Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Precious Chong: Toronto Mike'd #1177

Episode Date: December 28, 2022

In this 1177th episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike chats with Precious Chong about being a Nepo Baby, growing up the daughter of Tommy Chong and sister of Rae Dawn Chong, her acting roles, her pivot to st...and up comedy, her appearance on Celebrity Family Feud and more. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Yes, We Are Open, The Advantaged Investor, Canna Cabana, StickerYou, Ridley Funeral Home and Electronic Products Recycling Association.

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Starting point is 00:01:26 Joining me today making her Toronto mic'd debut is Precious Chong Precious Chong. Welcome to Toronto Mic Precious. How are you doing? Oh my God.
Starting point is 00:02:04 That was the best intro I've ever heard. I've never even heard that song before. Okay, let me educate you. I'm excited. No, this is Jackie Moore. Jackie Moore, okay. And this is from the early 70s, so this song was a 1970s song called Precious Precious.
Starting point is 00:02:20 And I can tell you, because I did a little homework before you got here, that it reached number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100. But I dig it. It's called Precious Precious by Jackie Moore. I like it. I've heard of Precious and Few. People sing that to me.
Starting point is 00:02:34 And then the Pretenders have a song, Precious, which is a really good one. I love the Pretenders. That's a good... Have you heard that? You've heard of that song. I'm sure I have. Yeah. I got to ask you you do you know the origin
Starting point is 00:02:46 of the name like uh do you know why you were given the name precious or was it just like a lovely word i do can i get that story well it's funny because um sometimes you know you google yourself as you do and it came up on youtube no YouTube has this whole thing about the most or the weirdest Hollywood name and my name is it. And then they said I was named after some singer. Like they had a totally made up story. They just invented like an origin story. Yeah. And I was like, that's the Internet.
Starting point is 00:03:18 Like I literally was like, wow, I didn't know that my name. It was a complete made up story. So the real what my parents told me. So maybe they, my parents are lying to me. Right. Somebody's lying here, but let me hear your parents' story. But my mom, they both thought I was going to be a boy. So they had only boys names. And I asked my mom, what was the boy's name?
Starting point is 00:03:39 She didn't, she can't remember. But, and my dad used to call my mom Precious when she was pregnant with me. So then when I was born, they didn't have any girls' names. So my dad was like, let's call her Precious. And that's how it happened. And they were hippies, and they were doing a lot of acid at the time. That explains everything. It does.
Starting point is 00:03:58 And I was their love child. They weren't married. My dad's not on my birth certificate. Because I was born in Windsor. Okay, so is there a man's not on my birth certificate. Okay. Because I was born in Windsor. Okay. So is there a man's name on your birth certificate? No. No.
Starting point is 00:04:10 Because this is like the, my mom was like the unwed mother. And even though my dad was there, they refused to put. So his name is in my name. So my full name is Precious Shelby Lorna Flossina Chong Fittis. So Fittis is my legal last name. Okay. Cause your mom is Shelby Fittis. That's her.
Starting point is 00:04:30 Okay. Now I know, I know no judgments here at all. Like I'm just curious, but we, we all know your father cause your, uh, your father is a famous dude.
Starting point is 00:04:38 Who's your father? Yeah. My father's Tommy Chong of Cheech and Chong. I'm a Nepo baby. Guys. That's funny because we were actually at my oldest daughter and my wife and I were having a chat. We were like name check like Nepo babies.
Starting point is 00:04:52 I guess this is like a current fad or something. It's a thing. I wonder where it came from. It's on the internet. I think it started with Lily Rose Depp was saying how her parents didn't help her get where she is or whatever. You know, she's in her 20s is or whatever you know she's in her 20s like you know anyone in their 20s are they're stupid right yeah i was i was stupid in my 20s
Starting point is 00:05:13 so you're a nepo baby and you're proud of it i'm i'm not i don't know if i'm proud of it i think i'm a failed nepo baby i don't think think I used my dad's name enough. So you think you should leverage the Tommy Chong connection for your own benefit? You don't think you went hard enough on the Chong part of Precious Chong? I don't. That's a tough question. I mean, I don't think I'm what the Chong legacy wants. You know what I mean? They just want something more weed related.
Starting point is 00:05:46 Okay, do you smoke weed? I do occasionally, but I wasn't a weed smoker when I was growing up. I was like, ew. I didn't want to do that because my dad did it. It wasn't interesting. I guess it's natural for a young person to rebel against their parents. If you had tight-laced, waspy
Starting point is 00:06:02 conservative parents, you might be smoking weed as a form of rebellion. But when your dad's Tommy Chong, the way you rebel is like you get good grades. You go to university. I wish I did. I was the first, but not only that,
Starting point is 00:06:17 like my sister was also like a wild child. My other sister was moved to England and was a a punk rocker so like i had too like it was too much like what was i supposed to do the only thing i could do was to get good grades and go to university to be you know um controversial so but but you went to university but what was the plan like you were going to get like a banking job like what was the goal you were just going to get a normal job i thought it was going to like work in advertising that's okay like okay you know that seemed like something reasonable or be a writer which i kind of you know i still write but but yeah and then it's sort of i just went full circle and realized it's kind of
Starting point is 00:06:59 don't fight it don't fight it i leaned into into it. So let me get a little more personal since we're personal right at the top. But I had a great discussion with your sister, Rae Dawn. She couldn't visit because she was like in LA or something. So we Zoomed it and it was fantastic because I had met her through a mutual friend, Mary Jo Eustace. Oh, yes. Who was on our podcast. Okay. She was my unicorn single mom you
Starting point is 00:07:26 have no idea okay well talk to me about that for a bit while we segue to ray don okay but we can talk about ray don because she's you know amazing we will talk about ray don she's insane and she's a scary big sister she was but i know ray don did tell me though that like she's rarely in toronto and then she's like well my sister's there but like she used to live in Toronto she did a show here it's been a while like when was the last time Ray Dawn uh appeared in the the 416 here long time too long right okay and I so went I need so many things here I gotta I know you know so many things like I want to know how you ended up in Toronto like when did you uh become a Torontonian well I did a play in winnipeg and i met a guy and we got married and had a kid within like three
Starting point is 00:08:10 months and he was from toronto and so i moved to toronto and we were going to be bi-coastal but we broke up and that's and then so you stayed because you like well we were here and then we went to la then we broke up in la and Well, we were here and then we went to LA. Then we broke up in LA and then we got back together. He kind of coerced me to go back to Toronto. He got back together, so go back to Toronto. But we're good friends now. And then I stayed in Toronto because for a lot of reasons.
Starting point is 00:08:38 He was here. My son needed a dad. It's healthcare. I can act here. There's worse places to be than toronto there are yeah it's great it was great and it's a great place to raise a kid you know so how long has that been now that you've been here god like my son is going to be my son is finishing high school so like 16 years okay okay well i'm glad you're here because it means you could be my basement
Starting point is 00:09:01 and i'm going to crack open a fresh beer from great lakes brewery on the mic whoa that's like cheers to you precious cheers to you oh yeah so mary jo so i always so we used to have a podcast you can still listen to some of them called sex and single parent me and melissa's story and i can't forget we just recorded a comedy album which will hopefully be released in march so when did you record that like this week no we the december 11th and december 20th at comedy bar all right right right right okay but mary jo i really wanted her to be on our podcast because we would we would always interview single parents because we were both single parents and we were mostly comedians actors but we'd always talk to single parents and figure out like you know how they manage
Starting point is 00:09:49 what's the relationship like with their ex you know how they've dating all of those things because when i was going through my divorce and separation i was like didn't know what to do so mary jo this is what i'm bringing it's going to come up so Mary Jo I remember when I was going through my breakup and this sounds awful but it's the truth she she her husband had loved her for Tori Tori Spelling and I and it was so public and I was like well at least I'm not her right you know what I mean like she was like she was in the trenches in a way that I can't imagine. And it was hard for me. So I really wanted to talk to her and, you know, I don't know. Pay tribute to someone who had a deal with something so shitty.
Starting point is 00:10:34 Can I swear? Yeah, you can swear. You called her like a unicorn because she is that like magical blend of like somebody who, like so public. How many of us can say like how public can you know your man leaving you for another woman is something you deal with and it's very personal but it's rarely like fodder for tabloids to this extreme level that mary joe eustace had to endure yeah i know it was and i was like fascinated by it and i think i got shy in the interview i didn't
Starting point is 00:11:04 really lean into asking all the details. Was she in person? Was she there? No, I was on the phone. Her parents still live here. Go on. No, I don't think she was. She was in LA.
