Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers - BILLY CRUDUP Drove to Texarkana In A Cadillac

Episode Date: December 2, 2025

This week Seth and Josh welcome Billy Crudup to the podcast! Billy talks all about last-minute road trips to Texarkana and Holiday Inns secured through his dad's "schemes," his father's love for mob m...ovies and the occasional High Life-fueled detour, his parents divorce and remarriage, Disco and designated-driver older brother "Quattro," and so much more! Plus, Billy chats about his movie JAY KELLY that will release in select theaters November 14, 2025 and on Netflix December 5, 2025. Support our sponsors: Olipop Get a free can of OLIPOP. Buy any 2 cans of Olipop in store, and we'll pay you back for one. Any flavor, any retailer, including the Yeti limited-edition cans! drinkolipop.com/TRIPS OLIPOP is sold online (drinkolipop.com + Amazon) and available in almost 50,000 retailers nationwide, including Costco, Walmart, Target, Publix, Whole Foods, Kroger and HEB. Miracle Made Upgrade your sleep with Miracle Made! Go to https://trymiracle.com/TRIPS and use the code TRIPS to claim your FREE 3 PIECE TOWEL SET and SAVE over 40% OFF. CashApp Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/w3eekzve #CashAppPod Aura Frames Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/TRIPS. Promo Code TRIPS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Support comes from Airbnb. Hey, Posh. Hey, Sufi. You got the holidays coming up. Mom and Dad are coming to stay with you. Were you bummed out that they're going to both be on your couch? Well, they're not going to be on my couch. What? We've got two bedrooms here, and my mother-in-law will be staying in the second bedroom.
Starting point is 00:00:18 But then the issue of, yeah, where to put our mom and dad came up. And Airbnb... Kick them to the curb? Did you say to the curb with you? No, Airbnb is the perfect solution because it is the holidays. Yeah. There is something about being in a home that feels righter than being in a hotel, at least from my way of thinking.
Starting point is 00:00:39 More right, maybe. To my way of thinking, I would say more right, but that's okay. Well, sometimes we just say things in a way, and it sort of adds a little personality. Yeah, that's true. Like your personality is like you're bad at. Grammar. Yeah. Keep going.
Starting point is 00:00:56 So mom and dad, we found a lovely little. apartment nearby and they will be staying there and it's a short walk from where we live so I'll be able to wake up make some coffee put Woody on his leash and walk over there and sit with them have a cup of coffee and then they'll come over to our house it's can you see them coming like if you will you see them walking down the street and then will you have time to you know hide no they're coming and it's the holidays our doors are open to them but that's lovely our bedroom is So we found them an alternative, which is just perfect. They've actually stayed at this apartment in the past, and they're very happy to be coming back.
Starting point is 00:01:39 It's great. Well, I'm very happy that Airbnb is providing homes to allow our families to be close while not being so close that we're under the same room. Your home can be worth more than you think. Find out how much at Airbnb.com a slash a host. Hey, buddy. Hey, Suvi. How are you? I'm good.
Starting point is 00:02:04 So just timeline-wise, you will have already listened to our Thanksgiving episode. Yes. If you're a listener. Yeah. And so right now we're going to tell you a little bit about what happened after we recorded that episode. Yeah. We had really an epic weekend in Pittsburgh with mom and dad and your two boys. It was a real, the generations met.
Starting point is 00:02:29 It was generational. It was deeply important to me. It was one of the most special weekends I've ever had. It was so exhausting. I'm still so tired. I'm so tired. To have your kids and your parents and wanted to all go perfect requires so much energy. And yeah, I'm so happy it went well.
Starting point is 00:02:51 And I'll remember it forever. And I'm so tired. Well, also something that makes you tired is that your middle, child your youngest son axel woke up at 430 430 first night he wanted me to sleep in bed with him and he woke me up at 430 and uh and then i you know we had this like story box i'm like listen to that he's like okay but i don't want i don't want i won't wear my headphones and that was very unkind oh but then also yeah um and we talk about this a little bit there was also a foosball table in the basement uh you know of of the uh the the the home we had we had rented through air bambi was a
Starting point is 00:03:28 a wonderful home and and the food ball table in the end was a real positive but uh in that moment i wish it wasn't there yeah yeah i mean we did we did a lot of great you know Pittsburgh things we uh we had a great lunch up in mount washington overlooking the city uh we went to the zoo that we went to you know as little boys when we were you know certainly the same ages as your boys and it all culminated, of course, with a Steeler game, which we have kind of been, you know, drawn blanks the last few years. We've been to see some losses.
Starting point is 00:04:06 Yeah. And we saw a win and a relatively comfortable win by the end. By the end, it was comfortable. And it wasn't nail-biting. And there's this tradition at Steelers games. We're late in the game to charge up the defense in the crowd. they play renegade by sticks which is a slow starter
Starting point is 00:04:27 and then turns into a full banger and everybody goes crazy and by the time they played renegade the game was well in hand yeah and I can't remember the last time we were at a game where that was the case yeah and dad and Axel
Starting point is 00:04:41 were waving their two dad was basically teaching Axel how to do Renegade with the terrible towels and you took a video of it from behind and I maybe watched it 50 times and I think I cry a little every time. Dad looked,
Starting point is 00:04:56 mom and I were sitting in the row behind you, Ash Axel, and dad, and dad looked back, and mom was like, you could see tears in your father's eyes. Yeah. Because he, you know, he grew up going to those games with his dad. And now, you know, then he took, went with us and now to go with his grandkids. It's really, the through line is, runs deep. It was fantastic.
