The wonderful Anthony Edwards invites Chris to his apartment to talk about his past roles from Revenge of the Nerds to Top Gun to Gotcha to ER to his new show, Zero Hour! Anthony also talks about traveling around the globe and the ways he is trying to make the world a better place!
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This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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so go to stamps dot com before you do anything else, click on the microphone at the top of the page and type in Nerdiststamps dot com enter the promo code Nerdist. This episode of the podcast is Anthony Edwards, who is so friggin nice. It just makes me happy. I can't tell you what the movie revenge of the nerds for me did when I was a kid. I think I've probably talked about this before, but we didn't have names for what we were me and my friends when I was growing up and then I saw her veg the dirt. So it's like those are that's what I am a tri lamb, but the nerd word. I wasn't really in Use
my school until revenge of the nerds and then I finally felt like I had a tribe that I could identify with because there were only like. Maybe three of us are four of us. Well, maybe that's an exaggeration. I guess, if you counted all of the grades, they were like, maybe ten or eleven which,
We saw each other and just coming computer lab, so it was prevented. The birds was Abe. Strangely influential film, for me
and and then made me happy and I've seen hundreds of times. I'm I'm talking a lot of our friends of theirs. I know it. He had reached a certain parts, stuff of that, but very excited about that one, but top gun come on. Gotcha come on er as usual called zero hour. It's a mid season, replacement on a b c coming up early next year and just a wonderful guy, ladies and gentlemen, Gilbert Low, I'm sorry, I'm doing it again. It's Anthony Edwards, the dry land, president of the Atoms college, drylands date, the adwords and any revenge of the nerds dammit.
Now blah blah dot com,
setting the level of talking about it,
so there's not weird moment of were staring at staring at each other perfect great, now, recording
in the universe. Thank you for having me in your apartment, I'm sitting across from your desk for me, so I sort of feel like I'm being interviewed. You are what are your
am, but I'm I'll tell you. So why do you think he should have this job? We're qualities, make you feel like you, I feel like I pretended long enough its time
for you to table a thing of the mental pretending was,
all this to the well. Ok, let's just down
and in talk about that, because a lot
people say that I get asked constantly
there was to give it a nerd and I go well look people had the it's
It's it's a semantic
yeah, I don't know I I think ultimately were saying the same thing. Some people would, if you want to get
annual or say well, nerves are more you note, tack and geeks or more
there's some. You know everyone has their own definition and I say: look we didn't use the word geek when I was growing up, it was regional and the nerd nerd was really a word that in sir,
using until render the where, where I and went oh, oh, that's
that's what I am so it was because of your movie that I I mean I just been
video games- and I was chess club in Computers- and I just didn't know what that you don't ask what that's called when you're a kid you just like what you like yeah 'cause, like what year was that it was like eighty two. Maybe
yeah yeah, eighty two, eighty three mainly somewhere right in there then was like we do
but it also had to you, know very little in a little bit to do with techno, but had more to do with just like being out of it, yeah being not the jock yeah. Well, that was
such that you know everything was about sports and again- and you know nerds were anybody who didn't fit in yeah, but I just don't think it it really. Is it really
the way I was kind of wonderland,
were nerds in the eighteen hundreds were they cartographers. Like I don't know I mean. Maybe they were accountants, I mean they still had to count money at some point. I don't know what they do. I guess they were scientists and budding astrophysicists, but it wasn't really until
you know the computer revolution, the home computer revolution, started to take off in the seventies, where you had a whole generation of people that, finally, maybe nerves were just waiting for their thing. All the time anytime, a group group gets ostracized, you
and then turns into the negative into a
yeah it into a badge of courage, yeah that that was the whole joke in front of it. I mean that was you know to have like the was it called the
a black fraternity, those right wing of the truck and soaking up making this whole black power reference. Yeah, you know alignment so which was a mess so
great that that that that moment, the movie like any kids like- oh, my god, yeah, because this is so- I think so much of
culture leading up to that point, particularly in film
the sort of like. I don't know. If this was a post war.
Er like yeah America like
for women who are strong and like they. You know they. It's all physical and then to have a movie suggests that
oh yeah, actually the smart people are the actually can use their brains right.
Then beating the shit out of something until it submits. You know like that that was such an important idea for fur ass. I think an especially probably at the age. You were yet
when you were watt, one thousand two hundred and twelve years old. So I mean there, you are trying to figure out who you are and what you are.
Yeah. I mean I it's a four. It's a you know. It was just in a time when they were just making ridiculous movies. You know, and that was the one in which the director Jeff can it was like yeah. This is a ridiculous movie with a high,
you know a he was right. I mean it really was. Was there was? Was there was a pretty strict script? Was improvising? Did you guys, but it was pretty it was. It was pretty much there, but you know we were all just actors looking for a job yeah so
you know. We everybody just dove and then- and you know, to this day I'll run into ten bucks field, and you know with their friendships that came out of that that yeah really you know it was our kind of first jobs for a lot of us and then it was. It was fun, but you were in fast times
two yeah, so that was there was another defining film of the yeah. I've been lucky to be around some movies of where we were well like that
fast. Let's what I mean. I was eighteen experts and I we grew up together in Santa Barbara, oh yeah, I'd like my family, all my brother's all serve
the whole world, and and but yeah we were alike because its six months in the college, you something in that in a job came up. You know, shut.
Was insanely brilliant. Of course you know. I never forget that forget that he introduced as to who he, who he based the character on was nothing at all like spot and you're. Right, like you, know, realize actors, it's not about imitating something as much as finding finding that that thing that makes because, because that's a really unbelievable character, yeah up with
in Sean Penn like you know it was so not that time and that was so brilliant. So, but he was that that sort of, like that kind of burner
who then any luck? He really that characterise pretty timeless
and it was almost like our culture didn't know. We needed that character until he did it, and people are still
doing that character. Thirty years later- and it just seems like
doing that. I am actually so I'm doing this new show now and the camera. The dp is this guy John Landing in John then that he was the focus puller on fast.
