WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 Welcome back to the Deep Dive. Today we are really 00:00:03.000 --> 00:00:05.839 getting into someone whose face, whose voice... 00:00:06.169 --> 00:00:07.969 Well, you probably recognize them instantly. 00:00:08.210 --> 00:00:09.910 Absolutely. But maybe you don't know the full 00:00:09.910 --> 00:00:12.869 story, the kind of strategic thinking behind 00:00:12.869 --> 00:00:14.990 the career. Exactly. We're pulling back the curtain 00:00:14.990 --> 00:00:17.710 on Robert Scott Adsit. Yeah, Scott Adsit. And 00:00:17.710 --> 00:00:19.510 this is perfect for you, our deep dive learners, 00:00:19.649 --> 00:00:22.350 because his career, it's like a masterclass in 00:00:22.350 --> 00:00:24.250 versatility. Just think about the range. It's 00:00:24.250 --> 00:00:26.829 huge. From that, you know, perfectly stressed 00:00:26.829 --> 00:00:29.370 out producer Pete Hornberger on 30 Rock. Right. 00:00:29.410 --> 00:00:32.929 To maybe the most compassionate robot ever. Baymax 00:00:32.929 --> 00:00:35.729 and Big Hero 6. So our mission today is really 00:00:35.729 --> 00:00:38.210 to understand how he built that. How do you connect, 00:00:38.369 --> 00:00:43.570 say, biting Chicago satire with, well, huggable 00:00:43.570 --> 00:00:46.750 Disney robots? What were the pivots, the choices? 00:00:46.950 --> 00:00:49.170 And we've got a great source biography to work 00:00:49.170 --> 00:00:51.149 from here. It covers his start, those really 00:00:51.149 --> 00:00:53.850 key roles, the collaborations. It's all in there. 00:00:54.030 --> 00:00:55.429 Okay, so let's start at the beginning. He was 00:00:55.429 --> 00:00:59.090 born Robert Scott Adsit, November 26, 1965, Northbrook, 00:00:59.090 --> 00:01:03.310 Illinois. Pretty standard middle American start, 00:01:03.450 --> 00:01:06.890 you could say. His parents were Genevieve or 00:01:06.890 --> 00:01:10.010 Jenny and Andrew Scott Adsit, who was a real 00:01:10.010 --> 00:01:13.310 estate attorney. So a solid background, but not 00:01:13.310 --> 00:01:16.230 necessarily one that screams future voice of 00:01:16.230 --> 00:01:20.790 global therapeutic care. No, not exactly. But 00:01:20.790 --> 00:01:23.349 that contrast, that interesting journey, it kind 00:01:23.349 --> 00:01:26.060 of starts early on. OK. Like a lot of comedians, 00:01:26.079 --> 00:01:29.159 he was apparently the class clown back at Glenbrook 00:01:29.159 --> 00:01:31.299 North High School. Makes sense. But the thing 00:01:31.299 --> 00:01:33.019 that really launched him professionally, it seems, 00:01:33.159 --> 00:01:35.620 was a bit of restlessness. He went off to DePauw 00:01:35.620 --> 00:01:38.219 University in Indiana. Right. Stayed for like 00:01:38.219 --> 00:01:41.760 one semester. That's it. Wow. Okay. So quick 00:01:41.760 --> 00:01:44.000 realization that wasn't the path. Yeah, pretty 00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:46.879 much. And that led him to Columbia College, Chicago. 00:01:47.599 --> 00:01:49.420 And that, well, that decision seems to have changed 00:01:49.420 --> 00:01:51.140 everything. Right. Let's unpack that Chicago 00:01:51.140 --> 00:01:53.180 move because Columbia College, Chicago, that 00:01:53.180 --> 00:01:55.299 puts him right in the orbit of some pretty legendary 00:01:55.299 --> 00:01:57.939 figures. Yeah, exactly. Specifically, an acting 00:01:57.939 --> 00:02:00.579 teacher named Sheldon Patinkin. You hear his 00:02:00.579 --> 00:02:03.540 name mentioned a lot as someone who just cultivated 00:02:03.540 --> 00:02:06.859 generations of Chicago talent. And Patinkin saw 00:02:06.859 --> 00:02:09.680 something and adds it. Apparently so. Not just, 00:02:09.680 --> 00:02:12.539 you know, raw, funny talent, but maybe that discipline 00:02:12.539 --> 00:02:15.580 needed for really high -level improv, that structure 00:02:15.580 --> 00:02:18.139 beneath the chaos. Okay. So Patinkin basically 00:02:18.139 --> 00:02:20.620 told him, you need to join the Second City, gave 00:02:20.620 --> 00:02:22.400 him his marching orders. And he listened. He 00:02:22.400 --> 00:02:26.020 did. Joined Second City in 87. But the real step 00:02:26.020 --> 00:02:28.840 up, the big leagues within Second City, was getting 00:02:28.840 --> 00:02:32.180 on to the main stage cast in 1994. And that's 00:02:32.180 --> 00:02:34.159 not just like getting a part in a play, being 00:02:34.159 --> 00:02:36.870 on the Second City main stage. That's different. 00:02:36.990 --> 00:02:39.030 Oh, totally. It's like entering the absolute 00:02:39.030 --> 00:02:41.189 crucible where modern American sketch comedy 00:02:41.189 --> 00:02:45.610 was and still is forged. It's legendary. And 00:02:45.610 --> 00:02:48.370 he wasn't just there. He succeeded. Pretty quickly, 00:02:48.449 --> 00:02:50.990 too. Yeah. Immediate impact. He was part of these 00:02:50.990 --> 00:02:53.490 Joseph Jefferson award winning reviews. You know, 00:02:53.530 --> 00:02:56.210 Jeff Awards are Chicago's big theater awards. 00:02:56.530 --> 00:02:59.370 He was in Pinata Full of Bees and then the really 00:02:59.370 --> 00:03:02.610 celebrated one, Paradigm Lost. And for Paradigm 00:03:02.610 --> 00:03:05.150 Lost, he actually won the Jeff Award for best 00:03:05.150 --> 00:03:08.610 actor in a comedy. OK, so for listeners, maybe 00:03:08.610 --> 00:03:11.189 not steeped in Chicago theater history. Yeah. 00:03:11.530 --> 00:03:15.069 How significant is winning a Jeff for a Second 00:03:15.069 --> 00:03:18.479 City show? It's huge. It's kind of like. Winning 00:03:18.479 --> 00:03:20.639 a major award for something everyone knows is 00:03:20.639 --> 00:03:23.580 brilliant but also collaborative, it means you 00:03:23.580 --> 00:03:26.159 stood out. You weren't just funny. You were a 00:03:26.159 --> 00:03:29.099 key part of this acclaimed, really tightly constructed 00:03:29.099 --> 00:03:31.479 thing. Especially considering who he was working 00:03:31.479 --> 00:03:34.020 with. Exactly. Think about the names on that 00:03:34.020 --> 00:03:37.340 stage with him. Tina Fey, Kevin Dorff, Rachel 00:03:37.340 --> 00:03:39.460 Dratch, Adam McKay. I mean, these are people 00:03:39.460 --> 00:03:41.979 who basically went on to build the next couple 00:03:41.979 --> 00:03:45.060 of decades of TV comedy. Right. Future SNL head 00:03:45.060 --> 00:03:48.180 writers, stars. So winning best actor in that 00:03:48.180 --> 00:03:50.360 company. That just shows incredible mastery of 00:03:50.360 --> 00:03:52.060 the form. You're holding your own with giants. 