We're Here to Help - 68: You Can’t Play Chicken with a GOAT (with Rainn Wilson)

Episode Date: April 8, 2024

Jake, Gareth and special guest Rainn Wilson talk to callers about an open house and a boss sharing too much info. Later, the guys chat with Rainn about his early days as an actor and landing the role of Dwight Schrute on The Office. Want to call in? Email your question to [e-mail] (Ad-Free Episodes, Bonus Calls and Behind the Scenes): Patreon.com/HereToHelpPodVIDEO: Youtube.com/@HeretoHelpPodMERCH: heretohelppod.comINSTAGRAM: @HereToHelpPodTIKTOK: @HereToHelpPodIf you’re enjoying the show, make sure to rate We’re Here to Help 5-Stars on Apple Podcasts.Advertise on We’re Here to Help via Gumball.fm More info about Rainn's new podcast Soul Boom:Every Tuesday starting April 9th, Rainn Wilson is releasing the Soul Boom podcast! Tune in each week to a series of intimate conversations that tickle the mind, heart and soul. Never too precious, yet unafraid to touch on the profound, Soul Boom digs into the core of the human experience: creativity, spirituality and psychology. Bringing to the conversation some of the most brilliant and heart-felt artists, thinkers and doers, Soul Boom guides the listener toward transformation on both a personal and societal level. Also, laughs. Youtube (subscribe)YouTube (trailer)SpotifyApple PodcastsiHeartStitcherPandoraFOLLOW us!Instagram: https://bit.ly/SoulBoomIG Tik Tok: https://bit.ly/SoulBoomTTSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is a HeadGum Podcast. And we are back with a really special episode. This is great. Yes. What a great guest. Very excited. Yes. Fit right in. Fit right in.

I've been a fan of his and I'm sure you have too for a long time. Absolutely. Mr. Rain Wilson joins the pod. As you'll see, he just comes in and he crushes it. Absolutely. Mr. Rain Wilson joins the pod. He, as you'll see, he just comes in and he crushes it. Yep. And he has a podcast that will be out tomorrow called Soul Boom. You know, I mean, we talked to him for a while after. Why don't we do this? Ladies and gentlemen, we're going to just cut to Rain Wilson explaining his pod. Rain. I got a new podcast dropping in April 9th, Soul Boom, the podcast. It's deep, meaningful, probing,

human discussions about life, messy human experience, psychology, spirituality, and I hope that you guys will listen. Okay. Well, so if you like what you heard, check out Soul Boom tomorrow. Yep, April 9th. April 9th and I think that's it.

Yeah, so really he's awesome. So enjoy this episode a lot because we really enjoyed doing it. And we have a Patreon, check it out. And there's a really fun story that Gareth is gonna drop on there. Yeah, about American Airlines and how I'm done with them and I hate them. Enjoy the show. They have further ado. Are you there, caller? I'm here, can you hear me? Yeah, you sure can welcome to we're here to help America's number one podcast I'll look up you. Let me tell you something

We haven't done a call together in a minute But boy are we jumping to the deep end because you not only have Jake the snake Johnson Gareth Reynolds You have our very special guest. You know him you love him rain Wilson is in studio with us today Hey, we couldn't be more excited. Thanks guys, I'm so excited. Yes. Appreciate you being here. I can't wait.

I love we're jumping right into the call. Yeah, we did. There's few, there's no warm up swings. It's just right into the place. Yeah, this better be good. It better be good. So. Caller, what's your name?

There we go. Hi, I'm Adrienne. Hi Adrienne. Okay, and can we get your age roughly and where you're calling from? Yeah, I'm 41 and I'm in San Diego Oh nice. Okay, great great city and Love San Diego. There we go. Jake have you been to Balboa Park? It's incredible. Yeah, I have been Oh, yeah, it's the size of like Manhattan. Yeah, it's got like 57 museums. Yeah, great

I have avoided the museums personally, but uh, okay Adrian what the hell is going on? What can we help you with? So I dated a man for four years and then recently discovered online that he'd been cheating on me So I confronted him and I ended it but when I told my family and friends about it They felt really sad and you know, it was kind of embarrassing. So they dug a little deeper and then we discovered online that he had been cheating, but that I was the other woman. Like he had a girlfriend the whole time. Oh shit. So now they're, yeah.

You're the cheater. Now they're living. That's like a black mirror. I didn't know I was the homewrecker. That is a good little twist. Yeah, that's a good twist. You were dating a guy, let's give him a name. Scotty.

Scotty's great. Okay, so you were dating Scot guy, let's give him a name. Scotty. Scotty's great. Okay, so you were dating Scotty for four years and then you found out that Scotty had a girlfriend, your parents dug deeper and you're the other woman? How do you discover who's got it? Scotty's girlfriend existed a year or two before you, was his wife. Yes.

I think just a few months, the timeline is a little hazy, but he definitely predated me. The timeline is a little hazy, but he definitely predated me. So he was double-dipping, but you were the second. But the reason you're the mistress is the other one was first. Also, what a great reveal for your parents

to have to give you, isn't that nice? Just be like, by the way. So when they're coming to like holidays, I mean, it wasn't just parents, it's like cousins, aunts, uncles. Four years is real. It was a mess. Hell yeah.

So your whole family stalked him online? How does that work? Good question. Your cousins and your aunts and uncles. When your parents are better at the internet than you. My nephews, my parents, my grandparents actually found a secret Facebook account. He's a real cheater. Look.

Look at him. I found his private Instagram. He's got two profiles, darling. Yeah, how did you find that! I found his private Instagram! He's got two profiles, darling! Yeah, how did your family get this started? I was so silly to trust him. Can I hire your family to do some sleuthing?

If you can do catfish with your family. Okay. If this turns into a weird segment that Adrian's family becomes private investigators... That's a TV show! It's a TV show. It's a TV show. You're not the producer. No, hold on. Wait.

Oh, damn it. You got cut out. I really got cut out. No, just because you two do better, then we'll get Andrew Santino. He's great. Oh, he's so funny. No.

Damn it. He's so edgy. He's got the right amount of bites. I have edge. Edgy ginger. Jeez. Edgy ginger. By the way, that's a bakery. And a cool podcast.

Edgy Ginger? I mean, you get three Edgy Gingers doing a podcast. Boom, slam dunk. Rocker Money would be knocking out walls to do ads on that one. Edgy Ginger. BetterHelp.com. Okay, alright Adrian. Anyway, you're here on Edgy Ginger. So okay. So your family sleuths, you realize you're the technically the other woman. Keep going. So now that I'm out of the picture, because I wanted nothing to do with all that drama, obviously, we see that they're living together.

And he's a real estate agent. And so is she. So they're always posting like open houses that they're hosting together like in my neighborhood very close to me you could see him so easily show them show up naked oh yeah it's like you're in my brain so I want to go to one you do I feel like there's an opportunity for me to change the narrative from like I got played it was very embarrassing it's like a funny story it's like end this chapter of my life like so up something and it's Spanish I feel like you would give me closure and it would just be really

funny so we talk about and he's not Scotty the loser he's like Scotty that guy we played that funny joke on I guess does she know that Scotty was seeing you also for four years no she does not know Adrian Scotty was seeing you also for four years. No, she does not know Adrian we can go two directions here. We can go sitcom. Mm-hmm Just where my mind is already gone and the sitcom version is you go with like some unthinkable like hunky Latina And he's like, oh I just moved. Like now we are going to buy together. I will thank you on the island in the kitchen.

