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[0:03] Jason A. Coombs: Welcome, Survivors.

[0:05] Samantha Tuozzolo: You Survivor Jobs A podcast in collaboration with Broadway World.

[0:08] Jason A. Coombs: I'm Jason A. Coombs, and this is Samantha Don Tutzlow, and we're your hostesses with the most assists.

[0:14] Samantha Tuozzolo: Does that make sense?

[0:15] Jason A. Coombs: Yes, that makes definitely sense.

[0:17] Samantha Tuozzolo: But does that make definitely sense doesn't make sense either?

[0:20] Jason A. Coombs: And I think we're just a little foggy today.

[0:22] Samantha Tuozzolo: Hi, Jason.

[0:24] Jason A. Coombs: Samantha, happy uh Thanksgiving.

[0:26] Samantha Tuozzolo: Thank you. Happy Thanksgiving to you as well, Jason.

[0:28] Jason A. Coombs: I love that we are coordinated today in our black our black shirts.

[0:32] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah.

[0:33] Jason A. Coombs: How sleek of us, how New York of us.

[0:35] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, I always wear black anyway.

[0:36] Jason A. Coombs: So if you'll wear black, you might catch me say something similar.

[0:40] Samantha Tuozzolo: So maybe I'll try to match you and I'll just wear the black shirt.

[0:44] Jason A. Coombs: Samantha, uh, how are you? What's your temperature check? And actually, can I switch it up this week from temperature check since you know we're in Thanksgiving week? What are you feeling thankful for, Jason?

[0:56] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, so just to be clear, I don't really celebrate Thanksgiving for Thanksgiving. I just like that to be clear on the record.

[1:03] Samantha Tuozzolo: Got it.

[1:05] Jason A. Coombs: I just think it's a good time for, you know, because of the circumstance of the holiday to get together with loved ones and friends and family, no matter what. But you know, I'm not about celebrating a colonizer holiday, but I am thankful for um, you know, I'm thankful for the opportunity. Um, I guess to be a creator, you know, and I think you've helped me with that, Samantha, with this podcast, you know. So being able to be in a position where I'm not working in a restaurant, which I think we always come back to, and getting to, you know, all the jobs that I do are in a creative realm, and I'm very appreciative of that and thankful for the opportunity to be a creator. So that's what I'm thankful for. Seeing it five different ways, the same thing, but how about you?

[1:52] Samantha Tuozzolo: That's so beautiful. I love you. I always love you, and I always love this show. I'm thankful for this show as well. It's a great outlet that we have. Um, I think this year I'm really grateful for my people, for my friends, for my family.

[2:08] Jason A. Coombs: Yes.

[2:09] Samantha Tuozzolo: It's been a weird year, and I'm just so grateful for my support system and people who pick me up when I'm down, and just having people around you, you know.

[2:21] Jason A. Coombs: I'm doing the same thing you did, saying the same thing in five different ways.

[2:25] Samantha Tuozzolo: But it's true. Um, you know, I'm grateful for my survival job that allows me to have flexibility to do other things that interest me. I'm thankful to not be stuck in an office, but still have like health benefits, which no, yeah, I'm thankful for my people. And I know that I know there's a lot of people in the world who don't have friends and family like I do, and sometimes I take it for granted and I get tired with like social events and phone calls and texts, but sometimes I have to check myself and say, you know, some people don't get invites to dinners or phone calls or text messages at all. Um so I'm just thankful for that.

[3:09] Jason A. Coombs: I love that for us.

[3:12] Samantha Tuozzolo: No, I'm serious, it's great. And let's talk about our oh, do you have something else you want to go into?

[3:17] Jason A. Coombs: No, I was just gonna say, um, I laughed so hard when I was listening to last week's episode about our concert we did of Bear Pop Opera. And I really want to say so dead. Thank you for your notes on that. You really did a great performance of that opening number, and I'm sorry I doubted you.

[3:34] Samantha Tuozzolo: I listened back to it and I was like, damn.

[3:36] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, of course.

[3:37] Samantha Tuozzolo: I listened to it and I was like, damn, I doubted Jason when you were like, Jason, do you have my number? And I was like, that's not fair, but it is. And so I apologize for my doubt.

[3:49] Jason A. Coombs: It's okay.

[3:50] Samantha Tuozzolo: It's a classic.

[3:51] Jason A. Coombs: I say the only one I really know.

[3:53] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, it is a classic.

[3:54] Jason A. Coombs: For like musical theater nerds for sure.

[3:57] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, which I used to be. I'm not one anymore, I don't think, but used to be.

[3:58] Jason A. Coombs: We'll get you back.

[4:03] Samantha Tuozzolo: Get me back.

[4:03] Jason A. Coombs: But uh speaking of musical theater nerds, should we transition to our special guests today?

[4:08] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yes, yeah, that's excited. Making a return.

[4:10] Jason A. Coombs: So this is our first episode where we're having a follow-up episode with a guest that we've had in the past.

[4:17] Samantha Tuozzolo: So our first guest ever, Robin De Jesús is coming back and joining us today. We're chatting about his new project on Hulu called Welcome to Chippendales, where he plays a very vital role in this story.

[4:30] Jason A. Coombs: Um, we're chatting about you know the things that have happened to him since he came on the show, which was recorded almost a year and a half ago.

[4:39] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, it was March 2021.

[4:40] Jason A. Coombs: So, you know, yeah, oof is right, and a lot has happened um to him in his career, so it's a great episode, you guys to like catch up and also so interesting because you know, when we spoke to him, he didn't know like what was really coming. He knew some things we didn't know like a ton that was coming up, so it's great and fun and exciting, and I love this boy, and it's a fun episode.

[5:05] Samantha Tuozzolo: It's a fun one, so yeah. Should we get into it?

[5:08] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, you know, we don't really have a formal bio for him.

[5:13] Samantha Tuozzolo: Um, he's so famous, he's so famous, but you know, Robin's been nominated for three Tony Awards, he's been in Broadway shows, made his Broadway debut in Rent, was in In the Heights, you know, Boys in the Band, Wicked.

[5:27] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, La Cage aux Folles.

[5:29] Samantha Tuozzolo: Um, and you can see him on Netflix and Boys in the Band, the movie. You can see him in Netflix on Tick Tick Boom and on Hulu.

[5:39] Jason A. Coombs: And Welcome to Chippendales.

[5:40] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, Welcome to Chippendales, which I got to watch the first episode. The first two are out this week, and they're gonna become weekly releases after that.

[5:47] Jason A. Coombs: But um, I was I mean, he's not in the first one, which I didn't know because I was like the thing I want to watch it because like we're gonna talk to him. I want to make sure I watch it, and he's not in it. But it was such a good show, and it was like, you know, I listened to this podcast about what the whole Chippendales—oh you did, yeah, a couple months ago, and I kind of forgot some things, and at the end I was like, Oh, yeah, that's what this is about. It's a true story. Now I remember.

