WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.580 Welcome back to the Deep Dive. You know, we look 00:00:01.580 --> 00:00:03.839 at a lot of source material here, try to figure 00:00:03.839 --> 00:00:06.299 things out, give you that shortcut. Today, we're 00:00:06.299 --> 00:00:08.460 tackling someone whose career path is, well, 00:00:08.560 --> 00:00:11.300 honestly kind of baffling. Robert Allen Riggle 00:00:11.300 --> 00:00:15.179 Jr. We're talking about a guy who spent 23 years 00:00:15.179 --> 00:00:18.300 in the United States Marine Corps, rose all the 00:00:18.300 --> 00:00:20.539 way up to lieutenant colonel, and at the same 00:00:20.539 --> 00:00:23.940 time, somehow, became this huge face in comedy. 00:00:24.199 --> 00:00:28.059 Sketch comedy, movies, TV. You name it. It really 00:00:28.059 --> 00:00:29.940 is like two different lives, isn't it? And that's 00:00:29.940 --> 00:00:32.700 our mission today, really, to look at these sources 00:00:32.700 --> 00:00:34.939 and figure out not just that he did both, but 00:00:34.939 --> 00:00:37.359 how. How did these things, you know, coexist? 00:00:37.560 --> 00:00:40.520 Military service, combat experience, and then 00:00:40.520 --> 00:00:42.619 boom, Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show. It 00:00:42.619 --> 00:00:44.799 seems impossible. Right. The basic facts alone 00:00:44.799 --> 00:00:47.740 just clash. Yeah. Born April 21st, 1970, Louisville, 00:00:47.740 --> 00:00:50.299 Kentucky. Okay. But look at the education. University 00:00:50.299 --> 00:00:52.259 of Kansas, he gets a B .A. in theater and film 00:00:52.259 --> 00:00:54.740 in 92. Makes sense for an actor. But then just 00:00:54.740 --> 00:00:57.280 five years later, 1997, he gets a Master of Public 00:00:57.280 --> 00:01:00.119 Administration, an M .P .A. from Webster University. 00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:02.759 Well, that M .P .A. is kind of the secret key, 00:01:02.840 --> 00:01:05.120 isn't it? That five -year gap where he gets both 00:01:05.120 --> 00:01:07.980 degrees. It's basically the blueprint for his 00:01:07.980 --> 00:01:11.019 whole career. The theater and film B .A., that's 00:01:11.019 --> 00:01:13.739 the creative path. Performance, improv, storytelling, 00:01:14.019 --> 00:01:16.159 obvious. But the Master of Public Administration. 00:01:16.909 --> 00:01:18.890 That's about leadership, management, policy, 00:01:19.170 --> 00:01:21.930 logistics, running things, you know, like government 00:01:21.930 --> 00:01:24.909 stuff or high level military. He was literally 00:01:24.909 --> 00:01:27.650 training for two completely different, very demanding 00:01:27.650 --> 00:01:30.640 professions. At the same time. Exactly. And the 00:01:30.640 --> 00:01:33.200 career snapshot reflects that perfectly. Military 00:01:33.200 --> 00:01:36.140 service. Yeah. 1990 right through to January 00:01:36.140 --> 00:01:38.900 1st, 2013. Lieutenant Colonel. That's serious. 00:01:38.980 --> 00:01:41.060 But smack dab in the middle of that, he's blowing 00:01:41.060 --> 00:01:43.200 up in comedy. Yeah. Randy in Step Brothers in 00:01:43.200 --> 00:01:45.540 2008. Officer Franklin in The Hangover in 2009. 00:01:46.079 --> 00:01:47.939 Iconic roles. How do you even schedule that? 00:01:48.359 --> 00:01:49.900 That's the million dollar question, isn't it? 00:01:49.920 --> 00:01:51.739 The logistics are mind boggling. The Marine Corps 00:01:51.739 --> 00:01:53.760 Reserve demands serious commitment, readiness 00:01:53.760 --> 00:01:56.000 for deployment. And then you've got auditions, 00:01:56.000 --> 00:01:58.599 shooting schedules, live shows and comedy. The 00:01:58.599 --> 00:02:01.519 dedication required for either one is huge for 00:02:01.519 --> 00:02:03.840 both. It's almost unbelievable. Let's rewind 00:02:03.840 --> 00:02:06.200 a bit, though, to his early life, because this 00:02:06.200 --> 00:02:09.099 split seems to start way back. Moved from Kentucky 00:02:09.099 --> 00:02:12.080 to Overland Park, Kansas, when he was just two. 00:02:12.520 --> 00:02:15.310 Shawnee Mission South High School. And even back 00:02:15.310 --> 00:02:17.229 then, he was into performance school, radio, 00:02:17.430 --> 00:02:20.129 TV stations. And here's a little tidbit. Voted 00:02:20.129 --> 00:02:24.490 most humorous in his class. Graduated 88. So 00:02:24.490 --> 00:02:26.789 the comedy bug was there early. Yeah, the talent 00:02:26.789 --> 00:02:29.270 was obvious. But the path he took right after 00:02:29.270 --> 00:02:30.669 high school, that's what's really interesting. 