01-17-25 - David Koechner - Desert Ridge Improv - In Studio

Summary

Holmberg's Morning Sickness - Arizona: Episode Featuring David Koechner

Release Date: January 17, 2025

Introduction

In this engaging episode of Holmberg's Morning Sickness on 98 KUPD, host John Holmberg sits down with acclaimed actor and comedian David Koechner. The conversation delves into Koechner's extensive career in show business, his experiences on notable projects like Twin Peaks and Anchorman, and his insights into comedy and creative collaboration. The episode offers listeners a candid glimpse into the life of a seasoned performer, enriched with anecdotes and reflections.

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Early Career and Audition Experiences

Koechner begins by recounting his initial forays into acting, highlighting the challenges and peculiarities of auditions in the entertainment industry.

• Twin Peaks Audition Story

  Koechner shares a humorous and insightful story about his audition for the cult classic Twin Peaks. He describes the unconventional audition process orchestrated by the legendary director David Lynch.

  David Koechner [16:03]: "There'd be some local actors who got some guy who wanted to be a serious director... It was a unique experience."

  Lynch's distinctive directing style left a lasting impression on Koechner, particularly his method of giving actors last-minute directions to elicit authentic performances.

  David Koechner [18:02]: "David Lynch, we're supposed to meet, he goes, okay, great, great. Great Fuscos. He points to Eric Adels. He goes, give me that little Pips Creek laugh."

  This interaction not only showcased Lynch's creative demands but also demonstrated Koechner's adaptability and commitment to his craft.

• Anchorman Audition Insights

  Transitioning to his audition for the iconic film Anchorman, Koechner provides a behind-the-scenes look at the competitive nature of securing roles in high-profile projects.

  David Koechner [22:05]: "I know Adam and Will and I knew their sense of humor. I knew what this was. I never read anything funnier in my life."

  Koechner emphasizes the importance of understanding the dynamics and comedic styles of fellow actors to enhance audition performances.

Collaboration and Creative Processes

The discussion shifts to the essence of collaboration in comedy and acting, with Koechner reflecting on his relationships with peers and the pursuit of respectful recognition within the industry.

• Seeking Peer Respect

  A significant portion of the conversation revolves around the desire for peer respect and the internal motivations that drive creative professionals.

  David Koechner [05:55]: "Maybe I guess that's gotta be in the mix. To me it was. It's respect of our peers."

  Koechner candidly explores the balance between personal satisfaction and external validation, shedding light on the nuanced motivations behind his career choices.

• Influence of Industry Veterans

  Koechner also discusses the impact of seasoned actors and directors on his approach to performance and storytelling.

  David Koechner [06:57]: "Neil Brennan turns to me and says, hey, you're really actually very funny. And I turned into the weirdest person in the world and immediately ruined that."

  This anecdote illustrates the challenges of internalizing compliments and maintaining authenticity in the face of acclaim.

Personal Reflections and Philosophical Musings

Beyond professional anecdotes, Koechner delves into deeper philosophical reflections on the nature of his work and personal fulfillment.

• Purpose and Fulfillment

  The conversation touches on existential questions regarding the purpose of daily work and the fleeting nature of life.

  David Koechner [05:36]: "What is my end goal? Why is this fleeting, meaningless day?"

  Such introspections reveal Koechner's contemplative side, offering listeners a more profound understanding of his motivations and worldview.

• Humor as a Tool for Connection

  Koechner underscores the role of humor in bridging gaps and fostering connections both personally and professionally.

  David Koechner [26:46]: "Hey, by the way, you're funny."

  This simple acknowledgment serves as a testament to the power of humor in affirming self-worth and building relationships.

Current Projects and Future Endeavors

Concluding the episode, Koechner provides updates on his recent and upcoming projects, encouraging listeners to engage with his work.

• Desert Ridge Improv Performances

  Koechner promotes his live performances at Desert Ridge Improv, inviting fans to experience his comedic talents firsthand.

  David Koechner [25:50]: "David Keckner's at Desert Ridge Improv tonight. Tomorrow and Sunday, you've got the Todd Packer Office Trivia at 3:00 Saturday."

• Todd Packer Office Trivia

  Highlighting a unique trivia show based on The Office, Koechner describes the interactive and entertaining nature of the event.

