"What's for lunch, Bitterman?" Or, in this case, "What are you doing on the podcast, Bitterman?!" That's right! Christian Guzek, aka Jake Bitterman, is here!! He was Andrea's very first kiss, both on and off screen... so, you could say this is the reunion of the century!
Find out why Christian still holds Jake Bitterman so near and dear to his heart, despite leaving the industry so long ago. This interview is one for the books, and it's all right here, on How Rude, Tanneritos!
Oula Fanarritos, and welcome to an all new episode of How Rude Tanarito's. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to reconnect with the person with whom you shared your very first kiss. Well, today we have a bitter surprise for you, no pun intended. We have Christian Goosick on the podcast, who you all know as Jake Bitterman.
Yes, that's right.
For the first time since nineteen ninety one, I'll be reconnecting with my very first kiss, both on stage and off stage, and in front of a live studio audience of two hundred strangers, including my mother and father. Oh, I still haven't recovered from this. We'll get to hear Christian tell us what it was like playing that unforgettable yet lovable troublemaker with hair that could seriously rival any ripper.
Please welcome Christian Goosik.
I so remember him too. And yeah, he had that you know mullet, you had that.
It was a mullet, but it looked like like a raccoon skill.
It was.
It was there is hello.
Oh yes, we were just looking at pictures and we Hair is always a big discussion on hawbrid Tanderto's.
Because it was the eighties, so it's all bad.
I understand. Hair has been a big part of my life. As you can see, I still have long hair.
Well, yes, but it's looking it's looking fabulous now, might I say it's.
Looking very modern.
It's you've grown out the mullet, the whatever that was, whatever it.
Was, you know. I mean there was a time where I thought that was really cool. People would be like, wow, look at that, and that was.
Like that was peak, you know, late eighties, early nineties hairstyle. I mean you should see you should see the rippers that have come through here from Jesse and the Rippers. It's unbelievable, just unbelievable. So so yes, you're in good company, my friend, You're in good company.
But welcome to the show. We just sort of jump in with our interviews, so you're on. Welcome. We're so happy to have you here.
Oh my gosh, I'm so thrilled. I'm so excited about this reunion. Thank you so much for joining.
Us, No, thank you for having me. I'm excited. I can't explain enough. How you know, in my adult life, there's so few things that are just like pure excitement and I'm really like totally excited about this. I've been giggling with my wife and my friends, you know.
So oh good.
Okay, so many people that over the years have you know, sort of a loving joke of being Jake Bitterman and and yeah, so there's there's dozens at least people that are like super excited for this too.
Well there, that's great.
There, I trust me.
They are a lot of fan Ato's out there that are definitely excited for this as well.
So yeah, yes, I'm you are legendary. You're a legendary character in the Full House camph And I'm so glad you're excited to be here, because I didn't know if you would be hesitant to come on the podcast or if you.
Were just like, no, let's go, let's just oh no.
Let's go, let's go do it. I mean, I I you know, I'd lead a pretty regular life and it's mostly boring and and this is great. You know, my kids are excited. Everybody is like, oh my god, my dad's going to be on the podcast for Full House.
Oh that's so cool.
So yeah, thank you guys for having me on here. It really oh of course, yeah, I you.
Mentioned you mentioned your kids.
Tell us who your kids are, how old are they, and do they they know about your past as Jake.
Of course, of course they know. The Jake Bitterman moniker has followed me most of my life with pretty much everybody that I know. It's it's it's been a testament to how popular the show is. Yeah. I have two girls, A beautiful wife of twenty five years now, two girls. They're ten and twelve.
Amazing, you know.
I mean, it's the funnest time in my life I've ever experienced just being with them. They're both little performers. It's great.
They're Oh so they got the acting gene.
Yes, yes. My ten year old is you know, musical theater, just nut. Yeah, it's amazing.
I love that.
Yeah.
My younger one is musical theater, not too so, I love that.
