Latest / Muppet Fan Podcasts with ToughPigs.com / The Muppets Mayhem: Backstage Pass - "True Colors" with Tahj Mowry (Moog)

Transcript

The Muppets Mayhem: Backstage Pass - "True Colors" with Tahj Mowry (Moog) · Muppet Fan Podcasts with ToughPigs.com

0:06
Hello and welcome to the Muppets.
0:08
Mayhem backstage, pass the unofficial Companion podcast to
0:12
The Muppets Mayhem presented by tough, pigs.com.
0:15
This is the podcast where we tore through every episode of
0:18
The Muppets Mayhem to uncover behind-the-scenes stories,
0:21
Easter eggs and more with The Talented cast and crew help with
0:25
the series together. I'm your host dedicated may head
0:28
Johannes. Today we are talking about track
0:31
to true colors in which Janice is revealed as a human lie,
0:35
detector, and animal gets a pet goat this week.
0:38
We're bringing back a couple return guest in one first-timer.
0:41
First up, he's co-creator and executive producer of Muppets
0:44
Mayhem. Please welcome Jeff.
0:46
York's back to the podcast. Hello, Jeff.
0:48
Hello having me. Next up, he's another co-creator
0:56
and executive producer as well as The Talented performer for
0:58
the one. And only dr.
1:00
Teeth please. Welcome Bill.
1:01
Beretta back to the podcast a bill.
1:03
Oh, hi. How are you?
1:04
Nice DIY. Nice to see you as well.
1:07
Looking great. Our final guest is an actor.
1:10
Best known for his roles on smart guy, Full House, in Kim
1:13
Possible on Muppets Mayhem. He performs the original may
1:17
head Moog, please. Welcome Tahj Mowry to the
1:20
podcast. Hey Todd.
1:21
Hello, hello, hello. Oh yeah.
1:28
Oh my God. To ask you about Moog.
1:30
But first of all, I have to tell you.
1:32
Please don't tell the other human cast members, but Moog is
1:35
my favorite. I love Moog, I love everything
1:37
about your secret is safe with me.
1:39
Your secret is safe with me. I mean, they're great, don't get
1:42
me wrong, but Moog is such a fan but like not in a creepy or
1:50
weird way, which is what I hope that I am when it comes to
1:54
mobile. No, bill is shaking his head.
1:57
No, no, I'm not. Okay, well, There's nobody like
2:03
ties. Well, I very much appreciate
2:07
what you bring to the table as a fanatic as am a head.
2:12
So let's start at the beginning. Can you tell us what the
2:14
audition process was like, for you coming onto the show?
2:19
Um, yeah, the audition process. It was very fast.
2:24
I put myself on tape and then I met with them after shortly
2:29
after that with the with the gang and we read it again and
2:35
everyone was just so delightful and awesome and that was right.
2:39
It is really fast. Yeah just from the beginning, I
2:44
knew it was something I wanted to be a part of and you know
2:48
Jeff and And Michael, they were just so warm.
2:52
It was one of the warmest, sort of testing, Zoom processes, I've
2:58
ever been a part of. It was just, it didn't feel like
3:01
it was a test or, or I was there was, there were no nerves
3:06
because it was just so calm and everyone was so delightful.
3:08
So I enjoyed it. But yeah, it was pretty fast.
3:11
And then we got into the, I think it was about a couple
3:14
months of the table reads. So yeah, it was very very quick.
3:19
We were delighted to meet you. Truly that's that's what the
3:24
tone was. It was that?
3:25
It was his energy. Yeah, that made us feel good
3:29
about being there and watching him.
3:31
Do this audition and the most absurd situation on a zoom call.
3:37
For that kind of energy to come through.
3:39
I think when we, when he was off we were all like who else is
3:45
there? You know, I think we were really
3:47
just, we kind of all felt it, right?
3:50
Yeah and I think I don't know if it comes across in the show but
3:53
Taj is just such bright energy. Oh my God it's I think it does
3:59
come across on the show. Yeah being sarcastic.
4:01
Yeah it's just the best. I mean like and we just were all
4:05
sitting there. I think you maybe I don't
4:07
remember if you did a read with Bill but or you did your reading
4:13
and our cameras or off but where I'm just the other side just
4:16
smiling with for you and Like you, you know, like it really
4:21
like you just make a room brighter, you know, it's a
4:27
shame. We couldn't use a lot of your
4:29
stuff in the show, right? I know.
4:31
But the audition was great. Thank you, thank you.
4:36
That was fun. That was a fun part.
4:38
So I know that normally, you know, someone's gonna audition
4:41
to work on a project, you know, pre covid.
4:44
There would be some test to see. Like, how do you work with the
4:47
puppets? Like, can you work with a It can
4:49
you look at the puppet in the eye?
4:50
And not look at the person who's below them, but since I assume
4:53
that most of this was done virtually over.
4:55
Zoom. What was it?
4:57
Like being on set or being in the room?
5:00
Whatever room it was with the puppets for the first time was
5:02
there any kind of learning curve for you?
5:05
Well actually it's funny because the episode True Colors was my,
5:10
the that first scene that you see me in was my first scene
5:14
that I shot? Oh, um, and I was so overwhelmed
5:20
I would because I didn't like I didn't have any like, chemistry
5:24
read or anything. I didn't, you know, meet the,
5:28
The Muppets beforehand. I was just like, today's first
5:31
day at work. Here we go.
5:32
Like, and I step on set and You know, we're four feet high,
5:36
there's animal coming down from the ceiling and I'm just like,
5:40
oh my God, what are my lines like?
5:44
I will like it was, it was very overwhelming, but it quickly,
5:50
you know, this is one of those roles that, you know, I keep
5:53
saying, of course I was acting like I'm not move but parts of
5:57
Moog, I felt you know, like while being there with these
6:01
iconic characters that I grew up watching So it was easy to sort
6:06
of step into that and I think I was able to use some of my
6:09
overwhelmed energy to my advantage to sort of I sort of
6:14
put that into mooc so it helped me but I was over.
6:19
Well, I believe it. Yeah.
6:22
Absolutely. But yeah, the learn as far as
6:25
learning curve goes, I'd save the the hardest thing for me was
6:31
to not look to learn to not look where the voice is coming from.
6:34
I'm right because like our Muppet performers are lower.
6:39
So you know your your eye tends to go where you hear the voice
6:42
coming from. But I had to sort of remember
6:44
like I need to look at the I need to look at the puppet here
6:48
and so that was the only sort of learning curve and then also
6:51
getting used to the monitors that you're surrounded by
6:55
because you don't normally get to see yourself while you're
6:58
doing a scene. So you know that was a little
7:01
weird. I'm going to cars my shirt you
7:03
know, like you Like its. But it was very The Joy on set
7:09
and just the I was nerding out. Let's be real like, I just I and
7:15
it quickly, I quickly just jumped right in and was able to
7:20
just go with the flow and enjoy the experience.
7:22
And it was, it was just so, that's great.
7:25
Yeah, you've talked before in interviews, about being a big
7:29
Muppet fan before, starting up on the show and your co-stars.
7:34
A little bit less. So, did you feel any
7:36
responsibility to kind of bring them up to speed and get them is
7:39
as like gigging out of the same level as you?
7:42
Um, I think no, I know because it's very easy to geek out over
7:47
them. Like for someone like Lily she
7:50
wasn't really? I mean she didn't she didn't
7:53
know really, she Lily didn't even know a lot of the songs in
7:56
the truck. So we just the regular song,
8:02
which is so good for the character too.
8:05
Perfect. But you I didn't have to know
8:09
you can't help but fan out when you finally are on set and you
8:13
just instantly, begin to love them instantly.
8:16
So I didn't have to do anything to tell her.
8:18
She just fell in love, on our own, but yeah, it was nice to
8:23
see her growth and her love grow for the moment while we were
8:28
shooting. That's lovely.
8:30
I love that you were really active throughout the 90s as a
8:34
young. Actor around the same time as a
8:36
lot of big muff Productions. Even at like the same networks
8:40
as well. Did you ever cross paths with
8:42
the Muppets in those years or at all with the habits before but
8:45
this Mayhem never? And, you know, it's funny
8:50
because you know, I I've done a lot of Disney things in my in my
8:54
in my day and I think it was just all leading up to this
8:57
moment and I think again for mooc He has that energy of like
9:04
any time he's around them he's like he's still not used to it
9:07
like he's really just around like he's just so excited.
