Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend - Josh Safdie

Episode Date: February 2, 2026

Filmmaker Josh Safdie feels like a liar saying he feels anything about being Conan O’Brien’s friend. Josh sits down with Conan to discuss showcasing Adam Sandler’s dramatic chops in Uncut Gems,... prioritizing the casting of real-world characters in his work, and watching Timothée Chalamet transform into a ping-pong champion with his latest hit film Marty Supreme. Plus, Conan issues a bold proclamation to Erewhon’s smoothie department. For Conan videos, tour dates and more visit TeamCoco.com.Got a question for Conan? Call our voicemail: (669) 587-2847. Get access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using this show link: https://siriusxm.com/conan. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:03 Hi, my name is Josh Safty, and I feel like a liar saying that I feel anything about being Conan O'Brien. Fall is here, hear the yell, back to school, ring the bell, brand new shoes, walking loose, climb the fence, books and pens, I can tell that we are going to be friends, can tell that we are going to be friends. Hey there, welcome to Conan O'Brien needs a friend. I'm the aforementioned Conan. Joined by Sonam of Sessian, Matt Gourley. How are we doing, gang? What's happening? Good.
Starting point is 00:00:43 Good. Good in the hood. What's the mood today? Moot's pretty good, I'd say. Yeah? Yeah? No, am I wrong? No, I don't know.
Starting point is 00:00:51 I'm just, I like to get the vibe in the room. I like to match the temperature. And I wasn't sure today. I was, you all seem pretty happy, right? Yeah. I wish I ate more. What do you mean? I just didn't eat a problem.
Starting point is 00:01:05 proper meal before and we're recording. It's like almost two o'clock and I'm hungry. What is a proper meal for you? What would that be? Literally any food in front of me. Would you have for breakfast? I didn't have breakfast. You didn't eat breakfast? That's the problem. Okay. All the years that Sona was my assistant, I lived in fear of her not getting her sustenance. Because her mood would go. No, no. You would be, you would become the Tasmanian devil. You really would. No, I know. If you didn't get your food. And another person who does that is my wife. Okay. My wife. My wife. My wife. I learned when you were early on going out, she would say, getting a little hungry.
Starting point is 00:01:41 What are you thinking about lunch? And I would think, yeah, yeah, we could do lunch. I learned that I need to act on that first warning sign because she's a lithium battery. She goes from having a charge to having no charge instantly. Yeah. And so then it would go downhill very quickly. Yeah. And so you're the same way, Sona.
Starting point is 00:02:03 I pack snacks for my kids all the time, but then I'll eat them because if I don't eat, but also... You know, can I say something else? Your kids are malnourished. Yeah, they are. They're not eating. You're constantly eating their snacks. They're not eating. The oxygen mask in an airplane where you've got to take care of yourself first?
Starting point is 00:02:19 Yeah. Okay. But Liza can live off of like an almond. I need like a whole... Fesant. What? It is true. Like a rotissory chicken.
Starting point is 00:02:30 No, she would... I can't tell you. you how many times on the Warner Brothers lot, Sona was screaming at the commissary people, I want my pheasant. Remember? And then we got you a crown and a king's robe. Remember that? And a scepter.
Starting point is 00:02:47 And a throne. Yeah, I remember. I want my pheasant. So you didn't get enough food. No, I did. I need to eat something after this. I saw you eating potato chips just before we recorded. I know. I've been snacking. I understand. I wasn't an accusation. I felt like you were accusing me of saying,
Starting point is 00:03:09 not at all. You ate chips. So you're fine. No, I'm not because there's no nutrition. Oh, wait, there were fessent chips. They were. Yeah. Now, it said now with 80% more pheasant. So I don't know why you're bitching. I need like a meal. I need something warm that was cooked and I need it in my body. Like, I need, I need a lot. What are you going to get after this then? Are you going to go straight to a restaurant just by yourself and corner table? I might. I might. I need to eat. You all both need to eat. Yeah. Yeah, I need to eat something that gives you more intelligence. Ooh, walnuts.
Starting point is 00:03:39 Not just brain food, but food that actually is made of brain and gives you brain. Did you say walnuts? Yeah. Walnuts make you smarter? Brain fun. They help you. Walnuts make you smarter. They do.
Starting point is 00:03:49 Why? Walnuts being smart? Yeah. Tell people, too. It's good for your semen. What? Wait. Wait.
Starting point is 00:03:56 You and I are coming up this from different angles. Hold it. Hold it. Hold it. Hold it. Hold it. You, I'm pointing the finger at you, Sona. What do you mean it's good for your semen?
Starting point is 00:04:04 What are you talking about? Like, you know, when you want to make a baby, you eat a lot of walnuts. No, nobody? Tell me about it. Are you serious? Wait, are you talking about it's good for your semen, meaning that it makes better semen? I don't, I don't know what it does. Like stronger semen?
Starting point is 00:04:20 If you want, if you want to make a baby. Here we go. According to the internet, it improves motility. Hello. Hello. Your signet to me. And morphology. Yeah, come to me for semen advice.
Starting point is 00:04:32 Well, okay. Come to me for semen advice. Jesus Christ, so nice. It's good. Can we get her a pheasant, please? Now, there are foods that have... Low motility. Aren't your foods that affect the taste of semen?
Starting point is 00:04:42 Well, I think, is that a myth? They say pineapple, right? Is supposed to help it taste better? I mean, I say that. Can I just say something? I can't taste the difference. I can't. I've had tons of pineapple.
Starting point is 00:04:56 And then I'm like, I got to get me pineapple here. You're drinking your own suit? Of course. I'm not going to eat someone else's junk. What was that? Airwant to make a smoothie with your name on it. Yes. Oh, no.
Starting point is 00:05:08 Yeah. I'm not going to. Someone else's semen, that's disgusting. What do you think I do all those back exercises? Such a narcissist. You will only drink your own soup. I'm constantly doing yoga and I'm like, I'm almost there. Anyway, no, I've had so much pineapple and nothing.
Starting point is 00:05:26 Oh, God. I've never held up a rap sign more. Oh, rap. Well, listen, I think it's time to talk to an iconic filmmaker. Every publicist right now is taking us off the list. My guest today is a filmmaker known for such movies as Uncut Gems and Good Time. His latest film, Marty Supreme, is already getting just insane. Oscar buzz.
Starting point is 00:05:52 It's everywhere. I'm sorry to interrupt. When I go home, I have to log these things into a spreadsheet, what each thing is about it. Sure. We do, like, Eduardo and I will put in a small description. Like, Sona talked about being hungry, but this one's going to be Conan drinks on giz. Yeah. Post-Pinaple binge.
Starting point is 00:06:08 Okay. Continue. But, you know, not for no reason. I'm thrilled he's here today. Jawsafty, welcome. I think you and I are friends now. I think so, too. I think we are.
Starting point is 00:06:29 You know why? Through Sandler. Anyone who you know through Sandler, you feel like you're a friend. Best. You know, my favorite observation about Sandler, and this is in the last couple of years, is he always says the best. I'll bring up anyone. So let's say I see Sandler in half an hour at the store where they sell overly long gym shorts for middle-aged men. And I say to him, hey, I just, I just.
Starting point is 00:06:54 Only middle-aged men. It is such a long marquee. They card you when you go in. But exactly, I see Sandler, and I'll be like, oh, I know. What are you doing, buddy? What are you doing? Oh, I just saw Josh said, the best. And then I can go, okay.
Starting point is 00:07:09 And then 20 minutes later, I can say, oh, my God, I, by the way, I was just at a restaurant. And I had a Rubin sandwich. The best. And he keeps saying the best down to the point where you're like, yeah, and then I was in New York. And I actually, I took the Lexington Avenue. Oh, the best. The best of the subways. He said once to me, I was like, I'm going to go to the back.
