Jim Rash

This is me, Craig Ferguson. I'm inviting you to come and see my brand new comedy hour well as Actually it's about an hour and a half and I don't have an opener because these guys cost money. But what I'm saying is I'll be on stage for a while. Anyway, come and see me live on the Pants on Fire Tour in your region. Tickets are on sale now and we'll be adding more as the tour continues throughout twenty twenty five and beyond. For a full list of dates, go to the Craig Ferguson show dot com. See you

Welcome to the Joy Podcast. Welcome to the Kids Super Studios here.

In Brooklyn, New York, where inside the tent today, my guest will not be here because this is one of

I've never heard of it, kind of like me.

Please welcome Jim rash Jim.

Yes, I've broken my rule for you.

I had this rule that I wasn't going to do any more remote podcasts. Oh, but I've broken it for you for two reasons.

One because it's you and I adore you.

Thank you.

Two because I heard you had your kitchen done.

But I'm I'm on the East Coast and I and I wanted to be able to see it. But at the same time, I wasn't prepared to make you know, trends go intinntal flight for just and I know I've talked up this kitchen and you've been going on about it and dying to see it.

So this is this is a win win for both of us because I'm so very proud.

You should be proud. Now let me, did you design it yourself. Are you a design Are you a house design any person? No, not at all. And for those washing I feel like I'm stereotyping you there a little bit because I feel like I'm like, oh, you probably do your own design, if.

You know what I mean, but you probably don't. No, I just get it. The gays get it. No, I have a friend who is much better at this. I'm one of those people that point and go I like that, you know that kind of that kind of eye. And then you always want somebody who's going to do something that you don't even think of. So not that this kitchen is like out of the ordinary, and most people listening are going, oh, do you really have this kitchen done?

I think is pretty great. And also what what you wander with the designers? You want cohesion? Cohesion? Cohesion, because I like I I can I do what you do? I go, wow, like that, But do I know, say we that is nice, but you've got to have you know, if you're going to have that, you've got to have that.

You don't want to do like you know, theme rooms like flag thing playing. Yeah, this is this is my kitchen. Yeah, is that your kitchen?

Actually?

Okay, No, I mean it's a choice. It's a choice.

It's a choice. But I'm in a tent in Brooklyn. What it is? I mean, I don't know if you've been to Brooklyn Williamsburg recently? Have you been to Williamsburg?

Not recently? I have?

I have been. Remember the TV show Portlandia. I do, yes, it's that. It's that's where I am.

Okay, understood, it's Newbarkle, a little bit of Portland to Brooklyn.

Well, I didn't bring it, it was here. I just turned up bringing a little bit. I brought a little bit of Scotland, but no so much of Scotland. So you're just squatting in some tent. I have intent. I'm squatting in Williamsburg. Where are you from? You know you have rights? I have right from LA. Is that what you're going to ask? Yeah, I was going to say, I think I think of you as being East coasty, but you're actually.

No right, No Iam east coast in the sense of southeast. I grew up in North Carolina, so so yes in that sense.

But I grew up in Charlotte. I love Charlotte did you ever?

You know they have that really good comedy club there, the Comedy Zone. I think.

I have never been there. It's also been a hot minute since I've been in Charlotte's. I've lived in LA for thirty years and I was at school in Chapel Hill and that was just a quite a bit of go So that was you know. I have family still there, but I don't get there as much these days. Why wouldn't you go back to Charlotte? It's I mean, oh, I just you. I have family there and I just don't get there that much.

That's why I don't go to Scotland. No, I also have family in Scotland. Yeah, that's true, you know I don't. That's not the reason. I just haven't been back east some time. They've been coming here.

So that's it. You know, it's probably my turn now. I haven't seen you in a while. Did you get damaged in either? Have you been rioted or fired? Not? Fire doesn't work, fired button, fire, dozen on fire fired before, but not in that way.

But no, I I you know, gratefully did not have to. I left my house at one point because there was a fire when a very brief one broke out in run Yan Canyon. Oh yeah, and that was one of those ones where you're looking at it and go yeah, even though it's not close, too close for me. So I went one night to a friend's house, but that was put out pretty fast. And but no, no, I uh, I am thankful unfortunately have friends who were not who

Yeah, I mean watching it from Afar, I mean I lived in LA for twenty three years and watching it the neighborhoods grew up. I was like, oh my god, that's crazy, Like I mean, it's not it's very yeah, which it like no, is it the air better and stuff?

Well, I guess so.

But you know that season's coming, so you know, everyone got like the watch Duty app which was like saved probably everybody.

