Podcast Summary

Podcast: Holmberg's Morning Sickness – Arizona (98KUPD)
Episode: 12-22-25 – Jackie Earle Haley (Nightmare on Elm Street, April 2010), Tiffani Amber Thiessen (Call-In, July 2010), BO
Date: December 22, 2025
Host: John Holmberg (with Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, and Dick Toledo)
Guests: Jackie Earle Haley, Tiffani Amber Thiessen

Episode Overview

This episode features two lively, candid celebrity interviews from the show's archives: acclaimed actor Jackie Earle Haley—discussing his roles, career resurgence, and the Freddy Krueger reboot—and beloved TV star Tiffani Amber Thiessen, reflecting on her "Saved by the Bell" days, rumors, career, and life in the public eye. True to the HMS brand, host John Holmberg keeps things irreverent, personal, and sometimes a little uncomfortable, creating plenty of laughs and revealing moments.

Key Interview #1: Jackie Earle Haley

(Nightmare on Elm Street, Watchmen, Bad News Bears)
[Starts ~01:26]

Haley’s Early Career and Persona

• Bad News Bears Impact: Holmberg describes “Kelly Leak” as his hero, joking about the character’s coolness.
  • “Thank you so much for being Kelly Leake.” – John Holmberg (01:31)
  • “Why, you’re welcome. Now, if I could only hit a home run.” – Jackie Earle Haley (01:37)
• On Fame and High School:
  • Haley says he was actually “quiet in high school,” nothing like his brash, on-screen persona.
  • “I spent a lot of time kind of staring at my feet, walking around.” (02:08)
  • He felt self-conscious because everyone knew who he was.

On Childhood Fame and On-Set Memories

• Working with Tatum O’Neal:
  • Shared anecdotes about spending weekends at her beach house as teens, but joked about listeners’ imagination running wild. (03:00–03:19)
• Underrated Roles:
  • John brings up Maniac Cop 3, prompting playful embarrassment.
  • “That could have just stayed hidden away forever.” – Haley (03:38)
  • Haley jokes about not even realizing he was IN Maniac Cop 3.
  • “Hey, I was watching it and didn’t realize I was in it either.” (04:00)

The Dark Side: “Little Children” and “Watchmen”

• On “Little Children”:
  • Described as “the creepiest thing Holmberg ever saw.”
  • “It was a weird part to play. It was a weird thing to reconcile…” – Haley (04:27)
  • Holmberg jokes about being “cast as the child molester”—Haley replies with dry humor.
  • “Todd Field walked by, walked up and said, dude, you’re kind of creepy. Have you ever acted before?” (05:11)
• Rorschach in “Watchmen”:
  • Host says Haley’s Rorschach outshines everything in the movie.
  • “Your performance as Rorschach is better than Malin Akerman naked in that movie.” – Holmberg (05:22)
  • Discusses lack of sequels/prequels:
  • “I have a feeling that’s it. It’s such a one-off movie…” – Haley (05:46)

Career Resurgence and “Nightmare on Elm Street”

• Hollywood Comeback:
  • Haley took a 15-year break from acting and is amazed by his “second act.”
  • “It’s just been a real, like, surreal, amazing treat to be able to come back and have another go…” (06:08)
• Becoming Freddy Krueger:
  • Learned of fan rumors online before being cast.
  • “First I heard of it was on the internet… I didn’t even know they were remaking Nightmare on Elm Street.” (06:46)
  • Enjoyed playing in various genres—drama, comedy, comic book, horror.
  • “To get to do a horror pic… as Freddy Krueger, it’s kind of like, that’s pretty cool.” (06:54)
• Faithful Remake:
  • Nightmare returns to serious horror roots.
  • “We went back to the origins… when it was scarier and more serious.” (07:24)
• Robert Englund’s Approval:
  • Holmberg asks if Englund was upset.
  • “I sure hope not… Robert England has rocked this thing for decades, and he will always be Freddy Krueger. I’m just honored to take a stab at it.” (08:05)
• Sequels and Voice:
  • Jokes about being contracted for “427 more” Freddy films (08:22), laughs about monster crossovers.
  • Discussed experimenting to find Freddy’s new voice.
  • “We just tried a bunch of different things and I think where we landed is the most effective.” (08:53)

Personal Insights: Virginity and Humor

• Losing His Virginity:
  • The show’s signature awkward question.
  • “How did I? You know, kind of just like everybody else. Kind of needed a shoehorn.” – Haley (09:53)
  • Revealed it was with his sister’s friend at age 15.

Current Projects & Reflections

• TV Work (“Human Target”):
  • Haley praises fun, action-driven TV scripts.
  • “It’s a bunch of cool popcorn action. Show that it rocks. I’m having a great time…” (11:06)
• On Aging “Bad News Bears”:
  • Jokes about a senior league reunion—“Let’s wait about 15 years and go.” (11:58)

Memorable Quotes:

• “I’m not in prison with you. You’re in prison with me.” – Holmberg, quoting Rorschach (13:00)
• “Maniac Cop can fight Freddy in the end… It’ll be a monster mash.” (08:35)

Key Interview #2: Tiffani Amber Thiessen

(Saved by the Bell, Beverly Hills 90210, White Collar)
[Starts ~15:21]

