Bards of the Booth: The Stage Where Voices and Stories Take Form

WEBVTT

00:00:12.795 --> 00:00:14.745
Jim Conrad: Welcome to episode six.

00:00:15.045 --> 00:00:21.165
My name is Jim Conrad, AKA Cono, and this
is Conovision, the spirit of storytelling.

00:00:22.065 --> 00:00:26.564
On this episode, we will have a
conversation with two working actors.

00:00:28.275 --> 00:00:31.965
In every actor there lives a tiger,
a pig, an ass, and a nightingale.

00:00:32.295 --> 00:00:33.735
You never know which one's gonna show up.

00:00:36.195 --> 00:00:43.375
Garry Chalk and Ian James Corlett,
who have been very, very successful in

00:00:43.375 --> 00:00:45.495
a lot of different facets of acting.

00:00:45.915 --> 00:00:46.695
That's a bit later.

00:00:47.055 --> 00:00:51.875
We'll also hear another piece of
word jazz, a color by Ken Nordine.

00:00:52.455 --> 00:00:56.235
But first, let's talk about one
of the most gifted storytellers

00:00:56.535 --> 00:00:58.315
in all of human history.

00:00:58.955 --> 00:01:03.665
We speak of, of

00:01:07.885 --> 00:01:13.575
course, William Shakespeare.

00:01:13.890 --> 00:01:20.190
If there were two sides of a coin marked
comedy and tragedy, an inscription written

00:01:20.190 --> 00:01:25.830
by a Shakespeare may very well have read,
turn it over on both sides of the coin.

00:01:26.880 --> 00:01:33.270
Ezra Pound once said that true
literature is news that stays news.

00:01:34.140 --> 00:01:39.000
And over 400 years after he first put
quilled and inked pen to parchment,

00:01:39.390 --> 00:01:46.560
Shakespeare still matters today because
he was and is our only true Nostradamus.

00:01:46.950 --> 00:01:52.830
Meaning, in contrast to that durable
16th century kreskin, the pet of cranks

00:01:52.830 --> 00:01:57.330
and quacks of all form and volume,
that Shakespeare has and was the

00:01:57.330 --> 00:02:00.060
true prophetic and proleptic power.

00:02:00.900 --> 00:02:06.210
In his lines, scarcely a situation
we know or have come to know, has

00:02:06.210 --> 00:02:12.300
not been anticipated, represented
and expressed in consummate language.

00:02:13.350 --> 00:02:17.910
We wanna read Shakespeare
because he seems, already and

00:02:17.910 --> 00:02:20.910
in advance, to have read us.

00:02:21.690 --> 00:02:27.660
Upon my head they placed a fruitless
crown and put a barren scepter in my grip,

00:02:28.440 --> 00:02:33.060
could have been ascribed to presidents
and prime ministers as well as Macbeth.

00:02:33.960 --> 00:02:38.070
The first truth about the Bard of
Stratford-on-Avon is that we are

00:02:38.070 --> 00:02:44.730
fascinated by him because being
human, we are fascinated by ourselves.

00:02:45.540 --> 00:02:51.329
He is not so much a visionary or seer
as he is the most gifted eavesdropper

00:02:51.660 --> 00:02:53.160
in the history of the world.

00:02:53.579 --> 00:02:56.790
With this exception, he heard
all of our really important

00:02:56.790 --> 00:02:59.340
conversations before we had them.

00:03:00.674 --> 00:03:04.875
This is what Harold Bloom was on about
in his seminal tome, Shakespeare: The

00:03:04.875 --> 00:03:08.894
Invention of the Human, commenting
that Shakespeare, the dramatist,

00:03:09.225 --> 00:03:13.995
represented in his plays, the vast
repertoire of the human condition.

00:03:15.075 --> 00:03:19.635
And that Shakespeare, the poet,
pioneered the language to articulate,

00:03:20.144 --> 00:03:26.774
gave us the words to express the
crises, joys, and pains, and the

00:03:26.774 --> 00:03:29.445
every day of our human condition.

00:03:30.734 --> 00:03:34.575
We are such stuff as dreams
are made on and our little

00:03:34.575 --> 00:03:36.945
life is rounded with a sleep.

00:03:39.045 --> 00:03:42.285
Shakespeare extended human consciousness.

00:03:42.704 --> 00:03:44.774
The claim is no less bold than that.

00:03:45.615 --> 00:03:51.045
So we are fascinated by him because, more
or less, he has been everywhere before us.

00:03:52.395 --> 00:03:55.905
Today for most of the world, the 30
something plays, the two narrative

00:03:55.905 --> 00:03:59.465
poems and the sonnets are considered
to be somewhat of a breviary.

00:03:59.925 --> 00:04:03.945
We do not encounter Shakespeare as
frequently and as feverishly firsthand,

00:04:04.245 --> 00:04:08.865
as did perhaps earlier generations, nor
are the great speeches and monologues.

00:04:09.315 --> 00:04:12.465
To be or not to be?

00:04:12.465 --> 00:04:13.965
That is the question.

00:04:14.685 --> 00:04:16.904
Or the clutch of truly famous sonnets.

00:04:17.265 --> 00:04:20.115
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day.

00:04:20.805 --> 00:04:25.155
Carried beyond the first line or two in
the overamped living memory cards of the

00:04:25.155 --> 00:04:28.845
thoroughly modern Gen X, Y, Z milieu.

00:04:29.715 --> 00:04:32.565
Today we store Seinfeld taglines.

00:04:32.655 --> 00:04:34.185
Not that there's anything wrong with that.

00:04:34.365 --> 00:04:36.585
Recite Palmer Simpson catchphrases.

00:04:41.534 --> 00:04:45.225
And quote, endlessly algorithmed memes.

00:04:45.495 --> 00:04:47.895
Nothing beats a jet2 holiday.

00:04:48.450 --> 00:04:51.960
But Shakespeare has burned
through the literature and lives

00:04:51.960 --> 00:04:56.370
of four whole centuries and
far beyond the English tongue.

00:04:56.969 --> 00:05:03.150
His words in citation, quotation,
illusion, imitation, translation, parody,

00:05:03.390 --> 00:05:09.450
on stage, in film, transposed to other
forms, novel, opera, or musical suite,

00:05:09.870 --> 00:05:15.540
as exercise, study, and meditation
constitute or have built a vast and

00:05:15.570 --> 00:05:18.420
inescapable present world of their own.

00:05:19.770 --> 00:05:22.560
Shakespeare is everywhere.

00:05:23.430 --> 00:05:26.970
Shakespeare is an environment.

00:05:28.440 --> 00:05:33.810
All the worlds of stage, and all
the men and women merely players.

00:05:35.430 --> 00:05:39.150
The nature of his genius, the soul
of a man that found those miracles

00:05:39.150 --> 00:05:43.500
of language with such dexterity
and sovereign purchase, is a major

00:05:43.500 --> 00:05:49.410
clue to discovering ourselves more
real, at least to our imagination,

00:05:49.800 --> 00:05:51.930
than all the unraveling of DNA.

00:05:52.800 --> 00:05:58.260
That is why Shakespeare matters because,
and this has been a phenomenon noted by

00:05:58.260 --> 00:06:02.940
everyone who has ever studied the bard,
from Coleridge to Keats, Borges to Bloom.

00:06:03.750 --> 00:06:11.280
When we stare into Shakespeare,
we find ourselves staring back.

00:06:12.660 --> 00:06:17.730
Whose end both at the first
and now was and is to hold

00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:21.510
as to a mirror up to nature.

00:06:21.599 --> 00:06:22.740
Ecru

00:06:27.550 --> 00:06:27.690
is

00:06:33.360 --> 00:06:33.390
a

00:06:45.850 --> 00:06:46.320
critic.

00:06:47.180 --> 00:06:49.170
Loves to see the show.

00:06:49.890 --> 00:06:56.850
Just doesn't know when to say yes and when
to say no, but that's because of beige.

00:06:57.690 --> 00:07:01.410
You see, beige has taught
ecru a funny point of view.

00:07:02.280 --> 00:07:04.320
That true is like false.

00:07:04.890 --> 00:07:06.540
And false is like true.

00:07:07.440 --> 00:07:10.680
Who could expect to get anything
straight like that answer, I mean.

00:07:11.000 --> 00:07:14.340
From an ecru that thinks, or thinks
that it thinks, by the thought it was

00:07:14.340 --> 00:07:17.700
taught that love is the same as hate.

00:07:18.540 --> 00:07:24.600
That shouldn't, the same as should,
that dumb is the same as smart,

00:07:25.200 --> 00:07:28.800
that bad is the same as good.

00:07:31.650 --> 00:07:35.880
A kind of critical confusion
in ecru, the critic, could have

00:07:35.880 --> 00:07:38.550
complications almost arithmetic.

00:07:39.210 --> 00:07:40.740
Those of us, are there any?

00:07:41.250 --> 00:07:41.820
Too many.

00:07:42.480 --> 00:07:47.580
Who have to know exactly what to do, what
to see, what to say, what to think, will

00:07:47.580 --> 00:07:55.170
have to wait until ecru is ready with
his double talking trade to make steady,

00:07:55.680 --> 00:08:00.090
unsteady, calling crooked straight.

00:08:01.289 --> 00:08:02.400
But what the fuck?

00:08:02.789 --> 00:08:09.450
You know ecru, just a free loading
critic who loves to see the show.

00:08:10.260 --> 00:08:17.215
Just doesn't know when to
say yes or when to say no.

00:08:30.750 --> 00:08:32.730
I welcome to the Conovision podcast.

00:08:33.059 --> 00:08:34.349
Mr. Garry Chalk.

00:08:34.620 --> 00:08:35.579
Garry Chalk: Hello, how are you?

00:08:35.640 --> 00:08:36.270
Jim Conrad: I'm good.

00:08:36.270 --> 00:08:36.959
Very well.

00:08:37.049 --> 00:08:37.559
Garry Chalk: Excellent.

00:08:37.640 --> 00:08:41.270
Jim Conrad: Garry, we've known each
other a long time, but for people just

00:08:41.270 --> 00:08:47.339
listening in and wondering, who the
hell is Garry Chalk, a 60 second bio.

00:08:47.430 --> 00:08:48.270
Where were you born?

00:08:48.430 --> 00:08:50.339
Garry Chalk: A 60 second bio.

00:08:50.339 --> 00:08:51.599
I was born in the UK.

00:08:51.599 --> 00:08:52.680
Southampton, England.

00:08:52.680 --> 00:08:55.170
Now on, funnily enough, Canada Road.

00:08:55.800 --> 00:08:58.319
Immigrated to Canada in 1957.

00:08:58.709 --> 00:09:02.339
Been a lifelong Vancouver resident
except for a two year stint in

00:09:02.339 --> 00:09:06.849
Ottawa where I was, funnily enough,
introduced into the, the voice world.

00:09:07.469 --> 00:09:10.380
And, prior to that, I'd
tried different careers.

00:09:10.380 --> 00:09:12.120
I was, I worked in restaurants.

00:09:12.120 --> 00:09:16.859
I was a stock trader at the stock
exchange and, things like that.

00:09:16.859 --> 00:09:22.199
And I, a social worker for a couple of
years, and then I went back to university

00:09:22.589 --> 00:09:28.805
to pursue English lit and, anthropology
and funnily enough fell into theater.

00:09:29.194 --> 00:09:29.865
Who thought?

00:09:30.395 --> 00:09:32.225
Jim Conrad: That was my next question.

00:09:32.245 --> 00:09:37.375
Is the spark to be an actor
was there at what age?

00:09:37.495 --> 00:09:38.785
And in university, yes?

00:09:39.265 --> 00:09:39.535
Garry Chalk: No.

00:09:40.314 --> 00:09:44.635
The idea of getting there was, I used to
think it was just a game just for fun.

00:09:44.694 --> 00:09:45.025
Jim Conrad: Yes.

00:09:45.055 --> 00:09:47.325
Garry Chalk: Because I played
in high school musicals.

00:09:47.325 --> 00:09:49.525
I was a singer and I still am.

00:09:49.944 --> 00:09:50.425
And,

00:09:50.635 --> 00:09:51.175
Jim Conrad: Musician?

00:09:51.535 --> 00:09:52.815
Garry Chalk: Musician, yes.

00:09:53.365 --> 00:09:56.425
I've always had a penchant for performing.

00:09:56.425 --> 00:09:57.505
I loved performing.

00:09:57.645 --> 00:09:58.305
It's great.

00:09:58.694 --> 00:09:59.125
And,

00:09:59.125 --> 00:09:59.625
Jim Conrad: It's fun.

00:10:00.045 --> 00:10:01.334
Garry Chalk: Yeah, that's exactly right.

00:10:01.334 --> 00:10:01.905
It's fun.

00:10:02.324 --> 00:10:06.795
And then one day, well as I was
saying, I was going to university,

00:10:07.064 --> 00:10:10.494
one of my projects was to go
down and see a play at Langara.

00:10:10.515 --> 00:10:10.844
Jim Conrad: Yeah.

00:10:10.994 --> 00:10:11.864
Garry Chalk: Studio 58.

00:10:12.344 --> 00:10:13.814
So I went down to see this play.

00:10:13.814 --> 00:10:15.575
It was of Mice and Men.

00:10:15.605 --> 00:10:17.084
I went, oh, this is pretty good.

00:10:17.234 --> 00:10:19.214
And the acting was fantastic.

00:10:19.244 --> 00:10:20.744
The production values were great.

00:10:20.744 --> 00:10:22.844
And I went, this is what I want to do.

00:10:23.204 --> 00:10:27.255
So I auditioned for the
program the next year.

00:10:27.255 --> 00:10:28.814
And I was doing pretty
well in the other program.

00:10:28.814 --> 00:10:29.625
Jim Conrad: Studio 58.

00:10:29.625 --> 00:10:29.875
Langara.

00:10:29.895 --> 00:10:30.974
Garry Chalk: At Studio 58.

00:10:31.055 --> 00:10:31.404
Langara.

00:10:31.425 --> 00:10:32.714
Jim Conrad: So what year?

00:10:33.265 --> 00:10:34.605
Garry Chalk: 1975.

00:10:35.115 --> 00:10:40.024
So I, I went to The Cambrian
Hall on 17th and Main.

00:10:40.364 --> 00:10:45.074
Auditioned and, Anthony Holland
was running the program at the time

00:10:45.074 --> 00:10:47.564
and he was reading his newspaper
as I was doing my audition.

00:10:47.564 --> 00:10:51.175
And, I finished, you know, played
the song, did the whole number.

00:10:51.175 --> 00:10:55.455
And he, he rattles his paper
and he looks up and he goes,

00:10:56.985 --> 00:10:58.245
oh, you've got some talent.

00:10:58.380 --> 00:11:00.675
Not much, but, but some.

00:11:01.035 --> 00:11:02.535
Alright, off you go.

00:11:06.315 --> 00:11:09.015
And I went, well, that was terrible.

00:11:10.005 --> 00:11:13.635
But I went away and I got a call.

00:11:13.815 --> 00:11:16.005
You have been accepted into the program.

00:11:16.125 --> 00:11:17.565
And I thought, well, this is great.

00:11:17.625 --> 00:11:18.195
Oh, good.

00:11:18.195 --> 00:11:20.415
So they have 15 people in the term.

00:11:20.565 --> 00:11:24.415
And I went in, I didn't realize they,
they auditioned all over Canada,

00:11:25.305 --> 00:11:25.665
Jim Conrad: Wow.

00:11:25.805 --> 00:11:27.115
For Studio 58 in Langara?

00:11:27.135 --> 00:11:27.405
Garry Chalk: Yeah.

00:11:27.405 --> 00:11:28.485
Now it's the world.

00:11:28.545 --> 00:11:28.964
Jim Conrad: Yes.

00:11:28.995 --> 00:11:32.625
Garry Chalk: But, it was Canada
then, so I thought, I had no idea.

00:11:32.625 --> 00:11:34.005
I just thought I'll just do this.

00:11:34.005 --> 00:11:41.625
And, I did very well and I've been working
as an actor professionally since 1978.

00:11:41.675 --> 00:11:42.115
Jim Conrad: Wow.

00:11:42.365 --> 00:11:46.755
What was your first role, or maybe not
just first role, but first big role?

00:11:47.204 --> 00:11:50.954
Garry Chalk: My first
big, professional role.

00:11:51.255 --> 00:11:53.025
Jim Conrad: Theater,
television, or movies.

00:11:53.265 --> 00:11:53.685
Garry Chalk: Theater.

00:11:53.775 --> 00:11:58.185
And, that was, pardon me, I
cannot remember the name of

00:11:58.185 --> 00:11:59.324
the character, Richie, I think.

00:11:59.324 --> 00:12:01.605
No, not Richie, someone like that.

00:12:01.675 --> 00:12:05.535
It was a play called Streamers
and it was a David Rabe play,

00:12:05.535 --> 00:12:06.975
and I did it at City Stage.

00:12:07.064 --> 00:12:08.265
Jim Conrad: About the Vietnam War.

00:12:08.265 --> 00:12:08.755
Garry Chalk: Yes.

00:12:08.755 --> 00:12:11.925
And it was an incredible
experience for me.

00:12:12.135 --> 00:12:13.035
Taught me a lot.

00:12:13.155 --> 00:12:15.735
And I, that was my first big role.

00:12:15.944 --> 00:12:22.565
And then I went on to do, Parker and
Dracula, and a few others and, Achilles

00:12:22.590 --> 00:12:28.110
and, another show out in Ottawa and
another show called Available Targets.

00:12:28.110 --> 00:12:32.430
And that just kept coming, you know, so I
got my, I dipped my foot into Shakespeare

00:12:32.430 --> 00:12:37.530
with, As You Like It, and, and Henry IV,
and, and Hamlet and things like that.