Underage always wincing each other. In thirty years, like the guy and journalists
is literally he's a lovely guy verhofstadt, music, Namaste,
hello. This is Classic California, character, yeah and it's it's. It's totally brought me back to fast times in that world to seriousness, and you know full on California character yeah. So that's why I wrote a group in Santa Barbara and was like you know those guys. It was like it's long as they could have a job. Cleaning pools and able to surf than life was set yeah, as you know, that's as much as they wanted out of it. What else you need
This is the sort of her so that a classic parable about the guy goes the Mexican Fishing Village and made their catching fish and meet these old villagers needs. Like all of you,
more people coming, you could catch more, the guys like and then what and then you could build a factor
you can employ a lot of people and then you could do and then
and then he basically saying amendment and then one then, when he's like and then you have returned to fisheries lingering have, but I do that now
So what do I have to do all that stuff to get what I already have yeah yeah! That's funny thing I mean it was part of. I mean Santa Barbara is a beautiful, great place, but it's also a place that, like you, know, you're not going to you're not going to really push yourself, because because you really can't set up, I mean I'm gonna, be like you know, hot tub by the beach or something that this is the center of the universe.
I you know you kind of get lulled into. You know just a real yeah. It's not like a more incentive. You a lot of times, people wherever they are. They sort of dream about the other side of the fence, but if you're in Santa Barba, it's not like you're going, I wonder what it's like in a cramp are noisy see. I say I was like no, I mean Santa Barbara as a kid you know. Sometimes the fog would
yeah, you know it. People rough work shuts down
of our is an interesting there's sort of this interesting dichotomy between like this really pleasant beach, culture and then
there's, there's kind of a douche bag, contingency contingency, a little like drunk. You know like that. Bore that damn well. It was the one
I guess, if you could put in the schools and then the one hundred and one also there was the one place where they were stoplights, so it was like when I grew up there in the 60s seventies that everybody hitchhiking
was people. Let us is a huge homeless community. That's our what our breath so there's that's always been there. It's been like a it's in a resort town right, it's got a you know. It always has had a population like that that that it's just hung out and if you see a spam itself with its
there is kind of a brutal culture, there lay a hearty brows and you know like sorority, girls and stuff. It's you know that sort of Europe, but there's so many great
on the montage is really nice and that, like all those little resorts around yeah, I know it's a beautiful. I mean my folks still live there and you know day my dad was born. There want to see you know yeah. I was an architect and you know built all kinds of beautiful things and it was a really good place to grow up a million tons of theater. We had like you, know two different you
theater groups going on- and I was like this scrawny little kid so as much as I wanted to play sports, I couldn't really say laugh at me, and so I found like the internet d
and and and and but there was enough of that, going on that. You know by the time I got out of high school and then twenty five shows so like we just it was, is normal for us to have all that. So it means a great community that way yeah for access to.
The arts assistance. So what happened right after runs the nerds, which I'm still gonna keep saying, is what if there was of all time, what what is is you know is coming off of that, because that that movie did I just maybe they did
it was fucking huge. I remember how huge that movie was right and I you know there have been
animal house, like a teen, a string of teen comedies are fast times and so you there and
You know there were a lot of other. I mean I have vague. Memories of you know a lot of misfit fifteen comma, but that one just like hit the sweet spot, so it was a huge movie, so
would afterwards was it sort of like. Oh now, I can be in well
not really I mean I was also you know. I've never been like a real leading man, kind of doktor that oh revenge, the, as always,
their friends in their great I mean there's always the Rob Lowe's and the does the guys I was with another
Yellow Beta House, I was getting you know, kind of what everybody else didn't get is what my career kind of has always been in a great way. I'm very lucky to you know, but it I mean that would lead to God
yeah, which was the same director Jeff Kennett Square. This with gesture, I didn't know he direct yeah yeah yeah had the biggest crush on Linda Fiorentino. Of course, yeah yeah who didn't, and so that was a gotcha gotcha- is really what led to that's what Tony Scott saw, and so
Oh, that's. The guy you want to have is your best friend to die.
Because a studio really wanted a comedian. They wanted goose to be a comedian analysis and
to the point where, when I buy first issue thing, I've got a a basket of fruit basket from the head of the studio, both Zdnet TAN and done so and and the little card on
with it said. Goose may not always be wise, but he's always underline three times funny and I'm like oh
wait. I got to go look at the script again. You can see that send you a fucking gift with a note on it like we're, giving you notes about your character before we start the movie and I'm like, and I'm thinking. Oh no like, okay, I knew you want, but that was so every day was about. Trying to you know, bring fun.
Into it and I'm not a comedian, I'm not a writer, but I mean I know I mean I like to laugh yeah so, but then I mean you got into. That is just like how things lead to the next. It's it's. It's strange group got MEG Ryan, though right, so he was so like funny does get get get the ladies right and it and it does go full circle because by Sun did wake me up the other night to tell me that I was referenced in new girl because she said yeah. You want to talk, and
Oh it's Anthony Ed. He called me Anthony and he says nobody dies like him. He's like the bald Hillary Swank he's a fifty year old Father of mine, who made a lot of you know luckily
I'm good movies, a lot of bad ones. It's like those a very proud moment,
your son is very slow because it is like you know. I am the one you want to kill. I like him enough to kill. I I will I,
you know I was also right. Like top gun, was a good sweet spot for me too,
Was teenage like really teenager at that point and of course you know everyone identified with
but I identified with goose because I I felt like I was that I never
I saw myself is like and the guy's extended family.
