Joy, a Podcast. Hosted by Craig Ferguson - Michelle Rauch

Episode Date: December 3, 2024

Meet Melissa Rauch, an incredibly talented actress and one of my favorite guests on the old late night show. I’m delighted to welcome her to the old podcast today. You may know Michelle from The Big Bang Theory, The Bronze, True Blood, and she currently stars in the reboot of Night Court!  Join us for chats and snacks. (Bring your own snacks). EnJOY!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey, I'm Jay Shetty and my latest interview is with Wiz Khalifa. The craziest part of my life, I can go from performing in front of 40,000 people to either being in a dressing room, being in a plane or being back in a bed all by myself. He is a multi-planet ceiling recording artist, mini mogul and an actor. Which among the one, the only, Wiz Khalifa! Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, what's up? This is Ramses Jha. And I go by the name Q Ward. And we'd like you to join us each week for our show, Civic Cipher. That's right. We discuss social issues, especially those that affect black and brown people,

but in a way that informs and empowers all people. We discuss everything from prejudice to politics to police violence. and we try to give you the tools to create positive change in your home, workplace, and social circle. We're going to learn how to become better allies to each other, so join us each Saturday for Civic Cipher on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, I'm Dani Shapiro, host of the hit podcast, Family Secrets. How would you feel if when you met your biological father for the first time, he didn't even say hello?

And what if your past itself was a secret and the time had suddenly come to share that past with your child? These are just a few of the powerful and profound questions we'll be asking on our 11th season of Family Secrets. Listen to season 11 of Family Secrets on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Craig Ferguson Pants on Fire Tour is on sale now.

It's a new show, it's new material, but I'm afraid it's still only me, Craig Ferguson, on my own, standing on a stage, telling comedy words. Come and see me, buy tickets, bring your loved ones, or don't come and see me. Don't buy tickets and don't bring your loved ones. I'm not your dad. You come or don't come, but you should at least know it's happening. And it is.

The tour kicks off late September and goes through the end of the year and beyond. Tickets are available at thecraigfergussonshow.com slash tour. They're available at thecraigfergussonshow.com slash tour, or at your local outlet in your region. My name is Craig Ferguson. The name of this podcast is Joy. I talk to interesting people about what brings them happiness.

I don't know if you know this about me, but a few years ago I used to do a late night show. And one of my favourite guests on that show was an actress who was just breaking through as I was doing the show. And she became a big star in a show called The Big Bang Theory. And she was just fabulous and she still is. Please welcome the lovely Melissa Routt, Shepard buddy. Melissa. Yes. Do you, are you doing a podcast yet? My own podcast? Yes. No, I'm not. I'm not. I think you have to. Really? Yes, I'm almost done. Tell me why. Well, you're very

chatty, you're very personable, you're nice, you deserve money, but clearly don't need it because you're on a sitcom again. But I would like to, I, I'm glad you said this. Maybe this is the inspiration I need to start it. But if I do, can I TM it at the end and say that Craig Ferguson told me to do this? And every time. Yeah, I think you probably can. Does TM mean take money?

Yeah, that's it. Tall man, tididdly Maniac. All the above. All the above. You look very well. I'm glad to see you look very well. I wasn't worried about you in any way, but I was. I haven't seen you for a long time.

I haven't seen you since I did Late Night. It's been a very long time. Do you know that you were my very first Late Night show ever? Oh, is that good? It's wonderful. It was such a very long time. Do you know that you were my very first late night show ever? Oh, is that good? It's wonderful. It was such a wonderful experience. I love doing that show so much, but I was so nervous. At what point?

Well, you know what? I loved doing it. See, this is why you should have a podcast, because you're asking me things and I'm going, well, let me tell you about my career. I loved doing it. Uh, and then I got bored with it. And then when I decided I was going to leave, I loved doing it again.

Oh, interesting. Cause there was an end in sight. Yeah. The last two years I did it. Well, you know this cause you're an actor, right? If you, you're still an actor. If you, you're still an actor. When you do a job as an actor or any kind of performer, it's like a, it's not forever job. You do it and then you're done and you move on to another show.

Yeah. Right. And late night, unless you jump, you know, it's kind of like the Supreme Court. You're there, you know, you've got, you've got to recuse yourself from like, right. So then once you knew it was ending, was it a saver every moment feeling of this is going to be ending at some point and I see it ending. So I want to hold on to the memories while they're here. A little bit like that.

And a little more like I don't give a shit. Now they can't fire me. That was a lot of fun. There was such freedom in that. And there was about 18 months of that when I thought, well, okay, what are they going to do? They going to get rid of me? I'm done now anyway. And it really felt good. When were you first on? Do you remember? Oh, goodness. That's a good question. I mean, it must have been maybe like around 2011-ish, 12-ish, something like that. It was about halfway through the run. Were you doing Big Bang Theory at the time? I think that was it, right?

It was the first late night talk show I did for Big Bang. And oh my gosh, I remember going to the Century City Mall to get an outfit for it and practicing how I was gonna sit in the dressing room and just so like if I sat down, I wouldn't show my business on like the chair. Well, that's important. I mean, that is important.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But you were so kind and you put me at ease right away and I just, I loved that show so much and I loved talking to you so much. See, that makes me very happy because that was the idea. I always thought if you host the show you should maybe host the show like you host a party. Like make sure everybody's got nibbles and dip and let them have a nice time and it was so fun. Try not to do cocaine in the bedrooms if you can avoid it. So listen, tell me this, because I'm interested in you doing nightcore

because you're doing nightcore again, right? I'm doing nightcore, yes. And what I'm fascinated by, first of all, I really like nightcore and I really like Laraquette. Isn't he great? Isn't he like a special human being? So, so special. Do you know him personally?

