goes, just the facts, ma'am, And I was like, wow.

I Digress. Still one of my favorite movies, though Diehard too. Die Hard one and two are the best. Look people will sleep on two, but two. That shit was fire to me. When I first sar there were no opening That was the first movie that I ever other than Star Wars, went and saw where it just said the opening title and then it was right into the movie without any freaking not without any credits, And I thought that was the coolest thing.

Yeah, I don't like opening credits. It's a little pet peeve of mine.

Yeah, I think it takes people out of the movie.

Well it's an old school thing, but I all my films have. They call it main on ends, which is the expression which means if you if you contractually, you're allowed to if you do if you do no one's name at all, then you're allowed to do the credits at the end. You can do minimal. It's like this production company, this studio, and like the and then the title and that's it. The second you get into any single person's name, then it triggers having to do the stars and the ZP and then you know, understandably everyone who should get credit. But I love to I to me, it's like I've always thought of it as like if you were seeing a play and the audience came out and took a bow before the show started. I'd rather just get into the play and then love it and then at the end be like, you guys are amazing. So I think of that movies like that, I want to watch don't don't show me names. I want to see your movie, and then at the end, I'm like, holy shit, all those people did a great job, you know what I mean?

Well, I agree with that unless you were creative with how like Baby Driver has an amazing, amazing opening credit sequence with him dancing and the you know, walking across the street and the names coming up in the background. Same thing with Deadpool, you know what I mean.

Of course, it's not for everything. There's incredible title sequences, of course, I you know, seven was like one of the most incredible title sequences ever. But I just mean, I guess for my style films, I just like to get into the story.

I don't.

I especially don't like it if you don't like it, Like it's one thing, if you're doing like a title sequence, I especially don't like it if like the movies started, you know, like TV shows, you're watching TV, especially like Scrubs is a great example, and like, you know, six minutes into the fucking show, there's still names appearing because there's so many people that obviously deservedly deserve their credit. And I think that's great, but you're like, oh my god, we're still seeing names. The show's like half over.

Right right by the time you get gotten to directed by, we're at the commercial break.

Yeah, well that's that. What else can I tell you?

Yeah?

I had a fun night out the city. It's so beautiful and christmasy here.

It's not Christmasy here.

It is not even there's not a good place to spend Christmas at all.

It is like it's it my kid. You know what my kid said to me. He said, Dad, I just want to see snow for one time in my life.

Should get one of them.

I was like, wait a second, I haven't. He's like, I don't want to see fake snow. I want to see freaking I want to see the ship come from the sky. I want to feel how cold it is when it snows.

Has your kid never seen snow?

No, because we don't ski or anything like that, right, and so like Tom and all that shit.

Yeah, you can take them to the mountains and not have them ski.

I don't know, I can.

I can already hear Donald's brain being like, there's bears in the mountains.

Right right away, I'm like, what if we get caught in a snowstorm?

I know Donald's Donald's got Donald's got the most neurotic brain, like he's not, He's not. I know him so well that he's thinking of like what if we need snow shoes and we don't have snow shoes?

Yeah, right away, right away.

I don't have chains on my tires.

If we do they have Do they have electrical outlets to plug my car.

Into in the middle of the in the middle of the woods. They don't. These are things? Wait you you hung out with fifty cent for real?

Uh? No?

I was at we stopped by a Christmas party where he all of a sudden performed and I was like, oh, wow, that's cool.

That is pretty cool.

I don't know what you cared about me?

Did he do that one? Did he do that? Did he do?

Think that's the one? But I'm a motherfucking p I M P.

I love that song.

What's going on with you? Joelle? How you doing?

I'm so good. I just spent an insane amount of money on Kendrick Omire tickets, but I didn't want to miss the event, and I'm very excited about it, and I just keep looking at them and I'm like, it's gonna be the greatest concert of all time. And la off of the super Bowl March cankis I want to say.

You didn't want to wait for the super Bowl. The super Bowl is going to be a pretty good concert too. I imagine.

Yeah, I'm not going to the super Bowl. Tickets are crazy expensive. He's gonna be at the New Dodgers Stadium performing in March, so it'll be like right after the super Bowl, so let'll just bleed right into it. It's gonna be great.

Listen. I was with Andrew Watt last night and I was singing Christmas Carls in the Streets and I said, you know, because I reposted the baby It's Cold outside that Donald and I did years ago, and while I was singing Christmas Carl's chest Nuts roasting not an open fun, I was like, Donald and I should do a Christmas album and he goes, he goes, I'll produce one song. And I go, what do you mean? And he goes, I'll right, you guys, one original Christmas song for the album.

We got to write a wit so we could get paid for them, so we can get them royalties, bro, we can get them, Mariah Carroll.

That's where your your head goes. First. I'm saying, like we can do old standards. I want to do it like with the orchestra, like like Seth McFarlane does with the orchestra. I want to do it with an orchestra and get stars maybe. And then and then, but Andrews said he would write us one original Christmas song.

Right, and we got to write it with him because that's how Mariah Carrey gets all that money every year, her and freaking in.

The monetary route. I'm just thinking, like, we're gonna have a fire album.

I know the album. I'm not worried about the album being fire. I already know that's that's that's that's gonna happen regardless. But what's important is that we can open up the vault. Thank you every Christmas.

Yeah, like Mariah, Like Mariah, she.

Makes something like twenty million dollars every Christmas.

Is that real or is that just internet rumor?

How many times get on that? How many times have you heard that song already?

Well, I don't really listen to now you don't have to.

Listen to the radio. That ship's on television too.

All right, I'm surprised you didn't go to the open mic last night and hear a version of that ship.

Now we stopped by.

We stopped by, and Andrew just played guitar for a second and we left. It was cool, but we didn't. There wasn't like we weren't there long enough for people to be like, I know, well a lot of fun kusu.

Annie, come on, okay.

Mariah Carey herself has said that she makes three million dollars a year just from all I Want from Christmas is You? Not the Christmas album, but just that one song.

Three million dollars a year just from the single alone.

That is a Christmas that all of us deserve to have feeling.

Mariah probably doesn't even notice that three million going the bank account.

I bet you she does. I bet you she goes. Every year she goes, how much did we make this year?

Three million?

Riot?

She think like, Mariah making three million dollars is like you making a hundred bucks?

No, I know when I make a hundred bucks. Bro my name.

Somebody calls Mariah like, hey, the thirty million came in. She's like, I can't talk right now. I'm on the treadmill.

You see the video over her doing the treadmill and heels.

She's so a stepmaster I think, wasn't it the step Master?

It might have been step Master. I can't remember.

What do they call it? Step master? Is that what that machine's called?

Stare Master?

I was from stare Master. That was from her cribs?

I think, yeah, back in the day, it was like a.

Classic TV clip of her doing with with like with high pumps.

Was she singing and doing it?

No, she was like you know remember old school cribs. You'd give a tour and she'd be like, this is my workout room and she was like in pump heels on the StairMaster.

I never understood that. I never and you can't do that in this day and age. Man you can't do a cribs this day in age.

