Latest / What Do You Call It? Podcast! / JAY ANTHONY FRANKE talks California Dreams, JC Denton, Deus Ex, Jake Sommers, Fans & more

Transcript

JAY ANTHONY FRANKE talks California Dreams, JC Denton, Deus Ex, Jake Sommers, Fans & more · What Do You Call It? Podcast!

0:06
Hello and welcome to a very, very special episode of What do
0:11
You Call it podcast. I'm your host GB.
0:16
Today's guest is a screen and voice over actor.
0:20
He played Jake Summers in the 90s hit TV sitcom California
0:25
Dreams. Honestly, kid me is currently
0:28
marking out a little bit. Please welcome Jay, Anthony,
0:32
Frank, Jay. Hi there.
0:34
Hey mate, how are you doing? Good.
0:37
How are you doing? Yeah, more good mate, more good.
0:39
Quite excited to do this interview to be fair.
0:41
And just the opportunity to speak to you especially about
0:44
Colorful Dreams, one of my favorite shows growing up as a
0:47
kid. But before I do touch on
0:50
California Dreams, what I do want to talk about is not
0:54
necessarily your on screen work, is your voice acting work.
0:58
And I'll kick up the upside by discussing JC Denton.
1:02
So you know, a popular and iconic video gaming character in
1:07
the Deus Ex games which was voiced by you.
1:11
So first of all, did you know much about the role when you
1:16
were essentially assigned this character before taking it?
1:21
I did actually, because it was new and it was new to everyone.
1:25
But I did know because I was actually working on the video
1:28
game in a quality assurance capacity.
1:31
I was a quality assurance lead for the developer in Dallas and
1:34
Austin, TX. Yeah, So I was actually working
1:39
on the game for months and months and months before the
1:44
sound guy and the guy in charge of the recording, all the voice
1:51
overs and stuff, basically went out to get some drinks because
1:53
we're working overtime and we're like, oh, let's go get some
1:55
beers. And then we went out and he's
1:57
like, oh man, he's like, we're having trouble casting this,
2:00
this part. And hey, say this to me, you
2:03
know, say I'll RIP out your head and shit down your neck.
2:05
I'll RIP off your head and shit down your neck in a, in a, in a
2:09
gruff voice. And then so I said shit out of
2:12
your head, you know, or something like that.
2:12
He's like, all right, we have this character, you know, JC
2:15
Denton in the game. And I was like, yeah.
2:16
And he was like, yeah, we want you to voice it.
2:18
I was like, oh, OK. So obviously I changed that a
2:21
little bit, you know, the voice. And then, yeah, we did that.
2:25
And I think there was like 11,000 lines of dialogue for JC
2:29
in the in the game. And then there was 14K total, I
2:34
don't know, some, some, some obscene amount of of dialogue to
2:37
record. So it took us like I think 6
2:39
months. And so I would work during the
2:41
day on the game as the quality assurance lead.
2:47
And then at night, as soon as we finished, it was into the into
2:50
the recording studio and which was in the office, thank
2:54
thankfully. But yeah, it's right there.
2:57
And then we'd work until the wee hours of morning, so.
2:59
That's madness. That's pretty cool to me, for I
3:02
didn't necessarily expect that. I thought, OK, yeah, went for
3:05
the role, didn't know what to expect.
3:06
But the fact that you're already involved in the game from the
3:09
gaming development side, that's really interesting.
3:12
Did you expect for it to be so culturally important for games
3:18
in the future? No, like I knew I was playing a
3:21
pretty special game. Like I knew the game was cool
3:23
and I was like, oh, this is fun and this is neat and this is new
3:25
and it's, you know, they got shooter mixed with RPG elements
3:27
mixed with this mixed with blah, blah, and choices matter.
3:29
And but no, I had no idea how iconic the game would become.
3:37
And you know how the fan base, how we still have a fan base for
3:42
that show? We, I just did Reddit ask me
3:44
anything a little while ago and that took the better part of an
3:48
evening. And we still have people making
3:52
mods for it. So I mean, it was released in
3:54
what, 2000, I think 1999 and 2000.
3:57
And and we still have people, they're still making mods and
4:00
there's still massive amounts of people playing.
4:02
So it's a testament to a great game.
4:04
And yeah, so that. Actually leads me to my next
4:08
question then. So we say that people still
4:11
making mods for it. Would you want to be part of the
4:13
new game if there was a chance that, OK, it's going to be
4:17
coming out, you know, in the next few years, we're going to
4:19
do it. They give you a call.
