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H. Foley
Gang, Tickets for the back on the block tour are going quick, baby. So get them. What a gettin is good.
Kevin Ryan
Yeah. We're coming to San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Burlington, Boston, Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh, Richmond, Baltimore, Philly, Rochester and Toronto. All tickets available@rugarbage.com We'll See yous on the road.
H. Foley
Welcome to another exciting edition of are you garbage? The show where you find out if your favorite comedians are classy individuals or or absolute trash. Now here are your hosts, Kevin Ryan and H. Foley. Hey everybody out there and welcome back to everybody's favorite podcast. This is are you garbage? Oh yeah, it's that little show. We sit there with your favorite comedians and we find that at the group to be classy. They're just a big old piece of trash. Trash, trash, trash. I'm your host, H. Foley. Coming at you on a beautiful day. We're out back here at Tody's in a new edition show. She's on her way to J.C. penney's for a little accident.
Kevin Ryan
Okay.
H. Foley
Little slip and fall money gonna be coming here pretty soon.
Craig Ferguson
Very good.
H. Foley
My co host is coming at you from right next to me. He is the CEO of are you garbage? He is an international businessman and my best pal in the whole wide world. Give it up for kj Kevin. James Ryan, everybody.
Kevin Ryan
What up gang? Shout out to you. Thanks for tuning in. It's the first time that's ever happened. As always, please make sure you do something.
Craig Ferguson
I mean you do all that and then it's like that. It's like everybody hates you or something. Yeah, he's the boss, KJ and it's like him.
Kevin Ryan
Patreon.com check it the fuck out, gang.
H. Foley
We couldn't be more excited to have our incredibly, and I mean incredibly special guest here with us today for the first time. He is a legendary standup comedian and writer. You can hear him every week on his podcast joy, a podcast. He is on his pants on fire tour right now. You can get tickets at the craig fergusonshow.com his. He has a brand new special out on YouTube I am so happy that you gotta check out. Of course. He did 185 episodes of the Drew Carey show.
Craig Ferguson
Oh yeah.
H. Foley
And he was the host of the late Late show from 2005 to 2014. Truly one of the great late night talk show hosts in history. Give it up for the one, the only, Mr. Craig Ferguson. Yay.
Craig Ferguson
Thanks everybody. Something you clap for.
H. Foley
Something you clap for.
Craig Ferguson
Thanks. Thank you for having me. I'm very excited to be here. It's an honor to be here. Shall I wear these?
H. Foley
It's up to you if you want to. Yeah.
Craig Ferguson
I want to look like I'm Pudd. Podcast. You're a goddamn podcast. Am I a podcasting or an influencer? What's the difference between a podcaster and an influencer?
Kevin Ryan
I don't know.
Craig Ferguson
Tits. That's what it is. Oh, we got.
H. Foley
I was gonna say a nice ass in a bikini.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, there you go.
H. Foley
You're a legend, my friend. An absolute legend. I mean that when I say that. Like, truly one of the last great late night talk show hosts, man. Unbelievable.
Craig Ferguson
You know, I think. I think we're. We're a dying breed. The late night talk show. I think this is the way Forward, gentlemen. You are the new bast. You're the wedge. You're the icebreaker.
H. Foley
Thank you.
Craig Ferguson
This is the way forward podcast because it doesn't exist in the old world anymore. It's just going away.
H. Foley
It's going away.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah.
H. Foley
Time gone by.
Kevin Ryan
Yeah.
H. Foley
Give us the backstory. Give us the origin story of Mr. Craig Ferguson.
Craig Ferguson
Well, I was raised in a swamp by Shrek and Fiona. I was found in a basket of reeds and the pharaoh's daughter came over. I'm from. There was no pharaoh. I'm from. From Scotland. Of course, it's well outside Philly, but where I am in Scotland, because I know Philly quite well, obviously, and it's not unlike where I'm from in Scotland. Glasgow in Scotland. It's not unlike Philadelphia.
H. Foley
Gotcha.
Craig Ferguson
It has a lot of gentlemen look a little like yourselves. You know what I'm saying? You are. And it has an enjoyable.
Kevin Ryan
Good looking guys.
Craig Ferguson
Good looking guys.
H. Foley
A lot of guys in sweatpants.
Craig Ferguson
A lot of guys in sweatpants. A lot of guys who enjoy meat and cheese. Check this place out. I think you'd enjoy it. Do you know what's funny? Cause also, Cleveland is a similar city.
Kevin Ryan
Yes.
Craig Ferguson
Right. So when I.
Kevin Ryan
You're just in Cleveland.
Craig Ferguson
Right.
H. Foley
Man, that's a bad look.
Craig Ferguson
Cleveland and Philly, well, it kind of is.
Kevin Ryan
Very much so.
Craig Ferguson
But Cleveland is kind of like a portable Philly. Do you know what I mean? Like, Philly's big. Sure. Cleveland is like. If you've only got, like, hand luggage, you take Cleveland.
H. Foley
But Cleveland, it's more of a day trip kind of town.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, but Cleveland is where Drew Carey is from.
Kevin Ryan
Yes.
Craig Ferguson
Right. So when Drew and I were, you know, we got to know each other on his show, I said to him, you should go to Glasgow. It's like, Cleveland, he's like, don't be fucking.
Kevin Ryan
Fucking city in Scotland.
Craig Ferguson
That's how he talked back then. And then he got into soccer and he went to see a Ranger Celtics game in Glasgow, and he fucking called me up. He went, this is just like Cleveland.
H. Foley
Dirt balls here, too. Look at that.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, it's a whole lot of sports rivalry, but with a little bit of religious sectarianism to make it seem spicy.
H. Foley
Keep the tension up a little bit. Protestant and Catholic going on. I like it.
Craig Ferguson
Oh, yes.
H. Foley
What did your mom and dad do? What kind of house did you grow up in? Were you in?
Craig Ferguson
My father was a postman.
H. Foley
Okay.
Craig Ferguson
But in the course of my life, he went from being. They used to deliver telegrams. Right. He was a telegram. Like, hey, telegram, sure. Right. So he started off with that when he was a little kid, and then he. Then he goes to the army.
H. Foley
Okay.
Craig Ferguson
For a couple of years. Then he comes back to the post office and he becomes a postman, like delivering a letter. But by the time he finishes, he's the. Like the head of the post office.
H. Foley
All right.
Craig Ferguson
He makes a big long trip that way. And my mom was a school teacher.
H. Foley
Your mom was a school teacher? And you say the head of the. He was the head of the.
Craig Ferguson
He was the king of, like, the postmaster general. He's still on the stamps.
Kevin Ryan
He reads everybody's mail. Problem?
Craig Ferguson
No, he's not on the stamp.
H. Foley
He. Someone's pregnant again.
Craig Ferguson
Oh, look at what Margaret's been up to. No, the. He became the chief inspector of the Edinburgh Post Office, which I don't know a lot about post office, but that.
H. Foley
That sounds high up to me.
Kevin Ryan
Pretty good.
Craig Ferguson
Inspector. Sounds good.
H. Foley
Was that. Was there a big increase in. In his pay? Like, did you guys kind of move up a little bit?
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, because when I was a kid, like, Like a young kid, it was like dinner was like egg and fries.
H. Foley
Okay.
Craig Ferguson
Stuff like chicken maybe once, twice a month.
H. Foley
No kids.
Kevin Ryan
Meager beginning.
Craig Ferguson
Well, yeah, we did. I didn't.
Kevin Ryan
I mean, chicken once a month.
Craig Ferguson
Chicken maybe twice a month. I don't want to.
Kevin Ryan
Over.
Craig Ferguson
It wasn't Angela's ashes. Right.
H. Foley
Every Christmas we got to smell a hamburger.
Craig Ferguson
That's right. Oh, it's another. Gather around the potato for Christmas.
Kevin Ryan
Everybody just rubs it.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, that's right. The lucky potato. But. But we were. But there were. There were a lot of. I didn't know. I didn't know. We didn't have much money because we were surrounded, but we didn't have much. But it wasn't terrible. And my parents weren't alcoholics. So there you go.
Kevin Ryan
That's pretty good.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah.
H. Foley
Were we in an apartment? Were we in a house? Were we in the city? Were we first?
Craig Ferguson
We're in. We're in. When I was born, they were in a one bedroom, like, tenement.
H. Foley
Okay.
Craig Ferguson
Both my older brother and my older sister. But then after I was born, they moved us out. There was this thing called New Towns in Brit.
H. Foley
Okay.
Craig Ferguson
What happened was after the Second World War, all the cities were bombed, so they had to build new housing just outside the city. Kind of like the project.
H. Foley
Sure.
Craig Ferguson
So we moved out. But the projects. But they were meant to be fancy. They weren't fancy at all, but they said they were fancy so that people would leave the city and go and live in them for nothing. So we lived in a little modular house in the projects till I was about 7 or 8 years old. Then we moved to a slightly larger house in the projects until I was about 16, 17. Then I leave home, then my parents make a little money and move to an actual house.
H. Foley
Gotcha.
Craig Ferguson
So there was a bit of a journey.
H. Foley
Now, where'd you go when you were 16?
Craig Ferguson
Well, I gotta tell you, that ship, I can't tell you everywhere. I don't know what the statute of limitations is on that ship. But I joined a band. It was punk rock.
Kevin Ryan
I did see that.
H. Foley
Really?
Craig Ferguson
You were a drummer? I was a drummer in punk rock pants. So I lived for a long time in the back of a van. No shit. You know. Well, I actually didn't live there. I mean, I shared a room with some guys in a band in the West End of Glasgow, which is a really fucking great neighborhood, still is. Like, really kind of before hipsters were invented, or they may have been invented there, you know what I mean? It was like they were poor, but hipsters, you know, I mean, like, they like good music, but they didn't know what kale was. You know what I'm saying? Right. So. So they. So I. I lived in a kind of shared apartment there with the guys in bands that I was in. And we would travel in transit vans up and around Britain playing bad music.
