1 00:00:01,800 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 1: You reached out to me at a time where I 2 00:00:04,720 --> 00:00:07,600 Speaker 1: was at an odd you know, mentally, I was at 3 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:11,200 Speaker 1: a kind of a dark spot. Talking about myself seemed 4 00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: like the worst possible literally a nightmare, which it always 5 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:17,239 Speaker 1: kind of has been. 6 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:23,560 Speaker 2: Welcome to Off the Cup, my personal anti anxiety antidote. 7 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:26,320 Speaker 2: We have a terrific guest today. I'm I'm a big fan. 8 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 3: Of his work. 9 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:31,319 Speaker 2: But also in prepping for this interview, I discovered we 10 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:35,800 Speaker 2: have an uncanny amount in common, like spooky and we'll 11 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 2: get into it, but you know him as as Riley 12 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 2: Pool from the National Treasure film series, Doug Billings in 13 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 2: the Hangover trilogy. He's starred on TV shows like The 14 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 2: New Normal and the Good Fight, and he's made his 15 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:50,200 Speaker 2: mark on stage and plays like Lend Me a Tenor 16 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:51,160 Speaker 2: and All New People. 17 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 3: It's Justin Bartha. Welcome to Off the Cup. 18 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 1: Thank you for having me Esse. I was telling you before, 19 00:00:57,040 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: I'm a big fan. I've been watching you on Bill 20 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:00,320 Speaker 1: Maher for many years. 21 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 2: Okay, well that's our first and that's our first uncanny connection. 22 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 1: It is I'm really curious about these connections. 23 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 2: Well, this one's not spooky, it's just I was on 24 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 2: Bill Maher with Zach Galifanakis. Okay, you know who's wonderful 25 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 2: and quest and I remember in the after party being 26 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:21,120 Speaker 2: a little cold and he gave me his his jacket 27 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:24,200 Speaker 2: and just adult. So we'll talk about I want to 28 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 2: talk about him. That's one very small cross old. 29 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 3: Okay, Okay, there's more, there's more, there's more. 30 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 2: I can't First of all, I just can't tell you 31 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 2: how how happy National Treasure has made me in my life. 32 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 1: Oh that's sweet, thank you. 33 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:41,399 Speaker 2: I watched those two movies like all the time because 34 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,920 Speaker 2: I have anxiety, so I only watch things I've already seen. 35 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 3: For the most part. Okay, okay, both. 36 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:52,560 Speaker 2: The National Treasures are so good and I can't wait 37 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 2: to watch them with my son. 38 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 1: How old is your son? 39 00:01:56,520 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 3: He's ten? 40 00:01:57,880 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 2: He okay, he was born the same year your daughter 41 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 2: was born, twenty fourteen. 42 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 1: Thank you for reminding me. 43 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, yea, okay, okay. We're also we're both forty six. 44 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:09,959 Speaker 1: Okay, okay, yeah, soon to be forty seven over here. 45 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 3: Yeah yeah, okay, okay, So forty. 46 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: Six and my daughter's eleven. 47 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:17,679 Speaker 3: Now when's your and he was December? 48 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 1: Okay, got it? Okay, so we're in similar experiences. 49 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 3: I mean, okay, Zach has. 50 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 1: Given me his jacket also, so there you go. 51 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:32,600 Speaker 3: I also lived in West Bloomfield. Shut up, Okay, yeah, 52 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:34,840 Speaker 3: so how did I not know that? How did I 53 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:35,679 Speaker 3: not know? You did? 54 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 2: I didn't know because you're okay, you're born in Florida, 55 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:39,919 Speaker 2: but you moved to West Bloomfield at like. 56 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 1: Eight, yeah, eight or nine? 57 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:43,919 Speaker 2: Yeah, well we're the same age. I lived there ten 58 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 2: to thirteen. 59 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:50,119 Speaker 1: What. I went to Orchard Lake Middle School and then 60 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 1: I went to West Bloomfield High School. 61 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 3: Correct, right, okay, okay, where you go? Well? 62 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 2: I went to Doherty Middle which was behind my house. 63 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 2: I lived on Swan Lake Drive, which was Swallow, Swan 64 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 2: Lake and Walnut. 65 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 1: Yeah you know it's here in another connection. This is 66 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:10,160 Speaker 1: gonna be so brual. But in Florida, my elementary school 67 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 1: was called Doherty Elementary. 68 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 3: Oh my god, Oh my god. 69 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:17,239 Speaker 1: Okay, wait wait, okay, yeah. 70 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 3: So I go. I go to Doherty. 71 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 2: And then because I had just moved to Michigan, I 72 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 2: kind of tested out and they put me in a 73 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:28,760 Speaker 2: charter school called Roosevelt Okay, okay, and then I went 74 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:29,640 Speaker 2: to Country Day. 75 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:31,919 Speaker 1: Oh, I know, Country Day, of course you do of 76 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 1: course you. 77 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 2: Sixth and half of seventh, and then I moved. But 78 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 2: I dance at Geiger Ballet Academy. 79 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 1: Sure I knew Guygery. 80 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:40,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, God, oh my god. Which was in that like 81 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:43,320 Speaker 3: strip mall fantastic? Country? 82 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: Did Country Day? Did I know? Did Chris Webber the 83 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 1: basketball go to Country Day? Yeah? Because then he went. 84 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 1: I was in sixth Cranbrook, right, Yes, that was the 85 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:56,320 Speaker 1: fancy track. I wasn't. It's because of people like you 86 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:57,960 Speaker 1: that everyone thinks I'm spoiled. 87 00:03:58,040 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 3: Right. 88 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 1: I went to public school all the way through, and 89 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 1: whenever I say West Boomfot, they go, oh, West Bloomfield. 90 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 3: I know, I get the same thing. 91 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 2: But I do make a distinction between Country Day and Cranbrook. 92 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 2: Cranbrook was so I had friends at Cranbrook. It was 93 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:16,600 Speaker 2: so artsy, it was so pretentious. It was a different thing. 94 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:19,840 Speaker 2: Country Day was like athletic and kind of yeah yeah, 95 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:20,480 Speaker 2: yeah kind. 96 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:23,919 Speaker 1: I was always jealous of the Country Day experience, and 97 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:26,479 Speaker 1: then Cranbrook felt like I just took my family actually 98 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 1: because I moved out of Michigan for college to go 99 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: to New York, but my family I took back there 100 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 1: a few years back for the first time, and we 101 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:41,479 Speaker 1: visited Cranbrook and I was like, wait, I had never 102 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:43,920 Speaker 1: been to Cranbrook and I was like walking through there, 103 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: I was like, this shit is incredible beautiful. It's beyond it. 104 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:52,040 Speaker 1: It's so beautiful, and I was like, I cannot believe. 105 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 1: I guess my parents like kept me away from that 106 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 1: experience so I wouldn't be overly jealous. But I remember 107 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 1: like driving by cram Brook once in a while and 108 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 1: it's like behind you know, these trees and you can 109 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 1: see it. It's like beyond amazing. I love Michigan so much. 110 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 1: That's me too. 111 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:12,160 Speaker 2: And I just took my husband because he had never 112 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 2: been to Michigan. I just took him to Macana Island. 113 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:16,279 Speaker 2: Did you ever get up there? 114 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:18,960 Speaker 1: I mean every year I would go to Meccana Island 115 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:21,560 Speaker 1: and that you know, I did the most American thing 116 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:24,680 Speaker 1: possible when I took my family there during the summer. 117 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 1: We went and stayed at the Grand Hotel during July 118 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 1: fourth on Macina Island, and it was an explosion of American. 119 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 1: It was like the greatest July Fourth I've ever had. 120 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:40,360 Speaker 1: I mean, I I just like, I'm like a proselytizer 121 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 1: when it comes to Michigan. I just think it's like 122 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 1: one of the great places in the world, especially upstate. Yeah, 123 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:48,599 Speaker 1: but a lot of those kind of mid sized cities 124 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 1: have really come up since we lived there. But you know, 125 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:53,919 Speaker 1: I went to summer camp, you know, up there, and 126 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 1: you know Sheboygan and you know, Traverse City Cherry Festival. 127 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 1: I took them to. It's just so so it's beyond beautiful. 128 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 1: Sleeping your dunes. 129 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, people don't really have any idea how beautiful it is. 130 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:11,720 Speaker 2: And yeah, Macinaw especially is so special. You know, you've 131 00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 2: got to take up either a car or a plane, 132 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:16,719 Speaker 2: and then a ferry and then a horse, and it's 133 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 2: a trip back in time. 134 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:21,080 Speaker 3: And the Grand Hotel is so wonderful and. 135 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:24,200 Speaker 1: Just a fudge fudge everywhere. When I was there, It's funny. 