Photo Courtesy of Gary Stein
Gary Stein, left, interviews Ringo Starr in Los Angeles.
SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — South Orange resident Gary Stein may be best known around South Orange and Maplewood as a Realtor, but upon meeting him it is easy to understand how he has spent nearly his whole life as an entertainer.
Within minutes of sitting down at Maplewood’s Village Coffee, the loquacious former actor, comedian, writer and television producer had proudly demonstrated that he could write forward and backward with both hands at the same time; told a story from his past involving Sylvester Stallone and child-shoving bodyguards; and recalled his recent interview with good friend Ringo Starr for his podcast, which he hosts alongside former “Good Morning America” weatherman Tony Perkins.
Then there is his sense of humor. Throughout the conversation, Stein, with an ever-present twinkle in his eye, effortlessly quipped about everyone and everything — especially himself.
“I was on every episodic in the ’80s that no one remembers, without ever making a living,” Stein told the News-Record, reflecting on his time as a journeyman film and TV actor.
“I am the only Jew in America who couldn’t rub two nickels together and make a dime,” Stein said. “There is a picture of me in the Jewish Guinness Book of World Records going ‘I don’t know. I tried. I couldn’t do it.’”
Stein might not have made a fortune in the industry, but he certainly prospered in other ways. During his prolific career, experiencing nearly every facet of show business, Stein has amassed a barrelful of memories and a Rolodex of celebrity pals ranging from “Dancing with the Stars” emcee Tom Bergeron to legendary boxer Micky Ward to his “godfather” Danny Aiello, all of whom have appeared on his and Perkins’ podcast.
And now it is all culminating in yet another chapter in Stein’s career as an entertainer. Based on the success of “The Tony Perkins Show featuring Gary Stein,” the duo will soon be getting their own weekly television talk show on FOX’s Washington D.C. affiliate, with the potential of being nationally syndicated. Fittingly titled “Off the Cuff,” the series will use the same format that has made their podcast so popular — totally improvised conversation, jokes and interviews with an eclectic mix of stars whom Stein has gotten to know through the years.
“Off the Cuff” is a dream come true for Stein, who retired from television production disgusted with the industry after having a “diabolical” experience working on “The Dr. Oz Show.” Though he is proud of his accomplishments as a Realtor and even plans to continue in real estate while doing the talk show and podcast, he said entertainment has always been his true passion, which is why he has had fun during the past several months working on both projects.
“I am having the greatest time that I ever had in my life,” Stein said before pulling out his SAG-AFTRA card, which marks him as a member of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. “For the first time in something like 30 years, I renewed my SAG-AFTRA card. I blew the dust off of it, and I cannot believe that I have one again and that I am actually a paid-up SAG-AFTRA member getting ready to do my talk show on FOX 5 in Washington.”
But Stein readily acknowledges that his return to show business would not have been possible without Perkins, whom he described as one his best friends. It was Perkins who, upon being approached to do a podcast, insisted that Stein be his co-host; the two had grown close when they worked together on “GMA.” In fact, the two even hosted a talk show years ago for the fledgling ABC News Now channel, though Stein admitted it did not really take off due to the limited availability of the network.
“People loved our show, though there were three people who got it,” Stein said. “ABC News Now was like two Dixie cups and a string, so no one really got it. But we were famous in the building.”
Most importantly Stein and Perkins found that they loved working together, which Stein said remains the case today. He explained that they have established a camaraderie that shines through whenever they do a podcast. Their friendship was honed through years of busting each other’s chops while braving the worst of Mother Nature to provide weather coverage for “GMA,” they even suffered detached corneas together in the midst of hurricane-force winds; this bond is exactly why their show has proved a success, Stein said.
“You have to have a relationship to be as relentless as we are with each other, saying the most inappropriate things you could possibly say, that breaks through all barriers,” Stein said. “It is only based on friendship and history.”
Of course, none of Stein’s show business achievements could have happened without his willingness to try anything. He said that throughout his career he has never turned down an opportunity that appealed to him, even if he had no idea what he was doing. Actually, he said everything he ever tried, from his first job as a Broadway stage manager through his current position as a podcast host, involved learning through experience. But with determination and a lot of luck, he said he has always been able to follow through, and was even told that he sounded like he’d been doing radio his whole life just after his very first podcast.
Yet Stein’s road to success has not always been easy. As a boy he struggled with ADD before anyone knew what that was, which he said caused others to view him as stupid and lazy. He experienced self-doubt, saying he often felt like an alien from another planet who did not fit in.
His solution: turning a negative into a positive. Stein explained that his difficulty concentrating actually forces him to hyper-focus, which earned him the reputation as being a stickler for details when he was producing television. And his sense of humor, which he said he has had from a young age, always defied those who thought of him as dumb.
“If anybody wanted to engage in any kind of a verbal shooting match, it was very confusing for them because they would wind up crying,” Stein said. “I had the ability to vivisect them verbally, but they thought they could get the best of me. I don’t think anybody ever got the best of me. I don’t allow it. And it is one of the things that proved to me you can’t be stupid and have a sharp sense of humor.”
Being funny has also guided Stein through his entire career. After all, it was his humor that led him to transition from an actor-comedian to a writer when he and his comedy partner were asked to rewrite a pilot they were starring in with Joe Piscopo.
And it was his humor that drove Stein to become a full-time writer, and later a producer after that pilot became his umpteenth show not to get picked up. His ability to make people laugh has even helped him as a Realtor, he said, because it helps get homebuyers to trust him as they make one of the most important decisions of their lives.
Today, it is Stein’s sense of humor that helped his podcast take off, and he now hopes it will do the same for his talk show. Though it has not yet aired in D.C., he said the San Francisco FOX station has already ordered “Off the Cuff,” and FOX recently registered the title.
How far the show goes is anyone’s guess, but there is one thing Stein knows for sure. He is signing up for an adventure and hoping for the best, just as he has done during his entire career as an entertainer.
“I am the most optimistic person I know who also has a lot of anxiety,” Stein said.
To listen to Stein’s podcast, “The Tony Perkins Show Featuring Gary Stein,” visit http://mikeomearashow.com/category/tonyperkinsshow/.