Dropout's 'Game Changer' Cast Talks CollegeHumor Rebrand, Season 6
The cast of contestants and comedians from the sixth season of “Game Changer” can best be described as reminiscent of the old stop-motion holiday special, where the titular reindeer meets a group of outcasts on the Island of Misfit Toys. This diverse and eclectic group embodies a modern, inclusive ethos that starkly contrasts the early days of CollegeHumor.
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Sam Reich, CEO of Dropout and host of “Game Changer,” reflects on the company’s evolution from its early days of CollegeHumor before rebranding as a standalone, ad-free subscription service. “You saw a gigantic sea of white men,” Reich notes, highlighting the transformation to a more diverse and representative ensemble. “We get a lot of credit for stuff that happened organically.”
Today, Dropout’s vast array of content is lauded for reflecting the world’s true diversity. Throughout the game show’s sixth season, viewers find a spectrum of ethnicities, creeds, sexual orientations, and genders represented.
In addition to Reich, seven of this season’s cast members—Ally Beardsley, Raphael Chestang, Katie Marovitch, Vic Michaelis, Oscar Montoya, Brennan Lee Mulligan, and Jacob Wysocki—sat down with Variety for an afternoon at the Dropout studio. The interview was followed by a game mimicking the unpredictable rules of the show, with rules the cast members did not know.
CollegeHumor launched its streaming service Dropout in Sept. 2018, knowing traditional advertisers and streamers wouldn’t support the content they aspired to create, so they “dropped out.” In late 2019, Barry Diller’s IAC planned to sell the business, deeming it no longer suitable for their broader strategy. By January 2020, after failing to find a suitable buyer, they sold the business to Reich, then Chief Creative Officer of CollegeHumor. Unfortunately, this transition resulted in over 100 employees being laid off, with just seven remaining, including Brennan Lee Mulligan, the creator of “Dimension 20.”
The pandemic hit shortly after. While most productions halted, Dropout continued to deliver content to its growing fanbase by creating virtual shows and digital content. The company’s subscriber base now stands in the mid-high six figures, reflecting steady growth.
Reich truly differs from CEOs in the media business because he shares his success with everyone. In 2023, Dropout introduced profit-sharing, benefiting anyone who earned even $1 with the company throughout the year. The company even pays for actors to audition for any of its shows. Dropout now operates with around 20 full-time employees, supplemented by numerous contracted creatives who help bring its diverse array of shows to life.
The show has been submitted for Emmy consideration, including Outstanding Game Show.
Read about some of the best moments from Variety’s interview with the cast and creators below.
Part 1 of the Season 6 “Game Changer” finale is now available on Dropout.
Read: All Primetime Emmy predictions in every category on Variety’s Awards Circuit.
Ally Beardsley
Ally Beardsley (they/them) is a talented writer and improviser affiliated with the Upright Citizens Brigade, a comedy institution and training center founded by Amy Poehler, Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh in 1996. Despite finding the term somewhat “allergic,” their courage in embracing their authentic self in front of Dropout’s large and passionate audience across multiple seasons of “Game Changer” and other programs demonstrates their determination to make people laugh.
Looking back, how do you view your transition so publicly on Dropout?
I feel like I had the horrifying pleasure of transitioning very publicly and being in sketches regularly.
It was very scary, especially when some parts of your body feel very out of your control. My advice is that kind of old and cliche thing—being is becoming. There is no final form, or I’m “whole” now. I’m figuring it all out, and now I feel comfortable. You’re always going to feel a little bit uncomfortable, and that’s great—that’s being alive.
What has been your experience on the show?
What’s been fun about this is two realities are going on: all of us having fun, and then as “Game Changer” continues to go for more seasons, there’s the “lore” of the show, which I think is inflated because it’s funny. So, messing with Brennan in real life would be less fun than messing with the version of Brennan that appears on Dropout shows. If we get nominated for an Emmy, it would be like Pirate Radio winning a Grammy.
Raphael Chestang
Raphael Chestang has been writing in the digital landscape for over a decade. In 2017, he became a cast member at CollegeHumor. Before that, he was a writer for ETonline. Aside from appearing in multiple “Game Changer” episodes, he also served as the official “referee” for the game the cast played with Variety. Recently married, he had to book a new venue for his wedding day with only four days’ notice because the owner of the previous venue was “on the run.”
