First off – do you have any projects/stuff you want to discuss/let folks know about?
At the beginning of the year I started building my own production company. It was born out of Covid – no one was working – the industry was shut down for a while. I had a bunch of ideas and talked to a friend of mine that was an agent about them. I didn’t want to shop around ideas – I wanted to hit the ground running. So I have 12 ideas/show concepts that we can now use to fill any voids people may have.
Any stand out?
I’m in the process of doing a documentary on the MTV Rock N’ Jock show. There’s so much history and so many stories no one knows about. It’s crazy, 30 years later people still refer to the show today. When people talk about sports all-star competitions, they always mention the show.
So, I partnered with the creator of Rock N’ Jock, Patrick Burns, and hope the show will be intriguing to younger fans and for those that remember those games. I joke that it’s like when my kids listen to music that samples songs from 20 years ago – Rock N’ Jock is sampled like that today by sports leagues.
I remember seeing Chris Fowler at the Kentucky Derby years ago. I thought “Holy crap it’s Chris Fowler!” He came up to me and told me then that ESPN was launching a new station called ESPN2 that was based off of the Rock N’ Jock show. I joked with him and asked if I was getting paid for the idea! He said “No. I just wanted to let you know.”
You’ve acted and directed – which do you prefer most and why?
It depends. I enjoy being in front of the camera – I always dreamed of being an actor. I enjoy hosting when it’s something I’m the right fit for – when I get to be me rather than dressing me up in a suit and tie and making me a square peg in a round hole.
The MTV Sports job – I got to be free-wheeling. I got to say what I wanted to say and when I made fun of the players I told them no one was going to get made fun of more than me. I liked that on that show you could see the human side of the athletes.
Now, I’m probably less interested in being in front of the camera. I look at myself in the mirror and ask myself when I became my dad!
What about your Pittsburgh roots has influenced the way you approach acting and your work in general?
I think it’s the work ethic. I was the youngest of four – my dad was an Italian immigrant. I had to find my own way around growing up. My parents just figured that I would figure things out. When I was 12 I got a job at the Sewickley Country Club. I wanted a Panasonic boom box and started off shining shoes then became a caddy there.
The first time I was number one on the call sheet was for a comedy called Rock Me Baby. I remember talking to the cast on the first day – I told them three things. First, make sure you read the script before you come in. Comedy writers put in late hours to create them. Next, leave the prima donna shit at the door – no complaining about the food choices or the size of your trailer. And lastly, have fun – it’s a comedy after all!
Much of that mindset was from growing up in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is a humble place – my dad was my high school principal. I worked in a steel mill for two years making 11 dollars an hour. When I went to college the guys I worked with told me they’d kick my ass if they saw me back there.
Very Good Will Hunting!
Exactly yeah! The work ethic of the people in Pittsburgh – they’re humble and hard workers. People say they are the salt of the earth. I say they are more like the hot peppers of the earth. Treat them wrong and they’ll burn your ass!
Looking at the influx of Pittsburgh talent now across Hollywood and movies being filmed in Pittsburgh, are you surprised at the growing impact of Pittsburgh in film and where do you see it going next?
I’m not surprised. Growing up I had so many friends that were crazy-talented. They just needed a chance. I love it. I go through breakdowns now to look at new shows and talent. I saw two shows recently that were Pittsburgh-based, but shot in London. Why? My ideal job was to move back to Pittsburgh and do a show there.
It’s great though to see Pittsburgh getting recognized and getting a voice. When I’m out here and talk to folks from Pittsburgh, it’s like the Pittsburgh mafia. You know it when you’re from the ‘Burgh.
Do you talk to a lot with other Pittsburgh-based actors/Hollywood folks? I spoke to Seth Meyers about a Steelers support group in Hollywood and Joe Manganiello said he gets Steelers texts from you!
Joe and I text and DM more than we talk. My wife and I decided on New Years though that we should surprise some people and FaceTime our friends. We were doing East Coast New Years here in the West Coast. With three kids we shut it down at 9:30!
We called Joe first and after two rings he answered. He was there eating sliders and said “Holy shit! What are you guys up to?” We had a great conversation. It’s funny because I’m not sure Joe and I met formally. He wrote something for my book though. Most of our conversations revolve round the Steelers. “Did you see the game this weekend?” Then we talk about what they should be doing better.
