‘Free Bert’: Bert Kreischer on Pulling From His Real Life for New Netflix Comedy

Bert Kreischer is proving to be more than a one-trick pony or bear in Free Bert. The trademark shirtless comedian known to be the life of the party pulls from his own life and family for the new Netflix scripted series. He shows a more personal side as a fictionalized version of himself whose daughters Ila (Lilou Lang) and Georgia (Ava Ryan) are accepted into an elite Beverly Hills private school. Kreischer and his wife Leann (Arden Myrin) work to fit in with the high-society crowd.

The 53-year-old is no stranger to the streamer with a number of his comedy specials found there. Among them was last year’s Lucky, which was filmed in Tampa, not far from his home town of St. Petersburg. A decade ago, Kreischer gained notoriety for his true story from a college trip to Russia that involved the mafia and accidentally became part of robbing a train. “The Machine” served as not only the subject of a Showtime special but the premise of the 2023 movie of the same name.

These days Kreischer remains a dedicated family man. He has been married to his wife Leann for more than 22 years. Together they have two girls: 21-year-old Georgia and 19-year-old Ila. Here the funnyman opens up about how art imitates life.

Now that the show is out how does it feel?

Bert Kreischer: Nerve-wracking. I got texts from higher-ups at Netflix, and they are so excited. They said it was such a great show and were excited for people to see it. I just wrote back, “It’s very different from a stand-up special.” You know with a stand-up special it will perform well because you’ve done the material, you know the material works, and will be proud of the material forever.” With a TV show you get a four-week swing at it, then you’re in the edit bay, and then you hope people like it.

Does it mean more pressure because you are taking from your real-life and family?

No, I feel like my fans know my family. I’m just hoping new fans find it and identify with it. I’ve gotten a really good response from the show so far that I really didn’t expect. Like I really did not expect. Gayle King loved it, which I did not see coming. Drew Barrymore loved it, which I did not see coming. That’s the type of fans I’m trying to reach out to. Fans who are unfamiliar with my fans. Maybe you know me as the guy who takes his shirt off. Then they see this and can see themselves in me.

What does the family think of how their characters are portrayed?

I don’t know. We’ll find out. I’m waiting for the call from my daughters. I’m not excited about it, but I’m waiting for the call. Listen, it’s weird when someone uses your name and uses your likeness and misrepresents you to the point where it never really happened. Then you’re like, “Wait!” I’m sure that has to be a sensitive area. At the same time, these are fictitious takes on nonfiction parts of my life. I’m hoping everyone is going to be on the same page and see the art for what it is. At the same time, it’s their names and their likeness. If they are not happy, I’ll deal with it then.

Lilou and Ava are scene-stealers. Talk about the cast and how you were able to mesh as a family.

Ava I think gets the most credit because most of the heavy-lifting is done on her shoulders. The story arc is her story arc. I mean you follow me throughout, but at the same time, it’s Ava who all of the scenes depend on her emotions. Lilou really got the sweet spot. She was a sniper who just came out of nowhere and dropped bombs. That kid is so damn talented, especially considering she had never auditioned before. It was her first audition ever. I mean, I don’t know what it was like for those miners who found gold in the hills of San Francisco, but I feel like I found a well of gold. I’m ready for Netflix to go, “We’d love to do a Season 2.” And then Lilou goes, “I’m sorry. My schedule is unavailable.”

Or she’ll ask for more money in her contract.

Oh without a doubt.

You had Rob Lowe in the first episode right out of the gate. I feel that scene where you’re performing at the birthday party really solidifies what the show is about. That you are seen as more than just the guy who takes off his shirt.

