Subject: WCKG Interview - FM 105.9, Chicago, April 9, 2001

K: Um, see ah, so I I asked my uh people about it and finally I found out there was an audition and I went in and I read with Joan and uh uh we went in there and I had my lines memorized and she didn't and she kept jumping my lines and I I said, at one point I said, "Well, are you ever going to let me say what I'm supposed to say?" and she said (doing his best sassy Joan imitation) "No."

ALL: laugh

K: That was sort of the beginning of a good time right there.

P: Alright. So who else auditioned for this, besides you?

K: Um, I don't know who the other guys were.

P: Yeah.

K: Not quite sure.

P: Well good for you.

K: As far as I know, I don't know how they did it. But uh..

P: You guys done filming for this year?

K: Yeah, we did thirteen, and now we just uh we wait and see uh how the ratings hold up and then uh you know, maybe June or July we might start up again.

P: Now the um, the guy that used to be on One Day At A Time directed a few episodes, right?

K: (laughing)Yeah, Lembeck. He's great.

P: YEAH! Michael Lembeck, I knew it! Mackenzie Phillips' husband on the show.

K: Yeah, you know who his father was, don't you? His father played on Stalag 17 the movie.

P: (uncertain)Yeah?

K: His father was ah remember the guy that danced with uh with the pretend woman?

P: Hmmm, not really.

K: There's a little, there is a guy who ends up...he fantasizes about dancing with uh a pin-up, and then there's another fella next to him. It's his dad. They they look identical anyway you can pick up the film, and it looks just like Michael.

P: Really?

K: But, yeah, that's his father.

P: Now, how many um how many scenes, um I mean how many episodes did he direct?

K: He directed, uh, ah hell....I think he directed the first, ah the first four, five I think.

P: But not all of them, right?

K: No, he didn't direct all of them, no.

P: So there's thirteen total, and the ratings are very, very good. You know it's gonna get picked up for next season.

K: Well, we'll wait and see. That...I...I haven't...you know I never put anything in that until someone calls and says, "Yes, it's picked up." 'Til then, you know I'm just waiting, and I'll see what happens.

P: Because of Early Edition?

K: Well, it's because of all of 'em. I mean you just never know until the last minute.

P: Yeah.

K: You just never know.

P: And um what kind of dog do you have in your backyard that was growling?

I2: In the shed?

P: In the shed.

K: Um, he's a he's a Rhodesian Ridgeback.

P: A WHAT??

I2: OH!

P: Can't stars have normal dogs?

K: Huh?

P: Like a like a Lab. I you know mean movie stars always have weird dogs, you know?

K: This is the closest dog...my wife didn't know I was gettin' a big dog, I told her, "Well, they're neat dogs, they get about the size of a Dalmatian." 'Cause I like big dogs, 'cause I grew up with Great Danes. And ah so we went to pick the dog up and you know, cute little puppy and they're a little bit bigger than Dalmatians.

P: (laughs) Yeah.

K: 'Course she doesn't...she got a little upset when she saw the father. By then the kid's already holding the dog in her arms, so you know (laughs) that was that was a done deal.

P: How many kids do you have?

K: Ah, just one. One and one on the way.

I2: Awwwww...

P: Hey! When are ya due?

K: We're due (laughs) we're due in ah November.

I2: Oh, that's a good month.

K: Uh, actually, I was on Regis and uh Regis and uh...

I2: Kelly.

K: What's her...

P: Kelly.

K: Yeah! That's it.

I2: (laughs)

P: Yeah, I saw you, I saw you on that.

K: And ah and I told them, they asked me I said "When are ya due" and I said, "Well, February."

P: Oh, God.

K: And I didn't think anything about it, and then I realized she sorta gave me a strange look, and of course that's 11 months.

P: (laughing) Yeah.

K: And uh I just wasn't thinkin', but a friend of mine called me on it.

P: How about that girl, Kelly, who is also on All My Children, she is ah how many months pregnant?

I2: Like ten.

K: Um I think she's eleven months pregnant.

I2: Yeah.

P: I mean she's really pregnant...

K: She's ready to pop.

P: But she looks great.

K: Yeah, she's an attractive lady.

P: Oh she...

K: She does a lot too, she's got her hands (and I'm not sure about this line- it wasn't very clear)and her feet every place.

P: Well, she does All My Children, she does Regis & Kelly, what else does she do?

K: Um

P: I think that's it.

K: I guess she's got a she lives with her husband who works on the same show, right?

P: Yeah.

I2: MMMM HMMM.

K: That's a busy life style right there.

P: Could you ever work with your wife?

K: NO!!

P: No.

K: Christ, I can't even LIVE with her!

P: (all laughing) It's always bad...

K: (laughs)

P: I mean it never works out...

