James Hazley’s big break was one of those out-of-nowhere, only-in-L.A. things you hear about happening to people like Marilyn Monroe or Danny Trejo. A year ago, he answered a Craigslist ad to be part of a focus group; as it turned out, it was really a secret casting session for “The Eric Andre Show,” the surreal comedy sketch show on Adult Swim. Hazley ended up getting cast in the role of Blannibal.
But for years before that, he worked a variety of odd jobs — a bouncer at bars like the Surly Goat and the Cobalt Cafe, at warehouses and temp agencies and a security company — and he was a fixture on the indie-rock scene, playing drums and guitar for bands like Peeling Grey and Cockeyed Ghost. The members of Peeling Grey were moonlighting as Uber drivers, and they tried to convince Hazley to do the same. They said you could make decent money, and the hours were flexible. Hazley was certainly used to irregular work at irregular hours. He finally caved in 2017: At around 2 a.m. he’d start his graveyard shift as an Uber and Lyft driver. Later, he added Postmates to his repertoire.
>"“Some things are only profitable because you’re not forced to pay the actual social cost.”"