WILMER VALDERRAMA & FREDDY RODRIDGUEZ Became Friends 30,000 Feet In The Air

Summary

Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers
Episode: WILMER VALDERRAMA & FREDDY RODRIDGUEZ Became Friends 30,000 Feet In The Air
Release Date: March 11, 2025

---

Introduction

In this engaging episode of Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers, hosts Seth Meyers (referred to as Sufi) and Josh Meyers (referred to as Pashi) welcome special guests Wilmer Valderrama and Freddy Rodriguez. The episode delves into the serendipitous meeting of Wilmer and Freddy during a long-haul flight, exploring their deep-rooted friendship, family backgrounds, and shared experiences in the entertainment industry.

---

Meeting at 30,000 Feet

Wilmer Valderrama and Freddy Rodriguez share the remarkable story of how they became friends aboard a 13-hour direct flight from Los Angeles to London.

Wilmer [08:54]: "We didn't sleep, like, not even 25 minutes. We literally talked."

The conversation flowed effortlessly, revealing their mutual interests and challenges within their careers. Their non-stop dialogue on the flight laid the foundation for a lasting camaraderie, despite not initially working together.

---

Navigating Careers Together

The hosts and guests reminisce about their professional journeys, particularly their time on the iconic sitcom That '70s Show. Wilmer and Freddy discuss the dynamics on set, the intensity of shooting 25 episodes per season, and the camaraderie that developed despite the demanding schedule.

Wilmer [36:35]: "We used to do 20 episodes a season, which is why we got to 200 so quick."

Freddy reflects on his transition from film roles in classics like Dead Presidents and Walk in the Clouds to his pivotal role in Six Feet Under, which significantly raised his profile in the industry.

Freddy [37:00]: "Six Feet Under came and, like, that was when people really started to know who I was."

---

Family Backgrounds and Upbringing

Wilmer Valderrama provides a heartfelt account of his childhood, detailing his early years in Miami and subsequent move to Venezuela due to his father's agricultural endeavors. The family's return to the United States amidst Venezuela's economic downturn exposed Wilmer to the challenges of adapting to a new culture and language.

Wilmer [48:11]: "At 13, your dad tells you, we came here to work, to start all over again."

Freddy Rodriguez shares his experiences growing up in Chicago's Lincoln Park and Bucktown. As the youngest in a large extended family, Freddy highlights the role his older brothers played as surrogate fathers, guiding him through his formative years.

Freddy [26:12]: "They were really good at being sort of a buffer to my dad and not allowing my dad to know a lot of the stupid things I was doing."

---

Family Trips and Cultural Experiences

The discussion seamlessly transitions to family trips and the cultural nuances that come with them. Wilmer recounts the family's cross-country road trip upon returning to the U.S., a journey filled with revelations about American culture and the stark differences from his time in Venezuela.

Wilmer [49:20]: "It became a crash course on what America really was."

Freddy contrasts his family's approach to vacations, emphasizing the importance of extended family gatherings and the vibrant Latino culture that made every family function a lively event.

Freddy [57:09]: "We throw a party for no reason."

---

Parenting and Modern Family Life

Both Wilmer and Freddy delve into their roles as parents, discussing the joys and challenges that come with raising children. Wilmer expresses his aspirations for his daughter's future and the values he aims to instill in her.

Wilmer [70:06]: "I'm trying to really set her up to her expectations for guys have to be like, really high."

Freddy shares insights from his experience as a teen dad, highlighting the balance between career demands and family responsibilities. He recounts memorable family trips, such as visiting Puerto Rico to connect his children with their grandparents.

Freddy [66:44]: "We took a family trip to Puerto Rico... They got to meet all of my uncles and aunts who still lived out there."

---

Friendship and Mutual Support

The bond between Wilmer and Freddy transcends professional boundaries, underscored by mutual respect and shared life experiences. They reflect on how their friendship has been a source of support through various career and personal milestones.

Wilmer [79:10]: "You guys are so dear to me... Josh, you know, we have a connection that we should not speak of."

Seth and Josh commend Wilmer and Freddy for their openness and the depth they bring to the conversation, highlighting the importance of meaningful friendships in both personal and professional spheres.

---

Concluding Thoughts

The episode culminates in heartfelt reflections on the intertwined journeys of friendship, family, and career. Hosts Seth and Josh express their gratitude towards Wilmer and Freddy for sharing their stories, emphasizing the beauty of unexpected friendships formed in the most unlikely of places.

---

Notable Quotes Summary

• Wilmer Valderrama [08:54]: "We didn't sleep, like, not even 25 minutes. We literally talked."
• Wilmer Valderrama [36:35]: "We used to do 20 episodes a season, which is why we got to 200 so quick."
• Freddy Rodriguez [37:00]: "Six Feet Under came and, like, that was when people really started to know who I was."
• Wilmer Valderrama [48:11]: "At 13, your dad tells you, we came here to work, to start all over again."
• Freddy Rodriguez [26:12]: "They were really good at being sort of a buffer to my dad and not allowing my dad to know a lot of the stupid things I was doing."
• Wilmer Valderrama [49:20]: "It became a crash course on what America really was."
• Freddy Rodriguez [57:09]: "We throw a party for no reason."
• Wilmer Valderrama [70:06]: "I'm trying to really set her up to her expectations for guys have to be like, really high."
• Freddy Rodriguez [66:44]: "We took a family trip to Puerto Rico... They got to meet all of my uncles and aunts who still lived out there."
• Wilmer Valderrama [79:10]: "You guys are so dear to me... Josh, you know, we have a connection that we should not speak of."

---

Final Thoughts

This episode of Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers beautifully captures the essence of unexpected friendships and the profound impact of family on personal and professional lives. Through candid conversations and shared anecdotes, Wilmer Valderrama and Freddy Rodriguez offer listeners a glimpse into their journeys, making it a must-listen for fans and newcomers alike.

Transcript

[Sufi]

This episode of Family Trips is brought to you by the all new 2025 Nissan Armada. Because going big never goes out of style. Learn [e-mail] Here we go. Hi, Pashi.

[Pashi]

Hi, Sufi.

[Sufi]

How you doing?

[Pashi]

I'm good. How are you?

[Sufi]

I'm doing pretty good. What are you up to this weekend?

[Pashi]

What am I up to this weekend or what did I do this weekend?

[Sufi]

I don't know. Which one do you want to answer?

[Pashi]

Well, last weekend we had a friend. We've got a friend, Case Clay, who's in the.

[Sufi]

One of the horsehounds. Yeah.

[Pashi]

And he was out in LA for a. For a race. And so Mackenzie and I went out to the Santa Anita racetrack with him. And, yeah, it was awesome. We sort of. We went into the winner circle even though we didn't have a winner there.

[Sufi]

But did you wager? Did you make any wagers?

[Pashi]

I did make some wagers. I won on the first race and then lost every other race.

[Sufi]

What did you. What did you wager? What did you win?

[Pashi]

Bless you. I wagered 20 to win 50 for.

[Sufi]

People who are listening that I have a horse with me. You wagered what to win what?

[Pashi]

20 to win 50.

[Sufi]

That's not bad.

[Pashi]

Yeah. Although then it only paid out 40 because odds. You don't lock in odds when you bet on a horse race. You sort of bet them, and then the odds will keep changing until the race goes off and your bet goes with those odds. It's not like sports wagering.

[Sufi]

We. I. Sorry to jump in real quick, but remember years ago, I went to Ireland with Alexi and her sister and two of her best friends and all of their boyfriends. I was a boyfriend at the time, and we went to Ireland. And the reason we went to Ireland is one of them was dating an Irish fella, and it was sort of his job to show us Ireland. And we realized that he was. His goal was to just bet on horses. And so he would keep telling us, oh, I want to take you to this really nice pub. And it would always just be, like, down a really ugly road, and it would just be a. Like. It was like an otb. We were constantly just going to.

[Pashi]

Off track betting.

[Sufi]

Yeah. And he would tell us the other three American Yanks, as they call us. Posh. Sure. And he would say, oh, you know, do you want me to do the voice?

[Pashi]

Yeah, go for it.

[Sufi]

Okay. Let me tell you about this horse over here. That's the horse you want to bet on. And so he would point. He would tell us which horse to Bet on. And we'd all bet on the horse, and then a different horse would win, and he'd be like, ah, bad luck. What can you do, boys? You know, I can't win them all. And then he would go up and trade in his thing, and he'd win. And it turned out like he was just basically using us to change those odds. You were talking about.

[Pashi]

Right.

[Sufi]

Yeah, so he was. And then we were like, hey, well, who'd you. Who'd you pick? He's like, oh, at the last minute, I had an inkling about a different horse. Sorry I couldn't get you. The boys.

[Pashi]

Always with the inklings just like, yeah.

[Sufi]

Oh, him and his inklings. But, yeah, he was always walking out with a fat wad of cash. And meanwhile, we were just, I don't know, getting. Getting sick in these leaky castles don't stay. You know, I haven't complained enough about Irish castles over the.

[Pashi]

I mean, I. You.

[Sufi]

You might have talked about Irish castles on the pod yet.

[Pashi]

I think we have. I think we have.

[Sufi]

Very dank.

[Pashi]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

Yeah. You know how you have never read any books about Irish kings, and I think that's the dead giveaway that they weren't living as high on the hog. Yeah.

[Pashi]

Yeah. You could get an Irish castle if you want one. You could probably get one.

[Sufi]

Yeah. Oh, you know, speaking of the Steelers, our beloved Pittsburgh Steelers are going to play a game in Ireland next year.

[Pashi]

Yeah. Yeah. Which is crazy that Northwestern, our. You know, our university that we went to, they played a football game there a couple years ago, and we went. And now the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to play a game there.

[Sufi]

Kind of nutty. I think it'll be a hard sell for me to get away to go to Ireland for a football game.

[Pashi]

Yeah, I TBD for me. I'm. I'm just waiting for the schedule.

[Sufi]

I hope you d. To go.

[Pashi]

Yeah, I mean, I would. Yeah, I would certainly like to. It was a blast the last time we were there.

[Sufi]

Ah, here we go, Steelers. Let's give them a hurricane. The Steelers are gonna win.

[Pashi]

Oh, here we go.

[Sufi]

I hope our Irish listeners are enjoying this, because I certainly am enjoying doing it.

[Pashi]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

Yeah, you do yours real quick.

[Pashi]

Well, how much did you wager on the Steelers?

[Sufi]

Well, ahead of England. The Steelers are gonna win, so I wagered a fair amount of money.

[Pashi]

All right, I guess I'll do the same.

