AJ Buckley Show

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Zachary Bell Veteran with a Sign: The Call That Changed Everything & Breaking the Cycle of Poverty Oct 13, 2026

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What happens when a kid from Memphis who grew up in the cycle of poverty gets deplowed by the Marines two days after his first daughter is born, deploys to Afghanistan without calling home for 90 days, loses his first friend to suicide in 2011, and turns a piece of cardboard into one of the most powerful veteran advocacy platforms in the world? This week on The AJ Buckley Show, AJ sits down with Zachary Bell, the creator of Veteran with a Sign, whose journey from combat Marine to viral content creator is packed with raw emotion, brutal honesty, and the kind of wisdom that only comes from breaking generational curses and refusing to let another veteran die alone.
Then comes the story that will break you. Zach opens up about getting out in 2011, working night shift at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital while going to school during the day, sleeping in his car, and getting the call that his first friend had taken his life. He talks about going back through old text messages, realizing they were both struggling but too scared to have a real conversation, and the moment he decided this shit stops with me. Zach reflects on the three years he spent stacking little wins, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, magnets on his head, men's groups, whatever he could find to help himself and his friends, and why he open sourced everything so no one would have to figure it out alone.
Zach also shares the origin story of Veteran with a Sign, the moment during COVID when he thought what if I was a veteran holding up a piece of cardboard, the first 90 days of brutal comments about his tattoos and why he wears the same thing every day, and the Captain Crozier post that changed everything. He talks about walking off his ship to a standing ovation after getting relieved of command for trying to help his sick sailors, the moment Zach's post went viral with 10,000 followers in a week, and why he realized the creative had finally found him again. Zach opens up about meeting the Unsub guys, Fat Electrician, Brandon Herrera, and finding his creative community, the podcast journey from After Action to Underwhelming, and why doing it alone is impossible.

00:00 Intro
00:55 Meeting Veteran with a Sign: From Trailer Parks to Movie Premieres
04:28 The Fat Electrician, Unsub & Finding Your Creative Community
05:54 The Podcast Journey: After Action to Underwhelming
09:39 Jimmy Grimes: The Coolest Thing I've Done & The Power of Community
14:28 Veteran with a Sign Origin: Captain Crozier & The Post That Changed Everything
19:16 September 11th & Enlisting: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty
22:07 The Cycle of Poverty: No One Gives a Shit About Poor White People
30:03 Boot Camp: The Double Rations Kid Who Gained 30 Pounds
35:37 First Deployment: Two Days After Daughter's Birth to Afghanistan
45:23 The French Reporter Story: Finding Out Your Daughter Was Born
50:46 Fatherhood: Dad Stuff & Being Present for Every Moment
56:25 Getting Out in 2011: When Your First Friend Takes His Life
1:11:35 Depression, Faith & Finding God Again After 12 Years
1:14:32 Community Over Everything: Why You Can't Do This Alone
1:15:46 Brandon Herrera: The Man Running for Governor & Why He's Different
1:17:47 North Star: My Wife Saw Something in Me I Didn't Know Existed
1:21:44 Legacy: It Stopped With Me & Shoot for the Moon
1:23:40 Final Words: Just Do It & Stop Chasing the School of Fish

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Travis Wester: The Ghost Facers Origin Story & Why They Were Supernatural's Longest Characters Oct 11, 2026

