Toby and Jay talked about art and trying to see art (and life) from unique perspectives. Jay calls Toby a weirdo. And, like a weirdo, he accepts it as the compliment which is what it was actually meant to be. We talk about failing at school, meeting a guy called Magic who makes pipes out of antlers, and working as a janitor in a church and 10000 other blue collar jobs before he became a great actor and artist. We also talk about his love affair with creativity and imagining he’s Frank Sinatra’s bastard son. Bio: Toby Huss is from Marshalltown Iowa and paints and acts in movies sometimes and streaming or tv shows at others and has a photobook, American Sugargristle, coming out this fall. Also most likely a record of original songs and some covers. This is his third time appearing on the Jay Kogen Celebrity Cook-Off.

Entertainment Journalist and all around funny guy Kliph Nesteroff talks about a Canadian kid who got into collecting stories of strange and eccentric show business events. We both talk about our short lived stand-up days. Capturing worthwhile memories, and how Milton Berle was a jerk. I also stump Kliph when I ask him what else he would care about if I took show business stories away.Bio: Kliph Nesteroff is an author and comedy historian, best known for his 2015 history of stand-up, The Comedians. His latest book, just released, is titled Outrageous: A History of Showbiz and the Culture Wars.

David, fresh off of a weekend with Donny Osmond talks about a lifetime of celebrities. Idolizing them, meeting them, interviewing them, befriending them and eventually making them stars once again on his grammy specials. We also talk Neil Diamond, Joni Mitchell, Frank Sinatra, and Phil Rosenthal plus a special surprise call from Brad Paisley! Bio: David Wild is a Peabody and Emmy-winning television writer and producer, a New York Times best-selling author and prominent pop culture commentator. Wild was a College Scholar graduate of Cornell University who then worked at Esquire and Rolling Stone where he served as Music Editor and wrote numerous cover stories for over two decades. Since 2000, Wild has also been writing and producing well over a hundred high profile TV specials including all of The Grammy Awards since 2001, working with Grammy hosts from Jon Stewart to Queen Latifah to LL Cool J to James Corden to Trevor Noah, as well as countless other award shows and network specials including The Academy Awards and The Emmy Awards. Wild has received numerous Emmy nominations for his work, and was most recently nominated in 2021 as a producer for The Grammy Awards, that same year winning a Daytime Emmy that same year as a writer for The Independent Film Spirit Awards. In 2021, Wild was also an Executive Producer for Shine A Light, CNN's acclaimed 9/11 tribute special hosted by Jake Tapper, marking 20 years since Wild received his first-ever Emmy nomination as Head Writer for 2001's Peabody and Emmy-winning America: A Tribute To Heroes.  Since 2022, Wild has co-hosted the “Naked Lunch” podcast with Phil Rosenthal — their “Lunch” guests have included Jimmy Kimmel, Jane Fonda and Keanu Reeves, to name just a few. And just before the WGA Strike of 2023, Wild served as Head Writer for hosts Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks on the ACM Awards. Wild has written numerous best-selling books both as an author and co-author, including New York Times best-sellers with the cast of "Friends" and Brad Paisley, as well as penning liner notes for artists including The Rolling Stones, Ringo Starr, Hall & Oates, Fleetwood Mac, LL Cool J, Aerosmith and Stevie Wonder. Wild lives in Los Angeles with his wife Fran and their two sons.From Straw Hut Media

Eugene Garcia-Cross talks about growing up in Pennsylvania, losing his dad early, and becoming a literature professeur only to give it all up to be a Hollywood comedy writer. Only to wind up writing books on the side. He also talks about struggling as a 35-year-old assistant, how to be patient for the next job. making the most out of the writers room and having good times even on bad shows.Bio:  Eugene Garcia-Cross despite being born in Pennsylvania is an optimist. He received an MFA in fiction from the University of Pittsburgh, became a teacher and then threw it all away to pursue his dream of throwing it all away which forced him to find something else and that was becoming a professional writer. The author of the story collection Fires of Our Choosing, he lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two sons. As a TV writer, Eugene has written for NBC, the Disney Channel, and NBC’s Peacock streaming service.  His new novel, “Miss Me Forever” is on sale now.

