August 29, 2023 • 53 mins
Murr joined me on That Moment with Daymond John and had me cracking up as he broke down his backstory and the incredible experiences that led him to surpassing 300 episodes of Impractical Jokers and a skyrocketing career in comedy, writing, and even entrepreneurship. Check out this all new episode to get his unfiltered lessons on:
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Keeping comedy and pranks positive and making yourself the butt of the joke (without seeming like the loser)
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Hustling and grinding it out as you work to make it to the top - everyone starts somewhere and Murr’s early days were far from glamorous
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Creating authentic and exciting content that keeps audiences engaged
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Treating your supporters with the same respect that they consistently show you
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And so much more
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BONUS: he came prepared with the funniest Red Lobster prank story from way back in the day that he’s never shared until now!
Host: Daymond John
Producers: Beau Dozier & Shanelle Collins; Ted Kingsbery, Chauncey Bell, & Taryn Loftus
For more info on how to take your life and business to the next level, check out DaymondJohn.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I think we're addicted to the adrenaline rush, honestly, whether
that be or the endorphins. Whatever gets released in your
body when you're laughing hysterically like watching in Practical Jokers,
or screaming or shaking or hugging your loved one or
what have you. It's the adrenaline rush or the endorphin rush.
Whatever it is, is addictive, and I think we just
(00:20):
keep going back for it, back for it, back for it.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
What if I told you there was more to the
story behind game changing events? Get ready for my new podcast,
That Moment with Damon John will jump into the personal
stories of some of the most influential people on the planet,
from business mobiles and celebrities to athletes and artists.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Welcome to vast Moment with Damon John, and.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
I hope you are ready today for a really fun
episode because today I'm sitting with the prank king, James S. Murray,
better known as from the hit series and Practical Jokers. Now,
you might be one of knowing what the hell can
I learn from someone who tells jokes and orchestrates pranks
for a living, But trusting when I tell you this,
it's not often you learn from people within your industry.
(01:09):
Sometimes they're tuning Jay to learn how people did it
in another industry and apply it to.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Your industry and do it your way.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Murry is a very talented writer, executive producer, and comedian.
He's a member of the comedy troupe Everybody Knows the Tenderloins,
along with fellow and Practical Joke who stars Joe, Brian
and Sally you know the crew who actually they all
met in high school. Reminded me of my Foobal partners
and for over a decade, Murge served as a senior
Vice president of development for North South Productions and currently
(01:39):
he's the owner of Impractical Productions, LLC and co owner
of Badwoods Entertainment, which is a part of the First
Look development deal with WarnerMedia. Mr is also an international
best selling author with seven published titles and three more
brand new books hitting shelves in the next two years.
So the guy isn't just someone with comedy timing. He
(02:02):
is a brand. He is a businessman or a business woman,
whatever you want to be fully rounded business. Recently, mrch
starred in Practical Joke as the movie and his fellow
ten Luins, who together have been touring the entire world
and playing the sold out arenas. They even sold out
Massive Square Garden. Now that is no joking matter. You
(02:25):
tell me who have sold out the garden telling jokes? Right,
We're talking people big, people like Kevin Hard and Richard
Pryor and you know Eddie Murphy. I am so excited
to check out this man and what he has to
say and learn from his experiences and how he's able
to continuously provide entertainment to a global audience and make
(02:46):
us all a smile and just let us forget about
our problems with just a couple of minutes or a
couple of hours. All right, let's go all right, so listen, listen,
murray Man, thank you so much for joining us. I
am I really created the podcast because I want to
know those special moments that maybe we don't talk about,
(03:08):
not because not because we don't want to talk about them.
It is just because you know, we get it as
any individual whoever it is right, whether you're in the
public life like you are, or whether we're people hanging
out at the bar. I mean, you know, hey, what's
your name? So well, oh, let's tell in Jersey you
got the same thing, right, So I like to dig
a little bit into obviously that moment that it happened.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
So, uh, let me. I had a couple of questions here.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
I'm going to go off topic probably, but in regards
to performing, I always said to myself that I know
a lot of really amazing comedians performers, and they were
always that person. So what I find about the greatest
(03:53):
comedians they got beat up in school a.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Lot, and it's not fun, right.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
It was kind of like everybody hates Chris theory, right,
and it's kind of like that, you know.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
I would see comedians who just.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Like, well, now they're comedians, but I knew them a
little bit of when they were younger.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
Let's say we're in the sixth grade and the.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Biggest, the biggest guy, no matter what they did, all
the kids were great, and that comedian or that person
just couldn't help themselves. They just they didn't care about
the ass whoop and they were gonna get what they
were like, Man, your head is so big and they
just couldn't help it, and they know they old gonna
(04:38):
get someone was gonna happen?
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Was that you?
Speaker 1 (04:42):
No, No, it wasn't me. First of all, an honor
to be here. We have been fans of yours for
a decade now, so thank you for having thanks. Second, No,
I was not. I've only been in a couple of
fights in my life with the school bully, of course,
but I will you know, and I'm proud to say
that I popped him twice in the two different fights
(05:05):
in the right eye and give him black eye both times.
So nice. Since then, I never got messed with in school.
I was a pretty fairly well balanced kid. And uh no, no,
no torture in school for me. I was pretty I
was pretty good.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Well were you doing? Were you? Were you? Oh? Were?
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Everybody's a fan of a prank and a sense, But
it depends on how much you engage in a prank, right.
A lot of us like to watch it. Some of
us even like to be the victim of it if
it's all in fun and no matter what it is.
And then, uh, obviously we all liked to prank somebody
to some extent.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Which one were you more like?
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (05:42):
I definitely liked pranking people more we were Uh. We
went to an all boys Catholic high school in Sanaten Island,
So I mean we started pranking from day one. The
first time I met the other guys was in religion
class and as Miss Ferducia was teaching the beatitudes, uh,
you know, Joe would be dropping his nose on her
elbow she walked up and down the aisle. So I
(06:03):
think franking was in our blood from the beginning, because
you know, you go, you go to an old boys
Catholic school. You're not studying, you're not working. What are
you doing, You're just screwing around with your friends, you know,
to pass time. So I think that was built in
our DNA from childhood for sure.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
So today, you know, cranking is and stuned to whatever
you want to call him a whole nother level. You know,
I'm gonna you know, with the opening I shared with
people that your massive, massive success in regards to people,
you know, loving you. But I was in the mall
(06:41):
the other day, not the other day. I'll try to
them all. Last year, I'm walking around and kid just
runs by my wife and yells and you know, and
and then another you know, tries to scare her whatever
I want.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
My daughter right know, daughter's seven.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Another kid wokes up, you know, excuse me, you know
you're asking some stupid questions.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
Well, I don't think it's a stupid.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
At the time, I chased one of the kids, and
I can tell that they weren't together.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
But these kids were using the mall as there.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
I want to produce content that everybody's trying to top
each other. Now, I am not a tough guy. I
practiced the oldest. I practiced the two oldest forms of
self defense. The first one is running, yeah, the second
(07:44):
one is biting.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Actually the third one, the third one is pretty good
defense telling.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
Try not to do both the same time because you
could easily trip and fall if you're trying to bite
and run.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
That's true, unless it's unless you're eating a twizz.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
But the guy made you know, now the there's two
people in the world you don't want to mess with.
There's a mother and a father who whatever of whatever
it is, I don't care if it's a bear, I
don't care if it's whatever it is.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Right, So, now all of.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
A sudden, I run up on this guy and go, hey,
he's scared my wife. And my wife was with a
little girl because he was trying to callk the prank
and this guy was talling me.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
But at the moment I and I didn't want to
engage in that sense. I was just like, what are
you doing?
Speaker 2 (08:31):
The world has become a shock valued prank and there's
a lot of people that get hurt doing this, really hurt.
What would you say about how you know you made
a career out of it. You do it in a
(08:53):
way where you know there's a lot of work behind it,
there's consideration, there's a method to it.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
And this is not arbitrarily running up to a mother and.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
A child with a father right there and scaring them
to a point where they don't want to go back
at a malling well.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
They don't know if they're getting robbed or is the
fire or is the joke?
Speaker 1 (09:13):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
I don't even have that conversation right now where it's
it could you know, fun and.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Games is one thing, and then there's a problem you
may have.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
What do we I would really love your insight, because
way before this is popular in that sense you made
is something that was enjoyable, but it didn't you know,
you know it it was done in a good way.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Our take on it is this. We never liked prank shows,
you know. I always felt terrible for the people getting pranked.
They didn't sign up for it. They're usually being They're
usually the butt of the joke. They're being made fools of.
They don't realize people at home are laughing at them.
Very much the same way as these pranks on social
media go, you know what I mean, Like you were like, oh,
that's fun for the moment, but also when you really
(10:01):
think about it, it sucks for everyone else that's in
the scene except for the person doing it. So when
we created In Practical Jokers, it was based on Intel right. Like,
I worked in TV development for ten years. My job
was to create and sell TV shows for a living.
I kind of rose up over years and years in
my career, and then I started getting word from networks
(10:25):
that they were looking for hidden camera shows. They were
starting to come back, but they were looking for a
new twist on the hidden camera format. It's something that
hadn't been done before. So the guys that I got
together and I was like, you know, I think we
can sell a hidden camera show. We weren't prank guys necessarily.
We were comedians. We were standing up comedians, were sketch comedians,
improv comedians, and so we sat there in my apartment
(10:45):
In Joe's apartment, were like, how could we twist the
format in a way that hasn't been done before that
takes away what we hate about prank things, calculated choice.
What we hate is people who sign up for it,
they turn out to the butt of the joke. How
do we remove that? Well, what if we turn the
format on its head upside down and we are the
(11:06):
butt of the joke and the public is just there
to witness our embarrassment in the scene, being forced to
say and do things that we don't want to And
can we use all of our skills as bullshit artists,
as gentlemen, as what have you, whatever skills we pull
into the scene to work around, talk through, under over,
(11:27):
getting through the hardest, to come up with scenarios without
getting our ass handed to us, without getting punched on TV,
and without insulting people because we don't want I don't
want to hurt anybody, never, I don't want to think anybody.
I don't mind if I'm getting getting the business, do
you know what I mean? Or if I'm giving the
business of my friends. But so, what it did was
(11:48):
it made pranks much more enjoyable. It's also very existentially
just intrinsically nerve racking for us, you know, questioned my
career path every day. But it takes away what we
hated about prank shows. It makes it much more likable
as a result. So you know, there's lots of ways
(12:10):
to do prank that doesn't hurt other people.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
You know, And I think that that's the brilliant part
of what you do, because what I was really trying
to get at is I always say, there's nothing new
in this world. I didn't create new shirts, you didn't
create TV, you didn't create comedy, you didn't create pranking.
I mean, you know, you know, I'm a little older,
Alan Budkin, the camera, what you do or you know,
(12:33):
there's all this type of stuff, right, But when.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
You looked at it, and you looked at the need.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
For something out there and a passion whatever the cases,
how did you analyze to put a different spin on it?
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Was it?
Speaker 3 (12:46):
You know?
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Because I know, I think you shot the pilot and
everybody you know like and you can tell us a story.
I mean, but I think everybody's heard that before. Where
did you come up with I can do this and
put a spin on it? And you felt because a
lot of people have an idea, but they never did it,
and they keep saying, how this idea is going to
be so great?
Speaker 3 (13:06):
When did you decide that this is going to be
something good?
Speaker 2 (13:08):
And you know what, whether it's not good or not,
I'm going to put myself out there and be vulnerable.
