#238 From Addict to Inspiration: Comedian Greg Baldwin’s Impactful Journey

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Jeff Dwoskin 0:29

All right, Alison, 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 238 of classic conversations. As always, I am your host, Jeff Dwoskin. Great to have you back for what is sure to be the classic as of classic conversations for the ages. My guest today is comedian Greg Baldwin. Greg and I talk comedy, his podcast second chances. Greg tours with Jay Mohr and Darrell Hammond. He's quite the comedy success story. But before that story, Greg was an attic and this is also a story of redemption. You're gonna love it. It's coming up in just a few seconds. And in these few seconds, just want to remind everyone, Episode 236 with Jeffrey C. Sherman, we're talking the Sherman Brothers Spoonful of Sugar Mary bobbins. Boy Meets World Wendy Lee meant so much great episode. Do not miss it. But right now the Do not miss event of the year is my conversation with Greg Baldwin, get ready to be inspired. Enjoy. All right, everyone. I'm excited to introduce you to my next guest actor and comedian Greg Baldwin. Welcome to the show.

Greg Baldwin 1:56

Great to be here. Jeff, great to great to talk to you. How are you doing?

Jeff Dwoskin 1:59

I'm doing good. It's very nice to meet you. It's always nice to meet a fellow comic, I want to kick off by reading a couple of things on your website, which I found fascinating. There's three quotes on your website. I'm sure the stories behind them one is everything good in my life has been a direct result of helping another human being. And that's Danny Trejo. And then you also have the quote, a life is not important except in the impact it has on others, Jackie Robinson, and the one I really want to unpack, I was Joe Magnesia Leo's meth coach, but the movie arch enemy, those are three, two inspirational and then this one's like, Alright,

Greg Baldwin 2:36

there's stories behind all of them. I guess I'll start with Jackie Robinson, that Jackie Robinson one, I actually saw that quote, I was walking into Dodger Stadium, I saw that on the wall at the stadium. And I just loved it. And the reason that quote stands out to me is because I had a problem with drugs, crystal meth, which we'll talk about the meth coach story, but just drugs and alcohol in my life, you know, since I was a little kid, and it finally caught up to me when I was 36. And you know, I started smoking math, probably around 3031. And I lost everything. Then I had a career in broadcasting at CBS. And I lost that career. And I ended up 118 pounds, my was basically living out of my car, sometimes my parents and house and friends couches, but I lost my career, I lost everything. And I ended up getting sober. On Valentine's Day of 2007 My whole life, I've always been a giver. And I think, you know, relatively, you know, I'm a good person and stuff. And I've always lived under the assumption before I got sober that life was about pleasure. And the more pleasure that I got, the happier I would be. So I was always seeking pleasure for happiness. And after I gotten sober work to recovery program, I had realized that the true source source of happiness is being of service to other people. So that's how I kind of tried to live my life so you know, everything all my outside things in my life, in some result have a direct impact on others. When you know, one i sober, I help new people that gets sober. Number two, I have a podcast that I haven't I haven't done any episodes in about a year, but I'll be relaunching it called second chances. And it's it's stories of people who got a second chance in life. And number three, I'm a stand up comedian. So I travel and I bring happiness and joy and laughter to people and I've come to realize that you know the true source of happiness and self esteem and self worth. And you know what one of the main reasons why we're on this planet is to is to be of service to others parents, Jackie Robinson.

Jeff Dwoskin 4:34

That's a great mantra to live your life by. And I mean for anyone to live their life by I think we all aspire to be good and help others. You know, I'm a firm believer and the rising tide helps everybody. There's so many people out there that think you're eating from the same pie and they don't see it as an expanding pie theory. And expanding pie theory is is the reality of life, the more good you do the more opportunities there are for everybody. So I try to live my life that way as well, the best I can

Greg Baldwin 5:06

on both things. One, my my first comedy mentor gunned him and he was judged on the Last Comic Standing. He told me at the beginning, when I started doing stand up, he said, there's enough room for everybody. So just always wrote for everybody, there's, you're not getting competition with the other comedians, because there's plenty of room for all of you. So do what you can to support other comedians and be that kind of guy. And the other thing that jumped in mind, you said, a rising rising tide was was it

Jeff Dwoskin 5:32

rising tide helps all the boats or something, and I got

Greg Baldwin 5:36

a good call. It's a good call that brought to mind one of my another quote, I had recently heard a lighthouse doesn't go out in the ocean seeking boats. So in order for me to be a service and be, you know, I have to turn my light on. And I have to be a good example. And you know, you can't give something away that you don't have life. As you know, we're continually evolving. I'm trying to become a better person, but I can honestly say, because of my sobriety, and you know what I've learned in the past 15 years of being sober. I am definitely now the best version of myself I've ever been.

Jeff Dwoskin 6:07

That's an amazing story. Can we go backwards in time? Like, how did you get caught up and becoming a meth addict? 3031 you had a lot of life behind you at that point. Was there like a trigger moment that kind of just put you down this spiral path? Before sobriety?