Yeah. And everything in front of him, he's like spinning you and kissing you and says like the best love I've ever made was to you. The other thing, which is it? Well, hold on. There's another there's another sitcom version, which is she goes in disguise. I don't know if there's a reveal, but it's she dresses like a grandmother like in a gray wig Yeah, and then it in disguise so Scottie doesn't even so Scottie doesn't even know see my sitcom one is Scottie knows and she just Slowly twists the knife while he sits there stressed the fuck out as oh

Sick calm that's what I like indie drama. Yeah, you guys ever watched edgy drop. That's a little sitcom though. That's what I was gonna say. That's the indie drama. Have you guys ever watched Edgy Ginger? That's the sort of, that's the sort of stories we have on that show. That's on YouTube, yes. It's on Hulu. It's on Roku. No, it's not. Not Roku. No, no, no.

Roku passed. It's not Roku. We never even, stop it. I think Edgy Ginger is on PlayStation 5. They're still making it. No, no. It's just because it's not an eight minute haunt. But so Adrian, you've got in terms of the show you want to make, because this idea of you going to an open house and rubbing shit in his face or right now we're not responsible for what happens after. Yep. There's also a world where, girl code, you let her know what's going on.

Yes. Do you get a lot of these calls? I wonder because I hear this a lot in advice columns, like, I was cheated on and found out he was also cheating, serial cheating, blah, blah, blah. Should I tell him? Do we? Do you? You haven't?

No. We mostly get like, I put too much deodorant on and I liked that my arms are slippery. And we go like, now this is a good call. Another bowling team has our name. What's our new one? But I think that this is an age old moral question. Like if the girl is, if he's a cheater, do I let the girl know or do I just step away?

So to you Rain, for a second. Yeah. And true question. If you were her in this spot, what's your gut instinct? First of all, are you going to tell her, the other woman? Do you want to do a bit? Where would you be? I don't think, Adrian, I don't think it ends well with you going to some open house.

I don't see a storyline where it's like, yes, I got it. Slam dunk. I'm changing the narrative by showing up at an open house. Frankly, that's just me. It sounds fun. I love to, if you're gonna do it, can we film it? Because I would love to.

I would love to be there. But by the way, Adrian, I'm not with Ryan on that yet. In terms of the, this might not be a good idea. It still might be a good idea, but I wanna see what he's cooking with. But part two is simply like, just let her know, you know, uh, just like in a letter, your family, just your nine year old nephew. Let your uncle Stan call her.

I said, by the way, I said nine. I don't know. What are you? What's a kid? So a nine year old and Gareth goes, Me to tell you a poopy and baby, baba goo goo. Oh, that's so Edgy Ginger. It really is. We'll be right back.

Edgy Ginger pitches a kid. He's 15, goo goo gaga. He's a 21 year old guy, still lives at home, and he's like, hey my di di brown, you know what I mean? He's one of those baby boys. Hey, he's that little baby boy. We'll be right back. But I would, yeah, I would just write her and say, hey, I just want you to know that I was seeing him for four years while he was seeing you.

He's still seeing you. You may not know about me. Just so you know who you're dealing with. Have a nice life. Right. Peace. So by the way, Adrienne, that is a bomb drop. Because you changing the way, Adrienne, that is a bomb drop. Because you changing the narrative,

you dropped the bomb and let her know for four years he was also made. This is changing the narrative. Well, you kind of alluded to the idea a little bit that you want to turn, you want to kind of take the power back in the sense that you want to make this a story, right? So I'm not trying to get revenge. I respect. If they're happy, right? Yes. So... Like, I'm not trying to get revenge. Right. I respect.

If they're happy, that's fine. Sure. I just, I don't want my story to be like, how embarrassing, and that was the end of four years. Like... Well, this makes sense. You sort of said you want to go to the... Do you want to go to the open house and pull some shenanigans?

Is that kind of what you're looking for? Yes, but I wasn't looking to like cause a scene or like ruin their business Talk us through how that looks to you. What yeah, what would go down paint us the picture like the first year was All of the family stalkers would walk in like spaced out a few minutes apart But not acknowledge that we know him just to make him sweat kind of like you were saying like just to make him very uncomfortable But play it off. Like we're just looking at the house and we don't know him. Um, but that felt kind of boring and normal. Yeah.

And weird. And I need to consult an expert. Weird energy. When like the third cousin comes in and he's like, Hey, hey, and then he's like, are you guys all looking for house? And the answer is no. He's like 35 and he's like, what is this? A big home?

I don't know about a women's side of this. OK, so the first idea is one by one family comes in and just weirds everybody out. What's another kind of thought you had, Adrian? Because by the way, I do think you're going into gold mine here. And I think there's a win in this. I think it's a really delicate game, though.

Yes. Because I think Rain is right. And that's why I called. You a win in this. I think it's a really delicate game though. Yes. Because I think Rain is right. And that's why I called. You called the right place. The nerves before you pull it off too are gonna be. But what are you, but you can't fuck this up. Right. And she's saying she doesn't,

she's not doing it to blow up his spot. So this isn't going to be the ending and oh yeah bitch, I was there too, mic drop. You don't want that. You just wanna go in between you and Scotty, he's really uncomfortable, you leave, get in the car and laugh your ass off. Yeah.

Exactly, cause he feels like he got away with something, which obviously he did. I kinda want him to know like, you didn't get me. And that was just a chapter, but the new chapter started, weirdo. Jake, that is some terrible advice. That is the worst advice.

You are asking innocent Sandi, Adrienne, to walk into a mineshaft. She's going to go in and just, like, gloat a little bit, and and Scott is there and you know what I'm doing, Ryan? Bruna Hilda is the yeah the girlfriend. Yeah, but here's why here's why I'm saying okay But this is what Adrian's wanted. We're here to help Adrian, right? So if she called in and goes I got dumped. I don't know what to do. I don't know call somebody else. I'm just 41 What to do i don't know call somebody else i'm just 41 but she's

Their real estate agents i want to go and fuck with him Well i think what you think about him if you think about like if you were wrong if you were him It is not great but if you were him and she walked in I mean merely walking in I would make you be like What the fuck so right there? You're kind of turning the heat up a little bit and then after that yeah It depends how much you really want to like kind of play with your yeah, Adrian I gotta ask you a question because play with your kill is interesting and that leads me to this Here is my fear for you If you're going in and the game is is turning up the heat to make him uncomfortable

And we create some character for you of like a billionaire. You know? You know, Jake, you know, it's good to rage here because all I'm gonna go is that's great. You're a billionaire. You got a pinky ring. Just go with me on this.

If you're going in and he can't say, Adrian, what are you doing? So you walk in and you're like, this place is great. It could work wonderful in my portfolio. What what are you doing? So you walk in and you're like, this place is great. It could work wonderful in my portfolio. What else do you have? So that his wife or his girlfriend is looking at him like, we got a real money bag, so we could play a version of this, but we have to know a hundred percent

she doesn't know about you because if they've had a talk and he said, I did cheat, and he goes like, yes, and I broke up with her cause I'm more in love with you and then you walk in and I did cheat. Oh, it's Adrienne. And he goes like, yes, and I broke up with her because I'm more in love with you. And then you walk in and you go like, hello. Mink around her neck. My name is Melinda blah blah. And they both go, you're a maniac.

