1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:15,640 Speaker 1: Hi everyone, It's Sophia. Welcome to Work in Progress. Welcome 2 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:19,439 Speaker 1: back to this week's work in progress. Friends. We have 3 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:23,599 Speaker 1: a dear one on the podcast this week, someone I've 4 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 1: called a friend for over twenty years, been on plenty 5 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:32,239 Speaker 1: of adventures with both on screen and off, been an 6 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:39,280 Speaker 1: advocate alongside, and watched Bloom into such an amazing phase 7 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:42,880 Speaker 1: of his career. I am so proud to have Austin 8 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: Nichols on the podcast today. You all know him from 9 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:50,160 Speaker 1: My world playing my husband on screen on One Tree Hill. 10 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:55,880 Speaker 1: The iconic producer, director, writer Julian Baker, and he has 11 00:00:55,920 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 1: an incredible history in film and television as an athlete 12 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 1: in sports movies like Matchpoint and Glory Road, as an 13 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:05,839 Speaker 1: off screen advocate for Global Green, and an on screen 14 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:08,760 Speaker 1: victim of a natural disaster in the Day After Tomorrow. 15 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:12,760 Speaker 1: Early in his career, Austin has become not only an 16 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 1: incredible advocate, but an incredible director. Most recently, he directed 17 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 1: the series Walker in Austin, Texas, his hometown, and now 18 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: those worlds are collecting on his latest project, a feature 19 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:29,679 Speaker 1: film he has spent the last five years lovingly bringing 20 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 1: to the screen called The Long Shot. It's about sports, friendship, love, ingenuity, 21 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:40,320 Speaker 1: the city that shaped him, and how important the spaces 22 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 1: in our communities are to not only our communities, but 23 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 1: to us, to our friendships and to our life. There 24 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: is so much to talk with Austin about and reminisce about. 25 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 1: I cannot wait for you all to hear him share 26 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: his stories of what it took to make this film 27 00:01:56,960 --> 00:02:00,520 Speaker 1: and how he feels now that it is finally screen. 28 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: Let's dive in to all the behind the scenes tea 29 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:19,359 Speaker 1: from the long shot with our pal Austin Nichols. I'm 30 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:22,960 Speaker 1: so happy you're here. It's also so cool to get 31 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 1: to talk about everything that's going on because I feel 32 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: like we've been talking about this movie for years and 33 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:32,520 Speaker 1: like to sit here last night, like Ash and I 34 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 1: made a bowl of popcorn and like pull it up 35 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 1: on the screen and I was like, oh my god, 36 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:37,559 Speaker 1: we're watching ust this movie. 37 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 2: Oh that's so cool. Thank you for watching it, Oh 38 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 2: my god, and having popcorn. That's that's what it's all about. 39 00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 2: You know. We want people to laugh, and we want 40 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:47,639 Speaker 2: people more for our zoom. 41 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:49,919 Speaker 1: Just spiritually it felt correct. 42 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:51,360 Speaker 2: I love it. I love it. 43 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 1: Okay, before we dive in to now and and all 44 00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:59,400 Speaker 1: the good things. Yep, we gotta go back And I 45 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 1: don't mean like twenty years back when we met, like 46 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 1: literally twenty years now, because I was twenty three when 47 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:09,919 Speaker 1: we met and I'm forty three now. That's insane, YEA, 48 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:13,359 Speaker 1: Like our friendship has been a voter for two whole 49 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 1: years of its life. I don't know how I feel 50 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:18,959 Speaker 1: about it, but I want to go like back back. 51 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 1: I know some fun facts about you, obviously, because we've 52 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:27,800 Speaker 1: known each other for one hundred years. Everybody likes to 53 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 1: giggle about you being Austin from Austin. But for our 54 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 1: friends at home, our dear Austin Nichols was actually born 55 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 1: in Michigan and then moved to Austin, Texas and became 56 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:44,160 Speaker 1: Austin from Austin. I want to take our listeners and 57 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 1: our friends back to way before they knew you, like 58 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 1: before our show, before the movies. Like let's go back 59 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 1: to y'all have just moved from Michigan, you're settled in Texas, 60 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 1: you're eight or nine years old. Paint us a picture 61 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 1: of little Austin's life. 62 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 2: I mean it was really sweet and normal. You know. 63 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 2: I was a normal kid who was playing with you know, 64 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:19,360 Speaker 2: a he man and eskeletor castle and Gay Joe's and like, 65 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:21,120 Speaker 2: you know, every once in a while, me and my 66 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 2: buddy would build sand castles and get black cats and 67 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 2: blow up the little army guys in the sand castles 68 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:34,200 Speaker 2: in his backyard with little fireworks, you know, and just 69 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:36,680 Speaker 2: totally normal. I played sports, I went to school, had friends, 70 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 2: and it was a really really great place to grow up. Yeah, 71 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:47,279 Speaker 2: my family was very into water skiing, which is the 72 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 2: thing that comes up because it's this very strange sport. 73 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 2: But my mom was a nineteen time national champion and 74 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 2: we lived near Lake Austin, and that was it was 75 00:04:57,520 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 2: normal to me to just go out and go water 76 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 2: skiing when I was I started when I was two 77 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:05,039 Speaker 2: or three years old. Yeah, like my parents kind of 78 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:06,839 Speaker 2: like put me on the skis while they were skiing, 79 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:08,479 Speaker 2: and I was like, oh, look, the baby can ski, 80 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:12,719 Speaker 2: and so that was just very normal to be going 81 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 2: out there and banging around on water skis. And then 82 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 2: wakeboarding changed everything. But me and my sister were competitive 83 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:21,800 Speaker 2: water skiers at a very young age, going to tournaments, 84 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:26,800 Speaker 2: and I got really into it probably at about thirteen 85 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:29,760 Speaker 2: or fourteen, and decided I wanted to be like, I 86 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 2: wanted to win stuff, and like so I really had 87 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:35,920 Speaker 2: to train and started going to train with people coaches 88 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:40,000 Speaker 2: in Florida and Louisiana, and it really kind of the 89 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:42,159 Speaker 2: peak of it was when I qualified for the Masters. 