Jerry O'Connell opens up like never before in this hilarious and heartfelt 10 Minute Take on Still Here Hollywood with Steve Kmetko. From the trauma of losing friend River Phoenix to reading prison fan mail sent to his wife Rebecca Romijn, Jerry shares raw memories and laugh-out-loud moments. He talks about why Three's Company made him move to L.A., what it's really like raising two Valley Girl teens, and why hosting The Talk is the job he never saw coming. Plus, he reveals the surprising advice he gives his daughter about joining the family business — acting. If you grew up with Stand By Me, Jerry Maguire, or just love a great Hollywood evolution story, this episode is a must-watch.
Steve Kmetko
Yes, I'm still here. Hollywood. And coming up on today's episode,
Jerry O’Connell
It's so funny. At a very early age, I knew there was an outlet and I knew that was on a movie set. And I think that drives me every day into waking up and everything that I know, I'll feel most comfortable on a set. I'd say the most surreal was the most upsetting was you know, and I wasn't in the, I wasn't, you know, in Hollywood when it happened. I was in college, but when River Phoenix passed away, that was that was tragic, insane still not over it. FYI prisoners who are sending my wife mail I read it. I never give it to my wife. it sort of is pretty exciting for me. I really feel like I'm reading, reading into something I shouldn't be reading. There's a takeaway from this podcast. I read my wife's prison fan mail.
Steve Kmetko
If you're one to pay attention to Hollywood Tabloids, you'd know that it's fairly rare for a child actor to keep their career thriving into adulthood. Well, one versatile star who was in his first hit film at 11 years old has thrived for decades as an actor. Though he's also pivoted into the world of talk and game show hosting. But despite the many roles and successes he has raked up in his 40 year career, his most important role is being a dad to daughters. This is still Here, Hollywood. I'm Steve Kmetko. Join me with today's guest, Jerry O'Connell, my brother and my brother-in-Law. Both told me that we need some kind of a sign off for this podcast.
Jerry O’Connell
Yeah, I think because Ecco with a KI think it's got to be something with K like K, everybody Kecia Leader.
Steve Kmetko
I think Kecia is spelled with a C.
Jerry O’Connell
I know, but you spell it with a K And you do like a, you do like a Chiron, like Chiron. There's a K
Steve Kmetko
That's a C too.
Jerry O’Connell
Oh, well, no, I mean, we're using K’s today.
Steve Kmetko:
We're, replacing all the C's with K’s. How are you, Jerry?
Jerry O’Connell
Doing well. So good to see you.
Steve Kmetko
Good to see you too. There's our sign on. You just came over from the talk.
Jerry O’Connell
I've been hosting the talk on CBS every day Eastern. 2:00 PM Pacific Time, 1:00 PM a live show. I can't believe I'm a talk show host. When I moved to Hollywood, you were the talk show host guy. I was the actor. And here I am talk show hosting. But I mean, I think it, I think it plays into the theme of your show still here. It's funny careers. You don't you have no control over them. They over go.
Steve Kmetko
I moved away to Chicago and I've been gone for 20 years. And when Jim called me and said, Hey, I have an idea for a podcast. And he asked me if I would be interested in hosting. And I missed Los Angeles a lot, you know, moving to Chicago was moving home. And I went back for my parents who were elderly. But I did miss it. It's different out here. It's special.
Jerry O’Connell
Yeah, it is. I moved out here right after college. I moved out here in the late 1990s. I got to tell you, the thing that inspired me most to move out to Los Angeles, I truly believe was Three's company. I grew up watching three's company. I was obsessed with Jack, Chrissy and Janet. And they lived in Santa Monica. They hung out at the Regal Beagle. They rode tandem Bicycles up and down Venice Boulevard. I just wanted to move to Los Angeles. I just wanted to move out here.
