WEBVTT - Ep41 - Bryan Cranston / "Last Flag Flying" 0:00:18.880 --> 0:00:22.160 You're listening to playback a Variety podcast. I'm your host, 0:00:22.200 --> 0:00:25.360 Variety Awards editor Chris Tapley. My guest today is the 0:00:25.360 --> 0:00:28.720 EMI winning Oscar nominated star of films and series like Trumbo, 0:00:29.000 --> 0:00:33.000 Breaking Bad, Argo and Hbos All the Way. His new film, 0:00:33.120 --> 0:00:36.000 Last Flag Flying is a topical drama from director Richard 0:00:36.040 --> 0:00:39.680 Linklater and author Daryl Poison that examines the war weary 0:00:39.800 --> 0:00:42.600 soul of a country that seems hell bent on making 0:00:42.600 --> 0:00:45.519 the same mistakes over and over again. It is opening 0:00:45.560 --> 0:00:48.159 the New York Film Festival this year. His name is 0:00:48.200 --> 0:00:50.240 Brian Cranston and he's right here. Brian, thanks for coming 0:00:50.280 --> 0:00:53.600 on the show. How are you, Chris? I'm good. Often 0:00:53.800 --> 0:00:57.920 I will ramp up into the movie at hand, but 0:00:58.000 --> 0:00:59.680 I really want to dive in on this one because 0:00:59.680 --> 0:01:03.240 I love this film. Uh. It is from an author 0:01:03.320 --> 0:01:05.560 that I really love as well. I don't know, have 0:01:05.600 --> 0:01:08.959 you read many of Darryl Ponnickson's books, Well, just kind 0:01:08.959 --> 0:01:11.280 of know what. When I knew I was going to 0:01:11.360 --> 0:01:13.839 do this, I wanted to go back and read Last 0:01:13.880 --> 0:01:18.720 Detail and uh, and then Last Flag Flying was also 0:01:19.480 --> 0:01:21.600 you know, in the same Vivieau. In fact, it's a 0:01:21.720 --> 0:01:24.520 it's a sequel as as a sequel to Last Detail, 0:01:25.360 --> 0:01:28.560 and those are the only Took books I've read so far. 0:01:28.640 --> 0:01:30.720 He did another one called Tom Mis Died for Our 0:01:30.880 --> 0:01:36.520 Sins that I wholeheartedly recommend. It's like this adventure tall 0:01:36.520 --> 0:01:43.759 tale kind of imagining biography of Tom Mix classic cowboy 0:01:43.760 --> 0:01:46.959 of old and uh, he just has such a way 0:01:47.000 --> 0:01:49.560 with words, you know, And that's that's why I gravitated 0:01:50.040 --> 0:01:52.520 towards his work to begin with. And then I tracked 0:01:52.520 --> 0:01:54.640 down Last Flag Flying. I read it before I saw 0:01:54.680 --> 0:01:57.720 the film. It's a hard book to find, actually, yeah, 0:01:57.760 --> 0:01:59.720 I guess it. It had maybe one printing. And now 0:01:59.720 --> 0:02:01.840 they're like they go for eighty bucks a pop or 0:02:01.880 --> 0:02:05.160 something if you can find. They're coming out with her 0:02:05.160 --> 0:02:09.120 coming out version. I wanted to read it before I 0:02:09.120 --> 0:02:10.840 saw the movie, though, because I was curious about what 0:02:10.880 --> 0:02:13.720 your you guys were gonna do. And uh, as I say, 0:02:13.760 --> 0:02:15.920 he's got such a great way with words, and it's 0:02:16.200 --> 0:02:20.000 a dialogue heavy story, and I note I recognized that 0:02:20.000 --> 0:02:21.639 when I was reading the book, and as well when 0:02:21.639 --> 0:02:24.200 I read the Last Detail has the same vibe. You 0:02:24.200 --> 0:02:26.680 can understand why, you know, how Ashby was interested in 0:02:26.720 --> 0:02:30.280 making that into a movie. Years ago, and I didn't 0:02:30.400 --> 0:02:33.480 realize until I saw the film that this was perfect 0:02:33.480 --> 0:02:36.080 for Richard Lincolater. It didn't strike me while reading the book, 0:02:36.120 --> 0:02:37.520 but when I saw the film, I was like, Oh, 0:02:37.560 --> 0:02:40.160 this is such a hangout movie, you know what I mean. 0:02:40.240 --> 0:02:42.560 It's it's it's like Days and Confused or Boyhood or 0:02:42.600 --> 0:02:44.200 the before movies where you can just kind of hang 0:02:44.200 --> 0:02:49.240 out with these characters and have conversations about life and stuff. 