[Sufi]

Oh, yours is better. I mean, I feel like I set the template for you by going first and. Yeah. But. Yeah, either way, a win's a win. Congrats. Pashi.

[Pashi]

Yeah. So lovely day out at the races. Also, Mackenzie is, you know, she's an equestrian, but she's not into horse racing. She's a little dicey on the whole thing.

[Sufi]

Makes sense.

[Pashi]

And so she's not been to a race and, you know, wasn't watching in the middle of the races because she's very worried that something's going to happen, that, you know, a horse will be injured, they have to be put down. All those sorts of things is the best way to.

[Sufi]

Now, I. Again, I'm a little ignorant of the way things work. When you're at a horse race and you don't want to watch it, do you put on blinders?

[Pashi]

No, no. You. You could, I suppose.

[Sufi]

Sure.

[Pashi]

Yeah. But it's just one more thing to carry.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Pashi]

And. Yeah, but that track is gorgeous. Like, you look out at the San Gabriel mountains and in terms of a backdrop, it's. I don't know if there's a prettier track in the world. Great. So, yeah, also lovely. So that was nice.

[Sufi]

Glad to hear it. Hey, we talk about it, we hint at it a little bit, but Wilmer and Freddie, fantastic guests that are coming up. And you and Wilmer, you work together for a year on that 70s show.

[Pashi]

Yeah, we did two years. And you cut me off at the knees right at the beginning of this and you say we can't talk about it.

[Sufi]

Oh, yeah, I do.

[Pashi]

So we didn't talk about it at all.

[Sufi]

Well, that's why I feel bad. That's why I feel bad about it. So I'm making up for it. But it was very nice. He was lovely then and lovely now.

[Pashi]

Oh, my gosh. Yeah. One of the all time classics. Like now I see him on promos for his show and he's always very serious and tough, but he's a real scamp. He's like, yeah. When you see him out in the world, he just gets this little smile. And I hope Wilmer wouldn't mind my saying, but he's one of the more adorable people I've ever met, I feel like. And he's tough and strong.

[Sufi]

Tough and strong.

[Pashi]

Cool and all that. But also, man, he's a real cutie. Real sweetie.

[Sufi]

Hey, we would like to give another call out to our listeners for stories, questions. As a reminder, you can either, you know, email them in or you can go to speakpipe.com backslash familytrips pod. That's really the best place. We want to Hear your voices. Speakpipe.com familytrips pod and.

[Pashi]

But I think also, you know, we've, we've mentioned Wilmer already, but we, we didn't mention, mention Freddie because we got two guests.

[Sufi]

What a gentleman.

[Pashi]

Yeah, yeah. And these two guys, good buddies, they've known each other for a while. They're just starting a podcast and yeah, they're delight.

[Sufi]

So do enjoy them. And, and we will. Yeah. I mean, I, I'm like, I feel like it's weird when you wrap up an intro. You were also, as soon as you listen to the song, we're going to be the next voices you hear as well. So, you know.

[Pashi]

Right.

[Sufi]

Don't be upset that we're saying the intro's over.

[Wilmer]

Family trips with the M Brothers.

[Pashi]

Family trips with the mindless brothers.

[Freddie]

Here we go.

[Pashi]

Here we go.

[Sufi]

It's the Myers boy, Josh. This is very exciting because we've had, you know, former SNL cast members on and Josh is always like, ugh, you guys are going to talk about snl. And so let me just lay it out. I don't want to hear any 70s show stories. Oh, but, but, but, but, but, but.

[Wilmer]

It'S all we are.

[Pashi]

It's all we have.

[Sufi]

Damn it.

[Pashi]

When you look, it's, it's Wilmer's breakout role. It's right here in his little bio.

[Sufi]

It says in his bio, it's your breakout role.

[Wilmer]

Yes.

[Sufi]

Now, it's lovely to see you both. I just, I do feel like, because this is a trips based podcast, I want to start with the fact that we have read you guys met on a flight, a long flight.

[Wilmer]

Yeah, we did. Freddie, you want to, you want to, you want to set up that romantic escapade?

[Freddie]

Yeah, we, we, we actually met a couple of times before just in social spaces in la. But we really got to talking on a flight to London.

[Sufi]

From la.

[Wilmer]

From la.

[Freddie]

From la. Yeah, yeah, from la. Remember back when they used to fly direct? I don't know if they do that anymore, but yeah, yeah, yeah. It was like direct 13 hours. And we just talked. We talked and talked and talked and, and realized that we had so much in common. I think we also realized that we really needed it. We really needed to. Yeah, I don't. Right. I don't think that there was a lot of other Latino actors that we necessarily talk to in that capacity. And so there was a lot that I guess we needed to get off our chest. Right. Wilmer, would you say.

[Wilmer]

Yeah, no, I would also say, like, as I walk in and I'm not sitting, I literally we're like sitting together, like random. Like it Wasn't like, oh, you're sitting over there, sweetie. We should sit together. Like, no, it was like we were sitting together. It was like such an arranged marriage, you know? And so for the next. So I sit down and I'm like, dude, how you been? Da, da, da. And as soon as we started, we're like, you going to drink something? Am I going to. You.

[Sufi]

You're going to.

[Wilmer]

He's like, yeah, I guess. What are you going to. What are you going to order? I'm like, I don't know. And then got to. We didn't sleep, like, not even 25 minutes. Like, we literally. We literally talked.

[Sufi]

Yeah, you guys were. You were met. You were met at the gate by the British authorities.

[Wilmer]

Yeah, in my six. In my six.

[Sufi]

Wow, they got heavy.

[Wilmer]

You got heavy on that flight.

[Pashi]

Oh, man, I'm so glad I wasn't sitting like behind you guys. Be like talking the entire flight. Like, I get mad. I get mad if I'm on.

[Freddie]

Like, no, man, you would have. You would have popped your head in. You would have been like, posh.

[Sufi]

Would have karened you so hard. Now, were you guys, were you cognizant at some point during this 13 hour flight? Did you look at one another and say, wow, we're really. Look at us. Like, this is not. This is uncommon?

[Wilmer]

I think it was. It was six and a half hours in when we were like, do you want to, like, take a. Like, I mean, do you want to take a nap or something? And like, the other one's like, I'm cool. I'm like, all right, so. And I don't know if we're ever going to admit who was really sleepy or not, you know? Yeah, yeah, yeah. But we were bloodshot by the time we got there. But it was great. I mean, but to Freddie's point, I mean, we literally cover our lifetimes and realize that there was so much coloration on. On. On the parallels of our careers, of all the different things that we have kind of endured or seen or through from the. From the coming to the opportunity to, like, the breaks to the rejections. I mean, there's just so much that we. We talked that we realized we were. We were very alike.

[Sufi]

I think there's that thing as well where you kind of have to find somebody on your level to complain to, lest you seem like someone who's not grateful.

[Freddie]

That's right, dude.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Wilmer]

Seth, you just nailed that so hard because we've had dinners where like, look, I don't want to sound ungrateful. Oh, yes, I Mean, I don't want to sound like a guy who doesn't appreciate what he's got, you know? You know, it's like, well, you can be a little petty. You can be a little petty.

[Sufi]

A little petty is nice. Yeah.

[Pashi]

I bet you guys were business class or better going to London as well.

[Freddie]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

[Wilmer]

We want money. What do you expect?

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Freddie]

Yeah. And not only not only complaining, but, like, nuances, you know, there are certain nuances that we. Other people wouldn't understand, you know, that. That. That we could only share with each other. And it's sort of like therapy, right?

[Wilmer]

You're. You're.

[Freddie]

You're kind of holding it in because there's no one else you can share it with. And then when you do get to share it with somebody, it's.

[Sufi]

It's.

[Freddie]

It's this massive release, which is kind of what our podcast has been a little bit too.

[Wilmer]

Right. You know, Seth, like. Like you and your Instagram guys. You know what I'm saying?

[Sufi]

Well, that's the thing. That's why we stay connected all these years later. You know, you talk and you're like the shorthand of, you know, what they've all been through, which is really helpful, I feel like when you landed, I wish the pilot had made an announcement about, like. Also, we've had a very special friendship start on our flight today.

[Freddie]

I know.

[Sufi]

While we apologize for the 13 hours of straight ban, we do feel very confident they're gonna start a podcast together. What? How many years ago was that?

[Wilmer]

My God. Oh, man. I mean, it had to be at least 16 or something because we know each other.

[Sufi]

Wow. So this is. It's taken. It's officially taken as a friendship.

[Wilmer]

Oh, no, no, for sure. Now we actually really are friends.

[Sufi]

Yeah. That's good.

[Wilmer]

It wasn't. It wasn't for. For a corporate convenience, you know?

[Freddie]

Why were you going.

[Wilmer]

I.

[Freddie]

You know, I never asked you.

[Sufi]

What, 13 hours and you didn't ask, what are you gonna do when you get to London?

[Freddie]

I don't recall. What were you.

[Wilmer]

What were you going up there? I think I was going there for. I think I was going there for. For London, for press. I believe it was maybe Fast Food Nation. And then I was gonna go to Cannes for. To meet the rest of the cast for the movie at the Cannes Film Festival. But we were stopping in London first, and. So. Yeah.

[Sufi]

What were you going for? Do you remember Freddie? Or more importantly, Wilmer? Do you remember what Freddie was going for?

[Wilmer]

No, I would never. I think we're both Blacked out. I think at least 11 hours of.

[Freddie]

That are blacked out.

[Wilmer]

That's for sure.

[Freddie]

I had a film at the London Film Festival.

[Sufi]

All right.

[Freddie]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Freddie]

So we're going over there.

[Wilmer]

Go show it.

[Sufi]

Does it feel like never having traveled internationally for a film due to the fact that. I think it reflects probably on my film work. But does it feel like a vacation when you travel for something like that, or does it just feel like work?

[Freddie]

Oh, it's all work. It's all work. I remember my wife was saying, we gotta go. I wanna go to London. But you've been already. And I'm like, but I didn't really get to do anything. I just worked the whole time. Yeah, I just kind of walked around a little bit. But, yeah, it's a lot of work, a lot of press.

[Wilmer]

I actually had made quite a habit of making sure that, like, if I was going to go someone that far, that, like, I would have at least a day to, like, do the touristy stuff and then do the local stuff. And then. Because I. Because at a point of my career, you know, I would fly all the way to New York for the afternoon to do, like, talk shows and fly back to LA that same day. And, you know, because of scheduling purposes or whatever, but I've definitely, you know, I learned my lesson right away because it came this thing where I started kind of saying, like, oh, yeah, I've been to Chicago. And, like, it was like, airport, you know, town car, morning news, back into the town car. But, you know, like, it became that thing. But, yeah, I tried to sneak in a little fun because, you know, I do love traveling. Yeah.

