Starring Brandon Baker as Johnny Kapahala in "Johnny Tsunami"

So welcome to our park Hopper episode this week where we are super excited yeah for today's guest. First of all, you might notice that I'm coming from an undisclosed location. If these clips go up on the Instagram machine, I am as all the Pod Mets World listeners will be able to notice. I am in Danielle Fischele's little podcast

We are so.

Lucky to have the one, the only mister Brandon Baker is joining us here and we get to talk all things Johnny Sunami.

I can't wait. This is gonna be so much fun. We both love this movie and we're so excited to actually get a chance to get some of the insights of what happened on the film with the man himself. I was gonna say with Johnny Sunami himself, but we find out that's that's not him.

I got a little tripped up when I want to go introduce him because he is not Johnny Sunami. It's not something that I just think is still so crazy because obviously there was a big storyline with the Grandpa. Yeah, however, it's still strange to me that Brandon's character is not Johnny, right right.

Yeah, we gotta we gotta figure that out. Yes, Johnny Sunami Junior.

What if there was a title before?

Who knows?

Like they landed on Johnny Ssunami? Who knows? All coming up?

It's one of those things where you know you've have you ever had this thing where you've never heard of something, and then once you've heard of it, now you see it everywhere? Right, I have that now with Johnny Tsunami back on the board. Has I never heard of the sequel or didn't know this sequel existed? And now I'm seeing stuff about it?

Is it popping up on your Disney Plus.

And Disney Plus and people have been emailed me about it, and I just keep going like, okay, just don't tell me, don't tell me yet. I want to know.

I was a giant fan of this movie when it came out, and I still had no idea and you had no idea. What is that about? What is that about, Disney? Why were you not targeting.

Me and making sure that I knew there was more of the good.

Yes, the title should have been Johnny Sinami back on the board, Sabrina. That should have been idiot. The movie was called but he is here. We can't wait to talk about what it was like to shoot Johnny Syinnami, if he is in touch with anybody from the show still, and of course what he's doing now. So can we please all welcome Brandon Baker? Hey, welcome, guys, Thank you so much for joining us. Where are you joining us from?

I'm curious Denver, Colorado?

Nice?

Nice?

Hey, Yes, I remember you, Jesus.

Brandon and I know each other from way back in the day. Wait will I messaged him on Instagram and was, hey, we uh did a pilot. It was before Cheetah Girls, after.

Johnny Tsunami, though you had already done Johnny right. I think I was.

Trying to piece that together. I was talking about fiance yesterday. I was like, I know who Sabrina Brian. I was like, look at this message, and she sent me wondering if I knew.

Who she was Like, I was like, I had a crush on this girl when I was like thirteen. Oh yeah, yeah. I was like, come on, I know you're married and you have a couple of kids. I did, but yeah, of course kids like a classic actor. Yeah, totally.

And the premise will I don't know if you remember. Sometime in the early two thousands or late nineteen nineties, I can't remember, but TRL was like giant and the Disney Chance wanted to kind of do a Disney version of TRL, and they were talking to us to be like the host for it, and so we were super excited. I you know, obviously loved music. And then we get there after they were kind of still piecing the show together and we did.

We didn't do an official pilot.

But we did a little bit at the Disney Channel building and then nothing, nothing came from it.

We were super stoked about it.

They kind of talked to us like it was a like go ahead thing, and then I like, never, no, yeah, but that was gonna be such. We were excited about the show. It's gonna be fun. And I don't remember, I can't remember if Johnny Tsunami came before that or not. I know, I feel like it had I feel like you were you know already.

Well, didn't we say that, Johnny some I think when we recapp Johnny Tsunami, didn't we say that? It was like nineteen ninety nine.

Yeah, and I think ioot that in two. So it was either right in the middle of that or.

Before. It would have to be.

It'd have to do when we're all one to the same casting directors all the time.

I'm sure. Well, Sabrina, when we originally started, even just the idea of this podcast, she was like, Giant Ssnami. We gotta do Giant Giant Snammy's my favorite movie. We gotta do Gianni Snami. So I have to imagine that doing the pilot with you was probably one of the highlights for Sabrina. It was because she was such a fan of your movie.

I was.

I was telling him it was during my It was perfect because it was during my surf era. I have a picture of my freshman year high school photo book. Literally I'm wearing puka shells like I was a I love surfing.

It was like the thing for me, but I also loved snowboarding.

So it was a perfect movie for me to absolutely just fall in love with because it was two incredible sports. The storyline was awesome, you were adorable. I mean, it was just it was there was nothing else to not like about Johnny Sunami.

I love well.

Speaking of that, I mean, do you have you been aware of I mean, there's been this massive resurgence of dcms lately, and one of them that's become hugely popular. I mean, in the conversation, it's always Johnnysunami, It's Brink. It's all of these kind of nineties from Smart House, like all these nineties movies that have really come back into the zeitgeist. I mean, is this something that you are aware of totally?

