WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.520 Welcome back to the Deep Dive. Okay, today we're 00:00:03.520 --> 00:00:06.179 tackling someone whose career path is, well, 00:00:06.219 --> 00:00:08.199 it's really something else. We're talking Drew 00:00:08.199 --> 00:00:11.820 Allison Carey, born in Cleveland, May 23, 1958. 00:00:12.699 --> 00:00:15.179 Yeah, I mean, trying to pin down his professional 00:00:15.179 --> 00:00:18.399 life is tricky, isn't it? You've got this fascinating 00:00:18.399 --> 00:00:21.760 mix, stand -up, sure, but also hardcore military 00:00:21.760 --> 00:00:25.079 service. Right. The network sitcom star, improv 00:00:25.079 --> 00:00:28.160 pioneer, owning a sports team. And hosting one 00:00:28.160 --> 00:00:30.440 of the biggest game shows ever. When you look 00:00:30.440 --> 00:00:32.439 at the sources, the big question just jumps out. 00:00:32.500 --> 00:00:35.299 How does one guy manage to bridge, like, the 00:00:35.299 --> 00:00:37.159 super disciplined world of the Marines with the 00:00:37.159 --> 00:00:40.140 total chaos of improv and stay relevant? Exactly. 00:00:40.140 --> 00:00:42.119 He projects this, you know, affable, everyday 00:00:42.119 --> 00:00:45.399 guy persona. But the path itself. Anything but 00:00:45.399 --> 00:00:47.460 ordinary. We've got a lot of biographical material 00:00:47.460 --> 00:00:49.799 here. And our mission really is to find those 00:00:49.799 --> 00:00:52.320 moments, those aha points that show the transformation. 00:00:52.560 --> 00:00:54.619 From Marine Sergeant E5. Yeah, to one of the 00:00:54.619 --> 00:00:57.219 highest paid people on TV in the 90s. And now 00:00:57.219 --> 00:00:59.659 like a fixture of daytime. And I think what we're 00:00:59.659 --> 00:01:02.380 exploring here is that pattern, maybe that discipline 00:01:02.380 --> 00:01:07.250 he learned, but applied to these really. chaotic 00:01:07.250 --> 00:01:10.150 creative fields you don't stick around for four 00:01:10.150 --> 00:01:13.290 decades across so many different things without 00:01:13.290 --> 00:01:16.450 some serious adaptability you know moving from 00:01:16.450 --> 00:01:19.530 scripts to no scripts from producing a show to 00:01:19.530 --> 00:01:22.090 the daily grind of a game show we need to kind 00:01:22.090 --> 00:01:25.310 of trace how that structure connects all these 00:01:25.310 --> 00:01:27.010 different worlds he's lived in so where do we 00:01:27.010 --> 00:01:28.650 start the beginning right hey let's do it the 00:01:28.650 --> 00:01:31.829 foundation cleveland old brooklyn neighborhood 00:01:31.829 --> 00:01:34.409 youngest of three brothers And a really pivotal 00:01:34.409 --> 00:01:36.989 thing happens early on. His father dies of a 00:01:36.989 --> 00:01:40.370 heart attack. Drew was only eight. Yeah, that's 00:01:40.370 --> 00:01:42.609 tough. And you can see how maybe that shapes 00:01:42.609 --> 00:01:45.150 things later, that search for stability, perhaps. 00:01:45.390 --> 00:01:47.450 It often does. Sources say he went through James 00:01:47.450 --> 00:01:50.390 Ford Rhodes High School, graduated 76, then tried 00:01:50.390 --> 00:01:52.829 college 10th state, joined a fraternity, Delta 00:01:52.829 --> 00:01:55.790 Tau Delta. But it didn't really stick. Didn't 00:01:55.790 --> 00:01:57.609 stick is putting it mildly. The sources say he 00:01:57.609 --> 00:02:01.500 got expelled twice for bad grades. Or for just 00:02:01.500 --> 00:02:04.239 leaving after three years. That feels like a 00:02:04.239 --> 00:02:06.799 real low point. You know, the typical path just 00:02:06.799 --> 00:02:09.439 isn't working out. So how did the military happen? 00:02:09.560 --> 00:02:13.360 Was it like a conscious choice or just looking 00:02:13.360 --> 00:02:15.539 for something? It seems very much like searching 00:02:15.539 --> 00:02:17.919 for that framework, that structure. After Kent 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:21.259 State fizzled out, he enlists United States Marine 00:02:21.259 --> 00:02:24.280 Corps Reserve, 1980. Right. And this wasn't a 00:02:24.280 --> 00:02:26.900 short stint. He did six years, field radio operator, 00:02:27.219 --> 00:02:30.150 25th Marine Regiment in Ohio. Maid Sergeant, 00:02:30.430 --> 00:02:33.909 E -5. Six years. Sergeant. That's discipline. 