The Game Master
2024-03-14 00:17:25
After 25 years at the Late Night desk, Conan realized that the only people at his holiday party are the men and women who work for him. Over the years and despite thousands of interviews, Conan has never made a real and lasting friendship with any of his celebrity guests. So, he started a podcast to do just that. Deeper, unboundedly playful, and free from FCC regulations, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend is a weekly opportunity for Conan to hang out with the people he enjoys most and perhaps find some real friendship along the way.
Conan O'Brien needs a fan. Want to talk to Conan? Visit team.co.co..com slash callconan. Okay, let's get started. Hey Trey, Meet Conan and Sona.
Hi there.
Hey Trey, how you doing?
Good, how are you doing?
I'm great. You sound like kind of a cool DJ. You've got a good. He's got a good voice, doesn't he? Yeah, he does.
Yeah, thank you. I do a little bit of voiceover here and there.
Yeah, you also have kind of a swagger to your voice, which I like.
Yeah, yeah, thank you, thank you. I appreciate that.
I've heard it a few times before.
Yeah, yeah, you know, I envy anyone that you call to order a pizza that must be nice.
Can I hear you ordering? I used to deliver pizzas.
Can I hear you ordering a pizza right now? Pretend I just picked up I'm at Domino's, Hello.
Hi there, I'd like a medium pepperoni.
Nicely done.
Nicely done.
Thank you that pizza will be free, sir.
I'll take it, I'll take it slightly pervy, which we'll get into that later. But Trey, where are you calling from? Where are you right now?
I'm in Los Angeles, California, okay?
You're probably not too far from us.
Yeah, like North Culver City, probably.
Very nice, is that is that either? A Oh, that's a cat. okay, good, oh yeah.
I thought it's so funny, I thought a ninja was creeping up on you because I just saw this. This sort of, oh, dirt figure undulating in the background on the floor and it looked like kind of shoulders. And then suddenly it leapt up and I saw it was a cat.
Instead of an animal, you just thought it was a ninja nine times out of 10, it is a ninja.
Oh, okay, nine times out of 10. I refer to her as a demon, so that makes sense, you know, she's just a shadow.
Trey, you live in Los Angeles, probably not too far from us. Yeah, and you seem like a nice fellow. You've got fantastic pipes on. You. Tell me what you do for a living.
So yeah, I studied acting and film studies in school for a few years, and then I moved out to Los Angeles and more so. I've been working as a game master at an escape room, Oh.
Wait a minute. So do you invent the games in the escape room? Is that what you do? Are you the one that writes out the stories and figure out what the theme is and all that?
Not necessarily. I've worked at a couple different escape rooms, I worked at one place for a year, and the current place I work at, I'm more so. I'm just a game master.
So I deliver the rules, I get the people in the room and then I'm kind of the voice on the intercom, the person helping them, the person keeping, the story maintained.
That's cool, okay? Tell me what are the themes of the games in this game room that you work?
The one I work at. There's one called Secrets of the Pharaoh, which is like going back in time to ancient Egypt, and there's actual sand inside of the room. There's another one called Murder in London, where you're going back to 1899, solving a like Jack the Ripper style murder.
Very cool.
Yeah, yeah. And then there's one called the demented doctor, which is just, you know, a crazy doctor goes on killing spree.
Oh, I thought it was just an escape room where you're filling out forms and your insurance keeps getting denied.
You're like, No, I have to fill all of this out. I filled this out. No, we need to fill it out again. Yeah, I think that sounds fascinating.
I live in an escape room. Did you know that it's called a marriage?
Oh.
Hello.
Ooh.
Ding ding, ding, ding, ding ding.
Listen, everyone loves your wife. Yeah, oh, she's terrific, but I'm, you know, I must escape.
Listen, that was a very funny joke in 1952.
Were you born then? Oh no, long before I was born.
Trey, would you just stop muttering? You're trying not to mutter here? No, I don't know why I am, I don't know why I am doing that.
I've done escape rooms, I did them with my kids when they were younger, and they loved them. And then I did one with Jordan Schlansky. Who's someone who I shoot remotes with? Yeah, and we shot an escape room remote.
It was kind of a private eye and I got very frustrated very quickly. I hate reading through papers, trying to figure out what's relevant, what's not. I just kept wanting clues. Do most people want clues? or do most people not want clues?
You know, it's kind of complicated, like, I'm a lot better at running escape rooms than I am at playing them, and when they have, you start. You have to try all the rooms, but if you don't have friends available to try the rooms with you, you just have to do the rooms by yourself. And it's impossible. So, you know, I had to learn the hard way.
And then later, running other people's rooms, you notice that there's different dynamics. Like men are more prideful and they don't ask for hints, especially on a first date. You know, the dude is like, this is going to be fun, and then they end up ruining the relationship before it could ever start.
