Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson - Josh Hutcherson — on cold calling agents at 8 and memories of Robin Williams

Episode Date: December 9, 2025

‘Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’ star Josh Hutcherson joins the show. Over Thai iced teas and Pad Thai, Josh tells me about splitting his time between California and Spain, what he loves about living on the Eastside, and why the subtle trolling of the hipster LA enclave in the HBO Max series ‘I Love LA’ hits so close to home. We also bond over being senior dog dads, and he tells me how his acting career started by peeling open the Yellow Pages at age 8. Plus, he tells me how nabbing Peeta in ‘Hunger Games’ changed everything. This episode was recorded at Night + Market Song in Silver Lake, CA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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and as Mike in Five Nights at Freddy's, it's Josh Hutcherson. My friend Tovlo was singer, she was like, Tovitt in the group like, hey, Ty Angel, soup tonight, 9-7. And I was like, I'm so sorry, just regarding this. Are we meeting to eat soup, or is this not that? And they were like, oh, sweetheart, no. It's like a dance rave kind of thing. This is Dinner's on Me, and I'm your host to Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

I met Josh Hutcherson, gosh, probably, I'm going to say 15 years ago. Whenever he was doing a, the kids are all right. We met at the SAG Awards, I remember. I was such a fan of that film, and I was so excited to meet him. And he was so sweet. He was excited to meet some of the cast of Modern Family. And I've stayed in touch with him ever since. I haven't seen him in quite some time.

So I'm really excited to catch up with him today. So I'm waiting for him at Night Market Song in Silver Lake, a neon-lit Thai spot that feels like someone through a dinner party in their coolest friend's bungalow. The chef calls it Thai drinking food, and that's exactly what it is. It's loud, spicy, it's borderline chaotic in the best possible way. They don't ease you in here, okay? The menu starts at, quote, chili heat and then goes up to, quote, are you sure heat? which the answer for me is no. The fried chicken sandwich has a cult following.

The larb is electric. The sticky rice. It's so good. It comes in little woven baskets. The wine list. It's weird. It's funky. They have a lot of natural wines here that should not logically go with Thai food, but somehow they do.

It's the kind of place where Silver Lake Creatives sit next to families, next to musicians who haven't gone to bed yet, next to me. waiting for Josh Hutcherson, and crossing my fingers that I don't ruin my white shirt with chili paste. Okay, let's get to the conversation. When did we last see each other then? Do we even remember? I was racking my brain, like, the last couple days thinking about, A, like, how we got connected and met. I know how we got. I could not remember that.

And then B, I couldn't remember last time that we hung out. I can't remember last time we hung out, although I'm loving that you remember this memory of visiting me. Your house and my very first house or Cilberlake before I really moved in with Justin my husband. That was my first house as a single person. That's wild. But also just that means

we've known each of them for a really long time. When was the kids are all right? How many years ago? I shot that when I was 16. So that was 16, 17, 17 years ago. When that, when you, because I remember meeting you at the SAG Awards. Okay.

When you were doing that, you were in that movie. Right, right. Okay. 17? I was 17, yeah. Oh, my God. And you're in your mid-30s now. 33.

Okay, that's crazy. Uh-oh. Yeah, because I remember meeting you that you were so fucking sweet and nice, and also I love that movie so much. It's a great movie, yeah. We're ready to talk a little time?

We're so ready. Let's do it. Okay, well, we know what we're going to do. We're going to do the chicken larb, right? Yep. Chicken larb. Full spice, medium, no. Medium?

Medium. Medium, let's see. We're not, we got to talk. Yeah, yeah, exactly. And crispy rice Classic Also Our mild is medium

Let's do that mild Or do you want to do no on the side We can do that too I'm okay with the spice Yeah Yeah You got it I'm being brave for you

And then we're going to do Trimpeti Classic A staple Well any rice on the side Sticky coconut Jasmine Yeah Yeah

I want Jasmine There you go I like it I'm on Jasmine We can do one of each Here you go I like it

Let's do this I like Bryce You have to wrap Yeah yeah yeah It's good Chiri rice Um Yeah it was a very

Very special Yeah It was great Yeah but that's how I met you That's crazy So we met at the SAG Awards We met This is how I remember

Because You know It's like you find yourself In these rooms It's like a school year like class photo type thing you know it's like you're all in like the same you know class the graduating class of like whatever you did that was 2012 or probably earlier than that yeah but um you see each other in all these in these rooms and uh you were just so nice you're such

a sweet kid and i just kept seeing you all throughout that whole year and then yeah and then i think i came to your house and silver lake and then you came to my house and silver like and then when um this banks was a very good friend of mine. Oh, great. Okay. Was cast in Hunger Games. I went to the very first premiere for that.

