#150 Gary Kroeger Goes Behind The Scenes of Saturday Night Live

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Jeff Dwoskin 0:31

All right, Julia, thank you so much for that amazing introduction. You got the show go and each and every week and this week was no exception. Welcome, everybody to Episode 150 of classic conversations. As always, I'm your host, Jeff Dwoskin. Great to have you back for another amazing milestone. Ah 150 episodes. Can you believe it? I can't believe it. Who knew when this was just a podcast dream that one day we would be celebrating 150 episodes together. I remember having Burt Ward robbing from Batman on my 50th episode. It was such a huge big deal still is but that was 100 episodes ago can't believe it so much goodness. So much goodness. Thanks to every one of you for all this all your support and love. It means the world to me. Today's guest Gary Kroeger. That's right from Saturday Night alive. 1982 To 85 Gary rock to 30 Rockefeller Plaza. That's right. Gary and I talk all about Saturday Night Live those early 80s years those were the years coming off the blue she Akroyd years, the five years with Lorne Michaels. After he left things change, we dive deep into it. You're gonna love it no stone unturned. We also go deep into another movie Archie Riverdale and back who can forget Gary Kroeger was the original Reggie mantle from Archie. So hang on to your seats. We got a lot coming up in just a few seconds.

Jeff Dwoskin 2:10

In these few seconds. I want to remind you check out last week's Episodes Episode 149 with comedian Cathy Ladman amazing conversation episode 148 Christian good near from Stranger Things if you love Stranger Things, check out my conversation with Christian Ganier. Check out my conversation with Cathy if you love Saturday Night Live well. You're the right place because we're about to talk to Gary Kroeger. Gary shines light on being discovered for Saturday Night Live with Julia Louie Dreyfus and Brad Hall working on Saturday Night Live during the heyday of Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo. Working with Billy Crystal Martin Short Christopher guest's so much packed into this we got great Ringo Starr Robert Blake stories, you're gonna walk away thinking wow, I would have paid triple for this episode and gotten my money's worth. Well, lucky for you. It's completely free. And here it is my conversation with Gary Kroeger. Enjoy.

Jeff Dwoskin 3:11

Alright everyone, I'm excited to introduce you to my next guest, actor writer, improviser podcaster, hailing from the practical Theatre Company loved him on Saturday Night Live Archie to Riverdale and back again the big take the newlywed game revival America's number one clock watcher Gary Kroeger. Gary, welcome to the show.

Gary Kroeger 3:37

Jeff, those are some credits I don't very often hear no. I love to Archie and Riverdale and back and we can talk about that if you want. It never went anywhere. But I loved it. But no one's ever mentioned it before. It's the first time there's a fan of Archie to Riverdale. Okay,

Jeff Dwoskin 3:52

let's start there. This is we have naturally gone in that direction. I love that movie. And it was funny. You know, when you do research and digging in and you're like, Oh my God. That's right. Gary was Reggie. Right, was Reggie. And I was like, but you know what, it doesn't get enough credit because that was the first live action Archie.

Gary Kroeger 4:11

It was well, it was an interesting project. And I'll tell you a little story behind it. I have trouble putting dates on anything. But probably we're talking 9090 90 Somewhere in there. And I was just asked to come in to read for a show called Seinfeld, which was on the air and it was friends of mine. Of course Julia and Larry David from Saturday Night Live. It wasn't an offer of the party. It was just to come in and meet on a roll couldn't even tell you what the role was. But the show was at the bottom of the ratings at the time and that wasn't the reason for me not going into read it was I had just accepted Archie to Riverdale and back which was five days of work for an ungodly amount of money for five days of work. And it was a back end pilot so I could see this becoming sort of a comic 30 something right that was the idea. was Archie meets 30 something and I thought okay, this has got legs so I had already committed to it and it would have conflicted and I didn't want to tell Larry or even Julia Hey, I accepted your job but now I have to turn you down would have been bad for him right? So I did Archie to Riverdale back which obviously went nowhere, but I heard later that they were really hurt and that Larry David was kind of pissed off and once you piss off Larry, he's pissed off for possibly a decade and so I never got brought back in on Seinfeld he did bring it on a curb your enthusiasm and 2003 or so which I loved but all that time I assume Larry David hated me for turning down a Seinfeld a Seinfeld audition and doing Archie to Riverdale and back

Jeff Dwoskin 5:41

in hindsight

Gary Kroeger 5:44

in hindsight, you know, isn't hindsight something in hindsight but you know, I would have been a footnote some character I don't know who I think there was a relationship with with a lane somewhere in there. And II The residuals would be a lot better. And I would be in that world but you never know at the time. You know, I thought bigger part has legs good paycheck. You know, I think I made the intelligent decision just not the you know, I didn't have a crystal ball did I

Jeff Dwoskin 6:13

know Look, I I'm gonna admit a few things. One when I saw it on their IMDb and I was reminded of this gem, which I completely remember it's stuck in my head from young Jeff Dwoskin watching TV, specifically, if I may be 100% honest, the Lauren Holly. Betty seductions Yeah, Archie. Right. So yeah,

Gary Kroeger 6:34

Karen Copeland's and Lauren, two beautiful, beautiful women who are just starting their careers really? And yeah, it was fun to go into the makeup, the honey the makeup wagon and see the two of them every morning. Beautiful, lovely cast Chris rich, lovely.

Jeff Dwoskin 6:48

Yeah, it was it was a fun day. I rewatched it I found it on YouTube, rewatch it because I'm like, I got it. I got it. I got you know, sometimes you want to replay those memories, right? It was good. It could have gone somewhere. I don't know why it was good enough. It was like it was very well done for like Archie kind of bringing it to life. It was enjoyable.

Gary Kroeger 7:06

I you know, if I may be somewhat modest. I'm a very nice guy. I'm an easy guy to get to know and affable. So for me to play kind of an aihole You know, Reggie was was a fun departure for me. And I felt that I did him quite well. I thought I played him. It did him justice. The courtroom scene. I thought it was pretty funny stuff.

Jeff Dwoskin 7:26

You were a great Reggie. You were a big jerk to pop Tate and you wanted to take down his soda shop?

Gary Kroeger 7:32

I sure did. Like, damn. I had that cut out of Reggie, who was me, you know, like this and all of his workout facilities for years and years and years. I carried that cutout with me. I really enjoyed it. I think what happened at that time, the early 90s. That was a cartoony thing. Good idea. But things were getting much more serious. They wanted 30 something they wanted real drama, not Reggie and Archie having drama. So it just, you know, didn't go anywhere. I have a lot of those. The shaggy dog the return of the shaggy dog was I thought a very charming Disney movie that I did around the same time or a little bit earlier. And it had legs to go places could have been a series. But you know, it was just another movie of the week that went nowhere.

Jeff Dwoskin 8:19

That was in 1987. That was after after Saturday Night Live?

Gary Kroeger 8:23

That was indeed Yes. Couple years. Yeah. What eventually kind of

Jeff Dwoskin 8:27

determines whether one of these backdoor pilots will actually get made? Is it writing?

