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Steve Buscemi | Full Episode | Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade

March 27, 2024 / 51:00

This episode features actor and director Steve Buscemi discussing his career, including his work in films like Fargo and Reservoir Dogs, and his new movie The Listener.

Buscemi shares stories from his time on set with Adam Sandler, including a memorable moment during the filming of Grown Ups where he had to match his drunken performance. He reflects on the challenges of acting and directing, particularly in low-budget films.

The conversation touches on Buscemi's experiences as a firefighter, his return to the role after 9/11, and the emotional weight of his new film, which focuses on a helpline worker navigating personal struggles while helping others.

Throughout the episode, Buscemi's humor and humility shine through as he discusses the intricacies of filmmaking, the importance of voice in storytelling, and the collaborative nature of acting.

Listeners can expect a mix of laughter and poignant moments as Buscemi shares insights from his extensive career in Hollywood.

TLDR

Steve Buscemi talks about his career, directing <i>The Listener</i>, and memorable moments with Adam Sandler.

Episode

51:00
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[Music] boo buemi Steve bumi friend of the show a friend of the show what a treat we got to know him we meaning me and myself and
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I and David got to hang out with him a lot at the uh in Washington DC for the Sandler Mark Twain award and so we sang songs together we hung out uh couldn't
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be a nicer guy uh one of our great um I don't know he's just been around a long time when Steve bshi is in a movie you're always happy David yeah first of
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all he's very uh interesting dude he's very Earnest he jokes around but he's got a very quiet coolness to him he goes back to from right when he hit the scene
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that he's always had such a attenion scene stealing look and and he and he backed up with great acting he's just he's a great guy to have around he's in a lot of Sandler stuff and I sort of met
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him to the Sandler verse and then uh I just see him at different events that old Happy Madison party and so we've
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gotten to where we can shoot the [ __ ] and uh it was a great time with him glad he did it yeah the um he's done movies
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with the con Brothers um kind of Fargo was the one that I think got him incredibly noticed
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we talk about that movie yeah and then he's directing a new movie it's his second directing effort in 10 years and
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uh he he goes into that very interesting uh he'll tell you all about that which is fun and he's just a nice humble guy
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he just has um and a great sense of humor yeah we try to get him out of the shell and crack up and uh we all we
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always have fun guys like that who are just innately uh cool dudes and he's got a very good Funny Bone so he liked it we cracked up I cracked up yeah without
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further Ado click play and then here a [Music] commercial when I did grown-ups uh oh my God a few people remember I heard some Applause um well you were in grownups
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but the one I was in that I don't know if you this was the one you were in the cast which one is that is that both of
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them or is that I was in both of them yeah okay yeah so so the one where but Dana this is
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boring as [ __ ] [ __ ] but and Steve will crack up you're already mesmerized that's good okay so we're doing a drunk
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a scene where we're all around and it's night time and and uh we're all drinking
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and the couples start to pair off in slow dance and this Joe Walsh song comes on or something and I uh or not Jo but
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Sentimental Lady and I go oh no um oh this is a good song and I and I'm drunk and I get up and I sort of stumble around then I interrupt Adam and Salma and then I wind up falling down drunk
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but it's a seven page scene and we're all in it so it's hard to shoot so we shoot it all night one night and we get
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to my coverage and they go it's getting like we'll pick that up another time and I'm like another time cuz I just had it
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all memorized because I'm doing it all night I'm like I'm kind of glad I'm last because I have a lot of lines so three
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weeks later McCartney is playing in Boston we're pretty close we might be in swamp squat I just do McCartney sounds Yes
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sounds like I thought he was here everyone's looking around when did did he jump on so so I go I Chris Rock is in the movie and I say Chris
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McCartney is in Boston tonight and he goes his ticket lady was my third grade teacher and I said oh my God he goes let's call her right now and he goes we're all dialed in I said we're done
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around 67 we haul ass we found exactly when he goes on and then he goes any he wants to say hi right before we like oh my god wow so about right before the end
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of the day it was maybe Jack or someone came into my trailer and goes we're going to pick yours up tonight I go God
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pick up my what and they go Jack remember that scene you didn't finish I'm like like it's my fault I go
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yeah I didn't finish it right and he goes I think tonight's a good night I go no it's not it's [ __ ] Paul McCartney
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you're just not a worker you know you're not a real worker Paul McCartney waited till midnight to go on he's like are
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they coming God he's 81 and he's up half the night yeah yeah so I go I go waiting
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and then they go I said do not bring that [ __ ] cast in to do all their [ __ ] again I go I'll do it I said I can't do that to them so they gladly all scrammed and then it was Sandler you
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know he's overseeing it and then um I'm doing it to you know a bunch of like tennis balls or whatever the ey lines
