Insight with Chris Van Vliet - Freddie Prinze Jr. On His New Wrestling Promotion, MJF as AEW Champion, Logan Paul In WWE

Episode Date: November 29, 2022

Freddie Prinze Jr. (@realfreddieprinze) is an actor, producer and screenwriter known for his roles in movies like She's All That, Down To You, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Scooby Doo, Summer Catch and many others. He also worked for WWE as a writer and producer from 2008-2009 and again from 2010-2012. He sits down with Chris Van Vliet in person to talk about his new movie "Christmas With You" on Netflix, why he doesn't like watching his own movies, his thoughts on MJF being the AEW Champion, why he isn't a fan of Logan Paul in WWE, the best advice he ever received and more! Check out "Christmas With You" on Netflix here: http://netflix.com/ChristmasWithYou If you enjoyed this episode, could I ask you to please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcast/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and makes a huge difference in helping to spread the word about the show and also to convince some hard-to-get guests. For more information about Chris Van Vliet and INSIGHT go to: https://podcast.chrisvanvliet.com Follow CVV on social media:  Instagram: instagram.com/ChrisVanVliet Twitter: twitter.com/ChrisVanVliet Facebook: facebook.com/ChrisVanVliet YouTube: youtube.com/ChrisVanVliet TikTok: tiktok.com/@Chris.VanVliet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All systems are going. Ladies and gentlemen, Chris Van Bleed! And boom, welcome back to another audio adventure on Insight. I'm Chris Van Fleet, and we have with us one of my favorite guests ever. Back on the show, so glad Freddie Prince Jr. could join us in person for this interview. You may remember the last episode we did a little over a year ago. And if you listen to it, I think you'll agree with me that he is hands down. one of the best storytellers on the face of the planet.

I mean, he has you hanging on to every single word that he says. You'll know him from movies like, She's All That, Down to You. I know what you did last summer. Scooby-Doo, but he also spent a few years working as a producer and writer for WWE in 2008 and 2009. Then again, a second stint, 2010 through 2012. So he's a huge wrestling fan,

has an amazing mind for the business. And the fact that he worked there gives him a very different take on everything. So it goes without saying that his podcast called Wrestling with Freddie is a must listen. So check it out when you're done with this episode. Also, check out his new movie on Netflix

called Christmas with you. The perfect time of year to be watching a movie like that. Take a screenshot, let us know that you're listening to this episode and tag us so we can repost it. He is at Real Freddy. Prince. I'm at Chris Van Fleet. And man, let's do this thing. It's CBV and FPJ. Please welcome.

Freddie Prince Jr. This is just like looking at a mirror. Wow. An older mirror. Look into your future. You know how many comments on our last interview? I heard many times people go, that just looks like an old you instead of people saying you look like a young friend. But that is the internet. It was like the young version on one side and the older version on the other side. Yeah, they focused on the older side. If I could look anything like the she's-all, that version of you, I'll take it. Brother, if I cared about that, you would have seen me color my hair a long time ago. I have not colored my hair ever.

You colored it in this movie. Well, they made me. I tried to go gray, but there's not a studio executive in the world that'll allow someone to look like an actual human being. So it's just the way it goes. And you can't just be like, hey, it works for Clooney. I mean, I guess I could say and be a pain in the ass about hair color, but I just feel like there's more important fights to fight on the creative side than whether I'm a brunette, a gray old man, or black hair.

I don't know what color was in the movie. I looked more black. But yeah, it's just not something that I've ever cared about. I just love that we're doing this in person. So thank you for making the time to do this. Yeah, man. Zoom sucks, and so did the pandemic. And I guess it's not over for something.

people. It is over for others. We're not wearing masks, though, and that feels nice. But you are the greatest storyteller of all time. So I'm like, we need to do this in person. So I can just like sit under the learning tree and just hear all your stories. I think I told you this last time, but my father's manager, Ron de Blasio, who's still with us today because he's never going to die. He's amazing. He'll live forever. When I was 12 years old, he said, Freddie, storytellers cut no wood. And I didn't know what that minute, 12 years old. And he held up his hand, and he was a great storyteller,

is a great storyteller. He goes, there's not a callus on these hands. And so as I got older and realized what that was, like, I got you. I don't want to be digging ditches. I'm going to tell stories for a living. So that's what I do. I just think with everything that you could do in your life,

it's interesting the path you went down. Like, you tell these amazing stories about being connected with, like, Muhammad Ali and Chuck Norris. You told those amazing stories in last episode. Yeah. Your father was a legendary, comedian so like that could have been a path that you went down never though i would never stand on the same stages he did ever i didn't even like doing saturday night live because it felt too close

to what he did um but yeah there was never going to be a day where i did stand-up comedy i did get to hang out at the improv rest in peace bud friedman we just lost i'm losing everybody that was like a father figure to me when i was a kid lost jean labell this year lost my godfather bob wall this year Bud just passed. My father opened that club, the improv on Melrose. And I was 12 years old and would hang out in there with spiral notebooks. And I would write down the comics jokes as fast as I could and then rate how loud the audience reacted with stars. And I've handed those journals to comics as an adult.

And it literally has blown their mind. They're like, I remember that joke. I don't want to curse. Of course you can. Holy shit. That's amazing. Three stars. What is that?

I'm like, no, I laugh. It was the crap. But for real, man, Bud used to, if I had to go to the bathroom, he would have to take me and he would clear out the bathroom because that's where, like, all the actors and comics and musicians

would be doing cocaine and stuff. And he'd be like, I got Little Freddy coming in, and all these guys would be like, oh, yeah, sorry, let me get out of here. And then I could go take a leak. And so how was it acting? Like, you could have been down

all of these other paths. Like, I feel like if you were born 10, 20 years later, it might have been a UFC fighter. I don't know if I would have been good enough. I don't know. First of all, I don't think my godfather would have let me. There's better ways to make a living. Just ask Matt Riddle. So yeah, you know, I always wanted to make a good living and make money and be successful in not just the career I chose, but in the ability to have what I want. We didn't have anything growing up. Like we got kicked out of two houses by the time I was a sophomore in high school because we couldn't afford it. My dad was successful, but for a very short period of time. And when he died, he didn't leave anything.

He didn't have a will. My grandma came out and fought for her share and kind of took a lot. My mom didn't have much, you know, she had to go job to job. And I had to grow up with my grandparents for a good portion of time because we didn't have a house. I had to grow up with my godparents, who I mentioned Bob Wall, who was one of the main influences all my life and my godmother, Lillian, who's still with us and just an amazing human being. So yeah, I didn't want to be broke.

And UFC fighters don't make any money. So that wasn't going to be in my future. I think it was act or nothing, man. I really do. Wow. Who are you to most people? Like, what's the role that most people associate you with most? Most of my friends call me Uncle Freddie or Grandpa Freddie because they're jerks.

But I, you know, I care about my friends a lot. I try to, I'm definitely a giver, not a taker. I'm a father first, a husband second, and I guess a grandpa, Uncle Freddy, all my friends. And what about to your fans? Which role is it? To them, I don't probably Fred Jones or Canaan Jarris. Those are probably the main two. If you're a girl, probably she's all that.

Or Fred Jones, I don't remember the character and she's all that. But I remember Fred Jones. I was a fan of Scooby-Doo when I was a kid. So, yeah, I think to girls, she's all that, or Fred. And to guys, Canaan or Fred. Summer catch just meant so much. Summer catch. They're like eight people that saw that movie.

Oh, get out of here. I grew up playing baseball. Yeah, I guess, yeah, baseballers watched it. Baseballers watched it. Jessica Beale fans watched it. But that is not one that I get hit with very often. I'm not like walking down the street and people go, yo, summer catch. It's usually, it's usually, oh, scooby-doo.

That's the one. Is it ever? I know what you did last summer. Yeah, that's, well, used to be. And then this director named James Wan created a little franchise called Saw, which turned my movies into frigging comedies. They weren't scary anymore. So that's faded away.

But horror evolves so much more quickly than any other type of film because these directors are constantly trying to outdo one another and, well, this was scary then. So what can I make that scary now? And while they have inspirations, they're constantly trying to update the genre. And technology, I feel like, helps horror. more than anything, although my favorites are when they do more practical stuff than CGI stuff as far as effects

go, but it's really helped the genre evolve and so yeah, so that's expected. How unprofessional. And that's the wife. That's the wife. She has a special, a special ring. But yeah, man, so

so yeah, that's always been my favorite style of film, horror. I just have never found the right opportunity since the i know what you did movies and i had a i had a real bad experience on the first one and a real special experience like a great experience on the second one and i've been looking for a horror film ever since then but either the ones that came my way i didn't like or the ones i like didn't come my way but i think i found something that i'm going to do this summer so so another horror movie another horror movie yeah with the same producer that did uh this

Netflix film I just did Christmas with you. His name's Ehrman. I call him Miguel. That's his middle name. Just because it's easier to say. But he's, he found a script that I love, and he's made a ton of horror movies, and it'll be more like guerrilla warfare style, like low budget, and that's kind of my favorite, get your hands dirty kind of movie. What was the bad experience you had on the first film?

Well, yeah, it's been long enough. Nobody's going to get their feelings too hurt. Well, the director made certain that I knew I was not his choice for the film every single day. The producers and the studio, I was their choice, but he wanted a different actor. And every single day, man, it was just, he was just all my case. You know, if I left my mouth open,

he'd say, you look stupid when your mouth's open, close your mouth. And I'm just like, dude, get off my case. And then there was like a stunt where they sent to save money, sent the stunt crew home. and they wanted me to drive this dingy with an outboard motor over the wake of this boat, right?

And I'm sitting there going, did Freddie Heiss approve this? And he's like, Freddie He was the stunt coordinator. He's like, oh yeah, yeah, yeah. He did not, by the way. Freddie is an amazing stunt coordinator

and always had all the actors back in that movie. He was great, not good, great. He did the sequel as well. And a hell of a horseback rider, too. He did like a bunch of westerns and stuff. So any horse stunts, like all these six turns. He's a master. So anyway, we do this.

we do the rehearsal and the boat is not safe to do this jump. And I fly out of the boat and it goes right over my head, the outboard engine. And I can be, I don't know how close it was, but it felt like it was a millimeter away. And I get out of the water and I'm, I'm pissed. And I'm like, where's Freddie High? Where is it? Because I'm mad at Freddie. And the first AD, Lewis, I can't believe I remember his name.

He was a good guy. He goes, they, he didn't want to say it. He's like, they sent him home. And I'm like, what? And the director comes up to me and he goes, you told me you knew how to drive a speedboat. And I'm like, yes, I do. That's not a speedboat.

It's a dingy with an outboard motor. What are you? You're mad at me? You're mad at me? And he's like, well, we have to do it again. I'm like, I'm not doing that again. You're great. And every single day was just him letting me know that I wasn't good enough.

And it was my first movie, really, my first big movie. I'd done a little thing called to Jillian on her 37th birthday. and a little movie called The House of Yes with Mark Waters, who was wonderful, and Michael Pressman, who was wonderful. But this was my first lead, and he was on my case, and I remember Ryan coming up to me every day

and just going, remember what booked you this movie? Screw this guy, like, trust your instincts. Don't do anything he says. Do what got you the role. And I'd always be like, yeah, but he's like, don't listen to him. And Ryan had a lot of experience. He came up in soaps,

and he'd already been in the business a while. Sarah had been doing it since she was four. I'm sure Love had been doing it, and she was for, I'd been doing it for a year, one year. I had no experience. I was super green. And not in the cool Chris Tucker Fifth Element way, not like super green, like super green, no experience and not a lot of confidence.

And so Ryan was like, and Sarah was super cool too, but obviously it worked out for us. But yeah, I remember Ryan just being like, remember what God, you audition five times for this thing, all right? You know what to do. Everything's cool. I'm like, yeah, all right, okay, okay. And so that he was always real good to me on that movie. We didn't, like, remain close or anything like that.

But I'm sure if we saw each other, it would always be all love. But that's kind of, those were the two people that I mainly leaned on because a director was just a, just hated me, man. And that's cool, but you don't have to let me know every single day. Whereas Danny Cannon on the second one was like, look, mate, I need another month and another $10 million to make this great, but they're not going to give it to me. So here we go. And I was like, bro, guerrilla warfare.

Let's do it. Like, whatever you need, I'll hold a light. Like, I'll hold a boom. He was just so respectful and cool and professional. And I think in the modern era, especially through social media, we've blended the words dignity and respect, right? And they mean the same thing. And I'm here to tell you they do not.

Dignity and professionalism should be offered to everyone. Respect should be earned on a case-by-case person-to-person basis. You should be offered the opportunity to earn respect. But if you're just expecting it out the gate, you've just been brainwashed by ESPN highlights and athletes going, I'm going to take my respect. You can't. Like, you have to earn it.

And that's why Nolan respects you. So Danny gave me that opportunity to earn his respect. And during rehearsals, I felt like I really did, mainly because he said so. I was like, I'm going to really lean on you through this. And we're going to be in this together. And I was like, brother, I love that more than anything. And I didn't even tell him how horrible the first experience was because I just felt so much positivity from that.

And he was a tough director, but he didn't expect anything from you that he wouldn't expect from himself. And I'm fine with that. Like, as long as I see you walking the walk, then you can talk whatever you want. And I'll be there for you. I'll run through a wall, a dry wall. But, uh, but, uh, but yeah, man, I was, I was very grateful for that second experience because I was so soured by the first one. And, uh, I've been looking for a horror movie ever since.

We're really bearing the lead that you almost. died on the first. I don't know if I would... If that outboard hit you in the head. Yeah, but I wouldn't be sitting here right now. Yeah, it was, I mean, I can laugh about it now. At the time, I was, you know, obviously, and rightfully so pissed off.

Think of the irony of dying on the set of a horror movie. Yeah, that would be very Phantom of the Opera cursed. If it's what I mean, there might not have been a sequel. You never know. I mean, there's been reboots of everything. Why not a reboot of... I know what you did last summer. I feel like they tried, didn't they?

Like, 10, 15 years ago? I feel like they made another one. with a new cast. I just, I don't know how it was received. But like Scream has done five now. Yeah, but Nev didn't do that. They didn't want to take care of Neve, so she said peace, rightfully so. You know, it was why I didn't do the, the, she's all that thing.

Miramax made it clear they didn't care. So I was like, well, if you don't care, I don't care. Is it that the studios just think like, oh, it's a new generation. They won't remember that. No, I just think things have changed so much. And I believe me, I'm the first one that understands it's show business. And I know which words bigger. But once we allowed analytics into this universe, it changed the business in a very negative way, right?

Like there's no room for analytics in art, none. The moment Prince said this, the moment you look through your art through the lenses of the fans, through the lenses of others, it's no longer yours and it's no longer art. It's just commerce. It's just business. And that's what our business has become. I remember Peter Falk, a lot of young people won't know this person. He was in all the old Cassavetes.

A lot of you won't know who the Cassavetes are either, but you should. They made great films. He used to talk about Charlie Chaplin and United Artists and the origin of that studio. And I remember one time he said to me, he said, a studio, I can't do a great Peter Falk anymore. He goes, our studio should be nothing more than an ATM machine. They should just tell you when you're out of money. And at 20, 21, 22 years old, however old I was, I didn't have the experience to apply that philosophy.

