Sophie Buddle [Interview]

Hello Folks! We have an absolutely wonderful interview to share with you all today. We have the absolutely hilarious comedian Sophie Buddle gracing our digital pages, and we could not be more excited for this incredible honor. Sophie is literally one of the funniest human being that I (Ron) have ever witnessed perform stand up comedy. Admittedly, I have not seen her live, but I swear on the pack of Newports that are directly next to me that I desperately want but shouldn’t have because they kill me, that she is absolutely hilarious.

Okay, anyway, I haven’t seen Sophie live, but I swear it is a life goal to do as such. I’ve gone down a rabbit hole of her videos on YouTube, listen to several podcast appearances….and I just feel like she is a natural at the job and unique in so many ways. She’s a talent that is beknownst (I’m making that a word) to so many of the greatest minds in that are currently working in the world of comedy, and has a fan base that is flourishing faster than a field of sunflowers in the south of Spain.

So Folks, I am so pleased that Sophie was able to take some time out of her day to share a few answers with us here. She’s just an incredible person, and to have her here is a real honor. So, enjoy some wonderful words from the brilliant Sophie Buddle!

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What inspired you to get into the world of comedy? Was it something that you have wanted to do since your youth? Or did you happen to find yourself in this world one day?

I think I’m just lazy and complain a lot, so job wise it was either comedy or President of the United States. I’m not good enough at twitter to be president though.

What was your first paid gig in the world of comedy? And were there any sort of lessons learned from this experience that still affect your work today?

Whenever the first gig I ever had was, till my current paid work, it pretty much always comes down to somebody recommending you. I think it’s like that at most jobs so the lesson is be nice to some people occasionally.

Whenever we have the opportunity to have comedians who tour across the U.S. and Canada on the site, I always like to ask this question: What are some more obscure cities to perform comedy in that some people may not realize are wonderful? What are some of these “fly-over” locations off the coasts that have wonderful audiences?

I love performing in Halifax! I always recommend it to comics. Winnipeg also has one of the best clubs in the world (Rumors Comedy Club)

Can you tell us a bit about your podcast that is coming up on being a year old known as Obsessed with Sophie Buddle. How did this concept come about? And how has your experience been in bringing it to the world?

I sound like such a loser saying this but I love my podcast so much. It can be tough to find a way as a comedian to put something out regularly. We like to save our stand up for an album or a tv spot, and unlike musicians we can’t really just drop a single or do a cover to stay on people’s radar. Putting out a podcast is a great solution because it is like putting out stand up at a different pace. It’s obviously not as punchy or well thought out but it’s still your ideas and personality. Each week a guest and I pick an obsession that we have to talk about, it can be anything big or small, but I like to talk about stuff I like and am interested in because it’s easy to fall in a hole of negativity in comedy because it’s funny to make fun of stuff. The past couple weeks of quarantine have just been my boyfriend and I and they have been some of my favourite eps.

If you were handed the opportunity to write and produce the biopic of any legendary figure in Canadian comedy history, who would it be?

Catherine O’Hara she’s a living legend!! She has risen above comedy in my opinion and is just one of the greatest actresses of our time.

What does the future hold for you? Anything you would like to plug to our readers?

I’d plug my podcast and album which are both available everywhere, I’m writing on a new TV show too but I’m not allowed to talk about it. Once I’m allowed to talk about it though please check it out.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

My boyfriend’s ears! They stick out and they are so cute and sometimes one of them is red!!

Carlos Alazraqui [Interview]

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You have done extensive work in the world of voice over work. We have spoken with many folks who work in this field. And I am always curious to know how the work compares to on screen work? For you personally, how do you draw yourself into creating a character without physically being on screen creating the look of the character yourself? And how would you say it is similar to on screen work?

Voice acting, like stand up comedy, is theatre of the mind. We do it naturally. Think about playing with dolls as a kid or talking to your pets. You create scenarios in your head and play them out. Voice vs on camera is relative to the project. Reno 911 is a blast. Some on camera gigs you wait around all day for ten minutes of shooting. Some VO gigs are more tedious than others as well. I have NO problem not playing off others- it’s how all of us audition

If you were handed an unlimited budget and all means necessary to create the biopic of any legendary figure in American history, who would it be about?

Ruth Bader Ginsburg comes to mind. 90 yer plus and still a Supreme Court Justice. Still fighting cancer. The road she must have taken and the obstacles….

What does the future hold for you? Anything you would like to share with our readers?

More VO work for sure- Kamp Koral, Maya And The 3, Trese, Casagrandes. My film , Witness Infection is nearing distribution – go to WitnessInfection.com – more writing. Playing with my kids, hopefully returning to Banc Of California Stadium to see my beloved LAFC.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

Just my two girls, Rylee and Austen every day! That and Love on the Spectrum on Netflix!