4:21
How you answering that call? Oh, I'd be like, well, let me
4:26
think of no, yeah, of course, man.
4:27
Yeah, I would definitely be. I would definitely be.
4:31
I would definitely reprise the role of JC.
4:34
At the same time, JC is a little older, voice is a little a
4:39
little gruffer. It doesn't come out the same
4:43
anymore. Like even when I, you know,
4:45
really try, but it gets close. It's just not exactly the same
4:48
because I mean, what 304035 year?
4:50
I don't know something 35 years I think has passed.
4:53
So yeah, no, fair enough. I'm complete our 25 years.
4:58
Yes. So anyway, close enough.
5:01
I've got a question for you that came from not only a fan but an
5:05
actual good friends. His name is at DS under Score
5:09
Games, very popular game in YouTube and he has asked, did
5:14
you meet Warren Spector who produced and directed the game?
5:18
Who's a big name in the industry?
5:21
Yeah, absolutely. I worked in the Dallas office,
5:24
Warren was in the Austin office, and there was a period where I
5:28
went out there for 2-3 weeks or something like that and just
5:31
pretty much lived at the office where Warren was.
5:34
So very nice guy, very smart guy.
5:38
Yeah, he created. He created something absolutely
5:40
special. So nice.
5:43
Thank you for the question mate. Appreciate it.
5:46
I've actually got a question from my older brother and he's
5:49
so excited about this interview. So what he wants to know is this
5:53
is actually going to California Dreams now.
5:55
So what, he's asked. What is your most memorable
5:59
episode? There's a couple, I'm going to
6:08
say, you know what, the 1st and the last, The first because I
6:13
walked onto that set and went, I mean, I was on the big lot, the
6:17
NBC lot in Los Angeles. I had been working towards that
6:20
for years, years and years, trying to get into some's lot,
6:24
some lot to work on something. And, and I got there and it was
6:31
like, OK, here's how, here's the machinery.
6:32
Here's how this all works. And now I'm part of that.
6:34
I'm a cog in this machinery finally.
6:37
And then to actually do it and film the first show, it was just
6:40
it was mind blowing needle say I had I had a after we finished
6:45
filming the first episode, I, I, I had a lot to drink with some
6:48
friends. And then then the last episode
6:54
and there was a couple of episodes in between.
6:57
I think the the one where Eddie Mecca plays my my uncle and he
7:00
gets lung cancer. When he gets lung cancer, yeah,
7:02
from smoking. Harley and the Marlboro Man
7:04
Yeah, there was there was a couple different ones and then
7:08
but then the last episode between the song really, really,
7:13
really I, I don't want to say ripping off, but really taking
7:18
on a Beatles quality. So glad I was there.
7:23
So reminiscent of in my life from The Beatles.
7:27
And so a great song. It was really was a good song
7:31
mixed with the emotion of knowing, OK, this is our last
7:34
episode that we're filming. We are all emotional wrecks.
7:38
I think we're all crying at at some point or another,
7:41
definitely crying at the end of it.
7:45
So yeah, the first and the last, those would be the the episodes
7:48
that that probably hit me the most mixed with a couple in
7:51
between. But yeah.
7:53
I'm glad you mentioned the UNCLE episode because I think that's
7:55
my brother's favorite episode. OK.
7:57
Well, there you go. So he'll be very happy about
8:01
that and he just wants to know, can you play?
8:03
I think you can. But if you can confirm to my
8:06
brother, can you play the California Dreams theme song on
8:10
guitar? OK.
8:12
Can I play the you know what? I don't even know that on the
8:14
guitar. I'll I'll learn it.
8:16
I'll learn it and I'll I'll. My God.
8:18
Wow, shut up. I thought you could, to be fair.
8:20
Yeah, yeah, no, I, I, I there's a few songs that I've I've
8:25
messed around with, but for the most part, yeah, I just kind of
8:29
tool. I just kind of Zen out and and
8:32
and improv stuff on my guitars and but yeah, I never actually
8:35
learned the California Dreams theme, but yeah, no, I'll learn
8:37
it. I should he'll.
8:39
Appreciate that and last but not least, can you give him a shout
8:43
out? This is what this is request?
8:44
He's so excited about his interview.
8:46
He loves the show, he loved it growing up.
8:49
He brand new plays the themes on Sometimes Still in 2026.
8:52
But just a quick shout out to Alex if you can.
8:55
Alex, Janthony, Frankie here, man, just want you to have a
8:59
great 2026. Actually, I don't know how we're
9:02
all going to have a great 2026. The world is going absolutely
9:04
batch it insane right now. But let's hope, let's let's hope
9:07
it gets better and and I hope it's great for you whenever your
9:10
birthday is. It's your happy birthday, Alex.
