The Elsa Kurt Show

From Sheriff to Stage: A Daring Leap into Acting with Gary Ranatza

September 26, 2023 Elsa Kurt
From Sheriff to Stage: A Daring Leap into Acting with Gary Ranatza
The Elsa Kurt Show
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The Elsa Kurt Show
From Sheriff to Stage: A Daring Leap into Acting with Gary Ranatza
Sep 26, 2023
Elsa Kurt

Ever been amazed at life's unexpected turns? Join me as I reconnect with my old friend, Gary Ranatza, an unexpected actor who sprung from a father supporting his daughter's theater dreams to a remarkable performer himself. Together, we journey through Gary's transition from the shadows of background roles to the spotlight of noteworthy roles, and his brave leap from his sheriff's office job to fully plunge into his acting career. We revisit our mutual dream of creating a sitcom, and consider the thrilling possibilities that lie on the horizon.

Turning the conversation light-hearted, Gary and I explore his recent portrayal of a creepy old man in a student film project and his newfound joy in the filmmaking process. With his characteristic candor, humor, and charm, Gary opens up about his social awkwardness and his clever use of self-deprecation to make others feel at ease. As we share laughter and memories, listen in to learn about the importance of fun and humor during retirement.

Now, brace yourselves as we dive into some serious musings on the ethical concerns surrounding the use of AI in the entertainment industry and its potential impact on actors. We grapple with the consequences of AI's intrusion in our lives and strategies to stay informed and cautious. We also consider the government's handling of issues such as UFOs and the distractions they create. We conclude with a glimpse into Gary's future projects and his heartfelt appreciation for his colleagues in the entertainment industry. This chat is a delightful cocktail of laughter, introspection, and inspiration, so tune in and partake in our engaging conversation.

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Show Notes Transcript Chapter Markers

Ever been amazed at life's unexpected turns? Join me as I reconnect with my old friend, Gary Ranatza, an unexpected actor who sprung from a father supporting his daughter's theater dreams to a remarkable performer himself. Together, we journey through Gary's transition from the shadows of background roles to the spotlight of noteworthy roles, and his brave leap from his sheriff's office job to fully plunge into his acting career. We revisit our mutual dream of creating a sitcom, and consider the thrilling possibilities that lie on the horizon.

Turning the conversation light-hearted, Gary and I explore his recent portrayal of a creepy old man in a student film project and his newfound joy in the filmmaking process. With his characteristic candor, humor, and charm, Gary opens up about his social awkwardness and his clever use of self-deprecation to make others feel at ease. As we share laughter and memories, listen in to learn about the importance of fun and humor during retirement.

Now, brace yourselves as we dive into some serious musings on the ethical concerns surrounding the use of AI in the entertainment industry and its potential impact on actors. We grapple with the consequences of AI's intrusion in our lives and strategies to stay informed and cautious. We also consider the government's handling of issues such as UFOs and the distractions they create. We conclude with a glimpse into Gary's future projects and his heartfelt appreciation for his colleagues in the entertainment industry. This chat is a delightful cocktail of laughter, introspection, and inspiration, so tune in and partake in our engaging conversation.

Support the Show.

DON'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT EMERGENCY, PLUS, SAVE 15%: https://www.twc.health/elsa
#ifounditonamazon https://a.co/ekT4dNO
TRY AUDIBLE PLUS: https://amzn.to/3vb6Rw3
Elsa's Books: https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B01E1VFRFQ
Design Like A Pro: https://canva.7eqqol.net/xg6Nv...

Speaker 1:

Well, hello my friends. I have a returning guest. Why? Because I love him. He's awesome. We had a great time the last time we chatted. His name is Gary Renats. Love saying that name, Renats.

Speaker 2:

Renats. That's a Renats you know in real life and I want to say thank you for having me back when you show. It's just an honor and a pleasure to be on your podcast. It really is Absolutely. My real last name is Randazo. If you go to Oostacus, sicily, it was Randazo there and you got changed in Ellis Island back in the late 1800s, when my great grandfather come in.

Speaker 1:

That's why there's so many stories like that too. It's so neat to me, Like my husband's name, which is this, is like my pen name, my I don't know my public name I use, and so my married name, which I'm not giving out people. If they want it bad enough, they'll hunt it down, I'm sure.

Speaker 1:

That's right, it's not encouragement to either guys, don't you? You don't need to do that, but yeah, his last name is one that people always question too. They're like what is that? Is that Russian? Is it Polish? And he's just like yeah, it's been changed.

Speaker 2:

What do you mean?

Speaker 1:

what? Yeah, exactly. It's like, yeah, they took out letters, added a letter. You know it's, it is what it is. So how have you been?

Speaker 2:

Then doing really good. I mean fantastic, I mean doing auditions and doing film. It just they're really. I really enjoyed doing it. It's just so much fun.