But as I got older, and now I've seen everything this business can show you, I got where he was coming from. Because most executives, most executives that I've worked with anyway, have never physically produced a film. Their job is to say yes or no on who gets what job, who gets what position in the movie. And nowadays, they have a lot of, creative input and a lot of creative control. And I don't know if it's always understood how

effect changing one scene can affect an entire movie. I mean, I'll be honest with you. The first draft of every script I've read has always been the best draft. That's the one that gets me to say yes. That's the one that gets a director to go, oh my God, I can execute this on a crazy level. But once it goes through the 10 different people that it goes, or 20 different people that it goes through after the actors have said yes, you end up. with a much different screenplay than that first draft. Now, maybe for some writers who are jaded and been in this business too long, they're not writing their best draft as the first draft because they're like,

oh, they're just going to change it anyway. That happened in television a lot. But in film, which is what I have more experience in, that first draft is the inspiration. That's the one that, like I said, got me to say yes. And then the one you're filming is so different, and it's gone through so many hands and there's so many different fingerprints on it So people can say, you know, it's an ego-driven business and rightfully so, where people can say, you know, oh, that was my note and this was my thing that all of a sudden it becomes more about that than the original idea in the first place, the one that inspired the director, the DP, the actors, whoever's going to score your film, like all those things.

So it's changed a lot, but I will say this. I personally believe this business is, what's the word, circular? moves in a circular is that circular whatever the word is cyclical cyclical that's the word we're looking for thank you cyclical it's early on a Monday no I'm just dumb but I won't I won't forget that um so yeah cyclical I like that so I believe that it can come back to what it was I'm not saying we're going to go back to silent films but I think there's there's got to be a financier out there somewhere that doesn't want to have their ego

and be like I can make a movie but wants to empower artists to make movies again. And then maybe we can get back to that old school feeling where it really is, it's not about we're going to make a movie for everyone. It's we're going to make a movie that's inside here. And if you connect with it, that's great. And if you don't, that's great too. But you know it's from that person's heart. You know that writer wrote what they wanted to write. And they weren't, like a lot of studios dictate what they want to buy that year. We want a movie like this. It's like, who cares what you want? Just wait a second. This writer has 20 amazing scripts that you didn't call for,

that you should just check out. And maybe you'll click with one of them. And maybe this executive won't. But that's okay. You can still make it. Not all of you have to agree. So I hope that eventually it comes back around to that. I don't know if it'll be in my lifetime,

but I hope it is because I prefer that style of filmmaking. I prefer letting artists make creative decisions. I prefer a director being in charge of the film. they're directing and not having it taken away and re-edited. And if they disagree, they get fired and replaced. I mean, what if a writer's original idea gets taken away from them because they disagree with the note? Oh, wait, that happens all the time.

All the time. So I hope we can get back to something that just isn't publicly traded companies. But I don't know if it'll happen in my lifetime, you know, independent filmmaking can be that. It just is starting to go the studio route as well, because they want to sell their company to a bigger studio and make their money back as quickly as possible. You know, and that's in any format. It's in video game streaming.

It's, look at what happened to G4. Their financiers weren't gamers. They were looking to invest in the gaming world and make money off of the backs of gamers. If they would have simply empowered their cast and empowered those people and said, hey, we might lose money for three years, four years, but we're going to believe in these people, not put our own input in there. And I have no vested interest in G4.

I just wanted the show to do well. I wanted the channel to do well. I wasn't a part of it. I had no stock in it. I wasn't one of their gamers or stream or anything. But when I saw that kind of fall apart and fell, I was like, well, of course, like you have to empower the creative people. And then that's what makes people connect and click.

If they see an outside hand, audiences aren't stupid like they used to be back in the day. There's too much behind the scenes stuff. They're too well educated on how things go. And if they see an outside influence, they're going. going to call BS and they're going to call it so fast. And I saw it happen with G4. I saw what Twitter was saying to them and all this stuff. I was just like, man, you've got to just let these people be and let them make their art. That's why you hired them. Why do you think their streamers had so many followers on Twitch and on YouTube? Because those people were doing their own thing.

Yes. So let them do that. So that's that's kind of, am I sitting on a soapbox or a chair? But yeah, man, that's kind of how I feel about all that stuff. I don't even know how we got off on that. That's more of a side quest, I guess. But you just tell where my heart's at. Is this part of the reason why you don't watch a lot of your own movies? No, I just don't want to see my big old dumb face on a giant screen or hear my stupid voice.

Not everybody. I don't want to hear my stupid voice. How many of your own movies have you seen? Three. Three. She's all that? No. What?

Well, that, that I, that I would. would have seen at the premiere, but they debuted it on the anniversary of my dad's death. And I was not having a good day that day. And I was the same age he was when he died. I was 22. Wow. So it was just like too much. And then I never, I never saw it after that. I saw the first I know what you, no, I saw the second I know what you did. Danny's. And I saw this little movie I made called what they changed the name to Brooklyn Rules, which was me, Jerry. Ferrari Ferrara, Scott Conn and Mina Savari, and I love that whole cast so much. And I saw it in a tiny little theater with my wife. And I saw Christmas with you at the Netflix theater because they made me

go. Amy Garcia just doesn't take no for it. She's like, you've never seen your, well, you're going to see this. I was like, all right, I promise. I'll come. So Rachel was my wife was working in Georgia. I called Rachel Lee. I said, will you be my safe date at the premiere? She was like, oh my God, I'd love to. And she was kind enough to come and hold my hand so I wouldn't. run out of the theater. And I sat and watched my big stupid face on a big stupid screen. And I didn't, I didn't run out of the theater. So it was a, it was a win. Seeing you and Rachel Lee Cook back together on the Red Carp, it was like, wow. We've been friends this whole time. I was like 17 when, you know, that movie came out. Yeah, it was perfect for you. 16 maybe, I don't know.

Perfect for you. Yeah. Yeah. I, I, you mean a lot to people. I've said this recently, said this a lot, nostalgic is the most powerful drug in the world. I appreciate that. And I feel like you are like a purveyor of nostalgia. Like when someone sees you in something like you linked to something in my late 90s, my early 2000s. Yeah, that's kind of what made it impossible to have regret, as I think a lot of artists do if something doesn't do well or if they have a bad experience.

The response that I've gotten from people and social media made this possible. So here's one good thing that it's done. The love that I've gotten from people on things that I felt however I felt about, rightfully or wrongfully so, really changed my perspective on everything and made me okay with so many things that I thought were wrong with movies A, B, C, and D. And it was all, you know, like people going, oh, my God, I love, like, I've heard so much love from Scooby-Doo. And the first movie,

it's always the first one, was tricky. Warner Brothers can be a difficult place to work at. They don't always treat you the way you treat them, I think is the nicest way I can say it. But yeah, man, it really kind of affected the way I viewed those films just based on the business side of things

and some of the stuff that they tried to pull and do with summer catch too it was always with warner brothers it's the only studio that i've ever had a bad experience with and it was on all three films but um but yeah man the love for that people have have shared with that really just said you know i was like dude let all that crap go my godfather used to say you're in control of two things in this world your actions and your reactions and your reactions to the actions of others and that's it and then he said and anybody else telling you different it's full of shit because it was a very hardcore sociopath. So not everything he said was right. But he was right about that first part. And it really helped change my perspective and let me let me let go and forgive those who needed to be forgiven,

even though they were lawyers. Um, you've been forgiven. Um, so yeah, man, I think that nostalgia thing has been more beneficial to me than it is to the people who felt good about those movies. Because I really was like, oh, wow, man, that's, that's awesome. I'm glad you watched it a thousand times. You owe your parents an apology for making them watch it with you the first 20 times, but I'm glad they loved you enough to do that. You know, we're going to spend

a bunch of this interview talking about wrestling and WWE and everything. Yeah, but I know I love wrestling, bro. Nistalgia is so powerful in the world of wrestling. So powerful. Because it used to be good. Oh, it's not good anymore? I mean, I will say this, that AEW

pay-per-view that just... Full gear? Full gear was great. not good, great. So every once in a while, I think both teams get it right, whether it's WW under Hunter's Control or AEW under Tony's. When they get it right, I love it and it's great. When they get it wrong, I feel the same way everyone else does. Yeah.

