Talking A Christmas Story

A Christmas Story Family (00:00)
And so I'm assuming you have this gigantic introduction where you're like, you design, you got what I have. And now, the man of the moment, the one you've all come for, the legend that you've come to this incredible podcast for, the one you've been screaming in your dreams to talk to. The one, the only, that one.

There's fire trucks going down. It's like there's a whole bunch of military personnel. Like F -17s go zooming above if they leave trails, right? And then there's probably like a dog that was in the army. The dog has learned that as well. You know? Right? They're like, sky park is below the map bar.

Your knee like...

Welcome back to the major award edition of Talking Your Christmas Story with the cast, where every episode feels like Christmas morning, complete with the sacred Dakota ring and oval team in your cup. I'm Yano and I am your guide on this sleigh ride into the heart of the 40th anniversary celebration in Hamlet, Indiana. Today, we are unwrapping memories with Zack Ward, the legend behind the notorious scufakis.

Our digital mailbox this week was as stuffed as the Parker's turkey that the Bumpus hounds stole. Grumming with tails that warm the heart as snugly as Ralphie's pink bunny suit. As we sifted through your incredible stories, we sprinkled in clues about the mastermind behind one of the movie's most iconic symbols. It's been like decoding a secret message, leading to the revelation as brilliant as the glow from the leg lamp. So gear up detectives.

It's time to piece together the puzzle and uncover the hidden message. Now let's venture back to Hammond, Indiana, where the streets became a living scene straight out of our beloved tale. There's a lot to talk about, so I won't be able to share all of it in just one episode. But picture this, last December, the Ralphie and the gang celebration transformed the town into a nostalgic wonderland.

drawing an amazing crowd of 12 ,000 registrants from 28 states and a sea of 6 ,000 attendees, woven together a rich tapestry of fan passion with every individual, adding their unique stitch to our collective story. The air crackled with excitement, a testament to the powerful connection that we all share. As the venue reached its capacity at 3 ,800 fans outside, a fervor reminiscent of Higbee's holiday rush unfolded.

The sheer number of attendees created an electrifying atmosphere so much so that unexpected surge of eagerness from our beloved fans led to a tense moment. An angry mob, if you will, eager to be a part of the magic, pressing to enter the venue. The police wouldn't even let the film crew go outside and film because they were worried things might get out of hand. That's right. We were filming a documentary. The trailer will be coming out soon, so make sure.

You go to AChristmasStoryFamily.com and join our newsletter to be the first to learn about its release. So the fans are trying to bust through the door. The cops and my business partner are trying to calm them down. The cops bring one of the cars closer so my business partner can speak through the loudspeaker and calm them down. And the next thing you know, out of nowhere comes Peter in an act of genuine care, a leadership. Peter Billingsley.

Our very own Ralphie stepped into the rain, facing the crowd with warmth and grace. He calmed the storm of anticipation, showcasing the deep bond that ties us, cast advanced together in an unbreakable family. It was a moment that underscored the unbreakable bond between us, a testament to the family we built around a Christmas story. Although Zack Ward couldn't join us in person for the festivities, his portrayal of Scud Farkus has left an indelible mark.

on the fabric of a Christmas story. Zack, your portrayal has etched itself into the annals of holiday lore, bridging miles and decades. So let's dive into the world of Scut Farkus, exploring the journey, the impact, and the legacy of a character who's much more than a bully. He's a pivotal piece in our cherished holiday classic.

And so I'm assuming you have this gigantic introduction where you're like, you desire, you're going to one night and now the man of the moment, the one you've all come for, the legend that you've come to this incredible podcast for, the one you've been screaming in your dreams that you could die to. The one, the only, that one.