No wonder you broke up with her. This is a really weird one. She's insane. And she's walking on. This would look lovely in my portfolio. I might buy this and this and this. This would be great for my Picasso wall. It would be really good to walk right in and say,

I love it, I wanna make an offer, have a suitcase filled with cash, slam it on the kitchen table, that's very tastefully appointed, open it up. See, I don't know if that's in earnest advice, but on this show, that's great. So Adrienne, do we know know for sure as sure as you know Do you think I'm certain she she doesn't know you she does not know me. He does not know I exist

Okay, so then here's what I recommend you do. I'm gonna start building a thing Yeah, I think you reach out to her professionally and you say Let's give her a name from Bermilda, right? Yeah. So here's what I'd do. I'd reach out to her and I would start talking about your interest level on not only that property, but multiple properties and start building the thing of you are a very serious buyer so that she says to Scotty, I got a big fish on the hook. And you're building up to this big day

where you are going to see the place with your family. A bunch of you are moving to town. You might wanna buy multiple places around. You would like both of them there. You wanna buy a compound. You wanna buy a, you're looking to purchase. Has to be cash. And the day of she's there waiting for you with Scotty

and your whole family shows up. Okay. Oh my gosh. Mm-hmm. Now, Adrienne, where are you at with this? This could be a mistake. I could do, that's possible. Rain had something.

Don't do it, Adrienne. Mm-hmm. Adrienne, I'm sorry. Adrienne, listen to me. Listen to me right now. Adrienne, you listening? Yes, I'm listening. Walk away. Hang up the phone, Adrian.

Walk away from Scotty. Walk away from all this toxic nonsense. Walk away from the world of real estate and go do you live your best life. Listen to me, listen to me. By the way. Don't listen to him. Okay.

Do this. Listen to me, he's on one shoulder. He's an angel, he's ready. Adrian, no. Do it, do it, do it, do it. No. You gotta have fun. Don't you wanna have fun, he's on one shoulder. He's an angel, he's ready. Adrian, no. Do it, do it, do it, do it. You gotta have fun. Don't you wanna have fun, Adrian?

Don't listen to him. Listen to me. Listen to me. Listen to me. Listen to me. Listen to me. Hell. We're gonna let it go.

Let it go. Let it go. Let it go. Wow, I wanted more. Okay, I think great, the really devil and angel. I think obviously I think Reign's advice is very sound. Sound. But what do you mean? Would be what any friend would say. But no fun. But the problem is we're gonna end up somewhere. Here's the problem. We want the best advice. And that's but I think that's a

great advice because I think at the end of the day. Agreed. You know that look I mean what are you really gonna to get out of it? But here's what I'd pitch for the fun version. I would show up just as you. I mean, she doesn't know who you are. You don't need to do a big character. I think what you could... I mean, he's going to fucking lose... He's going to be sweating once he sees you there.

And there probably will be other people if you show up to an open house, so it could be a couple hours. And what I would do is I would just really like engage them and just be talking to them and talk about how important it is to you that you only have one property because when you lock in on a place, that commitment is so important. And the idea of playing multiple property is kind of dangerous and you don't want to get your hand in the cookie jar. Like lots of stuff like that. Just little insinuations.

How much respect do you have from them as real estate agents because of their honesty and how you need, if you're gonna get in business, integrity and go, everything I see about you guys, I see integrity, I see honesty. I see the kind of guy who wouldn't lie. And I think the more that you keep it like in that zone, maybe the safest it is as far as you feeling embarrassed

or anything, because if you are kind of just being like you, and you could come up with a number of ways to kind of just twist the knife, but he will at some point realize you're maybe just there to torture him. He'll die. And I think that there's like least collateral damage coming your way.

What you could get to in that, which is you're pushing him in a corner where he's gonna have to react. I think Rain's advice of be careful here is that reaction might be really ugly. And that reaction might be real. This is a scary move. But, Adrian, if you pull it off,

and I would try to make sure it's at a busy time when you're doing this, where there's a lot of other customers, if you go and it's empty, take Rain's advice, turn the fuck around. But if it's like peak time. And she's gotta be there too. She's gotta be there. Yes, absolutely.

But if you can get them and have other customers around, and you go on a little speech about one property, the value of it, integrity, and then at a certain point go like, well, Scotty, you're a real estate agent, what do you think of all this? And that didn't go to you. I think, you know, I would,

if I were to do my life over, I would have bought one property and been honest with you on a property. Well, I actually had two properties at one point, and I never felt like I was servicing the one properly, and I didn't even, I didn't even tell my family I had two properties. There's a way he could apologize while using the property stuff yeah or

not whatever you do this could be a win Adrian what are you thinking about this are we anywhere near a zone you like yes that zone feels way more comfortable than like pretending to be someone that I'm not okay I'm really non confrontational anyway. Like he would be surprised for me to do this at all. Because usually I would take Rain's advice. Like I'm done, I'm moving on. Like I wouldn't give it a second thought.

But it just seemed like a funny thing, like an opportunity. And it's been eaten at you. Yeah. Yeah, a little bit. If you pull this off, I am gonna buy your life rights and turn it into a movie Ginger productions already is you already have a thing. Well, we have a

Adrian when this gets legal don't go with Go with rains come on Okay, first pitch everybody's a baby regardless of age. Everybody passes. All right, well that's uh by the way when I said first pitch. Look who's talking for. So that's the only pitch I had prepared to be quite uh I don't know why I said first pitch. So Adrienne, you're thinking of playing this game where you're gonna go in and try to get into a conversation about integrity, one property, and and all of that? Is that what you're gonna go in and try to get into a conversation about integrity, one property, and all of that? Is that what you're thinking?

Yes, that feels really good. Do you want to practice? Yes. Would you like to be the husband, Rain? You have any interest in being that? And if not- Scottie? Scottie?

Yeah, I'll be Scottie. Okay, and then obviously we know you're gonna be- What? Brunhilde, what's her name? Brunhilde. Brunhilde. So you're- Really? Yes. Okay, and then obviously we know you're gonna be What? Brunhilde, what's her name? Brunhilde. Brunhilde, so you're- Really? Yes.

Oh, great, okay. Okay, ready, so Adrian- You never saw the opera version of Bugs Bunny when he's like, oh Brunhilde, you are so lovely. And that doesn't ring any bells? It rings bells now when you do the voice. Okay. Yeah.

Hey Adrian, you just walked into the house. Okay. I think it's a great area over here, Scotty, where they can put a lot of their furniture, it can go in this room, what do you think? Why is your voice so low? I'm still getting over that horrible, horrible cold. Brunhilda, you sound-

Oh, that's better. Okay, now you sound, thank you. Hello, sorry that happened. Yeah, I think that's great. I think that the presentation is great. Good to bring some more cut flowers into the that's a good Oh into the foyer. Hello. Hello. Welcome. Oh Hi, how are you? I've forgotten how to act. It's been a while. Oh my God.

There's no premise. You have to hide it. Are you directing? You have to hide it. Any notes over here? Oh my God. It's a podcast. How am I gonna?

Oh, I cheated on. People are listening. It's a podcast. Son of a bitch. Oh, oh my God. I'm conflicted. We should have a pair of shoes with some taps on it. I'm gonna go over here for a moment. We should have a pair of shoes with some taps on it. I'm going to go over here for a moment.