You know.

It was very up to date and that's already you know now and then going off they're small like quickly put out things. But you know that's it is. That time of year is coming to us.

Fire season. I don't know that fire should be a season. There's one of the at all no these I live in New York City no, and it's it's different. Every day is weed, pee and rat smell. That's the season.

But that's at least you at least you expect one season. Sort of, how la is almost the same temperature you get up in the morning. You know, great, pe rats all is right in the world, and weed all is right in the world.

Yeah, yeah, I don't.

I feel like it's a little bit of an imposition the weed smell because I don't smoke weed. You smoke weed.

I do not, right, That's not said as a judgment.

I just don't. No, I'm not judging people for doing it. I just don't feel I should have to participate in it. Do you know what I mean. I'm getting a lot of secondhand weed smell. Yeah, understood. Yeah, I don't care for it.

I'm just I was bad at it, you know, like I've done even nibbling an edible.

I did it wrong.

I just I don't like I guess some people some people just know how and and their personality or something it reacts right way. I just I'm the one who gets quiet, and which might be great for other people, but I get quiet and I get in my head and then all I'm doing is having a dialogu where I'm like, you're not speaking gym, You're not saying anything. And I was like, while that might be beneficial to those around me, it isn't to me in my head.

So I was like, I'm not doing this correctly.

You were right when you look at because I mean, I think.

Of you obviously as a performer stough, but I always think of you as a writer too.

Do you ever have any do you have any good ideas?

When you were like, because there is this myth, Well maybe it's not a myth for some people. For me, I could never come up with anything when I was high. Nothing.

No, I don't think it does me creatively right, and that that I can remember because obviously I don't do it. So if I did, I would have kept doing it if it was more fruitful than me just staring at a blank page, cold sober.

Yeah, I think that that kind of terror is what gets me to work, is when I see that you know there, if I don't do anything here, there's going to be a problem. As opposed to I'm busy thinking like I think type first, think later. That's my approach, and certainly that seems to be Yeah, you know, observable in my output, like clearly he types first then thinks later, oh yeah yeah.

Well then somebody is going to say, you know, every every book is going to say their version of that, oh right from your first past, just right from your heart, don't you know, don't edit or whatever. I find that enviable but personally impossible. I I I write, rewrite, but the same you.

Got to rewrite. You got to like go back and go back, go back, go back all the time.

Are you writing right now? Are you writing anything? Just now? I am?

I just I just finished editing something I had written closer to pandemic year and and just starting outlining something at the moment.

So it's a movie. You did a movie.

It's a movie. It's it's based on it is a true story, which I've never done, like something a real persons story. But I'm taking a stab at it, and see if I do you remember Team well, they went by a team named Team Hoyt last name h o y T. The father pushed his quadripletic son who had serebral palsy through Belfston marathons, triathlons, and so they were a team for a good Lord. They ran thirty marathons, you know, and he would just push his son through

Do you have any connection to that world? Do you are you close to anyone who's in that position?

No, No, I just it was just I think I'm working with nat Fax and who I often work with, and I think it's just a beautiful story and and there was like a lot of elements to it that I felt that we felt fit within the things that we like. There's a lot of comedy and drama happening

Yeah. I was great. I'm glad you brought up not because I was. I didn't know if you and I were still working together, or if you had some horrible argument and they weren't talking to each other.

So I'm glad to hear that you're not well.

The second statement is true. There's always a horrible argument, but we are still together. I find him, I find him, and I say this with love. Just reprehensible.

Yeah, you know, it's funny. You are a very odd couple. I mean, I know you're not a couple, but but but you're You're an odd duel. You see, very different, and yet the stuff that you do has a very definite voice to it, like all of its own. It's kind of it's interesting to me. Have you ever thought of appearing as the odd couple? I think the Neil Simon played with you and that fact. There's something there, you know. You know.

The one thing I do know is no one's tired of watching the odd couple on stage or ever.

So so no, I'm serious. It is it is.

It is a a coupling that always works. Now we we will maybe one day we'll get into regional theater and actually do the odd couple, odd couple. But we are, we are very different, and I think that works to

Get out and let me finish this. Yeah. Yeah, I feel like I observed that as well. Is that what you met at Groundlings?

Yeah, we met at Groundlings in what's called the Sunday Company, right before the main company.

What's the Sunday Company.