K: Ah, uh I don't know I don't know...no ah we get along pretty good, though of course, she's pregnant now, so I've gotta, I'm walkin' on eggshells.

I2: Yeah, that changes everything.

K: (exasperated) OH!

P: Is she really moody?

K: Oh, moody, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

ALL: laughs

K: Oh my God, she walks in the door eating raw meat every once in a while.

P: OHHHH!!! (all laugh) What other food cravings does she have, what other weird stuff?

K: Oh man, you name it. You name it. She craves cottage cheese with like mustard on it, or or you know bread with mayonaise and sugar sprinkled on it, that was from last week.

P: UUUUGH! (sick sounds) Bread and mayonaise and sugar?!

K: I don't know...her and her brother used to eat it when they were kids I guess, I don't know.

P: Why does that happen with women?

I2: Well I don't know!

P: Well, I'm just asking, did anybody do a study on it?

I2: Oh sure.

P: Why do women crave weird foods when they're pregnant?

I2: Sometimes it's 'cause your body needs different like nutrients and stuff and you just get a tast for something weird and you don't know why, but it's kinda 'cause it's lookin' for nutrients.

P: I just can't imagine...

I2: And 'cause your whole body's FREAKING OUT!!!!

K: Yes

P: I can't imagine going through a pregnancy with a woman. I can't even hold out during that time of the month.

I2: Oh God.

K: (laughs loud)

P: It's like, oh my God, I gotta get some air. I know it's only lasting a few days, but I've gotta go!

K: (laughs)

P: We're talking with Kyle Chandler...Everybod...uh wha What About Joan. Why do I want to say "Everybody Loves Joan?" That's Everybody Loves Raymond.

I3: Because everybody DOES. Wait 'til you see the ratings, they're gigantic.

K: Everybody loves Joan.

P: We talked the other night. Joan's living in Chicago right now.

K: Yeah, she lives there. That's the reason the show is shot in Chicago. She ah, her and Jim who have worked together before, organized it so they would ah, ah she wanted to do the show there to keep her family settled.

P: Well, how does that work? You say, "Hey listen, I'm ready to do a sitcom, bring it to Chicago..."

K: Exactly.

P: I mean that, she must carry a lot of clout.

K: Well, yeah, she does. She's got a couple of nominations under her belt and um you know she's a pretty good actress as well.

P: Yeah, she does a good job.

K: So...

P: And uh, do you like making out with her on the set? I mean you guys did a bedroom scene last week.

K: Yeah, no we have a good time.

P: laughs

K: She's um, she's I tell ya she's she's very professional. Yeah, I think she got in the position to where she's never done one of these sitcoms either, you know she's used to the big screen.

P: Yeah this is her first one.

K: Yeah, I don't even know how much TV she's done. It's a different world, but she really uh, buckled under, it's an awful lot of work for her 'cause she's in everything, you know. And ah lines change constantly and you're pretty much rehearsing from Monday 'til Friday. Pretty much while you're shooting the darn thing you're still you're still learning new things about it, so she's she's got a ah she she's very professional, very good at what she does.

P: Well, you've been on the show many times, and you came into the studio and that's when we introduced you to Jackie Mason. You..

K: Man, he was ON!

P: Yeah, Jackie Mason's always on.

K: You cannot turn that guy off.

P: He could be dead, we haven't seen him since, and I don't know what happened to him. I think Pinto scared him away that night.

I3: No...

K: He might be in my tool shed out here.

P: (all laugh) But you're a pretty laid back guy, I mean Joan is you know a high tension wire ready to snap at any second.

I2: Oh.

K: Yes. Exactly.

P: I mean she's uh...that mixes well?

K: It it actually works out great. It works out great. I mean Joan behind the scenes is a little bit different than Joan that's on the show. So ah she ah...

P: Ok. A little more laid back.

K: Yeah, yeah you know she's a she's got that a she's got that imagination and uh uh you know it's a great part. It's like doing a show like this where you can get paid to be a five-year-old and and uh you know people encourage you to do that.

P: I love it. I think that's great.

K: So...

P: And does she bring her baby on the set?

K: Uh, they don't come down there too much. Um ah you know most people as well as kids if they get to a a movie set or something it's REALLY exciting, yeah, you're looking around and the next thing, you, three minutes later you go to the craft service you get a cup of coffee and you know eat some chocolate and seven minutes later, you're bored. And you want to go home.

P: Hurry up and wait.

K: You know, the kids are the same way.

P: And uh, just for the record, you did receive the package while you were filming, of uh of my picture and everything in it?

K: Oh yeah, you didn't notice it on the set?

P: No, I did not. I I've never been to the set.

K: Oh, yeah it's on the set. Well it's it's on the set, I should say BEHIND some of the set.