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and I do my whole seven pages I'm drunk and so I come to video Village this is sort of the point of the story yeah and uh can't wait and I'm like like Adam like we got it and uh yes I haven't
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taken any classes but yes I'm really good and I sit there and he's just looking at it going
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uh and I go we watch the playback and I'm behind him kind of chuckling like this is working and then he goes were you drunker last time were you was it a
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little it was a little different I don't know if it's matching and I'm like so I go play me back something from the last
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time you know and and so we we're trying to go okay and it was really hard to match the exact tone of the drunkenness sounds crazy but I go I'm gonna go under
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on this one and then I come back and then I go okay I'm GNA go a little bigger and we did it until it made sense
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now when you see the movie you don't even notice but it kind of fits in oh you you notice I noticed when I saw it
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you go he's medium David is a little drunker in this line 30 seconds later slightly less drunk come just play it six and a half Tios and Diet Cokes and
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I'm like o that's a big one okay I can play that and then um so that just shows you first of all Adam's eye is always on the ball yes and and little things like
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that matter and it's you can't tell yourself when you're acting and you need someone else's eyes to go it was good I just don't think it's exactly what we had and
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and so it took a little bit of a collap right there and then that's kind of fun when you finish and you feel like you
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got it right and everyone goes got it and then you all go home and you go got it got it and you just knock it out I have two questions for you did you make
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it to the concert not a [ __ ] chance it was till 2 am we did that all right well I guess my second question is not a question it's it's a comment about Adam
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because I agree with you he's always so involved in like you know all the all the films and I said to him why don't why don't you ever direct yeah I said and he said he didn't
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doesn't want a location scout like that was the extra extra work yeah the reason
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he works morning noon and night anyway I there's block he's reblocking he's doing things that yeah directors all do so
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yeah I think he's listened to so much anyway and it's sort of just uh you know uh given that he's going to have a lot of say but uh I guess you're right it's
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that extra well bit like Saturday Night Live if you write a sketch you're sort of the deao director we had dve Wilson he's setting up shots he's he's got just it's live so it's not you but you're
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still kind of the boss of your sketch you're the producer and the director if you wrote it you're casting it with
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other cast members and Sandler is like that he's like a co- co-director I mean he's sort of everyone knows he's the
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overarching creative Force he's got his eye on every ball so um I think the way it was brilliant you know I don't think anybody else in history has done that many movies where they are in a sense an
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aour right it it is Adam you know and uh he puts his stamp I mean definitely when
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he he the fact that he actually cares and even when we're doing movies where you think this will probably not get good reviews just because they have a sort of bias he still puts everything
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into it and really cares I mean another grownup story is do you have a half hour is um we'll get we'll get to you in a
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minute Steve no Steve The Listener is out March 29th I'm juston real question that's all I wanted everyone just jump off March 29th if you want a great ride in a movie theater a sophisticated adult
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drama beautifully done by Steve Bimi boom your publicist right now is actually having a glass of champagne even if they they're in AA they go Steve you can check out for
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the rest of this and now David's paid so now we're GNA David for to ask Stephen when did he get fitted for the full body cast and what was his reaction to going
00:09:06
wait what do I do here or do you see in the script and go uh oh yeah I I could tell I was yeah in that one even on the day like because I remember and and the
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whole cast was there you know because it's like one of the big scenes and it was start and it started to rain and they got the scene and then everybody just scattered
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I thought these are like I thought we were friends like you're left out there in the nobody's checking on me like
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everybody just like and then uh the ad then I thought I was done and the ad said well H I think they want to get a shot where the dog comes up and sniffs your balls and I
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actually got mad I went are you [ __ ] kidding me are your are your real hands in the real sticking straight up like goalpost
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or do they put fake hands in there so you don't have they put fake hands in thank you God couldn't move thank you
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Jesus I thought it was real until right now I just went wait a second could you hold your hands up all day because also
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the thing about it when you're like that like if I was seen like that I go well obviously they're going to shoot me out
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first and no one even gives a fat [ __ ] they're like nope oh bushu we never picked up we'll get him at the end sit
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there in the rain we'll come to you while you're rotting and getting rusty yeah it is tough movies are so complex and especially grown-ups you got 55 leads oh my God there's so many
00:10:43
people yeah that are on set and I don't know how the producers and the ads do it
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but they somehow manage and just just for the people young people listening that are in the Groundlings or whatever
