Bio: Hey guys! I am a chubby actor in Hollywood and I had the supreme pleasure to be one of Weird Al's back-up dancers in his latest video "Handy." It was awesome, a few people asked for an AMA, so here I am. (I'm the Mario-looking one)

I also starred Machinima's hit zombie web series BITE ME as Greg, and the hefty guy in the Hefty commercial with all the male models.

Finally, I'm making films now. My newest is a sci-fi called Outpost. You can check it out and even help get it made, if you want. TRAILER HERE

My Proof: http://i.imgur.com/mq6EWwd.jpg

EDIT: Trailer for mah film.

EDIT 2: I'm BACK! I went to sleep, I woke up, all is well. With another Weird Al video out, feel free to pepper me with more questions! PEACE!

Comments: 259 • Responses: 100  • Date: 

operation_hennessey70 karma

What does Weird Al smell like?

justingiddings136 karma

Pineapples and motor oil.

insanesquirle32 karma

FUCK, I always imagined him smelling like pineapples and massage oil.

justingiddings50 karma

Nah. Too much testosterone locked in that man child's body.

Droconian13 karma

Sorry to hijack, But I wanted to say that your badass fuckin' acting was amazing in Bite me. Seriously man. I got the Josh Peck vibe from you

justingiddings19 karma

I appreciate it!!!!! Yeah, THAT was a freakin' trip. Machinima is a great company to work for and I'd love to see a season 3!!

Droconian8 karma

You totally influenced the waking dead when they cut your hand off

justingiddings11 karma

Totally. If somebody could turn that scene into a GIF, I'd be so happy...

Agnostalypse9 karma

Ask and ye shall receive!

(Sorry it's so shitty, best I could do with what I have in front of me!)

justingiddings10 karma

I love it. THANK YOU!

ZainCaster54 karma

Anything funny happen on set?

justingiddings159 karma

Weird Al.

ZainCaster35 karma

Don't know what I was expecting.

justingiddings80 karma

Probably a real answer. This one's for you /u/ZainCaster!

There were several times when Al's mustache would come flying off in the middle of a take. He was frustrated at first, but after a while, it was funny to see a little slip of golden fuzz flying through space in the middle of playback.

NachozRule25 karma

Is this why it's not on his face when he's blowing the leaf blower at himself?

justingiddings25 karma

NICE catch!!!

Chillocks10 karma

They should have kept one of those in.

justingiddings5 karma

HAHAHA! True!

The_Homestarmy13 karma

How in the hell did he keep that wig on over his hair? Did he cut his hair for this video?

justingiddings24 karma

Lots of bobby pins. The mustache was a lost cause, though - every take it went flying off his face.

tommy283239 karma

Funnest and least funnest thing Weird Al said?

justingiddings101 karma

"This room smells like a lot of weed happened here."

"We can't use any of that. Somebody needs to be paying attention to the basics." <= Not directed at me.

goatcoat31 karma

Weed happens.

justingiddings52 karma

Apparently a rapper had shot his video there the night before. His entourage had shown up, smoked up, then left when the main guy never arrived. I got a contact high 12 hours later.

Bmatic24 karma

Oh man, imagining the hilarity of flying mustaches

justingiddings24 karma

HAHAHAHA! That is not too far off! By the end of the day, Al had a half-inch thick layer of spirit gum on his upper lip from constant reapplication. And you can ask your theater friends - spirit gum is awful feeling and awful smelling.

LightForce1048 karma

Spirit gum is in fact the worst. And if you don't wash it off, it soaks into your skin and makes your skin swollen for a few days.

justingiddings4 karma

Yeah, I HATE it. I had to wear it to and it makes my skin numb and hot and I HATE IT!

LightForce1047 karma

My friend used it to secure the mask for his Halloween costume. He couldn't see properly for about a week.

justingiddings5 karma

Damn.

operation_hennessey37 karma

What was the audition process like for the Handy video? Did you have to come prepared with some moves?

justingiddings84 karma

This is one of the few - and awesome - times that I didn't need to audition! The casting director who cast me in that Hefty commercial called me up and asked me if I wanted to be in a Weird Al video. I immediately said yes. She asked, "You used to dance, right?" I hesitated... "Uh, yeah, but I'm much heavier now. I can move, but my splits are shit." She laughed, hired me, and gave me the rehearsal day. I show up, there's Al, a choreographer, the other dancer, and away we went!

justingiddings21 karma

Casting director had cast me in a Hefty commercial and simply called me up with an offer! She's cast me in a bunch of things now, so I owe her some sort of gift...