H. Foley
That's crazy.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah.
H. Foley
What are we talking? We talking the 80s? Early 80s, yeah.
Craig Ferguson
We're, I guess, 1980 to about 83.
H. Foley
So you're in the mix. Are you rubbing elbows with like, the Ramones or the Misfits or anybody like that?
Craig Ferguson
Oh, no, no, man.
H. Foley
Lower.
Kevin Ryan
That's a big swing. Were you rubbing elbows with the Ramones?
Craig Ferguson
The ramones were in CBGBs. That was in fucking Margaret's fucking pub. Pub in Falkirk.
H. Foley
No, the old guy's yelling at you, turn that shit down.
Craig Ferguson
That's rubbish. Put on Frank Sinatra. But the.
Kevin Ryan
Did you know the Ramones?
Craig Ferguson
Yeah. Actually, no, I didn't. But when I was about 21, okay. So I meet a girl who's part of all this crowd and we got married, okay. And we went to. She liked New York City. So we came to New York City when I was 21. And I was living in the East Village.
Kevin Ryan
What?
Craig Ferguson
When I was 20.
Kevin Ryan
What year is this?
Craig Ferguson
This is 84. That's when the East Village was In the East Village. There used to be a. It was a fantastic woman who lived nearby. Grandmaster Flash lived in my building. It's amazing, isn't it? I mean, it was crazy. I remember because I.
H. Foley
Hey, man, I got your mail again.
Craig Ferguson
Who's this Grandmaster Flash? And why have I got his electricity bill? But he used to have this ankle length gold lame coat. He would walk around, it was fucking amazing looking.
Kevin Ryan
He'd stand out.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, he was really nice guy. Although I guess he was Grandmaster Flash, you know, why wouldn't you be in a good mood?
Kevin Ryan
Sure.
Craig Ferguson
But there was a lady who lived nearby us. I used to hear her every night. Cause she was a waitress in a bar. But the neighborhood was so dangerous that when she was walking home late at night, she was also. She wanted to be an opera singer. So she would walk home singing opera all the way down the block. And the noise would be like. Everyone would know she was coming down. If the noise stopped, everybody look out the window to see if she was okay. Yeah. See, we looked after ourselves back there.
H. Foley
Talk about old videos.
Kevin Ryan
Jeez, that's genius, though.
Craig Ferguson
We were all awake because we all had a cocaine problem.
Kevin Ryan
Yeah, the cops were after you.
Craig Ferguson
Look at why she stopped singing. But I tell you, it's an interesting thing, though. They had this the day that it started to clean up the East Village. I remember it was. A buddy of mine worked in. I worked in construction up in Harlem. So we had to take the train across town and then all the way up to Harlem. And one day he says to me, oh, things are going to fucking change. There's going to be construction down here. I'm like, what are you talking about? And then I see we're hanging around at Avenue B and these Cadillacs draw all with Jersey plates. All these Cadillacs come up and they. All these guys with camel coats come out and they're looking at the buildings and talking that kind of stuff. And then about a Week later, there was a big police raid and all the street guys were taking all the street doctors. Yeah. It was almost like they were connected.
Kevin Ryan
Almost like it was an orchestrated series of events.
Craig Ferguson
It's fucking weird, man. I don't know why. It was like, it should be on the Wide World of Sports wherever.
H. Foley
Let's go back to the childhood. How were you in school? You Were you a good student?
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, I was actually, up until I tasted alcohol. So up until 13 years old, I was fucking straight ace. And then.
H. Foley
That's a hell of a run.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, that is not bad. And then When I was 13, my friend's older brother, we wanted him to go into a store and get us some beer, but he was a bad guy. So he goes into the store and he stole the money. And when he bought. He said he stole the money. He stole the money, but he brought us some alcohol. He said, they didn't have any beer. We're like. We could see it through the fucking window. Said, no, they're out of beer.
H. Foley
They're out of beer.
Craig Ferguson
We're out of beer.
H. Foley
Scotland's out of beer.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah. Oh, they're not making it anymore. I don't know what happened. Apparently, it's just against the law, so we're out. They said they don't have any beer. So he bought us a bottle of this stuff. It was called El Dorado. El Dorado was a fortified South African wine. I don't think it's actually legal under the Geneva Convention, but it was an import. It was a real street alcoholic. So we shared a bottle of that. I blacked out and I got arrested. Thirteen, blacked out, got arrested. Woke up in my own pee, all that. I think it was my pee. I mean, I didn't have a check.
Kevin Ryan
Fingers crossed.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, yeah. You know, But I got arrested. I punched the local cop, you know, and he was a friend of my dad, but it was fine. That's 13. He's a Glasgow cop. He's like, it's funny, you know? And they laughed about it a bit, but I was. I felt bad. And that kind of led me on a very different. That was a fork in the road.
H. Foley
Gotcha.
Craig Ferguson
My grades suffered a bit after that because I awoke with a firm resolve never to do that again until the next weekend.
H. Foley
And no university, no college?
Craig Ferguson
No. I dropped out of high school when I was 16.
H. Foley
You dropped out of high school?
Craig Ferguson
Yeah. No high school diplomat, no high school diploma.
Kevin Ryan
Was that to work? Was that to be in the band? What was the motive behind that?
Craig Ferguson
Well, I wanted to get money. And school was. I did.
Kevin Ryan
How does it get in the way?
Craig Ferguson
Well, I had a job when I was at school when I was 14, I used to deliver milk from the back of a flatbed truck. People used to get bottles of milk delivered. I don't know why, but they did. So there was this flatbed truck that would come in from a farm outside of town, a guy called Bob Klein, and he would pick up me and a couple other kids and we'd get in the back of his flat, just stand like this in the back of a flatbed truck, and he drives us around. We'd deliver milk. So I made money that way. But I kept falling asleep in school after that. So when I was 16, I got a job in a factory where I could just like, you know, sleep in the factory. Holy shit.
H. Foley
That is old school.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, it was a little bit damn, you know, and people had. I was telling my kids about this. There was a guy that used to come around our neighborhood when I was a kid and they were like, there's no fucking way this is true. I'm like, because my kids are American, they've got nice teeth and shit. Buzz, tell me about it.
H. Foley
And the lucky avatar.
Craig Ferguson
But there used to be a guy called the Ragman that would come round our neighborhood. And the Ragman, he had a horse and cart. But the cart, it wasn't like a Central park cart. It was like, you know, a cart with car wheels on it. You know what I mean? Like something from the apocalypse, like Bora or something like that. I mean, so he would ride on that and he'd blow a trumpet, right? He had this kind of weird like horn or something. He'd go. And we'd all go, oh, it's the Ragman. And we would grab any old pieces of clothes that we could find and we'd run out and we'd give our clothes to the Ragman and he would give us a balloon.
H. Foley
What the hell was he doing with it?
Craig Ferguson
I don't know. I don't know. But we all wanted a balloon from the Ragman. And we cleaned out our parents closets.
H. Foley
Where the hell are all the tiles?
Kevin Ryan
I'm not sure. Who's getting screwed over in that deal?
Craig Ferguson
I don't know. I got a lot of fucking balloons. I think there was a way to get a balloon off the Ragman without giving him rags. I never went down.
H. Foley
You didn't go down that route.
Kevin Ryan
What, what were the family vacations like growing up? If any.
Craig Ferguson
Local, local, local. But there is a very Important one, it was very local because Scotland's a small country and everything's near the sea. So you can get to a seaside town. And we used to go to a town called Millport, which was kind of like exactly what you would think. You know, it's like a working class seaside, beautiful countryside, nice people, kind of everybody, you know, from home just goes. It's like the Jersey Shore. Gotcha, right? So we would go there. But once when I was 13, 13.
Kevin Ryan
Was a big year for you.
Craig Ferguson
It was a fucking big year. This is just before the drinking or maybe just after, I can't remember. But what happened was there used to be a guy called Freddie Laker. Freddie. This is fucking true.
H. Foley
Freddie Laker and the ragman Freddie Laker.
Craig Ferguson
They may have been the same guy. Freddie Laker was the first guy who started discount airlines, right? Budget airlines. And he used to run a flight, it was like once a week from Prestwick in Scotland to jfk. Now, my dad's brother, my Uncle James, had emigrated to the US when we were kids. And when I was 13. Cause I was. My older siblings had had a holiday on their own, like through the school trip and stuff. Like there was time for the school trip. And my dad said, do you want to go on the school trip or do you want to save up? I think it was like, 50 bucks and we can fly to America and see your Uncle James. Let's fucking go to America. So what happened was when I was 13 years old, we fly from Preswick in Scotland, which is a big airport in Scotland, or, you know, an airport. They got a Runway and a candy machine, and we fly on a DC10. Laker Airlines, we land at JFK. So the first time I ever see anything outside of Scotland is I fucking land in New York City in 1975. That's crazy. And I go to my cousins who live in Long island, my Uncle James, my Aunt Susan and their four kids. They live in Smithtown. Long Island. Long Island.
H. Foley
Wow.
Craig Ferguson
And I go there when I'm 13, and we go to a bowling alley and we go to this bowl. I didn't even know what fucking bowling alley. I was fucking like. So you roll the ball towards the wee sticks, and the sticks fall over, and everybody cheers. And they're like, yes. And I was doing it, and they said, try this. And they gave me a root beer. It was a root beer.
Kevin Ryan
That's it. I'm American Root beer over crushed ice.
