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  August 2, 2009

  Greg Grunberg shares his dreams for Yowza!! and the next 'Star Trek' sequel

  Interview with Carla Hay

  You know how a lot of celebrities have tapped into the Twitter craze? Greg Grunberg, one of the stars of sci-fi TV series "Heroes," has not only tapped into it, but he also found his business partners through Twitter. Grunberg met August Trometer and Rick Yaeger through Twitter, and this year, the three entrepreneurs launched Yowza!!, an iPhone application that allows users to find stores and merchants that offer discounts and coupons in their area.
  
  Yowza!! isn’t the only thing keeping Grunberg busy. He’s also been doing "Heroes" (in which he plays Matt Parkman, a police officer who can read minds) and various movies; raising awareness for epilepsy causes; and keeping active with his all-star musical group Band From TV, which performs shows for charity. Band From TV includes, among other members, Grunberg on drums, Hugh Laurie of "House" on vocals and keyboards, Teri Hatcher of "Desperate Housewives" on vocals and James Denton of "Desperate Housewives" on guitar.
  
  And there’s a pretty good chance that whatever hit producer/writer/director J.J. Abrams is doing next, then his longtime friend Grunberg will be involved in some way. (Grunberg has had roles in several of Abrams’ projects, such as the movie "Mission: Impossible III" and the TV shows "Alias," "Felicity," "What About Brian" and "Lost." Grunberg also had a voice role in the 2009 "Star Trek" movie.) When I recently chatted with Grunberg by phone for an exclusive interview, he gave the inside story on Yowza!!, what he’d like to do in Abrams’ "Star Trek" movie sequels and how he landed the voice role of Ant-Man in the animated series "The Super Hero Squad Show."

  Who came up with the idea for Yowza!!?
  
  I have to give credit to August [Trometer] and to all of us, but August for taking it and making it what it is, for sure. Who came up with the idea of being able to have coupons and offers on your phone? Basically, the seed of the idea was [from] me, because my wife and I always carry our Bed Bath & Beyond coupon or our Sears coupon or whatever with us, but we also forget it. The one day that the light bulb went off on my head was when I forgot as I was walking into a store and I had the coupon in my car. I was so lazy, I didn’t even want to go back to the car.
  
  So I kind of looked at this thing, my iPhone, which I love and use to organize my life. I’m a big Mac fan. [The iPhone] knows where you are anyway, so why doesn’t somebody come with the idea so you have all the coupons and offers with you all the time?
  
  Cut to a couple of months later, I’m on Twitter, and I get contacted by Rick and August (my two partners) and they approach me with another idea — more on the charity side of things — and we start talking about that. August is kind of a rock star in the app world. He’s had very successful apps since the beginning of the iPhone came out. So I pitched to him, "Well, what about this idea?" We were iChatting at this point … and then it just took off from there. Thanks to Twitter that I met these two guys and thanks to them being who they are.
  
  Truthfully, when you meet someone online, you have no idea if you’re going into business with a 12-year-old-girl or what. We just really got lucky. We’re all of the same mindset and all of the same spirit and have the same work ethic. We each individually bring something great to the table that we’ve already seen blossom into something really great.
  
  What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever discovered using Yowza!!?
  
  We were at a baseball game in another city. My son plays Little League in a traveling team. One of the kids on the team forgot his baseball bat, and he was freaking out. And his mother and father were like, "I don’t even know where we are!" And they were looking for a Sports Authority. I said, "I got it! I got it!" And he had an iPhone, and I said, "Download my application." And he downloaded it. And the way August had set it up, it’s a search tool just as powerful as a service tool. And it brought up Sports Authority and all the locations in closest proximity. They found the closest location and when he got to the store, he used the coupon, bought the new bat, saved about $15, and came back before the game started. And Yowza!! saved the day for that kid. It was such a great feeling.
  
  Another [great experience] was that I was in an elevator with a woman who said [he says in an old lady’s voice], "You just saved us $60 yesterday." Because of the shows I’ve been on "Felicity," "Alias" and now "Heroes," I’ve had some really strange things said to me, but not as strange as that and not something that sells as good as that. Apparently, there was some bridal shower and they all went to Siany, which is the West Valley in Los Angeles, and apparently this woman went in and used her 20-percent-off coupon and saved $60. I was like "Yes!" It’s a small victory, but it was very, very cool to hear that.
  
  What kind of interactions do you have with your fans? For example, do you personally answer e-mail that you get from fans?
  
  I do. And if someone sends me a self-addressed, stamped envelope, I will personally send them a headshot signed. We’re really listening to the people on Yowza!!. When you start a big business like this — this is national and we’re dealing with huge retailers, like Loehmann’s, and I put out an announcement about it. There are 800,000 people following me on Twitter right now. They take that stuff and apply it immediately.
  
  This year’s Comic-Con International in San Diego took place recently, and you’ve been to Comic-Con in the past. What was that experience like for you?
  
