#210 Laughing All the Way to the Top with Kimia Behpoornia

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Jeff Dwoskin 0:28

All right, Haley, thank you so much for that amazing introduction. You get the show going each and every week, and this week was no exception. Welcome, everybody to Episode 210 of classic conversations. As always, I am your host, Jeff Dwoskin. Great to have you back for what's sure to go down in the record books as one of the most classic conversations of all time. My guest today is Kimia Behpoornia That's right. If you have a TV you have seen Kimia she is everywhere atypical hacks, reboot and so much more amazing conversation coming up in just a few seconds. And in these few seconds, I invite you to take the long and winding road to Episode 208. My conversation with Laurie Jacobson. Laurie is author of top of the mountain the Beatles at Shea Stadium. 1965 Lori and I go deep into the Beatles and everything that led up to that historic concert at Shea Stadium. If you love the Beatles, you're gonna love that episode. If you don't love the Beatles, what's wrong with you? I can't help you that anyway, let's focus in here we are Episode Two Jen with Kimia Behpoornia. I'll say I just saw Kimia on the reboot of Night Court. Not too long ago. That was exciting. That happened after we talked also after we talked who made the horrible, horrible, horrible decision to not renew reboot came in as show on Hulu, but we talk all about it and I still encourage you to watch season one is one of the funniest seasons of any comedy ever. Anyway, without further ado, here's my conversation with Kimia Behpoornia. Enjoy. All right, everyone. I'm so excited to introduce you to my next guest, actor, improviser writer loved her in a typical hacks reboot. Welcome to the show. Luke are kowski Just kidding. Kimia Behpoornia

Kimia Behpoornia 2:28

Oh man, amazing, deep cut to say Luke Krakowskie. Maybe two people know what that means.

Jeff Dwoskin 2:35

When I discovered Luke Rakowski, I laughed Seriously, just non stop for a very long time it was it reminded me something that my daughter used to do when she was younger. I many years ago went as Ron Burgundy for Halloween. So I had this wig. And like that burgundy jacket. And so she found it in the in the basement and would put on the wig and then put on the jacket and she became Bob like this greatly over the top, just hilarious character. And it was just like, so as I just I was so it kind of set me back to that a little bit. But it was really funny.

Kimia Behpoornia 3:14

Wow, thanks. He's a pride and joy of mine. I mean, I just did that with some of my friends from UCLA, we had a little sketch team that hosts a big talent show at UCLA called Spring sing. And after we all graduated, we were like, well, let's just keep making videos. And Luca kasky was one of the dumb little vlog videos, we decided to all put too much effort into editing.

Jeff Dwoskin 3:36

Those are the best things out right. Yeah, it doesn't get better than that once once the the bigwigs get involved and they you know, it's the freedom of that creativity. That's to exactly Luke what I found great. It was just great. It was just

Kimia Behpoornia 3:51

I mean, I grew up on blogs, right? We're like the YouTube like Hall video generation. And now I guess it's coming back on Tiktok a version of it right, but nothing really like that. But that's what it was based

Jeff Dwoskin 4:03

on. Yeah, that was just amazing. Thanks. Me. I am a fan of yours. I like you seem to show up in every one of my favorite shows blast, which is awesome. Yes. So how how did you kind of get into all this? Like, what is your origin story?

Kimia Behpoornia 4:19

My origin story on your path to hilarity? Great, you know, pretty I consider pretty regular. I guess everybody's got a different origin story. But I went to UCLA like I mentioned, I studied theater there and they don't really merge the film and theatre school. I hope they do now but but when I went there, they were just like right next to each other on campus, but you sort of never mingled in classes together and it was strange and all the shows that the theater department would do were a little too. They're great. They're too serious for me. They were very like Pina Bausch very dancer Lee very like artsy artistic and I was like, Well, I kind of don't want to do this. So I was just taking classes at all the Ember places nearby cuz I was in LA. So I'm also from LA. So I was already taking classes and things like that. And I was doing a comedy sports in high school and I took classes a IO and the second city here and UCB and then so I was doing all of that improv and being seen, like through live shows and things like that. So when I graduated, I was just doing live shows. And then people from those shows would be like, Hey, I'm making this short. And I saw you in this show, will you do this? And I was like, great. So it was a little bit from there. And a little bit from I had acquired, you know, agents and managers in the regular way. They had also seen shows. So it was through like live sketch and improv that I was lucky enough to find people to find me other jobs to funnel me into like making filament TV.

Jeff Dwoskin 5:43

We always find it when you're younger. Were you like funny and like elementary school? Great

Kimia Behpoornia 5:47

question. If you ask my parents are like, no, they're over my bullshit. But I I'm an only child, and perhaps all only child origin stories are you just goofy goofed off by yourself for way too long. And so you, you know, you cultivate this sense of humor alone in your room, or like talking to your cat like me, just talking to my pseudo sibling, my cat. And so I would just do all of that that alone, but I was so shy, that was the thing. Here's part of my origin story. I wouldn't talk to anyone at family parties. I sat in the corner, I guess family is not where you really explode your personality anyway. But like that everyone was like, That's Kim and she doesn't talk. She's just leave her alone. And then my dad signed me up for an improv class after school in the fourth grade, because the like little parent booklet they send you home with said like, if your child is shy, this is a great class for them. And he signed me up and I was like, wow, this is amazing. Improv. You mean people will listen to other people will listen to me do it. This should I do in my room by myself with my cat just making up all this stuff. And so I loved it. And then from there, I started doing plays from fourth grade and beyond. And so I always liked forming whether I was good, you know, let's go back in time and ask the parents that watch those shows. But it was always fun. And it was always my favorite thing to do. So I did continue to do it. And I guess practice helps you, you know, Hone who you are and what you do. And from there is how I turned into whatever this is me now.

