I Am All In…Again: Hello Jess: Season 2, E5 “Nick & Nora/Sid & Nancy”

I am all in again.

Oh that's just you. H.

I am all in again with Scott Patterson and iHeartRadio Podcast. Hey everybody, Scott Patterson, I am all in Podcast, one of them productions. iHeartRadio Media. iHeart Podcast, Nick and Norris, Sid and Nancy. Season two, Episode five, special guest Adam Wiley Air Day, October thirty, two thousand and one. Adam welcome, How are you hey?

I'm well. How are you look? I did this for you and you're.

A fantastic Yeah, I see it.

Man.

You look like you got a Walmart hat on. There you go nice, There we go.

Now we're good. Now we're hem.

Adam's known for his role in Picket Fences, The Swan Princess, the Broadway play Into the Woods, in which was actually incorporated into the script. We will tell you about that later. We see Adam first in season two, episode nine, Runaway little Boy, as Brad Langford, a student at Chilton who is absolutely terrified of Paris. So we know that his character is mentally healthy. You were going to We're going to talk about all about you, but first let's recap

I mean, my first impression of Jess is that he's a troubled kid. I think as soon as he comes off that bus, you feel the energy that he's been tossed around, that he doesn't want to be there, and that he's just you know, this is this is just his life now, this is another day, and he's angry. He's angry at the world and feels like he's been his own parent for so long that that's the just the way it is, there is no structure. He is

Right, Well, right out of the gate, you see that, you know Luke and Jess. Is there chemistry right away? What do you think ken feeling getting? What do we get in between Luke and Jess?

You like it?

Here's the thing I think with Luke and Jess, you can tell they're related, right. The energies are so similar with the two characters, you definitely know that they are family. I think I think Luke is excited for the opportunity. I don't think Luke knows how to handle it, and I think that's pretty obvious. I think it's obvious from the cold open that Luke doesn't know how to handle children.

And that just I mean.

That may with with the just the whole interaction with with the with the Scout troop, you can see that, you know, and it's just and maybe that's because he doesn't like Taylor, but that's that's a whole, that's a whole nother like can of worms, and you.

Got to think and the whole, you know, hierarchy of the Danes family. Luke is a successful one. He's absolutely, he's like the one that went off and you know, created a huge business and he's super successful. So I mean if if you know he's got the diner, he works his butt off, he's a successful one.

Absolutely.

Imagine what a sister's like, because just seeing Luke at the Pinnacle and Jess getting off the bus, it's like, whoa.

There's a few panicked phone calls by Luke's sister too, right, and so that causes a lot of alarm, going ooh, if this is what Jess has had to grow up with. He's always in chaos, and so he's got to find some kind of calm, which you know he turns to reading and the big one.

Magic mm hmmmm hm.

Just great. I don't know why, but I'm a big fan.

I loved this. I loved I love the Rory's line if you ever doing a if you ever do another magic trick again and pull something out of an area that I don't want you to, I'll never speak to you. I guess it's like stop with the stick. You know, it's not that you're not impressing me.

Yeah, I think I think my favorite line in the entire episode, though, is is Lorelai talking to Luke and saying, you want to get him something inflatable, get him up, get him up, blonde.

I was dying. Oh good.

That's like he has some good equips in that one, some just good one liners.

So you know, and Milo couldn't be more opposite to this character is the amazing part about it. I mean, he's just you know, he came on set and just ingratiated himself right away with everybody, never acted like, you know, he was the man or that you know, he he didn't try to. I mean, he understood that he was coming into a situation that was established. He had respect, so and we like that.

I never got to work with him, unfortunately, but I feel like we've done this for a very long long time.

Uh huh yeah, well maybe one day, just circling. Maybe one day, maybe one day.

Maybe I'll get to push him into a lake.

And I'm yes, and I'm very proud of work we did together. We did some iconic work together, the lake push, you know, the relationship there. I really thought that relationship elevated the show somewhat because now we see Luke in a different type of situation. We'ren't expecting to see it really is, I mean, and I think the fans really receive received it very very well.

Mm hmmm. I would agree.