Oh nice nice? Yeah yeah, I yeah, it's it's a blast, you know, and way more talented than I ever was or have been. And then my twelve year old is a musician. I mean, she is just amazing. I can't even I can't explain it. She taught herself how to play the piano by like four. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, it's been really Oh wow, neat. Yeah, she plays pretty much every instrument she puts her hands on. She plays the cello, the ukulele, the xylophone all the time. We have musical instruments everywhere in the house and she just plays them.
That is incredible. You know who else used to do that? Prince Well, there are several really really talented art but he was one of the ones that just played like every instrument.
He would sort of pick up.
It's and I have such admiration for people like that because I am not an instrument person.
Yeah, I'm I'm very musically not talented myself. And it's been neat to see, you know, I mean, it's it's you know what you know what's really neat about it is, you know I I before meeting Charlie that's that's her name, Charlie, Charlie and Kaylin. But before meeting Charlie, you know, I would have said, oh, there's some people that are just talented that you can just do it. But you know, as soon as Charlie could touch the piano. You know, my dad is a pianist and we've just had the piano that I grew up with in our house for years and years now, huh. And as soon as she could touch the piano, she would have just sort of hit the keys and then you know, be mad catching her voice. I'm talking for like eighteen months and for a long time, we just see her do this regularly every day, and then we realized, wait a minute, there's a pattern to this. And she would, you know, kind of do it and match your voice, and do it and match your voice. And then then one day around four, she came to me and she there was this song on a cartoon she was watching, and she was like, you know, Daddy, can you show me how to play this song? I was like no, and she was like, yeah, like I'll ask Grandpa, And so I asked my dad and my dad came back and laugh. Then he's like, look, he goes, whoever composed this song for the cartoon? They were really playing with it. It doesn't repeat, it's you know what I mean, Like, there's no easy just chord progression. I could show her, And so I came back, I'm like, why do you choose an easier song? She was really mad, frustrated, and then she came back like four or five days later, and she looked at me, real serious. She goes, Daddy, I know how to play it. I was like, really, yeah, come here, and she played it and I was like, oh wow, and we realized, okay, wait a minute, something else is going on here. She's been teaching herself how to do this.
Yeah.
Wow. And then we've just seen that same thing happen with so many different you know, instruments in different times. There's been so many cool times where I've just been able to sit there and be like, yeah, yeah, yeah, because me, you know.
It's myself of the family, do you know, it's the Yeah, yeah, that's that's really incredible though.
What a gift, What.
A really amazing gift, And what a cool thing to watch her get to sort of enjoy and come into as she gets older.
Oh it's a blast. It's a blob, you know.
I know.
You know, Jody, you said you have kids, you know, Andrew, I don't know if you have kids or not.
Yeap, she does't.
She's got I got older kids twenty years old and seventeen years old. So yeah, I'm in the think of it in the thickest teenagehood and my baby adult who's lived trying to live on his own so yeah, it's hard, but I miss those days when they were you know, ten years old is like.
The perfect age.
Yeah, puberty beginnns sixteen and fourteen now, so a little younger than that, So we kind of have a little cascade of you know, ten to twenty there.
Yeah, yeah, no, that's that's what. Yeah. My wife and I we were a little bit later. We just you know, we didn't have any accidents or whatever, and then we found ourselves sort of in our late thirties going okay, we want kids. Yeah, and yeah, it's it's a blast. I mean, and I agree with you. It's like every age. You know, I don't know how the twenties is, Andrea, but every age is like the most amazing new adventure and it's just amazing. Yeah, I love it. You know, it's fun. And watching them sort of the pureeness of just doing what they're doing still is is great.
You know.
I just wish we could enjoy that because it may change in the next few years. Just as a warning, they may become these little unrecognizable people somewhere around thirteen and you're like, I don't know who you are.
Yeah, it's happening a little bit in front of our eyes. It's funny. So our ten year old we joke around as ten going on sixteen. You know, she's already sort of there, you know what I mean, where she doesn't I drop profit school. She's like, no, daddy, I can't give you a kiss. You know what I mean? Right? You know?
Oh yeah, yah, I don't wan to take a picture. But my twelve that's embarrassing.