Well, there's so many there levels. You know, you start the school and everyone starts at the same place. You know, you have like basic improv and intermediate improv, and you work on your way to the Sunday Company, which literally performs on Sunday and sort of like your last stage to hopefully make it into the main stage, the main Groundings Company. So a lot of people spend up to a year and a half in the Sunday Company and then hopefully get into the main company. So it's a very fun time.

I did. I made it.

I was in the I was an actual main community for thirteen years and I still performed the day I'm getting ready to direct the next main show.

So I have never left.

I just you know, at one point you become an alum because you don't want to deal with uh mass emails and voting right.

And I feel like I feel Groundlings is a bit like Catholicism that once you know, once you're in, you don't you don't get out, like maybe the mafia, you know, comedy in comedy out you know, there's no no way to doing it any other way. No, it's one way through. Yeah, it does seem like a like is it? Can I say it's a cult? I think it's a cult. Yeah, I mean I know it's not, but I like saying it is. I mean, let me, are we drinking blood?

Sure, but I mean other other than because if you don't have someone else's blood in the taste of it, you can't perform or find a comedic connecting thread.

I mean that's a lot a lot of people don't know that about show business. Then you have to.

Drink blood before you get one stand.

Uda Haggens said it.

Even in acting, you really need to taste blood of your partner in order to really connect on stage. And don't anybody look that up. But that's what Uda Hagen said. I love that you referenced uttah Hagen you're welcome. That's no right thing.

Nina Hogen. No, Nina, it wasn't Nina Hagen. Ninety nine Luft balloons.

Oh, I did not know that, but I I love.

That ninety nine balloons were just looking up right now? Remember ninety nine? Yeah, yes, no, yeah, I knew it because you would either hear it, well it was partly in English or there was also by an all English version. Yes, I think it was an all English version which was released for America. M She did not sing, well, that's who Nina Hogen didn't. We're wrong. No, it was a woman called Nina, but our second name was not. No, it was because the Hagen thing.

I was going to say, because I remember Nina Hagen to be UDA's sister who always did not care for Uda, because she was always assigned to be prop master for UDA's actings.

You remember, Nina, that would be a lot of work blogs, I said, Well, I think that's what I said. I don't think let's talk a little about Utta Hagen, though I don't want to let this draw up just yet because I don't I feel like I don't know really anything about Uta Hagen. Do you know much about Utta Hagen to me, I do not.

The fact that I referenced her was mostly a bit I will say. I will say I I took it. I deactivated and took a little mentalist break from on Instagram. But at the time Instagram someone was uploading old clips of Udah Hagen and teaching her acting classes, which were a dream to watch as she's showing, you know, actors in whatever period. This was from certain tricks and how to be in a scene, and that was enthralling. But that's as much as I have I have a mental picture in my head of her.

That's it. I think Uta Hagen was was the person I remember talking about the illusion of spontaneity. I think she said that you have to look like I just thought of it. Well, you understand the words the illusion of spontaneity. But that's I feel like that was hard. But that could have been Uta Lamper as well. It was certainly a Nuta or maybe or maybe it was Nina who sang ninety nine.

Right right, and she's sang it. It was like the first time.

Yeah, it's safe for us to assume that there are a lot of Uddahs out there and a lot of people last named Hagen, who are very very key in our lives.

You know that Sammy Hagar's real name no is Uta Hagar. I can see why he switched it up a little bit. Yeah, and I think that was the right choice. I mean, Sammy, so we're at a rock star relatable a Sammy. How he's doing?

Yeah, because that's that's a rock stars talk apparently, Yeah, how he's doing?

And you also, I'm sure there were concerts where instead of yelling out of a song they wanted to hear they go.

Tell us something about acting, you know, like like what about the illusion? Yeah, forget and I know this is not him, but forget freebird. Tell us how the best way to block a scene? Yes, that's what. What is the best way to block a scene? I always think it's good to have all the actors standing in the light, shouting towards the front, and then everybody is able to break up on what's going on.

I always tell them, don't cheat out, be out, like be out, don't look at your scene partner, connect only with the audience and throw everything right at them and.

As loud as possible. And if you have to shout no, that's okay.

I don't say projected the back, I say project to another state.

That's right. Just just yell as loud as you can, and it does. It's okay to look like you're yelling a lot of people. They'll get it, they'll understand what you're trying to do.

Yeah, and then I tell them, if the scene is about anger, choose one note and stay there.

Yeah, and start big, Like if it's an angry scene, start really angry and stay really angry.

I always say, anyone who tells you to build from a place doesn't know what it means to construct a scene. That person needs to quit and go open up any type of shop. But don't tell me how to build a scene. Start big and go bigger. I always like.