As you said a question in your career, how did
you put that twist on? What should people be thinking
about any business they do? But let's even talk about entertainment,
which is going through a massive, massive restructuring.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
Now.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
People are going to be forced to figure out new
ways to entertain because of course you have these big
issues happening.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
You have conglomerates that are saying, well, AI can replace
a lot of that, you know, and then we just
need one person here. And of course.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
CGI and all this other stuff, so writing and all
this stuff like how do you get people to think
right now? And this really crazy time to put a
twist on something they love, It's already been done.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Know by the way, the guys and I got replaced
by AI about four seasons ago, so and no one noticed.
It's crazy. We were reared the curve. I'm not I'm
not actually on TV. I stopping on TV years ago.
No one, you know, it's just I'm I'm totally ai.
I'm a robotic at this point. But for us, you know,
serious is what made the difference for us is we
(14:22):
we stopped at one point what other people thought, right,
because we had failed so long. We failed for eleven
years people, you know, we we like to say internally
that we were an eleven year overnight success story, right,
you know, we failed for so long. It was only
like a year ago that I finally broke even between
(14:43):
failure and success in my life because I.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Was looking at my notes and you know, you released
over three hundred episode and we just recently celebrated hour
three hundred episode. It was on cracking out the five years.
But like man, because they that you really just started
to feel good about it.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Huh.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Now, yeah, you know it is we failed for eleven years,
then we get on TV in our mid thirties when
we were told we were too old for TV, we
were ready for TV. And then we've went on TV
now for thirteen years, so we just pulled ahead of failure,
right in terms are the balance of our lives. Right,
But what made the difference for us is that we
when Jokers came around. When we created Jokers, it had
(15:26):
been our third attempt at television. We shot a pilot
for Spike TV, didn't go to series. We shot a
pilot for an improv comedy show for a Andy, didn't
go to series, and we were literally ready to give up,
and we tried one more time, and at that point
we honestly didn't care if people said yes or no.
We just wanted to go out there and do something
(15:47):
that we felt was unique to us but also relatable.
And what was unique to us was that our friendship
in chemistry was so real and organic and authentic. That
were like, if we can create a show that puts
forget prank forgetting impractive. Jokers is a buddy comedy, that's
all it is. You know. The format is all nonsense.
(16:08):
The format is just something to put our friendship on display,
you know. And as soon as we figured out what
our hook was and stopped caring about what other people
thought and just said, you know, screw it, Let's do
what we think is funny and we think is natural
to our friendship, that's when we all came together. It
was the right time, right format that we created, right
(16:29):
display of our talents as improv comedians, right display of
our friendship, and that's what people latch onto. As you know,
it's I think it's funding the right marketing hook at
the right time. Uh So it's business savvy mixed with
UH having a product that is authentic and real and
people connect to UH. And you say, you know, screw it,
I don't care what other people think. I just can't.
(16:52):
I just can't not do this. You know, I have to.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
Succeed, you know.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
The tendin that's it's four in the ten one right
or sir, Yeah, it's far so it's the same. You know,
it really is the same that we can learn from.
It's it's four in fooval right. We didn't care what
people though. We didn't care what was done in the
market prior. We cared that we were going to make
this stuff and we knew that we loved it and
(17:22):
whoever else loved it, who was going to be like us?
Who loved for this culture the clothing boom. You know,
Shark Tank was going to be canceled. The first three years,
none of us stopped.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Uh you know it was five of us or six
you know, actually who was like no wasted.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
I'm not showing up again to shoot again, and you know,
you're talking about accomplished people that have egos. At that
point to say, somebody was like, you know, I remember
they moved us around about ten times, and they put
us on Friday Night, and I remember Kevin o'livy said
something like, hey.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
You were on, probably not at eight o'clock, and they
were like.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Don't they burn the Yule log on TV? And like,
you know, nobody, nobody was checking out Friday night.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
They used that American flag comes on screen and then
it goes to static, yes in the American.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
Flag exactly, and we showed up and we didn't care.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
And then we would go to you know, TV shows
that the only people would take us because initially, you know,
before Cuban was on, they were like.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
Who is Kevin Damon, Like, you know, nobody knows these people.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
We wouldn't get on any any big talks, even on
our own network, but we kept doing it.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
And I think that what I think, maybe.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
That is probably one of the most profound things that
I have heard off of all my guests in a
very simple math, because so many other people here have friends,
uh and they want.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
To do it.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
But what what kept you together is probably a question,
right because the Sharks were all accomplished, we have the
liberty of showing up or now, we didn't need each other,
right foogle? What kept us together is this to fight
the system within the you know, fight the system within
the system, freat change and we want to dress ourselves.
(19:08):
When money started to plow and made money, wasn't there
what kept you together? Did you guys want to quit?
Did you guys say you don't wasting my time?
Speaker 3 (19:15):
Like what happened?
Speaker 1 (19:16):
You know? You know, good question. We've been friends with
thirty four years. That's what kept us together, honestly, you know.
I mean a week before we came up with the
idea for Impractical Jokers, we kind of split apart and
we're like, this is not working. We tried twice. We
(19:38):
got word like a month before before we created Practical Jokers.
A month before one network president told us that we're
too old for TV. You've heard this story before from
other people, right. Another networkersid and told us that we
were ready for TV. And then we kind of said, well,
screw it, it's not gonna work it. We were already
in the mid thirties. We already had careers. I was
working TV development. Joe's a salesman, sal owned a barques
(20:02):
in and accomplished decorated fireman FDNY for eight years of
that point, and we're like, well, it's just not gonna happen,
you know. And then and then we let it sit
for like a week, and then we're like, well, we
miss each other. We still want to do it. And
we got back together Joe and as apartment because we
lived in a what is the thing with your book?
One of your books, the power of Power, Power Broke
(20:26):
Joe and I lived in Manhattan, downtown Manhattan. We couldn't
afford to live apart. We lived in a seven hundred
square for the apartment. There were three of us Joe
is now myself, one shared bathroom. His bedroom did not
have electricity in it. If we had to run an
extension court from the hallway into a BS wall. We
put up in the home office for his bedroom. Right,
(20:49):
But in that.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
Office with three people living in a seven hundred square
foot place.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
Yeah yeah, right, And that's where we created in practical Jokers, right,
the guys that I got together, that's the power broke Man.
We had I remember, I mean there was one month
I didn't have enough money to pay the damn rent,
you know, so so we had to succeed. We had to,
and we just we got together. We missed being We
let us sit for a week when we're like, it's
(21:14):
not gonna work, let's kind of go just pursue our
individual careers. A week later we got back together. Joe
and os House were like, well, screw it, let's let's
try again for a third time, like three times a
charm and thank god man, and to talk about another show.
Us that night we came up with two ideas for
TV shows. One I won't mention because it never would
have sold, and second was impractical Jokers. And we're like,
(21:36):
which one do we do? And we literally flipped a
coin and we ran with impractical Jokers and uh and
here we are here we are here we are thirteen
(22:03):
years later, and now I have a home and a
beautiful wife and puppy and uh and uh and you
know things are going well.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
You stuck it out, you know every one of you did.
Did every one of you take the stage as comics
or so right? Or how many how many of you
took this were stage wise, would purely you know, stand up.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
We all we've done comedy together for such a long time,
like live performances, mostly improv, but we also do stand
up comedy. The Impractical Jokers tour, the Cineum Comedy, My
solo tour mer Live is cent up comedy. Uh so,
and then we used to do sketch comedy. We don't
really do that anymore. But no, that I mean that's
what we started. We did in prov in high school together,
(22:47):
and in Practical Jokers is ostensibly an improv show.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
No, yeah it is, but you know you have a
best sit in audience because there are already fans of
you and they're waiting right to hear you, right, so
you have the best at interest.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
But it started some way up.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
Would there be a Would there be a more difficult
job in entertainment than being a stand up comedian that
to earn every single joke?
Speaker 1 (23:14):
I don't know how setups do it. I honestly don't,
because we we're different than the typical standup We travel together,
so we're in it together. But we've also formed this
connection with our audience that I think a typical comic
doesn't have, Like we play actors on TV that you
might recognize, and like we play ourselves on TV. You know,
people come up and they feel they have an emotional
(23:37):
connection to us and they feel like they know us,
which they do. They know our real personality. So you
walk on the stage with a giant, giant advantage.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
That'shy I said, I got a vested interest, But my
question become rarely and even at this level where they
have a vested interest.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
And I don't like the film, but I think everybody
would have that.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
Have you ever had a bad night or a night
where you really thought you got comfortable with who you
are and what you do and it really didn't work
out that well? Now maybe maybe you go, well they
weren't rolling over, you know, holding their something it was okay?
Or did you get maybe a boot? I'm I'm trying
(24:22):
to find that to see that when people they get
to your level of uh, you know, where people really
love what you do?
Speaker 3 (24:31):
Do you still do you ever get to that point?
Speaker 1 (24:35):
Yeah? Sure, man, We're we're always our own worst critics
for sure. You know, I always know when it can
deliver joke better and the guys that I feel it, uh,
anytime our performances off is usually liquor related. You do
one too many shots of whiskey in the afternoon, then
you got got a sober up for the show, and
now you're like, oh, shoot, shouldn't have that last shot
(24:57):
you felt?
Speaker 2 (24:57):
You know. I know there's some comed comics and and
or speakers or a lot of people that film themselves.
I'm talking about when you do a live do you
go back and critique it. Do you have your your
nearest and best critics who will tell you the truth?
Would it be the fans that you know really know
you and will tell you your target? I mean, how do
(25:19):
you how do you stay on that edgine and critique yourself.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
That's that's why having the other guys on stage is
and valuable. Like we are self critiquing during the show,
you know, like who the microway from your mouth and
you're whispering to the other guys and you can feel it.
As a comedian, you can feel when something's out landing
or could be landing better if you twist or change
it or come up with a different joke. You just
feel it and know it. You know, that's our That's
(25:44):
why we get paid. That's why people pay for tickets
to make sure that we're at our best. So I
also feel a responsibility in life in general to always
be at my best, you know, like like you, I
write books I've gotten I've got eight books out in
store now and two more coming next year, adult thrillers,
children's books like you and uh. And I feel a
(26:06):
personal responsibility to our fan base to make sure they
are excellent, you know. Uh, same thing with their live shows.
They have to be great. The TV show has to
be great because the audience trusts us with it being great.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
You know, we do and we and we love you
for right now, I'm gonna ask another question.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
I was. I was at some talk show I was
about to go on, and they said Ben's Ben Siller
was there, and he was I think he was under
the weather. Now, I said, you know, hey, if Ben
is there, you know when he leaves and you know,
and you know, my dressing room was right there. They
can he come in for a second? I said sure,
(26:46):
And he came in and I can tell he was thick.
I mean, the man must have had the flu and
he was down. Now, I only say that I never
wanted to be a rapper or saying I mean I did.
But you know, there's this version of everybody thinks they
could sing, so they kind of come up to you
and they're gonna sing. I happen to be in a
great position in life where people come up I get
(27:07):
stopped all the time, thank God. And people want to
just be able to feed their families or follow their dreams.