Greg Baldwin 6:22

Yeah, well, I've always like my my first memory growing up was my mom gave me Flintstone vitamins. And I remember I liked him so much, I waited till she was gone, I ate the whole bottle. And so I've always been compulsive. And you know, the question is, you know, the chicken or the egg, can you do enough drugs to become an addict? Or did something you're born with in your genes? And for me, I've always been compulsive, and whatever. I think me personally, I think I have a reaction in my brain that's different, you know, in the pleasure center than normal people do. And I get compulsive. And so when I started drinking, and using drugs, and mom's probably fifth grade, or sixth grade, something like that, something happened, man, you know, and it just, it made me feel I remember thinking when I was in, you know, sixth, seventh, eighth grade, like, I remember taking drugs and I remember thinking like, How could something that feels this could be bad, like this cannot be bad. This is not that this is amazing. And you know what, I just started using it, I was able to, I was a good athlete, I was able to function in society and party on the weekends and you know, and stuff like that. But I went to my first round when I was 19. I got sober for a little while. I ended up playing for years college baseball and graduating college and went to work for CBS so and radio advertising for my favorite rock station and Howard Stern advertising. And I was always, you know, relatively successful. But what happened? The beginning of the end of the answer, your question was, I was drinking a lot, I started blacking out, I stopped drinking as much I started doing a lot of ecstasy and then the ecstasy hangovers are killing me. And I started doing more coke. And then I was getting paranoid. And there always had to be something, you know, there was always weed too. I smoke weed every day. So that was my like crutch. Pretty much every day I was drinking or using or doing something, I had to do something. And, you know, the weekdays in order to form be a member of society. You know, weed would cover me throughout the week. And then I do the hard drugs and alcohol on the weekends. But slowly but surely, I was dating this girl. And I was working at CBS. And I came back, I was on a trip in Mexico. She was at my house when I got back and I found a meth pipeline. And I confronted her with and I'm like, Oh my God, you smoke this stuff, like, and she's like, Yeah, and I'm like, and I remember thinking to myself, like, Oh, my God, like, I'm dating a junkie, right? You know, and that's what I thought, are tweaker would probably be the proper term. But she asked me if I wanted to try it. And I'm like, okay, and I just started speed before, but I've never smoked it, and I took a hit off it. And man, you know, it was the greatest feeling ever. I was like, whatever, you know, imagine, you know the thing in your life that gives you the most physical pleasure, you know, imagine like walking off the stage, you know, after you just kill or chocolate or sex or whatever it is that your favorite thing in the world is and then times that by 1000. That's the feeling that got for me. And then I started using it periodically and over a period of about five, five years. It became a daily habit. And I lost everything, including several

Jeff Dwoskin 9:02

teeth. Yeah, meth is not kind to teeth. Mouth is not kind of teeth. So my dad was a dentist. He would always say if people came in without teeth, he had two questions. He says do you do meth? Or do you drink Mountain Dew? Ah, interesting. Yeah, because Mountain Dew if, if you want to look like a meth addict down those quarts of Mountain Dew non stop. That's why but the because it just it wrecks anyway, I'd say no, that's interesting. It's interesting that you say, you know, it's like, I've never really I've never done drugs. So I I only can kind of draw some comparisons. So if I I'm not trying to draw a comparison, I'm just trying to relate I in my own life, but one time I was having these chest pains. And my went to the ER and my cousin gave me a shot of Motrin and the emote and I remember it was probably 15 years ago and I can still remember the feeling of the wave going across my chest and the pain disappearing. And I remember thinking myself Wow, Oh, I could see where somebody could get really hyped up on that feeling. But I mean, what like with food is it's a similar thing. I think they talk about utility, right? Where like, you take a bite of that chocolate chip cookie, and you're just chasing the feeling and the of the enjoyment of the first bite when you're finishing the whole thing. And so it's I imagine hearing like a Matthew Perry, interviews recently and stuff like that, that it's like you're chasing it and chasing it, and then it suddenly becomes not enough, not enough, not enough. And you just have to keep doing more and more and more, and it just,

Greg Baldwin 10:33

you know, it's like, I was a good kid man. And growing up, and you know, all the dreams and aspirations to do great things. I never imagined my plan wasn't to become a drug addict. And, you know, that couldn't function in society that was never in my plans, you know, it just creeps up on you. And then you know, next thing, you know, you're you're in and it's like, a lot of people that don't have addiction will say, well just stop, you know, can't you see your ruin in your life? And if it was that easy, you know, we would all stop because nobody wants to lose everything. And you know, you I mean, you look at you look at a mother that loses her kids, and still can't stop drinking or using their you know, there's something more you know, I lost power of choice. It's hard to explain, but if I could just quit and be normal, you know, on my own and just go back to be living a normal life, I would have done it. But you know, I needed any professional help. But yeah, it's It's tough. It's it, you know, addiction to tough on man, a lot of people die from it. And I'm one of the survivors, you know, 15 years without a drink or a drug for me, somebody that like me is it's a frickin miracle. That's amazing.

Jeff Dwoskin 11:33

15 years, congratulations. That's who was there? Or did you recognize yourself that you couldn't function anymore? And got you help? Or on the path to help?

Greg Baldwin 11:43

Yeah, so what happened was, I was I was supposed to be my friend Maddies wedding in Vegas, he gave me the money for the ticket, I spent the money on drugs. And I got arrested that night. That night, I was supposed to be in his wedding, I was in jail. I remember him telling me you ruined my wedding. And I was like, Oh, my God, just total devastation. And the charge was possession of, you know, controlled stuff substance. So they were going to do prop 36. Whereas if you stay clean, or whatever, I couldn't stay clean. And then finally, my probation officer told me, you know, or the guy told me that one more dirty test, you're going to jail, you know, you'll do a few months or whatever. And they only found like a tiny little bit of math, but they gave me the option to rehab or jail. And I chose to rehab and, and I've been clean ever since I didn't to be honest with you. I didn't think I was ever going to be able to get clean and to be I was so far gone that I really didn't even want to get clean. I was just gonna write it off to the bitter end. I was like, I was on the Titanic. And I was thinking and I knew I was gonna die. And then I just was resigned to the fact that it was over and I was gonna ride to the bitter end. But I checked myself into rehab on February 13 of 2007. And never been clean never sets and you know, now I got a good life. And I'll tell you one thing your dad's dad, you said your dad's notice Sean's missing a few team. I've always had a lot of problems. My teeth. When I first got sober about I don't know, three years, four years into sobriety, my teeth were all messed up. But I started I went on to eHarmony. And on my feet third eHarmony date I met a dentist and she she was beautiful. She was amazing. And and then it was weird, because at the same time that I started dating the dentist while we dated for a couple years. But she had a great aunt that I had never met. And so she had passed away. She was in Canada, she had no kids. So she left all the cousins and the will and so my dad's like, Oh, you'll probably get 500 bucks or something. And it turns out I got 18,000 and I spent all the 18,000 to get a new set of teeth. So I got veneers I got six implants. I got root canal, I got it all fixed. I got a I got a new set of teeth. So

Jeff Dwoskin 13:31

well you look great. Thanks. Right let's do a smile off, right? We'll get this Sunday.

