WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.259 Welcome to the Deep Dive. We take the comprehensive 00:00:02.259 --> 00:00:04.799 source material you send us, we dig through it, 00:00:04.879 --> 00:00:08.939 every credit, every little detail, and basically 00:00:08.939 --> 00:00:10.419 give you the full picture so you're really well 00:00:10.419 --> 00:00:12.480 informed. Yeah, that's the plan. And our mission 00:00:12.480 --> 00:00:15.400 today, it's exploring a career that's, well, 00:00:15.519 --> 00:00:17.559 it's less like a straight road and more like 00:00:17.559 --> 00:00:20.260 a sprawling map. We're talking about maximum 00:00:20.260 --> 00:00:22.660 professional versatility here. We are. We're 00:00:22.660 --> 00:00:25.079 charting the path of Stephen Douglas Agee. And 00:00:25.079 --> 00:00:28.800 it's kind of unlikely in some ways, but also... 00:00:29.199 --> 00:00:31.480 Really strategic when you look closely. How so? 00:00:31.679 --> 00:00:35.119 Well, he went from being this niche alt comedy 00:00:35.119 --> 00:00:39.939 writer, musician guy, you know, loved by a pretty 00:00:39.939 --> 00:00:42.119 small dedicated crowd. Right. Like the Sarah 00:00:42.119 --> 00:00:44.539 Silverman program era. Exactly that. Yeah. To 00:00:44.539 --> 00:00:47.320 becoming like a core part of one of the biggest 00:00:47.320 --> 00:00:50.630 superhero franchises out there. a recurring operational 00:00:50.630 --> 00:00:53.009 asset, as the sources kind of put it. That's 00:00:53.009 --> 00:00:54.609 a great way to phrase it, operational asset. 00:00:54.829 --> 00:00:56.729 Yeah. And that whole journey for you listening, 00:00:56.810 --> 00:00:58.810 it really is like a masterclass in adapting professionally, 00:00:59.030 --> 00:01:01.570 how to stay relevant, how to shift gears. Okay, 00:01:01.609 --> 00:01:03.829 so let's untack this because, yeah, it is a monumental 00:01:03.829 --> 00:01:06.430 journey. When you actually lay out all the credits 00:01:06.430 --> 00:01:09.329 of your filmography, it honestly looks like maybe 00:01:09.329 --> 00:01:12.370 two, even three different careers running side 00:01:12.370 --> 00:01:15.069 by side. It really does. It's this dichotomy 00:01:15.069 --> 00:01:18.140 that's just... It's rare and probably incredibly 00:01:18.140 --> 00:01:20.400 hard to keep going. So we're talking Stephen 00:01:20.400 --> 00:01:23.420 Douglas Agee, born 69, right? So he's 56 in 2025. 00:01:23.819 --> 00:01:26.400 Yep. Riverside, California native. Professional 00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:29.099 career kicking off around 2000. And that central 00:01:29.099 --> 00:01:31.459 duality you mentioned, that's really the key, 00:01:31.560 --> 00:01:33.219 isn't it? Oh, absolutely. It's the core thing 00:01:33.219 --> 00:01:35.859 to grasp. For years, for a lot of people, Steve 00:01:35.859 --> 00:01:38.540 Agee was Steve Myron. Or Stephen Ned Myron III 00:01:38.540 --> 00:01:41.200 sometimes. Exactly. From the Sarah Silverman 00:01:41.200 --> 00:01:45.650 program. That character, that show. It was peak 00:01:45.650 --> 00:01:49.230 early 2000s Comedy Central. Super surreal, very 00:01:49.230 --> 00:01:51.989 specific humor. Oh, yeah. Often kind of awkward, 00:01:52.150 --> 00:01:53.989 uncomfortable, self -referential, that whole 00:01:53.989 --> 00:01:55.810 vibe. Totally. And that character, Steve Myron, 00:01:55.849 --> 00:01:57.909 he was just perfect for it. Sort of the perpetual 00:01:57.909 --> 00:02:00.969 underdog, the sad, sincere guy in this completely 00:02:00.969 --> 00:02:03.650 bonkers world Sarah Silverman created. He really 00:02:03.650 --> 00:02:05.469 grounded it in a weird way. But then, like you 00:02:05.469 --> 00:02:07.290 said, the pivot happens. Yeah. And it's a massive 00:02:07.290 --> 00:02:10.030 one. Suddenly he's John Economos. Yeah. John 00:02:10.030 --> 00:02:12.330 Economos, the super stressed out bureaucratic 00:02:12.330 --> 00:02:15.210 tech guy. Yeah. You know, often hilariously miserable 00:02:15.210 --> 00:02:17.969 working for Amanda Waller. Right. Trying to manage 00:02:17.969 --> 00:02:20.949 Task Force X and all that chaos in the DCEU and 00:02:20.949 --> 00:02:23.530 now the new DCEU. And we're talking a huge shift 00:02:23.530 --> 00:02:26.250 in scale here going from, you know, a pretty 00:02:26.250 --> 00:02:28.639 low budget cable show where the jokes are. maybe 00:02:28.639 --> 00:02:31.719 non sequiturs and awkwardness, to being this 00:02:31.719 --> 00:02:36.139 consistent figure in, what, four major DC properties 00:02:36.139 --> 00:02:39.699 now? DC. The Suicide Squad, the movie. Yep. Then 00:02:39.699 --> 00:02:42.520 Peacemaker, this series. Shazam. Fury of the 00:02:42.520 --> 00:02:44.919 Gods, that credit scene appearance. And now the 00:02:44.919 --> 00:02:46.960 upcoming animated series, Creature Commandos. 00:02:47.080 --> 00:02:50.199 Wow. Okay, yeah. Four. That's not just, like, 00:02:50.219 --> 00:02:52.500 a guest spot. That's becoming part of the franchise 00:02:52.500 --> 00:02:55.000 furniture. It really is. It's like he's a key 00:02:55.000 --> 00:02:57.120 piece of the high -level plumbing for that whole 00:02:57.120 --> 00:02:59.639 universe now. So the big takeaway here, before 00:02:59.639 --> 00:03:02.740 we dive deeper, is really about longevity. How 00:03:02.740 --> 00:03:05.240 do you do that? How do you move from that specialized 00:03:05.240 --> 00:03:09.620 niche comedy writing and acting to being trusted 00:03:09.620 --> 00:03:12.340 by someone like James Gunn with a pretty pivotal 00:03:12.340 --> 00:03:15.360 role in this massive globally recognized IP? 00:03:15.780 --> 00:03:19.199 It shows age as like... A multi -tool professional. 00:03:19.280 --> 00:03:21.159 That's a great way to put it. A multi -tool. 00:03:21.219 --> 00:03:24.099 He knows how to operate in basically every format 00:03:24.099 --> 00:03:27.599 there is. Animation, streaming TV, late night 00:03:27.599 --> 00:03:31.439 writing rooms, big budget feature films. He's 00:03:31.439 --> 00:03:34.159 done it. And that sheer volume, the diversity 00:03:34.159 --> 00:03:36.879 of the credits. You mentioned writing, was it 00:03:36.879 --> 00:03:38.979 hundreds of episodes of Late Night? Yeah, over 00:03:38.979 --> 00:03:42.400 300 for Kimmel alone. Plus roles in huge animated 00:03:42.400 --> 00:03:44.719 shows, playing in punk bands. Right, the music 00:03:44.719 --> 00:03:46.819 side too. And then carrying this major franchise 00:03:46.819 --> 00:03:49.479 character. It tells you his value in Hollywood 00:03:49.479 --> 00:03:51.659 isn't just one thing. It's this comprehensive 00:03:51.659 --> 00:03:54.020 utility. So he didn't just like wait around for 00:03:54.020 --> 00:03:55.819 acting gigs. No, it seems like he was always 00:03:55.819 --> 00:03:58.500 building this massive diverse skill set. So when 00:03:58.500 --> 00:04:00.590 a producer looks at his resume, they don't. You 00:04:00.590 --> 00:04:03.030 just see quirky character actor. They see someone 00:04:03.030 --> 00:04:05.849 who can write the script, maybe punch up jokes 00:04:05.849 --> 00:04:09.469 on set. Uh -huh. Voice a monster and nail the 00:04:09.469 --> 00:04:12.629 deadpan delivery of that stressed bureaucrat. 