Brian Austin Green Meets World

Summary

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Pod Meets World – “Brian Austin Green Meets World”

Podcast: Pod Meets World (iHeartPodcasts)
Episode Date: March 16, 2026
Summary by: [Podcast Summarizer]

Episode Overview

The Pod Meets World crew—Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle, and Rider Strong—welcomes 90s icon Brian Austin Green as a special guest. The episode dives deep into Brian’s Hollywood journey from child actor to “Beverly Hills, 90210” megastardom, his early career struggles, the blending of real life and on-screen personas, fame in the 90s, his music ventures, and lessons learned from life as a young actor in an industry that was just beginning to center youth narratives. It’s a nostalgic, reflective, and honest conversation, filled with industry stories, humor, and heartfelt admissions about the challenges and joys of growing up on screen.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Childhood Ambitions, Early Auditions, and Family Sacrifice

• Brian shares candid memories of his early years in North Hollywood, being bussed to USC Performing Arts elementary, and learning about commercial acting from friends. He describes convincing his parents (esp. his mother, who drove him everywhere) to let him pursue acting.
  • Quote: "My family was very middle class, but my dad did not give money away easily... I had to convince him how this toy was going to better my future." (20:02)
• Parallels are drawn by Danielle and Brian about their families’ sacrifices, with Danielle recalling her own mom's long drives from Orange County to LA for auditions.

The Early TV Years – “Good Morning, Miss Bliss,” Pilots, and Getting Fired

• Brian recounts landing “Good Morning, Miss Bliss” alongside Jaleel White and Jonathan Brandis, reflecting on the randomness of pilot life and his decision not to move to Florida when the show morphed into “Saved by the Bell.”
• He discusses formative stints on “Small Wonder,” “My Two Dads” (where he was infamously fired), and how getting let go by Michael Jacobs (later creator of “Boy Meets World”) was a common experience.
  • Quote: “Michael Jacobs fired probably 10 kids within the first five episodes of Boy Meets World…he would give line readings. And if you didn’t say it the way he wanted…it was very specific.” (28:12)
• The group offers support, stressing that for 90s child actors, firing wasn’t always a personal failing.

Making a Name: SAG and the Business of Branding

• The story behind “Austin” in Brian Austin Green: he had to add a name for SAG because another Brian Green existed, and there were some humorous parental naming moments recounted.
  • Quote: "Brian Green is not a very easy name to come up with a middle name for where the whole thing flows very well…so we ended up going through the map, and Austin fit, right?” (30:19)

Child Actor Culture: Friends, Camaraderie, and Lack of Competition

• Brian, Danielle, and Rider discuss the small community of young working actors in the 80s and 90s: Seth Green, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, and more—highlighting the supportiveness over competition.
• There were only limited roles for kids before shows began focusing on youth.

Auditioning for 90210: Innocence & Unawareness

• Brian admits to not knowing Aaron Spelling’s reputation before the “90210” audition, seeing the process as just another pilot.
  • Quote: “No, I had no idea who he was.” (37:19)
• He describes walking into Spelling’s impressive office, not recognizing TV producers could be as large as life as they were.

90210 Early Days: Art Imitates Life

• David Silver’s awkwardness was an extension of Brian’s own youthful energy. The group discusses the challenge of blending on- and off-screen identities, especially as writers increasingly drew from real life.
  • Rider (on young actors’ struggles): “As soon as your actual life starts crossing with that, you start becoming insecure with who you are at home compared to this…” (42:33)
• Brian agrees, noting how difficult it is for young actors to go through formative identity years in public, while being scrutinized and unable to complain.

Groundbreaking TV Moments: The Death of Scott Scanlon

• The hosts and Brian reminisce about the iconic 90210 episode where Brian’s character’s friend Scott dies—a television event for a generation.
  • Will: “For a generation of TV watchers, this was an important television moment. It really was.” (50:19)
• Brian describes mixed emotions: “Happy it wasn’t me, but then really, really sad that it was him because the show was really blowing up…” (47:03)

Experiencing Mega-Fame & 90s Pop Culture Mania

• Brian tells stories of wild 90210 fame—from being mobbed at Disneyland’s Grad Night to being chased in Europe.
  • Quote:"We were in Spain, there were 15,000 people in the airport...They had to shut down the airport!" (53:22)
• He discusses autographs, mall appearances, and how the cast became part of the teen magazine ecosystem—contrasting with “Boy Meets World’s” different fame experience.

Real Life and TV Blend: Creative Input and Grueling TV Schedules

• Brian confirms the “90210” writers used a lot of real-life cast inspiration, and how the cast could influence story direction as the show progressed.
• Reflects on the grueling pace: 34 episodes a season, nearly year-round shooting, with little time for outside projects.

The Ballistics Era: Hip Hop Clubs and a Rap Album

• Brian shares his legitimate immersion in LA’s hip-hop scene, throwing clubs (Ballistics, Green Light), connections with stars (David Faustino, Will.i.am, Busta Rhymes), and the unexpected path to releasing a rap album ("One Stop Carnival") produced under Babyface’s label.
  • Quote: “I was the white guy from 90210...the album I did was not that at all, it was as true to hip-hop as I could be…The business came...Vanilla Ice was big before me, so the culture itself was very wary.”
• He reflects humorously and humbly on the tough press, noting some late-in-life respect for the project.

Longevity and Life After 90210

• Brian explains why he stayed to the end of the show: mainly financial wisdom, self-sufficiency, and a sense of responsibility.
  • Quote: “No. Because the money got better and better... I always had a sense of, I think because I had been acting for so long, Oh my God, I'm making good money now. Let's stick this thing out and make as much as I can...” (72:55)

Dancing with the Stars and Family Life

• Daniel and Brian bond over their “Dancing with the Stars” experiences and his wife, Sharna Burgess’s work as a professional and judge.
  • Quote: “She wants to help people...she doesn’t ever want to just be on someone for the purpose of being on someone. She hopes what she says are light bulb moments.” (75:37)

Reflections on Fandom, Conventions, and Legacy

• Brian expresses humility at the long-term impact of his work and notes the joy he finds at conventions, hearing genuine stories from fans and learning about different lives.
  • Quote: “It’s incredibly humbling…if you give them your full attention during that 20 seconds...how much of a change it can make in their life and how much it means to them.” (77:40)
  • Quote: “My high school experience was in front of 30 million people every single week.” (81:00)
• The cast agrees on the lasting effect of these shared human stories and the value of kindness and connection—especially for young stars.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Getting Fired:
  "It's a line reading. Like, [Michael Jacobs] would give line readings. And if you didn't say it the way he wanted it said...very specific." – Brian (28:33)

• On the Blurring Line Between Actor and Character:
  "Then you start becoming insecure with who you are at home compared to [your character]...You start feeling like, oh, people just don’t like me." – Brian (43:08)

• On 90210 Fame:
  "We came from New Kids on the Block, we’re on the cover of every magazine...I remember Ian and I took a trip to Spain...they had to shut down the airport. It was bananas." – Brian (53:22)

• On Conventions and Fandom:
  "If you give them your full attention during that 20 seconds, how much of a change it can make in their life...It makes me a better person. I come home, it makes me a better father...more compassionate.” (77:40)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [20:00] – Brian discusses childhood, family support, and first steps into acting.
• [21:00] – Memories of “Good Morning, Miss Bliss”/“Saved by the Bell” pilot.
• [25:55] – Getting fired by Michael Jacobs and the realities of sitcom casting.
• [32:15] – Building friendships among young actors; the child actor community.
• [37:19] – Auditioning for 90210 and not knowing Aaron Spelling's legacy.
• [40:09] – Debuting David Silver and social dynamics within the 90210 cast.
• [46:20] – The legacy and impact of the Scott Scanlon episode.
• [51:05] – The moment Brian realized 90210 had become a phenomenon.
• [60:00] – 90s hip hop scene and Brian's music/club life.
• [72:55] – Why Brian chose to remain on 90210 till the end.
• [75:30] – Family life, “Dancing with the Stars,” and Sharna Burgess.
• [77:40] – Reflections on legacy, conventions, and lessons learned.

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Episode Tone & Takeaways

Warm, honest, and often funny, this episode is equal parts showbiz memoir and group therapy. Themes of resilience, humility, and gratitude for fans recur, as does the unique pressure of childhood stardom. Brian Austin Green offers a generous look back, full of lived wisdom, making this episode a must-listen for 90s nostalgia fans, aspiring young actors, and anyone interested in the humanity behind iconic faces.

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For more “Pod Meets World”:
Follow @PodMeetsWorldShow on Instagram or email podmeetsworldshowmail.com

Transcript

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[B]

So, Ryder, this is going to affect you?

[C]

Not at all.

[B]

You are going to come with us because we're going to insist you come with us. But nothing I'm going to say right now is going to make you happy or care or in any way, shape or form involved in what's going to happen next.

[C]

Sports.