I think we wanted to show some people only see me as the guy who takes off his shirt. We tried desperately to make sure there was a fair representation of how people see me outside looking in. And that’s why I feel the way I do in the series. That was drawn specifically from a period of time in my life where I did a corporate gig for a hedge fund, and they just said, “Yo, put the shirt back on, take it off, and tell ‘The Machine’ story. That’s all we need. Don’t try to do more material, big guy. Just do that and then drink with us.” I was like, “Wow, is that what I am to people.” Then I think the question Rob poses is an internal question for me, would they show up if you didn’t take your shirt off? Once you get to that question, then what is my worth? That’s where the character spins out. What is my worth? Is my worth as a dad? Can I be a great dad? When he screws that up, then it becomes how can I right this boat? That scene I think is the most important scene in the whole TV show in my opinion.

How was it getting him on board for this?

Oh, it was awesome. Rob is so easy. I sent him a text, and he asked if we could shoot it in Santa Barbara. I was like, “Yep.” He was in, and he gave us so much extra time he didn’t need to give us. He was just the man.

As a Go-Big Show fan, it was fun for me to see T-Pain appear on the show. I liked that nod.

I know right! Who would have thought we would be on a TV show together other than Go-Big Show. He was the best. I reached out to him and told him I was in a bind and I needed this thing where I wanted a streamer. I didn’t know any of the streamers and didn’t feel comfortable acting with a streamer. I was literally like I knew T-Pain streams. So, I hit him up and told him the scene and sides. I asked if we could do it at his house. He didn’t even read the scene before saying, “Of course.” When we got there, he was a hundred percent on the book. He murdered it. Him and [Adam] Pacman Jones, I assumed we would be improving the scene and their busy and famous and not going to learn sides. They were completely on book for the entire scene.

How was it going into the scripted mindset in a traditional TV series like this compared to what you do on stage?

It helped that I kind of wrote the scripts. I put it the way I’d say it anyway. There were certain scenes where it was hard. There was a scene where I was apologizing to the Vanderthal family. I had to say the same sentence four different ways. That was a tough one because you can’t repeat and improv because you’re saying the same thing, but differently. That was a tough one. Then some of the more emotional scenes were tough for me. I think I was good as long as we were moving fast. The listening was tough.

On top of this you’re doing your “Permission to Party World Tour,” you have a big homecoming coming up in Tampa. What’s all that been like?

It has been absolute chaos. I mean I’m getting on a plane right now to do two nights in Austin. It has been chaotic. I’ve been trying to juggle this promotional schedule. Look, it’s a great problem to have. If you told me when I was 26 that I’d be doing stand-up and these would be my issues I’d be like, “How lucky am I?”

As a comedian, how do you weather these times where there is the constant worry of offending someone and cancel culture?

Sadly, I hate to tell this to the woke people, but when they get outraged, it just sells it to the other half. In a weird way, it’s almost beneficial to push buttons because you sell it harder. It’s almost like not trying to attract sharks. They are splashing in the water thinning, they are getting your attention not realizing the shark is coming after them. We didn’t get any notes. We took big swings in the show, clearly. We didn’t get any notes. So, if anyone gets offended, it will just drive people to the show. So, in a weird way, you’re like I’m a little oblivious to the cancel culture and wokeness. I think it’s kind of comical at this point.

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What are your Season 2 hopes for the show and story you’re telling for the family?

I got to be honest with you. We just did a great job for Season 1 that I don’t know if we can do a good enough job in Season 2. I mean we got so lucky with such a great cast at such a great age with such a great skillset with such a great story. I’d love to do a Season 2 and would love to tackle it. But man, it would be pushing a rock up a hill. I don’t know where we’d go with Season 2 or where the story would go. It’s the reason I love stand-up. When you finish a new special and then have to write another hour, it’s terrifying and scary and you think you’ll never do it. And then you do it and are like, “Shut up, I didn’t again.” I would love to do a Season 2. Put that down and send it to Netflix. None of that is up to me right now. Right now, I just hope people like Season 1, they respond to it, and give it a favorable review. The goal is to attract the Top 10 in trending.

Season 1 of Free Bert is streaming on Netflix

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