Uh huh. Leaps like a whole bunch of military personnel. F -17s go zooming above if they leave trails, right? And then there's probably like a dog that was in the army. The dog has learned how to soap you as well. You know? It's all stupid. Right? They're like, Scott Parker, we love

Oh, then it cuts to this. Yeah. You got the budget for all that, my friend. Yeah. Yeah. Eventually we'll get there. Yeah. Talk other phones, Dick. I'll explain to everybody that you may be get up earlier than I wanted to for you. Yes. I'm still having my first cup of coffee in the morning. As I sit in my office in Los Angeles and you're in the Ritz -Carlton or something. Yes.

We can usually hear my wife doing her hair. This is how professional. Yes, this is how we do it. This is how we do it. Yes. When this seems reality of this, just the texture. You keep it down out there. It's like Sean Connery was like, they need a good schlock. Don't worry. Need one good schlock. All right, cool.

Yes. So we have Mr. Zack Ward, otherwise known as Scut Farkus is sitting in his living room. He's he's actually in good spirits, even though I asked him to wake up early for me. So he sees drinking his coffee and trying to try to get his life together this morning. So there may be some interruptions because, you know, he's he's Zack Ward. So, Tak, welcome to the podcast.

I'm so excited to be here. Yes. Yes. Also. So Zack, it's been a while since the community has put their eyes on you. So let's let's let's talk about what's going on in your life really quickly. What's happening with you? Let's see. I just at the memorial to my father. That was this last weekend. And my three daughters is two dollars. I can don't. I mean, yeah, he passed away in December, December 19th.

2023 he had Alzheimer's was suffering from Alzheimer's for the last four years of his life. It was brutal. It was horrible. It's strange because it's at a certain point it's very sad, but there's also a sense of thank God he's out of pain and this horrible journey is over for him. So it's strange because usually people have someone die in their life.

Like when your dad passed, it was impact and you know, it happened and then you had to deal with it. This kind of reversed. You have to deal with it and you're waiting and dreading and the final finality of it. I mean, the reality is we all die and we have to prepare for that. So, the joy of it was that for the memorial, my brother was out and my sister came out and I don't think...

been in the same room together for over a decade because she's very good. He's an Hawaii. So that was wonderful. And so that's just happened. It's a big part of my life. My movie, Patsy Lee. It was originally called Patsy Lee and the Keepers of the Five Kingdoms. Yes. Called Keepers of the Five Kingdoms. That's going to be coming out in June. Fantastic. Yeah.

I'm super excited about that, Zack. You know, you showed me a lot of trailers and stuff and it looks amazing. Yeah, here's the poster. Won't look great up there. Yeah, it's awesome. Yeah. So that's a big deal. And we have a strike coming up here in Los Angeles, another strike for Ayasi coming up in June. And...

Lots of little things going on, working on lots of other projects, finishing off a couple of films. My partner and my business partner and I have a studio and we make movies for other companies as well as for our own production single. So busy, busy trying to finish off projects and finding new projects and living with somebody else's dream at the mall.

Right. Well, thank you, man. We greatly appreciate you sharing. And, you know, I mean, I know we can have the topical conversations about our dads, you know, passing away. But I know for me personally, when you talk about it and it brings back a lot of memories about that role of culture that I went through as well, man, of course, you know, in my mind, it's like I'm hugging you because, you we've been brothers, we've known each other for forever. 40 plus years now and.

I have a very similar experience, but your experience was very different because you are an adult. But you know, I was a child and so I got to give you a lot of love and a lot of respect for trying to maintain your composure because I know it's not easy, man. I really do. So thank you. I appreciate that. Thank you, brother. Appreciate it. You know this experience, like you go through this and you have this personal thing and um...

There's something this then you also realize everybody will experience this. Yeah, one at some point. Somehow it's been like if they're lucky because every father wants to die before their son. And sometimes they're not lucky enough to. So everybody throughout history has gone through this. And so it is it is a coming of age, I guess.

And maybe hundreds of years ago, this would happen when you're in your 20s with dad or your dad because we lived till 40, 50. My dad was deadly sick and I got to meet spirits and I love.

