Are You A Charlotte? - You need to tell an ex when you had a baby with Robert John Burke...

Episode Date: August 27, 2026

We're catching up with phenomenal actor Robert John Burke (who you know from absolutely everything)! He's back as Miranda's boyfriend for some SEX in the City and we must get his answer to this questi...on, did he deserve to know Miranda had a baby? Plus, all the SEX threw his back out! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Starting point is 00:00:28 Ontario only. Please play responsibly. Concerned about your gambling or that of someone close to you? visit connectsonterio.com. Hey, this is Hayes Davenport. And Sean Clements. We host the podcast, Hollywood Handbook. Each week, we talk to someone in show business
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Starting point is 00:00:57 that wouldn't be where they are without us. Listen to Hollywood Handbook on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Munga Chitigula and I'm back with a new season of my podcast, Skyline Drive. This time I talked to scientists, biopunks, kermudgens, blues owners, super seniors, and Goa's top cryotherapy lab to try to understand this obsession with living forever and what it means for all of us. And I get into a bit of trouble along the way. I'd say probably start bone smashing.
Starting point is 00:01:25 That doesn't work. To make it look more defined. They say it works. I don't know. Listen to Skyline Drive, How to Live Forever on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. On the new podcast, Solita, we share the messy reality
Starting point is 00:01:40 of traveling alone as a woman. I can wait four hours for the next bus or this random dude is offering me a ride on his motorcycle. I chose option B. I'm Julie Pinero, and I travel by myself because it's a rare space
Starting point is 00:01:54 where I can say yes without asking anyone else first. I'm on a mission to reclaim the word Solita, trading the pity for possibility. Listen to Solita. on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Kristen Davis, and I want to know, are you a Charlotte? Hi, Kristen Davis.
Starting point is 00:02:22 Hi, Robert John Burke. How are you? I'm good. How are you doing? I'm good. So let's go back, let's go back, because you have this very unique thing on our show where you play the same character and you come back. You are with Miranda before she has the baby, then you come back after she has the baby, but she doesn't want to tell you she has the baby. And then you're like, I'm not a baby guy. So take me back in time. This would have been, let's see, in the year 2002, I think.
Starting point is 00:02:49 Were they both or was one earlier? One might have been 2001, I feel like. No, it was both of them were prior to 2001, I believe. Got it. Wow. Okay. Take me back. Take me back in your career.
Starting point is 00:03:02 What was it like? You know, I had read for Sex and City. I got offers, and I'm going to be truthful here. I was trying to avoid the show. I didn't want to be some, I'm going to just tell you, I didn't want to be some guy with some foible for the rest of my life. Oh, that's a good point. A really bad breath or that's the guy.
Starting point is 00:03:25 And I met Michael Patrick at a party with John Malfi, and we were chatting, we were laughing about something or other. And then Walker Lewis came along. I'm like, what's his problem? They're like, he has no problem. And I'm like, tell me what his problem is. Like, he doesn't have one. So it was ultimately to be with Miranda.
Starting point is 00:03:42 And I said, yeah, okay, I would definitely do that. Smart. Yeah, it was fun. I had fun. It was very awkward. We had the two sex scenes. That was hilarious. We're in a hot studio.
Starting point is 00:03:57 We're really simulating, well, making love the second time. First time I was having sex. And then I forget who the director was. They thought it would be funny to like shake the bed, you know. and she's screaming. And it was like, you know, after take 12, I said to one of the grips, like, what time is it? And he's like, it's, you know, we're on almost on the third hour. And I was like, you know, my back started to go out.
Starting point is 00:04:20 Oh, yeah. And obviously, Cynthia was just lovely. And we had fun. We had laughs. So it was painless in that respect. Good, good, good. And then so you had turned down previous guy roles because you didn't want the, you know, funky spunk or whatever. God only knows, right?
Starting point is 00:04:40 What's an interested? I get it. I get it. That's really interesting. You are the first guy who's ever told me this. I do know of other guys where I know that they turn things down, but I haven't convinced them to be on the podcast. I'm so glad we found a part for you. You know what I mean?
Starting point is 00:04:55 Well, I just, I don't know that it's, uh, it was just me personally. I just, you know, I took, uh, um, my third film was Robocop 3. And I had my representative at the time, I said, you know, I've done two classy independent films. Why are they seeing, you know, and we used to joke, it was like, I'm sorry, they're covering headshots like this and just seeing who can play the role. So I took Robocop 3 and I somewhat regretted it. You know what I mean? So I was going to be cautious for the rest of my, you know, time working as an actor. somewhat cautious anyway, but I just did not.
Starting point is 00:05:39 Typecasting, like action hero or villain or... But just, you know, stuff that I wasn't really terribly comfortably with as a man or as an artist. Mm, got it. And then, so when you look back on it, like, because sometimes with myself, too, I remember different phases where I was like, I'm only going to do things totally different from Charlotte, but then you're just in like a weird, like reactionary kind of thing. You know, I think back of like the funny things I had in my mind. When you look back on your incredibly long career, like you've been in so many things and so many types of things, what do you think, like, are you happy with your decisions?