You played football and basketball in high school and played quarterback at North Carolina as well. How did you leverage your sports background into your Hollywood career – especially with your work on MTV Sports?
It helped a lot. On MTV Sports most of the sports were extreme sports, but I was still somewhat athletic then and could do some of those sports. On Rock N’ Jock I was more excited, to be honest, to meet the athletes than the rock and movie stars. We had big-time players there like Derek Jeter, Cecil Fielder, Barry Bonds… When I made a nice play and they said “Nice job!” it was an ego boost. Better than when an actor tells me I did a good job on a scene.
And there aren’t a whole lot of actors that played football in college – that were sports guys. So I was able to leverage that a bit.
How would you describe yourself as a fan? I spoke to Seth Meyers who said he used to be awful to be around during games but has chilled out since then. Does your wife dare to be in the same room when you watch games?
I am the same way! I used to insist that I watch games alone. I’m better now – I think that comes with age.
I had someone ask me if I was from Pittsburgh not too long ago. I said “Yeah.” They asked if I was a Steelers fan. I said “Yeah.” Then they asked if I was a diehard fan. I told them there was no other type! No fan kind of likes the team. You’re either die-hard or nothing.
When I moved to Los Angeles I told my brother to send me a case of the 16-ounce Iron City Steelers commemorative cans. I needed to have one every time I watched a game!
What are your thoughts on the season so far?
This season I’m more optimistic than many fans. I like the way the quarterback situation played out. It played out as it needed to. It’s had because I liked all three horses in the race. I played college football with Mason’s dad so I have a soft spot in my heart for him. I don’t think he got the best of deals in Pittsburgh, let’s put it that way, as far as getting a chance there. And he wasn’t exactly welcomed in even at the start,
Mitch – he was a UNC guy like me. So I liked pulling for him. But at the end of the day I want Kenny in. I liked the other guys but I understood what they did – he needed a shot. No slight on those other guys but if they wanted him to sit and learn from a veteran, it wasn’t like he was learning behind a Hall of Fame quarterback like Ben. He’s better than those other guys anyway, and he’s 24 years old. He’s not a young guy. Tomlin even said they liked him in part because he was more ready to play.
Kenny came in with some piss and vinegar. I told my wife that when he came in the fans would go nuts, and they did. Then he ran and put his head down and scored two touchdowns. He endeared himself to the city. He’s not a prima donna. It’s not the dire situation I think many feel it is in Pittsburgh.
What have been some of the best Steelers moments or stories that mean the most to you outside of obvious Super Bowl wins?
A personal one for me – we went to see one Steelers game when I was a kid. We didn’t have a lot of money. It ended up being an overtime game at Three Rivers against the Browns. There were so many fights between fans!
The Steelers ended up winning on a flea flicker – Bradshaw hit Bennie Cunningham for touchdown. That was when they had so much room that they parked cars behind the end zone!
Any personal/fun experiences with any Steelers players over the years?
In ’95 I did an episode for MTV Sports at Three Rivers during training camp. It was like living a dream. I was still in decent shape. I told Coach Cowher that I’d only pull guys from practice when it was convenient and that I’d stay out of the way when I was practicing with the players. He told me “No. If you’re taking part in practice, you’re going to do the drills.” He was serious.
I nearly died after doing the drills and hitting the sleds. Then they were running gassers – I figured I’d run with the kickers but Cowher told me I needed to run with the receivers and defensive backs. I started off and ran faster than them all at first. But then I started cramping up – it was terrible. After that Cowher came up to me and said “I can’t believe you did that! I was just kidding!” I barely made it to my flight after that – I could hardly move and was in these sweaty clothes when I got on the plane.
That was the year they ended up going to the Super Bowl. I went to two Steelers Super Bowls and we lost them both. My brother told me after the last one that I’m not allowed to go to any more Steelers Super Bowls!
A couple of other funny moments from that too. Neil O’Donnell’s sister used to work for Calvin Klein so Neil had a bunch of Calvin Klein underwear in his locker so we made fun of him for that. He laughed and took that well.
And Cowher told me before I left that he could see I had a better future in television than football. He told me that “The guys feel better about their chances to make the team after seeing me out there!”
Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades. To order, just click on the book:
