All right. Let's do this, how are you what the fuckers, what the fuck buddies, what the fuck's there's what's happening? A mark mare- and this is my podcast big day today, big the guy's on today- tracy- let's is here. Is a playwright and actor. He might know him from the most. Recent film lady birdie plays molly shannon's husband on that show divorce. He was in, he was in the post. Let's is here he wrote. gyro killer, Joey, rota august osage county. I love the way acts I like I know the guy, and it was great to have him in here to talk to him. It was nice, it was. It was fun

was familiar. I it's weird when I get it in my mind that I know somebody I act like I know em and then either it takes or it doesn't that's my style. If I think I know yeah I'll try to. I try to I'll. Try to impose it on you and I- and I did that I did. That- would lead to some success. I must say I feel like work I feel like we're friends do like we could hang out, feel like we could talk more house for feel like Never see him again. Maybe I'll see him at an award show which I did see at a watch. I saw him at and at the it's award show and then we talk about a week. I talk about my problem with approaching people, ward chosen a yield, something at the end, so there a tease for you, something went down, you know, I'm saying dude how about an email. I got stories, I got things I got Did you do in a few hours?

new york moment? Subject line high mark just wanted to, let you know, I love the show. I like a lot of people, our age and fifty We have dealt with a lot of demons, ups and downs in my life drinking too much and gambling on sport and in the biggest casino, the stock market on an upward are now saved. Marriage curbed, using stop the gambling working out on a regular basis. This leads me to my wtf moment, I'm working out getting my sweat on at the local equinox. When this big dude asks to work in with me on a machine, I'm about forty minutes into the work out and your interview, a ton ass. He coats, which I'm real enjoying I look up and there he is standing in front of me work in a set of rest. I pointed out your tongue, I see- and you are marc, Maron, right now on my phone, garage in l a suffice it to. May I come down how to check on a nice chat with the guys we worked out classic w p york moment. Keep up the good work, love the show. What I was. That's fine man.

Good for you, Matt man, glad you got to meet that guy's, a good guy It was another email here that I thought was pretty funny. It was actually really ridiculous and funny. Ah, where would that be? Where would that email be? Oh you're here it is here, it is, MR grover, Mr Gruber is the subject line. I woke up This morning it decided to finish listening to your interview of laurie kilmartin. At some point, you all began talking about TIM robbins and several times you I mentioned his role in Mr Gruver, which was directed. when these, what I'd never heard of this role or this movie, so I did it often do our listening to your pack ass. I began to google it. I finally gave up on it, find any movie with tim robbins request, clint, that with the name or character MR grover, my husband and I my husband and I have often discuss How, when we listen to your progress, we find ourselves going down rabbit holes working up stuff on the internet. So when he woke up, I told him about my frustration in searching for MR grover, an income.

With nothing. I finally said the only movie I could find with him rather than clinique wood was mystic river. He looked to me like I was crazy and said: don't you think that's what they were saying, It took me a minute, but it ends up that mystic river sounds a lot like me, the gruber when you say them out loud. I felt pretty stupid but was glad to have them to resolve and we had a good little chuckle over. I thought you would too. We both love your podcast thanks for providing us hours of meaningful entertainment and for sending us down many at home- peace LISA, stir, grover, okay, I've been trying He had exercise. I've been trying to work off the craft services that are indulging in the last couple. so glow writing give a fuck anymore. So I've been wanting to her size wanting to run at my my chest has been a little tight. The air has been a little shitty, but there's some hikes near by two, where I now and I don't really know the hikes, but I went up to the place where they are went up to the park

and I went out on one of these hikes, and I thought I was going in the right area. This happened, fucking twice to differ. areas like I went up one hill and then it might. This is, I remember this being nice and I just hit this sort of strange dead end and then and then I went up another area and I went up there and then I I self in a wooded design. Going up a steeper then seemed right incline with not any new footprints around and, as I went up, I smelled the stench of rotting flesh I swear to god. I smell death up there. I didn't know what it was it. It smells like a decomposing animal of some kind up on this, and in this slight slight clearing but density. We did weeded area up this incline and, what's that smell hidden, and I saw there was a drop off on the right side something could have fell down there. I didn't see anything, but it

that moment where the panic took me. You can't even walk outside now. You can't not, I guess you can, but I was by myself I was in a new place and new park. There was no one on the trail. I smelled rotting flesh and it could have been simba did I go. Did my curiosity take me up there did. I say you know if that's a dead person up there that could be missing for awhile. Maybe I should go up there check it out and reported. If that's the case, Did I do that? No, I did not I The assumption was probably an animal if it was a dead body. I couldn't help that dead body and if it was an animal I didn't want to be next bed to be taken down by whatever killed that one. So without even doing any exploration. I ran down the hill in a panic and then that panic spread- and I didn't know if I was going to get just jumped by mountain lion or just the the guy with the knife in the bushes. There was the the sort of broad

mountain wind guy in the bushes with a knife panic that one gets on a hike. I turn my my music off scrambling down this hill and something must have clicked my music on in my pocket. Cuz elvis car was beyond belief- just started out of nowhere- and I screamed out loud, like I don't want say, little girl, cuz. I don't want, be negative, that little girls, I screamed out loud, like a man who screams You would think a woman might is that diplomatic enough and then I realized it was a song and then I turn the song off and then I just took caught my breath, put the show long and then shine. A light by spiritualized came on as I walked in to the setting sun out of the house. So I a happy ending up uplifting ending. As a matter of fact, though, there was a lot of shame involved in the hike itself, so that was an experience, and then I went to another new experience. I wanted to see if I could get fish for my cats

my cats have been enjoying. These freeze, dried men, minnows that I bought at the pets are far too much money and I thought just get that some sort of asian supermarket in bulk. Don't they have freeze dried fish, minnows that the asians use in their meals and I've seen that I think I think I've seen chinatown. I know there's this place called the the fish seafood market. I think it's right over here in eagle rock, I believe it's a filipino market, but I went in there and you just have that experience, or they just had tons of fishman all kinds of whole fish fish heads they had oysters and clams add things and tanks they had a couple of ans of unfrozen, anchovies and smelt they had produced. I had not seen before it was dissolved filled with the filipino people, and I think some people from thailand and all the products seem different, exciting. That is the exciting thing about america is the,

go into a market that services community then you're from and go. Oh, my god look at this thing. oh Jesus, maybe by a duration. maybe maybe I need to try one of these look at the size of this thing. You open it up and it smells horrible, really sweet. I've tried one, so I got some for the cats they just scooped. A big handful awry anchovies brought him back to three cats. None of them wanted anything to do with any of it. Monkey kicked it around spreading the Dead, fish goo everywhere, stinking it up so I threw those away spent two dollars threw it away, but I did get to go the filipino market. That's my point I made a mistake. This is a correction a couple weeks ago, I mention being at the sag awards and running and Chris Sullivan from this is us. Who was standing about ten feet away from

to narrow who was sitting down talking to somebody else and I d I double back because I want try to say hi to Robert De Niro. I didn't really want to, but I thought I should because I was going to not. I was going to pass up the opportunity cause. I didn't know what to I walked back, and I saw a guy who I thought We I thought it was chris sullivan- and I introduced myself and then I asked him if he was waiting to talk it deniro array or if he was just standing by coincidence because goes guy he's waiting to talk, am I am I online line about you do it. Interesting. Seeing someone I knew that that was what he was doing, but what I didn't know was that wasn't griselda and was MIKE Houston? from Orange is the new black. So I can try if something there, because they both, I think, they're both bearded and lacking the hair department, but none the less. I wanted to correct it because MIKE Houston brought it intention on twitter, and it was MIKE Houston not to Chris Sullivan and he didn't get to talk to him that

the end of that story. Now, Tracy letts folks he's in lady bird and the post, both of which are in theaters now he's also playwright. Many plays. He's been in many movies and we'll talk about that. But we also talk about talking to pee for me talking to people at award, shows and not go somewhere. I this is me u s in How you doing mark you Tracy where's. All your staff where were you at the believe? We did. You just show a blindly had no idea what you were getting into that you ran a pod out of your home in highland park, better. Now I somewhere, that's all you knew yeah.