Starting point is 00:07:33 He goes, the best. The best. And I understood it, though. It was real. It is. He's like, yeah, it is the best to go to the bathroom. You have that pressure feeling in your bladder, and then you don't. Then you don't?
Starting point is 00:07:46 It's the best. It is the best. My wife has to text me throughout the day saying, go to the bathroom. I'll pee when I wake up and then I go to sleep. Is that right? Yeah. It's unfortunate. So that's why when I talk to Santa, I said, we go to the bathroom.
Starting point is 00:07:58 He was saying, the best. Like, I'm doing it. Yeah. But he says it all the time. But there's variations, the best. Yeah, yeah. The best. The best. The best.
Starting point is 00:08:07 But I love that he would even say it about like, yeah, you know, I think, well, apparently the wife, the way she killed her husband is she used stricnine. The best. What? Instant. No trace. Doesn't show up in the blood. The best. Wait, are we talking about toxins that kill you?
Starting point is 00:08:30 The best. But, okay. And he calls you Kony. He calls me Kony. He's the only one that can. And, you know, we live... I accidentally said it to someone. They're like, what are you doing?
Starting point is 00:08:40 It's like, well, I'm going to go see Kony. And we're like, what the fuck are you talking about? Tony, 2012. Is Kony like a seven-year-old boy? Also, we live in the same neighborhood, and I have been driving through my neighborhood and seen what looks like 1975 Stevie Nix walking down the street covered in different colored garments. and I look closer and it's Sandler where there's,
Starting point is 00:09:06 and God bless him, he doesn't try to match any clothing. You know, it's just, it looks like a handkerchief store blew up near him and everything got glued to his body and it's every single color you can imagine. It's unbelievable. And then I'll pull up and I'll be like, you know, hey, Adam, it's me. I'll lower the window. It's me going, oh, the best. He got pulled into a woman.
Starting point is 00:09:29 I was once with him in. He got pulled into like some sort of high-end retail store because someone, you know, he's the nicest guys or someone's like, oh, man, I'm a fan. He's like, let's take a picture. And they invited him into the store. He's like, I'd love to show you my clothing. Adam Sandler in a high-end retail store. It does not make sense. So he said, I was like, what was going on in your head?
Starting point is 00:09:49 He's like, I was counting the hangers. You know, like at some point, I have to just stop counting. I did 20. Very nice stuff you have. You got good stuff. Buddy, you got good stuff. I got to go. I gotta go.
Starting point is 00:10:02 Well, I also love, he will come by my house and he'll, unlike other people, like in L.A., you call ahead. No one just drops in. He'll do a drop. Sandler will be outside the gate going, Cody! Cody!
Starting point is 00:10:15 And then you let him in and he's like, oh, buddy, buddy. And I'll say, hey, sit down. And then within maybe two minutes, he'll say, because one time he brought his daughters with him, he was in my house for like five minutes. We watched part of a football game. And he went, all right, I got to go, I got to go, buddy.
Starting point is 00:10:29 He barely sat down And then he starts charging out And he's shouting up the stairs Come on, girls, let's go, let's go! And he said, we know him we're not wanted. All I did was say, would you like a lemonade? You know, let's get out of here. He moves fast.
Starting point is 00:10:46 He moves fast. But we are not here to eulogize Adam Sandler. He's alive and well, and we love him. Yes, the best. The best. The best, the best. We are here, and I want to start with this, and then we'll talk about,
Starting point is 00:10:59 other things and then we'll get back to it. But your movie, Marty Supreme, is a juggernaut of delight. It is a just love that movie. I have watched a lot of Oscar movies because I got to host that thing. I mean, movies that are getting award, you know, getting up for awards.
Starting point is 00:11:22 Thank God you're hosting. You're a great. You know what I was telling Marrials, you know, you could be the, if you were the host of a Denny's, I would go to that Denny's. Oh, thank you. That might be more appropriate.
Starting point is 00:11:33 If this year goes well, it's on to Denny's. I saw your movie with my friend Rodman, Flender, and I sat and the movie begins, and it was a party. It was just like the crowd. It was one of those things that you dream about where the laughs are all there, the highs, the lows, the lows.
Starting point is 00:11:57 And from the moment that movie, I was in all the way, and it was just an absolute pure delight. And so I'm so happy you're here because, no spoilers, but I want to talk about this movie. This movie is a major achievement and I hope. I mean, I know you're getting a lot of love, but I mean. Love from the people who you look up to and respect is different. It's just different. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:12:27 But it means a lot. And also, you know, weirdly. weirdly I was saying someone was asking me because Abel Ferreira who's in the film who I've been a huge fan of and I knew him when he was not a sober person and I know you did too and one of the best Conan
Starting point is 00:12:41 interviews is the Abel Ferreira Conan interview because it is like yoga man you are stretching you are doing it was unhinged and I'll tell you you know sometimes there are movies about show business and in movies about show business like
Starting point is 00:12:56 you know my favorite year there's just improbable crazy things that happen. People get on stage seconds after they fix the broken set and the curtain comes up like a second before. Abel Farrar was on the old late night show. He was his legendary director and persona. And not long before he was going to come out, he was not the first guest.
Starting point is 00:13:19 He might have been the second guest. Dennis Leary was the first one. Okay, Dennis Leary is the first guest. And Abel Farr is going to come out. And while I'm out doing the monologue, or maybe even talking to Dennis Leary, as the first guest, Abel Farrar, who's in his dressing room, runs away, gets to the elevator bank at late night,
Starting point is 00:13:37 on Rockford Center, hits the button, gets on the elevator, and disappears. I'm, and he's the next guest up, you know, and I didn't know anything about this, but God bless him, Frank Smiley, who's been one of my, my segment producer forever, and did every single late night show and was a major, major force behind the show.
Starting point is 00:13:57 He takes off. gets another elevator goes down and then runs out under the street and does that thing in movies where you look right, you look left. And then he just gets a glimpse of Abel Farrar and like a leather jacket and that saunter. And he takes off and Abel Farrar goes into a bar and starts ordering a drink. And Frank goes in and has to drag Abel Farrar back, convince him, cajole him, physically pull him, gets him back. They take the elevator up and he gets him back on his mark backstage.
Starting point is 00:14:26 As I'm saying, ladies and gentlemen, Abel Farrar. Then he runs out. And you didn't know any of that? I didn't know anything because how could I? He's on the stage. Yeah. And I'm just, you know, in full host mode. And then he comes out.
Starting point is 00:14:40 And if you ever want to look up that interview. That's amazing. I highly recommend. It's able for our Conan O'Brien on the late night show. And it is me talking to a wild animal. And he is, I think, a big part of Marty Supreme, which we will, which we will talk about. My favorite part of the interview, though, is how quickly Dennis Leary abandons any sort of allegiance he has to you.
Starting point is 00:15:04 And you would think the two of you kind of would be connected and bonded. Yeah, two Boston Irish guys. Yeah, he's like, all right, though, this is my, he goes right. Maybe he wanted a part. I don't know what it was, but he went right to Abel's, Abel doesn't smoke cigarettes. He takes a cigarette. He's talking to Dennis. He's, you know, Abel Farah asked me once to do a Q&A with him, and I've watched him do
Starting point is 00:15:22 Q&A's. And his thing, particularly when he was not a sober person, was to throw the moderator under the bus instantly and just take it to the audience and then just make fun of the moderator. And he did that to you. Yeah. He did that to you. And I, but he's, you know, I think you said something about like Stallone subtitles at some point.
