March 17, 2025 • 10 mins
Comedian Kevin Nealon performs at the Boulder Theater on March 23. He's one delightful dude. He joined Bret to talk about the 50th anniversary of SNL, trophies and getting his son to call him "dad."
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Oh hi, I'm Brett. Welcome back to the podcast. This
time let's talk with comedy legend Kevin Nalan. You know
him from SNL as the longtime host of Weekend Update.
He's appeared in just about every single Adam Sandler film,
and he'll be at the Boulder Theater on March twenty third.
He's a spectacular ray of light in a dark universe.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Kevin Nilan, Thank you, Brett Man. That's the best issue
I've had today. Incredible, It's thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
It's early though. You're going to be at the Boulder
Theater on March the twenty third. You have been spending
some considerable time deservedly so, sir, in the spotlight lately
because of the fiftieth anniversary.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Well, I got to be honest with you, Brett, it's
some great memories. I mean, I was there for all
fifty years, unlike some of the other casts, So I
mean I've got tons of memories. I mean too long
to even get into right now. It really has been
kind of a center point of my career actually, because
it was so unique and such stimulating an exciting job.
(01:03):
I mean, the only I've stayed there for a long
time at the time I was the longest, longest running
cast member, because I wasn't really looking at it as
a stepping stone. I just loved it. I loved working
with the host coming in and the different musical acts
that I grew up you know, watching, and I was,
you know, I was big fans of there. So yeah,
(01:25):
it was great.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
It seems like your temperament was perfectly pitched for a
scenario like that, because sometimes we hear about artists who
were members of the cast on SNL and there was
too much pressure or it just wasn't the right fit
for them. But it was the right fit for you, obviously.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Yeah, it really was. I mean I watched other cast
members just kind of go crazy, just wanting to get
ahead or get their sketches on, and I was. I
thought of it more of a marathon instead of a sprint.
And like I said, I just loved being there. I
loved having an office to write in and you know,
hanging out with the other cast members. It was great.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
I remember on the ftieth anniversary. I remember, of course
because it was only a couple of weeks ago, but
they ranked all of the hosts of a weekend update
the anchors for weekend Update, you weren't up very high.
I thought that that was unfair.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Well, that was only out of ten of them, and
you ever remember there was a lot of updated anchors.
But I really agree with Bill Murray because I think
he spot on because Brian Doyle Murray was number one,
and so I think his I think his selections were
very accurate. I have to agree with them, you know.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
I would also like to take a second to acknowledge
your great work on the Larry Sanders Show. For some reason,
when you appeared on The Larry Sanders Show and it
seemed to threaten Hank Kingsley, that was some of my
favorite comedy ever.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
That was a fun episode for me. You know, I've
been friends with Gary's for a long time up to
that point, and it was just Hank's character was so funny.
It was so neurotic, so insecure, and just the fact
of me hanging around they're threatened him.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
It was the best Kevin Neal an Emmy winner. I
didn't know that until today I was doing my research.
You have an Emmy. That's that's a rarefied club.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
It's a rarefy for me, that's for sure. Yeah, it
was you know, sometimes I even forget I that I
was part of that writing team for an Emmy, And
to this day, when you said it, I thought, do
I have an Emmy. I've never been big on awards
or anything like that. You know. I've gotten some of
(03:33):
those glass awards, crystal or whatever. They are around the house,
and I either I don't know where they are, or
I threw them away, or they're in a box in
the garage somewhere.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
I'm pretty much the same way any plaque or whatever
I've obtained. They're just all in storage now. Because don't
you think that that kind of blows your brain up
a little bit when you walk into your office and
you see all those awards.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
I guess some people like to have that just to
kind of, you know, to remember that they have some
value in life or whatever, or that they did well,
you know, and they should have them in the room
if they want them. You know, it is a big
accomplishment for some people. But otherwise, remember when you were
a kid. I don't know if when you were a kid,
but when my son was a kid, he they would
(04:17):
give trophies just for them showing up, sure, but you know,
for the game. So they had tons of trophies laying around,
and after a while, I know them really meant anything.
So I would take a few of those and put
them in my office at the time, just so I
would feel good about that. But now I don't need that.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
How many of your son's bowling trophies did you keep
in your office, Kevin Neale?
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Probably the only bone trophy. He doesn't have their bowling trophies,
but he's got everything from you know, bool to cricket
really too. No, it's mostly basketball and baseball.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
You must be so proud. That's that's wonderful.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Oh my god, yeah, it's really am.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
It's the best being a dad, isn't it that you
love being and a dad?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Kevin? Oh man, I'm sure do Are you a dad?
Speaker 1 (05:02):
I am a dad?
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Oh great, great? Yeah, I love it. It's but the
thing is he doesn't call me dad. What call That's
what I've really I've worked hard to have that title.