[B]

That being said, Danielle, it's a sports conversation.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And I just found I. I am not a huge baseball fan.

[C]

We had it.

[B]

We had so much fun going to the Phillies game with the way we were treated there and throwing out the pitch, watching you do that and the tops baseball cards. It was so much fun. But unless I go to a baseball game, I'm not really invested in baseball. It's just too slow a game for me.

[A]

However, are you watching the Savannah Bananas?

[B]

No, I'm not watching the Savannah Bananas. I am, however, going to start going to the Cardinals games and you're going to start coming with me. Okay? So we're going to have to fly there and we're going to have to go there because the Cardinals, in partnership with Coca Cola, have launched all you can eat seats.

[C]

What?

[A]

You buy these seats and then it's just free. You have a raffle ticket for everything to eat in the park.

[B]

Everything you want to eat, including, but not limited to apparently ice cold Coca Cola products. Hot dogs, chicken tenders, br? Nacho, chips and cheese, fries, popcorn, peanuts, kettle chips, ice cream cups.

[C]

I'd be full by like 5 minutes in.

[B]

But then that's what the 7 minute stretch is for.

[C]

You stretch it out and you're good to go and then you can eat more.

[B]

So you literally pay for the ticket. You watch the game. I guess the games are still long enough.

[C]

You could just wait. You could also just like eat in the first inning.

[A]

Second meal can go a little early.

[C]

Uhhuh.

[B]

They receive a wristband and can select up to 3 items per visit from a dedicated concession stand located near the section and they can return as they want with no checkout or payment. Yes, the only thing better would Be watching a game and actually in front of that buffet Ryder was talking about at the Queen Mary, but unlimited. So, I mean, again, we're going to have to go to St. Louis to watch a Cardinals game, but it's worth it just for that.

[A]

The flight is more expensive probably than paying for the food.

[B]

I don't want to do math.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I just want to get there and just eat a whole bunch of stuff. So I'm going to assume the flight will be free or cheap.

[C]

We should just.

[A]

We should think of maybe convincing the Dodgers to do this so that we

[C]

don't have to fly or the Cardinals

[B]

to fly us there and do a podcast from the seats while just eating.

[A]

Yes, that's a good idea.

[C]

That's what I'm thinking.

[B]

So that's why I said, ryder, you're not gonna care about this at all. But this was big news.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

For me. And I assume Danielle would. Would want to get there as well.

[A]

We just bought the YouTube cable. You know, you can watch TV on YouTube. We just. Because it's the only way for us to watch baseball games. And as you know, I have a jock son who needs to watch baseball games, and he's obsessed with the D. Dodgers, and it's very cute. And so, yeah, we're. I'm gonna be. I'm gonna be watching lots of games.

[C]

You can't watch.

[B]

You can't watch baseball on, like, regular cable. Like, if you get, like, direct TV or any cable. Gotcha. I'm getting rid of mine.

[A]

It's unnecessary. It's just unnecessary. And the Dodgers have a special deal, so it's not just like the Dodgers. You can only watch on YouTube. So.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

Oh, guys, the TV landscapes just.

[B]

Can I tell you something crazy? I've lived in Los Angeles for 35 years.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Never been to a Dodgers game. I've never had a Dodger dog.

[C]

Wow.

[B]

I've been to, like, six.

[A]

Let's do it.

[B]

Isn't that crazy? Never been to a Dodger game. Never had a Dodger dog.

[A]

We should do a Dodgers.

[C]

Let's do it.

[A]

Let's do a Dodgers podcast.

[B]

Never been to a Lakers game. I've done the Clippers, and I've done either Clippers or Lakers. I think I went to see the Mighty Ducks, and I might have seen an Angels game, maybe.

[A]

I mean, I gotta take you guys to. I gotta take you. I gotta show you guys. La.

[C]

Sports ball. Sports ball. Yeah, let's go.

[B]

That's so. That's. Yeah. Never had a Dodger donut.

[A]

We should go to a Sparks game.

[B]

I would love to go to sports.

[C]

That is what Sparks.

[B]

That's wnba.

[A]

Wnba. And it's fun.

[B]

See, you have to keep in mind, it was my mom who taught me how to. Taught the boys how to play basketball. And the Yukon Husky women have been religion in my house since I was born, so. So WNBA would be a ton of fun. That's an easy transition for me, but wouldn't mind seeing a Dodger game. But I think there's a limit on the food you can get at a Dodger game as opposed to the Cardinals. No limit.

[A]

Let me tell you something. It's unlimited food when you've got a credit card.

[B]

I was gonna say you just again, but then you're paying for. See, we'll bring.

[A]

We'll bring the middle part.

[B]

Did you also realize if it's free, there's no calories? Do you not understand how science works?

[A]

Yeah, I forgot that rule. I've been eating so healthy.

[B]

Why is it fancy? With the stars?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Right. But now you're done, so why? You said before all you're eating is cottage cheese, which bait. Look at that.

[C]

Wow.

[B]

God.

[C]

Ugh. Wow. That's amazing.

[B]

But you said you're eating a ton of cottage cheese.

[A]

So much cottage cheese, chicken and apples.

[B]

Disgusting.

[A]

It's so good. Culture. Cottage cheese is good. But. Yeah, I basically went on. You know, Will, we've talked many a time, especially around New Year's resolutions, about how this is the year we're getting into the best shape of my life. And knowing I was going on tour, like, through, you know, doing Dancing with the Stars, I was like, this is a perfect opportunity to just actually kickstart it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And then knowing I was going on tour for a month and was going to be living and breathing and eating all the same things that the dancers do in front of me. I just decided you're gonna be dancing for two hours a day, eat like them, work out like them, and you're killing it. So I did. And that means I've just been eating very clean. There's no joy at all in my life. But I.

[B]

But you look good.

[A]

I look great.

[B]

That's the thing, though. I know. Good, too, right?

[C]

Like, it changes the way you feel.

[B]

Are you sleeping better and all that kind of stuff?

[A]

I am. I'm sleeping really well. I feel like I have energy all throughout the day. I feel. I mean, just in general, just feel so much lighter on my feet. I'm more, like, willing to do whatever it is. Like, my kids want to go run around outside and do something. I'm much more willing to be like, okay, yeah, let's go do it. I just generally feel better and obviously now that I've been home, I've been keeping up with working out consistently and, and yeah, just eating really well.

[B]

But so it's, I'm getting, starting to get frustrated because I have a trainer. I'm working hard with my trainer. I'm eating well, I'm drinking almost no alcohol, but I'm almost 50. And it's so much harder to take the weight off. Like, so much harder to take the weight off.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Even from the pandemic. Because when I started the pandemic, I lost a ton of weight and it came off pretty quick.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And I'm doing kind of the same thing now. I'm doing factor and I'm, I'm calor recounting and I'm working out how I'm working heavy with weights and still doing the right kind of cardio and it's like, it's, my body's changing, but I'm not really losing any weight.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So it's like, yeah, there's, it's, it's. You can tell, I mean, that four years or whatever, five years, big difference. It's a big difference at being 50 than being 45. Big difference. So maybe cottage cheese will do it for.

[A]

I'm telling you, I'm telling you. Cottage cheese and chicken skewers.

[B]

Yeah. Could you do me a favor? With every bite of cottage cheese I take, could you just come and kick me in the nuts? Because it'll be exactly.

[A]

That's not the same thing. You could drizzle some hot honey on it.

[B]

Oh, my God. That's amazing.

[A]

It's really good.

[B]

Wow. You've changed the whole thing for me

[A]

now. I love the texture.

[C]

I thought you told yourself that. Yes, I love it.

[B]

It is my favorite.

[A]

Welcome to Podmeats World. I'm Danielle Fishel.

[B]

I'm Rider strong and I'm tired all day. I'm Will Friedle. When I think about brain health, I think about staying sharp, remembering why I walked into a room finishing a sentence without buffering mid thought. And nowadays that can feel unpossible.

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Listen, we juggle a lot. Work, family, stress, and the least my brain can do is stay on my team.

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Ambitious, well intentioned, ferocious and wealthy mother

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Even when life gets messy.

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Keep it Positive Sweetie creates space for

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honest conversations on self worth, worth, love,

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growth and navigating life with grace and grit.

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Led by women who uplift, inspire and tell the truth out loud.

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I have several conversations with God. And I know why it took 20 years to hear this and more Listen to keep it positive, sweetie.

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On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or

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wherever you get your podcast. It's the new me and it's the old them.

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Everybody's on their journey and your journey is different to theirs. This Women's History Month. The podcast if youf Knew Better with Amber Grimes spotlights women who turn missteps into momentum and lessons into power.