I do. Yeah, so special. Do you know him personally? I do. Yeah, I do. He was actually a very early guest on Late Night and he was on quite a lot and then he stopped being on for a while. I don't know why, but I wasn't, you know, in charge of any of that. But and then he was back on later. I don't know. But he was always a favorite guest for me because he,

he's just very funny and very, just a real gentleman, you know what I mean? Like I, I loved him. But I remember that show, was that the 80s that show? Yeah, it was mid 80s, early 90s and it was always a favorite of mine growing up. It was one of those shows I remember sitting and watching with my parents and a lot went over my head and there was a lot like cover your ears to things that I didn't understand. And they, I mean they got away with so much but there was something very special about it. The comedy was very irreverent in a way that was unlike anything else on at the time. And I was always such a huge fan of Jones.

It was, that's right. Yeah, it was a real, it had a very kind of, it had a kind of like a different kind of anarchic vibe a little bit. It was naughty. It was quite a naughty show. Yeah. And John describes it as,

I mean, it was essentially vaudeville in so many ways. But the, and John just obviously was such a standout and getting to work with him has just been nothing short of a dream come true. Yeah, no, I've never heard a bad word about him. I've not got one myself. He's a lovely man. He and I share a kind of similar early story as well, which is, you know, he was a little back in the day as well, I think.

But not for a long time, a long, long time. Um, so did you grow up in, uh, well your family aren't show business here, are they? They're not. I grew up in Jersey, suburbs of Jersey, um, father's an accountant and worked as a legal secretary. Um, and then she was home with, um, my brother and I, um, for a lot of my childhood, but very much, um, a, a big small town upbringing. Um, but my parents were so wildly supportive of me choosing this career,

um, for a family that didn't have anything to do with it. We were always a very like musical family. My grandfather was a music teacher and my parents like loved going to shows and they loved the arts, but they had no real connection to anything. I'm fascinated by that because I just had a conversation today for another episode of the podcast with Richard Kind, who you know, who is a lovely, lovely man. Love him. Just got to work with him last week. Oh, he did? Was he on Nightcore? He was on Nightcore. He came to join us in the second season and he comes back in the third season. He's amazing. I love that. Yeah, if he turns up for one episode, he'll be there for a season. A bit like you in the

Big Bang Theory, actually. You come in for an episode and boom, that's it. But he was telling me the same thing about, he got into show business as well. His family were very supportive, but they knew nothing about show business. And I wonder if that's why your family can very supportive, but they knew nothing about the show business. And I wonder if that's why your family can be supportive because they don't know how dreadful it is. That is so true. I actually remember calling my mother from the back of the sports bar I was working at after years of auditioning and my parents were, I mean, they really were so great. They came to every one of my community theater shows

growing up and my father, I remember saying to me, there's no job security and anything, so just do what you love. And I had been out of work and just trying to get work in New York City and doing standup, but doing theater and like laundromats. And I was working at this sports bar as my bread and butter and I was so beaten down and I called my mom

from the payphone in the back of the restaurant, sobbing and saying, why did you let me follow my dreams? This is terrible parenting. You never should have done this. I'm never gonna work. I have nothing to fall back on because I majored in theater with a minor in musical theater. So there's literally.

Yeah, that's doubling down. I'm doubling down. I had nothing. And I was so freaked out and she was sort of laughing and just saying, just keep going, just keep going. I'll be okay. You must've been pretty young when you were doing that because, I mean, you laughing and just saying, just keep going, just keep going. I'll be OK. You must have been pretty young when you were doing that, because, I mean, you were pretty young when you broke through, weren't you?

Yeah, I mean, I got big, I was 29. When I got the bank. Richard and I were talking about that's the time. You have to break through. Yeah, I'm not kidding. Between like 29 and 33. If it's going to happen, it's going to happen about that. And certainly that's the way it was for me.

Really? Now, what was your first gig? How old were you? I got sober when I was 29. So that made a bit of a difference, but also between then and then going to, like I was a fallen down, I was fallen down drunk when I was 29 and by the time I was 32, uh, 33, I was on the Drew Carey show and I was like, I know it's crazy. It was like a huge difference.

Um, but I remember thinking at that time, how long, so you'd been out of college, I guess, what six, seven years, something like that? Yeah. I was in New York. I went to college in New York City and I was doing standup pretty much the whole time I was in college, much to the chagrin of my conservatory teachers. Like we're doing Shakespeare during the day. You should not be doing stand-up at night.

And so I was doing that and then trying to get work after college and I started writing this one-woman show right when I graduated college because I was just trying to create work for myself because there really was because I was just trying to create work for myself because there really was just nothing. I auditioned like 9,000 times to be a victim on Law and Order and I never got cast. There was hardly anything shooting there. So I started writing this play for myself

with my now husband. And it was so self-righteous and boring. When I still have something, it was awful. It was just about that phase where you're graduating college and you're like trying to intimate. I'd quite like to see that one woman show. One day I'll put it up. I'd quite like to see it. Yeah. I'll get a black box and do it.

So bad. And then we saw Jenna Bush speaking on TV at the Republican convention. We were like flipping channels and we saw it. And she was about the same age as me. And we read that she was going to be teaching public school. And she was talking with her sister and she had this one joke at the convention and she killed and she like turned to her sister and was like, huh, huh. And she just had, she was like, very like, she nailed this joke.