Jeff Dwoskin 7:15

The awesome this is Kimia. I do stand up comedy. So I always I always regret not taking second city classes. They had a second city in Detroit for a little bit and I just I always I chickened out, I chickened out. It was I regret that to this day I doing stand up for I mean, it took me about 10 years but eventually could get I could talk to the audience and have a quick I can be comfortable doing that, but not to the level of what do you guys do?

Kimia Behpoornia 7:43

That's so funny that you say that because standup I tried for a one summer a couple years ago. I was like, Okay, stand up a thing I haven't done. Let me try this. And it was so much harder. So the thing that you've tried is way harder to me. I say I don't do I only do team sports. I don't do a solo activity. So in improv and sketch, there's always somebody else there to have your back. And then you're collaborating. You're creating a joke together. If I had to do this all on my own, even when I do character shows, I'm sort of like this is less fun. There isn't another person here for me. I prefer that a lot.

Jeff Dwoskin 8:14

It's funny because I write because doing stand up is totally so though I know what I'm going to say. You know what I mean? Almost 100% And, and so like to me that that's a weird comfort. I get it though it's I guess yeah, it's just it's two different completely. Yeah, insights, but it's it's just funny that we're each scared of the other thing.

Kimia Behpoornia 8:34

That's true. I am scared of stand up. You're right. I'm not like I did it one summer and I went that's good. That's enough. If anyone asked if I ever did it, I'd be like yeah, once a couple times one summer. Good enough.

Jeff Dwoskin 8:46

That's it. That's funny. I think I saw a clip of you doing stand up online.

Kimia Behpoornia 8:50

Yeah, there it is. It's on there. I took a stand up class and that clip was from our graduation show and that will live on as an example of me doing stand up I haven't even watched it in years. I hope it wasn't like awful but it's it lives on that's the internet right? You make a video like Luke are cast he's gonna be there forever, I guess and if he if he turned sour then that's that. But it was fun while it lasted.

Jeff Dwoskin 9:12

Yeah, the internet is full of Kamya videos. I found her graduation speech from 2010. That's right.

Kimia Behpoornia 9:18

That thing does come up. When I was on Abby's for NBC. The writers room Googled me and said that that came up and they watched that and I was like, oh, shoot, then that's something that maybe has happened. A lot of times people can just look up this high school graduation speech that's just full of really bad ones that is just on the internet forever.

Jeff Dwoskin 9:38

So there you go. It was great, though. It was it's good. It's

Kimia Behpoornia 9:42

like nice to have these things preserved. But I do get embarrassed.

Jeff Dwoskin 9:46

It's one of their only rare opportunities on the internet to see with straight hair.

Kimia Behpoornia 9:49

Oh, yeah, that's a great a great, great point. I spent most of my life when I can say half of my life was straight here. Nope. Still more than half my mom just didn't know what to do with all my curls. You know? And she had the same thing and she would straighten her hair. So she was like, Okay, and so will you and not until maybe 10 years ago was like there's a way easier way I can just have these lovely curls. I could just have them and it's so easy straightening my hair took like 45 minutes. It was nuts.

Jeff Dwoskin 10:15

My wife has curly hair. Like I used to kind of like Elaine from Seinfeld. And she straightens it now. But yeah, they all my all my time. They put the time and not me. It's like we're leaving in five minutes. All right, give me give me one minute.

Kimia Behpoornia 10:31

That's a shame. I'm like, oh, what's the my laziest way? I do all my hair care in the shower. And then it just air dries all lovely, as long as I put in enough stuff.

Jeff Dwoskin 10:41

Awesome. What was your first big role where your parents were like, Oh, we got this. Oh, my goodness, that random improv class definitely paid off.

Kimia Behpoornia 10:48

Yeah, yeah, that's great. It was it was definitely Abby's on NBC. It was a multicam show it ran for we were lucky enough to run that for one season. We loved it so much. We'll take one but I did the pilot for that. And it was a multicam, which has the live audience. And it was the perfect way to show them. This is what it is they they sat out there. They could see the cameras. They saw us like doing our lines. It was a hybrid of like the live shows they see. Plus, I was like this will be on TV, you guys. So this is like we've made it we've done it. My aunts and uncles came to that too. Because we're all local from LA. And that was the first time my whole family was like, Oh, hey, why don't we get it? Look at this. That's amazing. You know, they'll always worried because they're like, they're from Iran. I'm first generation here. And this like job does exist in Iran, but like actors, like every visa doctor or lawyer, so they're just always gonna be worried about me. Like, anytime I stop a job. They're like, are you okay? Are you bored? Do you need help? And I'm like, no, these jobs are different. Like we work. There's pauses, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter pauses between jobs, but it's like they finally get it but also sort of don't get it at the same time. I don't know if they ever will. But Abby's was the first time they were like, Oh, nice. We see

Jeff Dwoskin 12:03

Abby's right, because that was a full time. A full time gig right? And like, yeah, so when you finally get our series like Abby's and Natalie Morales is in this, I love her. She's She's great. She has been asked. She's been also a lot of a couple of the few of the things that I really liked both both you and her. Neil Flynn from scrubs and the metal. So this was like a good powerhouse cast. Yeah. Was there a reason it got canceled? Did you just not catch on? Because I feel like sometimes a one season is not enough. Yeah, to kind of catch on. And it's like if your Was it, was it on?

