‘New Girl’ actors offer Simsbury man advice on becoming ‘The Donut King’

SIMSBURY, Conn. (WTNH) — Who better to take on life’s greatest questions than two comedians committed to the cause and devoted to their callers?

A Simsbury man recently experienced the hilarious yet genuine support of calling into the celebrity-hosted comedy podcast “We’re Here to Help.”

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Dubbed everyone’s drunk uncles, “New Girl’s” Jake Johnson and comedian Gareth Reynolds offer callers “free advice that feels… free.”

From bathroom etiquette at work to avoiding awkward sibling encounters, the hosts dole out advice as trivial or serious as the problems they’re presented with. They’ll often bring on guest helpers- their famous friends and fellow comedians, from the likes of Nikki Glaser and Zooey Deschanel to Justin Long and David Cross.

Lifelong Connecticut resident Drew Capolupo knew this was the team to help him complete a (mostly serious) dream of becoming “The Donut King.”

About five years ago, the 33-year-old engineer and donut-lover started a private spreadsheet to keep track of the donuts he was trying. Then, during one vacation, he playfully posted reviews on Instagram, and it snowballed from there.

“It was almost kind of a joke to start. I was kind of poking fun at myself for my love of donuts,” he said. People enjoyed the photos and his descriptive reviews, so he kept it going.

He turned to Johnson and Reynolds for advice on keeping the account fresh and fun, after years of doing it.

It was a success: he came out of the call with a renewed spark and a plan.

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“They always say they’re on the side of the caller, and as I was talking to them, it actually made me feel like somebody was having my back, just listening and pushing me forward,” he said.

Since the call about three weeks ago, Capolupo has decided to follow their advice and visit one new donut shop a month while still posting reviews of new donuts from his usual spots, which vary from mom-and-pop shops to gas stations.

When the episode aired two weeks ago, advice continued rolling in, this time from the podcast’s listeners, who boosted his follower count and started commenting support, feedback and suggestions on his recent posts.

Capolupo is already earning the title of “Donut King” by dishing out advice of his own to those new followers. When someone new to his area messaged asking where they should go first, he was ecstatic to see they actually took his suggestion and ended up loving it.

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“That was just really awesome to see, that somebody took my advice and enjoyed it,” he said.

But he does not take all the newfound advice to heart, still wanting to stay true to himself.

“My goal isn’t to gain viewers or followers. This has always just been my thing for fun. So if people want to follow along and see what I’m doing, that’s cool,” Capolupo said, happy to welcome more people to the donut community.

Listen to Capolupo’s call on “We’re Here to Help” on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts. His donut reviews can be found on Instagram @drewrunsondonuts.

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