We should actually get a little box of stuff. Radio play. Ding, ding. So you're not walking. Step is almost done. You're walking into the shop. Ding, ding. Oh, the door is open.

Okay. All right. Back to wandering. Adrian, you're taking over, right? Clop, clop, clop. She moved her horse to the Adrian, you're taking over. She rode her horse to the open house. That's right. I thought it was an open horse. Edgy Ginger will be right back. All right. Here we go, Adrian.

You just walked in. You see Scotty and Bernilda. Less her. She's also there and important. Can't get rid of her. Just say action. Action. Oh, yeah. I think I think this whole space is going to be great for whoever pulls the trigger on this one Scotty. It's a keeper Absolutely. Yeah, you would know You look amazing. You look unbelievable. I love this bowtie. I love your breasts. Thank you so much I know oh good these someone people are eating the pastries. Oh a new look a new a new person's come to the open house

Hi, welcome, thanks for coming. Hello, I, hello? I'm, this is Scotty. Hi, I'm Adrienne, this is a lovely house. Adrienne, I love that name. Don't you love that name, Scooter? Scotty. Scotty, sorry, sometimes I call him Scooter

and he doesn't like that. Yes, I do, I do very much. So if you have any questions, Scotty and I are both trying to sell the property It's a three-bedroom two bath. How do we get you to shut up? I mean my god You the guest or are you the call I'm late Scotty a lot's going on inside Okay, remember the point is Adrian's gonna practice

You gotta the upstairs has tile, but let me Remember the point is Adrian's gonna practice The upstairs has tile but Soil for the planters this soil is not the novel the soil is so right here we go back to one Yes, okay. I think that's so sad that your wife's a mute. I think this is no, please God so sad she got her tongue out of the war Vegetables. Oh Scotty. Well, look someone else is coming in Scotty. Oh, hi. Welcome. Oh, look at that mountain that molding Hi Hi there having a giggle we love to giggle Did you hear that yeah, I'm also looking at the place.

Listen, we're dealing with this new person. We talked to you earlier Vinny, but our ears actually hurt from our discussion earlier about the Ottoman space. So what's your name? Hi, I'm really interested in this house except for that loud neighbor that just yelled to shut up at the time. Sorry, that was me. I think Vinny's putting in an offer. I'm really looking forward to purchasing one property

and spending some time making sure it's exactly how I want it. Okay. But I'd considered maybe owning two properties at one time but it seems like it would be best if I focused my attention. Yeah. That's a conflict. Good choice. Yeah. And I was really happy to see how organized and beautiful this open house is. You clearly have a lot of integrity. And so I'm really looking forward to checking out the house

and learning more about it. Look, you're interested or not? Are you going to make an offer or what? Patty! Sorry. I'm sorry. But Adrienne, I got to say- Vinnie? That was, yeah, this is Vinnie. Are you gonna make an offer or what? Sorry, sorry Vinny that was yeah, this is I gotta say Maybe meet Adrian maybe you guys go in together. I've you're dating Brunhilda. Ah! Kshk, kshk, boom. What the hell? Poof, poof, poof. Wilford has.

Here's what I'll say, Adrian. Here's what I'll say. I actually thought you did a great job. Great job, Adrian. And I think if you do it like that, you're in kind of a money zone. Just have in the back of your head three responses for how it could go.

Because if it goes sideways on you and he calls you out, this story can't end with you go, I did this premise and then he said like, what are you doing here? Like you were blank to me and then you get nervous and leave crying. So just play the scenario out so that you don't want to be a thing where three weeks, you call us back in a month and you go, I did this thing, but now I want to go back again. You need the comebacks there I would also say you know make sure you want to do it and if you do I would do the first encounter Lay the foundation and then go do a walk around so he's shitting his pants for 15 minutes and then come back Yes, I think that's right. Yeah

And it sounds good And you've got to update us. And are you going, do you think you're going to actually do this? I feel very confident. It's been eating at me. So I'm really glad you guys called. Well, you called us to be fair. The show is, the show is, we don't call people to find out if they have problems. You called us. Give her a break. I'm just, there's a lot of stress. Well, I just think in cases first on the first episode the premise the opposite Let's lay that down. We call random people around the United States and offer You need our help we call you a demand Premise of a podcast. Hello. Hey, how you doing? You've got

Can I help you? I got a rat. Yeah, OK. All right, let us pitch on that. First of all, dress like cheese. Adrienne, let us know what happens, please. Thank you, Rain. I will keep you updated.

Thank you so much for your help. All right. Appreciate it. OK. Bye. Bye. This episode is brought to you by Greenlight. That's right, Jake.

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She said, I think I should get a little bit more for this tooth. And I go, you're asking for a raise? And she goes, I think so. And I go, no, you I should get a little bit more for this tooth and I go you're asking for a raise And she goes I think so and I go no you don't get a raise for losing a tooth But it made me think of I want to go back to this idea If you have a credit card you have jobs the jobs lead to this money Yes, as opposed to give cards and so I like green light. She's such a that is your daughter I mean a hundred percent being able to be like, I deserve a raise.

So yes, so this is a great way to sort of build the financial literacy of your children. Millions of parents and kids use Greenlight and learn how to make it responsible financial choice. So, should we bring in Gil or whatever? Yeah, we don't need him. Okay, so stop putting off the money talk and start putting your kids on the right path. Sign up for Greenlight today and get your first month free at greenlight.com slash gil sent me.

Boy, that's going to hurt him. That's greenlight.com slash gil sent me. It's like Greenlight for free. Oh no, bring him out. Well, you think just because you use a promo code I got to come out? That's not how this works, Jake. Am I in or am I out? You're in, baby.

Sign up for the Greenlight today and get your first month free at greenlight.com slash Gil sent me. That's right, Gil, G-I-L. Don't forget about me. I don't live in the basement. That's greenlight.com slash Gil sent me to try Greenlight for free. Greenlight.com slash Gil sent me. This episode is brought to you by Squarespace.

That's right, Jake. Look, we love Squarespace. We use Squarespace. I use Squarespace for everything. Our show also did. We built one for the party boys. Wigs and suits. That's right.

We lit, Caitlin and Kevin. Kevin, how long did it take to make that website? Super fast. Kaitlin knocked it out in like a half hour. Yes. She posted about it. She made it really fast and it's a great website and she said it was super easy. Yes, and Squarespace is extremely user friendly.

So Squarespace has, like we said, it's a great place to build your website. It's very easy, but it's also a great place to sell content, sell exclusive content on your site by adding a paywall, sell memberships, files to your customers that they can download, PDFs, music. It's a great place to upload your video collection, organize your video library, showcase your content on a beautiful video page. You can sell your video library by adding a paywall to your content. There's tons of stuff, but listen, you know who we bring in the closer. So listen, do me a favor. Go to squarespace.com slash Gil sent me to start your website or use any of these features today. You can get a free trial and when you're ready to launch, go to

www.squarespace.com slash Gil sent me. That's www.squarespace.com slash Gill sent me to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Now go for it everybody. It's Gill your cannon. Hello. Hi there, welcome to We're Here to Help. Can we get your name and your age and where you're calling from?

Yeah, absolutely. My name's Juliet. I'm 25 years old and I'm calling from London in the UK. Whoa, London. Well, I will say you've got a real special one. You know Jake Johnson, host of the show, right? Yes. He's here. You know me, Gareth, not Andrew Santino. And we have a very special guest, a hell of a problem solver, I'll say based on the previous track. A big start. Big start. The great Rainn Wilson is joining us. So you have a three-hander of Two Killers and Gareth.