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What happens when two actors who created one of the most beloved comedy duos in television history reunite to pull back the curtain on Ghost Facers, the show that almost was, and the friendship that changed everything? This week on The AJ Buckley Show, AJ sits down with Travis Wester, the actor who played Ed Zedmore on Supernatural and became AJ's comedic soulmate in what they call space docking, a chemistry so rare it only happens once in a lifetime.
Travis opens up about meeting AJ at the Warner Brothers audition for Supernatural, rubbing his sides on the desk to get the nerves out, and the slow motion moment they locked eyes in the wardrobe trailer in Vancouver like the chariots of fire were playing. He shares the story of shooting their first scene together in knee deep mud with goggles on, the English director asking if they knew each other, and the instant realization that they had synced up like a double dock. Travis reflects on the rare gift of being granted authorship as guest stars, the freedom to improvise and riff, and why Phil Sgriccia was the champion who allowed them to play.
AJ and Travis dive deep into the birth of Ghost Facers, the moment Travis got on the plane with Brittany Ishibashi and realized he hadn't read the script, the panic of turning every page and seeing his character on every single one, and the improv session with Austin Basis and Dustin Milligan where they answered Phil's questions and built out who these characters were. Travis talks about the magic of shooting eight or nine pages in one take with 15 cameras rolling, Phil planting surprises like rats and spider webs, and the day they finished shooting by lunch because the comedy was flowing so fast the crew went outside to play hockey.
Then comes the story of the meeting at Warner Brothers where they thought they were getting a cease and desist order, walking into the conference room with Eric Kripke and six or seven executives, and being told we're thinking about building a show around you guys. Travis shares the surreal moment of crashing the Supernatural panel at Comic Con, the GMA ghost martial arts bit they came up with at Phil's house, and the Misha Collins video they shot with the whole squad at McG's office. He also opens up about the UK Facers trip to York, running around with no permits at three in the morning, and the moment he slipped on wet stone steps and went nipple deep into the river called the ooze while everyone stayed in character.
AJ and Travis also open up about the final Ghost Facers episode, the director who told AJ his Hebrew tattoo about laying his father to rest on the rock of Calvary was wrong right after AJ's dad had just died, the combativeness that erupted on set, and the apology Travis had to give to the entire crew for a joke he made during rehearsal. They reflect on the heartbreak of how it ended, the new showrunner who didn't understand their characters, and why they were never invited back for the Supernatural finale. AJ gets emotional talking about wishing he could go back in a time machine and change that one experience, the gratitude for the fans who kept Ghost Facers alive, and why Ed Zedmore is one of his two favorite characters he's ever played.
This conversation is raw, hilarious, nostalgic, and packed with wisdom about chemistry, comedy, friendship, loss, and what it means to create something magical with your best friend. If you grew up watching Ghost Facers, if you're an actor searching for your comedic partner, or if you just want to hear two brothers talk about the best years of their lives, this episode will make you laugh, cry, and believe in space docking.
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Dee Jay Silver: The 11 Minutes That Changed Everything & His Son's Room Next to the Vegas Shooter Oct 06, 2026

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What happens when a DJ finishes one of the best sets of his life in Las Vegas and 11 minutes later finds himself in the middle of the most tragic mass shooting in American history with his one year old son in a hotel room next to the active shooter? This week on The AJ Buckley Show, AJ sits down with Dee Jay Silver (John Perdue), the DJ who played Route 91 Harvest Festival the night everything changed, whose story of survival, faith, and fatherhood will leave you shaken to your core.
This story that will break you. John walks AJ through Route 91 Harvest Festival, the perfect weekend in Vegas, his wife Jenna and one year old son Wake coming to town, and the moment he walked off stage after playing one of the best sets of his life. He shares the relief of sitting down, the sound he thought was fireworks, and the 11 minutes that changed everything when the shooting started. John opens up about grabbing Jenna and Brittany Aldean and running, hiding under the bus that got shot 15 times, and the text message that said shooter 32nd floor, the same floor where his son Wake was sleeping in a room connected to the active shooter.
John takes AJ through the chaos, the screaming, the helicopters and the ricochets off the ground. He shares the moment he told his wife the safest place was the hotel when he knew his son was five feet from the first window that was busted open, the evacuation of Mandalay Bay, and the terror of tearing through buses looking for his kid. John also opens up about the nanny who kept checking on Wake, the door that was left ajar, and the security guard who got shot responding to that door alarm and was dragged into her room.
John also shares the four days of questioning, the Homeland Security interrogation, the pictures of him walking down the hall with the shooter, holding the elevator door, at the House of Blues, at Katsuya, and the realization that the shooter had followed him for three days. He talks about the notepad by the bed with his entire family's names and his schedule, the tick from Benghazi who told him he'd drop to the ground for the rest of his life, and the breakfast in Montana where he finally met Officer William Matchick, the man who saved his son.