And so I saw you there at that. Yeah. This is great. Which is, you know, I mean, talk about quite a change in, like, your career, my God. Yeah. From the independent film to, like, this insane franchise. Yeah, that was wild. It was crazy because, like, I had just, like, a few months before I got cast in Hunger Games,

I was, like, in the running to be Spider-Man. and so I had gotten told no to Spider-Man, which as like a teenager felt heartbreaking because I really obviously wanted to be Spider-Man. For sure. And then like a few months later, I got cast in Hunger Games, which is like the craziest turn of events.

Yeah, just crazy how like it works. I don't know, like yeah, Hunger Games just like came out of nowhere and yeah, it just changed everything. But I mean, in that moment you must have been in so many, like if you're on the conversation, Like, I've never been on the, in the conversation of, like, I might be the next Spider-Man. So if you're on that list, I feel like you're in, you're in the conversation of, like, you know, these are people who are very exciting in Hollywood in the moment. You don't hear people on this list who are like, I've never heard of this guy.

These are all people that are exciting. Yeah. So you've been living on the east side for a while, but on these? Yeah, it's, I moved over here in 2019. Okay. Yeah, I was up like Laurel Canyon, Woodrow Wilson, by. for like eight years which is great

but it's like it's very isolating up there like it's you can't walk anywhere you're in constant traffic to get anywhere and I like because I'd been spending started spending a lot of time

in Madrid it's like the most walkable and easy to exist place and I get back to L.A. and it's like I can't go anywhere I'm trapped in this mountain and I just needed like a neighborhood

I needed like to see humans and so started coming over here and hanging more and Silver Lake Echo Park, Lesion Park, you know, Los Feliz, and just kind of fell in love with the whole vibe.

Yeah. So then moved over here. Have you been spending basically like all time in Madrid and? Yeah. That's incredible. Yeah. I mean, for the last 10 years,

pretty much, it's been. Has it been that long? Yeah. Oh my God. What a dream. It's, it's amazing, man. It's like, it's, I'm so grateful

that my girlfriend came into my world, obviously for a million reasons. And a really big one. is just the exposure to such a different world and culture. And, you know, I think that getting perspective on not only like Los Angeles, but America. Yeah. And spending literally half my time when I'm not working, I'm in Spain, like, I live there. And so just getting to know cultures, different priorities, just different mindsets of like people.

Claudia, yeah. Did she grow up in? She's born and raised Madrid. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. She's Madreleena, Madreleena. like Madrid Madrid and and so like yeah it's just it's just getting to know that new perspective and it feels so comfortable to me now where I'm fluent in Spanish I have my friends there my world there and it's just like it's made me actually love L.A. more too yeah because when I'm gone I can appreciate things about it that when you're in it all the time you don't so it's it's great I love it what do you do like spend your time in Madrid like how do you eat

Yeah. Food's incredible. Yes, it is. You know, they're always, like, parties, and, like, you go to have, like, coffee with someone, and then, like, you end up, like, walking together to this plaza, and then you have lunch in this spot, and there's this opening. Why is it just in Europe that that happened? Because they get it.

Like, we, like, we, I think, fall victim to... It's a double-edged store because there's also a feeling of, like, a ceiling there. Of, like, what you can make and what you can become. There's, like, here, I feel like, in... in L.A. and the states in general, there is like, your dreams are, you can get to those dreams. It feels like sometimes in other places,

that possibility, like, breaking through is just not quite as present as it is here. Ah. Do you think it's because there's just not as much opportunity? I think so. I think there's just, there's a lot of money in this country. And so people will get paid a lot of money

to make their art and to, like, rise to those levels. And they make more movies and shows. show. It's a bit more limited. And it's a great industry. And Spanish filmmakers and TV and movies, they're incredible, but just the scale of it is just scaled down. Right. So that's, it's challenging, but I

do think that, let's get this already started Wesley. I'm ready. Good job. Thank you. Absolutely. A sticky to unbox. Great. How about a Christy myself? How about it? I love that. Great. Lovely. Thank you.

