Bringing Chameleons Into The Country And Working For Free

"I’ve never been anywhere near Australia,” Blumenfeld says. “But we have high hopes, because we’ve heard nothing but great things. Everyone is very friendly, everyone is very handsome, everyone is very tall and…”He can’t finish his sentence because Hurwitz interjects. “Is it true Australian girls like American guys?” he enquires, tongue firmly in cheek.

Hurwitz and Blumenfeld are perhaps better known as Jake and Amir, the titular characters from College Humor’s Webby Award-winning series of the same name. The series has recently been adapted to US television, the pair also hosting acclaimed podcast If I Were You. Their next venture (as far as fans are concerned) is an Australian tour.

"We’ve had so many fans in Australia for such a long time and zero chance to actually meet any of them"

“We’ve had so many fans in Australia for such a long time and zero chance to actually meet any of them,” Blumenfeld explains. “We always do long meet-and-greet sessions and try to talk to every single person that comes to a show, so we’re definitely looking forward to doing that in Australia for the first time.”

It’s always interesting to see how our favourite film, television and web series translate into a live setting. While for some it can be a little daunting at first, Hurwitz and Blumenfeld have relished it.

“We enjoy live shows a lot,” Blumenfeld admits. “It’s much more fun and entertaining performing in front of a live audience – you get the instant feedback, you get the laughter. So far we’ve only done a few shows across the States, London and Manchester, and we’ve found it to be much more fun than recording in our living room with nobody else around.” “You get to engage with the audience more,” Hurwitz adds. “We also like to get drunk onstage – and it’s a lot more fun to get drunk with people than by ourselves in our apartment.”

"We also like to get drunk onstage – and it’s a lot more fun to get drunk with people than by ourselves in our apartment"

Hurwitz and Blumenfeld’s burgeoning popularity has seen their work progress from web series to world tour in just a few years. According to the pair, their success has been achieved through countless hours of hard work and an initial willingness to work for free.

“We tell people the same thing when they ask us for advice,” Blumenthal says, his voice mimicking that of a wise old man. “If you love something do it for free, and if it’s any good, someone will pay you to do it eventually.” “Also do it a lot,” Hurwitz adds. “You might do a bad job for a long time, but you’ll definitely get better. We definitely made our worst material in the beginning.”

Having “donated” their time for an interview, the two ask for one last favour.

“If someone could help us through customs when we arrive that would be greatly helpful. It’ll just be a few little creatures,” Blumenthal says. “Nothing bigger than a chameleon though,” Hurwitz reassures. “Thank you so much. See you at the gate.”