Drinking with Drexel’s Last Emperor | The Triangle

Drinking with Drexel’s Last Emperor

Another sit-down with Roy Aguilar

Photograph by Ben Ahrens of The Triangle

Listen to this episode of “Last Call” online!

It’s amazing the difference only a few months make.

In November, Roy Aguilar and I sat across a table in a Hagerty study room to tape the first episode of what would become “Last Call.” The lead-up to the conversation, including the scheduling and sudden revelation that he was preparing to move to Beijing, were enough to make sure that I was not only at the top of my game, but also that I could ask Roy all the questions that I had always wanted to ask.

It was an interesting 90-minute conversation, one that I am extremely appreciative of, as this was the last time that Roy and I were able to speak face-to-face.

And then came the coronavirus.

When I first heard about the virus, even though I knew the distance between Wuhan and Beijing was great, I immediately thought of Roy. I didn’t think that not only China, but also the United States would be basically shut down for months trying to contain the virus, but I knew that his life would be radically changed and that he was potentially in danger.

However, I needn’t have worried, because he unsurprisingly turned lemons into lemonade and not only documented the experience first-hand, but also got some good press out of it, discussing his experiences in China with his characteristic charm and humor.

It was also a shame that, in the original episode, we only aired an abridged version of the conversation, instead of playing the entire conversation. Believe me, it was highly entertaining but also sufficiently informative to the character of the man.

So, when it came time to plan for Season 2, and knowing that only two episodes would be originals, I was hoping for this particular episode to be voted on as a re-run. Why? Because I knew that, if we did re-run it, it wouldn’t be in its abridged form. I was going to air it in its entirety. Everything.

From Bill Clinton impressions, to discussing a tattoo about a mutual favorite film of ours, to even discussing his work in jiujitsu, this episode truly shows more of the magic that began “Last Call” in earnest. Gan bei, Roy. Gan bei.