Craig Ferguson
And I was like, whatever the fuck this is. Amen. And I swear to God to This day, if I have the opportunity for root beer over cr, I'm like, I hear the Star spangled fucking Banner when I, when I signed it up for the Marines. Oh my God.
Kevin Ryan
How good is that?
Craig Ferguson
I'd never had anything like that. It was unbelievable. It was like when they gave, you know, sugar to native people and stuff, I was like, oh my God, kid.
H. Foley
What do you know about Ridge Wallace?
Kevin Ryan
Shout out to Ridge Wallet, baby. Best in the biz.
H. Foley
The best in the biz, gang. And here's the good thing. They got the airtag attachment. So you're not gonna lose it. I know you know what I'm saying.
Kevin Ryan
I feel you, dadd.
H. Foley
Nothing worse than losing your wallet, gang. We're talking about the fantastic Ridge Wallet. Do yourself a favor, get over there. We're talking about over a hundred thousand five star reviews. We're talking about a lifetime warranty. This is literally the last wallet you're ever gonna buy.
Kevin Ryan
Yes. It gives you peace of mind knowing Ridge wallets all have RFID blocking technology that no one rfid. If you're, if you're in traffic, no one can zoom up, take your info.
H. Foley
Chinese out of your shit.
Kevin Ryan
Like the big man said, losing your wallet is the worst. But you don't have to worry about that anymore. You'll always know exactly where it is before panic mode kicks in.
H. Foley
Sure.
Kevin Ryan
Right now, Ridge, Big man is currently in panic mode. Right now Ridge is having their huge Memorial Day sale.
H. Foley
Let's go.
Kevin Ryan
That's MD Dub. Get up to 40% off. Just head to ridge.comavyg to see their biggest sale of the year. One more time, ridge.comavyg after you purchase, they'll ask you where you heard about it. Please support the show and tell them the boys sent you.
H. Foley
We love you, camp. What's talking about Shopify, baby.
Kevin Ryan
Shout out to Shopify.
H. Foley
El numero uno. Shopify. We're Shopify family, aren't we?
Kevin Ryan
Well, you better, better bet your sweet little behind we. If you have ever bought merch off ayg, we are a Shopify company and.
H. Foley
We know we got a lot of hustlers out there, a lot of guys trying to do some side projects. Make that your. Make that your main project. And Shopify can help you gang. Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world and 10% of all E commerce in the United States. Holy cow. That's unbelievable. From household names like Mattel gymshark to brands that just got started. We're talking about startups, baby.
Kevin Ryan
Yep.
H. Foley
Let's go. Do yourself a favor. Get over to Shopify.
Kevin Ryan
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H. Foley
Holy shit. That's all right. Was there a family car back then?
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, actually there was. There was. I remember that. My dad's cars. I had a. He had a Hillman.
H. Foley
Oh man, these are gonna be.
Craig Ferguson
Oh yeah, it's like Hellman. A Hellman something. I don't know what. My grandpa had a Hillman imp, which was like a smart car but with no engine. And then it was kind of like go kart. It was like the ragman thing but without the horse. It was just the car. And then there was. We had a Morris Oxford.
Kevin Ryan
A Morris.
Craig Ferguson
Morris Oxford. Yeah. That's a good looking car. Look at that. Up about 1968 Morris Oxford.
H. Foley
Ah, that's a sharp looking car.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, it's a good car, right? And then we got. Fuck, no, there was one. I can't remember.
Kevin Ryan
That's a good looking car.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, it's all right. It's a great. I keep trying to find one, you know. Do you guys ever go and bringatrailer.com or something like that? Do you know the one I'm talking about?
Kevin Ryan
I very recently went back and bought the first car I ever had was a 1995 Chevy Lumina. I lost it on bring a trailer. This guy fucking. He bids. I mean, it was a piece of.
Craig Ferguson
Car but he went nuts. Facebook Marketplace. That's the way to go, I think. Facebook Marketplace. But the. I'm looking.
Kevin Ryan
He's buying cars on bring a trailer and this guy's a dirt bag. End the show.
H. Foley
Thought you're worth like $50 million. Facebook Marketplace.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, Never Mind that. But I bought. I got. I bought a Airstream trailer on Facebook. I love that.
Kevin Ryan
I love an Airstream.
Craig Ferguson
No, I. We gotta tell you, this is a great story. So I go on Airstream and I'm.
Kevin Ryan
Like, first of all, he's crazy. Yeah, we can all agree he's.
Craig Ferguson
So I see this Airstream, I'm like, this is beautiful. No, cuz Matthew McConaughey has Airstream, but I don't think he got them on Facebook. Marketplace. So I see this and I call up the guy and he's like, I'm not going down on the price. I never asked you. And I go and see this guy. I won't tell you what state he's in, but he's living by a lake on an easy. A lazy boy, you know, he has a lazy boy outdoors on the lake and he has a trailer that he lives in and the Airstream trailer. And so I buy the Airstream trailer, but he says to me, I'm selling it because I've retired. I used to be a nuclear engineer and whenever I was working at a nuclear plant, there's never any fucking hotels because nobody wants to put a hotel next to a nuclear power plant. All right, so he has this nice Airstream trailer and it's great, but. Well, I took it home. But at night it fucking lights up, I'm sure.
Kevin Ryan
Yeah, it's all that radiation.
Craig Ferguson
You've been around. No, it doesn't light up. But the rest is true.
H. Foley
You don't need the stove to cook the eggs.
Craig Ferguson
The rest is true. Yeah.
H. Foley
Holy shit.
Kevin Ryan
That's wild. Okay, any pets growing up?
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, we had a goldfish called Goldie.
Kevin Ryan
Okay, fair enough. I mean, they don't last that long.
Craig Ferguson
This one lived to be nine.
H. Foley
You had a nine?
Craig Ferguson
A nine year old goldfish.
H. Foley
Jesus.
Craig Ferguson
It was like. I mean. And keep them in the Airstream, I tell you what. As well, that. When that fish died, it was fucking delicious.
H. Foley
Eating good tonight, boys.
Craig Ferguson
Oh, finally the fish has died. Kill the potato and we'll feast.
H. Foley
What about the holiday? Was that it? Just the goldfish?
Craig Ferguson
No, no, we had a. We had a. We had dogs. We had a very aggressive West Highland terrier that bit a kid outside the supermarket and went to live on the farm. And then we had a guinea pig called Olga that lived for a long time as well.
Kevin Ryan
Guinea pig in the house?
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, yeah, but not like Roman free, like in a cave. It's not like, oh, a guinea pig. Oh, children. That's not a rat. It's like anything.
Kevin Ryan
Also, you said first job. What was the first concert you went.
Craig Ferguson
To on that vacation?
Kevin Ryan
Jesus Christ.
H. Foley
What?
Craig Ferguson
In New York, in Smithtown.
H. Foley
Whoa.
Craig Ferguson
My cousins say, hey, do you want to go and see a rock and roll show? I'm like, yes, please. So they take me to see a band called Blue Oyster Cult.
H. Foley
Get the fuck out of here.
Craig Ferguson
I'm fucking telling you.
H. Foley
1975.
Craig Ferguson
1975. Holy shit. And I smelled it.
Kevin Ryan
Was it a big venue? Small venue.
Craig Ferguson
That was a big van. I felt like it was big.
H. Foley
Yeah.
Craig Ferguson
I mean, I kind of.
H. Foley
It would have been huge by then.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah. So Blue Oyster cult, 1975. Somewhere in the Smithtown region of Long Island. I don't know where.
H. Foley
What was the odor that you smelled? Incense.
Craig Ferguson
I don't know. It was some kind of incense or something. But I kind of. I was to smell that smell again. It occurred in my life again. And still to this day, when I'm riding my city bike around New York, I still get a whiff of it.
H. Foley
Sure.
Kevin Ryan
What was. Were you into music at this time, like yourself? Were you drumming drums?
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, yeah, I was already drumming. Yeah, I was. But things. It was just in that kind of period for British kids. I mean, I think in America it was different, but it was just in that period just before punk rock kicked off with. It kicked off in Britain, kind of with the Damned and the Sex Pistols.
H. Foley
Yeah.
Craig Ferguson
And that was around about 70. Late 76, 77.
H. Foley
That's crazy.
Craig Ferguson
So I was about 15 when all this was perfect just for that. So it kind of. Even now, I think all that attitude, which is way out of date. I mean, kids now say, I'm looking forward to having a career in comedy, where, gosh darn it, I'm gonna have a TV show and stuff. Like, I fucking don't. I still don't understand that. I'm like, burn it all fucking down. And I don't even mean it. But I kind of think it's weird.
H. Foley
The attitude's still in you.
Craig Ferguson
It seems to be. And I don't think it served me well, to be honest.
H. Foley
I think did pretty good.
Craig Ferguson
Well, I. I suppose you're right, but, you know, I could have done better.
H. Foley
Oh, that's too funny. Who got you the first drum set? Do you remember?
Craig Ferguson
It was my older brothers. He had a drum kit. I don't know where he got it, but he had a drum kit. There wasn't Facebook market. He might have got it from the Ragman. I'm not quite sure, but that he.
Kevin Ryan
What do you got to do to the Ragman to Get a drum set.
Craig Ferguson
He's. He's a very attractive man, my brother. That's all I'm saying. He always has been a lot of therapy, but he, he had his own cat. He kind of lost interest in it. And I just.
Kevin Ryan
Around the house.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah. And I was just like, bat it all.
H. Foley
And how was your folks about you playing and practicing? Did it drive them crazy? Are they supportive?
Craig Ferguson
No. Yeah, well, in a way they were supportive in the sense that if I. If I joined a band and then we started like rehearsing in, in like church basements and stuff like that, then my dad would get the drums into the Morris Oxford and drive me there.
