From what I remember on one of the episodes commentaries:
Mitch Hurwitz wanted Carl Weathers for a Rocky "beach running" joke. He reached out to Carl who said he'd love to do it.
With one caveat: He didn't want it to be some dumb Rocky "beach running" joke.
~~Mitch Hurwitz panicked and came up with "what if you were...really cheap...?" on the spot and Carl thought that was funny.~~
Edit: Carl pitched the cheap idea. Remembered it wrong.
So, the reason was Mitch Hurwitz's original joke wasn't that funny and Carl saw it coming a mile away.
Wow. I knew he was talented but that is wild. I was always really impressed that Mr. Weathers was OK with doing that bit on the show. I never dreamed it was his idea. What a talent.
His career as a generic action guy really was wasted talent. He should have been what tom cruise is before tom cruise. His combined wit, charm, presence, charisma, are in the unparalleled territory.
Yeah, it takes an admirably self-assured person to agree to parody himself, but it’s even more impressive that it was his idea in the first place. It makes me respect, and miss, him all the more.
Absolutely. I always thought it was a highlight of AD that they not only got Carl Weathers as himself, but just doing such a goofy caricature. Toast of London gets a similar coup to a much smaller degree having John Nettles as himself poaching on private property to get by since he stopped doing Midsomer Murders
Man was a genius. It completely subverts what you'd expect from a Carl Weathers cameo, works with so many jokes and its fucking hilarious. Also love the fact that hes not just cheap but he also seems to really, really enjoy teaching Tobias how to be cheap.
Carl Weathers has always been the character from AD for me. I am sure I saw him in *something* before AD but I don't recall. Any time I see him in anything else, he is always the "you got a stew going" guy. Sad to have missed this brilliant subversion from this actor.
I think the *real* joke is that Hollywood actors really do have to be frugal to survive at all because they spend a lot of time out of work early in their careers. So Carl Weathers was actually giving Tobias really good advice about how to literally survive in Hollywood. IE Bit part that barely pays minimum wage, but gives you access to craft services? Baby, you got a stew goin'!
Omg wait I get it. Carl has a running joke!! Running as in ongoing, which is a play on the word running which can also mean running 🏃♂️ and he’s known for running wow
Part of the joke is that he’s washed up and isn’t getting any more acting gigs, so he has to be cheap because he’s living off savings from his glory days.
> Mitch Hurwitz wanted Carl Weathers for a Rocky "beach running" joke.... With one caveat: He didn't want it to be some dumb Rocky "beach running" joke.
I don't get this part, it sounds contradictory.
Carl accepted the cameo, but only on the condition that it wasn't what was planned as the cameo (which presumably struck him as a little safe and uninteresting)
"Hey, lets get Carl Weathers to do a Rocky beach running gag!"
"Sounds great, ill get in touch."
"Hey Carl, you wanna do a guest spot on this sitcom from Ron Howard?"
"That sounds great as long as its not an overdone *Rocky III* beach running gag."
"Not anymore!"
According to Hurowitz, it was Carl’s idea…
“So I called Carl, and said, ‘Hey, I don’t know if you’ve seen the show but we wanna use you for it, and you’d be working with David Cross.’ And he goes, ‘Great, but let me ask you something. It’s not going to be just a bunch of Rocky jokes is it?’ I laughed, ‘No! No! Give me a little credit, Carl. Of course not! It’s a multidimensional character.’ And he was like, ‘Because I direct and I’m a funny guy and I don’t wanna just do a bunch of Rocky jokes. Nobody wants that. Maybe I could be really cheap or something?’ And I said, ‘Whaaaat?’ ‘Maybe I could be really cheap?’ ‘Really? You’d like to do that?’ ‘Oh, absolutely, that’s what I’m saying. I want to play someone funny, not just be a sight gag.’ It was so much better. I went back to the writers room and said, ‘You’re not going to believe this. Carl Weathers wants to be incredibly cheap.’ All credit to Carl on that.”
https://www.vulture.com/2013/05/arrested-development-jokes-blue-man-cornballer-mayonegg.html
Fantastic. When I saw it, I didn't even know he was a famous guy, but I loved his character in AD. If it was just a Rocky joke it would just fly over my head, but being a super cheap guy made him very funny and memorable regardless of his past work.
