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Danielle Fishel
You're listening to an iHeart podcast.
Will Friedle
Let's face it, with travel come curveballs. From flight delays to lost luggage, they put even the best laid plans at risk. Thank goodness for Avis. With them you know your rental car will come through and your plans are protected at all costs. Because it turns out Avis is here for your plans and they'll do whatever it takes to ensure you keep them, which is a big deal. And speaking of deals, you can save 20% when you pay now. Go to avis.complanonus to learn more Avis Plan on Us. It's Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and Will.
Ryder Strong
Friedle from Pod Meets World.
Will Friedle
Are you a small business owner launching a company or dreaming of starting one?
Ryder Strong
Then check out season three of Mind the Business Small Business Success Stories from Ruby Studios and Intuit QuickBooks.
Danielle Fishel
Join hosts Austin Hankwitz and Janice Torres as they talk to small business owners about how they've grown and maintained their businesses.
Will Friedle
You don't want to miss these inspiring stories of small business journeys.
Danielle Fishel
Listen to Mind the Business Small Business Success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Will Friedle
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Shiloh Strong
You see the world Differently. Where others see empty lots, you see blueprints. Where others sit in lecture halls, Future leaders choose Ferris State University to build something real. Ready to dig in and learn through action. Ferris State gives you the tools, the team and training to unleash your potential with paths to high demand careers and in state tuition for non residents. At Ferris State, students don't just study, they build. They lead, they succeed. Visit Ferris Edu Ferris State University we build champions.
Will Friedle
Thank you so much for joining us, Ryder, who's here today.
Danielle Fishel
Today we're joined by none other than my brother, Shiloh Strong.
Ryder Strong
Yay.
Will Friedle
Welcome Shiloh.
Unknown
Thanks guys.
Danielle Fishel
It's so good to see you all.
Will Friedle
So good to see you. You always, every time I see you, I go, yeah, he lives by the beach. You've got the perfect amount. You get a little bit of vitamin D every day.
Unknown
I try. Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
I have like a little wave behind him.
Unknown
Yeah, exactly.
Will Friedle
Yes, aside from the wave. But just his skin has a nice, like I've spent the perfect amount of time in the sun.
Ethan Suplee
Right.
Unknown
Amount of pre. Cancerous.
Ryder Strong
I was gonna say it's a healthy glow till you're about 60. Then it's a problem.
Unknown
No, I feel, I'm super grateful because I have a little backyard I can go and tinker around and run to the beach.
Ethan Suplee
It's.
Unknown
Yeah, it's great.
Scott Patterson
Love it.
Ryder Strong
Nice.
Danielle Fishel
So I wanted to bring Shiloh on because, well, for our listeners, they'll actually know that, you know, the first time we had Shiloh on, I think we mentioned the fact that Shiloh lost his house, gosh, 12 years ago. Shiloh was 15, 15 years ago in a fire, one of the early California fires. I mean, now it seems like it's kind of a regular thing, but. Yeah, so we talked about that and then we did an episode the week of the fires, if I remember, and we were talking about was affecting the city and our lives and everybody we knew. And of course, like one of the biggest areas that it affected is the, the entertainment industry. And you know, I just have. Was having so many conversations with so many people, like a friend who's a production designer and she was working the week or she was working the day of the fires that, you know, canceled the shoot and then took the shoot to Atlanta. You know, it was like things have to get shot things, you know, and it wasn't really anybody's fault. But it's just the fact of the matter is we lost a lot of jobs, we lost a lot of the industry and so.
Ryder Strong
And that was just piling on after losing a ton of jobs and everything else.
Danielle Fishel
After losing your school. So anyway, I just kept having these conversations and Shiloh kept having these conversations and like, everybody we knew was affected or lost or, you know, didn't jobs, and Shiloh actually did something about it, as opposed to everybody else that I know and myself included. So, Shiloh, tell us what you. What you've started, please.
Unknown
You did help. This has been. Yeah, it's been a wild experience because I, you know, when. When the fires were happening in la, like we all were trying to figure out how to help and running around and it was just so traumatic for everybody. It was so scary and terrifying, you know, and I was running around and donating and doing all the immediate need stuff. And that's when I was looking back to my experience when I had lost my home in the fire. And, you know, there's that period where you're dealing with all that immediate need of getting a house, dealing with the insurance, like, it's just so overwhelming, you know, and. But then there's the period after that where you almost miss that because that's when you start really questioning what you want to do with your life, because it takes three months or so. And that's where you're completely lost. And you have. I keep using the word opportunity, but it's not the right word. But you have the option to give up on your life because it's a before and after moment, especially for people in the creative arts or in the entertainment industry. Like you were saying, Will, it's like it's been so difficult with COVID and back to back strikes and now house burns down, you know, yes, of course you're going to move to Atlanta or New Mexico, you know.
Will Friedle
Right. What's keeping you here?
Unknown
And why fight for the dream of trying to live this creative life which everybody feels like the world's telling you, you know, get a real job. Right?
Ryder Strong
Yeah.
Unknown
So I said, okay. Wow. I remember looking back at my period 15 years ago, and I was lucky enough to have Ryder and, you know, you guys too. I mean, Will, I remember I stayed with you for, I don't know, a month, I think, when I was homeless. And having that support of people in the entertainment industry and filmmaking world was really helpful. And that's when Ryder and I started making our short films and we started really going out. And I was able to really trace back to that moment when it really helped me, you know, to pursue a creative life. And I wouldn't have done that if I didn't have you guys in that supportive community. And I said, okay, well, that's something I know is going to happen to a lot of people that are going to be in that same situation at this moment we're in right now, right the few months after the fires. And I said, okay, well, I know I could be there for those people. So I had some money set aside because I was going to do a short film that I was going to write and direct in January. And I was like, I'm going to hire people who've been affected by the fires to work on my short film. And I was like, yeah, that's going to feel good. And then I said, okay, that's a better idea than my short film. So I took that money and I've built out a non profit because I didn't know how to do that. But I hired nonprofit consultants and they came on and gave me the whole path of how to do this. And been getting volunteers and people jumping on board and donations and building out the website and learning so much. And it's just been so rewarding and exciting. But the goal is to raise money to fund. We're going for 10 short film projects and these would be by filmmakers or people who want to make films who were affected by the fires. And we'll be able to give them grants and the support and then ultimately have a festival showcase in January of next year where we could all screen them. And so it's all about, you know, reviving the creative spirit and coming together as a community and trying to help creative people and saying, you know, that, you know, the arts really are important for, you know, recovery just as much as getting a roof over your head, you know, especially, you know, it's so much about Los Angeles and world. Yeah. So that's been my life since then. It's been super rewarding and amazing and yeah. And it's just a lot. But it's super, super fun.
Will Friedle
We hear a lot on the Internet the word triggered. And it's always, it's most of the time said in a real negative sense. Oh, were you triggered or. I'm really feeling triggered. This is such a perfect example. Like, there's no way those fires or every major fire we have in Los Angeles or in California isn't triggering for you who lost everything 15 years ago. And to take that triggering and go, ooh, it's bringing me right back to my experience. How can I use this experience that, you know, only a certain number of people know what it feels like to make a difference for every person in our community moving forward. And what you've done with it is just so incredible. Like, it's so inspiring. How can. How can everybody help? What. What. Where's. Where can people go? What can people. What can people do?
Unknown
That's great. Thanks. Yes. Yeah, I mean, we have a website, ashesthefilms.org um, and the.
Will Friedle
I love that name.
Ryder Strong
No, thanks.
Unknown
Yeah, that's the. That's the name of the festival and the whole grant program. Yeah, if you go to the website and sign up to our. Our email list. But, I mean, really, we're just trying to get followers and trying to get people out there to know about it. That's why I appreciate you guys having me on, to be able to talk about it, because, you know, we're just. I feel like this could be something really amazing for, you know, not just the entertainment community, but for artists in general and recognizing how important. I know. I know art is such a major part of my life, and I'm so grateful that I've been able to live a life of being an artist, and I want to support people to keep pursuing that dream, you know, because I feel like that is the first thing that gets lost when we talk about recovery or, you know, needs or immediate necessities. And, you know, that is the core. What it means to be a human being, you know, is to explore artistic endeavors and embrace that.
Will Friedle
And so, yeah.
Unknown
Yeah, so, yeah, the Instagram, if anybody can follow us on our Instagram, that would just be amazing and spread the word. And I'm trying to find. Finding filmmakers. That's what's been so amazing about this, is, you know, hearing from people that have applied online. So if there's a filmmaker who wants to make a film or is affected by these fires or knows somebody who wants to make a film, like, you know, just grab somebody who lost their house and say, like, let's go make a movie.
Will Friedle
Like, yeah.
Unknown
Like, it's all about building the community of people together so that they can come together, because that's part of the healing process.
Danielle Fishel
You know, if I remember correctly, one of your inspirations is Tribeca, too, right? The Tribeca Film Festival.
Unknown
Yeah. I mean, that's how Tribeca started.
Ethan Suplee
Right?
Danielle Fishel
Was that response to 9 11? Right. It was a way to revive the city of New York and the filmmaker community in New York. And it was. De Niro started it, and it's turned into one of the mainstay festivals. You know, it's like, it's an amazing festival. It launched Shiloh and me with our first Short film. And it was greatest festival. So much fun. So. Yeah.
Unknown
Yeah, no, it's. Yeah, that would be the.