It's it's crazy. First of all, thank you guys for having me on. Obviously, Sabrina, good to see you. Will.

I'm fanboying because I grew up always wanting an older brother and so stoked, Like ten year old me is so stoked myself.

Hearing so thank that is so cool. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Thank you.

Was Will your older brother in your mind?

It's like the older brother that like I wish that I had. I I'm the eldest, so okay, I think I kind of patterned to myself after you or at least honestly after Eric, let's be real where I'm like, oh, yeah, if I'm an older brother, actually be like, you know, kind of kind of a a said sometimes I'm sorry. Yeah.

The resurgence of the Disney Channel movies is crazy, man. It's it's been something that I've been trying to piece together. I think during the pandemic, right when Disney Service came out that was huge where obviously we're all watching movies at home. Now I'm getting people like dming me saying like, hey, oh my god, we're watching movie.

This is awesome.

Hey.

Also now I'm showing it to my son, to my daughter.

And that's when you're like, this is crazy because, just like you're talking about Sabrina, we were just a couple of thirteen year old kids from Orange County.

I was just trying to land a gig, right, I was just like trying to get chosen for the team that happened to be Johnny's Tsunami, without any clue that thirty years from now this would be a thing that we're still talking about. So pretty incredible, Like, like, what an incredible blessing that I never asked for.

I mean, people, I just recently talked to a kid who's kid, a guy in his like mid twenties Filipino. Dude was like, hey, man, I don't think I would have gotten into acting had it not been for you. Like you're the first person that I saw on screen that kind of looked like me. That gave me the thought that, like, oh, shoot, I can do this too. So little things that where it's like, wow, I have nothing, I actually have nothing to do that right, I was born looking this way. I got casted because I was

Such a bonus of being part of the Disney Channel in general is that they create these storylines, Yeah, and opportunities for young talent, and there's just such a huge push from them to open the boundaries and have you know, like you said, you look like me or or your character really resonated with what I was going through. You know, that's such a huge bonus for actors to get to do roles that end up matt like having a meaning, they matter, They're not just you know, fun, and that's it.

That's unreal. I love that. I love that. That's so cool.

I think also they've played our shows or our movies.

Over and over, and yes, a little bit of brainwashing does go into it.

It is a little bit a little like you will like this movie Johnny is the best movie.

Yeah.

Yeah. I think also like we're part of like the last or one of the last generations of like monoculture.

Yeah.

Absolutely, So much is fractured now into these different little niche groups of whatever you're into. And back then it was like, well we all kind of had just you know, twenty cable channels, Disney Channel. If you were in that age group, that's what that's what you went to, or TRL or Nickelodeon or or whatever.

So yeah, I also have to add just one thing to what you said. Yes, they cast you because you were brown and you had long hair, but they also cast you because you were really, really good. You stole that movie all the way around. And can you take us back to the beginning. Do you remember the first time you heard about Johnny Tsunami or the audition process.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, so at that point, I had a little bit of a relationship with like the Disney Channel casting I think I think I was either on Even Stevens around that time or maybe afterwards, but I kind of know those people. My big break was a few.

Years earlier, as as Mowgli in the Jungle Book, so I kind of knew some of the Disney people from there, like went off to do like a few of the TV shows.

But that was the first role where I was able to have a mom and a dad.

Because back then I was like ambiguously brown, right, like, Okay, you in a roomful of Asian dudes, you look Hispanic, and roomful of Hispanic dudes, you look Asian, and like, you know, what are you same?

I was not white, but not Hispanic. It was exactly as Asa.

So usually I was like the love interest for the best friend. I never had a last name, and it was like, oh, I have a mom and a dad. This is really cool. I like, you used to bring up from southern California. I love to surf and skate and snowboard. So it was like, I mean, you know when you because have had these roles where it comes through and you're like, oh, I totally know this person is. If I don't get this or if I don't get too very close to getting this, then I've screwed it up.

Yeah, did they have you submit any videos of you surfing or snowboarding?

Did you have to prove that at all?

That's kind of tough in LA to eat snowboard or sir? So how did they do that section?

Only enough?

I don't think I ever had to submit anything. I did audition with a cast that I broke jumping off a jump snowboarding.

Okay, well right, and the director I was like an.

Ex stunt guy who did right, He's like, what happened? I was like, I broke it on the jump snowboarding, and he's like, oh, that'll be done in like a month, He'll be fine. And so he had all the confidence in me. Maybe I brought him to skateboard and he had me like skate around the room a little bit. But yeah, luckily I was able to believe me.

Yeah he was. He was one of the biggest stunt men in town at the time. I mean we were looking at his resume and I mean he was doing everything.