I used to. I usually have a guy, but you know there's no necessity for the guy cause there to be. with the I never know who's coming with. Who and I and there's no place to put people say I just have a guy just to make sure that people didn't start going through my stuff in but there's nothing in the house anymore. So I say yes so me The garage remains intact because I haven't even moved yet I don't. If it's nostalgia or not willing to let go, but this is the original place. This is your gig yeah. I was here and now see now I'm hurt there, like you, none of the people that that you know I've been in here have called you instead of tracy gotta, you got it, over to mark's house, nobody's done that in fact gotta goes the opposite direction. I know why is it not Add me on all my friends on. Did you say that yeah sure I've been trying to? I tried to hit you on a long time ago, but I'm a fan There's a you know. It goes back. I like what you do I feel like. I know you. I dont know why that is wearing one of those people were roughly the may we are. We did you with

at a long, slow, steady, climb, yeah. Yo you you've got a its or so there's a big difference in our success right. I am hosting a pot. As at my garage, any the pure yeah, but you're on, like three television shows. yeah, but you're in movies I mean come just, am not going to do this with yeah cause here you want. You want now that you're here your bed You know you, we would took different directions, yet we but we're not argue with honour on geographical level. We grew up in. I grew up in new mexico, so part of my state, I think, hits the tip of your state the local, how my isn't the panhandle does not hit the coroner new mexico. Maybe see that sir? That's all you're nobler than I have not might be. Totally different ready. Yet no, what's knows that's going on western glove western oak, the flat desert part or

Mr Oklahoma, where I come from metropolis easter Oklahoma, a rolling hill yeah. That's right! That's right! So you did grow up there, the whole the whole yeah. I was born in tulsa and grew up in durant, Oklahoma, small small town in southeastern oklahoma Now I hear my sense of Oklahoma. Business is not great and I get there. and I dont know what yours is, but I mean you d: how did you avoid the pitfalls of Oklahoma? Well, I didn't avoid. Am I left? That's how I voted the left. You know. The truth is that my folks were academics me Alex were english teachers and I grew up around anguish, teachers and culture departments and yeah absolute. They were teachers at the school. They taught it a small state college, south eastern oklahoma, korea, south eastern oklahoma state university right where they taught but more growing up,

dad was still pursuing his academic career. So we spend a couple years and champagne as he was getting, is annoyed ass degree yeah, yeah yeah, and let's see where else cape girardeau Missouri taught it southeast missouri state fear, lears years and a year in copenhagen he was fulbright scholar. How old are you and when you were talking just just born senator recollection. Yet no, no, no know imprint. The folks who are from Oklahoma were we're getting a little culture themselves. are both your parents from Oklahoma yeah. They both were yeah wow. I I just associate with the You know cowboys and genocide well You know that the roots of the state there actually great progressive routes in oklahoma, woody guthrie. Oklahoma will rogers is from Oklahoma I know I'm jumping by bad poorly judgmental it says just is it. You know what it's the wrong tonight. I've been to Oklahoma city.

I know, wayne coyne, who is the lead singer, the flaming lips shortly sort of a fixture they're, interesting guy, seems like he's, got an interesting world there. I'm not saying that it's not devoid of Can I just don't you rarely meet people from our go home? Well, I did leave here. I left a long time. I know I know, but it's it's like any, though isn't it sure yeah I mean you can see it in the awesome county point. As What oklahoma is to you yeah, that's true it doesn't. It does not know what is true, absolutely so what What kind of your mother was a we're in it? We're doing this we're in the interview he would have to know it just so seamless from have nothing of stepping into the garage to about oakwell. You just realized that that's. Why

in one of her known for this? That's doing this a long time, yeah, damn you're a pro. I had the thing running and everything turned it on earlier, we're going but like it, but so what? Obviously? It had a lot to do with your parents I give you had grown up. You know rodeo town, it would have been different life for you, but I see that was not what happened. The folks were they were readers sat ass. filled with books and your mom was mama's writer right. She was both the folks had the second careers after teaching school, my mom I was a writer in pursuing that for a long time, while she was still teaching school and then she got a book published and then Oprah picked it up for her book life changer and it was a life changing my best selling author retired from teaching school. My dad took early retirement and followed me into acting. I had taken a backing that point had always been amateur after them, gunnery theatre in college theater, but he started pursuing it professionally and is fifties and made about forty films and tv.

I wrote quite a bit really yeah. You cast him right. I did eventually, but I mean he had already had quite a career by that I'm amusing stuff. You would know like cast away yeah. I know you only think of Tom hanks on the island, but now he was on the plane, he's in the there's, a there's, a like at christmas dinner, thanksgiving dinner or something he's the patriarch at the head of the table and oh really yeah. He played a lot after after after Tom Hanks comes home, or maybe even before he goes time he sees highland hot, so wait! So you as out here and how he would what he he they both passed away, both folks of past way, but dad was doing all you know they were making a lot of movies and tv shows in texas at the time, drive down to austin and Dallas aha used to drive all over the place to go to these auditions and book jobs. They did it he did. He became like a two or three line: character, actor he did, or or even sometimes, a little more than yeah yeah. How that feeling? The good yeah I mean

put him in osage if he wasn't really good. He was in the original cast of that in the film too he's not in the film that was sam shepard played his part. That's correct, sam shepherd, you like sam shepard, sure yeah, alright, so we'll get back to shepherd cause. I say I felt like there was an idea like try to figure out like when I was in college when I was watching, plays and and thinking about writing, plays and being in place. It myself, I think we we might have had the same trajectory had I not had. I not taking the easier route and just being funny for people like had I had the compton. stand up, that's a real easy route. You have been very impulsive. You have a lot of control, its very immediate and you don't do much work. If you do it right right, but the right to play You got it. You gotta believe that all we were going to compare like this. Now we're not I've already. We have both staggered blood. Lay from one gig to the next

both nominated I'll meet you there. I did it I got a nomination, I did you're there tomorrow night what you nominated for for my best mail, male and a comedy for glow fantastic, yes, fantastic. It came to me at the you know the acting thing it just. You know he was always there, but it was never that's great. I you know I it's, but are you gonna win? I don't think I would find it hard to believe that this ways in the game you haven't- you ve got a chance, because if you do that you had a chance, your answer would have been no fucking way. Am I going Is that why you know I I'm trying to be transparent here and my ego would like to think I could win, but I don't know if I can, when I'm up against a will and grace guy Larry David and write a speech, yeah yeah when we do it together,