There's a very complicated I call it the the bone Jovi acting technique. This is how I like to do it. By Jeovie songs, me to do big noise. Then there's a little bit of things, then a big noise. That's how I like to do act. Right, shout something, then I do yeah, then I shout it again.

Yeah, and then it's always oh it. Acting is like performing a song. There's a verse, there's a chorus, there's a bridge, right. So if i'm if the scene is, you know, I'm upset. I'm telling this person to get out out of there. I'm like, gout and here's what you're gonna do.

Don't look at me, but you better believe.

Now, should they be able to hear what the stuff I'm saying quietly? Not necessarily necessarily if they are in the street, if they've read the script, they already know. So you always act because you know what's happening in the scene, don't.

I feel I feel as well that I don't know if you have the I whenever I work as an actor, I don't read the script. I read the lights. So it's I just lead the lines that I'll be saying because I figured, Dan, it will come as a nice surprise when the other.

I say, what that's one o one. It's my job to know what their lines are. It's my job to know my lines, and if I choose to skip a couple pages, that's my right.

I always tell you that they can fix it.

And post Hello. This is Greig Ferguson and I want to let you know I have a brand new stand up comedy special out now on YouTube. It's called I'm so happy, and I would be so happy if you checked it out to watch the special. Just go to my YouTube channel at the Craig Ferguson Show and is this right there? Just click it and play it and it's free. I can't look, I'm not going to come around your house and show you how to do it. If you can't do it, then you can't have it.

Very much so? I I yes, I felt it was robbing me. I think I was getting distracted, I think, And it wasn't even me posting so you people go, I don't post much when I go, but it's really not about posting that bothers me. And because I do enjoy there, look, I you know, I understand the joys of it. I enjoyed that kind stuff. But I found myself getting to the place where if we're going to a party and you say to your friend. Oh my god, you went to Europe. Like in other words, back in

Anyway.

I just I just didn't like And also we're getting you know, you get hit with a lot of news at the same time, so you're just trying to, like, I think, uh, take care of yourself.

I've stopped looking at the news completely.

Now I don't look at the news at all. It seems like it's going well. Yeah, I think it's going great. I know that if I like, sometimes if I walk by a TV repair shop, of which you know, MYNN is legendarily the thousands I love on the Upper East Side, which is mostly TV repair shops. So that's that's I February, I walk by a TV repair shop and the news is on. Seems like Los Angeles is doing great, particularly in the last couple of days.

Yeah, yes, it's it's it's a pleasure to refresh your news and just and and and and then everything's either the opposite. This is happening, this isn't happening, and it's and it's like, you know, Ellie's a giant place. So it's we're talking about something that's like downtown right at this moment, and rightfully so protesting uh this moment, you know, and you hope, I hope it doesn't get to a

No, it's funny, though. Have you ever been part of a protest or something like that? I mean, I've It's something I've never really never really found myself in that position. I've never thought, well, you know what, Steim, I was said this and joined in with my friends. Maybe it's because I do what I do for eleven so you're gonna get it out another way. But or maybe I should Maybe I have absolutely no civic responsibility and I'm a horrible person. It could be that quite easily.

Well, you know, these are great places where you put a mirror in front of yourself and you have to look at yourself, crag and decide.

Right, what are you for?

Yeah, well, you know, mostly for at this point in my life. I'm now sixty three years old, Jim, So I'm I'm kind of mostly for sitting down.

I'm all about sitting down, and.

That's kind for protesting, that's that's for who they need. They just want you to sit. They need to love and keep it coming.

If there's a sit in somewhere comfortable, like if they're going to be well, we're all getting together, we're going to sit in this very comfortable lounge to protest, then we're like, wow, I feel like I want to be part of that.

You need a glamping version of activism.

Welcome to my tent. I'm in a tent right now, a glamping tent.

That's yeah, it's called that's called full circle.

Full circle conversation. That's one of those Rate and Slash acting techniques. And they teach you that in the ground, Like what do you learn on your day at the ground? Like I call it full circle.

In other words, if you get lost in the scene and you don't remember it, just go back to the first line and see if you get it right. And so the audience will get it. Oh, we're going to go back and we're going to start over. It's called full circle.

You know that. You know this the idea of the call back, when the comedian will call back to a joke at the ear layer. I've been working on a technique recently called the reverse call back, where I referenced jokes which I haven't told yet. Seems to I think audiences really like that. I like, wow, this is clever.

Yeah, I love it in the sense that you just keep doing and go how about for that for a callback? And then just keep going And then someone goes like I really, I wasn't listening very well.

