Live Wire with Luke Burbank
Episode: Jeff Hiller, Mohanad Elshieky, and Edna Vázquez
Date: January 9, 2026
Host: Luke Burbank
Announcer: Elena Passarello
Guests: Jeff Hiller, Mohanad Elshieky, Edna Vázquez (with Mariachi Tradicion)
Episode Overview
This episode of Live Wire blends heartfelt conversations, sharp comedy, and stirring music. Luke Burbank is joined by:
- Jeff Hiller, Emmy-winning actor and author, who discusses his new memoir and his relationship with faith, fame, and empathy.
- Mohanad Elshieky, stand-up comedian, who shares stories from the road and his experience of being coaxed into hiking.
- Edna Vázquez, musician and torchbearer for Mexican tradition, who performs with Oregon high school students from Mariachi Tradicion and delves into the meaning behind mariachi music.
If you’re in need of both a laugh and a cry, this episode delivers poignant moments and plenty of humor, all set to a backdrop of lively music and engaging storytelling.
Highlights & Key Segments
Good News of the Week
[04:12–12:09]
Chimpanzee Trends in Zambia
- Elena Passarello: Shares a heartwarming, quirky story of cultural trends in a Zambian chimpanzee community.
- In 2010, a chimp named Julie started wearing grass behind her ear, quickly sparking a fashion trend.
- The trend continued for years—even after Julie passed away—until fading, only to recently come back with a twist: chimps are now accessorizing with grass and sticks behind their ears or, humorously, “in their butt.”
- “Chimps do spend a lot of time looking at each other’s butts, which reminded me of, like, you know, we put heart pockets on the back of our jeans.” – Elena Passarello [07:45]
The Lone Beaver’s Return to England
- Luke Burbank: Tells of the return of wild beavers to Norfolk, England after 500 years, likely caused by a “beaver bombing”—the unofficial, often illegal, release of beavers to repopulate areas.
- The lone beaver discovered is thriving and reshaping the ecosystem.
- Touches on broader ecological themes about how beavers change landscapes for the better.
- “This beaver has the best life of all time…just living the beaver dream. And now they’re trying to figure out how it got there.” – Luke Burbank [09:24]
Featured Guest: Jeff Hiller
[12:09–33:04]
On Writing and Reading Celebrity Memoirs
- Hiller’s memoir, Actress of a Certain Age: My 20 Year Trail to Overnight Success, is the springboard for conversation.
- Notes his deep love for the genre, stating he’s read a vast number of celebrity memoirs.
- On what draws him to celebrity memoirs:
“I love hearing other people’s stories…about people who led lives that were interesting.” – Jeff Hiller [13:15] - Calls out lighter, less substantial memoirs (e.g., Vanna White’s), sharing an odd “tip” from it about oral hygiene. “Don’t waste your time with a water pick. Just let the water from the shower run over your teeth.” – Vanna White, as recounted by Jeff Hiller [14:08]
- On what draws him to celebrity memoirs:
Vulnerability & Authenticity in Storytelling
- Hiller emphasizes a desire to be authentic and avoid glossing over difficult realities.
- A typo in the finalized version of his memoir—printing “Actress of a Satane Age”—becomes a humorous symbol of imperfection: “I’m glad I didn’t try and come off as someone who has it all together.” – Jeff Hiller [16:54]
Childhood, Faith, and Empathy
- Discusses growing up as a tall, “girly” Lutheran in San Antonio, Texas.
- Reflects deeply on how being tall allowed him to feel accepted in certain circles despite feeling different.
- Shows emotion recalling how church was a rare safe space in his youth: “It was something that made me not be gay, and so I was really proud of it. But then when I came out, all the gay guys were like, wait, you’re big but you’re girly? No, thank you.” – Jeff Hiller [19:28]
- Describes being bullied and how empathy for others—even bullies—is powerful, albeit radical in today’s world:
- “I just think empathy is good...it’s not easy to say, I want to feel empathy for people who are mean to me. But I think it’s powerful.” – Jeff Hiller [21:13]
- Recounts his supportive, “compassionate” church upbringing and disappointment at discovering hypocrisy in broader religious institutions.
"Somebody Somewhere": Art, Community, and Representation
- Hiller discusses his role as Joel on HBO's Somebody Somewhere, which led to his Emmy win.