9:10
And again, I was able to use that for the character and I'm
9:14
kind of glad that I hadn't met any of them before because it
9:18
was just it was that much it was that much cooler for me to
9:22
experience it all kind of in real time with mood.
9:27
Yeah, we only thing is we did a compossible together.
9:31
Oh, that's right. Yes, yes, yes.
9:32
But that's not true. That's not Muppets.
9:34
What were you doing? I was a bad guy.
9:37
I was, what the hell is in there?
9:40
Jackie, I think, Jackie, The Jackal or something like that.
9:45
Yeah, it was like the bad guy. It was a wrestling.
9:48
Yeah, I did the voice for a character in The Impossible.
9:51
Yeah, you've done work outside of the Muppets talking to me
9:56
here and there. I also have to know we got to
10:01
talk about these T-shirts because mu gets the best shirts
10:05
to wear. You people can't see right now
10:07
but you are wearing a doctor teeth and Logo t-shirt at the
10:11
moment, you got the best wardrobe, like stuff that I was
10:15
hoping would be available because I wanted to wear those
10:17
shirts. Myself.
10:19
You got to keep a few of them, I assume.
10:22
Oh yes, I made. Sure, I can't help you.
10:52
Is wearing that day. And in my phone, I have a
10:55
Muppets folder of literally. I took a selfie of like every
10:58
shirt that I wore and it's just it was so cool for me.
11:02
Because, you know, there there's nothing quite like a banty, you
11:07
know, like a just a vintage comfortable flowing, bansi that
11:11
you can wear with anything. And now I have a multiple of
11:14
them and it's, it's awesome. That's great.
11:18
And they think you could they have to fit you there.
11:20
Their costumes. Yeah.
11:22
When we were going back and forth with our costume designer,
11:24
she would send samples of stuff and I always respond.
11:27
Yes. And I'm a size large.
11:28
Yeah. By the end, she just gave me a
11:31
big stack of them and I was just like, yeah, I know many, many
11:37
crew members, every single day would be like, what, which was
11:40
the shirt today Josh? What's the show today?
11:43
So it was just, it was cool. It was cool.
11:45
That's great. This might be more of a question
11:47
for Jeff, but where does the name Moog come from?
11:52
So great question. I mean we have a, it wasn't it.
11:55
The I was in at The Amp. What is this?
11:57
Is the Sizer, those remain synthesizer.
12:01
So that's also going to ask. Yeah.
12:02
Because it's commonly referred to as a Moog, which is
12:05
apparently, the not not the correct pronunciation.
12:08
We like the idea of it, being a musical, something music related
12:12
but it's also hilarious that it's constantly, you know,
12:14
mispronounced and not necessarily known and also kind
12:17
of nerdy but that just it just fit Moog.
12:22
And you know, and then we have sort of further back from that.
12:27
We're truly comes from. Who knows?
12:31
Maybe one day we'll find out sure.
12:33
Yeah, we're on strike. So yeah, I think I mentioned
12:44
this before, but we based on me is it just a fan and overzealous
12:51
and stuff like that? That vaguely vaguely.
12:54
Welcome. It was almost disappointed
12:58
because when we would read stuff in the room, like it was
13:01
understood bill would read The Muppets and I would read mood
13:05
and then also, in Tosh.0 start replaced.
13:09
But it was always funny cuz they were just like riding it.
13:13
Can we make Moog you know, a little cooler, a little more
13:16
attractive, a little more. So the land then Todd shows up
13:19
there like we got it, you guys got it.
13:26
Alright, let's let's jump into this episode in the cold open,
13:30
the van, the band is in the van and we got our first Easter egg
13:34
right off the bat, they're driving past a billboard for Doc
13:37
Hoppers frog legs. I made that.
13:40
That was that, that was digital. I assume.
13:42
Yes. But I made it.
13:43
I recreated it. Yeah, we weren't allowed to use
13:46
the original or something, right.
13:48
Wasn't it? Something like that?
13:48
Jump, we couldn't actually use the original one for some
13:50
reason, and then you created like, Yeah, so I made it and
13:54
Photoshop and illustrator and so wasn't.
13:56
Yeah, likeness and all that stuff but it's behind trees
14:00
basically what it was when you went to rehab to remove the
14:02
signage and I was like, okay, well if you have to remove it
14:06
you can replace it with anything, right?
14:08
Yeah. No, I don't guess.
14:09
So I was like, okay, here's a, here's a pack of 16, different
14:13
sign things we could use or not use and there throughout the
14:16
show. But anyway, great.
14:18
So now you've raised a lot of questions about, you know, Doc
14:22
Hoppers still being in business, after all these years.
14:25
Yeah, well, yeah, it could be. We actually said, could it be
14:29
like the grandson or the great grandson, right?
14:31
It's a, it's a, it's a lineage telling its they're still
14:35
around. Right?
14:36
Season two will fight will meet that grandson.
14:38
Not must give you ideas, but I'm giving you ideas, animal has
14:43
made Nora a mixed tape, the tape, of course, is completely
14:46
unspooled, and of course, and also, no one has a cassette
14:50
player anymore, although I see They're probably one of the van.
14:53
Oh, yeah, yes, they I think Floyd puts a tape in there when
14:57
they're banging their heads. Oh, is that the tape?
15:02
Yeah, yeah, that's fair. So animal also offers Nora
15:07
mayonnaise, a ladle, a pitchfork a peacock, a flipper, a bib, the
15:11
baseball diamonds. That's a great Easter egg and
15:16
surgery and he's dressed as a surgeon.
15:18
Yes. Squabbles, in both hands, the
15:19
most terrifying thing that is in this entire season, I'd like to
15:23
surgery. I think I did say surgery.
15:25
What does that mean? Jeff.
15:27
I think some reason I was baseball magic surgery.
15:29
Yeah you were definitely baseball bat.
15:31
We know you are baseball. Diamond job.
15:34
That's great. I love that a lot of fun.
15:38
Okay, so we catch up with the band at the shack.
15:42
We've left on a huge Cliff Hanger, a literal Cliffhanger in
15:45
the previous episode and we've gotten through it off screen.
15:50
That feels like a bit of a cheat, but I think I just need
15:53
to get the story to move on, right?
15:55
Yeah. But it's a nice way to include
15:57
mooc and and and sort of give a natural ish way for him to be
16:02
there in the opening that said to them and the true you and
16:06
explains a lot. Yeah.
16:47
B&O the shoot wasn't to say oh that hold that beat where he
16:54
says, removing says about his pulley system, and he just we
16:59
just hold on them, the pause. Yeah, you like a so awkward?
17:07
This is, I did I noted this as well because I wanted to praise
17:10
you for this Tosh because your silences are hysterical on the
17:15
show those All moments where you're just like holding it and
17:17
like keeping that straight eye contact.
17:19
You know, you get what I'm saying, right here, you know.
17:22
Okay. I'll just let it go.
17:23
Yeah, I think it's so it's endearing because mookie, really
17:28
just wants to be heard and seen how he wants to be seen.
17:32
So, he's always just like, right.
17:34
You heard me right? Like okay, no, all right.
17:36
Okay. So yeah, I'd like a definitely
17:39
wanted to play those silent moments up.
17:44
I crave those moments to see And do those when he That Awkward
17:49
guy who's trying to, you know, fit in it's my favorite thing to
17:54
watch him do those. They're so good.
17:57
So sad that it's like, it were so entertaining.
18:00
It's so sad. It's the really is even at the
18:03
people, we're not there yet. But at the party, even like she
18:06
disappeared. We wanted to hold on that even
18:12
longer. It's so good the best.
18:15
So Word. And we've all we have all been
18:17
there right? All of us have been there.
18:19
Oh 100%. Yeah, I thought very seen.
18:22
Yeah. And and sorry, I'm going to just
18:24
jump to another scene in another episode.
18:26
But when well, what he thinks that Sarah is talking about a.j.
18:36
and Nora down in the basement and he's like, yeah, we were
18:40
just talking about that you got. Oh, that's not what you meant.
18:44
Oh, that's good. I mean,
19:13
How how how dare you guys put me on screen like that without my
19:16
permission? That's it's all that is just so
19:19
like, man, that's exactly what I would do in this situation, so
19:22
good. So anyway.
19:26
So Zoot is taking a nap on the couch.
19:28
He has one shoe off. The shoe starts to levitate.
19:32
No explanation. Little foreshadowing for
19:35
something. We'll see much later on, dr.
19:39
Teeth and Floyd are playing pong.
19:41
My sissy pong again and Genesis doing acupuncture on lips
19:47
sticking needles into that puppet.