Starting point is 00:11:14 She was very nice. Coincidentally, my sister became friends with her. From other random people. Just to tie it all up, that's i met ray dawn excuse me i'm all choked up over here yelling too much but uh i met ray dawn because ray dawn was mary joe's guest for a new episode three of mary joe's podcast x's and uh-ohs we needed the new number three because the original number three which i was literally like ready to drop uh we got like a do not drop that I won't call it a cease and desist because that
Starting point is 00:11:48 involves a lawyer but it was like a don't drop that I don't want anything to do with this anymore it was a Dean McDermott order so we had like this mad scramble to replace the original episode 3 with a new one that kind of explained everything is that Dean McDermott calling you or is that Marjorie? Sorry I don't know
Starting point is 00:12:03 oh it's my mom you should put her on but yeah oh yeah and everything. Is that Dee McDermott calling you? Or is that Marjorie? Sorry, I don't know. Oh, it's my mom. You should put her on. But, yeah, oh, yeah. Which ties it in? Can I interrupt again? Because this is all how I met you. And I guess they're quite friendly now. And I'm very friendly with my ex. Whoa, whoa, whoa, you need an update.
Starting point is 00:12:19 They were very friendly for several months and now they're not friendly again. Oh, they're... Oh, really? Yeah, yeah, that's why we needed a months, and now they're not friendly again. Oh, really? Yeah, that's why we needed a new episode three, because it's got ugly again. It's like she was dumped a second time. Like, you know, not to get overly dramatic. You know, fool me once.
Starting point is 00:12:38 But it really does depend on the partner. Because my story has gory details too. Do you want to hear the gory details? Yeah, yes, please. It's kind of fascinating. I don't know. Maybe it's not anymore.
Starting point is 00:12:49 Well, I'll let you know. So, thanks. So, my ex, we met doing a play in Winnipeg called Mating Dance of the Werewolf and he,
Starting point is 00:12:58 we broke up like, because we were terrible together. I mean, it was like one of those hot, passionate romances but then we got together and we were like, we were badly matched. I mean, it was like one of those hot, passionate romances. But then we got together. We were badly matched.
Starting point is 00:13:08 Were you toxic? No. It's just like he was eight years younger than me. And we're really good friends. So I think we should have always been friends. But we have a great kid. And now we're good friends. And we have a good kid.
Starting point is 00:13:23 So that's good. But he ended up with, a couple years later, Sarah, who was the body double in the poster in the play that we met. So you're a body double? Yeah, but it was just in the poster. She was a dancer at the time in Winnipeg, and they just used her for the poster, and we never met. And then two years later, they made a commercial audition, get together and um they're not together anymore but they had a kid and then we actually became really good friends like me and sarah and wes okay so it was like very copacetic we would go to the cottage and hang out and my partner was tolerant of it he's not as on board i mean not that he's not on
Starting point is 00:14:04 board he's just not as social. He's Ukrainian. He's like, I don't understand these crazy people. But why did I bring that up? Oh, yeah. I don't know why. Just the whole weird. Now you basically have this strange.
Starting point is 00:14:18 Hybrid. Hybrid. Okay, which I think sounds really cool. It is cool. But now they're not together anymore. Right. And now he has a new partner, Sasha.
Starting point is 00:14:26 And does she look like you as well? Cause it sounds like he has a type, like it's body doubles and lookalikes. Sarah had dark hair. She, Sarah had dark hair. So, and then Sasha has dark hair.
Starting point is 00:14:36 So I think I wasn't, I was the one who wasn't his type. Oh, I gotcha. All right. So here, excuse me. I like,
Starting point is 00:14:43 like, I don't know where it came from. I could talk yesterday. I did a three hour episode. Maybe that's the problem actually. excuse me. I don't know where it came from. I could talk yesterday. I did a three-hour episode. Maybe that's the problem, actually. And now, suddenly, I don't have a voice. But please, bear with me, precious. This is important stuff here.
Starting point is 00:14:52 I'm just trying to get the timelines here with Tommy Chong, a great Canadian, Tommy Chong. So Tommy Chong is married to a woman who is Ray Dawn's mom. Oh, God. Didn't Ray Dawn tell you all this? Yeah, but now I'm going to segue to the next marriage. Because Ray Dawn, maybe, I don't want to...
Starting point is 00:15:11 You know, it's all stuff you can find on Wikipedia. Yeah, it's complicated. But yeah, look it up. And so now he's with my mom still. But they were there. For a while, my dad had two families. He did the rock and roll two family thing wow yeah and you're one you're but your family is the the second family second family
Starting point is 00:15:32 okay and ray don's is the first family yes okay okay yeah radon and robbie were with maxine gotcha but maxine isn't radon's mom but but it's... Okay. See, yeah. That's where it gets complicated. Okay. But she was raised as Radon's mom. Gotcha. Pretty much. Okay.
Starting point is 00:15:51 Very interesting. Okay. But when your dad is... We'll get to this. But when your dad's Tommy Chong, things won't be conventional. No. Like, it's not going to be like we talked. Like, it's going to be like this.
Starting point is 00:16:01 This is what you might see if your dad's Tommy Chong. I guess. What does that mean? Like, he's, like,. This is what you might see if your dad's Tommy Chong. I guess, what does that mean? Like he's like has two families, you mean? Well, I'm not even suggesting. I'm suggesting that maybe, you know, yeah, maybe it won't be like just one wife and then 2.5 kids. Like there might be. Complications?
Starting point is 00:16:20 No, but I mean, that was like, that was at the time. But now, I mean, he's been with my mom. Yeah. Like they met when she was 17. But they've been together since. So, you know, and I have two younger brothers. So they've been together a long time. Okay.
Starting point is 00:16:38 So it's both. Yes, it's unconventional. Yes, they weren't married for a long time. But also, you know know my parents were pretty you know i didn't i had kind of a normal upbringing they were pretty stable they're still together and you did all right you look like you're doing well yeah i mean i think i tried to there's some weirdness you know but who doesn't have that in their family that just makes you interesting yeah exactly by the way i had in this basement a couple of weeks ago. Gare Joyce was here.
Starting point is 00:17:06 And Gare does stand-up and he's all very into stand-up. And he wanted me to know you're a very funny stand-up comedian. Oh, that's very nice. So, oh, and here, one more note here before we find out like your career path and how you ended up here being a stand-up. But Mark Vendramini. Oh, yeah, I know him. Okay, he writes in and says, please tell her I say hi. Yeah. I did her stand-up but mark vendramini oh yeah i know him okay he writes in and says please
Starting point is 00:17:26 tell her i say hi yeah i did her stand-up class twice he did i wanted to see your show last night but it was at a family event so he just i guess you had a show like maybe two nights ago did you have a show yeah i did so you boxing day you wanted to be there but uh mark couldn't be there but so now you're doing stand-up classes and everything. But you're also an actress. I was checking out some of your roles. We'll get back to Radon later because I do want to talk more about Radon. We can talk about Radon.
Starting point is 00:17:55 What did you want to say about it? She's got this cool perspective that I find zany and fun and interesting. So it's like you get kind of caught up into her vortex almost. Oh my God, she is a vortex. She's so interesting and she can talk and she knows everybody. And yeah, she's a big, big personality. So when you're growing up, what is it like when your big sister is famous? Because again, sorry, I don't know why I can't talk. Get it together.
Starting point is 00:18:24 famous right because again sorry i don't know why i can't talk get it together but like she's winning awards and she's got the gemini awards and stuff like like what's that like are you thinking like i want to act like that like what is it like growing up with ray dawn chong is your uh big sister um oh it can be it was really fun. I mean, sometimes like when I was, the summer between high school and university, she was, I got to go to all these parties with her. Like, I think she was in Mustang and Malibu Colony because she was kind of in the Brat Pack thing. And I remember there was a party where like Kiefer Sutherland was there.
Starting point is 00:19:02 And I don't know, think of all like the brat pack actors that would be like emilio estevez i feel like charlie sheen yes like they would be in that they were all there what rob low isn't he a member of that yeah but i didn't demie moore maybe rob low i'm thinking of brad virginia virginia mattson was there wow because i think she was friends with laurie rodkin who was really good friends with Cher, who was the manager to all. She was the manager of Judd Nelson, I think. So it was fun. Breakfast club people.
Starting point is 00:19:30 Yeah. And then she took me once, Academy Award night, she got invited to all these parties. She's a good celebrity. Like Radon is a celebrity that is good at her job. And so it was really fun to like be, see everything,
Starting point is 00:19:47 even though, I don't know. It's weird. It's like, it's sometimes parties with famous people are fun on paper, but then if there's a lot of drugs involved, it's mostly like them,
Starting point is 00:20:02 and you're not doing drugs, it's mostly them going to the bathroom for long periods of time. It's not that, you know, your dad's drug of choice. Now we're talking, this has got to be cocaine. I'm guessing.
Starting point is 00:20:12 Who knows? I don't know. It's not, it's not as fun unless you're in that, you know, right. Going in, going into it.
