WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.180 OK, let's unpack this. When you hear the name 00:00:02.180 --> 00:00:05.480 Andy Richter, your immediate mental snapshot 00:00:05.480 --> 00:00:08.859 is probably him next to Conan O 'Brien, right? 00:00:08.880 --> 00:00:11.599 Yeah, absolutely. That large kind of affable 00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:14.039 presence, you know, always on the couch. The 00:00:14.039 --> 00:00:17.039 sidekick. He is pretty much the definitive modern 00:00:17.039 --> 00:00:18.940 sidekick in a lot of people's minds. Sort of 00:00:18.940 --> 00:00:22.820 the steady, genial ballast against Conan's, well, 00:00:22.899 --> 00:00:26.879 you know. Exactly. And that stability, that constant 00:00:26.879 --> 00:00:29.699 presence, it's really kind of a magnificent piece 00:00:29.699 --> 00:00:32.179 of performance art in itself. Because, you know, 00:00:32.200 --> 00:00:33.960 when you actually dig into his whole career, 00:00:34.119 --> 00:00:37.600 you realize Paul Andrew Richter, born October 00:00:37.600 --> 00:00:41.520 28th, 1966, he's actually a master of creative 00:00:41.520 --> 00:00:44.259 restlessness. Restlessness. Yeah. He is a writer, 00:00:44.320 --> 00:00:45.899 a comedian, an actor, a talk show announcer, 00:00:46.020 --> 00:00:48.820 sure. But he's also like a huge voice actor. 00:00:48.880 --> 00:00:50.929 His characters span decades. Right. And he was 00:00:50.929 --> 00:00:52.990 the sitcom star, you know, whose shows critics 00:00:52.990 --> 00:00:56.030 loved but audiences kind of ignored. And even, 00:00:56.090 --> 00:00:58.750 get this, a competitive game show champion. Okay, 00:00:58.789 --> 00:01:00.850 so that tension you mentioned between, like, 00:01:00.909 --> 00:01:02.890 the safety of being the sidekick and that constant 00:01:02.890 --> 00:01:05.069 itch to be the leading guy, that's kind of what 00:01:05.069 --> 00:01:07.150 we're diving into today. Precisely. Because, 00:01:07.230 --> 00:01:09.409 yeah, his defining roles, you can't argue with 00:01:09.409 --> 00:01:12.730 it. It's the three shows with O 'Brien, Late 00:01:12.730 --> 00:01:16.129 Night, back in 93 to 2000. Right. The Tonight 00:01:16.129 --> 00:01:19.989 Show, that, uh... Brief 2009 -2010 stint. Very 00:01:19.989 --> 00:01:22.810 brief, yeah. And then Conan on TBS right up until 00:01:22.810 --> 00:01:26.510 2021. But the sources, they really paint a much 00:01:26.510 --> 00:01:29.090 richer and honestly more complicated picture 00:01:29.090 --> 00:01:31.670 of what success means in Hollywood. You might 00:01:31.670 --> 00:01:34.790 know his face from Late Night, absolutely. But 00:01:34.790 --> 00:01:36.430 you have definitely heard his voice everywhere. 00:01:36.909 --> 00:01:39.790 Think about Mort in the Madagascar movies. Oh, 00:01:39.790 --> 00:01:42.530 yeah. The little lemur guy. That's him. That 00:01:42.530 --> 00:01:45.069 frantic, high pitched, you know, totally beloved 00:01:45.069 --> 00:01:47.489 lemur. That's Andy Richter. Yeah. And that role 00:01:47.489 --> 00:01:50.730 has like outlasted almost every single live action 00:01:50.730 --> 00:01:53.109 thing he's done. Wow. Or think about the title 00:01:53.109 --> 00:01:55.310 of that show he did. The one critics loved but 00:01:55.310 --> 00:01:57.489 got canceled. Andy Richter controls the universe. 00:01:57.769 --> 00:02:00.849 Ah, yeah. The irony. The irony is just it defines 00:02:00.849 --> 00:02:02.629 the whole arc we're going to trace here. So he's 00:02:02.629 --> 00:02:04.450 someone who basically perfected being number 00:02:04.450 --> 00:02:06.989 two. Right. Which gave him incredible security. 00:02:07.370 --> 00:02:10.479 And stability. But he kept pushing. his good 00:02:10.479 --> 00:02:12.560 fortune that's how he put it right towards being 00:02:12.560 --> 00:02:15.439 a lead having creative control often getting 00:02:15.439 --> 00:02:18.360 great reviews and then poof commercial failure 00:02:18.360 --> 00:02:20.379 yeah that's the pattern so we really need to 00:02:20.379 --> 00:02:23.419 look at the guy who chose to walk away from arguably 00:02:23.419 --> 00:02:26.300 one of the best jobs in comedy yeah only to find 00:02:26.300 --> 00:02:29.419 himself you know choosing again and again to 00:02:29.419 --> 00:02:33.389 come back home yeah so To get that drive, you 00:02:33.389 --> 00:02:36.110 know, that mix of wanting stability but also 00:02:36.110 --> 00:02:38.569 being restless, we got to look at where he started. 00:02:38.689 --> 00:02:41.409 Not just Michigan, but Yorkville, Illinois, where 00:02:41.409 --> 00:02:44.150 he grew up. Second of four kids. And the forces, 00:02:44.189 --> 00:02:46.889 they detail a really interesting kind of non 00:02:46.889 --> 00:02:49.490 -traditional family background. Yeah. Which might 00:02:49.490 --> 00:02:51.509 have, you know, influenced how comfortable he 00:02:51.509 --> 00:02:53.509 was with change, with shifting environments. 00:02:53.689 --> 00:02:56.030 How so? Well, his mother, Glenda Swanson, she 00:02:56.030 --> 00:02:58.250 designed kitchen cabinets. Yeah. And his father, 00:02:58.389 --> 00:03:00.330 Lawrence R. Richter, he was a respected academic. 