H. Foley
Okay, so that he saw you doing something?
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, yeah. No, they were.
H. Foley
They were not just playing for the guinea pig.
Craig Ferguson
No.
H. Foley
Yeah.
Craig Ferguson
No, the guinea pig was dead. She was also delicious.
H. Foley
Oh, that's funny. And then when did you start comedy? You said you came here when you were 21. Is that, did you go back after that?
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, I. My visa ran out. I didn't want to get into trouble with immigration because I thought if I ever really want to come here, I don't want to fucking end up getting into trouble. So I left before my visa ran out. But there used to be the first time I ever appeared on a stage. I mean, I started doing comedy back there later, but first time I ever did comedy was a punk rock venue in London. They were having a festival of Scottish punk rock bands and all these cockney punks were there. I was about 18 or 19 years old and I was the drummer in one of the bands. And the lead singer said, we have to change equipment between the bands. So you go out and do be funny to these cockney punks. I'm like, what the fuck are you talking about? No background, no stand up. Comedy didn't exist in Britain then. It was only potatoes. That's all it was. And so I went out on the stage. I wore a kilt because I thought that'd be funny and good. And I was wearing a kilt and I tried to tell jokes and stuff. They wouldn't shut up. Just a bunch of fun.
Kevin Ryan
They're not a very receptive crowd.
Craig Ferguson
And then the girls, it was girls at the front that were trying to look up my kilt. And I was going like that, but I was so scared. My knees were knocking, shaking. And they started. His knees are knocking, his knees are knocking. And then the whole venue, those British get heckle. All these cockney punks are like, his knees are knocking, his knees are knocking. His Knees are knocking. And I had to go off the stage, cry and cry. But you know the weird thing, and this is how, you know you're a fucking standup. Because I came off and I went, I gotta do that.
Kevin Ryan
I think I got him at the end, I think.
Craig Ferguson
I think I had them. I was nearly there.
H. Foley
That knees knocking bit really worked, huh?
Craig Ferguson
I'm gonna leave that, man. I'll start with the knees knocking. That was my problem.
H. Foley
And then when did you get back over here and start really pursuing Stanford?
Kevin Ryan
Did you already have a good career over there and then came here? Did you come here and pop?
Craig Ferguson
No, neither, really. I mean, I had an okay career there. I was doing all right. I was getting, like, parts and shows and I was doing standouts.
H. Foley
This is in Scotland. This is in London.
Craig Ferguson
A little.
H. Foley
A little of both. Were you based out of Scotland, though?
Craig Ferguson
No, I was in Scotland until I was about 24, 25. And the girl that we got married, Right. We got divorced, understand, at 24. So I moved down to London when I was about 24. I still had. I was still drinking a lot.
H. Foley
Okay.
Craig Ferguson
And have you guys heard of drugs?
H. Foley
Yeah.
Craig Ferguson
All right. So I was doing that.
Kevin Ryan
Welcome to the show.
H. Foley
Big fan.
Craig Ferguson
So I was doing drugs as well. So I was taking the drugs and the drinking, and so my performance style was inconsistent sometimes. I was great.
H. Foley
I have that.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it kind of came and went a little bit. I was doing okay. And then what happened was I got sober in London when I was 29.
H. Foley
Okay.
Craig Ferguson
And then I was kind of like, I was keen to change things, but everyone. I was still like the drunk to everybody. I couldn't, like, change the perception I got you. And I always wanted to. I always wanted to be in America anyway. I always want to go to America. And then I was doing the Edinburgh Festival, you know, the Edinburgh. Of course. Right. So I was doing the Edinburgh Festival, and a guy, an American guy called Rick Siegel, who was my manager, who became my manager, he saw me there and he was like, you should come to America. You've cleaned up your act, you've dropped £25. Fuck it. Come over and I'll see if I can get you a gig. And I came over for two weeks in November 1994, and I'm still here.
H. Foley
Whoa.
Kevin Ryan
No shit.
H. Foley
Damn.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah.
H. Foley
Where did you move to when you came over? You go to LA or Los Angeles?
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, went to la. Yeah. I got a. I got. Because I would have come here, right? Because this is where I knew, but I went out to la. And they offered me a job. My first job was doing a sitcom that lasted like 20. I only lasted 10.
Kevin Ryan
But they used to come and go back in the day, the mid season replace. I mean it was like they greenlight two. You get two episodes.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, that's right.
Kevin Ryan
The next thing, wait.
H. Foley
So how long had you been doing stand ups when you came over here?
Craig Ferguson
Well, since I was. I mean I'd been doing it in Britain and stuff.
H. Foley
It always 10, 15 years or so.
Craig Ferguson
I had this, I kind of missed this bit out. I had this character I used to do called Bing Hitler. Right. And I used to do this character. I thought it'd be funny.
Kevin Ryan
Different time.
Craig Ferguson
Different time, you know, it was kind of funny. Sure, it was pretty funny.
H. Foley
Like Bing Crosby and Hitler.
Craig Ferguson
No, I mean that. Yes, with the name thing. But it was, there was no real reference to it. It was actually just a Scottish guy that was just his name. But there was nothing in it about Nazis or crooning. It was just, it was just a kind of weird character.
H. Foley
Okay.
Craig Ferguson
And I did that and that was pretty successful. That did well.
H. Foley
All right.
Craig Ferguson
So I'd been doing that and that was kind of going all the time and went. I made a couple of albums with that as well because we used to do comedy albums. Yeah, I know, comedy podcasts, comedy albums. And you could write 25 minutes every four years and you know, you'd be fine.
H. Foley
And there you go.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah.
H. Foley
And then where did you land in la? Were you working at the store? Where were you?
Craig Ferguson
No, I didn't see. When I got to la, I stopped doing stand up.
H. Foley
Okay.
Craig Ferguson
Because I kind of didn't know what.
H. Foley
To do and went out as an actor.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah. And I got a job with, I got a job with like my Third Edition with Betty White and Marie Osmond on a show called maybe this Time. And I became friends. I became friends with both of these women.
H. Foley
It's crazy.
Craig Ferguson
They're both fucking. Well, Betty's gone now, but they're both fucking great. And Betty, you know, who was on my late night show every week when I was there doing it, she and I stayed friends right until she died. And she was the, she was unbelievably nice to me when I like, I turned up and I like no fucking idea what I was doing. And she would, she was nice to me.
Kevin Ryan
She had great chops.
Craig Ferguson
Oh my gosh.
H. Foley
This is Multicam sitcom studio, L.A. off.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah.
H. Foley
So do you call back home and. And you're like, you know, we're, we're, we're getting There, we're making it.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah. They're like, oh, that's nice.
Kevin Ryan
Yeah. They can't really wrap their head around it.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, Your brother's got a damaged testicle. He's going for an operation. Like, okay, fine.
H. Foley
Goldie died.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah. Goldie. Goldie. Goldie 2 is doing okay.
H. Foley
Holy.
Kevin Ryan
That's wild, man.
H. Foley
Man, that's crazy. And then what started to. How far removed are we from the Drew Carey show?
Craig Ferguson
We're pretty close now. I mean, what happened was the. I do this show and it's not working. And you know, back then when the shows weren't working, they would try other things. Like they'd add people into it. So they kind of did do that. Yeah.
Kevin Ryan
So they make him an alien, put a baby in.
Craig Ferguson
That's right. So they added a hot young stand up comic to the cast of maybe this time a young gentleman called Dane Cook.
H. Foley
No kidding.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, Dane was just starting out. So Dane comes out and he was as sweet as anything and as funny as fuck. He was great. And he came in and he started. He was getting all the shit that I was getting. I was like, fucking writing's on the wall for me. So I didn't know you couldn't do this. So I quit. I quit a sitcom which was like crazy. It was like Disney tv. And there was a guy called Dean Valentine who was the head of. And he was meant to be really super scary and stuff like that. And I said to him, I want to quit. This is not working for me. This show's not going to work for me.
Kevin Ryan
That's insane to do it.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's nuts. And he said okay. And he let me quit, which he didn't have to do. He could have kept me there. And what happened was that I had to look for another job. I've told this story before, but I'll tell it quickly for you. So I get this audition, I'm going on auditions and my buddy from Scotland is there, my oldest friend. And we're just kind of tooling around. I get this call to go for an audition. I said, send me the sides. They used to send you like little bits of paper with your lines on it. So he sent me the sides. And it's for a sitcom called Suddenly Susan with Brooke, of course.
H. Foley
Yes.
Craig Ferguson
And the sides. The sides are for the part of the Hispanic photographer. I'm like, the fuck?
Kevin Ryan
I'm good at acting. I can do Hitler. I can't do Spanish.
Craig Ferguson
I said I could do German. I can do this one very well. Cancer photographer. Be from Germany. So I'm like, I'm not even gonna fucking go for this. And my buddy who's there, he's like, what the fuck else are you doing? You needed a surgery doctor. Go to fucking audition. So I go to the audition and everybody in the. There's all these actors waiting. I said, everybody looks like Antonio Vanderi. And I'm like, oh, for fuck's sake. And I go in and the Warner Brothers casting people are there. And so I. I try and do the lines. Everybody's there and they're all doing. And I try and do the lines with my best, you know, Mexican accent, which I'm not gonna fucking do, all right? But I sound. I sound like fucking, you know, Shrek and Speedy Gonzalez. Right? And I fucking do this. And they're laughing their asses off, and it's not working, but I'm laughing at it, too. And at the end of it, the casting guy says, look, obviously this is some kind of mistake. I went, no shit? And he said, oh, you don't think, do you? Yeah, and then he said to me, he said, but he said, the Drew Carey show is looking for an English boss. Can you do an English accent? And I said, see what Jess? I can.
Kevin Ryan
This guy's a pro.