Starting point is 00:06:18 You know, because it's not easy. I'm one of those people I like to work. Yeah. It's not like I said yes to everything. Right. You know what I mean? There were times when I turned stuff down that maybe I shouldn't have. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:06:30 And there were times I took stuff that maybe, but you know, who can know? I've been blessed. I've always worked with like really nice people. That's important. Beautiful people. Yeah. For 20 years, I took care of my mom, so I was able to be in close proximity to New York City. Right.
Starting point is 00:06:46 I would go from a special victims unit to gossip girl to person of interest, get on a plane, do army wives come back and start it. Oh, my God. Wow. And it was lucrative. It was fun. It was exciting. It was, you know, it kept the mix going. But I was able to be in proximity to where she was.
Starting point is 00:07:07 And that was the consideration always at that time. Before I had kids, it was Africa, Southeast Asia, Africa, Southeast Asia, Africa, I mean, I could, you know, six jobs in a row in one of those two countries. Wow. But then, you know, like you know, when you travel, you're just like, you know, some power greater than myself has afforded me to be in this place and time with these people. It's just incredible. when you get to see the world through our job.
Starting point is 00:07:37 Yeah. So, yeah, I was always very lucky, but I do, I like to work. And I played like lots of diverse stuff, which is fun. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I feel like you've played everything. Like, it's been incredible. It's been incredible. It's funny, too, when you came on our show, because you're so recognizable, right?
Starting point is 00:07:55 And I thought, well, wait, what's he playing? Because you have, like, the first time we see you, you have such a, aura about you. You know what I mean? Like, I can tell, I feel like we are like, you're set up almost like we're going to get more of you, right? Like, it's an interesting part. It's not the regular guy. Do you know what I mean?
Starting point is 00:08:19 Because you have so much presence, I think, like from the get-go. He was a State Department interpreter. Yeah. That's stacked. Totally. Yes, yes. You could be just a department and I'd be okay with that. Or he could be some interpret.
Starting point is 00:08:33 Totally. And then I wondered what, you know, what language do I interpret? It was what it was. It was great, though. It was great. The narrative, I remember Carrie's like state department interpreter, you know, and it was like, sounds somewhat intriguing. It sounds fully intriguing.
Starting point is 00:08:50 Like, you're quite the catch, you know, which is, I think that's what's interesting about it is that, like, and I think Miranda had, if you were to look at, all of us. She had the kind of most promising men in terms of like their jobs and their worlds and their intelligence and I don't mean that in the bad way. And they're being an adult, you know, like non-crazy adult. Exactly. Exactly. And that's why it's sad when you don't work out the first time. But then you come back, which is so exciting. But then every, you're just like, oh, Lord, she has a baby and she's pretending she doesn't. It's insane. But it makes sense that she would try to be insane for your character, you know? Yeah. I never.
Starting point is 00:09:29 was able to fully negotiate what was in a writer's mind, especially on that show. Could I, would I come back later as, you know, reenter her life? Why not? People do crazy things. And you're traveling. You're out, you know, yeah, why not? I think you totally would. I think you totally would. But yes, I know what you're saying. You don't know. Time with Cynthia was just fantastic. I'm so glad. Of course. She's amazing. The episode was plus one is the loneliest number where Kim had the The facial burn. What's it?
Starting point is 00:10:06 The chemical burn. Oh my God. With the mantilla veil, you know. I had forgotten. hilarious. I did watch that episode and I thought that's really funny. Because it was at the onset of women having these peals and everything. And Botox.
Starting point is 00:10:23 You know, she goes to the doctor with the Botox and it's like kind of a big deal. And now it's so funny because it's like, incredibly common and nothing. Go to Costco and get Botox. Exactly. Exactly. That was at the outset, I think, of, you know, women getting peels. And of course,
Starting point is 00:10:41 you know, Miranda gets, you know, obviously extreme with it. Samantha. Yeah, yeah, that's okay. It was a very funny episode, I thought. I know. It was funny. It was interesting. I had forgotten, I met the part when we're in season five,
Starting point is 00:10:58 Sarah's pregnant. We're trying to pretend she's not. We're trying to push through. We end up going on like a hiatus, you know, for the pregnancy. Partly because in this particular episode, I think we hide it really well. But when she shows a little bit more, they would get her in an outfit where you could hide it. And then her shadow on the street would have a button. The bow wasn't working anymore.
Starting point is 00:11:24 Exactly. Exactly. Exactly. Which is, it's funny in retrospect. It wasn't really funny at the time, I think. No, because it's a huge consideration that the audience not, you know, I mean, she not be distracting from the storyline, obviously, or the project. Right.