Yeah, our twelve year old openly talks about she doesn't want to grow up yet. She's she's she's like, I don't. She's like, I want to be a kid still, you know, when she sort of loves it all. Yeah, yeah, it's great, and so we're just sort of milking it while we can assume.
You, yeah, enjoy Yeah, that's yeah.
It's probably going to change quick.
Is it weird to look at your kids at this age now and think, I, I mean, you you were that age when you were a child actor on Full House and Highway to Heaven and all of.
The other appearances you did. Is that kind of weird? Is it that your kids are catching up to.
You that way? It's really weird because I still feel that age in my head. You know, I still feel like I mean ten. But you know, I joke around with people all the time, especially younger people like you know, in business and whatnot. You know that you you know, people in the young twenties that are being very adultish, and I'll often find myself looking at them and being like, you know, I don't know what to say. Uh, I still feel fifteen or sixteen in my head. It's weird. My body, my body is slowed down, but you know, and and looking at them and going wow, so much time has gone by, you know, and and and they look at me like I'm well, they don't actually look at me like I'm responsible. I'd be lying there, you know. They look at my wife, she's responsible. But you know there's the air of like, oh, I'm an adult. Wow, that's that's weird.
You know, how did that happen.
I'll walk around, like I'll open the door the house and be.
Like, huh yeah they've read this month. No wow.
And I've been doing that consistently now for a while. And here like it's just like sometimes it will hit you where you're like, well, I okay, I am wow, it's just yeah, it's just me all right, Well, oh boy, like totally well.
And even to think of like like like you guys hold a special sort of position in that zeitgeist. Didn't think of how many millions of people around the world still picture you as a ten year old, eleven year old, you know, like and really just in their head, you've you're sort of frozen in time there, and and it's uh, yeah, yeah, it's a it's a trip to think about, you know, existence and growing old in the universe is a trip, that's all I can say.
Yeah, for sure, Well, before before we came back and did the reunion show the Whole or House. We came back and did five seasons of the continuation of the House. But before then I would get sort of recognized, you know, go not to Target at the grocery store, but the kids would be.
Like, you're horrified that I was so much older than my fifteen year old self, right, Yeah. Their parents would be like, oh, that's you know, that's Kimmy, your staff or whatever. And the kids are like, that's some random old lady in Target. Okay, I don't know who that is. Yeah, yeah, right, And you're like, and you're part of you.
Is like, let's stud up to me.
And then part of you is like, no, it's now obviously it's I mean, I'm just gonna go shopping for deodorant things by like totally.
Totally, yeah, it's it's it's weird. I actually it's funny. I've never been recognized for anything other than being Jake Bitterman, and it's been oh yeah, yeah, it's happened quite often all throughout my life.
It's really even now, like to this day.
It is so yeah, like like I kind of said this at the you know, at the onset of the show. You know, different sort of epochs of my life, you know, where you meet new people, you know, even leading up to you know, my my current career and and and sort of job position that I've had for more than a decade now, there's been moments where people, either right off the bat or after we've gotten to know each other, kind of lean over and they're like, hey, you're Jake Bnnerman, are you? And I giggle and I'll be like yeah, yeah, yeah, I keep seeing something or whatever something's behind me, but and I giggle and I'm like, yeah, you know, yeah that's me, you know, And then and then you kind of see it where they're like, you know, like I have some inside info about the show, and I kind of look at them. I'm like, you know, I was I was like thirteen at the time, but I really.
Like, oh no, I was just gonna say, like they I mean, that's amazing that people like the familiarity of the show that people know even you know, all of all of our our side characters, all of the people that came through and were you know, parts of one episode or several, Like what, that's just so cool to me.
How do you feel about that? Like, are you like, oh, I love it.
I love it. Don't get me wrong, you know what I mean. I ham it up as much as I possibly can every time I possibly can ham it up. It's it's it's amazing. It's it's even something that like, I so this is weird, but I should share with you guys because you guys are part of this, you know, early on in high school, so I grew up in Orange County. I was listening to other episodes.
Yeah we did, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I was listening to.