00:02:30.849 --> 00:02:33.729 He joins the Marines in 1990. This is while he's 00:02:33.729 --> 00:02:36.229 at KU, mind you. And he'd already gotten his 00:02:36.229 --> 00:02:38.210 pilot's license. So the initial plan, according 00:02:38.210 --> 00:02:40.009 to what we've read, was pretty straightforward. 00:02:40.310 --> 00:02:42.689 Become a naval aviator, full -time pilot, active 00:02:42.689 --> 00:02:45.509 duty. But then comes the pivot. And this is crucial, 00:02:45.610 --> 00:02:48.370 right? This decision point is what makes the 00:02:48.370 --> 00:02:50.469 whole dual career thing possible. He decides 00:02:50.469 --> 00:02:52.930 not to go through with flight school. He realizes 00:02:52.930 --> 00:02:55.289 that active duty flying would completely block 00:02:55.289 --> 00:02:58.250 any chance of a comedy career. So he trades the 00:02:58.250 --> 00:03:00.650 cockpit for the stage, essentially, and shifts 00:03:00.650 --> 00:03:03.469 over to the Marine Corps Reserve. And that decision 00:03:03.469 --> 00:03:05.689 changes the entire game. The reserves, well, 00:03:05.770 --> 00:03:07.409 it's still a massive commitment. Don't get me 00:03:07.409 --> 00:03:09.050 wrong. One weekend a month, two weeks a year, 00:03:09.110 --> 00:03:13.229 typically. But it's not the constant full -time 00:03:13.229 --> 00:03:15.909 demand of active duty. It allowed him the time 00:03:15.909 --> 00:03:18.409 to pursue comedy. He could keep his military 00:03:18.409 --> 00:03:20.810 commitment, rise through the ranks, deploy when 00:03:20.810 --> 00:03:23.310 called up, which he did multiple times, and still 00:03:23.310 --> 00:03:25.990 be available for auditions and gigs in New York 00:03:25.990 --> 00:03:29.530 and L .A. He basically walked this logistical 00:03:29.530 --> 00:03:32.189 tightrope for more than 20 years. It's kind of 00:03:32.189 --> 00:03:35.889 incredible. 23 years. Yeah. And reaching lieutenant 00:03:35.889 --> 00:03:38.889 colonel. That's not just showing up. That's a 00:03:38.889 --> 00:03:41.349 serious, successful military career in its own 00:03:41.349 --> 00:03:42.990 right. Absolutely. We need to be clear about 00:03:42.990 --> 00:03:45.250 that. This wasn't some, you know, honorary role. 00:03:45.349 --> 00:03:47.090 This was real service. He was a public affairs 00:03:47.090 --> 00:03:49.509 officer based out of New York City for a lot 00:03:49.509 --> 00:03:51.909 of it with a reserve unit there. And that job 00:03:51.909 --> 00:03:54.509 involves, you know, being the military's voice 00:03:54.509 --> 00:03:56.289 to the public, to the press. It's a leadership 00:03:56.289 --> 00:03:58.710 role. High pressure, high visibility. And think 00:03:58.710 --> 00:04:01.650 about the timing. Early 2000s, New York City. 00:04:02.069 --> 00:04:05.009 Then 9 -11 happens. And the sources say he was 00:04:05.009 --> 00:04:07.240 right there. involved immediately in the recovery 00:04:07.240 --> 00:04:09.860 efforts at Ground Zero. Yeah, that's really grounding 00:04:09.860 --> 00:04:12.580 detail, isn't it? While maybe other comedians 00:04:12.580 --> 00:04:14.419 are worrying about their next open mic spot. 00:04:14.860 --> 00:04:17.100 Riggle is boots on the ground in Lower Manhattan 00:04:17.100 --> 00:04:19.860 after a national disaster, in uniform, leading 00:04:19.860 --> 00:04:22.600 Marines. And his service wasn't just stateside 00:04:22.600 --> 00:04:25.680 either. He deployed twice to Afghanistan, 2001, 00:04:25.939 --> 00:04:28.180 2002, right at the beginning of the conflict, 00:04:28.339 --> 00:04:31.199 plus assignments in Liberia, Albania, and Kosovo. 