Mandi Bierly interviewing Donny Osmond for Entertainment Weekly on Popwatch:
Everybody knows "White & Nerdy."
Oh, isn’t that the best thing?
Oh, isn’t that the best thing?
Even better than the actual video is that first take, with just you and Al.
Oh, did you see it on YouTube?
Oh, did you see it on YouTube?
Many, many times.
Al called me up and said, "Can I get your permission to put this on?" And I said, "Well, you gotta send it to me, Al." And so I showed my wife and my kids and we were just on the floor dying. You know, it’s one of those things, Mandi, where I’m proud and embarrassed at the same time.
Al called me up and said, "Can I get your permission to put this on?" And I said, "Well, you gotta send it to me, Al." And so I showed my wife and my kids and we were just on the floor dying. You know, it’s one of those things, Mandi, where I’m proud and embarrassed at the same time.
Everybody loves it.
I know. It’s opened up a whole new audience. For instance, when I was doing Beauty and the Beast, I was crossing the street to walk into the theater and this teenager yells out to everybody, "Hey look, there’s that ‘White & Nerdy’ guy!" [Laughs] I thought, you know, my career has come to this. I’ve tried so hard to turn around the old Donny & Marie image and now I’m white and nerdy again. [Laughs]
I know. It’s opened up a whole new audience. For instance, when I was doing Beauty and the Beast, I was crossing the street to walk into the theater and this teenager yells out to everybody, "Hey look, there’s that ‘White & Nerdy’ guy!" [Laughs] I thought, you know, my career has come to this. I’ve tried so hard to turn around the old Donny & Marie image and now I’m white and nerdy again. [Laughs]
The dancing, was that all your own choreography?
That was spur of the moment, baby.
That was spur of the moment, baby.
No.
That was off the top of my head.
That was off the top of my head.
No it was not.
It was! As a matter of fact, when Al called me, it was so funny, ’cause I’ve known him for years. He said, "Donny, I wrote this parody on ‘Ridin’ Dirty,’ and it’s called ‘White & Nerdy’ and you’re the first one I thought of." And I said, "Thanks, Al. Appreciate it." So I walk in the studio, and I remember thinking to myself, If I do this half-baked it’s gonna be so bad. I gotta go 110 percent on this thing. And he said, "Well, what are you gonna do?" And I said, "I don’t know. But give me 5 minutes to think about it." So as you see, Al’s in front of me and I’m in the background and we start. And as I’m dancin’, the cameramen, the crew, the wardrobe people, everybody, their jaws drop to the floor. And I’m thinkin’ to myself, Oh, this is bad. Because nobody’s reacting. They’re just staring at me. And I said, ”No, don’t give up. Just keep going. Just keep going.” And by the end of the song, everybody just died laughing. And Al turns around and looks at me and says, ”What did you do?” [Laughs] And I said, "I don’t know." And we watched the first take, and we were just dyin’.
It was! As a matter of fact, when Al called me, it was so funny, ’cause I’ve known him for years. He said, "Donny, I wrote this parody on ‘Ridin’ Dirty,’ and it’s called ‘White & Nerdy’ and you’re the first one I thought of." And I said, "Thanks, Al. Appreciate it." So I walk in the studio, and I remember thinking to myself, If I do this half-baked it’s gonna be so bad. I gotta go 110 percent on this thing. And he said, "Well, what are you gonna do?" And I said, "I don’t know. But give me 5 minutes to think about it." So as you see, Al’s in front of me and I’m in the background and we start. And as I’m dancin’, the cameramen, the crew, the wardrobe people, everybody, their jaws drop to the floor. And I’m thinkin’ to myself, Oh, this is bad. Because nobody’s reacting. They’re just staring at me. And I said, ”No, don’t give up. Just keep going. Just keep going.” And by the end of the song, everybody just died laughing. And Al turns around and looks at me and says, ”What did you do?” [Laughs] And I said, "I don’t know." And we watched the first take, and we were just dyin’.
It’s like you don’t think it can get any better, and then you’re doing booty slaps.
I know. That’s unbelievable.
I know. That’s unbelievable.
Links:
http://popwatch.ew.com/2007/03/22/donny_osmond_gr/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_%26_Nerdy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donnie_Osmond
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