Bronson Pinchot Meets World

Summary

Pod Meets World: Bronson Pinchot Meets World
Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts
Release Date: April 7, 2025

---

Introduction to Bronson Pinchot

In this captivating episode of Pod Meets World, hosts Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle, and Ryder Strong sit down with the versatile actor Bronson Pinchot. Known for his iconic role as Balki Bartolomewski on "Perfect Strangers", Bronson shares his extensive journey in the entertainment industry, offering listeners an intimate glimpse into his life both on and off the screen.

Acting Origin Story

Bronson delves into his unexpected transition from aspiring artist to actor.
[18:24] Bronson Pinchot:
"I went to see a friend in a dark Russian play and felt something deeper than jealousy—it was a calling. Even without acting training, I knew this was what I was meant to do."

Despite initial setbacks, including harsh feedback from a Yale Fine Arts department mentor, Bronson's perseverance led him to pivotal roles that launched his career.

Breakthrough Roles and Early Success

Bronson recounts his breakthrough in "Risky Business" alongside Tom Cruise and his subsequent roles in "Beverly Hills Cop", "After Hours", and "True Romance".
[16:01] Will Friedle:
"Awesome movie, awesome role. I'm going to be saying that all day today."

His portrayal of lovable goofballs and memorable characters quickly made him a sought-after character actor.
[25:05] Bronson Pinchot:
"Characters have no concept of time. When you start doing it, it's like reliving 1984 again."

Challenges of Fame and Personal Struggles

The sudden surge in fame brought unforeseen challenges. Bronson opens up about the difficulties of maintaining his personal life amidst public adoration.
[35:44] Bronson Pinchot:
"I was the happiest, most optimistic person alive on screen, but unhappily struggling in real life."

He discusses his mental health struggles, including anxiety and depression, emphasizing the importance of seeking help.
[43:46] Bronson Pinchot:
"I was afraid to seek treatment because I thought it would take away my ability to act, but it ultimately gave me more control and better access."

Diverse Projects and Audiobook Success

Bronson shares his passion for diverse acting projects beyond television and film, highlighting his prolific work in audiobooks.
[64:41] Bronson Pinchot:
"Giving a voice to over 450 audiobooks is like going to the acting gym constantly. It keeps my acting muscles super fit."

He describes the intricacies of bringing characters to life through voice, enhancing the storytelling experience for listeners.
[64:56] Bronson Pinchot:
"Audiobooks are intimate; you're literally the voice in our head when we're reading."

Reflections and Advice

Looking back, Bronson reflects on his early career choices and the lessons learned from his experiences in the spotlight.
[76:09] Bronson Pinchot:
"I wouldn't change anything. I conserved 100% of myself for each performance, and it kept the performance standing strong."

He offers heartfelt advice to aspiring actors and his younger self, emphasizing authenticity and dedication to the craft.

Memorable Stories and On-Set Anecdotes

Throughout the conversation, Bronson regales the hosts with entertaining anecdotes from his extensive career, including memorable interactions with co-stars and behind-the-scenes moments.
[61:31] Bronson Pinchot:
"During a scene in 'True Romance,' Madonna cycled by in head-to-toe Lycra, and no one paid attention because they were busy watching someone painted to be me."

These stories not only highlight his comedic timing but also his ability to navigate the unpredictable nature of the entertainment industry.

Conclusion

The episode concludes with heartfelt appreciation from the hosts for Bronson Pinchot's candidness and engaging storytelling.
[77:07] Bronson Pinchot:
"Thank you for your patience. It's so worth it."

Listeners are left inspired by Bronson's resilience, passion for acting, and the profound insights he shares about balancing personal well-being with a demanding career.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Bronson Pinchot [18:24]:
  "I felt a strange emotion, which was something like jealousy, but it was so much deeper than that. It ended up being what I'm supposed to be doing."

• Will Friedle [16:01]:
  "Awesome movie, awesome role. I'm going to be saying that all day today."

• Bronson Pinchot [25:05]:
  "Characters have no concept of time. When you start doing it, it's like reliving 1984 again."

• Bronson Pinchot [35:44]:
  "I was the happiest, most optimistic person alive on screen, but unhappily struggling in real life."

• Bronson Pinchot [43:46]:
  "I was afraid to seek treatment because I thought it would take away my ability to act, but it ultimately gave me more control and better access."

• Bronson Pinchot [64:41]:
  "Giving a voice to over 450 audiobooks is like going to the acting gym constantly. It keeps my acting muscles super fit."

• Bronson Pinchot [76:09]:
  "I wouldn't change anything. I conserved 100% of myself for each performance, and it kept the performance standing strong."

• Bronson Pinchot [61:31]:
  "During a scene in 'True Romance,' Madonna cycled by in head-to-toe Lycra, and no one paid attention because they were busy watching someone painted to be me."

This episode of Pod Meets World offers a rich, engaging exploration of Bronson Pinchot's multifaceted career and personal growth, making it a must-listen for fans and newcomers alike.

Transcript

[Danielle Fishel]

It's Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and Will.

[Will Friedle]

Friedle from Pod Meets World.

[Danielle Fishel]

Are you a small business owner launching a company or dreaming of starting one?

[Will Friedle]

Then check out season three of Mind the Business Small Business Success Stories from Ruby Studios and Intuit QuickBooks.

[Ryder Strong]

Join hosts Austin Hankwitz and Janice Torres as they talk to small business owners about how they've grown and maintained their businesses.

[Danielle Fishel]

You don't want to miss these inspiring stories of small business journeys.

[Ryder Strong]

Listen to Mind the small business success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Will Friedle]

This is an ad for the Active Cash Credit Card from Wells Fargo. Whew, that's a mouthful, but that's because.

[Bronson Pinchot]

It packs a lot in. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases with it, big or small.

[Ryder Strong]

So whether it's buying tickets to the game with your mom or grabbing a coffee with your dog, earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases made with it.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Let's say it together the Active Cash.

[Ryder Strong]

Credit card from Wells Fargo.

[Will Friedle]

Learn more@wells Fargo.com ActiveCash Terms Apply Ya.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Girl loves Hearthsome Jewelry and for the record, I'm Ya Girl. So imagine my excitement when I found out that I get to talk to you about Pandora Jewelry. Every piece from Pandora is crafted with meaning, love and exquisite artistry. Whether it's sparkling lab grown diamonds or vibrant enamels, engravings or iconic charms, there is no better place than Pandora to express what's in your heart. Pandora makes sure your jewelry is a celebration of you with hand finished designs and playful cuts that make everything unique like it should be. Shop Pandora today in store or [e-mail] every day is a chance to be love. Let Pandora Jewelry remind you that love starts with you.

[Unknown]

Getting diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer or mbc, which is breast cancer that is spread to other parts of the body, can feel scary. But you're not alone. Real women across the country with HR positive HER2 negative MBC are taking IBrands Palbociclib, a Pfizer product. Prescription IBrands 125mg tablets with an aromatase inhibitor is for adults with HR positive HER2 negative NBC as the first hormonal based therapy. Ibrance may cause low white blood cell counts that may lead to serious infections. Ibrance may cause severe inflammation of the lungs. Both of these can lead to death. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening chest pain, cough or trouble breathing before before taking ibrance, tell your doctor if you have fever, chills or other signs of infection. Liver or kidney problems are nursing pregnant or planned to be, all medical conditions you have and about all the medicines you take. For more information about side effects, talk to your doctor. Talk to your doctor about Ibrance, the one prescribed FDA approved oral combination treatment for HR positive, HER2 negative MBC. Visit ibrance.com or call 1-844-9-IBRANCE.

We're leaving today and entering a world of Cinderella, castle, sightseeing, Tron light cycling, jungle cruise, punning pirate, swashbuckling Everest, climbing, Dapper Danning, dunning, Soarin, soaring fireworks, show of. I'm not crying. You're crying. World of favorites. For whatever you love, infinite worlds await at the most magical place on earth. Walt Disney World Resort.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Well, this is a bit of a weird update considering, you know, we're multiple months into year. The year of 2025. But we. We get a lot of email. We get a lot of emails about whether or not we have exchanged our Christmas gifts. You guys are so cute with how much you pay attention and care about these little moments in our lives.

[Ryder Strong]

What's gonna happen? Like, it's just gonna. The pressure is gonna keep building. Like 10 years from now, we're gonna have to be like, buying each other cars.

[Bronson Pinchot]

We don't have to keep getting each other bigger and better gifts. They just want to know what we. Thoughtful, sweet gifts.

[Unknown]

Exactly. I guess. Yeah. Takes a lot, right?

[Bronson Pinchot]

I mean, whatever. When I buy you a Lamborghini next year, because I know you so well.

[Will Friedle]

I know how much you want a Lamborghini. Exactly. Can you also go camping in it? Can you press a button and it becomes another thing?