[Freddie]

You know what I did do? I walked to Harrods. You guys ever been to Harrods?

[Pashi]

Oh, yeah.

[Freddie]

Which is pretty amazing. And I bought some. I have this thing where, like, my wife and my kids, whenever I go somewhere, I buy Christmas ornaments.

[Sufi]

Oh, that's cool.

[Freddie]

From the place that I'm at with the year on them. And so when we put our Christmas tree up every year, we put those ornaments and then we get to see what location they came from in the year. So that's.

[Sufi]

And you're always like, this is the year Daddy left you to go to Denver.

[Pashi]

Daddy went to London.

[Sufi]

It's funny you say that thing, Wilmer, about when you do a talk show and then leave that night. I. I don't know. I have no data to back this up. But when I go in someone's dressing room and I say, what are you doing after the show? If somebody says, I'm going right to the airport. I always feel like that's just a worse vibe for a guest to have than if they're. If they say, oh, I'm going out to dinner with friends, or I'm, you know, you want. I feel like I want my talk show to be the thing they do right before they have a nice night out, as opposed to, like, you know, you never want somebody in the back of their head to be like, gotta go to jfk.

[Wilmer]

Yeah. Yes. My bags are in the. In the dressing room.

[Freddie]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

If this first guest goes long, I'm probably gonna have to run to my gate.

[Wilmer]

Yeah, yeah. No, I. I think. I think one of the. One of the important things as I got a little older and wiser than in, you know, how. How much you give yourself to promoting the stuff that you work so hard to make is understanding that half of the experience is just try to enjoy it because it's supposed to be fun. I had, you know, I met. I've talked about this a few times, and I actually wrote about this whole section and in this book I released and in that section where I talked about how Robin Williams was doing a guest star of LA Doctors across the soundstage when we were shooting, you know, my sitcom 70s, and he came to visit Kerwood Smith, you know, who played the dad, right, Red Foreman. And because they had done Deadpool Society together. So I asked him, hey, any word of advice for a young buck like me? You know? And he said, he said, yes, of course. And he was like, remember and never forget that your fans are going to have two to three minutes of your time for the rest of their life. What two to three minutes do you want them to walk away with?

[Sufi]

Yeah, man.

[Wilmer]

And I was like, really, really good advice, right? And then the second was. And remember and never forget that it's supposed to be fun, you know, and like, I kind of never forgot the rest of that. If something wasn't fun in the process, that probably there was something off that I need to kind of figure out what's not fit in, you know, and. And I try to have a good. As much of a good time, but. But I love going to New York, you know, I love. I love going to New York City and doing the talk show stuff. It's a magical thing, you know, it doesn't. I don't. To me, it's still magical. I love coming to visit you guys and do the press and the thing, and, you know, it's fun to talk about the stuff that, you know, you Spend so much, so much time.

[Sufi]

It's our job to make it fun as well. Hey, we're gonna take a quick break and hear from some of our sponsors. This episode of Family Trips is brought to you by Nissan.

[Pashi]

Hey, Sufi.

[Sufi]

Yeah, Pashi?

[Pashi]

What's that thing I always say about going big and it never going out of style?

[Sufi]

Oh, I remember. Going big never goes out of style.

[Pashi]

Yeah, that's it. And that's why we at Family Trips love partnering with Nissan. Because they know that going big never goes out of style. Especially when it comes to the 2025 Nissan lineup and the Nissan vehicle we.

[Sufi]

Want to give a huge shout out to today. The all new Nissan Armada Pro 4X.

[Pashi]

Sufi, what's that thing I always say about the all new Nissan Armada Pro 4X?

[Sufi]

Paschi, you always, always say that no terrain is too tough for the all new Nissan Armada Pro 4X. It's the most capable Armada ever built.

[Pashi]

Yeah, that's right.

[Sufi]

It's like your catchphrase.

[Pashi]

Yeah, I'm known for saying that. And how could I not? With a new powerful engine, incredible towing capacity, and adventure ready technology, this is the first Armada to earn the Pro 4X badge.

[Sufi]

It's built for the most rugged of terrain, thanks to the fact that it's powered by a twin turbo V6 engine, which means it's that's ready to give you the freedom to explore further and to propel your adventures to new heights.

[Pashi]

And my favorite part, the Armada's premium interior seats up to eight passengers. That means we can bring our six best friends with us on our next adventure. Let's name them right now.

[Sufi]

And we're out of time. So thanks again to Nissan for sponsoring this episode of Family Trips. Explore further with the Nissan Armada Pro 4X. Learn more at nissanusa.com Intelligent Four Wheel Drive cannot prevent collisions or provide enhanced traction in all conditions. Always monitor traffic and weather conditions. This episode of Family Trips is brought to you by our friends at Maker's Mark. Hey, Pashi.

[Pashi]

Yes, Sufi?

[Sufi]

I don't have to tell you that we're partnering with Maker's Mark to celebrate spirited women like Margie Samuels.

[Pashi]

You definitely do not. Because I made the trip to the Maker's Mark distillery in Loretto, Kentucky.

[Sufi]

The same Maker's Mark that Margie was the co founder of.

[Pashi]

Absolutely. That's the one.

[Sufi]

And you, I believe you brought a spirited woman with you on this trip.

[Pashi]

I did, yeah. My wife, Mackenzie, who you know, is one of the strongest, toughest gals I know and inspires me with her work ethic every day. She, you know, she moved out to California to work at a barn and do some training and then that barn eventually was gonna get sold and she struck out on her own and now has this thriving business where she trains people and rides horses and she works her tail off. It's really something else.

[Sufi]

Also, Margie shout out original designer behind the iconic red wax dip.

[Pashi]

Yep.

[Sufi]

The label and even the Maker's Mark name. You did some dipping while you were there, right?

[Pashi]

Posh, I did do some dipping. We were there for a long tour and we dipped our own bottles, which was very exciting.

[Sufi]

You too can celebrate this spirited women in your life with a free personalized label to go with a bottle of Maker's mark. Head to makersmarkpersonalized.com and fill in the details in order to create and mail your custom label. Don't forget to grab a bottle of Maker's Mark to go with it. Maker's Mark makes their bourbon carefully. Please enjoy it that way. Maker's Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 45% alcohol 2025 Maker's Mark Distillery Incorporated Loretto, Kentucky I traveled with my 3 1/2 year old. I took her home to see my parents. And that thing about where you two to three minutes of fans. I feel I'm very good about this. And I was in the airport with my daughter and it was like, ID out in line to the tsa. I've got two bags, I'm rolling. My daughter's sitting on a rolling suitcase. I've just got that single parent vibe. And this woman came up to me who had a real look about her, the kind of fan where, you know that they're gonna share a project they're working on, a hat that loudly says, I'm in the business. And came over and asked for a selfie. And I was very patient. And I sort of, you know, had to put everything away with patient while my daughter was sitting there, took a picture, she directed me towards, you know, a YouTube page where I could see some of her work. I said, that sounds wonderful. You know, congratulation at it and everything. And then, and then I went to my gate and I saw she was also one gate over. And I had this real moment of, you don't get a second bite of this apple. Like, internally, I was like, you're not allowed to come over again. And sure enough, as we were boarding, she walked over again and said, you know, there's one more thing I wanted to say. And I just. It took everything in my bones. I was polite again. To not be like, yeah, it's tough.

[Wilmer]

It's a tough call. Yeah, it's a tough call. It's a really tough call.

[Sufi]

Because the mistake you always make is, like, if you teach her a lesson that doesn't teach everyone a lesson.

[Wilmer]

You know what I mean?

[Sufi]

It's not like she's gonna go and tell everybody else what she learned.

[Wilmer]

I've had to go.

[Pashi]

She might tell everyone else that you're that Seth.

[Sufi]

That's the problem. Yeah, she's not gonna tell everybody. He gave me a teachable moment. And for that, I'm a fan forever.

[Wilmer]

Yeah. I had. I've had different versions of this, and I think Freddie can relate to this one too. But, you know, I've had different things in my career. Right. I did, like, a little hosting thing. I did mostly acting and then the whole thing. Right. But. But I. When I was doing the show your mama on mtv, which, by the way, it was a classic. It was like an old time classic, you know, like, people really needed that show. That show came at a time where America really needed it, when we needed to bring people together.

[Sufi]

Well, there was a lot of, you know, a lot of mamas were getting stuff back then.

[Wilmer]

Absolutely, Absolutely. It was the mama nation. It was a mama nation. So, by the way, because I was in mtv, musicians, like rappers, like hood rappers, really thought that they could just give me their mixtape. And it was kind of like, do something.

[Sufi]

Oh, yeah.

[Wilmer]

You know, so, like, everywhere I would go, the people, hey, man, like, you know, I'm a rapper, you know, and, you know, I got my mixtape. I want you to listen to it, whatever. And I'm like, yeah, I will. And he goes, I actually have it right here. And then, like, back then, it was like iPads and, like, CD players and, like, they would play me this stuff at the airport. They're like, here, here, here. And I'm sitting there, like, looking at the time and looking at the gate, and I. And I just. It's supposed to be fun. And, like, they have two to three minutes of your time for the rest of their life. So.

[Pashi]

Yeah, and you're like, you are.

[Sufi]

You are a great rapper. Great rapper.

[Pashi]

I'm gonna tell everyone someone pitched me.

[Freddie]

A movie idea when I was taking a piss at the Golden Globes.

[Pashi]

Wow.

[Freddie]

Great. No, man, I went in.

[Pashi]

It was the brutalist.

[Freddie]

I passed.

[Wilmer]

Look at me.

[Freddie]

Damn it.

[Sufi]

To be fair, long. It was a long pitch, too. It was a long pitch.

[Freddie]

I was. He started to pitch me as I was, like, going into the bathroom, and I Was trying to be polite, like, okay, yeah, yeah, no, man, it sounds great. And as I was pissing, he kept on pitching, and I was done, and I turned around and he was like, so what do you think? I'm like, dude, are you freaking crazy? I'm here taking a piss.

[Wilmer]

That's awesome. That was six feet under, right?

[Freddie]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. He pitched me six feet under.

[Wilmer]

Yeah.

[Freddie]

And the rest is history.

[Sufi]

All right, so, Freddie, two siblings.

[Freddie]

Two siblings? Yeah, two older brothers.

[Sufi]

Where do you. Two older brothers. How much older?

[Freddie]

My middle brother is six, seven years older than me. My oldest brother is about eight, nine. Yeah. I came.