00:00 Intro: The 11 Minutes That Changed Everything
01:35 Meeting DJ Silver: Nashville Life & The Bass Pro Connection
08:44 Growing Up in Church: Preachers, Pews & Star Wars Toys
10:07 The Man Who Raised Four Kids That Weren't His
12:27 Music, Barry Manilow & The Guitar That Connects Generations
13:09 Watching Your Heroes Decline: Parents & Health Struggles
15:20 Fatherhood: Secret Handshakes, Daddy Wakey Days & Being Present
32:41 Route 91 Festival: The Perfect Weekend Before Tragedy
36:22 The Shooting Starts: Fireworks or Gunfire?
37:30 My Son Is Next to the Shooter: The Text That Changed Everything
38:25 Chaos & Carnage: Hiding Under Buses & The Lady with Her Head Shot Off
39:55 Tearing Through Evacuation Buses: Every Parent's Worst Nightmare
45:04 The Door Alarm: How Wake Saved Thousands of Lives
46:29 The Interrogation: Pictures with the Shooter for Three Days
1:00:47 Meeting Officer William Matchick: The Man Who Saved Wake
1:06:40 Gratitude, Grace & Good Humans: Wake Up and Live

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Ryan Bader: I Knocked Out Fedor in 35 Seconds, The Wrestling Mindset & Brutal Weight Cuts Oct 04, 2026

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What happens when a two-division MMA champion who played Mark Coleman in The Smashing Machine sits down to talk about wrestling mindset, brutal weight cuts, and fighting Fedor twice? This week on The AJ Buckley Show, AJ sits down with Ryan "Darth" Bader, the former Bellator Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight Champion whose journey from small-town Idaho to fighting legends in Japan is packed with wisdom about discipline, competition, and what it means to push through pain when everything is on the line.
Ryan opens up about growing up in St. Mary's, Idaho, moving to Reno at a young age, and working construction with his dad and grandpa every summer starting at seven years old. He shares the story of his father's go go go mentality, never sitting still, always building something or hunting or fishing, and how that work ethic shaped everything he became. Ryan talks about falling into wrestling at seven years old, the love hate relationship with the sport, and why he loved that there was nobody to blame but yourself when you lost.
AJ and Ryan dive deep into the wrestling mindset, the mental fortitude it takes to cut weight every single week in high school and college, and why that generation of wrestlers like Chad Mendes and Cain Velasquez came into MMA with a different type of grit. Ryan reflects on his time at Arizona State University, training alongside Cain Velasquez who was the heavyweight on the team, and watching four guys from that one squad end up in the UFC. He talks about Cain's unbelievable gas tank, the pressure he brought in every fight, and the heartbreaking story of what happened with his son and why Cain is still in prison fighting for parole.
Ryan walks AJ through the moment after college when he realized he still needed competition, working a desk job for four months and knowing he couldn't do it, and the decision to start training MMA. He shares the story of his first fight on the res with Tommy Morrison as the main event, throwing punches and manhandling a guy at 185 pounds, and walking out thinking he was the greatest fighter in the world. Ryan also opens up about fighting in a bullfighting ring in Mexico, getting on The Ultimate Fighter with a video submission, and the moment CB Dalloway put in a good word that changed his life.
Then comes the Fedor story. Ryan walks AJ through the pressure of fighting Fedor in the finals of the heavyweight Grand Prix, sitting in the cage for 10 minutes during the Russian and American national anthems, and the internal monologue he had to fight to not put the pussy on a pedestal. He talks about studying Fedor's fights, finding the line where Fedor would blitz with four punches, and the 34 second knockout that made him a two-division champion. Ryan also shares the pressure of fighting Fedor a second time when it was Fedor's retirement fight, the matchmaker joking that he better not lose, and why that fight had more pressure than the first one.