00:04:12.729 --> 00:04:14.969 Yeah. He's like a creative problem solver. That 00:04:14.969 --> 00:04:17.009 makes sense. That kind of deep utility, that's 00:04:17.009 --> 00:04:18.629 what gets you 25 years in the business, right? 00:04:18.730 --> 00:04:20.449 That has to be a huge part of it, yeah. So to 00:04:20.449 --> 00:04:22.569 really understand that resilience, we've got 00:04:22.569 --> 00:04:24.990 to go back to the beginning. Section two in our 00:04:24.990 --> 00:04:27.870 notes. The foundation. This is where he built 00:04:27.870 --> 00:04:30.389 those core muscles, right? The writing, the music, 00:04:30.389 --> 00:04:33.689 before most people knew him from TV. Absolutely. 00:04:33.730 --> 00:04:37.769 And the writing core is probably the most disciplined 00:04:37.769 --> 00:04:40.209 engine behind it all. I mean, Jimmy Kimmel Live, 00:04:40.410 --> 00:04:46.149 we found credits for 337 episodes. Wow. 337. 00:04:46.250 --> 00:04:49.689 That's not just dabbling. No way. That's years 00:04:49.689 --> 00:04:53.790 of intense, high -output joke writing. And think 00:04:53.790 --> 00:04:55.529 about the Environment major late -night show. 00:04:55.920 --> 00:04:58.300 It's about as rigorous as it gets. OK, walk us 00:04:58.300 --> 00:04:59.959 through that. What does that kind of pressure 00:04:59.959 --> 00:05:03.800 cooker demand? You know, 337 episodes means living 00:05:03.800 --> 00:05:06.680 on that relentless 24 hour news and joke cycle. 00:05:06.920 --> 00:05:09.699 How does that grind shape someone's skills later 00:05:09.699 --> 00:05:12.000 on? Well, it's basically boot camp for comedic 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:14.060 timing and structure. Late night writing, it 00:05:14.060 --> 00:05:16.139 forces you to instantly grab on to current events. 00:05:16.259 --> 00:05:17.839 Right. What happened today? What's everyone talking 00:05:17.839 --> 00:05:20.519 about? Yeah. And then rapidly generate jokes 00:05:20.519 --> 00:05:23.100 that fit a very specific rhythm. Usually that 00:05:23.100 --> 00:05:25.769 classic set up. Set up punchline structure. Yeah. 00:05:25.829 --> 00:05:28.649 And you have to edit brutally. Kill your darlings 00:05:28.649 --> 00:05:30.689 constantly. Because the timing is everything, 00:05:30.829 --> 00:05:33.769 right? Yeah. A joke about some political gaffe 00:05:33.769 --> 00:05:36.370 or celebrity meltdown. Yeah. It's got to land 00:05:36.370 --> 00:05:38.410 tonight. Exactly. It's perishable. So when you 00:05:38.410 --> 00:05:42.410 spend years writing literally thousands of jokes 00:05:42.410 --> 00:05:45.889 that need to hit perfectly, right now that knowledge 00:05:45.889 --> 00:05:47.949 just gets baked into you. It becomes instinctual. 00:05:48.250 --> 00:05:50.509 And I think you can kind of see that payoff in 00:05:50.509 --> 00:05:52.389 his acting later. Like when he's John Economos, 00:05:52.509 --> 00:05:56.189 he's often delivering really dry, high stakes 00:05:56.189 --> 00:06:00.370 info under pressure, surrounded by absolute absurdity 00:06:00.370 --> 00:06:02.790 like Peacemaker himself. But his delivery is 00:06:02.790 --> 00:06:05.329 so deadpan, so precise, he never winks at the 00:06:05.329 --> 00:06:08.009 camera. It feels like that discipline you'd hone 00:06:08.009 --> 00:06:10.490 writing jokes against a deadline, that precision. 00:06:11.129 --> 00:06:12.990 It's interesting because it seems almost the 00:06:12.990 --> 00:06:15.850 opposite of that loose, maybe improvised feel 00:06:15.850 --> 00:06:17.970 of some of the alt comedy stuff he was also doing. 00:06:18.050 --> 00:06:20.370 But he mastered both. Yeah. Which leads right 00:06:20.370 --> 00:06:22.089 to his other big writing credit from that era, 00:06:22.250 --> 00:06:25.829 the Andy Malinakis show. OK, yeah, that's a totally 00:06:25.829 --> 00:06:28.449 different beast. Totally. If Kimmel was, you 00:06:28.449 --> 00:06:30.949 know, polished network structure, Malinakis was 00:06:30.949 --> 00:06:35.709 just pure early Internet absurdity. Anti -humor, 00:06:35.709 --> 00:06:38.269 almost. Explain that contrast a bit more. How 00:06:38.269 --> 00:06:40.689 did those writing rooms or sensibilities differ? 00:06:41.149 --> 00:06:42.790 Well, Kimmel, you're following the classic rules, 00:06:42.910 --> 00:06:45.250 right? Build tension, release with a punchline 00:06:45.250 --> 00:06:48.370 the audience expects and enjoys. The Andy Malinakis 00:06:48.370 --> 00:06:52.079 show, though, that thrived on, like... Purposeful 00:06:52.079 --> 00:06:55.439 awkwardness. Surreal visuals. A really chaotic 00:06:55.439 --> 00:06:57.980 kind of lo -fi look. Very influential. That whole 00:06:57.980 --> 00:07:01.680 MTV2 pre -YouTube vibe. Hugely influential. So 00:07:01.680 --> 00:07:04.300 MB being involved there shows he was comfortable 00:07:04.300 --> 00:07:06.360 not just with the polished stuff, but also with 00:07:06.360 --> 00:07:10.079 the raw, uncomfortable, absurdist fringe. He 00:07:10.079 --> 00:07:11.620 could write the perfect network joke, and he 00:07:11.620 --> 00:07:13.180 could write the joke that intentionally makes 00:07:13.180 --> 00:07:15.819 you feel weird. That ability to play both sides 00:07:15.819 --> 00:07:18.560 of the comedy street, that's rare. Very. OK, 00:07:18.600 --> 00:07:20.360 let's pivot then to the music side, because that 00:07:20.360 --> 00:07:22.379 seems to feed into that alt comedy sensibility, 00:07:22.399 --> 00:07:24.600 too, right? The sources say his background as 00:07:24.600 --> 00:07:27.040 a musician actually comes before the big acting 00:07:27.040 --> 00:07:29.540 and writing fame. Exactly. We see him playing 00:07:29.540 --> 00:07:31.740 guitar and bass in different rock bands back 00:07:31.740 --> 00:07:34.839 in the 90s. And that's, you know, a serious time 00:07:34.839 --> 00:07:36.800 commitment. It's not just noodling around. Right. 00:07:36.920 --> 00:07:39.019 It suggests a real engagement with that creative 00:07:39.019 --> 00:07:41.240 output. And it ties him into those specific. 00:07:42.020 --> 00:07:44.459 particularly the L .A. music and comedy scenes, 00:07:44.680 --> 00:07:47.120 which often overlap quite a bit. And the material 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:50.720 highlights a connection with Brendan Small. Now 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:52.959 that name rings about home movies, right? Right. 