Starting point is 00:20:19 Not that I have any judgment around it. It's just, you know, no, I hear you. I hear you now. Now, since we,
Starting point is 00:20:24 uh, and I think I can talk again. This is a miracle. It's a Christmas miracle, but Ray Don Chong, uh, do you have any judgment around it. It's just, you know. No, I hear you. I hear you. Now, since we and I think I can talk again. This is a miracle. It's a Christmas miracle. But Rae Dawn Chong, do you have any thoughts? I'm just curious about the Mick Jagger story because she sort of brushes it off as like, oh, you know, but when you dissect the story and you think on this,
Starting point is 00:20:38 this is a terrible thing that she was very, very young. Mick Jagger was in his 30s. It was a different time. Isn't that what she said? Something to that effect, yeah. I mean, Radon was like 12 going on 40. I have a bit of my stand-up act.
Starting point is 00:20:56 Literally, she was driving at 12. She was hanging out with Tatum O'Neill. It was such a crazy time. Mackenzie Phillips and going going to clubs and like. They're all Nepo babies. Yeah. Well, those are all three Nepo babies because Ryan O'Neill. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:21:11 Yeah. And of course. Yeah. Beach Boys, right? Wait. No, Ryan O'Neill. No. But who is the other person?
Starting point is 00:21:19 Mackenzie Phillips. Oh, yes. Mamas and Papas. Right, right, right, right. I was thinking because there's Wilson Phillips, which is like the Beach Boys. China Phillips, Michelle Phillips. Right. From Brian Williams. Yeah. All right. oh yeah so the mom and poppers right right right right i was thinking because there's wilson phillips which is like the beach boys china phillips michelle phillips right from brian brian williams and then yeah yeah all right so i know it's all yeah and so you're growing up with ray dawn good good guy but ray dawn had like it was wild but she also because of my dad i think
Starting point is 00:21:40 my sisters would talk about this because my dad and lou Adler, who kind of owned one of the Roxy and, and was around the real creepy guys wouldn't take advantage of them because I guess it's kind of like the mafia. It's like they were connected. I guess so. You get to protect them. Yes. But I mean,
Starting point is 00:22:00 creeping there was, it was a creepy time. Let's face it. No, no, no two ways about it. The, you know, boundaries were different. Okay, but still you end up going to university,
Starting point is 00:22:10 like a more conventional path. You think though that, you know, if I'm Precious Chong growing up in this environment, I probably would try to get into acting. I would think you might try to get into acting. And maybe you did. We're going to find out like about your acting and everything but like you obviously
Starting point is 00:22:28 We're thinking marketing or advertising as you put it. Well, I did English lit and language I mean, I liked writing and I went to I went to boarding school in Switzerland. I went to a fancy boarding school What was that like? I can't imagine is that like the sound of music? Okay, it is kind of like the sound. It's called Le Rose. They name drop it a lot in Emily in Paris this season. Another Nepo baby. I just did this game.
Starting point is 00:22:54 So I didn't know this was a web thing, but my daughter, Michelle. How old is your daughter? 18. Oh, okay. And she's going to McGill in Montreal, but she's home for Christmas. Oh, she's going to McGill.
Starting point is 00:23:03 What is she studying? Business. Ooh. Maybe she'll be an advertising. Good girl. And then she's going to McGill in Montreal, but she's home for Christmas. Oh, she's going to McGill. What is she studying? Business. Ooh. Maybe she'll be in advertising. Good girl. Then she's going to go into acting. Maybe. God forbid.
Starting point is 00:23:11 Or stand-up, maybe if I'm lucky. Yes. But she said, let's do the Nepo baby. So I start running off people because I'm seeing these people and I'm noticing. And one of the people, of course, is Phil Collins' daughter, Lily Collins. Yes. Who's in that Emily in Paris. Right.
Starting point is 00:23:23 And there's a whole bunch of these Nepo babies I'm running down. but i didn't know it was a thing like it's kind of fun that in all these names you're dropping are nepo babies yeah i guess so i guess it's because you are one so you're sort of like it's like a click like you're sort of aware of others and maybe you're you're just like they're on your radar because they're also nepo babies i don't know i don't know if it's that or it's just like you grew up in the neighborhood and there was other people whose kids, you know, famous people. Right. I mean, what's your take on Nepo babies? That it opens a lot of doors, but like if you suck, you suck.
Starting point is 00:23:56 Like so the doors will swing open for you and you'll get opportunities that non-Nepo babies might have to work harder to get. nepo babies might have to work harder to get but you know to to to get the door to open and to get the opportunity then to stick around and have any kind of semblance of a career you actually have to be good so and i don't actually i don't actually confess i don't watch emily in paris but i see my wife and daughter watch it and i'll see it on the screen and i'll catch a couple minutes and it's like she's clearly like good at what like she's good at what she does it's not her fault that her dad is a famous musician but it's clear that that would have i would get i would assume that opens doors along the way like there's a lot of privilege i think people yeah there is privilege i think i think it's um good
Starting point is 00:24:37 to have the conversation and i think it's like people are misguided to think like oh it had nothing to do with who my dad is. But I think that can also be a bit of a, I mean, I know, I feel like it can be an expectation. I had like, I think there's a weird expectation around it. Right. That, you know, which has its own baggage. I mean, I'm not, I'm not saying boohoo, it's so hard, but I think there's like baggage and other things that you deal with, but I, I'm not denying the opportunities. Well, there's examples of, I want to call him a nepo baby.
Starting point is 00:25:10 Listen, I didn't get a CBC show because of my dad. Right. Okay. So, okay, we got to get to all that. I'm joking. I'm joking. We got to get to all of this.
Starting point is 00:25:24 We don't have to. We got some ground to cover here. Uh, who was I going to think of who changed our name? Oh yeah. Nicholas Cage. Okay. So when Nicholas Cage started acting,
Starting point is 00:25:33 he was going by his birth name, Nicholas Coppola, his father, his father, his uncle is Francis Ford Coppola. Like, so there was this whole Coppola name and he changes it. He invents his name Cage
Starting point is 00:25:45 to sort of like get rid of this like Nepo, he's trying to shed the Nepo baby thing by like changing his last name. Is that why he did it? Yeah, he didn't want to be like a Coppola. He wanted to like forge his own ground or whatever.
Starting point is 00:25:59 I think it was a good call. Well, yeah, it worked out for him. So the only movie I've ever seen, I think, where he's Coppola is Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Like he's got a smallest freaking part. I don't think he talks, actually. But Nick Coppola is in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
Starting point is 00:26:12 Oh. It's a great movie, by the way. It is a good movie. It's such a good movie. Right? Yeah, it's a really good movie. Remember Valley Girl? That was my...
Starting point is 00:26:20 Is that your favorite movie? Of Nicolas Cage? It's just one that I remember. Okay, so for him, I liked the Coen Brothers movie. Oh, yeah. What is it? Come on. Because I can see John Goodman climbing.
Starting point is 00:26:33 The babies. Yeah, Holly Hunter. Holly Hunter. Raising Arizona. Thank you. This is why I can go Google things if I need to. I see. Precious.
Starting point is 00:26:45 Yeah. Okay. So when did you realize you wanted to be an actress? It took me a while. I mean, I acted when I was a kid, like in commercials and stuff and on my dad's movies. But he cut us a lot. He cut us out of the movie. He just wanted you to be filmed so you had the experience.
Starting point is 00:27:05 And then he'd leave you on the cutting room maybe um my sisters and i it was good we got our sag cards it was great um i did it not until i was like in my mid-20s like so i went to university i got out of university i was in england then i came to la and I got my first job. I was writing coverage, which is when you read scripts and do like coverage on them. And then I got, I knew, I met an assistant who was working for Cinetel, which is the movie company that my dad had done Far Out Man with, Josh, who coincidentally was the director of AKA Tommy Chong, the documentary about my dad going to jail. So this guy josh got me a job at oliver stone's office so that was my first job out of university so yeah 100 percent
Starting point is 00:27:51 is it nepo i don't know i got fired i got fired that's what i meant about doors opening like the door that you got the job because of nepo yes but to keep the job which i didn't which you didn't so like i feel bad about that oliver stone didn't fire me it was a great experience and then i'd realize that i was just like wall street platoon it was fantastic it was such a interesting run for him yeah it was when he was um it was just when he was like starting the doors and finishing um born on the 4th of july and prepping jfk yeah he was it was intense wow so it was you know i rented jf prepping JFK. Yeah, it was intense. Wow.
Starting point is 00:28:27 You know, I rented JFK for my local video store. It was two cassettes because it was so long. And I actually accidentally put the wrong cassette in first. And I didn't know because it just starts in a courtroom and I thought this was just the style.
