0:00
Just a disgusting sauce that it hurts your mouth and probably your stomach and butt hole in just a matter of moments.
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Hey, what's going on everybody?
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For First We Feast, I'm Sean Evans and you're watching Hot Ones.
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It's the show with hot questions and even hotter wings.
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And today we're joined by Jason Sudeikis.
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You know him from his decade on Saturday Night Live, comedy box office smashes like We're the Millers and Horrible Bosses and of course for his role as Ted Lasso and the 11-time Emmy Award-winning hit show now in its third season at Apple TV Plus.
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Jason Sudeikis, welcome to the show. Thank you for having me.
0:36
How are you around spicy food before we get started?
0:39
If it has like three little jalapenos next to it at a restaurant, I'll I'll I'll give it a shot. Oh, you're adventurous. I'll give it a shot. Yeah, I guess so, yeah.
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Doesn't mean um especially if I'm not paying. You know? I'll go for it.
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I got good news for you, Jason.
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Wings of Death on the table and they're on us today.
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Are you ready to get started? of you. Yes, yes, I am. Yes, sir.
1:15
I think you kind of got to go for it, right? I mean, yeah.
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You know, it's pretty straightforward. Mhm.
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Classic sort of table diner hot sauce there. Yeah, yeah, exactly. There you go.
1:25
Yeah, you're eating this, you're surrounded by about 50 to 60 television screens.
1:28
You know what I'm saying?
1:28
This is how you're like, "Okay, yeah, you're stuck here." The games are on. Yeah, exactly, right? Very approachable. Mhm, yeah.
1:41
So, I likewise grew up in the Midwest playing sports and I can see Ted Lasso in a lot of the baseball and football coaches that I had growing up.
1:47
Were you inspired by any coaches in particular or is Ted Lasso more of an amalgamation?
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It's an amalgamation of a bunch of different, you know, um teachers, mentors, uh you know, whether people I actually got to meet or or work alongside of or or be coached by.
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But then, you know, certain elements of it, the look was kind of inspired by Mike Ditka, you know, having the shades and the short polyester shorts and the mustache was was was very much Ditka.
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Then I had my high school basketball coach, fellow named Donny Campbell, you know, would would you know, do those little turns of phrases like Ted does.
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And you know, and I always loved those things.
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And he also was the one that really pretty much introduced myself and my teammates to John Wooden, who was the UCLA basketball coach that that has a bunch of phrases that are that are more like philosophical than, you know, pop culture-y or or or like quirky and whatnot.
2:35
But yeah, it's so it's an amalgamation of all all those things. Was this show your idea?
2:45
So, Chris Schonberger, who's not here right now, he was the one that was like, "Well, what if we interviewed celebrities but had them eat increasingly spicy chicken wings over the course of the interview as a way to break them down?" Yeah. And then here we are.
2:55
It's become like the cross I bear, you know, like eight seasons later just eating hot sauce, eating wings.
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Didn't know this would happen, but here we are.
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Yeah, I mean, that's I think I think if people know that that stuff's going to happen, they're lying. Right. Right.
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When it happens, you just you just want to hope that you're prepared to like deal with the good and the bad that comes with something that You just hold onto the board and the tidal wave takes over and wherever it goes, it goes.
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You just try to stay on it. Be like water.
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Yeah, I mean, that was nice, too.
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That you know, that's See, nothing to worry about here. Nothing to worry about.
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That's not Yeah, I mean, you know, all You don't You don't get to 21 seasons when there's not a little something to worry about. All right. I've watched Jeopardy. You know, all right.
3:35
I've seen The Simpsons, man. I know what's up. Uh, yeah.
3:39
So, you hear a lot about influential acting teachers, Stanislavski, Meisner, and the effect that they've had on Hollywood.
3:44
But I'm curious, what role do you think comedy instructors like Del Close have played in shaping American humor? Oh, goodness. I mean, unquantifiable.
3:52
I mean, you know, I mean, I was lucky to have Del close for for 1 year.
3:55
And he was it was very, you know, during my time in Chicago in the late '90s. And it's not just him.
4:01
It's then also the like the I believe it's called like the the pyramid of influence.