00:04:31.279 --> 00:04:32.980 Okay, wait, let's pause on Kosovo, because that's 00:04:32.980 --> 00:04:34.600 not just an assignment. That's where things get 00:04:34.600 --> 00:04:37.279 really serious, militarily speaking. The sources 00:04:37.279 --> 00:04:40.079 are clear. His time in Kosovo earned him the 00:04:40.079 --> 00:04:43.759 Combat Action Ribbon, the CIR. Right. And for 00:04:43.759 --> 00:04:45.740 anyone listening who doesn't know, the CIR isn't 00:04:45.740 --> 00:04:47.920 handed out like candy. You don't get it for showing 00:04:47.920 --> 00:04:49.920 up. It means you were there in ground combat 00:04:49.920 --> 00:04:52.800 under enemy fire. Yeah. Actively participating. 00:04:52.800 --> 00:04:55.199 So this completely shatters any image of him 00:04:55.199 --> 00:04:58.079 being just a weekend warrior or, you know, a 00:04:58.079 --> 00:05:00.300 PR guy behind a desk. He's a combat veteran. 00:05:01.160 --> 00:05:03.079 While his comedy partner, Rob Hubel, might have 00:05:03.079 --> 00:05:04.800 been doing improv back in New York, Riggle was 00:05:04.800 --> 00:05:07.199 in an active conflict zone, possibly engaging 00:05:07.199 --> 00:05:10.399 the enemy. The contrast is just stark. How do 00:05:10.399 --> 00:05:12.600 you even process that? Yeah. Going from that 00:05:12.600 --> 00:05:15.300 kind of life and death situation one week to 00:05:15.300 --> 00:05:17.639 worrying about landing a punchline the next. 00:05:17.860 --> 00:05:20.920 It suggests incredible compartmentalization, 00:05:21.160 --> 00:05:23.689 mental discipline. Maybe something the Marines 00:05:23.689 --> 00:05:27.069 instill. And look at his awards list. It really 00:05:27.069 --> 00:05:29.509 backs up the depth of his service. It's not just 00:05:29.509 --> 00:05:32.509 campaign medals for being in a place. It's recognition 00:05:32.509 --> 00:05:35.649 for sustained high -level performance, both in 00:05:35.649 --> 00:05:37.930 and out of combat. Let's break down a couple 00:05:37.930 --> 00:05:39.389 of those awards just to give a sense of what 00:05:39.389 --> 00:05:41.410 they mean. Okay, yeah. The Meritorious Service 00:05:41.410 --> 00:05:44.060 Medal. He got two of those. That's for Outstanding 00:05:44.060 --> 00:05:46.759 Non -Combat Service or Achievement. Getting it 00:05:46.759 --> 00:05:49.079 twice suggests long periods where he was really 00:05:49.079 --> 00:05:52.060 excelling in leadership, management, taking on 00:05:52.060 --> 00:05:54.360 more responsibility, not just serving, but serving 00:05:54.360 --> 00:05:56.500 well. And then there's the Navy and Marine Corps 00:05:56.500 --> 00:05:59.139 Commentation Medal, the Joint Service Achievement 00:05:59.139 --> 00:06:02.500 Medal. More recognition for specific acts or 00:06:02.500 --> 00:06:05.180 periods of excellent service. Plus, you see his 00:06:05.180 --> 00:06:07.000 deployment history right there in the medals. 00:06:07.139 --> 00:06:10.180 Kosovo Campaign, Afghanistan Campaign, Global 00:06:10.180 --> 00:06:13.329 War on Terrorism Service Medal. Right. And don't 00:06:13.329 --> 00:06:15.610 forget the Humanitarian Service Medal, likely 00:06:15.610 --> 00:06:17.990 tied to things like the 9 -11 recovery efforts 00:06:17.990 --> 00:06:20.350 and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal showing his 00:06:20.350 --> 00:06:22.990 long tenure in the reserves. Put it all together 00:06:22.990 --> 00:06:25.610 and you see a picture of a really dedicated officer, 00:06:25.829 --> 00:06:28.629 someone who stepped up for major conflicts, major 00:06:28.629 --> 00:06:32.370 domestic crises for over two decades, all while 00:06:32.370 --> 00:06:35.839 somehow. Building this completely separate career 00:06:35.839 --> 00:06:39.180 in the madness of show business. Yeah. Understanding 00:06:39.180 --> 00:06:41.319 that military foundation is so important because 00:06:41.319 --> 00:06:43.319 you can really see how it informs his comedy 00:06:43.319 --> 00:06:45.600 persona later on, especially when he hits the 00:06:45.600 --> 00:06:47.399 big time. Exactly. OK, so let's pivot. Let's 00:06:47.399 --> 00:06:49.839 talk comedy, because this whole time alongside 00:06:49.839 --> 00:06:52.120 the Marines, the comedy career is bubbling up 00:06:52.120 --> 00:06:54.939 and it really starts like