Robert Kazinsky: "World Of Warcraft" Saved My Life

January 29, 2016

Even though he gained about 50 pounds, Rob credits his "Warcraft" obsession to gaining enough self-confidence to leave the house.

TranscriptCONAN: YOU'RE QUITE A GOOD FIGHTER. YOU'RE A SERIOUS FIGHTER. ROB: YES. CONAN:DO YOU GO TO THE GYM AND FIGHT, OR DO YOU FIGHT IN THE STREETS? ARE YOU THE KIND OF -- ROB: DEPENDS WHAT HAPPENS. NO. THE THING IS, YOU KNOW, I WORKED ON -- IN A SHOW ONCE THAT KIND OF PUT ME IN A SPHERE THAT WAS -- I MEAN, I WOULD WALK DOWN THE STREET. PEOPLE WOULD WALK UP TO ME AND PUNCH ME IN THE HEAD. CONAN: I WORK ON THAT SAME KIND OF SHOW. ANDY: HA HA! ROB: YOU'RE CONAN! CONAN:NO. LET'S EXPLAIN WHAT THIS MEANT. YOU WERE ON A SHOW CALLED "EAST ENDERS." AND "EAST ENDERS," YOU PLAYED ON THE SHOW -- YOU PLAYED A TOUGH GUY, A HARD MAN. AND A LOT OF PEOPLE REALLY TOOK THAT AS IF THAT'S WHO YOU REALLY WERE. ROB: DO YOU KNOW WHAT? THE THING IS, WHEN YOU PLAY A T.V. TOUGH GUY, AND I DON'T KNOW WHY I KEEP GETTING THAT, BUT I DO. YOU'LL BE OUT. SOMEONE WILL HAVE TWO BEERS. AND THAT'S FINE. BUT WHEN THEY HAVE THE THIRD, THEY SEE THE TOUGH GUY ON THE T.V. IN THE CORNER AND THEY'RE LIKE, I CAN IMPRESS THIS GIRL. I'M GOING TO GO AND HIT HIM. AND THEY JUST DO! IT'S REALLY MEAN. OR THEY'D THROW STONES AT ME. OR I'D BE HAVING DINNER WITH MY PARENTS AND THEY WERE EITHER HURLING INSULTS OR BREAD ROLLS. CONAN:FIRST OF ALL, BREAD ROLLS, I COULD HANDLE THAT. ANDY:HA HA! CONAN:I CAN HANDLE AN INCOMING BREAD ROLL. EVERYTHING ELSE SOUNDS TERRIBLE! ROB:YES. CONAN:BUT WHAT'S INTERESTING IS BECAUSE YOU WERE GETTING PICKED ON, YOU DECIDED TO JUST RETREAT AND PLAY VIDEO GAMES. ROB:I DID. CONAN:AND THAT LED YOU TO GETTING THIS AMAZING MOVIE ROLE, RIGHT? ROB:WELL, IN A VERY LONG-WINDED WAY. NO. THIS SHOW MADE ME -- I WOULD WALK DOWN THE STREET, HAVE A HAT ON, NEVER LOOK ANYBODY IN THE EYE. IT REALLY KIND OF MADE ME AFRAID TO SEE PEOPLE. AND THERE'S AN UGLY SIDE OF FAME-- SUCH AS IT IS, IT DIDN'T REALLY APPEAL TO ME. THAT IS WHEN I FOUND WORLD OF WARCRAFT. 18 HOURS A DAY. JUST SAT THERE, ORDERING CHINESE FOOD AND USING COKE CANS FROM LAST WEEK AS ASHTRAYS. IT WAS REALLY A GLAMOROUS -- CONAN:I DIDN'T THINK YOU WERE GOING TO SAY ASHTRAY. ROB: HA HA HA! CONAN: GO TO THE BATHROOM OR THERE'S THIS COKE CAN. ROB: WELL, THE BATHROOM WAS SOMETIMES -- IT WAS DELAYED. THERE WAS A PARTICULAR THING WHERE THIS GAME SUDDENLY BECAME MY LIFE AND THIS GAME WOULD SLOWLY GIVE ME REWARDS AND ALLOW ME TO TALK TO PEOPLE