4:05
Like like the people that he influenced that then how they influence and how they influence because if Like the Andy Reid coaching tree or something.
4:12
Yeah, is that a Is that a Is that a term? Yeah.
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Yeah, like where where like he was influenced by this coach and this coach like we run this play, but we run this version of it and all that. Yeah.
4:20
That's exactly what it is because you know, hopefully you get to do enough of it that your influences get rubbed off.
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Like sort of get beaten out of you.
4:25
So, I mean, I think every dude around, you know, my age, I'm 47.
4:29
I don't know how old you are.
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You you know, yeah, so like like probably, you know, plus or minus like 5 years of me.
4:34
Like everybody did Jim Carrey at some point, you know, and then at some point it kind of gets, you know, either beaten out of you or weaned out of you and it and it just becomes part of your spine, you know, this like you know, I'm probably constantly ripping off Bugs Bunny and and not even realizing it. So, yeah.
4:49
Del Close and Bugs Bunny, those are the two those are the two biggies.
4:53
For everyone, not just me. Grabby shark. Sounds familiar. Let it go. Yummy as well. Yummy as well. Clean them that thing. Yeah, man. Going down. I love it.
5:14
Half of a half of a turkey sandwich.
5:15
Which is actually the way to do it. That's the way to do it. That's the way to do it.
5:18
You don't want to overeat and then come into this thing.
5:21
I don't want my stomach to be all small.
5:22
I want to have like a little little room.
5:24
a little room and then, you know, a baseline. Yeah.
5:29
So, I've heard you say that before you were hired on Saturday Night Live, you hated on it as a young comedy lover, which is something that I understand, but I think that like you and Bob Odenkirk are like the only people that I've heard admit that out loud.
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How would you I I take that I take pride in that. Like that's great.
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I mean, Bob, I love that dude.
5:46
How would you unpackage that sentiment?
5:48
The metaphorically it feels a little bit like, you know, the girl in school that you have a crush on uh that you kind of hate on until you realize, "Oh, that's weird that you feel that way cuz she was asking about you." It's like, "Really?"
5:59
Like, "What did she ask?"
5:59
You know, you got to be careful, don't get uh but but because it was just a little bit of that youthful ignorance and arrogance, you know, I they would never let me play you know, football at Notre Dame.
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They I'd never get to play basketball at KU, but you know, so what?
6:14
You know, how would I ever get to you know, do this like work on Saturday Night Live?
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So, yeah, let's hate on it.
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And it wasn't so much hating on it.
6:21
It was like cuz cuz I had heroes on that show.
6:24
I had friends on that show at that time.
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I had a I had a specific reason why I or that I tried to articulate why, but I think deep down inside it was just you know, protecting myself from the the possibility of of not achieving something that boy oh boy wouldn't it need wouldn't be neat if I did, you know? Well, that's sweet. At first. Oh.
6:52
Are you just immune to it now? So, I'm no superhero.
6:54
You know, like I feel it all, but I think the difference is I don't panic cuz I've been there. You know what I mean? Got you.
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Like a lot of people they come in and this is like the spiciest meal they've ever eaten in their lives.
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And then they're doing it in this ridiculous context of like lights and cameras and strangers around, you know? Right? Yeah. So, I feel it. I feel it.
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It gets uncomfortable sometimes.
7:18
Have any of your reactions to this on the show become a meme or a GIF?
7:24
Yeah, well, one time I almost died on my shield on the show here actually with John Bernthal. Yep. The first wing. Yep.
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I take a bite and then I don't know what happened, but I took like a little breath in.
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Like I think he said something that made me laugh a little bit and a piece of chicken zoom got lodged like clean in my windpipe.
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And I went to talk and I was like like it was like coming out like Like Oh yeah, sure sure sure.
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And then I started cuz I'd never felt anything like that.
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And the thought started to go into my head like this will be my legacy.
7:58
You know, the chicken wing talk show host that choked on a drumstick and went out on his shield with Jon Bernthal sitting across from me.
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So that was the moment that I had so when people go through that sort of What happened?
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Did you Heimlich yourself or what happened?
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I was about to and then Dom over there was getting concerned started creeping up and I was and then you have that sort of like everyone's like you know what I mean?