Yeah.

Yeah, that was amazing. Okay, So when's the last time you actually watched the movie?

Great question. Probably within the last few years. Okay, yeah, I mean sometimes friends or fiance my fiance will like bring it up as a joke, like we're we're going to do that.

I'm like, great, you guys are going to do that. I'm going to go do something else. But every now and then I'll like indulge and like be like, okay, let's do this. And that is one of those movies of the things that I've done.

And there's many things that I've done that aren't terribly rewatchable at all, but that's one of the ones where I'm like, wow, that was actually like a good movie. I do feel proud of that personally, but even outside of myself, it's like that is actually just a really well made film.

Yeah, really well made film.

I love it.

I how much of the stunts did you end up getting to do? I feel compared to some others. You know, you can sort of see the surfing one a lot more than the actual snowboarding one.

You could tell when there was a stunt double, But how much did you get to go out there and like rip it up and have fun? I just said rip it up.

I wasn't gonna say anything. I wasn't gonna even bring it up Sabrina that you decided to go with rip it up.

But let me tell you about how much I ripped it up in this movie.

Can you can let us know. Let's Sabrina know how much you shred. That'd be awesome.

I'm never gonna live that down. I live that down, no a good amount.

I mean, like, obviously I was like the star of the movie.

So it was like an insurance issue, right, like oh anything right, it can like end himself, can't do it? So yes, like big fifteen foot waves you know off north shore in Oahu.

Sorry, we need you to be alive for this, you know, if you need to like, yeah, I don't know, board slide this like fallen tree. You're not going to do that. But there was like we were on boards like kind of all day. Like they had actually one really fun thing like I never haven't done since, but they would drag.

Us up the mountain on a stomobile, so rather than us taking the ski lifts, we'd go down and shoot the scenes and then basically almost like we'd like jet skiing.

There'd be ropes that we'd hold onto.

Coolan Lead Somempson, Young and Chris Kirson storms and we just like snowboard up the mountain.

Which was like super Red.

Whoa, that is awesome.

You mentioned you did, I mean, did you do all this stuff before you did the movie? Did you surf? Did you snowboard? Did you do everything before you started the film?

Yeah, totally, I definitely did.

I mean I started skiing when I was like, I don't know, seven or eight, moved to snowboarding probably around ten, surfing, bodyboarding, that sort of thing.

I mean, I was a kid. I wasn't like great or anything I was, but I was like competent and knew how to do it.

Yeah.

Yeah, I mean that's one of the best things I love about Orange County, even more than La. It's just a little bit farther, is you can be up to Big Bear in an hour and a half, and you could be at the beach in fifteen minutes. It's it's just incredible. You get exposed to different sports because they're just so close to us to reach out and pick it up.

Yeah, when we were recapping, Sabrina was just telling us about all the time she es to rip it up on both the snowboard and surfing. So she was pretty incredible a ripper as it.

Goes, Oh, my husband's gonna just tear me apart for this.

Oh gosh, as well he should. So it was filmed in Utah, right, and also in.

Yeah.

So how long a shoot was it?

I want to say, like two months something like that. Really know why in like six weeks and you taught something like that? Yeah?

Awesome.

Now, some of the other people we've had on from the different movies have talked about how they have to they go to like a boot camp before they start the movie where it's intensive rollerblading or something along those lines. Did Disney have you doing stuff like that as well? Do you have to practice?

I really don't remember that, to be honest. I mean maybe a couple of like runs like a day or two before, but was in a boot camp. I don't know. I don't know why they weren't concerned about that, or I don't know why they trusted me.

But look, what was the cast like, you know, you've got to shoot with Kirsten Storms, you got to shoot with Lee Thomas Young.

Yeah, how was the relationship with the cast?

It's so fun to have a young cast that's predominantly your age that you get to just get to know and have such great memories.

What are memories like that for you?

I was like such a good cast. I mean, as you guys know, sometimes you're you know, you're there's my laundry is done? Sorry, yes, oh I love that.

Mine does the same thing. It's not the best. It's nice your laundry is done.

The past is really good. It was one of those films, in one of those sets where we really just were locked in.

And there are certain films where you are locked in and like you see the end product and you're like, oh wow, that really didn't translate. And other times where like the cast isn't locked in and it actually turns out to be like a good work of art. This one was kind of a twofer. I think to that point. I had done it again in jungle Book, which was like me on a green screen with a bunch of animals,

And so for this to have.

Kirschen with me, to have Lee Thompson Young was so much fun. I remember Lauren Hill.

This is gonna really as if I'm not old, but Lauren Hill's album, like her debut album, came out at this at that time, and me and Thomson Young like listen to that over and over and bust the Rhymes album that came out. Then he listen, I learned every single lyric with and he would love like freestyle rap, and he would like, try to get me a freestyle rap. I cannot freestyle rap, but I have like the best memories of trying to be a person who knew how to freestyle rap.