9:12
Merry Christmas. The whole, you know, the whole
9:15
Schlemazal. I'm going to learn the
9:18
California Dreams theme song at your request.
9:22
But yeah, I hope it's a great one for you.
9:23
As you can see, I'm in my. This is where the magic does or
9:25
does not happen. Who knows?
9:27
Anyway, thanks for being a fan and thanks for having me on
9:30
this. And yeah, all right, cheers.
9:33
He's the best brother. Thanks.
9:34
That's an interview. You know what else got it To
9:37
learn, by the way, as an adult? That that wasn't your singing
9:40
voice. No, the the main voice was not
9:45
mine. But if you watch the episode,
9:47
what was it? The one where Jake runs for
9:51
principal of the school or not principal president of the
9:54
school and he sings that leather and loose song that is me on
9:58
guitar and vocals. OK, so that is actually you.
10:02
So with that with me. And that's me doing it live, and
10:05
that's live too. That was filmed with me doing it
10:07
on the stage live, whereas everything else was pre
10:11
recorded. So there's a couple of the times
10:13
I sing and play guitar as well, but there's small little
10:16
snippets here and there. But that 1 was definitely me.
10:19
All live, all there at the moment while being filmed in
10:22
front of the audience and that was it.
10:24
It's pretty cool. It's not what I liked as well.
10:27
It's so I'm turning a bit for fanboy.
10:30
But it was your midnight mic, yeah.
10:38
I'm in my mic, I'm in my van, and I'm on my.
10:40
Yeah, Anyway, Yeah. You're only young once, so stay
10:44
stout. I.
10:45
Love it. I love it.
10:46
I will come back to California dreams, but I want to talk about
10:49
your guess what? Married with Children, Christine
10:52
Applegate and and O'Neill you're the pizza guy.
10:55
Yep. Yep, tell me about it already.
10:59
The pizza boy from Pizza by Jake.
11:00
I went in and interviewed or auditioned for the part and I
11:04
was interviewing or auditioning for the casting director and
11:08
then I was called back in and and that was immediately to
11:11
because it was a bit part. But the executive producers, I
11:18
think Michael Way and Ron leave it were their names.
11:22
They they, you know, really wanted to make sure that, you
11:26
know, whoever did parts could get laughs.
11:29
So they were actually there. Usually, you know, you don't
11:33
really meet executive producers immediately, but but the, yeah,
11:37
they were there. I went in, I sat down, talked,
11:39
said hello, and they started to do the read.
11:42
I, I said the part, they cracked up laughing and next thing I
11:44
know, I got a call, said you're doing it.
11:46
And then I went and yeah, everybody was unbelievably nice.
11:50
Al Bundy, Ed O'Neill, remarkably funny, funny guy.
11:56
And he put he pretty much just kind of ran his part like he,
11:59
you know, they he'd get as far as I could see, he'd get the
12:01
script and he'd get out there and he pretty much knew his in
12:04
his head. He already knew his blocking
12:05
what he was going to do and where he was going to go.
12:07
And I think if I remember correctly, yeah, he just kind of
12:10
did things and they're like, Yep, that's pretty much what we
12:12
were looking for. So all right, you know, So no,
12:14
it was a great time. It was a great time.
12:16
So and I get to say like, it's a story, you know, people like,
12:19
hey, what have you done? Like I got beat up by O Bundy,
12:23
you know, so it only. Gives you a good slam doesn't
12:25
it? At the door.
12:26
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, I'm not beat up, but yeah,
12:28
I get I get hurt by O Bundy. So yeah, that's, yeah, that's
12:32
always good. Although the scene that they,
12:35
the scene that they used, the take that they used when I had a
12:39
particularly dry bite, I think she had given me a crust and it
12:43
was a pizza that had been sitting there for a while.
12:45
So I was trying to like chew it. And during the scene I was
12:47
talking and I was trying to like, and I had this like wad of
12:51
freaking like hard stale dough, pizza dough crust in my mouth.
12:56
And I'm trying to do the whole scene.
12:57
And that's the one they used. And you can see even at the end
13:00
as I'm being pushed out, I'm like, still like, anyway.
13:05
But yeah, it was fun. It was good.
13:08
Oh, and I was 17 at the time. Yeah.
13:11
I was like 17 at the time as well.