I was like, that's a really interesting dynamic that she had up there, that like of her sort of enjoying getting this laugh. And so we ended up combining my story with hers of she's meeting and at the time she was in the press for getting some DUIs. And so we thought like, oh yeah, that's right. I remember that. What if we combine this coming of age story for her while also skewering the Bush presidency

with the story I was writing for myself, which was like individuating from your parents and trying to become an adult. And so we wrote it that it was the night before she was gonna start teaching and she needs to become this adult in one night. And so we did this show, it was called The Miseducation of Jenna Bush. And I did it in New York at the New York Comedy Fest,

the New York Fringe Festival. And then that was sort of what got me out to LA. We ended up doing it in LA and at the Aspen Comedy Festival. And then sold a pilot about it to CBS. But it really was what got me out of waiting tables at the time. I was still doing that aside, but that helped get me out to LA.

It's interesting. Talk to me a little bit about standup, because I actually didn't know you'd done standup. And I think that's quite interesting because you were one of the people that could really hang in late night, right? And everyone that could hang has some kind of, I think it's a kind of darkness. I think to be able to, to be able to riff and, and be that way, uh, stand up, I think, maybe not now because it's such an aspirational thing for young people because of TikTok and

stuff. But, but it has a kind of darkness. Do you have that darkness? Do you think, do you have that? That's interesting. I, I think we all do in a way and it just depends on how much you want to tap into it. But I definitely think I was always a kid that felt other growing up. And I think that was very much where my comedy came from in the fact that I was a kid who, like,

I was an indoor cat. I couldn't really do sports. I always, I was a weird kid. And there's like video of me at like seven, doing stand up, stand up at this beauty pageant. I should have not, I shouldn't have been in a beauty pageant. There's, you look at pictures of me as a kid, this was not something I should have been doing. But I don't know, I don't know if anyone should be in a beauty pageant to be honest, but that's probably

a different thing. But why, why you were doing stand up at a kid's beauty pageant? Yeah. Cause I, I got a pamphlet in the mail for this. It was like the Cinderella scholarship pageant at the Ramada Renaissance Hotel in New Jersey. And I was like, they said that there was a... That's terrifying. It was terrifying. It was terrifying. Yeah. But they had a talent portion. And I was like, I was obsessed with standup. I was watching

Star Search and I was like, this is amazing, but there's no place to do it. So I thought if I could get into this talent competition, I could do stand up. And I begged my mom and she said, if I saved up half the money, then I could do it. And I mean, I was toothless. Like I wore a dress that I wore my cousin's wedding. And I mean, I couldn't wait to get to the talent park because it was a lot of like, hi, I'm Melissa Rausch from Marlboro, New Jersey and I'm seven years old.

And I couldn't do that. Like with all the like toddler and Tiara type kids but I got to the talent portion I was so stoked that I did my tight five I guess it was but it was mostly impressions but so weird and that's what I would do for show-and-tell and everything was just like, I need to work on my comedy. Um, and so it was, it was just weirdness. It was just a lot of, um, were you bullied? Did the other kids pick up on the weirdest?

Oh, yes. Yes. I mean, once in a while I get up, cause I was also doing impressions that weren't, it wasn't the right demo. I was doing like Don Knotts from Three's Company. Yeah. And it's not, it doesn't really kill with the second grade crowd. Um, so yeah, I was picked on a lot also because of my, there was a

lot of picking on me because my height, um. Were you very, because you're, you're still quite little, aren't you? Yeah. I never, I never hit five feet. So I'm tiny. But then I sort of realized that if I made fun of myself first, then that would help.

My mother told me, it was not the greatest advice, but she said, if anyone calls you short, say that your mother accidentally put you in the dryer and shrunk you. Which she was really trying to help me do a bit, but... I know. It just made me weirder.

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mini mogul, and an actor. Which one of the one, the only? The only, the only, the only, the only. Did you feel like a big break was coming? I didn't know what that big break looked or felt like, but I knew that what I was doing was working. The gang banging and the drug selling, that's not really for me.

But the looking cool, the having girls, the making music, I'm like, I like that part of it. How was that experience for you? Losing someone so close to you that you love. I am grateful that I was able to have the last moments that I had, and to be able to prepare for it, and it was something that I'm still dealing with.

Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Yo, what up? It's your girl Jess Hilarious. And I think it's time to acknowledge that I'm not just a comedian. It's time to add uncertified therapists to my credentials because each and every Wednesday,

I'm fixing your mess on carefully reckless on the Black Effect Podcast Network. Got problems in your relationship? Come to me. Your best friend acting shady? Come to me. Thinking about cursing that one stank auntie out at the next family gathering?

Do it. But come to me before you do, because I cussed all mine out before. You wanna fight your coworkers? Come to me. Baby daddy mad because you got a boyfriend? Come to me. Thought you was the father but you're not? Come to me. I can't promise I won't judge you, but I can guarantee that I will help you. As a daughter, a sister, a mother, and an entrepreneur, I've learned a lot in

life. So I'm using my own perspective and experiences to help you fix your mess. Send me your situation and let's fix it as a family. Listen to Carefully Reckless Do you know, it's funny, it's such an odd thing when people good-naturedly, and in that case, your mother, but people good-naturedly suggest that you're going to be a good mother. And I think that's a good thing. And I think that's a good thing. And I think that's a good thing. And I think that's a good thing. And I think that's a good thing. And I think that's a good thing.

And I think that's a good thing. And I think that's a good thing. And I think that's a good thing. And I think that's a good thing. And I think that's a good thing. And I think that's a good thing. And I think that's a good thing. And I think that's a good thing.

And I think that's a good thing. And I think that's a good thing. And I think that's a good thing. And I think that's a good thing. And I think that's a good thing. And I think that's a good thing. And an odd thing when people good naturedly, and that gives you mother, but people good naturedly suggest things that they think would be funny for you to say. I mean, I don't know how to tell you that this is not funny at all. And I can't make it funny.