Starting point is 00:28:38 So I actually watched the second half first and then the first half second. I think that's cool. Non-linear. Did you have John candy's in that yeah lots of good people and so then um so then i so i did that and i got fired and then i decided that i didn't i wanted to dance professionally because i always wanted to be a ballet dancer so then i went to japan and danced in a show there and i came back and i went on a dance audition
Starting point is 00:29:03 but it was accidentally a an acting audition and I was very shy and um and I liked it even though I was terrible at it and um that's when I was like oh I need to act and everyone in my family was like are you nuts you're so shy it's not your thing but then it just I just took to it it was fun and challenging and I don't know it made me um do things like yeah I was out of my comfort zone. You left your comfort zone, which is thrilling sometimes to do that. So I'm going to name some of your biggest titles you've been in and then you
Starting point is 00:29:33 can confess like what your role was or whatever, but I'll just name these three, three big titles. You ready for this? I can't. LA Confidential, which by the way, big time,
Starting point is 00:29:44 great movie. Yeah, it is is who do you play in la confidential i play the woman that's getting beat up in the opening scene that russell crowe saves i'm literally in the first scene of the movie i need to repeat like i need now i need to go back to the film i haven't seen it in a few years like i think you can literally hear me breathing at the at the start of the credits. It's like, I don't know, it's crazy. So how did you audition for that? Like, is it like, oh, I owe Tommy a favor?
Starting point is 00:30:11 Nepo baby. Wow. No, it wasn't at all. But it was in a weird way. It was, you want to hear the whole weird story? It's not that interesting, but I'll do it. But that's a fascinating film. I went to a psychic and she was like, you really need to use your, um,
Starting point is 00:30:26 all your connections. And it was like, I was always very, I didn't like it. It was like, I hated trying to do it like that. But she was like, you really do.
Starting point is 00:30:36 So, um, there is this producer, Peter McGregor, Scott, that my mom worked with my dad and my mom ran into him and he asked about me and she said oh she's acting he's like you need to have her call me so i called him and then he got me a meeting with mally finn who's a casting director and then she got me brought me in for this it was literally
Starting point is 00:30:57 two words for this movie ali confidential and then i had to have a call back and then i was like rolling my eyes i'm like seriously but because i was a brat i got it and it was sort of amazing experience it was a huge movie and but you get to go to like because that movie got nominated for many big awards like did you get to go to any award ceremonies like even the at the oscars 100 no it was a tape player. I was like, one day's work. But it was great. And people were really impressed with it. All right.
Starting point is 00:31:29 So there's one big title. Again, I'm picking big titles, not big roles. We'll let you tell us your favorite roles. But Pearl Harbor, which by the way, I hated. Am I allowed to tell you that? No, yeah. Who are you in Pearl Harbor? I was a nurse who tells, I think, Ben Affleck to go and get another shot.
Starting point is 00:31:50 I think, like, I don't know. They're all getting these. Because you're like, I think Ben Affleck. How the hell do you not know it's Ben Affleck? No, he was in the scene. Okay. But it was a big day. Okay.
Starting point is 00:32:00 And it was a couple days and Michael Bay screamed at everybody. Did he scream at you? Yes, he did. What an asshole. Yeah. He was... Who does he think he is? His movies suck.
Starting point is 00:32:11 I hate Michael Bay movies. He's an amazing director. He's not amazing. No, come on. Transformers? Like, come on. Well, I guess you can't argue with his success. He makes...
Starting point is 00:32:20 No, his movies make money. But you know what? Okay, I'm going to tell you something that I think is, he's a type of man who has two huge dogs. You know the dogs that are oversized? He's compensating for something. Like St. Bernard's? What are these things?
Starting point is 00:32:36 Like, not St. Bernard's, but more. The big dogs. Great Danes? Yes, Great Danes. They're big, yeah. He has two Great Danes. Have you ever seen a Great Dane take a crap? And I just, I feel like it's a compensation.
Starting point is 00:32:49 You know, it just feels like you don't need to do it, Michael. Settle down and stop yelling. Michael Bay. So you got one line in that movie? What was it, just one line? Yeah, I think it was one. No, I think it was two. Because I'm going to add the lines up.
Starting point is 00:33:00 Because L.A. Confidential plus Pearl Harbor and two lines. Okay. And this, playing it cool. What's your role in playing it cool um playing it cool is okay so i was in this i love this by the way you're making me go through like i'm having a midlife crisis already well i want to get we'll get to that okay i do want to hear i want to talk to you about because i heard you say earlier you were a failure and we need to talk about that because you're not a failure i did i say that well you say you said you're a fate you're a failed baby right well i mean i'm you use the f word i'm doing it playfully okay because you're funny
Starting point is 00:33:33 you're comedian yeah so uh playing it cool uh was i played a okay so it was this director that i did a commercial with that became sort of a viral hit called uh neutro grain i feel great so he's this crazy director and we did the spec commercial and it became like this like before there was youtube it became this sort of viral thing and this was his first movie justin reardon and he right um so i did the scene and he told us we play this couple this kind of sad pathetic couple and he goes you guys are a couple that they would never make a movie about that's funny that's funny and this movie's got like chris evans is in there and yeah i didn't i did not have any any scenes with them okay what is your personal favorite role in your acting career what is the role you're most proud of well i i did a movie called homewrecker that oh can i
Starting point is 00:34:25 play the trailer yeah sure okay because of course i do my homework and i'm all over homewrecker here we go i'm linda oh michelle nice to officially meet you likewise oh cute baby. Woo! Cunt. When would you want to get this process started? I just need some help getting organized. Let me give you a tour. Cheers. Cheers. Whoa! Listen, I feel really terrible.
Starting point is 00:35:04 How can I make that up to you? I really have to go. Are you thinking about leaving now? Linda! I get it. Why would you want to hang out with a weirdo like me? Everyone is so fucking fake I think you're having some kind of breakdown What a crock of shit I used to be popular
Starting point is 00:35:35 Everyone wanted to be me You don't know anything about me! Ah! Okay, chilling. Okay, tell me about Homewrecker because you do more than just act in this thing, right? Yeah. Tell me what's going on with you about homewrecker because you you do more than just act in this thing right like yeah tell me what's going on with you so um the director zach gain and i have done stuff before and he's friends with alex so so the three of us kind of wrote the movie together and we shot it in my house in two weeks and then um yeah became it got a really good um got into a lot of good festivals and then it's
Starting point is 00:36:28 now on shutter so it did pretty well for it being like made with two cents well i was gonna ask you uh you didn't have a very big budget but uh you got it out it reminds me of my friend stew stone okay my friend stew stone directs these movies with like a budget of like 150 bucks or whatever and they come out pretty good like uh you know if you if you write a good script and you know it's well directed and you you wrote you co-wrote this uh script yes we co-wrote it um and alex esso has gone on to huge things now she's on all in all of mike flanagan movies like um midnight mass and uh what was the other one she was in uh the Shining sequel, Dr. Sleep. Okay.
Starting point is 00:37:07 Yeah. Also, that's the name of a former Blue Jays pitcher, Mike Flanagan. Oh, really? Yeah. Shout out to Ridley Funeral Home, but he's no longer with us. Okay. So did you do the award circuit? It was well received.
Starting point is 00:37:22 It's on Shudder, you said, right now? Yeah, it's on Shudder. You can stream it on Shudder. And I think it's on shutter you said right now yeah it's on shutter you can stream it on shutter and i think it's on amazon prime too yeah amazing so now that you've got this taste here are you right you're writing uh other what else have you been writing lately yeah so zach and i we wrote uh we've written two more and um you know we were trying to like uh raise money sort of traditionally but the movie the the way things are being made right now it's all like shifting and everyone's freaking out because no one understands how to make money in the movie business anymore because of streaming because
Starting point is 00:37:57 of streaming because that stars because it used to be like independent films used to be able to make raise money by attaching a star but then now stars are mostly doing you know like jessica chastain instead of doing like an indie movie will do a series i know what you're gonna say yeah she's had a few lately but she's in this new uh tammy winette george jones thing so good she only plays tammy's i saw episode one and so far so good but But she played Tammy Faye Baker. I know. I just watched that finally. She's doing all the Tammy's.
Starting point is 00:38:29 She's doing the Tammy's. Do you know any other Tammy's? Has she done them all? I don't know. Is there a third Tammy? Looking for more Tammy's. She's good too. She did this story.
Starting point is 00:38:39 I think it was called The Marriage Story. Yeah. The HBO thing. Yeah. With Oscar Isaacs. Yeah. Hope I have the right yeah yeah an s on the end of that okay excellent like she oscar this she's such a good actress but so yeah
Starting point is 00:38:52 so yeah we did write something so hopefully we're gonna get something made uh we are gonna get something made next year and then i i shot something this year it's a documentary i made a documentary um because i got tired of um waiting to get money to make something so i'm um i entered an adult ballet competition and i filmed myself prep prepping for it you don't seem interested what do you mean of course i am no i was just i'm just busting you come on precious come on i'm just glad i can talk now okay i was worried because that's never happened i I've done this 11. Yeah, I've never had it like where my voice was left.
Starting point is 00:39:27 It's my energy. I took your breath away. Take my breath away. Oh, Top Gun. Yes. Okay, let's play, do more. Do another one. Do a song and I'll tell you the movie.