13:12
Yeah. What the hell mate, just a
13:14
teenager doing that. That's such a large audience and
13:17
exposure for you as well. What actually made you become an
13:20
actor, Jay, in the first place? Well, I, I had left home a
13:28
little earlier than most people and I was working.
13:32
So at that time I was actually, when I did a married with
13:34
children. I had been on my own for a while
13:36
as well and I was working and it was just one of those things.
13:39
It was like I either I'm going to act or do something else.
13:44
And acting seemed to be the thing I wanted to do at the
13:46
time. And so I just kind of worked
13:48
towards that. So I would work nights.
13:50
At the time I was a ADJMC in a kind of OK bar with the first,
13:57
first karaoke bar with English songs in in Los Angeles.
14:02
We had we had I think a plethora of Japanese songs available.
14:11
But yeah, we catered mostly to people who karaoke was a new
14:15
thing and and and and 1 of this English, English songs.
14:20
So, so I was doing that at night and then during the day I was
14:25
auditioning, running back and forth all over Los Angeles.
14:28
So from one end to the other, back and forth all day, doing
14:32
auditions. And yeah, finally landed some
14:34
started, landed some parts. That's right, right.
14:39
Always no problem. So I do want to go back to
14:43
California dreams. Obviously, if you're watching
14:45
this on YouTube and not listening to Spotify, you can
14:48
see I'm like literally just smiling me.
14:50
Just the name, the show, the theme song.
14:54
Yeah, it was cheesy, but it was so much fun.
14:57
Just about friendship and you guys getting up to no good and
14:59
you're scheming. And what I want to know is which
15:03
of the cast members did you get on with?
15:06
Best out of the gang. We all had our our moments for
15:15
different things. Basically, you probably heard it
15:18
said if you've watched other interviews with the other guys,
15:22
you know, we, we have spent an inordinate amount of time in my
15:24
dressing room with the Sega. We do another, we playing Mortal
15:38
Kombat, which of course I kicked everybody's ass in and I don't
15:45
know if there was like one person I got on more with, but
15:51
we just, yeah, we, we were like a big dysfunctional family.
15:54
Like we butted heads. We were like brothers and
15:56
sisters almost. So we we'd butt heads, we'd make
15:59
up and we'd, you know, have fun doing the part.
16:01
And we're all good friends now. So as well.
16:05
So yeah, I don't really, I don't know.
16:09
I don't really have a I didn't really like to click with one of
16:12
them. And, you know, that person and I
16:13
would run off all the time. Yeah.
16:15
That that didn't really happen. So it it usually if we went out
16:19
and got up into got into some mischief, it'd be usually
16:23
Michael and William and I, but. And then Aaron would obviously
16:29
Aaron would join us later, you know, when he joined us.
16:31
So. Yep.
16:34
Screen I thought you and Matt had some really good scenes,
16:37
Brent so but unfortunately, yeah, we did it's easy, but I
16:41
thought you 2 ever put the best chemistry out the guys.
16:44
Yeah, we, we did. And and they really wanted to
16:47
explore us with the explorer friendship with the whole Fonzie
16:52
Richie Cunningham thing. And you know, Brentley has
16:57
talked about this publicly now, but yeah, he, he didn't like it.
17:00
He went and he, he kept asking for different things and they
17:05
didn't. So they, they, yeah, they parted
17:08
ways. He says He, he resented me then,
17:12
doesn't now. I, I like Brantley.
17:15
I, you know, I, you know, it is what it is.
17:19
So. Yeah.
17:21
No that that's fair. I just enjoyed the scenes.
17:22
I thought they could have done a bit more with you and Tiffany.
17:26
Yep, as a couple I thought there was something there as well, but
17:29
it was kind of stop and start a lot on the show.
17:31
It was like one that one week you are, but one your love
17:34
interest was a young Fergie. Yeah, yeah.
17:39
Dental. How was?
17:40
How was she then? She was fantastic, lovely.
17:43
She had been on, I, I think I'd run into her a few times
17:47
previous to this. I remember her from even when I
17:50
was a kid, she was on Kids Incorporated.
17:53
So she, she had been a veteran in the business.
17:55
So when she came on and played, I remembered her being Stacey
18:00
Ferguson. She wasn't Fergie at the time.
18:03
Yeah, this was before that. And then when when she got
18:10
really big in the Black Eyed Peas and when she did her solo
18:12
album and all that, somebody would mention her and, and and
18:16
somebody inevitably, inevitably at my, you know, barbecuing my
18:18
house and say, hey, Jay kissed her on on his show.
18:20
And they'd be like, what we're like, yeah, well, you know, I
18:24
was like, you know, it wasn't because she wanted to.
