Adam Pally

Summary

Teen Beat with Danielle Fishel: Adam Pally

iHeartPodcasts – February 18, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Danielle Fishel sits down with the multi-talented comedian and actor Adam Pally. Best known for his roles on "Happy Endings," "The Mindy Project," and as Officer Wade Whipple in the "Sonic" universe, Adam shares candid stories about his unconventional childhood, family, struggles with school, fashion misadventures, and developing a sense of humor forged by chaos. The discussion ranges from deep personal reflections on growing up to hilarious observations about Hollywood and parenting.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

Danielle’s “Televised Puberty” and Adam’s Hollywood Reflections

• Danielle reflects on living her formative years in front of millions (02:33), describing the challenges and unique trauma of growing up on "Boy Meets World."
  • Adam responds with awe at her survival and resilience:

    “The fact that you are walking and talking and breathing and a talented, you know, force in its own self is truly like Macaulay Culkin level miracle.” (05:01)

• They discuss the impact of the infamous “fat episode” from Boy Meets World and the lasting psychological effects of being young actors, with Adam empathizing and humorously likening the show’s execs to industry villains. (06:10)
  • Danielle: “Our EP pulled Will and I into the office and said, so obviously everyone can see that you guys have gone fat. And so we...”
  • Adam: “Who is running Boy Meets World? Lorne Michaels? Harvey Weinstein?!” (06:12)

Adam’s Career Trajectory and Legacy

• Adam never imagined being a favorite with kids, especially after his early edgy improv days. Now, he appreciates that his career brings joy to families, even as Hollywood glitz sometimes feels distant. (09:34)
• He describes "seasonal award show depression," feeling left out when not included in Hollywood events, but Danielle reframes it as evidence of his legacy:
  • Danielle: “It means you have left a legacy and are continuing to leave a legacy...” (11:57)
  • Adam, self-deprecatingly: “I think I'm fairly safe as far as In Memoriam goes...I think I would get it at the Emmys, for sure.” (12:48)

Growing Up with Young, Artsy Parents

• Both Adam and Danielle marvel at their parents having children in their early 20s, something that seems impossible to them now. (14:44)
• Adam describes his parents’ lounge singer days, recalling road trips and realizing show business is mostly about hard work, not just fame. (19:08)
  • “Show business is not all the top. You know, there's like, this mostly not. It's mostly the bottom, which is like a huge ecosystem...” (20:50)

Family Dynamics and Childhood Chores

• Adam grew up with two sisters, all helping the family run smoothly as his dad went through med school and his mom juggled work.
  • “It was, like, kind of being homeschooled in a way. Like...everybody worked together because you just had to.” (25:17)
• Chores and responsibility were important; Adam had to shepherd his sisters and manage household duties from a young age. (26:39)

School Struggles and Learning Disabilities

• Adam was not an academic standout—far from it. He openly discusses poor grades, class rankings (275/300!), SAT struggles, and living with dysgraphia and dyslexia, making standardized testing and writing hard.
  • “My signature is illegible. And people were getting upset...so now I have to do it in print.” (49:02)
• Danielle relates, discussing how the pressure to fit the traditional academic mold felt limiting, and how intelligence is now (thankfully) recognized in different forms.
  • “We talk about it a lot...there are so many different types of intelligence and so many different things that you can be smart in and good at...” (50:54)
• Adam jokes about career assessment tests predicting only blue-collar jobs for him:
  • “They were like, you're going to be cleaning floors...I remember being like, holy shit, how am I so dumb? I'm sorry.” (49:37)

Lying, Mischief, and Making an Impression

• Adam admits to chronic (and sometimes ineffective) lying as a kid, especially to keep bad report cards hidden.
• Danielle recalls how playfully fabricating details (like being in "Manchester by the Sea" at a pitch meeting) can actually help creators stand out in Hollywood.
  • “Doing something, even just something simple, like a simple lie, like being in Manchester by the sea makes you more memorable, which is...maybe 70% of getting a job.” (31:06)

Teenage Interests: Music, Fashion, and Bar Mitzvahs

• Adam’s bar mitzvah theme was, fittingly, music—with tables named after the Beastie Boys, Nirvana, etc. (35:17)
• Both hosts share a love of 90s music—the soundtrack of their adolescence—debating the differences between grunge, mainstream 90s hip-hop, and backpack rap. (36:00)
• Their mutual obsession with vintage watches and menswear emerges, leading to banter about aging, replacing watchbands, and why a sense of style can be tied to one’s family history.
  • “I have style. I always had style. I think it's because my parents...would get dressed like that was part of it.” (39:45)

Adolescent Social Life and First Love

• Adam’s high school years were defined by being the “new kid,” producing comedy sketches for morning announcements, and a formative (and ongoing) relationship with his now-wife, who he met at 15. (53:45)
• “Finally someone...got me, you know, and like was artsy...this is—I'm totally comfortable here. I want to be here.” (55:11)

Parenting and Passing It On

• Adam now has three children and reflects on seeing a better version of himself in them. He jokes about the chaos and cost of kids' fashion tastes as influenced by his wife’s and his own stylishness. (58:28)
• Danielle and Adam discuss how children’s obsessions (with Paw Patrol, for example) can disappear overnight, leaving behind relics and emotional time-capsules. (61:15)

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Notable Quotes and Moments

• On child acting and psychological cost:
  • Adam Pally (06:51): “The psychological... Acting is a psychological...you're going into your own mind, you know, to work. And when children do it...it's just so poisonous to have, like, a little kid being, like, reading, pretending, and like, going into the depths of their mind...”
• On legacy and career recognition:
  • Danielle Fishel (11:57): “It means you have left a legacy and are continuing to leave a legacy that all of the younger people...are partly there because of your work and...ways you've inspired them.”
• On being a terrible student:
  • Adam Pally (44:04): “No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.”
  • Adam Pally (45:20): “That was my first real wake up call at like 18 years old when that rank came out. And I was like, oh, I'm incredibly dumb. Like, incredibly dumb.”
• On style and Hollywood:
  • Adam Pally (41:17): “I have seen the most beautiful, handsome movie stars of our life show up to set at six in the morning looking like dog.”
• On parenting and keeping up with their kids’ fashion:
  • Adam Pally (60:07): “It’s a bummer because it’s expensive. I can’t be. I’ll never be rich, but it’s cool. Yeah, I know.”

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:33 – Danielle’s intro; “televised puberty” and Boy Meets World memories
• 05:38 – Adam’s admiration for Danielle’s survival and humor about traumatic moments
• 09:34 – Adam on becoming a kids’ favorite; seasonal award show depression
• 14:44 – Comparing young parents and how that shaped their perspective
• 19:08 – Adam’s parents as lounge singers; road stories and lessons about show business
• 25:17 – Childhood family responsibility and sibling bonds
• 29:12 – Lying about grades and using school as a social hub
• 31:06 – Convincing lies in Hollywood; memorable pitch meeting moments
• 35:17 – Bar mitzvah themes, 90s music, and their lasting influences
• 39:45–41:15 – The family roots of personal style; observations on fashion in Hollywood
• 44:04–47:23 – Adam’s struggles with academics, SATs, and learning disabilities
• 53:45–56:37 – Meeting and marrying his high school sweetheart
• 58:28 – Reflections on parenting; kids’ personal style and obsessions
• 62:34 – Parent nostalgia, changing childhood interests, and timehop-induced emotions
• 64:31 – Business ideas, jokes about Hollywood, mutual collaboration wishes
• 65:48–66:04 – Light, supportive closing and promises of future collaboration

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Conclusion

Danielle Fishel and Adam Pally’s conversation on Teen Beat offers a heartfelt, funny, and wide-ranging look at what shapes creative adults: the chaos of “normal” childhoods, struggles with fitting the academic mold, the bittersweet passage of time, and the lasting value of family, humor, and a bit of style. Their banter about childhood, Hollywood, and raising kids resonates with anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider—or simply wanted to laugh about the human experience.

For more, don’t miss the upcoming bonus episode, and follow @teenbeatpod on Instagram.