for so many others 00:06:54.939 --> 00:06:57.819 of his generation with improv, specifically at 00:06:57.819 --> 00:07:00.500 the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, UCBT in 00:07:00.500 --> 00:07:02.500 New York. And the key relationship there is with 00:07:02.500 --> 00:07:05.579 Rob Hue. They became this powerhouse duo at UCB. 00:07:05.699 --> 00:07:08.160 They were part of that legendary improv troupe, 00:07:08.160 --> 00:07:11.040 Respecto Montalban. That was really his training 00:07:11.040 --> 00:07:13.569 ground, honing that comedic voice. Yeah, and 00:07:13.569 --> 00:07:15.470 their main thing was a two -man show called Kung 00:07:15.470 --> 00:07:18.610 Fu Grip. It was a big hit at UCB, ran for a long 00:07:18.610 --> 00:07:21.009 time, got so much buzz, actually, that they got 00:07:21.009 --> 00:07:23.509 invited to perform it at the HBO Comedy Arts 00:07:23.509 --> 00:07:26.709 Festival in Aspen back in 2004. That's a major 00:07:26.709 --> 00:07:29.189 stepping stone, getting noticed on a national 00:07:29.189 --> 00:07:31.569 level. And that notice led to those early TV 00:07:31.569 --> 00:07:34.649 spots, right? The talking head shows that were 00:07:34.649 --> 00:07:37.110 everywhere then. Comedy Central's Best Week Ever, 00:07:37.209 --> 00:07:41.259 VH1's A to Z. He was also on Bravo's 100 Scariest 00:07:41.259 --> 00:07:44.060 Movie Moments in 2004. It was a smart way to 00:07:44.060 --> 00:07:46.360 get screen time. He had this sort of authoritative 00:07:46.360 --> 00:07:49.019 look, but he's using it for quick, funny commentary. 00:07:49.220 --> 00:07:51.920 And all that momentum leads directly to the big 00:07:51.920 --> 00:07:54.699 audition, Summer 2004, Saturday Night Live. And 00:07:54.699 --> 00:07:56.459 it's kind of poignant, isn't it? He auditions 00:07:56.459 --> 00:07:59.160 with Rob Hubel, his longtime partner. But only 00:07:59.160 --> 00:08:01.319 Riggle gets the call. He joins as a featured 00:08:01.319 --> 00:08:04.319 player for season 30, that's the 2004 -2005 season. 00:08:04.439 --> 00:08:06.759 Only one season, but he definitely made his mark, 00:08:06.899 --> 00:08:08.819 mostly with impressions. Yeah, he had a pretty 00:08:08.819 --> 00:08:11.160 good stable. Larry the Cable Guy, Howard Dean, 00:08:11.420 --> 00:08:13.680 Rick Sanchez, Mark McGuire, Toby Keith, he could 00:08:13.680 --> 00:08:16.100 transform. But the thing people often remember 00:08:16.100 --> 00:08:18.160 from that season, the really standout original 00:08:18.160 --> 00:08:21.259 bit, was that one -off character. Leviticus. 00:08:21.560 --> 00:08:24.860 Leviticus. The super loud, really aggressive, 00:08:25.079 --> 00:08:27.160 almost violent street preacher. He just appeared 00:08:27.160 --> 00:08:29.439 once on Weekend Update during the Christmas show 00:08:29.439 --> 00:08:33.000 Robert De Niro hosted. It was pure, chaotic energy. 00:08:33.159 --> 00:08:35.279 You could almost see, I don't know, maybe a hint 00:08:35.279 --> 00:08:37.519 of that military intensity channeled into comedy. 00:08:37.580 --> 00:08:40.440 It was jarring but funny. And here's a bit of 00:08:40.440 --> 00:08:42.960 trivia for the deep dive. He was actually on 00:08:42.960 --> 00:08:47.340 SNL before he was cast. Season 29, non -speaking 00:08:47.340 --> 00:08:50.639 role in a pre -taped sketch. A parody of Fear 00:08:50.639 --> 00:08:53.879 Factor, he played a dad whose divorce depended 00:08:53.879 --> 00:08:56.740 on his kid eating maggots. Bizarre. Shows he 00:08:56.740 --> 00:08:58.940 was already on their radar. So SNL ends after 00:08:58.940 --> 00:09:01.360 one season. He heads back out, briefly has a 00:09:01.360 --> 00:09:03.580 deal with NBC, with Hubel and others that doesn't 00:09:03.580 --> 00:09:05.230 quite pan out. Happens all the time. But the 00:09:05.230 --> 00:09:07.350 next big move, that was the perfect fit, the 00:09:07.350 --> 00:09:09.330 role that let him truly merge the two sides of 00:09:09.330 --> 00:09:11.629 his life. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Exactly. 