Melanie Chartoff [Interview]

Hello Folks! Today we have another wonderful interview with a legendary figure in the world of art and entertainment. It’s Melanie Chartoff! If you can think back a few days, you may remember that we had the pleasure of sharing some words with the great Cheryl Chase, who happens to voice the hilarious Angelica in the wonderful animated series Rugrats. Well, we are at it again Folks! Within her half decade of great successes and massive achievements, Chartoff has been the voice behind one of the greatest television mothers of all time, Didi Pickles! Yes, that oh so nurturing and often concern voice you have been listening to your entire lives is none other than the great Melanie Chartoff.

We are very excited that Melanie took some time to answer a few questions with us and allowing us to have her here at Trainwreck’d Society. Full disclosure: this is yet another interview that was completed about 4 months ago, and it is only the fault of my own that it is just now seeing the light of day. We are slowly getting back on our feet here, and we are so excited to have Melanie be a part of the reclamation process.

So Folks, please enjoy some incredible words from the amazing artists, the great Melanie Chartoff!

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What inspired you to get into the world of entertainment? Was it something you had wanted to do since your youth? Or did you happen to find yourself in this world one day?

My family was paralyzed by depression, so I created distractions to cheer us up-hand puppet shows, impersonations of my aunts, Ed Sullivan, Khruschev, and plays that were put on at my school.  When I was thirteen I went to a play at a professional theater and an actor walked through the audience and explained some of the tale directly to me and whoosh. I believed I was in his world inside his story. When I realized I could make a career of taking people on imaginary trips, too, that was it.  I’m still doing it—in writing and acting and coaching other people in the art of believing they’re somebody else in another world. It’s the greatest esape.

What was your first paid gig in the world of entertainment?

When I was fifteen I was a go go girl with the Crystals at a mixer at Yale University.  Phil Specter wanted to cross over his black girl groups to more mainstream venues, so he hired wholesome white girl dancers to back them up.

And were there any sort of lessons learned from this experience that still affects your work to date?

That there are many unique forms of artistic expression to explore and embody that can give you more of yourself.

You have famously voiced the wonderful Didi Pickles, and more, in the legendary animated series Rugrats, and you are incredible at it. I am curious to know what it is like to be a part of something so notoriously popular and has so much longevity? What have fan interactions been like over the years?

It’s been a joy.  Rugrats is a a cultural phenomenon.  Its demographic wasn’t just babies–it appealed to the hip of all age groups.  It spawned stage shows and action figures and fan clubs.

I have a girlfriend Lisa who was a supermom and super executive while raising her daughter. Jamie herself now an executive, recently told me that Didi felt like her other mother while her own mother was spending long days at the studio.

You have worked in just about every type of performance that exists, from voice over acting to Broadway, the big screen to the silver. With that, I am curious to know what your favorite type of performance is? If you were only able to do one for the remainder of your career, what would it be? 

I want to create dimensional characters in new stories with great collaborators on screens of all sizes. I have a soft spot for projects with music involved.

If you were handed the opportunity to create the biopic of any legendary figure in American history, who would it be?

So many political heroines I revere have been done and well.  Dorothy Parker was my favorite wordsmith but hers would be a too static sit down and drink story.

But Debbie Reynolds’ biopic would be theatrical. She started out a singing, dancing movie star; became a successful businesswoman; then was later faced with very public betrayals.  She was graced with a gifted, talented daughter Carrie, whose addictions drove them apart. Their deaths in tandem would make for a heartbreaking romantic finale.

What does the future hold for you? Anything you would like to share with our readers?

I coach folks all over the world on SKYPE (journalists, therapists, authors on presenting themselves charismatically in the public sphere. Currently I coach inner city boys on speaking with a strong stance and voice. They gain confidence that what they have to contribute is worth the energy to compose and articulate it.

And I’ve a book of essays and stories being published in 2021 called Odd Woman Out—33 hilarious, heartbreaking and hopeful stories from my half century acting and performing then, finally, very recently, becoming a first time wife and stepmother in real life.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

Watching Dave Chappelle win the Mark Twain Prize.

Cheryl Chase [Interview]

Hello Folks! Today we have another wonderful interview to share with you all. We have the absolutely legendary voice over & on screen actress Cheryl Chase with us! Chase has famously provided the voice of a young woman who may have very well defined a generation. Yes, for a lot of us 90’s kids (and beyond) Cheryl’s voice over work as Angelica Pickles in Rugrats has been as haunting and respectable to our ears as they come. She’s been mean, compassionate, adorable, and frankly misunderstood over the years. You knew she was good at heart, but you could always rely on her to do some very messed up things as the overboss type character in the series. At times you loved to hate her, others you learned to love her so much. Of course all of this is reflective on the character of Angelica themself, and not of Chase personally. But, when you are one of the most obvious voices of a generation, it has to become a part of you in some way, right?

