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Transcript

To Introduce Our Guest Star - Episode Seventeen: Yvette Nicole Brown · Muppet Fan Podcasts with ToughPigs.com

0:11
Hello, my name is Johannes and I'm Jared Faircloth and welcome
0:17
to, to introduce our guest star, a muppet fan podcast presented
0:20
by tough pigs.com in this show Jared and I are taking it in
0:24
turns to surprise each other with this week's guests and this
0:27
week once again, it is my turn. So, Jared.
0:30
You have not a clue who our special guest is going to be.
0:33
Is that correct? Not a clue at all?
0:35
And I usually have some working Theory today.
0:38
I've literally got nothing I've Got a Theory on who, it's not,
0:41
but that's about 7 billion people.
0:45
So yeah, it's not one of those people.
0:47
I can confirm that. Can we work a little
0:50
organization? We can't the game to me guessing
0:52
who, it's not like, I feel like I'm gonna get something right,
0:54
because I don't think I've had any right this season so far.
0:57
You, I don't think you have, but I don't know.
1:00
I have faith in you today. All right, thanks across.
1:03
All right. Hit me with some questions.
1:04
What do you want to know? All right, as always, Muppets
1:08
Sesame, or Henson. Muppets.
1:12
Okay. That's completely thrown a
1:16
theory of who I didn't think it was at rate.
1:19
We're narrowing it down. That's the point of the game.
1:22
Is this person a puppeteer? no, is this person a writer No,
1:32
not in the way that you're thinking.
1:34
This person is a writer but not now I can warm up at things.
1:37
I think that's what you're wondering Radha.
1:39
But not from up at things. Oh, is this person has this
1:48
person currently working with the Muppets?
1:50
No. Okay.
1:53
Have their work with them in the last 10-15 years.
1:57
Yes. Cool.
2:00
I've got absolutely nothing at the moment.
2:04
Someone who writes for the Muppets, but not in the way I'm
2:07
thinking. But doesn't work.
2:08
They don't wait for the Muppets. That's not forget the writer
2:11
thing, okay? Bye-bye.
2:12
Muppets have they written any songs for the Muppets.
2:19
Not be have never written for the Muppets as what I've set
2:21
them up at seven with your way to tell me.
2:23
There were a writer. I'm trying to tell you now
2:25
Jared. Okay, so the heads I said
2:27
technically this person Is among other things, a writer.
2:31
I didn't want to say no to that but this person has never been
2:33
filmed. Okay, I have literally zero IDs
2:42
so have they worked on any Muppet films.
2:50
Like a feature film like yeah, trickle film.
2:52
No, no. Well then I have literally no
2:56
idea. I'm gonna.
2:59
Okay, I'm gonna take a stab in the dark.
3:02
Is it Muppet producer, Martin Baker.
3:06
It is not mothered producer, Martin Baker.
3:08
I'm so sorry Jared that's right now but I'm very excited.
3:11
I'm very excited for you and I think you're going to be excited
3:14
about that guy. Yeah, our guest today is an
3:18
actor writer and comedian who has appeared in such films as
3:23
Tropic Thunder, 500 Days of Summer and the Avengers endgame.
3:27
You've seen her on TV series like Jake Drake and Josh That
3:30
70s Show in the office. Oh, you're making a face now.
3:34
You know who it is? She has been a great story.
3:37
Jared. She recently received a
3:38
Primetime Emmy Award for her work on a black lady sketch
3:42
show, and she deserved an Emmy for her role as Shirley Bennett
3:46
on one of our watch your favorite and my favorite TV
3:50
shows Community. She had a featured role in
3:53
Muppets Haunted Mansion, and she is a huge Muppet fan in her own,
3:56
right? Jared.
3:57
I am extremely pleased to introduce our guest star.
4:00
Yvette. Nicole Brown?
4:02
Holy Jesus. Oh, Oh that I think she's here.
4:09
Event if you're there, we just, we just spoil the surprise.
4:13
Oh, there you are. I just changed my name.
4:20
So I wouldn't break. That was great because, not
4:24
everyone thinks to do that. Yeah.
4:27
Change my picture to the pillow. That's in this hotel.
4:29
Great. That's the pitch.
4:31
It doesn't look anything like you.
4:33
So perfect! Oh, you changed like the actual
4:35
photo. It's horrific.
4:39
Yeah, by the way. So I'm Joe, this is Jared.
4:43
I Jo Hye ji Hye, this is such a huge treat, we are humongous
4:49
fans of yours and you've been on, I can't speak for Jared but
4:54
I assume it's true for him to you've been on my list of people
4:57
who have one to talk to for tough pigs for a really long
5:00
time just because you've been such an outspoken fan of the
5:03
Muppets for ya. I love ya.
5:06
So you're one of us is what I'm saying.
5:09
Absolutely. I this is a very big moment for
5:13
me. Me.
5:13
Because I'm sure you hear this a lot.
5:16
But Community, literally, one of my favorite TV shows.
5:20
If not my favorite TV show of all time.
5:24
I'm very, very Starstruck and very excited because like, Joe
5:28
that's surely, I'm talking to us right now and so sweet.
5:34
Thank you so much. We'll get to all the Muppets and
5:38
everything, but at the time of recording, there's a lot of news
5:41
going around. Can you just let Break it, a vet
5:45
Community movie. When that happened, I could be
5:49
the one to break it for you. I really would honestly, it's
5:51
the same thing. We've always said, everybody has
5:52
a desire to do it. There's no one that's like I
5:54
don't want to do that film. We all want to do it.
5:57
You know, you have to scheduling, you know, everybody
5:59
has to be free at the same time and a script has to be written.
6:02
And, you know, I mean it's like the same thing with any movie
6:05
there that comes together, but at least it's not that.
6:08
There's no desire. You see what I mean?
6:09
Like, I don't, there was, if there was, if we didn't want to
6:12
do it, And that would be the end of it, but we all do.
6:16
So it's just a matter of time for them to figure out how to,
6:19
how to get it together. That's my, that's what I
6:21
believe. I'm a fan of the, of the show,
6:24
20. So yeah, so no scoop.
6:26
Except, you know, it's the same snow, snow new school but the
6:29
same scoop, you know, we'd love to take it.
6:32
Well either way, will it will be in line to see it, you know I
6:36
mean we're ready for it. I think everyone is we really
6:39
are for sure, I love it. So you have been Such an
6:43
outspoken Muppet fan since, I mean, since the early days of
6:47
community, when we really, you know, Jared nice really started
6:50
following you in the rest of the cast on a regular basis and
6:53
seeing you in interviews and such, Why was it important for
6:56
you as a fan to meant? Be to be mentioning this on such
7:00
a regular basis? You know, it's like any other
7:03
fandom, right? Like when you're I say this all
7:06
the time when I talk about nerds, because nerds get back,
7:09
get a bad rap. But really being a nerd is just
7:11
loving something a lot. Like I didn't love it so much.
7:13
Oh my God, that's a nerd. So you can be a nerd about video
7:17
games. You could be a nerd about.
7:18
I'm gonna learn about napping. I love napping so much and I
7:24
love like, my whole life. I've Loved, I've Loved Sesame
7:26
Street, I've loved that the Muppet movie.
7:29
He's up. Loved everything, Jim Henson.
7:31
My entire life. So the things that I love I talk
7:35
about. If you follow me on social
7:37
media, if I'm talking about it I really care about it.
7:39
Be it politics or kindness or the Muppets or, you know, Ted
7:45
last. Some like there's a thousand
7:46
things that I love and I just talked about all of them.
7:49
I'm glad you mentioned, Ted lasso because I know that you
7:52
did an interview with bread Goldstein, while back for his
7:55
podcast, Loves The Muppets. I mean, yeah, he loves The
8:01
Muppets and like same to. I mean, to the point of like,
8:05
you know, we've got a short list of celebrities, who talked about
8:08
it a lot. It's like, I know they would get
8:10
if we can get in touch with them.
8:11
I know we, they would get it. Now, I didn't listen to
8:14
deliberately didn't listen to your interview because I knew
8:17
that we were gonna be doing this.