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Like not only am I going out but I'm going out in like this way where everyone's like looking at me and I'm helpless and I'm trying to explain it to him but I can't.
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So But anyways, it just naturally kind of like cleared like by the grace of God or something.
8:31
You know, it just naturally cleared.
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And then the body just takes care of it.
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The next like two or three wings like I was kind of talking like this though. Yeah, it's nice. Mhm. Yeah, it's good.
8:50
So the premise of Ted Lasso naturally invites an interesting reflection on the differences between American and British comedy.
8:55
Now I know this is kind of a silly exercise but I am curious.
8:57
How do you think a British comedy about an Englishman taking over an NFL franchise?
9:05
How do you think that might be different in tone from what you've created with Ted Lasso? Mhm. Mhm.
9:12
I mean you know, the wardrobe hugely different you know, they they might be in like a nice suit or you know, dressed you know, like dress nice.
9:19
I would imagine a huge annoyance at having to speak at the quarter and half time to the press. Right?
9:25
When I see the NBA coaches have to like you know, like In between quarters.
9:28
Yeah, like the game's going on like right next to going to do?
9:30
What are you going to What are you going to surprise these guys with next half? Like I'm this.
9:35
I mean don't they have TNT?
9:37
Aren't they going to hear this? Like, come on, man.
9:39
Uh so, I mean, there were probably some element of that.
9:41
Probably they might they might get a little annoyed with our lack of clever chance Mhm. over here.
9:47
I can see the British coach writing the chance for the crowd.
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Be like, here, you know, like, here, go have them do this.
9:53
But, yeah, you know, those are a few ideas, right? Something like that. sounds good to me. Yeah. All right.
9:59
Jason, are you ready to move on here to the back half? Yes.
10:02
Oh, yeah, yeah, here we are. Here we are.
10:05
I know, I'm so used to wings coming in a dozen that that that this 10 is like It's light work. Yeah, exactly.
10:09
These two, you know, one one for him, one for him, you know, right?
10:21
This reminds me I did this movie Hall Pass.
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It was in in in the with me and Owen Wilson, but then also, you know, Stephen Merchant, um J. B.
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Smoove, Larry Joe Campbell.
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And we did a scene taking place at a sports bar, and we were eating wings.
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And it was my first time of being in like a big studio movie like a like lead like like Owen and I are on the poster type thing.
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And we're going around, and we shoot like all people around and thing.
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You you know, you have to keep moving the camera.
10:46
If you have the time and money, which they usually do for studio movies.
10:47
And they're hot wings, and I just made, you know, and they're they weren't this hot, but not as hot as the one we just had, but Yeah, yeah, it's another level, by the way.
10:56
Yeah, yeah, I was about to say, like, as you were just going through that, I was like, wow, he just right over that speed bump, no problem. no, it's it's happening.
11:03
Yeah, we're in real time here. What was I saying? I'm an actor, right?
11:07
Okay, here's what I know.
11:07
So, we're we're eating these wings. Mhm.
11:11
And I'm eating them while the camera's on like Owen.
11:13
They tell you not to eat, you know, right?
11:14
I know, well, But, you were they didn't before then.
11:16
I I didn't, you know, I hadn't done enough to to have my method, right?
11:20
Uh And at some point, I'm eating them and and he's just saying, "God, he's like, "Gosh, he So, you you you don't just put anything in your body, huh?"
11:30
And I'm like, I'm like, "Oh, yeah."
11:32
He goes, "I'd be so curious what you look like if you actually worked out and took care of yourself."
11:44
And this one just has a little sign at the bottom of saying very hot. Very hot.
11:50
But in otherwise kind of like nice and approachable label. Yeah.
11:54
But then the heat on this sauce Mhm.
11:57
Now, is this one of the that I'm going to be talking and all of a sudden I'm going to be Yeah.
12:00
Going forward, that's how it goes, you know?
12:02
Cuz a lot of times I'll see guys like, "Oh, that wasn't that bad."
12:04
But then it has that sort of like 30-second time release. Coming. Yeah.
12:09
Where it starts to hit, right. Yep.