P: (laughs) Yeah, in the garbage.

K: On the sidelines, but it's there.

P: I mean when you open something up like that, you have some down time. When do you open your mail? I just want you to paint a picture for me when you opened it up and you thought, "This guy's a psycho, isn't he?"

K: Heh, heh, um I you know they usually set it in my trailer in there and I I ah go through four thousand letters every other day and and you know....

I2: Are they ALL from Pete?

P: Hey, wait a second, I only sent one! And it was FedEx, OK? How many letters do you get on a given day?

K: Uh, no I don't get that much...I don't get HEY HEY NO NO NO NO

P: SIT! Roll over!

K: NO don't go in there, I'll I'll...c'mere look there get down. Just planted my garden 'n he almost ran in there again.

P: Dog lessons with Kyle Chandler.

K: (exasperated)OH.

I2: Openin' up a can of whoopass there.

P: From What About Joan...

K: Yeah. Can I use bad language on this?

P: Absolutely. Cuss all you want.

K: (to dog, obviously) I will KICK YOUR *** if you go in there!

P: Now you're talkin'!

K: There we go. (laughs) Ummm he understood that.

I2: Sure. Hell yeah.

K: What were we talkin' about? Fa no, I don't get that much fan mail. I get I get fan...is anyone there?

P: Yeah! We're here (laughing) where do you think we went?

K: No, somethin' just beeped on the phone...

P: Uh oh somebody's callin' ya, "Hey Kyle, you're on the radio in Chicago!"

I3(to Pete): That would be funny as hell if they had your picture framed in the background, like in the kitchen...

P: Yeah, they're throwing darts on it.

K: (giggle laugh)

CKG: Have you been to Kyle Chandler.com?

KC: No, I have have heard, no, no I have not.

CKG: Do you know what it's all about?

KC: Um, if it's the same one that people have,friends of mine have told me about, I've, yes. All kinds of strange things.

CKG: It's a San Diego real estate guy.

KC: (short laugh)Oh really?

CKG: It's, it's a realtor, Kyle Chandler. It's got an old guy with his wife and his kid.

KC: Are you serious?

CKG: Yeah, that's Kyle and he's about 65.

KC: Are you serious? Really, oh that's hilarious.

CKG: Kyle Chandler Prudential California Realty up in San Diego.

KC: OHHH that's great.

CKG: I'm thinkin' I'll buy a house from him.

KC: I've heard of other ones, of other shows that I've done, stuff like that; people tell me about 'em and they're sort of spooky.

CKG: Like dirty stuff?

KC: Well, no, it's just it's just strange you know just strange people leaving strange messages and what have you.

P: Ok, alright. Well, Kyle it's good to talk to you, and uh, I'd like to stop by when you come back to town.

K: Alright, well hopefully we'll be back in town a few months from now.

P: I think it's gonna happen, because ABC sent out a press release saying that you guys had higher ratings than Dharma & Greg a few weeks ago, and uh you're keeping the audience; they're very happy.

K: Right. That was last week, or for this weeks' show? I mean the second show...

P: Um, well you kept the ratings two weeks in a row.

K: Oh, that's good.

P: Don't they tell you this? Doesn't somebody call you?

K: No one tells me anything.

P: (laughs)

I3: Pete, does anybody take YOU into an office and tell you YOUR ratings?

P: Never.

I3: So...

K: No one tells you that stuff, do they?

P: No, you gotta ask questions, you gotta pull people aside.

K: Yeah, 'cause it should be What About Us!

P: YEAH! That's what I'm talkin' about!

K: Not them, US.

P: That's right, Kyle.

K: Alright.

P: Alright, buddy. Well, it's good to talk to you.

K: Yeah, good talkin' to you. You guys have a great night.

P: And we'll talk to you soon.

K: Alright.

I2: Good luck with the dog!

K: Yeah, thanks.

P: Kyle Chandler, thanks Kyle.

K: Alright. Bye bye.

P: Kyle Chandler. What About Joan Tuesday nights, 8:30. That's such a great show.

I3: Funny guy.

P: Very funny, and they'll be back, believe me. (to I2) You're happy, aren't ya?

I2: He's a little dreamy.

P: (laughs) He's a little dreamy, isn't he?

THE END

Dollene, I wouldn't worry about the "strange" comment too much. The whole internet-fan-groupie thing would be enough to freak any normal person out. I'm thinking someone like Kyle would see it as awfully strange to be making such a fuss over him, but of course, that's why we like the guy so much! ;)

As far as the mayo on bread with sugar...GAG! My sisters used to eat peanut butter, mayonaise and lettuce sandwiches...my stomach is turning right now to think of it. They used to chase me with the jar of mayo. Can't stand the stuff to this day (and that's putting it mildly). :O