Revisiting Mel Brooks

Can it really be nine years since Leonard and Jessie sat down with Mel Brooks? He's still going strong at age 99 and we wish him another happy hundred years. In the meantime, enjoy this intimate conversation with one of the funniest men who ever walked the earth. 

One of the mainstays of Disney+ and the Disney Channel is a delightfully funny show called Big City Greens. Like all great cartoons, it's not just for kids. It's bright and funny, and once you hear the two brothers who created it you'll know why. Chris (who also voices the main character, Cricket) and Shane draw on their own experiences as country boys who moved to the city to make good—and they have done just that. Their heartfelt ambition and positivity are an inspiration to fans like Leonard and Jessie.  

Patrick Stump is no stranger to success. He's been the lead singer for Fall Out Boy for 24 years and just completed their latest tour. He's done voice acting and scored a number of film and television shows, but in our household he reigns supreme as the writer and performer of the theme song for Spidey and his amazing Friends on Disney Jr. He truly loves both the film and music world and happily chats about both in our conversation. 

From instant—and enduring—recognition for a TV commercial to the present day, Sean Whalen has forged his own path as an actor. You can see him in the new release Traumatika, or you can surf any channel and come upon him in movies and TV shows: he has more than 200 credits on IMDB!  He has written and directed two feature films for himself, and become a genuine star in the newest medium, TikTok, where he has more than 400,00 followers. Leonard and Jessie applaud his upbeat, can-do outlook, even when sharing stories of being cut from movies like Men in Black at the last minute.

Outlander fans have been cheering Caitriona Balfe for years, and she's made a strong impression on film buffs who have seen her in Belfast and Ford v. Ferrari as well. The Irish-born actress is now appearing opposite Orlando Bloom in a raw, extremely tough movie called The Cut that is now playing in  theaters. In real life she is charming and easy to talk to. It turns out she and Jessie are raising toddlers of the same age, which of course worked its way into our lively conversation.

It's not just a compliment, it's a fact: Bob Gurr is a bona fide Disney Legend and at age 93 he shows little sign of slowing down. With a background in automobile design, Walt Disney sought him out in 1954 and immediately put him to work. For the next twenty years he had a hand in almost every major attraction in Disneyland, beginning with Autopia. He then opened his own shop and worked for theme parks around the globe. Jessie has vivid memories of the 30-foot King Kong he built for Universal. She and Leonard were delighted to spend an hour with such an inspiring man.     

If you're wondering why we've been revisiting so many programs instead of posting new interviews, there is a reason: Leonard did himself one heck of a mischief. But now he's back, and he and Jessie thought it was a good time to take stock of what's been going on in the worlds of movies and television.  That's the purpose of this catch-up episode and we hope you enjoy it. The occasional howling of our two dogs are included at no additional charge.

The meanest-looking man on screen, the star of Robert Rodriguez's Machete and its sequels, is perhaps better known Trejo's Cantina and other food emporiums have revealed the truth: despite his violent background he has reinvented himself as a good guy and plays that role extremely well, onscreen and off. (He also headlines a new streaming movie, Seven Cemeteries.) Leonard and Jessie enjoyed meeting him (via Zoom) and hearing the story of how he accidentally broke into movies and wound up working with some of the biggest names in the business.    

He's been a familiar face on television for years, on the long-running comedy Wings and the current Chicago Med. He grew up in a show-business family so it shouldn't be surprising that he loves to perform. His range is limitless and his credits attest to that: everything from Mel Brooks' stage musical The Producers to the TV adaptation of Stephen King's The Shining. He and Leonard enjoy exchanging old show-business trivia, and never seem to run out of material. Steven is an articulate connoisseur of comedy…and then some.