#312 Navigating Sitcom Space with Larry Joe Campbell: From ‘According to Jim’ to ‘The Orville’

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Jeff Dwoskin 0:28

All right, Jamie, 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 312 of classic conversations. As always, I am your host, Jeff Dwoskin. Great to have you back for what's sure to be a classic episode for the ages. My guest today is none other than Larry. Joe Campbell. That's right. You loved him. And according to Jim Hall Pass Detroit ers, the Orville and so much more and we got stories and stories coming up in just a few seconds. And in these few seconds. Marsha Posner Williams was here last week sharing amazing stories from her time on soap Benson nikecourt and so much more. You gotta check that out. But first check out Michigan zone, Larry Joe Campbell. We're talking Second City, Detroit, Orville, according to Jim, everything, so many great stories, and that's coming up right now. All right, everyone. I'm excited to introduce you to my next guest, actor, comedian, Master improviser author loved him in According to Jim, the Orville and a million other shows Central Michigan zone, Larry Joe Campbell.

Larry Joe Campbell 1:47

Fire up Chips. Hey, how are you? Good.

Jeff Dwoskin 1:50

It's it's always nice to have fellow Michigander on the show who's done good things that welcome

Larry Joe Campbell 1:58

deep roots. Thank you. Thank you, Michigan is wow was home for a very long time. half my life

Jeff Dwoskin 2:04

We met once in Michigan at Joey's Lavonia comedy club. Yeah, I have a photo of you me Brian McCree and one other person which is impressive only because you think this must have been at least 15 years ago at least? Oh, yeah. At the very least. So the fact that I had a camera

Larry Joe Campbell 2:27

you finally got it developed i at the Rite Aid.

Jeff Dwoskin 2:31

I don't remember why you were there. You just kind of showed up like I and then I think you did a SATs or something. Right. And then

Larry Joe Campbell 2:38

I had put to put some stand up together. My history was always based in improvisation through the second city and whatnot. Once According to Jim rap, I wanted to tell some stories. And so I was starting to head out on the road. That's how hard life that's tough. Stand up. My hat's off to all the people doing it. Because it's, it's a it can be a lonely road. Yeah.

Jeff Dwoskin 3:03

Did you find it lonely? Or did you find were you able to get booked to tell your stories?

Larry Joe Campbell 3:07

I did. I went different places. I wasn't good at that business part of it, of finding those gigs, until someone found them for me. And as I was doing it, and I had a riot I had a lot of fun doing it. I found myself still drawn to improvisation, I think I'd rather be on stage with someone else work at

Jeff Dwoskin 3:28

it. To me it's funny because as a stand up, it's the it's the opposite. But right it's it's amazing, you know, just the the disciplines of both improv and stand up just in terms of how the dynamics of how those work. So let's say you were in second city, Detroit. Let's work up to that for a second. So what little baby Larry Joe Campbell, what inspired you to want to go into the world of showbiz in general? Oh, wow, way

Larry Joe Campbell 3:55

back? Yeah. A lot of that is histrionic. A lot of that is is family upbringing, I think right. And I have three older brothers, but they're a lot older than I am. And so when they left home, it was largely just me, my mom worked a lot. We did not have money. So when she wasn't working, she was at the laundromat or she was grocery shopping, doing all those things. And my dad he just really he kind of disappeared at that point to be honest with you. And I found myself entertaining on my own. And I had Star Wars figures and I would just play with those, you know, like any kid or I would be out in the front yard. And I would I would be the quarterback and the receiver and the running back and the defensive back I got was everyone to the point where I created this imaginary football in the northern Michigan of Football League, the NFL and I was great in that league. Oh, was I so good. In this made up fptla I was an all Bro, I think I'm in the Hall of Fame of that league, but I would do all that stuff on my own. And I think that's where the imagination is developed. And by the time I left home, I was wanting to go and play football somewhere, but I wasn't good enough. I was accepted, you know, to Central Michigan University certainly wasn't gonna play D one football. My future roommate, who is probably three times the size of myself at that point was a backup offensive lineman as I go, Oh, my goodness, this is this is this, I gotta do something else. And I, I want theater. I prayed about it. I thought I'd do law, maybe some pre law, maybe some sports, Sports Med. Everything I wanted to think I thought I might want to do involves a lot of reading and I was not a good reader. I was terrible reader. My mind would wander I just lost. I got bored. And then I went into theater and wound up reading more than probably I would ever do on anything else. So but yeah, it's I wound up acting. Yeah.

Jeff Dwoskin 6:01

Now you got to read and memorize what you read.

