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Movies

Buzz Leer

By Fun, Movies, TV No Comments

This episode is sponsored by Habana Cuba. Get 15% off when you use the code “Gary” online or tell it to your server in person.

You’ve probably seen him on TV or heard his voice. He’s an actor, voice-over artist, model, and so much more. We talked about his career change from being a teacher to acting. We talked about what it was like to go on a date with cameras following him and even the doctor’s office!

Some of the places you might recognize him from:

⚡️ Chicago PD
⚡️ Chicago Med
⚡️ neXt
⚡️ American Greed
⚡️ House Detective

Feature Films:
⚡️ “Christmas is Cancelled” with Dermot Mulroney
⚡️ “Reveler” Shudder TV
⚡️ “Being Ian” Thomas Pace Productions
⚡️ ”Silent as a Grave” BP Productions

Also in this episode:

  • Taking an Uber to the hospital when he was having a heart attack
  • Dating in your 70s
  • Modeling

Watch the YouTube video:

Quotations:

“It’s gonna take a while. Right? And, and it’s doing that, and it’s funny because you are starting a new career, and you’re learning, even at this age, it’s gonna take a while.” Gary Scott Thomas

“I never had anything to do with a stage at all, all the way through high school.” ~Buzz Leer

“I haven’t had as much, uh, opportunity in TV, and that’s what I’m waiting for. I’m just waiting for that moment when they’re gonna give me that opportunity.” ~Buzz Leer

Bio:

Currently in Los Angeles, represented for TV/Film by Carole Dibo Talent Management, Taylor Talent Services for Commercial, Host… Represented in Chicago by Gray Talent Group (TV/Film)10 Management Agency and Looks Pro Models Chicago, IL, The Block Agency, Nashville, Moore Creative, Minneapolis, Betty’s Talent, Miami ….I am currently a working actor, model, voice-over artist, live event host. Moving to Chicago 6 years ago, my recent Chicago live theatre credits include; Citizen / Townsperson, AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE at The Goodman Theatre, Doc Gibb OUR TOWN, Jamie I SAW MY NEIGHBOR ON THE TRAIN AND DIDN’T EVEN SMILE, and Swifty Lazar / Mike Wallace FROST/NIXON at The Redtwist Theatre. Alice Cooper in WAYNES WORLD and the Narrator in OFFICE SPACE at The Uptown Underground Theatre. TV credits include NEXT, Fox TV, Guest Star, Chicago PD, Guest Star, several national/local commercials, and infomercials, and was the Host of HGTV’S HOUSE DETECTIVE for five seasons (65 episodes). Multiple Short and Feature Films, including the most recent low-budget SAG Film, BEING IAN, Supporting Actor, and upcoming Supporting Role in SILENT AS THE GRAVE.

A Minneapolis, MN native and a graduate of The University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND ( BFA Degree/ Acting / Communication).

“Paco” Chierici

By Author, Fun, Military, Movies No Comments

If you loved Top Gun, you’re going to love this episode! F-14 Fighter Pilot Francesco “Paco” Chierici joins Gary Scott Thomas to get our adrenaline going by taking us through the excitement of a “dog fight.” Oh, and did we mention he’s an author, trainer, and video game script writer? He’s lived quite a life so far!

**A dogfight, or dog fight, is a form of engagement between fighter aircraft

In This Episode:

Key Takeaways:

  • How he got the name Paco
  • Being the FNG 
  • What Gforce feels like
  • Dog fights*
  • How to prevent the air from getting the air sucked out of his lungs
  • If there’s a fear 
  • The violence in the cockpit
  • The artistry involved in an aerial dog fight
  • How many people it takes to carry out the mission
  • The real legacy of the first female fighter pilot in the U.S. military to die in a crash
  • How he navigated the geopolitical aspects of the book
  • His thoughts on drones’ effects on pilots
  • One of the coolest moments he experienced
  • Being a fighter pilot trainer
  • Writing a script for a video game
  • His book Lions of the Sky

Quotations:

“I’m one of the very few people in the Navy who never actually got a call sign. I just used my nickname the whole time. So I, they tried. I even crashed an airplane. They couldn’t come up with a call sign.” ~Paco Chierici

“I don’t know why I write. I don’t know why; I just can’t not write.” ~Paco Chierici

“I started when I was 21. I didn’t have any fear. I mean, not really. I had a fear of failure more than anything, but I wasn’t afraid of crashing an airplane.” ~Paco Chierici

“It is so fun. It just washes everything else away. There’s nothing like the feeling of going like 700 miles an hour, a hundred feet off the ground, weaving through a canyon to make you feel Bulletproof.” ~Paco Chierici

“Some famous athlete said, you know, an athlete dies twice, right.” ~Paco Chierici

“You die when you stop playing your sport, and you die when you die, obviously. And that’s the same for a fighter pilot. If you’re lucky, you die twice. If you don’t die flying an airplane, you have to hang up your boots. And that sucks because you feel like you’re giving up something that you’ve dedicated your entire life to.” ~Paco Chierici