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Pixie Paula: The Striped Pig Story & Disrupting a Multi-Trillion Dollar Industry | AJ Buckley Show Sep 29, 2026

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What happens when a woman who once put ice in her red wine takes over a distillery at 58, wins Distillery of the Year, and disrupts a multi-trillion dollar industry? This week on The AJ Buckley Show, AJ sits down with Pixie Paula, the force behind Striped Pig Distillery, whose story reads like something out of a movie, except every single word of it is true. This conversation is raw, hilarious, and packed with wisdom about entrepreneurship, faith, manifestation, and what it means to turn water into wine in more ways than one.
Pixie opens up about growing up with a father who lived under floorboards to survive, lied about his age to join the army just to have a bed, and gave her the greatest gift of all by never saying can't. She shares the story of sweeping hair at a salon for a nickel an hour, watching Avon ladies sell lipstick and make bank, and realizing at a young age that she wanted to be an entrepreneur, not someone doing manual labor for pennies. Pixie reflects on her mother being the first in her family to complete college, working as an old school telephone operator, and instilling in her the belief that she could reach for the stars no matter what.
AJ and Pixie dive deep into the moment she walked into American Express pregnant, took the Series Seven exam while about to deliver baby number five, and peed in the chair because she refused to forfeit the test. She talks about becoming the first sexual harassment case for American Express, fighting for equal pay for equal work, and why she didn't even want the money but realized how important it was to be the example. Pixie also shares the story of redesigning American Express in 1994, getting the call from the CEO who said she didn't qualify for the job but loved her attitude, and becoming a top-rated trainer who changed lives across the country.
Then comes the story of the dream that changed everything. Pixie walks AJ through the New Year's Eve dream where the entire sip and share model was revealed to her, the moment she realized she could leverage the bar that nobody was using at black tie fundraisers, and why turning water into wine was the first recorded miracle of Jesus for a reason. She talks about taking over Striped Pig Distillery when it was nearly insolvent, seeing bourbon as an asset class appreciating at 400% a year, and why the angel share, perfection under pressure, and aging bourbon taught her more about God than she ever learned in church.
Pixie also opens up about her divorce, losing everything, taking a loan against her bourbon to survive, and the glorious moment she paid off the note the day before it was due and got her bourbon back. She shares the historic tale of the Striped Pig from 1838, the first viral drinking game, the first meme, and the first speakeasy before Prohibition, and why that story became the foundation of her brand.
00:00 Intro: The Striped Pig Story & Distillery of the Year
02:07 Childhood & The Power of Not Saying Can't
02:12 The Avon Lightbulb: First Lesson in Entrepreneurship
06:00 The Floorboards: A Father's Survival Story
13:31 Nine Lives & Medical Anomalies
16:50 Breaking Barriers: The American Express Story
19:45 Peeing in That Chair: The Series Seven Exam
24:08 Equal Pay for Equal Work: The First Case
26:51 Magic Powers & Tuned Into the Universe
30:52 Who Are You? The Forum & Finding Possibility
36:22 The Dream That Changed Everything
42:48 Turning Water Into Wine: The First Miracle
51:05 Sip and Share: Disrupting a Multi-Trillion Dollar Industry
53:12 The Bar Nobody's Leveraging
1:03:46 The Striped Pig Legend: 1838 Going Viral
1:05:02 Divorce Bourbon & Getting It Back
1:14:33 369: The Numbers & Master Path
1:28:58 Forrest Gump & Learning About Love
1:39:31 I Need the Key to Unlock My Feet
1:48:13 Get Me Out of My Own Way
1:54:30 Frequency Is What You Frequently See
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Doug Ellin: Entourage, The Pitch That Changed Everything & Why He Left LA | AJ Buckley Show Sep 27, 2026