18:26
It was because it was because she was getting paid to as an
18:31
actress. But you know, still, it's a fun
18:33
story as well. Beat it by a Bundy, kiss Fergie
18:36
and you know. Live in the dream, mate, live in
18:39
the dream. Live in the dream.
18:41
Exactly. Looking back and I know we talk
18:44
about memorable episodes and you've discussed how you got the
18:47
role, but just looking back, like did you realize how popular
18:52
that you were? Take some as the character like
18:55
you would be on teenagers walls, the merchandise and the fact
18:59
that millions had watched you in America alone, like myself in
19:04
the UK, like we, you know, a lot of us waking up on Saturday
19:07
morning and watching it and it would be like, this is so cool.
19:10
This is what Americans are actually like.
19:12
Right, right. I didn't, I don't think it hit
19:16
me until we actually until we had gone on.
19:21
I I did some charity events and did some other events and we had
19:27
these like little mini beetle esque moments where, you know, I
19:32
had to run for my life from a couple thousand girls that were
19:35
lined up. You know, it wasn't like, you
19:36
know, I definitely I'm not comparing my you know, there's
19:38
not the beat, but I'm just saying moments where, you know,
19:41
you really running because the security wasn't good enough and
19:45
they were coming after you and they had there was one mall.
19:47
I was like somewhere in the Midwest.
19:50
Security guard was one very older, older gentleman who I
19:53
just looked up at and I was like, this is not he's not going
19:55
to be able to handle anything if anything goes wrong.
19:58
And then next thing I know there's a crush.
20:01
My table was getting pushed into my chest.
20:02
It was just one of those little fold out plastic tables getting
20:06
pushed into the chest. I kind of pushed it away, dove
20:08
under the table, came out under the side of the table, jumped up
20:11
on this, I think it was a fountain.
20:13
And then ran around. And while that was happening,
20:16
before I got up on the fountain, I had an earring ripped out,
20:18
hair ripped out, part of my shirt was ripped off, side
20:23
scratches. And I basically ran around this
20:25
fountain, which thankfully they had to get around the fountain
20:30
and some other ways. So I just kind of ran around the
20:32
fountain on the top, jumped down and ran for my life basically is
20:36
what I felt like. I really.
20:38
Yeah. Anyway, I really don't know what
20:40
would happen, but found some. And in the malls here, they have
20:43
the, well, malls everywhere. They have the little side
20:47
maintenance corridors. And I ducked down one of those,
20:52
ducked into some kind of maintenance closet or
20:55
maintenance room and just sat there for, I don't know, 2015,
21:00
20 minutes before I poked my head out and was like, and then
21:02
finally somebody found me and, and whisked me off.
21:05
It was, it was quite scary, but at the same time it was kind of
21:09
exhilarating. And it was like, wow, that's
21:10
crazy. And it happened a couple times.
21:14
But yeah, it wasn't until like, I couldn't at the time.
21:18
This is way different now. Like, nobody gives a shit now.
21:20
But. But at the time, like, even just
21:23
going to Ralph's, the grocery store was becoming kind of like,
21:27
OK, this is getting kind of weird.
21:30
So there were, yeah, there were moments.
21:32
And then there were times where, you know, we, you know, it was
21:34
funny. Like Michael and William and I
21:36
would be like, well, where are the guys from California for
21:38
walking into this place? And we'd walk in and be like,
21:40
nobody gave a shit. Nobody cared.
21:44
Tell a good story. And this is Michael just messing
21:47
around. But we've gone to Mardi Gras,
21:51
me, Michael, William and a, a, a friend of mine and we went to
21:56
Mardi Gras and we, we, after five days, which nobody needs 5
21:59
days and Mardi Gras like go for 3/5 was just overkill.
22:03
We were just like, by the time we left, we were just, we were
22:05
absolutely dead. But we get to the airport and
22:07
we're getting mobbed a little at the airport at, at our terminal
22:11
while waiting for the plane. And all of a sudden we just hear
22:13
this. Who here eats fat foods?
22:15
And we turn around. There's Richard Simmons walking
22:18
in a terminal, and he's on the same plane because we had seen
22:21
him filming at the Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street, and he's on the
22:26
same plane. And he basically, he walked in
22:30
and said, who here eats fat foods?
22:32
And all of a sudden, nobody gave a shit about us.
22:35
Nobody can. Like, they screamed and dropped
22:37
everything they were doing, ran and mobbed him for a long time.
22:40
We were just kind of like, Oh well, that's so ring.
22:44
It's just Simmons stole your spotlight.
