A Lot More with Georgie & Mandy’s Will Sasso, Dougie Baldwin, and Jessie Prez

0:00 You make maybe a little more defensive, but No, I'm not.

0:04 Oh.

0:06 [laughter]

0:05 When am I defensive?

0:07 When am I defensive?

0:07 The show is very relatable.

0:09 one bit of evidence of me being [laughter] defensive.

0:10 Very relatable.

0:11 That's very relatable.

0:12 George.

0:13 I'm not I'm not defensive.

0:16 [laughter]

0:16 Do you want to say something?

0:17 I'm I'm I'm going I'm warning you.

0:20 I'm going to launch at you at one point.

0:21 I'm not going to tell you when, but I'm coming at you.

0:24 Just do it after we

0:27 [laughter]

0:25 It's fine.

0:26 Don't worry about it.

0:30 [music]

0:33 Welcome to the Warner Brothers lot.

0:34 I'm Jonathan Buckley, and this is a lot more.

0:37 Georgie and Mandy's first marriage is the number one comedy on television,

0:41 and that's in no small part due to the performances

0:43 of the actors that are joining us today.

0:46 They bring heart and human to their roles.

0:48 We're talking to Dougie Baldwin, Jesse Plemons, and Will Sasso.

0:52 Well, Dougie, Jesse, thank you for joining us here in the pod.

0:55 And I guess congratulations is in order for a season 3.

1:00 Mhm.

1:00 Yeah.

1:01 Thank you.

1:01 That is That is not a surprise, I would say,

1:04 given that you're like the number one comedy on television right now,

1:06 but I'm sure it's pretty exciting to get the news.

1:09 Yeah.

1:09 Is that fair to say?

1:10 Yes, it is.

1:11 Was season 2 particularly fun season of the show so far?

1:15 Uh yes, we're building fun from season 1 to 2.

1:17 [laughter] I mean, for me, it's my first multi-cam,

1:21 so like season 1 was more like confusion

1:24 and not knowing where upstage and downstage is,

1:27 or not knowing what a two-shot was.

1:28 Can you kind of break down for people who are uneducated like myself?

1:34 [laughter] How a multi-cam differs from doing like a single-cam comedy?

1:38 It's interesting cuz it's just basically the earliest forms of television.

1:41 It's a teleplay.

1:42 And the best way to shoot it is four cameras if you can,

1:44 or three as they used to.

1:45 So, you know, it's much different than a a single camera,

1:48 which is essentially a film shoot.

1:50 You start with your however you like, with your wide, your master,

1:53 and then get in there and get everything until you're happy and move out.

1:56 This is sort of the reverse.

1:59 It's It's basically the cameras are there.

2:01 They're picking everything up and they're happy to move

2:04 on when we've got the performances within this, you know,

2:08 incredible sort of format that is so I mean

2:12 it's so fun and traditional in a way that's,

2:14 you know, ever more nostalgic the further we get from the classic sitcoms,

2:19 which is one of the cool things about this show

2:21 and taking place in the '90s and all that stuff.

2:24 like theater, too.

2:25 Like it's That's That's the best part about it,

2:27 especially when you're doing two Like our live tapings are Tuesdays.

2:30 And so that live audience,

2:31 it really does feel like you're just back on stage, which is really fun.

2:35 So you have the live audience there.

2:37 Does that give you the freedom to do multiple

2:39 takes or are you just like kind of a one-and-done?

2:42 Uh it's usually like a couple takes, yeah.

2:44 A couple takes.

2:45 Is the audience forgiving of small fluffs and mistakes?

2:48 They really That Yeah,

2:49 they like it's funny cuz cuz we [clears throat] will beat ourselves up for like,

2:53 "Oh my god." Or like we'll get really upset,

2:55 but the But the audience That's what they're there for.

2:57 Yeah.

2:58 That's what they're there for.

2:59 Like so like you have to I try

3:00 to remember that if I get really annoyed Like it's

3:02 cuz then it can be heavy like especially if

3:04 you screw up a line and then you're like,

3:06 "Oh." And then it's like, "Okay, dude."

3:09 [laughter] Chill out.

3:09 We're all We're all loving this.

3:12 Yeah, you It's funny cuz when you watch like

3:14 other multi-cams from the past and you see those bloopers,

3:17 you get so excited and it's fun to see those.

3:19 But then when you're actually living it, it it doesn't like when I mess up,

3:23 it like messes me up to the point where I'm like, "Damn, man.

3:27 I can't believe I did that.

3:27 I was like on a roll.

3:29 Come on." But then when you look back at it,

3:31 it it was It's nice to have like the audience Like our director,

3:34 Mark, is so fun with like if you mess up, he goes, "Hey, they love that.

3:38 Totally.

3:39 It's fine.

3:39 I feel like as an audience member getting to see behind

3:42 the curtain a little bit and then getting to see you Obviously,

3:44 we know you as your characters, but getting to see how you react,

3:47 you know, off camera and just seeing the process.

3:50 That's what I'm curious about it now is

3:51 just hearing about the process is is fascinating.

3:54 And so it sounds like I don't know,

3:55 it sounds like a blast and I feel like that live audience element,

3:59 you can feed off of that so much.

4:02 And in real time get a sense of oh, this joke's working.

4:06 Is that the case with George and Mandy?

4:09 Sort of.

4:10 I I haven't done a lot of theater,

4:11 but I was doing like live clown physical theater shows.

4:16 Like it was like I'd play a character for like an hour.

4:19 Like it's just like comedy hour,

4:20 but I'd be playing a character that I wrote and that it's

4:24 so different cuz that's so loose and I'm completely in control.

4:26 If I feel like not saying a joke that I've written,

4:29 it doesn't affect anyone but me.

4:30 So it's like but on on this like you definitely feed off the audience.