19:50
And as you said, animal is hanging from the ceiling.
19:53
It kind of jumps in from nowhere above the frame.
19:57
Can you guys explain how you manage that shot like where
19:59
exactly is Eric Jacobson? Yeah, he's there's two ladders
20:04
on either side of the frame. And there's a board that goes
20:08
across the top and they secured him safely with something above
20:13
to one of the beams, but he's laying on that plank.
20:16
And he drops his arm down into frame and then pulls it back up.
20:20
So basically, he's just laying on his stomach and reaching over
20:23
to get him into the shot upside down.
20:25
Yeah, it seems simple. I just it's one of my favorite
20:28
things about our this show is because a simple shot.
20:32
Well, not simple, but a shot as quick as that so much goes into
20:38
it. And it's like, you know, it's so
20:42
seamlessly done. You wouldn't even realize so
20:44
much work went into it, but it's just a test of its to the crew
20:49
and that was super cool for me. And like I said, literally my
20:52
first day on set and I'm just like, wow, like Eric's right
20:54
there. Yeah.
20:55
Now this is crazy. Yeah, you know what?
20:58
Maybe I'm wrong about the ladders that may be old school.
21:00
What we used to do. I'm trying to remember, maybe
21:02
there was something that was actually a little bit more
21:05
sturdy. I'm like a fool like bit like he
21:09
was on the bed was like. Well yeah but I'm just wondering
21:12
I think it was supported on each side from the bottom.
21:14
I don't think we hung it from the top turn, right?
21:18
So there was something anyway, I our key grip Botti as work with
21:22
the Muppets, for so many years, he comes up with these amazing.
21:25
Using Rigs and things that are safe and strong and make sense
21:28
and quick. Like his team is so amazing.
21:33
But yeah, it's that idea. Anyway, whether it was ladders
21:36
or some sort of structure that held it up, it was still
21:39
something like that. Sure, Nora is talking a big talk
21:44
about what she's doing for the Banshees feeling calls from
21:47
sponsors and producers, and every time she spouts out one of
21:50
these lies Janice sneezes and she stabs lips with the of
21:55
needle. And he does a little, a little
21:56
jump, has his little noodle arms, flail a little bit and
22:01
Moog is the only one who recognizes that Nora is lying
22:04
and you do such a good job of finding that balance between
22:08
like silberling being really excited.
22:10
Like you want to produce this album and like we like I want to
22:13
make sure that happens but also like I got to call you out on
22:16
your BS. Yes and it was it's for me.
22:20
That was some of the coolest stuff to play with Moog is that
22:24
You know, he knows about Janice's, he knows that she does
22:27
that when she does, you know what I mean?
22:29
So you could see in the scene, he's like, hold up.
22:33
Something's not right, she needs thing your, I know all these
22:36
producers you're talking about, they're not around.
22:38
So how are you? And yeah, it's that balance of
22:41
like hey one this girl's pretty right?
22:45
She's pretty, and she's here helping my favorite band but
22:49
she's maybe not here for the right reason.
22:51
So I need to like figure this out because I don't Even though
22:54
you're pretty, I don't want you around if you're not here for
22:57
the right reasons, right? Oh, so, that's what that scene
23:00
is all about him. Trying to find his way into how
23:03
he can help. And yeah, I know what you're
23:05
doing but I want to help you. And and and yeah finding those
23:10
little beats of like because Moog knows, he understands what
23:14
lips is talking about when he's mom, he just knows.
23:16
So she can't, you can't, you can't fool move not full moon.
23:21
That is true. Joe, can I ask you a quick
23:23
question? About, was it really helpful to
23:28
have a sense of where? Because we got to write the
23:31
script ahead of time, right? That's not always the case.
23:34
Was that helpful to have those scripts to know where your kind
23:38
of headed. So for example like because we
23:40
shot out of out of order so much, right, so that you knew
23:44
that in your mind that Janice was allergic.
23:47
And so you could make that adjustment, have that part of
23:49
your right, your perspective on all of it, was that I have all
23:53
those He's going to, you know, something, oh my gosh.
23:56
But I had never been a part of a show where we were able to
24:01
literally hash out all 10 episodes before even stepping
24:05
foot onto the set. And even though they went
24:08
through changes, just like every TV show, does it goes through
24:11
changes. As you're going, it was still
24:13
that main gist and that helped tremendously because especially
24:17
for mooc, he has such an arc of being sort of, you know, a Perf
24:24
and and sort of fighting to be heard and wanting this girl to
24:27
see him as this leading man type thing.
24:31
Um, there's there was a journey to get to there and I remember
24:36
when we were shooting the last three episodes I was constantly
24:40
reminding myself and even when we were doing a TR, his tone
24:46
switches could, he's more comfortable speaking to her.
24:50
I remember Bill, we were doing a TR and the very last episode
24:53
when they're on the Bus and I was, I had done the line, but it
24:57
was kind of, like, mooc earlier early had to shift it because
25:02
it's like, no, he's comfortable now.
25:04
So, yeah, that helped tremendously and shooting out of
25:07
order is very, very, very hard. But again, when you have the
25:11
whole, the whole thing laid out and you know where the journey
25:15
is gone, it's easier to fit. Yes.
25:17
Oh yeah. Bill, that helped a lot.
25:19
Yeah, interesting. It's like a big long movie,
25:22
right? Yes.
25:23
Yeah. So we see the Mayhem on the roof
25:27
of the shack. This is a new set.
25:29
We would not have been here before and Zoot has a list of
25:33
their song ideas. It's toothpaste, jordan almonds,
25:35
imitation crab meat. But that's the shopping list and
25:39
then he flips it around a little.
25:41
Let me some neat little puppetry trick.
25:43
I don't know if it's just a Rob that's turning, but it looks
25:46
very natural that he turns that wrist, that I'm sure most people
25:50
don't notice those things. And on the other side of list is
25:53
pizza, Bagels 9-volt, batteries, meatless meatballs All's and
25:55
Fritos, which all sound like, great Mayhem songs have listened
25:58
to any of those Jeff. Can you, can you please write
26:02
those done great, that exterior shot before it goes up to the
26:08
roof that shot that pushes in and goes up to the roof.
26:12
That didn't that wasn't an actual shot that we did.
26:15
The shot began at the roofs Edge, just below it and panned
26:20
up and then found them, but we felt like we need an
26:24
establishing thing in Jeffers. Like how come we, you know, is
26:27
there a shot? We can use or something, we
26:29
could push it. I don't know how much time.
26:31
Did you think you spent Jeff kind of doing notes or trying to
26:33
get that move? Because it was all digitally
26:36
done. Yeah, I mean it was a number of
26:39
times what we wanted. Yeah, we knew we were also going
26:41
to see that roof again. And originally we were going to
26:44
see that the end of the episode. But yeah, we had to we want to
26:48
establish it up on the roof. So we have to start a little
26:50
lower and how much time you want to spend on the ground?
26:53
You know, it's also one of the first times we're seeing the I
26:56
think right from the exact clothes.
26:58
Yeah, I'm close. Yeah, and it was great, that
27:01
move they created and FX was really awkward got grabbed.
27:05
Yeah, at the grocery store animal comes in with a cart full
27:08
of Fritos because it was on the list.
27:11
And it's a nice little bit of product placement.
27:13
I presume no. Was that just the general?
27:16
That would be those just brought it.
27:18
Yeah, I don't remember if it was a thing with Fritos or not, it
27:20
is. Well, I think the good people
27:21
free to Leo you a little bit of money.
27:23
Yeah, this is Michael. Did you film in a real grocery
27:37
store for that? Or is that a digital smaller
27:41
smaller Market kind of place grocery?
27:46
I want to point out. One other thing in the episode
27:47
there's sort of a running gag of beeping in the episode and it
27:52
goes from its pong. So Then the ring up groceries.
27:59
And then later we find John is in the hospital.
28:03
Oh, did not do not pick up on that and it's if you listen
28:07
carefully, it's a morse code now.
28:08
But I'll let listeners figure out what exactly the people
28:13
here. It's just a letter e over and
28:16
over and over again. All right.
28:17
Oh yeah. That's it.
28:18
We we should have had xud at the end go.
28:21
So that would have been. Oh, it's so obvious.
28:23
That's what they were doing. They were beeping all over it.
28:29
Tom records, Nora's frantically calling producers and getting
28:32
nowhere. And she has this list of
28:34
producers that she's kind of knock them out, one by one
28:37
including Pharrell dr. Dre Missy Elliott Mark Ronson
28:39
more. I noticed one of those names is
28:42
Linda Perry from 4 Non Blondes and she's also the executive
28:46
mood music producer for Muppets Mayhem and she wrote a few songs
28:50
and performing on a few songs as well.