0:02:49.560 --> 0:02:51.520 So I'm curious what you thought about that quality of 0:02:51.560 --> 0:02:55.040 the film. No, that's really what attracted me to the screenplay. 0:02:55.919 --> 0:03:00.320 The idea of working with with Rick was I on 0:03:00.360 --> 0:03:04.280 my list. But if if the screenplay didn't measure up, 0:03:04.360 --> 0:03:06.680 then you know, I would say, well maybe maybe the 0:03:06.720 --> 0:03:11.440 next one. You know. Um So, this one really struck 0:03:11.480 --> 0:03:16.240 a chord, and knowing that it was intended to be 0:03:16.280 --> 0:03:21.200 a sequel, but um Jack retired and you know, Randy's 0:03:21.320 --> 0:03:26.200 off in Canada somewhere, and the other actor, I'm sorry 0:03:26.280 --> 0:03:29.359 I'm blanking on his name, but he he passed away, 0:03:29.480 --> 0:03:32.400 so there wasn't going to be a sequel of the 0:03:32.520 --> 0:03:36.960 last detail. Um So, Rick wanted to take this same milieu, 0:03:37.280 --> 0:03:41.560 the same sensibility of three men with a history in 0:03:41.600 --> 0:03:47.840 the military and who reconvene for another task, and in 0:03:47.840 --> 0:03:52.440 this case it's Um to help the youngest member of 0:03:52.880 --> 0:03:58.920 the trio, Doc played by Steve Carrell, to to bury 0:03:59.040 --> 0:04:06.880 his son. And my character, Sal is one of those 0:04:07.160 --> 0:04:12.040 knee bouncing, kind of all consuming kind of guy, never 0:04:12.120 --> 0:04:15.400 shuts up. Uh. It can be charming, but he can 0:04:15.440 --> 0:04:19.440 also be incredibly irritating. Um. He's one of those guys 0:04:19.520 --> 0:04:22.720 who would have been diagnosed as bipolar and a d 0:04:22.920 --> 0:04:26.520 h D and and anything else. But he's constantly eating 0:04:26.640 --> 0:04:30.640 or smoking or drinking. He's he just wants everything. He 0:04:30.720 --> 0:04:36.280 consumes life in every form. He says no to nothing 0:04:37.040 --> 0:04:39.560 and UM. So it was a lot of fun to 0:04:39.640 --> 0:04:43.240 play and Rick, you know, as a master at being 0:04:43.279 --> 0:04:48.599 able to separate the characteristics of each character and and 0:04:48.760 --> 0:04:52.400 tell you what your lane is. And by staying in 0:04:52.440 --> 0:04:57.200 those lanes, Fish and Steve and I were able to 0:04:57.560 --> 0:04:59.840 have a blast. We would do what was written in 0:05:00.000 --> 0:05:05.200 and we improvd a lot. And UM really bonded during 0:05:05.240 --> 0:05:08.600 this movie. Yeah, as you say, the script was written, 0:05:09.279 --> 0:05:11.880 they went away from doing just a full blown sequel, 0:05:11.920 --> 0:05:16.200 although they maintained many of the same story beats uh, 0:05:16.600 --> 0:05:19.679 But nevertheless, you know. And also it's interesting because Last 0:05:19.680 --> 0:05:22.240 Flag Flying the book was actually more of a sequel 0:05:22.279 --> 0:05:25.520 to the movie than the book because Kurdusky dies in 0:05:25.560 --> 0:05:28.160 the book but not in the movie, and he's alive 0:05:28.200 --> 0:05:31.000 and well and he explains that page one and Lass 0:05:31.040 --> 0:05:34.800 Flag Flying. But uh, you know, given that it's not 0:05:35.080 --> 0:05:38.120 a sequel per se, you still are playing but dusky 0:05:38.200 --> 0:05:40.880 of a fashion, I guess is a way to put it. 0:05:41.000 --> 0:05:43.920 So did you look at Nicholson at all or did 0:05:43.920 --> 0:05:46.240 you just stay away from that? And how did you 0:05:46.279 --> 0:05:48.760 and Rick talk about making this character his own guy? 0:05:49.560 --> 0:05:55.000 You know, Nicholson is such an indelible personality that I 0:05:55.480 --> 0:05:58.800 certainly didn't want to go back and revisit the movie 0:05:58.800 --> 0:06:01.880 and see what he did because it would seep into 0:06:01.880 --> 0:06:07.400 the performance. Um, I don't want to do a poor 0:06:07.480 --> 0:06:11.720 imitation of the great Jack Nicholson. So I wanted to 0:06:11.760 --> 0:06:15.520 do a poor imitation something else. Um No, I just 0:06:15.600 --> 0:06:18.200 