Cheryl has had an incredible career in the world of film and television that extends far beyond the world of Rugrats, which will be discussed in her wonderful answers below. She is a damn fine human being and has some incredible insight to share with the world. She is also a children’s book author which is not only fitting but exciting! We are so excited to follow along with her career as it continues to flourish and impress the world, and we hope that you will do the same.

So Folks, please enjoy some incredible words from the wildly talented and incredibly cool Cheryl Chase! Enjoy!

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What inspired you to get into the world of entertainment? Was it something you had wanted to do since your youth? Or did you happen to find yourself in this world one day?

My grandmother, Julia was an actress on the stage and she and my grandfather used to run a small hotel that housed Vaudevillians when they’d come to perform in their town of Hazleton, PA. My father was a musician in a traveling orchestra where he played the trombone. I guess its in my blood to perform. As a child I always tried to make people laugh and mimic funny voices and perform and put on little plays with my friends so yes, I guess it’s in my blood.

What was your first paid gig in the world of entertainment? And were there any lessons learned from the experience that still affects your work to date?

I don’t remember off hand what my first gig was, but I remember in the early days one gig was where I was the voice for the baby in Baby Boom with Diane Keaton. Also, I played a Martian girl opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in Total Recall. Lessons learned…just do the best you can and be ready for anything that comes your way.

You have famously voiced the wonderful Angelica Pickles, and more, in the legendary animated series Rugrats, and you, are incredible at it. I am curious to know what it is like to be a part of something so notoriously popular and has so much longevity? What have fan interactions been over the years?

It has been a major blessing to be a part of such a global phenomenon. To make such an imprint on so many people. It is such a privilege to meet the now grown up fans who say that I was “their childhood.”

Another series that you worked on is one that is near and dear to my heart. And that series was Ren and Stimpy. I still hold this amazing series in high regard. With that, how was your experience in working on this delightfully silly series? And what are your thoughts on the legacy that it has left behind?

I was part of the production team besides doing voice work. I was a receptionist then later promoted to casting coordinator. I remember auditioning Tom Kenny (Sponge Bob) for Ren. During the production, before it premiered I also remember that we were sitting on something special. I knew this before the general public knew and it was kinda cool.

If you were handed the opportunity to star in the biopic of any legendary figure in American history, who would it be?

Helen Kane, the original Boop Boop A Doop Girl. In the 20’s, she was successful in Vaudeville that led her to be a promising musical comedy star at Paramount Studios. Her career was cut short by the success of Fleischer’s Betty Boop animated series. I used to perform as Helen Kane in a 20’s orchestra back in the 90’s. It would be fun to do it in film.

What does the future hold for you? Anything you would like to plug to our readers?

I love doing my voice over work, but, also I am a children’s picture book author. I have my first book being published and coming out next year.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

My little bunny rabbit, Sophie…when she yawns, it always make me smile.

Don FauntLeRoy [Interview]

Hello Folks! Today’s guest here at Trainwreck’d Society is nothing less than an absolute legend in the world of filmmaking. For over 40 years, Dan FauntLeRoy has been showing us the world through cameras in the most delightful ways. From his early work as a cameraman on legendary films such as Raging Bull, The Goonies, or T2: Judgement Day, right up to his more recent ventures as the leading director of photography on films such as the Jeepers Creepers trilogy. And, as one tends to do, Dan has managed to make his way into the director’s chair, including two Steven Seagal classics, Today You Die and Urban Justice.

And there seems to be no slowing down for Dan, even as the world seems to be slowing down around him. He has some wonderful projects in the can, which he will discuss below, and when the world allows him to strike, you can guarantee you will be seeing his name in those opening credits.

So Folks, it’s been a wonderful first week back, and I hope you will come back around next week! And with that, please enjoy some fine words from the brilliant Dan FauntLeRoy!

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What inspired you to get into the world of entertainment? Was it something you had wanted to do since your youth? Or did you happen to find yourself in this world one day?

Growing up all I did was play sports, never drew, painted, actually nothing artistic. When I was in the 11^th grade I took a course called Radio Speech Television. Our assignment was to write a script, storyboard it, do a shot list, film, edit, and turn it in. When I picked up a camera I saw the world as I had never seen it. I could compose, create, paint and tell a story. I was hooked. In the 12^th grade I did another film to help raise funds for a school of mongoloid children.  George Putnum, a KTLA  news anchor, opened his program showing my film.

