Episode #119: Bill Funt (Allen Funt)

© Josh Mills. All Rights Reserved.

Today on the Rarified Heir Podcast, “in the morning, in the evening…ain’t we got Funt?”* That’s right, it’s an encore episode with Bill Funt, son of Allen Funt. We speak to Bill about growing up the son of perhaps THE pioneer of reality television whose Candid Camera TV show was a major hit on American television for decades and was just one of the versions in a long line of Candid incarnations which spanned radio, cable TV and film as well.

We spoke to Bill about everything from a legitimate air hijacking to Cuba he was a part of as a toddler as well as his dads beginnings in radio in the military which launched the idea for Candid Microphone, Candid Camera, Candid Candid Camera and (ahem) What Do You Say To A Naked Lady. More on that later. We also spoke to Bill about his songwriting aunt who got him on the set of Sesame Street, his mother Marilyn Funt, whose book Are You Anybody? was a precursor of sorts to this podcast and his dad’s love of The Beatles. Not.

There’s a lot to unpack here including Bill’s ribbing of hist Josh Mills’ imitations, his own career as a musician and stints working on classic television that was not Candid Camera. Take a listen, to this encore episode of the Rarified Heir Podcast. Everyone has a story.

*referencing this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7wKHIYysjY 

Join the discussion

More from this show

Rarified Heir

Hosted by:  Joshua Mills
Produced & Engineered by: Jamie Harley