Why it's with great joy that I welcome you back into Those Amigos. I'm Wilmer Valderrama, and you know the show has started, as you know, these ongoing conversations and getting to know each other, and and in these conversations, uh, we discovered there were individuals along the way that that really kind of marked us, helped us and change us, and also inspired us in many ways. So it's with great joy that I introduced the first ever, the first ever guest yes on on those Amigos. Might be the
last one. We'll see, you know, we'll see how this one goes. But we're gonna try this thing, you know, Freddie, I want you to meet so for Grace in the House for Grace legendary, one of the great, one of the legendary.
And my thing I was going to do, which I won't do now, was was because I thought it was one of those podcasts were just walk in and start talking. It's clearly not.
We're used to be that way, but they asked us to I do the show.
I was going to do a whole like like you're from like seventies show, Yes you were great?
What did you play? I was? I was on the seventies show were you like we were never seen? Man?
Were you recurring or like?
What were here? I was like really regular anyways. But but so you guys, haven't you guys haven't met or maybe cross backs.
We must have crossed, yeah, yeah in the early two thousands, maybe when we were all out.
Yeah, but I love this show. I love what you guys are doing. It's such a thank you, you know, and I feel I feel like such an interloper here. But I'm happy to be your first guest.
Oh no, and we're so happy to have you man, and and so happy that with some homework. Oh there, she I have paper in my hand.
I've never done this before, you know, to help your your listeners just said some experience, like what it's like to be a straight white? Now, how boring we are? I wanted to make this show a little more boring.
Absolutely absolutely never that. Never that. But starting into it, right, you know, a lot of this show over to kind of tell you kind of you know, what they started. It was kind of like this deep dives on like the things that kind of made us.
Right, Like, I know, I've listened to it. That's why I'm like, what am I doing here. Yeah.
Well, the point is is that you have such an interesting perspective because I really believe very few people in entertainment has achieved what you have, specifically when they were given a responsibility to be a Nan Corona show. And you know, we were talking about it, you were talking about it in the past, you know, and I had said that, you know that tofah, Grays have brought up to life Eric Foreman in a way that nobody else
could have. And I would say this the rest, but for the rest of the guys, like you know, kurk Wit Smith, you couldn't think about anyone playing Red right. And I think the idea that at a time time where something so new and so disrupted to TV, you know, somehow we had the audacity to just come up with characters and be like, oh, this is what it's going to be, and then the writers be like, Okay, run
with that. You know. But one of the things that I've always respected, and I've always said, you know aloud all the time, is that when I look back at what you had done with Eric Foreman, it was so it was unexpected, it was unpredictable, and and it kept audiences captivated that a leading character on a sitcom doesn't have to be the straight character, like the character that doesn't really have the colors and the and and you you made something.
It is a little bit and I remember on the page at the beginning, it was a little bit just the straight guy, like he just like, uh, like I'd set up everyone and and I remember setting you up. It was terrible, Like I technically had more lines, but every time Wilmer spoke, the audience would like stand up and applaud, and then I'd say another line, and then Ashton would say something that was like a huge hit or but over time, and that's the best thing about
doing one of those shows. It's one of the things I hate when young actors, I mean, they aren't even that many sitcoms anymore, but uh, when they say I can't wait to get off of this show I'm doing and get into films. What I want to say is like this is the best training ground because when you stink, and I mean, we know we were there.
Miss There was a lot of hits, but.
Couple a couple of misses in a row at the beginning, and like, especially for me, I mean, I never remember, this is your first, your second professional job. I think you did.
A Pacific Yah, Pacificos Marginal Pages.
Commercially and I had done nothing, So that was that was your first A little.
Bit about that because you you were you, you had you were doing theater and oh no, I mean.
School. No, I didn't do anything. I'd done high school plays and not even that any and it was a bad drama program.
Were you in high school when you got there?
I was at a boarding school, which plays a lot.
Get into it.
Wilman and I have also identical backgrounds, all right. So I was going to a boarding school in New Hampshire and the girl who did the sets, who Wilmer knows, Lindsay. Her parents were these amazing writers who changed all of our lives. They'd written on SNL and then they wrote the Wayne's World movie, Turner, the Brady Bunch movie, which is great, and Tommy Boy and they're just crushing it.
And then they created Third Rock from the Sun, which is when I was at school with Lindsay, I was like, Johnow, this is incredible. Her parents just won the Golden Globe for sometimes, Like this is crazy.
And then.
They saw this play that I did senior year and they kind of said, we know you're going to USC next year, ye can we call? And I was like, man, I had no idea what they meant. You could not guess that they meant to be in something. And I'd only been in a couple of plays. And to let you know, how uh great a drama program the school had.