Tyler, the bird and a guy like you said,
You know it was that guy. I know how to operate the radio yeah. We have it on this. They call a guy in the back between kids. It's like there's nothing to fly the plane in the back of it. It's just radar and all that stuff. So it was really meant for guys like us who could just hang out with a good looking one
There was not a dry eye in the house. That's right when goose hit that ejection thing
and was all over, that's why I've got my posit license last year. Finally, after I love flying
I've always loved anyone thinks of even after that experience. I know so finally left it, and when you get your when you do you for solar flight, they does. Traditionally you cut off the back to your shirt and so that its called because they use to the old days
so they trained you, they don't be behind you and they pull on your shirt. Oh ok, that was so. The tradition is a cup because you don't need him back there anymore. Ok, it's ok to fly, and then you can write something here: instructor 'cause you get to uni fun. So, and so that's what I I think I wrote something to the effect of goose lives. I finally kicked the good looking guy out of the plane
Only he wasn't fly. I would have lasted a long talk too. There is so much like when you look at it
Look at the volleyball sequence like there's so much male actor
in that scene between crews and Val Kilmer. Like my kids also point out,
who's. The only one. With assured I I would have an I got. It was a Rick Rosville we already are revising. Did all the
so I can yeah sure. Let's do yeah, it was all three. So all of the men held up by the way Tom Cruise is fine, yeah yeah, yeah yeah, would still want to play sure it was volleyball. You think you're pretty safe, I think now is now is goose. Is time at the age of like that, some of the old
red wine, the God that was a ridiculous time, but that movie in those
that whole does everybody knew what we were doing so was like you know it was really a silly story.
And it was a summer in San Diego that was, was a little little twisted. There was a very there's a tremendous amount of tequila drunk, but that's funny
a whole different kind of like near your backgrounds. Theater, you know you're taking a lot
acting movie roles and, like you, like you just said, like everyone knew what this was. But it's stop. You still kind of got up
get though, because isn't it sort of it does feel.
That. I think this is gonna, be like
big movie- well yeah, no one had that too I mean it. Was it a minute joke with it like we couldn't shoot the planes, because Tony Scott had to have like a lover. You know everything had to have like a blinds with smokey like so like the and read some. You know fan
just to blow it all and make it load. It was like. Well, we can't land a plane without smoke and fans and when you know everything had to be back with it and it was just it was all about. I mean on Tony Scott birthday and we're making the movie. The producers gave him a dill doe with wings on and it was that was
No one was no and we did
that they were making in our film rockin sins and knew what they wanted. How did he take that he loved it was like that's it because that's the way he would Tony he would blank out.
Its rock and roll, its rocky roll more patches.
What do they mean? I don't care put more pins on it. Have it loose when you fly, you have to be all time. I don't care
Well. That was what made it all, but he was fired three times during that move really yeah. He would be fired as a studio with that was wanted me to be a
comedian also wanted the movie to be really, you know straightforward.
He wanted all the stuff that made it look great all that slow motion, all that backlit smoky stuff, that made it so cool
yeah. He was basically capitalizing at that
MTV Co. Writer. Exacts always it is there like a gore like a gorgeous music video and they hired the guy who did the hunger? I mean if you saw this sexy, is it Susan Sarandon and yet nothing but like dappled light through so you know, smoky sex filled room, so
There was you know, and then, when we saw what was I'm sorry we're like yeah? This I mean it was you put in all that music and that ridiculousness- and you know it is that they were. I do show because I'm you know, of course you know this-
Melo Pacifist. Who then has to spend the next thirty years having people going. My child joined the navy.
Like. I am sorry
glad and I hope, flying planes and not scraping paint off,
the wall, which is what you would end up. Do me we're on the aircraft carrier Lou?
You're making a movie is no fucking adventure
got a spoon and they're literally scraping paint like that's what they're doing you know. The life expectancy of an aircraft carrier in a conventional war is four hours. Oh wow like this. Like this whole antiquated, you know military system. I mean it's like it's. What the debate is now right, so they were talking about.
Yeah. You know. Do we really need another without any, but which was there any was?
was everyone cool with their hanging out in the same way everywhere you everything
everybody got along really well and
like it was. It was literally, you know just destroying kind of one hotel room after
other where the party was or what was happening, and you know it was. I mean the the greatest character on. Is this this actor very tough and you know who's the Texan with the cavalry hat, and you know he was proud because he called he said. I'm very tough dup dup son and he was like he was. I don't care how many jack I'm gonna Jack when we go up
and you know you guys are all bunch of pussies, I'm going to tell you that we see the dailies of his footage while we're you know we had been shot us in the plane while we're flying and he's just there like getting greener engagement ring.
It is with the extra they got to put up open. The extra saw that total false, provide a member
like this that you would never go up in an airplane like then
you really had to film. You know with all these there's, not full CG, I sure so you know they were like. It was worth it to them. To put this through, like you know, training to get taxi qualified so that you get like six seven minutes of film of us in the backseat of an airport, oh wow,
so that was cool actress which isn't he I have to get out of it. Yeah. That's not as I do this and let's get to be the veterans of foreign war. Film
We we had to start a war with a group of actors from another country.
Per diem was late,
even though the movie that I am loved when I was when I was younger, was a mister north. I love them, yeah a really fun movie. I was a totally melancholy summer and that it was John Houston's like it was his fifth favorite book and the book the office North was was publish after
your mother died, so it wasn't totally its when its budget, but it was
and John Houston had done these movies for his children. He did the dead for his son Tony Houston. He did. I forget the other one for pretty son or something I think for Angelica, and then he done it was. This was for his son.
