Jamie's My Boys Blog

Nia Vardalos (My Big fat Greek Wedding) guest stars in this week’s episode and plays the newest woman in Andy’s life. And now that we all know Bobby was on the plane, we see how PJ has to deal with a major announcement concerning his relationship with the smoking hot nanny, Elsa. Hmmm, that sounds messy. Meanwhile, Brando is busily pursuing a different career path, while Kenny revels in his position as the show’s Casanova.


As for me, I get to take an Improv class with Andy and it has been a wonderful week of shooting. Mike McDonald from Mad TV is hilarious as our improv teacher. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the form of imrov, it’s like “Who’s Line is it Anyway?”. That’s the show where the actors take suggestions and create scenes. And for me it’s how I started in this business. I always get questions from fans as to how my career began and although no two actors take the same path to Hollywood, here is how mine goes…


I just got out of the navy and had very little idea what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I got a job bartending in San Diego at the Pacific Beach Brewhouse and spent my days playing beach volleyball and drinking beer. It was the only time I ever had a tan. My pasty skin finally gave in to the constant barrage of the sun’s rays and actually formed a base. I lived on the beach and each day seamlessly blended into the next. I answered an ad in the paper to audition for an improv troupe. I don’t know why. I’d never really acted before, but I knew from that first rehearsal that I had found what really motivated me. You would do something and people laughed…or they wouldn’t. It was that simple. And I wanted to get really good at the craft of "funny". It was intoxicating and I couldn’t get enough. We weren’t being paid a penny and I couldn’t have been happier.


I ended up forming a group called I.T. (Improvisational Therapy) with my friends Gerhart Welling, Murray Stanley, Gary Bryant, Jeff Kilbride, and Mike Siscoe and we did shows in the back of the brewery using bags of grain and kegs as our props on a hand built little platform that I made from wood from home depot.


It was a blast. We eventually got a little press and became regulars at the San Diego Improv. And I was off and running. A couple of local commercials, an episode of “Renegade”, and I set my sights on Los Angeles to become a professional actor.


I became an overnight sensation (which only took ten more years). During those years, I continued to grow as a performer doing sketch and stand-up. But I always remember my first couple of years in San Diego. There was such an innocence and purity to it.




We had no idea what we were doing. Some shows were amazing and others were horrible. One time we did a show for four people.




It was hilariously terrible. We ended the show when the audience ran out of suggestions. It didn’t take long. I’ve done shows at AA meetings, youth hostels where the audience didn’t speak English, and I even did a show where we used the microphone at the maitre’d stand in a restaurant.




Comedy is one of those businesses where “there ain’t nothing to it, but to do it”. And because of that, the early stages are ugly but beautiful. Bombing is a nightly occurrence. But if it was easy, everybody would do it. Somebody told me early on that I should enjoy the journey, because you never know if you’re going to get to your final destination and nothing could be more true. Working on My Boys is a dream come true, but I still remember my early days in San Diego as some of the best of my life. So, next time you come see me headline a comedy show in your town, be sure to notice the other comics that are opening the show. Because ten years from now they are probably going to be the next overnight success.

This week in "The Shirt Contest" (airing Thursday at 9;30 pm/ET), the Boys get embroiled in another one of their competitive moods. Let's just say Project Runway comes to Chicago. It was really fun shooting this one. I got to show a little more flesh than normal. As a redhead, it's always great to show the world a little more of my pasty white skin (note the heavy sarcasm). I'm almost as white as Jim Gaffigan, but my skin is covered with freckles and red fur. All of you redheads out there know what I mean. Nudity is not one of our strong suits. Even if I was Mr. Olympia, people would still scream, "Put your shirt back on. You're burning my eyes out!" It would be nice to go to the beach without wearing SPF Infinity!

OK, enough of the "ginger" talk. It's depressing me, and when you see my bare skin this week, just remember that I didn't write the episode. It wasn't my choice for you to see my bare flesh. I am merely a pawn in a greater scheme. And at this point, I think the writers are deliberately thinking of ways to torture me. And I will pay them all back one day! Ha-ha-haaaaaaaaaaa (evil laugh).

We also have a great guest star this week, Hayes Macarthur, who plays a very funny turn as a collaborator of PJ's. It's supposed to turn into a career opportunity for her, but things never seem to go as planned. That's as much plot as you deserve.