00:03:00.810 --> 00:03:03.110 Taught Russian at Indiana University for like 00:03:03.110 --> 00:03:05.389 over 30 years. Okay. Academic background. But 00:03:05.389 --> 00:03:07.389 the family structure itself changed pretty early 00:03:07.389 --> 00:03:09.569 on. His parents divorced when he was only four. 00:03:09.750 --> 00:03:12.349 Wow. Young. Yeah. And a really crucial piece 00:03:12.349 --> 00:03:15.469 of his biography is that his father later came 00:03:15.469 --> 00:03:18.469 out as bisexual. Right. I read that. So that 00:03:18.469 --> 00:03:22.090 backdrop of change, you know, maybe some early 00:03:22.090 --> 00:03:25.090 life instability, that can often be a powerful 00:03:25.090 --> 00:03:27.389 motivator for someone. Either they seek control, 00:03:27.610 --> 00:03:31.310 structure, you know, comfort. Or they get really 00:03:31.310 --> 00:03:33.330 good at adapting. This is exactly what you need 00:03:33.330 --> 00:03:35.840 in improv, right? Absolutely. And speaking of 00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:38.460 excelling, here's a great little detail. It puts 00:03:38.460 --> 00:03:41.419 him in that future star category way before New 00:03:41.419 --> 00:03:44.080 York. He graduated from Yorkville High School 00:03:44.080 --> 00:03:47.400 in 84. OK. And he was elected prom king. Prom 00:03:47.400 --> 00:03:50.639 king. Get out. Seriously. Literally the king 00:03:50.639 --> 00:03:53.000 of his small town before he became, you know, 00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:55.379 the trusted lieutenant to a late night king. 00:03:55.560 --> 00:03:57.900 That's fantastic. His path after high school, 00:03:57.919 --> 00:04:00.199 though, it initially suggested maybe a career 00:04:00.199 --> 00:04:02.449 behind the camera. He went to the University 00:04:02.449 --> 00:04:04.969 of Illinois at Urbana -Champaign, then Columbia 00:04:04.969 --> 00:04:08.469 College Chicago. Focusing heavily on film studies. 00:04:08.669 --> 00:04:10.229 Right. He wasn't thinking about being the guy 00:04:10.229 --> 00:04:12.370 on stage at first. He was thinking writing, directing. 00:04:13.039 --> 00:04:15.520 That kind of stuff. Exactly. He left Columbia 00:04:15.520 --> 00:04:18.339 in 88, started doing the classic hustle, you 00:04:18.339 --> 00:04:21.040 know, production assistant on commercial shoots 00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:23.779 in Chicago. Right. The grunt work. Totally. The 00:04:23.779 --> 00:04:26.060 kind of grinding job that really teaches you 00:04:26.060 --> 00:04:28.899 the nuts and bolts of making TV. But the really 00:04:28.899 --> 00:04:31.939 crucial move, the pivot, comes in 89 when he 00:04:31.939 --> 00:04:35.680 finds his true calling, Chicago improv. Ah, yes. 00:04:36.120 --> 00:04:38.600 Improv Olympic. He started taking classes there. 00:04:38.759 --> 00:04:40.920 And for anyone who doesn't know the Chicago scene, 00:04:41.160 --> 00:04:43.589 this wasn't just like. like a comedy club. It 00:04:43.589 --> 00:04:46.629 was a powerhouse. Oh, yeah. A factory for a specific 00:04:46.629 --> 00:04:49.149 style, right? Yeah. Intelligent, character -driven, 00:04:49.149 --> 00:04:52.730 long -form stuff required deep listening, total 00:04:52.730 --> 00:04:56.730 commitment to these absurd ideas. And his rise 00:04:56.730 --> 00:04:58.949 there was incredibly fast. Within a year, he 00:04:58.949 --> 00:05:01.790 goes from student to house performer. That says 00:05:01.790 --> 00:05:04.310 a lot. Speaks volumes about his natural comedic 00:05:04.310 --> 00:05:06.810 brain, his timing. He also branched out, did 00:05:06.810 --> 00:05:09.189 stuff at the Comedy Underground, and importantly, 00:05:09.509 --> 00:05:11.930 the Annoyance Theater. The Annoyance. That's 00:05:11.930 --> 00:05:13.829 where the bridge to TV really got built, wasn't 00:05:13.829 --> 00:05:15.870 it? That's the one. The breakthrough came from 00:05:15.870 --> 00:05:18.470 this really bizarre but brilliant high -concept 00:05:18.470 --> 00:05:21.949 show they did, The Real Live Brady Bunch. Oh, 00:05:21.949 --> 00:05:24.449 I remember hearing about this. Genius idea. Pure 00:05:24.449 --> 00:05:26.910 d***. genius. They performed actual scripts from 00:05:26.910 --> 00:05:30.569 the old 70s sitcom Word for Word, including like 00:05:30.569 --> 00:05:33.889 the awkward pauses, the canned laughter cues, 00:05:34.250 --> 00:05:36.870 everything. Hilarious. And it got big, right? 00:05:36.889 --> 00:05:39.769 National attention. Huge success. And when the 00:05:39.769 --> 00:05:41.829 show was ready to move to New York City, Richter 00:05:41.829 --> 00:05:44.610 saw his opening. The actor playing Mike Brady, 00:05:44.829 --> 00:05:47.730 the dad, decided not to go. So Richter lobbied 00:05:47.730 --> 00:05:50.370 the producer, Joey Soloway, got the part, playing 00:05:50.370 --> 00:05:52.889 the straight man patriarch in this super weird 00:05:52.889 --> 00:05:56.220 parody. It put him on the map for a whole new 00:05:56.220 --> 00:05:58.379 audience, industry people. And that's where the 00:05:58.379 --> 00:06:00.120 connections start clicking into place. Exactly. 00:06:00.459 --> 00:06:03.180 Two of his co -stars from that show, Beth Cahill 00:06:03.180 --> 00:06:05.139 and Melanie Hutzel, they played the Brady girls. 00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:07.139 Right. They got hired for Saturday Night Live. 00:06:07.379 --> 00:06:10.120 And through them hanging out after shows, Richter 00:06:10.120 --> 00:06:14.199 meets SNL writer Robert Smigel. Ah, Smigel. The 00:06:14.199 --> 00:06:16.899 key figure. The key figure. Smigel was getting 00:06:16.899 --> 00:06:19.860 ready to launch this new, untested late night 00:06:19.860 --> 00:06:22.660 show for a totally unknown host named Conan O 00:06:22.660 --> 00:06:25.920 'Brien. And Smigel was impressed enough to hire 00:06:25.920 --> 00:06:28.480 Richter a couple years later for Late Night with 00:06:28.480 --> 00:06:31.319 Conan O 'Brien. Oh wait, he hired him as a writer 00:06:31.319 --> 00:06:33.620 first, right? Yeah. Not to be on camera. Correct. 