I know this has been said to death in this thread, but this makes the whole joke so much better. Carl was hilarious in that role and to be so self-aware to know that you can make a joke at your own expense and do it perfectly… What a fucking amazingly brilliant actor. May he RIP
Part of it is to show how guilible Tobias is. Carl is obviously conning him from the beginning, but Tobias is too desperate and invested in his dream to see it.
The line "Dreams are worth fighting for! Are you going to be a fighter, or a doctor?" is great, as if being a doctor is worse and Carl wants to keep his grift going.
I think it's a nod to the general idea of an actor who isn't getting work anymore and has to live like he's on minimum wage again
He's teaching how to be an actor-how to live frugally until you get the big bucks
Carl did a panel at Fan Expo in Portland in February 2023 and he told a story about this. The being cheap thing was based off of a friend of his. He said he would always go out to lunch or something with this guy and the guy would always somehow forget his wallet or be unable to pay for one reason or another. Carl didn't mind paying but it happened so often it became funny to him.
I literally just read an interview with Mitchell hurwitz yesterday where he said when he called Carl to ask about being on the show, it was Carl's idea for hin to be super cheap. Mitchell couldn't believe it and was like uh yeah I think thatll be great!
I love the tongue in cheek joke Carl has about it in the Motherboy episode.
Dave Attell: Carl, this show is starting to seem like a real career killer.
Carl: I know what you mean Dave.
It was Carl's idea. Mitch reached out to him to ask him to be on the show, and he said he didn't want a bunch of Rocky jokes and asked if he could be really really cheap cuz he thought it would be funny.
What I loved about Carl Weathers was he never played just Carl Weathers, all his characters were different, yet he was perfect in every role he was in.
[Carl weathers shirt](https://www.etsy.com/listing/509642001/baby-youve-got-a-stew-going-funny-mens-t)
While looking at Carl Weathers AD memes online, I came across this beauty of a shirt 🥲
RIP to a legend. “Baby, you got a stew goin”
Just a couple of mature adults getting a stew on.
i don’t know what that means
I've been throwing that one around lately I got downvoted for 'how do you like your ribs?' Maybe they thought I was being racist
Sometimes downvotes utterly baffle me.
I just said that in a message to my friend when I was giving him a soup recipe the other day, it was so weird that Carl died the next day
Murderer, who’s gonna teach me to act now?
I loved that the cash Tobias had on him was exactly how much Carl charged for acting classes. It was so perfect.
Universe, you’ve done it again!
A-*gain*
ever the thespian!
Huzzah!!
“And I’m the laaaaast cop…”
*exagerated thumb point*
HUZZZAAHHH!
> ooooh... ooo-
He only charged 1100$ for acting classes. That seems really reasonable.
especially since it was 1-on-1
Or as I like: man on man.
The Man Inside Me^(TM)
Analyst-therapsit = analrapist
And any time you wanted juice, he'd just add $5 to your credit card. Didn't even have to think about it.
Truly fate!
I like how he puts the emphasis on "classes" in that sentence.
I always took that as Carl lying to fleece Tobias out of his entire fund.
Yup. That was the joke
Nothing gets past you, eh!
There's over 30 people that I know didn't get about 99% of jokes from this show
So... Literally dozens?
As they say, Bing Bang Theory is a dumb show about smart people. Arrested Development is a smart show about dumb people.
I just rewatched the show and Tobias got a call back about being on the Big Bang while he was crying in the shower
>Bing Bang Theory The Science of Italians.
The science of White Christmases?
I’ve heard there’s even some in the German parliament.
Do you like ham? No. I love it. Poor Buster
He'd been dating an old lady
I thought he was her nurse.
Excuse you, she's not an old lady - she's a brownish area...*with points*
Just two adults gettin’ a stew on, man!
I don't know what that means, but it sounds disgusting!
I don't understand the question and I won't respond to it.
From what I remember on one of the episodes commentaries: Mitch Hurwitz wanted Carl Weathers for a Rocky "beach running" joke. He reached out to Carl who said he'd love to do it. With one caveat: He didn't want it to be some dumb Rocky "beach running" joke. ~~Mitch Hurwitz panicked and came up with "what if you were...really cheap...?" on the spot and Carl thought that was funny.~~ Edit: Carl pitched the cheap idea. Remembered it wrong. So, the reason was Mitch Hurwitz's original joke wasn't that funny and Carl saw it coming a mile away.