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and aspiring to have a career in television or movies we understand these are first world problems sure stupid but
00:11:04
but um the thing is you're on a movie said I would say the most tired I I ever been I was because it was one of those 21h hour days and they said okay G's going to go in the diner I'm going to do
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this thing I worked on for weeks this dance and I'm going and I was young and Fit I go I am as tired as I've ever been
00:11:24
in my life I've been up like 40 hours and here's your shot for eternity go for oh at the very end of the night they get you yeah well that's with Steve's film I'm assuming like Woody Allen would do
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like night shoots would end at 8 o' let's you know I think we should get some Chinese you know did you uh were
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you able to have civilized hours in a sense for The Listener March 29th pretty Thon pretty much um but we know we wanted to we we knew we had nighttime
00:11:55
shots so that by the end of the week we were going going to be uh shooting outside so you know we started the beginning of the week normal hours and then each day we would just start a
00:12:06
little bit later by the end of the week it was it was night shoots going splits lingo lingo going to split you know I wasn't going to say splits split this is lingo and I want the people want to hear
00:12:22
it first of all we were watching your uh movie this morning uh This Is The Listener right Dana The Listener is a heavy film uh it's very very interesting
00:12:35
the conceit of it this this volunteer helpline woman I I mean we'll talk to a minute it is your movie that Steve directed it's very it's compelling it and it it just kind of captures The
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Angst post-pandemic angst or just human angst uh and sadness it's it's extremely
00:12:55
well done and well acted uh by Tessa who is the only actor in the film you go ahead Steve well she's the she's the only actor that we see in the film thank you there's an amazing cast of callers
00:13:10
yeah she plays a home helpl line worker she works the night Shi she works from home and um she gets all these calls
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during the night that she navigates and uh and we have a wonderful cast that of the callers but you only hear their
00:13:24
voices but you and you only see Tessa on screen for the duration of the film and
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she's amazing because they are characters also and they uh I was watching with someone and the
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first guy that called in she was more into the guy she was like I like his voice I like his tone I like what he's saying I like this guy and so it's
00:13:50
actually a big challenge to be a voice and to have any sort of resonance or impact and Tessa is obviously great on her end she's got a very calm soothing uh voice
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and she's you know she could get very riled and it seems she's got a very uh you have to to have that sort of job
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that's what her whole job is and uh very interesting I think what she worked with
00:14:15
was you know because we did everything we could to make it cinematic you know if this was pre pandemic and she was at
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a call center where she was you know kind of Tethered to a desk I don't know how I would have made made that f but
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because she is is able to work at home we purposefully found a location that had a
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nice flow to it that she could walk around be in different rooms go outside and uh yeah what's amazing about
00:14:42
Tessa is that yeah her voice was you know she always tried to keep you know like a calm level tone but then but you
00:14:50
could see on her face if she was upset about something that somebody said or worried um yeah she had a lot of these uh micro
00:15:01
Expressions uh that you know sort of gave you an inkling of of what she was going through herself and you know what you really captured which you do a lot when you're young anyway where you'll
00:15:13
like a girl or something and then you'll talk on the phone at night it's very intimate it's C and these two people
00:15:20
Tess's character and the strangers calling in they don't know each other it's very dim it's the middle of the
00:15:26
night and they're having this intimate conversation and the voice actors immediately the first one just sounded
00:15:33
very just extremely real like you're EAS droing you know you captured that so thank you thank you so much I appreciate you guys watching it yeah uh you know the voice is U first of all I kind of
00:15:46
want to ask you one other question but about this but when I was on the phone as a kid or dating or doing anything in
00:15:52
life the voice was kind of a fingerprint so when I think of women I've dated in the past or present voice is one thing I really appreciate in people because they are fingerprints it's so unique and you
00:16:05
I think I was brainwashed growing up like trying to talk to girls on the phone and talking for hours with someone
00:16:10
you liked and you always remember that and sometimes people get older and everything but you know their voice right away right and so when I go into
00:16:17
7-Eleven and if I ask for something they go oh I was waitting to hear you talk that is you so you know it's kind of
00:16:23
interesting so when you have people call in it's very powerful to have the right person
00:16:29
with the right because you have to make them all a little different and true yeah yeah that's a trick and then you have to make for people that don't know
00:16:36
that sort of a Indie uh budget is like if you have one location what you were saying is you have to use some trickery and some movements and some things to keep it alive and you did that and
00:16:48
that's the hard part with one subject and one um location it's it's it's less expensive but it's very it's hard to keep it going so to make a good movie is tough so we also Shot the movie in six
00:17:01
days because Essa was still working on Westworld the HBO show that oh okay and that was her Hiatus she had seven days off and she chose to work with us you
00:17:14
know we were trying to find a window and she's so busy um with other films and other things but she had that one week off so we shot the entire film in that
00:17:25
one week which was doable because it is a conf space and one actor but still it was it
00:17:33
was it was a bit of a challenge and another interesting uh layer frequency I don't know I didn't I went to State School um is this idea when you take on a roll like when you see a teacher
00:17:45
outside of school you go they're just normal what are they doing so in this case her character has her own issues
00:17:52
and yet she's in the helper mode it's like when you have a therapist and you kind of wonder what's going on with them
00:17:58
you so that was a whole another layer to the film that the people don't you know
00:18:04
she's just in the helper mode and then she's in that mode but she had so many other issues herself so yeah I mean I