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I think coming out of where I

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While we tried to dance on a pool table for laughs or awkwardly watch an aspiring girl group perform in a diner, there were young actors on every other channel doing much cooler things. We've openly admitted we were jealous of the popular kids over on Dawson's Creek and nowhere near as internationally famous as our aggressive basketball opponents from Home Improvement. And yet, there was another show that somehow was able to accomplish both. How Big was Beverly Hills 90210? The young adult drama that ran for 10 seasons redefined the traditionally senior citizen genre of the soap opera while helping Fox transform from network punchline. To legitimate broadcasting competitor. At its peak, it drew in 20 million viewers per episode, catapulting its young cast into a pop culture frenzy that landed them on Saturday Night Live or the COVID of Rolling Stone, or even making music with their favorite rap group of the time. And that's exactly what this week's guest did. He played the fan favorite, Cavaricci wearing running man, doing best friend, losing after dark running freshman nerd turned heartthrob David silver for all 10 seasons of the show. Almost 300 episodes. Making the most of a once in a generation Hollywood journey that not only spawned its spin offs like Melrose Place and Models Inc. But paved the way for the OC, Gossip Girl, and Euphoria. So welcome to Pod Meets World, our favorite 90s TV star turned hip hop musician. Please no one tell Joey Lawrence I said that. It's Brian Austin Green.

[C]

Joey Lawrence wasn't hip hop though, was he?

[B]

He was more like poppy, poppy, poppy. Well, there's nothing. Nothing his love can't fix for you, baby. Wow, you actually know this? He knew. Hell yes.

[C]

Am I hearing Joey Lawrence? Hell yes, you are.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Welcome to the pod. Yes. That's amazing that you knew it too.

[C]

Nothing my love can't fix for you, baby. He was in a tank top on the beach playing flag football with a bunch of women.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

And he threw the ball to himself. Damn right he did. As you should when trying to look awesome.

[A]

Looks so cool.

[C]

That's exactly what you do. You throw the ball to yourself.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And. And you. And you run it in for the touchdown while everybody else is taking a nap. Because that is the way to do it. The way. I love Joey. I love Joey. We do too. So great. Oh, my God. Him and his brothers, their. Their podcast is so fun. And I love the fact that they're all so supportive. I know of each other and love it. They're amazing.

[B]

Good.

[A]

They have a great. A great family. For sure.

[C]

So now them. And let's get on to yours.

[A]

Exactly. Thank you. I'm glad you said it. Let's start in Van Nuys. You were a Valley kid whose parents drove in that 101 traffic to take you to auditions. How did you convince them that little Brian could be an actor?

[C]

Oh, boy, that's a tough question. So, yeah, I grew up in North Hollywood. I was, I was riding the bus to 32nd Street, USC Performing Arts School for elementary school every day, and one of the kids that I rode the bus with to school did commercials and I thought, oh, that's really cool. Because he told me, like, he made a little money from things that he did. And I was like, that's amazing. I want to make some money. Because my family was very middle class, but my dad was very. He did not give money away easily. Like, I had to convince him how this toy was going to better my future and what. You know. And I was like, well, it's a. It's a Muppet puppet from the Muppet Show. But, you know, it's. I'm going to be a puppeteer one day. And so that's why I want this puppet. So I said to them, I was like, hey, I want to be an actor. And they said, if in six months you still want to do this, then we'll get into it and we'll look into it. And six months later, I still did. So I went and met with my friend's agent and started doing commercials after about a year. But my parents, my mom, God bless her, she drove me everywhere. I mean, I went to school all over the place, really far from the Valley. And at that point in the 80s, interviews were. I would have three or four commercial auditions a day, and they would be all over town. So she would come pick me up early from school, drive me around all these things in traffic and all of the stuff. She was an absolute saint.

[A]

Wow. I know. My mom, too. We lived in Orange county, and she would have to pick me up from school in Orange county, drive me all

[C]

the way to la.

[A]

In town.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Orange county, that's a trek.

[A]

That is not close. I wanna talk to you a little bit about Little Miss Bliss, because we had a similar situation on Boy Meets World, and this type of heartbreak is common for a lot of us. You were cast in the pilot and listen to this trio of stars, guys.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Brian Austin Green, Jaleel White, and Jonathan Brandis.

[C]

Crazy man. And Haley Mills.

[A]

And Haley Mills.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[A]

And you are the star of this thing.

[C]

Well, no, so I. So Hayley Mills was the star of it. So the initial show, Good Morning, Miss Bliss, it was called. She was a teacher within this school. So it was about her. We just happened to be kids in the class. But, yeah, so we did. We did the pilot for that show, and then they decided, hey, we want to. We want to pick this up and shoot it in Florida. And I was like, no, I live in the Valley. I'm good. I live in the Valley. I love my life. I really like skateboarding, and I really love still having my feet when I go past bodies of water. So, yes, you Know, so I stayed and the show went out there and. And then it kind of reformulated itself and came back as Saved by the Bell. Wow.

[A]

How big of a deal for you was it then when you booked that role, though? I mean, you ultimately decided not to do it because they were going to send you to Florida. But, like, when you get a job like that, that's a big deal.

[C]

It's a. It's a big deal. But that was like. That was the business back then. Like, you did. You. You did commercials. You did as many national commercials as you could because they paid well. And then you booked a pilot and you would go shoot a pilot. And there were only three networks at that time, and so they were each doing, like, 15 pilots a year. And you had pilot season. You had November and, like, February, right? Top of the year.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

And so you would try and book a pilot, and then probably 98% of the pilots never got picked up. So you. You book a pilot, you'd shoot it, and you go, cool, Nice meeting everybody. And then you would go guest on other shows and, you know, do. Do as much stuff as you could. So we were. I remember we were. We were all excited about it because it was fun. It was a bunch of kids, and it was live audience, which I had never really done before that. But, yeah, we did. We did the pilot, and then it was like. That was sort of it. Like, I never. I didn't understand that pilots get picked up and then they become shows that are on consistently. I have no idea.

[A]

You were just like, we do a bunch of pilots.

[C]

I didn't know it was the same thing. When I first started doing commercials and my friend told me that he did commercials, I was like, wait, regular people can do this? Like, I thought you had to be some sort of magic special, you know, live in some alternate universe to be on television. I had no idea that kids just got into it and auditioned, and all of a sudden you were on tv. It was crazy.

[A]

So funny.

[C]

I did a pilot with Joey Lawrence. That's how we ended up becoming friends. We did a pilot for. They did a series of. From Adventures in Babysitting.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[C]

Oh. And so we were both the leads on that pilot.

[B]

Was Keith Coogan involved in that?

[C]

No, I played Keith Coogan.

[B]

You played Keith's character.

[C]

Okay. Been at, like, some of these conventions, and I was at one, and I'd never met Keith before, and he came up and he was like, hey, dude, you played me in the pilot. I was like, how did you know that it was a pilot. Nobody picked it up, nobody ever saw it, but he knew.

[B]

Yeah, Keith's a good dude.

[C]

Keith Coogan knows all.

[A]

That's the motto.

[C]

He knows pretty much everything there is to know.

[A]

Well, I do think it's pretty incredible that you, Jaleel and Jonathan all went on to become massive stars in the 90s. And then you also appeared on Saved by the Bell, the College Years.

[C]

I did, yeah. So I was, I was dating Tiffany at that point.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

And yeah, they had moved from the, the kind of, you know, morning ish sitcom thing to that. And it was kind of a prime time sitcom that they were doing. And yeah, I just made a quick. I walked in with a turkey. I think it was. That's all right. Anybody want turkey? It felt it was a really good line reading. I don't know if you saw it or not, but I won quite a few razzies for that one.

[A]

There is one more very early Brian Austin green job I want to ask you about, which is Small Wonder. You did two episodes alongside Vicky the Robot. I did. What do you remember from.

[C]

Wait, do you guys know that show?

[B]

Of course.

[C]

It's a Small Wonder.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

She had like the little glued on panel on her back and they opened it up and.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Terrible in the best way.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

But I remember I was so. That was probably one of the jobs I was the most excited about when I was young because I watched the show.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

So all of a sudden I was on. I was like, oh, my God, it's Vicki the Robot. And it's the whole thing. And it was really cool to be doing. You know, it's every once in a while you have those moments where you're on a set, you guys know you're on a set and you go, I cannot believe I'm on this set right now.

[B]

I'm here.

[C]

Yeah. I'm a huge fan of this. I was too. It was such a good show. It was just such a good show. Such a good show.

[B]

Tiffany Brissette is a nurse now in Colorado who played Vicky, who plays so wonderful.

[A]

We followed her career the whole time.

[B]

I research all the shows, like where is that? Where's the cast of Silver Spoon? That's what happens in my. In my house at 3am Is stuff like that. So. Yeah, yeah.

[C]

We should put the coffee down.

[B]

Great.

[C]

I know. God.

[B]

Great show, though. Small Wonder was important in my childhood. That was up there with all the, all those silver spoons, different strokes and

[C]

My Two dads remember that show?

[B]

Of course.

[A]

Oh, yeah, of course.

