WEBVTT - Anthony Michael Hall 0:00:19.600 --> 0:00:25.120 Bring institute. That's okay, becaus no one here is. 0:00:27.480 --> 0:00:27.720 Oh. 0:00:27.760 --> 0:00:31.720 Hello, and welcome to teen Beat, a podcast that lives 0:00:31.800 --> 0:00:33.639 inside the snow globe that is. 0:00:33.600 --> 0:00:34.840 The Danielle Fisher Shows. 0:00:35.360 --> 0:00:37.800 I am your host, daniel Fishle, and this week I 0:00:37.960 --> 0:00:41.519 continue my mission of talking to interesting people who have 0:00:41.640 --> 0:00:46.000 done interesting things, hoping to learn about their upbringing, because 0:00:46.040 --> 0:00:48.720 I know that who we were is a direct pipeline 0:00:48.760 --> 0:00:52.040 into who we've become. I see it like this, I 0:00:52.120 --> 0:00:55.480 gave you my childhood. It's time we hear yours. But 0:00:55.560 --> 0:00:59.720 this week I am joined by an absolute Hollywood legend who, 0:00:59.760 --> 0:01:02.440 in his youth not only starred in some of your 0:01:02.680 --> 0:01:06.320 all time favorite eighties movies, he's also somehow found a 0:01:06.360 --> 0:01:09.759 way to defy the odds and maintain a still running 0:01:09.959 --> 0:01:14.440 fifty year career in film and TV National Lampoon's Vacation, 0:01:14.800 --> 0:01:19.760 The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Weird Science, SNL, Edward Scissorhands, 0:01:19.800 --> 0:01:23.160 The Dark Night. His resume reads like your shelf of 0:01:23.200 --> 0:01:26.920 Blu Rays since college, but now he may just be 0:01:27.000 --> 0:01:31.520 taking on his biggest challenge yet, Nation's Dumbest on Fox, 0:01:31.800 --> 0:01:35.479 a competition show where alongside fellow celebs like Iced tea 0:01:35.600 --> 0:01:39.280 doctor Drew and Jojo Siwa. He has faced a number 0:01:39.319 --> 0:01:44.360 of educational challenges, pop quizzes, and elementary level physical activities, 0:01:44.760 --> 0:01:48.840 and hopes that he will avoid last place, inching further 0:01:49.000 --> 0:01:52.200 and further away from the title of nation's dumbest. 0:01:52.840 --> 0:01:55.200 But we know he's not the dumbest. 0:01:55.040 --> 0:01:57.440 Especially since he's smart enough to come hang out with 0:01:57.480 --> 0:02:01.400 me today. I genuinely believe his nuanced work and those 0:02:01.440 --> 0:02:05.000 golden era John Ces movies helped lay the groundwork for 0:02:05.080 --> 0:02:08.960 what we did mixing humor and real teenage emotion years 0:02:09.040 --> 0:02:11.919 later on Boy Meets World, and I am so excited 0:02:11.960 --> 0:02:14.480 to talk to him about it. Please Welcome to teen Beat, 0:02:14.800 --> 0:02:15.880 Anthony Michael Hall. 0:02:16.280 --> 0:02:18.640 Hi, Danielle, thank you for having me. It was very nice. 0:02:18.680 --> 0:02:22.280 Thank you, Thank you so much for coming. You come 0:02:22.560 --> 0:02:26.800 from a very talented family. Your mother was a blues 0:02:26.880 --> 0:02:29.920 and jazz singer, and then your half sister followed in 0:02:29.960 --> 0:02:35.040 her footsteps. Was it always a creatively encouraging household? 0:02:36.120 --> 0:02:38.840 Great question, Yeah, I think so absolutely. You know, as 0:02:38.840 --> 0:02:41.040 you said, my mother was a jazz, R and B singer. 0:02:41.360 --> 0:02:43.560 She also taught voice, you know, so I think she 0:02:43.639 --> 0:02:45.720 laid the groundwork for my sister and I. I also 0:02:45.720 --> 0:02:47.880 think a big part of Daniel was growing up in Manhattan. 0:02:47.919 --> 0:02:49.799 Girl grew up in New York City, so we had 0:02:49.840 --> 0:02:53.079 access to the arts, and I think just seeing what 0:02:53.120 --> 0:02:54.960 was possible in the world growing up in a city 0:02:55.000 --> 0:02:58.240 like New York. But absolutely it was instilled in our household, 0:02:58.240 --> 0:03:00.920 you know, the love of music. As you said, my 0:03:00.960 --> 0:03:03.920 sister's a singer and a recording artist, so yeah, a 0:03:03.919 --> 0:03:05.000 lot of music in my family. 