Did you ever try, I tried getting chat GPT to write me some comedy. Have you ever tried that? No, tell me. Do it. Really? Yeah, it's really reassuring because what you do is I said, write me a short monologue in the style of Craig Ferguson and it wrote me this monologue and it was, it was either I'm delusional about how good I am or, or I really suck or something, but that, that was awful.

It was awful. And I was like, Oh, good. So that's something that they can't do. Not yet. I just don't think you can write comedy. Wow. Okay. I want to do it.

That's great. Did it do like a home analog? Well, it wrote a weird little thing about giraffes, about like, aren't giraffes dumb looking and stuff? And I'm like, I do not think giraffes are dumb looking. I like giraffes. I mean, I always think about them that much, but when I do think about them, I'm like, well, the magnificent giraffes sweeping across the Serengeti.

I don't think, look at these dumb assholes. That's crazy. Who would not like giraffes? So I, so I guess in a way it inspired me to do a pro-giraffe piece of standup comedy, uh, which I've been, I guess, wanting to do for some time and didn't know it. Okay. But it's, it's just, it's a source of inspiration, which I think that's what, you know, I keep going back to this darkness is where comedy is born thing for myself.

And I think that it's, it perhaps isn't darkness. It perhaps is just interesting. Perhaps if you've just got an interesting story, it makes you funny. Because I don't know very many funny people who are not interesting. That's very true. I think that's very, very true. And I think, you know, whenever I think about, you know, parenting or things that my parents did or things they told me, I'm actually, I'm grateful for any missteps because,

and they were wonderful, wonderful parents, but I got to say the people, you know, who had like picture-perfect childhoods, kind of boring. Yeah, a little bit, a little bit. Yeah, you don't want to peak in high school. That would be bad. I think also, you know, look, there's nothing wrong with peaking in high school. Just in case anyone who peaked in high school is like, wait, I peaked in high school and now my life is great. I'm like, okay, then you didn't peak in high school. But I feel like you have kids of your own now, right?

I do. Yeah. Didn't it like for me, when my kids were born, it's like everything, like a complete 180. I, I, everything I thought about everything changed. Not that day because it took, it took a few months before I started to realize the enormous change that was occurring within me. It's the perspective shift.

I know it's cliche, but it's unbelievable. I actually did a apology tour to all of my friends with kids after I had kids. For any time I said I was tired or busy, I felt so bad that that version of me just didn't, I thought I got it. But yeah, I needed to go back. Like, oh, I didn't realize how much it would.

I remember talking to someone who was about to have his first kid and his wife was about to have his first kid. And he was telling me about how good a parent he was going to be and how he was going to do it and stuff. And I didn't say this to him at the time, but I remember thinking at the time and I still think it like you'll never be as good a parent as you are the last three or four months before your first kid is born. That's when you're really great. Yeah. So good. I'm just going to be so cool about things and it's going to be fine. And like, what are you doing?

Oh my God, get to bed. You're still very young though, right? Yeah, there are. Yeah, I got little ones and, but I, it is, it's a heart explosion. There's truly nothing like it. I don't, the happiness that I have from being a parent, it's other worldly. And I love it. I knew I'd like it, but I didn't think that I would love it this much. It's kind of interesting as well, because first of all, I will tell you this.

All the great philosophers didn't have children. Really, I will tell you this, all the great philosophers didn't have children. Really? I didn't know that. I don't know if that's true, but I'm spreading that as a rumor. It sounds good. That all the great philosophers, I think it's true. I think it's partially true, probably.

But the other thing is that because who has time for that shit? Once you have a kid is like, oh, thinking about life and the universe. You can think about that when you have kids, you know, when they say, uh, and I, maybe this will annoy some people, but I, you know, it's a risk you have to take sometimes when people say my, my dogs are my kids, you know, or my cats, my kids, and you go, you know, I, I don't know, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.

I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.

I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know but I, you know, it's a risk you have to take sometimes. When people say my dogs are my kids, you know, or my cats are my kids and go, you know, I have dogs and I have a cat and they're not kids. They're not there. You can love them, but they're not kids. It's a different game. It's different.

Then do you have dogs? I don't. I had a dog growing up that was, uh, my family my family's everything, but I haven't got a dog since. Eventually, I'll get one. People said at my wedding that they had never heard people talk about a dead dog more than at my wedding. Hello? Interesting.

You know the comedian Jessica St. Clair? She always says that she's like, I've never heard someone reference a dead dog more than when I'm around your family. This dog was my childhood dog, Lucky. We got him when I was six and then, um, lived until I was about 22. Um, and yeah, so we had a German shepherd husky. I have German shepherds. Oh, oh, greatest.

They're very clever. They're very clever. Poor Lucky's last words that Lucky heard on this earth, where Lucky had birth where Lucky had testicular cancer. And that's how he, I'm sorry to hear that. I'm going to go here with you Craig, I'm sorry. But he had very large testicles at the end and it was very uncomfortable for him. And as we're all putting him to sleep, it was my mom

and my dad, my now husband, my brother, we're all around him and telling him how much we love him. And now we're hugging him. And my mom, in all her Jersey ways, as we're putting him down, she goes, we love you, Lucky. No more big balls, Lucky. No more big balls. And that was it. And that was lights out for Lucky.

That was the last thing that Lucky heard. It's beautiful and sad and lovely. And you know, my dogs don't have testiculars. We get them. That's smart. Smart. We should have done it. And you have how many dogs?

I have two at the moment. Yeah. Which is actually a low count for me right now. I have one German Shepherd and a Jack Russell. Oh, did they get along? Yeah, sort of as well as the Irish and the Germans can get along. It's a, it's, it's high impact comedy. It's like an episode, a canine wipe out every day, but, but they're not my kids.