Steve Kmetko
They make it look so nice,
Jerry O’Connell
They really do. But you know what it is it is really nice. I don't know I think you're having a pretty mild winter this winter, but I mean, the weather is really the best. And it's better than the southeast Florida, any of it. I mean, it's not too cold in the winter. It's, I guess a little warm in the summer, but not as hot as it is in the,
Steve Kmetko
And there's always a breeze. It seems like you always have an ocean breeze.
Jerry O’Connell
Yeah. And, I'm really into it. The funny thing is, I have children now who are teenagers and we live in the Valley, which for those who aren't familiar, is sort of like the, the suburb of, of Los Angeles. And I mean, if you're my age, you remember sort of Valley girls who sort of like, talk like this. And I have two daughters who talk like this now. And it's so crazy to me because they really speak with us accent. And, you know, I think now there's more of like, what they call vocal fry, which is, I mean, it's what my children do, and it is a valley accent, and it drives me insane.
Steve Kmetko
Does it?
Jerry O’Connell
It does.
Steve Kmetko
Are you a dad who says Don't say that?
Jerry O’Connell
No, I don't. Don't yell it that way. I say, don't talk to shut up. I hate that. Do not speak like that. That's not how we speak. Speak normally. Project, like, pronounce your, like, don't do that long thing.
Steve Kmetko
And pronounce the end of the word.
Jerry O’Connell
But they're going to do whatever the heck they're going to do. It is pretty funny when they do go to the East Coast and spend some time with my family for a little bit, they do sort of pick up a little bit of a New York accent where they talk like this, this a little bit, you know, where they say things like coffee and stuff. And that sort of makes me laugh. But yeah, I have Valley Girls for Children.
Steve Kmetko
How do you like being a dad?
Jerry O’Connell
I like it a lot. It really is. It's so funny. I was thinking about parenthood.
Steve Kmetko
The movie?
Jerry O’Connell
No, I was thinking about parenthood. I was watching, this is, we're really going off topic here. My wife and I love a show called 90 Day Fiance, which is a reality show on I believe TLC. I'm sorry if I'm wrong about that, but it's on TLC. Who knows what anything is on anymore. It just ends up in your inbox. And there's a young couple on there who is expecting, and it's a guy who's marrying a girl from the far east. Because the whole point of 90 Day Fiancé is that it's Americans who meet people online, overseas, and then they meet up with each other and they have 90 days to figure out whether they're going to get married or not to get what they call a K one Visa. And they're expecting, and they said, are you excited?
And he went, you know, I, I don't think anybody is ever ready or really like, is like, excited to have kids.
I think it just sort of happens. And that's exactly what I went through. It was funny. I'm really grateful to my wife, who I don't want to say made me have kids, but it was really her pushing me. I would've, I was trying to push it off as long as possible. And I'm really happy I had kids. It is fun. It's, to me, the it's the most fun I've had which I'm a little shocked at. Now it's not fun. As like going to, I don't know, an outdoor music festival or doing drugs and watching the sunrise at the Grand Canyon, or the skinny dipping and Machu Picchu. Like, that's actually fun. It isn't fun when your teenage girls are yelling at you and complaining why you're late picking them up. That's not fun. But it has kind of completed me really. It's the most fun really.
Steve Kmetko
That sounds like a line from Jerry McGuire.
Jerry O’Connell
Yeah, I know. I was thinking that. I was like, oh, I'm plagiarizing, but I was in it. So it's not plagiarism.
Steve Kmetko
No, no. It just stuck with you. That's all. And you use it now as part of your vernacular.
Jerry O’Connell
Yeah, I like it. And you know, one of my daughters is said she wants to get into acting. She's a teenager.
Steve Kmetko
You okay with that?
Jerry O’Connell
Yeah. I really am. I think acting is I think acting and that's the only thing I really know about showbiz. I mean, I guess I'm a talk show host now, but acting is sort of our thing. My wife and I, family business, if you will. And I think it's really good for young people to get into. Like, I was
Steve Kmetko
Very young.
Jerry O’Connell
I was very young. I was in Stand By Me when I was 12, you know? I think it's I think it's good because it teaches you about rejection really early.