0:03:05.760 --> 0:03:09.359 In your career began at just eight years old in commercials, 0:03:09.520 --> 0:03:12.680 and I was also a commercial kid. How were you 0:03:12.800 --> 0:03:15.080 getting around New York at eight years old? Was your 0:03:15.120 --> 0:03:17.440 mom taking you? Were you taking the subway? How are 0:03:17.440 --> 0:03:18.880 you getting around to auditions? 0:03:19.160 --> 0:03:21.240 Believe it or not? I you know, I think I 0:03:21.320 --> 0:03:23.560 had some assist at that very early age, you know, 0:03:23.760 --> 0:03:25.680 my mother or my father. But after that, I mean, 0:03:25.720 --> 0:03:27.400 by the time I was a preteen, I think I 0:03:27.480 --> 0:03:29.200 was just navigating the city on my own, which is 0:03:29.200 --> 0:03:33.240 pretty amazing, taking car, you know, taking buses and trains. 0:03:33.360 --> 0:03:36.000 They were a lot safer then. Yeah, So yeah, I 0:03:36.040 --> 0:03:39.280 think all of that kind of affected my upbringing, you know, 0:03:39.560 --> 0:03:42.200 just that access. Being raised in New York City, and 0:03:42.480 --> 0:03:45.000 as we talked about having that arts background with my mother. 0:03:45.160 --> 0:03:48.160 You know, it's so interesting how different it was in 0:03:48.160 --> 0:03:50.800 New York as what my co host on my other podcast, 0:03:50.800 --> 0:03:53.400 pod Meets World. Wilford all grew up in Connecticut and 0:03:53.480 --> 0:03:55.880 his parents were both lawyers, and by the time he 0:03:55.920 --> 0:03:58.280 was ten eleven years old, he was on the subway 0:03:58.280 --> 0:04:00.880 by himself. He was taking he was just navigating the 0:04:00.880 --> 0:04:03.760 city by himself, going to auditions. And when I hear that, 0:04:04.200 --> 0:04:07.840 being a California, you know, bread person, I'm like, I 0:04:07.880 --> 0:04:09.080 can't even imagine. 0:04:10.440 --> 0:04:11.920 Well, I was very similar to Well in that rock 0:04:12.160 --> 0:04:13.680 Yeah all right, actually, yeah, you know we did a 0:04:13.680 --> 0:04:17.040 movie years ago, Will, and I was called Swimming with Sharks, Yes, 0:04:17.720 --> 0:04:19.640 with Jennifer love Hewett. I forget the title of it. 0:04:21.000 --> 0:04:25.599 Trojan War, Crojian War. Right, Oh, that's so funny. 0:04:26.080 --> 0:04:27.400 Will, I haven't seen in years. 0:04:27.800 --> 0:04:29.800 He's such a great guy. I'll tell him you said hello. 0:04:29.880 --> 0:04:31.839 He'll want me to pass along his hello as well. 0:04:32.120 --> 0:04:35.440 Great and as a teen, you would become known as 0:04:35.480 --> 0:04:38.440 an actor who could play well beyond his years. 0:04:38.520 --> 0:04:40.559 Were you always a mature kid? 0:04:42.320 --> 0:04:43.680 I don't know if I was a mature kid, but 0:04:43.760 --> 0:04:45.840 like many and I'm sure you probably start off this way, 0:04:45.960 --> 0:04:47.560 doing shills for the family in the house. 0:04:47.800 --> 0:04:49.160 Oh yes, you. 0:04:49.120 --> 0:04:51.920 Know, doing shills making your relatives sit down at your parents. 0:04:51.960 --> 0:04:54.000 And so that was me as a kid. You know. 0:04:54.080 --> 0:04:55.800 I think back at that old Eddie Murphy film. I 0:04:55.800 --> 0:04:57.560 think it was called Raw, but there was a sequence 0:04:57.600 --> 0:04:59.880 at the opening where they kind of re enacted his childhood. 0:05:00.040 --> 0:05:01.480 He was doing this kind of stuff, you know, kind 0:05:01.520 --> 0:05:04.320 of performing for his relatives. So that was me. You know. 0:05:04.360 --> 0:05:06.880 I was born in Boston in nineteen sixty eight. Sounds 0:05:06.880 --> 0:05:08.920 like one hundred and fifty years ago, but I was 0:05:09.040 --> 0:05:11.360 raised by a single mom and you know, growing up 0:05:11.360 --> 0:05:14.240 in her in that household in Boston. At first, that's 0:05:14.240 --> 0:05:15.800 what it was about, was doing shows, you know. So 0:05:15.839 --> 0:05:18.400 it was that funerals or weddings or whatever, kind of 0:05:18.440 --> 0:05:21.159 getting up and imitating my uncles and aunts. And so 0:05:21.200 --> 0:05:23.000 I started out, I guess as a little stand up comic. 