Life is a beautiful opportunity and it's without being religious in any way, it's a blessing, it's a rarity and I guess the job is not to take it for granted. Yeah, yeah, that's something that is a...

is an acceptance part of not taking it for granted. You know, we just go through every day, live every day, we see each other, we love each other, it's communication, it's we're busy, it's this and that. And at the end of the day, you know, we have this fulfillment of the whole day of experience and not taking that for granted is something that, you know, as we get older, it's like our time is getting shorter and things are more important. Time is more important. Relationships are more important.

To us so it's it just it becomes it becomes more resonating with what we're talking about. So Yeah, man, so thank you for expressing that because be being in the moment and experiencing life to its fullest is what is what it's all about. So With that being said I know that so, you know We have a lot of fans that are probably tearing up right now because they're probably experiencing a lot of the same thing I mean, you just like you said, you know death is

is part of life and I've experienced a lot of fans that have had family members that had shared this experience of a Christmas story, you know, those little epic moments that we have with people that we meet and we realize, wow, you know, this movie has changed their dynamic of their family unit, you know what I mean? So it's, it's a blessing. That they all could hang their relationship on. We've had these experience when there was like a grandfather,

I said, his son, his son and the great, great, great. And that work and that was really Cleveland. And the guy was like, where's the kids from the first school? Like, that's us. He's like, you're my age. And it was like that for four generations, they were all sharing this experience. I think that's maybe part of the magic is you. Maybe that's it. Maybe that's also the.

brilliance of Jean Shepard is that it wasn't just like the Marvel, you know, a Marvel movie, a Disney movie, the modern films is just about like, well, if you hope enough, you'll get enough toys and then everybody will be happy. And Jean Shepard was like, I don't know. It's like his writing came from the point of you're going to die and life changes and it ebbs and flows. And these moments are precious because you're going to die.

And it's like the writing came from a sweet sadness. The whole script, the whole story is like this reflection of his childhood, which only comes when you're old enough to miss your childhood, right? When you're in your teens and your twenties, you don't care. You assume you'll be youngish forever. So it's the movie has the attitude of someone who's lost their father or their mother. And.

speaks for a point of pain and luck. And the other type of love that you only get from having pain. And I think there's a beauty to that. The fact that we got to, that's why it works for little kids, parents, and grandparents like you. Yeah, so on another note, that tethering of what you talked about between the family unit, that's something that also,

literally ties us into that family unit, obviously, because we are the movie, you know what I mean? Yeah. Yeah. That's why we're the greatest. And that's why the Smithsonian has recognized us as legends. Like, literally, it's not just we're a legend of the movie, but we have the capacity to influence family unit. And that there's like that's that's a secret of president.

this year. I think we probably do pretty well. Do that. Do what? We should run for president this year. I think we do pretty well. Both of us together as one. I mean, we got a good chance. You're right. That'd be amazing. All right. Well, let's go ahead. And I've got some some questions from some fans that are dying to hear from you. And so these these.

These kids, these adults, of course, everybody has their unique way of asking questions. And I like to say that I had this conversation with Scotty the other day is that we've been repeating a lot of these answers for 20 years. And I actually talked to Ian about it as well. Ian was like, it's kind of like redundant. Like we have these same questions over and over. We know this, this is happening. But the honest truth.

is that we have only tapped into maybe a tenth of a percent of all the fans over 20 years of those who actually come to see us. If we know that there are 40 million fans out there, there's no way over the 20 years that we've seen 100 ,000 fans. Maybe close to it, maybe, you know what I mean? But there's such an untapped market of those that have never been able to know what that answer is, because I see it all over the place now.

So it, you know, for us, it becomes redundant, but still, you know, the uniqueness of being able to answer those questions for these people is an amazing thing for them. So I'm gonna dive into the first one. So this question is actually from Gettysburg Ma 'am, 8437. And she asked this on YouTube from our last episode. So a question for Zack. Was it difficult to keep producing the evil laugh over and over in every single scene?

No, it was easy. I was a kid. It was fun. And Bob Clark made it a pleasure. So.

honestly as

It was like playing with kids, you know, like play fighting with kids. So I felt like I was just having a good goofy time. No part of that ever felt like work to be honest.