Starting point is 00:15:41 And he was just like, what's that I mean? He would ask me every take. He would say to me, he would say, I'd tell him, you know, what the scene was and, you know, whatever, we had all these amazing conversations through WhatsApp because he lives in Rome. And he said, he's like, are you do it? I'll do it. Yeah. He's like, you do the scene.
Starting point is 00:15:59 And I'll watch, you know, I'll watch you how to, you do it, and then I'll know how to do it. Something no actor wants. No. Usually. And then he said, so I did it, but I'm doing the scene as if I'm able forer. So, and I'm like doing like the, oh, I'm not talking. He goes, you're doing me doing the scene.
Starting point is 00:16:13 I was like, that's what's going to happen. You know what I mean? That's eventually what's happening. So, yeah, that's exactly what I'm going to do. His book is really good. He's sober. He's been sober 13 years and his book is good. Good for him.
Starting point is 00:16:25 Yeah. But when I worked with my first film, it was that situation. each take, he'd just walk away, wearing the lobby of microphone, go to a bar, pound a beer, and then put the beers inside of his jacket, do the scene with Ronnie, who's the lead of the movie, Mary's husband, and who I wrote the movie with. And then Ronnie, Ronnie would do the scene with him. They never had one word outside of the actual scene with exchange each other.
Starting point is 00:16:45 And then for years, Abel would introduce me to people as his director, because I don't think he remembered my name. I don't think he remembered my name. Right. I love him. He's this very special guy. And that interview with you is, like, one of the great, like, Conan flailing interviews.
Starting point is 00:16:59 Yeah, no, it's, and you know what, Lauren Michael said to me once? He said, Conan, people like to watch you work, which is, and I realized he was right, people like to watch me squirm, contort myself, both my soul and my physical body in order to kind of make something work. And he said, they like to watch you work. And I said, well, I don't like it. I like it when it's really easy. Yeah, yeah. I'm going to get us talking about Marty Supreme, which is getting all kinds of love. I'm just to turn this off quickly because I'm getting, I have a three-year-old and she's probably trying to FaceTime me.
Starting point is 00:17:43 It's all good. Yeah, your priorities are correct. Let me turn this off right now. Quiet to the three-year-old. Shut up, Minnie. You're talking. You're talking to Conan O'Brien right now. You have no idea what this means to me.
Starting point is 00:17:56 I have so many questions about this movie. And then the first of all is, I don't think this movie could be made. without Timothy. Timothy is this nuclear force at the center of the movie that needs to propel it. And I know that you usually are thinking about who this movie has to be for. I know that you and your brother, when you were thinking about Uncut Gems, it had to be Sandler. And it had to be Sandler to the degree that you wrote it for Sandler in 2011. He passes. He passes again in 2015. Sandy passed a bunch. That's what Sandy Wernick.
Starting point is 00:18:36 Sandy Wernick, his long time, and I love you, Sandy. But Sandy Wernick just kept getting this goofy script. And I think not even showing it to Adam. Definitely not. But then finally, you guys kept at it. You didn't cast anybody else. In 2017, you get Adam to say yes. And I think it has been such a wonderful thing for Adam.
Starting point is 00:19:00 Because after that movie, I mean, those of us who know Adam saw that he was a real dramatic actor long before uncut gems, but you guys put him dead center in the crosshairs and gave him this acting challenge, and he killed it. Yeah. And that is you guys, that's Adam. But I know that that whole process of doing uncut gems took you 10 years? 10 years, yeah, 10 years.
Starting point is 00:19:32 Unbelievable. This one was six. Yeah. My wife's like, you gotta figure it out. Yeah. Can't do it that way. Yeah. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:19:40 But I, so. But Sandler, you know what's interesting? It's like, okay, so I did the, then I did the special with Sandler, love you. And he makes you cry. Sandler can make you cry. He, he's just telling him in the clip that I saw from Jay Kelly, he's such a big golden retriever or not a mastiff. He's more like a mastiff. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:19:59 was like, you know, I don't even like, I don't even want to say out loud some of the things I feel about him because I'm very, for me, he's, I'm very emotional about him. And, uh, I think most people who are close with him do get that way because he is very open. He's like a very mushy, mushy, mushy, mushy person. I love that word mushy. He's very mushy, mushy, and, uh, mushy tushy, uh, and mushy tushy tushy. So that's what I say to my daughter. I turn into a three-year-old. Yeah. I say all the time, I'm like, mushy-tushy-tushy. Everything is Tushy with my daughter. She's calling again. She's like, you got it right. That's it. I'll like literally just turn to my daughter, Minnie. Guess what? She goes Tushy. And I was like Tushy.
Starting point is 00:20:37 Anyway, Sandler's a Tushy. Why do we have to evolve? Yeah, we don't. We don't. You got to be forever young. I had Jack Fiske, my production designer, one of the greatest of all time. He's just turned 80 or he's 79 or something. And he worked with the best. And he grew up with David Lynch and he did some amazing movies. There Will Be Blood and Mahal and Drive. And Badlands, he met his wife, Sissy Space Heck on. and he is probably the youngest person I've ever really gotten to know. Like, he's like an eight-year-old. And, like, we're texting at three, four in the morning and I just felt so, I felt young with him.
Starting point is 00:21:08 Yeah. So you just stay tushy. You just got to say tushy all the time. Tushy-tushy-tushy-tushy. But Sam, when I was making gems and, you know, spoiler alert to anyone who hasn't seen it, he dies at the end of the movie. And the entire film for me was watching somebody
Starting point is 00:21:23 who's so alive all the time and knowing that he dies, I would well up and cry throughout the movie. And he was like, what's going on with you? And I was like, I know, I have issues. But I really would. It's so funny that you had the power to keep him alive. I know.
Starting point is 00:21:39 Yeah. I could have. I mean, he had to die. He's winged in the shoulder. Not only that, but you essentially killed him. Yeah, yeah. I know. It's weird.
Starting point is 00:21:46 And then this is, I'm all broken up. Why? I'm going to murder you show me. Oh, it just breaks my heart. But he is, but he is also the best. Yeah. He's also so like, to me, that he is that like a live, electric character
Starting point is 00:22:01 who is like constantly looking to just disappear at any moment, just connect with somebody. And he's anxious. He's a very anxious person, his early stand-up where he's pretending to be things in the refrigerator. You know what I mean? He's, his humor is very unique. I grew up loving those albums so much, so much.
Starting point is 00:22:21 To the point when I'm meeting people who appear on the albums, I'm like Starstruck. And so, so I, So I, you know, felt like I knew him on some level. So when I wrote it for him, I also knew that he had, he has this rage in him, which he does. That's real. That's not, you know, I mean, it's obviously those who know him, he can get, he can have an outburst, but they're loving.
Starting point is 00:22:41 And immediately he can go back to being mushy-tushy-tushy. But he's still like, he's still Sandler and he's the Sandman. People, how many people do you know in your life? You can just call them that, like, their nickname. I knew like six. Yeah. I worked at a sand company for a while. I did.
Starting point is 00:23:00 They manufacture high-grained sand. And you knew no one's name, so you just called everyone Sandman. And half of them's name when I found out was Sandman. So, you know, but you know, it's interesting to me... The last name was Sandman. Yeah, the last name. Jews.
Starting point is 00:23:13 Sandman. I'm Moisha Sandman. Yeah, I'm Superman. Speederman. Yeah. The, um... That's what I would say. I would say Marty is like, he's like Speederman.
Starting point is 00:23:27 He's Marty Speederman. Yes. You know. Well, he is. I mean, here's the thing. But I did write it for Timmy. I did. I wrote it from him.
Starting point is 00:23:33 I met him before I really knew him as an actor. Right. And this kid that I met, you know, I was at the premiere for one of our movies. Agent comes up to me. Agent's at a party and they're like, oh, I want to introduce you the next superstar. It's pretty obnoxious. You hear that all the time. Everyone's the next superstar.