4:34 You feed off it, but like there's a task

4:36 that we have to we have to deliver this scene.

4:38 So it's like it's funny for me when I'm like I have my live experience,

4:42 but my live experience is me being the producer, director and writer.

4:45 So I can do whatever I want based on what the audience is giving me.

4:49 Can't quite do that here cuz that would be rude and disrespectful.

4:53 [laughter] We rehearse it all week in front of the same, you know,

4:55 producers and everything and then you're suddenly in front

4:57 of an audience and they're seeing it completely fresh.

4:59 They don't know what the goal is.

5:00 So they'll tell you they'll laugh at different things that you didn't know.

5:04 So feeding off that, having experience in that is definitely helpful.

5:07 I'd add into that sometimes they'll even give you an alt line.

5:10 So like if we're doing like more than two takes,

5:14 like the show runners like Steven Molaro Steve Holland

5:16 will come to you and give you an alt line,

5:17 but like they don't want you to say it out loud.

5:19 They want to wait till you call action and then you can

5:22 do the line cuz they want that genuine response from the audience.

5:25 Fresh reaction.

5:27 It's such a great series.

5:28 I've enjoyed watching it so much.

5:29 There's something that's very warm and cozy about the the series.

5:34 What do you think it is that contributes to that so much?

5:37 It just feels like putting on a a soft sock.

5:40 Is that a weird [laughter] Put on a Like do you put on hard socks?

5:45 Have you ever like not used like fabric softener and it gets a little crispy,

5:49 you just like My socks aren't that [snorts] soft.

5:52 like my socks are pretty soft for the most part.

5:54 My socks aren't that soft.

5:55 A lot of the classic sitcoms have been described as putting on one sock.

6:00 Okay.

6:01 [laughter] One sock.

6:02 Yeah, you know those days where you don't even need another sock?

6:04 Right.

6:05 You just put [laughter] on a sock and you're like, "I'm good."

6:07 Wow, that was so good.

6:08 And I don't need anything else at all.

6:11 so great.

6:11 I it felt like one sock.

6:14 [laughter] It makes you makes you arrogant to the rest

6:15 of the day's activities cuz you're like,

6:16 "I don't need anything else from anyone." Right.

6:18 You have to understand what that was like for me.

6:21 [laughter]

6:21 And then and then people are like,

6:22 "What's with the one sock?" And then they're like, "Do you enjoy science socks?"

6:27 [laughter] Watch them.

6:28 Yeah, you wouldn't understand.

6:29 wouldn't know.

6:29 I think with our show, too,

6:30 it's just like it's just a family show and I think it's very relatable, too.

6:34 And like, I mean, for me, for my experience growing up,

6:37 like, when I would watch a lot of multi-cams,

6:39 that's how I thought I felt cozy because it's

6:41 like I related to like art the sitcom dad.

6:44 Yeah.

6:45 You know, and I think what's really fun about

6:46 Georgie and Mandy is like we have our sitcom

6:49 American dad in Jim with Will Sasso and like

6:52 you can totally see fans and younger fans being like,

6:55 "Man, Jim's a great dad.

6:57 I I wish you know, like for me, I didn't really have a father growing up.

7:00 So, watching multi-cams and seeing those dads,

7:04 it made me feel safe and comforting.

7:06 So, I can definitely see how fans can probably feel

7:10 and relate to that in watching Jim and you know,

7:13 I mean, we got an American sitcom dad with He's angry.

7:17 He doesn't like his family.

7:18 He drinks beer.

7:18 He drinks beer.

7:19 He's got one sock.

7:21 Yeah, yeah.

7:22 I I feel like, you know,

7:23 what what Chuck Lorre and of course by extension Steve

7:27 Holland and Steve Molaro and our producers and writers who

7:30 are second to none are one of the things that they're

7:34 really great at is creating an environment where you know,

7:38 you you you do settle in right away and just go like, you know,

7:42 the beginnings and middles and of these scenes

7:44 where there's just kind of stuff happening.

7:47 That you know, the settings that we find ourselves in, which are just kitchen,

7:51 living room, bedroom.

7:52 You know what I mean?

7:53 And it is sort of that cozy, one sock kind of thing.

7:57 Truly, you know, when you put on a sitcom and you now nowadays,

8:02 you can just throw it on, stream it, and binge it.

8:05 Yep.

8:05 And you like watch seven episodes of Frasier.

8:08 You might have been asleep for two and a half or three of them in the middle.

8:11 That's the best kind of Yeah.

8:13 It really is.

8:14 It really is.

8:15 Really is.

8:15 You can follow the story right there.

8:17 We feel like we have that as far

8:18 as the relatability and that it's a a family show.

8:22 And then the characters are popping out

8:24 into all sorts of absolutely bananas things,

8:28 which which is Yeah, that's the good stuff.

8:30 And a lot of heart in this series as well.

8:32 You don't shy away from, you know, real familial issues where, you know,

8:36 a lot of episodes I'll watch and be like, "Oh, yeah,

8:38 I've been there before." You know, we we all get it.

8:41 Like we It's fun to see those conflicts portrayed in on television.

8:45 So you go, "Oh, oh, I'm normal.

8:47 Okay, this is this is very normal.

8:49 It's nice to see it reflected back." That's so true.

8:52 Yeah, even some of the like pettier stuff

8:54 between Georgie and Mandy or like the competitiveness

8:57 or like Sometimes I'll be in rehearsal and I'll

8:59 be watching that and I'll be like, "Whatever.

9:00 I had an argument with my girlfriend that morning." And I'm like I'm like,

9:03 "Oh, yeah, that's right.

9:04 We're all human and we're all defensive sometimes and all

9:07 insecure and like but you speak out of turn Yeah.

9:10 But there's still love but that doesn't

9:12 mean there's any less love there, you know?

