Ep. 068 - Halloween with Clem the Demon: James Leary is Still Slaying!

The Skiptown All Stars welcomed a frightfully familiar face for a killer Halloween edition - James C. “Jimmy” Leary, famous for playing the loose-skinned demon Clem on cult classic Buffy the Vampire Slayer. James recounted his dramatic journey from New York to New Hampshire to Texas, doing improv comedy in college, then moving to pursue sketch comedy dreams in Chicago. A chance encounter with real-life celebrities like Amy Poehler & Tina Fey from Second City's touring group inspired James' westward migration to Los Angeles.

Jimmy found minor acting roles despite most auditions insisting he "bring it down." But a Nutri-Grain commercial let him go big, launching a prolific commercial career. A twist of fate - and a friendly castmate's recommendation - brought James to the Buffy casting director's attention. He landed the minor part of Clem, playing a demon with more humanity than evil. Jimmy approached Clem seeking laughs and heart, evolving the character into a core member of the cast over 8 episodes.

After Buffy ended, James capitalized on Clem's cult status through comic book conventions for over a decade—his first being the San Diego Comic-Con in 2003. Moving back home to Texas, he transitioned into writing for video games like Grand Theft Auto and Assassin’s Creed, enjoying the cinematic quality and evolved storytelling. When an opportunity arose to voice Clem for Audible.com’s Audible Original podcast, Slayers: A Buffyverse Story, James leapt at reuniting with his former castmates.

Slayers is an Audible Original audio-only story set in a Buffy multiverse. It's positioned as Season 9, with writers seeking to reclaim Buffy's story through a more empowered narrative. Original cast members Anthony Head, James Marsters, Charisma Carpenter and Emma Caulfield Ford returned, welcoming new female lead Laya Deleon Hayes. The actors recorded together in a group, enabling dynamic interactions beyond typical isolated voiceover booths.

Jimmy shared insider tales of the Slayers cast reunion, feeling like a lead versus past ensemble status. The writers elevated Clem to a core character and "Spike's best buddy," delivering Jimmy’s most significant Buffy content ever. He marveled at the surround sound, immersive production by Audible and Wayland Productions, accurately simulating a room of conversation. Jimmy also applauded new cast member Laya, who impressed despite her young age with sharp voice acting skills.

With Halloween nearing, the Skiptowners, Denise and James, grilled self-proclaimed horror film hater Jimmy on his top five horror movies. He cited psychological thrillers like The Exorcist and Get Out over slasher films, appreciating directors like Sam Raimi who blend horror and comedy. He named The Thing, Jaws, Army of Darkness, and of course, Buffy among his favorites. Despite rejecting scary movies, Jimmy proves he can still get into the spooky spirit.

Jimmy reflected warmly on his enduring connection with the hosts Denise and James after first meeting through their kids' preschool decades ago. He expressed gratitude for the chance to retell his Hollywood journey and Buffy memories, eager to reunite soon without "strike" handcuffs. The hosts celebrated Jimmy’s evolution from fledgling improviser to professional "loose-skinned demon" and beyond, thrilled to share his colorful story.

Here are 10 Fun Facts about Buffy the Vampire Slayer:

1.     Sarah Michelle Gellar originally auditioned for the role of Cordelia, not Buffy.

2.     Joss Whedon cast Nicholas Brendon and Anthony Stewart Head as Xander and Giles after seeing them play roles in other productions that were very different from their Buffy characters.

3.     The show went through several name changes before landing on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", including "Slayer" and "Hellmouth".

4.     "Buffy" was the first primetime television series to feature a lesbian relationship as a long-term story arc.

5.     James Marsters' audition for the role of Spike included him reciting a monologue while doing a handstand.

6.     Sarah Michelle Gellar injured her wrist fighting an actual quarterstaff-wielding martial artist in the episode "What's My Line? Part 1".

7.     The movie version of Buffy starred Kristy Swanson in the title role but Joss Whedon was not happy with how his script was interpreted.

8.     Buffy's address is 1630 Revello Drive, which is actually located in Torrance, California.

9.     The Gentlemen from the episode "Hush" were based on Nosferatu, Pinhead, and Mr. Burns from The Simpsons.

10.  Nicholas Brendon and Alyson Hannigan would play rock, paper, scissors to figure out who had to go in the sewer scenes first.

And here are 10 fun quotes from sci-fi and horror actors:

1.     "I never fully understood the ending of 2001: A Space Odyssey when I saw it at 15, and I don't expect to now." - Harrison Ford

2.     "I have just gone over my scenes, and I definitely out pointed Laurence Olivier and the rest of those people in The Entertainer. I'm not impressed with any actor on the screen today." - Vincent Price

3.     "Vampires are always either erotic or horrifying or, more often than not, a murky combination of the two." - Richard Matheson

4.     "I'm into, oh murders and executions mostly. It depends." - Johnny Depp as Edward Scissorhands

5.     "I love playing the monster. The monster was one of the best parts I've ever had." - Boris Karloff

6.     "I don't play monsters. I play very interesting human beings." - Bela Lugosi

7.     I didn't even really think of this movie as a horror film. To me, this was a small independent film about carefree teenagers who are having a rip-roaring time at a summer camp where they happen to be working as counselors. Then they just happen to get killed. —Jeannine Taylor on how she viewed Friday the 13th

8.     "I’m your friend til the end!” - Chucky

9.     “I don’t want to sit there and have to dispel everything. The unexplained is the unexplained and that’s OK.”—Patrick Wilson from The Conjuring

10.  "I'm glad The Fly is still accepted as the nasty gross-out film that it always was. I don't like to see it shown to kids on TV; it's something that should be seen only after kids have reached the age of sixteen or so." - David Cronenberg