Gary Kroeger 8:31

Well, if it if it gets tremendous ratings, obviously, that's a big deal. Everything sort of is a back end pilot, because you want to keep those actors in case you get the idea that hey, this could go somewhere you want to already be have them contracted great ratings would have made a difference. I think it probably did. Well, I don't recall and great reviews make a difference. And I think that those kinds of shows were basically treated not as heavy substance there wasn't a lot of gravitas to it. So it was really easy to dismiss it you know, in the reviews and if the numbers didn't go through the roof, you know, it just went into the heap of nice ideas and that go nowhere. I doubt

Jeff Dwoskin 9:11

current Riverdale right which is what everyone probably thinks did have one of their episodes named to Riverdale and back again in homage to your movie.

Gary Kroeger 9:19

Do you think it was really out of respect to a movie that Yeah,

Jeff Dwoskin 9:23

yeah. They picked movies I think to name their episodes. And so that was it was absolutely absolutely terrible of your movie was Dick tower. He did smoking the bandit. Yeah, Ray. Yeah, gambler three and four. Project out well, and

Gary Kroeger 9:38

Paul Haggis was no Paul Haggis wrote, he writes Archie to Riverdale and back Paul Haggis, the Paul Haggis, or he wrote one of the films I did it might have been the return to the shaggy dog

Jeff Dwoskin 9:48

John L. Goldwater. That was his character having cats having cat

Gary Kroeger 9:52

he went on to many things as well. I remember Paul Haggis after Return of the shaggy dog and this is this is what I would Live for as he would, he came up to me and said Kroeger, you you hit every beat. That to me is a fulfillment of my contract and what I'm supposed to do, he said you never missed your mark. I mean, whether it was a line or just being prepared as an actor, and I took that, obviously, 35 years later, and I still remember him saying that it meant something to me. That's

Jeff Dwoskin 10:20

awesome. It's those little words that people say to people. Yeah, well, I

Gary Kroeger 10:25

did the best that I could. And so the writer producer said, you hit every note. That's what he said. Okay, great. And you remember it.

Jeff Dwoskin 10:32

You're the first live first living right? The first living Reggie so you got that? That is always that's trivia A you can die with. Right. Well, you

Gary Kroeger 10:41

know what, I just might put that on Facebook today. That might be become my status today.

Jeff Dwoskin 10:47

All right, let's go. Let's, let's talk about I think, Oh, I'm looking at your my notes. And apparently there's other stuff. We can talk about other stuff. I will say your years and sorry, life, those were like my first years of watching Saturday Night Live and I man, you were targeting it. So you were 14 or younger, like 12 to 15? During Yeah, years. And so that was sort of like how I got introduced to Saturday Night Live was you and Julia and Addy and Joe Piscopo. And all that. And so it is a thrill. It's a real thrill to talk to you because it was such a good thing in my head. Well, I

Gary Kroeger 11:22

appreciate that. And I should take the compliment and say thank you, but it can't be a thrill. I mean, you don't have goose bumps or anything. It's a mild thrill right? It's it's a pleasing sensation.

Jeff Dwoskin 11:34

You know, I you know, I do this podcast because like I love to like talk to people that at some point in my life pop and pop culture way kind of were there and embedded in my head. So yeah, it is It is awesome to be able to talk to you. Yeah, you're very kind. I appreciate that. I appreciate I mean, I wish I had Giulia but you

Gary Kroeger 11:55

look, believe me, I get it. I'd rather have Giulia or Eddie you know? Absolutely.

Jeff Dwoskin 12:00

You return McCall's.

Gary Kroeger 12:05

The way I've always looked at that my period there is I was a footnote in history I had if the show were Led Zeppelin, I was a roadie. You know what I mean? It's like I'm not in the band. Exactly. But I was there, I witnessed Eddie Murphy's explosion onto the scene from really humble Senate live presents to a superstar in films. I got to watch that happen. You know, I watched Billy Crystal and Marty short and Chris guest improvised, you know, I got, I had a bird's eye view of some amazing parts of television history.

Jeff Dwoskin 12:38

I just wanted to take a quick break. Thank everyone for the support of the sponsors. When you support the sponsors, you're supporting us here classic conversations. And that's how we keep the lights on. Now back to Gary Kroeger about to take him back in time. And Gary is going to share some memories of being part of the practical theater. You know, I also found it amazing that let's go let's go back in time and then work back up to Sunday live like the time and the practical Theatre Company. And what was it even before that, that even got you want?

Gary Kroeger 13:08

What do they got? Maybe in my life, or the practical theater in particular? Like

Jeff Dwoskin 13:11

what got you interested in doing comedy and improv and meeting Brad and Julia and forming this

Gary Kroeger 13:18

troupe? Well, you know, it's interesting. It's a great question too, because I think people who are interested in these things benefit from hearing somebody that carved out some kind of a life in it. I've wanted to be a performer as long as I can remember, you know, this sounds cute, but the fact is, I would make the Avon lady laugh, and that became a drug. You know what you can make your family laugh. I was the funny person in a very intellectual, academic family. I'm not an intellectual or academic, but the rest of my family is and I was the funny guy. So once you find that niche in life, you become the funny the wise cracker at school, you imitate all the teachers, you get involved in all the plays. So that was sort of my destiny as long as I could remember, but I really wasn't interested in comedy, even though I was getting laughs It just told me that I wanted to perform. And when I got involved with theater, especially in high school, and then in college, it was dramatic theater that that interested me it was Arthur Miller. It was Tennessee Williams, who was checkoff. These are the things that I felt could move people and I felt that I had a a deep reservoir to draw from but you go where the opportunity is, I fell in with friends like Brad Hall and Julia Louis Dreyfus, and a host of other names, but those in particular, you probably know, and we were creating theater on the fly at Northwestern. We did Brecht, we did original shows, but the glue that kept the practical theater together and drew the biggest audiences were improv comedy shows. We approached all of it with kind of an intellectual point of view. We didn't want to just do silly comedy. We wanted it to be political. We wanted them make social statements. So we develop this reputation as being guerilla quasi intellectual, collegiate comedians. Well, that led to a big show in Chicago, which led to Senate live. And then once you're painted with that brush, stroke comedian, Senate live, it's like, it's like Al Pacino. Once you think you're out, they pull you back in you just can't get away from it. You know, I would go to auditions. Oh, it's the comedian. I'm not really a comedian. I don't do jokes. You know, I thought that the majority of my career

Jeff Dwoskin 15:32

so do you just consider yourself a humorous observer of nature? Yeah,

Gary Kroeger 15:36

I'm an actor and I'm a reasonably funny guy even though I think I'm good conversation I'm quick with a with what he rep parte perhaps but I've always thought of myself as an actor and I try harder and harder to get back into it. But it's it's difficult.