Well, you will see like flex about your fucking wealth.

And they will come and rob your ass too.

Even rentals, Like most of the cribs places were rentals and people live there. That's true.

Yes, that's only for somebody's cares. I don't think Redman's was a rental because this dude was walking around like a hell I live in an apartment in Brick City?

Was that real?

Yo?

Dude?

Yeah?

Man, yeah, my god. It was a wild didn't he have a freezer with money in it? He put some doorway for the future freeze the dough.

Who could we get to produce our Christmas album? Donald? We need like a no, he's not going to do that.

About who.

Charlie Charlie we need? He's not going to produce a Christmas album for us. We need someone who's like gonna give us the time.

Mm hmmm.

Mm hmm.

By the way, did you ever get any emails with anyone saying about what they would do with Donald's.

We have a couple of d ms confirming that, just a couple. Listen audio. Here's the d ms I I have acces. I don't check all of my d MS were like, wow, yeah, no, Donald can totally get it on OnlyFans and he would make a lot of money. Let me I could check our Gmail and see if we have any.

Because well check the Gmail because we asked for audio and I would love.

To hear some ado. Okay, yeah, if.

You have any, you could share your screen. By the way, when I posted when I posted the baby It's Cold Outside video, the funniest comments where this is the content I want to see on Donald's only fans.

Do you remember when everybody was like, baby it's cold outside shouldn't be sung.

Yeah, and I understand why, but uh.

Come on, man, with all the music that's out today.

No, I know, but I you know whatever, people. I understand people are having problems with it. But I posted the clip that didn't have the controversial lyrics, although it did have Hey what he drink? Yeah, but I think it's because it was you and me. It was okay, well you got anything, You're smiling?

Hold on getting into the out Donald, What.

Are you getting your kids for Christmas? You're getting them Oh you told me video computers for video games.

Yes, so look this is what we're doing. Kids are really into.

The YouTube culture where you play video game like like what Daniel Daniel does the twitch called Twitter. Yeah, they're very into it. My daughter wants to do something that's similar to a podcast where you know what I mean. So we were like, what we can do is we can buy the equipment for it and they can pretend to do it, but every really never goes anywhere.

Yeah, you know, I make sure you don't upload like the Wilder phase on podcast. God knows what I's gonna say, right. Did you see that that viral video of the little girl. I guess her mom said you can go in the bathroom and curse. And she goes in the bathroom and just starts cursing. That was the funniest thing I ever saw. There's a bunch of you can see her running out of curses and she's trying to think of him. Do you know what I'm talking about.

Yeah, there's a bunch of them. There's a bunch of them.

This one, This one was so funny. I guess I guess the context was her mom was like, I will give you thirty seconds and you can go in the bathroom and you can say whatever curses you want. It was so funny, but then she runs out and she's.

Like, jerk, Uh are you happy to be in New York.

I'm having so much fun. I'm going to see a play with Josh Raiden tonight.

I'm jealous.

The whole Lawrence Posse is coming into town. I'm gonna see Bill and we're gonna go to restaurants and we're seeing We're going to see Audiram McDonald and Gypsy opening nights.

So jealous.

Oh, good fucking joous my soul.

Audra McDonald, you know I love that show. I have such a place, special place in my heart for that show. I was I did it. I was involved with it when I was a kid in community theater. I just I've always.

Loved that original Shirley McLain.

No it was I think a Jel Lands No, No, no, really, no, no, she did it maybe second I just read this, Uh all.

I remember was I remember the Shirley McClain poster, and I remember the Debbie.

Allen postern Oh my gosh, scha Welle's doing so original.

Listen when I was younger. I'm gonna I'm gonna date myself. She's played my mom in in In the next day, or she played my mom. But I was so in love with Debbie Allen. Oh my god.

Everybody's like Felicia were shot. I was like, no, Debbie.

Allen, Okay, here we go. This is someone who was asked if he would tune in if Donald had an only fans Hey, Joell.

My name is Luke Stige.

I am not only a gay man that would subscribe to Donald's only fans account because I love you Donald, You're everything.

But I am also as a side gig.

I managed some of my friend's only fans account to have popular only fans, and so I have a little bit of analytics here for you. I not only do I run like women's only fans accounts. I run a man's only fans account.

And I will.

Say I would say there are women's subscribers, it's a low percent, probably ten to fifteen percent. It's mostly gay men subscribing to men's only fans accounts.

And as far as content, you know, the man he just like kind of makes. It's like stupid contents like oh me jerking off with my bro or.

That's er off.

Of your friends, or can I see you you know, not doing that. A lot of gay men like one like solo content, which is kind of abnormal because with the women's accounts that I run, they use the women's be like sex tapes any here. I have a lot more info on it. If you ever want anymore only fans content, let me know.

Yeah, we need to we need to have one the show. You need to be on the show.

I've been listening since.

Thank you, thank you, watch Kid, thank you you guys.

I love you AnyWho Okay, bye.

Thank you. Back at Great Joe and pull him as a guest.

He needs to.

Come on it, and we need to have a conversation about what I need to do to get my only fans popping so I can make this animated short.

This animated short is going to be made well, he says.

Money.

Y'all listen, he said. The number one thing is like, I'm beating off with my bro, and I just want you to know that I'm not going to be your brother.

Totally going to be my bro.

No, I don't care about animation. I don't give a funk about your animation. I'm not going to beat off on your only fans, Joel, are there any others?

Do you know how much money we would make?

Money, appreciate them for you next time.

As much like Donald's only Fans, you have successfully edged me and I am chillated to no more. Oh my god, yeah me too. You know what's funny is that I don't I'm sorry to spoil anyone who thinks they're having a real relationship with an OnlyFans person, But the people who who who manage these accounts are guys like that.

You know, there are people I don't have an only fans relationship. I have a real relationship with my wife, so I can't.

You know, I'm sure there's people with low amounts of followers who maybe are doing the communicating. I'm guessing I don't know. But anyone who's who's gotten a huge following and there's some guy in the d M is being like, she's texting me how my day is? And it's like literally that guy in his car being like, hey babe, thinking of you, and the guy is thinking like, oh my god, it's this OnlyFans mode, right.

Oh my god, trip by Bree just hit me up.

Right, Oh, we got another.

One to quick voicemail from a female fans. Let's see what she has to say.

Yes, Hi, Joelle, I don't know if you'll remember me. My name is Timika. I'm the Spanish teacher from New Jersey who sent a few voicemailoris about trying really hard to like season nine of Scrubs and just not being able to get there. I was listening to today's episode and the only fans conversation that's continuing, and you didn't ask for feedback from straight women, But I thought i'd be helpful and put the question to Bed about whether or not straight women are subscribing to OnlyFans, And the answer is a fuckingly not. The reason is supine demand. There is no dick shortage for us. They show up in any text messages, they show up on dating apps, They show up whether or not you want them, and never actually ask for them. So no, you don't go online and subscribe to dixieing services.

It's basic economics.