Well, I also think that it's so tribal. Like if you're a WWE fan. So is everything. This is worse than ever. So is Star Wars. So is Lord of the Rings. So are video games. So are comics?

Like everything's right. But this comes down to, are you a wrestling fan? It's like, if you take, Watch both. I don't take sides. I watch everything. If you do too bad for you. But if you tick the box that says, yes, I am a wrestling fan, then it's okay to like all things. But people seem to be like, oh, you liked full gear. Well, that means you don't like WWE. Well, they're allowed to say that. I mean, and someone can press a heart button when they say it and you're just both wrong. You know, it's just that equation never enters the mind, right? Like there's multiple generations that have been convinced that if someone presses that like button, the appearance, the appearance. opinion is right. And unfortunately, a thousand people can press it. It just means a thousand and one people were wrong. That's all it means. Opinions are wrong all the time. I think the insecure personality or the beta personality when it sees that confirmation loves it, right? Like Sally Field when she wins an Academy Award, you like me. You really like me. Like, girl, you were you were sick before the

award. Like, we loved you before that. That's why you won it. Like, you didn't know, you know what I'm saying so a lot of artists fall into that category and a lot of modern day athletes fall into that that category as well you can kind of see how susceptible they are to compliments and criticism and then there's the alpha personality which has been morphed through social media which is people who have already decided how they feel about whatever it is you're complimenting or criticizing them on like Kobe Bryant you're the best yeah thanks you sook you're never Jordan yeah whatever like he didn't care yeah and then the omega personality which is me unfortunately He just wants to know the motive behind the compliment or the criticism.

You're true artist. If you're complimenting me in my head, it's just like, he's got a script. He wants me to read. And then sure enough, five minutes in, they're like, and by the way, I have this idea. And my brain's like, told you, Freddie. I told you. You should have just walked away.

You know what I mean? You did walk away. Well, yeah. There you go. And then the, Freddy, you sought you back in. And when they say that, I'm like, man, that guy's girlfriend must have drug him to so many romantic comedies. And all he wanted was a car chase.

And I couldn't give it to you, brother. I'm sorry. I feel like with pro wrestling where it's either you love this company or you hate this company, I feel like people can feel the same about you. Like guys either love you or they probably hate you. Yeah, it's probably 50-50. I don't know, but you're allowed. By the way, if you hate me, it's okay.

How could you hate Freddie Prince, Jr.? Come on. You know, I don't mind either way. So it's all good. I can't. Another bit of advice my godfather gave me was don't take criticism from someone you wouldn't seek advice for him. So social media.

CM Punk tweeted that not long ago. Well, maybe I'm sure he stole it from the great Bob wall. Probably. But, yeah, so I've always, it's been hard for compliments and criticism to, from strangers to affect me. Like if Seth Green was like, dude, your work in this wasn't where it needs to be, I would take a step back and be like, crap, what seems? Like, what didn't you like? You know what I mean? And thanks, Seth, for never saying that.

But that's somebody whose opinion I've known since I was 19 years old, you know? know what I mean like he was the first actor to come up to me and like try to be friends on on set i was eating lunch alone every day on the set of to jillian on her 37th birthday which was a michelle fifer clare dain's movie and seth wasn't having it he just came and i had a a walkman on i was listening to a cd and he was like hey man what do you listen to i was like uh it's old it's frank sinatra and he's like i love frank sinatra even though he'd never probably heard of frank sinatra song. He's like, let's eat lunch together. And I just couldn't say no because he was so positive and nice. And so, yeah, we've been friends for however many, almost 20 years or even more. I don't know.

I'm bad at math too. I heard a great story about how you got an audition for a film just by showing up and being like, yeah, yeah, I'm here. And they called someone else's name and you were like, yeah, that's me. Yeah, I've lied a lot. I lied a lot, man. I have no issues with that. There would be, it was the house of yes. And it was Ryan Philippi. is who I was. And if he would have looked like Parker, he would have got it probably anyway. But I looked more like Parker Posey than he did.

But yeah, I showed up and I just waited. I would always wait for a name to get called. And if that actor didn't show, I'd go, that's me. Where was Ryan Phillipy that day? I don't know. He's probably auditioning for another movie

and booking something else. But they called his name twice, I think three times. And I went, I was sorry, I didn't hear you. I was just going over my lines. And I went in, it was Mary Vernute.

It was the casting director, and Mark Waters, the director. He did Mean Girls, and he directed me a second time in, it was the Monica Potter movie. I don't remember the name, the one with all the supermodels. And the Great Dane, the other great day. Because you haven't seen any of these movies. No, well, no. And I don't read the title page.

Down to you? I don't think, so we shot that one in New York, and this one we shot in Vancouver. So I don't remember. But it doesn't matter. So, anyway, I go in and I read the scenes. And the director, Mark, he goes, that was really good. But you're not Ryan Phillipby.

And I just like check my laces, right? Like I'm just staring at my shoes in shame. And I go, I go, no, I just, I really felt a connection to this. And I just want to show you what I could do, man. I'm really sorry. And Mary Verno is like staring daggers at me, right? Like, I will never cast you in anything. Although she did.

She was really nice. I think she was on, I know you did last summer. And he goes, well, good job just the same. And I walked out of there like, crap, man, I'm dead. I'm so dead. And my manager called me like an hour later. He's like, yo, you just booked that movie. And I was like, what movie?

He goes, I don't know. Because he didn't send me out. He goes, it's a movie called The House of Yes. I was like, you're joking. I was like, oh my gosh, bro. It's like a young Anthony Perkins before he was in psycho. Like, this is going to be so much fun. And he was like, okay, well, we're going to negotiate and way to go.

Don't do that again. I did it like 20 more times, by the way, until I didn't have to anymore. But yeah, man, I was, look, you got to hustle and if you have a dream, that's one thing. When you have a vision, you are actively studying. You are actively pursuing it. A dream is what a third grader has. I want to be a race car driver. I want to be a quarterback.

A vision is when you work at it every single day and you sacrifice fun and you sacrifice clubs and you sacrifice all that other stuff to get better at your craft. And I had to. I didn't go to film school. I wasn't comfortable and didn't even know how, didn't even have the skill yet to execute any real stuff that existed inside me. I had to learn everything on the job.

That's why maybe that's a reason why I didn't watch my stuff because I always felt like I was a better actor at the end of it than I was when I started it and I never wanted to see myself make mistakes. Maybe that's a reason why. But Parker Posey made me fall in love. I didn't even love acting until I made that movie House of P.S. and I saw how passionate she was about every word in every single scene. And I just remember watching her.

I think I was maybe 19 years old and just going, I got to be that. I got to get there. I got to be that. And I would just hound her nonstop and just ask her a million questions. I know I probably drove her crazy. But she was such a wonderful. I remember, I know I didn't drive her crazy. She loved me because when I hosted SNL, she was dating Jimmy Fallon.