Jeff Dwoskin 15:51

How did you find kind of a kinship with Brad Hall Julia Louie Dreyfus and Paul morose bras Ross

Gary Kroeger 16:00

Yep, Rush Pearson Paul barrage rush Pearson Jeff Lupin and Bill Ron ski, Jane Mueller, I mean, just a host of fantastic people. It's hard. I meet them at a frat party, maybe at a dormitory party, perhaps in northwestern theatre is very intense. And it's a very reputable organization, right Northwestern theatre. It's almost conservatory like training. So people who are really anxious to do things have a tendency to do them on their own, rather than wait for University Theatre to catch up with them. You audition for a show, maybe you didn't get in, but you still want to perform. So we sort of found ourselves looking at each other going, let's do stuff. Let's do stuff. We have all these ideas. Let's do stuff. Paul. And Brad initially created the attack Theater, which became the practical theater, and it just sort of drew people like me and Giulia into it. And we became, you know, real collaborators, real friends. It was a window of probably 79 to 80 to three years, but in that time, we produced a lot of material, the dam eventually burst and that's when Senator live came by in 1982. And said, Hey, would you come to New York? Okay. At that time, that was a good decision. I made a good decision on the spot. I said, Yeah, I'll go to New York and let you pay me.

Jeff Dwoskin 17:14

How did they become aware of you?

Gary Kroeger 17:17

Two things. I think we were right next door to Second City. In fact, Second City sold our audience their drinks to make money off of us. They gave us the space to build and we put on our own show next to Second City. I don't know that second city at that particular Bernie Sahlins who ran Second City and joy Sloan were tired of Senate live rating their cast, you know, Belushi all of those people. Bill Murray. They all came from there. And then the show is kind of crippled the theater show because they all went off to start it live. So I think as legend has it, Bernie said, check out the Kids Next Door. They got to they got a cute little show a lot of energy. Go check out those kids. So Dick Ebersol Bob Tischler, and others came to see the show, and literally closed us on a Senate Saturday, after our Saturday show, because they wanted us in New York on Monday or something crazy like that. So I had Sunday to sit there and go, Well, I guess I could, am I gonna move sell the Pinto and move out of my little one bedroom studio apartment and in Chicago and move to New York? Okay. Yeah, I'll do that. It was like that. It really was magical.

Jeff Dwoskin 18:20

So part of the magic was second city didn't want to lose any of their people. Yeah, yeah. Hey, God bless they were

Gary Kroeger 18:26

happy. Well, and we had a great chemistry. And Paul was brought along as a writer on the show to that first year, but we had a great chemistry me and Julian, Brad and Paul. And that was the entire cast at that time. So I think it was easy to look at these very young people with these very physical ideas and say, okay, they will plug in nicely now that's the good part of the story. The bad part of the story is we didn't really plug in that easily into Senate live physical stuff was not what they did. They tell jokes, they create characters catchphrases, it wasn't really the kind of stuff that we were doing so we were very out of place, especially that first year.

Jeff Dwoskin 19:05

But the talent that they grabbed the four of you I didn't know Paul's name when I first wrote it down but I looked him up and his his IMDb is so impressive and ever he created one of my favorite shows behind the music. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah, but that's just like, I just scratches the surface. So the four of you are in talent. I mean, we all know now in hindsight, what crazy talent they kind of grab How did you feel though? I'm sure you felt great because it was Saturday I live coming off what a lot of people consider like those iconic five years with like Belushi and Ackroyd etc, etc. And Gilda we would

Gary Kroeger 19:38

be we would be two years after the iconic five.

Jeff Dwoskin 19:41

That's what I'm saying. Like so. Yeah, season six, right as the history goes, correct me if I'm wrong season six. Lauren just wanted a break after season five. They're like, No, we're just plugging ahead. So they hire Jean Domaine Romania. Right. And then she pulls together. Some folks she gets fired midseason. Tic Ebersol takes over Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo start to become the stars of the show. I think they're the only two he retained he fires everybody. Yeah, including Gilbert Godfrey and clover Gilbert Godfried may rest in peace. And then

Gary Kroeger 20:15

he brought together Tim Kassar in ski and Robin Duke Mary gross.

Jeff Dwoskin 20:20

Laurie Metcalf was featured.

Gary Kroeger 20:22

It was featured I believe she was offered, but she just it's not what she wanted to do. They retained Eddie and Joan, Eddie and Joe particularly Eddie became the stars of the show. Eddie by 1982. The 8182 Season according to Dick ever saw, I don't want to say he was getting lazy but he was getting disinterested in Sarah alive because he started doing films they hadn't come out yet. But he was getting film offers because he was the big star on on SNL. One of the reasons that they went looking for new energy was to put a fire under Eddie, that's one of the reasons we were hired. And perhaps it did light a fire because when we got there, there was very little room for us in the Eddie Murphy. The Eddie Murphy show featuring Joe Piscopo. Right. The others, particularly Tim Kassar rescue so prolific, they found their space on the show, but for me, Brandon and Julia, it was very tough going, you know, we considered ourselves the professor and Marianne before they got the song credit we were and the rest. That's a Gilligan's Island, right? Maybe it predates or

Jeff Dwoskin 21:23

not, I got it. I was singing it in my head.

Gary Kroeger 21:28

And the rest well, that's what we were, you know, Brad and I would would say to each other, are you cop number one or COP? Number two? You know, me most of the roles that we got with a few exceptions,

Jeff Dwoskin 21:38

right. Your first season was season eight, right? So season six, season seven when they rebuilt the cast, and then they added Mary grows. And Christine ever saw this. You never saw no relation. Brian Doyle Murray was featured. Tony rizona Rosato. Yeah, was there. So now this is probably the year where Eddie and Joe really kind of established themselves. So then you kind of came into that?

Gary Kroeger 22:01

Yes. And they didn't know what to think of us because we were very theatrical. Nobody had heard of us. We were a fish out of water. We didn't know the medium. Our ideas, again, were very physical, very cerebral. And it just they looked at us like, What on earth are they doing here? It took a while to prove ourselves to them. I think we did eventually. But

Jeff Dwoskin 22:22

how did you get away with rest of the cast like Robin Duke and Mary grows. And Tim?

Gary Kroeger 22:27

Well, Robin and Mary and Tim all came from Second City and they came from theatrical backgrounds. And so they sort of they embraced us, they understood that, hey, we're no different than you are. It was just like this for us last year. They were very, very kind, but they were also fighting for their own space on the show. Again, you know, these aren't sour grapes. If I'm producing sarin live and I've got Eddie Murphy, I'm gonna give him everything I can. And Joe Piscopo takes some lumps, I think these days, but you know, he was a workhorse. And he could do anything. If he worked on an impression, he would nail it after two or three days. And so he really was in a way the the Phil Hartman of our era. I agree with that. It's just a workhorse. And the two of them were such good friends and had such great chemistry that, you know, they put them together as Stevie Wonder and Frank Sinatra and Solomon and Pudge, and all of these things that really were the meat and potatoes of the show.

Jeff Dwoskin 23:25

Yeah, Joe, I have the same kind of memories of Joe Piscopo being so solid Eddie just being hilarious, solid. And then I have like, it's funny. I don't know if it's the memory and then reinforced by what clips I can find online. But it seems like you were every one of the clips you're in. Julia is in that? You guys were in a lot of clips together. I mean, that's not a bad thing. It was just an observation. I well.