Greg Baldwin 13:38

You know, in my comedy, I do a joke about the dentist. And the joke is, you know, we started you know, she started off going to work on my teeth. And it was amazing. We started having relationship problems because, you know, she started making me floss after every meal and brush my teeth five times a day. And then she told me how to quit drinking coffee. So I knew the relationship was over. But I hung in there for an extra year and a half because I still needed to root canals and a bridge. And the joke the true story is

Jeff Dwoskin 14:03

no joke insurance doesn't cover any of that. I know it's crazy but

Greg Baldwin 14:07

the true story is I paid for my teeth and she she did um and then she referred me out to some people and she really didn't start working on my teeth very much until we broke up and then I stuck with her which which is ridiculous I don't know I don't if you if you're Jamie and the dentist and you guys break up don't keep going back here to have your fixture to you. It's not a good idea.

Jeff Dwoskin 14:26

Yeah, just like the slips with that little pokey thing. Nobody dentists like these dangers. Oh, I'm sorry. Sorry, Greg. Did that hurt? Did I just break your gums like you broke my heart?

Greg Baldwin 14:37

Yeah, I swear to God she she did a deep cleaning on me and she didn't use Novocaine and it was the worst pain I've ever had like in like it was I almost I like I almost got out of the chair and ran. I don't know why I didn't but I like it was the worst. I've spent a combined total of about a year sitting in the dentist's chair my whole life. It was torture and I guess she was having a bad day but I've never felt in The pain is excruciating is that there the dentist's chair and then, you know, shortly after I found a new dentist. God bless her, you know, I'm sure she didn't, but I kept I said, I got hurts. It hurts. And she's like, I remember she's like she said it's supposed to. And I'm like, Oh my God, it was, anyway. Oh, wow. So it's, it's awesome. It all worked out.

Jeff Dwoskin 15:22

It all worked out. You look right. Sorry to interrupt this amazing conversation with Greg Baldwin. I know some of you might be running out to get a new dentist. But the rest of you, I just want to thank you for your support of the sponsors. When you support the sponsors. You're supporting us here at Classic conversations. And that's how we keep the lights on. And now back to my inspirational conversation with Greg Baldwin. We're moving on to quote number two. Thank you. That was the first quote when I heard the second call. Yes. Is that the day? Are we on to Danny Trejo now?

Greg Baldwin 15:53

Yes, we're understanding child. So the second quote is everything good in my life has come as a direct result of helping another human being that quote, I've heard him public speaking, I heard that quote. And that quote is really important to me. Because you know, how I became a stand up comedian is I was at a recovery meeting one night, and this my friend Glenn introduces me to this newcomer who had like, 30 days off cocaine or something. And he introduces me and after the recovery meeting, he said to me, he goes said, Will you give this guy a ride home? And I thought to myself, why don't you give him a ride home? Why are you asking me you got a car, you know, and why do you ask me? But I said, Yes, I gave this guy a ride home. It turns out, his car's broken down. And I'm like, Do you need help getting to meetings? And he's like, yeah, so I started picking this newcomer up, and I started taking them to meetings, and I would always go get coffee before the meeting, and he wouldn't, he wouldn't order anything. So I asked him, I'm like, Are you broke? And he's like, yeah. I said, Do you have groceries at home? And he's like, No. And so I'm like, alright, I'll take it grocery shopping. And I asked him, I go, where do you where do you shop? This dude took me to Whole Foods. He took me to Whole Foods and bought like a little, a little tiny basket for like, 100 bucks. It was crazy. And but it was alright, I just did my part. I got into groceries and I started taking meetings, and we became friends. And then turns out he was a stand up comedian. And he invited me to go to one of his shows. I went to a show, and I'd been in the theater actress Theatre in San Francisco done a lot of plays, and short films and voiceovers, but I'd never I used to go to the Comedy Store and sit by myself and watch comedians never did. It crossed my mind to ever be a comedian. Never the thought never even never crossed my mind because I didn't think it was funny or creative enough to write. But anyway, he invited me to the show. And then half the comedians were it was like a beginner show half comedians were terrible, like, really terrible. And I made a joke after I'm like, Dude, I could tell drugstores be as funny as half of these guys. And because I've done so much public speaking in the jails, and rehabs and stuff. And so he's like, do you want to try it? And I'm like, Ah, okay. So he put me up at this beginner show. They're called Bringer shows, which they're really terrible shows. But the worst, the worst, you know, he put me up at this Bringer show and I told some drug stories. And then I wrapped up, wrapped it up with like a recovery message. And he said, the host comes back up. And then people, all these people High five me out when I got on stage, and I was really terrible. But the house comes back up. And he's like, like, holy shit. I didn't know this was an AAA meeting. And everybody started laughing. And that was on September 12, of 2013. And I just I've been doing it ever since I ended up doing a show at the Comedy Store in the main room, one of the most famous comedy clubs in the, in the, in the world, if not the most, and the heritage with, you know, all the history, you know, at that club, and I, you know, sitting in the main room behind the curtain of the most famous comedy club in the world, where Richard Pryor and Jay Leno and Letterman and Robin Williams. And you know, all the greats have walked through this curtain. And I'm sitting behind the curtain, I'm hosting the show. And I'm talking to Bill Burr, and I'm about to walk on the stage and introduce Bill Burr. And I just remember thinking to myself, like oh my god, like how did this happen? And I was still a pretty new comedian. And he dropped into our show, I was going to bill with him, but he dropped out. And I remember thinking to myself, like, how did this happen? And it all happened because one night I gave a newcomer a ride home? And what would happen that day if I was selfish or self centered, or I said no or whatever. So my whole life changed from given a newcomer ride home. And it's now you know, it's my passion. It's my career and I tour and it's, it's incredible. And it comes back to Danny trails, quote, everything good in my life has come as a direct result of helping another human being. And that's how I became a comedian.

