Rob Corddry

It's stupid. Shakespeare's got all planned out for you. Hi. My name is Rob Quadrey, and I am a gentleman. Hello everybody, and welcome back to a brand spanking new episode of Off the B. As always, this is your host, Brian Baumgartner. Now, as you just heard today, I'm bringing on a very exciting guest, the incredible, the hilarious, my

friend and yours, Rob Cordrey. Maybe you know him as Lou from Hot Tub Time Machine, or from his time playing Dr Blake Clowns on Children's Hospital, or maybe even from his latest conquest as the host of top Gear America. Whatever it is, you know him because he's been on

just about every movie ever made. That's right, I mean, this is a man who came up during what some could argue is the most exciting times in the history of comedy, the birth of U c. B, The Upright Citizens Brigade, and then on The Daily Show with John Stewart. He took everything that he learned the air to go off, to adapt and to create true greatness. And that's what he continues to do to this day. So, yeah, he's a he's a pretty cool guy. And also he's a

good guy. I mean, he said it himself. The man is a gentleman. So now that that is out of the way, it's time to bring Rob on. I am so excited to share this conversation with you, Rob Cordry. Everybody, Bubble and Squeak. I love it, Bubble and Squeak on, Bubble and Squeaker, cooking it every month, lift over from the nut before. What's up, Rob? What's going on right? How are you? Man? I'm so good. Thank you so much for coming to talk to me. Oh my god,

thanks for having me. Where where are you right now? I'm I'm in my office, my home office. Yeah, my my illegal garage conversion. Perfect. Well, as long as you don't sell, there's nothing illegal about it. Yeah, I guess. Yeah, that's right. So I guess I'm stuck here. I am. I'm coming to you. This is the first first time on the road from Atlanta, Georgia, in a hotel that very bizarre pome it's pomegranate. It looks weirdly both sexual and kind of grotesque. Yeah, that's an odd hotel art

behind you. Yeah, it's it's pomegrand It's like an intense close up on pomegranate seeds. Yeah, but do you think the artist was really like it's a metaphor somehow. I don't know if that artist was thinking pomegranate seeds. It's probably something to do with Genitalia. Okay, Yeah, you're probably right. It's that old Georgia o'key thing. I am in Georgia. So there you go. Thank you, thanks for talking to me. I am such a huge fan of you and yours.

I want to start going back to the beginning with you. You grew up in uh in Massachusetts, Waymouth. Actually, you know it's so funny is that I've never heard anybody pronounce it like that. But it's the most obvious pronunciation, isn't it. I guess yeah, No, it's yeah, it's Weymouth. Nothing in Massachusetts is pronounced like it's spelled. For instance, the city right smack in the middle of Massachusetts w O R C E S T e R looks like

Worcester or something. It's whist. What of course, it's describe your town three words or five? Uh, chip on shoulder, got it? Okay, that's clear, and I now know exactly what your town was like. Yeah, were you were always interested in the arts? Um? Yes, and no. I guess abstract lee, I wasn't necessarily interested in the I would. I love to draw, I love to write, but I never I would never, as a kid, say that meant I was interested in the arts. Does that make any sense?

I guess maybe that. I think that's that sort of blue collar Boston upbringing, whereas like no one does the odds. Dude, you know they have for fairies and fruitcakes and so so I guess I was like, um yeah, very sensitive kid, but but uh. It took a while for me to realize that. I Like, I watched some home movies of myself and I was like, God, I was way more quiet and anxious looking than I remember being. Yeah it was, you asked me about what was my upbringing, like right

or town? Yeah? Well yeah, like like in terms of the arts and the arts, Yeah yeah, so that, I guess um lends itself, that sensitivity lends itself to broadly preferring the arts over something like sports or pipe fitting. Right right. I have read that you described yourself as as a class clown. Now was that about performing or was that about coping? Or coping? For sure? It was totally. Any talent I have now, especially in comedy, has to do with avoiding fights. It was kind of like I was, Um.

I worked in this restaurant in New York and this bus boy had just gotten out a prison, and and we became friendly, and after a while he told me I would do good in prison. It was like, you do good in prison? I was like, you know what, what not? Are you kidding me? I was really a lot prettier back then, and and and he said, no, you're funny, And I was like, oh my god, Well

that's how I got through childhood. Everybody in my town was like their fathers were from Southey, and you know, their cousins beat the crap out of them because they weren't from Southie anymore. They were from Weymouth and and and then they just transferred that onto everybody else and it was a tough it was a it was it was a scary town. It was I remember it being scary. I that said, you know, it was a good child though it overall? Right, you you became an eagle scout. Yeah, yeah, yeah,

that's it. That's impressive. Well, thank you. I um, it was yeah. I mean, I don't know what else to say about it. Yeah, you just did that. That was the thing you did. Thank you very much. I did it. When when uh you you you ended up going to you mask? When did you start to think that theater was something that you were interested in doing? Well? I never got along with the guys in high school that used to do theater. They were in a class above me.

