WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.120 Welcome back to the Deep Dive. So our listener 00:00:03.120 --> 00:00:06.320 today has really handed us quite a challenge, 00:00:06.580 --> 00:00:10.300 a massive stack of sources, all pointing to one 00:00:10.300 --> 00:00:13.960 person, John Daly. Yeah, it's a lot. And the 00:00:13.960 --> 00:00:15.699 task isn't just, you know, reading off his credits, 00:00:15.759 --> 00:00:17.460 because honestly, that list is kind of overwhelming. 00:00:17.519 --> 00:00:20.120 It's huge, yeah. The real mission here, I think, 00:00:20.160 --> 00:00:22.440 is to sort of figure out the common thread, what 00:00:22.440 --> 00:00:24.920 ties his whole career together, from like... 00:00:25.449 --> 00:00:28.870 Tiny improv stages in Pittsburgh, all the way 00:00:28.870 --> 00:00:32.149 to co -executive producing, big network comedies, 00:00:32.170 --> 00:00:34.909 and, well, being a major voice in huge animated 00:00:34.909 --> 00:00:37.030 shows. It really is the definition of a deep 00:00:37.030 --> 00:00:38.250 dive, isn't it? We're talking about Jonathan 00:00:38.250 --> 00:00:41.890 Barney Daly, born April 14, 1977, back in Pittsburgh, 00:00:42.030 --> 00:00:44.810 Pennsylvania. Okay. And he's absolutely the classic 00:00:44.810 --> 00:00:47.369 multi -hyphenate, you know, actor, comedian, 00:00:47.609 --> 00:00:49.810 writer, producer, often doing all those things 00:00:49.810 --> 00:00:51.909 at the same time. Right. And when you actually 00:00:51.909 --> 00:00:53.549 look at the credits, you'll see different names 00:00:53.549 --> 00:00:55.909 pop up, too. Sometimes it's Jonathan C. Daly 00:00:55.909 --> 00:00:59.009 or John C. Daly or just plain John Daly. Huh. 00:00:59.289 --> 00:01:01.789 Does that variation mean anything specific, do 00:01:01.789 --> 00:01:04.049 you think? It's hard to say definitively from 00:01:04.049 --> 00:01:07.230 the sources, but it almost mirrors his versatility, 00:01:07.370 --> 00:01:09.329 you know? Yeah. The way he can shift between 00:01:09.329 --> 00:01:12.069 roles. Maybe the name shifts just kind of happened 00:01:12.069 --> 00:01:15.069 along the way. Interesting. And yeah, most people 00:01:15.069 --> 00:01:17.269 probably do know him, even if the name doesn't 00:01:17.269 --> 00:01:19.620 click right away. From The Kroll Show, obviously. 00:01:19.939 --> 00:01:22.159 His sketch work there was brilliant. Oh, absolutely. 00:01:22.480 --> 00:01:24.400 Foundational. But he also had those key live 00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:26.560 action roles like Hobbes in that Amazon show, 00:01:26.719 --> 00:01:30.099 Betas, back in 2013. Yeah, the tech startup one. 00:01:30.200 --> 00:01:33.739 And Agent Filippo in Zoolander 2, which was quite 00:01:33.739 --> 00:01:36.439 a character. Definitely memorable. Intense is 00:01:36.439 --> 00:01:38.859 a good word. But yeah, if you only know those 00:01:38.859 --> 00:01:41.319 roles, you're missing like 95 % of what he's 00:01:41.319 --> 00:01:42.780 actually done. Exactly. That's what we're trying 00:01:42.780 --> 00:01:44.519 to get at. Right. So what we're really saying, 00:01:44.560 --> 00:01:46.739 a friend, is that... John Daly's career isn't 00:01:46.739 --> 00:01:49.200 necessarily about becoming this huge, single, 00:01:49.319 --> 00:01:53.500 mainstream star. It's more about this persistent, 00:01:53.859 --> 00:01:57.769 decades -long drive to just... creates stuff 00:01:57.769 --> 00:02:01.090 yeah so much content in basically every corner 00:02:01.090 --> 00:02:03.290 of comedy you can think of yeah his identity 00:02:03.290 --> 00:02:06.030 really is just defined by the sheer volume and 00:02:06.030 --> 00:02:09.430 range of his work okay so let's dive in let's 00:02:09.430 --> 00:02:12.069 unpack this massive catalog and we have to start 00:02:12.069 --> 00:02:15.030 right at the beginning because honestly how he 00:02:15.030 --> 00:02:17.909 built his career it's like a master class Pittsburgh 00:02:17.909 --> 00:02:20.490 Pennsylvania let's go there first yeah his story 00:02:20.490 --> 00:02:22.710 really shows you don't need to start in LA or 00:02:22.710 --> 00:02:24.990 New York he was born and raised in Pittsburgh 00:02:24.990 --> 00:02:27.840 and what's really amazing according to everything 00:02:27.840 --> 00:02:30.680 we've read, is that he started doing improv when 00:02:30.680 --> 00:02:34.939 he was just 16. 16. Wow. That's incredibly young. 00:02:35.139 --> 00:02:37.319 Right. An age when most kids are just thinking 00:02:37.319 --> 00:02:39.139 about, I don't know, getting their driver's license 00:02:39.139 --> 00:02:41.900 or something. And this wasn't just like school 00:02:41.900 --> 00:02:44.539 plays or messing around. Right. He was performing 00:02:44.539 --> 00:02:47.800 regularly in a proper local show. Exactly. It 00:02:47.800 --> 00:02:49.939 was called Friday Night Improvs, held at the 00:02:49.939 --> 00:02:52.189 University of Pittsburgh. So think about that. 00:02:52.270 --> 00:02:55.409 He's 16, performing alongside college students, 00:02:55.610 --> 00:02:57.930 seasoned performers. In front of a real audience, 00:02:58.210 --> 00:03:00.629 learning the ropes. He's learning the discipline, 00:03:00.889 --> 00:03:03.069 the speed, how to build a scene, how to commit 00:03:03.069 --> 00:03:05.409 all those improv fundamentals. And he's doing 00:03:05.409 --> 00:03:08.349 it way before he even finished high school. That 00:03:08.349 --> 00:03:11.719 kind of stage time is invaluable. Yeah, you can't 00:03:11.719 --> 00:03:14.960 really replicate that later. That early exposure 00:03:14.960 --> 00:03:18.659 builds like a muscle memory for performing. It 00:03:18.659 --> 00:03:20.919 really does. It cements those core skills. Yeah. 00:03:20.979 --> 00:03:23.340 And then what does he do next? He takes that 00:03:23.340 --> 00:03:25.520 practical experience and actually goes formal 00:03:25.520 --> 00:03:26.879 with it. Right. This is the education piece. 