We showed a civilian how to be a vet, here's what we got

02/06/18 • 38 min

In this episode of the Mandatory Fun podcast, we speak with standup comedian turned actor Tone Bell.

Tone isn't a veteran, but he plays an Army veteran with multiple combat deployments under his belt and now who deals with everyday veteran issues like PTS and transitioning out of the military on the Netflix show Disjointed.

You may remember Tone from a few other shows he's been on like 9JKL, The Flash, Truth Be Told, and Bad Judge with Kate Walsh.

Disjointed' s producers and creative minds went to great lengths to develop his character and to get the veteran portion right. One of his character advisors on the show is WATM's resident Green Beret Chase Millsap.

In the show, "Carter" works as a security guard in a marijuana dispensary at Ruth's Alternative Caring owned by Ruth Feldman (played by Kathy Bates).

To play the role Tone spent countless hours prepping the character by talking with veterans throughout his creative process and combed through the script alongside Chase.

In the event, Tone reads a portion of the script where he felt the "Carter" character felt synthetic — he'd immediately voice his concerns with the producers.

Tone receives several direct messages daily on social media from veterans who respect how he has portrayed the veterans on the screen. This notion promotes that aspect that showcasing veteran issues in a witty and comedic way is possible without the actor going too over-the-top with their performance.

This process unique process of prepping for a role will hopefully create a trend throughout the entertainment space.

All of Disjointed's episodes are currently streaming on Netflix — so check it out. It's freakin' hilarious.

In this episode of the Mandatory Fun podcast, we speak with standup comedian turned actor Tone Bell.

You may remember Tone from a few other shows he's been on like 9JKL, The Flash, Truth Be Told, and Bad Judge with Kate Walsh.

In the show, "Carter" works as a security guard in a marijuana dispensary at Ruth's Alternative Caring owned by Ruth Feldman (played by Kathy Bates).

To play the role Tone spent countless hours prepping the character by talking with veterans throughout his creative process and combed through the script alongside Chase.

In the event, Tone reads a portion of the script where he felt the "Carter" character felt synthetic — he'd immediately voice his concerns with the producers.

This process unique process of prepping for a role will hopefully create a trend throughout the entertainment space.

All of Disjointed's episodes are currently streaming on Netflix — so check it out. It's freakin' hilarious.

Previous Episode

This Green Beret will change what you know about action movies

In this episode of the Mandatory Fun podcast, we speak actor, TV host, and former U.S. Army Green Beret Terry Schappert. You may remember Terry from the popular History Channel show Warriors, and now, Hollywood Weapons on the Outdoor Channel with Israel Defense Forces reconnaissance man, Larry Zanoff.

Terry was a Special Forces Team Sergeant who happened to serve alongside WATM's own Chase Milsap.

Hollywood Weapons gears up to take on the most insane challenges to tactfully reproduce our favorite action stunts to break the myths that movies want you to believe are humanly possible. From breaking through the glass of a Nakatomi Plaza window in Die Hard to blowing up Jaws' replica Great War shark with a single shoot — this show attempts them all by using only practical effects.

"I have to make those real shots, with those real guns, under real conditions." — Terry pridefully states.

The show breaks every down using high-speed cameras to catch all the little details audience members often miss as the movie's action sequence fly across the screen.

Although the show is entertainment based, the talented and creative minds behind Hollywood Weapons have a unique way to educate their loyal viewers by scientifically breaking down what it would take to pull off our favorite stunts in the real world.

Before the show started, Terry graduated from the University of North Carolina Wilmington with a degree in Anthropology, as well as being a classically trained actor, all while serving in the Army.

"I remember I had to stop training, so you could go to an audition," former Army Green Beret officer, Chase Milsap humorously recalls.

Next Episode

This is why it’s so damn hard to play a veteran, according to an actor

In this episode of the Mandatory Fun podcast, the crew speaks with standup comedian turned actor Tone Bell.

Tone isn't a veteran, but as always, there's a connection. On the Netflix show Disjointed, Tone plays a veteran who has served on three Iraq combat deployments and now deals with the everyday struggle of veteran issues.

To play the role, Tone prepped for multiple levels of PTS, the process of veteran transition, the culture of cannabis, all while bringing his comedic charm to the character. These hot topics would send the average actor running toward the next potential part, but this comedian believes this role only made him a better thespian.

Since Hollywood doesn't have the best track record of getting the veteran characters right, we tend to become very harsh in our criticism — which we're entitled too.

"[The role] it took a toll on me as a person in my day-to-day life," Bell admits.

Since Disjointed Part:1 debuted on Netflix, Tone has received numerous amounts of support from the veteran community for finally getting the role right and not going over-the-top with his performance.

"You just want to get it right," Tone Bell says. "You want people to appreciate it and not go 'bullshit' that's not the way it happened."