Starting point is 00:05:21 our friend Kevin Cohen who's a Steeler fan I wrote him I'm like is this a normal adult reaction that I'm choking back tears during Renegade and he's like you're a lunatic and then I sent him the video and he wrote back goosebumps the only
Starting point is 00:05:37 downside is that before every play of the game Axel would say to me who has the ball yeah before every play so he wasn't no again they'd never seen a football
Starting point is 00:05:51 ball game from start to finish so this was and and i will say like i think they energy level very impressive yeah oh absolutely um but it was very like that thing of like you then again nothing's worse than that moment where you realize that by introducing your kids to sports you have to talk about sports more than you wanted to yeah yeah uh because they got lots of questions and questions like who has the ball who has the ball and then i feel like every time we got in the car Ash was like, who is stronger? Show Hey, Otani, or Aaron Judge. And at some point in the weekend, I just said,
Starting point is 00:06:24 I can't talk about this anymore. And it's really funny when you just say to your kids, like, I don't care. Right. It doesn't matter. I don't care. Yeah. Well, I mean, I feel like you just need to put a marker down and be like,
Starting point is 00:06:35 Aaron Judge. Yeah. But then they, trust me, that's the most. Tell me you don't have kids without saying I don't have kids. Like, just put the marker down. That will put an end to it. Good man. Fucking put the marker down.
Starting point is 00:06:51 The other really funny thing is, you know, we did all these Pittsburgh things, and then we have cousins, the Machesney cousins. They're out in Morris, Pennsylvania, which is only about like 30, 40 minutes outside of the city, but they, they're on a farm. Yeah. And so we drove out there and, you know, because ultimately, like, well, you know, what dinner are you going to get in Pittsburgh that's better than seeing family, right? And we just went out there.
Starting point is 00:07:14 They ordered pizza from a local place. And I feel like the kids got to, like, drive an excavator and start a bonfire. And it was so funny, they were like, oh, my God, that's the, that was the best part of Pittsburgh. I'm like, it's just a farm, bro. But they loved it so much. Yeah. Well, they, I mean, they like getting out of New York City. They do.
Starting point is 00:07:33 And if you go to Pittsburgh and you're in the city, it's still, you know, it's a city. It's, you know, we were staying in a great neighborhood. Yeah. We were staying in Shadyside, which is great for, you know, we were staying in. walking around, little shops, little restaurants, so much that you didn't have to drive to. But it's still a city, and I think those boys just like, they like their open spaces.
Starting point is 00:07:57 They like their open spaces. It is very funny to remember there also, of course, Alexi's kids, you know. That's when they're like, oh, man, a pet a rooster. The other most of the funniest like they're Alexi's kids is we went to a really great store called Steel City, where we always stop in. to buy gear. And it's not licensed gear. So it's like Steelers, you know, Pittsburgh colors are black and gold. So it's a lot of really cool black and gold stuff. And I really like it. And we went in there and I put on like a, I guess you'd call it like a satin jacket. It looks like an old sort of 70s pirates like warm up baseball jacket. And I put it on and I will say I was feeling a little bit. And then I was almost about to get it. And I said to Asha, what do you think about this? He goes, I don't like it. And mom's not going to like it. you uh someone at some point gave you a sort of shiny black jacket yeah and alexie promptly gave it to me
Starting point is 00:08:55 she was like seth isn't going to wear this and i and i wear it and it's i love it so yeah okay yeah well i mean i like that she knows who can pull stuff off yeah and it's often uh not me uh the uh speaking of family trips the other the one harrowing part of this incredible weekend was having to wake the kids up we couldn't get from the stadium to the airport in time to get home Sunday night and we had a great dinner afterwards
Starting point is 00:09:22 so it was great I'm glad we stayed but then I had to wake the boys up because they had to wake them up five in the morning and with that said based on how often Axel wakes me up
Starting point is 00:09:34 I did have a perverse joy and shaking him awake at five and being like it's time to go and he was like yeah it's time to go though He's so tired. I'm like, oh, no, it's time to go.
Starting point is 00:09:47 Yeah. But we got him home, and we got him to school. And only an hour late, so that was pretty good. Yeah, it was great. There was also, the other great moment with the boys was there was a Steelers returned an interception for a touchdown. It was like an 80-yard run. Yo, it was amazing.
Starting point is 00:10:02 And I will say when, you know, as soon as the ball got picked off, you were on your feet watching the field. Yeah. And just riveted because, you know, you don't know what's going to happen. was a lot of space between, you know, for our defender to run. And turns out there was a lot of space. It looked like, you know, it was that moment where everybody felt like, oh, there's a chance. Like there was a moment like, oh, my God, he's got a chance to go. And, but it's, you know, it's weird in football to have a long play. And, you know, it was probably like a six, seven second play, right?
Starting point is 00:10:30 Yeah. Easy. And then it's, the boys were between me and dad. And I turned to face them. And Ash is covering his face and Axel is fully bawling. And it turns out that what happened in the eight seconds is when Axel immediately started waving his towel, hit Ash in the face with his towel, and then Ash just fully punched Axel in the face. Yeah. And then Axel turned and Ash was sitting in a chair and Axel took both of his hands and put them on Ash's face and pushed them as hard as he could, pushing his head into the back of his chair. And yeah, they were both crying. And you were so happy and so excited. And when it was a touchdown, you turned to be like, yay. And they were both.
Starting point is 00:11:10 Yeah, and then immediately I'm on my knees being like, yeah, that wasn't, you probably didn't like that when he squeezed your face. Yeah. I bet that died, I bet that ruined it a little bit. Anyway, though, incredible, incredible weekend. And then I'm very fast turnaround to having you guys come on for the Thanksgiving show, which is yet to happen in real life. Yeah, can't wait for that. Yeah. Well, I love you, Pashi.