[6:14] Jason A. Coombs: I know there was something with like, you know, I don't want to give anything away, but I know there was something with these three people, and yeah, just watch it, y'all. It's a very well-acted, fun. It's a period piece set in the 70s, so it's you know, really cool in that way, and yeah, I'm excited to watch that. I think it's eight episodes, right?

[6:23] Samantha Tuozzolo: I'm excited to watch it all. You know, I really didn't um, I don't really know much about it, which I'm excited once I jump in.

[6:40] Jason A. Coombs: You enjoy it, it's really well told. This is the first episode was and yeah, yeah.

[6:45] Samantha Tuozzolo: So I can't wait. Let's get into it.

[6:47] Jason A. Coombs: Well, enjoy the episode, Survivors.

[6:49] Samantha Tuozzolo: Oh, also Jason, I just want to say I'm also thankful for all of our listeners.

[6:53] Jason A. Coombs: Same, same.

[6:55] Samantha Tuozzolo: Thank you for listening.

[6:56] Jason A. Coombs: Thank you.

[6:57] Samantha Tuozzolo: So, yeah, all the podcasts. I listen to a lot of podcasts, and they always talk about leaving a review. So if you are feeling so inclined and you enjoy what you hear from us, your favorite podcast hosts, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or anywhere you listen to your podcasts.

[7:14] Jason A. Coombs: Thank you.

[7:15] Samantha Tuozzolo: Enjoy Robin, you guys.

[7:17] Jason A. Coombs: Hi, Robin.

[7:19] Robin De Jesús: Hey, what up, my daughter?

[7:21] Samantha Tuozzolo: Hi.

[7:22] Jason A. Coombs: Welcome back to Survival Jobs. We've missed you.

[7:25] Robin De Jesús: Am I the first person that's been here twice?

[7:27] Jason A. Coombs: Yes!

[7:29] Robin De Jesús: Whoa, you're the first person that's been here twice, and you were the first guest.

[7:33] Jason A. Coombs: You're the first of like a lot of things on this show.

[7:35] Robin De Jesús: How fun. I wish this is the moment in musical theater where I would burst into a song.

[7:40] Samantha Tuozzolo: Can you give us some or it's too early? You're not warmed up.

[7:45] Robin De Jesús: Ooh.

[7:47] Samantha Tuozzolo: Right?

[7:49] Robin De Jesús: That was nice. I actually think it was perfect.

[7:52] Samantha Tuozzolo: Robin, I feel like so much has happened to you since we first spoke to you on this show. But first, the first question is since you were first on, have you had any survival jobs? And maybe not like maybe not like a traditional like server survival job, but has any like weird little survival job come your way since we last had you on?

[8:13] Robin De Jesús: You know, it is interesting. Like I'm at a point now I'm a career-wise where I do work. I'm still not working at like the, you know, back to back the way that I that I'm working towards right now in my life, right? So, you know, there's there I still got goals, right? And so there's some hustling just to make sure that there's constant money flow coming in and coming in and stuff. So I do like I do hosting gigs sometimes, I teach sometimes, and even with the teaching, it depends because sometimes it's like sometimes I teach as an act of service, like it's voluntary and I give it. And if I'm somewhere where I know that they can afford it and there's that money is there, then like I'm gonna charge you. Changing. And even then, sometimes I don't like if it's like friends or family or something like that, then it's different. But most of the hustling for me is like sort of actor adjacent things, even like being on a game show, you know.

[9:11] Jason A. Coombs: You can make money doing that.

[9:13] Robin De Jesús: Yeah, fun. Wait, whoa, you did a game show?

[9:16] Jason A. Coombs: It's so exciting.

[9:17] Robin De Jesús: Yeah, yeah. It's so weird, like also the hustles that can come up that one would never think of. Uh like this is so silly to say because it's not a side hustle or survival job by any means, but even like when you're on a talk show or like a daytime show, like you get a check for that too. So it's so funny, like you're feeling all cute because you get to be like on Tamron Hall, right? Or whatever, and it was on Zoom, and then all of a sudden you come home one day and there's a check in the mail, and you're like, Oh, okay, that's amazing.

[9:50] Jason A. Coombs: Or like when you were on Jennifer Hudson's show.

[9:53] Robin De Jesús: Our next guest is an amazing singer and actor who's been nominated for three Tony Awards. You can see him now in the new Hulu show, Welcome to Chippendales. Take a look at Hudson's week on Monday's past week.

[10:07] Samantha Tuozzolo: We was watching, we were standing.

[10:09] Robin De Jesús: Yeah, yeah. I was geeking out.

[10:11] Jason A. Coombs: I was geeking out as well.

[10:15] Robin De Jesús: I watched it five times back to back, and I was like, This is weird.

[10:19] Jason A. Coombs: Hey, Robin, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but you will not have a random check from Survival Jobs a podcast in the mail.

[10:27] Robin De Jesús: Please don't.

[10:28] Jason A. Coombs: Or maybe it's coming.

[10:30] Robin De Jesús: Maybe it's coming in a couple years.

[10:33] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah.

[10:33] Robin De Jesús: Yeah.

[10:34] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, this is like friends and family discount, honey. When you come back for your third follow-up, maybe there'll be a check, but not the second.

[10:41] Robin De Jesús: Hard no.

[10:42] Jason A. Coombs: I'm so dead. Survival Jobs is a union podcast.

[10:47] Robin De Jesús: Wait, so you were on in you we recorded your first episode in March of 2021, right?

[10:54] Jason A. Coombs: So that was like over a year and a half ago.

[10:56] Robin De Jesús: That's I'm like, what is time? I feel like Jessica Chastain in Arrival.

[11:02] Jason A. Coombs: I'm so dead.

[11:03] Robin De Jesús: I don't know what timeline I'm in.

[11:06] Jason A. Coombs: You're a Marvel superhero soon. You won't know what timeline you're in there, you're there.

[11:10] Robin De Jesús: Um but um so a lot's happened to you since we first had you on in like March 2021 and it aired in April. But um what was the experience like uh of the whole Tick, Tick... Boom? Because I think that was before that came out. We were like hinting at it, but um, that came out and it was a huge success. And you know, Andrew was nominated for an Oscar, and how exciting was it? Tell us everything.

[11:32] Robin De Jesús: It was so freaking exciting. You know, I think what was really interesting about Tick, Tick... Boom was I don't maybe it was a defense mechanism, maybe it was like a way of protecting myself.

[11:41] Jason A. Coombs: Well, that's what a defense mechanism is, Robin.