Kimia Behpoornia 12:39

It was on NBC,

Jeff Dwoskin 12:40

they don't give you as much of a chance. I think sometimes it's like Netflix or something.

Kimia Behpoornia 12:44

It's just tough, because you never know what's going to hit or not hit. And if it doesn't hit what's going to get a second chance or why something works or why something doesn't I don't think too hard about it. Because it's just so like, that's just Hollywood in my head. I'm like, Oh, it's just wild, you'll never know what happens. So

Jeff Dwoskin 13:03

sorry to interrupt, but you never know what's going to happen on classic Conversations. I'm kidding, you do know, I want to thank you all for your support of the sponsors. Because when you support the sponsors, you're supporting us here classic conversations. And that's how we keep the lights on. And now we're back with my amazing conversation with Kami Abba pornea. She's going a little deeper into the advice she got on how to handle the ups and downs of doing so many pilots and whether or not they get picked up. And we're back.

Kimia Behpoornia 13:28

I mean, after we did just the pilot for that before it was even picked up to series. I remember talking to Jess Chaffin after or like the day we were filming the pilot, and I was like, what do we do, like just pilots over now what and dress was like, you know, when you do a pilot, you just enjoy it for what it was. And you go Thank you. That was great. And you move on thinking that perhaps it'll never become anything. And I was like, Wow, that's great. So I did that. And then it came series. And then I was like, okay, maybe I have to just traveling this again and be like, Okay, thank you for one season. And if it doesn't come back, that's fine. And so that's where I stand on it. I mean, always we could be like, did they market the show enough? I don't know. Because a lot of people were like, I didn't know about this show. But that's there's so many shows. Now, you could say that about everything. So you truly never know. But we were sad because we loved it. We loved doing that show. And it was the first multicam actually outside. Did you know that? I did not know that? Yeah, so they filmed it real outside for outside instead of on a soundstage. We were like behind one of the Desperate Housewives houses. They built out risers for the audience to sit in in camera lanes, because it was about an outdoor bar. And we shot it really outside.

Jeff Dwoskin 14:34

Oh, that's really cool. Yeah, it was kind of like chairs outside. Right.

Kimia Behpoornia 14:37

Exactly. Yes. Similar in that they're both bars. Yes. And ones

Jeff Dwoskin 14:41

outside ones inside the end. That's

Kimia Behpoornia 14:42

the difference

Jeff Dwoskin 14:44

right. away I had a question and you said oh multicam you're talking about multicam that's a huge difference right? Shooting a multicam versus a single camera. Do you have one that you prefer which version you like better?

Kimia Behpoornia 14:58

I do love them both. What I prefer is maybe what I perceive the stories that you can tell on either one to be like, I think a multicam is sometimes more broad stories more like, largely relatable. That's why a lot of them are family stories and things like that are like found family stories. And in a single game, you can have more nuanced slice of life really niche type of stories that are told in those ways. Not that they're exclusive. That's usually what happens. And I sort of prefer the stories told on single cam. But as far as the process goes, multicam is amazing, because it comes from live comedy, like it's amazing having an audience there, and you sort of rehearse for three or four days of the week, like you're doing a play, and then you perform that way in front of cameras. And that's awesome. And there's less waiting around like for single cam, you do perhaps sit in your trailer until someone knocks on your door you leave for an hour and then you're dumped back in there perhaps for a few more hours. But like the processes are different. The stories they tell are different. I don't really prefer one or the other. But I do recognize their differences.

Jeff Dwoskin 16:03

Is it nerve wracking when your family was there watching because it is like it's being taped live?

Kimia Behpoornia 16:08

No, it was exciting. I was pumped for them to be like to understand what what I even do. Because sometimes I before that big multicam that they saw Abby's the taping, I had done like some commercials or some co stars or something. And my mom would always be like, That's it. You just like scream and they give you money. I always like hanging off the side of a cliff in a commercial or something she saw once and she was like, that's all you do. It was like no, really. I mean, there's a lot that's involved in me hanging and screaming but fair. So it was exciting to show like a little more of what happens what I get to do with these girls, if I'm lucky to

Jeff Dwoskin 16:44

have them like Mom, did you believe I was actually hanging?

Kimia Behpoornia 16:47

Did you get it? Mom? Could you have done that? That's her whole thing. She's always like, I can't do that. Well, they give me a bunch of money. If I do that. And I'm like, Mom, you're just tying all of this to money. It's really not what it's about. And if you want to do that, go ahead. Honestly, my mom would kill it. If she was out here to act. I think she's hilarious.

Jeff Dwoskin 17:05

That's awesome. Let's talk about reboot. That's your most recent right. So I love reboot. I had ROS Abdu on the show. She's the best she has an improv background to do you guys talk shop.