So can you watch all of this unfold with their cameras?
Yeah, yeah, it's interesting, you know?
What's some of the weirdest stuff you've seen happen in an escape room?
Yeah, exactly, this guy and his wife were a bit liquored up, I guess. And he was like, I hope you guys aren't watching the whole time because my wife is all over me. And I was like, Oh, yeah, we're watching the whole time.
Did they do anything?
No, no, they didn't do anything.
Oh, okay, did they escape? That's what you're wondering. Yeah, something tells me they didn't escape. something tells me they spent very little time, yeah.
Hey, look, what's in this typewriter? Hey, I'm trying to fuck you. Well, I know we'll get to that. But it says, here, look out for Algernon. Who do you think Algernon is?
In due time.
We'll get there. Why are they talking like that? It's like a 1920s escape room, it's like a detective story, they're in character.
Hey, you take your pants off, let's do the nasty hold on, we'll get to that married one.
This file here says Algernon's missing, so there is something about Algernon. It says. The key is in the onion.
Is that sex talk? Oh my god, okay, well, that sounds like a really. I mean, I think it sounds like fun, it sounds like you'd. And also you are getting to use some of your performance chops.
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
You're, I think, sometimes you seem like a young person. I think sometimes when you're in the business, it's kind of good to be sort of show business adjacent. If you're not in show business yet, or you're not acting yet, these things can actually be kind of helpful. You know, you pay the rent and you also get to take part in fiction and play a role, which I think is fun.
Exactly exactly, and I also, you know, I also have a small production company and we make like short films and commercials and podcasts and stuff like that. We just raised $6,000 to make a short film that we're going to be shooting in May. And yeah, and we also play D&D every week, so, you know, I'm always trying to use my creativity.
When you say we, who is we?
Yeah, so I have like a team of three other guys and then me, it's my production company, Smoking Bandit Productions.
Nice plug, I like it.
They're also my close friends.
Who are they? Let's hear their names.
Seamus Curley, Anson Kennedy and Kyle Gill.
That is one kooky law firm. I love it, I know, and you guys play, you guys played Dungeons and Dragons, or is...?
Absolutely.
David Hopping likes to refer to it. D&D Yeah, a lot of people do, please. It seems to be your own nickname for it.
So you guys play, you guys play D&D, and what's your role when you play Dungeons and Dragons? which role do you take on?
The role that I take on my character is a three foot tall frog humanoid named.
What's a frog? No, he's a grung, so he's like a frog.
Oh, I'm sorry, I should have seen that coming. Of course, he's a grung who's a frog, right?
He's a grung who's a frog, he's a frog.
Not a throg. I thought he was a throg, but his name is Grung. It's a frog whose name is Grung. You misheard it.
He's a frog humanoid, he's a frog. Oh yeah, oh, I'm sorry, that's totally on me.
You said throg.
And the character's name is Screlonius Stump.
Yes, yes, see, this is what I was driving at, and I think I was right. He's a frog, humanoid, humanoid.
Humanoid One from Massachusetts. He's a humanoid we need to call the hospital and he's a throng, yes.
He's a grung, yeah, and his name is Screlonius Stump.
Yeah, screlonius, jub-jub.
You're getting everything wrong.
Nothing's been right, you're getting every part of it incorrect. No, no, let's just get it right. He's a frog, he's half human.
His name is Bling. You were so close.
He's a grog.
And he lives in Trub-jub, his name's Screlonius Stumpleton.
I have been following everything and, you know what, it's really good that I'm taking notes. I wrote everything down. Your page is blank.
Your name is Bloop.
Yep.
And your roommates are Shard, Geig and Sebdor? Yes, and you have a production company called Dibbily, Dibbily Doo. You just made a 90-minute film called Guam Guam. Hobbity Dee. Oh, no.
That's an obscure one.
He's agreed with everything.
His yes-and skills are incredible. I've got to update my resume. I want to hang with you guys. First of all, I like the idea of hanging with your crew.
Yeah, I think you'd fit in with my crew.
You think I would?
There's three Irishmen in me.
And what is your nationality, so to speak?
I'm like Italian-Slovenian.
Oh, cool, it's always good to be a mix. I think a mix is great. Pure Irish is just madness.
There's nothing good there.
You would want him to play D&D with you and your friends after what you just heard him do.
I don't know about D&d, No, not D&D, but to hang out. oh, to hang out.
We all put on our leather jackets and we walk around.
And then, you know, whatever, if no one makes way for us on the sidewalk, we shove them around a little bit. He said Yes, don't keep going on, listen to him.
He'd be like, Hey, get out of our way.
Scooch on over.
That's what tough guys say, Trey Scooch on over, Hey Scooch on over, or I'll sic my frog humanoid on you hobbity-dobbity-day.