[11:44] Robin De Jesús: Um, but yeah, yeah, I just I didn't know what was gonna happen with Tick, Tick. To me, we were like we're making a movie, and I knew it was a big deal. I knew everyone around me was like what's popping, you know, and so like I knew that eyes were gonna be on us. I didn't know that it was gonna come with so much love, and I remember the day of the premiere in LA. I felt really, really present that day, which sometimes I don't, uh, as a neurotic person at times. And I remember being really, really in my body to the point where I forgot about what we were about to do. And so my car pulls up to drop us off at the red carpet, and like it was a premiere. It was like what a premiere looked like. Like, and I've done red carpets before, but I had never experienced it like that. And well, it needed to be a fat red carpet. So that was, you know.

[12:42] Jason A. Coombs: Yes.

[12:42] Robin De Jesús: I went when I got out of the car, like I just I gagged because I was like, oh wait, this is what you're doing now. Like I had such an isolated experience with the movie, and now that it's out in the world, it's different. And so we start the press line, and I noticed that a lot of the interviewers are emotional, like they're really, really touched. Their responses are really honest, and you feel it in a way like it's but everyone's buzzing and vibrating. And I thought, oh, am I making this up? Like, is this just some Hollywood crap where people just say nice things? Because I don't think it is. It feels like something else is happening. And you know, the press line, there was press on behind you and in front of you. So Andrew Garfield was behind me, and I just like leaned back and was like, yo, is it me? Or is like something happening?

[13:33] Andrew Garfield: Yes, no, baby, something's happening.

[13:35] Robin De Jesús: He's like, people are actually loving the movie, and so we go into the theater, and I have like 10 of my people with me, and we're all we're we're all gagging and and at just like what's happening, but also gagging throughout the movie, like jaw dropping, and I'm thinking they're just being nice because they're my friends and my family. And then after, no, no, no, no, no, boo boo. Like, this is special, this is very, very different. And um the next morning I woke up and I had this, I had a beautiful room at a hotel that I won't name because I want to go back there.

[14:13] Robin De Jesús: I don't buy, I don't want anybody messing with stalkers. I'm looking at the Hollywood Hills. And I never realized this, but from somewhere deep within me. And I'm I'm at this point I'm 37 years old. I'm 38 now, but at that point I was 37. And 37 years of life, I never I never had this thought, I guess. And and what I heard was, I heard myself say to me, I'm going to be an actor for the rest of my life. And I and I never realized that I hadn't come to that conclusion already.

[14:54] Jason A. Coombs: Oh neither was special.

[14:58] Robin De Jesús: Yeah.

[15:00] Jason A. Coombs: I love that.

[15:03] Robin De Jesús: For the rest of my life.

[15:05] Jason A. Coombs: Yes.

[15:06] Robin De Jesús: And I think for me why that movie resonated was because it was like the real deal. It's like when you're trying to pursue a career in arts, like everybody's, I think I think Samantha probably said this on the podcast, right? It was like three different storylines, but they're all being an artist in their own way. And I think that's why people relate to it so much. Because even if you're not pursuing, you know, a career in Hollywood right now, maybe you are like, you know, doing the Michael route. You still have that feeling, that that passion that it's still in you, no matter what. And in real life, he's still in the arts. He's still Arts I Jason, the real life, because Neck was still with us.

Um he's like very connected to the Broadway community, uh, and the not-for-profit world and like where they intersect. Uh, the original real life Susan is still a dancer. She left town, she healed, she did what she needed to do. And I think sometimes it's say we get so caught up on like being a conventional actor and living in one of the two big cities, yeah, and it has to be done a certain way. But sometimes people are artists just for themselves or in their own way, and or they they we're all we all are allowed to define our own version of success.

[16:14] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, and you know, in that movie, all three the three characters kind of show you the the different possible routes.

[16:21] Robin De Jesús: Yeah, I came to the the sag screening and I talked about this is what I talked about on the podcast. Lynn was like, whatever path you choose as an artist, like the Susan, the Michael, the Jonathan route, you're still an artist, all three are okay. And when he said that in the theater that day, I was like, oh, like an obvious thought, right? Like an obvious fact. But I was like, oh, it is okay. You can always be an artist and not be on Broadway on TV. You can be teaching in a suburb upstate somewhere, and like you are still an artist, and you're still allowed to call yourself that.

[16:56] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah. And I think that movie is so important for that theme, that message, you know.

[17:03] Robin De Jesús: 100%.

[17:04] Jason A. Coombs: And it's funny you say that because piggybacking off of it. I was talking to a friend recently, and we're and we were just talking about. So this friend used to be a performer, and as an and now as a professional adult outside of acting, was like, I want to take a class just for me, like just to take a class and be stimulated and have something to do. Um, with no goal, like just to be in the class. And this person and I were this person was feeling weird about that, like, felt like, oh, is that icky? Is it odd? Like living in New York City where people go to do this to like do it professionally. And and I said, you know what's so funny? I feel like as actors, there are all these weird rules that that are put on us, you know.

Like, why can't you just take a class? Why does that have to feel some kind of way? Or why does it why why do people have to assume like, oh, so and so's getting back in, or you know, like there's this thing too of like when an actor, I hope this makes sense because I'm approaching it from different places, but yeah, like when an actor leaves the business and they're happy, that's success. But it's assumed that if you're an actor and you stop being an actor that that's because it's failure. But like you could go from being a lawyer, turn into a stockbroker, and I say this because I know someone who did that, and like that's fierce, and like that's but just feel like there's it's interesting where shame comes up for us as actors, right? And like the judgment that we feel from other people or the judgment that we make up from other people, because I feel like a lot of it is made up from ourselves.

[18:45] Robin De Jesús: Hundred we and I don't want to say actors too, by the way. I mean like actors and like the the previous actors, all of us, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[18:55] Jason A. Coombs: I love that. Also, one more thing.

[18:57] Robin De Jesús: Oh, no, go ahead.

[18:58] Jason A. Coombs: Go ahead, Sam.

[18:59] Robin De Jesús: No, go, please, please.

[19:00] Jason A. Coombs: No, I was just gonna say, because bring it back to survival jobs. We got to see Jonathan working in his survival job at the moon dance diner often in that, which was like really really special as well.

[19:12] Robin De Jesús: I mean, it's okay, it's so funny because people people to this day come up, come up to me and say, I used to see he used to be my waiter when I go to yeah. Can you imagine?

[19:21] Jason A. Coombs: Yes, a regular can you imagine like being a regular at glass house, right? And like our glasshouse bartender then is like, which is which they are, which they wouldn't say that could absolutely when Ariana Grande used to come to my stage door with her, like you know what I'm saying? And then one day I'm living in LA and I hear a song and I'm like, Oh, this is a bop. Who's this? And I shazam it. I'm I Shazam that thing, and it was like Ariana Grande. And you're like, she used to be fangirling you, and now you're fangirling her. And now, how come she can afford a house and I can't?