Kimia Behpoornia 17:17

We actually didn't talk a lot of improv mostly. I was so excited to even be in the presence of robots. Like I watched Gilmore Girls, and That's So Raven and all of that stuff. And she is I mean, you've talked to her she is as as lovely as you would imagine someone that is that funny to be between takes was so funny. Like after it takes you'd be like it'd be late in the day and then rose would go okay. Ah, an ice cream truck arrives just right outside, they have rocky road coffee, and chocolate ice cream. What are you gonna get? And then we all went around the writers room table and everyone just answered rose would just come up with these games, and was like, What a delight. She so delightful.

Jeff Dwoskin 17:54

So was that writers room those scenes reboot for everyone listening. If you haven't seen it yet? It is on Hulu. It's about a 2000s sitcom that's being rebooted with the original cast. Now by Hulu. It's one of the funniest if not the funniest shows I've seen and all along longtime season one is fully streaming. And Kimia is part of the writers room of the rebooted show. And so but it's like it's like a classic. The Old School New School dynamic in that room, some of the best scenes in our with you guys. Fred Malama. And it's like Rose George Weiner, Dan Lee Lee. Lee. I'm the way he laid and lay. Right, Rachel broom, Paul risers in there. We can talk about that. Your other connection? Oh, yes. You just guys cracking up in that room. I mean, is that all just because some of the lines we have thrown out in that room and the zingers back and forth are just too funny.

Kimia Behpoornia 18:50

It was It is too funny. And it's too fun. We were dying in the room. And it was so nice. Also, shout out to those fidget toys because they had just a ton of fidget toys on the writers table. Because well, my wife is a writer. And when she's in rooms that's like, what their tables are covered in and like markers for them to doodle. And I was like, This is strange. They're like children in there. But guess it like, but it was fun in the set dressing for us to use all of that. But yes, the lines were amazing. They were throwing out alts and then sometimes they would just whispered in some person's ear because they wanted us to real reacts to whatever the new line was. And so it was just so much fun. Anytime we did those writers room scenes,

Jeff Dwoskin 19:30

is it a waiting game? Now you just to find out if there'll be a season two or

Kimia Behpoornia 19:33

Yeah, so far, we don't know anything official. But people keep talking about it. So this is good.

Jeff Dwoskin 19:40

I feel like there was a lot of chatter. Like that's how I found out about it was people were posting on Facebook. Like you gotta watch this show. This is the funniest show. And you know, that's the kind of word of mouth that once that's universal, I think that's amazing. Can't stop that train.

Kimia Behpoornia 19:56

Yes, I'm so happy that that's happening. So yes, I'm with all of you for fingers crossed for season two. I have no inside info

Jeff Dwoskin 20:04

it'll be there'll be a spin off of your character

Kimia Behpoornia 20:07

of just me. No. Well, it's been over the writers room. That would be fun, right? We just do.

Jeff Dwoskin 20:13

I'm trying to get your own show.

Kimia Behpoornia 20:15

Oh, you're right. Sorry. I minimize myself constantly. So good. Good for you for looking out.

Jeff Dwoskin 20:21

We'll get your wife to write it. Sounds good. I gotta stick with me a kid. We got Oh, I got the whole plan. This is all I needed is all you need. So you worked with Paul riser in the mat about you reboot. You were Paul Bachmann's editor, I guess. Yes. It is Movie Edit where he made movies. Whatever Paul Bachmann does exactly. How was it working with Paul Reiser that first time I mean, because mad about and being on like that class a reboot? Reboot? That's

Kimia Behpoornia 20:50

exactly. That's the irony there.

Jeff Dwoskin 20:52

There we go. I was I was at it was

Kimia Behpoornia 20:57

great. I had I had a really great time doing that. I here's something I hadn't seen mad about you. But my parents loved it. So when I walked into that reboot, I was like, I don't really know. I don't really know what's going on. And I would walk into those scenes and we would rehearse them. It's a multicam. That one was a multicam. So we'd rehearse for a couple days. And he loved to pitch joke alts himself because he was very involved in writing that reboot. And when we were doing scenes together, it was really nice. Paul would ask me what I thought. And if I had a joke, I was like, Wow, that's amazing. Because I was like, wow, I just got here like, what do you will you trust me enough to say a joke. And it took a couple days before I was like, Okay, I'm gonna try telling him a joke that I think is good. But he had opened the space. And his whole thing is like, whatever's funniest is, is what wins. Like, it doesn't matter who came up with it, you just go with what's funniest. And I learned a lot from that. And that was great. He was doing the same thing. When we were doing the reboot, writers scenes, sometimes he would like be like, what's the pace of this? Or what do you think of this joke here instead or something? And we and everyone would weigh in? And it was lovely. He's so kind and so collaborative. And also he's so funny. How is he so good at that? I guess he's done it for so long. And he started out so good at it. Right? He's so good.

Jeff Dwoskin 22:10

He's so good. And I have a place in my heart for power riser. Because when mad about you was originally out is when I was first with my wife. So like, they were a couple it was it was a similar, you know, timeframe where they were in that series where I was in my life. And so mad about you was the greatest and the ribo amazing thing about the Rebo was they picked up that banter, right. Helen Hans and Paul risers back and forth banter. Yeah, was just amazing. If you haven't seen the original, you need to go watch

Kimia Behpoornia 22:40

it. I gotta go back and watch it. Because Helen Hunt was also so lovely. When I saw Paul on the reboot set on the first day he sent, we took a picture and send it to Helen on his and he showed it to me on his phone that has like huge font. Sorry, Paul. He's got one of those up the font fonts. But I guess at some point, you got to up the font.