Starting point is 00:39:38 She's a maniac. Flash dance. Oh, Irene Cara died recently. I know. That means we're getting old I do this Ridley Funeral Home Memorial segment with Mark Weisblatt Once a month and we did it yesterday So I can tell you all the dead people
Starting point is 00:39:55 I'll tell you all the dead people But Kirstie Alley died Yeah that's crazy Yeah A lot of dead people She got the big C Don't get that yeah my goodness gracious i want to ask you about your uh like your racial makeup and identity i'm allowed to do that right so uh like i'm gonna quote you because i did my homework this is precious chong referred
Starting point is 00:40:19 to herself i don't know if you know precious chong but she referred to herself as a quarter chinese redhead is that something you might have ever said about yourself herself i don't know if you know precious chong but she referred to herself as a quarter chinese redhead is that something you might have ever said about yourself yeah i did write a short film called chinatown because when i was that's right when i was going through my divorce i remember drive and i was so lonely in toronto i remember driving through chinatown and all these like older chinese men they reminded me of my dad's, my grandpa, who I was really close to pop. And so I was like,
Starting point is 00:40:48 Oh, I missed him. And then I was like, that's a funny story. Cause like, I don't look like someone who would miss an older Chinese man. Well, it's just cause your name's Chong.
Starting point is 00:40:56 Cause it's your father's name. Yeah. And so that's your grandfather. My hair isn't so red, but I used to have red hair pretty much. You got blue eyes. Yeah. I look like that's what I, that's when you thought I wasn't paying attention. I used to have red hair pretty much. You got blue eyes? Yeah, I look like.
Starting point is 00:41:05 That's when you thought I wasn't paying attention? I was actually literally lost in your eyes. I was in there and I was like, whoa. Because there's some specks of green in there. My sister, I was talking to her. She's like, Precious, you can say that. You can say you are a minority. You can say that because you're a quarter Chinese.
Starting point is 00:41:20 And I'm like, no, I can't. You know what? She might be right, but I think you're right not to because it's so much of it is optics, right? I don't present. Although I don't know, like it's... I think my name presents as Chinese. For sure.
Starting point is 00:41:32 But people think I'm married to like a doctor. That's what they think. Oh, I see. And it's not your name, right? So I, doctor. I was chatting with a woman named Guan who emigrated here from China. And then she was asking me who's coming up or whatever.
Starting point is 00:41:48 And I said, well, on the break, I'm only doing a couple episodes during this break here. I said, Mark Wiseblood's coming over. And I said, Precious Chong is coming over. And she centered right in on the name Chong. Very Chinese. You know, is she Chinese or whatever? And I'm like, well, she's a blue eyed, red haired Chinese woman.
Starting point is 00:42:06 Like, you know, there's, there's a few of them out there and you're one of them. I know. So that's interesting that your sister thinks you could like present yourself as like a woman of color. There's so, I don't know. I don't know. I should get a ruling. So I'm just, I just heard them in the background but uh my wife is a filipino descent so there's two kids upstairs now that are like half white like me and then half filipino
Starting point is 00:42:30 and they mix yeah it's a good mix but for sure they look they look like people of color like they look like they're they have eight like you know where if you yeah my younger brother does too my younger brother looks like my dad because it all depends on which you know the genetics stuff you get right right right right right right so uh my mom's side of the family has strong witchy genes they're witchy witchy my boyfriend calls us witchy he's like when you talk it's like you have a different language interesting okay that's and then i want a podcast i knew your mom called during this podcast next time she calls back put her on speakerphone okay and we're going to get a bit of this conversation. So,
Starting point is 00:43:06 okay, so now you're at a stage in your acting life, am I correct in assuming that you want to kind of write your own stuff and sort of produce your own things?
Starting point is 00:43:14 Like, you're less interested in sort of like being a hired gun as an actress and more interested in your own creative expression?
Starting point is 00:43:20 You could, you could, you could spin it that way. I'm going to be your new pr representative that's how we're spinning it because you always wanted to be a writer that's the spin i mean i've i've started i started writing my own stuff pretty early on like um i did a solo show starting like you know so i i did a solo show and then i started to like do more my own projects
Starting point is 00:43:43 and then i realized that that makes me happy to create on my own while I audition because waiting to work for other people, it doesn't use enough of my skill set to it. I want to use my brain. Not that you don't use your brain in acting, but there's a lot of being passive, like waiting to go to set.
Starting point is 00:44:02 You're given lines. For the roles you're getting, it's not like, for the roles you're getting in, you're not, it's not a particularly lucrative endeavor. Like when you get these like, oh, you got a, what is it? Somebody, somebody whose name already came up in the show.
Starting point is 00:44:14 He was, a lot of auditions, no, nothing booked. But then he booked, I want to get the name right, Hudson and Rex? Yes. So I guess it's filmed in Newfoundland or whatever?
Starting point is 00:44:23 Right. So that, so basically, the day this person told me he was tapping out of our project we've been working on for a few months was like the day he had just got back to California from Newfoundland from filming a guest appearance on Hudson and Rex. And I was
Starting point is 00:44:37 just myself, I don't care what people make. I honestly don't care. My good buddy Peter Gross is now delivering food for, not Skip the Dishes, but one of the other ones that, like a food delivery thing you get through the app
Starting point is 00:44:49 or whatever. Which one is it? It'll come to me later. Uber Eats? Yeah, no, it's another one. DoorDash?
Starting point is 00:44:54 Yes. So he's doing DoorDash to make some extra money because he has some debts he's got to pay down. There's a lot of information. Wow, you're outing him.
Starting point is 00:45:02 You know, because he did it himself at TMLX11 at Palmas's Kitchen. By the way, do you enjoy Italian food? I do. Can I send you home with a large lasagna from Palma Pasta? It's frozen.
Starting point is 00:45:13 And then when you make this up, I don't know, you, your boyfriend, anyone else wants to join in, let me know what you think. Okay. It's amazing. That sounds good. This is really happening. And you mentioned to me off the top, you do drink beer, but your boyfriend is an alcoholic. Is that correct? Yes, absolutely. No, he's a pothead. He's a pot That sounds good. This is really happening. And you mentioned to me off the top, you do drink beer, but your boyfriend is an alcoholic.
Starting point is 00:45:26 Is that correct? Yes, absolutely. No, he's a pothead. He's a pothead. Okay. Does he buy his cannabis at Canna Cabana? Yes. They won't be undersold on cannabis
Starting point is 00:45:36 or cannabis accessories. You know, finally, I can tell Polalis from Canna Cabana that a Chong was on the show talking weed with me. So they have over 140 locations across the country. So thank you, Canna Cabana that a Chong was on the show talking weed with me. So they have over 140 locations across the country. So thank you Canna Cabana. Thank you Palma Pasta. You're getting the pasta. I'm enjoying
Starting point is 00:45:52 my Great Lakes beer here. Thank you GLB, Great Lakes beer. You can find them in LCBOs and some grocery stores and you can get free delivery in the GTA. Later I'll just thank a couple of other sponsors. We've already given our love to ridley funeral home they've been tremendous supporters of this podcast and thank you for
Starting point is 00:46:09 another great year brad from ridley funeral home okay back to the subject of the matter do you have any idea precious where the hell we were uh making money okay it's hard to make that it's hard to make money but if you're an actor yeah if you're gonna go do a a guest appearance on hudson and rex like that's got to be like one of the 50 things you do to cobble together like a living yeah it's it's especially i think canada is kind of a small pool you have to do a lot of things but that's okay um yeah you do you kind of have to be diversified. And there's no shame.
Starting point is 00:46:47 I mean, of course, if I got booked on a series and was working, like that would be a dream. Do you still audition? Yeah, a ton. I just did a Murdoch Mysteries. That's a big deal. I know. I feel like I'm a true Canadian.
Starting point is 00:47:01 Okay. So when does that air? Do you know? I have no idea. Okay. But Precious Chong is on a Murdoch mystery. That's cool. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:47:08 Very cool. And there is enough. Like I would imagine that with like, I don't know, Running the Burbs. And I'm going to name check. But all these productions that are kind of local. There's the one in Hamilton. The Strays. The spinoff of Kim's Convenience.
Starting point is 00:47:21 Yeah. You still. I don't know. I think maybe Working Moms is done actually. Yeah. Working Moms is done. I never got on that show.'t know, I think maybe Working Moms is done actually. Yeah, Working Moms is done. I never got on that show. You would have been great
Starting point is 00:47:28 on Working Moms. Thank you. Honestly. Their loss. What else? Yeah, lots of auditions. Lean more on that Chong thing.
Starting point is 00:47:35 We need more Nepo Baby action here. I wonder, I don't know. Yeah. But yeah, I still audition a lot. I do a lot of,
Starting point is 00:47:42 audition a lot for commercials. Although, yeah, and that's, there's more diversity in commercials, which is good. But you're, you're Chinese, so you can use that to your advantage. I don't present as such. You're going to put on contacts or whatever to give yourself brown eyes or whatever. And yeah, dye your hair, maybe black. Yeah, I don't know.
