3302 – Casting a wide net with Ben Wexler

Find the show at NeverNotFunny.com
In studio notes by Garon Cockrell
Editing and additional notes by Darryl Asher

NNF Platinum 3302 – Ben Wexler
@MrBenWexler

00 Welcome in! It’s a new episode flawed and all!

We’re loosey goosey!

It’s gonna be hot again!

Jimmy’s house is much cooler! He has colored vinyl from a comedian on his wall.

Jimmy talks about his appearance on For What It’s Worth, Murray’s game show!

Jimmy talks point controversy.

It all comes back to album covers!

Jimmy doesn’t much like promoting merch. He did ship some merch to Chicago for those shows.

Oliver is watching Hamilton in his history class?

Jimmy makes an out of character asshole joke. Ring of Fire!

10 – Matt talks about watching Hamilton live versus on Disney Plus.

Elise and Zoey went to Beyonce last night!

Some sound issues at SoFi unfortunately. Why so many issues with the audio!

Jimmy and Fam went to see Glengarry Glen Ross out in Los Feliz. It was the theater he used to take oliver to the mommy and me screenings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glengarry_Glen_Ross_(film)

Celeb sighting at the theater!

Jack Lemmon died in 2001.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Lemmon

Colin Ferrell!

20 – Was he handsome? Yes, but also more weathered.

Zoey saw Kevin McHale, JoJo Siwa, and Joshua Basset.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Bassett

25 – Jimmy’s got a web situation.

Ellen vs Brian Regan’s web joke.

No movie for the Belknaps this weekend!

They had lunch at the Lazy Dog.

https://www.lazydogrestaurants.com/

Big documentary weekend for the Pardo-Koenigs!

Happy birthday, Oliver!

Movies and bowling! And also some Barones!

30 – Jimmy gives us the bowling low down.

They had a bunch of Asian folks around them and they were having a blast. They loved it and were nothing but positive and joyful.

Various degrees of Bowling enjoyment for people doing it.

Docs: Telemarketer and Glitch (HQ doc)

35 – https://www.moviepass.com/

“You get a lot of movement when you jerk,” – Jimmy Pardo

Eliot makes a shaving cream joke and gets a talking to.

40 – Join the Platinum to hear Eliot’s We Didn’t Start The Fire!

Subtoberfest is coming! A new pin design is coming as well!

Prevagen improves memory! Prevagen.com

Talking supplements and wives tales!

I go with our guest!

50 – Jimmy is “the fastest brain in something else!”

We’re gonna do a Prevegan experiment I guess?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolph_the_Red-Nosed_Reindeer_(TV_special)

Hermey the Elf!

55 – Lot of old school Bluetooth head sets in Jimmy’s neighborhood.

Ben Wexler is here! He’s worked on a lot of our favorite shows!

We’ll be right back!

We’re back!

Nice break!

Ben Wexler is here!

Jimmy does zero research for the show he found out Ben worked on The Grinder so he did a little digging.

The guys talk baseball and Jason Bennetti!

Gordon Beckham – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Beckham

Check out Sonic 45!

https://sonic45.bandcamp.com/

60 – Ben talks about his history with baseball fandom. He grew up a sox fan despite being from the northside. He did like the cubs as well but settled on the Sox.

Ben’s been in LA since he was 18!

1h5m – Jimmy talks about Oliver and his college plans and already starting to look into colleges and planning.

Ben talks about his own experiences in school and taking film classes but not majoring in film.

The UC near Yosemite is UC Merced!

https://www.ucmerced.edu/campus-life/explore-area/yosemite

Ben has 2 kids! One in first year of college and one a junior in HS!
23 years married! Just like Matt!

1h10m – Ben’s daughter might be a marine biologist but also might end up doing nerdy comedy. She’s not a stoner apparently, which is shocking to Ben.

Jimmy talks about Oliver and his hopes for his college experience.

Ben talks about getting his Hollywood start in casting, on Forest Gump no less. He went from intern to hired.

