Joe Rogan Experience #1493 — Steve Schirripa & Michael Imperioli Transcript

Transcript

0:00 Steve! I saw you... That's my move. Yeah, this is great. That inexistent. enough. He lost a lot of money but It's our recipe. And you have to pay more money in the store to have it in the front and have it Are they worse than funeral homes, though? You know, we started in the stores. He put up the money. It's all or nothing. So I give him credit The Guinea gangplank there.

3:28 And, you know, I did all the press. Yeah, Sussman clued me into it. and we did all over the country, did Australia last year. Everything hit. And New York was all fucked up. And the streets were empty. I don't know how it happened. De Blasio's the worst fucking, I'm not a political guy at all, Joe. I'm selling my fucking place. The trains are impossible.

6:42 The homeless situation there, it doesn't even make sense. There was no one to get money from. Wall Street is empty. There's a lot of guys that are thinking about joining the force. I've been on Blue Bloods for five years. Is there a fine line there? back, really. But I live They shut us down March 13th with two and a half episodes to go. There was a fucking concert,

9:36 You know, maybe. you know, order food in. It's a very, very confusing time. Right. The show's been off the air for 13 years. You know what's amazing? We were giving Jeff, like, contracts. and I came on the second season, you know, the second episode. So, you know, we watched the episode. We're up to episode 12 now. You know, it's on YouTube and the casting people.

13:33 new episode the Sopranos started that shit yeah that was and it was also the And he wasn't, you know, listen, he was an overweight, balding guy. You know, they used to say TV puts 10 pounds on you. But that show, doing Tony Soprano, just fucking synced. there's scenes, and now I look at it I got the job. Because even though I had worked, I didn't know.

16:03 A read-through. which some people do Right, right. known that shitting my pants from the RIV It was one of the first times I ever worked in Vegas. We did a thing. Yeah. And I pulled the switch. shit, you know. Did you start as an actor Yeah, but you were saying... Yeah, of course. hey, what the fuck you doing? How so? maybe that is, I just literally mean it.

19:08 They're getting auditions, We shot it out here. Not in theater though. It's because of the crowd. Right. Piven, that little fuck. I have not seen it. Listen, I was around comics from 1986. Yes. Yeah, sure. Hey, listen. Because they expected him not to be good. Really? We were there. I think he overheard us. He's a comic actor, you know, and a funny guy. And Paul Rubens came out, and he said, it's a great room, guys.

23:53 That was probably the producer. He's lucky he didn't get smacked for something like that. And somebody gave him line readings, and he flipped out. And this is the nicest man in the history, right? going to come up with as an actor but it doesn't it doesn't bother me so much a lot of directors I flip out. How do you say it? I did a movie with a young kid.

26:24 And if they're yapping at you, then you're thinking about them and it interrupts this whole process. I'm not dealing with this. And then I said, i don't know what that best director best actors and writers make it so you feel very comfortable and be the least annoying, the most satisfy yourself at the same time. When you're not as on a true story. They hired you.

29:47 Michael directed me in a movie that he wrote. What was it about? But it was great. the biggest mistake a director can make. And they were actually giving him line readings. That's insane. I'm supposed to shoot him in the thigh because I'm a marksman and I get money from him, They just replaced him. Faruza They reshot her scenes even for the DVD. We had movie night every night.

33:19 That's funny. Barbecuing naked. Oh, beyond. Because in that movie theater, thinking, I'd never really seen standup before. And I was like, it's like a comic killing. and he was on all kinds of medication because you know he was sick and uh he had to sit down she would shove you after anybody was any good. they'd give you spots. But that was later on.

35:48 Exactly. That was the place. And he's great. Jojo Dancer. in my opinion. I mean, there's like Lenny Bruce who started it was basically a drama. That's right. That was good. He's the GOAT, in my opinion. Lenny Bruce opened the door, though. Ba-dum-bum-tsh. And then it more became social commentary that was actually funny, rather than just what we had thought of as a stand-up comedian before that.

38:09 Well, he was a heroin addict. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Jamie will find out. like a funny broad who was kind of He even looks like him there. He's very good. He was also That's the one thing. It's always a funny... It's annoying. real this is like a kung-fu scene where guys kicking guys through windows you Yeah, of course. Do you have go-to heckler, you know, shut up heckler lines?

40:57 And a lady was heckling him, and he says, He was the beginning of that. And he had an act. He gets off stage. Yeah, and I was fucking pissed off at him. That seems like a very odd approach. Development deal, big management, you know. I think the guy, what the fuck's his name, the bald guy who was in The Thing, he was on The Shield. It was about women and men.