Starting point is 00:23:48 So I'm skeptical. And I go and I meet this kid and he's in the corner of the room and he's with his buddy. And he was. there, but he wasn't like there. He wasn't where we wanted to be. And he had, he was like, he couldn't stand still. He was like coming out of his own skin and he had these really big dreaming eyes. And then I went to go see a movie. I called me by her name like four months later.
Starting point is 00:24:07 And he, that movie could have been like kind of a small film, you know, and he just through his acting, through his performance, expanded the walls of this movie, made it a huge movie. And, and I watched him on stage afterwards. He turns in this like super serious star forming performance. And then he's, doing being interviewed at the New York Film Festival, 1,200 people, and he's rocking back on his chair, which I do all the time uncontrollably, and he fell. He fell down
Starting point is 00:24:32 on his ass. Onto his back. Could have been very embarrassing, but every single person in that room laughed, and we laughed like we were his guest. And that was so, like, because we felt so intimate to him. So I wrote it for, when I said to him, I was like, I want that person to be this part. Well, so what's interesting to me about this
Starting point is 00:24:48 movie, it's watching it, and there's a bunch of things that struck me. But one, Reminds. to me a little bit of Frank Capra. Frank Capra used to make the most of small characters. So, yeah, okay, you're watching Jimmy Stewart or whatever, but then he goes in just to buy a newspaper and the guy who sells in the newspaper is memorable.
Starting point is 00:25:12 Maybe he has one line, but is memorable. That is usually not done anymore. And Marty Supreme, I watched it, and I turned to my friend Rodman afterwards, and I went, those faces, all the faces of everybody, people that are in that dreary hotel where Abel Ferraro lives. Anytime there's a face in the crowd who, and the camera's on them for a second,
Starting point is 00:25:37 their face is fascinating. These faces loom out at you, and they're absolutely incredible. And I was thinking about all the supporting players. David, we cast every single. David Mamet, Sandra Bernhardt, Isaac Mizrahi, Abel Ferrar, Tower of the Creator. Kevin O'Leary from Shark Tank.
Starting point is 00:25:55 And, you know, you have, yeah, okay, Gwyneth Paltrow, yeah, but that's not a shock that Gwyneth Paltrow was in a great movie, but. She hadn't acted in a while. Yeah, but to see Kevin O'Leary and say, yeah, the guy from Shark Tank, he should have a major part in this and then have it work perfectly. Yeah. I love the fearlessness with which you guys say, wait a minute, that's the face. That's the person.
Starting point is 00:26:21 and I think you're seeing something in them that you think is, as you said, it's all a documentary. This is, this Marty Supreme movie is based on a guy. Loosely, very loosely. Very loosely. Inspired by, but it's a completely fictitious tale. And then what you guys do,
Starting point is 00:26:43 what you've done is you've extracted the essence of these people somehow. And they're perfect in those moments. I always, when I meet somebody, I'm just, I want to see the best in them, you know, and I, and I'm, I admire people who are centered, like people who are kind of there invisible to themselves because I'm not. But I, but I do, I admire people who are iconic. They're iconically them. There's a guy in the movie who plays Abel's, like, side his friend. Yeah. Who, who's also an Uncut Jems, and his name is Mitchell Wenig. And he met him in a diner in 2007 or something. And I always wanted to put him in something. Benny and I put him in a shore.
Starting point is 00:27:26 And then we put him in gems. And I stay in touch with him. He shows up in the Sandler special. And he's a job. He worked for a HUD, the housing department in New York City. And then he, his hobby is he's an autograph collector. This guy is in the movie. And I saw him hovering and waiting outside Gwen's trailer.
Starting point is 00:27:46 Oh, my God. With a folder. and glossy images of her from Emma. And I said, Mitchell, what are you doing? He goes, you think it's inappropriate? I said, you're a co-star. You want me to get to the audio?
Starting point is 00:28:01 He's like, no, I really want to be the one to get it because there's a specific place where she has to sign. Yes. But what I love about him, he doesn't sell. So he's different from the guys who are selling stuff nonstop and making sure it's here and that. And he was, you know, good friends with Johnny Roan. Anyway, he is.
Starting point is 00:28:18 I love being around him. I genuinely like, you know, his point of view on life. I find it so refreshing everything he has to say. And I am, you know, moved by people who are iconically themselves. So how do I get it? How do I do it? What is I mean, I just, I don't know, I just see somebody and I see them for their essence. And I believe that if you know someone really well, these interviews help and getting to know them
Starting point is 00:28:45 and making them feel comfortable, that's like so much of directing. is just making people feel, I mean, that's, you had to do, still have to do it. And, and, and then they can get into a space where they can be, without starting to sound like evil, manipulate it. But they can be, that is your job. Yeah, they can be, they can be led into situations. Right. And then having someone like Timmy, I can actually work with him through him sometimes.
Starting point is 00:29:12 And I don't put marks down on the floor or anything. And Darius, my cinematographer is like, master lighter spends three hours. No, they have to stand right here. I was like, not if they don't want to, Darius. And I was like, no, trust me. He's like, they have to. I won't be lit up there over here. I was like, then they're not lit.
Starting point is 00:29:27 Then they're not lit over there. And they're standing there. But I'll get them there. And more or less, the blocking that I have, I generally know how this person's going to move. And they will most likely land in that pool of light. But if they don't, it actually helps add, I think, a little bit of realism to the movie because things aren't so perfect.
Starting point is 00:29:43 Did you recognize the guy in the cage who's with George Gervin, who's the great ice man from the source. Spurs. There's a guy who works in the cage. He's kind of like the, I guess, the greeter. He's the voice of the ping pong parlor. He was, there was a viral video in 2007 of this man on the side of the highway. He was homeless. And he had a sign. And the guy said, all right, I'll give you a dollar if you use that magical voice that you claim to have. He goes, this is welcome to Dempanii V. Yes, I remember that. Famous. So it was like a early viral sensation. Yeah. Then he became the man with the golden voice. And then he fell in some hard times. And good
Starting point is 00:30:16 in the morning America called him the man with the so-called golden voice. He still had the golden voice, but I don't know why all of a sudden it was so called. And I loved him. I found him to be so special and warm and, you know, and the voice, too. When you cast somebody, you're also casting a voice, which is interesting. Like, I put Marianne from Brooklyn from the Stern show. She's the first person you see in the movie. And her voice, what's great about Marianne from Brooklyn is she's so beautiful,
Starting point is 00:30:42 but you hear this voice and they put the crow sound all the time. Fred's like, wha! every time she speaks. Yeah, yeah. But her voice, I find the voice to be beautiful. And then you see her and she's beautiful. And then you cast her and she's the first face that you see, but you hear her first. Anyway, so I'm casting all of it.
Starting point is 00:30:57 But here's the scenario. But what I'm saying is here's, sorry, I could talk forever. No, no. But what I'm saying is the scenario that fascinates me is in this world now post-Marty Supreme and gems, you know, you're going to have so many big actors they're going to be approaching you and saying, oh, you know, come on, Josh, I'd be great for this. I'd be really good for this. and you know it's it's Matt Damon
Starting point is 00:31:18 and it's Ben Affleck and they're big yeah yeah and I'd be great for it too and then you have to tell them guys it's not you well who's it who do we lose it to you know who do we lose it to you lost it to the guy who came to fix the toilet
Starting point is 00:31:32 40 minutes ago he had the snake and he was routing around but he had the light hit him and I just knew he had that purity of I need to get this toilet unclogged And I don't care how much shit I need to handle with my bare hands.