Larry Joe Campbell 6:06

That's right. I didn't think I'd have to nearly read as much as I did. But you read all the scripts and and audition did not get the first thing I auditioned for got the second thing, and I was Roma's bodyguard in the resistible rise of Arturo GUI Bertolt Brecht piece directed by my mentor who would really go on to teach me a lot of things Steve burbling. And then it just carried on it manifests itself I left, did summer stock. And I had auditioned at Second City when it first opened 93 ish, right before it first opened. And I was I had an audition at the Purple Rose that I didn't want to miss. Because that was kind of for their season, Jeff Daniels place and Chelsea, but I didn't want to miss doing this. And it was literally a cattle call. There was a guy dressed and a cow off at juggling. Like no one knew what we were doing in Detroit. They just want we wanted to work, right? We didn't know what Second City was really. But there were 1000s of people. And I left to go audition at the Purple Rose. I came back. They're like Sorry, we're locked up. And I'm like, Oh, can I just and I got in at the very last grouping and of us. I said one line, we're doing some foxhole scene. And I don't even remember the line. I said, but they just said thank you miss the last group from 9am to 5pm. On the second day, like they're done, they're exhausted in any environment. Yeah, yeah. And so when I had the opportunity, I think this would this would have been the winter of 1996 I was doing a play at the attic theater 12th Night, which was directed at the time by the Associate Artistic Director of Stratford in Canada. That festival when I had the opportunity to audition again for that for the second time. I was like, No way I'm not going to put myself through that again. But it was a it wasn't anything like that. It was they were trying to establish a touring company. And long story short, we got

Jeff Dwoskin 8:01

in excellent. I knew the I knew the end of the stories I was just waiting for you to surprise surprise. So you are know to just see you know, your notable alumni on the Central Michigan website to see you know,

Larry Joe Campbell 8:14

Oh, well that's kind of them. I think Jeff is as well but I don't think he graduated from but they're like we're going to take

Jeff Dwoskin 8:22

I would do and then did you went to Wayne State also,

Larry Joe Campbell 8:25

I would meet my wife there I would meet Peggy there I went I did that summer stock. And this is prior to auditioning the second time for Second City. I went to Wayne State and really great program that hill berry where they paid their their graduate students to perform in rap like how could you not love that we were wrapping you know, six degrees of separation with Measure for Measure with Romeo and Juliet. Hey, it was so fun. But it took a turn in terms of the studying and I guess the format of the education there. And it became a lot of classroom work. And I just didn't want to go back to school in that way I wanted to perform. So I left and I went to Chicago for a very brief moment. I had auditioned for Victory Gardens, Steppenwolf and Goodman. And I, you know, I've just like, oh, and I'm also thinking about moving and they said, Well, hey, you know, when you move keep us in mind and my naivete thought that that meant, oh, when I do move, they want me to meet a tell them so they can hire me. And that wasn't the case. So I found myself working at a sub shop at Union Station. And there were I got to tell you, they had these diagrams for everything at that sub shop, but they were all handwritten, like if you want to know how to cut a tomato, the assistant manager there had cut the tomato in slices. And but it was a it was a hand written diagram that he had cut up there. And he hung it and he wanted a certain certain shape and whatnot. They had a diagram for taking out the guard Ah, but it was a stick figure. And so my first day of taking out the garbage at this sub shop at Union Station, I was working with this young woman named Mary, who had been working there for a long time. And the assistant manager who had kind of this nasal kind of thing going on in like Mary, it's time to tell teach Larry how we take our garbage here. And guess what it turned out to be how everyone takes out garbage. But he was standing behind her shoulders while she pulled up the garbage from each side and did this universal tie. And we went out now Mary didn't say a word. I had been there for a little while. Mary did not say a word and we get into the depths of Union Station. You know, that dungeon cavernous tunnels where the big dumpsters are where the McDonald's employees and the KFC employees all these are taken out there. And he's walking me out. And she hasn't said anything. She just throws the trash into the big dumpster and, and she finally says these words to me, she goes, this is my favorite time of day, because I see all the other lonely people and I don't feel so bad as like, I think I gotta get out of work and at the sub shop. Like I think I gotta go back to Michigan,

Jeff Dwoskin 11:13

if ever an inspirational moment.

Larry Joe Campbell 11:16

Yes, she saved my life, really. Otherwise, I'd still be cutting tomatoes with the manager there.

Jeff Dwoskin 11:23

I'm not gonna lie, Larry, when you went to the voice, I didn't realize you're doing a voice at first and I'm like, holy crap. Larry is having a stroke while I'm interviewing.

Larry Joe Campbell 11:30

It wouldn't be the first time I've survived a

Jeff Dwoskin 11:33

few. I was like, Whoa, what's happening? So, second city, Detroit. Keegan Michael Key. Was there any other notables that went on from the Detroit crew?

Larry Joe Campbell 11:47

We Oh, yes, indeed a bit. We had an all star cast. Now. Second City, Chicago was like the mother of it all. And second city, Toronto. I mean, they had SCTV all the fame as people from you know, Eugene Levy, and John Candy and all of them so they had their own thing going on. So when Detroit happened, and it was partnered with the images at the time, we were the stepchild for sure, throughout the 90s we were shooting a movie that you know, a friends of friends was putting together just an indie film called Get the hell out of him down in Detroit. And Keegan was in that movie. And my friend Josh funk, who was big time second city went on to direct he's still an artistic director out here for it. I was his understudy. Originally Josh and I were in the movie we saw King are like this dude should be he should audition for second city like it was a no brainer from the get go. And he did Sure enough after that, we shot that low indeed. He went down Oddish second city got in easily even the guys amazing and we developed a cast. Marybeth Monroe came out of that Bob hearts abishola She's on that right now on CBS Mark Evan Jackson. He was our piano player as the musical director while I was there and then moved to the stage good plays Brooklyn nine, nine. It was just an incredible cast. Once we left, my friend Eric black and I when we had the opportunity to move to LA you know, you had Antoine K come through there was big Chicago star. And of course after that was Sam Richardson and Tim Robinson. I mean, it's just just loaded with all sorts of talent.

