Oscar Nunez

I am in your right ear holes? Am I not? And now I am in your left one? Now don't freak count guys, Okay I am. I am not actually in your head today. I am using a very special little device, the zoom h three VR audio recorder. I have to tell you this thing is so fun. It captures three hundred and sixty degree sound. So we're joining I Hearts three D Audio campaign to try one of these puppies out and to make it even more fun, I have decided to come to my favorite place on

the planet, Tory Pines Golf Course here in San Diego, California. Now, for you folks who don't know Tory Pines will be hosting the one hundred and twenty one US Open this year June through the US I truly cannot wait for that to happen. Um, excuse me one moment it is my turn. Nailed it anyway, I'm having so much fun here I almost forgot I have a job to do. I have to interview today's guest. Not that he's a forgettable guy. No, In fact, I would say today's interview

it is actually unforgettable. For better or worse, you decide that. Uh, it is with my good friend Oscar. Noon. Yes, Now where do we get about Oscar Oscar? Well, first off, Oscar is truly one of the funniest people I have ever met. Truly, he makes me laugh harder than any person on the planet, which is great, except it's a problem when you're shooting a television show. Yes, he made things very difficult for myself and for Angela to keep

it together back in the account. In his corner, he's like a comedic communion, which is to say, he changes shape and tone comedy styles for whatever fits the exact moment you're in. He is hilarious. So when we're doing these interviews, right, I was very well researched, and the day that we're going to interview Oscar, I ripped up the papers. I just said, this is not gonna do us any good today, guys, because what we're gonna get

is what we're gonna get. It's gonna be funny, but I don't know if we're gonna get any astute observations unless Mr Nunyez is in the mood, because he is very difficult to pen down. But I have to tell you of all of the interviews I did, this was the most fun. I hope you have fun listening to it. But either way, you can sit back now and listen to me working my hardest to get a serious answer out of Oscar. Noon. Yes, and now while you're I think I'm gonna go play some golf. Bubble and Squeak.

I love it, Bubble and Squeak on Bubble and Squeaker, cooking at every moment left over from the NATB before. Yeah, how it lost? Hi? Hi? How are you? I'm all right? Good to see you. Hi? You guys? Is this it is this? Where it's Yeah, that's where you set you picked it up? Really well? It's a podcast, right, it's cute. It's a You're an Idiots a podcast? Yeah, it's a podcast. No video? Do you want to be videoed? Sometimes? Podcast? Did you put on? You put on makeup? Just the base? Yeah?

Are we on? Because you're speaking the mic like ron, we're on. There's no action, there's no starting. Would just start like this, like go ahead, it's like Ken Kappas, like Mark Maron does that. He just starts saying like that. Yeah that's how. That's how. Yeah, I'm like Mark Barron, Okay, No, we're just chatting. We're just getting to know each other again. What what brings me here? Yeah? What brings you here? Why did you come in? No, I'm being serious. What

were you doing before the office started? First of all, you have way too many notes in front of You've got like reams of paper like sheets. I'm trying to keep the paper business. I'm trying to keep papers. And you're taking this seriously and good for you? Good for you? Are your parents? Would you try would you try to take it seriously? I think I would ask to extent look at all this paper. I've never used as much paper in my life. I know what's on it? What's

Here's the thing that you have. You have four pages? Why was this? Was? This was Andy Buckley? Was like, why he has a lot to offer? In what way? He was? You know, he was the boss of the show, right he was? He was in charge, which makes him, which makes him important? Was he for the all seasons? He wasn't? He came in later. It stands the reason that I would have you would need more paper for me, because that's the thing. You would think that, But that's

not the case. No, there's only four pages, and I was drinking a soda and I forgot to bring it in. Can have one of your By the way, people, he's got fifteen people working for him. Here, there's a booth. It's very professional everyone, it's it's lovely. I really, I am taken aback. I'm sorry. What did you ask? What were you doing? It was catering and I was babysitting. You were catering in babysitting? Yes, people let you look after their children that at the same time, yes they did.