Yeah, I resonate with that. It was it's that's kind of how it flowed was we were just retaking fun all day long. It's basically what was what was happening. It was cold, but it was fun. Oh, yeah, it was cold. That's for sure. All right. Sarah are from Columbus, Ohio. Zack, what was your favorite scene to film as Scott Farkus and why? Well, the fight sequence because I felt like I was a stuntman.

And back then Fall Guy was a big movie and the Bionic Band, a big TV series and the Bionic Band were huge. So Bay of Stuntman was the coolest thing. Those were our heroes back in the day. Evil, Evil, Evil was one of my big heroes. So during the fight scene, I felt pretty much even though I was the one getting beaten up, I thought it was, I thought it was cool. Yeah, that was my favorite. Yeah, I remember that scene from

when they dug the hole out to put the mattress in the ground for you. And then it was like, Bob was like, okay, well, what he's doing this, doing this, I want you to jump off that T model and come, you know, tap on him and be like, hey, hey, hey, and then turn around and hit Grover Dill. I was like, yes, I get to fling myself back on this little pad in the snow. It was like, it was super fun. So yeah, I remember those, I remember those days. And it was just like this big, thick gymnastics pad, right? So it bring back a lot of cool memories. It was like us playing John and Wham.

You know, completely amazing. Yes. All right. Next question from Michael T. He's from L .A. in California, obviously. So did you and Ralphie ever hang out offsets or was the on screen rivalry kept on set? The on screen rivalry was kept 90 percent of the time. And then there was remember we all went to a Niagara Falls. I did.

You and me and Peter, right? Yeah. And so we had our moms with us because we were little kids. And so Yato and his mom and Peter and his mom and me and my mom, we went to Niagara Falls. And it was frozen. And it was frozen. It was so cool. It looked like something from Disney. From Frozen. Yeah, it looked like Frozen. And I was in goals that were like, well, I can't even show you.

The icicles that were like three feet around and 20 feet high. Yes. It missed. It came off the falls, just coated everything in ice. And it was awesome. Oh, we hung out a very small belt, a very small belt, but 99 % of the time, Bob wanted us to stay separate from Peter to create that tension that Peter didn't get overly familiar with us. And I think it worked really well.

It actually did. I agree with that a lot. All right. Next question from Emily D. She's in Boston, Massachusetts. So how did you, Zack, prepare to play the role of a bully? Did you draw inspiration from anywhere specific? I haven't played the role of the bully. I got into eight different schools before junior high, so I have been bullied a lot. My mom was an actress. I traveled to different cities, different towns with her.

And I was always a new kid in different schools. New kid, named Zack. There were no other Zaks back then. Red hair. And then miniature cool name too. You're an eyesore. I was eating away like that. They're like, kill him. There's one of those Frankenstein movies where you have the villagers all gathered together with like pitchforks.

torches and be like, kill the beast. I got through that a lot of times. I got through that a lot of times watching other kids assert their position of dominance and get familiar with what that was like. And I know that sounds trite, but the repeated exposure to the process.

gave me an experience that was different than most kids, because most kids went to a high school and they grew up with the same bunch of kids, with grade one through whatever, and then they transitioned to junior high and then high. But I literally, there was seven schools by the time, I was in grade eight, and I had done seven schools by the time. Yeah, so I had been,

The new kid at seven different schools, dude, as a little boy with no dad and in Florida, I didn't play hockey. So all these things that make you stand out and standing out and being different is not what you want to do in the seventies. It was not, you want to be named Paul and you wanted to have brown hair and you wanted to be your dad and mom to show up and they did a hockey practice. Did you want it? So.

the opportunity of being that person over and over again, it allowed me to see the process and kind of be familiar with it. So this makes sense. When someone makes fun of you when you're a kid and you, I, anybody will remember this, you walk home and someone's like, they go, whatever, Carrot Top, call me Carrot Top. And I'd be upset. I'd be walking home after school like, you know.

