00:00:00
Brian Cranston.
00:00:02
I am the danger.
00:00:05
>> Brian Cranston.
00:00:07
>> Wow.
00:00:07
>> You know, it's very rare to have someone
00:00:09
go from Malcolm in the Middle, which is
00:00:10
a very funny show, very culty, funny,
00:00:14
and flip into Breaking Bad. I mean, a
00:00:16
million things in between, but the two
00:00:19
that come
00:00:19
>> and now back to Malcolm.
00:00:21
>> Yeah. Back to Malcolm.
00:00:23
>> The show is back. I've seen some
00:00:25
>> running around in his underpants.
00:00:28
>> Yeah. So he's like uh he's like a he
00:00:32
he's totally like a regular guy. Like he
00:00:34
doesn't wear Brian Cran like any kind of
00:00:37
ego. He just sort of But man, Breaking
00:00:41
Bad was I mean, you know, arguably one
00:00:44
of the best acting things has ever been
00:00:46
recorded in history.
00:00:47
>> I talked to someone yesterday who says
00:00:48
they're rewatching Breaking Bad
00:00:51
>> for real.
00:00:51
>> That's something just kind of like The
00:00:54
Sopranos. Every once in a while you can
00:00:56
rewatch it.
00:00:56
>> Yep.
00:00:57
>> But to be able to do broad comedy and
00:00:59
get big laughs and then do Breaking Bad,
00:01:01
which got so dark and so scary and
00:01:04
weird, is such a range. But yeah, he's a
00:01:07
fun guy to talk to. He's very real. Um,
00:01:10
smart guy.
00:01:11
>> Yeah, very light, likes to laugh,
00:01:14
>> likes the comedian world, and uh just
00:01:16
wants to crack up. So,
00:01:18
>> we had a blast with him. And I think
00:01:19
Malcolm in the Middle is on presently,
00:01:22
so you can see him in that. Here he is.
00:01:24
Brian Cranston.
00:01:32
>> Don't say anything. He can't hear us
00:01:33
yet. He can't hear us yet.
00:01:34
>> I can't hear anything. He's not one
00:01:37
thing.
00:01:37
>> Look at this guy. Brian Cranston.
00:01:40
>> Brian Cranston is a name you want to
00:01:42
say. It feels good to say it.
00:01:44
>> Your guy is
00:01:47
>> Brian Cranston. Our whole goal is not to
00:01:49
bore you.
00:01:51
>> So, how's it going so far? Uh, I think
00:01:54
we're,
00:01:56
>> you know, I just watched your monologue
00:01:57
of Brian Cranston,
00:02:00
>> Brian Cranberry,
00:02:03
>> the SNL mono.
00:02:05
>> God.
00:02:06
>> Oh, god. Thanks for coming on. You're a
00:02:09
You know, you're you're Brian Cranston.
00:02:12
When did you first realize that? Like,
00:02:14
I'm [ __ ] Brian Cranston.
00:02:16
>> Yeah. When do you put [ __ ] in it?
00:02:18
>> When did you kind of go, "Hey, I'm Brian
00:02:20
Cranston. I'm Brian Cranston. I'm Brian
00:02:23
[ __ ]
00:02:24
>> Cranston.
00:02:25
>> I want to know the moment
00:02:27
>> cuz we don't have a real structure here.
00:02:30
>> Um I'm assuming sometime during Breaking
00:02:33
Bad it must have hit you at some point.
00:02:35
This is fantastic. This show's great and
00:02:38
I'm I think I'm really killing it here.
00:02:41
This is This is [ __ ] You know what I
00:02:44
mean? It must have had a moment or maybe
00:02:46
it was a gradual series of moments when
00:02:48
I got in SNL. It worked out for me. I
00:02:50
was sort of like, "Oh, wow. I'm actually
00:02:52
on SNL and it's doing pretty well for
00:02:54
me. So, the same kind of thing. Was that
00:02:56
Was it there or was it Malcolm in the
00:02:57
Middle? Was it Was it Seinfeld or I
00:02:59
assume Breaking Bad?
00:03:02
I'll let you talk. There you go.
00:03:04
>> Yeah. You know, I mean, those uh
00:03:08
elevations along the way when you're
00:03:10
hoping that you have opportunity. I
00:03:13
think I I started to talk to some young
00:03:16
actors a while ago and also um those of
00:03:19
us who have been around a while and I I
00:03:22
I said I think I realized what it was
00:03:24
when you first start out. you have
00:03:27
tremendous ambition but low opportunity
00:03:32
and right it's like sure you want to
00:03:34
conquer everything but it's like the
00:03:37
you're struggling to find an audition
00:03:39
and and then if you get really lucky as
00:03:42
we all have um I think the opportunities
00:03:46
grow sometimes larger than the ambition
00:03:49
and that's where I find myself now is is
00:03:52
putting out the same amount of energy
00:03:55
but going, "Oh my god." Okay, yes, I I I
00:03:58
will read that script. I I I will get to
00:04:00
that at some point. You know, I I
00:04:03
instruct my agents now. I said, "Listen,
00:04:05
please don't send me anything that you
00:04:08
don't really love."
00:04:10
>> Uh so, you know, let them do that work
00:04:13
to be able to say, "Oh, this script is
00:04:15
really, really great, so you should take
00:04:17
a look at it." Um but I think it's a
00:04:20
question I actually had for you, uh for
00:04:23
both of you. Thank you.
00:04:24
>> Can I do that? Can I turn it around?
00:04:26
>> We love that.
00:04:27
>> We like it better. Yeah, it's better for
00:04:29
us.
00:04:30
>> You know, the interesting thing of of
00:04:32
when you feel like you've you've made
00:04:34
it. When I was 25 years old, I got a job
00:04:39
on a soap opera here in New York. And uh
00:04:44
>> you know, it's churn, man. You're just
00:04:46
one script, you do the script, you throw
00:04:48
it out, read
00:04:49
>> so hard.
00:04:50
>> Next day, next day, next day, next day.
00:04:53
It's it's a lot of churn that you're
00:04:55
going through, but there was something
00:04:56
about feeling like, "Oh man, I could do
00:04:59
this. I feel like I can do this." And it
00:05:01
was from that moment on at 25 that I've
00:05:06
only worked as an actor since. And so I
00:05:10
wanted to find out from you guys if
00:05:12
that's the way you felt when you got on
00:05:14
SNL. Did something click? Did you cross
00:05:17
over a threshold that you went, "Holy
00:05:20
[ __ ] this is it for me.
00:05:23
David, uh, my answer would be it was
00:05:27
such a slow grind. I think Dana popped
00:05:29
quicker on SNL, but I I was doing
00:05:32
standup, then I got on an HBO Young
00:05:34
comedians, then I got on SNL, then I was
00:05:36
a writer first, and so it took me to
00:05:39
getting through SNL and having to make
00:05:41
one more jump to something that worked
00:05:44
because I wasn't quite solidified yet.
00:05:46
Like, you can always make one misstep
00:05:48
off SNL and you get one like free pass.
00:05:51
Hey, we'll give you a movie. We'll give
00:05:52
you a TV show or something. And if that
00:05:54
doesn't work, to generate that heat
00:05:56
again is so [ __ ] hard.
00:05:58
>> And so I got to a sitcom and then when
00:06:01
the sitcom started to work, that one old
00:06:03
one, just shoot me. It was probably on
00:06:04
around one years or something.
00:06:06
>> But when that got to like year three, I
00:06:09
started to breathe again and go, "Okay,
00:06:11
this might be what I do." You know, I
00:06:14
don't think I'm going back now. But uh
00:06:16
when was yours, Dana? Cuz that was that
00:06:18
was it took that long to be honest. Um,
00:06:22
I bombed a lot, you know, I just started
00:06:24
doing standup. There wasn't ground lanes
00:06:25
or theater groups up in San Francisco in
00:06:27
those days. So, I was doing standup, but
00:06:30
I didn't find out until 10 years later,
00:06:32
literally almost from my first set to
00:06:34
getting SNL like, "Oh, this is where I
00:06:36
belong." So, when I got on SNL and I'd
00:06:39
done these characters as a standup and
00:06:41
then I put the wig on and the dress with
00:06:43
church and stuff, it was like, "This is
00:06:45
this is really fun." and we'll talk
00:06:48
about when you host it. But and also
00:06:50
your LBJ which is I think is
00:06:52
extraordinary. I was watching
00:06:53
>> you do one of the best LBJs out there.
00:06:56
>> Well, the only one where you
00:06:57
>> you Fred Travalina and uh
00:07:00
>> well he was doing it as an actor. I I
00:07:03
mean I Hollywood wanted to use me. I I
00:07:06
screen tested for Amadeas,
00:07:08
>> you know. Um
00:07:10
>> for real.