Jeff Dwoskin 22:59

I hear. Yeah, I have. I haven't gotten there yet. But I I loved hearing though, that you just said about Paul being able to be open to those jokes. I think that's how you can tell a good comedian who's a collaborative comedian is they understand that the other funny ears in the room can hear something that you may not hear. And it's all part of the collaborative process. Totally. That was great. You ever meet with someone like a comic? And you go, Oh, I have a tag for you? And they're like, No, I only write it myself. And I was like, Yeah, I didn't write this tag you. It came to me it was channeled through the universe to me, because what you were saying I know what to come up with this random tag. You wrote it.

Kimia Behpoornia 23:39

Some people here like here's something better that you didn't do. And that's not it. Yeah, exactly. Together. We're working together.

Jeff Dwoskin 23:45

It's the universe put us together so I could I could give you this. There's so can you give me a you're wearing a cardboard belt?

Kimia Behpoornia 23:53

Ah, that was great. Because I think that was a reference. I also didn't know and Paul had to like, do explain that and I was like, Okay, I got it. Maybe

Jeff Dwoskin 24:04

you don't have to it's just funny anyway.

Kimia Behpoornia 24:06

Yeah, you're wearing a cardboard bow

Jeff Dwoskin 24:16

so I had a friend who was a comedian Carlo by again he was in the final episode of the mad about you reboot he played a cop it's fun seeing people I like I'm excited now that that we're talking about next time I see you somewhere but oh no, not

Kimia Behpoornia 24:29

nice. Yes. I

Jeff Dwoskin 24:30

get to be all fancy. Like I hung out with Kimmy a while on Zoom. Yeah, like an iCarly when you land like one episode, and but you had a big role in that episode. Like I was what I was what I was watching. It was like you're sitting behind her? Yes. Right. It's like you're like the main it's the what to me what I would call the you're the main guest are of this this scene, the car mechanics that you're in right? Are there different levels of guests. Hiring I guess is what I'm getting at. When you audition I like Are you up for always like the the higher level ones because you seem to be pretty prominent. And the ones that I watched at least wasn't like you were like, well, you are right. I mean, it's, it's true, right? You're not like off to the corner. You weren't girl number five in the early scene.

Kimia Behpoornia 25:18

She had a name. Yeah. Yes, there. Are there different levels of guest art. No, I think guest star is a level on its own. And it's, it does have like, some guest stars are larger than others. But I think when I get auditions in, it's not like we don't know how prominent this character is. We just know that it's leveled at a guest star. And that's mostly what I do these days. Like, I think it's the level starts co star. And then you know, from there, you're just guest our recurring guest star is the thing that I love to have even more. Of course series regulars the thing you want the most, that's your most steady job. But I suppose on the span of guest stars, a recurring one is a larger one, that's always a better thing to receive. You're in multiple episodes, but as far as the weight of any guest star could be from you know, from like one scene to to like 10 scenes you never know.

Jeff Dwoskin 26:09

So what is so Abby's a series regular, so was the mat about you reboot was that reoccurring?

Kimia Behpoornia 26:16

That was a recurring guest? That was good. I think that sometimes they'll also bump these things up like it starts as a recurring co star. And all of this might have something to do with the budget and the thing I don't understand and like rates and things like that, and sometimes it might be some rate, but they can change the billing like this is stuff my reps asked for where they're like, Okay, she only does guest stars now, anything she booked so let's try to get bumped up. And then I don't know what the politics of that are. I guess that's just to get you more jobs where you're like, look, all these guest stars give her more. Something like that. It like begets more gold, right?

Jeff Dwoskin 26:47

You want Kimia or not? Yeah, sure. They

Kimia Behpoornia 26:50

Hollywood it up for me out there.

Jeff Dwoskin 26:52

We're about to walk away. We're about

Kimia Behpoornia 26:55

my fear. Because then people I'm just like, Okay, someone wants to go down and walk away. That's fine. There's so many actors in this town.

Jeff Dwoskin 27:03

So it's fun. Then seeing Paul riser again. Yes. Read reboot. And then and you had a lot of scenes with him to like your scenes were with him. So that was that must have been fun. And then the other tie back? Is Modern Family. Mm hmm. Which reboot is created by one of the creators of modern family and you get starred? Yes. on Modern Family, though it was that fun to be part of that family even just for like one episode. I've always heard good things.

Kimia Behpoornia 27:31

Yes, great things. Mostly the big thing I always say when people ask about modern families, I was surprised how efficient everything was. But I don't know why I was surprised. I had been going like, with almost the same crew for so many seasons. I was done with that. In like, maybe two or three hours. They got me out of there. I like showed up shop for two hours and I was done. And those are pretty junky. Like that was a whole beast story with failed that Phil Dunphy character and did like the board games in his magic shop and stuff like that. So it was like a lot to do. But they like banged it all out. And I was out of there. But yeah, everyone was so nice there. I had auditioned for Modern Family a bunch of times and had almost gotten maybe like three or four other roles that I was in for before I finally got one. But that's just the thing. You know, you never know, what's out there for you. But it was nice that the writers and the creators and the producers were like, oh, yeah, let's keep bringing her back, we'll find the thing that's good for her to join our family with and that was that I was happy to be there.