43:41 This guy's making millions. So it's huge. guys that filled in Gallagher did it with his twin brother, though. Like, hey, give me my fucking act back. Like something was slightly off. Dom Herrera's I think that's I never saw it. But I got to tell you, he took that prop thing to another level. They're like, some guys would have music. You don't see a single prop comic.

46:20 He's a Hall of Famer. shit and then he would go, how can Nick did it. They were so mad. Yeah. They were so mad. And it's Otto and George, He was on the west side of town, much like Joey Diaz, much like a lot of these guys, Prom shows are the fucking worst thing a comic could ever do because what they they do is they take these 17 and 18-year-old kids.

48:39 And you don't get out of there until like 2, 3 in the morning. What was the big guy? He was funnier than most of the comedians, the big Scottish powerlifter guy. I saw him pick a kid up by his neck, literally grab him by his neck and lift him up in the air. He was 5'3", and he would do fucking Nixon. and he did Nixon. He was a comedian? There's a hooker on the corner.

51:00 He was lost for the night. He used to come around the club. But yeah, he was headline Caesar's Palace, a real comic. and then they'd be depressed for the rest of the night. You didn't get scale. you know all those variety shows But the variety shows would have legitimate famous acts come on. attention span because if that was the case, then podcasts wouldn't work.

53:53 and new generation discovering it. Where are you going to find Dragnet? Amazon. Back then, only 11 million people had HBO the French plantation. It's just, fuck what a movie that is. and a lot more of quirks to him. But I think Harvey shot for at least a month, maybe more. That fucking movie. And Harvey played the lieutenant in that. Harvey is a very hard worker.

57:20 a version of Abel Ferrara What did you think of the stand-up show on Showtime? No, I thought it was flat. Yes. How did they have her act? She was always very nice. Oh, yeah. If they broke up, back-to-back. She'd throw you to the wolves. If you just go on, if you have an easy opening act who does get some laughs, who doesn't kill too hard, You know, but the store, which was the Mecca, of course, and then they ended tail off a little bit.

1:00:14 We're there. you can get in there they had the you know they were at the dunes they were She took a shot. And they would have five headliners, Like, Jimmy Kimmel's got a club there now. When you did Dice's show, you saw Rich Little. I was just there in Vegas for the UFC two weeks ago. series where they have like up-and-coming comics or fighters rather up-and-coming fighters compete

1:03:10 Did you have a hotel to stay in? But there's nobody in the audience. They gonna do that for you We did that in Jacksonville and it was the same thing, no audience. You do different, or you just do your thing? It was real weird. Anytime Canelo Alvarez fights, those are still very exciting fights. Even before MMA got popular, like the heavyweight division, which used to be so, for years, so exciting.

1:05:56 That was a good one. Like, when Vladimir Klitschko, like, you would think, like, the whole thing was like, a white I was at Guy tipped me. Yeah, Alexis Aguayo. Alexis Aguayo Prior. Wow. That's the arena. I was at Aguayo Prior. Aguayo. Yeah, Alexis Aguayo. Yeah, I was at a whole bunch of them. I used to go back then. But the silver slipper was just a shithole local place. There's a lot of those in Vegas. And yeah, later on. Later on. But the Silver Slipper was just a shithole local place.

1:08:11 and nobody knew he was coming. standing of eight people were crying it was crazy Wow he was such a star and It's hard for people to realize that now in retrospect. Oh, God. It took a while, but – That's good. Jamie gets Like, he was with it. To this day, George Foreman speaks great. You know, with hormone replacement therapy Wow Yeah, I mean, I don't know if Tyson's broke anymore.

1:11:26 They grow spectacular weed. And then something fucking lit a fire under him. And I tell you what. I hope they do it. Yeah. Just terrible. That was like a pool and racquetball, all that shit, That was like 100 pounds ago. But it seems like he really wants to fight for it. He's a really interesting guy. Yeah, so he's working with a great guy. Why is he doing this?

1:14:40 And I believe he was 45 when he knocked out Moore. They're great. It's actually a pretty goddamn good Celebrity tournament. So you're a chef-chef? And I don't know. So if I wanted to eat good, I had to learn how to cook. You'll win if you do this show because you're good at cooking with random ingredients. Well, I did, yeah, I used ice cream. Tequila ice cream or something like that.

1:17:28 It was like, that's kind of follow you around, because you've got gotta go move around the kitchen yeah you're You cook for your family? Her and I were the two finalists. Yeah, you got to do that for first place. the squid and the popcorn, so you You're like, fuck. That kind of shit. If you want to get adventurous. What do you make usually? Is it the deer family?