Starting point is 00:48:02 I don't know. But what's, what's the point of your question no point at all is that uh you'd want to write your own things and direct your own well yeah like that's why stand-up is kind of great and i did okay let's segue to that then because uh what made you get into comedy i haven't been to your comedy by the way which i might play to give people a taste but that's quite the pivot because you're doing the acting and yeah and i did solo shows and then my dad when i when he'd come to my solo shows, I did Groundlings in L.A., which is like. Big time, right? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:48:30 That's what launches the million big careers. Yeah, I did Groundlings. And then I came to Toronto and I did sketch with Sandra Badalini, who's a comedian around town. And we were in a troupe called Specials with me, her, and Phil Lutze and Christopher Sachin. We did a lot of sketch together and then um i started doing stand-up my dad always kind of was like nudging me to do stand-up because he's like basically your solo show is stand-up but i was a little bit nervous about doing stand-up um but then i mentioned you were shy yeah and it just seemed like his
Starting point is 00:49:01 territory and it's such a male it was was a male-dominated kind of thing. But then I started doing it here, because Toronto's a great place for performing. There's so much, you can go up so much, and there's a great scene. So I started doing that like 10 years ago. And then I started teaching at Second City. Kevin Frank contacted me, and I was like,
Starting point is 00:49:24 oh, I don't even know if I should be able to teach stand-up but I was actually really good at it um I'm good at maybe being around comedy listening to comedians so long and I'm a good audience okay so uh so yeah I have a knack for teaching and it's fulfilling and I like it so I've been teaching on my own now ever since the pandemic I just okay and that explains the the Mark V vendramini uh note yes and then i run a monthly show he did your show he did your stand-up class twice which i can interpret two different ways one you were such a good teacher he's like i want to do that again but two it's like you did such a bad job he had to do it a second time like like you know what i
Starting point is 00:50:00 mean it's like you repeat the second either or it works so can somebody like somebody listening right now like like enroll in your uh stand-up class like how would they do that so they can just uh contact me they can message me on instagram or email me my email is precious chong at yahoo.com and then yeah i was worried you were gonna aol.com but no yahoo.com no shame in that game i have a gmail I have a gmail but I keep that clean you don't want the spam from the great unwashed that's for the other netbo babies
Starting point is 00:50:31 who want to get a hold of you I'm going to the gmail and that's how I know if I were in with precious chong I'd have the gmail address but all I have is this lousy yahoo.com address. I can't let it go.
Starting point is 00:50:47 I don't want to let... Anyway, so yeah, they can contact me there. I'm going to start classes in January. Okay, say the address one more time. My name,
Starting point is 00:50:54 Precious Chong at yahoo.com. And then I'm going to... And we're also releasing our comedy album and Melissa Story and I run a monthly comedy show
Starting point is 00:51:03 at Comedy Bar. Usually the second Tuesday of every month, called Story and Chong. Okay, I love how active you are. You're keeping yourself busy. But when you say, I'm releasing an album, what does that entail? Is that how I'm going to release this episode when you leave?
Starting point is 00:51:21 It's not like you're printing vinyl or whatever. What is it exactly? Well, this is the thing. And I don't know if this will work for us, but Melissa is a Yuck Yucks comic. And then she was talking, a lot of comedians now, that's how their major source of income is because of SiriusXM.
Starting point is 00:51:35 Oh, by the way, I know all about this because Rakoff came on the show. Okay, Simon. Simon Rakoff. And I got the whole spiel on what's going down. Remind the listeners who haven't heard the Simon Rakoff thing. No, but maybe he knows.
Starting point is 00:51:46 I don't know. Well, a lot of money that you comics made was because SiriusXM would air your bits or something. And I think there's some alliance with Just for Laughs. There's always a big conspiracy. American stuff. Now it's like they're just going to play like a Chris Rock bit or something instead of a Precious Chong. Do I have any of that right?
Starting point is 00:52:03 Well, some of it. Yeah. But anyways, my point of what I was going to say is that a lot of comedians are making albums now because they can make a passive income by streaming services and then you get residuals. Right. Right, that's like a big stream of revenue
Starting point is 00:52:21 for a stand-up comic now. Yeah, so ours is just frigging self-produced. Me and Melissa put it together. So who knows? But you got a quality audio recording of like a live. Yeah, we got two audio recordings and then we also shot it. So, you know, that's the dream.
Starting point is 00:52:39 That's the beauty and also the curse of the world we live in. We can just do it ourselves. You don't need to wait for somebody. Right. But then there's also some millions of other people doing the same thing. Well, you got to cut through the noise now. And you don't have like a big label to like promote it or whatever.
Starting point is 00:52:54 Exactly. Get you on. But I mean, I'm happy I did it. Funny 820. I'm trying to think of. That's the only thing I can think of. Would they air some of this on Funny 820? I don't know.
Starting point is 00:53:02 Which is in Hamilton. Do you know the station? No, I don't. It's like a, it's a Bell-owned station. You know what? I now say that out loud. I hope they're still there. Oh, yeah.
Starting point is 00:53:10 Oh, I forgot to tell you our E1 when we got fired. Okay, yes. Okay, so just to set the table here. E1, that is the, that is like the Peppa Pig company. Am I right? Am I at the right company? Like it's, that's a, that's a billions and billions of dollars. That's a huge company.
Starting point is 00:53:24 Huge, okay. Huge. But I guess they were like, like it's a, that's a, that's a billion, that's a huge company. Huge. Okay. Huge. But I guess they were like, this was like maybe for 2017. They were like, they, I guess they contacted a bunch of people who had podcasts and they were like,
Starting point is 00:53:34 they, they wanted to create, you know, like a network, a kind of, okay. And, um,
Starting point is 00:53:39 so they, and I was skeptical. I was like, we weren't really doing our podcast. I was like, do we have to pay any money? I was for sure. I thought it was some sort of, and they were like no so we started to do it and um book guests and i think that's the one that um what's her mary jo mary jo was on amazing and um but then you know we were i don't know we didn't promote it as much
Starting point is 00:54:03 because we were whatever the numbers weren't great. I guess what they were, they weren't making money. So they were, so they wanted to do a phone meeting, but it's like, I think he won is like that. Like,
Starting point is 00:54:11 like everyone, there were the people who was above us was changing and you know how that is. So this new person was coming on to, and she wanted to have a phone meeting with us. Right. And, um, and so we're like,
Starting point is 00:54:24 okay, well, I don't know why. And she spent this like five minutes introducing herself and telling all the things that she did. And then she- This is why I'm great.
Starting point is 00:54:32 And then she goes, and we're really sorry, but we're going to drop your podcast. Oh, that's funny. Like, what's the point of the sales? I have no idea. Like, this is what I've done. I've done these wonderful things
Starting point is 00:54:44 and you're fired. So then... Does this make your routine? No, I have... So then Melissa after it, she was like, can I swear? She texted me. She was like, what the fuck was that?
Starting point is 00:54:59 And then the producer who was on the phone call who is also connected to E1 was on that text and she was like hi it's me I'm still on this text although at that point who gives a fuck that is funny and it's like clearly they were looking for like big numbers
Starting point is 00:55:15 regular numbers I don't know whatever the thing is it was just so funny that they were like she had to do this big intro about her accomplishments. That's funny. And then they were like, and you're fired. That's funny.
Starting point is 00:55:30 I know. Like if this call is to fire somebody, you can skip the- You could even do an email, honestly. It could have been an email. It's an email. What is better nowadays? Because now that we no longer do anything face-to-face or whatever, would you rather be fired by email or on a Zoom or a phone call?
Starting point is 00:55:47 That's a good question. I mean, they all kind of suck. It depends on the... They all suck. But I mean, now I think there's even a worse level. Text? In Hollywood, it's a ghost. There's just nothing.
Starting point is 00:56:02 That's worse. Yeah. They don't do the no thank you they just yeah disappear okay it's like dating you just the money just stops showing up in your account or whatever like that okay i'm sorry that happened you have e1 oh it's all right it's funny they only have like a billion trillion dollars like if it's a company i think it is a peppa pig company like that's that's how they got a lot of cash over there okay Okay, I'm sorry to hear that. But would you consider getting back
Starting point is 00:56:27 in the podcasting game? We always threaten to. We do. And remind me, who's we again? Me and Melissa Story. Melissa Story. Yeah,
Starting point is 00:56:36 that's the one who I did Sex and the Single Parent was a podcast. And she's also, she's a comedian. Is she a nepo baby? She is not a nepo baby.
Starting point is 00:56:44 Okay, look at you slumming it with the normies and we also would do videos that were like when funny or die was a thing you're on sure but um yeah we would consider it it's just the tech stuff it's the tech that gets in our way no this is not a sales pitch okay because we just met and it's not a sales pitch except that's actually what i do like that's where i was this morning like if you got the content and everything i'm the a to z all the other parts like the tech part of everything i do everything else like i was just at a client site today and he's got a guest and he's gonna ask questions and interview somebody but he needs somebody to capture all that audio video and then edit it all and then
Starting point is 00:57:18 drop it as a podcast and all these social media clips and all this stuff like that's where i plug in this is that's me at TMDS. But that is, that did sound like a sales pitch. Now that I, maybe I'll cut that out. Is this a multi-level marketing thing? And if I get five more comedians to do it.