Other episodes and I loved the show, by the way, And you know, I heard you guys talk about growing up in Orange County also, and you know, I grew up in Anaheim, and most of my friends in Anaheim just knew I was the child actor, so it wasn't that big of a deal. Like when I did Full House, It's like, oh, yeah, you're on Full House whatever, you know, And these are all kids I knew my whole life. And then in ninth grade, I moved to your Belinda and I went to a new high school. And that was culture shock, you know what I mean. I was like, like, look, I was kind of a dorky, chubby kid, you know, didn't know anybody, you know, went from like high school where the cholos were the coolest kids you could imagine, to a high school where, like, you know, the the white kids wearing the Metallica te shirt were the coolest kids you could imagine. And I was stuck somewhere in the middle. And you know, it wasn't bad, but I didn't really know anybody, you know, I was. I went from being having tons of friends and to just sort of being like nervous, you know, like we all are at that age. Yeah, yeah, anyhow, and then I can't remember. I think it was the second episode I was on. I think if I remember, right, you know, I did that episode, and that episode aired, and I didn't think much of it because you know, this has happened many times in my childhood life. And then I went into first period and the girl who sat in front of me, who like I was just nervous, she was really pretty and cooler than me and all of that. As soon as I sat down, she turned around and looked at me and she went, your Jake bitterman, aren't you? And I looked at her. I was like yeah. And then I looked and like the whole class was looking at me, and and and primarily they hadn't even noticed that I existed, you know what I mean. It wasn't like I said, it wasn't bad, but I was just a kid that sort of sat in the back of the class, the new kid whatever. And all of a sudden, that's all everybody wanted to talk about, which was it was great. It was like, all of a sudden, everybody was like, I can't believe it. You're in a full house. I'm like, oh my, you know, wow, wow wow. Then I went to second period and the same thing happened, and then, you know, and then and then and then the whole day, the same thing happened, and then somewhere in that world people started calling me Bitterman and and oh no, no no, And I mean it really turned out wonderful. You know. It sort of existed, you know, halfway, goofing off, halfway making fun of, halfway, sort of being accepted into the you know world that became the high school world, and the name Bitterman stuck. And I have friends in high school that at various times didn't like later on that I knew, like, you know, you go to parties and maybe meet other friends, and they would just know me as Jacob. Even you know, a good friend of mine started calling me Jacob and people just call me Jacob. And then like friends from other schools would be calling me Jacob, and they'd hear somebody call me Christian and they look at me, they be like, why do they call you Christian?
Oh my god?
And I would be like, oh, oh, that's my name. And they'd be like, where did Jacob come from? And I'd be like, well, interesting story, funny enough, since that's funny enough. I even had we joke around it to this day. A good friend of mine that I knew in high school. Knew through high school. When I was in grad school. He lived next to my grad school. By the way, I went to grad school at Chapman. I think you went.
To Chapman.
Yes, yeah, but he lived next door, so I'd always go over to this house for lunch. We kind of had a little resurgence or friendship. I was in my mid thirties at the time, and uh, one day something happened where he saw my last name Guzek and he looked at me, he goes, that's your last name, and this is somebody I had known since we were fifteen. And I went yeah, and he goes, it's not Bitterman. And I looked at him and I was like, I was like, wait, wait, wait, are you serious? And he went yeah, where did Bitterman come from? And I just started laughing and I was like, well, oh my god, I'm like, uh crazy, you never knew. And I like filled him in when you know, we were like in our mid thirties, and it was hilarious, you know, I mean, because he lived he literally thought my name was somehow you know, Christian, or you know, he knew Christian, but he thought my name was somehow like Christian. Bitterman or something like that, you know what I mean, Like, and he had no idea about full House or anything.
Oh and we.
Well, Bitterman is a catchy million you know, it just rolls off the tongue Bitterman, and you know, I love it totally.
It's funny. And and like I said, it's it's been something that I just embraced from the beginning and has been a real fun, you know, great icebreaker, something to laugh about, you know. Like like I said, it really sort of characterized me through high school and and and even just went beyond actually people knowing about the show, you know.
And just right, that's so wild, Like I mean, some things that could grow a life of their own, you know, Bitterman.