00:03:26.960 --> 00:03:29.020 He went to the University of North Carolina School 00:03:29.020 --> 00:03:32.000 of the Arts. which shows a real commitment. It 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:34.500 wasn't just a fun hobby he stumbled into. He 00:03:34.500 --> 00:03:37.340 actively sought out formal training to, you know, 00:03:37.340 --> 00:03:39.180 hone the craft he'd already started developing 00:03:39.180 --> 00:03:41.360 back in Pittsburgh. So he's got the raw talent 00:03:41.360 --> 00:03:43.900 from the stage plus the structure from school. 00:03:44.099 --> 00:03:47.020 That's a powerful combination. And interestingly, 00:03:47.240 --> 00:03:50.819 the formal training didn't seem to, like, kill 00:03:50.819 --> 00:03:52.800 his love for the spontaneous side of things. 00:03:52.900 --> 00:03:54.639 If anything, it probably equipped him better 00:03:54.639 --> 00:03:57.139 for when he did hit the big leagues, which brings 00:03:57.139 --> 00:04:00.110 us inevitably. to the Upright Citizens Brigade 00:04:00.110 --> 00:04:04.030 Theater, UCB. Okay, yeah. UCB is absolutely crucial 00:04:04.030 --> 00:04:05.849 here. We have to spend some time on this. For 00:04:05.849 --> 00:04:07.789 sure. It wasn't just a place he performed occasionally. 00:04:08.030 --> 00:04:10.289 The sources are really clear. He was a regular 00:04:10.289 --> 00:04:13.550 there for over 10 years, a decade. And still 00:04:13.550 --> 00:04:15.590 performs at the LA branch now, right? That's 00:04:15.590 --> 00:04:18.610 right. So UCB, especially back then, say mid 00:04:18.610 --> 00:04:22.250 -2000s, it was the place, the absolute proving 00:04:22.250 --> 00:04:25.029 ground for... basically everyone who became anyone 00:04:25.029 --> 00:04:27.730 in modern alternative comedy. And Daly wasn't 00:04:27.730 --> 00:04:30.129 just like hanging around. He was central. He 00:04:30.129 --> 00:04:32.930 was part of that ecosystem. Totally. And UCB, 00:04:32.930 --> 00:04:35.209 you know, it's not just about quick jokes or 00:04:35.209 --> 00:04:37.889 games. It's about long form improv, developing 00:04:37.889 --> 00:04:40.629 narrative, creating characters that can actually 00:04:40.629 --> 00:04:43.110 sustain a story. Which requires incredible skill. 00:04:43.729 --> 00:04:46.430 Patience, listening, consistency. Exactly. And 00:04:46.430 --> 00:04:49.050 Daly was a core member of some really pivotal 00:04:49.050 --> 00:04:52.250 groups there, specifically Mother and Mr. Air. 00:04:52.430 --> 00:04:54.790 Mother was legendary, wasn't it? Considered kind 00:04:54.790 --> 00:04:57.829 of the gold standard for long -form improv at 00:04:57.829 --> 00:05:00.389 UCB for a long time. Yeah, doing that kind of 00:05:00.389 --> 00:05:02.990 work week after week, sometimes for an hour straight 00:05:02.990 --> 00:05:05.230 with no script. That's like getting a Ph .D. 00:05:05.250 --> 00:05:07.269 in comedy performance. He was totally immersed 00:05:07.269 --> 00:05:09.370 in it. In that environment, it's basically an 00:05:09.370 --> 00:05:11.329 engine room, right, for developing the rest of 00:05:11.329 --> 00:05:14.420 his career. Absolutely, because at UCB, he didn't 00:05:14.420 --> 00:05:16.139 have to wait for someone to cast him. He had 00:05:16.139 --> 00:05:19.120 a stage right there where he could constantly 00:05:19.120 --> 00:05:22.180 try out new ideas, refine characters, perform 00:05:22.180 --> 00:05:25.199 original stuff, his own IP, essentially. And 00:05:25.199 --> 00:05:27.620 that's where some of his most memorable original 00:05:27.620 --> 00:05:30.100 characters came from. Exactly. Two big ones that 00:05:30.100 --> 00:05:32.319 get mentioned a lot are Sappity Tappity. Sappity 00:05:32.319 --> 00:05:35.699 Tappity. Just the name sounds like peak UCB absurdity. 00:05:35.720 --> 00:05:37.379 You can almost picture the character. Totally. 00:05:37.500 --> 00:05:40.720 And the other one is Bill Cosby Bukowski. Okay. 00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:44.500 Bill Cosby Bukowski. That's quite a mashup. How 00:05:44.500 --> 00:05:47.899 does that work? Combining, you know, the dark, 00:05:47.920 --> 00:05:51.639 gritty poet Charles Bukowski with the very different 00:05:51.639 --> 00:05:54.360 persona of Bill Cosby. I mean, it's pure UCB 00:05:54.360 --> 00:05:56.279 aesthetic, isn't it? Taking two wildly different 00:05:56.279 --> 00:05:58.120 cultural figures and smashing them together to 00:05:58.120 --> 00:06:00.620 create something totally new, weird. Probably 00:06:00.620 --> 00:06:02.759 pretty critical. The comedy comes from that clash, 00:06:02.920 --> 00:06:06.180 that tension. Right. Like delivering really dark, 00:06:06.199 --> 00:06:09.420 cynical lines with that sort of Cosby -esque 00:06:09.420 --> 00:06:12.839 folksy charm. It's provocative, sure. But more 00:06:12.839 --> 00:06:15.160 than that, it shows a performer who can really 00:06:15.160 --> 00:06:18.959 commit to a bizarre, sustained persona. And the 00:06:18.959 --> 00:06:21.600 key thing is, these characters didn't just die 00:06:21.600 --> 00:06:24.399 on the UCB stage. No, they became assets. He 00:06:24.399 --> 00:06:27.459 took them further. Exactly. Like, Tappity eventually 00:06:27.459 --> 00:06:30.120 became the basis for a short film. He wrote and 00:06:30.120 --> 00:06:32.180 starred in it. So you see the whole path right 00:06:32.180 --> 00:06:34.949 there. Pittsburgh improv practice. The formal 00:06:34.949 --> 00:06:38.129 arts education, the UCB character lab where he 00:06:38.129 --> 00:06:40.629 cooks up these ideas and then actually turning 00:06:40.629 --> 00:06:43.550 that IP into his own written and produced work. 00:06:43.709 --> 00:06:45.670 Yeah, which leads us perfectly into talking about 00:06:45.670 --> 00:06:47.610 his work behind the camera, not just in front 00:06:47.610 --> 00:06:49.730 of it. Right. That jump from being the performer 00:06:49.730 --> 00:06:52.089 to being like the architect of the comedy. That's 00:06:52.089 --> 00:06:54.269 a big deal. And for Daly, the Kroll show seems 00:06:54.269 --> 00:06:56.329 like the place where that really crystallized. 