0:05:23.040 --> 0:05:24.799 I guess as a kid you know in the family, 0:05:24.880 --> 0:05:26.720 which is to yeah. 0:05:26.480 --> 0:05:27.280 That's so funny. 0:05:27.320 --> 0:05:30.320 I also was that way, and especially with imitations, Like 0:05:30.400 --> 0:05:33.520 I was good at imitating people. That's where my performance 0:05:33.520 --> 0:05:37.120 bug started. Was just like imitating my math teacher for 0:05:37.240 --> 0:05:40.400 my mom, or you know, just trying to trying to 0:05:40.560 --> 0:05:42.320 entertain in any way that you can. 0:05:42.520 --> 0:05:44.880 Right, me too. We share that then, Yeah, it's a 0:05:44.960 --> 0:05:46.880 natural thing. I think kids can really instruct us. I 0:05:46.880 --> 0:05:48.600 think they'll show you what their interests are. I mean, 0:05:48.640 --> 0:05:50.480 I just had my first child. I have a three 0:05:50.520 --> 0:05:53.200 year old here at fifty eight, so I just I'm 0:05:53.200 --> 0:05:56.200 an older dad starting. But you know, I think kids 0:05:56.200 --> 0:05:58.719 inform you of their interests and like yourself, I was 0:05:58.760 --> 0:06:00.960 performing for the family, you know, imitating people. So that's 0:06:01.000 --> 0:06:01.800 how I started as well. 0:06:02.320 --> 0:06:05.159 Do you see any any signs of what your son 0:06:05.240 --> 0:06:06.039 is gravitating to? 0:06:06.200 --> 0:06:08.000 I have a seven year old and an almost five 0:06:08.080 --> 0:06:08.479 year old. 0:06:08.839 --> 0:06:11.560 Incredible, Yeah, well you know better than I. Danielle. Well, 0:06:11.560 --> 0:06:13.719 first of all, my son had quite a little outburst today. 0:06:13.720 --> 0:06:15.240 He was not having it. He didn't want to leave 0:06:15.240 --> 0:06:17.080 his mommy's side this morning a bit, so we had 0:06:17.120 --> 0:06:19.039 a kind of a rough go getting him to school today. 0:06:19.400 --> 0:06:22.720 It's always difficult in the mornings, especially Monday mornings. They've 0:06:22.720 --> 0:06:26.400 just spent a nice weekend with the family and then 0:06:26.480 --> 0:06:29.159 it's like Monday morning, they're like what no. 0:06:29.200 --> 0:06:31.520 Literally, it was about forty five minutes of crying and 0:06:31.560 --> 0:06:33.800 I want mommy and all that stuff, But no, I 0:06:33.800 --> 0:06:36.159 think back to performing. I think is a very natural thing. 0:06:36.440 --> 0:06:39.080 It's an extension of childhood, you know, using your imagination. 0:06:39.279 --> 0:06:40.799 And let's face it, what we do for a living 0:06:40.880 --> 0:06:44.000 is to make believe. Even though people in Hollywood might 0:06:44.040 --> 0:06:46.080 have you think differently. It is just make believe. You know. 0:06:46.120 --> 0:06:46.800 It's fun. Yes. 0:06:47.520 --> 0:06:50.200 In addition to commercials, I know you also did some theater, 0:06:50.760 --> 0:06:53.680 but then your screen debut was in an Emmy winning 0:06:53.760 --> 0:06:57.360 TV movie called The gold Bug, and then just two 0:06:57.440 --> 0:07:00.520 years later you were cast as Rusty Grizzle in the 0:07:00.560 --> 0:07:06.880 original National Lampoons Vacation, a true genuine classic that will 0:07:06.920 --> 0:07:11.200 live on forever. Do you remember your audition for Rusty? 