[Bronson Pinchot]

You can.

[Ryder Strong]

I did have a poster of a Lamborghini as a kid.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Of course.

[Ryder Strong]

A Lamborghini Countach.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Oh, yeah.

[Will Friedle]

One of the worst driving automobiles in history, by the way.

[Unknown]

Really? Really? Yes.

[Ryder Strong]

They're not a sponsor.

[Will Friedle]

They were terrible. No, they were the Lamborghini. The new ones are. I don't want a Lamborghini. I don't want a Lamborghini. I don't.

[Unknown]

It's.

[Will Friedle]

I don't want a Lamborghini.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Okay, so we did get together, we had a wonderful little lunch, and we exchanged our Christmas gifts. So, Ryder, why don't you go first and tell everybody what you got?

[Ryder Strong]

I got superhero underwear from.

[Will Friedle]

Yes, which you did.

[Ryder Strong]

Spider Man. It's still in its packaging. What?

[Will Friedle]

How did you fly without them?

[Unknown]

Oh, my God.

[Ryder Strong]

And then you framed our baseball cards.

[Unknown]

Yes, sir.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Alan and Ginter Topps cards. I gotta see each one of those. So nice.

[Will Friedle]

I gotta see each one of those. I got one for myself. Too.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Yeah. Yes. That was very sweet. Will, what did you get?

[Will Friedle]

Well, first of all, Danielle, you also got superhero underwear from me.

[Bronson Pinchot]

I most certainly did. I got superhero boxers.

[Will Friedle]

Shopping for it was really creepy.

[Bronson Pinchot]

I know, because at first you didn't go right to boxers.

[Ryder Strong]

No, I just wrote superhero female women.

[Will Friedle]

But it was like all these super. I was like, wow. Oh, my God. I can't look Batman the same if it's a Batman GC thing.

[Bronson Pinchot]

I mean, you thought jewelry was too personal to buy me, you know, too romantic. Imagine buying me a thong.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. So I'm talking to Sue. I'm like, I. I don't feel comfortable with this. She's like, make them boxers. I'm like, okay, that makes more sense. So you guys both got the same pair and you.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Yeah, we got the same Christmas gift this year, which is very cool. We both got superhero boxer shorts and our framed Alan.

[Will Friedle]

And your framed Alan G. I got. Which I'm actually. It's funny, I'm starting to read about. Ryder got me an electronic calendar, which is really cool. But the problem with it is it the screen is small. So as I'm writing on it with Sharpie, there's not a whole lot of room to put my day stuff.

[Ryder Strong]

The story behind this is that Will can never schedule anything without his physical. What he calls the big calendar that he and his wife share in their house. And so if we're texting or figuring out.

[Unknown]

And we have to schedule a lot.

[Ryder Strong]

Of things, guys, like, it's a constant.

[Bronson Pinchot]

No wonder we have to get together and get Christmas gifts. Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, that's why it takes until April. And it's always like, I'll have to tell you when I get home tomorrow and look at the big calendar. Like, I can't.

[Bronson Pinchot]

He also doesn't take a picture of it on his phone.

[Ryder Strong]

I've started doing it that he can't reference it. He can't tell you what he's doing at any.

[Will Friedle]

I started doing that. I started doing that.

[Ryder Strong]

So my idea was, let's get Will a big calendar that's electronic and then maybe there will be.

[Will Friedle]

Learn how to use it. It reminds me of my aura frame, which I love so much.

[Unknown]

But.

[Will Friedle]

But for a calendar. And then from Danielle, I got my Batman.

[Unknown]

I love it. Where's.

[Will Friedle]

Where's my.

[Ryder Strong]

And it actually works. Huh? Like, it really projects a bat.

[Bronson Pinchot]

And it's so cool. I actually pictured it in your room.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Will Friedle]

I. I don't know if you can see it there. Yeah, yeah, yeah, there.

[Ryder Strong]

Now, Will, when you were Batman Was it a slightly different symbol? It was. Right, yes, it was red.

[Will Friedle]

It's this.

[Ryder Strong]

But it was also a different. It's what?

[Will Friedle]

It's this symbol.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, right, right, right.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, that's the Batman beyond symbol. This is original. This is. This is 89.

[Unknown]

Old school.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Cool.

[Unknown]

So. Love that.

[Will Friedle]

So, yeah, I've got it right here.

[Unknown]

My stuff, it was very.

[Ryder Strong]

I don't have my gift. If I was recording at home, I could show off the gift that Danielle got me. Danielle and Jensen got me this amazing little work of art. I don't. Do you. Do you know the artist's name?

[Bronson Pinchot]

Yes.

[Ryder Strong]

Off the top of your head.

[Bronson Pinchot]

So the artist's name is Scott Hildebrandt and he makes incredible works of art inside. Vintage clocks.

[Ryder Strong]

Yes. So it's like a vintage alarm clock. I wish I was in my. My office.

[Unknown]

I could show it.

[Ryder Strong]

But it's a vintage alarm clock and it has this little camper scene of like a car and a trailer and it has a flickering light so you turn it on. It's the coziest, coolest little thing. And it's in my office now. It'll be behind me when I'm recording there normally. So I love it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Very cool.

[Will Friedle]

Wait, what did you get from Ryder?

[Bronson Pinchot]

I got an incredible pullover that has the Grateful Dead dancing bear. Dancing bear on it. That's right. What's the designer? Writer. It's like a designer. It's a clothing brand dealer.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, it's a clothing. Oh, Huckberry. Like anybody. Like if you go on Huckberry, it's like the rider strong clothing. Like you just look. That's where I. So they were doing. They did a special like Grateful Dead limited edition sweatsh sweater. And this was like in September or whatever and I was like, oh, gotta get it for Danielle. Cuz she's a deadhead now and I just think it's hysterical. But yeah, it's a. It's a little bear. It's a. It's a nice sweater.

[Bronson Pinchot]

It's such a nice pullover. It's a good quality. It's nice and thick. It's beautiful. I love it. So happy. And. And we already mentioned Will got me the Allen and Ginter cards. I'm gonna put my Allen and Ginter cards, I think right under. Over here is where I have the Thomas guide that I framed for our exchange kit.

[Will Friedle]

So Ryder obviously doesn't care, but have you worn your superhero boxers to bed yet?

[Bronson Pinchot]

I haven't, but I don't sleep in boxer shorts.

[Unknown]

But I Don't.

[Will Friedle]

What do you sleep in?

[Bronson Pinchot]

I either if it's really cold, I have sweatpants on, or I just sleep in a T shirt.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, okay. You porky pig it in bed. Really?

[Ryder Strong]

Did we have this conversation on this podcast? I feel like we've talked about.

[Will Friedle]

But isn't that because we talk about sleeping naked?

[Bronson Pinchot]

So these are important.

[Will Friedle]

Sleeping naked. You covered the bottom. You keep the top is one thing, but cover the bot. Okay, I get it. You are. You're Donald Ducking it in bed. I get it.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Welcome to Pod Meets World. I'm Danielle Fishel.

[Ryder Strong]

I'm Ryder Strong.

[Will Friedle]

And I'm Will Friedle.

[Ryder Strong]

This show is sponsored by Better Help.

[Bronson Pinchot]

On Pod Meets World. We regularly talk about the importance of therapy and working on yourself. But we know it's not cheap.

[Will Friedle]

And not everyone has a weekly podcast where they can sit with their two childhood friends and work it out.

[Bronson Pinchot]

It's a big investment. But the truth is your mental health is just as important as your physical health.

[Ryder Strong]

And that's why we love BetterHelp. With over 30,000 therapists, BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform, having served over 5 million people globally. Easily fitting into anyone's busy schedule.

[Will Friedle]

Traditional therapy can run you anywhere between 100 and $250 per session. And though I was told there would be no math in the show, I can tell you this, it adds up and fast.

[Bronson Pinchot]

But with BetterHelp online therapy, you can save an average of 50% per session.

[Ryder Strong]

You pay a flat fee for weekly sessions, saving you money and time.

[Will Friedle]

Therapy should be accessible and affordable, not a luxury. And with BetterHelp you get quality care at sensible pricing.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Therapy has personally helped my endless need for perfection through professional help. I'm accepting that mistakes do happen. And no matter how much I don't want to admit it, I can't stop them. It's even assisted me making sure I don't pass on my own struggles onto my children.

[Ryder Strong]

Listen, your well being is worth it.

[Will Friedle]

Visit betterhelp.com meets world to get 10% off your first month.

[Bronson Pinchot]

That's betterhelp. H-E-L-P.com meets world.

[Danielle Fishel]

This is Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and.

[Will Friedle]

Will Friedle from Pod Meets World.

[Danielle Fishel]

For many, the American dream means starting your own business and working for yourself.

[Ryder Strong]

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 Business small business success stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and Intuit QuickBooks in every episode.