Nicole talks about the difference between creation and nervous activity and how hard it is to distinguish between the two. We also talk about procrastination, Elvis Costello, the need to let ideas simmer, collaborating on a show, making an album, the meaning of music, the tricks to productivity, and the joy of baby steps. Bio: For two decades, Nicole Atkins has created her own brand of spectral American rock & roll. She's an old-school torch singer for the modern world, funneling her award-winning songwriting chops and genre-spanning influences — including psychedelic rock, Muscle Shoals soul, the pop grandeur of Roy Orbison, and the dark drama of Nick Cave — into six albums that have earned a global audience. Regularly featured on year-end "best of" lists by Rolling Stone, NPR, and The New York Times, Atkins has collaborated with artists from across the musical spectrum, including David Byrne, Chris Isaak, Spoon, Elvis Costello, Tommy Stinson, and the Old 97's. The title track of her major-label debut album won The ASCAP Foundation Sammy Cahn Award, and her songs have appeared in prime-time TV shows like Dexter, national ad campaigns for American Express, and on the Billboard charts, with tracks like "Domino" becoming Top 40 AAA hits. A road warrior who has performed everywhere from Carnegie Hall to Late Night With David Letterman, Atkins is also a professional illustrator and painter whose work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal and No Depression.

We talk about how to pronounce Bowie, the love of Monty Python, Elvis Costello, growing up in New York, the Ramones. John’s new play, Brushstroke, my love of John’s wife, Jamie Denbo, John’s possible love of Jay’s wife if he ever meets her, John Cleese, John’s dad who wanted to be an actor but never did it but then turned John on to great movies, the freedom of giving up on expectations, and how they should be friends but weren’t… yet.Bio:John Ross Bowie is an actor and writer originally from New York City. TV: “The Big Bang Theory,” “Speechless,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” two “CSIs,” “Feel Good” (Netflix), “Brooklyn 99,” “Generation,” “Reno911,” and others. FILM: Jumanji: The Next Level, The Heat, He’s Just Not That Into You, and What the Bleep Do We Know? THEATER: Inherit the Wind (Pasadena Playhouse) Life Sucks (Interact Theatre Company) Laughter on the 23rd Floor (Garry Marshall Theater), Bad Person (Riot Act) John’s memoir No Job for a Man was published in 2022 by Pegasus Books. If you must: @johnrossbowie on Instagram.

Paul and Jay discuss looking like losers and feeling like winners, and wearing clothes to match your goals and garner respect, being authentic, Mt. Clemens, Michigan, directing, collaborations, why Paul prefers dinners with girls, why I’ll have to fly to London to see him again, his next movie, his wife Laurie, drinking Artingstall Gin, Paul’s “Cocktail Time!” booze recipe book, and what made us think we could ever be funny.