Transcript

[Adam Pally]

I'm Clayton Eckerd. In 2022, I was the lead of ABC's the Bachelor.

[Danielle Fishel]

But here's the thing. Bachelor fans hated him.

[Adam Pally]

If I could press a button and rewind it all, I would.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's when his life took a disturbing turn. A one night stand would end in a courtroom. The media is here. This case has gone viral.

[Adam Pally]

The Dating Contract Agree to date me, but I'm also suing you. This is unlike anything I've ever seen before.

[Danielle Fishel]

I'm Stephanie Young. Listen to Love trapped on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Then she says, have you seen a photo of my son? And I'm like, who is this person? Welcome to the Boys and Girls Podcast. Arranged marriage is basically a reality show and you're auditioning for your soulmate. And who's judging? Only your entire family. I sacrificed myself to this ancient tradition hoping to find love the right way. And instead I found chaos, comedy and a lot of cringe. Listen to boys and Girls on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Adam Pally]

Safeway and Albertsons have made saving easier than ever with great savings on family favorites. This week at Safeway and Albertsons, USDA choice beef, boneless, tri tip, whole or flank and style ribs bone in are $6.99 per pound member price and asparagus or $1.99 per pound member price plus 16 ounce strawberries. 6 ounce raspberries or blackberries are $1.97 each. LIM price with digital coupon. Hurry in. These deals won't last. Visit safewayoralbertsons.com for more deals and ways to save. Before we had ATT Business wireless coverage, our delivery GPS wasn't the most reliable. Once our driver had to do a 14 point turn to get back on route. A 14 point turn, an influencer even live stream the whole thing. Not good for business. Now with AT&T business Wireless routes are updating on the fly and deliveries are on time. And the influencer did get us 53 new followers though. AT&T business Wireless Connecting changes everything. Give me money for cigarettes I'll never leave your filthy bed. I stay the night and one night begin two or three. The kids are not alright but that's okay cause no one here is Teen Beat.

[Danielle Fishel]

Hello and welcome to Teen Beat. I'm Danielle Fishel, podcaster, TV director, celebrity ballroom contestant, mother of two and as nostalgic 40 year olds everywhere will tell you, Topanga Lawrence from the 90s TGIF staple Boy meets World. And thanks to that very program, my entire teenage existence, from 12 to 19 years old, unfolded simultaneously in front of a live studio audience and millions of viewers at home. From my first kiss to my first haircut, everything was caught on camera. So now, 30 years later, it's time to turn the tables on Teen Beat. I will sit down with interesting people who have accomplished interesting things, hoping that a look into their untelevised upbringings will help us understand who they have become. Since their puberty wasn't written into a popular Friday night sitcom, the least they can do is share it with me now. I gave you my childhood. It's time we hear yours. And this week, I'm sitting down with someone who has not only been open about how his upbringing shaped a thriving career in comedy, but he's now actively shaping my children's definition of funny. And frankly, there is nothing I can do about it. The New York native first burst onto the scene as Max Blum in the criminally underrated show Happy End, leading him to another high profile TV gig on seasons two and three of the Mindy Project. But he's most recognizable to my boys as Officer Wade Whipple, an integral part of the Sonic Cinematic Universe and its spinoff series, Knuckles, a project I know intimately thanks to a number of repeat viewings usually reserved for hair salons that only own one dvd. His new HBO comedy special, An Intimate Evening with Adam Pally, finds him with a guitar and a burning question, why even do this in the first place? Which maybe he'll be able to answer next year when he'll play music industry mogul Alan Klein in Sam Mendez's four film cinematic Beatles event. But underneath all that funny and all those cool guy credits, I have to think there's an awkward teenage east coaster ready to share embarrassingly endearing stories. So welcome to this week's Teen Beat. Adam Pally.

[Adam Pally]

Hi. That was, that was such an amazing. Thank you so much. And also, I just. As for being a friend of yours for almost a decade, I, you know, I forget how traumatic you're up. Like you, you so casually read it. You're like, my puberty was written into a television show. We all watch. It's like. But now sitting here talking to you as to adult, like, God, the fact that you are walking and talking and breathing and a talented, you know, force in its own self is truly like Macaulay Culkin level miracle.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow. Well, thank you. Thank you for that. We are about ready to hit the Season 7 episode of Boy Meets World, where I am fat. And they write about it and.

[Adam Pally]

Oh, my God.

[Danielle Fishel]

And it's. I've been dreading it since we started Pod Meets World because I remember everything about knowing that episode was coming. Cause, you know, our EP pulled Will and I into the office and said, so obviously everyone can see that you guys have gone fat. And so we're. We.

[Adam Pally]

Oh, my God.

[Danielle Fishel]

We obviously have to write about it.

[Adam Pally]

Who is running Boy Meets World? Lorne Michaels? Harvey Weinstein Running Boy Meets World.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's a. Yeah. Little known fact. That's where Harvey got his shark.

[Wells Adams]

Jesus Christ.

[Adam Pally]

That's like.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's like.

[Adam Pally]

Cut the. You don't hear that? I didn't hear that stuff on. On Happy Endings. I didn't hear that stuff.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, it's. It's pretty crazy. And then. And then the whole episode and the whole week, it was just. And then every week after that, I just kept like, oh, wow. Like, all these people that I work with, that I've worked with for seven years, that's how they think of me. That's how they see me. So anyway, I'm. I am dreading that one. But.

[Adam Pally]

But you know what?

[Danielle Fishel]

That's.

[Adam Pally]

That's Actors. You know, that's another thing about kid actors that doesn't get talked about enough is like, the psychological. Acting is a psychological, you know, exercise, and you're going into your own mind, you know, to work. And when children do it, like, you're like, oh, this is what everyone thinks about me. You know, that's like an acting, you know, thing that you eschew as you get better and older. And like, it's just so poisonous to have, like, a little kid being, like, reading, pretending, and like, going into the depths of their mind to do something for someone. It's just a real insidious. I mean, and I'm not innocent of it. I mean, every job I do, there's someone that plays my kid, you know? But I'm like, just hearing you talk about it now is, wow. It's pretty wild.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's pretty nuts. But thank you so much for chatting with me. I have to be honest, it's very comforting to hear your voice, considering it rings throughout my house nonstop.

[Adam Pally]

I'm sorry about that.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, do not be sorry.

[Adam Pally]

I told your husband, I apologize.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know. I know Jensen has texted you about this, but here is a list of the shows and movies my children watch on repeat that all coincidentally include you. And this is 100% not a bit. Okay. Knuckles, Sonic, 1, 2, and 3. Archibald's next big thing. The main event, DuckTales, Firebuds, Randy Cunningham, 9th grade ninja, great American Baking show, and is it cake? All of those. You are everywhere. You, everywhere we go that. My kids are like, let's watch that, let's watch that. Let's watch that. There you are.

[Adam Pally]

I, you know, I've, that's very nice because I, I was the other day. That's. First of all, that's so nice of you. Thank you so much. And thank your family. And, and, and like I was the other day I saw someone on, on social media, like put out like where to find like, you know, it was a bigger star, you know, is like, here's where you can find all my stuff. You know, and it's like my, here's. My movie is streaming here and my TV shows are streaming on this thing and here's there. And I was like, you know what? I'd like to do that for my fans.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Adam Pally]

And I realized I don't have. There's like one thing left. So it's nice, it's nice to hear that, like your children are watching because I literally in my mind was like, I don't think that show is even on a streaming service.

[Danielle Fishel]

Can't even see that one anymore.

[Adam Pally]

You can't even find that. Yeah. So it's nice that at least it's playing somewhere.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh yeah, it's definitely playing. And I just, I do wonder, when you were studying edgy improv at UCB in New York, did you ever think, like, man, I can't wait to be a four and a six year old's favorite actor.

[Adam Pally]

No, I didn't. I didn't at all. And in fact, in fact, I think just knowing myself and, and where, and who I am and when I, when I was coming up and when I was like, you know, building, finding my voice, I think if you had told me that then I would have really said no way and done and, and worked hard to make sure that didn't happen.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. To push against it.