Hey I have an idea, I have an invention, or
I have a business. These are these are real answers, right,
what's your sales? And it's cool and and they may
interrupt you in the hoddest places.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
But when Ben walks in.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
That room, I couldn't stop smiling. I mean, this guy
was was was was Greg fucker. He was you know,
he was you know, he was the guy and something
about Mary with the hook in his mouth.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
He was the guy that you.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
He was the He's the you know, And so I
would I was laughing so hard. And when I saw
him and he was probably like, I don't have time
for this. I'm sick. The guy's an asshole. Do you
get Do you get that a lot? Do you ever
get tied? I mean, you could be having an argument
with your wife, you could be trying to run in
(27:59):
the bathroom because you got on you broke a whole
another emotion out of people.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
Yeah. I mean, if I had a nickel for the
amount of times I've been interrupted while running with diarrhea,
I would be a very rich man. Yeah, it happens
all the time, man. But you know you, I think
that the TV is TV and performing live is half
the job. The other half of the job is at
(28:28):
you know, as public figures, we have a responsibility to
ah be the same in public or you know, so
I consider taking photos with fans out in public and
when they come up, you know, kids come up at
dinner and things like that as the other half of
my job. I signed up for it years ago. I
(28:48):
wanted it my whole life, and then we were able
to get it. And half my job is being great
on TV, being great on stage, being great when I
write books. The other half of my job is to
make sure people have a great experience when they come
up to me. Because the reason we have these things
is because they watch it, they support us, they trust
us to keep them. You know, if we just if
(29:10):
we make them laugh just a little bit more on
a typical day, that it's worth it. I consider it
a huge part of my job.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
You know, I've never heard anybody say that I gotta
be very long for everybody listening.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
That everybody doesn't feel like that. And I have.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
A I don't have any respect for people that they
work their life to get to that level and then
they push people away.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
And I've seen it happen a lot.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
I've seen, you know, celebrity basketball games and a singer
and a woman coming up with her little three year
old or seven year old girl and.
Speaker 3 (29:49):
Say, hey, you know, can you you know, can you
sign a RD Or you're like, hey, we'll play in
a basketball game.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
You're a singer, you know, other of them like bass
whole you You're not in the NBA. You're here for
a reason, right, And maybe maybe that's the difference of
your career and others, because your career is.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
To go out there and bring joy and work for
every kind of laugh and joke. Maybe I don't know.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
Maybe I happen to know that most singers and entertainers
they wanted to bring joy to people too. They want
to sing a song, but maybe they had a heartache
in their life and they sang a great song that
became the biggest song in the world and it keeps
playing like you have to earn it.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
Every time, and I guess I don't know, but I have.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
There's probably about there's a good portion of people who
are in this spotlight who knew they wanted to be
in this spotlight, who really shun people away, and I
just I'm fascinated. So when you say it, and I'm
the same way as you, I don't want people thinking that,
you know, it's always like that. There's a lot of
assholes out there, And I really appreciate you saying it
in a good way of going. You know what, that's
my job because I always say the day that I'm
(30:56):
tired of it.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
I see the cameras around me, I need to step
away from the camera.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
Yeah, you know, I think it's a fundamental human nature
right is to always resent what you have, and I
think it's just in our DNA as a species. So
for me, I can't imagine living another way. Like I
wanted this my whole life. From when I was a kid,
I knew I wanted to be a comedian, knew I
(31:22):
wanted to entertain and then failed for so long, but
and tried every way possible to succeed and then when
we got it and it kept going and going and going,
I'm like, shit, man, this is the I'm living the
best possible life ever. It's made all good things happen,
like the reason I can write books, the reason I
(31:42):
can tour around the country, around the world, the reason
I have a beautiful home, and the reason it's all
because of our fan base. And I don't resent it.
I love it and I embrace it, and I don't know,
and I do recognize that people have different tolerances for that.
You know, I was kind of born with a higher
tolerance for public in direction in the average person, I think.
(32:04):
But I love it, man, It's part of our job
for sure.
Speaker 2 (32:07):
Well let's talk about when you're behind the camera, because
there's a you know, executive producer embers of the thing
you have.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Oh yeah, the camera. I'm a total dick, that's what.
Speaker 3 (32:16):
You know. How it is?
Speaker 2 (32:17):
And you know some people have the oh my man
for this and that, I don't do it like this
and that. So I want to know, how are you
you know, I know you could be joking. I never know,
because you're in a practical toka. But well, when do
you when do you need to be a dick period
any I'm talking about you know, listen, if I'm at
(32:39):
the store, think got the master out because they keep
the masks on. But there's somebody, you know, really steps
on my toe or or like pushing, like ignorance, whatever
it is. What I'm just using as an example, I
tend to walk away from it because they don't know
who I am, maybe at the time, or maybe they
do and either they're trying to start something or even
if they're not, as soon as I turn it on,
(33:04):
I don't have that. I'm on TMD in the wrong way. Yeah,
you know, when are you a dick?
Speaker 1 (33:13):
Uh? Interesting question.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
I don't think I've ever.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
Been asked that in an interview before. I don't know.
It's really hard to push my buttons in that way.
Only I think I'm a I would be a dick.
I could I could be pushed into that if someone
disrespected my wife. Yeah, probably, uh, probably my only trigger
at this point, you know. Uh. And often oftentimes it's accidental,
(33:39):
like somebody comes up there excited, if they bump into her,
push it, what have you? Uh that I could see
reacting to, not like childhood where I punched the bully
in his face. You know, but when are.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
You holding it back? Let me give you another example.
Here's when I hold it back.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
I hold it back or not only who I am,
but I hold it back because even if I did
not have a public stage, it's not going to end.
Speaker 3 (34:00):
Up well for me when the waiter comes to my
table and now the waiter for many years.
Speaker 1 (34:11):
Red lobster, Right.
Speaker 3 (34:13):
Yeah, thank you man. You know I was the way
from any years now gave a restaurant on the planet.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
You're telling me eight out of ten waiters table they
usually and what if people want to table?
Speaker 1 (34:23):
Hey, can I thank you it?
Speaker 3 (34:25):
Yeah? I'm waiting for them to do this, but they
never put out a pen in the paper?
Speaker 1 (34:30):
Can Can I tell you a funny quick?
Speaker 3 (34:32):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (34:32):
So, uh, you know when we first sold the TV show, uh,
we get picked up for season two. So the president
of the network back then and the second command of
the network wanted to take us out to dinner to
celebrate that we got picked up for season two. It's
a big deal, right, So the president the network wanted
to take us to a really expensive seafood place in
(34:55):
New York City called per Se, Right, like, no, no, no, no, no, We
don't want to go to per Se. We want to
go to Red Lobster in Times Square to celebrate. And
in the Number two. The president of the network was
the type of guy that had never been to Red
Lobster in his entire life, right, and so he he
relents and said fine. He says, fine, we'll go to
(35:17):
Red Lobster. How do we get reservations and we're like, no, no,
you don't make reservations allowed, right. Anyways, he calls ahead.
They're able to get the back private room and the
Times Square Red Lobster for us, and we go there.
We supposed to meet him there at like seven o'clock
at night to celebrate with the number two at the network.
The guys and I get there first and we're in
this back private room alone. The waiter comes in and
(35:39):
we said, you know what, since he's never been here before,
he has no idea what he's in for, what the
restaurant's like. So we said to the waiter, look, our friend,
our two friends about to join. We want to play
a little joke on him, but you can't tell him
it's a joke. It's only between us. We promised, go'll
be okay anytime we order anything on the menu at
Red Lobster, we want you to bring and charges for
(36:02):
three times the quantity of that item. So if we
order a pound of crab legs, we want you to
three pounds of less and so crab legs. Right, if
we order what have you like, multiply everything by three.
It comes. We all order. Lots of food comes out.
Keep in mind the President Network has no idea what
the quantity food is supposed to be a lobster. The
(36:24):
bill comes. Now there's six of us, none of us
are drinking. It's a business dinner. The bill comes, The
President Network unfolds the folio. The bill unfolds four times.
The bill was fourteen hundred dollars. Right, fourteen hundred dollars,
(36:45):
no liquor, just dinner. That's a lot of which is
a lot of money for Red Lobster. Right, he looks,
he's now he's in a situation where he doesn't want
to embarrass himself because he's never been there. He he
you know, he's paying for the bill, but he's also
shocked at what the total was. Right, He's he's thinking
(37:08):
for lobsters, Jane restaurant's gonna be cheap. What happened, right,
He doesn't understand, but he also doesn't want to scan
the bill and look like a Jackets. Right. Meanwhile, I'm
on the Red Lobster mailing list, so I have a
coupon in my back pocket for five dollars off of
the adult Obe. So I see the bill come out.
(37:28):
We're all crying, laughing, and unfold. I tick out the
five dollar coupon and I said, hey, Mark, just you
know what I do have a five dollars coup on.
He says, can I curse? Yeah? Okay, he says. He
looks at the coupon, who's five dollars? He goes, fuck
your coupon, and he cls up. He pays the bill.
(37:49):
We get in the subway to go back to my
old apartment. We are crying laughing. To this day, he
does not know that story. Sometimes the life man, you
gotta celebrate successes.
Speaker 3 (38:06):
Well now you know, so, I don't know you're gonna tell.
He probably went back to alf though, or if somebody,
and he probably like, what the fuck was that?
Speaker 1 (38:15):
It's just I just loved the idea that he had
to go into the you know, doing department of True
TV to explain how we spent fourteen hundred dollars at
a chain flopster nun.
Speaker 3 (38:29):
But it wasn't I say, oh, I was talking about
talking about the things that pissed me off. But I
love that story.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
The what I was gonna say, you know where I
get anxiety is like, so it's for the way to
come to the table, right, the six of us. He
doesn't pull out a pen, she doesn't pull up a pen, paper,
And I don't want to be the asshole and be like,
you're gonna forget shit?
Speaker 3 (38:48):
Why you're not impressing me.
Speaker 2 (38:51):
You're really not impressing me by doing it for memory
because I made have forgotten.
Speaker 3 (38:55):
Because it's a new MANU. I haven't seen whatever the
case is?
Speaker 1 (38:58):
Right?
Speaker 2 (38:58):
Did I ask for the I don't know the whatever
the crab meats something on the thing or whatever, But
why will.
Speaker 3 (39:06):
They not write it down and then when it comes
out it becomes out wrong?
Speaker 2 (39:10):
Well, now I gotta be an asshole, or do I
be an asshole to begin to say, hey, get a
goddamn pen because I don't want a lungy in my food,
right because now I'm talking to them like a child.
Speaker 3 (39:20):
But it's a pen.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
They got a lot of things or whatever it is,
or a chart. They got a lot of things going on.
You gotta take the you gotta take the meal. Or
from six people. One's the one dressing on the side.
One has a peanut allergy, and you gotta take the drink.
Orders you're texting your boyfriend, girlfriend's son, husband or wife,
and betwey, you gotta plug it into the computer.
Speaker 3 (39:39):
The chef gotta push it out the right way. You
gotta get it wrong.
Speaker 2 (39:42):
Time I want and now I have anxiety. I'm at
the table when it comes back wrong. I didn't ruin
or right, but I can't say nothing. Everybody is at
the table.
Speaker 3 (39:54):
I want to be a dick. I want to be
a dick. You know, do you have any instances where
you're just like, here we go. You know, well they
lead the weapon when he said in the drive through,
they like this. It's the thing with me.
Speaker 2 (40:06):
Do you do you have to have anything like that
where all of a sudden you're no longer the lovable
guy that they know from TV and stage.
Speaker 1 (40:15):
I know, man, I keep all that in check. You know,
we've been on TV so long. I mean I'm in
control of my emotions at most almost always. But I
know what you're saying about the waiter thing. I think
everyone gets anxious when the waiter does not take out
a peny baby.
