Breaking Bread with Tom Papa - Episode 225 - Johnny Lowe

Episode Date: August 15, 2024

John Owen Lowe comes to break bread with Tom Papa to celebrate season 2 of Netflix’s ‘Unstable’ out now! Johnny talks about this season getting even crazier and what it’s really like to have his dad, Rob Lowe, as a co-star. Johnny tells Tom how to stop balding and uses his scientific past to teach us about stem cells. The pair re-cap the Olympics, talk rebelling against show biz, and spill about ‘Unstable’ season 3 and Tom’s newest special! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Insurance isn't one-size-fits-all, and shopping for it shouldn't feel like squeezing into something that just doesn't fit. That's why drivers have enjoyed progressives' name-your-price tool for years. With the name-your-price tool, you tell them what you want to pay, and they show you options that fit your budget. Enough hunting for discounts, trying to calculate rates, and tinkering with coverages. Maybe you're picking out your very first policy. Or maybe you're just looking for something that works better for you and your family. Either way, they make it simple to see your options. No guesswork, no surprises.

Ready to see how easy and fun shopping for car insurance can be? Visit progressive.com and give the name your price tool a try. Take the stress out of shopping and find coverage that fits your life on your terms. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. Price and coverage match limited by state law. Now, did it help that your dad had a sense of humor? Oh, so much. And look, I don't like giving him credit.

No, of course not. Which we cannot continue to do. Yeah, let's be clear, actually, you will at times dip into things that seem kind about your father. Sure. But we should never lose track that there's an undercurrent of really jealousy on his part of you. Completely. Thank you for identifying that. It's all right.

Maybe we can put like a Chiron underneath the video of this. Roblo wishes he looked like this. Desperately, yes. I think he thinks he does. I don't think he wishes. There's not much wishing. He's so happy he looks the way he looks that there's no he's not pining for anything else What was the question?

It's breaking bread Thanks for being here Thank you for having me You look great I think you look great Thank you We'd like to start off with a toast And I would like to toast

You because you've achieved something that very few people achieve which is making something, one, very funny on television, and two, coming back, which is very rare, and it's very creative. I can't wait to talk to you about it, but congratulations. I know that's a minefield and a long road and that you pulled that off.

Bravo. Cheers. What a nice cheers. Hold on. Not bad. No, no. I was going to do one of these, actually.

I'll do it again. Were you spit it? Where I'm going to do that like a. they say that's what you're supposed to do yeah right that's what they say that's what i've heard i've heard it by they we mean those uncouth italians those italians they tell me yeah i did study abroad in rome you did i did oh man i studied abroad i learned zero italian really yes i was drunk through most of it um and but i do remember that they the big thing there was like when you go to get your espresso. They just like crank it out and you throw it back and you leave. Right. And I was,

that was a huge, like the decorum of how you drink your espresso. And I was like, I wonder if I don't want to do that. How about that? What if I want to be around? What if I just want to hang and slow sip it? They did not like that. That's, I've only been to Rome once. And it was my favorite city in Italy. Oh, it's so nice. And because it's alive. Because like the other ones are, I mean, there's a ton, but of the big ones. Florence, you know, Venice. Like, they seem like museum pieces.

Like, you come in and you see what it was. Rome, you see what it was and what it is. Like, there's so much energy. I loved it. And I was like, I want to return here and just, like, get an Airbnb and live here for like three weeks. I lived on the Vatican wall in a hostel. So don't do that.

No, it sounds terrible. No, it's not great. But Rome is gorgeous. I loved it. I did not learn how to drink an espresso. How long were you in a hostel? I was there for like three and a half months. Oh, wow.

Yeah. I did, you know, I did a full study abroad program. With other students rotating through while you're there? Yeah, so the students were all in this one. They had like,

the school has like a rented out hostel, essentially. So you're not with other hostile folks. Oh, but it's the, the establishment was at one point a hostel. Right. So it's not like,

you're not living in luxury. What year was it? Of school. This would have been my junior year of college, which I think is 2017, perhaps. Right. Yeah.

And did you go into it saying, I'm not learning Italian? Or did you have the intent? No, I'll probably get some. I was a good student. You know, I think I just, our teacher was lovely too. Honestly, if I'm being completely honest. Yeah. I remember I had a, we had this beautiful Italian woman as our Italian teacher.

I'm serious. Yeah. I'm dead serious. She used to be an actor and had this wonderful accent. And maybe that's why I didn't learn anything. It seems like it would be the opposite. You'd think, but then, you know, someone's talking. You're like, oh, yeah.

You're just daydreaming. I'm just like, oh, I see it. I don't know. I mean, you know. Yeah. Come on te kiami. I remember that. It's like, how do you say, you know?

Mangato, manjado, calcosa, calcosa. Qualcosa. That's perfect. What do you want to eat? Okay. And then nerd. rope is what I want. I normally bake bread, but I got, I literally came in last night from the road after a week

and a half. I did not have time to bake you bread. And now that we're friends, I will bring you my bread. Do you promise? But this is, yes. Okay. And this is from Lodge bread, which is one of my favorite bakers in, in L.A., and you can take this home with you.

Wow. Yeah, it's so good. Nobody ever gives me anything to take home. Yeah, you know why? Why? But they suck. That's so fucking true. God.

Somebody finally. says it. Yeah, come on. I'm sure you're running around doing a lot of press. You're in season two. That's right. You've got a lot going on. I feel like we should take care of you. These other places don't care. They're like, you can fill up eight minutes on our dumb show. And you don't get any bread. Not even a slice. So I didn't realize that you created the show. I did. I did. So I technically co-created. My father is gifted, a co-created title as well. but he was mostly there in spirit. But I did have to pitch the idea to him when it was at its earliest phase.