[Sufi]

Oh, big old gap.

[Freddie]

Yeah, yeah, big gap. I was the mistake after a few beers.

[Sufi]

How were they. How were they with your arrival, would you say your older brothers?

[Freddie]

With my arrival? I think they were tasked as surrogate fathers to me right from the beginning because they were so much older than me. And it was that dynamic as I was growing up. I'm very familiar with your dynamic because I watched the show, but it wasn't that at all. They were very paternal to me as I was growing up.

[Pashi]

Were they good at it? Were they good father brothers?

[Freddie]

Yeah, yeah, they were. They were. They were really good at it. They, you know, and I was the youngest. I got into a lot of trouble when I was young, and. And they were really good about stepping in. They were really good at being sort of a buffer to my dad and not allowing my dad to know a lot of the stupid things I was doing, you know? Now they're wonderful.

[Sufi]

And you guys grew up. You grew up in Lincoln Park?

[Freddie]

I grew up in Chicago.

[Sufi]

Yeah. In Lincoln Park.

[Freddie]

I was. I was born in Lincoln park. And then when I was about four or five, I moved. I moved to an area called Bucktown.

[Sufi]

Yeah, sure. Yeah, yeah.

[Freddie]

And I grew up in Bucktown, which is Bucktown Worker Park, Logan Square, Northwest side. And then I. And then I went to Lincoln Park High School.

[Wilmer]

Got it.

[Freddie]

When I went to high school. Yeah. Are you. Are you. You Chicago.

[Wilmer]

You spent some time.

[Sufi]

Yeah, so we. We were born in Evanston and then both went back to Northwestern, and then I live. Yeah, we grew up in. We grew up more in the east coast, but when I went back right after college, I lived in Lincoln park, and I loved it.

[Wilmer]

Oh, yeah? Where'd you.

[Freddie]

Where'd you live?

[Sufi]

I was Clark in Oakdale and I was Armitage in Sheffield.

[Freddie]

Dude, I was born on Armitage in Halstead.

[Sufi]

Oh, right there.

[Freddie]

I was born. Yeah, right there.

[Pashi]

Like, on the street corner.

[Freddie]

That cleaners that was on that corner.

[Sufi]

They had a deal. They had a deal that day.

[Wilmer]

Yeah, yeah.

[Freddie]

So when my parents came from Puerto rico in the 60s and they migrated there, that. Back in the 60s, that was predominantly, like, Puerto Rican and black. And then in about, like, 1980, 82, they, you know, became a little more gentrified, and then we moved west to sort of the Bucktown, Humboldt park area.

[Sufi]

Did your family stay in Chicago?

[Freddie]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

Gotcha.

[Freddie]

Yeah, yeah. Everyone's still there. No.

[Sufi]

Your brothers as well?

[Freddie]

Yeah, my brothers as well. Yeah. My brothers eventually moved to, like, Logan Square.

[Sufi]

Gotcha.

[Freddie]

Because, you know, Bucktown became, like, Soho.

[Sufi]

It really did. The last time we were there, I think we. I can't remember. Do you remember the name of that hotel, Josh?

[Pashi]

The Roby.

[Sufi]

The Roby, Yeah.

[Pashi]

I think it's a worker park. Yeah, it's on a street. It's sort of. It looks like the Flatiron building in New York almost. It's like one of those.

[Freddie]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Milwaukee, Damon and.

[Sufi]

Yeah, that feeling.

[Wilmer]

Yeah.

[Freddie]

Yeah. Oh, that's a hotel now, huh?

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Pashi]

That's cool.

[Freddie]

Oh, yeah, I know that. Yeah. My wife grew up in that area. That's. That's Wicker Park. So she. That's like North Avenue and Milwaukee and Damon and she. She grew up just a little west of that.

[Sufi]

Was Puerto Rico a place you would go back and visit when you were young?

[Freddie]

No.

[Sufi]

Okay. No.

[Freddie]

I went once, and it's funny because, like, I've watched your show, and I hear you guys talking about family trips. When I was a kid, we never took a family trip. Like, we never took a vacation. The only time I was ever on a plane when I was a kid, it was when I was 10 years old, and it was to Puerto Rico, and it was for a funeral. Okay. It was for my uncle's funeral. And so traditionally, in Puerto Rico, when someone dies, the funeral takes place in the house, and they keep the body in the house. And So I was 10 years old. It was total culture shock for me coming out of Chicago. In Puerto Rico, it was my mother's side of the family who were all from New York, who I didn't grow up around. And then all of a sudden, I'm 10 years old, and I'm waking up to my uncle's body in the living room.

[Sufi]

I love it. It's like, good news, you're taking a plane for the first time. Bad news, everything else.

[Freddie]

Everything else, you wake up some dead body.

[Sufi]

Did you. What do you. Was it just too expensive to go back to Puerto Rico or do you feel like your parents just didn't feel the need to go back?

[Freddie]

Yeah, you know, my dad was. Yes, a. It was too expensive. You know, my. My parents were just factory workers in Chicago, but my dad was. He was a compulsive worker. He would have a week off from work and we'd go, hey, well, what are you gonna do, dad? Are we go. You going somewhere? He's like, nah, your uncle needs his living room painted. I'm gonna go help him paint.

[Wilmer]

Your. Your.

[Freddie]

Your cousin needs to move. We're going to go help your cousin move. I'm like, that's your vacation. Like, help somebody make or move. Like, yeah. And that was it. That was vacation for us.

[Sufi]

So you had a lot of family local, though?

[Freddie]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. My dad. My dad had a few sisters and a brother who moved to Chicago as well. And so I come from a really big extended family. And on my mom's side of the family, I have 13 uncles and aunts.

[Pashi]

Whoa.

[Freddie]

Yeah. But they were all in New York and in Puerto Rico. So we were the only family that moved to Chicago. And I met them for the first time. So that was another family trip that I took when I was about 17. It was the first time. 16, 17. It was the first time I had went to New York and I got to meet all of my cousins for the first time. So you could imagine 13 uncles and aunts. Multiply that by like two, three kids each. All of a sudden I'm at a wedding with like 50 cousins who are all like, yeah, I'm your cousin. I'm your cousin. I'm your cousin.

[Sufi]

Was it overwhelming or so exciting?

[Freddie]

It was exciting. It was exciting.

[Wilmer]

Yeah.

[Freddie]

I mean, you know, a little overwhelming because you're trying to place the faces of all of your cousins with your uncles and how it relates in the family structure and the family tree. But it was exciting. It was this whole other side of my family that I never knew existed. And this is. Right. It's like pre Internet. I mean, look at us. We're like. It's like George. George jets in here.

[Wilmer]

Right?

[Freddie]

Beyond. Yeah, but, but, but it wasn't like that back then. Right? So. So if you had cousins, you had family elsewhere. Unless you're like, I remember long distance. Like, whoa. Long distance costs so much money to get on and make a long distance call. Unless it was that or writing letters. You really didn't have any.

[Wilmer]

Yeah. You only made that phone call in Christmas. I mean, that's the only time. Yeah, exactly.

[Sufi]

Yeah, exactly. And it was so. And it's so funny, because if you only make a phone call on Christmas, it's the worst phone call. It's the worst time. Especially as a kid, like, when you got dragged away from, like, Christmas stuff to talk to an agent.

[Pashi]

All your new toys are spread out, and it's like, come talk to Grandma. We have nothing in common.

[Sufi]

I know.

[Pashi]

Are you blood?

[Freddie]

Do you guys still have family in Evanston?

[Sufi]

No, we were the only ones. And so, yeah, we had. You know, we had family in Massachusetts and we had family in Pittsburgh, but no one's really anywhere anymore. Wouldn't you say?

[Pashi]

People are places.

[Sufi]

I think I feel pretty confident there all day. I'm going to say everybody to feel better about not seeing them. I'm going to. Yeah.

[Pashi]

I mean, our grandparents are gone, but we've got uncles and aunts.

[Sufi]

Yeah. And our parents are. Our parents are still in New Hampshire in the house we grew up in.

[Wilmer]

Oh, awesome.

[Sufi]

Just went back. Josh and I were just complaining a little bit. Just went back. Everything's been thrown out. Which I feel like was okay 50 years ago, but, like, in 2025, I was like, where? I'll go check the attic. I was looking for something. I'll go check the attic. They're like, we threw everything in the attic out. I'm like, to what end?

[Wilmer]

I know why you're supposed to be the vault of memories. Why? We're like, it's an attic.

[Pashi]

You weren't. It was fine if they said he put a sauna. He's looking for his baseball cards.

[Wilmer]

The thing.

[Sufi]

The classic thing people look for, by the way.

[Wilmer]

You would have had probably a lot of invested property in those baseball cards.

[Sufi]

It was a bad time to buy, I will say. So. It wasn't like. Yeah. It wasn't like. I was like. I was looking for my Bitcoin.

[Wilmer]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

So. Yeah. Well, I don't know why I ever left it with mom and dad.

[Wilmer]

How do you balance that? I mean, how often do you guys get to go home and see your parents?

[Sufi]

I will say I go home a lot less because I have kids, whereas Josh is a man of the.

[Wilmer]

Well, you also have a daily show.

[Sufi]

I mean, you have. Yeah, that. That gets in the way. That gets four.

[Pashi]

It's four nights a week.

[Sufi]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Josh goes home. I love. Yeah, that's some. The other day, someone. I heard John, my wife, say to somebody, well, Seth only works four days a week. I'm like, what in the world? What nerve. I. Good. My life is for somebody in show business. Also, I have a podcast. I have multiple podcasts.

[Wilmer]

Josh. The sitcom days were fun. You got a week off every two to three.

[Pashi]

Oh, it was insane. It was insane. Also on 70 show souf, they, by the time I got the last, which was the last season, they had our stand ins, would do all the block, all the camera blocking, and you could change everything. But there was essentially a day off because at that point they had streamlined the process and you guys were all muckety mucks and throwing your weight around and were probably like, we want Monday's off or whatever it was. And then you'd get there and they would.

[Wilmer]

I went two days off. That's what I used to say all the time. I want a 2 day instant off day for me. And everyone's like, well, sfes Wilmer.

[Pashi]

Yeah, it was probably like a 24 hour work week. I feel like.

[Sufi]

How about Freddie was six Feet under. How many days was it per episode? How many shooting days?

[Freddie]

Eight, Eight business days.

[Sufi]

So that's a real, like, that's real work.

[Wilmer]

That's real work.

[Freddie]

Yeah. I mean, yeah, that was eight. And we only did about in the first season was like 13 episodes. And then towards the end, I think it became like 10, maybe 11. I think that's kind of normal now. Cable. Cable's like, right? 10, 8.