22:46
He told, he told me that he was a, he was a nice guy on the way
22:50
into the plane. We all bought, because we bought
22:54
this, we bought the tickets ourselves.
22:56
We bought like I think just coach tickets or whatever.
22:59
And Richard Simmons, we're going through first class and Richard
23:01
Simmons sitting there and, and Michael had said something to
23:04
him like, Hey, we're on ATV show.
23:05
You know, we're and Richard Simmons said, oh, and that's why
23:08
you're headed back to first class.
23:09
I mean, back to coach. And so we all kind of laughed
23:14
and yeah, yeah, I was it was a very, very in your in your place
23:20
moment in general for that. But yeah, let's do this for that
23:23
all. Right, I'll be there as well.
23:27
That's brilliant, mate. Just a few more questions, Jay,
23:30
and I'll let you enjoy the rest of your morning.
23:32
Yes, that time according. I appreciate it.
23:33
Yeah, Jay, on the different sides of the world, so.
23:36
Yeah, What I'm going to ask is to sort of wrap up the
23:40
California Dreams. When the cast from California
23:43
Dreams reunited on The Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and
23:49
that was 15 years ago, 2010, Was that the first time that you'd
23:53
all been together since the show ended?
23:57
That was the first time I think all of us had been together
24:00
since the show ended. Not some of them lived near each
24:03
other and hung out still. I had already moved to Australia
24:06
by that point. Like, I'm in Australia now.
24:08
This is my my study in my house in Australia.
24:11
But yeah, I'd already moved to Australia.
24:13
So yeah, it was the first time I'd seen them in a very long
24:15
time. It was a good time.
24:17
Jimmy Fallon was great as always.
24:18
The Roots, you know, just sitting there and miming to
24:22
playing along with The Roots was fantastic.
24:23
As you can see, we have we're not connected to anything.
24:26
So I I think the the mics were on though, but so Brentley and
24:30
Heidi were actually singing and Jenny.
24:32
Yeah, so. It was cool to see man.
24:35
The fans loved it and Jimmy fan as well-being a big fan.
24:38
He did it with Saved by the Bell first, didn't he?
24:40
And then he did it with you guys.
24:42
And then I was just like, this is awesome.
24:45
Like, you know, before we like Wikipedia and having Instagram
24:48
and Twitter. And I was like, I always call to
24:50
see them all together and they're all doing really well.
24:53
Michael was quite funny. And it wasn't he Sly.
24:55
He was. Yeah, we we found, we we found
24:59
out he had called ahead. But yeah, that was and worked
25:02
out the little yeah. So fair enough it was.
25:06
Yeah, it was fun in that, his little line where he's like, you
25:08
know, you know, Paramount Fox Vivid, which, you know, that was
25:13
funny as hell. So anyway.
25:17
It was good and since then you do California Dreams reunion
25:21
shows and conventions and you meet the fans.
25:25
Fans even like myself. Fortunately, I don't have the
25:27
opportunity because I'm here in the UK, but you know, when there
25:30
is an opportunity to meet one of the cast members, I mean even
25:33
yourself, it'd be great. But those fans that you have met
25:35
at these reunion shows, how does it make you feel?
25:38
The fact that they still cherish the California dreams?
25:40
There's still pages and fan pages and massive viewing
25:44
figures on YouTube. Yeah, it's great.
25:47
And I love meeting the fans and I and what I really appreciate,
25:51
and I've said this before, so you're not going to hear me say
25:52
anything new about this, but I am going to, I am going to
25:55
reiterate that what I really do appreciate about meeting the
25:58
fans now is when they were fans and we were young, we were young
26:02
and stupid and going yeah, we're we're the California dreams and
26:05
we're cool. Yeah, it's nice to meet the fans
26:07
and they're great. Big hug and everything.
26:09
And they are screaming their heads off and it was nuts.
26:12
Now it's, it's different. Like we actually sat and had
26:16
conversations with them And we, you know, it's a, it's a much,
26:19
we've, our relationship has matured, you know, so we
26:22
actually sat and had conversations with them and, and
26:25
talked with them. We had, at the New York event,
26:28
we had AVIP after party. We're pretty much everybody was
26:31
AVIP if you, if you bought a ticket, it was like, yeah, come
26:33
on in. And, and we finished and we had
26:35
some drinks and hung out and did some dancing with the fans and,
26:38
and, and a lot of them, it became more of like they almost,
26:41
pretty much became friends and fans.