Speaker 1:

That's so awesome.

Speaker 2:

Yes, and I know we talked about doing a sitcom together, you and I, and we're still working, both of us. We're still working on it, whereas we're going to listen you.

Speaker 1:

So let me catch everybody up, get everybody up to speed. So Gary is an actor, if you didn't guess, by the last part of that conversation there, and we're going to talk also a little bit, guys, about the writers and actor strike going on too. We'll get into that. But yes, so in our last conversation, gary, I threw out to Gary. I said listen, gary, I have had this idea and this desire to have a sitcom, you know kind of loosely based on my life, just because real life is funny, it's just funny. And Gary jumped on it. He's like, yeah, let's do it Absolutely. And you know, we kind of laughed a little and that was that and that was not that. Gary's like I know people, I got people. And Gary wasn't kidding, gary knows people and he's got people. So this is a very slow working process and Gary did not drop the ball at all. In fact Gary shared over a video to who we're talking with and that I guess it seems that piqued her interest a little bit. So that was really cool, thank you.

Speaker 2:

Yes, she loved you. She loved everything about you.

Speaker 1:

That's so awesome, she's so sweet, and so we are going to be catching up sometime this week and just having that conversation and see if this is something that might want to be pursued. So, everybody, so if you don't pray, cross your fingers for me and if you pray, pray for us that this is something that will come to fruition for all of us, because I really have a really good feeling about it and I think it's something that we could just have such a blast with and do great things with. So here we go.

Speaker 2:

I believe in helping people. I believe in helping people make their dreams come true. That is to me, if somebody can make their dream come true, that just that's nothing more satisfying than that.

Speaker 1:

I agree, I agree, I love that and you have such a generous spirit too. I think that's just so sweet. I think that's why we we hit it off so quickly and so easily. Gary and I started talking like we were, you know, best friends, and we've been hanging out forever. And isn't that funny how that happens, like you just meet people, just certain people, and we had nothing in common other than like a TikTok background right? Like we met over on the on the talk I like to call it.

Speaker 1:

Makes me feel like I'm cool when I say, yeah, over on the talk.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I got that talk, the talk, you know.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

And yeah.

Speaker 1:

So I already, you know I had all my stuff written out Like I kid you not, my friends, I kid you not. I literally write scripts for a show that doesn't exist, for a Hollywood Well, I don't like Hollywood, so not Hollywood, but for an acting career that I don't have. So Gary has definitely more experience in that lane. Tell me, tell everybody, a little bit more about your, your acting journey, like how this all came about for you.

Speaker 2:

It all came about with my daughter my youngest daughter when she was in junior high she was in theater. So I, I, I wound up. I knew a friend of mine who was an agent and I said, can you help us? And she says, absolutely, I'll get you some background roles and I'll give her some credits. And, of course, you know, we had to be with her while she was there because she was a juvenile. So I got. That's how I started. I started going in the background with her and I'm going, wow, this is really neat. How do they do this, you know? And then one thing led to another, and then I started getting my own parts, you know. And well, I dropped.

Speaker 2:

I was working for the sheriff's office at the time and I did that for like a year, maybe two years, and I said, you know, I've got to take days off for this and it's just, I feel guilty because I'm letting my team down and and I can't do that. So I got out of it. And when I retired in 2019, I started doing some research for acting schools. I said, you know, I need to really do some acting, I need to get some training. And I got a school called Creating you in Covington and I don't know if I'm supposed to do that or not.

Speaker 1:

But it's okay by me if it's okay by them.

Speaker 2:

Oh, it'd be okay by them All, good, Okay, so it's a wonderful school and they have modeling and all kinds of classes for acting. They got beginning levels and all the way up to advanced levels. And I'm going to tell you I, I really it really I thought I was an actor before I went in there and I found out I'm not. That's how tough it is. Acting is really mentally, mentally tough.

Speaker 1:

So is it like you know you ever watch the. You know all the shows where they have like the acting classes as part of the show and it's very like you know you're supposed to do all these scenes together and it's you have to do that stuff.

Speaker 2:

Yes, yes, we do. As a matter of fact, we're working on a scene right now. That's actually a true story. I'm playing the detective and and I'm thinking I'm doing great because I'm acting like myself. I've acting like a policeman for over 30 years.

Speaker 1:

You know, so, so. So I think you want me to tell you that's not right.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I'm scared. That's not right, but that's how I did it.

Speaker 1:

That's hilarious.

Speaker 2:

Yes, Because you've got to feel it. You've got to. If you don't feel it here in your soul and you're not going to, you're not going to, they're not going to feel it, the audience is not going to feel it. So you've got to put yourself in. I mean, just take your time and get yourself your head right and get in there you know, that's what's tough. That's the tough thing, especially, though, if you gotta do a part, when you're crying and everything. It's hard for me to do that.