9:13 Like we're all freaking imperfect.

9:17 A little more defensive, but No, I'm not.

9:20 Well, [laughter]

9:21 When am I defensive?

9:22 When am I defensive?

9:23 The show is very relatable.

9:24 Give me one bit of evidence of me being [laughter] Very relatable.

9:26 That's very relatable.

9:28 I'm never I'm not defensive.

9:32 [laughter]

9:32 Do you want to say anything?

9:33 I'm I'm I'm going to I'm going to I'm going to I'm going to launch it one point.

9:37 I'm not going to tell you when, but I'm coming at you.

9:38 I don't care.

9:39 I don't [laughter] It's fine.

9:41 Don't worry about it.

9:42 you know Doug is a great actor.

9:43 He's the complete opposite of of Connor and you know Yeah,

9:46 Connor is sweet and you know, I don't I don't I don't I don't I

9:49 don't mind playing that, but in my real life, yeah.

9:51 I'll I'll I'll I'll I'll come at you.

9:52 I'll come at you.

9:52 I'll come at you.

9:52 I might come at you.

9:53 Connor is being a really fun character this season.

9:58 [laughter] Cuz I I can't figure out when was it

9:59 decided that you eat in the corner of the kitchen?

10:02 That was very early on.

10:03 That was just very early on.

10:05 I think it was just a nice I think I don't know.

10:07 I think they just really like the image of it.

10:09 It's like it took a while to dawn on me, but like after like I you know,

10:14 halfway through the second season, I'm like Wait,

10:16 he's still eating in the corner of the kitchen.

10:18 Is he not welcome at the table?

10:20 Does he prefer to eat standing up?

10:22 Does it help you digest?

10:23 been the biggest puzzle for me as an actor to try

10:26 and and you see this at rehearsal every day in the kitchen

10:29 where I have these jokes that I have to throw across

10:31 the kitchen and let me it's either to complete silence or big laugh.

10:36 More often than not to get to the big laugh,

10:38 it's a lot of silence of me throwing something across the room.

10:41 But what I'm learning is like and it's all this math Connor math

10:44 in my head that I have to do where I'm like he loves his family.

10:48 He loves we speak about like his he's happiest when he's just

10:50 with mommy and daddy and like my his he's happiest when it's just him,

10:53 Jim and Audrey he can chill like

10:57 [laughter] He loves his family.

10:57 He loves his family.

11:00 But also he doesn't he doesn't understand all the drama.

11:03 He's so unaffected by the everyday drama that they go through.

11:07 So he doesn't want to get wrapped up in it.

11:09 So he wants to be there, but on his own terms.

11:12 And that's in my head when I'm waiting for these jokes.

11:15 I'm having to sit there in my head and be like I'm listening.

11:17 I'm present.

11:18 I'm listening and that's why I'm responding with this now.

11:20 I'm not zoning out cuz if I zone out

11:22 and then come in with a joke, it's not funny.

11:25 But he is listening and he is paying attention, but he's just unaffected.

11:29 Yes.

11:29 So I think they they just had an instinct that they were like,

11:32 "You're not with them.

11:34 You're here, but you're in your own island." In your own world.

11:37 And your bedroom as well is a is another little island

11:40 that is there's a lot going on in that bedroom of yours.

11:42 when that bedroom sits there.

11:43 Everyone does cuz there's so many toys in there.

11:45 Yeah, I play the drums.

11:46 [laughter] I can go over there and play the drums a bit.

11:47 There's a saxophone, there's a bass.

11:49 It's been really fun.

11:50 I think your character has really sort of really come into its own this season,

11:54 especially with your breakup which was,

11:56 you know, a big beat and some good emotional stuff

11:59 in there and you guys had some great scenes together throughout that.

12:02 But particularly the axolotl song.

12:08 [laughter] I I am actually no joke, I genuinely thought it was quite catchy.

12:13 Yeah.

12:13 I'm listening to it and I'm like, "Wait, you got you got to release this." Yeah.

12:18 [laughter] Yeah.

12:18 Well, I I reckon we'll have an album by the end

12:21 of we go for a couple more years and I would hope so.

12:26 Is it is it is it sort of like digi synth?

12:29 How what How would you describe Connor's musical style?

12:32 Oh my god, he he he makes music from anything and everything.

12:35 He finds noises and everything.

12:37 Um digi synth is a good description.

12:40 [laughter] I don't know.

12:40 It's like sort it's almost futuristic, but almost old as well.

12:44 I wouldn't know.

12:45 I'm musically uh illiterate,

12:47 so I will say that the guy who writes the music is amazing.

12:51 sure.

12:51 I was going to ask if you had a hand in it cuz

12:52 you look like you might have a few a musical bone in your body.

12:55 Like you might actually be good at this stuff.

12:57 Thank you.

12:57 I'm I'm a good I'm a good actor.

12:59 I'll say that, but I am not musically I can All the piano stuff I'm doing,

13:03 that's me sitting at home like getting just the finger placement.

13:07 Learning.

13:08 Right.

13:08 Right.

13:08 It's really just Matt Marlaro just doing his thing.

13:10 Yeah.

13:11 Yeah.

13:11 Matt Marlaro who does all the writes all the music and he'll write it like that.

13:14 He's a he's a music genius.

13:16 He can come with anything.

13:17 He He can just hear it and just play it with any instrument, too.

13:21 Well, I'd really appreciate it if you could go

13:22 to him and just get that released on Spotify

13:24 so I can add it to a playlist and have it just come on randomly in my car.

13:27 I think it would just give me a lot of joy.

13:29 That's just a selfish request.

13:31 Yeah, I think they probably have to.

13:33 Cuz I'm like, why wouldn't they?

13:34 Cuz there's so much

13:35 good song.