Starting point is 00:11:38 But, yeah, no, she, you all, it was just such a phenomenon, such a force of nature that you guys. And I know, I've been on those streets grinding for years. You know, the text, the locations, the hours, you know, it was, it's a grind. It's a grind, but it was fun. People don't know, but it's fun as hell. Right, right, right. No people don't know for sure. And at the time, I remember we felt like we had to kind of like, I don't know,
Starting point is 00:12:08 not exactly keep it a secret, but we didn't want to be seen as complaining. And I feel like back then people didn't know as much about production as they knew now. You know, like pre-social media, right? So like people would say, like, is it fun? You'd be like, yes. Like, you know, it's just nothing, you know, where literally we're working, you know, 18 hours all night long over and over and over and over and over. But it was fun also, right?
Starting point is 00:12:31 It's both. It's both. What was the response like for you after you were on it? Because I mean, you've done so many amazing things, right? But was it, did it change? My greatest audience are my sisters and my wife, obviously. Yeah. I remember when I came home from shooting that day and I stayed in the city that night and I
Starting point is 00:12:51 came out to the beach and my wife's like, hi, how are you? How was it? I was like, it was really good. I said, my back is fucked up, though. And she's like, I was like, because she knew I had to simulate it. I was like, oh, right, no. But it was. I was from that.
Starting point is 00:13:07 I know. It's hard to simulate sex. It's really challenging. It's strange. You know, when you're into your third hour and they think it's funny that you're just getting really super physical about it. Yeah, it was, it wasn't. We just tried to make it as.
Starting point is 00:13:26 comfortable for each other as possible. But the response, people say, oh, I saw you in sense, you know, are you coming back? That type of thing. Right. The normal I saw you and it was funny. Are you coming back? Cool. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 00:13:43 Regular. That's good. You were so, you're obviously a lot of the guys that I talked to that were like, you know, one or two times. Yeah. They weren't necessarily as established as yourself, right? So it was like, and then also there's the ones that there was something wrong with them. And then everyone wants to shout that thing at them down the street, which I totally feel for them.
Starting point is 00:14:04 You know what I'm saying? I didn't really think of that at the time. But now I'm like, oh, yeah, that, that is rough. That is a consideration. It is a consideration. I mean, I think also like there's so many actors and kind of theater actors who, you know, wanted to be on TV shows or whatever. And it was nice to be in the city and be able to do that, you know, for people. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:14:24 Yeah. And I respect anybody who does, you know, whatever. And the other part of it is when, you know, you have a foible or something and you do it super well. You super lean in. You super commit. I respect the hell out of that. Totally. Yes. You know, everybody's work who's going to really, you know, make this character holistically embarrassing and serve the story. Definitely, definitely. That it was a great thing and it was so interesting to watch men come to do it because it was kind of like the girlfriend part that we're used to playing. Absolutely. The script was flipped and let's see you do it now, you know. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:15:03 Yeah. So, and I think a lot of, you know, male actors were cognizant of that. Yeah. Me too. And I think it's great. Exercise and, you know, well, power and placement and, you know, it was the right thing to to let these four women just have at it, you know. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:15:23 It was amazing. It's funny to think about it too now because for a while it seemed like the networks were like, oh, we want to do our version of sex in the city. But they weren't able to because obviously they're the networks and they have advertisers and whatnot. But now I feel like there's a lot of younger shows like Mindy Kaling, you know, her show. I don't know what it's called now. There's a new one, but like the college girl one and now this one. You know, she's got shows where the women are younger and kind of trying to find themselves.
Starting point is 00:15:52 And obviously there was girls and there was insecure. here on HBO. But there hasn't really been, I really thought that we were going to revolutionize television. Do you know what I mean? But we didn't really, because I don't know that it was possible, you know? Well, your writing was so good. Yes. They were so creative. It was so in your face. It was so different. They just switched. So different. You had no idea what, what was going to happen. And to sustain that, you know, really sustained, because, you know, the slump of the second season or the third season, I don't think you guys experienced that. No, we didn't because, because, and I, I, so I watched our, the, the second one that you're in,
Starting point is 00:16:32 which is plus one is the loneliest number, which is season five. And then I had to watch one for another guest that's season six. And I had watched them all at the time, but I had never rewatched them all this, this 30 years or whatever, 20 years. So it's fascinating to look at because really there's each, there's like eras of the show, right? So in the beginning, we're talking to the camera. We've got those people on the street, the kind of trying to make the column come to life, which was, I think, the original idea. Oh, yeah.
Starting point is 00:17:02 Remember? Different show, okay? Different show in a lot of ways, right? Our character is the same, but the style different, the tone different. Then season three, season four, we kind of hit our stride. We've got the long storylines. You know, we've got the pulled out, you know, arcs. It's beautiful.
Starting point is 00:17:20 Everything connects. Did you guys have, did you, did they ever, take you in and say, you know, pitch us on some type of arc here for you. Always, always. Oh, yeah. Michael Patrick was incredibly inclusive of us and our ideas. And even we didn't have any title back then. Only Sarah Jessica.