8:18
I don't want to overlap too much, but did you guys talk
8:21
about Muppets during that interview?
8:23
And did you just get that chance, like, eke out together?
8:26
We have to About the Muppets, I think, in every conversation
8:28
we've ever had, you know, a lot. So, yeah.
8:34
No. And I think the first time I did
8:36
his show and I think still, he has a muppet poster, he does
8:40
this, he does his podcast, it looks like he's in like a little
8:44
hobbit house, like he's up in the attic or something.
8:47
He's got a little door behind him, and it's a tiny, tiny door
8:50
and right next to it. He has a Muppets poster.
8:52
And I've always said to him, why don't you put the Muppets poster
8:55
over that weird little door. Or and he always jokes it
8:58
supporters or hell. Are you know, what Brent is dark
9:00
at times? He tells jokes like soon as you
9:03
do his podcast, the first thing you see, besides his little
9:05
face, is his Muppet poster, so he loves The Muppets.
9:07
I love the Muppets. Yeah, terrific II have faith,
9:11
that we'll get him, one of these days but he's, you know, he's a
9:14
big deal now and maybe he's too big for us.
9:18
It's bread is very, very humble and kind, he's very busy.
9:21
But yeah. Well, I mean, he's now what is
9:25
he Hercules in the Marvel universe as well.
9:30
Brandon. Yeah, yeah.
9:31
He was at the end of it was at the end of the youth or film.
9:34
Oh my God. How did I forget that?
9:35
Jesus, you guys, I'm telling my brain is going bad, so,
9:38
apparently, apparently he is, well, you're both in the Marvel
9:42
Universe eventually. I think we all will be, but it
9:47
was those have anything to do with it?
9:48
Everyone will be in there. Yeah.
9:52
Mine was like a little drive-by. I've been joking that I wanted a
9:54
pop-up. I want to do a prequel series.
9:56
We're not. Well there's they're all over in
9:59
the time continuum. So I don't know if it's a
10:01
prequel or whatever where it would be in the thing, but me
10:04
and Agent Carter in the 70s, I think, Phillies and named it
10:08
Phyllis Jenkins. I think the listen and Agent
10:11
Carter should be solving crimes with a Young, Chris Evans who
10:13
came back to that time frame, by the way.
10:16
So that's all I'm saying. I love the other hand.
10:18
Well, yeah, we don't to the russos and off we go.
10:22
Now, I don't have the number so I'm going to probably put that
10:24
on you of it, but I'll give him a call.
10:27
How come so we do? I mean, again, huge fans of
10:31
community, so we do have to talk about Community for a bit.
10:34
There's been multiple Muppet references throughout the
10:37
series. Some of my favorites are Troy
10:40
and Abed dressed up as Bert and Ernie.
10:43
No, that was me right? That happened because I mean
10:44
that's what I was going to ask. I literally have that done as a
10:47
question of if it was that your idea.
10:48
So how did that come about? Because from the first time I
10:51
looked at the two of them look like Bernard, And I set it free
10:54
did the I think we did a gig maybe eat some time in season 2
10:58
or 3. But I had been saying it to Dan
11:00
Harmon since day one. I'm like please you have got to
11:02
have them as Bert and Ernie because their little head
11:04
shapes, their faces, their coloring the freaking Bert and
11:07
Ernie. It's ridiculous how much you
11:08
look like them. So yeah that was me but the
11:10
brilliant thing about that moment is and this is such a
11:13
geek thing that I feel like you gotta be a huge fan to really
11:16
get it. Is that it looks like Troy is
11:20
like a live hand puppet and Abba.
11:22
It is a rod puppet like burger and yards.
11:24
Like that's that's how their hands work.
11:26
Really the attention to detail on our show was ridiculous Dan
11:29
Harmon you know we've called him a genius and I believe that he
11:32
is and then you have, you know, Craftsman like the Russo
11:35
Brothers is our executive producers like we we had an
11:38
embarrassment of riches on that show and I, you know, I just, I
11:41
think we came a little bit. We were a little bit ahead of
11:43
our time. I don't think the audience was
11:46
ready for what we were doing, because we really were like a
11:48
live-action live-action Simpsons like you knew.
11:52
To happen. And we ought we refer to
11:55
ourselves off screen, at least I did as Muppets.
11:58
I just thought we were Muppets and Island of Misfit Toys, like
12:01
all of those names, apply to all of those crazy people at that,
12:06
you know, and not just the study group everyone at Greendale was
12:08
like a muppet. It was ridiculous.
12:10
How crazy everybody was in the best way?
12:12
So yeah, I completely agree. This poly one of the reasons why
12:16
Jared and I glommed onto that show so much like it really is
12:19
so similar to the types of things that we fell in love
12:21
with. That we decided to, you know,
12:23
run a whole website about. Yeah, of course, then there's
12:27
obviously the season 2 Halloween episode, where your Glinda, the
12:31
Good Witch, but everyone thinks you're Miss Piggy.
12:33
Yeah. And that was, it was funny that
12:37
I can't take credit for that. Although I would love to that's
12:39
that's from the mine of of Dan Harmon, but, you know, to get to
12:44
listen, both are great. Glenda and piggy are great, but
12:47
piggy is like, you know, that's huge.
12:50
So I was really honored that I got to You know, do a version of
12:53
Miss Piggy and it's sort of the opposite of you in real life
12:58
where she likes. Surely seems.
12:59
So insulted that anyone would think that she's Miss Piggy, but
13:02
I feel like you would say like, no, no, like put me in the pig
13:04
costume. Like let me, let me get the cut
13:06
my cosplay on, you know, so citizen love to her Heda piggy.
13:11
Even from Shirley I think Shirley had just put a lot of
13:13
time in in her Glenda costume and it's offencive the put in
13:17
the time she put in and everyone just thinks that she's Miss
13:19
Piggy. I think it was more.
13:20
How dare you. I'm Glenda more.
13:22
So then there's something wrong with piggy.
13:24
I think she would respect picky as well.
13:25
That's good. I'm glad to hear that, that sure
13:26
sure. I made it also.
13:28
I mean you know yeah voice was always quite high and she's got
13:33
that slight picking this here boys as well.
13:36
A little bit. She's a fan.
13:40
Then there was the episode intro to felt surrogacy which was the
13:43
one where the cast was taken over by puppets or replacement
13:47
by with puppets. Now I know you had said in
13:51
interviews before For that episode aired or was even
13:54
produced that you'd always wanted her to be like a muppet
13:57
themed episode and that's probably the closest we ever
14:01
got. First of all, I'd love to know
14:03
what you kind of had in mind for what you would have.
14:06
Would have wanted to see from an actual Muppet episode of the
14:08
community. Well I mean I think that is
14:12
essentially what it was. Like the only way it could have
14:14
been better is if we had an episode with actual Muppets like
14:18
to have Kermit and Gonzo and that won't, that's the only way
14:21
that it could have possibly been better.
14:23
But our our puppets were created by people that were peripheral
14:30
in the Henson world. And our puppeteers, were actual
14:33
puppeteers at work on Sesame, Street, and had worked with my
14:36
pets or on Muppet production. So we had the top-tier Ala Steam
14:41
on this and Julianne who was my Puppeteer?
14:45
I'm still friends with her because I got to see the other
14:48
thing up. That was great about it is, I
14:49
got, I've always known that puppeteers were unsung.
14:52
Like, you could you, there's no way you can be working on your
14:54
back, looking at a monitor, you know, the arm strength.
14:57
You need all of it, they have to contort, their bodies, all of
15:00
that, but to see it firsthand and to see them all under that
15:04
table, with their little monitors and working so hard to
15:08
get our manner. Thumbs down in our voices down
15:11
and it was really wonderful to watch as a fan of puppeteers.
15:15
I was over the moon the entire week so that that was
15:19
essentially our Muppet episode and I had been praying.
15:23
We all have favorite throughout the years.
15:25
We were kind of go. Hey, what about a cartoon or
15:26
what about and animation or or, or stop motion animation.