00:06:33.699 --> 00:06:36.379 Hired him as a writer. Drawing on that film school 00:06:36.379 --> 00:06:39.939 background, that quick improv mind. Fate. Had 00:06:39.939 --> 00:06:42.199 other plans. Okay, so that leads us right into 00:06:42.199 --> 00:06:45.939 the Conan Chronicle. The birth of the, you could 00:06:45.939 --> 00:06:48.259 say, accidental sidekick. Totally accidental. 00:06:49.339 --> 00:06:52.519 What's wild is that this partnership, which basically 00:06:52.519 --> 00:06:56.600 defined TV comedy for... Like, two decades. It 00:06:56.600 --> 00:06:58.699 didn't start with casting. It started with, like, 00:06:58.740 --> 00:07:01.360 a technical need. It's the classic Hollywood 00:07:01.360 --> 00:07:03.459 right place, right time story, isn't it? Yeah. 00:07:03.579 --> 00:07:05.139 The show's in rehearsals. They need someone to 00:07:05.139 --> 00:07:07.439 sit next to Conan on set. Just to test the lights, 00:07:07.439 --> 00:07:10.120 the mics. Yeah, a warm body. So Smigel, meeting 00:07:10.120 --> 00:07:12.339 someone, just sends Richter out there. And boom, 00:07:12.480 --> 00:07:14.939 instant chemistry. Smigel noticed it right away. 00:07:15.800 --> 00:07:19.279 This strong rapport, as the sources put it, it 00:07:19.279 --> 00:07:21.560 wasn't like the old Ed McMahon style, you know, 00:07:21.579 --> 00:07:23.579 just the announcer. No, totally different. This 00:07:23.579 --> 00:07:26.720 was dynamic. Improvisational. Richter could be 00:07:26.720 --> 00:07:28.800 the straight man. He could jump in. He could 00:07:28.800 --> 00:07:31.240 be genuinely confused, just like the audience. 00:07:31.480 --> 00:07:33.620 Yeah, he wore a lot of hats right from the start. 00:07:33.819 --> 00:07:37.180 So just weeks before the premiere in 93, Richter 00:07:37.180 --> 00:07:39.899 shifts completely. From the writing staff to 00:07:39.899 --> 00:07:42.680 being the on -camera sidekick. The co -host, 00:07:42.740 --> 00:07:44.779 basically. And he ended up doing, what, over 00:07:44.779 --> 00:07:48.379 1 ,200 episodes in that first run? 1 ,247 episodes, 00:07:48.579 --> 00:07:51.199 yeah. All while still writing, still contributing 00:07:51.199 --> 00:07:54.410 jokes for sketches, for the monologue. He was 00:07:54.410 --> 00:07:56.610 performing, but he was deep in the creative process, 00:07:56.709 --> 00:08:00.110 too. So he finds this incredible niche, right? 00:08:00.569 --> 00:08:04.589 Fame. Stability, creative satisfaction. But that 00:08:04.589 --> 00:08:06.430 restless thing we talked about, that need to 00:08:06.430 --> 00:08:08.569 test his good fortune. It kicks in. It kicks 00:08:08.569 --> 00:08:12.089 in. May 26, 2000. Richter makes a calculated 00:08:12.089 --> 00:08:14.350 move to walk away. Which was stunning at the 00:08:14.350 --> 00:08:16.829 time. People were like, what? Why? He wasn't 00:08:16.829 --> 00:08:18.810 leaving because things were bad. No, not at all. 00:08:18.910 --> 00:08:21.370 He left purely to scratch that creative itch. 00:08:21.370 --> 00:08:23.389 The sidekick role, even with the writing, it 00:08:23.389 --> 00:08:25.439 just wasn't enough anymore. He gave this amazing 00:08:25.439 --> 00:08:27.420 quote. It's so philosophical. It really sums 00:08:27.420 --> 00:08:30.300 up his whole career conflict, I think. He said, 00:08:30.439 --> 00:08:33.000 after seven years of being on the show, I got 00:08:33.000 --> 00:08:35.899 itchy. Right. I have a philosophy that if you 00:08:35.899 --> 00:08:39.120 enjoy good fortune, you should try and push it. 00:08:39.279 --> 00:08:41.360 You should see how much you can stretch your 00:08:41.360 --> 00:08:43.860 good fortune. And I was curious. Curious. He 00:08:43.860 --> 00:08:46.299 wanted to know if he could be the main guy. The 00:08:46.299 --> 00:08:47.960 one in control of the universe, so to speak. 00:08:48.100 --> 00:08:51.019 Exactly. And that curiosity, that launches the 00:08:51.019 --> 00:08:55.340 seven -year detour, the solo quest. But, you 00:08:55.340 --> 00:08:57.519 know, eventually he came back. He did indeed. 00:08:57.909 --> 00:09:00.409 So let's fast forward almost a decade. Conan's 00:09:00.409 --> 00:09:03.029 making the huge move to L .A., taking over The 00:09:03.029 --> 00:09:06.190 Tonight Show. Big deal. Massive deal and huge 00:09:06.190 --> 00:09:09.350 pressure. And on February 24, 2009, Richter officially 00:09:09.350 --> 00:09:11.590 returns. But initially it was just supposed to 00:09:11.590 --> 00:09:13.850 be as the announcer, right? Yeah. More formal. 00:09:13.870 --> 00:09:16.330 Yeah, that was the plan. Yeah. Announcer. But 00:09:16.330 --> 00:09:18.850 man, that transition back to the classic dynamic. 00:09:19.070 --> 00:09:22.950 It was fast and powerful. The audience wanted 00:09:22.950 --> 00:09:25.710 it. Conan wanted it. You could feel it. He quickly 00:09:25.710 --> 00:09:27.929 started doing more sketches, interacting during 00:09:27.929 --> 00:09:30.389 the monologue again, all the stuff that made 00:09:30.389 --> 00:09:32.730 him essential on late night. And by December 00:09:32.730 --> 00:09:35.649 2009, he was back on the couch during interviews. 00:09:36.129 --> 00:09:39.049 Full sidekick mode resumed. Full circle. But 00:09:39.049 --> 00:09:41.909 the really critical thing here is why he came 00:09:41.909 --> 00:09:44.629 back, especially after spending seven years trying 00:09:44.629 --> 00:09:46.769 to make it solo. Was it just the friendship? 00:09:47.049 --> 00:09:49.590 Well, the friendship was huge, obviously. But 00:09:49.590 --> 00:09:52.350 the sources point to something deeper, a realization 00:09:52.350 --> 00:09:54.980 about the difference between You know, actively 00:09:54.980 --> 00:09:58.159 working versus just waiting around in Hollywood. 