And it's an interesting thing. So I guess why is Lucky such an important figure in your family? That's interesting. Because you said, when you first mentioned Lucky, you said the dog who was my everything in my family. It's true. I mean, when I talk about like feeling other, like that dog was truly my best friend. I would talk to that dog as a, you know, seven, eight year old and tell him things that I

didn't tell anyone who would sleep with me. I mean, and he just brought, he was a stray. He literally like found our family, walked up to my house in a snowstorm. And my father had no plans of getting a dog. My mom loved animals, but my father had no any experience with animals. And this dog walked up, my brother and I were shoveling the driveway in a huge snowstorm and this horse had icicles hanging from his stomach. And my mom said we should bring him into the garage. And we called the local, please see if anyone lost him. And he just, he showed up at our house. And my father said, it's gonna be very cold tonight.

Let's bring him inside and set up some blankets for him in the basement. And that was it. And he just stayed with us, but he- He never left. He never left and just brought so much joy. Did community theater with us, played Sandy and Annie. He was just the greatest, the greatest dog. If my brother was like wrestling with me and like tackling on the floor,

he would like pull my brother off me. It was, he was just, he was so great. Great. I feel like you grew up in a wholesome movie from the 1950s. Is that accurate or not? No, I mean, if like with a Jersey twist, it was very, uh, you know, lots of hanging at the mall, mall, um, the mall, my accent was, I mean, I almost got kicked out of acting school for that accent.

Yeah, my accent was pretty broad when I was a kid. It wasn't Jersey, but I had an accent. It was something. So tell me this then, you're waiting tables and you've got this highly marketable theater with backup musical theater qualifications. How did the big bang thing come about? Was that your big break? Was the big bang thing, right?

It was. I had, I guess I moved to New York. I'm from New York about four years prior. So when I first moved out to LA, it was just a lot of driving around, crying in my car. And everybody does that. So, crying in my car. And, um, everybody does that. So much crying in the car. A lot of crying driving in your car. Let me assure you, you can do it even if you've got a late night TV show as well.

The drive cry, it's fun. It's fun. It feels just like a real scream chamber. And yeah, I didn real scream chamber. And... Yeah. I did a scream chamber as well. Did you do a screaming in the car as well? It's fun. Like, that's a fucking place. Yeah.

It's fun. And it was just a lot of, like, a couple pilots that didn't go. A show that I did a handful of episodes of that never aired. When I was really, I mean, I was at the unemployment office the week that I got Big Bang. It was just this guest star part that I auditioned for. And the show was already doing well. And I was so excited because it was a show

that my parents really liked. And I called them and said, I have this audition. And actually I had gone a really long time without any auditions. And I'm not good at being a squeaky wheel or advocating or like doing the thing that you're supposed to do where you, you know, check in with your agents and say like,

hey, what's happening? Cause I just, I just, the rejection on top of the rejection just always felt terrible. And I just, I just, the rejection on top of the rejection just always felt terrible. And I just didn't want to bother people when I wasn't making anyone money, which is not a way to live. But I was, I was really broke or having trouble paying our rent. And I got up the nerve to call my agent and say,

I haven't had any auditions in a while. Is there anything that you think I'd be right for? And I don't know had I not made that phone call if I would have gotten the Big Bang audition. Oh, really? Yeah, because that audition came in that night. And I really don't think that it would have happened otherwise, which has been a lesson for me

when I don't want to speak for something. Yeah, you particularly I think in Hollywood, I mean, people who say how great they are, people believe them. Yeah. It's weird. It's true. It's like, hey, I'm great.

You go, oh, he's great. You know, he told me, he told me how great he is. He must be then. Yeah. I say to people now, I'm a world record breaker and stuff. They're like, Oh, congratulations. Oh, I'm going to start doing that. That's good.

Yeah, I tried it. It's easy. No, you're doing fine. You don't have to do anything. Oh, no. I've said to people like, yeah, my podcast, they won the Oscar for best podcast. People just go, wow, that is big news.

Thank you. My wife changed her name on the airline thing. So she's now Lady Megan Ferguson as well. And they're like, Oh, your majesty and all that kind of stuff. For real? You can do it. Yeah, but it doesn't fucking, nobody checks. That's great.

It's still illegal. That's fantastic. Yeah, it's true. I will believe someone if they tell me then that sounds correct. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. So you pushed your agent and you said... Yes, and they I got the audition that night. I remember I was at dinner with friends, my best girlfriends and we were sitting there and I was we were all commiserating of how hard it was like being out of work and this audition came in. I was so excited

and I ran home to work on it. And I remember going into that audition so nervous and putting such pressure on myself because we were so, so broke and I was just terrified that I was gonna have to pack it in and do something else. Cause it was starting to get to that time where I would go back to New Jersey and like my parents' friends and everyone would say like, when are you gonna try something else? And that audition was everything. And I remember I got the call back for it and being, they

had narrowed it down to, I guess, like four or five of us. And that whole drive home just praying that it was going to like, please have this happen. I got a call. I remember as I was coming up to my apartment that I got the part. And I thought it was going gonna be a one week thing, which I was thrilled about just to get red money. So the fact that it ended up being what it was, was just amazing, a dream.

That's kind of, in a sort of slightly less dramatic way, it's almost exactly what happened to me with the Drew Carey show in the 90s. Really? Yeah, I had 27 cents in my bank account when I got that job. And you know, I don't know if you know this, but you need a dollar to take out 27 cents from your bank account. So I couldn't even get my 27 cents.