136 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:27,839 Speaker 1: I was there and I started I was walking around 137 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 1: and taking my family to the fudge shops and like 138 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:33,640 Speaker 1: someone I could tell someone kind of recognized me in 139 00:06:33,640 --> 00:06:36,920 Speaker 1: the fudgshop and there was just like, you know, I 140 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:39,480 Speaker 1: was like, and I went to another fudgshop and then 141 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:41,360 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, I hear someone else come into 142 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:45,719 Speaker 1: the fudge shop and start whispering. You guys, Paul Rudd 143 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:49,920 Speaker 1: is Macina, Paul Read's on Amcan Island, and literally everyone 144 00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:52,120 Speaker 1: in the fudgehop started to go like this and then 145 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:55,120 Speaker 1: run out onto the streets and like people congregated to 146 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:58,600 Speaker 1: see if they could find Paul Rudd on Mackinac Island. 147 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:02,880 Speaker 1: And I'm just like eating my foot, just like, do 148 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:04,039 Speaker 1: you hear Paul Road is here? 149 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:06,160 Speaker 3: Listen? 150 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 2: People can't believe that anyone of any stature is there 151 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:12,280 Speaker 2: because it's so hard to get to. 152 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:14,640 Speaker 3: It's so hard to get there. 153 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:17,520 Speaker 2: And if you're not like a Michigander, you're like, why 154 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 2: how'd you get here? 155 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 3: Why are you here? But it is so special. 156 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:24,360 Speaker 2: Speaking of getting recognized, do you get recognized more for 157 00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 2: The Hangover or National Treasure? 158 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:27,200 Speaker 3: Do you think? 159 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:31,360 Speaker 1: I mean, it's it's it's I don't know, it's both. 160 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:33,960 Speaker 1: I mean it's different crowds, you know, it's certainly different crowds. 161 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:36,160 Speaker 1: I mean National Treasure has really kind of been this 162 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:40,600 Speaker 1: generational gift that you know, now families are watching. It's 163 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:44,400 Speaker 1: become this really meaningful thing for a lot of people. 164 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 1: You'd say, you know, you talk about it helps with 165 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:49,160 Speaker 1: anxiety because it's kind of like a comfort blanket, and 166 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:52,200 Speaker 1: I think, you know, certainly as I get older, I 167 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 1: see really kind of like these big generational ties with 168 00:07:56,920 --> 00:07:59,480 Speaker 1: that movie of I've had people come up and say, 169 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:02,760 Speaker 1: I watched it with my dying mother because we grew 170 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:06,400 Speaker 1: up watching it. My grandparents loved that movie, my little 171 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:08,800 Speaker 1: kids loved So it's like, really this gift that keeps 172 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:11,320 Speaker 1: giving that I never thought I would be a part of. 173 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 1: With Hangover, you know, different, it's a different experience. There's 174 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:19,960 Speaker 1: a lot of just screaming outside of cars. I found Doug. 175 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 1: You know, it's like a lot of that. I can't 176 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:26,520 Speaker 1: go to Vegas anymore, but thankfully, what's wonderful about being 177 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:28,240 Speaker 1: an actor in New York is you see kind of 178 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:33,320 Speaker 1: pockets of different appreciations for the different, you know, projects 179 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:35,680 Speaker 1: I've had over my life, because you know, I've done 180 00:08:35,679 --> 00:08:38,560 Speaker 1: a bunch of theaters, so there's like my theater community, 181 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:42,120 Speaker 1: there's the TV stuff, so little you know, I did 182 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:45,120 Speaker 1: a show that you mentioned called The New Normal, which 183 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:49,160 Speaker 1: was you know, weirdly held up, you know, really in 184 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:51,440 Speaker 1: the gay community. So a lot of like gay men 185 00:08:51,559 --> 00:08:54,439 Speaker 1: specifically come up to me like that was meaningful before 186 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 1: the legalization of gay marriage. So it was at a 187 00:08:57,920 --> 00:09:00,040 Speaker 1: time that it left. 188 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:02,720 Speaker 2: And I want to talk about the new normal and 189 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:05,800 Speaker 2: a bit too. What though, what were you like as 190 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:09,959 Speaker 2: a kid? I always like to ask what you were 191 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:11,520 Speaker 2: like as a kid. I think it's a great place 192 00:09:11,559 --> 00:09:13,000 Speaker 2: to start. 193 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 1: What was I like as a kid? I still am 194 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:16,839 Speaker 1: a kid? 195 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 3: See right? Can you believe we're forty six? 196 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 1: Justin No, you don't have to say it so many times. 197 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:28,079 Speaker 1: You know, I was pretty independent. You know. I was 198 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:32,040 Speaker 1: a sporty kid at first, and then kind of shy 199 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:36,800 Speaker 1: and sporty, and then when I found performing and acting, 200 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:43,480 Speaker 1: it really took over and I you know, separated myself. So, 201 00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:46,439 Speaker 1: you know, I was kind of after we moved to Michigan. 202 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:48,960 Speaker 1: From really early on, I just started to kind of 203 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:51,640 Speaker 1: find my own way and did my own thing. 204 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:53,280 Speaker 3: When did you start performing? 205 00:09:54,679 --> 00:09:57,360 Speaker 1: You know, it's funny, I just did this. I was 206 00:09:57,400 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 1: looking through some old stuff and I found this sheet 207 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:02,800 Speaker 1: of like, you know, when I was twelve, of like 208 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:04,560 Speaker 1: what do you you know? What did you do this summer? 209 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:05,800 Speaker 1: What do you want to do? And then like what 210 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:06,920 Speaker 1: do you want to be when you grew up? And 211 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:09,240 Speaker 1: I wrote, I want to be an actor and I 212 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:12,960 Speaker 1: don't even I don't even remember acting that early. I 213 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:18,040 Speaker 1: kind of at least found it like fifteen seriously. But yeah, 214 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:20,240 Speaker 1: I guess I wanted to do it from pretty early 215 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:23,640 Speaker 1: on thirteen fourteen. I would say, you. 216 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:27,800 Speaker 2: Know, it's I most I did ballet and eventually very 217 00:10:27,840 --> 00:10:29,480 Speaker 2: seriously at Boston Ballet. 218 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:30,959 Speaker 3: But in Michigan, I. 219 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:33,319 Speaker 2: Was doing ballet and I was also, I don't know 220 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:37,720 Speaker 2: why this happened, auditioning for film and TV roles, and 221 00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:40,160 Speaker 2: I auditioned for a part in RoboCop two, which I 222 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:40,760 Speaker 2: didn't get. 223 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:43,719 Speaker 1: You did, huh? But I was obsessed with roebook. I 224 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:45,280 Speaker 1: saw RoboCup two for my birthday. 225 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:47,480 Speaker 3: Oh my god, Well don't I never even saw it. 226 00:10:47,559 --> 00:10:49,480 Speaker 3: But was there a role for a little girl? 227 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:52,800 Speaker 1: I mean, I don't remember. Maybe I'm sure, I'm sure. 228 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:55,160 Speaker 1: Maybe you know, you got to figure it's the sequels, 229 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:58,080 Speaker 1: so I'm sure like Peter Weller was protecting a little girl. 230 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 2: At something, Yes, something like that. I was against RoboCop. 231 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:05,240 Speaker 2: Oh interesting anyway. 232 00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:08,360 Speaker 1: Who did you but you actually like was so addressed 233 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:09,360 Speaker 1: did the RoboCup outfit? 234 00:11:09,559 --> 00:11:12,959 Speaker 2: No, he was a director or a cast you know, 235 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:13,840 Speaker 2: was sitting there. 236 00:11:13,880 --> 00:11:16,840 Speaker 1: Like did they talk? Did they talk in the RoboCop voice, 237 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:20,920 Speaker 1: thank you for not smoking? Okay, Nope. 238 00:11:21,240 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 3: And then I got like. 239 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:25,440 Speaker 2: A promotional film for GM of course because it's Michigan. 240 00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:28,240 Speaker 2: But like, was there a lot of work coming through 241 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 2: Michigan or were you mostly doing like stuff at school? No? 242 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:33,320 Speaker 1: No, no, I mean I did stuff at school. I 243 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:36,240 Speaker 1: mean the first thing I do. I had like a 244 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:40,400 Speaker 1: super indelible experience of when I was I think fifteen 245 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:43,360 Speaker 1: was the first, you know, I started doing kind of 246 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:48,200 Speaker 1: like acting workshops. And then there was an industrial that 247 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:51,760 Speaker 1: came into town that was a commercial for Black History 248 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:56,679 Speaker 1: Month starring Grant Hill, who was a big basketball player 249 00:11:56,720 --> 00:11:59,560 Speaker 1: at the time. Yeah, and they basically were casting a 250 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:02,079 Speaker 1: bunch of kids. It was a black and white spot 251 00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:05,440 Speaker 1: and where a bunch of kids sat around and just 252 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:08,760 Speaker 1: listened to Grant Hill kind of talk about Black History 253 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:11,439 Speaker 1: Month and my dad, who you know, I don't have 254 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:14,679 Speaker 1: any you know, connections to the industry of just some random, 255 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:17,720 Speaker 1: you know kid in Michigan and my dad, you know, 256 00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:20,760 Speaker 1: I got this gig as like a kid that just 257 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 1: like an extra. Basically that's like watching Grant Hill, and 258 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:26,480 Speaker 1: my dad took me never been to like a set before, 259 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:29,000 Speaker 1: and we're like doing this whole thing. There's like probably 260 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:32,280 Speaker 1: fifteen kids or something, and he's, you know, hanging out there. 