Thank you. But I think that. I think that like here there is such like a hustle mentality that is you know you need to make it like this right i need to climb this ladder i need to get to this i need this house this car this thing and it's just a bit of a different priority um it's more about the experience of living right which i happen to enjoy a lot yes so i mean that's what ever anytime i've gone anywhere basically outside of the United States there's that mentality of like you work to live totally it's just not we hear we we live to work yeah and you know that the idea of like shutting down halfway through the day and like

just yeah having a siesta and or like the entire month of August in Spain like I was we were trying to buy us our apartment in Madrid and uh August was fast approaching and they're like we need to close this deal because you can't buy the house in August. And I was like, what do you mean? Like, no, the banks, like, you can't. Everyone's on holiday. I'm like, the whole month of August? Yeah. And they're like, yes, the whole month of August. So it's just like, I think it's extremely important, especially as Americans. Yeah. Where I feel that we are kind of raised with this American exceptionalism and this idea that we're just better than everyone. And it's just not true. Yeah. We're amazing. And like, it's a great

country in so many ways. But like, there's a lot of greatness out there. And so it's like people can kind get blinded by this, because if you never know something else, then you just know what you know. Right. You know? You know? Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Josh tells me about splitting his time between Madrid and L.A. And why he wants a senior dog support group.

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This deal is exclusive to listeners and frames sell out fast, so order yours now and get it in time for the holidays. Show the support by mentioning us at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. And we're back with more dinners on me. Did you... I mean, it's also so lucky that you have someone who you care about so deeply who knows that part of the world. You've been together for about 13 years, right?

Just about, yeah. Oh, just great. Yeah. That's great. You've been through a lot, man. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's just, I don't know, when you meet your person, you have, you know,

like you just, you like understand something about someone such a deep level. You go through anything together, highs and lows, good and the bad. Like, it's the cheesy shit, but it's just the truth. And, like, I think that in our industry, too, there's, I think it's hard to find that, you know? Yeah, for sure. People live at such a pace and such a level of, um, in Spanish, I would say, exigencia,

which is like expectation or like the, like the expectativas are really high. Yeah, your expectations kind of in this industry. You're like Florida of all right now. Like, how do I say expectations? It feels different. Shit, I am. What is this word? What is this word?

Expectations. Jesse, Jesse, Jesse, help me, please. Oh, my God. I love it. That's going to be in the podcast for sure. That's absolutely not being cut. That's it. Listen.

I think that a lot of people have that really high expectation of what life should be, what a partnership should be, and everything. It's hard to find a genuine, really deep connection. connection and then take care of it. Yeah. And to be able to do that for so many years and really grow up together and see each other evolve

and grow and give each other the space. I think that one thing that we both have been leaning into recently is in a way, like enjoying the isolation here. Because in Madrid, you live in the streets. Like you're always in a social environment. Right. I think L.A. is a city

where you oftentimes are home alone or just you and your partner. Or, like, you know, yeah, in your car, totally. And so it gives time to, like, slow things down. You can be more introspective, and you can work on your own, like, developing your own art and not just be, like, plans, go, social all the time. You can just, like, slow things down in a way that in Madrid, you just can't.

It's so nonstop in a great way. There's such a, like, a funny stigma, not stigma, but, like, stereotype, I guess, of any cider in L.A. And I certainly, you know, when I had my place here in Silver Lake, and then after that I was Phila's, and Eric Stone Street, who lived in the Valley, would always make fun of me about, you know. What's the stereotypical East Cider? Yeah, like, like, like me being like, you know, I didn't even hear. I couldn't live in a lot of it, you know? It's walkable, got great food, but it's got like a real edge. Like, like, like, like, maybe you're wearing your shoes to the coffee place.

Yeah, yeah. Maybe that's more venous. Like, you know, I don't know. I think it's just like a little more like laid back and, uh, I don't know. I just still like, like still full of shit. Yeah. Like laid back but still kind of full of shit. It's so funny because I was, I don't get to watch a lot of new TV, but I was like, I hear this show is really good.

Let me turn it on and I turn it on. It's called I Love L.A. And I was like, oh, oh, Josh is in the first scene. Oh, oh, I'm in the first scene. I'm in that first scene. Yep. Bet your bottom dollar I'm in that scene

And I love the show And I was watching You know As I was watching It's like oh my god This is such like a fun Take on the LA East Sider as well I mean

Totally You know a lot of these scenes are happening Like right Here A half a mile away For we are right now Like right on these streets Which is

You know so fun Jesse I walk to work Oh my god My dream In Los Angeles I literally When we were shooting I think

Maybe episode 5 or something That's like five We have a scene It's a dinner at Leighton Meester's house. It's me, Rachel, Leighton, her husband. And her house in the show is literally a five-minute walk from my actual house. So I walked to work in Los Angeles. Incredible.