Starting point is 00:11:39 It was so special to be with you. Absolutely. We've got a great episode here, though. Don't snooze on this Billy Cruttup episode. You know, from the morning show. I mean, that's where he's cutting his teeth these days. I think if I can translate what Pashi's saying, he's like, Sufi, shut up. It's time for crotups. So enjoy.
Starting point is 00:12:10 Chips with the minds brothers Here we go Yes Hey now Hey hey Yes
Starting point is 00:12:23 Look at these headphones you guys have I mean You got that ones I mean I just started On purpose Billy I just started
Starting point is 00:12:32 A second podcast And the producers over there We're like I always feel like When we see people With like the full cans And whatever
Starting point is 00:12:39 It's a bit much And I was like Oh. Let me tell you, you guys look like pros. And whatever kind of silver shielding you have on there, gives you an extra edge. Yeah. You know what? I didn't think we looked like pros until I saw what you were wearing. You son of a bitch. You sent me these. We did.
Starting point is 00:12:58 Yeah, they are branded. These are now in my... Look at this. What is that? Oh, wow. That really goes all the way, almost does those touch in the inside of your skull? Those are attached to a walkman. a Sony Walkman which is really cool
Starting point is 00:13:12 this is a family podcast so I think we need to start with the fact that my family lives in an apartment that your family used to live in that's true I thought you were going to talk about my language no where with that's on video go do your worst
Starting point is 00:13:28 it's true I used to live in that very apartment and you guys moved in I don't know 15 years ago or something no it's less than that because we moved right when my seven-year-old was born like six months after we moved in. Right, in the lobby. In the lobby.
Starting point is 00:13:46 And one of my favorite things is you were on my show, and my son, Axel, was famously born in the lobby. And I remember walking in being like, I wonder if Billy knows that story. And I walked in and you asked the best question, which was who were the two doorman on duty. Yes, absolutely. And I think it was Ramon who was there delivering at the time. Yeah. And still a member of the family. far beyond what any regular New York City doorman.
Starting point is 00:14:12 I mean, that's a big thing to do to deliver a child into the world, especially in the lobby. It's a very nice building. Don't get me wrong. Very nice building. It's ready for, I don't know, eating and delivering babies. There's no problem with that lobby. No. It's smaller than I think most people picture when they think, when they hear the story,
Starting point is 00:14:29 I think maybe people in the rest of the country are picturing some, like, grand eloquent New York City Plaza Hotel lobby. There is some kind of seating there. I don't think I've ever seen anybody. sit there and like wait or maybe like read the paper it's not that kind of lobby it's a good lobby for like if someone uh forgot something upstairs and it's cold outside you'll like sit and you can wait there on those little couches waiting like that's a great point josh and that must have been what the architect was thinking he was like what do i do on the chance that someone needs to run back up on a wintry day yeah and then uh but then another connection is uh you're a lovely bride Naomi watts then shot
Starting point is 00:15:09 that oh yeah then the dog movie was outside there yeah it was incredible so the kids got to like i mean uh you know even though they have a father in show business like nothing's more exciting was that a pain in the ass though for you guys i mean i know the kids were excited it would have been a pain in the ass but there was a giant dog yeah more than made up for it yeah a very beautiful playful game so uh we anyway those are those are like just natural connections and then i want to say, and I hope you don't think I'm blowing smoke here. Every now and then, I see someone do a talk show appearance on another talk show that makes me so jealous. You told this story about your dad on Fallon recently, and I was like, God, that's a real... That came out of nowhere, too.
Starting point is 00:15:52 Yeah, I could tell that you weren't planning on telling that. It was not typically pointing you all with Hey, so, quick sidebar, my dad should have been incarcerated for a number of different reasons. I'd like to share with them. I don't know what the statute of limitations is. Yes, he's passed, but it could be passed along to the family in some way. But our story, I mean, it was interesting when I was thinking about this talking to you guys today. The number of family trips, it's hard to call them family trips because occasionally it would seem like, hey, come on, boys, get in a car, we're going to go for a drive. And all of a sudden, we're at Holiday Inn, you know, in Texarkana. and are we going on a vacation?
Starting point is 00:16:34 I think so. Let's see if we can get some at the gift shop for you. We'll spend a couple days outside, find a campground somewhere. We always had a cooler in the back. Me and my younger brother would sit in the back of the Cadillac and feed him Miller High Lives as we brought down the interstate. I mean, Texarkana, that's a pretty good drive because you're from... Well, we were living in Dallas at the time.
Starting point is 00:16:57 So he would head back to North Carolina. if we got that far. But there was never anything planned, you know, that I can recall. Or certainly that was my mom was a part of. I don't think she would have been on the kind of hobo tours that we would go on. We'll just see how it goes, guys, get in the car. It was that he did not. So he didn't have like a second purpose for these trips that he was trying to like use you guys as cover of this was a vacation.
Starting point is 00:17:27 Oh, well, most certainly, Seth. But, you know, I mean, that is a guarantee. I think that at 8, 9, and 10, I was not entirely privy as to what those might be. He would just disappear for a afternoon. And, you know, we'd get full rain of the holiday in and do what kids do, you know. It's pretty fun getting, you know, full rain of a holiday in. We used to love just like hotels and running down the hallways and vending machines. It was fantastic.