[20:01] Robin De Jesús: You will soon.

[20:02] Jason A. Coombs: And I want to I want a guest room. I want the guest room.

[20:07] Robin De Jesús: Can I just get uh can I just get a couch, like a love seat?

[20:10] Jason A. Coombs: A couch, a love seat.

[20:12] Robin De Jesús: I plan on only laying one day.

[20:16] Jason A. Coombs: Perfect. Um I want to talk about now Welcome to Chippendales, which came out this week. Congratulations.

[20:21] Robin De Jesús: The first two episodes are dropped, right?

[20:25] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, the first two episodes dropped for it on uh on uh Tuesday was it or Tuesday? Uh yesterday, Tuesday, yes.

[20:33] Robin De Jesús: Tuesday, and every new episode comes out the the every other Tuesday or every Tuesday after that.

[20:39] Jason A. Coombs: Well, can you tell us early?

[20:40] Robin De Jesús: Oh, sorry. No, Ray Colon’ doesn't make a an appearance until episode three. Um so you know, knowing you forever, this role seems like something a little bit different for you and out of what you're typically cast as, you know, typically you're cast in a role that's sort of like surrounding a gay story or somebody a little bit more feminine. Can you talk about what this character was like and what were the challenges in doing it? Since it seems, by the way, maybe I'm wrong, but it seems like it's a different role for you.

[21:16] Robin De Jesús: I think right now I was just something hit me, which is that like Ray is the epitome of survival job. Um really, he really is. I refer to him as a survivor and as a hustler, typically. So Ray is Ray Colomb, working class dude, Puerto Rican background, living in the Bronx. But Ray was that dude who needed to get out the hood. He came to LA because he wanted um a career in the music industry, I think as a producer, so he had a studio. But when he would meet people, he'd say, Hey, here's my business card. And the business card, it was like Dolly Levi. He was a carpenter, he was a plumber, he was a martial arts teacher, he was a photograph, he was a screenwriter, like he would do whatever he needed to do to get by or to climb some sort of social ladder.

So, in in the storyline, Welcome to Chip'd's is the story of the creator, Summon Banner Gee, Steve Bannerjee, uh, the creator of the Chippendale dancers. He was a great and he co-created it with this other guy named Nick. Oh my god, why am I forgetting Nick's last name? But Solman Banner G is played by Kumeo Nan Johnny, uh Nick is played by Murray Bartlett, and uh freaking love so much. Oh bomb, like so good. But also, we got Juliet Lewis, we got Analy Ashley girl too, you know. This all-star cast, yeah, it's a dope ass. So my character in that survival mode, staying in theme with the podcast, he meets Steve Bannerjee, Kumeo's character, and realizes oh, this is a brown man who owns a business in LA, a very segregated city, honestly.

And like, I'm like, I gotta get close to that dude. Cause like whatever he's whatever he's doing, if if I have a proximity to him, I'm closer to money and to power. And those things turn to greed, obviously. And when the greed sort of takes over, um, they back themselves into a corner by doing some not so noble things, and by the end of the sort of watching them make the uh lie in the bed they made.

[23:23] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah.

[23:24] Robin De Jesús: Yeah, I watched the first episode last night. I was looking for you, and the Samantha's like, oh, he's not until episode three. And I was like, that's okay. I still enjoyed the ride, and it was so like interesting to see. It's a real story, right? To see this um brown man who like was working for someone else, was hustling. Like, I think in this in the story, he said he like never ate, like, besides like expired, expired at the gas station he worked at. He saved 44,000 in the 70s to make his own business. He didn't want to work for someone else. And like, I was like, yes. I was like, we need more of that. We need more people like taking initiative and not settling, right?

[24:01] Robin De Jesús: I mean, you might you might feel it's so Jason, it gets real complicated later on, though.

[24:05] Jason A. Coombs: Oh, well, yeah, well, yeah.

[24:06] Robin De Jesús: And we work for it.

[24:07] Jason A. Coombs: Buckle up, yeah, yeah.

[24:09] Robin De Jesús: No, no, no, because everything you're saying is absolutely true. And then I think the point of the story is like there's a threshold.

[24:16] Jason A. Coombs: Yes.

[24:17] Robin De Jesús: Because because our at by the end of the series, without giving too much, I I feel this way. I feel like it's a call out on greedy, immoral capitalism, like the kind that that strips humanity and that doesn't consider humanity. And so I I think uh a big chunk of the story is watching someone who is a very, very well-intentioned hustler get to a point where they're so greedy that now they think it's okay to inflict harm on others. Um I think as I think as performers or people in the arts, we sort of know that feeling too, because there are moments we are so desperately want a job or want a win, and then we end up compromising who we are or revealing.

[25:07] Jason A. Coombs: Oh yeah, yeah.

[25:09] Robin De Jesús: Wow.

[25:10] Jason A. Coombs: Wait, wait, so can you but can you talk about like what your your process was like for this character? Was it different from just like a tick tick, or like a boys in the band, like these characters that you I feel like can have always just like slipped right in because it's what you've always done, or was this like fierce, like easy, I can do this.

[25:32] Robin De Jesús: Not at all. And and in this, I'll answer the other half of your the question before too about it being a different type of role. So somewhere like in June, I got asked to audition for this movie. Actually, I forget the name of it, but Lena Waite was producing it, and I say that because one of my dreams, and I'm gonna say it on this podcast to manifest it. I want to work with Lena Waith.

[25:51] Jason A. Coombs: Same face, yeah, yeah.

[25:57] Robin De Jesús: She's a queen, she's a queen. I want to I want to work with Lena, and so I was auditioning, I was auditioning for this thing. I gotta warm up my tongue in the mornings. I mumble more, and it's a podcast.

[26:10] Jason A. Coombs: The opposite I was gonna say, your diction is great today.

[26:13] Robin De Jesús: Because I'm confident, yeah.

[26:15] Jason A. Coombs: You hit a couple of D's really hard.

[26:17] Robin De Jesús: I was like, Yes, thank you.

[26:18] Jason A. Coombs: So overall I'm focusing on these days.

[26:21] Robin De Jesús: Yes, Jason. I saw the tongue exercises. Uh well, I'm I'm I have my setup, I'm doing my audition, and here's the thing in the pandemic, I know a lot of y'all know this with the the self-tapes. Like I work alone physically. I'm doing lighting, I'm doing my background, I'm taping, and then thank God for my beautiful friends like Samantha, my high school choir teacher, my girl Jen. Like they be coming through reading for me on FaceTime.