00:07:53.040 --> 00:07:56.519 And Death Clock. Yes. Yeah. The Mighty Death 00:07:56.519 --> 00:07:58.759 Clock from Metalocalypse. Yeah. That collaboration 00:07:58.759 --> 00:08:01.939 is really telling. Small's work, especially Death 00:08:01.939 --> 00:08:04.259 Clock, it needs serious musical chops. Oh, yeah. 00:08:04.300 --> 00:08:06.120 Those guys could actually play. Totally. Yeah. 00:08:06.160 --> 00:08:08.300 But it's blended seamlessly with this really 00:08:08.300 --> 00:08:11.720 niche, often super specific kind of nerdy, aggressive 00:08:11.720 --> 00:08:15.279 humor. So Gadgie, working with Small, just reinforces 00:08:15.279 --> 00:08:17.899 his roots in that. That specific blend of technical 00:08:17.899 --> 00:08:20.459 skill and alternative comedy. And he kept using 00:08:20.459 --> 00:08:22.620 those skills, didn't he? Even after getting known 00:08:22.620 --> 00:08:25.160 for acting, like playing bass in a commercial. 00:08:25.420 --> 00:08:27.920 Yeah, for the video game Rocksmith 2014. So he's 00:08:27.920 --> 00:08:30.139 bringing that musical proficiency back into the 00:08:30.139 --> 00:08:32.159 commercial sphere. It's another tool in the toolkit. 00:08:32.299 --> 00:08:34.820 But the really interesting musical move, timing 00:08:34.820 --> 00:08:38.549 -wise, was more recent. The sources mention a 00:08:38.549 --> 00:08:42.269 comedy punk album called Scab. Yes. Released 00:08:42.269 --> 00:08:45.309 September 4th, 2021. Now think about that timing. 00:08:45.450 --> 00:08:48.470 Okay, 2021. The Suicide Squad came out that summer. 00:08:48.610 --> 00:08:52.370 He was just hitting big time globally as John 00:08:52.370 --> 00:08:55.529 Economos. Exactly. So why release a comedy punk 00:08:55.529 --> 00:08:57.769 album right then? What does that suggest? Hmm, 00:08:57.950 --> 00:09:00.990 maybe. Keeping a foot in his old world and not 00:09:00.990 --> 00:09:03.289 letting the big franchise define him completely. 00:09:03.870 --> 00:09:05.950 I think that's thought on. It feels like a conscious 00:09:05.950 --> 00:09:09.269 move to say, hey, I'm still this guy too. You 00:09:09.269 --> 00:09:11.750 know, releasing something kind of raw, aggressive, 00:09:11.850 --> 00:09:14.809 very genre specific while you're playing this. 00:09:15.070 --> 00:09:17.029 button -down bureaucrat in a massive franchise. 00:09:17.289 --> 00:09:18.929 It's a way of holding on to that alt -comedy 00:09:18.929 --> 00:09:21.129 edge. Totally. It reminds the industry, maybe 00:09:21.129 --> 00:09:22.870 reminds himself, that his creative interests 00:09:22.870 --> 00:09:25.230 are still broad. It stops him from being typecast 00:09:25.230 --> 00:09:27.289 just by the suit and tie. It's like a career 00:09:27.289 --> 00:09:30.110 stabilizer. Keeps him connected to that comedy 00:09:30.110 --> 00:09:32.149 world that kind of birthed him. Prevents maybe 00:09:32.149 --> 00:09:34.350 burnout, too. That makes a lot of sense. And 00:09:34.350 --> 00:09:37.690 that commitment to being a creator, a maker, 00:09:37.789 --> 00:09:40.870 not just a performer. You see that even in his 00:09:40.870 --> 00:09:42.730 earliest screen credits. We're going way back 00:09:42.730 --> 00:09:45.559 now, like year 2000. Yeah, the very first credits 00:09:45.559 --> 00:09:48.419 listed show that DIY approach. The Bogus Witch 00:09:48.419 --> 00:09:50.840 Project in 2000, it was one of those Blair Witch 00:09:50.840 --> 00:09:53.340 parodies. Oh, right. There were a few of those. 00:09:53.460 --> 00:09:55.340 Yeah. And for the segment in that called The 00:09:55.340 --> 00:09:58.080 Griffith Witch Project, the sources confirm A 00:09:58.080 --> 00:10:00.179 .G. wasn't just in it. He was also the director 00:10:00.179 --> 00:10:03.159 and the producer. Wow. OK, that's the definition 00:10:03.159 --> 00:10:05.639 of rolling up your sleeves. If you want something 00:10:05.639 --> 00:10:08.039 made back then, especially low budget comedy, 00:10:08.220 --> 00:10:10.519 you often just had to do it all yourself. Pretty 00:10:10.519 --> 00:10:13.320 much. And that experience directing, producing, 00:10:13.539 --> 00:10:16.740 acting, probably holding the boom mic, getting 00:10:16.740 --> 00:10:20.220 coffee, it must give you an immediate like. 360 00:10:20.220 --> 00:10:22.960 degree view of how a set works. Which probably 00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:25.139 makes you incredibly useful later on when you're 00:10:25.139 --> 00:10:27.340 on much bigger sets. Producers must love that. 00:10:27.519 --> 00:10:30.720 You'd think so. Yeah. And we see the slow build 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:33.519 of him appearing on screen physically starting 00:10:33.519 --> 00:10:36.000 around then too. Yeah. Little shorts like Kicked 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:40.529 in the Nets in 2003. Oh. And then bigger tie 00:10:40.529 --> 00:10:42.730 -ins with his comedy circle like Sarah Silverman's 00:10:42.730 --> 00:10:45.789 concert film, Jesus is Magic. In 2005, he's listed 00:10:45.789 --> 00:10:47.909 as Guy in Wings. Guy in Wings, classic early 00:10:47.909 --> 00:10:50.590 credit. Isn't it? And by 2006, he's in indie 00:10:50.590 --> 00:10:53.129 films like Sleeping Dogs Lie. So these early 00:10:53.129 --> 00:10:55.690 years, it's just constant dedicated involvement 00:10:55.690 --> 00:10:58.830 in that L .A. comedy scene. Writer, director, 00:10:59.190 --> 00:11:02.779 musician, performer. It's all feeding into this 00:11:02.779 --> 00:11:04.899 network. Which perfectly sets up the next phase, 00:11:05.000 --> 00:11:07.460 right? Section three, the Comedy Central and 00:11:07.460 --> 00:11:09.440 sitcom years. This is where he really becomes 00:11:09.440 --> 00:11:12.919 known as this specialist for really specific, 00:11:13.120 --> 00:11:15.320 memorable, recurring characters. Absolutely. 00:11:15.320 --> 00:11:17.460 And the breakout, no question, was the Sarah 00:11:17.460 --> 00:11:20.000 Silverman program. playing Stephen Edmiron III. 00:11:20.279 --> 00:11:23.899 He was in 32 episodes, 2007 to 2010. That role 00:11:23.899 --> 00:11:26.299 totally established his unique thing, didn't 00:11:26.299 --> 00:11:29.159 it? That kind of masterful mix of deadpan sincerity 00:11:29.159 --> 00:11:32.419 and just profound awkwardness. It really did. 00:11:32.559 --> 00:11:35.659 And he was critical for that show because, you 00:11:35.659 --> 00:11:37.460 know, it was built on Sarah's character being 00:11:37.460 --> 00:11:39.820 extremely surreal, often kind of sociopathic. 