Speaker 1:

Cause I'm such a no kidding, have you had to do that yet, like the whole crying yeah, I had to.

Speaker 2:

It never had me tears but-.

Speaker 1:

But you made a good show of it. You did a good show of it. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2:

So I've been doing that from then and then I wound up getting some roles and I have a wonderful agent who lives up in Shreveport Louisiana, both husband and wife team, and they're the best at Southeast region to me and they work hard, very, very hard for their clients. That's awesome. Is there ever a?

Speaker 1:

role, like, is there ever a role or a character? I guess I should say really, that you would turn down, like you know, somebody that's really nefarious. I mean, I would think, actually, it'd be a lot of fun to play somebody that's completely opposite in every possible way of who you are. What do you think about that? Would you turn down?

Speaker 2:

Well, there is some things I would turn down.

Speaker 1:

I know why we're both chuckling. Get your minds out of the gutters.

Speaker 2:

You really, really get your minds out of the gutters. Yeah, I'll tell you, I don't know what we're talking about here now. Come on, forget about it. I know, am I blushing?

Speaker 1:

I feel like I'm blushing. You know what? Now we're doing that subject. I'm gonna tell you.

Speaker 2:

My agent. We have an agent live every week and she gives us updates on everything. And she says and she don't like her clients, her actors doing nude scenes. You know, and I don't blame her, I wouldn't do it unless it was a comedy. So, yeah, so, and that's what she said she goes anybody. I don't like this, but anybody would. And I typed on there I said is it a comedy? And she, if it is, put me in. But she goes no, gary, no Gary, no, dad, bye, don't work.

Speaker 1:

That's hilarious. Well, you know I'll tell you why it's. Some of the things that I have found really encouraging and inspiring is, you know, I listened to certain actors like I don't know if you know who he is, but Kirk Cameron, he was a child actor and now he's a very, very vocal Christian and he's got some very and he's not alone in this. There's a lot of actors I've been hearing about like this now who, because of their faith and because of their marriage, they say there are things that they will absolutely not do. And for him he just did a whole thing talking about it, how he won't even kiss another actor because to him it's a violation of his vows, and he couldn't imagine doing that to his wife, and he actually got some plaque for it.

Speaker 1:

He said that some of the people that were involved in the making of a I think it was a movie fire something or other I'm forgetting the name of it. But they kind of gave him a hard time about it like, oh Maya, you're an actor, be professional and everything. And he stuck to his guns and he had enough leverage, of course, with his already set fame. I guess that he was able to put his foot down. He said no, not happening. And what they ended up doing was actually very sweet. They got his wife in and they used her as a double. She put the wig on and he was able to do the scene and fulfill his duties for the role and not break his vows in any way that he felt and I was like you know what? That's great, because in my mind I put all these stipulations on what I would do and wouldn't do, and nudity is definitely one, and I can't imagine anybody wanting to see any of that. That's going on.

Speaker 1:

But people are weird and you know so there was a lot of things I was like, oh well, I've kind of like axed myself out of the market or whatever, I guess, however you want to call it and it's kind of cool to hear you know, that's actually true. You've just niched yourself, you've put yourself in a very specific lane and you know, and that's fine too as far as I'm concerned, because if it's meant to happen, it is going to happen, and right.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, right, and you're absolutely right, but I respect Kurt Cameron for that. I really do I think that's an awesome, awesome thing. He's, that's a 4.0 guy. Yeah.

Speaker 1:

You know for doing that Absolutely.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, there's a lot of things like that that would make me not feel comfortable, because I love my wife. She's been so great to me and I would never, ever do anything against her, against our vows. You know that we pledge to the man upstairs Absolutely.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's such a beautiful thing and to know that you know there is a lane for actors and performers and people who you know feel that way and there's actually, and that lane I think is really growing quite a bit that you know faith-based community or just simply, even if you don't want to, you know use the term because I know some people, maybe even a lot of people, kind of you know, pull back when they hear the words faith and Christianity and all that stuff.

Speaker 1:

If you just want to use the terms clean, wholesome, you know, then use those instead, because it's you know, they're synonymous really in so many ways. But yeah, no, there is a lane out there, and I think you and I both have the personality of if there isn't a lane, we're going to make one.

Speaker 2:

So that's fine. We're going to make one that's correct. That is correct. I just get a. I played a short role last week in Florida and Fairhope no, alabama, alabama, fairhope, alabama and it was a faith-based. I played a policeman and it was. I was honored when a friend of mine called me who's one of the main actors on there and she said, gary, I want you to play the policeman. So I said all right. So I went over there and I brought my old uniform shirt and I said you know that's so cool.

