TPS177: An Interview With Alex McCooeye (Classic)
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We're taking a rare week off, but don't worry we'll be back with some fresh and exciting YEWniversal content. In the meantime, please enjoy this interview from 2021 with Alex McCooeye.
Speaker 1
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Hey everyone. Its Al. Before we begin tonight's special episode, I would like to take a quick moment to mention our sponsor diabolical coffee. We are stoked to have them back for another season with us devilishly good coffee and diabolically awesome swag. If you are a coffee lover, regardless of your taste or Preference, they have an option for you whole being course and standard grind espresso. They even have a K-Cup option. And now for the entirety of season 7, you can use the promo code produce stand for 10% off, any coffee or merge purchase that diabolical. Coffee.com. So please support us by supporting them. Now on with our show I hoped it wouldn't come to blows over a boogie. But I will damn. Well, go to blows for the Boot. Scootin Boogie that's fresh produce stand there. That's a beauty. What do you listen to my favorite? Murder podcast? Jagger endurance. Podcasts the produce stand f****** sexy. Welcome to the produce stand. And a podcast paying tribute to the Great Canadian show. Letterkenny. Now I know what you're thinking, there are many. Other podcast water coming out there but this one is ready to come to blows over Boot. Scootin Boogie. I am now your host and joining me in the room. As is always a, lovely, Tanya and online, we have squirrely mat and the vulnerable Victor. And of course, the reason we're all here today is, we're thrilled to welcome our very special guest. He is an award-winning Canadian actor known for his roles on the plateau. Those Damien zombies, the bettin happily ever after. He's also an accomplished stage actor, having performed in over 40 plays across the country, he's received a Montreal English Theater award, a radula reward, a my aunt World critics pick award and three-door Award nominations, but we all know and love him as the tall, fast-talking Jim. Dickens from Letterkenny please, join me in making some noise for Alex Smith, Chui wondrous, oh my gourd. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Wait, wait. Welcome to the produce stand. Alex, thank you very much. I hope I got your last name pronounced properly. You same akule. I don't know. I didn't miss any poke. Yeah. Yeah, I did say bakui. We're really thrilled to have you on tonight. Thank you for joining us. Where were you speaking to us from Toronto? I am Going to you from my, my basement, which is actually getting work done on it right now. So, I am in my dingy Toronto basement, very good. So what we're basically neighbors. Yeah. What part of what? Part of Toronto? You don't have to be, like, no address. But you know. What's also Italia? So you might hear some honking throughout this because Italy just beat Spain. Oh, yeah. — they're going to the final. Yeah, so there's been honking all night. Yeah, I lived there when my college Years at Montrose and college basically so you're nice. Yeah, no. You're In Little Italy. Oh, I am in Corso Italia. So they all went North to like Lance and St. Clair area, right. Right, is my neighborhood. I mean, I am just a little bit north of there and very heavily Portuguese. Yeah, I am at. And it's not a little quiet, the little quieter now, but I find it odd. They call it Corso Italia, and it's so there's a lot of these Dom. Yeah, you're right. Yeah, I don't. I magnin Caledonia area. So yeah. Okay, yeah, let us just cool. And are you from Toronto originally? No, I am from Montreal. I grew. I was born in Newfoundland but I grew up in Montreal in the West Island little English part and then moved to the plateau in my early 20s. And then when it was time to start a career, I went to where there was more work, which was, which was Toronto, very good. Yeah. So how did you get into acting? So if I think I saw my brother in a production of Richard, the third when he was in No grade nine or something. And I thought, I like that. I yeah, I would like to do that. And, so I started doing high school productions, my high school, had a great program that they called the Actors Studio with James Lipton, is really, just, was really just a way to get out of English. Like, you could, you could go to the Actors Studio and it was just like, that was your English credit. So I thought that sounded good, that was the start of my day and Louis Chalmers ran that program, and we did play every year. And then I went to John Abbott cegep College in Montreal and did three years of training there and then I went to the National Theatre School in Montreal. So I did about six years too much training in acting and the you know, so we look back I guess and your brother is an actor as well. Not at all. No, he's terrible. He was playing like he's playing like a Ratcliffe or a spear carrier number for something like that. At and I meant the guy who was playing Richard, the third was great. My brother was terrible. Okay, so he's really got your inspiration regard, so he's at he's actually doing it to get out of English but you were doing it because you were enjoying it. That's right. That's right. Yeah, that's amazing. I noticed also, though just, you know, cruising through her Instagram you're into photography as well. You know what? That's a pandemic passion. Oh yeah, yeah, I sort of, I just thought just something to do. You know I found myself, I have two kids, two small kids, so a lot of like stroller nap walks were happening. And I was like, I am so sick of like looking at the same things here. I need a, I need a mission. I need a goal. So I started taking photos of basketball nets. I am huge Hoops fan, right. Game, one of the NBA Finals is at 9:00 right after this interview. Oh yeah. Perfect Patter Pitter Patter. Yeah, I guess we know what our timeline there. We have a hard Edge perfect timing Segway on that one, but yeah, you know. So I just started having fun with the camera and noodling around, I don't know. I might turn into something some kind of Photography book or something. Well, I love it, I love the alley-oops shots. They're pretty good. The pretty nice. Thank you very much. You want to describe what those are? Yeah. So I what About Toronto where all these back alleys. I used to live in like Queen West area, little Portugal and there's a ton of back alleys in that area. I just moved during the pandemic actually. So I have sort of fell in love with the artwork and the fact that there seems to be a hoop or two in every block of these back alleys. Yeah. And never anyone playing them and most of them look like you couldn't, you couldn't shoot? On it, you know, there's