  I didn’t have the full Comic-Con experience until I was on "Heroes." "Alias" did have its genre niche and a few toes into the sci-fi world. Until I played a superhero with these [psychic] abilities, I never really got the grasp of how passionate these fans are. The first time you go down there, it’s scary! The show ["Heroes"] is in its fourth year, but "Star Trek" is huge, and Zach [Quinto, who plays Sylar on "Heroes"] is on that and on our show, and ["Heroes" co-star] Ali [Larter’s] movie ["Obsessed"] did really well.
  
  When I was on "Alias," it was like … everybody could kind of relate to me. I’ve always loved the connection with the fans. And if you don’t understand these fans and how much fun they are, it can be a scary thing going down there [to Comic-Con]. It’s like, "What is wrong with these people? They dress up [as characters]." And that’s not the way I look at it. They’re so passionate and they really take an ownership in the shows that they love. And when you see them dressed up as a cheerleader or walking around like Matt Parkman in police outfits, I love it. When I’m down there, I’ll engage them and take pictures with them. I was down there with my family, and the fans couldn’t be sweeter. They’re really, really nice. It’s like going to be a big costume ball.
  
  I connected with them from the 13th floor of my hotel room. I looked down from my balcony and this line was all the way down the harbor — all these people waiting to get into the panel, and they were just shouting up at me. It was so cool! And then we went into the hall, there were thousands of people there to see the panel. I hosted the "Kings" panel down there. I really, really love Comic-Con. I think next year, I want to have a presence down there with Yowza!! and some of the charity stuff I do. I want to do a really cool panel.
  
  So you’re on a popular sci-fi show and J.J. Abrams is one of your closest friends. What are the coolest perks you’ve been able to share with your kids by being in that situation?
  
  My 5-year-old son has a T-shirt that he wears to school that says, "My dad can read your dad’s mind." That’s pretty cool. We had a big party for my son the weekend of [this year’s] Comic-Con — which is why I wasn’t able to go down to San Diego — and all of his friends love the show. It’s awesome.
  
  I went to dinner last night and the two actors [Dylan and Cole Sprouse] that play Zack and Cody [on "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody"], they’re sitting at another table. And my kids are like, "Oh my God! Oh my God!" My kids walked over there and as we got up, they [Dylan and Cole Sprouse] were like, "Dude, we love the show [‘Heroes’]!" You never know who watches the show, but that to me is cool for them [the kids] …
  
  The show opens up doors if you’re open to it. I would never have had access to August or Rick and be able to seek these guys out and have their expertise and partnership and friendship, there’s no way it would’ve ever happened if it weren’t for [my fame].
  
  The Dodgers had a charity event, I went, and Manny Ramirez turns around and says, "Hey man, don’t read my mind!" He gives me a hug and my kids meet him. It’s the coolest thing ever. All around, it’s been nothing but a wonderful experience. I have to protect my kids from certain things, but using my celebrity for [the cause of] epilepsy — my oldest son Jake has epilepsy — and raising money and awareness for that to starting a business with these two incredible guys, if you find a positive way of doing things and take advantage of it, it’s a very, very powerful thing.
  
  How do you see Yowza!! expanding in the future?
  
  We have a long way to go in expanding the service, as far as going into the brick-and-mortar stores, because it really is a location-based application. You press a button, and show your phone at the register or the server at the restaurant and you save money. As easy and fluid as the process can be, that’s what we’re working on every day.
  
  There are places we’re expanding to, there are sports teams we’re talking to. This is a very powerful marketing tool and the information gathered both for the consumer and the merchant. For major-league baseball, for example, if you’re sitting at a game, and press Yowza!!, hopefully, you’ll be able to get a deal on a T-shirt. And everyone in the stadium can download the app for free.
  
  I have a call with the Olympic Committee. With the Olympics coming up, I want to be able to offer this to them and to be able to get announcements out. People can check Yowza!! to find out what’s going on with the Olympics … It’s just the beginning. We have a long way to go to maximize our potential in this mode we’ve set up, which is getting people back into the stores and spending money but saving money at the same time.
  
  Which of the characters you’ve played is most like you in real life?
  
  I’d have to say Sean Blumberg from "Felicity." The truth is, if you ask J.J., who’s my oldest friend in the world, I’m always trying to come up with that next great business idea. You can come up with a great idea, but the real work begins after you’ve done the work in creating it. You’ve got the product now, but who’s going to see it? Yowza!! is one of over 70,000 apps that are in the apps store. There are probably apps in there that would change our lives forever that no one will hear about. You’ve got to get the word out about it. You have to have the elements in place.
  
  It was a great character to play, because J.J. lived that with me. We shared an apartment after college. I had a frozen-yogurt business, August had a bagel shop, so we’ve been preparing to go into business for years.
  
  Which of the characters you’ve played is the one you’d want to hang out with the most?
  
  I would’ve loved to have had Matt Parkman as a wingman when I was single. It would be great to just turn to Parkman and go, "Hey, Parkman, is she into me or not into me?"
  
  Do you plan to have any other celebrities, besides yourself, endorse Yowza!!?
  