00:03:52.139 --> 00:03:54.000 And there's a specific sketch from that. time 00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:57.159 that gets mentioned a lot right gump yes gump 00:03:57.159 --> 00:03:59.340 he did that with adam mckay and it was apparently 00:03:59.340 --> 00:04:02.539 so good so iconic for them that second city actually 00:04:02.539 --> 00:04:04.879 included it in their official best of compilation 00:04:04.879 --> 00:04:08.300 wow so even back then that collaborative spark 00:04:08.300 --> 00:04:11.000 particularly with mckay was obvious absolutely 00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:13.520 and we actually have like visual proof of this 00:04:13.520 --> 00:04:16.060 whole era there was a pbs documentary in 1997 00:04:16.060 --> 00:04:19.240 called second to none Oh, cool. Yeah, it followed 00:04:19.240 --> 00:04:21.680 the creation of Paradigm Lost, the whole intense, 00:04:22.060 --> 00:04:24.920 probably grueling process. And you see Adzit 00:04:24.920 --> 00:04:29.120 right there working alongside Faye, Dratch, Dorf. 00:04:29.160 --> 00:04:31.339 So it really cements him. He wasn't just around. 00:04:31.579 --> 00:04:34.420 He was a core figure in that specific, incredibly 00:04:34.420 --> 00:04:37.300 fertile generation of Second City talent. Totally. 00:04:37.420 --> 00:04:39.459 But here's where it gets really interesting for 00:04:39.459 --> 00:04:41.699 understanding his range. Even while he's doing 00:04:41.699 --> 00:04:43.920 this top tier satire, he's also doing other work 00:04:43.920 --> 00:04:46.860 to, you know, pay the bills. Right. The actor's 00:04:46.860 --> 00:04:48.660 life. And the range is kind of staggering. Stuff 00:04:48.660 --> 00:04:51.509 that's wildly different. And one project. That 00:04:51.509 --> 00:04:53.709 was, well, deeply serious. Okay, let's start 00:04:53.709 --> 00:04:55.790 there. The serious one sounds like a real contrast. 00:04:55.970 --> 00:04:58.689 It really is. In 1996, he did this short film. 00:04:58.769 --> 00:05:00.810 It was for the Hazelden Substance Abuse Clinic. 00:05:01.069 --> 00:05:03.430 It's called Reflections from the Heart of a Child. 00:05:03.670 --> 00:05:05.990 And he wasn't doing comedy in it. No, not at 00:05:05.990 --> 00:05:08.750 all. He played an alcoholic and drug -addicted 00:05:08.750 --> 00:05:12.170 father, a serious, dramatic role. And this wasn't 00:05:12.170 --> 00:05:14.930 just some obscure PSA, was it? No, apparently 00:05:14.930 --> 00:05:17.430 not. Our sources say this short film actually 00:05:17.430 --> 00:05:20.560 became required viewing. Like part of the curriculum 00:05:20.560 --> 00:05:23.459 in most DWI repeat offender classes across the 00:05:23.459 --> 00:05:26.540 U .S. and in substance abuse rehab clinics, too. 00:05:26.740 --> 00:05:29.379 Whoa. OK, stop and think about that for a second. 00:05:29.439 --> 00:05:31.579 Here's Scott Adsit. One night you're on stage 00:05:31.579 --> 00:05:34.279 at Second City getting huge laughs, satirizing. 00:05:34.300 --> 00:05:36.910 I don't know. politics or whatever right and 00:05:36.910 --> 00:05:40.069 the next day you're embodying this tragic figure 00:05:40.069 --> 00:05:42.810 this addict father for a film that's going to 00:05:42.810 --> 00:05:45.089 be shown to thousands of people in recovery or 00:05:45.089 --> 00:05:47.629 facing judges the mental leap required there 00:05:47.629 --> 00:05:50.129 is just incredible it demands this immediate 00:05:50.129 --> 00:05:53.649 grounding in like real human empathy serious 00:05:53.649 --> 00:05:56.629 drama it proves his toolkit was way bigger than 00:05:56.629 --> 00:05:58.980 just sketch comedy Even back then? Absolutely. 00:05:59.079 --> 00:06:01.980 That improv training, which is all about immediate 00:06:01.980 --> 00:06:04.079 behavioral understanding, emotional commitment, 00:06:04.199 --> 00:06:06.959 it clearly translated directly to serious drama. 00:06:07.040 --> 00:06:09.240 It wasn't just a side gig. It had real social 00:06:09.240 --> 00:06:12.339 impact. Okay, so from required viewing for addiction 00:06:12.339 --> 00:06:15.100 recovery, where does the pendulum swing next? 00:06:15.339 --> 00:06:17.399 To maybe the most wonderfully absurd place possible, 00:06:17.660 --> 00:06:20.879 pinball machines. Ah, yes, the pinball wizard 00:06:20.879 --> 00:06:24.560 credit. I saw that. 1997. He did voices for the 00:06:24.560 --> 00:06:27.980 Williams pinball machine Medieval Madness, which, 00:06:28.019 --> 00:06:29.819 by the way, is still considered like an all time 00:06:29.819 --> 00:06:32.500 classic by pinball fanatics. And what roles did 00:06:32.500 --> 00:06:34.199 he voice? It wasn't just one, was it? No, he 00:06:34.199 --> 00:06:36.500 was several characters. The King of Pain, Sir 00:06:36.500 --> 00:06:39.759 Psycho, the Duke of Bourbon and Merlin. I just 00:06:39.759 --> 00:06:42.699 love picturing the Jeff Award winning actor fresh 00:06:42.699 --> 00:06:45.220 off playing a tragic addict in a booth somewhere 00:06:45.220 --> 00:06:48.420 yelling, I am the King of Pain. Right. But here's 00:06:48.420 --> 00:06:50.889 the kicker. The really cool Second City connection. 