To direct who's. Now great actor, yeah Danny Houston, he didn't direct that he directed
oh wow he was, he was going to be director and then you know didn't realize what a great actor he was so he can be created, but he
This was your day and in he, John
passed away while we were making the movie so we're shooting in Newport Rhode Island, but he was so he's such a great
care guide, real headway, favour picture I have is: is I'm sitting on a deck in Rhode Island just going over the script with him, and it was the same day that dumb point the call came over
forget it out at this dinner while longer call John Houston, like oh, I remember the day that bogey did.
Yes on the set of African and you're, just like my job juice, name droppers. I know all you have to sleep with a vote soon, but he was and he before the night that he died. He he knew he was going to die. I mean he was that kind of a guy because he had this is the person took care of him was also. I believe this is called is
partner. She he told her when I died and I don't let them know until seven o'clock, so they have a good night's sleep. We're gonna have to shoot that,
Oh my god, he was, you know an amazing
you know, and he also had the the big listen to me on that one was it he had to struggle to make that movie like here's, John Houston wants to make a movie and he was doing the same thing. There was doing like taking to get the six million dollars so that he can go make like you think. After all, the
who's that man make they're like here, misty history, would you like another million dollars to make sure that every movie he made was something that was important to him and when it's important to you, it's not commercial, it's just kind of, and in tell some, then it had some people go. We knew that it was going to be great yeah, so he too is
ass movie, those last night and day was proving once again. That is supposed to be hard. It's not
this to be given to you and you know if it's worth it, you fight for it. You know, and you get it out of its like what you read about Ben Affleck
This movie Argo, which I saw the other night, which is great and it's like he fought hard and hard and hard, and you know just didn't compromise. Well, I guess yeah because
That were easy. Easy I mean I I mean I was anyone can make stuff now, but it's still,
really hard to make a feature film and have it get released right and if it's
on top of that. Well, that's a bonus like it
like it's so hot that whole process is so insane it takes years. I don't know how anyone can, whether someone someone's going to give you a million dollars or forty million dollars they're not going to do it easily
know. I never going to give it in that's where you know the making
one thousand. Eight hundred and ninety two one hundred and fifty million dollar movies are like yeah. It better be based on a book. Anna comic series, an you, know, 'cause for their business wise. It doesn't make sense right. You just can't you know justify oh yeah
look at what the odds ass, much money, people you got from their films does
crazy. I mean even some, the even some of the movies that you think others like the highest grossing films. They
This offer me the their money back and how is that possible news? I've, never I've. We all had points within our net points points, but I've never gotten a dime from that movie. You know all that use it all just goes back in is
the same yeah, the same Tom Wilson had the same thing with back to the future, where it's like really is it movie made
hundreds of millions of like we're still in the red you printed advertising in Korea, so DVD release and sucking up all the money
Floyd within the meaning. I guess it means something that truth is that I mean they. You know they it's, I mean the other phone hang about the
That way is that financially is I got in in motor racing just as a fan and then did some charity
with it and when you around that world and you're on the businesses of America
nothing to do with the movie business as you like all right. This is like tractors, the tractor business, which is probably ten times. This
of Hollywood. Of course you know and they make tractors. But when you call the head of John Deer, he returns your call.
Everything out a lot yeah, it's like this. It's like my dogs. It's like, they think, they're big you in there's like these tiny chihuahua and there it's laughable Anthony.
The tiniest must a black woman away one little two hours days when I came to us. We're like oh ok, be careful the door
like a boy I to the corner, it like appeal had so you re, so you and you say, you're in a motor car reason,
on the phantom of huge like us,
Santorum is a sign of my one little like NASCAR, no actually formula one formula, one and yeah formula cars explain it to me, explain to me because I I I I you know I'm
kind of not even from like when it goes from there to there. What do you need? What what is
What do you see in it.
I guess it's as silly as the fact that I got to drive in like the celebrity race in long Beach, okay and when you get into a car and you learn how to drive it fast and you realize that it's about putting together ten corners really well, and you have to do it precisely and what the concentrations involved. Then you realize the talent of it that required to make a car go that fast, so it just becomes. That was just that and then you know I've always liked cars of, like you know,
and it's just kind one. My one little dad private time,
I hate it, so I get to do it by myself.
It'll come around, like you know, like I hated countries
has going up, because I grew up in the south. My dad used to listen to it all the time,
I got older,
You know I kind of like it a little bit it, but it's is also good
I mean now the charity work I'm doing now has to do with Africa, because I don't know if you you that, are you building a hospital yeah? Well, we took a year off as a family and we just did like a dream. Come true
trip, which is we took the kids out of school. He went around the world for a year holy. She traveled for three hundred and ten days with two teachers, and
we're on our and we spend up spending a lot of time in Africa and hadn't been there before and like people who go to Africa. They come back to
it's where we're from it's the it's, the only I mean because it and it feels that way. I mean you get into this area.
In places where you know the coast of Africa, where
forty million years turtles have been coming in laying eggs like like it's a very central place to where humanity come.
I know, but in LOS Angeles some buildings date back to nineteen twenty, three, exactly that's what I grew up. So it's probably the same. It's pretty similar right pretty similar to that it's pretty similar.
An uh and there's an incredible spirit. I'm in Kenya is a country, an the people and there's the thing. As far as you know, it's actually always like doing charity, and how do you make things that? How do you make a difference in what you do and the kind of thing that really seduced me into Africa to is how little goes so far. You know I mean we're building the first public children's hospital for E Africa and we've raised
two million dollars to do that. I mean if we were to do something on the same scale here. It would be one hundred and twenty million dollars to build this hospital and this hospital. It only can we do it and there, but they don't have any pediatric teaching facility in EAST Africa,
No, I mean it's like here in New York City, where, like you, can throw a rock without hitting a hospital or doctors office or something you know right and that kind of you know need there is exciting exciting. When you can help know,
that's. What's that it's just been really inspiring for me from all I'm a big runner. Actually, that's kind of what I do.