You're a Carrot Top. I'd be, you know, that father where you're sulking yourself and you're upset. Someone calls you a Carrot Top like three or four times. You actually work through the problem and come up with a rebuttal. And I remember one of my first jokes I ever made was like grade two, because that was like my third school by grade seven. Yeah. So when someone called me a Carrot Top, I'm like,

Carrots, tops of green or culture mom afford vegetables. Oh, snap, right? Right. That's a good company. I that's what I tried to practice that. And because I was exposed to it over and over again, I think I was conditioned to see it as opposed to just react. So when I got to be the bully, I had a lot of bullies to draw upon.

as reference and I could remember the way that they treated me and it was actually for me it was a form of revenge. Yeah. Because I get to mock and belittle them to a certain degree because I always thought I always found the bullies most of the time were weak. They were straw dogs or not. They were paper tigers. They didn't have they didn't have the gumption to back it up. They had fake mouths when push came to shove.

They fold it. Now there were some guys who were straight up terrifying, but they couldn't. Most of them, I'd say about 80 % were just big mouth jackasses. So making fun of them made me feel really good. And apparently I was a vindictive little kid. So there's a long winded answer. So it was, it was drawing on life's experiences that brought forth Scott Farkus of what he is today. All right. Awesome.

Alright, next one is from the classic film kid from Instagram and he asks or she asks, doesn't know if it's a female or a male. Zack, has playing Scott Farkus affected the roles you choose now as an actor?

It hasn't affected the roles I choose. It's affected the roles I get offered because people see me as somebody who can play that very, very well. As I've known before, they automatically sort of gravitate to the idea that I'm an asshole. Or a lovable jerk type of character. I've got sort of a brusque, sarcastic, sardonic demeanor.

I think it's given me, people see me in that light first before they see me in others. So it's been an opportunity and it's been a challenge. All right, next one from Marcus W from Atlanta, Georgia. Wants to know, was there any improvised moments from you in the movie that made the final cut? Eating the crap out of you. Yeah, that was improvised.

Yeah, it was just it was just go go and go and keep going. Why? And keep going. No, no, don't cut. Don't just keep going. And you nail on the arm. Oh, and the other one, honestly, I remember when I was cranking R .D. because R .D., you can watch it in the pastoral. Oh, yeah, that's right. I remember. Well, I don't go.

And he did it like such a little wuss. And so I just like cranked his arm up and he went, that's me. Improvising. That's all money improvisation. People see me as such a jerk. I mean, it's all perception.

All right, next question from Jennifer S. from Austin, Texas is curious, looking back, what advice would you give to your younger self about acting and life in general? Um, actually, wow, God, that's a long conversation. Right. Don't drink alcohol.

Don't fall in love with the taste of alcohol. Leave that alone. Focus on your mental well -being and building yourself up as best you can. Invest in yourself with everything you do so that you can be more for others and then you can have the right type of energy gravitate to yourself. Because when you're a young man and you're desperate for approval,

as an actor than what you attract is people who want to take advantage of desperate people. So when you're desperate for attention, they feel it. They come and come it.

of McCall and they take advantage of you when they can. That said, as an actor, writing is fantastic. Madly love writing. The opportunity to create worlds. I wish I started writing when I did start writing when I was a kid, but I never transitioned it into script writing until much later in my life. Not until 2004 that I started writing scripts. Got 20 years ago.