wanted to kind of find out who that guy was. 0:06:18.960 --> 0:06:25.159 And you know, for me, the character of sal is 0:06:25.200 --> 0:06:29.080 consumed is all consuming, but for a reason he's um. 0:06:29.120 --> 0:06:33.279 He's trying to drown out the demons that seemed to 0:06:33.320 --> 0:06:36.440 try to rise up within him. And he found that 0:06:36.480 --> 0:06:40.120 if he drinks enough and self medicates enough, then I 0:06:40.160 --> 0:06:45.760 think it it staves off those those that viciousness and 0:06:45.760 --> 0:06:50.320 and he can cope with the day. Um. He's not 0:06:50.400 --> 0:06:54.880 a very um, you know, self reflecting kind of person. 0:06:55.560 --> 0:06:59.520 He is one that's ready for a party, ready for action, 0:06:59.600 --> 0:07:04.320 ready a fight, ready for something anything, because I think 0:07:04.440 --> 0:07:10.239 that's his connection to feeling, and that's his humanity. It's 0:07:10.240 --> 0:07:14.600 it's in instant kind of gratification. He's almost a throwback 0:07:14.640 --> 0:07:21.160 to a child like um personality that he wants that 0:07:21.160 --> 0:07:24.360 that energy, that excitement right now because I don't know 0:07:24.440 --> 0:07:26.480 what's going to happen tomorrow, but right now, I allow 0:07:26.680 --> 0:07:29.920 I want to feel it. And it contrasts really nicely 0:07:29.960 --> 0:07:33.720 with the brilliant job that Steve Correll did with Doc, 0:07:33.960 --> 0:07:38.440 who he had such courage to just sit in it 0:07:39.000 --> 0:07:42.600 and and be that person and not feel he has 0:07:42.640 --> 0:07:47.320 to emote, not feel, he has to drive the energy 0:07:47.440 --> 0:07:51.120 or the story just to let it evolve. And then 0:07:51.280 --> 0:07:55.240 contrast that with Lawrence Fishburne and his brilliant work and 0:07:56.200 --> 0:08:00.880 the way he was standing in judgment of sal and 0:08:01.280 --> 0:08:06.480 trying to forget the past and his culpability to it. Um, 0:08:06.520 --> 0:08:09.240 and he too, I think was hiding behind what he 0:08:09.440 --> 0:08:13.040 has now become as a member of the church, and 0:08:13.120 --> 0:08:17.440 I think he was not wanting to remember the bad 0:08:17.480 --> 0:08:21.160 things that happened back in Vietnam when we were babies. 0:08:22.120 --> 0:08:26.160 And You're exactly right about just the contrasting UH styles 0:08:26.160 --> 0:08:30.000 and the different lanes to be in. And you three 0:08:30.040 --> 0:08:32.319 actors as well, I mean, you, Stephen Lawrence seemed like 0:08:32.440 --> 0:08:35.480 very different personalities. So I'm curious what the what was 0:08:35.520 --> 0:08:37.400 the camaraderie, Like you said, he got along great, but 0:08:37.480 --> 0:08:40.000 just what was downtime like on the set, you know, 0:08:40.120 --> 0:08:42.719 between takes, what was what was that vibe like for 0:08:42.760 --> 0:08:45.000 the three of you. It was a lot of fun, 0:08:45.160 --> 0:08:47.360 you know. I was having so so much fun being 0:08:47.440 --> 0:08:53.320 sal being just a jerk in many ways and getting 0:08:53.320 --> 0:08:58.040 away with innuendo and things like that. That, Um, it 0:08:58.080 --> 0:09:02.480 was fun to do that. Um Ule Vasquez is another 0:09:02.880 --> 0:09:05.880 great actor I've worked with before on The Infiltrator and 0:09:05.960 --> 0:09:10.760 he played the colonel in this um in this film 0:09:10.840 --> 0:09:15.160 that we have to appeal to Um off screen, Yule 0:09:15.320 --> 0:09:17.560 is a very funny guy and he was keeping us 0:09:17.640 --> 0:09:20.760 laughing as well, and so it was it was a 0:09:20.800 --> 0:09:24.000 fun set. It was a light set. We're all we've 0:09:24.000 --> 0:09:26.880 all been doing this for quite some time, and Rick 0:09:27.160 --> 0:09:33.400 is so easy going and his manner of direction is miniscule. 