However, I do think there is an OnlyFans avenue for you, Donald. Everyone enjoys looking at someone who is attractive, which you are. Don't let these people dim or shine. But behavior tends to be very stimulating for women because behavior lets us infer things about what kind of lover you'll be. I'm pretty sure someone smart said that the brain is the greatest sex organ or something like that. So I think your golden ticket may be to start and only fans focused on behavior that women want to see and are lacking. I hear married women are exhausted, and maybe they'd pay to watch a man share the mental and emotional load of running a home without expecting praise or sex in return, like in the rom cons or in the romance novels.

That make us swoon.

So like do the dishes and vacuum and help with kids homework, and like.

Just do it, sn't expect It's exactly.

I'm gonna say that their husbands would probably fit the bill because they'll be happy to have their wives hot in the pants and you could make your money. Just don't do it naked, because we are good on dick and balls for thought. On happy holidays everyone.

Well, Mika coming through again.

I'm gonna say something. She has a great idea. I think I could do an only fans where I'm washing dishes, I'm cooking food, I'm helping my kids with their homework. I mean I do wash dishes, I do cook the food. I don't necessarily help with the homework. Case he's way smarter. Excuse me, excuse me, she's way smarter than me in that capacity. But I mean, I think I could do that type of stuff.

Right, But isn't it interesting what Tamika finds sexy is exactly what the sex therapist said you should be doing to turn your own wife on.

Yeah, but I expect sex after that, you know what I mean.

But I'm saying Tamika is agreeing with the the sex therapy. She's saying, like, women don't want to see dicks. We get dicks everywhere, dick picks sent to us. We don't want that. We would be hot and bothered by you being doing the dishes, helping around the house. Chore what do they call it? Chor play?

Sure? Play? Look, I am down to do it for animation money.

Okay, well I think about that. Thank you, Timika.

That was great, Thank you, Tamika. I am down to make some animation money.

Okay.

Washing, I don't know that I'm gonna subscribe to your only fans watching you watch washed dishes.

Well, a mixture, it'd be a mixture.

Be a lot of times you don't know somedays, Yeah, a lot of times you don't know that you're into a kink until you see.

It, right, you know, I mean it could be you and me washing dish. Hey, you're just washing dishes with my bro and we'm saying.

If I'm watching it for all I know, I'm not. I'm not. Let's say I'm watching you wash dishes because I'm trying to support you. I've subscribed your only fans, I've bought the Donald washing dishes video. And then all of a sudden, I'm like rock Heart and I'm like, whoa, I never knew I had this kink.

Wow, that would be very interesting. Yeah about it.

I don't think it's gay if it's just dishes. Well, Joelle.

Subtracted to the same sex, and then it qualifies as gay. I don't know if the.

Actual all right, I shot a stand up comic saying this stand up car She was so funny, it was brilliant. She was like, you know, true sex equality and hatred and bigotry will be out the window when dudes can be like to their bros. Yo, you remember that time when I was gay for a little bit and they'd be like, yeah, man, you was fucking gay as fuck. From like two thousand and three to two thousand and four dog and then people she's like, and then the liberal, the liberal would be in back and be like bisexual and.

They'd be like no, no, no, no, no, no, you as.

Gay as fuck, dude, and they would be all right and they would be able to still be buddies and ship like that. That's when Bigo tree, you know, that's when Bigotree is out the window.

All right?

Is here pizza? Six seven?

Eight? Stories about show? We made about a bunch of talks and nurses.

And I said, here's the stories, net No, so YadA rall here, yeada ra here swear for me?

No, oh my god, wow, Ted, that's welcome to the program. That is Joel Monique are our producer.

All right.

I don't know if you and Donald have met before. Do you guys know each other?

Did we meet at Christmas party?

Yes? Yes, yeah, yes, it was quite a pleasure for me.

It was a pleasure for me as well. You have no idea.

I've been a big fan of yours for a long time. Even I've never seen scrubs. You know.

Ever, he's not.

He's not lying. And the reason he's not lying. We'll get right into it. Audience is that there were two men who were up for the at the end for doctor Cox, and one was John McGinley and one was Ted McGinley.

And so drove me at that day. Oh sorry, I was gonna say, I drove a lot that day. And I got to the guard and he said what's your name? And I said McGinley, And he goes, sure, it's already McGinley here, and I said, no, I'm I'm also, what sh are you testing for? It? Scrubs? He's already here. Nice try No, I'm the other one. I didn't know, so I was surprised and it went downhill from there.

What happened at your audition? Did you did you feel that it didn't go well? Or did it go well? And then Johnny was just more right in Bill's mind?

How did that?

What happened?

Well, you know, it's funny. I you know, you go to many auditions leading up to that, right to that moment when you go to the to the studio. So I've had a lot of really good auditions. I felt great about the character, and I thought I had a good shot. I knew there were two people going. I didn't know who the other one was, and thank god I didn't know it was John, And I think it went like all my auditions probably went very poorly.

Right, Are you a bad auditioner?

Yeah, he said that in the past. He's not a good auditioner. We'll talk about that because I'm curious when you're at Donald agrees with you. But why, why what happens to you? We have a lot of actors that listen. I'm sure they'd love to you're now. You're a very successful actor, so people probably want to know what happens.

I'm nervous. I'm a nervous auditioner, I think, and it makes it it makes it tricky. I'm also dyslexic, so if I'm on paper, I can do anything on paper. So I always try to, you know, get everything into my head, and then i'm it's just too many things going on. So yeah, I seem to be better once I have the job. I feel a little more secure. I feel like the people don't hate me. I have a lot of that actor stuff going, but I just don't think. I've just never really. My wife's an amazing audition she she's so good at it, and so I watched people who are who are excellent. I just said, how come I don't have any of that in me?

I wondered the same thing. I feel like I've missed out on so much.

And I think I have a really great career, but I feel like I've missed out on so much because of my fear of auditioning. Like I've there's parts where they were like, they love you and they want you for the part, they just need you to audition, and I'm like, fuck it, I'm not going in.

That's exactly going in the same with me, exactly the same is that I just, you know, I know I'm their pick, and then I go in and I just I put too much on it, and then I just always I think when I started in on Happy Days, I always felt like the other side of the table hated me, the producers and the directors, and so I think I carried that, and I think maybe they did, but they carried through, just carried through.

You know, Ted, you probably don't know this, but Donald fucked up his Scrubs audition too, and Donald you can tell the story. But Bill found him at the elevator and was like, bro, what was that again? Brought it back in right?

Yeah, Well he said.

We were all waiting in the lobby for the announcement, who was going to go home and everything like that, and he came out and he was like, all right, everybody can go Donald, you stay. Yeah, and everybody immediately thought, oh shit, he got the part.

Yeah.

I walk into the waiting room, and before we walk into the room with all of this with Jeff Zucker and the rest of the studio in there and the network, and he stops me and goes, now, look, you really did a you fucked up in that first audition.

And he said I kind of get a sense that you know you did too. I need you to go in there and do it like you did it all these other times.