Ryder Strong
The. I mean, the fires were. Were awful, obviously, and it was just kind of the cherry on top of the sandwich that has become the entertainment industry out in Los Angeles. I mean, it's. People don't realize because, you know, you sit down and you. You stream your stuff, you watch your stuff, and that's great. But what people don't realize is that none of that, like, almost literally none of that is done in Los Angeles anymore. It's all done around the country or around the world, which, again, is great for those states. But you see, you don't realize the number of people that are out of work here, from makeup artists to caterers to set decorators to artists to directors. It's not just like, wow, the actors aren't working. There's thousands of people out of work. And then the fires hit, and people are just going, why are we even here anymore? Trying to create in this city. And then there's people like you, Shiloh, which is amazing. Which is like, nope, we can come back. Let's go. Let's start again. And it's really, really is amazing. And just the perfect name. Oh, good. Just the perfect name for it. So, yeah, this is. This is really incredible.
Will Friedle
Okay, so the Instagram is also Ashes to Films.
Unknown
Yes, exactly.
Will Friedle
Okay, great. And so you can join the Instagram. And I love that, like you said, there's really no one that's excluded from this because you don't have to be a filmmaker, you don't have to be an artist to still follow along. You're going to eventually want to see the projects that come out of this. You're going to want to know about the film festival. And then, of course, if you've ever had a dream of making a movie, but have never done it, but have been impacted by the fires, what a fun idea for people to go, well, yeah, I'd love to make a movie, but I would have zero idea where to start. And. But I'm in this community and I have a lot of friends, and we all have the same dream. Do something new. Like you said, it's a before and an after moment in your life.
Danielle Fishel
Totally.
Unknown
You know, the most. Yeah. The most exciting thing, which we just literally found out two days ago, we're teaming up with the New York Film Academy, which I haven't had a chance.
Will Friedle
Yes.
Unknown
About this writer, but through the Young Storytellers, which is an amazing program where they do mentorships for young kids and then teach them how to, like, do screenwriting. And Ryder's been a mentor, and. Yes, and it's a fantastic program, but we're doing a similar thing for young filmmakers. So these are kids that are under 18 who've been affected by the fires, and we're going to be able to give them micro grants, and they'll have an entire intensive course where they're going to get mentors with cameras, with locations. Like, my goal is going to build up, like, a roster of actors. Like, so if you guys want to be in a short film, just donate a day. Because, like, I would love to be able to see some young filmmakers, get to direct some actors and put their. And then we get a moment where they get to screen their films, you know?
Ryder Strong
That's cool.
Unknown
Yeah. So that. And that's super exciting, like, because that's just pure, you know, wonderful, wonderfulness happening, man.
Ryder Strong
Amazing.
Will Friedle
Well, Shiloh, I didn't think there'd be a day where I'd say, shiloh Strong, the next Robert De Niro, but here it is. Here's the moment. And I love that you, like you just said to the. Fostering the next generation of filmmakers. And. Yeah. So really wonderful. Ashes to Films. Check out the website. Join the Instagram. We at Pod Meets World are friends of Ashes to Films. I'm happy to donate a day to one of those short films. I don't even act anymore. I'm terrible. But, you know, how. How good do I need to be, really?
Ryder Strong
You know, I used to say that every day on the set of Boy Meets World about myself. Like, how good do I actually have to be? Just show up.
Unknown
Part of being an actor, I think.
Ryder Strong
Right, Exactly.
Unknown
You guys are wonderful.
Will Friedle
Thank you for being here. Is there anything else before we let you go? Is there anything else you want everyone to know or anywhere else, any other way people can support?
Unknown
No, I mean, honestly, just follow us if you can and spread the word. I mean, we're really just trying to get. Get it out there, because I feel like if we can just get the momentum going, if we can get past that tipping point, I think this is something really beautiful and meaningful and something that I think the world needs right now.
Will Friedle
Great. That heavy ball up the hill right now. We need to get it to the top and roll it onto the other side.
Unknown
Exactly. Thank you, guys, so much. So good to see you.
Will Friedle
Thank you. Robert De Niro Jr. Thank you, Shiloh. Always good to see you. Bye. Wow, that's so cool. I mean, you writer, you and your Brother have a real community driven like spirit and ship in you.
Danielle Fishel
Which is a little funny considering my parents like took us off into the woods directly.
Will Friedle
I know they're like, live in this, live on this property and don't leave.
Ryder Strong
You said it nicer than I did. Danielle. I was gonna say you and your brother, Shiloh can really make the rest of us look like.
Will Friedle
Yeah, I mean that is where I'm going with this. It's like you really, you guys think really outside the box in ways that just.
Ryder Strong
Yeah, it's great.
Will Friedle
I might have the idea, like I might go, you know what I'd love to do? And I say it. But the act visual figuring it out.
Ryder Strong
Yeah.
Will Friedle
How to start a non profit. How like all of that and the fact that your brother had money set aside to make a short film like his own dream. Like this is what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna make a short film. And then was like, you know, actually I think this idea is better than that idea and can help more people. I'm gonna take that money and I'm gonna do this instead. It's just so great.
Ryder Strong
So it's amazing. It really is.
Danielle Fishel
It's really.
Unknown
It's so.
Ryder Strong
So are you. Are we all going to be in a short film of some. Some young student short film?
Danielle Fishel
I think that'd be funny, man. Yeah, I think that'd be fun.
Will Friedle
We'll get Ryder back on camera. Ashes to films, please. Check it out. Join. Join the Instagram, please. Welcome to pod meets world. I'm Danielle Fishel.
Danielle Fishel
I'm Ryder Strong.
Ryder Strong
And I'm Will Friedel.
Will Friedle
What do you think of when you hear Amazon prime delivery trucks outside your home?
Danielle Fishel
Your favorite streaming shows, of course, but.
Will Friedle
There is so much more. Whatever you love, that's what prime is.
Ryder Strong
Prime helps you get more out of whatever passions you're into and it helps you discover new ones.
Will Friedle
Just today I bought a new makeup remover for my brushes and a few collagen masks that I sleep in. And Amazon prime is perfect for my never ending obsession with beauty products. Not only do I get what I need incredibly fast, I can find myself going down a rabbit hole for all new items I didn't even know existed. Nail brightening treatment? Yes, please. Green tea clay mask. Y. Add it to the haul and the.
Danielle Fishel
Fact that Amazon prime also puts hundreds of movies and TV shows right at your fingertips.
Ryder Strong
It's more than just same day delivery. It's a place to explore your passions.
Will Friedle
From streaming to shopping. It's on Prime.
Ryder Strong
Visit Amazon.comprime to get more out of whatever you're into.
Shiloh Strong
You see the world differently where others see empty lots. You see blueprints where others sit in lecture halls. Future leaders choose Ferris State University to build something real. Ready to dig in and learn through action, Ferris State gives you the tools, the team and training to unleash your potential with paths to high demand careers and in state tuition for non residents. At Ferris State, students don't just study, they build. They lead, they succeed. Visit ferris. Edu Ferris State University we build champions.
Will Friedle
This is Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and.
Ryder Strong
Will Friedle from POD Meets World.
Will Friedle
For many, the American Dream means starting your own business and working for yourself.
Danielle Fishel
If you're a small business owner, launching a company or dreaming of starting one, then you'll not only want to make sure you're using a platform like Intuit QuickBooks, but you'll also want to check out season three of Mind the Small Business Success Stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and Intuit QuickBooks.
Will Friedle
In every episode, hosts Austin Henkiewicz and Janice Torres talk to small business owners about how they've grown and maintained their business and tackled the hurdles and challenges challenges that come with being your own boss.
Ryder Strong
From tracking money in and out to.
Will Friedle
Cutting through the complexity with an all encompassing platform like QuickBooks, you don't want to miss these inspiring stories of small business journeys.
Danielle Fishel
Listen to Mind the Business small business success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Ryder Strong
Hello, it is Ryan and we could all use an extra bright spot in our day, couldn't we? Just to make up for things like sitting in traffic, doing the dishes, counting your steps. You know, all the mundane stuff. That is why I'm such a big fan of Chumba Casino. Chumba Casino has all your favorite social casino style games that you can play for free, anytime, anywhere with daily bonuses. So sign up now@chumbacasino.com that's chumbacasino.com no purchase necessary.
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Summer is right around the corner and you know what that means.
Danielle Fishel
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Ryder Strong
Sunny days by the pool with my shirt on.
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Ethan Suplee
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Ryder Strong
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Will Friedle
As we roll through our small mid season six break, we are excited to bring back some of our favorite past interviewees to pick a specific episode and talk about both their memories of filming it and their perspective on it. Decades later, we're still calling it Be Kind Rewind. Just accept it. And to be honest, some of it is a self serving undertaking. And no, not to stretch out the podcast because we're almost done with recapping, but thanks for reminding us about that. But in actuality, it's an opportunity to reunite with people we love. Because until the podcast, maybe we were fine only seeing these people 30 years ago and calling it a day. But now we're selfish. We want to see our old pals more. And so this week we'll be rejoined by a superstar, POD Meets Worlder to revisit Season two, Episode one, Back to School, the invention of Shock Drop, and his first ever job in Hollywood. He was our beloved bully with a heart, Frankie Stacchino, but has gone on to appear on shows like My Name Is Earl, Raising Hope and the Ranch, and movies like Mallrats, American History X, Remember the Titans and Wolf of Wall Street. He's also become an inspiration for thousands of people looking to create a more healthy lifestyle encouraging weight loss and fitness. A journey he's been on since childhood. Welcome back to Pod Meets World. The one, the only, Ethan Suplee.