like they all have these bent rims and like, you know, it's very strange but it seems to be some sort of ritual that people feel the need to fulfill. So they put a hoop above their right their garage so yeah check it out. I think my Instagram handles, just my name. Yeah. Oh I highly recommended. There's some really nice shots there and I mean I have got a bunch in the can to that. I gotta that I gotta post. I sort of got bored with it but I have 100 photos of Toronto's back alley hoops. More Valley lesseps. Yeah, I am looking through my notes, pretty cool. And you're right. I mean, I assume all of you even my neighbor's got one set up in his backyard and it's just a piece of plywood secured to a pergola with like a bent rim attached to it. So does he even have, like pavement or is it like on grass? No, he's got, he's got his whole backyard made of concrete now. So they're set to go but it's like it's strange when you see a kid. Wow, yeah, especially during a pandemic. You'd think that's where they'd all be, they'd be out playing hoops. Oh yeah, I walk by one at one point and there was a sign up that said my son is 12 years old and has nowhere to practice during the pandemic, right? Do you mind if we use your hoop and I kept going back to check and see if there was anyone playing. I feel like that never got responded to, but that would have been a nice pandemic, story, absolute world back alley hoop. So looking at your oh, and also the log jumping pictures were interesting. What would that come from? No idea Bündchen various random standing on logs pandemic boredom. Yeah boredom pandemic brain one. I mean speaking of the pandemic or you'd like you said like there's not much an actor can really do to keep your chops up during this without an audience. What were you? I noticed. I may have noticed a Rogers commercial with featuring. Yeah, very good. And I remember seeing it going. Wait a minute that's Dickens and, and I tried to find it to maybe play a clip of it here, but couldn't, so I am not sure, I guess the I can't find it either. There's another one out there that I have never seen Lotto Max. There's a lot of (Max) commercial that I did as well. No, you're in the pandemic. I mean, take what you can get when it's a pandemic. Oh, absolutely. Yeah. And I noticed you're using your Shakespearean chops for that Rogers commercial. It's a yes. That's right. That's right. Yeah, yeah. Very, very important work. Very good. Well. So I listed off all these awarded, these great awards that you one, which one do you? Hold dearest here? Yeah, the Toronto theater critics, my theater Awards and The Meta, or is it madhumita, the Montreal? Yeah, I would say, um, ya know, their Awards who care but meta I would say the meadow or just because I am from Montreal and if I am not mistaken that was the first year of those Awards. So you're the inaugural winner, that's amazing. Raising that one. Yeah, I played Dionysus. God of love and wine in the back. I am Greek tragedy. Yeah, I am glad you pronounce it because I wasn't sure how to pronounce it, the bad guy. Yeah, bad guy. Yeah but it's pretty pronounced. I have heard it pronounced Million Ways back Che is a k, but chali. Yeah, yeah. So we will say that one because that was, you know, that was a little out of the mold. For me it was you know kind of this strange romantic. Greek tragedy. And yeah, I was, I was proud of that one. I wouldn't you a centaurs, something like that and matter is that, am I mistaken? That's the name of the theater. So the main heater in Montreal is called Center theater. There's to mentor and the seagull. Yeah, that's the new theater, interesting. Alright, so I am glad I didn't beerus myself asking that question. There we go. Actually a center. I don't know. I mean if you can always see it, From their waist up. Yeah, it's you have played with like many, many roles and some of them look interesting. Like, I was looking UPS like the Passover, what you want to talk a little bit about that production? That seemed to be an interesting one that you just recently. Well, when I say recent, because of the pandemic, I mean 2019. Yeah, so Passover is, you know, it's interesting because this sort of second wave of with George Floyd in the black lives matter movement. Passover was actually written before all that right and it was written during sort of the first movement of that and George Floyd, if I am remembering was shortly thereafter after we did our production. So Spike Lee directed filmed version of the Broadway production, which gave it a lot of traction and Philip Akin who runs or used to run obsidian Theater in Toronto. Which is, which is a theater company dedicated to Black stories. He saw it in New York and brought it here. So I played it. I mean it's hard to describe you kind of got to see the show but basically revolves it set on the streets of Somewhere in Time with two young black men who are trying to get out and I A someone called Mr. Whose sort of like sort of seems like he's woke in some way, but in the end anyway, it doesn't go well for them for the two guys. I don't want to give it away because if I mean the production isn't happening, but if you can see the Spike Lee version of the film, it's very good. I also play a horribly racist cop and was that he was a dark. It's a darky. Wow. Ow. Yeah, sounds it. I can't. I can't picture Dickens being anything but, you know, very different virtuous and very different. And I think I went like I think I closed that show and then I Shot season 9 like oh, we got after something. Yeah. Yeah and when you go, I mean, I look, and I was looking at your resume as well and there's obviously very theater heavy and then there's some film, like, where is in between those two spaces? Where is your, like, I know a lot of actors. Sort of had their heart lives in one, or the other. Or are you just looking? Work and you love them all. Like, where do you find yourself drawn to drawn more towards? Yeah, great question. I definitely fell in love with the theater. I fell in love with not my brother, but he was a good actor with my brother and you know, went to National Theatre school where there's really no film training, I think we do a week of film and then you're thrown out into the world and you realize that the money's in film You know, and there's a lot of passion in theater, and they're both great mediums for different reasons, but they're completely different, you know. Oh yeah. My skill set is in the theater for sure, but then you find a show like Letterkenny and, you know, food transfers quite well, and this one right there. It was quite well, no one's asking you to be to, you know, to be two real or stop moving your face too much. And that's very helpful that's soda. You know, I have played I have done other stuff but Letterkenny