0:09:33.800 --> 0:09:37.959 You know, he wanted to We talked about it early on. 0:09:38.080 --> 0:09:42.800 We had about a weaker ten days of rehearsal where 0:09:42.800 --> 0:09:48.559 we just read through it and whatever um it conjured, 0:09:48.679 --> 0:09:54.120 as far as uh suggestions or changes or bumps along 0:09:54.160 --> 0:09:57.960 the way, we were able to voice that. And what 0:09:58.080 --> 0:10:00.559 he agreed with he corrected, and what he didn't he 0:10:00.720 --> 0:10:06.040 gave justification to it. So we then realized, good, good, right, Okay, 0:10:06.080 --> 0:10:08.440 I see that's you know, so we had a really 0:10:08.440 --> 0:10:11.800 good understanding before any of the cameras were rolling. We 0:10:11.840 --> 0:10:16.200 shot this in Pittsburgh, and um, it was a blast. 0:10:16.240 --> 0:10:18.720 It was really a lot of fun. One of the 0:10:18.760 --> 0:10:21.800 things that you know, we we got together a few times, 0:10:21.800 --> 0:10:26.120 we went to a Pittsburgh Steelers game. We also um 0:10:26.800 --> 0:10:31.200 when we gathered a whole group of us gathered to 0:10:31.240 --> 0:10:37.600 watch the results on election night in November of last 0:10:37.679 --> 0:10:43.000 year sixteen. And yes, yes, it was quite a shocking, 0:10:43.320 --> 0:10:46.840 quite a shocking that No, it was. I know, Steve 0:10:46.920 --> 0:10:49.440 and I were chatting a lot in the car ride 0:10:49.480 --> 0:10:54.560 over and in the car ride home, neither one of us. Yeah, 0:10:54.800 --> 0:10:58.920 I imagine. Well regarding Steve, actually, his range is so interesting, 0:10:59.200 --> 0:11:01.920 specific typically this year, because he's also in this film 0:11:02.040 --> 0:11:04.680 Battle of the Sexes, playing you know, much broader character 0:11:04.720 --> 0:11:08.520 and Bobby Riggs and you're right, his kind of quietude 0:11:09.080 --> 0:11:12.840 in this film and just it's interesting to see the 0:11:12.920 --> 0:11:15.040 choices he continues to make as he branches out as 0:11:15.080 --> 0:11:19.280 a film star now and he's there, he's I was 0:11:19.320 --> 0:11:23.880 so impressed with with him in and just dropping into 0:11:23.920 --> 0:11:29.800 that guy and being and it really works so well 0:11:29.840 --> 0:11:34.160 because the three different energies that these three men bring 0:11:34.280 --> 0:11:38.600 to this story and orchestrated by Rick link Ladder, you know, 0:11:38.720 --> 0:11:44.600 he just is a a great, great orchestra leader and 0:11:45.240 --> 0:11:48.520 brought it all together and it's it's it's a really 0:11:48.559 --> 0:11:51.440 important film. Yeah, it's a male bonding film, but it's 0:11:51.520 --> 0:11:55.600 very emotional. Women are gonna like this movie because they're 0:11:55.600 --> 0:12:02.960 seeing men vulnerable and raw at times, um honest as 0:12:03.280 --> 0:12:06.800 all the way through. Yeah. Well, on that note, I mean, 0:12:07.400 --> 0:12:11.120 I was reminded of the film again recently when our 0:12:11.160 --> 0:12:14.920 Commander in chief announced his for lack of a better word, 0:12:14.960 --> 0:12:19.800 strategy uh for the ongoing Afghanistan conflict, and the characters 0:12:19.800 --> 0:12:23.080 in this film they talk rather directly and frankly about 0:12:23.960 --> 0:12:28.600 America's repeated mistakes in war, and uh, you know, there's 0:12:28.600 --> 0:12:32.360 certainly a cynical view taken of the pageantry and the 0:12:32.559 --> 0:12:38.120 dishonesty that kind of keeps the military this shining thing 0:12:38.240 --> 0:12:41.480 beyond reproach. And I feel like those elements of the 0:12:41.480 --> 0:12:46.199 movie are very intriguing today and promises the film will 0:12:46.200 --> 0:12:48.520 resonate in some way today. I'm just curious your thoughts 0:12:48.520 --> 0:12:53.680 on how a film like this will resonate in this climate. Well, 0:12:53.720 --> 0:12:57.640 I think the backdrop of the film is that. And 0:12:57.800 --> 0:13:01.040 what these men had in common was that they were 0:13:01.040 --> 0:13:08.640 all in Vietnam together. Mueller, Lawrence Fishburn's character and my 0:13:08.840 --> 0:13:13.360 character Sal