Jeff Dwoskin 13:22

I knew Tim was second city, Detroit. I didn't realize Sam was

Larry Joe Campbell 13:26

our partners in crime. Those two they're brilliant. They're just absolutely fantastic and fearless. I love those

Jeff Dwoskin 13:32

guys. Oh, well, since it's just naturally pivot to Detroit is in for a second. Okay. Okay. So Detroit enters is I considered a crime against humanity that Comedy Central canceled that show after only two seasons?

Larry Joe Campbell 13:47

Yes. Yes, absolutely. I made what was not to love about it. And they were so gracious and bringing all of us back for these one off episodes. And I got to be a part of that with those guys. That just, that's something that could have ran for a half dozen even longer and just been a mainstay a staple there. I mean, look what they've done afterwards. That's just incredible. Yeah.

Jeff Dwoskin 14:12

So great. It's like they had like this uber talent and it was just like, it was always funny because I always Detroiters, for those of you don't know. It's Sam and Tim, our ad executives, second generation, like their father was the big guy in Detroit. And there's a lot of agents, yes, Detroit. They weaved in a lot of real things. But then also they made fun of like commercials and things that we grew up with. If you grew up in that, like 70s and 80s. In Detroit, they would they did versions of those. And that yes, Larry, you were in the Husky boy episode. It's on Comedy Central. You can go watch all these episodes on it. And it's super funny. Just the way you all kind of just engage with each other. It's just the dynamic they have with everyone. It's so funny. So easy.

Larry Joe Campbell 14:59

They made it really simple. But it was fun because that was the kind of triggering episode that made Tim think about his dad again and everything that kind of went haywire at the ad agency for for his dad's sort of, you know, downfall if, as it were that he kept secret, but it was just they're great. I think there's a resiliency in Detroit, the theatre community is not huge. So while it, you would naturally expect it to be competitive? I find people look out for one another there. And it can No, it's a little more intimate than other cities. I loved my time in Detroit. I really did

Jeff Dwoskin 15:36

try. It's interesting because it gets a bad rap. And over the last so many years, probably 10 years, between the glitches and Dan Gilbert have really built up the city. All our sports teams are in Detroit. It's a foodie destination, the only thing we really don't have, like when you go to like Chicago or New York, where there's always plays we have Yeah, the Fisher theatre where you know, for three weeks there, you know, you can see whatever's coming in through town or something. But there's no like that. Hamilton didn't play for three years in one theater.

Larry Joe Campbell 16:08

Right? Absolutely. They're all a lot of road shows. Yeah. So people can get a taste and get season tickets, but there isn't that main. That's what I miss about second city, quite frankly. Because once they moved and tried to do that on their own in Novi, and then that didn't work. It's just they don't have that destination. That's this, I think necessary.

Jeff Dwoskin 16:30

The old Second City is now I believe, called the House of comedy or something. Oh, there is it is a comedy destination once again. And I believe there's another whole comedy club down there. I'm not sure what happened with after the pandemic or what that that was. But so did you know, Sam and Tim from Second City or they came after you? So you just I didn't

Larry Joe Campbell 16:51

know them? Yeah, no, they were in the tour co prior, you know, while I was on mainstage, this, some of that group went through the training center there. And I was I was able to teach there. While it was that teach is Second City in Detroit. So yeah, we knew one another. I remember driving Sam home one night, no, after we were at seven brothers in Hamtramck. And that was our bar that we hung out after shows. So we Yeah, and I think average Jamie Moyers, another great actor, you may not know the name, but you see her on so many things. There's just so much talent. And but I think you know, again, it's such a it's still a small community, from what I can tell that people feel they do have to leave sometimes to keep it going. And others have stayed and they're brilliant, while they reside still in Motown.

Jeff Dwoskin 17:43

So then Keegan hooked you up on Key and Peele?

Larry Joe Campbell 17:47

Yeah, Keegan brought me in on that the slave auction was the second scene they had ever filmed. And that was right out of the gate when they got going. And I still have people coming up to me talking about that scene. I mean, there's so the satire in that is just brilliant. They wrote a great scene where you can actually be auctioning off slaves, and then their ego gets involved, and they can't believe that no one's bidding on them. I mean, it's just those two, they're, they're they're really gifted.

Jeff Dwoskin 18:23

Oh, my God, some of those skits that just kind of play on, you know, tick tock or like on YouTube, where it's just the clips can watch those things over and over a Ron, I mean, that.

Larry Joe Campbell 18:34

Right? And then they're constantly being it's the references are still alive. You know, I'm watching the NFL. And they were talking about is he going to do one more hip thrust and drop penalty, you know, from and that's what Kagan was doing and all the names on the app that was inspired by the British. Aw, Ferguson, you know, all of that stuff. Still, it's still present.

Jeff Dwoskin 19:00

So I had so it's late 90s. And you're like, goodbye, Michigan. I'm going to LA.