And I was like, oh shit, did you know what you had? Did you know what he meant?

I was so big I got you know what I mean? I was like, here we go, it's me again. Don't o'fashuns back. And he was like, dude, what the fuck?

Calm down? Yeah, bring it down there, Yeah, that's me, that's me.

Bring it down, and let's do it again. And this time, try and be as real as possible. Don't go for the jokes, just be real. And I went in there and that's what happened. I just I said forget trying to go for the jokes, and then I got the call later on it. I got the part that night, and I was like, oh god, man, I thought, I thought this was going to be like there's so many movies that I went out for and this is this is why I started smoking weed too while acting no bullshit, because I thought, maybe this will calm me down, maybe this will make me relax a little bit.

And it never it it.

I remember my agent saying, the part is yours. All you got to do is go in there an audition. And I went in an audition and I could tell halfway through I lost the job.

You know, there's so many you know, for those of you who aren't actors, there's so many variables. You have the you have your nervous energy, you have what happened to you that morning, you have whatever's going on in your mind from your life, your family, your partner. Then you go into the waiting room and there's all the energy of the waiting room. You might see a star, a bigger you know. When I live in a room was me and scrubs. I was a waiter and I saw stars in the waiting room. I was like, what the fuck am I doing here? I'm not going to get this. That guy's famous. And then sometimes you can hear the people going in the room and you're like, oh my god, I'm not doing it like that? Is that what they want?

Yeah?

And then there's also these mind games in the waiting room where actors will try and distract you. They'll try and like engage you in conversations, so you're not even like like focusing and thinking about the sides. You're like shooting the shit with some guy who sometimes is trying to fucking sabotage you. There's all this dynamics, and then you can go into the room and they've had a bad day and they're tired and they're not laughing at you, and then you just get in your head and like, oh, I suck. You know, there's so many things tell is on the way there.

You have a contract to be signed for the next seven years of your life. So if you happen to be a waiter, you know when they make these deals, they're like seven years long, and all of a sudden, overnight your life changes. So that adds to this, especially if you have kids and a family. That is it's so real. It's it's so unreally real that it adds so much on there. But I think I just really got the bad habit of thinking that everybody on the other side already doesn't like me, and that you know, It's very funny. When I first started the business, before I had any idea what I was doing, I would go up for things, and if they didn't hire me, I always felt bad for them. I was like, oh, wow, you blew it too bad. I mean, you blew a good thing. And then as time goes by, you sort of walk in the room like, I know, I know, I know I'm not right for this, but I'm gonna throw it up there anyway. And and you've been beaten down by so many times by that point and just go I get it. I wouldn't pick me either. There's that element that is heartbreaking, but it's part of the history of your I mean, after a while, I admire people who just say I should.

Have this, Yeah, you know, I gotta be. There's there's two things that this this industry does to you that's so fucked up, but it's what it is, and I get it. If you come off of something hot, like, you know, I did a play that Steve Martin wrote with a really dope cast, and I felt so good about where I was as an actor. Went on a bunch of auditions and didn't get shipped, and I couldn't under I was that shit was like, wait a second, yeah, you know what the fuck?

Man?

I just did fucking eight shows a week at fucking the Old Globe.

How am I not?

You know?

How how do they not see what the audio? I was killing it on that shit.

I was also on a television show where everybody was like, yo, Donald Daison has graduated from comedy to drama. And I thought after that X Men would be calling, fucking Marvel would be all these my Star Wars is going to be calling, and nobody fucking called.

And it was like what the fuck?

Everybody just said how good I was and nobody's calling. It's such a mind fuck. This industry is so humbling and and and look I said it before, I think I did pretty well for myself. Ted, I know you did great for yourself, but there's just that feeling of you know, I'm not good enough. You hear knows so much in this industry that that one, yes, it doesn't really change the It doesn't change the the uh, the thought process in your head.

It doesn't take away the insecurity. It freaking you. Hear knows so much that that one.

Yes, yes, it's gratifying and it's great and you feel good for that split second, but you know that could be taken away too.

I got fired, dude, I got fired after a table read once.

I was like, what the fuck?

I didn't even get to really, I didn't even really get to do this shit the way I wanted to do it, you know what I mean.

Like, it's just I'm surprised that I'll get fired after every table reading. I am right, every single table reading. But you know, so you bring up a great point, like I think the business. You're the one who doesn't like the business is the framing. The thing you have to hang on to. You can't the business is the business. And Tom Bosley told me when I was on happy Days, he said, look, if you can't handle this, you've got to get out now. And I had two very disappointing I was up for two features leads and he said, and I had with terry eyed and said, dude, if you can't handle this. You've got to get out right now. This is not for you. And I remember that was I thought at the time was such an asshole comment. It happened to be one of the most accurate statements ever ever given to me. That it just keeps repeating itself over. No, but I'm giving you cannot give those people that permission to I still get to come home. The know that hurts me the most is when I give it myself, when I look in the mirror and I go, no, that's the one that kills That's the one that hurts you know, believe.

Well, Ted, I want to start with I want to go back to happy Days because that's where it all began for you. You came onto the show. Do I understand it?

Right?

When Ron Howard was leaving.

Yeah, So during the Actors Strike at the time, his contract ran up and Ron wanted to direct and ABC wouldn't let him direct. So head of NBC at the time, I think it was Grant Tinker, said no, I'll let you direct, and he went over there and did a TV movie with Anton Williams and Betty Davis I think, and that was it. Ron Squer took off as a director, as it should have, and he came back. But we had a softball team that toured around the country and throughout Germany, and they eventually went around the world, but I was working, but they they played softball at all these troops from the troops throughout Europe and the United States. And so that's when I got to meet Ron. And that was the only time I really got to hang out with Ron. But yeah, that's why I got into the show. And they were looking for a straight man opposite Henry Winkler, opposite the Fonts, and Gary Marshall saw something in me that he thought he could work with.

Well that's quite an honor because Gary Marshall was about as big as it gets in TV at the time. He was nice, he was more than that man, No I know, of course, he went on to be an incredible filmmaker. I'm saying at the time, and I highly I've said this before, but get Gary Marshall's autobiography on tape. It is incredible to hear him his voice tell his story and there's so many funny anecdotes. I'm sure you've heard it, Ted, but I really loved it and he was you know I had some not only we did chicken little together there he was my father in the animated we would chick a little, but also he went. He was a very big benefactor in Northwestern where I went to school. Yes, and he would and he would come, he would come speak, and so I really really loved that man a lot. And I wonder if you could talk about what it was like to work with him, because he's he was such a legend in the industry.