That's incredible. It's amazing. Yeah. It's amazing. And then, like, when I first read the script, and they were talking about Air One and this whole thing, and they were laughing at it in a way, I was like, they're laughing at me. Yeah. Like, I'm here to laugh at myself because I'm good. I recognize myself in, even though I now live in a different neighborhood, like, I recognize myself and those characters, especially myself at that age, because the age of these characters are, like, around the time I moved to L.A.

I recognize so much of myself. And, like, and, you know, when I was single and Jordan, Firstman, is that how you say that? Yeah, Jordan. Yeah, yeah, first one. It's so funny. He, you know, he's having this interaction with the guy, please, lie up this whole, yeah, all right, cool. He's having this interaction with this guy who he just recognizes. is this guy's dog.

You know, it's like, oh, I know that dog. What's like, I know that dog? Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it's all happening around the similar, like, reservoir. I'm like, oh, my God, this is, this feels like an attack on me. I know. Also, that's me. If I'm walking and I see it, I will be doing that.

I'm the same way with kids. Yeah, yeah. My son's kids, I know the kids' names, but I have no idea what their parents name. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's probably better that way, though, a lot of times. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like, don't meet your heroes. Don't meet, like, your kids' parents.

You know, in a way, like, kids great, kids get along. I don't want to have to know this. Please don't ruin it, yeah. I don't have kids, but I can imagine there's some of that sort of time. You'll see if you ever want to have kids, get to that point. You'll see. Who knows, man. Who knows?

I got two pit bulls and they take a lot as it is, and they're old. Yeah. And it's just like, older dogs, man, it's like, it's tough. I have one that's, we thought we were going to lose him. I did I thought I was lose mine last week literally he had an emergency surgery yeah yours did two not a surgery but he was like he was in the hospital for like four days mine was two like literally last weekend yeah mine was mine was uh let's see last week we had the aisle of LA premiere he had surgery last Saturday yeah our dogs went in the hospital at the same time that's cute um isn't it so sweet maybe there were bad roommates yeah that'd be that'd be nice um um You want to get some of this pad tie on your plate there? But, yeah, it was, you know, the first time that Justin and I were like, oh, this might be happening soon. And this is a dog that we got when we first started dating, like we got a dog way too early.

And I remember Julie Bowen calling it a starter baby. I was like, easy. That's amazing. I barely know this guy. I was like, this is my dog that he also. He can hang out with. Yeah, yeah. Although it was really mostly his.

That's funny. but yeah and now he's like you know this dog's 15 years old and you're like oh my god I haven't even started to prepare myself for you know that part of the process and something you always always know pets are you're always going to outlive your pets hopefully but it's my first dog I've ever had and I'm just like it's it's intense it's really intense I mean, I got Driver when I was 18. Driver's a great name for the dog. Got Driver and I was 18.

He's typically a headball. And so like about almost two years ago, he had a really bad health care where he got like an immune disease that his body, like organ failure almost like we almost lost him. And it's just like with buddy mine and directorist guy Adam Ney who's amazing, he's got a 16 year old dog, big dog as well. And he's like, I need to, we need to start like a senior. dog support group. Yeah. Of like people that are dog parents and their dog are senior

because like you can't get ahead of anything. It's like it's one thing after the other. You just fix like this weird ear infection. Okay, they're bad. Oh, now they're shitting everywhere. What's happening now? It's like this kind of. By the way,

constant. They're going to be asked more of that age. Yeah, pretty much. Yeah. I can't hear. I'm shitting everywhere. Exactly. I'm going to my wheelchair rats.

I can see the room. All right. I had to play this story. So I was, when I was in New York, I was doing this play. and this girl who joined the cash as one of the understudies,

she'd just moved to New York, and she had just gotten this job. She was, you know, brand new to New York. Yeah. Needed money. And her parents know a very wealthy couple. They need someone to house it for them. Okay.

Take care of their dogs with their way. They're going to Europe. So they're girls like, great, wonderful. So she has this job to take care of this family's house and their pet. She arrives to take care of the dog. dog. The dog's dead. The dog had died. So she reaches out to her parents and she's like, what do I do? And they're like, well, let's call the family. And like, they tell the family, like, you know, the dog passed away. And between the time the family left and she got there?