Ethan Suplee
Hello.
Will Friedle
Hi.
Ethan Suplee
Oh, hello. Hey guys. Sorry, I'm just xing out of my mail because it just made a ding. Which is super embarrassing. Especially since I came on and we're recording and it's like what kind of work nose is this?
Will Friedle
What a nightmare to have a ding ding, guys.
Ethan Suplee
Yeah, the ding is bad.
Will Friedle
No, you know what? It's not as bad as the battery.
Danielle Fishel
On a fire alarm.
Ethan Suplee
Oh yeah, I can't guarantee that won't happen. Like, I don't know. I see the. Sorry.
Will Friedle
No, you can curse.
Ryder Strong
You can curse.
Ethan Suplee
What do you just bleep it.
Will Friedle
Yeah, we silently, silently bleep it.
Danielle Fishel
I feel like we've thing is there.
Ethan Suplee
And it could go off. That's a landmine, guys. Who knows?
Will Friedle
I always know they're not going to go off during recording because mine have never gone off unless it was 2 o' clock in the morning.
Ethan Suplee
Danielle, you just said, wow, there's no traffic on the freeway. You know what you've done to yourself.
Will Friedle
I know.
Ryder Strong
It's not gonna rain on this picnic day.
Will Friedle
If you believe in jinxes, then maybe I've jinxed myself. But I don't really believe in jinxes.
Ryder Strong
Jensen just removed all the batteries. You actually haven't had smoke detectors in years.
Will Friedle
That's the thing, right? Perfect. And we love that living in la, but they're useless. Ethan, thank you so much for doing this. We are thrilled to see you again.
Ethan Suplee
Thanks for having me back, guys. It means I didn't blow it the last time.
Will Friedle
You definitely did not. You definitely did not. So you chose season two, episode one, Back to School. An episode that during our. It's so funny that I was gonna call it our original re watch as if we've started the podcast over again. But in our first. First rewatch was very startling to the three of us. We had the. The young, super naive, childlike quality of season one had really been stripped away at the beginning of this.
Ethan Suplee
Yeah, it was high school. It was hardcore. There were bullies with switchblades. It was like you guys were dealing with a lot.
Will Friedle
There was making out. There was talks of body changes. It was. It was like we went from the warm blanket of childhood to like a cold plunge. And so it really fel. Shocking to us. But I think now I'm. I'm gonna. Maybe it's just me, but it's really grown on me.
Ryder Strong
I love it.
Will Friedle
I loved it.
Ethan Suplee
It's a great episode.
Unknown
I loved it so much.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah, there's so much going on and the fact that, that it all kind of works is crazy. It's like, wow.
Ryder Strong
And it's the.
Danielle Fishel
I mean, it's what the show was for the next like three years. It was this show. It's amazing. It, it. Yeah, it did so much.
Ethan Suplee
Well, let me ask you a question. Why do you think they kind of changed lanes so much? Because it was a big departure from season one.
Will Friedle
Big departure.
Ryder Strong
Well, we heard. We've heard different things. I mean, one of the things we heard was just a straight up network note. We want to age the show up. We've also heard they brought in Different. You know, this is when they brought in Blutman and Bus Gang. And so they brought in different producers who also wanted to age the show up. So, yeah, we've heard a bunch of different versions. That's why Lee Norris wasn't brought back. But then we watch the episode and the first thing you see essentially when they walk into the hallway is two other nerds who look just like Lee. So we got kind of conflicting stories sometimes as to why they. They did what they did. But next thing you know, I mean.
Danielle Fishel
I love the first season, but this is more sustainable, right? Because we are gonna grow. We are gonna be changing what seemed, you know, faster than they kind of want us to. And as characters is, once we're in this high school, you've got us there for five years, you've got more. You've got way more.
Ryder Strong
They say six or seven in the thing. They're like, I'm here the next seven years or whatever.
Danielle Fishel
In elementary school or grades or middle school even, which is, you know, what kind of makes more sense as far as, like, what's common in the rest of America. Right? Like, you go through middle school and then you enter high school. Ninth grade. They threw us in there in sixth grade and made it a big deal. Like, we're in high school now. Kept calling it high school, but it's smart because then you have more time to like, develop these characters, let them live. It's a big move, but it worked out.
Will Friedle
Ethan, what are your overall thoughts on the episode?
Ethan Suplee
You know, I remember that was my first job, so that's so mind boggling to me.
Ryder Strong
That's your first job.
Will Friedle
You are so. You look so comfortable.
Ethan Suplee
Oh, which, by the way, guys, you know, like, okay, like, that's my first job and all, you know, it's 30 years ago. 30 years ago, I think actually now. 30 years, right.
Danielle Fishel
We thought you were so experienced because you were older than us.
Ethan Suplee
You were like, yeah.
Danielle Fishel
Oh, the guy who knows everything.
Ethan Suplee
I mean, and. And I felt like, don't mess up because you have no idea really what you're doing. You were in one high school play and you're kind of attracted to this idea of acting. And you went to an acting class for a minute, but I don't know what the hell.
Will Friedle
Right?
Ethan Suplee
Yeah, television, it like, I don't know how to do anything. And I think so I'm looking at it entirely through that lens of like, look at this guy who has no idea what's going on. I remember, you know, hearing about Tape night and how we're going to get maybe two shots at doing something. So really know your stuff. Hit your marks. And then Trainer reshot me saying, what do you call me? Gay. Like, 17 times. We. We did that over and over and over again. And I thought, like. I thought, like, I'm ruining this because I was getting notes every time, and I was like, the. I could feel the audience's energy dissipating. Really? Wow.
Will Friedle
In front of the audience. You did it that many times over and over.
Danielle Fishel
And it was just your section. They just wanted to keep doing that or.
Ethan Suplee
I don't know if it. I mean, listen, because it's a big scene.
Danielle Fishel
We could have just had to have done the scene a million times. Because it's long.
Ethan Suplee
Yes. But through the narcissistic glasses that exist on my head, it was all me.
Ryder Strong
Everything we did, we showed off all the other lights. It was just one spotlight on you.
Will Friedle
They told the rest of us we could go take a nap, get out of here.
Ethan Suplee
Yes. And in fact, nobody was in the scene. It was just me and Trainor, and Trainer's the nicest guy, but in the nicest way. He was, like, saying, like, stop up. He wasn't at all. He was such a sweetheart, but, like. Yeah, I felt so. No, no, he did not.
Danielle Fishel
No, he know, but I know, but I don't remember having to do this. But, like, all I remember is you being a professional and everybody knowing it and everybody being like, wow, Ethan's a factor.
Ethan Suplee
Yeah, I. I really. I remember going, like, we're gonna do this twice at the most. Like, so don't mess up. And then on, like, the 15th time, I was like, like, I'm finished.
Will Friedle
Like, I don't know how else to say this.
Ethan Suplee
Yeah, exactly.
Ryder Strong
Oh, actors are so insecure. I love to hear just how insecure we all are all the time.
Ethan Suplee
Oh, man. It's the worst, dude. It's the worst. Every job is my last job. That was my first and last job, and I can't believe I survived it.
Danielle Fishel
Actually, Ethan let me. Have you been fired before? Like, have you lost a job?
Ethan Suplee
Like, I've never been fired. There was one pretty good. There was a pilot that I came in to replace somebody on. Okay. And they shot the pilot, screen tested the pilot, and were like, we need to replace this guy. And then they replaced you. Well, they didn't. They offered. They offered to replace me. They offered my role. They were like, let's reshoot it again for the third time, and let's get Rob Riggle to play Ethan's role. And then he ultimately turned it down, and then the whole show went away.
Ryder Strong
Oh, geez.
Ethan Suplee
So, I mean, like, kind of almost fired.
Danielle Fishel
That's actually. I mean, I feel like most actors, especially ones that work for 30 years, you know, get fired at some point because it's like, it's so often not about you, you know, and that's what it is. Sometimes you have a bad day.
Ethan Suplee
I had Blake, who was the seasoned pro veteran that. That I, like, felt comfortable talking to because we were like, kind of on the same level, and we had seen so many scene, and he was like, people get fired all the time. He told me he was like, you know, I don't want to say names, but so. And so this kid who's around our age who, you know, was like, well, thought of was like, walked after. After a network run through one day, he walked into his trailer, had a stack of 13 checks, and was gone.
Ryder Strong
Yeah.
Ethan Suplee
And I. And I was like, that doesn't sound so bad. It's not the worst. But yet being fired sucks.
Will Friedle
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I. I've now, as a director, I've had to be on the other side of it.
Ryder Strong
Have you actually had to fire somebody?
Will Friedle
I have never fired anybody because it's not. As a director of tv, it's the producer's job. But I have had to be involved in the conversations where they're like, wasn't a great table read. What are we gonna do? And it's like, let me have a day. Let me take, you know, let me have this day. Let me see. Tell me what you're looking for. You know, show me what you liked about the audition tape show. Tell me what it is that you're look. Cause you. When I, as the director, when I sit down at a table read and somebody's like, really big and broad and super over the top, I think, oh, that's why they cast them. They must have loved that. And then afterward they're like, what was that? And I'm like, well, wait, well, how is this different? So I need you to tell me then, what are you looking for? If that wasn't it, what are you looking for? And then still sometimes, you know, you get a. You get a day of rehearsal and the producers see it and they go, nope, it's not what I want, or the network.