15:30
So we all had different things that we were hoping would
15:32
happen. And Dan is the same way.
15:34
He's creative and inventive in the same way, so he had
15:36
different ideas. We're going to do film Noir this
15:38
week or it's going to be be you know, oh too big to Goodfellas.
15:41
So all of those things and and Muppets were my the one that I'm
15:45
going to write my dream behind the scenes feature, I think on
15:49
the season for Dave a day where they show like the
15:53
behind-the-scenes of that episode and you can just see how
15:55
excited you are and you just shouting out.
15:58
You know, go surely is Julian's. Got a dancing?
16:02
And I think it's Drew Massey playing our bed or doing the our
16:07
bed puppet. He has Just a couple of little
16:10
mannerisms. Hey has Danny Pudi.
16:12
Damn cat. Like it's fascinating to watch.
16:16
Do you know what I want to give Julie?
16:18
And even more more pause because there was a snap when we were
16:24
rehearsing episode. I've never told you about this.
16:27
There was a snafu where I didn't know that we had a table read.
16:31
We had an important table read that they were, I can't remember
16:34
if the puppeteers were coming to the table read or think.
16:37
Puppeteers are getting a video of the table read.
16:40
But that table read was to allow them to be able to see all of
16:43
our mannerisms. So they could incorporate it
16:45
into their puppeteering. I missed that table read.
16:49
So Giuliana had to wing it. When she was we had all gone in
16:54
and recorded our voices but she had to wing it with all of the
16:56
surely isms and I thought she did a great job.
16:59
Having never met me before we were on set together.
17:02
Not getting the the same ability to see me work as surely as
17:06
everyone else did work as surely saying those exact line It's,
17:09
you know, so I really trust. She was able to create basically
17:13
out of thin air, we should add for anyone who might not be
17:17
following along. Julian is Julian buescher, who
17:20
works with the Henson works of the Muppets.
17:22
She's a performer behind Yolanda on the recent Muppet sitcom and
17:26
many others and she's so talented and she's so kind and
17:31
that honestly of any of the people puppeteers who could have
17:35
performed your character that's like--that's top-notch AB she's
17:38
the best. Lee.
17:41
You your some of your community cast members including Joel
17:47
McHale, Donald Glover can giong and Chevy Chase.
17:50
Have all worked with the Muppets or Sesame Street, at some point
17:53
in their careers when you are working with them on community,
17:57
was there ever a point where you're like, just tell me the
17:58
stories just like, let me know what it's like to get to be on
18:01
the set or get to work with those guys.
18:04
This is so crazy. I never have asked, I could even
18:07
ask, Brett, Brett, just did Brett Golson, just did Sesame
18:10
Street. I want my time, and on the
18:12
street, I hope that one day I do enough and I always say, I want
18:16
to do enough, I'm grateful that I got to be and I'm up in this
18:18
Haunted Mansion. Oh, get me wrong.
18:19
I have had my muppet moment but you know the Sesame Street
18:23
moment. I think says, it says everything
18:26
about the life, you've LED that you love, love the kids, you
18:31
know what I mean? Like, I would love to and also
18:33
Sesame Street is part of My childhood like it.
18:35
I was raised by Sesame Street so the idea of getting to be on the
18:40
street and teach the kids something.
18:42
With one of the Muppets is my dream so I don't want to know
18:46
how it went for anybody else. I want to find out for myself,
18:49
even if I'm on I don't get on till I'm 80.
18:51
I would I'm gonna wait until I get on the street to find out
18:54
myself. I do find it.
18:56
Amazing that you haven't been on yet because I mean you're you've
19:00
been in the Zeitgeist there for years with Drake, and Josh in
19:03
community, and You know, all the other amazing things you've
19:06
done, like, and your Emmy nominated and it's like, yeah,
19:10
you're such a massive fan. It's like, yeah, let's get a vet
19:13
place. Like, come on.
19:14
That's a no-brainer at this point.
19:17
Know. If I'm, I don't know if I'm on
19:18
the radar. I think they're so busy
19:20
educating, the kids, I think you have to be kind of like, you
19:23
know, you gotta be looser, super huge and I don't think I've
19:26
gotten there yet, not and I. And that's literally how I gauge
19:28
my life. Like, when I got the call for
19:30
Haunted Mansion. I'm like, I'm getting okay, I'm
19:32
getting there. Like I'm almost there like, let
19:34
me just Once I think you get to Sesame Street call, you truly
19:37
have become a part of the entertainment industry, really?
19:42
Like proper. I feel like you don't get on,
19:44
you don't get on Sesame Street unless you have really done
19:47
something. And so I don't, I don't take it
19:50
personal that I haven't made it on yet, I just got to keep
19:52
working at that level, but whenever they call and I pray,
19:55
they do one day, I'm going to be right there like crying as I
19:58
walk with my camera out, you know, taking pictures of my
20:02
childhood basically, we call it the Elmo.
20:04
Oh, nod when you just made that up.
20:06
That's not a real thing. But, but we do.
20:09
I mean, look, we do know we've been playing this Muppet fan
20:13
game for a long time. We know, we know these folks,
20:15
we're not, we're gonna put a bug in their ear.
20:17
These, I feel like if it even if they don't know who I am as a
20:21
performer, they have to know that there's some black chick
20:23
out in the world singing their praises.
20:25
I just started throwing elbows about the Sesame Place mess.
20:28
I'm like, what you not going to do is bring Sesame Street into
20:31
this hot mess because nobody was more upset than sesame.
20:34
Was and they have seen us and us as in black and brown kids.
20:39
Our whole lives. They have always seen us and I
20:42
it's disgusting that the beautiful thing they've built
20:45
has been tarnished by that situation.
20:48
So I've been speaking up about it, everywhere I go.
20:50
So I think they'd at least have heard of me in that regard by
20:53
now. Yeah, because that's good.
20:55
Press for them and especially like amongst all the noise of
20:58
everything that happens with happen with Sesame Place and
21:01
actually Jared did something. Similar recently, I'm tough big
21:04
swear Are you wrote about? It's like, okay, there's a big
21:07
mess, but let's not forget, Rosita's a great character.
21:09
Like, Carmen is a terrific performer.
21:11
Yeah, I was saying, I was saying a lot of people go.
21:14
Well roads. They did needs to be retired
21:16
from the show and it's like, what that place did something
21:20
bad. It was not managed correctly
21:22
there. And and the other thing, I
21:24
talked about was, if the television workshop and PBS and
21:30
everyone had more funding, they wouldn't have to license their
21:32
characters to get money, to be able to do what they need to do.
21:34
They're doing good work and they have to license it to make money
21:37
to be able to continue to do good work.
21:39
So if we actually, you know, public television, what it
21:42
should be paid, if we pay teachers, what they should be
21:44
paying on everyone, that's educating.
21:46
Children are scraping pennies, it's backwards.
21:51
You know. So it's like I just everything
21:53
about it, hurt my heart, what happened to the kids hurt my
21:56
heart, that Sesame Place would tarnish Sesame, Street
21:59
characters, and that Sesame Street was getting dragged
22:01
through the mud because of what that one's theme park.
22:04
Did all of it made me live it. I was livid Yeah, us too.
22:09
Yeah, it's a horrible thing but I have faith.
22:11
That Sesame will be able to bounce back.
22:13
You know, the news, the news moves fast and sesame is been
22:18
here for over 50 years. I'll probably be for another 50
22:20
or more. Like, they'll be.
22:21
Okay. Let's talk about Muppets.
22:24
Haunted Mansion. So I have to assume knowing
22:28
nothing that you got this for all, you got this role because
22:33
you, and like, we said, you've been this outspoken Muppet fan,
22:36
and you finally got on the right people's Radars.
22:38
And they're like, yes, come play from your perspective.
22:41
Is that you feel like that's what happened or was, it was a
22:43
kind of a different journey to get there.
22:45
I do I, but knowing I assume knowing nothing, is like, my new
22:51
favorite phrase that I'm going to start every sentence with us,
22:54
right? Yes, steal.
