Once We Were Spacemen Once We Were Scrappers | Episode 3
8 snips
Nov 19, 2025 
Join Alan Tudyk, a versatile actor and voice performer renowned for his quirky roles and his hit series Con Man, as he shares hilarious and insightful anecdotes from his Hollywood journey. Alan recalls auditioning for 104 roles before landing significant parts, including casting Nathan as an octopus in Resident Alien. They discuss the challenges of creating Con Man, the power of crowdfunding, and the twists of fate that turned potential failures into blessings. With plenty of laughs, they weave through career struggles, near-misses, and their childhood TV inspirations.
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Octopus 42 Became A Cult Favorite
- Alan Tudyk played an octopus named 42 in Resident Alien and the character became a cast favorite.
- His rubber puppet death (chewed by a dog) and the visible filament puppet effect made the scene memorably funny.
Con Man Survived Industry Rejection
- Alan describes building Con Man from a short-form pitch into a full season despite industry resistance and losing representation.
- He launched an Indiegogo that raised millions and expanded into games and comics via fan support.
Bad Audition Turned Into A Memorable Story
- Alan recounts a bad audition for Dinner for Schmucks where he played a blind swordsman and accidentally made the role comedic against instructions.
- The casting director later felt betrayed and that same director later cast him in Resident Alien after rejecting 103 others first.