I have to thank your guy. You know: do you think your agent for everything I thought? Maybe I just think the writers and the micro stars and talk about like I'm happy. I bought a suit Acknowledge the other nominees good one down, you know you write it. These people who get up there- I you know I didn't think I get wind. So I didn't write a thing. Will you put on the fucking suit right? You stood in the line with everybody who sat at the table. Yeah issue really didn't think there is a possibility for a couple of things together, dv written something, no because we're now no foreign sample so I wouldn't be the one to I'm nominated for that too for glow nice. We're in different categories right. We won't be ill ngos, yours is receiving all we owe kay. Finally, I too, to find a way at just shut me down. Alright we're on the sea. level there for a minute now on television television.

tv too sure, but let's get back to my original. which was you're doing the noble literate, creative pursuit, you're, a playwright yeah. No, it wasn't like that. I went to chicago when I awoke I twenty years soul had now what? What did you done? That before then acting wise? I had gone to dallas for a couple of years, with my little head shot and resume trying to get work. That was the that was that was that is one misdirect. You did Well, I want to be an actor. It was hundred as from I could go home on the weekends and my mom would do my laundry. this is before you're like twenty. This isn't in your late gains. You got a doubt. I didn't go to college. I went to dallas headshot resume and tried to tried to work Dallas man I get no sense of that term, but that was like, so it still had a profile has money still

dallas it that in the eighties. Yet I made a lot of marriages and tv shows in dallas. There were touting. It is the third coast. They rise big goddamn, sound stage outlaws Colleen Every year there was a places in the heart tour right now. tat break tender mercies. Every year. Last grandma added tat. There were some great stuff happening there, so I went there, but you know I didn't work. I couldn't get arrested. I worked in the theatre a little bit, fringed theatre in Dallas, like what do really fringe theatre in Dallas, where black box theatre dan doing what doom beckett, when you come back, read, write, mark madoff, and the glass menagerie at mesquite community theater production, yeah, but you had no training at times I know not just wing in it and it pretty much. I mean I'd done some. I had done a year

when I was a senior in high school to take classes at the college, where my folks taught swear. I did that did some shows right, but yeah pretty much winging it so Dallas didn't didn't know a business dreams in ten out in doubt no end girlfriend mine moved to Chicago, and I didn't take the queue. So I followed her up to chicago and it's always worth a shot? I'm sure it's what you wanted to shoot. Thrilled, like oh Tracy, strange we're no longer together, but our europe to share our guy. That's knocked her. I knew a guy, that's, which obviously and the word show once is watching tv sat guy. Then you know we're still. I know He is so glad if we don't keep in touch and have since the restraining order. I went to chicago in love with the city. I fell in love with the theater, varying in chicago, had never seen anything like how'd you would. How did it start is like I'd, talk to lori by get sorted

mystery to me how steppenwolf started this mythic place of anger and creativity and like when I heard that you are kind of part of that- and I quote that makes sense, he's a furious man that rights dark things, and but I never got the whole history that he and that they were just kids, but you were later, will later on later there, all all those kids or about ten years old, and so when you get there would do seek that out you just like I'm in Chicago there was it like. Do I go to sleep city and watch the clowns or do I go watch the series she's right is running around auditioning for different theaters and how great theater culture there there's a great great life- show all my god yeah there's two hundred storefront theatres in their old doing great interesting work in their older the right reasons know nobody's to get famous it's the late eighties, yeah ha ha ha ha vital, still vital, and the first show I did in chicago was the

glass menagerie again I got off. There was a part of their in other, shows for high school kids I'll see you are like nineteen twenty. I was too early twentieth, you went in for the young people additions or pretty much higher crash. The young people are dish and who is acting at anybody famous francis guide and he s a very good actor who's who was in august so says, county original kahan was directing it any. asked me in the show, and in that began your relationship with Steppenwolf yeah, though I mean that was eighty eight yeah and I didn't add me to the company till two thousand and two. So there was there's a long. Are they really made you work for it, as long as they made anybody ever work for it, yeah really yeah. So what do you do What how are you persisting then? So you cast a twenty in the tennessee Williams way at steppenwolf, so your in like I'm in and then what happens then? I'm not in, and so

to go, work other places, and I worked. You know again she argos great theatre, downright meeting a lot of people working up to the next theater in Evanston, which is where I met Michael shannon, yeah. I was sixteen and I was twenty five really friends. He was sick. Is that young I can remember like he was a very. He was kind of intense and aggravated about things. When I talked to him, I think he probably told me that doesn't sound like I know it's crazy right. I was totally I have thought, probably be chipper when he came over focus he's still. A dear friend of mine he's a lovely guy. I liked I love talking to, and I just saw him in the shape of water thought. It was great, always great. Yeah he's always great yeah yeah and I saw him your movie. I watch acts I talked to freakin in here, but we're not that we're not area. I want to know from: came in here and talk for two and a half hours and he had there. There is a theme to it: oh yeah nobody's there are there

I like the there. There was a through line that you didn't realize until the end of the conversation that he just laid it out, it was fate. Fate was the threw. I really can the hurricane Billy there's a reason they call him hurricane bill. He is inevitable. Yeah yeah, you just you just sit there and I home my guy and everything's connected with him. You know what I mean. There's a lot of connections also a dear friend of mine, lovely man, now largely anything bad about the garden. When the best ever so that is my tone coming along, these. I was these were impressive conversations. Concerning with Michael, because I didn't know he was going to fall into himself and I would know how to fish him out, but they kept him out Well, I met him when he was sixteen and I was twenty five. He played my son even though there's nine years different and more I've always looked a little older. A couple of one x called fun and nobody by howard corridor yeah at the next

Theodore and who is involved in that anybody who came out of that was at the theatre company. The next was a company in evanston for, long long time and the next lab was the brainchild of guy named dexter, buller too great theatre directory of cargo. It was basically a classroom that he painted black the added about forty people. Yeah was a lot of really good work. That happened in hospice mike and I did and nobody in then? That's where killer Joe started How did how did how did that start like? Well? I found myself with some downtime as an actor in I got an eye in twenty two: twenty six, twenty six so this is like years after the glass menagerie yeah Cancun kicking around anymore, shannon yeah kindred spirits. This guys seems to have a chip on his shoulder, mewtwo yeah yeah all, So I wrote this play is kind horror,

horror noire play and We put it up at the next lab where seat house year and it was sir did really well a deer. Well yeah there was an intensity to it. Sure yeah. But what inspired that I mean why? That story, where you were you experimenting or did, was coming from Ike. I always cause like I I thought about like I didn't Member, remember the movie, Joe with Peter boyle sure it's a horrifying movie guess but you're the your thing that the layers of it, it's all, it's pretty relentless and in pretty awful yeah way ever seen it in the theater. I have not see it's different. I didn't was it out here was played out here when Oh I dunno a few years ago. I saw a city in new york with stale parsons. Is that mean anything means allowing our head? That has nothing to do with what I you someone else s eyes, co, killer, jack. It's yet has

intensity and was that the first play you wrote and an what now you just you sat down and did it for you done enough. The sort of new. What needed to be away you just wings, I don't know I had an idea for a story. I read a story in the newspaper I was like this might make an interesting play. I wonder if you could tell a story like this on stay. you know Chicago. We were known for pushed in the envelope s mash mouth in your face. Whatever the hell yeah, cliche I wanna years through renowned for that stuff, so it was written in that mole yet that that that the sort of now convict fury that hung over Chicago. I was troubled, angry Oh you're, is it off? I have no, don't you how do I can even answer the question I don't know yet, because I thought you would be angry. You know I can name like I now why, but we get old and oh no, no, no, I'm very old! Now, fifty two and fifty four

yeah and I was angry or young as when I was younger too sure I really bad yakima. Yelena people, isn't it silly yeah, it is silly, retrospect get. I was all worked up about who I think that on matters yet and like I can trust go out of the anger. You know But a lot of I dont did. I dont know how valid it is her. What if it's right there was any way to empathize. With my my entitle, anger! Yeah! Do you find that you are angry about like real shit? I dunno I was. you know. I I got sober about three weeks after killer Joe premiered forever really is, or you're fucked up yet you got, you did it the old school way, yeah. Oh yeah, still yeah good, for you me to eighteen years,