00:09:58.399 --> 00:10:01.159 Ah, development hell. Exactly. This is where 00:10:01.159 --> 00:10:04.019 we get that brilliant plumber analogy. Richter 00:10:04.019 --> 00:10:06.480 talked about being so relieved, so happy just 00:10:06.480 --> 00:10:09.340 to have a steady paycheck again. And specifically, 00:10:09.480 --> 00:10:11.840 avoiding that soul -crushing development process. 00:10:12.200 --> 00:10:14.720 He'd spent years pitching shows, writing pilots, 00:10:14.879 --> 00:10:17.120 getting network notes, waiting. Yeah, and he 00:10:17.120 --> 00:10:19.419 described it so vividly. He said, I felt like 00:10:19.419 --> 00:10:21.039 a plumber who kept going into the building and 00:10:21.039 --> 00:10:23.379 saying, can we put some pipes together? and watching 00:10:23.379 --> 00:10:26.200 my wrenches gather dust. Wow. That perfectly 00:10:26.200 --> 00:10:28.559 captures it, doesn't it? The frustration. Totally. 00:10:28.639 --> 00:10:30.519 You've got the talent, you've got the tools, 00:10:30.679 --> 00:10:32.899 but the industry just keeps you waiting, keeps 00:10:32.899 --> 00:10:35.600 you uncertain. Going back to late night, that 00:10:35.600 --> 00:10:38.980 meant instant creative satisfaction every single 00:10:38.980 --> 00:10:42.740 night. A secure job. Totally different from trying 00:10:42.740 --> 00:10:44.879 to get a show made only to have it fall apart. 00:10:45.100 --> 00:10:48.289 So it was a choice for like... effectiveness, 00:10:48.289 --> 00:10:51.470 stability over that kind of agonizing ambition. 00:10:51.649 --> 00:10:54.269 I think so. And after that brief, crazy tonight 00:10:54.269 --> 00:10:56.429 show period ended. Which ironically probably 00:10:56.429 --> 00:10:58.769 made their bond even stronger. Absolutely. Richter 00:10:58.769 --> 00:11:00.809 just followed Conan straight to TVS in 2010. 00:11:01.190 --> 00:11:03.950 Seamless transition. And for the next 11 years 00:11:03.950 --> 00:11:06.990 on Conan, he did it all again. Writer, announcer, 00:11:07.210 --> 00:11:09.669 sidekick, sketch guy. Right up until the end 00:11:09.669 --> 00:11:12.899 in 2021. Stability became his anchor. But to 00:11:12.899 --> 00:11:14.919 really get why he needed that anchor, we have 00:11:14.919 --> 00:11:17.039 to rewind to that seven year gap, the solo quest 00:11:17.039 --> 00:11:19.759 from 2000 to 2009. It really shows that brutal 00:11:19.759 --> 00:11:21.759 difference between critical acclaim and actual 00:11:21.759 --> 00:11:23.759 commercial success. Yeah, he left late night 00:11:23.759 --> 00:11:25.919 in 2000 totally determined. He wanted to be the 00:11:25.919 --> 00:11:28.659 star, the writer, the lead. And his first big 00:11:28.659 --> 00:11:31.559 shot. maybe his most ambitious creatively, was 00:11:31.559 --> 00:11:33.799 that Fox series, Andy Richter Controls the Universe. 00:11:34.059 --> 00:11:36.799 Such a great title. High concept comedy, right? 00:11:36.940 --> 00:11:39.500 He played a struggling writer, narrated the show, 00:11:39.659 --> 00:11:42.340 his inner thoughts would pop up visually. Yeah, 00:11:42.399 --> 00:11:45.039 breaking the fourth wall constantly. Meta commentary 00:11:45.039 --> 00:11:48.639 on his life on sitcoms. Yeah. Really smart stuff. 00:11:48.799 --> 00:11:50.879 Critics went nuts for it. They called it intelligent, 00:11:51.080 --> 00:11:54.379 unique, different from anything else on TV. Absolutely 00:11:54.379 --> 00:11:57.740 loved it. But complex, clever comedy doesn't 00:11:57.740 --> 00:12:00.580 always mean big ratings. especially on Fox back 00:12:00.580 --> 00:12:02.899 then. Right. So despite the buzz, despite the 00:12:02.899 --> 00:12:05.139 great reviews, it got canceled after just two 00:12:05.139 --> 00:12:08.179 short mid -season runs. Ouch. Then he followed 00:12:08.179 --> 00:12:10.480 that up with another Fox sitcom, Quintuplets, 00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:13.360 more traditional multicam. Also short -lived. 00:12:13.480 --> 00:12:15.899 Just one season. The pattern was starting to 00:12:15.899 --> 00:12:18.299 emerge, wasn't it? High hopes, smart comedy. 00:12:18.679 --> 00:12:20.639 Network impatience. But the ultimate example 00:12:20.639 --> 00:12:22.879 of this contradiction, this critical success 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:25.480 versus commercial failure, has to be Andy Barker, 00:12:25.480 --> 00:12:28.879 P .I. in 2007. Ah, yes. This one felt like it 00:12:28.879 --> 00:12:30.720 should have worked. It was a reunion, right? 00:12:30.860 --> 00:12:33.200 Co -written and executive produced by Conan O 00:12:33.200 --> 00:12:35.659 'Brien himself. You'd think that pairing would 00:12:35.659 --> 00:12:39.240 guarantee something. But no. It became this heartbreaking 00:12:39.240 --> 00:12:42.580 example of quality. Just not finding an audience. 00:12:42.919 --> 00:12:45.700 The premise was so charming, too. Richter played 00:12:45.700 --> 00:12:48.320 Andy Barker, this super meticulous accountant. 00:12:48.840 --> 00:12:50.940 But he's kind of struggling for clients. Right. 