We could only do plays. It had no sets, like this is the first play she did the set that like she stepped forward and said, like, we'll do like a wall, right, But it was all plays that like you know, god Spell in our town because there wasn't even a theater. It was like we go to like the church, right, you know, the kids were sitting the pews. I mean it was like there was and it was not very good. I mean there clearly was like not
a good theater program. But because of that we it actually reminded It's funny that you weren't there with me, but you kind of were in spirit in the sense that I was doing this with you then, you know, a year and a half later, but we were just kind of coming up with stuff we thought was interesting. Like the teacher who did it didn't even show up most of the time, so like we just add stuff. I mean's sacrilege. I literally think it's illegal to add so much stuff to a play that you're the school's
playing the license or something. But we changed so much of things that I think maybe the turners saw like, oh, he's you know, it's not like when you go to see a good high school play and everyone it's like a Broadway musical, but but younger people or something like this was like totally.
Weird, and so it wasn't like necessarily like a theater program. It was you all just kind of put together.
Like a like a theater club or there was there was, yeah, there was like there was gonna be a school play and there were auditions and and uh yeah, I.
Mean it was But were you thinking like acting? Why not? Me? Like, were you thinking that at all? That would you just do it with creationally? Like what was your interest in it? Right?
Because I thought it was neat. I mean I did the video of your book too. I thought anything that was like kind of creative and extracurricular. But then when I went to USC the next year, I did none of that. Like I didn't, but I had so many friends of the were actors because they all moved to La to to be in the business or be around it, and I got rejected from the film school. I thought, what am I even doing out here now? And then but have I ever really told you this? So Bonnie
called me. I was in my dorm and some of the kids were smoking, I mean apropos of the show. They were smoking in my room and then the phone rings. I'm like hello, and she's like, hey, it's Bonnie and this is I was like Bonnie, like, who are Like do we hook up? Like? And she was like, no, I'm your friend's mom. I'm I'm Lindsay's mom. I was like, can you swear on this podcast? I was like put it away, like we're gonna get attention or whatever. I was like, no, no, I'm calling you because I mean,
it was so mind blowing to me. I mean, I knew what they did and totally thought it was cool, but never thought I still was like, do you mean for me to be your assistant or like, what are you talking about. She's like, no, no, Basically, we've we've had every kid in Hollywood in they're all I mean, I realize now what she meant was like, they're all too cool. We want like a real nerd, like like a fresh from the tree, like like I was currently
not getting laid in college. And I was like all right, and so I think she said, bring a head shot and a resume.
This is how green eye like what it is a headshot?
I said, what's it? I said, you know what a resume is because I had worked at Suncoast Video and Dunkin Donuts. But I was like, but what is a head shot? And she was like, oh God, like it's it's like a picture that goes with your resume. And when I brought it in, do you know this story? No? I brought it in. It was a piece of paper like this and paper clip to it was a picture of me and my friends at six Flags, like in
the parking lot, like the story before. I've never heard this my kin code like like no, just a printed out like four.
Six photos the one that you get from Costco and wow, like one that you had like in your photo album.
So it was even album. It's just like a photo. I had it, all right, that's me and uh I put it. Uh I put it with the resume that said like you know sun Coast Video like night you know, like night shift Dunkin Donuts.
I mean these people. I mean, it's the perfect pitch for Eric Foreman. I mean you really think about it, Yeah, you're right right making a way away. It's like the perfect pitch.
I actually I had a lunch with Tom Warner Wants such a nice guy Lost, and he I think he admitted to me that they were like, we're just gonna bring this kid in so you can see what we're looking for, like we want someone like this. We don't actually we don't actually want like this guy is not an actor, Like we can't have him do it. And then and that's why. And then it went well enough
that I uh, but I'll say in WILLM. Waldrama's book, which is very good, which I've read cover to cover, but you skipped through a bunch of it until I got to the part, you know, I read all which was written from an awesome perspective by it. I really loved it was really interesting to me to read that book, especially about our experience from your point of view. The best part is for me was that I like walked in and I mean, why don't you tell the story? Which when you first, oh.
Dude, this so I was like, so scared to make a mistake, right, Right, So you walk into an auditioning room, right, and you're like you sit in the chair that they somehow pointed at, you know what I mean, Like you just don't look, and you know you'll wait until they call your name. You like et everything by the book, right, You're like being invited into something that was so mysterious. So I didn't want to do anything that was like disrespectful or or like foreseen as like egotistic or whatever.
Just want of them, Like I just want to be a nice boy here, you know. And I'm sitting there and this dude walks in like he owns the place, goes straight to the to the refrigerator and like opens grabs the water and then picks up an apple and just like sits down. It's like eating what. And I'm like at the audition, I mean, I was like, for sure, these fucking guy's not getting the part. Like he's definitely
not getting the part. And he goes in there and like grasps the water and he's drinking whatever, like doesn't matter to anybody, and all that stuffen.