12:11
And then it kind of just waves on us. That's great. From there. That's great. This is yeah. This is Here we go. This is the fun Yeah. Here we go.
12:17
I mean it's been enjoyable speaking with you and and and really enjoyed your questions, but but You really feel it. You really feel it.
12:24
This is why you you know That's why Why you tune in, yeah.
12:28
That's why I put the pay-per-view up a paywall up right here for this moment right here.
12:33
So early in your career, I know it was a dream of yours to join the Blue Man Group auditioning at least three different times.
12:37
What's the process like for turning yourself blue?
12:40
Like how long does it take?
12:42
And then do you remember the initial reaction, your first reaction upon seeing yourself in the mirror for the first time? Oh yeah, yeah.
12:48
I mean, the process I only got to get bald and blue they say one time.
12:54
Now here's the thing that I didn't realize is that all these guys had different faces than me.
12:57
They all were like great-looking like cheekbones, like you know, full set of choppers.
13:02
They're not like like it just looks different.
13:05
And then when you are all one color, if you don't have those things to hang that paint on, you look like I did, which I sincerely mean this and I like I looked like a blue peanut M&M.
13:17
It was just It was like It was like that's not a face in there anymore.
13:21
It's like eyes and some little tiny teeth.
13:24
But there's no I can't see a I can't see a hint of cheekbones.
13:26
I don't know what the hell's going on there and I did not look like my cool ass buddies.
13:31
You know, I was like, "Oh, no."
13:34
And then, you know, the drumming just with the intensity of being in the thing and all that, my chops weren't strong enough.
13:39
So, it's like I I went in there and I remember just like flop sweating, you know, and then you're flop sweating and then blue In the blue, yeah. Yeah, in the blue.
13:45
And it's just and, you know, just a blue M&M just, you know, getting rinsed with like a garden hose.
13:50
Yeah, like real tears of a clown moment. Yeah, absolutely.
13:52
Yeah, a blue clown, no less. Oh, well. I'm here now.
13:57
Well, speaking of crying Yes.
13:59
this next sauce is the bomb beyond insanity. Yeah.
14:02
Is this Where is this from? Guess. Kansas City, baby. That's right. That's how I know it. You know, yeah. Yeah, yeah. That's just a cough.
14:12
That's not A preemptive cough.
14:16
Yeah, it's clearing it out. Preparing it. All right, here we go. Let's go, Casey. Kansas City, Kansas, PS. Mhm.
14:23
That's the side I'm from, you know.
14:25
For those that care for the distinction. Yeah, what the hell? Yeah. Oh, lord. Yeah, man.
14:43
And there's two more after this.
14:44
There is two more after reminding you. Yeah. Woo, wee. Okay. Yeah.
14:53
Different level all together.
14:54
Let's talk about a few things. Yeah, let's do it. Let's do it. Yeah, man. That's crazy.
14:58
I know this is like This is what everybody talks about, but yeah, it really is. This is a joke. It lives up to the Yeah. to the legend. Yes, it does. Okay.
15:08
So, on the topic of Kansas City, I actually got to participate my first ever Big Slick last Oh, you did? I did. I did.
15:13
You were filming, of course, in London, the charity event that you guys do every year to benefit Children's Mercy Hospital. Yes.
15:21
And let me tell you what you missed out on, all right? Please.
15:23
Because at the end, there's this buffet, this sprawling buffet of pulled pork and burnt ends and spare ribs.
15:31
all these different From all of the different places.
15:34
Kansas City barbecue crawl.
15:35
the way the city, you know, surrounds us and supports it, yeah.
15:38
How would you describe your ideal Kansas City barbecue crawl? Ooh. I mean, it's hard, man.
15:44
It's It's a I want I want burnt ends, you know, from uh say Gates.
15:52
I'll take I'll take, you know, pulled pork from Kansas City Joe's.
15:57
I'll take, you know, any of the sides from Jack Stack.
15:59
I'll do, you know, Q39 for uh What what? The the the turkey.
16:10
And then I'll do my brisket from Arthur Bryant. There you go.
16:12
And then the sauce that you just ate, it's from Kansas City.
16:17
After trying it, would you consider that like a point of pride or an abomination?