Starting point is 00:17:36 She was a consultant at first and then she moved her way up to executive producer. But the rest of us had no title at the time. And he still every year before, like when they were doing the writer's room before we went back to work, he would kind of prep and have all these ideas. and then he would sit us down, run it by us and watch our faces to see, like, what is the response? Do you know, saying? And then gauge it, you know, from that, which was really interesting. Yeah, we were incredibly lucky.
Starting point is 00:18:05 I don't know what possessed me to ask that, but I, because to, because it's risk taking on his part. And it's collaborative and all the things that we bullshit and talk about, but to actually do it. And then to strike that kismet and have that alchemy that makes the show, you know, iconic, that would make sense that he had done it. You know, he took, you know, the process and really, you know, opened it up to you guys. That's fantastic to hear, yeah. It was amazing. It was amazing creatively. And it makes everything else somewhat pale in comparison, frankly.
Starting point is 00:18:42 That's the downside. For now. Exactly. For now. I mean, unless you're creating something, right, if you can create. you can get people together and have it be like that. But obviously, we can't always be creating things. Yeah, I'm a hired gun. I don't really create.
Starting point is 00:18:55 You don't. But when you go on to a set, because you've been literally, like, your list of credits is so incredible. And you have Digger coming up, which is like super exciting. I can't wait. I read for that for seven years. What? 2017, 20, 22, 24.
Starting point is 00:19:13 I mean, you know, the project fell apart or he decided to do something else. So this actor fell out and everything. But I kept reading for the same role. I'll spend the rest of my artistic life, I suppose, trying to synthesize and remember what happened in that process. It was so like, I went to an art college and was classically trained and we did all sorts of stuff and everything. But that was an exercise.
Starting point is 00:19:36 So it was great. And I'm very excited for Tom Cruise in the role. It is uncanny. At a certain point, you just, I remember just. looking at him. And then on Wednesdays he would show up without, well, as Tom. Okay. And you'd be like, whoa.
Starting point is 00:19:56 On Wednesdays, he would show up as Tom. Okay, this is very fascinating. I can't say anymore. Okay, okay, okay. John Goodman, fantastic. Riz Ahmed just. Riz. What a cast.
Starting point is 00:20:12 But we have no idea how it's going to piece together. Really? Yeah, because he, We shot a lot of films. Interesting. How long did you film for? Eight months. Wow, that's great.
Starting point is 00:20:24 And so, okay. We rehearsed for like, we rehearsed for weeks. What? Unheard of these days. Wow. You get five minutes to put it on its feet, you know? Bring it in, boys. But this was a process that you just had to give over.
Starting point is 00:20:41 We stopped trying to second guess or figure it out or how is it going to piece together, although I'm thinking about how. I always get a piece together. Each scene that I'm in is like 25 minutes long, but there are 190 scenes in the movie. So, like, how does that work? So I'm no idea, but I'm very excited. And, you know, they've just contacted us about the premieres and stuff like that.
Starting point is 00:21:03 So it should be fun. Oh, my gosh. I'm even more excited than I already was. This is very fascinating. Alejandro and Chivo, Emmanuel Lubitsky, who shot it. Yeah. Oh, my God. So good.
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Starting point is 00:21:51 Hey, this is Hayes, Davenport. And Sean Clements. We host the podcast Hollywood Handbook on the Big Money Players Network. Our show is extremely accessible to first-time listeners. Each week, we talk to someone in show business, aka The Biz, and try to help them with their careers and see what they have to offer us. Everyone has a good time, and no one gets mad at their publicists for letting them do our show. We've had a lot of great guests like Sarah Sherman.
Starting point is 00:22:14 Not that great. Actually, can you help me shape this? How about we flip it on his head, right? How about we flip this around? What is the surprise woman? Actually, you think it's the straight man is actually the one who's acting weird. Adam Scott, this entire time you've been expecting Adam Sandler to come to visit the show. I would never expect.
Starting point is 00:22:42 I would never set expectations for something like that to happen. If the universe allows for something like that to happen, I'm open to it. I'm always going to accept. You know, Danny McBride, fine. Yeah, it's all this fragile masculinity exuding. I could smell it walking down the hallway, to be honest with you. I was like, I was like, is that weed? Nope, it's fragile masculinity.
Starting point is 00:23:05 Ben Stiller, no. Because a lot of times, out of context, people don't get it or even know what a circle is. You know what I mean? They're like, oh, they're like, oh, what's a state. Everyone's so dumb. And fake. Right, fake and also not interested. or just like, oh, I've got my life, I don't care about your life.
Starting point is 00:23:23 And a lot of other big shots that wouldn't be where they are without us. Oh, and by the way, Will Ferrell told us personally he loves the show and he wants to be a guest on every episode, but he's just so busy. Listen to Hollywood Handbook on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the new podcast Solita, we share the messy reality of traveling alone as a woman. I can wait four hours for the next bus or this random dude is offering me a ride on his I chose option B. I'm Julie Pinheiro and I travel by myself because it's a rare space where I can say yes without asking anyone else first.