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What happens when the creator of one of the most iconic television shows of all time sits down to talk about bagels, pickleball, fires, fatherhood, and the pitch that changed everything? This week on The AJ Buckley Show, AJ sits down with Doug Ellin, the writer, director, and showrunner who created Entourage, the HBO series that defined a generation and changed television forever. This conversation is raw, hilarious, and packed with behind the scenes stories about Mark Wahlberg, Jeremy Piven, the Writer's Strike, and why Doug left Los Angeles for good.
Doug opens up about meeting AJ at a Nashville bagel shop, his new life in Tennessee after fleeing the fires and crime of LA, selling his Manhattan Beach home, and what it's like raising a three year old daughter at 55 years old. He shares his thoughts on sugar, discipline, participation trophies, and why the younger generation isn't lazy but lacking real leadership. Doug reflects on growing up on Long Island, his father who passed away at 93, and the reversal of roles when the child becomes the parent.
AJ and Doug dive deep into Doug's journey from stand up comedy to screenwriting, working in the mailroom at New Line Cinema, and the moment Mike DeLuca gave him 10 grand out of his own pocket to make a short film. Doug shares the story of almost directing The Parent Trap at 22 years old, bombing the meeting, and learning the brutal reality of Hollywood where you can go from hero to zero overnight. He talks about the lawyer who promised to be with him for 30 years and never called him back, the independent film that got released on 2200 screens and tanked his career, and the Curb Your Enthusiasm spec script he wrote in 45 minutes that saved everything.
Then comes the story everyone wants to hear. Doug walks AJ through the birth of Entourage, the moment Mark Wahlberg and Lev Levinson pitched him the idea of following Mark's friends around with a camera, and why Doug thought it was the stupidest idea he'd ever heard. He shares the HBO pitch that felt like they owned Hollywood, the 50 thousand dollar script deal, and the two years of torture where HBO made him write 40 drafts including one insane note about Windtalkers that forced him to rewrite the entire script in a new dialect in Palm Springs in 120 degree heat.
Doug also opens up about casting lightning in a bottle with Dylan McDermott, Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier, and Jerry Ferrara, the moment he knew Jeremy Piven would kill it as Ari Gold, and why AJ's audition with the yo dog you didn't get me the Coke line was over the second he walked in the room. He reflects on Long Island energy, why authenticity matters, and the importance of showing up for people even when you're not super close.
Doug and AJ also get into the Writer's Strike, why Doug was so anti strike after COVID, the crews who got wiped out, and why less writers are working now than before the strike. Doug breaks down the difference between problem solving and problem creating, why he hates most actors, and why the crew members who show up three hours early and stay three hours late deserve more credit than anyone in Hollywood. This conversation is packed with wisdom about gratitude, friendship, fatherhood, discipline, and what it means to build something that lasts.
If you grew up watching Entourage, if you're a writer trying to navigate the industry, or if you just want to hear one of the greatest behind the scenes stories ever told, this episode will blow your mind.
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Andy Stumpf: From Team Six to Cleared Hot Podcast & The Jump That Raised $700K | AJ Buckley Show Sep 22, 2026