Jeff Dwoskin 19:29

It's an amazing story. You know, one of the cool things about interviewing people for the podcast is everyone has their version of that story. I don't know that they all necessarily have pinpointed it just yet. But a lot of the people I talked to have that moment where they can say this was that moment, where had I not gone left instead of right. I don't know what I would be doing today. It's an amazing when you can I think kind of reflect on that moment and then learn from it and then try and be that for other people as well. So I think that's one you're full.

Greg Baldwin 20:00

Thanks. So that's that's why that quote is so important to me. And it's my he's my favorite public speaker. You know, I've heard him speak publicly numerous times. And he's just his message powerful. And you know what's really interesting about Danny Trejo, he had the same story. He was helping a newcomer and newcomer calm about midnight, woke them up and was on a movie set and said, I'm going to use, you know, cocaine, I am not doing well. So Danny Trejo got out of bed, went and met this guy on set and helped him and it was a movie, it was called runaway runaway train, I think, no, no, it was a movie with Eric Roberts. And it was about boxing. He was on set, you know, helping this guy and he ran into this guy he was in prison with in San Quentin. And it turns out the guy and Clinton was, you know, working on this movie was right or something on this movie, recognize Danny and Danny trail was like one of the champion boxers at San Quentin. And it was a movie about there was a boxing match. And so and I guess the guy that Eric Roberts was boxing against terrible, so he said, Hey, can you train this guy? Can you work with him? And then finally, the director said, You know what, I'm just gonna, I want you to find him. And so he replaced the guy and he ended up fighting Eric Roberts in the movie, and that was his very first movie role. And it was because he got out of bed at midnight and helped a newcomer

Jeff Dwoskin 21:12

that's amazing runaway train. 1985

Greg Baldwin 21:16

runaway train. That's it. Yeah, right. Yep. 1985 that was Danny Charles very first movie. Same story as mine. It all happened, his whole life change from helping to helping a newcomer.

Jeff Dwoskin 21:25

That's really cool about Danny Trejo and then, and then the final quote, I was Joe manga now Leo's meth coach for the movie arch enemy.

Greg Baldwin 21:36

Yeah. So how that happened is, I'm good friends with Joe. He's a good friend of mine. And he calls me up, I don't know about three years ago or something. And he says, he goes, Hey, I got a weird question for you. And I'm like, okay, Joe. Me and by the way, Joe man Canelo was he was a dancer Magic Mike. He was in Trueblood he was a werewolf and Trueblood he's married to Sofia Vergara

Jeff Dwoskin 21:58

and Flash Thompson and the OG Spider Man series.

Greg Baldwin 22:02

Yeah, he was flashed out. Yep. And that was long time ago. He Yeah. So you know, he's very, very handsome, good actor and friend of mine calls me up and he's like, Hey, you guys, I gotta work question for you. And I'm like, okay, and he says, Hey, I'm shooting this movie. And in the movie, I use crystal meth. And I've never done it before. And I was wondering if he could work with me on that. And so I'm like, Okay, I started working with him on you know, talk. We had like an hour conversation on the phone, about math and this and that calls me up like a month later, he goes, Hey, I'm shoot that scene. I can't and I'm like, Oh, you want me to come on set with you? And he's like, Yeah, and so I go on set the movies called archenemy, you can download it on some of the streaming streaming sites archenemy, and in the movie, he plays a superhero in the scene. He puts math on his hand, he snorts the math and he kills all these drug dealers. Right? Well, the the premise doesn't make any difference to the story, but the premises, he doesn't have powers on earth. So you don't know if he's crazy. Or if he's just always a really super hero. So but he does the magic kills all these drug dealers. So they shoot the scene, I go on set with him. And he's like a, like this super man, or like, you know, superhero gear to the trailer. And we're talking, you know, for hours until the scene and it was just amazing. But we shouldn't have seen he puts me we go on set. He stands me right next to the director. And in the scene, he starts the math, he kills all these drug dealers or whatever. Now he starts this thing and he does this scene, right? They shoot the scene, Director yells cut, Joe walks right over to me next to the director and says, how was that? And he starts asking me for my advice about it or whatever. And he ended up going on the Conan O'Brien show. And he told the story how he had to hire a math coach, which was me what the real bizarre thing was, is he invited me to go to the movie premiere and it was still COVID So the movie theaters hadn't opened up I was had to drive in and I ended up sitting shotgun, and Joe Mangan LSSU. SUV, eating pizza with Joe watching him on the big screen snorting math and I coached him out of jail. He went on the Conan O'Brien show, I do a little bit of my comedy about it, but it's obviously exaggerated in my comedy, but he ended up going on the Conan O'Brien show and he saw the story how he had to hire a math coach. Yeah, I think he told the story tonight show too. So if you watch I'm gonna give your listeners an assignment. If you watch our chat me with Joe, Meg and Ella at the end of the movie of credits, hit pause, and go as slow as you can. And you're gonna see Special Assistant to Mr. Manga. Hello, Greg Baldwin. Now you guys are in the know, that is not special assistance. That is actually math coach, or you can go to IMDb and see the credits. But that's how math coach Kim came about.

Jeff Dwoskin 24:32

kind of actor comedian math coach. Yeah, they were out of context. One might get the wrong idea there. But that's it's good that you were there for your friend Joe.

Greg Baldwin 24:44

Yeah, and he killed the Santos awesome. So I think I'm the very first math coach in the history of the world.

Jeff Dwoskin 24:51

So what was some of the advice you gave Joe? What what makes a good fake math snorting acting portrayal?