And at the post party, all these like start, or, ooh, I can't say that. word. All these girls that only want to hook up with you because you're famous were there. And one of them tried to sit next to me. And she literally climbed over a table, sat on that poor girl's lap, was like, get away from my little brother. And like, made her, like, Heismund her out of there. And she was like, Freddie, these girls are what they are and don't talk to any of them. And I was like, okay, thank you very much. So yeah, maybe I didn't drive her crazy. Maybe she actually loved me. Where was it in your journey where you felt like you started to lose your

passion? And you did step away for a while. The second Scooby was the first time the business kind of let me down. Although that's weird to say because that was my expectation not being met. I remember the first movie did great.

It made three quarters of a billion dollars. Probably made more obviously since then. But at this point, when we were going to do the second one, that's what it had made. And the whole cast wanted, a raise except me. I'm not trying to like brag and I won't get into numbers or anything like that,

but I was making more than them on the first one and more than what we were contracted to make on the second one. And I was happy with the number, right? And so my agent let them know, like, we're not going to ask for raise. Everything's cool. And I remember them calling my agent back and saying, well, we want to give the rest of the cast a raise and we'd like Freddie to take a pay cut.

And I was like, wait, so I'm giving them a raise. We made y'all three quarters of a billion dollars. You're telling me you can't afford to pay them what you're paying me. And for the record, they deserve to be paid what I was getting paid for the second one. And they're like, yeah, we'd like you to take a pay cut. And I remember sitting there and being like, am I going to like actually consider that? No, like, we have a contract. If you'd like to pay them what I'm making, do it. We made you guys a fortune. And this was at a time where like, I remember. They were given, like, huge bonuses and gifts to other actors and movies.

I think they gave everyone in the lethal weapon when they produced a new Range Rover. And they gave us, and I'm not joking, a box of Scooby Snacks. Okay? It was a box of cookies. And I remember being like, oh, all right. I guess they didn't dig us that much. Cool. Like, the cast of the X-Men all got a million dollar check when that came out.

Damn. A lot of Scooby snacks. The whole cast was like, man, we're going to get something sick. and it was a box of Scooby snacks. So maybe that's where it started. But they hit me with that and I was like, no, man, I'm not taking a pay cut. And then I'm not even joking.

The next week in one of those like entertainment tabloids, they were talking about my salary and saying that I made like nothing on it. And I was like, hold up. Like now they're leaking fake stuff. Am I going to insert myself in a tabloid? No. And I remember my godfather said, you're in control of two things,

your reactions and your reactions to the actions of others. And so I took a breath and kind of sat back and was like, I'm not going to do anything. I'm going to do my job. It's clear that this studio doesn't respect me and they don't want to be in business with me. So it's easy for me to not want to do business with them. It's not like if I wanted to do business with them, they would say yes anyway, clearly.

So I don't need to read their scripts. I don't need to, they sent a couple scripts out of that, but I didn't read them. So I won't do business there. And this is 20 years ago. And like I said, the people who needed to be forgiven have been forgiven. And they probably don't even work there anymore. Some of them are probably dead. So I don't have like ill will towards anybody anymore.

But in my 20s, I sure as hell did. And I remember being like, well, maybe this isn't the right business for you. If you're not going to be treated with the respect that you've certainly earned. And I've always been professional with them. I was never late. I never caused problems on set. I always knew my shit. or you said I can cuss.

Yeah. I always knew my shit. I was always there for everyone. I never acted like the lead. I understood the dog was the lead and were the supporting cast. Like, I got all that. His name is in the title. Yeah.

I did all the press. They asked me to do stuff that I normally wouldn't have even done. I was like, no, man, I'm here. I'm a team player. And I remember just being treated so poorly, or at least feeling that way, that I was like, maybe this isn't the business for me. And then I stayed away from them and found some other place. where I enjoyed myself.

And then the real reason I stepped away was when my kid was born. I was like, peace. I didn't have a dad growing up. Being a dad has always been number one to me. So it was easy. And maybe I had one foot out the door already. I don't think I did it in my head. I don't remember feeling that way.

It was a while ago. But once Charlotte was born, it was just like, I'm a dad. That's it. Peace. I didn't need to make some press announcement. I think actors do that. I'm like, if you're leaving, Why announce it? Like, just go. Like, when you're done playing with a toy as a kid, you throw it away.

You don't go, everyone, I'm finished playing with my Transformers. Like, that's never been a thing. Yeah. So I just, I became a dad. And I didn't even think about coming back until my daughter started taking an interest in the performing arts and acting and, and, and dance. And both my wife and I decided to be more active in that. So she, she could kind of see how we deal with things. because Sarah and I deal with this business in very different ways, very different ways. She's much more savvy than I am. And we wanted her to see that it's not all, as Elvis Presley said,

fame and fortune. You know, there's a lot of grinding, there's a lot of rejection, a lot of hero worship, and both can be very detrimental to anyone out there, regardless of an artist who's susceptible to it already. And Sarah and I deal with both of those things differently. So it was an opportunity for my daughter to kind of see what she can, connected with and the stuff that she thought we looked stupid doing, and she could be like, I'm never doing that.

So we both decided to do that. Sarah's been kicking ass. I've been kicking ass, and our daughter's kind of gotten to be on both sets and seeing the process and seeing different budget levels and what it is, and not every trailer is a double pop-out. Sometimes you're in a five-banger, you know what I mean?

It's a closet. It's smaller than a jail cell. And that's important, you know what I mean? It's important for her to see, you know, what every aspect of this business is if it's something she wants to pursue when she's 18. So I'm about to wade into the world of fatherhood. Oh, congratulations. I recently found out, yeah.

Yeah. It's weird to say congratulations to a guy. Thank you, though. Because all you did was have sex with your wife. Well, you got late. So congrats on that part, but the rest is all on her. So, yeah, I'm going to be a dad in May of next year. Congratulations.

Man, welcome. I hope you get a daughter. They're easy as pie. We're going to find out on Saturday. We're having a gender reveal party on Saturday. If you're welcome to come. Bring Sarah, sure. Thank you.

My son's actually, if it's Saturday, my son is in the playoffs and his football league. Wow, that sounds far more important than we'll be finding out what gender my baby is. Watching Little Rocky do his thing out there. Go Rocky. But boys are way different and much more difficult. Every tough guy I know had a daughter first. And I remember them all saying, like, you're so lucky.

The daughter teaches you the way. and that way you're more prepared when the sun comes. So if you have a son first, call me, dude. I'll let you know all the horrors that they're going to bring to the table. I'll call you Saturday afternoon after all the blue or pink smoke has cleared. Yeah, with either joy in your heart or fear. I don't think I'm excited either way. You'll see.

If it's a boy, you'll see, you'll learn quick that they don't know. They just look at you. Even when you're changing a diaper and they have no emotion yet, they just look at you like, I'm going to get you, you son of a bitch. And you'll know, you'll see. the look and be like, did he just, did he just give me the look? I used to give my mom when I was talking back. And your daughter will just be like, Daddy. That's what I'm most scared about is I know the kind of kid I was, 12 and 14, especially 16. That's what you're going to get. That's what you're going to get.

That's what I'm most scared about. And I keep telling that to Rachel, my fiance, I'm like, I know what I was like and I don't know how I'm going to raise a kid like that. My mom told me she was going to kill me. I don't know how many times. I don't, and I deserved it every time she said those words. And, yeah, she let me live. So I'm very grateful. I should not be here based on the madness that I brought into that home. But she was a tolerant, patient woman.

Still is. She still has to deal with you. Man, okay, we got to talk wrestling. So we kind of touched on full gear. What's your take on MJF now as the AEW champion? Oh, you may just blow smoke up his ass? That's what he needs more smoke. Look, I've said this before.