Larry Joe Campbell 19:05

Yeah, we were performing at the second city. And again, the villages were partners with it. And they were doing some sort of summer madness, you know, and Darren McCarty had his really heavy band, his heavy metal gig going and he was into that. Well, they were in the parking lot on the opposite side of our stage. The walls are thin. And all we heard was him jamming during our, our show, and hey, you know, we got egos too. We have ownership in our material. We got a little frustrated. And we we always improvise after every show. We always did. And that we're like, we're not we're not doing it tonight, then we find out the Dave Coulier and Bob Saget are in the audience for the charity event that's going on that weekend back and stuff that Dave Coulier is so good at that he puts on every year. Well, we said they could come back tomorrow. We're not We're not improvising. Well, they've couldn't make it. But thank God Bob Saget did. He came back, he improvised, we had a hell of a great time. It was so fun. The guy is fearless on stage. And you know, get your kudos to him for God rest his soul for coming on stage, not knowing anybody, any just as Bob Saget is some I've just absolutely loved about him like he was who he was to have that confidence in that I've always it's always looked up to, because I'm always hiding behind some sort of mask that can that whatever I'm doing probably isn't good enough. You know, I'll be a character instead of me, but he was him. And it was killer. And sure enough, he told two of his reps at real Stingray at the time. And those two reps came out two weeks later, and then signed myself and my friend who also has passed, Eric black. That's how we then made the leap from Detroit to LA. So the full House crew, yes. And I got to see Bob again, because I did. I was sudsy, the clown on Fuller House a few years ago. And he was on that episode. And anytime I ran into him, I was just like, it's just just vomiting my gratitude towards them. Because I mean, that's such a life changing moment, where you get signed, we thought we were going to do more shows at Second City and our manager, and Brillstein was like, No, you guys got to move out for seats. So we packed up Eric's little Saturn and drove cross country and made a go of it. My wife was a teacher, she still had to finish her contract. She was teaching in the Detroit Public School System. So we spent like six months apart. That was January of 99. So that was, golly, that was a long time it was going on. It's going on 25 years that I will have been out here in LA.

Jeff Dwoskin 21:56

It's amazing how many stories after Bob Saget passed like there was of just how generous he was for a lot of people. Oh, so generous. But I think you also have to thank Dave cool. Yay for being friends with Bob Saget.

Larry Joe Campbell 22:09

Well, what's what's interesting, yeah, cuz Dave did bring about for the charity. But what's interesting is when I did Fuller House, I had never put together that day was there the first night. And so Dave was also he directed that episode where I was sudsy the clown on Fuller House. And he was like, Larry, Can I remind you like, I watched the show with Bob. I was like, yes, these guys are great. Like I was part of this. Because I always, I always refer to Bob when I tell that story. But yes, Dave is a big part of it as well. And he's a Michigan guy. Building the house back there.

Jeff Dwoskin 22:45

Yeah, I I opened for Dave cool. Yay. Once Mark Ridley's comedy castle. I was a little star struck when I met him. I remember comes up to me in between shows. Have you been the comedy castle? Like there's a little way behind? And he goes, Hey, Jeff, are you going to be after the here after the show? And in my head? I'm like Nikki, mind. This all took place, like five seconds. And I'm like, Oh, my God. Dave create wants to hang out with me. As I yeah, I'm like, yeah, he's like, I'm, uh, yeah, I'm gonna be here. He's like, Great. Could you get my shirt to the MC? I forgot to hand it to him. So he could remind everyone to buy it. Like, I'll do that for you today.

Larry Joe Campbell 23:28

Oh, great. is so good. Man. That is fantastic. We're always, you know, I just have that thought my head of what we do might lead to something even better in this business. And oftentimes, it's like now just helped me sell a shirt.

Jeff Dwoskin 23:47

Is it one of those things where you're just glad it all happened in your head?

Larry Joe Campbell 23:52

Yes, absolutely. Wasn't sure what the facial expressions were revealing

Jeff Dwoskin 23:58

that old night that whole weekend. I was just like I was I remember I was walking out the door. And Dave Lea goes nicest guy in the world, by the way. And he's like, by Jeff, and I turn and say bye. Because in my head, I'm like, Oh, my God, Dave. Cool. Yeah, I remembered my name. And as I turn, and I'm still moving backwards, I smash into the divider in the door. There's like a huge metal divider and I just feel boom, I just smashed right into my back. While I'm, like, euphoric, that Dave remembered my name. I was just like, I'm gonna go home and I'm not talking tomorrow.

Larry Joe Campbell 24:37

I was telling a story. Not long ago, I had the opportunity to go back. I think it was 2006 Maybe? No, it was before that because I think that was when the Tigers were in the World Series. But they hosted an all star game right around that time. Pudge was still there, and some of those guys and I got to take I took back my friend who was writer, a writer on a According to Jim John Beck, who incidentally wrote the episode with his partner, Ron hart of sudsy, the clown later for Fuller House anyway, small world, I was at Greek town pizza populists showing John in Chicago style pizza in Detroit. And this guy came up to me. And he was like, Andy is my character and According to Jim, and hey, man, can I can I get a picture? And science was I was like, hey, yeah, yeah, we're almost done eating. I'll come right out. That's cool. He's like, Yeah, no problem. And his friends were like, what's going on? Yeah, let's hang outside. So long story short, I get outside there. And he's like, Here you go. And he hands me the paper and pen to sign and guys. He's trying to get his friends around to take a picture with the gang around guys that you're loved. And they're like, Well, who the hell is this guy, right? And he's like, it's guys. It's Andy. Andy Richter. And I was like, No, man. I'm Andy from According to Jim. And I'm calling you. I'm still writing like best wishes. And he takes the paper and pen away. And they're like, Come on, guys. Let's get the hell out of here. Like he didn't even finished I couldn't even finish writing my name. I think that was just a quick sign to not get too big for the business.