00:07:11
>> Yeah. Yeah. I did a sitcom with Mickey
00:07:14
Rooney and Nathan Lane in New York City.
00:07:16
when I was 25 years of age at at at uh
00:07:20
Studio 6A in Rockefeller Center and then
00:07:24
eight years later I got on the there. So
00:07:26
to answer your question shortly, it's
00:07:28
like once I got in SNL, I felt like a
00:07:30
fish in water like I really belong here,
00:07:32
you know, and so that was uh that was it
00:07:35
for me, you know.
00:07:36
>> How old were you then, Dana?
00:07:38
>> I was 51. Um, no. I I was I was 31 and
00:07:44
my first set in a shitbox comedy club
00:07:47
where these comedians came up and I I
00:07:49
thought, well, they're not that great.
00:07:51
It was a No, it was in Berkeley
00:07:53
>> and I and I I scrolled on a nap. I do a
00:07:56
Howard Coell, I do John Wayne, you know,
00:07:58
and then a guy came up and levitated the
00:08:00
room and it was Rob Williams. And then I
00:08:02
crumpled the paper or the napkin, put it
00:08:04
back in my pocket cuz I didn't know
00:08:06
there was only one of him. But basically
00:08:09
it was the classic 10 years of this. But
00:08:12
the standups always have a baseline like
00:08:15
a band. You just go back to the clubs,
00:08:17
go to the theaters, do standup. So it's
00:08:19
it's a nice little side job. So
00:08:21
>> it is it's foundational for for you.
00:08:24
>> I I did standup for about nine months.
00:08:28
>> Oh boy.
00:08:28
>> Back in 1988
00:08:31
81.
00:08:33
And uh I did it only because it scared
00:08:36
the [ __ ] out of me.
00:08:38
>> Yeah.
00:08:38
>> I what you guys do was was something
00:08:41
that terrified me. So I thought, "Ah,
00:08:44
the only way I'm I'm ever going to get
00:08:45
over this fear of it is to dive in."
00:08:49
>> So I rose from being terrible to being
00:08:53
mediocre in in those
00:08:56
>> That's a big jump.
00:08:56
>> Yeah, it's a big jump.
00:08:59
>> It is in stand up. You're like,
00:09:00
>> "It is big."
00:09:02
consistently walking everyone
00:09:03
>> do the job get
00:09:05
>> consistent laughs you know
00:09:07
>> was it New York
00:09:08
>> it was in LA
00:09:10
>> uh back in 81 when they had uh there
00:09:13
were plays like the Playboy club was was
00:09:16
there in Sentry City the Laugh Stop of
00:09:19
course the comedy store and improv
00:09:22
>> is laugh stop in Newport
00:09:24
>> uh there was there was one in Newport
00:09:27
right
00:09:27
>> then there was one in the valley where I
00:09:29
I had a great night Okay. Okay.
00:09:31
>> I my best night was in in the valley. I
00:09:34
did it, you know, about eight minutes or
00:09:37
something and killed. I got in my car. I
00:09:41
drove to the improv. I begged the guy,
00:09:44
"You got to get me on."
00:09:46
>> I'm on fire.
00:09:48
>> I'm on fire.
00:09:50
>> And he says, "Well, I can you stick
00:09:52
around because someone may not show up."
00:09:55
>> And so
00:09:55
>> Oh, come on. You're blowing it, guy.
00:09:57
>> I know. So I So he says, "I think I
00:09:59
think what's his name?" is not going to
00:10:00
show up. So, in about 45 minutes, you
00:10:02
can go on.
00:10:03
>> Okay. Okay. 45 minutes. 45 minutes. I
00:10:06
walked around the block in that
00:10:07
neighborhood. I walked around the block
00:10:09
in that neighborhood doing my set just
00:10:11
trying to recall it exactly as I did it
00:10:13
that got such a great reaction
00:10:15
>> and I felt great. And I got up.
00:10:19
>> It wasn't the same.
00:10:21
>> Not the same.
00:10:23
>> It's so weird. Crowds are like
00:10:24
fingerprints. They just they're all a
00:10:26
little bit different. And then you go, I
00:10:29
just was on the road and I'm like, one
00:10:31
night these three jokes work the best,
00:10:33
the next thing these three. So overall
00:10:34
it's about the same, but you go why why
00:10:37
didn't they bite on that? Did I say it
00:10:38
wrong? Is a different attitude,
00:10:40
different something about it. It just it
00:10:43
didn't work.
00:10:43
>> And you could you could drive yourself
00:10:45
crazy trying to figure it out.
00:10:47
>> Oh. Anyway, and I started I I I
00:10:51
started turning down auditions because I
00:10:54
was drinking too much, you know. I was
00:10:56
in the clubs and and if I had a a good
00:10:59
night, someone would offer me a drink.
00:11:01
If I had a bad night, someone would
00:11:02
offer me a drink.
00:11:03
>> Oh, yeah.
00:11:03
>> And like
00:11:05
>> And they're all free, which is great.
00:11:07
>> Yeah. And you're just going and then
00:11:09
sleeping in until noon or one
00:11:12
>> and turning down auditions. And finally,
00:11:14
I just went, "Wait a minute. Wait a
00:11:15
minute. What am I doing?" And I realized
00:11:17
that what you guys had innately was not
00:11:22
me. It was not in my being. I was trying
00:11:25
to overcome a fear and all of a sudden I
00:11:28
realized, wait a minute, I did that. Oh,
00:11:31
let me go back to
00:11:32
>> that was the point. Yeah, you did that.
00:11:34
Which was a huge thing.
00:11:36
>> I remember.
00:11:36
>> But does it scare you with acting? Does
00:11:38
it scare you or is it the fact you have
00:11:40
a few takes so it's a little easier?
00:11:44
Well, it's it's just a a different
00:11:46
muscle, right? You you and you you're
00:11:50
attracted to certain types of uh
00:11:53
performing and you find something that
00:11:55
you do well and it's, you know,
00:11:58
inspiring. I I I didn't I didn't wake up
00:12:02
thinking, "Oh, I've got to get on stage
00:12:04
and try to tell this joke." Um, I I love
00:12:08
being different people and getting into
00:12:11
their skin and doing the research and
00:12:13
figuring out what made that guy tick and
00:12:16
why was he important and all that.
00:12:19
>> So, are the police coming to your house
00:12:20
right now?
00:12:21
>> Yeah, we that's usually that's from our
00:12:23
parent company. It's just saying pick up
00:12:25
the podcast a little bit. It's a little
00:12:26
bit of they put a siren in. a little bit
00:12:29
like
00:12:31
>> I I'm just curious for a second because
00:12:34
um you become one of our great actors.
00:12:36
Uh it sort of maybe happened secretly or
00:12:39
whatever, but I know you would never put
00:12:41
yourself probably with your your nature
00:12:44
into the the people you watch growing
00:12:47
up, you know, and then you realize you
00:12:50
must realize at some point you're doing
00:12:51
work as good or better than a lot of
00:12:53
your heroes, right? I
00:12:55
>> I'm talking I know what age group we're
00:12:57
in. You know, there's the people die now
00:13:01
would have loved you Jimmy Stewart I
00:13:03
just so that's kind of surreal isn't it
00:13:06
>> to realize that
00:13:08
>> I I I still don't feel that I don't know
00:13:11
maybe it's just the way I was raised but
00:13:14
um there is that impostor syndrome that
00:13:17
I think many people go through that you
00:13:19
go wait a minute I don't I don't always
00:13:22
know what I'm doing but people think I
00:13:25
do like
00:13:26
>> you can get away with a lot like, "Oh my
00:13:29
god,
00:13:30
>> your acting choices are like so genius."
00:13:32
You know, I I forgot my line.
00:13:34
>> It's throwing a dart. Yeah, that stutter
00:13:36
you did. No, I was searching for the
00:13:38
word.
00:13:39
>> Yeah, I didn't remember.
00:13:40
>> Oh, when you spaced out, when you looked
00:13:42
off, you know,
00:13:44
>> so real.
00:13:49
>> When did Bob Odenk first come to you and
00:13:51
go, "Oh, that was a great take. You're
00:13:53
so You're killing it." Oh my god. So
00:13:58
great.
00:13:58
>> People are going to love it.
00:14:00
>> Yeah, that's funny.
00:14:03
>> That's so funny. We love you, Bob.
