in

Comedian Mike Mitchell On Landing a Role Alongside Chris Pratt

For Mike Mitchell, Podcasting Is The Key to Opening Doors in Hollywood

For Los Angeles-based comic Mike Mitchell, podcasting wasn’t necessarily the dream. But as co-host of the popular fast food podcast Doughboys, he’s managed to stir up opportunities in Hollywood that wouldn’t have happened if he never got behind the microphone.

I chatted with Mike to discuss his upcoming podcast tour, his turn as an action star in The Tomorrow War, and the time he was seated in first class next to Chris Pratt.

Cassie: Tell me about your podcast. How did you meet your co-host?

Mike: I knew Nick (Wiger) through the Upright Citizens Brigade and he was such a great improviser. I was a new improviser, sort of on my way in. He was just super funny. Our two sketch groups were paired together and I would see his sketches and they were always hilarious but we never really worked together, in that sense. At UCB, there feels like a time when you are in your 30s, and you stop going to the theater as much as you used to. Nick had stopped doing improv and I was doing it maybe once or twice a month. (The podcast) is just an opportunity for us to still do comedy. We actually thought we were late to the podcast game, though it turns out we weren’t.

Cassie: And how exactly did you land on the topic of eating fast food?

Mike: We met at a Cheesecake Factory for lunch, and Nick had the idea of doing a fast-food chain restaurant podcast, and that was it. We were off to the races, and that led to Doughboys…for better and for worse (laughs). It united us for life, in a way. I didn’t want it to be weekly at first, because I was nervous about eating junk. I already eat enough junk as it is. That has been a challenge for sure. But it’s worked out well for us. We are coming up on seven years since we started the podcast, which is crazy. People love to talk about food. I think that’s why the podcast works. When there is a new item at Taco Bell, they want to try it and they want to talk about it.

Cassie: So you’re going on tour? Tell me about that.

Mike: We are hitting up a lot of spots. It got delayed because of COVID, but we are ready to go now. We poll listeners about where we want to eat. Sometimes it’s so clear where we need to go. The last time we went to Milwaukee, everyone was on us to try Culver’s. And a lot of times if people want us to go there, they are usually pretty good places.

Cassie: What’s it like being on the road?

Mike: It’s often hectic. I always tell people who want to meet up on tour, it’s actually so hard to do. We not only have to get to the city and check into the hotel, but then we have to eat some heavy meal from a chain restaurant. We’re usually not feeling good after that, and then we meet and greet people who came to the show. By the time that’s all done we are ready to go to the hotel and go to bed. It’s a lot.

Cassie: How is juggling the show with your acting life and auditions?

Mike: Podcasting gives me security, and it lets me be creative. It’s kind of like, this is my work and this is what pays me, and that’s ok. There are worse ways to make a living. In my mind, we are still getting paid for comedy, and that’s the most important thing to me. I wanted to act and do comedy and improv, so to have something that pays me and ensures that I can eat and sleep under a roof, it’s great. I don’t think Nick or I came into the comedy world to be podcasters, but I love doing it and we have both gotten to be creative and we have a lot of fun together. It’s a good thing. I do want to keep acting. I feel like that’s my passion, and we have time to pursue things we really want to do, like auditioning and writing.

Cassie: Sounds like at least one audition went pretty well for you! Tell me about getting cast in The Tomorrow War.

Mike: I think some people can get pigeonholed as podcasters. But at the same time, I’ve gotten roles because of the podcast. I got cast in The Tomorrow War because one of the producers for that movie listens to the podcast. They needed a role to be filled and they were like, “we should audition this guy, he’s funny.” I auditioned and I got the role and that might not have happened if I didn’t do the podcast. You never want to be pigeonholed, so Nick and I are clear on the podcast that we like to do other things. So far it has only led to other things… but the fear is the opposite. Around the time I got the audition I was thinking, should I stop trying to act? Should I pivot to something else? I was kind of desperate to make anything work. So when I got an audition for a Chris Pratt sci-fi movie I was like, there is no way I will ever get this role. I almost skipped out on the audition.

Cassie: Be honest. Are you best friends with Chris Pratt now?

Mike: (laughs) Oh yeah, I’m headed to his barbeque later! But really, after I got the role I was at the airport the following Saturday to head to Atlanta for boot camp, which is basically just gun safety and things like that. They fly you first class, which is great. When I got on the plane, the seat next to me was empty, so I was going to sleep. I had gotten no sleep and I was exhausted. And then, not even two minutes before they closed the doors, Chris Pratt came in and sat next to me on the plane. And I was like, oh no. I didn’t want to fall asleep and snore, or annoy him or whatever. When we were flying down there, he was like, “Oh, I just got the script for the new Jurassic World,” and he was reading it on his phone. I was trying to eye it (laughs). I think I saw a few words. Maybe “T-Rex.”

Cassie: You really buried the lede, there. I would have started with that story.

Mike: Gotta save it for the big finish, right?

The Tomorrow War is available to stream now on Amazon Prime. You can listen to Doughboys and find more information on their tour at https://headgum.com/doughboys

Written by Cassie Hager

Just your average, everyday land mermaid with a cinema addiction.

Leave a Reply

Film Obsessive welcomes your comments. All submissions are moderated. Replies including personal attacks, spam, and other offensive remarks will not be published. Email addresses will not be visible on published comments.

Sigourney Weaver smiles on the set of "Gorillas in the Mist"

The Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast Salutes Sigourney Weaver for Women’s History Month

Audrey Rumsby

Interview: Actress and Director Audrey Rumsby Discusses Her Film Barry and Joan