Jeff Dwoskin 26:21

Well, the funny thing is Andy Richter is also from Michigan. He's from Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Larry Joe Campbell 26:27

On the other side, yeah. Yeah. Who knows?

Jeff Dwoskin 26:30

Maybe related somewhere a

Larry Joe Campbell 26:32

lot. A lot of people coming out of our great like state.

Jeff Dwoskin 26:36

I can see there is you could be cousins or brothers or something. Oh, sure. Sure. Oh, no. It's so funny. It's funny that oh,

Larry Joe Campbell 26:46

yeah, nevermind. I never, never given my autograph.

Jeff Dwoskin 26:54

If you ever met a director? Yes,

Larry Joe Campbell 26:55

yes. Briefly, a lot of times at different while shows were going on Victor fresco who really gave me a shot when I got out here and I had done an episode of Friends and stark raving mad with Neil Patrick Harris and Tony Shalhoub. That was a fun little show. It didn't last but it was great. That was my first gig out here. But after that I had been playing around with I had gotten a pilot, but when I got the pilot, and it was Victor fresco as pilot, who would then go on to do a show with Andy. So I met Andy briefly, when I did this pilot, and at that time, it was called people who fear people the lead that they got for the pilot for in front of networks, I, again, I don't know what the heck I'm doing. But now we're doing our table read, we got to sell this to the network's and put the energy in and I was given all those warnings. And Jon Cryer was a part of it. And we had a lot of buddy stuff in that regard. So that was fun to play with him. He's an old pro, so I felt comfortable with them for sure. But the lead of that, at the time, couldn't hear him. He was huge. So in the pocket and just reading and just staying right there in the script and just wasn't funny, couldn't understand him. We didn't start rehearsing. I'm sitting in my dressing room. Finally, a meeting was called and said, we've fired the lead. Okay. I didn't know that happened. Like, wait a minute, you could get fired after you get the gig to. It's hard enough to get the gig. I made it. So that was put off for a whole year gave us a holding deal. And then we shot it and they let two other people go. And as a result, we got David Krumholtz on it. Paget Brewster. And so it turned out, we wound up going to air as the trouble with normal and that was my first series regular before corny. Jim. I wish I had gone longer. And we shot 13. But it only aired five episodes just didn't get the ratings. But one time I was in Ireland, and it was on like the Paramount channel there. And it was so odd to be in Ireland during the heyday of According to Jim, and people going, Hey, you were on trouble with normal. Do you know that? But yeah, that was it was a fun show.

Jeff Dwoskin 29:06

I was gonna ask I had a little note here to ask if the eight unaired episodes were ever seen or are available. They were

Larry Joe Campbell 29:13

out somewhere in Ireland, and some only and maybe that was like 2005. So maybe not.

Jeff Dwoskin 29:20

Although Larry Joe Campbell superfans head on over to Ireland. That's right. That's cool. John criers got a new show. So you can give him a call and go hey,

Larry Joe Campbell 29:29

yeah, right. And he looks great. That looks like a fun Chuck Donald face on. Isn't that Shawn you know, what's funny is right after According to Jim, there was a pilot called the law and all Cedric the Entertainer Donald face on it was a really great cast. And it just didn't go I mean, if people knew how hard it is a for writers to get a deal and you know, to get that script and all those notes for it to get to that next level to that next level. Apple, it's tough.

Jeff Dwoskin 30:01

Sorry to interrupt, have to take a quick break. I do want to thank everyone for their 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 conversation with Larry Joe Campbell. If the trouble with normal had been a huge, huge success, then you may never have gotten According to Jim, that's

Larry Joe Campbell 30:23

true. And I didn't get According to Jim at first, which is another thing that I didn't realize happen in this entertainment universe of ours is when I first auditioned for According to Jim, they said no, like, we already have kind of a funny, bigger guy. And so the guy who got it was very Slynt, tall, slender, just kind of Laurel and Hardy, almost with Jim and it didn't work out though their chemistry, I don't know what happened. But then I hear oh, they're recasting. I didn't know that was a session when pilot season was kind of a, something you could rely on that had these foundational pieces of January through March, you know, and the pickup in May. Now it's kind of all over the place. But June then became recasting month, and I got it another chance at it. And I read with Jim and and then got it.

Jeff Dwoskin 31:16

That's awesome. There's a bunch of famous, like, little stories like that became friends, which I want to get back to, but in a second, but like, like Lisa Qudra was rods on Fred on Frasier. You know, right. Like, you know, the the original mother of dragons on Game of Thrones was somebody else. I mean, it was so wild, I guess the, it's never give up. Just

Larry Joe Campbell 31:36

you can't, you can't. And that's the industry is changing a lot. And I got to start out when, in my mind, it was still very romantic, you know, where that it's not very efficient or cost effective. But you would have people driving that night script that was hot off the press to your house, you know, it was nice getting a script from the messenger or the PA or saying hi, and then reading it that night before you had to be in the next morning, you know, and then it started easier to email. But it's just there was something really lovely about that experience. Do you know, it's like having different foods out at craft services, there would be a different sort of festival of food flavors every week. It was really fun. And again, I guess think keeping the cost down, become more and more corporate.