  David Koechner [04:03]: "We do three rounds of trivia. I come out as Todd Packer. That's the big fun thing for the audience."

  This segment exemplifies Koechner's innovative approach to blending comedy with audience participation, enhancing the overall entertainment experience.

Closing Thoughts

Throughout the episode, David Koechner offers a blend of humor, vulnerability, and insightful reflections, making for a compelling and relatable conversation. His stories not only entertain but also provide valuable lessons on resilience, creativity, and the pursuit of passion in the ever-evolving landscape of show business.

Notable Quotes

1. On Auditioning and Creativity:

   David Koechner [18:02]: "David Lynch... whisper ideas in your ear. It was the stuff you want to do. It's all business. It was the greatest ever."

2. On Peer Respect:

   David Koechner [05:55]: "Maybe I guess that's gotta be in the mix. To me it was. It's respect of our peers."

3. On Purpose and Fulfillment:

   David Koechner [05:36]: "What is my end goal? Why is this fleeting, meaningless day."

4. On Humorous Affirmation:

   David Koechner [26:46]: "Hey, by the way, you're funny."

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Conclusion

This episode of Holmberg's Morning Sickness serves as a testament to David Koechner's enduring legacy in comedy and acting. Through his engaging storytelling and reflective dialogue, listeners gain a deeper appreciation for the complexities of a career in entertainment and the personal philosophies that sustain creative individuals. Whether you're a long-time fan or new to Koechner's work, this episode offers valuable insights and plenty of laughs.

Transcript

[John Holmberg]

All right, HMS Podcast, time again to let you know where to go for some great comedy in the Valley this week. Get out to the Tempe Improv on the east side to see Paul Versey on Thursday and Beth Stelling Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The Desert Ridge Improv up North features Sarah Weinschenk this Thursday and Joe DeRosa on Friday and Saturday. And downtown at Stand Up Live, check out the very funny Lil Rel performing Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for the complete lineups. And for tickets, go to standuplive.com desertridgeimprov.com and tempeimprov.com it's John Holberg here.

[David Koechner]

For the amazing people at the Core Institute, life can throw you a curveball now and again. One day you're trucking along, feeling great. Next day, your dog smashes into your head and knocks you cold. Or like a KUPD listener told me this week, his dog did a sprint across the backyard directly into the side of his wife's leg and blew her knee up. She needed that need to get fixed and fixed right? Two years later, she's running like she used to again. And it's all thanks to the Core Institute. I went through it, too. And you can get rid of your pain and start saying, yes, I can to all the things you want to do. And all you have to do is trust the experts at the Core Institute. Head there right now. The Core Institute.com sickness. You guys already. You already missed a hell of an interview with David Keckner. It's been awesome.

Thanks for coming.

Last seven or eight minutes of sitting in here with Keckner has been pretty awesome. Hopefully you can deliver. Now that we're actually doing this, I.

Tighten up.

Yeah, tighten up. Get good now. Come on. David Keckner is at Desert Ridge Improv tonight and tomorrow and Sunday and of course, 3:00 on Saturday, you bring in the Todd Packer show.

Yes.

Which I love. Are you doing that as Todd?

As, of course, as Todd Packer. It's trivia. As the day trivia office, I will say this. I call it the best trivia show in the country. So it's me, my, I hate to say partner, because it sounds like we're.

You know, you're gay, which I have.

No problem with, but we're just not on stage. I don't. I don't want to disappoint anybody.

It's not going to be the Todd Packer show that way.

Rob and I have toured together probably eight years, but when you find a good opening guy, yeah, he and I do an hour and a half, and it's really good.

Yeah.

A lot of people.

Of trivia.

Well, no, just at our regular show.

Oh, okay. I was gonna say, but he came.

Up with the idea a couple years ago, like, why don't we start doing a trivia show on the weekends?

Yeah.

And to me, I'm like, well, if I'm gonna be out of town anyway, might as well monetize it. So we do three rounds of trivia. I come out as Todd Packer. That's the big fun thing for the audience. Right. So you do some Packerisms, and then because it's the Office, it's church for these people.

Oh, yeah.

It's a whole different. Like, they're excited to go.

A little scary. Almost Star Trek for the wrong reason.

Nice.

Yeah.

That's a great way of putting it, but in the best way.

Oh, you love them. You can't wait to see them on Saturday. But there is security nearby me immediately.