00:02:34.169 --> 00:02:36.550 Field radio ops, that's technical, right? Needs 00:02:36.550 --> 00:02:39.150 focus. Absolutely. High focus. Strict protocols. 00:02:39.389 --> 00:02:41.409 It's a serious commitment, even in the reserves. 00:02:41.849 --> 00:02:44.689 Reaching E -5 shows he wasn't just coasting. 00:02:44.750 --> 00:02:47.210 And the haircut. That iconic crew cut we all 00:02:47.210 --> 00:02:50.020 know. That started in the Marines. He just kept 00:02:50.020 --> 00:02:52.439 it. It's like a visible reminder of that whole 00:02:52.439 --> 00:02:55.120 period. It really is. That structure, that discipline, 00:02:55.240 --> 00:02:57.280 it's almost the complete opposite of the improv 00:02:57.280 --> 00:02:59.379 world he'd get into later, right? But maybe it's 00:02:59.379 --> 00:03:01.879 the foundation for it. Allows him to manage the 00:03:01.879 --> 00:03:04.099 chaos. Before the comedy, though, there were 00:03:04.099 --> 00:03:06.580 those, let's call them character building jobs. 00:03:07.060 --> 00:03:10.979 Oh, yeah. Around 1983 in Vegas, bank teller, 00:03:11.000 --> 00:03:14.219 waiter at Denny's. you know real working guy 00:03:14.219 --> 00:03:16.840 stuff okay so then comedy how does that start 00:03:16.840 --> 00:03:18.520 because it wasn't like he grew up dreaming of 00:03:18.520 --> 00:03:20.479 being a comedian apparently no it's pretty unique 00:03:20.479 --> 00:03:24.599 it's 1985 and a friend david lawrence a dj basically 00:03:24.599 --> 00:03:27.139 tells him hey you're funny you should write jokes 00:03:27.139 --> 00:03:31.340 seriously yeah and drew apparently goes to the 00:03:31.340 --> 00:03:33.400 library and checks out books on how to write 00:03:33.400 --> 00:03:36.159 jokes he approaches it almost like technically 00:03:37.020 --> 00:03:39.080 Methodically. Wow. Like building something from 00:03:39.080 --> 00:03:42.120 a manual. So who were his comedy heroes? Very 00:03:42.120 --> 00:03:44.319 Cleveland centric, which I think explains a lot 00:03:44.319 --> 00:03:47.080 about his appeal. Local TV guys like Ernie Anderson, 00:03:47.199 --> 00:03:50.360 Goularty and Chuck Shadowski. Yeah. And those 00:03:50.360 --> 00:03:52.560 humor magazines, you know, mad, sick, crack. 00:03:52.800 --> 00:03:55.360 OK, so more homegrown kind of rebellious humor. 00:03:55.460 --> 00:03:58.199 Yeah. Not slick Hollywood stuff. Exactly. And 00:03:58.199 --> 00:04:00.780 it worked pretty fast. He wins an open mic contest. 00:04:01.020 --> 00:04:03.939 Then by 86, he's the emcee at the Cleveland Comedy 00:04:03.939 --> 00:04:06.680 Club. That's huge for stage time, for honing 00:04:06.680 --> 00:04:08.780 the act. But the big one. Yeah. The national 00:04:08.780 --> 00:04:10.620 stage. That had to be Carson, right? The Tonight 00:04:10.620 --> 00:04:13.460 Show. November 1991. That was the launch pad. 00:04:13.560 --> 00:04:17.079 His set just killed. Killed how? Like, good laughs. 00:04:17.399 --> 00:04:19.740 More than that, Carson himself was so impressed, 00:04:19.839 --> 00:04:22.000 he waved him over to the couch after the set. 00:04:22.199 --> 00:04:26.500 Whoa. The couch invitation. Yeah. That was, like, 00:04:26.600 --> 00:04:29.579 the ultimate seal of approval back then. It meant 00:04:29.579 --> 00:04:32.800 you'd arrived. Instant validation. Did that sort 00:04:32.800 --> 00:04:35.579 of lock him into that lovable loser persona early 00:04:35.579 --> 00:04:37.920 on, though? The guy from the jokes? It definitely 00:04:37.920 --> 00:04:40.540 established the character, yeah. The relatable, 00:04:40.740 --> 00:04:43.680 kind of put -upon, middle -class guy. But the 00:04:43.680 --> 00:04:45.860 sources also point out his actual writing skill 00:04:45.860 --> 00:04:48.500 was recognized pretty quickly, too. How so? Well, 00:04:48.540 --> 00:04:52.379 just a few years later, 1994, he did a Showtime 00:04:52.379 --> 00:04:55.769 special, Drew Carey, Human Cartoon. And he won 00:04:55.769 --> 00:04:57.910 a Cable Ace Award for best writing for it. Okay, 00:04:57.949 --> 00:05:00.750 so not just a funny face. A real craftsman behind 00:05:00.750 --> 00:05:02.910 the jokes. Exactly. You've got the writing talent, 00:05:03.129 --> 00:05:05.509 the marine discipline, and this very relatable 00:05:05.509 --> 00:05:08.009 blue -collar vibe all coming together. That's 00:05:08.009 --> 00:05:09.949 the package that broke through. And that package, 00:05:09.970 --> 