A notorious gang of three guys in Conan, O'Brien have been seen wandering around.
Look out for them.
They're wearing matching leather jackets and they're warning people to scooch on over. They're very polite, they're very polite. When threatened, they'll run away and claim they'll be back with their frog humanoid friend.
Man, this is a.
Isn't Trey a lot of fun? He is? This is fun.
I liked him since I saw the stepbrothers poster on your wall.
Oh yeah, I got it all. The whole wall was covered.
I sure got it all. Wait, that's a different cat behind you now.
Oh yeah, that's the other one.
And it's attacking the poster for her.
She hates the stepbrothers poster, she takes it down at least once a day, the rest she leaves up, okay.
Oh, there's an arm, someone just took it, someone just stole your cat and you don't even care.
That was Seamus.
Oh, Seamus, my God, Seamus does exist. I was certain that Seamus was....
I always go, Uh, Seamus Curley, Yep, it's my go-to fake name.
Yep, it's my go-to fake name, too.
Actually, my lover boop-ya. Well, who's going to co-sign this loan? Uh, Seamus Heaney or Seamus...?
What is it? Seamus Curley Seamus Heaney's a famous Irish poet. I don't know. A lot of gin at breakfast today.
Trey, I like you, I like the cut of your jib. you're a very funny guy.
Oh, thank you.
Do you have a question for me? Possibly? That's okay, David. I'll do it. if you don't mind. Yeah, I was going to jump in. Hey Trey, do you have a question for Conan? There you go.
Well, you know, I've been noticing you pop up. In more acting roles, like in the Weird Al Yankovic movie and in the Please Don't Destroy movie. I was wondering, Do you have any interest in pursuing more acting and characters and stuff in film?
I'm not interested in pursuing it because I kind of love what I do. But when the Please don't Destroy guys contacted me, I'm a huge fan of theirs and I was flattered. And then when I saw that the role was just yelling at them, I said, Oh, this is fantastic, because that's my favorite thing to do.
And so that was a yes. And of course, when weird Al calls, you just say yes, because it's weird Al. So yeah, when things like that come along and it feels like the right fit, I'm happy to do it. But it's not something where I've said, get the word out there. And I think there are plenty of really good actors out there that I don't think that my efforts are necessarily required.
So if the right thing comes along, I'll do it.
Well, you're always a delightful presence. when you come across my screen, I'm always happy to see you pop up and things. Oh, that's so nice Trey, thank you.
Personally, there's always a role in anything I do for you. Oh, really, seriously, thank you for all the inspiration you've given me.
Maybe a little cameo or something.
Yeah, man, absolutely, I have a role in mine for you currently.
How much time commitment are we talking about? I could give you like 11 minutes, oh boy.
Probably that much, that much, max.
You know what, I'm actually not kidding. We'll get your information. And if there's something I could do quickly to show up in one of your movies, I would do it. Just for the sheer what-the-fuckery of it all. Awesome.
Yeah, I would love that. Now we haven't talked price yet. Yeah, yeah.
$800,000 a minute.
Ooh, I'm going to have to get a loan, but I think we can make this work.
Don't worry, I know who's going to co-sign it, I know you're a co-signer, it's going to be Seamus Curley.
No, no, no, please, please, please. It'll be my pleasure to do it for nothing. And you have an audio record of that.
Oh, perfect, I can use it in court.
Oh, we're going to end up in court. Oh yeah, you're going to edit it out of the episode, you know what's funny? I'll do this thing for you and I'll be so bad.
It'll be an 11-minute film and you've got Conan O'Brien and you will cut me out of it.
Like, it just didn't work in the final edit.
Yeah, no one bought you as a comic, as an aging comic, what? Hey Trey, really nice talking to you. you're a cool person and maybe, yeah, maybe we'll be working together.
That's great.
I would love nothing more.
All right, my best to your roommates, even though they're clearly make-believe, and maybe I'll talk to you soon. Take care.
Sounds good. Thank you very much. Bye now guys, nice to meet you all.
Nice to meet you too.
Conan O'Brien needs a friend with Conan O'Brien. Sona Movsesian and Matt Gourley Produced by Me Matt Gourley executive produced by Adam Sachs. Nick Liao and Jeff Ross at Team Coco and Colin Anderson and Cody Fisher at Yearwolf. Theme song by the White Stripes. Incidental music by Jimmy Vivino.
Take it away, Jimmy.
Our supervising producer is Aaron Blair and our associate talent producer is Jennifer. Samples engineering by Eduardo Perez. Additional production support by Mars Melnick, Talent booking by Paula Davis, Gina Batista and Brit Kahn. You can rate and review this show on Apple Podcasts, and you might find your review read on a future episode.
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This has been a team Coco production in association with Yearwolf.
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