Greg Baldwin 24:58

So you know, he does this story. Are you how, you know, he was like you mentioned he was in spider man, and he had this career, but he was, he wasn't working. And his friends said, you know, you gotta get another job. And he ended up doing like this construction. And he was he was shoveling dirt. And he said, You know what he goes, I'm gonna be the best dirt shoveler there is. And he said, One day, he was just in the sun, and he was just shoveling the dirt. And he's with all these other workers. And they're like, slow down, man, you know, there's, you know, when you finish this, there's going to be another thing of dirt man, just and then he ended up, he just said he was just like, ah, like this, you know, and I remember him telling that story. And then he said he was helping move something and like, the fridge fell out of the truck. And he's a big, strong guy. And he said, he just grabbed the fridge. And he just called the fridge and he just felt powerful, and just Almighty in that moment, and those two moments of the shoveling dirt and being the best dirt shoveler and grabbing the fridge and fell off the truck and just holding it. And I said imagine that, you know, when you're using math that you know what happens with the physical reaction that happens in your brain is it releases all the Kermode chemicals in your brain that says you're you're okay, you know, you could be I was 118 pounds missing teeth, I smoke math, and I feel like oh my god, I'm going to take over the world. And so what happened that just imagine that you're shoveling that dirt, or you catch that fridge and that feeling of ultimate power, like and that rush of just like that, and then times that by 100. Imagine that when you start math and it gives you that type of power and strength. And so that was my that was my advice to him to kind of relate his personal life to what math how it makes you feel. All right. Very

Jeff Dwoskin 26:35

cool. Obviously check that out.

Greg Baldwin 26:39

It's an interesting story. It's the Yeah, it's funny. Joe coined the term, he actually coined the term math coach.

Jeff Dwoskin 26:45

That's awesome. So all right, but if I want to hear about comedy, but before we go there, let's let's talk about your podcast real quick, because I think it's tied into your second, it's called second chances. It's kind of tied into your recovery and talking with others about their stories.

Greg Baldwin 26:57

Yeah, so it's it's second chances. And you can find it at the one my website, second chances.tv, or other streaming sites everywhere, second chances, and it's stories of people who got a second chance in life I started with and who was a judge on the last comic standard, we started it and then I had a couple of different call halls. But I haven't released any episodes, I'm going to relaunch it soon. The reason I started it is my dream. And my goal in life is bring hope and inspiration to the world and to use my gifts, you know, my second chance in life to you know, to bring hope and inspiration. So I started we started this podcast, and it's just interesting stories with you know, I've had people that had Carnie Wilson from Wilson Phillips, whose dad was Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys telling the story. You know, her I think she was eviction to food and her that stuff. And her Howard father had tried to give her hair when she was 16. And you know, that was interesting. And then I've had Joe mag Anello on we talked about the math code story, but also him telling the story how he in a flag football game caught a touchdown from Joe Montana, which was really cool. And then I've had people with autism, I had a guy with autism on I had a woman that dealt with autism. I've had cancer survivors, I've had actors and love stories, and I had a medium on that. Suppose it can communicate with spirits and just a wide range of different topics. And you know, it's really interesting, you know, and I'm sure you get this from doing your podcast. It's fascinating talking to interesting people and hearing the obstacles they've overcome in their lives and their outlook on lives. And it's just really incredible. I really, really enjoy it. And so I stopped during the pandemic, I stopped doing it, so I'm gonna relaunch it soon. I just love it.

Jeff Dwoskin 28:32

Yeah, I love it, too. I saw you had a few past guests of my podcasts have been on yours as well. Amer Catan, Christina Blackburn, Alonso Bowden Alonso. Yeah, good folks there so yeah, it's really it's fun to kind of feel back and have real conversations with people to comedians talking and not being funny why now because you know what, there's a lot more to the story and to me like that's really what it's all about. That's really kind of what people want to hear and walk away with. Everyone wants to be inspired at some level. So you should definitely start back up. It's funny you stopped during the pandemic, because that's when most people started.

Greg Baldwin 29:12

Yeah, I was doing it for the during the pandemic for a little while. And then towards the end, I stopped and what happened is I moved and then my soundboard stopped working and I gotta I gotta fix that but I wanted to start doing video on setup video cameras and talking to video promos and stuff have had all these incredible wonderful guests and stories and stuff but I got no video of it. So wanted to set up a little studio and I just haven't gotten around to it. So yeah, I've been I've been touring a lot and doing a lot of stand up so it's common

Jeff Dwoskin 29:37

definitely make that a priority because I think the world would be a better place with it. Thank you. So one of your guests on the podcast and then I think is a good kind of bridge to the comedy Darrell Hammond Yeah, you work a lot with him of Saturday Night Live fame but pretty much a legend a Saturday Night Live. I think legends a fair a fair word. Yeah, yeah.

Greg Baldwin 29:58

So Darrell and I met adult had lunch with a friend of mine. I ended up sitting next to him. And I asked him to do the podcast. And he said, Yeah, and you know, we're a contact and his story is phenomenal. Some people do know this. A lot of people don't separate some extreme severe childhood. There's a documentary out about him. It's called Darrell Hammond cracked up Darrell Hammond story, it's on Amazon Prime. Now, it's on Netflix for a long time. And it chronicles his life, you know, growing up and the trauma and going back to his childhood home, where he experienced all the trauma and just a real fascinating guy. And so he has a lot of empathy for people that are going through difficulties. And November 29, of 2019, my my brother passed away and my older brother, he called and texted me every day to check on me, he's the only one that did that. I don't expect anybody to do that. But he did that, because he has so much empathy. We just bonded, we became really good friends. And over the pandemic, he was the only person I hung out with, you know, we were all scared to be around anybody because, you know, we didn't know if everyone's gonna die or whatever. And I would only so we would go on drives, we go out to the beach and just drive out and sit in the car and talk and they'll get you know, you couldn't eat inside restaurants, we will get food and you know, eat outside. So we just became good friends. And I've done a bunch of shows with him before. And then he asked me to do some tour dates with him. And then right before we were supposed to go to the Zanies in Chicago, pandemic hit, and I'm like, oh my god, I'm finally a touring comedian. I'm going to tour with Darryl Hammond. And now the pandemic like this is brutal. But so then we started hanging out during the pandemic and became good friends and, and then the pandemic ended. And so I just started touring all over. And he's been my, you know, a mentor for me in a good friend. And that's how it started is because he had empathy because I lost my brother, if you told me like, I'd be torn with 14 year cast member of Saturday Night Live learning from him and getting you know, he gives me advice and this and that, and it's just freaking, like, bizarre. It's just really bizarre. And you know, and I get 25 minutes, 30 minutes sometimes, you know, when I talk with them, so it's like, you can't get that time amount of time any unchosen Li, it's just so much invaluable experience, and I become a real good comedian. As a result,

Jeff Dwoskin 31:58

very sorry about your brother, okay.