Jeff Dwoskin 32:29

Well, I'm glad it was a good experience. You deserved it, even though later it would haunt you in Greek town. Oh,

Larry Joe Campbell 32:36

no, no, it was. I think it's just the I did a little guest spot on. Good luck, Charlie, on the Disney Channel,

Jeff Dwoskin 32:44

right. Love that show.

Larry Joe Campbell 32:46

It's a great show. Right? Yeah, yeah. And I'm doing that play in the office or the store manager. But Wednesdays, Eric Allen Kramer, who's so generous and gifted. He's so good. I was a fan of his prior to that. But he was saying Wednesday's per our contract. We don't get sued. Right. So we have a we do a potluck, but you're a guest star you don't bring anything just you want, you know, you're invited included to be with us on our potluck day. Again, that just shows you kind of how corporate and cost cutting things had gotten. But it also shows you the kind of the resiliency and how actors then remain creative and band together. And they made the best of that situation

Jeff Dwoskin 33:27

and doesn't even matter. I mean, that's what was huge to

Larry Joe Campbell 33:30

this is a big deal for Disney on that network at the time. Yeah.

Jeff Dwoskin 33:33

Eric Allen Kramer. He's a great guy. I had him on the show. He was Thor. He was the original Thor. Oh, yeah.

Larry Joe Campbell 33:40

I always liked him from True Romance. Yeah.

Jeff Dwoskin 33:46

I remember talking to Eric Alan Kramer, you realize like when you're at a certain age, I'm talking to him about good luck, Charlie. My kids were so excited. You know, when you talk to my kids, I tell them who I'm talking to their reference. If we they get excited. It was different, right? They're like Bob Duncan, you're talking to Bob. Yeah. And I'm like, I'm talking to Eric and Kramer. And I'm like, this stage of my life where I was watching that was with my kids. And I'm like, Oh, I had such a crush on the mom.

Larry Joe Campbell 34:13

Yes, yeah. Speaking

Jeff Dwoskin 34:14

of frame of reference, so my wife says, Who are you talking to him? I very Joe Campbell. I said you would and I always put it in context of friends for her. She's okay. With rent. I'm like, Larry, is the one that recognizes Phoebe thinks she's Ursula from the porno. Yes. And their immediate reaction is like visceral reaction. Oh my god.

Larry Joe Campbell 34:39

I tell you why. I mean, it was one of the first gigs getting out to LA. And whoa, if ever a show stuck with people, I mean, all my kids have watched it continue to watch it. And my kids never never even thought I was an actor because they were so young with According to Jim even though they were toddlers run We're on the set pre show. It was until those shows on Disney where they're like, Oh, I guess you do. Okay, you are an actor because I did Dog with a Blog, you know? Oh, I get it now.

Jeff Dwoskin 35:14

My dad was on the show with the dog who writes a blog. He's super famous. Come to my show and tell dad tell everyone Hey, Dog with a Blog. It's funny. But yeah, was it fun just even being a guest on friends. I it

Larry Joe Campbell 35:31

was intimidating. And they were bigger than big and, but gracious. And right away in rehearsals, the writers it's, you know, I was still too new. But writers are gonna laugh at the jokes that they pitched. And sure enough, my stuff got laugh. And I was like, Oh, good. I'm doing all right. But it turned out it wasn't just writers trying to defend their jokes. It was it was actually working and that scene with, with Lisa and then with Matt, because he comes in there. And it's just it was a funny, quick scene that like kind of like Wedding Crashers, you know, it just I'm not on when I'm not on camera for wedding crashers longer than a minute. But people always talk about the best man speech and is just one of those scenes. But I will say when we were done filming that Lisa and David both came up to me. So we didn't get to work with you. But we just wanted to let you know that we we loved what you did. And we laughed. They were so generous. So gracious. That was fun.

Jeff Dwoskin 36:35

I think it's a huge deal to be able to do something that quick and be that memorable. Yeah,

Larry Joe Campbell 36:42

well, it's also it's funny, because they're like, oh, yeah, other general public may go, oh, you agreed to do a cameo in that. He was like, No, I didn't agree. I just auditioned with everybody else. Thank God when I got it, like I didn't read the script and go, maybe, you know, it's combined, man. I want to work. Yeah.

Jeff Dwoskin 37:05

Friends, and then you get other residuals. It's a you're in good shape.

Larry Joe Campbell 37:10

Yes, there's a bar out here called residuals haven't been there in years. But the wall is just tapped with two cent, one cent three cent residuals, floor to ceiling.

Jeff Dwoskin 37:24

It's always funny when somebody will mail a check with a stamp. It costs more to mail it than the actual.

Larry Joe Campbell 37:31

Yes. Right. Absolutely.