were in the Marines and really tight buddies, 0:13:13.760 --> 0:13:18.839 excuse me. And Doc was a Navy medic who was 0:13:18.880 --> 0:13:23.560 assigned to this Marine Corps battalion, and um, we kind 0:13:23.600 --> 0:13:26.520 of took advantage of him as the story and got 0:13:26.520 --> 0:13:29.160 ahold of his medical case and in there we found 0:13:29.160 --> 0:13:32.720 all kinds of goodies and you start to realize, well, 0:13:33.320 --> 0:13:36.160 they did this to self medicate, to be able to 0:13:37.120 --> 0:13:40.880 put a lot of the troubles that they were facing, 0:13:41.000 --> 0:13:49.240 the the ther responsibility of excuse me, of of their 0:13:49.280 --> 0:13:55.800 commanding officers. Um, there's there's a disenchantment that is naturally 0:13:56.800 --> 0:14:04.160 present with many military personnel. And yet I just finished 0:14:04.440 --> 0:14:07.960 a USO tour where I was on army basis and 0:14:08.000 --> 0:14:12.680 air Force bases in Germany and Great Britain, and I 0:14:12.720 --> 0:14:17.040 gotta tell you, I was really impressed with these men 0:14:17.080 --> 0:14:21.880 and women in the military. Um, the bright and personal 0:14:22.360 --> 0:14:30.080 and personable and respectful, and I came away thinking better 0:14:30.240 --> 0:14:33.840 of them and not to be so derisive of the 0:14:33.960 --> 0:14:37.720 younger generation. And you know there's been a lot said 0:14:37.760 --> 0:14:40.520 about that younger generation. You know, they just show up 0:14:40.560 --> 0:14:43.840 and they want a trophy, that kind of thing, and no, 0:14:44.840 --> 0:14:47.520 the good ones will rise to the top, just like 0:14:47.560 --> 0:14:52.240 any other generation. And UM, I gave me a lot 0:14:52.280 --> 0:14:56.880 of faith it. You know, your your role in the 0:14:56.920 --> 0:15:01.640 military when you sign up is to follow orders, and 0:15:01.760 --> 0:15:05.160 you can't not do that. There has to be control 0:15:05.240 --> 0:15:08.840 and order, and you just hope that the people at 0:15:08.880 --> 0:15:12.040 the top, the people who are making the decisions, UM 0:15:12.160 --> 0:15:16.440 that may put you in harm's way, are doing so thoughtfully, 0:15:16.480 --> 0:15:23.800 respectfully and and sometimes painfully. Making those decisions and if 0:15:23.880 --> 0:15:27.800 there's a lot of trust to that. Uh. And also 0:15:27.840 --> 0:15:30.120 I just I revisited an interview you and I did 0:15:30.120 --> 0:15:34.320 a couple of years ago around Trumbo when, uh, you know, 0:15:34.360 --> 0:15:39.320 Trump had just recently at that point announced his intention 0:15:39.360 --> 0:15:41.600 to run and everything, so it was all very different 0:15:41.680 --> 0:15:45.080 climate at the time. But your quote to me was 0:15:45.160 --> 0:15:48.120 that he was a quote wake up call for America. 0:15:48.920 --> 0:15:52.760 I just wonder, this sounds like such a cheesy question, 0:15:52.800 --> 0:15:58.400 but are we still asleep? Um? You know, in my 0:15:58.840 --> 0:16:03.880 in my estimation, yes, I think I think there has 0:16:03.920 --> 0:16:08.880 to be um less of a focus on the individual 0:16:08.920 --> 0:16:10.960 and more of a focus on what is best for 0:16:12.000 --> 0:16:17.320 our country and and by extension of that by the world. 0:16:17.320 --> 0:16:24.480 We're so interconnected financially globally, the climate change. I just 0:16:24.480 --> 0:16:33.280 can't believe people are denying this reality. Um. But um. 0:16:33.640 --> 0:16:35.800 The other thing that I learned when I was doing 0:16:36.240 --> 0:16:41.360 All the Way and playing Lyndon Johnson was that during 0:16:41.520 --> 0:16:46.400 his time there was a lot more civility in politics. 