16:21
I think it's absolutely point of pride. There you go.
16:23
I look I mean, I I was pretty sure it was, but I didn't look before we started, but um absolute point of pride.
16:29
You know, it's a great name.
16:30
It's a frightening bottle.
16:33
It's a nuclear warhead on it.
16:34
And a disgusting sauce, but you know what?
16:36
sauce that hurts your mouth and probably your stomach and butt hole in just a matter of moments.
16:47
Now, this one I had watermelon ghost. Like, this sounds nice.
16:53
Get the watermelon right back. Yeah.
16:55
Strange hot sauce, this one. I got to say. Yeah.
17:00
Now, there's another one with little signs down at the bottom that says extreme heat.
17:04
Gives you all this stuff to look at and read.
17:07
Then down there, extreme heat. Yeah, I know.
17:08
But then they kind of lead with the watermelon.
17:09
You know, there's a lot of mixed messaging with extremely hot hot sauce.
17:13
Because, you know, some of it sometimes they don't really like tell you.
17:15
Like, they don't reach out and scream to you like this is super [ __ ] hot.
17:19
Yeah, they don't all put a nuclear warhead with a caution.
17:23
Just only the ones with integrity, you know? I am who I claim to be. All right.
17:31
Kind of fishing here, but do you have a favorite Norm Macdonald story?
17:32
Those are up there with like Michael Jordan lore.
17:36
Like I just can't get enough. I I do.
17:39
And I know he's told this story before and I think Seth has told this story, but this is but this happened to me in real time where we then go to I was staying at a a hotel.
17:46
He's like, "Hey, you you hungry?"
17:47
I was like I was like, "Yeah, I go I'm staying at the at Sunset Tower."
17:50
He goes, "Oh, yeah, great.
17:50
We'll go we'll go you want to have some breakfast?"
17:53
It was like, you know, 11:00 a. m. or something.
17:55
So, I was like, "Absolutely." So, we're sitting there.
17:56
We're just talking about what not.
17:59
And he comes he's like, "Hey, I uh you know, I was uh showing my son, you know, uh some of my old uh stuff, you know, when I was on Saturday Night Live there."
18:07
And I was like, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know."
18:08
He goes, "You know, like I was doing the news thing." I was like, "Yeah."
18:12
And he goes, uh remember one point I showed it to my kid and uh And he he goes, "Oh, Dad, you uh you you you do your jokes just like Seth." And I was like, "Oh, no.
18:21
My son doesn't know how time works."
18:29
And I was just like sitting there like like did he just come up with that? Was this all a ruse?
18:35
I was doing Seth's show right after Norm had passed and 2 days before I got there, Seth told that story.
18:39
So, he had you know, Norm had then shared that story with multiple people at that point.
18:43
Whether it was rift or not or told or set up and just uh you know, for that punchline to knock me out the way it did was one of those things about him that I just love.
18:51
He was just always he always wanted to make you laugh, but he but he but not work too hard while doing it.
18:57
It's such a badass way to go about doing it.
18:58
And and in being that way, he just he continues.
19:00
He he's one of those guys you can just watch forever and just you know, you can't help but wishing you kind of talk like him, you know? Here we are. All All Jason. shake this one. You got to shake it.
19:12
All right, what happens if you don't? You know what? That's a good question. I have no idea. I have no idea. How much did you put on?
19:24
I actually did a good dab.
19:24
Usually I end up accidentally just dumping it like crazy. Yeah. There you go. Good job. All right. Cheers, Jason. What a ride. All right.
19:38
It had a hair on it, but the But the the the dab uh disintegrated. So, we're fine. All right, that's good. That's great.
19:50
I mean, I came right after that dab, too.
19:51
But I don't know what the hell I'm thinking.
19:52
I You know, I put it right on my tongue. Same with me. What? I took it head-on. Yep. Ooh.
20:01
Because that's what it's about.
20:03
Meeting the moment, you know?
20:05
I feel like this whole thing would have been easier if we did it with our eyes closed.
20:08
You ever done one of these in the dark?
20:10
No, but that actually, you know, now the mind is turning, you know? Sensory deprivation.