Have you all seen who was on the plane yet? Because this is the last week I won't talk about it. Next week, we're talking about it, so if you haven't seen it, get on it!

I just finished reading Rebels on the Back Lot. It's a book about the making of six films from the '90s, including Pulp Fiction, Being John Malkovich and Boogie Nights. After reading it, I'm amazed how any film ever gets made. To combine commerce and art is a delicate process. It's the same with TV shows. For us, the cast and crew of My Boys, it's about our craft, whether it's acting, writing, directing, casting, cinematography, editing, lighting, or any of the other many jobs that are included in the production of just one episode of our show. We all got into this business because of a love for what we do.

So what is the formula for a successful show? Can't you just look through history and piece together the next great show? Take a little bit of Cheers... throw in a cup of Seinfeld... add just a spoonful of The Dick Van Dyke Show... and bang! Commercial success. It happens every year. Hundreds of pilot episodes for new series are written. "It's like Northern Exposure meets Roseanne." "It's The Honeymooners, but Ralph is a columnist for the New York Post." "How about a WWII prisoner of war camp as the setting for a broad comedy?" (Yes, that one actually worked as Hogan's Heroes.) A few pilots are shot. And even fewer are aired. Out of those, only a couple will survive to see a second year, let alone a third.

So, what is the secret? I have no idea. It's lightning in a bottle. So, I want to hear what you think. Tell me your favorite shows and why you think they work on both a creative and commercial basis. How do some shows like Arrested Development win the Emmy for best comedy and still not find an audience (a travesty, by the way), while others receive terrible reviews but are huge successes? If we can figure this out, we will rule this town.

TBS' My Boys airs Thursday at 9:30 pm.

Okay, week two. Did you guess who was on the plane last week? Liar! I didn’t see it coming, and neither did you, but I have a feeling that you are pleasantly surprised by it. I was. I won’t mention his name because some of you probably still need to go see it on VOD, and I’m not going to be the one to wreck it. Nothing’s worse than some jack-ass who tells you that at the end of The Sixth Sense that Bruce Willis is DEAD! By the way, I am also of the opinion that there is a statute of limitations and that after a certain amount of time you can’t claim I let the horse out of the stable. You, as a viewer, have a certain responsibility to stay up to date on certain current events. In the case of a movie, I’m going to say you have one year from original theatrical release. In television you have one year from the end of that particular season. And in the case of sports you have until the next day. If you’re recording that night’s game and don’t watch it for a couple of days, you have bigger problems than me telling you the score. So with that in mind… Ed Norton and Brad Pitt are the same person in Fight Club, Ted Danson pulls off his hairpiece at the end of Cheers, and the NY Giants came back at the end to win last year’s Super Bowl. Ahhhhh. That felt good to get off my chest. On to this week.

Now, the most important thing to remember about this week’s episode, “The Dinner Party,” is that I am ACTING! In no way does my personal life resemble the character of Mike Callahan. It is simply a part that I play. Whatever horrible and deviant things that Mike says are written for him by a staff of horrible and deviant writers. Those are the people to blame if there is something about my character that you find offensive. That being said, I feel like there are a few of my friends who will try to tell you that I’m exactly like that. Don’t believe them. They’re liars and will be punished later for wronging me. Is “wronging” even a word? I don’t know. But it sounds right. Anyway…

The name of the episode tells you a lot. There is a dinner party. We’ve all been to them. A little food, a lot of vino and some hooking up. It was one of my favorites. We also introduce a new female character who is shockingly beautiful, one of those girls who is so attractive that looking at her is like looking at the sun. If you look too long, it will burn your eyes out. She’s a Swedish model. I think that says it all. “Swedish model” just sounds redundant.

Shooting this episode was great. I can always tell the funny ones because we end up breaking a lot when we shoot it. One of the great things about working with such a funny cast is that they make you laugh all day. This was one of those weeks. We felt a little like the late Harvey Korman and Tim Conway on The Carol Burnett Show. And if you don’t know who I’m talking about …go buy the DVDs right now! Comedic genius! Not that I would dare to compare us to them, but I got a feeling as to how much fun they had when they worked. Most days I can’t believe this is my job.

Well, that’s it for now. There are storylines set in motion that I’m sure will illicit some responses from you all, and I can’t wait to hear your opinions. Remember, points are awarded for witty comments. Lets see who can come up with the best log line for “The Dinner Party.” See you next week.

