1 00:00:02,320 --> 00:00:06,080 Speaker 1: Just last week I turned fifteen. I mean, I know 2 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:07,440 Speaker 1: I'm fifty one very soon, but. 3 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 2: Fifteen, as in my sober birthday. We count birthdays and 4 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:16,160 Speaker 2: celebrate them as such in the. 5 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:17,279 Speaker 1: Super Secret Sober Club that I'm part of. 6 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:20,480 Speaker 2: But if you're doing your sums, you might have figured 7 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:24,479 Speaker 2: out that I stopped drinking about two weeks before my 8 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:29,000 Speaker 2: belly button birthday, my thirty sixth birthday, to be precise, 9 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:34,559 Speaker 2: And I spent my thirty sixth birthday by myself in 10 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 2: Las Vegas for a work thing. Two weeks in to 11 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:44,199 Speaker 2: not drinking, I landed into the city of Sin but 12 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:48,640 Speaker 2: I was okay. How did I handle that? How did 13 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:51,919 Speaker 2: I go into a place that so much chaos had 14 00:00:51,920 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 2: occurred in previously? I'll tell you about that after the break. Kida, 15 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 2: thanks so much for listening to the show. I'm glad 16 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:06,320 Speaker 2: you're here. I forgot to mention the top. This is 17 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:09,039 Speaker 2: a podcast called Better Than Yesterday, making it better every 18 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 2: single week since twenty thirteen. Something that you hear on 19 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:14,959 Speaker 2: this show today and every episode that we do will 20 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 2: make your day to day better than yesterday. I'd like 21 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:20,000 Speaker 2: things that do what they say on the box very quickly. 22 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:22,960 Speaker 2: We do have another story Club show coming up April thirteenth. 23 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:24,120 Speaker 1: It's selling rather well. 24 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:25,959 Speaker 2: I get an email every morning at nine am if 25 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 2: you want to come, You're gonna want to get on it. 26 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 2: Analy's Constable Duncan Fellows, Lindsay mcdogal and Alex Lee will 27 00:01:31,319 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 2: join the Zombie not in Lodge and myself. You get 28 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 2: the tickets in the show notes. We put full stories 29 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:37,840 Speaker 2: up on substack for subscribers, so. 30 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: Do do get on that. You'll find a link in 31 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 1: the show notes. 32 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 2: Now I did mention before that I stopped drinking like 33 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:47,920 Speaker 2: two weeks before my thirty sixth birthday, a birthday that 34 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 2: I spent in Las Vegas, and what I did that 35 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 2: weekend is pretty much how I've managed to do everything 36 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 2: professionally since then. 37 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 1: To tell a story, we have to go back a 38 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:01,960 Speaker 1: little over a month from that. 39 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:05,000 Speaker 2: So I was living in Los Angeles at the Times 40 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 2: in early twenty ten, and my management call me up 41 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:12,359 Speaker 2: and say go over to Beverly Hills. Go and have 42 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 2: a meeting with these two format developers. They're two young 43 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 2: Go get a guys a bit older than me, and 44 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 2: so I get in there. I asked the phone on 45 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:20,000 Speaker 2: the question, okay, so do you want me to be 46 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 2: Australian or American? And they said, oh, I'll be American. 