Jeff Dwoskin 28:30

Yeah, that was a good, juicy, raw, that was really good. And then were you bombed at the same time that only took two hours? Because then you don't get to hang out with them. I mean, do ya make that same kind of connection when you're like in there for two hours and out versus like, Oh, it's a two day shoot or something like that,

Kimia Behpoornia 28:47

right? It's definitely more fun when you can return and then you make more friends and deeper connections and things like that. But it's also fun that they can be that fast. Who knew? But you're right. I was I was a little bummed. It is always more fun. That's why recurring guest is more fun. You get to go back and see your friends a couple times.

Jeff Dwoskin 29:03

So the lesson is always try and be as just a really good person and bring your best and because I've talked to other folks like Nick from family ties, but he was like it was supposed to be one episode, right? I don't know if you ever watch family ties. Oh yeah, he became Mallory's boyfriend like like for seasons, it just became like this right? Just because they liked him. They like the way smile they like. So that's always cool. So the lesson is just always bring your A game. There's no job too small because you never know any of these pieces. Kind of what led to reboot like like or just like a coincidence you showed up and there's Paul riser. You happen to work for my modern family or just like it just didn't help but it didn't hurt.

Kimia Behpoornia 29:41

Exactly. I don't think it helps but it also didn't hurt that I had done all these things. I was surprised that I knew so many people when I showed up to that writer firm for to shoot reboot because I had known Dan Lee we did story pirates together. So I just knew him through and he was around at UCB. I knew Rachel bloom for years because my wife worked on crazy ex girlfriend. And we're just like friends with Rachel. I knew Paul from, you know, doing the mad about you reboot. And he remembered me. He made a nice joke when I got there. He was like, Hey, don't work. If you're not there something like that. I don't know. It was you had to be there. And then I didn't know rose, but I was like, Oh, I know this woman, I gotta be this woman's friend. And also Kurama, who plays Janay one of the other writers was writer on iCarly. So I had tangentially met her like doing an episode of that. All of this just compounded accidentally.

Jeff Dwoskin 30:33

That must be super fun then. So it's kind of like you're coming back to another session of camp? Yes. I think all your all your friends are there. And it's probably helped to, do you think that helped them to kind of gel that room and create some of that electricity a little faster than if you had just you would all been complete strangers?

Kimia Behpoornia 30:51

Totally. Because between takes, you know, sometimes it's silent. But between our writers room takes we're just continuing talking just about ourselves about each other or about, it's about the show, who knows. But it was just like the constant chatter helps us go into topics of more constant chatter, just like exactly what you said, helps the energy in the room.

Jeff Dwoskin 31:07

So everyone in that room, on their own was a naturally hilarious person. Right. So there was no way that it would be a tragedy for you to be going. Oh, my God, I was the worst,

Kimia Behpoornia 31:18

right? You're right. There is no world where I would come on to this podcast and be like, Oh, we had a terrible time. Everyone was dry. No one was a good time. There's no way

Jeff Dwoskin 31:30

did you get to hang with Johnny Knoxville at all?

Kimia Behpoornia 31:33

No, not really. We didn't cross scenes or anything. I don't know if Rose told you but I saw her a couple weeks ago and she was like Johnny Knoxville slid into my DMs I guess she like loves her character on the show and wants if there's another season I think he wants like to work his character and Selma to like meet up. storyline, but he's awesome. But we never got to talk to him. Really?

Jeff Dwoskin 31:56

I didn't realize what a good actor he was. Isn't it great? I think I told roses. I googled like, Who's this character? It was this guy that looks like Johnny Knoxville.

Kimia Behpoornia 32:04

Surprise.

Jeff Dwoskin 32:05

I was like, Oh my god. He's, he's good. I like Yeah. Anyway. So you mentioned story pirates. What is that?

Kimia Behpoornia 32:14

What is that? Okay. It's my favorite job that I've ever had. And I still have it. So story pirates. We take stories written by kids. And then we turn them into a show and we take it back and perform it for the kids. So basically, we are doing sketch comedy written by kids also storyboards, goes to schools and does workshops, teaching kids how to write stories. And it really encourages kids to use their imagination, because anything can be a story, they can't be wrong, we take all of their ideas, we nurture them. And then not only that, we like make them even more important by turning them into a full show that adults but on for them, and it's just the best if I had it when I was little, maybe I would be more insufferable than I am now. But here we are. And I love Yeah, I'm so inseparable, right? But that's what story parts is. And they have a chapter in New York and a chapter in LA and I've been performing with them since like 2014.

Jeff Dwoskin 33:08

That's awesome. Do you get to option any of them for movie? Ah, this is a good idea. But it's not movies,

Kimia Behpoornia 33:13

but they have turned a lot of stories into real books like, like chapter books written by children guided by the story pirates and stuff like that. And we have a podcast, it's very musical. Now we just turned on all these stories into songs and we release them. They have albums on Spotify. It's amazing. We're just like really stealing ideas from children, but it's okay. It's in the name of amplifying their voices.

Jeff Dwoskin 33:37

It's for the betterment of the world. So it's it's okay, right totally okay. And it's funny I mentioned you were on a bunch of the shows that I love you you had a great guest star in raw on hacks got to hang with Jean smart amazing. I imagine she was nicer to you in person that her character was on the show. Yes,

Kimia Behpoornia 33:59

thank goodness because the character was just icy to my character but she was lovely. Now that I'm recounting all of this I'm realizing I have been lucky enough to run into these like legends that are very collaborative because Jean smart was very similarly like for a button to that scene or something where the we could talk a little longer and some of our banter she was like you say this what do you think of this? What are you it was collaborative the little back and forth that maybe we're not scripted At first she was really lovely and open to that as well. And I guess that's the secret to being a great funny working legend is they all just are this collaborative and nice.