was it has been a great transition from theater to film for me and you know, with the pandemic and the theater shut down. I have definitely changed my focus. Sure to More film stuff and Voice work. I do a lot of Voice work as well. Yeah. Well, they're so what, you know what's interesting, you know, about theater work at, you know, you really get to show your chops. And you know what's fun about Letterkenny is that you actually use Do something really fun, and I am just wondering if that's something that you knew, you had a kind of talent for or you developed it on Letterkenny and that's the whole fast-talking aspect. Yeah, I learned it in a day on YouTube yard, sneering. Bit. You mean yeah, auctioneering the heart. Yeah, so I got I knew about Letterkenny. I hope I am not like derailing things here by moving on to talking about Letterkenny but do not you? I Victor did that. That's okay, thank you. Did that. Great. Bunch of other questions about you play a centaur. So, I am glad to move on. How did you do the tail? Is there another guy behind you? Yes, it wags. I knew about letter can, my brother-in-law is a firefighter, and they had all the fire people. Firefighters, I would watch. That's the province of PC version. Yeah, I was gonna say fire, guys, and something. Firefighters fireman and women. They were all in the hall. They had watched a bunch of YouTube videos of, you know, that initial stuff that had come out. I think when I got the audition for season two, I don't think season one was out yet. So it was kind of just this show that everyone had heard about. And so he showed me those independently. He showed me those videos, and we sort of chatted about it. And when how's this going to transfer to an episodic television show? No, because it's there. Such Little Snippets of canadiana, are hilarious and their monologues. Are there basically monologues there? Yeah. Right. Exactly. They're like little poems. So it's how's this going to work? Then I get the audition and it's like it's the eight hundred percent b******* scene, and I am going like this is the craziest, you know I do one or two auditions a week. This is the craziest thing I have seen that's great. And I have a I grew up going to auctions. So I grew up my grandparents, lived in the Ottawa Valley and I went to auctions, right? Basically, every time I visited them, they were obsessed. I used to get these like these presents as a kid or you'd be like a half completed activity book like yeah. Okay, Grandma got this up the option. I would like pink sandals, like, me and my grandma died. We went When into you know to clear out her apartment we found this giant box. That was just called gifts. Oh man. It was just junk that she had accumulated like a Marilyn Monroe poster from 1974 words like no one is going to use this. Yeah so yeah that's all for my auction. So I grew up as a kid. You can't bid on anything, I didn't get pain, and so I was just there and watched you know watch the funny man talk fast. So I was oddly prepared for this audition. When I got I went on YouTube and there's you know, some colorful characters that are just yeah, you just gotta talk really fast. You come up with LOL, come up a little to come up with a little pattern and then, you know, so I worked on that, ran lines with my partner, and she was like yeah it sounded good but you sound different when you're auctioneering than when you're just saying you know, the normal lives are just as, so I am like, okay, well maybe I should do something. Where he's always, he's always presenting, and they, you know, alright, I will talk like this between the lines and then. So she gave me that little note, and yeah, I went in and did the audition and booked it, but really, it's just, I mean, you can learn anything on YouTube, Sir. Yeah, really can. But something else that I have learned since from an Auctioneer, a trick that I learned is because I have to drive four and a half hours from Toronto to Sudbury, right? To shoot. I don't know if I am allowed to say where we filmed. That's all we know. Don't at all this snow is no. Yeah, okay. So an Auctioneer told me he learned by while you're driving on the highway start in the right lane, really slow and as you hit each little, you know, median post thing, change your account, so they normally do five. So you kind of you start slow and you go, no. One. I am looking at one. I got one. Can I get to? Can I get to? Can I let that? So just start like that. And then slowly increase your speed and you have four and a half hours. So, by the time I got to Sudbury your nail her, my first season, I was an auctioneer. Guys going. Yeah it was. And what's the role originally cast as an Auctioneer? Or did you bring that to the table? Okay, no, yes, yes, I mean this is the thing but I find being an actor is you get way too much credit. Like all on the page does it for that first season? I did season 2 it was all on the page you know. I improvised a little bit I improvised certain lines like why do birds suddenly appear every time I Auctioneer that was you know that was me. Look. Like yeah, it's like that happen. Jacob and Jared are so free on set that you can kind of just I didn't know in my first season might as well throw in a little ad lib at the end of the, at the end of the take, I didn't know whether it would end up in the show. I kind of suspected turns out to be your most know my life. Why that's your lying? Yeah. Yeah. When it's great to hear that too, because, and we spoke to Tyler as well. And he said something very similar where you know, there, everything's very much. Scripted. But you guys are given some freedom and even if it doesn't make the show everyone laughs and enjoys it and it's very well accepted and something's making something. Don't put it very open, kind of set in terms of having some Freedom here and there. Yeah, and I think part of that is because it's such a huge corecast. You know, I mean, I don't even consider myself core cast, but this is a huge cast of people who have been with the show for a long time. Yeah. And so everyone kind of knows the rules and if you're new, you learn them pretty quick. So I feel like when I arrived at season two, I just kind of picked up on the vibe. Yeah. And you know, I started I think that might have been the first scene I shot. Was that my audition scene and threw in the that? And then Jacob came over and was like yeah, maybe he's really into song lyrics, and he throws in like 70 song lyrics and so then I shot the egg Hall scene and went hands up baby hands up. Give me a hug, giving him a lift. She started I love it. It's like so to be given that license is so fun, right? Get that on other shows, you know? Yeah, into the trap door, if you have a suggestion, you maybe talk to the director, talked, to a writer