261 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:34,880 Speaker 1: You know, you see the director setting up the shots 262 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:37,640 Speaker 1: and like featuring every kid, kind of listening to Grant 263 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:40,240 Speaker 1: Hill and at the end of like a twelve hour 264 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:43,520 Speaker 1: day and I'm so I remember being so into it 265 00:12:43,520 --> 00:12:46,720 Speaker 1: and blah. But my dad noticed that they never got 266 00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:49,800 Speaker 1: a shot of me. So they were gonna wrap and 267 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:52,760 Speaker 1: my dad goes up to the director and he's like, hey, 268 00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:55,760 Speaker 1: let me talk to you for then you shoot my kid. 269 00:12:56,760 --> 00:12:59,160 Speaker 1: And was like, all right, Sarah, sorry, we ran out 270 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:01,079 Speaker 1: of time. He's like, no, no, no, I waited around here 271 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:05,080 Speaker 1: for twelve hours and my kids just sitting there. Shoot 272 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 1: my kid. Go ahead, yeah, I want to. I need 273 00:13:07,559 --> 00:13:09,720 Speaker 1: a shot at my kid. And sure enough he pre 274 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:12,480 Speaker 1: convinced them to get one extra shot. And you can 275 00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:15,600 Speaker 1: see at a certain point it's me going like listening 276 00:13:15,640 --> 00:13:18,600 Speaker 1: to Grant Hill talk about Martin Luther King a little 277 00:13:18,679 --> 00:13:23,040 Speaker 1: Jewish boy, Yeah, a little Jewish boy, being like, these. 278 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:26,079 Speaker 3: Are the words of doctor Martin Luther King Junior, whose 279 00:13:26,120 --> 00:13:28,800 Speaker 3: accomplishments are an inspiration to us ault. 280 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:32,800 Speaker 1: So that's the first thing, and I was hooked now, 281 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:35,200 Speaker 1: But I did a bunch, you know, I did. Like 282 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:38,079 Speaker 1: there was like some summer stock type of thing, and 283 00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:41,360 Speaker 1: there was like a program where a New York acting 284 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:44,680 Speaker 1: teacher came to do like a summer program, and I 285 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:48,200 Speaker 1: signed up for this. Like he was teaching the Meisner technique, 286 00:13:48,280 --> 00:13:51,200 Speaker 1: which is a type of you know, acting technique, and 287 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:54,480 Speaker 1: then attached to that training, they also did a production 288 00:13:54,520 --> 00:13:56,679 Speaker 1: of Jesus Christ Supershow where they brought in New York 289 00:13:57,160 --> 00:14:01,680 Speaker 1: actors theater actors and you would like experience what it's 290 00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:03,040 Speaker 1: like to be on a set, and we put it 291 00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:06,880 Speaker 1: on in downtown Detroit. And it's funnily enough, one of 292 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:12,880 Speaker 1: those New York actors, randomly, like I worked with later on, 293 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:15,240 Speaker 1: he had this thing the Dan band in the hangover. 294 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:19,080 Speaker 1: So send them to get to the candice shop. 295 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:22,800 Speaker 3: I'll let you lick the well. 296 00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:25,240 Speaker 2: So you go to NYU, you you go for acting. 297 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:29,400 Speaker 2: Do you do all the end of year drama auditions? 298 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:33,560 Speaker 1: I mean, I kind of had a circuitous path to 299 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:36,040 Speaker 1: kind of getting into I was like, ah, I was 300 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:40,400 Speaker 1: such a hustler. So I transferred kind of halfway through 301 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:42,920 Speaker 1: into the film program. So I graduated from the film 302 00:14:42,920 --> 00:14:45,200 Speaker 1: for at NYU, so I was kind of, you know, 303 00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:48,760 Speaker 1: it's the program. When I was there was a conservatory 304 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:50,000 Speaker 1: you're not allowed to work, and I was like, I 305 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:52,960 Speaker 1: want to get out there and do some stuff. So 306 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:56,720 Speaker 1: I started to make my own films. And then at NYU, 307 00:14:56,800 --> 00:14:59,600 Speaker 1: I had this show on NYU TV that was like 308 00:14:59,640 --> 00:15:04,800 Speaker 1: a comedic interview show that was, you know, we would 309 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:08,640 Speaker 1: basically sneak into old school press junkets and like do 310 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:12,280 Speaker 1: comedic interviews and we cut together like a sizzle reel 311 00:15:12,280 --> 00:15:15,320 Speaker 1: and we would have this the show on NYUTV that 312 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:17,680 Speaker 1: became kind of like a cult little had a cult 313 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:21,240 Speaker 1: little following, yeah, within the closed circuit TV. And then 314 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:25,200 Speaker 1: through that I got an agent. And then I started 315 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:27,720 Speaker 1: to direct, write and direct commercials for Showtime, and I 316 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:30,080 Speaker 1: kind of went down that route and I got an 317 00:15:30,120 --> 00:15:33,320 Speaker 1: acting agent from that being able to kind of sneak 318 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 1: in through that, and then funnily enough, we ended up 319 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:40,600 Speaker 1: sending that stuff we did at NYU. We got a lawyer, 320 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:42,840 Speaker 1: and that lawyer sent it to Todd Phillips, who was 321 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:45,120 Speaker 1: eventually a director of the Hangover. That's how I initially 322 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:48,160 Speaker 1: met Todd. He ended up producing the show that we 323 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:51,440 Speaker 1: made for MTV back in the day, in like the 324 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:55,240 Speaker 1: year two thousand and we made a pilot for MTV 325 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:59,280 Speaker 1: and then the last day I basically started to audition 326 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:01,880 Speaker 1: for movies through that, and then I was auditioning for 327 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:05,040 Speaker 1: my first movie and I kind of got it the 328 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:08,160 Speaker 1: last when they turned down the pilot for MTV. So 329 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:10,800 Speaker 1: I kind of that was my transition into acting. 330 00:16:11,160 --> 00:16:13,680 Speaker 2: How do you get on the set of Vanalyze this, 331 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:15,479 Speaker 2: I was obsessed. 332 00:16:15,080 --> 00:16:18,480 Speaker 1: With de Niro, as every actor is, ye, but you know, 333 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:20,760 Speaker 1: when I was in high school and then college, I 334 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:25,040 Speaker 1: was truly obsessed with him, and I watched kind of 335 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:28,240 Speaker 1: you know, I just watched every single thing he ever 336 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:31,560 Speaker 1: did and kind of studied de Niro. I was a fan, 337 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:34,120 Speaker 1: Like I would wait out. I remember waiting outside of 338 00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:36,920 Speaker 1: the set of Great Expectations. They were shooting in New York, 339 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:39,520 Speaker 1: and I was like just waiting to just see him 340 00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:42,360 Speaker 1: and trying to schmooze a PA to let me like 341 00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:43,600 Speaker 1: shake his hands shit like that. 342 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:44,240 Speaker 3: Yeah. 343 00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:47,600 Speaker 1: So I while again like I would skip school and 344 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:50,720 Speaker 1: just try to work as I had no experience, just 345 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:53,520 Speaker 1: gain experience within the industry, and I ended up getting 346 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:56,600 Speaker 1: an internship at Tribeca Productions just like walking in there 347 00:16:56,600 --> 00:16:59,160 Speaker 1: and being like, I need to work here. And I was, 348 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:02,120 Speaker 1: you know, a p auction assistant there, and then you know, 349 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:05,359 Speaker 1: I worked my way up to you know, office PA 350 00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:07,880 Speaker 1: and set PA, and then I was just kind of 351 00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:10,560 Speaker 1: you know, that was how I learned a lot of 352 00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 1: the business was being an intern. 353 00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:14,720 Speaker 3: So did you meet him, did you work with him? Yeah? 354 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:17,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, I met him. You know, I I met him 355 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:20,520 Speaker 1: a lot. I ended up being around him all the time. 356 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:23,320 Speaker 1: And then, you know, I've never been you know, been 357 00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:24,640 Speaker 1: able to be in a movie with him, but I've 358 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:26,840 Speaker 1: over my career, I've been able to do table reads 359 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:28,480 Speaker 1: with him. You know, he always does table reads of 360 00:17:28,520 --> 00:17:30,400 Speaker 1: the movies that he's thinking about doing, and I've been 361 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:33,200 Speaker 1: cast and some of those table reasons. So and then 362 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:36,520 Speaker 1: we've had mutual friends and stuff like that. So yeah, 363 00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:40,320 Speaker 1: I did manifest some kind of you know, tangential relationship 364 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:40,840 Speaker 1: with de Niro. 365 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:44,720 Speaker 2: You know, we we had a Barry son Enfeld on 366 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:49,480 Speaker 2: the podcast and he was DP I think for Big 367 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:51,320 Speaker 2: and yeah, was. 368 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:53,159 Speaker 1: Telling me pornography too as well. 369 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:55,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, so I know I know right out at NYU. 370 00:17:55,800 --> 00:17:59,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, but he was telling us that Tom Hanks was 371 00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:01,639 Speaker 2: not Penny marks Shoul's first choice for the role of 372 00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:03,440 Speaker 2: Josh Basket, Robert. 373 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:06,720 Speaker 1: De Niro was yeah, remember hearing that sure fucking wild, 374 00:18:06,840 --> 00:18:10,320 Speaker 1: Like it's interesting to hear the like, you know, like 375 00:18:10,359 --> 00:18:12,640 Speaker 1: Beverly Hills Cop. It wasn't supposed to be Eddie Murphy 376 00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:14,800 Speaker 1: was supposed to be Syevester Stallone like stuff like that 377 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:17,040 Speaker 1: where you're like, holy shit, it would be completely different movie. 378 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:20,240 Speaker 1: But every single movie ever made has those They wanted this. 379 00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:22,760 Speaker 1: That's the story of my career is we couldn't get 380 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:41,080 Speaker 1: that guy. So it's that guy. 381 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:37,840 Speaker 3: Talk about Gilie. Talk about Gilie for me. 382 00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:43,480 Speaker 1: I mean, this fucking thing, man, it's the it literally 383 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:50,120 Speaker 1: just when you think they I know, man, Well, now 384 00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:52,359 Speaker 1: it's like I'm getting all these emails because Seth Rogen 385 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:56,320 Speaker 1: did an interview on Kimmel and he talked about auditioning 386 00:18:56,359 --> 00:18:58,680 Speaker 1: for Jillie and how to ruin his career if it can't. 387 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:03,320 Speaker 1: And now it's like every news cycle. It's the trump 388 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:08,040 Speaker 1: of the entertainment industry. It never dies. I mean, you know, 389 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:12,639 Speaker 1: I yeah, Jelly was my first movie. You know, what 390 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:14,520 Speaker 1: do you want to know? I could I'll tell you 391 00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:17,560 Speaker 1: we could. We could fill up this whole podcast with 392 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:18,520 Speaker 1: with Gillie Story. 