90 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 2: There's a big tournament in Georgia and it's like the 91 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 2: Masters of Golf for water skiing, and I qualified for 92 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:51,360 Speaker 2: that when I was like sixteen seventeen, went there, skied 93 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 2: and that didn't win. But it was sort of this like, Okay, 94 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 2: I accomplished something, you know, in the sport that I 95 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:04,120 Speaker 2: wanted to do before retiring at the young age, at 96 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:10,440 Speaker 2: the ripe old age of seventeen, because then I had 97 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 2: switched years and I'd started studying acting at fifteen, and 98 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 2: that started to kind of eclipse water skiing and the 99 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:20,600 Speaker 2: sports stuff, and I saw a future and I saw, oh, 100 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 2: this is something I can do until I'm eighty years old. 101 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:29,080 Speaker 2: And nobody kind of told me that it's really hard 102 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:33,640 Speaker 2: and you might be broke, and you know, why are 103 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:34,920 Speaker 2: you making it so hard on yourself. Why don't you 104 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:36,880 Speaker 2: go work at, you know, in this realm or do 105 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:41,320 Speaker 2: this job. But for some reason, acting really got its 106 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:45,279 Speaker 2: hooks in me and I started going to acting classes 107 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:49,800 Speaker 2: in Austin, Texas. And when I was seventeen, we went 108 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:52,159 Speaker 2: to sun Dance with the family and I have family 109 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:55,279 Speaker 2: in Salt Lake City and I see this woman. I 110 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:56,880 Speaker 2: snuck into a party with my sister and I see 111 00:06:56,880 --> 00:07:00,200 Speaker 2: this woman across the way looking at me. And it 112 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:04,159 Speaker 2: was Joan green who was both are the manager for 113 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:06,160 Speaker 2: both of us for a very long time. And she said, 114 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:09,440 Speaker 2: she said, do you have a film here? And I go, no, 115 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 2: I've never made a film. And she introduced me to 116 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 2: two agents that night. And she really changed the course 117 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:19,000 Speaker 2: of my life because I knew I wanted to act, 118 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 2: but I was going to stay in Austin, go to UT, 119 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 2: go to film school UT. And she said, no, you 120 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:27,520 Speaker 2: need to come to Los Angeles right now, like as 121 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:31,440 Speaker 2: soon as possible. You have to start when you're young. Yeah, 122 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 2: And I talked to my parents and they said okay, 123 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:37,080 Speaker 2: and I switched gears and moved to LA when I 124 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:37,880 Speaker 2: was eighteen years old. 125 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 1: Yeah. God, Joan green Man, she was the lynchpin for us. Huh. 126 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean she changed my life. And yeah, you know, 127 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:48,600 Speaker 2: I was with her for thirteen years and I couldn't 128 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 2: say enough amazing things about her. She was so supportive 129 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:55,200 Speaker 2: and so there for me in so many ways. 130 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, for the pals at home, because obviously you know 131 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:04,040 Speaker 1: this story. But similarly, I was doing a little play 132 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 1: in high school. My senior year was when I got 133 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:10,520 Speaker 1: really serious about acting. You know, it was freshman year, 134 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 1: so I was around fourteen when I started doing theater 135 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 1: at school, and we did this play my senior year 136 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:21,120 Speaker 1: that seemed absolutely correct to me. You know, I had 137 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:24,480 Speaker 1: this theater director, Tim Wright, who just he gave us, 138 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:28,520 Speaker 1: you know, Sondheim, and then he gave us really crazy 139 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:32,640 Speaker 1: avant garde plays about what was happening in the world. 140 00:08:32,679 --> 00:08:35,160 Speaker 1: The year before, we'd done one about Tienem and Square, 141 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:38,199 Speaker 1: and then my senior year, I'm doing this play about 142 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:41,880 Speaker 1: an ACLU lawyer who has to defend a Holocaust denier 143 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:46,000 Speaker 1: based on the First Amendment. Like hard hitting shit for 144 00:08:46,640 --> 00:08:50,120 Speaker 1: a seventeen year old, you know, And to us that 145 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:52,120 Speaker 1: was just part of what we were doing. You know, 146 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:55,480 Speaker 1: our history department was incredible, our theater department really worked 147 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:59,920 Speaker 1: alongside it. And I didn't know how radical Tim was. 148 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 1: He was just my theater guy, and I guess it 149 00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:06,200 Speaker 1: was kind of uncommon for like kids at a prep 150 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:09,200 Speaker 1: school in Pasadena to be doing such material. And we 151 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:11,400 Speaker 1: had a little write up in the Times, and Joan 152 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:15,000 Speaker 1: Green read that article and came to see my play. 153 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:18,800 Speaker 1: And she's the reason I went to USC instead of Tulane. 154 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 1: So she literally changed both. 155 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 2: Of our lives. It's incredible, it's so cool. I don't 156 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:25,200 Speaker 2: know if you ever told me that whole story. That's 157 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 2: really cool, that's really cool. Yeah. I have always been 158 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:33,760 Speaker 2: so jealous of anyone who has a theater background because 159 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 2: when I was in Austin and I was fifteen, my 160 00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:39,800 Speaker 2: first acting class, one of the things this teacher had 161 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:46,160 Speaker 2: us do was do a Velveta cheese commercial where we 162 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 2: have to put eat broccoli and we have to eat 163 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 2: broccoli without Velveta cheese, and then we have to put 164 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:54,360 Speaker 2: Velveta cheese on the broccoli and eat it with and go, 165 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:57,640 Speaker 2: oh my god, it's so good. Yeah, and this sounds 166 00:09:57,679 --> 00:10:00,199 Speaker 2: so stupid, but all the kids, no one, None of 167 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:02,600 Speaker 2: the kids could keep a straight face. And I was 168 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:05,480 Speaker 2: so committed to the to hating the broccoli and then 169 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:08,280 Speaker 2: loving the brocoli with cheese that after we were over, 170 00:10:08,679 --> 00:10:11,240 Speaker 2: she kind of made a big deal about how how 171 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:13,880 Speaker 2: well I did and kind of like and it was 172 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:15,520 Speaker 2: really embarrassing because she kind of like called me out 173 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:17,360 Speaker 2: in front of the class and she's like, this kid's 174 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:22,160 Speaker 2: gonna work and I was like what, But wow, such 175 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 2: a strange thing. But ultimately probably really smart of her 176 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:29,080 Speaker 2: to do, was well, this is real world stuff, like 177 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:32,640 Speaker 2: you're going to be going out for commercials. Yes, but 178 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:35,800 Speaker 2: I never had I never had the theater, the theater 179 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 2: background in the theater training and have always been so 180 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:42,959 Speaker 2: obsessed with it and like so secretly jealous of people 181 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:45,680 Speaker 2: who you know, have been on the stage because it's 182 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:48,760 Speaker 2: the ultimate and it's, yeah, the best training ground there is. 183 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:51,640 Speaker 1: It's really special. It's funny you say that, though, because 184 00:10:51,679 --> 00:10:54,560 Speaker 1: I even feel a little bit of that, you know. 185 00:10:55,280 --> 00:10:58,920 Speaker 1: I know, my path was my path, but the fact 186 00:10:58,960 --> 00:11:02,440 Speaker 1: that I went to USC for the BFA and you know, 187 00:11:02,520 --> 00:11:04,559 Speaker 1: did the auditioning and got into the program in the 188 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:08,360 Speaker 1: whole pullabaloo, but I didn't actually like it, and I 189 00:11:08,440 --> 00:11:12,240 Speaker 1: transferred into the journalism school. I think I needed more 190 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 1: variety in my studies and I love that, but I 191 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:19,600 Speaker 1: have a little bit of that aw like kind of 192 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:24,520 Speaker 1: wishing i'd had a really hardcore collegiate theater education. So 193 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:27,520 Speaker 1: it's interesting because I think about that in a different way. 194 00:11:27,520 --> 00:11:29,360 Speaker 1: And then I'm telling you about high school and you're like, 195 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:31,679 Speaker 1: I'm jealous of that, and I never really thought about 196 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 1: how much of it I had. 197 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:36,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, And also the more you talk to actors, the 198 00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:40,920 Speaker 2: more you realize everyone's insecure and think they're missing something. 