13:37 Yeah.

13:38 the pump up music, the uh and there's there'll be more, I'm sure.

13:42 Yeah.

13:42 All right.

13:42 We'll look into it.

13:43 I love you, man.

13:44 Jesse, as Ruben, another character that's really, you know,

13:48 obviously these characters are growing throughout the season,

13:50 but you've really come into your own as well this season.

13:52 You've sort of taken over the taken over the tire shop and everything.

13:57 You mentioned earlier this was your first like, you know,

13:59 series regular role and that sort of being brought into it,

14:03 but then being folded in more again.

14:04 Is it a good feeling?

14:06 It's a great feeling.

14:07 I mean, you know, coming into season 1 you were obviously

14:10 I was like a new character into the Big Bang universe

14:13 and so it was something that I had to like kind

14:16 of discover on my own and figure out who Ruben is.

14:19 Obviously with the help of Steven Molaro

14:21 and Steve Holland and Chuck Lorre and whatnot,

14:23 but what was really fun and made it easy was just working with Montana.

14:29 I think him and I like really bounce off of each other really well.

14:33 Um because even like off camera, I mean,

14:35 we'll we'll talk we'll talk a little[ __] and have fun and bounce off of each

14:40 other and so I I think that kind of does really well in front of the camera.

14:43 So um but yeah, it's been great and then now

14:46 going into season 2 and being co-owners of a tire

14:50 shop has been really fun and testing Ruben's limits

14:54 and trying to trust Georgie and that's been challenging and then,

14:59 you know, obviously there was that episode with uh him

15:03 with Fagenbaucher getting into Ruben's head and Fagenbaucher is like [laughter]

15:09 I mean, I I I think Matt Letscher is just a brilliant actor.

15:13 I can talk to him about acting every day,

15:15 all day and I think what he's done with Fagenbaucher has just been brilliant.

15:18 Yeah, it's excellent.

15:19 Um the show has so much heart, but I with Fagenbaucher,

15:21 in my opinion, it's like yes, technically he is the villain,

15:25 but he has so much heart and there's so there's

15:27 so much inside that character that you really want to unfold.

15:30 to know.

15:31 You're curious about him.

15:32 my He's one of my favorite characters on the show.

15:34 Um that's been fun to play and the three of us have been having so much fun.

15:40 Uh but with Fagenbaucher getting into Ruben's head has been uh a really That was

15:44 a like one of my favorite episodes when

15:45 you got to see Ruben's world a little bit.

15:48 Yeah.

15:48 And you know, I I I took that with me because I got to see Ruben.

15:52 This was the first time for me where I was like oh my god,

15:55 they're expanding Ruben.

15:57 Yeah.

15:57 Ruben is now officially like a part of this universe.

16:01 Yeah, you're at the dinner table with the family.

16:03 with the family.

16:04 You got to see abuela.

16:06 Yeah.

16:06 Got to see [laughter] the house and [clears throat] and and oh,

16:09 her name's Lydia and she's amazing.

16:12 She's amazing.

16:12 But yeah, it's been it's been fun.

16:14 It's challenging at times, but I love that challenge and just growing

16:18 into this into this world has been outstanding.

16:21 I'm hoping for season 3 we get to see even more.

16:23 I'm hoping your abuela is still

16:25 there because that's some genuine laugh-out-loud.

16:27 That deciding just I mean, you're almost guaranteed a laugh if she's just

16:32 in the corner and you have to refer to her.

16:34 Oh, that's been that's when I first read that, I died laughing.

16:38 Yeah, with the thumbs up and thumbs down.

16:40 I mean, come on.

16:41 You can't It's it's so simple, but it's say a word and it was laugh-out-loud.

16:46 Yeah.

16:46 Okay, I'm glad to hear it's been a positive experience.

16:48 It's been fun to see uh you know

16:50 you you're the relationship between you and Georgie, too.

16:52 Yeah, I agree.

16:53 Go from being kind of like enemies and From enemies.

16:56 Yeah, enemies and now you know, partners,

16:58 but now there's been some some warm moments.

16:59 There's been some hugging.

17:01 Yeah.

17:01 Some hugging going on as well.

17:03 Yeah, you're starting to see Ruben slightly trust him just a little bit.

17:08 Uh like just being like just having a little bit more respect for Georgie.

17:13 And at first, obviously,

17:15 you saw like they were enemies at the beginning of season

17:18 1 and then they became these friend-of-me's just kind of like,

17:20 you know, uh bumping elbows and whatnot.

17:23 But now you're starting to see this this bond which is a lot of fun.

17:26 Like you'll see a lot of moments where

17:29 Ruben is just giving really good friend advice

17:32 and wanting to be there and celebrate

17:34 his birthday and recommending like Yeah, it really is.

17:38 It It's our first marriage.

17:40 Yeah.

17:40 And I think that's really fun about like

17:42 our relationship is that you're seeing Georgie grow

17:45 into his own but having a friend by his side

17:48 and giving him honest advice too and being like,

17:51 "Yo, this is a terrible decision or I'm I'm on your side here,

17:55 you know?" But yeah, I'm loving the relationship.

17:58 I love where it's going right now.

17:59 So it's And And I I can't wait for season 3.

18:01 Obviously, you know, we don't know what's going to happen yet,

18:03 but I can't wait to see just I don't think they know what's going to happen.

18:06 [laughter] I'm just excited to see what that friendship where it goes.

18:09 Where it goes, yeah.

18:10 And now you've got Jim back in the fold as well.

18:12 Like we Which has been super fun.

18:14 back to work at the at the at the tire dealership.

18:17 You're in charge of the shop now.

18:18 You're retired.

18:19 You're back home getting kind of under everybody's feet.

18:22 It's something that I think a lot of men I don't want

18:25 to say struggle with but have to sort of tend with when they retire.