Speaker 3 (40:32):
But the way they do it now, it's.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
Almost like they want to brow I don't know where
it comes from. I guess they want to browse.
Speaker 3 (40:38):
Jimes.
Speaker 2 (40:38):
If you ever seen that, you get everything the way
you wanted and you're like this at dinner, man, did
you notice they didn't even have a pan?
Speaker 3 (40:47):
I'm so impressed. I'm gonna come back.
Speaker 1 (40:49):
There only one guy I know that can do that
every time. There's a great restaurant in New Orleans called
Antoine's and the guy who works there, he's third generation
waiter there and he he was literally, I think a
few years ago, voted best waiter in America and he
nails it every time. Man, I.
Speaker 3 (41:10):
Maybe they're all going for best Waiter in America, but.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
It could be a nationwide competition. You're we're just a
privy to it and they're just trying. That's how they
get nominated. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (41:22):
I don't know. I don't know. Well, you and I
need to create a new competition called best Handwriting for
(41:44):
waiters to take fucking notes.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
Dude, I can't. I can barely remember my niece's name,
much less of twelve people at the table's menu. What
are you.
Speaker 3 (41:54):
Excited about now?
Speaker 1 (41:56):
Though?
Speaker 3 (41:57):
With everything you got going on? You know, the one
like your books, children's book, various of the books, what
are you more excited about it? You looked at yourself
because you very clearly are grateful for the opportunity you've had.
The way people are absorbing information, I mean.
Speaker 2 (42:15):
The best thing about you is you have so many
tracks where they can absorb what you have in different ways.
But what are you excited about well, the next twenty years?
Speaker 1 (42:24):
Wow? Good question, twenty years. I'm a serial entrepreneur, you know,
Like what I love to do is create ideas and
sell them, right. So that's why I did well in
TV development in practical jokers's constant simulation. Creating new tour
is constant simulation. And then I just keep cranking out
ideas for books and thrillers. But the books are only
(42:46):
one part of the process. For me. What's exciting is
selling the ip as TV shows or movies.
Speaker 2 (42:53):
Right.
Speaker 1 (42:53):
So our children's books were out there. We sold the
TV rights to a great company called Non Story Writing.
These Uh, the live action script script right now, don't
move my thriller.
Speaker 2 (43:05):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
We are pitching as a movie right now. Uh, we
wrote the screenplay for it. My my goal, my love,
my first love is to pitch and sell.
Speaker 3 (43:14):
You know.
Speaker 1 (43:15):
I love creating new projects and selling them. So with
that in mind, I uh just created a new tech
company that will be launching next year. I created a
new Amazon company.
Speaker 3 (43:25):
No, okay, you'll be launching. Okay. I want to make
sure that anything you do when we know about it.
Speaker 1 (43:29):
Okay, yeah, you'll hear about it soon enough. I I
cracked a big problem that uh, that every that everyone's
been trying to figure out for a long time. No
one's been able to figure out how to make VR
a necessity, you know, need it, you know.
Speaker 2 (43:45):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (43:46):
And I cracked that. I cracked how to make VR
necessity or AR necessity for people, not just a curiosity. Uh.
That's one. And then I'm launching a new Uh. You know,
I'm passionate about telling shit, you know, I just love
doing it. So we have two more books coming out
next year, lots more ideas. I'm also passionate about creating
(44:08):
a I want to create a horror movie. Studio like
a Blumhouse type of thing, like a Blumhouse exactly right.
You know, I've got so many great thriller ideas, of
which I sell most of them as books and then
develop them as TV shows and movies. But I'm going
to go out pitching a this fall, a a scripted series,
(44:32):
horror series written by me and the guys, And I
of course pitched lots of TV shows. We develop lots
of everything all across. You know, we have a first
look with Warner Warner Discovery, and we're just cranking out
ada after idea. That's my you know. So you know,
we do like five pitch meetings a week on different
(44:52):
ideas that we're developing or have you know shepherded. I
love that, man. I love the the hunt and the
pitch and the cell, the cell.
Speaker 3 (45:02):
What is it? Do you think? Because I'm really asking
a really important question to me, why would people pay
to get this shit scared out of them? Or to
think about people.
Speaker 2 (45:16):
Like carry the Omen or like Freddy Krugel is funny,
but why do people pay to get this shit scared
out of them? And for them to have just bad
I mean, they're bad memories of me? Maybe maybe this
is now my couch with the shrink. Why do people
(45:36):
pay for that? And why do sick people like you
create those things?
Speaker 1 (45:43):
I appreciate you calling me sick. I agree, uh, you know,
because I think it makes us feel alive, you know,
you know when you want it.
Speaker 2 (45:55):
In seven and seven, when Brad Pitt's going, what's that
the box?
Speaker 3 (46:00):
That doesn't make me feel alive?
Speaker 1 (46:03):
It's great, you know.
Speaker 2 (46:04):
I did not feel alive about thinking in the future
somebody will come in decapitate my wife and put her
head in a box.
Speaker 3 (46:12):
I didn't feel alive about that.
Speaker 2 (46:14):
Feel nothing alive about a little kid's head twisting around,
you know in the omen and definitely not Damian, I
love you's gonna be jumping off a roof and splattering.
I'm trying to understand where the alive is in that.
Unless you're a serial killer, please explain it to me.
How you feel alive?
Speaker 1 (46:36):
I think I think we're addicted to the adrenaline rush, honestly,
whether that be or the endorphins, whatever gets released in
your body when you're laughing hysterically like watching in practical Jokers,
or screaming or shaking or hugging your loved one or
what have you. It's the adrenaline rush or the endorphin rush,
whatever it is, is addictive, and I think I think
(46:57):
we just keep going back for it, you know it.
Speaker 2 (47:00):
If you want to do that, you can always move
this thus Jamaica Queens, and I promise you where I
came from, you're.
Speaker 3 (47:05):
Indoorphins will be going all night every night.
Speaker 1 (47:09):
Yeah, well that's you know, basically, I'm gonna base my
horror studio out of you know, Jamaica Queens. You're just
gonna go right there. That's what the best best material because.
Speaker 2 (47:22):
There people used to do there and somebody goes, hey, yo, man,
give me all that ship in the studio.
Speaker 3 (47:26):
You'ven like, Wow, this is really working. I'm really excited.
That's what's gonna happen.
Speaker 1 (47:30):
It's just the adrenaline. It's hitting real strong right now.
Speaker 3 (47:33):
I got it.
Speaker 1 (47:33):
I think I just love coming with ideas that make
you think and scared the ship at you or make
you laugh hysterically. It's all flip side of the same coin,
you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (47:46):
Yeah, I wanted to hopefully open up some of that
genius in you and to understand a little bit about
the things that you know, it's those moments that we're
talking about. The moment that you are and that you
reflect on this of an hundred square put apartment with
three people at an office, or you know, the moment
that you know you decided that this is going to
(48:09):
be you know, your career and or you know the
moment that you just realized, Man, you work really hard
for it, but at the end of the day, your
job never stops.
Speaker 3 (48:17):
I think so many people don't realize that.
Speaker 1 (48:20):
You know.
Speaker 2 (48:20):
Mark Cuban told me one day that he's like, you know,
when I bought the team, I was young and I
had a lot of money and I bought the team
and I was like, cool, you know, I'm by the team.
And then I was cursed at the rest and I was,
you know, doing all this because you know, man, I
own a team. And then yeah, he said, all these
writers are writing about me.
Speaker 3 (48:41):
And then he said I was like, I don't care.
Speaker 2 (48:43):
This is he said, this is where I got my
initial you know, reputation, the crazy guy. And then somebody
said to him, you know, no matter what economic uh
you know, financial status you have and.
Speaker 3 (48:59):
You know in Dallas or around the world, you know.
Speaker 2 (49:03):
There are children watching that team and wanting and there's
a glimpse of hope for them, whether it is the
team sports, the individual players. They wear mads across their
chest with their hats, and then when they're watching them
on TV and you're tainting some of their dreams, you're
more of a politician. You have a community behind it.
(49:24):
You have to understand that's the responsibility. You buying a
team was the biggest responsibility ever. And people gonna look
at you way after the court or the game is over.
You're a politician. He realized at that moment that, as
you said, I've never heard really being said like that
is your performance is off camera as well, and people
(49:46):
are investing in And I really think that so many people,
whether they're representing their family, a business, a company, and
the individuals they need to think about, their performance is
always on whatever that deems to be.
Speaker 1 (50:00):
I agree. Well, I just got back from doing a
comic con this weekend, and that's where it's overwhelming. You know,
you asked about like breaking points because you're meeting thousands
of fans over the course of ten hours, and then
you can't you walking back to your hotel room and
more people are coming up, and then more people and
everyone's coming up. It's just a constant. You have to
(50:21):
be constantly on for fourteen hours, and it can be
it takes a certain reserve of energy. You have to
dig so deep to keep going because you can't lose it.
But I love it. I love the adrenaline of it.
I think I'm an adrenaline junkie when it comes to that.
I love seeing how far I can push myself to,
(50:44):
you know, and still give people the experience they have
come to hopeful they it's what they hope for, right
most people what they do for a living. I did
for most my entire life. I hated what I did,
you know, until I got into TV development that I
started to love what I did. And now I definitely
love what I did. But my first you know, twelve
(51:06):
years out of college, I freaking hated my jobs and
you know, hated the community. And if that's me, that's everyone.
Speaker 3 (51:12):
Everyone is like.
Speaker 1 (51:15):
They just need that. They're hoping for that little laugh, smile,
better feeling from you, and it's my responsibility to give
it to them. And whether they're hoping when they read
one of them books to scream a little bit they're
hoping to laugh when they watch a TV show. They're
hoping for just a break from what is going on
(51:36):
in their life. And I feel a personal responsibility for that,
just like and if I got to push through my
own shit to give them that, I will because I
can do it.
Speaker 3 (51:46):
I have it in me to do it.
Speaker 1 (51:47):
You know.
Speaker 3 (51:47):
Well, I gotta tell you, man, and thank you man.
This moment you're is such a powerful person that people don't.
Speaker 2 (51:54):
You know, I may give people, you know, I hope that,
you know, earlier on in life, people of ownership and
a feeling of pride in a community. Then hopefully I've
given them ways to empower themselves. But you know, when
somebody comes to your show, they may be on their
first date, they may be celebrating their daughter's eighteenth birthday
(52:16):
or whatever the case is, and for that moment, you
you allow them to forget about life. Right.
Speaker 1 (52:23):
I'm just hoping that if people there are on their
first date, our show is funny enough that they get
laid afterward.
Speaker 3 (52:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (52:29):
If I can just get a single fan laid, my
job is done.
Speaker 3 (52:33):
That That's what I'm That's what I'm talking about.
Speaker 2 (52:37):
And that little moment that you share with them to
begin about the rest of the world is so so
goddamn powerful man that I appreciate what you've done, and
I appreciate all those moments you share with us, man,
And you know what, I agree with everything you say,
except for the fear factor, because you know, listen when
I when I go to Gold and Corral and its
it's ten o'clock and they got the doors closed and
(52:59):
I'm scared to death.
Speaker 3 (53:01):
That's not fun for me. But other than that, man,
I really appreciate the time that you spelled with us. Man.
Thank you for sharing that moment with us.
Speaker 1 (53:09):
It's been great meeting you, buddy. I hope to meet
in person soon and keep on entertaining us. Love it.