199 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:45,600 Speaker 2: And it's so silly because we're all just we all 200 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:47,120 Speaker 2: just love something and we're trying to do it. 201 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:49,319 Speaker 1: That's all right, Yeah, you know what, I wonder if 202 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:51,840 Speaker 1: it is too, And I'm curious your perspective on this. 203 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:57,079 Speaker 1: As as an athlete, because you were competitive in sport, 204 00:11:57,240 --> 00:12:01,040 Speaker 1: you know when you're the best because there's a there's 205 00:12:01,080 --> 00:12:04,760 Speaker 1: a measure, there's a scale, like if you win the medal, 206 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:09,760 Speaker 1: you were the best. But as an actor, you make something, 207 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:14,080 Speaker 1: you watch it after you've made it, which I think 208 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:18,679 Speaker 1: is part of why it draws creative people, because if 209 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:20,560 Speaker 1: you do the competition and you win the medal on 210 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:22,439 Speaker 1: your skis, you're not going to go back and watch 211 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:25,440 Speaker 1: your tapes unless you're like reviewing them with a coach, right, 212 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:29,480 Speaker 1: And I wonder if it's the making of a thing 213 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:32,760 Speaker 1: that takes on its own life that we love, but 214 00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:34,720 Speaker 1: also that kind of fucks us up because there's no 215 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:38,360 Speaker 1: way to measure how good you are. It's just opinion 216 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:38,880 Speaker 1: and luck. 217 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:43,680 Speaker 2: I struggled with that and maybe still do for most 218 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:46,840 Speaker 2: of my life, most of my career, because I was 219 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:49,440 Speaker 2: always trained like, Okay, you practice, you practice, you practice, 220 00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:52,920 Speaker 2: you get better, you get better, you better, and it's mathematical, 221 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:56,240 Speaker 2: it's measurable, right, yeah, And it's not like that in 222 00:12:56,480 --> 00:12:59,640 Speaker 2: show business, you know. Like, and for me in particular, 223 00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:03,360 Speaker 2: I found that the more I trained, or the more 224 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:09,080 Speaker 2: I tried to read books and hack the system, it 225 00:13:09,160 --> 00:13:14,280 Speaker 2: didn't really move the needle. And for me, the things 226 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:18,520 Speaker 2: that click or when I'm not trying or when i'm yeah, 227 00:13:18,559 --> 00:13:21,800 Speaker 2: when I'm not studied, or when I'm not rehearsed, or 228 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:25,600 Speaker 2: when I'm kind of just living in my own skin, 229 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:28,520 Speaker 2: and yes, that tends to be what people respond to 230 00:13:28,559 --> 00:13:29,800 Speaker 2: and why they want to cast you. 231 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:30,480 Speaker 1: Yeah. 232 00:13:30,480 --> 00:13:32,160 Speaker 2: And but for so long I was like, got eat better, 233 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:34,160 Speaker 2: got to get better, got to get better, And it 234 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:37,239 Speaker 2: was like, why isn't this Why can't I see improvement 235 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:41,320 Speaker 2: in like getting roles or bigger, better movies or shows. 236 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:43,360 Speaker 2: It wasn't like that for me, it was just kind 237 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:45,599 Speaker 2: of like, hey, you know, just be you. 238 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:50,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, you know. I think that's actually why I 239 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 1: shifted out of the program in college when we were 240 00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:58,400 Speaker 1: at SC because only focusing on acting was making me 241 00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:02,000 Speaker 1: crazy about acting. And then once I started focusing on 242 00:14:02,040 --> 00:14:04,800 Speaker 1: all these other things I was interested in, I was 243 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 1: an interesting actor. 244 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:06,600 Speaker 2: There you go. 245 00:14:06,920 --> 00:14:09,480 Speaker 1: But when I was trying to be interesting, I was 246 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:10,440 Speaker 1: a basket case. 247 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:17,800 Speaker 2: That's it. There's something about an authentic person living an 248 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:20,720 Speaker 2: authentic life, and like whatever it is, whether it's journalism 249 00:14:20,800 --> 00:14:24,400 Speaker 2: or whether you know, I'm I'm really into archery, you know. 250 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:28,280 Speaker 2: But when you see somebody who's doing something that's life 251 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:33,080 Speaker 2: and they're really into it, yeah, that's what we're interested in, right, Like, yeah, 252 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:36,600 Speaker 2: nobody wants to see me practicing my monologue in my 253 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:38,440 Speaker 2: bedroom at three am? 254 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:43,480 Speaker 1: No, totally. Do you ever think about that? And I 255 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:46,880 Speaker 1: wonder about this. I think about it a lot watching 256 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:50,000 Speaker 1: a lot of Apocalypse content. You actually worked on the 257 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:53,360 Speaker 1: Walking Dead, Like do you ever look at look around 258 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:55,800 Speaker 1: and go what happens in the Apocalypse? Like are they 259 00:14:55,800 --> 00:14:58,760 Speaker 1: going to eat us? First? Nobody needs a monologue in 260 00:14:58,800 --> 00:14:59,440 Speaker 1: a crisis. 261 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:03,680 Speaker 2: Good point. I've always wanted to do a show that 262 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:07,480 Speaker 2: is hyper realistic like that, where maybe there isn't a 263 00:15:07,520 --> 00:15:11,480 Speaker 2: lot of talking, it's just reacting and running and you 264 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:14,760 Speaker 2: know action. Yeah, that'd be really interesting. I don't know 265 00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:18,560 Speaker 2: if it would work, but that's a really interesting idea. No. 266 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:21,400 Speaker 2: I know, in the dramatic structure, we need characters and 267 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:24,480 Speaker 2: we need them to be talking yes or else. You know, 268 00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:25,800 Speaker 2: it's hard to connect. 269 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:26,880 Speaker 1: Absolutely. 270 00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:28,280 Speaker 2: Yeah. 271 00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:30,280 Speaker 1: And now a word from our sponsors who make this 272 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:44,200 Speaker 1: show possible. What was that like for you deciding to 273 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:49,400 Speaker 1: pursue acting Because you know, you mentioned your amazing mom 274 00:15:49,840 --> 00:15:54,920 Speaker 1: was such an incredible athlete. Your dad is like an 275 00:15:55,000 --> 00:16:01,440 Speaker 1: unbelievably renowned radiologist. You know your mom Similarly, I think 276 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:04,120 Speaker 1: to my dad turned what one could call a hobby 277 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:07,920 Speaker 1: into a career, and your dad has this very serious 278 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:12,360 Speaker 1: career and then here you come, mister prize winning athlete, 279 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:14,640 Speaker 1: who then is like, I'm gonna go make movies, Like, 280 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:16,880 Speaker 1: how did it go over? Because I know how it 281 00:16:16,960 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 1: went over in my house. 282 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:25,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, my parents were surprisingly supportive, and I 283 00:16:25,640 --> 00:16:30,200 Speaker 2: was bracing myself for the opposite. But the message I 284 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:34,640 Speaker 2: remember was if you if you buckle down and bust 285 00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:39,240 Speaker 2: your butt. The way you have for sports will support you. Well, 286 00:16:39,280 --> 00:16:41,520 Speaker 2: it will help you, and we will be there for you, 287 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 2: and we're going to be behind you one hundred percent. 288 00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:44,800 Speaker 1: That's so cool. 289 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:46,680 Speaker 2: Still go to college. 