[Adam Pally]

To push against it. But as an older, you know, more complete person, Children of My Own, it's really, it's really nice to hear. Anything at all. Like, you know, I have seasonal award show depression. Oh, I don't know if you get that.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, I don't.

[Adam Pally]

I get seasonal award show depression.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Adam Pally]

Which is like, I think it's like sometimes when you're in Hollywood and you've been in, in the, like invited to the seasonal.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's why I don't have it. I've never, I don't get invited totally.

[Adam Pally]

But, like, you, you will, and you should, and you have, probably. But I, I, you know, earlier in my career, I was part of that, you know, season. And as my career has gone on, I moved to New York and I'm, you know, don't. I'm. Things go up and down. I, every year look at seasonal, like, this time of year at the award shows, and I get like, yeah, you know, seasonal award show depression. I get like, I'm like, well, I'm not there anymore. I'm not involved. The truth is, you are. Like, it's. No, it's not a club. It's just a, it's like a moment, you know, like, and so if you're working in the industry, you are involved, even if you're not sitting in that room. But I find, to be totally honest with you, it's very hard to, to be removed.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Adam Pally]

That, like, that. And so it really, I would say that, like, as a more complete person, it means so much, and I am so, I really, truly, like, anytime you guys text me and you're like, we're watching, it's the greatest.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, I hope there's also. And maybe you've thought of it this way, or maybe you haven't, and it's a nice way of reframing it, too. But, like, one of the incredible things about someone in your shoes who has been in those rooms, been invited to those award shows is that it means you have left a legacy and are continuing to leave a legacy that all of the younger people or all of the people who are currently in those rooms have, are partly there because of your work and because ways you've inspired them. And, you know, those are people who would say, gosh, I got into this because of Adam Pally.

[Adam Pally]

I mean, I, I, that's what I was. I, I've been trying to tell Jacob Elordi that about for, like, I'm like, you're telling me that Frankenstein performance had nothing to do with.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right?

[Adam Pally]

No, I hear you completely. And I do think oftentimes, like, I think I'm fairly safe as far as In Memoriam goes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, for sure.

[Adam Pally]

I think I'm fairly safe. Like, I think I would get, I think I would get it at the Emmys, for sure.

[Danielle Fishel]

Like, that's. Living at.

[Adam Pally]

Emmys are a lock.

[Danielle Fishel]

Emmys are a lock.

[Adam Pally]

Golden Globes, I think Golden Globes, because of my TV work. Oscars, like, I have, look, I've, I've starred in a lot of movies, you know, they haven't, they haven't culturally, you know, I'm not Marty supreme, but, like, I think I would make the immemorium in the Oscars. I think, you know, if I didn't, I think there would be. Some people would be like, that's up.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, I completely agree with you. I would definitely not make the Oscars, and I would only make Emmys 100.

[Adam Pally]

You're an Emmy. No. Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

But it would say Topanga.

[Adam Pally]

No. Danielle, you're. No, you're under. You would get a stop beat. You would get a stop beat. You would get, like a full, like, in the arms. And then it would, like, slowly from. And it would be a picture of that. Episode seven, Season seven.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly. The fat episode.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah.

[Wells Adams]

Hey, this is Wells Adams with By Order of the Faithfuls podcast alongside my fellow faithfuls and co hosts Tamara Judge and Dolores Catania. The three of us have been watching this season of the Traders, and we've been inside that castle, so we have insight. Unlike many others, this season of the Traders may be the best we've ever seen. Listen to By Order the faithfuls on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Danielle Fishel]

So, like me, you had young parents, but unlike.

[Adam Pally]

Very young.

[Danielle Fishel]

How old were they?

[Adam Pally]

My mother was 22 when she had me, and my father was 23.

[Danielle Fishel]

My parents were 23.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

So, I mean, can you believe that now? Literal kids. My parents were married at 21 and had me at 23. It's same crazy.

[Adam Pally]

It's wild, too. My mom's not around anymore, but my dad, like, people see my dad and they're. They're like, yeah. What? They're shocked, you know, And I'm like, yeah, he was 23 when he had me.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. I know my parents. My parents are 67.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah. My dad's 67. I know. I know. It's weird. I'm like, my dad goes to hot yoga with me.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right, exactly, people.

[Adam Pally]

It's weird.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's. That's your dad.

[Adam Pally]

That's your. I know people. And. And, like, oftentimes people have seen him with my wife and been like, you know, asked if they're dating. Especially in Los Angeles. That used to happen in. Mostly in Los Angeles because we lived by Pan Pacific Park. And so when I would shoot, you know, my dad was very helpful. And he would come out for a couple of years, weeks, and, like, help take care of the kids early on. And he was like, no matter what, if I'm out with Daniela, someone will be like, oh, congratulations. And my wife will be like, stop it now.

[Danielle Fishel]

When I was 15 or 16 years old, I took my dad to New York for the US Open because my dad's a huge tennis fan.

[Adam Pally]

Awesome.

[Danielle Fishel]

And so we. It's. You know, one of the perks of being a teen on a television show where you make good money is that you can give gifts. Gifts like that.

[Adam Pally]

You are so self effacing, Danielle. You are culturally famous. I. I hate. It's like, you could. We can drop this charade.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's not. Okay.

[Adam Pally]

It is a charade. It is a charade. Carmichael, you're the name. Danielle Fischel. Like you said in the intro, like, anyone. All right. We know you. We know you. Oh, I always went for Shell.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, it doesn't rhyme. People want to rhyme.

[Adam Pally]

But. But I always thought it was also target Ish.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. I do like that.

[Adam Pally]

It goes like a showbiz.

[Danielle Fishel]

Put a flare on it. Thanks. It does make me feel better.

[Adam Pally]

Showbiz. You were always famous. Like, can't just be Fischl.

[Danielle Fishel]

You can just call me Topanga. It works. I answer to it. But I took my dad to New York for the US Open. And we get to the hotel and the woman checking us in goes, hi, welcome. Okay. Oh, I see here we have two beds. I'll go ahead and change that to a king. And I was like, oh, my God. No, no, no, no, no. We wanted heads. This. This is my father.

[Adam Pally]

Oh, I know.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. It's pretty mortifying.

[Adam Pally]

I've also had it like, my, like, my dad loves. He didn't love it when we were young. When I was young and people, like, didn't respect him. He hated it. But now he, like, loves to go to premieres with me and have people be like, oh, your dad's so young. It's like, he loves it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, yeah, yeah, that. I mean, I also love it when people at this point still tell me I look young. I'm like, thank you. I'm at that age now where I, like, need that validation.

[Adam Pally]

I don't want to know what that's like, the amount of age, like, I give off. Like, the other day I saw an actress who's doing a play, and I really wanted to work with her. And so I emailed my agent and I was like, I would love to do this play. Who's the male lead? I would love to do it. And they go, oh, they're looking at younger people. School. And I was like, she graduated. We graduated college together.

[Danielle Fishel]

We're. We're the same age.

[Adam Pally]

We're the same age. I Was like, does a script call for. Is it like. Like a younger.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right, right.

[Adam Pally]

No, same age.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, by the way, the people who work for you should just go, yes, Adam, I will make that call.

[Adam Pally]

I did make the call. They did make the call. And then I didn't hear anything, so I was like, hey, what's going on with that play? And they were like, oh, they're looking for a younger lead to balance out as a balance out.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, unlike my parents. Your parents were lounge singers. What do you remember about them being an adorable husband and wife act?

[Adam Pally]

I remember, you know, it. I remember it all feeling very similar to the way I was brought up after that, you know, so, like, if they were doing a gig in. At, like, the Tamament in Pennsylvania, you know, on Friday morning, I would miss school, which was like, what, like first grade? Like, no one gave a shit. And we'd get in a Dodge Aries and. And drive up to the Tamament. And in that car ride, my parents would be singing and harmonizing and working out stuff. I was like, you know, five, six, like, just being, like, watching, you know, and then we'd get to the place and they'd. It would just be like, later at night, and I'd. A babysitter would come up from the hotel.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Adam Pally]

And then they'd be in, like, a gown and a tuxedo, and they'd leave, you know, and then they'd come back and. And. And I'd see them in the morning, and we'd have, like, a day at the hotel, you know, and then my dad. And then my dad would leave because he would play piano for, like, the. The buffet. Oh, it was just like, very. It was just very, like, matter of fact, in that way, they were very workman about it. And I think in a lot of ways like that, the. The. The. The like, nose to the grindstone of show business that my parents did was. Is kind of was a good thing because I never thought that this was easy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. Yeah, it definitely. That life doesn't give the impression that this is something just anyone can do at the drop of a hat.