47 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 2: So I went to Beverly Hills and when sat down 48 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:26,840 Speaker 2: with these two dudes, and I gave him the American 49 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 2: accent the whole time, from the moment I walk in. 50 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:31,960 Speaker 2: It was easy then because I'm surrounded by it, and 51 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 2: it was a lot easier to have all the affectations 52 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:35,680 Speaker 2: and stuff, and my ahs were really good. 53 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:38,639 Speaker 1: We talked about a pilot that they needed a host for. 54 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:42,160 Speaker 2: It was for a competition reality show about a scavenger 55 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:45,520 Speaker 2: hunt in Las Vegas. The Hangover movie had just come 56 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 2: out and was massive, and it was essentially that the 57 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:52,320 Speaker 2: Hangover movie as a competition show, like you had to 58 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:54,959 Speaker 2: go get a chair from Caesar's Pallace poker room, you 59 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:56,720 Speaker 2: had to get married to a stranger, get on stage 60 00:02:56,720 --> 00:02:58,600 Speaker 2: at a cabaret show, that sort of thing. The game 61 00:02:58,639 --> 00:03:02,240 Speaker 2: would start on a Friday after and the finish line 62 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:05,800 Speaker 2: was Sunday morning, so you know, a big weekend. There's 63 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:09,080 Speaker 2: a big money behind it to make this pilot, and 64 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 2: it was looking good. It looked like a fun show, 65 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 2: so I said, yeah, I'd love to do it. A 66 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:18,079 Speaker 2: couple of weeks later, I find out I'm on and 67 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:22,760 Speaker 2: it's on my birthday weekend in Las Vegas. Now, some 68 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 2: stuff very clearly happened between the first meeting and when 69 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:28,080 Speaker 2: I got to Vegas, but essentially in the interim period 70 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 2: I figured out that I can't drink anymore. In the 71 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 2: first few days pretty hard, especially around sunset, you know, 72 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 2: little triggers. 73 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 1: Like that were a thing that were difficult at first. 74 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 2: I went and got some help because I didn't know 75 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 2: how to do it, So I asked people that didn't 76 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 2: know how to do it, and I learned a few 77 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 2: things to make those days and those moments easier. 78 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 1: It is, though, gripping on. 79 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 2: The railing of the roller coaster for a little bit, 80 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 2: but gripping on the railing of the roller coaster is 81 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 2: a better option than drinking again. But then before I 82 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:58,040 Speaker 2: know it, I'm off to Las Vegas, Nevada. They flung 83 00:03:58,040 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 2: me in on a Thursday. They went me there the 84 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:03,240 Speaker 2: night before, and it is honestly, it's my first time 85 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 2: landing in Las Vegas without already being a few drinks in. 86 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:10,080 Speaker 2: I've lived in America for about five years by this point. Now, 87 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 2: if you've never been in Las Vegas. It's kind of 88 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 2: like a Bucks weekend. Every weekend, you start drinking at 89 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:19,599 Speaker 2: the airport before you leave your hometown. 90 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 1: You have a couple on the plane, and when. 91 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:24,240 Speaker 2: You get there, there are Pokey's in the boarding gate 92 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 2: if you fancy a couple of slaps on the way 93 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 2: to getting your bag. One thing I will say though 94 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:31,480 Speaker 2: about Las Vegas is they have the best airport cab 95 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:34,160 Speaker 2: line in the world. I've been all over this planet 96 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:38,839 Speaker 2: and I've stood at Las Vegas Airport three thousand people 97 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 2: all arriving at once on a Friday afternoon, and you think, 98 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:42,920 Speaker 2: oh fuck, when this is terrible, We're never going to 99 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 2: get there. Now, I've been through that line in less 100 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 2: than ten minutes. It's an incredibly efficient system. And rather 101 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:52,239 Speaker 2: than one person mumbling into a radio number seven, there's 102 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:55,920 Speaker 2: twenty of those people really moving the Q forward, telling 103 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 2: people where to go, telling people where to stand, go 104 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 2: exactly that sport. They've got a very wide pay so 105 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 2: moving people around very quickly with lots of luggage is easy. 106 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 2: Every twenty seconds and the twenty cabs show up. It's 107 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:08,880 Speaker 2: quite something. Regardless, I'd been at a Las Vegas enough 108 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:12,840 Speaker 2: times where then to work up a theory that forty 109 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:15,120 Speaker 2: one hours was about as long as I could stay 110 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 2: in Las Vegas before things started to get really bad. 111 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:21,599 Speaker 2: It's just ruthless punishment on the liver and the wallet. 112 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 2: And yet here I was with carry on and a 113 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:29,040 Speaker 2: suit bag, heading there for four days of work. I 114 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:31,480 Speaker 2: got a cab to the Planet Hollywood Hotel and casino, 115 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 2: and you smell that casino air the moment you go 116 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 2: through the doors. It's a finally home scent marketing. It's 117 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 2: called a finally honed blend of smells designed to calm 118 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:43,160 Speaker 2: you down so you stay gambling for longer. So I'll 119 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:44,760 Speaker 2: get in there and I go straight up to the room. 120 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:46,800 Speaker 2: I'd already asked them to take the mini bar out 121 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 2: of the place. I'd learned that early on. But when 122 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:53,800 Speaker 2: I get in there, it's not a room. It's not 123 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:57,360 Speaker 2: even a sweet it's a fucking apartment. It is enormous, 124 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:00,920 Speaker 2: and it's Planet Hollywood. The room is full of movie 125 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 2: memorabilia that was a feature of the hotel. There is 126 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:06,560 Speaker 2: no mini bar, that's true, but there is the biggest 127 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:09,720 Speaker 2: gift basket I have ever seen. So to understand that 128 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:12,200 Speaker 2: there's a few things about show business. The higher you 129 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:14,640 Speaker 2: are to the top of the call sheet, the bigger 130 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:17,600 Speaker 2: the gift basket. The distance from the top of the 131 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 2: call sheet and your name is also directly related to 132 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 2: the distance between your car space and the front door 133 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:25,359 Speaker 2: and the size and scale of your hotel room. So 134 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 2: there I was in this thing. It was like an 135 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:31,159 Speaker 2: apartment with a humongous gift basket. There was enough snacks 136 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:34,039 Speaker 2: to ask me the whole week. The producers emailed me 137 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:36,360 Speaker 2: the script that they want me to deliver on camera 138 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 2: the next afternoon, and I say, no problem, I've got 139 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:44,560 Speaker 2: this now. Early on the days before, I'd been told, look, 140 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:47,080 Speaker 2: just put about half the amount of effort into staying sober. 141 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:49,039 Speaker 2: Then you used to put into the logistics of the 142 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 2: fendangle rey that you'd try to pull off just to 143 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:53,360 Speaker 2: organize opportunities to drink and use and you're going to 144 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:56,279 Speaker 2: be fine. So okay, But what do I do with 145 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:58,440 Speaker 2: the other half of the energy? So what I did 146 00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 2: is I decided to put that into just doing the 147 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:04,200 Speaker 2: very best job that I could possibly do there. The 148 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:07,120 Speaker 2: script itself is about twelve hundred words long, which is 149 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 2: absolutely massive for a TV script, but on shows like this, 150 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:15,160 Speaker 2: you need to have all that exposition, all the universe 151 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 2: building right up the top. It's almost like gathering two 152 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:22,120 Speaker 2: highly trained football teams together for round one and then 153 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:25,280 Speaker 2: as the referee standing there and explaining all of the 154 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 2: rules to AFL for them for the voy first time. 155 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 1: Reality television. 