[Sufi]

Yeah. No, I think, I mean, certainly The, I mean, the 70s show days, I feel like, what are there three or four shows that do that many episodes?

[Pashi]

If they're like.

[Wilmer]

Yeah.

[Freddie]

How many episodes did you do a season?

[Wilmer]

We used to 20. 20. How many? We did 25. Right, 25.

[Sufi]

I mean, that.

[Pashi]

I don't know. I would have said 22. But you were there for a lot.

[Wilmer]

We would do 25 a season. That's why we got to 200 so quick. All right, well, not so quick. It took eight years together, but still 200.

[Sufi]

Yeah, that's like, I, you know, like in baseball they say no Pitcher will win 200 games again because they just take them out of the. You know, that's like what it feels like now. It's like 200.

[Wilmer]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

What was. Was six feet under your first big show? Freddie?

[Freddie]

No, I, I, you know, all through the 90s, I was doing movies. I started, Yeah, I started doing movies in 94. When I say I turned pro. I did a movie called Dead Presidents and a Walk in the Clouds, Keanu reeves in like 94, I did this Brian Hegel and movie called Payback. Just all through the movies was just doing films and then six feet under came and, like, 01. And then that was. You know, it became the classic that it became. And that's when people really started to know who I was.

[Sufi]

I. I do want to give a quick shout out to Payback, which I think is an underrated, fantastic film.

[Freddie]

Yeah, I think. I think so. I thought.

[Wilmer]

Yeah, for sure.

[Sufi]

It's a really fun. It is that thing where, like, Mel Gibson just loves movies where he just gets the shit kicked out of him.

[Wilmer]

Yeah.

[Freddie]

Yeah. And it was Brian Hagelin's. It was his first movie.

[Sufi]

Was it really?

[Freddie]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

It's like one of those movies, if I'm remembering, it feels like very. I like movies with that color palette, which is just, like, very. Like that blue tint, you know, like, everything's like. Yeah. Like cold and gray.

[Wilmer]

Something bad's gonna happen any minute.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Freddie]

The entire movie.

[Wilmer]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

Is Kris Kristofferson in that movie? Am I remembering?

[Freddie]

I believe so, yeah. I've done two movies with Chris. I did that one, and I did this other movie called Dreamer with him and me. Him and Kurt Russell.

[Sufi]

So.

[Freddie]

Yeah. That's a good grip. Yeah.

[Wilmer]

Yeah.

[Freddie]

He was awesome. You know, I remember he had. He had invited me to go see him and Willie Nelson play in Kentucky, and. And I was trying desperately to go. I was shooting that day. I was like, wow.

[Sufi]

I got.

[Freddie]

I got an invite for Kris Kristofferson to, like, you know.

[Wilmer]

Yeah.

[Freddie]

Be backstage with him and Willie Nelson and I. And I never got to go. He was. He was awesome. He told me this great story. I was asking him how he started doing what he was doing, and Chris said, you know, I was a helicopter pilot. And. Oh, man. I don't recall if he said it was Johnny Cash or someone. Someone big like that. Said he kept trying to break into the industry, and he was having no luck. So he flew his helicopter. And don't quote me on this. I think he said johnny Cash and flew his helicopter to Johnny Cash's house and landed in his backyard and was like, I write music.

[Sufi]

Here's my. Wow. And here Wilmer is complaining that somebody gives him a mixtape.

[Wilmer]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

Yeah. You can have a helicopter land in your front lawn.

[Wilmer]

Listen, Seth, in his defense, that took more than two to three minutes. Okay, that's true.

[Sufi]

Once he showed up. Once he showed up.

[Pashi]

Also, anytime someone's putting their earbuds in your ears, it's a little.

[Wilmer]

Yeah, that's.

[Sufi]

Yeah, that's true. Right.

[Wilmer]

But it was also before COVID so we were more resilient, you know?

[Sufi]

Yeah, sure. I mean, back in The. In the early 2000s, the Stuff celebrities are putting in their ears.

[Pashi]

You.

[Sufi]

I mean, it was anything. Anything. I will. You know, it's funny because I get asked, I do a Q and A in my audience, and people ask me sometimes. Everybody say, like, do you have any advice? And that Robin Williams advice is. Is really good. And maybe I'll steal that because I always feel like I'm at. You know, I don't know what to say, but there is that. I would say, like, to my younger self, like, everything that sounds. And it sounds like, you know, Freddie, you maybe just logistically couldn't do it. Anything that sounds like you shouldn't miss it, you probably shouldn't miss it. Like, no one 20 years later is like, you know what I'm happy about. Got a very good night's sleep 20 years ago when the other option was Willie Nelson in Kentucky.

[Pashi]

Willie Nelson in Kentucky.

[Freddie]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

I mean, I've said. I mean, I'm sure you've said yes to most things, but I do think every now and then, and I'm certainly. I think I've done it way too many times where I'm like, I think I'll just go home. And it's like, why'd I go home? Especially now that I have children and I legally have to go home.

[Freddie]

How old are you? How old are your kids?

[Sufi]

Eight, six and three. Yeah. How about you, Freddie?

[Freddie]

You're in it. My oldest is 30, and my youngest is 26.

[Sufi]

Just for the people who are only listening. Freddie looks great. Freddie.

[Pashi]

Freddie.

[Sufi]

Freddie looks 30, so. He looks 30 and 26.

[Wilmer]

He's a wonder of the world. I mean, like.

[Sufi]

I mean, truly.

[Wilmer]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

Thank you.

[Freddie]

Thank you.

[Sufi]

I was.

[Freddie]

I was a. I was a teen dad.

[Sufi]

That helps.

[Freddie]

So that. So that may have something to do with it.

[Sufi]

I. You know, we have. I have some cousins who were. They were like, teen parents. And it really, like, now they're. I mean, their kids are like, basically your kid's age, and they're just thriving. Like, I feel like, you know, it was. It was. It was really hairy when it started. But, yeah, now their kids are old and they still have, like, a whole. Like, they can, like, do shit because they're not. Like, they're not old and broken. Like, I. I had my first at 42. It's going to be a disaster when my kids are in college.

[Wilmer]

You had your first 42? I had my first one at 40, yeah. 41, yeah.

[Sufi]

And yours is little, right?

[Wilmer]

Well, yeah, mine's four. Mine's four. And we just we just announced it, but we are expecting our second one.

[Sufi]

Congratulations.

[Wilmer]

Thank you very much. It still works. It still works.

[Sufi]

Still works.

[Wilmer]

It still works. You know, one for the good guys, you know what I mean?

[Sufi]

No one. And by the way, and I say this as a friend, None. Nobody who knows you thought it still worked and we're so proud of you.

[Wilmer]

Well, that's very kind, but you know, I really beat myself up over these things, you know, These things really keep me up, you know?

[Pashi]

Hey, we're going to take a quick break and hear from some of our sponsors.

[Sufi]

Support comes from delete me. Hey, Pashi.

[Pashi]

Yes, Sufi?

[Sufi]

I don't like people in my personal data.

[Pashi]

Oh, neither do I.

[Sufi]

And I also don't have the time to get into the worldwide weird as you call it and remove all my personal data. But guess who can do it for you?

[Pashi]

Delete me.

[Sufi]

Yeah. They make it easy, quick and safe to remove your personal data online at a time when surveillance and data breaches are common enough to make everyone vulnerable. You know what the amount I get texts, little scam texts that say things like, oh, man, hey, you haven't paid your tolls.

[Pashi]

Yep.

[Sufi]

And then you know, if you click the little thing, you're in trouble because now these data brokers have your information and they're not gonna use it for good stuff.

[Pashi]

Yeah. Or they're like, hey, post office trying to bring you a package. Click on this link. Don't click on that link, man. That's not how the post office.

[Sufi]

You know who does click on that link?

[Pashi]

Who's that?

[Sufi]

My father in law and my brother in law.

[Pashi]

They probably don't have any data left.

[Sufi]

No, I mean literally. Oh, well, here's the thing. Everybody has their data, all right? I feel like their identity has been stolen so many times, it's not even valuable to the people who've stolen it.

[Pashi]

I heard that Tom and Tolia is not even their names anymore.

[Sufi]

No, they're constantly finding. They just get text me like, you're this now. You know what? I'm gonna make sure these guys are hip to the many benefits of DeleteMe. Take control of your data and keep your private life private by signing up for delete now at a special discount for our listeners. Get 20% off your delete me plan. When you go to JoinDeleteMe.com trips and use promo code tripsheckout. The only way to get 20% off is to go to JoinDeleteMe.com trips and enter code trips at checkout. That's JoinDeleteMe.com trips code Tellem Poshi trips this episode of Family Trips is brought to you by Nissan. Hey, Pashi.

[Pashi]

Yes, Sufi.

[Sufi]

Let's talk about some things that never go out of style.

[Pashi]

Ooh, I love this game. Like pasta, bomber jackets, high top shoes.

[Sufi]

Jean jackets, baseball hats. You know what else? It never goes out of style.

[Pashi]

What's that?

[Sufi]

Going big. That's why we at Family Trips love partnering with Nissan. Because they know that going big never goes out of style. Especially when it comes to the 2025 Nissan lineup and the Nissan vehicle we want to give a huge shout out to today. The all new Nissan Armada Pro 4X.

[Pashi]

No terrain is too tough for the all new Nissan Armada Pro 4X. It's the most capable Armada ever built with a new powerful engine, incredible towing capacity, and adventure ready technology. This is the first Armada to earn the Pro 4X badge.

[Sufi]

It's built for the most rugged of terrain, thanks to the fact that it's powered by a twin turbo V6 engine, which means it's ready to give you the freedom to explore further and to propel your adventures to new heights. So thanks again to Nissan for sponsoring this episode of Family Trips. Explore further with the Nissan Armada Pro 4X. Learn more at nissanusa.com Intelligent Four Wheel Drive cannot prevent collisions or provide enhanced traction in all conditions. Always monitor traffic and weather conditions.

[Pashi]

Here we go.

[Sufi]

So, Wilmer, Miami, but born. Not born in Miami.

[Wilmer]

I was born in Miami. Yes.

[Sufi]

Okay, gotcha.

[Pashi]

But then moved to. Then moved to Venezuela. Yeah.