It was then my father, an optical cameraman, and grandfather, a still photographer, told me to stay away from the business and go on to college, I did and playing baseball became injured and went to work form my father getting in the International Photographers Union at 19, the beginning of my career.

What was your first paid gig in the world of entertainment? And were there any sort of lessons learned from this experience that still affects your work to date?

My first job was driving for my fathers company who taught me very good work ethic and it has stayed with me through out my career.

While it is far from the only genre you have worked in, you have done some incredible work in the world of horror, which is one of our favorite genres around here. With that, I am curious to know how you enjoy shooting horror films? Is there anything about this genre that sets itself apart from other genres you have worked on?

I love shooting horror. But it not just the filming it is the post where the film and story become alive. The editing, sound design, music and final finished film delivered, each process one is re-making the film to become better and better.

In 2005 you directed the action-packed Steven Seagal fronted film Today You Die. I am curious to know what drew you to this project? What made you decide that you wanted to bring this story to life?

In 2004 I was hired to photograph Into The Sun staring Steven. Half way through the film Steven and his producer Binh Dang started talking to me about directing his next film Today You Die. I went on to direct and shoot Steven in four more films. I was just asked to direct another one but the pandemic has shut all production down.

If you were handed the opportunity to create the biopic of any legendary figure in American history, who would it be?

Pete Rose. I feel Baseball has treated him unfairly and his story needs to be told.  Also I believe he is one of the greatest baseball players of all time.

What does the future hold for you? Anything you would like to share with our readers?

Gates of Darkness came out [April 3^rd  2020] starring Tobin Bell. Later this year I have a Hallmark film coming out at Christmas, A Ring For Christmas and I just finished a directing a thriller Awaken which I am editing at the moment.

I have two wonderful films ready to go when the industry goes back to work.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

My beautiful wife Lesley-Anne Down whom I met on North and South in 1984 leaving Goonies and Steven Spielberg to meet her. Best decision of my life.

Tracy Newman [Interview]

Hello Folks! And once again, it is so great to be back and sharing some wonderful words with you all. Today we have an absolutely wonderful guest gracing our digital pages. It’s Tracy Newman! I was initially intrigued to have Tracy on the site based on my love for comedy and comedy writers specifically. I was previously aware of Newman’s work as an acclaimed writer in the world of television. Emmy Award winning, and with an obvious eye for proper good entertainment, I happened to notice that one day it just…..stopped. I was intrigued to say the least. Her credits dissipated over ten years ago. How could this be? What happened to the co-founder of the beloved Groundlings Improv Theatre? Well, what I would learn was not astonishing at all, it was actually insanely exciting.

Turns out, Tracy is even more talented and multi-faceted than I previously knew! It turns out, she did not simply dissipate into thin air. Not by a long shot. Tracy returned to her original passion….music. And let me tell you folks, she is damn good. Seriously, I have listened to her second album with the Reinforcements, I Just See You front to back more times than just about anything in recent months. It’s incredible.

And as time progresses, Newman only continues to thrive. It certainly appears that there isn’t much in the world of arts and entertainment that this insanely powerful can’t NOT do. And that is just one of the reasons that we are so excited that she decided to take some time out of her life to answer a few questions with us here today. So with that, please enjoy some wonderful words from the brilliant Tracy Newman!

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What inspired you to get into the world of entertainment? Was it something you had wanted to do since your youth? Or did you happen to find yourself in this world one day?

I’m not sure I ever thought about it. When I was about 8 years old, I liked to sit in a rocking chair and sing along to Judy Garland and various Broadway show albums. When I sang with Judy, I’m sure I was shouting, but I loved it. At 14 I started learning chords on guitar… I had cousins who were in the 1950s folk scene in LA. We had hoots in my garage… my parents weren’t into it, but they were generous with the space. After high school, I went to the U of A and met a lot of folk singers, like Bud & Travis, and a guy named Michael Cooney. I really learned a lot more guitar and songs hanging around them. I did radio shows and busked on street corners in Tucson. I got good. When I came back to LA, I hung around The Troubadour a lot, and got to know everyone. I don’t know when I decided I wanted to perform.

I just drifted into it. People would ask me to play somewhere, and I never said no. I was not a great singer or guitar player, and not a particularly great entertainer, but I was completely myself and comfortable on stage, which appealed to audiences. I was given a lot of opportunities to succeed in show business, which I consistently screwed up. After I started singing in coffee houses and small clubs and traveling with Hootenanny ’63 (we played every major concert hall in the country, twice, that year, including Carnegie Hall,) I think I was officially hooked.  I went to New York in late 1964 to become a “star.”