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:43.440 AG's character, Steve, he became the necessary 00:11:43.440 --> 00:11:46.340 straight man. Or maybe not straight man, but 00:11:46.340 --> 00:11:49.250 the emotional anchor. He reacted to the craziness 00:11:49.250 --> 00:11:51.909 like a normal, albeit slightly pathetic, person 00:11:51.909 --> 00:11:54.350 might. Yeah, he grounded the absurdity. Exactly. 00:11:54.429 --> 00:11:56.669 And that showed he had the comedic weight to 00:11:56.669 --> 00:11:58.690 actually anchor a premise, which is a really 00:11:58.690 --> 00:12:01.529 valuable skill, making this surreal feel somehow 00:12:01.529 --> 00:12:04.110 real through reaction. And after that show, he 00:12:04.110 --> 00:12:06.090 just became this go -to guy, didn't he? One of 00:12:06.090 --> 00:12:08.690 the most reliable utility players in TV comedy 00:12:08.690 --> 00:12:11.610 through the 2010s. Not always the main plot, 00:12:11.669 --> 00:12:14.409 but always stealing scenes, adding this unforgettable 00:12:14.409 --> 00:12:16.789 flavor. The prime example has to be New Girl. 00:12:17.240 --> 00:12:21.200 Oh, outside Dave. Yes. Right. Outside Dave. Between 00:12:21.200 --> 00:12:24.440 2013 and 2017, he's in 13 episodes. Now, this 00:12:24.440 --> 00:12:26.539 character was totally on the fringes. A homeless 00:12:26.539 --> 00:12:28.899 guy living near the loft. Barely interacted with 00:12:28.899 --> 00:12:31.440 the main plot sometimes. Hardly ever. Yeah. Yet 00:12:31.440 --> 00:12:33.820 he became arguably one of the most quoted, most 00:12:33.820 --> 00:12:36.659 beloved side characters on the entire show. How 00:12:36.659 --> 00:12:38.799 does that happen? Good question. What's the magic 00:12:38.799 --> 00:12:41.320 there? Limited screen time. Huge impact. I think 00:12:41.320 --> 00:12:44.039 it boils down to just sheer commitment and his 00:12:44.039 --> 00:12:47.320 physical presence. The character was pure random 00:12:47.320 --> 00:12:50.480 absurdity. Jave existed sort of outside the logic 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:52.500 of the main romantic comedy stuff. Right. And 00:12:52.500 --> 00:12:55.120 AG played him with total deadpan commitment. 00:12:55.440 --> 00:12:58.080 He used his, you know, kind of imposing size, 00:12:58.200 --> 00:13:00.899 but also this unique, slightly rambling way of 00:13:00.899 --> 00:13:03.940 talking. Yeah. It created instant comedic shorthand. 00:13:03.940 --> 00:13:06.299 You didn't need a backstory. His brief, weird 00:13:06.299 --> 00:13:08.340 appearances were always these perfect little 00:13:08.340 --> 00:13:10.240 punchlines the writers could just drop in. High 00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:12.879 impact, low effort for the script. That's smart 00:13:12.879 --> 00:13:14.980 writing and smart performing. It really is. That's 00:13:14.980 --> 00:13:16.720 comedic craftsmanship. And he showed he could 00:13:16.720 --> 00:13:18.360 do that same kind of memorable side character 00:13:18.360 --> 00:13:20.419 thing across really different types of shows, 00:13:20.500 --> 00:13:23.120 too. Like, compare his work on Superstore versus 00:13:23.120 --> 00:13:26.139 You're the Worst. Yeah, great comparison. On 00:13:26.139 --> 00:13:28.759 Superstore, that's 2016 to 2021, he played Isaac 00:13:28.759 --> 00:13:32.210 for 12 episodes. Yeah. That's a broader... network 00:13:32.210 --> 00:13:35.409 workplace comedy, more relatable, grounded humor 00:13:35.409 --> 00:13:38.690 generally. Big ensemble cast. Then you have You're 00:13:38.690 --> 00:13:42.509 the Worst, 2014 to 2017, much sharper show, often 00:13:42.509 --> 00:13:45.710 darker, really cynical cable comedy. And he played 00:13:45.710 --> 00:13:48.049 Dutch in six episodes there. So going from the 00:13:48.049 --> 00:13:51.289 big, bright Cloud Nine store to the kind of messed 00:13:51.289 --> 00:13:55.289 up world of Gretchen and Jimmy. That shows serious 00:13:55.289 --> 00:13:57.870 range in terms of fitting the tone. Absolutely. 00:13:58.090 --> 00:14:00.529 Adaptability again. Yeah. He can be the slightly 00:14:00.529 --> 00:14:03.750 goofy employee in Superstore and then pivot to 00:14:03.750 --> 00:14:06.409 being, you know, the more abrasive, maybe emotionally 00:14:06.409 --> 00:14:08.730 stunted character needed for the dark humor of 00:14:08.730 --> 00:14:10.929 You're the Worst. And this utility just meant 00:14:10.929 --> 00:14:12.929 he popped up everywhere, didn't he? Like the 00:14:12.929 --> 00:14:16.149 credits list, Children's Hospital, Two Broke 00:14:16.149 --> 00:14:18.990 Girls, just two episodes each, but memorable. 00:14:19.110 --> 00:14:22.059 Yeah. And even Community. Two different appearances 00:14:22.059 --> 00:14:23.899 playing two different characters, David in one, 00:14:24.019 --> 00:14:27.000 and then famously the DJ at the school dance. 00:14:27.240 --> 00:14:29.259 Oh, the DJ. Yeah, Bear Down for Midterms, that 00:14:29.259 --> 00:14:31.659 episode. His delivery was perfect for Community's 00:14:31.659 --> 00:14:34.299 very specific high -concept style. Just drop 00:14:34.299 --> 00:14:36.620 in, nail the weirdness, and drop out. Exactly. 00:14:36.620 --> 00:14:39.620 And then you see guest spots on huge shows like 00:14:39.620 --> 00:14:44.059 Modern Family. Tommy, right, in 2016. Yep. Accidentally 00:14:44.059 --> 00:14:46.980 on purpose, happy endings, the league. It's like 00:14:46.980 --> 00:14:49.519 if a sitcom needed that slightly off kilter but 00:14:49.519 --> 00:14:51.899 totally reliable comedic energy for a scene or 00:14:51.899 --> 00:14:54.799 two, AG was clearly on the casting director's 00:14:54.799 --> 00:14:56.960 speed dial. And he wasn't just acting in sitcoms. 00:14:56.960 --> 00:14:59.179 He was also engaging with the comedy world as 00:14:59.179 --> 00:15:01.299 himself, right? Like on panel shows and stuff. 00:15:01.460 --> 00:15:03.700 Yeah, that's another layer. Being a regular on 00:15:03.700 --> 00:15:06.159 At Midnight for 17 episodes, that's significant. 