Starting point is 00:24:00 I'm on a mission to reclaim the word solita, trading the pity for possibility. Every time I tried to be alone, I kept meeting people and they were like, you smiled at us. Not a lot of people smile around here. It's when you're alone that you're most receptive to the world as it is and not the lies you're sold about it. It can be a time where you push your limits, change your mind, or wake up to a new version of yourself. So whether you're a solo travel veteran or you're too nervous to book your first trip, I hope you listen to Solita on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If your bookshelf and your for you page are equally important to your personality, welcome home.
Starting point is 00:24:45 This is Proz Society, the weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for thought daughters, pop culture obsessives, and anyone who thinks Pride and Prejudice and Love Island deserve the same level of discourse. I'm Eli Rallo and every week we're connecting the dots between books, the internet, and the conversations everyone can't stop having. I'm going to have to look up this story. I'm obsessed. I'm obsessed.
Starting point is 00:25:08 From bestselling authors and your favorite book talk creators to the latest pop culture moments, nothing is off the table. It's like if you can hide some real messages inside compelling, characters, and that is a Trojan horse. Whether you're looking for literary deep dives, smart pop culture conversations, or a community of readers who love to think a little too much, you're in the right place. Listen to Pro Society on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. See you between the pages.
Starting point is 00:25:39 I feel at the point that we are now with our business, right? Things are so dicey and difficult always, right? Getting things greenlit, getting things made, getting people to do. see them. But, you know, to have this combination creatively, that's what we need, right? We need things that are different, that are creative. You know, we have this surge now, again, of the indie, you know, attention and the yellow door. And, you know, so I don't know, you know, obviously AI is like looming somehow, but a filmmaker who wants to tell a story is going to tell a story. And is it a lot to ask that the story be a good story? Well, these days more and more so.
Starting point is 00:26:24 To your point, like, you know, people trying to imitate sex in the city, the writing just doesn't hold up. You know, sex in the city's writing will just keep going. So with these independent stories being told, I think it's just super important not to be gimmicky. Yeah. You know, because you're going to get out flanked with gimmicks. But that your story be, you know, compelling and just an interesting story. I don't want to belabor the point, but I think that there's going to be just another infusion of independent filmmakers coming along. Because there's a lot to talk about.
Starting point is 00:27:07 I hope so. I hope so. I mean, that could be the silver lining of everything that our industry has been going through for the last since COVID. It is. It's strange times, for sure. I mean, I just saw production the other day. Nancy Myers is doing a film on the basically, like Ocean Boulevard.
Starting point is 00:27:25 And I was like, oh, thank God production. Like, it's a miracle. I mean, it's insane. We're in Los Angeles, right? But like, you just never be production anymore. It's crazy. You know, did it become cost prohibitive? Did it become, I don't know.
Starting point is 00:27:40 You know, our crazy tax situation. We have not had the incentive. I think because politically it was difficult because the northern California would be like, oh, they, you know, we're so sick of hearing about Southern California. But it's such a driver. of jobs for everyone. You know, people think of actors. No, it's not actors.
Starting point is 00:27:57 It's restaurants. It's grips. It's, you know, catering. It's everybody. Literally everyone, right. North Carolina, I was there when they closed, and it sent a shockwave. I remember saying to somebody, well, will we finish production here? They closed the same day that the incentive got yanked.
Starting point is 00:28:15 That's so sad. They're still, you know, upset about it, obviously. Everybody went to Atlanta or. I forget where. Well, New Orleans. New Mexico. New Orleans is big, but New Mexico has the big Netflix,
Starting point is 00:28:31 you know. Yeah, I shot down there at the height of COVID. I shot a Netflix movie. It was just, that's a whole other story. But it was, the facilities and everything were fantastic.
Starting point is 00:28:45 It was just like I was sitting in a hotel room, like, you know, there's no room service. There's nobody. There's sirens all night. It was just like, you know, when you were testing, four times a week you'd have to drive to the oh yeah it was bad it was just this whole weirdness and I said do I really want to do this now
Starting point is 00:29:00 but I just decided to you know get out of the house and go there and do it yeah I mean we we went back to work in New York for and just like that and we we had to test every day and I had to test my children every day you know all the craziness all the craziness but we got through and I mean I was so thankful to be to be able to work you know and I think everybody like at that point also all of the hair and make up people who normally do photo shoots were just fully out of work. So we were able to get a bunch of them that we knew into the union to, you know, have another income stream because there was like nothing.
Starting point is 00:29:36 Like it was just decimated. So bad. It was scary. It was scary. Yeah. It was weirdness and a sadness. Yeah. You know, and then, you know, not going.
Starting point is 00:29:48 I always like going into the room. Oh, my God. Yes. And I never feared that. I always invited it. And to not be able to do that for me was just like, you know, the whole I'm 60s. I'll be 66. It's like, I'm going on tape.