You know. It's like a doctor. You already called doctor,
you know whatever? And uh and and he calls me
he would even call me keV or And I said,
(05:25):
you know what, I like being called dad, you know,
because it's it's a title I think I've earned that's
Miami right there. It's being called dad, and for some
reason he had trouble calling me the next Now he
calls me father, like we live in some mansion and
you know that's out of Chicago.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Well, now he's messing with you. Because dad and father
that's really pretty much the same thing.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Yeah, but father is a little more upper crust, you know,
the Hampton's kind of stuff. And I just like to
be called dad or daddy, even daddy. You know, my
wife calls me daddy, which is it's a little awkward
because she's eighteen years younger than me and she looks
(06:07):
really young. So I told her, I said, we're in
like that, waiting for a table at a restaurant with
everybody else. Don't call me daddy.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Okay, are you going to be in this Happy Gilmore too?
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Kevin Kneeling, Yes, I am Brett. I'm going to be
in it. I amn't it already. It just hasn't been
released yet, and man, it's a doozy. I've never seen
such a massive production, you know, all the trailers and
different cameras and the cast. It's going to be. It's
going to be amazing.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
How many Adam Sandler films. Have you appeared in, Kevin.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
I think, Brett, I have been in probably thirteen or fourteen.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
That's very impressive. By the way, I love it. Whenever
I say Kevin, you say Brett because it's an old
show business thing.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Well, you know, I catch that kind of like it's
one of my things that I noticed. Like a car salesman,
they'll specifically they've gotten some kind of sales you know,
training where they say keep saying the name of the
customers so they feel connected to you, and then all
so you don't forget their name, you know. So there
was a cop, there was a car salesman. Last year
I was looking at cars. Every other word was almost Kevin.
(07:20):
So listening to Kevin, this car, you know, has a
warranty Kevin mostly so I started calling him his name
every time he made I said, well, thank you very much, Tony. Now, Tony,
let me ask you this.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Tony, Well, listen, you don't have to do that with me.
You've already sealed the deal. I think you're a comedic genius.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Thanks, Brett. I've always thought, as you love that, Brett too, so,
you know, thank you for noticing that.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Brett, You're going to be at the Boulder Theater on
March twenty third. We should also mention your show. It's
this hiking show, Hiking with Kevin. Where can I see that?
Speaker 2 (07:55):
That's right? This is a it's on YouTube right now
and also on Foxination.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
What's that is?
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Fox Nation is a streaming network? Is well, I'm telling you,
Brett Truck me. Can I get a word out? Brett?
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Yes, you mentioned Fox, so I understand that.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
I understand that. Yeah. I thought the same thing at first.
But it's it's a it's a great streaming uh platform.
And Martin Scorsese's even has a series on there of
some kind of a documentary and it's really kind of
expanded out from the Fox Network and it's something that
I think I'm I'm going to look forward to watching
(08:37):
at least some of the programs.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Looks like I'm going to be watching what's it called
Fox Nation?
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Fox Nation.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
I'm going to be looking at that so I can
see Martin Scorcese as well as the brilliant Kevin Nalan.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Yeah, so the Hiking with Kevin is I you know,
I hike with the different celebrity almost every other weekend
and it's been great. I interviewed them. I go out
in the canyons and I have a selfie stick with
a GoPro and I fly a drone and a couple
weeks ago, I went hiking with Tom Hanks. I go
with Tony O'Brien often Sheryl Crowe down in Nashville, and
they Forgotzi and just I've done one hundred and seventy
(09:11):
hikes so far. So it's for seven but five seasons
now five seasons, you know, seven minus the COVID years.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Who's the worst one?
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Well, they've all been great. I say. The person who
was leased out of shape and had the most demands
was David Spade.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
See I know he's one of your best friends, so
he want Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Spade wanted it to be perfectly flat, no hills at all.
And so I found a place that was pretty flat
and we're walking along and it's nobody would know there
was like an incline. He was wait a minute, he stopped,
Are we going up an incline right now? I said,
like a one percent incline? I said, we probably are.
(09:58):
He said, okay, let me me stop and catch my
breath here. And he wanted to go when there was
no traffic, you know, I get that sure in between
rush hour, and if it was okay to bring some
snacks because he he needs to eat every once in
a while. He's high a book seek or something.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Sure, but he seems toned, so that surprises me. Toned.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Oh, he is ripped, Brett, he is ripped.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
You know you're gonna have a ripping good time if
you see Kevin Nielan at the Boulder Theater on Marsha
twenty third, Sir, it is always nice for you to
check in and I'm so happy to see you everywhere lately.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Congratulations, Thanks Brett, and I always love talking to you man.