LovecraftianWarlord37 karma

It's alright if you don't know for certain, but did Mr. Yankovic say anything to lead you to believe he is a god, or other sort of deity?

justingiddings69 karma

At one point, he winked, and my brain shattered.

Nateh8sYou28 karma

Do you think Weird Al would use you again in the future?

How awesome is his hair in person?

justingiddings65 karma

God, his hair is even more epic in person. Seriously.

Yeah, I think so! We had a good time and he's super nice. When I came in for the rehearsal, he stood up and shook my hand before I even really took note of the fact that is was Him.

I looked at him and quietly said, "I don't want to be that guy, but I've been a ridiculous fan ever since Amish Paradise. Thank you for all the good you've done in the world."

Lockridge31 karma

In my fantasy, he leans in to whisper in your ear, "And thank you for all the good you've done, Justin" and then he explodes into a sea of rainbow butterflies.

justingiddings27 karma

Or a rainbow of sea butterflies.

justingiddings6 karma

HAHAHAHAHA!

JoeRuinsEverything25 karma

Ever used "the stranger" on yourself?

Oh and did Weird Al partner up with a different site for every video release day? That's freaking smart.

justingiddings47 karma

Yes, and yes.

I think Al's a freakin' marketing genius. He's trending EVERYWHERE. Brilliant, and you could see that brilliance on set. He comes off goofy, but the man's a pro.

Gidding24 karma

Why is your name so awesome?

justingiddings33 karma

Because Giddings's are the greatest. internet high-five

Gidding21 karma

internet down-low

justingiddings42 karma

internet too slow

EDIT: No, crap, internet to the side

Gidding18 karma

TO THE WINDOWWWW

justingiddings24 karma

TO THE WALLS

AdzyBoy38 karma

Perspiration is trickling down my scrotum.

insanesquirle21 karma

To all these less than desirable women crawl

justingiddings21 karma

I'm glad this happened.

matthiasbeoulve6 karma

to the sweat drop down my balls.

Source: also a Giddings.

justingiddings8 karma

Well, hello brother...

justingiddings4 karma

HAHAHAHA!!!

I_can_pun_anything5 karma

Well you know what they say, when the Giddings good

justingiddings4 karma

Tee hee...

dBritni23 karma

Another question: Was Al really professional on set, or was it pretty much a chill, fun time? Or a decent mix of both?

justingiddings48 karma

Decent mix of both. We went at a nice pace and got everything we needed, but at one point the camera had been set to a different frame rate (making the footage unusable) and that was frustrating since it ate about an hours worth of work.

Al's wife came to set, though, and hung out for a bit. She's super cute.

Nateh8sYou14 karma

Watch out OP, I hear Weird Al has cracked the Illuminati code

justingiddings14 karma

Would not be surprised.

dBritni21 karma

How long did it take to learn those moves? Did you get to practice with Al? Did they have somebody come in to teach you, or was it just spur of the moment stuff?

justingiddings37 karma

One day of rehearsal. We had a choreographer giving us some really basic stuff. Al was there. He learned some of the moves and then gave input on things he liked or didn't like.

He was cool - the stereo system broke so we practiced to him playing the song on his iPhone.

dBritni6 karma

Sounds awesome! Thanks for replying!

justingiddings8 karma

sure!

Eversist21 karma

What's it like being a not-skinny person in the biz?

justingiddings41 karma

Awesome. I get all the auditions. I get to be funny and dramatic. I don't have body issues.

That being said, I'm working out to look leaner and get back to my leading man days. Being the funny fat guy can get old, sometimes.

Throwitindatrash22 karma

Funny fat guy here, can confirm. Good job on trying to get fit!

justingiddings43 karma

Thanks! Down 30 lbs.

EDIT: WHOA!!! GOLD!!! Thank you so much!!!