What was your first paid gig in the world of entertainment? And were there any sort of lessons learned from this experience that still affects your work to date?

I guess Hootenanny ’63 was my first real paid gig. Like a salary and traveling expenses and a per diem. Also, I played clubs like The Golden Bear and made a bit there, too. And at one point, Barry McGuire and I were a duo and played a Mexican restaurant in Westwood, called El Toril. (This was before the Christy Minstrels and Barry’s big hit record, “Eve of Destruction”.) I think we got paid, but I don’t really remember. In New York, I actually worked for money all the time. I played The Bitter End a lot, and a midtown bar/restaurant called Tobo’s, for about 6 months, 6 nights a week. I was paid there. I got $30 a night, plus tips from customers. Also, I did a PBS show for children on an existing series called What’s New. I don’t think I got paid, but the shows did well. You can find those on YouTube in black and white.

I learned so much during my 2 years in New York. Especially from doing that PBS series, I really learned the show biz edict “the show must go on.” Each show was half an hour and I had to memorize the whole thing, plus camera cues. The director didn’t want to do any edits, (Brooklyn College TV class,) so if I made a mistake 25 minutes into the show, we started over! That only happened once.

Many other exciting things happened during my time in New York, but that’s it for now. I’ll just say that many things had to do with the following: Ed McMahon and the Tonight Show, Bert Knapp, David Fisher, Tim Rose, Rodney Dangerfield, The Improv on 44^th and 9^th, etc.

In doing a bit of research for this interview, I managed to check out your album A Place in the Sun, and I have to tell you that it is FANTASTIC. You can now consider me a fan of the songs of Tracy Newman. With that, I noticed that you went full on into the world of music while According to Jim was becoming a hit series. So what primed the drastic change? What made you decide it was time to follow your original dream?

First of all, thank you for your comments about my first CD! As for leaving TV to do music – My partner John Stark and I had been writing TV from about 1989 to 2002 and I was burned out. We had had a great run, but it was time for me to move on. John is 10 years younger than me, so he still had a lot of energy for it, but I really missed playing guitar, writing songs and performing. After we created According to Jim, and it got picked up, John knew I wanted to quit TV writing, so we decided I would wait until the show went into syndication, so my future might be financially secure for a good deal of time. I knew I wouldn’t make any money doing music. I was 62. But it felt so good to get on stage at the Kulak’s Woodshed Open Mic, in front of 10 people and a dog, and sing my little heart out for no money. It was a relief. I was scared to death to perform, but at least I was risking something and felt very alive. I hope I’m making sense here.

If you were to create a new dramatic series about the founding of the Groundlings Improv Theatre, who would you cast as the key figures?

I wouldn’t do it, but  I guess the key figures would be Gary Austin, Tom Maxwell and me. Plus my sister Laraine, Archie Hahn, Phyllis Katz… oh my God, a whole slew of brilliant improv people. I don’t know. I would just be overwhelmed! The current members of The Groundlings main company are so amazing. I’m sure I could cast most of the show with them. I’m so proud of my part in the creation of The Groundlings. I love being a “founding member!”

We always like to ask our statue holding friends this one particular question: Where do you keep your Emmy? And does its physical location have any sort of symbolism or purpose?

I have bookshelves on each side of my downstairs TV. I keep the Emmy (and my Peabody Award) and a few pix of my daughter and now my grandson, to the right of my TV. I’m not sure about symbolism, but it seems like the right place.

What does the future hold for you? Anything you would like to share with our readers?

Tracy: I have a company called Run Along Home which is about music for children. So far, I have released three CDs – I Can Swing Forever, Shoebox Town and Sing with Me. My producer is Edward Auslender, and the COO is Leanne Summers. The CDs are available on all major platforms. You can say “Alexa, play Tracy Newman songs,” and you’ll get all of my songs for kids. For my adult songs, you have to ask for Tracy Newman and the Reinforcements. I love Alexa! And Siri, too!

Ron: What was the last thing that made you smile?

My grandson. During this COVID-19 self-quarantine time, I haven’t always been able to see him. He’s two-and-a-half. So, the other day, I got to hang out with him at his house all afternoon. At one point he came running to me yelling “I’m so happy! My Nana is at my house!” That made me smile, to say the least.

Check out more music and other works from Tracy Newman from her WEBSITE.