So yeah, I started writing when I was in Jewish school. I fell in love with books. I fell in love with writing and I was really good at it, but I didn't transition into script writing. Invest in either the stock market or in housing. That would be the other thing. So that you can create a paddock for yourself to have options. And I think that's with any artistic opportunity.

and live way below your means. If you make $100 ,000, you tell everybody you made $10 ,000. You make sure that that money goes towards investing in opportunities that bring you money and create the padding of life that we all know is the most precious options. What are you doing today? Nothing. I don't have to. That is priceless. I would rather hang out with my wife and sit on the back deck.

with a cup of coffee and my cat in the sunshine, then be running around chasing a dollar. And I've been able to create certain opportunities in my life because of really hard work. And there's a saying, you have either the regret of discipline, no, there's the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. So for example, our boy here, Yad, who is stacked.

like a great crap house, right? Let's use working out. You can either go to the gym, get a little education, do it for 45 minutes a day, about a ton. You'll need two hours, don't need three. But the tone of going every single day or every other day for your entire life. Oh. And then, or you could have the pain of regretting that you didn't when you're in your 50s or your 40s and you're fat.

and your back is messed up and you can't play with your kids. When you lift up one of your kids, your back goes out. So you have either the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. And honestly, I don't even think it's polling because the experience you have by making yourself do something that you're intimidated by is what makes you fall in love with life and figure out who you are as a person. So that's the long -winded advice I would give to myself as a kid.

It's a great answer. Yeah, Jennifer, that was that was an amazing question because that brought out a lot of really, really good information. So next question is from Kevin L. from Chicago, Illinois. He seeks some insight. So, Zack, how did fans react to you in real life after seeing you with Scott Farkus? Any interesting encounters? It's your memory.

When the original film came out, no, not so much. I wasn't invited to the premiere in the United States. I was in Toronto. It did not have a big impact in the United States as far as I'm aware, but definitely not in Canada. Nobody cared. Nobody really cared. And slowly over time, they took notice of the film because of the quality of the movie.

Um, in a weird way, it was such a gift that nobody cared because this was the eighties. That was a time of like, um, uh, it was Gary Coleman's show. Uh, what you talking about? Well, this, it was a time of child stars blowing up, being crazy, do lots of cocaine.

ending up in the ghetto or having horrible experiences in Hollywood. And I didn't have any of that. I had a very regular life growing up. And in the sense that my mom's an actress, but she was looking for work, wasn't famous, wasn't rich. Chris's story only started to affect my life in later years, like five years later.

People like, hey, I've seen that movie. I like that thing. And that's what has really had its impact. It was about the 20th anniversary is what it really dominated and took position as. This is a great movie, Piece of Americana, Smithsonian Institute, National Treasurer's Epiphany. But the sidebar, and I don't know if you've ever had the shout out, is people recognize me.

He saw her, they were nowhere to be found. So they'd see me and be like, hey, how do I know you? I'm like, you never met, like, yeah, you dated my sister. I'm like, I, that's what I know. They would literally start fights with me. So I got into this fight and stuff. It was strange. Because they, but the thing that exacerbated the whole issue was that because of Scott Farkus, like I said, people saw me.

as the as the roguish bad guy as the jackass. So I took a lot of TV shows as a guest star where I was the dick. So people would see me in person be like, you're a dick. But none of them. I just played one on TV. So, yeah, yeah, it got my ass kicked more than once. Yeah. All right. Retro movie geek on Twitter. So.

What's one thing you took away from working on A Christmas Story that has stayed with you through your career? Bob Clark's directing style. Patience, listening, being present. Back when I was a kid, I did commercials. I did other TV shows after Christmas Story. And directors or me, they were scary guys. They were screaming. They were yelling. Even though you're a young guy.

guy they're like what the fuck around would you get get it over there they were like these two parents over to yeah right there was a lot of like it was cool for them to be psychotic assholes and Bob Clark was the opposite dude he was such a crying like he's the guy who already's given big hot to but he wasn't he wasn't jacking around he was serious

But he was, it's like the way an uncle talks to their son, or the way an uncle talks to a nephew when the kids screw it up. He's like, hey, come on. Now you can do this. Let's focus up, all right? No, no, let's go again. Good? Okay, let's go again. And he had a sense of calm in the center of the storm. And that was, that really, for me as a young boy who didn't have a dad in the house.

It really was not just a father figure, but because I wasn't with him long enough, but like it was an example of how masculinity and how being a man can be gentle, but strong and a leader in such a way that inspires everybody, it's supposed to yelling at everybody. And it really was, it had a big effect on my life.