00:14:06
>> When when he was hired for Breaking Bad,
00:14:08
he hadn't seen the show yet. And I just
00:14:12
ribbed him about that and go, "So,
00:14:15
>> he got hired to be on a show and the
00:14:17
episodes were readily available to you,
00:14:19
but you chose
00:14:20
>> readily
00:14:21
>> you chose not to be." So, but he he uh
00:14:24
he learned quickly and uh
00:14:26
>> boy, what a what a a lovely thing that's
00:14:29
happened to him, you know. Yeah. Um
00:14:32
>> and I, you know, when he when he was
00:14:34
offered uh Better Call Saul, he asked if
00:14:37
if he can go out to lunch with me, and I
00:14:39
said, "Sure." And he said, "I'm not that
00:14:43
guy. I'm not the hey, follow me. I'll
00:14:46
lead you to the promised land kind of
00:14:48
guy." And I said, you know, I don't know
00:14:50
that I was that either, but there is the
00:14:53
need for that person to kind of take
00:14:56
care to kind of be the dad of a of a
00:15:00
company
00:15:00
>> of a show
00:15:01
>> of a show. You you're number one on a
00:15:03
call sheet. It's kind of saying there it
00:15:06
is for you to take if
00:15:07
>> it's like quarterback. Yeah. They look
00:15:09
up to you even whether you don't know
00:15:10
you know it or not.
00:15:11
>> Exactly. So I said there's there's a
00:15:14
going to be a vacuum. if you don't take
00:15:16
it, someone else will or it'll be taken
00:15:19
up by someone who you don't necessarily
00:15:22
think is is the right person, you know.
00:15:24
So, it's, you know, just I said when I
00:15:27
when I first started getting some
00:15:29
comments of of my work, I used to push
00:15:32
back. Hey, you're really good. No, you
00:15:34
No, no. I used to say that, oh, you're a
00:15:37
you're a really becoming a television
00:15:39
star. Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no. I'm
00:15:42
just an actor. just and it I found it it
00:15:46
did terrible things. First of all, it
00:15:48
made the person wrong,
00:15:50
>> which is not a good thing and feel bad.
00:15:53
>> It forced them to to then continue the
00:15:56
fight.
00:15:57
>> More compliments.
00:15:58
>> I mean, serious trick.
00:16:02
>> So, what do you say now?
00:16:05
>> Thank you.
00:16:05
>> Yeah.
00:16:06
>> Yeah. Thank you.
00:16:07
>> That's it.
00:16:08
>> You don't want to go on a set and be run
00:16:09
by number nine on the call sheet. Well,
00:16:12
can I let me ask you a question about
00:16:13
the and I don't know exact I know the
00:16:15
Malcolm in the middle of this and that
00:16:16
but was you were the lead lead in
00:16:19
Breaking Bad and you were in the flow
00:16:21
all day long. I mean the the pacing of
00:16:24
yourself but also when you're someone
00:16:26
who comes in and does a guest spot or
00:16:28
has one line you're waiting all day
00:16:30
that's I mean you get into a flow right
00:16:33
where you're just that character just
00:16:36
for so many hours. Is it harder better?
00:16:38
Obviously, it's how do you hand how do
00:16:40
you handle the sheer exhaustion and do
00:16:43
you get almost hypnotized even deeper
00:16:45
into the into the world because you're
00:16:47
just doing so much of it?
00:16:49
>> Well, as you guys know this uh so for
00:16:52
the listeners, it's it's basically you
00:16:54
you find your rhythm when you're needed,
00:16:57
when you can rest. You you develop a
00:17:00
system of how and when you're going to
00:17:03
rise to an occasion and when you can
00:17:05
shut down a little bit. Um, but I always
00:17:08
thought, and we've all been on shows
00:17:11
where you have the the person coming on
00:17:14
the show who has one line and they know
00:17:18
nobody and they have to come in and nail
00:17:21
that line and that's one of the hardest
00:17:23
things to do.
00:17:24
>> Yes.
00:17:24
>> So, I would always try to greet every
00:17:29
co-star,
00:17:31
>> sabotage them. No, go ahead.
00:17:35
and I and and just try to make them feel
00:17:37
at ease because number one, it's the
00:17:39
right thing to do to help this person,
00:17:43
but number two, it it also helps your
00:17:45
show that
00:17:46
>> Yeah, they're very important. Those
00:17:47
people that come in,
00:17:48
>> it's really hard.
00:17:49
>> It's so important to get they get it
00:17:50
right and they're in a vibe that they
00:17:52
don't know. They're just getting in the
00:17:53
current going, "Are we playing
00:17:55
everything like this?" And you're like,
00:17:56
"No, no, no, no, no. We're all down
00:17:58
here." Like, but they don't know. And
00:17:59
then you're okay, let's make it all
00:18:01
>> late in the day. All the makeup's kind
00:18:03
of wearing down on the people have been
00:18:05
filming all day long. The crew looks
00:18:07
wasted. They're exhausted. They're
00:18:09
coming in to land that line. Yeah, it's
00:18:11
it's
00:18:11
>> Yeah. They bring them in. You're up.
00:18:13
It's like ah right before we wrap.
00:18:15
>> Now just relax.
00:18:17
Okay. Never thought of it.
00:18:19
>> Think of that. Great. Yeah.
00:18:22
>> But so you so how old were you when you
00:18:25
really made it made it in your mind
00:18:28
because you you struggled for a while.
00:18:31
>> Yeah. you know, I I I I expected to
00:18:33
struggle. So, I guess I didn't feel like
00:18:35
I was struggling.
00:18:36
>> Um, so
00:18:37
>> after the soap opera, were you saying
00:18:39
like that that was 25? So, you kind of
00:18:42
consistently worked after that. So,
00:18:44
that's really making it right.
00:18:45
>> Very consistent after that. I've never
00:18:47
had to do anything but act after that
00:18:49
point. And that kind of um confidence
00:18:53
going into whatever you're doing next is
00:18:56
is brilliant. Um, and it was a savior.
00:18:58
And then about 30,
00:19:02
I guess 35 years ago or so, I stumbled
00:19:06
upon a philosophy that I realized, oh, I
00:19:09
was doing everything wrong. Um,
00:19:13
I was uh I was thinking that an audition
00:19:16
was a job interview and that uh because
00:19:20
I'm an actor and they're casting for a
00:19:22
movie or a TV show or something, that's
00:19:23
that's a job. I'm going to go in to try
00:19:25
to get something. And I realized by
00:19:27
doing that you're putting you're giving
00:19:29
up your energy and you're you're you're
00:19:31
sending it away from you. And so I
00:19:33
thought, oh, whenever anybody wants or
00:19:37
needs something, they don't have
00:19:38
control. They're giving up control
00:19:40
because they need something. They need a
00:19:43
job. They need validation. They need
00:19:44
something. So I thought, "Oh, I'm just
00:19:46
going to hold on to that. And I'm not
00:19:49
going to want some. I'm going to give
00:19:51
them something. I worked on this scene.
00:19:53
I think I can do it, but you know, it's
00:19:55
their option. Here, here's an idea. You
00:19:57
take it. If that that works for you,
00:19:59
fantastic. If it doesn't, we'll see you
00:20:02
later.
00:20:02
>> Oh, like we're 5050. I'm going in. This
00:20:05
is good. You want my product? Take it.
00:20:07
>> Exactly.
00:20:07
>> Goodbye.
00:20:08
>> And in the modern era,
00:20:09
>> I like that
00:20:10
>> you can audition with your phone or with
00:20:12
a friend, which is kind of nice. Like,
00:20:14
here's how I'd play it. You can see me.
00:20:16
You know, a lot of people get roles that
00:20:18
way as well.
00:20:19
>> You can tweak it a little bit. That
00:20:20
helps. I hated going in those rooms and
00:20:21
I always bombed and it was horrible. I
00:20:24
bombed in front of Paul Newman terribly
00:20:26
and Joanne Woodward. God,
00:20:28
>> what did you do?
00:20:30
>> Holy [ __ ]
00:20:31
>> Well, I I had no
00:20:32
>> Paul Newman, the superstar.
00:20:34
>> Take a [ __ ] in front of them or
00:20:35
something.
00:20:37
>> Were you there?
00:20:41
>> I think Robbie Benson got the part. I
00:20:43
had no training. I I you know, at all. I
00:20:47
was just a standup and so acting
00:20:49
terrified me. So I went in, they put us
00:20:51
off in pairs, they auditioned. So I went
00:20:53
with a lovely young woman. We read the
00:20:56
scene. I was all over the place. I knew
00:20:58
I was bombing. Joanne Wood was there
00:21:00
with the dog. Paul Newman with red
00:21:02
socks. Really tall red socks.
00:21:04
>> Red socks.
00:21:04
>> And then Paul Newman was so sweet. We
00:21:06
just bombed.
00:21:08
>> And then he he spent 10 minutes saying,
00:21:10
"Well, I appreciated that." He was just
00:21:12
so nice about it, but the air was thick.