00:12:37.650 --> 00:12:42.420
But what really kicked me into high
gear as I, as I was doing all these

00:12:42.660 --> 00:12:49.080
voiceover on camera for the government
in Ottawa and learned a lot of lessons

00:12:49.080 --> 00:12:51.140
and I got a valuable lesson out of it.

00:12:51.140 --> 00:12:54.060
There was a guy, his name was Chuck Rubin.

00:12:54.060 --> 00:12:55.530
I don't know if you ever known him.

00:12:55.860 --> 00:12:59.240
Chuck Rubin was from
Standard Broadcasting.

00:12:59.410 --> 00:13:01.560
He was a DJ for CHEZ-FM.

00:13:01.854 --> 00:13:02.964
Jim Conrad: Oh, in Ottawa.

00:13:03.025 --> 00:13:05.555
Garry Chalk: In Ottawa, CHEZ 101.

00:13:05.574 --> 00:13:05.785
Jim Conrad: Yes.

00:13:06.175 --> 00:13:06.255
Yeah.

00:13:06.255 --> 00:13:07.115
Garry Chalk: Yes, that guy.

00:13:07.485 --> 00:13:08.605
Jim Conrad: I'm that guy.

00:13:09.035 --> 00:13:09.565
Garry Chalk: Huh?

00:13:09.595 --> 00:13:10.135
You're that guy.

00:13:10.135 --> 00:13:10.464
Jim Conrad: I'm that guy.

00:13:11.334 --> 00:13:12.204
Garry Chalk: Oh, you're that guy.

00:13:12.209 --> 00:13:12.239
Jim Conrad: Yeah.

00:13:12.265 --> 00:13:12.714
That guy.

00:13:12.834 --> 00:13:15.224
Garry Chalk: That was a great
imprint or a great brand.

00:13:15.314 --> 00:13:18.655
Anyway, he also ran a company
called Sound Ventures.

00:13:18.864 --> 00:13:23.064
So I auditioned for him for a
commercial for the Ottawa Citizen.

00:13:23.125 --> 00:13:26.125
And at that time I was, you know,
my Shakespearean and blah blah

00:13:26.125 --> 00:13:30.204
blah, and the Ottawa Citizen for
the latest of news, ,sports and

00:13:30.204 --> 00:13:31.915
entertainment, like this ending.

00:13:32.714 --> 00:13:33.564
Jim Conrad: You're very good.

00:13:34.064 --> 00:13:36.350
Garry Chalk: That's not the voice we want.

00:13:38.500 --> 00:13:39.460
So I got fired.

00:13:39.640 --> 00:13:40.200
Jim Conrad: Oh, no.

00:13:40.590 --> 00:13:44.160
Garry Chalk: And, because the voice they
wanted was the Ottawa Citizen for the

00:13:44.160 --> 00:13:46.470
latest in news, sports, and entertainment.

00:13:46.590 --> 00:13:47.400
Remember that voice?

00:13:47.610 --> 00:13:47.700
Jim Conrad: Yes.

00:13:47.790 --> 00:13:50.310
Garry Chalk: That breathy sitting
on the edge of your seat voice.

00:13:50.310 --> 00:13:50.670
Jim Conrad: That's right.

00:13:50.670 --> 00:13:52.320
Garry Chalk: So I've
never been fired before.

00:13:52.380 --> 00:13:52.890
Jim Conrad: Oh, no.

00:13:52.950 --> 00:13:54.600
Garry Chalk: So I was quite shook up.

00:13:54.600 --> 00:13:59.370
So I went to Chuck and I said,
I'll tell you what, if you show me

00:13:59.370 --> 00:14:05.760
what to do, what the various types
of voices are and make me a demo,

00:14:06.450 --> 00:14:07.800
I'll do your next spots for free.

00:14:08.250 --> 00:14:08.850
Jim Conrad: Amazing.

00:14:09.150 --> 00:14:10.170
That's a pretty good deal.

00:14:10.260 --> 00:14:10.650
Garry Chalk: Yeah.

00:14:10.650 --> 00:14:12.030
And he said, sure.

00:14:12.090 --> 00:14:12.510
Okay.

00:14:13.200 --> 00:14:17.370
So he taught me about corporate,
retail, man in the street.

00:14:17.370 --> 00:14:19.800
You know, those sort of reads and,

00:14:19.890 --> 00:14:20.730
Jim Conrad: All the variations.

00:14:20.760 --> 00:14:23.460
Garry Chalk: All the variations,
the breathy read, the excited

00:14:23.460 --> 00:14:24.810
read, the man in the street read.

00:14:24.930 --> 00:14:25.890
Made me a demo.

00:14:26.280 --> 00:14:27.540
Which was a pretty good demo.

00:14:27.599 --> 00:14:31.349
And, then he gave me
these ads to do and I,

00:14:31.349 --> 00:14:31.829
Jim Conrad: For free.

00:14:31.829 --> 00:14:34.620
Garry Chalk: My, for free, and true
to my word, I did these ads, like two

00:14:34.620 --> 00:14:36.290
ads, and it was for Revenue Canada.

00:14:36.800 --> 00:14:39.569
And it was commercials
to do your income tax.

00:14:39.630 --> 00:14:39.810
Jim Conrad: Yeah.

00:14:39.810 --> 00:14:39.819
Yeah.

00:14:40.260 --> 00:14:42.689
Garry Chalk: And I think
the spots were about $300.

00:14:42.689 --> 00:14:43.020
I don't know.

00:14:43.020 --> 00:14:44.339
That was way back then.

00:14:44.370 --> 00:14:47.594
But, I did 'em, did my demo.

00:14:47.925 --> 00:14:51.555
Well, that first year, that
demo made me a fortune.

00:14:51.645 --> 00:14:52.214
Jim Conrad: Yes.

00:14:52.245 --> 00:14:53.594
'Cause it was a union gig.

00:14:53.714 --> 00:14:54.795
Garry Chalk: Because it was a union gig.

00:14:54.944 --> 00:14:55.064
Yeah.

00:14:55.094 --> 00:14:56.834
Jim Conrad: And you got residuals.

00:14:56.865 --> 00:14:57.194
Garry Chalk: Yes.

00:14:57.255 --> 00:14:57.555
Jim Conrad: Yeah.

00:14:57.555 --> 00:14:58.885
And it was a national spot.

00:14:59.245 --> 00:15:00.675
For the government of Canada.

00:15:00.704 --> 00:15:04.305
Garry Chalk: That commercial, not just
the commercial, but my tape that he

00:15:04.305 --> 00:15:06.765
made me actually made me a fortune.

00:15:06.944 --> 00:15:11.415
And then I came back to
Vancouver and I did a commercial.

00:15:11.415 --> 00:15:16.005
I think the first thing I did was for
Ikea and it was death defying plants.

00:15:17.220 --> 00:15:20.035
You know, when even your favorite
dieffenbachia is pushing up the

00:15:20.035 --> 00:15:21.355
daisies or something like that?

00:15:21.565 --> 00:15:27.145
Well, that won an award, so all of a
sudden I'm getting calls from all these

00:15:27.205 --> 00:15:30.925
different places and I was bugging
them down here all, forever and ever.

00:15:30.955 --> 00:15:31.765
Jim Conrad: GGRP?

00:15:31.795 --> 00:15:31.975
Garry Chalk: Yeah.

00:15:31.975 --> 00:15:37.225
And they finally, and GGRP, and they
finally let me have a commercial and,

00:15:37.375 --> 00:15:40.615
which I thought was great, but then
I, they started bringing me in more

00:15:40.615 --> 00:15:46.225
and more often and working with Miles
Ramsay, and Bill Reiter and Norm

00:15:46.225 --> 00:15:51.735
Grohmann and Freddie Latremouille,
and you, it was this amazing thing.

00:15:51.735 --> 00:15:55.005
I was like, I was in the
group, and I'll never forget.

00:15:55.005 --> 00:15:56.384
Now you probably don't remember this.

00:15:56.384 --> 00:15:59.295
But I'll never forget you walked
up to me one day in the studio and

00:15:59.295 --> 00:16:01.094
you goes, you know, it's amazing.

00:16:01.245 --> 00:16:03.915
You've been here such a short
time, but you're right in it.

00:16:05.655 --> 00:16:07.094
And I said, I don't know.

00:16:07.094 --> 00:16:08.505
I just am, I guess.

00:16:08.505 --> 00:16:11.295
And he goes, and you said,
no, this is incredible.

00:16:11.335 --> 00:16:18.314
We, you've, gotten into this group,
inside this group so quickly.

00:16:18.464 --> 00:16:22.395
Jim Conrad: Well, that's why I keep
telling my kids, all three are artists.

00:16:22.425 --> 00:16:27.625
One's a writer, one's an actual artist,
and another actor, trust your talent.

00:16:28.485 --> 00:16:30.915
How much trust do you have in your talent?

00:16:31.035 --> 00:16:31.605
Complete?

00:16:32.055 --> 00:16:34.475
Garry Chalk: I have
complete trust in my talent.

00:16:34.755 --> 00:16:38.964
Now, I mean, I was always second
guessing myself back then, but,

00:16:39.395 --> 00:16:40.845
you know, the, you reach a stage,

00:16:40.845 --> 00:16:43.905
Jim Conrad: Do you still have to tell
yourself that when something is like

00:16:44.084 --> 00:16:49.785
a television role or a movie role or
a character is challenging, that you

00:16:49.785 --> 00:16:52.555
don't think you maybe can do this?

00:16:53.485 --> 00:16:58.105
Garry Chalk: Possibly, sometimes I've
had daunting challenges where I go,

00:16:58.105 --> 00:17:00.344
oh my God, will I be able to do this?

00:17:00.785 --> 00:17:01.354
Jim Conrad: For example?

00:17:01.564 --> 00:17:04.574
Garry Chalk: I did this mini
series called Small Sacrifices

00:17:04.964 --> 00:17:06.625
with Farrah Fawcett, right?

00:17:06.625 --> 00:17:08.484
Where I played the part of her husband.

00:17:08.845 --> 00:17:10.345
Come on, Diane, you were young.

00:17:10.405 --> 00:17:12.714
Two kids in diapers we were
fighting like cats and dogs.

00:17:12.714 --> 00:17:13.734
You were stepping out on me.

00:17:13.734 --> 00:17:14.875
That's what was going on.

00:17:15.560 --> 00:17:19.909
I went and read for this miniseries
and I was reading for the Detective,

00:17:19.969 --> 00:17:24.020
and that was played by Gordy Clapp
and the director, whose name was

00:17:24.020 --> 00:17:26.329
David Green, he's an English fellow.

00:17:26.329 --> 00:17:30.919
He did, Godspell and,
Roots, the miniseries Roots.

00:17:31.100 --> 00:17:34.969
Well, these guys are big and Lou
Rudolph was the, Rudolph Productions

00:17:34.969 --> 00:17:36.530
with Suzanne De Passe and all that.

00:17:37.280 --> 00:17:42.080
And he goes, he looks at me and he
goes, well, no, I'm, not that bad.

00:17:42.110 --> 00:17:43.189
And that was good.

00:17:43.189 --> 00:17:44.449
But you could do that in your sleep.

00:17:44.540 --> 00:17:48.889
I mean, you played this before, but
you sort of look like this fellow,

00:17:49.840 --> 00:17:54.239
why don't you go read this, come back
in an hour and we we'll have a go.

00:17:54.269 --> 00:17:56.620
And I went, okay.

00:17:57.080 --> 00:18:00.409
So I took the script and I'm going, fuck.

00:18:02.120 --> 00:18:02.389
Oh no.

00:18:02.570 --> 00:18:04.070
Jim Conrad: It's the part of the husband.

00:18:04.070 --> 00:18:05.689
This is, you're gonna
be in a lot of scenes.

00:18:06.030 --> 00:18:07.470
Garry Chalk: I went, oh no, I'm dead.

00:18:07.530 --> 00:18:08.010
I'm dead.

00:18:08.040 --> 00:18:08.620
Oh, no, I'm dead.

00:18:08.889 --> 00:18:10.860
But I'm reading it, and I'm
reading it, I'm reading it.

00:18:10.950 --> 00:18:13.740
And I thought, I can do this.

00:18:13.800 --> 00:18:14.520
I can do this.

00:18:14.670 --> 00:18:15.750
So I walked, I give it

00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:20.160
a hundred percent.

00:18:20.790 --> 00:18:24.520
I walk in, I do these scenes,
I'm acting my face off.

00:18:24.520 --> 00:18:29.580
I'm emoting, I'm, they were very
emotional child dead scenes, right?

00:18:30.090 --> 00:18:35.100
And the director looks at me and he goes,
you know, something that was marvelous.

00:18:35.370 --> 00:18:36.450
It was wonderful.

00:18:36.660 --> 00:18:38.910
Absolutely beautiful.

00:18:39.300 --> 00:18:40.740
It was completely wrong.

00:18:44.400 --> 00:18:48.200
But you didn't know, you see,
because this character's an arse.

00:18:49.590 --> 00:18:55.149
And you didn't know that, but the way
you played your instinct, it was lovely.

00:18:55.179 --> 00:18:56.129
Thank you.

00:18:56.830 --> 00:18:58.669
Wrong but nice.

00:18:59.340 --> 00:19:00.365
And I went, ah, shit.

00:19:00.370 --> 00:19:01.260
And I've blown it.

00:19:01.260 --> 00:19:02.310
I've blown it to death.

00:19:02.550 --> 00:19:06.540
So he looks at the
producer and he goes, eh.

00:19:07.290 --> 00:19:09.180
And the producer goes, eh.

00:19:10.440 --> 00:19:12.130
And I walk away thinking I've lost a part.

00:19:13.590 --> 00:19:17.070
I get a call the next day,
okay, you're doing it.

00:19:17.940 --> 00:19:19.140
And I said, what?

00:19:19.574 --> 00:19:21.795
He said, the Farrah Fawcett thing.

00:19:21.865 --> 00:19:22.625
Shut up.

00:19:22.785 --> 00:19:23.665
They said I was wrong.

00:19:23.665 --> 00:19:28.395
He said, no, no, they loved you, so
you're gonna be there for a few months.

00:19:28.485 --> 00:19:29.685
So I went, okay.

00:19:29.834 --> 00:19:32.745
And that launched my film career.

00:19:32.774 --> 00:19:33.945
Jim Conrad: That was a big miniseries.

00:19:34.215 --> 00:19:34.754
Garry Chalk: Oh yeah.

00:19:34.784 --> 00:19:38.985
Jim Conrad: They used to have miniseries
events and Farrah Fawcett was a huge star.

00:19:39.074 --> 00:19:40.034
Garry Chalk: Oh, I loved her.

00:19:40.185 --> 00:19:40.905
Absolute professional.

00:19:40.905 --> 00:19:41.865
Jim Conrad: What was
she like to work with?

00:19:42.105 --> 00:19:43.514
Garry Chalk: Absolute professional.

00:19:44.175 --> 00:19:45.855
Just a wonderful human being.

00:19:45.915 --> 00:19:50.084
I mean, like, she was there, she would
work to death and she wasn't afraid

00:19:50.084 --> 00:19:52.125
to get in, to just to mix it up.

00:19:52.125 --> 00:19:54.345
And oh, we had a marvelous time.

00:19:54.495 --> 00:19:55.185
Just great.

00:19:55.185 --> 00:20:00.345
The only time that things went sorta
haywire is when Ryan O'Neal came on set.

00:20:00.524 --> 00:20:02.024
Jim Conrad: And she was
married to Ryan at the time.

00:20:02.534 --> 00:20:02.544
Garry Chalk: Yeah.

00:20:02.865 --> 00:20:04.574
And, he was not a very nice man.

00:20:04.574 --> 00:20:07.475
I gotta say, I'm sorry, Ryan,
but you're not a very nice man.

00:20:07.995 --> 00:20:09.554
But he's passed away,
so it doesn't matter.

00:20:09.915 --> 00:20:14.024
I had my differences with him
on set because, here I am, I'm

00:20:14.024 --> 00:20:15.465
working with a media event.

00:20:16.085 --> 00:20:17.255
I'm nervous as hell.

00:20:17.315 --> 00:20:17.585
Jim Conrad: Yeah.

00:20:18.005 --> 00:20:20.705
Garry Chalk: And this guy coming up and
telling me what to do and telling me

00:20:20.705 --> 00:20:22.325
how to do this and blah, blah, blah.

00:20:22.325 --> 00:20:24.125
Jim Conrad: So was he
a producer on the show?

00:20:24.125 --> 00:20:24.185
Garry Chalk: No.

00:20:24.425 --> 00:20:25.025
Nothing.

00:20:25.030 --> 00:20:25.240
Nothing.

00:20:25.245 --> 00:20:25.475
Jim Conrad: Nothing.

00:20:25.475 --> 00:20:27.725
He just showed up because
he was married to?

00:20:27.725 --> 00:20:28.715
Garry Chalk: He showed up
because he was married to her.

00:20:28.925 --> 00:20:29.345
And,

00:20:29.855 --> 00:20:30.755
Jim Conrad: But he's a big star.

00:20:30.755 --> 00:20:32.885
And so they let him on
set to do this thing.

00:20:33.245 --> 00:20:35.555
Garry Chalk: So I went over
to the director and I says,

00:20:35.555 --> 00:20:36.575
I don't know what to do.

00:20:36.875 --> 00:20:41.195
He's telling me to do all these
things and I really don't want to.

00:20:41.345 --> 00:20:43.325
And I, and the director goes, who is?

00:20:43.445 --> 00:20:45.920
And I says, Ryan, he goes, is he?