Nostalgia, Rumors, and Set Life

• Teen Idolatry:
  • Holmberg jokingly confesses he grew up with and crushed on Thiessen.
  • Thiessen responds graciously—“It’s not creepy at all.” (15:37)
• Real Life “Saved by the Bell”:
  • Recalls the beach house episodes as fun; clarifies the set wasn't quite as wild as rumored by Mark-Paul Gosselaar.
  • Holmberg asks if Gosselaar’s claim of being “king of the set” is true—Thiessen demurs:
  • “I’m not gonna call him a liar… it was his business, maybe there was something I didn’t know about.” (16:39)
  • She notes they were all kids—“Did we have set crushes? Of course.” (17:02)
  • Describes hormone-fueled on-set environment: “All the kids were good-looking, so that made it even harder.” (17:21)

“Hero” Heimlich Story & Playful Banter

• Holmberg claims to have saved his wife’s life and uses it to ask Thiessen out for a weekend.
  • “I am choosing you, Tiffany Amber Thiessen, today, to be the woman I choose for my payback for saving my wife’s life.” (17:39)
  • Thiessen: “Sadly, I’m married and have a new baby, so I don’t think that’s the rule my husband wants.” (18:07)

Addressing Celebrity Gossip

• Clearing Up Rumors:
  • Referencing a rumor via Rob Zombie’s brother about her preferences, she shoots it down.
  • “Brian doesn’t even talk that way, so I highly doubt that’s really true.” (20:03)
  • Thiessen is resilient: “Brian’s actually a really nice, good, clean guy. I can’t imagine he would even talk like that.” (20:12)
  • Holmberg, tongue-in-cheek: “So the butt is out? I’m kidding. So the weekend is over, now, for God’s sake.” (20:39)

Promoting “White Collar”

• Career Transition:
  • Introduces her then-current series White Collar:
    • Plays the wife of an FBI agent; describes it as stylish, character-driven with comedy and drama.
    • “It’s a very character-driven show. It’s got a lot of comedy and a lot of drama.” (21:28)
  • Thiessen enjoys working with the cast in NYC.

Life Updates

• Family:
  • Has a new baby; husband was never a big “Saved by the Bell” fan (so no fanboy drama at home).
  • Possibly wants more children someday.
• Show Air Times:
  • White Collar is on Tuesday nights on USA Network. (23:02)

Memorable Quotes:

• “No, not at all. It’s actually much cleaner than your mouth.” – Thiessen, on her new show (20:59)
• “I just had a baby. I have nothing but love right now.” (23:11)
• “With a name like Spider, I think so, huh?” (23:40)

Notable & Laugh-Out-Loud Moments

• Haley Jokes About Being a Hidden Gem:
  • His embarrassment over “Maniac Cop 3” is recurring and hilarious.
• Awkward Virginity Question:
  • HMS’s running bit—applied equally to all guests—serves as comic relief.
• Thiessen’s Patience with Wild Rumor Questions:
  • Despite the awkwardness, she’s gracious, honest, and good-natured.
• Holmberg’s “Hero” Pick-Up Line:
  • Uses life-saving Heimlich maneuver as the world’s weirdest celebrity pickup attempt.
• “Spider” the Rumor Mill:
  • The hosts riff on the improbable chain of gossip from Spiderman to Brian Austin Green to Megan Fox.

Important Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------------------|------------| | Jackie Earle Haley starts | 01:26 | | Bad News Bears/High School Anecdotes | 01:37–02:30| | Maniac Cop 3 & Self-Reflexive Humor | 03:33–04:04| | “Little Children” & Watchmen Reflections | 04:27–05:55| | Becoming Freddy Krueger, Role Evolution | 06:46–09:30| | The “Virginity Question” to Haley | 09:53 | | Human Target Career Discussion | 11:06 | | Bad News Bears Reunion Talk | 11:27–12:08| | Tiffani Amber Thiessen call-in starts | 15:21 | | Set Gossip: Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Set Crushes | 16:04–17:21| | Heimlich/“Going Out” Gag | 17:39–18:46| | Clearing Up White Zombie/Spider Rumor | 19:25–20:19| | “White Collar” Promotion | 21:02–22:11| | Family & Personal Life | 23:09–23:24|

Overall Tone & Style

• Irreverent, playful, sometimes edgy: Holmberg combines fan-boying with put-you-on-the-spot questions.
• Candid and self-deprecating guests: Both Haley and Thiessen navigate awkwardness with humor and honesty.
• Strong nostalgia factor: Lots of love for 70s/80s/90s pop culture, told through personal memories and behind-the-scenes stories.
• Meta-commentary: The hosts often reflect on their own interview style and celebrity culture throughout.

TL;DR

A riotous, nostalgic twofer: Oscar-nominee Jackie Earle Haley charms with sharp wit about his acting comeback (Nightmare on Elm Street, Watchmen, and infamous Maniac Cop 3), while Tiffani Amber Thiessen gamely fields intrusive rumors, reminisces about “Saved by the Bell,” and shows off her humor and grace. Mix in some cringe, lots of laughs, and real moments—this is classic HMS.

Highly recommended segments:

• Jackie Earle Haley’s offbeat career reflections and his dry comedic timing (especially about being “creepy”)
• Thiessen’s steady debunking of celebrity rumors while promoting “White Collar”
• The persistent, awkward “virginity” bit—an HMS tradition that’s equal parts hilarious and uncomfortable