Yeah. Oh, that's really not fair. It's like the dog's like waiting. He's like, get out of the house like a die. And they're like, oh, yeah, you know, actually that we've been expecting something this to maybe happen. I'm so sorry that you're having to deal with this. This is a the vet's number he's he will take care of the dog and like hold on to the dog it's how we can get back we'll be back in a week from europe wow so she is now tasked with taking this dead dog to she's in new to new york oh my god and uh so she puts the bed the dog and the only thing she could find which is a really nice piece of luggage that they have like louis Vuitton luggage it's on the subway and

gets to her stop and this guy says oh can i help you with your bag and she's like sure runs off of the bag the guy runs off with the bag this can't be real no this is insane it's real he runs off with the back because he's like you know she's like a new when you are new to new york you like steal my shit out like a vibe like i'm i have no idea what i'm doing take advantage of me steal my thing yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah this guy steals the bag he's like you know it's a louis vaton bag sure sure sure sure sure good shit and here. Yeah.

So. Oh, just do wait, buddy. So then she had to call the family, like, so a few things. Your Louis Vuitton bag is gone. And also your, you know, Roxy was in the bag. Oh, my God. Can you imagine that guy when he gets when he goes to wherever he's going to, like, open up the bag and, like, find a stash?

Oh, yeah. He's like, oh, well, now what? Isn't that crazy? That's insane. Yeah, wild. Now for a quick break, but don't go away. After the break, Josh tells me about how he got his start in acting and how he processed rejection for the first time at the age of 24.

Oh, bless his heart. And he also shares his memories working with the late, great Robin Williams. Okay, be right back. Maybe it's just a phase you're going through. You'll get over it. I can't help you with that. The next appointment is in six months. You're not alone.

Finding mental health support shouldn't leave you feeling more lost. At CAMH, we know how frustrating it can be trying to access care. We're working to build a future where the path to support is clear, and every step forward feels like progress. Not another wrong turn.

Visit camh.ca to help us forge a better path for mental health care. And we're back with more dinners on me. I'm fascinated. with your drive and determination to be an actor at such a young age. I was reading, I was listening to your Dak Shepard up. Oh, the armchair, yeah.

But when you're talking about going through the phone book and finding an agent and just like calling them at the age of eight, I mean, it's basically... Psycho behavior. It's psycho behavior. If I had a child, they did that, I'd be like, you're broken. But, I mean, how did you even have the foresight to, like, did you, like, just go to the A section of the, and you're in Virginia, right? Kentucky.

In Kentucky, yeah. You're in Kentucky, yeah. I basically, I've been telling my parents for, like, a couple years at that point that I wanted to, since I was, like, six years old, seven years old, that I, like, I think once I understood that when I was watching a movie and I saw a child, that that was a, child like me and then i like just loved movies so much i was like i want to be i want to do that and so my parents like no like yeah like that's so great you're interested in that but like you're playing baseball you're in school like try like acting like after college and i was like

fuck off after college i was like uh probably not in the cards for me look at this face yeah we need to take advantage of this now okay got a strike while the iron's hot um and so i like got out a phone book and looked up acting. Oh my gosh. And it was like an acting modeling agency in Cincinnati, Ohio. And so I called them and they were like, well, you talk to your parents. I was like, that tracks. So I told my parents and they were like, okay, I guess like he's like, my parents are super supportive and like always me and my brother both like whatever we were into, whatever we wanted to do.

They would like, but acting was so like, acting like my parents, no one of my. my family worked in the arts in any way. My mom worked for Delta Airlines, and my dad worked, and still works for the EPA in Cincinnati, which is under attack right now. I'm pretty wild. But yeah, so nobody in my family was, like, in this kind of world at all. And my mom called, and they took me into an acting class. And so we went to this acting class.

It was like an acting class for adults, but they were like, there was no other kid, so I guess he can come in, too. and the acting coach to my mom after like getting more from this kid than I am from any of the adults you guys should go to L.A. for pilot season. After your first class?