Danielle Fishel
It's so interesting because, like, the example that you just gave, like, like, you know, is one of those things that I feel like if an inexperienced producer might just see a bad performance, be like, oh, my God, it's Over. It's over. We can't. But a director, a good producer, a good director can see a performance. And like, in the example you gave, if somebody's too big, that's actually a good problem. That's easy.
Ryder Strong
They can pull it back.
Danielle Fishel
You can pull it back. If somebody is too small, that's a scarier problem. Because then you're like, they might not commit. They might not have it in them to even show, you know, go for it. And that's what, like. So it's like different problems that you have to gauge and be like, this person's never gonna get there, maybe. Whereas this person, we can probably get them there, you know? And, like, you have to figure out what that. What that is.
Ryder Strong
We were also conditioned after season one that nobody's job was safe. I mean, we just saw people fired every week.
Will Friedle
I was there having replaced somebody, and then on my first day was totally. I could have been fired.
Ryder Strong
Yeah, yeah, we were just.
Ethan Suplee
We. We.
Ryder Strong
There was a third best friend for five episodes in a row. They kept trying it and trying, and the kid would make it as far as, like, wow, they almost made it to the second run through.
Danielle Fishel
And then the fact that Lee didn't come back, and then Lee are starting the season with somebody who we considered part of our cohort gone. And it was like, oh, it's just as easily happen to any one of us.
Unknown
Yeah, it's.
Ryder Strong
Yeah.
Ethan Suplee
What a business we chose to get into.
Will Friedle
I know, right?
Ryder Strong
In all fairness, if you can't handle being fired by 11, what good are you?
Ethan Suplee
Right? Exactly. Frankly, that's the lesson we all need to take.
Will Friedle
That's what we're taking away from this. Ethan, you have, since, of course, gone on to have a very successful career. You've worked with some of the best directors. You are, as you mentioned, the greenest green you could possibly be in this episode. Did you, like, what. Do you remember any specific notes you were given either by David Trainor or by Michael? Like, was there any specific performance thing you felt like they were trying to get out of you?
Ethan Suplee
Well, I remember at the first run through, and I'm trying to think back on how it worked that first episode, but because at some point there was like a table read and then no run through, and then everybody went home. Right.
Will Friedle
Like later the first day of the week, Friday, we got there, do a table read, have a light little rehearsal during the day, and then go home and on Monday come back in for another full day of rehearsal and then a producer run through.
Danielle Fishel
But actually, I think what you've been saying is that by, like, season three, we didn't even do Friday rehearsal.
Ryder Strong
It was later on, we all went in as a team and said, can we not come in on Friday?
Ethan Suplee
Yeah. There was rehearsal after the table read, right?
Will Friedle
Correct.
Ethan Suplee
Yes. Okay. So I remember the. The line that I had that got the biggest laugh was, what are you saying? I'm gay? It's so non sequitur. It's so ridiculous. And it's so spoke to what I thought Frankie was dealing with internally that he then is like, that's his job. Like, you know, because this is before we know about poetry or anything like that, which became very interesting. But, like. Like, I got to play with all of this internal stuff because of that line. And in the very first rehearsal, David Traynor was like, that'll be gone. That line's gonna be gone. And. And I was like, wait, what? Why? And he was like, somebody will take offense to that line. That line is gonna be gone. And I was like. I was, like, kind of devastated because that line, I felt, communicated the most pathos about this character.
Will Friedle
Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
And.
Ethan Suplee
And. And then I just kept wait. And, you know, I didn't know again, I didn't know how anything worked. So Friday night or Saturday, when I woke up to a manila envelope with rewrites, I was like, oh, stuff is going to change. And I looked through it, and that was the line. And that line hadn't been gone, but I kept kind of waiting, like, somebody's going to be bummed out about this and take this line out. And I then have to. To figure out how to communicate what I thought that line was communicating without those words. So I was really stressed. And then even during the taping, they were changing stuff, and I was like, oh, yeah, these guys are not quitting. Like, what we've. We've done. This is like the eighth iteration of tweaks and changes and whole new speeches and monologues and, like, jokes are gone and stuff isn't. And that line is still there. And I felt unsafe. And then on the 17th time of doing that scene, I was like, just, okay, kill the line. Is it that line that's ruining it? Is that bringing everybody down? Like, I just was so antsy about everything.
Danielle Fishel
Amazing that. Because it's actually that line and your delivery, that is your job security. Because it's a joke. The way it's written is like. I think they meant it as, like, just a big joke turn. Like, the big scary guy is actually worried that he's gay.
Ethan Suplee
Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
But because you played it with such pathos and such confusion and such commitment. It was like, oh, there's something actually going on with that guy who is real.
Ethan Suplee
Like, I wanted the most. He's meaningful.
Unknown
Yeah.
Will Friedle
You're so hurt.
Danielle Fishel
It's so.
Ryder Strong
It's.
Danielle Fishel
You see, like, such honest fragility and like, openness in your character that you're like, there's more going on there. And I want to know every. So the joke became why Frankie stuck around because of her delivery. I mean, I think there was no way they could cut that line. It's amazing that you had any. Any insecurity about it because it's like.
Ethan Suplee
Well, I just, again, I didn't know how anything. So when lines started coming and going, I was like, nothing is safe. My job is not safe. I can be fired. They can take.
Danielle Fishel
Wasn't wrong. That line could have been cut. Just. Just using the word gay was on a kids show, like, you know, at that time was like, whoa. Well, you don't want to go there.
Ethan Suplee
Yeah, I don't think you can do it today. Like, you can't sell that line.
Danielle Fishel
I don't think so.
Ryder Strong
Not as a joke.
Ethan Suplee
No. On. On My Name is Earl. We had a line that. That one of the producers, like, fought with the network about, and then ultimately it got to stay also couldn't stay. But it. It went to, like, again, my character's naivete and sweetness where we're going to a carnival. And. And Earl says, like, like that carnival, it's a bunch of, like, criminals. And I'm like, I don't know, Earl. They've got the world's tallest midget at that carnival. And Earl says, like, Earl's like, that's just a short guy. And I'm like, I don't know, Earl. He's pretty tall, you know, like, I'm not doing the joke justice, but it's not demeaning to the. That just the concept says more about what I'm thinking about myself than trying to demean somebody. And I felt that way about the. What do you. What do you call me? Gay line. Like, it's not putting an. A negative flare on anybody else. It's literally my own insecurity of, like, I've got a lot going on inside. And are. Are you seeing it right?
Will Friedle
Yeah. Did you just. Did you spot it?
Danielle Fishel
Expose something?
Ryder Strong
Yeah, that just reminds me of the. That's the same with the Simpsons line where he calls Mose Tavern. He says, mose Tavern, home of the world's smallest large screen tv.
Ethan Suplee
Yeah.
Ryder Strong
It's that same kind of. Same kind of joke, you know?
Ethan Suplee
Yeah. Yeah.
Will Friedle
Speaking of notes, we've never. I don't think we've ever directly asked somebody this, but do you remember your first post, run through note session with Michael?
Ethan Suplee
I mean, I feel like they're a little bit of a blur, but I do remember Michael talking to me, and. And I remember just, you know, like, whoa, the attention is on me. And he was such, like, a funny, nice, yet severe kind of guy all at the same time, like, super amiable and yet, like, would hit you with something, not in a mean way, but, like, powerful, you know?
Will Friedle
Well put.
Ethan Suplee
So I don't remember.
Will Friedle
I know that's one of the best. The best descriptions of Michael I've ever heard. Yeah. Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
Well, he was.
Ryder Strong
I mean, he was. He was. He certainly commanded respect.
Ethan Suplee
Yeah.
Ryder Strong
And so there was that moment we talk about the actor, all the other lights being shut off on the stage and the spotlights on you. That's what it was like in a note session. You'd hear your name or you'd see. The thing I remember was you would come to a scene you were in, and you'd look down at the page during a note session and be like, all right, I have a line. Seven lines from now, I wonder if Michael's gonna say my name and call out whatever the line was. And you'd start to feel that anxiety.
Ethan Suplee
It would build.
Ryder Strong
It would. And then if he went past it and it's like, oh, okay, like, he didn't say my name. He didn't say.
Ethan Suplee
You'd have a pause and you'd know, like, well, three pages from now, it's gonna happen again.
Will Friedle
Yes, exactly.
Ryder Strong
Yeah, it was, man. You were on your toes the entire time. And I was always amazed at the number of guest stars, you know, one shot actors that would come up to us after the note session and go, is it like that? After every run through, like, it was something they had never experienced before on any other show. Like, wait, do you really sit there for an hour, an hour and a half? And he goes through every line. It's like, yep, every day.
Will Friedle
And it was like. It was my first job, too, other than, you know, I had done some guest spots on Full House, but it was certainly my. And I. So I just thought, wow, this is how they do. This is how every show does it. I didn't know. I didn't know any different.
Ethan Suplee
Yeah. You know, it amazes me because the imag. The amount of. Of, like, care that everybody had. Who was the Stage manager. It was a gal.
Danielle Fishel
Lynn McCracken.
Will Friedle
McCracken.
Ethan Suplee
Lynn McCracken was so awesome.
Will Friedle
Yeah.
Ethan Suplee
And so maternal and like caring and loving and like, so I never, there was never a point where I felt like I didn't know where to go because she'd always give me the heads up. And I was like, thank God for her. And I really felt like she's doing this because she knows I don't, I have no idea what's going on. And then cut to, you know, 30 years later where they're still treating me the exact same way, as though, you know, like, here's where the food is.
Will Friedle
And I bring you anything.
Ethan Suplee
Yes, exactly.
Will Friedle
Later we're gonna be doing actors or babies.