1h15m – Ben explains more about how the casting progress works (at least as of 1994).

Ben says Hollywood is a meritocracy and Eliot suggests not auditioning until you know you can do it.

1h20m – Jimmy shares the Fred Savage headshot photographer story.

Ben talks about casting the 4 year old son of Forest Gump in the film. They saw hundreds and hundreds of kids. He saw Hayley Joel Osment and knew instantly that was the kid they needed to use for the movie and he was cast!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haley_Joel_Osment

Ben talks about Stephanie Weir and how incredibly funny she is.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephnie_Weir

Ben talks about The Comedians and working with Billy Crystal on his first TV show since Soap.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Comedians_(2015_TV_series)

1h30m – Talking about The Grinder which Ben worked on.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grinder_(TV_series)

The creators definitely knew that Grindr was a thing and had no interest in changing the name.

Ben says Rob Lowe was born to play that role and no one else could do it.

Rob Lowe is a perfect man apparently.

Ben shares a story about his assistant and Rob Lowe being her hall pass.

At least no one is asking about projects now that the strike is going on!

1h35m – Lotta acting class energy on the lines lately.

Ben does not know the origin of the “Shadow Boys” from The Grinder.

Name one thing Bradley Whitford is bad in! You can’t!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good_Guys_(2010_TV_series)

1h40m – Ben talks about working on the everyone’s least favorite season of their favorite shows. Arrested Development, Community especially.

Ben talks about getting hired finally on Arrested Development.

Trivia! Full results below!

1h45m – Bed size talk!

Check those promos!

Promo code Pardo10 at Purple!

We’ll be right back!

We’re back!

Sending me for a fresh Coke zero!

Round the horn!

Lemonicedesigns.com!

1h55m – Wet your beak!

The Nun 2 is coming in a couple weeks.

Talking The Equalizer.

I went to October Village in Santa Ana!

Burning Man! Cannibals yet?

2h – https://variety.com/2023/music/news/diplo-chris-rock-escape-burning-man-fan-truck-1235712449/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaia_Gerber

Planning the burning man escape movie.

2h5m – https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/ben-shapiro-mocked-again-failed-201317375.html

All 19 Movies and Shows Steve Bannon Wrote, Directed or Produced (Photos)

Rerotate!

Jimmy went to Eliot’s mail and ship joint where he also has a PO Box.

2h10m – Eliot was there over the weekend as well.

Someone came in and needed a witness to check his Visa form he was filling out.

Jimmy couldn’t open the door to the place. He was yanking on it and not noticing the giant PUSH sign.

2h15m – We give Eliot his winnings twice!

Ben talks about his son and how he’s a “dude.” He’s already driving. He went surfing yesterday!

Ben talks about his Parents in Palm Springs who were hit by the hurricane, they were out of town at the time, but Ben went down there to help clean up. Lots of mud.

It was 113 degrees while he was cleaning.

Ben says that going to LAX on a Saturday night was nuts.

2h20m – Palm Springs talk!

Sinatra in Palm Springs doc.

Soeone smuggled a gun into the Sox game. She had smuggled her gun in under her belly fat?! https://www.silive.com/sports/2023/08/woman-snuck-gun-into-chicago-white-sox-game-under-her-belly-fat-report.html

The White Sox are pretty bad apparently.

Go see Jimmy’s shows!

We’re done!!

 

Trivia Results:
Category: For The Birds
Question: Although we commonly use this word to refer to dinosaurs, it also is used for birds that swoop down at their prey.

Garon: Raptor (9 pts)
Eliot: Raptor (15 pts)
Matt: Raptor (5 pts)
Ben Wexler: Raptor (8 pts)
Jimmy: Antibiotic (7 pts)

Answer: Raptor

Eliot wins!

My pleasure,

Garon/The Beast/Mush Mouth Shy Guy/The Notekeeper/Lazy Queen/Sloth/Little Asshole