Is I run and
its through the sport of running that we're doing this, because the man who started this was a Ex professional runner who started brain, choose down it being up his teammates of people. He ran with in Africa, where he trained in canyon,
and so the organization is called shoe for Africa and what we do,
Do women's empowerment, races will get two thousand women together, give them parachutes an at shirt and then at that event, have aids, education and health initiatives at the end, or do it with the school and we're building we're building schools there for sixty thousand dollars, my god you're taking a public school in your which is falling apart 'cause. They have to have these schools and they have to provide the teachers, but the quality of the building is so poor and so to do that basic infrastructure actually completely transforms.
Education for that community, because the schools became a place that the kids and the teachers want to go to and that simply by having doors and windows and roof, which are things things more things like we can't even perceive you know- and I started this with the story of going around the world, because what inspires is, if you go away from this country for like what we did three hundred days or you probably only take you back
two or three weeks. If you really pay attention you come at, you realize that we have so much access.
Insane the amount of excess, the fact that our roads are paved so well, most of the world doesn't have roads healthcare
and all this stuff we wine and moan about as thinking with its
we have so much extra. We were killing yourself with food right yeah. The hits like we spend more in this country combating obesity. If we took that money that we combat obesity with, we can feed Africa,
its work. You get better culture yeah, but also because it is like the whole. Like ninety nine one,
thing in America, go yeah, but America's
like the one percent of the planet's
as all we we have so much. You consume way too much yeah. You know. So that's! What's it's enough house after I mean it happens, but don't you know I I've I've traveled, I traveled the United States like a high,
times over I've been pretty much everywhere, a lot right, global travelling Niven, because
Australia in been I've. You know Switzerland, ITALY, England, not anything, really want to go.
Asia really thought about Africa, and but it's just like how
how well educated about the regions? Do you need to be to go into in what it wouldn't want? Safe? What's not safe like what are you it's it's! It's you! Don't it's really worth guy I mean literally either of you so
any capital city in Africa, you're gonna be fine. You know, you know in its its
so then you think I mean seven hours to London from here and then it's eight hours directly south to Nairobi and you're Nairobi. Africa is huge and with very little research and very little exploration, you would find
safe places to go, and I don't mean I mean I don't mean I don't you know it is like a dumb American when I said, but I just mean in terms of like I. I know that there are. You know. I know that their uprisings rebellions in certain parts of the the country- and so you just wanna, make sure like I I I think, yeah I'm a little bit of a like a gold, just work kind of America's
in the world stage right now, if you like their places like it's, maybe not the best, the girl,
is it american yeah, but most of the conflict.
Ever been around or or seen in. Africa is not like classic white on black conflict that you think of like your you're, not from this cotton, and we write it. It's most, it's tribal its it's. You know it's just basic conflicts that happen between countries that you know happen everywhere that are very specific to that region, and I you know I I think it would be very difficult to stumble in to something that was bad. It's like you know: yes, there's malaria in Africa, but you don't have to
Larry Pills everywhere you go in after there are specific places where it exists and you can take the pills when you're on that I mean it's. Not it's just the same kind of dumb thing that you know I I admittedly have that and it's not just Africa specific it's over. It's like! Oh well, if I go, you know if I go to Korea
part of create what I make sure to go into. If I you know we went to because that's what you have to travel, because you've got to take that general yeah after type and give it because people find specific
like from the Midwest go. Well, how do you live in LA and that's crazy and not safe and you're like what you just go? I don't know you figure it out right. You know and that's the thing that most countries that are actually touching other countries is that people you know, learn how to do that. They know how to travel around and you know
markets can really benefit from that, because we're so isolated. Well that, I think that's I think, that's really important.
And it's amazing that you got to take your kids to go, see that too.
Yeah and we continue to do it? You know continue to travel because that's the thing once you get there once you go back again now and you'll go
You realize that you know it's. You can kind of get anywhere in the world in twenty four hours and you know that's a long time, but
it's a plane playwright has a beginning middle and end. Well, it's just a dad.
A like I yeah. I got a pretty on this morning. You know tomorrow, but tomorrow morning it could be seen. You'll never regret it. You never regret traveling, that's for sure! Well, it's funny, because the
when I, when I travel internationally, the most I was dating a girl who was
on the show that there on now just descended
okay, so is the one like.
Brilliant and she had this. She was very much a traveler, and so you know she's like we have to go to Costa Rica and, like I don't like it,
what's there just like that's, we you got to go. I don't know why. I just grew up very. We travel
around America from my parents were not big international travelers, and so I just didn't really appreciate the value of seeing another culture right until I went and it's
that's that's you're, not alone. That's like too pretty common.