00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:47.410
Is he?

00:20:47.960 --> 00:20:49.670
And he yells out on the side.

00:20:49.670 --> 00:20:53.810
He goes, Ryan O'Neal,
get off my fucking set.

00:20:56.660 --> 00:20:58.100
And they kicked him off.

00:20:58.220 --> 00:20:58.460
Jim Conrad: Good.

00:20:59.210 --> 00:21:00.830
Well, and you stood up for yourself.

00:21:01.070 --> 00:21:01.750
Garry Chalk: Oh yeah.

00:21:01.750 --> 00:21:05.000
Well, and this is something that
you have to do in this business

00:21:05.000 --> 00:21:05.930
or they'll walk all over you.

00:21:06.080 --> 00:21:07.850
That was a big launch.

00:21:08.030 --> 00:21:11.510
The Fly 2 was my first big feature role.

00:21:11.990 --> 00:21:13.590
The Fly 2.

00:21:14.330 --> 00:21:16.370
Like father like son.

00:21:17.015 --> 00:21:18.505
Where I was the villain.

00:21:19.005 --> 00:21:23.495
After I did that role, all of a
sudden things started happening.

00:21:23.495 --> 00:21:23.795
And,

00:21:24.215 --> 00:21:29.005
Jim Conrad: What's your most satisfying
role in television or movies?

00:21:29.395 --> 00:21:30.725
Satisfying or meaningful?

00:21:30.935 --> 00:21:36.005
Garry Chalk: The most satisfying role
I've ever had in television was, the role

00:21:36.005 --> 00:21:39.995
of Inspector Pawlachuk in Cold Squad.

00:21:40.085 --> 00:21:41.625
I was on there for seven years.

00:21:42.185 --> 00:21:43.355
What the hell were you thinking, Lynn?

00:21:43.385 --> 00:21:45.795
She's planning a hit on her fiancé.

00:21:45.815 --> 00:21:47.105
It's a fishing trip.

00:21:47.465 --> 00:21:50.165
She's planning a fishing trip
for her fiancé and a few of

00:21:50.165 --> 00:21:51.220
his buddies in lieu of a stack.

00:21:52.065 --> 00:21:53.595
I got to run the gamut.

00:21:53.835 --> 00:21:54.585
Jim Conrad: Lot of depth.

00:21:54.705 --> 00:21:57.765
Garry Chalk: A lot of depth,
lot of edges to this guy and,

00:21:58.395 --> 00:22:00.085
I just loved that character.

00:22:00.515 --> 00:22:02.715
He was just like a good guy, a bad guy.

00:22:02.715 --> 00:22:05.985
He could be really mean to you
or really nice to you and or

00:22:05.985 --> 00:22:08.535
even handled delicate situations.

00:22:08.535 --> 00:22:14.365
And I just found that it was the most
satisfying work I'd ever done as an actor.

00:22:14.395 --> 00:22:14.505
Yeah.

00:22:14.505 --> 00:22:21.180
Jim Conrad: When you're in a role like
that, how much is your instinct in

00:22:21.180 --> 00:22:24.510
play and how much direction is in play?

00:22:24.690 --> 00:22:27.210
Obviously someone's written it
and someone is now directing it,

00:22:27.210 --> 00:22:28.980
but now you are playing the role.

00:22:28.980 --> 00:22:33.780
So as you mentioned before, sometimes
you gotta stand up for what you

00:22:33.780 --> 00:22:36.060
believe in is right for this character.

00:22:36.120 --> 00:22:36.690
Garry Chalk: Oh, sure.

00:22:36.690 --> 00:22:38.250
But I, a lot times,

00:22:38.250 --> 00:22:40.260
Jim Conrad: However,
you have to be open to,

00:22:40.540 --> 00:22:44.700
Garry Chalk: You have to be open to
change or open to interpretation.

00:22:44.760 --> 00:22:48.480
And a lot of times the
interpretation is justified.

00:22:48.899 --> 00:22:53.940
But sometimes, you know, you're,
what I've found as an actor, if you

00:22:53.940 --> 00:23:00.270
trust your instincts and be committed
to that instinct and committed to

00:23:00.300 --> 00:23:04.290
that choice that you make, a lot
of times, that's the best choice.

00:23:04.290 --> 00:23:06.990
And then you can adjust it accordingly.

00:23:06.990 --> 00:23:08.429
And I've done that as well.

00:23:08.429 --> 00:23:11.280
But usually your instinct
is what drives you.

00:23:11.280 --> 00:23:16.169
Because something in that script, I,
it's hard to explain exactly how it is.

00:23:16.169 --> 00:23:19.470
I know that with young actors when
they first started, they take copious

00:23:19.470 --> 00:23:21.210
notes, what is my motivation doing?

00:23:21.210 --> 00:23:21.960
Blah, blah, blah, blah.

00:23:22.050 --> 00:23:26.790
And I look at a script these
days and I go, who do I love?

00:23:26.790 --> 00:23:27.629
Who do I not?

00:23:28.290 --> 00:23:28.740
Jim Conrad: Okay.

00:23:28.830 --> 00:23:31.680
Garry Chalk: And basically
I look at it that way.

00:23:31.890 --> 00:23:33.210
What am I afraid of?

00:23:33.390 --> 00:23:35.820
What am I not, what is
the ultimate goal here?

00:23:35.970 --> 00:23:38.640
And it just comes like, it's instinctive.

00:23:39.240 --> 00:23:43.290
Jim Conrad: Is there a method,
quote unquote, to your acting.

00:23:43.350 --> 00:23:45.840
I know there are method actors.

00:23:46.030 --> 00:23:48.690
Is there a Garry Chalk method?

00:23:48.780 --> 00:23:51.930
Garry Chalk: Well, you
know, there absolutely is.

00:23:52.170 --> 00:23:54.510
My Garry Chalk method is this.

00:23:55.200 --> 00:24:02.585
To me, every actor has this core
of self, it's this immutable

00:24:02.795 --> 00:24:07.535
crystal core that can't be broken
or unchanged because that's you.

00:24:07.685 --> 00:24:12.754
But then you put yourself in
a set of circumstances like

00:24:12.905 --> 00:24:15.055
you are afraid of water.

00:24:15.475 --> 00:24:17.395
You love spaghetti.

00:24:18.485 --> 00:24:19.685
You love this woman.

00:24:19.685 --> 00:24:24.365
You don't like this woman, but you
trust her more than you trust this one.

00:24:24.365 --> 00:24:30.065
And you keep adding this with bits of clay
until you come up with this character.

00:24:30.275 --> 00:24:35.415
But the essential, the essence
of every character is you in

00:24:35.415 --> 00:24:37.025
a given set of circumstances.

00:24:37.115 --> 00:24:43.730
So what happens is you build a natural
performance because basically it's you.

00:24:43.730 --> 00:24:47.300
What would you do given
this set of circumstances?

00:24:47.719 --> 00:24:52.129
And I've always held by that and
it seems to work pretty well.

00:24:54.110 --> 00:24:55.280
Jim Conrad: It certainly has.

00:24:55.280 --> 00:24:56.540
Garry Chalk: Seems to work pretty well.

00:24:56.540 --> 00:25:01.639
I mean, I've been doing this now,
my first professional gig, 1978.

00:25:01.639 --> 00:25:04.534
So we're looking at like
almost, what, 44 years.

00:25:05.605 --> 00:25:07.435
44 years of doing this stuff.

00:25:07.435 --> 00:25:09.264
And, I just accept it.

00:25:09.264 --> 00:25:10.555
I just go with the flow, man.

00:25:10.555 --> 00:25:10.945
And,

00:25:11.395 --> 00:25:12.085
Jim Conrad: And you love it.

00:25:12.235 --> 00:25:12.895
Garry Chalk: And I love it.

00:25:12.925 --> 00:25:15.045
Jim Conrad: And you have a passion
for it, and so it's not work.

00:25:15.765 --> 00:25:16.445
It's just fun.

00:25:16.605 --> 00:25:20.545
Garry Chalk: And then, this whole,
the whole other dimension that

00:25:20.545 --> 00:25:22.045
I, we haven't even talked about.

00:25:22.105 --> 00:25:23.095
Jim Conrad: And we're going to now.

00:25:23.155 --> 00:25:23.845
Garry Chalk: Oh, we are?

00:25:23.875 --> 00:25:24.115
Jim Conrad: Yeah.

00:25:24.205 --> 00:25:24.535
Garry Chalk: Okay.

00:25:25.225 --> 00:25:26.335
Jim Conrad: What is the other dimension?

00:25:26.514 --> 00:25:26.635
Garry Chalk: Yeah.

00:25:26.635 --> 00:25:27.865
No, the animation world.

00:25:27.865 --> 00:25:28.165
Jim Conrad: Yes.

00:25:28.165 --> 00:25:29.395
Let's talk about the animation world.

00:25:29.395 --> 00:25:32.065
What was your first introduction to it?

00:25:32.065 --> 00:25:33.865
What was your first role?

00:25:34.135 --> 00:25:35.245
What was your first cartoon?

00:25:35.925 --> 00:25:38.344
Garry Chalk: I actually
have it on my phone.

00:25:39.104 --> 00:25:43.945
My very first cartoon was
Hiawatha for Kenner Classics out

00:25:43.945 --> 00:25:46.885
of Atkinson Film Arts in Ottawa.

00:25:46.935 --> 00:25:51.595
And I, my agent in Ottawa at the
time says, there's these guys,

00:25:51.595 --> 00:25:53.335
they're auditioning for this cartoon.

00:25:53.335 --> 00:25:54.475
It's called Hiawatha.

00:25:54.475 --> 00:25:55.915
You wanna go and have a read?

00:25:56.125 --> 00:25:57.625
And I said, okay.

00:25:57.625 --> 00:26:01.635
I've never, never read for a
cartoon before, so sure, why not?

00:26:01.905 --> 00:26:07.125
So I went and I read the voices and
I got three or four voices on it.

00:26:07.740 --> 00:26:08.160
Jim Conrad: Okay.

00:26:08.190 --> 00:26:10.110
Garry Chalk: I got they voice of Hiawatha.

00:26:10.520 --> 00:26:14.550
And his dad and a villain and, I
think an old lady, I'm not sure.

00:26:14.580 --> 00:26:18.690
Jim Conrad: Which is a unique, I don't
know if it's tradition, but it's just a

00:26:18.690 --> 00:26:22.000
mindset that was established by Mel Blanc.

00:26:22.020 --> 00:26:22.380
Garry Chalk: Yeah.

00:26:22.470 --> 00:26:23.310
Jim Conrad: And others.

00:26:23.310 --> 00:26:27.970
That when you are doing animation or
cartoons, it was much better to hire

00:26:27.970 --> 00:26:31.030
one actor to do many different voices.

00:26:31.050 --> 00:26:31.230
Garry Chalk: Yeah.

00:26:31.320 --> 00:26:33.810
Jim Conrad: And the more you
could do, the better It was.

00:26:33.840 --> 00:26:34.560
Garry Chalk: Better it was, yeah.

00:26:34.560 --> 00:26:36.090
Jim Conrad: For the
producer and for the actor.

00:26:36.095 --> 00:26:36.325
Yeah.

00:26:36.510 --> 00:26:36.660
Garry Chalk: Yeah.

00:26:36.690 --> 00:26:41.070
So I got hired and one I, I looked
at, I was just showing some, I was

00:26:41.070 --> 00:26:45.150
at a convention, animation convention
in Toronto, earlier this year.

00:26:45.420 --> 00:26:49.350
And I just happened to mention about
that thing that I did in Ottawa.

00:26:49.830 --> 00:26:53.760
And so I showed him and what
amazed me was my voice really

00:26:53.760 --> 00:26:56.250
hasn't changed that much, you know?

00:26:56.250 --> 00:26:59.610
I think I was like 30 years
old or something then.

00:26:59.700 --> 00:27:02.010
Yeah, so that was pretty incredible.

00:27:02.010 --> 00:27:04.885
And, I thought, you
know, I really like this.

00:27:05.485 --> 00:27:09.475
Jim Conrad: So this is acting,
but it's no 5:00 AM makeup calls.

00:27:09.635 --> 00:27:10.085
Garry Chalk: No.

00:27:10.085 --> 00:27:11.845
It's dress as you are.

00:27:12.055 --> 00:27:13.165
Walk in the studio.

00:27:13.165 --> 00:27:14.565
The script is right there.

00:27:14.885 --> 00:27:16.865
Read, read, read, and away you go.

00:27:17.185 --> 00:27:20.905
Jim Conrad: And then you became a
part of, as I mentioned to you when

00:27:20.905 --> 00:27:23.935
you saw me, you know, you only doing,
this for a while, but you're in.

00:27:24.205 --> 00:27:24.385
Garry Chalk: Yeah.

00:27:24.415 --> 00:27:28.955
Jim Conrad: Then you became part
of the animation group that got

00:27:28.955 --> 00:27:30.865
called for everything in Vancouver.

00:27:31.014 --> 00:27:32.245
Garry Chalk: It was amazing.

00:27:32.274 --> 00:27:34.634
Jim Conrad: So, names Ian
Corlett, of course is one.

00:27:34.634 --> 00:27:36.064
Kathleen Barr is another.

00:27:36.475 --> 00:27:38.185
Garry Chalk: Ian, Kathleen Barr.

00:27:38.905 --> 00:27:40.044
Scott McNeil.

00:27:40.225 --> 00:27:41.215
David Kaye.

00:27:41.605 --> 00:27:42.565
Richard Newman.

00:27:42.665 --> 00:27:43.705
Jim Conrad: Beast Wars.

00:27:45.485 --> 00:27:49.975
ReBoot.

00:27:50.235 --> 00:27:52.545
Garry Chalk: ReBoot was myself.

00:27:53.025 --> 00:28:01.435
Long John Baldry, Michael Benyaer.

00:28:05.170 --> 00:28:06.195
Jim Conrad: Any features?

00:28:06.465 --> 00:28:07.695
Garry Chalk: Couple of features.

00:28:08.055 --> 00:28:10.155
Rudolph and the Land of Lost Toys.

00:28:10.155 --> 00:28:12.405
There are not a lot of features.

00:28:12.405 --> 00:28:15.315
Features, the funny thing about features,
and we did, you know, a few of them.

00:28:15.315 --> 00:28:17.625
Jim Conrad: And that's more, I guess
the features are more LA right?

00:28:17.815 --> 00:28:20.535
Garry Chalk: Yeah, they're more LA
and they're more stunt casting, so

00:28:20.825 --> 00:28:25.440
you find very few, you know, like guys
like myself and us, the blue collar

00:28:25.800 --> 00:28:28.230
cartoon guys, very few of them make it.

00:28:28.230 --> 00:28:32.250
Jim Conrad: That's what I don't like about
I mean even, you know, the Lion King and

00:28:32.250 --> 00:28:38.220
a few of the big Disney ones, they still
cast actors, but not big name actors.

00:28:38.250 --> 00:28:38.520
Garry Chalk: No.

00:28:38.700 --> 00:28:42.270
Jim Conrad: But now if they don't
have a marquee name on the animation.

00:28:42.300 --> 00:28:42.970
Garry Chalk: You don't get it.

00:28:42.970 --> 00:28:43.070
Jim Conrad: Yeah.

00:28:43.070 --> 00:28:46.770
And then there was one I saw where
it was an animated thing where the

00:28:46.770 --> 00:28:51.690
shark was, the voice of Will Smith
and they made the character look

00:28:51.690 --> 00:28:53.190
like Will Smith with the ears.

00:28:53.450 --> 00:28:53.590
Yeah.

00:28:53.830 --> 00:28:56.010
It was like, wait a
minute, it's animation.

00:28:56.310 --> 00:28:57.930
They're not supposed to
know what you look like.

00:28:57.990 --> 00:28:58.260
Garry Chalk: Yeah.

00:28:58.620 --> 00:29:01.230
And to tell you the truth, the
kids don't really give a damn.

00:29:01.440 --> 00:29:03.540
It's the parents who take
the kids to the theater.

00:29:03.570 --> 00:29:04.080
Jim Conrad: Yeah.

00:29:04.080 --> 00:29:04.090
Yeah.

00:29:04.189 --> 00:29:06.690
And to me it's the,
Bugs Bunny was the star.

00:29:07.050 --> 00:29:07.350
Garry Chalk: Yeah.

00:29:07.410 --> 00:29:08.230
Jim Conrad: Not Mel Blanc.

00:29:11.190 --> 00:29:14.070
Any great stories about being on set?

00:29:14.250 --> 00:29:16.629
Let's talk about famous
people that you've met.

00:29:16.629 --> 00:29:17.580
Famous actors.

00:29:17.580 --> 00:29:19.080
You can name names.

00:29:19.179 --> 00:29:22.860
Who was super nice and
who were real assholes?

00:29:23.250 --> 00:29:23.940
Garry Chalk: Okay.

00:29:23.940 --> 00:29:24.690
Super nice.

00:29:24.690 --> 00:29:25.530
Farrah Fawcett.

00:29:25.530 --> 00:29:27.720
Farrah Fawcett was super nice.

00:29:27.960 --> 00:29:30.960
John Shea, absolutely wonderful.

00:29:31.020 --> 00:29:33.320
James Coburn, absolutely marvelous.

00:29:33.840 --> 00:29:34.470
Loved him.

00:29:34.560 --> 00:29:35.700
Jim Conrad: Beautiful voice as well.

00:29:35.730 --> 00:29:36.120
Garry Chalk: Yeah.

00:29:36.150 --> 00:29:36.840
Jim Conrad: Amazing voice.

00:29:36.930 --> 00:29:41.590
Garry Chalk: First guy to do a commercial
on television who was a celebrity.