Became this whole Like that's just hilarious to me.
Yeah, and that's very a very relatable story.
You mentioned about getting recognized in class, and you're just like, oh my, I'm glad you have such a great attitude about it, because not every former child actor is like that, you know, they kind of want to distance themselves from their past. But it was Jody and I mean we've always embraced it.
Though you know, high school might have been a little bit different.
Right, Well, there wasn't anyway, you go, No, it wasn't. That wasn't me. I don't, Yeah it's not.
Yeah, yeah, it's a little harder, but no, I'm so glad to hear that it was a positive, a positive interaction, and that it gave.
You some street cred. It gave you some street cred in your Belinda, right.
The mean streets in your Belinda.
Oh absolutely, you know those those tough streets. Definitely absolutely did. It was a yeah, yeah, yeah it was. It's it's really just been a look, it's it's been positive the whole time. And and and I say this not even joking. I owe a lot of that to you know, different sets I worked on, but but certainly the full house set. I mean, you guys were so positive and warm and welcoming and friendly and supportive and and let's face it, I was just like a nervous you know, and and really like for me at least, when I look back on all of that, it's filled with those experiences, you know, and and and I just look at it like what's not to smile?
Uh, you know, and and love really yeah?
Yeah, So how did you get into acting? Was this something your parents put you into or is it like a dream you had at a young age.
No, you know, my my mom is the perpetual stage. I love her to death. She's still my best friend and and and trust me, she is you know. She would have me leave my career tomorrow to to uh be on that callback for this, you know, the Snickers commercial.
Right'vailed totally totally.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean it's it's again. Even that as an adult is such a wonderfully positive thing in my adult life, even like, like, god, I'm sorry to have to tell you guys the story too.
Is this this is your time. We want to hear all your stories.
So so you have to understand. You know, my my mom and my dad are like mine and my wife's best friends. You know, we lived back to back for like twenty years. We we actually both moved. Yeah, we both moved, and after we moved, they moved. They moved into the same neighborhood, you know, so we still live very close. We'll just really close, you know.
And that's so sweet.
Yeah, yeah, it's wonderful, it's it is. Anyhow, you know, there's a continual joke of everybody that knows me and my mom about you know, like, you know, Christian, be ready, you have your headshot ready.
You know what I mean, Like right, if your headshot and resume? Yeah, yeah, you remember your social Security numbers so you can write it down on a public document at some some sort of audition so that everyone can take it.
Right, Yeah, right right.
I think about that all the time, by the way, you know what I mean, Like, I have no worry about my Social Security number.
It's right, You're like, oh please, I survived the eighties as a child. After that. I wrote that on every wall in La Yeah.
Exactly, exactly. It's just it's just there everywhere, you know. But but there's this continual joke like again everywhere that I'm at and whatnot and and uh and so you know, I've so I've worked in finance for a long time, you know, really sort of straightforward whatever, mostly boring job. But but but you know, real fun and loose at the same time. And uh and at this time, you know, I happened to be you know, sort of the lead in the office, and the office was a real loose environment. We all goofed around. My parents would often come by, my brother even worked in that office, and so everybody knew that, like Christian childhood actor lore, you know, and there was a joke. You know. It was often you know, like if we were talking about something else, you know, like and they were disagreeing with me, they'd be like, you better get that headshot ready for your mom, you know what I mean, Like that was right, that was ready. Anyhow, So I'm sitting at and my mom calls me and and I'm even in the middle with helping another person that works with me. We're working in a deal. It's a little bit serious, you know. When my mom calls and and I just grabed while he's sitting right there, and she's like Christian I think it was Warner brother but Christian Warner Brothers called, like stuff, what you're doing, you know? And I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah, what's up. She's like, no, a Fuller House called. You know, here's here's the number of this producer called. You need to call them back, you know what I mean. And I was like, Okay, okay, mom, cool, cool, okay, what's the name? You know, Like, and I'm I'm in my head thinking about some things that we're sort of in a in an argument about about you know, some deal we're working on and and you know, and and she's you know, and so I take it down, you know, and I'm like, all right, mom, all right, I'll call him. And I hang up the phone and I start moving back to talk about you know, you know, my you know, my partner's deal, and he stops me. He goes, whoa bro Warner Brothers called. And I looked at him. I'm like, I'm like, yeah, yeah, okay, whatever, I'll call him in a second, you know what I mean, like, like, hold on, we got to call this client. And I start to pick up the phone and he puts his hand his finger on the phone like to hang up, and he looks at me real serious. He goes, Warner Brothers called, you better listen to your mom. We need to call Warner Brothers right now. And I'm here. I mean, it's his deal. And I'm here like.