Joe List [Interview]

Hello Folks! As most of you know this is just our second outing since our previous hiatus that started last May. But, if I am being completely honest, I truly feel as though I (Ron) could end this whole damn thing right now. This is because I feel like today’s interview subject is as close to the pinnacle we could ever reach here at Trainwreck’d Society. Most of my heroes are dead. Hemingway, Kerouac, Chef Boyardee. All dead as fuck. With obvious exceptions, just about everything I love in the world of art and entertainment, I have been able to share some words from people associated with specific projects. Hunter S. Thompson killed himself? Maybe I should expand my idealism? I don’t know. But, I feel like the web has been casted so hard that Kirsten Dunst very well might consider kissing me upside down. Or not. Who knows. But, I’ve gotten Ralph Steadman on here. I don’t have Steadman tattooed on my back, but I have one of his drawings of HST there, so that feels like something, right?

Alas, I digress (once again). Today’s interview subject is the absolutely hilarious comedian Joe List. We have so many interviews with comedians on this little site of ours that it’s almost hard to keep count, but the list of the fine folks I have seen do their comedy live and in person in a very compact “theatre” is very limited. I saw Joe List at the Soho Theatre in London just this past summer. Remember when that was a reasonable thing to do? I have often thought about the fact that I bought two tickets, and everyone who said they could go with me, including my wife of 17 years, said they had to bail, ended up leaving at least 3 feet of space to the east of me. Did I know something about what the future held? No. No I didn’t. My wife just couldn’t make it.

Joe List is an exceptional comedian, definitely one of the best in the current game. His exceptional insight and 20 years worth of experience has made him one of the modern day giants. I’ve been wanting to have him on the site for years now. His wife (Sarah Tollemache) and his podcasting partner/probable lover in disguise (Mark Normand) have been on the site, but the man himself has eluded us for years. Maybe he hates me? It’s possible. It’s always possible I suppose. But mostly, I think he finally had something exciting to promote that happens to be free to everyone, so he understandably is willing to promote any damn way he can, even if it means a quick baker’s dozen of views from our little site.

Nevertheless, I am so damn happy to have Joe on the site today. His new special, I Hate Myself, will premiere tomorrow (August 6th) on YouTube via Comedy Central’s page. I hear he will even be on Maron’s podcast tomorrow, which is pretty cool. Sorry to beat you to it Marc, but you know, show bizness.

So Folks, I shall refrain from further babbling and let you all get right to the fine words that Mr. List was kind enough to share with us all. He’s a great guy, whether he realizes it or not, and we are so honored have him grace our digital pages today. So Folks, please enjoy some great words from the illustrious and ever brilliant Joe List!

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I understand that you got into the comedy game at a very young age. What was it about comedy at that point in your life that made you realize that it was the path you wanted to follow?

I had wanted to be in comedy from a very young age. I grew up during the big comedy boom of the last 80s and early 90s and I just thought it was so cool. I always wanted to be a part of it. It just seemed like so much fun and it also felt like a great way to get the attention I had been craving when I was young. I loved it and still do.

What was your very first paid gig in the world of comedy? And were there any sort of lessons learned from this gig that still affect your work to date?

The first paid gig I ever did was at a bar called the Emerald Isle in Dorchester, Massachusetts. My friend Ed Regal ran comedy shows in the back of his bar. I did the show without knowing that I would get paid for it. After my set he handed me probably $50 or $100 I can’t remember. At first I refused it. I said ‘oh no, you don’t have to do that’. He told me to take it and to never turn down money for working. It was a good lesson for me. If someone wants to pay you to do comedy, you let them. I’m grateful for him.

We always like to ask comedians who work the road most of the time, back when that was a thing, this question: What are some cities that are wonderful to perform comedy in that people outside of the business may not realize are great comedy towns?

The city I most enjoy performing in is Madison, Wisconsin. The club there is called Comedy On State. It’s just the best to me. The audiences are so nice and giving. The club is run so well, it’s just the best. That is number one for me. I also really love St Louis and Tampa audiences. I just always have a great time on stage in those cities.

I’ve been a big Tuesgay for close to 4 years now, even had Mark on the site a while ago. It is an absolute must listen to each week. I am curious to know what it is about your partnership with Mark that just seems to mesh so well? What made you realize that the two of you could spin proverbial podcast gold with your podcast Tuesdays with Stories? 

I think the thing that makes the professional relationship with Mark work is our mutual love for the TV shows Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Those two shows are by far the biggest influence on both of us comedically. It’s like we both went to the same college and studied the same subjects. I think we also both have similar desperation to entertain. And at this point we’ve been doing the show for so long that we just work really well together. We have a sense for when the other has a good line or is about to finish talking and we manage to give each other the space to do what they need to do.

You’re most recent podcast, Mindful Metal Jacket, is also a must listen in my rotation. Probably a super basic question here, but given the content of the show, I am curious to know what inspired you to set out on the spiritual venture that is MMJ?