22:55
It go for it, breaks in the email with that.
22:57
In this, I don't forget what you said.
23:00
I think it was that thankfully, The Muppets and Marvel and, you
23:05
know, Pixar despite everything else.
23:07
I adore is all under the Disney + Banner now, and I plus, and I
23:14
love Disney and And so I Think Through The Years they've heard
23:18
how much I love the Muppets and I think as they were putting the
23:21
special together, it's possible that John Stamos and I got them
23:26
out in particular because we're Disney plus people.
23:29
And we're also very vocal Muppet fans amongst Disney plus people.
23:33
And so I think I think they threw us a bone.
23:36
I can't believe John out of a job is John Stamos.
23:38
They definitely threw me a bone. Make it a little bit.
23:40
Like come here, little girl. Let me give you a little favor.
23:43
So when I got the call, Um, the idea that calls like that come
23:48
the way they come it was like we don't know if you'd be
23:50
interested in doing this. But you know, we don't know if
23:53
you'd be interested in doing. I need you guys to tell me how
23:56
much I need to pay you to do this.
23:58
How much does it cost to get this opportunity?
24:01
I will write the check right now.
24:03
So, yeah, it was literally them asking if I wanted to do it
24:05
wanted to do it and I said, yes, which was just amazing.
24:12
Everything about it was obviously, And the lead-up to
24:15
that special. They were announcing all these
24:18
cameos and it was like, okay, well, that's cool.
24:21
Craig Robinson and you know, whoever it might be, but then
24:25
when they announced that Nicole Brown, I think amongst all of us
24:29
Muppet fans, we always went. She's one of us if she got in,
24:33
right? It was a moment of like a
24:35
finally, finally, they let you in so funny to, as a huge fan of
24:41
things myself, I under I realized that I've I'm pinching
24:45
myself guys because when you're in the fandom space, as you guys
24:49
know what you love is over there, and you don't ever see
24:53
you dream it. But you can't, you can't fathom
24:55
the idea of you being in this magical world that you
24:58
absolutely love. Right?
25:00
So it doesn't matter if it's if it's in an elevator with Captain
25:03
America and Iron Man or if it's in a hearse with Pepe and Gonzo
25:08
you, I'm just popping up in spaces that I'm like I just did
25:12
Lego Star Wars, you know, it's like Like, I'm a Lego with
25:17
Obi-Wan on an adventure with Boba Fett chasing this.
25:19
Like what? As a fan, how did this happen?
25:24
So I literally every almost Everywhere I Go.
25:26
Everywhere, I work. I am thanking the lord and
25:29
pinching myself everywhere I go because I don't know how this is
25:31
my life. I honestly do not know how this
25:33
is my like, you, you know, yourself a moment in, you know,
25:36
times where you're sitting in an elevator with, you know, Captain
25:39
America and Iron Man or I hearse with guns or paid your allow
25:43
yourself a moment to just Cat just internally.
25:46
Absolutely, and not even internally, doesn't think about
25:50
heard you got a nerd. You Can't Hide.
25:53
You did the excitement. And I just tell people, I'm
25:55
sorry, I'm a nerd, and I'm very excited right now.
25:58
So just give me a moment to get myself together because, you
26:01
know, when we were doing a haunted mansion, you know, I'm
26:04
in, I'm in the hearse with them, they're laying down with their
26:07
little monitors is Dave and, and I'm like, you know, do you
26:10
understand like, like and Gonzo is my favorite character.
26:15
Actor by the way. So for me to be in a hearse with
26:17
Gonzo is and Dave is just I don't, I don't know.
26:23
That's just I don't know how you like, what do you do with that?
26:26
Where does that get filed? And your little fandom brain, I
26:29
don't know. I'm still processing, it
26:31
definitely goes until like core memory.
26:33
You know, like that. That's something I need to
26:35
access over and over again. You know, to remind myself like
26:39
how lucky I am or how great things could be.
26:43
Yeah, we're like pen pals now I can email them and go what you
26:46
doing, Dave? Yeah, it's I've been fortunate
26:51
enough that I've met a lot of Muppets and I've interviewed a
26:53
lot of Muppets and I think my brain goes to a different place.
26:58
I almost leave my body and I'm like, I'm gonna just I have to
27:02
get through this without freaking out that that's you
27:04
know, Gonzo I'm talking to and I do allow myself.
27:08
Sorry gum. What is how?
27:10
We teach me your ways, how do you get your breath?
27:15
Go there. I wish I could tell you of that.
27:17
I really do. It's I will be honest with you.
27:20
It's slightly the same as I'm doing right now because again,
27:23
black Joe, that's sure line. Well, I'm just regular.
27:28
Isn't that there's nothing to go crazy, but overhear dress almost
27:30
like that's that's something that helps is like, you know,
27:33
over the years where like, we have gotten to, like, rub elbows
27:36
with these people that we've been worshipping since we were
27:38
children and to realize like, oh they are regular, like, Dave
27:41
goals is a regular guy. Yeah.
27:43
Yeah I will say though and I said this before there's only a
27:47
couple people who still like I get I get the back sweat when
27:50
you know when I see him like one of those like Frank Oz I will
27:53
never get used to being in a room with Frank Oz, like it just
27:57
it just it's not it's not going to happen and and not that he
28:00
was not, extremely approachable, but when Caroll spinney was
28:03
still alive. Carol was, it was just that big
28:07
bird and Oscar and he's been doing this for 50 years.
28:11
Like, I mean, like that's the guy who like taught me how To
28:13
read, you know, he's my best friend.
28:16
Yeah, it's crazy. It's crazy.
28:20
And we I mean, there's not we're losing so many Legends like so
28:24
many people from our childhood. When my I think I'm older in
28:26
both you my childhood did just kind of slipping away you know.
28:30
So Olivia Newton-John yet two days ago.
28:33
It's like horrible. Yeah yeah I hate to say that's
28:37
going to happen more and more often and you know especially
28:39
for us like getting to know a lot of these old timers who like
28:43
work Worked directly with Jim Henson and getting to work on
28:46
projects directly with them through the website.
28:48
And knowing that like you know, I'm grateful that we have this
28:52
time now but there's so many people that we've, you know, we
28:54
didn't get that chance with and the day will come where we don't
28:57
get that chance anymore. So we kind of have to go for it
28:59
while we go. All we can agree.
29:02
I agree. Back to a muppet Haunted
29:06
Mansion. Did you have to learn how to
29:08
drive a hearse that scene? They did?
29:12
I don't know, think I'm telling Tales out of school.
29:14
I think they probably talked about it, since then, they have
29:16
this amazing. I want to say 360, well, not
29:21
360, but they had, we were surrounded by screens.
29:25
Almost on all four sides, and those screens could project
29:29
anything back and it looked lifelike.
29:31
So when I was driving, we were just on a stage and they were
29:33
just kind of rock. In the hearse and then the
29:35
streets were going by. So I never had the car was never
29:38
on. I don't even know if that car
29:39
had an engine. It's great.
29:44
Yeah, it's like that Mandalorian technology that they use.
29:47
Yeah, absolutely. Now I know that you only had a
29:53
couple scenes that were both with Gonzo and pepe.
29:56
Did you get to interact with any of the other characters while
29:58
you were there? No, I didn't.
29:59
Add a really tight schedule. So, I mean, yeah, they were, I
30:05
think they were the only two puppeteers that were on set the
30:08
day that I shot. I visited a couple days earlier.
30:12
If I think for my fitting, they let me go on the stage to look
30:14
because, you know, I'm not gonna be around that many Muppets and
30:16
not, you know, Snoop around a bit.
30:18
Yeah, I have to see a couple others work, but those are the
30:21
only two that were there. The night that I shot.
30:24
That's a shame because like you like you're their, you want to
30:27
like, I mean, it's great to hang out with console Pepe.
30:29
Don't get me wrong but you're lying.
30:30
But where's Kermit? Where's Peggy?
30:31
Peggy, I got wanna as Kermit was there.