and just sort of say, you know, I am thinking this. But I don't feel the need to do that on Letterkenny. Maybe I should maybe do it. But you know it, I always feel like if it's wrong, they will tell me, and they have, it's just you sort of throw things out there. While we're filming and but for the most part, everything is on the page. So as Victor mentioned, we had Tyler on, and he mentioned how, you know he feels like he got rewarded with more time, more lines, you know. Like his character became a bigger part of the cast in, you know, subsequent Seasons now. Just so, you know our podcast were only on we're just starting season 7 right now in terms. Are no spoilers, is that's a thing? So I am going to have it yet. Have a gingerly asking this question because I know a lot of our listeners who have gone ahead to like, oh, we have to ask you this question. I am not going to spoil that, but I do notice that and I don't think I am giving anything away. Jim, Dickens is a bigger part of this ensemble cast in later seasons and seasoning and nine. Especially so, is that something that they let you know, just on, like in the scripts or do they say congratulations? Alex. So we want you back more often or something. What there's a trophy that they know? I mean my gig that I signed up for was 3, episode part in season two, is it? Yeah, and I had no expectation of being there longer than that and at the end of that season, Or are you know my last day of filming Jared. Sort of casually said. Well see you next season. Yeah. Oh okay. And then it just sort of never stopped right? So no I get that. I get the scripts I get you know I got an availability. Check normally, and they see if you're available for the season. Therefore, if you are they will write for you. So they're not writing got just grips that won't get used, which makes sense, right? So they check Availability I say yes. And then I, you know, I get the scripts and I come in and I do that. So, no, there's no official conversation or anything like that. Yeah, it's kind of just as it comes. It's season-by-season. I think it's as your needed, right? I mean, what's going to serve the show and right? It's such a fun part that. Yeah, lucky to be able to get coming back and doing different things and, you know, yeah, and I am looking so forward to And what I mean even some of the early Seasons your character is used so appropriately and such key times whether it was the election or the talent show and things like it just it was so welcomed into the episodes and you really became the stars in those episode which was fantastic as well. So the leading the whole show and it's so fun to watch, he's the resident MC. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And DJ critic, Soho, So just going back to your resume real quick here, you have got, you have got stage combat and fencing, as you know, some skills that you bring to a cast, you know. We just bulk up our resumes. That's just well I am wondering because I mean there's a Luxe there's a lot of fighting in Letterkenny to my knowledge. I can't remember if Dickens has been involved in any of those as you're writing a Donnybrook or two in the see we have already reviewed. Yes, sir. Yeah, I Huawei I don't know what season is whatever. Yeah, Devon, yeah. I think seven we're good. We're just starting seven say. Yeah. There you go. Yeah. Matt you're letting the cat out of the bag. I don't think Dickens has been in a fight yet but anyway, I am intrigued. Yeah. So are you do look forward to that kind of stuff like you would? You like to see it kind of more physical humor? Yeah, I would love to be a more fights. Yeah. Yeah I would love that. I don't want to spoil anything but a I had a, I had a really good time doing a stunt. I think it must be seasoned, seven or eight. Okay, it happens. Yeah. So we will be looking out for that. Yeah, look out for that. Yeah, I love that stuff. I have done some fencing like I did King Lear at the Harbourfront 28. I think and played Edmund. Who's got a big sword? Fight at the end, it was, you know, like a 10-minute sword fight which was so fun. And that's sort of the biggest, the biggest one I have done, but I love that stuff, you know. It'It's so fun. Yeah. And before our listeners set us straight later, he was part of the joint a Donnybrook at the never work a day in your life. All right. Okay, what seasons that's not good? It's five. I think that's five. Okay, all right. Sorry yeah. So I get to smash. I got to smash one of the so the bottles the Breakaway bottles bottle. Yes, yes. Yes. We heard you had lots of those. Yeah, Keith Cate. Rev told us that you guys had an increase in the budget for that yet. That's season for breakaway glass. And so fun. I mean I felt kind of bad. He did cut his head on one of the take really but not bad. But I mean that's job stunt. He was great, but that stuff is so fun. You know, when you get to then you don't have to really fight. I am not a fighter, right? It's fun to pretend so before we leave the theater behind and go into Letterkenny, I want to hear just a little bit about The Importance of Being Earnest because that's the clip that I found on YouTube, and I was just mesmerized and I want more, and I still need to find a way to, to be able to see that in its entirety. But kind of, what's your recollection of that? And what do you take away from that? Well, that was at the national Arts Centre. I was a part of the there was a, they had a resident acting company at the national Arts Centre in Ottawa. They say they got actors the first year I did it. It was twenty-two actors from across the country. Wow. The second year was like 18 and then I came back a couple of years later, and we were ten actors from across the country that came together, and we did three shows the first Being The Importance of Being Earnest was so fun and chill Kylie. Who's the artistic director said she? You know, she brought me for that role to play Algernon and his cucumber sandwiches. That was, you know, that was a blast. The worst part about that show was when I showed up for my fitting, and they had me sit down with the wig person. I was like, what's this about? Oh, we're just gonna put a little piece because everyone talks about is, you know, was wonderful, curly hair, and they put like a little piece in my hair, and I was like, well, what's this about? I went to the director and it's like, Ted, I am they have given me a piece, like, they have given me kind of to pay for the show, and he's like, Alex. No One's Gonna buy as 27, like, I am 28. Like brutal. But other than that, it was great. It was the show where I realized I was balding but it was great. Well, you know, I mean you're at 69 I am sure it took a while for anybody to notice that your no one noticed including myself. I think I