You did. Oh, yeah. I remember sitting him down. I remember exactly the moment. And I said, hey, people seem to be getting a kick out of the way I rib you on social media. And we had been pitched some iterations of shows involving the two of us. kind of like shit my dad says type of you know things and we that wasn't for us and so um I remember me saying like what if I wrote something that was adjacent to our lives and relationships

but you know was you and I playing this out and he was down I said can I make fun of you on national TV he said I just like being on TV man so yeah I'm down and then we and then we needed an adult yeah then we got we took meetings and we found Victor Fresco who co-created it with us who's phenomenal and he he's done staccrued diet for netflix and he did better off ted and he's great and he wrote on friends i think you know years back and right he was he made the trains run on time and was creatively a very very helpful and now did you have at what at what point in your life i'm very interested my daughter's here she's working with us today i love that uh yeah so i'm very interested in the dynamic yeah of all of this uh when my kids were little and they would see me on tv

like on Conan or whatever, could not care less. Couldn't care less. They would just like, wife would be like, put me on, and then they would start dancing in front of the TV or yell for SpongeBob and all that kind of stuff. At what point did you clock, my dad is also this guy, Rob Lowe, who people seem to know.

Yeah, it's a great, that is, as far as the type of, of questions you get asked about that the circumstance of having a famous parent that's i think the most interesting question because it's the most interesting thing to reflect on for me is you know when you when i was very young i you don't know anything else right so there's nothing to compare it to so it's very normal you go out when you're you know before you're fully um cognizant of the world yeah go out and it's you know someone paparazzi's following you or people are interrupting your dinner to get a photo or an autograph or whatever you're like that's how it is that's what that's what life is yeah and then there's a certain age and i don't remember specifically

but i would say like middle schoolish when you're you start to you know be an adult in some ways god no not an adult but you have you do yeah yeah yeah you have you know an awareness yeah you develop and i remember that was when i you start to go oh wait no um my friends parents don't have these experiences. Right. Wait a minute. Like if I go on a vacation with my friend's family, it's, you know, that's very strange. You don't have to, you know, whatever, sneak out of the back door of the restaurant or

whatever. And, and then, you know, and then there's more complicated layers where you go like, wait, I, I don't, you know, people want to talk to me about things that I'm not interested in or don't have anything to do with me. And you're like, oh, this person really interested in. And then I think there's a lot of self-doubt that comes along with that and identity stuff. And I think it's a tricky thing to navigate when you're a kid for sure. Yeah, yeah.

Because it's a weird thing that you, it's interesting you say that because it's a weird thing that you have to actually deal with process. Yeah. The disingenuous part of people that linger around famous people. That's got to be pretty complex. Because it's hard to get a handle on what's true just in everyday life. And now you have people who you know because they want things from the business and from your dad who's really connected to the business. And they're leaning in on you. And that had to be.

It's strange. It's very strange. And also, yeah, as a kid, you're still figuring out who you are as a person. Yeah. And, you know, you're learning how to navigate social situations. and then there's this additional layer where you go like, wait, I'm not just learning how to be a normal kid,

I'm also learning how to understand, you know, what is a healthy relationship, what is somebody who potentially wants something from me or something. Now, did it help that your dad had a sense of humor? Oh, so much. And look, I don't like giving him credit, but... No, of course not. Which we cannot continue to do.

Yeah, let's be clear, actually. Let's kind of set the parameters of this conversation. Please. You will at times dip into things that seem kind about your father. Sure. But we should never lose track that there's an undercurrent of really jealousy on his part of you. Completely. Thank you for identifying that.

It's all right. And for articulating it. Thank you. That's actually very astute. And I would just like that to be, maybe we can put like a Chiron underneath the video of this. Roblo wishes he looked like this. Desperately, yes. I think he thinks he does.

I don't think he wishes. There's not much wishing there. He's so happy he looks the way he looks that there's no, he's not pining for anything else. But his having a sense of humor because, say you're you and you have a famous dad. Yeah. And it's a real serious method actor, dad who's like really fraught and stuff like that.

It could be a very difficult. That would be treacherous. To have your dad be able to like, have a sense of humor and say what's happening when we're slipping into the SUV and what that guy just said and all that kind of stuff. That had to be helpful. I will say 100%. My parents, my dad and my mom both had such a, I think, healthy relationship to, you know, fame and success in the entertainment industry. Yeah.

That got sort of transposed to us as kids, my brother and I. and that, you know, um, even by the way, look at, you know, doing the show, he's a good sport. Yeah. He did, you know, he did a comedy central roast and they, those people were mean. Yeah. They do not hold back. And he loves it. He's fine with it.

He's got a good, uh, head on his shoulders in the sense that he's, you know, great with, you know, self deprecative stuff and people poking fun of him and, and things that involve a modicum of self-awareness. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it was such a cool thing, like, just watching him just as a, fan and he was always you know the cool guy but then he hit this other and you know somewhat funny

but then he hits this gear where he was legit funny for a long time and it was like he learned his his way of being funny yeah and it it was such a cool like next chapter of it i do think look i mean he's he's he's had career wise it's i mean i haven't seen much of his work which is a you know a frequent conversation it does help a lot but the stuff that i have seen is mostly the comedy stuff Right. You know, I'm a fan of, you know, I loved Wayne's World and Tommy Boy and awesome powers and stuff like that. So, yeah. He's, you know, he's, he's done a fine job, whatever.

Is there something else? Was there a time where, okay, so as you're going through and you're figuring out, this isn't like a regular life or whatever, did you have a, you obviously get to a point where you embrace the business and have creative ideas and want to put them into action? did you have a did you have a point where you're like the teen rebelling against the parents like I'm not into all this and then come back to it or was did you just kind of I'm along? No I definitely had that.

You did. But in fairness my parents desperately did not want me to enter the entertainment industry. Right. They were they they they I was very, I did not grow up like you know there's a lot of people I know

who come from similar backgrounds that I do and those that don't who you know are entertainment oriented from the jump. Yeah. They're doing the plays and they're going on commercial auditions when they're young or, you know, whatever. I was a nerd and was very school focused and I thought I wanted to be a scientist. I worked in a stem cell biology research lab during my summers in high school at UCSF and thought perhaps I'd be working in like regenerative cancer research.