1:20:16 You get one deer, how long does it last you? That was big. Yeah, they love it. Usually I like it like 125 degrees. Like what? What's your go-to? I could make fucking eggs. I used to be able to open clams. There was one on Mulberry Street, Umberto's Clam House. And he said, come here. Wow. And he kind of became like a mentor. You know, he was like a really good guy gave me a job I learned how to

1:22:53 time, in the 70s, was I went to college. And he sent me an article. Then you found out later. there was part of the people that would love him. I was in Vegas with those wise guys. in my book. The kid looks like a fucking killer. only judge someone by how and was pretty nifty the Chin would act crazy and walk At least he enjoyed himself. the money.

1:26:58 Michael, did you grow up around that? No, not really. it's very courageous, you know, career hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. Yeah. And not just doctors. I wasn't acting. I mean, I love all of it. special about being in front of an audience that's different every night the reactions are different every I think we opened in 2003. like what where'd you get the people to do that kind of work um my wife my father-in-law they

1:31:06 No, it actually wound up costing. And that money went and built the theater. I did more directing. But it was, with but it was But if you have the kind of passion, and we just found a way to do it. You have no desire? I was so fucking. Wow. I said, there's no way. The whole play. You know, that's not what, we didn't do musicals, I had four that I gave them.

1:34:52 Oh, I don't know. because, you know, you're doing the play and you're going, There was all these people and actors. It's like This was it. Did you have a lot of nerves when you started in stand-up? while I was doing stand-up, No, no. and knock the dust off I've never had a so taking three months off is going to be very strange. reading the lines and like rigid with your script because then the audience doesn't feel like you're

1:37:47 Just as simple as like if there was a huge storm that day and everyone went through it together and you're showing up. But now you're so well known. Like, I've seen that happen with comics at the store where, like, a famous guy will go on stage. on stage and do 15 minutes and just you know, you've got to treat it like you're shit with a fine-tooth comb. You better

1:39:50 up and so here he is a huge fucking star already and then he's going on stage and he's learning how No. You say this guy can't even fucking throw. I could never. You can always tell. I could never do it on a show. I think part I'm sure guitar players feel like that. And in the first two minutes, movies like from Vegas or TV shows. Some Woody Allen movies are like fantasy, the beautiful block with the trees.

1:42:15 of bad ones. which I didn't like. The first cut, I hated it. But I did. So that means the extras are from Cincinnati. Particularly after The Sopranos. sopranos where it read like a comedy oh yeah very different show very different show when ed falco But in the beginning, it wasn't like that. There was a lot of humor in it. you know, And that was the thing that really sold me on it.

1:45:49 You know, like anything, you start to see what you have. And it became very menacing and very intimidating. I mean, when you think about a guy who just embodied a role, like when he was Tony Soprano. I wipe my ass with your feelings. let's go down and have dinner at Il Cortile, He wouldn't do any of the talk shows. He was an actor, theater guy. I said, I don't do talk shows.

1:48:45 was still the king shit this is 2012 you know when you see that academy award speech thank you What a crazy character. Is that what it is? and it wouldn't be that difficult. Almost unbelievable. Yeah, almost. Nobody the head almost unbelievable nobody would nobody would do His contract had, if you get this amount, this amount of sex, like per sexual harassment

1:50:54 I didn't know that. She was part of it or he or whatever the assistants were. You don't feel like you're responsible. You got this guy who's the king of Hollywood. You know, what's amazing to me is people still haven't come forward. know i mean i think you're right and i think also i don't mean people that he assaulted just people His body's falling apart.

1:53:04 You know, his body's falling apart. I know one of his attorneys that was there early on and Well, it certainly did here. Yeah. You know, he was okay with me. It was only in his office and stuff. And he had the wife and the two kids. You're right. I wondered about that. I would have if he would have said No, no. I think... I don't And I think there's also a thing about power.

1:56:41 an addiction thing too yes I think if you you know there's there was a and he's like, Yeah. to almost begging like, Does he have two young daughters? The whole thing is very rough. The casting couch in Hollywood, if you stop and think about it, right? Yeah. Because he was the biggest star of his day. the guy was jealous of him, like a studio guy. Oh, Jesus Christ.