If we are to see there we go now, maybe that maybe we did. We are on the same thing, similar similar exam working out of the gods, empower me on that one, a no more experimenting to do, as I say in the racket, so already got sober. Why so? But woe and how? How do you like? It always amazes me when people like hit the wall in their twenties yeah, you just knew you're right. yeah yeah. I was er. I was, you know, hurting a lot of people hurting myself and oh yeah. I just got to a point where I mean thank god. I did used to smoke to hell yeah right, yeah ye who did it? marlboro reds yeah. I smoked marlboro reds, among other things, yeah all out yeah chicago's. If I can meet and drink in town. Yes, it is it's just like a

it's like everywhere and you just walk down the street and there should be signs a cancer available here. Heart disease come on in it's stroke and your life in here yeah, but I love that place. So I grew to like chicago nats, great city I sobered up and then how? How did that go? Did you? You know, do adjust to it, took awhile right, yeah, it's a process, he hath process. I I'm still in right. Instead, I'm getting fashion, sure sure sure, session is no longer with you, but but whatever you were hiding Whatever. That thing is, that makes you become that person to begin with rights to that person, s awful ici itchy, some aggravated so so Wendy. so that what happens with killer Joe well, everybody in town panned it except for richard Christensen in the chicago tribune here championed it. So it became a big fat hit, wow and rant, but I mean only moved it to a bigger place. We didn't immediate,

We moved to a bigger place. We ran their for about eight months and then we raise the money to take the show to the edinburgh festival in frankfurt asked. Yes, you did that. I did that once I'll, never do it again. We took it to the traverse me the orange fast and man guilt. it just killed and I'm there it wouldn't to the bush theater in london, which is a great pub theater, london and from there it went to the west end played in the west for four months. What they must do they love american stuff in that is so brutally fucking bodily american. Yet it is, they must have. An idea is what it's like they and the timing of it there? early nineties, mid nineties when it hit, who iming was really good? Who origin

and the role in the original production. Michael, shannon, Paul, dillon, a very fine actor played a killer, Joe shawna Frank's hollywood tuck mark nelson yeah, and we replaced Paul with a guy named Eric Winston reid we went to to london, so that was it that you were big playwright boom. Out of the gate, I was. I didn't kind of realize that until I went to london for the show was happening was like oh shit. This is kind of blown up a little bit of the real deal you're, not even thirty and you're the real deal, and there was we became friendly with a little theater company Were there the gate, theatre in notting hill, and I said, will you write another one for us with your same group of people yeah, so I wrote bug. I wrote it with mike in mind where he again put together a similar kind of cast and the play actually premiered in london at the gate.

Another festering american play written while sober though yeah yeah, we are therefore not know. I shall be there actually make sense right, yeah to see coming out of it. When everything becomes clear, I see it all now. So I was continuing to work in theatre in Chicago and Steppenwolf came calling around this time and they put me in a play called picasso with the lappin as yield by steve, Martin, aha, which was a big hit for us, and we brought it to los angeles for steppenwolf yeah and ran at the. What is now the Giffin play I ran there for a year so, but they they're engaging the company. Yet you got to hip, plays you're an established playwright you're, a thirty years old, you're, sober and they're, like you want to do pardon the clowns way, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's exactly right and who was running the fucking step, that and I'm not trying to bait you into getting a retroactive

aggravated for them, making you wait, I'm not actually aggravated about it and I know, or would you I might have been then, but I don't recall it. Oh, that's good, that's age as age, helping you out, yeah yeah, I'm not cursed with these things. People call memories and yet they're the worst, it's fun when they leave the house. I've lived in several different cities when people walk after me, like hey mark, I'm like what timeframe which city give me an era. If you could, and did I do anything bad yeah? What did I do? T yeah right? That's always a good question. So all right, so you do. The picasso plays at a good play. That's a lot of fun! you were fungi now that you're sober outer know about that yeah. But you know Gig I got to you, know, joined the union. I went equity, oh yeah came out here, came out here and join the union and we had my first real experience in los angeles. What happened that time? Not much na

if you did, you go the oven. Did you get an agent out here and here I know I went and I I did a home improvement got there. The question of what happened that day, like here, you are west end now have to place steppin wolf, respected literary man in your life would go meet an agent they're. Like hey. You know we had a thing where you send you out on the thing: let's see what happens: yeah going on home improvement and you're like, and I did it. Of course you did it? Oh. Is that how we're going to know it was? It was totally I mean it was. It was a nice little part and Allen was a sweetheart. Yeah was a real sweetheart now to show not big job. It was sweet pay check for me. I never made a paycheck like that will see. That's it right that! Thank you. Am I owe you did there was yet how male of full character archive Instead, I had one nice scene. I had one nice scene playing a kind of eccentric character with his wife arthur. I can't remember,

and that got you into the union, and you know everything else, that kind of stuff and did you did it? your whistle we like I'm coming out here and I'm going to do more episodic television. I didn't really think of it like that, though. That's exactly what happened and I moved and went back to chicago and did some more plays in chicago, and then me and my girlfriend in Chicago moved out here. Ninety seven in the fall of ninety seven- and I did years in LOS angeles from ninety seven, two thousand and one so you did a few plays acting in Chicago. You move out with your girlfriend who did not become your wife are now she passed away. Oh sorry, it's all right. She passed away about four months after we moved out here. Oh my god yeah what happened as she had a congenital heart condition. She had a stroke. Thirty two years old, are both thirty two, that's horrible

Yes, it was. It is coming up on the twenty year anniversary of that, I'm very conscious of that really versatile year of her death, yeah hell yeah, oh my god, so you had to deal with that. Yeah and I stayed I dont know I stayed in los angeles. I came out here. We we lived out here for four months here she died and then I don't know I do exist in like going back to chicago. Didn't make sense to me. So I stay. Did you have friends out here? Get quite a few friends from Chicago who had moved out. oh okay yeah, because this can be a very lonely isolating place it's lonely and isolated. Now, when you have friends out here, yeah so you're dealing with this shock and grief and you're, like you know, mortality thing, yet: oh my

god. So I come out here and I did you no more that stuff I did seinfeld apis, I'm in the festival episode the assigned felt right. I did I did the profile or did you know we're the the district to work it getting a little parties getting little parts, dunleavy guests and the like are: who are your friends? Are they the were you surrounded by successful people when you are, here. I was surrounded by really talented people, some of whom were working some, not, but no, not I know names that are going to make you go. Wow me I mean MIKE was starting to starting to work quite a bit as an actor, though certainly I don't think people would have recognized him right down the street. It felt like to me liked it there's something impressive yet to heartbreaking about the other. The evolution of it. You know you be both ended up great. You know what to think of like you know, like you and Michael shannon people who, who do very you know specific