Being codependent. Don't scare anyone away. Don't you talk about I love you. I'm glad that you're overly enthusiastic about it.

It's a good phrase. Yes.

But they. Everybody love, everybody thinks they're going to win it. I've seen it so many times. You're not going to win it. How about that? Is that going to get you out?

Really?

You're not going to win.

There is no winner in the Office.

No one's ever aced it. Now it's not. Here's the thing.

Is it a written test?

Everybody's taking the same study.

Yeah.

Will I lose my license? Here's the thing. You want it to be hard, but not too hard. That's what she said. But not. Not. So you want, you know, to be challenging. Yeah, it is.

You don't want to be a walk in the park.

No, exactly.

Yeah.

The other thing is. So it's also me. It's David Koechner and, you know, Tad. Todd Packer.

Yeah.

So they're going to lean a little bit Packerish and maybe lean on some stuff that might be threads from my career that go through. Yes.

So Anchorman may make an appearance for.

A reason that does have an intersection.

With the Office, which would be Will Ferrell.

Well, it could be a lot of different reasons why that question was asked. It does have an intersection with the Office. Might not be a pur trivia question.

Okay.

Some people will type in their thing. That's not office trivia. Yeah. So you guys can go stick yourself.

But okay, now I'm even more curious. And that's 3 o'clock on Saturday.

Three rounds. It's a lot of audience interaction.

Yeah.

At the end of the three rounds, we announced the top two teams.

Okay.

They go backstage and they rehearse for a scene they're going to do with Todd Packer on stage. Oh, and myself and Rob. I'm just. I'm Todd Packer.

Yeah.

And then they come up and that's going to determine the winner, the final winner. The audience decides performance. Yes. Two performances of two. Two different scenes from the office. And then what do they win? Probably a. A sticker, whatever's available.

All awesome. Till that last part. You can't win.

No, you can't.

And even if you could, it's just.

I say that because I'm trying to challenge our audience. Like, it's worth coming down.

Yeah.

But anyway, I tell stories of my. It's kind of like a stand up office trivia hybrid because I tell stories of my time at the office and of my time in show business. So amazing. It's a nice entertainment.

And how about that for you? Your time in show business. I don't know if you're familiar with the network TBD, but TBD is this new network. It's on YouTube TV. I'm flipping through and it's showing old Saturday night lives, stuff like that, and old shows. And I've seen you on some things and I'm like, I didn't know you did that. And so I'm like a little upset. David Koechner's been around a little longer than. And then you start doing in your own brain the math on how long you've been at this and how much you actually have to talk about for your day.

You know, we're in the same business. We're immediate. You woke up today to do your job. That's new to you.

Yes.

Same for me. We don't think about all the time we've had already at this desk.

Exactly.

So it's us, it's new. I'm still trying to make something great.

And why are we doing.

I don't know.

And what is our end goal? I ask myself that all the time.

That's true.

What is my end goal? Why is this fleeting, meaningless day.

Right.

Going to disappear tomorrow? So I can just do it again?

That's all I want. One more day.

I know. Isn't that weird, though?

No, it's not. It's right. It's. It's authentic and it's true. And it's honest. Plus also, I think you and I probably share the same thing. What we really wanted originally was the respect of our peers.

Maybe I guess that's gotta be in the mix. To me it was. It's respect of our peers. But I think it's more just like, God, I don't even know. Like, I've asked myself that a billion times. Why did I start this? And I think it was for my own edification. Yeah, I don't think it was for.

The other people any sort of push self respect. I can do this. Yeah, I'm funny. So that works on that level. I've got that respect. But then you want to not just be a hack with respect to your peers. Like, oh, he's good. He's not just somebody.

That is very important. When somebody I do respect, like, it has to be high respect.

Yes.

I guess I take respect from my peers as like my group of friends. My.

Not these guys in the showroom with.

No, no, no. These two can disappear. No.

And that's what we go through. Right?

The men are talking. No, but you're right. It's like when. Because I remember Neil Brennan, the co creator of the Chappelle show, we were talking and I did a podcast with him and he turned to me, he goes, hey, you're really actually very funny. And he didn't. And I turned into the weirdest person in the world and immediately ruined that.

Did you do blocks with him or which one did you do?

