My Mother from Another Brother: Margo Kuzee

If you know me, you may not realize it, but you probably already know and love Margo, even though you haven’t met her. If you’ve seen The Kloons’ series “Sisters” you at least know her voice. (She’s the one Nik lip syncs.)

Four years ago I started writing this article and never finished. As usual, I am daunted by the task of trying to voice my appreciation for someone whom I can never repay for their infinite kindness and generosity. But as a dear friend of mine recently reminded me, if it has to be perfect, it will never happen…so I’m acknowledging my inability to accomplish the task at hand, to say it perfectly, and just saying it as best I can.

I woke up one morning (four years ago) with overwhelming awareness of one of those people who changed my life. Maybe not changed it so much as majorly helped make it what it is. A personal “early adopter,” if you will. Someone who has been such a consistent source of unconditional love and support over the years, there is absolutely no way of knowing where the hell I’d be right now without her.

This morning I woke up with that sense again and knew I had to finish and publish this public declaration of my appreciation.

Margo probably first entered my world when she came to visit her son, (and one of my now best friends) the great Nik Kazoura, freshman year in the dorms. I was too young to truly get it at that point, but time with Margo is basically time spent with a walking, talking affirmation for all that is good in you. A proud activist-hippie at heart, her radiating warmth can be sensed simply through her smile and those shining eyes, but if you still aren't getting it, she'll make sure you feel the love with plenty of hugs and gentle touches. As the years have passed, I have greater appreciation for what a gift it is to spend time around people who are so intentionally nurturing. If somebody (Margo) calls you precious enough times, it's hard not to believe there is a wealth of goodness inside you.

Our lives as roommates first began at the start of my Sophomore year of college. The boys and I had a housing issue and our apartment wasn't ready for us to move in, so I spent a couple of weeks living with Nik and Margo on their couch. This was the very beginning of our dear friendship. Sure she was Nik's mom, but she was so deeply interested in whatever I was working on, we'd spend hours talking about our lives together. She'd ask about auditions and classes and most of all, love. Oh, how she loves love. Fortunately, I was in the midst of falling in love myself and had plenty of stories to share. Margo was so excited for me that she even let my girlfriend come over and stay on the couch with me. Her hospitality truly knows no bounds. And this was just the beginning.

Throughout our college years Margo would visit us from time to time, always bearing gifts. She'd bring one of her famous stews or home-baked muffins or a bowl of fresh fruit salad, making sure her son and his buddies were all well-fed. She began to see us boys as Nik's chosen brothers and in turn imagined herself as our second mom, which she very much was, and still is. She even came to see every show Greg and I were in, no matter how small the roles we were playing.

After my initial jaunt in NYC the fall after I graduated, I went back to Sacramento for the holidays to visit my folks. Basically broke again after surviving for a few months selling condoms, I wanted to visit Nik in Laguna Beach, but couldn't afford it. Somehow Margo caught wind that I wanted to come down, so she reached out letting me know she needed someone to paint her house and asked if I had any experience. I'm fairly certain I blatantly lied and said "yes," but a week later I was back at my home-away-from-home with Margo and Nik. They'd leave for work in the morning, then I'd get on the computer to learn how to paint a house and get to work. (Many years later Margo told me that she actually found my research on her computer, but didn't say anything because she didn't want to embarrass me.)

In the evenings Nik and I began to plot our reunion with the third of our trio, Greg Washburn, who was living in Paris teaching English. Margo would inspire us with her tales of hitchhiking in her younger years, which was like pouring fuel on the Kerouac-ian fire in my soul. No matter what the pursuit, she was always supportive, but if it included travel or love, she'd go into turbo-mode. It was probably this impulse that led her to encourage her sister Harva to hire me to install hardwood floors in her home to help me raise a little more capital for my upcoming adventure.

A couple weeks of manual labor later, these Sisters (Foreshadowing!) had provided me with the means to get back to NYC so I could keep selling condoms to pay my way to meet Greg and Nik in Morocco.

Shortly after I flew back to NYC, I received the first of countless care packages Margo has sent me over the years. This one included thick wool socks, hand warmers and the best jacket I've ever owned, and still wear to this day: a jean jacket with a mola she hand-stitched on the back. I'd seen a bunch of them laying around when I was painting her condo and let her know how much I liked them, so she told me to pick one out. I had no idea it would become a staple of my wardrobe for the next decade.

The Kloons writing in Margo’s sunroom circa 2015.

The true indicator of Margo's relentless support of her genetic and adopted sons came when The Kloons were born. For several years, Greg and I would travel west for the summer to spend months living with Nik and Margo in Laguna Hills so that we could spend more time making videos together. We'd list our apartment in NYC on Craigslist, then move in with Margo and Nik in June and wouldn't leave until August to head off to Burning Man.

Margo had two extra bedrooms - one for Greg, one for me - and I can’t recall a time where there wasn’t a gift waiting for us on our beds. Perhaps none better than her offering me Alan Watts’ “The Book,” which to this day I credit as being one of the most profound and impactful books I’ve ever read. It was my introduction to Watts, who I quickly became enamored with, and who provided me with incredible insights and questions and maps that were essential as I navigated my psychedelic “awakening.”

Margo let us do basically anything we wanted. Three young men in our twenties, writing the weirdest, raunchiest, darkest, most twisted things that came to mind. We'd sit in the living room howling about all kinds of tasteless shit as she worked quietly at her computer in the next room over. And after we'd written whatever smut we’d conjured up, then we'd film it…in her home. Rarely, if ever, did she wander into our brainstorms to say a word about our creative musings. She just let us experiment and explore. We'd have countless friends and hired actors come over to help us film and she wouldn't bat an eye. In fact, she'd prepare food for everyone on set to eat.