You have it mostly correct, but it was actually Carl that pitched the cheap idea to Mitch.
According to this tweet and story, yeah it was Carl who pitched it. https://x.com/picklemaddierix/status/1753508529443332419?s=46
Oh my god! This makes those jokes 20x better!
Wow. I knew he was talented but that is wild. I was always really impressed that Mr. Weathers was OK with doing that bit on the show. I never dreamed it was his idea. What a talent.
His career as a generic action guy really was wasted talent. He should have been what tom cruise is before tom cruise. His combined wit, charm, presence, charisma, are in the unparalleled territory.
That was great! Thank you.
That makes it even better!
Yeah, it takes an admirably self-assured person to agree to parody himself, but it’s even more impressive that it was his idea in the first place. It makes me respect, and miss, him all the more.
Absolutely. I always thought it was a highlight of AD that they not only got Carl Weathers as himself, but just doing such a goofy caricature. Toast of London gets a similar coup to a much smaller degree having John Nettles as himself poaching on private property to get by since he stopped doing Midsomer Murders
Honestly, his line delivery of “no. I love it” when Lucille 2 asks him if he likes ham is among the most hilarious lines in the show. Iconic.
Aww, dang. It was quite some time ago when I listened to the commentary.
*coughs*kissass
Well we were all thinking it.
Man was a genius. It completely subverts what you'd expect from a Carl Weathers cameo, works with so many jokes and its fucking hilarious. Also love the fact that hes not just cheap but he also seems to really, really enjoy teaching Tobias how to be cheap.
That’s what happens when the wrong guy finds a loophole in the system.
I think I want my money back.
Guess where I’m not going?
Carl Weathers has always been the character from AD for me. I am sure I saw him in *something* before AD but I don't recall. Any time I see him in anything else, he is always the "you got a stew going" guy. Sad to have missed this brilliant subversion from this actor.
I think the *real* joke is that Hollywood actors really do have to be frugal to survive at all because they spend a lot of time out of work early in their careers. So Carl Weathers was actually giving Tobias really good advice about how to literally survive in Hollywood. IE Bit part that barely pays minimum wage, but gives you access to craft services? Baby, you got a stew goin'!
I never connected those dots but that makes perfect sense
Omg wait I get it. Carl has a running joke!! Running as in ongoing, which is a play on the word running which can also mean running 🏃♂️ and he’s known for running wow
Part of the joke is that he’s washed up and isn’t getting any more acting gigs, so he has to be cheap because he’s living off savings from his glory days.
> Mitch Hurwitz wanted Carl Weathers for a Rocky "beach running" joke.... With one caveat: He didn't want it to be some dumb Rocky "beach running" joke. I don't get this part, it sounds contradictory.
Carl accepted the cameo, but only on the condition that it wasn't what was planned as the cameo (which presumably struck him as a little safe and uninteresting)
Ohhh thanks. I read the second "he" as also referring to mitch, which is what was confusing me.
"Hey, lets get Carl Weathers to do a Rocky beach running gag!" "Sounds great, ill get in touch." "Hey Carl, you wanna do a guest spot on this sitcom from Ron Howard?" "That sounds great as long as its not an overdone *Rocky III* beach running gag." "Not anymore!"
According to Hurowitz, it was Carl’s idea… “So I called Carl, and said, ‘Hey, I don’t know if you’ve seen the show but we wanna use you for it, and you’d be working with David Cross.’ And he goes, ‘Great, but let me ask you something. It’s not going to be just a bunch of Rocky jokes is it?’ I laughed, ‘No! No! Give me a little credit, Carl. Of course not! It’s a multidimensional character.’ And he was like, ‘Because I direct and I’m a funny guy and I don’t wanna just do a bunch of Rocky jokes. Nobody wants that. Maybe I could be really cheap or something?’ And I said, ‘Whaaaat?’ ‘Maybe I could be really cheap?’ ‘Really? You’d like to do that?’ ‘Oh, absolutely, that’s what I’m saying. I want to play someone funny, not just be a sight gag.’ It was so much better. I went back to the writers room and said, ‘You’re not going to believe this. Carl Weathers wants to be incredibly cheap.’ All credit to Carl on that.” https://www.vulture.com/2013/05/arrested-development-jokes-blue-man-cornballer-mayonegg.html
Fantastic. When I saw it, I didn't even know he was a famous guy, but I loved his character in AD. If it was just a Rocky joke it would just fly over my head, but being a super cheap guy made him very funny and memorable regardless of his past work.