Jeff Dwoskin 37:37

All right. So you don't get the role of Andy. And then you do get the role of Andy. And so now it's now your part of cording to Jim as Andy who would that would later haunt you in Greek town. But But now when it's still good thing, and I have a memory, tell me about just the developing friendship with Jim Belushi and just, you know, just kind of working on the show

Larry Joe Campbell 37:59

is one of my dearest dearest friends. He just he's always had my back and keep in touch with everybody through texting and social media and whatnot. But Jim has just been some we still perform together. He had his growing Belushi series because he has a cannabis farm in Oregon. That went three years. I think the last season aired just before the strike on Discovery. Even before that, for the last I want to say 12 years we've gone around, improvise together with short form improv he'll do some stand up to start out the night and he Hill interviews some people will try and incorporate those people in the scenes we do but we're doing all those short form improv scenes that people you know, if they've studied improvisation, they've wound up doing them you know, with like, open option and blind line and we do make a songs we do a thing called Three Tenors, which is a lot of fun, wherein we make up Arias after we interview people. And so to do that, for the last, I think it's about 12 years hitting, performing arts centers and corporate gigs. It's really great to have that on the calendar where you know, as we get older, but you know, it's like, Oh, great. In March, I get to see Jim, in the gang. And so we have those. We have those on the schedule. It's a lot of fun. Oh, that's

Jeff Dwoskin 39:20

awesome. Well, I imagine over eight years, you became quite a family.

Larry Joe Campbell 39:24

Yeah, it was. That was a long run 182 episodes. And now that it's on Amazon Prime, that's when my my kids who are all adults now, college and whatnot. They're like, Oh, wow, that show was actually pretty good. Because they're so young. There's so young and one of my kids have watched the whole season series twice. They just enjoy it. But they're worried that you're we're so involved in it. But there are some really great classical comedy scenes in that that people and God bless the people who, who post that on Instagram because it's so fun to relive and repost those

Jeff Dwoskin 40:00

things with it being available on streaming, you get a whole new set of fans and right so generation new generations get to experience it.

Larry Joe Campbell 40:10

Yeah, absolutely. I when it first came out the coasts, the critics on the coast and really, really cared for it. And the flyover states are the ones who loved it and of course, the Midwest or gyms from you know, and I'm from Michigan, and that it really blew up there. But now gets new life and people anywhere who may have said, man, no, thanks. I'll keep watching. Everybody Loves Raymond, I got my sitcom. You know, everyone kind of had their loyalty to something. Yeah, they get to they get to see it a new

Jeff Dwoskin 40:42

that's awesome. niqab was finally won World Series. Everything worked out. Everywhere thing worked out. How was it directing episodes you directed like nine episodes?

Larry Joe Campbell 40:52

I did was Wow. Was that great? That was great. Well, it was interesting go full circle. I pulled the Star Wars figures out that were now my kids. And I would actually to get my shots in preparation for camera blocking. I did set them on the table made this faux little set of the living room in the kitchen. So like, okay, there's my two shot. Okay, there's my master. Great. There's my over, right. And there's always this, at least for me, there was always this huge safety net underneath me because Jim had directed quite a bit by that point. But all those writers and producers that camera, the crew this themselves, were they they were just pros. And no one was gonna let me fail. So that remember one time I did, it was the the Green Man, you know, episode where it was St. Patrick's Day. And Jim, it was really fun to shoot because he was looking in the mirror while the Green Man which was also him was talking back. So we got to do a lot with a fax. That was my first time dealing with that. But I remember one time wanting to do this shot, the slow mo shot where this guy gets thrown out of a bar window because chaos ensues. And it was just kind of going to be this rolling dolly shot. And she was like, no, no, no, no, do it this way horizontally. So he goes through the lens. And I was like, wow, that is a much better, more violent, higher velocity sort of action shot. And we wound up doing that. So it was really collaborative. And I that's what I miss. And I think that's why I also like doing improv and all that it gets gets so collaborative.

Jeff Dwoskin 42:30

That's really cool. I do want to also kind of talk about one other role of yours that was on one of my favorite shows. Okay, the Orville. Oh, yes. It's the greatest and most frustrating show in the world and that Disney doesn't seem to know what to do with it. It's been years do you are in season one?

Larry Joe Campbell 42:49

Yes.

Jeff Dwoskin 42:49

I find the Orville to be one of the Seth MacFarlane I think is a genius in general, I'd love to hear your interactions with him. It just the show actually kept getting better and better and better. And it's such a such a kind of a throwback to like great science fiction, like Star Trek Star Trek. And so I just kills me that there's only like, it's not even that many episodes. It's like, and it's been like, because you're you were on it in 2017, which was at season one. Six years later. We're still waiting for season four. And it's been years. Yeah.

Larry Joe Campbell 43:19

moved around quite a bit. Right with Hulu. And yes. And having legs on network television at first and what a cast. So great when I had this arc on it. And I was so excited. Yeah, because I was recurring on this show. Seth MacFarlane a he is a genius. And he's, he's, he's, he's very generous. And he was but to write all that to create with a not just a writer, create an original world, you know, and it didn't feel like it was stealing really from from other shows. It felt like it was its own new thing. very privileged, very honored to be a part of it. I remember being in the getting fitted for my costume. And the costume designer right away said that Wait, man, let me make sure I'm understanding your characters, the one that leaves at the end of the season of like, oh, no, wait, what? Because I don't you know, you don't get to read these scripts ahead of time. I remember driving home so blue like wait, why I leave? And he was like, maybe not. Maybe not. You know, who knows? And sure enough, I get stationed I get a promotion or some station on some other ship. That was like no, I don't want that. I wanted to do that last that going away seemed like No, no, I'm good. I'm good. I'll just keep being me. Right here. It was great fun. We would have read through I remember even remember the read through where we read that sees that episode where I was leaving. And as SAS said, Don't worry, don't worry, Larry's going to be coming back. And it just I mean, but that's the game right? That's the nature of the business and Yep, I haven't haven't been back. But it was certainly a joy to be on it while I was on it.