Craig Ferguson
And that's how. And I went in to do the Drew Carey show for like one episode, and then that became three episodes. And Andrew's like, you wanna stay? And I'm like, yeah, yeah, I do. Because I was really like. I remember told this before I was. I had 27 cents left. I don't know.
H. Foley
After quitting the Betty White Show.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah. I'd spent all. And the.
H. Foley
On what? Fair enough.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah. What are you, a fucking cop?
H. Foley
Was a library thing.
Craig Ferguson
So I just got through it. I don't know why. Actually, you're right. I don't know why I got through. Because by that time, I'm not doing drugs, I'm not drinking. I don't know what the fuck I spent.
H. Foley
Right.
Craig Ferguson
But when probably, if my guess is right, probably representation.
Kevin Ryan
Yeah.
Craig Ferguson
You know what I'm saying?
H. Foley
Sure.
Craig Ferguson
Certainly back then also, it's like at.
Kevin Ryan
That time, too, you get a check at. Through that. It's like half the taxes, managers, agents, it's all. You end up getting, like 22% of it.
H. Foley
And where were you living right before you got the Drew Carey Show? Were you. So you were.
Craig Ferguson
I had a.
H. Foley
You didn't have a lot of. You didn't have money saved up?
Craig Ferguson
No, I had a rental place in Hollywood.
H. Foley
By yourself?
Craig Ferguson
Yeah.
H. Foley
Okay.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah. And then I met a guy, girl, you know.
H. Foley
Okay.
Craig Ferguson
She moved in and then we got married.
H. Foley
Okay.
Craig Ferguson
And. And, and we're not married.
H. Foley
Yeah.
Craig Ferguson
But we got married. We were married for a few years and we had a. I had my first kid.
H. Foley
Okay.
Craig Ferguson
And he was born. And that. That all happened around about that time.
H. Foley
That's nuts.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, that was it. Yeah. Drew Carey show. Yeah. Yeah. It changed my life. That thing. That's crazy. And I don't know if you've ever had $0.27 in a bank account, but.
Kevin Ryan
Yes, we have.
Craig Ferguson
Well, you can.
H. Foley
In my 40s.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah.
H. Foley
I'm 49 now.
Craig Ferguson
You can't get it out.
Kevin Ryan
No.
Craig Ferguson
It costs a fucking dollar to get your 27 cents.
H. Foley
This is all very new to us.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah.
H. Foley
Yes.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah. You guys are doing great. Look at you. You got a table.
Kevin Ryan
This is from Raymore and Flanagan too.
H. Foley
These microphones aren't even on.
Craig Ferguson
Look at this shit. None of these cameras.
H. Foley
Holy.
Kevin Ryan
Now. Okay, sorry.
H. Foley
I was gonna say even though. Okay, so you just got married, you had a kid, but when you started getting those kind of checks on a 90s sitcom.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah. Good times.
H. Foley
What was that like? Now you had. You had quit drinking, you put your past behind you.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah.
H. Foley
Were there any. Was there a crazy big purchase or what was that, like a shot car?
Craig Ferguson
And then during this time, I wrote a movie. I used to write movies in my trailer. Like Norm MacDonald, God rest him, he was doing a sitcom across the way. I like Norman, he's a lovely man. And he said he would be out smoking cigarettes and I'd be in writing movies in my trailer. And he said, I didn't realize what a burning furnace of ambition you were. I thought you were just like unsociable. But I'd write these movies and one of the movies did really well. It was a movie called Saving Grace. And it was about a lady who.
Kevin Ryan
That's not bad.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah. About a middle aged lady who grows marijuana in her greenhouse to get herself out of financial trouble. And it did well. And I made a bit of money, so I bought a house in the Hollywood Hills. But I made a little more money, so I also bought an apartment in Paris.
Kevin Ryan
Bought an apartment in Paris, did you?
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, that's what it's all about. Now, if we stopped there, that'd be great, but. But after, when I got divorced again.
H. Foley
Gotcha.
Craig Ferguson
You know that thing as well, when they say you lose half your stuff? That's people who haven't been divorced.
H. Foley
Yeah.
Craig Ferguson
You lose all your stuff.
H. Foley
Ken, let's talk about A Helix mattress.
Craig Ferguson
Ooh.
Kevin Ryan
I just rolled out of a Helix.
H. Foley
I'll tell you right now, you want an endorsement about a product, Helix Mattress. I'm having a hard time getting out of it. Yeah, that's how good it is.
Craig Ferguson
Sure.
H. Foley
I call it my dream machine. Uncle Hank has been snuggled up in that thing, man. And I swear to God, it's probably like 2 years old. I feel like it's gotten better.
Kevin Ryan
Yeah. I mean, dude, I'm in fine wine, baby.
H. Foley
Buddy, I'm in there. I put the. I put the sleep machine on. I got the CPAP going, the ac. I don't want to leave that. That's where I want. That's my happy place. My Helix mattress. Sure, gang. Whether you sleep hot, whether you sleep cold, sleep on your side, sleep on your back. Helix has a mattress for you. They've been with us forever and we absolutely love them. And I'm telling you, if you want the best night's sleep of your life, get yourself a Helix mattress.
Kevin Ryan
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Craig Ferguson
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H. Foley
So you lost the apartment in Paris?
Craig Ferguson
Yes, sir.
H. Foley
And that's all right. Woo.
Craig Ferguson
It really is all right.
H. Foley
I mean now this is before the Late Late Show.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah.
H. Foley
Okay.
Kevin Ryan
What year is the Late Late Show?
H. Foley
2005.
Craig Ferguson
2005. I started.
Kevin Ryan
Started.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah. 2004. They had that kind of like competition, like you know, are you smarter than a fifth grader? Or whatever it was to. To try and win the job.
H. Foley
Now from that one divorce, if that kind of set you back to not 27 cents but that it set you back to somewhat Close.
Craig Ferguson
Close.
Kevin Ryan
You're back. Like, I need. We need a job.
Craig Ferguson
I need a fucking. No. This. No. I have a. Yeah. So. And now I need a job. But I also need a job. Keeps me in town because I don't want to disappear on this kid. So I, you know, so now I gotta. I gotta raise my kid. I gotta find a job. And this time I'm working in independent film. And, you know, you have to leave town six weeks at a time, eight weeks at a time. And I, you know, and I'm looking for a job that's in town. And then I'm doing an independent movie in Winnipeg, Canada, and I get a call and somebody says to me, hey. It was my rep at the time said, hey, you've been on the Craig Kilbourne show a few times, haven't you? I went, yeah. Do you want me to do it again? He said, no, he just quit. I was like, what? He quit? So they're having a kind of runoff and they want you to try out for it. I'm like, get the fuck out. Yeah, all right, fuck it. I never even thought about it. But it's a job that's in town.
Kevin Ryan
That's like the. That's a cushy job in showbiz. I mean, it's hard work. It's day in, day out, but hard work. I'm just saying it's not, you know, but yeah, I mean, that's like. You're in town.
Craig Ferguson
Yep.
Kevin Ryan
Set hours. Great. Check.
Craig Ferguson
Yep.
Kevin Ryan
Same place.
Craig Ferguson
And I had this little kid at the time. So, like, it's funny how the perception people have of your life, like. Like, they're like, oh, you're living this big, fancy show business lifestyle. I had my Sylvia, the nanny, looking after my toddler while I'm on stage. And I go off, I change his diaper, put him in the baby seat, and drive home. Daddy's bachelor pad, where, you know, me and him are. That's. That's what we're doing.
H. Foley
Man, that is something else.
Craig Ferguson
It's crazy, isn't it?
H. Foley
That's unbelievable.
Craig Ferguson
But, you know, then the show starts to be a hit, and then, you know, things change a little bit.
H. Foley
Yeah. You know.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, that's all right.
Kevin Ryan
Pretty bad.
Craig Ferguson
What did happen? That time is right down when I was broke and I was just starting in the show, I meet a girl.
Kevin Ryan
And we get married. Did you?
Craig Ferguson
I did.
H. Foley
A third time.
Craig Ferguson
Third time. But here's what happens. We're still married. We're still married. So I've got this title, this little kid and I meet this girl and she's like. She's like, beautiful. And she takes care of him, she takes care of us. And she comes into our lives and everything gets different. Everything gets different. Holy shit. And we're still married.
H. Foley
Got another place in LA while you're doing the Late Late Show?
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, we got another place.
H. Foley
You're doing all right.
Craig Ferguson
I didn't buy another place in Paris, though.
Kevin Ryan
What was the. At what year of that? You know, you start in 2005. Do you get like a one year contract? A threat? Like, when are you like, all right, I'm set now as moving forward.
Craig Ferguson
I don't know that I ever failed. I don't. I mean, well, I got the. I got the con. What they did was at the time, the contract. You had to sign the contract before you even tried out for it. So the first.
H. Foley
Oh, that's right.
Kevin Ryan
I'll take.
Craig Ferguson
Give me 1500.
Kevin Ryan
I'll work for scale.
Craig Ferguson
Give it to. Exactly. So you take nothing for the first year, but then if the show does well, even. Although you're only meant to get a certain amount for the second year now at this point, everyone's like, well, it's doing pretty well. And the good thing as well is that I'm working for Worldwide Pants, who are actually a great company. That's Letterman, of course, and Rob Burnett was one working then and he was running the company and it really worked out and it just, just, it kind of like came together a little more. And. And because of I worked for Worldwide Pants, I was very protected from the corporate world of. Because of Letterman, because Dave, Dave's massive cajones. I was just hiding behind Dave, Dave. They're trying to get me to do something. He's like, well, we got some music for that, Paul.
Kevin Ryan
Holy, that's crazy.