Again, it's like the writing. He got to do that writing, Like I always comment on how lucky I feel to be able to do that writing and be in the imagine this. So this is a starm the just rolls of star making role right an anybody who's lucky enough to get that role. It's so well written right away, right off the bat. It's like it's like James Dean and Rebel Out cause it's it's all of those great

Oh right, but what's it going to do.

It's gonna scramble everybody's eggs.

Yeah, I mean he's looking for a night out and it stars hollow. There's there's that line that that Rory says that even the twenty four hour can nvenience store closed at nine, which is also such a such a great line. But if you also look at Luke through the relationship of Jess, you know, at first he's like he can handle himself. I mean, he's not a he's not a baby, he's not a child. And then he realizes immediately, oh he is a child. Oh he does need structure. Oh I can do this. I can figure

It just works, and it's so good to see that. I think it's good. I think this.

Relationship in particular, and this move by Jess is great for both characters.

Oh made me very sad, you know, made me very sad. You know, this kid has so much potential.

Absolutely, he's smart.

It's gonna take years. It's gonna take years for him to get out of this. It's not just a quick fix. It's not just Luke, you know, tough loving him into a discipline, into a new dawn and a new realization his eyes open in six months. Now, this is years. This is yeah, totally, this is years of you know whatever, abuse, bad parenting, and it's gonna take it's going to take that much time for him to come out of it. And it just it just breaks my heart to see it. And I think that's really the point.

Absolutely.

I love the fact how he plays it like he's not aware of it, where it's just a super confidence.

Yeah, And I think that does make him aware of it. I actually think that that is the bravado he has to have to survive. He's in pure survival mode at that point and he knows nothing else. That's how he's parenting himself is by being overconfident. So I actually do think he is aware of it. I think that that's the way he's learned to cope with himself.

He hates he hates the situation.

You know, it's a big, big changes everything for Laurel I too, because the alarm bells are going off inside her. It's like, boy, and how close is she gonna let him near her daughter, who's like, you know, this perfect China doll who's going off to Harvard or yet you know what I'm saying.

And the influence starts.

Oh man, oh man, that's that's when you're begin the work. All right, Let's let's go to the family dinner. Okay. That that Laurel I invites everybody over for dinner to meet Jess.

What a nice quart?

What what? What an exceptionally nice thing? And he is so very nice. He's so rude to Laurel I.

He is, and he just wants to bail. Yeah, he just wants to bail. He's like, I'm grabbing a beer him out right.

So Rory just meets Jess and we immediately see they have chemistry. Right, we learned he likes books. We see the look on Rory's face and I think it's a.

Collective uh oh in the audience, right, does not appreciate the help and tells Laurel ies she should she wouldn't give the best advice because she was pregnant at sixteen.

That was harsh.

That was that comment was harsh. It was harsh when I when I actually heard it, I was like, Oh, we're going to talk about that.

Oh and no, wonder they're fighting.

Let's let's stick into this, Okay. Yes, tell me, Adam, do you think Laurel is overstepping with Jess or is she helping Luke?

Helping Luke?

Because if you, especially because of that interaction in the very beginning in that cold open with the with the Scout troupe, I really think that she is Like, this guy's clueless and he needs all the help he can get.

You know, I've been a mother for obviously.

Sixteen years or whatever it is, and I can really help this guy.

And he's a good dude.

He's just he's a little clumsy in how he deals with people. And I can help. You know, I've got I've got a good demeanor. I know how to deal with with kids. I know how to deal with actually troubled and rebellous kids.

Why is he so defensive? Why would he say that to her?

Why would Luke say that to her? Yeah, you're pregnant at sixteen?

What the hell do you know? I mean, what a blow? What tell me? Why say that?

Hereious, here's why I think you'd say that. And obviously you know this character inside and out. I have no idea why you think you'd say that. But from an audience point of view, Luke has proven, especially thus far in the show, to not be good with his emotions. And when, in my experience, when people aren't wonderful with their emotions, the first thing when they feel threatened.

Is to bite. So he tries to bite his way out of the situation.

It's a deep insecurity one.

Hundred percent, And I feel he tries to bite his way out of the situation and it comes across hurting somebody that he really cares about.