00:18:11
think most of the people who do that work have been through it themselves and part of the conceit of the film is that Tessa's character she breaks protocol because you're not
00:18:23
really supposed to tell you know your personal story to callers but she does so for this one call where this woman is in crisis and um she reveals you know a
00:18:37
lot about herself in order to uh help or save the person that she's talking with um but I know what you mean about the
00:18:49
you know seeing people out of context like seeing your therapist on the street door I remember when I was a kid I went
00:18:55
to Catholic school and I remember one time during lunch seeing my teacher who was a nun eat a sandwich and I was blown away what you
00:19:07
eat it's true you never see him eat they never eat I saw pastor Jerry I was raised Lutheran uh pastor Jerry at the mall and he's wearing desert boots and I go pastor Jerry wears desert boots
00:19:20
because those were very cool back now days you know I saw a rabbi on a pogo stick and I was like what are you you're never on that um right I know you know
00:19:31
Steve I'm looking at this there's so much Dana about Steve that we love because he's a oh actually one more
00:19:36
question about the movie before I get into your illustrious I I have a question about the movie too okay my
00:19:42
last one is being a welln actor and a name and uh I don't want to Hype you up too bad but you know you direct and your uh well-liked guy out there is it still
00:19:55
hard to get a small movie off the ground yes this is the first film I've directed
00:20:01
in 15 years um and there were others along the way that I tried to do this one was you know hard to get off the ground as well we um but yeah I think
00:20:13
the climate out there is tough for any filmmaker um but you know but uh where there's a will there's a way and we did it you got through it yeah single single location helps with the budget and were
00:20:26
you like I was just as a making your film first film in a long time and now it's it's it's digital digital playback and you're going you got six days and so you're with your DP or your producer
00:20:38
whatever and you're looking at stuff and are you going at some point holy [ __ ] this is awesome or you're being
00:20:43
self-critical or I I just wonder what you want us uh who will enjoy the movie what do what did you want us to feel what were you trying to reach for and do you feel that you got it yeah I just I
00:20:55
wanted to create this really intimate atmosphere here and have Tessa's uh the location be totally her her world where you're getting clues
00:21:07
about her um and and for the the audience to want to lean in and and and be involved and it is exciting that on set um it's also
00:21:23
overwhelming because there's so much uh dialogue in it and uh so I'm constantly thinking you know I try not to think of the editing process
00:21:35
while I'm doing it but yeah I mean that's things that you have to think about uh and is it is there enough
00:21:43
movement is is you know when should it be still when you know when or if the camera should should move when should
00:21:50
Tessa get up and move around and um so we spent a lot of time actually working that stuff out before we before we shot it did you ever once on the set after a
00:22:01
take just go what are you doing like Sandler you sound like [Music] Sandler I want to ask a question because Steve's been famous for a long time so
00:22:19
it's hard you kind of you okay I get to talk to Steve so much fun hanging out with you and at Sandler sing and DC you
00:22:25
know because you're one of the people I'd say Steve bim's here you know I'm doing this thing with Steve bimy and
00:22:31
it's like what you know it's but I just here's something maybe you've never been asked who's more talented Joel or Ethan Cohen you have
00:22:42
three seconds go they're both [Laughter] [Music] hacks who likes feet more whon Tarantino
00:22:55
or anyone else in the is he like feet or is that like a fake thing or is that like a joke I don't know I don't I if he did know he
00:23:07
wouldn't tell you well no he can like feed it's fine I like things yeah I just don't know if that's you know how much
00:23:14
or okay we've got a we've got a what's it called when the witness is being very Troublesome I'm a hostile hostile witness we were trying to Trend Steve
00:23:26
we're we're like no one knows we EX have a sweetheart deal with a feetfinder okay I I'm reading this this is what I read
00:23:32
about St Bushi because there's so much to know about him I know this guy goes frequently plays fast talkers frequently
00:23:41
plays cowardly character funny and often characters mixed up in crime yes all true a little generic but all true they're just Steve's in so many good
00:23:55
movies and he's so someone that everyone thinks is cool which is really what I'm going for
00:24:02
not there yet but I think like Con Air cool [ __ ] movie just a random movie yeah on air fun big movies I miss those kind of you get to work with Nicholas
00:24:13
Cage and his whole Nicholas Cage thing it's great um you remember that movie that had a great cast John malovich oh yeah yeah yeah Danny
00:24:27
tro shot tell that he's lying I'm I'm working on a malovich uh Nicholas Cage why God why
00:24:37
um oh you know Dana to bore the [ __ ] out of Steve again not to bring it back to me and it's not about me I do not care
00:24:43
I'm timing you this time I read three times for his part in Conair for whose part yours and you probably was an offer I'm sure you got
00:24:54
offered it while you were Milling it out and swishing it around they dragging me to the valley back and forth going do it
00:25:00
like this you monkey and then uh they go no we got our guy thanks bye I never knew that wow you would have been great I have a St when's the last
00:25:12
time you auditioned for a movie yeah good one oh wow it's been a while I I yeah I
00:25:20
remember auditioning for a movie and then reading you know reading one of the parts and then asking the casting director can I read for the lead I was
00:25:31
like well you know and and she looked at me and she said oh no we're gonna get a name for that and
00:25:39
that's the first time I ever heard that expression we're gonna get a name for that like well I have a name and then I
00:25:45
thought oh I see I have to get my name known I didn't know it worked that way I just thought if you were oh so many things I auditioned for were offers out to people and I was jumping around to
00:25:57
kill time to scare them like we're having auditions right now I mean no one no one's good yet don't worry no one's
00:26:03
good yet I hated when you walked into an audition room and I saw all these this is in the 80s babyfaced men with no
00:26:10
chins like I go okay I get it oh I I I get them that's your look yeah they're all look alikes of Me no Chin baby face okay cherubic I get it but they I I was
00:26:24
over for 150 at one point 150 auditions and I've one time the agent called me you
00:26:31
didn't get it and you frightened them remember auditioning for Barry levenson once and reading you know reading this part and he liked it he
00:26:45
went that was good it was good now can you do it and he gave me a very specific direction did it again exactly the same and we both looked at each
00:26:59