0:16:47.400 --> 0:16:52.600 That it was very common actually for men and women 0:16:53.200 --> 0:16:57.160 in Congress on the opposite side of their ideological fence 0:16:57.440 --> 0:17:00.720 to be able to share drinks together and and meals 0:17:00.760 --> 0:17:04.359 and meet their families and have picnics and all these 0:17:04.400 --> 0:17:10.280 things was a group effort, Republicans and Democrats alike. And 0:17:10.480 --> 0:17:15.679 by doing so, by breaking bread with the opposing team, 0:17:15.880 --> 0:17:20.800 let's say, um, when it comes time to work out 0:17:20.840 --> 0:17:26.000 a deal, you are less likely to throw that person 0:17:26.119 --> 0:17:29.320 under the bus because you know, Yeah, I like him. 0:17:29.520 --> 0:17:32.600 I I don't think he's out to destroy the country. 0:17:32.680 --> 0:17:37.280 I don't think he's a an insane person. Uh. He 0:17:37.440 --> 0:17:40.040 and I just have a different approach of how we 0:17:40.280 --> 0:17:46.600 see the the avenue to to improve the country. Okay, 0:17:46.920 --> 0:17:48.600 So if he's a good guy and I believe that 0:17:48.640 --> 0:17:50.760 he loves the country, and I believe he believes that 0:17:50.840 --> 0:17:53.680 I love the country, well, then let's sit down and 0:17:53.800 --> 0:17:57.280 figure this out without the name calling, without the vitriol, 0:17:57.960 --> 0:18:03.680 without the aggression that we find now it is so 0:18:03.760 --> 0:18:08.760 bad now, and the the stakes are high, but it 0:18:08.880 --> 0:18:13.479 is so the climate is so bad that Chris, if 0:18:13.520 --> 0:18:17.360 you and I were in opposite parties and you had 0:18:17.359 --> 0:18:21.840 a fantastic idea that would really help the country, I 0:18:21.880 --> 0:18:26.600 can't support it. I it's I I can't cross it 0:18:26.640 --> 0:18:30.000 doesn't Yeah, and that has to change. That really has 0:18:30.040 --> 0:18:34.200 to change. It's not about individuals winning it's about what's 0:18:34.240 --> 0:18:36.960 best for the country. And if we can get back 0:18:37.000 --> 0:18:41.520 to that and infuse it with with more civility, I 0:18:41.560 --> 0:18:45.280 think will be better off. Well put Well, I want 0:18:45.280 --> 0:18:47.960 to squeeze some other things in here. Squeeze. Let's squeeze. 0:18:48.359 --> 0:18:50.040 We have a couple other movies here in this year. 0:18:50.080 --> 0:18:53.560 You're in this remake of the in Touchables called The 0:18:53.640 --> 0:18:59.040 Upside with Kevin Hart that played the Toronto Film Festival. Kevin, 0:18:59.520 --> 0:19:02.240 if they can bottle that guy's energy, I would buy 0:19:02.240 --> 0:19:05.360 it in a store everybody. In fact, he's thinking of 0:19:05.400 --> 0:19:09.520 how to bottle his energy right now. He is entrepreneurial 0:19:09.640 --> 0:19:16.080 by nature. He is a clean liver, he's a hard worker. Um. 0:19:16.200 --> 0:19:20.560 He is really really good in this movie The Upside. 0:19:21.040 --> 0:19:23.560 And I knew he would. I didn't know before I 0:19:23.600 --> 0:19:27.320 met him. I'll be honest, because of you know, the 0:19:27.440 --> 0:19:30.960 stand up was funny, but it was kind of open 0:19:31.080 --> 0:19:35.720 and brash, and here it is and this story he 0:19:35.800 --> 0:19:41.240 needs to really drop down and expand his foundation and 0:19:41.240 --> 0:19:46.840 and really be real and honest and not performing. And 0:19:47.080 --> 0:19:50.359 we met a few years ago and I said, you know, 0:19:50.480 --> 0:19:52.840 this is not a comedy and he goes, no, I know, 0:19:53.760 --> 0:19:58.280 And I realized within probably five to ten minutes, he 0:19:58.480 --> 0:20:03.400 was not only in control, but he knew what to do, 0:20:04.040 --> 0:20:07.040 why he was wanting to do it, and he knew 0:20:07.040 --> 0:20:09.720 how to do it. And I just got a sense 0:20:09.920 --> 0:20:14.199 of absolute confidence from him that he was going to 0:20:14.280 --> 0:20:18.399 do a really good job. And it's true in many 0:20:18.440 --> 0:20:25.800 cases that comedians can make really good dramatic actors. The 0:20:25.920 --> 0:20:30.160 opposite is not necessarily the truth. Dramatic actors cannot just 0:20:30.760 --> 0:20:34.920 roll in and do comedy. So he has that going 0:20:35.000 --> 0:20:38.480 