[Adam Pally]

No. And they were also on the periphery of. They were not famous. Like, they weren't. Show business is not all the top. You know, there's like, this mostly not. It's mostly the bottom, you know, which is like a huge ecosystem of show business. And so for me, I guess I always just thought of show business as that. It was like. It was the same thing as being a doctor, which my dad ended up being, like, a doctor. Or a lawyer or a baseball player is like firemen, you know, is just the. The business was. Was not far away in Hollywood. It was, like, right in front of you, and it was just about what you did to, like, earn money.

[Danielle Fishel]

And obviously, as you get older, this fact about the two of them becomes something anyone would, like, cherish and think back fondly on. But at the time, were you ever embarrassed by it? Did you. Was there ever any part of you that didn't like it?

[Adam Pally]

No. The only thing I didn't like. No, I was never, like, embarrassed. I. I always felt behind the eight ball a little bit because my parents were so weird, you know, like, weird and singular and, you know, so, like, I remember, you know, we grew up in New York City for a little. For most of my childhood, and then we moved to Chicago when my dad went into medical school. We got to the suburbs, and, like, I didn't know, like, how to play Hawk. I didn't know what hockey was. Like, I had just. And I knew New York had a hockey team, I guess, but, like, when they put the. The stick down and the. And the pug, I was, like, didn't know what to do and, like, got made fun of and then. And I feel like I was like. Like, I feel like. I feel like a lot of my adolescence was catching up.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Adam Pally]

Because we moved around so much, and so much of my life was in the back of that car and, like, you know, so. And we never had roots down, so it was like, I. I feel like that's the only thing that I was ever kind of, like, upset with my parents. On the rest of it, I. I think I'm too shallow to think of.

[Danielle Fishel]

What was the car your parents had when you were a kid?

[Adam Pally]

It was a Dodge, Aries, Dodgers. Yeah. Which had three. A three banger in the front and a three banger in the back.

[Danielle Fishel]

I love a three banger in the front.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah, it was great. Sit up front next to your mom and dad was the best.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, so cool. Yeah, I love that my parents have a picture driving me home from the hospital. This is years before car seats were mandatory. My mom's just in the front se holding me just in a blanket. That's how I went home from the hospital.

[Adam Pally]

Tons of pictures of me and my sister, like, going cross country with us. Just in the backseat with blankets.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. That's it.

[Adam Pally]

That's it. It's like, I hope this is kind of like an airbag.

[Danielle Fishel]

Did your parents ever try to dissuade you from life in the Entertainment industry. Did you ever ask them if you could act as a kid?

[Adam Pally]

Yeah, yeah. If. I think a lot of kids do. Do or did at the time. Especially, you know, we grew up at a time, and you're. You're part of it on. But, like, we grew up at a time where child actors were. Were. Were mythologically canonized.

[Danielle Fishel]

Correct.

[Adam Pally]

You know, and, you know, people like Fred Savage or Macaulay Culkin or Anna from My Girl.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right, Chomsky.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah. Who I did. Who I spent six months on Broadway with as an adult, you know. Yeah. It was like, child acting was very attractive to kids. It's like, if you. If you had a sense of something, if you were precocious, if you're. Whatever, you're like, well, I could be that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Adam Pally]

You know, So I remember asking and then being like, no, same. No. And I was like, what do you mean? And they're like, if you want to be. Do something, then do it. But I'm not gonna, like, drive you to an audition.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right, right.

[Adam Pally]

And I was like, okay, got it. And that was it. So then I think the. Honestly, like, the rest of my life was like, just being like, well, I'm gonna get in there somehow.

[Danielle Fishel]

I'm gonna do it anyway.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Wow. Look at you manifesting your entire life. You grew up with that. You grew up with two sisters. What was very young Adam Pally, like, did you get along with your sisters? How did you bond with them as a teenage boy?

[Adam Pally]

We were all very close. The three of us were close because my. Because, again, like, my parents were so behind the eight ball. And when my dad finally was able to open up his practice, he had gone to medical school at 34 with three kids and was, like, in major debt. And, you know, it was just, like, everything they had went towards keeping that afloat. And so the three of us, again, it was, like, kind of being homeschooled in a way. Like. Like, we went to school, but a lot of it was just, like, taking care of them. Them taking care of. You know, it was like everybody worked together because you just had to.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. The family. Everyone had to have a role. Like, everyone had to have a job in order to keep.

[Adam Pally]

Every day. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

What were some of your roles like for me when I was on the show? No. People find it hard to believe, but my mom, every single day, I'd come home, and she'd be like, all right. And I'd be like, oh, I'm so tired from work and school. And she'd be like, great. Well, we're about ready to have dinner. Go out there and clean up the dog po. And like, that was one of my chores. I had to go home. Absolutely. And I. Every day before I went to work, I had to get up and make my bed. And I was involved in helping my mom make dinner every night. And, like, I had things I had to do as a functioning member of the family, even though I had a full time job. What were your roles in the family dynamic?

[Adam Pally]

Well, as soon I, you know, I had to get them to school your sisters early on.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Adam Pally]

Whether that was like coming in a carpool with me at first, because I would, like, get a carpool to the high school, and then I would ask if they could drop my sister off at the middle school. And then it was like, there's just, you know, all of those little things, like, my sister has soccer practice. Then I would wait for my sister, and then my mom would come get us both because she was working in the doctor's office. So it was like just being extremely in tune with your family every day about what. What was needed and what you were, what your responsibilities were.

[Danielle Fishel]

Did you guys have a big calendar? How did you keep it all straight?

[Adam Pally]

No, we didn't. We didn't. Things would get missed. Things. It was. It was. It was truly just like flying by the seat of your pants.

[Danielle Fishel]

So much of your new HBO special, An intimate evening with Adam Pally, involves lying if the things you're claiming in your act are true or false. Did you ever get caught lying as a kid?

[Adam Pally]

Oh, yeah. I get caught lying all the time. Oh, my God. I mean, I was just talking about telling my wife a story about getting caught the other day. Like, we don't have, you know, like, when my kids get their report card, it gets, like, emailed to me.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Adam Pally]

You know, so, like, I open it up and I'm like, boom. I'm getting the response, like, right then. But we had, like, things that would be mailed home, and so I would, like, beat.

[Danielle Fishel]

Try to beat your mom

[Adam Pally]

and get the progress reports and report cards, and then I'd stuff them like an idiot behind my dresser. I should just throw them out. Stuff them behind my dresser. Dresser. And then at, like, 16, my parents moved houses and we moved the dresser, and, like, years of report cards and progress reports were, like, in the back, and they were, like, really bad. Like, you know, like, Adam's having trouble reading. Adam's having trouble focusing. And my parents were just like, we could have helped you.

[Danielle Fishel]

You could have brought this to our attention.

[Adam Pally]

And, yeah, and I was like, I don't know. I was embarrassed, didn't want to deal with it. I was doing other. I was honestly like, school. I was doing other things. Like, school was like, yeah, school was like a social place that I went to set up all the other things.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's exactly how I thought about school until I went to college. I went to college late in life. But all growing up, school was a place to, like, see my friends, hang out, flirt with boys, pass notes, show off my clothes and shoes, check out other people's clothes and shoes. I was like. And then it was like, God, this annoying. How long are we gonna have to be in this classroom to learn something?

[Adam Pally]

Exactly. Yeah. And for me, it was also like, okay, well, if I'm going to school today, then I'm doing this. It was like, I'll see that person. Like, I was like, not scheming, but I was like, you know, I was just doing stuff. I was always up to something. I was in a band or a. Or a comedy show or a video or a movie. It was like, you know, it was relentless.