AND MAKE FRIENDS, WHO WERE JUDGING ME ANONYMOUSLY. NOT BECAUSE OF MY APPEARANCE. CONAN: NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY SAW YOU DO ON T.V. ROB: EXACTLY. I WAS ABLE TO FORGE NEW RELATIONSHIPS AND I WAS SLOWLY GIVEN THESE REWARDS THAT BELIEVE IT OR NOT, GAVE ME CONFIDENCE, THE BOOST. BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, I WAS ABLE TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF SELF-BELIEF AGAIN. I CREDIT WORLD OF WARCRAFT WITH SAVING MY LIFE. THE PROBLEM IS, ONCE I REACHED THAT POINT, IT WAS THE TWO YEARS AFTER THAT WHERE I JUST KIND OF GOT FAT. I PUT ON ABOUT 50 POUNDS. I WAS JUST LITERALLY BELLY OUT, LIKE THAT. CONAN:NICE YOU CAN PUT THE CONTROLLER RIGHT ON THE BELLY. THAT'S WHAT I LIKE. ROB: THE BELLY! I'D JUST SIT THERE LIKE THIS. AND IT WAS, YOU KNOW -- I HAVE A REALLY WONDERFUL LIFE NOW. I HAVE THE PERFECT GIRLFRIEND. I HAVE -- I'M DOING A GREAT MOVIE THAT I LOVE. I HAVE A GREAT THE SHOW. I'M LIVING IN LOS ANGELES. IT'S PRETTY GREAT. BUT I'VE NEVER BEEN HAPPIER THAN WHEN I WAS REALLY FAT. AND NO ONE HAD ANY EXPECTATIONS OF ME AND I WAS PLAYING VIDEO GAMES. CONAN: MAKE SURE YOU TELL YOUR GIRLFRIEND THAT. ANDY:HA HA HA HA HA! CONAN:THIS IS GREAT BUT NOTHING BEATS THE TIME I WAS ALONE AND FAT. SHE'S GONE NOW! YOU CAN SEE HER RIGHT THERE, ON A BOAT LEAVING. YOU PLAY ORGRIM DOOMHAMMER IN THE "WARCRAFT" MOVIE. WE HAVE A PICTURE OF YOU IN THE CHARACTER. AND MY GOD! YOU DID PUT ON WEIGHT. ANDY: HA HA HA! ROB:THAT IS ACTUALLY NOT ME. THAT'S A MODEL OF ME. >> AH! ROB:I THINK -- DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER SHOT? CONAN: I THINK WE HAVE ANOTHER SHOT OF YOU. ROB:THAT'S ME! VERY DIFFERENT, RIGHT? UNFORTUNATELY, I DID PUT ON ABOUT THAT MUCH WEIGHT BUT IT DIDN'T MATTER, BECAUSE THE WHOLE THING WAS MOTION CAPTURED. ALL CGI. I TELL YOU, ONE OF THE BEST EXPERIENCES OF MY LIFE. CONAN: WE HAVE TO WRAP THIS UP BECAUSE OF FINE. BEFORE WE GO, HOW WOULD YOU GO AT ME, AS A FIGHTER? I HAVE THE REACH. ROB: YOU DO HAVE THE REACH. CONAN:I HAVE A HEAD THAT BOBS AROUND, MOCKING YOU. WHAT WOULD BE YOUR APPROACH? ROB:MY MAIN FEAR IS YOU PROBABLY HAVE THE LARGEST HEAD I'VE EVER SEEN. CONAN:HA HA HA! I -- I -- I COULD JUST -- ROB: IT WOULD EITHER HAVE ITS OWN GRAVITATIONAL FIELD OR -- OR I'D BREAK A FINGER ON IT. I DON'T KNOW. IT'S AN INTIMIDATING PREMISE. CONAN: I CAN TELL YOU FEAR ME, REALLY. THAT'S REALLY ALL I WANTED TO GET OUT OF THIS INTERVIEW.

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