He's in there, and I was like, this guy is his energy is crazy, like I'm thinking, like, I'm thinking, like, who does that?
Here's what you know. I already had the part. I didn't know that, but yet I would never I was scared to.
Of course, so this was audition or so you were sitting in the back, but no, I was in the waiting room and he was waiting to mister to.
Read with people who played Laura's Park. So I was like, I had it. I've been there a couple of times. But even so, the thing I love about that story so much is how different our backgrounds are and how how entitled I probably was, you know what I mean, like even yes and no.
But I think, you know what, the reason why I told the story that way is because from my perspective, was like, oh man, someone like that, like someone that fresh, you know, is not gonna get this part, you know what I mean? But literally, I know that he already in the park. He's been in displays a bunch of times. Right, he got the part. He obviously you know, knew you.
Have to like this is what I can contribute to this podcast, because clearly I have a very different background from you guys. But the one of the most wonderful things that happened to me is I grew up in a very myopic, very affluent town in Connecticut. I mean, it's like just the total opposite of how Wilmer grew up. And I probably I don't want to get too corny, but I think it's like like a little miracle that I got the show. I mean, what a weird way to even get I mean it's a lottery ticket just
to get a role. I've never auditioned for anything, but then to be forced into a group of people who are so that you never would have met, never would have hung out with, and especially that you and I had this incredible connection from day one. I mean you and I really became best friends right off the bat. And then I would come over to his folks house and hang out a lot with your sisters.
I lived with my family, you know, so when it's like, oh, you want to come over, my mom was there, my dad is there, my mom is cooking the soups, you know, and like we have and just and.
Just understanding the world from another point of view. I've been to boarding school, so there were people from different countries and stuff, but it was also myopic and the sense of like you know everyone was at a boarding school, you know what I mean, So what was that like for.
You to go to a Venezuelan slash Colombian house and to have dinner with this family whose language.
It was incredible?
It was.
You know, you don't know what you don't know. I mean, that's what I've learned about like growing up. I'm so glad I got out of that town because I know a lot of people I grew up with. You know, I went to college and came right back to that town, and so that alone was a victory. But then too, I mean, you knew me. Then if I stayed in college, I'm like kind of a shy guy, and I wouldn't have done any of the things. I mean, we did
so many amazing things together. But but when I think back about it, I mean sometimes i'd sleep over Wilmer's house because it was because we were like teenagers, yeah, and like I'd go over there and have like I know, it was amazing, especially going through this thing where it's like scary and you're getting famous and you don't understand
what's happening in your life. But then I have such a good friend and to also have a a eye opening experience about I don't think I was walking around entitled, like like within my community, I would have been seen as a jerk. But I do think I wasn't, you know what I mean. That's like part of life has grown up and realizing like where you came from.
You always gonna have to give yourself some credit because here's the thing you were. You were tossing to be the center nucleus of what was a prime time Fox sitcom became the same sense in the act.
I'm glad I was a little entitled. I know you have to this will happened for me.
Do we talk about this in the show a few times, where like you have to have some kind of audacity, to audacity to think that you belong because nothing about this industry tells you you you do right, Like a lot of.
The most of the industry made me feel pretty comfortable. When I was looking at my representation on screen, I thought, yeah, seems this is what how I grew up. But honestly, that's why it's so magical for me that I got.
To and it.
I mean, it's not like one of those movies where someone has like a you know, it's such a natural real experience. We just connected, you know, comedy and performing. Is uh English that well at the time, truly, And.
I just learned English four years before that. That actually, no crazy years before that, because I had gotten to the country four years before.
When he says learned English, I would say he some of English, but he was. But the thing, but the the universal language you spoke was it's like past fail on show night like. So first I had respect from him because I was like, oh, this guy is hilarious. And then I started to get to know you, and I thought like, yeah, it's just very eye opening. It's probably it's probably kind of life changing for me more so than uh it was for you, I bet, even though I'm sure a lot of.
Nobody because you have to understand so because I had only been here a couple of years, meeting someone like him, who also, by the way, his family also took me in the same way. You know, every time I see his dad, you know he can you came.
I was like, hey dad, he slept buped. I still have my childhood bumped and he was.
Connecticut and it took the train over together and I was like, oh my god, it's like in the movies.
Right, That's what he said, walk through the woods. We have these woods behind our house, and I guess most of the movies that are shot about the woods he'd seen in movies. Yeah, he kept saying like this is like a set. And my dad was like, what is this kid talking about? Like these are the woods like the league fakes?