Thanks for thanks for being a friend. As some dand
said back in the eighties.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Thank you again, Kevin Kneelan. I'm Brett back with you
next time on this Brett Sounders podcast
Oh hi, I'm Brett. Welcome back to the podcast. This
time let's talk with comedy legend Kevin Nalan. You know
him from SNL as the longtime host of Weekend Update.
He's appeared in just about every single Adam Sandler film,
and he'll be at the Boulder Theater on March twenty third.
He's a spectacular ray of light in a dark universe.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Kevin Nilan, Thank you, Brett Man. That's the best issue
I've had today. Incredible, It's thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
It's early though. You're going to be at the Boulder
Theater on March the twenty third. You have been spending
some considerable time deservedly so, sir, in the spotlight lately
because of the fiftieth anniversary.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Well, I got to be honest with you, Brett, it's
some great memories. I mean, I was there for all
fifty years, unlike some of the other casts, So I
mean I've got tons of memories. I mean too long
to even get into right now. It really has been
kind of a center point of my career actually, because
it was so unique and such stimulating an exciting job.
(01:03):
I mean, the only I've stayed there for a long
time at the time I was the longest, longest running
cast member, because I wasn't really looking at it as
a stepping stone. I just loved it. I loved working
with the host coming in and the different musical acts
that I grew up you know, watching, and I was,
you know, I was big fans of there. So yeah,
(01:25):
it was great.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
It seems like your temperament was perfectly pitched for a
scenario like that, because sometimes we hear about artists who
were members of the cast on SNL and there was
too much pressure or it just wasn't the right fit
for them. But it was the right fit for you, obviously.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Yeah, it really was. I mean I watched other cast
members just kind of go crazy, just wanting to get
ahead or get their sketches on, and I was. I
thought of it more of a marathon instead of a sprint.
And like I said, I just loved being there. I
loved having an office to write in and you know,
hanging out with the other cast members. It was great.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
I remember on the ftieth anniversary. I remember, of course
because it was only a couple of weeks ago, but
they ranked all of the hosts of a weekend update
the anchors for weekend Update, you weren't up very high.
I thought that that was unfair.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Well, that was only out of ten of them, and
you ever remember there was a lot of updated anchors.
But I really agree with Bill Murray because I think
he spot on because Brian Doyle Murray was number one,
and so I think his I think his selections were
very accurate. I have to agree with them, you know.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
I would also like to take a second to acknowledge
your great work on the Larry Sanders Show. For some reason,
when you appeared on The Larry Sanders Show and it
seemed to threaten Hank Kingsley, that was some of my
favorite comedy ever.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
That was a fun episode for me. You know, I've
been friends with Gary's for a long time up to
that point, and it was just Hank's character was so funny.
It was so neurotic, so insecure, and just the fact
of me hanging around they're threatened him.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
It was the best Kevin Neal an Emmy winner. I
didn't know that until today I was doing my research.
You have an Emmy. That's that's a rarefied club.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
It's a rarefy for me, that's for sure. Yeah, it
was you know, sometimes I even forget I that I
was part of that writing team for an Emmy, And
to this day, when you said it, I thought, do
I have an Emmy. I've never been big on awards
or anything like that. You know. I've gotten some of
(03:33):
those glass awards, crystal or whatever. They are around the house,
and I either I don't know where they are, or
I threw them away, or they're in a box in
the garage somewhere.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
I'm pretty much the same way any plaque or whatever
I've obtained. They're just all in storage now. Because don't
you think that that kind of blows your brain up
a little bit when you walk into your office and
you see all those awards.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
I guess some people like to have that just to
kind of, you know, to remember that they have some
value in life or whatever, or that they did well,
you know, and they should have them in the room
if they want them. You know, it is a big
accomplishment for some people. But otherwise, remember when you were
a kid. I don't know if when you were a kid,
but when my son was a kid, he they would
(04:17):
give trophies just for them showing up, sure, but you know,
for the game. So they had tons of trophies laying around,
and after a while, I know them really meant anything.
So I would take a few of those and put
them in my office at the time, just so I
would feel good about that. But now I don't need that.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
How many of your son's bowling trophies did you keep
in your office, Kevin Neale?
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Probably the only bone trophy. He doesn't have their bowling trophies,
but he's got everything from you know, bool to cricket
really too. No, it's mostly basketball and baseball.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
You must be so proud. That's that's wonderful.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Oh my god, yeah, it's really am.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
It's the best being a dad, isn't it that you
love being and a dad?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Kevin? Oh man, I'm sure do Are you a dad?
Speaker 1 (05:02):
I am a dad?
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Oh great, great? Yeah, I love it. It's but the
thing is he doesn't call me dad. What call That's
what I've really I've worked hard to have that title.