As a matter of fact, speaking of fights, I got into a fight with one of them at a party over a girl. And so it was I I just didn't want to be part of that whole thing. Although I thought I could do that, you know, just instinctively thought I could do it. And then when they graduated senior year, I ended up doing two plays, the only two plays that were offered basically in my high school and and then when I went to college, I didn't do anything my freshman year. I just I guess I

had considered that sort of a lark. And uh then my I had a roommate first semester sophomore year named Cutter. He was we were very like minded, and uh, he signed me up for a play. He just signed me up for an audition, and and we both and you know, so I was like, oh man, so I went in and did the audition. We both ended up getting it, okay. So that that was so it's it's really like not of my doing that. I ended up here today. It's Cutter. It's Cutter. Yeah did he did? He pursue it later on? Yeah,

he's still doing it now. He's say he's a pretty successful voice actor, and you know he shows up on TV and films sometimes too and does his does his stuff rights. I believe is this John Cutter? You know, his name's uh Cutter, Garsia, Cutter, Garcia. We'll shout out to Cutter guarenas Cutter. Yeah, I read this. This is so interesting to me because no joke. I don't know how old you are, but I feel I had a weird attachment to this movie as well. I read that

a big influence of yours was the movie Arthur. Yeah, why how and why Yeah? My wife bought that for me for my birthday when you're just because she liked she enjoyed watching me watch it. Um how indeed, right, Um, I guess it was because I grew up in that era, uh, when HBO was in its infancy, you know, and and there were in those days if you had HBO, and there was just that HBO at one point, and they would just play certain movies on a loop. And you know,

Arthur was one of them. And Arthur two on the Rocks on the Rock doesn't hold up as well and it does not let Yeah, but so that you know, like Silver Streak, I remember being a big like having a big moment on it. Yeah and yeah, and but Arthur was just the best one of of of all of them, at least that I can remember. And so I just I got in the college and and uh, I had another roommate who had it on VHS and we just watched it over and over and over again,

and then that just it just stuck with me. It's it's something that it's that one movie I can probably quote verbatim. Wow, Yeah, did you ever meet Dudley Moore? No, I don't know if i'd want to. I don't know what i'd say to a guy like that. I usually blow it with guys like that. I really I make an ass out. Oh classically, Yeah, what what do you mean? Like, you get awkward if you if you really love them or respect them. Yeah, And I don't even know I'm

doing yet. Like at the Daily Show, Stephen King was the guest, and I was like, you know, I never went and bothered the guests, but but he was such an inspiration influence on me. I'd read all his books. I still think he's one of the greatest American storytellers. And I said to him, I said, I just wanted to say what a big fan I am. And he went, oh, thank you. Hey, yeah, you're from Boston, right, go Red Sox like and so I was like, oh my god,

we were. It's it's terrible when they give you an inch. And I went, anyway, yeah, I know you've got to prepare. I'm I'm just your biggest fan. And I said, as I said it in a way that he must have thought, I was like quoting misery or something in that annoying way that in that annoying way fans do, and he just kind of like his smile just kind of went away, and he went, well, just don't cut off my feet, and then he turned around slowly he turned his back

on me. Oh no, that is the mildest weird fails I've had with celebrities. I don't know. That is pretty bad, right, that's pretty that's pretty bad as you're saying it, realizing you're quoting one of the famous lines of him. Yes, yeah, I had no idea. I wasn't I wouldn't do that. I mean, I guess some sense. So Cutter gets you into the plays, you start doing the plays, then you you get cast in an off Broadway production of The Manchurian Candidate. So are you at this point you're interested

in theater, right? Acting? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I I went you know when when I in in college. Once I got that one play, I was off and running and I joined the theater department. I had a second major in theater. And then at the I remember with my I had one of an acting teacher you probably had when everybody does one of those gurus that you never forget. And his name was Ed Golden, and he

said to me, he called it. Right before we graduated, he had a little conference, personal conference with all his students, and he said to me, Um, and I'm by the way, doing a perfect imitations spot on Ed Golden. So do you think, um, you want to do this, uh for a living? And I went, uh, yeah, yeah, I think I think so. And he goes, mm hmmm, yeah you can. It's just like a matter of factly gave me permission to live. Yeah. And I went to New York the

day after I graduated. Wow. Yeah. And you well, so you start working odd jobs. You were a security guard at the met Yeah, very odd jobs. What was the what was the oddest job you had? I was passing out, probably passing out menus for a Mexican restaurant in Hell's Kitchen. I hate those I hate that people. I mean, I don't hate the people who do that job. I don't hate the people that do that job. I find it

so awkward. But it's so weird because the guy it was a daily every day for the first for a couple of hours in the morning, and he, the owner, would look at me and and he wasn't Mexican, so I don't know what his acts sent was that I'm just doing an appropriation. He said, just every time you give out the flyer, say good Mexican food. So he had to hit a fire go good Mexican food. And I would. I learned that thing where you if you take one flyer and you smack it on the rest