We talk about trying to stay positive in a down comedy market, how Jay did or didn’t fit in writing a pilot with much younger people, what started the desire to perform, inspirations, Boy Meets World, and the trick to showbiz is just never leaving. Bios: Lucy Blehar is an actor, writer, and musician from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (home of Heinz Ketchup). She received her BFA in acting from DePaul University in Chicago where she made her TV debut as a murdered sex worker on NBC’s Chicago P.D. Since moving to LA in 2016, Lucy has studied and performed at The Groundlings, co-hosted a popular comedy show called "Titty Committee," and performed in various independent films and series. Lucy co-created and starred in the live show “Dickmatized,” with Mary and Kyle which had a sold out run at UCB before the global pancetta. Lucy plans to sort out her stomach issues this year once and for all.Kyle Kasabian is an LA based actor, writer & director who has been performing live comedy in Los Angeles since 2013. He is a regular writer/performer at the Upright Citizen's Brigade Theatre for shows such as Maude Night, Characters Welcome, Dickmatized, and the wildly popular Dynasty Typewriter show, Bad Drag Race. As an actor, Kyle has been seen on Peacock's "Girls5Eva" and has written for Nickelodeon, CBS, and BYUtv. His most recent project, "Oversharing" is being developed as a TV series by Merman, Naomi Odenkirk, & Jay Kogen, along with a webseries that has appearances from Sarah Silverman, Kate Flannery, and other comedy talents.Mary Ryan is an actress, writer, and producer from the second smallest state in the US, Delaware. After pursuing a BFA in Acting from Ithaca College, she studied improv and sketch at The Upright Citizen’s Brigade. Mary has worked on numerous projects, including, co-writing and starring in her first feature, "Mary Tyler Millennial."  Mary co-wrote and performed the stage show “Dickmatized,” with Lucy and Kyle, with a sold out two year run at UCB. By day, you can find her hustling as a personal assistant, but by night she is frantically writing silly sketches and performing comedy to make her dreams come true!From Straw Hut Media

We discuss our friendship since 1985, teaching at USC, the graphic novel “Defiant” about slave Robert Smalls who stole a southern ship and gave it to the north, Rob’s analytical brain, being teamed with a monster, being fooled by a first meeting, insane show runners with guns on the table, being a black writer, the sunk cost fallacy, making The Princess & The Frog, Will Smith vs Martin Lawrence vs Chris Rock and the slap, AI asking, “What is art?”, wine lessons, and oxtail fried rice! Bio: ROB EDWARDS is a veteran of movies and television who wrote and produced shows including "The Fresh Prince", "Full House", and "In Living Color" before writing two classic animated films for WALT DISNEY FEATURE ANIMATION, the Academy Award, and Golden Globe-nominated THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG, and the Academy Award-nominated TREASURE PLANET. He consulted on TANGLED, WRECK-IT RALPH, and FROZEN. He also wrote and directed the award-winning animated short film THE PARK BENCH and is currently writing projects for LEGION M, SHOWTIME, SONY, MOFAC, Chris Rock, Lengi, and MARVEL STUDIOS. He is an adjunct professor of screenwriting at the Newhouse School at Syracuse University and the School of Cinematic Arts at USC.

Comedian Kevin Nealon talks about being an older dad, and the butt of all jokes, bad impressions, secret to stand-up comedy, stumbling into SNL and making Weekend Update and how good Germany smells. Bio:Emmy and SAG-nominated actor, comedian, and author Kevin Nealon is best known for his nine-year stint as a cast member of NBC's Saturday Night Live, and has received critical acclaim for his roles in Weeds, Man With A Plan, Glenn Martin DDS. He has two stand-up specials and produces and hosts digital series Hiking with Kevin, and tours his stand-up globally. He’s also an artist, an author, and probably an inventor although no one’s ever asked him. Currently, Kevin resides in Los Angeles with his wife and son.

On this episode we talk about making art for artsake. Suzy convinces Jay to start a second career as an actor and demands I put myself in my own show. We also talk about Chicago, Crate and Barrel, reliving one year, old people holding tissues all the time, and the greatest show about masturbation ever created.Bio: Born and raised in Chicago, Suzy moved to Los Angeles where she began guest starring on television. She now has over 100 credits, including series regular roles on Go On, Help Me Help You, Dr. Ken and HBO’s Avenue 5. In addition to her guest star roles, she has recurred on numerous episodics including The West Wing, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Goldbergs, Black-ish, Veep, Modern Family, Snowfall, and Dead to Me. After finishing a successful run of POTUS on Broadway, she starred with Michael Keaton in Knox Goes Away, and lent her voice to the soon-to-be-released animated series Exploding Kittens on Netflix.From Straw Hut Media