in in an amazing work kind of like hitting the fucking. You know the the the streets that too, Do a bit parts, I'm glad you made it out! I'm glad I'm glad you got to where you got thanks, I mean, offer. Me too. I mentioned a moment cause he added on your show. Yet nick you know that little production we live killer Joe in the next lab nick built. The set he likes to build businessman who built the trailer he's, got a whole shop out here, yo yeah yeah. He makes very talented guy yeah. He makes he likes making furniture. I think that's what he does now. I don't know I think it might be, might be just making furniture tracy when I hear stories like that of my good for a year you got out

without the shame and you're okay with yourself, you got out and you don't you're, not you, don't you don't consider yourself a failure. Congratulations, you did it, you did it. That's how I feel sometimes. So what so? What broke you out here? I mean what, because you know this is this: is a four year at the time in between you know, writing to great plays you do to a fell profile or a debt. Home improvement experience, a horrendous loss and at what was it the what go right, butte price, when its way out of a couple of different things got in another relationship that went south which is not in drink either digit I didn't drink that see. That's what we forgot that part that must have helped you get through. I didn't drink, so I got into a relationship that also went south and at the same time I was just finding that those gigs I was doing there weren't exactly four feet. They weren't feeding

so imagine I had somebody there was a show they made out of here. You might recall it called vip with PAMELA anderson I kind of retirement. I don't know what it was follow up to baywatch PAMELA Anderson was a spy ass in russia right and this thing was very popular, not in country here reminds me opulent elsewhere out? Upright everywhere else, so the residuals were great. If you gotta be, I had buddies with they booked a vip is like a thing paid off like a slot machine and you are on it. I was not. I had a couple of bodies who book to be, and I got jealous of them, and that was the that was the moment where I went off

vip yeah. It was never supposed to be about this writer when they, when you heard they got to you like fuck man yeah. How did you get that and what's happened? Yeah yeah, I have to go right appeal with surprise already, so I got my car and I drove back to Chicago yeah. The first play I did when I got back was at a revival of glengarry Glen ross. That's great limbs, a great which, which guys you play pled williamson, who runs the office. Sawyer icy plays a mere right right, which I've never seen. Pasquini z passing as you guys he played Ricky Roma was a great provides. Greater and that was kind of my re entry into chicago two thousand one and where they all happy we're back. Yet, like that's a great thing about those,

like about cities like austin in Chicago. When people come back battered from a layer, nashville they're gonna. Have you see it welcome to the club exactly right? Well, I'm out, and in fact a lot of my friends were like why'd. You come back seem like you do in pretty good out. There are none and ip good tell you the story, the vip store so step, and we have asked me to join the company a lot of their people had left right, allow at original group. They had all left for los angeles in new york city like that, is that how they offered you the job, hey, Loretta, guys, then kind of today, because it came with a came with a condition yeah when they added me, they said we want you to stay in town and I said: ok, I'm not looking to leave. Oh that's great, so they said stay here in Chicago and we'll put you in the company. I said great, What does it mean to be in the company that? Does that mean that they will give you work consistently? Yeah basically

yeah, we're going to find place for you to do and keep you and you know the committee staying here, you'll you'll be involved, as you want to be, I was running it then Martha Levi haha, the late martha this year, was this after they moved to the bigger space. Obviously, now did you started a theater troupe. You did you ever start a group yeah. I started a couple of groups. They were small short lived, a little accompany gold points. The company in Chicago and also a little improv group. I didn't start- and I was part of an improv group- they're called bang bang with Michael, shannon and paul dillon and a lot of

people he ash cargo people. Why do I think that it wasn't amy pies pates in that Amy Amy pizza, pizza, yeah yeah? She was an episode of my show. She do I work out here she did yeah. She did an episode of marin, however she's great yeah. She is alright, so those didn't stick obviously You did did, but it was an improv. So what kind of improvised comedy improv we were? Well, I suppose yeah though we were all people from the theater, we were trying to bring some of our theater stuff into the world of but not one. Now I second city really yeah, so you it improves would be derailed with crying and violence. Yes, yes, that's a pretty good. grip should now we're going to do comedy. I can say that certainly some of the worst in some of the best things I've ever seen the theatre took place while doing what they buy. Improves pretty freeing. Now it's gotta be helpful. I mean you're learning how to act during through all this to your winging. It work.

we're giving any real guidance where you and then back in two thousand and one dave and tj started up David. Equation: tj jagged ascii they showered their two man. Improv show haha some of the best improv I've ever seen the best improv I've ever seen in my life, and occasionally they would ask me to come and sit in with them. We operate for an improv jam, a fork of one of they'd. Just get bored dry it'll be like we're. word, can you come and you like improving? I I love it with those guys cause they're, so fucking good yeah, like you can't fuck it up yeah yeah. I could only fuck it up so bad right, but deep It amazes me sort of like a like after lori about steppenwolf. None of them had any. There was no guru on you. I, like all those ices and in chicago had Del close around right right by like with steadily it seems with you that you sort of found your way into the acting gig it wasn't like, no guru, there was no buddha, there was no. This is how you do it right. That's kind of fascinating! That's

Last night you were, do you think he cheated cheat? No, I know in this sense it, like you, know, there's a real racket in in training in united mean that right dead that usually, whether it's a teacher or somebody there, I gave you some tips. Oh, I think training probably would have given me so many short cuts then I had to take the long way around to figure out. You know I don't knock tree in general. I guess I didn't have it right by me out. There No guru narrows, I mean what there was. There were a lot of great actors. round me right, you were all challenging each other rights. Everybody was challenging each other to to up your game. Yes, that that's that was true of Chicago than is true. this is the second time I have heard it. You know it's like I that's what that's what it was like. What do you get yet? Let's go I am sorry, sir, now your member state from what I knew Del by the way I do he stepped into picasso, the le pen jail for. While I get a chance to do the show with death. Yeah pick his brain about. You know,

so you're a door ending up now he's just a lot of fun yeah I have, it has no sense of 'em. I, like I had to learn about that whole scene. I got come from the stand up. History so like through this show, Oh and through you know cause there has been a big shift in in comedy in show business at your out of stand up. Centric shows to to sort of like your sketch performers in chicago Ok, I know overtones new york in terms of its importance in modern comedy history, interesting. what was always started there. You know it s now in the lamp and people, but I ever, but I know much about it in this del close. He was a real buddha, yet he really was so you're in stepping up now so you're doing your work and your in chicago and so now, not as ranking as a playwright. I'd had to show yeah and I wrote a third show ban from nebraska was called in. So suddenly I had a little bigger

Is that one about I dunno that play man from Nebraska is a play about a middle aged guy from Nebraska wakes up he's an insurance salesman, kind of a boring guy. We as up in the middle of the night and realizes he doesn't believe in god and starts to kind of leaves home. He has looks for himself a little bit, that's what it was about and it was two thousand and three and it was a finalist for the pilot surprise. Wow. They tell you that huh yeah, that you know what they don't tell you before. You lose it right. They call you and they say. Congratulations. You lost yeah. It was close. and look what I didn't even know who one idea I know I am my own wife, haha yeah, who wrote that Doug Wright very gifted playwright from Dallas, texas, wow yeah, so you're like I should have stayed down I knew I shouldn't have left down and then

I was doing two or three shows a year in chicago acting. I mean you know mark when I left los angeles and went back to Chicago. I really took a vow of poverty. Right, I knew what I had left in Chicago. I you can't make any money in iago, and so I knew I was going back act in the theater idea. I was giving up on. You know that that big vip money, but that stature, my as just like I was so much happier. I had been so much you're in chicago doing play all this was an essential issue. We, yes is us, crushing dump for just a fucking soul, crushing spiritual garbage hole. It will be the only one in that one way to the sad you have to stay here. Do you get out this built with with wig people rationalizing might actually with where all the kids are chained up. Is that near here it's right across!