00:21:14
And so I walked out with my partner. I
00:21:17
just I just met and I said, "Well, that
00:21:19
didn't go well." And she was like,
00:21:20
"Yeah,
00:21:21
>> yeah, it didn't go well, did it?" You
00:21:23
know, I mean, I really ruined her
00:21:24
audition.
00:21:25
>> Yeah.
00:21:26
>> So, anyway, what you just said, I hope I
00:21:28
hope young actors listen to that that
00:21:31
you're just showing them something.
00:21:32
You're not really trying to get a job.
00:21:34
>> It's it's the the difference is
00:21:37
>> do not go in there to get a job. Go in
00:21:40
there to do a job.
00:21:42
>> Yeah.
00:21:42
>> That's it. If you can just say, "This is
00:21:44
my job. I'm gonna create something. It's
00:21:46
either funny or it's it's appropriate to
00:21:49
this character. Here's my idea. There it
00:21:51
is.
00:21:52
>> Yeah.
00:21:52
>> If you like it, great. If you don't,
00:21:53
that's a
00:21:54
>> I like that you don't look so desperate
00:21:55
and thirsty.
00:21:56
>> Desperation.
00:21:57
>> That's my my angle is desperate and
00:21:59
thirsty because when I would go in, I
00:22:02
would try to joke them. I didn't know
00:22:03
what I was doing. So, this is Dana
00:22:05
probably does too. We spend eight
00:22:07
minutes talking about the 405 and how
00:22:09
the crazy drive and then they're
00:22:10
laughing and then I read it and everyone
00:22:11
stops laughing and goes, "Oh, forget
00:22:13
Well, that happened to me.
00:22:15
>> I'm trying to win him over with the
00:22:16
meeting.
00:22:17
>> I made Suzanne Pushette laugh so hard. I
00:22:19
sp I had 15 minutes. I'm doing Boy, I'm
00:22:22
doing everything. And well, let's Oh,
00:22:24
I'm excited to hear you read. And then
00:22:26
it was just dead silence.
00:22:28
And you know, I mean, so, um, I'm just
00:22:31
curious. I thought again, I'm curious
00:22:34
about our guest today. I think I heard
00:22:37
you say at one point that I'm just gonna
00:22:40
do this show business. This is you made
00:22:42
a decision wherever it goes. I'm just
00:22:45
going to do this. And what what was
00:22:47
that? After the soap opera, you went
00:22:49
back to
00:22:49
>> No, no. I was uh I was actually going to
00:22:53
to a junior college in LA. I had no
00:22:57
money. So, I was studying police
00:23:00
science. I was going to become a cop.
00:23:03
And uh
00:23:05
>> detective,
00:23:06
>> you look like you could play a
00:23:07
detective.
00:23:07
>> Yeah, you look pretty cool.
00:23:09
>> We'll get to that. You must have played
00:23:10
a cop or detective.
00:23:11
>> I played Yeah. played lots of cops. Um
00:23:14
and and I I didn't know what to do. So,
00:23:16
I was going to become a cop and transfer
00:23:19
to a university to finish before I went
00:23:22
into the LAPD. That was the general
00:23:24
plan. But my second year of this junior
00:23:26
college, I took an acting class and in
00:23:29
the class, my job was to kiss this
00:23:32
really pretty girl. I am
00:23:34
>> making out with this pretty girl and I'm
00:23:37
thinking, "Oh my god,
00:23:41
this is amazing."
00:23:44
>> And so after after that semester, now
00:23:47
I'm 19 and I went, I have no idea what I
00:23:50
want to do. That just spun me out of
00:23:52
control. Uh and so I I hopped on a
00:23:56
motorcycle and traveled around the
00:23:57
country for a couple years getting jobs
00:24:00
and odd jobs and
00:24:03
>> yeah just well no I was so confused. So
00:24:06
in a way at the time I felt like I was
00:24:10
running away and I suppose I was because
00:24:12
I didn't know what it was I wanted to
00:24:14
put all my energy in. And it wasn't
00:24:17
until I was I was on the Blue Ridge
00:24:19
Parkway of Virginia waiting out a
00:24:22
rainstorm on my motorcycle underneath a
00:24:25
a picnic covered um picnic bench with a
00:24:30
slab of cement and me. And I stayed
00:24:33
there for like five days because it just
00:24:36
never stopped raining.
00:24:38
And it was at that time I had this
00:24:40
epiphany that okay I am going to go
00:24:43
after something that I really feel I can
00:24:46
be in love with but I wasn't necessarily
00:24:49
good at yet. U as opposed to something I
00:24:52
was good at which was police work but I
00:24:55
didn't love it. And so that was the
00:24:57
distinction to me and I thought okay
00:24:58
here it goes. I'm going all in. There's
00:25:01
no
00:25:01
>> God that's ballsy too. One of them is
00:25:03
like a set job and the other one is
00:25:05
iffy. very very iffy
00:25:07
>> and will always remain that way too.
00:25:09
When when did you first get a without
00:25:11
giving numbers a check where you kind of
00:25:13
went, "Holy shit," you know, compared to
00:25:16
regular, you know, I was a waiter, a bus
00:25:18
boy, dishwasher, all the all the rest.
00:25:19
But, you know, like, wow, that's
00:25:21
amazing. They're actually I love this
00:25:24
and they're paying me a lot of money to
00:25:26
do it. It's very heady thing. Well, n I
00:25:30
I was doing some community theater and
00:25:32
somers stock and dinner theater and
00:25:34
stuff like that, but it was in 1979 is
00:25:38
when I got my SAG card and started
00:25:40
working and making a living. And I did
00:25:43
commercials and I did industrial films
00:25:45
and whatever would pay the the rent and
00:25:48
and all that stuff. That's you know,
00:25:50
>> it was fun.
00:25:52
>> When did you get paid too much money?
00:25:54
When did you want to give some of it
00:25:56
back? Because clearly this is wrong.
00:25:58
There there are there are some of those
00:26:00
jobs now that you say no no no wait what
00:26:04
you want
00:26:05
>> what did you get for Godzilla 2017
00:26:09
>> what did you get we don't ask
00:26:11
>> no we don't you don't answer that
00:26:13
question I'm sorry
00:26:14
>> I do know that you know I I did when I
00:26:17
was coming up I I worked uh did voices
00:26:21
for the um Power Rangers I did so many
00:26:25
voices for the Power Rangers that They
00:26:28
renamed when they changed all the names
00:26:30
from a Japanese name to Americanized
00:26:33
sounding names. They said, "Uh, why
00:26:36
don't we name the blue power ranger
00:26:38
Cranston?" Billy Cranston, not Brian.
00:26:40
Billy, do you mind? And I said, "I don't
00:26:42
mind." We didn't think it was going to
00:26:44
go anywhere. And it goes everywhere. So,
00:26:46
the blue power ranger Billy Cranston is
00:26:49
is named after me because we did I did
00:26:51
so many of those those voices.
00:26:53
>> Let's go team.
00:26:54
>> Let's go.
00:26:56
Never defeat me. I will kill you.
00:26:59
>> Oh, I love it.
00:27:01
>> You've kind of done everything, haven't
00:27:03
you? Voiceovers, sitcoms, movies,
00:27:07
theater.
00:27:08
>> It's you you you you have to expand your
00:27:12
ability to work or else you're really
00:27:14
narrowing the field, I think, man.
00:27:16
Right.
00:27:22
>> Well, I think you're in this new
00:27:23
Phoenician. Is that correct?
00:27:24
>> The Phoenician scheme.
00:27:26
>> Phoenician.
00:27:27
>> Phoenician scheme which is uh very
00:27:30
interesting
00:27:31
movies which I will see this one because
00:27:34
>> you're in it and we're buddies now but
00:27:36
also because just those are so cool
00:27:38
those movies um that he does.
00:27:41
>> He is uh Wes Anderson is probably the
00:27:45
most untexonike Texan you've ever met.
00:27:48
>> Yeah.
00:27:49
>> He's very Natalie dressed. He's very
00:27:51
he's very ariodite and polite and
00:27:54
>> and worldly and uh he he it's not to say
00:27:59
let me clarify it's not to say that
00:28:01
Texans can't also be that but
00:28:04
>> sure the sensibility
00:28:07
send all your letters to yeah to David
00:28:11
um but uh you know and so I've done this
00:28:14
is the third project I've done Wes
00:28:16
Anderson and he's uh it's brilliant he's
00:28:19
such an aur
00:28:21
You cannot go into it thinking, "Oh, I
00:28:24
know where he's going to twist this or
00:28:25
turn that." It's like he blows your mind
00:28:28
with where bananas where he goes with
00:28:30
stuff. Yeah. It's crazy.
00:28:31
>> I think I saw that last one, maybe Astro
00:28:34
something with Scarlett Johansson.