[Danielle Fishel]

I love it. I love that you were a relentless schemer.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

When we pitched. We worked together on a show that we pitched to Disney, and in the meeting, you told them you were in Manchester by the sea. Do you remember that?

[Adam Pally]

Yeah, of course. Yeah. Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Everyone's just.

[Adam Pally]

They believe they were like, you were.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, where I. I missed that one.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's one of my favorite things to be in a pitch meeting with someone who does shake things up. You and Jensen are both good at that. Because I am very just to the minding my P's and Q's and just trying to.

[Adam Pally]

Pitch meeting is uncomfortable. A pitch meeting, a general meeting. They're uncomfortable because it's like your whole life in your mind revolves around how you're being perceived. It's like an audition and which is just. It's impossible to get what you want out of a power dynamic like that. So try to find ways of just being like, well, well, how do I even the playing field here? Even though it's completely not even. And I'm begging for. I'm thirsty.

[Danielle Fishel]

I'm thirsty for a job.

[Adam Pally]

For your love and your money.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right, Exactly. Also, I think the thing I wish I had learned a lot sooner is that doing something, even just something simple, like a simple lie, like being in Manchester by the sea makes you more memorable, which is, truthfully, maybe 70% of. Of getting a job. It's just like needing to stay on someone's radar for some reason. And so I love people who are able to do that because I'm not good at it.

[Adam Pally]

Oh, no, come on. I mean, I'm also. I feel like it was a joke, like they were talking about my acting career. And at that time, Manchester by the sea had just swept everything, and I was making a joke that I had a small, like, you know, it was that it did. It didn't harm anything. And, and it, it was the type of bit, especially when they started believing me.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Adam Pally]

And I kept going, Kept going with it. Yeah. Which is like, that's. That's good to me. That's good. That's good, you know, But I. I was not in Manchester.

[Danielle Fishel]

We don't have to tell anybody that. I'm willing to let people believe it, you know?

[Wells Adams]

Hey, this is Wells Adams with By Order of the Faithfuls podcast alongside my fellow faithfuls and co hosts Tamara Judge and Dolores Catania. The three of us have been watching this season of the Traitors, and we've been inside that castle, so we have insight. Unlike many others, this season of the Traitors may be the best we've ever seen. Listen to By Order the Faithfuls on America's number one podcast network, I Heart. Follow By Order the Faithfuls and start listening on the free I Heart radio app today.

[Danielle Fishel]

Your podcast now is on the Smartless network. Staying Alive. You and your friend John Gabris talk to experts about health and fitness, claiming you two have been basically damaging your bodies for a decade now. But as a kid, were you into sports at all? I know you said you didn't know how to play hockey. You were always behind the eight ball. Were you athletic? Did you. Were you into the sports?

[Adam Pally]

I'm athletic because I'm a good mimic. You know what I mean? Like, I. I'm athletic because I can pick up things fairly quickly.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Adam Pally]

So I can make things not like, it doesn't look like I've never done it before. I like to play basketball and I'm decent at it. I played some sports in high school because I was trying to find where I fit in. Fit in. I'm not, like, a skilled athlete, but I'm one of those guys like Jack of all. Jack of all trades, master of non. Like, I can do them all and make it look decent, but I'm. I'm certainly not, like, very good, though. I am basketball. I will say basketball. I'm good at. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

I like, I can play.

[Adam Pally]

I can ball.

[Danielle Fishel]

You know ball.

[Adam Pally]

I know ball and I can play it. And I. I have. I have scored on Stephen Curry.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow. Yeah, that's. That's pretty great. Not many people can say that.

[Adam Pally]

No, like, legit. Like, I scored a point.

[Danielle Fishel]

Because you two work together, right?

[Adam Pally]

We work together on a TV show, and in the TV show, we're supposed to play one on one. And it got a little, you know, like, intense. Not intense, but, like, I was like, you know, I was like, come on, don't. Don't. Like, I was like, let's play. Let's play. And so we started playing, and then I scored, and then that was the last time I touched the ball.

[Danielle Fishel]

He's like, never again.

[Adam Pally]

Then he took it really seriously, and it ended in, like, 30 seconds after that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Adam Pally]

And he hit, like, 12 shots in a row. And. And. And really, like, wouldn't look at me.

[Danielle Fishel]

I was so mad.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah, it was just. It was just like the difference between a certified bona fide killer and a Of, you know, a flabby Josh.

[Danielle Fishel]

He's like, oh, I get it. I've been taking it too easy on you. Okay.

[Adam Pally]

Yes, that's exactly what it was.

[Danielle Fishel]

Like, the most important question I can ask you. Did you have a bar mitzvah theme?

[Adam Pally]

I did.

[Danielle Fishel]

What was.

[Adam Pally]

Was music?

[Danielle Fishel]

Music? What kind of music were you into?

[Adam Pally]

You know, all sorts. There was, like, each table, there was like, a Beastie Boys table, a Nirvana table, a Pearl Jam table, a Soundgarden table.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Adam Pally]

Then like, the. The parents were at, like, the Beatles table, the Rolling Stones table, Led Zeppelin table.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Adam Pally]

So, you know, it was like grunge was, like, pretty big when I was being bar mitzvahed.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, yeah, I remember.

[Adam Pally]

So that was. And still is, I think. I think probably, like, what I still probably listen to the most, I would say.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, grunge.

[Adam Pally]

I like grunge music. Yeah. Like, I don't know why I. The. The. The rock music from the 90s, I really love. I really love.

[Danielle Fishel]

There's something about 90s music when you grew up in the 90s that you. You can't shake it. I. Cause I was a 90s hip hop, and it's still my favorite. It's still my favorite.

[Adam Pally]

Like, well, 90s hip hop is particularly fun. It's like when you. When you hear a 90s hip hop song, it's like you. You kind of start loosening up.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. I was home alone, which never happens as a wife and mother, and I was home alone for about an hour, and the first thing I did, I undecorated the Christmas tree while listening to 90s hip hop. And I was like, yeah, this is exactly what I want to do with my alone time.

[Adam Pally]

What's the 90s hip hop? Like? What are you, like, you're looking for, like, a Rex and effects or like, I was big.

[Danielle Fishel]

Notorious B.I.G.

[Adam Pally]

okay, so you're like, more.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're like Gray, Snoop Dogg, Tupac.

[Adam Pally]

See, there's something about that 90s hip hop that, like, I don't even think of as the night. Like that, to me, was already the beginning of modern day. Like, you put on a Biggie record or a hip hop record, a Tupac record now. And it sounds made now, but there's a difference. To, like, that 90s hip hop. That was, like, not that yet.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right? Yeah, I know what you mean.

[Adam Pally]

Like Tone Loke.

[Danielle Fishel]

Tone Loke, huh? Yep.

[Adam Pally]

That I love. I really love that. And then there's also, like, the backpack 90s stuff that I became obsessed with.

[Danielle Fishel]

Like, Tribe Called Quest.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah. Tribe and Goody Mob.

[Danielle Fishel]

De La Soul.

[Adam Pally]

De La Soul. And all that stuff that I think that was probably, like, my 16 to 17 years were, like, all. All that stuff.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're very into menswear these days, and I know one of the things we share a love for are vintage watches.

[Adam Pally]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Were you a good dresser as a teen? Did you have a watch then?

[Adam Pally]

I did have a. I always wore a watch.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Adam Pally]

I. I feel weird. Since I was a kid, I've always felt weird. If there's nothing. Like, it feels like a wrist needs something. I don't know why.

[Danielle Fishel]

What are you wearing, then?

[Adam Pally]

I'm wearing a 70s wide. Boy, datejust nice. What are you wearing?

[Danielle Fishel]

I'm wearing a. I think 60s vintage Cellini. Cellini.

[Adam Pally]

Oh, yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's on its original. Look at the band. It's on the original band, and I need to. I don't know if I should replace. It's like, falling apart. Do I replace the band?

[Adam Pally]

Do you have the. Is the clip matching?

[Danielle Fishel]

It's.

[Adam Pally]

Does the. The buckle match the. Is a Rolex buckle?