Speaker 1:

I love that.

Speaker 2:

And then they brought me a gun belt that that were way too small and it was. It was a real. It was somebody who worked for Fairhope. It was one of the officers and I'm like it was like that big around, I'm like Whoa.

Speaker 1:

It's not going to work, not going to work.

Speaker 2:

I said I got a paddle holster. I'll use a paddle.

Speaker 1:

That's funny. Yeah, what a good time, but it was.

Speaker 2:

It was a great time. I was very honored to be a part of that. That little movie, I think it's called Across the Sky. I think it's the most good movie.

Speaker 1:

That's so cool. You're racking up some credits there, my friend.

Speaker 2:

Yes, I am, yes, I am, and I always help out too. Lane universities film senior film class. That's so cool Around February or so they'll the seniors will make a movie, a short movie, and then they'll have actors that direct it, write it, direct it and everything producing it and all. And so I go in every two years in a row. I've helped them out and I'm hoping they call me again this year. And this year I played a creepy old guy in a museum, a haunted museum.

Speaker 1:

Ooh, it's scary yeah who's yeah?

Speaker 2:

And I was like my hair I had, my beard was all messed up and I had this old 70s looking clothes and tie. That was all you know looked like. It was like a doughnuts and everything all over it and I was hiring people for $44.75 an hour. Dude, come in and they're eating. They're being eaten. They're first. They get in their mark. Once they get that third mark, they're eaten by this entity that is inside that building. So, yeah, it's, it is.

Speaker 1:

That's wild.

Speaker 2:

It is on YouTube. As a matter of fact, it's all fatal illustration.

Speaker 1:

Fatal illustration I'm gonna go check it out. Everybody's gotta go. Make sure you check it out. I'll make sure when we air this, I'll make sure I put in the notes where they can find everything so they can go watch it. So that'd be really, really cool.

Speaker 2:

Yes, it is, and I think they won a little award for it because the little director and writer was wonderful.

Speaker 1:

That's so awesome he was great, he was great.

Speaker 2:

He's gonna come. He's a future film writer.

Speaker 1:

Wow, what an awesome life, though, like you, had this great career in law enforcement, and I know I thanked you last time, but I'll thank you every time we talk. Thank you for serving your community and doing a job that most people would not do, so I thank you. I'm glad you're on the other side of it. You get to enjoy retirement and, man, you just get to have a lot of fun right now, right.

Speaker 2:

That's what it's all about Having fun. My wife she's like Gary you're retired Retire.

Speaker 1:

I said I can't, I know you know a lot of people and I suspect my husband and I will be also those people. You actually get more busy when you retire because you realize that there's so little time not to be morbid but you know there's so little time and there's so much you can do. There's so much you want to do and now you have the time to do it. So, yeah, I like busyness, I think it's fun. I mean I love downtime, for sure, Every night when I shut it down. You know some people, specifically my mom, thinks that all I do is work nonstop. You know, and I said no, literally I'm like, well, I'm like a 6am to 5pm and then after that I'm done with my work day. I walk away from all this stuff. And you know, social media I don't quite so much. I'll still mess around on there and do that stuff, but generally, you know, I mean I'm down in my little studio right now. It's like a little box basically.

Speaker 2:

I like it. I love the background on it.

Speaker 1:

It's just like I give away all my secrets. It's just like this belt panel behind that is like a cork board or something.

Speaker 2:

I don't know why I tattletail on myself all the time.

Speaker 1:

You'd be like oh no, it's a Deluxe studio. I pay thousands of dollars.

Speaker 2:

I would have thought that's exactly what it was. I'm serious, I mean, well, she's doing good.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, no, I guys, you know you want to. You want to listen to somebody who throws herself under the bus all the time. That's me.

Speaker 2:

That's honesty and I love that. That's a great quality of people. More people need to be like that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, you know what I can't, to be honest with you, I can't imagine being any other way. I can't. You know what it is. I and I may have told you this before we may have had this conversation. I apologize if we did, but you know, for me the thing is is that I internally, like I'm a good faker at being comfortable, but internally I am so socially awkward and forever uncomfortable in every situation. And when I think about that, I think about if anybody else feels the way I do. Like I can't bear the idea of somebody else feeling as awkward as I feel. So I tend to like maybe go overboard, because I just want them to be comfortable, because I, you know, I know what it feels like. So, yeah, so, and if that means you know that means throwing myself under the bus or any of those things or being a little self deprecating, I'm totally fine with that, like you know, and anytime I do the self deprecating stuff, I'm always kind of quick to say, listen, I like myself just fine, but I can also laugh at myself.

Speaker 2:

It's all good, you know you got to laugh at yourself. You have to do that. That's that is very important, very healthy for you to make fun of yourself and just and laugh, and that's you know. It actually takes it off of anybody else that's trying to pick on yourself. It's a great tactic, right? Yeah, it's a great tactic, yeah, you take all the steam out of their.