of him, it's like and it gets people's attention. M Yeah. After about a week or two doing that, I just would throw them away and go sleep in Central Park. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let me be clear, I don't hate the people who do that job. I hate that job being done. I hate that job. Yeah, I hate that job being done to me though, as someone walking along the street. God blessed Los Angeles because we have a very specific version of that, which is wonderful. That the sign spinners, Yes,

the sign spinners. I don't know if that exists anywhere else. Do you know, I never thought about it before. It does, I've never seen it anywhere else. It's because you're driving, so you yeah, and in New York if you if you spun the sign, you would hit fourteen people. Here it's it's your virtual handing of the menu because it's you're in a car, but nobody can read the side, which is the best part. You know, I know, it's ridiculous. It's ridiculous. So then, as I said, you could cast

in an off Broadway production of The Manchurian Candidate. You then go on tour with the National Shakespeare Company. So at this moment you are as you are a serious actor. Yeah, I did. A Manchurian Candidate was probably the only play I did in New York that wasn't Shakespeare. Okay. I fancied myself quite a Shakespearean thespian. I mean too, by the way, I don't Yes, I was at the Gut

three many times. Didn't many uh Shakespearean productions myself. I now get made fun of it because people think when I say it, they think that I'm trying to take myself seriously. No, it's just a I did place that were written by Shakespeare. Yeah, man, and by the day Shakespeare in his day. I used to teach a little course along with that National Shakespeare Shakespeare Company job about Shakespeare and uh and and two students. And the thing about Shakespeare is that he was like the Michael Bay

of his day. This was schlocky, right, It was not upper crust stuff. This was for the ground blazes, the like rabble, and you know it was. That's why he repeats things over and over again, because no one's gonna hear it the first time. They were all beating each other up and drinking. But yeah, so I I it's funny when people think of it as as so highbrow, you know, yeah, I mean the stories are fairly just universal and simple, and the comedy is not highbrow at all.

Oh my god, he like coined so many dirty phrases. And you know, Hamlet, I believe, I don't know if it's the first, you know, it couldn't be, but he he references like, I'm I'll refrain from saying the actual word because it offends so many people. But the C word he he says, yeah. Hamlet says um to Ophelia, Ma, lady, melee in your lap and she says, no, my lord, and he says, no, I meant my head in your lap. Did you think I meant country matters? It's Shakespeare popping

off the sea word got popping it off. That's because that's what he meant. Did you think I meant country matters. Yes, what was it like being on the road touring? Man, it was awesome. I was twenty four and twenty five years old. I was there doing it for about a year. There was a fifteen past van and another van that two people were in with all the sets and we we did the crappiest Shakespeare ever. But you know it was not a great brutal proud of it. Oh well

I was at the time. I thought we were changing theater, but it was. But you know that I've made I made friends that i've I still have to this day. And it was such and I got to see the country really for the first time. Um, it was pretty awesome. And also just doing something like that for that long, doing two plays for that long was an education as well, in an acting education, like how you keep it going, how you you know, get up and do it each night and make it fresh and blah blah blah. Yeah,

I did. You know, it's interesting. I don't think I've talked to anybody about that before, but I did. I did a production for a year, toured it. A couple of places, had a residency, like and you know, you didn't exactly say this, so I don't want to put words in your mouth, but the the idea of making it like the first time, right, like having to after you've done it too hundred times that old you know.

I mean, it's like an obvious old time stereotypical direct like say it like it's the first time or whatever, but like actually having to do that so much, I think in a weird way. Even when you start talking about film and television and you're you're not doing it two hundred times over the course of a year, but sometimes you're doing it twenty five times in the span

of an hour. And that idea of having to do that, I I never really was thinking about that, But that is a really good lesson, right, Yeah, it really is. And uh and you know it's sometimes it starts off just being luck when I was, you know, like, oh tonight, I'm for some reason more into it than I was last night, you know, And that's when I started. That's when you start to think about it, the mechanics of it. Yeah,

you get back to New York. Now at this point you're a serious Shakespearean actor, and then you get involved with what was at the time this little improv group you see b upright Citizens Brigade. How did you how did you discover this group? And why as a serious actor did you did you pursue wanting to do stuff

with them? That's a good question. Uh, you know, I, first of all, I mean I realized the one thing I wasn't doing well, the one thing I wasn't taught in college it was just seemed to be a crapshoot, was auditioning. And so I learned how to audition by I taught myself by just going out over and over and over again, and I, you know, got my ten thousand. I was auditioning for everything in backstage, and one of

them just happened to be a sketch group. You know, I I I'd be a performance artist in Berlin right now if if it worked out a different way. I just happened to be a sketch group. And then then that when I got into the sort of comedy scene and or at least got a view of it, because we were pretty outside this sketch group. The u c B were just starting to gain prominence. They were just

starting to teach classes, they were starting their takeover. I believe they had taught one class of students and I and I thought I was under the impression that it was Andy Richter's sketch group. Okay, so I went and saw an ascat which is there was their weekly show, and uh Andy Richter happened to be performing. So I don't know when I stopped believing it was this, but um,