[26:47] Jason A. Coombs: Yes.

[26:48] Robin De Jesús: So I have my setup and I'm all frustrated, like switching lights or whatever. And I said lights, I only got one. And unless you count overhead. And so I went to go pull up my pants while I was moving things around. And when I went to pull my pants, I was like, huh, who's that? Because my posture changed. And I do work this way sometimes where I feel like I download a character, like something will come to me of like, oh, I like that posture, or I like that way of speaking, or what and it's different than when you physically see something when you just casually do it and you observe it. And I thought, oh, who's that person? Because I like that. And I and I kept like sort of meditating on that. And I thought of Joe Pesci. And I've always wanted to play a gangster.

[27:36] Robin De Jesús: Wow, yeah, yeah, yeah. And as a non-conventional or as a character actor, like that's a non-conventional character actor leading man. And if that's what I want to do, then that's someone to that's someone to that that's a model for me, a role model. And so with the gangster thing, I was like, that's that's what I want to do. I want to play like a I want to do a period piece where I get to play a gangster in like that Joe Pesci kind of way. And for months after that, I kept receiving information like I think you should grow your hair out, Robin. So I started growing my hair out. I started working around with my fashion, giving more like a 70s vibe and using more oranges and yellows and creams and reds. Just so it's so random. There was a song about to happen there, orange and reds and cream.

[28:22] Robin De Jesús: And so one day, literally, it would have been today. Oh my god, that's so funny. The day, the day before or two days before Thanksgiving, my agent says, "Hey, I have an audition for you for this story about the Chippendales." And it was Ray. And when I read the description of Ray, I was like, "Hold up, this works with everything that I've been downloading the last few months." You were like, "Hold up, wait a minute." You don't have to pay for the rights for that. Um, it's under 10 seconds, I think we're good. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So then I go online and I'm looking up the real-life dude, and like he had a fro of curls like me. He was a short Puerto Rican dude, he had light eyes, like they were similar.

We looked different, but there were a lot of physical similarities. And so I kind of knew ding ding ding. This is the thing that I had been waiting for. The audition was rough, like the scenes were dense, thick, long, monologued. It was Thanksgiving Day weekend. I wasn't trying to be reading, I wasn't trying to be learning lines. So by the end of the week, but you know, you gotta hustle. So, like two days before, I'm just sitting there like cramming all these lines, and I'm sort of wigging because my brain is in holiday mode and it's not absorbing the way I want it. And I had a moment where I thought, this is too much. I don't want to give a bad audition. So let me just not do this. And I call my girl Jen, and Jen, you're gonna love this call, this shout out.

And Jen loves Kumail Nanjiani. So when I told her about the piece, she said, "You have to tape this audition. Like, there's no world in which you don't." So she literally, like that morning forced me. I knew the first scene, I had it down pretty solid. So we got that one. I felt good. And the second scene was like it had moments, but it wasn't. And I'm a perfectionist, I'm an artist, I'm sensitive about my shit. You know what I'm saying? Okay, Badu. Yeah. Oh my god. Oh no, no, it's Badu. Oh then Lauryn Hill repeats it then. Oh no. Oh, does she? Oh my god, no. Tyrone. Remember in the beginning of Tyrone? She's like, "I'm absolutely right." In my mind, I'm thinking of the concert on MTV with Lauryn Hill.

You know where she guys fully have lost me. Yeah, yeah. I'm like, what? Basically, Robin was being racist. That's what just happened. Um, I'm a perfectionist. We know how we are. And so I just, I almost started to beat myself up in the moment. Like, I had a defeated energy. And but I knew that first scene really hit. And I got through the second one, and it wasn't bad. I was just being dramatic because I wanted to be perfect. And I sent it in here. My agent, I told him that I was feeling very self-conscious about, and he was like, "I don't know what the fuck you're talking about. Like the second scene, you're reading, and the first one was memorized. I do see that, but like it's good work, it's competitive work.

So I think we should send this in." And thank God I did that because then there was a callback and a work session with Kumail, and then there was another callback with the director slash work session. So it was a process, it did take a couple months to book the role, and I'm glad it worked out because the real-life person, even though I said he was similar to me, he was also 20 years older than me. So the role was kind of reimagined once I came in as well.

[29:26] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, and I think that's what took longer because for them to figure out like, oh, if it's Robin, then this is how we do it. I love that he said this is competitive work, which is like too when he says it. Yeah, I love that. Which is like, you know, I think we put pressure on ourselves to have to like be off book, just like you said, be a perfectionist. But if the work is there, like ultimately that's all that matters.

[29:26] Robin De Jesús: Yeah, at the end of the day. A hundred percent. And do I prefer to be off book? Yes. Do I always have the comfort of being able to, the time or the headspace? No, and real talk, like there is a conversation that's being had and needs to be had about the amount of content that's given to people auditioning. The audition material, a lot of times it's like the industry expects us to not have a full-bodied life or a survival job. You know, like that's true. Dream life is that that's our only job to audition, but it's not and that adds on to the conversation we were having earlier about there being rules put on creative folks that don't exist on others. Like, I get it, we're supposed to want this, and it's not easy, but I think there's a part of the industry, and that intersection of capitalism sold us this idea that we're supposed to suffer to be these artists, and that we're supposed to accept being treated like we're less than until we pass a certain threshold, and then we get to treat others like they're less than.

[33:31] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah. No way.

[33:32] Robin De Jesús: It's true. Like you should not be giving people auditions the day before or two days before Thanksgiving and telling them that it's due the Monday afterwards.

[33:42] Jason A. Coombs: No.

[33:42] Robin De Jesús: Yeah. Because all you gotta do is watch it.

[33:46] Samantha Tuozzolo: Right.

[33:48] Robin De Jesús: Yeah. It's so wrong. It's dirty.

[33:51] Jason A. Coombs: You preaching, you preaching.

[33:55] Robin De Jesús: Oh my gosh. Well, I guess um, I don't know. I wanted to ask you really quickly, because last time we spoke, you had just become a member of the academy.

[34:06] Samantha Tuozzolo: I know that's so cool.

[34:08] Robin De Jesús: So most over it. It's the thing I have nerded out the most for. It makes me so crazy. It's so crazy. I keep getting stuck on when people are like, "I'd like to thank the academy." Like, that's you. They're thinking Robin, right? You know what? This is why I love Dominic, my other bestie, because when I told him that you and Carmel said that, they're like every time someone says thank you to the academy, that includes me. He said, "Yeah, bitch, that also means when they say Oscar so white, that means you too." Ooh. Like he's, you know, he was like, "I want you to know, but also that means you're also responsible. That also means when there's a call out that you're a part of that, whether you participated or didn't directly to that thing." Which that kind of leads into Jason's question, actually.