30:34
The day of my I gotta be hugging Mommy, I got to post that
30:36
picture but yeah, I met Kermit the day that I did, my my
30:41
fittings saw him and cried, by the way.
30:44
Mike said, yes? That's right.
30:45
Yep. That's right, right.
30:45
Yep. Yep.
30:46
I'm definitely about to cry and I apologized to him in his
30:50
puppeteer friend but uh, yeah. I cried like a baby at the sight
30:53
of him. Out.
30:54
Yeah, there's that it. That's it.
30:55
Yeah, that's an emotional moment.
30:56
Meaning Kermit the Frog? I mean, everyone gets to do
30:58
that. Yeah, he's kind of like, you
31:01
know, the biggest star in the world solutely.
31:03
Yeah, absolutely. It's like meeting Tom.
31:05
Knock, knock and say, yeah. Took Tom Hanks.
31:07
Like that's, yeah. That's there's no who.
31:10
I've never heard of him. I met Betty White.
31:13
I was blessed to work with anyway, a couple of times, may,
31:16
she rest in peace but she's another one, she on-site Garry
31:20
Marshall, on-site. The ugly cry because it's your
31:23
childhood. Walking in the door.
31:24
Like it's people that you revered since you were a kid and
31:29
they walk in the door and it's just right.
31:31
I love you so much and it was it was bad.
31:33
It was really bad. Betty White was like no.
31:36
No, let's talk about it. Exactly how you want.
31:45
Betty White to be Please just give me a hug and tell me it's
31:49
going to be alright. Betty and she really did that in
31:51
that moment. Oh that's wonderful.
31:54
You what if it was the other way around though?
31:56
Like she's been keeping this Secret in going, going to fandom
32:00
back to fan of because I'm such a huge fan myself and I know
32:02
what it feels like to really for someone to really for you to
32:06
love someone a lot. And it's I know it seems weird
32:08
because they don't know you and as a fan, like, you've had so
32:12
many experiences with this person and they they don't know
32:15
you. They've never met you and so
32:17
your It is so big and the kind people, I found the Betty
32:22
White's the Garry Marshalls. The Tom Hanks, I'm sure they
32:26
meet you in that moment and they and they walk with you to that
32:29
moment because what it is for me, if I meet like a kid who
32:32
loves Drake and Josh and you know, I've had some babies cry
32:36
because it's weird because it they see you as like a cartoon
32:39
or they don't see you as real and then you're in the frozen
32:40
food section with them and Ralph's.
32:42
And they just, they little electrics, you know,
32:45
neurological system kind of bugs out from it.
32:48
And the same way with us, the way we react when we see someone
32:50
we love. So I try to meet them in the
32:52
moment because the point is they want to say something to you.
32:57
There's something they want to tell you, there's something they
32:59
a question. They want to ask you and their
33:01
emotions are such that the moment will be passed and
33:04
they'll be in their car driving home with their parents.
33:06
And they'll I didn't ask her about the Dada so I try to
33:09
always meet him and go, is there something you want to ask me?
33:12
You want to talk about something and then that gives them a
33:14
moment to get themselves together.
33:16
Go. Yes.
33:16
Will, you are drinking? And then you can actually have
33:19
the moment and they get to have the actual moment.
33:22
They want to have the crying, your body reacting to the
33:26
moment. I cuz I know what's happened to
33:27
me, but the conversation is what they want to have.
33:29
And so I always try to find a way to get them to Center, gets
33:34
entered with them, so we can actually have the moment that
33:36
they want to have. Yeah, I appreciate that.
33:38
You do that very much because, you know, so I live in New York
33:41
City and I will, you know, I'm from the Midwest.
33:44
So like I still look people in the eye and I'll walk Down the
33:48
street and like, I'll be like, that's that guy from that movie,
33:50
or whatever it is. And sometimes I have the courage
33:53
to go up to them and say hello. And yeah, of course, I would
33:55
never do it if they were, you know, with the abyss.
33:58
Yeah. Like they got the sunglasses and
34:00
hat thing going on. Like it's like you don't be
34:01
bothered. I get it but there have been a
34:04
few people that it's like past them and I should have gone back
34:09
and like I just I guess I still feel that regret about a few of
34:13
you of those missed opportunities.
34:15
It's a lifetime thing. And then also with listen,
34:17
again, it helps when you are, I am a fan when I met Janet
34:21
Jackson Who everybody knows, I owe her door when I met Janet
34:24
Jackson, like I wanted a picture with her, I wanted to tell her
34:27
how much she meant to me. I wanted to ask you some
34:29
questions about my favorite videos, all this stuff.
34:31
So I know that that is the same thing and sometimes if you if
34:34
your adrenaline is pumping you'll have a moment with
34:36
someone and you won't get the picture.
34:38
So the I always say is, do you want to take a picture?
34:41
Oh yeah. And it's like the picture never
34:43
crossed their mind because they were so Of their body in that
34:46
moment. You know, there are always new
34:48
and it's not even just about for people that are on television or
34:52
whatever, everybody's going through a lot.
34:55
You guys, like everybody is really stressed out and this
34:59
pandemic and financial stuff and political stuff.
35:03
Everybody literally just wants to be seen and they want to be
35:06
okay. Those are the two things
35:08
everybody on this Earth wants and so if you are in a position
35:11
to see someone like I believe it's important.
35:15
To compliment strangers. I compliment strangers all the
35:18
time and effusive compliments, like not just, you know, I'll go
35:21
up somebody I saw a lady in the grocery store the other day and
35:23
I said, you look really pretty today and she was like oh, you
35:27
know, because the thing is she did look really pretty and I am
35:30
to pick her dress and to do her hair and put on her whatever and
35:34
not that she did that for the strange woman in the the produce
35:37
section. She did that for herself but
35:39
it's still nice to know that someone saw your effort.
35:42
You know, and it's nothing wrong with is long as you're not.
35:45
Creepy and you just pop in and go.
35:46
Oh, I like your purse. It won't do you wearing those
35:48
boots. It you the people's countenance
35:51
change is right. They stand a little taller when
35:54
they realize that they've been seen.
35:56
And so that's really all any of us can do and should do every
36:00
day, and it doesn't have to be people, you know, like, if you
36:03
see something on someone that you like, or somebody has a nice
36:05
car or their begonias, in front of their house, look,
36:08
particularly good, as you're walking, the dog, tell him
36:10
they're gonna go use. Those are some beautiful
36:12
dounia's, whenever I'm saying it.
36:14
But But I'm saying like see people come out of your stuff
36:18
and see people and and plant a flower in their, in their life
36:22
or in their day and some way, you know, so that's all it is.
36:26
Yeah, you're right in that like I had someone the other day,
36:30
just say, to me, out of nowhere, you've got great hair now, I do
36:35
know, I do have great hair so that's a fair enough comment.
36:37
But like, yeah, for like art that was three days ago and I'm
36:41
still riding that high and it wasn't anybody No, that's the
36:46
thing like this. It's we all of our friends, your
36:48
friends tell you have great hair.
36:49
I was going to tell you for we got off the podcast, but it's
36:53
something about you're just out in your world, not thinking
36:55
about your great hair, or your nice purse or your whatever,
36:59
maybe you're having a really bad day and, you know, or doubting
37:03
yourself in some way and somebody walking up going.
37:05
Well, I really like the, you know, the way you put your
37:06
outfit together, somebody saw you.
37:10
You're not. You're in the world.
37:11
You actually exist. We all just want to feel like
37:14
somebody. He sees us and we all just want
37:16
to be okay. Those two things are Universal
37:20
and the kind people wanted for others as well, and not just
37:23
themselves. I want everybody to be okay.
37:25
I want everybody on this plan to be, okay, you know, listen to
37:30
it, that's great. Now, by the way, this does
37:31
remind me very much of a, of an episode of community.
37:34
This is after after your tenure there.
37:37
But it was a episode with Keith David, his character, where
37:41
he's, I think they're at a wedding and he's just, he gets
37:44
into this groove of. Complimenting people that
37:46
doesn't know because they love hearing it.