290 00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:49,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, yeah, yeah. 291 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:52,320 Speaker 2: To get a degree. But you know, so there was 292 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:55,480 Speaker 2: always that sort of like, look, we're behind you. But 293 00:16:56,680 --> 00:17:01,080 Speaker 2: this is a mere, curial, strange world, and not everybody 294 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:05,560 Speaker 2: can make a living. So they were very pragmatic about 295 00:17:05,560 --> 00:17:09,879 Speaker 2: it and and ultimately just you know, really big cheerleaders 296 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:12,919 Speaker 2: for me, both of them, and that's rare. I was 297 00:17:13,080 --> 00:17:14,080 Speaker 2: very lucky to have that. 298 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:17,960 Speaker 1: Absolutely. Do you think that's why you decided to get 299 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:21,520 Speaker 1: your degree in English? You wanted to be adjacent to 300 00:17:21,600 --> 00:17:26,520 Speaker 1: the arts but also have like a practicality to your studies. 301 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:28,280 Speaker 2: That my dad would not agree with it. He would 302 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:29,479 Speaker 2: be like, what are you going to do with an 303 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:30,200 Speaker 2: English degree? 304 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:30,560 Speaker 1: Teach? 305 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:33,080 Speaker 2: He was so rude about it. But I was like, look, 306 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:36,560 Speaker 2: I mean I started communications. I didn't know what I 307 00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:38,359 Speaker 2: was doing. I didn't I hated it. I didn't know 308 00:17:38,359 --> 00:17:45,800 Speaker 2: what it was. And I changed over because I loved literature. Yeah, 309 00:17:45,840 --> 00:17:49,159 Speaker 2: and I started reading all these amazing books, and I 310 00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:52,119 Speaker 2: started reading Shakespeare and I started writing papers every week 311 00:17:52,560 --> 00:17:54,719 Speaker 2: and I and then I started taking creative writing classes 312 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:58,359 Speaker 2: and my writingrid to develop, which at the time I 313 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:02,280 Speaker 2: didn't really know was going to be helpful, but it was. Yeah, 314 00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:04,920 Speaker 2: And it wasn't until I Love this story. It wasn't 315 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:06,840 Speaker 2: until I did a movie with Sigourney Weaver where she 316 00:18:06,840 --> 00:18:09,879 Speaker 2: played my mother and she goes, I told her I 317 00:18:09,880 --> 00:18:12,040 Speaker 2: was an English major. She goes, I was an English major, 318 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:16,960 Speaker 2: and I go Really, I was just so thrilled to 319 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:19,840 Speaker 2: have like a hero say that they had done the 320 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:23,280 Speaker 2: same thing. Because then Sigourney started saying, it gave me 321 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:27,040 Speaker 2: such a base and a foundation and a strength for 322 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:31,480 Speaker 2: text and breaking down text and understanding text. Yes, like, 323 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:35,560 Speaker 2: anytime a script or a play comes to me, I 324 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:38,800 Speaker 2: can sit down, I know what I'm doing, I know 325 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:41,239 Speaker 2: how to look at this, I know how to translate it. 326 00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:44,680 Speaker 2: And just the sheer amount of reading you do in 327 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:49,760 Speaker 2: college in that major sets you can set you up 328 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:53,400 Speaker 2: for success. So she said it to me. It made 329 00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:55,800 Speaker 2: me feel like, Okay, maybe I didn't waste my time 330 00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:56,280 Speaker 2: in college. 331 00:18:56,600 --> 00:18:59,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, oh, I love that. Did you immediately tell your dad. 332 00:19:01,520 --> 00:19:03,560 Speaker 2: You call it Dave, and you're just like, yes, what 333 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:06,480 Speaker 2: he might be finding out right now. Oh god, I 334 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:08,600 Speaker 2: don't know if I ever told him, Oh my god. 335 00:19:09,119 --> 00:19:13,240 Speaker 1: That's so fun. Well, I mean I think about all 336 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:17,560 Speaker 1: the amazing things that you did and no surprise, you know, 337 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:20,720 Speaker 1: you were tearing up these incredible movies. You hit the 338 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:24,320 Speaker 1: scene in such a big way, man like Day after 339 00:19:24,400 --> 00:19:27,679 Speaker 1: Tomorrow and Wimbledon, and you know, getting to see you 340 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:30,720 Speaker 1: play an athlete, like, looking back at that feels so 341 00:19:30,920 --> 00:19:35,639 Speaker 1: fun because of course, your discipline from water sports was 342 00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:39,560 Speaker 1: so easily applied I would imagine to tennis. Right, had 343 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:41,760 Speaker 1: you ever played tennis before that movie? 344 00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:45,800 Speaker 2: I had sent in some audition tapes and they said, look, 345 00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:48,240 Speaker 2: can you even play? Because this guy needs to be 346 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:50,439 Speaker 2: able to play. So they sent me to the valley 347 00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:53,560 Speaker 2: to like coach some coach in the valley. Yeah, and 348 00:19:53,720 --> 00:19:56,840 Speaker 2: he's like, we're going to video you and just you know, 349 00:19:56,920 --> 00:19:59,440 Speaker 2: don't be tentative. Just swing through, like, don't worry about 350 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:00,800 Speaker 2: where the ball goes, because we're not going to see 351 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:03,760 Speaker 2: where the ball goes, So just swing through like hard. 352 00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:07,400 Speaker 2: I was launching balls out of the court. I couldn't 353 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:09,560 Speaker 2: I couldn't keep a ball in bounds. 354 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:10,560 Speaker 1: Yeah. 355 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:12,240 Speaker 2: I did not know how to play tennis. And then 356 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:16,600 Speaker 2: I was so lucky to have Murphy Jensen, French Open 357 00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:20,879 Speaker 2: doubles champion, teach me for two months in La Wow, 358 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:24,159 Speaker 2: We're doing like two a days. And then Pat Cash, 359 00:20:24,280 --> 00:20:27,080 Speaker 2: who was Australian Wimbledon champion, teach me in London for 360 00:20:27,119 --> 00:20:32,520 Speaker 2: a month. Wow, and with other coaches and biomechanics, and 361 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:36,640 Speaker 2: I mean it was it was a dream. To have 362 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:40,200 Speaker 2: this sort of infrastructure and this team behind me making 363 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:42,000 Speaker 2: sure I knew how to play tennis was just one 364 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:44,199 Speaker 2: of the coolest things I've ever gotten to do. 365 00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:47,920 Speaker 1: That's so cool. I think about how much sport has 366 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:50,800 Speaker 1: been part of your career, from that movie to John 367 00:20:50,840 --> 00:20:54,400 Speaker 1: from Cincinnati, Like, you got to do this tennis movie, 368 00:20:54,400 --> 00:20:56,400 Speaker 1: you got to do this big surf show. I mean, 369 00:20:56,440 --> 00:20:59,240 Speaker 1: did you just were you just gagged? 370 00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:03,200 Speaker 2: Also did a basketball movie, Glory Road, And yeah, honestly 371 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:06,200 Speaker 2: never I was kind of thinking about it at the time. 372 00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:09,000 Speaker 2: I was kind of going, well, I was an athlete, 373 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,440 Speaker 2: and maybe I'm athletics, so maybe I'm getting these athletic rols. 374 00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:14,960 Speaker 2: But I wasn't hyper aware of it. I was really 375 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:18,760 Speaker 2: more focused on being an actor. Yeah, and then it 376 00:21:18,760 --> 00:21:20,440 Speaker 2: wasn't ntil many years later where I kind of look 377 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:22,439 Speaker 2: back and I go, oh, that's interesting, that's cool, that 378 00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:23,040 Speaker 2: makes sense. 379 00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:27,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, I think when your life informs your career. 380 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:31,280 Speaker 1: You know, something that dawned on me when you've obviously 381 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:33,720 Speaker 1: been on the other podcast so much. When we started 382 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:36,479 Speaker 1: Drama Queens and we got to the third season and 383 00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:39,199 Speaker 1: Brooke Davis gets the job at Carl's Crabshak and like 384 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:41,920 Speaker 1: unionizes all the waitresses. I was like, oh my god, 385 00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:43,680 Speaker 1: I was politically organizing even then. 386 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:47,480 Speaker 2: You know, that's so brilliant. I mean, is life imitating 387 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:49,280 Speaker 2: art or the other way around. It's so cool. 388 00:21:49,520 --> 00:21:52,320 Speaker 1: Well, and you realize the things you're drawn to that 389 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:55,200 Speaker 1: you talk about, particularly in TV in front of your writers, 390 00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:58,240 Speaker 1: become passion points for your characters. 