Greg Baldwin 32:00

He's in a better place people say, but it's true. He had a tough life. He's in a better place.

Jeff Dwoskin 32:04

And you know, all the stuff we've been talking about universe, it's like, you know, putting someone like, Darrell in your path, something like that happens to help you get through it, too. You know, I think there's sometimes more than one reason for everything that happens. So

Greg Baldwin 32:16

yeah, God, I've done I've traveled all over. We just did the East Coast. We did. Naples, Florida. We did Jacksonville. We did South Carolina, which was cool. We did a week in Vegas. So you know, it was really cool. We did a week in Vegas at the Tropicana at the Laugh Factory. And so we did eight shows and four nights. I got my name on the in the big lights on the Sunset Strip. I mean, on a Vegas Strip, which is the coolest thing ever. And then how many photos did you take that? Oh, like a very like me, you know? Yeah, you know, of course the one where I'm standing under the side with my finger pointing to it. You know, that's my first time that ever happened. It was just it was so cool. And then to Denver, oh man, best comedy club in the world. It was comedy worked and sold out. Crowds are like 400 It's like a little mini theatre and and Darryl has got standing ovations and Vancouver, Canada J. Moore. I also toured the guy named J. Morris also on Saturday Night Live. And he was

Jeff Dwoskin 33:09

I love J. Moore. He does the I think everyone credits him with having like the break through Christopher Walken impression.

Greg Baldwin 33:16

Oh, yeah. Yeah, exactly. Christopher Walken. And then he, he was in Jerry Maguire.

Jeff Dwoskin 33:20

Oh, yeah. I know. Jay Mohr. I know Jay. I love I love Jay.

Greg Baldwin 33:24

You know, I'll tell you an interesting story about those two as we I did a show. So one night, Daryl and I were doing laugh factory in San Diego. Daryl had to do a radio interview. And so we're driving to the radio interview. I turn on the radio. And I hear Jay more on the same radio morning show that Daryl is going to be on shortly. And so I text Jay, I'm friends with Jay I text him I'm like, Hey, Darren are coming in. So don't leave. So we ended up meeting and talking and we're like, Hey, let's go get breakfast. So we went out to breakfast. I'm sitting at the breakfast table with truth. I mean, they're both legends right Jays? Fucking phenomenal comedian, great impressionist a lot of people No, no as well. But he's phenomenal. And they start telling SNL stories, right? And I'm like, This is nuts. Right? I'm sitting at breakfast with these two guys. And they're you know who I'm friends with balls, but I'm just listening to stories. And then they start doing impressions back and forth. And I'm like, This is insane. And Jay says to Daryl Hey, we should let's do a show, you know, with the impressions and so they're like, either I was like, yeah, so I ended up putting together a lunch when we got going. And when I when I got back and we had a series of lunches and work arounds and then we end we end up putting together the show and impression show where I moderated and it's Darrell and Jay doing impressions back and forth. So I'll lead them into it. I'll be like, you know, Jay, you worked with Academy Award winner Christopher Walken and Suicide Kings. What was that like? And then it leads him into the story. Then I'd say to Daryl Daryl you worked with you perform for five presidents who which was the first president you met in the Oval Office and it leads them into George Bush. And then so I went back and forth but they both have about 50 to 75 impressions. And so we started doing the show at the Improv and flappers and like there's a huge buzz about it. And then one of the lines I suppose we came up with speed round, and then speed round we can never get through all the impressions. So I started saying Kermit the Frog, and then j would do Kermit the Frog. And then I'd say, Foghorn Leghorn and then and I go back and forth and it was just, it was brilliant. So we did a series of shows and there's a big buzz about it. We put it down for a little bit we're hoping to I hope, hoping we resurrect it but man to be on the stage with Darrell Hammond Jay Mohr, at the same time as they're doing their legendary impressions and me being a part of it. I'm like just pitching myself like this is just nuts man and and all started by given a newcomer ride home. All this stuff happened from just being of service to another person.

Jeff Dwoskin 35:35

That's I love that. Yeah. Jay Mohr, I love I can't remember who I was talking to about this. Not too long ago. Action, the show action J. Morris show. And then, funny story. My wife and I are in New York at 515 years ago are like, Oh, Darryl Hammond he's at Caroline's Let's go. Yeah, let's go. Oh, there's tickets for the Late Show. I remember. It's certainly my wife. What are the odds the day of the 11 o'clock Late Show or whatever time it was? It was late. Yeah. For Darryl Hammond and there's still tickets. Oh my god. We buy the tickets. We get excited. We go in there. The New York clubs are a little different than the Michigan clubs they sit you down you don't pay to the end. You got to buy the drinks. You got to walk turns out Darrell Hammond is not doing the 11 o'clock show. It's he did the first two but this one was Howard Stern group like dirty show. Oh, wow, that Darrell Hammond that was at that time I almost saw or thought I was about to see Darrell Hammond so that did not turn out well at all.

Greg Baldwin 36:32

Yeah, he he's for now. That's a great story. He's phenomenal. You know, I was in Vancouver, Canada with Jay Mohr. And we did five shows and the author with their this comedy condo and so we ended up him and I watched season one of this my third time watching it and his first time Season One of Mandalorian love Mandalorian Yeah, cuz he's a big Star Wars fan. And then he texted me yesterday. He's like, my favorite part of the whole trip was watching Mandalorian with you. It's just It was awesome.

Jeff Dwoskin 36:59

That's really cool. Awesome. All right. So what else? I didn't know you were in jail. Is that true?