How many unread emails are in your inbox today?
4,900, which is a lot better because I had over 11,000. The good thing is that it’s created this movement online where people are now sharing their 49,000 or 110,000 emails. It’s almost like I’ve allowed the people to release themselves from their shame.
Congratulations on your wedding. What is the status of your lawsuit?
It’s ongoing. We have to find them [laughs]. They were on the run.
Katie Marovitch
Katie Marovitch has been around since the early days of College Humor and has continued to shine with appearances in its vast offerings, including the new show “Smartypants.” The comedy writer, actor, and director performs improv and standup across Los Angeles. One of the best facts is her short appearance on the “Second Place” episode, where the contestants had to Venmo her the most money for points, which has continued to deliver ten-fold after the producers put her code on the screen. She regularly receives funds from random people (with a few requests that she ignores).
When did you know you had to make people laugh for a living?
I know the exact moment. I was trying to work in finance in college. I was the valedictorian in high school and got to give a speech at Northwestern. I always thought I would go the money route and work in finance. I had a third-round interview at Nielsen, which they flew me out for in New York. While I was answering the questions, the woman interviewing me said, “You are a very strange person.”
I said, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
I thought I had answered everything professionally and was coming off as intelligent. When I left, I called my dad and said, “That was weird, right?”
He said, “There’s no way they won’t hire you after that because that would have been rude.”
And then I did not get the job. I was like, I guess that’s not the world for me because I can’t be the little freak I am. And I went to LA soon after.
Also, can you share why you Venmo’d ‘Vagina Chocolate’ to Ally on one of the episodes?
I know exactly why… I was buying shrooms from Ally, and they were heart-shaped and reminded me of a vagina, so I wrote vagina chocolate.
Reich: You’re answering this as if you’re in a deposition.
I mean, I do not recall.
Vic Michaelis
Vic Michaelis (they/them) hosts the web series “Very Important People,” which was submitted for outstanding short-form series (comedy, drama, or variety) and outstanding performer in a short-form series. One of the most hilarious moments of the day was when Michaelis revealed they did not have a mail application on their iPhone. Instead, they opened the web browser to access their Gmail, which sent fellow castmate Brennan Lee Mulligan into a spiral.
How does “VIP” differ from other shorts that are out there? And what did it feel like to break character so much when Zac Oyama became “Tommy Shriggly?”
It’s a long-form improv show, mostly involving scenes cut into smaller sections, and I don’t think there are a lot of improv cuts like that. When it came to Zac, I saw him upstairs. I walked in, and I didn’t say anything. I looked at him, and I walked out of the room. Do you know when people get bad news in movies, and they slide down the door and collapse? I did that — twice. The interview is about an hour. We get a lot of comments asking what was cut for time, and there isn’t much that’s cut.
Oscar Montoya
Oscar Montoya’s big breakout role was as Richie on the HBO/Max comedy series “Minx,” for which he was honored last year with the Supporting Actor TV Award at the Critics Choice Celebration of Latino Cinema and Television. His talent is only surpassed by his kindness and love for his fellow comedians. In many ways, he has become the heart and soul of Dropout, consistently demonstrating an ability to make people laugh without resorting to meanness.
Were you frustrated by the journey and cancellation of “Minx?”
“Minx’s” journey felt like the equivalent of an uphill climb while a mudslide was happening simultaneously. The critics responded positively, but unfortunately, it didn’t click with the masses. Working on the show made me understand that if you’re happy with the work you’re putting out there, and it resonates with at least one person — that’s the biggest takeaway.
This season of “Game Changer” was a showcase for how loving and nice you are. Is that genuine?
I’m incredibly non-competitive. Being in a contest with someone like Brennan is different because I feel like a bystander watching when he takes it seriously. Ally knew exactly what buttons to push on Brennan. All I had to do was agree and support the chaos, and it was just so fun. But yeah, I love it when other people succeed. I still feel like being a part of Dropout is a dream, and I am so lucky to do this. Every time, with every show, I can’t believe I’m on set with the best people around. How can I not have the best time and show my love and appreciation? My love language is words of affirmation, so I always take advantage of that. I often tell people I love them because people don’t hear that enough.