do. I gotta keep my nose hairs trimmed, but the top of my head. Brilliant. Yeah, no. But that's a great. It's a great show and I hope to do it again. I am probably too old by far now. But I can play something else. So speaking of new productions, do you have anything planned or slated for when the pain, emic finally ends anything? There's a couple things, you know, that I had a show at that was canceled, we were about to hit the stage. So we would like week for five. I was doing the seagull at soulpepper in town, so there're shows like that are kind of that. Were I had another couple That were put to rest when the pandemic hit and was all, we're going to delay a months and then say, okay, this is this might be a bit longer, right? Okay. We're officially canceling, but we will see, you know, we're sort of in the will see phase when they come back, right. But in the meantime, I am you know, I am occupied with, I have I just did a TV show that I can't talk about but I don't that kept me busy winter. Um and yeah, so look at look out for that. Refreshing my IMDb and, you know, yeah, I am auditioning all the time and for voice and another stuff so, and just so, you know, you're still a big deal in this household, besides Letterkenny, zombies is a big movie in the Haas household kids. My seven-year-old daughter loves it. And I mean, you have got young kids to do. They see Dad on in that movie and go. Wow. That's you or my daughter is my olds. My oldest is three and an All kid are not quite old enough to not yet. She's terrified of like the nicest movies. You know if conflict, she's like, mmm, so no, not showing her zombies Disney zombies. It's their still zombies. Yeah, fair enough. Now that you're, you know, Canada is maybe most famous Auctioneer. Do you think do you get? Are you like, like, are you tempted to go back to like Ottawa to those? Those auctions and walk around and you know, and say be surprised like I can't tell you the offers I have got to come and be a guest Auctioneer. Like that's amazing. The were the worst one was AutoTrader contacted me and asked me to come do, like three days of live auctioneering for auto trader. And I was like, I know, I can't. An Auctioneer love me to sell your cars. I can't do that. I will probably get caught up in the moment and say soul that thousand dollars would be Lamborghini. Mmm, it's an actual skill. People go to school for this and that's not the only one. Every time it comes up I am like, you know, one of these days maybe I will just say, yeah, she's just I got f****** rule over a company. Oh, just so, you know, I am not actually an Auctioneer. All right, let us get started. Start said 5K County Road posts around here. Let me count them. Exactly, brilliant. Yeah, II. There was another one that was that I actually wanted to do which was the Alberta had no idea this existed, be Alberta auctioneering championships or something. Oh wow! They invited me to come out. And be a celebrity judge and the scheduling didn't work out. I couldn't do it, but it would have been perfect. Yeah. And just talking to them on the phone. They were the like auctioneers are wonderful. They are wonderful strange people. I feel like I am actively portraying. What auctioneers are you got any Kev, you got any feedback or critique from auction? But if I did, they'd be like, no, were nothing like that. What are you doing? Ruined our name, but you never had that actually nice. It was nice to hear that. You know, the auctioneering championship committee wanted me as a celebrity judge. So I didn't have to move too much. Maybe I just did if they listen to this podcast but well you're the reason most famous Auctioneer. I know. So I can't even think of another option here. Yeah, there was a commercial when I was a kid with an Auctioneer. He was he all those with the Micro Machines guy. So when In preparing for this interview, I did go down a YouTube rabbit hole and I have auctioneers while know remember that got? You might be. Well, actually you're not my you are much younger than I am. So you may not remember this guy, but he's the Micro Machines guy that he was a fast-talking guy that a lot of commercials heated micromachines another some pizzas chain. I forget. Oh, yeah, yeah, no I do remember that guy, and he's actually got well, had he held the world record for the fastest talking human, right? And, and it was his skill and Because of that skill, he was able to book a bunch of these commercials and I think he probably played an Auctioneer once or twice but yeah. So yeah I went through that down. That rabbit hole. That's what I tell the people that asked me to Auctioneer. I hey, I say it's a skill. It's a real skill that I don't have. I pretend it's like asking an actor who plays a doctor to perform surgery, but hey you don't actually selling anything. Well, you got the George Clooney looks, and so they want you to, you know, pretend to be a doctor or pretend to be an Auctioneer. That's it. Very nice. Thank you. When we found out you were coming on the podcast, obviously, we let our listeners know, and they all got really excited, and we asked them for some questions for you. So if you don't mind we will pepper you with some of these listener questions. Hit me with it. So our friend Chad here, he wants to know how many takes does it usually take for you to do all those fast-talking lines? You know, not because of me but not a lot. We shoot fast usually. And so normally one or two or three, one on a day, that makes me very nervous. And Jacob goes, no, no, it's good. We got it. Normally, I get, you know, to I would say two and then, you know, it depends on how many camera angles there are, but right on my close-up, let us say I will get to. And they will say, do you want another one? One. And if I am not feeling great, I will take another stab, but all the prep is before, right? You got to come in, you got to come in. Ready or else. It's, you're wasting everyone's time. And, you know, I love the days when I don't have to do the fast-talking because the prep is so much easier right now, that just come in and say three lines and, you know, then the night before I can watch the basketball game in my hotel room, but the fast-talking ones. Take prep, they take the four and a half hour drive and Counting between goal posts. So, that's, that's a good point actually. I am lat the we just did the Valentine's Day episode. And I kind of wondered we because we were raving about the, the actress who played the Matchmaker and how, how, how good she was and coming in. So she's only been on the show twice that we know of, but coming into a show where the ensemble cast is so established. And so tight-knit, It and to deliver performance like that. Like now, you're kind of part of the ensemble cast but before you weren't your kind