37:47
It's like a you're a guy knows how to wear a shirt.
37:50
Yeah, the sandwich or whatever it was.
37:51
It was hysterical Barabbas. So I also, you know, something
37:57
I've always curious about with people who, you know, are huge
38:01
Muppet fans. I love asking them about what
38:04
kind of form their Muppet fandom takes nowadays like currently.
38:08
Like are you watching things? Are you going back and watch The
38:11
Muppet Show on Disney Plus or do I collect?
38:15
And I see anything like that. I own all the Muppet Show
38:19
episodes. On DVD great.
38:21
I bought a replica of my surely puppet because that amazing and
38:26
it's a chance that I have a muppet that looks like me made
38:31
by people peripheral to the Henson Dynasty or the family.
38:35
So, I did that and it was big money for.
38:39
I remember the time I bought it, it was like close to my paycheck
38:42
and I just called and gave it to him because I'm like, I want
38:44
this. I just actually got gifted a
38:46
Gonzo replica. There's a woman named Emily Rose
38:50
on Twitter. That makes beautiful Muppets and
38:54
she gifted me with a Gonzo. I told you g was my favorite so
38:58
I think my Golems imma wasn't it.
39:01
Yes, I'm fortunate that I have an Emily replica as well.
39:05
So go, which one do you have? Who do I have a baby sweetums.
39:09
So it's sweetums from the new Muppet baby show and he is
39:12
adorable. I love it.
39:14
I also have a Kermit that I have them still amazed that this
39:19
Kermit still speaks. It was one that came out
39:22
probably 20 years ago, he's singing Caribbean amphibian, if
39:26
you hold, if he squeezes button his, I'm not his but his button
39:29
his in his little hand that and he catches flies and, and he's
39:33
still, he's like life-size. Whatever sized Kermit would be
39:37
on The Muppet Show. So, I have him.
39:38
And then also in Lego came out with the Muppet the small Muppet
39:41
of figures, I went ape, I'm because I kept buying them
39:49
because I wasn't there still one.
39:50
I couldn't get, I don't know if I'm missing.
39:52
I think I'm missing rauf Norma. Missing Fozzie, I can't find a
39:56
Fozzie. So I'm going to have to go on
39:58
eBay or go deep State diving on Reddit, somewhere to see who has
40:02
a body Barak. But we'll get you one.
40:05
Yeah, give me we'll hook you up with a Fozzie.
40:07
We'll figure that out. Thank you.
40:11
That's great. I love hearing that, you know?
40:12
Like I think it's hard. To Foster fandom when especially
40:17
in the times where there's not a lot happening with Muppet
40:20
fandom, or in my Productions. I mean, and I know we're really
40:23
lucky that we did get the Haunted Mansion last year, and
40:25
there's a new Mayhem series that's coming very soon.
40:28
But, you know, for us, like, we've been at this, you know,
40:31
Muppet thing for a long time, and they're, like, years that go
40:34
by, with nothing or like, there's, like one new t-shirt or
40:38
like one new, like Hallmark ornament for the whole year, and
40:40
like, that's it. Now, we got to figure out ways
40:43
to like, keep it alive, you know, within within us and with
40:46
our community as like a website, though, like you guys will go in
40:49
and do a deep dive on one thing in particular, which I think is
40:51
really great, you know. And it's really, I think what
40:56
fandom in general is about to is just the camaraderie because
40:59
every time I'm sure you guys interview, a new Muppet fan.
41:03
You're seeing the fandom through their eyes and so that revives
41:06
it too. And it's fun for for fans to get
41:10
a chance to talk about When they first love the Muppets or who
41:14
their favorite Muppet is or whatever and it you learn
41:16
different things, you know through that.
41:19
So that's how we do it. We have to keep it alive for
41:21
ourselves. So what were your favorite like
41:24
sketches or Muppet moments, when you were younger?
41:28
Oh gosh, there's so many anytime big bird is not fill up against.
41:32
We're doing their thing and Snuffleupagus Snuffleupagus with
41:36
the big, the big eyelashes. And as big was, I just saw the
41:39
clip recently where everybody found out, that he was real for
41:42
the first time and they like paying by all the faces and I
41:47
just it just so many warm memories, childhood Sesame
41:49
Street in particular, it was to Muppet memories Kermit.
41:55
The first time I saw him sing Rainbow Connection in The Muppet
41:57
Movie. Well, is imprinted on my heart,
42:00
like, when I, when I pass away, it will be one of the memories
42:03
of flashes in front of my head because it was just such a
42:07
magical song. It was our first time seeing
42:10
Muppets with legs with mine anyways.
42:12
A kid because you never saw their legs and so by the time he
42:14
was riding the bike, it was over for me.
42:19
The I'm going to go back there someday which is why Gonzo's my
42:24
favorite Muppet that song is so Beautiful.
42:28
I mean it rotates between that and Rainbow Connection as my two
42:31
favorite Muppet songs but I'm moving right along.
42:34
Can't go wrong moving right along but just something about
42:38
the way. Dave sing?
42:39
Well Gonzo sings. That song is so beautiful.
42:43
That's another thing that just me.
42:47
Mahna Mahna is Big. Danny Boy with Danny boy, is one
42:54
of the funniest clips ever. Not just a muppet clip by the
42:58
time animal comes in, I can't. So that's just a few.
43:04
Well yeah, brought us to I was going to say it starts,
43:07
gorgeous, sorry, didn't say you brought up Rainbow Connection
43:11
and I'm going to go back to that same date, and that just
43:14
reminded me. You got to work.
43:16
With Paul Williams on community who is previous guest of this
43:20
very podcast and has promised me that, you know, touch all of the
43:25
woods that if I happen to pass away before him, he'll come to
43:28
my funeral and sing Rainbow Connection.
43:32
Now me, that fan growing out or Fanboy and I think girls so
43:41
hard. I like all but Late At His Feet
43:44
when he was on community, I followed Paul.
43:46
Round like a freaking Shadow. I was like, I would, you know
43:49
that the character Christopher Lee did on move it, move it the
43:54
time. When you, when you get that
43:58
moving you under and then you say he was like, yes, yes.
44:03
Oh like I think I embarrassed myself but I it was Paul
44:07
Williams. What do you do?
44:09
I love them so much. It's I'm telling you.
44:11
It's just I got up, I was really lucky.
44:15
My father is a massive Paul Williams fan, and when he found
44:20
out, I was interviewing him like he told everybody, he knew, I
44:22
know, jarrod's interviewing Paul Williams and that happened to be
44:26
home the day. We did it.
44:28
And so I said to Paul after the interview, hey, do you mind if I
44:31
go get my dad and he goes, oh my god, do it.
44:33
And that was February last year and my dad will still tell
44:38
everyone that story. He's got the video of it.
44:42
That he's shown like he'll walk around to stores because he's a
44:45
rap and he'll show people. Like, I know Paul Williams.
44:47
Are you my son knows him and I got to meet him and what a guy
44:52
he's such a he's such a good man and one of our greatest
44:55
songwriters, I think he is. I know he's heavily awarded and
44:59
and all that but he's, they don't make them like Paul
45:03
Williams. Well, hey, I'm going back to
45:06
what we were saying before. Well, he's the nicest guy.
45:09
He's such a nice guy. When I mean much like, like, you
45:13
know, setting the up this interview with you that we
45:16
reached out to him years ago, just to say like, hey, you know,
45:19
or, you know, you're a big deal but like, would you want to?
45:22
And he's like, yes, yes, let's do it.
45:24
Like, I all I want to do is talk about Muppets and we got to,
45:27
like, not only do we get to do a terrific, long-form interview
45:30
with the Paul Williams, like he invited us.
45:33
So, like his hotel. And treated us to breakfast in
45:37
like let's like have a conversation and let's talk for
45:40
like two hours about every little detail you could ever
45:43
want to know. And like, who does that these
45:46
celebrities are not who does that And, you know, you making
45:50
me realize that. Because he had said something to
45:52
me at the time, like, we should have lunch.