H. Foley
Talk about a rise. That is something else.
Kevin Ryan
And then. So you said you're living here now?
Craig Ferguson
Yeah.
Kevin Ryan
Do you have, as you still have a house in la? No, no house in la.
Craig Ferguson
Just New York. Yeah, New York.
H. Foley
Just New York.
Craig Ferguson
Let's say yes.
H. Foley
Okay.
Craig Ferguson
I mean, I might have a little place out of town, you know, sometimes when the city gets a little hot.
Kevin Ryan
Buddy, we appreciate it.
H. Foley
We appreciate it.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah.
H. Foley
Okay.
Craig Ferguson
But most of the time. Well, actually less than 182 days a year in New York City. Just in case anyone from the irs, they're not listening.
Kevin Ryan
And what part of town are you in in New York?
Craig Ferguson
Well, have you guys heard of the Upper east side?
H. Foley
Yeah, of course. It's the first place I lived when I moved up.
Craig Ferguson
Oh, really?
H. Foley
Yeah. 81st and First.
Craig Ferguson
It's pretty close.
Kevin Ryan
I don't think it's the same apartment.
Craig Ferguson
81St and first is very close to the Comic Strip. Yes, the comic Strip. There used to be. When I was here, when I was 21, I was kind of thinking about. I'd done the cockney thing, you remember that? You're knocking it. So I thought, when I was here, I thought I'd love to try stand up comedy again, see how it worked. And there used to be a thing at the Comic Strip, there was a guy who's died now, but it was a guy called Lucian Hole who was in charge of all that. And there used to be a. You would go up there at 10am on a Monday morning and get a. There would be all these stand up comedians waiting outside, these kids. And you would take a lottery ticket out of a basket and if your number was called, they would pick 10 people every Monday morning.
H. Foley
We've been in those lines.
Kevin Ryan
They still did it up until like eight, ten years ago.
Craig Ferguson
All right, so you pull the ticket and if you get called the following Monday you get a spot. And it's kind of like an open the mic spot. And I pulled the ticket, I didn't get called. And so I said to the guy, the barman who was running, the guy who was just behind the bar, he was like. I said, what do I do with this then? Do I come back next week and try again? He said, where you from? I said, scotland. And he went, oh, gotta fucking see this. All right. So he put me in and I got a spot the following week. And I did okay. I did okay. I got a few laughs. And so they asked me back the following week to do it again. Now this time I'm starting to get worried. Cause I can't earn any money because I don't have that Visa. So I go back the next week and everything worked out fine. Cause I was shit. And they said bad.
Kevin Ryan
This guy's a flash in the pan at bed.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah.
H. Foley
So is, is your. Was it a son or a daughter you had with your second wife or your son?
Craig Ferguson
Two. Two kids. You have two kids, two boys.
H. Foley
With. With the same mom or different mom?
Craig Ferguson
Different moms.
H. Foley
Okay. How far apart are they?
Craig Ferguson
About nine and a half years.
H. Foley
About nine and a half years. So what are the vacations like now? What. What kind of stuff do you guys like to do?
Craig Ferguson
You, man.
H. Foley
This is what we want to hear.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, I know you like. I'm not Aston like some.
H. Foley
You earned every dime of it. You were selling milk on the back of a horse.
Craig Ferguson
That is true.
Kevin Ryan
What do you mean?
Craig Ferguson
All right, so the vacations are a little better.
Kevin Ryan
12 rounds with the rag, man.
Craig Ferguson
That's right. Yeah. I got a lot of balloons. You know, the vacations are a little different.
H. Foley
What do you like? What do you like to do?
Craig Ferguson
You know, the truth is, we. We kind of don't take a ton of vacations.
H. Foley
Okay.
Craig Ferguson
We. We have a place out of town that we go to that is right next to the beach.
H. Foley
Okay.
Craig Ferguson
You know.
Kevin Ryan
I don't think he's talking about. I don't think you're talking about Wild with New Jersey.
Craig Ferguson
You guys, this.
H. Foley
Is this a little fishing town as well?
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, it's. It's a little. It's a little place.
H. Foley
Is there an economy airline close by?
Craig Ferguson
Maybe they fly over.
Kevin Ryan
I'm trying to rework the flight patterns, too. Talking to my congressman.
Craig Ferguson
No, I only own the airspace to 40,000ft.
H. Foley
You get that thing up high, you go by my house. Holy shit.
Craig Ferguson
No, what we do is we tend to kind of go there or in New York. I mean, it's not. I don't go on a lot of vacations. It's funny. Jay Leno is a pal of mine. I don't know. You guys know Jay, but Jay, right?
H. Foley
No.
Kevin Ryan
I don't know. We do not. I know who he is.
H. Foley
Oh, yeah. Hang out in the garage.
Craig Ferguson
Well, Jay and I. Occasionally, I'll do gigs with Jay Leno and Arsenio Hall. We go out and do gigs. Funny. Funniest. Shadow. Love fucking doing it.
Kevin Ryan
Damn.
Craig Ferguson
That's.
H. Foley
It's fun.
Craig Ferguson
It's always casinos.
H. Foley
That's awesome.
Craig Ferguson
It's always casinos.
H. Foley
I love it.
Craig Ferguson
But these guys are fucking great. I mean, you talk about pros, they're amazing.
H. Foley
Talk about knowing where the money is.
Craig Ferguson
The casinos.
H. Foley
Let's go.
Craig Ferguson
So they. But Jay, and he's kind of a blue collar guy. He came up, you know.
H. Foley
Yeah.
Craig Ferguson
And he was like, take vacation. What the fuck am I gonna do on vacation? I tried it once. It was fucking terrible. Sitting on the beach, trying to read a book.
H. Foley
Yeah. The story where, you know, it was sad when he fell down the hill not that long ago. It was in front of, like, an Econo lodge that he was staying at. I'm like, why is Jay Leno staying at an Econo Lodge?
Craig Ferguson
You wouldn't believe this guy. So, like, Jabil, like, there's no. Like, you go on. If you go and do gigs with Jay, like, there's no entourage. There's no. There's no even a personal assistant.
H. Foley
Just walking in.
Craig Ferguson
This is Jay. And then he said to me. And we had a couple of gigs who were quite you know, a far in odd places. Yeah, Jay always travels private, right? He's got private jet.
H. Foley
Of course.
Kevin Ryan
What do you think? And should. He's Hollywood royalty, right, Mr. Leno?
Craig Ferguson
So Jay says, hey, do you want to ride in the jet? We're gonna go to the thing. I'm like, yeah, okay, I'll ride in the jet. And you get on the jet after the gig. And it's this fucking baller jet. But Jay's sitting with the denim pants, his denim shirt unbuttoned after eating pizza out of a box.
Kevin Ryan
Yeah, that's how you gotta do it. And I'm like.
Craig Ferguson
He's like, you want a piece of pizza? I'm like, yeah. Yes, I fucking do.
Kevin Ryan
That's great, dude.
H. Foley
Man. All right, let's get into some. Are you garbage?
Kevin Ryan
We're 50 minutes in.
Craig Ferguson
Let's get some garbage.
Kevin Ryan
One question. I mean, this. The number we always ask. How many suits do you own? And it'd probably be hard to put a number on it.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, I don't know. Like, fucking hundreds.
H. Foley
Do you keep.
Craig Ferguson
So in the show, My agent, when I started in late night, we just put this thing. I was like, we just. We'll put it. Cause they were paying me anything. Like, fuck them then. Well, let's add this thing. Keep the wardrobe, you keep the suits. Now, that was just in at the beginning. So it's like one of these, like, things in a bill that goes through. Like, you don't notice. But it's now in every contract. So every game show I did, every fucking. Everything I've done, I've got all these fucking suits. That's awesome. And it sounds good, but now it's probably a burden. It is a burden.
Kevin Ryan
You have to get, like, another apartment for the suit.
Craig Ferguson
You know, to paraphrase Biggie, more suits, more problems.
Kevin Ryan
Yeah, I'm with you.
H. Foley
Yeah, you look sharp in a suit. Can I tell you that you do.
Kevin Ryan
Wear the shit out of a suit?
H. Foley
You wear the shit out of a suit.
Craig Ferguson
Thank you. I do. Enjoy.
H. Foley
All right, let's talk about the. Let's talk about in the house a little bit. Do you guys. Are the kids grown up? Are they out of the house?
Craig Ferguson
My. My youngest is 14, so my oldest is 24.
H. Foley
Gotcha. Are we doing family dinners? Yeah.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, we were close. Family.
H. Foley
Close family. Family dinners. Who's doing the cooking you do?
Craig Ferguson
My wife all the time.
H. Foley
She could cook.
Craig Ferguson
This is great.
H. Foley
What about the grocery shopping here in New York? Are you guys going out to the grocery store? You getting things delivered?
Craig Ferguson
What's The. What are these called?
H. Foley
Okay.
Craig Ferguson
All right.
H. Foley
Yeah. You just have it sent in.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. I think so. Yeah. Are you writing this down? Is there a point?
Kevin Ryan
It's all.
H. Foley
Yeah, this is. This is the time and whether you're garbage.
Kevin Ryan
Now we're coming over for dinner later.
H. Foley
I want to see what we're having tonight.
Craig Ferguson
Well, it. It depends. If we're in New York City, then, you know, you go to the store. But.
H. Foley
Okay, but if you're at this other.
Craig Ferguson
Place, if you're out of town, maybe you drive to the store.
H. Foley
Okay, but you are going to the store. I could see you walking around.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, I do. No, I do it. I will go to the store and do that stuff.
H. Foley
Are you a Whole Foods man? Are you?