18:29 What do you think about Jim's Jim's arc this season?

18:32 It's fun.

18:33 I was very curious to see what they were going to do with retired Jim.

18:36 And even him going back to help at the shop,

18:40 you know, a day or so a week or however much money, right?

18:43 Well, you For no money.

18:44 [laughter] Well, he truly There's an episode where we where we realize

18:48 how bored and stir-crazy Jim is and he he's driving Audrey crazy.

18:53 And so, you know, she wants to get him out of the house and you know,

18:57 him going to the shop is is a good respite for him

19:01 and something to kind of mix it up in the day,

19:03 but it's also because he doesn't doesn't want any money.

19:06 He just wants to get out there.

19:08 He also like We've had a few instances of this which was has made me laugh.

19:12 He'll just leave whenever he feels like it.

19:14 Yeah, that's [laughter] so funny.

19:15 Up and gone.

19:16 Yeah.

19:16 which which is just a a good sort of space for comedy.

19:19 [laughter] The sort of the sum of all these parts is that Jim,

19:23 I've noticed, has been caring less and less.

19:26 Yeah.

19:27 Which I think is the sweet spot to be in.

19:29 A careless Jim who wants to care about

19:32 even less than he does care about currently.

19:34 That's always my motivation.

19:36 That [laughter] Jim does not care and would

19:39 like to care much less than he cares.

19:41 And that's what he cares about.

19:42 That's been showing in the performance.

19:43 I've watching you now, hold on.

19:47 [laughter] He hasn't been caring.

19:48 Oh, now that's now your lack of elaboration.

19:51 Yeah, I noticed [laughter] that in like you the fact

19:52 that you barely just you know you don't care either actually.

19:55 No, but like you were you were you were

19:57 throwing stuff away the other day in the scene.

19:58 I was watching and I was like, "Oh,

19:59 you're getting comfortable too." And like And it's it was cracking me

20:05 and Rach me and Rachel were watching and we were like cracking up.

20:07 And you were do it was the you were doing something with a tire

20:09 as well where you were like looking for the bubbles or something?

20:12 Did you know how to do that as well?

20:14 Cuz you even look like you knew I was like,

20:16 "Oh, he knows what he's doing there." I mean I no.

20:19 Oh, okay.

20:20 I was just kind of like, you know,

20:22 like 40 years ago with my old man or something.

20:25 I remember watching him do it.

20:27 But no, I didn't YouTube it.

20:29 That's the method of it, isn't it?

20:30 I have to bring a careless approach to my work and care less.

20:34 I think it all comes back to the dynamic of the family.

20:37 And in this medium of of multi-cam of course,

20:41 it's not like bang bang bang bang line joke joke line.

20:44 It you know, in the way that that this show is written,

20:47 it's so masterfully written.

20:49 So, it it's it's nice to I'm joking,

20:52 but it is nice to see that you're on the same page as these writers,

20:58 you know, who do such an amazing job of making it conversational.

21:02 When a 21-minute sitcom is it's a lot of things.

21:07 You know, there's heart, there's familiarity,

21:10 there's character and and their arcs and stuff.

21:12 That's a family.

21:14 You know, a guy just says his line into his food

21:17 as he's at dinner and doesn't you know, like whatever.

21:20 It's something that this man has said 10,000 times before.

21:23 Chuck Lorre shows are just always just grounded and it just feels so real

21:27 and just so relatable and But stepping into this like I'll call it a universe,

21:32 right, from Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon,

21:34 uh you you've walked into such a a loyal fan base already.

21:40 Like, what was that like?

21:41 The idea to do Young Sheldon after Big Bang

21:44 Theory was such a it was such a smart move.

21:48 It was such a a great a great way to do

21:53 that show but um doubly smart in my opinion to make

21:56 it a single cam and really delve into this character

21:59 and that really gave um big fans of of Big Bang,

22:04 you know, a way to jump in and go, you know, what makes Sheldon Cooper?

22:09 What what made him?

22:10 Then you got the this you know,

22:12 completely [snorts] contrasting family around him that you'd only sort of heard

22:16 Sheldon talk about and to do this show sort of reverse,

22:20 go like go from a single cam to a multi-cam is a wonderful

22:24 way to do it but to have an audience come with us.

22:28 It was an at the very beginning actually we I

22:29 remember talking to the Staves about like everyone in Big Bang,

22:33 every character in that show was like over like zany, over the top.

22:37 They're all like Young Sheldon became so grounded and then this is sort

22:42 of a blend of both of them in a way where it's like we still

22:46 want to keep it grounded but it's it's still a sitcom so we need

22:50 things to be we need things to skate over the top of dialogue sometimes.

22:53 Like if you have an emotional line to say,

22:57 don't play the emotion too hard like cuz then it becomes boom.

23:00 So we have to sort of like that's the most interesting thing about it

23:03 for me is that sort of like they're fusing these two things now, which is cool.

23:07 Yeah.

23:08 I don't know if you've noticed online at the moment through social media,

23:11 but there's a there's a there's a big trend going

23:13 around where people are looking back and to the '90s.

23:17 Oh, yeah.

23:17 Hey Dad, what were you like in the '90s?

23:19 You know, what were you like in the '90s?

23:20 I don't know if you've seen these.

23:21 It's It's AI data farming.

23:24 [laughter] Whatever.

23:25 Can I just say, Will, you're hilarious and for some of the younger generation,

23:29 they might know like your your history when it comes to to comedy as well.

23:35 I was watching some of your your stuff earlier on, some of your impressions,

23:38 and boy oh boy, I was like I mean, just laugh-out-loud funny type stuff.

23:43 So, you've been can tell that this is

23:45 who you are just just from this conversation.

23:47 It's just Is he like this on set?