Speaker 3 (53:14):
You got a brother, bee take it for.
Speaker 2 (53:19):
That moment with Damon John is a production of the
Black Effect Podcast Network. For more podcasts from the Black
Effect Podcast Network, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you listen to your favorite show and don't forget
to subscribe to and rate the show. And of course
you can all connect with me on any of my
(53:41):
social media platforms.
Speaker 3 (53:42):
At the Shark.
Speaker 2 (53:44):
Damon spelled like Raymond, but what a d
I think we're addicted to the adrenaline rush, honestly, whether
that be or the endorphins. Whatever gets released in your
body when you're laughing hysterically like watching in Practical Jokers,
or screaming or shaking or hugging your loved one or
what have you. It's the adrenaline rush or the endorphin rush.
Whatever it is, is addictive, and I think we just
(00:20):
keep going back for it, back for it, back for it.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
What if I told you there was more to the
story behind game changing events? Get ready for my new podcast,
That Moment with Damon John will jump into the personal
stories of some of the most influential people on the planet,
from business mobiles and celebrities to athletes and artists.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Welcome to vast Moment with Damon John, and.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
I hope you are ready today for a really fun
episode because today I'm sitting with the prank king, James S. Murray,
better known as from the hit series and Practical Jokers. Now,
you might be one of knowing what the hell can
I learn from someone who tells jokes and orchestrates pranks
for a living, But trusting when I tell you this,
it's not often you learn from people within your industry.
(01:09):
Sometimes they're tuning Jay to learn how people did it
in another industry and apply it to.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Your industry and do it your way.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Murry is a very talented writer, executive producer, and comedian.
He's a member of the comedy troupe Everybody Knows the Tenderloins,
along with fellow and Practical Joke who stars Joe, Brian
and Sally you know the crew who actually they all
met in high school. Reminded me of my Foobal partners
and for over a decade, Murge served as a senior
Vice president of development for North South Productions and currently
(01:39):
he's the owner of Impractical Productions, LLC and co owner
of Badwoods Entertainment, which is a part of the First
Look development deal with WarnerMedia. Mr is also an international
best selling author with seven published titles and three more
brand new books hitting shelves in the next two years.
So the guy isn't just someone with comedy timing. He
(02:02):
is a brand. He is a businessman or a business woman,
whatever you want to be fully rounded business. Recently, mrch
starred in Practical Joke as the movie and his fellow
ten Luins, who together have been touring the entire world
and playing the sold out arenas. They even sold out
Massive Square Garden. Now that is no joking matter. You
(02:25):
tell me who have sold out the garden telling jokes? Right,
We're talking people big, people like Kevin Hard and Richard
Pryor and you know Eddie Murphy. I am so excited
to check out this man and what he has to
say and learn from his experiences and how he's able
to continuously provide entertainment to a global audience and make
(02:46):
us all a smile and just let us forget about
our problems with just a couple of minutes or a
couple of hours. All right, let's go all right, so listen, listen,
murray Man, thank you so much for joining us. I
am I really created the podcast because I want to
know those special moments that maybe we don't talk about,
(03:08):
not because not because we don't want to talk about them.
It is just because you know, we get it as
any individual whoever it is right, whether you're in the
public life like you are, or whether we're people hanging
out at the bar. I mean, you know, hey, what's
your name? So well, oh, let's tell in Jersey you
got the same thing, right, So I like to dig
a little bit into obviously that moment that it happened.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
So, uh, let me. I had a couple of questions here.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
I'm going to go off topic probably, but in regards
to performing, I always said to myself that I know
a lot of really amazing comedians performers, and they were
always that person. So what I find about the greatest
(03:53):
comedians they got beat up in school a.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Lot, and it's not fun, right.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
It was kind of like everybody hates Chris theory, right,
and it's kind of like that, you know.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
I would see comedians who just.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Like, well, now they're comedians, but I knew them a
little bit of when they were younger.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
Let's say we're in the sixth grade and the.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Biggest, the biggest guy, no matter what they did, all
the kids were great, and that comedian or that person
just couldn't help themselves. They just they didn't care about
the ass whoop and they were gonna get what they
were like, Man, your head is so big and they
just couldn't help it, and they know they old gonna
(04:38):
get someone was gonna happen?
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Was that you?
Speaker 1 (04:42):
No, No, it wasn't me. First of all, an honor
to be here. We have been fans of yours for
a decade now, so thank you for having thanks. Second, No,
I was not. I've only been in a couple of
fights in my life with the school bully, of course,
but I will you know, and I'm proud to say
that I popped him twice in the two different fights
(05:05):
in the right eye and give him black eye both times.
So nice. Since then, I never got messed with in school.
I was a pretty fairly well balanced kid. And uh no, no,
no torture in school for me. I was pretty I
was pretty good.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Well were you doing? Were you? Were you? Oh? Were?
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Everybody's a fan of a prank and a sense, But
it depends on how much you engage in a prank, right.
A lot of us like to watch it. Some of
us even like to be the victim of it if
it's all in fun and no matter what it is.
And then, uh, obviously we all liked to prank somebody
to some extent.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Which one were you more like?
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (05:42):
I definitely liked pranking people more we were Uh. We
went to an all boys Catholic high school in Sanaten Island,
So I mean we started pranking from day one. The
first time I met the other guys was in religion
class and as Miss Ferducia was teaching the beatitudes, uh,
you know, Joe would be dropping his nose on her
elbow she walked up and down the aisle. So I
(06:03):
think franking was in our blood from the beginning, because
you know, you go, you go to an old boys
Catholic school. You're not studying, you're not working. What are
you doing, You're just screwing around with your friends, you know,
to pass time. So I think that was built in
our DNA from childhood for sure.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
So today, you know, cranking is and stuned to whatever
you want to call him a whole nother level. You know,
I'm gonna you know, with the opening I shared with
people that your massive, massive success in regards to people,
you know, loving you. But I was in the mall
(06:41):
the other day, not the other day. I'll try to
them all. Last year, I'm walking around and kid just
runs by my wife and yells and you know, and
and then another you know, tries to scare her whatever
I want.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
My daughter right know, daughter's seven.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Another kid wokes up, you know, excuse me, you know
you're asking some stupid questions.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
Well, I don't think it's a stupid.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
At the time, I chased one of the kids, and
I can tell that they weren't together.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
But these kids were using the mall as there.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
I want to produce content that everybody's trying to top
each other. Now, I am not a tough guy. I
practiced the oldest. I practiced the two oldest forms of
self defense. The first one is running, yeah, the second
(07:44):
one is biting.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Actually the third one, the third one is pretty good
defense telling.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
Try not to do both the same time because you
could easily trip and fall if you're trying to bite
and run.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
That's true, unless it's unless you're eating a twizz.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
But the guy made you know, now the there's two
people in the world you don't want to mess with.
There's a mother and a father who whatever of whatever
it is, I don't care if it's a bear, I
don't care if it's whatever it is.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Right, So, now all of.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
A sudden, I run up on this guy and go, hey,
he's scared my wife. And my wife was with a
little girl because he was trying to callk the prank
and this guy was talling me.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
But at the moment I and I didn't want to
engage in that sense. I was just like, what are
you doing?
Speaker 2 (08:31):
The world has become a shock valued prank and there's
a lot of people that get hurt doing this, really hurt.
What would you say about how you know you made
a career out of it. You do it in a
(08:53):
way where you know there's a lot of work behind it,
there's consideration, there's a method to it.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
And this is not arbitrarily running up to a mother and.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
A child with a father right there and scaring them
to a point where they don't want to go back
at a malling well.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
They don't know if they're getting robbed or is the
fire or is the joke?
Speaker 1 (09:13):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
I don't even have that conversation right now where it's
it could you know, fun and.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Games is one thing, and then there's a problem you
may have.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
What do we I would really love your insight, because
way before this is popular in that sense you made
is something that was enjoyable, but it didn't you know,
you know it it was done in a good way.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Our take on it is this. We never liked prank shows,
you know. I always felt terrible for the people getting pranked.
They didn't sign up for it. They're usually being They're
usually the butt of the joke. They're being made fools of.
They don't realize people at home are laughing at them.
Very much the same way as these pranks on social
media go, you know what I mean, Like you were like, oh,
that's fun for the moment, but also when you really
(10:01):
think about it, it sucks for everyone else that's in
the scene except for the person doing it. So when
we created In Practical Jokers, it was based on Intel right. Like,
I worked in TV development for ten years. My job
was to create and sell TV shows for a living.
I kind of rose up over years and years in
my career, and then I started getting word from networks
(10:25):
that they were looking for hidden camera shows. They were
starting to come back, but they were looking for a
new twist on the hidden camera format. It's something that
hadn't been done before. So the guys that I got
together and I was like, you know, I think we
can sell a hidden camera show. We weren't prank guys necessarily.
We were comedians. We were standing up comedians, were sketch comedians,
improv comedians, and so we sat there in my apartment
(10:45):
In Joe's apartment, were like, how could we twist the
format in a way that hasn't been done before that
takes away what we hate about prank things, calculated choice.
What we hate is people who sign up for it,
they turn out to the butt of the joke. How
do we remove that? Well, what if we turn the
format on its head upside down and we are the
(11:06):
butt of the joke and the public is just there
to witness our embarrassment in the scene, being forced to
say and do things that we don't want to And
can we use all of our skills as bullshit artists,
as gentlemen, as what have you, whatever skills we pull
into the scene to work around, talk through, under over,
(11:27):
getting through the hardest, to come up with scenarios without
getting our ass handed to us, without getting punched on TV,
and without insulting people because we don't want I don't
want to hurt anybody, never, I don't want to think anybody.
I don't mind if I'm getting getting the business, do
you know what I mean? Or if I'm giving the
business of my friends. But so, what it did was
(11:48):
it made pranks much more enjoyable. It's also very existentially
just intrinsically nerve racking for us, you know, questioned my
career path every day. But it takes away what we
hated about prank shows. It makes it much more likable
as a result. So you know, there's lots of ways
(12:10):
to do prank that doesn't hurt other people.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
You know, And I think that that's the brilliant part
of what you do, because what I was really trying
to get at is I always say, there's nothing new
in this world. I didn't create new shirts, you didn't
create TV, you didn't create comedy, you didn't create pranking.
I mean, you know, you know, I'm a little older,
Alan Budkin, the camera, what you do or you know,
(12:33):
there's all this type of stuff, right, But when.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
You looked at it, and you looked at the need.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
For something out there and a passion whatever the cases,
how did you analyze to put a different spin on it?
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Was it?
Speaker 3 (12:46):
You know?
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Because I know, I think you shot the pilot and
everybody you know like and you can tell us a story.
I mean, but I think everybody's heard that before. Where
did you come up with I can do this and
put a spin on it? And you felt because a
lot of people have an idea, but they never did it,
and they keep saying, how this idea is going to
be so great?
Speaker 3 (13:06):
When did you decide that this is going to be
something good?
Speaker 2 (13:08):
And you know what, whether it's not good or not,
I'm going to put myself out there and be vulnerable.
As you said a question in your career, how did
you put that twist on? What should people be thinking
about any business they do? But let's even talk about entertainment,
which is going through a massive, massive restructuring.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
Now.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
People are going to be forced to figure out new
ways to entertain because of course you have these big
issues happening.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
You have conglomerates that are saying, well, AI can replace
a lot of that, you know, and then we just
need one person here. And of course.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
CGI and all this other stuff, so writing and all
this stuff like how do you get people to think
right now? And this really crazy time to put a
twist on something they love, It's already been done.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Know by the way, the guys and I got replaced
by AI about four seasons ago, so and no one noticed.