26:43
So, yeah, it's, you know, they've been through this
26:47
journey with us and this, this considering the journey was us
26:51
just disappearing for what, 25, almost, yeah, 25 years and then
27:00
or 20 something years and then and then come out and doing a
27:03
couple, a few reunion gigs and having people respond and
27:06
wanting to come see them. That was, it was great.
27:08
And yeah, just our fan base is, is pretty awesome in general.
27:12
So just happy to have them. And honestly, we're, we've got,
27:16
we've got a pretty big fan base in the UK.
27:18
So I'm like, I can't understand like why we're not getting
27:21
invited out to the comic cons and stuff like that in the UK
27:25
because I mean, we get so many, I get hit up by so many people
27:30
and you can't really come out. And, and I remember getting
27:32
massive amounts of fan mail from Europe, but, but particularly
27:35
the UK back in the day. So yeah, if anybody's watching
27:40
this, get us out. Yeah, get us out there.
27:42
I hope there is a convention out there that will bring in the
27:45
California dream that was so good.
27:46
Like who gives a shit about Doctor Who or Game of Thrones
27:49
like casts I don't care. California dreams make it
27:52
happen. Well, I mean, if it's, if it's,
27:57
if it's Emilia Clarke, you know, I definitely want to meet her.
28:02
No, I'm kidding. It's yeah.
28:03
No, no, I'm very, very happily married.
28:06
No, Amelia Clarke was great though.
28:08
As, as Daenerys Targaryen. But anyway, yeah, no, I, I I
28:13
probably care a little bit more about the Game of Thrones cast
28:16
than than the California cast, but that's just because I'm one
28:18
of the, you know, I'm, I was there, you know, so.
28:21
But I hear you. I totally hear you.
28:22
And I've heard other people say roughly the same thing.
28:25
So. Game of Thrones and California
28:28
Dreams, but we'll have that Jay, I'll ask you one more question,
28:34
but the California Dreams speaking to you about that
28:35
honestly, just I've really made my evening.
28:38
I'm recording this. It's been brilliant and.
28:41
My pleasure, my. Pleasure.
28:43
Say you never meet your heroes. Fuck that.
28:45
Jake Summers. You, Jay, you're the man.
28:49
So I just have to say that. No, thank you.
28:51
So essentially it's just going to switch off basically from the
28:53
film in acting and film, video games talk.
28:56
And I just want to ask you because you're currently on the
28:59
other side of the world to me in Australia, what's your favorite
29:03
thing about Australia? I don't really get the
29:05
opportunity to speak to anyone sort of that lives there or a
29:08
lot of Australians. So I'm going to take an
29:10
opportunity and ask. It's a pretty laid back place
29:15
for the most part. The political climate's getting
29:19
a little weird, but that's because America's getting pretty
29:22
strange right now. But for the most part, like what
29:26
I, the healthcare here is just mind blowing.
29:29
Like I, I went from getting none to I can go to my doctor
29:33
whenever I want. I whatever doctor I choose, I
29:36
can go to any doctor I want whenever I want.
29:39
I just have, as long as it falls within his open, his or her open
29:41
appointments. You know, I keep, I keep having
29:47
people from this states keep telling me, oh, I've, I've heard
29:50
Australia's terrible. And you wait for the.
29:53
And like you don't you if, if it's like if you're getting
29:56
surgery that you don't really need you, you and you're getting
29:59
it for free, yeah, they're probably going to put you on a
30:01
couple months waiting list a month, a month or two long
30:03
waiting list. But if, if it's something you
30:06
need, you go in immediately and you get it and that's it.
30:08
And there's, you know, that's just the way it is.
30:10
I, I had had surgery on my foot when I first moved out here and
30:17
I'm hobbling out of the emergency room after getting the
30:21
quick emergency surgery on my, on my foot.
30:24
And I walk up to the reception counter and I said, all right,
30:27
you know, what do I owe? And they were like, you owe us
30:30
going home, sign this and go home and rest.
30:32
And I was like, no, no, I mean like, you know what, you know,
30:34
what do I here's my credit card. And they were like, go, what are
30:37
you talking? Go home, go home.
30:38
You don't owe anything. And I was like, what?
30:41
This would have been like 32 thousand $60,000 in the States,
30:46
maybe more. And yeah.
30:48
And and that's so that kind of blew my mind.
30:50
Still does. The amount of especially with my
30:53
advancing age and healthcare issues, you know, still not
30:57
going broke by going to the doctor as much as I do is is
31:02
absolutely freaking amazing to me.
31:03
So yeah, that's one of the things There's there's, there's
31:10
a lot of stuff here. It's it's, it's a good place.