I kept missing missing stuff.

I didn't remember when he talked about barbershops, but he came right back to it and he said, you know, hair and a shave done done like that? And I kept I didn't know why I kept going. And I think that is it hair and a shave cut.

Hair and a shave done done.

Like shave and a haircut. Fo bits, it's too predictable. And I think hair and a shave done done is I still want to know what you teach the first day of when you go to groundlings as a fresh faced young improvisationer, like, I'd like to be an improvisationer.

Yeah, what is day one? When you sit down and what do you do?

Well? Uh?

Really it truthfully, it is to jump up and just start doing it. And I find it very interesting to watch what happens when you get a class or two of just throwing them up there and doing improv exercises and then take a moment to sit down and break down if we want to call them rules or like structures, and then watch how it deconstructs them, and then they

Oh boy.

And the one they realize, I know, is that the yes andrel Is that a real rule?

Yes? And you just have to keep adding? Is that is that real? I think? I think it's a good rule to be learning in the very beginning, and the idea of being in agreement.

In other words, I'm going to zig with you. If you're gonna zag, then I'm just going to go with you. In other words, I'm not going to to not and I'm not going to negate that. I think improvisers who were doing for a while there is a version of no that they come to understand that keeps the scene going,

You know. I find it fascinating improvisation because the it's something that I've never really been comfortable with in groups. I mean, look that what I was doing late and I Josh and I who was doing the scale, and that's all we ever did, like we we never really have. But but actually the the kind of slightly more I don't know about structure, but certainly branded sort of improvs that you know, Okay, those four of stage we're going to play what is it they used to call. There

I thought that was so vague. It was called the something. Well, everything's called something, right, The idea of the of the improv. It was like a long form thing that you would tell us the way. I can't long form improv, which I don't really I don't. I genuinely don't understand.

I'm not trying to be obtuou so I don't know what it means when you say long form improv. What does it mean?

Well, I mean I think long form improv is you might just get one suggestion, as I understand it. Let's just say, like a group gets up there and says we're going to perform long improv. Just give us the title of display, and they don't. They're not gonna get anything else from the audience. They're just going to go with that one thing, and then for me, long long improv. And then like you know, Second City and they do Haralds, which can be based on one thing.

The one here's the one, you know, the Harald or the or Harold.

Well, I always said Harold, but that's that's I don't know if it's the man's name or like Harold as in a but I have to do with well Harold, but also always thinking of something that flows into each other, because the idea is that, you know, if you're doing

Right, well, clearly, fair well, but that but they're breaking the rule of, you know, keeping the scene going because they've swerved the car, they've stopped the car, and they've said, Jim doesn't know he's talking about. Doesn't it give you anywhere to go? Doesn't give me where to give?

I heard that, I would say, you just negated what I just said, which I said, was this true statement about a Herald, right.

That was the one I always felt intimidated by it. Because when I was doing the Drew Carey show, that's just when those Drew and Ryan styles and those guys were putting together Colin Mockery were putting together whose line is it? Anyway? And they would go and practice at the Improv Club in Los Angeles and I went once and I thought, I don't like this. I don't understand that. I don't feel comfortable doing it. And they were like, no, You're the perfect sort of person for this, and I'm like,

Always that part I get.

I like I like being alone. I like I like working a loon, I like being on stage in my That's that's fair.

It's like you're and I'm going to say it, because I think you're saying it. You're selfish, you want all of the glory on stage. Yes, yes, I think that's right. Selfish, mean, mean spirited. I think it is probably fair. That's fair. That's that's your that's your brand, and I think it's it's it's working.

I I'm known for it.

I am known for it.

No, when I was getting I'm here, I text her friend and I said, oh, I'm getting ready to go on this really mean spirited, uh selfish loaner. And he goes, look, Craig Ferguson, I go, yes.

I oh god, that's alarming but true.

I guess what about the idea of working alone for you like doing stand up? You ever done stand up? I don't think of you a.

Stund No, I've never done stand up. I envy those who have that skill set. That doesn't seem like it's my jam if you will not to be great jam.

But I will say what I have done.

Alone on stage, which springs, which I love so much. And I didn't create the show, but I've done it before at the Groundings. A former Grounding create a show called one and one is the idea that a performer will get up there at improvise, completely improvised with nothing, obviously a one person show.

So I get up there so looking there for that?

Can I do that? Yes? It is.

You would excel at this. It's so funny. It's terrifying. All day you're like, this is one of those shows where you're like, uh, maybe not be for you, but for me. You're wired and the day is shot because you're trying to do everything else and you just know eight o'clock's coming and.