393 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:22,440 Speaker 2: Sure were you aware when it would be Yeah, sure, 394 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:24,000 Speaker 2: how bad we would be received? 395 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:28,240 Speaker 1: Of course not I could. I'll come, I'll comment on anything. 396 00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:31,560 Speaker 1: I have nothing to hide, No, of course not. I mean, listen, 397 00:19:31,640 --> 00:19:36,120 Speaker 1: anyone making a movie is trying their bat It's incredibly 398 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:40,040 Speaker 1: difficult to make a good movie. It's incredibly difficult to 399 00:19:40,040 --> 00:19:43,480 Speaker 1: make a movie. To make a good movie is literally 400 00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:47,840 Speaker 1: nearly impossible. It really is so hard. And you know, 401 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:52,000 Speaker 1: that movie at the time was you know, I had 402 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:55,200 Speaker 1: never been on film before besides my own like short 403 00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:59,560 Speaker 1: films or anything like that, and this movie was the 404 00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:03,840 Speaker 1: hot thing in all of every single you know, It's 405 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:07,760 Speaker 1: not just Seth Rogan. Every single actor of a certain 406 00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:11,159 Speaker 1: age read for this movie and tried to be in 407 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:13,680 Speaker 1: this movie. It was Martin Brest, who was already one 408 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:16,560 Speaker 1: of my favorite directors, you know at the time. It 409 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:19,439 Speaker 1: was Ben Affleck and Halle Berry who was originally in 410 00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:24,720 Speaker 1: the movie, al Pacino, Christopher Walkin. I mean, it was 411 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:30,600 Speaker 1: the it was the movie and the script was was good, 412 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:33,439 Speaker 1: you know, so everyone, you know, I was you know, 413 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:36,479 Speaker 1: when I got that movie, I had people coming up 414 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:39,280 Speaker 1: to me and saying, I'll see at the Academy Awards. 415 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:42,760 Speaker 1: Before I even shot a frame of the movie, everyone 416 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:45,040 Speaker 1: thought the movie was going to be amazing. I mean, 417 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:49,360 Speaker 1: this is a truly amazing feeling now. The experience of that, 418 00:20:50,320 --> 00:20:55,280 Speaker 1: although it was ultimately dramatic, you know, I learned more 419 00:20:56,280 --> 00:21:01,840 Speaker 1: about the industry of Hollywood making movie, these relationships, everything 420 00:21:02,359 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 1: within the making of that one movie then I've learned 421 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:10,800 Speaker 1: in my entire career. It was unbelievable, an unbelievable experience, 422 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:14,200 Speaker 1: not just because I got to work with al Pacino 423 00:21:14,359 --> 00:21:17,160 Speaker 1: and Christopher Walken and Ben and Jen and I became 424 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:21,639 Speaker 1: very close with them, and it was truly unreal. But 425 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:25,480 Speaker 1: you know, seeing relationally Martin Brest and you know, the 426 00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:29,640 Speaker 1: dynamics of the crew, all this stuff. It was invaluable. 427 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:34,600 Speaker 1: But when you're making it, no, you believe wholeheartedly, and 428 00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:37,720 Speaker 1: I you know, the focus that is that it takes 429 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:40,760 Speaker 1: to do it is crazy. 430 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:41,200 Speaker 3: Yeah. 431 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:45,240 Speaker 1: Now, once some of the stuff that was outside of 432 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:47,639 Speaker 1: the movie started to leak in, like you started to 433 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:50,679 Speaker 1: see you know when we first that movie, when we 434 00:21:50,720 --> 00:21:53,320 Speaker 1: made it, you know, at least a third of that 435 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:57,800 Speaker 1: movie was reshot. Originally the movie was a drama and 436 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:01,560 Speaker 1: Jennifer Lopez. That character she played was out of the 437 00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:04,320 Speaker 1: movie kind of like an hour before it was done. 438 00:22:04,320 --> 00:22:08,560 Speaker 1: And it was like this interesting, weird thing between Affleck 439 00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:11,359 Speaker 1: and it was a gangster kind of comedy, you know, 440 00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:17,920 Speaker 1: Tarantino asque and you know, when we tested the movie originally, 441 00:22:18,240 --> 00:22:21,840 Speaker 1: there was a clause in this kind of contract that 442 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:25,000 Speaker 1: Marty Brest had a final cut, which was you know, 443 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:28,320 Speaker 1: very rare and still is incredibly rare, and there was 444 00:22:28,359 --> 00:22:31,840 Speaker 1: a clause if it had tested below a certain number, 445 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:36,680 Speaker 1: then the studio at the time, which was Revolution run 446 00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:40,959 Speaker 1: by Joe Roth, could mandate these reshoots of like a 447 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:44,159 Speaker 1: large portion of the movie. And I saw like a 448 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:46,840 Speaker 1: fistfight between the head of the studio and Martin Brest, 449 00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:50,159 Speaker 1: where Ben Affleck and I are holding people back. The 450 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:55,680 Speaker 1: stories are are crazy, And what happened was is the director, 451 00:22:55,760 --> 00:22:57,679 Speaker 1: you know, I'm not saying the movie was great by 452 00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:00,240 Speaker 1: any means, but it was a completely different movie. And 453 00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:03,199 Speaker 1: it became kind of this Frankenstein to try and this 454 00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:06,600 Speaker 1: is kind of has been talked about to capitalize on 455 00:23:07,359 --> 00:23:10,520 Speaker 1: the relationship that was between Ben and Jen and kind 456 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:14,960 Speaker 1: of you know, really took over all of media. So 457 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:18,760 Speaker 1: they tried to fit kind of a rom com into 458 00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:26,160 Speaker 1: a kind of an offbeat comedic drama. And then you know, 459 00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:29,040 Speaker 1: it took almost a year and a half to make 460 00:23:29,119 --> 00:23:31,800 Speaker 1: that movie. When it came to reshoots, the director didn't 461 00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:34,480 Speaker 1: want to shoot the reshoots. At one point, Ben and 462 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:38,880 Speaker 1: I rewrote a completely different script and we were trying 463 00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:41,159 Speaker 1: to get it approved by the studio. Like it was 464 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:44,240 Speaker 1: so much into that we knew the reshoots were bad, 465 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:47,800 Speaker 1: so we were trying to stop them, and we believed 466 00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:50,159 Speaker 1: in a lot of the stuff that we shot, you know, 467 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:53,800 Speaker 1: but of course, when you frankenstein something together and it's 468 00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:58,440 Speaker 1: you know, creativity by committee, it's going to end up bad. 469 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:01,840 Speaker 1: And this ended up worse than you know, anyone could 470 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:05,280 Speaker 1: possibly know. And unfortunately, as a young actor, like, wait, 471 00:24:05,359 --> 00:24:07,359 Speaker 1: all this stuff that I worked on for over a 472 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:10,679 Speaker 1: year is now. But the character. I'm not saying my 473 00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:13,679 Speaker 1: performance is like the greatest, or anyone's performance is the greatest, 474 00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:17,159 Speaker 1: But the character is piecemeal together. There's stuff that doesn't 475 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:20,320 Speaker 1: make sense. The whole backstories are gone, there's all these 476 00:24:20,320 --> 00:24:23,600 Speaker 1: scenes gone. You know, people aren't are not happy to 477 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:26,920 Speaker 1: be there. It was the worst popular situation. So by 478 00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:29,679 Speaker 1: the time the movie was set to come out and 479 00:24:29,720 --> 00:24:31,439 Speaker 1: we are going to do press. Me doing press for 480 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:34,200 Speaker 1: the first time in my entire life. Yeah, Ben came 481 00:24:34,280 --> 00:24:36,600 Speaker 1: up to me and he literally before my first interview, 482 00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:38,560 Speaker 1: he just wanted to He just goes, listen, I just 483 00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:40,520 Speaker 1: want you to know, is going to be really bad, 484 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:44,080 Speaker 1: Like this shit is going to be bad. Just hang 485 00:24:44,119 --> 00:24:48,480 Speaker 1: in there. Knew it, well, he knew like the day 486 00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:51,320 Speaker 1: before kind of reviews, all that stuff came out, and 487 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:54,359 Speaker 1: we had a sense that we knew that it wasn't good, 488 00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:57,560 Speaker 1: you know, of course, but you know, I'll stand by 489 00:24:57,560 --> 00:25:00,560 Speaker 1: that it wasn't the worst movie that year. Yeah, there 490 00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:03,159 Speaker 1: was a you know, no offense to the filmmakers of 491 00:25:03,440 --> 00:25:07,480 Speaker 1: from Justin to Kelly, but you know, there was definitely 492 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:11,520 Speaker 1: there's stinkers every year, and I think this movie, you know, 493 00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:14,480 Speaker 1: I think it kind of introduced the word Shoden Freuda 494 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:17,879 Speaker 1: to the kind of American public when attached to the 495 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:20,600 Speaker 1: entertainment industry. And I think, you know, there was that 496 00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:24,720 Speaker 1: exposure of Ben and Jen, which was a lot, and 497 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:28,960 Speaker 1: there was this film that definitely is not good and 498 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:32,480 Speaker 1: it was a perfect storm of horribleness. 499 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:34,400 Speaker 2: Well, it's just such a shame because there's so many 500 00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:39,520 Speaker 2: talented people attached to that, and I'm wondering what you thought, 501 00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:40,639 Speaker 2: like the Ben and. 502 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:44,840 Speaker 3: Jen reboot, what did you think? Oh? God, like we're I. 503 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:50,680 Speaker 1: Mean, you know, honestly, you know, selfishly, you know, I 504 00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:53,920 Speaker 1: was like, listen, I want of course, I love them 505 00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:56,320 Speaker 1: both and I want them to find happiness. Yeah, but 506 00:25:56,600 --> 00:25:58,639 Speaker 1: on a selfish way, I was like, here comes all 507 00:25:58,640 --> 00:25:59,440 Speaker 1: the Gli shit. 508 00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:03,000 Speaker 3: Again, right right, you know guys, it was. 509 00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:06,800 Speaker 1: You know, here we go. I gotta I gotta think 510 00:26:06,840 --> 00:26:11,320 Speaker 1: about that. Here's another cycle which again is going away. 511 00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:14,240 Speaker 1: As someone that is also, by the way, fascinated by 512 00:26:14,880 --> 00:26:19,440 Speaker 1: you know, bombs of Hollywood. I love these stories Heaven's 513 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:23,760 Speaker 1: Gate and the stories behind the falls of studios, and yeah, 514 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:28,639 Speaker 1: it's fascinating stuff. But it's it's it's very odd to 515 00:26:28,680 --> 00:26:31,920 Speaker 1: be kind of like weirdly in it and then kind 516 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:35,080 Speaker 1: of like, Okay, this is a this is made twenty 517 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:38,359 Speaker 1: you know, twenty years ago more than you know. I'm like, Okay, 518 00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:42,000 Speaker 1: it's still it's amazing how much, how how it lasts. 