He's like no, no, no, you don't understand. This is this doesn't happen to normal people. You're like, ah, this is following me again.
Yeah yeah, yeah.
Yeah, I'm just like whatever, I'll call him. What is it going to be like? And and he's even more playing than like, you better listen to your mom's man, you know what I mean.
Right right?
And I look at him and he literally has his like, you know, finger on the hang up button. And I look at him like, all right, fine, let's call him. So I call, you know whatever, the number and and and one are the producer's answers, and you know, I say, hi, you know, this is Christian Ghuzick. I heard somebody called for me. And he stops and he goes, is this Christian? And I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's Christian. And he's like Christian Guzick and I'm like, yeah, Christian. He goes the actor of the play, Jake Vigerman, and I'm like, yeah, yeah it is. And and mind you, my you know, really good friend is standing right next to me just milking all of this up.
Oh god, right, You're like, yeah, your best friend, your friends will be like your biggest cheerleader, but also make fun of you the entire time, right, Oh yeah, yeah.
His mind. We had just been involved in this real nervous, tense discussion and he's already away from it, even though he's the one that has like all this money on the deal. And I'm just trying to work it out for him, and I'm still my mind's still like in that conversation and and and I'm like yeah, and he goes, oh my god, oh my god, hold on, hold on, I need to close the door. And he closes the door and he comes back. He goes, hey, he goes, oh, we've been looking for you. And I start laughing, you know what i mean. I'm like, I'm like, oh, I'm like okay. I'm like, well I'm here, you know what i mean. I start goofing off too. I'm like, I'm available if you need me, you know what i mean. Like, and I'm just sorry, playing back to him, and he goes, oh. So he goes, what do you do now. I'm like, oh, you know, I work at a bank and finance. He's like, okay, so a regular job. I'm like, yes, yes, yes, look, I'm not available for anybody, but a Foolhouse needs me on there. And he starts laughing and he's like, you know, He's like thank hun and I'm like and I stop. I'm like, I'm like, okay, seriously, what's going on? Like you know, I know Fuller House is on the air, you know what i mean. And he goes, look, he's like okay. He's like, I'm just gonna level with you. He's like, we uh we cut together or the second season and you're in it. And I was like, oh cool, you know what I mean. And he goes, oh, thank goodness, and and I'm like, what what is it like? Like is it? He goes, well, we thought they had cleared you. And he goes and it turns out and nobody has talked to you for thirty years, you know.
So it's like they used a clip in the show and they hadn't cleared it with you, right, And they.
Hadn't they hadn't released it yet, you know what I mean? And whatever that that that dude date was coming and he was like, are you willing to sign a release? And and I'm like, of course, you know what I mean. And I stopped. I went hold on though, and and and I put him on speaker phone and I stood up to the whole office and I said, everybody, Hollywood's on the phone. We got a release coming. Be careful, you know what I mean. And I picked the phone back up and he's laughing and he's like, you're just joking, right, And I'm like, no, I'm totally joking, like what do you need me to sign? You know what I mean? And and he's like, can I email it to you whatever? I'm like yeah, He's like can you do it like right now? And I start laughing and I'm like, you know, I'm even joking around with him. I'm like, man, I right, I've got you guys by the short hair.
Yeah yeah, I'm sure some lawyer and Warner Brothers was having a hemorrhage like what do you mean you don't have a signed clearance document for this? Right?
And it was totally and Sue is.
For everything we right, yeah, exactly, And so I started let it turns out to be really bitter and actually takes this him Yeah yeah.