“The way I write and the way I tell stories is that I want the reader or the viewer, like with the documentary, to feel like they’re involved in the story.” ~Paco Chierici

Guest’s Bio:

During his active duty career in the U.S. Navy, Francesco “Paco” Chierici flew A-6E Intruders and F-14A Tomcats, deployed to conflict zones from Somalia to Iraq, and was stationed aboard carriers including the USS Ranger, Nimitz, and Kitty Hawk. Throughout his military career, Paco accumulated 3,000 tactical hours, 400 carrier landings, a Southwest Asia Service Medal with Bronze Star, and three Strike/Flight Air Medals. Unable to give up dogfighting, he flew the F-5 Tiger II for a further ten years as a Bandit.

Guest’s Contact Info:

https://www.lionsofthesky.com

Dylan White

By Author, Comedian, Fun, Movies, Sci-Fi No Comments

You know how big of an audiobook fan I am, and I know many of y’all are, too. So, I had to bring Dylan White on my podcast! He’s an author, actor, comedian, and even played the Genie in Disney’s Aladdin musical! Plus, I’m sure you’ve heard his voice on national commercials.

We talked about a variety of things, including Will Smith and aliens. This conversation was so interesting, it flew by! If you’re a fan of Sci-Fi, be sure to listen!

Also in this episode:

  • Being an odd kid
  • Knowing your audience
  • How he came up with the idea for his first book The Orion Abduction.
  • The art of narration (where he would project his voice from to change the sound for each character)
  • Why he didn’t watch the version of Aladdin with Will Smith in it
  • Aliens
  • His writing process
  • Having a teenage girl’s insight
  • The biggest secret skill a man can use when arguing with a woman
  • The technicality of comedy
  • Offending people during comedy shows
  • Looking at the universe from our limited perspective

Quotations:

“I wasn’t like a normal kid.” ~Dylan White

“You gotta know your audience.” ~Dylan White

“The technicality of comedy; you wanna get more laughs per minute or per set as you can. And if it takes you too long to get to your next punch or your next laugh line, you’ll lose an audience.” ~Dylan White

“I didn’t see it [Will Smith’s Aladdin].” ~Dylan White

“I’ve always been fascinated with aliens and UFOs and abductions.” ~Dylan White

“What if we’re the weird ones [instead of aliens]” ~Dylan White

Bio:

After over 10 years of playing the Genie in Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular at Disney California Adventure, Dylan is “out of the blue”—but only in terms of the costume and makeup. Dylan has been on the standup scene for quite some time and uses his snarky Gen-X sensibility to share his unique perspective on divorce, dating after fifty, depression, and everything in between. He is also a successful author and voiceover artist so be sure to follow him on his social media. But not on the street. That’s creepy.

Guest’s Contact Info:

https://www.dylanwhite.com/

Instagram username
@itsdylanwhite

Amazon page

Rich Amooi

By Comedian, Movies No Comments

In This Episode:

  • Being a Wedding DJ, Bridezillas, and a Frustrating Situation Rich Dealt With
  • Why Rich Decided To Use His Real Name Instead of a Woman’s Name
  • How a Woman’s Remark Started his Book “Mr. Crotchety”
  • Being Single For Thirteen Years, Then Marrying the Love of His Life
  • The Importance of Planning and Positivity

Quotations:

“In fact, one of the pieces of advice I got, before I even published my first book, was don’t use your male name because women won’t buy romance from a man.” ~@richamooi.author

“I was happy to lose all of that money just to have them out of my life and not have to think about them anymore.” ~@richamooi.author

“I’m very very happily married to the love of my life, but that actually followed a period where I was single for 13 years.” ~@richamooi.author

“We’re all set in our ways in many regards and sometimes it’s tough to break through that crust in your brain to get to the goodness on the inside that lets you relax.” ~@richamooi.author

“When you’re writing with humor and the world around you is crumbling with negativity and you need to write comedy, it is not easy.” ~ @richamooi.author

“Had to adjust the hook, because he says “in fact” super close to the rest of his sentence “one of the pieces…” ~@richamooi.author

Guest’s Bio:

Rich Amooi is a Taleflick Discovery Winner, Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal Recipient, Holt Medallion Finalist, and the Amazon Bestselling author of 16 romantic comedies, including It’s Not PMS, It’s You, Dying to Meet You, There’s Something About a Cowboy, and Madam Love, Actually.

A former radio personality and wedding DJ, Rich now writes romantic comedies full-time in San Diego, California, and is happily married to a kiss monster imported from Spain. Rich believes in public displays of affection, silliness, infinite possibilities, donuts, gratitude, laughter, and happily ever after.

Guest’s Contact Info:

Twitter Usernames
https://twitter.com/RichAmooi

Instagram Username

@richamooi.author