156 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:33,080 Speaker 2: You're in the business of authentic human responses to situations, 157 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 2: all right, And you cannot get somebody to respond authentically 158 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 2: the second time. 159 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:38,600 Speaker 1: It just doesn't work. 160 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 2: So you need to be filming their face when they 161 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:43,760 Speaker 2: get told something or find out something. So the first 162 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:45,920 Speaker 2: time they hear the rules has to be on camera. 163 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 2: I'm the one that has to tell them the rules. 164 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:50,720 Speaker 2: So a couple weeks back in the meeting in Beverly Hills, 165 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:52,640 Speaker 2: the boys asked me, so, do you need auto cure? 166 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:55,320 Speaker 2: I said, no, sir, I've done entire live TV shows 167 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 2: working from memory. I'll be just fine. Now bear in 168 00:07:58,720 --> 00:08:01,000 Speaker 2: mind that is what's known as rich goal. I was 169 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 2: lying because it was beyond my current ability to do 170 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 2: something like what they were asking me to do. But 171 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 2: I know that things always are better and I always 172 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 2: do better when I kind of promise about five percent 173 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 2: more than I can achieve. At that point, but understand 174 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 2: that if I work real hard, by the time I 175 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:18,720 Speaker 2: get to the gig, I'll be able to do this thing. 176 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:21,800 Speaker 2: And now I can do an extra thing. And by 177 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 2: the time I finished the gig, I got a new skill. 178 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:27,440 Speaker 2: But how do you remember twelve hundred words? Well, I 179 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:30,280 Speaker 2: use a memory technique that I learned called the memory palace, 180 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:33,600 Speaker 2: where it's also called low Kai. That's the memory technique 181 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:35,960 Speaker 2: that I've been using for a long time. You basically 182 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:39,160 Speaker 2: associate a mental picture of a familiar place in your 183 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 2: mind with words on a page, and then as you 184 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:44,800 Speaker 2: remember that familiar place, the words come far more easily 185 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:46,120 Speaker 2: as the memory of that place. 186 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:47,760 Speaker 1: That's one step. There's more steps to it. 187 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:51,480 Speaker 2: So for the familiar place, I used this suite that 188 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:54,040 Speaker 2: I was standing in the rest of that Thursday evening, 189 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:57,480 Speaker 2: I walked the same loop of this vast hotel room, 190 00:08:57,520 --> 00:09:00,319 Speaker 2: reading from my tablet and associating each sentence. 191 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:01,720 Speaker 1: With another item front of the room. 192 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 2: Like I said, like it's a planet Hollywood, there's movie 193 00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:07,160 Speaker 2: memorabilia all over the place. So you open what's the 194 00:09:07,160 --> 00:09:09,960 Speaker 2: first line, Welcome to fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada. So I 195 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:11,920 Speaker 2: did that standing by the window as if I am, 196 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 2: you know, speaking out to Las Vegas, Nevada. 197 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:14,520 Speaker 1: Then I took two. 198 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:18,080 Speaker 2: Steps to the five seaters so far, and I'd imagine 199 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 2: the contestants sitting there, and the next line is here 200 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 2: you'll compete for the ultimate prize. I'd take one more 201 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:26,240 Speaker 2: step towards the coffee table, where I see the prize 202 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 2: one million dollars. It's worth noting that inside the glass 203 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:34,840 Speaker 2: topped coffee table is the actual fucking briefcase from pulp fiction, 204 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:39,080 