Ahhhhhhhhh, My Boys is back! Yes, I know the answer to the question that has been hounding us all since we last saw you. “Who is on the plane?” And the answer is still what we all knew last season…”Not me”! That’s all I can tell you or I will be killed. I don't think any of you will want the surprise ruined anyway…except for you sick, instant gratification types who will sneak a peek under the wrapping on your Christmas presents two weeks before the actual date. But I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

I would like to use this forum to address another issue concerning this matter. As some of you may or may not know, I am a stand-up comic and have been performing around the country during our hiatus. And everywhere I go, you have all told me who you’d like to have on the plane. "I like Thorn, that Jeremy Sisto is such a real man.” "I like the baseball player. He’s rich and dreamy.” A couple of you nerdy tech types even wanted the otanist. Then there were the purists, and the debate rose between Brendan and Bobby. Both too good looking to dare make a choice. That’s just a win-win situation. I think one dude even wanted PJ’s brother to be on the plane to give it that “Jerry Springer dating-my-sister” vibe. But not one of you said, “Honestly, Jamie, I would choose you, and I’m not just saying that because I saw your stand-up show and realize that you are the ‘thinking woman’s choice.’ I honestly believe that you, Jamie, who plays Mike (the red-headed one), has the depth, intelligence and caring that I look for in my men. And under that rough exterior lies the heart of a man capable of insurmountable love. If it was me, (insert your name here), I would really enjoy taking you to a foreign country.” I mean, c’mon, I play the clown, but I have feelings too. Is it so far-fetched that PJ would choose Mike for a romantic getaway? Maybe they're the remedy to each other's dating ailments. Sure, it's a stretch. Yes, it's extremely implausible. But crazier things have happened. Serial killers on death row are getting married. A 126-year-old mummy named Hugh Hefner has found love with three different hotties. Dog the Bounty Hunter has found wedded bliss! Am I that disgusting a catch? Shame on you for not even imagining that I could be Prince Charming. I’m sorry, but I had to get that off my chest. Let’s move on.

Let’s set some parameters. This blog will be my forum to engage you, the audience, in weekly banter that will give you a little heads up on that particular episode’s shenanigans, as well as a little place for me to spread my particular brand of humor. It will probably be like the blogs for Lost or Battlestar Gallactica, except with fewer polar bears. I can tell you that Reid Scott is a Cylon. Believe it. Looks like that aren't born. They're manufactured.

Anyway, responses to my blog are welcome and will be dealt with on an individual basis. And I know how you people think when you’re tucked anonymously behind your keyboard surfing the web in the wee hours of the morning after a night of drunken debauchery. You can say some messed up s#@t. And if you’re coming to see me live this week (wherever I am, schedule pending), you will see that I do, too. All I ask is that you are witty. Filth for “filthy’s sake” is not sexy. But funny is funny no matter what horrible things you say (see also, South Park, Richard Pryor, F’ing Matt Damon). So, let’s do it!

This week’s episode is entitled “The Transitioning“…and yes, you’ll see who is on the plane, and how “the best laid plans” usually end up without the word “laid” ever being used. While on the homefront, the boys find that a new weapon to be used in the constant pursuit of their favorite pastime has disastrous repercussions. Trust me. It will all make sense after you see it.

To me, "The Transitioning" sounds like a title of a horror film. It's got that dark, 1970s, Peter Fonda, strange cult, middle of desert, human sacrifice vibe. Am I crazy? Or have I watched too much television? Maybe one of you can come up with a cool slug line for the title. You know, like "two boys from separate sides of the tracks face off in a battle of wits for world domination." It's read in Mr. Moviefone's voice. We'll have a little contest where I'll pick the best entry and award you my gold star of hilarity.

It was great shooting the episode. We were all happy to see an end to the writer’s strike, and it was fantastic to see the cast and crew again. It was like we all got back from summer break and picked up right where we left off. The one recurring thought from all the actors was the immense number of fans that we ran into during our off time who loved the show and asked, “When is My Boys coming back?” So, to all of you, a huge thanks for your constant support of the show. And I hope you enjoy the new season.

That's it for this week. So, let me know what you think, and I'll see you next week for the episode entitled "The Dinner Party".

TBS' My Boys premieres its second season on Thursday, June 12, at 9:30 pm/ET.