00:06:56.410 --> 00:06:58.370 Oh, absolutely. Kroll show is huge in his story. 00:06:58.509 --> 00:07:00.550 Yeah. We really need to zero in on this because. 00:07:01.500 --> 00:07:03.519 Just saying he was on it doesn't really capture 00:07:03.519 --> 00:07:06.720 his role. OK, so he was in 26 episodes. He was 00:07:06.720 --> 00:07:09.959 a recurring sketch performer. Yes. But he was 00:07:09.959 --> 00:07:13.379 also a writer and critically. A co -executive 00:07:13.379 --> 00:07:16.519 producer. Co -EP on a show that was, I mean, 00:07:16.519 --> 00:07:19.500 really defining Comedy Central's brand at that 00:07:19.500 --> 00:07:22.399 time. That's significant. It's massive. It means 00:07:22.399 --> 00:07:25.019 he wasn't just showing up to say lines. He was 00:07:25.019 --> 00:07:26.879 in the writer's room. He was likely involved 00:07:26.879 --> 00:07:30.579 in editing decisions, shaping the tone, maybe 00:07:30.579 --> 00:07:33.139 even budget stuff. He was helping steer the ship 00:07:33.139 --> 00:07:36.040 alongside Nick Kroll and John Levenstein. And 00:07:36.040 --> 00:07:38.199 his background, all those UCB characters must 00:07:38.199 --> 00:07:40.600 have made him incredibly valuable there. Totally. 00:07:40.740 --> 00:07:42.899 He could write a sketch needing some incredibly 00:07:42.899 --> 00:07:46.240 specific weirdo, then step in and be that weirdo 00:07:46.240 --> 00:07:48.459 perfectly, and then probably jump back behind 00:07:48.459 --> 00:07:50.959 the scenes to help shape the final cut. That's 00:07:50.959 --> 00:07:53.050 the multi -hyphenate thing in action. It shows 00:07:53.050 --> 00:07:55.790 that the skills he honed on stage directly translated 00:07:55.790 --> 00:07:59.069 into real power in TV production. He wasn't just 00:07:59.069 --> 00:08:01.110 filling roles. He understood how to build those 00:08:01.110 --> 00:08:04.250 comedic worlds. Exactly. But Kroll's show wasn't 00:08:04.250 --> 00:08:06.670 his only major writing gig, not by a long shot. 00:08:06.870 --> 00:08:08.589 Right. He was already writing before that, wasn't 00:08:08.589 --> 00:08:10.589 he? Yeah. If you look back to the late 2000s, 00:08:10.589 --> 00:08:12.389 he was right in the thick of that alt -comedy 00:08:12.389 --> 00:08:14.569 boom. He's got writing credits on Human Giant. 00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:18.839 Wow. Human giant. With Aziz Ansari, Rob Hubel, 00:08:18.899 --> 00:08:20.759 Paul Scheer, that show was seminal. Being on 00:08:20.759 --> 00:08:23.060 that writing staff puts you right at the kind 00:08:23.060 --> 00:08:25.879 of big bang moment for that wave of sketch comedy. 00:08:26.079 --> 00:08:28.259 Definitely. And he also worked on that sketch 00:08:28.259 --> 00:08:31.259 pilot, The Right Now Show. The one Scott Aukerman 00:08:31.259 --> 00:08:33.799 and B .J. Porter created. Ah, Scott Aukerman. 00:08:33.940 --> 00:08:35.840 OK, that connection is important, too, because 00:08:35.840 --> 00:08:38.379 Aukerman is basically Mr. Earwolf. Precisely. 00:08:38.379 --> 00:08:41.120 So Daly was already connected with the key figures 00:08:41.120 --> 00:08:43.759 who would shape that whole podcasting comedy 00:08:43.759 --> 00:08:46.320 universe well before it really exploded. He was 00:08:46.320 --> 00:08:48.559 networked early. And then talk about a shift 00:08:48.559 --> 00:08:50.879 in gears. He also wrote for The Eric Andre Show. 00:08:51.100 --> 00:08:54.269 Yeah. for 10 episodes between 2014 and 2015, 00:08:54.490 --> 00:08:56.889 which is fascinating because, you know, Kroll's 00:08:56.889 --> 00:08:59.149 show is surreal, yes, but it still has a certain 00:08:59.149 --> 00:09:01.129 structure recurring characters. Whereas Eric 00:09:01.129 --> 00:09:04.909 Andre is just... Chaos. Pure, unadulterated chaos. 00:09:05.210 --> 00:09:07.409 Yeah. Confrontational, experimental, often deeply 00:09:07.409 --> 00:09:09.730 uncomfortable, relies on shock and performance 00:09:09.730 --> 00:09:12.190 art. It's a totally different beast. So how does 00:09:12.190 --> 00:09:15.590 a writer manage that switch from the kind of 00:09:15.590 --> 00:09:17.929 layered comedy of Kroll Show to the complete 00:09:17.929 --> 00:09:21.049 anarchy of Eric Andre? It suggests he understands 00:09:21.049 --> 00:09:24.799 comedy on a like. mechanical level, not just 00:09:24.799 --> 00:09:27.500 one specific voice. He knows how to build a joke 00:09:27.500 --> 00:09:29.820 based on character consistency, like in Kroll 00:09:29.820 --> 00:09:32.220 Show. And he knows how to engineer a moment of 00:09:32.220 --> 00:09:35.200 pure deconstruction and shock, like on Eric Andre. 00:09:35.720 --> 00:09:38.879 That adaptability is rare. Yeah, really valuable. 00:09:39.080 --> 00:09:40.779 And just to round out that producing side, we 00:09:40.779 --> 00:09:42.500 should mention the Adult Swim Golf Classic from 00:09:42.500 --> 00:09:45.360 2016. He wrote and executive produced that special. 00:09:45.480 --> 00:09:48.200 And starred in it too, right? As John Daly. Yep. 00:09:48.620 --> 00:09:50.980 A nice little meta nod to the golfer shows that 00:09:50.980 --> 00:09:53.820 some awareness. Okay, so beyond the traditional 00:09:53.820 --> 00:09:55.480 writer's room, let's talk about Cracked Out. 00:09:55.559 --> 00:09:57.779 This feels like a really important part of his 00:09:57.779 --> 00:09:59.799 identity, especially his work with Brett Gelman. 