No! Yeah, I was flat broke. Oh my gosh. And also I was on a work visa, you know, so I was on a six month visa. If I didn't, you know, get something, if I didn't click into something, it was get out, you know. So the stakes were high. And I remember the same feeling from the audition. Like I actually didn't even audition for that part. I auditioned for another part on a different show and I didn't get that part, but they gave me the part on the Drew Carey show.

Oh my gosh. I know, that's crazy. How long between auditions did that happen when you auditioned for the other one and then you got the Drew Carey? Oh, it was fast. Oh really? Actually, what it was is, I don't, you might even know this guy. Do you know Tony Sepulveda? Yes. Tony is the greatest! That was Tony? He's the greatest guy, right?

I love him so much! He's awesome, right? He's my first meeting ever. Listen, I owe everything to Tony. I owe everything to Tony Sepulveda. What happened was Tony was casting at, he was casting at Warner Brothers, right? Uh-huh. And that's where the Drew Carey show was made and they were in their first season. And I, there was some clerical mix up and I was pulled into audition for the part of

the Hispanic photographer on a Brooke Shields show called Suddenly Susan. And I, I'd like, I, I, you know, I riffed my way through the audition, but everybody knew like, I knew the minute I saw everybody else, I'm in the wrong place. And I, you know, I did the audition and we were dicking around and having a laugh and everybody knew I wasn't going to get that part. But when I left, Tony followed me out of the room and said, Hey, um, obviously, you know, this is not the part for you. I went, Oh, thanks for seeing me anyway.

And he, and he said, no, no, no, they're looking for, uh, they're looking for a guy on the Drew Carey show. Can you do an English accent? And I said, see, said George, yes, I can. And I, and I did, and we, uh, I got the, I got it for one get one show. It was for one show. And then I did six years, eight years, nine years on it. Oh my goodness.

That's amazing. I didn't know that. That's Hollywood stories on it. Oh my goodness, that's amazing. I didn't know that was Tony. That's Hollywood stories though, right? You've got the same one. It's like they do happen. That's incredible. I love that it's Tony. He is just gem of gems.

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and my latest interview is with Wiz Khalifa. The craziest part of my life, I can go from performing in front of 40,000 people to either being in a dressing room, being in a plane, or being back in a bed all by myself. He is a multi-platinum-selling recording artist, mini mogul, and an actor. Which among the one, the only,

the only Khalil. Did you feel like a big break was coming? I didn't know what that big break looked or felt like, but I knew that what I was doing was working. The gang banging and the drug selling, that's not really for me. But the looking cool, the having girls, the making music, I'm like, I like that part of it.

How was that experience for you? Losing someone so close to you that you love. I am grateful that I was able to have like the last moments that I had and to be able to prepare for it. And it was something that I'm still dealing with. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Yo, what up? It's your girl Jess Hilarious and I think it's time to acknowledge that I'm not just a comedian. It's time to add uncertified therapists to my credentials because each and every Wednesday I'm fixing your mess on carefully reckless on the Black Effect Podcast Network. Got problems in your relationship?

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to help you fix your mess. Send me your situation and let's fix it as a family. Listen to Carefully Reckless on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. AT&T, connecting changes everything. It's interesting because he's so pivotal in a lot of people's careers and every time I tell him that story, every time I see him, I haven't seen him for years and years, but

every time I see him I always thank him and he's like, no, you, I had nothing to do with it. And I'm like, you had everything to do with it. He's on our set every week at Nitecourt. He's a judge. Yeah. Oh, will you please tell him, I've never forgotten what he did for me. Never. I sure will.

I love that guy. He's just instant happiness when you're around him. I adore him. Does he do the casting for nice? Is he still in casting? He's still at Warner Brothers, yep. All right, so, you know, if you guys need, and like, you know,

Oh yeah, you kidding me? I guess that's what you and Larraquette, sure. I can be Larraquette's drunk brother from Scotland. Anything you need. Oh, I'm totally taking you up on this. This is going to happen. Oh my God. I would do it in a heartbeat. You kidding me? In a heartbeat. Oh, this is so fun. Yeah, it would.

Oh my gosh. It would be on riot. I love this. And I'm very reasonably priced. You know, scale plus 10 is just fine. It'll be fine. That I am so excited about this. I would, it would be so great. I haven't done a sitcom in years. That would be funny.

Did you love doing it? I did. Do you guys still do it with like a studio audience? We do. Oh man, that is the greatest life. That is the greatest life. Wonderful. There's nothing like a tape night.

The electricity that is... Fabulous. It's so fun. I did it for years and years and years and years. I never get tired of it. It was amazing. So are you Tuesday or Friday? We're Friday nights.

And we started very differently because we started, we were developing this all through the pandemic. So when we shot our pilot, it was, I mean, we were really just coming out of COVID, so we couldn't have a full audience. Everyone was just, it was socially, it looked like a hospital waiting room. Everyone was masked and socially distanced, like six feet away from each other. But now we got to have a full audience. And it's, we even had Plexiglas up at one point because of COVID rules, but now it's, I mean, it's great. We have a full audience every Friday night and it's so special.

And of course. It's such a lovely way to make television. I'm sad that it's not done so much. I mean, it's such a cool, cool thing to do, but I guess it fell out of favor. Yeah. thing to do. But I guess it fell out of favor. Yeah, you know, and I, I really, I don't know why, because, like you said, it's such a fun way to make television. The, the comedy rhythms that you get in front of a live audience. Yeah. There's, there's just truly nothing like it. And I agree.