You're like, why the fuck am I doing this show? Oh? Why?

Because it's terrifying, and the audience is so on your side because they know the idea. But the idea is you get up there and the director will get the this is Jim, I'm not playing gim like. It'll get a fake name just so they separate this. Not Jim Rushes, one person show. It's like just a made up name,

It is terrifying.

And then when you get off stage or like, I want to do it again, and then you book it and then you know why am I doing this? And then I want to do it again because the audience is so there, And so you get to do this type of improv that I've never done, where you just have to trust that there is going to be lulls.

Yourself out of it.

And so you play a bunch of characters, you talk to eat yourself as different characters, and it gets insane, of course, but it's fun.

I am not kidding. I've never heard of this before. I feel like I might have been doing a version of this my entire career, and I want to I want to do this I genuinely want to do this. I need you, I need you to give me a number of the Groundlings or do you have a New York branch of the.

Groundling that way way way back way before me, they had an attempt at an expansion, but this was long, long ago, and they don't.

It's just la.

But yeah, Deanna Oliver, who is a fantastic writer as well, and she's Groundling alum, and she created the show, so I will give her a talk, is Yes, it's a blast.

That's it is perfect for me. This is actually perfect me. I feel like you'll like to drink two cups of coffee before it. I think one and a half.

But that's just because because that's well, you know why I say one half. That's the folklore of It's very Shakespearean. Never drink two cups of coffee before a play?

Is it because it's an even number?

Or I think it was either again Udah Hagan or Shakespeare who said it, so, I don't remember which of the two said it, but it was something of like he who he or she who has one cup? Your talent runneth over to talent? Uh to the door she go? But the door do well, and I think that's the exact same. One and a half will do well too. No one will do you well. The talent will be forth coming something you can sell.

Yeah, some of these words are going to change when I tell you the second time, but just give me a second to get it right. It's like one cup of coffee will do you well, and talent will be forthcoming too, will make it leave the door.

A half cup more and talent shall be fine. I'm pretty sure that's what it was.

It's interesting because it does change quite a lot every time you see it, which I don't think.

So have one cup of coffee and you will do fine, and talent will come much more too, and it will leave the door a half a cup more will do you fine.

It's the same, right, I feel like I feel like I feel like I have it now, and that's great. Now, Shakespeare, this is Look, I'm sorry to bring this up, but I feel like I must for the stake of historical accuracy. I don't think Shakespeare knew what coffee was.

Oh okay, well, if good luck, go to Wikipedia and you'll find out you're wrong.

Well, I didn't feel like coffee might have arrived in Britain after Shakespeare. I think up until they drank only mud, you know, they were they would experimenting with different brown liquids. There was mud, there was pooh, there was courage water, there was you know, dysentery and stuff. But they didn't have actual coffee until coffee Time, which was.

Was that a proclamation? Coffee time was? Was that an actor or.

It was the coffee of seventeen o two when coffee was I think coffee is a new world thing that.

Wasn't so the king proclaimed it. I mean to me, you said mud, but that to me is slang for coffee, like, oh, a cup of jokeup, cup of mud. So maybe you just don't understand translation of text, and that's just that's okay if you don't know it.

Yeah, it's possible. I think it's possible that I don't understand mud, although growing up where I grew up, I feel like I have a very firm grasp of swampy conditions and the.

Mud.

I'm pretty sure Shakespeare didn't know what coffee was, and I feel like his plays would have zipped along a bit faster if he did. I think, particularly King Lear, I think it would be oh, I'm old. These kids is driving me crazy. What are you gonna do? Yeah, there's your three acts right there, King Lear. Oh, I'm getting old. These kids are driving me crazy. What are you going to do? Yeah?

I mean I think for it's good for a couple of productions to give it a shot of espresso, as we would say, like let's get this Shakespeare a shot of espresso and espresso.

Yeah. But I feel like as well, if he was in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, which was of course said in Italy, in the town of Verona, shakespearean play, I feel like you would have put coffee in that. If you have a coffee was Hey, let's go for a cup of coffee. I'm it with you, my gentleman friend. M h what accent were you just doing? That was Groucho Marx Chica Marx Mark in Two Gentlemen of Verona, his one man show. That was the twist. No.

I I closed my eyes and I was like, holy shit, am I that shallow?

And then yeah, I was coming to go. It's to me your friend from Verona.

Chico, Chico.

Yeah, yeah, And have you ever been to Verona or anywhere Ronda or Italy?