Jeff Dwoskin 45:07

It was cool. It was. You had a good role chief engineer.

Larry Joe Campbell 45:12

Yeah, that's, you want that I wanted that role. That was great.

Jeff Dwoskin 45:15

But you know, if they ever bring it back, who knows, you know, I mean, they can always you figured once it went to Hulu, and then ended up on Disney plus, you figured they were trying to get some momentum going. But then, all of a sudden, you know, it just never, it still has not happened yet.

Larry Joe Campbell 45:32

But it seems to have enough of a following that, that you'd give it another shot somewhere and it'll take that group with it, and it will grow new viewership, you would think the

Jeff Dwoskin 45:42

first season your season was not Family Guy ish, but it was closer to that level of humor. And season three, it was much more serious show with just elements of humor. He definitely evolved the show and really covered some deep issues like really deep issues like a good science fiction show should. Yeah, shame but we got to it has to come back so you can come back and speak the geek well of Barry Manilow again. That's

Larry Joe Campbell 46:12

right. Oh, I almost got a chance to sing them too. But they caught it was actually yeah, it was like weekend in New England or something good like that. But they cut that Barry

Jeff Dwoskin 46:22

Manilow was my very first concert I ever saw with my parents. They took me to Barry Manilow pie knob. Biden

Larry Joe Campbell 46:30

was a Kenny Rogers very special Christmas.

Jeff Dwoskin 46:34

That would have been great to Ken. He's amazing.

Larry Joe Campbell 46:37

That's why we're in comedy.

Jeff Dwoskin 46:40

Okay, so what's next for Larry Joe Campbell, you got a book you got a new show coming out what's

Larry Joe Campbell 46:46

been writing a book. It's you know, your the strike lasted as long as it did. And so you want to keep the creative juices going. So I have written a book and I will continue to rewrite that book because it keeps providing me ideas and stories. So it's really feeding me right now. It's about a how to work aging actor who finds himself in the midst of a separation from his wife, my wife and I are married 27 years. So it's fiction. It's

Jeff Dwoskin 47:17

a fantasy.

Larry Joe Campbell 47:18

It's a fantasy. It's just pure fantasy. After 27 years looking for a little spark of her leaving, no. But he finds himself in Michigan at his brother's house over by near Grand Rapids actually. But here's the big thing is this way I wanted to challenge be a little challenging with the writing of it freak accident at the beginning of the book, he loses his voice. So he's purely observing the people of the small town in the Midwest. And in doing so and and watching his stories unfold kind of sees the culpability he has in the relationship with his wife. So in a way that's feeding me and it's been a real, real joy to write.

Jeff Dwoskin 48:03

It sounds amazing. I love it. Any other TV projects coming up?

Larry Joe Campbell 48:07

We we did shoot one thing that's being shopped actually called high spirits in the vein of Derek waters, who I did hall pass with the Drunk History. This is more of telling horror stories while on cannabis. Now I'm not a big smoker, I believe in the medicine of especially being around with Jim and doing those and go into dispensaries and you really see like veterans how that's really helped them and bite so I really big, big fan of micro dosing the edibles real small, 510 milligrams for sleep anxiety for that sort of thing. But I am not a smoker, I'm not good at smoke. And I took I took a few puffs coughed up along, and then I was I was gone. And I'm trying to recount the story about a witch in Nashville or in Tennessee from the 1800s. And it was it was fun. It was challenging. But I remember prior I kind of freaked myself out prior to getting in the SAT and doing that. like wait a minute, I'm being very unprofessional right now. I couldn't get myself out of that. Like I've never performed at NI abbreviated crazy.

Jeff Dwoskin 49:23

It's the whole idea. That's what they want. Right?

Larry Joe Campbell 49:26

And that's exactly what they wanted. So hopefully, it'll be an embarrassment of laughter of riches.

Jeff Dwoskin 49:33

Yes. That's right. Thanks for hanging out with me and sharing these fun stories and knows a million more, but we'll get those next time. Well, thank you. Oh, I'm sorry. Where can people keep up with you on social media?

Larry Joe Campbell 49:46

Oh, I'm Larry Joe on Instagram. I'm Larry Joe Campbell with one L at the end. I ran out of letters on Twitter, or x sounds so dirty now Facebook, you know, that's usually just cause ones that want to tell me that I should stay humble. So I don't look at that much.

Jeff Dwoskin 50:05

Larry, thank you so much. I can't thank you enough. Oh,

Larry Joe Campbell 50:08

well, thank you for having me, Jeff. It's been a delight.

Jeff Dwoskin 50:12

All right. How amazing was Larry Joe Campbell. I know, according to everyone, that was a great interview. Thanks, Larry, for all the great stories, can't believe it just flew by. Another episode has come to an end. Well, huge. Thanks again to Larry Joe Campbell. And of course, a huge thank you to all of you for joining me week after week. I can't thank you. Enough means the world to me, and I'll see you next time.

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