391 00:21:59,080 --> 00:21:59,280 Speaker 2: You know. 392 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:03,520 Speaker 1: It's like like even now, you know, watching your movie 393 00:22:03,760 --> 00:22:08,040 Speaker 1: the whole time I'm watching it knowing Austin, you know, 394 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:12,120 Speaker 1: as a city, from living there for movies, from spending 395 00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:14,439 Speaker 1: so much time there, you know, as I was so 396 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:18,640 Speaker 1: lucky to with your family and you know, especially when 397 00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:21,679 Speaker 1: your mom was around, and like going back there so 398 00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:25,080 Speaker 1: much for conferences and other projects. It's like I've known 399 00:22:25,119 --> 00:22:29,879 Speaker 1: that city for twenty years. Also, yes, and yeah, you 400 00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:33,440 Speaker 1: guys are talking about these secret spots and these beautiful 401 00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:39,200 Speaker 1: swimming holes and Barton Springs and Muni and these natural resources, 402 00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:42,640 Speaker 1: these areas that you want to protect. And halfway through 403 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:44,320 Speaker 1: the movie it dawned on me. I'm like, this is 404 00:22:44,359 --> 00:22:47,879 Speaker 1: a this is a hilarious comedy, but it's also a 405 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:51,520 Speaker 1: love letter to protecting your environment. And then I was like, 406 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:54,640 Speaker 1: thinking back to us, we're doing all that global green 407 00:22:54,680 --> 00:22:58,560 Speaker 1: work after the oil spilled in twenty ten from Wilmington, 408 00:22:58,760 --> 00:23:01,439 Speaker 1: and I was like, did you mean to make a 409 00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:03,840 Speaker 1: climate movie? Did you even know that that's what you 410 00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:04,399 Speaker 1: were doing? 411 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:07,639 Speaker 2: Oh? No, not at all. And I only started to 412 00:23:07,640 --> 00:23:11,879 Speaker 2: realize that recently. I mean, the movie's finished, we're in 413 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:15,639 Speaker 2: theaters in Austin right now, and we come out April tenth. 414 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:18,320 Speaker 2: But it wasn't until like a few weeks ago that 415 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:20,800 Speaker 2: I really started to think about, like the there's an 416 00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:24,160 Speaker 2: environmental message in this movie. Yeah, Because when they're at 417 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:28,960 Speaker 2: that that secret gym swimming hole and he's talking about 418 00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:33,680 Speaker 2: this endangered species. I was telling the story of Austin, 419 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:35,720 Speaker 2: like that really happened here at Barton Springs, and I 420 00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:38,680 Speaker 2: was telling that story. But it wasn't until much later 421 00:23:38,720 --> 00:23:41,680 Speaker 2: that with reflection, because like getting a movie like Sold 422 00:23:41,720 --> 00:23:44,960 Speaker 2: and Out to the World is so like you go crazy. 423 00:23:45,359 --> 00:23:47,639 Speaker 2: It wasn't until recently that I've had some time to 424 00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:51,080 Speaker 2: think about it that I went, oh, well, the environmental 425 00:23:51,119 --> 00:23:54,199 Speaker 2: activist in me, that makes sense that you know, yeah, 426 00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:57,000 Speaker 2: my first that's in my first movie. And you know, 427 00:23:57,080 --> 00:24:00,200 Speaker 2: it's I don't know what else to say except it's 428 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:02,359 Speaker 2: a nice little sign that you're kind of going in 429 00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:03,000 Speaker 2: the right direction. 430 00:24:03,560 --> 00:24:06,919 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I think that's really true. And you know 431 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:11,359 Speaker 1: what I appreciate about it. I think back to like 432 00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:15,080 Speaker 1: twenty ten, you know, being on the ground in Louisiana 433 00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:18,480 Speaker 1: working with all the folks in those fishing communities, and 434 00:24:19,359 --> 00:24:22,240 Speaker 1: you know, people in New Orleans who had just years 435 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:26,080 Speaker 1: before been so affected by Hurricane Katrina. And I think 436 00:24:26,119 --> 00:24:30,159 Speaker 1: there was such a purity at that time of no 437 00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:33,480 Speaker 1: matter where you are, red state, blue state, no matter 438 00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:35,320 Speaker 1: how you vote, what you do, if you have money, 439 00:24:35,359 --> 00:24:39,439 Speaker 1: if you have none, like, the environment is all of ours, 440 00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:43,040 Speaker 1: Like we're stewards of this place. And over the last 441 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:47,280 Speaker 1: twenty years, any kind of care about your neighbor, care 442 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:51,159 Speaker 1: about your climate messaging has just gotten so stomped on, 443 00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:55,360 Speaker 1: and like pounced on and co opted and people roll 444 00:24:55,440 --> 00:24:57,919 Speaker 1: their eyes about it. And you made this movie in 445 00:24:57,960 --> 00:25:02,440 Speaker 1: the heart of Texas. You've got hilarious character is like real. 446 00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:08,240 Speaker 1: You know. Your groundsman slash coyote hunter in the movie 447 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:12,040 Speaker 1: is like such a Southern dude. Yeah, and all he 448 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:15,119 Speaker 1: wants to do is protect this green space. And you 449 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:17,199 Speaker 1: didn't hit anybody over the head with it. And you 450 00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:21,080 Speaker 1: didn't you didn't like go make a disaster movie. You 451 00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:24,600 Speaker 1: made a love story to your city. And you're reminding, 452 00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:28,960 Speaker 1: I think everybody that those spaces are for us. That's 453 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:32,760 Speaker 1: where everybody gathers, whether you're a LARPer, a golfer, a hunter, 454 00:25:34,119 --> 00:25:36,840 Speaker 1: you know, a researcher like the woman who works for 455 00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:39,920 Speaker 1: the city. It's like you did it in this way 456 00:25:39,960 --> 00:25:44,560 Speaker 1: that I went, oh shit, you told such a beautiful 457 00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:49,640 Speaker 1: story with a bigger context without even making it obvious, 458 00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:52,679 Speaker 1: and I was really I was excited about it. For you. 459 00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:56,240 Speaker 2: It's cool. That's really sweet and thank you. I don't 460 00:25:56,240 --> 00:25:59,120 Speaker 2: know what to say. That's it's that's what we that's 461 00:25:59,119 --> 00:26:01,400 Speaker 2: the best we get hope for, you know, like, yeah, 462 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:03,040 Speaker 2: you know, we want to we want people to laugh, 463 00:26:03,080 --> 00:26:05,640 Speaker 2: we want people to cry, we want to entertain but yeah, 464 00:26:05,640 --> 00:26:08,000 Speaker 2: if there's if there's a good message in there too, 465 00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:09,760 Speaker 2: that's icing on the top. 466 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:15,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, I really love too, like because the story reflects 467 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:21,120 Speaker 1: it's a specific thing, like that golf course in your 468 00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:24,960 Speaker 1: home city is a specific place, but it feels universal 469 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:29,360 Speaker 1: because there's this core truth right that love and community 470 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:32,560 Speaker 1: is what motivates people to fight and to show up 471 00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:35,440 Speaker 1: and to protect something, even if there's something they're trying 472 00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:38,200 Speaker 1: to protect. Is where they drink beer with their friends. 