Yeah, I mean, even like my my dad and my grandfather movie. It was just I mean, even going back to the you know, finding people who look like you. It was like, oh, he these like older veteran.

Asian actors that are really dropping knowledge to me and to Lee and to Keirston, but really like finding I don't know, like father figures, like I have a dad, I love my dad, I have a great dad. But also to like have these older men in my life obviously on camera, so we're like trying to form some sort of like paternal on but even additionally just as as men. That was really really cool. Yeah, everyone was.

Like super giving, super loving.

Yet again it was really nice to feel like I was actually in a family rather than the next door in Abrakid, right, So yeah, so I don't know, it was like it was one of those times where we knew that something special was happening and that actually like truly came to be.

Yeah.

We were talking about how both the father and the grandfather, they're mainly known for villain characters with the rest of their work, and it was so awesome to see them both having such great relationships, you know, your grandfather relationship with you and then them themselves working out their relationship and it was all happy and you know, there was no villain aspect to it, which was really cool to see actors take on and actually want to do that,

I think they were really excited about that, you know. And I was like, Oh, I'm Shane Soon in Mortal Kombat.

I'm yes, lead the bad guy.

Now you like the good, kind, loving grandfather, which was the cool departure for him.

And they were also only nine years apart in age, right, which we thought was really funny that it was like, wow, they're very very similar in age. Oh, that is so funny. So yeah, we've talked about Lee Thompson Young obviously, who was a Disney Channel star and you could tell why the second he steps on any screen, he just lights the thing up. What was it like? Can you tell us a little bit about what it was like working with him? I know you guys said you you know,

One of the coolest people I'd ever met in my life at that point, Like he was a year older than me. So you're going back to the big brother thing.

It kind of felt like I had this cool year older black brother, which I was just like, So I was stoked about that, Like we had this like friendship that he even wanted to be friends with me, And you're totally right, Like I think as an actor, I think I was pretty good.

Had a natural talent. He had like a charisma where you know, just walking in the room and never one ever really just was you.

Know, pulled to him, gravitated toward him in a way that like I knew that I didn't.

Have and he had it.

And yeah, and he was just like, I don't know, a normal guy, really intelligent, sweet, funny, yeah yet again charismatic, super sad. You know his story, but yeah, yeah, I mean we he ended up going to USC the same time I went to UCSB, So we liked stayed in contact with see each other randomly at LA parties. I would see him at SC he would see me at Santa Barbara. So we keep in touch things like that.

Some kind of piece.

Yeah, totally, because you know, there's no judgment. I mean, no, you're so confused and almost like angry maybe at yourself or with the world that these things happened. But yeah, I'm I'm super excited to see him again whenever that happens.

Yeah, you know, it's one of those things where people who aren't in the industry can assume that, oh, you're on a big television show, your your career is going really well, you're getting everything you want. You don't you don't have the right to feel depressed, anxious, any of that kind of stuff, and you just that's you never know what another person's going through, and you know, you never judge another human being until you you can walk

Luckily nowadays, I mean that happened years ago at this point, but now obviously talking.

About those things is much more prevalent. And let's be real about growing up being a kid actor.

So it's like I do have an understanding at least to some degree, some of the miles that he's walked in, and thankfully I myself have like gone to therapy and extrapolated how.

Complicated that whole thing was for most of us and for me as well.

I Mean there's that whole cliche of the child actor thing, you know, where like your identity is kind of made for you before you even hit puberty, that sort of thing. So luckily I think that, yeah, that's more people will now moving forward have resources and that won't be as something that you have to like keep to yourself.

As much anymore.

Yeah, I read online his family is actually created or at the time fairly close to when everything happened, that they created a foundation to help reach out to get more education out there, get more you know, help out there for people that are going through any kind of you know, a mental illness that that that can turn you know, and so it's hard to lose people, but there are always you know, it's amazing that their families taking something tragic and wanting to do something positive in

Yeah?

I think I think the famous jet Jackson was the first one, wasn't it. And then and then he this was his first movie, this Verse movie.

Okay, yeah, yeah, I mean that's just I mean, you were catching him right on the rise and to hear that he was such a fun, awesome guy and you guys created such an incredible bond that you took into college with you. I mean that that's pretty awesome. A lot of times these kinds of movies, especially you go in,

That's awesome and.

What we will definitely put up a link to the foundation that we were talking about there. And of course, if anybody out there is dealing with any problems, get help, because there's a lot of ways out there for you to reach out and there's people that are trained in helping in whatever those causes are, so please don't be shy about doing that. But I have another question for you, Johnny Tsunami related because we frankly, and this floored Sabrina more than me I because I didn't know going in.