of somebody coming in just to do three. Three episodes, how much pressure or did you feel that or were they more you know, welcoming because you know, you weren't part of the everyday team like how did you feel coming into that? I mean, I feel pressure with any gig, right? I mean you just want to do well but there's their an incredibly welcoming Bunch. You feel like you have known them. Soon as you walk on set. So there was now immediately any nerves I had were squashed, and I was just chatting with a bunch of friends, you know, I still they all go and spend two months there and, you know, have their residences and live together, and they will go to dinner together. I am still, I am still just a guy who drives up does my thing and leave so yeah. Okay. You know, I don't have enough to really make it. Make it worthwhile for me to stay, and they Usually a pretty good about scheduling it so that I am not, you know, driving back and forth five times for a season that, you know, I come and I will film it and then leave after a few days. But, but, but yeah, it's, it's the, it's not an intimidating environment. Not all is that unique. Do you do find that unique? Like have you been on sets where you like, holy crap? Like no one. Yeah. Because you know, when TV shows have been around a long time, you get people who Our kind of like anyone who's been at a job for a long time. There's your disgruntled in whatever way right. Usually, they're pretty good about hiding it, but they're not necessarily eager to make people feel welcome, and I am not even speaking to a specific experience, but it's just, you know, I can only imagine what it's like to do. Sure Nine episodes as a lead on a TV show, you have got it. It's tiring, you know, it's a lot of work. It's a lot of hard work, right? And you don't feel that when you're on set, it just feels fun and easy and the time flies by and there's a trust and there's a commitment and loyalty right there, really loyal to the people that they have brought in May believe in them. And so, it seems like pretty often that people that they bring into the show, they bring back in some capacity. Not all the time but a lot of the time and that's a wonderful thing. And so you end up where you get Jim Dickens who I think I am number 18 or 19 on the call sheet, and I am in my, I don't know seven season or something. Yeah, it's great. Wonderful, not bad for a booking 363 episodes for one season, right? Yeah, exactly, exactly. It's the dream, right. You have got to do a show and the other thing about Letterkenny is, you know, not to disparage Canadian. Because there's a lot of great stuff out there, but as a Canadian actor, you kind of come to accept that maybe the work. You do won't be on par with your taste, right? That you're going to just you're going to do jobs and you accept that. What I do is different from what I watch, right? Then you do a show like, Letterkenny, Le I have watched the show, you know, I enjoy it, I watch the seasons and I, you know, I forget that. I am in it because it's Fun. And I know good podcast you should listen to as well. Then I am gonna, I am gonna steal seg with it. I know best every guest on those. I mean, basically what you just said and knowing how far you have come on, like how does it feel to be a part of some of the letter can, I mean, from our perspective, been working, and we love the show, it's amazing but it's spreading like majority of our listeners are in the u.s. We have listened as far as Australia who are big into the show all over the world. Now it's the show is starting to pop up in little pockets and knowing that your part of something this like What as an actor? What does that mean to you being Canadian as well? Yeah, it's wonderful and it's not something I ever expected right as someone who comes from theater, you don't really think that you're going to be a part of something that has World traction. Like I was recognized in the Amsterdam airport really? It's awesome. It's amazing. I was recognized like just outside of La one smells like what this? But this is where we're all the famous people live you know? That's whatever. That's one. But it's the thing that I love about the show is that the people who love this show as you guys know. Yeah. Love it. They want really love it. Yeah. And that is so cool. That's so special. Right to be a part of something that, you know, people are really digging. Even if it's like, 10 people, which I don't, I think it's more than that. But it's well, that's a really special thing to be a part of and to know that, You're one of those people, right? That I would feel the same way, I would be telling, I mean, just from the YouTube videos, my brother-in-law were talking about it, and I was telling friends about it you know check these out and now to be a part of it as. Yeah. It's so special and well, speaking of break speaking of fans from other parts of the world, we are buddy Jack, he's from Australia. He asked he had a couple of questions you already answered one because he wanted to know about the fast-talking with some of whether it was asking You knew before or whether you needed to learn it. So we know about that. But his other question is, do you ever get called Dick skin on the street? And if you get annoyed by it, I mean we hear about actors who may have like these nicknames, and they get big and famous, and then they hate hearing it. How do you feel when you hear Dixon thick skin, it only happens right after a Seasons come out, right? Because people I am fresh in people's mind. I don't think I am that recognizable on the street. Oddly, even though I am 6 foot 9 like bright, Yeah, you not wear a cowboy hat, you don't blend in, but yeah. No. And I think the cowboy hat is pretty iconic for Jim, Dickens. So yeah, it's happened a couple times now. I don't find it annoying. It means they love the show and I agree, you know, how do you do have a canned response or do you even acknowledge or what do you do? Yes, I have a canned response. It's the same response in the show, it's as thick as well. And if it did take me off I can really just say that men may right. F*** off, you have kind of validated them as well. They're like, they're not sure Jew, but they say it anyway that you come back or Dickens. I knew it. Yes, exactly. Go ahead, take a sip and I will ask you that our next question here, our buddy, Justin trawl injure. We need an episode of Jim and his natural habitat. Yes, that would be great. We need an episode. An auction that episode. Why haven't they done that yet? I know you don't write the show, but that's alright, the show. Yeah. I think that's a great idea. Yeah that's a great idea about. Yeah. And idea I have always wanted to do I like yeah, that would be great. I would love to judge real auctioneers on the