Starting point is 00:31:48 And by the way, that guy's playing Jason Bourne too. Yeah, exactly. Also, I mean, the saffy version of Jason Bourne. But, I mean, that is something that I... I happen with Dave Krumholtz, actually, because he was going for the part that Mitchell ended up getting. And his audition was amazing. He was great.
Starting point is 00:32:03 He's a great actor. I've always loved him since Sums of Beverly Hills. Even before then, and he's just a fantastic actor. But then he's like, you know, I saw the movie, and I realized, oh, I lost it to that guy. You know what I mean? I mean, like, you're not, he paints lines on a parking line. You know, he's, he's, he's, they wanted like this real, this real person, this guy's essence.
Starting point is 00:32:25 Yeah, yeah, yeah. As much as that he could emulate it, he's not that person. And I think adding a lot of people who you also don't know, but you feel like you know them immediately, has this kind of additive effect that you're just in real life. And every single person to cast, the guy who works in the shoe store, this guy Lloyd, he's horsebetter. He's a great horsebeder at Akkadog Race Track. And Ratso, who's a friend of mine, who do you, did he, you never crossed paths with him, right? He was not the Lampoon at all. I don't think so, no.
Starting point is 00:32:53 Ratso, Larry Sloeman, he was a great writer. He wrote Stern's book, Private Parts. Oh, okay. I don't think I know him. But I could. I might be best friend to them. I know. I know him.
Starting point is 00:33:02 I'm a very empty man. I know Penn. And who are you, by the way. And where are we right now? He's the guy who plays the uncle. Oh, yeah. So he's, anyway, so the backstory that I had for him is that he got, the shop through his kind of his horse racing obsession.
Starting point is 00:33:19 Yeah. And then I tell that to Jen and then just like, oh, we'll look at horse betters. So then all of a sudden you're getting Lloyd. That's so amazing. This is a, this casting technique, it might change things because it's so effective and powerful. And this whole idea of, well, we've got to cast someone as the nerd who operates the elevator. Get me all the nerds. And everyone who has got an 8 by 10 where they're wearing glasses.
Starting point is 00:33:44 It's taped in the middle and they're like, well, they just line up. By the way, I just learn what the word geek is. You know what a geek is? Well, I know what I think a geek is. No, but like I just, I was talking to Ronnie and he was he casually mentioned like he was talking, he's reading a book about the circus and the six years. Oh, yeah, yeah. A geek is the person who like bites the heads off of chickens and stuff.
Starting point is 00:34:04 Oh, that kind of geek. Yeah. Circus geek. Yeah. Circus geek. There must be some correlation between a geek. But then it somehow became nerdy. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:34:11 It's like, no, it's not, it's original derivation is not nerd. It's not nerds are smart. Yeah. Geeks are not smart. Geeks are totally outside society and they're. What's a dweeb then? Well, dweeb is very different. Yeah, what is a dweeb?
Starting point is 00:34:26 Well, I'll tell you, because I have long experience. That's why I'm asking. I don't know. I have no idea. I like to pretend I know instantly. Well, there was a great in living color sketch. It was like a geek, a dweb or a spas. You had to pick.
Starting point is 00:34:38 And I remember that as a kid. I loved it. Anyway, sorry, going back. to why did I say geek? Oh, you're talking about the tape. Yeah, and, and, but let's, let's get back to, let's get back to the center of the movie. Timothy, yeah. Is, he's spectacular.
Starting point is 00:34:56 And also, this is something he did last year in the, Bob Dylan, Bob, Dylan, Bob. He went off and learned how to play guitar in a very specific way that mimicked how. Dylan was playing guitar in those early village years and got it down just right, which is no easy thing to do. No. Not at all. Then for Marty Supreme.
Starting point is 00:35:27 I mean, if there's any voice you want to emulate, Dylan's probably the easiest. Yeah. Maria Callis, not so much. I lost that part. I don't know why. But when you get to Timothy playing table tennis, He's so convincing, and I found out later on that, yeah, you can do things, I guess, with CGI or whatever, but he really spent a long time getting great at this. And I started to realize he's built like a table tennis guy.
Starting point is 00:35:59 He's so wiry and kinetic and he's got so much energy that it's the perfect sport for him to play. I don't know if that went into... I think he would like to imagine. that he could be an NBA basketball player but sure, table tennis. No, I don't tell him, I said that. Tell him I said, oh yeah, the Lakers.
Starting point is 00:36:21 The first, one of the first, you know, the inspirations for the movie was this character that my wife who's a producer on the movie got this book that was a autobiography memoir about this wiry kind of. There was a bunch of these intense outsiders who hung out at this table tennis parlor,
Starting point is 00:36:37 midtown New York. A footnote of history was interesting. was owned by the first black business owner in the Times Square District. His name is Hurwold Lawrence, and that's who George Griffin plays. But at this place, which my great uncle played at, he said there was like an orphanage for outcasts. And they were all these wiry kind of proto-a-D, super smart people who got terrible grades because they just did not care for school.
Starting point is 00:37:02 Astrophysicists and criminals, Motley crew. And I saw, I was like, immediately when I was realizing, I wanted to know what these guys looked like. and I typed in like 1949 British Open. And I immediately see these guys, young guys, wire, wiry, bouncing all over the place. And I immediately called Timmy and I was like, this is the project we can do together. Yeah. And I said it weirdly.
Starting point is 00:37:24 I don't know why I was like so fearful of the idea, period. So I put it to Peter Gabriel. And I have the touch that that feeling. The time I like is the rush hour because I like to touch, the rush. And that was the beginning of it. And I just thought I was like, if there's any sport. this would be perfect for Timmy. And he spent like seven years.
Starting point is 00:37:44 I remember he played me early on. Six years. Six years. Yeah, because he was doing it in tandem with Dylan. And I remember he played me and my wife. We went to see him. He was just starting to learn guitar. He didn't know how to play guitar when he started doing Dylan at all.
Starting point is 00:37:57 And he's like, oh, I want to play you a Dylan song. And I wish I could remember the song. I remember him playing and me looking at my wife. And I was like, it's going to be a rough one. You know, he was like, well, I was good, right? I was like, you're amazing, man. that was something and I meant it was something yeah yeah that was something but but people said at Dylan originally yeah but then he but then I watched him like over the years in tandem with table tennis
Starting point is 00:38:21 and he started training with this guy who was like the youngest of US champion this guy Michaelanders who was on a Wheaties box at one point or maybe it was not Wheaties but it was another cereal brand anyway he I watched him train and he got the mechanics good and then when by the time he I linked him with these, this husband-wife team, Diego Schoff and his wife, Wei Wang, who she was an Olympian, who he did, because I read that he did Forrest Gump. And I was like, I mean,
Starting point is 00:38:48 whoever did Forrest Gump, I loved as a kid, I loved that section, which is inspired by an amazing true story in the 70s that broke down the communication between China and the U.S. Right. It was through. Hope Thaw relations. Yeah, it was through table tennis.
Starting point is 00:39:02 It was like hippie guy, missed his bus in Tokyo in the 70s, and or the 60s and got onto the Chinese bus. And they hadn't seen an American person. So now there's this like long-haired guy. And he's like, hey, peace and love everybody. And the number one player in the world goes up to him, gives him a gift. The guy gives him a gift back.
Starting point is 00:39:23 And that made news. And then Mao was invited the team to China. And then that broke. And then Nixon was like, all right. And then it became known as ping pong diplomacy. Nixon visited shortly after. And I didn't know that story until I was doing research for this. this, but you watch Forrest Gump and you assume all of that sequence when, you know,
Starting point is 00:39:41 when he's like showing up like Zellig and all the world is. But anyway, so how did I get on that? Oh, ping pong with Diego, who did Forrest Gump, when they met with him, you know, Diego has this incredible. So Diego is helping to instruct Timothy. He's going to, his wife is going to teach him how to play better because the mechanics had to be perfect. And Diego is going to be the choreographer, consultant.