  We’ve got pictures of so many celebrities holding Yowza!! up and pimping it out. They’re all friends of mine, but we can’t use any of those or we’d have to pay for the legal rights. I know what it’s like to be in that situation. The coolest person would be if President Obama said to people, "Hey, do you want to solve the economic crisis? Use Yowza!!."
  
  I’m actually going to the White House [in August] for the American Disabilities Act. The ADA helps every single American who wants an equal right tow work. And my son is one of those people. He’s got epilepsy and he should never be discriminated against.
  
  What have been some of the experiences that have the biggest impact on you since you’ve been raising awareness for epilepsy?
  
  What’s really stood out for me is hearing from people who’ve been affected: those who have seizure disorders and those who don’t. Even the little changes. Money comes and goes, and yes, every charity is desperately in need of funds — epilepsy being no exception — but to see the stigma, the wall that’s been put up for so many years, in my own small way, I’m trying to crumble that wall. I’m trying to help people understand that if you see someone have a seizure, it’s no big deal. They’re going to be fine, never stick anything in their mouth, and call for help if you need to, but know they’re going to come out of it.
  
  Like Jack Black says on TalkAboutIt.org, which is a website I created to get people to talk about it, "We should talk about epilepsy the way we talk abut cheeseburgers." At TalkAboutIt.org, you can link to CURE [Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy], the Epilepsy Foundation of America and all these great resources out there where you can understand that 50 million people around world have epilepsy. We should understand it and not be afraid of it.
  
  Is there any celebrity you’d like to recruit to be in your band?
  
  I’d love to get Bill Clinton on sax. I’ve been trying for a while, but I want to get Jennifer Garner, because she’s got the most beautiful voice. Teri Hatcher is already singing and you can’t really get any better than her. It’s tough. How many great people can you get onstage at the same time? But we’re having a blast. People can go to TalkAboutIt.org to find out where we’re going to be.
  
  What can you say about the fourth season of "Heroes"?
  
  At Comic-Con this year, they set up a whole carnival, because the feeling of the show, where they’re going, is there are these carnies and a lot of these people claim to have powers, like the freak-show people. Well they do have powers and they’re sort of hiding out in the open in front of all of us. And the guy who runs the carnival is going to be a major character and he’s going to be recruiting some of us. My character will hopefully get sucked into that whole world.
  
  Right now, we’ve only shot four episodes [of the fourth season], but there’s a lot of residual effects of what I did at the end of the third season, which was transfer the brain from one character to another. It wasn’t a clean transfer and a lot of the Sylar stuff got trapped inside me [as Matt Parkman]. That is what’s going to be really cool to watch. [Matt’s] got this beautiful baby and [his] wife’s back — and at the same time [Matt’s] battling these demons inside [his] head.
  
  What do you know about the sequel to this year’s "Star Trek" movie? Do you think you’ll be in it?
  
  All I know is that — just like anything else that J.J., [screenwriters] Bob Orci and Alex [Kurtzman] and any of those guys do — I’ll do anything they ask me to do. They had a great role for me in the first one as Chief Engineer Olson, and the actor [Greg Ellis, who got the part] did a great job. I couldn’t do it because I was shooting my own movie called "Group Sex" that I wrote, produced and starred in. I couldn’t change the schedule and I couldn’t make it work. I’m more than up for anything.
  
  Friends of mine have suggested that if they bring the character of Harry Mudd into the ["Star Trek"] movies, that’s a character I’ve already pitched to them. I don’t know if that character is going to be in the [next "Star Trek" movie] or at all. It’s interesting and funny [as a character] and I can have fun with it. Chris Pine, I love that guy! And obviously, Zach [Quinto] and I are really close. Anything I can do in a ["Star Trek"] movie, I would love to do.
  
  You’re the voice of Ant-Man in Marvel’s "The Super Hero Squad Show," the animated series that premieres on Cartoon Network in September 2009. What can you say about the show?
  
  I can’t say much. I am definitely the voice of Ant-Man. Adrian [Pasdar, as Hawkeye] got to go into a room with all the actors in one room together and they were doing voices. I came after that, and I went into this room and there were 16 microphones all empty and I tried to do my best and make it sound like I was in the room with all of them. I’m so honored to have been asked to do it. I’ve voiced games and I did a couple of episodes of "Robot Chicken." I love that whole world. I hope I get a chance to do more of the animation stuff. [Ant-Man] is a very cool character. I hope that people like what I did.
  
  What do you say to anyone who’s skeptical about Yowza!! and what it can do for them?
  
  From the die-hard person who keeps a little folder with them all the time with all their coupons in it to the kid who’s 13, 14, 15, walking through the mall, it’s not your grandmother’s coupons anymore. It’s on a sexy device that’s easy to use. It’s got all the coupons that you would have in the side compartment of your car. Yowza!! is about pressing one button and finding the stores that care about you. Everyone can use Yowza!!. Even for small businesses, it’s cheaper than any advertising they’re doing now.

  Source: Examiner.com

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