00:09:59.960 --> 00:10:02.159 Oh, Cracked Out is essential Daily Gelman lore. 00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:04.840 It wasn't just a one -off bit. This was a full 00:10:04.840 --> 00:10:09.149 -on comedy rap duo. They toured. Right. A comedy 00:10:09.149 --> 00:10:10.889 rap duo. What was the vibe there? It was this 00:10:10.889 --> 00:10:13.769 kind of perfect storm of parodying hip hop tropes, 00:10:13.769 --> 00:10:16.649 absurd materialism, really dark humor, but also 00:10:16.649 --> 00:10:19.169 this like intense commitment to the characters. 00:10:19.230 --> 00:10:21.129 They went all in. And this was happening when. 00:10:21.769 --> 00:10:24.190 Mid 2000s. Yeah. The sources mentioned their 00:10:24.190 --> 00:10:27.409 EP, The Fleetwood Crack, was available for download 00:10:27.409 --> 00:10:31.029 back in 2007. 2007. OK, think about that. Digital 00:10:31.029 --> 00:10:33.809 distribution wasn't what it is now. Putting out 00:10:33.809 --> 00:10:36.809 your own EP online back then was pretty DIY, 00:10:36.990 --> 00:10:39.110 pretty pioneering for comedians. Totally. It 00:10:39.110 --> 00:10:42.330 was proper grassroots stuff using whatever early 00:10:42.330 --> 00:10:44.850 digital tools were available to get their specific 00:10:44.850 --> 00:10:47.850 niche thing out there without needing a network 00:10:47.850 --> 00:10:50.960 or a label to say yes. They were kind of modeling 00:10:50.960 --> 00:10:53.720 the independent content creation path that basically 00:10:53.720 --> 00:10:56.360 every comedian uses now. They built a whole brand, 00:10:56.519 --> 00:10:58.779 characters, music, just because they wanted to. 00:10:58.960 --> 00:11:01.960 Exactly. It really hammers home that point. Daly 00:11:01.960 --> 00:11:03.759 wasn't waiting around to be discovered. He was 00:11:03.759 --> 00:11:05.980 constantly making things, high quality, unique 00:11:05.980 --> 00:11:08.639 things. And that same kind of self -starting 00:11:08.639 --> 00:11:10.879 energy seems to have led him straight into the 00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:13.039 podcasting boom, particularly with Earwolf. He 00:11:13.039 --> 00:11:14.840 was right there at the start. He wasn't just 00:11:14.840 --> 00:11:17.440 there. He was like a foundational voice for that 00:11:17.440 --> 00:11:21.200 network. He was, and still is, a super frequent 00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:24.200 and beloved guest on the early giants like Comedy 00:11:24.200 --> 00:11:27.600 Bang. Bang! And improv for humans. Which are 00:11:27.600 --> 00:11:29.639 basically audio labs for character work, aren't 00:11:29.639 --> 00:11:32.779 they? Absolutely. A performer like Daly could 00:11:32.779 --> 00:11:35.899 walk into CBB, get a prompt from Scott Aukerman, 00:11:36.080 --> 00:11:38.200 invent some completely bizarre character on the 00:11:38.200 --> 00:11:41.120 spot, and riff as that character for, you know, 00:11:41.120 --> 00:11:43.779 20 minutes. And millions of people would hear 00:11:43.779 --> 00:11:46.059 it almost instantly. It's instant testing and 00:11:46.059 --> 00:11:48.679 feedback. So he becomes a fixture as a guest, 00:11:48.840 --> 00:11:51.259 but then he... takes the next step and launches 00:11:51.259 --> 00:11:54.679 his own show on Earwolf. Right. In November 2012, 00:11:55.059 --> 00:11:57.860 he started Rafflecast. It ran for 30 episodes. 00:11:58.159 --> 00:12:00.139 Rafflecast? What was the premise there? It sounds 00:12:00.139 --> 00:12:03.159 specific. Oh, it was delightfully specific and 00:12:03.159 --> 00:12:06.059 bizarre. The whole podcast was supposedly dedicated 00:12:06.059 --> 00:12:09.100 to discussing like fictional raffles and prizes. 00:12:09.139 --> 00:12:11.480 Just talking about imaginary raffle. Yeah, it 00:12:11.480 --> 00:12:13.879 relied entirely on his and his guests commitment 00:12:13.879 --> 00:12:16.299 to this absurd premise, the made up rules, the 00:12:16.299 --> 00:12:19.220 characters who would call in pure long form character 00:12:19.220 --> 00:12:21.379 commitment, but an audio format. It sounds like 00:12:21.379 --> 00:12:23.460 peak daily, honestly, taking a simple, weird 00:12:23.460 --> 00:12:26.259 idea and just committing 100 percent. Exactly. 00:12:26.750 --> 00:12:29.490 And it really solidified his place in that podcasting 00:12:29.490 --> 00:12:32.009 world, not just as a funny guest, but as someone 00:12:32.009 --> 00:12:34.669 who could conceive of, host, and sustain his 00:12:34.669 --> 00:12:37.669 own unique creative project over time. This whole 00:12:37.669 --> 00:12:40.350 period just shows the incredible range, co -EP 00:12:40.350 --> 00:12:43.769 on TV, writing for wildly different shows, doing 00:12:43.769 --> 00:12:45.889 comedy rap, and then building his own little 00:12:45.889 --> 00:12:49.200 audio empire. OK, so moving into his more sustained 00:12:49.200 --> 00:12:51.240 TV roles, the ones where he's playing a character 00:12:51.240 --> 00:12:53.620 across a whole season or more. This seems like 00:12:53.620 --> 00:12:56.379 where we see those UCB character skills get applied 00:12:56.379 --> 00:12:59.519 to more traditional narrative stuff. Yeah, definitely. 00:12:59.700 --> 00:13:02.659 A good example to start with is Betis, that Amazon 00:13:02.659 --> 00:13:05.820 show from 2013, 2014. He starred as Hobbes for 00:13:05.820 --> 00:13:08.220 11 episodes. Right. The Silicon Valley startup 00:13:08.220 --> 00:13:10.279 comedy. Exactly. So he had to play a specific 00:13:10.279 --> 00:13:12.440 type. You know, the tech guy may be a bit awkward 00:13:12.440 --> 00:13:15.220 with certain anxieties. It needed a grounded 00:13:15.220 --> 00:13:18.259 performance. Comedic, yes, but grounded over 00:13:18.259 --> 00:13:20.779 a whole season arc. Different from just dropping 00:13:20.779 --> 00:13:23.279 into a sketch. And then, almost immediately after, 00:13:23.480 --> 00:13:26.419 he pivots completely. He's in I'm Dying Up Here. 00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:30.519 Right. 