00:29:41.590 --> 00:29:45.570
And, and all he said was
this Schlitz malt liquor.

00:29:48.585 --> 00:29:52.595
He got paid very well.

00:29:52.595 --> 00:29:54.235
Robert Mitchum.

00:29:54.235 --> 00:29:54.925
Never worked with him.

00:29:54.945 --> 00:29:55.735
Had a drink with him.

00:29:55.765 --> 00:29:57.025
The greatest guy.

00:29:57.505 --> 00:29:58.635
I liked him.

00:29:58.635 --> 00:30:00.755
I, George Segal.

00:30:01.035 --> 00:30:02.205
Fabulous fellow.

00:30:03.045 --> 00:30:03.405
Jim Conrad: Okay.

00:30:03.405 --> 00:30:06.345
And so who was, an absolute dick?

00:30:08.145 --> 00:30:08.805
Garry Chalk: Sly.

00:30:09.135 --> 00:30:09.795
Jim Conrad: Ooh.

00:30:09.825 --> 00:30:11.145
Yeah, I heard about that.

00:30:11.145 --> 00:30:12.225
Were you on First Blood?

00:30:12.255 --> 00:30:12.815
Garry Chalk: I was,

00:30:17.595 --> 00:30:17.655
yeah.

00:30:20.125 --> 00:30:23.335
Jim Conrad: Richard Crenna?

00:30:23.985 --> 00:30:24.315
Garry Chalk: Yeah.

00:30:24.435 --> 00:30:25.005
Jim Conrad: Nice guy?

00:30:25.065 --> 00:30:25.965
Garry Chalk: Very nice guy.

00:30:26.295 --> 00:30:27.015
Jim Conrad: So Sly.

00:30:27.045 --> 00:30:28.245
Okay, what was wrong with Sly?

00:30:28.455 --> 00:30:30.285
What, just thought he was kingship?

00:30:30.315 --> 00:30:34.185
Garry Chalk: Yeah, he just had this,
you know, don't talk to me, you know?

00:30:34.415 --> 00:30:38.835
I have got body guards and whatnot and
I just thought, you know, come on man.

00:30:38.985 --> 00:30:39.555
Shit does.

00:30:40.305 --> 00:30:41.055
Another one.

00:30:41.235 --> 00:30:42.415
Steven Seagal.

00:30:42.435 --> 00:30:42.985
That's the guy.

00:30:42.985 --> 00:30:43.995
Oh my God.

00:30:51.075 --> 00:30:52.095
Jim Conrad: Oh, okay.

00:30:52.095 --> 00:30:52.635
Story?

00:30:52.695 --> 00:30:57.255
Garry Chalk: Oh, my sister was craft
service on a couple of his movies and she

00:30:57.315 --> 00:31:01.395
told me these horror stories about this
fellow and everybody I've met, as soon

00:31:01.395 --> 00:31:04.815
as you say that name, they go, oh my God.

00:31:05.055 --> 00:31:07.585
He was just not a very nice man.

00:31:08.295 --> 00:31:12.090
And, he eventually got to the point
where he couldn't make his own movies.

00:31:12.090 --> 00:31:13.560
He couldn't be insured or something.

00:31:13.560 --> 00:31:17.160
I don't know the exact, but he
is now, he's a Russian citizen.

00:31:17.160 --> 00:31:18.540
So good for him.

00:31:18.570 --> 00:31:18.960
Jim Conrad: Yeah.

00:31:19.710 --> 00:31:20.040
Byebye.

00:31:20.700 --> 00:31:24.240
Garry Chalk: I just find that life
is short and in this business,

00:31:24.240 --> 00:31:26.940
the business that we work in,
we have the best business.

00:31:26.970 --> 00:31:32.340
We get paid well, we get treated like
kings and there is no reason to be a

00:31:32.340 --> 00:31:37.590
miserable and certainly no reason to treat
people with disrespect or even abuse them.

00:31:37.830 --> 00:31:42.000
And, whenever I see it, I get mad.

00:31:42.480 --> 00:31:45.360
Jim Conrad: Do you stand up
on set and say, Hey, don't.

00:31:45.360 --> 00:31:49.650
I have, If a director is treating,
let's say an actress in an abusive

00:31:49.650 --> 00:31:51.600
manner, which can happen on set.

00:31:51.630 --> 00:31:56.700
Garry Chalk: Can happen, it has never
happened as far as I am concerned on set.

00:31:56.820 --> 00:32:02.340
I've seen actors go after
directors and I remember, standing

00:32:02.340 --> 00:32:04.290
up against a fellow on set.

00:32:04.290 --> 00:32:09.110
Look, if you've got a problem with a
director, take it over there in private,

00:32:09.200 --> 00:32:11.350
not in front of the entire cast and crew.

00:32:11.350 --> 00:32:12.450
You just don't do that.

00:32:12.590 --> 00:32:13.520
He was pretty upset.

00:32:13.520 --> 00:32:14.840
And I said, I don't give a shit man.

00:32:14.870 --> 00:32:20.960
You just go, you know, if
you've got beef, sort it out.

00:32:21.040 --> 00:32:21.800
You're a grownup.

00:32:21.890 --> 00:32:22.610
Jim Conrad: Take it off set.

00:32:22.660 --> 00:32:23.690
Garry Chalk: Yeah, take it off set.

00:32:23.775 --> 00:32:25.940
Jim Conrad: Did you have any
disagreements with directors?

00:32:28.735 --> 00:32:28.955
Garry Chalk: No.

00:32:29.870 --> 00:32:30.230
No.

00:32:30.230 --> 00:32:31.010
I've never had a disagreement.

00:32:31.010 --> 00:32:32.720
Jim Conrad: He wryly
smiles while saying no.

00:32:32.750 --> 00:32:33.230
Garry Chalk: Oh no.

00:32:33.230 --> 00:32:35.160
I was just thinking about a producer.

00:32:35.370 --> 00:32:35.790
Jim Conrad: Okay.

00:32:36.160 --> 00:32:37.110
Or producer?

00:32:37.300 --> 00:32:41.630
Garry Chalk: Yeah, this producer one time
I was, I was doing a show and they were

00:32:41.630 --> 00:32:45.915
four days overtime, over schedule, four
days overtime, or three days overtime.

00:32:46.065 --> 00:32:47.655
And, I got wrapped.

00:32:47.865 --> 00:32:50.535
And, this was back in the eighties.

00:32:50.655 --> 00:32:54.435
The casting lady goes, no,
I'm sorry you're not wrapped.

00:32:54.435 --> 00:32:55.305
I said, whatcha talking about?

00:32:55.545 --> 00:32:56.475
And you just wrapped me.

00:32:56.625 --> 00:32:58.335
She says, oh no, they need you.

00:32:58.545 --> 00:32:59.565
And I says, well.

00:32:59.785 --> 00:33:01.885
No, sorry, that doesn't work that way.

00:33:01.885 --> 00:33:04.315
It's four o'clock in the
morning, I'm gotta go.

00:33:04.435 --> 00:33:07.075
I said, well, you have
to come back tomorrow.

00:33:07.315 --> 00:33:10.975
And I said, no, I can't come back
tomorrow 'cause I'm doing something else.

00:33:10.975 --> 00:33:11.965
Jim Conrad: Working on something else.

00:33:11.965 --> 00:33:15.745
Garry Chalk: I'm working on a voice
thing funnily enough at CBC radio.

00:33:15.925 --> 00:33:19.405
So the producer comes up and
he goes, what the hell is that?

00:33:19.495 --> 00:33:20.845
You can't, what are you doing?

00:33:20.845 --> 00:33:23.365
I says, I'm sorry, I'm
booked on something else.

00:33:23.515 --> 00:33:25.885
You went three days over on your schedule.

00:33:25.885 --> 00:33:26.875
Not my fault pal.

00:33:27.085 --> 00:33:28.585
You know, you do what you have to do.

00:33:28.855 --> 00:33:33.205
Well, he says, well, we don't have to
put up with the, we don't buy actors

00:33:33.205 --> 00:33:34.675
who are booked on something else.

00:33:34.675 --> 00:33:36.805
And I said, yeah, well figure it out.

00:33:37.465 --> 00:33:39.975
And he walked away 'cause
there was nothing he could do.

00:33:39.975 --> 00:33:42.835
And then about 10 minutes later
he comes back and he goes,

00:33:46.004 --> 00:33:47.275
okay, where?

00:33:47.305 --> 00:33:48.145
What are you doing tomorrow?

00:33:48.175 --> 00:33:49.435
I says, I'm doing a radio play.

00:33:49.980 --> 00:33:50.910
What time do you finish?

00:33:51.420 --> 00:33:52.080
Noon.

00:33:52.590 --> 00:33:54.270
How quickly can you make it up here?

00:33:54.720 --> 00:33:55.980
I can be there at one.

00:33:56.580 --> 00:33:57.120
One o'clock?

00:33:57.930 --> 00:33:59.700
And I said, yes, one o'clock.

00:33:59.970 --> 00:34:03.120
And he goes, okay, we can make that work.

00:34:04.300 --> 00:34:08.100
He walked off and I'm not lying.

00:34:08.460 --> 00:34:09.960
This is no exaggeration.

00:34:09.960 --> 00:34:11.520
It's word for word.

00:34:11.525 --> 00:34:12.330
Exactly how it went.

00:34:12.389 --> 00:34:13.139
We can make that work.

00:34:13.380 --> 00:34:14.400
Jim Conrad: We can make that work.

00:34:16.710 --> 00:34:18.540
Gary, it's been a pleasure.

00:34:18.540 --> 00:34:19.530
Thank you so much.

00:34:19.860 --> 00:34:21.120
Garry Chalk: Oh, my pleasure entirely.

00:34:24.234 --> 00:34:28.650
Jim Conrad: On the Conovision podcast.

00:34:28.830 --> 00:34:30.429
My good friend Ian Corlett.

00:34:30.449 --> 00:34:31.290
Ian, hello.

00:34:31.320 --> 00:34:32.340
Ian Corlett: Hello.

00:34:32.610 --> 00:34:37.830
Jim Conrad: Can you give me off the top
of your head a 60 second bio starting

00:34:37.830 --> 00:34:39.570
with where you were born and when?

00:34:39.989 --> 00:34:43.860
Ian Corlett: I was born in sunny
Burnaby, British Columbia, not far

00:34:43.860 --> 00:34:50.475
from Vancouver, and my passions
were puppets, ventriloquism, and

00:34:50.475 --> 00:34:52.754
then filmmaking, in that order.

00:34:52.814 --> 00:34:53.264
Jim Conrad: Wow.

00:34:53.264 --> 00:34:54.524
What a nerdy kid.

00:34:54.824 --> 00:34:55.335
Ian Corlett: Oh man.

00:34:55.364 --> 00:34:57.225
I was a nerd of a different color.

00:34:59.670 --> 00:35:00.180
Jim Conrad: Burnaby?

00:35:00.210 --> 00:35:00.570
Ian Corlett: Yeah.

00:35:00.600 --> 00:35:08.610
And and as far as my career goes,
I remember listening to the radio

00:35:08.610 --> 00:35:14.320
as you did when we were in vacation
places like California and Hawaii.

00:35:14.790 --> 00:35:19.800
And recognizing that there
were people on the radio from

00:35:19.800 --> 00:35:22.290
my hometown doing commercials.

00:35:22.750 --> 00:35:24.660
I said, that's our weatherman.

00:35:24.970 --> 00:35:31.509
That's Norm Grohmann and I, and so
after I, I had exhausted my filmmaking,

00:35:31.779 --> 00:35:35.109
aspirations as a high schooler.

00:35:35.140 --> 00:35:38.450
And realizing that there was no
film business here then, none.

00:35:38.589 --> 00:35:38.799
Jim Conrad: Nothing.

00:35:38.950 --> 00:35:41.290
Ian Corlett: Because otherwise I
probably would've gone into, you know,

00:35:41.290 --> 00:35:43.120
just sweeping up and being a guy.

00:35:43.180 --> 00:35:44.299
Jim Conrad: Other than the CBC.

00:35:44.319 --> 00:35:45.379
Ian Corlett: Other than, exactly.

00:35:45.709 --> 00:35:49.450
And if I decided that I wanted
to pursue anything with a camera,

00:35:49.689 --> 00:35:51.089
it's exactly what I thought.

00:35:51.410 --> 00:35:53.339
I'll work for a TV station.

00:35:53.589 --> 00:35:55.430
And that just didn't appeal to me.

00:35:55.430 --> 00:35:58.569
And I didn't wanna be a
starving independent filmmaker.

00:35:58.939 --> 00:36:05.049
So, I worked with the family business
for a while, but that, that radio

00:36:05.080 --> 00:36:09.460
ear of mine, recognizing that
there was actually a business in

00:36:09.460 --> 00:36:12.059
Vancouver for making commercials.

00:36:12.649 --> 00:36:15.279
It, was like, ooh, I think I can do that.

00:36:15.310 --> 00:36:19.799
'Cause I had always been doing like,
you know, the history was puppets,

00:36:19.799 --> 00:36:24.450
ventriloquism, even, you know, my films,
it was always something to do with voice.

00:36:24.450 --> 00:36:27.750
Jim Conrad: So you were
acting out in acting out?

00:36:27.750 --> 00:36:27.960
Ian Corlett: Yeah.

00:36:27.960 --> 00:36:28.350
Oh, yeah.

00:36:29.129 --> 00:36:29.850
Oh, yes, I was.

00:36:29.850 --> 00:36:32.669
Jim Conrad: And doing voices
and entertaining your siblings

00:36:32.669 --> 00:36:34.319
and your family or, and friends?

00:36:34.710 --> 00:36:36.029
Ian Corlett: The siblings not so much.

00:36:36.029 --> 00:36:37.410
Basically, I was a third of three boys.

00:36:37.410 --> 00:36:37.950
Jim Conrad: They were just annoyed.

00:36:38.129 --> 00:36:39.089
Ian Corlett: They were just annoyed.

00:36:39.149 --> 00:36:42.509
It's like they'd have their friends
over, you know, three years older or

00:36:42.509 --> 00:36:45.629
six years older than me, and they, oh,
there's my annoying little brother,

00:36:45.629 --> 00:36:47.370
he's gonna bring out the dummy.

00:36:48.569 --> 00:36:53.879
So I kept, I tried to keep that cool, and
I realized after doing the ventriloquism

00:36:53.879 --> 00:36:56.359
for a while, I went, know, I, I'm a nerd.

00:36:56.509 --> 00:36:58.790
But I'm not that much of a nerd.

00:36:59.000 --> 00:37:03.120
So I became a filmmaking nerd,
but then, you know, fast forward

00:37:03.180 --> 00:37:07.559
and I, started knocking on the
door of companies like GGRP.

00:37:07.819 --> 00:37:09.039
Because I said, hey.

00:37:09.375 --> 00:37:13.205
That's sort of like the film business.

00:37:13.445 --> 00:37:14.535
But not.

00:37:15.555 --> 00:37:16.825
Jim Conrad: It's kind of acting.

00:37:17.325 --> 00:37:22.004
So was that something that you
formalized or, you know, visualized in

00:37:22.004 --> 00:37:23.805
your head that you would be an actor?

00:37:24.254 --> 00:37:29.825
Ian Corlett: Well, no, I
mean, I did school plays.

00:37:29.884 --> 00:37:32.165
I was never off book, ever.

00:37:32.225 --> 00:37:34.525
Couldn't memorize a thing.

00:37:34.985 --> 00:37:37.335
And, people say, oh yes you can.

00:37:37.335 --> 00:37:40.424
You're, you just don't know
how, and I don't think so.

00:37:40.875 --> 00:37:42.464
I, think I'm missing a little circuit.

00:37:42.924 --> 00:37:48.884
So when this voice thing came into my
awareness, I went, oh, that's for me.

00:37:48.884 --> 00:37:52.164
Jim Conrad: So you can get paid
by actually reading a script.

00:37:52.164 --> 00:37:53.325
You don't have to memorize it.

00:37:53.415 --> 00:37:54.225
Ian Corlett: And I'm acting.

00:37:54.225 --> 00:37:58.245
Jim Conrad: You just have to imagine or
make it sound like you're not reading it.

00:37:58.700 --> 00:37:58.919
Ian Corlett: Yeah.

00:37:59.085 --> 00:38:05.095
Like my first, I wish I remembered
exactly, but amongst the first commercials

00:38:05.095 --> 00:38:07.484
that I did there was one in this building.

00:38:07.944 --> 00:38:11.565
And there was one, actually, the
very first one I did remember.

00:38:11.654 --> 00:38:11.955
Ooh.

00:38:12.255 --> 00:38:16.095
It was a place downtown, I
think it was on Seymour Street.

00:38:16.125 --> 00:38:16.965
Jim Conrad: Oh yeah.

00:38:17.115 --> 00:38:20.485
Ian Corlett: Where Woodward's
used to do all their production.

00:38:20.565 --> 00:38:24.555
And it was like you walked into
that place and it was a giant room.

00:38:24.555 --> 00:38:25.845
It looked like a giant gym.

00:38:25.904 --> 00:38:27.465
Jim Conrad: And it was a, like a museum.

00:38:27.525 --> 00:38:28.005
Ian Corlett: Kind of.

00:38:28.005 --> 00:38:28.275
Yeah.

00:38:28.275 --> 00:38:33.105
It had the, those big RCA
mixing boards with huge knobs.

00:38:33.465 --> 00:38:35.445
And I felt like, it was like a set.

00:38:35.565 --> 00:38:41.595
There was a, like a, an old kick drum
and a standup base in the corner.

00:38:41.924 --> 00:38:43.335
Is Elvis coming in here?