show. Right? That would be very maybe just have like the different cast like the different characters. You know. Try out as an Auctioneer and you're the judge. Yeah. Like have Riley and Jonesy obviously they are always one have. Maybe it's currently banned and have. Yeah, have Steward or rolled or whatever as well. Oh, trying out as an Auctioneer that be, that's great. Well, you know I have heard some cast on set, fry it, and they're good, they're good. Yeah there's some good ones out there, so I will pitch it. Jason icard wants to know how many tall jokes do you get on set? You mentioned your 69, your mask of all heightened? No wonder you're a fan. Well first of all, did you play basketball or do you play bass it? Yeah, I did. Yeah, I played till I was 16 or something. Sorry I burped at the end of catch that we wouldn't have acknowledged but since you did yeah I played, I played maybe a gunter's I played center, so I was 14. So I was you know I was a shy and kid at 14 where they're like that's not fair. Yeah. Possum pass me the ball under the net and all the children trying grabbed my elbow, you were f***. Yeah. And I did like I have I yeah, I played, I played against some NBA players like the year before, they went into the NBA, Al Jefferson reverse dunked on me. The day before he went into the NBA that under your belt. Yeah. Well, you're from Montreal. Have you ever played with Boucher? I am no, they're too young. They're doing. Yeah. They're all too young, but I played in the same system as Dort. I think is a player who's playing right now, and he played for a team that I played on the Brookwood of Which was a traveling team. We went to the states and played in the Nike showcase tournament in Orlando and stuff. Yeah, but was I was tall. They always just said you can't teach height, but right problem is they had trouble teaching me skills as well. So, well, you just needed a lot, a six hour, long drive to learn the skills because that's really, that's right. I needed you to do with didn't exist. Yet we have come a long way. Haven't we? Yes, this is YouTube. So about YouTube had existed. We mean I have had Alex McCreary. The actor. He would have been the NBA star. That's right. That's right. So do you get a lot of tall jokes than on set? That's what Jason's question was on set. Not as much. I mean, I am pretty respectful but look at you laughs that out. No, I will hear from like Billy. The DP will be like it's not so much at me but it will be like you know all here. I am kind of grumble. That they have got a raise a light or whatever. Yeah. Okay. I guess. They're not giant. Where's that shadow coming from? It's allergy season the shot. Oh s***, Alex. Yeah. Alex is blocking the light again. We haven't sitting where you bring your bring Billy's name up here. Here's a listener question. Dig skin, a prince of a man and that comes from Billy Budd buttery. So when he heard you were coming on, he wanted to put his two cents until he's a sweet guy. Yeah, I am good at what he does. Yeah, we're hoping to have him on soon. Been intoxicated. Ox Trace. Web wants to know how much of you, how much of the auctioneer patter do you just make up, or is every word on paper? Yeah, makeup. Now, I make up a lot of us, you know, initially that first season, every word was on paper. I think. I think it's, yeah, yeah, it will be like ramble in Brackets, but it would be a 1-2-3 ramble. Auctioneer Ram. Now, it's like now it will be like, you know, Jim Dickens has a line. This, you know if you want one, he goes on its kind of give you the meat and then you fill in everything between that. I fill it in, and we're not going to write this. I mean, that first season 1 season 2, I had to do a TR which is when you come back after filming and record your lines and you know the poor person I don't know who was that had to do this, but they had to give me a script to match what we were seeing on screen, right? It was the, it was the Dragons Den episode where I am with the mcmurray's and so because right because they were scenes where we were all talking at the same time they need anyway I needed to re-record some stuff and somewhat like I had like 10-page documents all written out everything I had said the transfer Grab that mess. Well, luckily, though you're not on screen for most of that, so I am sure you didn't have to be like exact. Yes. And it didn't have to be like there were only certain moments where I was like, okay, you need to say for dollar bitter. Right here, you know, but that is, you will walk in for a half hour, 80 our sessions and it's like okay it's 9 PM another question from our buddy Trace. Do you even like Boot Scootin Boogie You know, praise? I hate to break your heart. I couldn't sing you a line from it right now. I listened to it for the show and I appreciated it but I no longer remember it. Fair enough. Jason, I will request at weddings. Well yeah. As you gotta. Yeah. You have to make the fans happy. P what so Jason icard wants to know as you take a swig. What is your go-to drink? Yeah, it's beer and Spirits craft beer, Prime, all in the city Henderson, breweries. Probably my favorite. I really like Hamilton has Collective Arts which I really like all their solid. Yeah, I was just there, I got my, my vaccine in Hamilton. I don't know why they sent me there, but I have made a day out of it, and stopped a collective arts, and picked up a case. I used to live near Bellwoods. So, this sort of got me, got me hooked and but yeah, I am Abby. Rancor and there's so much good beer in the city. It's so good. Yeah. But I mean, you know if I am going to the cottage or something, I will grab a six-pack of Molson or whatever but yeah I love craft beer. Love and IPA Final listener. Questions. Not even a question just a comment, just another thank you for his incredible. This incredible show in the last. It gave us that we needed so badly. That's from our buddy. Redbeard 0.02 Nova Scotia. Yeah, we're all thankful New Brunswick. Sorry, New Brunswick. Sorry, Red Beard East Coast. He's cool as s*** just said he's Coast would have been the safety a safe Atlantic bubble. Yeah I mean I got us through this pandemic. I mean this podcast is a pandemic. Checked. So yeah, it's been, it's been great. So I will have left here. We have got six minutes. We have our speed questions. So we're going to really get to know you really fast here. So just okay. First question. First answer comes to mind coffee or tea coffee, Tim's or Starbucks Tim's, good Canadian boy cats or dogs cats. Yeah, yeah, you're Victor approves, if your life was made into a movie who would play you? Oh, Shaq. Apply it. Plywood's answer was Jason Momoa. So there you go. I mean, I will take, I will take just change my answer. No, you're locked in. If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive. Dead