No, I did. I was doing a podcast with Frank Caliendo a long time ago. And then. And this was when it first started and Frank wasn't there that day. And so it was me and another guy and Neil and we just talked about stuff back and forth and he actually said that. And he. And I said, oh my God, that means so much to me that you said. I'm like, they're ruining it. You're just say thank you and walk away.

I know, it's true. I know, but you can't wait. You know what? It was authentic at that moment. So you should do it.

Yeah, I guess.

I mean, is the best.

He's awesome.

I mean, just if you want to. If you don't know who Neil Brennan is, go to the David Chappelle. Dave Chappelle Mark Twain Award.

Yeah. Oh my God.

And when Neil Brennan introduces him, that'll introduce you to Neil Brennan. And he's so good. He's almost untouchable and.

Yeah. And hiding in his untouchable.

Oh my God. He's So good.

It's like he's ahead of all of us.

It's a yes 100. It's a masterclass. And you'll appreciate him if you're a fan of comedy. And you'll never back down from Neil Brennan again. He's the best.

No, but who's told you you're funny? That made you go boom? Because you've been. You've heard it a billion times. You're one of those people that walks in a room and I just know you're funny. Well, it was the hat.

It was great school. It really was.

Was.

It really was.

Okay, so you knew immediately my drive.

I guess I'm one of. I'm one of six kids.

Okay.

I'm the third of six kids in Irish Catholic family, so I think that's what it was.

Yeah.

Hey, look at me.

And you knew.

Yes.

Have you had anybody tell you I wanted.

I wanted the attention of my classmates in the way that I wanted it. I'm looking back.

Yeah.

Looking back, I wanted the attention of my classmates in the way that I wanted it. And you could also kind of control it. Yeah, I'm guessing. I didn't. You didn't intellectual. Intellectualize it back then, but going back now, it's complete codependence and it's a.

Weird social anxiety, really, because you got to control a space before it controls you.

Right?

Yeah.

I didn't recognize that.

Yeah.

Well, how much is this?

Yeah, I'm going to get to you. Okay. Before you know it, you're going to cry.

We're going to have you in tears close off.

And that's what led to the. Have you ever had somebody that you didn't think was funny tell you you were funny? To major questions. Sure. You're really funny. I'm like, oh, no, not you.

But that's even better. When a person that you don't think is funny Goes. You're really funny. Goes, wait a minute. It sounds like you had doubt.

Yeah.

You're not allowed to have doubt.

Don't you dare doubt.

I already laughed. You.

David Kegner's at Desert Ridge Improv tonight, tomorrow and Sunday. And you've got. I mean, what is the. Where did. What was the first thing you did now that I'm thinking about you in the show business? Well, no. Worst thing on earth.

Grabbed it.

Yeah.

You reached back for a lifetime. That's called the hidden joke, folks. And these guys all got it. They're in comedy because anyone out there going, grabbed what?

Yeah. No.

You know, you don't know the hidden joke you're hanging on the bungee fell out.

Man. You gotta imagine to a baby that's like puds like falling out of a window trying to get back in there. The only thing I ever kn. But like the first thing you did in show business that you're.

But you're not talking about high school.

You're not talking about something that I could find now. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.

Piece of media.

Yeah. Something that you did that was like. Oh, that was my very first thing that kind of.

Well, there's some things I did in Chicago that wound up being on an IMDb page that I couldn't probably reference.

Okay.

There'd be some local actors who got some guy who wanted to be a serious director.

That kind of stuff.

Yeah, that kind of stuff.

Okay, gotcha.

Oh, oh. Okay. The first thing I may have gotten paid for was a carpet commercial back in Chicago. And I don't think I speak, but it's one of those 1800 that's still rolling. The guy's passed away now and I was just a cartoon. But it was one of those local carpet ads that you hoped you never are going to be in to pay $344 to the one time buyout before you're in SAG. But that's probably the first.

And it's still running. Is that what you're running? You said it's still running. I'm like, what?

They'd have to buy another round.

Yeah, absolutely. You gotta go twice on. And you're just. It's a. How are you in it? It's a cartoon. You didn't speak.

I think I lay down on my couch and I have a very self satisfied look as I remember looking. Because you got new flooring. Yes, yes. I remember looking back at it. That was too much.

Yeah, you overdid it. Post coital flooring.

Just.

You overacted your parts in these flooring.

In a bad flooring commercial and that.

Was the first one you got to my memory. Yeah.