00:38:44.355 --> 00:38:46.965
And I also, I'm getting
these flashbacks now.

00:38:47.325 --> 00:38:49.154
I remember what he recorded onto.

00:38:50.475 --> 00:38:55.785
It was a leather bound, almost
looked like a, portable recorder.

00:38:56.025 --> 00:38:58.384
Jim Conrad: Reel to
reel tape, like a Naga.

00:38:58.405 --> 00:39:01.154
Ian Corlett: But it was, yeah, exactly
like the ones they used to use in films.

00:39:01.154 --> 00:39:05.565
And anyway, the, the first stuff
that I would get hired on was

00:39:05.565 --> 00:39:07.805
like the character young guy.

00:39:08.325 --> 00:39:12.045
And that was like a Fast Times
at Ridgemont High, kind of,

00:39:12.075 --> 00:39:15.645
hey dudes, Woodward, just
having a sale man, you know?

00:39:16.275 --> 00:39:20.055
And that was the beginning of all of this.

00:39:20.205 --> 00:39:22.785
Jim Conrad: So yeah, you started
in it, you were good at it.

00:39:23.174 --> 00:39:24.765
People recognized that you were good.

00:39:24.915 --> 00:39:26.024
You started getting hired.

00:39:26.654 --> 00:39:30.134
What point in time, and now you're
now the commercial thing is happening.

00:39:30.134 --> 00:39:31.004
You're making some money.

00:39:31.004 --> 00:39:32.174
You're doing okay.

00:39:32.774 --> 00:39:34.395
What was the family business?

00:39:34.424 --> 00:39:37.575
Ian Corlett: The family business
was a retail piano store.

00:39:37.694 --> 00:39:38.595
Well, it was a music store.

00:39:38.595 --> 00:39:41.355
Mostly pianos and organs
though, so I grew up in that.

00:39:41.355 --> 00:39:42.625
Our whole family did.

00:39:42.625 --> 00:39:45.815
Like it was, an extension of how we lived.

00:39:46.475 --> 00:39:50.595
But at the time that I was thinking
about getting into, actually no I

00:39:50.595 --> 00:39:52.045
still worked in that store in Burnaby.

00:39:52.045 --> 00:39:56.564
But my brother and I went off
and started a more contemporary

00:39:56.564 --> 00:39:59.265
electronic music division.

00:40:00.165 --> 00:40:02.924
It was called, the original
store was called Music Man.

00:40:02.955 --> 00:40:04.305
Music Man Piano and Organ.

00:40:04.455 --> 00:40:09.555
And then the business that my brother
and I went off to was called Music

00:40:09.555 --> 00:40:14.445
Man's Annex, because it started sort of
upstairs from the other piano store.

00:40:14.475 --> 00:40:17.714
And then we moved downtown
and I, I really loved that.

00:40:17.714 --> 00:40:18.194
It was,

00:40:18.674 --> 00:40:20.254
Jim Conrad: Which evolved into the Annex.

00:40:20.614 --> 00:40:20.704
Ian Corlett: Yes.

00:40:20.704 --> 00:40:21.524
Now it's the Annex.

00:40:21.544 --> 00:40:22.285
Still exists.

00:40:22.285 --> 00:40:27.285
And they sell really high-end
recording gear and animation

00:40:27.285 --> 00:40:28.754
software, all sorts of stuff.

00:40:28.785 --> 00:40:29.055
It's amazing.

00:40:29.234 --> 00:40:30.254
Jim Conrad: Shout to Brian Lowe.

00:40:30.254 --> 00:40:31.694
He built my last studio here.

00:40:31.694 --> 00:40:31.785
Ian Corlett: Yes.

00:40:31.935 --> 00:40:32.665
Brian Lowe.

00:40:32.695 --> 00:40:32.925
Yeah.

00:40:32.925 --> 00:40:34.859
Let me get on that for you, you know?

00:40:35.029 --> 00:40:35.379
Jim Conrad: Right.

00:40:36.439 --> 00:40:37.140
Oh, hi Jim.

00:40:37.209 --> 00:40:37.500
Ian Corlett: Yeah.

00:40:38.080 --> 00:40:38.459
Oh yeah.

00:40:39.069 --> 00:40:39.520
Anyway.

00:40:39.850 --> 00:40:40.060
Yeah.

00:40:40.569 --> 00:40:41.470
Brian's a wizard.

00:40:41.770 --> 00:40:42.580
Absolute wizard.

00:40:43.004 --> 00:40:43.600
So, so I, yeah.

00:40:43.600 --> 00:40:46.279
Jim Conrad: The family business
got you musically inclined

00:40:46.390 --> 00:40:47.620
and you are still a musician.

00:40:48.040 --> 00:40:50.069
Ian Corlett: Yes, I, played drums as well.

00:40:50.829 --> 00:40:55.569
That was slightly less nerdy, but because
of my weird background, you know, playing

00:40:55.569 --> 00:40:57.910
in a band was not really in the cards.

00:40:57.910 --> 00:40:58.839
Jim Conrad: You were the nerd drummer?

00:40:59.049 --> 00:40:59.350
Ian Corlett: Yeah.

00:41:00.310 --> 00:41:04.089
I was actually, 'cause I
eschewed rock and roll.

00:41:04.089 --> 00:41:04.419
Jim Conrad: Oh, okay.

00:41:04.450 --> 00:41:06.279
Ian Corlett: Because I thought, you
know, if you're gonna be a proper

00:41:06.279 --> 00:41:08.649
musician, a drummer, you gotta play jazz.

00:41:08.680 --> 00:41:09.250
Jim Conrad: Exactly.

00:41:09.250 --> 00:41:10.030
Ian Corlett: Rock's too easy.

00:41:10.060 --> 00:41:10.130
Yeah.

00:41:10.130 --> 00:41:15.189
4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4. So I,
you know, I was a nerd.

00:41:15.189 --> 00:41:15.879
Yes.

00:41:15.949 --> 00:41:17.529
A card carrying member.

00:41:17.830 --> 00:41:20.680
Jim Conrad: And then the
revolution for voice actors in

00:41:20.680 --> 00:41:23.500
this town began with animation.

00:41:23.529 --> 00:41:24.520
Ian Corlett: Yes.

00:41:25.000 --> 00:41:27.549
Jim Conrad: When, gimme
a timeframe around that.

00:41:27.549 --> 00:41:28.899
The early nineties?

00:41:29.740 --> 00:41:29.890
Ian Corlett: No.

00:41:29.890 --> 00:41:30.129
Jim Conrad: Earlier?

00:41:30.129 --> 00:41:33.399
Ian Corlett: It was mid eighties
when it started to trickle in, and

00:41:33.399 --> 00:41:37.779
it was kind of mid, late eighties
that it felt like it was solidifying.

00:41:37.810 --> 00:41:38.529
Jim Conrad: First cartoon?

00:41:40.529 --> 00:41:41.190
Ian Corlett: Oh, good question.

00:41:41.310 --> 00:41:45.720
I think it was, that big hit Kissy Fur.

00:41:45.990 --> 00:41:46.920
No one knows this.

00:41:48.060 --> 00:41:49.170
No one knows this show.

00:41:49.170 --> 00:41:51.830
Jim Conrad: I just like
saying the word Kissy Fur.

00:41:52.170 --> 00:41:53.940
Ian Corlett: It was really odd.

00:41:54.089 --> 00:41:55.879
And I don't even remember
the character I had.

00:41:56.060 --> 00:41:58.620
Because right around the same
time was another show called

00:41:58.680 --> 00:42:01.020
Captain N: The Game Master.

00:42:01.660 --> 00:42:04.980
And there were many
luminaries in that cast.

00:42:04.980 --> 00:42:07.230
And I remember the character of that one.

00:42:07.230 --> 00:42:10.350
I played, it was all built
around the Nintendo video games.

00:42:10.759 --> 00:42:12.520
And I played Dr. Wily.

00:42:13.170 --> 00:42:15.779
He was the German, because,
you know, that's it.

00:42:15.870 --> 00:42:22.379
These memories of Captain N's are all
I need to bring my creation to life.

00:42:23.549 --> 00:42:27.390
But I, put 'em back in my voice like
this a little bit and, laughed like,

00:42:30.630 --> 00:42:33.240
big hit with the kids
NBC Saturday mornings.

00:42:33.240 --> 00:42:33.350
Yeah.

00:42:33.350 --> 00:42:35.620
Jim Conrad: Hey man, that's the big time.

00:42:35.740 --> 00:42:36.820
Ian Corlett: It was the big time.

00:42:36.820 --> 00:42:37.090
Jim Conrad: Holy shit.

00:42:37.090 --> 00:42:40.510
Ian Corlett: 'Cause I remember
going on a, it's always on a trip

00:42:40.570 --> 00:42:45.160
to California and I was married, we
were in a hotel Saturday morning.

00:42:45.160 --> 00:42:48.550
I went, oh, I can watch this
cartoon that just came out.

00:42:48.550 --> 00:42:50.570
Because it's on NBC.

00:42:51.010 --> 00:42:55.360
These, for those of you who don't know
the history of television and Canada

00:42:55.360 --> 00:42:58.840
and countries, we didn't really get NBC.

00:42:58.840 --> 00:43:03.880
We would get NBC programming, but they
would throw Canadian commercials in.

00:43:04.330 --> 00:43:06.230
So it wasn't like the full NBC experience.

00:43:06.230 --> 00:43:09.319
So down there I'm tuned in and
I'm went, oh, this is so great.

00:43:09.319 --> 00:43:11.319
I really got a charge from that.

00:43:11.370 --> 00:43:12.910
Like amazing.

00:43:13.279 --> 00:43:18.109
Jim Conrad: So the first cartoon on
national NBC in the States, and then

00:43:18.140 --> 00:43:21.500
you mentioned going into the studio
who was up in front of the microphone,

00:43:22.009 --> 00:43:23.600
in the cartoon array at that time.

00:43:23.660 --> 00:43:25.720
Ian Corlett: There was Garry Chalk.

00:43:26.220 --> 00:43:28.399
There was Michael Donovan.

00:43:28.549 --> 00:43:31.439
There was Andrew Kavadas.

00:43:31.439 --> 00:43:32.419
Matt Hill.

00:43:33.169 --> 00:43:34.640
He was the Game Master.

00:43:35.090 --> 00:43:37.424
He was the plucky teen.

00:43:37.785 --> 00:43:38.774
Did somebody call my name?

00:43:39.075 --> 00:43:40.814
I live to help beautiful princesses.

00:43:41.354 --> 00:43:44.415
And then the star of that was, oh boy.

00:43:44.595 --> 00:43:51.225
He was a guy from the States, Otis Rufuss,
some famous singer from like the Four

00:43:51.225 --> 00:43:53.415
Tops or the, you know, one of those.

00:43:53.665 --> 00:43:55.975
And he played Mother Brain.

00:43:56.065 --> 00:43:57.115
It was basically a,

00:43:57.415 --> 00:43:58.315
Jim Conrad: What was that you just did?

00:43:58.375 --> 00:43:59.305
Ian Corlett: It was a mother brain.

00:44:00.925 --> 00:44:04.285
It was a really bad impersonation
of whoever I'm trying to conjure up

00:44:04.285 --> 00:44:08.215
in my memory, but it was kind of a,
like a little shop of horrors thing.

00:44:08.215 --> 00:44:08.545
I don't know.

00:44:08.545 --> 00:44:10.105
They mashed all this stuff together.

00:44:10.405 --> 00:44:10.615
Yeah.

00:44:10.615 --> 00:44:14.335
Let's have all the video game
characters and there'll be this mother

00:44:14.335 --> 00:44:16.315
brain, it's a big plant who talks.

00:44:16.375 --> 00:44:18.775
Meanwhile, a short
distance from the palace.

00:44:20.215 --> 00:44:24.325
Princess Lana is a fool to think
I would accept peace on her terms.

00:44:24.955 --> 00:44:30.630
The only peace I would accept is a
peace of video land and very big piece.

00:44:33.715 --> 00:44:34.405
It was a hit.

00:44:34.945 --> 00:44:39.035
Jim Conrad: So now you're fully immersed
in the animation world here in Vancouver.

00:44:39.595 --> 00:44:43.555
What was the spark that made you
want to create your own cartoon?

00:44:44.215 --> 00:44:46.615
Ian Corlett: Well, it goes
back to my filmmaking.

00:44:46.735 --> 00:44:50.355
I really, truly wanted to be a director.

00:44:50.505 --> 00:44:51.705
That was my thing.

00:44:51.884 --> 00:44:54.075
And I just thought, I don't
know how I can get there.

00:44:54.105 --> 00:44:55.845
I just don't think this is gonna work.

00:44:55.875 --> 00:45:01.604
'Cause what I wanted to do was kind of the
Spielberg route, sweep up, work on sets.

00:45:01.605 --> 00:45:02.205
Jim Conrad: Start at the bottom.

00:45:02.265 --> 00:45:02.595
Ian Corlett: Yeah.

00:45:02.775 --> 00:45:06.915
So, fast forward, I'm now in
this world of voicing cartoons.

00:45:06.915 --> 00:45:08.464
And I go, wow, okay.

00:45:08.595 --> 00:45:12.465
I'm reading a lot of scripts because
I'm reading, like performing a lot

00:45:12.465 --> 00:45:14.415
of scripts and go, I can do this.

00:45:14.535 --> 00:45:17.445
This is like when I made films,
then the wheels started turning.

00:45:17.445 --> 00:45:19.665
I go, okay, I'm gonna start writing.

00:45:20.145 --> 00:45:26.205
And I found my way into some productions
and got a resume of a bunch of

00:45:26.205 --> 00:45:29.115
Canadian companies that were hiring,
and none of them were in Vancouver.

00:45:29.115 --> 00:45:31.194
They were, Toronto and Montreal.

00:45:31.995 --> 00:45:32.555
So,

00:45:32.585 --> 00:45:33.890
Jim Conrad: But they were hiring writers?

00:45:33.920 --> 00:45:34.780
Ian Corlett: Writers, yeah.

00:45:34.980 --> 00:45:40.580
And at that time they, now there's
so many restrictions provincially,

00:45:40.580 --> 00:45:42.310
like they've got boxes to check.

00:45:42.310 --> 00:45:43.600
Jim Conrad: Like hoops
of fire to jump through.

00:45:43.600 --> 00:45:44.279
Ian Corlett: Hoops of fire.

00:45:44.799 --> 00:45:45.520
Exactly.

00:45:46.020 --> 00:45:47.990
. So, you know, thank goodness I got hired.

00:45:47.990 --> 00:45:48.615
Jim Conrad: Title of my third album.

00:45:49.370 --> 00:45:50.720
Hoops of Fire.

00:45:50.720 --> 00:45:51.950
Ian Corlett: That was one
of your best actually.

00:45:52.250 --> 00:45:52.370
Jim Conrad: Yeah.

00:45:52.370 --> 00:45:52.549
Thank you.

00:45:52.549 --> 00:45:53.339
Ian Corlett: Underrated.

00:45:53.569 --> 00:45:54.160
Underrated.

00:45:54.160 --> 00:45:54.495
Jim Conrad: I think so.

00:45:54.495 --> 00:45:54.860
I think so.

00:45:54.860 --> 00:45:56.330
I was in a good place then.

00:45:57.410 --> 00:46:01.069
Ian Corlett: So anyway, I
started writing and it was with

00:46:01.069 --> 00:46:04.009
a mind to create my own stuff.

00:46:04.100 --> 00:46:07.069
So that was the throwback to
the filmmaking days and that was

00:46:07.069 --> 00:46:09.140
why I, everything's calculated.

00:46:09.350 --> 00:46:13.490
Jim Conrad: What made you believe that you
could create and produce your own stuff?

00:46:13.620 --> 00:46:14.750
Ian Corlett: I don't know.

00:46:15.610 --> 00:46:16.450
I don't know.

00:46:16.690 --> 00:46:18.290
I, you know, 'cause I always made stuff.

00:46:18.319 --> 00:46:18.589
Jim Conrad: Yeah.

00:46:19.220 --> 00:46:21.020
And you started making
stuff when you were a kid.

00:46:21.020 --> 00:46:21.310
Ian Corlett: Yeah.

00:46:21.840 --> 00:46:22.660
So why not?

00:46:22.690 --> 00:46:24.380
Why not make bigger things?

00:46:24.650 --> 00:46:28.819
Had I known how difficult
it is to get something made

00:46:28.910 --> 00:46:30.350
anywhere, not just in Canada.

00:46:30.660 --> 00:46:31.650
oh, I still would've done it.

00:46:31.859 --> 00:46:32.009
Jim Conrad: Yeah.

00:46:33.150 --> 00:46:36.000
Ian Corlett: But it was,
it's a, it's an ordeal.

00:46:36.029 --> 00:46:39.029
Jim Conrad: So the series was Being
Ian, how long did it run and where?

00:46:39.619 --> 00:46:45.870
Ian Corlett: It ran On Y TV for,
I just looked at the numbers

00:46:45.870 --> 00:46:47.350
and I've already forgotten them.

00:46:47.370 --> 00:46:51.160
I believe it's 65
episodes and three movies.

00:46:51.799 --> 00:46:52.079
Yeah.

00:46:52.109 --> 00:46:52.569
Jim Conrad: Wow.

00:46:52.620 --> 00:46:52.729
Okay.

00:46:52.729 --> 00:46:54.400
That's a pretty good cannon.

00:46:54.430 --> 00:46:54.880
Yeah.

00:46:54.884 --> 00:46:55.165
Ian Corlett: Yeah.