Speaker 1:

That's right.

Speaker 2:

All the air out of their balloon.

Speaker 1:

That's right. Yeah, that's what. It's exactly what happens. You can see, you can actually. You can see like mean people and they're ready to like throw a shot at you, just pop that balloon and they're like weren't, weren't, weren't.

Speaker 2:

You know something that's got to be in our sitcom somewhere?

Speaker 1:

Yes, I know, I know, can we just pause? I'll write some notes.

Speaker 2:

I'm actually doing something right now that I've never thought that I would ever do, and I'm every Monday evening I take up a film writing class and it's from a friend of mine who is a writer, director, producer up in tree. For who actually I was, who wrote the desk that I was in last year? And well, I played this Russian killer, you know, and that's a full Russian, you know.

Speaker 1:

I love it. I love it. Go from that accent to the, to a Russian one. That's fine.

Speaker 2:

That was. That was a. It's a movie, it's a comedy slash act and it's not out yet. He said he's still in post production. It takes a year, maybe more than a year, for it to actually get put out there.

Speaker 1:

It's got to be so hard though, like, like frustrating, though, like you do this work and I hear that all the time like in the in the actors world, that you know they actually filmed a movie like Sound of Freedom is the first example that comes to mind. I think that was filmed like five years ago. Yes five years to to reach the screen, and so there was a lot of entanglements with that to make that happen. But that's not really an unusual story, like a year, a couple years, that's normal, right.

Speaker 2:

Right, right, and you know, in that happens so much I want to go see the movie. I haven't seen it yet.

Speaker 1:

Same.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, but I I used to work sex crime, juvenile sex crimes. I did it for five years at the Sheriff's office and it's the most heartbreaking thing that you could ever do and I honestly looked at everybody like a purpose.

Speaker 1:

It's impossible not to write.

Speaker 2:

It's impossible, yeah, it's impossible not to. I took my kids shopping. It was small and I always had them. I was I was a very technical part and so I had him hang on the basket my little one in the top of the basket. Shopping the inversion shop, some guy walked past us and he was just looking at my kids and just smiling.

Speaker 1:

And I said oh, no, you didn't.

Speaker 2:

So, like a dummy, I left my kids and I walked around and I jacked a guy up. He's like man. I'm sorry, I don't even remember what I told the guy.

Speaker 1:

But he's like man.

Speaker 2:

I thought it was great, A daddy with his kids and you know. But right, and I'm like, I walked away, I went and finished shopping. I didn't think about it until I was on my way home.

Speaker 1:

Mm-hmm.

Speaker 2:

And I said man that was really dumb. You know, I said that guy was probably innocent and I'm looking at him like a pervert.

Speaker 1:

It's like I said it's got to be, so hard not to, though I mean it truly once you see those kinds of things and you know what people are capable of and you know it's very different for someone like me who just hears stories.

Speaker 2:

Right.

Speaker 1:

You really know these stories. You know them as they're not stories, they're facts, they're their occurrences. You know that that leaves some scars on your heart for sure, and and. I think absolutely. You know I can't imagine anybody not being deeply affected, especially when you're, when you're a dad or a mom, you know, whatever the case is that you know you're already protective of your kids and when you really know what people are capable of, it's really hard to. I don't know how do you shut that off? So I would say no.

Speaker 1:

I would say I commend you for, you know, for being that proactive of a dad. I'm sure that guy probably didn't appreciate it in that moment.

Speaker 2:

It's a story from the telly. Yeah, all I did was smile.

Speaker 1:

Well, you know what, if that guy didn't have kids at the time when that happened and he had them later, I'll bet you anything he understood it. Then you know, once he had his own kids, I bet he understood it completely.

Speaker 2:

So, yeah, and if he's listening to this, I apologize, buddy, I didn't know that was a different mind-frame, gary apologize, buddy, you're fine, you're fine, I'll teach you.

Speaker 1:

Next time Don't smile, I'll teach you next time. Don't smile at my kids. Don't ever do that again.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, but you know, don't everybody's gonna see this You're gonna see my kids. They're gonna go on. I'm gonna follow you.

Speaker 1:

I'm gonna turn away real quick. That's right. My husband always does one of these. When I do crazy things like that, I'm like don't mess with me, don't mess with me.

Speaker 2:

That's right, I'll get the money.

Speaker 1:

I'll get the money I'll get the money.

Speaker 2:

I'll get the money. I'll get the money. I'll get the money. I don't care.