I guess what. He's alive and he's a grown man now and he's fine. So there. You baby sat for just one boy, baby not baby sat for a couple of families, but one particular family. Uh. And I'm still friends with all of them, and they're wonderful. And I baby sat him, like I swear to God, I think, Yeah, he was little. He he had other people, but I was the fellow. Yeah. He had two babysitter women and

one guy. And then we would take turns. And you know, his parents would would sometimes call me, sometimes call them, but I you know, baby's has a kid for ten years more or less. So you were catering. You were babysitting, but you were you were working in. Um, you were working. You were working in Uh, go ahead, go ahead. It's like a play. And now I'm walking across the hallway and I'm stumbling. Oh, oh, I fell you guys, I'm

doing Folly work. This is really sweet. Yeah, this isn't a Foley studio though, and yet yet So you were but you were you were trying to be an act I mean you were. Sorry, I shouldn't say that. You Well, you were doing improv too, right, I was trying to be an actor. Poor, I was. I was an actor. Yes? Were you an Olympic? No? I was in the groundlings were groundlings? Yes? And I was auditioning stuff. But but, but my day jobs were catering and babying. I had

to do other things to support myself. Jobs were coming in here and there, guest spots, stuff like that. Right. Yeah, when you got the audition for the Office, had you watched the British version? Oh? Yes, yes, and loved it. I thought it was great. Ricky Gervais is very funny. Yeah, yeah, seriously. I thought, we'll do the pilot and that will be it. We'll do the pilot. I wasn't that excited. I'm like, we'll mess it up us being America. I'm like, they're

not going to do it right. They're not going to leave those long awkward pauses. They're not going to go for the awkward as you know, the long It's just not gonna happen. So I was I was happy. I was excited I got the pilot, but I was like, I'm not going to quit my day job. Also at that time, do you remember I'm sure that people know by now because we've been off the air since sixty two, so we've gone over this. When we were all cast,

the lead wasn't cast yet. They were looking at the am I right, bet my buddy Damon Jones, Andy richter In and who else. There's a fourth guy that I always forget. But all these four men are lovely ladies and gentlemen, and Damon's a personal friend of mine. From the Groundlings, they're all lovely, and I still thought, Okay,

that's fine. But then Steve was working on something and it fell through and he became available, and when they said Steve Carrell is going to be the lead, I thought, wow, this is now, this is special, this is like something's happening here, because I was such a huge fan of his from anchor mang and all that. But I really thought I loved The Daily Show when John Stewart was on, but I used to love Steve on The Daily Show. And when we when he got on the office, I thought,

we've got a shot at this because I think he's great. Yeah, And did you you knew Angela before the show? Right? How did you know Angela? I believe from the Groundlings? And I didn't know she got the job. I showed up for work and she was there in her accountant's office, and that's like an actor's dream come to I'm like, what are you doing here? She's like, what are you doing here. I'm like, oh my god, Angela, we're on this show. We're on this bloody show. What did you

think of me? Because then it was just you and Angela? And then I was like, the new guy, weren't you there already? What are there for the pilot? It was it was clearly you don't have any recollection about meeting me. It was Kay Flannery, who wasn't there. I knew you were funny from the commercials. I knew who you were. You had that the Deli commercial out, which was brilliant, and I'm like, nicest thing you've ever said about me. Well, look,

I knew you were. I'm like, this guy's funny and talented. But I know how funny Angela is. And I'm like, oh, they don't know how funny. They're gonna find out. They must have known from the audition, but her character doesn't let her be your character. Let should be funny right out of the gate, and Angela and I had to hold back until the show got up and and then okay,

let's let them be a little crazy. Now. Do you remember um, Nope, clearly, not really, but shooting the pilot, do you remember us coming in every day on the pilot and doing thirty minutes of busy work. Yes, I do remember that. Yeah. Yeah. First of all, just to go back a little bit, Ben and Greg were very protective of the original show and that was really cool.