Right, And that's tough, That's really tough.

She he interprets like, she doesn't have confidence in me. She doesn't think I'm smart enough or capable enough to deal with the situation. So she feels she has to intervene and overstep without talking to me first.

Right, one hundred percent? One hundred percent? Which is is that the right way to handle it. No, I think it should have been a very I think it should have been a plan for sure.

Do you think he's moving the goalpost to suit his insecurities? Right? You know what I mean?

I got it? I got it. Why are you doing that? You know? I appreciate you doing this. I didn't really need it.

He'll be fine, He's okay, right, Okay, you're gonna tell me what to do. Now, I'm gonna now I'm gonna come at you. Oh I'm really sorry for coming at you.

It does seem like he values her opinion, right, and he's quick to course that right.

Yeah, of course he cares about her a lot at the end.

So this kind of back and forth, right, this kind of back and forth, it's good for a relationship.

What do you think? What do you think?

I think with I think especially Lorelei and Luke's back and forth, they have such a good chemistry. The quips to be able to humble people, especially people you really care about, I think are a good thing. If you have somebody in your life that doesn't challenge you and help you grow, then what are you doing with that person?

That's how I feel personally.

Yeah, you nailed it. I agree hundred percent. You think Laurel I was right. I think Laurel has got really good instincts. Yes, and it's really easy to see that character Jess and go oh oh.

Totally totally. It's red Flag City, like, there's no there's no tub about it.

It's obvious.

Man, yeah, sure, crazy.

All right, let's get into Rory Jess. We immediately see their chemistry with the books. The writers know what they're doing bringing in Jess to break apart the Dean and Rory relationship. Do we like what they are doing? Do we want Dean to go? Do we want Jess to step in? Now? How do you feel?

I think that's an audience member to audience member question, because this is a huge question.

All right, let's get them all on the phone, guys, let's get all the fans on the phone right now.

Let's ask one at a time. Here we go, Yes, first caller, you're on.

In my personal opinion, no, I'm not rooting for her to explore a wild side with Jess.

What are the chances of success with Jess in your opinion?

Oh?

Man, right now? Chances negative four, negative five.

I think it's pretty slim.

To none that Rory is going to be some incredibly good influence on Rory. I think it's so much more likely that Jess is going to be the worst influence Rory can have.

Yeah, but he's literate. He reads books.

Great, awesome, so many people who read books. If he can read a book, then he can read a book to understand. Hey, man, maybe I need therapy and.

Not bite everybody's head off because my situation sucks.

Right?

Read that well?

I mean, at seventeen, you know who's introspective? At seventeen, you know nobody nobody, no, no.

Not even introspectives are introspective.

They certainly are. They think they are, but they're not.

Everybody thinks they are. At seventeen, we had it made. We were in control of life.

So how was that Ginsburg Owl?

Yeah?

Great? The masterpiece of the beat generation. M boy, I'll tell you that's uh. That's the one book you don't want your daughter reading if.

She had it to r That's fair, It's very fair.

I remember when I was fifteen, my older sister gave me a book and my mom was like, you really don't want to read that to you? You don't want to do that and it was. It was a Season in Hell and a very good translation of it, Rambo's The Season in Hell, and it blew my mind. Some things should not be read until you're of age, right, yeah, absolutely, But the impact books can make on the young mind is it's extraordinary.

Books are the biggest influence that I think one can have, and that's mainly because you can you say your own reality inside your head.

Of what that means exactly.

The imagination is engaged. You build your future inside your head.

Totally.

I don't know how kids are doing it today by looking at the screen. TikTok, that's it, I think, right, I mean, where's the imagination? Where? Where? Where are the worlds that you're creating inside your head? I don't know that. Well, we can get that's that's another podcast.

Totally.

I think the only world you can create inside your head with a digital age and a digital generation is how do I want to come across in these videos? And I think there's some very creative people that are editing inside their head going on there we goicklick click click click click, and that's how they think now because there's no words to read, you know, how do I do this?

In under a minute. And there there, there there you.