519 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:43,960 Speaker 1: But I guess it's also you know, Ben and Jenn 520 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:46,399 Speaker 1: are they are still incredibly famous people? 521 00:26:46,520 --> 00:26:52,240 Speaker 2: Yes, they are, Okay, another weird coincidence let's talk about Rollers. 522 00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:57,320 Speaker 1: Okay, Holy Rose is all right there. Sorry, but but 523 00:26:57,359 --> 00:26:59,840 Speaker 1: you are an Orthodox Jew that deals drugs. 524 00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:00,879 Speaker 3: Indeed, uh no. 525 00:27:01,040 --> 00:27:03,359 Speaker 2: Holy Rollers was co produced by two of my very 526 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:05,760 Speaker 2: good friends, Ryan Silbert and Rob Profusek. 527 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:07,119 Speaker 3: I don't know if you worked with those. 528 00:27:07,119 --> 00:27:10,199 Speaker 1: I mean Ryan, Yeah, for sure, I mean Ryan, I 529 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:11,520 Speaker 1: think I've known for a long time. 530 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:13,639 Speaker 3: For sure, we both we all went to Cornell together. 531 00:27:14,160 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 1: Okay, it was so wild, but you know, that was 532 00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:22,000 Speaker 1: another That movie was another wild experience for me. Temmy 533 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:24,480 Speaker 1: oh man, Well, what were you going to say, let's go, 534 00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:25,600 Speaker 1: let's follow your past. 535 00:27:25,720 --> 00:27:27,399 Speaker 2: I wanted to know what that what filming it was 536 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:30,399 Speaker 2: like because I've I've not worked with those guys. 537 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:35,040 Speaker 3: They're just friends, and it's such a quirky film. 538 00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:39,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, listen that movie. What's interesting about that movie, 539 00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:41,639 Speaker 1: It really kind of to me what it brings up 540 00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:43,560 Speaker 1: is kind of the hustle it takes to get an 541 00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:47,920 Speaker 1: independent film made. Yeah, especially now. But but then it's 542 00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:50,520 Speaker 1: like this this guy that I'd known for a while, 543 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:55,960 Speaker 1: Danny a Danny abo Aba Kassar, had this idea and 544 00:27:56,320 --> 00:27:59,199 Speaker 1: kind of a seed of an idea from like a 545 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:02,760 Speaker 1: news magazine show that he saw that he'd seen and 546 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:05,959 Speaker 1: he sent it to Jesse Eisenberg, who you know, I 547 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:10,640 Speaker 1: was very close with, and we you know, the idea 548 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:14,240 Speaker 1: was so great that the script at the time was 549 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:16,280 Speaker 1: kind of a different thing. It was kind of more 550 00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:18,480 Speaker 1: set up to be almost like a B movie, like 551 00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:21,520 Speaker 1: a shoot him up kind of thriller, and Jesse and 552 00:28:21,560 --> 00:28:24,440 Speaker 1: I worked on kind of, you know, retooling it into 553 00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:29,240 Speaker 1: this kind of character drama story about you know, kind 554 00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:34,280 Speaker 1: of the fall from religion and brotherhood and what it 555 00:28:34,320 --> 00:28:37,560 Speaker 1: means to be in an insular community and all this stuff. 556 00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:41,240 Speaker 1: And it was, you know, we shot that movie for 557 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:44,680 Speaker 1: for nothing, you know, in like eighteen days in New 558 00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:49,520 Speaker 1: York and certainly you know, at certain point you know 559 00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:54,200 Speaker 1: there's a yeah, there's it was. It was an interesting 560 00:28:54,240 --> 00:28:59,040 Speaker 1: shoot where some people had some difficulties kind of staying 561 00:28:59,080 --> 00:29:01,560 Speaker 1: on track. And Okay, but you don't hear you don't 562 00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:04,120 Speaker 1: hear a lot about the small movies. But yeah, but 563 00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:06,760 Speaker 1: we're very proud of that movie. We a lot of 564 00:29:06,760 --> 00:29:09,120 Speaker 1: my close friends. You know, one of my closest friends 565 00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:11,640 Speaker 1: was the cinematographer on the movie, who now is one 566 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:15,400 Speaker 1: of a great the great cinematographers shot White lotus and everything, 567 00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:18,680 Speaker 1: and Jesse helped cast it, and we helped produce it 568 00:29:18,720 --> 00:29:21,920 Speaker 1: and really put it together and bootstrap it, and we're 569 00:29:21,960 --> 00:29:22,760 Speaker 1: super proud of it. 570 00:29:23,200 --> 00:29:25,880 Speaker 2: Absolutely another thing you're proud of. You mentioned this earlier, 571 00:29:25,920 --> 00:29:27,800 Speaker 2: the New Normal. I know you're really proud of that 572 00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:30,640 Speaker 2: show and disappointed that it got canceled. But I was 573 00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:34,760 Speaker 2: wondering what your thoughts were going into You're going into 574 00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:37,680 Speaker 2: a network comedy, You're going into a Ryan Murphy production, 575 00:29:37,960 --> 00:29:42,560 Speaker 2: You're going into a show that, apparently for some people, 576 00:29:42,760 --> 00:29:47,360 Speaker 2: was considered controversial. This is even after like Will and Grace. 577 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:49,680 Speaker 2: But anyway, what were all of your thoughts going into 578 00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:50,280 Speaker 2: the New Normal. 579 00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:54,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, I listen, I really wanted to work 580 00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:57,760 Speaker 1: with Ryan Murphy. I was sent that script and I 581 00:29:57,840 --> 00:30:01,880 Speaker 1: read it, and it just even though on television you 582 00:30:01,960 --> 00:30:07,160 Speaker 1: have certainly shows that tackle, you know, homosexuality and in 583 00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:11,719 Speaker 1: a way like Soap and Will and Grace and Modern Family, 584 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:16,160 Speaker 1: this seemed like kind of a ratcheting up of issues 585 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:21,280 Speaker 1: that were interesting. Surrogacy, real intimacy where you see men truly, 586 00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:24,720 Speaker 1: you know, be affectionate with each other, and certainly tackling 587 00:30:24,760 --> 00:30:28,600 Speaker 1: bigotry within that, and and you know, it was something 588 00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:32,200 Speaker 1: that I really wanted to be a part of. I 589 00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:35,880 Speaker 1: have one brother who's gay and had a difficult time 590 00:30:36,040 --> 00:30:39,880 Speaker 1: kind of you know coming out and and and coming 591 00:30:39,880 --> 00:30:43,920 Speaker 1: into his own and it was Yeah, it was just 592 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:46,600 Speaker 1: there was so many wonderful people involved, and it was 593 00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:50,280 Speaker 1: something that we're proud of and and you know, kind 594 00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:53,240 Speaker 1: of in hindsight we are. It was also the only 595 00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:57,320 Speaker 1: thing that Ryan Murphy has ever done that was canceled 596 00:30:57,360 --> 00:31:01,880 Speaker 1: after one season. But yeah, there was it was interesting 597 00:31:01,880 --> 00:31:04,120 Speaker 1: to be kind of you know, there was controversy or 598 00:31:04,280 --> 00:31:06,840 Speaker 1: the Million Moms, this whole thing that we start to 599 00:31:06,920 --> 00:31:10,680 Speaker 1: understand when you're in you know, not necessarily the center, 600 00:31:10,760 --> 00:31:12,640 Speaker 1: but when that stuff is pointed at you, you're like, 601 00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:16,480 Speaker 1: you can see the artifice of all of the politicking 602 00:31:16,560 --> 00:31:20,120 Speaker 1: of these groups and how you know, they try to leverage, 603 00:31:20,440 --> 00:31:23,760 Speaker 1: you know, any type of controversy and to just press 604 00:31:24,360 --> 00:31:27,520 Speaker 1: right and having to navigate that in a way where 605 00:31:27,520 --> 00:31:30,400 Speaker 1: you're like, you don't want to underplay it, which you're 606 00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:33,520 Speaker 1: just like, to me, this is just normal, you know. 607 00:31:33,680 --> 00:31:35,960 Speaker 1: But the title of the show really was aprobo. I 608 00:31:35,960 --> 00:31:39,480 Speaker 1: mean that it was kind of overly kind of preachy 609 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:43,840 Speaker 1: or progressive to certain people, and it felt like it 610 00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:46,080 Speaker 1: was a little bit ahead of its time, even though 611 00:31:46,160 --> 00:31:48,960 Speaker 1: I'm not saying it was a perfect show, but we 612 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:50,800 Speaker 1: could have, you know, we all thought that it could 613 00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:52,160 Speaker 1: have kind of found it stride. 614 00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:55,000 Speaker 3: Do you think it was canceled for political reasons? 615 00:31:56,520 --> 00:31:58,720 Speaker 1: No, I don't think it was canceled for political reasons. 616 00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:01,360 Speaker 1: I think that I think there are a lot of 617 00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:05,480 Speaker 1: different reasons. My sense is that it was certainly came 618 00:32:05,520 --> 00:32:09,000 Speaker 1: out during like this transitional period of network television, and 619 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:11,360 Speaker 1: I think, like, you know, the ratings that you know, 620 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:15,120 Speaker 1: if you just waited two years, the ratings that it got, 621 00:32:15,200 --> 00:32:16,600 Speaker 1: it actually they would have been like, oh, this is 622 00:32:16,600 --> 00:32:20,040 Speaker 1: a really successful TV show. But like you know, during 623 00:32:20,120 --> 00:32:23,480 Speaker 1: that time, it was really kind of like this bubble thing, 624 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:27,240 Speaker 1: and then the rewards weren't worth the risk. I guess 625 00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:27,960 Speaker 1: I'm not sure. 626 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:33,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, let's talk about the hangover. Why why do Brad 627 00:32:33,040 --> 00:32:34,040 Speaker 2: and Ed and Zach. 628 00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:37,400 Speaker 3: Get to have all the fun and hijinks in those movies? 629 00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:41,040 Speaker 3: You're fun, thank you? You know? 630 00:32:41,360 --> 00:32:45,600 Speaker 1: That was that's the way then the concert. I mean, 631 00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:49,280 Speaker 1: the character, you know, Doug is the kind of I 632 00:32:49,280 --> 00:32:52,200 Speaker 1: always describe him as kind of like the glue in 633 00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:55,040 Speaker 1: the sense with when you take him away, everything falls apart. 634 00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:59,920 Speaker 1: So he's you know, he's kind of designed as everyone's there. 635 00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:03,440 Speaker 1: In a way, he's the connector, if you you know, 636 00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:06,880 Speaker 1: the main for me, you know, in a way when 637 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:09,640 Speaker 1: I was looking at that character, the main thing that 638 00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:13,480 Speaker 1: stood out was these three Why would these three guys 639 00:33:13,720 --> 00:33:17,040 Speaker 1: ever be in the same room? Right, So without Doug, 640 00:33:17,240 --> 00:33:20,400 Speaker 1: You're like, there's no connector. So he has to be 641 00:33:20,600 --> 00:33:23,640 Speaker 1: a little bit nerdy, a little bit empathetic to his 642 00:33:23,680 --> 00:33:26,640 Speaker 1: brother in law, a little bit you know, strong, and 643 00:33:27,160 --> 00:33:30,200 Speaker 1: kind of a ballsy like Bradley's character. You know, he's 644 00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:32,200 Speaker 1: a device in a sense. 