I was unaware. I am sorry, Branched. I feel like a terrible friend.

I had no idea that there was more goodness in the world related to Johnny's Tsunami.

So in your early twenties, you were just watching Disney Channel all the time. Oh you got it?

Well, to be fair, I was working for the channel. So it's still kind of irritating that I did not know that and I can't believe. So we don't no spoil alerts.

Yeah, because we haven't watched it yet, so don't tell us too much.

Yes, we will absolutely watch it. But how was it to then? Because how many years had passed a couple? Was it super close? They did they book one right away? Or how did that come about?

Well, they did book one right away, and then there were the Tsunamis in Southeast Asia maybe three or four years afterwards. Like as we're like kind of in pre production, Disney was like, oh got it, which is why the one is Johnny kappajaala back on board, back on the board, that word altogether understand this. So I think we shot that as like a junior in college. I think I was like twenty twenty twenty one. That so like pretty fat sabbatical, so like seven between.

That was a ton of fun too. It was really nice. It was like a reunion for most of us.

Did the whole cast come back except for Lee Thompson?

You okay, Wow, yeah, and we shot in New Zealand for like two months. Oh my gosh, incredible. So yeah, it was. It was a ton of fun.

It was it.

Yeah, I don't know.

So, yeah, what we're what we're learning then from Cheetah Girls, from this, from Descendants this, it's the sequel where they really spend in the cash.

Yes, they just up the ante and take you to New.

Zealand get the tax breaks.

Either way, Yeah, it works, either one works.

True.

True.

We do have to address one possible rumor that we read on the internet machine. Wow, and we said we were going to talk to you about it when you were here. There are rumors that maybe there was something between you and Kirsten Storms at the time.

Is this is this true?

Yeah?

Yes, yes there.

I mean.

In the sense of, like, are there things between thirteen year olds that I can't drive themselves to a date? Exactly? I guess exactly.

Let meet you at the cafeteria at three o'clock.

Yeah. Date is the question with the with the with the little cute quotes. Did you date?

I yes, No, I mean like we didn't go on any dates. I mean, I guess there's a couple of times where her mom or my mom maybe dropped us off at her house where like her mom's like hung out where nothing happened, you know.

I mean like we were just like a total date. That's a date when you're thirteen.

I think I stole a kiss one time in Utah on a stairwell of the hotel that we were staying in, you know, in between you know, rapping with thee Thomas Young right cool Wednesday evening, you know. But yeah, yeah, we were like she was cute, Yeah, of.

Course, Yeah, the chemistry was definitely there. I feel like they could have, you know, dove.

Into it a tiny bit more.

I'm like a rom calm just fanatic, so you know, there was a little bit of it. But she also, to be honest, was not.

A great girl to you. I feel like she was. She dropped you like a bad habit multiple times during the movie and.

Then invites herself to the mountain, gets herself into a ton of trouble. You go out of your way or Johnny goes out of his way to save her literal life.

Almost dies the next day, almost dies, and she blames it on you. What a jerk? What a jerk that like.

Deeply rooted, you know, skier bias, you know, which we're all try I'm to extrapolate, we're all trying to work, you know.

I mean you jammed down that mountain.

Not really, No, he was born into that world, into that life. So that's exactly blame her for it.

Once a sky, you know, right.

Exactly, once a sky all in the jerk.

Oh that's what's so funny though, because so Sabrina, we're starting to notice has a thing about some of the girl the girl characters in these movies where she hits a certain point and then she's like, and I'm now done with you. I'm done with you. We've seen this in multiple films. Now it's the new Disney trope of the Sabrina's done. I got to the scene and I'm finished. Now.

I trying to root for them. I try to think they're going to be better, and they just disappoint every time, every freaking time.

Thank you, Sabrina. I feel I feel seen good.

You are You are definitely were We probably should have talked about this at the very beginning, but we like to jump around. And I'm just curious. You mentioned you grew up in Orange County like Sabrina grew up in Orange County. What what drew you to the entertainment industry in the first place. I mean, was this something you knew you always wanted to do or how did you end up acting?

Did you get picked up at South Coast Plaza while walking around by some random agents?

My wife's favorite mall is that your story, Sabrina.

I don't know, but I have so many especially when reality TV started. I mean that's where they get so much casting. It's embarrassing. There's people that will walk up to kids and go, you've got such a great Oh look at this personality.

Mom.

Here for seventy thousand dollars, you can get one headshot and one acting class and an eight.

Oh that's awful. Oh that's awful.

No, it wasn't at South Coast Plaza unfortunately. But yeah.

I actually grew up doing Polynesian dancing with my family. So my mom danced, my sister danced, my dad drummed, I danced, and it was this cool like community.

Thing that I was like a part of.