- The show centers on chosen family, acceptance, and small-town life—reflecting church-like community: “In my mind, church is about community…That’s what they were feeling in that moment, and it was holy, it was divine. And that’s why [Joel] said, ‘This is church.’” – Jeff Hiller [25:38]
- Notes the show’s understated realism—the “sweaty middle aged people eating mayonnaise” of TV:
- “We’re not sexy. We’re not wearing fabulous clothes. We’re like, sweaty middle-aged people eating mayonnaise…” – Jeff Hiller [30:16]
- Despite not being a mainstream “hit,” the show profoundly resonates with its fans.
- On late-career “success”:
- Hiller says, contrary to Hollywood memoir tropes, he never truly intended to quit acting—he’d have continued even without a breakthrough.
- Shares self-deprecating humor regarding his Emmy win: “For 25 years I’ve been saying to the world, like, I’m an actor, and the world’s been saying, how about computers?” – Jeff Hiller [32:18]
Comedy Set: Mohanad Elshieky
[35:01–43:54]
- Opens with travel tales: pokes fun at getting stuck in an elevator and the absurdity of emergency response expectations.
- “It only takes one minute of you being stuck inside for you to be like, I don’t even remember what outside looks like.” – Mohanad Elshieky [35:54]
- Dives into his love of nature documentaries, with a sharp dig at ocean-life specials:
- “Every creature there looks like a first draft…God made you with his non-dominant hand.” – Mohanad Elshieky [36:30]
- Shares marriage stories: being continuously “tricked” by his wife into going hiking.
- Reluctant to hike (“flat surface enthusiast”); wife is an outdoors lover.
- “Instead of not going on hikes anymore, my wife would just not tell me if we’re about to go on a hike. She would just surprise me with elevation.” – Mohanad Elshieky [41:21]
- Pokes fun at Australians as perpetual travelers.
- Closes with a story about police “banning” hiking in Guatemala, much to his delight.
Musical Performance: Edna Vázquez and Mariachi Tradicion
[48:41–55:30]
Introduction & Context
- Edna Vázquez shares the stage with Forest Grove High School's Mariachi Tradicion, led by Leslie Nunez.
- Oregon now officially recognizes mariachi as a musical competition category, with the Tradicion ensemble winning state championships twice.
- Discusses mariachi’s origins, musical evolution, and cultural roots:
- Mariachi arose in Jalisco (“cradle of mariachi”), with trumpets being a relatively late addition.
- The word “mariachi” has a complex, multicultural derivation.
Song: "El Árbol"
- Vázquez contextualizes the song: it’s a family song, invoking memories and togetherness, inspired by her father’s emotional response:
- “This song talks about family and gathering together. And I think we all have that in all communities all over the world. That’s what we have in common. That’s our humanity—besides music.” – Edna Vázquez [52:02]
- Performance with Mariachi Tradicion—a beautiful, emotional highlight of the episode.
Notable Quotes & Moments
- “I love hearing other people’s stories…that’s the less cynical version of an answer.” – Jeff Hiller [13:15]
- “Empathy is good...And in a weird way right now, in our world, that is radical to say.” – Jeff Hiller [20:36]
- “We’re not sexy. We’re not wearing fabulous clothes. We’re like, sweaty middle-aged people eating mayonnaise, you know.” – Jeff Hiller [30:16]
- “Every creature [in the ocean] looks like a first draft.” – Mohanad Elshieky [36:30]
- “Just surprise me with elevation.” – Mohanad Elshieky [41:21]
- “That’s our humanity—besides music.” – Edna Vázquez [52:02]
Timestamps for Key Segments
-
Good News of the Week:
[04:12] Chimpanzees and fashion
[08:07] Return of England's beaver -
Jeff Hiller Interview:
[12:09] Introduction & memoirs
[18:49] Childhood, faith, empathy
[23:50] Chosen family, Somebody Somewhere
[27:45] Career break & Emmy win -
Mohanad Elshieky Comedy:
[35:01] Stand-up set
[36:30] Ocean creatures
[41:21] Hiking with wife -
Edna Vázquez & Mariachi Tradicion:
[48:41] Interview & mariachi history
[52:07] "El Árbol" performance
Episode Tone
The episode balances warmth and vulnerability (especially in Jeff Hiller’s segments), wry observational comedy (Mohanad Elshieky), and cultural pride and musicality (Edna Vázquez). Humor often has a self-deprecating edge. Empathy, community, and the value of authenticity are recurring themes.
For Listeners Who Missed It
This is an episode about embracing your quirks, the power of empathy, and the joy of unexpected connections—whether in celebrity memoirs, underappreciated animals’ comebacks, marriage misadventures, or mariachi music’s intergenerational legacy. It offers tender moments that may make you cry, sharp jokes that will make you laugh, and music that tugs at your heartstrings.