you know, then I got in. I got into a class at the very It's the only thing I've gotten in on the ground floor of you know, when they were the four original UCB guys are still teaching classes in a five story walk up ballet studio and in Manhattan, and I just stuck away that I loved it. I was terrified of it, you know, improv. Improv still terrifies

me to this day. I was doing it for the that the skill, to to learn this skill, to be comfortable, for confidence, and for like you know, and also for the community. I made a lot of great friends there and we then branched out and did other things. As you know, yeah, you you you said it. It terrifies you, do you. There's no there's no lines, Brian, you gotta you gotta make them up, yes, And that's terrifying. It's stupid.

Shakespeare's got all planned out for you, right, you just follow the map and you're gonna get and you're gonna get there. That's right. Yeah, you know, it's it's interesting. So I have, by the way, zero improv training, and it sounds like much like you, I stayed on the serious theater tracked longer. But I you know, so I was doing comedy, I was doing dramatic role I was doing different stuff. I never did improv. I never Yeah,

I never studied it. I didn't take the classes. And I don't know if that maybe for me is why I don't find it as challenging somehow. Oh, yes, that is exactly why, Because you don't you haven't been in a position where you've had to think about it too much. Right. But now I feel like because people are saying, like, Okay, we're gonna you know, we're gonna improv, I don't have

I don't I'm like, okay, now, that's fine. I also want to set it's a little bit more different, right, because it's really just like you're just trying to find something. And and also you sometimes go in with a couple of things. You've got a couple of ideas which you would never do, and don't try to act like you know me, come on by everybody knows you're like, oh, I'm gonna improvise this, and I'm going to improvise that.

But even like going in, you just that's kind of easy, like just because you're just playing the scene that that is written. Actually that's a different version. Yes, Actually that's a really good point because because it's it is for me and I do you know, I'm not going to say I write a book on my character or you know, have a fully developed history or whatever, but I begin

to understand who that character is. And once you know, if you're given a situation which is improv but along with that, given a character who has the certain characteristic, it all begins to fill in much. Do you know what the scene is about. You've already memorized the lines the actual scene, so you know what the scene is about, you know what the game is. So basically you're just you're just subbing in things or or adding jokes that

the writers might have missed. You're just trying to make it a little bit better, you know, and usually it no, it's not as good. But sometimes when when you start working with those guys. You also created your own sketch comedy group, The Naked Babies. You spent a couple of years with Third Rail Comedy. I mean, at this point, do you feel like and that's kind of a weird question, but do you feel like your your career, your focus

is now fully changed to this? Y? Yeah? Um, I still had there is still this part of me that wanted that, well, maybe I'll go back to the theater someday. But but I'm doing comedy now. This is I have found what I do best. I have I have once again lucked into this sort of uh have found the end of the maze. But you know, nowadays, like I was always, I always still harbored a dream that I would be on Broadway someday. Now that it's maybe even a possibility, I could probably, you know, if I made

myself you know it really worked at it. But I don't, boy, oh boy, I would dread that. It's so hard. Who's got time for Broadway? It's like it's so much work. It's so much work. It's it's you know, And that was what it was for me. I mean, the the eight shows a week you have off on Monday, nobody has Monday off, Like, what do you know that the life is is very is very difficult. Oh my god, two thousand one, you got what you hoped would be your first big break. This is what I was told

old a commercial with Karen Top. What do you remember about that? Yeah, I don't know. It was definitely my first big on you know, television network commercial. And so by break, I guess it was a break in terms of just cash, Like this thing was going to go out there and I was going to be able to quit my one of my day jobs and and live as an actor, actually be an actor and make money

at it. So I did this and it was a care and yeah, I did this call a t T commercial in which and then about a month later, nine eleven happened. So it ran for about a week. Nine eleven happened, and they pulled the commercial because in the commercial, Carrot Top hijacks a tour bus in New York. Yeah, so that went away. Okay, it didn't end up being what you would hope. So I guess what your next question is, I'll answer, yes, I am a victim of nine eleven. Oh oh no, that's that's too soon, Rob.

I don't know it's definitely off, definitely tasteless. You get an audition for The Daily Show in two thousand and two. Were you a fan of the show, huge fan? I used to watch it. I was a huge fan from the Craig Killborn days too. Okay, yes, you know, and I got that show. I got it. I understood it. And so when I got this audition, and it was through a friend, I just kind of looked into that audition as well, and I was like, I can I know, I can do this, I can do this well. And

I worked my ass off on that audition. Yeah, like you like, did you feel like you started to create that character that you were going to be even when you know no, See, that's the thing everybody and I love that that people watching the show have an impression that we go in there with a character in mind, you know, because Colbert, I guess did to the to the extent that he was copying Stone Phillips at the point. But we it's really just like I I was my character,

if I could call it, that was everybody's character. Newscaster, it was, it was newsman, it was on the spot, Johnny on the spot, and uh I had and if anything I was imitating Colbert, right, you know, people would come to me like Jason Jones and Nate Cordream. My brother got cast on the show, and they both came to me separately and said, how did you choose your character? How did you how did you decide what your character is going to be? And I was like, dude, don't don't.