Right. And then ended up going to Stanford and thought I was going to study it there. And, and, but I was creative along the way in that I thought it was an outlet, but I never humored the idea that, um, it would be a career for me because I had listened to my parents and I thought like, I don't want that. Yeah. And I, I genuinely had seen so much of the negative sort of, uh, the stuff that follows it, right? So it's like, you know, it's not that acting has any sort of like directly negative, sort of, uh, the stuff that follows it, right? Yeah. So it's like, you know, it's not that acting has any sort of like, directly negative, things associated with it in the craft, but it's the stuff that comes around success with it,

you know, as far as like invasion of privacy and yada, yada, yada, that's sort of stuff. And so I had seen that firsthand, and I was like, I don't want that. Yeah. I don't want to enter into a career where if I do well, that's what comes with it.

Right. But I think I got to a certain point where I knew I loved writing so much and creating that I was like, eh, screw it. That's what I really do want to do that. Yeah, that's really cool. And there's also the other part of it,

which I, skip the part of telling my kids don't go into it because it was pretty obvious how much fun we're all having yeah it is fun you know what i mean yeah like we're not really working on jobs that you don't like and you uh have a good time and everyone has sense of you're and your funny friends come over it's like no this could be really fun look i actually i appreciate that you said that because it's you know i guess my answer did sound very like melodramatic but it's also nobody yeah but it's like you know it's not like it's a doctor in an ER room saying like you don't want this like it's 16 hours in surgery and I could lose a pitch like you know at the end of the day the fact that

any of us get paid to do this is remarkable yeah I'm I maintain that that perspective yeah I think you know yes there's so much yeah so great about it and I said by the way to this moment I'm like I cannot believe that this is the career I get to do yeah it's so much fun it's so fun and you should be tested. I think, I think that was good parenting. You know, you have to tell people absolutely not. And then if they want it, then it means they want it that much. That's right. That's, that's, that's my sense, too. And when I, by the way, when I have, you know, friends or people, younger folks that want advice or mentoring, you know, I, I share that advice of, like, you know, I don't like when people's advice is don't do this. That's not right. But I,

there's a, uh, sort of, you have to tweak it to basically, say like don't do this or only do this if it's all you want to do. Don't do it if there's other things you like. Right. Because it's so hard. Yeah. And the likelihood of you, you know, finding success on a timeline that makes sense is so unlikely. Yeah.

That it only makes sense for you to do this if you love it. If it's all you want to do. And then screw it. Who cares about anything else? Do it and like go off and have fun and you can. No matter how long it takes you, you'll be thrilled that you're doing what you love. Right. No, you have to, you have to do it.

Yeah. At that point, yeah. Yeah. Yes. We do a thing on this show called an uncomfortable moment. Ooh. And, uh. Haven't we already?

We haven't done that already? We'd like to thank the good people at Quince for sponsoring today's program. If you spend a lot of time cooking at home, it's time to elevate your game. When your cookware actually feels good to use and is thoughtfully made and look. beautiful on your counter. It just makes the whole experience better. That's what I've really liked about Quince. Their cookware, knives, and tableware are elevated, but they're still super practical. Everything is made to last, designed to be seen, and honestly priced way more reasonably than you'd expect for that kind of quality. It just makes everyday cooking feel a little more special.

Quince has a really solid kitchen lineup. Their stainless steel and ceramic nonstick cookware performs like the kind you'd find in a professional kitchen. And their Japanese Damascus steel knives make prep feel way easier and more precise. I love having Quince in my lineup. I've got these good ceramic frying pans and sauce pans. They're very cool. They're good in your hand and they clean easy, which is another very cool thing. The best part, everything at Quince is priced way lower than you'd expect.

50 to 80% less than similar brands. Go get it right now. every day with luxury you'll actually use. Head to quince.com slash papa for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada, too. That's quince, quince, c-u-in-c-com slash papa, P-A, for free shipping and 365-day returns. Quince.com slash papa. No, it's coming up.

Very successful. You created this thing. You know, we all have moments when we were trying to get work early on. Oh, no. That we're maybe not that proud of. Oh, no. I see where you were going with this. I think this was during the sequel.

You were trying to get muscle out and try and become the sequel of this thing. But, well, I guess you just explain. What was your head when you thought that you could replace? an animated character? Was it just a look? You know what's incredible? I gotta give you guys credit for this. Oh, God.

Look at what I did there. I'm desperate to be in the Incredibles that I can't stop saying. That's, yeah. We just did a deep dive. I don't want to... Here's the truth. Yeah, you want me to speak candidly

about this moment? Please. Okay, fine. I've never spoken about this moment before in any sort of public setting. Okay. But I am

Dash from the Incredibles. That is, I am him. Wait, what? That's who that is. You don't know. You're the original guy? Yeah. I mean,

I thought this was, you're him? Well, look, did I voice him? No. Right. Did I have any affiliation with the project? No. Oh.

But in many ways, you know, I identify. I'm pretty quick. I'm pretty fast. No, but it's funny that I, It's uncanny, actually. I did dress up as that character once for Halloween. I'm not kidding, I swear God, yeah.

Because I kind of vaguely look like that character in a not great way. Oh, yeah, in a real way. Yeah, yeah, you know, I, um, if they want to make an Incredibles 3 or a live action one. So you do admit it's not, it's a dream that you're still holding on to. I'm desperate, man. It's not just a dream. I'm thirsting for it. That's my calling right there.

That was supposed to be uncommon. comfortable, that's great. Well, I, you know, I never know how people are going to react. A lot of times people like to hide these kind of things, but thank you for being so open. You're so welcome. I feel so safe. Right. Yeah.