31:12
It's a good place to be right now.
31:15
So the food I'm I'm going to learn more towards the US on the
31:20
food. I don't mind.
31:25
I don't mind the food here, like the pizza, it's good.
31:28
It's just what I want. Pizza I want like new, I want a
31:31
New York slice. I want, you know, I want,
31:33
there's specific things I want. And when I go to order pizza
31:36
here, it's just, it's Australian pizza.
31:38
It's just different and it's not, you know, it's not for me.
31:42
It's not as good as like a New York slice, but it's still good.
31:44
I mean, obviously I live here and I eat the food and the first
31:48
time I had maybe I'm, I'm doing a list of complaints.
31:52
I, I think not even complaints, but just observations.
31:54
The first time I ordered a burger here, it came with a
31:57
slice of beet beets or beetroot. They call it here on it.
32:03
And that's a very normal here. And I took a bite and I was
32:06
like, Nope. And and I basically pulled that
32:09
off. In the menu.
32:11
Right, right. And I like beets, but I'm like
32:12
in a like, I'm in a salad. I like them on, you know, you
32:15
know, whatever, but you know, on a burger.
32:16
I was just like, that's really weird, man.
32:20
One of the funny things was I went a funnier moment.
32:24
I, I went to a barbecue and somebody had said something
32:27
like, Oh, you probably think we, you know, something about, no,
32:32
I'm sorry, I moved here and somebody said something about
32:33
God, we don't do shrimps on the Barbie.
32:35
And I was like, oh, OK, all right, whatever.
32:36
And then I went to a barbecue and the first things I noticed,
32:38
some people had some shrimps on a, on a skewer and had them on.
32:43
Yeah, you guys do. But they, but they call them
32:45
prawns here. So and I think you probably, you
32:47
guys probably call them prawns as well in the UK.
32:49
Yeah, we call them prawns over here.
32:50
Yeah. Right, so, but yeah, it was just
32:53
just some funny stuff. But anyway, but yeah, in
32:58
general, it's just it's a nice place to live for the moment,
33:00
so. Awesome, man.
33:02
I'm glad that you're happy. You're doing well, loving
33:04
Australia and you're able to connect with your fans as well,
33:08
especially thanks to a lot of social media and these events.
33:10
Jay, I'm going to put an end to the interview.
33:13
I honestly thank you very much for your time.
33:16
I know we've sort of had to rearrange a few times, but I'm
33:18
so happy. Yeah, yeah.
33:19
Sorry about that. I've.
33:19
Got to do this mate. Don't even say it, sorry.
33:22
Obviously it's been worth the wait personally.
33:25
Jenny smiling. Where can the fans find you on
33:27
social media, mate? J Anthony here.
33:30
Let me pull that up right now. That is Instagram,
33:37
instagram.com/J Anthony Frankie, all one word forward slash.
33:41
You can find me on Facebook on just put up.
33:44
J Anthony Frankie. There is a fan site and then
33:51
there's my personal 1 fan sites. Probably good.
33:54
There's a California dream sites are good.
33:56
Definitely join the Instagram, the California dream fan site on
33:59
Facebook is awesome as well. That one, it's the one that has
34:03
like 45 K or 42K followers at the moment.
34:10
And yeah. And then if, if you can follow
34:12
my, my personal one, if you invite me, I may or may not.
34:17
It just depends on my mood on the day because it's my
34:19
personal, you know, I, yeah, every now and every now and
34:22
people get in and I'm like, yeah, welcome to my world.
34:24
All right. You know, it's, but it's, it's
34:25
private. And then I, I, I post stuff
34:27
that's not private on it just for the people that follow me or
34:30
whatever on it. And but, yeah, but yeah, if you
34:34
find me on social media, I'm usually receptive to saying
34:36
hello for a second and you know, yeah, absolutely.
34:41
I got hello from you and I got a response and I got you on the
34:44
podcast, so it's awesome. Yeah, exactly.
34:46
There you go. Yeah, Testament.
34:49
So there we go midnight Mike says to bath but awesome
34:53
California dreams. The theme song now is just going
34:55
to be in my head. I'm not going to say that to
34:57
you. I don't want to ruin your day.
34:59
But Jay, thank you very much for coming on me.
35:01
It's been an absolute blast. I've had a great time like this
35:04
video give Jay follow subscribe to the channel give me a follow
35:08
on my social media handles. They'll be in description below
35:10
as well. But no, I've won.
35:12
Have a great weekend take. Care have a great one and thank
35:15
you, George. Appreciate everybody.
35:16
Cheers. Thank you.