28:52
My soul Easter egg. They're totally, does she know
28:55
about that before you did it, or was that supposed to be a little
28:57
surprise for her? It was a surprising, which
29:00
Alters knows, maybe she still doesn't.
29:02
I don't know if she's watched. She has, she's delighted.
29:08
I hope so penny comes out of her office.
29:11
She just finished a meeting with JJ.
29:12
And this is the first time we're seeing JJ played by Anders Holm
29:16
and he's I'm the tech money side of the business.
29:19
He's got a new streaming music app and he wants to buy wax.
29:24
Tom Records, who is also a happy birthday.
29:32
Happy birthday to run the company after he buys
29:46
it and kind of Whispers I love you under his breath.
29:49
There's a lot going on with this guy of what he wants.
29:52
Is he good? Is he bad?
29:54
How does he feel about her? Is it good, intentions or weird?
29:58
Be toxic. And there's, there's a lot to
30:01
come from JJ. I'm weird to unpacking that did
30:05
you get along with him? Well, tosh.
30:07
No, cause you didn't like him. I had a rivalry under.
30:12
I literally was just, I literally was just with him the
30:15
other day. Like, I love that dude.
30:17
He's so, and I was a fan before, I was a huge Workaholics fan.
30:21
So to be able to, to be able to act alongside him and sort of be
30:26
like an art. An arch-nemesis type situation
30:30
was really fun for me. But again it's the journey
30:33
right? Because mu got his core is a
30:35
Super Fan, he knows all things music.
30:37
So he sees this guy and he's like wait, this guy is cool
30:40
until he's not in him or her, right?
30:43
But yeah, no I love onder's, he's amazing.
30:45
Yeah, yeah, that's great. So great.
30:47
So funny, just so dry his sense of humor is amazing.
30:51
Incredible that I love you under his breath had me both it's so
30:56
good. It seems like an ad-lib, it
30:59
seems like he just did it in the most but that that's was
31:02
actually great. He is.
31:03
Yeah. And then he does.
31:05
Nope, nope. Nope.
31:10
That was one of my, I think, I think honors did so well with
31:13
that because you kind of see in in his awkward moments
31:18
similarities between him and mooc, how they are, both awkward
31:21
at their core. Yeah that was kind of fun for me
31:25
too because you know I wasn't there in the scenes.
31:27
I I'm not in with him obviously, so to be able to see him play
31:31
his part. He's just trying to be seen and
31:34
heard just like Moog is I thought that was pretty cool.
31:38
Yeah, nor is definitely has a type.
31:40
Nor I had definitely is yeah because we get a little bit of
31:45
back story here that he used to be the the sweaty office Bagel
31:48
Boy. And you know, later on in
31:51
another episode we'll see you know, Nora and JJ together when
31:56
he was that Bagel Boy. Ands Moog is also not that he's
32:00
sweaty and now that he's a bagel boy but he's acting kind of
32:03
awkward and and you know, needs to kind of grow up a little bit
32:08
in the same industry. They're all in the same music
32:09
industry. So like this seems like the kind
32:12
of guy that Nora would want to be with and they can kind of
32:14
grow together in season two, right?
32:20
Maybe, I don't know, not putting ideas in your head but we'll see
32:23
ya. So the Mayhem is throwing
32:27
another party. T.
32:29
And this one is as Jenna says there was a sale on Orchids, so
32:33
she we've some flower necklaces. Next thing, she knew it's an
32:37
all-inclusive Icelandic. Oceanic pan-atlantic coconut
32:40
bra, Malibu beach party. Respectfully representing every
32:43
Continental in Coral archipelago.
32:46
That's a hard word to say in the world and doctored by Adam
32:50
Goldberg. Oh yeah, but he wrote that he
32:57
said is Only works because dr. Teeth goes it's pool party like
33:02
very so matter-of-factly hysterical.
33:07
Okay, so basically we were told, you know, a little.
33:09
Wow. You have to be culturally
33:11
sensitive, they're all these different people can get upset
33:15
if you're and then, if you're going to mischaracterize it in
33:18
some way, shape or form, and it's Adam who was just, like,
33:21
what are you talking about? It's really, I'm gonna upset.
33:26
So let's, um, let's upset. No. 01 by address, making it for
33:30
everybody. Yeah, just sent this out.
33:33
And, and the notes back were, okay.
33:37
Yeah, it's funny. It's great funny.
33:40
Yeah. I love, I love when someone can
33:41
take, what seems like a limitation and turned into an
33:44
opportunity. And this is a great example of
33:46
that. Yeah, because it's a really
33:48
solid joke. We also see animal
33:51
fire-breathing. Yes, wow, as he's wanted to do
33:57
as animal, The not surprised that animal would file a brief.
33:59
What I want to know is how did animal fire-breathing?
34:02
He does, he just, does you have to ask is does not fair?
34:06
Yeah. All right, something.
34:07
I think it's something he learned for the show, so I'm not
34:10
sure. Exactly.
34:11
Okay. But it did come naturally,
34:13
that's the weird thing. Yeah, with that wasn't a big
34:15
deal for him. He probably had to graduate from
34:17
fire eating which feels like a real thing.
34:20
Yeah. Environment get much out of him
34:22
even if you ask, you don't really get on North starts lying
34:26
to everybody again. She's She says everyone's doing
34:28
great, all the producers are calling the book, the Hollywood
34:31
Bowl, what exciting thing, Genesis sneezing and sneezing
34:34
and sneezing. She passes out the solid joke
34:37
here that I love is Zoot. Saying she looks yellow.
34:41
Yeah, he improvised that we actually went.
34:45
We actually shot that. We knew actually didn't we go
34:48
back to shoot? It's a reissue.
34:50
Yeah. Yeah.
34:51
You're talking about the looking up shot looking down at her.
34:54
Yeah, looking up at them. We actually shot it outside of
34:57
the Stage is where we shot all of the desert.
35:03
The virtual wall stages, really? Yeah, we went outside to the
35:07
parking lot, but beneath the tree and we just gathered around
35:12
this camera, that was pointing up.
35:15
And we just did several versions of them leaning in but then
35:18
Dave, through the thing in about you.
35:20
Yeah. Well, we did both ways.
35:25
Yeah. We thought you could because we
35:27
had to have them in the The right places, right?
35:29
So we did the version where it was them from coming up from the
35:32
bottom and then coming in from the top to see which would work
35:36
better, you know. Wow.
35:38
Yeah. It was outside learned.
35:40
I'm like, this is great. I'm learning so much anything.
35:43
Yeah, tossed it. Any of your scripts to have
35:46
moocs saying they had fun fact. Or yes.
35:50
Yeah, that was a he's I ended up not saying that ever, right?
35:56
Yeah, that was another. One of the things that I was
35:59
like, that was like, moves like thing for a while your
36:03
catchphrase. You would say that.
36:05
Yeah. And you still do give things.
36:07
I mean, certainly in seven, you're there with all the facts
36:10
but it was a it was deemed unattractive.
36:13
This is to get, I just don't know.
36:14
I don't announce every fact, any right?
36:16
Yeah, we had this information is just but to announce it.
36:19
I am fun fact was too much, well, it turns out that Janice
36:25
is allergic to all forms of fraudulent.
36:27
Falsities in general, more, General Malarkey, oh wow, that's
36:30
another thing hard thing to say, General Malarkey, she's saying
36:34
lies lies, but Zoo thinks that she's saying lice, they all
36:38
start itching and they assume someone must be lying to them
36:46
Nora's not coming clean. So Moog does.
36:49
And you admit that you had not been to every Mayhem show, you
36:53
have pinkeye in 2014. He missed the show in New
36:56
Jersey. The band is aghast and I love
37:00
this because like you're like I'm going to do the right thing,
37:02
you jump in and there's almost that moment where you're like,
37:04
was that the right thing and you kind of look toward Nora, you
37:06
like I saved you. Now, you save me.
37:09
She's not biting. She's actually going down.
37:12
Was just try. He was.
37:14
Yeah, he was trying to make. He was trying to give her a
37:16
little nudge like, hey, I'm admitting something.
37:19
Thing I've done. Why don't it's your turn?
37:21
Now, this is really your fault. So but yeah, now she wasn't
37:25
she'd unless she didn't want to do it to another great example,
37:31
another great example of mook who like you just you're able to
37:34
say so much with. Like just widening your eyes a
37:36
little bit and making direct eye contact with somebody.