[Wilmer]

Yes, yes. So my mom and dad met in Miami. They fell in love in Miami and got married there. And then they had my sister and me. Right? And then, and then when I turned 3 years old, which was roughly in 1983, you know, if you guys remember much about this or just read about it, because we were so young back then, but in the early 80s, Venezuelan's economy was just booming, right? I mean, it was the. It's the number one reservable oil in the world and the third largest producer of oil in the world. It was a very rich country at that time. So nobody really left Venezuela. You know, people just went to Miami for vacation and came back home. Right. And it was a different era. So my dad felt the agriculture industry was big for him, you know, and he thought, you know, well, let's go back to where the work is. So we moved back from Miami to Venezuela and I was raised in the middle of the country, like in a small little, like really small little town that had like one movie, one movie theater. And they played RoboCop all year round. It was like that kind of like small town, you know, Little did I.

[Sufi]

It was called the. It was called the Robocop Theater.

[Wilmer]

It was in their defense, in their defense. It was called the RoboCop.

[Pashi]

Also, Kurt Wood Smith wasn't. It wasn't. Can you fly, Bobby?

[Wilmer]

Can you, you know, remember. I don't know if you remember, Josh, but I used to call a Kurt Wood and leave voicemails on his greeting machine and say, hey, Kirkwood, I have one thing to say.

[Freddie]

Can you fly, Bobby?

[Wilmer]

And I would just hang out and I would do it way too many times because at that time I never knew when enough was enough. So it was just unnecessary. But yes, I was born in a very small little town in Venezuela. I was three years old. We spent about 10, almost 11 years of our life in Venezuela. And then when Chavez tried to take the power by force in Venezuela and he did the coup on the government, my dad looked at everything around and economy was like just nose diving. My dad said, I think we're gonna have to go back home, right? So we, we came back to, we came back to the United States. We went back to Miami at that point. And you know, you talk about family trips and you were talking about all those, you know, those memories. I remember that I can never forget this one family trip because, you know, I had forgotten what it was like to even be in the United States. And I just.

[Sufi]

How old were you then when you came back?

[Wilmer]

13. And I, I had just grown up with, you know, the Bruce Willis and the Mel Gibsons and the RoboCups of the world, you know what I mean? Like the Back to the Futures, you know, the Charlie's angels, the Hulk TV show, the Spider man live action TV show, like all the syndicated stuff that was like 20 years old here, like we were getting syndicated in Spanish there, Zorro chips. Like, I grew up with all this, so American culture was like in my brain. So when I came to the United States, like the first thing I wanted to see was what a burger looked like, you know, like I had never seen a burger. Like we didn't have burgers where I grew up, you know. But the thing that was really interesting is like my dad said, okay, well we're not gonna stay in Miami. We're gonna, we're gonna drive cross country and we're gonna go to Los Angeles because he had a brother, right, that, you know, they lived in Los Angeles. And he rented this four tourists, a white one station wagon. And you know, we embarked into this cross country tour, and it was like, it was like a. It was like a crash course on, like, what America really was, you know?

[Sufi]

Yeah, yeah.

[Wilmer]

And to me, it was incredibly magical. Right? Like, you see the trucks with the flags in the back, and it was like, yeah, yeah. You know, then I understood the meaning of so many different things, you know, But. But I will say that, like, it was disappointed. Yeah. American flags, you know?

[Sufi]

Were you disappointed that you didn't see a single Robocop?

[Wilmer]

I thought I was like, I thought America would have had already hoverboards, you know?

[Sufi]

Yeah, sure.

[Wilmer]

For sure. So. For sure. But I. So we went cross country and every truck stop was like, like Chef kiss of, like, the different faces of America. Right? And I, Yeah, I grew up loving it. Loving it all, you know, I GRE growing up, you know, loving these, you know, the coconut shrimp from Sizzler. Then, like, you know, the, the bread from Red Lusters. Like, these were the fancy meals that we had. I know. Along the way.

[Sufi]

Does that mean you were excited right away about the idea of moving back to the States, or was it scary?

[Wilmer]

It was scary because, you know, I was failing of my English classes in, in Venezuela, right? So I, I literally, I was like, oh, I'll never have to speak English. I live in Venezuela. You know. Kids, have a seat. We're moving to America. I said, excuse me? We're moving to America. I said, but I don't know how to speak English. He goes, but you were taking classes. I'm like, but nobody learns it. You know, it was a frantic realization that I was about to, you know, come to the United States and I have to go and learn how to speak a different language. So I asked my dad, like, how are, like, how are we going to do this? We don't even speak English. And he looked at me, he said, get in the car. It's just like, I can't even explain it to you. You're gonna have to learn. It is what it is. So we got to America and, like, just, I mean, it was probably single handedly the most petrifying experience, I think. You know, of course, eventually.

[Sufi]

How much younger was your sister?

[Wilmer]

She was one year younger than me, and then we had a younger, younger one. So she was, I think at the time, seven or six years ago. Oh, maybe. No, she was about five or so when she got with us here, and it was the three of us. But, you know, my first job was to learn how to speak English, like, asap, Right? Like, that was my first job. And, you know, because it was like that somebody's at the door, who's gonna answer the door? I guess I'll go, hello. You know, it was like, it was that. That type of thing. And then you go to the men, you know, you go to the restaurant, right? And here comes the waiter, and it's like, all right, I gotta read the menu, you know, so that was kind of my. My first. My first gig for the. For the house. But, yeah, that road trip was unbelievable. I remember having my first Slim jam and thinking to myself, how is this medically possible? You know.

[Pashi]

You can still consider that today.

[Sufi]

Yeah, it is a ma. You know, everybody, we. All. We get excited about now are like apps and stuff. But I love the days when we were inventing stuff like Slim Jim, you know, we could just actually enjoy it. Did you. Were your parents at that age, do you think they were scared about having to leave Venezuela? Did they see it as.

[Wilmer]

Yeah, for sure. I mean, look, I think we had our.

[Sufi]

Could you tell, or was it there? Did they try very hard to sort of hide it from you?

[Wilmer]

They try very hard, but I think, you know, you grew up in these countries, you grew up with a sense of emotional maturity that, you know, you're kind of shelter from when you kind of grew up in America, you know, in Venezuela, the, you know, the news, the 6 o'clock news looks a little different.

[Pashi]

Yeah.

[Wilmer]

You know, and so. So I kind of was already. I kind of already understood that we were coming to America to. To work, that we came here to start again, you know, start all over again. And, you know, they had to sell everything they had, you know, to just. To kind of afford the move. And then when we came out here, you know, my dad had to start from scratch, you know, so, like. So I knew that there was a lot of stress. I. That there was a lot of uncertainty. My dad was always optimistic. My dad was always, you know, like, laughing and, you know, keeping the music playing loud, you know, so you're kind of like, you know, it kind of. There's a mirage, you know, that, like, everything's going to be fine. Because the energies feels, you know, different. My dad never complained about the struggles. He just put a little dirt on it and kept going. Right? And I think that's. That's something I definitely take from him. But I will say that I could see it. You could see it in your eyes. And at 13, your dad tells you, hey, we didn't come here to go to Disneyland, Universal Studios. We came here to work. So I need you to get the education that I never had. And so it got very serious right away. So immediately at 13, 14, I made a promise that I was going to help and I was going to show up for my family. And, dude, I learned how to speak English like that. I mean, it was just by necessity when you have to. And I had ESL classes in high school, in middle school, and high school, and I learned how to speak English through watching I Love Lucy, you know, because I watched every episode in Spanish. So when I came and watched it in English, I was like, okay. I think I'm kind of piecing together the scenes and pitching what they were saying. Things were kind of like waking up. And then, and then, you know, and then I realized, oh, wait a minute. Rico Ricardo has an accent. Like, I had no idea. No idea the dudes had an accent. Right? And I think I also contribute the fact that I still have an accent to the fact that I watch way too much I Love Lucy because my sister has no accent.

[Pashi]

That's the best possible reason.

[Sufi]

It would be funny if your sister talked exactly like Lucille Ball. She's very loud.

[Wilmer]

But, you know, she has no accent. My sister has no accent. So people are like, what are you doing, Wilmer? I'm like, I was playing soccer. She was going to the mall with her white girlfriends.

[Sufi]

All right, so, Freddie, you mentioned your parents, because I want to ask both of you this question, but your parents worked in factories. So you are the first one in your family who shows an interest in the arts, or did your older brothers have any interest in it?

[Freddie]

My older brother is a dean of students at a university now in Chicago. But he was a DJ when I was growing up. Up, all right, in the 80s. And so I, I, I guess, you know, that's a form of art, you know. And so, like, I grew up, and he's, you know, eight years older than me. Right. So as far back as I could remember, there was always vinyl in the house. Like, milk crates of vinyl everywhere. There was always turntables, there was always speakers. Every Friday, I would see him carrying speakers out and bringing speakers back and, and testing new vinyl. I would go to vinyl shops. Do you guys remember, I don't know if you were there. You guys remember that, that record place on Clark? It was on, like, Clark and, like, Clark and Diversey.

[Sufi]

Yes, I do.

[Freddie]

What was that? God, what was that place? Wax Tracks.

[Wilmer]

Was it?

[Sufi]

That sounds right.

[Wilmer]

Yeah.

[Freddie]

Yeah. So I used to go to Wax Tracks with my brother when I was, like, nine, eight years old. So. So there was always a lot of music in the house. I had an uncle who I didn't grow up with who was a. Who was a singer in the 70s and who tried his hand at acting. But no, I'm. I'm pretty much the only artist in my family.

[Pashi]

When you got together with sort of your extended family in Chicago, would there. Would you do that regularly and would that be like sort of a picnic situation or. I'm just wondering if, like, your DJ brother would sort of set up at something like that. That.

[Freddie]

Yes, he would. He DJ'd every single family function. And so in Latino culture, they throw a party for any reason.

[Wilmer]

Yeah, there's no reason.

[Freddie]

There's no reason.

[Wilmer]

We throw a party for no reason.

[Pashi]

No reason's a great reason.

[Wilmer]

For no reason.

[Freddie]

And it's Chicago, right? So you live there. You know how small those apartments are sometimes. So you could imagine these apartments with like 100 cousins and aunts and uncles and all in there in these small apartments, my brother DJing in the corner. If it was summertime, it'd be like in somebody's backyard, but there'd be parties for baptisms, for birthdays, for someone graduated. So, yeah, it was a really tight knit and big extended family. You know, you've heard of the saying it takes a village to raise a child, right? And that was very much my family. It was a village. You know, like, not only did my mom, my dad raised me, I had aunts and uncles and extended cousins and every and everyone else who also sort of bestowed their, their wisdom upon me as I was growing up.

[Sufi]

Everyone's responsibility at one of those parties to, to bring food or is somebody. Does somebody take point?

[Freddie]

Yeah, I had a couple of aunts who took point.

[Sufi]

Okay, gotcha.