So you said your name is Juliet? Two Killers and Gareth. You've got a name. Yeah. That's another podcast. Two Killers and Gareth. I'm on a word count. You're too over.

I apologize. Okay, Juliet, so why don't you tell us what's going on and we'll try to help you. Yeah, absolutely. So this is regarding my boss and a little bit of context. I sit right next to her in this open plan office and I have two main problems and one question. Are you from America and you live in London? You've got a little bit of like a Madonna accent.

It's kind of like American but I'm putting on a faux US thing. What's going on? Yeah, how authentic is this? Would you grow up? And is this the problem? Did you live there since you were like 13 or something? Because you're transatlantic right now. If it's under two years, it's fake.

I'm actually from France and Scotland, but I grew up abroad. I went to international schools, so that's... Oh, okay. So it's vaguely international. I get it. It's kind of James Bond. Yeah legit. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah exactly Okay. All right. So you have a boss you sit next to in an open plan office. Yeah, okay So my first problem is that she goes into way too much detail about her ailments her bowel movements Oh, well, like she talks about exploding cysts and her boils. And usually while I'm eating. So for example, I went out for a little like midday treat.

I went to prep, grabbed a little chocolate mousse. I don't think I need to explain where this is going. Wait, you're eating chocolate mousse. She's talking about diarrhea. Well, yeah. Is that pointed? Juliette, is this a made up problem? Because this sounds I was scared you were going to think that

it's a made up problem, but genuinely you were eating chocolate mousse and she was like, I took the runniest shit the other day. Yeah, she said liquid shit. She was like, oh yeah, you're probably wondering why didn't come into the office yesterday. I was like, oh, I was scared. I was going to have liquid shits on the tube. I'm like, I'm eating my chocolate mood. By the way, and this is a side thing, we're not going to spend a lot of time on it.

Her backstory is where all my accents come from. No, don't drag her down to your level. I always get made fun of for being bad at accents. Because you're bad at it. But I went to international school. No, you didn't. No, you're from Chicago. So I'm all straight. You're a weird guy from Chicago.

No, I'm all straight. No, you're not. For example, check this out, Ryan. No, you didn't. No, you're from Chicago. You're a weird guy from Chicago. No, I'm Australian. No, you're not. For example, check this out, Ryan. No, don't. I'm from Down Under and I love England. Now you're going, where's that guy from? Where's he from? I went to international school.

Oh. By the way, this call might only exist for you to do this. I lived in Scotland. Everywhere you could think of, I lived, and that's why my accent is everything. No. Oh, I get that. No, you should lived, and that's why my accent is everything. Oh, I get that. No, you should not, and nobody should. So Julia-

You had two problems and one question, though. Keep going. Yes, so my second problem is that she doesn't work. She watches shows all day, which honestly, I wouldn't have any problem with. What line of work is this? What are you guys doing in that open plan office? So it's a property management company

based in central London around Oxford Circus. And she's the head of health and safety. She's talking about watery juice. So who? And draining cysts? So I think we have this set up. You work next to a woman who grosses you out. We don't don't know is she you think she's doing it on purpose Juliet or you think she's just socially weird I think she might just be socially weird

But I think the worst part is the the shows that she watches are like shameless and sons of anarchy so anytime I look over at her screen all I see are like Asses or like giant dildos, and I'm just like, I'm trying to get on with my work. And this is your boss. Yeah, she's one of two bosses that I have. How old is she? She's turning 50 this year. Yeah.

So this is an interesting setup. It's gonna be really hard to pitch on it. So what is the problem? I think you have to kill her. Yeah. Am I crazy? I think I'm meant to die. I think that's the only way out.

I really don't see any other way out. Well, your boss who sits next to you watches inappropriate shows with nudity at work and talks about her health issues, and it's very gross, is your question, what do I do now or is there something specific? How do I fundamentally fix this woman? Yeah. Juliette, here's my first pitch.

You gotta out gross the gross. I thoughtte, here's my first pitch. You gotta out gross the gross. I thought that, I worry, I worry that she's gonna be like, I have a diarrhea partner. No, I don't think that, I think it's like multiplication. It's like, you know, blank times blank will equal like. Wait till the boss is eating. Yes.

Come in and like, I took a shit, it was so big, I tore my taint. Yeah. And blood was running down my leg. Direct eye contact, yes. When she's drinking like a beet juice or something like that. Drink her the beet juice.

But I would do it, this is actually, it sounds like we're making a joke, but I'm actually now being serious. I was just bitching at the beginning. Here's what I would do. I wouldn't lead out with this. The next time she does it to you, you're at work and she goes like, oh, you wouldn't believe I had the runniest

diarrhea. Look at her with direct eye contact and go like, it seems like an odd thing to say, no? And then she'll go like, oh, I'm sorry. And you go, no, all good. Then when she starts eating, you go like, I took a shit this morning and it ripped my asshole open. And when she looks at you, whenever she goes to drink or eat, you're doubling down. If on her screen is that, literally go on Pornhub and open it up and face it to her, whatever it is.

And she'll go like watching Shameless With An Asshole. And then you have like- Something worse, right? And you just point it at her. And then she'll like look at your screen and you look at her screen. And you're basically, this is a advice a advice it's like a gross off yeah and you keep going and if she heightens it you are now playing chicken oh you guys

are two semis on the highway you have to go cuz at the last like play chicken with a goat she it might be it might be hard I like it is that a saying well like the greatest of all yeah you can't play chicken with a goat yeah no no no It might be hard. I like it. Is that a saying? Did you just make that up? Did you just make that up? Yeah. You can't play chicken with a goat? Is that a thing? No. Okay. It works.

That's pretty good. It's pretty good. It works. Because it's like a chicken and a goat, like barnyard animals, but then the goat is, you can't do it with the greatest of all time. And it stopped me because when he said, you can't do it with a goat, I went like, he's right.

Well, I just got a point. Because I had two semis, I thought I was about to win. But you can't play chicken with a goat. The worry is that she's gonna be sending you, look at this bowel movement video. But then you have to go back. Which is gonna be tough, that's right. You think it might just get in a league,

hey, Juliet, if you fought fire with fire, you think you could win? I think so, I think I could outgross her, yeah. Juliet, with the last call, we did a little role playing. I wanna do a little role playing right now. Okay, so I'm the boss. Let's say her name is Vanessa. I'm Vanessa and you are going to try and outgrow her, okay?

I'm gonna need all of your improvisational skills. I'm gonna need you to use kind of like the French precision and the Scottish kind of like gutsiness and you know, bring your whole grotesquety to bear on this conversation. So I'm Vanessa and action. Oh, Juliet, just the other day I drained a cyst. You wouldn't believe what was at the center of it.

It was a writhing little worm. It was a worm in the pus of my cyst. And I was like, oh, I better capture it. But then it fell down into my pubic hair and was writhing around as I was trying. What are you eating, darling? What are you eating right now? Do you know what?

That reminds me of when I had explosive diarrhea over the weekend, so I had some really bad food poisoning and it was like an open tap from both ends. Like just like a nonstop stream. It was really incredible. Do you mind I'm trying to eat my pasta primavera? Oh exactly, I had pasta and it came out in full chunks. Oh, yeah.