I do a little wrestling podcast called Wrestling with Freddie. Which is so good. Thanks. I appreciate that. So good. And you've got some amazing guests on there when you do have, when it's wrestling with friends. Yeah, man. I will be bringing some more on the second half of this season. WWF wrestling with Freddy.

Well, don't say it out loud. The pandas will come out of me. Oh, that's true. But I've been saying this for a long time, man. I've gotten to know Maxwell over the last two years. Every time it comes to L.A., we make it a point to go to dinner and I try to take him to like a different sushi spot every time, right? And this kid is 26 years old, so I can say kid.

And he has the single most brilliant mind in the wrestling business. Every storyline that he's come up with, man, I shouldn't even say that. Well, I said it. Listen, the ideas in this kid's head at getting multiple people over just not just himself, but focusing on what's best for the business, not what's best for MJF is second to none. And I'm not the most experienced and educated wrestling cat in the world, but I did work for the WWE.

And I did ask a million questions to the Pattersons of the world, to the freebirds of the world, to the Arne Andersons, the Dean Malinkos, all these old school people. And everything they taught me, this dude has in spades. Like it is unreal how his mind works. He does not go into business for himself. That's like such a clichated thing to say now ever since that CM Punk explosion at AEW.

But for real, like that's the best way to say it. I love this kid. I texted him the night he won. Don't get mad at me for saying this. He wrote back, we did it. Not meaning he and I, meaning him and everyone, I go. And all I wrote back was damn right, you did. because I wanted him to know, like, brother, this was you.

And it's awesome that you're trying to get as many people as over as many people over as humanly possible. Yeah. But you did this. Like, otherwise at 26, it does not happen. Wow. And so I just hate complimenting a heel. But, uh, but man, he's just, he's so great at it. I, I love this guy so much.

He's so good for the business on both sides. Like, not even. working for WWE, I feel he helps WWE as well. The fact that Tony allows him to talk about Trips Triple H and WWE, like, that's, it's so brilliant. Because he doesn't do it in a

detrimental way. He does it within the confines of his character, too. Yes. Yes. It's so good. He's, I think he's absolutely great. They have a handful of really talented people there, but he consistently shines above damn near everyone

in wrestling, not just AEW, but damn near everyone else in wrestling. Like, there's, there's some cats that can hang with him, but I don't think they have as much free reign as he does. And maybe if they did, they'd be able to accomplish the kind of promos and storylines that he's been able to accomplish. But with that caveat placed there, I still think he's the top dog. That promo, he cut spur of the moment in front of the press after he won the title.

Have you seen that? Yeah. Like, just right off the top of his head. And I hate post wrestling scrums. I think those shouldn't exist. Wow. I don't think they're cool. I think it's real weird.

Sometimes I think it's kind of goofy. And every once in a while, someone comes out there and you're like, okay, yeah, all right, I get why you're giving these guys an opportunity to talk because every once in a while

you get something magic like that. The fact that that promo just came right out of the top of his head. It's so easy for it. With no ums or azz or pauses. I've said, um, more times in this interview

than he'll say in his entire career. I was there in L.A. at that pipe bomb promo that he comes. when he went, you know, berserk and was just F this and F that and this and that. And I was sitting there like, I can't believe I got to be here for this. This is absolutely phenomenal. And I'm not a big proponent of cursing to make the promo cooler, right? That's what the attitude era was like, oh, he said son of a bit.

And? Like, you could have said it without that and still being good. Show me you can get over without cursing. And then I'll be like, dang. You know what I mean? but with Max, it doesn't matter. He can make you cry. And when he did with that CM Punk story,

when he was talking about making the football team and starting defense, and here comes the defensive line, the whole defensive unit while he's walking down the hall to his locker and he's finally going to be accepted. And instead of giving him love, they threw quarters on the floor and said, pick him up, Jew boy.

And the whole crowd that hated him, suddenly you saw them when they made the cut and you saw people feel ashamed of themselves. And I'm sitting there and I'm like, Sarah, Sarah, get in here. You got, when it's special, I make her watch. And I'm like, look at this kid. This kid is acting. He's in, like, you could put this in a movie.

And it would move you and there'd be a soundtrack behind it. And I'm sitting there looking at him just like, how, how is he doing this? And then I think he just, at the end of it, just kicks him punk in the nuts just to, just to let you know, like, no, you were right to hate me. I just wanted to make you feel like shit for a minute. And because I can for no other reason than I can. And he told such a beautiful story over those few weeks that they had that storyline. I could have watched that go on another two, three fights, to be honest with you. Because he just, but he knew the perfect amount of time it should be.

And he pulled it off. And he wasn't the one that came out on top at the end of it. And that was just, that's where you see like the selfishness and the selflessness all at the same time. It's like Bruce Lee out there, man, unnatural naturalness or natural. unnaturalness. Like that's what he's doing. It's crazy. I know I'm speaking about him like he's a poet or Picasso, but that's what he is. Don't forget in that pay-per-view, that was his blood, sweat, and tears on an actual canvas painting a picture for everyone to see with John Moxley, who's, I call the werewolf because that's what he looks like, wrestles like, sounds like, he's just a werewolf out there.

So yeah, man, he is a Picasso out there. And the good thing. is he's being appreciated within his lifetime instead of long after he's gone. Do you think that maybe he'd have a place in this new wrestling federation of yours? Mine's too weird for someone like him. Mine is much different. And I haven't been completely honest with everyone about what it is because I don't want it getting out there. But he's so different than what I'm going to do.

It would make, he would look out of place. and it wouldn't be the right thing for him although he's read the script I've pitched the entire thing to him he's given me notes because I value that young generation's opinion I don't want to do stuff that's too old manish

and he's been like he's straightforward he's like only old guys are going to connect to that I think you focus more on this and I'm looking at it like damn he's dead on dead on and I've applied those notes so so yeah it's different could it be it's different I feel like everything has been done in wrestling.

Everything has been done in wrestling, but the way this will be done is very different than anyone has seen this type of art form come to pass. That or I failed miserably. When would we see this? That I can't say, but I've made much quicker progress than I originally anticipated. I gave myself a year and a half to kind of get things going, and I think I'll be going before that deadline. Because I think when you first announced it, people went,

Oh, it's another competitor to WWE and A. I accidentally announced. I like Ariel. Ariel and I are friends. And I just kind of was saying it casually and didn't realize like, oh, crap, that's going to hit everybody hard. So when I tried to explain more, I just kind of said, oh, yeah, it'll be this, it'll be that because I don't want people to know.

You know, I still believe in surprises. I still, I don't like all the behind the scenes stuff, you know. There should be magic left in it. Otherwise, everyone feels like they can do it. And everyone can't. I don't like all the behind the scene stuff in movies. I don't like the mass magician. Screw that guy, Val Valentine, or whatever his name is.

Vince made me produce a damn segment with him when the show, when SmackDown was on the UPN, and so was his show. And he did it just to rid me. And I was like, you know, I hate that son of me. He goes, ah, ha, ha, ha, ha, I just laugh. I'm like, son of a bitch. And I had to go and produce that schlock. So I wanted all his tricks to fail.

Screw that guy, man. All those YouTube videos, here's how so-and-so did this. screw that video, man. Like, you're taking away someone's livelihood when you do that. You know what I mean? Just so that you can make a couple bucks? That seems dirty and shady to me. Everyone's got a hustle.

I know that, but I don't have to respect everybody's hustle. So, yeah, man, I'm not about that. So it's going to be different. And people see it. And then they can judge for themselves. They can click with it and love it or they can not click with it and hate it. And you're both right. However you feel about art, you're correct because it's art.