It was a very interesting time because Pierry was transitioning from he was just trying to make that change from TV to film, and so he wasn't as day to day involved in the show as he was previous to my time there, apparently. But we had Laverna Shirley right next to us, so we shared the stage with them, and they had massive chaos and people would be throwing scripts and counting lines and yeah, it was just a thing familiar. It was craziness. It was a great introduction for me. And my dressing room was outside the stage. Everybody else was inside the stage, so I was out kind of next I was. I was outside, so I would see the chaos constantly and hear them. Uh. It was it was crazy, and Gary used to Gary would always pull me aside and say it's gonna be good. It's gonna be good. And that meant a lot from Gary because he wasn't effusive. Uh, but that meant a lot because I wasn't really getting that anywhere else. And I felt bad for Henry Winkler because he went from working with one of the best stars in the world, one of the greatest U sidekicks ever, Ron Howard, to a guy who had never done anything and had no idea of where the joke was and the timing was any of them. And so I learned a lot from Henry. It's very generous, and you know, through the week he kind of put me through it a little bit, and then on Fridays he would because it was secrets whim we had, we had to put it out there. He was just I learned so much being around that cast and around Henry. But those were tough days because I knew I wasn't up the bar, but I didn't know, and I just I really didn't know what this world was and I wanted to stick around long enough to see what it was. Anyway, Gary's a guy who finds types of people and then figures out how to how to make it work and find their little magic. And for me it was a godsend. Gary Marshall was, I would say, the most important person in my career.

Wow, well he really he really invested in you because you were you hadn't really worked, right. I know you're working as a model, but had you done any acting before?

No? I had a no And I had a little TV movie where I was hired as a model to run in the first scene of the beach, you know, and I'm running and jack Albertson comes up next to me and I blow him away. And then I'm in the last scene of the movie and jack Albertson's there and I'm running with him, and all a sudden he starts keeping up with me after he's been through his journey. Now, that was my first thing, but I had, you know, I was like, come on, old man or something. That was my big lung. But that's so yeah. Happy Days was my first gig, and you know, Gary, Gary took a risk on me, and then he put me in a pilot called Herndon and Me, which was directed by Gary Marshall, written by Lowell Gans and Babbelo two monsters at the time, and it was for ABC, and it started myself and Michael Richards. Wow, And Michael Richards was doing Kramer in that project at the time, and he we had a scene where he flipped over a chair and broke three ribs on a couch and that was the but the kind of messed up the timing of our of our pilots who had to take two and a half week saw Oh my god. Anyway, So Gary, Gary put a lot of faith of me.

Yeah, well that's that says a lot.

I love the story about Henry also, though you know what I mean, Like Henry was the same.

Way with me.

I had I had a really bad day on Clueless and he was directing the episode. I was like an hour and a half late. I still had booze on my breath from the club that night. And he intercepted me after I've rushed through hair and makeup and everything and stopped me and was like, it's okay, you're not We're not going to fucking have an issue about this. You're gonna be fine. I need you to come in here and do what you do, And in doing so, he put me at a. I'm not saying what I did was correct, but I had a really bad day, you know what I mean. And from that moment on, he was so giving with not only his time but also with his knowledge of the comedic craft and what I needed to do to make it better.

And I doubt I would never I would never show to work like that ever again. I was like, I'll never be this guy ever again. Flash forward. I did it a couple of times again, But that's not the point. The point is. The point is Henry. Henry Winkler was so generous with his knowledge and his time.

We had him on the podcast and I was great, and I was able to thank him for it and all of the things that we all the things that you and I are talking about, the fear of auditioning. Whenever I would bring that up, he would be like, all right now, Donald. You know, it was like he was like my my, my TV dad or my TV uncle. Who was there to reassure me? Dude, all of that shit's in your head. You got to get rid of that. You got to drop that stuff.

You are who you are, and that's and that's and that's good enough pretty much.

You know what I mean, I always knew going home I was who I was. Yeah, you know that's why my home has always been a sacred place for me, because I know I'm okay here. I know I've done everything that I've done it to my highest level here, and so I'm very proud of being a good dad. I think that's why I was put on this world and and for trying to be a good husband. But I so so that really matters to me, like because that's my safe place. That is the place where when I get hurt, I come in and I heal. And so this place I don't ever want it to be injured or rocky, but out in the world I expect it. I figure, you got to be tough and if you want to play, if you want to play in that in this arena, you're going to take some serious wounds. And I guess that's how it goes.

Let's take a break, we'll be right back after these fine words. With that, Let's just continue on and like in some of the major things you're on. Then you want to how many years did you do love boat?

I think I did three and a half seasons. Uh, I so same thing. So when I after I auditioned for Happy Days. I did it in a room with some executives and I didn't know they were They were in Gary's office. And for two weeks I was going back and forth between this other show and where they called me in one day work with the people, and call in the next day and I'd work with the direct casting directors. And finally Gary Marshall asked first, and I got to be unhappy guess. So then I did a couple of guest spots on the Love Boat. And while I was there, they said, Hey, when Happy Days ended, would you like to come in as a as a regularism? Sure, yeah, why not? I loved that cast. It was so nice and they treated you like a king. You got first class trips for you and a guest everywhere. We traveled all over the world. It was spectacular. I mean, that was a great great I didn't know.

So were you shooting on a real boat, Well, you're.

Shooting on a stage.

And then.

So it would be theyasically two months out of the year you would be on a ship. So for at least six weeks it would be two three two hour shows. It'd be about two weeks each, so it'd be about six to seven weeks. You'd be out on a ship.

Wow.

And you'd stay on the boat.

Yes, and they I mean, you were treated like a king. And then they would invite people to be on the ship. So regular folks were just on the ship while we were shooting and they got to hang out with you. You know. I would be in the casino every night and they would be in there, or we'd be dancing or whatever it was, and just regular folks were there. It was really fun. How they could go into certain rooms at certain times, would be cable all over the boat. I kind of felt sorry for me, but it was they knew what they were getting into and they loved it.

Yeah, they were.

They were literally on the love boat.

They were on the love Yeah.

Yeah, but that was that was a It put me in a weird, you know, weird category all of a sudden, and it was hard to kind of get out of that one. And then we smashed it open with married with children.

Yes, that's so let's talk about Let's wait, let's go back first, because Revenge of the Nerds needs to be talked about.

Me.

I was focusing on TV first, Donald, and we're gonna.

Go back my bad, my bad, because okay, thank you for bringing up though.

Well, Donald and I have a very special place in our heart throven that.

Is, that's one of my favorite movies of all time, even though that's not pc to say.

Now nowadays it's a very problematic film. But we're not going to talk about that. We're only talking about the good parts of the movie. That's right, that all around, but Sweet Married with Children. That was really a new take on the sitcom. Right It was Fox as Fox's sitcom, and they were going to be outrageous, right yeah.

They wanted to go They wanted to do the exact opposite of Family Ties the Cosby Show. They wanted to do something that would rock the boat. And they did.

They did, They started did That was an enormous hit, right yeah, yeah, and you came and you came.

On later too, though you you weren't in the beginning. There was another person and then they killed him off and what you on?