[Danielle Fishel]

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.

[Will Friedle]

From tracking money in and out to.

[Danielle Fishel]

Cutting through the complexity with an all encompassing platform like QuickBooks, you don't want to miss these inspiring stories of small business journeys.

[Ryder Strong]

Listen to Mind the Business Small business success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Unknown]

Bring spring to your door with Target Circle360 get all you need for Easter hosting spring get togethers and more with unlimited same day delivery Through Target Circle 360 from Easter Basket goodies to fresh florals, getting everything the same day is easy. Open the Target app and bring the magic of the season to your door with unlimited same day Delivery through Target Circle360. Visit target.com circle or the Target app for more details. Subscription required. Same day delivery is subject to terms applies to orders over $35.

Does this podcast make you happy? Of course it does. That's why you're here. But it only comes out once a week for happiness, every night. You need Adam and Eve. Yes, I'm talking about sex toys. It's cool. It's cool. You have earbuds in right? Adam and Eve, America's most trusted source for adult products, has been making people very happy for over 50 years with thousands of toys for both men and women. Just go to AdamAndEve.com now and enter code IHEART for 50% off almost any one item plus free discreet shipping. That's AdamAndEve.com, code IHEART for 50% OFF.

Getting diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer or MBC, which is breast cancer that is spread to other parts of the body, can feel scary. But you're not alone. Real women across the country with HR positive HER2 negative MBC are taking IBrands Palbociclib, a Pfizer product. Prescription IBrands 125 milligram tablets with an aromatase inhibitor is for adults with HR positive HER2 negative NBC as the first hormonal based therapy. IBrands may cause low white blood cell counts that may lead to serious infections. Ibrance may cause severe inflammation of the lungs. Both of these can lead to death. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening chest pain, cough or trouble breathing before taking ibrance. Tell your doctor if you have fever, chills or other signs of infection liver or kidney problems, are nursing, pregnant or planned to be all medical conditions you have and about all the medicines you take. For more information about side effects, talk to your doctor. Talk to your doctor about Ibrance, the one prescribed FDA approved oral combination treatment for HR HER2MB. Visit ibrance.com or call 1-844-9-IBRANCE.

[Bronson Pinchot]

We are very excited for today's guest during our journey through Boy Meets World. In addition to trying to create a definitive audio time capsule for our own show, we have taken on some quick side missions, hoping to learn a little bit more about our Friday night neighbors and the details surrounding a programming block that would change TV forever. Whether it was Jim Janicek, the brainchild behind the TGIF campaign, or Nick Baquet, a man who went from a writer to the voice of a cat who could somehow make us time travel, we are interested in all the info. And today we're not only talking to someone who was the star of TGIF's first ever anchor, but his legendary run on TV and unforgettable appearances in classic movies makes him a first ballot comedy hall of Famer. You know him best as Balky Bartolomewse from the island of Meepos, a lovable goofball who has immigrated to Chicago to live with his distant and unsuspecting cousin Larry. The show ran for eight seasons and it was a massive hit, with Balki becoming the face of the channel. And the ratings were so high they would lead the way on the mission to turn Friday nights from a TV graveyard to appointment family viewing. And even before Balky touched down in the U.S. our guest was already a bona fide movie star. His first movie ever was alongside Tom Cruise in the seminal 80s movie Risky Business.

[Will Friedle]

Awesome movie, awesome role. I'm going to be saying that all day today, just so you know, with everything you're about to mention.

[Bronson Pinchot]

And it didn't stop there. Beverly Hills cop 1, 2 and 3, after hours. The First Wives Club.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, I can't.

[Bronson Pinchot]

And True Romance.

[Will Friedle]

Oh my God, he's got. Oh, he was so good. I forgot about True. He was so good in True Romance. Oh my.

[Ryder Strong]

Okay, I have to be honest. True Romance is the only one of those I've seen. So are you.

[Will Friedle]

Wait, you've never seen any of the.

[Unknown]

No, the. No, I know.

[Ryder Strong]

There's like gaping holes and then Risky Business. I've never seen either After Hours.

[Unknown]

After.

[Ryder Strong]

You've never seen a Scorsese film?

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Will Friedle]

Yes.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Bronson Pinchot]

After Hours.

[Unknown]

I know.

[Ryder Strong]

I just. It's actually on my list. Like dude, it is absolutely brilliant.

[Will Friedle]

Everything. You just listen and. Actually, you forgot. He's done four of the Beverly Hills Cop. Beverly Hills Cop movies. Because they just did the new one, and the whole cast got together.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Got back together.

[Will Friedle]

He was.

[Ryder Strong]

I have to watch it. Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Banger after next. And he's never the lead. He always is a character actor who comes in and then steals whatever the hell he's in. It's so good. Oh, my God. His performance in the first Beverly Hills Cop movie. Eddie Murphy. You see him on camera just trying to keep it together as he's speaking to him. He's like, eddie Murphy is trying not to break.

[Bronson Pinchot]

I know. So funny.

[Will Friedle]

Funny. It is amazing.

[Bronson Pinchot]

There is no TGIF without cousin Balki. And so we are honored to welcome a legend to the podcast this week. Break out the Dance of joy. It's Bronson Pinchot Bronson. We are so honored that you agreed to spend some time with us today. So, first off, thank you so much. It is really great to see you. Before we get into the branches of our big TGIF family tree, we wanted to delve a little into your actor origin story. I know you were born in New York, but you moved to California at a very young age, but neither of your parents were in the business. So how did acting find its way into your life?

[Unknown]

It found its way in. I had a friend. I was. I was all ready to be an illustrator and an artist. You know, painter, illustrator. And I had a friend who. I was an actor at the ucsb Santa Barbara.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

And I went to see him in a play, a really interesting, you know, dark Russian play. And I came home and. And felt a strange emotion, which was something like. I guess initially might have been something like jealousy, but it was so much deeper than that. It ended up being. That's what I'm supposed to be doing. And now what do I do? Because I don't have any acting training, but that's obviously what I need to be doing.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Wow.

[Unknown]

So we were very poor. We were poor. So. But. But I had gotten a scholarship to go to Yale, which, I mean, I.

[Bronson Pinchot]

I mean, no big deal. Just. Just a.

[Unknown]

Just scholarship.

[Will Friedle]

Small little school. I got this schol.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Heard of it. Tell me more.

[Ryder Strong]

Is that part of the UC system?

[Unknown]

So I went and I started to do, you know, drawing and painting and studying ancient philosophy. But they had, you know, student plays you could audition for. And I auditioned for a Shakespeare play, and I got it. I didn't know what I was doing, but the head of the acting department Came to see it and said, you don't know what you're doing, but there's something there because when you walk on stage, it's like a breath of fresh air. Would you like to actually learn how to do this? And I said I would. So he created a little tutorial for only just five of us. And he started to teach us how to act. I got into it. So at a certain point, the Fine arts department makes you do a portfolio review where you put up all your stuff and they tell you what they think. And I remember very distinctly what, what they said. The guy leaned back and he looked at everything and he said, well, it's very exuberant, although heavy handed, and I guess we'll take you, but this acting crap has to stop. And I thought, what is it? What? What? Sometimes, you know, life is just so well scripted. I was like, you're I. What? An arrogant butthead, right?

[Ryder Strong]

You just turned me off of this whole thing.

[Unknown]

What the hell are you talking about? I'll do plays if I want to. What difference does it make? But I mean, I didn't. It was like done. I don't want you. You. No, you're arrogant. And anyway, you know, drawing and painting is a thing you do by yourself in an attic. And I'm a very social creature. And he made the decision for me. It was a. It was a terrible thing to say to a 19 year old, but a wonderful thing because I literally just was like, screw you. I don't have anything. Like, no. Bye. So fast forward about a year and I did a. I did a play by Ian Esco called the Lesson, which is just a. A crackpot professor teaching this one student and, and kind of coming on to her. And it's. It's a really weird play. But anyway, the director had us come in every single day and just hump. He would just have me get on top of this actress. And it was like an acting exercise. And I finally said.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Wait, I'm sorry, did you say hump or hum? Oh, oh, I heard hum. And then I wasn't sure how you. Okay. Why?

[Unknown]

I'm glad you did have a sexual undertone.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Got it. I see.

[Unknown]

Undertone. So I finally said, the play is opening in like 10 days and we're doing theater games and I feel really odd about. I mean, there's no play happening, right? So I will, I will propose to you that you go away and I'll just figure it out myself. And if you don't go away, I'll go away because you've really had us here for three weeks.

[Bronson Pinchot]

You know, done nothing.

[Unknown]

Well, also, you know, doing voyeuristic weird stuff.

[Ryder Strong]

Right.