Greg Baldwin 37:04

Yeah, it was just drug possession. I been in jail for a DUI once that got dropped because I tested point oh, six. They shouldn't even arrest me, but I shouldn't have taken anything and drove but and then went for the drug possession. And then another time for drug paraphernalia, which just was a was a minor and they let me go Oh, and the other time was an eighth grade. So I guess four times I've been in eighth grade. I was selling marijuana. I was selling weed in the eighth grade. And my dad I always tell people I got busted by it. It was like I always tell people it's like an FBI sting and undercover cops and all this stuff. But the truth is, I had an ounce of weed in my bed. I was selling in eighth grade, which is crazy. I was a little kid to think of an eighth grader selling pot. But anyway, it was that skunk weed. So it was very smelly. So I stashed it outside in the bushes and I woke up in the morning it was raining. So it's like seven in the morning. So I went out in the rain and my little tiny Whitey underwears and I put the weed down my pants and I come walking in the door. My dad's like, what's that? And he sees it and I run into my room. I throw it behind my waterbed, which I had a water man and he my dad grabs that he holds it up an ounce of weed. So he calls the police on me has me arrested. They come they handcuffed me fingerprint me take me to the adult jail. I had to go to juvenile court and the sentence was they're going to drop all the charges if I didn't get in any trouble for three years. But the part of the agreement was I had to go to counseling every Wednesday. And it was like 45 minutes away. And I still remember it. It was called pyramid counseling. And there was a counselor named Hans Dieter was my counselor. And he was you know, just ask questions, trying to figure out why, you know, what, what did my dad do to me to, you know, make his eight year old son, a drug user? I was so pissed. So it backfired on him. Actually, I have a new bed about it. So I'm working on that. So you were using

Jeff Dwoskin 38:49

it at a not just not just selling it wasn't just entrepreneurial.

Greg Baldwin 38:54

Yeah, I was. Okay. So those are my four jails. Nothing, nothing major. Nothing. I've never had any major, major trouble besides drugs and alcohol.

Jeff Dwoskin 39:04

After take a quick break, gotta hide my skunk weed somewhere else. And we're back with Greg Baldwin wearing the timeline of standup we're in the middle of for were you at the did you study at the Groundlings?

Greg Baldwin 39:16

That was before? So I studied at the Groundlings and then I studied at UCB Upright Citizens Brigade and then I had I was on a little improv team and I loved and hated improv at the same time because it's hard. It is hard you know, it's not a stand up standards is hard and brutal for a long time until you until you find your voice but he was on a little improv team and then I found stand up and then I just I just started doing stand up but I would love to go back and do some more improv. You know, I started doing some good work and it's tough you can when you're doing improv, I think it's good whether you're an actor or not, you know, I recommend people take an improv class because you learn how to be spontaneous and be open and and be yourself. You can actually like feel different parts of your brain working, you know, and that I don't normally is and it's also helped me become under stand up because it's allowed me to be spontaneous and creative. And you know, it's a stand up, you have to be present you have to be, you know, if you're doing a show, and the waitress hasn't played a drink and they crash all over the floor, you have to be able to stop call it out this and that when I was the beginning comedian that that would happen, it would ruin my whole show because I was so married to every single word and how to say it. If one thing happened different it would I bomb. And so improv is really good. Because it, you know, teaches you how to be spontaneous. And now, you know, I have my joke structures, and I have the jokes, but I can go off script, I can play around, if somebody yells something out, I can try them and come back to it. And improv is just really a valuable skill.

Jeff Dwoskin 40:41

Two things one is I agree they should have improv as part of either high school or college curriculum that people could learn. Because I agree it helps in life in general, whether you're going to become a famous improv person or not. It helps in job interviews, it helps in meetings, it helps if you have to present a million things. And I'm so glad to hear because you're the first person I've ever heard say this again, because I went through the same thing. When I started doing comedy, if I had, like, if you're doing like a seven minute sat at the club, right? And I'm into a joke, hey, what and someone goes, That was enough, I had to go on to the next job. Yeah, and just the same thing. I think that it's like, you know, you put enough time in and eventually someone can do something, you can go do 1000 Other things, and then just come right back to where you were, and then pick it right back on and go through it. It's such a fun part of the evolution of doing comedy that no one tells you about and it's horrible as you're learning it, experiencing something like that.

Greg Baldwin 41:35

It's so stand up was so brutal. I've bombed. So I bombed in front of my parents. God, like so bad. It's just so hard. People used to ask me, Do you love stand up? And I remember thinking to myself, like, I fucking hate it. i It's like, I'd have these little moments of laughter and glimpses that it's like golfing, you know, it's like, you know, you shoot 130, but you hit one under the green and get a birdie, you know, and it's like that, why have these little moments of like, oh, there's something here in my deep intuition and told me that this is where I'm supposed to be. And this is where I need to go. Even Even though God I would have so much anxiety. And I would take naps before the show wake up and be like, Oh my God, why am I doing this? This is so brutal, the bonds and the struggling and you know, and then you do you sell tickets to your friends to terrible shows. And they're like, oh, wow, that was really something you know, and it was just such a tough road. But now, you know, I have so so much respect for comedians that make it past two years, two, three years, four years, five years, I have so much respect, because I know the pain and the suffering that they went through in order to become a good comedian, because it is brutal. But once you get to that, you know, and I really feel like I'm really finding my voice now. And I feel real comfortable on stage. I feel at home when I'm on stage, I still get butterflies and nervous. But when people laugh, and then you see their laughter in people's faces and the joy that you bring to them. Like it is the greatest thing in the world. For me now.

Jeff Dwoskin 43:04

It is wonderful. I find that if I don't have the butterflies before, I don't do as well. It's that's a heart of the energy that converts. When you're on stage comedies like one of those things, that I'm sounds like you agree with me or probably have had similar where however someone sees you the first time, that's how you are forever. If somebody comes to see you early, and you bomb, they'll never come like you're just a, you're just a bad comedian. If they come in, you have a great set and they laugh, then it's okay, if two more down or something you kind of think all we had was a rough set, but because they know they know. No, you're better than this. Yeah, it is. That's why I always hated inviting people. Yeah, until I got really, really, really, really comfortable. I was confident that at least a high percentage of the time, I would pull this off. If they see I know. This is one guy Dan, who was like my arch enemy at work comes to one show, horrible show, you know, one of these open mics. I just did bad. And to this day, 20 years later, if somebody were to bring it up you go Yeah. Dwoskin I mean, he's still doing that.