00:05:12.250 that hapless middle -class bachelor character, 00:05:12.529 --> 00:05:15.430 became the direct blueprint for his own sitcom, 00:05:15.649 --> 00:05:19.209 right? The Drew Carey Show. Absolutely. He teamed 00:05:19.209 --> 00:05:21.389 up with Bruce Halford, took that persona he built 00:05:21.389 --> 00:05:23.149 in stand -up, and they developed the show around 00:05:23.149 --> 00:05:26.680 it. Fictional Drew, Cleveland, his buddies. Dealing 00:05:26.680 --> 00:05:30.060 with work, life, the usual sitcom stuff. It premiered 00:05:30.060 --> 00:05:36.000 in 95 on ABC, and it ran for nine years. Nine 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:39.279 years, 233 episodes, a really solid run, especially 00:05:39.279 --> 00:05:42.500 back then. And the money. The source mentioned 00:05:42.500 --> 00:05:44.819 his salary progression. That tells a story in 00:05:44.819 --> 00:05:47.620 itself. Oh, it's incredible. Started at $60 ,000 00:05:47.620 --> 00:05:49.879 an episode, which is already great. Yeah, not 00:05:49.879 --> 00:05:52.139 bad. But it just kept climbing, jumped to $300 00:05:52.139 --> 00:05:54.959 ,000 pretty fast. And by the final season, he 00:05:54.959 --> 00:05:59.879 was making $750 ,000 per episode. $750 ,000 for 00:05:59.879 --> 00:06:02.420 one episode. Yep. Which, you know, sounds amazing 00:06:02.420 --> 00:06:04.839 for him, but the sources are clear. That kind 00:06:04.839 --> 00:06:06.980 of salary was a huge part of why the show became 00:06:06.980 --> 00:06:09.600 so expensive to make, like $3 million an episode 00:06:09.600 --> 00:06:12.639 near the end. Wow. Okay, so that success had 00:06:12.639 --> 00:06:14.860 its own pressures. Did that affect the show's 00:06:14.860 --> 00:06:17.160 lifespan? It's definitely cited as a factor in 00:06:17.160 --> 00:06:19.500 why it eventually ended. High costs make networks 00:06:19.500 --> 00:06:21.980 nervous, and creatively, even with all that money, 00:06:22.019 --> 00:06:24.120 he wasn't totally happy. Right, I remember reading 00:06:24.120 --> 00:06:25.779 about that. His book talks about fighting with 00:06:25.779 --> 00:06:28.459 the censors. Yeah, dirty jerks and beer. He details 00:06:28.459 --> 00:06:30.740 being really frustrated. He couldn't do the kind 00:06:30.740 --> 00:06:33.459 of edgier, off -color stuff that made his stand 00:06:33.459 --> 00:06:36.670 -up famous. The network wanted the safe. primetime 00:06:36.670 --> 00:06:39.009 version. So the price of being a huge network 00:06:39.009 --> 00:06:41.629 star was kind of sanding off the rough edges 00:06:41.629 --> 00:06:43.930 that got him there. Seems like it. But interestingly, 00:06:44.170 --> 00:06:46.610 at the same time, the sitcom's huge. He finds 00:06:46.610 --> 00:06:49.170 another outlet, an unscripted one. Whose line 00:06:49.170 --> 00:06:52.089 is it? Anyway. Ah, yes. The American version. 00:06:52.410 --> 00:06:55.629 He started hosting that in 98 while the sitcom 00:06:55.629 --> 00:06:57.870 was still on. Exactly. And it was perfect for 00:06:57.870 --> 00:07:00.269 him. He wasn't just reading prompts. He was directing 00:07:00.269 --> 00:07:02.550 the game, setting things up, jumping into the 00:07:02.550 --> 00:07:04.569 final game. He was the ringmaster, basically. 00:07:05.209 --> 00:07:07.370 Holding the chaos together. Which, if you think 00:07:07.370 --> 00:07:09.009 about it, goes back to that discipline again, 00:07:09.170 --> 00:07:11.850 right? You need structure to manage that level 00:07:11.850 --> 00:07:14.930 of improv spontaneity effectively. He provided 00:07:14.930 --> 00:07:17.949 the framework. And the combination. The sitcom 00:07:17.949 --> 00:07:21.769 and whose line. That must have put him into the 00:07:21.769 --> 00:07:24.389 stratosphere financially. Oh, absolutely. Forbes 00:07:24.389 --> 00:07:27.730 listed him in 98. One of the highest paid entertainers. 00:07:27.769 --> 00:07:31.540 Number 24, I think? with something like $45 .5 00:07:31.540 --> 00:07:34.959 million that year. $45 million in one year. That's 00:07:34.959 --> 00:07:38.439 serious clout. And he used that clout to push 00:07:38.439 --> 00:07:40.740 improv even further, experiment with it. Like 00:07:40.740 --> 00:07:42.339 green screen show. That was different. 