Have right, right, But I, but I The thing that is so romantic to me and so intriguing hooks is that there's this intellectual connection between Rory and Jess. That she doesn't have a Dean.

That's true. That's where Dean is from a small town and he is a small town minded.

So so you know, now we've got this art is involved. Now, art is going to take over now and you know, aesthetics are at play, so interesting, interesting dynamic. All right, Rory in Paris Chilton, Wow, the conflict is real.

Yeah.

Paris is the editor of the school paper, The Franklin, does everything in her power to punish Rory because she is holding a grudge against her from her date with Tristan, her quote unquote imaginary date with T. PJ. Harvey. She's

Listen, Paris is my is one of my favorite characters in the entire show. And I've said this for a very long time. I think that she is a gem of a human when she allows herself to be.

So I do. I do agree with you. She's she's absolutely an evil genius.

So we see that she's going to force her to talk to mister Medina about her piece. That's it's very awkward, you know, and I love how it was handled, and I love that they both confess to each other. I wish you I wanted to be your stepdad and I wish you were going to be my stepdad.

And that was very so cute that she goes off the record to do that. Yes, pauses the recorder and it's like, I just want you to know. Can we just also stay that Like you can really see Laura Lai in Rory all the time and kind of vice versa. You can understand exactly why they are two peas in a pod. They both have the same tendencies and they both have such great hearts, and you really see it there.

It's such a good moment.

You're right, But but Rory has that softer candy shell.

Yeah that's true now because she wasn't raised with Laurie's parents, right. I mean that has a lot to do with how you know, she was in survival mode as well her entire childhood, and everyone thought, oh, this rich girl hasn't made and she's like, yeah, sure, emotionally I don't right, right, But.

It doesn't seem like it doesn't seem like Rory can't stand up for herself. In fact, she displays a real emotional maturity here. And some games she can play. She can play Paris's games and beat her.

We see that so good.

That is so good when she takes the piece and just gets those kudos and finds that she finds the good. I think Rory ultimately is really great about finding the good in the situation and really exposes the good instead of being mad, instead of biting back, she punches back with good. It's very cool.

Yeah, she's a wolf in sheep's clothing sometimes, isn't she.

Totally She's unexpected. She's very unexpected. She will say that, all right, see.

Your character, Brad, Yes, hi, Brad, you left chilting for a bit because of Paris. Okay, do you think he could have ever stood up to Paris like Rory does?

No, absolutely not, kind of melt melted like a puddle.

Right, Yeah, I don't think No matter how confident Brad ever got, I think it would have birded.

Those triggers, no matter.

What he would have been like, I got this, I can stand up to everybody in my life on Paris. I think Paris would have always been the I'm too scared to deal with life moment, no matter what.

Right, All right, now we move on to the iconic push that we'll call it the the push. Luke picked Jess up from school and confronts him about Taylor, accusing Jess being a thief stealing that donation money for the bridge. Jess once Luke to essentially stopped caring for him, he tells him, as they walk and talk across the bridge until Luke shoves him in. Now this is one of the you know it was a we did thirty God, we did something like we did so many takes of

I feel like this is all one shot of the walk and talk.

Yeah, right, it is one shot. I think it took a few takes. But that that push off the off the bridge, that's one take. Because yeah, had had we to do it again, it would have required Milo to go, you know, into his trail, change his clothes into dry clothes, and then redo his makeup and the thing, and it would take would have taken an hour, hour and a half.

Right, totally, it would have been a long day.

That would have been a long day. So they know they told they told us, hey, you got one shot at this.

This is also it was. It was perfectly shot, and you guys nailed it. I have to say, you guys really nailed it. Because when you see that argument and walking off, you guys walk off with the exact same cadence. Right, It's hilarious. Luke getting so much mad that nothing is said, he just what pushes him. It's like it's one of those moments where like, oh, like it's so funny.

And then you're like, it's not gonna it's not gonna end.

Well, but the dialogue leading up to it was like you would have expected Luke to walk in the opposite direction. Those should walk walk in opposite directions, because he said, leave me alone, get stop following me, stop doing this, get out of you know, get out of my life basically. So then yeah, instead they walk together in unison, in harmony.