Yeah. And so like finally the really dark part about this is is that we heard that I was jazzed obviously but it wasn't possible because both my parents were working. I had my little brother like it wasn't my brother was six I was nine

right and then 9-11 happens and so they were laying off airport employees and airline employees so my mom got laid off basically but got to keep like health benefits and stuff and so she was like

should we go try this thing in L.A? And so like weirdly enough 9-11 happening was like a reason that I got to start acting when I did because my mom was able to leave it's a screwy weird thing and we came out here and I just started lived in a motel in Glendale

and so we'd drive around I had an agent out here drive around town and just go to like three four auditions a day and then I got I started working right away did like two pilots the first season out here and then did like a TV movie and just kind of kept it rolling from there

I mean that's incredible that it all just like happens it's insane man when did you first feel because it sounds like you had early success and when you were that age too it's like it's just all fun you know like pretending to be someone else and like having uh getting to go on set and like meet fun

actors that you might recognize and but like when did you first sort of feel like oh this industry is also hard and full of disappointments did that come at an early age or was it oh and it was one of the hardest moments yeah no here's the crazy not no it was it's it's I didn't learn rejection ever I just knew only success yeah from the the age nine to like 24 and then kind of post hunger games world because also hunger games like set things up industry is so goddamn tricky because they set you up in this way where they're like you've arrived sure you now are working with jennifer lawrence and philip see more hawkman and you're like in this movie it makes billions of dollars you're the second lead of the film

I'm like, you, what do you want? The kingdom is yours, and it's not at all. They, as quickly as they're excited to, like, get you into that spotlight. They want to not give you anything else in a way. It's very complicated. So I tasted my kind of first feeling of disappointment, failure, rejection. Probably when I was like 24 or so, 25. Was it because you weren't, because it was something didn't come to fruition?

It was like, I don't. I don't it was it was just like a string of no one calling not getting any offers auditioning but not getting cast and it's kind of this whole like thing of like oh wow like I have my career that I've had since I was nine years old it's always worked I always got cast and of course there are things that you don't get cast in but like I had only known that the chances if I was auditioning was that I was going to get I was going to book it and that is just not the reality at all and like I think the health. be a painful way is to spend a decade getting told no and then you kind of start to make it or you have like your little things here and there I was the opposite.

Resilience certainly I mean yeah and so that was that was a wild very brutal lesson to learn in that way and I you know you came into this industry and with such innocence you know literally like looking at a yellow pages

for an agent and just wanting to do acting class and like go to a pilot season which your mom thought was like, you know, getting on an airplane with the pilot. Like, you know, and then to then have such a different relationship with the industry now, but obviously still loving it so much. And just how have you, how have you negotiated that sort of change in the relationship that you have with the industry? You know, I think it's... Or is it something you're still working on?

Still working. It's always, it's ever evolving. You know, I think that, I think that, I, I think that in a way, I would say up until, honestly, up until I did, I love L.A. My perspective on the industry was shifting in such a way where I was like, look, I love acting. I want to try to keep doing this as long as I can. But the ambition of making high quality, like, top-tier stuff, maybe that's not for me. And maybe I'm okay with that.

And maybe I know that I can work and make a good living. have a great life and enjoy what I do. But maybe this, like, an HBO show that is, like, fantastic, great writing. Maybe that's just not what I am. Maybe they don't want me in that club. And so I was kind of, like, in a weird way coming to terms with that. It was, like, a sad but true feeling acceptance. And, of course, this fucking show came...

And reignited all of that drive. Of, like, no, there's a reason why, A, like, I want to be there, because it's the most fulfilling version of doing the thing that I love the most and be like, I can hang with these people. You know what I mean? Like, it felt right. It felt good.

And I was doubting myself. Like, not take anything away from Five Nights and Freddy's and these big things are incredible and very hard to do as well. But it's a whole different range. And from an audience of like what they want to see you in or not, like I didn't feel welcome into like that club. Because I hadn't really touched something like that

since kids were all right. Yeah. You know what I mean? It's in that kind of same level of critical acclaim, prestige kind of thing. And I'd always been chasing that because that was like, that's the thing, like, making good money, that's great. And that's nice to live a comfortable life. But that, like, artistic fulfillment, I was, like, lacking that in many ways. But it's nice feeling somewhat accepted and, like, in that world that I've been yearning for forever. Yeah, you shouldn't be around it so much, you know.

I can learn from so many people, I'm sure. You brought up Five Nights at Fridays. It is, I guess, another franchise. Yeah. Was there, were you hesitant at all? Did it seem, just because of your experience with Hunger Games? I mean, obviously it's a whole other genre. Yeah.