00:15:06.399 --> 00:15:09.259 That show was tough. How so? What did At Midnight 00:15:09.259 --> 00:15:12.710 demand? It was basically raw. unscripted performance 00:15:12.710 --> 00:15:15.830 you're riffing on internet prompts often in real 00:15:15.830 --> 00:15:18.850 time it's improv but structured around joke formats 00:15:18.850 --> 00:15:22.269 it forces you to draw on that quick sharp joke 00:15:22.269 --> 00:15:25.070 writing skill the kimmel skill set again totally 00:15:25.070 --> 00:15:27.769 doing that keeps your comedy brain sharp and 00:15:27.769 --> 00:15:29.690 it keeps you visible within the industry with 00:15:29.690 --> 00:15:31.909 your peers and he also appeared as steve age 00:15:31.909 --> 00:15:35.110 in shows that were kind of about the comedy scene 00:15:35.110 --> 00:15:38.809 itself exactly he was on mark maron's show in 00:15:38.809 --> 00:15:42.009 the episode Steel Johnson. And he popped up on 00:15:42.009 --> 00:15:45.149 Judd Apatow's Crashing in 2017. So he's not just 00:15:45.149 --> 00:15:46.950 performing characters. He's part of the actual 00:15:46.950 --> 00:15:49.649 fabric, the narrative of that modern stand -up 00:15:49.649 --> 00:15:51.529 and all comedy world. One more quick hit from 00:15:51.529 --> 00:15:53.690 this era, Drunk History. Gotta mention that. 00:15:53.870 --> 00:15:56.450 Oh, yeah. He played Harry Reader in the World 00:15:56.450 --> 00:15:59.269 War II episode. Now, Drunk History is a unique 00:15:59.269 --> 00:16:02.070 challenge. You're acting out a historical story, 00:16:02.190 --> 00:16:05.029 but you have to lip sync and react to a narrator 00:16:05.029 --> 00:16:09.529 who is... Well, completely hammered. Yeah. It 00:16:09.529 --> 00:16:12.250 sounds simple, maybe, but it's actually really 00:16:12.250 --> 00:16:14.350 hard. You have to maintain comedic composure, 00:16:14.470 --> 00:16:17.570 commit to the physical pantomime, and match the 00:16:17.570 --> 00:16:19.950 often slurred, rambling timing of the narrator. 00:16:20.129 --> 00:16:22.509 It's physically demanding. And requires serious 00:16:22.509 --> 00:16:24.789 commitment to the bit. Totally. It's just another 00:16:24.789 --> 00:16:28.470 tick in the box of highly useful, game -for -anything 00:16:28.470 --> 00:16:30.590 comedic performer. Okay, that feels like a good 00:16:30.590 --> 00:16:32.830 bridge into Section 4, the voice work portfolio. 00:16:33.230 --> 00:16:35.590 Because if live action showed his versatility 00:16:35.590 --> 00:16:38.529 in physical comedy and character types, voice 00:16:38.529 --> 00:16:41.149 work lets him just explode beyond any physical 00:16:41.149 --> 00:16:43.629 limitations. Absolutely. Voice acting is just, 00:16:43.710 --> 00:16:46.409 it's crucial for a long, sustainable career these 00:16:46.409 --> 00:16:48.570 days. And the sources show Aegis has built an 00:16:48.570 --> 00:16:50.370 incredible resume here, working with some of 00:16:50.370 --> 00:16:52.409 the biggest animated shows out there, often for 00:16:52.409 --> 00:16:54.740 years. Let's start with a giant, Adventure Time. 00:16:54.899 --> 00:16:58.240 Nine episodes between 2011 and 2016, he played 00:16:58.240 --> 00:17:00.919 various characters. What's the vibe there, vocally? 00:17:01.200 --> 00:17:03.720 Well, Adventure Time is defined by that really 00:17:03.720 --> 00:17:07.119 strange, sprawling, dreamlike world. The voices 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:09.460 need to fit that often whimsical, maybe a bit 00:17:09.460 --> 00:17:12.019 abstract, sometimes melancholic. It requires 00:17:12.019 --> 00:17:14.940 a certain flexibility. Right. Less about sharp 00:17:14.940 --> 00:17:17.539 jokes, more about character and tone. Yeah. Now, 00:17:17.579 --> 00:17:19.660 contrast that with his work on Rick and Morty, 00:17:19.680 --> 00:17:22.579 which impressively... The sources track from 00:17:22.579 --> 00:17:25.839 2014 all the way to potentially 2025. That's 00:17:25.839 --> 00:17:29.029 over a decade. Wow. 11 years on Rick and Morty. 00:17:29.049 --> 00:17:31.809 That's real staying power. So how are the vocal 00:17:31.809 --> 00:17:34.509 demands different there compared to Adventure 00:17:34.509 --> 00:17:36.829 Time? Oh, totally different. Rick and Morty is 00:17:36.829 --> 00:17:39.730 all about high concept, super fast paced humor, 00:17:39.869 --> 00:17:43.190 often loaded with like fake science jargon or 00:17:43.190 --> 00:17:46.009 philosophical rants. Right. Very dense dialogue. 00:17:46.130 --> 00:17:48.609 Exactly. So the voices need to be distinct. Yeah. 00:17:48.690 --> 00:17:50.309 But they also have to be delivered with incredible 00:17:50.309 --> 00:17:53.069 precision and speed, often with a kind of deadpan 00:17:53.069 --> 00:17:55.710 or slightly aggressive sci -fi edge. He voiced 00:17:55.710 --> 00:17:57.500 characters like a giant. to a restaurant owner 00:17:57.500 --> 00:17:59.880 so adventure time maybe more loose and abstract 00:17:59.880 --> 00:18:02.579 vocally rick and morty much more technically 00:18:02.579 --> 00:18:05.160 precise to make the complex jokes land you got 00:18:05.160 --> 00:18:08.279 it and as of g's ability to nail both those specific 00:18:08.279 --> 00:18:11.099 styles just shows incredible vocal versatility 00:18:11.099 --> 00:18:13.460 and we also see him on other huge animated hits 00:18:13.460 --> 00:18:17.119 like bob's burgers another long run 2011 -2022 00:18:17.119 --> 00:18:20.759 and network stuff like american dad the cleveland 00:18:20.759 --> 00:18:23.319 show he really covered the animation map and 00:18:23.319 --> 00:18:25.619 he kept branching out into different styles too 00:18:25.900 --> 00:18:27.960 Right. Not just sticking to one kind of animated 00:18:27.960 --> 00:18:30.140 comedy. Definitely not. He worked on regular 00:18:30.140 --> 00:18:32.259 show voicing characters like Corny and Cowboy. 00:18:32.339 --> 00:18:35.119 He was on close enough as Davey Wegman and more 00:18:35.119 --> 00:18:37.619 recently jumping into that mythological comedy 00:18:37.619 --> 00:18:41.160 Crepopolis. Voicing Heracles no less. Yeah. Heracles 00:18:41.160 --> 00:18:44.480 across two episodes so far. Now voicing a character 00:18:44.480 --> 00:18:47.359 like Heracles even in a comedy it shows he could 00:18:47.359 --> 00:18:49.579 drop that contemporary slacker vibe when needed 00:18:49.579 --> 00:18:52.190 and deliver something maybe a bit more. Epic. 00:18:52.190 --> 00:18:54.269 Or at least fitting for that setting. It's just 00:18:54.269 --> 00:18:56.289 more range. But he also kept a foot in the more 00:18:56.289 --> 00:18:59.470 specialized or cult web stuff too, right? Even 00:18:59.470 --> 00:19:01.769 with voice work. Oh yeah. Crucial for maintaining 00:19:01.769 --> 00:19:04.690 that original alt comedy cred. The web series 00:19:04.690 --> 00:19:07.829 Yacht Rock from back in 2005. Genius stuff. So 00:19:07.829 --> 00:19:11.170 good. Very niche. Totally. And he played specific 00:19:11.170 --> 00:19:14.880 musicians. Steve Porcaro from Toto and Papa Mortar, 00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:17.819 Georgia Marauder's fictional dad. To do that 00:19:17.819 --> 00:19:20.680 well, you need this almost academic knowledge 00:19:20.680 --> 00:19:24.500 of 70s soft rock history and the ability to do 00:19:24.500 --> 00:19:27.539 spot on parody. It speaks volumes about his specific 00:19:27.539 --> 00:19:29.900 cultural awareness. And then there's Harmon Quest 00:19:29.900 --> 00:19:33.180 from 2016. He voiced Tech Powers. Now, Harmon 00:19:33.180 --> 00:19:36.839 Quest was wild. It really was a fascinating experiment. 00:19:36.880 --> 00:19:39.339 It's live Dungeons and Dragons gameplay, but 00:19:39.339 --> 00:19:41.869 then they animate the action. based on what happens. 