Yeah.

Absolutely, And I think that's the moment where Luke figures it out, where he goes, leave me alone, blah blah blah.

This kid clearly can't be alone.

This is what got you here, right, And so no, you know, you little I'm gonna walk next to you, right, and we're gonna do this whether you like it or not.

And then he's just like, you know what, screw this kid.

You know what. I missed this show. I really too. What a great experience that was working with the yeah and working in these situations. What a gift, What a gift.

What I have to say watching back and rewatching all of the episodes is that I wish I would have appreciated it as much when it was happening as I do watching it, because it's one of those shows that's so classic that no matter how you're feeling, it's going to help.

It's one of those shows. It's a comfort show.

Every day I was there, it felt like, you know, I was on stage in New York and we were doing theater and it was challenging every day, and it was you get to work with great actors every day with these great words, and what a treat that was that job, man.

It's so amazing. What I also love is the subtleties.

There's a lot of things where you can watch an episode three or four times and catch something different because there's a lot of hidden subtleties and every single episode. This one didn't have any, but usually if you watch the seasons as a whole. It's funny because Amy loves to reference music Man specifically throughout the entire show. She has a lot of musical theater references, but music Man is the one that comes up the most. And I

Huh.

So if you really look, there's so many music Man references and it makes me crack up as a musical theater nerd watching it because I'm like wow, because they're in River City, Iowa. Like I get all of these clips. There wasn't any in this particular episode, but it happens so much, right, so much right right right.

Closing scene just runs into roy Intown, does a couple of magic tricks. Right, we've talked about these stolear book, yes, owl put some No, it's in the margins. Oh gosh, he's really she he's really smart. And the coin trick, the coin tricks.

Yeah, he shows how smart he is for sure.

Yes, right. What's her level of interest in him?

I think he's very intriguing because there's things to know.

What is her level of Oh it's her.

I thought you said mine that.

Was like.

You know, it started out at kind of like zero, right, Yeah.

I think it was a zero or one, and I think now it's like an eight.

Yeah, it's probably sticks to eight.

Yeah.

Total. You think Jess already sees the potential and Rory right away? What do you think? What do you how do you think he sees her?

I mean I think he sees her as a cute girl that he can just kind of corrupt right away.

I think he's like, ah, you'll do let's go. Yeah, let's go.

No, we're we're doing this thing. And I think he's testing her, you know what, I think, Yeah, go ahead.

I think he thinks she's the one.

Really, you think that.

I think he knows that right away that she's the one and he's never gonna be good enough for I think he's in love observation right away. Yeah, but he knows he can't touch her or can't have her, but he's gonna try like hell, because he's she's gonna save him.

That's how he sees her.

Yeah, you can save me.

There's nothing worse in life than relying on somebody to save you or thinking you can save somebody else. And

Get to that floor. There's no way. Yeah, that's an.

Interesting take that that he thinks that she's the one right away. That's that's a good observation.

Yeah, he can recognize that. He knows why, it's why is there. He's thunderstruck right away. Boom. All right, Adam Wiley. Fan questions here we go. Fans want to know, they want to know, Adam. Let's talk about Into the Woods. Okay, okay, yeah, okay. So your character had to leave to star in Broadway. Okay, that is a fact. Brad had to leave. No more, Brad. But because we're going a Broadway now, yes, well, you were actually in that same Broadway production with the role

Oh my god, gosh.

When I got back from New York and moved home after however long and got the script for Gilmore Girls, cracked it open and saw that my Broadway career was referenced, I died laughing. I thought that there was nothing more genius than this, and it was almost like Laura I herself teasing me in a sense, and I loved every second of it. I thought it was the biggest honor that I could possibly have, especially that there was an actual New York Times review in the script.

There was nothing that was cooler in that moment in time.

And I don't know if I've experienced much that's cooler since, to be honest with you.

So tell us about your own relationship with Broadway. You did TV as a kid and Broadway. Yeah, what were you more passionate about.