645 00:33:32,320 --> 00:33:33,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, I can see that. 646 00:33:34,680 --> 00:33:38,920 Speaker 2: And then just to circle back on National Treasure, what 647 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:41,080 Speaker 2: did you did you have any misgivings about doing like 648 00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:43,400 Speaker 2: a big Disney I did? 649 00:33:43,480 --> 00:33:46,800 Speaker 1: I mean I did. I was a snobby little boy. 650 00:33:46,880 --> 00:33:49,600 Speaker 1: I was just you know, I was coming at a 651 00:33:49,640 --> 00:33:52,400 Speaker 1: film school. The first, you know, I did Gelie, which 652 00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:57,320 Speaker 1: hadn't really you know, it was still a kind of 653 00:33:57,360 --> 00:33:59,280 Speaker 1: a priss even though it was a bond. I still 654 00:33:59,280 --> 00:34:01,080 Speaker 1: worked with all of these people. The second thing I 655 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:04,040 Speaker 1: ever did was a Sydney Lamette movie for HBO that 656 00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:06,240 Speaker 1: never came out. So I was like, really, like, I 657 00:34:06,240 --> 00:34:11,200 Speaker 1: want to friend this was hanging out with me being like, justin, 658 00:34:11,239 --> 00:34:13,640 Speaker 1: don't do this. I never thought that I would ever, 659 00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:16,640 Speaker 1: you know, even have a chance to do this, So 660 00:34:16,880 --> 00:34:19,200 Speaker 1: when it was initially sent to me, I was like, nah, 661 00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:21,200 Speaker 1: fuck this. And I was also in a weird place, 662 00:34:21,200 --> 00:34:22,520 Speaker 1: you know, I was like, do I want to quit? 663 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:24,839 Speaker 1: Because of the Gili thing. It was so kind of 664 00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:28,719 Speaker 1: like ugh, oh wow, And then I ended up you know, 665 00:34:29,320 --> 00:34:31,440 Speaker 1: my agents were like, you'd be stupid to not just 666 00:34:31,480 --> 00:34:33,120 Speaker 1: read it's Nick Cage. I was like, I do love 667 00:34:33,239 --> 00:34:36,839 Speaker 1: Nick Cage the Great. And then Bruckheimer, who had who 668 00:34:36,880 --> 00:34:39,960 Speaker 1: was friends with Martin Brest. He knew Martin well, and 669 00:34:40,040 --> 00:34:44,799 Speaker 1: Marty had shown him before the public got hold of it, 670 00:34:44,840 --> 00:34:47,960 Speaker 1: had shown him Jillie, and he was he was into. 671 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:49,799 Speaker 1: He was the one guy that was into what I 672 00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:54,400 Speaker 1: was doing in that movie. So he he was became 673 00:34:54,440 --> 00:34:58,600 Speaker 1: a champion of mine at that time. But yeah, I was. 674 00:34:59,320 --> 00:35:02,440 Speaker 1: I was certainly like no. I was like, I don't 675 00:35:02,480 --> 00:35:05,200 Speaker 1: know if I want to be in this big action movie. 676 00:35:05,800 --> 00:35:08,040 Speaker 1: This is kind of a different thing. And then you 677 00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:11,799 Speaker 1: know the character of this comedic sidekick. The way it 678 00:35:11,880 --> 00:35:14,600 Speaker 1: was written, you know, the script was worked on for 679 00:35:14,640 --> 00:35:17,560 Speaker 1: a long long time. It was like a little like, Okay, 680 00:35:17,600 --> 00:35:19,080 Speaker 1: we've seen this before, what am I going to do 681 00:35:19,120 --> 00:35:20,319 Speaker 1: with this? I don't know what I'm going to do 682 00:35:20,320 --> 00:35:23,160 Speaker 1: with this, So obviously once I got on board, it 683 00:35:23,280 --> 00:35:27,000 Speaker 1: was like the greatest experience ever. Yeah, you know, I 684 00:35:27,040 --> 00:35:30,719 Speaker 1: think everything that I do, I have some fear to 685 00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:33,160 Speaker 1: jump in. I'm always like can I do this? Should 686 00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:33,680 Speaker 1: I do? You know? 687 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:34,920 Speaker 3: Yeah? 688 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:41,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, I have that that no before jumping in with everything. 689 00:35:41,640 --> 00:35:44,399 Speaker 2: I do too, because my business is similar to yours 690 00:35:44,400 --> 00:35:47,359 Speaker 2: in that it's not linear. There's no like, Okay, if 691 00:35:47,360 --> 00:35:48,880 Speaker 2: you want to get here, you do A B and 692 00:35:48,920 --> 00:35:51,759 Speaker 2: C and then you're there. There's all these career forks 693 00:35:51,760 --> 00:35:54,719 Speaker 2: and moments where Okay, if I do this, is this 694 00:35:54,760 --> 00:35:56,360 Speaker 2: going to take me off in this direction that I 695 00:35:56,880 --> 00:35:58,239 Speaker 2: don't love ultimately, or. 696 00:35:58,200 --> 00:35:59,400 Speaker 3: Is this going to be the thing that takes me 697 00:35:59,440 --> 00:36:01,000 Speaker 3: exactly where I want to get? 698 00:36:01,040 --> 00:36:03,560 Speaker 2: You never know, and so it's always just a gut 699 00:36:04,280 --> 00:36:07,080 Speaker 2: instinct and maybe agents and people around you telling you 700 00:36:07,120 --> 00:36:09,440 Speaker 2: what to do, but like they're always tough decisions. 701 00:36:09,760 --> 00:36:12,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's but it's also like so much of it 702 00:36:12,160 --> 00:36:14,440 Speaker 1: is an idea of what you want, you know, it's 703 00:36:14,600 --> 00:36:18,000 Speaker 1: it's all a fantasy in a way. Like you like, 704 00:36:18,120 --> 00:36:21,000 Speaker 1: the best stuff I've ever done is just either kind 705 00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:23,920 Speaker 1: of going with it and jumping in or just you know, 706 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:26,399 Speaker 1: trying something completely different. So yeah, I think like when 707 00:36:26,400 --> 00:36:30,680 Speaker 1: I was younger, I was incredibly careful of every step, 708 00:36:30,719 --> 00:36:33,040 Speaker 1: and then a lot of people are, you know, being 709 00:36:33,040 --> 00:36:34,160 Speaker 1: like you should do that, you should be you know. 710 00:36:34,239 --> 00:36:38,560 Speaker 1: So it's navigating that specific world when you're in your 711 00:36:38,719 --> 00:36:43,080 Speaker 1: early twenties. It's just bizarre. Yeah, But ultimately it was 712 00:36:43,160 --> 00:36:46,440 Speaker 1: exactly what you know I always loved, you know, and 713 00:36:46,520 --> 00:36:48,359 Speaker 1: came up you know, in my high school we would 714 00:36:48,400 --> 00:36:51,200 Speaker 1: do these vaudeville productions and it was like the most 715 00:36:51,200 --> 00:37:16,960 Speaker 1: flow that I've ever felt in my life. 716 00:37:06,520 --> 00:37:10,279 Speaker 2: Or not young borld now and honestly share you we 717 00:37:10,320 --> 00:37:11,680 Speaker 2: look good, We did look good. 718 00:37:11,680 --> 00:37:14,480 Speaker 3: We look great. But it's funny on this show. 719 00:37:14,280 --> 00:37:16,000 Speaker 1: I see that blue, I see that blue. You looking 720 00:37:16,080 --> 00:37:16,800 Speaker 1: good in that blue? 721 00:37:16,960 --> 00:37:18,120 Speaker 3: Thank you, sir, Thank you, sir. 722 00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:22,920 Speaker 2: We talk a lot on this show about career arcs, 723 00:37:22,960 --> 00:37:25,680 Speaker 2: and I don't know why this always comes up, but 724 00:37:25,880 --> 00:37:30,920 Speaker 2: I'm often interviewing creative people of an age, and it 725 00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:36,120 Speaker 2: comes up a lot that we're like existentially wrestling with Okay, 726 00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:39,000 Speaker 2: I'm forty six, who where am I going to go next? 727 00:37:39,200 --> 00:37:40,759 Speaker 3: And I'm also a mom. 728 00:37:40,840 --> 00:37:44,440 Speaker 2: That's you know, another life I've taken on And are 729 00:37:44,440 --> 00:37:46,759 Speaker 2: there things I still want to accomplish? Can I leave 730 00:37:46,800 --> 00:37:49,160 Speaker 2: the thing that I've been doing for twenty years? We 731 00:37:49,200 --> 00:37:51,960 Speaker 2: still know who I am? Do I have an identity 732 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:52,440 Speaker 2: without it? 733 00:37:52,520 --> 00:37:52,600 Speaker 1: Like? 734 00:37:53,080 --> 00:37:56,920 Speaker 2: Why do you think at this age that it brings 735 00:37:57,000 --> 00:37:58,839 Speaker 2: up so many of those questions? And do you have 736 00:37:58,920 --> 00:38:00,000 Speaker 2: some of those same anxiety? 737 00:38:01,920 --> 00:38:05,719 Speaker 1: Those anxieties are my identity? Of course I have those anxieties. 738 00:38:06,080 --> 00:38:10,839 Speaker 1: I am constantly wrestling with that stuff, especially you know, 739 00:38:10,920 --> 00:38:15,680 Speaker 1: within our business, which is evolving at a rate that 740 00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:19,319 Speaker 1: is exponentially difficult to you know, hold on to. 741 00:38:21,400 --> 00:38:23,520 Speaker 3: And also it's changing so much. 742 00:38:23,640 --> 00:38:26,279 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, I think it's a very similar thing. 743 00:38:27,040 --> 00:38:33,040 Speaker 1: But yeah, I mean, listen, I've been incredibly fortunate, I 744 00:38:33,080 --> 00:38:36,799 Speaker 1: think we both have in our career. And once I 745 00:38:36,840 --> 00:38:39,040 Speaker 1: had kids, which is something that I really kind of 746 00:38:39,080 --> 00:38:44,560 Speaker 1: always wanted to do, it certainly shifted quite a bit 747 00:38:44,680 --> 00:38:49,680 Speaker 1: in my ambitions and my you know, priorities, and then 748 00:38:50,200 --> 00:38:54,759 Speaker 1: you know, I think the pandemic times was kind of 749 00:38:54,840 --> 00:38:58,520 Speaker 1: really super charged, not just those anxieties but also those 750 00:38:58,600 --> 00:39:02,160 Speaker 1: kind of existential questions of what am I doing, you know, 751 00:39:02,360 --> 00:39:05,720 Speaker 1: especially within my own industry, you know, which was shut 752 00:39:05,760 --> 00:39:09,120 Speaker 1: down and you had to figure out what you were doing. 753 00:39:09,160 --> 00:39:14,200 Speaker 1: And you know, I was weirdly incredibly busy during that time, 754 00:39:14,920 --> 00:39:16,920 Speaker 1: and I also was I live in Brooklyn, It's like 755 00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:21,000 Speaker 1: the epicenter of the pandemic, and you're like, okay, what 756 00:39:21,040 --> 00:39:23,880 Speaker 1: am I doing here? I had I had sold something 757 00:39:23,920 --> 00:39:27,600 Speaker 1: to write right before everything shut down, so I was 758 00:39:27,680 --> 00:39:31,640 Speaker 1: kind of like trying to write a comedy during the pandemic. 759 00:39:31,680 --> 00:39:36,200 Speaker 1: And then also like my family had no as a 760 00:39:36,200 --> 00:39:39,040 Speaker 1: lot most families had no income, so we're like okay, 761 00:39:39,120 --> 00:39:42,040 Speaker 1: And I launched a business with my wife, a fitness app. 762 00:39:42,080 --> 00:39:46,400 Speaker 1: She's a fitness instructor, and we launched this this fitness 763 00:39:47,040 --> 00:39:51,000 Speaker 1: app during the pandemic, which then became a pretty big business. 764 00:39:51,040 --> 00:39:54,600 Speaker 1: It like took off. So my, you know, my, I 765 00:39:54,640 --> 00:39:57,960 Speaker 1: had a really hard time focusing on what I had 766 00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:02,160 Speaker 1: been doing writing and and creating up until that point. 767 00:40:02,239 --> 00:40:05,000 Speaker 1: I was scatted, like right, I felt like it was impossible. 768 00:40:05,640 --> 00:40:08,000 Speaker 1: And then I started building this business with my wife 769 00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:10,600 Speaker 1: that was really bringing me joy and also trying to 770 00:40:12,040 --> 00:40:13,920 Speaker 1: you had to step up your parent game to you know, 771 00:40:14,280 --> 00:40:19,120 Speaker 1: teaching my kid how to read. I'm trying to educate them. Yeah, school, 772 00:40:19,200 --> 00:40:22,840 Speaker 1: My schools were like every like you're you filling in 773 00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:24,920 Speaker 1: all the gaps. You're filling in all the gaps, and 774 00:40:24,960 --> 00:40:27,759 Speaker 1: like you have to rise to the occasion or it 775 00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:30,600 Speaker 1: all falls apart. So you're you know, that kind of 776 00:40:31,600 --> 00:40:35,960 Speaker 1: mix of the thing that I had been doing for 777 00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:38,200 Speaker 1: a long time. You know, it's not that simple, but 778 00:40:38,280 --> 00:40:39,959 Speaker 1: the thing that I had been doing a long time. 779 00:40:40,400 --> 00:40:43,560 Speaker 1: You know, there was a big shift when my kid 780 00:40:43,640 --> 00:40:45,640 Speaker 1: was born and then my second kid was born in 781 00:40:45,840 --> 00:40:50,440 Speaker 1: trying to support a family in a traditional way doing 782 00:40:50,680 --> 00:40:53,960 Speaker 1: off Broadway theater for four hundred dollars, you know, I 783 00:40:54,040 --> 00:40:55,360 Speaker 1: just kind of had a mental breakdown. 784 00:40:55,560 --> 00:40:56,239 Speaker 3: Yep, me too. 785 00:40:56,280 --> 00:40:59,440 Speaker 1: And then yeah, I truly was like I don't know 786 00:40:59,480 --> 00:41:02,680 Speaker 1: how to do that. There was no there's no one 787 00:41:02,719 --> 00:41:04,160 Speaker 1: in my life that was like, this is how you 788 00:41:04,200 --> 00:41:07,279 Speaker 1: do it. And it was like, Okay, this is a 789 00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:10,719 Speaker 1: huge shift from the life that I had built in 790 00:41:10,760 --> 00:41:13,520 Speaker 1: a great way but also in a confusing way. And 791 00:41:13,560 --> 00:41:16,920 Speaker 1: then the pandemic shifted in a beautiful way, you know, 792 00:41:17,160 --> 00:41:20,160 Speaker 1: you know, strangely for my family because I started to 793 00:41:20,160 --> 00:41:23,400 Speaker 1: build this business with my wife, and she really found 794 00:41:23,520 --> 00:41:28,120 Speaker 1: her flow in the world with kind of creating a 795 00:41:28,160 --> 00:41:30,840 Speaker 1: fitness app out of all of her training for years, 796 00:41:30,880 --> 00:41:34,319 Speaker 1: and this business really blew up. And then kind of 797 00:41:34,440 --> 00:41:36,920 Speaker 1: on the other side of it all, you know, certainly, 798 00:41:36,960 --> 00:41:40,120 Speaker 1: I was left with, Okay, I don't know what's bringing 799 00:41:40,160 --> 00:41:41,799 Speaker 1: me joy. The thing that I had been doing for 800 00:41:41,840 --> 00:41:44,960 Speaker 1: so long is not bringing me joy. Building a business 801 00:41:45,000 --> 00:41:48,080 Speaker 1: is really interesting. It's something that I'm doing with my wife, 802 00:41:48,160 --> 00:41:50,200 Speaker 1: and it's something that I'm seeing a lot of success in. 803 00:41:50,320 --> 00:41:53,120 Speaker 1: It's and it's kind of, you know, stretching a different muscle. 