Ryder Strong
This is your dressing.
Danielle Fishel
Babies.
Ryder Strong
Actors.
Ethan Suplee
And I really thought it was her recognizing, looking out for you. Yes. And so, and you know, it definitely waned once I'd been there for a while, it wasn't as hardcore. But then on my very next bob, I was like, oh wait, are you guys gonna always treat me like a child, Like I don't really need this anymore, you know?
Will Friedle
Oh my gosh, it's so true. What do you think of when you hear Amazon prime delivery trucks outside your home?
Danielle Fishel
Your favorite streaming shows, of course, but.
Will Friedle
There is so much more. Whatever you love, that's what prime is.
Ryder Strong
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Will Friedle
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Danielle Fishel
Fact that Amazon prime also puts hundreds of movies and TV shows right at your fingertips.
Ryder Strong
It's more than just same day delivery. It's a place to explore your passions.
Will Friedle
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Ryder Strong
Visit Amazon.comprime to get more out of whatever you're into.
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Will Friedle
This is Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and.
Ryder Strong
Will Friedle from Pod Meets World.
Will Friedle
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Will Friedle
You debut here as Frankie Stacchino, the muscle of the John Adams high school system of bullies. And you're paired with your mouthpiece, Blake Senate as Joey the rat. Do you remember feeling chemistry with Blake right away?
Ethan Suplee
Yes, we kind of bonded, but it was like, you know, two guys who are in prison and assigned to the same cell. You know what I mean? Like, it was just kind of like, well, you and I are in scenes together. I'm brand new. You've got, like, I'm just going to leech onto you and follow your lead and whatever you do. And, you know, it got a little dangerous because I feel like his sense of humor was riskier than mine, and so I kind of fell into, like, okay, I. That's the tone. That's what you do. And, you know, which is fine for a guy who knows what he's doing and has been doing it for years, but for a guy who was brand new, I was also a little bit scared and trepidatious. Like, are we allowed to make that joke? Is that too crass? There's kids. We're kids. Like, what are we doing here? You know? But, yeah, that. That. He was really my kind of touchpoint point for most of my experience that first week.
Will Friedle
So funny. And when we talked to him about it, you know, finding out that his. So much of his stuff was literally just like, I need. I'm gonna do anything I can to book this job. I don't care. I don't care about the job. I don't care about any. I'm just. And I'm gonna. So I'm just gonna try something. I'm gonna throw something out there. And. And it was sticking often enough that he was working regularly. And I think, yeah, he just got to a point where, like. Like, the more risks I take, the better things turn out. So, yeah, his sense of humor really cracks me up. Was the dry, sarcastic delivery something that reflected you in real life, or is that just something that came up for this character and has kind of stuck around with you ever since?
Ethan Suplee
No, no, that felt very natural to me.
Will Friedle
Okay.
Ethan Suplee
I like that. You know, we like talking earlier. Ryder was saying, like, the. The big, you can turn it down, but. But the small, it's hard to turn up. And I think that I relate to that so much because a lot of my life is spent in fear, and I am so unwilling sometimes to, like, go bold. So I will play to subtlety more because it feels safer, which is not a great thing to admit. You know what I mean? Like, I recognize this is a flaw of mine that I work on, but. But I think that that's a big part of it, is that, like, I, I, you know, I have a bunch of stuff I'm working through mentally, and so if I can find a way to do it small, I would much rather do it small.
Will Friedle
Okay, looking at this episode now, with all the experience that you have. 30 years. 30 plus years of experience. Did you have any notes for Young Ethan?
Ethan Suplee
Oh, wow. I mean, no. I. I watched it with. With grace. I'm trying very hard to give myself grace. You know, I don't.
Ryder Strong
Danielle has several. Danielle has several notes.
Ethan Suplee
I would love. I would love it for me, only for me. I, you know, I went. I. I don't tend to watch stuff that I'm in. And, you know, like, even, like now the whole routine is like, if. If there's, like, a really good movie you want to do that, they're not calling you to say, like, be in. Be in our movie. You have to send them a tape. Like. Like, that's kind of the landscape of acting right now. I can't even bring myself to watch those. So I wind up sending in 10 versions of something which is. Which is not great for my agents who have to then pass on.
Ryder Strong
Yeah, right.
Ethan Suplee
But so, like, watching it, I. I kind of wanted to go like, this is from a long time ago. There. There is no saving the car wreck. If I watch it and perceive this to be a trained derailment and decapitations of human beings like they're dead, There is no saving them. I just have to be. I have to bear witness, and I have to give grace to what I'm watching, because beyond everything, it means something to people. So many people love this show. It astonishes me to this day how many people watch this show and it meant something profound to them. You know what I mean? This is not like, this is not light lifting. This is like. This is an impact on many people's lives. So I have to give grace to those people, too, because it's meaningful for them. So I'm not watching it critically.
Ryder Strong
That's one of the things we, you know, struggle with week by week is because we do the same thing where it's kind of like, okay, we have to balance this idea that it was important to people it mattered. It was 30 years ago. Some of the jokes, some of the stuff is gonna be outdated. It's just the way it is. But it's also, as actors, we look back and we're critical of ourselves.
Danielle Fishel
That's what we do.
Ryder Strong
And that tends to then be. You know, we take what we do in our regular lives, and we then apply it to the past as if it's going to help. So, you know, Danielle's a director. She's gonna watch the show now, maybe through the eyes of a director. Ryder's a writer. He's gonna say, why did they do this with the story? And so we're constantly going, well, we have to watch it as the people we are. But at the same time, we also have what it was, what the time was. And that could be a struggle. I mean, there's times where I will listen back to a podcast we've done, not even the show I'll listen back to a podcast we've done and be like, damn, we tore that apart and.
Will Friedle
Maybe we shouldn't have.
Ryder Strong
And the episode you picked is kind of a perfect example because we went straight from the end of season one right into season two. We didn't take a break. We called it Drop Shock. It was just watching two different shows. But now, going back and looking at this episode again, this was a great episode of Boy Meets World. I mean.
Danielle Fishel
I mean, you still couldn't act, but.
Ryder Strong
No, I was terrible, but. But again, I learned a little later.
Danielle Fishel
Go back, though. You are.
Ryder Strong
My God, it's so different.
Ethan Suplee
Yes.
Danielle Fishel
Like, by season three, you were just a completely different actor. Well, it's not just.
Ryder Strong
Here's one of the reasons why young.
Danielle Fishel
Will, like, trying to.
Ryder Strong
Figuring it out.
Danielle Fishel
Figuring it out. And it's like you're trying so many different things, but it's like you're just not comfortable in a way that like. Like, by season, I guess maybe it was halfway through this season, through season two, somewhere near relaxed. But it's.
Ryder Strong
But it's also exactly what Ethan said before where he's like, this one line in the script was the pathos for the car. None of that ever came into my head. I was sitting there going, like, o. If I go, if I say Corey this loud, maybe someone will laugh and my hair will look good. Like, that's as far as I took it.
Will Friedle
It was also a little literal. You know, we've learned a lot about young Will over the years of knowing him and certainly of doing this podcast. This was Will's every day, was Will's Dream coming true. And we all had that underlying fear that at any second, this could get taken away for any number of reasons. We get replaced, we get fired, the show gets canceled, and an episode doesn't go well, Michael doesn't like us, the director has a hard time, whatever the reason is. And every day Will was just like, how do I make sure that my. Every day I get to come back tomorrow?
Ryder Strong
What kind of dance do I have to do to make sure? I mean, my brothers. The joke my brothers would say to me when I would go home first season was, they're gonna, Chucky Cunningham you. They're gonna Chucky Cunningham you. And it's like, again, for people that don't know what that is, Richie Cunningham on Happy Days had an older brother who one day grabbed a basketball, walked upstairs, and you never saw him again. So that was their joke for me. And in my head, it was like, this is. This could go. This could go. I had already replaced another Eric. And then it was the. You guys come in, and the three of you were so good and so just natural and it worked. And the dynamic between Corey and then the bullies, because also when they cast Danny, who still to this day, you. You turn it on. You go, that guy's 35.
Ethan Suplee
Yeah.
Ryder Strong
So he might not have been, but the. The idea that you put him next to Corey and they're both in the same school is so dynamic. And then you put you and Joey next to the. And you kind of can start going like, yeah, you could phase Eric out. It wouldn't. Might not be that big.
Will Friedle
If you didn't have phase Eric out.
Danielle Fishel
With Feeny, they would have, honestly.
Ryder Strong
I think so too.
Danielle Fishel
You guys became the B story because you and Bill had such chemistry as characters. If you didn't find that it easily.
Ryder Strong
Could have been gone. I agree.
Unknown
Because it's.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah, but you had it.
Ethan Suplee
This kind of thing seems utterly insane to me to put children through. True.
Will Friedle
Right?
Ethan Suplee
Does it not?
Danielle Fishel
It's like a reality show. Russian roulette sort of like. Yeah, I know.
Ethan Suplee
Yeah. I was saying to. To somebody today, like, I just thank God every day none of my kids are interested in the entertainment because it's. It's just. It's just insane.
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
Will Friedle
I think about when we were in contract negotiations for Topanga, when I was like, okay, the big excuse for why they could never pay me the same as any of the other characters on the show was, well, we weren't intending on Topanga being a regular character. And by the time got to season four, it was like, well, you should know by now, right? She's been involved since episode four. It's now season four. And I still remember my dad and Judy Savage doing my contract negotiations, and me just looking at my dad and Judy and saying, I don't care what they pay me. If you lose this job for me, I will never forgive you. And yet, of course, they need to do right by me. Like, they can't have me be taken advantage of. I just can't imagine I truly like having kids now of my own. I cannot imagine.