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What happens when a kid from Santa Cruz, California hears about Navy SEALs at 11 years old and never looks back? This week on The AJ Buckley Show, AJ sits down with Andy Stumpf, the former SEAL Team Six operator who jumped from 36,500 feet, raised $700,000 for charity, became a professional BASE jumper, and built one of the biggest podcasts in the world, Cleared Hot. This conversation is raw, hilarious, and packed with wisdom about identity, fatherhood, discipline, and what it means to be defined by who you are, not what you did.
Andy opens up about growing up in a Navy family, his dad being a machine gunner on patrol boats in Vietnam, and the moment he first heard about Navy SEALs. He shares the story of bringing a Navy recruiter home when he was a junior in high school, sitting her down with his parents who signed the paperwork when he was 17, and heading off to boot camp in the Chicago area right after graduation. Andy talks about the attrition rate at BUDS, the injury rate that most people don't realize until they go back as instructors, and why he made it through on his first attempt by focusing on the micro adversities instead of the macro goal.
AJ and Andy dive deep into what it was like growing up on a construction site with his mason father, moving pallets of bricks at 11 years old, learning how to compartmentalize pain and focus on the one trip instead of the thousands ahead, and why those micro challenges on a job site prepared him for Hell Week more than any class at SEAL training ever could. Andy reflects on the reality that mental toughness and resilience are both born and trained, the importance of challenging yourself at a micro level before the world does at a macro level, and why setting an alarm and making your bed is just as powerful as a cold plunge if you're starting from scratch.
Then comes the story of getting shot in 2005 while deployed with a SEAL Team Six squadron, being on the other side of the door from Tyler Gray on the same target, and the long road of nerve damage recovery that made him a BUDS instructor while he rehabbed. Andy opens up about doctors telling him I don't know more times than he could count, the frustration of not having a definitive answer, and why he ultimately became the last determining factor in whether or not he was ready to return to the teams.
Andy also shares the story of the world record wingsuit jump from 36,500 feet, going 18 miles in the air while wearing shorts and a t-shirt under his gear because it was negative 50 at altitude and 100 degrees on the ground. He talks about raising $700,000 for the Navy SEAL Foundation, the sequential steps he took to make it happen, finding mentors with immense experience, and why by the time you get to the day, if you've done the requisite training, it's not that big of a deal. Andy also opens up about his years as a professional BASE jumper, flying wingsuits through canyons in Switzerland, the behind the scenes work that never makes it to YouTube, and why Tom Cruise is next level because of the months of training he does before every stunt.
Andy also opens up about his divorce, the most alone he's ever felt in his life, the questions he had about himself as a man and a father, and why it was harder than going through SEAL training multiple times. He talks about the importance of asking for help, the strength it takes to admit when you need it, and why he has never been turned down or judged when he's asked for it. Andy also shares his North Star, his wife's ability to see the best in people, and the quote he lives by: what you allow in your presence is your standard.
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Richard Speight Jr.: Band of Brothers & The Scene He Wrote That Made It to Screen | AJ Buckley Show Sep 20, 2026

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What happens when an actor walks into a room with Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg and nearly has a panic attack before landing the role of a lifetime? This week on The AJ Buckley Show, AJ sits down with Richard Speight Jr., the actor, director, and musician whose career spans from Band of Brothers to Supernatural, and whose stories about fatherhood, filmmaking, and the cost of ambition will leave you inspired and emotional.
Richard opens up about growing up in Nashville as one of five kids, starting tap dancing as a young boy because he wanted to be Fred Astaire, doing local theater, and landing his first acting gigs in Disney Channel movies shot in his hometown. He shares the story of working on Ernest Goes to Camp, getting exposed to being on set as a teenager, and the moment he applied to the University of Southern California film and theater school, where he learned the mathematical precision of comedy, the rhythm of storytelling, and why Steve Martin albums and Bugs Bunny taught him more about entertainment than anything else.
AJ and Richard dive deep into what it means to understand story, why some actors have a film IQ that allows them to see the heartbeat of a scene, and how Richard trained himself to never just point out a problem without offering a solution. Richard talks about the difference between problem solving and problem creating, why changing lines as a guest star is a no go but as an indie film actor it's all hands on deck, and the responsibility every storyteller has to make the story as good as it can be.
Then comes the story everyone wants to hear. Richard walks AJ through the audition process for Band of Brothers, the moment he almost had a nervous breakdown in the waiting room when Tom Hanks walked by with a giant beard while losing weight for Castaway, the angry coach voice in his head that told him to shut the fuck up and go in there, and the callback at Lantana Center where Steven Spielberg unclipped the camera from the tripod and went handheld to shoot Richard's audition while Donnie Wahlberg chain smoked his face off. Richard shares the months of waiting, the assumption he didn't get the job, and the phone call that changed his life when his agent told him he was the first guy cast.
Richard opens up about the nine months in England shooting Band of Brothers, the responsibility of playing Skip Muck, a real man who died in the Battle of the Bulge, and how he tracked down Skip's family through the Chamber of Commerce, opened up wounds that had been closed for 40 years, and received letters that he plastered all over his room. He talks about the monologue he delivered about swimming the Niagara River that wasn't in the script but came from a letter Skip's sister sent him, the moment he got into it with HBO because they weren't going to invite Skip's family to the premiere, and why he told them they could uninvite him but his people were coming.
Richard also shares the story of going to Tom Hanks and telling him Skip Muck wasn't being established enough in the story, the fear that he might get fired, and the night Tom asked him to write a scene that would be shot in a deuce and a half with five characters. Richard wrote the scene, including the line feet hand neck balls extra socks warms them all, and Tom Hanks asked if it was a real World War II rhyme. Richard also talks about the disposable camera Neil McDonough used to take a photo of Tom Hanks peeing, the eight by ten he framed and titled Battle of Draining the Bulge, and why Band of Brothers affected everything in his life, how he views himself as an actor, as a man, as an American, and as a patriot.
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Will Yun Lee: The Call That Changed Everything & Fighting for His Son's Life | AJ Buckley Show Sep 15, 2026