I started doing Mindful Metal Jacket because I felt like I have finally gained some wisdom on how to deal with anxiety, panic, and hypochondria and I felt like maybe I could help some people by having conversations about that kind of stuff. I really enjoy talking about anything related to mental health so I thought why not do it and record it. I’ve gotten a lot of really nice messages from folks saying the podcast has really helped them out. It’s been very satisfying. I’m proud of it.

Can you tell us a bit about your latest special, I Hate Myself? What can old fans of yours expect from this special? Also for the new fans who may check this out as their first intake of your comedy, who then go back and check out your old work, what do you believe they will find quite different from your old stuff?

I think with this new special I hope fans can expect more of the same but improved. I feel like this is the strongest stand up I’ve put out. It’s just a regular old stand up show. I wanted it to feel like any week night at the Comedy Cellar. That’s what I was going for. It’s a ‘special’ but I didn’t want it to feel overly special. Just bare bones stand up comedy in a basement. As far as material wise, I just feel like this stuff is stronger. I’m more confident as a person and there for as a comedian and performer. I hope that new fans and old fans will both find it enjoyable and hopefully hilarious. We’ll see. (Gulp)

What else does the future hold for you? Anything else you would like to plug to our readers?

For right now the special I Hate Myself and my two podcasts Tuesdays with Stories & Mindful Metal Jacket is pretty much it. Eventually I hope to be back out on the road but we’ll see I guess. Fingers crossed for a vaccine and perhaps some better leadership so we can get back to work.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

The last thing that made me smile was recording my podcast with Mark Normand. We just finished recording and I was laughing very hard. Comedy is fun.

Be sure to check out Joe’s special tomorrow night. Check out the trailer below, as well as some fun content that Joe made for you all that is absolutely free. 

And with that in mind, if you find yourself just loving what Joe puts out into the universe, consider the Tuesdays with Stories Patreon for additional awesome content. Or don’t. Just don’t yell at him on line. That’s rude.

Tony Denman [Interview]

Hello Folks! I know that for many of you it may seem like it has been quite some time since Trainwreck’d Society has existed, and that’s probably because it has been a while since I had anything to say. Being so uninspired by the the world around me, and feeling helpless and lost was an insane feeling. But, as we creep on forward towards the future, I am starting to feel a bit more hopeful. Not much, but enough to decide to get back to work and share some words & work from folks far inspiring than I. So how about we just get right back into it?

My first guest to grace our digital pages since May is the brilliant actor Tony Denman. Tony may be most recognizable to some from his role as Scotty Lundegaard in one of the greatest stories ever put to screen, the film Fargo. Thankfully his career has extended far beyond this singular, albeit wonderfully done, role as William H. Macy’s son. Denman actually happens to be a figure that appeared in a string of films that could be categorizable as “sex romps” in the early 2000’s, which was just around the time that I was looking for them, and loved them so much. From Barely Legal, directed by our old pal David Mikey Evans, to the Dorm Daze series spin-off of the famed Van Wilder series, to Poor White Trash, co-written & directed by another old pal, Michael Addis…you really couldn’t go swing a loose bathing suit top without catching Tony in a wonderful role around this time.

And with that, Tony has continued to act his ass off in several projects over the years and has moved over into other roles of production as well. He has written & produced a string of short films, and in 2020 he appeared in the drama For The Love of Jessee, alongside our dear friend Adrienne Barbeau, that looks absolutely incredible and should be enjoyed by all.

Tony has been an amazing talent over the years, and I am so excited to have him kick off the TWS comeback. It’s good to be back, Enjoy!

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What inspired you to get into the world of performance? I understand you got into the business at a very young age, but when did you first realize that this was what you wanted to do for a living?

It was probably my desperate need for attention and yes, I was young, age 6. I started doing stand-up comedy at my elementary school talent show. It was a very competitive racket… Worst/best jokes ever… My opening line was “Hi, I’m Tony Denman and you’re not…” It obviously brought the house down. But many years later, I’m drawn to dark comedy and very personal stories. My inspiration now comes from my innate desire to create. Both my parents are wonderful creators. My mom is an incredibly talented interior designer, upholsterer, and seamstress. My dad is an architect and president of a home building company in Minnesota, where I grew up. My perspective and understanding comes from performing, but I think I simply love to express, it’s in my blood… On any and all levels, no matter how small or large the audience.

What was your first paid gig in the world of entertainment? And were there any sort of lessons learned from this experience that still affect your work today?

I think it was a combination of the lead in a play at a well-respected theater in Minneapolis, by night. And then, dressing up as a Loon (yes, the MN state bird) at an up-scale shopping mall by day, both during the holiday season. All around age 10 and both paid. So, I learned the idea of moonlighting very early on…also shamelessness was an important concept to take away from that time. Anything for a laugh.