That's where the bread comes in. The bread really makes you feel. Yeah. That's a good question. Who cooked for you? Who was the cook in the house? I is a good question. Did you have a hired cook or did mom cook or did a dad cook?

We did have a chef growing up, but my mom cooked quite a bit. My dad, and again, this is. sounds like I'm like, you know, piling on, but my dad doesn't know. What food is? No. No, by the way, no. He, like, I'm not sure. This sounds like a joke.

It's not. I'm not sure he could make himself toast. I'm genuinely, like, I would love to put a camera on him and say, like, make toast. Seriously, I don't think he'd know how to do it. I don't think he'd know how to work the toaster or know, like, you know, how long to leave it in. what type of bread to use or what to put on it. He can make cereal. He does that quite a bit.

But does he clean up after himself? Never. No. Not once. But I say, you know, it's funny about that is it speaks to a larger thing with him where when you've been famous for as long as he has and people, you know, inevitably when you work on set, those people, you know, get things for you and do things for you. And then when he goes home, you know, he has people that potentially do that for him as well.

I think he has completely. forgotten how to survive as a human being. Like if the apocalypse were to happen, that's what I want to see is what happens as celebrities. Who don't know how to drive a car or make toast or go to a grocery store or do anything. They're just calling people for help. Yeah, that's, I mean, truly.

Are you going to take me to the desert? Yeah. What is happening? Why has nobody come to pick me up yet? People are dying. He's like, I could die. The whole world is over. Robloor could die.

Do people not run? realize this? Where's my plane? I'm like, well, the people are dying. No, yeah, my mom cooked. She's a great cook. My mom is a very good cook. What was her, what was, uh, what did you like that she made?

What was her? Pasta. She has, she makes some good pastas. She used to work in an Italian restaurant when she was younger, actually. Nice. And, uh, and then, you know, she's Jewish. I'm more Jewish. So she would make some, like, matzabra I really like.

Nice. It's one of my favorites. Oh, yummy. Um, what else did? That was, those are the big hits for me, from what I can recall. Right. That's good. Do, uh, do you cook?

I can cook. Yeah. I'm not, I, I call it like, um, like kind of like boy cooking almost where it's like, you know, like grilled chicken and rice and vegetables. I'm never like, here's a risotto. Right. But I can, you know. I can heat this up.

Yeah. No, but I can like, you know, I can make like a very, uh, a very, uh, decent like, you know, meat, vegetable, uh, rice situation. Right. I can do a pasta. That's good. Um, I can't do anything beyond that. Right.

I went out during quarantine, I got into baking. Oh, you did? Yeah. I was, you know, I was a sourdough starter boy for a minute there. And then I got into like banana breads and cakes and such. Oh, that's good. Yeah. I love cooking.

I love it. And I watch a lot of cooking content. I'm a big fan of the. cooking channels and the Great British Baking show. It's such a good show. It's the best.

Nothing ever happens on that show. It's the best show ever happened nor will happen on that show. Why do you think that show there's not an American version of it? Why is the American version people yelling at each other and making each other cry?

That's exactly, you've answered your own question. That's, you know, the British, you know, culture is like a sweet old grandma shows up and it's like, I'm going to make this pecan, whatever.

unappetizing thing you've ever seen in your life. Yeah. She's so lovely that you want to watch or cook it. And yeah, that would not work in America. What's wrong with us? What's so much? What do you? What is wrong with us?

Yeah, let's really crack it. Yeah. You know what? Let's get into it. Right? Really? That's what we're here. Why are we so mean?

The great American debate. And impatient. Solved by us. Cheers to that. But I think, I think you could do that pace of a baking show, and people would like it. I mean, people, we're gobbling it up, no pun intended.

You know what I mean? We're watching it on Netflix and big numbers. Yeah. Oh, yeah. I would think that, I think it's the programmers that just don't. Why not do an American version of it? Yeah. I mean, we got, you know, do we eat chopped?

Is that technically American? I don't know. Competition. Everything needs to be a competition. competition in America. Yeah. Although I guess technically the great, yeah, when they lose in the great British baking show, everyone's very sad and like they hug and stuff.

Yeah. And ours that's not like that. No, we're like in your face. Yeah, we're like gladiators, you know. You like you said, blood sport. Yeah. We want to see people struggle. So you baked during the pandemic.

Did you keep it going? I mean, you're busy now, but. Man, I'm so busy. No. He's too busy to bake. Come on. I can't feed my starter. No.

I still will every now and then. I mean, not that, no, I would say I cook more now than I bake. Okay. Because I'm, you know, I got, I used to live with my brother. And now I live on my own, I guess I got my own spot for like almost two years now. And I've found that there are many nights where you're like, oh, I have to feed myself. Like, what am I? What happens now?

I cook more. And then that sort of the luxury of being like, I'm just going to bake something. I'm like scrambled to just put sustenance in my body. Right. So, more so just cooking. Was your brother upset when you kicked him out?

Yeah. I like that joke a lot. He was devastated. Yeah. We really haven't. We haven't spoken much sense. But how did he take it when you said, I'm sorry,

but I'm famous now. Yeah. Well, if he's watching this, you know, I miss you. No, he stayed. We had a sort of a family spot. And I was like, I can't do this anymore. I want to be doing my own thing.

Right. And he just recently, actually. Is he older or younger? He's older. But I would say he was always a bit more, I was kind of the troublemaker, sort of, I would say, more independent quicker just because I was forced to be. Why was that? I think because, like, personality.

personality-wise, I was just more, I just liked to cause problems. I just did. Yeah. Were you conscious of it? Oh, yeah. Yeah, I was. I mean, look, without, you know, not trying to get too deep on it, but like I was, you know, I'm sober and I've been sober for six years and a few months.

Oh, wow. And I think I was like. How old are you now? 28. 28. I'm sober at 22. Right. And I think when I was a youth, which I clearly am not anymore, I was just, you know, yearning for some sort of, you know, identity that I couldn't find.