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What happens when a father gets a phone call that changes everything? This week on The AJ Buckley Show, AJ sits down with Will Yun Lee, the actor who has fought James Bond, Wolverine, and some of the biggest names in Hollywood, but nothing prepared him for the fight of his life when his three year old son had a massive stroke thousands of miles away from home.
Will opens up about being born in Virginia, his father being one of the first taekwondo masters to come to the United States, his parents getting divorced when he was five, and spending six years moving from family to family while his dad tried to figure out life. He shares the story of moving to Hawaii at 10 years old, living in a motel where the kitchen and bathroom were the same, his dad driving taxis, and getting beat up constantly until he finally asked his father to teach him martial arts. Will talks about putting on his first white belt at 13, training six hours a day, becoming obsessed with Bruce Lee, and setting his sights on the Olympics after Taekwondo was introduced in 1988.
AJ and Will dive deep into what it was like moving 23 different schools growing up, always being the scared kid walking into a new place, and how college became his first real home because it was the first time he didn't move within 12 months. Will reflects on taking over his dad's martial arts schools, building them up to 1200 students, and the moment he realized if he was going to be broke, he might as well chase acting. He shares how Jason Scott Lee in the Bruce Lee story inspired him as the first Asian American he saw on screen who was cool, how he packed up a Jeep Wrangler with a thousand bucks and a boom box and moved to LA, and why he knew he had to become a white belt all over again.
Will takes AJ through his journey of turning down every martial arts audition for three years because he needed to learn how to act, the moment he auditioned for Die Another Day with Pierce Brosnan, and what it was like shooting the opening sequence of a James Bond movie at Pinewood Studios. He talks about working with David Leitch and the 8711 stunt team, learning choreography through repetition and forms, and why he loves the language of understanding camera and action at the same time. Will also opens up about working with Ben Stiller, watching masters like Chad Stahelski obsess over every frame of fighting, and why Bruce Lee will always be the GOAT for shooting fight strategy on film in the 1970s.
Then comes the story that will break you. Will shares the phone call he got while shooting Falling Water in New York, his wife telling him their three year old son Cash was in the emergency room, his whole right side of his body not working, and the devastating diagnosis of Moya Moya, a rare brain disease that left Cash with only three pipes carrying blood to his brain instead of a thousand. Will walks AJ through the four year dark tunnel with no light, the misdiagnosis, the chemotherapy Cash didn't need, the 11 hour drips every other week, and the three massive strokes that should have ended his life. He talks about his wife wrapping 12 gifts on Sunday nights to get through 12 hour chemo days, the moment he asked why us, and how faith and thousands of prayers saved his son's life. Today, Cash is 13 years old, training at Nike camp, competing in tennis tournaments, and defying every piece of paper that says he shouldn't be able to walk or talk.
Will also opens up about what that journey taught him about his wife, how marriages can go left or right during trauma, and why he picked the right one who became stronger because of the mission. He reflects on his father never giving speeches but teaching through how he greeted people, how his eyes sparkled around kids, and why his North Star is still the man who left an imprint on his soul. Will also shares what it was like shooting The Odyssey with Christopher Nolan for seven months, hiking 45 minutes up mountains in 40 pounds of gear, no trailers, no food, just pure filmmaking, and why Nolan is a master who somehow makes the weather bend to his will.
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Eddie Cahill & Carmine Giovinazzo: The Untold CSI:NY Stories & Gary Sinise's Legacy | AJ Buckley Show Sep 13, 2026