Speaker 1:

That is hilarious. Let's talk a little bit more about the acting thing, but just slightly changed gears. I wanted to start putting in my notes, I wanted to talk about this, the writer strike and I'll be honest with you, gary, when they first started talking about it, I was like a lot of people and I rolled my eyes and went when, when, when poor babies. I finally did get a little bit more insight and understanding of what's going on and please correct me where I'm wrong, because I'm probably wrong on a lot of this, but a big part of this is about streaming and AI. Is that right?

Speaker 2:

Yes, I hear that's something. That's a lot of AI and streaming. You're correct, and if they had their way, I think AI would take over acting all together. It'd be cheaper and nobody would pay except for the people who do the Exactly, exactly. And it takes the art away from the actors. The actors are in this business not because they have to, because they love it. They love this business and they love entertaining the people. That's what it's all about. And if they can't do that, it's just wrong.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, if they're going to have their likeness essentially robbed from them and not be compensated in any way as they rightly should be if that's the case and I have to admit, with all this AI stuff, I am not one who jumped on board with it.

Speaker 1:

I know I get suckered in on certain different things that I'm not even really fully realizing that I'm using AI. Probably the best example is probably using filters and stuff. So yes, if I apologize if I'm being a hypocrite, yes, I'm going to continue to use the filters. I'm not even sorry, it is what it is. People.

Speaker 2:

It is what it is. That's right. That's right.

Speaker 1:

But as far as using AI to write content and to you know, like write scripts, and it's just so wrong. It is so wrong.

Speaker 2:

I think it's morally wrong. I think it's godly wrong.

Speaker 1:

Yes.

Speaker 2:

Yes, I really believe that, and the good Lord of stairs is watching us and he's watching everything we do. And you know, I want to when I pass, I want to meet the guy I want to be able to let him open his arms up to him. I don't want to go down there, absolutely Right.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I could not possibly agree with you more. I think you're so right, and I feel so strongly the same way about that, that we are opening doors and gateways to things that are just so beyond wrong. And the scary part is so many people don't see it. They all think, you know, oh, it's nothing, oh it's innocent, oh it's fine, and you know, and those are the steps right, like tolerance and all of that, and yeah, it's a bad path. So I try really hard to not use it for anything, not knowing, like I won't even there was a search engine, I forget which one. Well, I'm sure they all use it now, but the first one that actually alerted me that they were using or giving the option to use AI for whatever. I think it was like Bing or something, and I kept popping up the screen that says why not use AI to help you? You know, find blah, blah, blah. I'm like no no, no thank you, I can do it myself.

Speaker 2:

Right, right, right yeah. I mean who's to say they're not cloning us right now.

Speaker 1:

Exactly, exactly. Yeah, that's so true. I mean, we don't know. You know, when you're watching, let's say, oh, I don't know the president or somebody I don't know, I just threw that one out there. I don't know why, I don't know why, I don't know why either, I don't know, but you think that that's who you're watching on the screen, is it? You know?

Speaker 2:

is it really? You know, those glitches are pretty interesting, oh I know for sure, it's Kamala.

Speaker 1:

It's Kamala, right? Oh, so yeah, the things that they can do now and probably have been able to do for quite some time and we were unaware of it Now we're just becoming aware of it's becoming you know, information for us to now have, you know, just like the UFOs, you know suddenly, UFOs, oh, by the way, hey, let's have this big hearing. What do they call them? They don't even call them UFOs, they're calling them something else. I forgot.

Speaker 2:

It's totally something else, I guess. Ufo, I guess, is one of those words that we can't use anymore. Oh, it hit the list of unacceptable words. Okay, now I'm definitely losing it. Now I must lose it it hurts feelings.

Speaker 1:

Yeah yeah, so they came out. That actually cracks me up and I know we've kind of strayed from what we were talking about. But I don't, we don't care, we don't care, we're having fun.

Speaker 2:

We're doing whatever we want here, that's right.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, isn't that funny. How, like the government after, like you know, decades, no, no, ufos, nope, nope.

Speaker 2:

Nope.

Speaker 1:

Hey guys, you know never mind what's going on over here, Guess what UFOs are real.

Speaker 2:

We got distractions.

Speaker 1:

We got distractions, yeah, and the best part about that is, the whole world was like yeah, we know. Anyhow, anyhow, back to what we were trying to hold you accountable for. You know, we don't care about the UFOs. We already knew that was real and that you'd be asking us this whole time.

Speaker 2:

Now, now I gotta tell you you know, they really all over President Trump right now with these indictments and everything, but they got the. They don't have the evidence on him, but they got all the evidence in the world when the Biden corrupt family right. And uh, and he's not doing anything. Now I've write my senators and congressman and they probably is taught a seeing letters, but I speak my mind you know, I'm like you know y'all all talk and no action.