45:54
And I was, and I thought he was just being nice.
45:55
And I'm like, he probably probably could have much.
45:58
Yeah, he I guarantee you, he wants to be friends.
46:01
Like, that's like, that's like that's his Mo.
46:04
He reached out to me once and it just email me.
46:06
It's like, hey, do you play golf?
46:07
You won't play golf some time. I'm like, Paul.
46:09
I wish in this moment more than any other time in my life that I
46:13
knew how to play golf. Oh, he's such a dear man.
46:18
He's such a dear man. Yeah, the best.
46:23
So, hypothetically, if they were to bring the Muppet Show back
46:28
hands, they were to say to you that we want you to be a guest
46:30
on The Muppet Show. What would you want to do?
46:35
Little guy that's, I mean, even you saying that gave me agita,
46:38
like, I don't feel worthy. I mean, even, like, even we were
46:42
talking about Sesame Street earlier, like, I just don't, I'm
46:46
never been, like, can't believe they haven't had me, or, I don't
46:48
feel worthy yet. Like, I don't feel like I've
46:50
earned it yet and I don't, you know, I don't know what I would.
46:54
I mean, I probably would dress up as Miss Piggy.
46:56
Of course, we'd have to do that that have to be part of the
46:59
show. In some way.
47:02
I would love to get to sing with.
47:05
Kermit or Gonzo or Pepe? Like that would be great.
47:09
I mean there's I can tell you, I've never even dreamed that big
47:13
like that's so big. The Muppet Show.
47:16
My God, I can't even imagine, I will while you're thinking.
47:19
I do want to confirm for you that you are not small potatoes.
47:23
Like you would be a got for. I was gonna say if I think that
47:25
would be, you are worthy a really fun episode.
47:28
Yeah. Thank you.
47:30
Absolutely because I know like back when they when they did The
47:33
Muppet Show the first time around like they would kind of
47:35
take the celebrity out to lunch or something and they would say
47:38
okay what do you want to like, what are your favorite
47:39
characters? What are your ideas and kind of
47:41
they would collaborate together and I feel like that's why this
47:43
is such a interesting, you know, exercise to say like not just,
47:50
what would a writer decide to do with you?
47:51
It's, what would you want to do with them?
47:54
That's what they do on Saturday Night Live to, right.
47:55
They when you go in, you sit down and you say and this very
47:58
telling that That I had not thought about.
48:01
I've never thought of that question, because I've never
48:03
seen myself on The Muppet Show. I Can Dream big enough for
48:05
Sesame Street, but I didn't bring it as the Muppet Show back
48:09
and you're the host for the week.
48:12
I've never dreamed that big we finally reached my ceiling.
48:16
Well, event model, Ananda soccer during that big.
48:19
I think, I think just maybe just maybe just have it little, the
48:21
lockbox at the back and bring it out, you know, 3:00 a.m. when
48:25
you get up to get a glass of water.
48:27
It was funny to like, I don't know that people believe me when
48:30
I say this, but I'm really not an ambitious person.
48:32
I've never had a five-year plan or a 10-year plan, and I don't
48:36
have like, you know, I don't have a master plan for this
48:40
this, this career, and I always joke and say like I kind of
48:44
forced dump, my way through everything I've gotten, like, I
48:46
looked up and it's like, I'm standing next to this great
48:49
person, or that great person. None of it was planned, so I
48:53
don't have, I just don't dream in that way, like, Like I wake
48:57
up and go I can't believe I get to do this and then I just kind
49:02
of dumped it on my way through it and it's just I'm amazed even
49:06
with even with Community. I've told this story before but
49:10
I wasn't going to audition for Community.
49:12
I had a really bad pilot season and my teeth had been kicked in
49:16
one too many times and I was like, I don't want to do this
49:18
anymore. I'm taking my ball and going
49:20
home and that night, I got a call from my agent said you have
49:23
an audition for a show called Community as Senator Community
49:26
College. And I told them, I told myself
49:30
I'm going to get, like, 9:00 in the morning, I'm calling my
49:33
agent and I'm going to pass. I didn't want to tell my agent
49:35
that night because I don't want them to try to talk me into it.
49:37
So like, I'm going to wake up, tell him, I'm not going in
49:39
whatever. And so, I woke up that morning
49:43
like 8:00 and I said, well, let me just read it.
49:44
I'm going to read the script first before I pass, and then I
49:47
read it and was like, oh my God, this is amazing.
49:50
And then I had to scramble, to try to learn lines and create a
49:53
character and time for the audition which is like a two or
49:56
three o'clock in the afternoon. Soon, but that's for stumping
49:59
because I really was not going to go in and they saw everybody
50:04
for all of those characters like there were probably two of the
50:06
women there. I'm not joking to audition for
50:08
Shirley that day and I still don't know how I got it because
50:11
there were some talented women there that work all the time
50:16
and, you know, Forrest Gump. It was just, it ended up in all
50:20
my plates. Crazy, that's terrific.
50:23
I love that. Sometimes you just gotta be the
50:25
right place at the right time and just Wants and to be a
50:28
layperson sometimes you are the right person.
50:32
So I have to drop this. I don't know if this is actually
50:34
a muppet related but you and I have something else in common,
50:37
we're both from Cleveland. I grew up in Cleveland, Heights,
50:39
and South Euclid. So not getting terribly far from
50:42
you. Yeah, I grew up in East
50:44
Cleveland and warns Ville, and my lived on was Noble road which
50:48
was near Euclid Noble, Roman Euclid.
50:52
Yeah, get out of here. I know, I don't know what
50:54
there's something to that of clevelanders be.
50:56
Coming Muppet fans. What else is there to do?
51:00
Besides shovel snow. Come on.
51:01
Let's true end-to-end to leave Cleveland like that's the other
51:05
reason to grow up in Cleveland this to get out.
51:07
I couldn't do what I do. Now in Cleveland, I would have
51:09
stayed I love I love the Cleveland people, I even love
51:12
the, I love the change of seasons.
51:14
I don't love winter but I love the change of seasons and you
51:17
know it's a great place to be from good people come out of
51:20
Ohio. Well, some parts are while some
51:22
parts of Ohio, the people come out of Cleveland.
51:24
Let me say that. Another know it's true and I can
51:28
I agree with you. I like the seasons is why that's
51:30
why I chose to live in New York over LA because I like my
51:33
seasons and and I do love going back to Cleveland.
51:35
It's a great place to be but, you know, I think, you know,
51:38
similarly to, I mean, look, you're a performer, there's only
51:41
a few seasons, a few cities where, you know, you could
51:44
really have a good career doing that.
51:47
But, you know, it's not as a fan, it's not like, there's a
51:53
easy way to find a community of people who have similar
51:56
interests, especially something that's so Niche.
51:58
You kind of Have to be in a city of millions of people, still
52:01
find your your, uh, your people. So, it's easier because social
52:05
media, but you know, when we were kids, when I was kid, there
52:08
was no social media. So it's like you literally.
52:11
If the person if you didn't find another Muppet fan at your
52:14
school, you were toughing it out watching The Muppet Show by
52:17
yourself. Yeah.
52:19
It's different now though. Yep.
52:21
Yep that was me. We we couldn't we could have
52:23
found each other. If we had both stayed we would
52:25
have found each other and we would have our friend Denis love
52:28
them. It's too.
52:29
So I have a Janine and my brother loved him too.
52:32
So those are my two people, that's right.
52:34
Yeah. I had to I had to rein in the
52:36
rest of my family into it. Oh yeah.
52:38
I mean I've been trying to get my I've got two nieces and a
52:42
nephew. I've managed to get one into
52:44
kind of Muppet Babies, the new one and the others.
52:47
Just I'm not interested although my 18 month old nephew, as of a
52:53
couple of days ago, NASA's Malmo, when you cease Elmo on TV
52:57
and I'm like closer. Enough.
52:59
Well it doesn't like the Muppets did they not grow up with Sesame
53:03
Street. Not really.
53:04
See. It's weed in Australia.