00:06:51.129 --> 00:06:53.810 He didn't just voice it. He actually co -wrote 00:06:53.810 --> 00:06:56.430 the dialogue, the lines for the game. No way. 00:06:56.589 --> 00:06:59.050 Yeah. With Kevin Dorff, another Second City guy 00:06:59.050 --> 00:07:01.370 who was also in Paradigm Lost. So they were bringing 00:07:01.370 --> 00:07:04.310 that specific Chicago comedy writing sensibility 00:07:04.310 --> 00:07:07.709 to a pinball game. Exactly. It just shows that 00:07:07.709 --> 00:07:09.970 whole ecosystem. These performers, they weren't 00:07:09.970 --> 00:07:11.990 just actors waiting for scripts. They were writers, 00:07:12.089 --> 00:07:14.689 creators, directors applying their skills to 00:07:14.689 --> 00:07:17.949 everything. Award winning reviews, serious PSAs. 00:07:18.829 --> 00:07:20.790 And yeah, coin -op entertainment. Constant hustle, 00:07:20.910 --> 00:07:22.990 constant creation, using every medium they could 00:07:22.990 --> 00:07:25.329 find. Pretty much. That seems to be the Chicago 00:07:25.329 --> 00:07:28.509 way. Okay, so all that success, that recognition 00:07:28.509 --> 00:07:32.189 in Chicago, naturally the next step is off in 00:07:32.189 --> 00:07:34.269 Hollywood, right? Yeah, seems like it. He moved 00:07:34.269 --> 00:07:37.610 out to Los Angeles in 1998. And the initial reason, 00:07:37.850 --> 00:07:40.790 the hook, was actually another old connection. 00:07:41.129 --> 00:07:44.970 What was that? His college friend... Dino Stamatopoulos, 00:07:45.069 --> 00:07:47.470 remember him? They worked together later on Moral 00:07:47.470 --> 00:07:50.389 Oral. Right, right. Dino invited him out to L 00:07:50.389 --> 00:07:52.930 .A. to work on a sketch comedy pilot he was doing. 00:07:53.089 --> 00:07:56.769 Ah, okay. A familiar world. Yeah. Now, the pilot 00:07:56.769 --> 00:07:58.990 itself apparently never actually materialized, 00:07:58.990 --> 00:08:01.110 didn't get picked up. Happens all the time. But 00:08:01.110 --> 00:08:03.730 the move stuck. Adsit stayed in L .A. and he 00:08:03.730 --> 00:08:05.490 started getting work pretty much straight away. 00:08:05.870 --> 00:08:07.649 Commercials, bit parts, you know, the drill. 00:08:07.769 --> 00:08:10.009 But he found his footing pretty quickly in that 00:08:10.009 --> 00:08:12.509 sort of old comedy scene that was bubbling up 00:08:12.509 --> 00:08:14.550 then. Totally. He landed some roles that gave 00:08:14.550 --> 00:08:17.129 him serious cred almost immediately. Like he 00:08:17.129 --> 00:08:19.250 was in six episodes of Mr. Show with Bob and 00:08:19.250 --> 00:08:21.899 David. Which was huge. groundbreaking stuff, 00:08:22.100 --> 00:08:24.339 playing various roles. Yeah, different characters, 00:08:24.439 --> 00:08:27.100 showed he could slot right into that really specific, 00:08:27.300 --> 00:08:30.620 high -concept, absurd style they had. And he 00:08:30.620 --> 00:08:34.299 seemed to have this knack for playing the straight 00:08:34.299 --> 00:08:36.779 man against the chaos. Definitely. You see that 00:08:36.779 --> 00:08:39.940 really clearly in his recurring gig on the Tenacious 00:08:39.940 --> 00:08:42.559 D HBO show. Oh, yeah. He was their neighbor, 00:08:42.639 --> 00:08:45.379 right? He was their neighbor, who also happened 00:08:45.379 --> 00:08:50.159 to be often a demon. Huh. Perfect. That's such 00:08:50.159 --> 00:08:52.700 a great encapsulation. The mundane, slightly 00:08:52.700 --> 00:08:55.580 put upon neighbor who's also a literal demon. 00:08:55.720 --> 00:08:58.620 It's that grounding reality mixed with total 00:08:58.620 --> 00:09:00.919 absurdity. He nails that. He's the perfect foil. 00:09:01.039 --> 00:09:03.559 He keeps the scene somehow anchored while accepting 00:09:03.559 --> 00:09:06.230 the absolute madness around him. And that pattern 00:09:06.230 --> 00:09:08.190 kind of continued with other guest spots, right? 00:09:08.509 --> 00:09:10.490 Recognizable ones. Yeah, he popped up in Friends 00:09:10.490 --> 00:09:13.710 in 2002. Remember Ross and Monica's cousin, Cassie? 00:09:13.789 --> 00:09:15.889 He was in that episode. Vaguely, yeah. And he 00:09:15.889 --> 00:09:17.710 had a really memorable bit as a photographer 00:09:17.710 --> 00:09:20.450 in the Office episode, Conflict Resolution, the 00:09:20.450 --> 00:09:22.289 one where Michael posts everyone's complaints, 00:09:22.529 --> 00:09:25.350 as it's the slightly harassed photographer trying 00:09:25.350 --> 00:09:27.110 to get a group shot. Right. He's the guy who 00:09:27.110 --> 00:09:29.669 comes in, does his job perfectly, makes the main 00:09:29.669 --> 00:09:32.429 character seem even funnier or weirder by comparison, 00:09:32.629 --> 00:09:36.129 and then leaves. Solid character work. Exactly. 00:09:36.129 --> 00:09:37.730 He was building this really solid foundation, 00:09:38.049 --> 00:09:40.649 respected guy, does good work, but maybe still 00:09:40.649 --> 00:09:43.350 waiting for that one defining, long -running 00:09:43.350 --> 00:09:47.450 role. Which brings us to 2005. And this this 00:09:47.450 --> 00:09:49.470 is the moment, the pivotal choice that you mentioned 00:09:49.470 --> 00:09:52.110 earlier. This really shaped the next decade of 00:09:52.110 --> 00:09:54.490 TV comedy, didn't it? It absolutely did. And 00:09:54.490 --> 00:09:56.710 it all comes down to loyalty and maybe trusting 00:09:56.710 --> 00:09:58.730 your gut, trusting your history with someone. 00:09:58.870 --> 00:10:01.669 OK, set the scene. How did it unfold? So he gets 00:10:01.669 --> 00:10:03.789 a phone call. It's from Tina Fey, his old Second 00:10:03.789 --> 00:10:06.309 City castmate. Right. And she says basically, 00:10:06.470 --> 00:10:08.529 hey, I'm writing this new show about a sketch 00:10:08.529 --> 00:10:10.690 comedy program and I'm writing a part specifically 00:10:10.690 --> 00:10:14.470 for you. Wow. OK, that's the dream call. Totally. 