Starting point is 00:30:05 It's like I want to shoot myself. I have a son who is a film, he was a film major. Oh. And so he, you know, bang, bang, bang. So it's easier with him. Oh, that's nice. He's your DP? Totally.
Starting point is 00:30:22 Love it. People have said to me like, oh my God, this is really just like it looks like a movie. Wow. So I'm very lucky to have him. Yeah. He's starting to do acting. He's trained for a few years. It's like, I think I want to try him.
Starting point is 00:30:35 Yeah, no, I do it. So, and he's doing very well. He's doing a better stuff with a couple of jobs and, yeah. What? I'm going to look for him. What's his name? His name is Liam Burke. He did a Fox show called Best Medicine.
Starting point is 00:30:49 He shot at Dexter a couple of weeks ago. And then he just shot power. Amazing. Yeah. So he's a nice, he's a nice guy. He's a, he's a sweetheart.
Starting point is 00:31:02 And he's funny. So I'm very happy. Yay. Congratulations. That's so nice. That's so nice. Okay. The thing that's interesting about this episode,
Starting point is 00:31:13 I had forgotten. Candice Bergen is in it. Yes. I mean, Amy, you know, blah, blah, what's your name?
Starting point is 00:31:21 Cedars. Yes, Sedaris. We've got, like, so many people, so many people are in it. And I had fully forgotten the whole, like, kind of scope of it that we've got Bunny. Bunny, my Francis Sternhagen comes back to, like, give me a little speech. You know, I've forgotten. This, rewatching this, I did not know what was going to happen myself. I didn't get to rewatch it.
Starting point is 00:31:43 I was just trying to, like, remember. Got it, got it, got it. But I did watch both when they came on. And I thought that, you know, when I watched them back at that time, I thought I was very, I was happy. I was like, you were great. Yeah. You were perfect. Like, you were perfect to the point where it really leaves you thinking, like, we've got to make this work somehow.
Starting point is 00:32:04 That's what I thought. But you know, when you go in as an actor to a production and it's, just a quick story, when I auditioned four times for Special Victims Unit. Wow. And I don't, no, no, no. And I'm like, why do I have, you know, oh, he's Irish, he's a detective. No. I'm like, we want to keep him with something better. And you're like, oh, Lord.
Starting point is 00:32:27 And then I did 30 episodes with him over the year. Wow. So I mean, Rich is a boyfriend on the show. Wow. So when you do arrive, you want to be so prepared and gracious and professional and set your hooks. You know, I'm a viable business entity. acting shmacting it's art i'm going to have a good day or bad day i never care about that but will i show up on
Starting point is 00:32:52 time prepared so when i was with sex in the city uh i just wanted to be super ready to go and relaxed and um and cynthia again was just so much fun and so you know professional to work with and and yeah so did i want to come back sure i said they call me no oh yeah no it was it was fine i was very happy with what had happened because sometimes, you know, you know, you show up and you're like, or they used a weird take or whatever it is. Yeah. But I was, I was pretty pleased about the way it turned out. When you did the first one, did you know you were going to come back for the second one? Or that was just a surprise? No. No, it was, there was no, in my memory, recollection, there was no talk of a two, you know, two episode arc or anything like that. It was just, oh, we'd like to,
Starting point is 00:33:45 yeah, okay. And because it was such a tag at the end, mommy's coming. No, she's not, you know. I know. So, no, it was, it was, that was it. I thought it would only be the one episode. Hard Rock Bet Casino app is here, Ontario. It's safe, secure, and crystal clear with fast payouts and 24-7 local support. You can play over 3,000 games right here, including hard rock bet casino exclusives. The hard rock bet casino app is here, Ontario. Roll with us. Must be 19 years of age or older to play.
Starting point is 00:34:29 Ontario only. Please play responsibly. Concerned about your gambling or that of someone close to you, visit connectsonterio.ca. Hey, this is Hayes Davenport. And Sean Clements. We host the podcast Hollywood Handbook on the Big Money Players Network. Our show is extremely accessible to first-time listeners. week, we talked to someone in show business, aka the biz, and try to help them with their careers and see what they have to offer us. Everyone has a good time and no one gets mad at their
Starting point is 00:34:54 publicists for letting them do our show. We've had a lot of great guests like Sarah Sherman, not that great. Actually, can you help me shape this? How about we flip it on his head? How about we flip the script? Okay. What is the surprise woman? Actually, you think is the straight man is actually the one who's acting weird. Adam Scott. This entire time you've been expecting Adam Sandler to come to visit the show. I would never expect. I would never set expectations for something like that to happen. If the universe allows for something like that to happen, I'm open to it.
Starting point is 00:35:34 I'm always going to accept. You know, Danny McBride, fine. Yeah, it's all this fragile masculinity exuding. I could smell it walking down the hallway, to be honest with you. I was like, is that weed? Nope. It's fragile masculinity. Ben Stiller, no.