I know, but you know I always like to I'm sure like most of I, I too feel like I've enlightened and I M, but then I realized that really you now like. I know I have my own little shit
the world, but I really haven't seen by most of what's outlets lights. Exciting! Is that as this whole, this
internet and everything I mean the way everybody is communicating. Now 'cause you literally now we could be talking live to a bunch of kids in Africa like that. You know just couldn't do that before. So I think, as younger generations are doing, that, it's going to open up. You know borders and a lot yeah
By the way you you, I should talk, because she also had what she had her pilots licence
How about you did she to fly? I don't she said
but yeah, I love it, I'm obsessed with it and so much fun. What kind of plans do you fly? Just a little single engine? I fly series now out of white planes and just kind of tie a day off I'm out and flying and
I love it. It's really good. Do you go anywhere or do you just kind of circle around and then I stay within five hundred feet of
Yeah I mean it is. It is great that Marlboro up to maine- and you know yeah and have lunch and I'm the classic like go- have lunch places. You know for pilot, I like go to Manta
to collect church on Monday on and see my friend in York, Pennsylvania and we'll go for a ride and then fly back and people like. Oh that's, a good environmental thing to do,
fly applying to go running. I don't you,
that's so funny, like you, accomplish this huge task which is going on a fly plane and then there's still always gonna be someone's like wait, nice covered footprint,
we're going to the game? Now it's toll, it's just a really a really a get out good. His requires all this concentration, and yet it's beautiful yeah. You know, and
you know they. Let actors do it. It isn't one thing that they let you know this thing when I did my first solo and he the terrifying thing wasn't doing the flight was when he got out of the plane before I took off and I'm thinking to myself
wait, a second I'm just pretending them learn how to alright. That's when the acting skills come in come on here. I also I love running but
You know, I don't want any marathons. No, I haven't I've just been like I mean I really. I don't know if
Myself, a runner runner, but I run a lot. It's just like treadmill.
Cause I'm usually just in hotels. At that thing, and on that I not not advocate of marathon, I mean I've done on, but I wouldn't recommend my Bergmann doing once yes figure easier for for the self esteem you get know you ve done it, but I mean that kind of distances, not great. For you sure, most people, like I'm tall tall and after twenty miles, my bodies like sit the fuck it up with us. But just like you know like TAT s. What I did you know
miles and apart from our support in your set for the day, you never regret. No, but what's almost feel bad.
Is making the cause
I can run. We could have done this running. We could have run the whole time next time, but what I found is that if anyone's an indoor treadmill runner the transition, you can feel
Awesome like I could run forever on a a treadmill
go outside you get like two blocks. In fact, I think there's something about propelling yourself like the treadmill, the move, the governor but prepare
your support is an extra exertion of it, but I started running until honest. I mean I was
Thirty, seven years old smoked. I was like okay, I'm going to do something I can't do
just run and I try try and search and search for meals, and once you get also pronouns and answering, then you will you'll only go to tread mills when it's raining. Yours, crappy weather, all your stuff in a hotel, because once you get running outside and enjoying it, it's really fun to
it's just so it's it's a great way to zone out without having to concentrate your bus
No, I don't know I just kind of like world and just kind of you know, because I always have whatever thought I have before I run it's different after you come back and you haven't have a different. You know and you could really it's meditative in a way yeah. It really really is well. New York has a,
Maybe you should should I'll show you how to issue that somewhere
you're back I'll. Take you in local up the bridle path, our loves. It's really nice and you in yonder, on its men through really cool yeah. It's hot
it's harder to run in LOS Angeles, because it's not a well planned city, and so you find yourself like I mean it's certainly possible, but it's just think this doesn't connect. Very
well, so yours marathon around I did it was in, whereas on the it that did it and I would like and it Hollywood and food
but you ve over and over, but it's good here and but that's the thing
you know it's really about moderation, because you now people get like you negative
and think. Oh, if I'm going to run, I have to run a marathon right, no just go out twenty minutes, yeah fifteen minutes and then do that three times
we can see appeals and then and then grow. Naturally I mean it is. It is kind of running a sort of
it can be hard on your body and the like. It's basically, it's sort of you know
I guess one way to look at it is that you know every time your your feet smack on the ground, you're sort of like sh you're, punching your organs a little bit well, yeah, and- and we also it's- you know, you've,
I don't know if you read born to run or any of those books, but the most important thing is to run on the balls of your feet. If you don't, if you keep playing on your heel, that's where people get injured and hurt or not meant to do that. Do you have the gorilla,
issues of you have running shoes, I running shoes and I have both but the the point of the running shoes which of the you know the live from the ones that call of those
is that you have to run the way you're supposed to run, which is the land on the ball. Your feet like because, if you're barefoot you're not going to land on your heels right, not just not going to, and if you run in that posture, which is harder at first have you have to use more muscles, it's better for for ultimate
because you use less shocking, enjoying on everything and they're running shows a little bit really soft heel running shoes that probably cause more damage than then prevented. Oh wow yeah because you're getting the repetition of beating that's going straight from your heel through the rest of your body as opposed to hitting on the ball of your foot
yeah. I have the I have the Nike chip in the issue and then it connects to the to the yeah yeah yeah, the runs yeah. I know
I've got it too. I've got on I watching, and I love that I love going like getting on the maps and see where it went and that's
yeah. I do what I think about it.
Well, next year run the I'm going to run the marathon one more time. The New York City Marathon, so I'll run it next year, so you're
what
We can challenge it were plus it you just made it about charity. You know, that's not fair! That's for the children! I, like I like I'm, like that's, not fair, but these people have
but it's not you're me wrong. I mean all day of my life.
No one. Has it harder than me? Okay, so I guess in front for your hospital people can live.
Is it a twenty six mile marathon they all are, and that is also a half marathon. So this is like a fail Barton yeah, but you only need like. If you have sixteen weeks, you can drank for it. How do you train you do four,
once a week. Basically in the three other rounds are not very long necessarily and then on the base in the we can you do a longer run and every weekend you do like a build up like you'll start at six miles. The next weekend, seven miles next weekend, eight miles and then you'll go back and then you'll go seven,
nine and then you'll go back, eight nine and you eventually get up to a twenty mile weekend. Yeah and that's all you have to do it. You don't have to you have to do anything exceptional
y all round the week. I don't
think. I run the smartest way because, usually I have so little time than I
should. I have a half hour, so I'll go
to a treadmill and run for you know like twenty five
That's it eight miles an hour, that's great, but that just means you have that to draw from you know, because
you do he's getting your body used to running a distant. Ok I'll have to have done well, one does that
date of this once a day. I don't know whether it's a mechanism to the first Sunday in November a year from now. Okay, I can to
because it's a year away, no no quitting can be on our team because, we'll my God, that's amazing, be fun I'll. Do it would be a good group holy crap yeah, but with this you have sixty people running on the shoe for Africa.