I remember him talking about, oh no, we're going to have those there's not going to be a laugh track and there's gonna be long, and I was like, whoa that. Plus Steve, I'm like, okay, here we go. And I remember people people are like, they're such good actors just and I'm like, well, you're sing like, you're in the office, you're on your computer, you're you're doing something on the computer, and you don't want to be bothered by a camera. That's pretty easy to do. See, that's the thing. People

are like, where does the thing take place? It takes place on a satellite, or it's a station on a satellite, or it's underwater and there's it's the future. It's like, no, it's just it's a garage taxi. It's a garage with people. That's it. It's a bar, that's it. It's an office. What are your sell It doesn't matter. It's paper, it could be anything. It's the characters it's not where it is a laboratory in space in the future and whatever. It's just it's character building. Yeah, what did you used

to do when we were supposed to be doing fake work? Gosh, I don't know. I would doodle? Did I bring a book in? I pretended to work and I don't know. It was we used to pass We used to pass notes back to each other. Angela still has some doodles that I did back in the day. It was very exciting to be there. So everyone has to just kind of can you hear the card? The microphone picks up everything,

ladies and gentlemen. I was playing with a card and Brian literally slapped it out of my hand because God forbid, I see I go the other way. I wanted to hear. I want them to hear like clinking of glass and it's real, we're real people. You're build yes, but but yeah,

it had to be a boring workplace. And as a matter of fact, like some thing's worked, and I remember like some like the b roll the camera with scan and some people knew they were being shot, and some people would just act normal like nothing was happening, or they didn't want to be shotting. Other people would try to do bits and don't do the bit. Don't do the bit right because it's it's still funny to see someone just looking over and like rolling their eyes, like,

what what do you want from me? I'm kind of do some work. We were boring before the cameras showed up. It wasn't a pilot for us. We're office workers. It's a documentary king. Did you bring anything you know, like they asked us to bring in, like personal items and stuff. Did you bring anything in like like John had the picture if he and his best friend. He didn't pay me enough for that. I was just an extra when I first got there, bringing something from my own life.

Make me a regular, then we'll talk there. Looky, I was there. What am I gonna bringing? You know what I bought? I brought in seriously a picture of me and my dog, Yeah, boat, and I had it on the thing. It was there the whole time. It was there the whole time, So I did have my dog. She passed away recently. Minister Schnauzer the best um Leela was her name. She's a little black mini Schnauzer and she was there in one of my pictures on the thing. Yeah,

that's what I bought in um. The second episode we shot was Diversity Day. Yes, it was fantastic, fantastic, not good, excellent script from a young seventeen year old. He used to show up on his skateboard b J Noback. How much did I hate him? And still do? He was seventeen at the time. No, but he was young. I'm saying that for comedic effect. He's so talented, is my point.

He's so talented. That was a really good script. It was a very good, so good it has in it for me, one of my favorite jokes in the entire show, What was it Michael asking you what he could call you that was less offensive than Mexican? Was that that episode? Something? Something less offensive? God? Yeah, I guess so. Yeah, he's like Oscar and he was so serious about his like Oscar and trying to be gentle. Is there something that

I can call you? Oh man? And he would flip the chair around when he turned a chair around that knew and everyone just had a hold bite their tongues so they wouldn't laugh because he would That would make him extra serious. So was it offensive for you as a Cuban to have to play in Mexican. What kind of question is that he's giggling? Everyone? Oh, look at me with any questions, Look at me. Let me try to trip him up. What if I said yes? What if I'm like no? I mean, like, why, you know,

what's wrong with being Cuban? That's my question. I don't know. I think I think why why was Oscar Martinez? I don't know why they made him Mexican? I would have been fun if they would have made him Cuban. Here's the thing. I think it was because of that joke. Oh right, I guess he could have said Cuban. I think he would have been Cuban because we're in Pennsylvania. If the if the show shott in l A, there's more Mexicans out here, but on the East coast that's

where all the Cubans were. But either way, the joke is funny. It's it's ridiculous because Michael Scott got away with so much stuff because he genuinely was coming from a place of innocence. That's how a vapid. He's like, Oscar, is there anything less offensive? And he's like, no, it's not offensive. And he's like, well, he's still not convinced.

I'm telling you, I'm I'm telling you, I'm Mexican. I'm telling you, Well, okay, if you say so, you know, fe you and then and then you would hate him, hate him, hate him, and then something horrible would happen to him, and then you'd feel sorry for him. And then he'd reel you wing and you're like, oh, he's not such a bad guy, and then he does it again. I think that was the circle of the show. That was the circle of the show. It's a wonderful formula.