2017 -2018 on Showtime. He played Arnie 00:13:30.519 --> 00:13:33.879 Brown across 18 episodes. That show was set in 00:13:33.879 --> 00:13:37.159 the 1970s L .A. stand -up scene. Super gritty. 00:13:37.440 --> 00:13:39.419 High stakes. Totally different world, totally 00:13:39.419 --> 00:13:41.580 different tone. That requires serious dramatic 00:13:41.580 --> 00:13:43.980 chops, would you say, playing the pressure cooker 00:13:43.980 --> 00:13:45.779 environment of that comedy scene. Absolutely. 00:13:45.899 --> 00:13:47.620 It demands a different kind of performance energy, 00:13:47.779 --> 00:13:50.659 maybe more desperation, definitely a period feel. 00:13:50.899 --> 00:13:53.440 So he jumps from contemporary tech comedy to 00:13:53.440 --> 00:13:56.399 this really demanding period drama about ambition 00:13:56.399 --> 00:13:59.340 and its dark side. The range is pretty striking. 00:13:59.500 --> 00:14:01.500 And then almost at the same time, he's also doing 00:14:01.500 --> 00:14:05.649 another period. Yeah. 2015 to 2018. He played 00:14:05.649 --> 00:14:07.889 Officer Kurt Trussell O 'Kelly for 11 episodes, 00:14:08.110 --> 00:14:11.500 which is just pure over -the -top. costume, comedy, 00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:14.000 absurdity, Gilded Age parody. So within just 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:15.779 a few years there, he's hitting tech comedy, 00:14:16.019 --> 00:14:19.440 70s drama, and historical parody. It really shows 00:14:19.440 --> 00:14:22.159 how casting directors must see him as this incredibly 00:14:22.159 --> 00:14:25.379 versatile character actor who can slot into wildly 00:14:25.379 --> 00:14:27.860 different genres. For sure. He's reliable. He 00:14:27.860 --> 00:14:29.919 delivers the specific flavor needed. Now, we 00:14:29.919 --> 00:14:31.320 have to talk about that Parks and Recreation 00:14:31.320 --> 00:14:33.120 credit. It's kind of unusual, but it says a lot. 00:14:33.299 --> 00:14:35.799 Oh, yeah. The book ends. He's in the very first 00:14:35.799 --> 00:14:39.480 episode, credited just as drunk. And then six 00:14:39.480 --> 00:14:42.039 years later, Literally in the final episode of 00:14:42.039 --> 00:14:44.480 the entire series, he pops up again, credited 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:47.259 as John. It's such a great little callback. But 00:14:47.259 --> 00:14:49.320 what does it really signify, do you think? Well, 00:14:49.379 --> 00:14:51.480 beyond just being a fun Easter egg for fans, 00:14:51.639 --> 00:14:54.580 it really speaks to his relationships within 00:14:54.580 --> 00:14:57.899 that specific comedy world, right? The Mike Schur, 00:14:58.000 --> 00:15:00.220 Greg Daniels, Parks and Rec, The Office universe. 00:15:00.659 --> 00:15:02.840 Yeah, it suggests he's part of that trusted circle. 00:15:02.960 --> 00:15:05.279 Exactly. He's someone they clearly like. And 00:15:05.279 --> 00:15:08.240 respect enough to bring back for the literal 00:15:08.240 --> 00:15:10.580 final moments of this beloved show, even just 00:15:10.580 --> 00:15:13.659 for a quick visual gag. It points to that loyalty 00:15:13.659 --> 00:15:16.139 and, you know, mutual appreciation within that 00:15:16.139 --> 00:15:18.259 specific group of creators. And his presence 00:15:18.259 --> 00:15:21.080 is felt across so many key comedies from that 00:15:21.080 --> 00:15:23.519 era, like a couple of episodes on Happy Endings 00:15:23.519 --> 00:15:25.759 as Bernie Daniels. Which was such a great underrated 00:15:25.759 --> 00:15:28.799 show. And two episodes on NTSA, SATSUV, which 00:15:28.799 --> 00:15:31.879 was just. brilliantly meta, playing Billy Pittman 00:15:31.879 --> 00:15:35.080 and Chad. Right. That show was pure parody genius. 00:15:35.340 --> 00:15:37.919 And even his one -off roles often have this really 00:15:37.919 --> 00:15:39.879 specific character flavor, like playing Chris 00:15:39.879 --> 00:15:42.000 Christopherson on Drunk History. Oh, Drunk History 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:44.080 is perfect for him, isn't it? It's tailor -made. 00:15:44.200 --> 00:15:46.100 You need total commitment to the character, the 00:15:46.100 --> 00:15:49.460 look, the timing, all while lip -syncing to this 00:15:49.460 --> 00:15:53.019 slurred, often inaccurate historical narrative. 00:15:53.299 --> 00:15:56.639 It's like UCB improv meets historical reenactment 00:15:56.639 --> 00:15:59.850 parody. Okay, so... His live action work shows 00:15:59.850 --> 00:16:03.490 incredible versatility. But the voice acting, 00:16:03.649 --> 00:16:07.230 that's where the sheer volume and longevity really 00:16:07.230 --> 00:16:09.889 become apparent. This feels like the ultimate 00:16:09.889 --> 00:16:12.190 payoff from all that UCB character generation. 00:16:12.529 --> 00:16:15.169 The output in voice acting is just, it's immense. 00:16:15.490 --> 00:16:17.929 Honestly, his biggest credit right now, the one 00:16:17.929 --> 00:16:19.850 that's defined a huge chunk of his recent career, 00:16:20.029 --> 00:16:22.850 has to be Big Mouth. Right, voicing Jed Birch 00:16:22.850 --> 00:16:24.789 and others too, right? Jed Birch primarily, but 00:16:24.789 --> 00:16:27.210 various other voices too. Across, get this, 41 00:16:27.210 --> 00:16:29.509 episodes so far. And the show's running until 00:16:29.509 --> 00:16:31.909 2025, so that number will climb. That's nearly 00:16:31.909 --> 00:16:34.850 a decade playing that character. And Judd is... 00:16:35.100 --> 00:16:37.200 Well, Judd's a very specific kind of uncomfortable, 00:16:37.500 --> 00:16:40.940 awkward teenager, voicing him consistently for 00:16:40.940 --> 00:16:43.700 that long, finding that exact vocal quality. 