You're thinking too hard about this. Just copy Colbert and then it'll happen. I still have to this day. This is not about you. I don't know why I'm saying that. I still have the I won't close it because I want to be able to find it again when I'm talking to somebody about it. But the responsible drinking thing with Correll and him from back in the day, I still have that. So I have the Daily Show Responsible Drinking, and I think that's what it's called. It's it's yeah,

Steve really goes and drinks. Oh I have seen that. Oh yeah, yeah, that's so interesting that you bring up Colbert because I think that you know wanta if I may say, based on me not being an expert at all, but I feel like it makes a lot of sense. You're I don't know, I don't even know how you would describe what he's doing. But it is in a lot of ways the same characteristic dimwitted naivete with expert put on the top or something like that. That's exactly right.

What we thought of ourselves, yes, is the the dumbest guys in the room who thought they were the smartest. So that's exactly what you said, basically, Um, yeah, we we thought we knew everything and we knew nothing. What was it like working on the show? Positive? It was great. I mean it was great. It was so funny. I remember it was a job. You know, we went in every day and it was a lot of work. But I remember one day I shared an office with Ed

Helms and m who your buddy? Your buddy? I shared an office with Ed and he we were both like complaining about something about you know, I got stuck in Montreal and doing this this field piece, and John gave us a lot of notes We've got to go through it all again and write a whole new thing and blah blah blah. And then you know, Ed stopped us and stopped. He goes, you know what, We're gonna look back on this experience. He had the foresight just to

think this way, and thank God for him. He said, you're we're gonna both look back on this experience and we're not gonna remember this stupid stuff of being stressed out about notes or whatever. We're we're only gonna remember the positive, the wonderful, you know experience that it was and it and it really He's so right. That was the one time Ed Helms was the one time yeah wrong about everything very wrong in his life. How did

Jon Stewart influence your comedy or your perspective? God, it's so hard to describe succinctly because he's not teaching when he's doing notes and stuff. He's it's at first very confusing. His notes are sometimes abstract and you really have to think about them. And but I realized the result, you get the result that he approves. You then realize how to basically and in a John way, construct a joke.

And constructing a joke is something after five years of comedy I had never thought about and actual joke construction, it being a mechanical thing. And you know, I would say, John never went out and you know, set out to teach us that. But that's I think what I learned. Mhm what. I don't think I've ever talked to add about this. And and then I went to high school together. By the way, I knew that. I knew that. Yeah, that's crazy. Were you watching the news as a part

of your job when you're Brian Bright? Yeah, I at one point was in so deep. I had two I was watching two c spans at once, C Span one and c Span two, which, by the way, John Stewart himself calls the security camera of news. Like that's that's how deep I was. You had to I mean, you just had to be up on everything, and you don't want to get a script to be like, what is what is the debt canceling? What is all this about? You know? And to also write your help write your pieces.

It's it's a imperative. And also you get into it. You want to watch the news. That ended when I left the Daily Show. You love the Daily Show. You were no longer scouring Fox News and see it in an MSNBC. It ruined it for me too, because you know, people think that The Daily Show is like a satire of politics, but it's more a satire of the media itself, of news itself. And that's right. I just I can't. I con still to this day of a hard time

watching twenty four hour news. They they've they're doing a lot better than they used to do. Like Jake Tapper, I think it's fantastic. And he he actually said to me in two thousand four, he said, I, God, I wish we could do what you guys do. And I was like, I said what I said say when whenever a news payer and said that to me, which was always, I said, you can you can't? You just do it? Yeah,

you know what? And now he now they do. They show like those videos where they'll show us somebody saying one thing and then contradicting themselves in the next cut. And you know, if if the Daily Show has had any influence on anything, I guess it's that little thing still unwatchable. I've talked to add about this. I've talked to Wriggle a few other people. When you left, why did you? Why did you leave? Oh? I left because I got cast in a show seth McFarland's first live

action sitcom. Okay, which, sure thing right, I'm already counting my money. I'm buying a golden helicopter with that money, and and uh so, I just I moved my family. That's why I often moved to l A. You had, Yeah, you had that. You should have looked. You should have listened to Ed. Ed chose the show that it just won the Emmy a month before he started. He knew that was gonna be around for a while. I did. Yeah, Yeah, that was a good move. Yeah, I guess I missed.