Speaker 2: like the one where Vincent says, are we happy? And 205 00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:43,520 Speaker 2: Jules John Roalda opens up the briefcase and sees that 206 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 2: golden glow and goes, yeah, we happy, and they takes 207 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:49,080 Speaker 2: a drag of a cigarette. That's the moment they confirm 208 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 2: that this is the right briefcase. We never see what's 209 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:52,720 Speaker 2: in it, but there is that glow. And if I 210 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:55,720 Speaker 2: recall correctly, the coffee table in part of the lighting 211 00:09:55,720 --> 00:09:57,640 Speaker 2: scheme of the room, it glowed, there was a light 212 00:09:57,679 --> 00:09:58,199 Speaker 2: inside it. 213 00:09:58,200 --> 00:09:58,960 Speaker 1: It was bonkers. 214 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:01,720 Speaker 2: I carried on around the room doing this because this 215 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:04,480 Speaker 2: grip was so long, twelve hundred words, it's about about 216 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:08,040 Speaker 2: ten minutes of talking. And I would go through the bathroom, 217 00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:10,600 Speaker 2: the kitchen out, I'll go everywhere. Every little thing in 218 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:11,880 Speaker 2: the room became a part of the script. And I 219 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:13,319 Speaker 2: did this for hours and hours and hours and hours 220 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 2: and hours, because I kind of knew that if I 221 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:17,960 Speaker 2: left the room, I would be in trouble. So I 222 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:20,199 Speaker 2: stayed in the room. I ordered some room service, and 223 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:22,080 Speaker 2: I watched a movie while I ate it, and I 224 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:23,840 Speaker 2: went to bed, and I was always already a bit 225 00:10:23,960 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 2: kind of twitchy, because you know, the sun was going down. 226 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:28,200 Speaker 2: I could almost imagine the sound of the poker chips 227 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:30,000 Speaker 2: clicking downstairs in the poker room. So I was playing 228 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:31,880 Speaker 2: a lot of poker at the time. And would you 229 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:33,800 Speaker 2: like a complishment of beverage, I don't mind if I do. 230 00:10:33,920 --> 00:10:35,640 Speaker 2: You know, I just I just had to get to 231 00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:38,679 Speaker 2: sleep without leaving the room. In the bedroom, however that 232 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:41,760 Speaker 2: was there was a piece of movie memorability which beggars belief. 233 00:10:42,520 --> 00:10:44,319 Speaker 2: I do not know how it ended up the bedroom, 234 00:10:44,360 --> 00:10:46,160 Speaker 2: nor do I know how I even got the fucking sleep, 235 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:47,120 Speaker 2: because it was there. 236 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:49,400 Speaker 1: I do want to tell you about that, but I 237 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:50,840 Speaker 1: do need to play some ads to be right back. 238 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:55,560 Speaker 2: I'm telling you a story about when I first got 239 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:58,400 Speaker 2: sober and how I stayed that way, and how it's 240 00:10:58,559 --> 00:10:59,960 Speaker 2: almost like how it's affected my work. 241 00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:02,760 Speaker 1: It came around the very first birthday I had as. 242 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:04,760 Speaker 2: A sober person, a bit two and a bit weeks 243 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:07,680 Speaker 2: in learning the script for this show that I'm shooting 244 00:11:07,720 --> 00:11:10,040 Speaker 2: the next afternoon, and it's late at night in the 245 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:13,800 Speaker 2: hotel room, and everything about Las Vegas is just why 246 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:17,040 Speaker 2: don't you come downstairs and gamble or booze or whatever. 247 00:11:17,520 --> 00:11:21,880 Speaker 2: Everything is directing you to that, and I just waited. 248 00:11:21,880 --> 00:11:23,200 Speaker 2: I just did this script until I was just so 249 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:24,679 Speaker 2: tired I couldn't read the page. Anyone was like, oh, 250 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:26,640 Speaker 2: they said, I'm going to get a bed. And I 251 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:29,160 Speaker 2: went into the bedroom and I've been there in the 252 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:30,959 Speaker 2: day when I drop my bag, but the sun was up, 253 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:34,000 Speaker 2: and there's a wardrobe or something against the wall, like yeah, whatever, 254 00:11:34,559 --> 00:11:34,960 Speaker 2: that's sure. 255 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:36,360 Speaker 1: There's a walk in wardrobe and that's weird. 