2004, 00:07:42.959 --> 00:07:45.459 2005, they did improv games against a green screen, 00:07:45.560 --> 00:07:47.980 then added animation later. It was a really technical, 00:07:48.220 --> 00:07:51.680 almost experimental approach to improv comedy. 00:07:51.899 --> 00:07:53.920 Taking something immediate and making it post 00:07:53.920 --> 00:07:56.180 -production heavy. Interesting choice. It shows 00:07:56.180 --> 00:07:58.360 his commitment to the form, though. He later 00:07:58.360 --> 00:08:01.199 did Drew Carey's Improvaganza, too, down in Vegas 00:08:01.199 --> 00:08:03.000 with a lot of the same performers. He seemed 00:08:03.000 --> 00:08:05.339 loyal to that crew, the Improv All -Stars. Yeah, 00:08:05.379 --> 00:08:07.759 he co -founded that group, about 11 actors. They 00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:09.779 were in all three of his improv shows, toured 00:08:09.779 --> 00:08:12.240 together. He really built a whole scene around 00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:14.600 that specific style of improv, hashtag tag tag 00:08:14.600 --> 00:08:16.879 5E, the game show host and the Price is Right 00:08:16.879 --> 00:08:19.420 transition. Okay, so he's mastered sitcoms, he's 00:08:19.420 --> 00:08:22.579 mastered improv TV. What's next? Turns out it's 00:08:22.579 --> 00:08:25.439 game shows. Right. The ability to manage that 00:08:25.439 --> 00:08:27.939 sort of controlled chaos seems like perfect training 00:08:27.939 --> 00:08:31.339 in hindsight. It kicked off in 2007 with a CBS 00:08:31.339 --> 00:08:34.240 pilot called Power of Ten. I remember that one. 00:08:35.440 --> 00:08:37.419 Contestants guessed how Americans answered poll 00:08:37.419 --> 00:08:40.320 questions, right? Kind of cerebral for a game 00:08:40.320 --> 00:08:43.220 show. It was. And it gave him that first taste 00:08:43.220 --> 00:08:46.200 of hosting a big network game show. But then, 00:08:46.200 --> 00:08:49.659 like... Right after taping that pilot? CBS comes 00:08:49.659 --> 00:08:52.700 calling about the price is right. Exactly. Bob 00:08:52.700 --> 00:08:55.940 Barker was retiring after 35 years. Those are 00:08:55.940 --> 00:08:58.200 maybe the biggest shoes to fill in television 00:08:58.200 --> 00:09:01.320 history. Seriously. And the sources say he initially 00:09:01.320 --> 00:09:03.399 turned it down. That makes sense. The pressure 00:09:03.399 --> 00:09:05.360 must have been immense. He definitely understood 00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:08.019 the weight of it, following a legend like Barker, 00:09:08.120 --> 00:09:11.159 the risk of just being constantly compared. But 00:09:11.159 --> 00:09:13.879 ultimately, he couldn't pass it up. He announced 00:09:13.879 --> 00:09:15.970 he was taking the job on Letterman. And he had 00:09:15.970 --> 00:09:17.529 that great quote about it, didn't he? Something 00:09:17.529 --> 00:09:20.009 about not replacing Barker. Yeah, it was very 00:09:20.009 --> 00:09:22.190 insightful. He said, you can't replace Bob Barker. 00:09:22.230 --> 00:09:24.570 I don't compare myself to anybody. It's only 00:09:24.570 --> 00:09:26.549 about what you're doing and supposed to do. And 00:09:26.549 --> 00:09:28.710 I feel like I'm supposed to be doing this. That's 00:09:28.710 --> 00:09:30.889 such a disciplined way of looking at it. Focus 00:09:30.889 --> 00:09:33.309 on the mission, not the legacy before you. It's 00:09:33.309 --> 00:09:35.950 that marine mindset again, maybe. Execute your 00:09:35.950 --> 00:09:39.269 task. He started hosting in October 2007. And 00:09:39.269 --> 00:09:41.370 he handled the transition really smartly, I thought. 00:09:41.830 --> 00:09:45.570 Updated the look, the music. But... Kept Berker's 00:09:45.570 --> 00:09:49.529 famous sign -off about pets. That was key. Respecting 00:09:49.529 --> 00:09:52.090 the history while still making it his own. It 00:09:52.090 --> 00:09:53.889 needed that continuity. And the format itself. 00:09:54.889 --> 00:09:58.370 A daily game show. That requires incredible consistency. 00:09:58.870 --> 00:10:01.470 It's the ultimate structure, really. Reliable, 00:10:01.490 --> 00:10:03.549 predictable schedule, but still requires energy 00:10:03.549 --> 00:10:06.009 and focus every single day. Perfect for someone 00:10:06.009 --> 00:10:07.870 who can manage both structure and performance. 00:10:08.169 --> 00:10:10.409 And he stuck with it. He hit his 15th anniversary 00:10:10.409 --> 00:10:14.860 in 2022. 