23:49 Is it Is it constantly a He's actually very serious.

23:52 He doesn't joke around at all.

23:53 He is in a black turtleneck and smokes

23:56 chain smokes cigars and reads poetry really quietly.

24:01 It's really annoying.

24:02 You can't understand him, and he sort of I don't know, he likes Shakespeare.

24:05 He's a Shakespeare guy, you know?

24:06 you.

24:06 So, he just turns it on for the camera.

24:09 an utter persona.

24:10 So, what do you want to see?

24:10 Yeah, this is all [laughter] This is all a character.

24:12 This is not real.

24:13 What do you want to see?

24:13 The real him is hidden so that they can't get to him.

24:17 Will's a good time.

24:18 Will's a good time.

24:19 Will's a good time.

24:20 He's a good time.

24:21 Is there a I grew I grew up watching this man.

24:23 So, like he knows how I feel about him.

24:25 Like I love I love everything about this dude.

24:28 Yeah, he's just You learn a lot from him.

24:30 Even with just talking to him, yeah.

24:31 Just be working alongside him,

24:33 are you are you getting are you picking up Oh, yeah.

24:35 I learn I learn so much from Will, Rachel, Emily, nothing from Doug.

24:41 Montana, nothing from Doug.

24:43 Not listening, then.

24:43 That's the thing, cuz there's plenty to learn if you're listening.

24:46 [laughter] Since we've been on this podcast,

24:48 he's been giving us a master class of acting.

24:50 That's [laughter] crazy.

24:51 Subtly, too.

24:52 If you rewind and watch,

24:53 I've been I've been giving them little notes every now and Yeah, yeah, yeah.

24:56 Okay.

24:56 If they're paying attention, they'll hear it.

24:57 That's right.

24:58 But if they're not, that's their fault.

24:59 Anyway, keep talking about whatever [laughter] you like.

25:01 but talking about But learn- learning from them has been outstanding.

25:05 I mean, cuz they've all been doing it for so long.

25:07 And so, like, when you see them Thanks, [laughter] man.

25:11 Yeah, he's Doug is a master class of actors.

25:14 This guy I learned I learned a lot from this man.

25:16 Ah, stop it.

25:17 Stop that now.

25:18 There we are.

25:19 [laughter] That's what we wanted.

25:20 Are you still doing your impressions?

25:21 Do you do them on set or do you do them for the

25:23 Yeah, like Well, yeah, I have no, like, uh reason to do them ever.

25:26 If ever I'm like doing, you know, like doing a panel saying or a podcast.

25:30 No, that's what I'm saying.

25:31 I I just I annoy everyone in my life No.

25:34 with I'm pretty sure they all love it.

25:36 Your family must love it.

25:37 Uh my wife is she's heard uh whatever.

25:41 You know what I mean?

25:42 She's heard all Molly must love it.

25:43 All the time.

25:44 Well, I'll [laughter] bring home a new one.

25:47 One thing I like doing is when we we'll come home at night,

25:50 if we're getting up the steps of the house,

25:51 I and then just out loud, if it's late at night, "I'm Ray Romano!

25:55 I'm Ray Romano!" I cuz I want people in the neighborhood to go, "Oh,

25:58 Ray Romano lives uh Did you know Ray Romano lives next I'm Ray Romano!

26:03 The more useless the better.

26:06 Last night, Matt Letscher was talking about uh the episode of Family

26:09 Ties where Tom Hanks slaps Alex cuz he's the drunk uncle.

26:14 And we're just we're everyone's just It's a mellow time.

26:16 The makeup and hair room is not that big.

26:19 Certainly, uh you know, you shouldn't be screaming in it.

26:22 BUT I IMMEDIATELY "I'M SORRY, ALEX!" YEAH.

26:26 You know.

26:26 Uh so, annoying[ __] like that.

26:28 And I don't do a Tom Hanks.

26:30 Tom Hanks one was great.

26:31 Well, thank you.

26:32 Thank you.

26:33 Tom Hanks, can you do turn Tom Hanks from Captain Phillips?

26:36 I just watched that the other night.

26:37 What movie was that?

26:37 The one where he's He's on the ship.

26:39 That's the I'm the cap- I'm the captain now I'm the captain now one.

26:41 Do you know Have you seen Oh, that's called CAPTAIN YEAH.

26:44 "I'M CAPTAIN PHILLIPS!" NO.

26:48 [laughter]

26:48 DOES HE DO THAT IN REAL THAT'S MY I can't do conversational Tom Hanks.

26:51 Oh, really?

26:52 Yeah, I'll work on it by the end

26:53 of this By the end of the podcast we'll have it.

26:55 Okay.

26:56 I know the one you're talking about.

26:57 Look at me.

26:58 I'm the captain now.

26:58 Look at me.

26:59 Sure.

26:59 Look at me.

27:00 He's so good in that movie.

27:01 Yeah.

27:01 Oh god.

27:02 WHO IS THAT?

27:03 HEY.

27:04 ALL RIGHT.

27:05 WELL, I MENTIONED YOUR LOYAL FAN BASE and we actually jumped on our one

27:08 of our other television Instagram last night and just put it out there.

27:11 We said we were going to be chatting

27:12 with you today to see if anybody had any questions.

27:15 So, this one's for Ruben from Nicholas Linthicum.

27:19 Linthicum.

27:20 I'm going to have to be careful with these names.

27:22 Didn't read them before we went on with the filming?

27:24 No.

27:25 [laughter] Let's just Let's just say Nicholas.

27:26 Let's just say Nicholas.

27:27 Nicholas Linthicum.

27:28 Is Is Ruben in it for the long haul supporting the tire business?

27:33 Yes or no?

27:33 Is he in it for the long haul?

27:35 Yeah.

27:35 It's a good question.