1:58:55 That's awful. Honestly, what he did to all these actresses and women and assistants. What's also interesting is, like, if you help someone murder somebody, think my daughters in a million years, no matter fucking inject his dick And his dick was horribly malformed. maybe intersex or transgender or that he had a vagina because he was so scarred up oh my god

2:01:13 Who could pull it off? They're going to make the movie. They'll do it. Lifetime will do it. They're going to make the movie. But, I mean, maybe you could have a CGI Harvey Weinstein, just actually I think at some point there'll be Well, those two girls did. I mean, I don't know for sure. Really? That was a big thing. Because of the drugs? Yeah, very different. But wait a minute. But they didn't want to make that at the time. That was a big thing.

2:03:21 This is it? And they didn't want to make that movie. i don't i don't it was a long time ago yeah big difference the cgi thing is weird right like uh i they won't want a bigger trailer. It was very strange, but it wasn't realistic. And then one day they're going to be able to nail it. Oh, yeah. Hey, I'll be retired by then. have to factor those things in um of course no i mean the the most fun thing is when you're you

2:05:56 The actual work. and I work a lot with Bridget Monahan or Donnie Wahlberg. I'm not a whole bullshit agents managers opening nights i mean I love it. You know, I was kind of in show business even at the riviera by default And listen, I've worked very hard, and I love the work. I don't think you like that kind of stuff. I had a great day, you know. they're allowing some productions to open up again not in new york i'm here in may august maybe early

2:09:08 screaming, how that ramps up. When they're doing contact tracing, they're not allowed to ask if you were a part of a It'll bounce back. And it was working its way to journalism. The protest. Otherwise, it's just too, you know. This is a big moment in time. this thing And there's nowhere to go. you can't say well i'm just You know what I mean? who are just causing, you know.

2:13:01 Oh, yeah. versus the level Yeah, I get it, man. I've done stand-up in England. Very attentive. And then the second show, he goes, I got it now. They get the context. Hicks, Rich Hall, some other comics. He's got a great show. Loved it. video where they're talking about racism. at the beginning, right? Yes. this stupid fucking thing you're doing i wish they ever feel like doing that again call me

2:16:35 Shut the fuck up and wait. If you really think that as a professional actor, you're going to make a fucking difference If you've got opinions on something- You can express your opinions. Yes. That's you. Just shut up and act. Shut up and act. That's what we like. You've got opinions on something. I don't even know what it means. What are you doing?

2:18:10 His Instagram page is the funniest fucking Instagram page on the planet Earth by far. But he's got this new one that he did where he, go to it, Jamie. The guy is a goddamn genius. But I'm listening. I will no longer allow an unchecked woman. We are no longer bystanders. That is funny. Yeah, this is what it is. They're not getting feedback. Well, the problem is also if someone comes up to them and tells them, are you willing

2:21:04 And the song. The song got the bigger blowback. That song got big blowback. Of course. And the song. And what was that about? She was apparently calling up all these celebrities, asking for them to join in in song. But also that song has nothing to do, I mean, you know, things have calmed down. I mean, there's a guy who owned the diner, a couple diners.

2:22:40 I mean, some places there wasn't many cases. jail that's funny is that what the joke was that's what the joke was? That's what the joke was. Oh, okay. She wasn't saying, I'm in jail over here in my mansion. I mean, that's funny. I'm like, oh, come on. They don't want to hear any fucking jokes from some really rich lady who lives on the beach talking about how this is like prison.

2:24:23 Even as much as a guy wanted to go to work or whatever, there was no work to be had. So you couldn't go to meetings. So this is people that are just like in despair I just, I was depressed. I would walk just about every day It kind of kept us sane. Plus, I don't want to get sick. But listen, it's a terrible thing, man. the thing is it hasn't gone away i mean and i don't know what the fucking answer is i understand

2:27:13 one of the big, most important factors is vitamin D. It's a huge factor. It's one of the reasons But you can supplement it. But all these other things aren't essential. it's horrible but there's a logic to the the the reason why they had uh alcohol being an I mean, all this shit happened. It's easier here because people are more spaced out. And here it's sunny every day, too, which is obviously better for your immune system. And it's just better same. Going down the elevator and the shit. And here it's sunny every day too,

2:29:18 I could be there occasionally for fun. I knew a guy named, a pool player named Mount Vernon Tommy. You know, I needed a place to, I had to have a car because I had to do gigs. That was our friend's place. It's gone now, right? That was where Rodney started, David Brenner. Sheepshead Bay, right? That couldn't have been an easy gig. He comes on with us to-

2:30:58 Look at this. He's the best guy. Yes, yes. when to do it again? In Australia, we were doing like 2,500 people a show. Oh, wow. So right now we're scheduled next June. But all bets are off now. Talking Sopranos. thank you for being here. All right, everybody.