I have been only to uh is it? Is it called Turin or Charino like northern Italy.

I know exactly the tone you mean. I would call it to Reno, but I feel like that might be because ifever I'm reading the news on TV, I liked if the story is about Nicaragua.

I always like to say nic Yeah, all right, but that's the only I have so much of Italy to see, and that's the only place I've been.

I would say, be careful when you go to Italy because if someone has bad eyes, say, and they can't really see, they may think that you're Stanley Tucci.

No, I I get that, or Mobi. And Mobi doesn't live that far from me either, so we could do a great freaky Friday. But he has tattoos, so and you should be able to tell the difference. I know, I know Mob be quite well. I feel like, now as you mention it, you know what you do. You guys do look quite similar, right, No, No, that's the one I get more than Stanley Chuccu. However, I was in a lobby hotel lobby, and a woman approached me and said, oh my god, I'm a big fan.

Can I get a selfie?

We were posing for her, you know, her handheld selfie, and she said I love your show on Italy and then I go, oh, I'm.

Not Stanley Tucci.

And she did not snap that picture and it was just a slow you know, her hands slowly came down.

She didn't.

I jokingly said you probably don't need this picture, and she didn't take it. And then I told her her I was nothing that registered on her.

But I really burst that bubble.

I should have just said I, as Joel McHale told me, I should have just said, yes, I'm Stanley just kept going. But anyway, I was humbled by it because I was like, oh, I wish I had that kind of acting talent.

But thank you. I think you do.

I think she's amazing.

But I will take thank you.

No, he is amazing.

He's an amazing actor actually, because but I see him in Italy and I think, you know, I don't think he's acting there. I think he's genuinely having a good time. I would imagine, yes, yeah, yeah, I do love Italy. Where's the name rash from him? That's not an Italian name, is it. No?

Now I should say I'm adopted, So I'm not going I'm not going to rbus iner this, but but as I understand Rash as courting to my grandfather, found is Welsh.

Oh I thought I thought it was an allis Island thing from Rash from Germany because ri E s h E Rash.

Yes is a German name.

I according to whether this is right or not, he said, this particular Rash is a Welsh I believe it. Have you ever been to Wales, like as a teenager, so it's been a hot metod obviously, Yes, as a teenager we did the whole Yeah, Wales, Scotland, Oh you did?

Where did you go to Scotland?

Because that's where I'm from, I know, I'm all I remember is as a kid is wanting to go as many like castles and castle ruins. So I couldn't tell you everywhere we went. I've lived in most of them and we rode tripped through, so we just kept going.

You know. Yeah, it's probably a good idea. Did you were you very? You were a teenager.

Probably a preteeny yeah right, so did you eat the food there?

Well?

If I was a kid, if I was complaining, I do remember how jet lagged we were experienced hitting London, even when a family hits the place and everything goes off the rails immediately, and it's about being angry and like Coca Cola didn't have ice in it, so that probably freaked me out for a second.

Nothing day, they're still like, still, we don't have any eyes.

You can put it on the cold shelf.

If you ever experienced the cold shelf from Britain, shelf, it's a shelf, but it has no refrigerating quality. It's just ab I've got some one the cold shelf. It's a shelf near the door. That's it? Is that true? Wow? Yes?

Mostly yeah, if you're hot, go sit on the shelf.

Baby. They say that to people. Why don't you Nobody calls anybody baby in Britain. You can't see that's not you have an actual baby in Britain legally get cold baby. You can't say, hey baby, what's up in the south. It's just okay.

I would just naturally go and go, hey baby, why don't you go sit on that shaft feet y'all, y'all, y'all, sugar, y'all, y'all, and go sit on that shelf.

That's not that's not very Brendon if you coas someone baby, if you say I love baby, it's her babies and actual baby. Oh, it's an actual baby, the chances of you getting a reply or limited. Yeah.

I was just probably being a nice you know, one of one of my aunts or something calling me that to tell me go sit on the shelf.

But yeah, you're right, you're right, You're right, you're right. So if I go to the South, the next dame I go to the South, if I call people baby, they'll think it's okay. I'll hey, baby, can I have a scriber?

I haven't lived there in thirty years, but I'm pretty sure you know it's classic.

Hey, y'all, Hey baby, I don't know. I see. I feel like great affinity for people in the South because I also walk the earth meeting everyone I meet feels they can do my accent better than me. That I think people in the South also experience that what you're doing. Yeah, hi, y'all, Hey baby, you know, do you have a do you have any truth picks there?