00:28:36
>> Asteroid City.
00:28:37
>> Yeah. Yeah. Asteroid City. And uh went
00:28:39
and saw the theater. It was so fun and
00:28:41
so cool and it just like wakes you up
00:28:43
like, "Okay, here's a movie. Okay, pay
00:28:44
attention." Like everything, set
00:28:47
dressings, everything. Very good. He did
00:28:49
a great job. Um, and uh, I love Bonicho
00:28:52
also. Bonicho in this one. What a
00:28:55
>> cool guy. I've run into him along the
00:28:57
way here and there, but
00:28:58
>> what are your thoughts? Mysterious
00:29:00
co-star.
00:29:01
>> Yeah.
00:29:02
>> Give us some Bonichio.
00:29:03
>> So Tom Hanks and I uh, play brothers. We
00:29:06
play brothers in the Phoenician scheme
00:29:08
and we are shooting this in Germany. And
00:29:10
so we go over to Germany and we're in
00:29:14
every scene together. So we're
00:29:16
rehearsing together and stuff and and we
00:29:19
had basically in this in this movie
00:29:22
Phoenician scheme it's kind of light
00:29:23
lift for us
00:29:25
>> but Benio has a [ __ ] ton of dialogue
00:29:29
very specific very Wes Anderson
00:29:33
you know the way it's carved and moved
00:29:36
it's like wow and uh so we I was just
00:29:40
saying if there's anything I could do
00:29:42
for you man you let me know because
00:29:45
>> you're carrying the load here. And he
00:29:47
would just nod and look and he would
00:29:49
cram and uh so it's challenging work
00:29:53
because of the fact that he is so
00:29:55
specific
00:29:56
>> and his in his shooting style and his
00:29:58
symmetry of his of his camera angles and
00:30:01
everything. It's it's uh it's amazing.
00:30:03
But the film works. Venetian scheme
00:30:06
really does work.
00:30:07
>> Those things I've already heard people
00:30:08
that have seen it immediately. Of
00:30:10
course.
00:30:11
>> Yeah. You can tell it's it's one person
00:30:13
is making the movie. I mean, Sam, I know
00:30:15
that he's uh it just sort of hit me
00:30:17
researching that sometimes he
00:30:20
collaborates with Roman Copa.
00:30:22
>> Yeah.
00:30:22
>> Um and I did a commercial with Chvy
00:30:26
Chase and Molly Chan, whatever for a
00:30:28
phone company and Roman was directing it
00:30:30
and he had an immaculate suit on and he
00:30:33
was such a gentleman.
00:30:36
It was just very interesting to watch
00:30:37
him do that. And uh so when I saw him
00:30:40
connected to Wes Anderson, there is an
00:30:42
eloquence about them.
00:30:44
>> That is a type of director out there.
00:30:46
Also, it's nice to be in a movie, Brian,
00:30:48
where
00:30:49
>> they're not just like, "Who do we get to
00:30:51
direct this?" You know, because it's
00:30:53
going to look so
00:30:55
specific to a director when he does it.
00:30:58
You just watch the trailer and you go,
00:30:59
"Oh, that's okay. That's what that is."
00:31:02
You know, and that's that pulls people
00:31:03
right in, I think. And to be an actor to
00:31:05
be in it would be what a blast.
00:31:08
>> It's cool. I mean there is some pressure
00:31:09
B like when we were shooting Asteroid
00:31:12
City in Spain.
00:31:14
>> Uh
00:31:14
>> oh that was Spain.
00:31:15
>> It was shot in Spain for the California
00:31:19
desert.
00:31:20
>> Yeah the California Nevada desert.
00:31:23
>> But I believed it.
00:31:24
>> He work he
00:31:26
>> Wes lives in Paris most the time. So and
00:31:29
he doesn't like to fly. So he takes his
00:31:31
his big bus coach that he has all decked
00:31:35
out and he travels that way. So,
00:31:37
>> he usually stays on the continent.
00:31:38
>> God, what a what a life. He's in Paris
00:31:41
with a bus and he has complete control
00:31:43
over his work and he gets like 10
00:31:47
superstars.
00:31:48
>> Yeah.
00:31:49
>> So, the budget for the acting I heard
00:31:51
Hank's got 20 million for this one or is
00:31:54
that
00:31:55
>> what exaggerated?
00:31:56
>> Oh, interesting. Well, that's
00:31:57
>> how does he manage because you're doing
00:32:00
it for the love of the art. I mean, is
00:32:01
it right and he gets just the greatest
00:32:04
Bill Murray and you guys? Yeah, we we
00:32:06
all make the same amount of money.
00:32:09
>> And I honestly can't even tell you what
00:32:11
that is, but I know it's not much.
00:32:13
>> Yeah, it's like
00:32:13
>> I I I believe it's just more like if he
00:32:15
wants you in, you do it.
00:32:17
>> That's such a great thing that he has.
00:32:18
It obviously must be just a hell of a
00:32:21
nice person to you want to be around.
00:32:24
>> And it's a great hang because there are
00:32:26
no trailers. You all go and you're in um
00:32:30
one like really souped up kind of tent
00:32:33
with the rugs and and nice comfortable
00:32:36
chairs and
00:32:38
>> floor lamps and and you know and and
00:32:40
everybody just kind of hangs out
00:32:42
together and you go in
00:32:44
>> uh you only work usually about eight
00:32:46
hours or nine hours a day. That's it.
00:32:49
And within reason. Then at night, every
00:32:52
night there's a long rectangular table
00:32:55
and all the actors and all the
00:32:57
department heads and the writers and
00:32:58
producers and Wes, we all have dinner
00:33:01
together every single night with wine
00:33:04
and all kinds of
00:33:06
>> So where do you watch porn? That's my
00:33:08
>> Where? How?
00:33:09
>> Why not? Where? How? Who has to ask
00:33:11
someone? It's so embarrassing. Can we do
00:33:13
it at dinner? Do we have to wait?
00:33:15
>> I do anyway. You know,
00:33:16
>> yeah, you'll you know, you'll figure it
00:33:18
out. How do you personally or I guess
00:33:20
it's project like to be directed? You
00:33:23
know, do you like a soft touch? You like
00:33:24
someone in your face cranston, I don't
00:33:26
believe a word you're saying. I don't
00:33:28
get it.
00:33:29
>> Or does Wes Anderson kind of just sort
00:33:31
of wander around and sort of give you
00:33:34
subtle notes or you like it all? I mean,
00:33:37
>> the the first first day I worked on
00:33:39
Asteroid City, I had a quite a a large
00:33:43
uh speech to give and um and I got
00:33:47
through it in his tricky dialogue and I
00:33:50
thought I did pretty well and he did
00:33:52
too. He came to me and he said, "Yes,
00:33:54
Brian, that was that was very very good.
00:33:56
Now, I just need it much much much
00:34:00
faster." And it was like, oh,
00:34:04
>> oh,
00:34:04
>> to hear that it was like, oh my god. So,
00:34:07
you're you're going so fast you don't
00:34:09
even hear yourself. You don't even think
00:34:12
you're thinking and you're
00:34:14
and getting it out. Um, so the work is
00:34:17
the work is challenging.
00:34:18
>> It's hard with dialogue. People forget
00:34:21
you're memorizing. It's so hard to get
00:34:23
every word right, especially if you're
00:34:24
working for a writer director and you go
00:34:26
>> I've had one where he came back and he
00:34:28
said, "You were great. You missed this
00:34:29
one word here. Let's go again. And I go
00:34:32
one word. It was like one word that
00:34:34
didn't change anything.
00:34:36
>> Yeah.
00:34:36
>> But that's the way I wrote it. I go,
00:34:38
"Got it."
00:34:39
>> You said Lact instead of B.
00:34:41
>> Exactly. Oh, I hate that. That's why I
00:34:43
hated movies cuz you go in the morning
00:34:45
for the master shot and then you're
00:34:46
you're in your closeup eight hours later
00:34:48
and the script supervisor says, "No,
00:34:51
your elbow was on top of the chair." Oh,
00:34:55
really? I mean that's why have you have
00:34:56
you done um movies where it's like a
00:34:59
moving master minimal shooting um that
00:35:02
kind of freedom?
00:35:03
>> Yeah. Yeah. And actually you know I
00:35:05
don't know if you remember this Dana but
00:35:08
we worked together.
00:35:09
>> Why?
00:35:10
>> Whoa.
00:35:11
>> I remember running into you at Letterman
00:35:13
right?
00:35:14
>> Well we've done that but no like Dave
00:35:17
>> was I first on the call sheet. Where was
00:35:18
I?
00:35:19
>> Yes sir you were.
00:35:20
>> Was I nice
00:35:22
opportunity knocks? Yeah, kind of. No,
00:35:25
it wasn't that.