Gary Kroeger 23:49

Well, Julia and I were very, very tight. I mean, she was already with Brad Hall and they would be married a couple years later, but I think I knew Julia before Brad, we were a very tight group and and Julia and I just fit together. We looked we looked like we could be a couple were the right size for each other. You know, Brad's eight foot six inches, you know? And Julia has no five to Julia and I matched up very well as Donnie and Marie or whatever it was. So yeah, we were put together quite often.

Jeff Dwoskin 24:17

That's a skit that everyone always mentions as like one of the classics was is you? And it's Julie as Donnie Marie I could not find it online to save my life.

Gary Kroeger 24:26

We did it three times. Same joke. Same joke. Incest Brothers Sisters sing together get closer make out next week. They sing together. She's pregnant. I mean, it's just low humor low low humor. It didn't even build with jokes it was just the one joke but people remember it

Jeff Dwoskin 24:48

it's so

Gary Kroeger 24:49

my A who might or your

Jeff Dwoskin 24:51

question you can't question so during these the seasons Harry Anderson frequent guests

Gary Kroeger 24:57

Yeah, yeah, Harry was there Joel Hodgdon Harry Anderson nicest guys, Steven Wright. Just unassuming nice, nice people I got to do nikecourt years later with Harry and we swapped stories about the SNL days he was authentic and as kind as he appeared to be. He really was.

Jeff Dwoskin 25:16

I loved Harry went on Saturday live and every time he showed up on chairs when I showed up I mean pre nightclub

Gary Kroeger 25:23

lead to nightclub but yeah, but that persona really was Harry just unassuming brilliant with his sleight of hand. Yeah, so approachable. Love the man.

Jeff Dwoskin 25:34

I'm looking at first season. So I there's a few things of note during the first season I found is that Drew Barrymore hosted youngest person ever hosted. It's seven, seven years old. And then I didn't realize this, the timing of it, but it was this season, your first season that they voted Andy Kaufman off a Saturday Night Live forever.

Gary Kroeger 25:54

Yeah. And that's something that comes up once in a while, because I'm the one that announced it. And I didn't really know what the flavor the tempo the mood of it was. I'm in the cast. I'm on the show. And I thought it was all set up. I thought it was just a big hoax. So when I played it to the camera, I cringe now when I see it, because rather than there was no subtlety to me, I'm sort of announced surgery and things like that. And that I announced that he was voted off the show. I found out later that it was real and that He was genuinely hurt. Why did I did they do that? It was they did a thing the year before of dumping a lobster into the hot water or not. And people live voted on it. You know, Larry, the lobster and I think people voted to kill the lobster, it could have been Andy's idea to do something like that. Because, you know, performance art is his thing, real time, things like that. But a very nice, nice, gentle, gentle man. But I think he assumed that he was popular and that people liked him on the show. And I'm just guessing and we can't ask him now. But what I heard and what I saw his face afterwards was a very defeated guy. So I've never I've never been comfortable with that, in my part in it.

Jeff Dwoskin 27:10

Sorry to interrupt this amazing conversation with Gary Kroeger. While we have to take a quick break. And we're back with Gary Kroeger. We're gonna go a little bit more into this whole Andy Kaufman story, and we're back. Didn't anyone dig Arizona, you didn't actually have to use the real vote. I mean, years later, things like American Idol and Last Comic Standing would also make or being voted on.

Gary Kroeger 27:35

I don't remember. And maybe my memory is making things up. But it seems to me there was a standard and practices thing that if you say this is real, there were monitors to make sure that it was real and recorded correctly. I remember some authentic mechanism for this to be real and the votes came in in real time. Yeah, I just, you know, that and I'm wearing a really stupid sweater. And when I announced that it's like, you know, I guess it's the it's the early 80s I'm forgetting at the time.

Jeff Dwoskin 28:03

It was probably great. Yeah, you didn't if you had known you were stumbling into an iconic

Gary Kroeger 28:08

sibling into something that would be forever known as part of this legendary career. I think I would have played it differently and worn better clothes.

Jeff Dwoskin 28:18

Though I don't think watching Archie recently you learned anything from the jackets you were wearing in that but anyway,

Gary Kroeger 28:23

they big lapels, right though Yeah.

Jeff Dwoskin 28:26

This is also this season that buckwheat was shot. Yeah. Oh my god,

Gary Kroeger 28:30

that was brilliant. I would hold the assassination of buckwheat up with and I love what Saturday live in the last 25 years. Love it. Love it, particularly the last 10 It's gotten very political. But now it is an edgy show. Again, it's a water cooler show. Adults watch it again. You know, we were targeted for like 14 year old 12 year olds like you. I felt that the assassination of buckwheat was a brilliant satire on media that holds up to this day, Joe Piscopo. Doing Ted Koppel was absolutely brilliant. And the way they just kept showing the assassination over and over and over. It was really the beginning of oversaturation media and Senate live took advantage of that and did a very very good job I played roles later is like a buckwheat impersonator because the buckwheat after death phenomenon which we compared to Elvis Of course, David Susskind came on the show and a bunch of us buckwheat impersonators argued with each other. So I got to be part of it in that respect, and I'm pretty proud of that.

Jeff Dwoskin 29:28

You know, you see things and they stick with you forever. I mean, there's still times when have you seen the videotape?

Gary Kroeger 29:35

Have you seen the video deck? Well, it was Joe did it perfectly. In fact, Joe's watch you know when you do imitations, you find a hook phrase and if you asked me to do Alan all the later I have a hook phrase right before camera would roll. I would hear Joe going to a couple to couple and yes, and I can't do Ted gobble But Joe would perfectly be in the meter have to A couple after doing a couple Have you seen the videotape, buckwheat has this fantastic spin shot. We did some things in that era of Eddie's white like me, where he puts on Whiteface brilliant and finds out that white people on buses have parties and things like that, you know, that was part of my era and it holds up I think with any satire,

Jeff Dwoskin 30:23

that's again, one of the greatest greatest skits. Let me ask you question these great skits of your time and I'll throw the Needleman dating video into that pile is do you think because these are like the the non Lauren years that sometimes in retrospectives or anything like that they get skipped?

Gary Kroeger 30:42

Yes. Without a doubt without it. In fact, I think loaner would bury that those for five years under the carpet but you can't ignore Eddie Murphy Eddie Murphy to this day is probably the single biggest star to emerge. And I'm talking about Will Ferrell to Eddie's Eddie star has shone so brightly for so long that you can't ignore that hit that era is part of Senate live and so begrudgingly and I'm just guessing, but we don't get included in a lot of things. Except for Eddie. You'll notice Joe isn't particularly involved in the anniversary shows, particularly Eddie's the one and Billy Crystal and Marty short, you really can't ignore

Jeff Dwoskin 31:19

that's too bad it but because there was some really great stuff that came. I think it's hard to ignore any period because no matter what anyone thinks of any period, like I didn't I hate to say this out loud. I had no opinion of the first five years because I really hadn't seen them. Okay, right. I mean, when I was introduced here, so my opinion is these are to me what Saturday Night Live is I went back and explored and learned and sure well that but you know to ignore any part of the history of the show, I think is unfortunate. I got

Gary Kroeger 31:48

to watch Eddie, I met Eddie Murphy and 48 hours hadn't come out yet. I knew that he was the star of SNL. But he was just this kid who hung out at all the meetings, he would sign his name on lampshades. He was just introducing himself to the concept of celebrity, but he was just this really young kid, and I got to watch 48 hours come out Beverly Hills Cop Trading Places, and he became a superstar to where a hush would fall over the studio. You know, you'd have 450 people in the audience and it would be like, Oh, it could have been the Beatles, you know, the way people responded to him and I got to witness that of the three years I was there. I would have to put the I think the Billy Crystal Marty short Chris guest year it stands out as a gym. Because every it was it was a different style. It was different writing it was different kinds of characterizations. But I was there I was part of it. And I think you could put that year next to any in the history of center live and say okay, that that competes

Jeff Dwoskin 32:46

Yeah, that that year. I hate when that happens. All right, yeah. Oh. Then I took the pliers and I pulled back my fingers.