Throwitindatrash10 karma

Awesome!

justingiddings12 karma

:-)

StreetMailbox2 karma

Damn, congrats! Your health and wellbeing is more important than almsot anything.

justingiddings6 karma

Thanks! Yeah, I've been skinny and I've been chubby. Skinny wins, hands down. Not so much for the looks, but for the strength and flexibility.

viralizate1 karma

We should form a club or something.

NotMyRealName_____7 karma

Funny fat guy here, too. Question: by club, do you mean sandwich or group? Or group of sandwiches? Lastly, do you have a sandwich or group of sandwiches?

justingiddings2 karma

A sandwich club of club sandwiches.

n9neteen20 karma

Thanks for doing this AMA,

How long ago was this shot? Were you paid (even though I would definitely pay Al for the opportunity to be his backup dancer).

justingiddings31 karma

We shot it June 30th, just a few weeks ago. And it was definitely paid - but I would have totally done it for free (don't tell my agent).

n9neteen15 karma

That's a fast turnaround, especially with all those jazzy special effects. Is Al really a fountain of youth, or is it mostly makeup?

justingiddings20 karma

No, he looks good! You can definitely tell he's gotten older if you look at older pictures of him, but his energy is through the roof and he looks great.

NovaSource17 karma

Does Weird Al plan his videos well ahead of time or was Al constantly changing it?

justingiddings25 karma

Oh, they're planned out. The only thing left to the last minute was which props would fit in our tool belts.

AAAAAAWWWWWWWWWYYEAH17 karma

Does al ever get frustrated if something's not going right on set?

justingiddings29 karma

Yeah, but not very. The camera was shooting at a weird frame rate for the first half hour before someone noticed it. Everything was unusable and we had already moved on to another set up. He was clearly frustrated, but simply remained calm and direct and got it all worked out.

Chillocks14 karma

Was that the

"We can't use any of that. Somebody needs to be paying attention to the basics."

Because I would not want to be that guy.

justingiddings13 karma

Yup.

That1guyonreddit15 karma

Did you stroke Weird Al's face?

justingiddings23 karma

No, but TIL that there is a touching-Weird-Al's-head fetish. Which I totally get and am trusting in rule 34.

That1guyonreddit10 karma

Rule 34 would be all over that. It probably exists already.

justingiddings13 karma

I would Google, but I learned a long time ago to never Google Rule 34.

That1guyonreddit8 karma

I'd ask for a story but there is no way I would want that story.

justingiddings11 karma

German Shepard. drops mic

That1guyonreddit6 karma

Wait, what happened with a german shepard?

justingiddings26 karma

Rule 34.

Guythedestroyer9 karma

You mentioned catering in another question's answer.

What did you guys have for lunch?

justingiddings18 karma

It was a half day, so I got breakfast. It was a giant breakfast burrito stuffed with at least 6 pieces of bacon.

They go big in Hollywood.

Vmoney13378 karma

Hey Justin, I'm the guy who requested you to do an AMA. What got you into acting?

Thanks for doing this! Told you people would be interested.

justingiddings15 karma

You were right. Thanks for asking.

It's a longish story, so here's the TL;DR: Star Wars. Well, Star Wars toys. My stepdad is an actor and when he and my mom got married, I started doing voice overs through his voice over agent. I would get these ridiculous checks that no child should be allowed to get and I would blow it all on Star Wars toys and the card game. I was also always an imaginative guy and liked to play pretend in the woods behind my house. I would keep a notebook and award myself special items, then use my Nerf Bow and Arrow to attack the local fauna.

ed14996 karma

[deleted]

justingiddings12 karma

Depends. Right now, I'm campaigning on Indiegogo for my sci-fi (plug: www.OutpostTheFilm.com). That takes up a TON of time - updates, thank you notes, marketing, etc. When I'm acting, 12 hour days are the norm and that's all I'm doing. In my free time, i'm usually writing.

But living in LA means that at any time I can disappear into the wilderness or ocean to get "me" time. And I'm doing what I lurv, so I never feel "busy."