00:35:26
>> Clean Slate.
00:35:27
>> Clean Slate.
00:35:29
>> Whoa.
00:35:31
You were in that that movie. That's your
00:35:33
probably your lowest grossing movie.
00:35:35
>> No, that's great.
00:35:36
>> I'm so sorry. If I could write you a
00:35:38
check, a do a Venmo. Where are you?
00:35:40
>> I I uh I played the very pivotal role of
00:35:44
club official.
00:35:47
>> Yeah.
00:35:48
>> Dana, what would that be? Do you
00:35:49
remember? We were at We were in Santa
00:35:52
Monica at on the beach at a club,
00:35:56
>> right? And and
00:35:57
>> I don't remember anything else.
00:36:00
>> Not a thing.
00:36:02
>> Dana doesn't remember Santa Monica.
00:36:04
>> I don't remember a thing. So I play a
00:36:05
character with amnesia. It was terrible.
00:36:07
Went to this acting coach and and his
00:36:09
theory was you don't you don't have
00:36:12
amnesia. Your character is pretending to
00:36:15
have amnesia,
00:36:17
but you don't. Your character does not
00:36:19
have amnesia. He
00:36:20
>> Was that real from the movie?
00:36:22
>> This is Roy London. God rest his soul.
00:36:24
He's this great actor. So that was his
00:36:26
way of getting you out of your own way.
00:36:28
So then there was a guy um playing a
00:36:31
blind person. We were filming at the
00:36:33
beach and he had the stick and he's
00:36:35
playing a blind person and I say I said
00:36:38
to him um you know I I I don't really
00:36:40
have amnesia. I'm just pretending. and
00:36:42
he goes, "I'm not really blind." He'd
00:36:44
gone to the same acting coach,
00:36:48
you know, whatever. I just fig I'm But
00:36:52
uh uh yeah, that was uh that was
00:36:55
ridiculous. That was me making a foolish
00:36:58
choice right off of SNL. I had way too
00:37:00
much heat, no experience, and um I wish
00:37:03
I could take it back. If we could have
00:37:05
switched in that you became the lead and
00:37:09
I was guard number one, it might have
00:37:11
had a chance.
00:37:12
>> No, I was club official.
00:37:14
>> Oh, club official.
00:37:16
>> God, Wikipedia sucks sometimes. Oh my
00:37:19
god.
00:37:19
>> That was written by uh Robert King, by
00:37:22
the way. Robert King.
00:37:24
>> He's great.
00:37:24
>> I've worked with since. Yeah. I was
00:37:26
partners with him on on a series called
00:37:28
Your Honor,
00:37:29
>> and he's terrific.
00:37:31
>> That's a great show. I've never seen
00:37:33
I've never seen you bad. I don't know if
00:37:35
you like
00:37:36
>> Oh, you were kind of bad.
00:37:38
>> Let's see. What was um What was I?
00:37:40
>> It was the one we circled.
00:37:42
>> No, but by the way,
00:37:45
>> when I heard
00:37:47
>> Amalgam in the Middle reboot. Is it
00:37:50
That's right. What is it on? What is on
00:37:52
Disney Plus?
00:37:52
>> It's going to be on Disney. Yeah, they
00:37:54
since they bought out Fox, we were
00:37:56
originally owned by Fox.
00:37:58
>> Oh, yeah. How do they do that? And so
00:38:00
now we're owned by Disney and uh they
00:38:03
bought four episodes of this
00:38:06
>> reboot. Uh I didn't think it reboot.
00:38:09
It's it's something I was trying I was
00:38:11
pushing for for the last 10 years
00:38:14
because I thought that that audience
00:38:16
>> that was that hard. Wow.
00:38:19
>> Well be fun.
00:38:20
>> No. Lynwood Boomer who is the creator of
00:38:23
the show when I first pitched it to him
00:38:25
he said no I'm not interested. No. About
00:38:28
a year and a half later, I said, "What
00:38:29
about it?" He goes, "No, I I really
00:38:31
don't think it's something I want to
00:38:32
do."
00:38:33
>> And I went, "Really? It's starting to
00:38:35
improve." And then a third one, the
00:38:38
third time, three years after that, it
00:38:40
was like, "Well, I, you know, if someone
00:38:41
else wrote it, maybe I'll look at it."
00:38:44
And I just started wearing him down
00:38:46
until he said, "I've got an idea." And I
00:38:49
said, "Good.
00:38:50
>> Love it. Go get it.
00:38:51
>> Love it."
00:38:52
>> So, we just finished it. We shot that uh
00:38:54
a month ago. And uh it's amazing how
00:38:59
these boys who were my boys on that show
00:39:02
are now around the same age I was when
00:39:05
we first started.
00:39:07
>> Oh no. Really?
00:39:09
>> They've got children of their own.
00:39:11
>> There's a kid on there named Eric. Is
00:39:13
there?
00:39:13
>> Yeah. Eric
00:39:14
>> Sullivan.
00:39:15
>> Yeah. Eric Pur Sullivan
00:39:17
>> played uh little Joe Dirt in an old
00:39:20
movie. I did.
00:39:20
>> That's right.
00:39:21
>> He played me as a kid. Now, now David,
00:39:23
did you remember that or or now that you
00:39:26
were doing the research?
00:39:27
>> I didn't. I remembered he was on it that
00:39:29
back then. He's really cute and funny
00:39:31
and he walked on a little cowboy boots
00:39:32
and uh
00:39:34
>> in the movie,
00:39:35
>> but now that you say it again, I'm like,
00:39:36
"Oh, that's right. He's probably, you
00:39:38
know, older now." But
00:39:40
>> he is the only one who's not who didn't
00:39:43
come back to act in the show.
00:39:45
>> Oh, for real?
00:39:46
>> Yeah. I talked to Eric and I I said,
00:39:49
"Hey, we got the show. It's going to
00:39:50
come back." He goes, "Oh, that's
00:39:52
fantastic." And I go, "Yeah, so we're
00:39:54
looking forward to having you back." He
00:39:56
goes, "Oh, no, no. I I don't want to do
00:39:59
it, but it's fantastic."
00:40:01
>> Yeah, because he's
00:40:03
>> he's actually going to Harvard. And
00:40:05
>> he's a normal person now.
00:40:07
>> Well, I I don't think he's he's not
00:40:08
normal because he's really
00:40:12
not in my circle normal. He's he's
00:40:14
really really smart and he's getting I
00:40:16
think he's getting his masters at
00:40:18
Harvard right now. He said, "Oh god, no.
00:40:20
I haven't acted since I was nine or
00:40:24
something, so I'm I'm not into it."
00:40:26
Yeah.
00:40:27
>> Wow. Because he's like, "It just makes
00:40:29
us all feel so dumb that we're actors."
00:40:32
>> He's like, "I don't want to go do that
00:40:33
stupid [ __ ] again." We're like, "No,
00:40:36
it's pretty smart what we do." And like,
00:40:38
no, not really.
00:40:41
>> It's not that hard.
00:40:43
>> Oh, cool, though. Pick a topic. Okay. um
00:40:47
SNL you hosted.
00:40:49
>> Oh god.
00:40:50
>> And and uh just because it was all over
00:40:53
the place a couple years ago during the
00:40:54
strike that just the idea of AI and
00:40:57
robots integrating with our in industry
00:41:00
and where it seems to be going is
00:41:02
fascinating to me because we keep seeing
00:41:04
these
00:41:05
>> digital short films by Alphabet Google
00:41:08
where you're like you know what what the
00:41:11
hell. I mean it's getting surreal. We
00:41:13
are actually digital copies right now. I
00:41:15
just want to be full disclosure, but it
00:41:17
is kind of bizarre, isn't it? Just to
00:41:19
watch the future, right?
00:41:22
>> It is. It just feels like something a
00:41:25
little impersonal. But um you know, I I
00:41:29
remember it so fondly and being invited
00:41:32
to host at that time when Breaking Bad
00:41:36
was at its
00:41:37
>> you know, peak and uh I immediately said
00:41:42
yes. And
00:41:43
>> it's such a rush. I mean, I know you
00:41:45
guys have talked about this on the
00:41:46
podcast before and everyone's
00:41:48
experience, but it was it was incredible
00:41:51
and how how
00:41:54
deep dive involved you are in every
00:41:57
moment of that and that,
00:41:58
>> you know, from the from the first time
00:42:00
I'm sitting in in Lauren's office in
00:42:03
that chair in the middle and everybody
00:42:05
all the writers are on the floor and
00:42:07
behind the curtains and things and and
00:42:09
every I thought the pitches that were
00:42:12
going on that first day, that Monday
00:42:14
were actually supposed to be sincere. It
00:42:17
was like some of them are
00:42:19
>> some most are fake pitches.
