Off The Beat with Brian Baumgartner

For the second time on the podcast, Brian gets to pick the brain of the brilliant Ben Silverman, visionary executive producer behind The Office, Ugly Betty, Jane the Virgin, The Biggest Loser, and many more. He talks about his childhood being raised by theater and television in Manhattan, the disappointment of attaining his childhood dream, breaking into new fields in media, and he even gives Brian some Japanese lessons.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today’s episode, Brian speaks with the greatest US soccer player of all time, Landon Donovan. He talks about moving to Europe at 17, seeing the sport gain popularity in the US, and the influx of soccer teams coming to San Diego. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian’s golf buddy, former Green Bay linebacker and current co-host of The Pat McAfee Show, AJ Hawk is going off (the beat) today, talking about his career in football, becoming a fixture at the American Century Golf Championship, and what he is (and isn’t) giving up as The Pat McAfee Show moves to ESPN.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of Brian’s favorite people (and everyone’s favorite HR rep) Paul Lieberstein is on the show today. He talks about his early, terrible spec scripts, his excellent new show Lucky Hank, and the real reasons behind the writer’s strike.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian meets a new friend today, the talented and omnipresent Jake McDorman (he’s everywhere!). He shares his experience moving to Hollywood by himself at 17, the NSFW first scene he shot for What We Do in the Shadows, and how he stays in the zeitgeist by being in multiple shows at once.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian catches up with the hilarious writer and comedian Amber Ruffin, who tells him all about making a career in professional improv, working with her sister, and her lifelong love of (not) learning.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Off the Beet [Farm], Brian catches up with his dear old friend Rainn Wilson. Instead of talking about The Office, they go much deeper into how he harnessed his childhood struggles to play some of the weirdest characters out there, traveling the world for his new show Rainn Wilson and the Geography of Bliss, and okay fine, they do talk about The Office a little too.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today’s episode, star of stage and screen Garret Dillahunt talks about the whirlwind of creativity on the set of Deadwood, the third director on the set of No Country for Old Men, and never being too proud to take a paycheck.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Famously Canadian actor Tom Cavanagh gets what he’s been waiting for - to be a guest on Off The Beat. He uses the opportunity to tell Brian about his screen-less childhood in Africa, being the worst singer in every musical he’s ever done, and playing the same character many different ways on The Flash.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian’s fellow Southerner, high school debate team champion, and friend of John Krasinski John Hoogenakker is on the podcast today. He shares how he managed to be a big-time actor without ever living in New York or LA, traveling the world for beer commercials, and balancing his resume of extremely dark stories (like Dopesick and Waco: The Aftermath) with lighter fare (Dilly Dilly!).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.