00:09:11.669 --> 00:09:15.529 September 2006. He comes in to replace Rob Corddry, 00:09:15.610 --> 00:09:18.649 who was huge, big shoes to fill. But the format 00:09:18.649 --> 00:09:21.769 was tailor -made for Wiggle. Because now... He 00:09:21.769 --> 00:09:23.710 could explicitly use the military background. 00:09:23.970 --> 00:09:26.029 He wasn't just another correspondent. He was 00:09:26.029 --> 00:09:28.570 the show's military analyst. And they leaned 00:09:28.570 --> 00:09:30.590 into that hard right from the start. He'd always 00:09:30.590 --> 00:09:33.110 reference his service, joked about how his training 00:09:33.110 --> 00:09:35.450 meant he could, you know, kill any other cast 00:09:35.450 --> 00:09:38.509 member. It created this funny running gag, this 00:09:38.509 --> 00:09:40.450 undercurrent of him being genuinely intimidating, 00:09:40.669 --> 00:09:42.289 even in the writer's room. Yeah. And remember 00:09:42.289 --> 00:09:44.970 that Marines in Berkeley segment? That was classic 00:09:44.970 --> 00:09:47.389 Riggle Daily show. He goes undercover, dressed 00:09:47.389 --> 00:09:49.830 as a hippie to sort of spoof the peace protesters 00:09:49.830 --> 00:09:53.000 outside. a Marine recruiting station. But because 00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:55.379 it's him with his actual Marine background, it 00:09:55.379 --> 00:09:57.259 had this extra layer of authority. He could make 00:09:57.259 --> 00:09:59.120 fun of it from the inside almost. It was brilliant. 00:09:59.360 --> 00:10:01.720 He also did major field pieces for them, like 00:10:01.720 --> 00:10:04.419 traveling to China for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. 00:10:04.799 --> 00:10:07.700 Tape that whole series. Rob Riggle, Chasing the 00:10:07.700 --> 00:10:10.159 Dragon. That's a big production. He's planning, 00:10:10.320 --> 00:10:12.460 needs someone who can operate in, let's say, 00:10:12.519 --> 00:10:14.879 complex environments. Maybe those PA skills came 00:10:14.879 --> 00:10:17.419 in handy. Could be. He left the show in December 00:10:17.419 --> 00:10:20.429 2008. The joke was he was leaving to go fight 00:10:20.429 --> 00:10:23.870 crime. Classic wriggle deadpan. But his presence 00:10:23.870 --> 00:10:26.740 lingered. Remember that cameo in 2010? when Will 00:10:26.740 --> 00:10:28.840 Ferrell was on. Stewart and Ferrell were kind 00:10:28.840 --> 00:10:30.580 of playfully trash -talking Riggle, and then 00:10:30.580 --> 00:10:32.879 Riggle just walks onto the set. And the way Stewart 00:10:32.879 --> 00:10:34.519 and Ferrell immediately snapped to attention, 00:10:34.759 --> 00:10:36.860 got all polite and scared, it just cemented that 00:10:36.860 --> 00:10:39.740 whole running joke about him being genuinely 00:10:39.740 --> 00:10:42.940 feelsome. Oh, yeah. That was comedy gold. Using 00:10:42.940 --> 00:10:46.840 your real -life persona as the punchline. Masterful. 00:10:47.100 --> 00:10:48.899 Okay, before we get to the film stuff, there's 00:10:48.899 --> 00:10:50.720 an important shift in his live performance around 00:10:50.720 --> 00:10:53.399 this Daily Show time. Right. Good point. Up till 00:10:53.399 --> 00:10:55.700 then, pretty much all his live comedy was... 00:10:55.759 --> 00:10:58.840 improv or sketch. Needed a team, partners. But 00:10:58.840 --> 00:11:01.120 starting around 2006, he begins developing a 00:11:01.120 --> 00:11:03.559 stand -up act, solo act. And apparently John 00:11:03.559 --> 00:11:05.980 Oliver, who he shared an office with at The Daily 00:11:05.980 --> 00:11:08.120 Show, really encouraged him to do it. Yeah, Oliver 00:11:08.120 --> 00:11:09.879 apparently told him, look, stand -up gives you 00:11:09.879 --> 00:11:11.799 independence. You own it. You don't need a troupe. 