00:10:14.870 --> 00:10:17.769 But. At the exact same time, he'd auditioned 00:10:17.769 --> 00:10:21.389 for another show, Aaron Sorkin's highly, highly 00:10:21.389 --> 00:10:24.289 anticipated new series, also about the drama 00:10:24.289 --> 00:10:27.590 behind a TV variety show. Studio 60 on the Sunset 00:10:27.590 --> 00:10:30.169 Strip. Yeah. Remember the buzz around that? Sorkin 00:10:30.169 --> 00:10:33.149 was coming off the West Wing. He was, like, untouchable. 00:10:33.250 --> 00:10:37.269 Exactly. Prestige TV personified the golden boy, 00:10:37.429 --> 00:10:40.129 as Adsit himself apparently put it. So Adsit's 00:10:40.129 --> 00:10:43.259 manager calls him up. And... basically lays it 00:10:43.259 --> 00:10:46.059 out, high stakes time, says something like, look, 00:10:46.159 --> 00:10:47.360 you're probably going to get offered both of 00:10:47.360 --> 00:10:49.360 these. You need to tell me right now, which one 00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:53.200 do you want? Oh, man. Talk about pressure. Because 00:10:53.200 --> 00:10:56.000 the industry wisdom, everyone, would have said 00:10:56.000 --> 00:10:59.100 Sorkin, right? Overwhelmingly, that was the safe 00:10:59.100 --> 00:11:01.399 bet. The guaranteed prestige project from the 00:11:01.399 --> 00:11:03.059 guy who just finished one of the most acclaimed 00:11:03.059 --> 00:11:06.320 dramas ever. And Tina Fey, at that point, she 00:11:06.320 --> 00:11:09.080 was known for SNL, especially Weekend Update, 00:11:09.240 --> 00:11:13.919 but may be seen as... I don't know, edgier? Riskier 00:11:13.919 --> 00:11:16.860 as a showrunner for a primetime sitcom? That 00:11:16.860 --> 00:11:19.039 seems to be how Adsit saw the comparison. He 00:11:19.039 --> 00:11:21.700 described Faye as the lady from Weekend Update 00:11:21.700 --> 00:11:24.440 that riles a lot of people. So Sorkin, the golden 00:11:24.440 --> 00:11:27.039 boy, versus Faye, the known quantity, the respected 00:11:27.039 --> 00:11:29.639 collaborator, but maybe the less obvious career 00:11:29.639 --> 00:11:31.659 move at that exact moment. So what did you do? 00:11:31.779 --> 00:11:34.500 The choice. He chose Faye. His reasoning was 00:11:34.500 --> 00:11:36.580 apparently pretty simple and direct. I had to 00:11:36.580 --> 00:11:38.899 go with somebody I know and respect. I went with 00:11:38.899 --> 00:11:42.860 Tina. Wow, that speaks volumes, doesn't it? Trusting 00:11:42.860 --> 00:11:44.799 the relationship that creative chemistry forged 00:11:44.799 --> 00:11:47.240 back in Chicago over the perceived sure thing. 00:11:47.360 --> 00:11:49.759 It's an incredible lesson in navigating a career. 00:11:50.100 --> 00:11:52.379 And, I mean, look how it played out. 30 Rock 00:11:52.379 --> 00:11:55.100 became this massive, critical, and cult hit, 00:11:55.220 --> 00:11:57.980 ran for seven seasons, redefined comedy. And 00:11:57.980 --> 00:12:00.720 Studio 60. Canceled after one season, didn't 00:12:00.720 --> 00:12:03.539 really land. So by prioritizing that friendship, 00:12:03.679 --> 00:12:06.950 that known creative partnership, Adsit... basically 00:12:06.950 --> 00:12:09.750 secured his place in TV history. You could definitely 00:12:09.750 --> 00:12:12.610 argue that. It was a huge bet on a person and 00:12:12.610 --> 00:12:15.230 it paid off spectacularly. OK, so that decision 00:12:15.230 --> 00:12:18.029 lands in the role of Pete Hornberger on 30 Rock. 00:12:18.149 --> 00:12:19.929 We'll definitely get more into Pete in a bit. 00:12:19.970 --> 00:12:22.070 But here's another layer of complexity to his 00:12:22.070 --> 00:12:24.289 career at this time. Right. Because while he's 00:12:24.289 --> 00:12:27.809 doing 30 Rock, this relatively mainstream Emmy 00:12:27.809 --> 00:12:31.110 winning network sitcom. He's simultaneously deep 00:12:31.110 --> 00:12:33.509 into something completely different, like wildly 00:12:33.509 --> 00:12:35.289 different. in the world of stop -motion animation. 00:12:35.669 --> 00:12:37.970 Yeah, thanks again to that connection with Dino 00:12:37.970 --> 00:12:40.509 Stamatopoulos. This is where you really see the 00:12:40.509 --> 00:12:43.169 depth of Adsit's contribution beyond just acting. 00:12:43.389 --> 00:12:45.370 Their first big collaboration after the L .A. 00:12:45.450 --> 00:12:49.350 move was Moral Oral, right? On Adult Swim. That's 00:12:49.350 --> 00:12:53.049 the one. Ran from 2005 to 2008. And Adsit wasn't 00:12:53.049 --> 00:12:55.250 just, like, a voice on the show. He was core 00:12:55.250 --> 00:12:57.789 creative. He co -directed, co -wrote, and co 00:12:57.789 --> 00:13:00.750 -produced the entire thing with Stamatopoulos 00:13:00.750 --> 00:13:04.250 and Jay Johnston. And Moral Oral? i mean if you've 00:13:04.250 --> 00:13:05.809 seen it you know yeah it looks kind of like those 00:13:05.809 --> 00:13:08.190 old innocent claymation shows like davey and 00:13:08.190 --> 00:13:10.970 goliath yeah that's the surface look but underneath 00:13:10.970 --> 00:13:14.669 oh man it is brutal brutal is the right word 00:13:14.669 --> 00:13:18.539 it's this incredibly dark cutting satire about 00:13:18.539 --> 00:13:21.519 religious hypocrisy, suburban dysfunction, broken 00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:25.100 families, all hiding behind this kids' show veneer. 00:13:25.139 --> 00:13:27.379 It's genuinely unsettling stuff, really pushing 00:13:27.379 --> 00:13:29.519 the boundaries of satire, especially for animation 00:13:29.519 --> 00:13:32.279 back then. And adds its main voice role in this 00:13:32.279 --> 00:13:35.759 incredibly dark show was Clay Puvington. What 00:13:35.759 --> 00:13:38.080 was that? Well, Clay Puppington. And his performance 00:13:38.080 --> 00:13:40.460 as Clay is just masterful in its unpleasantness. 00:13:40.600 --> 00:13:42.860 He got nominated for an Annie Award for it, which 00:13:42.860 --> 00:13:44.899 is animation's big award. What's the voice like? 00:13:44.940 --> 00:13:46.500 How does he capture that character? It's all 00:13:46.500 --> 00:13:48.899 about suppressed rage and disappointment, I think. 