0:07:13.040 --> 0:07:15.680 I do. It's like yourself. I started in commercials, so 0:07:15.760 --> 0:07:18.680 you remember all those early auditions. I remember meeting with 0:07:18.720 --> 0:07:21.800 Harold Ramis and Maddy Simmons, the producer of the film, Yes, 0:07:22.000 --> 0:07:24.119 and that being a great experience, and then just seeing 0:07:24.160 --> 0:07:25.840 something in me, you know, that old saying of we're 0:07:25.880 --> 0:07:27.640 all standing on the shoulders of giants. We all have 0:07:27.680 --> 0:07:30.000 mentors and people that certainly brought us along, you know, 0:07:30.680 --> 0:07:32.880 and my life it was certainly John Hughes, and before 0:07:32.960 --> 0:07:35.640 that John, it was was Harold Ramis and Matty Simmons. 0:07:35.720 --> 0:07:37.120 You know, so I do remember that audition. I was 0:07:37.800 --> 0:07:41.160 midtown Manhattan at the Warner Brothers office, and yeah, it 0:07:41.200 --> 0:07:44.040 was exciting and they saw something in me, and next thing, 0:07:44.040 --> 0:07:46.000 you know, I got the job and we made that 0:07:46.040 --> 0:07:48.120 film way back in nineteen eighty three. It was incredible. 0:07:48.200 --> 0:07:50.160 This pre dates you know, Green Screen, Blue Screen. We 0:07:50.160 --> 0:07:53.000 actually made the trip. The crew went to Colorado and 0:07:53.000 --> 0:07:54.800 then we made our way back to Arizona and then 0:07:54.840 --> 0:07:56.960 back to California, so we kind of saw half the 0:07:56.960 --> 0:08:00.400 country at least, you know too, It's really you know 0:08:00.400 --> 0:08:02.160 how it is movie making. It's a real joy. It's 0:08:02.200 --> 0:08:02.800 a real blessing. 0:08:03.080 --> 0:08:06.000 I know, a movie making often feels like a traveling circus. 0:08:06.040 --> 0:08:07.920 But then hearing you describe it like that, it was 0:08:08.000 --> 0:08:09.680 really like a traveling circus. 0:08:09.880 --> 0:08:12.560 You said it perfectly. Yeah, it really was. It really was. 0:08:13.160 --> 0:08:15.240 And these days, right, everything's shifted. You know, it's a 0:08:15.280 --> 0:08:17.920 new century, so there's new technology and yeah, you know 0:08:17.920 --> 0:08:19.840 everything can be done on a single stage. Right, We're 0:08:19.840 --> 0:08:22.480 seeing AI and all these other developments. It's a fascinating 0:08:22.480 --> 0:08:23.320 time to be alive. 0:08:23.960 --> 0:08:26.960 Yeah, as you mentioned, directed by Harold Ramis written by 0:08:27.000 --> 0:08:31.080 John Hughes, starring Chevy Chase. Were you intimidated at all? 0:08:31.200 --> 0:08:34.200 You were thirteen years old, and I mean that's a 0:08:34.200 --> 0:08:35.320 who's who of comedy. 0:08:35.400 --> 0:08:36.360 Were you intimidated? 0:08:36.679 --> 0:08:38.199 Well, you know what I think I was. I think 0:08:38.200 --> 0:08:39.800 I was a bit nervous to start because I was 0:08:39.800 --> 0:08:41.200 one of those kids in the seventies I would ask 0:08:41.240 --> 0:08:43.200 my mother to stay up so I could watch SNL. 0:08:43.720 --> 0:08:47.280 So I loved all those comics and Chevy too, so 0:08:47.360 --> 0:08:49.360 I just looked up to him absolutely, and then getting 0:08:49.400 --> 0:08:51.040 to work with John Candy, all the great people I 0:08:51.080 --> 0:08:54.959 mentioned Coca. It was really an incredible way to start 0:08:55.000 --> 0:08:56.080 in my career. Yeah. 0:08:56.240 --> 0:08:59.199 Really, I wanted to ask you about the Wally World scenes. 0:08:59.320 --> 0:09:03.160 It's sure one of the best last acts of any comedy. 0:09:03.760 --> 0:09:06.920 And you are spending a day in an empty theme 0:09:07.040 --> 0:09:11.760 park with Chevy Chase, John Candy, and Beverly di'angelo. What 0:09:11.800 --> 0:09:14.200 do you remember about shooting at six Flags? 