256 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:38,559 Speaker 2: But on the wall there's all these different buttons for 257 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:41,240 Speaker 2: the lighting schemes, and one of them was sleep. And 258 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:44,079 Speaker 2: so while I was brushing my teeth, I'm walking around 259 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:47,920 Speaker 2: closing curtains, touching buttons, closing curtains, and then I touched 260 00:11:47,920 --> 00:11:50,640 Speaker 2: the lighting brother room. The lighting button says sleep, and 261 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:52,080 Speaker 2: I go in there to rinse my mouth out in 262 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:54,120 Speaker 2: the bathroom, and I come back out get into this 263 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:57,600 Speaker 2: enormous bed, bigger than king. I roll over and I 264 00:11:57,640 --> 00:11:59,880 Speaker 2: look over and I see that's not a wardrobe at all. 265 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:03,720 Speaker 2: That is a museum style glass case within which is 266 00:12:03,760 --> 00:12:07,440 Speaker 2: displayed upon a mannequin a kimono. 267 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:12,280 Speaker 1: Oh cool? Is that the kimono from Tom Cruise in 268 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:13,199 Speaker 1: Last Samurai? 269 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:16,480 Speaker 2: Oh? Maybe it's the kimono that Scarlet Johansen wore and 270 00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:17,360 Speaker 2: lost in translation. 271 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:19,240 Speaker 1: I got out of bed, I walked over. I tried 272 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:19,880 Speaker 1: to read the plark. 273 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:24,000 Speaker 2: This is the actual kimono, warned by Ted Levine in 274 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:29,719 Speaker 2: Silence of the Lambs. Buffalo Bill's fucking kimono is in 275 00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:37,440 Speaker 2: the bedroom, backlit like the world's spookiest nightlight. Like I'm 276 00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:39,920 Speaker 2: trying to go to sleep. It rubs the lotion on 277 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:42,520 Speaker 2: its skin or Elsa gets the hose again. 278 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 1: Staring at me. The fuck thought this was a good 279 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:50,520 Speaker 1: idea to put in a bedroom. It was weird. 280 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:53,000 Speaker 2: Next day, I've got some room service breakfast and I 281 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:54,720 Speaker 2: started going through the script again. This time I did 282 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:56,079 Speaker 2: it without the tablet in my hand, and I just 283 00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:57,480 Speaker 2: did it again and again and again. I must have 284 00:12:57,480 --> 00:13:00,680 Speaker 2: done laps around that sweet one hundred times. And right 285 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:03,480 Speaker 2: on sunset we shot the opener that was rolling the dice. 286 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:05,440 Speaker 2: It's the vaggest pun but they're rolling at us because 287 00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:06,839 Speaker 2: they wanted to do it right on sunset as the 288 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:08,840 Speaker 2: sun was going down, which is always a challenge because 289 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:11,120 Speaker 2: you get this incredible light but only last for a 290 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:13,679 Speaker 2: couple of minutes and if the light goes. We did 291 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:15,640 Speaker 2: not have a grip truck or enough lights to make 292 00:13:15,679 --> 00:13:18,199 Speaker 2: it work in the nighttime, so we had to get 293 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:20,480 Speaker 2: it right. And we're shooting with a big crane, We're 294 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:23,400 Speaker 2: shooting with five cameras. We're getting ready to walk with 295 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:25,320 Speaker 2: the contestants in and one of the producers comes over 296 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:26,719 Speaker 2: with a hard copy of the script. They've got to 297 00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:28,760 Speaker 2: all print it out and say, okay, so do you 298 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:30,800 Speaker 2: want to look No? No, no, say okay, do you want 299 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:32,400 Speaker 2: me in your ear giving it to a line at 300 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:35,920 Speaker 2: a times? No, thinks I'll just do it from top 301 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:38,240 Speaker 2: to bottom. If you need me to stop, you just 302 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:39,920 Speaker 2: let me know, because I don't want to give them 303 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:43,240 Speaker 2: any new information, you know, I'd rather stop and not 304 00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:45,559 Speaker 2: tell them anything new, and we'll just wait until you 305 00:13:45,600 --> 00:13:47,800 Speaker 2: got to reset something. But otherwise I'll just keep going. 