Ed didn't tell me that there was a sign up sheet for the office. I would love to have been that. I did audition for Parks and reg did I did, Yeah, auditioned for Nick Offerman's character. And uh so glad I didn't get it, are you? Oh yeah, I think I did a pretty good audition too. But I'm so glad because he made that iconic roronic. He crushed that. Um So, what I heard, you moved to l A. The SETH McFarland show doesn't doesn't go and then then then the

writers strike. It happens. Um but I am not to bring that up again. That was a difficult time for everybody. But I heard that you decided to use this opportunity to be very productive and you adopted the g t D system getting things done. Talk to me a little about that, yeah, or sort of a modified way at g t D. It was at one for the more

modern age. I spent my time because I had nothing to do work wise, I spent my time learning how to be more productive, okay, And I was just looking just googling methods of of that, just product literally googling productivity. And eventually I found and I would do this for eight hours a day. I eventually discovered this guy named Merlin Mann who was a sort of tech guy who had adopted g t D and sort of like modified it for a more modern tech world old and his stuff. Really,

I don't know, I just spoke to me. I'm a list guy, okay, I like making lists. Uh. You know that feeling when you've when you have a lot to do and so you write it all down and then you feel like you've done something. Yeah already. I love that. I'm a big fan of that thing. And that's what gt D foster is essentially, I mean, okay, yeah, fascinating. I wish that I did it more when I get incredibly I don't know that I do it for efficiency, really,

I will do it when I get completely and totally overwhelmed. Yeah, like right now, I'm in the span of I don't know, I don't know. I think this is like my fifth city in like the last two and a half weeks, and suddenly trying to pack. And then you know, you're laying in bed at night and you're like, what's the weather in it in November? And I'm like, I don't know, and it just becomes like literally like check the weather, weather,

do I need sweater? Like all of that stuff. My point is, I do feel really good when I make the list and then I start crossing the stuff off. Yeah. The other thing about all that, I'm sorry, did I interrupt? You know? The other thing about all that is that it was for creativity as well. It was g t D. The whole idea behind that system was too basically ways in which you can get everything out of your head and onto something physical to be to be organized later

at a later date. But everything is just out of your head. So you know, if you when you have that thing, you're walking out the door and you're like, oh god, I gotta remember to do that thing with so and so now, and then no matter how slow steaks that thing with so and so is it's stressing your brain right to have it in there, to just write it down, have an inbox of meaning a note book, you know, phone to like write down and get it out of your head. It frees and it freed up

my mind for ideas and creativity. I felt creative in a time where I was not doing anything creative right, and it was It definitely changed my life. Well, you might have just changed mind because I at one, it makes a hell of a lot of sense to me. And two, I know what happened. I know the end of the story. Your mind got uh free to be creative and you create a brilliant web series way ahead of its time, Children's Hospital. Now, for those of you listening now, web series then it was not the same

as now. We weren't. We didn't. We didn't have all of the Mary had options and choices and platforms that are available. Now, what what made you decide to launch the show in the way that you did, which was essentially independently online. Well, because you know the type of show that it was, and I which I describe it as sort of just like a joke machine gun. Uh, it's you know, it's just so many jokes a minute that you can only handle about fifteen minutes of this,

So it was a shorter show. And I just didn't I couldn't picture that show being on television. I just couldn't picture it. So, you know, this was at a time when due to the writer's strike, all these studios were launching, uh, these web series studios, these arms of their you know, and and Warner Brothers had one. And so we pitched it. I pitched it to a friend and and got David Wayne involved, and we we went to Warner Brothers and and they wanted to do it.

So we just did a ten episode season one. But I wanted to look like it was a TV show, right, you know from the beginning, Yes, yes, you brought in a bunch of your old pals from UCB. Described the writer's room to me and trying to create a show that was machine gun jokes. The writer's room looked a lot like my office here that you're looking at right now.

This was just me. It was just the writers was just yeah, yeah, it was just And we didn't get a writer's room of formal writers room until season six, around season I think probably the second season, which was on Adult Swim, sort of the Internet of television. We started farming out episodes two people that we liked, funny people that are funny writers and actors, and and then we would sort of rewrite them and and do that.

We that was our writer's room was kind of virtual, but it was never It wasn't a group of people together in a room until season six, okay, because season five killed me. Okay, Speaking of Adult Swim, what was what were your feelings? What was that like when, even though you call it the Internet of the networks or whatever you said, when when Adults Swim wanted to put it onto television? Oh, it's great, man, uh I yeah, I had no. I never intended it to be on television.

I never, you know. But I also wasn't against it. I just never. I wasn't thinking about it. And I don't remember whether they came to us or whether John, my producing partner, had at and the College, my executive producer, had the idea and just had a conversation with somebody and decided we was anyway, we ended up pitching it to Comedy Central and Adult Swim, and Adult Swim was just very obviously a better fit for this show. We was already sort of an adult swim show right during

its its lifespan, incredibly inventive. You did a bunch of of conceptual things. I am told that in addition to the movie Arthur, another huge influence for you early on was Twin Peaks. Do you think Twin Peaks inspired Oh? Yeah, yeah? Answers yes, yes, yeah, yeah, yeah, let's say. And and to that end, I wanted I, in my head, was creating this whole mythology around Children's Hospital in the way that David Lynch and Mark Frost do with Twin Peaks.