15 years hosting Price is right. That's 00:10:14.860 --> 00:10:17.100 longevity. It really is, especially when you 00:10:17.100 --> 00:10:19.500 add it to the sitcom years, the improv years. 00:10:19.659 --> 00:10:21.960 It's a remarkable run across different genres. 00:10:22.279 --> 00:10:25.279 Even after Barker passed away in 2023, Carrie 00:10:25.279 --> 00:10:27.700 handled it with class, hosting that tribute special. 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:30.789 Yeah. Acknowledging the legacy while firmly being 00:10:30.789 --> 00:10:33.149 the current host. It's a demanding job. They 00:10:33.149 --> 00:10:36.029 film something like 190 episodes a year. Requires 00:10:36.029 --> 00:10:39.370 that consistent focus. Hashtag tag V. Diverse 00:10:39.370 --> 00:10:42.289 interests, advocacy, and personal journey. All 00:10:42.289 --> 00:10:44.590 right, let's peel back another layer. Beyond 00:10:44.590 --> 00:10:47.970 the TV persona. His autobiography, Dirty Jokes 00:10:47.970 --> 00:10:50.980 and Beer. Came out in 97, right at the peak of 00:10:50.980 --> 00:10:53.720 the sitcom's fame. Yeah, huge bestseller. On 00:10:53.720 --> 00:10:56.899 the Times list for months. But anyone expecting 00:10:56.899 --> 00:10:59.340 just light, funny stories? Well, they got more 00:10:59.340 --> 00:11:01.460 than they bargained for. A lot more. The title's 00:11:01.460 --> 00:11:03.440 kind of misleading, isn't it? He got really serious 00:11:03.440 --> 00:11:05.320 in that book. Incredibly so. Yeah, he talked 00:11:05.320 --> 00:11:07.779 about his dad's death, which is sad, but maybe 00:11:07.779 --> 00:11:10.080 expected. But then he revealed he'd been molested 00:11:10.080 --> 00:11:13.360 as a child. Wow. And detailed really severe struggles 00:11:13.360 --> 00:11:16.879 with depression, including two past suicide attempts, 00:11:17.080 --> 00:11:20.360 swallowing pills. Jeez, that's incredibly raw, 00:11:20.500 --> 00:11:22.879 especially for a guy on TV every week being the 00:11:22.879 --> 00:11:25.320 funny neighbor. How did people react back then? 00:11:25.440 --> 00:11:27.759 It was definitely shocking to some, but also 00:11:27.759 --> 00:11:30.940 seen as incredibly brave. It puts that whole 00:11:30.940 --> 00:11:33.139 public persona into a different light, doesn't 00:11:33.139 --> 00:11:35.919 it? Suggests maybe that energy, that drive was 00:11:35.919 --> 00:11:38.100 partly about managing some really deep pain. 00:11:38.279 --> 00:11:41.120 Makes sense. And his honesty about it, right 00:11:41.120 --> 00:11:44.799 when he was most famous. That took guts. Absolutely. 00:11:44.899 --> 00:11:47.279 And he applied that same kind of intense focus 00:11:47.279 --> 00:11:49.419 to his physical health later on, too. Remember, 00:11:49.539 --> 00:11:51.759 he had that heart scare in 2001. Right. Chest 00:11:51.759 --> 00:11:54.080 pains during filming. Yeah. He needed an angioplasty. 00:11:54.220 --> 00:11:56.860 But then, starting around 2010, came the really 00:11:56.860 --> 00:11:59.480 dramatic change, the weight loss. Oh, yeah. He 00:11:59.480 --> 00:12:01.460 lost a ton of weight, said it was all diet and 00:12:01.460 --> 00:12:04.399 exercise. And claimed it cured his type 2 diabetes, 00:12:04.759 --> 00:12:07.399 which is a huge claim, but he was very public 00:12:07.399 --> 00:12:09.299 about it. It's that pattern again, isn't it? 00:12:09.639 --> 00:12:12.139 Facing a major problem, mental health, physical 00:12:12.139 --> 00:12:14.620 health, and tackling it with that same, like, 00:12:14.679 --> 00:12:18.860 mission focus. Intense discipline. Exactly. And 00:12:18.860 --> 00:12:21.019 that intensity definitely carries over into his 00:12:21.019 --> 00:12:23.360 political views, which are, again, maybe not 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:25.460 what you'd expect from a mainstream TV host. 00:12:25.659 --> 00:12:27.820 Okay, yeah, let's talk about that. We need to 00:12:27.820 --> 00:12:29.519 be impartial here. Just report what the sources 00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:31.940 say. He's heavily involved with libertarianism, 00:12:31.940 --> 00:12:34.039 right? Very much so. He does work for Reason 00:12:34.039 --> 00:12:36.559 .tv, their online project. He's even on the board 00:12:36.559 --> 00:12:38.509 of trustees for the Reason Foundation. That's 00:12:38.509 --> 00:12:40.750 more than just casual support. That's a serious 00:12:40.750 --> 00:12:43.750 commitment to a specific ideology. And the issues 00:12:43.750 --> 00:12:45.809 he focuses on are pretty specific, too. Yeah, 00:12:45.889 --> 00:12:48.470 things like private highway ownership, fighting 00:12:48.470 --> 00:12:50.490 imminent domain abuse. Or the government that 00:12:50.490 --> 00:12:52.570 takes private land. Right, and advocating for 00:12:52.570 --> 00:12:55.730 medical marijuana. These are core libertarian 00:12:55.730 --> 00:12:57.509 principles about individual liberty, property 00:12:57.509 --> 00:12:59.990 rights, less government intervention. He had 00:12:59.990 --> 00:13:02.230 that funny quote about it, defining libertarian 00:13:02.230 --> 00:13:04.590 to Craig Ferguson. Huh, yeah, a conservative 00:13:04.590 --> 00:13:07.659 who still gets high. Classic Kerry bluntness. 00:13:07.820 --> 00:13:11.820 But his actual voting record and donations, it's 00:13:11.820 --> 00:13:14.419 not strictly party line, is it? No. And that's 00:13:14.419 --> 00:13:16.960 interesting. The record showed donations to Ron 00:13:16.960 --> 00:13:20.740 Paul in 08, Gary Johnson in 16, both strong libertarians. 00:13:20.879 --> 00:13:24.200 But then in 2020, he gave money to Joe Biden, 00:13:24.379 --> 00:13:27.399 Tulsi Gabbard and Bill Weld. Wow. That's diverse. 00:13:27.600 --> 00:13:31.049 Biden and Weld. It suggests he's maybe supporting 00:13:31.049 --> 00:13:33.929 individual candidates or specific stances rather 00:13:33.929 --> 00:13:36.970 than just sticking to one party label. Principle 00:13:36.970 --> 00:13:39.549 over party, perhaps. Okay, moving away from politics. 00:13:39.750 --> 00:13:42.809 Yeah. Hidden talents. This guy is full of surprises, 00:13:42.950 --> 00:13:45.190 like the photography thing. Oh yeah, that's fascinating. 00:13:45.409 --> 00:13:47.730 He loves soccer, we know that. Especially the 00:13:47.730 --> 00:13:50.029 U .S. national team. But he actually works as 00:13:50.029 --> 00:13:52.730 a press photographer at their games. On the sidelines, 00:13:52.730 --> 00:13:54.809 taking pictures. Seriously? Like with a press 00:13:54.809 --> 00:13:57.190 pass and everything? Yep. And he sells the photos 00:13:57.190 --> 00:14:00.659 under a fake name. Brooks Parkinridge. Brooks 00:14:00.659 --> 00:14:03.440 Parkinridge. Why the pseudonym? Maybe he wants 00:14:03.440 --> 00:14:06.200 the work judged on its own merit, not just photos 00:14:06.200 --> 00:14:08.940 by Drew Carey. It shows a genuine passion for 00:14:08.940 --> 00:14:11.019 it, wanting to engage with it seriously. You 00:14:11.019 --> 00:14:13.320 even did a TV show about it, right? Drew Carey's 00:14:13.320 --> 00:14:15.580 sporting adventures on the Travel Channel, following 00:14:15.580 --> 00:14:17.799 the World Cup. Exactly. Traveled around Germany, 00:14:17.899 --> 00:14:20.480 photographing the matches. Proof it's a real 00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:23.600 deep interest. Then there are the just weird, 00:14:23.759 --> 00:14:27.230 unique pop culture moments. Like the WWE thing. 00:14:27.370 --> 00:14:30.590 The Royal Rumble in 2001. Oh, that was brilliant. 00:14:31.269 --> 00:14:34.830 He enters as Vince McMahon's buddy, stands there 00:14:34.830 --> 00:14:38.309 alone for a bit. Then the next guy in is Kane. 00:14:38.490 --> 00:14:41.330 The big, scary demon Kane. Right. And Carrie 00:14:41.330 --> 00:14:43.710 tries to bribe him with cash. Kane's not having 00:14:43.710 --> 00:14:46.570 it. So Drew just eliminates himself. Jumps right 00:14:46.570 --> 00:14:49.509 over the top rope. Perfect comedy timing. Pure 00:14:49.509 --> 00:14:52.269 self -preservation. But get this. That brief, 00:14:52.470 --> 00:14:55.330 comedic appearance. It got him inducted into 00:14:55.330 --> 00:14:58.070 the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011. You're kidding. 00:14:58.230 --> 00:15:00.610 For that? Yep. Shows the power of a memorable 00:15:00.610 --> 00:15:03.309 pop culture moment, I guess. And then connecting 00:15:03.309 --> 00:15:06.860 back to his roots. His guest spot on NCIS in 00:15:06.860 --> 00:15:09.539 2018. That was really poignant. He played a retired 00:15:09.539 --> 00:15:11.860 Marine Sergeant, his actual final rank. Did they 00:15:11.860 --> 00:15:14.240 acknowledge his real service? Subtly, yeah. In 00:15:14.240 --> 00:15:16.700 the background, on a screen in the NCIS office, 00:15:16.779 --> 00:15:19.580 they showed actual photos of a young Drew Carey 00:15:19.580 --> 00:15:21.860 in his Marine uniform. A really nice touch. Let's 00:15:21.860 --> 00:15:24.840 go. Okay, one last surprising thing. The AI experiment. 00:15:25.559 --> 00:15:28.639 Just last year, 2023. Right. On his SiriusXM 00:15:28.639 --> 00:15:30.940 radio show, The Friday Night Freakout, he used 00:15:30.940 --> 00:15:33.419 an AI voice clone of himself made with 11 labs 00:15:33.419 --> 00:15:35.980 reading jokes written by ChatGPT. He tried to 00:15:35.980 --> 00:15:38.159 replace himself with AI. Pretty much, yeah. As 00:15:38.159 --> 00:15:41.120 an experiment. But the listeners, they hated 00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:43.820 it. Really? What did they say? The feedback was 00:15:43.820 --> 00:15:47.039 that the voice sounded soulless. That it wasn't 00:15:47.039 --> 00:15:49.440 the real Drew. Huh. That tells you something, 00:15:49.500 --> 00:15:51.360 doesn't it? Yeah. Even with amazing tech, you 00:15:51.360 --> 00:15:54.600 can't replicate him, the actual person, the history, 00:15:54.720 --> 00:15:57.779 the warmth. Exactly. The audience wants the human 00:15:57.779 --> 00:16:00.720 complexities and all. Hashtag tag six. Sports, 00:16:00.940 --> 00:16:04.440 philanthropy, and final takeaways. Okay, let's 00:16:04.440 --> 00:16:07.049 bring it home. His other passions. Sports is 00:16:07.049 --> 00:16:09.470 huge for him, obviously. But it's more than just 00:16:09.470 --> 00:16:11.629 being a fan. Definitely. He's a minority owner 00:16:11.629 --> 00:16:14.029 of the Seattle Sounders FC, the MLS team. That's 00:16:14.029 --> 00:16:15.789 a real financial stake in the game. And they've 00:16:15.789 --> 00:16:17.929 done well. Won the MLS Cup a couple of times, 00:16:18.009 --> 00:16:21.049 2016, 2019. Yeah. So it's a successful venture, 00:16:21.230 --> 00:16:25.730 but it runs alongside his just pure, intense 00:16:25.730 --> 00:16:29.929 fandom for his Cleveland teams. Browns, Cavaliers, 00:16:30.070 --> 00:16:32.210 Guardians. He's famously devoted to Cleveland. 00:16:32.649 --> 00:16:34.250 Didn't they give him a bobblehead calling him 00:16:34.250 --> 00:16:36.549 the greatest Indians fan alive? He did. And he 00:16:36.549 --> 00:16:38.649 apparently said that meant as much to him as 00:16:38.649 --> 00:16:41.049 his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which 00:16:41.049 --> 00:16:42.889 tells you a lot about his priorities. Community 00:16:42.889 --> 00:16:46.049 connection over celebrity status. And that discipline. 00:16:47.009 --> 00:16:49.889 It pops up again, even physically, much later 00:16:49.889 --> 00:16:51.990 in life. The endurance events. Yeah, back in 00:16:51.990 --> 00:16:54.750 2011, he ran the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon. 00:16:55.009 --> 00:16:58.149 Pretty good time, too, like 1 .57. Wow. And then 00:16:58.149 --> 00:17:00.110 later that year, he did the full Marine Corps 00:17:00.110 --> 00:17:03.340 Marathon. Finished it in about four hours, 37 00:17:03.340 --> 00:17:07.240 minutes. Running a marathon. That takes serious 00:17:07.240 --> 00:17:11.380 training, serious grit. It's that same marine 00:17:11.380 --> 00:17:14.380 level commitment, isn't it? Decades later. It 00:17:14.380 --> 00:17:16.740 all seems connected. And that commitment extends 00:17:16.740 --> 00:17:19.599 strongly to his philanthropy, especially libraries. 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:21.539 Right, because he says that's where it all started 00:17:21.539 --> 00:17:23.599 for him. Checking out those joke books. Exactly. 00:17:23.640 --> 00:17:25.599 He credits libraries directly. Yeah. And he's 00:17:25.599 --> 00:17:27.920 put his money where his mouth is. He won half 00:17:27.920 --> 00:17:30.180 a million dollars for the Ohio Library Foundation 00:17:30.180 --> 00:17:32.579 on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire back in 2000. 