37:40
It's perfect. Thank you.
37:42
And then, I don't know where animals shows up with another
37:44
gift for Nora. It's a goat.
37:47
It's Darren. The goat Darren.
37:50
Yeah, what a choice to have a real life goat on set.
37:55
For this was, we were any issues with having a goat around the
37:58
Muppets, you know, then try to eat and try to eat them up at
38:02
something like that. No, actually Darren was right.
38:04
Actually, I'll give it a damn was a female Karen.
38:13
I can't remember, but she was so.
38:16
So sweet. I remember social work because
38:19
later in the episode, obviously, I'm walking Darren, but I
38:24
remember like going to work that day and I was like kind of
38:27
nervous because I had never worked with a goat before and
38:30
I'll go it's like driving home from work that day.
38:36
I was missing the goat. I was like oh yeah.
38:41
So you adopted the goat of course.
38:43
That's the end of story. Yeah.
38:44
Now you want to go here right now?
38:48
She was super sweet and she she actually didn't want to leave.
38:52
It took Lily a bit to get her to go off.
38:56
Yeah. She had to kind of keep where it
38:58
took us a little while just to get Darren to leave, but she
39:02
wasn't trouble with puppets or anything like that or going
39:05
potty. Sure.
39:08
Yeah, that didn't happen. We were did not happen.
39:11
No. Wow, I never saw it.
39:13
That's a professional goat. Yes, her Handler.
39:16
Her handler was spot on. Yeah.
39:21
Nice. So, Hannah has some advice for
39:24
Nora? She says a lie is just an
39:26
untruth waiting to be made real, so she's just gotta, you know,
39:30
make those lies real. So one of the lies that she told
39:34
was that Zed is going to produce a new album.
39:36
So she goes looking for him in Runyon.
39:38
Canyon, is this actually Runyon Canyon?
39:40
I don't know anything about something.
39:42
Healthy adjective 1, not where we shot it, but it's yeah.
39:45
Look, similar. Fair enough.
39:47
By the way, I do. Here's the Mayhem.
39:49
Fun fact. We Stopped production.
39:51
We were we were writing but we saw on the monitor the toilet
39:57
seat and it did not look enough like a an airplane window.
40:03
So we halted production, Adam did one of his rare storming
40:08
down to the set and said, no we can't do this and they had to
40:11
hurry out and find a different toilet seat.
40:14
That looked more like a airplane window.
40:17
It's gotta be perfect. Yeah, did you end up?
40:20
Taking it from like the restroom on set, they got one really
40:24
quick. I didn't want to.
40:26
That's how you get a quick though.
40:27
His trailer probably had a few of them and that's the one they
40:31
chose and they that's a whole other conversation when I say he
40:35
stormed out God so polite and kind and does it in just a, you
40:40
know, in urging kind of way. But yeah, there's just something
40:44
I HG indeed. So we need said the producer, he
40:51
seems very game for the show, but he's obviously not a
40:54
professional actor. Did you have any like, we trying
40:58
to push them a little bit? Just to kind of fit the show a
41:00
little bit more. We just let him do something.
41:03
Well, he, he just wanted to do whatever.
41:06
You know, he wanted any help, he could get any advice, any is
41:12
really a sweet guy and very natural.
41:15
I thought he was Just himself, you know, a certain kind of glad
41:19
that he didn't try and act. You know, he was pretty
41:22
straightforward with everything and didn't play it up to try and
41:25
be something that wasn't himself was so I appreciated that
41:30
amazing is he was because it's a couple of episodes.
41:34
He was there for quite a few days.
41:36
Yeah. And just from what I saw, just
41:39
totally generous but this time and oh my gosh, a nice.
41:44
Ya know it's crazy. Crazy cuz I can call him by his
41:48
name. Now is named zanta not because I
41:50
had no him right now, you know. That's right.
41:53
It was just you know like like Jeff said he was probably out of
41:58
all the guest stars. Was there the longest?
42:02
So we got to hang out with him a lot.
42:04
And yeah, he was just a crow. He's just an.
42:07
I stood like he's just and just game just game to play like just
42:11
ready to like Bill was saying he was.
42:13
Yeah, he was great. Yeah, try anything.
42:16
He was just great. Yeah, yeah, fantastic.
42:18
Yeah. That's what you want.
42:19
Out of a celebrity guests. Are can I just say wall taj's
42:22
here? Another favorite moment that I
42:24
have? Yeah, really close is when taj's
42:28
in the booth. It's in a different episode and,
42:33
and Zedd, turns back to him and to Moog and he says, Hey record,
42:38
and the pause and the realization of what just happens
42:42
to Mu. Gamma mu goes, Yes.
42:47
Nice like stammer, right? Yeah.
42:49
He's just like, yeah, I can, I can do that.
42:52
He's so notice again. How dare you put me on screen
43:01
like this? Like, that was so good.
43:05
Exactly true to form so sweet. Yeah, so Nora is desperately,
43:10
trying to get said to to participate, but animal shows up
43:13
its Turns out that said an animal, go way back and you
43:17
know, they say hello but then said runs off.
43:20
One way, Darren the goat runs the other way and penny.
43:23
At the same time is getting texts from.
43:25
I'm sorry pain nor is getting texts from penny at the same
43:28
time, waiting for her to pick her up at the hospital.
43:31
It's a lot at once, right? Because earlier.
43:34
All right earlier, she has that moment with penny where Penny
43:37
says, you know, she's getting your toes done or whatever, and
43:39
she's going to face them. No, no.
43:41
But I mean, in that scene, she's having a go in the sea.
43:43
Seems he's getting a pedicure and after JJ, right?
43:46
And she says, I'm gonna go have this thing tomorrow.
43:49
Sure, procedure course. Yeah, right.
43:53
So Nora runs the hospital and it turns out Janice has been
43:56
admitted to the same hospital. She like mooc is waiting there
43:58
for her at the reception and we got a great audio Easter egg
44:04
here. We hear someone saying paging
44:06
dr. Oz, no, it's Jeff.
44:09
Yeah. Threw that one in there.
44:10
Must have been Jeff. Yep.
44:12
Yeah, as well. No, that's that's Frank Oz's.
44:17
Last name is original last name and he's a doctor now.
44:20
Congratulations! Frank.
44:23
That's med school! He did it!
44:25
You did it! You did it.
44:29
The the band is gonna have some of us are just to mention one,
44:32
little mention something like Muppets and Listening and people
44:39
try, you know, going to do trying things and learn things
44:41
about puppetry. There's a shot that I think is
44:44
really simple that you really don't think about.
44:47
And I think the way it's designed you don't even notice.
44:51
And it's just a real simple little trick, which is when it
44:54
cuts to the hospital and Nora and animal approach right there
45:00
running towards the desk You have to think about, well, how
45:04
do we hide Eric in this situation and not make him too
45:07
low, right? So they looks too small and and
45:10
there's just I just put a stack of Hospital folders, but there's
45:16
also an opening between the hospital folders and whatever
45:20
the receptionist is using, it's like a computer or something.
45:24
It's just a little Gap and that's where Eric found the hole
45:27
for Animals body, but you don't put together that there's
45:31
somebody down there right now. Because the folders are kind of
45:34
hiding it. But it feels like you're seeing
45:36
through and I just thought it just worked really well.
45:39
You just don't think about it feels very natural.
45:42
It's one of those things that just feels like oh well he's
45:44
just coming in. Yeah I love that.
45:46
Yeah that was a cool. That was a cool day for me to be
45:51
on set because that was You know, we shot on location
45:55
sometimes, but a lot of the times we were on the studio
45:57
where, you know, we're able to build the sets up high but this
46:01
was an actual location where you can't build the sets up high.
46:04
So for me I was able to like see how the Muppets work in a
46:09
real-life environment and likeness blew my mind.
46:12
You know, seeing David like in the hospital bed like literally
46:16
under under the bed like her I'm like are you good bro?
46:22
Like this is Chris So, but yeah, that day was so cool for me to
46:26
see, because I remember Eric was on my little Rowley, on the role
46:30
either should have mentioned that.
46:31
That's what he was on because we're in a real place, and this
46:34
was the first on location day, was it really?
46:38
It was all day in the hospital and then and then the second
46:42
scene, which is next, which am is in the hospital room and then
46:46
it was, It's Only Rock and Roll but I like it.
46:50
We shot in the Park. Oh, that's right, that night.