Craig Ferguson
Yeah. I tell you, I will be honest with this because, you know, Whole Foods is. I get what we're looking at with Whole Foods, but I will say this. Touring, as long as I've been touring in the Whole Foods changed the fucking game. Because it used to be like, if you could find a Cracker Barrel, that was it when you were on the road. And look, no disrespect to Cracker Barrel, you know, some of their gravy is. Is okay. But the. But the. But the Whole Foods things, like, you could always get something to eat.
H. Foley
Sure.
Craig Ferguson
Most towns and that. That's a big bar thing that they do.
H. Foley
You try to. You try to eat right and take care of yourself these days.
Craig Ferguson
I'm 63, of course.
H. Foley
Gotcha.
Craig Ferguson
I mean, I just. I don't know if you can see. I went to a dermatologist. I know that doesn't make me garbage, but I went to a dermatologist and they had to burn off little bits of, like, pre. Cancerous.
H. Foley
I'm doing that now. I have skin tags all over.
Kevin Ryan
Yeah, we do it. We do it out there. You don't have health insurance.
H. Foley
Do you keep the butter on the counter or do you keep it in the fridge at the house?
Craig Ferguson
I put it in the fridge. My wife puts it on the counter.
H. Foley
Okay, all right. Okay, fair. The ketchup, where do you keep that again?
Craig Ferguson
I would go for fridge, actually. No other way around. My wife puts ketchup in the fridge. I leave the ketchup. I like the ketchup to be room temperature.
H. Foley
Okay.
Craig Ferguson
You know, like Beaujolais.
H. Foley
I don't think they're quite the same thing, but fair enough.
Craig Ferguson
Some of the recent Beaujolais, I beg to differ. Am I right, everyone?
H. Foley
Ah, that's all right. Okay, let's Go into the bathroom.
Craig Ferguson
Okay.
H. Foley
Are you peeing in the shower?
Craig Ferguson
Oh, yeah.
H. Foley
Okay. You brush your teeth in there?
Craig Ferguson
No, I don't do that. My kids do that, and I suspect my wife does that, but I do not do that.
H. Foley
All right.
Craig Ferguson
Especially. I don't know, I think, like, peeing and brushing your teeth at the same time, it's kind of like doing that thing, you know what I mean?
H. Foley
I feel like you don't have to.
Kevin Ryan
Do them at the same time.
H. Foley
Do you floss every day?
Craig Ferguson
Not every day, but I do floss.
H. Foley
You keep up with it?
Craig Ferguson
Yeah.
H. Foley
All right. Okay.
Kevin Ryan
Kippy, how do you feel about the rotisserie chicken? I'm killing with the peanut gallery. The live studio audience.
Craig Ferguson
I love the rotisserie chicken. I will buy the warm rotisserie chicken and get home. It's always a bit of a dash to get home because you get the warm rotisserie chicken, but you've also got the fudgesicles, which are getting colder. You can't have a 2 near next to the rotisserie chicken. But I like to get home before the rotisserie chicken is tepid. Yeah, I don't want it.
Kevin Ryan
It changes and coagulates a little bit.
Craig Ferguson
It's not the same once you get that. Once the gravy gets a gel to it, it's tough.
Kevin Ryan
How do you. How do you get your. If you are eating a steak, how do you get your steak cooked?
Craig Ferguson
I don't really eat the steak anymore, but. But when I would eat it, I. I'd go, well.
H. Foley
Well, that's a Scottish in you, though.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, yeah, Dirt bag.
H. Foley
Give me a little bit of a curve on that. Wait, hold on. What about these fudgesicles? You're a fudgesicle, man.
Craig Ferguson
Oh, I like fudgesicles.
H. Foley
Are you kidding me?
Craig Ferguson
No, Come on. They're great.
H. Foley
I love you, man. I couldn't like the guy anymore.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah.
H. Foley
Fudge, sickles, and root beer. Holy. You're speaking my language.
Craig Ferguson
That's right. That's how I live.
Kevin Ryan
Holy.
H. Foley
Will you take leftovers home from a restaurant?
Craig Ferguson
Yeah.
H. Foley
And do you like a nice dinner? Do you guys like. You and the wife, you like to go out to a nice place?
Craig Ferguson
I like to go to places where they. When they. They give you the foil, it's in the shape of a swan. But my. My. My wife is much classier than that. But I do like the foil in a swan.
H. Foley
All right.
Craig Ferguson
Foil swan to me says class 100%.
Kevin Ryan
It's the epitome of class. Do you currently own A tennis racket?
Craig Ferguson
No, fuck you.
Kevin Ryan
Okay. Have you ever played pickleball?
Craig Ferguson
No, no, but I. But I have a urologist.
H. Foley
Do you own binoculars?
Craig Ferguson
I do, I do. I own multiple sets of binoculars.
H. Foley
What kind of car are you whipping around town in?
Craig Ferguson
I got a. This. I think this is going to work for me here.
H. Foley
Hit me.
Craig Ferguson
I have a Ram 1500 bighorn, 5.7 liter. Fuck you guys.
Kevin Ryan
You guys, that's amazing.
H. Foley
Right on the edge there. You got a ram. Look at you.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, I fucking have got a ram. And you know what?
Kevin Ryan
That's a guy who likes American.
Craig Ferguson
Let me just show you my fucking hat. That's my fucking hat. Well, the way I. The way I do it is this. The way I see the ram is this. I'm very worried about the environment.
Kevin Ryan
Sure.
Craig Ferguson
So what I feel is to force big oil to make changes. I feel we've got to use it all up.
H. Foley
There you go.
Craig Ferguson
Use it up.
H. Foley
Mm.
Craig Ferguson
And that'll fucking make them pay attention.
Kevin Ryan
I respect that. What, what do you call it? You call it the remote or the clicker?
Craig Ferguson
Remote. Remote.
H. Foley
The remote, yeah. You have any fireworks in the house? Currently not.
Craig Ferguson
Currently, no. Oh, well, no, I got some sparkles. Always keep some sparklers cuz my wife's cousin's kids come over and they like the sparkle.
H. Foley
Okay. The beds. A king size bed, I assume.
Craig Ferguson
Gotta be which.
H. Foley
Oh, what are you sleeping on a twin at the apartment?
Craig Ferguson
No, but the king size in the apartment. But a queen size at the.
Kevin Ryan
The house.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah.
Kevin Ryan
At the country home. As the Manhattanites with money called and go to the country.
Craig Ferguson
Oh yeah, yeah, queen size. Yeah. We got to change it though, because.
Kevin Ryan
Yeah, that's tough.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, it's. It's. You know, we've married for a long time.
Kevin Ryan
If you need a couple bucks, let me know.
H. Foley
And what are you sleeping in? Are you sleeping in undies? You sleep.
Craig Ferguson
You gotta listen to me here because this is important. Sleep is important to me.
H. Foley
Of course.
Craig Ferguson
And about during the pandemic, actually during the COVID you know, just ordering stuff online because there's nothing else to do. So I order a pair of shorty as short silk pajamas. Whoa. I'm telling you, man, I have taken every drug I've heard of them all. Silk pajamas. That's a try that, that's the way to go. Like put down the oxycontin and get some silk.
H. Foley
Hey, why not Both silk pajamas and fudgesicles. Talk about the duality of man.
Craig Ferguson
That would be like a speedboat.
Kevin Ryan
At what age did you get your first Tattoo. And what age was the last tattoo? I see the tattoos on the arms there.
Craig Ferguson
The first tattoo was actually late because my father hated tattoos. He thought that, you know, people should not have tattoos. So when my father died, I thought, what better way to remember a man who hated tattoos than get a tattoo? The Celtic Paradox. So I got the family crest tattoo.
Kevin Ryan
I have to say, that is the first trashy tattoo everybody gets. Yeah, the family name.
Craig Ferguson
So my father. And then I didn't think about it for a while, and then about a few years later, my mom died. And I was, like, very sad, obviously. And then a few months after my mom had died, I started to kind of hear her in my head, like, oh, you got a tattoo for your father, but you don't get a tattoo for your mother. So I had to get my mother tattooed there. But as I'm getting this tattoo of my mother's family on here, the guy who's given me the ink says, you know, it's unlucky to have an even number of tattoos. Oh, I didn't know that. He said, so you better get a third. And I'm like, oh, okay. And I'd recently become an American citizen, so I thought, well, give me this one here.
Kevin Ryan
Oh, you got the snake.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah. This guy's in it. Yeah. So. So I have to. I have. So I get three, and then after. That's crazy. But when I get. I don't know if. Are you guys inked? Nothing now, right?
Kevin Ryan
So I feel like a pussy. He just says, if we're inked. And we had to say, no.
H. Foley
Fuck.
Craig Ferguson
You know, a few years ago, that would have been true. Now, if you've got ink, it probably means you're a fucking orthodontist or something. But down here, that's the most hurty part of getting a tattoo I've ever had. Apparently, this is sore, too, but I don't.
Kevin Ryan
Yeah. Hear the ribs are bad.
H. Foley
Okay.
Craig Ferguson
But this was very, very hearty. Don't do it.
Kevin Ryan
You gotta have, what, 12 now?
Craig Ferguson
Something like that. I don't even know. All over the place.
H. Foley
Do you do any cologne? Are you a cologne guy?
Craig Ferguson
You know, I don't. Nothing used to.
H. Foley
Okay.
Craig Ferguson
And I. I kind of just don't.
H. Foley
What were you rocking back in the day?
Craig Ferguson
Davidoff. Cool water.
H. Foley
You were?
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, man.
Kevin Ryan
This guy, like, I love him.
H. Foley
Holy.
Craig Ferguson
You know what? I gotta tell you, I still love it.
H. Foley
Yeah?
Craig Ferguson
Yeah. And every time I'm. If I'm in an airport, I'm like, I should probably should grab a. Grab a bottle.