00:17:32.839 --> 00:17:35.180 Half a million. That's a serious thank you. And 00:17:35.180 --> 00:17:37.559 he won more for them on another celebrity appearance 00:17:37.559 --> 00:17:40.740 later. It's a clear, direct way of giving back 00:17:40.740 --> 00:17:42.420 to the specific thing that helped him launch 00:17:42.420 --> 00:17:45.099 everything. His charity stuff often has that 00:17:45.099 --> 00:17:47.740 unique Drew Carey twist, too, like the FIFA video 00:17:47.740 --> 00:17:50.059 game challenge. Oh, yeah, that was great. Challenged 00:17:50.059 --> 00:17:52.599 U .S. soccer players to FIFA 07 for charity. 00:17:53.180 --> 00:17:56.920 Donated like $160 ,000 total to a memorial fund 00:17:56.920 --> 00:18:00.559 based on the games. Lost some, paid up, donated 00:18:00.559 --> 00:18:03.700 more. Creative giving. And more recently, his 00:18:03.700 --> 00:18:06.500 support during the writers' strike in 2023. That 00:18:06.500 --> 00:18:09.140 was huge. Massive, yeah. Really tangible support. 00:18:09.380 --> 00:18:11.859 He arranged to cover the cost of meals for striking 00:18:11.859 --> 00:18:14.059 WGA writers at two different restaurants in L 00:18:14.059 --> 00:18:16.279 .A. Just paid their tabs. Yep. Apparently his 00:18:16.279 --> 00:18:18.420 bill at one place was running around $10 ,000 00:18:18.420 --> 00:18:20.940 a week. $10 ,000 a week. That's incredible. That's 00:18:20.940 --> 00:18:23.380 not just tweeting support. That's direct, significant 00:18:23.380 --> 00:18:25.960 action. Helping people eat while supporting local 00:18:25.960 --> 00:18:28.299 businesses. Exactly. It shows a deep commitment 00:18:28.299 --> 00:18:30.519 to the creative community. So he's earned the 00:18:30.519 --> 00:18:33.289 awards he's gotten. The Walk of Fame star, the 00:18:33.289 --> 00:18:36.349 WWE Hall of Fame thing, People's Choice, and 00:18:36.349 --> 00:18:39.109 that Lone Sailor Award in 2021. Right. From the 00:18:39.109 --> 00:18:42.009 Navy Memorial, recognizing sea service vets who've 00:18:42.009 --> 00:18:44.269 excelled afterwards ties it all back to that 00:18:44.269 --> 00:18:46.809 Marine Foundation. OK, so let's wrap this up. 00:18:46.930 --> 00:18:50.039 We started with this idea of contradiction. Marine, 00:18:50.200 --> 00:18:54.039 comedian, sitcom star, game show host, libertarian 00:18:54.039 --> 00:18:56.259 advocate, philanthropist. And what the sources 00:18:56.259 --> 00:18:59.019 seem to show is that the friendly, energetic 00:18:59.019 --> 00:19:02.859 guy we see on Price is every day. That's the 00:19:02.859 --> 00:19:05.420 public face, sure. But it's a face built on top 00:19:05.420 --> 00:19:09.519 of and maybe managing a really complex inner 00:19:09.519 --> 00:19:12.200 life. Yeah, the depression, the past trauma he 00:19:12.200 --> 00:19:14.220 wrote about. And then this incredible discipline 00:19:14.220 --> 00:19:16.680 applied to everything. His health, his politics, 00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:19.180 his charity, his endurance running. It seems 00:19:19.180 --> 00:19:21.140 like that structure he found in the Marines really 00:19:21.140 --> 00:19:24.240 became the operating system for his whole life. 00:19:24.480 --> 00:19:26.720 Managing the chaos of fame, the personal struggles, 00:19:26.819 --> 00:19:29.500 everything. The contrast between the easygoing 00:19:29.500 --> 00:19:33.680 TV host and the disciplined, sometimes contrarian, 00:19:33.680 --> 00:19:36.980 deeply thoughtful guy behind it all. That's the 00:19:36.980 --> 00:19:39.440 real story here. So the image we know best is 00:19:39.440 --> 00:19:41.519 maybe just the most stable, polished version 00:19:41.519 --> 00:19:44.259 of this long, intense, evolving journey. Exactly. 00:19:44.259 --> 00:19:46.420 It suggests that even the most familiar faces 00:19:46.420 --> 00:19:49.259 on TV can have these incredible... rich, complicated 00:19:49.259 --> 00:19:52.640 histories if you dig just a little deeper. Which 00:19:52.640 --> 00:19:54.579 leaves us, and you listening, with the final 00:19:54.579 --> 00:19:57.579 thought, maybe. What's the gap between that warm 00:19:57.579 --> 00:20:00.859 daily TV image we all consume and the decades 00:20:00.859 --> 00:20:03.359 of intense discipline, private struggle, and 00:20:03.359 --> 00:20:06.039 constant reinvention that actually created it? 00:20:06.160 --> 00:20:08.400 Something to think about. Absolutely. It was 00:20:08.400 --> 00:20:10.380 fascinating diving into the many lives of Drew 00:20:10.380 --> 00:20:12.420 Carey. Thanks for joining us on The Deep Dive. 00:20:12.500 --> 00:20:13.240 We'll see you next time.