Yeah. There's just truly nothing like it. I agree. It's such a relationship between the actors and the audience and you find things just in their laughter, just in the moments where you're holding for their laughs. There's just wonderful little moments. It's fucking delicious. I know exactly what you mean. I remember when I started in late night, cause I'd come off all these years

on the Drew Carey show and when I started late night and they were getting me to read these jokes, like, you know, Hey guys, have you seen the playoffs and stuff? And I'm like, I don't even fucking, I don't even know what I'm talking about. I don't even know really what a playoff is. And, and they said, let me just, let me just talk a little bit. And it changed the whole vibe of that show changed when I was allowed to just mess around with the audience and the camera, because when they're looking at the monitors, cause they all look, the audience all look at the monitors, like

it's on TV and then, but they can also see you dicking around. So they get some kind of weird participatory enjoyment out of it. It's a very odd, special thing that I don't think exists for any other audience. TV audience gets a very weird experience. It's so true. I just had this very distinct memory of waiting in the dressing room to do your show and watching you do that monologue and just the brilliance of it and watching you it I truly remember I remember like the work of my hair and makeup and all of

it just watching you on that screen because it was so there was talk about electricity just the relationship you had with them was so it was so special and it was just such a nuanced, genius monologue that you would do on that show. And I just, I just, as you were talking about this now, I was thinking about it. I think that what it is with performers, and you've got this, people who can hang have got this.

People that like, that's how I describe it. People can hang, people can do it. Larroquette's got this people that like, that's how I describe it. People can hang. You people can do it. Larroquette's got this. If there's sometimes that Richard Kind has this, some performers that you see on a stage or you see in a movie or any kind of performance, I think it's the same as certain sportsmen like, or sportswoman, same as athletes who, like I used to take, there's a Scottish soccer player called Kenny Dalglish. And Kenny Dalglish, when I was a kid, was the greatest soccer player in the world.

Every time he got the ball, wasn't necessarily going to score a goal, but fucking something was going to happen. And I feel that about certain performers that every time they're there, something's going to happen. You know, it might not be great, but you're going to watch. And, and I think that that's, that to me is the essence of the whole, the whole game. That's why I'm fascinated and kind of delighted to know that you did stand up because I always thought of you as someone who had that. I kind of have a bit of a rule about that on the

show to be honest that it kind of when I'm talking to performers and it is mostly performers I talk to they have to be people who I think can hang. Oh I love that. I love doing that about your show so much because I remember doing the you you know, the pre-interviews and talking about what the style of the show was. And I remember them saying, just really have a conversation,

because that's what Craig's like, Stu, like we could talk about the things that you're going to talk about, but just go with the conversation. And it was such a relief that it didn't feel like we're going on and I'm going to tell, you're going to ask me a question, I'm going to tell my story and I have to tell it exactly how I told it.

It was truly like a lot of the times we would just end up talking about whatever happened in that moment. And it was so nice. And it's also why I loved watching the show so much because they were genuine real conversations. Well, I think what was what I was lucky in as well is the sense that I had been on a lot of talk shows as a guest, you know, as an actor. And I was like, I had to do that very thing, you know, where they would say, oh, tell that

story the way you told it. And I was like, but I've already told it. Why would I tell it again? And it got a little weird. It always felt a little weird. It always felt a little false to me. And I never loved that aspect of the whole game. You should do an interview show, though, because you're good at it.

Thank you for saying that. I also like you. What? I also like you. You're easy to talk to. But what happens if you get somebody who's a dud? That's a real trick as well. Only interviewing people you like. That's, I mean, it really makes a difference.

Because I can make things weird. Because you can. Oh my God. If someone's a dud, I don't know that I could. I think I'd freeze up and do a lot of so, uh, tell me more about... Well, that's why I started doing things like, Hey, you want to smell my finger and all that kind of stuff. I like nothing to say, but if you say to someone, Hey, you want to do an awkward pause or smell

my finger or talk to the robot, it kind of people, I, you know, something will happen. I don't know if it's going to be good, but something will happen. Where did the awkward pause? That was so fun. It was just such a genius, genius move. Where did that come from? That idea. I think it came from, it came from exactly what you're talking about.

Originally, is it talking to people who just, that's kind of what they were into. Sometimes people would come on the show and I like, why are you doing a talk show? Why would you come on a talk show if you don't want to talk? It doesn't make any sense to me. But I think sometimes actors of a particular type and musicians as well, they feel like they're going to be fine and then they get out there and they kind of freeze. And, and I don't think there's any malevolence in it. I think it's, I honestly think it's nerves and shyness sometimes. And they just like shut down. And that's why it's interesting because when you talk about doing stand up and

then doing your one woman show and then seeing someone doing a joke and going ah ha, ah ha and finding something. That's such, that's it. That's the thing. I think that's the thing. Now you write with your husband, right? I do. Yeah.

And are you guys always been, always written together? We have, we met in college and we were friends. We were writing partners through college. And we didn't start dating until right before we graduated college. But it was very much that's how that was a basis of our relationship was we would go and write comedy sketches together, most of which never saw the light of day. But we just both connected over this love of comedy and love of writing. Do you make each other laugh? Is that the gig? Right?

Yeah. Yeah. It's that he made me laugh harder than anyone that I'd ever, ever known. I remember my roommates at the time. I was just dating such jerks and guys that just weren't right for me. And we've never seen you so happy. You're every time you're with him, you're hysterical laughing. And it's still there's and I got to say, and watching, he makes me laugh so much, but then also getting to see my kids. Laugh when they laugh at something. He's there.

There's also a special joy in that too. Oh my God. Making children laugh. It's fabulous. There's nothing like it. I don't know if I'm quite ready to be a children's entertainer, but I, you know, I don't think I'm qualified, but I think I'd scare them. I think I'd scare children. No, no.