[Danielle Fishel]

No.

[Adam Pally]

Then it doesn't matter. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, no. It is a Rolex buckle. It is.

[Adam Pally]

Oh, then keep the buckle and get a new band. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Okay. All right. That's what I'll do.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah. I love. See, I like old. The thing I like about old watches is that they're so, like. Like, a lot of. Like, this watch. I don't think this would be, like, something that people would, like, covet in the watch world or anything.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Adam Pally]

It was so simple, but, like, I love how.

[Danielle Fishel]

Look at how loose that.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah. You know what? I mean, like, that's my, that's my jam. I like something that feels like it's been worn and, and it has character and no one else has it. And like, that's, that's what I like.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's kind of how I feel about this band that's falling apart. There's a part of me that like, I want it to. I want it to look nicer, but also I feel weird getting rid of it. And this is.

[Adam Pally]

Take it to. Wanna take it to. Wanna buy a watch?

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Adam Pally]

What do you think?

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. Okay.

[Adam Pally]

Because they may be able to even like suture it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, good. Good point. So did you have style as a kid?

[Adam Pally]

I did. I have, I had style. I always had style. I. I don't. I think it's because my parents like again, like, right. Gowns and t. I have their head shot. Do you want to see their headshot?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes, please, Please. Oh my gosh. Look at them.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Your mom is a babe.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah, my mom was a little, A little hottie. But so like they would get dressed like that was part of it, you know, like when we would, when we would have a weekend at a hotel. Like there's a picture somewhere of like me and my sisters in like track. Like neon green track, like Sergio Ticcini tracksuits. And my dad in like a, like a Giorgio Armani style kimono. And my. I'm playing piano and my mom is draped over the piano in like a red sequins dress like fabulous baker boys. So it's like, I think because of that you see that all the time. You're like, oh, well, if I'm like, there's something about leaving the house. You're like, well, I. I'm outside the house, right. You know, I'm out of the house. I try to do it on, on at work too, because I, I don't know why, but Hollywood, it's like there's something about coming to work in Hollywood. It's like the more successful and, and like richer and famous you are, the more you show up on set looking like absolute insane.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes, yes, exactly.

[Adam Pally]

Like, truly. Like I have seen the most beautiful, handsome movie stars of our life show up to set at six in the morning looking like dog.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Adam Pally]

Well, you can't even recognize them. No, that's Robert Downey Jr. You know, and like. And he's wearing like a maternity dress, you know what I mean?

[Danielle Fishel]

And you're like, hospital gown.

[Adam Pally]

A hospital gown with like. Yeah. And you're like. And he's like, yeah, I Just, you know, I have to get. I have to get in the costume anyway. And you're like, I get that. But I don't know. It's like, I like, finishing a long day of work, going back to my trailer, taking off whatever stupid costume I have, and getting into, like, my clothing and exiting that trailer with a sense of, like, I did it, you know, I don't feel that way in sweatshe.

[Danielle Fishel]

When I was an actor, I also would kind of go to work not. Not dressed cute. But now as a director, I find a lot of pride in, like, wearing a cool fit.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah, I talk about it all the time with my direct. I mean, like, I feel like there was, like, this big thing in the early aughts where, like, if you were directing tv, you showed up in a. In a puffer Patagonia and. And, like, faded jeans and. And, like, white basic sneakers because you didn't want anyone. You didn't want to upset anyone. You didn't want anyone to be like, you know, like, oh, who's this?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, look at that guy.

[Adam Pally]

Look at that guy. It's like every director just wanted to. To come in, be workman. All the pictures from that era are like, you know, the russos and, like, 14 north faces. It's like, you know, and that has changed. That is, like, completely changed. And now every set I go to is, like, cool. The director. Yeah, everyone looks cool.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, I like that. And for me, I do a lot of kids tv, and wearing cool sneakers is a great icebreaker with a lot of young people. And so I make it a point. I usually start when I'm trying to figure out what I'm gonna wear to work that day. I start with my sneakers. I'm like, what. What's the. What are the sneakers I want to talk about today? And then I build the outfit around

[Adam Pally]

that, truthfully, because it's saving your life when a kid is like, I don't want to stand there.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly. And I'm like, did you see how cool I am?

[Adam Pally]

You're like, look at. Well, look at these Jordan ones. They're standing there. Maybe you could stand next to them. The kids, like, cool. You got Jordan ones.

[Danielle Fishel]

I'll do anything you say, ma'. Am.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah, Yeah. I mean, I get it. I get it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Were you a good student?

[Adam Pally]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

[Danielle Fishel]

What was your worst subject?

[Adam Pally]

All of them.

[Danielle Fishel]

Everything.

[Adam Pally]

I. I remember, like, when, you know, I was always, like, charming and precocious and. And stuff. Did you guys have that in California class rank?

[Danielle Fishel]

No, I don't know what class rank is.

[Adam Pally]

Class rank is like, maybe. Maybe it's east coast, but it's like, if you go to a school with a lot of kids and. And the high school I went to had like, like 300 kids in the. In the class, which is a big amount a rank came out of your gpa.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh. For everyone to see.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

This feels illegal.

[Adam Pally]

It's not. And I remember being like, that was my first real wake up call at like 18 years old when that rank came out. And I was like, oh, I'm incredibly dumb. Like, incredibly dumb. And people. I remember people being like, you're 275 out of 300. And I remember being like, no.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Adam Pally]

That cannot be right. Like, there's only 25 kids with a worse grade percentage than me.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Adam Pally]

And. And like, really? And like, those kids ended up dead and in jail and like, you know What I mean?

[Danielle Fishel]

25 of them.

[Adam Pally]

But, you know, when you start getting to, the backs of. It's like, these kids are like driving Camaros around, like, you know, the parking lot.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Adam Pally]

And I was one of them, if not worse. It was like a real wake up call that I had to get my shit together.

[Danielle Fishel]

I cannot believe that your principal was the same guy who ran Boy Meets World. I mean, I really. This feels. This feels crazy. Like, why did. Why does everyone need to know the rank of. Of everyone's gpa? Like, what's the benefit?

[Adam Pally]

I mean, they all, they. They still have that, right? Like, saluted Victorian valedictorian.

[Danielle Fishel]

Sure. To highlight the best of the best.

[Adam Pally]

Right? Well, there's also. When you're applying to colleges at the time was super like, you know, this is 1998. Right. So it's like the only option you had was hopefully getting into a college. If you didn't get into a college, you were.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, yeah. Yeah, you were.

[Adam Pally]

It was over.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, I remember that pressure. I remember I didn't have it because for some reason, my parents didn't make a bigger deal about me going to college because I was still on Boy Meets World at the time. And I think we all just kind of assumed, well, that's what you're gonna continue to do. You're gonna try to. You're just gonna continue to be an actor. And like, no, they didn't say to me, like, what do you mean you're not gonna go to college? They were just like, yeah, you're not going to college. College. But I remember all around me, Ben Savage had it. You know, it was like, I gotta study for the SATs, and I gotta get into college. All my friends were feeling it. If you did not know where you were going and go to college, life was just over.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah. And I remember. So that same year I took the SATs, and the first time I took them, I got, like, an 8 80.

[Danielle Fishel]

What is the. It's out of 2400.

[Adam Pally]

Is that 1600?

[Danielle Fishel]

1600. I know. Nothing.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah, I, like, like, barely got half. And I remember, like, my parents being like, oh. Oh, God.

[Danielle Fishel]

Like the.

[Adam Pally]

The. Yeah. Like, the response was like. Like, no one paid attention because I was always just being like, hey, here's my movie I made. And like. But then, like, I remember them being like, oh, my God, he's not smart. He is. Something is not. And like, I. I couldn't do it. I still. I still. I don't know if it's learning disabilities that are unchecked or, like, you know, I never had, like, a real assessment. Assessment because we moved around so much. So, like, you know, but, like, I. Any of those word problems, like, someone going 50 miles per hour. Got it. Forget it. Any math, any numbers? Forget it. I have dysgraphia, so I. I couldn't. They couldn't read my writing for the essay, so they just gave me a zero.