00:19:41.950 --> 00:19:45.349 So performing on that requires what insane improv 00:19:45.349 --> 00:19:48.509 skills. Totally. Extreme improvisation, committing 00:19:48.509 --> 00:19:50.829 to a character voice on the fly, and reacting 00:19:50.829 --> 00:19:53.049 instantly to the chaos of Dan Harmon and his 00:19:53.049 --> 00:19:55.230 friends playing D &D. You have to maintain the 00:19:55.230 --> 00:19:57.299 persona while the game goes off the rails. That 00:19:57.299 --> 00:19:59.460 sounds like the ultimate test. Blending improv, 00:19:59.680 --> 00:20:01.720 voice acting, and character work all at once. 00:20:01.900 --> 00:20:03.539 It really is. It's the perfect intersection of 00:20:03.539 --> 00:20:05.500 almost all his skills. And even earlier, like 00:20:05.500 --> 00:20:08.400 House of Cosby's in 2005. Voicing housekeeping 00:20:08.400 --> 00:20:10.680 Cosby. That shows he was always part of that 00:20:10.680 --> 00:20:12.660 early internet animation scene, right? Willing 00:20:12.660 --> 00:20:15.079 to jump into projects made by his peers. Yeah, 00:20:15.119 --> 00:20:16.880 staying connected to the grassroots stuff, the 00:20:16.880 --> 00:20:18.940 emerging digital media. That keeps you relevant. 00:20:19.240 --> 00:20:21.279 And finally, in this voice section, all that 00:20:21.279 --> 00:20:23.740 skill translates into video games too. Another 00:20:23.740 --> 00:20:27.339 big area for performers. Yeah. He voiced Skullraker 00:20:27.339 --> 00:20:29.519 in the heavy metal game Brutal Legend back in 00:20:29.519 --> 00:20:31.960 2009. Which fits perfectly with the Brendan Small 00:20:31.960 --> 00:20:35.240 connection. Totally. And then, brilliantly, he 00:20:35.240 --> 00:20:37.599 voiced the ancient psychic tandem war elephant 00:20:37.599 --> 00:20:41.420 in Lego Dimensions in 2015. Laughs. Okay, just 00:20:41.420 --> 00:20:44.359 the name alone. Ancient psychic tandem war elephant. 00:20:44.720 --> 00:20:47.019 That's a gift for a voice actor. Isn't it? It 00:20:47.019 --> 00:20:49.319 just lets you go wild. And it reinforces the 00:20:49.319 --> 00:20:52.400 main point about voice work for him. It lets 00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:55.490 him completely escape physical typecasting. He 00:20:55.490 --> 00:20:57.869 can be anything, a giant, a mythological hero, 00:20:58.029 --> 00:21:00.769 a weird elephant. That range plus the reliability. 00:21:00.990 --> 00:21:03.789 It just provides this huge safety net professionally 00:21:03.789 --> 00:21:06.450 and artistic freedom, too. Yeah, it makes him 00:21:06.450 --> 00:21:08.630 that true Swiss Army knife of performance we 00:21:08.630 --> 00:21:10.569 talked about. He's got a tool for basically any 00:21:10.569 --> 00:21:14.269 job. Okay. Which brings us, finally, to the climax 00:21:14.269 --> 00:21:18.690 of this versatility tour. Section 5, the blockbuster 00:21:18.690 --> 00:21:21.559 pivot. This is where Steve Agree, the reliable 00:21:21.559 --> 00:21:24.519 character actor and voice guy, suddenly steps 00:21:24.519 --> 00:21:27.759 into the global spotlight as John Economos in 00:21:27.759 --> 00:21:30.000 the DC universe. Yeah, this is the big one. The 00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:32.279 career capstone. Yeah, maybe. It really shows 00:21:32.279 --> 00:21:34.500 the ultimate trust placed in him, particularly 00:21:34.500 --> 00:21:36.640 by James Gunn. It's just a completely different 00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:38.980 scale of production and exposure compared to 00:21:38.980 --> 00:21:41.440 his sitcom work. It all kicked off with The Suicide 00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:44.400 Squad in 2021, right? He's introduced there as 00:21:44.400 --> 00:21:47.380 John Economos, one of Amanda Waller's key guys 00:21:47.380 --> 00:21:50.509 in the control room. Yep. The nervous, kind of 00:21:50.509 --> 00:21:53.309 put -upon, dry -witted tech guy trying to manage 00:21:53.309 --> 00:21:56.369 the unmanageable Task Force X from afar. But 00:21:56.369 --> 00:21:58.250 there's a crucial detail about his work on that 00:21:58.250 --> 00:22:00.430 specific film. Something the sources highlight 00:22:00.430 --> 00:22:02.849 that really underscores this whole utility player 00:22:02.849 --> 00:22:05.470 theme. Ah, yes. This is the really fascinating 00:22:05.470 --> 00:22:08.009 bit. Eiji wasn't just the actor playing John 00:22:08.009 --> 00:22:10.210 Economos on that set. He was also the on -set 00:22:10.210 --> 00:22:12.430 stand -in and physical performer for King Shark. 00:22:12.839 --> 00:22:14.779 OK, let's really spend a minute on this because 00:22:14.779 --> 00:22:17.400 it's not just like a fun fact. It sounds like 00:22:17.400 --> 00:22:20.259 a massive logistical challenge and it says so 00:22:20.259 --> 00:22:23.339 much about what he brings to a production. Explain 00:22:23.339 --> 00:22:25.940 the demands of doing both those jobs on the same 00:22:25.940 --> 00:22:28.880 movie. Right. Think about it. This is where his 00:22:28.880 --> 00:22:31.059 whole career kind of comes together. You have 00:22:31.059 --> 00:22:33.480 Steve Agee, the actor, needing to be present, 00:22:33.579 --> 00:22:36.619 probably in a suit and tie, delivering his lines 00:22:36.619 --> 00:22:39.920 as Economos often dry technical exposition focused. 00:22:40.889 --> 00:22:43.769 Standard acting job, basically. But then, maybe 00:22:43.769 --> 00:22:46.930 moments later, or on different days, he has to 00:22:46.930 --> 00:22:48.890 completely switch gears and do a totally different 00:22:48.890 --> 00:22:50.650 physical job. He has to put on the motion capture 00:22:50.650 --> 00:22:52.990 gear, or at least be the physical reference on 00:22:52.990 --> 00:22:56.609 set for King Shark. Who is... What? A seven foot 00:22:56.609 --> 00:22:59.410 tall, massively built CGI great white shark. 00:22:59.549 --> 00:23:01.890 Exactly. Voiced by Sylvester Stallone, no less. 00:23:02.009 --> 00:23:04.430 So A .G. is providing the physical presence for 00:23:04.430 --> 00:23:07.130 this huge digital character while also playing 00:23:07.130 --> 00:23:09.450 his own human character in the same film. So 00:23:09.450 --> 00:23:10.890 what skills would he even use for that? Like 00:23:10.890 --> 00:23:13.309 how does being outside Dave or Steve Myron prepare 00:23:13.309 --> 00:23:16.150 you to physically embody a giant CGI shark man? 00:23:16.289 --> 00:23:18.900 Well, King Shark wasn't just a brute. Right. 00:23:18.960 --> 00:23:21.559 There was a specific physicality, this sort of 00:23:21.559 --> 00:23:25.480 lumbering menace, but also this surprising, almost 00:23:25.480 --> 00:23:28.660 childlike awkwardness and innocence. Yeah. Nanawi. 