00:16:43.879 --> 00:16:46.480 It demands incredible precision, and that's where 00:16:46.480 --> 00:16:49.600 the improv background helps again, I think. Voice 00:16:49.600 --> 00:16:52.000 acting requires you to make strong, specific 00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:55.100 choices instantly and then replicate them perfectly, 00:16:55.299 --> 00:16:57.899 take after take, sesh after sesh. The improviser 00:16:57.899 --> 00:17:01.480 is trained to lock onto a voice, a physicality, 00:17:01.480 --> 00:17:04.480 an attitude, and just live in it. Exactly. For 00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:06.539 Judd, he delivers that specific frequency of 00:17:06.890 --> 00:17:09.970 teenage angst and awkwardness reliably year after 00:17:09.970 --> 00:17:11.970 year. But it's not just Big Mouth. He's kind 00:17:11.970 --> 00:17:14.309 of everywhere in animation. He really is. Even 00:17:14.309 --> 00:17:16.089 going back earlier, like the Life and Times of 00:17:16.089 --> 00:17:19.529 Tim on HBO, he did various voices on 14 episodes 00:17:19.529 --> 00:17:21.950 there between 2010 and 2012. And then he becomes 00:17:21.950 --> 00:17:24.309 a regular fixture on the big network animated 00:17:24.309 --> 00:17:26.890 comedies. Yeah, look at this list. 10 episodes 00:17:26.890 --> 00:17:30.190 on Family Guy between 2014 and 2017. 11 episodes 00:17:30.190 --> 00:17:34.769 on American Dad from 2017 up to 2023. Six episodes 00:17:34.769 --> 00:17:37.230 on Bob's Burgers as... Sasha and other characters. 00:17:37.309 --> 00:17:39.170 That's not just guesswork. That's recurring employment. 00:17:39.289 --> 00:17:41.440 They keep bringing him back. Because he's reliable. 00:17:41.599 --> 00:17:44.660 He's versatile. He clearly has this huge toolbox 00:17:44.660 --> 00:17:47.200 of voices he can pull from. Animation studios 00:17:47.200 --> 00:17:49.880 doing high volume work need people who can come 00:17:49.880 --> 00:17:52.240 in, nail multiple distinct characters quickly 00:17:52.240 --> 00:17:54.519 and efficiently. He fits that bill perfectly. 00:17:54.799 --> 00:17:57.500 And he also did a lead voice role in that Marvel 00:17:57.500 --> 00:18:01.420 show, MODOK. In 2021, he voiced the super adaptoid 00:18:01.420 --> 00:18:03.980 for all 10 episodes. Yeah. Which is kind of fitting, 00:18:04.079 --> 00:18:07.059 right? A character whose whole deal is mimicking 00:18:07.059 --> 00:18:09.720 others. Huh. Yeah. Drawing directly on those. 00:18:09.900 --> 00:18:11.980 improv mimicry skills. And he's still showing 00:18:11.980 --> 00:18:14.160 up in newer stuff too, like the Great North on 00:18:14.160 --> 00:18:17.150 FOX recently. OK, before we shift fully to film, 00:18:17.289 --> 00:18:19.430 we have to mention a couple of really notable 00:18:19.430 --> 00:18:21.950 recent live action appearances that put him right 00:18:21.950 --> 00:18:25.210 in the middle of like current prestige comedy 00:18:25.210 --> 00:18:28.430 and even genre TV. Absolutely. First, Curb Your 00:18:28.430 --> 00:18:30.750 Enthusiasm. He played the mailman in two episodes 00:18:30.750 --> 00:18:33.130 in 2020. Which is such a perfect fit. Curb is 00:18:33.130 --> 00:18:34.950 all about performers who can play that awkward, 00:18:35.069 --> 00:18:37.710 escalating everyday conflict with total deadpan 00:18:37.710 --> 00:18:40.170 sincerity. You need that improv grounding to 00:18:40.170 --> 00:18:42.670 react genuinely within those absurd situations 00:18:42.670 --> 00:18:46.059 Larry David creates. Daly nails that uncomfortable 00:18:46.059 --> 00:18:49.200 reality. And then the big one recently, Fallout, 00:18:49.420 --> 00:18:52.579 the Amazon series. Yeah. Huge hit show in 2024. 00:18:53.079 --> 00:18:56.259 He played the snake oil salesman in two episodes. 00:18:56.519 --> 00:18:59.559 Which is fascinating because Fallout blends really 00:18:59.559 --> 00:19:02.940 bleak post -apocalyptic stuff with very dark, 00:19:03.000 --> 00:19:05.940 very specific comedy. And Daly's casting there 00:19:05.940 --> 00:19:08.819 shows his particular brand of committed, slightly 00:19:08.819 --> 00:19:11.599 unhinged character work fits perfectly even in 00:19:11.599 --> 00:19:14.450 that grim sci -fi setting. Snake Oil Salesman 00:19:14.450 --> 00:19:16.609 is this classic archetype, and he just leans 00:19:16.609 --> 00:19:18.670 into it. It feels like a real confirmation that 00:19:18.670 --> 00:19:21.490 he can operate way beyond just alt -comedy circles 00:19:21.490 --> 00:19:24.230 now. He fits into these massive global franchises. 00:19:24.430 --> 00:19:26.930 Okay, so we've covered TV, voice work, the writing, 00:19:26.990 --> 00:19:29.509 the producing. Now let's look at his move into 00:19:29.509 --> 00:19:31.789 feature films. Often he's brought in to provide 00:19:31.789 --> 00:19:34.349 that specific character beat or memorable moment 00:19:34.349 --> 00:19:36.650 that really makes a scene pop. Right, he started 00:19:36.650 --> 00:19:38.869 getting into bigger studio movies pretty consistently. 00:19:39.109 --> 00:19:41.730 Back in 2013, he was Tim Noddin in The Secret 00:19:41.730 --> 00:19:44.910 Life of Walter Mitty. And then back into his 00:19:44.910 --> 00:19:47.750 more specific wheelhouse, Agent Flippo in Zoolander 00:19:47.750 --> 00:19:51.910 2 in 2016. Agent Flippo is pure daily character 00:19:51.910 --> 00:19:55.289 work, isn't he? Just that level of... intense, 00:19:55.289 --> 00:19:58.730 bizarre specificity feels straight out of UCB. 00:19:58.829 --> 00:20:01.069 Totally. And then you see him pop up in something 00:20:01.069 --> 00:20:04.250 like the Coen Brothers' Hail, Caesar, also in 00:20:04.250 --> 00:20:07.190 2016. He played the cop at the French postcard 00:20:07.190 --> 00:20:09.130 house. Which shows he's comfortable in those 00:20:09.130 --> 00:20:12.170 big, prestigious ensembles. Respected directors 00:20:12.170 --> 00:20:14.390 are using him as a reliable character actor. 