Were you at the time aware people now everyone's just gonna have to go to the bathrow. Well, if they have to go, they have to go, We'll still be here. Put hit your pause button. Can they pause a podcast? You don't know if you can pause a podcast. Yeah, you can write on your phone. People are listening to this driving around in their cars. Whatever, right, Please, somebody make a note to not ever ever use that um. Were you aware though at that time? Like, did it

feel taboo what we were doing? Did it feel like we were doing something different talking about race in that way? I love edgy stuff. I love not being condescending to the audience. I like being an intelligent show. It's like we didn't we didn't have to explain ourselves to the audience. And I think, I think if it's genuinely funny, you could pretty much make a joke about anything. But it's got to be funny. If it's not funny, I mean, they'll let they'll let you know. The show was intelligent.

The show was very funny. It came from the right place. His his character wasn't he wasn't mean, he wasn't a bully. Everything was organic. He there was a reason if he was upset, there was a genuine reason why he was upset. He wasn't picking on you because he's a terrible person. Something happened and he's like, I'm upset, and this is how I'm going to act out. But there's a reason why he's doing it. Right have you? Have you watched Diversity Day recently? I I've never actually watched the show

per se, but I shot it. We were there, We shot the show, Everyone went home, and people came back and talked about and that's how I got my information about the show. I don't like to see myself perform. I'm kidding. I watched there's the actors who don't like to see themselves performing. I don't watch a lot. Do you watch everything you do your self indulgent? I don't.

I don't, sus I don't. I don't watch everything I do. Brian, I watched this every Thursday went while we were shooting, and then one time I went back and binge watched the whole thing one time and maybe there were two okay episodes there was. The rest were good or really good. I was so impressed. See, I still feel like Diversity Day holds up like it holds up Oh that one, yeah for sure. Yeah, but they all kind of do a lot of Like I said, I think there was

two that I'm like, oh what happened there? But just like one or two out of nine seasons, that's very good. M You know, one of the signature episodes of the show, and certainly for you, was gay witch Hunt. How and when did you find out that Oscar Martinez was actually gay? Okay? I will ask that, but before I ask answer that question, I want to talk about the people on the show

as people, not not our actors or whatever. Greg Daniels is such a cool guy that I needed a way out of the show so I can go shoot halfway Home on Comedy Central because when it rains, it pours ladies and gentlemen. And I was like in a dilemma, and I remember asking Steve Correll. He was walking across the park a lot and I ran up something like, Steve, I love a show. I love being on it, meaning the office, but I have a meeting with not meeting.

They wanted to do a show with Comedy Center. Were past the meeting part Comedy Center wanted to do a show. What what do I do? What can I an? He said, Oscar, do everything. Don't say no to any work, do everything. Figuring it out is not your problem. That's up to your managers and agents. Say yes everything, They'll figure it out. And I'm like, oh cool, okay. And Greg Daniels figured it out. What a lovely man, what what a lovely human being, Oscar. You get We'll figure a way to

get you out of the show. Go do your ten shows or whatever and then come back and will fold you back in. So Greg, let you leave for how many episodes? I think a seasons. It feels like there's a season where I'm not there. Yeah, you you were gone for a long period of time when you were shooting halfway? Help would he let you go? I had to do ten episodes? Yeah? Yeah, so what was this? Was his device for allowing you and it was fantastic. Yeah. I don't know which came for. I think I think

they were going to make me gay anyway? Does that make sense? I think so? And then they're like, oh, let's make him get and get him out this way, which is a great way to get him out. How crazy that He's like, I can't work in this hostile environment because this. But meanwhile he's like, I'm just at play acting. I'm gonna go with my boyfriend and I'll be back. You know. It's because people do that right to get out of work. Really, wasn't he wasn't He's smart? Right? Uh,

here's a fun fact? Is it? Is it gonna be fun? I don't know. At the time that you were out at on Gay witch Hunt, your character Oscar Martinez was the only l g b T person of color to be a regular on any sitcom at that time? Were you aware of that? And why didn't they have a thing for me like a parade or an honorary something I wasn't told or given anything. You were given nothing. No, that's a big deal. That's a big deal. Yeah. Why because it's the first one. I'm like, uh, like Barack Obama.

