Smiling and Wearing Sunglasses

It still amazes me, but I was at FOX for four years. Though I had many bizarre “moment of zen”-like experiences throughout the course of my employment, I’ve picked the following list as my all-time top ten. So, without further ado…

Kyle’s Top 10 FOX Moments:

10) Watching the always-confident Buzz Rodell crumble in the face of Rachel Bilson during this year’s O.C. finale party.

9) Watching Ben Stiller work his magic on the set of the Undeclared finale. He emerged from wardrobe wearing “Hammer” pants, a ridiculous tank-top and a tattoo of the Alcoholics Anonymous mantra. He then proceeded to pound Red Bulls and have someone “spot” him on a Bowflex.

8) Going to Andy Richter’s house to shoot an interview, but being so ill-prepared that Andy had to go inside and loan us his personal tripod.

7) Shooting an interview with Michael McKean, thanking him, then opening the camera (while he was still there) and watching the tape get completely eaten and spit out. Note: this also happened with Joss Whedon.

6) Watching Sir Richard Branson fly around the Times Square Virgin Megastore on a fake jetpack.

5) Being informed that News Digital (a former News Corp. spin-off division in charge of FOX.com before control was returned to FOX Broadcasting Company) was being dissolved, and that for the remainder of our time there, we’d have to be crammed in the back of the building because they were going to shoot a pilot. Watching said pilot being filmed (while bitterly finishing our last few weeks of work) and audibly mocking the leading man’s attempt at being an action hero, then being “shushed” by the director because our whispering was loud enough to ruin the take. The show and actor? 24 with Kiefer Sutherland.

4) Stopping by the set of A Minute with Stan Hooper to do some interviews, then witnessing a 15-minute free improv session led by Fred Willard (!) with a special appearance by Bob Saget.

3) Hearing a cellphone go off on the set of The X-Files, and wondering what poor son of a bitch was going to take the fall for ruining the take. Looking around frantically only to see that the phone belonged to Chris Carter (the show’s creator).

2) Interviewing both Joey Buttafuoco and Vanilla Ice on the same day (for Celebrity Boxing). Then interviewing both William “The Refrigerator” Perry and Screech on the same day (for Celebrity Boxing II).

1) Interviewing Burt Reynolds in his hotel room (for the final season of The X-Files). We walked in and there was the legend himself, sitting on his bed smiling and wearing sunglasses.