other I was mortified he was embarrassed and I and I said that wasn't that different was it she went no no okay okay can't take Direction my
00:27:13
[ __ ] acting coach shocked yes I had one they said they might give you Direction just to see if you can take
00:27:20
Direction a lot of people can't I'm like why not they're like it's shocking they can't they go Ste Bui they just fedal
00:27:26
listing people but honestly it's like you just say that and you go oh I would just change it and some people are
00:27:34
coached so hard or they're with their teacher or whatever and they go this is the right way to do it even to the
00:27:40
director they're like I've got the right way you don't right and they're just testing you but I've done that I bomb
00:27:47
every every commercial audition even more embarrassing um do do the Cohen Brothers give you a line by line
00:27:56
reading like the line like how are they you know their writing is so specific you know that they really want you to you know say what's written and so there's very little I think I improvised
00:28:11
something once on Fargo and I was nervous about it but they liked it but I remember in the beginning when I first
00:28:16
started working with them they uh I think in Miller's Crossing the uh they just wanted my character to be even you know he was a fast that he was the fastest talker that I think
00:28:29
it's hard with lines to do F yeah and they just wanted it even more like they just wanted it more intense or more shrill and um I remember doing the
00:28:41
scene where I you know all I do is talk talk talk talk Gabriel burn had like two
00:28:47
words then I talk talk talk talk talk he would just wait till I stop talking then he would say two two words and there was
00:28:54
a whole Casino of people behind me uh on my Co coverage and I remember on one of the
00:29:01
takes my late wife Joe she came to visit me on set but I didn't know she was there yet and as I'm doing the dialogue
00:29:09
with the whole Casino you know extras behind me I see her head poke out you know behind somebody to watch and I just stopped talking oh it threw you yeah and all
00:29:22
right back to one you know and it was a lot of grumbling and she felt horrible I could see the look on her face she knew
00:29:29
what happened and she just ducked back out um yeah as your brain just switches you go just I was like oh Joe yeah turns you off you know uh Dana I don't know if you
00:29:41
remember this one of course you do I don't know who you played in this maybe Travolta one of my favorite sketches was
00:29:47
Welcome Back Cotter qu Tarantino's Welcome Back Cotter when uh John hosted when John oh was John was playing John okay hosted and it was Welcome Back Cotter directed by Quenton Tarantino and
00:30:03
um at the end of it yeah because Michael mck was on the show and they had Lenny and Squiggy pop out remember and then I came out at the very end as Mr Pink and
00:30:17
said something like up your hole with a jelly roll something like that I remember in the rehearsal uh where the dress the dress rehearsal
00:30:28
show uh I was late getting out there and I didn't think it was my fault I thought I was queued late but you probably don't
00:30:36
remember this David but afterwards you did give me a little [ __ ] about that shut the [ __ ] up did I you gave me a
00:30:43
little bit a little bit you did you did you were like hey you know Johnny on the spot there what happened something like
00:30:49
that and I want they didn't kill me you know how dare I I was try I was nervous nervous I was horse Shack and I was in character Miss C
00:31:01
out I got to play hor sh was the I loved it I thought that was such a funny idea funny sketch it was great yeah one of my
00:31:08
all-time memorable ones that's fun you got to be in that and um I just watched your monologue of character actors that
00:31:16
was a good idea you were people in the audience cast members were character actors yeah asking you how to be a lead wait monologue yeah they said like
00:31:29
hey you're a lead but you play a lot of character actors but now you're a leading man I play the girl with all the
00:31:36
bags at a store that's the best friend and then she Prat falls out of frame and then Kristen wig is like I'm the girl
00:31:44
running from the killer with a knife but I don't know where anyone is Steve are you here so everyone was playing a
00:31:49
character and they were asking for your advice to get past being a character actor I thought it was pretty clever I
00:31:55
thought that was good that was good I should watch that again because I totally blanked that out
00:32:02
I'll send you a link thanks all right let me ask you a question but now that you say it now
00:32:08
that you describe it I do I do remember it yeah I mean it is a blur because you've got 13 sketches you've hosted I
00:32:14
think twice twice yeah yeah so it's hard to remember every nook and cranny but it
00:32:20
was a good job I thought that was interesting I like what I remembered about the first time
00:32:26
hosting during the drad rehearsal I came out to do the monologue and I spotted a
00:32:31
friend of mine from high school sitting in the front and again it was just like seeing seeing my wife on SE I looked at
00:32:39
him and I was like hey it's Eddie and I was like ah [ __ ] what's my like I don't know what to do
00:32:45
now on top of your nerves you see that throws you so scary one take that's the hard part I know you're like let me start over nope but thank God it was a dress rehearsal and then at the for the
00:32:57
show show I just went just tell myself just don't look at anybody just avoid eye eye contact yeah so what a run you had in the 90s I mean come and then the
00:33:08
SNL calls you'd been in at least five giant movies Reservoir Dogs Pulp Fiction um when did Fargo come out yeah that came out like in 96 I was surprised that I got the call
00:33:22
for it because I didn't think I had really done enough to like warrant me being like that people would even know me uh but John tatur was also on that year and I thought oh is this the year
00:33:36
that they're like going after uh independent film actors or something and I I was like I'm so thrilled to like get it but I was nervous that uh I think I
00:33:49
suggested because in the opening monologue it was some monologue about my name Steve and something you know it was
00:33:56
and it just wasn't me and I was nervous about that so I sort of addressed that and then I suggested something I can't remember who came up with the idea that we were gonna like I was going to take
00:34:09
suggestions from the audience and do like an improv with the rest of the cast and then I would just insert scenes from movies that I was in but part of but the
00:34:20
ulterior motive was to like to remind people I was in Fargo or Reservoir Dogs nervous if people wouldn't know like who was this guy um but I was glad that they
00:34:32
changed it I was very sort of shy to say can we do I have to do this opening monologue could can can we change it and uh and Lauren was really open to it and
00:34:44
and receptive and but that first time you host it's just it's just so uh mindboggling I was so anxious and
00:34:53
I didn't know if I was allowed to say anything or contribute and they were asking me like is there anything that
00:34:59