Not to say, like Barack Obama. I'm not saying your words, not mine. I was the first GPT guy to be out to being a serious person of color. Yeah, that was both, not just one. But how do you feel about the fact that you were that you're not really gay or a person of color. I'm a person of color. I'm a Latino, I'm you are. I don't see colors. Brother. I I think it was great and whatever helps to cause this is fine by me. I think it's great. Yeah,

well you won awards, right, that's how I planned it. No, No, I don't think I I was nominated for some gay award and I took my two gay friends with me. Maybe yes. And I went with my friends Michael and Joel, who I have known forever, and they were gay, and they were rolling their eyes. They're like, you asshole, you're not even and I'm like, look at me and better than you, guys, you guys, you gotta get on board.

And they're like, oh my god, Joel wasn't act up like fighting the fight for real, and he's like, good lord, what is happening. I'm like, don't be jealous, it's funny. Did you feel a responsibility? Did you feel the gay community? Yeah? Or the Latino community they should be lucky to have me. The gay and Latino community. No, I know, But did you feel out they're lucky? Start? Do you feel a responsibility? Did they feel a responsibility to me? Ask them turn

the tables around? Well? No, probably not. Now I didn't, you'd probably be shunned from the LGBT community. I disagree. I No. I think I'd be raised up high. The kids would get it. They raised me up high. I'd be invited to YouTube videos. All sorts of ship would be happening. Here's the thing. I'd be invited to YouTube videos. That's the kids. That's what they're doing now, Brian, that's the best thing that somebody who could offer you. It's

a YouTube video. That's what they're doing. Believe it or not, they get millions of hits now, listen, this is the deal. The I didn't. I never thought, oh, like the pressure responsibility because I knew that the show was golden, that we were a responsible show to begin with. So it's lovingly taken care of all everything. I he came from a place of he's compassionate, but he's a bit of an asshole too, because he's a little bit of a snob, just like me. That's where they got it from, you know.

For all for the show being people are like Michael Sony, it's a very gentle, compassionate show. It really is. Yeah, So I'm like, yeah, it's fine. Did finding out that you were gay change your character? No? I couldn't. I couldn't.

It couldn't change my character because I was already gay, right, But I think that's interesting that you realized, like, no, I'm just a guy who works in an office, and the fact that I'm Latino, or the fact that I'm homosexual or like those those things don't define who I am.

That's right. But but this, this is happening now. It wasn't happening while we were shooting, but now because of Netflix, we're getting I'm getting a lot of people coming up to being going, I came out because of you, And then you know this just specifically, like this, we're some comic con and this beautiful a young lady in a in a elefant outfit with blond hair, just striking. And she comes up and she's like, I came out because of you, and my girlfriend doesn't watch a show, but

I'm gonna bring her back tomorrow to meet you. And she did. She came back with her just as beautiful girlth So those things are cool and and that's because of the show. Yeah, wow, Yeah, it's trippy. They're like, because of your show, I came out and you helped me so much, etcetera, etcetera. Some of them are happy, some of them are crying. It's a it's a crazy thing. Yeah, the show means so much to so many people. You know that. It's crazy you think you're just doing a show.

I didn't think. I'm just I'm not even like a like a like A. My character isn't particularly noble. He's just a regular guy. And they see so much. No, they're just just seeing you. Makes it so cool. I'm like, all right, cool, thank you. Yeah, that's great. You mentioned before that you're just like Obama when Obama better? Can I say that? Is that? Do you know what I'm saying? Do you remember, uh when Obama was elected? Yes? Do you feel like there was any discussion on set or

did anything happen around set. When Obama was elected. It was very traumatic because it was the first time in my life where the President and First Lady were younger than I am. And it's gonna happen that hasn't happened to you. It's shocking. It is awful, and I'm like, oh my god, I love them so and they're so young. But do you know the two letters we have it at the US remember you, even though what they are right.

The two letters that came in there was one letter, a fan letter, one by catering somewhere backstage Aaron Sarkin, and then Steve Carrell came in with a letter sent to his house and he's like, you guys, don't want

to read you this letter. And it's like, oh, dear Steve, I just want you to know that at the White House the Office, Thursday is family Night and Michelle and I and the girls get together and it was a letter that the President sent Steve Carrell because the Obama's are a fan of the show, and he said he showed it to his children and they were little and they're like, can we touch and he's like, nope, just look just look, that's pretty cool. That's very cool. Yeah.