You know. It's like a doctor. You already called doctor,
you know whatever? And uh and and he calls me
he would even call me keV or And I said,
(05:25):
you know what, I like being called dad, you know,
because it's it's a title I think I've earned that's
Miami right there. It's being called dad, and for some
reason he had trouble calling me the next Now he
calls me father, like we live in some mansion and
you know that's out of Chicago.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Well, now he's messing with you. Because dad and father
that's really pretty much the same thing.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Yeah, but father is a little more upper crust, you know,
the Hampton's kind of stuff. And I just like to
be called dad or daddy, even daddy. You know, my
wife calls me daddy, which is it's a little awkward
because she's eighteen years younger than me and she looks
(06:07):
really young. So I told her, I said, we're in
like that, waiting for a table at a restaurant with
everybody else. Don't call me daddy.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Okay, are you going to be in this Happy Gilmore too?
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Kevin Kneeling, Yes, I am Brett. I'm going to be
in it. I amn't it already. It just hasn't been
released yet, and man, it's a doozy. I've never seen
such a massive production, you know, all the trailers and
different cameras and the cast. It's going to be. It's
going to be amazing.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
How many Adam Sandler films. Have you appeared in, Kevin.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
I think, Brett, I have been in probably thirteen or fourteen.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
That's very impressive. By the way, I love it. Whenever
I say Kevin, you say Brett because it's an old
show business thing.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Well, you know, I catch that kind of like it's
one of my things that I noticed. Like a car salesman,
they'll specifically they've gotten some kind of sales you know,
training where they say keep saying the name of the
customers so they feel connected to you, and then all
so you don't forget their name, you know. So there
was a cop, there was a car salesman. Last year
I was looking at cars. Every other word was almost Kevin.
(07:20):
So listening to Kevin, this car, you know, has a
warranty Kevin mostly so I started calling him his name
every time he made I said, well, thank you very much, Tony. Now, Tony,
let me ask you this.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Tony, Well, listen, you don't have to do that with me.
You've already sealed the deal. I think you're a comedic genius.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Thanks, Brett. I've always thought, as you love that, Brett too, so,
you know, thank you for noticing that.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Brett, You're going to be at the Boulder Theater on
March twenty third. We should also mention your show. It's
this hiking show, Hiking with Kevin. Where can I see that?
Speaker 2 (07:55):
That's right? This is a it's on YouTube right now
and also on Foxination.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
What's that is?
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Fox Nation is a streaming network? Is well, I'm telling you,
Brett Truck me. Can I get a word out? Brett?
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Yes, you mentioned Fox, so I understand that.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
I understand that. Yeah. I thought the same thing at first.
But it's it's a it's a great streaming uh platform.
And Martin Scorsese's even has a series on there of
some kind of a documentary and it's really kind of
expanded out from the Fox Network and it's something that
I think I'm I'm going to look forward to watching
(08:37):
at least some of the programs.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Looks like I'm going to be watching what's it called
Fox Nation?
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Fox Nation.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
I'm going to be looking at that so I can
see Martin Scorcese as well as the brilliant Kevin Nalan.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Yeah, so the Hiking with Kevin is I you know,
I hike with the different celebrity almost every other weekend
and it's been great. I interviewed them. I go out
in the canyons and I have a selfie stick with
a GoPro and I fly a drone and a couple
weeks ago, I went hiking with Tom Hanks. I go
with Tony O'Brien often Sheryl Crowe down in Nashville, and
they Forgotzi and just I've done one hundred and seventy
(09:11):
hikes so far. So it's for seven but five seasons
now five seasons, you know, seven minus the COVID years.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Who's the worst one?
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Well, they've all been great. I say. The person who
was leased out of shape and had the most demands
was David Spade.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
See I know he's one of your best friends, so
he want Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Spade wanted it to be perfectly flat, no hills at all.
And so I found a place that was pretty flat
and we're walking along and it's nobody would know there
was like an incline. He was wait a minute, he stopped,
Are we going up an incline right now? I said,
like a one percent incline? I said, we probably are.
(09:58):
He said, okay, let me me stop and catch my
breath here. And he wanted to go when there was
no traffic, you know, I get that sure in between
rush hour, and if it was okay to bring some
snacks because he he needs to eat every once in
a while. He's high a book seek or something.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Sure, but he seems toned, so that surprises me. Toned.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Oh, he is ripped, Brett, he is ripped.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
You know you're gonna have a ripping good time if
you see Kevin Nielan at the Boulder Theater on Marsha
twenty third, Sir, it is always nice for you to
check in and I'm so happy to see you everywhere lately.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Congratulations, Thanks Brett, and I always love talking to you man.
Thanks for thanks for being a friend. As some dand
said back in the eighties.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Thank you again, Kevin Kneelan. I'm Brett back with you
next time on this Brett Sounders podcast
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