Starting point is 00:17:58 Yeah. on the occasion that he would time it poorly and it would be a holiday weekend and all of the motels were full. You'd see him like we'd amble up to the counter and he'd say, hey, y'all just keep you quiet. Just listen. Follow my lead. All right. Say, how are you all doing? Tom crude up here. I got a reservation. I need my three boys. We got Tommy over there. Call him quattro. that's uh he's the oldest the middle that's bill disco uh brooks he's quiet he's the one on uh bottom there brooks pop your head out four of us are on vacation we got a reservation under crudup c r u d is and david u p is and paul person to look through their thing nothing nothing
Starting point is 00:18:48 well i made the reservation my secretary called uh two weeks ago uh confirmed last week he doesn't have a secretary i mean doesn't work with anybody um we'd be sitting there going you know but looking a little more gaunt than usual and then you go oh god talk it now what in the world am i going to do now i make a reservation at a beautiful hotel like yours you know we're at best western or whatever it is we end up here and the reservation is not confirmed i got the three boys here again quatro disco and brooks down there disco do a little dance for him Is there a damn thing any you can do for those three boys? I mean, what in the world?
Starting point is 00:19:32 And the manager come on and say, well, let me just check with one of our affiliated hotels. And sure enough, he'd get a reservation somewhere. It was just like a constant BS guy and did it with a certain kind of charm that he didn't get into too many fights. Were you guys more performers in those moments? Or were you meant to put on sort of puppy dog eyes? You know what? I think our dad, he did a good enough job making it never feel dangerous.
Starting point is 00:19:59 I mean, there were a couple of times where you'd kind of go, like, he had a sawed off shotgun next to his bed. And he would say things like, yeah, just don't touch it. Like, that was the whole gun talk. Like, not why it's there. Why might you need a riot shotgun next to your bed? And why would it be, in any case, the way that he would relay those stories made it feel like it was just a kind of charming, natural, colloquial way of living. The way dads were. The way dads were.
Starting point is 00:20:35 And, you know, it wasn't until there were, you know, he got too drunk driving that Tommy would have to take over that people, you know, at 13 or 14, we'd be like, I don't know, man. I know you're smiling and all, but this feels funky. Yeah. Did, you mentioned on Valentine, you were called disco because he liked to dance. How did quattro, what was behind that? He was Thomas Henry Crude Up the Fourth. There you go. Quatro.
Starting point is 00:21:06 Yeah, my dad went the first. And Brooks never got a nickname? I'm sure he did. Well, Brooks will be listening now going, you don't remember my freaking nickname? Does anybody still call you disco? No. Definitely not. especially the way that I dance at 57
Starting point is 00:21:24 it was not disco. Nothing's worth. I will say disco is the worst nickname for somebody likes to dance because immediately people can figure out how old you are. Well, mom and dad used to call me Gene Gene the Dancing Machine.
Starting point is 00:21:39 Oh, yeah. Are you kidding me? That was the best. From the gong show? From the gong show, which I didn't know was from the gong show. And then it just sort of like crossed my radar.
Starting point is 00:21:48 Like somehow I was like, what is that from? and Googled it and saw Gene Gene the dancing machine and they called Seth Charleston nobody liked it
Starting point is 00:21:59 when I dance or sung they called me silent Bob later oh I loved the gong show was it was it the Sandman who would come out
Starting point is 00:22:11 that was that was the Apollo that was the showtime of the Apollo there was the unknown comic on the gong show Oh, yeah, the unknown comic keeps going with the paper bag.
Starting point is 00:22:21 Great. Great stuff. I mean, that was that interesting thing of, like, growing up, you know, for us, we grew up in the 80s and would watch, like, old 70s game shows. Right. And there was a real sense of, like, I think things are better than. I just feel like that. Can you imagine? Like, in the 70s, too, during, like, the crisis in Iran, the oil shortage and everything.
Starting point is 00:22:41 This is so much better now. Hey, we're going to take a quick break and hear from some of our sponsors. Support comes from olipop. Oh, yeah. Yeah. What flavor you go with, bro? I went with the crisp apple. I went with the vintage cola.
Starting point is 00:22:58 Because I like vintage tastes, and I like olipop, because unlike regular sodas, this comes with the benefits of a functional ingredient blend. Also, I think it's got it. It's a Yeti. It's the holiday cans. Sue? Yeah. These are limited edition cans, and this year, they've added this crisp apple to the lineup.
Starting point is 00:23:19 And you know who's excited my kids because, you know what their soda intake is during the year? Probably zero? Limited. I was going to say limited. But they can have an olypop, my man. There's only two to five grams of sugar per can, and each one of these cans has up to nine grams of fiber, which is going to support your digestive health. You know, if you're looking to buy some of these olipops, if you're looking to get some of these Yeties to help you celebrate these holidays, you can get a single can from the refrigerated section. you can get a four-pack from the soda aisle
Starting point is 00:23:50 or a 15 pack from Costco for the ultimate holiday celebration. It's the giving season, Pagie, so we want to make sure that everybody out there listening gets a free can of Oli-Pop. Buy any two cans of Oli-Pop in store and we're going to pay you back for one.
Starting point is 00:24:04 What? It works on any flavor, any retailer, including the Yeti-Limid Edition cans. You just go to drink-Ollipop.com slash trips. Olipop is sold online, drink-olipop.com and Amazon and available in almost 50. 50,000 retailers nationwide, including Costco, Walmart, Target, Publix, Whole Foods, Kroger, and H.E.B.