But I got when you take a walk through his backyard and he was like, you know, it's like the trees and it was fall right, so it was like kind of like gloomy and a little bit spooky, and it just looked like, oh, this is like like the American towns that they make movies about, like like you would see in the movies. Yes, dude, So I'm like, oh, this is so cool. Makes sense. And you know, got to being his neighborhood and he's childled home and got to sleep in the bunk beds and you know, but
that was our life. That was like, you know, most of it, and we never lost that. We never lost that. We were always like quoting movies and being clowns and like just being kids. You know. It's I think it attributed to how playful we were when we were creating our characters because you you had to play and safe, dude, and safe. We were safe because we weren't. We weren't like you know, we weren't taking each other down for it,
and there's no competition. We all had a very specific contribution, and we all stood to that lane and we respected each other's lanes, and and it was just great because I knew that it was funny if he was, you know, laughing, and like we were run jokes by each other, like oh, you think this is funny, you think this is so that. So that's kind of kind of kind of how I work. But but yeah, to go back and to think about.
So you had this experience coming to America that must have been insane. I loved reading about it in your book. But but in a weird way, my experience was kind of similar to getting about you because I went like, oh, oh, like, there's so much that's different, and yet we had so much that was the same. And then you know, opened my eyes to lots of different people since when I met you.
But the thing is like, nobody wanted to see us as a hit for the first three years, so we never really thought like, oh, this is gonna be forever. But at the same time, we were in this really safe environment that all of a sudden it was like, oh, you know, we're we're just giving it a shot, and we're like, we.
Got picked up for two years.
Do you remember that? Yeah, I think that happened when in the second or third season.
I think in the second scene second, So we were kind of like, we're here and that's a long time when you're that age.
Yeah, they were doing twenty five a season, so we got to.
Sit back and kind of feel kind of like what that show is supposed to feel like, like it's just these people hanging out and then and then I man, I haven't now with kids and stuff. I mean, you never do this anymore. But to go to be rehearsing a scene we're gonna hang out with someone and then go hang out with them and watch TV and do the same stuff. Like I was just perfect. It was perfect for me personally, and those are probably great for the job.
You know. Absolutely.
It's almost like you guys, I remember watching this like Beatles documentary and they were just talking about like you don't you don't realize that they were together when they were kids and then they went through this experience together that only they.
Know what that analogy. I think we were a little bit bigger than the Beatles.
I concur what was it like since?
And I've asked Wilmer this, I think it's just amazing as as as we always talk about that, that that that the layers continue to get uncovered and I get to learn more about Wilmer through this experience.
But it's it's.
Dawning more on me how young you two were and what a special experience it must have been like for you two. What was it like for you because this was the first time you ever really tasted fame on that level, and you guys.
Were to an extent like you guys are like a cool like show.
It was almost like must have been like being like a cool rock band, you know, like that that kind of reception and that kind of fame must have been real similar, Like how was that for you, especially it being.
The first time your first show.
Well, Wilmer handled it much better than I did. He's he was already you were like famous in your high school.
Yeah, oh yeah, I was in high school when I yah.
Yeah, but you were like he's just the he is a duck to water in terms of like, uh, you're just one of those you know, like I I feel like I have balls when I'm performing, but then when I'm not, I'm kind of a shy guy.
You're like more reserved in public. I think I'm a little bit more jazz hands, you know.
No, no, no, you're just the mayor man. I mean, you're like, he's he's wonderful to everyone. Like he's the way when you're not playing a bad guy, the way his characters are nice and open is the way he is as a person, and it's it's great to be right, And that also served for me as kind of a
learning experience. I remember one thing we like, I've never been to like parties, even I've been to a couple of parties in college, but they were like when you had to rush fraternities, so they had to let you in and then they're like, no, we don't want you, so like I'd never really been out. And then we were going to, you know, some of the big clubs in the world, you know, because the show was doing well, and I remember going to No, I remember going to
a party like in the Hills with you once. This is such a good lesson and again, like not a lesson I would have learned if I was hanging out with a bunch of people that were like me, that I went to college with or whatever. But we went to this party and there was it's probably there were no girls there that I liked or something. But I didn't think it was fun, Like it wasn't a fun group of people, and Wilmer was like dancing with people
and you know, like just making the party better basically. Yeah, And I I remember saying like, let's get out of here, because anytime I didn't think it was gonna be the most fun ever. I was like this, get here, Let's go to another thing. And Wilmer goes, why don't we just stay here for another three hours? And I was
like why. You know, He's like, sometimes you got to just I don't know exactly what your advice was, but it was like, just this is where you are in life, like why don't we make this the party kind.
Of And I was like what?
And then I realized it was such a valuable lesson because we were having fun an hour later, and I was like, oh, this is because of us and whatever. I Sometimes I feel like I would have been a whole other guy, you know what I mean? Like if I hadn't had certain people in my life, probably probably much better. Guy.
So what was it like like as as the show began to ascend, you know, you were talking about how it was fame wise, but how was it within the structure of the show did you feel a was it just more cohesive?
Like?