[Freddie]

And yeah, yeah, but people, but people would bring dishes, they'd bring beer, they'd bring rum. Rum was sort of the big rum and coke.

[Wilmer]

Oh, yeah, that's. That's the Puerto Rican. That's the Puerto Rican H2O.

[Sufi]

I don't think I've ever been at a party where I've brought rum or where someone has brought rum.

[Wilmer]

Tell me who you rum with without telling me who you rum with. You know, you're just so telegraphic.

[Sufi]

Now, rum. Is that another word for chardonnay?

[Freddie]

What would you drink? What would you guys like? Schlitz? What was your dad?

[Sufi]

N. I mean, our. My. It was. It's really funny. Like, our mom is such a, you know, a gin and tonic woman. Like, that was. That was. I would say if there Was a. A drink that was most often being poured in our home. It was a gin and tonic.

[Pashi]

Yeah.

[Wilmer]

Yeah.

[Pashi]

To this day. Yeah.

[Freddie]

Your dad. Your dad, he was not much of a drinker.

[Sufi]

Not much of a drinker, really.

[Pashi]

He'd have a beer.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Wilmer]

What about you guys? Are you guys much of a libation?

[Sufi]

I'm a pretty. I mean, I think I'm, like, cooling. I mean, mostly I feel like I'm tapping the brakes because of just age, but I think I'm pretty famously a libation guy.

[Freddie]

Yeah, I've seen that show, man.

[Sufi]

The day drinking. Yeah, the day drinking comes from. Comes from.

[Pashi]

Seth's gone pretty hard into the Negroni world, which I. I have. Yeah. Doesn't agree with me.

[Sufi]

I don't.

[Pashi]

There's something in it I don't like. Yeah. But I'll do, like, whiskey rocks or scotch rocks or tequila rocks.

[Wilmer]

So distinguished, Josh. So distinguished.

[Sufi]

So distinguished.

[Wilmer]

Yeah.

[Freddie]

Old Fashioned. Are you an old Fashioned man?

[Sufi]

I love an Old Fashioned, yeah. Although I have a. Does this make me sound like a child? I'm very upset when my old Fashioned doesn't have that cherry in it.

[Wilmer]

Oh, yes, yes, dude, yes.

[Sufi]

Cause it's like the Shirley Temple cherry of my youth. Because you can't. The thing about the cherry is I enjoy it a great deal, but I can't ask for it. You know, as an adult, you don't want to be like, I'll have an old Fashioned. Because you feel like a cool older gentleman would be, like, old fashioned with the cherry.

[Wilmer]

Yeah.

[Freddie]

I've watched your show, man, but you mix a lot of different alcohol.

[Sufi]

Well, that for day drinking, we're just mixing alcohol for comedy purposes. And. Yeah, that. I wouldn't recommend that. But, you know, look, I feel like.

[Pashi]

You should finish those drinks. I feel like it's always like you pour a very elaborate thing and then you have like a sip or two. I feel like you gotta drink that drink.

[Sufi]

I feel like you're saying that. The only reason you would say that is if you think you're in my will. Cause that finishing those drinks. Finishing those drinks is not a good idea.

[Wilmer]

Did any of you go through a martini face?

[Sufi]

You know, I really didn't.

[Pashi]

I will do a Gibson. I don't care for olives, but I'll do just with the pearl onion instead of the.

[Sufi]

Yeah, I should say if I'm at a steakhouse, I do like the idea of getting a martini.

[Wilmer]

I was just about to say a restaurant always gets me. They're like, what? Can I get you another drink? I'm like, I see the, the drink menu that is thick. Like, it has like, you know, 50 pages of just things that rhyme with like Jamaica, you know, Jamaican pineapple. You're like, I'm fine. Can I just do a martini, please?

[Sufi]

You know, like, that's gin or vodka.

[Wilmer]

I'll do either. I'll do either.

[Pashi]

Okay.

[Wilmer]

I'll do either.

[Pashi]

And your podcast, Dos Amigos, is recorded in your speakeasy. Wilmer, Is that in your home?

[Wilmer]

Yes, Yes. I actually hijacked that basement before the baby got here. I knew that we were planning a baby and I said, I have to do something down here before this becomes something else. And so I attacked that room with an unnecessary speak easy. And you have to go through the, the laundry room to get there. You know, guys, like, Like a speakeasy.

[Sufi]

Yep. Nope. It's great. I would have been very, I would have been very upset if there was a easy to find door.

[Wilmer]

Yes. There's a lot of smoke and mirrors. So as we say here in the speakeasy industry, but so we built this thing and you know, I had a bunch of gatherings there, a couple of my birthdays there. And it's like not, not big, but it's like unnecessarily elaborate, right? Like, he has the gold leaf, like, roof and he has the indigo walls. And I had like, like 30 years of, of newspaper headlines that I bought for a hundred bucks from some guy's garage sale. And I. And it was from like, you know, Tyson biting the ear to like, you know, to Kobe Bryant joining the Lakers, like, oh, I mean, you name it, right? It was, it was in headlines. So, so I plaster all over one big wall. And so it gives me topics of conversation. Anyways, what I'm saying is it's a worldly place. So when we started thinking about, when we started thinking about, like, okay, well, why should we set this up? And like, Freddie and I had had some great conversations there. We thought, hey, man, now that I have a four year old, this room is really not getting used. So we now really, we made it into our, our little podcast home.

[Sufi]

I just love, I just want to picture you in a smoking jacket holding a glass of. Holding your martini and saying, shall we walk over to the headline wall? Should we take a trip down memory lane and stop by the headline wall? Yes.

[Wilmer]

You know me well enough to know that that's how it started. I absolutely had the smoker jacket, absolutely had the loafers. Okay. That I leave at the entrance of the laundry room and I walk in Barefoot, because I like to feel grounded when I partake in my libations. But I definitely started out that way. I had all the accessories and do I regret it?

[Freddie]

And a stage, and a stage, and a stage.

[Wilmer]

I have a stage.

[Freddie]

He has a stage.

[Wilmer]

Little fun fact. Sheila E. For my birthday, gave me two of her bongos and she signed the bongos and everything. I have her bongos in the corner. I have a little piano for whenever Josh want to come and play.

[Pashi]

Oh, yeah. Tickle the ivory.

[Wilmer]

God, he's so good. He's really good.

[Sufi]

I don't know if people know what is the most people that could be there where it would be a comfortable.

[Wilmer]

Good time if you believe anything is possible. So I would say, I would say.

[Sufi]

Spoken like a man who built a speakeasy because he was worried it would turn into a playroom.

[Wilmer]

Yeah. So I would say the most packed that it's ever been. I think I had probably like, like 65 people in there. But like, but like, but like no walking room. Like, like everyone had to like, you know, flow over into the folding chairs of the, of the laundry room.

[Sufi]

But very nice though.

[Wilmer]

But yeah, but it was, it was, it was a one time thing when I realized, oh, I have to. I now have to implement a minimum and maximum capacity sign on this thing because it just made no sense.

[Sufi]

It's very smart to turn a. Once you turn a space into a podcast, I think that then at least takes away the ability for a family member to say, you're wasting the space.

[Wilmer]

Absolutely. I have checkmate that part of my equation for sure.

[Sufi]

Yeah. Hey, Freddie, since your kids are older, what was. Were you a big family trip as a father? Were you guys a family trip?

[Pashi]

Family when you were a teen dad?

[Freddie]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. No, you know, when I was a teenager, I was 19 when the oldest was born. Yeah. A lot of it in the beginning was just trying to scrounge up enough money to feed them. Right. But no, but once I started to do okay, yeah, we, man, we took a family trip to. We went to Puerto Rico. We did sort of the big sort of pilgrimage out there where my kids got to see where their grandparents were from, which was, which was just awesome. My wife's parents, her dad has just recently passed, but they still live there, so they got to visit them. They got to meet all of my uncles and aunts who still lived out there. We've done all the basic stuff. Right. Like Florida.

[Sufi]

Yeah. Did you do Disneyland? And asking for myself, what do you think the right age is to bring your kids to Disneyland or Disney World.

[Wilmer]

Good call. Good question.

[Pashi]

He asks it on every podcast, man.

[Sufi]

It's not good to all of our listeners.

[Pashi]

She's not gonna stop asking.

[Sufi]

Yeah. And Josh, like, meanwhile, Josh, who doesn't have kids is like, what's a good time to get a sauna?

[Pashi]

Yeah, I might get a sauna.

[Freddie]

Because you have a, you have a three year old, right?

[Sufi]

Yeah. So I don't.

[Wilmer]

Yeah, I think three is very good.

[Sufi]

Okay.

[Freddie]

Yeah. Yeah. You think the three year old would understand it and enjoy it? She did.

[Sufi]

I mean, I also have boy, boy, girl, and she is both in birth order. And the fact that she's a girl, she's way smarter.

[Wilmer]

Well, dude, 100. Yeah, 100. I would say three. Three was very. Actually Nakano at two and a half, she was already saying Mickey, right?

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Freddie]

So, okay.

[Wilmer]

Yeah. So as soon as we took her, she was, I mean, over the moon. Yeah, she was, she was over there. Yeah.

[Sufi]

That's all.

[Freddie]

Yeah. My kids, they loved it. They loved it when they. And they still, they still, they still remember it to this day. That's great.

[Wilmer]

Yeah, that's cool.

[Sufi]

All right.

[Wilmer]

Seth, is she watching a lot of Disney stuff at all?

[Sufi]

Not really. Mostly just frozen.

[Wilmer]

Oh, well, yeah. Yeah, she'll have a great time. She'll recognize everything. But she knew Mickey Mouse. She loved Pluto. She always named Minnie. As soon as she saw them, she was freaking out. And she. I calling them by names at three. So I know for a fact that three is a very good time. Anything before one and a half, you're doing it for the picture and they're just sweating in a stroller. Okay.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Wilmer]

I mean, that's what's been my, my, my, you know, my, my discovery because we, we couldn't wait. We're like, we have a kid. Let's take her to Disneyland. Meanwhile, she's passed out for like three hours. She's sweating. We're like this waiting for the, for the ride. Like, it's not.

[Freddie]

Yeah. You think, you think at that age they don't remember stuff my, my youngest son said to me when they were here for the holidays? We have this tradition where we go. Do you know that trail that goes from like, Santa Monica to Venice? Right up right on the beach? It was like a bike trail.

[Pashi]

Yeah.

[Freddie]

And so I would always take them on the bike trail when they were younger. And I remember taking him. Well, both of my sons, but he had training wheels on his bike and he must have been like 3, 4 years old on training wheels. And I just did it to do it right to be a dad. And he recently said, dad, I remember being on my training wheels and going down this path.