I bit. I kinda like it to type it. Oh, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm. I kind of like it. Pretty good. I will say the role play helps. She's good. But also, Juliette, because what you might answer is just madness. Because if she's, If you're good.

If Juliette comes back and then goes like, well, the other day I vomited big chunks that looked like cheese. And you go, you don't say. Have you ever eaten your cheesy vomit? I know I do. Then you're getting into a world where your work has become the funniest place on earth.

Okay, I think this is, I really think that really helped sell me because. We're in 100% agreement. I think worst case scenario, you're at least finding some fun in the idea that you're going to try to win. Yes. And you might not, and she might just keep coming at you, but you've got- But Julia's a shooter.

Yeah, you've got good jazz skills. You just did that with Rain and you're great. You would crush it in the office. Yes. I'm definitely going to try it. I feel like you guys are doing a great job. But you can't break. You can't laugh.

You've got to practice more. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I would come up with a list, too, of things so that you're ready to go. You go and cocked and loaded. Do you know Benedict Cumberbatch? Yes. Because I feel like he'd be a good person to work with on this. Get him on board.

He can do some coaching. Can we lock him in? So, Julie, do you think this is something you're going to actually try next time your boss does this? I think I've reached the point where I just can't take it anymore. So I think I might actually try it. How about this too? Maybe on YouTube, get one of those.

I one time in a hotel watched Dr. Pimple Popper and I was like, I'm interested in this. I was probably sticking around for six minutes before I was like, I can't do this anymore. You put on like the worst pimple popping video. Yeah, have that on your screen. Just show it to her a little bit. Yeah, exactly.

So do you think you would also have some backup on a screen and then have a few gross stories and once she starts, do you think you're gonna just say game time and let's go for this? I genuinely think so. So then, Juliet, I need to ask you a favor now. And this isn't hard. You have to have your phone ready.

You record it. And hit voice notes and record this back and forth. Because if we got audio of you and this woman having a gross off at work, that's good joy. I think for everybody, not just us, but you too, I think it would be important for everybody to hear that. I think it would be important for international relations. Yeah, I mean, this is, think of Brexit.

This could actually rebuild after Brexit. Hey, Julia, we wish you a lot of luck. Well, thank you so much for the advice. Yeah, thanks, Julia. Keep us posted. All right, God bless. This episode is brought to you by ZockDoc. ZockDoc is a free app and website where you can search and compare highly rated in-network

doctors, near you, and instantly book appointments with them online. Garf, what does that mean to you? Well, it means a lot because, as you know, my mother was in town for a while. She had a hip replacement and it was crazy. It was a crazy situation and there were so many times, so many things like complications were popping up and there were multiple times where we wanted to find a doctor appointment quickly, somewhere close. You use ZocDoc.

Yeah, you would use ZocDoc because it's just so much harder if you're just like, you know, like using search engines to try to find someone and then you call. Do they take your insurance? The problem is that it's all there. For all the problem with also just searching it is all the ads pop up. Yes. And what I like, I actually use Zoc Doc since we started doing it. I do like that it keeps it really clean and you can put all your information in. Yeah. Did you use ZocDoc for your knee?

I did use ZocDoc for my knee, which I am going to get an MRI on. Oh yeah? But we don't think it's a tear. That's the good news, but I am going to get an MRI. The doctor report back, it's just an old man's knee. It's actually pretty much what it sounded like. That's what a doctor said to me about my hips. I'm getting to the point where it's sad when doctors are just like, yeah, you're just the...

He goes, I've had a doctor who looked at my body and then went like this. Well, you're mid-40s, yeah? Ugh, what a jerk. Well, that guy's hopefully not on Zoc Doc, but again, it really does. It filters specifically for doctors that take your insurance located near you, treat basically, and again, you can get an appointment quickly. You can also get it same day. That's absolutely right, Jake, if you're lucky.

That's right, Gil Buchanan, ones and twos, 68, balmy. Don't worry about it, that's right. I've been kept in the closet for a while on this show, but I'm back for the ads. Good to see you, brother. You never, literally never left. Whatever the best time of the world, go to ZocDoc.com slash HTH and download the ZocDoc app for free. Did you hear how much that cost you?

Free. Free, that's right! And then find and book a top rated doctor today. That's Z-O-C-D-O-C dot com slash H-T-H. ZocDoc dot com slash H-T-H. So that's it, man. Good stuff. Yeah. That was great.

I think that's the hardest a role play has ever sold me. Yes. That really was effective. Well there was something different in that role play. There was no interruptions. It's a hurtful crazy thing to say. I don't think that that's... It was really nice to hear. You know I'll be honest when when Ray pitched the role play, my little ego goes, if he just brings Jake into this and not me, I don't know what's going to happen. I don't know how I'll recover.

So Gareth's bit is always, whenever we try to get him quiet, he'll always find a way. No. So I was literally on that last one, because I'm like, Rain set up, it's really working, it's really clean. I'm like, what's he's going to be like a janitor almost had to be I was gonna bring a pastry I'm just set me the janitor and then it'll literally go like honestly on this one let's not and he'll go fine and then it'll start

Pastry boy! I've got a bunch of them! I'm killing a pastry that's all that is! Uber eats! Derailsy thing! The collar gets quiet! I just got hit on my bike by a vehicle. Crikey. But now, really quickly, we did both go to Nutrir.

We went to the same high school. Yes. Oh, shit. And you moved there midway through high school. You went to the Baha'i Temple. Yeah. Correct, you had moved there for that. Yeah, so I grew up in suburban Seattle. Okay.

Most of my life. And then moved at 16, did my last two years of high school and new career. Interesting. Which for people who don't know is a pretty fancy school. It's a great school. It's a great school, but it's fancy. There's like kids getting Porsches on their 16th birthday.

Oh wow. And it's a... It's also massive. It's 4,000 kids. It's massive. Huge theater division. Holy shit. But a great arts thing. I had a radio show at W000 kids. It's massive, yeah. Huge theater division. Gigantic, holy shit. Yeah, but a great arts thing. I had a radio show at WNTH.

Sure, 88.1. Yeah, wow, nice. Yeah, yeah, yeah, my brother had a radio show. Yeah, that's where I got my acting start at Nutria and I'm so grateful for it. And were you thinking of, cause when I went through, at least cause my group was more,

we were really into comedy. So we were all thinking Second City. Right. Where was your head at? So, cause that school, we were really into comedy. So we were all thinking Second City. Where was your head at? Because that school, everything's taken very seriously. So if you're into theater as a senior, you're thinking of pursuing this. So where was your head? Because I read that you went to Ventish for grad school.

Were you thinking right then, I want to be an actor, actor, and do the New York acting thing? Well, it's interesting you say that because I've had various points in time in my career where it's like, oh, should I do the improv thing or should I do the serious acting thing? And I, even at Nutria, like, I remember doing some improv

with one of the improv groups there. And I was like thinking of moving in that direction, but I always went more for the serious drama thing. But I was this nerdy, pimply, skinny Seattle nerd boy, and I had some success with some plays, and I went in. In Seattle? Or at New Trier. At New Trier, once I moved there,

because I hadn't really done any acting before. And I went to Mrs. Adams, Suzanne Adams, she had probably left by the time you were there. Yeah, I think so. And I had one of the most important conversations of my life, in all seriousness. I was like, I was so nervous and insecure and self-conscious and I was like,

Mrs. Adams, I like acting a lot and do you think that I could ever be an actor? And she was like, oh yes, she was very dramatic. She was like, oh, you should try it and you should, but you need to read books and go to college and learn and travel the world and fall in love. But her saying that meant so much to me at being an insecure 17 year old.