00:20:14.470 --> 00:20:16.390 Exactly. And one of the most interesting film 00:20:16.390 --> 00:20:18.549 roles, I think, is when he played Bill Murray. 00:20:19.130 --> 00:20:21.829 in a futile and stupid gesture. Yeah, the National 00:20:21.829 --> 00:20:24.930 Lampoon movie from 2018. Playing a real person 00:20:24.930 --> 00:20:27.690 is tough, but playing a comedy icon like Bill 00:20:27.690 --> 00:20:29.690 Murray with all his distinct mannerisms, that's 00:20:29.690 --> 00:20:31.950 a huge challenge. It's the ultimate test of those 00:20:31.950 --> 00:20:34.609 character skills, but in reverse, right? Instead 00:20:34.609 --> 00:20:36.950 of inventing someone new like Sappity Tappity, 00:20:37.069 --> 00:20:40.069 he had to meticulously capture and channel someone 00:20:40.069 --> 00:20:43.369 universally known. That takes serious craft. 00:20:43.690 --> 00:20:45.250 And he's still mixing it up with genre stuff 00:20:45.250 --> 00:20:46.970 too, like playing Swig in that horror comedy 00:20:46.970 --> 00:20:49.099 Destroy All Neighbors, just this. year, 2024. 00:20:49.519 --> 00:20:52.400 He keeps exploring those blends. But let's also 00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:54.960 rewind a bit and look at his early indie film 00:20:54.960 --> 00:20:56.700 work because that really tracks his development. 00:20:56.960 --> 00:20:58.920 And we could even see that name change thing 00:20:58.920 --> 00:21:00.740 we talked about earlier. Oh, yeah. You mentioned 00:21:00.740 --> 00:21:02.799 he was credited differently early on. Right. 00:21:02.880 --> 00:21:06.000 In a very early feature, 13th Childs from 2002. 00:21:06.299 --> 00:21:10.240 The credit is Jonathan C. Daly. Huh. So that 00:21:10.240 --> 00:21:13.119 marks a point before he maybe simplified it to 00:21:13.119 --> 00:21:15.559 just John Daly professionally, like he was still 00:21:15.559 --> 00:21:18.559 figuring out the public persona. Possibly. And 00:21:18.559 --> 00:21:21.299 he was also in some key indie comedies that became 00:21:21.299 --> 00:21:24.440 kind of cult hits later, like Mystery Team in 00:21:24.440 --> 00:21:26.980 2009 playing Greg. With Donald Glover and Derek 00:21:26.980 --> 00:21:30.460 Comedy. Yeah. And even earlier, Black Bolt. The 00:21:30.460 --> 00:21:32.720 Bobby Duke story, that paintball mockumentary 00:21:32.720 --> 00:21:35.599 from 2004. He was credited as a Mayhem team member. 00:21:35.700 --> 00:21:37.539 So he was embedded in that whole underground 00:21:37.539 --> 00:21:39.799 comedy scene right as it was starting to bubble 00:21:39.799 --> 00:21:41.880 up and eventually cross over into the mainstream. 00:21:42.259 --> 00:21:45.180 Exactly. But really, the core of his creative 00:21:45.180 --> 00:21:48.690 engine, the most direct line back to UCB. Has 00:21:48.690 --> 00:21:51.329 to be his short films. The sheer number of them 00:21:51.329 --> 00:21:53.210 where he wasn't just acting, but usually writing 00:21:53.210 --> 00:21:55.150 them, too. These were his calling cards, weren't 00:21:55.150 --> 00:21:57.329 they? Proof of concept for his characters. Totally. 00:21:57.430 --> 00:21:59.809 They showed he could take these weird, specific 00:21:59.809 --> 00:22:02.289 personas and build a little cinematic world around 00:22:02.289 --> 00:22:05.670 them. Like This Is Our City from 2006, where 00:22:05.670 --> 00:22:08.519 he wrote and starred as MC Record Deal. Or the 00:22:08.519 --> 00:22:11.200 Ed Hardy Boy shorts. Those were huge online back 00:22:11.200 --> 00:22:14.839 in the day, 2009, 2011. He played Peter Paparazzo. 00:22:14.980 --> 00:22:17.960 Yes. That character perfectly captured that specific 00:22:17.960 --> 00:22:21.359 early 2010s trashy fashion moment. It became 00:22:21.359 --> 00:22:24.440 this iconic piece of early viral comedy. Pure 00:22:24.440 --> 00:22:27.380 UCB character work translated to video. And then 00:22:27.380 --> 00:22:29.880 he actually adapted his big UCB stage characters 00:22:29.880 --> 00:22:33.099 into shorts, too. Right. Bill Cosby Bukowski 00:22:33.099 --> 00:22:35.220 got its own short film in 2011, which he wrote 00:22:35.220 --> 00:22:37.299 and starred in. And the Sappity Tappity Show 00:22:37.299 --> 00:22:39.660 came out in 2012. These weren't just recordings 00:22:39.660 --> 00:22:41.579 of stage bits. They were scripted narratives, 00:22:41.799 --> 00:22:44.500 expanding the characters' worlds. It really confirms 00:22:44.500 --> 00:22:48.180 that idea of him as an IP generator. Every character 00:22:48.180 --> 00:22:50.099 he created felt like it had the potential to 00:22:50.099 --> 00:22:52.859 be its own mini project. Absolutely. And, you 00:22:52.859 --> 00:22:54.559 know, just to underscore his ubiquity, you even 00:22:54.559 --> 00:22:57.140 see him pop up in totally uncredited roles, like 00:22:57.140 --> 00:23:00.480 being the tattoo customer in something from Tiffany's 00:23:00.480 --> 00:23:03.019 in 2022. He just seems willing to show up and 00:23:03.019 --> 00:23:06.789 work. He's just always around. Yeah. And finally, 00:23:06.869 --> 00:23:08.750 we should give a nod to some non -traditional 00:23:08.750 --> 00:23:11.650 stuff, too. Like being in that Duck Sauce music 00:23:11.650 --> 00:23:15.589 video for NRG in 2014. He played Dr. Dale Rattington. 