20:16
The Hot Ones kind of episode. Absolutely. Or upside down.
20:20
Zero gravity Hot Ones is what we need to be doing.
20:25
That's season 22 [ __ ] Yeah.
20:27
But I love the rewrite table.
20:27
I love the rewrite table. do.
20:29
Yeah, you know, no ideas are bad ideas. This is what we do. They're expensive. They're more expensive.
20:32
It does increase the value of the of the program. I um cost.
20:39
So, when we had David on the show, he talked about how he'll often mess up a trick, right?
20:45
While it's happening, but that he can usually fix it on the fly because he knows where the trick ends up, and the audience is usually none the wiser. All right?
20:56
So, as a lifelong magic hobbyist yourself, I'm curious, do you see any sort of connection or similarity between magicians and improv performers?
21:06
And then follow-up, I brought a deck of cards.
21:08
I'm not going to ask you to do a card trick, but I am curious if you can do one of your like showman pops with your fingertips and brain soaked in hot sauce.
21:19
You know, there's an added degree of difficulty here. you.
21:21
That it's funny cuz when you open this it did make me feel like oh this is like what a magician you know card in person does you know they'll be like hey brand new deck and let's deal it so you know I like man I know you can buy those stickers.
21:32
Um Um as far as this stuff you know there there folks that can do far greater stuff than me.
21:40
I can do a cut like a couple a couple things but I think the thing you're talking about let's bring it up and so I think I've done this in a handful of movies and whatnot.
21:49
Yeah and then you just sit there and and and that's that and then you know I mean you can do one hand a cut you know stuff like that and stuff like that but it but that's the one thing man people with magicians ice in their veins.
22:00
Like to have to like do something perform something like athletes.
22:05
Magicians man that's a that's a different breed to what to want to do that to be able to do that. Big ups.
22:10
Jason Sudeikis taking on the wings of death. Indeed.
22:14
Look at you 10 toes in the sand taking on the wings of death going back. City come on.
22:20
Ah I'll join you at the party I don't know if Oh my gosh. The bomb. The bomb. What a way to go out.
22:28
That's another magic trick right there.
22:30
Jason Sudeikis Can't feel anything anymore.
22:32
And with that it's all done. It's all done. Roll credits.
22:36
This camera this camera or this camera let the people know what you have going on in your life.
22:40
Um yeah I'm just dealing with the with uh the hubris of going back to the mom.
22:44
I mean it's a little hometown pride but then also a a nice chunk of hubris too.
22:49
Shouldn't have done that.
22:50
Don't know why I did that.
22:51
Could have left on a mic. Oh well.
22:54
Um but yeah that's that's about it.
22:56
You know we got we got uh yeah.
23:01
I don't know why did I do that for? Thank you. Thank you. It's great, man.
23:09
And your questions are so I mean, I knew that going in and that's part of the reason I think people you you get such uh um you know, such a a wide breath and you know, punch above our weight class a little bit. Yeah, sure. Absolutely.
23:20
But it's it's like just very thoughtful questions and playful questions. But then thank you.
23:25
But yeah, man, it's great.
23:25
It's such a it's I'm I always like the the uh I think it does come from starting in improv like where it was all suggestion-based, you know, like Whose Line Is It Anyway where where it's all about getting out of the pickle that they put you in.
23:36
It's not just like take one suggestion and make art. Yeah.
23:37
It's kind of like people trying to like get in your way. But you know what?
23:43
They couldn't get in your way.
23:44
They couldn't get in your way, boss.
23:46
No, I mean, that last one did.
23:46
I'm telling you, it was stupid. No reason to do it. Ooh wee.
23:57
Hey, what's going on, Hot Ones fans? This is Sean Evans.
23:58
If you've ever watched Hot Ones and wondered to yourself, "How hot are those sauces really?
24:04
I could get through that with no water or milk."
24:05
Well, now is the time to put your money where your mouth is.
24:08
The Hot Ones Season 21 lineup is now available in its entirety at heatonist. com. heatonist. com. That's heatonist.
24:16
com to get your hands on the Season 21 Hot Ones hot sauce lineup. Milk not included.
24:21
Be careful around the eyes.
24:23
And get them all their hot.