But, no, I didn't, I mean, I had also kind of, like, at this point in my career, I was actually filming the beekeeper. I had a cameo and Jason Statham, like, shoot him up crazy action movie where I got to play this like bleach blonde-tipped, like, douchebag villain kind of thing. And I was in the middle of that. I didn't have a lot of things like really on the radar lined up. And Freddy's came around.

And I was like, man, I think it sounds really fun. I think it sounds really cool, really fun. I also wasn't aware of how massive the video game was. So I didn't think. No idea. I was like, I didn't think. I was stepping into like this massive world of like I think it was like hopefully we can make a couple of them that'd be cool yeah I didn't realize what was going to happen I could have a whole fan base and honestly when I when I met with Emma Tammy the director um she was just like had this very grounded uh character driven sort of narrative that she was going to tell through the lens of the Freddy's world and that to me felt good because it wasn't just going to be this big popcorn thing there was going to be like a search for something truthful inside of that so that felt that

good so I love that collaborative thing five nights of Freddy's it's there's so much of that movie that you spend by yourself right not really it's all it's all practical really yeah it's all the all the animatronics are like there oh wow yeah so those are like Jim henson studios like creations oh right and they're like seven feet tall there are actors inside of suits with then people who are with remote controls controlling eye movements and stuff so it's really cool because you're actually like taking in this real thing there instead of being like like i've done my entire career and like cocaine bear is like it's a tennis ball or it's just like look kind of in that area and now it moves and now it moves you know so yeah it's incredible it's so cool

okay you've worked with two of my heroes that are no longer with us okay just if you have any stories that you want to share about them. If not, that's fun too. But Robin Williams, that he did RV with, with my friend Kristen Chinowet. Yeah. And Philip Zimmer Hoffman, you've mentioned.

I mean, those guys are, they're two, I think, the greatest. I completely agree. Yeah. I mean, I grew up loving him. Like, like, when I said Jumanji was one that, like, made me want to do this or realize that I could.

And Robin was someone that I, I mean, he just brought joy, like, to everyone around him. And, like, if you know, Kristen as well, like, you know, she knows him or knew him and everything. And it was, he was just a joy to be around. And the funniest person I've ever seen in my life. And just never, like, on set, it was just the energy was always there at a level 1,000. Just as such a great role model. I was a 12-year-old to be around.

Yeah. And, yeah, I mean, Philip, just, like, watching how he was. works was just something that's just like that's that's like that's those two guys specifically too just have such a level of excellency that is it's one of a kind and like to having had like albeit brief moment working beside philip was like you'll always have that too which is just so yeah so incredible i mean yeah it's they're special man yeah i um i was with Nathan Lane, he was working on Modern Family, when we found out that Robin Williams had passed away.

And I was like, I hope this sounds, I hope this is funny to someone. But I was like, Nathan, did you ever work with him? Did you know him? He's like, he played my husband on the bird cage. I was like, oh my God, that's right. I was like, of course he did, which is like one of my favorite films. I was just sort of like in shock.

And I like, every, like, the, my, did you know him? Did you know him? He's like, yes, I knew him. I was like, I'm such an idiot, of course you did. Oh, my God. But he, he's a hero of mine and someone I admire greatly. I actually had him over for dinner last night. I made him dinner.

Oh, nice. Yeah, I hadn't seen it well. Are you, do you like to cook a lot? I do. Yeah, okay. I do. Nice. I'm a home chef who's, like, learning how to eat better.

I love cooking. I'm very ambitious. when I cook and I try to like do a new recipe I've never done before for six people randomly same and then so all of a sudden people are like arriving and I'm behind and they're like can I help them like no no it's fine just I just go have the there's wine there's wine open like are you gonna chop this for me you know how I want to chop do you know like I like I like get the fuck out of my kitchen like I'm not quite that that's what inside me is like outside me's like oh you know I think we're good and then

someone brings you uncut flowers that they're like I can have to put a boss now Yeah, 100%. It's so beat, too. I never ask anyone if I can help them because I know, like, when people ask me that, I'm like, it just drives me crazy. I have started dabbling and delegating in the kitchen. Yeah. Very scary. Yeah.

And, like, like a sous chef. I will tell you, it's like, it's not the most fun thing in the world to be my sous chef. Do you cook well next to Claudia? Not for years, but we're finding our rhythm. Is she a good cook? Not, she, you know what she, no, she's not, but let me explain. She's, what she's amazing at is flavors, like just kind of coming together and just the right amount of this and the right amount of that. And she doesn't taste it.