Starting point is 00:57:34 That's right. When Melissa's story signs on, then you get a bonus or whatever. But you are leaving here with a lasagna. That was no bullshit. I'm not, I'm not charging you for that lasagna. It's empty box right now,
Starting point is 00:57:44 but it's in my freezer and Ridley funeral home. Here's not charging you for that lasagna. It's empty box right now, but it's in my freezer. And Ridley Funeral Home, here's a tape measure for you. Okay. Because I have a big question coming up and there's a bunch of people want me to get like all the details on something coming up. So I'm giving you the measuring tape for Ridley Funeral Home. Wow, I really love this measuring tape. You got the beer. Good, good, good, good, good, good.
Starting point is 00:57:59 So many gifts. Thank you. I know you're happy in the East End and you made the trek to the West End, which I really appreciate. gifts thank you i know you're happy in the east end and you made the trek to the west end which i really appreciate uh but if you're ever looking to move or if you have any real estate questions whatsoever sammy cone real estate he's the drummer for the watchman you remember the watchman yeah he's the drummer man uh he's also a kick-ass sales representative real estate sales representative and you can write him now so he he's not Yahoo or Gmail, okay? He's Sammy.Cone.
Starting point is 00:58:28 And you're like, Cone? Like David Cone? Like Coneheads? No. K-O-H-N. Oh. That's how he spells Cone. So Sammy.Cone at ProperlyHomes.ca.
Starting point is 00:58:39 Properly. That's an L, not a T. So ProperlyHomes.ca. Right, Sammy. A couple of quick podcasts I want to shout out. It's the end of the line. I feel like I'm going to start singing some traveling Wilburys here. But yes, we are open podcast.
Starting point is 00:58:54 Season three, it's out there now. Al Grego's been telling the stories of Canadian small businesses and their perseverance in the face of overwhelming adversity. Subscribe at yesweareOpenPodcast.com. That's a Moneris podcast production. And also subscribe to the Advantage Investor podcast from Raymond James featuring insights from leading professionals. The Advantage Investor provides valuable perspective for Canadian investors who want to remain
Starting point is 00:59:21 knowledgeable, informed, and focused on long-term success. Okay, you ready for the big question? Sure. How did you get on Family Feud? I need to know. I did talk to Ray Dawn about this. It was amazing.
Starting point is 00:59:41 Ray Dawn was amazing. She didn't? Well, I think because it was Zoom and it was long, we talked a lot about Mary Jo and Dean. Oh, really? So I felt like I was taking up a lot of her time. Did you get the goss? Well, and that's what I'm here. You're here now.
Starting point is 00:59:55 So you're here. Literally, this is one of my last two questions. Okay. Tell me, there is a note from Gare Joyce who says, the bit she did about it at a storytelling show was amazing. So tell me everything. I'm going to lean back and stare into your beautiful eyes, drink my Great Lakes beer,
Starting point is 01:00:13 and you're going to tell me about the Family Feud. Oh, okay. So it was like February in winter, Toronto. So they asked if I wanted to do Family Feud, fly out to LA. I was like, 100% I'm going. So then- Who asked you?
Starting point is 01:00:31 And was it your Yahoo or your Gmail account? It was my Yahoo. I think it was a phone call actually. Celebrity Feud. I think my brother Paris, my brother Paris. Is your dad a part of this? Yes. My dad, well, Paris is my dad's manager of this yes my dad well Paris is
Starting point is 01:00:46 my dad's manager kind of you know he runs like the business one after the family feud story I do want to ask you about your dad and that'll be it so I was like 100% yes that sounds hilarious and so we go I go to LA and there's a question of like
Starting point is 01:01:02 who's going to be on this show like is it my brother doesn't want to my mom might be on it my, who's going to be on this show? Like, is it my brother doesn't want to? My mom might be on it. My sisters are definitely going to be on it. I'm doing it because I flew out there. And then I was, of course, being like the homework person. I was like, guys, maybe we should watch the show so we know what the game is. Even though you've seen it, you know, just to like do our prep.
Starting point is 01:01:23 And everyone's like, oh, it's fine. It's fine. Richard Dodson. Was that the guy? guy that's the old time okay that's when i watched it he would do the creepy kisses yeah every woman every woman creepy kiss yes yeah yeah and you get that who's the new host come on okay well comedian black guy hilarious he's on everything you know who he is everyone's yelling everyone's yelling at us now, they're yelling the name well you were on the damn show
Starting point is 01:01:52 and you can't remember the name, Steve Harvey Steve Harvey do you want to know his real name and then we'll get back to your story what's his real name? Broderick Stephen Harvey Sr. he's a pro they do like they shoot like two or three a day. And he is.
Starting point is 01:02:07 Okay, because Jeopardy does five a day. Okay, maybe it's more than that. It's amazing. And we had to go there early in the morning. And it's CBS Studios. Is that in Burbank, California? No, it's not. It's near, it's on Fairfax and Beverly.
Starting point is 01:02:22 Okay. And so we get there early in the morning. And it's going to be, my mom decides not to do it. It's my dad, my two sisters, me and my younger brother, Paris, who was like, oh, we got this. We don't need to watch the show. So then, and my other sister, Robbie is like watches it every day with her boyfriend who knew is really good at it.
Starting point is 01:02:42 Okay. So then we go, we do the entrance you know we got the name tags it's like iconic and the stage manager woman has done this this show for 5 000 years and it's so nice and just like preps you but you don't understand when you go out onto the stage it's like there's so many bright lights and like you're just like a deer in the headlights it's crazy you were like in the thing and then they come and talk. It's not like you're sitting at home on a couch and you're screaming out answers.
Starting point is 01:03:08 It's a lot more difficult when those lights are on you and you know it's live. It's just so exciting and fun. But my sisters kicked ass, but the way the game was, we were doing so well because the other team kept going
Starting point is 01:03:24 and losing, like they would lose and then they would come to us, and we kept getting points. To steal. To steal. Right. We kept stealing. We were doing really well. But my brother, who didn't watch this.
Starting point is 01:03:34 Paris. Paris, didn't understand. He kept whispering. This is on television. He was like, he was listening. He was like, Precious, why do we have so many points? Why do we have so many points? Oh, that's funny.
Starting point is 01:03:41 Because he didn't understand the game. And I'm like, shut up. I'm on TV. I'm trying to play. Oh, yeah's funny. Because he didn't understand the game. And I'm like, shut up. I'm on TV. Oh, yeah. You think you know the rules. Yeah. And then we would.
Starting point is 01:03:51 But it was my dad. My dad would like miss a beat. He couldn't hear. It was like such a scene. And my sisters were amazing. They like were so good and smart. And yeah, I'm telling it. Did Robbie ever act? act yeah she was on a tv show okay which one poltergeist the legacy filmed here right yeah in vancouver in vancouver
Starting point is 01:04:13 okay yeah i'm not doing a good job telling you know what story did you win like uh we won okay they won we won it was crazy it was so fun what is the storyteller's thing that Gare heard you tell the story at I don't know what was that I don't remember you have no memory of that I mean I did it
Starting point is 01:04:30 I would tell this story when it happened at stand up gigs I love it you need to add the E1 story to your stand up routine by the way
Starting point is 01:04:39 you think so yeah I think it's a you know you could workshop that into something pretty damn good so last question now that you know I think I said it's an hour and I lied it's going to you know, you could workshop that into something pretty damn good here. So last question now that, you know, I think I said it's an hour and I lied.
Starting point is 01:04:48 It's going to be a little longer than an hour, but not a lot longer. But again, you have to earn that lasagna. Nothing in life is free, precious here. Okay. But what is it like? And I need the honest, real talk here because I can only imagine. What is it like having Tommy Chong as a father? You saved that question for last?
Starting point is 01:05:06 It's not a particular order. Okay, okay. What would you think it would be like? Well, because as discussed with Ray Dawn Chong a couple months ago. What did Ray Dawn say? So Ray, what's the age difference between you and Ray Dawn? Seven years? Six years?
Starting point is 01:05:24 Okay, seven, six years. Okay. Because Ray was really good with the info years? Okay, seven, six years. Okay. Because Ray was really good with the info on your dad as a Motown artist. Yes. And a lot of people don't really even know about the success your dad... The Vancouver? Yeah. A lot of people are ignorant to that.
Starting point is 01:05:37 They just think Cheech and Chong. No, I know. My dad had a whole other career as a musician. And discovered Michael Jackson. Yeah. Which is a mind blow. Yeah. Like when she dropped that one on us.
Starting point is 01:05:47 I know. And the saddest story, which Radon would tell about, you know, a young Michael Jackson. And she wanted to play. And him saying something to the effect of, oh, we don't play. Did you ever hear this story? No. Yeah. Oh, I have a funny story.