0:09:15.640 --> 0:09:17.280 Well, what was funny, Danielle is the first thing we 0:09:17.320 --> 0:09:19.280 shot was the run up when we're in the parking lot. 0:09:19.280 --> 0:09:23.280 That was actually the Santitita Racetrack ten degrees that day. Now, 0:09:23.320 --> 0:09:25.360 this was a Warner Brothers film, so you know, we 0:09:25.400 --> 0:09:28.000 couldn't use Disneyland, so we did use six Flags as 0:09:28.000 --> 0:09:29.920 you mentioned. So it's really funny. So the parking lot 0:09:29.960 --> 0:09:33.000 was Santaitita Racetrack kind of over here on the west side, 0:09:33.160 --> 0:09:35.520 and then once we get in, it was you know, 0:09:35.520 --> 0:09:38.160 out in Valencia at Magic Mountain. A lot of fun. 0:09:38.800 --> 0:09:40.880 I just remember that wooden roller coaster. They should have 0:09:40.880 --> 0:09:42.800 beann those things long a time ago, because I know, 0:09:42.920 --> 0:09:44.960 I think it was called the Cyclone or something. I 0:09:45.000 --> 0:09:45.640 forget it was called. 0:09:45.720 --> 0:09:46.680 I think it is the Cyclone. 0:09:46.720 --> 0:09:48.880 Yeah, yeah, but it just had that rickety sound, like 0:09:48.920 --> 0:09:51.120 a very nervous, you know, nerve wrecking kind of sound. 0:09:51.120 --> 0:09:53.600 It was kind of a funny thing, but great experience, 0:09:53.600 --> 0:09:55.160 you know. And on that one, it was actually a 0:09:55.160 --> 0:09:58.120 different ending that we originally did for Vacation, And what 0:09:58.200 --> 0:10:00.439 happened was the studio tested the film and I think 0:10:00.480 --> 0:10:02.040 a lot of the cards came back when they would 0:10:02.040 --> 0:10:03.720 give the cards to the audience and give their notes 0:10:04.080 --> 0:10:05.599 they wanted to see them get to the park. The 0:10:05.640 --> 0:10:10.080 original ending was Chevy holds roy Wally hostage, and roy 0:10:10.120 --> 0:10:12.960 Wally would be the equivalent of Globalt Disney, you know, 0:10:13.080 --> 0:10:16.559 a Gentleman's business launch is Beverly Hills Mansion. So it's 0:10:16.600 --> 0:10:18.760 a funny scene, but ultimately didn't work for the film 0:10:18.760 --> 0:10:21.480 because it felt like, you know, the audience just wanted 0:10:21.480 --> 0:10:22.880 to see the family get to the park. 0:10:22.960 --> 0:10:24.400 Yeah, I get there, get to the park. 0:10:24.480 --> 0:10:24.880 Yeah. 0:10:24.960 --> 0:10:27.520 Yeah, that's so funny. What was it that made you 0:10:27.559 --> 0:10:29.000 not want to return for the sequel? 0:10:30.640 --> 0:10:34.360 You know, it's so funny. It's because of the great 0:10:34.360 --> 0:10:36.680 blessing of having John Hughes in my life. I wasn't available. 0:10:36.720 --> 0:10:38.360 It was because of John Hughes. You know, he wrote 0:10:38.400 --> 0:10:40.640 that script, but I didn't meet him on Vacation Daniel. 0:10:40.679 --> 0:10:43.040 I met him when I did Sixteen Candles, and right 0:10:43.080 --> 0:10:44.960 after that we wound up doing those three films In 0:10:44.960 --> 0:10:48.080 a Row, Breakfast Club and then Weird Science. So it 0:10:48.160 --> 0:10:49.880 was actually kind of his fault. I was working with 0:10:49.920 --> 0:10:52.240 John Hughes on these other films at Universal, and I 0:10:52.280 --> 0:10:55.360 was not available to do the sequel to Vacation, which 0:10:55.360 --> 0:10:58.040 was European Vacation. But those films have all held up 0:10:58.080 --> 0:10:59.880 and the tested stile, which is great. 0:11:00.520 --> 0:11:02.760 Did you know at the time, because obviously John Hughes 0:11:02.800 --> 0:11:05.959 was very taken with your performance, when did you find 0:11:05.960 --> 0:11:08.440 out that he was already thinking of you for other roles. 0:11:09.360 --> 0:11:11.120 You know, it was right after we did sixteen Candles. 