Brennan Lee Mulligan
Host of the indie streamer’s highly popular “Dungeons & Dragons” series “Dimension 20,” the creator and game master Brennan Lee Mulligan has become a cherished staple and a big part of Dropout’s rising success. His appearances on “Game Changer” are among the most watched on the company’s social channels.
What are your feelings about the state of Hollywood and making content?
There’s a funny thing that traditional legacy media does: it goes as you come to a cattle call casting. “I’ll tell you who you are,” they say. I remember a commercial casting director at UCB in New York who went down the line and pointed at people before we even spoke. The idea that some casting robot wouldn’t know what these people’s gifts are—or the comedic personalities that each of these artists has spent years crafting—is something that I hope dies. And I hope that we’re the ones to kill it.
What will you tell your child when they find your “Yes or No” monologue or “Roseate Spoonbill” online when they’re older? Is there a lesson to be learned?
The fun thing about the “spoonbill” was that I wasn’t supposed to be there. I was subbing in for Raphael. The things I do on “Game Changer” are very similar to what I do on “Dimension 20,” which is that, as someone who’s worked with kids my whole life as a camp counselor, the big thing you want to do, especially if you’re an older brother figure for people, is lose and lose well.
The hysteria and mania surrounding being “bamboozled” are similar to what I do behind a dungeon master’s screen. I play big, scary villains so that people feel like heroes when they get clowned on in the last episode. In a society obsessed with success and victory at all costs, embracing losing is a lovely thing.
Sam Reich
How far away are we from seeing Dropout’s first feature film?
I think the first thing we need to do is figure out our path into the scripted period, which we are doing. We’ve got a few “irons in the hopper.” The fun of thinking about scripting right now is that we know these people so well — that writing for them will be a fun exercise. Typically, when creating a show, you’re thinking about it, writing forward, like, “Who will we get to play this role?” Here, we get to think about it as casting backward, which is fun. We’ve got a few ideas that we’re working on. We’ll take our time developing them to make sure that by the time we’re ready, it’s going to be great.
I have a pitch for this group: I would love to use a model like “The Big Chill” as an approach to making a feature film. I would take a group of people, rent a house, and do some loosely scripted, structured scenes where we’re all playing the closest versions of ourselves. I think that would be incredible.
Where did you come up with your signature opening line: “I’ve been here the whole time?”
What it actually means is that I’m announcing the show, but the camera doesn’t cut to me until I say it. I’m telling the audience that I’m having fun with the fact that I’m hosting the show. But people seem to think that it has a deeper meaning, which makes me want to indicate that it does.
Jacob Wysocki
Jacob Wysocki began his career in the independent film scene, starring in Azazel Jacobs’ coming-of-age dramedy “Terri” (2011) alongside John C. Reilly. This role earned him a Gotham Award nomination for Breakthrough Actor. Since then, Wysocki has pursued acting across various platforms, including roles in TV shows like NBC’s “Superstore.” He was also considered for larger roles, such as the quirky but memorable Shawn in 2017’s “I, Tonya,” a role that ultimately went to Paul Walter Hauser.
With your career starting in the indie circuit with Azazel Jacobs’ “Terri,” what kinds of things are you looking to make?
It sometimes feels like people don’t know I existed before Dropout—which is fine, and I understand why that is true. But the reality for me is that I’ve been doing this very seriously since I was 20. I did “Terri” when I was 20; it was the first movie I had ever done. The only professional work I had done before was TV or my own projects. It was the first time in my life that I knew exactly what I needed to do for the rest of my life. It was extremely affirming and placed me exactly where I needed to be in the universe.
What was it like to watch this season’s episode where you were transformed into “super Saiyan Jacob?”
It was like a child’s version of me was somewhat healed. I don’t think it’s a particularly masterful act of comedy, but I think it’s relatable. Every person of a similar age probably did that when they were kids. It’s also fun to scream and matches up well with being rambunctious. If anyone had the opportunity, they would do that as well. Katie’s husband did the Super Saiyan animations. What sucks for me is that I don’t know how to do something cooler, funnier, or better than that. That’s my own challenge.
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