It's crazy. We were reared the curve. I'm not I'm
not actually on TV. I stopping on TV years ago.
No one, you know, it's just I'm I'm totally ai.
I'm a robotic at this point. But for us, you know,
serious is what made the difference for us is we
(14:22):
we stopped at one point what other people thought, right,
because we had failed so long. We failed for eleven
years people, you know, we we like to say internally
that we were an eleven year overnight success story, right,
you know, we failed for so long. It was only
like a year ago that I finally broke even between
(14:43):
failure and success in my life because I.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Was looking at my notes and you know, you released
over three hundred episode and we just recently celebrated hour
three hundred episode. It was on cracking out the five years.
But like man, because they that you really just started
to feel good about it.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Huh.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Now, yeah, you know it is we failed for eleven years,
then we get on TV in our mid thirties when
we were told we were too old for TV, we
were ready for TV. And then we've went on TV
now for thirteen years, so we just pulled ahead of failure,
right in terms are the balance of our lives. Right,
But what made the difference for us is that we
when Jokers came around. When we created Jokers, it had
(15:26):
been our third attempt at television. We shot a pilot
for Spike TV, didn't go to series. We shot a
pilot for an improv comedy show for a Andy, didn't
go to series, and we were literally ready to give up,
and we tried one more time, and at that point
we honestly didn't care if people said yes or no.
We just wanted to go out there and do something
(15:47):
that we felt was unique to us but also relatable.
And what was unique to us was that our friendship
in chemistry was so real and organic and authentic. That
were like, if we can create a show that puts
forget prank forgetting impractive. Jokers is a buddy comedy, that's
all it is. You know. The format is all nonsense.
(16:08):
The format is just something to put our friendship on display,
you know. And as soon as we figured out what
our hook was and stopped caring about what other people
thought and just said, you know, screw it, Let's do
what we think is funny and we think is natural
to our friendship, that's when we all came together. It
was the right time, right format that we created, right
(16:29):
display of our talents as improv comedians, right display of
our friendship, and that's what people latch onto. As you know,
it's I think it's funding the right marketing hook at
the right time. Uh So it's business savvy mixed with
UH having a product that is authentic and real and
people connect to UH. And you say, you know, screw it,
I don't care what other people think. I just can't.
(16:52):
I just can't not do this. You know, I have to.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
Succeed, you know.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
The tendin that's it's four in the ten one right
or sir, Yeah, it's far so it's the same. You know,
it really is the same that we can learn from.
It's it's four in fooval right. We didn't care what
people though. We didn't care what was done in the
market prior. We cared that we were going to make
this stuff and we knew that we loved it and
(17:22):
whoever else loved it, who was going to be like us?
Who loved for this culture the clothing boom. You know,
Shark Tank was going to be canceled. The first three years,
none of us stopped.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Uh you know it was five of us or six
you know, actually who was like no wasted.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
I'm not showing up again to shoot again, and you know,
you're talking about accomplished people that have egos. At that
point to say, somebody was like, you know, I remember
they moved us around about ten times, and they put
us on Friday Night, and I remember Kevin o'livy said
something like, hey.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
You were on, probably not at eight o'clock, and they
were like.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Don't they burn the Yule log on TV? And like,
you know, nobody, nobody was checking out Friday night.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
They used that American flag comes on screen and then
it goes to static, yes in the American.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
Flag exactly, and we showed up and we didn't care.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
And then we would go to you know, TV shows
that the only people would take us because initially, you know,
before Cuban was on, they were like.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
Who is Kevin Damon, Like, you know, nobody knows these people.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
We wouldn't get on any any big talks, even on
our own network, but we kept doing it.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
And I think that what I think, maybe.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
That is probably one of the most profound things that
I have heard off of all my guests in a
very simple math, because so many other people here have friends,
uh and they want.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
To do it.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
But what what kept you together is probably a question,
right because the Sharks were all accomplished, we have the
liberty of showing up or now, we didn't need each other,
right foogle? What kept us together is this to fight
the system within the you know, fight the system within
the system, freat change and we want to dress ourselves.
(19:08):
When money started to plow and made money, wasn't there
what kept you together? Did you guys want to quit?
Did you guys say you don't wasting my time?
Speaker 3 (19:15):
Like what happened?
Speaker 1 (19:16):
You know? You know, good question. We've been friends with
thirty four years. That's what kept us together, honestly, you know.
I mean a week before we came up with the
idea for Impractical Jokers, we kind of split apart and
we're like, this is not working. We tried twice. We
(19:38):
got word like a month before before we created Practical Jokers.
A month before one network president told us that we're
too old for TV. You've heard this story before from
other people, right. Another networkersid and told us that we
were ready for TV. And then we kind of said, well,
screw it, it's not gonna work it. We were already
in the mid thirties. We already had careers. I was
working TV development. Joe's a salesman, sal owned a barques
(20:02):
in and accomplished decorated fireman FDNY for eight years of
that point, and we're like, well, it's just not gonna happen,
you know. And then and then we let it sit
for like a week, and then we're like, well, we
miss each other. We still want to do it. And
we got back together Joe and as apartment because we
lived in a what is the thing with your book?
One of your books, the power of Power, Power Broke
(20:26):
Joe and I lived in Manhattan, downtown Manhattan. We couldn't
afford to live apart. We lived in a seven hundred
square for the apartment. There were three of us Joe
is now myself, one shared bathroom. His bedroom did not
have electricity in it. If we had to run an
extension court from the hallway into a BS wall. We
put up in the home office for his bedroom. Right,
(20:49):
But in that.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
Office with three people living in a seven hundred square
foot place.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
Yeah yeah, right, And that's where we created in practical Jokers, right,
the guys that I got together, that's the power broke Man.
We had I remember, I mean there was one month
I didn't have enough money to pay the damn rent,
you know, so so we had to succeed. We had to,
and we just we got together. We missed being We
let us sit for a week when we're like, it's
(21:14):
not gonna work, let's kind of go just pursue our
individual careers. A week later we got back together. Joe
and os House were like, well, screw it, let's let's
try again for a third time, like three times a
charm and thank god man, and to talk about another show.
Us that night we came up with two ideas for
TV shows. One I won't mention because it never would
have sold, and second was impractical Jokers. And we're like,
(21:36):
which one do we do? And we literally flipped a
coin and we ran with impractical Jokers and uh and
here we are here we are here we are thirteen
(22:03):
years later, and now I have a home and a
beautiful wife and puppy and uh and uh and you
know things are going well.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
You stuck it out, you know every one of you did.
Did every one of you take the stage as comics
or so right? Or how many how many of you
took this were stage wise, would purely you know, stand up.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
We all we've done comedy together for such a long time,
like live performances, mostly improv, but we also do stand
up comedy. The Impractical Jokers tour, the Cineum Comedy, My
solo tour mer Live is cent up comedy. Uh so,
and then we used to do sketch comedy. We don't
really do that anymore. But no, that I mean that's
what we started. We did in prov in high school together,
(22:47):
and in Practical Jokers is ostensibly an improv show.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
No, yeah it is, but you know you have a
best sit in audience because there are already fans of
you and they're waiting right to hear you, right, so
you have the best at interest.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
But it started some way up.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
Would there be a Would there be a more difficult
job in entertainment than being a stand up comedian that
to earn every single joke?
Speaker 1 (23:14):
I don't know how setups do it. I honestly don't,
because we we're different than the typical standup We travel together,
so we're in it together. But we've also formed this
connection with our audience that I think a typical comic
doesn't have, Like we play actors on TV that you
might recognize, and like we play ourselves on TV. You know,
people come up and they feel they have an emotional
(23:37):
connection to us and they feel like they know us,
which they do. They know our real personality. So you
walk on the stage with a giant, giant advantage.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
That'shy I said, I got a vested interest, But my
question become rarely and even at this level where they
have a vested interest.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
And I don't like the film, but I think everybody
would have that.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
Have you ever had a bad night or a night
where you really thought you got comfortable with who you
are and what you do and it really didn't work
out that well? Now maybe maybe you go, well they
weren't rolling over, you know, holding their something it was okay?
Or did you get maybe a boot? I'm I'm trying
(24:22):
to find that to see that when people they get
to your level of uh, you know, where people really
love what you do?
Speaker 3 (24:31):
Do you still do you ever get to that point?
Speaker 1 (24:35):
Yeah? Sure, man, We're we're always our own worst critics
for sure. You know, I always know when it can
deliver joke better and the guys that I feel it, uh,
anytime our performances off is usually liquor related. You do
one too many shots of whiskey in the afternoon, then
you got got a sober up for the show, and
now you're like, oh, shoot, shouldn't have that last shot
(24:57):
you felt?
Speaker 2 (24:57):
You know. I know there's some comed comics and and
or speakers or a lot of people that film themselves.
I'm talking about when you do a live do you
go back and critique it. Do you have your your
nearest and best critics who will tell you the truth?
Would it be the fans that you know really know
you and will tell you your target? I mean, how do
(25:19):
you how do you stay on that edgine and critique yourself.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
That's that's why having the other guys on stage is
and valuable. Like we are self critiquing during the show,
you know, like who the microway from your mouth and
you're whispering to the other guys and you can feel it.
As a comedian, you can feel when something's out landing
or could be landing better if you twist or change
it or come up with a different joke. You just
feel it and know it. You know, that's our That's
(25:44):
why we get paid. That's why people pay for tickets
to make sure that we're at our best. So I
also feel a responsibility in life in general to always
be at my best, you know, like like you, I
write books I've gotten I've got eight books out in
store now and two more coming next year, adult thrillers,
children's books like you and uh. And I feel a
(26:06):
personal responsibility to our fan base to make sure they
are excellent, you know. Uh, same thing with their live shows.
They have to be great. The TV show has to
be great because the audience trusts us with it being great.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
You know, we do and we and we love you
for right now, I'm gonna ask another question.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
I was. I was at some talk show I was
about to go on, and they said Ben's Ben Siller
was there, and he was I think he was under
the weather. Now, I said, you know, hey, if Ben
is there, you know when he leaves and you know,
and you know, my dressing room was right there. They
can he come in for a second? I said sure,
(26:46):
And he came in and I can tell he was thick.
I mean, the man must have had the flu and
he was down. Now, I only say that I never
wanted to be a rapper or saying I mean I did.
But you know, there's this version of everybody thinks they
could sing, so they kind of come up to you
and they're gonna sing. I happen to be in a
great position in life where people come up I get
(27:07):
stopped all the time, thank God. And people want to
just be able to feed their families or follow their dreams.