Yeah and we do uh. You know I have a big pasta party here the night before an an it's great. It's a good. It's a good group that sounds
but it's also something you can do: training training, Whis individually, wherever you are annual and we have a program you follow the program, get it done.
I Iraq are at last
well, I guess really passing the torch. Gonna be my last two I mean I'll. Do I think of like you said like yeah, I got it. I got it, I'm good! You know I can do a little bit
do you like five minutes. Five she is what's awesome, is to be with forty thousand people all going in the same direction.
I mean you really are like the is the easiest part of it. If you can get to the training. The marathon is a piece of cake, yeah, honestly because running by yourself doing sixteen or seventeen miles and doing that and that
hard when you're like Sunday morning, maybe
on Monday. Through these, like
oh there's going to be some argentinian guy is going to run it in two one slash two hours. You have to be prepared, the fact that they'll be quite a few sixty five year old women that will pass you,
yeah. It's like nothing again! Sixty five year old women, if you have any kind of legal problems in relationships, another door yeah, my friend George, her. She is seven thousand two hundred and seventy years literally some like mile twenty one. Last time I ran he said
you're a good year
I need to talk you about er, which it will also was,
with a fun did you like it? It was eight years
they the way it was. It was great
yeah that's a dumb way to ask that question I mean, but it was it was I mean you know I'll. I I sent like taken like Howdy Doody, but my son was born in January of ninety four yeah. We did the pilot in March yeah. We were
started to show in July, and then I did. I did straight right that and in that time had three other kids. While we had to make a company
you know, that's what I mean we would. It was insane like
I idea no idea how much work it was until it was all over and came to New York moved to New York and was like oh Jesus
Who am I because it
dialing all that was you know it was challenges require
a lot and also you don't have kids now when you start having kids use, I mean it's like it's all. You know was great that I played a sleep, deprived,
stressed you are didn't. You know I didn't have to start
watch is your. We are you sleep, deprived and you're constantly having to keep someone alive. I guess when you have kids, your house is like an er report, yeah, so it's the truth is it was like I'm realizing again now I mean working is easier than raising kit
so it work was actually kind of a nice break to be able to be with the belts and do that and didn't play and pretend to have all that fun and it made me also kind of not have it be any more precious than it had to be, and we had a great group of actors there and a great group. You know none of the problems on that
happened on the set, it was a really happy fun place to be, is a funny thing of like I mean it's, not that friends was dark right, but they started the same time we did, and I would like, if you visited the sets of different. It was very different, like our set was like fart, jokes and people
on stuff just like fucking around because then when the cameras were rolling, we're like your child just died a headstone in that case and then you, like you, go to the friends, place.
Like while rehearsing they're like okay. This is how
yeah, serious, comedians right and then made people laugh
so everyone well everyone on that. Show, though, just sort of became
our own little many industry separately right and then so comes. I mean that that's a different world yeah because they have a different schedule and everything you know we're doing kind of twelve hours every day right
so we never got that. You know a read through day right, so not that it's any harder to what we were doing necessarily as an actor. I don't think is that those guys are great comedians, obviously, and that's really difficult stuff, but
It it was really. It was fun. It was really I have to say for eight years I had a really good time I always enjoy going to work. The scripts were always challenging, it was you know, it was great that way. So I'd know regret. You are finally ended recently, didn't it yeah there, fourteen or fifteen years, who did seventy. When I moved in
I had that awful experience of living where we live here on the upper side, where I go to treating people like
Why did you leave the shall be?
my wife and kids in a risk. I don't care
for kids. I won't even read angry television fans in New York. I don't give a shit about your private life. Entertain me on Thursday nights and don't leave. It is. I know it's such as Diana
We deserve retype, all the Yorkers, but there is such a great, but like we were, I was driving here and
car that I was in was, I don't know
happening like a constructions. Guy was trying to back a car out or something- and we were just stuck in traffic-
just the guy who there was literally nothing we could do, but he was just standing yelling at our driver,
there's head
where we can go
happening. It's great, absolutely everybody's in everybody's business
and it's weirdly intimates went about. Is that guess me because New York name,
If that happened, you'd be like I'm gonna go out why they are fucking. What's your price, but here you just go as New York. No, it's! Okay! I think
New York is that it's probably a better percentage that people aren't armed.
You know if thinking always thinking they probably ever gotten
I'm going to get. You know it's like I'm going to I'm just going to get shot, I'm going to let it go, you don't keep it
you have a place in LA the register, so it here now we're here we're here, yeah yeah I mean we have. We have we, we go out there in the summers and we did keep placed on the beach that we we go to visit, but not in yeah. Well, I did just read this quick start where Joe and it gets me.
Season, show zero zero hour yeah. It's kind of
less and less this. The classic. Like
We do a one hour drama again, those of those like something to ten years later. This is again
I had really really not wanted to do series,
for any other reason, then selfishly could stay and play with my kids and learn to cook and-
do other things to do. Little movies and I've been having fun, but then about a year and a half ago the kids were giving me that look like get out of the house
and I got offered to do carnage. The plan- and I thought
and I started wrapping my head around the fact of like oh yeah, I could go back. I can do that for four months or six months. I thought well if I could really grab my head around going back to work for four six months at a time. Why not do it this area? So I have a development deal with Paramount and CBS in an my partner and I then started actively looking for something to meet. We've been developing things for other people to do it.