[34:56] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, I was I was gonna ask you. Um, as a proud Puerto Rican man. What do you want to bring to the academy that you feel is currently missing?

[35:06] Robin De Jesús: When you said Puerto Rican man, I was in the back of the what a man, what a name. Yes. Or like, you know, Madison, oh the Puerto Rican. Oh, yeah. Puerto Rican. Um, I already forgot the question. I apologize.

[36:23] Jason A. Coombs: Well, um, as a member of the academy, what do you want to bring that you feel is missing right now?

[36:33] Robin De Jesús: What do I feel is missing right now? It's accessibility. And you know, the academy is doing a lot of things to like get to this moment now, you know. The numbers within the academy still aren't where they need to be. But the thing is too, is like the culture has to shift, you know. So much of Hollywood has been viewed through a white gaze, and what's considered good and what isn't, and what's considered quality and what isn't? And I think that black and brown folks come from all kinds of other cultures that like might perceive things differently, like things hit differently, right?

[36:48] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah.

[36:49] Robin De Jesús: Um tell us, tell us really quick. How do you get invited? Like, how does one become part? Like, what is the criteria?

[36:55] Robin De Jesús: The academy. Like criteria. I mean, the thing, the thing is, I didn't know that people apply. And so my I love my publicist so much. And I think she knew she knows what I'm about and what I'm passionate about and what I want to do. And so I think the idea came to her. And usually what it takes is you need a recommendation from two other members of the academy or something like that. And a recommendation letter. There's an application. And then, like, you know, because you don't always get approved. Some people get denied, and they keep trying every year until they get approved.

[37:30] Jason A. Coombs: Oh shit.

[37:31] Robin De Jesús: Yeah, yeah, it's the thing. And I actually I went to like the first like meet and greet. And you know, at the meet and greet, that's I'm still learning a lot, so I couldn't fully answer your previous question about that. But I was observing there, like, what were the ratios of white folks to black and brown folks? And so there are black and brown folks, but again, the numbers are still re there's there's still dang. Um while I was there, I met someone else who said, "Oh, how did you get in?" or "How many times do you try to get in?" And I said, "I didn't." You're like, just once.

[38:11] Robin De Jesús: It was an unintentional flex.

[38:13] Robin De Jesús: And this man chuckled, but inside he was like, "This motherfucker."

[38:17] Robin De Jesús: Um, intentional flex.

[38:19] Robin De Jesús: I love unintentional flex.

[38:22] Robin De Jesús: But he was someone who had tried and like campaigned and like not campaigned, but like a social thing.

[38:32] Robin De Jesús: Wow.

[38:33] Robin De Jesús: Yes, you—thanks for this.

[38:35] Robin De Jesús: You sure did say I didn't.

[38:41] Jason A. Coombs: You're like, I fucked it.

[38:42] Robin De Jesús: How many times? I didn't. I didn't even, I didn't even know.

[38:46] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah.

[38:48] Robin De Jesús: I just want to get back, Jason, also to your other question. Um, to your previous question. Like what's really interesting, I'm looking at the movies coming in, and there obviously isn't as much black and brown content. And so I think really what a lot of the changes are gonna what's gonna what it's gonna take for a lot of the changes is the continual progress behind the scenes. Like we need more black and brown folks producing, we need more black and brown folks writing. And but actually, even when I say that, that's wrong of me. We have black and brown folks who want to produce and who and who write, they're just not aligning with opportunity. And so yeah, and it's growing, and I think what's happening is is that every time someone like one of us comes through and joins the academy, you know. Hopefully, we're working with a little exponent, you know, that the next time we keep multiplying and multiplying, and yeah, all that.

[39:48] Samantha Tuozzolo: Thank you. Thank you for sharing that because I've always been curious, you know. No one ever tells you these things, right? No one ever explains how this one become an academy, you know.

[40:00] Robin De Jesús: Did you not know until it was announced, or did you get a little?

[40:04] Jason A. Coombs: No one gave no, that's no, right?

[40:07] Robin De Jesús: Who was the first person that texted me? Because it wasn't someone I it wasn't thinking about. I think it was expected. I think it was the group chat, I think it was off off Broadway group chat.

[40:18] Jason A. Coombs: Dead.

[40:18] Robin De Jesús: No, I think there was someone else that texted me beforehand. I think there wasn't an in, I think there was an maybe it was, I don't remember, but then I got an email from the academy that was that was forwarded from my press agent. And that was so funny because I was like, this email doesn't really feel official to me. Like if they had sent this to me directly.

[40:38] Jason A. Coombs: The Academy at gmail.com.

[40:43] Robin De Jesús: It was just like it was just so bizarre. I was like, this could have gone to my spam. I would never know. It's like an email blast. It's like Black Friday deal. Welcome to the Academy.

[40:56] Samantha Tuozzolo: For real.

[40:58] Robin De Jesús: That is so funny. That's so funny. I mean, this has been so nice to just chat about like everything that's gone on since you first came on the show. And we spoke a little bit about Thanksgiving. So do you have anything you want to say that you're thankful for this year?

[41:15] Robin De Jesús: Well, the first thing that came to me was I'm grateful for consciousness. I think we're in a place right now where a lot is testing us. And sometimes, well, you know, the famous Baldwin quote, he said this specifically about black folks. He said to be black and to be conscious is to be constantly in a fit of rage. I mean, that's not verbatim, but yeah. And I think that there's so much happening in the world right now. And if you're a conscious person, you're aware of it, and it feels like, man, how much more can our nervous systems take? Oh man. You know, you know what I'm saying, Jason?

[41:52] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, yeah.

[41:52] Robin De Jesús: I have to remind myself and affirm the fact that I'm so grateful for consciousness because I would rather be conscious and frustrated than completely unaware. Totally. I'm sure. Yeah. You're unaware. But I'm grateful for the consciousness because it gives me it allows me to engage with empathy, sympathy, and compassion in a way that makes me better. Um, as a person. I know that sounds really like woo-woo, but that's what I feel. Um, I'm also grateful for my family. I'm always grateful for my family because it's what they're what ground me and tether me and make me stay a real person.

[42:34] Robin De Jesús: Um, I will also say, because I've been saying this in the morning when I smudge myself and set my intentions, I want to, I will, I'm grateful for um, I am grateful for inspiration. I'm grateful for creativity, I'm grateful for divinity, I'm grateful for my artistry, I'm grateful for discipline, I'm grateful to want things in life and to not be in a place where I don't feel. So even when it's icky, I say thank you.

[43:06] Samantha Tuozzolo: I love that.

[43:07] Jason A. Coombs: That was nice.