Yeah, yeah. I'm not buying his hair. But I, it's interesting because when you talk about, you know, writing with your husband, I do still, do you still write together? Is he write on Nyquist? We do. He's a producer on it with me. He's not in the writer's room, but we, we always work together and we wrote the first movie

that we ever produced, The Bronze, that we did years ago, which I think, gosh, it's like about 10 years ago now. That was our first feature we wrote together. And we've always sort of used our writing together as a way to create roles for me that I wouldn't necessarily be offered anyway. Totally. Yeah, totally. Yeah, I get it. I mean, I ended up writing stuff with my, we've been married for years and years and years and we, uh, I ended up just listening to stuff she was saying and

saying, you know, that, that standup. And she'd be like, no, it's not. And I'm like, it is, it is stand up. She, she made an observation once about this is to me, I think. Why I think she's a really good writer and why all it takes is for someone else to go, wait, you, you are a really good writer. She said, I can prove the existence of God. I went, all right, tell me, prove the existence of God.

And she said, seek freedom, Roy. I said, what do you mean seek freedom, Roy? She said, well, look, the chances, if you're a young gay Austrian lion tamer growing up and saying, I am a young gay Austrian lion tamer, there's no one in the world for me. I'm doomed to be so lonely. And you both meant to another gay Austrian, Latin Tabor.

I am also a gay Austrian, Latin Tabor. I find you attractive. The odds of that happening without a God and intelligence designing the universe are impossible. I was like, that's a piece of stand up. And I did. I, yeah, I made it and I used it and I, and it's gone, but it was a thing. And I think that's part of the chemistry of being a couple.

Is that if you make each other laugh, don't you think? A thousand percent. Absolutely. It's truly the basis of our relationship, both as a writing team, but the base of our love was me hysterical laughing over something you're saying. Like, oh, that's what I want for the rest of my life. I want to feel that happiness. Because obviously, you know, like, that's it.

Yeah, it is. And then you laugh so much, you end up with children. Then you're just tired. And you never write any philosophy ever again. That's it. No philosophy. Does your wife, was she starting in comedy or she just, you just noticed that she was a funny person? She's an art dealer.

Wow. I mean, she writes, she's actually a very good writer, but she, I mean, but no, she was not in any way drawn into that world. She's, she's a blue bloody Yankee. She got nothing to do with show folk. Show folk like us. But she can make you laugh. And that's.

Oh my God. Fuck yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like, like no one else can. Maybe Josh Robert Thompson, but he's not my God. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like, like no one else can. Maybe Josh Robert Thompson, but he's not my type. Josh is the guy who did Jeff Peterson, the robot on the show. Oh, oh my gosh. Oh, so funny. Oh my God. He, you talk about an improvisational genius. My God.

Oh, it's so funny. And when did that, did the robot start at the beginning? Was that part of it? No, we were about five years in before the robot started. So funny. Oh my God, that fucking robot. I mean, I still weep with laughter. I can just be on the, have a conversation with Josh on the phone and he can have me

weeping with laughter. I don't know what it is, just some people just, boom. Did you know him before the show? No, no, he came in to do bits on the show. He was a friend of one of the writers who had seen him do some bits and pieces and he came in to do, I think it was an impression of Arnold Schwarzenegger or something. And he just, you get, you know, it's one of these Hollywood things. It's like you meet a guy who meets a guy who knows a thing, who does it.

And that's how it always works. You know, it's like when people in Hollywood say, my agent doesn't get me any work. You go, yeah, they don't, they don't do that. They charge you money and they turn up and hand you a small bottle of water and tell you how gifted you are, but that's only after you get the job. It's so funny. Melissa, it's such a joy to see you again. I'm so happy that you're killing it with this night court thing.

Congratulations. It's just lovely. Couldn't happen to a nicer person. Thank you so much. I'm so I was so, so excited to talk to you. Truly. I just have the best memories of talking to you on the show. And you really, it was such an amazing, such an amazing training for me for that

to be my first talk show, say, okay, this, this sets the bar. This is how you have it. You're just amazing. I'm so happy to get to talk to you. And I'm going to hold you to this. If I really, we get more Night Court episodes, I want, I would love, love, love. Yeah, 100%. Put me in the pitch for the next season.

Oh my gosh. Craig Ferguson will work for scale. Yeah I'll do it. In a fucking heartbeat I'd do it for sure. Oh my god I'm so excited. I'm not kidding and this is legally binding because now we're on a podcast that makes it legally thing. That's gonna be our trailer if we get a season where Craig Ferguson comes in and works for scale,

works for scale. That's the story. But I'm so excited. Nobody knows this Craig Ferguson always works for scale. All right. Take care of yourself. It's lovely to talk to you. Wonderful, Craig.

Thank you so much for talking to me. Oh my God. Thanks for being on. It's lovely to see you. You too. Take care. Bye. Bye. Hey, I'm Jay Shetty and my latest interview is with Wiz Khalifa. The craziest part of my life, I can go from performing in front of 40,000 people to either be in a dressing room, being in a plane or being back in a bed all by myself.

He is a multi-platinum selling recording artist, mini mogul and an actor. Which among the one, the only, Wiz Khalifa. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. The only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, the only, a way that informs and empowers all people. We discuss everything from prejudice to politics to police violence, and we try to give you the tools to create positive change in your home, workplace, and social circle. We're going to learn how to become better allies to each other, so join us each Saturday for Civic Cipher on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, I'm Dani Shapiro, host of the hit podcast, Family Secrets. How would you feel if when you met your biological father for the first time,

he didn't even say hello? And what if your past itself was a secret, and the time had suddenly come to share that past with your child? These are just a few of the powerful and profound questions we'll be asking on our eleventh season of Family Secrets. Listen to season 11 of Family Secrets on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.