Starting point is 00:35:51 Because a lot of times out of context, people don't get it or even know what a circle is. You know what I mean? They're like, oh, what's a state. Everyone's so dumb. And fake. Right, fake and also not interested or just like, oh, I've got my life. I don't care about your life. And a lot of other big shots that wouldn't be where they are without us.
Starting point is 00:36:11 Oh, and by the way, Will Farrell told us personally, He loves the show and he wants to be a guest on every episode, but he's just so busy. Listen to Hollywood Handbook on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the new podcast Solita, we share the messy reality of traveling alone as a woman. I can wait four hours for the next bus or this random dude is offering me a ride on his motorcycle. I chose option B. I'm Julie Pinero and I travel by myself because it's a rare space where I can say yes without asking anyone else first. I'm on a mission to reclaim the word solita, trading the pity for possibility.
Starting point is 00:36:50 Every time I tried to be alone, I kept meeting people, and they were like, you smiled at us. Not a lot of people smile around here. It's when you're alone that you're most receptive to the world as it is, and not the lies you're sold about it. It can be a time where you push your limits, change your mind, or wake up to a new version of yourself. So whether you're a solo travel veteran or you're too nervous to book you. your first trip. I hope you listen to Solita on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If your bookshelf and your For You page are equally important to your
Starting point is 00:37:26 personality, welcome home. This is Prose Society, the weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for thought daughters, pop culture obsessives, and anyone who thinks Pride and Prejudice and Love Island deserve the same level of discourse. I'm Eli Rallo, and every week we're connecting the between books, the internet, and the conversations everyone can't stop having. I'm going to have to look up this story. I'm obsessed. So I'm obsessed. From bestselling authors and your favorite book talk creators to the latest pop culture moments, nothing is off the table.
Starting point is 00:37:58 It's like if you can hide some real messages inside compelling characters, then that is a Trojan horse. Whether you're looking for literary deep dives, smart pop culture conversations, or a community of readers who love to think a little too much, your internet. in the right place. Listen to pro society on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. See you between the pages.
Starting point is 00:38:23 That is what's so interesting. And I think it's because of your attitude, you're, you know, what you bring into your work, that when we first see you in the first episode, the good fight, that you're just like a complete being where you're like, well, yes, he's perfect for her. You know what I'm saying? And I don't normally think that so often.
Starting point is 00:38:50 But also then you're just like, well, we want more. We want more. And then you show back up, which is so great because obviously Michael Patrick felt the same way. And Michael Patrick directs the second one, which must have been really fun. Yeah, he was great. He was so great. Yeah, I think I met his mom somewhere. Oh, yeah.
Starting point is 00:39:07 She's like this old Irish woman. She's incredible. Yeah. She's not with the same. And both my parents were from Ireland. Oh. And I can't remember where his mother was from. And so then all.
Starting point is 00:39:17 automatically we know we've had something of the same. Yes. Yes. You're very, you've got the vibe that he shares, you know, like that. Who knows if madness or creativity or what it is. Yes. I just, I really liked him. And, you know, in our business, sometimes you know you're in the presence of somebody
Starting point is 00:39:36 who's, you know, a super creative and a kind person, a funny person. Yes. And they get the fucking job done so well. Yes. Yes. That was him. And I don't know if it's from my childhood or what, you know, the rhythms I possess as a human, but you don't want to let somebody like that down.
Starting point is 00:39:55 Oh, that is so well put. That is so well put. And that's not always the case, right? I mean, the whole production per se, you know, everybody. Yeah, yeah, definitely. Everyone was very intense and good at their job and super into it, right? Like sometimes people would argue and, you know, make people would. you know, make drama out of it or whatever,
Starting point is 00:40:17 but it was because everyone cared so much. Yeah. And that's not always the case, which sounds strange to say. But like, sometimes people are like, oh, it's fine. Like no one in the sex in the city world would ever say like, oh, it's fine. They'd be like, no, we can make it better. Let's do this. Let's do that.
Starting point is 00:40:32 Let's keep going. Let's do another take. Let's, you know, that costume needs to be a little tighter, you know, whatever, all the different details, you know. I worked on Rescue Me for seven years with Tennessee. Oh, yeah. It was just the opposite. It was like, you know, cut.
Starting point is 00:40:47 We're moving on. I'm like, bro, can I have one more? One more. You just did a take. But I only did one. You're fucking Marlon Brando? That's what they would say to you. Who are you, Marlon Brando?
Starting point is 00:40:55 You're not getting two takes. Let's go. And it was like, but it was always good product. Yeah. I mean, I didn't really watch that show. Right. Right. And the other thing, too, is that on Sex and the City, you guys were, like when I got there,
Starting point is 00:41:08 it was, you were iconic. You were established. And you know, going in as a guest, you're, you know, there's, you're intimately, you're nervous, you're anxious to do it right, to do it well. But everybody there was so cool. And I'd known a lot of the crew from over the years and stuff like that. Our crew was amazing. Cynthia was my key focus. Right, of course.