What was the chemistry like between you all as we just went in. Was it just like a cool like theater group like it just was?
It grew?
Yeah? Yeah, we had such a shorthand, you know, and we were getting everything and one two takes one two takes.
I can't believe we have an actor to the other in a while, especially nineties show which I did one episode up.
Yeah, and we didn't a character to me.
I went to the taping of Wilmers because I and you came to taping Amon, which is great, but.
We have to yeah, well we have to figure it out because.
Only wait, wait, not even for the friendship element, which I would love to be hanging out with you every day, but just because it's so rare that you have that kind of connection with someone, understands someone that well.
And artistically like you can build things artistically, you know, with when with people that they're not only understand like your your strengths, yeah, but also like help you with your weaknesses, you know what I mean, Like you're not out there swinging by yourself when you're doing these You know, sometimes you get into a movie and you know you're in the holding everyone's acting, and the people they don't even want to run lines, right, they do, they don't
want to run lines. They don't want to like, you know, hit each other off book and you're like, Okay, I guess I'm mumbo myself here, right, and then.
You know what you make me? Really remember, I don't think I've ever even spoken to anyone about this. I think a big part of the first year was being embarrassed. That was showing you guys what I was bad at, and also learning what everyone was bad at, which sounds like I was being judgmental, but actually now that I realized because it was going so well two or three years later, that we were all like putting all our cards on the table kind of a messy way because then you have.
To write, because that's the only thing that it works. Right. What do you mean by bad at what you well?
Look, look there was let me go through the list of what Wilmer's bad at. Do we have enough tape in the camera?
He still remembers. Let it.
No, It's like, actually, that's funny because I actually wouldn't know how to vocalize about any of those people what they're bad at. I mean, essentially they're all very talented, but it's more like, uh no, I would say, like I'm trying to talk to.
Finish each other's sentences, right, Like, like I think understanding the strengths and understanding like.
What you know strengths it was more important because I knew when to pass you the ball when I didn't know how to do a joke like that. But then also I think knowing people's what they're what, it's more what they're not comfortable with and what they're probably good at.
Like probably some of those people were so young, they probably have grown to be better at certain things, right, But at the time, you know, maybe we thought like people are scared to do stuff and you're doing it from a live audience or tanager.
You could also fall in the trap of saying like, oh, I guess this is how I'm being seen, So this is how I need to then I have to do that times three, right, and like it's finding the volume of like, okay, well, how much is too much when I do the thing that I'm supposed to be doing here. But I think that's you know, I come full circle to this. There was a settleness to our show. It almost felt like a single camera we were playing for
the people at home. And that's very different than a lot of the sitcoms that that were happening, you know, like the people sitcoms. We're playing the audience sometimes. But I think that we learned, you know, you had like Bunny and Terry Turner, David trainor who by the way.
Oh yeah, look it wasn't I mean, there was. There were so many great writers camp that show.
And I will and I also give David Trainer, our director, so much love, respect, emeration and risk, I mean, like and just like so much ovation because because you know, you have to grab this really raw, talented group of young people and you have to mold them into an actual mainstream primetime sitcom. And I keep saying it because the people who don't remember that day Sunday Night between the Seees and some of the X Files. My god, the responsibility you had to kind of stitch those two
shows together. We didn't feel that pressure until like later when like Chris Carter and like, since.
I really hated us, yeah, let us know.
It was really really let us know that they didn't like us.
But how did y'all handle that as a group as as like you become like the rock stars of TV?
Like, how do you handle that as teenagers? As a as a group.
Well, it was interesting because for many years as soon as the show ended, we will go to jers Delly.
Yeah, well when there were different groups of friends, but Wilma and I would after almost every taping go to Jerry's famous.
Deli down the streets.
Two blocks away. We'd order French toast, and also we would have invited some guests because it's like such a great thing that you work all week and then you kind of take Friday nights. We'd say, like they show up at like nine pm to our friend they'd watched the last part of the show, and then we'd go with our friends to Jerry's and kind of I realized, now we're probably kind of coming down from the high
doing that show and tell their story. I'm sorry, I feel like this is the nice photo document that I'm getting older because it's like all I want to do is reminisce and talk about but I the best part I was just driving past uh our old friend's house.
At Brendan's house. The second year, we were starting to be like, all right, we got this, like because you get a summer break, and I think during the summer break we like digested a little bit like okay, like that wasn't so awful, and then when we came back, we felt like we had a you know, a little
bit more of an understanding of what we're doing. It was starting to go well, and he'd made friends with some guys that were on another show and they kind of didn't want to go out and party either or didn't know what to do with that there.
They were also like awkward about like a Hollywood party or a red carpet. They were just like they were.