I couldn’t tell you how much I earned!  But enough to buy comics and baseball cards. I was a happy boy.

The play was December Mornings by Truman Capote. An adaptation from his memoirs about his troubled yet curious youth. I was lucky in that it taught me about an unbelievably talented writer early on in my career. The dress up gig was playing a baby Loon with a couple of the cast members. We’d walk around the mall and let people take pics with us and (pretend to) have fun and get up to mischief. These were interesting for me because they taught me about hard work and staying in character.

In 1996, you appeared in one of the most brilliant crime dramas to ever be released, which would be the classic film Fargo, along with our old friend John Carroll Lynch. This was a pretty dark tale, which made it only that much more delightful. With that, I am curious to know how your experience was working on this amazing project? Were there any tricks to sort of keep the set happy whilst creating something so dark?

What a lucky break it was! I feel that even more so now looking back on it all. I was too young at the time (14) to really understand the incredible talent of the Coen Brothers and just how much this movie would mean to the history of cinema and the effect it would have on people. I mean I don’t think anyone could have predicted it.

I just remember auditioning for it and then getting a call back and getting put on tape, and then not hearing anything for like 6 months. I guess they did a nationwide search for a blonde boy, without any luck, lucky for me, and came back to Minnesota. I got a call to come and meet the Coen Brothers. I did. It was quick and easy. Then after that I got another call asking if I would consider lightening my hair to look like William H Macy.

I loved them (the Coen Bros) from the moment I met them. At such a young age all I really knew is that they were weird directors. But I liked them because they just reminded me of cool camp counselors.

I think the thing I most remember about being on set at a young age was the endless supply of gummy bears. I think they knew that was the way to Scotty’s heart!

I think the adults on set must have had such a better understanding of the awesomeness of the project because they seemed always happy and excited to get back to work between takes.

My dad did tell me years later that when he initially read the script, he thought it was awful. Obviously, he didn’t understand it, because it went on to win Best Original Screenplay that year. Thank God I didn’t take acting advice from him!

A few years later, you appeared in a film that I simply could not get enough of in high school, a film directed by our old friend David Mickey Evans entitled Barely Legal. This one couldn’t be much further from the likes of Fargo, haha. So same sort of question in a way: how was your experience working on this fun and quirky teen comedy? Any fun antidotes from your time working on this film?

I LOVED this movie! For the obvious reasons, but for other reasons too. I mean from the moment I read the script, I was signed up. I just had to convince everyone else.

This movie really changed my life in a lot of ways. Because it was the first time I had a sequel negotiated into my contract. That seemed huge. It was all right around the time American Pie came out so we thought it was going to go the same distance. Sadly, it didn’t. There was major creative difference that came out of the back end and I think that’s when I realized – Damn, the business takes all the fun out of this!

The most important things I took away from that film are fun, good friendship, and learning nothing lasts.

I had the time of my life. The cast and crew were incredible. DME was a dream. He let us kids do and say what we thought was cool and used a lot of our improv. I even met my oldest son’s mother on that movie. So, it’s an important memory for me.

If you were handed the opportunity to star in the biopic of any legendary figure in American history, who would it be?

That’s too hard to pick just one…. Robin Williams, Bob Dylan, and Buster Keaton are my favorite people in the world for obvious reasons so those would be an absolute honor!

What does the future hold for you? Anything you would like to plug to our readers?

I just had a movie released on Amazon, Google play and iTunes called for The Love of Jessee.

(Doctor Luke Matthew’s world comes crashing down when he loses the love of his life and becomes a father in the same night. When he hires Sage as the new nanny, they both begin to realize that the best form of medicine is letting go.)

I produced an indie film a couple year back called – Madhouse Mecca. It’s free on Amazon.

(When an underwhelmed housewife meets a mischievous exotic dancer with a taste for trouble, an unlikely friendship is formed that will change their lives forever.)

I have a ton of fun making an absurdist comedy web series at the moment called As a Matter of Fact. We post our short form video’s on YouTube and on Instagram @springbreakdonnie. Check it out.

Also I have 3 kids and a wonderful wife that keep me grounded, sane and happy and I try to keep writing as much as possible.

My goals are to create and sell content. On many different levels. Comedy is at my core, but home renovation is right there on the cusp of things I’ve been working on so watch this space for many different reasons.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

I just got off the phone with my 16 yr. old son Buster who is there quarantining with his mother in England and it was just his birthday and I just told him I bought him some brand new Nike Jordan’s and he went mental. It made me smile and cry at how happy he was!

Check out this trailer for Madhouse Mecca, available now on Amazon.