Ryder Strong
Oh, I told you. My dad. My dad turning down Saved by the Bell without telling me the new class when I was 15. Had he not done that, I never would have gotten Boy Meets World. I'm still pissed my dad turned down Saved by the Bell without telling me.
Will Friedle
Unforgivable.
Ryder Strong
Still, like, are you kidding me? What are you doing? So it's a crazy Lord of the Flies world that you love when you're in, but when you do step back and you kind of look at it, you get out of the bubble and you look at it, it's insane. I mean, it's crazy.
Ethan Suplee
It's a real crazy life to live.
Ryder Strong
Yeah, it is, man. Wow.
Ethan Suplee
But the highs are very high.
Will Friedle
Oh, yeah.
Ethan Suplee
A lot of fun when it's working.
Ryder Strong
But the lows are.
Danielle Fishel
I'm also just dealing. I'm looking at my son, who's. He's just such an actor. Like, he's so 10 years old, and he sings like crazy. He's so talented and he loves it. It's like. Like, what am I supposed to.
Unknown
You know?
Danielle Fishel
And I'm like, you're not going to go on camera, dude. But he's like, why not? And I'm like, you know, I don't know how long I can hold him. He's doing theater, you know.
Ryder Strong
He's doing.
Ethan Suplee
Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
Have you even.
Ethan Suplee
Have you watched what Ethan Hawke talks about his kids wanting to pursue shit? It's. It's incredible. He sat them down and he said, if. If this is what you want to do and you can't visualize yourself happily teaching theater at a high school right. When you're 35, don't do it.
Danielle Fishel
You only act if you can't not act.
Ryder Strong
Not act. Right.
Ethan Suplee
Exactly. And in any context. In any context. And he's so right. It's such a great thing.
Will Friedle
Yeah.
Danielle Fishel
But it is weird. I mean, like. Cause I think that's, like, what my parents saw in me and my brother, you know, it's just like, we had. We just loved it. We just had this passion, and it was so natural to us. And I'm seeing it in my son, and it's like, I don't want to crush that, so I can't be too negative, but I also want to be. Be realistic. It's very difficult.
Ryder Strong
Well, so, Ethan, I have a question then. Going back to what we were talking about. When. When you start as a young actor, can you remember some of the best advice you ever got when you were first really starting out in the industry?
Ethan Suplee
Show up on time, know your lines. Those are the two. Like, you know, and Tom Hanks said something that I really appreciated where it was that, plus, have an idea, which I really like. And I think it's so much bolder than what, but for forever. Somebody just said to me, you can't go wrong if you show up on time and know your lines. And, like, I will say, when I think of the rockiest moments in my career, and I don't mean rocky as in, like, there's a precariousness about my career, but, like, about my behavior, I was letting those things slip. I was like, you know, running lines with a script supervisor right before shooting something, which I think let's. Like, that's not who I want to be as a person, you know, why.
Will Friedle
Was that happening at that time?
Ethan Suplee
Just through sheer laziness, you know, and. And a rationalization like, I gotta learn eight pages a day, and then I'm shooting, and then I go home and I'm learning eight more pages. And like, at some point, it's like, well, I can learn this in 5 minutes with the script supervisor while they're setting up after we rehearsed and I'm rehearsing with side. And I just, you know, later, through some recovery stuff, I was like, oh, I spotted that. That was just. I should. That's not healthy for me to do, you know, because I suddenly. Other stuff is slipping in my life that otherwise I would be more responsible for and, like, tighten it up. But I like Tom Hanks's advice where it's like, do those things and then have some idea. Look at the scene and bring something to it, you know?
Will Friedle
Yeah, I know. I love when you said, if that line got cut, you were going to have to figure out another way to show internal struggle. And, like, as Will mentioned, I didn't know any of that.
Ryder Strong
Nope.
Will Friedle
I just said, whatever.
Ethan Suplee
Well, I literally was looking at beats because one of the things I noticed. Look, this might. That week might have been the most attention I ever paid to the process of how something worked. And so something I noticed was lines were changing, but broadly, beats were not changing. There was the rhythm and a pace and the. The arcs of scenes were not transforming all that much. And so I was literally like, okay, I have no idea if this goes. What will come in its place. So I can't depend on the words to bring this emotion that I'm feeling is necessary for me that completes the character in the way I see him. So it was very important to me, and I was trying to find where in here, minus the words, I can put that just so that I get it out. You know, it was a tricky. It was a tricky first week.
Ryder Strong
But the idea that you're doing that on your first job ever.
Will Friedle
I know.
Ryder Strong
I think I figured that out, like, a month ago. And so it's just. To me, but it just. It does. It shows. I mean, not.
Ethan Suplee
Not to.
Ryder Strong
To sound like I'm kissing your ass, but it just shows people are working on different levels, you know, when it comes to this industry. And. And, you know, this was my 40th job. I'd been working since I was 10, and I was nowhere near that cognizant of the craft as you were in your first week. And it's just. It just shows some people are just working on a different level. It's really amazing.
Danielle Fishel
Well, I mean, I look back and, you know, because. Because, you know, my. My wife is an actor, and when we started dating, like, I was 26 or 27, and it was so. It was such a revelation for me to. To engage with her about acting, because I was like, oh, you take this seriously in a way that I've always rejected. And what I realized is, like, I had this young actor sort of thing of like, oh, I just show up and do it. It's so easy. I don't even think about it.
Ethan Suplee
I don't have to.
Danielle Fishel
I don't have to work on this. And it was, like, such a defense mechanism, you know, And I feel like there was a culture, you know, back then, like, on the set of Boy Meets World, especially, there was this culture of, like, don't take acting too seriously. Don't take yourself too seriously. Which is healthy in its own way.
Unknown
Right?
Danielle Fishel
Like, there are actors who get obsessive, and, you know, but I think for me, like, I totally just threw my arms up and was like, well, I just show up and do this thing. It's. I don't have to think about it. And, like, no, I actually, you know, and when I dove into it and I started Started doing the work of, like, taking acting classes again. And, like, thinking about it, I was like, wow, this is a lot of work. I don't. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not built for this lifestyle. I could not act and be happy, you know? So it was, like, great, then I have to go do it. You know, I want to be around actors, but, man. Yeah, like. But it's so interesting that. That back then, I feel like we had a culture. Like, if we had taken ourselves too seriously, we would have teased one another. Don't you think, Will? Like, there was a level of like, yes, I see.
Ethan Suplee
So listen, the stuff I was thinking about and the notes I was keeping in the script that I never took out of my trailer, by the way, like, you know, I would never. I would never have talked to Blake about this for the reasons you're talking about. And not that I'm sure he would have made fun of me, but I felt very much that the amount of thought I was putting into it was embarrassing. So I would not. I would never have said anything to somebody. Yeah, I think that. I think you're spot on. I don't think it was just the set of Boy Meets words World, you know, because I think there's also, like, you know, like, you think about Brando or you think about even, like, Daniel Day Lewis or, like a method actor, and it's like, okay, yeah, for my left foot, you got to do X, Y, and Z. But for Boy Meets World, doing X, Y, and Z is embarrassing. Like, you just hit the joke.
Danielle Fishel
Right, right.
Ethan Suplee
That job was my left foot. It was as important to me as any anything else, but I think that I wouldn't have openly said that. That.
Ryder Strong
Right, right, right. That's why when you talk about people like Daniel Day Lewis or thing, you. You see to give. To give some flowers to sitcom and. And how difficult it can be.
Will Friedle
You.
Ryder Strong
You'll see shows like Friends or Seinfeld or any of these big shows that will bring big movie stars on that can't do the three camera. It's just.
Ethan Suplee
Right.
Ryder Strong
It's a different rhythm. And. And so you'll get huge actors where it's like, okay, yeah, man, you're. You're going to win five academy awards, but in front of an audience sitcom, it's a totally different beast. And you just. You didn't figure it out.
Ethan Suplee
A lyricism to it.
Ryder Strong
There is. It's a music.
Ethan Suplee
If you cannot find that harmony, it's gonna suck.
Danielle Fishel
Yep.
Ryder Strong
I agree.
Will Friedle
What do you think of when you hear Amazon prime delivery trucks outside your home.
Danielle Fishel
Your favorite streaming shows, of course.
Will Friedle
But there is so much more. Whatever you love, that's what prime is.
Ryder Strong
Prime helps you get more out of whatever passions you're into and it helps you discover new ones.
Will Friedle
Just today I bought a new makeup remover for my brushes and a few collagen masks that I sleep in. And Amazon prime is perfect for my never ending obsession with beauty products. Not only do I get what I need incredibly fast, I can find myself going down a rabbit hole for all new items I didn't even know existed. Nail brightening treatment? Yes please. Green tea clay mask? Yes. Add it to the haul and the.
Danielle Fishel
Fact that Amazon prime also puts hundreds of movies and TV shows right at your fingertips.
Ryder Strong
Tips it's more than just same day delivery. It's a place to explore your passions.
Will Friedle
From streaming to shopping, it's on Prime.
Ryder Strong
Visit Amazon.comprime to get more out of whatever you're into.
Shiloh Strong
You see the world differently where others see empty lots. You see blueprints where others sit in lecture halls. Future leaders choose Ferris State University to build something real. Ready to dig in and learn through action, Ferris State gives you the tools, the team and training to unleash your potential with paths to high demand careers and in state tuition for non residents. At Ferris State, students don't just study, they build. They lead. They succeed. Visit ferris. Edu Ferris State University we build champions.