[Unknown]

So he went away. I. I figured out the play with this. With this wonderful young actress and another young actress who was in it. And somebody came to see it who was in. He was studying music composition. I wish I remembered his name because he's responsible for my whole career. He came to see it, and then he went back to his class, which was being taught by a composer named Maury Yeston. And Maury Yeston was writing incidental music for a play off Broadway called Cloud 9. And he mentioned in passing to his students, we're seeing people, professional actors in New York, and they're supposed to be funny. They're not. Isn't it a pity? Because I'm sure there's somebody, right, you know, within spinning distance who. Who is funny. And his students said, I just saw somebody in a play called the Lesson. And he. He's funny. So Yeston said, well, I'll get him an audition. And he got me on audition, sight unseen. I went down. They kept me waiting five hours because I was the charity case. But at the end. At the end of five hours, I did a really, really, really good audition. And the casting director came all the way out of the back of the theater because she's the one that had kept me waiting five hours. And she said, where did you come from? I said, well, I've been in the lobby for five hours, and. And she said, well, you've. You're. I. I didn't. Okay. I'm gonna. I'm gonna see what's up here. So she. She took me under her wing. Her. Her name was Mary Cahoon. She took me under her wing, and she. She. She brought me to casting sessions. And then I got a play in New York, and the producers of Risky Business came to see the play and cast me in Risky Business. And then I was off. And so that's. That's my acting origin story. And it's the. That's how it happened. You know, it's. I saw Isabella Rossellini on a thing the other day, saying that she asked her mother, Ingrid Bergman, how do you get into acting? And her mother said, you don't. It's a calling. It. It comes for you. Which is true. Yeah, because you can knock and knock and knock and knock and knock on the door, but, you know, it's like the. The mailbox opens and somebody reaches out and pulls you in. And so that's how. That's how it happened.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Wow. And so Risky Business was your first movie?

[Unknown]

It was my first movie. Wow.

[Bronson Pinchot]

And is that the movie that you were auditioning for at the time where she came out and got you, or was that a different project and then she.

[Will Friedle]

That was a play. That was this off Broadway play.

[Unknown]

Yeah, play. The. The. The. The thing where I sat in the lobby for five hours, which is funny because it. It then happened again at the second most important juncture of my career. I. They were. They had a movie called Beverly Hills Cop, and there was a character in it who was named Jack. He was American. And there was just a brief scene where Axel comes into a store, a clothing store called can you imagine? With a question mark? And there's a character named Jack who's described as a extremely. This is why I said I wouldn't go in. Is described as incredibly good looking and gay. And he had just a few lines. And the whole purpose of the scene was for. It was 1984 for Axl to just be like, you know, kind of beat on him because he was gay and leave. And they came to me and said, we can't make this funny. And I looked at it and said, yeah, I wonder why. There's. There's. It's a. It's a one beat. You know, it's one beat. It's. It's the. The. The. The. The main character being kind of like a jerk, too. So they said, well, can you. Can you come up with something? So I said, I. I don't know. There's nothing really there. But I. I took a long, long walk with the script, and I kept doing it and doing it. I think, why? What. And then it came to me that it might work if I did the voice of this Israeli makeup lady that I'd worked with, and also her body language, because she had no bones. So I went, and the director, Marty Brest, he really loves actors. He loves them so much that I sat there for three hours. Three hours is a long time.

[Bronson Pinchot]

So long.

[Unknown]

And I sat there for three hours, and I thought I should. You know, I've been in Risky Business, and I've been in the Flamingo Kid, and why do I have to wait three hours? So I called my agent, and she said, yeah, you're absolutely right. You can leave if you want. But I stayed. But over the course of three hours, I cycled through. I cycled through these. These emotions about six times, which were. How dare they, too? Well, I mean, it's really. There's a. It's a nice Couch. I mean, you could go get a. You could go get a Nature Valley granola bar. Yeah. How bad is it to. How dare they? I mean, what. Where. What do you got to do? What are you gonna do? You know? And so by the time I finally went in to see the director, I had cycled through this so many times that I was relaxed enough, even though I was 24, to say, so here's what I got. And this is all I've got. So if you don't like it, I'll totally understand. And if you do like it, then we can talk. I mean, and I didn't say it arrogantly. I just was like, this is it. I mean, I didn't say I'd been here three hours, but that's what I'd cycled through in three hours. And I did it. And he said. He just. He went like this. Marty. Such a dope. He went, I love that. And what would you call him? And I said, I just came up with this name Se. And so. So, so that. But so, you know, those were the most important eight hours.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Of my life. Because you have to cycle, I think, in. In absolutely everything. Everything. Whether you're meeting a person who's going to change your life or auditioning or even sitting in traffic, you have to cycle through. I shouldn't have to wait. I. This has been to who are you? Just once, you get a few times to, well, who are you? Then you get to the good stuff. So those were. And I think of that now quite often nowadays. I'm sitting on a set and I'm like, oh, God, I've been here five hours and I haven't even. And I'm like, so who are you? Big deal. You can wait five more hours because you're doing a great project and they're taking their time with it. And who are you? Who the hell are you? Yeah, and it's a. It's really a. It's really a foundational thing for anything.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Which is just get to the point where you're like, you're. You're. You big deal. You know, we're all sitting in traffic, so calm down and bellow out and get over yourself.

[Will Friedle]

You know, I also love. I'm sorry, I love how you are so casually mentioning so many films that were so utterly important to me growing up. Just like, throwing out, like, oh, I mean, from Risky Business to Flamingo Kid, which I used to watch on a loop.

[Danielle Fishel]

This is Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and.

[Will Friedle]

Will Friedle from Pod Meets World for.

[Danielle Fishel]

Many the American dream means starting your own business and working for yourself.

[Ryder Strong]

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 Business small business success stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and Intuit QuickBooks.

[Danielle Fishel]

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.

[Will Friedle]

From tracking money in and out to.

[Danielle Fishel]

Cutting through the complexity with an all encompassing platform like QuickBooks, you don't want to miss these inspiring stories of small business journeys.

[Ryder Strong]

Listen to Mind the small business success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Unknown]

Bring spring to your door with target circle360 get all you need for Easter, hosting spring get togethers and more with unlimited same day Delivery through Target Circle360 from Easter Basket goodies to fresh florals, getting everything the same day is easy. Open the Target app and bring the magic of the season to your door with unlimited same day delivery Through Target Circle 360. Visit target.com circle or the Target app for more details. Subscription required. Same day delivery is subject to terms. Applies to orders over $35.

Does this podcast make you happy? Of course it does. That's why you're here. But it only comes out once a week for happiness, every night. You need Adam and Eve. Yes, I'm talking about sex toys. It's cool, it's cool. You have earbuds in right? Adam and Eve, America's most trusted source for adult products, has been making people very happy for over 50 years with thousands of toys for both men and women. Just go to AdamAndEve.com now and enter code IHEART for 50% off almost any one item plus free discreet shipping. That's AdamAndEve.com code IHEART for 50% OFF.

Getting diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer or MBC, which is breast cancer that is spread to other parts of the body, can feel overwhelming. But you have options. Few women across the country with HR positive HER2 negative MBC are taking Ibrance Palbociclib, a Pfizer product. Prescription IBrands 125mg tablets with an aromatase inhibitor is for adults with HR positive HER2 negative NBC is the first hormonal based therapy. Ibrance may cause low white blood cell counts that may lead to serious infections. Ibrandts may cause severe inflammation of the lungs. Both of these can lead to death. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening chest pain, cough or trouble breathing before taking ibrance. Tell your doctor if you have fever, chills or other signs of infection, liver or kidney problems, are nursing pregnant or plan to be all medical conditions you have and about all the medicines you take. For more information about side effects, talk to your doctor. Talk to your doctor about Ibrance, the one prescribed FDA approved oral combination treatment for HR positive her two negative MBC visit ibrance.com or call 1-844-9-IBRANCE it's tax.

Season and by now I know we're all a bit tired of numbers, but here's an important one you need to hear $16.5 billion. That's how much money in refunds the IRS flagged for possible identity fraud last year. Here's another 20%. That's the overall increase in identity theft related to tax fraud in 2024 alone. But it's not all grim news. Here's a good 100 million. That's how many data points Lifelock monitors every second. If your identity is stolen, LifeLock's US based restoration specialists will fix it, backed by another good number, the million dollar protection plan. In fact, restoration is guaranteed or your money back. Don't face identity theft and financial losses alone. There's strength in numbers with Lifelock identity theft protection for tax season and beyond. Join now and save up to 40% your first year. Call 1-800-LIFELOCK and use promo code iheart or go to lifelock.com iheart for 40% off. Terms apply.

[Bronson Pinchot]

So risky business and Beverly Hills Copper, about a year apart, career wise for you.