46:53
First it was a Friday night. The fried.
46:55
Oh yeah, that was a long night. I remember someone pick up.
47:02
So in the hospital the band seems to be passive aggressively
47:06
kind of blaming Moog for putting Janice and in the hospital and
47:10
Nora. Finally comes clean admit she's
47:12
been lying the whole time in the second.
47:13
She does that Janice bolts up and she feels amazing.
47:18
I wish I wish. I could feel that that without I
47:21
know. You all look amazing.
47:25
It's so good, so good. Like you said being stuck under
47:33
there he's so good. Stuck through this bed that has
47:37
no space live. Oh my God how did Adam a bed
47:41
mats on directed the scene with move?
47:43
Just being so small in the background, right?
47:47
Yeah, I think we're on the outs and its northern has to come
47:49
forward and fess up smarter. No Nora kind of runs off, but as
47:57
she's going off, we here Floyd. This sounds all, like it was not
48:01
scripted before he tells Janice that lips.
48:03
Thought that she had died and your dad.
48:07
This is the first of a running gag for lips that he thinks that
48:09
people have died which is hysterical.
48:12
And and if this was an ad lib then that's great.
48:15
It was yeah. We and I mean we heard this
48:24
we're like well that's day. It's the it's hilarious, you
48:27
know? That was hysterical.
48:28
Yeah. Nora finds Penny and Her head is
48:31
all wrapped up in gauze, including her glasses, it's a
48:35
great Visual and she's in a wheelchair.
48:39
So can you explain to me where Leslie is in that scene?
48:43
He's on underneath, we opened up, we opened up the whole
48:47
bottom of it, you know, got everything out of the way and
48:49
created a little seat in there for her down below.
48:53
Um, so she's just she's under it, you know, not the easiest
48:57
place to be. She has to have a monitor in her
48:58
lap and all that. But, you know, I mean it's, it
49:03
could be worse, but she will try to.
49:06
She had a seat and we try to make her as comfortable as
49:08
possible. But yes, she's right under right
49:10
under Penny. It's just one of those weird
49:12
things like you were talking about with the hospital bed,
49:14
where, you know, number one, we're not supposed to think
49:16
about where the puppeteers are. So I often forget to think about
49:19
it. And number two, when you see the
49:21
shot, when you see her like wheel, In the wheelchair and you
49:24
think about there's a whole human being and they're like,
49:27
how how? Well that's how big the
49:30
prettiest. That's true.
49:32
Yeah, yeah. Penny that I remember the first
49:34
time I saw I was like oh and then Leslie explaining how she
49:38
has to get it on like if there's like a it's almost like a
49:41
backpack and then it's A rod that goes up and supports her
49:49
and because she's doing her left hand as well.
49:51
She does her love live left hand, and she's doing her body
49:54
and her head. And yeah, it was tricky in the
49:57
wheelchair for sure, but she managed to pull it off, it looks
50:00
great. Back of the shack, the band is
50:03
still kind of shook over this. Revelation that show business is
50:06
steeped in lies, but Zoot assures, them will always have
50:10
used car salesman in politicians and I yeah I want to get into
50:13
the scene this scene. Every once in a while, when
50:16
you're in production, you have to make compromises due to time
50:19
and or budget and this and those hurt.
50:23
And this was the only one of the few compromises that I think
50:27
made the show better. It was a time.
50:29
Constraint, right Bill. We didn't have access.
50:32
This seems supposed to take place on the Roof.
50:34
Oh, yeah, right. And we were, I don't remember
50:38
what the complication was. We didn't have the roof.
50:40
We're going to take down the roof set, which we later.
50:43
See, ya. We are.
50:45
Like we had happy. What?
50:46
I think we have the roof yet because I think we shot this
50:50
before, we did the roof, I may be and they're like really
50:54
truly. Do you guys need this?
50:55
Can you think of this scene that again was supposed to take place
50:57
on the roof? And you think of another way to
51:00
do this and we're like well what's feasibility?
51:03
Obviously anything in the shack is easy and so that's when we
51:07
and you know she's never gonna sing true colors on the roof
51:11
which is nice. But then we came up with wait a
51:13
second. What if during this whole In
51:15
their setting up lava lamps, can seriously get the most lava
51:18
lamps, you could possibly get and let's set that up.
51:21
So that when she does sing through colors that also all
51:26
those lava lamps light up and Visually it'll be gorgeous.
51:30
And you know they'll literally I've seen.
51:33
I must admit that. That scene made me tear up.
51:37
I'm not even hungry too. Oh my God.
51:39
Yes it was. I was like okay this is this
51:44
last I'm crying. Yeah.
51:46
I mean it's just it's just the comedy beats within the
52:00
heartfelt Miss like, oh, you're still singing.
52:02
Okay. You know what I mean it was just
52:03
like yeah, it was so well done. Like and I'm just like this show
52:08
is so special. It was another one of those late
52:14
nights too. Um, and I just remember going to
52:17
the set and Lily was just there, just doing.
52:21
I mean, it was all in the band and she was just there to feed
52:23
her lines. It's like 11:30, 12:30 just so
52:27
professional and so good. And not a complaint.
52:31
Really didn't have to be there but she was, you know.
52:33
Yeah. And I have something to say
52:35
about that. Actually that people shouldn't
52:37
because you guys as the Muppet performers, you don't really
52:41
need our eye line. Like you're not looking like,
52:44
you know what I mean. But if you're not in the shot,
52:46
if if you're doing coverage of us, looking at someone right.
52:50
Yes. But we as an actor, we want to
52:54
be there to like, because it's so like, again, we constantly
52:58
are forgetting that there that, you know, Bill is under there or
53:02
that David is uh you know what I mean?
53:03
Like we're like no, I want to. I put a beat in this scene fully
53:07
with this with this, with this Muppet and it's just that was an
53:11
example of. I'm sure with Lily how she just
53:14
loved being Being there while you guys were doing your
53:17
coverage because it's just so cool to watch.
53:20
Yeah, I mean and that's, you know, not everybody does, you
53:24
know, there's certainly a lot of instances where people don't
53:27
feel that they need to be there. And it's really helpful for us
53:31
because you never know what can happen to, you know, on your
53:34
coverage. Somebody could do something that
53:37
Sparks something new that you didn't do, right?
53:39
So exact applies to people, as well as Muppets, it's also very
53:42
technical. So like, you know, In this
53:45
scene, for example you know, xud had to turn and take that
53:47
picture. And the way we did, the Polaroid
53:49
was with like this remote app, right?
53:51
That just caused it to go off and sometimes I would not go off
53:55
or sometimes the flash wouldn't show up on the 24 frames per
53:59
second recorded. So you have to make sure that
54:01
you get that flash at that moment.
54:03
And again just patience of everyone, you know, on the crew
54:08
working cast, Lily everyone. Yeah.
54:11
Yes. Trying to get the best thing.
54:13
I have a collection of old Zoosk Polaroids.
54:15
It's someone just all the real ones that fell out of that
54:18
camera. That's fun.
54:20
Tell me about the roof. I don't think we did shoot the
54:23
roof yet because it was a one-off still until we did that.
54:28
They were going to play on the roof at the end of 77.
54:34
I think then we built the roof because we thought well we have
54:37
two scenes now that we can shoot on that swing set.
54:41
You know what I mean? It wasn't like this time thing
54:43
where they still build thing. Yeah, I don't think we have the
54:46
roof yet. Okay.
54:47
And so so it was about well how can we because it's not ready
54:51
and we need to shoot out this episode.
54:53
Is there some can you help us? Can we find a way to do this
54:57
scene now? And truly I honestly makes the
55:00
episode better. I mean yeah through colors and
55:02
seeing all those colors, those lava lamps and the lens flares.
55:07
It's a beautiful scene and it's what I love about it is like
55:11
it's a sweet song with the lava. Lamps that feels like such a
55:16
easy. I don't know how easy it was for
55:17
you, but like in Easy practical, like, we're just doing a little
55:21
music video here, without lots of cuts special effects, weird
55:25
puppetry tricks, whatever. And like, because we don't need
55:28
that with a great Mayhem song. And I do want to talk a little
55:32
bit about about the song and about Cyndi Lauper, who
55:35
originally recorded True Colors? Who she doesn't have much of a
55:39
muppet connection. She appeared on the Sesame
55:41
Street, direct-to-video once we found some photos.
55:44
Her with Rizal the rapper. We have no idea what they're
55:46
from my magazine. She wasn't a muppet magazine,
55:50
but Heather Henson is a mother magazine dressed as Cyndi
55:53
Lauper. So it's not see Laura herself.