Starting point is 00:24:26 Support comes from Cash App. Hey, Baji. Hey, Sufi. You know, sometimes during the holiday season, our hearts get very big. You know what I mean? Yeah, we like to give. We like to help those around us. We like to see the best in people. But guess what? That's all well and good. But you also have to remember that scammers are out in full force. this time of year, and they're getting more creative to trick people into sharing their payment info through methods like fake shopping sites and giveaways that are too good to be true. Well,
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Starting point is 00:25:37 Bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partners. Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank member FDIC promotions provided by Cash app, a block incorporated brand. Visit Cash.app slash legal slash podcast for full disclosures. Support for family trips comes from Lowe's. You want the hottest Black Friday savings and Lowe's has them. Shop amazing deals like up to 50% off. Select major appliances. Plus get an extra 25% off when you bundle select major appliances and save $80 on your
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Starting point is 00:26:57 So you're the middle of three. I'm the middle of three. My older brother, Tommy, is a year and a half older, and he's worked in the business for a while. He was a talent booker for Rosie O'Donnell and Rachel Ray and Tony Danza. So he, by the way, another crossover, because we're in the old Rosie O'Donnell studio. That's where we show. Oh, are you now? Oh, right. Yeah. Well, I wish he was still there.
Starting point is 00:27:21 I mean, I'm happy for you guys. That's great. Thank you. Wonderful. Also, Rosie's in Ireland. And my younger brother, Rosie is in Ireland, right? I think she appears to be staying there now. Yeah, I think so.
Starting point is 00:27:35 I think she's making a real go of it. I wish her luck. I wish her the best. Couldn't agree more, John. Hard to fail. You know, but to both have means and the name Rosie O'Donnell seems like she's going to lock it in.
Starting point is 00:27:47 In Ireland? Yeah, it's got to be great. And my younger brother, Brooks, he was a producer as well and a writer and has two kids now and lives in Connecticut. He's three and a half years younger. But my older brother and I were about a year and a half apart. So there's this, I promise this is going somewhere.
Starting point is 00:28:02 There's this John LaCarré book called A Perfect Spy, and it's about a spy, and he's telling the story of his life, and his dad was a con man. And it's basically a book about how, if you have a comment for a father, like being a spy is like a perfect. Natural. Right. And so it's funny to me that all three of you are in showbiz because I feel like that's ultimately like the modern version of SpyCraft is like being in show business. Funny is a lovely word for it.
Starting point is 00:28:30 It's just pure desperation. We know nothing else than show business. Yeah. And, you know, part of having that kind of. parapetetic life where you never know where you're going to be the next year and you're you know sort of guaranteed one thing for about six months and then something changes is there's an adaptability that comes with it that ends up working really to your benefit in show business because I don't think people you know it's it's hard to comprehend willingly join a profession
Starting point is 00:29:07 that you're fired every three months. And that's what happens to actors, you know, and that's their, you're, I mean, you're an anomaly in so many ways to... No kidding. Team that one up for you, Josh. Nobody has been luckier than you, Seth. Well, yeah, yeah, yeah. Nobody's luckier than you, Seth.
Starting point is 00:29:30 Just would one of you tell my wife? She doesn't listen in Lash? I'm just like, do you not realize this is the only showbiz job that's like a home game like two miles north of the apartment? That's right. How long is your break?
Starting point is 00:29:48 Do you guys have a break? So many breaks. He's off like 14 weeks a year. Oh my gosh. I know. I want you both to know I'm aware of how I know this, but it's a rare thing. And I'm sure like when you were
Starting point is 00:30:01 starting out as a comic or getting into Saturday Night Live, whatever it was, you were aware that the chopping block is like in your dressing room. So there's a part of growing up with a guy who, you know, as frustrating as he was for my mom and people around us in so many ways, it prepares you for this kind of lifestyle. And so it's been a huge benefit to me, you know,
Starting point is 00:30:30 emotionally and psychologically to be able to navigate it because I don't know what else I'd be doing if I wasn't an act. there. It's interesting. I mean, you, this is obviously morning show is probably the most consistent 100%. A hundred percent. And I never expected it. In fact, there was, I remember maybe in 1995 or 1994, actually, when I just got out of school. And I, my agent said, you got a call back for this television show. And they want you to fly to L.A. and do a screen. test. In order to do that, you're going to have to sign the deal. And all I had read was the sides. So I didn't know anything about this show. And I couldn't, I mean, the character didn't
Starting point is 00:31:20 seem terribly interesting. And they were asking for seven years in this contract to go out. And I was like beside myself. I was like, yes, I want to make money. I want to be a professor. But that's not something that I understand how to do, like commit to a project that I haven't read for a character that I don't understand about a show that is going to be on network television. So I actually, after the discomfort of that experience, I stopped kind of auditioning for pilots. And I thought, as long as I can make enough money doing plays or parts in movies and live in New York, I'll try. to do that and full well knowing that that was a long shot too and i was more likely than not going to be out in l.A working pilot season um which reminds me of one of my favorite uh quotes have you guys been to uh the palazzo in uh it um it's across from the the grove in los angeles yeah i've never
Starting point is 00:32:27 been in there but i know of it okay then you've seen the exterior yes uh um stucco kind of orange well um my son's mom was working on a show out here she was doing weeds and uh so i'd come out get a little place um during the summers and um that was the the short-term rental place that was the most affordable close to you know where she was working to and living and the second summer i was there paul rudd was there as well and he had a child that was about a year younger than mine and I was like lamenting going into the gym and just the smell of desperation and nobody's even working out it's just pure sweat flop sweat the desperation of living in L.A. wanting to be an actor and I came and I was talking to Paul and I was like oh man this is this is tough this is
Starting point is 00:33:25 kind of a depressing place to live and he's like no you don't get it the Palazzo it's like Italy with a touch of pilot season. So I was certain at a point I'd come out here and, you know, do what most actors are due. You come out here and you work during pilot season, trying to land a couple of pilots
Starting point is 00:33:49 and see if any of them get picked up. But I was so intimidated by the prospect of signing away seven years to something I had no idea what to do, especially since I was like, 80 grand in debt getting classical training, you know, about character work with, it just seemed impossible. But having had some time in the business, having a secure job with the morning show has been phenomenal. It has really been a huge gift to me. And it also seemed, I mean, you know, I will venture that almost everybody on that show, certainly the, you know, the top line cast all
Starting point is 00:34:28 appreciate how rare this is. there's no question about it it people are really happy and lucky to have that job it's really ambitious so people work hard i mean it's ambitious and it's scope they try to you know yeah um uh observe a lot of different things that are going on all with beautiful hair and great costumes you know so all of that and gorgeous camera moves and you know that all of that is kind of complicated to execute and so everybody works really hard, but there's a genuine affection and appreciation between the cast and the crew about how lucky everybody is. And I'll tell you, we did it during COVID. And that crew is as badass as, you know, anybody I've ever worked with to spend six, seven months in like hazmat gear. Well, you know, imagine managing a steady cam while you've got all of those masks on and the protocol on and still trying to compose a shot. You know, It was, it really bonded us. And I never anticipated an experience like that.