00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:14.139 So Riggle starts hitting the road, colleges, 00:11:14.419 --> 00:11:17.159 comedy clubs, often touring with Oliver, other 00:11:17.159 --> 00:11:20.620 Daily Show folks. It was a smart move. Gave him 00:11:20.620 --> 00:11:22.419 another way to perform, another income stream, 00:11:22.600 --> 00:11:24.879 right as he was... transitioning out of the correspondent 00:11:24.879 --> 00:11:27.919 role and that independence that stand -up polish 00:11:27.919 --> 00:11:30.460 probably helped him make the leap into becoming 00:11:30.460 --> 00:11:33.580 this incredibly prolific supporting actor in 00:11:33.580 --> 00:11:35.759 movies over the next 10 years or so oh absolutely 00:11:35.759 --> 00:11:38.580 after the daily show he just carved out this 00:11:38.580 --> 00:11:43.120 niche playing the intense guy the loud guy the 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:45.899 overly confident maybe slightly unhinged authority 00:11:45.899 --> 00:11:48.200 figure yeah his film roles really lean into that 00:11:48.200 --> 00:11:51.440 architect stepbrothers 2008 randy Will Ferrell's 00:11:51.440 --> 00:11:53.460 awful co -worker, so aggressive, so inappropriate, 00:11:53.740 --> 00:11:55.559 it's hilarious because he commits so hard. And 00:11:55.559 --> 00:11:58.460 then the hangover in 09. Officer Franklin. Yeah. 00:11:58.600 --> 00:12:01.559 The taser scene, classic. He's got that mix of 00:12:01.559 --> 00:12:03.860 official power and just being kind of a jerk. 00:12:04.139 --> 00:12:06.259 Sets the whole tone. Follow that with Detective 00:12:06.259 --> 00:12:09.730 Evan Martin in The Other Guys, 2010. paired with 00:12:09.730 --> 00:12:11.769 Damon Wayans Jr. always trying to one -up the 00:12:11.769 --> 00:12:13.669 main characters. You see the pattern, right? 00:12:13.850 --> 00:12:15.909 Aggressive, high -status dude, played for comedy. 00:12:16.110 --> 00:12:18.149 You almost wonder if casting directors saw Lieutenant 00:12:18.149 --> 00:12:20.649 Colonel on his resume and thought, okay, this 00:12:20.649 --> 00:12:23.730 guy can pull off believable intensity. And the 00:12:23.730 --> 00:12:25.789 list goes on. The internship, let's be cops. 00:12:26.029 --> 00:12:28.309 Even my big, fat Greek wedding, too. He pops 00:12:28.309 --> 00:12:30.509 up everywhere. And he branched out into voice 00:12:30.509 --> 00:12:33.710 acting, too. Did the main villain, Aloysius O 00:12:33.710 --> 00:12:36.659 'Hare? in the Lorax in 2012, showed he could 00:12:36.659 --> 00:12:38.860 bring that energy even without being on screen. 00:12:39.120 --> 00:12:41.519 That kind of versatility kept him constantly 00:12:41.519 --> 00:12:44.480 working, not just movies, but big TV roles, too. 00:12:44.639 --> 00:12:47.500 Yeah, on TV, he became super recognizable. Even 00:12:47.500 --> 00:12:48.919 if people didn't know his name, they knew the 00:12:48.919 --> 00:12:52.759 face. Gilthorpe on Modern Family, Phil Dunphy's 00:12:52.759 --> 00:12:56.059 nemesis, that character was pure wriggle archetype. 00:12:56.159 --> 00:12:58.879 Hyper -masculine bragging real estate shark. 00:12:59.220 --> 00:13:01.820 Seven episodes of that. Hilarious. Again, you 00:13:01.820 --> 00:13:04.169 see nods to his military past. He played the 00:13:04.169 --> 00:13:05.909 president of the Navy literally on that adult 00:13:05.909 --> 00:13:08.669 swim show, NTSS at the Juicy V. Pure parody leaning 00:13:08.669 --> 00:13:10.950 right into his rank. He was also Mitch the Marine 00:13:10.950 --> 00:13:13.570 Brother on Gary Unmarried and had a recurring 00:13:13.570 --> 00:13:15.690 role on Wilfred. And it's cool that even while 00:13:15.690 --> 00:13:18.009 doing all this mainstream stuff, he still collaborated 00:13:18.009 --> 00:13:20.889 with his old UCB buddies, Hubel, Paul Scheer. 00:13:21.289 --> 00:13:24.149 They did sketches for HBO's Funny or Die presence, 00:13:24.289 --> 00:13:27.009 like Designated Driver, Death Hunt, kept those 00:13:27.009 --> 00:13:29.549 improv roots alive. He had a couple of pilots 00:13:29.549 --> 00:13:32.539 that didn't quite launch, too. A CBS sitcom called 00:13:32.539 --> 00:13:35.419 Home Game with Mark Wahlberg producing. An NBC 00:13:35.419 --> 00:13:39.240 pilot, The Pro, with Rob Lowe. Happens. But even 00:13:39.240 --> 00:13:41.039 those misses didn't really slow him down because 00:13:41.039 --> 00:13:43.039 by then he was moving into really high -profile 00:13:43.039 --> 00:13:47.679 gigs. Hosting. Brand stuff. Yeah, these next 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:49.980 moves really cemented him as more than just a 00:13:49.980 --> 00:13:52.179 supporting actor. He became a familiar face in 00:13:52.179 --> 00:13:54.960 huge broadcasts. September 2012, he takes over 00:13:54.960 --> 00:13:57.720 the comedy segment on Fox NFL Sunday from Frank 00:13:57.720 --> 00:14:00.340 Caliendo. That's a massive audience every week 00:14:00.340 --> 00:14:02.000 during football season. Different kind of comedy, 00:14:02.039 --> 00:14:04.139 too. More about predictions, quick jokes, interacting 00:14:04.139 --> 00:14:07.039 with the analysts, live TV pressure. And then 00:14:07.039 --> 00:14:10.600 the ultimate commercial authority role. Colonel 00:14:10.600 --> 00:14:14.460 Sanders for KOC, starting in 2016. He follows 00:14:14.460 --> 00:14:16.620 guys like Norm Macdonald, Daryl Hammond. He's 00:14:16.620 --> 00:14:19.279 literally wearing the white suit. Perfect casting 00:14:19.279 --> 00:14:22.120 in a weird way. Plus, he hosted the ESPY Awards 00:14:22.120 --> 00:14:24.679 back in 2012. Big stage, live audience, full 00:14:24.679 --> 00:14:26.299 of stars. And the most recent thing a lot of 00:14:26.299 --> 00:14:27.980 people probably know him from is Holy Molly, 00:14:28.179 --> 00:14:31.519 the mini -wolf show from 2019 to 2022. He's the 00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:34.299 color commentator alongside Joe Tessitore. Just 00:14:34.299 --> 00:14:38.279 pure enthusiasm, absurdity, reacting to people 00:14:38.279 --> 00:14:40.559 getting knocked into water by giant windmills. 00:14:40.639 --> 00:14:42.419 It's kind of the perfect end point for this discussion, 00:14:42.600 --> 00:14:44.720 isn't it? From earning a combat action ribbon 00:14:44.720 --> 00:14:47.740 under fire in Kosovo to providing hilarious commentary. 00:14:47.879 --> 00:14:50.240 on extreme miniature golf, the sheer range of 00:14:50.240 --> 00:14:52.460 his professional life is just staggering. It 00:14:52.460 --> 00:14:54.299 really is, and it points to this core ability, 00:14:54.519 --> 00:14:57.240 maybe, to handle wildly different kinds of pressure 00:14:57.240 --> 00:14:59.379 and performance, military discipline, comedy 00:14:59.379 --> 00:15:02.679 chaos. He navigates both. But we do need to address 00:15:02.679 --> 00:15:04.419 something else, his personal life, which took 00:15:04.419 --> 00:15:06.980 a very public, very dramatic turn recently, and 00:15:06.980 --> 00:15:09.519 it adds another much more serious layer to his 00:15:09.519 --> 00:15:11.899 story. Yeah, it's part of the public record, 00:15:11.980 --> 00:15:13.539 so we need to include it for the full picture. 00:15:13.740 --> 00:15:16.240 He married Tiffany Riggle back in 1999. They 00:15:16.240 --> 00:15:18.779 have two kids together. But they filed for divorce 00:15:18.779 --> 00:15:21.659 in October 2020. And the details that came out 00:15:21.659 --> 00:15:25.460 in 2021, well, they're pretty shocking. Very 00:15:25.460 --> 00:15:27.480 different from the funny guy persona. Yeah, the 00:15:27.480 --> 00:15:30.279 claim surfaced around June 2021. According to 00:15:30.279 --> 00:15:32.820 the reports, Riggle alleged that his estranged 00:15:32.820 --> 00:15:35.299 wife had hacked into his personal Apple account 00:15:35.299 --> 00:15:38.259 and also that she had stolen money from his home. 00:15:38.700 --> 00:15:41.039 These are serious accusations, obviously, pointing 00:15:41.039 --> 00:15:43.559 to a really difficult separation. And it got 00:15:43.559 --> 00:15:46.519 even more intense. Later that same month, Riggle 00:15:46.519 --> 00:15:49.240 sought and was granted a temporary restraining 00:15:49.240 --> 00:15:52.279 order. The reason? He apparently discovered a 00:15:52.279 --> 00:15:55.440 hidden camera in his house disguised as a smoke 00:15:55.440 --> 00:15:58.600 detector. Right. That detail is just wow. It 00:15:58.600 --> 00:16:00.100 takes the conflict to a whole different level. 