Gary Kroeger 32:54

I'm in the skin. Video. The bamboo under your fingernails. I

Jeff Dwoskin 32:57

hate when that happens. Yeah, that in the synchronized swimming,

Gary Kroeger 33:01

synchronized swimming stands up with anything. You know, at the end of my second year I did Ira Needleman it made the best of shows a couple of times during that period to this day. It's what people associate me with. And that was Gary, here's $30,000. Let's do something. And Andy Kurtzman Elliot Wald came up with this idea that it's a video dating, which just started was putting in VHS tape still. And I'm a nerdy dentist and Nate Herman, I think wrote this kind of Springsteen s rock and roll song that I went and recorded. And I think it holds up even though the technology has changed. I think the nerdy dentists that metamorphose sizes into this rock and roll stud with a tooth and a cape. I think it's still pretty

Jeff Dwoskin 33:44

funny. holds up. I watched it like two days ago. I was like, I was like blessing. I could find it. It was so funny. I was like, I watched this and Isaiah wrote, down I go, this holds up with any of the best skits ever. Like it's I think it's like It's easy, right and on top of any of them. It is so funny.

Gary Kroeger 34:02

It was so well done. And it's cheap double entendres. Let me fill you up with my drill. I mean, all of these things, but to that audience of teenagers, this was edgy stuff really well produced. It's a good video

Jeff Dwoskin 34:16

for teenagers. They loved it. And I don't mean rewatching it on YouTube, or SNL on NBC, whatever,

Gary Kroeger 34:23

Broadway dancers in there as my hygenist and they're fantastic. I mean, it was a really good production. It was just

Jeff Dwoskin 34:29

that's what they do. Now. They do these huge video segments, pre taped segments and they kind of blow it out. It was right in line with that you were the forefather of everything very kind or came to be Andy Samberg was a huge thank you know,

Gary Kroeger 34:46

I make my kids watch some of that stuff. My oldest is almost 23 My era so predates his whole sensibility frames of reference sense of humor that I don't think he really finds anything that I ever did. really funny? Not at all or any of my children. No, it's not at all. You'd like to think that they'd show their friends. I don't know that they do. I don't know if they do.

Jeff Dwoskin 35:09

It's hard. It's hard for the kids because they see you so differently right and so well,

Gary Kroeger 35:13

I'm dad so to see dad in spandex with a cape, maybe that's upsetting. And in fact, I seem to recall I stripped down to sequined Yeah, you're pretty much all the way down. I'm pretty naked in that thing. Yeah, that might be hard. I can't imagine seeing my father

Jeff Dwoskin 35:26

and then probably whipped cream but toothpaste.

Gary Kroeger 35:29

Well, it was whipped cream but it of course it was supposed to be nice. Yes. And brushed it and brushed my chest. So all of you at home who haven't seen it, I'm sure that's enough that you're gonna want to download you go to the NBC website. You can you can get a lot of that stuff. I think Donnie and Marie is there. Iren Edelman?

Jeff Dwoskin 35:47

Yeah. Oh, it's, you just type in gary kroeger at NBC s and whatever. And you'll get a few yeah, there's a good there's a good selection. Another really good one is the Superman one with Christopher Reeve auditions. That's a good one, too.

Gary Kroeger 36:01

I was very proud of that one because I didn't have any direction. I made it my own the fall, taking the bullet and all that stuff. The pompous actor. Oh, I'm not saying I made the sketch Christopher Reeves in the sketch. He's Superman. But I thought that was really well played by everyone. And I got a nice big laugh from being murdered by Richard Donner.

Jeff Dwoskin 36:20

Played by that whole new sheet. What was it like for Jim Belushi? Because he joined your second year he joined season nine. Yeah. This is like a year and a half after his brother passed away.

Gary Kroeger 36:30

Yeah. Well, Jim, Jim was. Jim and I are in great, great terms. Now we don't hang out or anything. But I saw him at the SNL reunion was very, very friendly. And he actually apologized to me several years ago, because during SNL, he wasn't that nice to me. And not because I was any kind of threat but he perceived me as one for some reason. He targeted me as the person who is going to take rolls from him. Robin Duke was on my show, the Gary and Kenny show and she said oh yeah, Jim would close the door and talk about that, that he would say, oh, I can see through Kroeger's nice act. He's, he's insincere and, and he's a shark. And so he really had it out for me. But at the same time, we did a lot of things together. We did the bowls where he sees me stuff my pants to get girls in a bar. We did the shoplifting thing where I'm the storekeeper, and he steals the entire store. We did a couple of red guys, where we did a wrap together as a couple of Soviet defectors. So the funny thing is we had we did, we are the world together. We had great chemistry. You know, some of my favorite stuff was with Jim,

Jeff Dwoskin 37:36

the term was probably a projection on I can't even imagine what it would the pressure on Jim Belushi to come into Saturday live with the name evolution,

Gary Kroeger 37:49

and let's face it, it's only a year after his brother died. It seemed like a big span of time. No, not at all. You know, John died in 82. March of 82. We're there in September of at two gyms there. The very next year, all of us made the mistake of like seeing Jim in the hallway and say, Hey, John, Jim, I'm sorry. And I remember Jim turning to me once and said, you get to meaning you can make this mistake twice, three times and I probably belt you but I understood. I understood his brother's shadow was huge. And Jim is a very talented guy. And he wanted to carve his own niche. He knew that the name Belushi opened the door, but that's where he wanted the door to close and be his own man. So I got it. I understood.

Jeff Dwoskin 38:31

Ya know, Jim was Jim was very funny on his own in his own way, I think and so yeah, but yeah, I can I

Gary Kroeger 38:37

better actor in a way, I think, you know, than John. You know, John had a charisma that's nobody has equaled. I can't think of anybody. Chris Farley. Maybe? I don't know. But there was a danger to John to none of those things Jim had, but Jim's a very good actor. He played comedy very sincerely. Yeah. Very real. And I was impressed by him.

Jeff Dwoskin 38:59

No, I agree. I agree. I'll so So you mentioned the season three cast that they brought on because they stack the season three casts with Billy Chris. So they Eddie Murphy leaves, Joe Piscopo leaves and they bring in Billy Crystal Christopher gas Martin Short Harry shear and Pamela Stevenson. So basically, except for Michael McCann, the entire cast of spine. Right.

Gary Kroeger 39:21

I think Michael was asked to for that matter.