It's never going to be viewed the way three. plus three is viewed because it's not it's not science i'm pretty sure it's six six um five or six yeah but uh but yeah man so i'm not as much concerned with that as much as i am i want to execute this the right way and i want it to be my vision not anybody else's vision and the the the proof will be in the pudding man well i'm excited whenever this happens to everybody likes pudding oh i love pudding yeah knowing what you know about the world of wrestling What do you think is next for CM Punk? I don't know.

I don't know if he wrestles again. I don't. I mean, his body wasn't able to hold up. You know, he was getting hurt a lot, as we all do when we get older. His patience wasn't able to hold up in dealing with a younger generation. I mean, look, for millennials and Gen Z, my generation and up, it's not an illusion. They hate you because they don't want to understand you. I don't.

Like, the things that my generation and older say about them are the same things my mom's generation said about me. You're softer. You don't work as hard, all this. Yeah, you're right. You made it easier for me to live. So thank you to your generation. But now we have a remote control and I don't have to get up and change the channel because

you're old and arthritic and can't do it anymore. I get that they hate the fact that kids can make millions on YouTube or Twitch and they don't have a boss telling them they suck every day. But here's the flip side to that. Yeah, they may not have a boss, but they have dozens, hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of people that not only say they suck, but demand to have say in what they do. That's what the life of a streamer is. I've seen people sacrifice their dignity and their soul.

I'll put on a banana suit if I get 50 followers today. You can't take that back. You know what I mean? If you start living by people who are giving you $5 a month and all of a sudden you want some of that dignity back, so goes their $5. too. So they have to deal with much different pressures than these older generations had to deal with. Yeah, I had a director who was on my case every day and I know what you did last summer. Every single day, it sucked. That's one son of a bitch. All right, that's one guy. The streamers out there, YouTube, all these, it's, it's everyone in the world that has access to the internet can say horrible

things about you. And these are young kids that are not prepared for that type of fame. That's why I took my channel off Twitch because they don't care. They don't care about these young kids. They don't put any measures in to protect them until four or five years later after, you know, these kids have been complaining and begging and asking for it. And it's not like once they were bought by

Amazon, they couldn't afford to put measures in place. They simply chose not to because it wasn't cost effective. So screw Twitch. Screw all. Screw those companies, man. I hope all of you go to YouTube or somewhere else where you're in control and you're not having to pay for their service in order for

you to get paid. Like there, I got love for y'all. I really, I really do. And I understand the pressures that they have to go through. I've seen it affect so many young people. I've seen, that's the first person that called me Uncle Freddie, or, I think it was, she said, he's my Twitch uncle. Was this girl I found randomly on stream? And I was reading the comments and I was just like, oh my God, is this what streamers have to go through? And for a female streamer, it's different, right? Because these guys were letting her know exactly why they were watching her. And saying shit that you're just like, Jesus Christ, like Michelle Pfeiffer never had to hear that in her catwoman suit looking fine as hell.

Like she didn't have to hear just nonstop. And there's no accountability. And there's no one there to smack them and be like, yo, show some respect. Because it's all digital. And they're just enduring that at an age where you're not equipped to deal with that yet. And I just remember going like, this is a bad, bad place. And so I get it and I have a lot of empathy. Sympathy is I would have gone through it and I have it.

So I empathize with what they have to go through and I respect the ones that are able to come out on the other side and still have their dignity intact because it's soul selling and soul stealing. And those are hard things to deal with in your early 20s. So it's I don't know how CM Punk moves forward. He's of that older generation. He was also away from it for so long. Yeah, but I feel like... And I was able to go back to a movie and do my thing. It's wrestling is a physical taxing demand.

It is a demand. Like I said, it's blood, sweat, and tears. It's torn tendons. It's broken bones. When Brad Pitt dislocated his shoulder in seven, they put it in the story, and the rest of the movie, he's in a slain. Like, it's not the same kind of storytelling. So I don't know where he goes from here.

I don't know if he wrestles again. I don't know if he needs to wrestle again. He never needed. He never needed to wrestle again. I think in his heart he did. Not financially. I'm sure he was fine. But in his heart, he needed to or he wouldn't have come back.

There were stories he wanted to tell. The MJF story that he told was the best wrestling story I've seen in 20 years. So he still had a contribution he could make. But if you can't get along with your coworkers at all and you resent the younger generation for everything they are and everything they believe in, I don't know where you fit in in modern wrestling. And then you, I just don't know.

And then you air your dirty laundry. I think that's the part that makes it really hard to go back. Yeah, and that's what I was saying. Like, emotionally, he wasn't able to keep up with it either. Like, physically you kind of saw it on the failed buckshot lariat when the knees gave the injury after injury after injury. But to lose it like that in a, in that post scrum, which, everyone loved in the media.

But I thought it was so... I felt uncomfortable. Yeah, I thought it was so bad for the business to just bury everyone. Right next to Tony, too. And Tony didn't do anything. And while he's saying he didn't like people going into business for themselves, the philosophy had to be in his head. Well, if they're going to do it, I'm going to do it, right?

Yeah. Like with Barry Bonds and the steroids, like, well, if Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa are going to do it, and I'm already better than them. I'll do it and become the greatest baseball player ever. Yeah. So once you do that, there's no going back. I don't, I mean, you heard the chance during the Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks Trio's match where they were saying, you know, FU, CM Punk. Like, the fans weren't having it.

Whether they're right in that opinion or not, it's their opinion because they're the viewers of art. So it can't be incorrect if that's how they feel. Again, it's not three plus three, which we agree is still six. I believe so. So, you know, you got to, you either evolve. This is something CM Punk said when he was in WWE. You either evolve or you die. On the flip side of it, what about a millennial,

like someone like Logan Paul and what he's doing in WWE? Look, I get why they're doing it. I wasn't a big fan of it. I didn't, I will say this. He did his thing. Like, the dude can wrestle. Damn right. And he's done, I think, three matches now.

And I finally watched the Crown Jewel. I was so proud of the fact that I didn't watch it because I hate the crown jewel. It's just the goofiest. It feels like it doesn't exist within the WWE. Remember when Marvel Comics used to do like the alternative universe? That's what this is exactly what this feels like. I didn't like those comics either.

I was more a Chris Claremont guy. What a great reference. Which is old school. Look up Chris Claremont. Man, his X-Men was just the damn best, the bestest. So yeah. It's a tricky thing. I get why they did it, right?

I get why they brought Mr. T to WrestleMania 2, I think it was. But like Dr. D, I'm not a fan of it. Like, I would rather see wrestlers wrestle. I didn't like that he videoed himself doing a frog splash. How serious are you? And this is the old school mentality. But it's the ultimate heel move. I'm so good at it.

How serious are you about winning the WWE championship if you're going to hold a phone and video yourself doing a friend? It should be singular. Again, this is an old school mentality, and I'm not saying it's right. I'm just saying it's mine. How serious are you about winning if you don't have a singular focus on winning? This is just like Hulk Hogan flexing. Like it's just, you know, you're so confident. But it's not. The flex was to power him up and, you know, like show you how into it he is, whereas this is like, I'm going to bring everyone in to my social media page and get even more followers. I feel like it's while I do this.

I feel like it's the modern version of Eddie doing this. Like you're just, I'm so good. I completely, otherwise people still wouldn't do what Eddie does. And everyone does. From Sasha Banks to Ray Ray to now Dominic. You know what I mean? If that form of expression was dead, why is it still done? So to me, and we can go back and forth.

Like I said, this is the old man argument, right? Like, get off my lawn with your stupid cell phones. But it's my argument to make. So I didn't like that. And it was the first time I didn't like him in a WWE match. And I was skeptical about Bad Bunny coming in. And I was like, well, Bad Bunny worked hard. You could tell him worked hard.