So we started a monopoly group. To answer your question, the most possibly it was the game Monopoly. One time we bought Triopoly, which is unsanctioned by Parker Brothers. It's like it took us ten hours start to finish because it was like a layer cake that it was insane. But we we would go over and get pizza and play Monopoly for six or seven hours and the video games and you went, I mean, you go, that's no matter what we thought, we were still in that place
of like what will this experience become? And you go, you're having the best time. Yeah, right, And it really was like it was it has a cross section with really being young and then playing young and then actually not being young anymore. But it was like such a perfect gold and you knowed it.
I mean, and like listen to answer, you know, that's the answer to the question. You know, like how did we cope with it? They didn't actually now that we ran away with it and ran away from it, we kind of just set into like what we were. Yeah, and we never and I and I say this, like the cast of the show was the coolest cast period. Like we didn't have to hang out with other people to be cool. We didn't care to hang out with
other people. And we were just like we had each other. Yeah, we had each other man and and you know, and I and I felt I felt accepted, I feel respected, you know, I felt like I had real family, Like I have a real brother in him and and I felt safe to try and to soar and like and you know, they gave me the Jews to be like, oh, I can be more than fans after this, right, you know, because I would have these conversations and and you know
we both like, in between the summers, we will find gigs, right, we will find movies.
I remember coming in to see you on Party Monster, Yeah, and being like this is different when.
You come to the summer Catch to the North Carolina.
I actually flew to North Carolina.
He came to see me on the set of of Summer Catch with Freddie Prince Junior, Jessica Biell, and Matthew Lillar. I just saw Matthew Lillard the other night, and he's just the best reminiscent on that and he's just like such a sweet, sweet guy. But he came to visit me on the set of of of Summer Catch. And we always made a point of like visiting each other each other sets and and all that. Like I remember, you know, you had gotten the Spider Man movie and.
You were saying, no need to come, and you showed up anyway.
I was like, I need to see this dude. I was like, I wanted to see him as Venom, you know, And I went to the Sony studios.
Yeah, yeah, And that was the first iteration of it, right, like yeah, and and I rolled up and he was wearing that.
He was wearing the whole thing, and yeah, Like.
It was rough because the suit attached to your face.
So it was like, yeah, it's like pooling on your phone, like, hey, how are you?
What season was? He's like Bull Tax before Bull Tax, you know, it's like while you're in there, give me a little give me.
A little lift, a little lift over your here. But I remember like geeking the hell out. Yeah, I'm like, I'm walking walking in to see one of my best friends and he's wearing the Venom suit.
Well, seeing you, I don't. I'm sure you guys have a questions in a certain order, But now seeing where Wilma is in his career, you go, I mean, I don't not to uh speak ill of anyone else's career, but the roles that are the really funny, wacky guy on a sitcom are especially hard to get out of, Like you know what I mean, Like it's a lot easier to look at someone who's playing what my character was, Ok, I see him in other things, like your role was
so hyper specific. I did totally support you and think you were capable of it, but also thought this is gonna be like a very hard journey and watch when I see you. For some reason, our TV tunes, we've cut the cable, right, so we're only we only watch stuff on Paramount Plus or whatever. But when we turn on the TV, there's always I don't know what, there's some channel that's like on and it's always an ad for your show, right, Like I would not design it
that way. It's a little just because because you're always got a gun in someone's face, like my kids are. We're about to try to watch Disney or watching him do get from point A to point B. That's so like, it just hats off to you because I actually think that's there's a couple of things that are hard about that, but especially that everyone's saying, like, you know, we go out and people say do the voice. I was like, good luck now this one, like yeah, and you did it.
Man. I mean it's like I still get it.
But people are probably now like, yeah, but can he do comedy?
Right?
Bro? You know what I mean? Yeah? For reals, for reals. Some people are trying to like, oh, man, come back to comedy, like you know, what are you doing? Like what are you doing doing drama? Like you should come back to comedy. You're funny.
I mean you can do both, man, you can do both.
Yeah, you could totally do both. But I do love comedy. But I think being able to have gone to all the different places, I think, what's the most fulfilling thing I could have ever done. Yeah, I feel I feel very comfortable popping in and out of things. And I also feel very comfortable like blending both both of them into characters and stuff.
But but you live by Screech, you look at Oracle, you have you know, these roles are like impossible to shake off.
Yeah, but again, I mean I took a lot of inspiration that we were one of the first TV casts. I think it was Dawson's Creek and us the first cast that during the summer they go do a movie, like most TV casts were like they just take the right to take the months off because he's a long thing. But we were so young, we had the energy. So on the summer we would go find gigs. You'd go do a movie with Carle Johansson and you know, and is that how you knew that the show was really ascending?
That you all started to get well, it was shifting the paradigm on television and film. We're shifting. Films were getting smarter understanding that that some TV actors could be real estate for actual films and they could say, like, oh, they actually are a draw, they actually are in front of twenty million people a week. How are we not leveraging that? That's why James Vanerviek and Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson, like all of these guys were out there doing all these movies.