You and certainly over in accounting you were really the straight man, like you had your idiosyncrasies, yes, I think so, But in the office you were you were the barometer of reason very often Jim and myself. Yes, which is what they're talking about in the coalition of reason. Yeah, that's it. Yeah, are you you know if you're if you're looking at sort of the history of comedy in a way, how does what is it? Oh, come on, you can do it, Brian, I believe, and you ask

you a question. The archetype of the straight man sort of in the history of comedy. Can you talk about that a little bit? Is that? Is that easier for you to do or is that harder? Oh? They're both good. It's apples and oranges. It's lovely. It was a lovely character because he's he's a straight man, but he still has a little bit delusions of grandeur, which you need because that you need that right that Well, nobody's perfect or nobody exactly, yeah, because Angela was a little off too.

She was almost there, but then she was a little off. Everybody was a little off, right, Toby, every single even Jim. He was too much of a prankster. He didn't take the job seriously. He was a little too right juvenile. But you you know, I think so many of the scenes between you and Steve were so special because you know you had Yeah, yeah, did you just sit there and stare at him, just stare at him? Well, and you would do that well, he said, things would get

the laugh because you did that. Yeah, that's all you had to do, stare at him. And people at home go, what is he thinking? He can't say anything, it's his job, he's being good, and now he's excusing themself. Thank you and just get up and leave right because he's like Oscar and it's the build up, the fucking Correll build up, Oscar. Can I see you for a moment? Sit down? Um, I ask you something. Um, I'm going to go in for a colonoscope. And I was, what can I do

to make it more comfortable for him or me? And he just trails it off and just leaves it like it's like it's a solid, like a reasonable question to ask me. And I'm supposed what am I supposed to tell him? I think I think I just excused myself I'm like, okay, Mike, I just got up and left. You found out that Steve was leaving. How how did you feel about that when on the show? Oh? For real, Yeah, for real. It was very sad. It was very sad.

Oh yeah, I was very sad. And I try and I didn't want to cry because I'm Cuban and I was you can't, I just we don't. So everybody was crying very freely, and I did cry when We're in the warehouse and we gave him a stupid hockey short or something that I did have to excuse myself and went back behind and the boxes and cried and because freaking and Paul Eberstein started crying, and then I'm like, oh man, this is just crazy. What did you think at the time or now the greater loss to the show?

Losing Steve or Michael? What do you mean Michael Scott, the the character. Yeah, like, like Steve was a great guy himself and was like our leader, Steve, Yes, Steve Carrell. What was the greater loss to the show, Losing Steve Carrell or losing Michael Scott? Are you asking this question of everyone? I've asked it a couple of times. It's a tricky question. Yeah, most of them have said that. I don't don't think I had anyone else not understand

the question. But they're both Well, it's a no win situation, the questions. And though I can't be I always want to be a hero at the end of the question. I always wanted people to say, look at that kid, look at that Oscar and just let him continue doing what he's doing. He's wonderful. And now some people are gonna say, what you picked the wrong one. All right, here's the deal. Let's see, losing Steve was difficult. Yeah, but that character, man, that's the whole show. Man, that's

the whole show. There's no show without Michael Scott. But then there was Yeah, but it wasn't the same. That character is just so, and it's it's it's a perfect character. You know. Ever Devas did it. And then there's just that smug he thinks he's better and smarter and everything. Uh, non apologetic. Yeah, just crazy. Um after nine years, were you happy with the resolution of Oscar running for state senator? Yeah? I was fine. I think they put a lot of

thought into it. They asked us for ideas all the time. And I'm like, you guys are fine. I don't. I have some ideas, but they're not great. You guys are fine. Yeah, you know, Yeah, I thought the show ended well. Did you feel like when the show wrapped up where you did you feel like it was time? Were you happy with how it wrapped up? Though? I am. I could not ask for more from Greg Daniels, and especially he's such a gentleman. He checked in with us. He doesn't

have to do that. He's like, what do you guys think I'm kind of done, and we're like, yeah, whatever you want, right, Yeah? Yeah, he's awesome. Well, it enabled us to tell the full story to Yeah, and the documentary being seen by the characters, no one, no, nothing else to do. I get a big kick. I know people want it back and they keep asking us, and I'm like, you guys, what and if we go back we might ruin it? What are we gonna write? What is there left to do? They love the characters. I

get it, I get it. They love the characters. Well, we've talked about this a lot that the show it was the number one scripted show on NBC. Yet the show now is more popular than it ever was. Why do you think that is? I don't know. The kids love it. Before when we started doing these conferences that we started doing this year, and people were coming in with eleven year old and they're like, look, my kid watched the show. And I'm like, okay, And now it's eight.