00:13:49.179 --> 00:13:52.019 Clay's voice is kind of nasal, very stiff. He's 00:13:52.019 --> 00:13:54.940 always drunk, deeply unhappy, emotionally abusive. 00:13:55.759 --> 00:13:58.539 AdSense gives him this cadence, this vocal texture 00:13:58.539 --> 00:14:01.820 that just perfectly embodies toxic masculinity, 00:14:02.100 --> 00:14:05.820 masking complete brokenness. Constipation, maybe. 00:14:06.100 --> 00:14:09.440 Right. That tightly wound, almost whining quality 00:14:09.440 --> 00:14:12.679 sometimes. It's so specific and so different 00:14:12.679 --> 00:14:16.259 from, say, Pete Hornberger's kind of weary anxiety. 00:14:16.740 --> 00:14:18.940 Worlds apart. And think about the workload on 00:14:18.940 --> 00:14:21.480 that show for him. He's writing, directing, producing, 00:14:21.679 --> 00:14:24.559 and voicing the main antagonist, basically. But 00:14:24.559 --> 00:14:26.519 not just Clay. He did other voices, too. Oh, 00:14:26.519 --> 00:14:28.059 yeah. A whole bunch of them. The list is kind 00:14:28.059 --> 00:14:30.980 of staggering. Doe, Link McMissons, the school 00:14:30.980 --> 00:14:33.519 counselor, Art Pozabule, Dr. Potter's Wheel, 00:14:33.740 --> 00:14:36.179 Billy F - A load of secondary characters. So 00:14:36.179 --> 00:14:38.519 in a single episode, he might be voicing, what, 00:14:38.559 --> 00:14:40.879 10 different characters? Oh. While also having 00:14:40.879 --> 00:14:42.960 directed and written it. Pretty much. It requires 00:14:42.960 --> 00:14:45.480 this incredible vocal agility. You have to switch 00:14:45.480 --> 00:14:47.799 between these distinct voices, often really quietly. 00:14:48.100 --> 00:14:50.919 Which sounds like, well, it sounds like Second 00:14:50.919 --> 00:14:53.100 City improv training again, doesn't it? Creating 00:14:53.100 --> 00:14:55.480 distinct characters on the fly. Exactly. It's 00:14:55.480 --> 00:14:57.850 that same muscle. generating a new character, 00:14:57.929 --> 00:15:00.929 voice, emotional center, boom, instantly. He 00:15:00.929 --> 00:15:03.250 just applied that engine to the very demanding, 00:15:03.350 --> 00:15:05.789 meticulous world of stop motion animation. And 00:15:05.789 --> 00:15:08.309 that collaboration with Stamatopoulos, that dark 00:15:08.309 --> 00:15:10.809 stop motion engine, it didn't stop with Moral 00:15:10.809 --> 00:15:13.169 Oral, did it? Nope. After Moral Oral finished 00:15:13.169 --> 00:15:15.129 its run, they teamed up again pretty quickly 00:15:15.129 --> 00:15:17.509 for Mary Shelley's Frankenholz. Right. Another 00:15:17.509 --> 00:15:20.899 Adult Swim stop motion show. Yeah. Ran tw - 2010 00:15:20.899 --> 00:15:24.120 to 2012, I think. Yeah, two seasons, 20 episodes. 00:15:24.220 --> 00:15:28.179 And again, just bizarre, macabre, funny. It mashed 00:15:28.179 --> 00:15:30.779 up historical figures and monsters in this weird 00:15:30.779 --> 00:15:33.120 laboratory setting. Yeah, and Ed's role was similar. 00:15:33.259 --> 00:15:35.279 Behind the scenes and voicing. Yep, same deal. 00:15:35.379 --> 00:15:37.480 Directing, writing, producing, and voicing key 00:15:37.480 --> 00:15:40.740 characters again. Professor Polidori, the creature, 00:15:40.919 --> 00:15:43.139 Dr. Moreau. Okay, classic horror figures. But 00:15:43.139 --> 00:15:47.799 also Thomas Jefferson. And maybe most provocatively... 00:15:48.429 --> 00:15:51.509 Adolf Hitler. Wow. Okay. Voicing Hitler in a 00:15:51.509 --> 00:15:54.169 comedy show. That's definitely leaning into the 00:15:54.169 --> 00:15:56.750 grotesque. It is. And it really shows, I think, 00:15:56.750 --> 00:15:59.409 his willingness to go to uncomfortable places 00:15:59.409 --> 00:16:02.230 for satire. He's not afraid of controversy or 00:16:02.230 --> 00:16:04.970 darkness if it serves the comedic point, however 00:16:04.970 --> 00:16:07.129 strange or disturbing that point might be. So 00:16:07.129 --> 00:16:09.669 this whole Adult Swim phase running alongside 00:16:09.669 --> 00:16:12.559 30 Rock. It just paints a picture of someone 00:16:12.559 --> 00:16:15.460 who's actively seeking out stuff that's creatively 00:16:15.460 --> 00:16:18.879 challenging, maybe a bit weird, definitely demanding. 00:16:19.080 --> 00:16:21.879 Yeah, not just taking the easy path. He's juggling 00:16:21.879 --> 00:16:25.759 network sitcom stardom with auteur -driven, boundary 00:16:25.759 --> 00:16:28.740 -pushing, cult animation. It's quite the balancing 00:16:28.740 --> 00:16:31.379 act. Okay, so let's pivot back now to the roles 00:16:31.379 --> 00:16:33.460 that probably brought Adsit his widest recognition. 00:16:34.009 --> 00:16:36.049 Yeah. The two roles that, as you said earlier, 00:16:36.190 --> 00:16:37.990 kind of represent these two fascinating poles 00:16:37.990 --> 00:16:40.370 of his career. Exactly. The jaded but relatable 00:16:40.370 --> 00:16:43.149 realist and the the pure embodiment of compassion. 00:16:43.509 --> 00:16:45.649 First up, the cornerstone of his live action 00:16:45.649 --> 00:16:49.090 success. Pete Hornberger on 30 Rock ran from 00:16:49.090 --> 00:16:52.450 2006 to 2013. Pete, you gotta love Pete. He wasn't 00:16:52.450 --> 00:16:54.610 just the producer of TGS, the show within the 00:16:54.610 --> 00:16:57.429 show. He was really the the long suffering conscience 00:16:57.429 --> 00:17:00.009 of the whole operation, wasn't he? Yeah, totally. 