Whatever happened to Michelle Williams man.
Work?
So did she work after that show?
You what I mean? Williams Like they went out there and they'd been a beautiful transition and they go back and forth.
What was the first movie that both of you did while you were doing seventy show that made you? That made you say that, that made you go?
I went to see him on Summer Catch That was that was my first movie. It was the Summer Catch to the Traffic.
Yeah, that same summer, By the way, Traffic was his first movie off the off the show, No Way man.
But but but I remember, you know what I could tell This is so tough because I could tell so many stories about you. It's almost like I'd rather you. I never talked about my wife and interviews either, because I always feel like I'm about to, like I start saying my wedding vows like it's people like just relaxed. But I feel the same way. I like, too much time has gone by.
But but but it was that.
Alone, just coming to just me going to see Summer Catch.
I wasn't even in it.
It was like an incredible experience. And then I was like, Okay, this is how films work. And then I went and did a film for the first time.
It was cool.
You didn't just do a film like your first film Out the Gate was with Soderberg.
That was and what was amazing. I mean, like Wilmer's right, the thing that people don't give it credit for. Especially this is what I was saying when young people are saying, like, wish you could get into films, I'm like, the way you should use especially a sitcom, which they don't make that much of anymore, is it it's live but it's a film. There's filmic elements there's live in front of
an audience elements, so you're learning both. There's the every week element, so when you're bad, you get to come right back try it again. And then there's the summer where you get to go do something. I was playing a crack addict in that movie. And then you get to come back to your home base. So you try something, you go like what was that, You kind of meditate on it for the year while you're in the safe role that you know how to play, and then you
have another summer to try something new. It's the greatest kind of boot camp slash graduate school, right, I think.
Yeah, when you were working with Soderberg, was that like was there ever a moment when you were like, Oh, this is like this is how happening, This is like, you know, this is the show that I'm doing has led me to this gigantic movie.
I don't think he was outaware of that seventy show at the time, but I do because it'd only been on for forty episodes or something, and I don't think he watched it. But but but what it what I did realize was for me that I didn't want to have a career where I was playing the same role over and over again, which which is, by the way, the way to be a bigger actor or a bigger start is if you I mean, I'm I tell my agents that they were like, oh cool, like every time
you'll start from zero. But I actually do think that if you want to make money, if you want to be a big star, you should you should have the same role and you kind of apply it to each film. And what I love or what gets me still excited about acting, it's been years since we started that show is doing something different every single time. I just played a just gonna sound like traffic because I played like a heroin Dealer.
But I but you were dealing know these you were in No, no, No, I was like the head dealer. It's a major come up for sure. I think it's an evolution of the same rendition.
Yeah, he's up in the world. But but I but I love and then I'll go do something.
But which movie you talk about?
You talk about this is a Netflix show I did, which by the way, was in Southport where you did Summer catch All. I was teary eyed about that one.
So cool. Where were where was what you was talking about? Are you talking about the movie you just say way, Mar Welbur No, this.
Is a Netflix show called The Waterfront where I'm like, oh, yeah, but I just got off of a show where I was playing a good guy for three years. And it's like to me, I don't know how you guys, I mean your actors, and probably feel the same way with your actors, But don't you feel like when you're doing different things like that is the like, the the differential
is what make keeps that spark live. And if you did the same things over and over again after a while, you like, I just feel like I just say I want to I don't want to do this, or would just the work would get bad.
I think, yeah, we we we had this conversation. I think that the whole character actor thing is very synonymous with our generation, and I don't know, maybe I'm wrong here. I just don't think it's as important with this newer generation. I think when we were coming up, we were coming up watching de Niro and Paccino and Hoffman and then how they were transforming into these different characters.
They feel like they were telling stories.
Yeah, but that was the thing to do that that that that was the way to show how good of an actor you wore is to transform and to be a character actor, And like, I don't I still see it. Don't get me wrong, you know, I just I just don't see it as much. I don't feel like the importance is as much as actors from our generation.
I mean, do you disagree? No, you might be right.
Yeah, I haven't really thought about it. Yeah, I don't know any of this. I have three kids, don't know what any these young actors are. I know all the actors our age and above.
Yeah, did you have you ever worked with a cyburb? I haven't.
Now, Oh you love it. I mean it's the I was in the moment I was doing it. I was sad that it was my first job because I was like, I know, I can't fully appreciate this the way I should. I mean, he shoots it. He's literally the guy behind the camera. He's just all available light. You do like two takes, you move on. It was we were ahead of schedule the whole time. He wants to say some of you will just kind of move the camera and talk to you.
And I mean it was like, I mean he's just won the Oscar for that, right, Yeah. I mean that that movie just swept I remember that. I mean it just it's like you hadn't seen anything like that in a long time.