00:46:55.480 --> 00:46:58.960
And funny, I do these convention
appearances and personal appearances

00:46:58.960 --> 00:47:03.220
down in 'Merica and no one knows
Being Ian unless they were really

00:47:03.220 --> 00:47:08.770
poor because it ran for a while on a
strange early streamer called Kubo.

00:47:10.250 --> 00:47:14.320
And I can always tell when someone
you know was from a family that

00:47:14.320 --> 00:47:17.220
could not afford cable, 'cause
they go, I know Being Ian.

00:47:17.285 --> 00:47:18.440
I go, okay.

00:47:18.440 --> 00:47:18.880
Jim Conrad: Used to watch, you want Kubo.

00:47:19.030 --> 00:47:19.750
Ian Corlett: Exactly.

00:47:20.140 --> 00:47:21.250
But it's so nice.

00:47:21.250 --> 00:47:24.040
Like I don't do many things in
convention appearances in Canada,

00:47:24.100 --> 00:47:27.940
but when I do, it really warms the
old cockles, if you know what I mean.

00:47:27.970 --> 00:47:28.720
Jim Conrad: Absolutely.

00:47:28.720 --> 00:47:30.640
Ian Corlett: And they come
up and they go, oh yeah.

00:47:30.670 --> 00:47:32.110
Oh, I grew up on that stuff.

00:47:32.115 --> 00:47:33.040
Oh, oh, thank you.

00:47:33.100 --> 00:47:33.490
Thank you.

00:47:33.520 --> 00:47:34.660
'cause I don't get a lot of that.

00:47:34.660 --> 00:47:35.170
Lights.

00:47:35.680 --> 00:47:36.290
Camera.

00:47:37.250 --> 00:47:40.720
Action.

00:47:41.799 --> 00:47:48.450
Why can't the world
just see things my way.

00:47:48.575 --> 00:47:52.055
Jim Conrad: What was the genesis
of the move to Los Angeles?

00:47:52.115 --> 00:47:57.155
What made you think, okay, it's time for
me to uproot, get down there and start

00:47:57.155 --> 00:47:59.315
working and really hitting it hard?

00:47:59.645 --> 00:48:01.325
Ian Corlett: Well, that's a good one.

00:48:01.985 --> 00:48:06.535
We, I'm using the royal we
now 'cause I'm so important.

00:48:07.835 --> 00:48:17.465
I, I had, I, I think I had missed
three roles here in Vancouver

00:48:17.465 --> 00:48:20.625
that I thought that I'm going
to hit this out of the park.

00:48:21.455 --> 00:48:22.545
And I didn't get cast.

00:48:22.565 --> 00:48:23.135
Jim Conrad: You thought you nailed them.

00:48:23.285 --> 00:48:24.185
Ian Corlett: Thought I nailed them.

00:48:24.215 --> 00:48:24.545
Jim Conrad: Yeah.

00:48:24.645 --> 00:48:31.245
Ian Corlett: And I had, I had a
long run of very good success.

00:48:32.715 --> 00:48:36.495
And I was starting to realize,
I went, okay, well there's a lot

00:48:36.495 --> 00:48:37.995
of other people in this city.

00:48:38.385 --> 00:48:39.225
Jim Conrad: And it's growing.

00:48:39.225 --> 00:48:40.275
Ian Corlett: And it's growing.

00:48:40.275 --> 00:48:41.625
Jim Conrad: The numbers
are getting bigger.

00:48:41.715 --> 00:48:44.475
Ian Corlett: And there's
an odd Canadian thing.

00:48:44.475 --> 00:48:48.915
I don't want to be a grumpy negative
guy, but there is a Canadian thing

00:48:49.485 --> 00:48:52.665
where you hit the glass ceiling.

00:48:53.535 --> 00:48:55.335
Jim Conrad: There's only so
far you can go in this country

00:48:55.335 --> 00:48:56.975
before you think I need to go.

00:48:57.095 --> 00:48:59.175
If I want to go further,
I've gotta go to the States.

00:48:59.235 --> 00:48:59.355
Ian Corlett: Yeah.

00:48:59.505 --> 00:49:00.135
And that basically,

00:49:00.135 --> 00:49:02.595
Jim Conrad: And that just comes
with living right next door to

00:49:03.170 --> 00:49:04.700
the giant mother that is America.

00:49:04.700 --> 00:49:05.120
Ian Corlett: Yes.

00:49:05.450 --> 00:49:07.550
So that encapsulates my thought.

00:49:07.610 --> 00:49:13.730
And I said to myself, self, actually
I phoned my friend Andrea Romano,

00:49:13.820 --> 00:49:19.530
who is like the gold standard of
voice director in Los Angeles.

00:49:19.530 --> 00:49:24.080
And she would come up here
to direct us kids up here.

00:49:24.140 --> 00:49:25.970
Jim Conrad: So it was, it
started with a relationship.

00:49:26.000 --> 00:49:27.410
Ian Corlett: It started
with a relationship.

00:49:27.410 --> 00:49:30.030
So we became good friends.

00:49:30.030 --> 00:49:32.420
Like work friends and then good friends.

00:49:33.050 --> 00:49:37.910
And I called her up and I had this,
you know, come to Andrea moment

00:49:38.420 --> 00:49:40.500
and said, here's what's going on.

00:49:40.500 --> 00:49:44.520
I'm like, do I have to go start
selling real estate or something?

00:49:45.540 --> 00:49:46.319
I don't know what to do.

00:49:46.470 --> 00:49:48.089
And she said, well,
you've worked down here.

00:49:48.120 --> 00:49:48.660
'Cause I did.

00:49:48.660 --> 00:49:54.330
I actually, my first foray into working
in the US was around the year 2000.

00:49:54.779 --> 00:49:59.850
And I got cast as basically a
token Canadian for a Canada US

00:49:59.850 --> 00:50:01.710
production called What's with Andy.

00:50:01.830 --> 00:50:04.140
And they had points to check off, again.

00:50:04.549 --> 00:50:10.290
And they wanted to keep the writing
and the real creative core in LA.

00:50:10.319 --> 00:50:11.130
Jim Conrad: You were a write off?

00:50:11.490 --> 00:50:12.270
Ian Corlett: I was a write off.

00:50:12.810 --> 00:50:14.100
So they needed to have this,

00:50:14.370 --> 00:50:15.299
Jim Conrad: In the best sense possible.

00:50:15.350 --> 00:50:15.970
Ian Corlett: Absolutely.

00:50:15.970 --> 00:50:16.830
And I took it.

00:50:17.180 --> 00:50:20.490
They needed the star, quote
unquote, to be Canadian.

00:50:20.970 --> 00:50:23.609
And then there was a certain
amount of, because the animation

00:50:23.609 --> 00:50:25.030
company was also Canadian.

00:50:25.470 --> 00:50:26.680
So thank you very much.

00:50:26.700 --> 00:50:28.380
I'll take that all day.

00:50:28.380 --> 00:50:28.920
Any day.

00:50:28.920 --> 00:50:29.430
Every day.

00:50:29.549 --> 00:50:33.230
And so I had started back
then, so I had my papers.

00:50:33.920 --> 00:50:35.259
And Andrea knew that.

00:50:35.625 --> 00:50:36.865
She goes, you've worked here.

00:50:37.035 --> 00:50:38.415
You know, you can work here.

00:50:38.415 --> 00:50:39.795
And I said, yeah, I guess so.

00:50:40.185 --> 00:50:44.234
And she said, get your
ass down here and restart.

00:50:44.504 --> 00:50:47.535
You know, go to classes, go to,
anyway, she was the one that

00:50:47.535 --> 00:50:48.915
said, get your ass down here.

00:50:48.944 --> 00:50:51.634
And I said to myself, self.

00:50:51.705 --> 00:50:56.654
Well actually what I said was, Sandra,
my wife, here's what I'm thinking.

00:50:57.225 --> 00:51:04.665
I'm gonna take six months and give
her a whirl in Los Angeles by myself.

00:51:04.785 --> 00:51:06.095
'Cause I was not gonna uproot.

00:51:06.095 --> 00:51:07.935
I just, no, I gotta test the waters.

00:51:08.535 --> 00:51:09.464
So that's where it started.

00:51:09.705 --> 00:51:11.595
Jim Conrad: So you got a year work visa?

00:51:12.105 --> 00:51:12.404
Ian Corlett: Yes.

00:51:12.404 --> 00:51:17.475
At that time I was, I had
revolving 0-1 Visas, which are

00:51:17.504 --> 00:51:19.575
aliens of extraordinary ability.

00:51:19.634 --> 00:51:20.470
Jim Conrad: Yes, that's right.

00:51:20.490 --> 00:51:22.065
Ian Corlett: And I think you
might be one of those too.

00:51:22.275 --> 00:51:24.365
Jim Conrad: I'm an alien with
a very extraordinary ability.

00:51:24.365 --> 00:51:25.484
But I can't mention.

00:51:25.575 --> 00:51:26.265
Ian Corlett: No, I know.

00:51:26.714 --> 00:51:27.795
There's a court order, isn't there?

00:51:28.515 --> 00:51:28.785
Jim Conrad: Yeah.

00:51:28.875 --> 00:51:28.935
Yeah.

00:51:29.984 --> 00:51:31.305
Ian Corlett: So I was ready.

00:51:31.645 --> 00:51:35.814
And fortunately my long
suffering wife said, yeah.

00:51:36.265 --> 00:51:37.825
She didn't like the idea at all.

00:51:38.614 --> 00:51:39.504
Jim Conrad: But she loves you.

00:51:39.714 --> 00:51:39.984
Ian Corlett: She does.

00:51:39.984 --> 00:51:42.415
Jim Conrad: And saw how
much you wanted to do this.

00:51:42.415 --> 00:51:43.634
And so she said, yeah.

00:51:44.125 --> 00:51:44.884
That's love.

00:51:44.884 --> 00:51:45.765
Ian Corlett: And we sold.

00:51:45.834 --> 00:51:46.495
Jim Conrad: That's love.

00:51:46.495 --> 00:51:47.095
Ian Corlett: That's true.

00:51:47.095 --> 00:51:47.515
It's true.

00:51:47.694 --> 00:51:49.175
What's love got to do with it?

00:51:49.175 --> 00:51:49.925
Everything.

00:51:52.985 --> 00:51:58.524
So we were in our big house in Kerrisdale
and first step was we're gonna downsize.

00:51:58.944 --> 00:52:01.705
We downsized to a 3,200 square foot house.

00:52:02.365 --> 00:52:02.665
Okay.

00:52:03.595 --> 00:52:04.285
Jim Conrad: Baby steps.

00:52:05.274 --> 00:52:09.295
Ian Corlett: So we did that
and that was a big deal.

00:52:09.355 --> 00:52:13.225
You know, we've cashed
out a little and did that.

00:52:13.495 --> 00:52:15.444
So that happened all around the same time.

00:52:15.475 --> 00:52:16.105
Sell the house.

00:52:16.345 --> 00:52:17.125
I'm gonna go down there.

00:52:17.185 --> 00:52:19.194
Jim Conrad: So this is a
pretty big thing going on.

00:52:19.225 --> 00:52:19.705
Ian Corlett: Yes.

00:52:19.734 --> 00:52:20.004
Yeah.

00:52:20.064 --> 00:52:20.904
Jim Conrad: A lot of anxiety.

00:52:21.055 --> 00:52:21.564
Ian Corlett: Yes.

00:52:22.015 --> 00:52:25.665
And the six months were very good.

00:52:26.775 --> 00:52:29.955
Jim Conrad: Well that is very good.

00:52:30.105 --> 00:52:32.395
If you go down there and it's crickets.

00:52:34.065 --> 00:52:38.955
Dare I say, when you make a leap like
that, you just gotta trust your talent.

00:52:39.045 --> 00:52:39.675
Ian Corlett: You do.

00:52:40.245 --> 00:52:40.575
You do.

00:52:40.635 --> 00:52:42.165
Jim Conrad: Would you say that's
probably one of the biggest

00:52:42.165 --> 00:52:43.815
things that you've learned to do?

00:52:43.875 --> 00:52:44.325
Ian Corlett: Yes.

00:52:44.385 --> 00:52:49.755
And the other thing that was kind of
my calling card was, I am the oldest

00:52:50.025 --> 00:52:55.365
newcomer they ever met with this huge
resume and a bunch of experience.

00:52:56.120 --> 00:52:56.595
Jim Conrad: And brand new.

00:52:56.685 --> 00:52:56.925
Ian Corlett: Yeah.

00:52:56.925 --> 00:52:57.955
And where are you from?

00:52:57.955 --> 00:52:58.845
Jim Conrad: Who, is this guy?

00:52:58.845 --> 00:53:00.174
Ian Corlett: Who's this crazy kid?

00:53:00.305 --> 00:53:02.325
With the graying beard, you know.

00:53:02.685 --> 00:53:03.435
Well, it's me.

00:53:04.275 --> 00:53:06.045
So, it worked out.

00:53:06.315 --> 00:53:10.575
And I remember, not just cartoons,
commercials, which I know you're, is

00:53:10.635 --> 00:53:12.915
near and dear to our collective hearts.

00:53:13.185 --> 00:53:19.620
After about a year, I went, I've made
more in commercials and these were

00:53:19.620 --> 00:53:22.459
not like hitting it out of the park.

00:53:22.459 --> 00:53:28.319
But like I've made more in commercials in
this year than I did in four in Vancouver.

00:53:28.470 --> 00:53:30.149
Because the market just changed.

00:53:30.209 --> 00:53:33.559
Jim Conrad: And if you can make
it there, as they say, you can

00:53:33.559 --> 00:53:35.520
make it, what did they say?

00:53:37.249 --> 00:53:37.609
Ian Corlett: Underwear.

00:53:37.779 --> 00:53:38.079
Underwear.

00:53:38.079 --> 00:53:38.450
Jim Conrad: Underwear.

00:53:38.729 --> 00:53:38.970
Yeah.

00:53:39.029 --> 00:53:41.169
You can make it in
someone else's underwear.

00:53:41.349 --> 00:53:41.559
Ian Corlett: Underwear.

00:53:41.679 --> 00:53:41.849
Yeah.

00:53:41.979 --> 00:53:43.200
We are gonna get shut down.

00:53:45.570 --> 00:53:47.400
Jim Conrad: So this has become a success.

00:53:47.460 --> 00:53:47.790
Ian Corlett: Yes.

00:53:47.940 --> 00:53:50.760
Jim Conrad: And now you're
working, doing commercials.

00:53:50.820 --> 00:53:51.780
Doing animation.

00:53:51.780 --> 00:53:54.260
And I know you're a big Disney fan.

00:53:55.050 --> 00:53:56.640
When was the first time
you worked for Disney?

00:53:56.940 --> 00:53:57.880
Ian Corlett: Ooh, that's a good question.

00:53:57.900 --> 00:54:00.650
Actually, it was the first
series that I booked, Vampirina.

00:54:00.650 --> 00:54:00.780
Whoa.

00:54:00.850 --> 00:54:01.360
Vampirina.

00:54:03.510 --> 00:54:08.220
It was a for a, you know,
young girls series, and I got

00:54:08.340 --> 00:54:10.170
cast as the French skeleton.

00:54:10.410 --> 00:54:11.130
What else?

00:54:11.940 --> 00:54:13.615
Presenting macaroni and cheese.

00:54:14.190 --> 00:54:15.870
Cheese and noodles.

00:54:16.390 --> 00:54:17.900
Where is the pizazz?

00:54:18.590 --> 00:54:20.225
Where is the love.

00:54:20.465 --> 00:54:22.445
That looks so boring.

00:54:22.654 --> 00:54:23.645
I will not serve it.

00:54:23.884 --> 00:54:26.165
And that, it's funny.

00:54:26.165 --> 00:54:26.435
Yeah.

00:54:26.435 --> 00:54:29.315
That was the first series
I booked was Disney.

00:54:29.315 --> 00:54:30.245
Jim Conrad: Did you drive on the lot?

00:54:30.515 --> 00:54:31.055
Ian Corlett: No.

00:54:31.085 --> 00:54:31.625
Jim Conrad: Oh, okay.

00:54:31.654 --> 00:54:35.165
Ian Corlett: No, we did it at
my friend Jamie Simone's studio.

00:54:35.165 --> 00:54:36.335
Shout out to Jamie.

00:54:36.424 --> 00:54:37.904
Called Studiopolis.

00:54:37.924 --> 00:54:39.845
Man, he's a, he is a great guy.

00:54:39.845 --> 00:54:45.695
And I knew him from the early
days of when I worked in Los

00:54:45.695 --> 00:54:47.855
Angeles the first time in 2000.

00:54:47.885 --> 00:54:48.635
Jim Conrad: Another relationship.

00:54:48.785 --> 00:54:49.235
Ian Corlett: Yeah.

00:54:49.325 --> 00:54:51.765
But that was just like by accident.

00:54:51.765 --> 00:54:52.905
Oh, you own this studio.

00:54:52.924 --> 00:54:53.195
Right.

00:54:53.195 --> 00:54:54.215
Of course.

00:54:54.305 --> 00:54:54.575
Yeah.

00:54:54.575 --> 00:54:56.255
So that was pretty cool.

00:54:56.525 --> 00:54:58.355
Jim Conrad: Been mentioning
the word relationship.

00:54:58.745 --> 00:55:02.404
How important is that in
your career and in your life?

00:55:02.765 --> 00:55:04.634
I mean, 360 degrees.

00:55:05.134 --> 00:55:07.375
Relationships are everything.

00:55:07.475 --> 00:55:08.115
Like love.

00:55:08.165 --> 00:55:08.935
Ian Corlett: Huge.

00:55:08.935 --> 00:55:09.985
Huge.