Jeff Dwoskin 39:23

I know he later I know he hosted that season and later. Yeah, so interestingly, when he hosted that season, they sang McCann share and Christopher gas saying Old Joe's place as the folks man which later the folks went right later with the exact song the folks with the mighty wind, the mighty winds. Yeah,

Gary Kroeger 39:43

all of Christmas movies I love I've got to do one I was in the big picture, which really was one of his first films, if not his first film post SNL and he gave me a nice day role that's memorable on the big picture, but I've enjoyed all of his films. I just think they're brilliant

Jeff Dwoskin 39:58

throw clamshells. See I did my There you go. I did my research. There you go.

Gary Kroeger 40:05

And you're now just if you weren't a degree from Kevin Bacon already you're now literally what would this make you one degree? Yeah, you're

Jeff Dwoskin 40:11

right there. Wait, I haven't bacon and that was right.

Gary Kroeger 40:14

I'm on the couch with Kevin Bacon. So anybody that knows me You're what two degrees from Kevin Bacon.

Jeff Dwoskin 40:19

They said one degree are you one degree?

Gary Kroeger 40:20

I don't know. I wouldn't be one degree because I'm not Kevin Baker with him. You're no degrees. You're like sitting on it. So um, no degrees. Okay. So you're wondering, I'm I've never really figured that part out. But you know, Chris wrote a brilliant sketch or script, but he doesn't really tell you how to do it or what to do or how to play it. He lets you find the rhythm in there. So we literally he has three cameras going. JT Walsh is over here. Kevin Bacon. I'm here and just roll did it a couple of times. Let me find my own beats and rhythms through and a few things in my own cut print.

Jeff Dwoskin 40:52

Michael McCann is credited as a screenplay writer, Christopher gassed and Michael verhaal. And Michael Michael forhow. Yeah. And then Christopher Guest directed it. So yeah, I love all the Christopher Guest stuff. It's fine. And so that was that was a connection, then that kind of grew from the time that Saturday Night Live. So that's nice. Yes. So let me ask you this. This question is so you have this amazing cast brought in and season 10. You came in with the book and of Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo. Do you kind of feel and then you're gone after that, that season after season? 10. That was your last season? Do you feel you ever had a chance? Like I mean, why to like grow like because at the end of season, they always were bringing in these giant hitters. So the feeling that you had in season eight, we were kind of brought in to help support and spark Eddie, they brought in all these, they brought in their own top people again, instead of letting you guys grow.

Gary Kroeger 41:50

Yeah. And that's how I more or less look at it. Looking back at the end of the second year. The last thing I did was Needleman I had I had good momentum. I finally knew what I was doing. I knew how to write for television. I had confidence as a performer. But then Dick switched up the cast. Some people left he started new I didn't expect to be asked back I don't think Julia did, or Mary but they wanted to have some good solid experience performing probably secondary casts to support Billy and and Marty and Chris. So there was room for us there. But then they're the heavy hitters and they took the lion's share of stuff. I felt like you know, there would be times where Chris gas would come up to me and say e, can you do Robert Mitchum? And I said give me five minutes Chris, and I'd come back and go you know, Louis was my buddy. Kind of do whatever write better than that. But at the time I worked up Robert Mitchum, so they saw me as someone of their crowd that they could rely on it. He said do you do Alan Alda we're going to do Alan Alda for a talk show. So I went into a room and I found my hook phrase. The blood on cleaners apron is clashing with his Paisley dress. I felt those are real landmines out there. You know, I just found my sort of book phrases and in that lol the face and so they said Kroeger great Come on, and they kept including me it was never to feature me. Okay, but I was part of the group. And I felt like if we had gone another year, I really would have become because they would have wanted to do less. And I would have gotten more. I felt like I had just gotten started. But Marty and Chris just wanted to do the show one year, Billy as well. So they all left and Dick Ebersol wasn't interested in doing the show anymore. So the show was really over after 1985 and Lauren came back and started over and he wasn't going to include me

Jeff Dwoskin 43:45

that's too bad right? I read that they right they cancelled it they were going to

Gary Kroeger 43:49

go it's gonna be sounded out live satellite wrestling or unless they could

Jeff Dwoskin 43:53

get Lorne Michaels born back. And it was it was a part of that I read that Dick Ebersol wanted to move way more into pre videotaped Yeah, catches in a way from live and they're like now

Gary Kroeger 44:06

it controls the budget. It controls the comedy. It controls the timing. They're so well done. Still are maybe probably better than ever. But that film group was so tight. They were so good that I could understand wanting to do that.

Jeff Dwoskin 44:21

Who was the guest star that you were the most excited about? Well, that

Gary Kroeger 44:25

would be Ringo Starr. None was the best show. No, absolutely not. But I'm a huge Beatle fan. I mean, I'm a Beatles fan since I was six years old beyond idolatry. It's It's It's ridiculous. My Connect. I have a left hand at Hofner bass guitar behind me right now. So hanging out with Ringo for a week that is unequaled in my life, telling me stories about backstage at Ed Sullivan, the screaming girls teaching his son to play drums who now plays of course with the who it's just like, it's crazy. The the actor that I had the most chemistry with and did really interest Same things with was Howard hesseman. He did a couple of shows and he and I because he was an improv actor. And we did a couple of sketches together, we just learned our lines and then sort of improvise. You'll note, we never look at cue cards, and I found a brother, you know, a brother in arms with Howard hesseman. So I really adored who was in the committee. Yeah, the committee. I loved Chris Reeve, because he was Superman. And I told Chris Reeve a story that we went out to dinner and I told Chris a story that when I was a little boy, and this is true, I would wear my Superman suit under my clothes, because I was kind of a Wimpy Kid. And I kept thinking, well, if somebody sees the s, they're gonna go, Holy crap. Kroeger's, Superman. Let's not mess around. You know, that's a kid's way of thinking, right?

Jeff Dwoskin 45:43

I had no problem with that line of thinking at all. No

Gary Kroeger 45:47

show I wore a Superman suit to school, but I'd have my cape in it as well and it would punch up in my pants. And this girl Julie Nielsen said and I can remember it was second grade, Gary Crowder's wearing diapers. Well, I couldn't say no, it's my cape. It's a cape. It's not a diaper. And I told Chris that story, and then later he's on a talk show. And he stole the story. He told the story as if that's what he did as a boy. And he I think he even told the diaper part of it and the audience was like, ah, that's the sweetest story in the world. I mean, he stole my hits me. He stole my paddle.

Jeff Dwoskin 46:20

He stole your story. I

Gary Kroeger 46:22

don't have a gun. He stole my story.

Jeff Dwoskin 46:25

even think to do that. I have and that is

Gary Kroeger 46:28

because having done a couple of panel shows myself, you're so desperate for a charming story that I'm sure Superman gets up there and say, well, that's I just heard this great story. So I don't you know, I never blamed him.

Jeff Dwoskin 46:39

True or false. You have a coffee cup containing cigarette ash is used by Ringo Starr when he hosted Saturday Night Live true. Right here. Nice.