I was passionate about what would hire me. I'm gonna be honest with you. I feel like I have severe ADHD. So pulling myself into a million different directions is something that I'm really really good at and become accustomed to, to be honest, and if I'm not doing one thing, I kind of miss doing it. So when I wasn't filming TV, I was doing Broadway, I missed it, but

If I had to choose, I don't know if I could. I'm gonna be honest with you, but.

I think ultimately I would pick TV because Broadway is the hardest work you can possibly do, in my opinion, as an actor in your life, you have to be It's a twenty four hour a day job. People think, oh, you're just doing a two and a half hour show.

No, no, you're not.

You have to prep every single day to be so consistent. Especially if you're singing. You have to be vocally in tiptop shape all the time. You have to be aware of what you're the food you're taking in. You have to be aware of how much sleep you're getting. Do you have as reflux so you need to sleep with a humidifier, is your bed propped or you're getting enough sleep. You have to check in to see if your voice is still there. You know what notes are you hitting?

Those exercise Yeah, it's singing is.

Hard, it is.

And to do it, and to do it every day form every day, that's that's man, that's hard.

It's a lot. Eight shows a week is no joke. It's it's a it's a war, especially when you're doing it for a nine month contractor or more.

Yeah, a lot, it's a lot. What's your favorite Broadway show?

My personal favorite Broadway show is Big River And I got to play Huck Finn in North Carolina, and I was I've done the show three times, but the time that I got to play Huck was like obviously my favorite. He never leaves the stage. You know, the singing in it is is insane. For Huck, he just never stops talking. He does magic in it, which is great, and he's just singing and dancing and narrating the story. So for me, that was my dream role and I and I got

My age to be as to a few, So yeah, of course, of course.

Okay the song cherish, yes, pick for you to sing a graduation in the show.

Yes, how was that?

So? I listened to that style of music every single day of my life, mostly because when I was in my younger years, my mom was transporting me and she was in control of the radio, which means that Krona one and ninety nine point nine were constantly on the radio.

So the oldies but goodies.

That was a massive song in its day.

It was huge.

Everybody in my generation learned a slow dance to that song.

Oh so good.

And so when I first heard I was like, oh, the cherish is the word I used to describe bong bong. Okay, I got I got it, I got it, I got it. So we go and we we do the rehearsal and I sing the bong bong and everyone's like, what are you doing there?

That's how the song goes. And I was completely oblivious that the supposed to see these bong bongs.

I was just following the music, like in my head, going, no, that's that is that is how this goes.

That is that is it?

And it does this bong bong and then you you go uh and it was funny and they were like heye bit and I was like, oh okay, Like I didn't get it at the time. I didn't get why it was funny. I just did it right right, But I love that song. The song is incredible.

Do you get recognized for being on Gilmore Girls? Every single day of my life? Isn't an amazing it's Mezls.

I will be anywhere, especially when I'm performing at the Magic Castle. People are you that guy from Gilmore Girls the graduation right, Brad? You're the Paris Brad. And it's amazing how many people also know the trivia and are like, I know you actually went to Broadway and I'm like.

Whoa, this is crazy.

It's it's shocking every time that the show it really is just as popular now as it was.

Oh more so, you think so, more.

So, more so, more people are a Netflix. The numbers are creaty, the streaming numbers are nuts. Yeah, I mean, I mean it's like been off the air for you know, eighteen years, and it's still number six and number seven on Nielsen Raiding. Yes, streaming numbers, yes, what a.

What a blessing for us as actors to have that show man.

I still walk into like random spots where you can buy T shirts and I'll see a Luke's T shirt or a mug and I'm just like, it's so awesome.

They're ubiquitous. They're everywhere. That logo is everywhere.

The Luke's logo is everywhere.

Oh my goodness, Adam. A joy to reconnect.

Absolutely, thank you for having me. I would love to you have me anytime.

We have so many more questions to ask you. We didn't get to all of them. Apologize to fans for that, but we're running out of time here. Please come back. All the best to you. Thank you for your time.

Absolutely, thank you for having me. I praraazy gentlemen, mister.

Adam Wiley, and thank you all for all your cards and letters and your downloads. Best fans on the planet, and remember where you lead, we will follow and Adam is going to be there too. Stay safe, everyone.

Dot everybody off again.

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