Starting point is 00:40:05 And he has this incredible, recorded, like, library of footage of going back to the 80s of these amazing games. So we combed through all of those and built each point, the narratives of each point. It's unbelievable. And we, yeah, it was really, yeah. So the games, I imagine, I hope the games are really engaging and entertaining. The games are thrilling. Yeah. They are, they're thrilling to watch.
Starting point is 00:40:28 And, you know, again, what adds to it is that Marty's desperately wanting to be. the best and show everybody. Actually, probably knows I am the best, and I need to show everybody I'm the best, and I will do anything. I love the Guinness Book of World Records. I've always loved it. I was fascinated with that when I was a kid.
Starting point is 00:40:47 Because it's amazing, because you'd be like, wow, this guy's the best at this thing. He can hold his breath for three and a half minutes while, like, balancing a ball on his head. Yeah. You know, there's something really beautiful about the desire to have a place in the sun, basically. It's a car, like, and everybody,
Starting point is 00:41:04 And then dreams in particular are fascinating to me because they're, and I told the story kind of like a heist film. You know, it's, but it's like dreams as heists. You're like trying to control your own fate. And I think that kind of adds to a level of a level of suspense. It's like you're watching somebody, you know his dream is totally ridiculous to 99.9% of the people he meets. And every moment that people do not buy into his dream or, and every moment he fails is approbation to them. So it's like the whole, every time he gets set back in the movie, I think what I like to hear is people really feel that. And it adds a level of tension to it.
Starting point is 00:41:40 But it's about a guy who really just wants to be the greatest table tennis player. But also, it doesn't really get him anything. There's been, there's a lot of things about Marty that's unlikable, you know, very brash, very rude, cutting corners left and right, throwing people under the bus if he has to. And yet, there's not a person watching that movie who isn't rooting for. And I find that to be really fascinating. And that's the sleight of hand that I think is really magical about, you know. Well, you have to give somebody, I think love is more important than likability. And I believe that those moments that you are connecting with him are kind of pure.
Starting point is 00:42:20 Yeah. And they are, because they're pure, they have a feeling of love attached to them. Like, liking is more of a casual thing. And look, you know, I, and I think that he's actually. chasing happiness, desperately chasing happiness, and happiness is a very fleeting kind of haunted feeling. Happiness is very, is kind of sad in a way because it's so hard to achieve. It's trying to grab smoke. Exactly. Exactly. And I think that there is something sympathetic to it, but I think his youth, I think when you're young, the concept of consequences, so it's so small because the world is so big.
Starting point is 00:42:56 And because it's so big, there's so many different options. Well, that didn't work. I can go over here. And I think that that youth is also kind of a little bit of, the movie's kind of about being an idiot in your 20s. You know what I mean? Oh my God. And also confidence. Yes. Oh, my God.
Starting point is 00:43:09 Yeah. This guy who talks his way into all these situations. And then he's in a big room. And he's in London, I think. Yeah. Which one in the dining hall with Kevin O'Leary when he comes up? Well, it's with, he sees Gwyneth. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:43:26 Haltrow's character come in. So this extraordinary. beautiful woman comes in and he sees her and he's like, yep, gonna call her up. And then he, her stardom is like, it's so interesting to him. He's just like, wow, she burns bright. And he's upset. The beginning, he's upset with the, it's the press conference that he's manipulated. He's upset that they're not paying attention to him in this moment because he has everything
Starting point is 00:43:53 totally figured out. He knows how he's going to get, he's going to say the things that are going to get a rise out of these people so they're going to want to write a piece about him. Then he's going to be proud of his little. I used to walk around with a little village voice clipping when I would do my research and I'd pull it out to show somebody like, I'm a serious filmmaker. Check it out. Look at my little village voice clipping.
Starting point is 00:44:10 And in hindsight, I was so proud of those little clippings. In hindsight, it's probably kind of pathetic. You know what I mean? I'm like showing this tiny little clipping. And I'm like, trust me. Give me some money to make this movie. Look at me. I was in the village voice.
Starting point is 00:44:22 And like, yeah, the minute someone pulls a clipping out of their wallet, you've lost the argument. But it's endearing when he, when Marty does it in the movie with Gwyneth. And I think that like, with time, I've been able to kind of, you know, it was tragic, but it's comedic. You know, what is the comedy's tragedy plus time? Like that feels it that, I think that's what makes that funny is that it's so tragic that he is that way. But he's so confident that it kind of downplays. And I think his confidence is interesting to people.
Starting point is 00:44:55 I think it makes people are motivated to kind of want to root for him. Plus, there's a little bit of a trick happening where it's the sporting elements you're forced to root for him. Yes. You know, like any, I don't know any, I don't understand anyone who watches sports casually. Like, you have to have a narrative. You have to have a team that you root for. There's stories inside of that so that you can invest yourself in the game. Just to like, that's why I think people love gambling so much because it's like, oh, I get to watch the sport and have something that I really want out of it.
Starting point is 00:45:21 Yeah. And I think that that does help a little bit in the movie. I think you feel like you really have to root for him. Now, let's go to 10,000 feet, Google Earth, out of this whole thing. This movie now, it's award season. I was really there just now. Yeah. I'm going to go even higher and talk about, actually talk about plate tectonics.
Starting point is 00:45:42 But no, we, movie award season, are you chill during these situations where you're going to go to, depending on when this airs, but it's still going to be award season, I think, when this comes out. And are you able to go and be somewhat detached? Or are you, is every fiber of your being hope that you come home with a big award? Oh my God, no. I, you know, part of the inspiration for this movie was the feeling that I had after finishing on Cut Jems. You have this like 10 year journey where you're filtering your entire life through these characters. You're trying to understand your life through fiction.
Starting point is 00:46:20 And you're writing, you're creating these characters and maybe you can change the way you feel. And I'm like, oh, that's why I did this. said this to my girlfriend or whatever, did this to my buddy. And I woke up every morning I had this and I was like, I got to get Adam Sander. Got him saying. And then finally, you're making the movie with a decent budget and with Adam Sandler. And then it's done. And then I finished the movie and I'm showing it.
Starting point is 00:46:42 And the pandemic's like around the corner unknowingly. And someone said, what's next? And I started to cry because I was like, I didn't know. I had this hollow feeling because this thing that was like my drive every single day was gone. Didn't you contemplate maybe being an architect? I did. How do you know that? I ask around. Well, I walk around alleys with able Ferrari and give people $20. What's the word? What's the word on Josh? Well, I said to Ronnie, I said to Ronnie, I said, yeah, I don't even know if I want to do this anymore. Yeah. And he was like, whoa,
Starting point is 00:47:11 you're my writing partner. What do you mean? And I was like, I do. I would love to one day build a building. That's like my big dream. I like the feeling of a narrative of a building of going in and experiencing and having something happen inside, going out the back and coming through. And through and then like forever that area you have like a relationship. Yeah, yeah. But so I've had that hollow feeling when I shouldn't have had a hollow feeling. I should have felt incredible. Should have felt like I did this thing.
Starting point is 00:47:36 I should have felt a sense of accomplishment, but I didn't. And that feeling is you see that at the end of Marty a little bit, you know, that he finally does this thing, but it's for who, for himself, for what? Yeah, yeah. And dreams are really lonely. So that I have that now. I can't, I'm not going to lie. I feel with this.