I knew those kids I knew there was something wrong weird, you know what I mean. Did you read the the the pets were really well fed. All the dogs were really well fed. The idea, I think it's time for a new play. Did you get to upsetting that's very easy killer job. So and then I wrote august osage county and then it filled with my life, which now when you're doing that right now at great play, like you cuz to me, like you know, I felt the presence of you know: O'Neill tennessee Williams, sam shepard, a little bit in the sense of like you know. But you were embarking on classic family tragedy. Really right now like who your your models. Did you just employee and it must have taken a certain amount of time in structure and decision making running bits and pieces? What's the process of writing a pure surprise, winning play like that? It's longs

Oh process did I name any of your heroes named. oh, I mean They are all. My heroes you know is based are true story. My grandfather committed suicide by drowning. When I was ten years old yeah, my grandmother descended into years of downer addiction will put my mother, especially, but my whole family through Hell. So it's based very much on that, and you know something that had stuck with me for thirty years, rhino young, your grandfather, dry, it seems you know him yeah. I know him well, if you don't want, I first started writing it. I called my dad to ask him some. Some details have just had forgotten a lot of the stone or ten years old ray, and he he was very helpful with all that nice that why are you writing about this, and I said what it seems like the stuff of drama and the events from that time have haunted me for thirty years and he said they have.

Erica doing what they put its wild right when your grandfather ends his own life, and you know that at ten years that's gotta, yeah, that's a big hole. Well, one of the things that happens in august of sea at any rightist parents tick there. I offer the ball right, o my my folks were there were great parents, I loved my folks. We have very closely- and that was a time when you know circumstances being what they Are they probably took their eye off the ball? Operating yeah say they took their? off the viewing you're gonna, walk it kid through that thing, like white grandpa, yet kill himself yeah I mean just to just the the mental images of My grandfather underwater, you know, so it's such a low. Only way to die. You know floating, yeah in the middle of the night, takes a boat out in the middle of the night and jumps into the middle of the fucking lake in the middle of the night and

with no weights on him or nothing yet just chooses not to swim. I wow its commitment and the outcome? Is the emotional elements in relationship dynamics are the sort of true to life from that place? You know some of its created some of its borrowed some of its members from realising and here the process of putting all together is long, slow, painstaking kind of boring. Actually I mean boring to describe but did you have a sense of like you, obviously had a sense of structure term doing play sir. You know, like you know, act breaks. If you see this within, you knew you're writing a big three act thing. Yeah, like you know, a lot of heaviness. While I had the story here and then the question becomes: what's the right container for that story here has like oh, the big american family drawn

What is the right container for that story right, going back to o neill and gather in tennessee way and yeah yeah buried child kind of all that stuff. Yet dad stuff all that stuff and we know there are little reflections of those plays throughout august, osage, county and other stuff to write it. That's all intentional. I hope it is somebody told me once I had stolen, something from the little foxes by early, inhuman I'd. Never even read the little fuck, it's funny how people are disliking, yeah, the talentless scavenge for reasons to attack people with talent. Well, what they do ice? I heard someone use that word. You think you're. So smart, it's like what do you do? Don't worry about me. I I I did a thing once

so well, that's at like cuz. It was a. It was a mind. Blowing thing I didn't. I didn't really feel like it was king off anybody else. I thought it was its own thing in that it was this horrible family drama, but I could feel that are the way that year that the weight ends with you. What is it is just too characters after you just subtract p. one way or the other people forced subtracted right that that weird emotional desolation. You know that and ends with it indigenous person right, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's where it ends look what you did. You came and went. shepherd in the movie. You wrote this group for the movie I did. Did you have a thing to do a casting now mean you know where you on set. I was there for the table. Read was their first day

The artisan had you talked to sam before I had never talked to sam before it was the only day I ever spent with sam, and I have to say that at the table read He was the only one I was nervous about no yeah yeah. Your dad belated yet- and I wasn't I just nervous, be around him. I mean I wasn't starstruck by merrill or you know right, cloning or we ve been through some ship. By now you know young it yet, but sam I was SAM could have hurt me. Yeah SAM had said the wrong thing at the wrong moment. He would have hurt me and he didn't do that. In fact, in the moment that he might have done that? He actually did the right thing and said some really lovely gracious things about my piece in front of everybody. I was like I'll. Never forget that I'll, never forget him for that. He could have her ear you have to buy not saying anything sure I mean to have would have hurt in a way there's a lot of projection. Could I haven't you you're just a vulnerable? Why

no matter what you could have done to defend yourself. There was nothing. daddy? Will you just it worked out right, thank god, I had a hard time going through that story. Just now a Tell that to happen shit. So he liked to piece he did like the piece he got. Kind of sparse in terms of his writing, I know and when he died, you look at the list and it's like it's over fifty place I have written nine. What's what's holding up it's hard how are you acting is easier well, sometimes oftentimes. I'm you're doing something really hard. Yes, acting actings easy, but there I thought the film was good. I thought the good job with it who directed at john wells did you I get. It was complicated, whose complicated, but I'm gonna disaster. Not wasn't it

It's always been, I'm glad it's out there. I am glad it's out there, but I had a. I had a hard time with producers at our time with harvey. Have you worked with him while I I wouldn't call it that yeah yeah, we we, He was on the project yeah. I can't imagine what what it would be like to have a played become a movie. It shouldn't happen It really should now then why'd you every can do two of em well uh. You know I'll tell you why, because I grew up in a small town in Oklahoma, and I wish I didn't have access to ST gardening desire and who is afraid of residual for shakespeare right, my access to that ships to the movies here I would have been able see that stuff here and so are. You know, there's some kid and south eastern oklahoma right now who's who you know how watching killer joe yeah and it speaks to him right, that's true and and bug in august august's they they can't afford to go to new york and pay one hundred dollars for a theater ticket to see it on

so are wait for it even to come locally, that's right and yeah killer. Bugger not playing locally in southeastern Oklahoma. In love, I known zoo in him in high school. So that's why you have always felt like you know, they're there, it's not the same experience right when I say it's complicated. That, for me, is really the the right ass, the that's why it's company, It is because I dont think films can be made out of place or they can and do what the iter does know, but, but I thought the freakin knew that I think he respected the you know, and I think he tried to do something there there william freed can movies. yeah. You know, which is great, I'm thrilled that there are a couple of william freak and movies that, based on my play s, I'm thrilled about that they're, not the play there.