27:36 I I mean, I don't know.

27:37 I mean, that's up to the writers, right?

27:39 But I would like to say yeah.

27:40 I think I think Ruben is I think Ruben and Georgia are building a bond for sure.

27:45 So, I think yeah, I think he's There was a question this season.

27:48 Are you almost walked away?

27:49 So, Yeah, yeah.

27:50 I almost did.

27:51 Almost did, but then I I made the decision to stay and you know,

27:56 you can see Ruben still like having that having

27:59 that mindset of like did I make the right decision?

28:02 You know, but yeah, he's I I I I think so.

28:04 I think he's I think he's going to be a part of the Dr.

28:07 Tire franchise.

28:08 All right.

28:09 So, GG sent 25 says how long does it take to rehearse for one episode?

28:14 Wednesday to Friday we rehearse.

28:16 Yeah.

28:16 Yeah, and then Monday Monday pre-tape anything that's annoying and to do

28:20 in front of an audience and then Tuesday's the live show taping.

28:23 How many hours would that be?

28:24 How many run-throughs of the show do you reckon you would do each day?

28:27 Thursdays it'll be about 9:30 till about 1:30

28:31 and then we present the episode at 2:00 p.m.

28:33 And then the next Friday we'll like 9:30 till

28:36 like 12:30 and then we present the episode at 1:00.

28:39 It moves quite quickly to be honest.

28:41 So, we'll we'll we'll run each scene Like two times maybe Two, three times.

28:45 If it's a particularly tricky conversation in the scene, then it's like Yeah.

28:49 four times but it moves it moves pretty quick.

28:52 As an aside, I feel like that might

28:53 be a nice shooting schedule compared to other more nice.

28:56 You get the weekends off.

28:58 It's cozy.

28:58 It's It's It's the We have one sock on by Saturday, man.

29:01 Yeah.

29:01 Yeah.

29:02 No socks on Saturday.

29:03 No socks on [laughter] Put Leave that in if you want, but All right.

29:06 Uh Brooke Feet out.

29:08 Estesiac says, "As the show goes on, do you think Cece could

29:12 grow into a bigger character?" She's going to grow as a human being.

29:16 She definitely [laughter] will grow.

29:18 Yeah.

29:18 Write that down.

29:20 She'll age like a human being as we as we

29:22 It would be funny if if every time Cece went to talk,

29:25 sort of like a Lisa Simpson thing, someone else cut her [laughter] off.

29:29 We just never And in success, she's like, you know,

29:33 a 10-year-old who's like, "Yeah." And it's like, "Well, I'll tell you,

29:36 you know," you just cut Just keep cutting her off

29:38 so we never never have a chance to talk to her.

29:40 Cece grow up.

29:41 I mean, you see her in all Yeah.

29:43 It'd be fun working with kids, too.

29:45 Yeah, like I imagine it.

29:46 never I never get to interact with the baby.

29:49 No, but it there will there has to be

29:51 sometime in the future where Reuben has to babysit.

29:54 Babysit Reuben.

29:55 For sure.

29:55 Yeah, even if it's at the tire shop.

29:56 Yes.

29:57 We've dreamed of us babysitting together.

29:59 Oh, that'd be fun.

29:59 Connor and Reuben doing this.

30:01 Just comedy of errors.

30:06 [laughter] Get him to vocalize one of your new tracks.

30:09 Ashley Soff says, "Does anyone from the cast

30:11 have any acting advice?" Acting advice?

30:15 Mhm.

30:15 Come on, dude.

30:16 You went to clown school.

30:17 You know what's up.

30:17 Acting advice.

30:19 Went to clown school.

30:20 You know I did go to clown school.

30:21 I did go to clown school.

30:23 When you're taking classes, I would say respect your teacher,

30:25 but they're not a god.

30:27 Mhm.

30:27 Listen Remember that you have an instinct,

30:30 and that's also just as important as taking on notes from a teacher.

30:34 A lot of acting students like to go to school and look up

30:37 to their teachers like they're like in an old at an old for Yeah.

30:40 It's like they're you can respect your teachers,

30:42 but also respect the thing that made you go into that class.

30:45 That's actually really good advice.

30:46 It's It's important to follow your your own voice because especially when it

30:52 comes to or one of the ways that that sort of manifests is auditioning.

30:58 Cuz I think a lot of actors go,

31:00 "What are they looking for?" as opposed to forget it.

31:03 They don't know what they're looking for.

31:04 They have no idea.

31:06 Do whatever you want because that's what connects you to the love

31:10 of of this art form that you fell in love with, otherwise you wouldn't,

31:14 you know, flip your life upside down to do whatever your passion is in life.

31:19 And it's also the way that you're going to find success because yeah.

31:23 A lot of actors in my opinion like

31:26 when they're auditioning and whatnot or if it's slow, their mindset's like, man,

31:30 like is it is it ever going to work out for me or am

31:34 I ever going to when am I going to get that show or that job?

31:38 And like I always tell like I always tell a lot of actors I go,

31:40 "Are you auditioning?" They're like,

31:41 "Yeah." I'm like, "Then you're a working actor." Yeah.

31:43 If you're auditioning, you're a working actor.

31:45 And I I think once you start having that mindset,

31:48 that kind of changes everything.

31:49 And like that's what I would do.

31:51 I would just write all my auditions down throughout the year.

31:54 And I at the end of the year I would look at how many callbacks I got,

31:58 how many auditions I had, and it made me feel like I'm a working actor.

32:01 I may not have booked the job, but I'm getting the calls.

32:05 Yeah, you're getting it done.

32:05 And Amy Poehler said, "Treat your job like a like a boyfriend that's not

32:10 calling [clears throat] you back." Like [laughter] that's that's this industry.

32:13 The industry wants you when they want you and when they don't want you,

32:15 they don't want you.