00:12:51.100 --> 00:12:53.240 Moves into an office where the last tenant was 00:12:53.240 --> 00:12:55.539 a private eye. And people mistake him for the 00:12:55.539 --> 00:12:59.100 PI. So he starts accidentally solving cases while 00:12:59.100 --> 00:13:01.740 still being obsessed with, like, spreadsheets 00:13:01.740 --> 00:13:05.200 and receipts. A gentle noir parody. It sounds 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:08.600 great. Smart, character -driven. It was. Fantastic 00:13:08.600 --> 00:13:11.789 writing. Yeah. But it aired on NBC. And the ratings 00:13:11.789 --> 00:13:14.970 were just shockingly bad. Right out of the gate. 00:13:15.149 --> 00:13:17.090 Canceled almost immediately. Man, that feeling 00:13:17.090 --> 00:13:19.330 of the wrenches gathering dust must have been 00:13:19.330 --> 00:13:21.509 intense then. You have to imagine. But here's 00:13:21.509 --> 00:13:23.950 the final ironic twist for that show. After it 00:13:23.950 --> 00:13:26.970 was canceled. Entertainment Weekly. Huge magazine 00:13:26.970 --> 00:13:29.789 back then. Yeah. Named Andy Barker. PI. One of 00:13:29.789 --> 00:13:31.970 the top ten shows of 2007. After it was already 00:13:31.970 --> 00:13:34.870 dead. Exactly. So the lesson here is pretty clear. 00:13:35.110 --> 00:13:38.720 Right? The critics got it. They recognized Richter's 00:13:38.720 --> 00:13:41.000 unique voice as a lead, that mix of absurdity 00:13:41.000 --> 00:13:43.919 and deadpan. But the networks, the wider audience, 00:13:44.100 --> 00:13:46.960 they couldn't quite figure out where he fit if 00:13:46.960 --> 00:13:49.700 he wasn't next to Conan. It was purely a commercial 00:13:49.700 --> 00:13:52.419 failure, not a creative one. Which makes that 00:13:52.419 --> 00:13:55.059 call to rejoin Conan for The Tonight Show in 00:13:55.059 --> 00:13:57.500 2009 seem like such a huge relief, you know? 00:13:57.559 --> 00:14:00.600 A return to functional creative security. Absolutely. 00:14:00.679 --> 00:14:03.399 He tested the limits, pushed his fortune, and 00:14:03.399 --> 00:14:05.909 found that Solopath was... Rewarding creatively, 00:14:06.210 --> 00:14:09.210 sure, but just exhausting institutionally. But 00:14:09.210 --> 00:14:11.649 his work ethic didn't just stop. Even with the 00:14:11.649 --> 00:14:14.129 stability, if we look beyond the talk shows and 00:14:14.129 --> 00:14:16.690 the canceled sitcoms, the sheer range of his 00:14:16.690 --> 00:14:18.929 other work is kind of staggering. Yeah, let's 00:14:18.929 --> 00:14:20.970 dive into that. Because this is the career he 00:14:20.970 --> 00:14:22.830 built alongside everything else, often kind of 00:14:22.830 --> 00:14:25.250 under the radar. And we absolutely have to start 00:14:25.250 --> 00:14:27.429 with voice acting. Andy Richter is genuinely 00:14:27.429 --> 00:14:29.990 one of the biggest, most recognizable voice actors 00:14:29.990 --> 00:14:32.389 working today. Even if people don't connect the 00:14:32.389 --> 00:14:35.529 name to the voice immediately? Right. His most 00:14:35.529 --> 00:14:38.490 famous role gotta be Mort. That completely manic, 00:14:38.669 --> 00:14:40.870 wide -eyed, often getting smacked around mouse 00:14:40.870 --> 00:14:43.330 lemur from the Madagascar movies. Oh my god, 00:14:43.450 --> 00:14:46.649 Mort. Yes. He's hilarious. Pure neurotic energy, 00:14:46.730 --> 00:14:48.570 right? Oh, yeah. Which is such a funny contrast 00:14:48.570 --> 00:14:51.289 to Richter's calm, real -life vibes. And the 00:14:51.289 --> 00:14:54.009 sheer amount of mort he's done is crazy. Massive 00:14:54.009 --> 00:14:56.909 longevity. He did the original movies, then the 00:14:56.909 --> 00:14:59.230 Nickelodeon show The Penguins of Madagascar for 00:14:59.230 --> 00:15:01.870 82 episodes. 82. And then the Netflix series 00:15:01.870 --> 00:15:04.549 All Hail King Julian for another 78 episodes. 00:15:04.909 --> 00:15:07.710 Wow. That's over 160 episodes, plus the movies, 00:15:07.870 --> 00:15:10.990 plus shorts, all for one character. That's a 00:15:10.990 --> 00:15:13.429 whole stable, successful career just right there. 00:15:13.570 --> 00:15:15.610 That level of commitment, keeping a character 00:15:15.610 --> 00:15:17.990 consistent for decades. Yeah. That's impressive 00:15:17.990 --> 00:15:20.529 for any actor, let alone a voice actor. Totally. 00:15:20.629 --> 00:15:23.110 Yeah. And it's not just Mort. His voice, that 00:15:23.110 --> 00:15:25.529 unique timing got him lots of other big animation 00:15:25.529 --> 00:15:28.110 roles. He was Ben Higginbottom, the older brother 00:15:28.110 --> 00:15:31.039 in Nickelodeon's The Mighty B. Okay. And if you 00:15:31.039 --> 00:15:32.940 listen closely, he pops up everywhere. Yeah. 00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:34.740 He was weighing in Bob's Burgers a few times, 00:15:34.799 --> 00:15:37.299 often playing these hilariously over -the -top 00:15:37.299 --> 00:15:40.399 guys. Right. He voiced Globby in Big Hero 6. 00:15:41.200 --> 00:15:44.860 The series? He even dipped into the DC Universe 00:15:44.860 --> 00:15:47.659 as Kronos in Justice League Action. He gets around. 00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:50.399 Oh, and Studio Ghibli. He was in the English 00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:53.990 dub of The Cat Returns, voicing Notoru. He uses 00:15:53.990 --> 00:15:56.830 his voice to play characters way more energetic 00:15:56.830 --> 00:15:59.169 and out there than his usual on -screen persona. 00:15:59.470 --> 00:16:01.669 Okay, but maybe the most surprising thing, the 00:16:01.669 --> 00:16:03.909 thing that shows incredible dedication and brains, 00:16:04.210 --> 00:16:07.870 is his record on competitive TV. Ah, yes. For 00:16:07.870 --> 00:16:10.230 a guy known as the sidekick, he is a legitimate 00:16:10.230 --> 00:16:14.509 Jeopardy champion. This blows my mind. Andy Richter 00:16:14.509 --> 00:16:17.090 holds the record for the all -time highest one 00:16:17.090 --> 00:16:19.210 -day score on Celebrity Jeopardy. That's astonishing, 00:16:19.470 --> 00:16:21.759 right? He did it during the 2009 -10 season. 