[B]

My two Dads was. Was created by Boy Maturity creator Michael Jacobs.

[C]

So I was on one episode of My Two Dads and I, and it's the only time I was ever fucking fired. There's not much of a story to it, honestly. That's the best part. That, like, that's. I should have saved that for the end to have some big, like, cliffhanger moment, but I'm terrible at telling stories.

[B]

But it was probably Michael Jacobs who fired you, so.

[C]

Sure.

[B]

This is our ep. So do you remember what they did? Was it after a run through or.

[C]

Yes, Michael. And we had been rehearsing, and then we did a run through, and I had a scene sitting at a table with Stacy Keenan. Right. Who was on that show. And there was somebody else, and I was really new to sitcoms, and I just didn't completely understand the timing of it. And I went to yourself, you're gonna. We're gonna. We're gonna have to recast. I was. But again, I was so young. I was like, okay, so what is. Do I. I still get paid for this day. Right? That's, you know, that's. That's all I really cared about at that point.

[A]

If there's one gift I can give you, I would just like for you to know it wasn't you.

[C]

It wasn't you. No, no, it was. It felt like me when. When the firing came down.

[A]

Oh, I'm not saying it didn't feel like you. You were made to feel.

[B]

It was you.

[A]

You were definitely told it was you. But I. I do just want you

[B]

to know Michael Jacobs fired probably 10 kids within the first five episodes of Boy Meets World.

[A]

So this was a. And threatened to fire me after my first day, and I was already replacing someone who had been fired.

[C]

And you have to, like.

[B]

And.

[C]

And he would.

[B]

It's a line reading. Like, he would give line readings.

[C]

And if you didn't say it the way he wanted it said. I remember that.

[B]

Yeah. So there you go.

[C]

Very specific. And he came out and he was. We were sitting in a restaurant doing a scene, sitting at a table, and he kept giving me these line readings of exactly what he wanted.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Like, I couldn't do it exactly the way he was. And that was it.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Yep.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So like I said, just. Gift from us.

[C]

It's good to know now at 52.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Let that one go. You never know.

[A]

I don't. You know, you never know. Like you said, it's the only time you were ever fired. And then when you retold the story,

[C]

you Were like, time. I can't wait to tell my therapist that it had nothing to do with it. Brian, you did.

[B]

Small wonder. You don't have to apologize to anybody.

[C]

Right. You did the pilot for Adventures and Babysitting everybody else.

[A]

So in order to join sag, you add Austin to your name. I want to know, have you ever met the other Brian Greene?

[C]

No, I have not. I wished his demise when I was younger because I didn't know what all that entailed, and I didn't realize that was a terrible thing to wish upon anybody. But, yeah, it was when. When I. So my mom had a whole name planned for me when she was pregnant, and I was. I had really broad shoulders as a. As a baby, so she had a real hard time in labor. And my dad, who smoked a lot of pot at this point in life, while my mom was in the middle of labor, he came forward and he was like, can we name him Brian? My mom was like, name him whatever the you want. Just get this guy. Get out of me. And that was literally the only name he came up with. He came up with no middle name, no anything. So it was just Brian Greene. And then all of a sudden, SAG is going, yeah, there's another Brian Green in the union, so you have to come up with a middle name. And Brian Green is not a very easy name to come up with a middle name for where the whole thing flows very well. We almost named me Brian Peter Green after my mom's dad, but then my initial would have been P, so it was Brian P. Gre. We were like, that's probably not a very good start. That doesn't. That'll. That'll make and break a career, you know, within, like, a week. So we went through a bunch of names, and we ended up going through the map, and Austin Fit, right? Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

You could have gone with, like, Willie Broad Shoulders.

[C]

I could have.

[B]

I could have.

[C]

I don't know how well my career would have done, but that's good.

[B]

Get this kid out of me Greek.

[C]

Yeah,

[B]

Brian.

[C]

Naming. Whatever the you want. Your naming skills are incredible.

[A]

We're good at that here.

[C]

Podcast is done. You should just be writing books.

[A]

That's what we're gonna do.

[C]

Already set? Yeah. Right.

[B]

I'm already on the third one.

[C]

What are you talking about?

[B]

Does this still happen? Are there still actors having to have three names because it was such a 90s thing, but I don't hear about it that much anymore?

[C]

No, it's absolutely. It's. You can't be. You can't be in the. I don't think you can be in the UN with the same name as somebody else. I think you have to have some sort of thing that differentiates. So they can keep track of checks when they come in. They can monitor, you know, do all the stuff that they. That they, as a union do. So strange. Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

Well, you join sag, and then shortly thereafter, you start booking a lot of different shows. You book a big recurring role on Knots Landing, and you become a bit of, like a child actor vet. At this point, did it feel like something big was coming? Like, did you always have that feeling?

[C]

It was in my. Or Scrubs, you know, it was. No. So, no, because the business was really small when I was young. There were probably 30 kids total. So we would all see each other at all the auditions and all this stuff. So it was myself and seth Green and DiCaprio and Toby McGuire. And, like, we had this small group. We. And we all knew each other, so there was no competition between anybody. It was sort of like, oh, you're looking for a little redhead kid. Oh, well, then Seth is your guy. Like, I don't even know why I'm in here, you know? And I was like, go get him, Seth. Like, we were all. We. We were all rooting for each other. But the. The business, it said there wasn't. Honestly, I really don't think it was until 90210 that there were shows that were really rooted around young, young kids, teenagers, high schoolers, you know, middle schoolers. So at that point, kids were getting parts in adult shows, right?

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

All the shows that we. That I was doing was Knots Landing adult shows. I would come through with, like, a puppy every once in a while just to show that, like, you know, the character had a kid, right? That's all I was there for. And then all of a sudden, that shifted, and then it became kids were actually the leads of things. And things were really, like, aggressively shifting, you know, because, you know, Boy Meets World, you guys were really, like, on the cusp. The great. You were groundbreaking as far as what it was you were doing. You know, the business has changed so much. So I had no. I had no sense back then of that. This was going to be my career. Like, I grew up in music, right? So I thought, oh, okay, I'm making some good money doing this, but I'm going to be a drummer, you know, in a band, and that's it. There was nobody else in my family that had ever been acting before. I had nobody to sort of learn from or bounce ideas off of or anybody that I had seen succeed in it. I didn't know anybody in it. I grew up in North Hollywood, and it was. I went to music academies and these performing art schools, and it was like fame. So we were all, like, playing instruments and doing all this stuff. And I had no idea that the, like, student films and the commercials that I did as a kid would take over my life and become my career. I never had any idea.

[B]

How did you think about acting itself then? Did you think it was like, oh, just a job?

[C]

I just show up?

[B]

It was like, kind of like my model.

[C]

Yeah, I didn't. Or did you think I did, like

[B]

a craft that you had to work on?

[C]

I didn't understand the craft side of it. Like, I had. For me, my passion had always been music. Right. My dad's a drummer. I was just about to.

[B]

Because you said you had nobody in your family that were. That were actors.

[C]

So my dad is a drummer. He was touring with Glen Campbell when I was bor. He was doing like, Rhinestone Cowboy and all that. And then he stopped touring when I was about two and a half because he wanted to be home more. So he started doing all the studio stuff. He played on, like, Frank Sinatra's albums and Doobie Brothers and all sorts of really cool stuff. And I went to these amazing performing arts schools for music. I had to, like, audition to get in. I remember in jazz band, I went to Hamilton High for high school to begin, and then I was failing everything because I was working so much, and. And I ended up graduating from North Hollywood High. But one of the guys that I was in jazz band with, his name is Abel Boreal Jr. He plays drums for Paul McCartney. Like, it's. I grew up with. I surrounded by all these people that were really, really good in what it is they were doing. So when I started doing commercials, I hadn't ever met anybody that was doing it it successfully, where I was like, oh, my God, it can lead to this. I had no idea what the end goal of it was. So to me, that was kind of a fun thing. You sort of show up and you eat crackers or you chew gum, whatever it is that, you know, you play volleyball in a tank, like, whatever it is they're asking of you, and then you go home. And then I would go home and play music and skateboard and do the stuff that I was really passionate about doing and loved doing at the time.

[A]

Wow, that's so funny. I was similar for me too. I, you know, I, I also didn't understand it as a craft, nor did I understand it as a business. It was just like, you know, and my family didn't really quite understand it either. So I think that you're, you're not alone there.

[C]

Yeah, my, my family was like, my mom was my business manager, my dad was my manager. Right. And everybody was like learning as they

[A]

were growing and no one had any experience or education in it. Yeah.

[C]

No.

[A]

Yeah. So along comes the Beverly Hills 90210 audition and it's an Aaron Spel. Was that intimidating?

[C]

No, I had no idea who he was.

[A]

Okay, great. Not a clue.