People are like this eight year old is a fan of the show. I'm like, is that good? And they're like, yeah, they love it. It's fine. Kids love it. High school kids love it. College kids love it. You know, I get it when I was when I was growing up. For me, it was believe it or not. The Odd Couple. I thought the Odd Couple was like so funny, even

even before you know, taxi or cheers. I would have my head would have explored if I would have ran into Tony Randall walking around, you know, the streets of New York City. Is that where you learned to speak English? The Odd Couple? Um? No, I think it was The Flying Nun. Actually I did learn English from TV? Did you? But but what show you The Flying Nun taught you English? No? My first memories of TV are a black and white

TV show called sing Along with Mitch. This is memories of Massachusetts and the car Bonnet Show, and I thought Harvey Corman was the funniest thing in the world. I'm like, I want to do what that guy does. I don't know what it is he's doing, but I want to do that. Yeah, Harvey Corman. And then Tony Randol was the other influence. You are a lot like Harvey Corman.

He's the best. He's so funny. He would come out and I loved like he would come and I was little, and he would come out and do this bit where they were already on stage, like doing a Civil war whatever they were doing, ken Berry and Calburnett in costume,

and then he would make an entrance. Harvey Korman would make an entrance and the audience would clap, and instead of going and joining them, he would pretend like he had no choice, like he would walk over and break the fourth wall and bow and like stay there two minutes and carlburnets on stage waiting and my father would lose ship and he's like, oh, star, he come do what they are waiting for him. But no, he going, Hey, bocome on Sodom. I'm bitch. He comes and I'm like, oh,

he's not really mad at him. He gets it. He gets it that he's that he's breaking the fourth wall, and I'm like, oh, Harry Corman, he knows what he's doing. He knows that he's like, my dad's not mad at and like all these ships happening. I'm like, this is fine through your head because that's one of your favorite bits. Now you've stolen it from Harvey. Stole it from Harvey Corman. Yeah, that's amazing, And you've got a little impression on my dad. Yeah,

I didn't know you could do that accent. Um. What are you most thankful for about the show that we that Kevin Riley said let's get these guys, because it changed our lives, you know, and that wouldn't have happened if we didn't get like two seasons. Three season pilot doesn't do anything. You still got to keep your day job one season, but five season, six seasons, that makes your career, That makes your life, you know. So that's

what I'm most thankful for. And people are like, go Ricky, Drs rickybis that, well, thank you Mr Jervis for your imagination, right him and Steve Merchant. Ladies and gentlemen, you know him most as the guy in the state farm commercials, Oscar nun us. Is there an award for me or something here? Do you have something? No? I just wanted to make a state farm joke. That was literally all it was. That was where my brain went. Some people only know me from the State farm commercial. Thank you, truly.

I I think in the world this is true. I'm gonna be nice for one second in the world. No one makes me laugh as consistently and as often. Thank you, buddy, I appreciate that. And knowing that that I'm funnier. Um, well there's the irony. Well there you have it. Now you all know what the real Oscar is actually like, or do you Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed that. Thank you so much for listening, and do I thank Oscar for joining me. It was an experience and one

that I'll remember. We're gonna be back next week with another episode, which I mean, who knows where that's gonna take us. Things are getting weird here on the Office Deep Dive. Until then, everybody, have a great week. The Office Deep Dive is hosted and executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner, alongside our executive producer Langley, our senior producer is Tessa Kramer, our producer is Adam Massias, our associate producer is Emily Carr, and our assistant editor is Diego Tapia.

My main man in the booth is Alec Moore. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak, performed by my great friend Creed Bratton, and the episode was mixed by seth Olansky. This episode was brought to you in I Heart three D Audio. To experience more podcasts like this, search for I Heart three D Audio in the I Heart Radio app