Totally smooth and they even like all, been tried to do that. He tried to do it in a way that would honour the theater and in never quite works. It doesn't work. The experiences different me, a theatre. You have to lean forward and you seat. You have to pay attention. You have to tune your ear, then you know that ship might happen. You've done studies recently. The show that audiences hearts are actually sinking up during live plays. Really that that's true, that's a that's an actual thing. Huh, there's something about the group expert It's watching a play, that's very different than watching there's a reason you can watch a movie in your face, mentor. Your you know, there's a reason, you can eat popcorn and watch a movie. You carry popcorn and watch a play now because there be beat marry you. It also just require

there's a certain investment on them. Yeah. I I've I'm fastening. I don't go to enough, but when I do, I'm always like eating immediately emotionally all jangled, because, like the the whole space of it, they can see people- adding and feel breathing in here that feed dragging on them. words. As I found tat, yeah, it's fantastic, it's great, any it it's like it, it shouldn't be, it should be required. Not liking is our way does. It is a good is a good production of that? Yes, whose in it I haven't seen him in twenty years from tv right. But so what is he working on a play? What are you working on writing one right now, yeah I've had three plays come out in the last two years: What are you yelling at me for I didn't either way. I didn't know that yelling,

microphone. My mozilla, my mistake, you ve had three place come out in the last three years, new ones yet, and I missed him well, they haven't been in new york if only been in chicago, where I still live and where I'm still a member of it. it's more theater. So are they? Are they done? Are you workshopping? Are they down there? They already had fraud reductions. The first of those three is called Mary page Marlowe. Yet it is going to be at the second stage theatre in new york this summer. Oh good, the second of those places called linda vista, and I think it's going to be here in LOS angeles yacht a year yeah, the third of those places called the minutes. We're trying to get it to broadway we're not there yet, but we're trying. So like that's amazing, so you're you're, you bet your playwright, you're you're. You keep going. I've been a playwright for a long time, man I know that, but I see you in movies, you're funny you're doing a thing. You know you're. Well, here's guiding save doin some serious you mix in it up because I have met

in character actor. Now we have to get back to the timeline, so august osage county happens and then I wrote superior donuts, which was also an audition for that to ronco yeah. Did you audition for the tv show yeah, and I didn't quite. I turned it down oh you turned it down, yeah they get. They wanted me to read for judge pardon I'm like I'm too young to be this guy. Is that and it's like it doesn't seem a role for me I go. I will be the cranky jewish big it. You know I don't have anything to do with tee, in the video I'm sure the play was better. Probably plays diplomatic, very diplomatic, okay go ahead, so and then and then I acted in a production of who's, afraid of Virginia woolf at Steppenwolf that went to broadway. It probably doesn't go to broadway without august osage county, but because of august

I don't know was some guys do any you you, you must have killed in that part, so I did that it's a great part, it's a great part, and it was a territory play yeah and you want tony right. I did that's great and then from that that's I started doing all this film on tv, alex gonzo, created homeland, saw me on Broadway. He asked me to do homeland near that's it that was good, though you probably got had with me to it. Then it did a couple of seasons of homeland have kind of said that all this other shit I've been doing yeah, but you like it I'm having a time of my life, fantastic you're talking about a guy who couldn't get on vip the tasks it all around, but it's fantastic. I, but I quit acting on stage. That's why I've had a tough. to write, plays and be in movies and tv shows cause. I I've acted on stage. Eight shows a week. Three shows a year for thirty fucking years. You know

So you you, don't do it anymore. It's constant! I hadn't done it in about four years because of the time commitment or just because it's too exhausting or what it's too hard. It's too yes, hard, austin beach, What yeah it's so interesting to me that, like it cause, you have like even you you're in a lot of stuff right now. I just watched the season. Opener of divorce- You're very funny in that show that choosing the season that was funny funny is a funny character. I remember you in the Elvis movie that was sort of an interesting movie and you were not a kind of funny flair and don't knock yourself. No, no! No! No! No because it's one of those movies where it's like. Is this a comedy? What are we doing here MIKE called me and asked me to come down, and do that? and I like the movie, but it's like it. I wouldn't call it a comedic part for you know if there's beats to it. Do you know what I mean? I thought you were great in there, but the movies when there's going to be tween movies right kind of it is a comedy in a way, but

and then the post is not that's. Not a community part does great part serious like I'm just what am I? What I'm doing through my audience. Tracy gases is the stab wishing. You is a character actor ice with a lot of range. I see you ve done it on exley, I'm not I'm not belittling. You is clear. This is not your first time in the garage, Then the lovers I like that movie too thanks, I keys interesting director, and that was an interesting movie. I loved it, the time right and great time. and I have been having a great time doing all of Steen too. I saw that movie. I don't think anyone saw that movie what a great move, because it's devastating it is devastating, was really good. Is it like? I watched it on a plane, and I and I wanted I wanted out. I wanted a plain: it's tough ill, but really good. And now it's a series

isro that was in and fuck around role, yeah she's a good actress, great actress, interesting movie, but there is no way that there were others who even put yourself through that that movie through roughly, to put ourselves to that movie all the time and it was fun we liked it. You remember sure, said, these you're alive kinda. I was young but yeah. That's true! That's true that your blogs take you to those tough moving. Corey were, of course, my grandparents talk took, took me to deliver its way to young. I dont know why nice see my folks took me to circle. I think I was sick. my man, the man with it's! The only movie they ever took me out of was taxi driver and cause we were. I was ten and we were in a drive in and the folks started to get uncomfortable, oh my god, when Jodie foster showed up like we need to go you, there's a couple movies are like. I just remembered another one that nobody saw that I saw too much of was a movie called prime cut

It was like a gene having eichmann leah are very assessing space ass, fantastic. Yeah, and I just remember for now when I was a kid when they brought the package, ass. It is over and said that was so and so like I stuck would in the end, the naked women. In the pens welcome armies, a gangster competing slaughterhouse, yes, weird neat business, it was about america baby here what it was. It all comes back to that this is where a killer joke comes from price. Guy and getting one remembered them. Oh sure, one of us that we sought I'm not that long ago, really why I think it

to my wife, she hadn't signals. I was like. Oh you gotta see this my own. It on a copy of euro area. I gotta watch it again, you only yeah I'm what blu ray than input that a blue gray, hair but wars on time, the s nature some funding disk. Maybe you didn't Is that that's how much you like, I movie only at a betamax tape. And I didn't want to lose yeah so, but did I get in and also in lady bird, which is, I think, probably why you're here on some level this is part of that it. I thought you said you could try to get me on your years. I had now you say that I'm on here, why are you here? Why are you in los angeles? Why will sag wards tomorrow? Why best ensemble, early recovery, ok, self yelling at me temperature in chicago sausage, city.

I've, been going there, what I I it was like I didn't know. Chicago until the last few years, and now I've gone there a lot of tape to because you've made easy there yeah a little before that too. I taped as a comedy special there at the Virgil is that it divert the vic yeah the vic yeah I've been going but yeah. I taped easy peasy year and now I get to know the regret in that thing too. Thank you very much appreciate it. I like doing that. The improv thing I ah that first season I haven't seen the second season, the first season of easy that such a nice job of capturing our city. I feel loved swanberg. Do you know him? I don't know him. I know who he is. You should reach out to him. Know him personally he's a good guy should do a one of his movies. He just he just It's a guy and he'll. Follow you around with the camera I you don't even know you're making a movie and then couple. I don't know that. I want that to happen. It's time it's so when the range of you exhibit is is sort of fascinating to me because in in

bird you're, you're sort of it. Then they got a good guy here, then you know what I mean in and end you and lorry, because I asked her about it and she used can we work together and you've known each other forever, yeah, so yo. It must have been amazing. That was great fun to work where I've been really lucky in that some really good stuff has come. My way, greta sent me the script out of the blue and asked me to do this thing. She had. We did a movie together. Wiener dog a todd, salons movie. I know it was the one I didn't see and we're indifferent vignette. So we can work together on the film, I met her at the premiere at sundance yeah and at the party, which was a terrible party at my wife, and I chatted with greta for fifteen or twenty minutes, and that's when she realized.