PapercutUrethra5 karma

How was working on Bite Me? Also, season 2 gets a lot of criticism for the direction the plot went, what are your thoughts on it?

justingiddings5 karma

It was great! I think the challenge of Season 2 was that at one point it was supposed to be 3 times as long. 30 episodes. When it got whittled down, it didn't always scale down perfectly. But that being said, I'm still really proud of the project and it definitely got a bump up in production value. I think a Season 3 would be awesome, but I don't see it happening any time soon.

PapercutUrethra3 karma

Thanks for your answer! I loved Bite Me and I really wish they would make a Season 3.

justingiddings6 karma

Thanks. Also, your username makes me cringe. It's awesome.

PapercutUrethra2 karma

Thank you, always nice to hear something about my username :)

justingiddings3 karma

I imagine I'm not your first.

brysi4 karma

Hey there! I really enjoyed the Bite Me series.

I was making videos for the Machinima channel at the time. Did you ever see this bite me song?

<3

justingiddings4 karma

Wow. That was great, what a walk down memory lane. I even got a little choked up. GREAT memories!! Thanks for posting!

Jonesoda3 karma

Favorite breakfast food?

justingiddings14 karma

Potato Crisp.

Take a square skillet or griddle and get that thing hot with lots of oil. Throw on a half a bag of hasbrowns, spread it out into a square shaped layer of starchy goodness. Turn heat to medium, then crisp it up. When close to crispy, throw on two slices cheddar, two slices of provolone, 4 strips of bacon, onion sautéed in bacon grease, some tomatoes or spinach, and a healthy dollop of sour cream right down the middle. Then fold the two sides over the middle, like a crepe. Salt, ketchup, heart attack.

TheRuhrJuhr4 karma

The tomatoes or spinach make it healthy!

justingiddings4 karma

Yep! Much fat blocking capabilities.

MadAerys3 karma

Whats your favorite Weird Al song?

justingiddings7 karma

Amish Paradise. Hands down.

MadAerys3 karma

Yeah thats a great song. Amish Paradise and The Night Santa Went Crazy are definitely my favorites.

justingiddings2 karma

The Night Santa Went Crazy!!! ANOTHER favorite!!

Benyamean3 karma

What were your thoughts when you realized you'd be a backup dancer for Weird Al?

justingiddings14 karma

There was no time for thinking, the tears were already flowing.

JRDerpwing2 karma

How often do you get the urge to change your last name to Kiddings?

justingiddings2 karma

Once a fortnight.

[deleted]2 karma

[removed]

justingiddings11 karma

insanesquirle2 karma

Dude, you've fucked OP's mom!?

justingiddings12 karma

I can neither confirm nor deny, but yes.

FostralianManifesto1 karma

I get the joke, but seriously wtf is that from

InadequateUsername2 karma

I looked you up on IMDB and thought I remembered you. You posted in the ELI5 page 10 months ago, which had asked about being overweight and acting.

What made you decide to become an actor? If you weren't going to work in film what would your second career choice be?

justingiddings2 karma

Yeah, that was great, that ELI5 on how they cast heavy actors.

I've always loved playing make believe. Now I get to tell stories on both sides of the camera. My second career would be a travel writer. I love to travel, I love to write, and I would love to be able to travel while writing.

clifwith1f2 karma

27 is my birthday day and also my favorite number. I noticed it showed up in this video as a house address. Did he elaborate upon his intended use on the number? Did you hit your snooze alarm for a 27th time before coming to the filming?

Thanks for doing an AMA!

The_bananaman2 karma

I just want to say thank you for being a part of BITE ME my friends and I had way more fun then was healthy watching that series

and as a related question what are the differences (if any) between working at Machinima (or on a web series) and working in a more main stream stetting in terms of professionalism, work environment ect.. ?

justingiddings3 karma

You're welcome! Actually, not much of a difference on BITE ME. It was basically a 2 million dollar film and was run like a film set.

babushka44822 karma

Are you in any other music videos, with or without Weird Al?

justingiddings7 karma

No, but I've done some big online series, like Machinima's zombie comedy BITE ME. At last count, the series was somewhere around 60 million views just on YouTube.

Zee_dee2 karma

Do you enjoy this job?

justingiddings12 karma

Oh, heck yeah. Dancing as a heavy guy alongside a comedy/music legend. Half day of work, full day's rate. Catering. Fake mustache. I mean, it's all a win.

koeks_za3 karma

Did you actually dance with him for the whole video or was it more green screen addition later on

justingiddings8 karma

Danced with him the whole time. T'was glorious.