804 00:41:53,840 --> 00:41:57,359 Speaker 1: And then the opportunities that I had been blessed with 805 00:41:57,480 --> 00:42:02,600 Speaker 1: for many years were kind of disappearing. I also, you know, 806 00:42:02,760 --> 00:42:04,799 Speaker 1: just the way I moved within the industry in the 807 00:42:04,840 --> 00:42:08,719 Speaker 1: first part of my career, which is really centered on myself, 808 00:42:08,880 --> 00:42:12,920 Speaker 1: but you know, trying to build that I wasn't that important. 809 00:42:12,960 --> 00:42:14,719 Speaker 1: I didn't want to leave New York. I didn't want 810 00:42:14,719 --> 00:42:16,480 Speaker 1: to move away from my family. I was only taking 811 00:42:16,600 --> 00:42:18,640 Speaker 1: jobs that was that were in New York. I couldn't 812 00:42:18,719 --> 00:42:22,200 Speaker 1: understand how to, you know, go to another country for 813 00:42:22,520 --> 00:42:24,439 Speaker 1: six I was just like I couldn't figure it out. 814 00:42:24,560 --> 00:42:26,480 Speaker 1: I was like, I don't want to do it, and 815 00:42:26,480 --> 00:42:29,480 Speaker 1: then that had repercussions, so I think and then our 816 00:42:29,520 --> 00:42:32,759 Speaker 1: industry is just so different now and it's just like 817 00:42:33,880 --> 00:42:38,759 Speaker 1: it certainly has forced me to, you know, supercharge the 818 00:42:38,760 --> 00:42:44,399 Speaker 1: therapy and try to find different therapeutic modalities that can help, 819 00:42:44,960 --> 00:42:48,560 Speaker 1: and try to get right in a way that everyone 820 00:42:48,640 --> 00:42:51,640 Speaker 1: should do, whether you're you know, whether you've changed or 821 00:42:51,680 --> 00:42:54,759 Speaker 1: not and everyone has, or whether you have to, whether 822 00:42:54,800 --> 00:42:57,759 Speaker 1: your identity is defined by your career or whether it's not. 823 00:42:57,880 --> 00:43:02,160 Speaker 1: You know, so long answer is yes. 824 00:43:03,080 --> 00:43:06,879 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's been a journey so similar to my experience 825 00:43:07,040 --> 00:43:12,040 Speaker 2: with my business and my family and COVID and all 826 00:43:12,200 --> 00:43:17,480 Speaker 2: the things I got therapy, I got on medication started 827 00:43:17,520 --> 00:43:18,520 Speaker 2: talking about mental health. 828 00:43:19,360 --> 00:43:21,640 Speaker 3: What do you do now to protect your mental health? 829 00:43:24,760 --> 00:43:29,320 Speaker 1: I mean to protect it? I mean, I know, the things. 830 00:43:29,160 --> 00:43:30,760 Speaker 3: You wouldn't have known to do before. 831 00:43:31,560 --> 00:43:33,920 Speaker 1: Well, yeah, I mean for me, you know, the question 832 00:43:34,040 --> 00:43:36,000 Speaker 1: comes at an interesting time because you know, you you 833 00:43:36,080 --> 00:43:38,920 Speaker 1: reached out to me at a time where I was 834 00:43:39,280 --> 00:43:41,960 Speaker 1: at an odd you know, mentally, I was at a 835 00:43:42,080 --> 00:43:45,120 Speaker 1: kind of a dark spot and I was like, you know, 836 00:43:45,200 --> 00:43:48,719 Speaker 1: I was like talking about myself seemed like the worst possible. 837 00:43:49,160 --> 00:43:52,840 Speaker 1: It seems literally a nightmare, which it always kind of 838 00:43:52,880 --> 00:43:57,880 Speaker 1: has been. But I you know, to me, it's about 839 00:43:57,880 --> 00:44:00,800 Speaker 1: being aware of where you're at. I just did something. 840 00:44:00,840 --> 00:44:04,200 Speaker 1: I'm sure you've maybe heard of the Hoffman process, have 841 00:44:04,280 --> 00:44:06,359 Speaker 1: you heard? Yeah, So I just got back from that, 842 00:44:06,960 --> 00:44:11,600 Speaker 1: you know, fairly recently, which was fantastic, and you know, 843 00:44:11,800 --> 00:44:15,600 Speaker 1: you kind of you know, gain new tools too to 844 00:44:15,640 --> 00:44:19,640 Speaker 1: be aware and be uh and and uh and take 845 00:44:19,680 --> 00:44:23,000 Speaker 1: care of yourself mentally, which was super helpful. And it's 846 00:44:23,040 --> 00:44:28,279 Speaker 1: I think it's just about leaning into new possibilities and 847 00:44:28,360 --> 00:44:31,040 Speaker 1: not sticking with the same thing, whether it's you know, 848 00:44:31,080 --> 00:44:34,520 Speaker 1: you're doing traditional talk therapy for a long time and 849 00:44:34,560 --> 00:44:37,560 Speaker 1: maybe you think that it's just that's the it's just fine. 850 00:44:38,080 --> 00:44:40,560 Speaker 1: It's being like, no, maybe we should try something different. 851 00:44:40,600 --> 00:44:42,880 Speaker 1: It's not you know, it's not working out the same muscle. 852 00:44:43,400 --> 00:44:46,040 Speaker 1: So I think it's about, you know, like almost anything 853 00:44:46,040 --> 00:44:52,320 Speaker 1: in life, it's the willingness to adapt, evolve and change. 854 00:44:52,440 --> 00:44:52,680 Speaker 3: Yep. 855 00:44:53,440 --> 00:44:56,120 Speaker 2: And what's your relationship This also comes up a lot 856 00:44:56,120 --> 00:44:59,240 Speaker 2: on the pod. What's your relationship with social media? 857 00:44:59,400 --> 00:45:01,600 Speaker 3: Phones? It's all that stuff. 858 00:45:01,920 --> 00:45:05,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, my you know, I'm a bit of 859 00:45:05,120 --> 00:45:10,840 Speaker 1: a lot. I mean, I I don't really engage. I 860 00:45:10,840 --> 00:45:15,640 Speaker 1: don't really engage in social media at all. Not because 861 00:45:15,719 --> 00:45:18,719 Speaker 1: I'm like it's the great evil, even though I think 862 00:45:18,719 --> 00:45:20,279 Speaker 1: it is. But I also think it's great. I think 863 00:45:20,320 --> 00:45:23,080 Speaker 1: it's every people have, you know, litigated this for a 864 00:45:23,400 --> 00:45:26,320 Speaker 1: long time. You don't need my voice on that. But personally, 865 00:45:26,800 --> 00:45:29,759 Speaker 1: I just find it so addictive. Like whenever I'm on 866 00:45:29,800 --> 00:45:32,560 Speaker 1: my you know, I'm not really on social media. I 867 00:45:32,600 --> 00:45:34,480 Speaker 1: have like a page that, you know, because once in 868 00:45:34,520 --> 00:45:36,359 Speaker 1: a while I need to reach out to people, right, 869 00:45:37,280 --> 00:45:39,960 Speaker 1: but I'm not. I don't engage at all, and I'm 870 00:45:40,040 --> 00:45:44,720 Speaker 1: still on my phone. Yesterday, I was trying to work. 871 00:45:44,960 --> 00:45:46,800 Speaker 1: I had work to do, I had to give notes 872 00:45:46,800 --> 00:45:50,000 Speaker 1: on a script, and I kept on being on my phone. 873 00:45:50,000 --> 00:45:54,760 Speaker 1: I would I literally throw my phone in anger focus 874 00:45:55,120 --> 00:45:57,400 Speaker 1: and then I find myself going for the phone and 875 00:45:57,440 --> 00:46:02,600 Speaker 1: then I'm I'm a monkey. So I unders I just 876 00:46:02,760 --> 00:46:06,439 Speaker 1: can't do it. You know, I talked to I mentioned 877 00:46:06,480 --> 00:46:09,680 Speaker 1: that Hoffmann process. During that, you know, it's like a 878 00:46:09,680 --> 00:46:12,520 Speaker 1: week long kind of emotional boot camp, and you have 879 00:46:12,600 --> 00:46:16,120 Speaker 1: no there's no phones, there's nothing, And the effect that 880 00:46:16,160 --> 00:46:18,799 Speaker 1: it had on me was astoun It was just like 881 00:46:18,880 --> 00:46:25,120 Speaker 1: you're so present, it's like it feels amazing just that, 882 00:46:25,880 --> 00:46:27,720 Speaker 1: and we grew up in a time where we didn't 883 00:46:27,760 --> 00:46:31,759 Speaker 1: have that shit, So you know, I know that it's 884 00:46:31,760 --> 00:46:34,759 Speaker 1: a drug. I like drugs a lot, and I have 885 00:46:34,840 --> 00:46:38,440 Speaker 1: to keep myself away from drugs. So to me, it's 886 00:46:38,680 --> 00:46:41,080 Speaker 1: you know, it's baked into the cake, and I try 887 00:46:41,080 --> 00:46:43,640 Speaker 1: to stay off of it with with with my kids, 888 00:46:44,080 --> 00:46:48,640 Speaker 1: I'm really strict about kind of screens in general. I 889 00:46:48,680 --> 00:46:51,879 Speaker 1: got my I actually got my my eleven year old 890 00:46:51,920 --> 00:46:54,880 Speaker 1: and Apple Watch recently, and I regret it. Just the 891 00:46:54,920 --> 00:46:57,080 Speaker 1: Apple Watch. He's not even on it, and I'm just like, 892 00:46:57,600 --> 00:47:01,480 Speaker 1: it's this umbilical cord. It's the bilical cord of all 893 00:47:01,520 --> 00:47:05,839 Speaker 1: of these kind of social media phones anything that I 894 00:47:05,880 --> 00:47:08,440 Speaker 1: think is kind of part of the danger, not just 895 00:47:08,520 --> 00:47:13,640 Speaker 1: the distraction, but I I my main thing is trying 896 00:47:13,719 --> 00:47:17,839 Speaker 1: to be like a a curator of content as much 897 00:47:17,880 --> 00:47:21,440 Speaker 1: as I can of like I'm showing my kids movie 898 00:47:21,480 --> 00:47:25,200 Speaker 1: you know, like let's watch movies that are great instead 899 00:47:25,200 --> 00:47:28,400 Speaker 1: of just like going on YouTube shorts, which once in 900 00:47:28,400 --> 00:47:31,759 Speaker 1: a while is fine, but trying to like get you know, 901 00:47:32,080 --> 00:47:34,560 Speaker 1: work out the attention span. I think that's the great 902 00:47:34,640 --> 00:47:36,759 Speaker 1: thing now of that even adults need to do is 903 00:47:37,040 --> 00:47:39,120 Speaker 1: they need we need to work on our attention span 904 00:47:39,200 --> 00:47:43,400 Speaker 1: so we can actually, you know, consume longer form narrative 905 00:47:43,760 --> 00:47:46,520 Speaker 1: and all that stuff and tell my kids love stories 906 00:47:46,600 --> 00:47:50,800 Speaker 1: and really tell longer stories and not just skibbity toilet. 907 00:47:52,160 --> 00:47:54,880 Speaker 2: The worst. S give me, toilet is the worst. If 908 00:47:54,920 --> 00:47:56,319 Speaker 2: I have to hear that one more time in my. 909 00:47:56,280 --> 00:47:58,040 Speaker 1: House, I wish I understood it. 910 00:47:58,080 --> 00:48:01,440 Speaker 2: But yeah, oh same, Yeah, at least at least we 911 00:48:01,520 --> 00:48:02,000 Speaker 2: have Riz. 912 00:48:02,239 --> 00:48:04,880 Speaker 1: We have Riz, have Riz. We have so much Riz. 913 00:48:04,960 --> 00:48:21,000 Speaker 3: We have Ris. Okay, so what's coming up? 914 00:48:21,600 --> 00:48:26,120 Speaker 1: I have this movie called Nuked that that I'm in. 915 00:48:26,200 --> 00:48:29,160 Speaker 1: It's a great ensemble cast that I also helped produce 916 00:48:29,160 --> 00:48:31,239 Speaker 1: and put together, and it was kind of born out 917 00:48:31,239 --> 00:48:37,920 Speaker 1: of the pandemic and it's an adult relationship stoner comedy, 918 00:48:38,520 --> 00:48:40,879 Speaker 1: which you don't get a lot of these days. It's 919 00:48:40,920 --> 00:48:43,279 Speaker 1: an actual comedy. I can promise you that there are 920 00:48:43,400 --> 00:48:47,080 Speaker 1: laughs and that it's it's coming out on July eleventh, 921 00:48:47,719 --> 00:48:50,720 Speaker 1: same day that's Superman. So if you're not looking forward 922 00:48:50,760 --> 00:48:54,520 Speaker 1: to seeing Superman, which is me, okay, maybe stay at 923 00:48:54,520 --> 00:48:57,440 Speaker 1: home with a drink or a joint with a loved 924 00:48:57,440 --> 00:49:00,480 Speaker 1: one and rent this movie Nuke. I guarantee it is 925 00:49:01,080 --> 00:49:03,000 Speaker 1: a good time and it's a lot of fun. 926 00:49:03,080 --> 00:49:05,040 Speaker 3: Oh, I can't wait. I will absolutely do that. 927 00:49:05,080 --> 00:49:08,120 Speaker 2: Because I stay away from superheroes and comic books. 928 00:49:07,920 --> 00:49:12,000 Speaker 1: I listen for the family. I guess those are fine. 929 00:49:12,040 --> 00:49:14,120 Speaker 1: But this is like when was the last time you 930 00:49:14,160 --> 00:49:16,680 Speaker 1: saw a good relationship comedy? 931 00:49:16,880 --> 00:49:20,200 Speaker 3: Yes, exactly, I love it. I live for that perfect 932 00:49:20,280 --> 00:49:20,759 Speaker 3: I do too. 933 00:49:20,880 --> 00:49:22,440 Speaker 1: So I made one for you, and I'd love for 934 00:49:22,440 --> 00:49:24,200 Speaker 1: you to see it, just for me, just for me. 935 00:49:25,040 --> 00:49:27,640 Speaker 3: Great nuked, we'll see it. Okay, let's go to a 936 00:49:27,719 --> 00:49:28,400 Speaker 3: lightning round. 937 00:49:34,480 --> 00:49:38,600 Speaker 2: What's your best high school memory? 938 00:49:38,680 --> 00:49:41,560 Speaker 1: You know, I would you know it's as the actor. 939 00:49:41,600 --> 00:49:46,200 Speaker 1: I would say that first time that I got on 940 00:49:46,520 --> 00:49:50,480 Speaker 1: stage was at in high school playing the janitor and 941 00:49:50,560 --> 00:49:56,320 Speaker 1: Inherit the wind and Meeker and just sweeping the stage. 942 00:49:56,600 --> 00:49:58,400 Speaker 1: I was just like, all of a sudden, it was 943 00:49:58,440 --> 00:50:00,440 Speaker 1: like the first time that I really remember remember being 944 00:50:00,440 --> 00:50:03,000 Speaker 1: in like a flow state that I think we all 945 00:50:03,080 --> 00:50:05,400 Speaker 1: kind of try to get to these days. 946 00:50:05,800 --> 00:50:12,080 Speaker 3: Cool rank vs. Friends, Fraser Seinfeld. 947 00:50:11,320 --> 00:50:17,280 Speaker 1: Well, Seinfeld's one, Yep, it's correct. I mean, I guess 948 00:50:17,440 --> 00:50:20,560 Speaker 1: Fraser than Friends. I wasn't the biggest Friends fan. I mean, 949 00:50:20,600 --> 00:50:23,160 Speaker 1: I like it, but you know, I didn't really watch 950 00:50:23,200 --> 00:50:25,799 Speaker 1: Fraser that much. I don't know, it isn't toss. I 951 00:50:25,880 --> 00:50:28,960 Speaker 1: did a little. Yeah, I mean I liked, you know, 952 00:50:29,120 --> 00:50:32,560 Speaker 1: to me to us the Fraser thing, even though it's 953 00:50:32,560 --> 00:50:35,759 Speaker 1: a brilliant show. Like I love Cheers, so Fraser is 954 00:50:35,760 --> 00:50:37,680 Speaker 1: always a spin off of Cheers to me that I 955 00:50:37,680 --> 00:50:43,360 Speaker 1: couldn't quite so like Cheers would be number one. But 956 00:50:43,360 --> 00:50:44,960 Speaker 1: but I guess Fraser than Friends. 