[Unknown]

Here's, here's the math I love the most because it makes me happy. I came out in the play in 1982. The producers of Risky Business came to see it and put me in Risky Business, which came out in 83. And by the by 1984 I was shooting Beverly Hills Cop and Christmas of 84, 85, it it came out and I was so, so poor. I was at the end of my tether somebody had given me as a Christmas present, eat the littlest, stingiest gift basket you could imagine. It was a packet of water crackers, an apple, a Granny Smith apple and a little chunk, not even a whole thing of cheddar cheese. And I had nothing else to eat. So every day I would, I would take this, a sliver of the apple and a sliver of the cheese And a one cracker and eat it till I couldn't stand it anymore and then do it again. And the apple was starting to go brown. The movie came out and I. A friend said, you've got to go read what they wrote. Wrote about you in Newsweek magazine. I said, why would they write about me? He said, go read it. So it was a review of Beverly Hills Cop. And I walked to the supermarket to read it. And then on my way home, a car full of teenagers drove off of a poinsettia Avenue and onto the sidewalk and came right up to, like three feet in front of me and jumped out and started hugging me. And that's when it happened.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Your whole life changed. So how drastically does your life change then? What's the first thing that you do when all of a sudden, you know, your reviews are out? You're. You're a star? What is. What's the first thing you do to. To turn your situation around?

[Unknown]

The first thing I did was I ran away. I got. Because it was, you know, we have not caught up at all with the way our brains are wired is still from 200,000 years ago. So I. I got a residual check for Risky Business and I ran away. I went to Greece, and I just would turn the lights out at night, and I would take out a big map of Greece, and I would put my finger on it. Wherever my finger landed, I would. I would go there. Wow. And I remember once there was a guy yet my age, I was 25, he was coming down a very steep hill with these sheep, and he was the sheep herder, and he had a book under his arm. And so I thought, there's a fair chance he might speak English. The people, Tom Miller and Bob Boyett and Dale McRaven had come to me with this idea that I didn't think sounded very good for this TV show about an innocent sheep herder. And I. I didn't think that I had any business playing innocence. I. I thought I was rather sophisticated and urbane. So I said. I said, I don't know about that. But anyway, I ran out of money and. And I had just met this sheep herder whose dog was named Dog. And so I went to a phone booth in Athens and called them and said, do you still want to do that show? I. I didn't add because I'm out of money.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Right, right. And I just met a sheep herder.

[Unknown]

Whose dog is named Dog. And. And they said, yes, we do still want to do the show. I said, okay, like, soon.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Wow. How soon can we get it going?

[Ryder Strong]

Can you wire me a check? Yeah, so I can get home.

[Unknown]

I was completely out of money, so I went back and we shot it. And then the network wanted to replace the guy playing Cousin Louie was his name, because he was played by Louie Anderson. So they wanted to replace Louis. So they did auditions, and in comes Markland Baker. And we realized instantly. And then it's the same way today. We can read each other's minds. And I'm not even kidding. If he was sitting right here, he would. If you asked us a question, he would know what I was going to answer, and he'd start laughing, and then I'd start laughing at the fact that. That I. He knew. And. And we. There would be no. No speaking would happen. That when we do Q and A with audiences, we just. We just rock back and forth, laughing. And then he has to hold my mouth and explain to them all the. All the. The things that they've missed because somebody will just say something like, are you friends in real life? And then I start laughing because of course, we're much closer than friends, but I want to say something like. Like ridiculous. And then he. And so we just laugh. So the whole. Whatever. When we were interviewed, we. We laugh for 90 of it, and he explains for 9% of it. And I have one or two things to say, and it's. So he walked in the room and. And that happened. And. And then. And then we were. We were off. But I still. What. What I had missed because then I was really famous. I had not yet had a chance to at all find out how to be a functioning human being. And I also didn't really know what. What my process was as an actor. I had no idea. Oh, sure. So I didn't know how to be a person or an actor. And. And then we. They were in the top 10. And. And they were. You know, to me, it's almost like not my life, but more like a movie I saw because the. The level of craziness was. Was. Was. I can't even really quite grasp it now, but, I mean, it was. It was crazy. And then there were silly things. Like, I bought. My first house I ever bought was the house where Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio had moved right after their marriage. So there were people from Europe.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Yeah. Driving by your house.

[Unknown]

No, no, no, no, no. Not driving. Camping to take pictures of it. And then I would come out like this to go get the mail. Oh, God. Oh, my God. It's not only Marilyn's house, but he's there too. So, you know.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Oh, my gosh.

[Unknown]

And. But so I. That it's. I'm not complaining, but it delayed. I was not ready to come out of the egg. I was not ready to be a person for sure. I had never had money. I'd grown up on welfare and then been, you know, eating an app. A browning apple when the first. So it was kind of like taking a toddler and saying, here, you're gonna drive this submarine and you'll be fine. So I. I was. I was not equipped to do anything at all except play the character. I knew how to play the character, but I didn't know how to do anything else.

[Bronson Pinchot]

So how did that play out for you then, over the course of the years that you were on the show? What did that look like?

[Unknown]

What? It looked like. Very soon, very soon, I would play the thing and people would make, you know, they would roar and love it, and. And then I'd get in my car to drive home and I would. I would fantasize about a truck hitting me head on. And just because I didn't know how to live, I didn't know how to do anything except do that. That performance. And I was. I wanted it. I wanted some. Some. Some. I wanted something. I wanted it to stop, but I didn't know how to tell anybody. So that. Right. That meant that. How can I explain it? It was really almost like being, you know, if you took a chair and. And waved a wand over it and said, now you're a person. And. And they don't really know how to fake being a person. They just wait for it to, you know, wait for the enchantment to be over. It was just too soon.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Yeah. It happened so fast.

[Unknown]

It happened so fast. And I. It wasn't. It wasn't just that I was a guy with no money who suddenly had money and fame. It was that I was the person who didn't even know how to. I didn't even know how to be a person.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Right.

[Will Friedle]

Did you feel more like you were a person when you were in character than you did when you were not acting?

[Unknown]

Yes. But then something would happen. Like, I mean, everybody, you know, they really adored that character. But of course, he was. He was the kind of person that's like, you know, you at your very best. And then when I would go home to normality and my girlfriend would be sitting watching TV with the dogs and. And not look up, I would be.

[Ryder Strong]

Crushed to a point, like something was wrong.

[Unknown]

Well, it. Yeah. I mean, there were police holding People back from coming and giving hugs. And then there were, you know, then there was just a person who was bored by me or whatever the problem was. You know, I was playing the happiest, happiest, most optimistic, loving person alive, and I was the most unhappy.

[Will Friedle]

So you're Polyachi, essentially?

[Unknown]

Kind of, yeah. And I was afraid, I was afraid to go get treatment because I was afraid when did they fixed me. And then I couldn't act anymore or I couldn't play anymore. Wow. But that turned out not to be the case because it just gave me more, it gave me more control over my acting and it gave me better access. But, but because of that doubt, I, I waited until 1996 to go, to go get, you know, to, to go get help. And by that point I would have, if somebody said something that I thought, thought was hurtful or whatever, I, I would go dark for like three days. And when I say dark, I mean zombie. So I, I finally, you know, I finally got sorted out. And then, then, then I, then I started to enjoy myself and live and do Broadway and, and do the West End and, and I was like, oh, is this what it's like? Because Marklyn Baker used to say to me all the time, bronson, just let stuff roll off your back. And I thought he was making that up. I didn't think that was a thing that a human being could actually do. I thought that was just a phrase. I didn't know that somebody could come up and be unkind or just dumb and that you could let that roll off your back. I thought he was making it up to just get me through the moment.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Unknown]

I had no idea people could do that. So that's been really eye opening because, you know, there's lots of people who are ridiculous. I mean, there was somebody once I was getting on a plane and had lots of suitcases and things, and, and she ran up just as we were boarding, and I don't like flying. It makes me nervous. And she ran up and said, could, could you sign this? And I said, I'd love to, but I'm, as you can see, I don't have a free hand and I'm just getting on the plane and I, I, I'll, I hope I'll meet up with you again someday. So she, she stood there and she yelled at the top of her lungs, well, I hope the plane crashes. And so there we all were.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, my God.

[Unknown]

And, and that's, you know, that's, that's bad enough if you've got, if you've got anxiety of your own, you know? Yeah, but that's the kind of thing that happens if you're on people's. If you're on people's TVs and you're playing somebody incredibly loving.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Do you ever look back on those years then that you were on the show and feel sad that you didn't get to really celebrate those wins of that time?

[Unknown]

Yeah. And I mean, every day, the whole cast and lots of, you know, members of the staff would go out for lunch and every day, God bless them, they would ask me, and I would say, no, I have to stay, you know, in character, and I have to stay here on Perfect Strangers. I have to stay in my dressing room and be very simple and quiet and have my berry. Because I was a vegan at the time. And every day they would ask me, which was so sweet when I look back on it. They never gave up on me, but I'd never socialized. I never. I mean, it all had to be for the character. I wouldn't party. I wouldn't do anything. For me, life was like I had an oxygen tank and I. And I didn't know how long I would be down snorkeling. And so I couldn't give any of the oxygen for anything else. Like.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Right.