00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:02.220 We're talking about alleged surveillance inside 00:16:02.220 --> 00:16:05.070 his own home. And the scale of it. The reports 00:16:05.070 --> 00:16:07.289 mention the camera allegedly had something like 00:16:07.289 --> 00:16:10.009 10 ,000 videos stored on it. And Riggle claims 00:16:10.009 --> 00:16:12.169 some of that footage backed up his earlier allegations 00:16:12.169 --> 00:16:14.370 about the hacking and the theft. I mean, going 00:16:14.370 --> 00:16:16.370 through a divorce is tough enough. Yeah. But 00:16:16.370 --> 00:16:19.230 dealing with alleged hacking, theft, and finding 00:16:19.230 --> 00:16:22.149 a hidden spy camera, that's like something out 00:16:22.149 --> 00:16:24.110 of a movie, not the life of a comedian known 00:16:24.110 --> 00:16:26.610 for playing goofy authority figures. It creates 00:16:26.610 --> 00:16:29.230 this incredible, almost unbelievable contrast, 00:16:29.350 --> 00:16:32.350 doesn't it? Here's a guy, a lieutenant colonel. 00:16:32.590 --> 00:16:34.909 trained in intelligence, threat assessment, operating 00:16:34.909 --> 00:16:38.230 in war zones. And he finds himself in this deeply 00:16:38.230 --> 00:16:42.110 personal, highly public drama involving alleged 00:16:42.110 --> 00:16:45.509 covert surveillance in his own private space. 00:16:45.889 --> 00:16:47.970 The sources mentioned there was a follow -up 00:16:47.970 --> 00:16:51.120 hearing scheduled too. specifically so a forensic 00:16:51.120 --> 00:16:53.299 expert could analyze all that video footage from 00:16:53.299 --> 00:16:55.679 the camera, which just underlines how serious 00:16:55.679 --> 00:16:57.820 and complex the whole situation became. Yeah, 00:16:57.919 --> 00:17:00.820 it's a very somber, a very complicated note to 00:17:00.820 --> 00:17:03.320 touch on, but it does, in a strange way, tie 00:17:03.320 --> 00:17:06.059 everything together. It shows this person who 00:17:06.059 --> 00:17:08.220 has managed immense pressure, compartmentalized 00:17:08.220 --> 00:17:10.940 drastically different lives, and navigated incredibly 00:17:10.940 --> 00:17:13.220 high -stakes situations, whether on a battlefield, 00:17:13.579 --> 00:17:16.559 a comedy stage, or, unfortunately, in a courtroom. 00:17:17.180 --> 00:17:18.920 So wrapping this all up, after going through 00:17:18.920 --> 00:17:21.279 all these sources, what's the main takeaway? 00:17:21.480 --> 00:17:25.180 For me, it's just the sheer sustained dedication 00:17:25.180 --> 00:17:29.119 to two profoundly different, incredibly demanding 00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:32.140 paths. Lieutenant Colonel, combat vet, decorated 00:17:32.140 --> 00:17:35.240 officer, and successful comedian, actor, host. 00:17:35.420 --> 00:17:37.480 It's extraordinary. Absolutely. And, you know, 00:17:37.480 --> 00:17:39.460 thinking back to that education split we talked 00:17:39.460 --> 00:17:41.440 about at the beginning, the BA in film, but also 00:17:41.440 --> 00:17:43.339 the Master of Public Administration, it really 00:17:43.339 --> 00:17:45.170 makes you wonder, doesn't it? Wonder what? Well, 00:17:45.170 --> 00:17:47.650 how much did that MPA training, which is all 00:17:47.650 --> 00:17:50.430 about managing resources, strategic planning, 00:17:50.650 --> 00:17:53.569 logistics, dealing with crises, how much did 00:17:53.569 --> 00:17:56.690 that actually enable his success in comedy? We 00:17:56.690 --> 00:17:58.470 think of the military side and the comedy side 00:17:58.470 --> 00:18:01.250 as separate, maybe even conflicting. But maybe 00:18:01.250 --> 00:18:03.690 the skills he learned as a Marine officer, the 00:18:03.690 --> 00:18:05.970 discipline, the planning, the ability to perform 00:18:05.970 --> 00:18:08.470 under intense pressure, to command a room, to, 00:18:08.529 --> 00:18:11.299 you know, compartmentalize. Maybe those were 00:18:11.299 --> 00:18:13.259 the very skills that allowed him to thrive in 00:18:13.259 --> 00:18:15.079 the chaos of live comedy in Hollywood. Maybe 00:18:15.079 --> 00:18:16.740 that military background wasn't just something 00:18:16.740 --> 00:18:18.920 he juggled alongside comedy. Maybe it was fundamental 00:18:18.920 --> 00:18:21.440 to his ability to do comedy at the level he did. 00:18:21.500 --> 00:18:23.380 Something to think about, you know, how that 00:18:23.380 --> 00:18:25.200 training translates across such a different world.