Starting point is 00:47:53 And it's, yeah. And next is the, is the, is the. I'm going to contact Burger King about designing their new because I think that there needs to be more aesthetics in fast food. I don't like the direction of that the fast food has gone in. You know what's going to happen? You're going to go into the Burger King because you want to design a better Burger King
Starting point is 00:48:08 and you're going to see someone working the friar and go, that face! You're the next Mernaloy! Mernaloy! The fuck is Mernaloy! But I do, but I do feel like, so right now, like, I'm just having a slightly, like, disassociative feeling.
Starting point is 00:48:23 Sure. You made this really personal thing. It's connecting with people. and audiences. Yeah. Deservedly so. I was once in a film festival and they, in Poland. And these were like a lot of very small art films.
Starting point is 00:48:36 And I was there at a movie, tiny movie that me and my brother made. And there's other movies that we like and they sat us all in one room. He said, one of you will be leaving with 200,000 euro. And it's, you look to your right and look to your left and it might be them and it might not be you. And all of a sudden, everyone's looking at each other like, oh, you get competitive. Yeah. And they're like, holy shit. And it was horrible.
Starting point is 00:48:59 I didn't like that. I thought I was coming to this festival to share this thing, get to see Poland. Then that volcano happened. Remember the volcano eruption that no one could say, the name of that volcano? And then all of a sudden, all the U.S. judges who were supposed to come in and be a part of the government were grounded in America. So I'm like, oh, shoot, our best. You know, and Benny and I are figuring out how now we're not going to win because we had these U.S. judges. So then we partnered with another filmmaker.
Starting point is 00:49:22 We're like, all right, if you win, which we thought they had another great movie, if you win, let's share the money. And he was like, that's a deal, done. And then, you know, you get there and you're just looking at everybody. And the competition thing is kind of weird. That said, it's nice to win. So who won? Oh, no, the Polish film, because they only could use Polish people and the jury.
Starting point is 00:49:43 I see. So you thought this was going to a place like, and we won. Yeah, let's, give me a favor, Josh. Sorry. Let's do a rewrite. No, no, no. You won. But you wanted it was interesting.
Starting point is 00:49:55 is that they said we really wanted to go and visit Auschwitz. And they said, you know, okay, well, you know, there's a bit of a situation because because there was this volcano, things are really scrambled. We can't really get people, all the people who want to go to go at once. So we're going to go at 2 p.m. So we went at 2 p.m. You drive. We get there and this woman who ran like another film festival was like, oh, man, I didn't realize
Starting point is 00:50:16 I have this screening at 6 p.m. It's not like 4 p.m. It takes like an hour to get back. And they were like, she's like, can we do an abridged version of this tour? And I'm looking at this bridge version of a tour of Auschwitz. And they're like, well, it takes like three hours to walk it. And the one is like, can we do the hour version? And I'm like, look at this person.
Starting point is 00:50:34 And we're literally like running through Auschwitz. That's where they experimented on the fetuses. This is where they did this. And that's where they did. And we're looking around. And then the alternative, if you won to the 200,000 euros, you can get two million euros to make a movie that takes place in, like, in Poland. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:50:52 So that was going to be the movie, was going to be, comedy that took place at Auschwitz about the tourism industry. Difficulty of the dive. That's your, I always judge a project by difficulty of the dive. You know, your comedy about Auschwitz is pretty good. Wow. Well, listen, I have to say, I wish you all the best because I really did love this movie, as did so many other people.
Starting point is 00:51:25 And I wish you well. And I think you're the real deal. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you so much. That was amazing. Okay, I have a burning issue I'd like to discuss. Oh, it's burning. No, no, not that.
Starting point is 00:51:47 Creams have solved that issue. And various ointments, sabs, and related bombs. But that's not the point. The point is there's something real that's happening in the world. Sona, why don't you tell the good people, what I like to have
Starting point is 00:52:02 maybe three days out of the week. You like to have what was formerly known as the Haley Bieber smoothie from Arawan. Yes, and so Aeroon makes this smoothie. It only costs $800.
Starting point is 00:52:15 You need a co-signer at the bank. But you get this smoothie. It's very delicious and it's got various flaxes and resins. Oh, okay. Bombs and ointments, before I mentioned. It's got all kinds of stuff in it,
Starting point is 00:52:28 but tastes good. And I really love. I like it. I don't get it all the time, but I get it maybe twice, maybe three times a week, sometimes on a busy week. And your skin looks great. It's been so good for my skin. And it is called the Haley Bieber smoothie. Right. Very recently, David went out and grabbed me one and he came back and he was pale as a ghost.
Starting point is 00:52:49 Ashen. I just like, what happened? And he said, it's no longer called the Haley Bieber smoothie. He looked up for it on the board. It's not there. There's not even an indicator like this is what you used to buy. formerly known as? No, her name's not there.
Starting point is 00:53:02 It's no longer called the Haley Bieber smoothie. I think it's called... A strawberry glaze smoothie. So there's just no name associated with it. Right. There's no celebrity name, and I don't trust any product that doesn't have a celebrity name. Oh. I'm very hardcore about that.
Starting point is 00:53:19 Do you know what I mean? If I want to, if I'm going to grill something, it's got to be on the George Foreman Grill. Would you just do any rocking New Year's Eve or only Dick Clark's, right? Only Dick Clark's. And God rest his soul. I won't. If someone says, hey, let's rock this Eve, I'm like, yeah, but it's not going to be just a generic rock. It's got to be the Dick Clark New Year's Rock and Eve. So I am very much attached to celebrity endorsement. It's the only kind of product that I really want or that I trust. So this has been a blow. And I do think there needs to be a celebrity name attached to that smoothie. And so this message is going out to the good people at Erwan. I know that you must be devastated. My guess is that they had Haley Bieber under contract for a certain amount of time and it expired.
Starting point is 00:54:08 Yeah. And so now they're back to just old raspberry glaze. Strawberry. Okay. Whateves? Do you know what I mean? Yeah. But I don't want to walk up to the counter and say I'll have just some strawberry glaze.
Starting point is 00:54:21 Boring. Exactly. Yeah, yeah. Where are you headed with this? I think we all know. I think we do that. You need a celebrity attached to this and it needs to be someone. who...
Starting point is 00:54:31 Young compared. Young compared. Hold on. It's all relative. Young compared to say people that were serving when Pearl Harbor was bombed. I think it's all relative.
Starting point is 00:54:44 It's got to be a whippersnapper which means anyone under 70. Real hit. I just wanted... Eduardo pulled it up. Just to chime in, it's technically it looks like the name is the strawberry glaze skin smoothie.
Starting point is 00:54:54 Yes. Okay. I'm going somewhere with this. I'm going somewhere with this. I just wanted to say that I I think whoever they choose next, whether it be you or somebody else, they're going to want to be their model for the skin. Yes, yes. Okay.
Starting point is 00:55:07 And this is why some people listening are like, oh, that's going to be a problem for what Conan's about to pitch. No, no, no, no, no. It's all the more reason. A lot of people associate Conan O'Brien with, oh, it's super quick wit, you know, those bedroom eyes. The eye vein that is been in a bedroom. The hair, the pompadour, you know, all that kind of stuff. Whatever. First of all, I have a kind of strawberry look.
Starting point is 00:55:39 Yes, I do have that. Oh, yeah, you make some points here. I do have beautiful skin. It really does glow. It really does. Because you can see light through it. You can see my skeletal structure. Okay.
Starting point is 00:55:54 I am the visible woman. And so I'm just saying I'm a pretty big name. And yeah, am I young? No, I'm not young. But also I'm one of those people you're like, you're not really sure how old that guy is if you don't have immediate access to the internet. So when I behave in a very youthful manner, I'm very immature. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:56:20 So all I'm saying is I am willing to lend my name. And when I say lend, yes, there will be financial compensation. But I am willing to throw my hat into the ring because I'm sure other celebrities are pitching this hard. I know for a fact that Paul Rudd was in there two days ago, just screaming at them to call it the Paul Rudd. And that is a death knell for that. Yes. Does it have to be that one or are you open to naming any one of their other? This is my opening.