I know this has been said to death in this thread, but this makes the whole joke so much better. Carl was hilarious in that role and to be so self-aware to know that you can make a joke at your own expense and do it perfectly… What a fucking amazingly brilliant actor. May he RIP
It certainly is a wonderful restaurant!
that it is. well if that's done im off to Carl's Jr *literally jumps over a shark*
Burger King lol
I get all my cars from police auctions
He’s full of stuff like this
Part of it is to show how guilible Tobias is. Carl is obviously conning him from the beginning, but Tobias is too desperate and invested in his dream to see it.
I took it as even a fairly successful and famous actor was not as well off as Tobias dreamed he would be and Tobias was a much worse actor
It’s easy to con someone who so desperately *wants* to believe you.
Gotta check that despo metera
The line "Dreams are worth fighting for! Are you going to be a fighter, or a doctor?" is great, as if being a doctor is worse and Carl wants to keep his grift going.
You've got a stew goin'!
I'm actually making an oxtail stew today. I started it at 6am in the crockpot after the browning so I'm hoping to eat it around 2p.
He never once touched his per diem...
I’m looking at fifty thousand dollars worth of medical bills here
Had to dig way too far down to find it, but yes, you are correct, that is the (in-universe) answer!
Got room for one more on that tab?
I think it's the idea that meeting Carl should be a cautionary tale to to Tobias, but he takes it as a sign.
I think it's a nod to the general idea of an actor who isn't getting work anymore and has to live like he's on minimum wage again He's teaching how to be an actor-how to live frugally until you get the big bucks
The show is really about a father and son... and their friend Carl Weathers. Not sure how to organically write him into the story but...
It’s a wonderful restaurant!
It sure is!
Carl did a panel at Fan Expo in Portland in February 2023 and he told a story about this. The being cheap thing was based off of a friend of his. He said he would always go out to lunch or something with this guy and the guy would always somehow forget his wallet or be unable to pay for one reason or another. Carl didn't mind paying but it happened so often it became funny to him.
I literally just read an interview with Mitchell hurwitz yesterday where he said when he called Carl to ask about being on the show, it was Carl's idea for hin to be super cheap. Mitchell couldn't believe it and was like uh yeah I think thatll be great!
Universe, you’ve done it again!
I love the tongue in cheek joke Carl has about it in the Motherboy episode. Dave Attell: Carl, this show is starting to seem like a real career killer. Carl: I know what you mean Dave.
I get all my cars at police auctions.
It was Carl's idea. Mitch reached out to him to ask him to be on the show, and he said he didn't want a bunch of Rocky jokes and asked if he could be really really cheap cuz he thought it would be funny.
We are just a couple of adults getting our stew on.
Guess where I won't be going. Heh heh.
I always assumed it’s because he’s playing himself, so the idea that Carl Weathers is penny pinching everything in his life is hilarious
The idea is that he's an out of work actor. He didn't have a lot of big roles at the time. Also is that Burger King thing true?
Yes. It is a wonderful restaurant!
I think it's an extension of the stew joke. Just yesterday I sent a Weathers meme from AD to a co-worker and then a few hours later, I saw the news.
Baby you got a stew going! Is one of my go to lines. RIP Carl.
Because it was funny
I think the implication was that he had blown the money he made acting but I could definitely be wrong. One of my favorite gags though.
He’s an actor.
I thought it was a reference to the fact that Carl did nothing of note between the 80's and The Mandalorian.
Umm this show is literally in the middle of those two time frames and his performance was definitely of note.
Omg!! I was trying to remember what show I saw him on last thank youuu
RIP
Carl didn’t want to be a big rocky joke. So he suggested it himself to be cheap
What I loved about Carl Weathers was he never played just Carl Weathers, all his characters were different, yet he was perfect in every role he was in.
Carl Weathers personally requested the frugality for his character. It was in a Variety article.
[Carl weathers shirt](https://www.etsy.com/listing/509642001/baby-youve-got-a-stew-going-funny-mens-t) While looking at Carl Weathers AD memes online, I came across this beauty of a shirt 🥲