00:16:21.779 --> 00:16:24.740 The million -dollar celebrity invitational won 00:16:24.740 --> 00:16:28.779 a huge $68 ,000 in one game. 68 grand. That's 00:16:28.779 --> 00:16:30.659 not just trivia knowledge. That's buzzer speed, 00:16:30.799 --> 00:16:33.419 strategy, keeping cool under pressure. Exactly. 00:16:33.419 --> 00:16:35.480 True competitor stuff. Not what you'd expect 00:16:35.480 --> 00:16:37.220 from a guy doing comedy sketches every night. 00:16:37.299 --> 00:16:39.559 And he donated all of it to St. Jude Children's 00:16:39.559 --> 00:16:41.600 Research Hospital. Class act. And he didn't stop 00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:44.679 there, did he? Nope. Came back in September 2022 00:16:44.679 --> 00:16:47.220 for the premiere of the new Celebrity Jeopardy. 00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:49.879 Won another $30 ,000 for the Los Angeles Regional 00:16:49.879 --> 00:16:52.320 Food Bank. Came in second in that first episode. 00:16:52.480 --> 00:16:54.980 Still got it. But here's the anecdote that just 00:16:54.980 --> 00:16:57.179 perfectly ties his two lives together. Right. 00:16:57.360 --> 00:16:59.299 Because he did so well in that million -dollar 00:16:59.299 --> 00:17:02.200 invitational, he made it to the semifinals. Huge 00:17:02.200 --> 00:17:04.380 deal. But he had to drop out. Had to drop out. 00:17:04.460 --> 00:17:06.920 Why? Because he'd already committed to going 00:17:06.920 --> 00:17:10.440 on tour with Conan. The legally prohibited from 00:17:10.440 --> 00:17:12.980 being funny on television tour right after they 00:17:12.980 --> 00:17:16.140 left NBC. Wow. So he literally chose loyalty, 00:17:16.259 --> 00:17:18.779 chose the immediate work with Conan over a shot 00:17:18.779 --> 00:17:21.380 at a million bucks for charity. Yeah. It just 00:17:21.380 --> 00:17:23.400 underlines how much that partnership meant to 00:17:23.400 --> 00:17:25.950 him. It often trumped his own individual ambitions, 00:17:26.130 --> 00:17:29.089 even the ambition to be like the greatest celebrity 00:17:29.089 --> 00:17:31.430 quiz master ever. Which leads right into his 00:17:31.430 --> 00:17:33.410 desire to host a game show himself, right? That 00:17:33.410 --> 00:17:35.609 seems like a recurring theme. Definitely. The 00:17:35.609 --> 00:17:37.890 sources say he was considered twice to host Pyramid. 00:17:38.230 --> 00:17:41.269 Once in 2010 for CBS, again in 2011 for TBS. 00:17:41.609 --> 00:17:44.089 He kept trying for that stable front and center 00:17:44.089 --> 00:17:47.009 host role. And he almost got one greenlit, didn't 00:17:47.009 --> 00:17:50.269 he? Step up on Fox in 2013. Yeah, Fox ordered 00:17:50.269 --> 00:17:52.400 it, but it didn't end up happening. He did manage 00:17:52.400 --> 00:17:55.359 to host that ABC show Big Fan in 2017, though, 00:17:55.400 --> 00:17:58.819 and he guest hosted Beat Bobby Flay. So that 00:17:58.819 --> 00:18:01.079 desire to be the guy holding the cards, it's 00:18:01.079 --> 00:18:03.480 clearly still there. His versatility even got 00:18:03.480 --> 00:18:07.789 him onto The Masked Singer recently. 2024, season 00:18:07.789 --> 00:18:11.049 12 as Dust Bunny. Dust Bunny. You just never 00:18:11.049 --> 00:18:12.950 know where he's going to pop up next. Always 00:18:12.950 --> 00:18:15.130 trying something new, something unexpected. Okay, 00:18:15.190 --> 00:18:17.230 speaking of unexpected, let's talk about those 00:18:17.230 --> 00:18:20.190 iconic sketch and cameo roles. The one that really 00:18:20.190 --> 00:18:24.089 cemented him as the ultimate comedy utility player 00:18:24.089 --> 00:18:26.690 has got to be Arrested Development. Oh, the Richter 00:18:26.690 --> 00:18:30.109 quintuplets. Pure meta comedy genius. He played 00:18:30.109 --> 00:18:32.559 five different characters, right? Donnie, Cherith, 00:18:32.720 --> 00:18:35.480 Rocky, Emmett, and himself. All supposedly brothers. 00:18:35.759 --> 00:18:38.420 It was his running joke about Hollywood typecasting, 00:18:38.559 --> 00:18:41.059 nepotism, and his deadpan delivery just made 00:18:41.059 --> 00:18:43.000 the absurdity work perfectly. He even came back 00:18:43.000 --> 00:18:44.980 for season four. But look at the sheer range 00:18:44.980 --> 00:18:48.180 beyond that. His dramatic cameos, sitcom spots. 00:18:48.259 --> 00:18:50.880 He was in Monk, playing totally against type 00:18:50.880 --> 00:18:53.059 as a murderer pretending to be Monk's best friend. 00:18:53.259 --> 00:18:55.920 That takes actual acting chops, right? Way beyond 00:18:55.920 --> 00:18:58.539 just being the funny sidekick. Totally. He also 00:18:58.539 --> 00:19:00.640 played authority figures like a psychiatrist. 00:19:00.910 --> 00:19:03.390 and Malcolm in the middle. Then back to comedy, 00:19:03.569 --> 00:19:06.549 he was Dale, that annoying blind date Grace tried 00:19:06.549 --> 00:19:08.769 to ditch on Will and Grace. Right, and he had 00:19:08.769 --> 00:19:11.170 that recurring role on The New Adventures of 00:19:11.170 --> 00:19:14.069 Old Christine for a couple of years. Sad Dad 00:19:14.069 --> 00:19:16.410 Stan, perfectly captured that slightly defeated 00:19:16.410 --> 00:19:19.190 suburban guy vibe. And his film work shows that 00:19:19.190 --> 00:19:21.269 same willingness, right? Just take any interesting 00:19:21.269 --> 00:19:23.609 part, often the straight man or the slightly 00:19:23.609 --> 00:19:26.089 baffled authority figure, but it gave him a real 00:19:26.089 --> 00:19:28.369 presence on screen. Yeah, I think way back to 00:19:28.369 --> 00:19:31.119 Cabin Boy, Dr. T and the Women. Scary movie, 00:19:31.220 --> 00:19:34.099 too. And Elf. He was Morris, the boss dealing 00:19:34.099 --> 00:19:37.099 with Buddy the Elf. Classic. Absolutely. And 00:19:37.099 --> 00:19:38.720 he was in that whole string of Will Ferrell, 00:19:38.740 --> 00:19:40.599 Adam McKay movies, too, wasn't he? They knew 00:19:40.599 --> 00:19:43.180 how to use his deadpan delivery for absurd lines. 