One of the girls I used to dance with was like an actress and she had a few like small parts in small films, and she basically invited me to an acting class. My parents asked me, my brother and sister, Hey, do you want to try this to like maybe book a commercial to help it for college.

We all said sure, let's give it a try. My sister is shy. She hated it, my brother hated it. I happened to be good at.

It, and I was really competitive, honestly, is what it came down to. It's like it was a really competitive kid. I love sports, and I kind of viewed it as a sport where I remember going to like auditions and like a sociopath, like a ten year old sociopath, like in my head hearing these other like kids like running through their lines, and I'm like, this could sucks.

You know, this could as a ten year old like a crazy person. And they're all like chummy and introducing and talking to each other because they all know each other. And I'm like this kid from Orange County and yeah, like when I wanted to be.

Good, I love that you did. You went in just just straight up balls to the wall. I'm crushing every other kid who's here. Yeah, but I saw you at a few auditions. You never gave that vibe off.

You were just always super nice but in your head you were selling Yeah, exactly.

You've got no chance I'm gonna cream you.

Ten years of therapy latter, I'm like, oh got it. I'm a people pleaser. I want love and affection. If I do well, things me too same.

One hundred percent save. Yeah, I feel exactly the same way.

But it served me well, and you know, kind of motivated me to do well and luckily, Yeah, I had a little bit of talent and I worked really hard, and honestly, that just certain, like you know, films film into my lap, like the Jungle Book, things.

Like well, can we talk a little bit about that?

I mean, that's actually can we talk about the Jungle Book?

I mean that Yeah, I mean, you're that's an enormous role, especially in the Disney pantheon. I mean that's that's like playing Cinderella. That's I mean, that's an enormous, enormous role. What was it like getting that movie? Yeah?

That was that was pretty wild. It was really really cool.

I think up until that point, I'd been acting, taking classes, auditioning for maybe a year. I'd done like a couple of like educational videos. I think I've told my parents, like, hey, I'm starting to miss hockey practice, which means I can't play in the games. I don't think I want to do this anymore. They're like, why don't you just try it out for like literally one more month. I think I told this in like November. They're like, just just

But one of those serendipitous things.

Where it's like, yeah, I am ten or eleven, I am brown, I did have long hair. It's like, had I hit puberty, had I cut my hair, had I been a little bit lighter, a little bit darker, and.

I would have just passed me by.

And I've been one of those talented kids that never booked anything, just like so many other people. So that was honestly just pretty awesome, don't get me wrong. Like, of course, preparation meeting that incredible opportunity in luck of the moment that was super red. Like growing up, I wanted I think at five to my parents, I want to be a comedian or a zoologist. I was not a funny kid.

I had no idea how to tell you that I wanted to be a comedian. But animals. I always loved animals and drew them growing up. And so that was one of those things where I did train for like a month and a half ahead of time, just with the animals. And that was just like this incredible moment of like whoa, Like, I'm walking next to a tiger

A second, so it was too dangerous to ride a twelve foot wave, but walking next to a tiger and a bear is totally fine.

Hey Brandon, why don't you climb up that elephant over there?

Well, I don't know if you guys found this on the research because maybe this is like stuffed like somewhere deep in the hallways of Disney. But I actually got bit on set by a chimpanzee.

I believe it.

They're evil, So this squirre you're on moneet.

They are not nice animals.

They're very intelligent, and yes it bit you on the face.

So in training for the movie, right like, I'm training with obviously wolves and tigers and bears in the whole thing, and I trained with the chimpanzees. And the chimpanzees you are taught to be basically neutral, right like you they hold your hand, you don't hold theirs. You're not supposed to be dominant, submissive, anything like that. There is one scene in the movie where monkey comes up, puts his arms around me and kisses me on the lips in like a funny gag scene. We trained for months to

All gonna jump me. I walk up.

I get up because it's like a hard pinch on my face. Walk over to my mom obviously because I'm a ten year old kid, and I show her my face, so I guess my face kind of does this so she can see me like the meat of my face, right, and.

Then my mom makes that face to Brina. She's crying. I'm crying. I'm like, oh my god, what is happening. Yeah, we like went to the emergency room. I think it was like maybe twelve stitches across and like a few deep in there. We had a like delay production for three weeks. Oh the animals on the fourth week, and then by a month later they could put enough makeup on it to like Sturfham.

Oh my my god.

No.

By the way, our producers did not find yeah, which is crazy because they're so good.

They kissed Kirsten Storms nothing about being bitten.

By almost eaten by monkeys, which, by the way, I will never work with that. That story itself just completely solidified it. But the monkeys are they freak me out.

I can't. We used to be No in India, I saw them.

They they're very smart and they were trained to go and take people's phones, take people's cameras, take people's sunglasses right off their face, and they would like wrestle you and freak you out to then get in your purse and grab like stuff out of your purse. They're crazy, They're too smart.