00:23:15.670 --> 00:23:17.970 Music videos can be great little showcases for 00:23:17.970 --> 00:23:20.130 character actors. For sure. And bring it right 00:23:20.130 --> 00:23:23.180 back home. Almost literally, he appeared as Buzzy 00:23:23.180 --> 00:23:25.799 Duraco in the web series Pittsburgh Dad back 00:23:25.799 --> 00:23:29.059 in 2018. Ah, Pittsburgh Dad. That's a nice full 00:23:29.059 --> 00:23:31.319 circle moment, isn't it? Connecting back to his 00:23:31.319 --> 00:23:33.960 roots, even after becoming this established L 00:23:33.960 --> 00:23:35.880 .A. comedy figure. It really is. A nice little 00:23:35.880 --> 00:23:38.220 echo of where it all started. Hashtag tag tag 00:23:38.220 --> 00:23:41.200 outro synthesis and final thought. Okay. So, 00:23:41.299 --> 00:23:43.680 we've gone through this. Mountain of credits. 00:23:43.900 --> 00:23:45.779 What does it all add up to? What's the synthesis 00:23:45.779 --> 00:23:48.839 here? We've traced John Daly from high school 00:23:48.839 --> 00:23:51.440 improv stages in Pittsburgh. Right, through the 00:23:51.440 --> 00:23:54.019 UCB furnace. Into writing rooms, getting executive 00:23:54.019 --> 00:23:57.200 producer credits on major sketch shows. Anchoring 00:23:57.200 --> 00:24:01.359 huge animated series for a decade. Starring in 00:24:01.359 --> 00:24:04.380 indie films, studio comedies, Coen Brothers movies, 00:24:04.599 --> 00:24:07.019 playing Bill Murray. And now showing up in massive 00:24:07.019 --> 00:24:10.769 genre. It's like Fallout. It is. But I think 00:24:10.769 --> 00:24:13.069 the synthesis is actually pretty clear. John 00:24:13.069 --> 00:24:15.390 Daly is the definition of an adaptable performer. 00:24:15.829 --> 00:24:19.109 But, and this is key, that adaptability isn't 00:24:19.109 --> 00:24:21.549 passive. It's not just about fitting in. It's 00:24:21.549 --> 00:24:25.049 built on his active, constant creation of very 00:24:25.049 --> 00:24:28.410 specific, often very strange characters. Right. 00:24:28.470 --> 00:24:31.369 His success isn't really about one single breakout 00:24:31.369 --> 00:24:33.930 role that made him a household name. No. It's 00:24:33.930 --> 00:24:37.440 defined by his relentless consistency. He's the 00:24:37.440 --> 00:24:39.299 guy you bring in when you need that specific 00:24:39.299 --> 00:24:42.059 flavor of funny or weird or awkward. He's the 00:24:42.059 --> 00:24:44.140 super effective, always memorable supporting 00:24:44.140 --> 00:24:46.779 player or the writer who understands multiple 00:24:46.779 --> 00:24:49.559 comedic engines or the producer who gets character 00:24:49.559 --> 00:24:51.859 driven comedy. He just delivers. And he can shift 00:24:51.859 --> 00:24:54.299 modes so easily from the voice of Judd Burch 00:24:54.299 --> 00:24:56.299 in Big Mouth, which is all teenage awkwardness, 00:24:56.339 --> 00:24:58.740 to the physical and vocal mimicry needed to play 00:24:58.740 --> 00:25:01.400 Bill Murray convincingly. It's seamless. And 00:25:01.400 --> 00:25:03.480 the thread connecting it all seems to be that 00:25:03.480 --> 00:25:05.500 he just never stopped building his own stuff. 00:25:05.740 --> 00:25:08.039 Whether it was putting out that cracked out EP 00:25:08.039 --> 00:25:11.900 himself back in 07 or launching Rafflecast on 00:25:11.900 --> 00:25:14.420 Earwolf early on, he was always generating his 00:25:14.420 --> 00:25:17.930 own IP. Absolutely. That's the foundation. And 00:25:17.930 --> 00:25:20.470 think about the journey we've traced. That contrast 00:25:20.470 --> 00:25:23.490 is amazing. You have these early, self -made, 00:25:23.569 --> 00:25:26.750 totally bizarre characters like Sappity Tappity, 00:25:26.829 --> 00:25:30.589 born in his hiney black box theater at UCB. And 00:25:30.589 --> 00:25:33.849 now, today, he's a player in these huge global 00:25:33.849 --> 00:25:36.529 franchises. We mentioned Fallout. And he's also 00:25:36.529 --> 00:25:38.549 set to be in the Twisted Metal series next year, 00:25:38.589 --> 00:25:41.009 in 2025, playing a character called Emperor. 00:25:41.269 --> 00:25:44.069 Wow. Okay, so that arc from Sappity Tappity to 00:25:44.069 --> 00:25:46.430 Emperor in Twisted Metal. It really does raise 00:25:46.430 --> 00:25:48.309 a big question, doesn't it? Especially for you, 00:25:48.349 --> 00:25:50.309 the listener, thinking about comedy today. Yeah, 00:25:50.410 --> 00:25:52.029 definitely. In this landscape where there's just 00:25:52.029 --> 00:25:54.069 so much content, everyone's fighting for attention, 00:25:54.390 --> 00:25:57.470 is the most reliable path to a sustainable, successful 00:25:57.470 --> 00:26:00.170 career maybe not about waiting for that one massive 00:26:00.170 --> 00:26:03.009 mainstream hit? Right. Is it actually about doing 00:26:03.009 --> 00:26:06.890 what Daily did? which is just continuous, high 00:26:06.890 --> 00:26:10.529 volume, really prolific work across every single 00:26:10.529 --> 00:26:13.950 medium you can access. Podcasts, shorts, writing, 00:26:14.150 --> 00:26:16.970 acting, voice work. Using your own self -generated 00:26:16.970 --> 00:26:20.029 characters and ideas as the engine. Exactly. 00:26:20.190 --> 00:26:22.509 It's that relentless creation, that sheer output, 00:26:22.670 --> 00:26:25.109 the key. Daily's career makes a really strong 00:26:25.109 --> 00:26:27.029 case for it. You just build and build and build 00:26:27.029 --> 00:26:29.049 your own creative infrastructure. Until the industry 00:26:29.049 --> 00:26:31.769 basically has to notice and utilize the massive 00:26:31.769 --> 00:26:33.930 thing you've created. Precisely. You just never 00:26:33.930 --> 00:26:36.089 stop working. It's a truly impressive career 00:26:36.089 --> 00:26:38.609 defined by character, adaptability, and just 00:26:38.609 --> 00:26:41.369 sheer volume. A fascinating depth dive. Agreed. 00:26:41.369 --> 00:26:42.150 Thanks for joining us.