Starting point is 00:35:34 I mean, back to the point that we were making before, we're like three-month jobbers. So the notion of being together with people over seven years, even though it's only been four seasons, it just never occurred to me. And it has been, it's been fucking awesome. That's great. Yeah, I feel lucky. You mentioned Texas as well, like where? So it's like home, though, eventually, North Carolina? Where was the long?
Starting point is 00:35:57 No, so I was born in Long Island. Okay. And my dad was from a small town called Henderson in North Carolina that had a yarn mill. And his dad was the vice president of Mark. My grandfather was the vice president of Mark at the yarn mill. Essentially because his brother-in-law owned the yarn mill. And my... You're saying yarn mill?
Starting point is 00:36:19 Yarn mill. Okay. Is that the right? I didn't know where they made yarn, but now I guess. That could be the wrong. I'm learning something. It could be a cotton mill. No, it was a yarn.
Starting point is 00:36:30 Okay. It was a textile company. Harriet Henderson textiles. I say, you know what? It's good that you question me, Josh, because now I'm going to have to go back. There's a lot of things that I'm going to speak about. He didn't call me disco. He called me hip-hop.
Starting point is 00:36:43 That's right. No, but he's buying hip-hop. I just wanted to be sure. Actually, come to think of it now, me and my younger brother, we had a break-dancing troupe for about a year and a half in south florida that'll come later but that's great i make a note posh yeah note make note made don't worry i've got my cardboard back here um so he my my dad as a way to try to rebel i think against my grandfather worked for the competing um company burlington and uh burlington coat factory is a big like um but burlington textiles they would
Starting point is 00:37:25 sell the fabric in the garment district in New York. So we were born on Port Washington, or I was born in Port Washington, and that's just outside of New York, and my dad would take the train in. And that's where he discovered his love for the more colorful side of New York, because during the 60s and 70s, the garment district was replete with mob guys. Yeah. And my dad thought they were awesome. I think my mom has a good story about going to a mob boss's funeral and thinking, Tommy, I'm not sure what we're doing with our lives now.
Starting point is 00:38:06 What precisely is this? And my dad was like, oh, no, he's great, great people. I mean, he was also convinced, by the way, that sports betting, because he was a bookie, that sports betting would be legal in the states at a certain point. and I swear of the million ideas he had my brothers and I can't believe that he got that right that he was just 40 years too early and he was full of shit anyway he just wanted to make it seem like you know he knew something but he was actually he was right about that and so when they got divorced the first time we moved to south florida where my mom was from in miami so i spent three years there first grade second grade third grade and then they got remarried to each other
Starting point is 00:38:50 because my dad, you know, set up another con that there was a new business opportunity in Dallas, Texas. It's called coffee elite. And it was a coffee additive that he would sell to like big institutions, like prisons, to turn one pound of coffee into 10 pounds of coffee, you know, with a little bit of additive. That is elite. It didn't go far. It is. Exactly. It's elite.
Starting point is 00:39:16 And he had a little office, but it was a front for his booking operation. So they got divorced again. And then we went down to South Florida. She's just at one point, she's like, I think this is just watered down coffee. This is bad coffee. I don't know. And he said, I think you're being a bookie again. And correct.
Starting point is 00:39:34 And correct, the word is elite. So when she got remarried, we moved down to South Florida where he was from. And that's where I went to high school in Fort Lauderdale. Gotcha. And then I went to college at the University of North Carolina. So that's where the North Carolina roots, you know, for me, really started. So I'm assuming breakdancing was second round in Florida. That is exactly right.
Starting point is 00:40:02 As much as I wanted to think of a second grade. You absolutely nailed it. But I mean, a year and a half, that's no small thing. Like, how many times? Were you actually performing in front of people or was this a... We did once. So one gig in 18 months? We did once.
Starting point is 00:40:20 You know, at that time, Seth, there weren't answering machines. So I'm sure we were getting a fielding a lot of calls. But we were in school. We were in school. Our mom worked, so there's nobody to field those calls. Mostly the booking calls for, you know, breakdancing troops famously come during school hours. What was your crew? Did you have a name for your crew?