Starting point is 00:41:34 So it was easy to sustain, you know, play with her. Yeah, yeah, she's the best. She's amazing to play with. then I think she has the thing about her, which is I think different from the rest of us, she has no vanity, right? So like the sex scene, she's just like, whatever, you know what I mean?
Starting point is 00:41:54 Like I would always be worried this is before intimacy coordinators, right? I would always be concerned, like, who's going to take care of Cynthia? Oh, Lord. You know what I mean? Because she'd just be like, whatever. You know, like one time she was doing something in her feet were like so dirty because, you know, when you do a sex scene and you're having to walk around the set
Starting point is 00:42:12 and the set is not an actual bedroom, right? It's like a set with like sawdust and exactly, like construction, you know, and no one's taking care of her feet, right? So her feet are so dirty, but they're like right in the camera, dirty. I was like, someone take care of his feet. These are the things I used to worry about. Well, listen, they're to be worried about their considerations. Like, hey, I love that scene.
Starting point is 00:42:37 Why were your feet dirty? Exactly, right. She personally didn't care, though, which is part of, her charm. You know what I'm saying? She's like a just a full... Let's say fair. It's fine. Let's go. Exactly. She's about like the acting, not the how do I look, which is a wonderful thing to be around
Starting point is 00:42:54 for me. I'm like, oh yeah, we've got to, we've got to let go. Believe me, I'm going to cop too. I worry about like how things look also, so it's not like I'm like... Thank you. Thank you. I know. I mean, actors do too, right? Like male actors, you're not, why not? It's a visual medium. You know what I'm saying? It is moving pictures. So the picture has to be, you know, the way it ought to be. Absolutely.
Starting point is 00:43:17 Absolutely. Well, you were a joy. Thank you so much for being with us. I was nervous. I was like, oh, my God. Why? Oh, my God, no. You're fantastic.
Starting point is 00:43:28 You're such a great storyteller. And I'm so excited for Digger and all of your, I mean, like, you're super fascinating. And I love to meet actors like yourself who have created, you know, this list of incredible credits over so much time. but also lived an incredible life. Like it's a joy. Well, back at you, Christian, and your work is just global. Thank you.
Starting point is 00:43:53 I go with like five blocks from here to help them, but... It's still good. Look, we're finding our way, right? I love your character on the show. There was just such a kismet between all four of you. Thank you. We lucked out. We really did.
Starting point is 00:44:08 You know what? You were all generous with each other just in terms of who has. passing the ball and stuff like that. Definitely. A pleasure to watch that kind of play. Isn't that so nice? It's so nice to be part of that. Yeah, it's unique.
Starting point is 00:44:22 I mean, it doesn't happen a lot. It's true. It's so true. It's so true. So thank you for having me. Oh, thank you, Robert. It's our pleasure. We love to have the special men on.
Starting point is 00:44:31 It's wonderful. Well, thank you. We'll be watching. I can't wait to see Digger and all of your other things. Thanks. Stay safe out there. Okay, bye. Hey, this is Hayes Davenport.
Starting point is 00:44:51 And Sean Clements. We host the podcast, Hollywood Handbook. Each week, we talk to someone in show business and try to help them with their careers and see what they have to offer us. Everyone has a good time and no one gets mad at their publicists for letting them do our show. We've had a lot of great guests like Sarah Sherman, Adam Scott, Danny McBride, Ben Stillard, and a lot of other big shots that wouldn't be where they are without us. Listen to Hollywood Handbook on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your
Starting point is 00:45:15 podcasts. I'm Munga Chatekegular, and I'm back with a new. season of my podcast, Skyline Drive. This time I talked to scientists, biopunks, curmudgens, blues owners, super seniors, and Goa's top cryotherapy lab to try to understand this obsession with living forever and what it means for all of us. And I get into a bit of trouble along the way. I'd say probably start bone smashing. That doesn't work. To make it look more defined. They say it works. I don't know. Listen to Skyline Drive, How to Live Forever on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
Starting point is 00:45:49 On the new podcast, Solita, we share the messy reality of traveling alone as a woman. I can wait four hours for the next bus or this random dude is offering me a ride on his motorcycle. I chose option B. I'm Julie Pinero and I travel by myself because it's a rare space where I can say yes without asking anyone else first. I'm on a mission to reclaim the word Solita, trading the pity for possibility. Listen to Solita on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If your bookshelf and your for you page
Starting point is 00:46:26 are equally important to your personality, welcome home. Pro Society is a weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for anyone who thinks pride and prejudice and love island deserve the same level of discourse. Each week, we're connecting the dots between books, the internet, and pop culture with your favorite writers, book talk creators, and plenty of overthought opinions.
Starting point is 00:46:46 Yeah, I'm obsessed. I'm obsessed. Listen to Pro Society on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.

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