you like to do or you have any special talents can you sing yeah whatever you want you right do you feel like you're being a problem if you say too much on a set yeah yeah and then also like what do
00:35:13
I know like aren't like you're the experts yeah you put yourself in their hands I think they just test you to say
00:35:19
we have a sketch we've been sitting on but we need someone that can speak Russian or we need someone that can you know sing and they and yeah and you need
00:35:27
just dialects and weird [ __ ] and you go I can juggle they go okay we can put that in something and then right that
00:35:33
helps did did Lauren call me down or is he sort of imposing in his own way but normally he would really take a host you go to dinner with him you'll be nervous on the dress rehearsal and then on air
00:35:46
it'll all just come together that's yeah he's kind of both he's very intimidating
00:35:52
and comforting at the same you know kind of at the same time cuz he's so calm you know that like and it's no this is what we do and you'll be fine and it's
00:36:03
like okay I'll believe you do you you know we had a an old movie you did was called AirHeads I saw it again on the flight because we had lovely BR Fran who is a super
00:36:16
sweetheart uh he's great and then uh course Sandler for seeing AirHeads again because I went and saw it on a Broadway in like 69th wherever there's that
00:36:27
little theater in New York during I think it was at SNL and it I saw the whole thing again pretty fun to see the
00:36:34
whole thing again um and Billy Madison of course is such a big one that people remember you from you know such one day on that movie on and everyone remembers
00:36:46
it is that you when you cross the list of kill who to kill that thing the yeah yeah the so memorable he he calls me up
00:36:54
and he apologizes for his bullying behavior in high school and then I cross his name
00:36:59
off people to kill kill and then I for no reason at all I just put on lipstick which that was my favorite part you know we went you think I mean
00:37:12
being the character actor is great we saw Sandler tape his thing I thought I might see that he's doing his u stand
00:37:19
special I know and uh Bridget was there yeah Veronica vanan the teacher in Billy Madison and uh oh and I said you get to be for
00:37:33
history in one of Farley's funniest things saying that Veronica W is one fine piece of Ace and bil goes you went with her and he goes I had a couple fun
00:37:46
nights with her and he go no you didn't he goes ah no I didn't or whatever he says it's so funny very very very Chris
00:37:55
yeah like yeah the bus driver in Billy mad so funny yeah that's fun it's fun to be a part of even like that one scene you did just everyone remembers it I loved and you know yeah and Chris was in
00:38:08
Airheads and I remember when we did the read through and afterwards Chris said to me
00:38:18
there's a part in Airheads where you know like my character gets angry and I'm like yelling at Adam and and uh
00:38:24
Chris says to me wow Stephen when you were yelling that one time you sounded just like you did in Reservoir Dogs and
00:38:32
I kind of looked at him like what are you saying and I realized Chris really was that way like when he had that
00:38:37
sketch on SNL oh God what you know remember when you were in The Beatles yeah yeah yeah
00:38:44
he really was that way kind of but he was excited I'm sure to see you I know know it's fun and I just you know and and I kind of looked at him and he looked at me and and then we like just
00:38:55
laughed but uh it was was a really funny thing from the St yeah he's he has a sweetheart was
00:39:02
Fargo the one you get asked about the most only because it won best pitcher right it was no it's uh the big
00:39:10
Labowski okay that was another and it took a few years for that to happen um because that was the one that followed Fargo and I think critics and like
00:39:22
didn't know what to make of it at at the time and it kind of fell through the cracks but then like five years later I
00:39:27
would start to get these like college kids come up to me and mention it because they watched it on VHS like over
00:39:35
and over and then in 10 years time it then it was yeah and then it got to be where I knew the Labowski fans like somebody would come up to me on the
00:39:45
street and they'd be about to say something and I'd say shut the [ __ ] up Donnie and they'd like look at me like
00:39:51
yeah wow is yeah yeah yeah God I I'm telling you I hear about that like people I'm not in it but go God have you
00:39:58
seen the big laow like one of my when they listing movies they like and comedies and it just really did resonate
00:40:05
yeah hey I'm the dude man Jeff Bridges is such a stud such a stud Jeff Bridges I always say that when he became a cowboy actor he always sounded like he just had a hogy I'm
00:40:19
going to do a take here in a minute but I just had a big deep fride sandwich he you know he a his Jeff now if he listens to our podcast he just once he did True
00:40:32
True Grit and then he just stayed his voice got graer well he's just sort of he went post acting I think some people if you see heler high water he's being so playful in that it's almost like
00:40:44
Anthony Hopkins and the one he got the Oscar for a couple years ago so kind of like Beyond acting they're just playing
00:40:51
I I don't know what to describe he's like let's get a g up on this car you I don't know in the hell high water I went
00:40:57
oh he jumped the shark he's not acting anymore do you know what I mean way yes he's just become whatever you know he
00:41:05
just yes yeah rules are out the most in the pocket you feel you've ever been like in a role like okay this is the most I'm not thinking that I'm acting in
00:41:16
a way or I'm just feeling so so great in each take if it ever happened well no um I mean the first feature I directed trees Lounge was a character that I
00:41:30
wrote for myself that kind of was like an exaggerated version of me but it was me and and um so but it was weird because I was also directing it
00:41:45
and I always get very anxious when I direct so it was hard to really enjoy it you know fully in the moment if somebody else was directing I think I maybe I would have felt like oh yeah I'm nailing
00:41:58
this other otherwise I'm just like I'm just thinking about the rest of the day and just wanting to get through a scene
00:42:05
make sure I got it right but yeah but my anxiety I think just gets in the way wait a minute an actor with anxiety I mean and and self and self you're telling a brilliant actor has self-doubt
00:42:17
and anxiety except for Brando maybe I don't know but everybody else was a little shaky I don't know hard to hard
00:42:24
to place Brando I'll bet he was insecure Brando no well he got the earpiece at some point so I think he was like a memorizing lines it's too stressful not
00:42:37
giving a [ __ ] is is another way to do this you know no I'm saying the word anxiety I didn't know growing up or I would have said it every day but I think now that you give people this word like
00:42:49
kids they're like I'm anxious at school I'm like well no [ __ ] I've been anxious since the day I was born till right now
00:42:55
like it's a very rough life out there and they're like I don't want to do my homework it gives me anxiety no [ __ ]
00:43:01