Comedian/Author Gary Gulman and Jay compare their latchkey childhoods with memories of being alone, watching endless TV and worrying about whether the real world would have more channels. We also talk about needing to be funny, the excitement of being on a soundstage for the first time, how one of us was built to play basketball, and how we owe our parents nothing but do a million things for them anyway.Bio: Gary Lewis Weston Gulman is a comedian’s comedian. His legendary routine about State Abbreviations went viral on Conan a few years ago. His special The Great Depresh about his bout with severe depression broke new ground comedy and his new special “Born on Third” and his book “Misfit” look back on his childhood as a very poor Jew in the Boston area. Gary lives in New York with his wife Sade (not that one) and plays basketball everywhere he goes.From Straw Hut Media

Bryan talks about commiting to craft and giving up on whether you get the gig. We compare notes about growing up in the valley without adult supervision, writing, why celebrities feel better with other celebrities, the difference between Tequila and Mezcal, having kids in the arts, getting your heart broken in 5th grade, the lessons of struggling, and only doing what you are passionate about. Also we chat about the fact that, sometimes, you have to play a character just to get through real life.Bio: Bryan Cranston is an Academy Award nominee, and an Emmy, Screen Actors Guild, Tony, and Olivier Award winner. He most recently starred on the second season of Showtime’s hit drama series, Your Honor, which he also executive produced. On the big screen, Cranston re-teamed with Wes Anderson and starred in his ensemble feature, Asteroid City - which premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and was released by Focus Features and Universal Pictures globally. Additionally, Cranston stars in Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle which will be released by Apple TV+ on February 2. Cranston made his Broadway debut as President Lyndon B. Johnson in All the Way and produced the HBO film adaptation through his production company, Moonshot Entertainment. In 2018, Cranston starred as the iconic Howard Beale in Ivo van Hove’s Network on London’s West End and on Broadway. Cranston is best known for his portrayal of two very different characters - Hal on the sit-com Malcolm in the Middle, and Walter White on the drama series, Breaking Bad. Cranston is a New York Times bestselling author of A Life in Parts, where he revisits the many parts he’s played on and off camera. In 2019, Cranston and his Breaking Bad co-star, Aaron Paul, released an artisanal Mezcal, “Dos Hombres”, which has grown to become the 5th bestselling mezcal in the United States.From Straw Hut Media

Rizwan how he got from Calgary to Hollywood, how he stopped playing terrorists and started playing himself, how serious actors who have the knack for funny can make it, and how Jay needs to reconsider acting as a profession.Bio: Rizwan Manji is one of Hollywood’s most respected TV and screen actors. He received a Best Guest Actor nomination for his portrayal of Ray Butani, Schitt’s Creek. Manji is perhaps best known for playing the hysterically officious, scheming assistant manager of a call center in the NBC comedy Outsourced. His film Mustache, a Pakistani-American, coming-of-age comedy-drama won the Audience Award in the Narrative Feature competition at SXSW. He will be seen next in Sony Affirm’s Journey to Bethlehem, a live-action, Christmas musical adventure. Other credits include: The Magicians, Mr. Robot, Arrested Development, Charlie Wilson's War, The Tiger Hunter, and Paterson.From Straw Hut Media

Writer/comic Lew Schnieder and Jay talk about the jokes they aren’t allowed to tell and how important being “funny” is to them both. Bio: Lew Schneider is a youthful 62 year old man.From Straw Hut Media

The talented Kevin Nealon comes in for a quick visit in between painting, writing, stand up, acting and being a renaissance man, while Jay… isn’t. They discuss what’s normal and why Jay can’t be. Bio: Emmy and SAG-nominated actor, comedian, and author Kevin Nealon is best known for his nine-year stint as a cast member of NBC's Saturday Night Live, and has received critical acclaim for his roles Weeds, Man With A Plan, Glenn Martin DDS. He has two stand-up specials and produces and hosts digital series Hiking with Kevin, and tours his stand-up globally. He’s also an artist, an author, and probably an inventor although no one’s ever asked him. Currently, Kevin resides in Los Angeles with his wife and son.From Straw Hut Media