[43:07] Robin De Jesús: I just was like closing my eyes with you. I was like smudged. I was like, no, I gotta rewind this and then we're gonna break these down and I gotta start singing them. So I can be in the academy by the time I'm 30.

[43:22] Robin De Jesús: What's the year we're gonna be at the Oscars, Jason?

[43:25] Jason A. Coombs: That we always manifest.

[43:26] Robin De Jesús: I said 2028, but we have time, yeah.

[43:29] Jason A. Coombs: We still have time.

[43:31] Robin De Jesús: Yeah, 2028. It will happen.

[43:34] Jason A. Coombs: It will happen.

[43:35] Robin De Jesús: It will happen, yeah.

[43:38] Robin De Jesús: Um, we have one more question. Or I have a two quarter, and then we're gonna play our game and stop taking all your time. So thank you. Thank you. But I always like to ask people this like what's bringing them joy right now, um, artistically. Is it whether a movie or TV show, book, a podcast?

[43:56] Robin De Jesús: You know what's funny. Yeah, I'll say, oh, oh, friend visits are very needed right now because I do feel like even though I'm doing stuff for work-related, promoting my show and stuff, I have not had as much time with my people, you know, like like I just said before with my family and my friends, they tether me. So my sanity is affected when I'm not with them as much.

[44:20] Robin De Jesús: And so then home also isolated as well, because a lot of the press is also online. I like have to I have to remind myself that I need to be social, that that actually feels good.

[44:29] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Creatively, what's bringing joy?

[44:33] Robin De Jesús: Yeah, what's feeding your soul creatively?

[44:40] Robin De Jesús: I actually recently re-watched a bunch of seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race. And that was so good for me because it was nice to watch, yeah, it was nice to watch people be creative in so many other ways simultaneously. It was also great to have something that I could just like put on and not really have to think, which is not to say that that's not a diss on the show at all. It just like it caters to like just being chill out.

[45:08] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, yeah, 100%.

[45:10] Robin De Jesús: Uh, I also, I mean, honestly, this sounds so silly, but like yoga's really been affecting my career, not silly, but yoga's been really uh affecting my creativity because I need to sometimes come down afterwards. Like if there's an artist, I'm learning lines, and sometimes when you're sometimes when you're working on a new character, you don't realize that you're tensing up. You're like you're you're in that frustration phase of like learning the role or figuring out who this character is, or you're frustrated over your lighting equipment is like janky or your backdrop is wrinkly, and you you only have a half hour to self-tape, and now you gotta iron the backdrop, you know, like all those little things, and so then afterwards, like I'm I find myself very, very wound up, and so that ability to decompress allows me to then like start new and be creative again.

[46:02] Robin De Jesús: Because there are days like a week and a half ago, two weeks ago, real life things were happening, and I had a lot of work to do, and the lines weren't coming out of my mouth. I had memorized them, yeah, but I couldn't remember them in the moment. I felt like I couldn't act, I wasn't being present, and I just had to call out from the day. Like the audition was not gonna happen because I was exhausted and I didn't want to accept that.

[46:31] Robin De Jesús: So that's why. Yoga with bird, yeah, with bird, I love yoga with birds. I don't know. And hopefully, hopefully, people are inspired to check out uh Welcome to Chippendales. Hopefully, they'll that show be feeding other people's souls. But um, maybe you can really quickly just tell people why they should tune in if they aren't convinced yet.

[46:57] Robin De Jesús: Y'all you y'all, y'all gotta watch Welcome to Chippendales. It's gonna give you everything you need. It is first of all, it's a fascinating story that maybe you thought you knew, but you don't. It's so much more the backstage story is crazy, it's like a true crime farce in a way, because it's you wouldn't think that these things would happen or that they're related. It's it's gonna give you greed, it's gonna give you sex. Like, I'm sure there are straight dudes that are like, I don't feel like looking at naked dudes. Whoever likes naked dudes, you will be very satisfied. But if you don't like naked dudes is not your thing, trust there is so much more happening outside of that. You're gonna have murder, you're gonna have greed, you're gonna have sex, you're gonna have a call out on immoral capitalism.

Although that's more my agenda than anyone else's. Um just good acting, great acting, great storytelling. Great acting. And that end of that first episode. I was like, Oh, I gotta watch the next one. I was so tired. Oh my god, I didn't start yet. I'm waiting for more to come because I I'm gonna get mad. Like, if I can't watch, I'm actually watching it because I haven't watched the whole thing. I only watched the first two episodes and some of the last because the last episode is like really big for my character. Yeah, um, the last episode's almost like a play between me and Kumeo somewhat. So I just wanted to see a little bit of it and then pull back. I'm gonna watch it weekly because real talk, I miss watching TV the old way where you have to wait for this.

[48:23] Samantha Tuozzolo: Yeah, so you should live tweet.

[48:28] Robin De Jesús: Oh, you don't want me tweeting. I I get worried I don't tweet. I get worried about it.

[48:36] Jason A. Coombs: I'm so dead.

[48:38] Robin De Jesús: All right. Also, also buy Twitter, literally Twitter.

[48:44] Jason A. Coombs: Who last week Twitter?

[48:46] Robin De Jesús: Somebody said last week they're like the declining Twitter.

[48:50] Jason A. Coombs: Oh game.

[48:51] Robin De Jesús: I don't think I've looked at my Twitter since 2012, to be totally honest.

[48:55] Robin De Jesús: Yeah, it's poor Twitter. Anyway, Jason, before you close, I just want to say I didn't give you, I didn't list any more things that were filling me creatively, honestly, because I'm watching so much that I can't even keep my head around the order.

[49:10] Jason A. Coombs: I feel that.

[49:11] Samantha Tuozzolo: No, it's true. You can write in and you can write in and let us know if anything else comes to you.

[49:17] Jason A. Coombs: All right. Robin, thank you for coming back. This is so fun. Everybody needs to run and watch Welcome to Chippendales Ray Colon in the Flesh.

[49:23] Robin De Jesús: Hulu.

[49:28] Jason A. Coombs: On Hulu. Thank you. I know, Robin, you're just hitting all the streaming services now. Work. Netflix, Hulu. Somebody gonna be able to do that. Go to Disney Plus, Amazon Prime, Pash. You could do on all of them. I think you well, you are on Peacock as Jose Silva, by the way.

[49:41] Robin De Jesús: That's right. My favorite role of yours. Um, I don't know if you remember from the last episode you were with us, but we always like to end with a game. I think you aced the Bubba Gum trip trivia. So maybe we'll stump you this time. Since you've been performing with, directed by, working with so many fierce people. We thought we'd play a fun trivia game called Name Your Co-Star.