for him, so that his natural ability to be affable 0:20:38.560 --> 0:20:42.760 and friendly and fun comes out. And there's a lot 0:20:42.800 --> 0:20:47.239 of laughs in the upside, But what really makes it 0:20:47.280 --> 0:20:51.960 work is when he feels the weight of the character 0:20:52.400 --> 0:20:56.520 and the responsibility and the trouble that his character is in, 0:20:57.240 --> 0:21:00.720 and how does he navigate his way out of it. 0:21:01.800 --> 0:21:05.520 The upside is really it's kind of I call it. 0:21:05.520 --> 0:21:08.760 It's it's a it's a love story between two straight men. 0:21:10.040 --> 0:21:13.880 Neither one thinks that they have a future, and it's 0:21:13.920 --> 0:21:19.119 the other person that has the key to unlock that thinking, 0:21:20.000 --> 0:21:25.080 and it's that friendship that enables both of them to feel, ah, 0:21:25.240 --> 0:21:28.240 this is now, I can go on and live my life. 0:21:28.760 --> 0:21:32.400 And it and make it something, make it important. Yeah, 0:21:32.920 --> 0:21:36.040 you're also in The Disaster Artists. You play a it's 0:21:36.040 --> 0:21:39.119 a little cameo version of yourself. And you've worked with 0:21:39.200 --> 0:21:41.080 James Franco a few times now. How does he strike 0:21:41.080 --> 0:21:44.440 you as a director. Well, he's good. I like him 0:21:44.440 --> 0:21:47.679 as a director because you know, there's a sense, like 0:21:48.680 --> 0:21:53.000 Richard link Ladder, Um, he wants to cast it well 0:21:53.080 --> 0:21:58.200 and make sure that his actors understand the role. Make 0:21:58.240 --> 0:22:02.320 sure you're you know, the the avenue that I want 0:22:02.440 --> 0:22:05.400 this character to go down. And as long as you're 0:22:05.440 --> 0:22:09.520 both understanding that, then he lets you alone. He'll he'll 0:22:09.560 --> 0:22:12.720 trust that you get there. Um. So I worked in 0:22:12.720 --> 0:22:17.240 The Disaster Artist, which I haven't seen yet, which is yeah, 0:22:17.280 --> 0:22:18.879 I have not seen it yet. I've been out of 0:22:18.920 --> 0:22:22.000 town for every screening. Um did you see The Room? 0:22:22.440 --> 0:22:26.880 I saw The Room, which is phenomenal. It is just 0:22:27.119 --> 0:22:30.440 a wonderful movie in all for all the wrong reasons. 0:22:30.800 --> 0:22:34.359 Um uh yeah, and this is this is you know, 0:22:34.400 --> 0:22:38.680 a story about the making of the Room, and um 0:22:38.720 --> 0:22:40.680 it was. It was a tremendous amount of fun. And 0:22:40.720 --> 0:22:44.240 of course we we acted together. Uh in the movie 0:22:44.280 --> 0:22:47.560 Why Him that came out last Last Christmas, which is 0:22:47.760 --> 0:22:52.080 a blast to make and uh, I love dogs. I 0:22:52.119 --> 0:22:54.879 wanted to just briefly mention working with Wes Anderson on 0:22:54.960 --> 0:22:58.320 that you've frequently throughout your career you've done voice work. 0:22:59.640 --> 0:23:02.360 How does that work strike you? I guess is it? 0:23:02.359 --> 0:23:03.840 It seems like the kind of thing you could kind 0:23:03.880 --> 0:23:08.479 of shift down and kind of you think, you know, 0:23:08.560 --> 0:23:10.399 you'd think be exactly, But that's why I wanted do 0:23:10.480 --> 0:23:13.400 you speak to it? Yeah, you know, an actor has 0:23:13.440 --> 0:23:17.000 to go through so many hoops. We're grateful to be 0:23:17.119 --> 0:23:20.760 where we are, but when you're working on camera, you 0:23:21.440 --> 0:23:25.240 have to physically go to out of the country. You 0:23:25.320 --> 0:23:28.639 have to where do wardrobe calls and makeup calls and 0:23:28.720 --> 0:23:31.679 hair call, and you're up early and you're there all 0:23:31.760 --> 0:23:36.240 day and and so there's a lot of logistics to it, 0:23:36.680 --> 0:23:40.320 and that can be trying because hours are long in 0:23:40.520 --> 0:23:43.679 many cases. Um and then you have an offer to 0:23:43.760 --> 0:23:47.320 do a film where it's just your voice and it 0:23:47.359 --> 