It is Empire.

Is it Empire?

It is.

It is.

It is.

You were the Empire.

You might remember that.

You were the sleepy post masturbation guy in the background.

Now that's a great piece of. That's a great piece of direction.

Act like you just got done.

Because that is something very sense memory. You do it.

Yeah.

And it adds a lot more and adds a mystery to it as opposed to just act like you're really happy.

Yeah. Be happy and lay down.

Now. I'm going to. Now you're just going to make that face.

Yeah.

As opposed to that very specific, specific thing. The audience goes, what just happened?

Yeah, but if I give you that direction, would I have to have the direct. All right, cut. Guy in the back, stop wiping your stomach off. What are you doing?

Well, you said. And looking down at it. Looking down at it.

Yeah, yeah, dude.

After the wipe down.

Yeah, yeah. After you've cleaned up.

And you couldn't say that direction out loud today on set.

You could. Oh, because it's.

Because whoever said you had to whisper it to the person in their ear. Which is going to take us to our David lynch talk later.

Because, David, we can do it right now. David lynch passed away. Yes. Director of Twin Peaks. And like you said, Eraserhead. I didn't even realize until you said it did the Elephant Man. I don't think I knew that. Which is.

But I didn't know the background of Elephant Man. Brooks was a producer and he knew he couldn't. He said he knew he couldn't direct it because then people expect a Mel Brooks film.

Yeah.

And he knew this is something completely different. He'd seen Eraserhead and thought, this is the guy to do it.

It's amazing.

Yes.

And do you think Mel Brooks owned the rights to that because he was going to make it a comedy?

I don't think so. I don't think so. Because he would have.

Yeah, because he absolutely would have. But then kind of realized now this thing's maybe a little meatier than that.

Yeah. It's easy to maybe dismiss the genius of Mel Brooks. Oh, because you can dismiss it because of what? You know, look, this guy has been in comedy for a long time. 70 years. What is it?

At least he's 97 something.

96 difference. And so we tend to maybe either just like that's an old piece of nostalgia or whatever, but, yeah, you know, this guy, without him, you don't have so many things in comedy changes the game, right?

Yeah.

So. But no, I think he had enough respect and genius to understand. Like, no, I'm not doing this. I do like this piece of material.

And David lynch directed that, which I did not even think about. I probably did know that and just dismissed it and didn't think about it because it's such a great movie.

You don't think about it till someone.

Until they die. Oh, my God. He was the ultimate guy. But you worked with him on Twin Peaks.

Very fortunate.

Electric.

Yes. On Showtime.

Yeah.

Which is the remake of the TV show.

Yeah.

And I don't know how much time we have on your fine truncated. So I get an audition and not to be I'm very happy to have an audition. Although every actor would tell you that I'd rather not audition.

Just give me the role.

But it was for an unknown project. And the way that your agent tells you is like, you want to do this? That's all they'll tell you.

The agent knows? Yes, but they're not allowed to tell you because you're blab like.

Well, because they have to sign an ND as well. Okay, so you want to do this. You're going to go in and you're going to a casting director. There are no sides, no lines. You just go in. You go in. It's an interview. And that never happens. Usually if you go in for an audition, you have pages or what we call sides, and you memorize those and you know something about the story. You don't know anything. So I go into audition. It's only an interview. And again, straight to the camera.

Yeah. Weird.

Yeah.

Visit Holmberg's Morning Sickness online at 98kupd.com.

[Dick Toledo]

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[David Koechner]

Just asking you stories, I think, just to see if you're an oddball or a weirdo or can you be if.

You look the part.

Yes, if you look the part, can you be Delta? Is this our guy?

And what years were this?

This six, seven years ago?

Yeah, it wasn't that long ago.

Yeah. Yeah. Okay.

All right.

And so it was something Rosa, I think, was the name of the project.

Okay.

And then later you're told, okay, you got cast in Twin Peaks. And you're like, oh, my goodness.

Yeah.