Speaker 2:

All you're doing is setting hearings right now a congressional hearing. Which a congressional hearing is nothing. All it is is Is this telling the people what they want to hear? Mm-hmm you know, and that's it. You can't, they can't prosecute, and so I'm. You know why?

Speaker 1:

hold it, use the evidence and get, get a, get a outside prosecutor, and prosecute Mm-hmm you know, yeah, it makes you, it really makes you just shake your head and in Outraged frustration that, my god, is that corruption that deep, that widespread, that far that you can't find somebody who will prosecute, who will take this to the next step and do what is so obvious to so many of us? And, and you know the answer, I mean you know most people are at a point now like yeah, yeah, anytime they say you know impeachment hearings or possibility of that, or hunter being, you know, get where's his mugshot right, yeah and and and.

Speaker 1:

Now everybody you know, and this, what happens? That the apathy sets in. They're like okay, I believe, when I see it, whatever, and you have the right idea that you're not letting it drop. You're doing what we all should be doing really like, really on them about that's correct.

Speaker 2:

We're the people. This is our country, this is not their country. This is our country. They hear to represent us, to work for us, and we Tell them what we do. Another thing I wrote them and I'm what and I didn't write, I'm yet I'm fixing to Is I had a copy of the salaries of everybody in the White House. It is outrageous, it's insane. Right, it's just for the job that they're doing. They're not doing the job. So, and I'm like you know who voted on these races.

Speaker 2:

We don't we, the people, should vote on these raises, not Congress, right, the people who are making the money. It should be we, the people. So yeah, so yeah, isn't?

Speaker 1:

you know, the isn't the whole Point of contention here, that these people should not be Leaving richer than what they came in. Yeah, they should not be walking out of office as millionaires, millionaires, and yet they are. You know, and, and as you said, you know, we, we keep saying these things, we, we keep talking about it, we keep saying that we're frustrated, but you know, nothing is happening, nothing's changing. We still keep electing these people, which?

Speaker 1:

shame on us, obviously, and we just let them get away with it, and I don't understand it. I really don't.

Speaker 2:

We got to get everybody to start writing letters. You know, and I'm not saying go out and do the crazy stuff they did last summer, and you know that's, that's ridiculous right you know that's animalistic to me, but take it right letters, do it the right way.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Taking right letters to your congressman senator. We're not gonna vote for you, no more. You're done right. You know, unless you get all of this done here I mean it's you know, we have we, we, the people will speak and you gonna listen to us.

Speaker 1:

Oh, we're gonna vote you out. Yeah, absolutely. I hope at least one of them is listening right now or catch this wind of this. We're putting you on notice. We're putting them on notice putting you on notice. Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Might even make it part of the sitcom.

Speaker 1:

That's we could if we wanted. It's ours, we can do whatever we want. Well, I probably yeah yeah, that'll be the shortest live sitcom that ever Didn't get to exist.

Speaker 2:

Like I did Roseanne.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, right, yeah, look how fast she got canceled, man.

Speaker 2:

I know, I know she's a firecracker too. She's still fighting and I love you really is.

Speaker 1:

She's not backing down which?

Speaker 2:

I.

Speaker 1:

I would say now. So personally I do like her, but I would say that even if I didn't like her, I sure as heck would respect her because she does not back down one bit.

Speaker 2:

One bit. I love that.

Speaker 1:

I love that.

Speaker 2:

That is great.

Speaker 1:

Never back then, that's right, that's a big thing. You know, I talked to somebody recently Actually it was a while ago, everything is either recent, recently or the other day. With me it was like a year ago but I somebody I interviewed, you know, talked about exactly that and he said you know, the one mistake that so many leaders make I'm trying to remember the example, I guess it doesn't matter, but is to is that they apologize when you know when the left comes for them with their insanity. You know their speech, police and their, you know political correctness. And the mistake that so many people make is Apologizing. And you know, and that's rule number one, you don't apologize. One, you don't apologize for statements you never made, because they love to use the straw man argument. You know, if you say I love the police, they can't. They come at you and say, oh, so what you're saying is that you know you think black people should be, you know, incarcerated, and it's like what you know, that's that's a legit, that's a true tactic that they use.

Speaker 1:

They try to get you to defend statements that you never made. You know, and that's what they do to these people. And then they apologize and at the minute you do that, they've won.

Speaker 2:

They won, you know, and that's exactly it. You can't, you can't, let them you can't do it. No, you gotta stick to your guns, stick to your grand stick. What do you believe? What you believe in? Yeah, yeah, this morally, and it's godly, stick to it.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely. Yeah, if you know it's for good and it's for right and it's absolutely a hundred percent, and that's that. So, yeah, I think we can sneak, sneak that into our sitcom a little bit. All right, my friend, how long have I kept you talking? Oh, my goodness, I keep you talking forever. So we're gonna split this up. I'm probably gonna split this up in little little sections for everybody, because we covered so many topics that I think we can do that wonderfully.