I know, that's it. You know, I've trained to rob them first. Oh see, that's what you do, and you take their stuff first, exactly exactly.

How crazy is it?

Though?

You're on set with so many different animals and it's the monkeys.

You just your off the.

Monkey once, your poor mom, your poor.

Yeah, they lost your ship.

No.

I mean I trained for six weeks with a grizzly bear or brown bear whatever, where I'm walking next to the brown bear for the first week, you know, through a fence with a trainer that has like a chain link on them. Right, next week the fence is gone. The week after that, then the trainer removes the collar. Then the week after that, the trainer is gone. Then the week after that then it's just an electric fence

Yeah, you could have totally ended could have just.

Completely erect me, which yes, my poor mom also mom, whoa.

What of course, But I mean imagine after this incident does happen and her your Mom's like, how do we I mean, this is a huge booking, You've signed a contract, You've got like how can you even get out of that contract?

In the production? Yeah, it's like it's crazy.

My heart right now is just.

I know, it's nuts.

Yeah, ultimately ultimately monkeys but also a monkey, you know. The poor was just like he even like bit me in the face and he backed up like confused, like I think I just step right now, you know, like I don't know.

That wasn't what I was supposed to do, you know, but yeah, was that the last time you worked with the monkeys and I'm the last time with the moment.

Okay, good.

I can't imagine there'd be more. Speaking of incredible people to work with. So you've got monkeys, tigers, and elephants, which is great, but you also did punks with Henry Winkler and Randy Quaid and l But now I hear Randy Quaid bites like monkeys. I've heard that, correct. But what was it like working with that cast?

Yeah? That that was That was a ton of fun.

I think that was the first time that I had worked with a bunch of kids, like I think that was before Johnnysnami, So it was like there was really that energy on set.

Yeah, I work with Henry Whinkler.

That was really really cool, the nicest guy in the world, by the way, nicest guy.

At the point where you're like, is this an act? Like I don't person nice before? What does this guy want from me? But yeah, Kathy Moriarty, I mean, it was just it was before I truly knew who I was talking to.

Let's yeah, I.

Knew who the Fonzie was, but like, oh wow, raging well I don't know anyway, but that was really cool. Jessica Alba is three years older than me, with the same exact birthday. She's three years older than me. I'm thirteen. I'm meeting a sixteen year old Jesscalbum.

Oh my gosh, I noting.

Everything I could ever imagine a woman to ever be right.

Yeah, fastal fact, but a sixteen year old esscal Album and a thirteen year old brand and prepubescent Brandon.

There's like an ocean between us.

Oh yeah, different species, your different species at that point.

Did you have any stairway incidences with her on the set?

Well, I wish, Actually I do have.

So My fiance and I met three years ago on Hinge on a dating site, and one of my I forget exactly how I put it, but there was like like a prompt that's like too truth and a lie, and one of my truths actually is I slept with Jessica Album.

One night on set. We had a night cheat and I shared a trailer with her and her mom and my mom. We're all playing like cards. I'm tired, I go take a nap. In the middle of the night. She comes up and she big spoons me, and my heart just completely mouts. So I can actually say that I slept with Jessica. I will I will tell this story. I don't know. I will never stop the story.

I love that.

I'm also guessing the second you mess Jessica alba A Sabrina Bryan went right out of your head, Sabrina, Oh my.

Gosh, that's unreal. I love that's so awesome. That is so good, so good. So now now in life, you're in Colorado. Are you still snowboarding? Tell me you're snowboarding.

Yeah, it is a little bit life imitating art, a bit good. I'm giving ship about oh joy to move to the mountains.

Off to the mountains. You totally did.

Yeah, are you still wearing the beanie with the like fake dreadlocks?

Look I should, I haven't. I need the only one.

I don't go break the internet. The second picture and a snowboard with that, Oh my.

Gosh, yes, you should get a sponsor for that before you do any pictures.

Absolutely.

Three seasons ago, I tried skiing again because two of my best friends out here are skiers, and so for an entire season I skied and thought that the same thing, like, I cannot take off my helmet of these goggles because I'm going to get dreamed on the internet.

So I have put back the sky.

Boo, I hate it.

Boo still snowboarding out here in Colorado. Yeah, I love it.

So on your Instagram, are do you do? Are you a wedding officient? I am?

Yeah?

Can people request you?

Yeah? It's it's really cool.

It's like such a random I mean, I feel like my life has been a series of like random events that have led me to these really cool.

Roads, and this is one of them. Where I never grew up obviously thinking one day I want to be this destination adventure elopement officiants. But it does make a ton of sense where like I had ten years of driving in La traffic Tork, every day I drive up the mountains of Colorado to like a beautiful alpine lake, you know, where I have to read from a script, but I don't have to act anymore. I get to

Amazing day, like sharing that with them, where I can be my authentic self in this beautiful place. It's like such a cool like thing that has fallen into my lap.