And so I tried everything. And a lot of that was like, I'm not a part of this family or like, you know, like, you guys don't know what's best for me. I'm going to do my own thing or whatever. My brother wasn't like that. So I think, you know, him staying. you know, at a family house, he was not pressed on that. He was like, whatever, I don't care. But he did just move out.

He just moved in with his girlfriend. Boo. Oops. Yeah, it's always fascinating to me when, when, it's almost like you're aware of it. You know you're the troublemaker in the family. You know, you're stirring it up. You know, like, if you push these buttons of these people,

you know exactly what you're doing. Yep. But it's almost like there's a stage when we're young where you really can't help yourself. Like it really is just... I still can't. Right? Yeah. Can you help yourself? It's an ongoing struggle. Yeah, no.

I think now at least I know to pick my moments. That's the big difference. Even in my friend group, they know, like, I'm an instigator. I love instigating. And that's what I did, you know, as a child, my family. But... Yeah, it's a skill that you got good at. Why would you throw it away now?

Stop, yeah. I've spent 10,000 hours cultivating that. I can't just abandon that. No, I love instigating. It's fun. Yeah. Is it a, was there a period where you had to kind of, I mean, because you obviously have a good relationship with your family.

Yeah. Like, how did it, did you get to the, did you have to take it to the edge? Or did it go to the edge? It's been to the edge. It's been to the edge. We've been to the edge, maybe. Yeah, we've been to the edge. And then you come back.

I think that's why. I actually am, I have the hiccups hold on, or like some sort of sneeze. No, it was just a hiccup. Not that. I had a sneeze this morning. It was so beautiful. Was it good for you? Yeah, because I woke up and I was like, I'm a little headachey.

And I rolled over and I felt a sneeze coming. I was like, oh, please, please. And I just kind of shook my head a little bit. And it was a big sneeze, headache gone. You sneezed your headache away? I sneezed my headache away. Who needs migraine medication? I'm going to throw my NERTEC away and just start sneezing.

Do you get migraines? I do. Dude, I don't really get migraines, but, you know, when you, like, it starts to, like, get wavy in your vision and here it comes kind of thing. I've had that, like, once or twice. Yesterday, a baggage claim. Oh, no. I'm waiting for the bags, and it's taking a long time. I had a long travel, a week and a half of a lot of travel.

And I'm standing there waiting for the bags, and it starts to go at the corner of my eye. And I started panicking. I'm like, I can't have that now. And I just started massaging my temples. This is that package clip. Massaging my temples, doing breathes, deep breaths through my nose, doing eye stuff. And I got it away. You beat it.

I beat it. Yeah, my migraines are stronger than that. Yeah, I know. They beat me. When I hear people talk about it, I'm like, I don't want this to be. I used to get vertigo. No. Yeah, full-blown vertigo.

No. I would go to the hospital. You'd go to the hospital? Yeah. Like, and it would just come on? I would, yeah, I would come on like lightheadedness. Uh-huh. And then, I remember the first few times I got it, I thought I was having a panic attack.

How old were you? Probably 18, 18, 19. And then, and in fairness, I got medicated and I took, I started taking supplements, this vitamin supplements. And I have them almost never now. It's great. Oh, yeah. So I've got my, like, vitamin regimen dialed. Is that what caused it?

It was, like, deficient supplements? I went to a bunch of different doctors and everyone has different takes, but this one doctor that I found to be the most helpful basically said, yeah, it's different for everyone, but for me it was some sort of vitamin deficiency that was causing it. But it can also be inner ear stuff and-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-lety-old-old-stststin-a-old. Right.

I mean, like, oh, shit, what actually is this? But, um, no, I would get violent. Like, we're just, would spin? where I literally wouldn't be able to stand up. Jeez. I would just fall. Oh, my God. Like calling a friend saying,

hey, can you drive me to the ER? And then they just put you on a hero's dose of dramamine and, like, you know, Xanax or something. Jeez. Yeah. That happened to me once where I popped my ear and the whole thing. I was on the ground. Whoa. But I went on flights.

If I'm stuffed up at all, this ear will start to not pop. and it'll start to spin. And I just got to kind of wade it out on the flight. I close my eyes and just wait for it to... And it pops and then I'm cool. But I know the people who suffer from that just naturally all the time is terrifying to me. It was really brutal.

I feel like I've got... I'm just... Yeah, I know. Let's not eff with it. Yeah, don't eff with that, baby. Come on. Not here. Not now.

Yeah, at least get through the interview before you... Come on, man. The room starts spinning. We haven't even broken bread. No, but thank God. What a blessing that you found an answer for it, really. That is a great thing. Vigrants suck.

Yeah. You heard it here first. Yeah. Migrains suck. Man, I didn't even like looking it up because there's so many different types. Oh, yeah. I'm going to have all these bodies. Yeah.

Well, then you look anything up. You're dead. Yeah. You're dying. You've cancer. It's an an aneurism, blah, blah, blah. And I was like, I had a whole hypochondriac phase, too. Did you?

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. At one point in time, I picked part of the reason why, you know, we picked where I was living was based on, like, proximity to a hospital. I was, like, really locked in. Yeah, I've since chilled out, but. Yeah. Oh, yeah.

You know, it's good for that. Have a baby. Drinking. Oh. No, make a baby. Make a baby? Make a baby. Fully just make one.

Yeah. I mean, you know what's involved. Yeah, I think so. And I got to go do that. Okay. But once you make a baby, it's amazing how little you worry about yourself. Is this the baby? That's one of the babies right over there.

How many babies are there? That grown woman over there stopped me from thinking that every time I was in the shower, I was finding a cancerous lump in my armpit. Oh. It was just my armpit. Just a lumpy. But I was just getting weird. Yeah.

And then I had a baby and I never think about it again. How many kids do you have? Two. Two. So how old are you? 22 and 19. So you're the oldest. Yeah. Is it bad if I'm talking over here?