00:17:00.269 --> 00:17:02.850 Liz Lemon's oldest friend there, often the voice 00:17:02.850 --> 00:17:06.880 of reason. Or maybe more often, just the embodiment 00:17:06.880 --> 00:17:09.640 of sheer panic and exhaustion in the face of 00:17:09.640 --> 00:17:11.799 all the network craziness. He was so essential 00:17:11.799 --> 00:17:14.220 because he wasn't absurd like Jack Donahue or 00:17:14.220 --> 00:17:16.819 Tracy Jordan or Jenna Maroney. He was the normal 00:17:16.819 --> 00:17:19.240 guy, the everyman, just constantly on the verge 00:17:19.240 --> 00:17:22.440 of... Well, something collapsing. He perfected 00:17:22.440 --> 00:17:25.759 playing that terrified but trying his best vibe, 00:17:25.880 --> 00:17:29.140 that well -meaning competence constantly undermined 00:17:29.140 --> 00:17:31.279 by the chaos around him. And that relatability, 00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:33.920 that grounding he provided was crucial. It allowed 00:17:33.920 --> 00:17:35.940 the show's other characters to be even more surreal 00:17:35.940 --> 00:17:38.900 and out there. Pete was the anchor. And the show 00:17:38.900 --> 00:17:41.339 itself was just a massive success. Critically 00:17:41.339 --> 00:17:43.660 adored. Tons of awards. Seven seasons, yeah. 00:17:43.779 --> 00:17:46.299 I think it got something like 103 Emmy nominations 00:17:46.299 --> 00:17:49.420 over its run. Just huge. So Ed sits shared in 00:17:49.420 --> 00:17:51.460 that success, obviously, part of that legendary 00:17:51.460 --> 00:17:54.099 ensemble. Absolutely. He won a Screen Actors 00:17:54.099 --> 00:17:56.599 Guild Award SAG Award for Outstanding Performance 00:17:56.599 --> 00:17:59.200 by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series back in 2008, 00:17:59.400 --> 00:18:01.559 along with the whole cast. Which really speaks 00:18:01.559 --> 00:18:04.640 to how vital he was to that mix. It wasn't just 00:18:04.640 --> 00:18:07.220 the stars. It was the whole comedic machine working 00:18:07.220 --> 00:18:09.779 together. Definitely. He was indispensable to 00:18:09.779 --> 00:18:12.710 30 Rock's dynamic. Okay, now. Fast forward just 00:18:12.710 --> 00:18:16.390 a year after 30 Rock ends, 2014. Yeah. And we 00:18:16.390 --> 00:18:19.039 get. maybe the most dramatic shift in his entire 00:18:19.039 --> 00:18:22.440 career. Yeah, the leap to Disney animation, voicing 00:18:22.440 --> 00:18:25.299 Baymax in Big Hero 6. It's almost hard to reconcile, 00:18:25.359 --> 00:18:27.920 isn't it? Going from the tightly wound, nervous 00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:31.039 energy of Pete Hornberger. Or the abrasive, nasal 00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:33.819 anger of Clay Puppington in Moral Oral. Right, 00:18:33.940 --> 00:18:36.940 to the voice of Baymax. This incredibly gentle, 00:18:37.240 --> 00:18:40.819 clinical, yet profoundly compassionate, inflatable 00:18:40.819 --> 00:18:43.099 robot. The character itself is built on limitations, 00:18:43.339 --> 00:18:45.599 right? Baymax is a healthcare companion. He's 00:18:45.599 --> 00:18:47.819 programmed for... specific tasks, specific phrases. 00:18:47.900 --> 00:18:50.599 His voice has to be kind of neutral, low inflection 00:18:50.599 --> 00:18:53.400 almost, robotic. But that's the magic of Atsit's 00:18:53.400 --> 00:18:56.160 performance. Within those constraints, he manages 00:18:56.160 --> 00:18:59.380 to convey such genuine warmth, such gentle empathy. 00:18:59.559 --> 00:19:02.339 It's extraordinary. And the filmmakers knew it. 00:19:02.420 --> 00:19:05.299 The producer, Roy Conley, talked about this specifically. 00:19:05.500 --> 00:19:08.960 He praised Atsit, saying he was hilarious, but 00:19:08.960 --> 00:19:12.779 also had this unique ability to... How do you 00:19:12.779 --> 00:19:15.279 put it? Shape the language in a way that makes 00:19:15.279 --> 00:19:17.440 you feel Baymax's emotion and sense of humor. 00:19:17.599 --> 00:19:20.099 Even though he's playing a robot with very limited 00:19:20.099 --> 00:19:22.400 vocal expression. Exactly. That's the skill. 00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:24.960 Conveying deep humanity through deliberate vocal 00:19:24.960 --> 00:19:27.160 restraint. Just compare the actual sound. Yeah. 00:19:27.480 --> 00:19:30.660 Baymax's voice is smooth, deep, measured, almost 00:19:30.660 --> 00:19:34.099 musical in its calm monotone sometimes. And then 00:19:34.099 --> 00:19:37.839 think of Clay Puppington's voice. Harsh. nasal, 00:19:37.880 --> 00:19:40.359 full of tension and bitterness. It's like two 00:19:40.359 --> 00:19:42.779 completely different instruments. The vocal dexterity 00:19:42.779 --> 00:19:45.640 required to do both so convincingly. Yeah. It's 00:19:45.640 --> 00:19:47.700 just incredible. It really is. It's not just 00:19:47.700 --> 00:19:50.740 doing voices. It's modulating everything. Pitch, 00:19:50.880 --> 00:19:53.759 tone, rhythm, emotional underpinning to create 00:19:53.759 --> 00:19:56.160 these radically different beings. That's real 00:19:56.160 --> 00:19:58.200 mastery. And obviously Baymax was a huge hit. 00:19:58.259 --> 00:20:00.259 The character became instantly iconic. Totally. 00:20:00.380 --> 00:20:03.059 And that performance has given Adsit this incredible 00:20:03.059 --> 00:20:04.960 longevity with the character. It wasn't just 00:20:04.960 --> 00:20:07.569 the movie. No, he's re - prized the role so many 00:20:07.569 --> 00:20:10.390 times. There was Big Hero 6. The series on Disney 00:20:10.390 --> 00:20:13.869 Channel ran for several years. Right. 2017 to 00:20:13.869 --> 00:20:17.890 2021. Then the Baymax miniseries on Disney Plus 00:20:17.890 --> 00:20:20.809 in 2022. He was Baymax again in that recent short 00:20:20.809 --> 00:20:23.650 film Once Upon a Studio celebrating Disney's 00:20:23.650 --> 00:20:26.230 100th. And the video games too. Disney Infinity. 00:20:26.970 --> 00:20:29.349 Kingdom Hearts III. He is the voice of Baymax, 00:20:29.470 --> 00:20:31.910 period. Indispensable. But even while he's becoming 00:20:31.910 --> 00:20:34.009 the voice of Disney Compassion, he didn't completely 00:20:34.009 --> 00:20:37.789 abandon the world of more biting adult satire, 00:20:37.789 --> 00:20:40.569 did he? No, not at all. He popped up in HBO's 00:20:40.569 --> 00:20:43.910 Veep, another critically acclaimed sharp satire. 