And I think that Erica, Erica became friends with it. She came and did the show, became a good friend of ours.
Yeah, who's Who's who? Also had the same passion for Jerry's DELI.
You know that's right, you had a lot of Jerry.
So she shout out to her. And she's doing amazing by the way, She's like out there doing amazing shows and amazing TV. I think she's on Will Trent right now with oh yeah and doing awesome. I bumped into her cup like last year, and man, we were reminiscing so much.
She was like seventeen, yeah, like it was, and we're doing these scenes where we're like doing, oh whatever, this drug is together. It was like a made up drug for the movie. But were all that's like freebasing.
Yeah scene. She had this scene in Traffic that was so god wrenching and yeah, and she's just because she.
Played Michael Douglas's daughter, right, and he was the head of the DA right.
Yeah, right, Wow, you haven't seen that film in a while.
What was that like to have like a number one movie out, a number one TV show and.
Pretty Oscars the first one out of the bat Oscars movie.
Like I went to a couple of fun parties because of that. I think, how old were you when that who twenty one or something?
I mean, like it was twenty one, number one movie, number one show.
I mean, you know it was work nothing that Wilmore didn't come with me too. I remember showing you. I had you do a very early screening of Remember You, and Laura came and you know what, you know what I'm gonna I hope this doesn't embarrass you. It's so many years since that film came out, Wilmer, this is how close we were, And I go, I'm mad. I don't even have anyone in my life like this now
where I said, how was I in that? And he told me the one part where I wasn't good and you were right, And that's so invaluable as an actor, do you know what I mean? Like to have something like my own manager probably now wouldn't tell me, do.
You know what I mean? Like you were honestly asking me, yeah I wasn't it. I actually want to ask him and they just want to just hear, oh you're great, you know, but he was trying to figure out you're trying to next take, right, Like we had that relationship. That's right when you know, like if I do a joke on the show and he'd be like, do one more, you know, he would have just you know, he was right.
That's how safe we were with each other. I mean, no one who's outside of the industry who's watching this would understand, like it's it's a real faux pa if someone even just finishes it take and says is that good? Like just everyone would say, yeah, great job. Like no one would be like, oh dude, like no, but that's how safe we were with each other. That you were. And that was the first film I've been in, so I actually wanted to know, and I was.
I was really emotional watching you in that movie because you see, you know, one of your best friends, you know, Slash Brothers, who you're like literally experiencing. By the way, by twenty one, we've been doing the show for now for two years, so whatever, and like he's on screen, Michael Douglas, Contheter, Sinta Jones, Don cheetos Mine Benissu, Litoral Jacob bargas.
Jake, He's great, yeah, and I'm like.
There he is, there are It's like it was just really emotional for me because it tells you it's possible, right Like also, like you know, I never thought I was any different, you know until for so his wins were like my wins, bro, Like shit, we're doing it man, like that and that and that's something I'll never forget because to your point, rarely we have that, you know, we rarely have individuals around us that to remind us what it was like how it turned out and like
still be here to see you where you're gonna go next. And that's the part where like, you know, you talk about getting cornered, like you know, I I live that truth. And you know, after so many years in the game, we're going on almost thirty years in the game, you start thinking about, you know, like who you surround yourself with in time does its job on? Like who's not supposed to be there anymore?
Right?
Yeah? And then one day you look around and like we're still here, right, Like this is there interesting things? I mean the same thing with Freddie. Freddy's also been you know as an actor, you know, to see him work with some of the grades. It's also been you know, emotional, right. We talk about cultural representation, you talk about you know people that played roles.
That you're you're a fantastic actor. I mean we just met when I walked in here. But I'm so thrilled to thank you. Hopefully we work together at some point. Man, there's too much gold here, too much, guys, Yes, yes, but in too.
So fore you're giving us too much gold Man told him that so rich, so rich when he touched your lips. So this is this is part one. We cover a lot of nostalgia here and all that and excited for for you guys all to experience Part two. I'm Wilmer Valdorama, I'm Freddie Rodriguez, and this is Doosmos.
Is a production from w V Sound and iHeartMedia's Michael through That Podcast Network, hosted by Me, Freddie Rodriguez and Wilmer of Aaldorama.
Those Amigos is produced by Aaron Burlon and Sophie Spencer's Abbos.
Our executive producers are Wilmer of Aaldorama, Freddie Rodriguez, Aaron Burlson, and Leo Klem at w V Sound.
This episode was shot and edited.
It by Ryan Posts and mixed by Sean Tracy and features original music by Madison Devenport and Halo boy Our.
Cover art photography is by David Avalos and designed by Deny Holtzkau And.
Thank you for being here third Amigo today. I appreciate you guys always listening to those amigos.
A more podcasts from my Heart, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
So you next week