Will Friedle
This is Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and.
Ryder Strong
Will Friedle from Pod Meets World.
Will Friedle
For many, the American Dream means starting your own business and working for yourself.
Danielle Fishel
If you're a small business owner, launching a company or dreaming of starting one, then you'll not only want to make sure you're using a platform like insurance, but you'll also want to check out season three of Mind the Business small business success stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and Intuit. QuickBooks.
Will Friedle
In every episode, hosts Austin Henkiewicz and Janice Torres talk to small business owners about how they've grown and maintained their business and tackled the hurdles and challenges that come with being your own boss.
Ryder Strong
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Will Friedle
Cutting through the complexity with an all encompassing platform like QuickBooks, you don't want to miss these inspiring stories of small business journey.
Danielle Fishel
Listen to Mind the Business Small Business Success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Will Friedle
Summer is right around the corner and you know what that means.
Danielle Fishel
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Ryder Strong
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To call it, the Triple S. You heard the man. Get ready for summer. Buy Nair wax strips at Walmart, Walgreens or cvs.
Scott Patterson
Hey, it's Scott Patterson from the I Am All In Again podcast with Scott Patterson. And I've got great news for my fellow Gilmore Girls fans. The show has a brand new home on Start tv, a national TV network celebrating strong, smart women in iconic dramas. You can watch Gilmore Girls Girls every weekday at 5pm 4 Central and again at 11pm 10 Central. With new episodes airing each day.
Ethan Suplee
It's perfect.
Scott Patterson
Whether you're discovering it for the first time or ready to fall back in love with Stars Hollow. Start TV is easy to find. Stream it, catch it on cable or satellite, or watch it free over the air. Head to starttv.com to see how to watch where you live.
Will Friedle
Speaking of not wanting to share things out of embarrassment, you had much cooler friends than any of us had in the 90s.
Ryder Strong
And yeah, we only have each other. You're already winning.
Will Friedle
Do you remember, did any of your friends at the time think Boy Meets World was corny or like that? The fact that you were even doing that job was corny.
Ethan Suplee
No, just having a job was cool, okay? Just having. Just being gamefully employed was cool. On. On every single level. There was no, you know, there's still no, like, you know, you got a friend who's gonna get nominated for an Academy Award and I have a show on Amazon. You know what I mean? Like, there's only, like, that's great that you're working, you know?
Ryder Strong
Yeah, right.
Will Friedle
Exactly. It's crazy that even. I mean, now more so than ever. Oh, you have a job. Wow.
Ethan Suplee
Yeah. Thank God you have a job.
Will Friedle
Thank God you have a job.
Ethan Suplee
Worry about you. Yeah, exactly.
Will Friedle
Oh, good. You're working. That's great. I know. No matter what, it is so great. Wanted to get your opinion on the line. We talked about it a lot when we watched the episode the first time around. Wanted to get. When Sean says to Topanga, summer was very good to you.
Ethan Suplee
Yes.
Ryder Strong
Awkward.
Ethan Suplee
That's another one that they could have lost.
Will Friedle
Yes.
Danielle Fishel
Or just like checking you out as you walk ahead of us.
Will Friedle
It's like, so it was cringy for you, too. I thought maybe it was just because we were too inside, but even for you, it was a little.
Ryder Strong
They kind of saved it a little bit this time. When I saw it with. With you grabbing his mutton chops and saying, well, at least what I grew was real.
Will Friedle
Yeah.
Ryder Strong
So they kind of give it back to you a little bit, but it still is a little like, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Ethan Suplee
I don't know if, you know, my just particular tastes are that, you know, and I don't like. I don't dislike lewd comedy, but I don't need to see kids interacting that way. It's just not, you know, there is something. And I don't know that I ever considered it at the time. The only. But I was also stuck in my own world. If I could have been just an observer, maybe I would have gone, like, that's odd, you know, but. But like, as a parent to girls today, I'm. I'm like, you know, come on, guys. That's.
Will Friedle
Yeah.
Ethan Suplee
Like, you know, I see. Especially with development, just commenting on it can be so introverting to totally a girl. And like, you know, I don't know. I'm not like, mad that they did that joke, but I certainly. It was a record. A little record scratch in my.
Will Friedle
Yeah, yeah. I mean, when you're a kid, you're so the same way we talked about that for you, it felt like there was. All the other lights were off and there was a spotlight on you. When we did that 18 times, that's what you think people are. That's in your mind, what's happening about everything. So you're like, everyone's going to notice. Everyone's thinking about it, everyone's talking about it. And then when they actually do, it just confirms.
Ethan Suplee
And then at 12, what does that even mean to you? Like, those words. What are those words even. Even mean to you? Because I highly doubt that that's your intention. Walking like you're not getting dressed, going like, I gotta look sexy today. You know what I mean?
Will Friedle
Correct. No, definitely not. Do you remember working with Lily Nixay at all she played Morgan, the little sister.
Ethan Suplee
I don't know that I ever had scenes with her. Was she only in the house?
Will Friedle
Yeah, mostly. Yeah. She was never in the school, so I didn't know if you remembered any experiences.
Ryder Strong
That's a good question. Was Lily we ever. Not in the house ever?
Danielle Fishel
No, no, no.
Will Friedle
Wow.
Danielle Fishel
Backyard.
Ethan Suplee
And I also think, like, you know, you guys had parents there, but you were at an age where your parents could be, like, sitting up in the bleachers or at craft services. Her parents were standing five feet away. You know what I mean? Like, there was no. And what am I going to say to a little, little kid like that? You know what I mean? There's no joking around to be. I don't think I had any interaction with her. I don't think I ever had any interaction with her parents or anyone.
Will Friedle
Yeah.
Unknown
Yeah.
Will Friedle
Okay, so final question for you. Looking back now on this episode, is there anything when you watch this episode, your first job ever, that you think to yourself, Yep, I can pinpoint this week. Right here is where I learned blank, and I've carried it with me for the rest of my career.
Ethan Suplee
I learned how to be a professional actor. That went. That was, you know, for me prior to that, acting was spending as much time as I wanted with some material, making as many changes as I felt were necessary, trying it, feeling if, if, if that iteration felt best to me, it was really a solo pursuit or, you know, in acting class where you then get critiqued by an acting team. But it was, it was the first time that I got to experience the collaborative nature of what it is to be a professional actor and on any level. And, and, and really, if we think about it, our jobs are always collaborative, unless we're writing our own one man show and then wearing all the hats and putting it up or just performing it for ourselves in the mirror. Which is interesting, but like, in the, in what we do, there are writers, directors, there's, you know, it's a social art form. It's a social art form. It is the most collaborative art form there is because it isn't just one thing. It is. Everybody has a point of view on a scene, and you have to come together to, to make this cohesive thing that's going to communicate to people. And it was like such a powerful and transformative week where it proved that, like, not only could I do it, but, like, I could enjoy it and I could be a part of that collaboration.
Ryder Strong
That's amazing because you even said before that you, you felt the audience's Energy draining.
Ethan Suplee
Yeah.
Ryder Strong
And that's one of the things where even the audience is part of the collaboration. They're. They're part of the team. So it's you, you. At one point, when you get this thing on its feet, you've got hundreds of people in. Involved in making it happen. And it really is unique in that aspect.
Ethan Suplee
Well, I mean, you, you rely on their laugh.
Ryder Strong
Yeah.
Ethan Suplee
If you're not getting that from them, you're not doing it. Right. Because, you know, I know there's a lot to say. There's applause signs and all of that, which can bolster them a little bit, and the warm up guy who gets them ready for it. But if they start to fade on you, there's no getting them back. You know, you got to like to make a broad left turn to, to try to recapture them.
Danielle Fishel
This might be too broad of a hypothetical, but what do you think would have happened if you hadn't come back after this week?
Ethan Suplee
Jesus. I. I don't know, you know, if I, if that was, if that was one and done, I. I have no idea.
Danielle Fishel
Do you think you'd feel as good about the experience, like. Or would you feel.
Ethan Suplee
Yeah, yeah. There was no expectation that I was coming back. When I didn't, I didn't. There was no, like, like, you know, now when people talk to me about a TV show, that's not like you're being offered a season regular job, it's like there's five episodes we want you to do. You know what I mean?
Ryder Strong
Right. Yeah.
Ethan Suplee
Yeah. There. I'm not really talking to people about one episode of a television show.
Will Friedle
Right.
Ethan Suplee
And so, like. But that back then was all I thought it was. This is going to be five days of work and this is my first job and what am I going to do to prepare and. And like, it's all new and fascinating and I would have come away from it going like, I hope I did a good job. But coming back was icing.
Will Friedle
Ethan, where can people find you? Where can we listen to you? How can we best support you? And what do you do now?
Ethan Suplee
I write a substack, which I'm having so much fun writing. I, you know, for a long time I did. I've been on Instagram, which limits you to like 2000 or 2500 words or 20. Some. Some. Yeah, it's not 2500 words. That'd be a lot. I think it's 2000 characters.
Will Friedle
Okay.
Ethan Suplee
And I found myself writing for Instagram and always having to edit it down. So I've started Just putting up essays on Substack, which.
Ryder Strong
I'm sorry, as somebody who doesn't know anything about computers or what that is. What is. What is a substack? What is that?
Ethan Suplee
Substack is literally like social media for writing.