[C]

I literally had zero. Everyone was like, oh my God, it's Aaron Spelling. I was like, I don't know who that is. And then they were like, oh, he did Love Boat. And like they started naming all the shows and I was like, oh, my God, I know those shows. But I didn't know who played what role in pre production or any. Like, I didn't know that TV producers were as big as they were at that point they were putting these projects. I had no idea. Yeah, I was like, oh, boy. Lucky him. He jumped on board this Love Boat thing. I didn't know. Yeah, I didn't know that he was creating these things and putting these teams together and making these happen. I remember all of the auditions that I had were in his office, which was really incredible. Like, it was massive. And he had this huge, like 25 foot long couch and, and this crazy with like pin machines. But he was this incredibly kind guy. So it was. I'd been doing this at this point. I was 16 when I went into audition. I started acting when I was nine. So I, like, I was, I walked in the room and I was like, I've been in a million of these rooms. Like, this doesn't intimidate me at all. It's a really cool office. You seem like a really nice guy. Like, this is, this is cool. And then the fact that the script was about like, like high, junior high, high school kids. I was like, oh, this is pretty cool. Like, I can, I can do this. You know, I knew Doug Emerson at the time. We had been acting together. So I read with him when we were in there and we had chemistry from knowing each other. So it just sort of. It all happened really fast and it didn't. There wasn't really much magic to it at that point. You know, the auditioning process, it's not this magical thing where you're like, like, oh my God. I booked this pilot And I feel like this is the one. Like, you sort of. You book a pilot and you go, who knows? I've read better. Yeah, you know, I'll do it. Sure.

[A]

Yeah, let's go.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I was. FYI, I was famously not allowed to watch 90210 as a kid, so I eventually had to do a lot of catch up.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So good parenting.

[A]

Yeah. My parents were like, absolutely not.

[B]

I used to watch with my parents.

[C]

Yeah, we did.

[B]

The whole family would get together and watch 90210.

[C]

So there you go. That's crazy.

[B]

It.

[A]

In the first season, you played a bit of an outcast on the show. Not yet. Like, really in the friend group, sort of peering in from the outside. Was that also what was going on when the cameras were off, or were you guys all close right off the bat?

[C]

We were pretty close right off the bat. I mean, I. So I had known Shannon for years from when she was doing Little House on the Prairie and Our House, that show with Chad Allen and Wilford Brimley. I had. Funny enough, I did. So I knew Doug. We had known each other for years from commercials and everything Luke and I had done. We did a Dr. Pepper commercial, literally like four weeks before I booked the pilot and started doing that. And then he came on and we were like, yes. What's up, man?

[B]

How are you?

[C]

We're like a drive in theater doing this Dr. Pepper commercial. Wow. So we got along really well, and it was fun because we were all young, and so it was kind of cool. And we were on these locations, and it was really fun. And we got to kind of be silly and dopey together. David Silver was really. Was really fun when the show started and the character was that way because it was. I wasn't necessarily in school, like a nerd like that, but I was really small. I had tons of energy, so I was, like, hyper and obnoxious to people that I was around. And I didn't really have a specific friend group. I sort of bounced around from group to group to group. Like, I hung out with skaters. I hung out with, you know, kids that were in band class with me. Like, I was sort of all over the place. But David Silver was really fun because we. It became this, like, goal of ours to come up with the most ridiculous things that we could. So we would. We would find really crazy swaths of material, and they would make pants and, like, all. Like, we had all of these crate. We would put buttons all over things. And it was really fun because it was completely different from the world that I was living in at that point. So then as the show went on and it started as it does, the, you know, the two start combining.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

Then it. Then it became harder. Yeah, it became harder for me. I don't know how it was for you guys. How old were you when you started doing the show? Show?

[A]

I was 12.

[C]

You were 12?

[B]

I was 16. I was in the middle, so I. I didn't. I was too old to hang out with them and too young to hang out with the adults.

[C]

So how long did you do the show for?

[A]

Seven years.

[B]

Seven years.

[C]

So, you know, like, that is. That's that period in your life where you're like really sort of figuring out who you are. You're insecure about all sorts of things, but then you're going through all of that in front of everybody, and it is. And as soon as your actual life starts crossing with that, then you start becoming insecure with. With who you are at home. Compared to.

[A]

This is writers. This is exactly writers life. Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. And then the writers start borrowing from your life to, you know, they have to. They have to write to.

[C]

They're writing for kids. Who better to research than you in your life outside of it? Oh, my God. He's really into music. He's really into, ooh, let's start incorporating those things. And then all of a sudden you're, you know, you're bringing your own things from home to work, and as soon as somebody says they don't like it, you're like, oh, my God. But made that at home. Like, this is now. How do I separate this? You start feeling like, oh, people just don't like me. And it's. And, you know, as an adult mind, I can grasp the concept of people watching and how it works and that they don't realize all of these things are coming from my home. But when you're young and you're already feeling scrutinized just because that's part of growing up, then that the life that we lived at a young age.

[A]

Age.

[C]

It's a hard thing to do. Yeah.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

It's a real hard thing to do. And I give a lot of credit to people that made it out of it, you know?

[B]

Well, there's also an interesting aspect to it because you're. You're also expected not to complain about it in any way, shape, or form because you're lucky that you're getting a chance to even be doing this work. So the idea that it's difficult in any way, shape, or form, it's like other people your age especially, like, how dare you.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Think that something bad could come. And it's like, well, I'm saying, still growing up and living my life.

[C]

Yeah. It's all. It's all relative. Like, I, you know, I would hear that all the time and. And I, of course, didn't understand that completely because I was living in it. So for people that had that view, I'm in a completely different place than. Than you are. So you can speak from your side of it. I'm speaking from my side of it. And they're two completely different things. And both can exist at the same time. Like people. People get caught up in this concept of emotion is mutually exclusive. Like you either if you are jealous of somebody, then you're just jealous. It's like, well, no, I can love somebody and be happy for them and then be jealous of them at the same time. That's okay. Yeah, that's all right. To have both of those things going. But people don't completely get. Get that. And they feel guilty when they feel like, oh, my God, this is my best friend. But I'm jealous because they're getting this opportunity and I so wish that I had it. So then they start stuffing that and it creates. It creates all of these. All these problems. And believe me, it was my therapist that pointed. That pointed this stuff out. Yeah, this isn't like, oh, my God, I'm a genius. And so I came up with this myself, like my therapist, you know, so.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, we, we. We're. We've all been in therapy. It's just a part of it.

[C]

Welcome to it. We're all. We're all child actors.

[A]

Yeah, exactly.

[C]

If we're surviving now, we've gone through therapy.

[A]

Yes, yes.

[C]

That's why we're still here.

[B]

That's accurate.

[A]

I think your big moment on the show as it's building its audience in season two ends up becoming part of the 90210 folklore forever. And it's the episode that is called the next 40 years, and your best friend Scott accidentally shoots himself at his 16th BIR. It was a very intense episode.

[B]

Growing up watching 90210 with my family, I remember the announcement that a character was going to die.

[A]

Really?

[B]

Like, oh, yeah, this was a thing.

[A]

Well, yeah, of course. It was very intense. And nothing like that had ever been done for kids or teens before.

[C]

No, no.

[A]

Do you remember finding out that that episode was going to happen? Did they talk to you about it ahead of time? What was that like?

[B]

Mike?

[C]

Yeah. They. That was. That was a really tough point. It was absolutely, for me, absolutely bittersweet. Like, I. They started putting David and Donna together, and they realized, like, oh, this is kind of a fun duo and this thing. And so maybe we have David do summer school so he can then be in the same grade as all these kids. But then they. They were like, okay, well, then these two kids, these two guys, we can't have both of them. Like, it doesn't make any sense. So they came up with this idea of Doug, unfortunately, having to do that. And I remember getting the script and being shocked. Being happy again. Two emotions at the same time. Happy it wasn't me. But then really, really sad that it was him because the show was really blowing up at that point and we all knew it. So to then have to say to him, like, okay, thanks for being here in the beginning, and we're going to take it from here really, really hard. Like, we had done all the cast photos and the things, and he was in all the stuff, and then all of a sudden, he's not there. I remember, um, his. He and his mom had rewritten that scene where he doesn't get shot. Like, you know, it was. It was like sort of a joke thing. But I think that there was a part of it that was kind of like this.

[B]

Yeah, no, thanks for. Thanks for playing drums, Pete. But we just met someone named Ringo.

[C]

Exactly.

[B]

Right.

[C]

Exactly.

[A]

Perfect.

[B]

But it was. No, I mean, my friends, we. There were conversations. People were talking. Cause they set it up and is. Someone's gonna die. And we're flashing different pictures on the screen. So people were talking about, like, who

[C]

do you think they were saying one of. One of the characters you love is gonna die? Or like, it was something like that. Yes. Oh, my God. Who.

[B]

Who do you think it's gonna be? And why is it gonna happen?

[C]

And. But.

[B]

And so, yeah, there was. It was a whole thing based on.