I wanted there to be a reason why everything was wrong here in this place, in this why things didn't work like the life we lead here, uh, in in normal life. Right. And of course you know it was too much. It's too it's it's I was thinking about it a little too much. But I did manage to do it in certain regards. But I mostly it still exists just in my head, the mythology, uh, the universe of Children's Hospital. But you know, we we did definitely

expand it with the behind the scenes characters. Every every season we did an episode of Newsreaders. They they would like a sixty minutes that would do a show I do an episode on the actors involved with the show Children's Hospital, the longest running hospital show of all time, and so we already we sort of just expanded it out that way, and then later on with Medical Police. You uh, you said that your goal on the show was to write the perfect joke. Yeah, did you ever

do that? No? I don't know. I don't know what was the what was the closest. Oh god, it's so hard because it's like I said, there was just so many, I mean, good or bad. There was just a quantity of jokes. H I can't I don't know. I don't know. Can I get to you? You can get back to me. You take Home for Emma. No, it's not a perfect joke. Sorry, go ahead, you uh you take Home for Emmy words. It becomes a huge success in in Hollywood, whatever that

means and beyond. Were you surprised by the reaction to the show. Oh yeah, I mean this is the stupidest show on TV. People were calling it smart. Yeah, it's still think that's ridiculous. But yeah, I mean awards, I mean that's bonkers. This was like a thing to do while the writers were striking, and you couldn't do anything except for my series. Yeah, I don't. Yeah, it was still to this day. Obviously, I'm getting tongue tied because I can't really wrap my head around it. As the

show is continuing, your film career starts taking off. Notably, I don't know if that even means anything, but it does because I'm gonna ask you two questions about it. Notably the hot Tub time Machine movie. I'm told this movie was written for you. Oh uh, I don't know. I'm not sure. I never heard that. I know that it was written. It was a joke with the writing. The movie itself was a bit. Yeah. The guys um all actually all the producers of Karate Kid, the TV show,

the Netflix show. They all went to college together and one of them is the writer of Hot Tub and they used to joke about pitching a show or a TV movie called hot Tub time Machine. You know. They were like, because it's ridiculous, I didn't dumb idea. And then one of them actually did it. He just he was like, let's just keep this bit going. What was it? What was it like working with Craig Robinson, so good man. I just talked to him the other day he's the

sweetest guy. You know, he's Uh. It was his birthday last week and I texted him and that he said, thanks man, And the second thing out of his mouth was, how are the kids like he? He's just such a sweet, sweet guy. And by the way, my key, I told my kids that they're thrilled. Thrilled I was. They were like, I met Craig. I was like, yeah, you were like a tiny person. But you've yeah, you've met Craig a couple of times. And they're like, I met somebody from

the office. Yeah, yeah, you met at Helen's too. I'm sure, but right, oh, he doesn't count. Um. You also then get cast on HBO's Ballers. Is this part of the reason you decided to end Children's Hospital? You got there was so much going on for you that even the g t D system couldn't couldn't no no, because you know them, I wrote a lot of Children's Hospital on the road from different places. Uh. We were able to put that show together from you know, different places with

just Google docs. It's the best thing ever invented. But I know, I we sort of structured that show. This show was like a summer camp that all our famous funny friends could come and do and it's not we don't we We would love it if they had, you know, made it a priority, but we never said, like we we understand that this can't be your This is not a money maker for you. This is this is something you do for fun. Let's create an environment full of

funny people that that love each other. You know. That was my m O and and so. But then that went for me too, like I was wasn't able to do other stuff. The thing was is that I got tired. I did I didn't see an end to it, and I sort of subscribed to the seinfeld I idea. The Seinfeldian idea that Seinfeldian, I guess is now a philosophy. We can say that that you know you want something, you don't know it, but you do want something to end before it's run its course in a way you don't.

You don't want it to peter out. And that show is so important to me that that that was sort of my philosophy is that like we've we've done it, I want to do right now for for a span of time, I just want to be an actor. I love writing and and producing, but but I just want to want to do that for a little bit and uh not have to worry about going home from set on Ballers and writing the whole episode of Children's Hospital. Um, so yeah, that that was really it. I mean, just

get out while it's still hot. How was I want to talk about Ballers just a little bit. You played the financial manager for Sports Stars. I am a huge Now are you a sports fan? I'm a football fan. I'm a football fan. I'm a fair weather baseball fan. What was it like working with the Rock and working on that show with obviously featured so many I know,

it's so crazy. It's so crazy because football is my sport, and uh people I would run it, you know, like Victor Cruz and and Terrell Suggs, Like we're on the show almost as much as a regular cast member. And it was just to become familiar with guys like that was amazing. And I hate them so much because they're good, right, Like Sugs is like he's a better improviser than I am. He just doesn't know what cut means. It just keeps going. It keeps going. Yeah, even even as you're having lunch,

it's just the same. Yeah, it's going. Did you feel like this was a step in a new direction for you in your career. I wasn't sure at the time when I was doing it, because it was sort of it was a half hour show, so I guess I thought of it as a comedy on the outset because I was also sort of the comic relief. So I was in my work little world. I was doing a comedy.