Right, Well, yeah, he wanted to go do Broadway. He was a Broadway actor and wanted to go back to his roots. And I think also it happens where initially they pitched the show as something and then two of the characters also out Bunny just tastes off and the Bundy family, and I think he felt like, hey, I'm right here, but so he wanted to go do other things. And the greatest thing that ever happened to me was that he decided to leave, and he did very well. He's done, He's he's done well. But dam Garrison, and I, you know, I'm so thankful to him to have a decision. But I went into Married and my parents used to come with me to Happy Days and we'd have these big parties after every show with the Castle, you know, Taxi, Laverne and Shirley loosing buddies. We would all go to this place called Nikodill's outside of Paramount and everybody was in there on a Friday night and it was so much fun in those days. And my parents were invited. Everybody was invited if you do them. So we went in there. And then when I got onto the Married with Children and my parents came to the first show, they were like, what the hell is this? Yeah, and it was so much fun. Again. That cast from day one just said come in, bring whatever you've got and we love it. And I I was so expecting the opposite, and they couldn't have been better. I loved that job. We had so much fun.

I bet you were laughing your asses off. No one really does that, now, do they. There's no like R rated sitcom which would be funny. I don't know why.

I know it's all animated. Yeah, it's all animated.

Family Guy is the version of Married with Children.

Right, I'm surprised no one does like whatever the twenty twenty four Riskue version of a sitcom would be.

Yeah, I'll tell you I found we did. There are a lot of people who think they are by the way, but you know they're not.

They're not.

No, I see, I see what you're saying about Family Guys like kind of the version of it.

Yeah, well they Simpsons is really Married with Children, just in a different run.

But they also ripped they also, sorry to cut you off, they ripped you off.

Also with that other show, there was a show with uh Kevin Connolly was the kid on it and Nicky Cox was the daughter.

And it was pretty much the same shit. It was the same show, but it wasn't.

Uh. I'm trying to remember Ronny Levitt if he had something to do with it. I can't I do remember that. I can't remember it.

Do you remember this?

It was the exact same shows, like they tried to make the exact same show. Uh yeah they did anyway, Yeah, well something something was married with children.

I'll tell you a funny story though. Sorry with married, I never got a call time. Ever you would. You would look at the script and you'd say, oh, on the rewrite. And by the way, in those days, you had to wait for the script guy to drop off your script. So you go on a Monday, if you write it Tuesday, or you wrote it each day, you get a new script. But I would get mine like two morning. I'd wake up at like eleven every day. You know, I checked in the front door because I can't read it like everybody else does. So I would go through it. I think, oh my god, I'll be up all night looking. So then we would we would go there. But you would say, okay, I'm in the third scene, so that means we start at ten. That means I come in at eleven. Ten. You just make it up. Nobody said you come in at this time ever, not one time. So I'm around cult that doesn't exist in our business. It was just we ran it ourselves in that regard, and then if you were late, they would sit around the couch. They would go get food, and everyone would sit around the couch like a family and just talk poorly about you until you showed up, and then they would go. I mean, it was so much fun. It was such a great game. All right.

Now we have to talk about Revenge of the Nerds, because this movie was like Donald and I were the target demo for this movie.

Yes, and.

I remember identifying with the nerds.

Yeah, I identified with the jocks.

You did, you did?

I did. I played sports and everything like that.

And you know, in my neighborhood, if you weren't if you weren't into sports, you weren't into anything, you know what I mean. So like the artist in my neighborhood, like I learned how to play basketball, I learned how to play football.

I learned how to play baseball. Also I could be cool, you know what I mean?

And so that was me.

I identified with the I identified with the jocks. I get it. You identified with the nerds.

I identified you with Lamar.

No, well, I did love Lamar too. That was the wrapping part of the whole movie.

Oh my god. The end of the end of that movie with the with the performance is just that's not the end.

That's that's not the end.

No, well, I'm saying when it builds, when it builds to the performance. But anyways, so, ted I I read that when you got to set there was actually like friction between the jocks and the nerds, like off like on set, like for real, you got older?

Yeah, right, I didn't. I didn't know that, right. So we show up and I think perhaps I wasn't astute enough in technique to know that some guys maybe work where if they're going to be opposite you and adversarially, they stay that way in character kind of right throughout the process of the show, where sometimes people won't talk to you for an entire movie off camera. But but I thought it was presumptuous to say the least that that's how if that's what they were doing. Uh. But so we went down there and in the beginning, they wouldn't give me the time of day, and they would get together.

Nerd nerds, the nerds as a group. The nerds didn't targe you, and they would exclude I was, They would have nerd they would have nerd parties, yeah, well they.

Didn't this early age. They were massive parties. So yeah, the the jocks weren't really invited now Ogre, I don't know. I haven't talked to Don about that. But it wasn't until we started doing all night episodes where we had to work all night long for about a little over two weeks, where we were stuck with each other, we had to hang out all night, the nationally started to break break the ice and start to find that we had a lot in common. That turned that turned to be mashal And. I mean the parties would start. The parties then would start at six in the morning, so you would work all night and they would come back and then start the party.

And then that woman who played six a Night, that woman that played Betty. I was right at the age where things in my body were turning on, like things were shifting. Yes, And I was like Betty, like I didn't know what she just she shifted my whole mind. I was like, I couldn't, I couldn't. I was so in love with her.

Yeah, she today, she's still amazing, Julian Montgomery, but she she is so recently, I just went down to Mexico and I got hired to go down. There's a group of people apparently who loved the nineteen eighties shows, and so they all music that shows. So I went down to a resort in Mexico and it's inclusive all and you spend a couple of days with all these people and take photographs with him, and it was so much fun. They all showed up and dressed half of them stand Gable and Benny Child's anyway, so the Nerds apparently have been doing this as a group where they tour around, they go around and sign autographs.

They've been doing They're still excluding you this many years later.

They are. By the way, the love Blode excludes me, Happyess excludes me. Really, Nerds excludes me, and I expect shrinking will too soon.

No, no, no, we got talking about shrinking, dude. I want to get to that.

I don't know because I don't think social media, so I don't stay in contact with people.

I just don't want to say. If any of the Nerds from Revenge of the Nerds are listening to this podcast, I want you to. It's been too many years and you need to starting. Poor Ogre probably spends his weekends in the fetal position because he's not being.

Oker. Became a nerd.

What are you talking about?

It became a nerd? What about Booger? Does Booger go?

Yeah?

Does Lamar?

Does a Mark throw a javelin?

Larry?

When all the party was going he was a badass as Yeah.

He was, sincerely he didn't have a limprest and throwing style.

That was.

That was the funniest thing when they said they designed the javelin for Lamar's limpers.

Well, I'll tell you the secret. When we started the Nerds, I actually played two parts. I played a twin brother who was who was a nerd. So I had Stan Gable had a twin brother who was a nerd. And they cut it out after day three. They said, the movie's not going to go. It's not what the movie is. So we're gonna we're gonna get rid of because that would be its own movie, really movie. Yeah, but no one ever talks about that. I think all those guys forgot about it anyway. So we we're down in Mexico. I ran into all those guys. It was so much fun and we were They never heard my side of anything because they hang out together all timate they never heard me talk about how unfriendly they were, and and uh, you know there was real adversaries that they're like, what what are you talking about? It? It was, it was interesting. It was a lot of fun to see them.