473 00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:45,000 Speaker 1: And the sweetness of just how fun it is to 474 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:50,520 Speaker 1: be with your people that the movie highlights was so 475 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:54,800 Speaker 1: fucking enjoyable to watch, Like, I just had the best 476 00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:59,120 Speaker 1: time laughing, and especially you know, watching feeling like you're 477 00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:03,760 Speaker 1: sy in the whole movie, and then seeing Ryan Hansen, 478 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:07,119 Speaker 1: who's a really old, dear friend of mine, like play 479 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:09,000 Speaker 1: the guy who's kind of you but not you, and 480 00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:11,199 Speaker 1: then you guys have a scene together. I just was like, 481 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:15,159 Speaker 1: this is so it's perfect in so many layers. I 482 00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:19,760 Speaker 1: giggled through the whole thing. And I'm curious having grown 483 00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:23,760 Speaker 1: up there and having the outdoor spaces in Austin be 484 00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:28,000 Speaker 1: so integral to your life and your family's life. Were 485 00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:31,879 Speaker 1: there specific locations or sets that you put in the 486 00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:35,560 Speaker 1: movie because they're precious to you or were you you know, 487 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:38,880 Speaker 1: doing the thing with your location scout, figuring out what 488 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:42,000 Speaker 1: was available, what was affordable, and that's how you decided, like, like, 489 00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:44,240 Speaker 1: how did you do the behind the scenes bit? 490 00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:47,119 Speaker 2: I mean a little bit of a combination, because you know, 491 00:27:47,400 --> 00:27:50,400 Speaker 2: with a with a small indie, we can't just do 492 00:27:50,440 --> 00:27:53,159 Speaker 2: anything and go anywhere. We can't afford it. Yeah, so 493 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:55,760 Speaker 2: there's definitely times where you look at your location person 494 00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:58,640 Speaker 2: you go, Okay, well if we can't do that, then 495 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:01,080 Speaker 2: show me what else? What else can we do? But 496 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:06,280 Speaker 2: the big one is where we did the swimming because 497 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:10,080 Speaker 2: that was originally written as Barton Springs, right, but Barton 498 00:28:10,160 --> 00:28:15,280 Speaker 2: Springs is extremely crowded and getting to shoot there is 499 00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:20,120 Speaker 2: very difficult. Their message is basically like, yeah, you can 500 00:28:20,119 --> 00:28:23,160 Speaker 2: shoot here, but we can't. We can't close the pool 501 00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:25,080 Speaker 2: and you're just gonna have to kind of deal with 502 00:28:25,119 --> 00:28:28,600 Speaker 2: the crowd. And for a movie shoot, that's a continuity nightmare, 503 00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:29,800 Speaker 2: it's a sound nightmare. 504 00:28:30,280 --> 00:28:30,639 Speaker 1: Yeah. 505 00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:32,480 Speaker 2: And so I went to the writer and I said, hey, 506 00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:35,160 Speaker 2: is there maybe we tweaked this? And what he did 507 00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:39,080 Speaker 2: was he made it into like a hidden gym. Yeah, 508 00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:40,960 Speaker 2: you know, one of these little ones that people haven't 509 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:44,160 Speaker 2: found yet. Yeah. I loved that, which I actually think 510 00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:47,840 Speaker 2: worked better for the movie because it's like the last place, 511 00:28:47,920 --> 00:28:49,200 Speaker 2: you know, It's like the. 512 00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:52,160 Speaker 1: Last remaining place, and it gave you that hilarious moment. 513 00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:54,160 Speaker 1: I don't want to spoil this, So if you haven't 514 00:28:54,160 --> 00:28:56,280 Speaker 1: watched the movie yet, well what are you doing? Watch 515 00:28:56,360 --> 00:28:59,800 Speaker 1: the movie and plug your ears for thirty seconds? You know, 516 00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:03,400 Speaker 1: when your caddie pulls up on the golf cart and 517 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:04,600 Speaker 1: you're like, did anybody follow? 518 00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:04,760 Speaker 2: You know? 519 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:06,160 Speaker 1: The guys were like, did anybody follow? 520 00:29:06,200 --> 00:29:06,280 Speaker 2: You? 521 00:29:06,640 --> 00:29:09,280 Speaker 1: Take a different route home? It's like we all have 522 00:29:09,440 --> 00:29:12,840 Speaker 1: those places that we don't want to become the next 523 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:17,000 Speaker 1: TikTok trend or whatever and get invaded. And it just 524 00:29:17,040 --> 00:29:19,120 Speaker 1: felt so real to me. 525 00:29:19,640 --> 00:29:23,360 Speaker 2: Oh good good. And that place is, to further answer 526 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:28,240 Speaker 2: your question, was a place I went as a kid. 527 00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:31,600 Speaker 2: And this is part this speaks to, you know, making 528 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:35,080 Speaker 2: a film in your hometown. Like I always think about 529 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:38,400 Speaker 2: Greta Gerwig and Ladybird and Sacramento and she thought it 530 00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:41,160 Speaker 2: was like not cool, but then she made this beautiful 531 00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:44,480 Speaker 2: story about this place and these people. And if I 532 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:47,880 Speaker 2: hadn't grown up here, I never would have known about. Yeah, 533 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:51,120 Speaker 2: a lot of our crew and cast and people that 534 00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:53,440 Speaker 2: have watched the movie still don't know about it. 535 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:54,240 Speaker 1: Wow. 536 00:29:54,280 --> 00:29:57,240 Speaker 2: So I mean I'm a little bit I feel a 537 00:29:57,240 --> 00:30:00,360 Speaker 2: little bit bad about blowing it up. It's not that 538 00:30:00,360 --> 00:30:03,400 Speaker 2: we're going to do that, but it's this place because 539 00:30:03,440 --> 00:30:07,640 Speaker 2: a lot of the swimming holes in Austin are municipally owned. Yeah, 540 00:30:07,680 --> 00:30:09,200 Speaker 2: they're owned by the city, and they're taken care of 541 00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:13,200 Speaker 2: by the city and actually privately owned by the family. 542 00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:17,080 Speaker 2: And part of the magic is that they've kind of 543 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:18,880 Speaker 2: taken care of it themselves. 544 00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:20,120 Speaker 1: That's really cool. 545 00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:23,200 Speaker 2: You don't have like big money municipal projects coming in. 546 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:24,920 Speaker 2: It's like we're going to build a retaining wall here 547 00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:29,680 Speaker 2: to help protect right, you know. So it's very natural 548 00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:33,840 Speaker 2: and it's it's a real, real special area and we 549 00:30:33,880 --> 00:30:35,720 Speaker 2: were really lucky to get to use it. 550 00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:37,760 Speaker 1: I love that. Do you want us to bleep it 551 00:30:37,840 --> 00:30:39,880 Speaker 1: out in the whole podcast so no one knows where 552 00:30:39,880 --> 00:30:40,920 Speaker 1: it is? Maybe? 553 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:41,520 Speaker 2: Yeah? Maybe? 554 00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:45,280 Speaker 1: Honestly, I think it would be really funny keeping gatekeeping. 555 00:30:45,840 --> 00:30:49,480 Speaker 1: Some things we have to gatekeep for their purity. We'll 556 00:30:49,480 --> 00:30:51,600 Speaker 1: be back in just a minute, but here's a word 557 00:30:51,600 --> 00:31:00,479 Speaker 1: from our sponsors. I'm curious because to your point, the 558 00:31:00,520 --> 00:31:03,760 Speaker 1: city of Austin does such a good job maintaining so 559 00:31:03,840 --> 00:31:08,120 Speaker 1: many of these municipal spaces. But in the movie Muni 560 00:31:08,240 --> 00:31:12,560 Speaker 1: as a golf course is you know this historic site 561 00:31:12,920 --> 00:31:16,320 Speaker 1: that's kind of run down, you know, it's the other 562 00:31:16,440 --> 00:31:20,040 Speaker 1: side of the tracks for a golf course, golf course? Yes, 563 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:25,000 Speaker 1: is this inspired by like true events at all? Was 564 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:26,560 Speaker 1: there a fight to save Muni? 565 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:32,400 Speaker 2: It's still ongoing, I mean lyons municipal golf course is 566 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:34,640 Speaker 2: a real place here, and they have the save Muni 567 00:31:34,720 --> 00:31:39,000 Speaker 2: campaign because the land is owned by someone else that 568 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:43,560 Speaker 2: potentially could sell it whenever they want, because Muni had 569 00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:47,320 Speaker 2: like a ninety nine year lease and that came and went. 570 00:31:47,640 --> 00:31:50,760 Speaker 2: But the people in Austin love it so much and 571 00:31:50,760 --> 00:31:52,560 Speaker 2: they don't want it to be developed and turned into 572 00:31:52,600 --> 00:31:56,800 Speaker 2: like condos and retail that they mounted a huge effort 573 00:31:56,880 --> 00:32:01,160 Speaker 2: to save it and they got a historical designation and 574 00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:04,720 Speaker 2: it's still alive, you know. But it's really because people 575 00:32:04,760 --> 00:32:06,280 Speaker 2: loved a place and they fought for it. 576 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:07,440 Speaker 1: Yeah. 577 00:32:08,840 --> 00:32:11,360 Speaker 2: The second half of that is we couldn't afford to 578 00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:15,160 Speaker 2: shoot there, so we went out forty five minutes outside 579 00:32:15,200 --> 00:32:17,920 Speaker 2: of town where Willie Nelson has a nine hole golf 580 00:32:17,960 --> 00:32:21,920 Speaker 2: course no way that no one really nobody knows about. 581 00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:24,880 Speaker 2: It's I don't know how they've it's such a secret. 582 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:28,600 Speaker 2: But the fairways are dirt, but the t boxes in 583 00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:32,960 Speaker 2: the greens are perfect. So it's kind of like outlawed 584 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:36,719 Speaker 2: redneck golf. And you go out there and when you 585 00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:38,400 Speaker 2: are in the fairway you can put down a little 586 00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:41,640 Speaker 2: AstroTurf matt and hit off of that. Yeah, but it's 587 00:32:41,680 --> 00:32:44,040 Speaker 2: like no other golf course in the world. And you know, 588 00:32:44,040 --> 00:32:46,560 Speaker 2: people have written about it and like travel magazines and stuff. 