00:23:28.740 --> 00:23:31.640 Right. So the sources suggest A .G. used his 00:23:31.640 --> 00:23:33.880 deep understanding of physical comedy, especially 00:23:33.880 --> 00:23:36.380 playing awkwardness, playing characters who are 00:23:36.380 --> 00:23:39.140 maybe uncomfortable in their own skin, using 00:23:39.140 --> 00:23:42.319 his size effectively to provide the actual physical 00:23:42.319 --> 00:23:45.109 blueprint for King Shark's body language. so 00:23:45.109 --> 00:23:47.730 he wasn't just like a mannequin standing there 00:23:47.730 --> 00:23:50.190 for height reference no much more than that he 00:23:50.190 --> 00:23:52.210 was providing the blocking the sight lines for 00:23:52.210 --> 00:23:55.309 other actors and the specific comedic physicality 00:23:55.309 --> 00:23:58.069 the timing of how king shark might tilt his head 00:23:58.069 --> 00:24:00.789 or the weight behind a clumsy movement or how 00:24:00.789 --> 00:24:03.349 he interacts with props The animators then build 00:24:03.349 --> 00:24:05.890 off that human performance foundation. Wow. So 00:24:05.890 --> 00:24:07.869 he's performing two distinct characters at the 00:24:07.869 --> 00:24:10.410 same time, essentially. One with his voice and 00:24:10.410 --> 00:24:12.769 face, the other with his entire body as a physical 00:24:12.769 --> 00:24:15.289 template for CGI. He's bridging the gap between 00:24:15.289 --> 00:24:17.650 live action performance and digital effects right 00:24:17.650 --> 00:24:20.930 there on set. Precisely. And think how valuable 00:24:20.930 --> 00:24:23.869 that makes him. He's reliable on screen as Economos, 00:24:23.910 --> 00:24:26.309 and he understands the technical, physical needs 00:24:26.309 --> 00:24:29.730 of integrating a major CGI character seamlessly. 00:24:30.610 --> 00:24:33.190 Normally that's two, maybe three different people's 00:24:33.190 --> 00:24:36.109 jobs. The actor, the mo -cap performer, the stand 00:24:36.109 --> 00:24:39.529 -in. That level of combined artistic and technical 00:24:39.529 --> 00:24:42.730 utility. Yeah, you can see why a director like 00:24:42.730 --> 00:24:44.769 Gunn would latch onto that. It must make complex 00:24:44.769 --> 00:24:48.299 scenes much easier to shoot. Absolutely. Extremely 00:24:48.299 --> 00:24:50.079 attractive for high budget filmmaking. And clearly 00:24:50.079 --> 00:24:52.839 Gunn recognized that value because Economos didn't 00:24:52.839 --> 00:24:56.160 just disappear after the movie. He brought AGR 00:24:56.160 --> 00:24:59.680 over to the Peacemaker series on HBO Max in 2022, 00:25:00.019 --> 00:25:02.240 right? As a main cast member. Huge vote of confidence. 00:25:02.380 --> 00:25:04.579 Yeah. Economos went from being a supporting player 00:25:04.579 --> 00:25:07.279 in the control room to a core member of Peacemaker's 00:25:07.279 --> 00:25:09.420 dysfunctional team on the ground. And that really 00:25:09.420 --> 00:25:11.279 let him stretch, didn't it? The character became 00:25:11.279 --> 00:25:14.349 much more developed. Oh, totally. He became kind 00:25:14.349 --> 00:25:16.869 of the reluctant moral center sometimes, or at 00:25:16.869 --> 00:25:19.369 least the perpetually exasperated straight man 00:25:19.369 --> 00:25:23.490 reacting to peacemakers. Everything. It let Agee 00:25:23.490 --> 00:25:26.289 show off more dramatic range while still leveraging 00:25:26.289 --> 00:25:29.029 that perfect deadpan comedic timing. And the 00:25:29.029 --> 00:25:32.109 DC universe wasn't done with Economos or Agee 00:25:32.109 --> 00:25:34.410 even then. His place in the bigger picture got 00:25:34.410 --> 00:25:38.730 cemented in 2023. Yep, the Shazam. Fury of the 00:25:38.730 --> 00:25:41.380 Gods mid -credits scene. He shows up alongside 00:25:41.380 --> 00:25:43.779 Jennifer Hollins, Amelia Harcourt, recruiting 00:25:43.779 --> 00:25:46.420 Shazam. Those mid -credit scenes, they're basically 00:25:46.420 --> 00:25:48.359 signposts from the studio, aren't they? They 00:25:48.359 --> 00:25:50.359 tell the audience, pay attention. This character, 00:25:50.400 --> 00:25:53.240 this plot thread, it continues. It matters. Exactly. 00:25:53.500 --> 00:25:55.980 His presence there basically guaranteed that 00:25:55.980 --> 00:25:58.200 John Economos remains an active piece on the 00:25:58.200 --> 00:26:00.539 big DC chessboard, connecting different parts 00:26:00.539 --> 00:26:02.160 of the universe. He's part of the ongoing infrastructure. 00:26:02.839 --> 00:26:05.059 And now it feels like his journey with this character 00:26:05.059 --> 00:26:07.680 comes full circle in the most versatile way possible. 00:26:07.960 --> 00:26:10.299 The sources list the upcoming Creature Commandos 00:26:10.299 --> 00:26:12.880 animated series, and he's voicing Economos there 00:26:12.880 --> 00:26:16.599 too. This is the ultimate proof of his adaptability 00:26:16.599 --> 00:26:19.640 across all media. He originated the character 00:26:19.640 --> 00:26:22.700 in live action film. He expanded him significantly 00:26:22.700 --> 00:26:26.059 in live action TV. And now he's transitioning 00:26:26.059 --> 00:26:29.220 that same character into the new DCU's animated 00:26:29.220 --> 00:26:32.519 slate. So he is John Economos, regardless of 00:26:32.519 --> 00:26:34.579 the format. Live action film, live action TV, 00:26:34.799 --> 00:26:37.960 animated TV. He's the constant. He's the anchor 00:26:37.960 --> 00:26:40.140 for that character's consistency across all these 00:26:40.140 --> 00:26:41.900 different platforms. It's pretty remarkable. 00:26:42.440 --> 00:26:44.079 And just to round out this whole blockbuster 00:26:44.079 --> 00:26:47.059 phase, it's worth noting that even while doing 00:26:47.059 --> 00:26:49.640 all this intense DC franchise work, he was still 00:26:49.640 --> 00:26:51.400 taking other interesting film roles. Oh, yeah, 00:26:51.460 --> 00:26:54.160 definitely. We see him dip his toe into the other 00:26:54.160 --> 00:26:57.119 big superhero sandbox Marvel. He had that small 00:26:57.119 --> 00:26:59.960 role as Geff. in Guardians of the Galaxy Volager 00:26:59.960 --> 00:27:02.519 back in 2017. Another James Gunn connection there, 00:27:02.579 --> 00:27:04.299 obviously. Showing he was already playing in 00:27:04.299 --> 00:27:06.599 that huge budget arena. But he also did stuff 00:27:06.599 --> 00:27:09.359 outside superheroes, like the indie drama Violet 00:27:09.359 --> 00:27:11.859 in 2021, playing a character named Boris. And 00:27:11.859 --> 00:27:13.700 the James Gunn produced horror film Brightburn 00:27:13.700 --> 00:27:17.400 in 2019. Ah, the evil Superman premise. Exactly. 