Justin Halpern never really thought much of what his father said – at least he didn't think other people were that interested. But it was after he was on a walk with his father that he realized, he just had to share it with the world.
"We were on a walk with my dog, and the dog was sniffing around in some bushes or something and my dad pointed to the dog and goes 'look at the dog's a-- hole, you can tell by the dilation of his a-- hole that he's going to sh-- soon.'"
Soon, Halpern was sharing his dad's sayings on Twitter appropriately titled, 'Sh*t My Dad Says' which now has over a million followers.
"For the first week I didn't have any followers," Halpern recalls from his parents' home in San Diego. "But one of my friends runs a fake Michael Bay Twitter page and he tweeted me, then about 500 people started following me. After comedian Rob Corddry tweeted, that's what really made it explode."
Since the 'explosion' of his Twitter page, Halpern has appeared on numerous TV talk shows, unaccompanied by his father who hates the attention, and once referred to Jeopardy contestants as people who had "No f---ing respect for themselves." Halpern has also just released his book based on his relationship with his father with the same title as his Twitter page, 'Sh*t My Dad Says.'
"I tried to keep it mainly about my father and I," Halpern explains. "I made sure of it. I just didn't want to piss any family members off."
The book is a compilation of stories that take place from Halpern's childhood and continue to the present. In between stories are quotes from his father's rants ranging from how three-year-olds have 'no right to act like a—holes,' to his reaction upon catching his son wearing his mother's cologne.
"I think it's sort of a loving tribute to him," he says "After my dad read it, he set it down and said 'I did the best I could,' and I'm like, 'Dad I know you did. This is me saying you did a great job.'"
'Sh*t My Dad Says' has since garnered so much attention that the creators of 'Will & Grace' approached Halpern and have produced a pilot episode based on the book for CBS, which is set to air in this fall. Halpern is portrayed by 'a dreamy young man named Ryan Devlin' and the show also stars Canadian actors Will Sasso who portrays his brother Dan and William Shatner, who plays the role of Halpern's father.
"Mr. Shatner is fantastic," Halpern says. 'He's a lot like my dad in some senses in that he's an older guy who doesn't want to be bothered by a lot of other BS conversations. He wants to come in, do his job and then he wants to go. And it's great. You know where you stand with him at all times."
As for how his father felt about Shatner playing his part, Halpern says he was a little reluctant. "I think he was unsure until he came to the pilot taping" he says. "And then he was really excited afterwards he was like 'that was a great portrayal.'"
And even after all of this, Halpern's dad still hates the attention.
"It was funny, he came to the pilot taping and the studio audience gave him a standing ovation and I think it was kind of trippy for him,' Halpern laughs. "He just got up waved his hand and then just sat down."
After the long journey from Twitter to TV, Halpern says he's grateful for all that has happened.
"I'm plenty happy with how everything's gone; I don't think I need anything more. Just to get this far is a dream come true and I think that's amazing."
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