00:20:44.029 --> 00:20:46.130 Who was he in Veep? He played Greg Hart, who 00:20:46.130 --> 00:20:49.029 was a news anchor, I believe. Kind of embodied 00:20:49.029 --> 00:20:52.069 that slick... slightly vacuous media personality. 00:20:52.410 --> 00:20:55.009 He was in eight episodes between 2015 and 2019. 00:20:55.369 --> 00:20:57.230 So that's tapping back into that more anxious 00:20:57.230 --> 00:21:00.029 corporate, maybe slightly smarmy side we saw 00:21:00.029 --> 00:21:02.329 hints of in Pete, but tailored for that brutal 00:21:02.329 --> 00:21:04.950 political environment of Veep. Exactly. And then 00:21:04.950 --> 00:21:07.470 swinging back again to the truly bizarre, he 00:21:07.470 --> 00:21:09.609 showed up in an Adult Swim live action show called 00:21:09.609 --> 00:21:12.730 The Heart She Holler. Oh, wow. That show was 00:21:12.730 --> 00:21:16.930 something else. Very weird. Southern gothic parody. 00:21:17.210 --> 00:21:20.230 Yeah, super strange. starred Patton Oswalt, Kristen 00:21:20.230 --> 00:21:23.829 Schoole. Amy Sedaris was in it, too. And Adsit 00:21:23.829 --> 00:21:26.049 played the corrupt town sheriff. And apparently 00:21:26.049 --> 00:21:28.109 he had great chemistry with Amy Sedaris. This 00:21:28.109 --> 00:21:30.549 is the critics noted, yeah. Which, again, shows 00:21:30.549 --> 00:21:33.549 his adaptability. He can go from the high -status, 00:21:33.549 --> 00:21:36.950 rapid -fire dialogue of Veep to the weird, often 00:21:36.950 --> 00:21:39.509 improvised, backwoods absurdity of something 00:21:39.509 --> 00:21:42.549 like The Heart, She Holler, and Fit Right In. 00:21:42.970 --> 00:21:45.390 It all comes back to that improv grounding, doesn't 00:21:45.390 --> 00:21:47.710 it? Being able to react and play truthfully in 00:21:47.710 --> 00:21:50.029 any situation, no matter how strange. Seems like 00:21:50.029 --> 00:21:52.269 it's the core skill underpinning everything else. 00:21:52.470 --> 00:21:54.289 So if we kind of zoom out now and look at the 00:21:54.289 --> 00:21:56.930 whole picture, all these different threads, what 00:21:56.930 --> 00:21:59.369 pattern emerges? Well, one thing that stands 00:21:59.369 --> 00:22:01.730 out is he's not always chasing the lead role. 00:22:01.950 --> 00:22:04.549 You know, he seems very strategic about taking 00:22:04.549 --> 00:22:06.849 these memorable supporting parts, often in really 00:22:06.849 --> 00:22:09.069 high profile projects. The perfect straight man, 00:22:09.150 --> 00:22:11.990 the character foil. Exactly. The guy who makes 00:22:11.990 --> 00:22:15.250 the scene work makes the stars shine brighter. 00:22:15.720 --> 00:22:17.779 And that keeps him consistently visible across 00:22:17.779 --> 00:22:19.819 all sorts of genres. You see that in his film 00:22:19.819 --> 00:22:21.859 work, too, right? Even the smaller roles. Definitely. 00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:24.700 Like, he popped up in The Italian Job back in 00:22:24.700 --> 00:22:28.200 2003 and The Terminal with Tom Hanks in 2004. 00:22:28.440 --> 00:22:30.480 Often just playing these functional characters, 00:22:30.619 --> 00:22:33.180 a cab driver, I think. Someone who has a brief, 00:22:33.279 --> 00:22:36.359 memorable interaction. He was the rival coach, 00:22:36.500 --> 00:22:39.319 Stu. And Will Ferrell's kicking and screaming. 00:22:39.400 --> 00:22:41.960 That was a fun one. Yeah. And Doctor and We're 00:22:41.960 --> 00:22:44.400 the Millers? Little parts, but they add up. They 00:22:44.400 --> 00:22:46.980 show his reliability, his ability to make a small 00:22:46.980 --> 00:22:48.720 moment land. Okay, and then there's something 00:22:48.720 --> 00:22:51.839 for the real pop culture nerds listening. The 00:22:51.839 --> 00:22:54.619 ultimate meta reference. Ah, yes, the Deadpool 00:22:54.619 --> 00:22:57.759 connection. This is brilliant. Since 2012, apparently, 00:22:57.900 --> 00:23:00.339 there's been a recurring character in Marvel's 00:23:00.339 --> 00:23:04.460 Deadpool comics named Agent Scott Adsit. A S 00:23:04.460 --> 00:23:06.759 -H -I -E -L -D agent, no less, who looks like 00:23:06.759 --> 00:23:09.019 him. That's just perfect, isn't it? It's this 00:23:09.019 --> 00:23:11.539 amazing metanod from the comic world acknowledging 00:23:11.539 --> 00:23:14.839 his place in comedy, linking him to the character 00:23:14.839 --> 00:23:16.819 who's all about breaking the fourth wall. It 00:23:16.819 --> 00:23:19.380 just fits. Totally. It's like the universe acknowledging 00:23:19.380 --> 00:23:22.579 his specific brand of comedic presence. But just 00:23:22.579 --> 00:23:25.039 when you think he's settled into comedy and voice 00:23:25.039 --> 00:23:28.950 work. He throws another curveball. He keeps those 00:23:28.950 --> 00:23:31.369 dramatic muscles working, too. Right. Like, in 00:23:31.369 --> 00:23:34.130 2020, taking on a recurring role in The Walking 00:23:34.130 --> 00:23:37.210 Dead, world beyond. Okay, that's a serious pivot. 