like everything does oh I had panic attacks before I do stand up but I didn't know I was having a p yeah you don't know what it's called you're just like I was I'd give it a name and then I'd have to go talk to a therapist for
00:43:12
225 an hour maybe a talk her down to 200 well that's enough personal information
00:43:17
four tip but uh yeah everybody is anxious now and depressed Steve true we can now we know what we
00:43:28
are we know we're screwed up we have vocabulary Before I Let You Go Steve because you're a wonderful guy I and
00:43:36
you're doing 12 other podcasts after this for the listener you know the good thing about Steve is he's not totally
00:43:41
out there on everything like that's the interesting mystery of Bushi he's just kind of cool lays back a little bit
00:43:48
doesn't smother us he I don't it's I think it's unintentional but yeah he's effortlessly cool and the fact that you
00:43:56
I mean I'll just throw this CU I don't it's not common knowledge to everybody that you were a firefighter who dreamed
00:44:01
of becoming an actor yeah who became an actor 911 happens and then you apparently volunteer and you're going into the rubble with the firefighters not to bring up such a dark subject but
00:44:14
that's an extraordinary uh thing for a human being to have done you know well thank you no
00:44:23
yeah because I I was a firefighter for a few years in the early 80s and then you
00:44:28
know as the years went by I got further and further away from it and lost touch but then 911 yeah it just put me back in
00:44:36
touch and I felt really honored that they would even let me come back and work with them with my uh my company engine 55 and I I had access but I know
00:44:50
so many people who would have done the same thing that wanted to be there but just was couldn't get in there and and I
00:44:58
had I had the opportunity and the access because I used to be on the job and I felt very HED to you know that that I was that I was able to do that it's hard
00:45:10
for any of us to imagine that scene and what what you went through and you were invisible in a sense with the gear and
00:45:15
everything no one knew hey that's the Fargo guy you know what's weird is that you know I still had my uh my turnout coat and my helmet and Boots so I went
00:45:27
there thinking that I would that I could blend in but I had been off the job like since the mid 80s and all the and all
00:45:36
the equipment changed and the bunker here you look like Curious George or something so I kind of stood out anyway
00:45:43
and then people were like kind of looking at me like who why who is this guy why doesn't he have like why is he
00:45:50
time machine A Relic from the past oh wait a minute it's that guy it's that actor yeah you know Dana that's fun did
00:45:57
that anonymously and he he helped for uh weeks in a related story I brought cookies down and and had tipped off TMZ to follow me and then later and I was in
00:46:08
full makeup and then hey man you both you both are heroes and I sent you're different kinds of Heroes I want to ask
00:46:16
Steve a qu because I don't know if this is true either because I was a pip David and I are pipsqueaks in high school like
00:46:21
I I graduated I was probably 125 me too but I I heard you wrestled at 105 on the varsity oh really but you got bigger than that right were you that a
00:46:35
freshman 105 or I know I did that up until my senior year maybe I went up another I don't think so 105 yeah that's crazy I know were you your Heights uh I
00:46:48
but the because I I was pretty wiry and I was pretty uh strong for my weight I did pretty good during year uh you know like in the in the team matches but then in the tournaments I
00:47:02
always I always choked when you started wrestling guys was it harder he says the girls a little easier and then they started putting me up against guys got to
00:47:15
110 then it was two girls versus Steve and he he'd take them down three girls and it was getting hard and then they had a 87b uh guy F no but you were good I mean
00:47:27
you were actually you would seem like the kind of guy who would be good at wrestling I don't know why I think that
00:47:32
but yeah your intellect and kind of I think wiy people are secretly strong I was I was okay I did I you know I had I had a great coach Mr Earl and and uh and
00:47:46
his son Rich earo was my wrestling partner so and like he was like the best on the team so it kind of rubbed off on
00:47:53
on me I had one secret move called the reverse crle and if I got you in it if I got you
00:48:00
in the reverse cradle it was like a surprise and I actually beat some like guys who were probably better than me
00:48:07
but then you know that's why I would choke in the tournaments because then you wrestle these same people again
00:48:13
they're on be old one it always seemed a little close quartery in a way did you ever wrestling
00:48:19
a guy and all of a sudden your face was right up against his junk and you're going why am I doing this it's very homo
00:48:26
ertic wrestling it is okay you know it's part of the appeal it's part it's part of the appeal it does get a diverse audience yes yes that's good
00:48:39
yeah all right Dana what do we do with Steve we let him go well we could do ours because of he doesn't need our help
00:48:46
but yeah he's Steve bumi he's a National Treasure I'm going to use that as a because you're just been around so long and uh if I see you on in a movie I'm
00:48:57
just happy yeah you're like this guy it's this guy and I think when you are in your lane um I I don't know who your peers are I don't know if it's Christopher Walkin these are older
00:49:10
people but um it's there's the cool Factor you're not in you're not a pretty boy in front of a movie doing all the Press you're just the guy who goes in and you can't take your eyes off that
00:49:21
guy you know I mean it's like you weren't in Fargo it was like it didn't feel like you were acting you weren't an
00:49:28
actor in that movie they're like they got a real guy to do this they got how where did they get this I had that once
00:49:34
with rip Tor and I saw a movie where'd they get this guy off the street he was so good in this movie and I think you
00:49:40
have that Vibe about you thank you so I'm not a pretty boy that's what you're saying well I'm saying you're you're ruggedly handsome thank you thank you I
00:49:52
app do you think David's a pretty yes absolutely look at I've gotten away with uh every time I date someone it's Beauty and the Beast in every article I'm like I enough of this like just why not just
00:50:05
say I'm okay like a beast they say they go yuck that's like exclamation is the headline I'm like all right you can't do
00:50:12
that you can't do that with the girls you can't say look at this great looking guy with this dog it's like you can't
00:50:18
you can do it with me all right Steve that's really what I wanted to get off my chest okay um thank you for talking
00:50:24
to us uh you're a stud and uh we'll talk soon hopefully I love you both and thank
00:50:30
much love you hope we see you see you bug this has been a presentation of Odyssey please follow subscribe leave a
00:50:38
like a review all the stuff smash that button whatever it is wherever you get your podcast fly on the wall is
00:50:44
executive produced by Dana Carvey and David Spade Jenna Weiss Burman of Odyssey Charlie finan of brillstein
00:50:50
entertainment and Heather Santoro the show's lead producer is Greg Holzman