00:55:10.505 --> 00:55:14.670
And, you know, I was just talking,
I'm, this is all I'm doing is

00:55:14.670 --> 00:55:16.459
referencing my dear wife today.

00:55:16.799 --> 00:55:20.500
But this morning on our Sea Wall walk.

00:55:20.549 --> 00:55:28.240
I was talking about how the relationship
part of any business has changed so much

00:55:28.260 --> 00:55:33.060
because, you know, our son is trying to
plug his way into the London job market.

00:55:33.120 --> 00:55:37.320
But the networking, like, I mean,
we've experienced gatekeepers.

00:55:37.530 --> 00:55:37.770
Jim Conrad: Yes.

00:55:37.800 --> 00:55:40.800
Ian Corlett: But now there's
these digital gatekeepers where

00:55:40.890 --> 00:55:42.690
you submit through this link.

00:55:42.750 --> 00:55:43.890
Jim Conrad: Digital firewalls.

00:55:43.920 --> 00:55:44.130
Ian Corlett: Yeah.

00:55:44.160 --> 00:55:45.660
Beep bop boop.

00:55:45.690 --> 00:55:47.790
You never, ever deal with a human.

00:55:47.910 --> 00:55:54.240
And part of the issue for me is when
you go into audition for something, and

00:55:54.240 --> 00:55:57.270
even if you don't have a relationship
with the people on the other side of

00:55:57.270 --> 00:55:59.010
the glass, at least you get to say hi.

00:55:59.130 --> 00:56:01.980
They get some feeling like,
okay, this guy's an asshole.

00:56:02.400 --> 00:56:03.900
Jim Conrad: Or this is a real human being.

00:56:03.900 --> 00:56:04.860
Ian Corlett: This is a real human being.

00:56:04.860 --> 00:56:04.980
Maybe,

00:56:04.980 --> 00:56:06.190
Jim Conrad: Who just
asked me how my kids were.

00:56:06.210 --> 00:56:08.370
Ian Corlett: Maybe we can spend
time with him because it's

00:56:08.370 --> 00:56:10.140
gonna be six months of this.

00:56:10.410 --> 00:56:12.450
Jim Conrad: But when you're
recording in your home studio and

00:56:12.450 --> 00:56:13.860
submitting, you don't have that.

00:56:13.865 --> 00:56:13.975
Ian Corlett: None.

00:56:14.130 --> 00:56:14.610
None.

00:56:14.670 --> 00:56:19.780
And I know, because I've been on the other
side of it where they're getting hundreds.

00:56:19.810 --> 00:56:27.090
And you know, if you are not, you
know, guys of my ilk, my compadres

00:56:27.250 --> 00:56:32.790
in LA who have got, you resumes
equal and above mine, but, you know,

00:56:32.790 --> 00:56:39.000
they're in my world, they're kind of
household names in LA and I'm not.

00:56:39.060 --> 00:56:42.510
So I become part of that gush of hundreds.

00:56:42.510 --> 00:56:47.010
And it's kinda boom, next, next.

00:56:47.250 --> 00:56:51.570
And it is tough to crack that,
like really tough to crack that.

00:56:51.720 --> 00:56:55.830
So it's a really interesting topic,
the relationship topic, like, I

00:56:55.830 --> 00:57:00.780
don't think, I'm not saying it's
impossible, but the game has changed.

00:57:00.780 --> 00:57:02.280
Jim Conrad: It's changed considerably.

00:57:02.280 --> 00:57:02.340
Ian Corlett: Yeah.

00:57:02.550 --> 00:57:08.190
And I would love to know who's cracking,
you know, even outside of our industry.

00:57:08.220 --> 00:57:11.190
Jim Conrad: Well, they have to make a
choice and they have to choose someone.

00:57:11.370 --> 00:57:11.700
Ian Corlett: Yeah.

00:57:11.910 --> 00:57:17.190
Jim Conrad: And, but I long
ago stopped wondering what the

00:57:17.190 --> 00:57:18.780
fuck goes through their mind.

00:57:19.170 --> 00:57:19.470
Ian Corlett: Oh, absolutely.

00:57:19.470 --> 00:57:21.180
Jim Conrad: When they're casting anything.

00:57:21.270 --> 00:57:22.020
Ian Corlett: Absolutely.

00:57:22.470 --> 00:57:23.580
Jim Conrad: I can't even go there.

00:57:23.910 --> 00:57:28.140
I mean, you can try to do, this is
something that Bryan Cranston I heard

00:57:28.140 --> 00:57:31.410
say, you know, he said when he was
auditioning and auditioning and finally

00:57:31.410 --> 00:57:32.880
he just had to do it for himself.

00:57:32.910 --> 00:57:33.360
Ian Corlett: Yes.

00:57:33.570 --> 00:57:37.380
Jim Conrad: He wasn't going in there
to try and impress anybody or do this,

00:57:37.380 --> 00:57:39.360
you know, even looking at the spec.

00:57:39.750 --> 00:57:40.020
Ian Corlett: Yeah.

00:57:40.080 --> 00:57:40.890
Oh, totally.

00:57:40.950 --> 00:57:43.620
Jim Conrad: Even looking at the spec where
they, this is what we're looking for.

00:57:43.620 --> 00:57:43.980
Ian Corlett: No, they don't.

00:57:44.160 --> 00:57:44.720
Jim Conrad: You know, and I said,

00:57:44.720 --> 00:57:45.065
Ian Corlett: They don't want that.

00:57:45.165 --> 00:57:48.180
Jim Conrad: If I see the word
gravitas one more fucking time.

00:57:49.200 --> 00:57:49.680
Ian Corlett: Yes.

00:57:50.160 --> 00:57:50.460
Yeah.

00:57:50.490 --> 00:57:51.330
'cause I don't have any.

00:57:51.570 --> 00:57:52.770
Jim Conrad: I don't, sorry.

00:57:52.770 --> 00:57:54.570
I'm all outta gravitas today.

00:57:54.570 --> 00:57:54.630
Ian Corlett: Yeah.

00:57:54.660 --> 00:57:57.360
I have no tas or grav.

00:57:57.590 --> 00:58:01.970
Jim Conrad: I got nothing
Latin in my repertoire.

00:58:02.000 --> 00:58:02.310
Ian Corlett: I know.

00:58:02.310 --> 00:58:06.130
And I don't even, I am
with you a million percent.

00:58:06.130 --> 00:58:09.190
I look at the, I of course
you look at the specs.

00:58:10.010 --> 00:58:10.520
But,

00:58:11.060 --> 00:58:14.010
Jim Conrad: Funniest story
about the spec is when the great

00:58:14.010 --> 00:58:15.540
trailer voice, Don LaFontaine.

00:58:15.540 --> 00:58:19.620
From flesh to steel, from blood
to blade, from man to mutant.

00:58:19.680 --> 00:58:23.040
But he tells the great story
of getting a, an audition.

00:58:23.130 --> 00:58:26.880
And in the spec, they wanted
a Don LaFontaine sound alike.

00:58:27.030 --> 00:58:27.750
Ian Corlett: I've, had that.

00:58:27.930 --> 00:58:30.840
Jim Conrad: And he went, oh,
well this is a slam dunk.

00:58:31.320 --> 00:58:33.180
And did the audition
and didn't get the gig.

00:58:33.270 --> 00:58:33.840
Ian Corlett: He didn't get it.

00:58:33.840 --> 00:58:34.080
No.

00:58:34.950 --> 00:58:37.319
Jim Conrad: He wasn't, apparently
he wasn't enough of him.

00:58:38.444 --> 00:58:38.665
Wow.

00:58:40.589 --> 00:58:41.640
Ian Corlett: That's crazy.

00:58:41.850 --> 00:58:45.910
But I did, I wore that
as a badge of honor.

00:58:45.910 --> 00:58:46.630
It was up here.

00:58:47.240 --> 00:58:51.060
And I saw in this, oh, Ian Corlett type.

00:58:52.359 --> 00:58:53.609
Well, I'm right here.

00:58:53.609 --> 00:58:54.549
I'm not expensive.

00:58:54.810 --> 00:58:57.810
Jim Conrad: Make sure you get a copy
of that and put it on your studio wall.

00:58:57.870 --> 00:59:02.430
Ian Corlett: There is a guy, and you
may have experienced this too, where

00:59:02.520 --> 00:59:05.970
I now, occasionally it's, and it's
one guy, I believe he's in New York.

00:59:05.970 --> 00:59:10.320
He's an ad guy and he takes the
time to not just write out a

00:59:10.320 --> 00:59:12.210
spec, but he'll record something.

00:59:12.270 --> 00:59:14.000
He goes, hey guys, thanks a lot.

00:59:14.000 --> 00:59:15.150
This is so and so.

00:59:15.340 --> 00:59:16.710
And this is what I'm looking for.

00:59:16.710 --> 00:59:18.870
And you know, I don't
wanna go too far this way.

00:59:18.870 --> 00:59:20.810
I don't wanna, and I'm, it's a human.

00:59:20.840 --> 00:59:22.830
Jim Conrad: It's a human being
that's actually asking me what

00:59:22.830 --> 00:59:24.030
to, you know how to do it.

00:59:24.030 --> 00:59:24.090
Ian Corlett: Yeah.

00:59:24.090 --> 00:59:27.720
And it's recorded, but it, but
he's very respectful and like,

00:59:27.720 --> 00:59:29.040
oh, thanks so much for, everyone.

00:59:29.040 --> 00:59:30.465
Good luck in the audition, you know?

00:59:30.810 --> 00:59:32.880
Jim Conrad: And then there's the actors
that they want you to sound like.

00:59:32.970 --> 00:59:35.310
Ian Corlett: Oh, I don't get me started.

00:59:36.360 --> 00:59:39.180
I mean, what's his name?

00:59:39.180 --> 00:59:39.870
Krasinski.

00:59:40.500 --> 00:59:41.375
Jim Conrad: Oh, yeah.

00:59:41.435 --> 00:59:44.640
Ian Corlett: Oh, I mean, not, I'm
not seeing so many of those now.

00:59:44.669 --> 00:59:44.910
Jim Conrad: Yeah.

00:59:44.910 --> 00:59:44.920
Yeah.

00:59:45.210 --> 00:59:48.759
Ian Corlett: But oh, we're looking
for a Krasinski to, okay, fine.

00:59:48.810 --> 00:59:51.210
So you want someone that's
not announcing, you know?

00:59:51.210 --> 00:59:51.419
Jim Conrad: Yeah.

00:59:51.424 --> 00:59:52.214
You want an actor.

00:59:52.395 --> 00:59:52.795
Ian Corlett: You want an actor.

00:59:52.795 --> 00:59:54.000
Jim Conrad: That's,
gosh, that's what I do.

00:59:54.089 --> 00:59:54.509
Ian Corlett: Yeah.

00:59:54.600 --> 00:59:58.230
I absolutely, when I see those,
I make sure I don't do it.

00:59:58.290 --> 00:59:59.520
Especially in LA.

00:59:59.609 --> 01:00:00.899
It's full of mimics.

01:00:00.930 --> 01:00:02.190
Jim Conrad: Everybody
can imitate somebody.

01:00:02.220 --> 01:00:02.520
Ian Corlett: Yeah.

01:00:02.520 --> 01:00:03.990
And you just go, no,
I'm not gonna do that.

01:00:04.230 --> 01:00:06.359
Jim Conrad: My, an agent
in LA told me that.

01:00:06.390 --> 01:00:07.560
I said, what about specs?

01:00:07.680 --> 01:00:09.660
And he goes, he says, ignore 'em.

01:00:09.810 --> 01:00:12.899
He says, we want you, you know,
you wanna sell Jim Conrad,

01:00:13.140 --> 01:00:14.540
you wanna sell Ian Corlett.

01:00:14.609 --> 01:00:14.790
Ian Corlett: Yeah.

01:00:14.850 --> 01:00:18.480
Jim Conrad: And getting to
that point, that's tough.

01:00:18.689 --> 01:00:20.939
You just gotta keep on
working, keep on chopping wood.

01:00:21.750 --> 01:00:21.760
Ian Corlett: Yes.

01:00:21.839 --> 01:00:22.859
I haven't heard that one before.

01:00:22.865 --> 01:00:23.095
That's good.

01:00:23.095 --> 01:00:24.359
Jim Conrad: That's a
Canadian, that's a Canadian.

01:00:24.359 --> 01:00:24.930
Ian Corlett: Is it ever.

01:00:24.930 --> 01:00:25.919
Jim Conrad: I tell my kids that.

01:00:25.919 --> 01:00:27.209
I said, just keep chopping wood.

01:00:27.209 --> 01:00:27.930
Ian Corlett: Keep chopping wood.

01:00:27.930 --> 01:00:30.990
Jim Conrad: Get a big pile, you
know, and then put it over there.

01:00:31.339 --> 01:00:32.319
And make another pile.

01:00:32.339 --> 01:00:32.939
Ian Corlett: Make another pile.

01:00:32.939 --> 01:00:33.359
Exactly.

01:00:33.720 --> 01:00:33.990
Yeah.

01:00:34.529 --> 01:00:37.259
Jim Conrad: I wanted to ask you about,
and, you've probably got some funny

01:00:37.259 --> 01:00:44.759
stories, about all of the Cartoon
fan things that you attend because

01:00:44.759 --> 01:00:48.500
you've done a number of memorable
characters from various series.

01:00:48.990 --> 01:00:54.270
And, then the fans of those characters
and those cartoons, they organize, they

01:00:54.270 --> 01:00:59.795
pay you for an appearance, and then
you come and sign stuff and posters and

01:00:59.799 --> 01:01:01.174
talk with people sometimes and yeah.

01:01:01.174 --> 01:01:06.035
And sign people and talk with
real fans of, okay, Dragon Ball.

01:01:06.035 --> 01:01:06.695
Ian Corlett: Dragon Ball.

01:01:06.904 --> 01:01:09.695
Well, if your friend is stronger
than you, I guess you're

01:01:09.695 --> 01:01:11.315
the third strongest say now.

01:01:12.125 --> 01:01:15.035
Goku, I was the original
English voice of Goku.

01:01:15.035 --> 01:01:18.785
So that's kind of like the
number one fan favorite.

01:01:19.635 --> 01:01:19.775
Jim Conrad: Yeah.

01:01:19.775 --> 01:01:21.625
Gimme some Goku.

01:01:21.625 --> 01:01:22.654
Ian Corlett: He sounds just like me.

01:01:23.285 --> 01:01:23.585
Hey.

01:01:24.045 --> 01:01:24.674
I'm Goku.

01:01:25.765 --> 01:01:26.665
It's a real stretch.

01:01:26.665 --> 01:01:27.734
Jim Conrad: What a stretch.

01:01:27.734 --> 01:01:29.205
Ian Corlett: But anyway, so that's Goku.

01:01:29.355 --> 01:01:33.525
And then the other tossup, and
I'll tell you this, you, you need,

01:01:33.525 --> 01:01:34.305
Jim Conrad: Does it get weird?

01:01:35.265 --> 01:01:35.505
Ian Corlett: No.

01:01:35.985 --> 01:01:41.565
But one must make their peace with
oneself that you are now nostalgia.

01:01:41.805 --> 01:01:46.115
You know, if you're hung up
on age or like, get over it.

01:01:46.384 --> 01:01:49.785
Because you know, you're my
childhood and the guy is 40.

01:01:50.685 --> 01:01:51.225
Jim Conrad: Ooh.

01:01:51.285 --> 01:01:51.645
Yeah.

01:01:51.705 --> 01:01:52.095
Ian Corlett: Yeah.

01:01:52.125 --> 01:01:53.145
So, okay.

01:01:53.345 --> 01:01:54.185
I'll take that.

01:01:54.645 --> 01:01:56.415
I, is there weird stories?

01:01:56.595 --> 01:01:57.285
Yes.

01:01:57.495 --> 01:01:59.415
There are some weird stories, there.

01:01:59.685 --> 01:02:01.725
Jim Conrad: Can you possibly tell us one?

01:02:02.505 --> 01:02:03.615
Ian Corlett: Is that what this is about?

01:02:03.615 --> 01:02:04.965
Jim Conrad: I think so.

01:02:04.995 --> 01:02:05.415
Ian Corlett: Okay.

01:02:06.945 --> 01:02:09.155
I think mostly, you know what,
I'm gonna keep, I'm gonna keep

01:02:09.355 --> 01:02:12.175
it, keep it nice and friendly.

01:02:12.375 --> 01:02:13.125
Broad strokes.

01:02:13.125 --> 01:02:13.145
Jim Conrad: Broad strokes.

01:02:13.465 --> 01:02:13.855
Ian Corlett: Broad strokes.

01:02:13.855 --> 01:02:15.295
The heartwarming stories.

01:02:15.315 --> 01:02:15.855
Jim Conrad: Yes.

01:02:15.915 --> 01:02:16.875
You know what I want?

01:02:16.875 --> 01:02:18.060
I love heartwarming.

01:02:18.060 --> 01:02:18.295
Ian Corlett: Heartwarming is,

01:02:18.330 --> 01:02:19.245
Jim Conrad: I love heartwarming.

01:02:19.845 --> 01:02:23.759
Ian Corlett: When someone comes up,
I had a guy just about two months

01:02:23.759 --> 01:02:28.350
ago, and he comes up and, you know,
like there's all flavors of fans.

01:02:28.350 --> 01:02:32.910
You know, there's the hardcore,
there's the fans on the spectrum

01:02:32.910 --> 01:02:35.730
who, like, they don't really wanna
make eye contact, but they're still,

01:02:35.790 --> 01:02:37.170
you know, really into this stuff.

01:02:37.259 --> 01:02:40.200
And then there's the, this guy
who comes up and he goes, your

01:02:40.200 --> 01:02:42.690
character Goku, saved my life.