Okay. Then I get told I'm one of the Fusco brothers. And you get your lines the night before. There's three pages, okay? On these three pages, there are two. There's Fusco 1 and Fusco 2. And you don't know which one you are, so you have to learn all the lines. They're not long, they're not difficult. But it's like, Fusco 1, Fusco 2. Great. We show up that day. There's three Fusco brothers. Me, Larry Clark, and Eric Edelstein. Now we have hours to go before our scene shoots, because that's just how they do it in show business. You show up. As it turns out, we'd never met with three character actors who love acting, and we happen to all have Irish heritage. And so we're just sitting there chewing the fat for hours and loving it, right? Not even knowing. Who's Fusco 1, Fusco 2. And where is Fusco? Why are the three of us. Who's getting fired first? So then we go before. Right before lunch. They're breaking for lunch. They call us to set. And David lynch we're supposed to meet, he goes, okay, great, great, Great, Fuscos. Great, great. All right, Fusco 1, 2 and 3. And he points to Eric Adels. Now he goes, give me that little. That Pips Creek laugh. You give me that little laugh. He goes, ha, ha. He goes, that's it. That's it. Great. Great. Okay, you two will be one and two, and I'll feed you lines to Eric. And so we go back to the. To the trailer.

And so Fusco 3.

Yes.

Was his idea.

Yes.

Not written.

I just want that guy. I like that guy because he probably watches everything.

Yeah.

He sees that guy. Whatever that guy is, I want him.

Yeah.

Because he just has an idea. I want him in my scene. I'll just put him in there when I get ready.

Wow.

So Larry and I. I'm a couple months older than Larry. I said, I'll do Fusco one just because of age, chronological, because. Because it didn't make any difference.

Right?

The same amount of signs, same amount of interesting lines, same amount of whatever interest.

Right?

Yeah.

Anyway.

And we're brothers, which makes us even happier. Right, right. Just because whatever reason, we're. Okay, great. Three brothers who are detectives. Okay, so anyway, so we do the thing. You go there. Now you're on set. Now we're probably four feet from each other, maybe five feet. Okay. David lynch has a gosh darn.

A megaphone.

Megaphone. I just had to mind the worst.

Thing in the world is that was either a blowjob or a sub sandwich that looked nothing like.

Or a crackpipe. A megaphone.

Lighting your megaphone.

Electronic megaphone. And he, he says, action from about five feet from me. But he whispers it to the megaphone. Action. It's the best. It's the best. The better part is he's got a cigarette on set, which is not allowed. Right. And he's got a little ashtray and like a 5 inch fire extinguisher. And you realize, oh, this must have been a negotiation with the insurance company. And with sag. He's got an ashtray, he's got a megaphone, he's got a fire extinguisher. He carries with him everywhere he goes. And this is all you ask for in life as an actor. Let me be part of whatever this.

Is, this fever dream that's going on. And he would whisper ideas in your ear.

Yes. For Larry Clark, for instance, he said to him, act as if you just heard this answer from the wind. Okay? And action.

What?

Right. I didn't get one of those.

Yeah, that's too hard.

Here's the best one. How much time do we have? But there's a guy, so we're all hanging out before, you know, our scenes. And like the second or third day, I can't remember, there's a kid that was very nervous and I think it was the first thing he'd ever done. Plus now there's a bunch of people who, on set who've been working for 50 or 60 years. There's a guy whose name I don't remember who had acted with Marilyn Monroe in some movie from the 50s. And you know, of course lynch is going to put him in the show. It's Tarantino time. And so Adelstein knows everybody as he's sitting there just trying to get stories out of this guy. I'm like, I don't know the old guy, but I'll give him an HJ and courtesy, courtesy, courtesy. Oh, yeah, he knew Monroe.

You gotta tug that horn. He knew Marilyn Monroe. For guys he might have met Joe DiMaggio too.

Come on. Anyway, there's this kid, and he just has to deliver us a mug in a plastic sack because it's evidence. But he can't get his line out. I can't remember his line, but something simple like, here's the thing that you asked for. And so he comes up and tries to say it three times, and he just can't get it out, Right? So David comes up to him, and he goes, hey, kid, come here. Now, look at me. Now, this time, you say it. Do this. And he acts like. If you've ever seen an actor do jazz hands on stage, folks, goes pop.

Yeah.

So, like, you kind of crouch and put your hand. Snap your hands out.

Yeah.

To do the line. So the guy does it, and it comes out effortlessly perfect. And he's filming it.

And he knew.

And he knew, like, I'll give this. I'll take this kid out of his head.

Yeah.

Give him something to do. Boom. And I don't know if it now.

Gave him a tap ending.

Yes. But I was like, this is the stuff you want to do. It's all business. It was the greatest ever.