Totally and and uh and he's like and and and he stops and he goes, you're gonna get paid, and I went, WHOA wait a minute. And I put him back on a hold and I looked at everybody. I said, I quit, Hollywood's paying me. I'm done. We're done, and like and he's like no, no, no, no, And I picked up. I'm like, come on, I'm joking, you know what I mean.
He's like, it's only thirty seven dollars come, please come.
That's before taxes, before taxes, and uh and and and so is just laughing and and I, you know, I'm like, I'm like no, I'm like like I don't I don't care about that at all. I'm like, send it over. And and and he's like, he's like, all right, cool, He's like and he's like, you don't need to talk about the pay I'm like no, I'm like, look, I would just sign it for free. I don't care. He's like, well, we have to pay you because of zag and everything, you know, and and uh and and I'm like cool, I'm like I'll take the free money obviously, you know, residuals are great, but you know, don't worry about it. Send it over, sign it. And he sent it over and signed it, you know, and I sent it back, and of course my mom called and was like, okay, what was it? You know, like, are are we going?
I'm my bag is packed right.
Right, I've got my let's let's go.
Thomas. I listened to you guys talking about the Thomas Guide, and it brought a to heer to my office.
That's how we got to all of our auditions. Was the Thomas guy.
You remember navigating the Thomas Guide for my mom left and right, D six to page whatever.
You got to jump to the next page. Oh no, it's J five on this one right, and you're like, oh, where's lebre.
Yeah, oh god, we were GPS.
But it's also why we're all going to be okay in the ZBA apocalypse because we can readmaps.
So totally. It's funny you say GPS. I tell people all the time. When I was like ten years old, I envisioned GPS, like I in my head, it existed, and it wasn't satellites. It was putting cameras on every freeway overpass everywhere so you could transmit the live data and it was better then. It would be better then at the time. If you remember like the radio shows that you would have to listen right right.
Yeah for traffic information to the AM whatever.
Yeah, yeah, am whatever, you know, and the traffic update would come on the fives and forty fives. I think yeah, yeah, oh.
Yeah, and NPR it like yeah yeah yeah.
And and in my head I would I would just sit there and be like, no, there's a better way. There's a better way, Like we could just put cameras everywhere and then just transmit that real time data to everybody. But I was like, you know, ten years old, falling asleep in the car, trying to carsick.
Right right. You were like, this is I just want this for me? Really, that's all I want.
Yeah, to be able to take a nap and not have to figure out a rerouting through downtown LA.
It helped me though. For a small portion of my career, I actually had to make a commute from Orange County to Westlake Village.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
Every day for about two years.
Oh that's a grind.
Oh that is hard, that's awful.
So why do you hate yourself? No? Yeah, yeah, what are you? Yeah, why would you do that to yourself? No, that's really that is really rough. That's painful.
I don't even like going to Westlake Village from where I live and I live in LA, but it's terrible.
Yeah.
You get to like, you know, like the Deep Valley and you're like, oh, we only have another five minutes ago.
Right yeah.
Oh man, Yeah.
It was the things that we did is as child actors are a little we we could have we we.
Could have invented GPS you could have invented.
I know it slipped through my fingers, it did. It did help me though, because you know we carpoled. There's three of us that had to do it. Yeah, and we all we all dreaded it, but like they were amazed by you know, I knew every street already.
Know.
Yeah, You're like, oh I could that's right, get off here and make a left, go down this way, go yeah, like you could figure your way around.
Yeah. Ways would uh you know, ways would give us routes and I'd be like, no, we don't want to go there, like no, no, no, here's yeah, there's a cut through over here, and they how do you know this? I'd be like, you don't.
Know, Like there's not a light there, it's gonna suck making a left.
Trust me go down to this one. Yeah, that's what it should have been.
Child actor GPS, that's what that's what we Yeah, although it's true these days, I'm like I can find my way around anything. But like so Andrea, I just it's so fun to see you guys reunited because you were the first kiss.
Oh yes, you.
Do you know that you were my very first kiss, like of all time, like on stage and off stage like that was it for me?
The very first one?