01:02:42.990 --> 01:02:44.830
And I'm thinking,
metaphorically, you know?

01:02:44.860 --> 01:02:45.129
Oh yeah.

01:02:45.339 --> 01:02:46.439
Okay, great.

01:02:46.529 --> 01:02:47.669
He really got into something.

01:02:47.970 --> 01:02:48.360
No, no.

01:02:48.540 --> 01:02:54.600
He was, he had a gun in his hand
and it was probably near his head.

01:02:54.779 --> 01:02:58.170
And he said, I looked over, it
was the lowest part of my life.

01:02:58.380 --> 01:03:03.090
I looked over and Dragon Ball was on the
tv and Goku was powering up and getting

01:03:03.090 --> 01:03:05.370
over like something, it's all fighting.

01:03:05.520 --> 01:03:07.380
Goku is just fight, fight.

01:03:07.470 --> 01:03:09.600
And he went put the gun down and went.

01:03:10.305 --> 01:03:11.115
What the fuck are you doing?

01:03:11.505 --> 01:03:13.265
And I went, are you kidding me?

01:03:13.964 --> 01:03:18.765
And he was, and this guy, you know,
he didn't have any of the outward,

01:03:18.765 --> 01:03:20.355
oh, there's a troubled soul.

01:03:20.595 --> 01:03:22.455
He, just looked like a normal dude.

01:03:22.605 --> 01:03:26.865
And I went, I don't even know what
to, he said, don't say anything.

01:03:27.075 --> 01:03:27.645
Don't say anything.

01:03:27.915 --> 01:03:29.865
I just wanted to tell
you, you saved my life.

01:03:29.925 --> 01:03:30.435
Literally.

01:03:30.825 --> 01:03:32.175
I went, wow.

01:03:32.175 --> 01:03:33.195
Jim Conrad: Wow.

01:03:33.255 --> 01:03:33.945
That's amazing.

01:03:34.065 --> 01:03:34.395
Ian Corlett: Yeah.

01:03:34.815 --> 01:03:37.965
Jim Conrad: I've asked this question
to many people in the podcast, and I'll

01:03:37.965 --> 01:03:48.075
ask you, what is the ratio of luck and
chance in your career and in your life?

01:03:48.135 --> 01:03:51.435
How much has luck and,
or chance played a part?

01:03:52.799 --> 01:03:56.939
Ian Corlett: I don't know if I could
put a, number on it, but it's large.

01:03:57.000 --> 01:03:57.240
Jim Conrad: Yeah.

01:03:58.230 --> 01:04:00.000
Ian Corlett: You know,
what's the expression?

01:04:00.000 --> 01:04:03.480
You need to be ready to have luck.

01:04:03.569 --> 01:04:03.839
What?

01:04:04.080 --> 01:04:05.040
Jim Conrad: We're gonna work on that

01:04:07.950 --> 01:04:08.339
luck.

01:04:09.689 --> 01:04:10.680
Ian Corlett: Luck is when,

01:04:10.859 --> 01:04:12.029
Jim Conrad: We'll fix it in post.

01:04:12.029 --> 01:04:14.520
Ian Corlett: When preparation
meets opportunity.

01:04:14.580 --> 01:04:15.959
Jim Conrad: Preparation meets opportunity.

01:04:15.959 --> 01:04:16.290
Sure.

01:04:16.620 --> 01:04:17.189
Ian Corlett: That's it.

01:04:17.189 --> 01:04:17.910
Jim Conrad: No, it's, no.

01:04:17.910 --> 01:04:20.250
Luck is when preparation meets nepotism.

01:04:20.730 --> 01:04:21.180
Ian Corlett: Oh, that.

01:04:21.240 --> 01:04:21.480
Jim Conrad: Yeah.

01:04:21.480 --> 01:04:22.200
Ian Corlett: That doesn't hurt.

01:04:22.200 --> 01:04:23.009
Jim Conrad: That's, yeah.

01:04:23.069 --> 01:04:24.360
My uncle got me the gig.

01:04:24.620 --> 01:04:25.470
Welcome to

01:04:29.250 --> 01:04:29.310
LA.

01:04:32.265 --> 01:04:32.850
Ian Corlett: It is huge.

01:04:32.879 --> 01:04:33.480
Yes.

01:04:33.480 --> 01:04:38.060
You must be ready for luck, but you
also gotta, like, I'm a, you know this.

01:04:38.060 --> 01:04:38.850
I'm a hustler.

01:04:39.359 --> 01:04:40.080
And, I'm,

01:04:40.290 --> 01:04:40.859
Jim Conrad: You gotta be.

01:04:41.100 --> 01:04:41.879
Ian Corlett: You are the same way.

01:04:41.879 --> 01:04:46.725
I was always very impressed with you,
'cause you were like, you would go out

01:04:46.725 --> 01:04:51.765
with your advertising and promo clients,
like you'd go out places, but like I

01:04:51.765 --> 01:04:53.745
just didn't have any appetite for that.

01:04:53.895 --> 01:04:53.955
Jim Conrad: Yeah.

01:04:54.015 --> 01:04:56.955
Ian Corlett: Even though I'm a hustler, it
was like, I, wanna do the gig and then go

01:04:57.075 --> 01:04:57.795
Jim Conrad: Oh, the schmooze.

01:04:58.065 --> 01:04:58.395
Ian Corlett: Oh yeah.

01:04:58.395 --> 01:05:02.265
I was trying to avoid the schmooze
'cause it's, kinda like has a

01:05:02.295 --> 01:05:05.395
derogatory, I, not to me but to others.

01:05:05.395 --> 01:05:06.615
Like, oh, schmoozing.

01:05:06.945 --> 01:05:08.385
Schmoozing is awesome.

01:05:08.445 --> 01:05:12.195
Jim Conrad: I think someone once
said, I schmooze, therefore I am.

01:05:12.435 --> 01:05:12.735
Ian Corlett: Yeah.

01:05:12.975 --> 01:05:13.815
Jim Conrad: Nietzsche's cousin.

01:05:14.055 --> 01:05:15.105
So luck and chance.

01:05:15.105 --> 01:05:16.455
Luck, you've been very lucky.

01:05:16.515 --> 01:05:16.725
Ian Corlett: Yes.

01:05:16.725 --> 01:05:17.745
Jim Conrad: Extremely talented.

01:05:18.105 --> 01:05:18.435
Ian Corlett: Yes.

01:05:18.435 --> 01:05:19.305
Jim Conrad: And very lucky.

01:05:19.305 --> 01:05:19.905
Ian Corlett: I'll take that.

01:05:20.325 --> 01:05:22.785
It's all of the above, you know,
and you gotta be ready for it.

01:05:22.875 --> 01:05:25.005
Jim Conrad: Well, I mean, that's,
I think Johnny Carson once said,

01:05:25.005 --> 01:05:27.885
he said, it's not enough to be in
the right place in the right time,

01:05:27.885 --> 01:05:29.355
and it's not enough to be talented.

01:05:29.445 --> 01:05:31.529
The question is are you ready?

01:05:32.129 --> 01:05:32.460
Ian Corlett: Yeah.

01:05:32.549 --> 01:05:32.850
Jim Conrad: Yeah.

01:05:33.000 --> 01:05:33.600
Ian Corlett: Good point.

01:05:33.750 --> 01:05:36.089
Jim Conrad: And I think it's
the love of relationship.

01:05:36.089 --> 01:05:39.660
I go, I keep going back to that as
well, that has helped many successful

01:05:39.660 --> 01:05:42.060
people in our business stay successful.

01:05:42.210 --> 01:05:43.259
You gotta love the people.

01:05:43.589 --> 01:05:47.520
And the fact that people are being
a bit removed from the process

01:05:47.580 --> 01:05:49.680
is, I think, kind of disturbing.

01:05:49.680 --> 01:05:53.609
Ian Corlett: It is a little, and
I want to know, I'm sure there

01:05:53.609 --> 01:05:55.500
is a code to be cracked there.

01:05:55.799 --> 01:06:01.060
I used to say this about music 'cause
like I worked in, I sold digital stuff.

01:06:01.140 --> 01:06:02.760
Everything was artificial.

01:06:03.000 --> 01:06:07.660
And I, well of course, I'm an early
adopter and I'm quick to project,

01:06:07.680 --> 01:06:08.970
like I see where this is going.

01:06:09.180 --> 01:06:10.410
And this is back in the eighties.

01:06:10.410 --> 01:06:13.980
I went, you know, they're gonna revolt
against all this digital stuff and

01:06:13.980 --> 01:06:17.730
we're gonna be back to like acoustic
instruments and real performance.

01:06:17.880 --> 01:06:23.610
Well, I was wrong, but I still believe
that there, even with like all the

01:06:23.610 --> 01:06:29.470
AI and the sampling and you go to a
fricking big concert today, Taylor Swift.

01:06:29.970 --> 01:06:32.089
Don't at me Swifties.

01:06:32.170 --> 01:06:34.259
But everything is recorded.

01:06:34.350 --> 01:06:35.759
There are huge dance shows.

01:06:35.759 --> 01:06:38.970
There's no breathing, there's
no, I'm singing and I, because

01:06:38.970 --> 01:06:39.750
I gotta do these moves.

01:06:39.750 --> 01:06:41.100
No, it's perfect.

01:06:41.100 --> 01:06:41.940
Jim Conrad: It's on a click track.

01:06:41.940 --> 01:06:42.930
Ian Corlett: I wonder why.

01:06:43.510 --> 01:06:45.390
And then you see something very real.

01:06:45.480 --> 01:06:49.200
He's 150 years old, but I went
to see Jeff Lynne and ELO.

01:06:58.380 --> 01:07:00.000
And he was singing and he was,

01:07:00.060 --> 01:07:00.970
Jim Conrad: You could hear him breathing.

01:07:01.050 --> 01:07:02.560
Ian Corlett: He was behind the beat.

01:07:02.560 --> 01:07:03.380
He was in front of it.

01:07:03.380 --> 01:07:05.790
And he was kinda, but he was singing.

01:07:06.080 --> 01:07:07.920
And I went, oh, this is nice.

01:07:08.040 --> 01:07:09.480
Jim Conrad: Let's briefly touch on AI.

01:07:09.540 --> 01:07:09.870
Ian Corlett: Yeah.

01:07:09.870 --> 01:07:13.905
Jim Conrad: Where is that
going to land our business?

01:07:13.935 --> 01:07:19.215
Ian Corlett: Well, I think in the world
of dubbing, so like anime lookout,

01:07:19.485 --> 01:07:22.005
today's AI is the worst version of it.

01:07:22.245 --> 01:07:23.415
It's only gonna get better.

01:07:23.535 --> 01:07:28.615
But a real actor, a real musician, a
real anything is gonna be, you know,

01:07:28.665 --> 01:07:30.945
leaps and bounds ahead of anything.

01:07:31.185 --> 01:07:36.134
And it's going to be the type of
production, and I don't want to, you know,

01:07:36.345 --> 01:07:43.950
paint anyone negatively, but there are
exceedingly budget conscious productions.

01:07:43.980 --> 01:07:45.029
Jim Conrad: Chintzy producers.

01:07:45.060 --> 01:07:45.330
Ian Corlett: Yeah.

01:07:45.450 --> 01:07:49.080
Be it, you know, bad commercials,
bad tv, bad anything.

01:07:49.080 --> 01:07:49.470
Jim Conrad: Hacks.

01:07:49.620 --> 01:07:51.719
Ian Corlett: And they're gonna go perfect.

01:07:51.879 --> 01:07:52.479
That's good enough.

01:07:52.549 --> 01:07:53.190
No one's gonna know.

01:07:53.279 --> 01:07:53.940
No one's gonna know.

01:07:54.210 --> 01:07:54.870
And you know what?

01:07:55.139 --> 01:07:56.129
They probably won't.

01:07:56.779 --> 01:07:57.779
Here's a question for you.

01:07:58.290 --> 01:08:03.270
How often outside of professionals
in our business have you been

01:08:03.270 --> 01:08:05.220
recognized for your voice?

01:08:05.279 --> 01:08:05.850
Jim Conrad: Almost never.

01:08:06.089 --> 01:08:06.690
And I love it.

01:08:06.990 --> 01:08:07.920
Ian Corlett: Isn't it the best?

01:08:07.920 --> 01:08:08.160
Jim Conrad: Yeah.

01:08:08.490 --> 01:08:12.690
I mean, I mean obviously the fame and
the fortune of on-camera actors and

01:08:12.690 --> 01:08:14.759
big stars and movie stars and TV stars.

01:08:14.880 --> 01:08:19.620
But there is you're giving up a lot of
stuff, like being able to go to the mall.

01:08:19.710 --> 01:08:20.910
Ian Corlett: Can I tell you a story?

01:08:20.910 --> 01:08:21.180
Jim Conrad: Sure.

01:08:21.210 --> 01:08:22.620
Ian Corlett: Do you have
your steel toe boots on?

01:08:22.649 --> 01:08:24.269
'Cause I'm about to name drop.

01:08:24.300 --> 01:08:25.200
Jim Conrad: Okay, here we go.

01:08:25.200 --> 01:08:26.470
Ian Corlett: Okay, so we're in Hawaii.

01:08:27.020 --> 01:08:30.510
And the kids went over to the pool
and they came the, at the Four

01:08:30.510 --> 01:08:33.240
Seasons, and they come back with
their friends and they went, oh,

01:08:33.330 --> 01:08:35.220
Adam Sandler is staying over there.

01:08:35.715 --> 01:08:36.524
This is great.

01:08:36.764 --> 01:08:41.234
So, the next day I went over and,
and sure enough there's Adam Sandler

01:08:41.234 --> 01:08:46.144
with his, it was holiday season and,
you know, he's a pretty normal guy.

01:08:46.545 --> 01:08:52.154
And I was sitting in the hot tub
with this kid who noticed I had this

01:08:52.665 --> 01:08:56.115
Transformers t-shirt on, and the kid,
he's looking at my T-shirt, he goes,

01:08:56.295 --> 01:08:57.764
oh, Transformers, I love Transformers.

01:08:57.950 --> 01:09:00.915
And I went, oh, what's your
favorite Transformers show?

01:09:01.085 --> 01:09:01.724
Beast Wars.

01:09:01.974 --> 01:09:02.694
Oh, get out.

01:09:02.964 --> 01:09:04.585
Like that never happens.

01:09:04.924 --> 01:09:05.865
Who's your favorite character?

01:09:05.915 --> 01:09:06.505
Cheetor.

01:09:06.944 --> 01:09:08.594
Robots in disguise.

01:09:08.804 --> 01:09:09.714
Cheetor.

01:09:09.734 --> 01:09:10.814
Maximize.

01:09:12.024 --> 01:09:12.285
Neat.

01:09:12.825 --> 01:09:13.514
One of my characters.

01:09:13.514 --> 01:09:15.224
I go, okay, well now we gotta talk.

01:09:15.554 --> 01:09:18.104
The kid goes and tells his dad
and he runs up to the room and he

01:09:18.104 --> 01:09:20.894
comes back with a shattered iPad.

01:09:21.375 --> 01:09:23.234
He's got episodes loaded up.

01:09:23.384 --> 01:09:25.724
Like he truly was a Beast Wars fan.

01:09:25.844 --> 01:09:27.375
So I'm going, okay,
well this is really fun.

01:09:27.375 --> 01:09:28.545
We watched a couple of things.

01:09:28.545 --> 01:09:30.404
Oh, watch this part, you
know, oh, do the voice.

01:09:30.434 --> 01:09:30.705
Okay.

01:09:31.154 --> 01:09:34.125
So, I said, do you want
me to sign something?

01:09:34.125 --> 01:09:36.495
And I asked the dad and he
goes, oh, that'd be great.

01:09:36.495 --> 01:09:38.355
Sign this shirt or something.

01:09:38.685 --> 01:09:43.635
So I walk over to the outdoor cafe looking
for a Sharpie, and I walked past Adam

01:09:43.635 --> 01:09:45.705
Sandler and he goes, what's going on?

01:09:45.945 --> 01:09:48.705
'Cause he could see like, and I
said, I'm gonna sign something.

01:09:48.705 --> 01:09:49.545
He goes, why?

01:09:50.055 --> 01:09:51.105
I said, oh, a voice actor.

01:09:51.375 --> 01:09:54.274
And he goes, oh, that's the
best fucking job in show biz.

01:09:56.565 --> 01:09:58.725
And I went, you know,
I think you're right.

01:09:58.975 --> 01:09:59.605
Jim Conrad: Ian, thank you.

01:09:59.785 --> 01:10:00.955
Ian Corlett: Thank you.

01:10:10.910 --> 01:10:15.290
Jim Conrad: That's episode six of
Conovision, the spirit of storytelling.

01:10:15.830 --> 01:10:21.380
We began with the story of why
Shakespeare matters today, from a

01:10:21.380 --> 01:10:25.190
column in the National Post, written
by the late Great Canadian and

01:10:25.190 --> 01:10:27.769
Newfoundland native son, Rex Murphy.

01:10:28.370 --> 01:10:34.590
Then another color from the palette of
word jazz originator, Ken Nordine, ecru.

01:10:35.540 --> 01:10:39.410
And then two wonderful conversations
with two incredibly talented actors,

01:10:39.630 --> 01:10:42.019
Garry Chalk and Ian James Cortlett.

01:10:42.440 --> 01:10:46.490
I hope you enjoyed listening as much as
I've enjoyed presenting another edition

01:10:46.910 --> 01:10:49.429
of Conovision, the spirit of storytelling.

01:10:50.090 --> 01:10:55.460
I am Jim Conrad, and remember,
we are all stories to be told.