This wasn't simple co-habitaiton, this was a family. For a few months each year, Greg, Nik, Margo and I would eat all of our meals together, wash dishes together and then watch something on TV together. We'd sleep, get up and do it again. I'd wake up early so that I could go for a run in the neighborhood and then sit in her heavenly garden to read and journal before The Kloons got down to business. Margo would join me for a cup of coffee and we'd chit chat until the boys were up and the writing would begin.

All she asked in return was that we help with chores around the house and to contribute if there was any work needed in the garden. Mostly we moved plants. Replanting, repotting, she lives to serve "her babies." The love invested in her lush garden is felt as soon as you sit down in it.

The degree to which Margo extended herself to take care of us was unbelievable. It was as if she was trying to eliminate as many of the mundane daily tasks as possible so that we could pour whatever energy we had into this creative entity we were building. As we started our morning sessions, she would bring a serving tray with a pitcher of cold water and a pitcher of orange juice. an hour later, a full gourmet breakfast was served. A few hours later, lunch would be served. Seldom did we have to think about much other than our creative pursuit. On the weekends (unbeknownst to her at the time) we'd run off into the hills and take mushrooms, come back with a few more ideas for the stockpile and get back to work. Greg and Nik would be editing as I did my best to network online with other "creators."

Those summers were critical to our development as a creative machine. Since we spent much of the year living in different cities, we maximized our time together in Orange County to film and write as much as we could. We collaborated with anyone that was willing. We honed our writing process and began to find out what made us tick. And we went on walks. In the evenings we’d all pile up in the car, and head down to the beach for sunset.

On one of our idyllic, sunset walks along the coast with Margo.

But like I said, there is nothing Margo loves more than love…and in the summer of 2011, I learned just how strong her commitment to MY love was. Lauren and I had started dating that January, only a few months before she moved to Vegas. It absolutely destroyed me. That summer we were really struggling with the long-distance relationship and I had the well-intentioned, but definitely invasive in retrospect, idea to drive to Vegas to see Lauren and offer her a ticket to Burning Man. I was convinced we could find our groove again if only she would accompany me on the annual pilgrimage to the desert. I told Margo about my plan and she was so supportive, she loaned me her car. When I awoke in the morning for the drive to Vegas, she had packed the front seat full of snacks and left a note with words of encouragement.

Sadly, I returned from Vegas with the BM ticket in my hand, and an affirmation from Lauren that we were over. (Don’t worry - this story has a happy ending! We’re married now!) But Margo was supportive of my aching heart all the same. She sat with me in the garden as I woefully told her about my devastating trip to try and win back the love of my life.

About five years into our digital sketch comedy careers, Nik and his cousin were at a family gathering listening to their mothers making conversation and couldn’t stop laughing. They were tickled by the subjects, the way they communicated with each other and perhaps most of all by the way they jumped from topic to topic. They imagined recording their words and having The Kloons reenact them. The idea was so hilarious they imagined it could even land them on Ellen - no joke.

Nik recorded a sample and added the idea to our ongoing doc of every single seed of an idea we’ve ever had, with the following words:

“Siblings - Margo + Harva voiceover drunk history style, million $$ idea - nik will explain”

As soon as he talked it through with Greg and I, we were on board. It was just a matter of whether or not Margo and Harva would be game to let Nik do more recording so that we could make a full video. They agreed and we were off to the races.

When Nik sent us the first cut, Greg and I loved it. It was bizarre, but there was something earnest about it that pulled us in. We posted the first one online and it landed on the front page of reddit, launching us into the next round of career growth.

A month later, Greg and I returned from Burning Man and Nik had urgent news. A producer from Ellen had reached out and was potentially interested in having us on the show. The trick was that they wanted ALL of us on the show, Margo and Harva included. Yet, again….Margo (and Harva) agreed to be part of this wild Kloons ride and joined us on the show - despite always naming that she really didn’t get why people thought the video series was so funny.

Once we made the appearance, Ellen & Co. realized what we had realized - the real magic was in the interactions between Margo and Harva - and ended up recruiting them to be on the Red Carpet for the Mockingjay premiere. She also gifted them a trip to Hawaii, which for various reasons they couldn’t make happen and so they GIFTED IT TO US. An on-the-house trip to Hawaii, staying at one of the nicest hotels in Honolulu. An insane amount of generosity.

With Margo and Harva’s blessing we made several more episodes of Sisters, each one featuring their charming interactions…and all of these years later, I notice how much I took for granted the degree to which this collaboration allowed us to get quality time together.

Margo, Harva & The Kloons backstage at Ellen before our first appearance.

As we’ve all grown older, it’s been harder to stay in contact. It’s always been easy for me to get swept up in whatever chapter of my life I happen to be in…But I often think of Margo and long for those wonderfully creative days we spent with her in Laguna.

It’s a fascinating thing, I have Nik to thank for allowing me the great gift of knowing Margo and I have Margo to thank for the great gift of knowing Nik. So many of our friends meet Nik and immediately get the sense of his extraordinary specialness - his unbeatable sense of humor, his unbridled creativity, his gentle kindness…and when you meet his mother - it becomes quite clear where much of that beautiful spirit comes from, and was nurtured.

One of her famous lines to us has always been “Be free, sweetheart” and though I still feel like I am chasing some essential freedom, I am most certainly closer to it than I would have been had I never been in contact with the wonderful, loving Margo Kuzee.

Looking forward to our next walk along the coast soon, Margo.