ViperVoltage2 karma

What are your favorite movies?

justingiddings5 karma

Whew! There's a lot. Hmmm...

TOP 5

Star Wars

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Moonrise Kingdom

A Single Man

The Fifth Element

imnotquitedeadyet5 karma

Moonrise Kingdom was good! Do you like other Wes Anderson movies?

justingiddings7 karma

All of them, mostly. Life Aquatic is probably my next favorite. I like his short film, too.

Eupatorus2 karma

What did you think of Grand Budapest Hotel?

justingiddings2 karma

I'm ashamed to say, I haven't seen it. I've been in crazy prep mode for my sci-fi, I haven't seen anything.

daybreaker3 karma

3 of those are in my top 5, and a 4th is by the same director of another one of my Top 5 (I prefer Royal Tenenbaums).

Guess that means I need to see A Single Man, because I'll apparently like it.

justingiddings2 karma

Yeah, it was directed by fashion designer Tom Ford and starred Colin Firth. Beautiful, well-paced, tragic, and incredibly shot by a guy who clearly has an eye.

insanesquirle2 karma

What is the most annoying part about working with weird Al?

justingiddings6 karma

Not being Weird Al.

ZarkingFrood426 karma

We all experience this pain on a daily basis.

justingiddings3 karma

Srsly.

justingiddings6 karma

Actually, there was nothing annoying. Easiest day on set I've probably ever had.

Axle-f2 karma

Now that Al has exposed the shadow organizations like the illumati and lizard people, do you do you think it's best to wear a tin foil hat for protection? Or do I continue to rock an Ed Hardy shirt with fluero green pants?

justingiddings6 karma

Totally depends on the quality of the tin/aluminium compound.

If you choose to rock the Ed Hardy shirt with fluero green pants, you will only attract fringe elements.

Wear them both, and let God sort them out.

NachozRule2 karma

When did you get to view the finished video yourself?

Also - upon first viewing of this video, I was wondering why it looked a little... low-budget compared to Al's other videos of his opening tracks - but then I got it was going for the whole low-budget local commercial vibe. A pretty clever way to deal with your record label not giving you anything to make a video if you ask me.

justingiddings2 karma

I just saw today. Yeah I thought that was pretty clever myself.

CrackLawliet2 karma

Dude, your acting in Bite Me was phenomenal. Were there any challenges adapting the plot to real life time changing? Like, how in the first episode you were all playing Dead Rising 2, and then the first episode of S2 they find a 3DS with Resident Evil Revelations? Or was it not really a focal point?

I'd love to see a Season 3 with your badass mechanical hand!

justingiddings2 karma

GREAT question! It was not really the focal point, though.

And I would love to kill zombies with a freakin' AXE HAND!!!

Quizchris1 karma

Did you, Weird Al or anyone else improvise anything, or was it all strictly by the script?

justingiddings1 karma

By the script! No improv on this one because we were on a tight schedule. I did come up with the kick and quotes at the end!

ElementaryMyDearWat1 karma

What's up with the facial hair?

justingiddings1 karma

It's a hot mess.

benniefer1 karma

Can I be in your next Sci-Fi film?

justingiddings2 karma

Well, Outpost is already cast as a short film. In the feature version, though... PM me in a year.

benniefer3 karma

365 days in the future, you will receive a PM from future Me.

justingiddings2 karma

I look forward to Future You's PM.

Ethanhekker1 karma

How are you?

justingiddings1 karma

Pretty good! Yourself?

Ethanhekker2 karma

AMAzing

justingiddings1 karma

Yeah, it's pretty nice here. How's the weather where you're at?

Ethanhekker1 karma

North California? Not fun.

justingiddings1 karma

Yeah, but redwoods. So you got that going for you, which is nice.

Ethanhekker1 karma

Lol. Yeah, I'd rather just stay inside...

justingiddings1 karma

But, but... REDWOODS!

Karlor1 karma

Who directed the video? Was it actually Al himself?

justingiddings1 karma

Yup!