Ryder Strong
Oh, okay, cool.
Danielle Fishel
It's like basically where journalists go now, where you can. You can publish your own. Like, your own articles and your own stuff and share it.
Ryder Strong
Is it substack.com? is that how you find that? If you.
Ethan Suplee
If you wanted to find me, it would be ethan suplee.substack.
Ryder Strong
Oh, cool.
Ethan Suplee
But you could go to Substack and search for my name. And I'm having so much fun writing essays. I write an essay every week and it's all, you know, about my terrible mental health and my struggles with weight and addiction, and it's such a cathartic place to put ideas out into the world.
Will Friedle
Jeez. So wonderful. Are you still doing your podcast?
Ethan Suplee
Yeah, yeah. And American Glutton? Yeah, that. That continues. That's like my version of a recovery meeting for obesity. Yeah.
Ryder Strong
Every week that was. I was on, and it was awesome. It was a great experience. Really cool.
Ethan Suplee
Yeah. Thank you, Will. Yeah.
Ryder Strong
It was amazing. Yeah.
Will Friedle
Ethan, thank you so much for spending some more time with us. It's always such a joy to see you. I hope to get to see you in person again soon.
Ethan Suplee
Me too.
Will Friedle
Thank you guys for being here with us.
Danielle Fishel
Bye, buddy.
Ethan Suplee
See you later.
Will Friedle
See ya.
Ryder Strong
I could talk to him for hours. I seriously could talk to him for hours. But it also just shows when he. Again, when he's talking about. About getting that first script in the past, he was just on a different level. I'll just speak myself on a different level than me.
Will Friedle
Same.
Ryder Strong
And it showed. I mean, you could tell he was just a deeper actor who appreciated the craft right from the jump, which is something that I didn't find for 20 years in my career. It's really incredible.
Will Friedle
Yeah, I gotta join a substack. I gotta. I gotta.
Ryder Strong
I didn't know what that was. To me, that's just the small pancakes. So, yeah, it's a short stack. Oh, short stack. That's what it is, right? Damn it.
Will Friedle
Thank you all for joining us for this episode of Pod Meets World. As always, you can follow us on Instagram Pod Meets World show. You can send us your emails. Podmeetsworldshowmail.com and we've got merch.
Ryder Strong
Wait, so you're saying I need to buy some merch? I gotta think.
Will Friedle
Podmeetsworldshow.com writer send us out.
Danielle Fishel
We love you all all Pod Dismissed Pod Meets World is an iHeart podcast produced and hosted by Danielle Fishel, Wilfred L And Ryder Strong, executive producers Jensen Karp and Amy Sugarman, executive in charge of production Danielle Romo, producer and editor Tara Sugbash, producer Matty Moore, engineer and Boy Meets World Superman Easton Allen. Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon. Follow us on Instagram odmeatsworld show or email us at the podbeatsworldshowmail.com.
Ethan Suplee
My favorite.
Will Friedle
Thing about Shipt since I signed up.
Ethan Suplee
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Will Friedle
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Ethan Suplee
I won't lie, I've had too much.
Will Friedle
Fun being like markups on groceries, not in my fridge.
Ethan Suplee
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Will Friedle
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Ethan Suplee
Meds, not in my house. Anyway, it's awesome.
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Shiloh Strong
You see the world differently where others see empty lots. You see blueprints where others sit in lecture halls. Future leaders choose Ferris State University to build something real. Ready to dig in and learn through action, Ferris State gives you the tools, the team and training to unleash your potential with paths to high demand careers and in state tuition for non residents. At Ferris State, students don't just study, they build. They lead. They succeed. Visit Ferris. Edu Ferris State University we build champions.
Scott Patterson
Hey, it's Scott Patterson from the I Am All In Again podcast with Scott Patterson and I've got great news for my fellow Gilmore Girls fans. The show has a brand new home on Start tv, a national TV network celebrating strong, smart women women in iconic dramas. You can watch Gilmore Girls every weekday at 5pm 4 Central and again at 11pm 10 Central, with new episodes airing each day. It's perfect whether you're discovering it for the first time or ready to fall back in love with Stars Hollow. Start TV is easy to find, stream it, catch it on cable or satellite, or watch it free over the air. Head to starttv.com to see how to watch where you live.
Ryder Strong
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Ethan Suplee
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Danielle Fishel
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Episode: Be Kind, Rewind: “Back 2 School” with Ethan Suplee
Host/Authors: Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle, Ryder Strong
Release Date: May 22, 2025
In this special episode of Pod Meets World, hosts Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle, and Ryder Strong delve deep into their nostalgic journey revisiting the iconic TV series “Boy Meets World.” The episode centers around a heartfelt conversation with guest Ethan Suplee, best known for his role as Frankie Stacchino—the beloved bully with a heart—from the show. The discussion not only reminisces about Suplee’s first acting job but also explores his personal growth, community initiatives, and insights into the entertainment industry.
The episode begins with a warm welcome to Shiloh Strong, Danielle’s brother, who joins the conversation early on. Shiloh shares snippets about his life, mentioning his love for the beach and maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle.
Danielle opens up about the devastating impact of wildfires in California, recalling how these natural disasters have become tragically frequent and their effects on the local community and the entertainment sector.
Danielle Fishel [05:00]: “We lost a lot of jobs, we lost a lot of the industry...”
Will and Ryder echo these sentiments, emphasizing the ripple effect of such disasters on various professionals in the entertainment field, from makeup artists to directors.
Ethan Suplee shares his personal history of losing his home to a fire 15 years ago when he was just 15. This traumatic experience fueled his passion to give back and support others facing similar hardships.
Ethan Suplee [05:45]: “When the fires were happening in LA, I was running around donating and doing all the immediate need stuff...”
Ethan recounts how the loss of his home led him to question his life’s direction, eventually inspiring him to create a nonprofit organization aimed at supporting creative individuals affected by the fires.
Ethan details the inception and mission of his nonprofit, "Ashes to Films," which aims to empower filmmakers impacted by the fires. Originally intending to fund a short film, Ethan pivoted to establish a nonprofit after recognizing the broader need for community support.
Ethan Suplee [06:30]: “I took that money and built out a nonprofit because I didn't know how to do that...”
The nonprofit focuses on providing grants and support to ten short film projects, culminating in a festival showcase scheduled for January of the following year.
The primary objective of "Ashes to Films" is to revive the creative spirit within the community by offering financial assistance and mentorship to aspiring filmmakers affected by the wildfires. Ethan highlights the importance of art in the recovery process, equating it to fundamental needs like housing.
Ethan Suplee [07:15]: “The goal is to raise money to fund 10 short film projects... It's all about reviving the creative spirit and coming together as a community...”
Ethan reveals an exciting partnership with the New York Film Academy through the Young Storytellers program. This collaboration aims to provide micro-grants and intensive courses for young filmmakers under 18 who have been affected by the fires.
Ethan Suplee [14:28]: “We're teaming up with the New York Film Academy...”
The initiative includes mentorship opportunities, access to resources like cameras and locations, and a platform for young filmmakers to showcase their work.
Shifting gears, the hosts and Ethan revisit the "Boy Meets World" episode “Back to School,” reflecting on the dynamics of the show during its early seasons. Ethan reminisces about his first acting experience and the challenges he faced.
Ethan Suplee [25:10]: “It was the first time that I got to experience the collaborative nature of what it is to be a professional actor...”
The discussion highlights the intense preparation, numerous rehearsals, and the pressure of performing for a live audience, underscoring the complexities of acting even in a seemingly light-hearted sitcom.
Ethan shares invaluable lessons from his debut role, emphasizing professionalism, collaboration, and adaptability in the acting profession. He recounts the stress of delivering lines that were subject to frequent changes and the importance of resilience when facing potential job insecurity.
Ethan Suplee [35:00]: “I learned how to be a professional actor. It was the first time that collaborating was essential...”
The hosts acknowledge Ethan’s growth and the profound impact this role had on his career trajectory.
Post the sitcom, Ethan discusses his continuous journey in the entertainment industry, including his ventures into mental health advocacy, weight loss, and fitness. He mentions his writing efforts on Substack, where he shares essays on personal struggles and recovery.
Ethan Suplee [78:46]: “I write an essay every week and it's all about my terrible mental health and my struggles with weight and addiction...”
The conversation underscores the importance of mental health and community support, mirroring Ethan’s own initiatives with "Ashes to Films."
Drawing from his experiences, Ethan offers sage advice to aspiring actors:
Ethan Suplee [60:00]: “Show up on time, know your lines, and have an idea.”
He stresses the significance of preparation, punctuality, and bringing personal insight to roles, advocating for a balance between professionalism and creative expression.
As the episode wraps up, the hosts express their admiration for Ethan’s dedication to community service and his unwavering commitment to his craft. They encourage listeners to support "Ashes to Films" by visiting the organization's website and following their Instagram handle.
Will Friedle [16:30]: “Ashes to Films is just what we need right now.”
The episode concludes with a nostalgic nod to their shared history on "Boy Meets World," celebrating the enduring legacy of the show and its impact on their lives and careers.
This episode of Pod Meets World offers a rich tapestry of memories, insights, and heartfelt discussions bridging past and present. Through Ethan Suplee’s candid reflections and his commendable efforts to uplift the creative community, listeners gain a deeper appreciation for the resilience and collaborative spirit inherent in the entertainment industry. Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to the podcast, this episode serves as an inspiring testament to the enduring bonds forged through “Boy Meets World” and the ongoing quest to support and nurture creative talents in challenging times.