00:42:21
>> Yeah, most I just want to say this
00:42:23
because it'll be rejected and let it die
00:42:25
a cold death.
00:42:27
>> Someone said, "Uh, okay. So, you're a
00:42:30
barista at Starbucks and you finish your
00:42:34
drink and you call out Trevor.
00:42:37
Trevor
00:42:39
ice mocha uh latte. Trevor.
00:42:44
Trevor.
00:42:47
And no one ever shows up. That's that
00:42:49
that was his pitch.
00:42:50
>> That's the whole pitch.
00:42:51
>> That was the whole pitch. I went,
00:42:54
>> I bet this is going to be a long week.
00:42:57
>> Yeah. People think of that at Starbucks
00:42:59
on the way to the meeting. They're like,
00:43:01
cuz they have I think the problem is you
00:43:03
end the show Saturday, you don't wake up
00:43:05
until Sunday at 3:00 in the afternoon.
00:43:06
You do your laundry and then you're in
00:43:08
front of Brian Cranson. You're like, I
00:43:10
haven't I will think of something for
00:43:11
him. I just have not.
00:43:13
>> I would say a guy walks up and says his
00:43:15
name is Trevu. Trevu. No, not Trevor.
00:43:17
Trevor. And then another guy walks up.
00:43:19
Taniv. No, Trevor. Trevor.
00:43:21
>> I'm Trevor.
00:43:22
>> Travu. I'm just trying to complete this.
00:43:24
>> We can write it. We'll write it.
00:43:25
>> Lauren will be listening to this. We'll
00:43:27
have him back, you know, after, you
00:43:29
know, the uh the Wes Anderson kick.
00:43:33
>> We'll get good numbers with the Malcolm.
00:43:35
We What do they have nicknames for
00:43:37
Malcolm in the Middle Fanatics like
00:43:39
Malcolinites or Middlers?
00:43:42
>> They probably do, but I I don't
00:43:45
>> I don't I'm not aware of that stuff yet.
00:43:46
I don't
00:43:52
>> So, what were you what was your
00:43:54
monologue like? Did you when you were
00:43:56
coming out there? Did you have a strong
00:43:58
one?
00:43:59
>> I did. I did have some ideas and John
00:44:02
Melany is wrote it. I remember that guy.
00:44:05
Did
00:44:05
>> he do that barbershop kind of quartet
00:44:08
one or whatever you did?
00:44:09
>> Yes. The singing.
00:44:09
>> That's right. The barberh shop kind of.
00:44:11
And he said, u you know, what if we take
00:44:14
the the point of view that uh people
00:44:17
kind of know you but they don't really
00:44:19
know you? And I said, "Yeah, okay." He's
00:44:22
like, because I was getting that, "Oh,
00:44:25
you're the guy from Malcolm and the
00:44:26
you're the dad. You're the guy. You're
00:44:28
the guy." It wasn't
00:44:30
>> associating name with face. Breaking Bad
00:44:33
was on at that time, right? Yeah. Still
00:44:35
kind of going up.
00:44:36
>> You're kind of that guy. Oh, you're
00:44:38
Wolf.
00:44:38
>> You're the guy from Breaking Bad,
00:44:39
>> right? The guy from Breaking Bad. And
00:44:41
it's not until someone actually knows
00:44:44
your name connected to your face
00:44:46
>> that you go, "Okay, things have
00:44:48
changed." Which which goes back to your
00:44:50
original question, Dan,
00:44:51
>> is that that's when you go, "Oh, things
00:44:54
have changed." Uh, but we did Yeah, we
00:44:58
we did the monologue and I I I just
00:45:00
wanted to do anything. Uh, I had a
00:45:03
couple pitches for them which I pitched
00:45:06
ideas which were almost immediately shot
00:45:09
down.
00:45:12
>> Shut down. Shot down. Shut down.
00:45:13
>> I had a great pitch which I think
00:45:15
>> I'm a circus clown and do you remember
00:45:18
the pitch?
00:45:19
>> I do remember the pitch.
00:45:20
>> Well, let's hear it and let's see if
00:45:22
it's really that bad. We'll grade it 1
00:45:24
to 10. So, uh,
00:45:28
myself and a date and and another
00:45:30
couple, we can't believe we got
00:45:32
reservations for this restaurant. It's
00:45:34
supposed to be amazing. It's called All
00:45:37
in the Sauce. And it's like, wow. And
00:45:39
this very snoody waiter comes in and
00:45:41
says, "Are you ready? We can we see a
00:45:44
menu?" "No, we don't give menus. We
00:45:46
serve you food. You eat the food, you
00:45:47
leave." You know, it's like, "Oh, okay.
00:45:49
Yes, yes, yes." And he said, "It's all
00:45:51
about the sauce." So he puts down a
00:45:52
crudeet and we dip it in the sauce and
00:45:55
it's like, "Oh my god, just amazing."
00:45:58
Crudeet is taken away. Here comes the
00:46:00
the entree. You're eating the entree.
00:46:02
We're eating. Oh my god, this sauce is
00:46:05
absolutely insane. We're overeing. We
00:46:07
eat too much. We throw up. We dip the
00:46:10
barf in the sauce. Oh my god, it's
00:46:15
>> okay. It's all about the sauce. It's
00:46:17
like no matter no matter what you're
00:46:19
eating, as long as
00:46:20
>> What's in the sauce? Do we know?
00:46:21
>> No. I like it's in the sauce. It's in
00:46:23
the sauce.
00:46:24
>> What if it's soil and green at the end?
00:46:25
>> It's It's like you you know you have a
00:46:27
severed finger and you dip it in the
00:46:29
sauce and
00:46:30
>> whatever. I I got you. Yeah.
00:46:31
>> Still good.
00:46:32
>> Still good.
00:46:33
>> That didn't get past Monday meeting.
00:46:35
>> Yeah, it didn't get past Monday. Now, I
00:46:37
truncated that pitch now. It goes much
00:46:39
longer.
00:46:41
>> I can do a longer version. Sauteed pig
00:46:44
snout to take a bite. Oh, this is
00:46:46
horrible. Oh yeah.
00:46:47
>> Dip in sauce.
00:46:50
>> Yeah. Get everyone to come in with a
00:46:51
funny accent. You're halfway there.
00:46:53
>> Yeah.
00:46:54
>> Did you get to play uh big big broad
00:46:56
accents Italian? What? Get that out of
00:46:59
your system and just because you have a
00:47:00
great ear. I mean
00:47:03
>> you you know it's like that
00:47:06
>> your your listeners know the system now.
00:47:08
So I mean Tuesday is the big writing
00:47:09
overnight and then Wednesday the binder
00:47:12
the binder of 60 sketches. Terrifying.
00:47:15
And each writer is can can I talk to you
00:47:17
a second? Okay, now you're a pirate.
00:47:19
You're a pirate and you're
00:47:20
>> there's absolutely no system. They just
00:47:22
grab you and
00:47:23
>> they just grab you. You're
00:47:25
a pirate. You're you know and and so
00:47:27
you're you're just making big choices,
00:47:30
you know. Okay, I'm going to do a New
00:47:32
York accent, a southern accent, an
00:47:34
English accent. I'm a pirate. I'm a
00:47:36
baseball player. Just, you know, and so
00:47:38
I don't know what I was doing. It was
00:47:40
just one after another after another and
00:47:42
it's dizzying as you know. And then but
00:47:45
but you know he's weighing Lauren kind
00:47:47
of knows what he wants already
00:47:49
>> and then uh and then I'm shuttled into
00:47:52
the room.
00:47:53
>> Uh Seth Yeah, kind of.
00:47:56
>> Secret Lauren's office
00:47:59
brings you in.
00:48:00
>> Seth and Steve came in.
00:48:02
>> Steve Higgin Seth
00:48:03
>> Steve Higgins. Yeah. and Seth and we're
00:48:05
we're looking at the board and he's and
00:48:08
Lawrence saying, "Well,
00:48:09
>> is there any particular
00:48:12
sketch that you felt connected to?" And
00:48:15
I said, "Yeah, that uh this other one,
00:48:17
this longer met one." Yeah, that's not
00:48:19
as strong as this one, though. You know,
00:48:24
he hoped you agree and then he like,
00:48:26
"No, actually, you're wrong."
00:48:27
>> Um, what you just picked uh would never
00:48:29
work. Um, if yours one better. Oh,
00:48:33
you're a novice. It's not your fault,
00:48:36
but we'll take care of it.
00:48:37
>> Is there anyone you don't like? That'll
00:48:38
be the
00:48:39
>> Marcy. Any more popcorn? Don't bother.
00:48:42
>> Brian, he's starving. Help him.
