I didn’t necessarily plan on getting a LEGO MOC on TV, but I was looking for something to keep me occupied, building-wise, back in the spring. Greg Gutfeld, who’s been hosting comedic chat shows discussing politics and popular culture for a number of years, started a nightly late-night program in the USA in April. Although it featured a new studio set, the format was familiar, and his two usual cohorts, Tyrus and Kat Timpf, were frequent guests. So, as a fan of the show, I figured I’d give it a go!

Naturally, I started with the side characters. Tyrus, a professional wrestling champion among other things, was clearly going to be different from your typical midi-scale LEGO figure. On the “Gutfeld"!” show, he’s got his own comfy leather recliner—the other chairs just wouldn’t do.

He doesn’t sit on it so much as he sits into it, so I built him and the chair as one. Plus, he’s always got on a backwards hat with the MLB (Major League Baseball) tag showing—thus the white plate in the middle of his LEGO forehead. I went three studs wide for the head and five for the rest of him, putting him at about the same size of Thanos, give or take.

Kat, on the other hand, is quite petite, and usually sitting right at the edge of her chair in her tightly fitting dress, legs crossed, ready to pounce with a snarky comment. Or sneak a quick puff from her vape pen.

Greg, of course, is in a suit, feet not quite touching the floor since he’s short like I am, and is gesturing with his collection of notes. His famous unicorn coffee mug is on the table in front of him. The cityscape backgrounds were printed on glossy photo paper, and the images were found on the inter-webs. The Gutfeld! logo was cut-and-pasted with the free editing software GIMP.

I built the studio set from a couple of still shots I took of the show from my TV. I decided to just have the three seats for better viewing of the main characters. The big round plate was in a goodie bag from BrickWorld a few years ago—I don’t know the story behind it—and the lights were purchased from LifeLites. I found a nice box at a local retailer of “everything” TJMaxx to transport it in, but I quickly learned to use it upside down to make access to the build easier. Two Velcro cinch-straps around the box were critical to ensure no mishaps.

The other thing that happened back in the spring was that Greg opened up tapings of the show to a live audience. Although small, it’s quite rowdy. When I was satisfied with the MOC, I ordered tickets, and booked two nights in an NYC hotel. We made it all the way from Vermont via car to the line-up on the street “Avenue of the Americas” just in time. When we were entering the studio, I handed the box over to someone named Gabby who checked us in before we went through security. She was kind enough to take my MOC up to the cast before the show for a peek!

I guess they were taken with the MOC since it was placed front-and-center in the studio when we were seated. Greg even gave me a shout-out in his monologue when he announced making it to number one in the late-night ratings.

After the show, he came over, shook my hand, and we got some pics with the build.

After extending an offer to leave the MOC at the show, the producer then offered to get some more shots in the studio, including one in Greg’s chair. How rare is that! Maybe I need to make a MOC of myself in the chair now! Woot!

So there you have it, folks! People seem to respond to the gift of LEGO even if they aren’t necessarily LEGO builders themselves. I think the creativity, novelty and dedication to a craft really show. I’m not sure what exactly Greg might do with the MOC, although in a text I received later, Tyrus, the wrestling champion who unfortunately wasn’t on the set when we were there, offered to put the build in his trophy room. Or maybe it will just stay in the studio, who knows? That will be a story for another time.

It was all quite an adventure, from start to finish, and one I thought I’d share with the BrickNerd readers. Hope you enjoyed it!

Have you ever built a LEGO gift for a friend or total stranger? How far would you be willing to go to stalk—I mean meet—your favorite celebrity? Let us know in the comments below!

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