589 00:32:46,600 --> 00:32:49,280 Speaker 2: But it is a real it's a real little hidden, 590 00:32:49,400 --> 00:32:53,960 Speaker 2: kept secret, and we couldn't have filmed the movie without it, 591 00:32:54,120 --> 00:32:56,800 Speaker 2: and with the people, the people that let us film there. 592 00:32:57,200 --> 00:33:01,680 Speaker 2: It was such a little nugget that we like, it 593 00:33:01,840 --> 00:33:04,120 Speaker 2: just happened and we didn't even like plan it. We 594 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:06,360 Speaker 2: were just lucky that we found out about it. 595 00:33:06,720 --> 00:33:12,120 Speaker 1: Oh that's so special. Oh my god, I can't believe. 596 00:33:12,680 --> 00:33:15,080 Speaker 1: So wait if you had to go out to this place, 597 00:33:15,520 --> 00:33:21,600 Speaker 1: were you were you cgi ing the Austin skyline behind it? 598 00:33:22,080 --> 00:33:24,959 Speaker 2: That was no. That was my one, like one of 599 00:33:24,960 --> 00:33:27,800 Speaker 2: my only cg shots in the movie, there's very few, 600 00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:31,479 Speaker 2: and we pinpointed that early on. We're like, look, this 601 00:33:31,560 --> 00:33:34,000 Speaker 2: has a great backdrop. We can shoot a plate of 602 00:33:34,040 --> 00:33:35,680 Speaker 2: the downtown skyline. Just put it in. 603 00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:36,360 Speaker 1: Put it in. 604 00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:38,800 Speaker 2: And it worked out so well because people come up 605 00:33:38,800 --> 00:33:42,280 Speaker 2: to me and they're like, wait, that that doesn't exist. 606 00:33:42,280 --> 00:33:45,040 Speaker 2: Where is that? Yes, it's like, yeah, we made that up. 607 00:33:45,320 --> 00:33:48,080 Speaker 1: By the way, not to say I know the city 608 00:33:48,120 --> 00:33:49,760 Speaker 1: as well as you, but I had the same thought. 609 00:33:50,360 --> 00:33:52,960 Speaker 1: I was like, where is this. I've been all over 610 00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:57,080 Speaker 1: that city for so long because the summer that I 611 00:33:57,360 --> 00:34:02,360 Speaker 1: filmed the Hitcher, I lived in Austin that whole summer, 612 00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:05,800 Speaker 1: and I lived along the river. And I even now, 613 00:34:05,960 --> 00:34:07,960 Speaker 1: like when I go back and I see how much 614 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:11,440 Speaker 1: the skyline has changed, I can't imagine how it feels 615 00:34:11,480 --> 00:34:13,800 Speaker 1: for you because you have twenty more years of history 616 00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:17,040 Speaker 1: there than I do as a you know, friend and 617 00:34:17,080 --> 00:34:20,480 Speaker 1: fan of the city. And I was looking at it 618 00:34:20,520 --> 00:34:23,640 Speaker 1: and I was like, I think that I think the 619 00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:26,480 Speaker 1: view I'm looking at is from Zilker, but that's not 620 00:34:26,600 --> 00:34:27,480 Speaker 1: in Zilker Park. 621 00:34:27,560 --> 00:34:30,400 Speaker 2: Like, no, you're spot on. Because I shot the plate 622 00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:32,280 Speaker 2: shot of the skyline from Zilker. 623 00:34:32,520 --> 00:34:34,879 Speaker 1: I knew it or are you so proud. 624 00:34:35,040 --> 00:34:36,080 Speaker 2: You nailed it? You nailed it? 625 00:34:36,160 --> 00:34:41,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, yeah, Oh my goodness, so interesting. 626 00:34:41,760 --> 00:34:46,480 Speaker 2: That was fun. I Peter Kowalski, who we both know well. 627 00:34:46,520 --> 00:34:48,520 Speaker 2: He was our director of photography on One Tree Hill, 628 00:34:49,200 --> 00:34:52,400 Speaker 2: was the DP on my movie. Yeah, and that was 629 00:34:52,480 --> 00:34:55,560 Speaker 2: such a gift to have him. But that was something 630 00:34:55,640 --> 00:34:57,840 Speaker 2: you know, because you know, as long as I've been 631 00:34:57,880 --> 00:35:00,520 Speaker 2: making movies, you still there's there's things you don't know, 632 00:35:00,719 --> 00:35:03,480 Speaker 2: and visual effects is something that I still have a 633 00:35:03,520 --> 00:35:04,280 Speaker 2: lot to learn about. 634 00:35:04,640 --> 00:35:04,879 Speaker 1: Yep. 635 00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:06,319 Speaker 2: So that was one thing I went to Peter. I 636 00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:09,000 Speaker 2: was like, hey, can we do this? And he was like, yeah, 637 00:35:09,040 --> 00:35:11,399 Speaker 2: no problem, easy to shoot a plate and we'll put 638 00:35:11,440 --> 00:35:11,919 Speaker 2: it in later. 639 00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:16,480 Speaker 1: Peter is amazing For our friends at home, Pete, when 640 00:35:16,480 --> 00:35:18,160 Speaker 1: I first started on One Tree Hill, was our b 641 00:35:18,239 --> 00:35:24,279 Speaker 1: camera operator. He eventually became our DP in the later seasons, 642 00:35:24,640 --> 00:35:27,640 Speaker 1: you know, season seven, eight nine, when we were both directing. 643 00:35:28,600 --> 00:35:34,919 Speaker 1: I cannot imagine pulling off what we did directing these 644 00:35:35,160 --> 00:35:40,880 Speaker 1: massive episodes of network television with special effects and fires 645 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:43,839 Speaker 1: and Halloween horror nights and all the shit we were 646 00:35:43,840 --> 00:35:48,000 Speaker 1: doing without Pete. Like I don't, I knew he was 647 00:35:48,040 --> 00:35:50,520 Speaker 1: amazing at his job. I don't think I realized how 648 00:35:50,600 --> 00:35:54,560 Speaker 1: unbelievably talented he is until I started working with other 649 00:35:54,600 --> 00:35:57,440 Speaker 1: people and I was like, WHOA. So I love that 650 00:35:57,520 --> 00:35:59,720 Speaker 1: you guys got to do this movie together. 651 00:36:00,200 --> 00:36:03,439 Speaker 2: I mean, MVP status for sure. And ye I would 652 00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:07,000 Speaker 2: imagine on multiple shows and movies that you and I 653 00:36:07,080 --> 00:36:09,319 Speaker 2: never even set a foot on set. He was as well. 654 00:36:09,360 --> 00:36:12,560 Speaker 2: I mean he's such a such a talented guy, so brilliant, 655 00:36:12,800 --> 00:36:16,120 Speaker 2: but no pretense. I mean he's like cracking jokes. Dps 656 00:36:16,120 --> 00:36:20,319 Speaker 2: can be very quiet and artsy, and Peter's a funny, 657 00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:24,239 Speaker 2: fun hilarious VP. He's so fun on set and that 658 00:36:24,440 --> 00:36:27,680 Speaker 2: was so big for my movie because it's a comedy. Yeah, 659 00:36:27,719 --> 00:36:31,360 Speaker 2: and but he'll never really let you know how brilliant 660 00:36:31,360 --> 00:36:33,560 Speaker 2: he is. You know, he kind of he can't keeps 661 00:36:33,560 --> 00:36:36,359 Speaker 2: it real low key, and he's still He'll send me 662 00:36:36,600 --> 00:36:38,680 Speaker 2: little messages all the time. He's like, I'm watching this 663 00:36:38,840 --> 00:36:42,000 Speaker 2: movie and they have a drone shot that went through 664 00:36:42,040 --> 00:36:43,960 Speaker 2: a sky scrape. I don't know how they did it. 665 00:36:44,480 --> 00:36:48,600 Speaker 2: And you know, he's still got this curious kid inside him. Yeah, 666 00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:52,080 Speaker 2: wants to keep going and like keep creating cool shots 667 00:36:52,120 --> 00:36:56,040 Speaker 2: and and keep shooting. And he's just got that sort 668 00:36:56,040 --> 00:36:57,480 Speaker 2: of magic about him. 669 00:36:57,840 --> 00:37:01,839 Speaker 1: Yeah, when do you think, because you know the way 670 00:37:01,880 --> 00:37:05,160 Speaker 1: that you talk about all of this, you love being 671 00:37:05,160 --> 00:37:09,040 Speaker 1: an actor, but you love being a director too, When 672 00:37:09,080 --> 00:37:12,040 Speaker 1: do you think you got bit by the directing bug? 673 00:37:12,200 --> 00:37:14,799 Speaker 1: Was it when we were all doing One Tree Hill 674 00:37:14,800 --> 00:37:16,400 Speaker 1: and we got the chance or did you know you 675 00:37:16,440 --> 00:37:17,719 Speaker 1: wanted to direct before that? 676 00:37:18,400 --> 00:37:23,320 Speaker 2: Well, so I was interested. I knew it was another 677 00:37:23,360 --> 00:37:25,120 Speaker 2: thing where I was like, it was there, but I 678 00:37:25,160 --> 00:37:26,799 Speaker 2: wasn't paying a lot attention to it, because when you're 679 00:37:26,800 --> 00:37:30,360 Speaker 2: an actor and you're busy, it really takes over. So 680 00:37:30,880 --> 00:37:34,279 Speaker 2: you know, for in my younger years, I was you know, 681 00:37:34,360 --> 00:37:37,040 Speaker 2: acting was working, it was happening, So I was focused 682 00:37:37,080 --> 00:37:40,080 Speaker 2: on that. But I was going to Vidiots, the video 683 00:37:40,160 --> 00:37:42,719 Speaker 2: store in Santa Monica, and I was going to the 684 00:37:42,760 --> 00:37:45,480 Speaker 2: director section, and I was looking at like all of 685 00:37:45,560 --> 00:37:50,080 Speaker 2: Robert Altman's movies or Francois Truffau or you know some 686 00:37:50,120 --> 00:37:52,919 Speaker 2: of these you know, great great directors, and I would 687 00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:55,839 Speaker 2: kind of like go down the line and if I could, 688 00:37:55,880 --> 00:37:57,719 Speaker 2: i'd watch them in order. And I wanted to see 689 00:37:57,760 --> 00:38:00,319 Speaker 2: like the trajectory of a career and like what was 690 00:38:00,320 --> 00:38:02,960 Speaker 2: the first movie and how did they make that? And 691 00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:05,040 Speaker 2: then what was the second movie? And then like how 692 00:38:05,080 --> 00:38:10,040 Speaker 2: did this all flow together? You know, because that information 693 00:38:10,200 --> 00:38:12,080 Speaker 2: is not really out there, you kind of have to 694 00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:15,960 Speaker 2: look a little deeper. And I was doing that while 695 00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:17,960 Speaker 2: I was an actor, but it wasn't until One Tree 696 00:38:18,040 --> 00:38:22,080 Speaker 2: Hill where suddenly you're you're on set every day for 697 00:38:22,239 --> 00:38:25,560 Speaker 2: years and you're kind of like, have a minute to 698 00:38:25,600 --> 00:38:29,600 Speaker 2: breathe and not just be an actor and go, oh, 699 00:38:29,680 --> 00:38:31,640 Speaker 2: I'm noticing things I never noticed before. 700 00:38:32,040 --> 00:38:32,600 Speaker 1: Yeah. 701 00:38:32,760 --> 00:38:34,839 Speaker 2: Or I'm sitting at the video village in a chair 702 00:38:34,880 --> 00:38:38,280 Speaker 2: watching moder and I'm listening to conversations. I'm going, oh, 703 00:38:38,600 --> 00:38:40,279 Speaker 2: I never really knew that because I was always on 704 00:38:40,320 --> 00:38:43,640 Speaker 2: set talking to the actors in nursing and so that's 705 00:38:43,680 --> 00:38:45,920 Speaker 2: where it really started to happen. And I saw you 706 00:38:45,960 --> 00:38:50,319 Speaker 2: direct an episode and I went, oh, okay, this might 707 00:38:50,360 --> 00:38:55,120 Speaker 2: be my chance. So I snuck into a scout van. 708 00:38:58,160 --> 00:38:59,839 Speaker 2: You might have been in there too. I snuck into 709 00:38:59,840 --> 00:39:02,840 Speaker 2: a Scout van. I remember those director came because what 710 00:39:02,920 --> 00:39:05,759 Speaker 2: are you doing here in the van? And they kind 711 00:39:05,760 --> 00:39:10,040 Speaker 2: of go, oh, okay, okay. And it wasn't too long 712 00:39:10,080 --> 00:39:12,200 Speaker 2: after that that I got the chance to do one 713 00:39:12,239 --> 00:39:14,400 Speaker 2: in season eight, and then I got to do one 714 00:39:14,400 --> 00:39:15,040 Speaker 2: in season nine. 715 00:39:15,680 --> 00:39:20,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's so cool. It's just like such a neat opportunity. 