00:19:43.339 --> 00:19:47.319 Right. Gregory in Talladega Nights, the Mountie 00:19:47.319 --> 00:19:50.359 in Blades of Glory, Bobby D in Semi -Pro. He 00:19:50.359 --> 00:19:52.819 just fit into those worlds. And before we pivot 00:19:52.819 --> 00:19:55.839 to his personal life, we absolutely have to mention 00:19:55.839 --> 00:19:58.980 his willingness to use comedy. for social commentary. 00:19:59.079 --> 00:20:01.140 That little digital piece he was in. Oh, the 00:20:01.140 --> 00:20:04.619 Prop 8 musical. Yes. Back in 2008, Mark Shaman 00:20:04.619 --> 00:20:07.559 wrote this satirical mini -musical, Prop 8 the 00:20:07.559 --> 00:20:10.779 Musical. Debuted on Funny Orty, Richter was in 00:20:10.779 --> 00:20:13.039 it, along with a ton of other celebs. He played 00:20:13.039 --> 00:20:15.559 a gay California man. It was just a three -minute 00:20:15.559 --> 00:20:18.220 thing, but it was sharp commentary on that whole 00:20:18.220 --> 00:20:21.299 ballot initiative. And it had real impact. It 00:20:21.299 --> 00:20:24.319 won a Webby Award for Comedy and a GLA Media 00:20:24.319 --> 00:20:26.589 Award. shows he was willing to put his name and 00:20:26.589 --> 00:20:29.230 face out there for advocacy, using satire to 00:20:29.230 --> 00:20:31.230 make a point. Okay, so let's shift gears now 00:20:31.230 --> 00:20:33.470 from the professional risk -taking and versatility 00:20:33.470 --> 00:20:37.690 to the more personal side, his family, his advocacy, 00:20:37.890 --> 00:20:39.750 his connection to the writing community. Right. 00:20:40.130 --> 00:20:42.250 We mentioned his family background earlier, the 00:20:42.250 --> 00:20:44.690 early divorce, his father coming out, establishing 00:20:44.690 --> 00:20:46.950 that theme of change. In his own adult life, 00:20:47.089 --> 00:20:49.329 he's had two really significant marriages. First 00:20:49.329 --> 00:20:51.329 to Sarah Theo, right, the actress and author. 00:20:51.609 --> 00:20:54.470 Yeah, they were married from 1994 to 2019. That's 00:20:54.470 --> 00:20:57.839 25 years. They had two kids together, a son born 00:20:57.839 --> 00:21:00.920 in 2000, a daughter in 2005. And they worked 00:21:00.920 --> 00:21:02.980 together, too, didn't they? Collaborated professionally. 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:05.619 They did. There was on that cult show, Strangers 00:21:05.619 --> 00:21:08.319 with Candy. Love that show. Richter guested on 00:21:08.319 --> 00:21:10.500 it a lot. And famously, they did that Upright 00:21:10.500 --> 00:21:13.099 Citizens Brigade sketch together as Hansel and 00:21:13.099 --> 00:21:16.009 Gretel. Very weird. Very stylized. So they were 00:21:16.009 --> 00:21:17.990 connected on multiple levels. He announced their 00:21:17.990 --> 00:21:20.670 separation, their divorce, pretty openly on social 00:21:20.670 --> 00:21:23.569 media in 2019. Yeah, acknowledged the shift with 00:21:23.569 --> 00:21:25.910 his typical candor. But, you know, happiness 00:21:25.910 --> 00:21:28.829 wasn't far behind. He got engaged to Jennifer 00:21:28.829 --> 00:21:32.390 Herrera in late 2022. And they got married pretty 00:21:32.390 --> 00:21:35.430 recently, June 10th, 2023, in West Hollywood. 00:21:35.690 --> 00:21:38.569 And here's the perfect full circle moment, tying 00:21:38.569 --> 00:21:40.589 the personal and professional right back together. 00:21:40.869 --> 00:21:44.160 Who officiated? Conan O 'Brien. No way. Yes. 00:21:44.339 --> 00:21:47.400 Conan wasn't just a guest. He was the one officiating, 00:21:47.440 --> 00:21:50.759 guiding his friend into that next chapter. Says 00:21:50.759 --> 00:21:52.500 everything about their bond, right? Absolutely 00:21:52.500 --> 00:21:55.420 incredible. OK, let's talk about his public advocacy. 00:21:55.759 --> 00:21:57.859 He's been really vocal about Planned Parenthood. 00:21:57.940 --> 00:22:01.460 Very visible supporter. And at a fundraiser back 00:22:01.460 --> 00:22:05.619 in 2016, he shared this intensely personal story. 00:22:05.839 --> 00:22:08.079 He talked about abortion services that Sarah 00:22:08.079 --> 00:22:11.730 Thayer received way back in 1992. Wow. That takes 00:22:11.730 --> 00:22:14.630 courage to share publicly. Immense courage. This 00:22:14.630 --> 00:22:16.690 is before they were married. They had briefly 00:22:16.690 --> 00:22:18.809 split up. It was a really difficult time for 00:22:18.809 --> 00:22:21.569 them personally. Right. He emphasized how sad 00:22:21.569 --> 00:22:23.690 they both were, but that they knew it was the 00:22:23.690 --> 00:22:25.990 right decision for them at that time. And the 00:22:25.990 --> 00:22:28.710 core of his message was gratitude. He said he 00:22:28.710 --> 00:22:31.289 was eternally grateful for the organization because 00:22:31.289 --> 00:22:34.309 it allowed them the choice, the timing to bring 00:22:34.309 --> 00:22:36.250 children into their lives when they were ready. 00:22:36.349 --> 00:22:38.609 They got married two years later, had the two 00:22:38.609 --> 00:22:41.150 kids they adored. It's a powerful argument for 00:22:41.150 --> 00:22:44.089 agency, for family planning. Absolutely. And 00:22:44.089 --> 00:22:46.230 his dedication goes beyond social issues, right? 00:22:46.329 --> 00:22:48.589 Into the industry itself, supporting fellow writers. 