And I was like, it gave me like, it lit the flame of- I can maybe actually do this. Yeah, I might be able to, because I didn't know any artists I didn't know people that got paid money to say I'm to make art didn't seem like a realist Did you did how much of that advice did you take? Did you travel the world? Did you do a little bit? Yeah, I can you please but you then in your head said like this is a real thing. This is a possibility of a path I know I know the exact moment because

Our school was just the new cheer in that world This is a possibility of a path. I know the exact moment because our school was the new chair in that world. There were a lot of people with money and it felt like there was the old money and there was banking and lawyers and there was a certain thing a lot of people were going. And if you didn't fit into that, there wasn't a clear, I know exactly what I'm gonna do,

but there was, in order to succeed here, you have to be very competitive. So once there was a, this is a real path and it could happen, that's why I think there's so many kids from that high school in this town and still working, because it was taken as seriously as if you wanted to like go be a lawyer.

It was kind of more serious in college. Like my drama classes in high school were better and more intensive than they were a lot of my undergrad. Where'd you do your undergrad? I did a year at Tufts University in Boston, then I went to University of Washington in Seattle and the Nutria acting classes were just more intensive. And then you went to Tisch too.

Then I ended up going to Tisch. I did Tisch, but I did it for dramatic writing. I had a moment like you had, but it was for writing. Where I had a teacher, the same thing. I was really bad in school for a while. I dropped out for a year, came back, was trying to find my foot in, and then I had an English teacher be like,

you just gotta see writings like jazz, and you could do it, you just have to do it your way, as opposed to trying to write like these other writers. Just make it your voice. And I remember being like, oh, cool. Did you go straight from New Trer to there? I went to University of Iowa for a year. Okay, my wife went there.

Oh yeah, Iowa City, really fun. And then to Tisch. Okay. Yeah, and so you then did the dramatic writing and then went from there to LA? No, I did a graduate acting program, even though I wasn't officially, I didn't have my undergrad degree,

but I had done a couple years of undergrad. And so they let me in. And I did theater for 10 years in New York, man. I was doing like Shakespeare, bus and truck, off Broadway. Oh, you were acting active. I was acting, acting, acting. Cause your career is so fascinating. Cause I obviously, you know, I'm a big fan

and I've watched you a lot, especially when we were both doing TV. Yeah. Because you're- I feel it's so weird because we were on like parallel shows around the same time, but we never, I think because we're on different networks, we never bumped into each other. It is, because all the Fox people

I'd bumped into at some point, but none of your guys has. Yeah, the NBC people, we all. I also really liked all your choices that you would do in like hiatuses, where you would do like a big comedy that you were doing, and you were moving around a lot while having that job.

So what were you doing before the office hit? Were you, had the town already kind of christened you in, or was that the one? It was a crazy story, because I really couldn't get my foot into TV and film in New York at all. I was the only actor, I was in New York for 10 years. I didn't even have an audition

for any of the Law and Orders. Jesus Christ, that's the only thing. That's the thing. That's the only TV. Everybody, every New York actor. People would be on it twice. And for people that, yeah, I have multiple friends that were on like three or four different times.

Just walking in a bagel shop going, I don't know what to tell you, I don't know the guy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, he used to come around here. I haven't seen him in a while. Yeah, here's his phone number, relax. The constant moving and the device they pick up. Everybody in New York is constantly walking and talking.

Yeah. You're like, just stop. Settle down. The law and order traffic is real. Literally two detectives. You're a bagel delivery guy. You have time to stop. Always giving up the info.

There's always a guy stacking boxes. He never stops stacking boxes. These are serious detectives. If a detective goes, hey, can I talk to you? We're investigating a murder. I'm not going like this. Oh yeah, the murder. You're talking about that dead woman down the block.

Yeah, yeah. No, I'm going. That's one of the main acting classes, is movement while memorizing. You always gotta be doing some activity. And it killed me when it started. So I came to LA around year 2000 and I didn't have any TV or film credits really

and I just, I came with this comedy show we created in New York called The New Bozena that was this kind of sketch comedy clown, weird show and we brought it and it actually, opened some doors. Where were you doing it? We did it at little theaters around Hollywood. Okay, not far from here.

Were you doing it in New York too? We did it in New York. Yeah, we did it off Broadway in New York. Okay, because we were doing at that time like the surf realities and the collective unconsciouses down in the Lower East Side. Okay. So you guys were more off Broadway doing that.

Yeah, we were at the Cherry Lane and we had done it over some other small theater. So did you know the state guys at all? No, they were a generation before me. Okay, because we were pretty tight with them. We were around the same time. We got the Cherry Lane and we had done it over some other small things. So did you know the state guys at all? Did you know? No, they were a generation before me. Okay, because we were pretty tight with them. We were around the same time. Cool.

So then you came out here with a play, but no real Lincoln. Yeah, and then it just, the play we got, the little troupe signed with Three Arts Management. They made the same arcs. Yeah, that's seriously crazy. Yeah, and then- Eric Edelson and I sold a little thing, signed with Three arts management. Should be the same arcs. Yeah, that's seriously crazy. Yeah, and then- Eric Edelson and I sold a little thing,

signed with three arts manager. Then you got agents. Yep, then we got agents. And yeah, yeah. And then did a bunch of like guest spots and little weird films and pilots and stuff like that. But I was having way more success in LA than I was in New York.

I had the same exact thing. Which is crazy. I had no success in New York. I had the same exact thing. Which is crazy. I had no success in New York. And how were you feeling, like when you were starting to do, were you feeling the build was happening? Yeah. You did, okay. Every year there was a little bit more,

I was making a little bit more money, getting a little bit better rolls, and then it finally peaked when I got on Six Feet Under. Yeah, interesting. And I got, the story, I love the story, which is they kept bringing me in for six feet under and I kept not getting booked, but for tiny roles, like for like five lines here, three lines there,

something like that. And I was like, damn, I really wanna be on the show. It's so great. Peter Krause and Michael C. Hall had also gone to NYU. I knew them. I was like, I just wanna get on this show. And five times I got rejected. And then the last time I was coming in, I saw this role of Arthur, the mortician,

and I read the character description. It was literally sitting on the table. I saw the character breakdown and it said like, a nerdy, odd, mortician who is like Peter Sellers in being there and I was like, oh my God, I could totally play that. So I went to the casting person and again, I was like, hey, can I audition for this role?

And she was like- Oh, you really did that? Yeah, and she was like, oh, let me check. And then she was like, yeah, yeah, come back in an hour and you can audition. And then I booked that. And that is what got me the office and got me a lot. So then the people from the office saw that.

Yeah, Greg Daniels from the office saw me in six feet. And had you known, were you a big fan of the British office before? I was. Yeah, me too. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Must've been nerve wracking to go in for that role too, because on the British office, that role is so,

I mean, it's Gareth in The British Office. Yeah, I was, I mean, obviously The British Office is a total genius and we're forever in debt, of course, but I really was like, there is no one else that can play this role better than me. See, that's the mental, if you get to that stage in this game, that's awesome. So you're like, I know I could do this guy.