32:16 So that's the industry.

32:18 Your life is your life.

32:20 But then Yeah.

32:21 But also like if you play hard to get with that a whole boyfriend,

32:24 they kind of want you as well.

32:26 So just do your own thing.

32:28 I get the sense and this might be a very obvious statement

32:30 that the three of you are still very passionate about what you do Yeah.

32:33 For a living.

32:34 It's the best the best bit is rehearsing the scenes and doing

32:36 I don't really watch I watch the show now and then.

32:39 My favorite part of this whole experience is going to set

32:42 with these guys and looking at them in the scene and working it out.

32:44 That's the best part of the job.

32:45 Yeah.

32:46 Couple more questions.

32:47 Alash Reba says when is George senior coming back?

32:51 George senior Mhm.

32:52 Uh will be back again this year in season 1.

32:56 He appeared to Georgie in a dream.

32:59 And in season 2 uh what's happening

33:03 in Georgie's head gets even weirder in my opinion.

33:07 It's so awesome having Lance Barber come back into see Look,

33:12 to see Zoe and Lance and you know,

33:16 Reagan and you know Annie Craig Annie Craig everybody on any sort of you know,

33:22 Young Sheldon set particularly to see Zoe and Lance

33:26 in the Cooper kitchen in the Cooper dining room yeah Yeah.

33:28 is really a treat.

33:30 People who are are fans of Sheldon or just fans of Lance are going to dig Yeah.

33:33 what happens in He's a funny thing.

33:35 This is just a cool dude.

33:38 When he when he's around it's like dude, I want to be your friend so bad.

33:41 All right, last one of these ones from Sandy Agusti 2010.

33:43 Do you think Georgie and Mandy are quote end

33:47 game or are we headed toward a breakup soon?

33:51 I mean, we don't know, right?

33:52 I mean, it's the first marriage but that doesn't mean sound ominous.

33:56 with them.

33:56 Like yeah, we don't know.

33:58 I don't know.

33:58 I think they're end game but I think it's going to be a a bumpy ride.

34:02 it's end game.

34:03 I think it's end game.

34:04 With season 3 now confirmed, just quickly for each of you,

34:08 what do you hope to see for your characters moving forward?

34:12 I would love to see more of Roman's world.

34:16 You know, throughout the season you kept

34:19 teasing his ex-girlfriend a couple of his ex-girlfriends.

34:23 So I would love to maybe see some storylines with that and yeah,

34:26 I think for me it's just more getting into more

34:28 of his world and seeing how he lives and moves.

34:33 That's what I'm looking forward to.

34:34 Okay.

34:34 I want to see Connor in every context.

34:36 I want to see him have a awful gig somewhere.

34:39 I want to see him at a job interview.

34:40 I want to see him make a lot of mistakes.

34:42 Him trying to get his life together.

34:44 That's I Yeah, I'm I'm dreaming around that that sort of stuff.

34:47 Yeah.

34:48 And for Jim?

34:49 Um bushier mustache.

34:51 Yep.

34:54 [laughter]

34:53 Um I would like Jim to start like maybe growing I'm bald, but like the skullet.

34:59 What the Skullet?

35:00 What?

35:01 Wait.

35:01 Hold on a second.

35:02 How have I not heard of a skullet before?

35:04 I've been mullet mullet aficionado for years.

35:06 I Well, look.

35:07 I I I Me personally,

35:08 I'll I'll It's like I want that life where you know, you're on some, you know,

35:12 Mediterranean island and you just completely let your gray skullet

35:18 grow and then just like the chains and the chest hair.

35:20 That's That's where I ultimately see myself and Jim.

35:25 And uh whether it comes from something

35:28 that was mentioned in Big Bang, although you know,

35:32 there they I don't know how much of what's

35:36 been mentioned on Big Bang is is already sort

35:39 of in in the show um because it would all be

35:43 coming obviously from dialogue from Sheldon

35:46 specifically talking about what he sees.

35:49 So, if that has extended to what he's said

35:52 about uh his brother and what Georgie's, you know,

35:58 ride was to become the big tire magnate that he is,

36:02 you can fold it into the show.

36:03 But for me, I would really like to see

36:05 for Jim and for the entire cast and certainly, you know,

36:08 Chuck and and the crew are the best at this to fold

36:12 characters into the show that are from the family, that are from the past,

36:16 that you feel like you you already know and that you want to see more of.

36:21 You know, Fred Faganbakker is a character like that.

36:23 Yeah.

36:23 Where where you put him in and you go, "Oh, I know this dude.

36:28 Like this is what shaped the guy that you know,

36:32 that that Georgie becomes." I actually I would actually would

36:37 like Ruben to have a bushy mustache for season 3.

36:40 Okay.

36:41 I understand that.

36:41 No, no, no.

36:42 I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,

36:42 but now I and I think Ruben being in a band

36:47 would be really cool like being on tour and stuff.

36:49 [laughter] Hey, man.

36:51 That'd be super fun and I think I think Ruben

36:52 retiring and kind of figuring things out and navigating and [laughter] you know.

36:59 Yeah, I'm looking forward to Ruben um giving birth

37:02 to a daughter named Cece and having a spin-off series Yeah,

37:06 really excited about it.

37:07 That's why I I I I would hope in season 3 bushy

37:10 mustache uh touring with my band uh and living with Craig T.

37:14 Nelson and drinking with Annie Potts and um yeah, that's going to be fun.

37:19 You guys are great.

37:20 Will, Dougie, Jesse, thank you so much for taking the time.

37:22 It's been a pleasure.

37:24 If you're looking for CBS on Thursdays or Paramount Plus,

37:27 check it out Georgie May season 3 on CBS Central.

37:30 Thanks, Jonathan.

37:33 [music]