[50:08] Jason A. Coombs: So we're gonna thank you, Jason. I love that. We're gonna give you a fact, and then you're gonna tell us who it is. We're not you can ask for a hint, um, but this is not multiple choice.

[50:22] Robin De Jesús: Okay.

[50:23] Jason A. Coombs: Are you okay?

[50:24] Robin De Jesús: I'm so scared.

[50:26] Jason A. Coombs: No, it's pretty easy. I think you'll ace it. And then if you need to ask for a hint, we can give it to you.

[50:31] Jason A. Coombs: Okay, Robin, do you want to take the first one?

[50:34] Robin De Jesús: Sure.

[50:35] Jason A. Coombs: Okay, first one. This past co-star of yours, and I'll give you a little hint because it's kind of a hard one from Boys in the Band is from Houston, Texas.

[50:45] Robin De Jesús: Oh, Matt Bomer. Or it's either it's it's it's Matt Bomer. The Texas ones are Matt Bomer, Michael Benjamin Washington, and Jim Parsons. I'm gonna say Michael Benjamin Washington.

[50:55] Jason A. Coombs: I'm gonna give it to you because you said you said his name in the three, so I'll give it to you.

[51:04] Robin De Jesús: It was Jim, but like by the way, it could also be Michael.

[51:08] Jason A. Coombs: Well, because some of the guys actually knew each other from high school in Texas.

[51:13] Robin De Jesús: See, so you just you just actually played us, you actually stumped us in the game. So bonus, bonus already.

[51:19] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, bonus already. You already have double points.

[51:22] Jason A. Coombs: Okay, this past co-star of yours is best known for his role in the HBO comedy series Silicon Valley.

[51:28] Robin De Jesús: Kumona Johnny.

[51:30] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, that's correct.

[51:41] Robin De Jesús: Oh, you're on fire.

[51:44] Jason A. Coombs: After being inspired by their role on TV, this past co-star created the Joyful Heart Foundation, which provides support to people who have been sexually abused.

[51:59] Robin De Jesús: It took me a beef, and then I remembered who was asking the question.

[52:03] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, who created the game?

[52:07] Robin De Jesús: Wow. Thank you, thank you.

[52:09] Jason A. Coombs: And then the bonus, which you don't really need because you already got the bonus. We'll ask you already. Um, this past co-star of yours favorite birthday celebration involved eating paperies with his friends and exploring Disney Disneyland while high.

[52:25] Robin De Jesús: Where did you get that question?

[52:27] Jason A. Coombs: Unlike an interview.

[52:29] Robin De Jesús: Wait, eating what again? Sorry.

[52:31] Jason A. Coombs: I'm gonna read that again because I don't know if I read it correctly. This past co-star of yours favorite birthday celebration involved eating pop brownies, weed brownies, marijuana brownies, so if it's friends, and exploring Disneyland while high.

[52:46] Robin De Jesús: I mean, are we talking about me?

[52:48] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, well, you guys, you guys do I think you have a very similar birthdays.

[52:54] Robin De Jesús: Yeah, that's the hint.

[52:55] Jason A. Coombs: Your birthdays are really close together.

[52:57] Robin De Jesús: Your birthdays are one day apart.

[52:59] Robin De Jesús: My birthdays are one.

[53:01] Jason A. Coombs: Oh my god, because I'm literally like you know, I'm like Michael Kilgore and Canida Miller and I share a birthday, so my uh immediately told our Michael Kilgore, and uh oh my god, he was also one of the biggest movies of uh this past like year, end of last year into this year. We spoke about him earlier.

[53:23] Robin De Jesús: Wait, actually, though, because this sounds like would it be Andrew Garfield?

[53:28] Jason A. Coombs: Yeah, correct.

[53:31] Robin De Jesús: Wait, and the reason I am and and this is really funny to me because that might be the reason he stopped. He's like, I don't remember when we're doing the movie, he's like, I don't mess with that. My days are done. So that's why the way I found this on like an article like on uh insider.com. I don't know. Like, I actually think this might this I remember him telling a story about this.

[53:53] Jason A. Coombs: I feel like, and then maybe it might have led to a moment where he was like, Nope, don't need to ever do that again.

[54:00] Robin De Jesús: You go, is this me? It's not six flags. If it was six flags, then maybe it would be it was six flags and a gummy and a gummy or some drops.

[54:12] Jason A. Coombs: Yes, that's for that's for another show.

[54:15] Robin De Jesús: That's stories for another show, Robin. You got a 150% on that game. Congrats.

[54:20] Robin De Jesús: It took a lot of help of a laugh for the thank you. Yeah. Thank you. It was a hard one.

[54:27] Jason A. Coombs: Robin, can you tell all of our listeners how they can keep up with you, where they can follow you, what's going on? Please let everyone know where they can keep up with you.

[54:35] Robin De Jesús: You guys, you can keep up with me. Uh, you can follow me on social media at Robinof Jesus. My last name is De Jesus. So it's Robinof Jesus. Don't think that I'm like knocking door to door trying to get you to join my religion. Well, not yet. Yes, yes. I have a Twitter account, but that's on its way out. You can follow me. Check on me on Instagram. And you can see me on uh um Welcome to Chippendales on Hulu. You can watch Santiago of the Seas with your kids. Uh I voice Pepito on that show. Your mischief stops here, Pepito. What? You again? Ugh, I'm bored by your ramblings, music maker. I'm gonna take your voice too. And uh you'll catch me in random, I guess random other places. But for now, those are that that's the place where I know you'll find me anyway.

[55:26] Samantha Tuozzolo: And then if you didn't see him, he was on Jennifer Hudson's show this week, which you can also check out. And you did a whole great story about your mom. Good We Love Your Mom.

[55:33] Robin De Jesús: Yes, yes. I mean J Hud, you can you can rewatch part of it on YouTube. I don't think you can watch the whole interview, but uh, but she's just absolutely lovely, and I had such a great time, and I'm I'm grateful to to share that with y'all.

[55:49] Samantha Tuozzolo: We'll put it in the show notes.

[55:51] Robin De Jesús: Yeah, for sure. And if and if you're just tuning in now to us because you're a Robin fan and you don't follow survival jobs, check us out on Instagram and Twitter at Survival jobs pod on Facebook at Survival jobs a podcast. Shoot us an email at survival jobs pod at gmail.com.

[56:08] Jason A. Coombs: Which makes me laugh because you're like the academy at gmail.com.

[56:14] Robin De Jesús: I'm died I was gonna be emailing people are emailing them.

[56:19] Jason A. Coombs: Yo.

[56:19] Robin De Jesús: Follow my boy Jason at Jason A. Coombs and you can check me out at Sammy Toots. Robin, we love you. You are a survival jobs favorite and we love you so much.

[56:30] Robin De Jesús: I love you.