Hey I have an idea, I have an invention, or
I have a business. These are these are real answers, right,
what's your sales? And it's cool and and they may
interrupt you in the hoddest places.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
But when Ben walks in.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
That room, I couldn't stop smiling. I mean, this guy
was was was was Greg fucker. He was you know,
he was you know, he was the guy and something
about Mary with the hook in his mouth.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
He was the guy that you.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
He was the He's the you know, And so I
would I was laughing so hard. And when I saw
him and he was probably like, I don't have time
for this. I'm sick. The guy's an asshole. Do you
get Do you get that a lot? Do you ever
get tied? I mean, you could be having an argument
with your wife, you could be trying to run in
(27:59):
the bathroom because you got on you broke a whole
another emotion out of people.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
Yeah. I mean, if I had a nickel for the
amount of times I've been interrupted while running with diarrhea,
I would be a very rich man. Yeah, it happens
all the time, man. But you know you, I think
that the TV is TV and performing live is half
the job. The other half of the job is at
(28:28):
you know, as public figures, we have a responsibility to
ah be the same in public or you know, so
I consider taking photos with fans out in public and
when they come up, you know, kids come up at
dinner and things like that as the other half of
my job. I signed up for it years ago. I
(28:48):
wanted it my whole life, and then we were able
to get it. And half my job is being great
on TV, being great on stage, being great when I
write books. The other half of my job is to
make sure people have a great experience when they come
up to me. Because the reason we have these things
is because they watch it, they support us, they trust
us to keep them. You know, if we just if
(29:10):
we make them laugh just a little bit more on
a typical day, that it's worth it. I consider it
a huge part of my job.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
You know, I've never heard anybody say that I gotta
be very long for everybody listening.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
That everybody doesn't feel like that. And I have.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
A I don't have any respect for people that they
work their life to get to that level and then
they push people away.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
And I've seen it happen a lot.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
I've seen, you know, celebrity basketball games and a singer
and a woman coming up with her little three year
old or seven year old girl and.
Speaker 3 (29:49):
Say, hey, you know, can you you know, can you
sign a RD Or you're like, hey, we'll play in
a basketball game.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
You're a singer, you know, other of them like bass
whole you You're not in the NBA. You're here for
a reason, right, And maybe maybe that's the difference of
your career and others, because your career is.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
To go out there and bring joy and work for
every kind of laugh and joke. Maybe I don't know.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
Maybe I happen to know that most singers and entertainers
they wanted to bring joy to people too. They want
to sing a song, but maybe they had a heartache
in their life and they sang a great song that
became the biggest song in the world and it keeps
playing like you have to earn it.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
Every time, and I guess I don't know, but I have.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
There's probably about there's a good portion of people who
are in this spotlight who knew they wanted to be
in this spotlight, who really shun people away, and I
just I'm fascinated. So when you say it, and I'm
the same way as you, I don't want people thinking that,
you know, it's always like that. There's a lot of
assholes out there, And I really appreciate you saying it
in a good way of going. You know what, that's
my job because I always say the day that I'm
(30:56):
tired of it.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
I see the cameras around me, I need to step
away from the camera.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
Yeah, you know, I think it's a fundamental human nature
right is to always resent what you have, and I
think it's just in our DNA as a species. So
for me, I can't imagine living another way. Like I
wanted this my whole life. From when I was a kid,
I knew I wanted to be a comedian, knew I
(31:22):
wanted to entertain and then failed for so long, but
and tried every way possible to succeed and then when
we got it and it kept going and going and going,
I'm like, shit, man, this is the I'm living the
best possible life ever. It's made all good things happen,
like the reason I can write books, the reason I
(31:42):
can tour around the country, around the world, the reason
I have a beautiful home, and the reason it's all
because of our fan base. And I don't resent it.
I love it and I embrace it, and I don't know,
and I do recognize that people have different tolerances for that.
You know, I was kind of born with a higher
tolerance for public in direction in the average person, I think.
(32:04):
But I love it, man, It's part of our job
for sure.
Speaker 2 (32:07):
Well let's talk about when you're behind the camera, because
there's a you know, executive producer embers of the thing
you have.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Oh yeah, the camera. I'm a total dick, that's what.
Speaker 3 (32:16):
You know. How it is?
Speaker 2 (32:17):
And you know some people have the oh my man
for this and that, I don't do it like this
and that. So I want to know, how are you
you know, I know you could be joking. I never know,
because you're in a practical toka. But well, when do
you when do you need to be a dick period
any I'm talking about you know, listen, if I'm at
(32:39):
the store, think got the master out because they keep
the masks on. But there's somebody, you know, really steps
on my toe or or like pushing, like ignorance, whatever
it is. What I'm just using as an example, I
tend to walk away from it because they don't know
who I am, maybe at the time, or maybe they
do and either they're trying to start something or even
if they're not, as soon as I turn it on,
(33:04):
I don't have that. I'm on TMD in the wrong way. Yeah,
you know, when are you a dick?
Speaker 1 (33:13):
Uh? Interesting question.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
I don't think I've ever.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
Been asked that in an interview before. I don't know.
It's really hard to push my buttons in that way.
Only I think I'm a I would be a dick.
I could I could be pushed into that if someone
disrespected my wife. Yeah, probably, uh, probably my only trigger
at this point, you know. Uh. And often oftentimes it's accidental,
(33:39):
like somebody comes up there excited, if they bump into her,
push it, what have you? Uh that I could see
reacting to, not like childhood where I punched the bully
in his face. You know, but when are.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
You holding it back? Let me give you another example.
Here's when I hold it back.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
I hold it back or not only who I am,
but I hold it back because even if I did
not have a public stage, it's not going to end.
Speaker 3 (34:00):
Up well for me when the waiter comes to my
table and now the waiter for many years.
Speaker 1 (34:11):
Red lobster, Right.
Speaker 3 (34:13):
Yeah, thank you man. You know I was the way
from any years now gave a restaurant on the planet.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
You're telling me eight out of ten waiters table they
usually and what if people want to table?
Speaker 1 (34:23):
Hey, can I thank you it?
Speaker 3 (34:25):
Yeah? I'm waiting for them to do this, but they
never put out a pen in the paper?
Speaker 1 (34:30):
Can Can I tell you a funny quick?
Speaker 3 (34:32):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (34:32):
So, uh, you know when we first sold the TV show, uh,
we get picked up for season two. So the president
of the network back then and the second command of
the network wanted to take us out to dinner to
celebrate that we got picked up for season two. It's
a big deal, right, So the president the network wanted
to take us to a really expensive seafood place in
(34:55):
New York City called per Se, Right, like, no, no, no, no, no, We
don't want to go to per Se. We want to
go to Red Lobster in Times Square to celebrate. And
in the Number two. The president of the network was
the type of guy that had never been to Red
Lobster in his entire life, right, and so he he
relents and said fine. He says, fine, we'll go to
(35:17):
Red Lobster. How do we get reservations and we're like, no, no,
you don't make reservations allowed, right. Anyways, he calls ahead.
They're able to get the back private room and the
Times Square Red Lobster for us, and we go there.
We supposed to meet him there at like seven o'clock
at night to celebrate with the number two at the network.
The guys and I get there first and we're in
this back private room alone. The waiter comes in and
(35:39):
we said, you know what, since he's never been here before,
he has no idea what he's in for, what the
restaurant's like. So we said to the waiter, look, our friend,
our two friends about to join. We want to play
a little joke on him, but you can't tell him
it's a joke. It's only between us. We promised, go'll
be okay anytime we order anything on the menu at
Red Lobster, we want you to bring and charges for
(36:02):
three times the quantity of that item. So if we
order a pound of crab legs, we want you to
three pounds of less and so crab legs. Right, if
we order what have you like, multiply everything by three.
It comes. We all order. Lots of food comes out.
Keep in mind the President Network has no idea what
the quantity food is supposed to be a lobster. The
(36:24):
bill comes. Now there's six of us, none of us
are drinking. It's a business dinner. The bill comes, The
President Network unfolds the folio. The bill unfolds four times.
The bill was fourteen hundred dollars. Right, fourteen hundred dollars,
(36:45):
no liquor, just dinner. That's a lot of which is
a lot of money for Red Lobster. Right, he looks,
he's now he's in a situation where he doesn't want
to embarrass himself because he's never been there. He he
you know, he's paying for the bill, but he's also
shocked at what the total was. Right, He's he's thinking
(37:08):
for lobsters, Jane restaurant's gonna be cheap. What happened, right,
He doesn't understand, but he also doesn't want to scan
the bill and look like a Jackets. Right. Meanwhile, I'm
on the Red Lobster mailing list, so I have a
coupon in my back pocket for five dollars off of
the adult Obe. So I see the bill come out.
(37:28):
We're all crying, laughing, and unfold. I tick out the
five dollar coupon and I said, hey, Mark, just you
know what I do have a five dollars coup on.
He says, can I curse? Yeah? Okay, he says. He
looks at the coupon, who's five dollars? He goes, fuck
your coupon, and he cls up. He pays the bill.
(37:49):
We get in the subway to go back to my
old apartment. We are crying laughing. To this day, he
does not know that story. Sometimes the life man, you
gotta celebrate successes.
Speaker 3 (38:06):
Well now you know, so, I don't know you're gonna tell.
He probably went back to alf though, or if somebody,
and he probably like, what the fuck was that?
Speaker 1 (38:15):
It's just I just loved the idea that he had
to go into the you know, doing department of True
TV to explain how we spent fourteen hundred dollars at
a chain flopster nun.
Speaker 3 (38:29):
But it wasn't I say, oh, I was talking about
talking about the things that pissed me off. But I
love that story.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
The what I was gonna say, you know where I
get anxiety is like, so it's for the way to
come to the table, right, the six of us. He
doesn't pull out a pen, she doesn't pull up a pen, paper,
And I don't want to be the asshole and be like,
you're gonna forget shit?
Speaker 3 (38:48):
Why you're not impressing me.
Speaker 2 (38:51):
You're really not impressing me by doing it for memory
because I made have forgotten.
Speaker 3 (38:55):
Because it's a new MANU. I haven't seen whatever the
case is?
Speaker 1 (38:58):
Right?
Speaker 2 (38:58):
Did I ask for the I don't know the whatever
the crab meats something on the thing or whatever, But
why will.
Speaker 3 (39:06):
They not write it down and then when it comes
out it becomes out wrong?
Speaker 2 (39:10):
Well, now I gotta be an asshole, or do I
be an asshole to begin to say, hey, get a
goddamn pen because I don't want a lungy in my food,
right because now I'm talking to them like a child.
Speaker 3 (39:20):
But it's a pen.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
They got a lot of things or whatever it is,
or a chart. They got a lot of things going on.
You gotta take the you gotta take the meal. Or
from six people. One's the one dressing on the side.
One has a peanut allergy, and you gotta take the drink.
Orders you're texting your boyfriend, girlfriend's son, husband or wife,
and betwey, you gotta plug it into the computer.
Speaker 3 (39:39):
The chef gotta push it out the right way. You
gotta get it wrong.
Speaker 2 (39:42):
Time I want and now I have anxiety. I'm at
the table when it comes back wrong. I didn't ruin
or right, but I can't say nothing. Everybody is at
the table.
Speaker 3 (39:54):
I want to be a dick. I want to be
a dick. You know, do you have any instances where
you're just like, here we go. You know, well they
lead the weapon when he said in the drive through,
they like this. It's the thing with me.
Speaker 2 (40:06):
Do you do you have to have anything like that
where all of a sudden you're no longer the lovable
guy that they know from TV and stage.
Speaker 1 (40:15):
I know, man, I keep all that in check. You know,
we've been on TV so long. I mean I'm in
control of my emotions at most almost always. But I
know what you're saying about the waiter thing. I think
everyone gets anxious when the waiter does not take out
a peny baby.
Speaker 3 (40:32):
But the way they do it now, it's.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
Almost like they want to brow I don't know where
it comes from. I guess they want to browse.
Speaker 3 (40:38):
Jimes.
Speaker 2 (40:38):
If you ever seen that, you get everything the way
you wanted and you're like this at dinner, man, did
you notice they didn't even have a pan?
Speaker 3 (40:47):
I'm so impressed. I'm gonna come back.