957 00:50:45,120 --> 00:50:48,080 Speaker 3: Yeah. National Treasure one or two? 958 00:50:49,800 --> 00:50:52,040 Speaker 1: I mean, that's not for me to decide. To tell 959 00:50:52,120 --> 00:50:55,000 Speaker 1: me as the fan, you tell me which one you like. 960 00:50:55,080 --> 00:50:58,320 Speaker 2: Gosh, they're both great in their own way. 961 00:50:58,480 --> 00:50:59,240 Speaker 3: I love. 962 00:51:00,640 --> 00:51:04,880 Speaker 2: I mean, I love the American history of National Treasure, 963 00:51:05,200 --> 00:51:10,120 Speaker 2: yeah one so much. And you know, Philadelphia and I 964 00:51:10,160 --> 00:51:12,399 Speaker 2: grew up in New England, so all those stories are 965 00:51:12,440 --> 00:51:14,200 Speaker 2: like very close to me. 966 00:51:14,280 --> 00:51:14,680 Speaker 3: I love that. 967 00:51:14,800 --> 00:51:17,640 Speaker 2: But I also love I love the President and the 968 00:51:17,719 --> 00:51:18,560 Speaker 2: second one. 969 00:51:18,480 --> 00:51:20,000 Speaker 3: And that's sort of leading into all of. 970 00:51:19,960 --> 00:51:24,960 Speaker 2: Your conspiracy theories. That's a really fun strain in it. 971 00:51:25,000 --> 00:51:26,799 Speaker 2: And I love that you go to Europe in the 972 00:51:26,880 --> 00:51:29,160 Speaker 2: second one. I mean, they're both great. Will there be 973 00:51:29,160 --> 00:51:31,319 Speaker 2: a National Treasure three? Everyone wants to know. 974 00:51:32,160 --> 00:51:34,759 Speaker 1: I mean, it's they've been trying for so many years. 975 00:51:34,880 --> 00:51:35,239 Speaker 3: So long. 976 00:51:35,640 --> 00:51:38,040 Speaker 1: I mean, it's it's tough. I mean it's the question 977 00:51:38,160 --> 00:51:41,440 Speaker 1: that I could probably get asked the most, and you know, yeah, 978 00:51:41,560 --> 00:51:45,240 Speaker 1: I mean I think we've gotten close recently. Okay, Nick's 979 00:51:45,280 --> 00:51:48,359 Speaker 1: obviously killing it and doing great work. Yeah, I think 980 00:51:48,400 --> 00:51:50,239 Speaker 1: so much of it is the economics of it, all 981 00:51:50,560 --> 00:51:53,200 Speaker 1: of like, you know, these big Disney movies and blah 982 00:51:53,239 --> 00:51:55,240 Speaker 1: blah blah. But they have been working on a script 983 00:51:55,280 --> 00:51:57,520 Speaker 1: for quite a while. I don't think it's going to 984 00:51:57,600 --> 00:52:00,840 Speaker 1: happen any time soon, but I think if all the 985 00:52:00,880 --> 00:52:04,240 Speaker 1: people can get back together. John turtletob is the director 986 00:52:04,239 --> 00:52:07,440 Speaker 1: who's the secret sauce of the whole franchise. You know, 987 00:52:07,520 --> 00:52:10,080 Speaker 1: we've been we've been trying. I mean, you know, we 988 00:52:10,200 --> 00:52:14,200 Speaker 1: certainly you know, Bruckheimer's office has checked in recently. I 989 00:52:14,280 --> 00:52:17,799 Speaker 1: mean it's definitely still it's definitely still out alive. It's alive, 990 00:52:18,040 --> 00:52:18,600 Speaker 1: still alive. 991 00:52:19,120 --> 00:52:22,040 Speaker 2: Okay, cross cross fingers. Who's an actor you haven't worked 992 00:52:22,040 --> 00:52:24,760 Speaker 2: with yet but would like to? Well, I guess Dniro, 993 00:52:25,080 --> 00:52:26,359 Speaker 2: I mean for sure. 994 00:52:26,440 --> 00:52:32,120 Speaker 1: I mean there's so many, Uh, there's so many. Yeah, 995 00:52:32,280 --> 00:52:36,400 Speaker 1: I mean it's yeah, I don't know. I mean, I 996 00:52:36,400 --> 00:52:39,319 Speaker 1: think Shia lah Buff is so good I would love to, 997 00:52:39,920 --> 00:52:43,719 Speaker 1: you know, spar with him. There's so many. I mean, 998 00:52:43,760 --> 00:52:45,279 Speaker 1: I haven't worked with some of the great you know 999 00:52:45,960 --> 00:52:46,720 Speaker 1: Meryl Streep. 1000 00:52:47,600 --> 00:52:50,840 Speaker 3: Sure, sure, Yeah. What's your favorite book? 1001 00:52:51,960 --> 00:52:58,799 Speaker 1: Huh? A favorite book? That's rough. I mean what what 1002 00:52:58,920 --> 00:53:02,680 Speaker 1: pops into my mind is Catcher in the Rye And 1003 00:53:02,719 --> 00:53:08,279 Speaker 1: it's a lot cliche, but yeah, that's I mean, that's 1004 00:53:08,320 --> 00:53:11,400 Speaker 1: a good one. Yeah, I would say Catcher in the Rye. 1005 00:53:12,120 --> 00:53:15,880 Speaker 1: There's this book called Hunger that had a huge effect 1006 00:53:15,920 --> 00:53:19,560 Speaker 1: on me by Newte Hampson that I read years ago 1007 00:53:19,840 --> 00:53:21,120 Speaker 1: that I really love. 1008 00:53:21,760 --> 00:53:22,280 Speaker 3: Is that fiction? 1009 00:53:23,000 --> 00:53:23,719 Speaker 1: Yeah? 1010 00:53:24,680 --> 00:53:27,680 Speaker 3: Okay? What's your favorite hangover food? 1011 00:53:29,239 --> 00:53:35,240 Speaker 1: I'm not a big drinker, but you know, a nice 1012 00:53:35,760 --> 00:53:42,799 Speaker 1: turkey ruben? What turkey ruben sandwich? It's just covered in 1013 00:53:42,880 --> 00:53:48,319 Speaker 1: thousand Island cole slaw and ship your favorite? What's your 1014 00:53:48,320 --> 00:53:49,480 Speaker 1: favorite hangover food? 1015 00:53:50,200 --> 00:53:53,920 Speaker 3: Probably like ramen Like that sounds. 1016 00:53:53,600 --> 00:53:58,640 Speaker 1: Gross to be with a hugover slurping and ship Yes. 1017 00:54:01,480 --> 00:54:02,040 Speaker 3: Roast to me? 1018 00:54:02,600 --> 00:54:02,799 Speaker 2: Yeah? 1019 00:54:03,560 --> 00:54:03,920 Speaker 3: All right? 1020 00:54:04,480 --> 00:54:07,920 Speaker 2: Uh, what's what's your favorite what's your favorite book? 1021 00:54:09,880 --> 00:54:10,720 Speaker 3: Well, it's a tie. 1022 00:54:10,920 --> 00:54:14,480 Speaker 2: I really love The Stranger by Camo that's up there 1023 00:54:15,280 --> 00:54:17,319 Speaker 2: to keep that it's a great one. 1024 00:54:17,360 --> 00:54:19,640 Speaker 3: And I also love Rabbit Run by John Updyke. 1025 00:54:20,120 --> 00:54:21,439 Speaker 1: Oh, I haven't read Rabbit Run. 1026 00:54:21,960 --> 00:54:22,560 Speaker 3: It's great. 1027 00:54:23,320 --> 00:54:25,000 Speaker 2: What's your favorite band? And then what do you think 1028 00:54:25,080 --> 00:54:26,400 Speaker 2: is the most overrated band? 1029 00:54:27,880 --> 00:54:31,320 Speaker 1: I mean favorite band that's I mean, I would say, 1030 00:54:31,440 --> 00:54:35,000 Speaker 1: I would say it's I'm such a huge music head. 1031 00:54:35,040 --> 00:54:39,200 Speaker 1: It's tough. I mean, I guess for life. Radiohead is 1032 00:54:39,320 --> 00:54:46,440 Speaker 1: up there, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. You know, there's 1033 00:54:46,480 --> 00:54:52,320 Speaker 1: so many. I love the Stones, I love Beatles. M 1034 00:54:54,200 --> 00:54:57,160 Speaker 1: overrated band, I don't, I don't know. It's mean. I 1035 00:54:57,160 --> 00:54:57,520 Speaker 1: don't know. 1036 00:54:58,080 --> 00:54:59,880 Speaker 3: Okay, you don't have to be mean. 1037 00:55:00,040 --> 00:55:01,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't want to be mean. I mean, I 1038 00:55:02,360 --> 00:55:05,239 Speaker 1: have so much reverence for it's you two. Oh god, 1039 00:55:05,440 --> 00:55:07,600 Speaker 1: I have so much reverence for anyone that can play music. 1040 00:55:07,719 --> 00:55:10,759 Speaker 1: I like, you know, if they can do it. 1041 00:55:11,280 --> 00:55:14,280 Speaker 2: Great diplomatic, I like it. Yeah, this is the last question. 1042 00:55:14,320 --> 00:55:15,960 Speaker 2: It's the most important to us. We ask it at 1043 00:55:15,960 --> 00:55:18,880 Speaker 2: the end of every podcast because it's important to me culturally. 1044 00:55:19,640 --> 00:55:21,320 Speaker 3: When is it iced coffee season? 1045 00:55:22,400 --> 00:55:24,640 Speaker 1: Right now? I had an iced coffee this morning. 1046 00:55:24,960 --> 00:55:25,640 Speaker 3: Great, it's cut. 1047 00:55:26,160 --> 00:55:28,160 Speaker 1: I mean sometimes I go ice coffee in the winter. 1048 00:55:28,200 --> 00:55:29,520 Speaker 1: It's always ice coffee. 1049 00:55:29,640 --> 00:55:32,120 Speaker 3: That's the correct answer, justin that's the correct answer. It's 1050 00:55:32,160 --> 00:55:34,239 Speaker 3: your round. Yes, it's your round. 1051 00:55:34,360 --> 00:55:36,239 Speaker 1: Depends on what I mean. If you go into if 1052 00:55:36,280 --> 00:55:38,240 Speaker 1: you go somewhere that has the heat on in winter, 1053 00:55:38,400 --> 00:55:39,960 Speaker 1: sometimes you want a little ice coffee. 1054 00:55:40,440 --> 00:55:42,360 Speaker 3: It has got for me. It has nothing to do 1055 00:55:42,400 --> 00:55:45,080 Speaker 3: with the temperature. I just always want an iced coffee. 1056 00:55:45,120 --> 00:55:48,279 Speaker 1: That's absolutely love it for yourself. Get a frappuccino once 1057 00:55:48,320 --> 00:55:48,760 Speaker 1: in a while. 1058 00:55:48,960 --> 00:55:52,040 Speaker 3: Hey, you go crazy, absolutely so what who cares? Bartha? 1059 00:55:52,120 --> 00:55:55,319 Speaker 3: This was so fun? Thank you, Thank you. I appreciate it. 1060 00:55:55,560 --> 00:55:57,880 Speaker 1: I wish I could ask you a bunch of questions 1061 00:55:58,480 --> 00:56:01,960 Speaker 1: right now, but I guess for the inevitable podcast that 1062 00:56:02,040 --> 00:56:03,200 Speaker 1: I start, you can. 1063 00:56:03,080 --> 00:56:06,080 Speaker 3: Ask me one question. What question would you? 1064 00:56:06,280 --> 00:56:10,680 Speaker 1: I mean, I am interested. I am interested about the 1065 00:56:10,760 --> 00:56:14,200 Speaker 1: Bill maher experience and kind of like how that evolved 1066 00:56:14,280 --> 00:56:15,960 Speaker 1: you've been on to me and how that evolved over 1067 00:56:16,080 --> 00:56:20,239 Speaker 1: years and how you know if like you know, you're yeah, 1068 00:56:20,280 --> 00:56:21,960 Speaker 1: how how is that experience? 1069 00:56:22,239 --> 00:56:26,399 Speaker 2: It's the best and the toughest thing I do in 1070 00:56:26,440 --> 00:56:29,160 Speaker 2: my job. I don't get nervous for TV because I'm 1071 00:56:29,200 --> 00:56:32,440 Speaker 2: on live TV all day and I don't even notice, 1072 00:56:32,680 --> 00:56:36,879 Speaker 2: you know, when cameras are on. Now that's different. It's 1073 00:56:36,880 --> 00:56:41,080 Speaker 2: a live audience. That's a different thing. It's once you're 1074 00:56:41,080 --> 00:56:43,959 Speaker 2: not coming back anytime soon. You might be coming back 1075 00:56:44,239 --> 00:56:47,200 Speaker 2: like next year, but you don't get to like redeem 1076 00:56:47,280 --> 00:56:51,160 Speaker 2: yourself immediately. If it doesn't go right, it airs re 1077 00:56:51,280 --> 00:56:52,640 Speaker 2: airs six times. 1078 00:56:52,320 --> 00:56:53,160 Speaker 3: Over one weekend. 1079 00:56:54,400 --> 00:56:56,920 Speaker 2: So if you if you do, great, that's the best 1080 00:56:56,960 --> 00:57:01,280 Speaker 2: week of your life. If you don't, it's agony. It's agony. 1081 00:57:01,640 --> 00:57:04,280 Speaker 2: And then depending on where I am politically in the moment, 1082 00:57:04,360 --> 00:57:07,080 Speaker 2: and Bill is politically in the moment, he's either you know, 1083 00:57:07,239 --> 00:57:11,680 Speaker 2: cheering me on, which is great, or an adversary, which 1084 00:57:11,719 --> 00:57:16,960 Speaker 2: is tough because usually it's me against everybody else. So 1085 00:57:17,000 --> 00:57:19,960 Speaker 2: you really have to be prepared. These are smart people 1086 00:57:20,440 --> 00:57:23,360 Speaker 2: who know what they're talking about. So it's just a lot. 1087 00:57:23,480 --> 00:57:27,120 Speaker 2: It's a lot, but when it goes well. First of all, 1088 00:57:27,120 --> 00:57:30,080 Speaker 2: I think it's the greatest political show on television, and I've. 1089 00:57:30,000 --> 00:57:32,320 Speaker 1: Been watching him for my whole life. 1090 00:57:32,120 --> 00:57:36,240 Speaker 2: Yes, back when it's politically correct. Absolutely, he's incredibly talented. 1091 00:57:36,280 --> 00:57:39,600 Speaker 2: But the producers of that show are also incredibly talented, 1092 00:57:40,320 --> 00:57:42,560 Speaker 2: and it's such a well oiled machine. 1093 00:57:43,120 --> 00:57:43,320 Speaker 1: Yeah. 1094 00:57:43,680 --> 00:57:43,880 Speaker 3: Both. 1095 00:57:44,440 --> 00:57:47,000 Speaker 1: I always really appreciate you on that show because you 1096 00:57:47,080 --> 00:57:50,080 Speaker 1: don't pander to the audience. You do say, you know, 1097 00:57:50,200 --> 00:57:53,560 Speaker 1: you're you have a you know, kind of in my opinion, 1098 00:57:53,640 --> 00:57:56,240 Speaker 1: a centrist type of view, and I think that that's 1099 00:57:56,280 --> 00:58:00,080 Speaker 1: super needed. And you know, and I always love seeing 1100 00:58:00,120 --> 00:58:01,120 Speaker 1: you on there sparring. 1101 00:58:01,600 --> 00:58:04,600 Speaker 2: Thanks well, I love doing it, and thanks for saying, yeah, 1102 00:58:04,880 --> 00:58:06,439 Speaker 2: all right, so do you feel better? 1103 00:58:06,600 --> 00:58:07,640 Speaker 3: You asked a question. 1104 00:58:07,840 --> 00:58:10,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I mean I could keep going, but. 1105 00:58:10,040 --> 00:58:12,640 Speaker 3: Sure, well we can do this again. But thank you 1106 00:58:12,720 --> 00:58:15,200 Speaker 3: so much. I really really loved it. Thanks for talking 1107 00:58:15,240 --> 00:58:16,040 Speaker 3: about mental health. 1108 00:58:16,040 --> 00:58:19,120 Speaker 2: It always makes me happy because when we do, of 1109 00:58:19,120 --> 00:58:21,480 Speaker 2: course talk about mental health, we make it easier to 1110 00:58:21,520 --> 00:58:22,520 Speaker 2: talk about mental health. 1111 00:58:22,920 --> 00:58:23,400 Speaker 3: Just the point. 1112 00:58:23,800 --> 00:58:25,840 Speaker 1: Absolutely. Thanks, thank you, Essie. 1113 00:58:28,040 --> 00:58:30,080 Speaker 2: Coming up next week on Off the Cup, I sit 1114 00:58:30,120 --> 00:58:32,400 Speaker 2: down and talk to singer songwriter Eric Hutchinson. 1115 00:58:33,040 --> 00:58:35,280 Speaker 4: That's the first thing I do when I write a song, 1116 00:58:35,360 --> 00:58:37,160 Speaker 4: as I spend a couple of days trying to figure 1117 00:58:37,160 --> 00:58:39,720 Speaker 4: out if it's someone else's song or not. 1118 00:58:39,880 --> 00:58:41,240 Speaker 3: Are you serious? Yeah, for sure. 1119 00:58:41,240 --> 00:58:42,920 Speaker 4: I know a lot of songwriters that do that. But 1120 00:58:42,960 --> 00:58:45,000 Speaker 4: a lot of the times why it sounds good to 1121 00:58:45,000 --> 00:58:46,880 Speaker 4: you while you're writing is because you've already heard it 1122 00:58:46,880 --> 00:58:47,760 Speaker 4: somewhere else before it. 1123 00:58:50,160 --> 00:58:52,560 Speaker 2: Off the Cup is a production of iHeart Podcasts as 1124 00:58:52,600 --> 00:58:55,040 Speaker 2: part of the Reason Choice Network. If you want more, 1125 00:58:55,160 --> 00:58:59,120 Speaker 2: check out the Other Reason Choice Podcasts, Politics with Jamel Hill, 1126 00:58:59,360 --> 00:59:02,280 Speaker 2: and natively For Off the Cup, I am your host 1127 00:59:02,400 --> 00:59:02,920 Speaker 2: se Cup. 1128 00:59:03,160 --> 00:59:05,200 Speaker 3: Editing and sound design by Derek Clements. 1129 00:59:05,360 --> 00:59:09,120 Speaker 2: Our executive producers are me Se Cup, Lauren Hanson, and 1130 00:59:09,240 --> 00:59:12,680 Speaker 2: Lindsay Hoffman. Rate and review wherever you get your podcasts, 1131 00:59:12,920 --> 00:59:21,520 Speaker 2: follow or subscribe for new episodes every Wednesday.