Gary Kroeger 46:51

Yep, didn't expect it to show up that quickly. Did Yeah,

Jeff Dwoskin 46:54

I am not right behind me. That is amazing. That is absolutely so great. So cool. Do you have any that you did not enjoy? I'm Robert Blake. Our money guy one. Our in hindsight, it was always like in the murder of

Gary Kroeger 47:12

a while give you some Robert Blake's. Look, this is in lots of centralized the worst hosts ever. And he always makes the top 10. And the story is told to Gary Kroeger gave him a script of an idea. I think it was called. He was a philosophy professor, but his cockatoo had all the knowledge. I don't remember the skit. But he read it and he said, this is the this is the stuff you're giving me and he wiped his butt with it and threw it at me hit me in the head. And the room kind of went, Oh, that was rude. I wasn't hurt. I just thought well, I guess he didn't like the script. And I thought, well, I guess you know, I'm a boy from Iowa. I guess this is how they do it in the big leagues. I really wasn't hurt. But the story keeps replicating, but he was never particularly charming. Anyway, years later, I got to know him because he had a crush on a girl that I was dating in LA. And so I would see him around. So I'm at a tellows, right. And he's there with his wife, and I'm having dinner and he waved at me and I Wave at him and they leave and he comes back because he forgot his gun. That was the night that his wife was murdered. So when I walked home, I walked I didn't see anything but I walked by the car were apparently she was dead inside. Wow. So yeah, I mean, I'm not a witness to anything except to corroborate Yeah, he came back through his gun. Just saying

Jeff Dwoskin 48:30

knock on my door right now hang on.

Gary Kroeger 48:36

But, but I got to witness you know, this is a this is part of Hollywood lore the did he or did he not murder his wife. And I witnessed I was saw her 10 minutes before she was dead that I didn't find out till the next day. And it's the news is breaking and it wait. That's the garbage dump. That's the car. I just walked by there. You know? Yeah, very strange. You know, Robert Blake looms large in my life.

Jeff Dwoskin 49:01

You know, I thought that story sounded familiar. And as because I was just listening to an interview with Christopher Reeve. And he told the same exact story. I don't even know what to believe. I don't even know what to believe anymore.

Gary Kroeger 49:12

Ringo's ashes. I

Jeff Dwoskin 49:13

mean, come on, but you got to kind of rub elbows with John Candy house had this smile. Yeah, it was done right. One of

Gary Kroeger 49:20

those nicest human beings to ever live the Smothers Brothers hugely generous, nice people eat most of the experiences were great. Jerry Lewis was a huge star and Eddie and Joe do great Jerry Lewis and they were a threesome. They had a lot of fun. I did not find him to be a particularly warm guy. Sid Caesar I adored because he really created the concept of Senate live with your Show of Shows. He was not a warm and friendly guy. But for the most part, you're dealing with actors who are out of their element and they rely on you they look to you as a as a lifesaver and you develop really nice relationships.

Jeff Dwoskin 49:55

That's very cool. Do you regret being pulled into the non Lauren years do you Initially, oh, I was discovered a couple of years later, or do you ever think about that?

Gary Kroeger 50:04

I don't think I would have got well, you know, I have dreams that I'm asked back to the show. Because it's a classic case I wish I knew then what I know now because I would know how to write for it. I I would be the most prolific guy there. I am certain of it. It's not going to happen. I don't think that the circumstances the way Lauren casts would have happened for me. I mean, I don't know that I would have you know, he has people doing their stand up, which I never had. The audition process is a lot different from what I did. I was caught in action doing theater. I did send them a tape for a request though. Long. Well, that's a piece of the story that I've never figured out weeks before they showed up. My agent calls the Kroeger center live wants you to send them a tape somebody said Kroeger is this guy that needs it so I went on tape and I'm doing Ed Sullivan Beatles impressions and and read skeleton is Barney Fife all of these things, but I never heard hide nor hair of that. But the audition process is much different than what I think I would have excelled at so I was caught in my element by Dick and Bob Tischler. If that had been Lauren, I don't know that he would have I don't know that he would have hired Julia, for that matter. And there is no more talented human being on the planet.

Jeff Dwoskin 51:17

It's interesting that you are Julia, as talented as she is. I don't think you can credit Saturday live for

Gary Kroeger 51:23

No, no satellite for Julia was the relationship with Larry David. And I was good friends with Larry too. It's really sort of the three or four of us because Larry was very unhappy there. And when Larry put his show together, Seinfeld and they're looking for the girlfriend, he thought, Julia, my great friend from SNL, and the rest is history.

Jeff Dwoskin 51:43

That isn't when he was on. I read during one of the three years that you were there. There was a footnote said the only time Gary David got a skit on Sunday, on Saturday Night Live. I had read and I wanted to ask you about this. I think it was in this book live from New York. Yeah. So that Larry came up with a lot of the ideas that eventually became Seinfeld episodes. Oh, yes. But nothing that he would pitch ever saw the light of day. One thing

Gary Kroeger 52:08

I think he got one on the show, but it was cut after dress rehearsal. He quit the show in the midst of it, but came back on Monday. Because he realized, wait a second. I'm making 1000s of dollars every week. I'm just gonna slip back into the writers meeting and nothing was ever said. I think that was a Seinfeld episode. Yes. And here's a Seinfeld episode two and no, you can believe me or not, I believe. Yeah, the wrap party, the end of that season, the third season where Larry was there, on top of the Rainbow Room. Top of, you know, the Rockefeller Center. Larry comes up to me and says I'm going to kill the cover Saul tonight. And he shows me a vial of liquid. And I might have said it was cyanide or something. I'm gonna put this in his gin and tonic. I don't know you're not. Yeah. And Dick was over there at the bar. And he's got his drink. And I'm thinking this, he's just being Larry. He's just, you know, but then I see Larry circling him having Am I being set up as the biggest buffoon in the world? Is he going to kill him and now I'm an accomplice. I left the party and had a restless night. Obviously, Dick didn't die. It didn't happen. years later. It's woven into a Seinfeld where George tries to kill his boss, right. And I realized I was front row center again, at something it was me whether Larry remembers it or not that he can fight it in. I'm going to kill Dick tonight with this vial of liquid. Yeah, Gary, you've

Jeff Dwoskin 53:29

been a little too close to a couple of murders. For me. I'm going to slowly back away. You know, it

Gary Kroeger 53:33

is a little creepy. If you think about it, that poor Chris Reeve has died. I'm just bad news. Howard hesseman. Jerry Lewis,

Jeff Dwoskin 53:43

yeah. Well, let's, let's let's pivot real fast as Al doorco. You got to make out with Jamie Lee Curtis. Yes, I did got back on. El doorco

Gary Kroeger 53:52

was, you know, a character flaw of mine from high school. And I thought a very, a very broad character, but a very realistic character of someone who's just abused by everyone is D passed and things like that. But he always manages to get the girl and the first one. I start making out with Julia, Mary Gross was fighting for my attention and I'm just making out between all of them. It went over really, really well. And so a couple weeks later said Kroeber, can you come up with something with Jamie Lee Curtis and I've got another little tidbit of history. So I did it with Jamie Lee Curtis made up this win a date with Jamie Lee Curtis l doorco. wins and we make out and she invites me to her hotel room. Right? Cute sketch wel, l doorco. wears glasses and she took my glasses off to kiss me and I you know you can see I went like this. You know because my glasses were off. She was so captivated by that acting choice of really looking like I couldn't see without my glasses. When you watch True Lies and her glasses come off. She does that. She goes cross eyed. She pulls across she she pulled her out because she came up to me and she said I love when you did that. That was an amazing choice. And I saw her do it on the big screen. When I write my book that no one buys even my children. These things are these stories are going to be in it. Whether anyone believes me or not,

Jeff Dwoskin 55:13

I believe you, I believe. Yeah. These are great stories I can think. I don't know.