or Alive. Yeah, my mom. That's everyone dance. Well I really don't like yeah, it's probably my mom. It sure is. He's answers to. Yeah, I don't care. Victor you'reyou're so well-behaved until now come on, best vacation. Can I change my answer to Shaq? I think you should probably back dinner with Shaq or oh the actor. Gotcha. Yeah, no dinner with Shaq. What was the favorite actor? Is not a wasn't a favor t-shirts. Let us move on but these good. I don't want to shock you. But the answers to these questions aren't really that important. This is just wrong. Okay? Because I also probably prefer dogs so you the best vacation, the best vacation, Italy, Italy. It sounds good. I want I would leave. I thought that just a sunburn. But anyway yeah close second Thunder. Bay healthy Coast. Wow. Yes. Window or aisle seat, Arden window or aisle. See, have you seen my legs right exit seat exit, exit. Only the worst thing that the airlines have done. They started charging before for the end. The exits having no. Yeah. I used to walk into the airport, and they'd be like oh we got an exit seat on our hands. Now I go on there. Like em should have got here earlier $50 that gentleman. Just bought it and it's like some guy who's 54 just wants to his legs out. So I will at least you save on the neck pillow, because you can just rest your chin on your own. He's sitting there were enough fair enough. Yeah, beer, while you're already answered this. Beer, Wine and Liquor. You're a beer, man. Are you an early bird or a night? Owl, I am a night owl that has had to learn how to be an early bird with kids learn to Parenthood. And if you could be someone else for a day, who would that be Shaq? Know that answer if I could be someone? I like me. I don't know. That's, that's a perfectly, good answer, good answer. Yeah. Be anyone else and final question? A secret? Something that no one knows. It could be about you or it could be just an interesting fact in general. The fact I always say that I kind of like, is my, my, well, I guess it's not secret then but I only a few people know, my uncle used to be part owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Oh, yeah. That's pretty cool and fun. Yeah, that's great. That is, that's pretty cool. Yeah, fun. Right. Very good. You can suit he was sued by. He was sued by them. Don't even remember. When Mario Lemieux had this whole lawsuit with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Yeah, I think my uncle was like number two on that. That is that just makes this story even better. Yeah. Yeah. That's a little secret. Some, there you go. Well, Alex, thank you so much for joining us tonight. You know, we will let you get to your basketball game, we really appreciate it. So where can folks find you online? It me up on Twitter and Instagram. I am not a very active social media person, but that's where I live. You normally just find me. Commenting on basketball or no, but I will always post if I am a part of something that I want people to know about all I always post about it. It's great. Well, who do you have in the playoffs? Well, I all my teams are gone. I had the clippers, but I think Milwaukee's going to go win the final. If y'all know where the Clipper is the Clippers, your favorite team or you just thought they all the Raptors are my favorite team by far. But I just thought they were gonna. At least need to clear that up. Don't worry. Yeah, definitely a Raptors fan. That's great. And do you have anything you want to plug the upcoming production or anything? I can't yet. That's right. Okay. So wait, wait, wait. You can't say anything about the show but what point in the future? Should we be looking out for it? Mike, I don't know officially but my guess is the fall The Forest, all right? And I mean you know, let us know, and we will try to amplify it through our channels and you know if ever you want to come back because then we can ask you about season eight nine questions that we would love to have you back. And there are many questions that could be answered for those Seasons. I this is the clothes but how did so? How does this work? You just you watch each show and then you talk about it. Yeah we ran after Show. So, do you know, just like a sports after show? So we will watch an episode and then will comment on it. Like I will do a recap. We do a comment. Yeah. And our listeners. We find are watching it and with us, and then listening, and, and Gathering every week. Yeah, they do their homework with us. It's amazing. It's been a lot of fun. We got one, we got a little Community going here with, like they said guys, from the people, from the States from Australia Canadians and it's just been a lot of fun. I mean, it's been a great way to get to the pandemic and Yeah, we built a really nice little community. So very supportive and they love Letterkenny anything. Letterkenny, everyone's ecstatic about the new Shores, Shores. They spin off. Everyone's only. Yeah, everyone's on pins and needles about it. Like season 10 and 11 News, obviously and Letterkenny live. I was going to ask you this, but I don't want to get you in trouble. So if you can't say anything, have you been asked to join the Letterkenny live. I can't say any. No. Okay. Don't want to get you in trouble. Anyway, we're gonna play us off here with one of my favorite songs from the show, it's called, that's it Yogi that no, you know what? I have been sober this. This is true. This, I considered that I considered Boot Scootin Boogie, but the problem there is YouTube could cancel us. Like, could would bar our episode from getting posted if because it's such a big song right at Major. So I have to stick to the Letterkenny catalog, which I love. I mean, it's amazing music. This one's called, that's it. That's all by. We are the One of my favorite Tunes, so let the so much out. Yes, thank you so much buddy, really appreciate this. That was so fun. All right. Oh no. Hopefully we will have you back? I will tune in. I will tune in from here on out. Perfect. Nice. That's all we have for this episode. Don't forget to give our sponsored diabolical coffee. Some love there at diable diabolical coffee.com, right? Now, you can use a promo code produce stand for 10% off. Any purchase from their sight if you'd like to support the podcast, right us on iTunes or become a patron? There's a patreon link. On our site or Twitter profile at produce, and we are also on Facebook Instagram and Tick Tock, add produce a pod thank you for joining us. Now we're going to go drink some puppers with our new friend. Alex, do I hear two peppers? Can I get two peppers three properties through proper is going once going twice, sold that took a lot of guts for me to do in front of their Alex on behalf of Alex, Mack, Victor Tania and myself have a great night Okay.