55:57
Well, that that's the connection.
55:58
Clearly, that's the big connection and True Colors the
56:02
song is featured on the 2015. Muppets sitcom, it's revealed
56:07
that Fozzie Bear cries. Every time he hears the song and
56:11
Riki lindhome sings, it's at one point and it also appears in a
56:15
Sesame Street Live show called Elmo's coloring book.
56:19
I'm kind of curious to hear that.
56:21
That's the reference we were going for that's where you're
56:24
going for your like One's Gonna Get, this is from Elmo's
56:26
colouring book Street Live, right?
56:32
Yeah, right. It's pronounced live, right?
56:34
Yeah. So North takes the band on a
56:37
hike. We're back in the in the park
56:40
Moog is walking Darren. You get your Darren moment here
56:45
and Hannah points out that Nora might start might be falling for
56:49
the awkward guy. And she says he's not my type
56:53
and then we here Janice sneeze. So, but little plan sincere.
56:58
Love it. I love it.
57:01
My favorite part of the whole show.
57:03
Oh my girl, you know, you like you walking with Darren the goat
57:12
on the hill. Yes not for the not for the
57:16
actual pool party. Yeah.
57:18
But but yeah it was really. Yeah.
57:21
That's why I was like I had anxiety that day.
57:23
I'm like how do you walk a vote? Like how do you book a billy
57:27
goat walks? You but yeah, but yeah, it was
57:32
great, a checklist. You what other animals have you
57:35
worked with? I've worked with the oh, I've
57:40
worked with the chimp. Oh, I've worked with a goat.
57:45
Obviously dogs babies aren't animals, but I've worked with
57:49
babies. They there's a joke on so people
57:52
say never work with babies or pets so I just pooped but I
57:56
enjoyed all of my experiences working with with babies for six
58:01
seasons of Baby. Daddy.
58:02
I was surrounded by baby. Oh my God but yeah.
58:05
Not not too many not too. Too many animals though animal.
58:09
Yeah you're do that. You know that is the and he's
58:13
he's the only one that matters. That's right.
58:16
Well maybe season 2 will have another real life animal for
58:19
you. To check off your list.
58:22
You go about asking, would you not want to work with out of
58:25
curiosity? I do not know.
58:37
Exactly. But we were just talking about
58:44
life in another episode later for an episode.
58:48
When they go to the desert, we had that running thing with you
58:51
and animal in the snake right that got cut.
58:56
It was so yes it's sad that. It was so fun to shoot like it's
59:01
totally great. Like you know what I mean?
59:03
Those are my my favorite moments and I realized you know, when
59:06
you're doing a you know, A half-hour show, not everything
59:09
will be able to be, you know, use.
59:12
But there were so many moments where we were doing things in
59:15
the bathroom. One with the popcorn.
59:18
Oh, yeah, because you're like, what do you got there, buddy?
59:38
Yeah. So back to this episode,
59:42
everyone gets to the top of the hike, we get this beautiful view
59:45
of Los Angeles and of course it looks a little smoggy because
59:50
that's how I Los Angeles. Looks all time lips is phone
59:54
rings and his ringtone is the doo-doo-doo-doo-doo part of
1:00:00
Mahna Mahna. And he answers the phone and he
1:00:02
says Mahna Mahna. There's a great little Easter
1:00:06
egg for the fans. I think most people probably got
1:00:08
that one. Oh yeah.
1:00:11
It's for Nora. It's karma.
1:00:13
Calling who could it be? I don't know.
1:00:16
It's a cliffhanger Disney. Plus is gonna love this.
1:00:20
And that's where we end our episode that shot of the city of
1:00:25
La La. Mmm.
1:00:27
It's the line. Jeff.
1:00:29
What's the line with that's that?
1:00:32
He couldn't. Sorry says yeah you couldn't.
1:00:35
You couldn't make this a green screen.
1:00:37
It's literally something about a green screen.
1:00:39
Yeah and it and that is a green screen shot.
1:00:43
Yes. That's her like it.
1:00:51
Come on, had I get out away from your green screen and live a
1:00:54
little. Yeah, only to do it but and
1:00:56
here's the thing, when we first saw it, you know our editors
1:00:59
just comped it, like you could just key it out like, you know,
1:01:02
in the Avid and do like a dirty comp and it was the worst thing.
1:01:06
Yeah look W. I'm like, oh God, how are we
1:01:09
going to do this? But again, give it to soapbox
1:01:12
and amazing look pretty much. Yeah, add a little bit of smog.
1:01:15
That's what, that's how you do it.
1:01:16
That's how you mask it. Oh, that's right.
1:01:19
When that but it's great. Yeah, I had a running thing with
1:01:22
ties that he was so patient and put up with me, but I knew I
1:01:30
could do it because of how good he is, right?
1:01:33
So I knew right away this guy, he's fine, he's giving us go,
1:01:38
like every take is great, there's always something new,
1:01:41
it's always really good. So, I made it my business to
1:01:47
see. I would kind of be next to the
1:01:49
camera kind of Watching and he would do this to take and then I
1:01:53
would go like what is going on? What it, what was that and I
1:02:01
walk away You need to really say what you because sometimes
1:02:07
wouldn't even be there. He would come from his chair and
1:02:12
come right next to the camera and be like, bro, what the hell?
1:02:22
Or even just more subtle. Just like, yeah, just shaking my
1:02:26
head. No like this is not working.
1:02:28
It was great. It was great.
1:02:29
I loved every second of it was fun.
1:02:33
You put out so glad because that would give Me anxiety out.
1:02:36
My ears. Love like, haha, what a good
1:02:38
joke. It is a joke, right?
1:02:40
It's a joke. Just but from from from day one,
1:02:45
that's just how the cast. And the crew were, you know,
1:02:48
like and you know you can't you gotta be on your toes around the
1:02:52
Muppets that, you know what I mean?
1:02:53
Like you have and, you know, II knew that going into it and so I
1:02:59
love that. I love it.
1:03:06
Oh my god. Oh, easy.
1:03:08
My my, it's the desert episode where I'm in the van, and I have
1:03:15
animal and lips on me for like that.
1:03:19
To me? What I look at that picture.
1:03:21
Now, in my phone. I'm just like, I posted it
1:03:23
actually. It's just, it's like all my
1:03:26
dreams like, to have like animal and lips just nuzzle e and fun.
1:03:33
Fact, I know this not this This Mayhem fun fact.
1:03:36
It's not This. Not That dude, right?
1:03:38
It wouldn't work. It wouldn't work.
1:03:43
I remember during that scene going.
1:03:47
Hey, do you want to help me like place my hand?
1:03:51
So I actually got to hold, like, control one of his hands in that
1:03:56
scene as well. So to me, it was just like, oh
1:03:58
my God, this. Wow.
1:04:00
So yeah, that was my definitely favorite scene to shoot.
1:04:03
It was just I loved it. Awesome.
1:04:05
Awesome. You met.
1:04:07
You almost mentioned earlier, Moves trailer.
1:04:11
Did you have any common memories or stories about that?
1:04:15
I'm just, you know, just just just, it's a testament to the
1:04:20
attention to detail of this show.
1:04:21
Like, no corners were cut and I think you could see when you
1:04:24
watch it. But yeah, moocs trailer.
1:04:26
Sort of went through a rehaul. I guess it.
1:04:31
Look different. What you see in the show, it
1:04:39
didn't always look like that. And so the interior.
1:04:43
Yes, the interior interior. Exterior isn't a hard?
1:04:47
Yes. So that was a yeah.
1:04:49
Just, you know, Adam Goldberg it he is a genius.
1:04:54
He knows what he wants. And that was just, I got to see
1:04:58
two versions of boobs trailer, which I didn't even ask for, and
1:05:02
it was really cool. Let's say I do and I do love the
1:05:07
exterior of that. There's a remember seeing it for
1:05:10
the first time and going like I need that sticker.
1:05:12
I need that sticker. I need that on a t-shirt, my
1:05:15
God. Like yeah, I spent I spent like
1:05:17
hours. I would always see a new sticker
1:05:20
that I hadn't seen before and it was just cool.
1:05:24
Like, wow, like that's, that's my trailer, you know?
1:05:27
Like, I'm like, yeah, Grazie. Um, but yeah, there's so many
1:05:31
bumper stickers on that thing that were just hilarious.
1:05:35
And actually there's have a picture of it in my phone but in
1:05:38
the original trailer there was an autographed photo from Janice
1:05:45
to mooc and I just I loved it so much.