Oh that's a classic y'all have tooth, which actually probably is everyone likes to pick their teeth because you would go to those restaurants like Sizzler, which you know, anybody knows Sizzler or something or any of those like chain steak places where you're getting like a waffle hot, waffle hout,

Yeah, y'all have any toothpicks in your dial? Your dial? Yeah? Have the dial up toothpicks?

Yeah?

Yeah, that was like, you know, that was pre COVID. They knew how to get one single, one touch, one touch toothpick device was already invented way before all that.

Did you get COVID by the way twice?

Yeah, me too, Yeah I had.

But how bad was? It was pretty bad?

The first one was I guess it's all subjective, but it was like, you know, the fever, don't feel like doing anything, sit on the couch for a couple of days, and then it just sort of broke. The second time, it felt like nothing had happened. Did you get vaccinated? Am I love to even ask you?

I don't know.

I mean, I'm not afraid to say it, of course, Yes I did.

Yeah, no, I I get vaccinated. I took iver mixed him. I drank bleach. That's so smart. Yeah, I feel like I took all the precautions. I oh, well, some of those things are just wonderful things. You don't want to let go.

Like I keep wiping down my groceries just for nostalgia, you know me, let me just oh, I wipe down these turkey burgers and just get nice and clean.

Yeah. I still bulk by enormous amounts of toilet paper. So smart, huge amounts of toilet paper, drunkloads. I bought big things of ketchup. I really thought that was going to be a you know, a possible, you know, empty shelf. But anyway, I was wrong. I have plenty of ketchup in Britain. You get your ketchup from the cold shelf.

Well, you know, it's probably makes sense because everyone debates whether ketchup should be in the fridge or not be in the fridge.

Well here's the thing, though, it's not cold ketchup in Britain. It's called tomato sauce, right classic, and it goes with the other sauce they have is and I'm not getting brown sauce.

And what is brown sauce? Is it like an a one? Is it like a or gravy?

Like it was like a steak sauce thing, but they call it brown sauce. Have you any brown sauce? I think a color shouldn't be the name of a sauce. No, not at all.

And I also think whoever invented brown sauce has always been offended because they were like, the ingredients deserve some respect. And he goes, wait, do you taste this? Oh, I love your brown sauce, and they go no, no, no, it's it's.

Your brown sauce.

Delicious, baby, it's ten ingredients. Oh, I don't care, it's brown sauce.

Brown brown, will do fine. I think that's probably what Shakespeare called coffee. Now when I think of it, see again, full circle, and now we know you know what. I think that is as the goodest time as any to say good day. That oh great, that was it. Yeah, that's it. That's it. We don't go on forever with this thing. We know, we we get it done. We call each other baby. We talked about pre Shakespearean beverages, and then it's time to heaven. That's heaven.

It is, it's heaven to see you again.

I could to see you from far. I wish I could be in the room with you, because I you know, it's kind of an open secret of how delightful you smell, and and I wish I could be in the room. I can only imagine what your kitchen is like.

It's just it's like Camra mill and dragcar cologne. It's just a beautiful collection of sense.

It's like going to dip teak. I think that you know the kind.

Yeah you yeah, will you make your own candles or you just you just smell?

Give you a little sticks. Then they say what does that smell like? And the oldest sticks to me, they old smell the name since I've had COVID.

Yeah, oh okay, so you had that problem. So it all is lavender to you or something.

Yeah, well everything at this point, because I'm No. Sixty three, everything smells like lavender and pee. But I think that's because I smell like lavender.

You know, it's so great to have all these things to look forward to the different chapters, you know.

Those parts of life that are just where everything just falls. The fuck apart. Now.

I remember sitting around the Southern campfire. My grandfather would tell stories of how you know he could he knew, you know, the love of his life was coming around the corner because urine and lavender wafted into the house. And I remember how romantic it was to think, Oh, here goes Grandma. Yeah, he smelled of it even then.

No, I heard the rustle of her bag and I knew she was the one.

Here she was, and then crackle, crackle of the fire. Those are the memories. Jim, God, bless you, bless you. It's great to see your baby. So good to see you. That was so much, Such a joy to talk to you.

It's lovely to talk to you. And congratulations on your kitchen. I know I'm seven years later, Bill, Thank you, Bill, wonderful. What a ninny right, what a journey I mean, I feel like we've all been on that journey twenty eighteen.

To twenty twenty five. You know, it's been a long road.

But we got that kitchen and yeah, darn look it's a beauty.

All worth it, all right, take care of my friend.

Thank you, Bye, Bry