Speaker 2:

And you know I was. I was telling you I was taking that film right in class Because I never thought I'd be able to do it. But I had an idea for a movie oh to do, and it's it's. It's about a veteran cop, it's a bit more of a message and it's about a veteran cop you know, who teams up with Reluctantly retains up with a know-it-all rookie cop just come out of the academy.

Speaker 2:

You know and and two worlds. I mean they kind of collide, because the old-school way of policing was totally different than the touchy-feely like they do today.

Speaker 2:

Yes you know, and and it's just, it's just, they take a class, you know, and they go through calls and they get calls in the captain's office. You know you work together. Well, you know, there's different scenarios that I'm gonna have in there and it's gonna be a comedy, but it's gonna be your action to it same time. Nice, at the end I'll give you, at the end, something's gonna happen to the veteran and, of course, I won't be the actor for the veteran guy and they're gonna yeah so At the end I'm either going you know the car is gonna get shot, or you have a heart attack, or you just tires or whatever.

Speaker 2:

I don't know, I don't mind yet. And then the rookie cop kind of Start seeing things Like maybe he was right. You know, I can't do this this way, I gotta do it that way.

Speaker 1:

I'll tell you now, as much as people love to claim that they hate the police and all of that stuff, those always do well. Those always do well. People always love to see that stuff. So, yeah, get cracking on that.

Speaker 2:

So yeah, so yeah, and I called this writer guy, the director and all that and he, you know, he's giving me a little class on it and, girlman, I'm learning a lot and writing. So you know log lines and tag lines and you know stuff like that and I'm like I never knew all that existed and I thought you just wrote. You know Right?

Speaker 1:

yeah, I know, you know what I'll tell you, what I have like so many things saved to, you know, like online courses and software and all those things that I'm like I've got to figure out how to do this right instead of how I'm doing it. And you know, and I love screenwriters the people that I know that do screenwriting and they're like, oh, it's so much easier than writing a book. I'm like, really Okay.

Speaker 2:

Like I actually find.

Speaker 1:

So the words I find easy. It's the structure that I don't quite understand. So that's the part. Did that make sense? I think that made sense.

Speaker 2:

Right, yeah, okay, that makes sense.

Speaker 1:

Yep, uh-huh, yeah, I mean you know, for me books are easy. You just, you know, just write. You have your margins and your, you know there's different indentation and the font that you use, like there's all kinds of things and hammer angles that you have. Yeah, it's a lot to it. Yeah, as you know.

Speaker 2:

Yep, and I'm gonna do another one on my wrestling career.

Speaker 1:

Oh, cool oh my gosh. You have to come back a third time.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Because we still haven't talked about the wrestling career. I know we haven't, yeah.

Speaker 2:

I know that. Send me another email with the quickie date. I will definitely. I've loved it. I just enjoy being on your show.

Speaker 1:

I know we have so much fun, I love it.

Speaker 2:

I know we do we have just wait till we get on the sitcom.

Speaker 1:

Oh yeah, oh my gosh, it's gonna be a lot of fun. I'll be giving Amy a call this week. She had stuff going on last week so yeah. So I'm gonna reach out this week.

Speaker 2:

Definitely Good. Amy's a sweet lady.

Speaker 1:

She very she seems really sweet. She is Very excited.

Speaker 2:

And Jennifer who puts it all together for us, and great people. I worked for them when they did the desk, when we did the desk, so they were the director and producers of it.

Speaker 1:

Great, great people. Yay, I love you for putting me in touch with them and giving us this potential opportunity to do something with it, so I have a lot of potential for a lot of fun stuff here.

Speaker 2:

Yes, it is, yes, it is.

Speaker 1:

All right, so listen, I've got you on tap now. I've got you on record saying that. I get you back again.

Speaker 2:

So everybody heard it, I do. That's good, Everybody saw it everybody heard.

Speaker 1:

They know that's right, awesome, awesome, all right, gary, thank you so much for coming on today and I look forward to all the fun things that you have coming up and the fun stuff that we have coming up. So, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Speaker 2:

Thank you for having me, elsa. It's an honor and a pleasure to be on your show.

Speaker 1:

Anytime, always an open invite.

Speaker 2:

Thank you ma'am.

Speaker 1:

Okay, guys, thank you so much for watching with us. We will see you in the next episode, and don't forget to hit the subscribe button. And don't forget to click on all of those links that I'm putting in the show notes for you to go check out Gary and all his acting fun, cool stuff. So we'll see you guys next time. Take care, will see you later.

Acting Journey and Sitcom Plans
Retirement, Film Projects, and Self-Deprecation
Concerns About AI and Government Corruption
Beliefs, Writing, and Future Projects