Speaker 1 (40:49):
There only one guy I know that can do that
every time. There's a great restaurant in New Orleans called
Antoine's and the guy who works there, he's third generation
waiter there and he he was literally, I think a
few years ago, voted best waiter in America and he
nails it every time. Man, I.
Speaker 3 (41:10):
Maybe they're all going for best Waiter in America, but.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
It could be a nationwide competition. You're we're just a
privy to it and they're just trying. That's how they
get nominated. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (41:22):
I don't know. I don't know. Well, you and I
need to create a new competition called best Handwriting for
(41:44):
waiters to take fucking notes.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
Dude, I can't. I can barely remember my niece's name,
much less of twelve people at the table's menu. What
are you.
Speaker 3 (41:54):
Excited about now?
Speaker 1 (41:56):
Though?
Speaker 3 (41:57):
With everything you got going on? You know, the one
like your books, children's book, various of the books, what
are you more excited about it? You looked at yourself
because you very clearly are grateful for the opportunity you've had.
The way people are absorbing information, I mean.
Speaker 2 (42:15):
The best thing about you is you have so many
tracks where they can absorb what you have in different ways.
But what are you excited about well, the next twenty years?
Speaker 1 (42:24):
Wow? Good question, twenty years. I'm a serial entrepreneur, you know,
Like what I love to do is create ideas and
sell them, right. So that's why I did well in
TV development in practical jokers's constant simulation. Creating new tour
is constant simulation. And then I just keep cranking out
ideas for books and thrillers. But the books are only
(42:46):
one part of the process. For me. What's exciting is
selling the ip as TV shows or movies.
Speaker 2 (42:53):
Right.
Speaker 1 (42:53):
So our children's books were out there. We sold the
TV rights to a great company called Non Story Writing.
These Uh, the live action script script right now, don't
move my thriller.
Speaker 2 (43:05):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
We are pitching as a movie right now. Uh, we
wrote the screenplay for it. My my goal, my love,
my first love is to pitch and sell.
Speaker 3 (43:14):
You know.
Speaker 1 (43:15):
I love creating new projects and selling them. So with
that in mind, I uh just created a new tech
company that will be launching next year. I created a
new Amazon company.
Speaker 3 (43:25):
No, okay, you'll be launching. Okay. I want to make
sure that anything you do when we know about it.
Speaker 1 (43:29):
Okay, yeah, you'll hear about it soon enough. I I
cracked a big problem that uh, that every that everyone's
been trying to figure out for a long time. No
one's been able to figure out how to make VR
a necessity, you know, need it, you know.
Speaker 2 (43:45):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (43:46):
And I cracked that. I cracked how to make VR
necessity or AR necessity for people, not just a curiosity. Uh.
That's one. And then I'm launching a new Uh. You know,
I'm passionate about telling shit, you know, I just love
doing it. So we have two more books coming out
next year, lots more ideas. I'm also passionate about creating
(44:08):
a I want to create a horror movie. Studio like
a Blumhouse type of thing, like a Blumhouse exactly right.
You know, I've got so many great thriller ideas, of
which I sell most of them as books and then
develop them as TV shows and movies. But I'm going
to go out pitching a this fall, a a scripted series,
(44:32):
horror series written by me and the guys, And I
of course pitched lots of TV shows. We develop lots
of everything all across. You know, we have a first
look with Warner Warner Discovery, and we're just cranking out
ada after idea. That's my you know. So you know,
we do like five pitch meetings a week on different
(44:52):
ideas that we're developing or have you know shepherded. I
love that, man. I love the the hunt and the
pitch and the cell, the cell.
Speaker 3 (45:02):
What is it? Do you think? Because I'm really asking
a really important question to me, why would people pay
to get this shit scared out of them? Or to
think about people.
Speaker 2 (45:16):
Like carry the Omen or like Freddy Krugel is funny,
but why do people pay to get this shit scared
out of them? And for them to have just bad
I mean, they're bad memories of me? Maybe maybe this
is now my couch with the shrink. Why do people
(45:36):
pay for that? And why do sick people like you
create those things?
Speaker 1 (45:43):
I appreciate you calling me sick. I agree, uh, you know,
because I think it makes us feel alive, you know,
you know when you want it.
Speaker 2 (45:55):
In seven and seven, when Brad Pitt's going, what's that
the box?
Speaker 3 (46:00):
That doesn't make me feel alive?
Speaker 1 (46:03):
It's great, you know.
Speaker 2 (46:04):
I did not feel alive about thinking in the future
somebody will come in decapitate my wife and put her
head in a box.
Speaker 3 (46:12):
I didn't feel alive about that.
Speaker 2 (46:14):
Feel nothing alive about a little kid's head twisting around,
you know in the omen and definitely not Damian, I
love you's gonna be jumping off a roof and splattering.
I'm trying to understand where the alive is in that.
Unless you're a serial killer, please explain it to me.
How you feel alive?
Speaker 1 (46:36):
I think I think we're addicted to the adrenaline rush, honestly,
whether that be or the endorphins, whatever gets released in
your body when you're laughing hysterically like watching in practical Jokers,
or screaming or shaking or hugging your loved one or
what have you. It's the adrenaline rush or the endorphin rush,
whatever it is, is addictive, and I think I think
(46:57):
we just keep going back for it, you know it.
Speaker 2 (47:00):
If you want to do that, you can always move
this thus Jamaica Queens, and I promise you where I
came from, you're.
Speaker 3 (47:05):
Indoorphins will be going all night every night.
Speaker 1 (47:09):
Yeah, well that's you know, basically, I'm gonna base my
horror studio out of you know, Jamaica Queens. You're just
gonna go right there. That's what the best best material because.
Speaker 2 (47:22):
There people used to do there and somebody goes, hey, yo, man,
give me all that ship in the studio.
Speaker 3 (47:26):
You'ven like, Wow, this is really working. I'm really excited.
That's what's gonna happen.
Speaker 1 (47:30):
It's just the adrenaline. It's hitting real strong right now.
Speaker 3 (47:33):
I got it.
Speaker 1 (47:33):
I think I just love coming with ideas that make
you think and scared the ship at you or make
you laugh hysterically. It's all flip side of the same coin,
you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (47:46):
Yeah, I wanted to hopefully open up some of that
genius in you and to understand a little bit about
the things that you know, it's those moments that we're
talking about. The moment that you are and that you
reflect on this of an hundred square put apartment with
three people at an office, or you know, the moment
that you know you decided that this is going to
(48:09):
be you know, your career and or you know the
moment that you just realized, Man, you work really hard
for it, but at the end of the day, your
job never stops.
Speaker 3 (48:17):
I think so many people don't realize that.
Speaker 1 (48:20):
You know.
Speaker 2 (48:20):
Mark Cuban told me one day that he's like, you know,
when I bought the team, I was young and I
had a lot of money and I bought the team
and I was like, cool, you know, I'm by the team.
And then I was cursed at the rest and I was,
you know, doing all this because you know, man, I
own a team. And then yeah, he said, all these
writers are writing about me.
Speaker 3 (48:41):
And then he said I was like, I don't care.
Speaker 2 (48:43):
This is he said, this is where I got my
initial you know, reputation, the crazy guy. And then somebody
said to him, you know, no matter what economic uh
you know, financial status you have and.
Speaker 3 (48:59):
You know in Dallas or around the world, you know.
Speaker 2 (49:03):
There are children watching that team and wanting and there's
a glimpse of hope for them, whether it is the
team sports, the individual players. They wear mads across their
chest with their hats, and then when they're watching them
on TV and you're tainting some of their dreams, you're
more of a politician. You have a community behind it.
(49:24):
You have to understand that's the responsibility. You buying a
team was the biggest responsibility ever. And people gonna look
at you way after the court or the game is over.
You're a politician. He realized at that moment that, as
you said, I've never heard really being said like that
is your performance is off camera as well, and people
(49:46):
are investing in And I really think that so many people,
whether they're representing their family, a business, a company, and
the individuals they need to think about, their performance is
always on whatever that deems to be.
Speaker 1 (50:00):
I agree. Well, I just got back from doing a
comic con this weekend, and that's where it's overwhelming. You know,
you asked about like breaking points because you're meeting thousands
of fans over the course of ten hours, and then
you can't you walking back to your hotel room and
more people are coming up, and then more people and
everyone's coming up. It's just a constant. You have to
(50:21):
be constantly on for fourteen hours, and it can be
it takes a certain reserve of energy. You have to
dig so deep to keep going because you can't lose it.
But I love it. I love the adrenaline of it.
I think I'm an adrenaline junkie when it comes to that.
I love seeing how far I can push myself to,
(50:44):
you know, and still give people the experience they have
come to hopeful they it's what they hope for, right
most people what they do for a living. I did
for most my entire life. I hated what I did,
you know, until I got into TV development that I
started to love what I did. And now I definitely
love what I did. But my first you know, twelve
(51:06):
years out of college, I freaking hated my jobs and
you know, hated the community. And if that's me, that's everyone.
Speaker 3 (51:12):
Everyone is like.
Speaker 1 (51:15):
They just need that. They're hoping for that little laugh, smile,
better feeling from you, and it's my responsibility to give
it to them. And whether they're hoping when they read
one of them books to scream a little bit they're
hoping to laugh when they watch a TV show. They're
hoping for just a break from what is going on
(51:36):
in their life. And I feel a personal responsibility for that,
just like and if I got to push through my
own shit to give them that, I will because I
can do it.
Speaker 3 (51:46):
I have it in me to do it.
Speaker 1 (51:47):
You know.
Speaker 3 (51:47):
Well, I gotta tell you, man, and thank you man.
This moment you're is such a powerful person that people don't.
Speaker 2 (51:54):
You know, I may give people, you know, I hope that,
you know, earlier on in life, people of ownership and
a feeling of pride in a community. Then hopefully I've
given them ways to empower themselves. But you know, when
somebody comes to your show, they may be on their
first date, they may be celebrating their daughter's eighteenth birthday
(52:16):
or whatever the case is, and for that moment, you
you allow them to forget about life. Right.
Speaker 1 (52:23):
I'm just hoping that if people there are on their
first date, our show is funny enough that they get
laid afterward.
Speaker 3 (52:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (52:29):
If I can just get a single fan laid, my
job is done.
Speaker 3 (52:33):
That That's what I'm That's what I'm talking about.
Speaker 2 (52:37):
And that little moment that you share with them to
begin about the rest of the world is so so
goddamn powerful man that I appreciate what you've done, and
I appreciate all those moments you share with us, man,
And you know what, I agree with everything you say,
except for the fear factor, because you know, listen when
I when I go to Gold and Corral and its
it's ten o'clock and they got the doors closed and
(52:59):
I'm scared to death.
Speaker 3 (53:01):
That's not fun for me. But other than that, man,
I really appreciate the time that you spelled with us. Man.
Thank you for sharing that moment with us.
Speaker 1 (53:09):
It's been great meeting you, buddy. I hope to meet
in person soon and keep on entertaining us. Love it.
Speaker 3 (53:14):
You got a brother, bee take it for.
Speaker 2 (53:19):
That moment with Damon John is a production of the
Black Effect Podcast Network. For more podcasts from the Black
Effect Podcast Network, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you listen to your favorite show and don't forget
to subscribe to and rate the show. And of course
you can all connect with me on any of my
(53:41):
social media platforms.
Speaker 3 (53:42):
At the Shark.
Speaker 2 (53:44):
Damon spelled like Raymond, but what a d
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