And yeah, I love it. I marry people here all the time.

I love that. Well, my little cousin just got engaged and lives in Colorado, So.

Am I get you booked on that because I just think that would be so amazing. How far would you literally go to Hawaii? And I mean that would be the ultimate Johnny Tsunami wedding efficient experience.

I married two people out in Hawaii last year.

Yeah, no way, did you really? Man?

Amazing?

Okay, I love weddings too. I've helped friends plan weddings. I love planning my own wedding. Weddings are so magical. I love that you're part of that. And you're right, you get to be a part of a giant moment in so many people's lives, Like you really get to to know that you, you know, especially if you've got these like words of encouragement helping them throughout their process of engagement.

That's just that's so rad. I love that, I really do. I think that's so incredible.

Do you still recognized? Do they recognize you when if you're performing the ceremony? I mean is it like they do they know you're past or.

No, sometimes they do, and sometimes they do, a lot of people do, and a lot of people hire me specifically for that, which is it? Again? So crazy and really yeah, But the other people just see, you know, like the.

Name Brandon Baker and think that I'm probably just some like average white guy in Colorado. But that has happened to where like I'm standing up there, like at the front with the couple, there's like a bride walking, you know, down the aisle, and one of the groom's gonna like this this happened, and one of the gridsmen like taps to their groomsmen. They're like saying something and I can hear they're talking to and eventually gets to the groom says something to him and he reaches over to me.

He's like you Johnish, and I'm like yeah, he goes no.

Family around, right, And everyone erupts and the bride's looking over here, and I have to like calm him down, like hey, all right, cool, we'll talk about this later, get you married. Bride comes down, we do the whole thing, we marry them, and everyone's still geeked on it. And the bride is there's no idea, So the bride thinks that everyone's taking a picture with their efficient because they must.

Have loved what the officiant said. So it's really funny.

It's really funny, and I think it's like such a cool like cherry on top for the people on that day who don't know.

Right, yeah, oh my god, on my wedding day.

There's like this kid that I grew up watching, This thirteen year old kid from this movie is now standing in front like marrying us. So just another like really cool random life thing.

Oh that's amazing. Do you do any social media if people want to follow you or find you or do any of that kind of stuff.

Yeah, I need to be on social media a little bit more. I've like kind of enjoyed a little bit of anonymity, but more and more people have been reaching out.

And honestly, it's been like nothing but love, which is so cool that everyone's so nice about it. But yeah, Brandon be Good is my Instagram name. Okay, yeah, come and follow.

You have some recent videos of Polynesian dancing on that too, right, is that there's a clips of something?

Yeah, buddy, yeah, buddy of mine is like a director photographer to help on some production recently, but he found some old footage of us in polonies and dancing.

Yeah, it's like it's still happening.

That's I'm here with you guys. You know, it's like pretty well. So yeah, thank you guys for having me for sure.

Well, thank you so much for joining us. And hopefully you'll come back when we go back on board because we have. We haven't yet, so we'd love to maybe maybe next time seeing it. Yeah, maybe next time you'll do the rewatch with us. Maybe we'll all watch a movie and then and then we can all recap it together, which would be I think a blast.

That would be rad. I'd love to do that.

Okay, cool, Well, thank you so much for joining us, Brandon, and yeah, we're gonna we're gonna hold you to that. We're gonna see you next time.

Wicked sounds good.

Thank you so much for ripping it up with Sabrina.

I knew it was gonna happen. Sorry about that. I will try better next time.

Oh man, he was rad and tubular and you ripped it up. I don't even know what else to say.

I don't even know where that came from. I think you do so embarrassed.

Hey, embrace your nerddom, Embrace your fandom, my friend.

But it could not have happened in front of anyone worse than you.

My god.

You just wait when we get that Kurt Russell interview on me. It's going down.

I'm going to be in a full tuxedo. I'm going to be like the picture of class Russell. Come on, By the way, I told you he's a wedding officiant and in Colorado, we are now legally married.

Oh got it.

That's the way it works when you do a podcast with with Brandon. Legally married, but only in Colorado. Luckily, so where are our spouses? Don't have to worry about it. Stay far from We just got to stay away from from the rocky mountains off of the future tour we're going to do. We are not going to rip it up in Denver.

Oh man.

Thank you so much for joining us for this park Hopper episode. And uh you know you can follow us at Magical rewind Pod on the Instagram machine. Stay away from monkeys, Stay away from monkeys. Go out there and rip it up and you can send all of your wedding gifts to Colorado and we'll pick them up next time we're there. Thank you, bye everybody.