Yeah. And literally she just like puts like the seasonings, does like that many tomatoes, this much on it, whatever it is. And it works out. It doesn't try it and then serves it and it just lands. I'm like, she's just lucky. How do you do that? It hasn't yet. It's going to.

It hasn't yet. It's crazy. But for the longest time, I would be like, she'd be like, baby, what can I do? I'd be like, oh, what can you do? You can, like, maybe slice the tomatoes for the thing? Maybe. Yeah?

It's like, okay. So start slicing. I was kind of like watching, being like, oh, God, that is not how I wanted those cut. But, like, trying to be. I'm just, it's. I have the exact same. That's one of my biggest things. Yeah.

What else are you doing today? Um A friend of mine's having a dance party tonight Okay That's You know At his house No she throws like

I don't know if she actually throws it There's a place called Thai Angel It's like the size of this But they have like a different DJ Every 15 minutes Oh my gosh Incredible

And it's a total dance party Let me see Yeah I think I think Raves can be really fun Well It's like having the right people though Right music obviously

Yeah It's funny though Because it's called I've never been to this one before and I guess like they go it's like a monthly or once every six month kind of party they do and they texted this group text we have

and my friend Tovolo is singer she was like Tov put in the group like hey like no no no it's called they call it soup they're like Ty Angel soup tonight 9-7 and I didn't know what the fuck she was talking about

so I'm so sorry just regarding this are we meeting to eat soup Or is this not that? Yeah. And they were like, oh, sweetheart, no. It's like a dance rave kind of thing. I was like, oh, I'm there either way, but like, yeah. I was ready to, like, if I didn't ask, I was showing up in a cozy sweater at 7 o'clock for like some evening soup with friends.

Like, that's a movie was going to be delightful. That does seem like something that would happen on the east side. It does. Oh, my God. It's so good to see you. I know, you too. I really miss you. Yeah.

I'm so excited about everything that's going on. I'm excited about, I'm, I'm, I'm, I, I, seriously. really love horror films like they really I dread seeing them and then I take a roller coaster and then after I'm

after I see it like that was great I did it feels funny yeah yeah I'm very excited to see the second one of these yeah

uh... Five Nets of Freddy's and I love I love L.A. I love me on my TV for a few weeks it's awesome it's fun man

it's a great show I it gets better and better which is nice and I think a lot of times you make something and you're kind of like maybe the first one's good

and then it kind of just no, no, no, no, no. But this one just really finds its stride. I love it. The reviews for it have been great. It's a very fuzzy. It's cool. Fun thing.

Thanks, man. And yeah, Freddy's is crazy. Freddy's is just like, it's a whole wild world. And like this Freddy's too, like, did you see the first one or no? Okay. So this one is just like, it's scarier. Sorry.

It is scarier. And it's like double, yeah. It's like double the animatron. It's just like everything. Just cranked up to level... That's usually, if they're going to make a second one, they're going to, like, bump it up it up. But it works. Like, sometimes you're like, oh, okay, it's the sequel.

But this one is actually really, really good. Yeah, I got to see that. Thanks for doing this, buddy. Yeah, of course, man. This episode of Dinners On Me was recorded at Night Market Song in Silver Lake, California. Next week on Dinner's On Me, you know her from her scene-stealing performances in films, Crooklyn and 12 years of slave, and TV shows like True Blood and The Practice. She's now starring in the Apple TV Plus series The Last Frontier.

It's Alfred Woodard. We'll get into her growing up in the South, her 42-year-long marriage with actor and comic Roderick Spencer, and get into some behind-the-scenes details on The Last Frontier. And if you don't want to wait until next week to listen, you can download that episode right now by subscribing to Dinners on Me Plus. As a subscriber, not only do you get access to new episodes one week early, they'll also be able to listen completely ad-free. Just click Try Free at the top of the Dinners On Me show page

on Apple Podcasts to start your free trial today. Dinner's On Me is a production of Sony Music Entertainment and a kid named Beckett Productions. It's hosted by me, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. It's executive produced by me and Jonathan Hirsch. Our showrunner is Joanna Clay. Our associate producer is Alyssa Midcalf. Sam Bear engineered this episode.

Hans Dale She composed our theme music. Our head of production is Sammy Allison. Special thanks to Tamika Balance Kalasni and Justin Makita. I'm Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Join me next week.