Steve Burns beyond “Blue’s Clues”
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hi out there. It's me, Steve. Have you seen Blue, my puppy?
Hi, I'm Rima Grace and welcome to This is Uncomfortable, the weekly show from Marketplace about life and how money messes with it. Like a lot of millennials, I grew up watching Blue's Clues, which of course is the Nickelodeon kids show about a guy named Steve and his dog Blue solving everyday mysteries. I first chatted with Steve Burns on his podcast last year. And since that conversation, I've been wanting to talk to him again, this time on my show to talk about his personal story. I find it really fascinating how he fell into a job he never planned to have and then watched it quietly take over his life. His experience gets at something we talk about a lot on this show, which is how the work we fall into can shape how we see ourselves, what we think we deserve, and how we think about money.
So this week, I'm talking with Steve Burns about fame, imposter syndrome, the not-so-glamorous reality of trying to make a living as an actor, and how his relationship with money has changed along the way. Before we get into the conversation, a quick heads up. A few weeks ago, we did an episode about keeping financial secrets in a relationship, and you all called in to share your thoughts. Be sure to stick around to the end of the show to hear one of those calls. And as always, you can call in too at 347-RING-TIU. All right, here's my conversation with Steve. Rima, hello. It is so nice to be with you again. It's so good to see you again. Last time I was on your show. This time, I'm interviewing you.
How did Steve Burns become famous for Blue's Clues?
You're a great guest, by the way. Oh, thank you. We had a good time. It was nice. So I'm in North Carolina recording this from my childhood home. And I was like, oh, the setup's not great. The lighting's not ideal. But then I was like, wait, this is actually very fitting to be interviewing you from my childhood bedroom, from the house where I grew up watching you on my TV screen. All right. It feels like a little full circle moment. How cool is that? Yeah, it's pretty cool. It feels surreal. So obviously I watched you as a kid. You were Steve from Blue's Clues. I still am. You still are. Aren't I? I don't know. Well, that's kind of what I want to get into. Like, I'm curious what that job was actually like for you.
But I want to back up. How did you first get that gig? Well, it was one of my first jobs I ever got. You know, I wasn't in New York more than like a month or two before I got that job. Early 20s. Yeah, I was a kid. We were all just babies. Blue's Clues is turning 30 this year, which is inconceivable, as Wallace Shawn would say. And we were all just babies. I mean, the creators of the show were in their early 20s. Imagine that. It had kind of a... a punk rock band vibe. We had no idea what we were doing. And we were doing it for zero money. And- Really?
What challenges did Steve face with fame and imposter syndrome?
I want to get into that. Yeah, for sure. I had won an acting award, which is how I got to New York. And I had won an acting award for being like very intense and serious, like a very serious actor. And I thought that's what I was good at. You know, I was like, well, I guess that's what my thing is. You know, I'm going to go to New York and I'm going to be Al Pacino, obviously. And I thought the Blue's Clues audition was to be the voice of a cartoon, like off camera kind of thing. And if I had known that it was on camera, I wouldn't have gone. That's the honest to God truth. Because this was a side gig. It was a detour. Yeah. Well, I mean, I needed money. I was auditioning for literally anything I could, you know, and I was just starting out.
Like I said, I just arrived weeks before. But I think if someone said, you know, this is a chance to be on children's television, I would have said, oh, I'm entirely inappropriate. That's not my thing. Yes, this is a mistake. And when I went into the audition, there was a camera in the room and I almost left. I was like looking for reasons to leave. And I just said, all right, since I'm here, I'm going to act the hell out of this. I mean, I'm Al Pacino, right?
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:01–1:39
2
How did Steve Burns become famous for Blue's Clues?
1:39–3:05
3
What challenges did Steve face with fame and imposter syndrome?
3:05–28:07
4
How did Steve's early experiences shape his views on money?
28:07–32:34
5
What was Steve's relationship with money during his time on Blue's Clues?
32:34–39:13