00:48:45
>> He f But yeah, I mean, it is uh there's
00:48:48
nothing like it. We've It's been called
00:48:49
an athletic event on this show by some
00:48:52
people, like a sporting event.
00:48:54
>> It's tactile. It's It's uh
00:48:57
>> high r I I don't know. I mean, just we
00:49:00
got to get you back on. I want to
00:49:01
co-host with you and David.
00:49:03
>> Yeah,
00:49:04
>> I would love to go back on because it
00:49:06
is, you know, Steve Higgins said uh
00:49:09
there's two things I I two pieces of
00:49:11
advice I can give you
00:49:12
>> and I and I had known Steve before
00:49:14
because I worked with his brothers Al
00:49:17
Higgins and David Higgins who were
00:49:20
connected to Malcolm. Al was one of the
00:49:22
writers of Malcolm. Dave Higgins was one
00:49:24
of the actors on the show. Um, so Steve
00:49:26
says two things. Fir first and foremost,
00:49:29
trust the cards.
00:49:31
>> Don't think you can go off the cards and
00:49:33
I got this. I know what it is because
00:49:35
they're constantly changing. Cues are
00:49:37
changing. Lines are ch Trust the cards.
00:49:40
And second,
00:49:41
>> don't try to be perfect. Allow it to not
00:49:44
be perfect. Allow it to be
00:49:46
>> wherever it's going to go.
00:49:47
>> It's part of the fun. Yeah.
00:49:49
>> Yeah. And so I took it that advice. And
00:49:52
I think by doing so, I mean, I had a
00:49:54
blast. And man, that 90 minutes was over
00:49:57
in it felt like
00:49:59
>> two seconds.
00:50:00
>> It felt like, you know, 85 minutes. It
00:50:03
was amaz.
00:50:06
>> Yeah. The energy that comes because you
00:50:08
gra you're going when you host that
00:50:10
show, you're pretty wiped out by the
00:50:11
time the dress and all this stuff and
00:50:13
you're coming out and you're like, damn.
00:50:16
And then of course it just it just comes
00:50:18
when you need it. As soon as you hear
00:50:19
that
00:50:19
>> and it's adrenaline.
00:50:21
>> Yeah. And then to hear Don for the first
00:50:23
time, I'm backstage at that door with
00:50:26
the facade and people are scribbling
00:50:28
their names on the thing is and you're
00:50:30
waiting behind the door and I was
00:50:31
standing there going, "Oh my god, I'm
00:50:34
about to host Saturday Night Live."
00:50:37
>> Oh my god. And I just I just took a
00:50:41
couple deep breaths and then I hear Don
00:50:44
Partardo's voice going and host Brian
00:50:47
Quinland,
00:50:49
you know, and I went that freaked me out
00:50:52
and the door opens and out we go. And it
00:50:54
was Oh god. Like shot out of a cannon.
00:50:58
>> Yeah.
00:50:59
>> Well, Brian, before you go, I definitely
00:51:01
want to tell you it's great. First of
00:51:03
all, great to have you. And second of
00:51:04
all,
00:51:05
>> to have a line like um I won't get it
00:51:08
exactly right, but that scene when you
00:51:09
say, "I am the danger." Everyone knows
00:51:11
it. Everyone talks about it's great to
00:51:13
have a show. It's already everyone's all
00:51:17
over it, but then to have such a cool
00:51:19
thing. What a blast.
00:51:21
>> I It It possessed me. I was completely
00:51:26
possessed by that show and the acting
00:51:28
and Aaron Paul. All of it was just so
00:51:31
new and different. I try to think cuz I
00:51:33
was talking to someone I got Sopranos,
00:51:37
Breaking Bad, you know, when they say
00:51:39
television's better than movies, you
00:51:41
know, like
00:51:41
>> to be up in that category.
00:51:43
>> I thought Ozarks was really good.
00:51:45
There's been a lot of other shows, but I
00:51:46
can for sure say Sopranos, Breaking Bad,
00:51:49
like if you have people haven't seen
00:51:51
Sopranos, you got to watch that. Haven't
00:51:53
seen Breaking Bad, you got to watch
00:51:54
that. And I think they're seinal. I
00:51:56
think
00:51:56
>> they're some The Wire also is
00:51:59
>> The Wire is another one. There are
00:52:02
others
00:52:02
>> where it's like not arguable. People
00:52:04
like, "Okay, okay."
00:52:05
>> It almost didn't happen for me either.
00:52:07
Um, we were we were finishing Malcolm in
00:52:11
the Middle seventh season and Fox said,
00:52:14
"Keep all the sets up. We might pick it
00:52:17
up for an eighth season." Then they
00:52:19
turned around and a month later said in
00:52:21
May of ' 06, "No, we had a good pilot
00:52:24
season, so we're we're done with
00:52:26
Malcolm. Thank you very much." We're all
00:52:27
a little disappointed. It would have
00:52:29
been it would have been fun. But later
00:52:31
that year is when Vince Gilligan wanted
00:52:34
to see me for for Breaking Bad. And we
00:52:36
shot the pilot for Breaking Bad in
00:52:38
February and March of ' 07.
00:52:42
Had Malcolm in the Middle gone that
00:52:44
eighth year.
00:52:46
>> I'm not doing Breaking Bad. Someone else
00:52:48
is.
00:52:48
>> Wow.
00:52:49
>> So, it's I try to tell that to to young
00:52:52
actors all the time to say luck has a
00:52:54
weird way of working. So just when
00:52:56
something happens that you think is bad
00:52:58
luck, it may be putting you in a
00:53:00
position to have better luck. You don't
00:53:02
know.
00:53:03
>> Yeah, that's I love Paul Newman for a
00:53:06
lot of reasons, you know, his charitable
00:53:07
work, but he always people would try to
00:53:09
go how great and cool and Luke and how
00:53:11
great you are.
00:53:12
>> He goes, it comes down to one thing,
00:53:14
dumb luck. You know, whether that's
00:53:16
completely true or not, but you know,
00:53:18
there is whimsy whimsy to this life and
00:53:21
whimsical things happen in show
00:53:23
business. You never know. But you still
00:53:26
should not have taken a [ __ ] on his Red
00:53:28
Sox.
00:53:29
>> No, that's crazy, D.
00:53:30
>> That was that was a mistake.
00:53:33
>> I know. But I did have a dream last
00:53:35
night. I'll leave you with this. I had a
00:53:37
dream last night cuz I thought of you as
00:53:38
in a way like archetypal like you could
00:53:41
you could have been an actor from the
00:53:42
40s and 50s or whatever just because of
00:53:45
who you how you look. You're timeless in
00:53:47
a way.
00:53:49
And Henry Fonda came to me in the dream.
00:53:52
And I said, "Well, what do you think of
00:53:53
these young actors?" is Brian Cranston.
00:53:55
He said, "Well, he's as good as
00:53:57
anybody's ever been. He sure knows his
00:54:00
way around a camera. Would have loved to
00:54:03
have done a movie with Brian Cranston."
00:54:05
And then I woke up, you know, I said to
00:54:07
my wife, I I just heard Henry Fonda
00:54:09
talking about Brian Cranston. So, I just
00:54:11
wanted to do that for you.
00:54:12
>> Thank you.
00:54:13
>> No one asked me to do Henry Fonda
00:54:15
anymore. No,
00:54:16
>> that's a perfect Henry Fonda.
00:54:18
Unfortunately, you got to be 60 to to to
00:54:21
know who he They only remember Jimmy
00:54:23
Stewart. They don't remember Spencer
00:54:25
Tracy, Carrie Grant. It's Jimmy Stewart
00:54:27
because of the Christmas movie.
00:54:30
>> It's a Wonderful Life.
00:54:31
>> Ryan looks like a little bit like
00:54:32
Springsteen today.
00:54:34
>> Oh, don't you think a little bit?
00:54:36
>> He does look a little bit There's an
00:54:38
underbite there.
00:54:39
>> Got an underbite. Yeah,
00:54:41
>> I like
00:54:43
>> All right. Thank you, buddy.
00:54:44
>> All right. It's just such a pleasure and
00:54:48
uh good luck and everything and um I'm
00:54:50
going to go see this Wes Anderson
00:54:52
picture.
00:54:52
>> I'm going to see this
00:54:53
>> Phoenician scheme.
00:54:54
>> The Phoenician scheme scheme and we got
00:54:57
Malcolm coming out soon. I love it all.
00:54:58
>> Yep.
00:54:59
>> Thanks, guys.
00:55:00
>> Okay, bud.
00:55:00
>> Have a good day.
00:55:05
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00:55:07
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00:55:22
>> Fly on the Wall presented by Odyssey and
00:55:24
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00:55:26
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00:55:28
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00:55:31
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00:55:33
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00:55:35
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