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What happens when three brothers from CSI: NY reunite after more than a decade and pull back the curtain on one of the biggest crime dramas in television history? This week on The AJ Buckley Show, AJ sits down with Eddie Cahill and Carmine Giovinazzo for an emotional, hilarious, and deeply personal conversation about friendship, acting, the golden era of television, and the show that changed all of their lives.
Eddie opens up about his first gig on Sex and the City, the moment Sarah Jessica Parker left her cell phone number on a post-it note in his dressing room, how he shit the bed in the audition but got hired anyway after she brought producers to see him in an off-Broadway play, and the surreal experience of walking onto a Steven Spielberg set as a young unknown actor. He shares the story of landing Friends in the seventh season, meeting his manager through a holding deal that came out of nowhere, and the gamble he took when he left his agency to bet on himself.
Carmine takes AJ through the wild story of how he got CSI: NY, the moment he walked into the test deal at CBS and saw Balthazar Getty sitting across from him, and the ballsy decision to ignore the rewritten sides and perform the original scene instead, telling the room it was better than the rewrites. He talks about growing up in a family of cops, knowing the character was in his blood, and the moment Anthony Zuiker laughed in the back of the room and gave him the role that would define his career.
AJ reflects on his own bumbling beginnings on CSI: NY, showing up as an extra with no character name, knocking over beakers in the lab, sweating through scenes with Gary Sinise thinking he was being fired, and the moment the producers thought his nervous energy was a brilliant acting choice. He shares the story of getting cast in Die Hard 4 after three callbacks where he lied about being able to roller skate, only to have his scene cut from the final film.
They dive deep into the magic of Gary Sinise, the pride he took in the show, the 9/11 episode that became one of the most powerful moments in television, and the text message Eddie received from Gary years later about rewatching the episode Charge of This Post and thinking about the words he said to his son Mac. AJ gets emotional talking about the brotherhood they built, the decade they spent together, and the way Gary led with humility, kindness, and an uncynical love for the work.
Eddie also opens up about why he quit acting, the demotivating reality of self-taping, the loss of human connection in the audition process, and his pivot into furniture making and finding fulfillment outside of Hollywood. Carmine reflects on the struggle of adapting to the Instagram era, the pressure to build a brand, and why he's still chasing the magic of being in the room with other actors. AJ talks about the precious nature of time as a father, the importance of only taking work that moves the needle, and why he won't be away from his kids unless it's for something meaningful.
They also share legendary behind-the-scenes stories, including the Roma Fiction Fest trip to Italy, the Cartier watches they got for the 100th episode, the day Ronnie Wood from the Rolling Stones rolled down his limo window and invited them to a concert, and the heartbreak of finding out the show was canceled after nine seasons. This conversation is raw, nostalgic, and packed with wisdom about friendship, fatherhood, the cost of ambition, and what it means to honor your story.
If you grew up watching CSI: NY, if you're an actor trying to navigate the industry, or if you just want to hear three brothers talk about the best years of their lives, this episode will take you back to a time when television was magic and the people you worked with became family.
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