[C]

Did you put your money on anyone going, yeah, we knew.

[B]

We knew who it was gonna. I mean, I think most people knew who was gonna go, me.

[C]

It went,

[B]

no, but you kind of. You hate to say it. It was. The way they built it up was great. But there was one character that if you had to lift quote, unquote, lift them out of the script. There was one that lifted out because you did.

[C]

Joey.

[A]

Tata, toey.

[C]

Tata. Nat. Nobody likes the mega burgers anymore.

[B]

But no, we saw. They were clearly aging you up. I mean, it was clear that they were aging you up. They were putting you with the Donna character.

[C]

Well, and they were. And they started incorporating these things where David and Scott were, like, not seeing eye to eye on things and they were kind of arguing. And Scott came back from summer break with, like, the. The cowboy hat on and all this stuff. And like, they really, really went for like, okay, these two are completely different. Like, they really leaned into it. I remember because I saw him in the cowboy hat when he came back, the Stetson. I was like, oh, my God, that is a big hat. Yeah. Like, it wasn't hard enough to read the script, to have to read the script with that big, big Stetson on your head. Oh, my God.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Not only are they getting rid of me, but look at this ridiculous wardrobe I'm wearing.

[A]

Look at this.

[B]

And then you had that big monologue and I remember the big monologue. And then my friend thinks he's a cowboy and shoots himself in the stomach. Like, I remember all this was.

[C]

This is like this. For.

[B]

For a generation of TV watchers, this was an important television moment. It really was.

[C]

It was. Yeah, yeah. Crazy. Looking back on it now, it's. You realize, like, oh, my God, that's. We started a lot.

[A]

Lot. Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

[B]

Yeah. This was Dudley getting molested in the back of the bike shop on Different Strokes.

[C]

Like, there's a.

[B]

There's a bunch of different television moments

[A]

for a kid that stick outer in the refrigerator.

[B]

In the refrigerator. I mean, this is. This is another one of those moments that sticks with you. It really does.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah, for sure.

[A]

Well, at this point now, 9 021, oh, mania is in full effect. When did you first know this was going to be much more than just one of those other pilots or shows you had done?

[C]

We did Grad night at Disneyland.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[C]

And just to completely date myself. And when this was another bad creation, was there.

[B]

So cool.

[C]

Phillips was there and we were doing an appearance on the Tomorrowland Terrace, that stage that comes up out of the ground. And so we were down in sort of the bowels of Disney and the tunnels, the underground crazy system where Mickey walks around with no costume head on and stuff like that. Like, it's really. If you're young, it's shocking.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

I was really. It was a lot for me to take years of therapy to get over.

[A]

You were a teenager.

[C]

But still, you know, Mickey held a special place in my heart. And so I was. I was a bit devastated. Just a bit. And so Wilson Phillips were up above and they were performing a song. And the crowd was going crazy, as I assumed they would. I was like, oh, my God, Wilson Phillips are out there. This is crazy. And so they were done and then the crowd starts screaming again. So I was like, oh, my God, they must be doing like an encore or something going, you know, something going on. So as a cast, we had this really stupid idea of like, hey, when the stage comes down and we're supposed to get on, we'll get on, but we'll all hide. So when the stage comes up, there's nobody on the stage. It looks like they've sent, you know, this empty stage back, back up. So we did that and it came up and everybody was a bit kind of quiet. And then we all popped out and the crowd went bananas. And that was the first time we realized, like, oh, my God, all of these kids are watching our show and loving it. And it was a sea of kids. Wow. Leading up to that, it had been in stuff here and there, like, you know, car full of girls with their parents at the gas station. Oh, my God, are you on that show? And, you know, and all that.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

But that was the first real, like, oh, my Beetle feeling moment. I mean, we came from New Kids on the Block, we're on the COVID of every magazine, so to all of a sudden be having these moments where it's like, God, I've seen this before.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[C]

And now we are in the shoes of these people that are like running to chain link fences and running down lines to ju into a van for the door to close to get out of the way. It was, it was really surreal for me. Like, I remember Ian and I took a trip to Spain at one point to promote the show. And there were 15,000 people in the airport in Spain. Oh, my God. They had to shut down the airport. Shut down the airport. Like, they had no flights. We. We ruined people's days. You know, I'm sure all the parents were like, these 921 0.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So crazy. But it was bananas. And we, they, they sent look alikes out one door to sort of move the crowd so we could get out. We were on the freeway and kids were running across the freeway. We got to the hotel, went to sleep because it was such a long flight. Got up the next morning and I opened the window to my room and there were thousands of people down on the street. And it felt like, like when you see the videos of Michael Jackson or Madonna or whatever, you know, out of the country and that on that pandemonium on the street. And all of a sudden I was in that. It was, it was like, oh, my God. What is happening?

[B]

Well, I remember it made the news when Luke Perry went to a mall and he was there for like 30 seconds and they had to escort him out because they thought people were going to die. Like, literally thought people were going to die.

[C]

They would do crazy things, like sneak us into, like, laundry. Laundry. The rolling laundry baskets and stuff. And, like, put clothes. Because we were doing these mall appearances. But these stores are in the middle of a mall, right? So you have to go through the mall to get to Sam Hoodie or, you know, forever. Like these store pennies. Like, it was. I forget what stores they were at that point, but. So nobody thought about that. They would fill the mall with thousands of people. And then it's like, oh, yeah. How the. How are we going to get people. Yeah. In and out for these appearances is. They didn't think that through. So they would have to get us through these crowds. And at that point, it was all young girls, so it was just screaming and pandemonium and.

[B]

But no, I'm rushing because we never did this. We never did mall appear. What were mall appearances?

[A]

I did mall appearances.

[B]

I did, too. Okay, so you go and you sign on and people. Are you getting paid? Is it like a convention?

[C]

Okay, so, yeah, it was like a convention, but you're paid by the store. And the store would end up getting. Getting thousands of people running through it.

[B]

Right? Or we did that.

[C]

I guess we did.

[B]

We did do that one. Right.

[C]

They wouldn't pay for autographs. They would just pay us a flat fee to go do these. We did a bunch of car shows. There were things like that. And I remember, like, at those. It was the same thing. They would just pay you a flat fee, and then you'd go and you just sign as many autographs as you could over the course of a day or two days, and you'd go home. It wasn't like conventions. Aren't you.

[B]

Yeah, well, no, I remember distinctly it was 1994, and my. My roommate at the time, he and I decided to go to Europe. So we're on a train and we're going.

[C]

We're.

[B]

We're sitting in a train car and two German girls who are teenagers sit across. And of course, what you do in Europe, they start drinking beers and we start talking. And I said, so, you know, what's. You watch television? They both perked up. Of course we do. I said, what's. What's your favorite show? And they both went 90210. And they were behind in the seasons coming out because in Germany they were getting them a little late. And as a joke I said, oh, so is Dylan still alive in the seasons that you're doing? And the girl burst into tears.

[C]

Of course you crushed them. And I was like, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It was a joke to you. You crushed them.

[B]

The girls burst into tears. This is, this is again Germany in the 90s. And they were, were freaking out.

[C]

And just that karma is still with you to this day. I just want you to know that

[A]

just like you wishing ill on Brian Green, will carries this karma with him forever.

[B]

It was unbelievable though, how important it was. I mean, the girl literally burst into tears thinking one of her favorite characters was gone.

[C]

Of course.

[B]

Crazy.

[C]

It's crazy.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah. What an thing to do.

[B]

It was great.

[C]

Unbelievable. Yeah.

[A]

Do you have any idea, one more storyline I want to ask you about? Do you have any idea where exchange an egg to find a rave? Do you have idea where that may have. Have come from? Do you remember that storyline?

[C]

I think that was a thing at that time. I think when raves were going on, they would, they would make them really secretive. So it was like you had to go to this liquor store at this time and nobody knew the location of any of these things. So I think that's what made the raves at that point really cool, was that if you didn't know and they didn't, somebody didn't send you to this liquor store to get this information, then you wouldn't be there.

[A]

You wouldn't be able to find it.

[C]

Yeah. And these parties were. They were massive, these raves and they went. They were like these after hours things. It was way before the drug. The drugs were really involved in all of them and it was just this kind of fun, cool late night thing for kids to do. So the writers, I think, stole that idea from actual culture at the time.

[B]

As the show became more popular and, and you were growing up as a cast, were you allowed any kind of creative input to what was happening in the show or.

[C]

Tons. Yeah. Yeah, they were.

[B]

Wow, that's so great.

[C]

They were not. They. They completely understood the concept of we. We will be writing these based on real things that you guys are doing. They were, I mean we were doing 34 episodes a season at the height of that show. We did over three. We did. No, just under 300 episodes in 10 years. It was like. It was really. We worked constantly. We. We shot 10 out of 12 months a year. Which is why the cast of our show, if you watch, watch, we didn't really Have a chance to go do films because we didn't have enough time. So we did a lot of these Movie of the Weeks at that point, because they shoot them in 18 days.