Jeff Dwoskin 34:37

Yeah, I think nobody does it by themselves. Yeah, nobody Jean smart is so amazing on that show because of Hannah. I find her right. I mean, like the two of them. It's like crazy and the way she uses you to make her jealous. You feel bad but feel bad but happy it was me. You got to be a stand up. You got to be a stand up comic. That's right. That's right. Well, before I get To my final one, I've never seen Lucifer but I watched your because I wanted to check you out as Gabriel. Yes. Oh my god, I can't pretend I've seen Lucifer. But I've now seen enough based on around your characters that I'm very intrigued.

Kimia Behpoornia 35:15

Yes, I had a similar reaction I after I got that job was like, Okay, let me see what this show is. And I was like, whoa, this show is fun. It just like mixes so many genres right? It's like a procedural but it's also so goofy and also it gets serious. Yeah, it's all the things I had a great time doing that I love doing things that are a little like kids sometimes I do like your comedy and sometimes I get to do a show that's a little not is off kilter. Like I did station 19, which was the show about firemen, a spinoff from Grey's Anatomy. And I was like, This is wild because I got to be the funny person on a series procedural and that is a really fun job to have. Plus you

Jeff Dwoskin 35:55

get into the whole Shonda Rhimes world. Yes, that's right. Next thing I know, you know, you're the new doctor on Grey's Anatomy.

Kimia Behpoornia 36:03

Wow. Next thing I know, let's do speaking all these things into the universe. Yeah. That's the

Jeff Dwoskin 36:09

way that's the other way to make it happen. That is your right. So Lucifer as a show, I'm now checking out because of you. I just It looks insane. And I was like, in a good way. Yeah. Just like, Oh, man. I had no idea. Just people talk about it. And it's been on forever. Yeah. Sorry to interrupt my conversation with Kimia. But we have to take a quick break. And we're back with my conversation with Kim Behpoornia. About to dive into her role on a typical Mr. Back. Another show that you're on is a reoccurring? Or is a typical love a typical loves. Love that show? I was sad when they ended it. Yeah. But sometimes you're sad when they end the show and happy that they end it versus the whole American drags a show out dragging along. Yeah, totally. dead in the water. But what a great, great show. When you auditioned for a show like a typical, other shows like that? Are you? Are you a fan of the show? Or do you like to go out for certain shows that you're a fan of like? Or is it just like as a work as a working actor? It just like, I'll just I'll take what if they'll take me I'll say I'm there.

Kimia Behpoornia 37:17

Hey, if you ask Kimia if they'll take Kimia then I'm there is usually my motto I'm very lucky to also get to work on shows that then I also do have to watch my secret is in my house, we watch almost exclusively reality TV. So anything I auditioned for is something that maybe I have not seen or would not check out unless I'm like, in auditions for it or then get on the show. That's me confessing that we're a reality TV house. It's not that we dislike anything. It's just like when we have the time we prefer to watch the housewives. And that's, that's our little secret. So I'm happy to get to work on these good shows. Because then I get to watch these good shows in the name of work, and put those housewives on pause.

Jeff Dwoskin 37:57

Since you share that with me. I'll share this with you. I was visiting a friend of mine in Chicago with my wife and I were like on the pullout bed in the family room you know, I mean, so we're watching TV. I don't know what God awful. Our the One and Two out of Janice Dickinson modeling agency comes on. We start watching it. Next thing you know, we are hooked. Oh yeah. Anna Janice Dickinson modeling agency. It was. I mean, some of these reality shows something you need sometimes. Yes. A show like that. That just has no place in your life other than just to fill an empty void. Because you just need that emptiness for a period of time. Totally. Nothing serious. Nothing. Exactly. So I'm a typical you all you're at least the majority are scenes were with Gil here, Gil Christ. Wow. Like he was incredible.

Kimia Behpoornia 38:52

Isn't he awesome?

Jeff Dwoskin 38:53

I mean, the whole cast I mean, like buy like a wow. I mean, but you joined Season Three when season

Kimia Behpoornia 38:59

three Exactly. Here's amazing. He's one of those for me. i What do I call it maybe like a pure actor actor because I'm like, I'm very aware that perhaps when I am acting, I'm playing many shades of my actual personality either ramping them up or using less of it or something like that. But it is all coming from pieces of me here in playing Sam on a typical was really just purely playing what he had researched and observed because Kia himself is like covered in tattoos. Like Ron is the lead of a death metal band that he writes songs for based on like deep histories like he's a big history buff and stuff like that. It just feels so contradictory to like sweet Sam that he plays what I'm like to be able to do something like that was so fun to witness because to talk to him between texts and then from them be like action and then he's suddenly Sam. I'm like, that's, that's amazing. I'm not doing that. I'm being more Kamiya somewhere here or there. He's being a whole nother person.

Jeff Dwoskin 39:55

That's incredible. Yeah. amazing to watch him play that character. It really was How was hanging out with Michael Rapaport?

Kimia Behpoornia 40:02

Great question? I think I only worked one day on set with him. He didn't talk much. You know, he was watching sports stuff on his phone between texts. As you may imagine,

Jeff Dwoskin 40:12

I just saw him live in concert. Oh, yeah, I just I'm doing comedy show. He's hilarious. And I love his rants. I was just curious about you. That was how he was on, on set.