Greg Baldwin 44:02

Yeah, yeah. Don't my mom used to say to me, she came and I bombed really bad. She said to me for years, are you still doing those same jokes? And I'd be like, I gotta go, mom, I'd get so pissed. I'd be like, I gotta get all she comes down. And she's like, she's watched me evolve over the years. And now she's like, Oh, my God, that was so amazing. You're so great. And this and that. But boy, man, and then all those friends that I sold tickets to in the early days, none of them come back one of my good friends. It's been he hasn't come back and nine years he hasn't come see me before. And it was so traumatizing I guess to there's nothing watched worse than having to sit through just horrible comedians that don't deserve to be on the stage. So I know the trauma that I put these guys through. And it's like, it's weird because it's like a catch 22 Because in order to get stage time at some of these shows, when you're new, you have to sell tickets, then you sell tickets to your friends and then they don't want to come back anymore and you're basically kind of ripping them off because you're you're selling tickets to these really horrible shows.

Jeff Dwoskin 44:57

Right? But here we are and then flash forward you are opening with J. Moore and Darryl Hammond. You're at the Comedy Store. So everyone hang in there. It does pay off.

Greg Baldwin 45:09

I didn't ask you. You know, I know that you're interviewing me. But I'm curious. How long have you been doing comedy?

Jeff Dwoskin 45:13

20 years I've been doing comedy. It's it's been a little lighter. The last since the pandemic and I started focusing on the podcast. I have gigs here and there, I still get a rush for doing it. It's still amazing. You know, you talked about your parents, my dad used to, or he passed away. He used to come and see me all the time, all the time. He loved seeing me. And he would come he would come to the club. And he didn't know like, I was a guest there. Right? Like, I'm just there that weekend, right? Like, he would walk up to the window and he'd be all like, because he knew it was at Mark Ridley's, and because I had been doing it for so long. Mark knew my parents, and you know, the, the club owner knew my parents and like stuff like that. And one day I said, Dad, when you have your group calm, you have to can't act like you on the place. He goes, I'll tell them, I'll tell them. I go Dad, you. I mean, you, you. You're just so proud. It was just, it was nice. But it was just it was just always funny. Like,

Greg Baldwin 46:05

my mom came to my show. And she and I do I do drugstore, you know, I do stuff about my drug addiction and recovery. And I do the math coach and this and that. But I do this bit about dealing candy when I was a little kid. And the premise is, I'm a candy dealer, but it's like drugs, you know what I mean? So when I was when I was in sixth grade, at the end of the joke, I say, you know, what's really bizarre is that I'm clean. And so I'm a recovering drug addict. I'm clean and sober 15 years, and my 80 year old mom is now on marijuana edibles. And which is true, which is true and which is totally bizarre. I went to the Weed Shop and when my mom got gummies for weed gummies or whatever. And then my mom was in the crowd. And I said, and I, you know, I can recognize my old behavior. And my mom now, you know, laying around all day and eating junk food and dishes everywhere. And she's watching reruns of Judge Judy. And I'm like, Mom, you gotta get your shit together. You know? She's the one with the drug problem, which isn't true, but she's the one of the drug problem. So and then everybody's laughing. I got my mom's here tonight. And I go Mom stand up. And so my mom stood up, everybody applauded. And they said, I go, Mom, are you high right now? And the whole place just went nuts. And I'm like, Oh, my God, my mom baked, right? And then and then I said to my mom, I go, you know, I got I told the crowd, I go, this isn't my mom look great for 80 years old. And the whole crowd applauded her. And my mom was so proud.

Jeff Dwoskin 47:22

It's so awesome. That's amazing. I love that. That's a great story.

Greg Baldwin 47:26

It's like how long, you know, you said your father passed, I'm sorry. But it's like how long you know, they're gonna be around, you know, their 80s You know, in psyche, trying to cherish these special moments. And then she gets to see her son performing in front of a few 100 people and getting huge applause and I get to talk to her from the stage. It's these moments that are incredible, that I really, really cherished. You know,

Jeff Dwoskin 47:47

I love that nice, warm feeling. Well, Greg, I can't thank you enough for hanging out with me. Thank you for sharing your story. Congrats on 15 years and sober. And is it to another 50 plus of those. Thank you. I love your story. It's great. I wish you continued success.

Greg Baldwin 48:06

Thank you. You know, the one thing the last thing I want to say is that I became a comedian, a stand up comedian when I was 52. I mean, 42 I started doing scared I'd been an actor and done some other stuff. I started doing stand up comedy when I was 42 people out there. Listen, it's never too late to be what you could have been. You know, obviously, I'm not going to be an offensive lineman for the San Francisco 40 Niners but, you know, cherish life, do the things on your bucket list that you've always wanted to do. And I think a lot of us have realized that over the pandemic, working in people have worked in terrible jobs and made life changes and stuff. Life is short and precious, live your best life, make the decisions and make the choices that are going to allow you to live your best life. And hopefully that includes a little bit of service to others. I can't

Jeff Dwoskin 48:48

think of a better way to end the interview than on those wise words. Thank you, Greg.

Greg Baldwin 48:53

Thank you, Jeff. Man, I really appreciate it.

Jeff Dwoskin 48:56

All right, everyone. That was comedian Greg Baldwin. How amazing is Greg, so inspirational? What an amazing story. I hope if there's something out there, you're still wanting to do you've been inspired to go for it. Go for it. All right. Well, that amazing conversations over so I mean, the episodes over I can't believe it. They fly by they just fly by huge thank you to my guests, Greg Baldwin. And of course 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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