Yeah, I can resonate with that as well. I remember Bob Clark being that person that was like super excited every day. Like it was, it was magical for him to direct. And that's what I remember about his energy. And he was just so into every single character. It was like, he already had this vision. It was just guiding us, all of us to fulfill that vision he already had. I remember that energy. It was, it was really fun to work with. I do remember that.

Alright, so Sophia P. from San Francisco, California asks, do you have any cherished memories from the rest? I'm sorry, from the set of A Christmas Story that you haven't shared publicly before? Any cherished memories?

that I've never shared before. I don't think so. I'll tell you any ones that I haven't shared before.

Meeting Yano. I think you and I met in the wardrobe room. We did. On our gear. I'll say that. The actors. You know. Edit. Do you ever see those videos on YouTube where it's like kids meet up for like a play date and they're like toddlers or they're four and they walk in like.

That is exactly how we were. We were like, hello, new friend. It was, it was, I remember that feeling where walking in the wardrobe and there's Zack Ward, cause I see his name on paper. I didn't know who this, this guy was, right? And so I see his name on paper. I know he's playing like literally my partner in the movie. So it was almost like, I knew your character. I just didn't know who you were as, as Glover Dill since our, our.

or, you know, things were switched up at that time. But I should say your lines, you were still Scott Farkus, but our lines were switched. Right. So when we finally met, it was like, that's who my that's who my partner in crime is in this movie. It was like, I felt I felt almost like I felt like I had you as my support. Like, literally, I felt like it was like we finally became that team. And that's how I. It's also here when we both looked at each other, we were like, is that makes sense?

Right? We were like, oh, that's cool. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. Other actors, even though you're like 13 years old, you've been around other actors that they were, you could tell they're dicks. You could tell. Yeah. Yeah. But we were like, hey, that was fun. That was fun. Yeah, it was cool. That was awesome. All right. So.

That's all the questions we have from the fans currently. If you fans would love to ask more questions, please post them down below. Make sure that you hit that notification or subscribe, hit that notification notifications bell so that you always will continue to get notifications from us when we post a new podcast or everything else that we're actually doing. So we'd like to jump into a fun little game that we've created. It's actually called True Refocus.

And so this is something that was created. I think this is kind of a fun little thing to do. I know, right? But I think that the fans will have a giggle and we might have a giggle as well. So, so basically I'll ask a question and all you get to do is just answer true or Farkus. And if you want to expand on that, you can't, it's up to you. So first question is you've directed a feature film about the untold story of a superhero whose only power is unclogging sinks, true or Farkus?

True, that is true. I'm very proud of this. It's the Roto -Rooter -Man story, a historical perspective, and using the classical structure of, it's like Mario Brothers meets Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, so one brother falls into the radioactive blues.

and is able to transform his body into a highly acidic state and then go through tubes, come up the other side, covered in sepal matter. It makes it difficult for him to get a lot of good press coverage, but that's the concept. Yeah, I'm not doing that. So, please. Right on. All right, next question. In your spare time.

You're an avid photographer, mainly capturing squirrels in dramatic poses. True or Farkus? True. I think you have some footage of that.

and how is that working out for you? It's a dangerous hobby, I admit, but it's incredibly satisfying, especially if you play the Avengers theme music. Every time they hit the ground with that one little arm up and that serious look at their face. It's exciting. It's exciting. It's a serious skill.

be able to capture that. So kudos to you. You've got to be able to read your model. You have to able to read the squirrel.

All right, next question. Zack, before your big break, you seriously considered a career as a professional leg lamp polisher. True or farcus? That would be farcus. That would be farcus. Your hidden talent is being able to recite a Christmas story backwards in Pig Latin. True or farcus? Farcus, my friend.

You've written a screenplay about a world where Christmas sweaters are the ultimate currency. True or Farkus? Farkus, but it's not a bad idea. There could be something in there. Something there. You're deeply involved in charity work, especially in the training of reindeer for inner city sleigh rides. True or Farkus?