Kimia Behpoornia 40:22

He was really quiet, which is interesting because of his rants. And sometimes he's on Watch What Happens Live, which is like the after show after housewives. So I'm like, wow, what's he doing here? Because he also watches the housewives and he's pretty loud on that. But when we were on set, he would just like do the lines between he was like scrolling Twitter, and then he'd come back. You know, do stay. That was it. He's pretty chill guy. On set.

Jeff Dwoskin 40:45

Yeah, you're right. Every one of these shows kind of just wanted ends and I could see where your parents would get nervous.

Kimia Behpoornia 40:50

Oh, yeah. But there's some more shows.

Jeff Dwoskin 40:52

You've have a lot of credits. Think if the earliest IMDb is maybe maybe 10 years ago. Yeah. Got 50 Plus credits on there. Like you are definitely a working actor. I mean, like always working. It seems like everyone wants Kamiya

Kimia Behpoornia 41:06

good. Let's keep saying that. Like to keep the snowball rolling. But it gets a little bigger and bigger every time. Oh, so

Jeff Dwoskin 41:13

another deep cut. Maybe cat nap talk show? Oh,

Kimia Behpoornia 41:17

boy. That's my friend Tyler. Broto. He just started doing that. You know, because everyone can make videos now. I did do the cat nap talk show? With my friend Tyler's posted by my friend Tyler cat is real cat.

Jeff Dwoskin 41:29

Well, your friend Tyler's really funny. That was really funny.

Kimia Behpoornia 41:33

That's great. I'm happy about that. Wow, there's just

Jeff Dwoskin 41:36

a lot of hilarious Kimia videos out there. Kimmy, what are your acting resume that we haven't mentioned? Be like, oh, I would love everyone to have seen me and that.

Kimia Behpoornia 41:49

Yes, actually. It's a short film. It's what I credit for like the launch of really me getting to Abby's and that was like my biggest thing that snow balled me the furthest. But I was in this short film called Pop Rocks that one of my best friends Alyssa Lerner wrote while they were in grad school at USC, and then so if anyone hasn't seen Bob rocks, I think it's on YouTube. It's one of my favorite things I've ever done. And then another thing we did a listen, I just like maybe three years ago or so did another short together called break in. And that I think is really fun. If anyone wants to find that, perhaps that's also on Vimeo or YouTube. But those are two things that a lot of people haven't seen because they're shorts, like arguably harder to find. But I'm very proud of those shorts. And I and if you haven't seen those, check out those shorts. If I

Jeff Dwoskin 42:39

can find I'll put links to them in the show notes. Great. And I do is all your stuff. Marriage counseling for friends like this. There's a lot of really funny stuff out there. Yes, thank you. Do you still take improv classes and do like involved like heavily with improv or anything like that, like,

Kimia Behpoornia 42:57

yeah, the UCB I think just opened up. We're back. I'm doing a lot of shows. They're currently on Harold night. I don't know when this will air but in the new year, I don't know where our team will be. Perhaps graduated to a weekly show or not. But either way, at least once a week, I have a show out at UCB still doing improv because I love it. And if I can still do it, I will always do it till the end of time.

Jeff Dwoskin 43:19

That's awesome. That's amazing. I thank you so much for hanging out with me. Where can people hang out with you on social media?

Kimia Behpoornia 43:26

You can find me on Instagram at child clown. There it is.

Jeff Dwoskin 43:30

There it is nice. When did you lock down child clown.

Kimia Behpoornia 43:36

A long time ago, I was when I was in like middle school back when you know people my age and middle school would have blogs. I had a blog called like something dumb, like four year old teenager or something. And one day my friend was trying to remember what my blog was called. And she was like, What's it like child clown or something? And I was like, no, but exactly. And that I'll do that on everything forever. And so I made that a long time ago. And then I started getting more jobs. One of my friends who worked in social at the time was also my wife says this constantly was like to for one to you know, change that to maybe your name or something now that you're like, This is your business. You're an actor, and I was like I think it's okay that I'm child clown. I'm fine. We're gonna leave a child clown until it becomes a problem and I don't I don't anticipate that it will so child clown forever.

Jeff Dwoskin 44:21

When I picked my Twitter handle I was like way way way like 10 plus years ago and then didn't use it for five years and then got there every and then I'm stuck. Like so.

Kimia Behpoornia 44:31

I mean, I could change it but I've doubled down here we are. Yeah, you everyone

Jeff Dwoskin 44:35

knows you now. That's right. Too many pass it. I appreciate you sharing all your stories with me and hanging with me. It really means a lot. I really appreciate it. My pleasure. All right, how amazing was Kimia Behpoornia It was so fun hanging out with her. She is literally in every one of my favorite shows. So definitely write Hulu a letter and tell him what a mistake they made not read. Newing reboot, huge mistake, huge mistake, but you can check out Kimia there still, I still recommend that first season of reboot, check out a typical amazing series hacks, Modern Family iCarly. So much Kimia out there for you to explore, check out the show notes. I'll put a bunch of links to a bunch of stuff there. In the meantime, with the interview over, I can't believe it. I know episode 210 has come to an end. I can't believe it either. One more huge. Thank you for coming up a pornea for being my special guest today. And another huge thank you to all of you for coming back week after week. It means the world to me, and I'll see you next time.

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