![]() ![]() Got a pocket full of money and a big thirst. They’re just out there living their life the best way they can, and making the usual mistakes. I mean, Tahiti, Thailand, they’re just over the top, and the crew, they’re like most young 20-year-olds that got the world by the butt. They’re having a good time with the locations, and some of the locations are just really, really spectacular. They’re having a good time with the toys. Quit trying to be a TV producer.” Elizabeth Vargas:īut most of the time, it’s really accurate. It is in a lot of ways, because it’s sometimes we’ll get guests that’ll come on, and they’ll all want to turn into TV producers, and they are like, “What can I do to really make myself stand out, or how outrageous can I be?” Sometimes, we have to step in and say like, “Listen, just enjoy your vacation. How true is the show to what we… In other words, I’ve seen shows, for example, about television news, and I’m like, “Yeah, it’s not like that.” Is this show pretty accurate, or? Captain Lee: ![]() Elizabeth Vargas:īasically, the show focuses on the crew that work aboard these incredibly luxurious yachts, keeping everything running and tip-top for the guests, the well-heeled guests on the above decks. I wasn’t ready for celebrity, or stardom, or any of this stuff, and I still consider myself just a captain that gets filmed doing his job. It just wasn’t… Well, nobody gives you a handbook on how to deal with this sort of thing, and I’m just a working class guy. I was totally unprepared for any of this. Were you surprised it became such a hit? Captain Lee: The show’s been described as a seagoing Downton Abbey. ![]() We didn’t have to reshoot it, but they had to reedit it in the storyline, so post wasn’t real happy. You guys went back and redid it? Captain Lee: They said, “Go back and do it again.” Elizabeth Vargas: That’s why the release date took so long to get out, because I was edited out of most of the scenes, so when Bravo got ahold of that – I think we only shot 10 episodes to begin with – and Bravo got it, and they said, “Well, where’s the captain?” They said, “Well, we decided to shoot around him and cut him out.” Elizabeth Vargas: That’s what they said, like, “Listen, we’re going to have to use the old guy.” They actually tried to shoot around me. My boss is, like most billionaires, he just really doesn’t… A million dollars doesn’t move the needle much for him, so he said, “Either use my captain or we’re out of here.” Elizabeth Vargas:Īnd as you once put it, somebody said, “Okay, I guess we’ll use the old guy,” referring to you. The captain that they hired, unfortunately, had the certificate, but he didn’t have the experience, so the insurance company pulled the plug on him. The captain that they had hired… See, I thought I was heading down to Saint Martin for just a gravy train, drop the boat off, go check on it every three or four days, get paid double pay, sit on the beach, drink foo-foo drinks for six weeks, bring Mary Anne down, and enjoy life. How did you end up with your starring role? Captain Lee: You weren’t even supposed to be on the show, right? Captain Lee: ![]() It has been years, and it was accidental. That always seems so foreign to me to hear people say, “Yeah, I’ve been watching your show for years.” I think to myself, “Gosh, has it really been years? I guess it has.” Elizabeth Vargas: They’ve been watching for years, and immediately regaled me with all their favorite episodes. My sons were very excited that you were going to be on my podcast, because they’re huge fans of Below Deck. Captain Lee, welcome to Heart of the Matter. ![]()
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