0:11:11.200 --> 0:11:13.600 We just had this incredible connection, Danielle. I'm sure there 0:11:13.640 --> 0:11:16.120 been people like that mentors we've worked with where they 0:11:16.200 --> 0:11:18.000 just felt like family. There was just a love and 0:11:18.040 --> 0:11:20.840 a connection and you know, with genuine care that he had, 0:11:21.240 --> 0:11:23.079 I just felt like his little brother, you know. So 0:11:23.120 --> 0:11:26.480 it was right after sixteen Cannels. I remember him calling 0:11:26.520 --> 0:11:28.760 me in Manhattan. I was still living, of course, with 0:11:28.800 --> 0:11:30.880 my parents, and him telling me that we were going 0:11:30.960 --> 0:11:34.480 to do The Breakfast Club, you know, and then it's crazy, 0:11:34.480 --> 0:11:36.040 you know, cut to shooting in that film. I think 0:11:36.040 --> 0:11:37.600 we made all three of those films in the span 0:11:37.640 --> 0:11:40.760 of less than three years. But we were about a 0:11:40.800 --> 0:11:42.800 couple of weeks into The Breakfast Club. And this is 0:11:42.840 --> 0:11:45.360 how prolific he was. We were on a break shooting 0:11:45.360 --> 0:11:49.000 a big scene in the library and John Hughes came 0:11:49.040 --> 0:11:50.480 up to me in the hallway and he said, you know, 0:11:50.520 --> 0:11:52.040 I came up with our next film, and I'm like, 0:11:52.080 --> 0:11:53.959 what are you talking about. We're shooting our second film 0:11:53.960 --> 0:11:56.840 then right third, if you include Vacation. But he didn't 0:11:56.840 --> 0:11:58.839 direct it. He said it's going to be you and 0:11:58.960 --> 0:11:59.959 so as a kid, and we're going to make a 0:12:00.040 --> 0:12:02.680 girl on the computer. And he goes, last night, after 0:12:02.720 --> 0:12:04.680 we wrapped, I went back to the to the house 0:12:04.720 --> 0:12:06.920 and I wrote the first act. So that's how prolific 0:12:07.080 --> 0:12:08.800 that he was amazing. So he would shoot a ten 0:12:08.880 --> 0:12:10.839 or twelve hour day and then go home when he 0:12:10.880 --> 0:12:14.239 wrote thirty pages of what became Great Science, which is incredible. 0:12:14.400 --> 0:12:14.840 Oh my. 0:12:14.960 --> 0:12:18.440 So yeah, we have a group thread going with the 0:12:18.480 --> 0:12:20.559 cast mates at that. That film just turned forty one, 0:12:20.600 --> 0:12:23.800 I think two days ago over yesterday. So it's it's 0:12:23.840 --> 0:12:25.880 a real privilege to know that I started with these 0:12:25.920 --> 0:12:28.480 great guys that really gave me these opportunities, you know, Maddison, 0:12:28.880 --> 0:12:31.320 Harold and John. Yeah. But then we made those three 0:12:31.320 --> 0:12:31.760 in a row. 0:12:31.960 --> 0:12:33.640 I mean, you made those three movies in a row, 0:12:33.679 --> 0:12:35.640 and it's like nineteen eighty four, nineteen eighty five. 0:12:35.679 --> 0:12:37.720 Did you even sleep during this period? 0:12:39.720 --> 0:12:40.920 I was a kid. I was just happy to be 0:12:40.960 --> 0:12:41.839 an on set, you. 0:12:41.760 --> 0:12:43.120 Know, endless energy. 0:12:43.640 --> 0:12:45.120 Yeah, yeah, and you know how it is. I mean 0:12:45.160 --> 0:12:48.440 we would get tutored on set and and you know, 0:12:48.559 --> 0:12:50.680 I mean it's it's no comparison them to being stuck 0:12:50.720 --> 0:12:52.200 in school all day. They have to make up three 0:12:52.200 --> 0:12:53.719 hours on set, as you know, that would be the 0:12:53.800 --> 0:12:57.320 rule for us, right, Yeah, but yeah, it was just 0:12:57.360 --> 0:12:59.800 such an incredible experience. You know, I really was life changing, 0:12:59.840 --> 0:13:02.920 and you know, I credit John was giving me my career. 0:13:03.040 --> 0:13:05.080 You know, it's really a great opportunity to work with. 0:13:05.240 --> 0:13:07.320 Was your mom on set with you for all of 0:13:07.320 --> 0:13:08.000 those films? 0:13:08.200 --> 0:13:10.600 You know what? She had been recently remarried at that time, 0:13:10.640 --> 0:13:12.640 and they had my sister, and so she was in 0:13:12.679 --> 0:13:15.400 New York and my aunt traveled with me, who was 0:13:15.480 --> 0:13:17.240 very close. She's like a second mother to me, so 0:13:17.280 --> 0:13:18.800 she was the one who traveled me at the time. 0:13:18.920 --> 0:13:31.319 Yeah. 0:13:31.400 --> 0:13:34.920 So The Breakfast Club is basically shot in like one location. 