Start looking for it, and I thought it would be like a half hour like a Showtime or a cable, something where I do. Thirteen episodes a year, something a little more my mind, manageable and we developed something that we thought was great and the Showtime took it all the way up to.
But then didn't make it, and I was, I was kind of shocked 'cause. I really thought that was the one that was going to go and do it, and so then I'll
kind of my manager, my well, let's read other things, so I started reading other things and learns at a bond of intra who I worked with one of others years ago, and they sent me
and my manager like you might like this- and it's totally got me because it's just something something I haven't seen top
I've seen kind of movie versions of it or read books like it, because it's kind of like Davinci style thriller. It's like a conspiracy, thriller, it's modern, and when I'm reading it I'm like hey, I don't have to play a doctor,
a policeman, see I don't play lawyers like that's a trifecta like you know it's going to be.
Informal dialogue.
And you know what to get its as I get cold in for these things. As you know, your every man s mind
fate, which is very poor. Like you remind me of my cousin right, so that's all I can do yeah my friend, Craig yeah, yeah yeah, so we're of that ilk were like normal, like ice yeah. When
The guy's been nerdy.
Everywhere, nor do I don't like you were where the funds for the bread they want to sleep in the other one, but the merry yeah guy
later in life. Had lain after they ve been broken example. Then
come and help clean up the mess rehabilitate them
then I'll, leave you again, you'll take it.
So I just I said you know, and then I did my first way of getting out of things by saying I love this script, but you know if it goes the series we have to do it in New York. 'cause, I'm not going to move and they were like yes, so I went ok. Actually it did make
happy because I I liked it and I've been talking to the writer the writer's out of his mind. It's Paul Scheuring, who created prison, break and he's like mister. You know knows a lot about everything and, as you know, is really into multiple layers of plot and yeah. It's it's much smarter than I'll ever be, and I I I can't figure it out half the time, but you know this is the one it's it's a great
set up for you know, did you see the baron and she knows that being the pilot she gets, she gets kidnapped and we're off the races like why you have my wife in this conspiracy. Thing starts unfolding than just who that just were shooting episode. Six,
and we just you know every time we get a new script like so you know I mean where some shows, because we're Jimmy does tell this whole. This whole story of thirteen episodes, we're not they're not having to think like all all we have one gag which are shows by all right, and we have to make this last for five years right. No, this is we're. Gonna make this story last for thirteen episodes of the really like every episode. Major things are happening and that's the most fun of it, because I feel like what we should have a good shot doing this, because if we do it halfway well as good as the script- and I know ITALY's, be entertaining yeah,
and then you know it's just up to the gods of the network's, whether they put in the right place or the people were ready for it or you know they give it a chance, and although I mean I have a feeling like if, if something's good and it's it's the right time, people you know it'll it'll. Last two companies
Like I don't know, you have a good attitude about everything because it's like, ah you know a fact, doesn't work out. I get to be with my family and we'll travel belono. Well, lucky that way. It's pretty neat yeah, it's pretty it's being able to come into this business. Without that sense of desperation, like I hope this is the thing I really,
need this to be the thing like that talking horrible place, but it's also that's, but that's the trick of what we have to do and you have to do it more as a comedian and actor,
You don't have the character to hide the your ability to make it look. Easy is what is your greatest talent and,
that's what people don't understand? They don't need to understand that, like you know, when I watch the Olympics, I don't really want to go to every training session with that with that you know in German, but when I watch him it looks effortless and I think I could do that sure give me a balance beam, I'm there. I can't do it. You know that's what we're supposed to do. So you know who eliminate desperation is really great because it takes that weight off of everybody. I mean that's the best advice you can never given actors like go, get a job
like you, don't want it yet has all they want is for them to go back. We have to worry about. That's right, he's not worried about it like he can do it. It's not a problem for that. Well, I guess, maybe you know
it is because you think you know when you really want to do something. You go all that this is the only thing there is in the world and then it sort of goes back to like well. If you travel
see the world and you kind of see what else is out there. You might go yeah
of course it would be nice to have this career, but I'm not going to fucking kill myself. If I don't get it because it's you know right, there are bigger things
around here. You know, and I was like you when I started out. I work with a lot of older actors and the the ones that have long careers once who just genuinely love what they did yeah and what their life and they you know it wasn't the drama of of every other part of the business for people of
I out about whether or not their publicist did the right thing. They're in manager manager, the right and there's so much fear that people act from as opposed to just like the
hello we live in American. We can pretend shrilling like how bad could be yeah. Well, we, I think, we're almost happy,
end of our hour. We're exactly an hour really just flew by, and I still can't
do you remember your speech from the end
the nurse at all. Do you remember any of it.
Do this
He said it's right after the trial.
Thrown into the water pick up the glasses,
it came. I with a camera refers british. I just further tonight those bastards treasure
yeah they trash our house lie because we're smart is smart because we use we look different yeah we're not, and then I think it's and then you say I'm a nerd, I'm a nerd, I'm a nerd yeah and I'm proud
proud of its pretty travelling caretakers ever I've been doing, I wonder, do anymore I'll picked that like that and they fuckin queen,
we are happy and it's so goofy and so dated
but the message is still there always yeah.
It was a new repeatedly referred to. The nurse could have been like a Greek
it s, a really good tragedy, butter
thanks for having me over to your house, and I would yeah we're gonna fuck and run it up. Ok with it at the Soviets
but I come back to New York. I feel like every week or every other week. Well, I'm here all the time and I generally run I'll run in the morning just because the day as the week goes on, it's always like you know my calls he later later around the winter can youremember the week yeah yeah, it's great
winter? It's great, I run you can run all year round. You know this is crazy information. No, it's great! Okay! We'll! Do it better all right! Thanks any it's nice to see you! You too
it over the year is now leaving noticed
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Transcript generated on 2021-07-07.