Cause you were eating that part. Cause I remember that era when it came. Did you audition for it? I was gonna ask. I don't remember. You did? Then I probably did too. Yeah, I did.

Okay, then I did too. But it was also like, it was a big, well, Hollywood doesn't agree. Hollywood doesn't agree. I at some point considered myself that. But it was a big deal. It was like the office Yes, one where everyone was going in everybody. Well, everybody knew about it Never was going so then if you audition I did too because it was that year

I didn't remember if we were here for it or yeah, I was here I remember there was a real fear because I thought as a gambling man, it's not gonna work. Mm-hmm You can't remake well, they did a lot of those adaptations. They were trying. From UK hits and vice versa. They never worked. Yeah, most of them missed. But I was like, you're hitting this. Caff and Kim, I remember they hit ours. There was a bunch of them. Totally. NBC too. And then once you guys started, and it really was a lot of that with that cast, you were like, oh, this shit's a monster. Oh yeah. So once it started, then you just took off. like, oh, this shit's a monster. Oh yeah.

So once it started, then you just took off. Yeah, I mean, people don't remember, like our first season, we got excoriated in the reviews. We got bad numbers and we really were almost canceled. Kevin Reilly fought for us. Kevin Reilly was the best. And really tried to keep us on the air. And we just got a little, you know,

our first season was six episodes. We did a pilot five episodes. Then we did, um, like we got picked up for like five more for season two and then like one more and then like two more. And it wasn't really like halfway through our second season that we, we were off. And then at that point we were like off like a rock. It was crazy. But you're also doing, you know,

I've been watching you on Instagram and stuff where you're in Antarctica and doing like, you're always making interesting choices. What was the thing when you started, obviously the environments, you know, the environment, but when was the moment that that became, because it seems like it's not only your passion right now, but creatively you're also putting it in front,

like you're really putting what's going on with the environment front and center with your name, with your passion, with what you do, and you're physically going places. What was that turn or was that always building? I mean, there's a couple of different things. I mean, I just feel like, and I felt this kind of awesome responsibility

when I was on the office, like all of a sudden I have a platform, people care what I think and feel. Don't I have a responsibility to somehow try and make the world a better place? Besides just being entertaining and playing goofy characters. And how do I work that? So we started this company, SoulPancake,

that went on for a long time, that was a digital media company, YouTube channel that was making inspiring content. I started working more and more in philanthropy. My wife and I co-founded with some Haitian friends, a girls' education nonprofit in Haiti. And as far as climate, yeah, I mean, I was just like, the only thing I was doing for the climate

was sending out occasional angry tweets. Yeah, totally. And then I was like, you gotta do more than this, Rain. Come on, like, this is, you know, you've gotta put your money where your mouth is. Like, get behind something. And I met this wonderful woman, Dr. Gail Whiteman. She ran this organization called Arctic Base Camp,

and she started it, and she was like, let's go to Greenland, let's film a thing. And we got just a shoestring budget. We shot this little show called An Idiot's Guide to Climate Change. And we've been doing these, I've been working a little bit with Adam McKay and his Yellow Dot Studios

and trying to kind of reach people in the movable middle around climate because too much climate is either yelling at people that will never believe the science or preaching to the choir of people who are already you know who already it's important so how do you make accessible fun funny content that reaches kids in in Nebraska that don't know what to think about climate so you know I just I try to, I try to walk the walk a little bit.

And where's your head creatively as an actor in the state of the game? And what do you like right now? What do you want to do next? I don't know, man. I don't know what I want to do next. I, you know, your time, it is a weird time right now. Everyone says it's kind of like the deadest it's ever been. And also what is it? Yeah. Well remember pilots, I mean we were talking about this the other day.

Pilot season as a thing. Like when the office was auditioning, like you had like 20 auditions from January to March. Big ones. And then I think last year it was like there were three that actors like were at, which is just absurd. There also used to be a life as an actor. Yeah you used to be able to nickel and dime your way through it. Well you could also be a pilot actor. Yeah. You could make your living for ten years just doing pilots every year.

You could make your living doing that as a writer you could make your living you know writing pilots and then getting an overall. Yes. Yeah. And so then the game keeps changing. But now that but also they don't audition as much anymore. Everything is straight off. So they'll have a pilot. They'll look down the top seven characters on the list and they'll be like, let's offer this to him and this to him. And this would also sucks about this, because I always like to try to write

and make stuff. I like the indie feeling stuff. Yeah. Is everybody you would like. It's a straight offer. And I go like, I'm not looking for you, is everybody you would like, it's a straight offer. And I go like, I'm not looking for you to audition for me, like dance for me, but how about a meeting? Let's see if we get along. Let's see if we agree creatively. I'm like, it's like the business wants to do

arranged marriages. I'm like, can't we date? I'm interested in maybe marriage. But I'm also really interested in the old fashioned, like audition, like, and come into a room, don't send in a tape, come into a room and do the audition and work with the director and I'm game to do that.

Well, that old world I do believe is, so the old, did you guys have to test for the office in that old world where you're like, you tested in person, there were all the executives in a room, how'd you guys do your test for that? So the office was different than any other pilot test

I'd ever done, because normally you're exactly right. You waltz in in front of all these executives, some conference rooms, all this pressure, and you gotta try and be funny and be mostly off book. The office, they shot the auditions over a weekend as a kind of a series of callbacks, mixing and matching. Oh, cool. The actors and stuff.

So really chemistry-based. Yeah, and it was, and we filmed it in the documentary style so that the network could see us on the screen. Yeah. That's way better. I mean, anything where you had the chance to actually be a little more natural, because it was so unnatural the other way. Yeah, yeah.

But that, I mean, that is crazy. I know, like you were saying, when you auditioned for New Girl, because you could hear the person before you, and you're just like, oh, this sucks. Oh, I have a great story about that. It wasn't me, but someone I know, they were auditioning, it was between them

and like a big name of a former star, but a little bit past their prime. And it was between the two of them. They go in the waiting room, they bring in the star first to the conference room with all the executives. And he hears laughter and applause and slaps on the back and oh, and hears him reading and all this, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.

And he's like, he gets more and more nervous. He's, oh no, this guy's gonna get the part, oh shit. And then the star guy leaves, you know, I don't know who it was, Scott Baio or whatever, leaves and walks out, and then he goes in and he chokes, and he's nervous and he's self-conscious and he tanks it, and the casting person calls his agent and is like, what the hell?

The reason we were laughing like that is we had to because he had worked here before. No way. And we were like, had to like treat him a certain way and bond with him. He knew the head of the network. We had no intention of casting him. And if you had just, if your client had just walked in

and just read the lines the way he did last time, he would have gotten the job. So that's the worst. If there were auditions, that would be a good story to prep yourself every time. Yeah, but there aren't anymore. You guys are onto something so beautiful with what you're doing here, man.

It was a pleasure to be here. Oh, dude, thank you so much. Thank you for coming. It means a lot to us. Super, super cool. Thanks, bud. All right, thanks. Thanks, bud. All right. Thanks.

Thanks, Ray. We're Here to Help is hosted by Jake Johnson. And Gareth Reynolds. The show is produced and edited by Kevin Bartelt. And the associate producer and editor is AJ McKee. Our social media director is Caitlin Tanwakeo. And our video editor is John De Bruyne. The theme song is made by Oliver Raleigh.

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