Is an old softie red. That's why she sent me the script she's like oh you're, an old, didn't. I thought you were a hard ass tb or an old soft a so she called and asked me to do that thing. It was just and that's man I would sign up for that. Gig every day are you kidding, dare to to have greta and laurie and sarsour running the show, and I'm just sitting in the next room. Reading the newspaper I'm happy that's the way it should have What is that when you? So I love the movie and I and I like all you you people that were in it thanks no we're going to lose that award burning. Why? I think three billboards is going to win it. Well, it's interesting

What what? What is an ensemble mean? How? How often do you all have to be engaging together? I don't know yeah like three billboards is an interesting movie. It it's an it's it it's a bit of an abstraction where your movie is not yet. So I don't know, I wonder, are you worried about it not really know? What to what was I going to say that as an actor? What do you find the give me some pointers? While you look shocked, I mean like what how what is your craft based on? Do you just show up and you make choices based on the script yeah nets? I put on the clothes in, and I pretend to be the guy and I don't know how to deal with any other way. Occasionally a guy is, am I doing the guy right yeah? Is this? The guy

but occasionally they come up and they go. That's not quite the guy cause. You tell me, what could you tell me and I you'd be a little more aggravated. I was doing an episode of homeland and carry my wife was visiting the set and she, I said, I'm glad you're here cause I want to experience cause. I hadn't worked on camera that little pc things over the years and I said I want to try an experiment. I said. Do me favourite watch me on the monitor, and so I did a take where I you know, acted yeah and then the next take. I intentionally didn't. Do any oses like sucked all the feeling out of my body, just like this person without salt in their body yet and did the scene, and I, when it was over, I said which was better say. Well, the second one yeah there's the lesson: don't do anything. So what is it like being married to her and another actor? Fantastic,

except in for four plus years. Oh wow, in the appreciate each other's work, yeah and I d d. Have you worked together a lot? Ah, we did who's afraid of Virginia woolf together. She put your wife know she played the younger yes and I did an adaptation of three sisters: Chekhov's three sisters. She did that and she was in my play mary page Marlowe last year, and then we just did the post. So we've worked together a few times. How has it been on the spielberg?

it's scary. I was scared. Air yeah intimidating here things, move fast, ray, there's, meryl and there's tom and there's know stephen behind the camera yeah. You know I, you know, I make a jaws joke and I'm like shit Jesus. I know I was ten when jaws came out in all its life changer, you know yeah, like should. I grew up watching these movies. Three were about the same age. I think that jaws yo had at a fairly traumatic effect on me. yup forever right. I can't swim at night. You know she sharks, don't actually want to eat. You taking me a long time to realise especially non pools. I'm not even going to fucking pull him. I can go in the water there too late. I e right, especially in pubs

was she a man this great talking to you same here and are you going to parties tonight fuck? No, do you think the foods can be better than the critics' choice cause? I saw your critics Joyce and I was going to say something by rise. A node is not going to be any worse than at critics toy inedible, but funny cuz. I did see you in my that's tracy lights. if go over there and do what like what am I going to do, what you also you couldn't get out of your seat once? started cause. You don't know you to our ways coming up. You can't get over to somebody s. My colleague it wasn't even on the televised part it was before. I had the ladybird table to the side of me and I had the posts table over there somewhere right. So I sat at the fargo table cause my wife was up fargo, so that seemed to be the right right. Nice, I antibiotic, the echo with it yeah. I thought we were doing double digit lose. Double fisted lose everything. Will ya everybody mia. If I were you, I think little eyes nea or shape a water. You were loose

yeah or the marvelous miss mabel. You have gone down I will good luck tomorrow, night thanks. I'll see over there and what will I have we be it tables where we can say hello, current here's, the weird thing. Let me, as I think, a lot of people did they just they dont reggie or like. If you don't really know this show or whatever what we're doing here, I'm just a guy. You know like I went to some guy's garage. You know he a b. Apparently it's a popular thing and like I think I think people don't know but like cause, I saw the only person I can Greg has been on my show. I've talked to all these people. I've talked to all these people. You know of all level. That's the high point, rio bomb, yet that's gotta, be the high point rather well was an exciting day. Was it the best conversation I've ever had no, but was an exciting day and it was pretty amazing and pretty amaze. Yet was amazing

you reach out to him. Did he reach out to you? You want you want me to text him a kidding. I know it was like he they reached out his staff reached out to about a year before, and it just sort of of the conversation evolve and then it happened to you know, and it was like it was big deal bear deal good president. Never ever everything's new. It's never going to be like that. Again. I'm afraid not the pendulum swings yeah I'd, but I think it's going to break after this swing, and it's going to but but what I was saying was know. So I see people at the thing and I don't know how to use. I saw The just have me walking by me, and I had just talked anyone in here yeah yeah. I looked at him and he looked at me like with that moment of sort of like who is it and then it was like that guy and now I'm projecting. But you know it was ok so then I realized, I am not saying I too fucking anybody's been in my garage because I'm

That's sad! I would hope you would. Experience, I hope we see each other maronite, so I could just give you like the worst snub you ve got me even I mind. Maybe it might have made them projecting my mind. I think that people just see me as the that does the interviews in the garage you know and in their thereof there there are not paying attention. I dont pay very careful attention where the world but I know who you are beyond the guy in the garage I've seen you on your tv show. I know your job yeah. I know you There are alright, so easy, there's a the whole you louis ck. I know I know who the fuck you are. Okay, I wasn't indicting you in a in a now. I feel better because really I was just trying to do- is make it okay for me to say hi to you tomorrow, night

salute solutely should say hi, please say hi beg for talking my pleasure. Okay. So to demonstrate u s and to complete the story, You know why I went to this Agora words. I went thinking that I could maybe maybe talk to tracy s. we have these interactions that I didn't think I could. and because he made me feel like I should have them You know who going to happen and I wasn't go run, find him I I went to before the event started I went to the restroom just to check my hair actually and wash my hands. I didn't have to pay and I watched the restroom and whose washing its hands Tracy. Let's see him, and then he sees me in the mirror. And in a where I walked in and it's pretty full of people. I go

so this is where it happens. This is where it happens. Tracy letts. This is it he turns. On his laughing, and I'm like this I'd, see we're doing it where it me we're talking we're having this event in and he hugged me. I can't remember if it was in the bathroom or not I'd like to think it was, I think it might have been when we walked out so so closure on that, and I feel a little more confident and comfortable in approaching people are you on the show at war chose as as relative equal. Thank you for that tracy lights and thank you for coming on the show. If you do not listen, you're, always any, and then I table people shit, they sat pretty close to me. The ladybird people and I had to deal with worry metcalf because laurie, who I left. Your favorite hoodie hear steppenwolf hoodie and she needed it for a photoshoot, and that's where that too, that's started to happen. I had to keep going back. I didn't get the name of the phone, so you not Can I talk to people, but I annoyed them.

I went and got laurie metcalf phone number and they were sitting at the award show, and this was on a break and I I just wanted to make sure I get her the hoodie in new york After number half it was relatively complicated, but I had to go back two or three times because I kept fucking my phone up, but she got the hoodie and she sent me a nice card and reef and re compensate and compensated me for the money I put out to fedex It was a nice funny card. Thanking me with two twenties in it. Just like my grandma used to send me all right. That's our show. No guitar burma