Gary Kroeger 55:19

That's yeah, I don't know that I've ever told anyone that maybe my wife just to try to impress her when we were dating. Jamie Lee Curtis, copy one of my little acting techniques.

Jeff Dwoskin 55:28

That's awesome. And Christopher Reeves told your story. Stole my

Gary Kroeger 55:32

story. Yeah, I have Ringo his ashes which I have to clarify cigarette ash cigarette

Jeff Dwoskin 55:37

ashes, right? Ringo is still alive, is still alive.

Gary Kroeger 55:41

He's still with us. I haven't killed him.

Jeff Dwoskin 55:43

Yet. Gary's run Ringo

Gary Kroeger 55:47

And I said I dined next to Robert Blake before he murdered his wife. So there you go. There you go. Oh, but stop the presses.

Jeff Dwoskin 55:55

I can't thank you enough for hanging out with me. These are This was fun. It's a fine. Wait, is there places on the social media people can keep up with you?

Gary Kroeger 56:04

Well, I do a podcast. The Gary and Kenny show. Kenny Seidler is a director did a lot of Disney shows did comic strip live with me a lot of specials was one of the pioneers of MTV, but we're both a couple of middle aged guys now. And we just call up people that we knew in the business, you know, Brad Hall and Andy Bregman and whomever friends of his Mark Gordon, Chris Meledandri. And we talk about the business you know, try to keep it light and keep it funny, but really find out from people what they're doing called the Garyun Kenny show, which is on YouTube and podcast platforms. Otherwise, I have a blog area has issues, which is political. I write a column for the I write the left point of view for various newspapers, you know, monthly. So you know, and I'm open on Facebook. In other words, I don't have any restrictions. Anybody, you know, psychopaths, anybody can can read my stuff and, and socialize with me on Facebook. Oh,

Jeff Dwoskin 56:57

the other note I had was he ran for the Iowa US House of Representatives.

Gary Kroeger 57:01

I ran for congress first and then I ran for the Iowa House of Representatives I lost. But I was very proud of my campaign. I was very proud of what I was able to do. I got a few votes, but just not enough in a very conservative area. I think I made it clear that I'm relatively progressive, and I lost but I don't regret it. Would I do it again? I heard your brain asking. No, it just cost too much money expensive. And it's no fun it because if I were running right now, Jeff, I would say hey, I really enjoyed talking to you give $500 that you could contribute to my campaign. I mean, you can't you can't say hi without soliciting money because it costs that much.

Jeff Dwoskin 57:35

You know, you know who else from Iowa was a political figure from Fred grandi gopher from

Gary Kroeger 57:41

Well, Fred Grande. Yes. In Sioux City, I believe yes. Go for over Yeah, I'm go for light I had

Jeff Dwoskin 57:47

over on my podcast. It was funny, because did you go I like for it. He's very conservative. But we didn't get into politics per se. But as a joke, I read him some bills that he was a sponsor on. And then I read one that I completely made up and he's like, I'm like, Fred. I've made that up.

Gary Kroeger 58:04

I wish you could have done that with me. I probably I probably wouldn't. Yeah, well jump there. I made that bill up because I feel that hamsters really aren't getting the protection that they deserve. You know exactly always have to stay oiled. Yeah, exactly.

Jeff Dwoskin 58:19

can't thank you enough. Hashtag my Reggie. This has been Gary Kroeger.

Gary Kroeger 58:25

Yeah, I'm gonna dig up that stuff. I'm gonna watch Reggie on YouTube tonight. You

Jeff Dwoskin 58:29

gotta it's all there. It's all there any moody clearly taped on a VHS and upload it to YouTube?

Gary Kroeger 58:36

Yeah, I know. Yeah, I know. Yep.

Jeff Dwoskin 58:41

I think that part of it to like, look at and think what could have been was the potential future epic because I think Archie would have ended up with baddie, that's my opinion. But I think you would ended up with Veronica.

Gary Kroeger 58:52

Well, would they stopped I sure wanted to at the time,

Jeff Dwoskin 58:56

so I think that's when we couldn't use it all up in the pilot. So

Gary Kroeger 59:00

anyway, thanks for asking me on. I really appreciate it.

Jeff Dwoskin 59:04

It was such a pleasure. It's an honor. Thank you. P shot. He's out. All right. Gary Kroeger How awesome was he? Right I mean, tell me the IRA Needleman DDS part of the conversation didn't give you a too vague and want to get a cleaning right now. I know got me going to anyway, awesome stories, loved every second of it. And we got an Alan Alda impressions of what more could you ask for? I know right. All right. But definitely head over to YouTube and find the Archie show Riverdale and back. You'll love it. So fun. All right. Well with the interview over that can only mean one thing. That's right. It's time for another trending hashtag run the family of hashtags at hashtag round up. Download the free hashtag roundup app free never cost us a penny at the Google Play Store, iTunes App Store, tweet along with us at hashtag Roundup, and one day one of your tweets may show up on it. future episode of Classic conversations, fame and fortune awaits you.

Jeff Dwoskin 1:00:05

The hashtag for this episode is #SNLbands. That's right the ultimate Saturday Night Live Band mash up brought to by musical hashtags. Weekly game on hashtag around up ivacy hashtag SNL bands inspired by our guests Gary Kroeger who was on Saturday Night Live There you go. Alright, let's get to it. Without further ado, here are some #SNLbands church Lady Gaga the talking Coneheads the bare naked church ladies. Is there some amazing #SNLbands smashing David S pumpkins, Ace of Base and Gary no rolling cones, buckwheat cherry, that killer BJs Jimmy Fallon Eat World. Tweet your own #SNLbands tweet tag us at Jeff Dwoskin show on Twitter. I'll show you some Twitter love Hoody and the land sharks guns and Rosanna Rosanna Diana, laser Cat Stevens, Eddie Murphy in the cruisers Mr. Mr. Bill Steely Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi and the Banshees and our final #SNLbands tweet Bruce Springsteen and the in house SNL band Oh, all righty. That was a mighty Bayern batch of #SNLbands tweets, though, I'll be retweeted at Jeff Dwoskin show go show him some love.

Jeff Dwoskin 1:01:38

Well with the interview over and the hashtag over I can only mean one thing. 150 episodes have come to a close. I want to thank Gary Kroeger for being my guest on the 100 and 50th. And of course, I want to thank all of you for coming back week after week 150 times each if you're counting, it means the world to me, and I'll see you next time.

CTS Announcer 1:02:04

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Transcribed by https://otter.ai