[Danielle Fishel]

What's dysgraphia?

[Adam Pally]

Dysgraphia is, like dyslexia. It's a form of dyslexia.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Adam Pally]

I can't. I have dyslexia, like, so ever. You know what that is? You read things backwards. I also do that when I write.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, okay. So writing, you'll move letter, Put letters in wrong places.

[Adam Pally]

Yes. All, like, without. No. You know, like. Yeah, without knowing you're just doing it. And I know what the word is, but I, like, you know, here, other

[Danielle Fishel]

people don't necessarily know what the word is.

[Adam Pally]

Right, Right. And you can't read. It's also, like, super illegible. Like, if I were to write an order, I had to change my autograph because my signature is illegible. And people were getting upset when they would, like, come up to me on the street. So now I have to do it in print.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. Okay. And you just spell the whole thing out.

[Adam Pally]

I just spell Adam Pally. Like, it looks like a kid, but I just can't do it because, you know, I spell my name wrong all the time. In cursive. Like, it's just a thing. It's just a problem. It's just a thing. Like, my. My oldest son has it as well, and much of my other stuff. But it's like. So I remember, like being like, oh, wow. Like I'm. I'm so dumb. Like, I can't do it.

[Danielle Fishel]

It.

[Adam Pally]

And so that's when people started like, do you remember there was a test of like, what are you going to be when you grow up? Yeah, remember that thing? It's like those were nightmares. They all came out like, you know, janitorial or, you know, truly, like, not even like, mechanic. Like, I couldn't even do the math to mechanicize. Like, they were like, you're going to be cleaning floors. Like, that's. And I remember being like, holy shit, how am I so dumb? I'm sorry.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. I have so many other things going for me.

[Adam Pally]

How am I so dumb? But. So, yeah, no, school is a nightmare for me.

[Danielle Fishel]

Was your dad, who we talked about earlier, having gone the normal trajectory of lounge singer to doctor the normal path everyone takes? Was he. Did you feel like your parents were disappointed in you?

[Adam Pally]

No. Never. Never. No. I mean, probably the saving grace was my parents being who they are and who they were. It was like, you know, they're incredibly compassionate hippies who wanted to work in Hollywood. And I think, you know, for every time that, that someone was like, oh, your son's dumb. My mom was like, well, he's also pretty funny, you know, and it was like, I think if I didn't have that, I would be like, I don't know.

[Danielle Fishel]

We talk about it a lot on Pod Meets World too, that thankfully there are some. And it feels like it's in the conversation more regularly now that there are so many different types of intelligence and so many different things that you can be smart in and good at that this idea that you and I both grew up with, which is like, if you do not follow this formula of junior high, high school, high gpa, immediately into a four year college and figuring out what you want to. You're gonna have no future. Like that thankfully, seems to have subsided a little bit. And.

[Adam Pally]

And we have Felicity Hoffman to thank for that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes, you're. You're right. Thank you, Felicity.

[Adam Pally]

Thank you. Lori Laughlin. William H. William H. Really talk about misogyny. Like, I know everyone, no one even. Everyone's just like, well, Felicity obviously orchestrated that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wasn't me. I was working.

[Adam Pally]

How could William H. Macy, a cop in Idaho.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's like, never him.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah, come on. You don't think William H. Macy was

[Danielle Fishel]

like, I know, because Massimo got out of it too, but. William H. Macy got the Fargo pass.

[Adam Pally]

William H. Macy, Massimo, they're all running free Meanwhile, where's Shelly? Where's Shelly Miscavige?

[Danielle Fishel]

No one's talking about it.

[Adam Pally]

No one's talking about it anymore. Where's Shelly Kelly? You know what?

[Danielle Fishel]

Has that been solved?

[Adam Pally]

Absolutely not. We don't even have any leads. I think she's was thrown over that boat.

[Danielle Fishel]

You think so?

[Adam Pally]

Of course. They put it right on that boat. They were like, Ms. Miscavige, we have a meal for you on the deck.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right?

[Adam Pally]

And she was like, oh, it's not dinner time.

[Danielle Fishel]

But I am hungry.

[Adam Pally]

I'm quite. They haven't been feeding us. She walks upstairs.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean, Natalie Wood, I. You know, that's another one.

[Adam Pally]

Natalie Wood.

[Danielle Fishel]

We.

[Adam Pally]

We just let that go.

[Danielle Fishel]

Just gone.

[Adam Pally]

What's that called? A love story?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, like. Like a possible, like, love triangle, man.

[Adam Pally]

Hollywood just really. They let it go. They let it slide.

[Danielle Fishel]

If you liked your work, if you're gonna be in the In Memoriam, you can get away with a lot.

[Adam Pally]

You think? You think.

[Danielle Fishel]

What did you do for fun on weekends as a kid? Did you have, like, a hangout spot?

[Adam Pally]

Sure. There was a place in. When, you know, my teenage years were kind of, like, divided because I was a bit of a loner, because I was new to Jersey when we got there, and I met my high school girlfriend, who was older than me and was, like, the hottest art student at the high school. I met her when I was 15 in an art class, and she was 16. And we're married.

[Danielle Fishel]

Daniella. That was Daniella.

[Adam Pally]

So my teenagers were, like, very. You know, there's, like. It was, like, before I met her and then after I met her. Because, like, after I met her, I was just, like, obsessed with her. And then. And then, you know, she went to college, and I went to college. There was, like, four or five years where I got to, like, grow up. But, like, from. From junior year, I was. From my senior year or junior year where she was a senior, I was obsessed. I was, like, obsessed. I mean, every weekend I would just go wherever she was going, wherever her friends were going, I would just, like. I was like, a little.

[Danielle Fishel]

Was she equally as obsessed?

[Adam Pally]

You'd have to ask her that, I think. I think she thought it was cute that this. Younger. Younger. Yeah. And I. I was a loner, but I was also, you know, I had this thing on. Did you guys have morning announcements in high school?

[Danielle Fishel]

Of course. Jensen did the morning announcements.

[Adam Pally]

So. So did I. Ah, of course. And I made it like a sketch comedy show. So did Jason and those sketches then. They were not good. But the you know, people started to like rally behind them. They put them on like public access.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow.

[Adam Pally]

And so I was like, you know, it wasn't like I was a loser.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, no. And everyone knew you. Like that's how everyone knew who Jensen Karp was in high school. Because everyone heard his voice every day.

[Adam Pally]

Exactly. So everyone knew who Adam was. But I wasn't like cool. Yeah. So I think she thought it was cute. And then. Yeah, and then. And bad. But we, we also were in an art class. We got along. It was like I wasn't just obsessed with how that she was like the hottest girl in school. I was obsessed that like, like finally someone like got me, you know, and like was artsy and you know, all the. It was like, oh, this is. I'm totally comfortable here. I want to be here. And then it was like that was it.

[Danielle Fishel]

I love that. And so how old were you guys when you got married? You basically followed in your parents footsteps?

[Adam Pally]

We were a little older.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Adam Pally]

We were 28 and 29.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. But you had basically, you know, with the exception of college years where you were apart then for a little while. You've been together since you were 15.

[Adam Pally]

We were, we, we had a, we had a five year break.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Adam Pally]

And then we both moved back to New York and I invited her to a comedy show and that sealed it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Fun. First date. Come see my.

[Adam Pally]

I wouldn't even call it a date. I was like, hey, you live here, I do comedy. Come. And then it was like, did she

[Danielle Fishel]

bring a friend or she go alone?

[Adam Pally]

She went alone.

[Danielle Fishel]

Good sign.

[Adam Pally]

Well, I mean, I feel like she knew. Yeah, she knew and we, I, I knew where she was living. Like we talked, you know.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Adam Pally]

But yeah, and then, and yeah. So we, I think or I talk about in therapy a lot. One of the reasons that probably I recreated is because my parents marriage was so good. I mean, I'm sure they had problems that I didn't know about, but it was like to the kids, to the family, it was such a lovely place, the house that you're like, oh, if I could find that, that, that. I think that's what happy like, that's what the, what the goal of life is like. To be happy in the house every day.