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Episode Highlights

  • The Listener: A Unique Film Experience
    Steve's new film, 'The Listener', captures post-pandemic angst through intimate storytelling.
    “It's a heavy film, extremely well done and well acted.”
    @ 12m 27s
    March 27, 2024
  • Filming Challenges
    Steve discusses the difficulties of shooting a film in just six days with a single actor.
    “To make a good movie is tough!”
    @ 16m 54s
    March 27, 2024
  • Audition Realities
    The harsh truths of auditioning in Hollywood, including the pressure to have a recognizable name.
    “I have to get my name known; I didn't know it worked that way.”
    @ 25m 39s
    March 27, 2024
  • Anxiety in Acting
    A candid discussion about the anxiety actors face, even the most successful ones.
    “I didn't know I was having a panic attack.”
    @ 43m 06s
    March 27, 2024
  • Returning to Firefighting
    A heartfelt moment as he reflects on volunteering after 9/11, feeling honored to help.
    “I felt really honored that they would even let me come back.”
    @ 44m 36s
    March 27, 2024
  • Ruggedly Handsome
    A playful compliment leads to a lighthearted discussion about looks.
    “You're ruggedly handsome, thank you!”
    @ 49m 46s
    March 27, 2024
  • Beauty and the Beast
    A humorous take on dating dynamics and perceptions of beauty.
    “Every time I date someone, it's Beauty and the Beast!”
    @ 49m 58s
    March 27, 2024

Episode Quotes

  • I can't do that to them!
    Steve Buscemi | Full Episode | Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade
  • I thought these are like I thought we were friends!
    Steve Buscemi | Full Episode | Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade
  • It's tough to make a good movie!
    Steve Buscemi | Full Episode | Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade
  • I was mortified, he was embarrassed.
    Steve Buscemi | Full Episode | Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade
  • I didn't know I was having a panic attack.
    Steve Buscemi | Full Episode | Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade
  • It's hard for any of us to imagine that scene.
    Steve Buscemi | Full Episode | Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade

Key Moments

  • Friendship00:05
  • Audition Struggles25:51
  • Acting Anxiety42:10
  • 9/11 Reflection44:36
  • Wrestling Memories48:19
  • Compliment Exchange49:46
  • Dating Frustration49:58
  • Double Standards50:12

Tension Over Time

Words per Minute Over Time

Vibes Breakdown