[Wilmer]

That's cool as a three year.

[Freddie]

So. So yeah, you know, you. You think I'm taking them to Disneyland, they're not going to remember it, but. But you just never know at what age it's gonna stick in my brain. And. Yeah, yeah.

[Pashi]

Plus it's bragging rights also, it's like you get to tell all your friends I've been there. Like when you're five, you're still gonna remember you were there when you were three. And. Yeah, make those kids jealous.

[Wilmer]

For my daughter, I try to give her like, really elaborate Valentine's Day gifts and like, you know, I'm trying to really set her up to her expectations for guys have to be like, really high. And I hope that translates into, you know, into a really, a pedigree, you know? Yeah, I think that's, that's kind of what I'm hoping for. So I'm always trying to be like, well, daddy is always gonna love you the most. Is.

[Sufi]

Yeah. My. I've said to my father in law, because he obviously let my wife walk all over him. And the amount. I've been like, you did me no favors, buddy. No favors at all. And he's like, I'm so sorry. I don't know. I know I blew it.

[Freddie]

Yeah, you don't have any. But you guys, you guys don't have any sisters, right? It's just you.

[Sufi]

No. And it's really fun because I had two boys that are the same age difference as Josh and I. And it's really. Having a daughter is just so fun because for the first time I'm like, oh, this changes the dynamic.

[Wilmer]

How is it different for you, Seth?

[Sufi]

I mean, it is. I mean, it's so cartoonish how quickly you become a girl. Dad. And the boys are like, I need your attention too. I'm like, well, go get it somewhere else. But yeah, I mean, she's. And also she is. We were so burnt out from the first two. If she hadn't been like the easy kid she is, I think we, you know, it would have torn the family apart. And I think she just was like, all right, I'll be chill. I think she's gonna probably be a lunatic when she's a teenager. But right now she's very chill.

[Wilmer]

No, that's what everyone predicts.

[Sufi]

Yeah. She's like, don't worry, I'm not gonna be.

[Wilmer]

I'm coming.

[Sufi]

I'M just hanging out right now, you guys. It's just a delight to talk to you both, and we cannot thank you enough for your time.

[Wilmer]

Thank you both so much, and thanks for having us.

[Sufi]

But you're not off the hook yet because Josh is gonna ask you some questions real quick.

[Wilmer]

All right?

[Pashi]

Some quick hitters here, boys. You can only pick one of these. Is your ideal vacation relaxing, adventurous, or educational?

[Freddie]

I'm going to nerd out and say educational. I love. I'm the nerd that goes to, like, each city and goes, like, on those tours, those historical tours where you have a guide explaining everything to you. Like, I love to nerd out on trips.

[Wilmer]

I have no choice. It has to be adventurous because my wife is the adventure connoisseur. She wants to go on the hike, and she's done. She's done the research. So by the time we get to a destination, we already have an alternate. So, like, you know, relaxation is. It's not. It's like the flight over when we're both passed out like this, you know, Gotcha.

[Pashi]

What is your favorite means of transportation? Train, plane, automobile, boat, Bike, Walking.

[Freddie]

I really. I just spent five years in New York, and I took the train a lot, and I loved it. Yeah, All I would. And all I would hear is people go, I hate taking the train in New York. I hate it. It just reminds me, you talk about.

[Pashi]

The subway real quick.

[Freddie]

The subway? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, the subway. Yeah, yeah. It just reminded me of living in Chicago again, you know, taking the blue. Taking the blue line downtown. And, you know, I love taking the subway.

[Sufi]

I love it, too. And I agree with you. I mean, again, obviously, it's gnarly and bad things are happening on the subway, but if you have a good subway ride, it's the best way to travel.

[Pashi]

Also, like, I just flew into JFK last week and was coming to visit you, Seth, and the train was the fastest way to get to your house. Oh, my God. Yeah. It was a snap. So easy.

[Wilmer]

Wilmer, I would say we. We like a road trip here. We like getting a card and driving. You know, she's. She's a big driver. She loves driving across, you know, know, across. Across state lines. But I would also say, you know, I think we've kind of. I don't want to say we mastered it, but we kind of have an art to this flights now, you know, and our daughter is so manageable and we travel so much with her, and she was such a great traveler that, like, we really enjoyed the plane, like, just the the humming of the engine, the relaxation of your girl. So we, we really enjoy that.

[Sufi]

Great.

[Pashi]

This one gets a little trickier. If you could take a family vacation with any family, alive or dead, real or fictional, other than your own family, what family would you like to take a family vacation with?

[Freddie]

If my pop was alive, I'd love to have take. You know, I never got to go back to where he grew up and I never got to see it through his eyes. I would have loved, It's a great picture. I would have loved to have done that.

[Wilmer]

That's really good. I would say, you know, I'm going to go on the same tip because as soon as you said that, my mother in law, who's no longer with us, you know, she passed of ovarian cancer, I think like eight, nine years ago. About nine years ago. Close to 10. I heard she was such a ride and so fun and also love martinis. So I felt like her and I would have been wilding out if we went on vacation together. And so that would have been, been, you know, that would have been my choice.

[Pashi]

Great. If you had to be stranded on a desert island with one member of your family, who would it be?

[Freddie]

My wife.

[Sufi]

Smart Freddy, taking the smart path. Good work.

[Freddie]

No, no, man, listen, I, I, I, I've been. This December, I'll be married 30 years. And she is, she's, she's the rock of this family. She's the strongest and most focused human being I've ever been around. So I'd be on an island and she'd, and she'd figure it all out before I did.

[Wilmer]

Yeah, no, same, same. Because my wife is an island and mountain. Like, she'd be building the fire and I'd be like, you did it, honey.

[Freddie]

You did it.

[Wilmer]

Meanwhile, baby, you caught the first fish. We're gonna live.

[Sufi]

And then you're like, I found a part of the island. I want to build a speakeasy.

[Freddie]

Yes, like Wilbur, that.

[Sufi]

We don't need a speakeasy.

[Pashi]

I know it's a cave and it would be perfect for us to be sheltered from all the weather. But I really think you make a great speakeasy.

[Freddie]

And we need a stage. We need a stage with Chili's bongos.

[Pashi]

All right, Freddie, you're, you're from Chicago's, your hometown? Yeah. Would you recommend Chicago as a vacation destination?

[Freddie]

Yes, absolutely. I didn't appreciate the city until I left. All right. I left when I was, I left when I was 19. And you know, back then, Bucktown was not what it is Today, it was a pretty bad neighborhood when I left. And when I came back, I was like, oh, this is kind of nice.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Freddie]

And then, and then, and then I bought a place there and, and I, and I got to spend time there as an adult and when my kids were growing up and I was like, whoa, this is really nice. Especially when I went to other cities and I got to experience other cities and other states and, and I came to have this new, profound appreciation for my town, for Chicago. So. Yes.

[Pashi]

That's great. And Wilmer is. Do you consider your hometown this little town in Venezuela, or.

[Wilmer]

Yeah, I would say so. I mean, I've acquired, you know, multiple. Right. Because my hometown is really LA now, because I've been in la, I think, longer than I was in Venezuela now, officially.

[Pashi]

Right.

[Wilmer]

So I'm an LA guy. But I would say that, like, for, in the name of exoticness, I would say that, that, you know, a car. Estado Portuguesa, which is the smaller town four hours south of Caracas, closer to the Amazon in, in Venezuela. I would say it's a pretty beautiful rainforest type of, you know, destination. It's just like a really beautiful center of the country. Stuff like when you see animals you've never seen in books before, it's like, really, really a beautiful place to visit, I would say.

[Pashi]

Yeah. When's the last time you were there? Was it when you were 13?

[Wilmer]

No, it was a little. I was, I was probably 26, 25, 26. And I went out there to do this little, like, oh, I returned home and, like, I had a camera crew and the whole thing and incredibly emotional. And since then, the country has had an unfortunate, you know, trajectory. So it's, it's almost impossible to visit right now. So I haven't been able to go back in a long time. And I'm hoping that I can bring my family at some point soon and that Venezuela gets it together in a way that people can return and visit who they're from. Too.

[Pashi]

Yeah. And then Seth has our final questions.

[Sufi]

Gentlemen, have you been to the Grand Canyon?

[Freddie]

Not.

[Wilmer]

I have.

[Sufi]

All right, Freddie, my question for you is, do you want to go? Go.

[Freddie]

I'd love to go.

[Sufi]

And then Wilmer for Freddy. Is it worth it?

[Wilmer]

Yes. Yes.

[Sufi]

All right.

[Freddie]

Really?

[Wilmer]

Yes. Also, I, I, I, we drove through that when, when we first came to the United States.

[Sufi]

Oh, wow, look at that.

[Wilmer]

And that was one of those things where I was like, you know, it's, you're in a different planet. It feels like you're definitely not in, in the same planet. It's really.

[Sufi]

This place has hamburgers, robocops, and massive holes.

[Wilmer]

Massive holes, exactly.

[Freddie]

Can you. Can you camp there? Can you, like, stay?

[Wilmer]

Yeah.

[Freddie]

The night.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Wilmer]

There's campsites all the way around you.

[Pashi]

Yeah.

[Freddie]

So cool. So cool.

[Wilmer]

Absolutely. Worth it.

[Sufi]

Yeah. Well, this is fantastic talking to you guys. It makes sense. You have a podcast. You got an incredible vibe. Now I'm starting to wish I had been, you know, that you had been in coach and I had been the third seat in your row.

[Wilmer]

We're very grateful to both of you guys. You guys are so dear to me, by the way. You guys have always been such class, beautiful men and, you know, through the trajectory of my career and my life. So, you know, Josh, you know, we have a connection that we should not speak of because this room does not appreciate it, to say the least. And, Seth, you know, I've always respected you and admire you so much. You're just a shit man. Love you.

[Sufi]

Well, thank you, guys. What a delight. And, yeah, be well. Love to your families. Congratulations again, Wilmer.

[Wilmer]

Awesome. Hope you guys enjoy the podcast. See you guys.

[Pashi]

Thanks, fellas. All right, bye. At the top of the pod Sufi said can't talk about that 70s show and then he proceeds to get in the weeds about traveling at celebrities though talks about his show and where did his guest go well, guess you'll never know who's about 70 show when these two fellas met they boarded a jet but the work not for vacation Just a couple of dudes a cruising altitude who struck a book of conversation it was a red eye, a friendship it was growing Two hunky guys hitting it off and keeping folks awake Got some martinis and a couple Coronas Just Freddie and Wilma flying to London Sing Freddie and Wilma flying to London.