But it did, you know it. I realized gradually that if this was a different thing for me, yeah, fun to do that, super fun, very challenging the because it was a different world I had worked for so long in worlds that I created or where it was. It felt sort of insular and I knew everybody, and it was comedic and this was this was like the Hollywood machine man and uh very very uh educational and and getting it watched the rock work and watch how he

gets things done. Is was awesome, And yeah it was. It was a great thing, very very difficult, but in the best way. Yeah, your energy on that show and what you brought to that show. I just always really really admired and yeah, I just I I loved it. I was a fan of the show. I'm you know, I've worked myself in in in sports and various capacities as well. And I just thought, yeah, I thought you were spectacular and and and seeing you begin to turn as the show did, it was awesome. So yeah, there

you go, Thank you very much. That's the only thing I really enjoyed playing that character, you know, because the sky was the limit. They let me do what I will go anywhere. Yeah, I think I did that improvised. I improvised that I had tried crack. I think it's in the show. I don't remember where they kept that. Why not? Why not? Um? Recently I hear you this is a this is a very big thing for you.

I would be so far out of my element. I was told for years you planted your love of cars in interviews and now as one of the hosts of Top Gear America. Was this a conscious strategy you have or you just love cars? Yeah? I mean this was a conscious strategy in that I wanted to I wanted to be one of those guys, one of those actors that car companies sent cars to for a weekend. Okay, I wanted to get a Ferrari dropped off at my house four days, Uh, you know, for with no obligation,

and and so I that's exactly I made it. I made a very conscious, conscious effort to mention my love of cars in the media, and it happened once. But it was it stupid. It was a lame car, you know. It was a I don't remember it was this one of those electric cars. By the way, I love cameras. That was not I would just sponsored my cameras. No, no, I don't know. But if we ever need that sponsorship, I don't Nissan. Nissan Maxima is a far better car.

Ultima is a far better car. But anyway, all right, we could I could go off testing the limits of these cars. Has been fun for you and myself, man, because I would I feel just as out of my element. I was cast as the one of the three guys. I'm the I'm the guy sort of the audience, the voice of the audience. I'm the enthusiast. I've never I had never driven on a track before. I don't know. I didn't know about the mechanics of cars or I wasn't an encyclopedia of automobiles. But you know, I sort

of rounded out the group in that way. So it was it added a fun dynamic, but it was also to the show. But I was terrified all the time there. We did some crazy stuff, Dude, I can't, I can't. I did the you know what do you call it? You know, started the NASCAR thing one time and rode in the in the pace car terrifying. Was it her made the pace car? How fast did it go? I don't know, but he said, you want to go, you

want to open it up a little bit. And I just remember hearing the crowd going crazy as you're going around the engine right and the engine it's so loud you can't even stand that. I want that I play. I could play that to go to sleep to that engine noise. Love it, love it, dude. I am such a big fan of yours. I so appreciate uh you spending some time with me. Is there anything else you

want listeners to be looking out for? Um? No, top Gear is still I believe it's running right now, right now, both seasons on the Motor Trend app, probably on the Motor Trend network, but it's not. That's not available everywhere. We're working right now to get better, get more money, to broaden, to expand it a little bit. But what am I No, I'm not doing a thing. You got anything, I'll do it. Yeah, job in Atlanta, I'll do it. Tell them I'll do it. I can't talk about it.

Come on, man, I can't talk about it all right. Have you ever ever heard the phrase material breach of contract? I love that band. You're doing a video for material breaching contract. Yeah, thank you so much, Rob. I appreciate it. Whatever you do next, I'm in. I'm full in on you. Well. I you are such a lovely guy. Um, thank you for letting me do this, and thank you for having this podcast. I love. These are my favorite kinds of podcast.

It's just we're just this is just talking I I and you're very good at it, so so um, thanks for having me stop it. I appreciate it. And uh and we'll do it again. Um. No, I'm not available, Okay, I'll be in Atlanta. You can't tell you why. Thanks Rob. Wow, thank you so much for joining me today. That was incredible. I I'm going to spend the next couple of days thinking about what little morsels i'd like to feed the media. Not a bad idea, my friend, not bad at all,

And my listeners, thank you for joining me. On this beautiful Tuesday or whatever day you're listening. Time is weird in the world of podcasts. Am I right, I'm gonna be back next week with another fantastic conversation. Let's see. Do I have any hints for you? How about they have been both royalty and a teenage heartthrop m m, yes, We'll see you next week. Off the Beat is hosted and executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner, alongside our executive

producer Langley. Our senior producer is Diego Tapia. Our producers are Liz Hayes, Hannah Harris, and Emily carr Are. Talent producer is Ryan Papa Zachary At. Our intern is Sammy Cats. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak, performed by the one and only Creed Bratton,