[Unknown]

Yeah. So it's just the way it was. I mean, I. I look back on it, I couldn't even. Even with my family. I would come and, you know, I would do Thanksgiving and one of my brothers would always have a new girlfriend for Thanksgiving. And then there'd be a new one for Christmas. Every. Which meant that I had to make a rule, which was no show biz at all. Because at Thanksgiving, I'm gonna have to sit there and talk about what's so and so like and what's also like. And then three weeks later, do it all over again. And I don't like that. So no showbiz. Yeah, no showbiz. So I had. I had a million rules because I didn't have the skill set. Like, nowadays, there's a woman on a plane a few months ago, and she didn't know who the hell I was. She stood next to me and a flight attendant came up and said, would you sign this menu? I said, sure. And the one next to me looked over like, what's that all about? And I didn't. Monica.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

And then. And then somebody else came up and said, would you sign my napkin? And I said, okay. And finally the woman next to me said, why are they doing that? And I Said because I'm an actor. And she said the thing that they always say, well, have you ever been in anything that I have seen?

[Bronson Pinchot]

Right. Like, you know, everything.

[Ryder Strong]

How do you answer that?

[Unknown]

And so, obviously, instead of, you know, getting up uppity, I. I just said, let the words just come to Bronson, because you're a friendly, nice, warm person, and you can do this with humor. And it came to me, and I said to her, I don't know. Why don't you list everything you've ever seen, and if I was in it, I'll raise my hand. And she laughed, and I laughed. And then we had a nice flight, and we talked about nothing. Because I.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Right.

[Unknown]

I. There is a. There is a fantastically nice, funny, warm way to say, no, I'm not going to list my credits. And I didn't. When I was younger, I. I didn't know that if you just take a breath, something will come to you. That's. That's kind of, like, true, but also fun.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Yeah, yeah.

[Unknown]

And. And we were like. We were laughing. She was like, oh, yeah, I get it. Yeah. And we had the greatest time. We chatted, we made fun of the movie. We. But I, you know, like, I didn't know that if you just took a second.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Right.

[Unknown]

The right. The right. And just choice words that let everybody still be a human would come to you.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Well, now I'm so curious. You talked about how essentially you were one person in the early 80s. And, like, we all do. We change, but you really had a big change in the 90s. So when you got to go back to. Then play the same character again that you did in something like Beverly Hills Cop, did you come at it from a different way? Because now you were such a different person when you went back to the character again, you came back the same way.

[Unknown]

Characters, you know, as any astrophysicist will tell you, there really is no such thing as time. And as any psychotherapists will tell you, they're. The unconscious has no grasp of time. So, I mean, if I smell. If someone makes eggplant Parmesan exactly the way my mom did, I'll start crying because that. That's it. So what? You know, characters certainly have no concept of time. And as soon as you start to do it, or I do, then it's the same. It's 1984 again, and there's no. There's no passage of time at all. And also, I. I was quite lucky in around 2003, 2004, 2005, as fate would have it. I did two plays back to back where I played multiple characters. And, and I'm talking about one. In one play, 38 different characters.

[Will Friedle]

Oh my.

[Unknown]

And, and right after it, a play where I played eight different characters. And in both plays it was male, female, old, young, in between, every nationality, every ethnicity, every everything. And in both plays it was part of the magic of the play that you didn't have. There were no costumes, there were no props. You just transformed. So doing that for, for three years really expunged the final. You know, I, I used to be the kind of person who would say, well, I'm, you know, if you want me to play this 17th century musketeer and you don't have the musketeer hat and the exact rapier, how am I supposed to be? But after you play 38 +8, 46 characters without having anything, and you have to turn, you have to go from an 85 year old Irish priest to a five year old, you know, to it for a little boy to a buxom, sexy, amazing female movie star. Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, like that. Then you stop, you know, you stop saying, if you don't give me the hat and the rapier, I can't do it, you know. And the final, the final piece was that I did for two seasons on DIY tv. I did my version of a home renovation show on the DIY TV where I worked on my own homes. I had half a dozen. I would redo rooms. I would redo the whole house using pre Civil War architectural salvage and it was called the Bronson Pinchot project. And once in a while they would say, oh yeah, when you went to the, the salvage yard, you got out of the truck before the truck even stopped moving. And we didn't get a clean shot of that, so let's do it again. And I would say, well, no, that's what I do. I'm excited. And I got out of a moving truck and it's called the Bronson Pinchot project and it ain't gonna get any more Bronson Pinchot than that, right? And they'd say, well, the shot is, the shot's not clean. And I would say, well, maybe you should be readier because, I mean, I wasn't being a brat, I was just. There was another time where, you know, they, they move into your house, the cameras are there, they live there. And another time, these two beautiful like 1840s gas lamps arrived and they had been poorly packed and they were broken into a million pieces. But you have a deadline. So I. They're filming me. I opened the box and I went, ah, okay, get the dealer. You know, I sent an email to the dealer and find out if he insured them. All right, what are we doing next? And they said, you really need to be a lot more upset.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, let's see.

[Unknown]

Then. I just was in real time, just out as Bronson Pinchot at my own house, opening a thing in real time. No, I'm not going to be. Well, what do you want me to do? Reality tv? That's. That's as upset as I have the time and energy to get. That's what. You gotta be kidding me. Well, we need it. We'd be more accident. No, thank you. I actually, I had a great. I had a great line. They said, we. We need. We need you to. To be more worried all the time about something you can pick. I said, well, I'm worried that you're not giving me enough money to do these episodes. And they said, no, but. But, you know, could you. Can we. Can we make it that there's a giant storm coming? And I said, and the director loved this so much because he was a goofball. He said that the network said, like, if you could do, like, there's a storm coming or there's a. There's a, you know, like a. A building inspector coming or something, that just makes it all, like, worried all the time. And I said, I am not participating in bull crap.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

The only real stress I have is that they're not giving me enough money to do these rooms the way I want. So I'm using my own money, so I'm not making any money. The real stress. And if you don't want to show the real stress, I'm not doing stress. Yeah. So I'm not participating. And all the crew who all lived up there and would be in the house today, you could hear them in the other room saying that somebody would say, do you want to get, like, chicken salad? And instead of saying, no, I'm not participating in chicken.

[Bronson Pinchot]

I'm not participating in chicken. Well, a few years ago, we did a commercial together for the ABC reboot of tgif. It was me, Reginald Vel Johnson, and you and Marklyn Baker. And I vividly remember they wanted you two to do the Dance of Joy. And. Yes. And there was, like, a real hush on the set. And it was so incredible because both of you were not really sure you fully remembered it. And then you guys rehearsed it very briefly. You nailed it. It was perfect. It was like no time had passed and the both of your faces just lit up and there was so much joy around the two of you. I just. I just had to mention that because. Are you guys still very close?

[Unknown]

Oh, yes. The funny thing is we're so close that I don't even know. Every once in a while I'll think of something and I'll just text him and we share an agent for personal appearances. And the agent will. He's a very nice guy, but he'll. He'll say to me, are you on board? We're going to do a personal appearance in Knoxville in July. Are you on board for these, this, this, and this? And I'll say yes. And he'll say, great. And I'll say, but I. But only if Mark is nude. So I know that he has to as a professional.

[Ryder Strong]

He has to pass that message along.

[Danielle Fishel]

This is Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and.

[Will Friedle]

Will Friedle from Pod Meets World.

[Danielle Fishel]

For many, the American dream means starting your own business and working for yourself.

[Ryder Strong]

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 Business small business success stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and Intuit QuickBooks.

[Danielle Fishel]

In every episode, hosts Austin Henkwitz 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.

[Will Friedle]

From tracking money in and out to.

[Danielle Fishel]

Cutting through the complexity with an all encompassing platform like QuickBooks, you don't want to miss these inspiring stories of small business journeys.

[Ryder Strong]

Listen to Mind the small business success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Unknown]

Bring spring to your door with Target Circle360. Get all you need for Easter hosting spring get togethers and more with unlimited same day Delivery through Target Circle360. From Easter Basket goodies to fresh florals, getting everything the same day is easy. Open the Target app and bring the magic of the season to your door with unlimited same day Delivery through Target Circle 360. Visit target.com circle or the Target app for more details. Subscription required. Same day delivery is subject to terms. Applies to orders over $35.

Does this podcast make you happy? Of course it does. That's why you're here. But it only comes out once a week for happiness. Every night. You need Adam and Eve.

Yes.

I'm talking about sex toys. It's cool. It's cool. You have earbuds in right? Adam and Eve, America's most trusted source for adult products has been making people very happy for over 50 years with thousands of toys for both men and women. Just go to AdamAndEve.com now and enter code IHEART for 50% off almost any one item plus free discreet shipping. That's AdamAndEve.com code IHEART for 50% OFF.