53:06
Sesame Street's not as big of a thing as it was say when I was a
53:11
kid like and we just the amount of social media and channels and
53:16
stuff nowadays, they're much more, you know, like it was
53:20
something like Bluey which don't get me wrong.
53:22
It is an amazing TV show. But Sesame Street was never
53:26
really on their radar and I kind of probably forced it on them a
53:30
little bit to be like, nah, come on, watch it.
53:32
And they did it enough to humor me, but even then I'm not sure.
53:38
Sesame Street's even on at the moment in Australia.
53:42
Because I think it's only on HBO now.
53:44
And the other thing is too, it was such a American Urban type
53:48
show the look of it too. Like you had to it might just
53:53
learn to see like Brownstones and all its just, you know, I
53:56
can see that. It's it probably wouldn't hit
53:59
them the same way. It hit me, you know, in the
54:01
seven for sure. Yeah, for sure.
54:03
And it's like, we will get Muppets out here for, you know.
54:08
Probably it used to be once every sort of at least.
54:11
East two years, although obviously due to the pandemic,
54:13
they haven't been here for a while so there's definitely some
54:16
sort of market for in Australia. But we're just not seeing
54:19
anything so that might change. I don't know, I hope it does if
54:24
only because I want to you know talk to Cookie Monster again
54:26
when you sit right next to me instead of over Zoom Absolutely.
54:31
Absolutely. What I mean can we very quickly
54:34
talk about Cleveland? I know a few years ago, you're
54:36
in Melbourne, where you're not Yes, was probably oh gosh.
54:41
It's been probably a decade. Now I came for one of your
54:44
signings and I think it was it was As Comic-Con.
54:50
Yeah, I came for that fun fact was on a flight, I would there
54:54
was a flight that was on his way there years ago, that water
54:57
started to pour inside the plane, like a river of water
55:02
going down this double-decker plane and all I kept thinking
55:05
about was when it seeps through this feeling it's going to
55:07
Electrify us and we're going to fall from the sky.
55:09
So we end up having to turn the plane around and fly back out
55:14
the next day and I had never been to Australia.
55:17
It was so I think what it's loving our flight I It is from
55:19
America and all I kept thinking of is, if I don't get back on
55:22
this plane, I'll never get on another plane again.
55:25
So I got on it, terrified and blue to us Comic-Con and had the
55:29
time of my life. It's the only time I made it to
55:32
to Australia my life and so it was beautiful.
55:36
I loved the country. I love dies Comic-Con very well,
55:40
put together and had a good at in the time.
55:43
But that was probably 10 years. Probably 10 years ago, now going
55:46
to say, it's been a long time. I am I tried to get tickets.
55:50
When I found out, you were going to be there.
55:52
And the there were sold out and I was like, how am I going to?
55:55
I've got to get to a vet somehow and it took me ten years, but
55:57
here we are. We finally made it to each other
56:02
help on, I don't know, I don't know anybody cared about coming
56:04
to see me there. That's that's really nice to
56:06
hear. Again Joe that's surely so
56:13
Yvette. We end every episode of this
56:16
podcast with a series of questions, Jared has his list.
56:20
I have mine because you have been my guest today.
56:24
Then not, you're going to answer a few questions from me.
56:26
Lightning round style, if that's all right.
56:31
Okay, first question is, what is your favorite dessert?
56:37
Oh, I'm going to go with strawberry shortcake.
56:40
Great choice, I had a I had a salad last week that that tasted
56:46
like a Strawberry Shortcake and I don't know how they did it.
56:49
But wow, Teague, they need to teach me their way that sounds
56:52
amazing. Yeah, really, who is your
56:55
favorite superhero? Wonder Woman.
57:00
Great choice. There's just such a lovely human
57:03
being, but I grew up watching her and we're friends on Twitter
57:07
now. So I'm going with Wonder Woman.
57:10
That's great. And you both been very vocal and
57:14
active about certain things in politics.
57:17
These days, which has been by the way, like, really satisfying
57:20
to see from both of you and all the celebrities who are speaking
57:23
up and hey, Linda Carter is a former Muppet.
57:26
Show guests are so another connection there.
57:30
Hmm. Well, I think we know the answer
57:34
to this but we're going to ask it anyway.
57:36
If there was a muppet based on yourself who would you want to
57:39
perform it? It's alien.
57:42
I mean the right it's already happened.
57:45
I've asked this question to a few people and you're the first
57:47
one who can genuinely say like no it is an app.
57:49
It's already cast. Yeah.
57:54
Please pick a number between 1 and 100. 21:21 the afis top, 100
58:05
movies, the number 21 movie is Chinatown.
58:09
Have you seen it? And did you like it?
58:14
I have never seen all of it and I think that means I probably
58:18
didn't like it, but I don't want to ride in a while.
58:22
What was number two, what's the number two?
58:24
That was what I wanted to pick. Number two, is Godfather.
58:28
Okay. Yeah, I have seen it in love
58:30
that. Yeah, great.
58:32
Well, we can, we can let number 21 go because it let it go.
58:34
It's Chinatown. Yes.
58:36
Times home. So, in our previous episode of
58:40
this podcast, our guests can coop is, who is the director of
58:44
the Sesame Street movie, Follow That Bird asked.
58:46
This question, not knowing, who, our next guest would be, what
58:50
Muppet film would. You love to see be made?
58:55
Oh, what like that hasn't been made before, correct. oh, You
59:02
know, I would love, sorry, too. I would love a Gonzo or Grover
59:08
origin story. Whoo Frozen favorite Muppets.
59:13
I don't think we're ever gets the love.
59:14
He deserves so yeah, I'd love to.
59:16
I'd love to see an origin story with with them and I know
59:20
Grover's all over on Sesame Street, but you know, especially
59:24
guys are like there's some stuff there were Gonzo like we really
59:27
like what's going on. Let's really talk.
59:29
I want to see it the skin into the marrow of the bone.
59:32
Down there, sir. Hey, would you would you play in
59:37
that movie about the therapist talking to talking to Gonzo?
59:42
Like I think Gonzo would have some sort of animal level snap
59:46
and need to talk to somebody to work through it.
59:48
And I would be the therapist that would talk to him about his
59:50
life. And help you.
59:52
Like the end of that movie is that he effectively drives you
59:56
insane just by talking to In a white jacket.
1:00:02
Excuse me, I'm probably not white jacket, bouncing against
1:00:04
Walls by the end of the film for sure, for sure.
1:00:08
I also come up with the idea of a Gonzo and Grover Team Up
1:00:11
movie. Wouldn't that be great?
1:00:13
Yeah. All about all about their likes
1:00:15
like then furry blue arms. Yeah.
1:00:18
And being misunderstood and not really love the way they
1:00:23
appreciate it. No I love that and also blue
1:00:25
love it. And finally, without knowing who
1:00:30
our next guest is, what question would you like to ask them?
1:00:34
This is a, this is tough. What is your favorite Muppet
1:00:41
song? Uh, great Question.
1:00:43
Mac I said, before anyone know the, this, this last question
1:00:49
has been, is been the gamut of like, what's the meaning of life
1:00:52
to why did why was 6 afraid of 7?
1:00:55
I mean, it could be anything. Give up its okay.
1:00:58
Well, I'll still what's your favorite Muppet song?
1:01:00
Not it's all. I love it.
1:01:02
I love it. Well, Yvette Nicole Brown, this
1:01:04
has been an absolute Joy. Thank you so much for joining
1:01:07
us. Thank you for sharing your
1:01:09
fandom with us. And thank you for being you
1:01:12
because you really have given us such an amazing experience.
1:01:16
Just chatting with you here on this podcast.
1:01:18
Thank you for having me and thank you for not using the
1:01:21
video. You're welcome.
1:01:25
Just just just to you. I usually post screenshots, but
1:01:29
for you at that, I promise I will not.
1:01:31
Thank you. We can take one though.
1:01:32
So you can have one, you want to smile and take a picture.
1:01:34
All right, let's take it thing and I'll just screenshot it when
1:01:37
I edit this so everyone smile and done beautiful, love it.