00:22:48.809 --> 00:22:50.569 Yeah, definitely. His commitment to the craft, 00:22:50.730 --> 00:22:53.710 to the community. In April 2019, he joined that 00:22:53.710 --> 00:22:56.230 big WGA. actioned against the talent agencies. 00:22:56.430 --> 00:22:59.450 An ATA dispute, yeah. Over packaging fees. Exactly. 00:23:00.210 --> 00:23:03.329 The Guild argued that agencies taking fees directly 00:23:03.329 --> 00:23:05.710 from productions, instead of just the Writers 00:23:05.710 --> 00:23:08.220 Commission, created a conflict of interest. And 00:23:08.220 --> 00:23:11.099 the main tactic was for writers to fire their 00:23:11.099 --> 00:23:13.740 agents, right, all at once. In mass, which is 00:23:13.740 --> 00:23:16.460 a huge career risk in Hollywood, obviously. But 00:23:16.460 --> 00:23:18.619 Richter, even though he's famous as a performer, 00:23:18.819 --> 00:23:21.259 still identifies strongly as a writer and producer. 00:23:21.539 --> 00:23:25.420 He stood with the WGA, fired his agents. It really 00:23:25.420 --> 00:23:27.799 underlines that even when he had the stable Conan 00:23:27.799 --> 00:23:30.539 gig, his identity as a working creative, the 00:23:30.539 --> 00:23:33.259 plumber needing clean pipes, right, was still 00:23:33.259 --> 00:23:36.519 central. Totally. And finally, that quest for 00:23:36.519 --> 00:23:38.630 his own platform. for creative control on his 00:23:38.630 --> 00:23:41.230 own terms. It eventually led him to podcasting. 00:23:41.250 --> 00:23:43.650 Right. The three questions. The three questions 00:23:43.650 --> 00:23:46.049 with Andy Richter. Been doing it since June 2019 00:23:46.049 --> 00:23:48.730 on the Earwolf Network. It lets him have those 00:23:48.730 --> 00:23:52.269 long, deep conversations. Totally his way. Okay, 00:23:52.329 --> 00:23:54.430 so we've traced this incredible arc. We've gone 00:23:54.430 --> 00:23:56.390 through the sources. What's the final takeaway 00:23:56.390 --> 00:23:58.849 here? What's the lesson about Andy Richter? Well, 00:23:58.869 --> 00:24:00.950 looking at this whole deep dive, the lesson isn't 00:24:00.950 --> 00:24:04.069 just he was a great, loyal sidekick. It's that... 00:24:04.349 --> 00:24:07.250 His success, his longevity, it comes from this 00:24:07.250 --> 00:24:10.150 fundamental resilience, this willingness to just 00:24:10.150 --> 00:24:13.210 explore every single part of the entertainment 00:24:13.210 --> 00:24:16.789 world. Improv, voice acting, writing, hosting, 00:24:17.089 --> 00:24:20.730 drama. Everything. He's the living proof of balancing 00:24:20.730 --> 00:24:24.549 creative stability with artistic risk. He found 00:24:24.549 --> 00:24:26.730 that sweet spot, didn't he? Yeah. Using the fame, 00:24:26.809 --> 00:24:29.009 the security from the talk show couch. The steady 00:24:29.009 --> 00:24:31.230 paycheck, keeping the wrenches busy. Exactly. 00:24:31.349 --> 00:24:34.710 Using that to fuel the other stuff. The passion 00:24:34.710 --> 00:24:36.890 projects, whether it was a brilliant sitcom that 00:24:36.890 --> 00:24:39.490 maybe arrived too early or decades of voice work 00:24:39.490 --> 00:24:42.170 or surprising everyone by crushing it on Jeopardy. 00:24:42.190 --> 00:24:44.170 It makes you think back to that relief he felt 00:24:44.170 --> 00:24:46.730 going back to Conan in 2009, escaping development 00:24:46.730 --> 00:24:49.259 hell. Right. But even when he was safely back 00:24:49.259 --> 00:24:51.660 on that couch doing his main job, he was simultaneously 00:24:51.660 --> 00:24:54.880 holding the celebrity Jeopardy record, voicing 00:24:54.880 --> 00:24:57.180 a global franchise character, writing books, 00:24:57.400 --> 00:25:00.880 firing his agent for the WGA. The plumber, even 00:25:00.880 --> 00:25:03.160 with a steady gig, never stopped designing new 00:25:03.160 --> 00:25:05.779 pipe systems on his own time. And if you connect 00:25:05.779 --> 00:25:08.500 that to the bigger picture, the real powerful 00:25:08.500 --> 00:25:11.299 contrast is between him saying he wanted rest 00:25:11.299 --> 00:25:14.380 and security. Right. And the actual relentless 00:25:14.380 --> 00:25:16.960 reality of what he produced. Right. Despite having 00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:19.819 stability, his career is just defined by nonstop 00:25:19.819 --> 00:25:22.900 diverse projects way beyond the main gig. Those 00:25:22.900 --> 00:25:24.680 solo attempts might have failed commercially, 00:25:24.920 --> 00:25:28.259 but the skills, the creativity he honed in, that 00:25:28.259 --> 00:25:30.720 directly fueled the versatility that made him 00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:32.700 so valuable everywhere else. Okay. So that brings 00:25:32.700 --> 00:25:34.819 us to our final provocative thought for you, 00:25:34.900 --> 00:25:38.000 the listener, to chew on. When you see an artist 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:40.380 like Richter, someone who repeatedly seeks out 00:25:40.380 --> 00:25:42.619 new frontiers, breaking records on games, shows, 00:25:42.720 --> 00:25:45.079 starting his own podcast, chasing hosting gigs, 00:25:45.240 --> 00:25:47.539 doing voice work for decades when he could easily 00:25:47.539 --> 00:25:49.740 just settle into that incredibly successful guaranteed 00:25:49.740 --> 00:25:53.140 role. What does that pursuit tell us about ambition 00:25:53.140 --> 00:25:55.440 itself? Does his own philosophy, that desire 00:25:55.440 --> 00:25:57.920 to push his good fortune, even knowing he might 00:25:57.920 --> 00:26:00.700 fail, does that ultimately define his career 00:26:00.700 --> 00:26:02.839 more than the stable partnerships that made him 00:26:02.839 --> 00:26:03.099 famous?