306 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:50,199 Speaker 2: I'll bring them in, i'll announce the prize, and i'll 307 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 2: send them off unless you let me know. 308 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:53,120 Speaker 1: Okay he says, yeah, okay. 309 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:56,000 Speaker 2: They say, all cameras rolling, hold the background, all right, 310 00:13:56,040 --> 00:13:59,000 Speaker 2: standby and action, and away we go. The camera crane 311 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:03,520 Speaker 2: goes up. Welcome to Babeloslasvegas, Nevada, and I'm away without 312 00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:04,440 Speaker 2: a single mistake. 313 00:14:04,559 --> 00:14:08,000 Speaker 1: I nailed this. I nail the whole thing, word for word. 314 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:11,840 Speaker 1: I brought the cast in, I revealed the game, worked 315 00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:14,360 Speaker 1: them up in anticipation. When I revealed the prize, they 316 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:16,920 Speaker 1: went absolutely ape shit. There was four teams of four. 317 00:14:17,040 --> 00:14:20,000 Speaker 1: I think they each had an envelope with their tasks 318 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:21,400 Speaker 1: in it, the things they needed to go and get. 319 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:24,600 Speaker 1: The idea was that when I send them off, they'd 320 00:14:24,680 --> 00:14:27,600 Speaker 1: race in four different directions following the tasks in that envelope. 321 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:30,400 Speaker 1: And a big credit to the director because they had 322 00:14:30,520 --> 00:14:32,120 Speaker 1: a lot of coverage of all the reactions of all 323 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:34,960 Speaker 1: the people, had enough single shots. People often ask why 324 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:36,800 Speaker 1: do I take so many long breaths in. 325 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:39,080 Speaker 2: The Bachelor of Stuff is because there's only five cameras 326 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:40,800 Speaker 2: and we've got twenty four people. To get single shots off, 327 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 2: it takes a while, so I was giving them lots 328 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:44,240 Speaker 2: of edit points. But credit to the director for getting 329 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 2: all that coverage, because as I started to count them 330 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:50,040 Speaker 2: down to start the game, I'm looking at the assistant director, 331 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:52,840 Speaker 2: I'm looking at the producers. No one's moving. I'm like, okay, 332 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:54,880 Speaker 2: they wanted to stop me. They'd want to stop me. 333 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:57,640 Speaker 2: Five four through D one and go and off they went. 334 00:14:57,680 --> 00:15:01,360 Speaker 2: The camera crane goes up, walks up to me. I said, 335 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:03,880 Speaker 2: do I need to bring a bad It goes no, man, 336 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:06,240 Speaker 2: They're happy. Can you do it again though, so we 337 00:15:06,280 --> 00:15:08,120 Speaker 2: can get some cardaways on you so we can get 338 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:09,480 Speaker 2: to singles like yeah, sure. 339 00:15:10,040 --> 00:15:11,480 Speaker 1: And so they've already gone. 340 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:14,600 Speaker 2: The camera crews that are following their kids have run, 341 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:17,560 Speaker 2: and so, standing by myself in the fore court of 342 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:20,360 Speaker 2: the planet Hollywood Casino, I did the whole thing again 343 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:22,840 Speaker 2: to crew, pretending to be the contestant so I had 344 00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:26,280 Speaker 2: the correct eyeline. The two guys i'd first met came 345 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:29,240 Speaker 2: up afterwards and they were kind of speechless. I said, 346 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:31,880 Speaker 2: was that what you needed? I said, that was perfect, 347 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:35,480 Speaker 2: You're done great. Thirty minutes after I got there, back 348 00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:37,240 Speaker 2: in my hotel room, learning the script for the reveal 349 00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:39,000 Speaker 2: which is going to happen in thirty six hours, which 350 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:41,440 Speaker 2: went off similarly to that one man. 351 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:42,920 Speaker 1: Needless to say, the show. 352 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:44,240 Speaker 2: Didn't get up. You would have known about it if 353 00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:46,440 Speaker 2: it did. But I still got a lot out of 354 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:49,160 Speaker 2: that weekend. I learned that if I put the kind 355 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:52,720 Speaker 2: of focus I used to put into drinking and using 356 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:55,360 Speaker 2: like you know, like, ah, okay, I've got to go 357 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:57,240 Speaker 2: to Brisbane, Okay, But if I changed my flight to 358 00:15:57,240 --> 00:15:58,600 Speaker 2: the night before, that means the bar will be open. 359 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:00,480 Speaker 1: That means I can go with this person that this person. 