Getting diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer or MBC, which is breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, can feel overwhelming. But you have options. Real women across the country with HR positive HER2 negative MBC are taking IBrands Palbociclib, a Pfizer product. Prescription IBrands 125mg Tablets with an aromatase inhibitor is for adults with HR positive HER2 negative mbc as the first hormonal based therapy. IBrands may cause low white blood cell counts that may lead to serious infections. Ibrandts may cause severe inflammation of the lungs. Both of these can lead to death. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening chest pain, cough or trouble breathing before taking ibrance. Tell your doctor if you have fever, chills or other signs of infection, liver or kidney problems, are nursing pregnant or plan to be all medical conditions you have and about all the medicines you take. For more information about side effects, talk to your doctor. Talk to your doctor about Ibrance, the one prescribed FDA approved oral combination treatment for HR positive HER2 negative MBC. Visit ibrance.com or call 18449 Ibrance.

[Will Friedle]

Looking for excitement? Chumba Casino is here. Play anytime. Play anywhere. Play on the train. Play at the store. Play at home. Play when you're bored. Play today for your chance to win and get daily bonuses when you log in. So what are you waiting for? Don't delay. Chumba Casino is free to play.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Experience social gameplay like never before.

[Unknown]

Go to Chumba Casino right now to play hundreds of games including online slots.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Bingo, Slingo and more. Live the Chumba life [e-mail] no purchase.

[Unknown]

Necessary vgw group void where prohibited by law 21 + terms and conditions apply.

[Bronson Pinchot]

I wanted to talk very briefly about another classic movie. You're in True Romance. It was written by Quentin Tarantino, directed by Tony Scott, a star studded cast. What was that experience like for you?

[Unknown]

Well, I. I want to tell you about the most Hollywoodish thing that ever happened to me. Ever. All. All in one thing. Okay, so there's a scene in it where I'm driving in a, in a. Was it open? There's an open convertible.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, it was a convertible. It was the 911 slant nose with the open top, the white one.

[Unknown]

Okay, so with this adorable actress playing a crack whore. And we're driving and then I. And then we, we shot me driving first. And then I had to pull over and because the cop was behind me. So we had already shot a good portion of the scene when it was time to pull over. And when it was time to pull over, I looked down and realized because they're. They're towing you. They're towing you, you know, and, and shooting Tow Truck is playing. So, yeah, I could pretend I'm driving, but then it's time to pull over the car. And I said, oh my goodness, this is stick shift. I, I don't know how to drive stick shift. And you can't very well pull over and park if you can't drive stick shift. So Tony says, are you kidding me? Nobody asked him if he can drive. How the fuck are you gonna get this shot? And so he was. Because we were really just. So we're way up on Mulholland Drive in la and I'm like, toodly doo doo, it's not my fault. So my hair is black at that point in time. So they hurriedly decide, and I had not been wearing sunglasses. They hurriedly decide the only way out of it is to get this. That one of the, one of the crew who knew how to drive stick, they just spray painted his hair black. And then he pulled the car over and Tony said, does it look a thing like Bronson? So somebody said, how about sunglasses? And he said, he's not wearing sunglasses in the scene. And so somebody said, maybe Brunson would, would pantomime putting on sunglasses at some other part of the scene. And I said, I will. It's fine. So they're, they're painting this guy's head. They're painting his head and he's pulling over. Tony is still hyperventilating. The man's head is painted and he's pulling over. And I'm have nothing to do while I do that. And just at that moment, Madonna cycles by in head to toe Lycra. But it's never gonna get any more Hollywood thing, right. They just, they just painted somebody to pretend to be me. Everybody's upset and yelling, and nobody but me sees that Madonna has just cycled by in, in like purple and lime green Lycra. This is so wonderful. Nobody is paying attention because they're busy watching the man painted to be me. And so funny.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Also, to call you prolific in the world of audiobooks would be a wild understatement. Well over 400 books.

[Unknown]

No, it's well over 450. Please.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Oh my gosh. Well over 450 books. Tons of awards. You are a legend in the field. What makes giving a voice to a book so exciting to you?

[Unknown]

Well, it does. It is like, it is like going to the acting gym like constantly. And I have to say, because you're sitting in the booth the size of the front seat of a car and I'm claustrophobic and have to be the, the narrator. Hey, you have to give the narrator a voice and then you have to give every single character a voice. And then sometimes I just did a book where the. I just did a book. The narrator is. He's been brainwashed with drugs to think he's three different people. So you have to have three different voices for different sections of the book. And this one has been throwing up all the time, so his voice has to be hoarse. And this one on some different kind of drug. And, and then you have to be all the characters. And then one character is when, when people are around, she's, she's in hiding. So she has a fake southern accent when there's people around, but then when people aren't around, she's got her own accent and blah blah, blah, blah, blah. And so it is like, I'm not a big fan of juggling, but when people are really good at it, I'm like. And so it's, it's like that, it's like the kind where you're catching things you didn't even throw. It's like you're, you're juggling and then there's a bird and then there's fire. And it's awfully good for keeping the whole acting musculature super fit because you don't have any time. I mean I would say really between those multi character plays and the books, my prep time nowadays is negative one minute. Because you, you know, you think when you're 25, well, I have to have an hour in pitch dark with no sensory anything so I can get into this one character. And then, you know, after you've done 48 characters on stages from London to Sacramento and 450 audiobooks with 10 characters each, you're like character boom. Like what? And so I has. And I do them, I do them all the time. And they keep Me from going nuts in between acting gigs. But it also teaches you something we already all know. You know, if. If you and I are going to take a friend out to dinner and it's a very important thing, and one of us dropped the ball and forgot to make the reservation, we will look at each other and go, all right, the person doing the reservations, do they look like they like guys or girls? Like they like guys. Bronson. So I will go up and be so flirtatious. I will get us a table. Because the, the stakes are life and death. And if we decide that they like girls, you'll go up and be like, hi. And he will just do it. Right? You do it all the time. You, you, you, you act all the time in life, all the time. My mother, you know, was in a. She had an operation once, and she was, she had to go to a rehabilitation center. And I had bought a house, but I knew my mom would disapprove, so I, I had, I bought it in my sister's name. And my mother looked at me on the pillows and went, tell me the truth. Look into my eyes and tell me, did you buy that house? And I said, no. And so when the, when the stakes are high, we all act all day long with no prep at all. You know, or if you try to get a toddler to eat their yogurt or whatever. Yeah, just do it. And so if you do, doing the audiobooks reminds me, like, dude, you don't need, you know, to be like one guy dying on the battlefield and his best friend holding him and crying. You don't have time. You, like, do a prep for each character. You cry, and then you say, it'll be all right. And then you cry, and then you die. And then you say, oh, my God, my friend died. Now I'm crying. And then you just do it.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

And. And so it's, it's the, it's the acting gym. It really is the acting gym. And it makes me chuckle a little bit when people say, okay, I'm sorry, I've got to stop this conversation now because in three days I'm doing a scene. I'm like, you don't need it, but that's what it does for you. Plus, there's, you know, there's people that are bedridden or they're on a 20 hour trip or whatever. And I always think, okay, so I'm just gonna do this in such a way that you'll laugh or you'll cry or you'll forget, you know, that you're on a big long. And it's. It's marvelous. It's really fun. And it's so intimate because most acting, even if the camera is okay. So this. This phone here is like 17 inches from my face. But when you do an audiobook, I'm speaking into a mic. I like the mic really close, so my mic is like, there. I like to. I like that. You're too young to remember Tom Jones, you guys, I know Tom.

[Will Friedle]

Of course.

[Unknown]

Of course he had the mic. Like. Yeah. But I like the mic pretty close, so I could be super intimate. And then I think to myself, this is so amazing because when somebody listens to the book, they're gonna have earphones on. And the earphones are. How. How close are your earphones to your actual brain? Maybe an inch. Yeah, maybe, right?

[Bronson Pinchot]

Yeah, yeah.

[Unknown]

I've got the mic maybe an inch from my mouth. And then the. The. The people that are going to experience the storytelling, it's like that is the closest you are ever going to get. Even if you're lovers. Even if you're lovers, you have to back up a little. Like you're. It's the most intimate. You're literally.

[Will Friedle]

Well, you're the voice in our head. You're the voice in our head when we're reading. Yeah.