Starting point is 00:56:51 It's a very popular smoothie, Eduardo. Why would you cock block me with this? It's like a whole bunch more. Let's see what we got here. All right. They have an incessant bits smoothie? That should be used. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:57:04 There's an incessant bit smoothie that they already have, and it says made with real comedy bits. You should choose the always on. I feel like this has to be it, because this is the one you drink all the time. Oh, look. Perfect Amino Chaco Revive by Gary Breka. That one's got a name.
Starting point is 00:57:19 Yeah, who's Gary Breka? I would do this Conan O'Brien smoothie. I'm sorry. If they're putting Carrie Breka's name on a smoothie, then yes? I think he's. He's like a longevity expert. Oh, yeah, okay. We'll see. Yeah, exactly.
Starting point is 00:57:32 Let's see. Gorgie Cherry Crush. I mean, if it's not, I'm putting my name in for this because there's a void. Yeah. But if it has to be another smoothie, we can talk about that later. But you've opened a whole can of worms here. Yeah, I think this makes sense because you. I enjoy it.
Starting point is 00:57:51 Yeah, you're red. I'm plugging it right now. I am red. I have luminous skin. Yeah. I am married to Justin Bieber. You're like, if you can't get Haley Bieber, you seem like the obvious second choice to Haley Bieber.
Starting point is 00:58:07 Yes. So that makes sense. Yes. I think, I actually think it would serve them well. But can't you see people saying I want the Conan O'Brien? I want the Conan O'Brien. Be honest. Can you see them doing that? I actually would.
Starting point is 00:58:17 I'm not even joking. I think that Erwan should name this smoothie after you. But wait, when you say compensation, like, what do you? mean? Do you want like $200? I'm not fucking around here. Okay? First of all, I would get my representation involved and I would just start to hammer Aaron Juan. And I mean hammer them. Okay, that might not work. Well, first of all, I'd say, what did Haley Bieber get? They would give an amount and I'd say
Starting point is 00:58:41 I'd get 80% more. I've been around a lot longer. I think I have even better skin than her. It glows more. What? No, but you don't. But you don't. Are you at all worried? You don't have better skin. Don't yuck my yum. Are you worried at all? You're not using it right. You know, Laysenby followed Connery for Bond. You know that... Laysenby was great.
Starting point is 00:59:02 Laysenby did a good job. He did. A lot of people when you say James Bond, they think Laysenby. Oh, boy. They don't think... No, he's one of the best bonds. And he's one of the bonds people think about the most,
Starting point is 00:59:11 even though he only did for Her Majesty's Secret Service. Or on her Majesty's Secret Service. Oh, okay. But wouldn't it be like going from Sean Connery to like... That's what he just said. No, but I'm saying. high right now? Are you high?
Starting point is 00:59:25 I suit to me like Sean Connery to like Mickey Rooney. Yes, thank you. Well, no, I was thinking someone even yeah, like older. Oh, older and Sean Connery.
Starting point is 00:59:35 Mickey Rooney. Mickey Rooney was long dead. Yeah. And was old before he died. Yeah. Really old. Yeah, but like, you know, like, I don't know,
Starting point is 00:59:43 Abraham Lincoln. We're like... Have you seen Lincoln's skin? Very dry. Look at those Brady portraits. It's got very dry skin. I just think there's so many young people that go that know Haley Bieber. I'm not saying young people don't know you because I know young people know you.
Starting point is 01:00:02 Oh, they know Conan O'Brien and they have to deal with Conan O'Brien. They have to accept him as a reality. I don't even know what I'm saying now. Why? Why do they have to deal with you? I'm like gravity. You got to deal with me sooner or later. I'm gravity.
Starting point is 01:00:17 I will get you sooner or later. There's no escaping this Conan O'Brien. Oh my God. He's not even my generation. What if this actually does turn into Aeroon coming back and saying, let's do this? Yeah. Great. I know.
Starting point is 01:00:30 Also, when I said great, I meant great for Arawan. Great for them. Yeah. Great for anyone who likes a good smoothie and wants to see it succeed. Because I bet there are a lot of people like me who need a celebrity endorsement to really trust a product. Let me ask you this. Okay. Let's say they come back to you and they're like, we want to change it to Conan O'Brien, the Conan O'Brien smoothie.
Starting point is 01:00:50 We feel we need to lower. the price a little. We need to reduce the price about 90%. You having a good laugh over there? I remove most of the good ingredients. How you doing over there, chuckles? It's just crushed eyes
Starting point is 01:01:07 and some unpastised milk. With sprinkles with a swirl of asbestos. We got real 1950s asbestos and swirled it in. Listen, I accept the realities of the market. She knows dust. I am a capitalist, and I believe in the – I live and die by the capitalist system. So I accept the realities of the marketplace.
Starting point is 01:01:30 Am I as attractive as Haley Bieber? No, I am not. Am I as vital? Am I as much a hero to the young people? I get it. I'm not. So, yes, it would be a price reduction. Yes, they would probably have to discontinue some of the really good stuff that's in there
Starting point is 01:01:46 and replace it with – I'll just say older stuff. Same ingredients, but they're like weeks old. No, not weeks old. What if they change the name? They're all. All the ingredients have to be from the Kennedy administration. Yeah, but I mean, would you...
Starting point is 01:02:04 Milk that's still left over from the Kennedy administration. What did you change the name of it, though, instead of just being the Conan O'Brien smoothie, wouldn't it be something a little bit more fun? Like the, I don't know. What do you mean? But he needs that name. I need the name. Okay. People want the name.
Starting point is 01:02:18 Maybe you could have a descriptor in the name of who you are. And then, like in parentheses, he hosted a show for a long time. Your parents would know who he is or something like, I don't know. This is a bummer. Ask your parents. Ask your parents smoothies. No, Sona. This is not what we're doing.
Starting point is 01:02:36 It's just ground up K-rations with the metal tin included. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. We took Korean War rations. Put them in a blender. We found some. some government issue peanut butter from 1963. And some lucky strike cigarettes.
Starting point is 01:02:58 Listen, I get it. Yes, you are right. There have to be some adjustments to the product. I understand that. These heroin people aren't dumb. They'll do the right thing. And I get it. I have some humility, but I will replace Haley Beaver.
Starting point is 01:03:16 And it will be the Conan O'Brien smoothie. I'm going to make this happen. To be continued, I hope so. Yeah. All right. If the ball's in your court, Arawan, if that's even a real name. Conan O'Brien needs a friend with Conan O'Brien, Sonam of Sessian and Matt Goorley. Produced by me, Matt Goorley.
Starting point is 01:03:37 Executive produced by Adam Sacks, Jeff Ross, and Nick Leow. Theme song by The White Stripes. Incidental music by Jimmy Vivino. Take it away, Jimmy. Our supervising producer is Aaron Blair, and our associate talent producer is Jennifer Samples. Engineering and mixing by Eduardo Perez and Brendan Burns. Additional production support by Mars Melnick. Talent booking by Paula Davis, Gina Batista, and Brick Con.
Starting point is 01:04:04 You can rate and review this show on Apple Podcasts, and you might find your review read on a future episode. Got a question for Conan? Call the Team Coco hotline at 669-587-2847 and leave a message. It too could be featured on a future episode. You can also get three free months of SiriusXM when you sign up at SiriusXM.com slash Conan. And if you haven't already, please subscribe to Conan O'Brien needs a friend wherever fine podcasts are downloaded.

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