0:13:35.320 --> 0:13:39.240 You're sixteen years old and you're tackling these big existential 0:13:39.520 --> 0:13:43.560 life questions. Did you know while filming it that it 0:13:43.600 --> 0:13:44.120 was special? 0:13:45.760 --> 0:13:48.440 That's a good question. I think we did to some degree. 0:13:48.480 --> 0:13:50.000 You know. One of the things that John did, Danielle, 0:13:50.000 --> 0:13:52.080 which was really interesting, is he carved out time for 0:13:52.160 --> 0:13:54.160 us to rehearse. She don't always get that luxury. And 0:13:54.280 --> 0:13:56.040 you did a lot of TV and there's a lot 0:13:56.080 --> 0:13:59.000 of rehearsal with film. Yeah, it can be different and 0:13:59.040 --> 0:14:01.320 you don't always get that that luxury of having the 0:14:01.360 --> 0:14:04.240 times to work on stuff. But John really did that 0:14:04.280 --> 0:14:05.599 for us. He gave us a week or might have 0:14:05.600 --> 0:14:07.600 been even ten days where we just sat in that 0:14:07.679 --> 0:14:10.560 set that had been built inside the school that had 0:14:10.600 --> 0:14:13.560 been shut down and they built that beautiful library set 0:14:13.600 --> 0:14:16.480 inside it. Als amazing. So one of the things he 0:14:16.520 --> 0:14:19.120 did and he would bring the director of photography in it. 0:14:19.200 --> 0:14:21.280 He would start rehearsing the scenes. We would just sit 0:14:21.320 --> 0:14:23.920 around as a group in a circle kind of reading it, 0:14:24.200 --> 0:14:26.760 and then we'd start to block the scenes and the DP, 0:14:26.960 --> 0:14:29.600 the director photography, would come in so he would start 0:14:29.960 --> 0:14:32.480 pre visualizing it. But he gave us that time to 0:14:32.520 --> 0:14:34.720 work on the material and have, you know, ask questions 0:14:34.760 --> 0:14:36.360 and just have fun with it. And I think that 0:14:36.480 --> 0:14:38.600 was really helpful too. You know, it really prepares you 0:14:38.640 --> 0:14:40.680 for the days when you're shooting, you know. 0:14:40.680 --> 0:14:43.760 So that absolutely helps with your relationships with your fellow 0:14:43.840 --> 0:14:48.640 actors too, you know, bonding, connecting, getting comfortable. 0:14:49.240 --> 0:14:50.360 Yeah, I love that. 0:14:50.560 --> 0:14:54.200 It also just gives you a real sense of creative agency, 0:14:54.480 --> 0:14:57.000 you know that, Like I'm working with people who want 0:14:57.040 --> 0:14:59.680 me to succeed and excel and are willing to give 0:14:59.680 --> 0:15:01.840 me a place to try things and do things. 0:15:02.160 --> 0:15:04.560 Well said, yeah, absolutely, and John was big on that 0:15:04.600 --> 0:15:06.960 and he always was. He maintained that that sense of collaboration. 0:15:07.080 --> 0:15:09.400 He was really great that way, even down to just 0:15:09.400 --> 0:15:11.760 having music on the set. He would make mixtapes for us, 0:15:11.840 --> 0:15:14.000 you know, based on things that he heard, and he 0:15:14.040 --> 0:15:15.760 was so talented that way. He would integrate all those 0:15:15.840 --> 0:15:19.800 musical cues into his films, and so much to an 0:15:19.840 --> 0:15:23.000 extent that like Universal, after his films took off, not 0:15:23.040 --> 0:15:24.600 only did he have an overall deal, but he had 0:15:24.600 --> 0:15:27.680 a record in that era because they understood that he 0:15:27.720 --> 0:15:29.560 really had a keen sense of music and he really 0:15:29.600 --> 0:15:32.160 had his finger on the pulse, you know. You see 0:15:32.160 --> 0:15:34.280 it with shows like all these years later, like Gray's 0:15:34.280 --> 0:15:37.160 Anatomy or other successful shows where the music is built 0:15:37.160 --> 0:15:40.680 