But yeah, I don't expect to get I don't like I don't like it. The nerds don't treat Ted McGinley right. If you are one of the nerds, we'd like you to call in and explain yourselves, especially if you're Lamar. We want to talk about your limpristed throwing style.

All right, No one more, one more funny story on it. So I'm I get contacted through my agent. There's a lady in uh, Connecticut whose husband has try lambs. He and his entire three brothers, all his family has try lambs tattooed on their forum. And for his fortieth birthday, he wants me to fly back and have dinner with them. And they're gonna fly me first class, they're gonna pay me, and I'm gonna go back there and sit with these guys and I wouldn't surprise him at dinner.

That's amazing.

It was that you forget how much that movie meant to some people in the day.

Yeah, I mean, Donald and I were the right age where we would just like thought it was. I was probably too young to be seeing it, but I did see it, and I just thought it was the funniest fucking thing I'd ever seen. And I guess because probably because I did feel nerdy and and was was intimidated by jocks and I don't know, I was like the perfect target demo for it. And then and then there was Betty.

I love the jokes.

I thought the jokes were hilarious, and I thought, you know, and I know a lot of them can't be. I know, a lot of the stuff that's in that movie can't actually be. You go to jail for a lot of that.

Well, we acknowledged it's problematic in some ways, but we can still appreciate segments of.

It that that changed my I remember my friends telling me I needed to see it, and then finally seeing it and thinking, this is the most cutting edge movie I've ever seen in my life.

I freaking like.

Cutting dude, I laughed so well, come on, man, his limp wristed throwing style to this day, That and the and the tricycle race.

And the song and the song and the song. I mean, the song was like the funniest fucking thing.

I think. I think, I think that song is written by Tom Newman, who's been nominated really numerous Academy Awards for scoring major films.

I mean, yeah, Thomas Newman's legend.

Yeah, but not only Mary one of those people connected to that film. By the way, Ted Fields, our cinematographer, They all went on to big things after.

Yeah, let's take a break.

We'll be right back after these fine words. No, all right, let's segue to Shrinking. I have to say I'm lucky enough to have a front row seat to watching what's happening to you at Shrinking and what's happening are tricking. It reminds me of what happened to Neil Flynn on Scrubs, but even in a bigger way, because as hilarious. You know, Neil Flynn was in the pilot and he was supposed to have Scrubs. He's supposed to have a small part of the janitor, and he was so incredible that Bill just kept giving him more and more and more to do. But he was always because he was always you know, because he was always so crazy. He was the janitor and the character was so wacky it was sort of capped at how much he could do. What's happening with you on Shrinking is so thrilling as a fan of yours to watch because you started with just having quips, as you Bill would call it. Bill used to call these guys his assassins on scrubs who could just walk by sayah, one liner and and and make everybody die laughing. Rob Rob Mashio was the king of that. And then I've watched over the seasons. Now your part. If you look at a graph, it's just skyrocketing because you are killing it on the show, and everybody loves you. Anytime anyone knows I have anything to do with the show, they go, oh my god, I love Derek. He's so funny.

I need to tell you before before you say it, before you say it, I'm trying to find out if my wife is home because she wanted me to tell you you made her cry. You made her cry in U because uh, with your scene with Josh Hopkins, you made she is uh. She is a forever fan. She was a fan before, but she is a forever fan now. And it's it's it's it's it's a it's an amazing story. So well, I'll let you take it.

But my wife loves you all right now now you speak.

That is very sweet both of you. Thank you very much. I would be remiss if I don't start by saying, Zach, you're an amazing director. Like the energy that he brings to a set and Donald you must know is yes, it's there's no one like it. I mean, it's so much fun. And the one thing that I appreciate, because I've been directed by many many actors, is that when I come, I mean, when Zach comes to the set, he's a director. He's looking for attention as a director. He's not trying to be anything else other than be a director and be a really good one. And he's always prepared. I just and you can trust his judgment, will try it, you know. I love that. I love being able to trust the director because you know, they know funny but two, they're only in it to make the whole better. And it's so it's really a compliment to you.

Thank you, thank you.

I tell him that all the time. I tell him that all the time.

I'm like, yo, dude, you're you're a better director than you are an actor, and but you're a really good actor.

I always preface it. I always like, you're a really good actor too.

Man. That's like when people say to me, oh god, you're well, you've got great hair. I had nothing to do with the hair. I'm trying to do a scene here.

But but but but it speaks to just the experience because obviously Bill is a huge fan of yours, and and he knows I think he We've spoken about how he's like Ted is not a great auditioner, but he's a brilliant performer. And so with this thing, I didn't ask him an audition. I know how funny he is. I just put him in the show because I love him. And and I know Christa had A had A had a voice in it too. She wanted a husband she was definitely attracted to. And you qualify and and and and then but then it was it was like you just you can see that he's increasing and increasing his h his the use of the character.

Well, I found.

It was hard because when I first got there, literally first days, just walked through the scene and with your dog and and you know, say just walking the dog. I didn't want uh, and I was gonna do it with with an attitude, and Bill said, no, no, no, it's nice. He's nice. He's and he'll sometimes say things that that you shouldn't say, but he says it nicely, so you get away with it. And so then I started to grab on to that and and but I had had no background, and I had nothing on the guy, and I could figure out what do I do.

Oh, hello, this is Casey com.

Right, good to see you. She's stopping by it to tell you we have we have here a genuine fan of yours. She wants to say her piece. Go ahead, Casey, No.

I.

Know I always have a couple of pieces to say, but I'll just leave it at this one.

But I watched the episode.

I don't know which episode was, but it was when you know, you had just found out that she had kissed the other guy, and you go to Jessica and you're having like your heart to heart or therapy session or whatever, and.

Yeah, I just have to tell you made me cry.

You're very sweet. I like to say that is just honestly brilliant writing. And it's just like you stand hold on on the rope and let him pull you. And Christy doesn't get enough credit because she wats this fine type rope of so many different tough things to play. Just sitting next to her, I get more credit than I should. But you're very sweet to say that. I'm I never get I was just so honored that they trusted me enough to take a chance with that.

Yeah, I know, it was great because I feel like I'm at the age of my life where I kind of identify with Christa's character in that sense.

Not to not to make some.

But you know, you know, the kids are getting older, you don't you're at home all the time, you do so much, but you don't really feel like you're important enough and all those things.

So I'm always, you know.

Champ trying to champion that character. But to see you and your take on it in your side and it was just so I just I got so emotional. I texted Bill at eleven o'clock at night. I texted Zach so, I thought, you did such a great job showing the flip side of it, Like, yeah, it sucks for women, but it also sucks for men too, who are trying to be great husbands.

Yeah, you know how at home it's he feels safe at home. That's his safe space at home, because he loves being a great dad and he loves being here. He tries to be a great husband.

It was just all right, Casey, you don't have a lot of time, so put your husband back on. No, don't let her, please, no, Casey, get the hell out of here.

I love you.