Starting point is 00:40:47 Not that I recall. Did you have a breakdancing name? Did you, it was... Not that I recall, Josh. By the way, both disco and quattro work. You know, totally work. When you're doing head spins, it's hard to remember things. Yeah, whatever your name is.
Starting point is 00:41:00 Or if you do, they just fly right out of your head. When you pop and lock, it all gets shook up. But we tried for a little while. My high school friends still make fun of me about it, amongst the many things. But, yeah, that... Do you ever, do you have any memory of a family trip with all? three of you and your siblings and your parents? I have a memory of us driving west.
Starting point is 00:41:32 I'm trying to think, you know, with everybody together. It was rare because, as I told you before, like my mom at a certain point was like, your vacation plans seem a little unpredictable to me. Maybe I'll let you guys take this weekend and I'll plan a proper one where we go down and visit my mom in Florida or something like that. Or she would take us to New York to see Broadway shows.
Starting point is 00:41:55 It was like really my introduction into theater and what I loved about theater. And was that something that your mom also loved? My mom loved it. Yeah, she loved it. And she grew up. My grandmother was from Coral Gables, and they had terrific theater down there. And so they were frequent, uh, attending. In fact, she saw the first production, uh, in America of waiting for Godot.
Starting point is 00:42:18 and that's a very strange play and I was doing a production of it with Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart in New York about 10 or 15 years ago I was at it oh you were at it there you go so they were I think they were one of my
Starting point is 00:42:33 one of the my first month of shows they came on together as guests oh did they yes that was a big they were making the whole tour we were doing two plays at once not not saying that they wouldn't have come on you solely Seth you're like
Starting point is 00:42:47 When I say the whole tour, yeah, they were doing everything. When I say the whole tour, you misunderstand me. What I meant was they were doing the shows and occasionally they would do promotion. Got it. Like in every possible outlet. So when I told my grandmother that I was doing that, she was like, oh, no, I saw that the first time. I didn't understand it. I'm sorry, I won't be coming to this one.
Starting point is 00:43:15 But they were big theater fans. And so my mom kind of introduced us to theater in that way. And I became really invested. Did your mom, we'll get back to the trip you took, but did your, does your mom continue over your career? Did she come to New York? She's at everything. She is at everything.
Starting point is 00:43:36 She has seen 99% of the shows that I've done, whether it was in high school, college, graduate school, or after. Do you like her to come like once a show's up and running for a bit? Does she want to be there on opening night? She typically likes to come opening night.
Starting point is 00:43:57 Yeah. And she'll come after with some friends or before, but she doesn't like to see previews typically. Josh, she doesn't want unfinished work. She doesn't want to see the process. Yeah, look, I get it. Neither does our mother. No.
Starting point is 00:44:13 She's just waiting for her. to become more finished. Yeah. If you, a lie detector, if she was taking a lie detector test, what would you say was her favorite of yours? She would probably say all of them. Okay. By the way, that's what our mom would say.
Starting point is 00:44:30 But she has had some favorites. It's a good question. Probably some of the earlier stuff. well that was that was probably some of the 90s stuff um there was this play called uh called arcadia by tom stopper where yeah i got to play like this romantic lead who he's brilliant and he dies a heroic death she always loved that i like the more yeah um awkward characters like lucky and waiting for godot who's drooling all over himself and right uh has PTSD and then spews nonsense for 10 minutes my mom is like, I don't like seeing you in that part.
Starting point is 00:45:13 We can do the Arcadia guy again. Exactly, please. Hey, we're going to take a quick break and hear from some of our sponsors. Support comes from Miracle Made. Hey, Pasha. Hey, Sufi. I have some bad news about your pre-miracle made sheets. What's that? Well, traditional bed sheets can hold more bacteria than, hey, um, think about the thing
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Starting point is 00:47:13 Thanks to MiracleMade for sponsoring this episode. Support comes from Aura Frame. So, Aura Frame, for those you don't know, hi Pasha, by the way. Hi, Sufi. There's a beautiful frame that has photos that you can upload. And, you know, if you've got parents, heck, if you want to look at your own children, you can just load up the aura frame. And the thing that I cannot say enough about is how easy it is. to load up the photos on your aura frame straight from your phone. This is not a stressful thing. This is not, you know, you're not plugging wires from your computer into your aura frame.
Starting point is 00:47:50 It is just easy as pie. Would you not concur with that statement, posh? I would concur. And also the other thing that I think is often overlooked with this technology in these aura frames is that it's easy for me to upload pictures to mom and dad's frame. Yeah. From Los Angeles, I can go to the, the ORA app and I can take some pictures from a trip that McKenzie and I just took.
Starting point is 00:48:12 And all of a sudden, it just, they will appear on their frame. They will delight mom and dad. And yeah, it could not be easier. This isn't a present where you give your parents a new piece of technology and then you tell them, you're going to love it. Just read the instructions and you'll figure it out. You can even preload the photos onto the frame so that when they open it, they're ready to go. Like, it's immediately giving them what you want them to receive.
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Starting point is 00:49:00 Every frame comes packaged in a premium gift box with no price tag for a limited time. Visit oraframes.com, get $45 off or is best-selling CarverMatt Frames, named number one by wirecutter by using promo code trips at checkout. That's A-U-R-A-Frames.com promo code trips. This exclusive Black Friday, Cyber Monday deal is their best of the year. So order now before it ends. Support the show by mentioning us at checkout terms and conditions apply. What about your dad? Was he a good audience member for your stuff?