That's incredible. Yes. Man, oh, man. And you didn't know that you were getting that job? Did you know that they were even working on Twin Peaks again?

I didn't. I didn't.

When they said Twin Peaks was a thing, you knew.

Yes.

Like, oh, my God, they're rebooting, right?

Yes. Yeah. I think I. I, you know, innocently knew that somehow I knew that they were redoing.

But never imagine that was you.

Right.

And did he ever tell you why he liked you? Like, what he had seen you in that made David Keckner something.

And there's enough people like, he's busy.

Yeah.

You know, of course. You want to go, what about me? What is it about me? Do you want me? And back to the kid nailing it. Yeah. He must have felt like, oh, the only time I nailed it was doing this jazz thing.

Yeah.

I'm so not getting this part. Well, no, he already got the part. Messing up. And you're like, oh, man, I'm just amazing. But, you know, the thing is that Dave gave him a gift, and I can't remember if he let him do it one more time without doing it.

Yeah, but he got it.

I think it's more interesting that he probably used that oddball take.

Yeah. And you've had directors do the opposite where they give you nothing.

Well, yeah. Which is okay.

It's all right. Because you can just do it yourself.

You know, to be honest, you don't want too much.

Of course not.

Because if you're.

Yeah.

If you're any good, you have an idea, if they want to change your idea.

Right.

Then you immediately go, you're wrong.

Right.

Or I'm wrong. If I'm wrong, then I might go in a panic. You know, I didn't understand what you're talking about.

Right.

But usually I do comedies, so.

Yeah.

You know.

You got a timing for that?

Yeah.

Did you have to audition for Anchorman?

Yes.

You did?

Yes.

So did you not know Will and. Oh, no, no.

I knew. I knew. I knew. I knew Adam from 1990 in. In City.

Okay.

So. And I also knew Steve Carell and I knew Will from my year on snl. Yeah, that's right. That was.

That overlapped. He was still there or he was just there at the same time. Right?

Yeah.

Kind of just started with.

Did you know anyone else going for the part later?

Yeah.

Years later.

Yeah.

A couple years later.

Was obviously Tom Selleck. Tom Cruise. Yeah.

This is going to be Keckner Selleck.

Yeah. Once again, Keckner stole those jobs.

He'll never get a reverse mortgage.

So you auditioned for that and it was. Was it the same way you sat in a room and interviewed?

No, no. That one is a traditional. Traditional audition. And I do remember.

Did you read that script and get it.

Oh, my gosh.

Like, did you understand it? Because I don't know if that works the way you guys acted. The words on paper can't work as well as what was being seen. Right, Right.

Yes. Now, I had known Adam and I knew his sense of humor, which probably helped me. Yeah, they. They. Neither of them had the status to give anybody a job.

Right.

But I had, because I knew Adam and Will and I knew their sense of humor. I knew what this was. I never read anything funnier in my life. And I actually auditioned, I think, for. I think I auditioned for Champ and Brian Fantana. So I brought in two different. Because I knew it's the same dudes. Two different wigs. Swear to God. Two different wigs. Yep.

You brought your own wig.

Yeah, Yeah. I used to have a lot of.

Wigs you had to sell.

You guys know why?

Well, you had mentioned why.

My side job. My side hustle one's really important.

You can see him later at the Flying J. He's out there on his way back to LA.

When I was. When I went in the 90s. When I was in whatever. I get to town. Yeah, the 90s to LA. I do all kinds of character bits. On stage. So I'd have all kinds of different characters I'd be doing. So I would have a bunch of wigs for different characters. So I also had some. Some sideburns because I knew it was the 70s.

Yeah.

And I think I auditioned for Champ with a wig and for. With a different wig. Right. So you're having to do two characters, which is kind of a little bit difficult.

Sure.

But anyway, for whatever reason, I did well with Champ. And the way it came down to is me and four guys, and I don't know all of them. I know a couple of the guys that were. And I won't say who were up for it. And they just had VHS tapes. This is before. Yeah. So they're showing the final four persons for each role. And so they put in each tape. Didn't say a word. Because Adam and Will are smart. Don't say who your choice was.

Right.

So they put my tape in, and the producer goes, why not that guy? And I'm like, yeah, okay. Because I know that they know that. Had they said, this is our choice. Your human, you know, where your brain works, would not choose that guy.