Is it like I'm off? You could stay on mic and do it. There you go. Like this. Good work. That was good technique. Mike slide. Okay, so two, yeah.

Yeah, so make a baby. If you ever get weird. Did you make one already? No. I thought you just said I did that. No, no. I did that shit. Didn't work for me.

I don't have it anymore. Make a baby. Okay. Yeah. I'll think about it. Eventually. I'll think on it. Yeah.

Yeah. It is a good thing to stop thinking about yourself. I believe that. Yeah. Yeah. Give me out of my head. Yeah. Didn't work for your dad, but.

I don't think anything was going to work. No. So he tried. Yeah. Talk to me about the show. Okay. It seems like you're somewhat more adventurous in the second season in a way that there's some kind of bigger arcs and different characters. Yeah. Did you feel like after you kind of like established it that you can kind of go off a little bit more?

Completely. I mean, I feel like you would be well versed in this, but, you know, my theory was always that. especially with comedies, you know, the first season is, is typically where you find your footing and, like, tone and what works and maybe what didn't, and then you do a post-mortem. And I think the second season, and even, you know, if you get to go keep doing it, you just build, you build out. And so I think for our second season, one of our mission statements early on was, like, how can we make everything feel bigger?

And, you know, we really leaned into that with, Rob and I's characters with Alison Jackson And just like, how can we, and actually getting bigger meant getting smaller in that regard. Like, how can we get even more specific about real things that Rob and I have been through? Right. And turning them into story between these two

because we found that the more honest the writing was to like our experience, the more it translated, the funnier it was. You mean in your real life? Yeah. Oh, yeah. Mining it for real stuff. Which is how we spent the majority of,

of most, mornings in the writer's room for season two was like what is some stuff that was funny to you as a kid or crazy stuff you went through most of the stories are are generated from that on our show interesting yeah what's that doing with your relationship oh god it's bad not good are you who's winning in this tit for tat in our really in our dynamic yeah like as you go through stories and you're like this is from our life yeah let's all take a look at this yeah and if you were to be at the end of each one of those stories you'd be like, I was in the right.

Oh, it's always me. For sure. That's the point of the show. And is he cool with that? Yes, he's very cool with that. He's not in the writer's room, though, so. Also, fuck him. He doesn't get to tell his side.

No, yeah, no, no, no. Does he ever get like a script and be like, hey, wait a minute. Oh, good question. Only, only, not about if it's too real or not. He'll, the, hey, wait a minute only comes if he's like, that joke's really. really funny that that other guy has.

No, he's a great sport about it. He's a very good sport about it. Yeah. But is it, I mean, it's comedy and you're having fun. Yeah. But is it cathartic? Is there a little bit of mining going on if you're going? Deeply cathartic.

Oh, yeah. Straight up, it's very real. At times it's been really impactful on our relationship. Seriously. Yeah. Because also, you know, as most shows do, of the episodes have resolution in them and you don't always get resolution in your day-to-day relationships with people you care about so like getting to write that and then act it out with him you know

and there's even if it's as simple as like being like there's a scene you know where I'm just inserting random things but like he does something stupid to make me mad and then we spend the episode mad about it and then he says you know sorry I was being stupid I love you and I go thanks for saying that I love you too when we do that on camera, you're still saying, I love you to your dad. Yeah. He's still apologizing to me. Yeah. We're reading dialogue, but, you know, we might just be insane enough to pretend that it's not dialogue.

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, it can be, it can definitely be cathartic at times. That's really great. For sure. That is really cool. Yeah. Are you watching the Olympics? I am watching the Olympics.

Okay, because I have a question for you. Let's hear it. Men's gymnastics. Did you catch any of that? I did. I was a fan of the ringer that they brought in. The Pombal. Yeah, the Pombin.

I'm a horse guy. Okay, good, because this is close to what I'm going to talk about. Okay. He was great, and the Clark Kent guy, and he took the glasses off. Yeah. And he killed it. And then he was in the individual, and he came back and was doing it. Did you see that run?

Did he do well? Yeah, he took third. Okay. But that's not the upsetting part to me. Oh, no. There was a Ukrainian guy. Okay. And, look, you have great hair.

And I don't. And during the Olympics... Don't say that. You know, John, just... Calm down. Okay, I'm sorry. Everyone's doing their pommel horse thing. Our Clark Kent guy included.

And everyone looks great and everyone's doing their thing. And a guy from Ukraine came out and he had my hair. And actually, I think I have a little more hair than him, slightly. And he's a balding man. And he's on the pommel horse. Yeah. And I got to tell you, he did not do well. Oh, no.

And it was like he hit all of the notes. He did all of the things. He did all the flippity flips. Yeah. I think he didn't get points because the whole time you're going, why is there a bald man on the pommel horse? Okay. So my question to you then is, do you, where have you been dinged in your life because of your hair? Do you feel?

I, you know. You were like, I was not. I, yeah, I don't have like, I'm a comedian. Yeah. So it's like, you know, I wasn't leading man. material, but you get kind of used to it. And you just think, well, this is just me. And, you know, there are different times when I could have tried to correct it with,

one time I got Rogan when I was, when I was a boy. Because I'll tell you this, my dad is obsessed with not losing his hair. Yeah. It's the great obsession of his life. It should be. And he had, even to the point where he told my brother and I were very young, like, get on propitia early, like, preventatively. Right.

Straight up. Yeah. So if he were sitting here, he'd be asking you, like, what have you tried? What have you not tried? What can I, and he would have, he's got guys, he could have you call.

It's a whole thing. I imagine, yeah. And like, that's kind of the point is like, uh, I always think, well, it doesn't really matter.

But then you, I watch this guy on the pommel horse. I'm like, no, it matters. See, I come from a house where it's the only thing that matters. Yeah.