00:23:37.430 --> 00:23:41.809 From 30 Rock and Baymax to the grim, post -apocalyptic 00:23:41.809 --> 00:23:43.869 world of The Walking Dead. Plays a character 00:23:43.869 --> 00:23:46.829 named Tony Del Mato. It's a deliberate move back 00:23:46.829 --> 00:23:49.710 into serious, character -driven drama. Again, 00:23:49.829 --> 00:23:51.990 proving you just can't pigeonhole him, he refuses 00:23:51.990 --> 00:23:54.500 to be put in one box. And another thread that 00:23:54.500 --> 00:23:57.339 seems really consistent is his connection to 00:23:57.339 --> 00:23:59.819 the audio world, to podcasting. Yeah, he seems 00:23:59.819 --> 00:24:01.720 really comfortable in that space, especially 00:24:01.720 --> 00:24:04.680 within that sort of Max Funn, John Hodgman extended 00:24:04.680 --> 00:24:07.460 universe. He's been the guest bailiff on Hodgman's 00:24:07.460 --> 00:24:09.619 podcast, Judge John Hodgman, multiple times, 00:24:09.700 --> 00:24:11.359 right? Yeah, three episodes mentioned in our 00:24:11.359 --> 00:24:13.460 sources. And he was also in Hodgman's Netflix 00:24:13.460 --> 00:24:16.460 special, Ragnarok, playing himself. It shows 00:24:16.460 --> 00:24:18.359 he's still very much part of that collaborative 00:24:18.359 --> 00:24:21.319 modern comedy scene, working with friends. Which 00:24:21.319 --> 00:24:23.970 ties into maybe the... most telling thing about 00:24:23.970 --> 00:24:26.170 his commitment to the craft. His live improv 00:24:26.170 --> 00:24:30.009 work. Exactly. Despite all the success, TV, movies, 00:24:30.069 --> 00:24:32.849 major animation, he still performs live improv 00:24:32.849 --> 00:24:35.769 regularly. Yeah. He has these ongoing doer shows, 00:24:36.029 --> 00:24:38.170 John and Scott with John Lutz, who was also on 00:24:38.170 --> 00:24:40.990 30 Rock. Lutz, right. And Adsit and Eveleth with 00:24:40.990 --> 00:24:43.509 Jet Eveleth, another amazing improviser. And 00:24:43.509 --> 00:24:46.210 he teaches, too, right, at places like Iowa West 00:24:46.210 --> 00:24:49.480 and UCB, Upright Citizens Brigade. Mm -hmm. And 00:24:49.480 --> 00:24:51.920 that's key because teaching and performing live 00:24:51.920 --> 00:24:55.119 improv, it's not just like a hobby or nostalgia. 00:24:55.200 --> 00:24:57.819 It's actively keeping those core skills sharp. 00:24:57.900 --> 00:25:00.059 The instantaneous creativity, the listening, 00:25:00.180 --> 00:25:02.299 the collaboration. All the stuff that made him 00:25:02.299 --> 00:25:04.779 so good in those fast -paced writer's rooms or 00:25:04.779 --> 00:25:07.900 recording booths for 30 Rock or Moral Oral. He's 00:25:07.900 --> 00:25:09.980 constantly honing the instrument. And he's still 00:25:09.980 --> 00:25:11.759 working constantly. The output hasn't really 00:25:11.759 --> 00:25:14.440 slowed down. No kidding. Recently, he voiced 00:25:14.440 --> 00:25:17.539 peer pressure in the new Megamind animated series 00:25:17.539 --> 00:25:20.920 and the movie Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate. 00:25:21.119 --> 00:25:23.339 Still doing voice work for shows like Teenage 00:25:23.339 --> 00:25:27.019 Euthanasia. And there's a movie listed as currently 00:25:27.019 --> 00:25:29.539 filming called What the Fike is My Password. 00:25:29.700 --> 00:25:33.299 Huh. Okay. Sounds intriguing. But yeah, he just 00:25:33.299 --> 00:25:35.440 seems to operate at this incredible pace, suggesting 00:25:35.440 --> 00:25:38.160 he just genuinely loves the work, loves the process, 00:25:38.299 --> 00:25:40.480 whatever the medium is. A true working actor. 00:25:40.599 --> 00:25:43.480 In the best sense. Hashtag tag outro. So when 00:25:43.480 --> 00:25:45.400 you pull it all together, all these pieces we've 00:25:45.400 --> 00:25:48.319 talked about, what's the big takeaway from this 00:25:48.319 --> 00:25:51.299 deep dive into Scott Adsit's career? For me, 00:25:51.299 --> 00:25:54.599 it really comes down to a couple of things. Loyalty 00:25:54.599 --> 00:25:57.359 is huge. Yeah, that Faye decision looms large. 00:25:57.619 --> 00:25:59.319 Definitely. Choosing that known relationship, 00:25:59.500 --> 00:26:02.079 that trusted collaborator over the maybe more 00:26:02.079 --> 00:26:05.599 obvious prestige choice, that defines so much. 00:26:05.599 --> 00:26:07.480 He valued the connection. And the other thing 00:26:07.480 --> 00:26:11.569 is that incredible ability to bring... humanity, 00:26:11.630 --> 00:26:14.269 real feeling to characters who are often defined 00:26:14.269 --> 00:26:16.730 by constraints. Right. Whether it's the absurdity 00:26:16.730 --> 00:26:19.250 surrounding Pete Hornberger or the literal programming 00:26:19.250 --> 00:26:22.690 of Baymax or even the grotesque limitations of 00:26:22.690 --> 00:26:25.769 Clay Puppington. He finds the human core in there. 00:26:26.539 --> 00:26:29.599 Or, in Baymax's case, creates a believable simulation 00:26:29.599 --> 00:26:33.099 of it that feels just as real. He injects that 00:26:33.099 --> 00:26:37.480 spectrum of emotion, weary resignation, pure 00:26:37.480 --> 00:26:41.059 compassion, bitter anger into these really specific 00:26:41.059 --> 00:26:44.059 frameworks. He perfected that performance duality. 00:26:44.220 --> 00:26:46.539 Absolutely. Thriving in the darkest corners of 00:26:46.539 --> 00:26:49.500 Adult Swim satire, writing, directing, voicing 00:26:49.500 --> 00:26:51.960 clay, even Hitler. While simultaneously becoming 00:26:51.960 --> 00:26:54.960 the voice of maybe the kindest, most purely empathetic 00:26:54.960 --> 00:26:56.650 character in Marvel. modern Disney animation. 00:26:57.390 --> 00:26:59.910 Successfully navigating those two extremes, often 00:26:59.910 --> 00:27:02.009 within the same few years. That's the signature 00:27:02.009 --> 00:27:03.609 of his whole career, isn't it? It really is. 00:27:03.730 --> 00:27:05.109 And maybe that's the final thought to leave you 00:27:05.109 --> 00:27:07.109 all with. Just consider the kind of, I don't 00:27:07.109 --> 00:27:08.930 know, mental and artistic flexibility that it 00:27:08.930 --> 00:27:11.630 requires. Yeah. To operate at both those poles, 00:27:11.930 --> 00:27:14.589 from satire so dark it's used in rehab programs, 00:27:14.849 --> 00:27:17.509 to the most gentle, soothing voice imaginable, 00:27:17.529 --> 00:27:20.089 designed purely to heal. Scott Adsit mastered 00:27:20.089 --> 00:27:22.890 that incredible range. A true architect of both 00:27:22.890 --> 00:27:27.240 comedy and, surprisingly, A fascinating career, 00:27:27.359 --> 00:27:29.339 a really phenomenal deep dive. Thanks for joining 00:27:29.339 --> 00:27:31.839 us to explore the sources on Sky Adsit. Yeah. 00:27:32.359 --> 00:27:34.319 Thanks, everyone. We'll catch you on the next 00:27:34.319 --> 00:27:34.799 deep dive.