Um, you can't do it on the inner city because all that reindeer crap, uh, all over the, it would be really a problem unless you were using it to stop the crack dealers. Oh man. All right, Zack, you're gearing up to star in a Broadway show titled the Ballad of Scott Farkus, a bully's tale. Sure. Farkus.

I would love to eat you like that. That would actually, if only I could sing. Well, I mean, we can train you how to sing the best that you can. It might not be the greatest, but. I just feel so it ends in my life that are. Oh, my God. All right. So your pet and named after a character from a Christmas story is actually a goldfish with a.

with a penchant for BB guns, true or fargus?

How would a fish be able to relate to a BB gun? Let alone fold a BB gun. No, it's a spear gun. That's the dis -re -dict -less.

All right, Zack, you've kept in touch with your cast members by starting a secret society dedicated to the appreciation of pink bunny suits. True or Farkus? Nobody likes those things. They're horrible. They're never to you. I always cry inside and then I see folk where you. Have you ever done the research on where that actually that concept came from? No.

You got something for me? Well, since we were kind of doing a lot of in -depth research about area, like little nip and crannies of things that, you know, we don't necessarily know about the movie, but that pink bunny suit was actually designed by the marketing director's girlfriend from Playboy.

And so she designed it with bunny ears as a full body suit and they wanted it pink. She's the, she did the first sewing on that. For the one in the movie. For the one in the movie. Yes. Yeah. Wait, hold on. So the woman who designed it worked for Playboy. No, she didn't. So she was the, the girlfriend of the marketing director that worked for Playboy who got hired.

And that's where the idea for the the for the bunny ears came from. Oh, OK. OK. OK. Well, do we know what it was going to be a region one? That no, didn't disclose that information. It was just very kind of brief that she was the one that came up the original concept after they wanted something to be sewn up. And so she just mimicked the bunny ears from Playboy. And you're saying things.

There's a lot and that that's tied into you know, the first article about Grover Dill in Playboy that's the Gene Shepard did you know what I mean? So that was which one I know that I know Scott Farkus and the murderous Mariah is 1967. They have stopped that Playboy. I think it was a 1968 edition or 69 edition about yeah about Grover Dill.

All right, cool, man. Well, that's it for today's episode. Zack, you got anything that you would love to say to our entire fan base? Thank you for being part of our lives. Thank you for your kindness. Love one another. Life is short. Enjoy it. Be kind. Be joyous.

Awesome. Well, thank you, brother. Appreciate you, man. It was it was fun hanging out and talking and laughing and talking since we don't really get to do this very often, even though we do talk a lot. That's the best in the morning. Drag of the ass in the morning. Yes. So now, you know, since you are on the West Coast, you get to fill the rest of your day and enjoy and have fun and do whatever other work that you got to get done. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Yes.

We're trying to weasel in that I should be thanking you. Yes. Why does it feel like I love you, man?

As we draw this episode into a close, let's remember that the heart of a Christmas story meets strongest in the shared joy and connections it fosters. The 40th anniversary of Ben & Ammon was a big reminder of the film's enduring legacy, a beacon for fans across generations. Thank you for joining us on Talking A Christmas Story with the cast. I'm Yael and I, wishing you the warmth of a Christmas morning with every listen. Don't forget to subscribe and share your thoughts on today's journey. Merry listening.

And until next time, may your days be merry, bright, and filled with the spirit of a Christmas story. Oh, and remember, this year is still the 40th anniversary, and we the cast have a lot more to come. We're keeping the celebration going all year long for November 18th, which is our new holiday that we celebrate in Ohio called Christmas Story Family Day. And we've got a new one on December 16th in Hammond, Indiana called the Christmas Story Family Day, as with Ruffalo.

So remember to hit the bell notifications and subscribe so that you'll never miss out on upcoming episodes and incredible news. Love you guys and see you next time.

Oh my god, I shot my eye out! You'll shoot your eye out, kid.