360 00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:03,000 Speaker 2: I can change the meeting from nine am to eleven pmam, 361 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:04,520 Speaker 2: so I can kind of sleep in a bit like 362 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:06,640 Speaker 2: the amount of bullshit that I used to do. If 363 00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:09,240 Speaker 2: I put that amount of focus and effort, even just 364 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:11,800 Speaker 2: a bit of it, into something else, I could achieve 365 00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:15,040 Speaker 2: pretty incredible things. And I also learned how much work 366 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:18,040 Speaker 2: it took to be flawless and be able to deliver 367 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:20,600 Speaker 2: in the moment. I learned how valuable that was to 368 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:23,200 Speaker 2: people in reality TV. Whenever I did Batch or any 369 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:25,040 Speaker 2: of those other shows, I work my ass off to 370 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 2: make sure that we only ever needed to do my bit. 371 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:31,720 Speaker 2: Once it didn't always happen, but I'd work really hard 372 00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:34,840 Speaker 2: towards that goal. We always got those reactions the first time. 373 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:40,440 Speaker 2: The prep to performance ratio is something that I've maintained 374 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:42,680 Speaker 2: since then. I mean, I've got more efficient at it. However, 375 00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:46,280 Speaker 2: if the moment on camera is only even one minute long, 376 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:49,600 Speaker 2: I'll spend an hour perfecting that one minute. So when 377 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:52,400 Speaker 2: that one minute comes, I am absolutely not perfect. And 378 00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:54,080 Speaker 2: the part that I play in the whole thing is 379 00:16:54,080 --> 00:16:57,680 Speaker 2: as good as I can possibly make it. But because 380 00:16:57,680 --> 00:16:59,760 Speaker 2: it's not about me, I'm just I want it to 381 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:02,160 Speaker 2: be that good because I'm one of many. I'm one 382 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:04,480 Speaker 2: of you know, one hundred and something people trying to 383 00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:06,640 Speaker 2: make a show, and if I can do my part, great, 384 00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:09,680 Speaker 2: that means everybody else can do their part. Greade, that weekend, 385 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:12,520 Speaker 2: I shifted from it being about me wanting to look 386 00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:15,200 Speaker 2: good on camera to me wanting to make everyone else's 387 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:18,800 Speaker 2: job easier because I knew that if I did that, 388 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:24,000 Speaker 2: I would end up looking good on camera. When we 389 00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:26,119 Speaker 2: finally did the reveal and everything and they said Okay, 390 00:17:26,160 --> 00:17:29,879 Speaker 2: you're wrapped, You're done, there was a little moment. I 391 00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:31,840 Speaker 2: think they had a dinner or something to say thanks 392 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:36,119 Speaker 2: and everything. And I dropped the American accent, and that 393 00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:37,919 Speaker 2: was a cherry on top because the boys could not 394 00:17:37,960 --> 00:17:38,840 Speaker 2: fucking believe it. 395 00:17:39,119 --> 00:17:41,360 Speaker 1: They could not believe it. It was fun. 396 00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:45,439 Speaker 2: And not really much has changed since that weekend. I 397 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:49,200 Speaker 2: still prepare that much. I'm still grateful for any day 398 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:51,920 Speaker 2: that I get to work. I still take the steps 399 00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:55,280 Speaker 2: I take to keep myself safe, but these days I 400 00:17:55,400 --> 00:17:58,320 Speaker 2: tend not to sleep with the kimono of a pretend 401 00:17:58,440 --> 00:18:01,560 Speaker 2: serial killer in my bed room, and that does make 402 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:04,800 Speaker 2: a difference. Thank you for listening. Thanks to adding a 403 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:07,680 Speaker 2: bunch for producing this show. Come see us at story Club. 404 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:09,600 Speaker 2: You'll see the link in the show notes. I'll see 405 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:18,240 Speaker 2: you Wednesday.