No.

Right.

Yeah. They would immediately make the other guy out.

Yep. So they left it clean, and I got the job. So I wanted you.

You think, like, right away, Adam and.

Oh, they wanted me from the beginning.

You have got to. We can't say yes.

Yes. They can't say.

We needed permission.

Now. They called me right away and said, we can't tell you this officially, but you got the job.

Oh, that's.

So you're gonna hear from. Yeah.

Yeah. So that was the most fun ever filming. Had to be, because that's half the movie on screen is made up. Yes.

There's nothing. There's nothing like it. And, you know, we've maybe talked about this before. It was not a success out the gate. It came out in August.

Yeah.

Of 84. No, no, my God, no. 2004.

It was 2:50 years to really catch. It was 8,494. And then finally it took in 2004. It did not take right away.

No. So it was. Was it 94?

No, it was 04.04.

Thank you.

I'll get you there.

Wow.

Yeah.

Wow, wow, wow.

It's 2025, David.

Thank you.

Everything's good now.

Wow.

They're still not going to release it.

Am I taking a nap?

Yeah. Am I really?

Wake up, old boy.

Put your wig on. I think you're vulnerable right now.

Now we can get cooked.

I could talk to you all day about stuff. Dave Kegner's at Desert Ridge Improv tonight. Tomorrow and Sunday, you got the Todd Packer Office Trivia at 3:00 Saturday. And you can check that out just by heading in. Right. If you want to come in, they'll set it up and all that and you get tickets at the door or whatever. That's pretty awesome. So Saturday out there at Desert Ridge.

Although I think Friday show sold out. Some of the other shows are there. Honestly. I know people say that all the time, but honestly, these are selling out.

So you had to close it. Let me handle that. We don't need you staying it now. It's like, oh, he thinks he's going to sell out, huh? We'll see about that.

You're buy. You to buy 10 tickets and just throw them out.

See all those empty seats? You think of my ugly ass. He did this to me. Dave, change the world. Give us some information that'll like the 2025, make somebody's world better.

Who? Me right now?

Yeah, like you're. You're in charge of the earth. You've been inaugurated. You're in. What is the first thing you change?

Make everybody say I'm enough first thing in the morning.

Oh, that you're enough?

Yeah.

David Kegner.

No, no, everybody's enough. Me especially.

Yeah.

Hey, you're funny. Hey, by the way, you're funny.

That's beautiful.

So you're talking about something I do.

Yeah. Something that you would be like, you know what? This will make the world a better place. And I can change it. Like, I would do this first.

I can only do one free health.

Care all across the board.

Yeah.

Yeah. And nothing's free, though.

Yeah, well, no, I don't care who's paying. All right. Available, free health care.

Okay.

Everybody gets health care.

Doctors get. It's all in.

Everybody's taken care of.

I like that. I like to see. There you go.

Oh, can I do one more?

Yeah.

End all billionaires.

You end the billions. Now, if you were a billionaire, would you say that?

Of course. Would you really? What? What? What? What took you to get there, man?

I would.

You've lost your soul.

I would love it. Well, maybe that's.

Would you? No, you wouldn't.

Oh, I'd like it.

You'd be the most unhappy guy.

Maybe give it a shot. I don't know. I'm willing to give it a shot. As often as I look at my Fidelity account, I think about a billion dollars.

Trust. Who do you trust?

Myself.

I know, but but after a while, like, you know, I would build a.

Robot, okay, that would build my friends.

You are Elon Musk.

That would make it so I'd have billionaire friends that always said, you know, you're really funny.

So what other answers have you gotten for this?

Oh, I always say, like, you know. You know, words of wisdom or change, change the way. Like, if you had words of wisdom, there's been a few gems. Most of the time, it's a goof.

Okay.

Like I think Big J said last week, my journal works. The weight drug. Is that it? Or. I don't even know which one it is.

Yeah, but it's.

It's like Ozempic.

Okay. Yeah.

And that was it. So just something that pops in it.

Okay.

Yeah. Yours is meaningful.

I'm sorry.

No, yours has. Some people have depth. Some people act like jackasses. You've managed to do both in the same 35 minutes. Thanks for coming in, man. It's a pleasure.

Go. Bless you.

Dave Keckner, everybody.

It's the best. All right. God bless you.

It's out of control now.