[Unknown]

And what happens sometimes. That's marvelous. Something that. The book that's latent in the book becomes much more pronounced in the audio version. And one. One version I can give is there was a. Somebody that wrote a book about the race to the North Pole. It was a Norwegian explorer who actually got there first, and then it was a British explorer who actually froze to death before he got there. The book was written by a Brit, and he was kind of hard on the British explorer. He kept saying all the way through the book, if he had been less stuffy and less British, he would have understood this, this and this. So he was kind of hard on the British explorer. And it. Just as it happened, the very last page of the book was the piece of paper they found in his frozen hand when they found his dead body. His frozen body. He was writing with a pen in his tent and he froze to death. So the very last page of it was this entry from his diary saying, I know people have found fault with me, and I know I haven't been the best, but for the love of God, whoever finds this, will you please, please take care of my wife and children? And so my bro. My voice, I broke down reading it and I said to the engineer, do not you don't you dare ask me to do another take of that. That. Because that is what he was feeling. And so the audiobook version of this book where the British author was kind of ragging on him, he gets the last word. Please, please think of me with. With humanity. And it shut up thinking about it. And that's like. I didn't really change it. It's just. The last word is by this man who died as he wrote these words. No matter what you say about him, he actually is having the last word because it's an audiobook and you can't. It's wonderful. That happens quite a lot in audiobooks is a quality that may or may not have. Either it's in the book, but it becomes much more luminous, or it's kind of not in the book, but there's no way around it. And that's. It's kind of neat.

[Bronson Pinchot]

That's wonderful.

[Unknown]

Special. Or. Or sometimes there's, like in a mystery, you know, there's. There's. There's a character with an identifiable accent, and he's actually the murderer. And at a crucial point of the book, he comes up behind the main character and says, now I've got you. Well, on the page, it doesn't say who it is, but if you're doing the same voice you've already created, then the listener does know who it is. And that's fun. It's like, whoa, it's in. It's suddenly in 3D. This isn't. This is what you. Isn't what it would look like on the page. My favorite example ever was. There was. There's a book that ended with this. This guy, he's get stabbed and he's. He. He makes his way into a building, and he knows he's dying, so he's crawling across the floor, dying of blood loss, and he's trying to stay aware and alive until he reaches the phone and he's talking to himself and talking to himself. And finally, right in the middle of a sentence, it stops and the rest of the page is blank. So that you understand, reading it, that he has died of blood loss. That's. It doesn't say he died of blood loss. He just stops thinking. And so it's very, very meaningful. On the page, you see this blank page. So I did it like that. I just stopped right like that. And the note came back from the proofreader. The thought seems unfinished.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Yeah, it does.

[Unknown]

Yeah. He's dead.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Oh, yeah. He's gone.

[Unknown]

And. And that's the way it. It's got to be.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Yeah. It's going to stay that way.

[Unknown]

Thanks. That's what the. You know, if you don't have the book in front of you, this is. I'm not even sure it's the next best thing. It's. It's just as good as. It's like this. The existence of this brain has ceased. But it's so funny, the notes you get.

[Bronson Pinchot]

I have one last question for you, and forgive me if you do not know this, but we are one year away from Perfect Strangers. 40th anniversary.

[Unknown]

Wow. Yeah.

[Bronson Pinchot]

I wanted to know if you could go back and tell young Bronson something on the set of his massive, huge hit TV show, what would be the one message you would give young Bronson?

[Unknown]

I wouldn't say a thing. He. He. For. For. For acting wise.

[Bronson Pinchot]

No, just any message. Now, knowing what you know now, having lived the life you've lived, now if you could go back and tell him.

[Unknown]

Anything, because he did it as he did it to the best of his abilities. What he did was conserve a hundred percent of himself for that performance. And at the time, that led to people saying, you don't socialize very much and you don't, but the performance stands. And now I'm still here, so I wouldn't change. I wouldn't change anything. Not that he would have listened, but his feeling was 100% of it belongs on screen. And I'm going to pour my heart into it and it's still there.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

So, I mean, nothing.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Wonderful. Bronson, thank you so much for spending some time with us today. We so appreciate you.

[Unknown]

Thank you for your patience.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Oh, my gosh. So wonderful to talk to you.

[Unknown]

It's so worth it.

[Will Friedle]

This is great.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Have a great day. Enjoy the rest of your weekend as well.

[Unknown]

Big love. Thank you so much. Thank you.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Bye. Oh, my gosh. He's got so many interesting stories.

[Will Friedle]

He. He is in, like, I mean, if you listed 20 of my favorite movies, he's probably in eight or nine of them. I mean, seriously, he has one of those.

[Bronson Pinchot]

I didn't even get to ask about After Hours.

[Will Friedle]

After Hours. And I didn't want to, you know, I didn't want to jump in and interrupt any of his stories. But he's there for, like, the start of the careers of Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon. I mean, it's what Eddie Murphy. It's one after another of these people that went on to define Hollywood. And he was right there for just star after star after star. It's amazing when you Watch it.

[Ryder Strong]

I love, you know, his laugh with his co star. Like, the idea that they have that mind meld. And I'm like, oh, I get it.

[Bronson Pinchot]

We get it.

[Ryder Strong]

That's still in us.

[Unknown]

I know.

[Will Friedle]

We know what that's like.

[Ryder Strong]

You described it so well. But also just watching him do it, like it kept happening to him. Anytime we brought him up, he's like, well, let me tell you about this thing. And then he doesn't even really have much of a story because it's just their connection. It's like, it's even probably not that funny. But he's also living.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Ryder Strong]

It's so cool.

[Will Friedle]

Speaking of which, Rider, right now you have the perfect Superman Clark Kent curl.

[Unknown]

Look at that.

Oh, wow. Wow.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, there you go.

[Will Friedle]

Straight up. Clark Kent. I love it. Yeah, there it is. Yeah, I love it.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Time to take some headshots.

[Will Friedle]

But if you put on a pair of glasses, I wouldn't know who you were.

[Unknown]

Who are you crazy?

[Will Friedle]

Who are you crazy?

[Ryder Strong]

The curl's never there when he's Clark, right? The curl is part of Superman.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, it's part of Superman mostly. Yeah. Love it.

[Unknown]

Love it.

[Bronson Pinchot]

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, podmeatsworldshowmail.com and we've got Merch, Merchwell, Merchwell Foley. If you know, you know podmeetsworldshow.com will send us out.

[Will Friedle]

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 @podmeatsworldshow or email us at podmeatsworldshowmail.com this is an ad for the active cash credit card from Wells Fargo. Whew, that's a mouthful, but that's because.

[Bronson Pinchot]

It packs a lot in. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases with it, big or small.

[Ryder Strong]

So whether it's buying tickets to the game with your mom or grabbing a coffee with your dog, earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases made with it.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Let's say it together. The active cash credit card from Wells Fargo.

[Will Friedle]

Learn more@wells Fargo.com ActiveCash terms apply.

[Unknown]

Does this podcast make you happy. Of course it does. That's why you're here. But it only comes out once a week for happiness, every night. You need Adam and Eve. Yes, I'm talking about sex toys. It's cool. It's cool. You have earbuds in right? Adam and Eve, America's most trusted source for adult products, has been making people very happy for over 50 years with thousands of toys for both men and women. Just go to AdamAndEve.com now and enter code IHEART for 50% off almost any one item plus free discreet shipping. That's AdamAndEve.com code IHEART for 50% off.

[Bronson Pinchot]

Ya girl loves hearthsome jewelry. And for the record, I'm your girl. So imagine my excitement when I found out that I get to talk to you about Pandora Jewelry. Every piece from Pandora is crafted with meaning, love and express exquisite artistry. Whether it's sparkling lab grown diamonds or vibrant enamels, engravings or iconic charms, there is no better place than Pandora to express what's in your heart. Pandora makes sure your jewelry is a celebration of you with hand finished designs and playful cuts that make everything unique like it should be. Shop Pandora today in store or [e-mail] every day is a chance to be loved. Let Pandora Jewelry remind you that love starts with you.

[Unknown]

Behind every successful business is a vision. Bringing it to life takes more than effort. It takes the right financial foundation and support.

That's where Chase for Business comes in.

With convenient digital tools, helpful resources and personalized guidance, we can help your business forge ahead confidently. Learn [e-mail] business chase for business Make.

[Bronson Pinchot]

More of what's Yours the Chase Mobile.

[Unknown]

App is available for select mobile devices.

Message and data rates may apply. JP Morgan Chase Bank NA Member FDIC.

Copyright 2025 JP Morgan Chase & Co.

[Will Friedle]

Hello, it is Ryan and I was on a flight the other day playing one of my favorite social spin slot games on jumbacasino.com I looked over the person sitting next to me and you know what they were doing? They were also playing Chumba Casino. Everybody's loving having fun with it. Chumba Casino is home to hundreds of casino style games that you can play for free anytime, anywhere. So sign up [e-mail] to claim your free welcome bonus. That's chumbacasino.com and live the Chumba Life.

[Ryder Strong]

Sponsored by Chumba Casino.

[Unknown]

No purchase necessary VGW Group Void where prohibited by law 21 + terms and conditions apply.