[B]

Right.

[C]

So it was you kind of prepare. And because there were, again, only a few networks, these Movie of the Weeks were massive at that point. That was like the payday for actors. It was like, oh, my God, I'm gonna go to Canada. And, you know, nobody was in Canada. Like, they were. They were like five actors there. Like, it really. Movie of the Weeks, I think, are what started the Canadian film industry. I don't know that as a fact, but I'm going to speak about it.

[A]

Like, say it.

[B]

Say it with authority.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Another aspect of your character bleeding into real life with who you were as a person involves your rap album, One Stop Carnival. I have heard many stories out of the Ballistics young Hollywood era, and I feel like this is part of it. Can you tell our listeners what Ballistics was?

[C]

So. Wow. Ballistics. So I was really good friends with David Faustino, who played Bud Bundy on Married With Children. Mm. And we were friends with Nick Adler, who is Lou Adler's son. Lou Adler was the manager of the Mamas and the Papas. He owns the Whiskey, he owns the Rainbow and on the Rocks. He. No, he owns the Roxy and on the Rocks and the Rainbow Room next to it. Like, he's one of the guys that really built Sunset. So they decided, like, hey, we're gonna throw this hip hop club at the Whiskey. Which was just unheard of. Like, the wit. The Whiskey was a rock place. There was. There'd never been hip hop in there before. So they. They started. They were like spray painting tarps to hang up inside. And they like. It was. It was a true, legitimate, legitimate hip hop spot. But it was. It was hip hop for young Hollywood people that were in town. But it was really the start of something because, you know, hip hop was really growing at that point, and it had grown from just being this art form that break dancing grew out of to really becoming this true, true music art form in itself. And coming from music myself, I was a big lover of jazz. So it was an easy crossover for me because it was like, oh, my God, so much jazz was being sampled and redone in hip hop. That's kind of a lot of it grew out of that. So Ballistics kind of went along with this natural love of. Of hip hop for us anyway. And then it just continued to grow. I was really in the hip hop scene. That was for in the 90s, that was. And it still is. That's my heart, my love is. Hip hop is that culture is all the music that came out of the. Out of that decade, that was my decade. So I started. I was promoting clubs myself, like early 90s, I. I was promoting one at bar one that was. That was really big. Then I started doing a hip hop club at the corner of Santa Monica and Vine, up in the tower. We had the entire penthouse floor. It was called Green Light. And it was at the point when hip hop was massive and we had literally anybody across the country that was in hip hop. So Jermaine Dupri, whenever he was in town, was up there, Puffy was up there, Guru would be up there, and he'd be like, freestyling for hours. Busta Rhymes came and, like, performed. Wooha. When it first came out, like, we had literally anybody that was in town. And it was this really incredible spot where the elevator doors opened up and we had two sides to it. So I did all. I had a DJ playing all just classic jazz on one side, and then the other side was all hip hop. So on the jazz side, you heard the stuff that was then sampled and was played so cool. It was really cool. And it was. And to me, I just wanted to build a place where it was all the music that I loved, but I could, like, get out any door if I ever had to get out. Like, it was a safe place for me. I was doing a lot of music at home at the same time. And a friend of mine who was a piano player and a songwriter, his name was Ralph. He. He was. Everything was on cassette at this point. And Babyface was looking for new producers to have within his. In his camp. So my buddy Ralph sent his tape over there of a bunch of stuff that he had done. And a couple of the songs that were on this tape. Tape were things that I had done just sort of for fun. I had a group. And so Baby Face said to him, oh, I really like this song. And my buddy Ralph was like, oh, I didn't do that. My friend Brian did that one. Baby Face was like, oh, well, I. And this is a cr. Don't think this is lost on me too. Like, Baby Face was saying this. He was the king of the world at this point. And he was like, oh, I really like this song. And Ralph was like, I. I didn't do that one either. My buddy Brian did. Cut to. Ralph says to me, hey, Baby Face wants to have dinner with you with his wife. Me, like, no, Way that was before punk. So I was like, I can't. Like, this isn't, you know, this. There's got to be some validity to this. So I went and I had dinner, and it was. Sure enough, it was Baby Face and his wife sitting across from me at the. At the dinner table. And we were talking about music. And he said, you know, I'm starting a new label. I. He already had LaFace going at that point. He was like, I can't have two labels, so this new one, my wife is going to run and that. But I will kind of be underneath it all, you know, pulling. Pulling the strings and, you know, puppeteering the whole thing. And we want you to be on. On this lady label. I was like, are you serious? Like, I know I had no intention of ever doing an album. Like, I loved hip hop. I loved making beats. I came from music cut to. I'm like, signing this deal with Baby Face and his wife. And you remember the artist, John B. Remember him?

[B]

And I know that name. Yeah.

[C]

When I was looking for Beats, he was one of the kids who submitted a tape of beats. And I remember his demo tape was phenomenal. Like, he was this art.

[A]

He was this, like, really R B guy, Right.

[C]

He's an incredibly talented R B singer, songwriter. Unbelievable. It was one of the best. Forget that. It was a demo tape. It was honestly one of the best albums I had heard in years. They ended up signing him. So I did this album with. It was. I ended up doing it with someone who is now one of my closest friends in the world, Trey from the Far side, who I was in the Far side. I was a huge fan of them at that point. And so we ended up doing this album, and the label didn't really know what to do with it because I was the white guy from 90210. So I think they were expecting more of a There's nothing my love can do for you, baby Like, I would be on a beach playing, you know, throwing it. Throwing a football to yourself. Yeah, throwing a football to myself in a tank top. And, like, that was my audience. And the album I did was not that at all. It was the music that I loved at the time. It was just as. As true to hip hop as I could be. And hip hop was very, very fickle at that point. So the album wasn't received well. Like, it was really. People were really understandably hard on it. I mean, the. The. The business came. Vanilla Ice was. Was big before me. So that the culture itself was very wary of.

[B]

Yep.

[C]

Anybody white coming in and having anything to say or do. And it wasn't until really Eminem. And I mean, you. I mean, you had some people like Everlast, you had third base, you had Beastie Boys. You had these people before that were really true to it, but they weren't commercial, they weren't pop. Like, they were very all about the culture itself. So the fact that I was on such a commercially successful show, the cards were stacked against me from day one. And I remember going and promoting it and. And writers of, like, the Source and, you know, all these hip hop magazines and stuff that we white labeled the album when we put it out, so nobody knew it was me. So we would get their honest review of it, but then I would sit down with them to do an interview, and they'd be like, oh, you got me. Okay. And I was like, no, no, I don't. We're not trying to get you at all. Like, we're just. We just wanted to give it a fair shot, you know, but people were really, really hard on it. Now it's like, widely respected, and I wish I had that respect in 95Y, but whatever, you know, it's good to have it now. It makes me feel good.

[A]

Can we. Can I put you on the spot a little bit and see if you'll do a little 90s TV star rappers ranking, like, between you. Scott Khan, David Faustino.

[C]

Oh, my God. Wait, just within my industry or just hip hop itself?

[A]

No, no, just within the industry. Yeah. Cora Nemec, like, you know,

[C]

had a hip hop album. Oh, yeah, he was so.

[A]

He.

[C]

So Cora and I are really good friends. Corky is the name that he went by. Him. He was good. He was. We were both good friends with this guy Justin Warfield, who. He and Adam went and did she Wants Revenge. They. They're. They're the two of. Of that group. Yeah. But, yeah, there was a. There was a small group of us who loved. Loved hip hop. I think Korn was the best lyricist. He's always been a really good writer. Yeah, he's still to this day, like, he writes these sort of film things and these TV show ideas and stuff that he has, and he's really, really good at it. I think of any of them, I was by far the best beat maker. Not to toot my own horn, but I mean, you see, like, I've got a full studio of stuff behind me.

[A]

Full studio.

[B]

Yeah, this is.

[C]

Is. I would like to brag and be like, oh, this is, you know, the state of the art. Podcast studio that I've built, but it's not. I've made no money in podcasting. I've made. I've made no money in music. But I still.

[A]

But you love it.

[C]

Yeah. This is my thing. Dave. God, Dave, like really broke the. He opened a lot of doors for people within TV to get into.

[A]

He was like the business mind.

[C]

He really was. Yeah. And he still, to this day is like. He's. He's out DJing and doing a lot of stuff now and he is still People within that. Be real. He just, he has all these friends within the industry that. It's cool. It's really.

[A]

We'll make, we'll make no mention of Scott Khan.

[C]

No. Scott was. I was doing his thing. I just. He's. I mean, now he's an actor. Like, no, nobody even knows that he was rapping because nothing. I don't think anything commercially ever came out first for Scott Khan.

[A]

Right, right.