1:05:49
I haven't I'll probably end up cropping it and like, printing
1:05:52
it out. Just so it seems like I have an
1:05:54
autographed picture of Hannah's in my own office but yeah, just
1:05:57
so many little so many little things that like, you know, you
1:06:01
wouldn't even, you wouldn't even know we're there, but It's just
1:06:05
the details that were so fun to see on set every day.
1:06:09
Oh absolutely. Do you have any other memories
1:06:13
that you want to share from anything in the series before we
1:06:15
start wrapping up? Anything you want to say great
1:06:18
about me? Yeah, yeah, how do you like that
1:06:20
bill guy? You know, Jeff.
1:06:23
Jeff is great. Jeff is so great Jeff, Jeff who
1:06:28
else? Yeah.
1:06:31
Jeff Jeff knows first people on this call Jeff yeah.
1:06:34
Cricket sounds about right? No I frickin love you Bill.
1:06:38
Come on Bill. No I think what overall It's
1:06:45
just, you know, this way to be able to see Bill and the rest of
1:06:51
the Muppet performers, what they do is mind boggling.
1:06:57
Like it blew my mind the and and again the attention to detail
1:07:04
the amount of things that they're doing at one time.
1:07:08
And I'm over here just trying to say my lines and they're
1:07:12
controlling someone. At the same time, they're even
1:07:16
singing at times like and it's just like that was another
1:07:18
thing. That always blew.
1:07:19
My mind, whenever onset, you guys were like, rehearsing a
1:07:23
song that you had just like you were in the studio the day
1:07:26
before something and I would hear glimpses of you guys like
1:07:29
singing it. I'm like these guys really can
1:07:32
sing like real life. Bill, your voice is like, really
1:07:35
good like voice. Hey, like not matte balm.
1:07:40
Like miss hearing you guys staying like not without even
1:07:42
trying on. So I was just like, man, they
1:07:44
really are like the Electric Mayhem.
1:07:48
Correct me if I'm wrong. Like, do you sort you kind of
1:07:50
knew Lily before you started? Yes, my little bit.
1:07:54
I knew Lily, just very she, she is friends with my sis one of my
1:07:59
sister's, right? So I had met, I had met Lily, my
1:08:02
sister's baby shower. A years ago.
1:08:04
So, what and now you got you guys could not be closer.
1:08:08
No, no, that is my Lily. Oh, here's another cool story
1:08:13
for you. You know, some some days we
1:08:16
weren't on set together and anytime I was off and she was on
1:08:19
set or vice versa. We literally would be texting
1:08:22
each other going like we're gonna do the where are you
1:08:30
finished up early? We're like, no, you're not going
1:08:32
anywhere. That's that is my you know that
1:08:36
that's my girl. She's and you know, it's hard
1:08:40
but it's hard to come by people like Lily.
1:08:42
You know, who have so much. She's done so much.
1:08:47
She's a huge deal. And she's she's humble.
1:08:51
And she's, you know, and she's on set telling me she's like,
1:08:55
I'm learning to let you telling me what I'm teaching her what
1:08:58
she's learning for me or, you know, giving me props and I'm
1:09:00
like, no, you're amazing. Like, this is.
1:09:03
And, and For that for this to be her first like lead.
1:09:07
And and the fact that she was able to like, you know, do what
1:09:11
she did in this is it's incredible.
1:09:14
She's so talented. I love that.
1:09:16
Woman a dearly. Yeah.
1:09:18
And she's not she's not you know the the social media presence is
1:09:22
a very different attitude to all this.
1:09:24
Right? What she did with the his
1:09:25
character is so mm. So good.
1:09:28
Just real, you know? Yeah.
1:09:30
And but she enhances it all of you actually have this saying.
1:09:34
Unique talent, which is, to be grounded, being real, but
1:09:38
finding those moments to highlight and to play and to
1:09:41
find, you know, the little bit of extra comedy, little bit of
1:09:45
extra. You know, that's there when it's
1:09:47
necessary. It's going to slice area, you
1:09:50
know, less is more, and yes, and you all played it so well with
1:09:56
the Muppets because a lot of people try and match the Muppets
1:09:59
that energy that right, right? And the fighting stay shit you
1:10:03
guys. As for, you know, because before
1:10:05
we went into it, you know, I you know, I was talking with with
1:10:09
our one of our directors, Matt's own and you know it was just the
1:10:13
importance of keeping it grounded in a reality because
1:10:18
this is real life. You know for these people these
1:10:21
this is this is life. There are Muppet in life, you
1:10:25
know there. It's not like a muppet.
1:10:27
Wow. Like it's like, no, like they're
1:10:29
just, this is life. So, you know, keeping that At
1:10:34
the Forefront of like, yes, I'm speaking to a puppet that is
1:10:38
very colorful, but but this is real like this is a real being
1:10:44
and I think that's what makes the show so special.
1:10:47
Because you forget that, it's puppets and you just get lost in
1:10:51
the reality of the whole thing. And and that doesn't come unless
1:10:56
you're taking the scene to be reality.
1:10:59
And so we had to keep it grounded and yeah, it was fun
1:11:03
too. Find those moments of like,
1:11:05
okay, where can I play up a little bit more of mooc here or
1:11:09
or or, you know, it was fun for me to find the find those
1:11:12
moments and you guys made it easy to because when, you know,
1:11:16
I would see if you guys were doing a little something that
1:11:19
was a little leeway for me to lie, okay?
1:11:22
Let me put you know, so is it was a give and take it was a
1:11:24
given day. It was great.
1:11:26
I've two more questions. What did you think of the smart
1:11:29
guy reference? Going to.
1:11:32
Okay, I must tell you, people love that.
1:11:35
But okay, what did you think? To be honest?
1:11:45
There's so many little, you know, little hints as far as
1:11:49
Muppets go little little Easter egg Easter egg in there was like
1:11:55
very special for me. Oh, thank you.
1:11:57
Yeah, of course my other question did you take any
1:12:00
besides the Drop, did you take anything else from the set?
1:12:03
And I'm just asking that, you know, for security, I'm trying
1:12:07
to think, no, I'm trying to think.
1:12:08
Did I Not that Janice picture clearly.
1:12:13
No, I don't think I did. Where is the trailer?
1:12:16
And that's I guess what? I want to know.
1:12:19
Someone took the trailer you stole the hearts of everyone on
1:12:25
sets. I think that's what you and
1:12:28
everyone watching. Tasha thank you so much for
1:12:32
joining us for this podcast. This was an absolute blast to
1:12:34
get to talk to you and thank you for everything you brought to
1:12:36
Moog. He's a fantastic character and I
1:12:39
really hope we get to see more. Or of him at some point.
1:12:41
Thank you so much. It is an honor that's all I can
1:12:45
say. And honor, I love move dearly.
1:12:49
Thank goodness for all the CG that we the the VFX people did
1:12:54
on Todd. Yeah, really.
1:12:56
Bring a lot of the Expressions. That weren't there.
1:12:59
This is want to thank soapbox. A group chat Bill.
1:13:12
No one really knows what we're talking about.
1:13:18
It's okay. Whatever you guys did, move him
1:13:21
out very lifelike. Yeah.
1:13:22
Vo, the VFX soapbox did amazing stuff on base most of his face,
1:13:28
but because it was, you know, kind of flat.
1:13:30
But but, but but they really brought out all the expressions
1:13:33
and made it feel alive. He's very lifelike.
1:13:36
Yeah, I still feel part of the character in some Way, you know.
1:13:41
So it's good to your voice. It's your voice.
1:13:43
It's my voice. It's my but yeah.
1:13:45
Yeah. Well, thank you again for being
1:13:48
here. Bill, Jeff.
1:13:49
Thank you, both for being here as well.
1:13:51
Hope to see you again next week. And thanks everyone for
1:13:54
listening. We'll be back with more Muppets
1:13:55
Mayhem, real soon. It's may have backstage passes
1:14:01
brought to you by topics hot cam produced written and hosted by
1:14:03
Johannes low. Do art by Dave whole team jr.
1:14:06
Come up as make a mark in local characters and elements are
1:14:10
transcriptions, provided by Katie, Lynn, Miller them up.
1:14:13
Its Mayhem and credits, written by Makino is used with
1:14:15
permission special, thanks to the Muppet studio Disney plus,
1:14:18
the entire map is Mayhem family for more from topics, find us at
1:14:21
tough pigs on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and patreon.
1:14:24
Thanks for listening and until next time rock on