When was the guy that played the Green Arrow. Stephen Amel. Stephen Amel, when he did that bit with Stardust, I was like, this son of a bitch put in the work. And then he had a match at all-in against Christopher Daniels. This was before I started watching AEW, but I heard about that. Well, that was before AEW. existed. Oh, it was still before they got the, yeah, that was when they just were doing like

the Sacramento pay-per-views without the TV deal and all that, right? This was when they were like, you could never sell out an arena. Yeah, pre-tony con. Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like September of the previous year. Yes. People forget that he had a match there. So I didn't, well, I didn't even know. It's really good. But, uh, but yeah, man. So when I see people put in the work, I always respect it, right? That was just one thing that took me out of the match where I'm just, like, okay, well, you got more followers, but you should have been focused on your opponent. He has a great podcast, by the way. You should be a guest on it. Impulsive. I don't know about it, but I don't know about anything outside. You'd also be a great Joe Rogan guest.

You would, because you just liked me because I tell good stories. So you think that's why everybody likes you. But I don't do too many of these, man. And besides, I think I'd have to go somewhere to do both of those. Well, I've been laged about having to drive 30 minutes just to come here. I'm lazy, dude. No, I got love for you, man. But I don't love for you. I don't do too much of this. Logan, I think, records in and around the valley or something.

I thought he would live in Puerto Rico or something. I think he has a house there, but I think he also has a place here. That's where he files taxes. We could talk forever. Like, seriously, we could do this in a four hour. I believe it's, I got to get you out of here. But I have one final question that I ask everybody, because I'm all about gratitude. And I have an immense amount of gratitude for you making the dream.

here spending this time with us. So thank you. I'm just soft. I wake up every day. I say out loud three things that I'm grateful for. And I do it before going to bed too. What are three things in your life, FPJ? That's, that you're grateful for.

That's pretty easy. I mean, I know atheism is the way to go these days, but I still believe in a higher power. And I'm still grateful. I know tomorrow isn't promised to anyone. I lost a lot of people in my life this year that were the men who helped make me. So I'm grateful for the lessons they taught me.

I miss them every damn day. So I try to every morning wake up and be grateful that, you know, God's just giving me another day on this rock, no matter how much I like it or hate it. It's a blessing to be here. I'm grateful that I have a family that's healthy and happy. And just recently I've been really trying to be grateful for every opportunity that comes my way, even if it's opportunities that I'm not interested in.

I've been very actively grateful for those types of things. But it's, you know, it's the world's such a different place. And I've never felt like a part of it. I've always kind of felt like an outsider looking in. And that's gotten more and more so as I get older. I feel like I have less in common with most people out there. I feel like a lot of the stuff I say sounds like Greek to some people or or bullshit to some people. I've heard people say things on like my Instagram and stuff like that.

We're like, ah, it's a bunch of bullshit. I'm like, man, I walk it just as much as I talk it, like if not more. And it's just about accountability, honesty, and self-discipline. You know, I everybody is so quick to jump on a headline and to jump on like a singular. sentence or to over love, over love, like hero worship, or hate someone, you know, like polarizing people like Jordan Peterson, guys like that, like he has things that he says that I don't agree with and he has things that he says where I'm like, yeah, I see, I see where you're coming from. And I'm not trying to compare myself to him. I'm saying, I get why people either completely

commit to those Instagram videos or completely reject everything in there. I'm here to tell both y'all, you're both wrong. You have to watch the whole thing. You have to see everything people do in their full and total context. You'll release clips for this maybe, right? Yeah. That clip is going to be completely out of context and someone's going to go, wow, Freddie's the greatest guy. I'm not. I'm just a guy. I screw up all the time. I'm going to say stuff that pisses you off. I'm going to say stuff that you love, but that's still just who I am. And I don't say any of it with malice. So if you to get mad. It's like stand-of comedians, right? Jeff Dye said it best. I'm sorry you didn't like the way I tried to make you happy. Like stand-up comics having to apologize for everything. And it's

like, oh, this is so controversial. It's like, no, in the comedy club, everyone laughed. It's just someone saw a clip and wrote something crazy about it. And you're seeing a clip and you're going, oh, they should never be allowed to perform again. Comics deserve more latitude than me. They deserve more latitude than you. Comics have always been the one. that help push society forward and not hold it back. Go watch George Carlin. Go watch everything that dude said. And everyone got mad at him.

And guess what happened? The son of a bitch was a fortune teller. Everything that he said was going to happen, happen. It all happened. People thought my uncle Jimmy, who was a Vietnam vet, was crazy. Everything that dude told me came true. You know what I mean? And he said extreme stuff that was very polarizing.

So you have to see things. in their full and total context. And I know we're used to being able to put our button on a cursor and fast forward the boring stuff, but that's the problem. You have to see everything in its entirety. So I hope people watch the whole interview, unless you get bored and you hang on-

Watch the whole thing. Put on something else, you know, but don't just take- We're already at the end, they have watched the whole thing. Thank you. But don't just take, you know, these headlines and allow those things to shape your personality because you'll become an incomplete human. And we need more complete humans on this planet.

We have enough incomplete ones that don't have the full story on both sides of every issue. Whether you're a Democrat or Republican or you're pro this or anti this, there's enough of you incomplete weirdos out there. Like, you need to have the whole story. And if you still disagree, right on. But your opinion is as important as the person that you hate or love.

It means about this much. Same. That's how much my opinion is, is worthy of. I didn't go to college. You don't see me speaking about politics because I'm not educated on politics. You don't see me speaking about science

because I'm not educated on science. I talk to you about art and my philosophies on social media. Those are two things that I have a hell of an education on because I have a lot of experience in that and doing that and speaking on that. So if you take anything away from this, outside of the funny stories and me making you laugh

or cry or whatever, just take that and make that, priority one if you can and if you can't right on i can't dictate morality you know what i mean i'm just trying to try to help people out man i couldn't think of a better way to end this right on so dude thank you so much no it's my congrats on everything you know i got love for you but i'll text you on saturday either it's a boy or it's a girl do it blue or pink that's all you got to do right don't don't do any of those crazy flammable ones though and burn your whole not in california no exactly just do a balloon or something okay all right he is just the best i love that

guy. Oh, and by the way, by the way, it's a girl. Yeah. We had the gender reveal party on Saturday, and my fiancee, Rachel, and I are having a little baby girl. I actually, I did, I texted him like as soon as we found out. I said, it's a, it's a girl with a little pink heart. And he was like, that's awesome. So I hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please share this with a friend. Take a screenshot and tag us both so we can reshare it. Freddie is at Real Freddy Prince. I'm at Chris fan Vlead and man what a mind he has for the business and i said at the start what an amazing storyteller i'll leave you with i guess it's not really a quote but i saw this like on a sign this past weekend and i loved it so much not a paraphrase but this is basically what it said when you say

that something sucks it's funny how that's exactly what it starts to do think about that in your life all the time oh man this sucks today sucks my car sucks. This relationship sucks. It's funny that when you start to frame it that way, it starts to actually be that way. Words matter. That's basically what that's saying. Hope you enjoyed this episode. Be great. Be grateful. We will see you on the next one for some more insight. Jim Rome takes on sports. Why? Because I have a job to do with rapid fire takes. So I don't want to hear from you lava pigs on this notion today. No idea what you're talking about.

You're complaining more than you like to breathe air. It's like you get up in the morning only to complain and cry and moan on social media about things that you don't even understand. He's the spitfire of sports smack. Take advantage of it, but get up in here. The Jim Rome Show podcast. What's your beef? Follow and listen on your favorite platform.

You've been warned.