Stephen Root is a genius actor who brought humanity to the character of the outsider. Jay and Stephen share the feeling of being on the outside and how that makes being an artist more insightful but being a guy at a party more of a drag. Stephen talks about the art of acting and auditioning and what it’s like to finally be able to tell the producers “no” when it’s not something he wants to do. Jay, on the other hand, talks about whoring himself out for just about anything which explains why he’s on a podcast in the first place.Bio: Yeah, Stephen Root will be in the business about 47 years this year. He started out in 1976 doing a lot of theater, touring, New York off Broadway, finally Broadway stuff, then some movies and stuff, commercials, what have you. He will probably be remembered for the first half of his career for a couple of Mike Judge projects, Office Space, and King of the HIll. In the second half he did lots of television, some movies and a lot of animation. Probably best remembered in that half for the movie Get Out, and a lot of HBO shows, the last of which was Barry, with Bill Hader and Henry Winkler. That was good, we think. He can be seen recently in the sci-fi show epic called Beacon 23 for MGM plus. Good luck finding that. Still working occasionally he does lots of animation projects, and again some TV and movie stuff. I think that’s it, it’s all we can remember anyway, as Harry Nilsson says, nobody cares about the railroads anymore.From Straw Hut Media

Comedian/Actor Andy Richter shares stories of fame, fans, and family and being a regular guy in an irregular world. Bio: Andy Richter has been working in television comedy for over 30 years as an actor, writer, host and producer.He’s best known as Conan O’Brien’s sidekick, but has been in numerous movies and tv series.He hosts the podcast The Three Questions, which is in its fourth season. He’s married, has 3 children, and lives in Pasadena, California.

Funny Actress/Writer/Improviser Jamie Denbo talks about jumping in the water of acting and writing while also trying to have a decent relationship with your kids.As expected, none of it is easy but Jamie somehow makes it work. Bio: Jamie Denbo currently serves as CO-EP on the 20th season of ABC’s smash hit, Grey’s Anatomy.She was the creator, EP and showrunner of Lifetime’s 10 episode one-hour dramedy series, AMERICAN PRINCESS, which was based on her true-life experiences working on the Renaissance Festival circuit.American Princess was also executive-produced by Jenji Kohan (Orange is the New Black, Weeds).Jamie has written and developed pilots for Showtime, IFC, FX, Comedy Central, FreeForm and CBS.She has also written feature scripts for Universal, Disney and Vendome Pictures. As an actor, Jamie has over 100 on-camera and voice credits.For twelve years, Jamie was one half of the comedy team, "Ronna & Beverly" and has recently brought back "Beverly" as a live solo act.Jamie trained, performed and taught for many years at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, where she met her husband, Hollywood icon, John Ross Bowie. They have two kids and two dogs, and they have a favorite of each.

Jay challenges his son, college senior, Charlie Kogen, to list the top 5 things Jay did wrong (and right) as a father.Along the way they talk about pushing your kid too hard, the pain of spending time apart, fear of the future, and the tyranny of expectations.Jay explores the dichotomy between loving fatherhood and wishing he could trade it for pure friendship with Charlie.Charlie shares the irony of having parents who support you as an musician/artist which oddly makes it tougher to be one because you don’t have that angst of rebellion to drive you.Plus we get to hear some of Charlie’s new music.Bio:Charlie Kogen is a singer/songwriter/producer from Los Angeles, CA.He was been writing songs since he was 13, has gotten a song placed on television, and was a National YoungArts Winner in 2019.For the past several years, Charlie has been performing live with bands and as a solo artist in addition to writing, recording, and self-producing several original songs, all while being a full-time student at Stanford University.