00:27:17.599 --> 00:27:20.559 So his filmography during this time shows him 00:27:20.559 --> 00:27:23.940 juggling superhero spectacle, dark horror, character 00:27:23.940 --> 00:27:26.819 -driven drama. It's all built on that foundation 00:27:26.819 --> 00:27:29.019 we talked about. Saying yes to interesting work, 00:27:29.160 --> 00:27:31.359 bringing his skills wherever they fit, regardless 00:27:31.359 --> 00:27:34.400 of genre or medium. Okay. So that brings us to 00:27:34.400 --> 00:27:36.819 wrapping this all up. Section six, synthesis 00:27:36.819 --> 00:27:40.119 and final takeaway. We've basically charted, 00:27:40.119 --> 00:27:43.059 what, 25 years of continuous, incredibly diverse 00:27:43.059 --> 00:27:45.829 work. Yeah. From late night writing room. 90s 00:27:45.829 --> 00:27:48.890 punk bands. To major animation voiceovers. To 00:27:48.890 --> 00:27:52.569 cult classic sitcoms. And finally, to being a 00:27:52.569 --> 00:27:55.670 key player in the DC universe. It's quite a ride. 00:27:55.980 --> 00:27:58.140 That strategic leap you mentioned earlier from 00:27:58.140 --> 00:28:00.799 being the comedic anchor on a niche cable show 00:28:00.799 --> 00:28:03.420 like Sarah Silverman to becoming this operational 00:28:03.420 --> 00:28:06.559 anchor for a multibillion dollar franchise. It 00:28:06.559 --> 00:28:09.059 really is an amazing case study. And for you, 00:28:09.099 --> 00:28:10.900 the listener, that's the key takeaway, isn't 00:28:10.900 --> 00:28:13.420 it? Steve Lidge's career path is just this ultimate 00:28:13.420 --> 00:28:16.200 masterclass and professional adaptation. He didn't 00:28:16.200 --> 00:28:18.480 just like react to changes in the industry, the 00:28:18.480 --> 00:28:21.200 rise of streaming, new animation tech. He actively 00:28:21.200 --> 00:28:24.500 jumped into all of it. Yeah. Across every possible 00:28:24.500 --> 00:28:27.559 role, writer, musician, physical performer for 00:28:27.559 --> 00:28:30.579 mocap, voice actor, character actor, he did it 00:28:30.579 --> 00:28:33.759 all. It feels like he strategically used each 00:28:33.759 --> 00:28:35.900 part of his background. The writing gave him 00:28:35.900 --> 00:28:38.539 timing. The music gave him maybe an edge, an 00:28:38.539 --> 00:28:41.880 alt persona. The sitcom work made him super reliable. 00:28:42.160 --> 00:28:44.180 Super reliable that he got rewarded with this 00:28:44.180 --> 00:28:46.880 core franchise role that fascinatingly required 00:28:46.880 --> 00:28:50.079 him to integrate all those previous skills, especially 00:28:50.079 --> 00:28:52.099 with the King Shark stuff. And that emphasis 00:28:52.099 --> 00:28:55.059 on utility, on being the craftsperson who can 00:28:55.059 --> 00:28:57.559 step in and do multiple difficult, tonally different 00:28:57.559 --> 00:29:01.019 things often at the same time, that feels like 00:29:01.019 --> 00:29:03.619 the secret sauce to his longevity. I think so. 00:29:03.680 --> 00:29:06.380 He wasn't hired for the Suicide Squad or Peacemaker 00:29:06.380 --> 00:29:08.519 because he was, you know, a household name celebrity. 00:29:08.920 --> 00:29:10.819 He was hired because he was supremely useful. 00:29:10.960 --> 00:29:13.019 He could do the job of three people, sometimes 00:29:13.019 --> 00:29:14.740 literally playing two characters on the same 00:29:14.740 --> 00:29:18.420 set. Okay. Which leads us perfectly into our 00:29:18.420 --> 00:29:21.339 final provocative thought. Building on everything 00:29:21.339 --> 00:29:23.900 we've discussed, especially that incredible King 00:29:23.900 --> 00:29:26.799 Shark duality we've established, started as writer 00:29:26.799 --> 00:29:28.880 -musician, became known as a character actor, 00:29:29.059 --> 00:29:31.660 then landed this role where he was both the main 00:29:31.660 --> 00:29:34.740 human character, Economos, and the physical performer 00:29:34.740 --> 00:29:37.579 underpinning the big CGI character, King Shark. 00:29:37.799 --> 00:29:39.940 Right. That unique blend, the behind -the -scenes 00:29:39.940 --> 00:29:43.160 physicality, the deep history in comedy and improv, 00:29:43.299 --> 00:29:46.740 and now this high -profile on -screen visibility. 00:29:47.410 --> 00:29:49.609 It raises a really interesting question about 00:29:49.609 --> 00:29:51.630 what could be next, especially in performance 00:29:51.630 --> 00:29:54.190 capture. Yeah. Like how could a future director 00:29:54.190 --> 00:29:56.690 really capitalize on all of that specific experience? 00:29:56.769 --> 00:29:59.349 The physical comedy chops and the comfort level 00:29:59.349 --> 00:30:01.490 with the digital CGI process. He's literally 00:30:01.490 --> 00:30:03.710 done the physical comedy groundwork for a globally 00:30:03.710 --> 00:30:06.269 recognized character like King Shark. Yeah. So 00:30:06.269 --> 00:30:09.009 could we see a future where age isn't just the 00:30:09.009 --> 00:30:11.539 stand in or the reference performer? Yeah. but 00:30:11.539 --> 00:30:14.099 gets elevated. You mean like into a full performance 00:30:14.099 --> 00:30:16.460 captured role himself, like what Andy Serkis 00:30:16.460 --> 00:30:19.000 did with Gollum or Caesar or Terry Notary with 00:30:19.000 --> 00:30:21.460 King Kong? Exactly. Where his unique physical 00:30:21.460 --> 00:30:24.559 presence, his specific comedic timing, is the 00:30:24.559 --> 00:30:27.279 primary foundation for an entirely digital character. 00:30:27.579 --> 00:30:30.380 It would allow him to fully merge that physical 00:30:30.380 --> 00:30:33.380 comedy past with his blockbuster present and 00:30:33.380 --> 00:30:35.819 future. The capability is definitely there, isn't 00:30:35.819 --> 00:30:37.720 it? He's proven the physical commitment with 00:30:37.720 --> 00:30:39.799 King Shark. He obviously has the comedic timing 00:30:39.799 --> 00:30:42.819 down cold. Totally. So imagine a director needs 00:30:42.819 --> 00:30:45.720 a non -human character. maybe an alien or a monster, 00:30:45.940 --> 00:30:48.599 that requires really sophisticated, grounded, 00:30:48.660 --> 00:30:51.519 but maybe awkward or unusual comedic movement. 00:30:51.859 --> 00:30:54.809 AGE seems like the ideal candidate. It feels 00:30:54.809 --> 00:30:56.950 like the logical next evolution, doesn't it? 00:30:56.970 --> 00:30:59.650 Giving him the keys to create a brand new type 00:30:59.650 --> 00:31:02.069 of digital character, one that specifically needs 00:31:02.069 --> 00:31:03.990 an actor who can convincingly shift between, 00:31:04.049 --> 00:31:07.529 say, low -key bureaucratic stillness and big, 00:31:07.549 --> 00:31:10.170 monstrous, yet funny physical performance. That 00:31:10.170 --> 00:31:11.789 would be the ultimate synthesis, wouldn't it, 00:31:11.829 --> 00:31:14.730 of Stephen Douglas Agee's entire multifaceted 00:31:14.730 --> 00:31:17.390 career. It feels like the next challenge for 00:31:17.390 --> 00:31:19.970 someone who's basically proven he can do, well, 00:31:20.089 --> 00:31:21.210 pretty much everything else.