Starting point is 01:06:01 Okay, go. So my sister. Is it funnier than the Michael Jackson and we don't play story? Yeah, it's sad. It just reminded me of it. So my sister's Robbie Radon, their mom, Maxine used to go out with a guy. He was a musician. He was blind and he was not Stevie Wonder, but thanks Stevie.
Starting point is 01:06:18 Ray Charles. But he wasn't famous. So he, um, they have this, the funniest story they have about me is they were in the backseat. I was sitting between him and Maxine in the car and we were driving up Laurel Canyon and his glass eye fell out in my lap. When I was like, I was like four and I was like, my sisters could not stop laughing isn't that like a horror movie I have no memory of it I blocked it out
Starting point is 01:06:53 and my sister we had horses in Malibu when I was really little and we would ride the horses to get candy at the grocery store it was magical but I would ride in the back of hers and there was a big hill
Starting point is 01:07:06 and I'd be like, Radon, please don't go down the hill too fast. Please don't go down the hill too fast. And she would gallop. She was the worst sister. She was the best but the scariest. And like you said, when she was 12 years old,
Starting point is 01:07:19 she was like 22. Yes. Like, what a life. So Radon, what's it like to have Tommy Chong as a dad? Like, okay, so because he's rock,
Starting point is 01:07:29 he's got the Motown roots. I love him. I think he's one of the, he's magical, he's narcissistic, he's lovable, and he's very, he really leans into,
Starting point is 01:07:44 he has so much love in his heart and he really leans into, he has so much love in his heart. And he really leans into being famous. Like he really likes being famous. And it's really nice. You know what I mean? When someone is just really embraces who they are and what they've accomplished. It's nice. And if your dad were here, like, because he's iconic.
Starting point is 01:08:00 We're here in Canada. And for a few years now, it's been legal to buy cannabis. And you can smoke it in the park and the police won't bother you. Like we're living in such a magical time for cannabis. But, you know, when I think back to the advocates. Yeah, the people. Yeah, the advocates and the activists and the work that had to be done on the ground to legalize this herb. I don't know why we haven't expunged
Starting point is 01:08:25 every fucking record everyone in jail for possession should be freed today like it's gross so gross i know political and when he went he got the federal government sent him to jail i realized what piece of shit everything was how it just is all about politics and optics and doesn't make any sense and like it's true like when he was in the 70s people don't realize how controversial how counterculture they were it wasn't like now it's like mainstream now it's right it's the regular but then it was so scary to people right they were like the evil or the devil i. He'd find himself on lists. I remember being in grade school and I had this history teacher.
Starting point is 01:09:12 He was from Texas and I loved him and I wanted to get good grades. And he said he came to school one day and he's like, I saw one of your father's movies and I was disgusted. Up in smoke. And he was like, the drug use and the sexuality. And I was like 11. And even at 11, I was like, dude, you're a teacher're a teacher not supposed to say this to me oh my god yeah that's i'm sorry you had to hear that but there's a lot of ignorance when it comes to cannabis and uh even today so literally this morning i was recording this cannabis podcast and there was a guy there he teaches that i don't want
Starting point is 01:09:38 to butcher the name of the college he teaches at humber or centennial i think but he was talking about how it's actually today illegal in this country canada it's illegal today to have pot on you that's like unmarked like if it's not in the container that came from the legal if you just have a thing of weed actually you they can actually charge you for possession of like really remember the terminology like uh unauthorized cannabis or something? You have to have it in its original container that you bought it, like when you bought it from OCS or if you bought it from Canna Cabana,
Starting point is 01:10:12 which is what you should do. Like, it's got the symbols and all the stuff. You can't just have like a baggie with ganja in it and expect that you can, that you're not committing any crimes. And of course, as we know, a lot of this law has been utilized to racial any crimes. And of course, as we know, a lot of this law has been utilized to racialize Canadians.
Starting point is 01:10:29 And there's a whole case I was just learning about from a guy in, I think it was Winnipeg, but an indigenous man who was like, it's unfairly targeting the people of color and marginalized.
Starting point is 01:10:41 Yeah, I know. We could go, this is a whole other podcast. I know, it's a whole other podcast. I'm sorry, I'm all fired up. No, no, it's also because the people who are go, this is a whole other podcast. It's a whole other podcast. I'm all fired up. No, no. It's also because the people who are making,
Starting point is 01:10:48 this is the maddening thing, is the people who are making money and capitalizing on it, maybe the company that you're representing excluded. Shout out to Canna. You know, our majority,
Starting point is 01:10:59 you know, white male. No offense to you, Toronto Mike. Or you, although you are Asian. thank you and i'm female i don't think that works anymore like i feel like that we've taken that card away no no i'm keeping that card look hey i uh check my uh my privilege at the door like i'm so hyper aware of it you know like i'm so hyper aware of it so you know, like I'm so hyper aware of it.
Starting point is 01:11:25 So you, whatever you say is good with me, precious John. Thank you. How was this for you? Because you make, you came a long way. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:11:33 You get lasagna and beer and you know, but it was the conversation. Okay. I'm sorry. I didn't have voice at the beginning of this combo, but I have it now. Like, I think you should,
Starting point is 01:11:41 we start again. I think you did a really good job. Okay. And if you ever want a podcast, let know because uh you got a great voice on that bike it sounds great thanks a little nasally better than mine okay where is there somewhere like should we follow you on instagram oh yes like if we want to find out where to buy this album that you just follow me on instagram precious Instagram. Precious Shelby Chong. Precious. I'm going to like tag you on this because after this
Starting point is 01:12:08 we're going to get a photo. Okay. And I'm going to tag you on Instagram. Yeah. Are you on Twitter? I am on Twitter. Your sister's good at Twitter.
Starting point is 01:12:16 She is good at Twitter. Are you good at Twitter? I'm a lurker. I sometimes get into it. What is your handle on Twitter? I think it's just Precious Chong. Okay. I do follow you there, as you know,
Starting point is 01:12:27 because I was promoting your live event. Yes, yes. Thank you for the yahoo.com address. Okay. And that brings us to the end of our 1177th show. You can follow me on Twitter. I'm at Toronto Mike. Precious is at Precious Chong.
Starting point is 01:12:47 Our friends at Great Lakes Brewery are at Great Lakes Beer. Hey, Precious, how do you say the word brewery? Brewery. Say it again. Brewery. Brewery.
Starting point is 01:12:58 Brewery. You're not so sure now, are you? No. Brewery. This is my problem. I read it as three syllables. Brewery. But apparently you're supposed to like bleed those syllables together. Great Lakes Brewery. Bre brewery. This is my problem. I read it as three syllables. Brewery. But apparently you're supposed to bleed those syllables together.
Starting point is 01:13:08 Great Lakes Brewery. Brewery. You gotta just... This is an unwritten rule I wasn't taught in school. Great Lakes Brewery. Yeah. It sounds more masculine if you're like brewery. Brewery.
Starting point is 01:13:17 Instead of brewery. Rural juror. Rural juror at the brewery. Brewery. Palma Pasta is at Palma Pasta. Is it pasta or pasta? Please say pasta. Don't say pasta. I say pasta and Jim Cuddy from Blue Rodeo
Starting point is 01:13:34 told me it should be pasta. It's Canadian when you say pasta. Oh my god. Now I want to say pasta. Sticker U is at Sticker U. Moneris is at Moneris. Raymond James Canada are at Raymond James CDaris raymond james canada are at raymond james cdn recycle my electronics are at epra underscore canada ridley funeral home are at ridley fh canna cabana are at canna cabana underscore the edibles episode is coming soon with Andy Palalas. And Sammy Cohn Real Estate is at Sammy Cohn.
Starting point is 01:14:07 That's K-O-H-N. See you all next week. There's a sucker born every day But I wonder who Yeah, I wonder who Maybe the one who doesn't realize There's a thousand shades of grey Cause I know that's true Yes, I do I know it's true, yeah
Starting point is 01:14:41 I know it's true How about you? I'm picking up trash And then putting down roads And they're brokering stocks The class struggle explodes And I'll play this guitar Just the best that I can
Starting point is 01:15:02 Maybe I'm not and maybe I am But who gives a damn Because everything is coming up Rosy and gray Yeah, the wind is cold But the smell of snow Warms me today And your smile is fine
Starting point is 01:15:24 And it's just like mine And it won't go away Cause everything is rosy and great Well I've kissed you in France And I've kissed you in Spain And I've kissed you in places I better not name And I've seen the sun go down on Chaclacour
Starting point is 01:15:49 But I like it much better going down on you Yeah, you know that's true Because everything is coming up Rosy and green Yeah, the wind is cold but the smell of snow warms us today and your smile is fine
Starting point is 01:16:12 and it's just like mine and it won't go away cause everything is rosy now everything is rosy yeah everything is rosy and everything is rosy and gray.

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