0:23:51.399 will take about, oh about a collective twenty hours in 0:23:52.000 --> 0:23:54.400 the booth. You're close to home, you don't you can 0:23:54.680 --> 0:23:56.639 roll out of bed, you don't have the shower, you 0:23:56.680 --> 0:23:59.880 don't have to shave. You could be in your pajamas 0:24:00.400 --> 0:24:03.080 and you're there in front of the microphone. So the 0:24:03.240 --> 0:24:07.120 idea of it is very enticing to many actors, male 0:24:07.200 --> 0:24:10.960 and female. The issue is is that when you get 0:24:11.000 --> 0:24:15.960 in front of the microphone, you realize, you know what 0:24:16.119 --> 0:24:18.800 this this is a performance, This is not any different 0:24:18.840 --> 0:24:22.200 from any other performance. And then you start asking and 0:24:22.280 --> 0:24:26.840 reviewing the script and with the director and and talking 0:24:26.840 --> 0:24:29.919 about the character and where does the character. So I 0:24:30.080 --> 0:24:33.800 find it very challenging to be able to convey a 0:24:33.920 --> 0:24:40.359 fully realized character using only your voice. Um. And so 0:24:40.800 --> 0:24:45.040 you'll find most actors if you see videotape of actors 0:24:45.080 --> 0:24:48.480 doing voice work for a movie, you'll see them acting 0:24:48.480 --> 0:24:53.120 it out and really being present. And that's to make 0:24:53.200 --> 0:24:58.520 themselves feel good that they're contributing and and delivering a 0:24:59.720 --> 0:25:03.560 full performance. Yeah, regarding the pajamas thing, I bet the 0:25:03.600 --> 0:25:06.280 sound guys would kind of prefer you show up in pajamas. 0:25:06.800 --> 0:25:10.119 I heard the story from my sound editing instructor in 0:25:10.160 --> 0:25:12.679 the film school about Rutger Hauer showing up to a 0:25:12.680 --> 0:25:21.720 looping session all leather, every little crackle. Can you take 0:25:21.720 --> 0:25:26.159 off your jacket? He's like, no, okay, it's funny. I 0:25:26.200 --> 0:25:29.240 have to talk about Breaking Bad, because I'm sure you're 0:25:29.240 --> 0:25:32.000 asked about it constantly. But it's my favorite show still 0:25:32.000 --> 0:25:35.000 in recent memory. I just it had me hooked. I 0:25:35.040 --> 0:25:37.200 was desperate for the next week's episode. Do you miss 0:25:37.280 --> 0:25:39.960 the energy of that show? Being on that show? Working 0:25:40.000 --> 0:25:46.160 on that show? I miss the brilliant writing. I miss 0:25:46.600 --> 0:25:49.960 the camaraderie and love of the family that you make 0:25:50.760 --> 0:25:54.520 um for six years, six months out of the year. 0:25:54.640 --> 0:25:58.879 For six years, we're with this group of people, cast 0:25:58.960 --> 0:26:03.240 and crew, and you go through life. You go through 0:26:03.480 --> 0:26:09.320 marriages and divorces, and births and deaths, and high school 0:26:09.359 --> 0:26:12.879 and college graduations. From when they started they were little kids, 0:26:13.280 --> 0:26:16.760 so you go through a lot and and I missed 0:26:16.760 --> 0:26:19.960 the storytelling. But I must be honest that I don't 0:26:20.080 --> 0:26:25.919 really miss playing Walter White in the show. And the 0:26:26.080 --> 0:26:30.600 reason is the brilliance of Vince Gilligan and his writing 0:26:30.600 --> 0:26:36.320 staff wrote such a complete and satisfying beginning, middle, and 0:26:36.560 --> 0:26:41.120 end to the story that the only way I can 0:26:41.119 --> 0:26:44.280 equate it is that if you had a beautiful meal 0:26:45.240 --> 0:26:48.280 appetizer and a drink and a salad and a main 0:26:48.359 --> 0:26:52.080 course and a dessert and a little espresso after after dinner, 0:26:52.119 --> 0:26:56.080 durnk Oh. It's just fantastic and you're done, and then 0:26:56.119 --> 0:26:58.680 someone brings you more food. It's like, oh, no, I 0:26:58.960 --> 0:27:02.360 I I really I'm good. I can't possibly, I'm kind 0:27:02.400 --> 0:27:07.000 of I'm I'm feeling really good. If I ate anymore, 0:27:07.080 --> 0:27:10.080