716 00:39:20,719 --> 00:39:23,319 Speaker 1: And I think to your point, you know, one of 717 00:39:23,360 --> 00:39:27,080 Speaker 1: the things we now see in hindsight about that set 718 00:39:27,640 --> 00:39:31,560 Speaker 1: because we were such an ensemble cast, Like, look, we've 719 00:39:31,600 --> 00:39:34,239 Speaker 1: all been on the shows where you're fighting for your 720 00:39:34,280 --> 00:39:36,520 Speaker 1: life just to stay afloat in the amount of acting 721 00:39:36,560 --> 00:39:41,279 Speaker 1: work you have, and on that show, because we all 722 00:39:41,400 --> 00:39:44,400 Speaker 1: kind of got to breathe, especially in the later seasons, 723 00:39:45,200 --> 00:39:47,920 Speaker 1: we would have days and we were so tight with 724 00:39:47,960 --> 00:39:52,120 Speaker 1: the crew. It's like sometimes you'd wrap midway through a Wednesday. 725 00:39:52,800 --> 00:39:54,839 Speaker 1: But also what the hell else was there to do. 726 00:39:55,239 --> 00:39:57,400 Speaker 1: We'd been to every restaurant in that small town one 727 00:39:57,440 --> 00:40:00,560 Speaker 1: hundred times, so we'd stay on set and shoot the 728 00:40:00,560 --> 00:40:04,400 Speaker 1: shit from video village and learn something. And it really, 729 00:40:05,400 --> 00:40:08,680 Speaker 1: it really did feel like there were waves of that 730 00:40:08,800 --> 00:40:13,759 Speaker 1: show in my own experience that were the continuation of 731 00:40:13,800 --> 00:40:16,680 Speaker 1: my BFA acting program, and then waves of that show 732 00:40:16,719 --> 00:40:19,560 Speaker 1: that were my film school, and waves of that show 733 00:40:19,560 --> 00:40:23,400 Speaker 1: that were a course on directing. And you know, I 734 00:40:23,400 --> 00:40:25,840 Speaker 1: don't think it's something people get anymore when you do 735 00:40:25,920 --> 00:40:29,640 Speaker 1: three seasons and it's six episodes a season, like the 736 00:40:29,680 --> 00:40:33,160 Speaker 1: world we got to experience, I think really shaped us all. 737 00:40:33,239 --> 00:40:34,799 Speaker 1: And it's really it's really cool. 738 00:40:35,440 --> 00:40:38,480 Speaker 2: It's it's such a blessing to be able to have 739 00:40:38,520 --> 00:40:41,480 Speaker 2: spent that much time on a set, you know, because 740 00:40:41,880 --> 00:40:44,680 Speaker 2: I mean, directing is a big mountain to climb. And 741 00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:48,560 Speaker 2: if you're a young aspiring director and you want to 742 00:40:48,560 --> 00:40:50,920 Speaker 2: go make a movie or whatever, I mean, there's not 743 00:40:51,120 --> 00:40:53,680 Speaker 2: a lot of places. I mean, you can go to 744 00:40:53,719 --> 00:40:55,920 Speaker 2: film school, but you're never going to learn it all 745 00:40:56,000 --> 00:40:59,960 Speaker 2: until you're on sets. And yeah, I mean I was. 746 00:41:00,080 --> 00:41:03,799 Speaker 2: I used to say this this thing where like when 747 00:41:03,800 --> 00:41:06,160 Speaker 2: I was really young, I had the confidence. I was like, yeah, 748 00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:09,040 Speaker 2: I can direct a movie. But I'm glad I didn't. 749 00:41:09,239 --> 00:41:11,560 Speaker 2: I'm glad I did it. Then I know, I'm glad 750 00:41:11,600 --> 00:41:14,719 Speaker 2: I waited and I'd had all this time and I 751 00:41:14,760 --> 00:41:18,720 Speaker 2: understood every job, every job on that the crew has, 752 00:41:19,280 --> 00:41:21,680 Speaker 2: and I've spoken in depth with them about what they 753 00:41:21,719 --> 00:41:25,720 Speaker 2: do now. And then I made a movie because there's 754 00:41:25,800 --> 00:41:28,239 Speaker 2: so so much to learn, and you never stop learning. 755 00:41:28,280 --> 00:41:29,479 Speaker 2: There's so much that goes in. 756 00:41:29,360 --> 00:41:32,839 Speaker 1: It's true, and making a movie is hard. Like can 757 00:41:32,880 --> 00:41:36,080 Speaker 1: you give people a little peek behind the curtain from 758 00:41:36,320 --> 00:41:42,120 Speaker 1: from writing to fundraising to shooting to now the movie 759 00:41:42,200 --> 00:41:46,759 Speaker 1: coming out this week. How long of a process was it? 760 00:41:47,239 --> 00:41:49,920 Speaker 2: So we talked about it for two years and we 761 00:41:49,920 --> 00:41:51,960 Speaker 2: were going back and forth, like I thought, this should 762 00:41:51,960 --> 00:41:53,719 Speaker 2: be a workplace comedy. It'd be perfect, It'd be like 763 00:41:53,719 --> 00:41:56,360 Speaker 2: Parks and rec Yeah, And so I was doing that 764 00:41:56,400 --> 00:41:57,839 Speaker 2: and I was trying to go to people in LA 765 00:41:57,880 --> 00:42:01,360 Speaker 2: and talk them into it. Nobody bit. Finally, Drew the 766 00:42:01,360 --> 00:42:04,360 Speaker 2: writer said let's let's make an indie movie, and I go, great, 767 00:42:04,760 --> 00:42:08,120 Speaker 2: write it. He write it. Script turned out great. And 768 00:42:08,480 --> 00:42:11,920 Speaker 2: it wasn't until we found our producer, Jennifer Kuchai. She 769 00:42:12,080 --> 00:42:15,920 Speaker 2: came on with so much energy that we raised the 770 00:42:15,960 --> 00:42:18,640 Speaker 2: money in less than a year and then we started shooting. 771 00:42:19,239 --> 00:42:22,200 Speaker 2: So from talking about it to shooting was close to 772 00:42:22,239 --> 00:42:29,000 Speaker 2: three years. Then shooting was nineteen days post you know, 773 00:42:29,160 --> 00:42:33,520 Speaker 2: post varies. You know, I think it took me a 774 00:42:33,560 --> 00:42:37,000 Speaker 2: couple of months to get the movie to final cut 775 00:42:37,360 --> 00:42:40,600 Speaker 2: to locked. But you know, there's weird things like people 776 00:42:40,600 --> 00:42:43,680 Speaker 2: want to do screenings and get opinions and all this stuff, 777 00:42:43,680 --> 00:42:46,200 Speaker 2: and that is weird with time, you never know how 778 00:42:46,360 --> 00:42:48,319 Speaker 2: that's going to take. But then it took more time 779 00:42:48,360 --> 00:42:50,960 Speaker 2: to go through the festival circuit and then go out 780 00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:53,640 Speaker 2: to the buyers and the distributors and have them watch it. 781 00:42:53,719 --> 00:42:56,279 Speaker 2: So all in all, I think it's you know, close 782 00:42:56,320 --> 00:42:57,520 Speaker 2: to four and a half years. 783 00:42:58,080 --> 00:42:58,440 Speaker 1: Wow. 784 00:42:58,480 --> 00:43:02,759 Speaker 2: And it making a movie is a startup. It is 785 00:43:03,120 --> 00:43:06,680 Speaker 2: starting a business. Yes, you have to come up with 786 00:43:06,719 --> 00:43:09,200 Speaker 2: the idea, come up with the product, build a deck, 787 00:43:09,360 --> 00:43:12,600 Speaker 2: go out to investors, show them your deck, be excited, 788 00:43:12,680 --> 00:43:15,920 Speaker 2: talk about it, get everywhere A thousand's yeah, and to 789 00:43:16,239 --> 00:43:20,560 Speaker 2: give you their money. They're harder in money, and it's 790 00:43:20,800 --> 00:43:23,120 Speaker 2: it's so so hard. It's a miracle that these things 791 00:43:23,120 --> 00:43:23,880 Speaker 2: ever get made. 792 00:43:24,280 --> 00:43:27,399 Speaker 1: Well, I think it's so incredible. I'm just so I'm 793 00:43:27,480 --> 00:43:30,120 Speaker 1: so happy for you. Friends. You have to check out 794 00:43:30,120 --> 00:43:34,000 Speaker 1: The Long Shot. It's on Amazon, Apple, and Fandango, so 795 00:43:34,040 --> 00:43:35,880 Speaker 1: you have multiple places to watch it. 796 00:43:36,719 --> 00:43:36,839 Speaker 2: Uh. 797 00:43:37,560 --> 00:43:39,239 Speaker 1: I'm going to pick your brain a little more in 798 00:43:39,280 --> 00:43:41,719 Speaker 1: depth about the movie. We're going to do a little 799 00:43:41,719 --> 00:43:47,000 Speaker 1: bonus chat. But great to wrap up this perfect hang. 800 00:43:48,040 --> 00:43:50,600 Speaker 1: And it feels like a crazy question, particularly on the 801 00:43:50,640 --> 00:43:53,480 Speaker 1: other side of a you know, nearly half decade love 802 00:43:53,520 --> 00:43:57,080 Speaker 1: story with this piece of work you've made. But from 803 00:43:57,120 --> 00:43:59,160 Speaker 1: this point you're in right now, what feels like you're 804 00:43:59,160 --> 00:43:59,960 Speaker 1: working progress? 805 00:44:00,040 --> 00:44:05,479 Speaker 2: Yes, Oh, great question. You know I don't know when 806 00:44:05,520 --> 00:44:10,400 Speaker 2: this happened, but I'm very in a new way. I'm like, 807 00:44:10,520 --> 00:44:16,759 Speaker 2: really proud of my acting career and I have no 808 00:44:17,440 --> 00:44:20,279 Speaker 2: ideas to stop at all. I'm about to go to 809 00:44:20,520 --> 00:44:25,000 Speaker 2: Ireland to do a TV show, but I want to 810 00:44:25,040 --> 00:44:28,680 Speaker 2: make five movies and I want to direct five movies. 811 00:44:28,719 --> 00:44:30,360 Speaker 2: And you know, they may not all be good, but 812 00:44:30,400 --> 00:44:33,480 Speaker 2: I want to I want to leave behind, you know, 813 00:44:33,960 --> 00:44:36,520 Speaker 2: some movies that I'm really proud of, that that came 814 00:44:36,840 --> 00:44:39,600 Speaker 2: out of my soul, you know, I want to leave 815 00:44:39,600 --> 00:44:42,640 Speaker 2: something behind that. You know, as an actor, it's so 816 00:44:42,960 --> 00:44:46,280 Speaker 2: fun and it's the literally the coolest job in the world, 817 00:44:46,800 --> 00:44:50,640 Speaker 2: but you are an instrument for someone else's idea. And 818 00:44:51,560 --> 00:44:54,319 Speaker 2: I can't tell you how satisfying it is to have 819 00:44:54,360 --> 00:44:57,360 Speaker 2: an idea and go execute it and then see a 820 00:44:57,400 --> 00:45:00,640 Speaker 2: finished product. I mean, I went to the Violet Crown 821 00:45:00,719 --> 00:45:04,640 Speaker 2: here tonight where it's playing in Austin, and I peeked 822 00:45:04,640 --> 00:45:08,960 Speaker 2: in the theater just to just to look at their faces. 823 00:45:09,000 --> 00:45:11,799 Speaker 2: And you just see these these faces lit up, just 824 00:45:11,840 --> 00:45:16,200 Speaker 2: staring up at the screen, smiling and laughing. And I've 825 00:45:16,239 --> 00:45:21,360 Speaker 2: never felt anything like that, and I just, you know, 826 00:45:21,480 --> 00:45:23,759 Speaker 2: maybe I'll do a few more before I call it 827 00:45:23,800 --> 00:45:24,120 Speaker 2: a day. 828 00:45:26,320 --> 00:45:28,960 Speaker 1: I love that for you. I'm just I'm so happy 829 00:45:28,960 --> 00:45:29,160 Speaker 1: for you. 830 00:45:29,239 --> 00:45:29,399 Speaker 2: Man. 831 00:45:29,440 --> 00:45:30,200 Speaker 1: This is so cool. 832 00:45:30,760 --> 00:45:32,360 Speaker 2: Thank you, thank you so much for having me.