And like, if I were to see your dad or you with like balding, I'd be like, uh, I don't think I would, something's weird there. Like if I saw Daniel Day Lewis with no hair, you're not going to see him in a lot of big movies.

That might be true. You know what I mean? That might be true. But if you see like, if William Macy all of a sudden start losing his hair, he'd be like, no, he's bald now. Or John Lithgow. You're like, yeah, he's a ball guy. Well, we have bald superstars. Yeah, some of them.

Pit bull. Pit bull. Pit bull. Yeah. Vin Diesel. Mm-hmm. So I'm, okay, and as I say it out loud. And you're running out of names?

I'm a little worried. And you're running. And just sort of the general. Right. Societal impact of these. people. Yeah, you've got to be jacked. You got to be... Or just driving real fast.

Yeah. There's more. I'm going to think of more and just sprinkle them through. So when I was a boy, when I was, before I had children, I was like, all right, starting to lose it a little bit. And I got Rogaine and you have to take a little dropper and put it on your head. And literally, the first time I was putting drops on my head and looking in the mirror, I was like, this isn't that important to me. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm like, there was never, it never meant enough for me to go after it.

Sure. But that's not, I mean, as far as commitment-wise, like hair transplants, that's an, that's invasive. That's a tough. Yeah. I think I know somebody who did that. And you can't, like, sleep correctly for a few weeks while you have it. I'm not, I'm not kidding.

No, I know. You ever see those pictures of the guys coming back from Turkey? Yes. I'm obsessed with those where they have, like, it's a straight line up here and they're like, the amount of people that advertise the first few days after, I'm like, don't, why would you ever record yourself in those moments like it's only going to get better from there don't put that on camera go quiet about it just be quiet for a little bit yeah yeah that's intense they do like PRP shots now into your head you know what that is no it's like um i'm not super well versed on this but i think it's like

um like your blood your own blood sort of like like oxygenated blood basically put into your like stem cell stuff into your hair into your hair yeah they think that might help and there's a lot of stuff I know a lot about this. Yeah, I was going to ask you when you were going, talking about your possible other career. Yeah. This might be a dumb question, but that's why we're here. What's a stem cell? I mean, I hear him to talk about it and everyone's like they're really good.

It's a regenerative cell. Yeah. I have honestly forgotten more, forgotten more than I ever learned about this stuff, to be, to be perfectly honest. What's the stem cell? Like, why is it called a stem cell? I'm sure. I should know this comes from like this brainstone. I'm clearly was a great scientist.

If you want to be really candid, I was a hard worker, so I just got very good at culturing the cells and using pipettes. And so I was the grunt of the lab. But, no, stem cells are like regenerative cells. They're, uh, God, I've forgotten so much. They basically like, you know, they're what we need. It's, they have a lot to do with aging and like, you know, it's, you lose stem cells as you get older. That's part of the aging process. I feel like you're struggling with the answer to this question.

Can you cut that through? I'm going to go back to it. Here's what I'm going to try this. Yeah. I'm going to go like this. Okay. Take two. I'm going to do this.

And you guys will dub in like a really smart answer. Okay. So I'm like, a stem cell is, a stem cell comes from the, I couldn't even come up with the cool word. But we'll do it in post. Do it in post market. Yeah, guys. There's 75 people back here just so everyone knows. Let me ask you something that you do know about.

Yeah. and that is being an actor and a public figure. Oh, God. You see me. If all of a sudden I went to your dad's secret lair and got those blood cells shot in my head. And I returned after summer vacation with a whole thing of hair. Wouldn't people be like, no, we want the other guy? Or would they be like, you know what I mean?

For you, for you specifically? If all of a sudden I show up me, Yeah, Tom. I think you have enough of a, like, you would have people disappointed, I think. Right. Because you are successful and have fans and have people that like you. And then all of a sudden, I'm into my hair. Yeah, they'd be like, well, hold on, we like, we like you.

Right. You know, we don't need you to change you. Yeah. But I think it goes the opposite way. Where if my dad showed up with no hair, people will go, well, no, we liked the other version of you. So you kind of have it the better way, I think. All right. Either way, stay off the pommel horse.

That's what you're trying to say. Stay off the pommel. We do another thing on this program. We're into wine, of course, and baked bread like you used to make before you got lazy. And so we like the finer things, of course, in life. But also, I'm from New Jersey, and I like garbage things too. Me too. And we like to do a little taste test on this program, especially things right now.

We're going through summer things that we find in... in 7-Elevens. I haven't had these yet, and I'd like to taste them with you. Can I just say? Yeah. Jokes on you, man. I eat these things all the time.

You do for real? Yes, these things are awesome. Are they really? Did you think this was like a, like, low-key find or something? I've crushed these things all the time. No, I just, you know what? Honestly, it's not one that I really partake in. If nerds wants to sponsor me, yeah, no.

Hold on, let me take that. I'm from the generation of, of, uh, of, uh, nicotine. Of nerds. When nerds were just nerds. They were just out on their own out there in the wild. No. Just as individual little things in that little box where you slid the cardboard and revealed the hole.

You need the gummy clusters, man. Hold on. Give me your hand. My hands are clean, I promise. That's okay. That's what you need. Okay. They're really good.

I'm not kidding. I can tell from the smell. I love them. Yeah, they're great. Here, I'll put it like that. Mm-hmm. Mm. You want some?

Anybody else? All right, more for us. This is really good. Mm. And you know what? Is it, it's a nerd rope cut in pieces, but it should be cut in pieces. Yeah. Because it is better like that.

This is also the first thing I've eaten today. Is it really? So good. Yeah, it was good. I'd give that a 10 out of 10. Yeah. Of course. Right?

Yeah, anything less would be a lie. These are great. They can't. And they're good for you. Is this what a stem cell looks like? No, actually it looks more like like that. I don't know what I'm talking about. They have sex with them.

They sort of just kind of. They kiss each other on the world. And the scientific term is they sort of just have sex right there. And then that's a stem cell. I won a Nobel Prize. Your show is currently in the top 10 on Netflix. Very cool spot to be. Thank you.