I love you too. I like how you spell your name.

So, uh, where where do you think is gonna happen with Derek? I mean I was a little surprised, to be honest that and I know this is the writing, it's not it's not up to you. But I was surprised that Bill resolved it so so quickly. I thought that there might be you know, I don't know what is your reaction to that.

I was it didn't It made me nervous that they resolved it so quickly. However, you know, it's not there show and there's a lot to go on. And I thought what was really cool was how real an adult they handle instead of me walking in there with a pistol, you know, they made it a real situation. And I liked how. I liked how when you have a family and you have all these things, you have to keep going, and I just thought it was real. I thought they didn't. I'm always amazed at how wonderful they see the world and how well they're able to actually set an outline for you and then sends you on your way.

I just think it's there's a lot of deep there's a lot of giggling from people that know them well that you're kind of playing a version of Bill. And he certainly writes stuff for you that he wishes he could say to his wife, but he's afraid to. There's a moment, there's a great moment in season one where you where you're alike, where she's telling you that you're not Umilia will hang around the house and You're like, no, I'm retiring. I'm the one who's been out there doing stuff. You can do whatever the hell you want, but I'm going to do whatever the hell I want in this house. I'm paraphrasing, of course, And all I can think of as I was watching it was like, this is what Bill would love to say to Christian, but he's afraid you. Yeah, right, didn't he say something like that to you?

Yeah?

What did he say to you?

And on the Police Center panel, you on the panel.

He said, that's exactly what I want to say, what I would like to say, but I know I get killed, so he lets me say. But he did tell me afterwards, he said, that is it. And that's the first time he said to me, that's me. That's what I want to say. If I could get away with it, that's what I would say. And I thought, Okay, there's more. There's there's Bill inside of Derek, and uh, their relationship is is very complicated Bill and Christa because he's the he's the supreme being, he's the boss, but yet she's really the boss. And uh, you know, when he walks on a set and we're doing something, she says, how about this? He says, no, that's not funny. Uh. And if I said that, I would be beaten. Uh my wife would be you know. But they've worked out how to say it to each other.

They have an incredible they have an incredible dynamic where she's she's definitely a tough boss at home and but he gets to be the tough boss to work.

Yeah. Yeah, in the second he walks through the door, it's all gone, right.

Yeah, Yeah, it's funny because I hang out.

I wonder if she ever if she's ever like you. So you remember when you were getting all brolicky and all loud with me on set. Today, we're gonna we're gonna talk about that now.

She she is such a pro. She all she really understands. It's part of their method. It's part of the method. And then if he's talking to everybody in those situations, and it's so impressive. I just love how she is so selfless sometimes to be able to take over. And by the way, rarely does she do something where he's saying no, I'll do it the other way. That's funny, but she'll say, well, I don't know, what do you think? And they have that ability to like he'll listen and he'll say, no, do it that one. Then they'll say, no, you know what, You're right, go back do.

It the other way.

It's just rare. They work in rare air.

Yeah, well, it's such as such an incredible cast, and you know, with all those big personalities and all those big names. I just love as as a fan of yours as a human and as a as an actor. I just love watching you rise through it all because you know, he has so many actors to service from Harrison Ford and Jason and Jessica and Michael Ury and Krista and everyone and Lukeita and Luke and little by little, I'm just watching, like your screen time and increase, and now you've got scenes with Harrison, and now you've got these moving, dramatic scenes. And I'm just so happy for you, Ted, because I just I think you're fantastic and and I love watching it happen.

And we've been and we've been fans for a really long time watching you also, and that is no bullship.

Yeah, So to to.

See this, to see this and you get in your come up and as they say.

Yes, you've come Really, you've come a long way from eating a pie and saying that's my pie, that's my pie.

Well, that's my pie's that's one of my favorite person in the movie.

That's how's the pie taste?

All right? Maybe this isday If you go to those conventions, she still has those pies and she has put right over the perfect spots and she signs them for you. She travels with her pies.

Oh my god, Donald, we got to go to one of these conventions. Donald Donald and I are the target demo for these conventions.

It would be an honor.

Ted will let you go. Thank you so much. We really appreciate you, and everyone check out Drinking It's. It's on Apple TV plus. It's uh it's it's in its second season, which is about to conclude, and there's going to be a third season, and uh, it's an excellent show.

And you are you will be directing in the third season.

I am going to be directing I believe episodes three and four. You're hearing it first episodes three and four of season three.

Nice, You're so funny because but he shows up with this massive load of energy. He's NonStop after two weeks. He's just a waif of a human being. He just has nothing. He's given literally every he has.

It's hard listen, look at the look at the amount of personalities on that show. And we shoot an episode in six and a half days, and it's a big set, it's a big crew, it's a lot of personalities. So by the yeah, by the time I'm done directing too in a row, I definitely need some time in the fetal position. All right, But thank you so much, thank you, thank you for having me.

What a great guest dude.

I love him.

He's the nicest man ever. He really is such a sweetheart.

He not only that, he's you know, he's such a good actor too. We didn't even get into the West Wing, we didn't get into Sports Night like.

He's he's not over one hundred episodes of TV I read.

Yeah, he's got a lot of experience in this industry.

But when you're with him on set, he's just like, you know, there's no ego, he's just warm. He's like, Oh, I got a funny idea, what if I do in one take this? And You're like, that's great, do that, And he's so he's so grateful to be there. He's just he couldn't. He's one of the one of the nicest actors I've ever worked with. Yeah, unlike the Diva.

Don you wish you could say that about me?

Bro I don't know why you take that as a as a disc Man, I think you're a great actor.

I just think that your directing style.

Is there are very few people who can direct the way you direct, man, And I've worked with a lot of directors.

And you are one of my favorites by far.

Thank you, thank you, And you get that and you get that act and you get this and you get this acknowledgement from other actors too. Like Ted says this stuff, Harrison Ford has said this stuff. And he's worked with a lot of actors too, I mean our directors also.

Harrison still hasn't worked with very good directors. I'm the first great director oka.

O.

No, it means a lot to me, thank you. I love directing. I feel like of all the skill sets that I've developed over all the years I have been doing this, and my first audition was like at thirteen. And I love photography and I love music, and I love actors and I love set design, and so I feel like all the things I love in the world to come together in one job, and that's directing. So it's great to hear that that that that people like me doing it because it brings me so much joy. It's very hard and uh and challenging. But I do feel like I'm in my I'm in my I'm in the right spot when I'm doing it.

You know.

That's why I say you should direct Marvel, you should that, you should direct Star Wars.

You should direct.

Things like that, because it would bring a different take, a fresh take, but it would still but you're so good because you could still stay in the realm of what it is.

Unfortunately, Kathy Kathleen Kennedy listens to the podcast, and so I'll have a show.

Yes there, we'll be calling all right, everybody. We love you.

That's our show.

We appreciate you.

Always have a beautiful week.

About show we made about a bunch of said he's a story next all should know. So gadder round you here, Our gadder round you here, Obscure Watcher, Wiz and

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