[C]

He used to come to my club, though. It's unbelievable. Like, the club that I did at bar one, the people that would come that I'd see outside at the door, Scotty Khan with like, he had. He always had gloves on. Like, it was this whole thing. Black Eyed Peas, like Will I Am that. They were all. They were calling to the, hey, man, you doing your club tonight? And they, oh, yeah, sure, come on through. And you know, all these, all of these people within LA that then got into. That were really into hip hop and the club scene opened the doors for a lot of these people.

[A]

So a lot of stars came and went from 90210 and you a lot. Yeah. You really went the distance. You stayed till the end. Did you ever think about leaving?

[C]

No. Because the money got better and better.

[A]

Right.

[C]

Like, why, why am I gonna jump ship now? Like, I get to, you know, renegotiate my contract. Like, I'm just gonna stick it out here. I'm gonna. I always had a. A sense of, I think because I had been acting for so long of, oh my God, I'm making good money now. Like, let's stick this thing out and make as much as I can and, you know, pay off my house and like, really set myself up.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And then go be an artist and whatever after this is done. So smart.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

At 10 years, they still wanted to keep going. And I was really done. At 10.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

At 10 I was like, no, I think I'm. I think I'm good. Like, that's a 10 year run. Like I've given you guys from 17 to 27. Like, I. I'm good.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Really great. Well, as you know, I am a big Sharna for fourth judge on Dancing with the Stars supporter.

[C]

Can I. Can I just say beforehand, you were really great on the show. You were really fun. Like, Sharna and I were rooting for you through it all, because it's not. Not. It's not an easy thing to do, you know, being there. Like, people. You assume that, oh, I dance all the time. Like, oh, it'd just be fun. And it's like, no, it is. Dancing with the Stars is the true technique of dancing. And every time you get into a new dance style, the technique changes and the frame changes and the posture changes and the. The heel or the toe lead changes. All of these things happen. And you have. Have this really short week to master this thing and then be judged for, and you're live, and you're just. You're picked apart for, like, all the little mistakes that you make. So you're rooting for anybody that is doing it. And you were. Danielle, you were so fun to watch, and we really. We really rooted for you, but your commitment to it and your, like, true, true passion for doing it, it was. Was not lost, I don't think, on anybody that watched it. So thank you. Good for you for being there as long as you were and for committing to it and doing it, because it's not. It's not an easy thing at all.

[A]

Thank you. It was the time of my entire life. I loved it so much. But I. I mean, that was so sweet. I was not asking this question to get any sort of praise myself. I.

[C]

Well, you did get praise.

[B]

I did.

[A]

I did. I did. I'm just gonna accept it. I'm gonna say thank you. But I'm asking wholeheartedly, as a fan, how cool is your wife?

[C]

She's awesome.

[A]

She's amazing. She's an incredible teacher. She's a fantastic dancer. She's got a great personality. I just. I totally.

[C]

She's an amazing human being. Which is. Which is, I think, then what really translates to all the other stuff, like fourth chair, you know, she. She has a passion for constructive criticism, for, like, really understanding the process of what someone is going through and really trying to, in the most positive way possible, get. Explain to people what the judges might be looking for or what she saw. And she. It's funny. We would. Because we would always come by on tape nights to kind of see everybody and encourage everyone. And it. The feedback that she got from so many people saying, oh, no, we would watch Fourth Chair on Tuesday morning and we would absolutely take to heart the things that you would say because they would improve what it is we were doing. And she, she was always about that. It's like she wants to, to, she wants to help people with what it is she's saying. She doesn't, she doesn't ever want to jest on someone for the purpose of being on someone. Like, she really wants to say things that she hopes are light bulb moments where people go, interesting. Yeah, I never thought about it that way. And she grew up dancing. She's been dancing her entire life and she loves it. And it wasn't until I did the show that I really understood where the passion and the technique comes from and how much work goes into it.

[A]

Oh, yeah. My last question for you. We've seen you at conventions. You similarly to us, you are always paired with Tori Spelling. Your characters are forever linked, for sure. What has it been like seeing the long lasting effects of 90210 and more specifically David Silver, like what kind of an impact that has had on multiple generations?

[C]

It's incredibly humbling. I mean, you guys know you're doing these conventions also. It is, it's so incredibly humbling when people come up to the table and you can only give them 15, 20 seconds because you have to kind of keep it moving. But if you give them your full attention during that 20 seconds, how much of, of a change it can make in their life and how much it means to them. I always tell people, like, it's not that hard to be kind, to be nice to people. It's not that hard. And so it blows my mind when people aren't, when they just want to shuffle people through and sign stuff and do. I don't, I don't understand that because that honestly, to me, in my mind, and it takes more work than just being kind to people. Conventions are great because it's given me a chance to travel around and really see the impact of it and hear these stories from people that are like, oh, I remember when I was in high school and I was going through this, or I was going through this really tough situation or I watched your relationship and so I got a lot of really great pointers and things from it and I use those in my own. But it's unbelievable because to us, we were just kids making a show. The writers would hand us a script and we'd go do the script and then you finish it and you move on. I never understood the impact of what it was we were doing. When we were doing it. So to hear it now, you realize back then it was just a job. Now I'm not getting paid the same way for that job. It's a different. Different role that I've stepped into. And I really enjoy it. I really love it. Like, I really. I. As much as it's bad for business, when you get to your table and you're like, yeah, there's not many people here. I really enjoy the fact that I can spend time with people, and I do. And we connect on. I know nothing about what it's like to grow up in Kentucky or what's around you or what school was like for you, or God. Let's. Let's, like, chop it up a little bit. Let's get some really cool conversations going. Because I. It makes me a better person. I come back home, it makes me a better father. It makes me a better listener. It makes. It makes me more compassionate. It just makes me a kinder human being because I am really listening to people when I'm talking to them. And. And the stories aren't that different. You know, our childhoods were different, and some of the things we experienced and missed out on were different, but they're all relative. There's. We're all human beings. At the end of the day, all of us, we all have these human experiences. So, you know, like you said, people look at us and go, how dare you complain that it was hard because look at all you had. But for us, completely different situation.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

My high school experience was in front of 30 million people every single week.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

Doing a show. So, yeah, it was pretty. It was pretty tough for me as well. Money, different situation, life, sure. House and the cars and the stuff. But it's all relative, man. Yeah, all relative. So we're all human beings. Like, I think the more we can all connect and just listen to each other and connect with each other. Other, the better equipped it makes us to live within this melting pot of a world which now, with the Internet, is more of a melting pot than ever. So we should all continue to learn about each other's cultures and backgrounds and countries and cities and states and all of that, and really connect on all of the stories because we're not as different as we thought we were when we were younger. It's all right here. It's easy to get. I can pick up my phone and I can learn anything about anyone, you know.

[A]

Exactly.

[C]

I can ask ChatGPT before I do an episode of my podcast. And it literally gives me everything to Ask and everything to know.

[A]

Well, thank you so much for being here with us. It was a pleasure talking with you. Really great to get to know you better and hear more of your stories.

[C]

I look forward to seeing you guys again on the Definitely. You know, it's super fun. These conventions are super fun because I get to run into people that either I haven't seen in years.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

Or meet people that I knew because we were all in the same industry but I didn't know personally. So it's really. It's.

[B]

We always say it's our high school reunion.

[C]

Yeah, it totally is.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

It's these ridiculous weekends away where it's like, God, I don't have to, you know, because I have four young kids at home. It's like, I don't. All of. Of that kind of goes away. And we get to have fun dinners and share these fun stories.

[A]

Exactly.

[C]

And talk about how ridiculous our lives were and the fact that we're all. That we're all here together and we're like, thank God, happy and healthy and doing this and connecting with people.

[A]

Well, I'll see you at the mall. Yeah, I'll see you at Topanga Social.

[C]

I'll see you at Topanga Social for sure.

[A]

Thanks for being here.

[C]

Thank you so much for having me.

[B]

Me, guys.

[C]

I appreciate it. Talk soon. Bye.

[A]

Bye.

[C]

What a good guy, man.

[A]

Thank you all for listening to this episode of Pod Meets World. As always, you can follow us on Instagram Pod Meets World show. You can send us your emails. Podmeats worldshowmail.com and we've got merch,

[C]

merch, merch. Na na na na.

[B]

Sorry, that's my 90210 impression.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

That's the thing. I don't.

[A]

I don't.

[B]

Ryder's like, I don't. I don't. No, I don't.

[A]

No. Podmeetsworldshow.com will send us out.

[B]

We love you all. Pod dismissed. Pod Meets World is an iheart podcast produced and hosted by Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle and Ryder Strong, executive producers Jensen Karp and Amy Sugarman, executive in charge of production, Danielle Romo, producer and editor, Tara Sudbaksh, producer Matty Moore, engineer and Boy Meets World superfan Easton Allen. Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon, and you can follow us on Instagram @podmeats World show or email us at podmeatsworldshowmail.com this is an I heart podcast.

[A]

Guaranteed human.