[Danielle Fishel]

So smart. You have three kids now.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Which I think is one too many. But you do you.

[Adam Pally]

I agree. Yeah, no, I agree. I did not want. I actually don't want any of them, but I really. Well, I, I did want them. I just didn't know they were happening when.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah. They're all three were surprised.

[Danielle Fishel]

My goodness.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah. Nightmare.

[Danielle Fishel]

You said your oldest. Do you see a lot of teenage Adam in your oldest? Is he.

[Adam Pally]

He's a better version of me. He's everything. He's every. He does everything better with a sense of calm and a sense of, like. I had a desperation in me. I don't know if it's growing up in the city. I heard Timothee Chalamet talk about it recently when he was talking about, like, what the director, what Safdie asked of him from Marty supreme was like, tap into that kid riding the subway, like, singing. I was like, that. That is. There's something about New York City when you grow up here that it makes you loud. It makes. It's like, you know what it takes to be noticed.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Adam Pally]

In a different way than when you live in the suburbs and you're one of a million people who. Who have the same experience. Like, everyone in New York is having a different experience, even the kids.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Adam Pally]

You know, and so I think that that gave me a lot of, like,

[Danielle Fishel]

you know,

[Adam Pally]

joie de veux de veu.

[Danielle Fishel]

Your oldest son, at least I know for sure. Dresses real cool. Do all of your kids have style?

[Adam Pally]

Yeah. Yeah, they do. It's a bummer because it's expensive. I can't be. I'll never be rich, but it's cool. Yeah, I know. My. They're. They're. They. They. You know, my wife is extremely stylish, and I feel like they. They. They also have grown up. Like, it's all fun and games. And then I'll get a text from, like, my stylist, who's like, cole sent me a question about a suit he wants to wear to junior prom. And I'm like, he what?

[Danielle Fishel]

He did what?

[Adam Pally]

And then I have to go in his room and be like, that cost $1,700, what you just did. Did.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, my gosh. I love that. I. My kids, I wish they would let me dress them more, but they are starting 6 and 4.

[Adam Pally]

You guys are such chic. I feel like you guys are chic. We are. And.

[Danielle Fishel]

And we are cool. And I keep trying to tell Adler, I promise you, I'm not buying you uncool shit.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

If I. If I put something in front of you, it's because it's cool, and I think you should wear it. And he just wants to wear that. The same John Cena sweatshirt every.

[Adam Pally]

He'll grow out of day. He'll grow out of that. Trust me. Because there was a time. I mean, I I remember Cole was, like, wearing this. The. The. The same Formula one racer.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, yeah.

[Adam Pally]

I don't know. It was like, we got into. We got into Formula one Hamilton year. I don't even know. One year it happened, and as soon as it happened, it was over. Blink of an eye. We bought all the sweatshirts, everything, and it was over. Blink of an eye. They're all gone. It's like, nothing stays. It'll. It'll change.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's how I feel about Paw Patrol. We had every single Paw Patrol item you could imagine. And then overnight, they were like, that's for babies. And now what do I do with all this baby stuff?

[Adam Pally]

I used to have a really hard time with that because, like, do you have. Do you. Do you have, like, the app on your phone that, like, tell. Like, shows you pictures from years past on that day?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah. I can't time hop. I can't with time hop, like. And it truly turns my wife into, like, a perimenopausal puddle of just emotion that cannot be put back into a jar. And it'll happen then. It'll, like, we'll be sitting at lunch, and she'll be like, oh, my God, six years ago, Gigi got braces. And I'll be like, oh, I don't. I don't want to see it. I don't want to see. I don't want to look at that. All I see is, like, $20,000 a tooth, right? But, like, I'm just seeing, like, could I had a car? Could I had a watch? Could I had a car? And, like. But my wife is seeing, like, our lives float through our hands, you know? And it's so loaded.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes, it's very loaded. My phone makes nice little collages for us set to sappy music.

[Adam Pally]

No way.

[Danielle Fishel]

And I'm getting a lot of them now because my boys are becoming more and more friends, and they're, like, really enjoying spending time together.

[Adam Pally]

What's the age gap?

[Danielle Fishel]

Just two years.

[Adam Pally]

That's, like, my oldest and Cole and Gigi are, well, 13 months, so.

[Danielle Fishel]

My gosh.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah. I told you I did not want.

[Danielle Fishel]

Surprise.

[Adam Pally]

Literally, surprise, surprise. We were, like, 29, and we had a baby, and then it was like, his doctor's like, well, you're. You're free to go party. And so we were like, great.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Adam Pally]

And my dad watched the baby. We went to Vegas, and then we came back, and then we had another baby.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. I mean, 13 months. You're pregnant for almost 10. So, like, you had a. Shh.

[Adam Pally]

Three. My wife was pregnant for three years. Yeah. Truly, she's a queen. I'm so lucky.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Adam Pally]

You also. I. That brings me to something else I'm contractually obligated to say before we end the podcast.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Adam Pally]

This is just because of my bosses. If you're looking to change your mobile plan, Smartless Media now doing cell phone coverage. And how is the.

[Danielle Fishel]

How is the cell phone coverage? Is it good? Do you love it?

[Adam Pally]

It's. It's. I'll be honest with you. It's spotty.

[Danielle Fishel]

Little spotty. Okay.

[Adam Pally]

Only for Sean.

[Danielle Fishel]

But is it reasonable?

[Adam Pally]

It's reasonable. Yeah. No, it's totally reasonable. Yeah. That. And. And, And. And. And truly, if there's anything those guys need, it's disposable income.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, I. I agree with you. Do. We should. What are we going to start? Let's start a business together. What do you want to start?

[Adam Pally]

Honestly, this is a conversation I feel like we would have had 10 years ago at a Hollywood party where I would have, like, just come out of a bathroom and be like, Danielle. Daniel, listen. Hold on. Daniel, listen to me real quick. What if we start a business specifically for the pets, right, Of Major League Relief? Because think about it. They're traded all the time.

[Danielle Fishel]

They move instantly.

[Adam Pally]

They move constantly. Who's taking care of their dogs?

[Danielle Fishel]

Who's taking care of those pets?

[Adam Pally]

And then it's an app, and it's like Uber. Everything's like Uber.

[Danielle Fishel]

Always be closers. Let's do it.

[Adam Pally]

I mean, we're gonna make it, kid.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, my gosh. Adam, thank you so much for being here with me. I have thoroughly enjoyed our conversation, as I always do. I would love to find, you know, something for us to work on together

[Adam Pally]

again, because I love you guys.

[Danielle Fishel]

We have to. I. I still keep trying to reignite the Disney idea. I still think there's a place for it. It's only.

[Adam Pally]

I'm just gonna bring you a script for a movie, and then you'll just direct a movie. Let's just do that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. I mean, that. That's a more straightforward path.

[Adam Pally]

Way easier, right? Yeah, let's just find a funnier.

[Danielle Fishel]

Write something great.

[Adam Pally]

Let's just find a. Let's do a funny, like, parent.

[Danielle Fishel]

Can I also act in it?

[Adam Pally]

Yeah, of course. I would. I would expect that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, let's. Let's do it. That sounds like fun.

[Adam Pally]

Yeah. All right, I'm gonna start going through my. My idea notebook.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes, please do. That'd be so fun.

[Adam Pally]

Awesome. No problem.

[Danielle Fishel]

Adam, thank you so much for being here and keeping me laughing for the last hour. You are always a pleasure to talk to. And for those of you listening, we are not done with Adam yet. There will special bonus episode with Adam Pali airing this Friday where we hear one of our listeners embarrassing stories and share a few more of our own. So to make sure you get that episode, make sure you go to wherever you listen to podcasts, search for Teen Beat and subscribe there so you never miss an episode. Teen Beat is an I heart podcast produced and hosted by Danielle Fishel, executive producers Jensen Karp and Amy Sugarman. Amy executive in charge of production Danielle Romo, producer and editor Tara Suedbaksh. The theme song is by Mark Hoppus. Yes, that Mark Hoppus. Follow us on Instagram @teenbeatpod. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.