in and really supports the project, whether it's dramatic or 0:15:40.720 --> 0:15:43.440 communic or what have you. So yeah, he was really 0:15:43.560 --> 0:15:45.040 I feel like, kind of an innovator in that way. 0:15:45.080 --> 0:15:47.040 You know. He was really great because, as I said, 0:15:47.040 --> 0:15:49.160 a lot of those cues were written into his work. 0:15:49.600 --> 0:15:51.600 He had a room Danielle at his house. I would 0:15:51.600 --> 0:15:53.640 often be visiting with he and his wife and their 0:15:53.680 --> 0:15:56.760 two young sons who are still friends of mine on 0:15:56.800 --> 0:15:58.760 the weekends in Chicago as a kid, and you go 0:15:58.800 --> 0:16:00.560 into his writing room and it was amazing. He looked 0:16:00.560 --> 0:16:03.360 like a record store, David word of ceiling twelve inch 0:16:03.440 --> 0:16:06.720 vinyl records, and over in the corner by the window, 0:16:06.720 --> 0:16:08.960 he had a desktop computer where he do was writing. 0:16:09.240 --> 0:16:11.840 So it's almost like he immersed himself in his own 0:16:11.920 --> 0:16:14.280 writing room, which also looked like a record store. Is critical, 0:16:14.400 --> 0:16:15.800 so music was really important to. 0:16:16.400 --> 0:16:20.080 Yeah, No wonder then you coming from a musical family. 0:16:20.080 --> 0:16:22.280 It was just something you guys had in common. 0:16:22.880 --> 0:16:25.360 You know, you said it. He was pretty too, because 0:16:25.360 --> 0:16:26.840 even when we were on the pitch, he would do 0:16:26.920 --> 0:16:29.400 really cool things like pick Molly and I up and 0:16:29.560 --> 0:16:31.520 other cast members and take us to see live music. 0:16:31.600 --> 0:16:34.720 We'd go see Blues and other great live venues in Chicago. 0:16:35.440 --> 0:16:38.040 So just great experiences where he was fully immersed in 0:16:38.080 --> 0:16:40.280 his work but also had a great sense of sharing 0:16:40.320 --> 0:16:43.320 as a person. He was really cool and open to Yeah. 0:16:43.720 --> 0:16:46.400 Around this time, when you're doing these three movies back 0:16:46.440 --> 0:16:49.520 to back, this is where the brat pack moniker popped up. 0:16:50.160 --> 0:16:53.040 You will never really embraced that title. Was that a. 0:16:52.920 --> 0:16:56.080 Conscious decision on everyone's behalf. Did you think at the 0:16:56.080 --> 0:16:59.280 time that it was lame because now people would everyone 0:16:59.320 --> 0:17:01.520 would like move in with each other and make tiktoks. 0:17:01.720 --> 0:17:04.200 So that's hilarious. I like what you just said. That's 0:17:04.200 --> 0:17:06.359 really funny and true to this young generation, which is 0:17:06.440 --> 0:17:09.919 the very hip in many ways. Yeah, yeah, it was 0:17:10.000 --> 0:17:11.879 for me because I think at the time what happened 0:17:11.920 --> 0:17:13.639 was it was a bit of a ploy on behalf 0:17:13.680 --> 0:17:15.879 of the magazine that published that article. You know, they 0:17:15.920 --> 0:17:18.640 sent a reporter out and got a lot of the guys. 0:17:18.680 --> 0:17:20.160 I mean, I was at the young end of that group. 0:17:20.640 --> 0:17:22.800 But I think Emilio and Robbelo and Judd and a 0:17:22.800 --> 0:17:25.520 bunch of guys sat down at a restaurant thinking it 0:17:25.560 --> 0:17:28.760 was all goodwill and good intended, you know, and I think, 0:17:29.119 --> 0:17:30.400 you know, they might have had a couple of drinks 0:17:30.440 --> 0:17:32.560 and they started talking and this that and the other thing, 0:17:32.560 --> 0:17:35.560 and then you know, that monitor, as you said, came out. 0:17:35.880 --> 0:17:38.160 Is that the leader of the article. And I mean 0:17:38.200 --> 0:17:40.000 I never thought much of it. I didn't expect it 0:17:40.040 --> 0:17:42.280 to stick either, you know, I thought the rat pack 0:17:42.359 --> 0:17:43.600