Kevin Ryan
I Live only at the airport.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, well that's the only place you can fucking get.
H. Foley
Who's cutting the hair these days?
Craig Ferguson
The last person to cut it was a lady called Vegas.
H. Foley
Do you go to her? Do they come to you?
Craig Ferguson
No, I just walk in and you go and said, my name is Vegas?
H. Foley
Okay.
Craig Ferguson
I'd never met her before. No kid. It's not bad though, right?
H. Foley
She looks you fancy.
Kevin Ryan
You got a great head of hair. Good looking guy.
Craig Ferguson
Thank you.
H. Foley
100.
Kevin Ryan
I mean, listen, is this a club? Ah, you know.
H. Foley
Yeah. I mean.
Craig Ferguson
Well, you guys coming to a decision? I feel like it's. Is this the.
H. Foley
We're getting there.
Craig Ferguson
Okay, there's.
H. Foley
When you fly commercial, will you.
Craig Ferguson
I always fly commercial.
H. Foley
Will you bring anything on the plane with you? Will you bring food on the plane?
Craig Ferguson
Yeah.
H. Foley
What are you talking about?
Craig Ferguson
Oh, a sandwich or something from the.
H. Foley
Not like tuna or anything?
Craig Ferguson
No, no, no fish on the plane. No, but. But maybe, maybe a sandwich. I don't like to eat on the plane. I feel like the plane is a flying bathroom and I don't like even a long, long flight. I don't.
H. Foley
Take your shoes off on the plane.
Craig Ferguson
Yes.
H. Foley
Put the seat back.
Craig Ferguson
Depends. Okay, gentlemen, if it depends, you know, as the circumstances arise. But I have to say most of the time these days when I fly the seat back, going back doesn't seem to be an issue.
H. Foley
Understand? I know exactly what you're getting the lay flat. I'd like to hear that.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah.
H. Foley
You're saying you're. You're in the Fusel lot. I'd be upset.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, I'm just, you know, up near that. It's good because as the people come on and sit behind you, you can judge them.
Kevin Ryan
Yeah, that's what we do too.
H. Foley
You guys do Christmas at the house?
Craig Ferguson
Yep.
H. Foley
Colored lights, White lights on the tree.
Craig Ferguson
White lights on the tree. My wife is classy. There's no way she's garbage.
Kevin Ryan
Okay, so that makes sense.
H. Foley
All right.
Kevin Ryan
I love how he knew the white lights were classy.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
H. Foley
What about the nails? You biting the nails?
Craig Ferguson
No, no, I don't think so.
H. Foley
You do anything to them?
Craig Ferguson
No.
H. Foley
Trim them?
Craig Ferguson
I got a clipper.
H. Foley
You do the clippers yourself?
Craig Ferguson
But. Yeah, but I don't do the toes every time. And sometimes these days I try and do that when I'm clipping the toes. I try and be on my own. Yeah, that's classy.
H. Foley
Any bad toenails? You got a bad.
Craig Ferguson
I had one for a while, but it's cleared up. I got apparently when you get Covid. I got Covid. I'm sure we've all had it. If you haven't.
Kevin Ryan
I got it right now.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, you. You get a. I got something called cold moving, too, which I think it was probably.
Kevin Ryan
You're making that up.
Craig Ferguson
Maybe I made it up, maybe I didn't. I don't know.
H. Foley
What does it do? Turn your nail black?
Craig Ferguson
It went a little weird.
H. Foley
No kidding.
Craig Ferguson
Kind of went like.
Kevin Ryan
You had a hook. A little bit of a hook, too.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah.
H. Foley
Get in there.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, I know. Anyway, it's cleared up now.
Kevin Ryan
I mean, the guy's trash. What are you doing here?
H. Foley
Come on.
Kevin Ryan
Dead ringer for trash, man.
H. Foley
The F1 fit or the. The Ram.
Kevin Ryan
The Ram.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, you know, the Ram with the American hat.
H. Foley
Dude.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah.
H. Foley
I love it. Mr. Craig Ferguson, 100% garbage.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah, but we love you, man.
H. Foley
What a legendary.
Craig Ferguson
Yes. I'm very pleased, gang.
H. Foley
The special I'm so Happy is on YouTube right now.
Craig Ferguson
I think so.
H. Foley
Yeah. Right, Joy. A podcast. You can listen to that if you want. And of course, you're on tour. Pants on Fire Tour. Thecraigfergusonshow.com I mean, an absolute legend.
Craig Ferguson
Yeah. God bless you.
H. Foley
We can't thank you enough for coming in.
Craig Ferguson
Thank you for having me. I really appreciate it.
H. Foley
We love you. Congratulations on everything. That story was. Was inspiring and unbelievable.
Craig Ferguson
Oh, thanks.
H. Foley
And we really mean it. You're one of the true greats.
Kevin Ryan
Yes.
H. Foley
Thank you, sir.
Kevin Ryan
See you on the Upper east side.
H. Foley
Kippy. What do you got? And we're coming over for dinner tonight, guys.
Kevin Ryan
We still have some of the Are you Garbage Car game available at rugarbage. Com. And we're on tour as well. Get those tickets now.
H. Foley
Craig, we love you.
Kevin Ryan
Yeah, ma' am.
H. Foley
Gang, we love you. We'll see you next week. Peace.
Are You Garbage? Comedy Podcast – Episode Summary: Craig Ferguson Released on May 15, 2025
Hosts: Kevin Ryan & H. Foley
In this episode of "Are You Garbage?," hosts Kevin Ryan and H. Foley welcome the legendary comedian and former late-night talk show host, Craig Ferguson. The episode adopts the show's signature blend of humor and candid conversation, aiming to uncover whether Gerald comedians like Ferguson possess the "classiness" or fall into the category of "GARBAGE."
Craig Ferguson delves into his upbringing in Glasgow, Scotland, providing a humorous yet heartfelt account of his childhood. He shares anecdotes about his parents—his father, a dedicated postman who rose to become the Chief Inspector of the Edinburgh Post Office, and his mother, a schoolteacher. Ferguson reminisces about the modest lifestyle, highlighting memorable moments such as "dinner was like egg and fries" and the scarcity of meat in their meals.
Notable Quote:
Craig Ferguson: "We were in a one-bedroom tenement... then moved to the projects, which were meant to be fancy but weren't fancy at all." [07:03]
At 16, Ferguson ventured into the punk rock scene, joining a band and living in shared accommodations in Glasgow. He recounts the vibrant yet challenging music scene of the early '80s, including tours across Britain and interactions with fellow musicians.
Notable Quote:
Craig Ferguson: "I was the drummer in a punk rock band... lived in the back of a van. Shared a room with some guys in the West End of Glasgow." [08:07]
Ferguson also touches upon his experiences in New York City's East Village during the mid-'80s, painting a vivid picture of the area's cultural and social dynamics, including encounters with notable figures like Grandmaster Flash.
Notable Quote:
Craig Ferguson: "There's nobody's wanting to put a hotel next to a nuclear power plant... So they have this nice Airstream trailer and it lights up at night." [10:08]
Ferguson opens up about his early foray into comedy, initially as a drummer at punk shows, and his challenges with substance abuse. He shares a pivotal moment at age 13 when an incident involving underage drinking led to his first arrest, impacting his academic performance and contributing to his decision to drop out of high school at 16.
Notable Quote:
Craig Ferguson: "I blacked out and I got arrested at thirteen. Woke up in my own pee." [12:23]
Seeking new opportunities, Ferguson moved to Los Angeles in the mid-'90s. He describes his early struggles in the American entertainment industry, including his first acting roles alongside icons like Betty White and Marie Osmond. His persistence paid off when he landed a role on "The Drew Carey Show," which marked the beginning of his successful career in American television.
Notable Quote:
Craig Ferguson: "I did a sitcom that lasted like 20 episodes, but I only lasted 10. Then I quit because the writing was not for me." [31:02]
Ferguson's tenure on "The Drew Carey Show" is highlighted as a turning point. Despite early setbacks, his unique comedic style resonated with audiences, leading to a steady rise in his career. He discusses balancing his personal life, including marriage and fatherhood, with the demands of his growing fame.
Notable Quote:
Craig Ferguson: "The Drew Carey Show changed my life. I had to look for another job when I quit, but then I landed on Suddenly Susan, which set the stage for my late-night career." [37:00]
Ferguson reflects on his personal life, including his relationships, children, and current living arrangements in New York City. He humorously discusses daily habits, family dynamics, and his ongoing commitment to comedy and entertainment. The conversation also touches on his experiences with health, hobbies, and maintaining a balance between personal and professional life.
Notable Quote:
Craig Ferguson: "We have a place out of town next to the beach, but most of the time we're in New York City. My youngest is 14, and my oldest is 24." [49:05]
Ferguson shares light-hearted stories about his interactions with other comedians, such as Jay Leno, and his favorite aspects of touring and performing.
Notable Quote:
Craig Ferguson: "When I fly commercial, the plane feels like a flying bathroom, and I don't like long flights. But I enjoy the camaraderie with fellow comedians." [63:45]
The episode wraps up with heartfelt thanks from the hosts to Craig Ferguson, celebrating his illustrious career and enduring legacy in comedy. The conversation encapsulates Ferguson's journey from a modest upbringing in Scotland to becoming a beloved figure in American entertainment, all while maintaining his wit and charm.
Notable Quote:
H. Foley: "You’re a legend, my friend. An absolute legend. Truly one of the greats." [66:03]
Key Takeaways:
Note: Advertisements and promotional segments from the podcast, including mentions of Ridge Wallet, Shopify, Helix Mattress, and Amazon Prime, have been omitted to focus solely on the substantive content of the conversation.