So did you I do remember that from when we did the show totally totally.
Was I your first kiss or did you already have experience in that part?
We've heard me say that before.
Good answer, good answer, Bitterman.
Yeah, totally, but I remember that. Do you remember how we all had like, what was that?
My god?
I think never recovered from that. Still it singed them off totally. It was just rubbing alcohol with a mint flavor. I think it really is what that one?
Yeah?
Yeah, So was it nerve wracking? Was it as nerve wracking for you as it was for me? Because I was like so nervous, not only because of the pressure of the first kiss, but the fact that there was a studio audience of two hundred people and my parents that's crazy there as well. It was just like that is so much pressure on a thirteen year old.
Yeah.
So were you nervous too, or were you just like, eh, this is.
Just actually I mean I was nervous, but probably for a lot of different reasons, you know. I mean, I mean, I I can't imagine sort of your position in that being your first kiss, Like I remember I remember talking about it. I remember like that was sort of the you know, not rumor, but a sort of word on the set, you know what I mean. And oh god, and again like like it was such a positive set and such a friendly set with everybody. Yeah.
Then yeah, it was your family all being like, oh you know, And that was the thing too. It's not like we were it was like your family standing there and watch.
It was just yeah, it.
Was totally totally. But like like you knows, as a thirteen year old, you know, you have to understand too, like just coming on to a set, you know where where it's so I mean, you guys know this too, probably from other jobs. But you come on as as a you know, as as a spot character or whatever, and everybody's there and you guys all have you know, these sort of great you know whatever, you know, jobs and and and and track records and performances, and as a thirteen year old kid who's just kind of a brady kid that you know, has it, doesn't really think about acting, just sort of you know, Brady kid, you come on and it's just you're just nervous, you know, you just want to kind of fit in and and so there's so much of that going going on with me when all of that was going on, and if I try to think about it, I really just remember that of just this sort of you know, overwhelmingness of Okay, I'm I'm on the show and the show is such a hit, and and you know, i just don't want to screw up, and I'm just trying to remember my lines and all of that type of stuff. And but again, you guys, and and I mean most sets, but you guys really have such a friendly, fun environment that it was so supportive, you know, and like that like like sort of knowing from the hair and makeup or I think it was if I remember right, it was even Laurie Laughlin that.
Told me that it was it probably I think it was probably Laura. Yeah, that sounds like a very laur thing to do, because like Laurie was was like the you know, the maternal figure.
Sort of within our cast.
So she was that sounds and Laurie is the one that would be like finding out information, letting you know. I think she even said when she was on the show that she said something to him, didn't she say.
That was a different that was a different boyfriend.
That's right. I remember him.
That was that was but no, that was like a very laury thing to do. Yeah, and only but you were it was only you in her heart. It was only you in her heart.
So yes, he can never be replaced, bitterman, never be replaced in my heart.
Right, but that does that sounds like a Lari sort of mom intervention where she'd.
Like, oh, for sure, because she knows how unhinged I was. Yeah, she was very ably trying to calm me down, talk to you, brief you about, Hey, this is what's going on. Andrew's a little nervous.
Well, And I remember her being every time I was on the show, you know, and she was so like, you know, like such an adult from my perspective at that.
Time, right and now there were like they're like mid twenties, and we were like they're so they're so wise, and I'm like, oh my god, I'm me at twenty six, twenty seven, I.
Was an idiot.
Totally, Yes, totally, but but but I remember even her in particular, was, you know, every time I came on the set, really, you know, I'm probably just on her end in her mid twenties. I was like, oh, hey, Bitterman's back on you know, what's his name again? Oh Christian, Okay, you know what I mean. But like I remember, she would always just be very nice and friendly and you know, and from my perspective, she was just this like unbelievably a gorgeous, you know, adult. But I do seem to remember she. I don't know, maybe I'm wrong, but I swear she was the one that said something to me sort of just sitting there.
But I believe it. I believe it. That's Laurie, always taking care of others. Yeah, that is absolutely Laurie.
Oh, fan Rito's We're so happy you joined us today for part one of this interview.
It was so much fun.
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