How's it work at Netflix? Will they tell you whether you're coming back immediately? or do they make you sweat it out? We'll be sweating. But look. Hold on. Got it. They...

Those are really good. Can I have another one? I'm now on your show. Yes. Yes. They are great partners and that they, it feels like they're in the trenches with you. Like they're not like,

they're not like, we have the data. You stay in the dark and, you know, sweat it out alone. They're kind of like, well, sweat it out with you. We hope people, you know, really like it. And so in that regard,

it's very nice. Like, they do feel like partners. Now, the, their algorithm is like a living, breathing thing. And that, like, they don't totally know,

you know, because my take before I did a show with Netflix was like, oh, they can kind of just like self-cook a hit. Yeah. You can just put one on the,

it just keep it. Yeah, just basically like, when I opened Netflix, when everyone opens Netflix, put it right there. They'll watch it. Yeah. But they have their algorithm.

From what I can tell, works in that, like, it recommends the people it thinks we'll watch it. Yeah. And they'll watch it and blah, blah, blah. And there's all this science. And so the folks that we work with our executives are kind of like, they sweat it out with us. Right. Yeah. It's very unsettling because I have a new comedy special coming out soon.

Yeah. I'll do more about when the cameras are off. I keep emailing people. Like, just put it on the, just you push it. They're like, it's not us. It's the algorithm. I've heard that. Uh-huh.

You just, don't worry, you just have to go do two weeks of grueling press and, um, just. You don't have a podcast. I don't, but what I'll do. Can you get one going by this? So you can come on it? When is it, when does your, um, special come up? In October. What day?

You should know this. I do, but I don't know if I can say. Oh, okay. I guess I can. Yeah, I think I're going to announce next week. Yeah, October 29th. October 29. Yeah.

Okay. By then, but that's like writer on Halloween. Come on, dude. Can we do it in costume? Yes. Okay. What if I, we'll just take to the streets. How about that? Like they do.

We'll just go on the Walk of Fame, you and me. And we'll just do it like whatever Jimmy Kimmel does it. You and me and we'll just go tell people. Right. I think that's, you know, just about as successful as a podcast. I also know nothing about podcasting. So. All right.

If you're not going to start a podcast, then we'll just do man on the streets. We'll do man on the streets and I'll go Instagram live and, you know. If you were to develop a podcast, what would the title be? Oh, God. Maybe like, I don't know. I don't know. Yours is so good. I don't know.

What the heck? I feel like yours. What do you think? Yours would be called. I don't know what a stem cell is. But I'll, but I'll pretend like I do. Yeah, mine's called The Doctor is in

The Doctor is in And then in parentheses None of this information is You know, it's like one of those things Right Don't listen to any of them We do not endorse any of these things If you listen to any of the

We are not liable for any of the medical He is not a doctor Not a doctor, not a doctor Just isn't a doctor, not a doctor Are you going to enjoy some time off When the press is done, it's out And you're waiting to see what you're going to do next I will enjoy it.

I think as, you know, I don't mean to speak for anybody else, but I imagine you can relate somewhat, you know, there is a sense of like things are over and you're like, and what's next? You know, you kind of, I get restless. Yeah. I don't love too much downtime, but I think that's a skill I need to develop is embracing.

Not now. No. Later. Okay. Later. No, I'm going to try and jump into other things. I mean, I might go on vacation. Yeah.

with my family actually at the end of this month. Oh, yeah? Yeah. What's a good vacation for you? Probably on my own. Without your family. You get off the plane. See you guys.

Bye. A good vacation for me. I love Hawaii. My family has a place there. Oh, beautiful. We go there a couple times a year. I love it. I'm a big golfer, so I love golfing there.

Nice. You're an activity vacation guy or a lounge around vacation? I'm a hybrid. I'm a hybrid because my parents are like perfectly on either end of the spectrum. My mom is a zero activity person. Right. And my dad is, you will never see him.

Right. You'll never see him on a vacation. It's just constant. It's like 6 a.m. I'm surfing straight to the gym, straight to golf, straight to, you know,

any other activity. Well, it's always that. So I'm a hybrid. And you're like somewhere in between. I'm somewhere in between. I'm balanced. Right.

You ever paddleboard? I love paddleboarding. Yeah. Yeah. But I like, I grew up. surfing I prefer that I feel like. Oh, that's nice.

To be in the scrum. Hawaii is so beautiful. It's the best. It really is great. But, yeah, where's your favorite place to vacation in the world? Hawaii might be, might be, yeah. Which island? I love it.

Quai. I love Hawaii. Yeah. Yeah. It's really beautiful. Parts of Maui are still great. Maui's great, yeah. We do, we're on the big islands, right?

Sort of near Kona. Yeah. I've only been there twice, I think. They're all, they're all beautiful in their own. way. But Kauai is really special. It's so cool there. How badly does your brother feel when you all go on vacation and he's not allowed to go? I think the first few times he was

really sad. But then I think at a certain point he learned his place. And, you know, just at that point we were all kind of like, shut up. Like, you're so whiny. Why come with us and have us ignore you there when just stay home? You know, it's like enough times you hear like, just Shut up.

Be quiet. And I think he's become a good sport about it now. Yeah. And he doesn't miss us. And we don't miss him. That's good. See, it all works out.

So my brother is the nicest, sweetest, most like, like I am the issue. I've never even met him. I don't know anything about him. He's the best. He's too evolved to stoop to this conversation. He doesn't care.

No. Congratulations. Thank you. Work well done. I hope you get to make more for real. Thank you. And if not, When Incredibles 3 comes out, you have an open spot here.

That's right, baby. Yeah, it's only here. Not on the set. No. No. Like, after you've watched it, you come in, we'll talk about it. Sure. You know what?

That sounds great to me. All right, man. Thank you so much. All right.