Starting point is 00:49:34 Um, no, he, you know, he, you know, he didn't really get my sensitivity. Uh, I was, you know, I was the feelings guy and which is what I parlayed into a mediocre career. And so he said, uh, essentially when I was in, um, undergraduate, I, I could tell that they were disinterested in me pursuing acting in any way. My grandfather, I was very close with. He would come and have, um, have, um, um, I, I could tell that they were disinterested in me pursuing acting in any way. He would come and have, um, he would come and have, lunch every week. We had lunch at the same restaurant every week for four and a half years. I stayed an extra semester just so I could figure out what the hell I was going to do. But in the meantime, I told them, well, I was a communications major. And speech communications at Chapel Hill was a pretty broad liberal arts education. You could go to broadcasting, marketing. And, but little did they know they also had a performance studies concentration, which is like a very niche skill set, an academic skill set, where you take non-dramatic text and you find ways of performing it.
Starting point is 00:50:45 I took a performance studies class of Northwestern, and it was the best class every time. Well, Northwestern was a great one. 100%. In Northwestern, it was one of the best in the field at the time in terms of that. Our little troop went to Northwestern one time. because there was some big, you know, competition. Oral interpretation of prose and poetry. That was my, you know, big thing.
Starting point is 00:51:09 Reading a chapter of Western Civ was like pulling my, you know, nails out. But I could sit there and rehearse a poem and try to figure out that for however long. I mean, I loved it. I loved it. And I couldn't explain to anyone why that would be of any interest. So I was just a communications major. So when I decided to go to acting school, it really was about getting a master's degree so that I could teach.
Starting point is 00:51:33 Because at that point, most of the mentors in my life were teachers and people that I really admired, you know, like my dad's job was not when you really want to pursue if you're looking for stability. And so I didn't have a whole lot of other models. And so teaching seemed like a great opportunity to me. So my dad was pretty dubious of all of it until I started getting paychecks. and then it was like, wow, I mean, this acting thing, hot. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:52:03 So you're doing a runner, you're playing, you're playing Steve Prefontein? I think I might be in Los Angeles. I was like, why would you be in Los Angeles, Dad? Like, what business do you possibly have in Los Angeles? I've got a couple of things working on out there. Might come to set. See if Tom's around. Tom Cruise was producing it.
Starting point is 00:52:23 Tom was never around. Tom came around a couple times. He was very present, very supportive. of me, but he was working on other projects. It was really Paula Wagner. It's a huge mistake to think a producer by the name of Tom Cruise will be on set every day. Nobody wants that.
Starting point is 00:52:37 I learned that the hard way. Yeah. But he was still very, very supportive. And once I was in that movie, I think it was probably fair to say that because the guy I was playing was an athlete and my dad was an athlete, that he felt closer to me in some way in and trying to, it's probably another reason why I was interested in it, frankly. But in any case, once I started making money, then he was all for the acting career. Great.
Starting point is 00:53:06 And he was like, I'm just glad you're doing what you love. Yeah, I just, and additionally, additionally, I have a couple of business opportunities to think you might be interested in. We have a new, I bought the rights to a product that has, it didn't do so well in the marketplace the first time, an inflatable ice chest. It's not a flotation device, apparently, and does not insulate, but I got a couple ideas about it. He also, he came, there used to be those umbrella, those rainbow umbrella hats. Oh, yeah.
Starting point is 00:53:38 And his idea was to get Lou Brock to endorse it, because Lou Brock was a baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals, get Lou Brock to endorse it and called the Brockabrella. And he did it. He got the Brock. It turns out there was a very limited market for the Brockabrella. Again, not a device that really provides a lot of shade. Did Lou Brock wear this hat in any advertising? There's a picture of it, yep, absolutely. The weird thing is, like, as port mantos go, that's a bad one.
Starting point is 00:54:08 It doesn't, it's not fun to say. Brockabrella is, like, worse than umbrella. Like, it's fun. When you come up with something fun to say, like, then maybe you got a shot. Oh, he thought it was great. We also had about, you know, 2,000 of those Fair Fawcett posters. He was a, you know, we'd be going to soccer practice or something, and he'd pull off on the side of the road and pull out a, what do you call, like sandwich board? What do you do?
Starting point is 00:54:39 Yeah. Yeah. And I'd say, what's happening? He goes, well, some Alaskan king crabs fell off a truck. And we are going to move them. It takes about half an hour. and somebody put you sit there on the side of the road I'm in my soccer outfit
Starting point is 00:54:56 and sure enough the state trooper would pull up and my dad would be like all right this get in the car real quick got to talk to this man and he'd either pay him off or the guy would tell him to get lost so you know we're always selling something
Starting point is 00:55:09 but I thought that Brockabrella could have been a real hit. It's really, it is funny like the age you reach where you realize nothing falls off a truck because you know what I mean where you're like, oh no I'm looking around like well
Starting point is 00:55:21 Nothing fell off the truck here, Dad. I was looking for you. Until you're like eight, you think every truck might just be, like, hit the wrong bump and then just like you're going to have all this free bounty. Exactly. Well, a lot of movies do. That is the premise for the opening sequence. I will say I've been, our mother has a convertible, a Volkswagen convertible,
Starting point is 00:55:42 and I've ridden around with her a couple times recently. And she says she doesn't like to be on the highway with the top down because she's sure something is going to fall off of a truck. truck and hit her on the head. Oh, I thought she were going to say something was going to fall out of the convertible. Somebody was going to fall off a truck and catch her. I got you. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:56:00 She's very, and we, last time we were home, we were like leaving this place. We'd never been before. And we had to get on the highway for like two miles. And she was very nervous. White knuckling it the whole way. Actually, that was the first car. Well, it probably isn't the rabbit. What's what?
Starting point is 00:56:18 A cabriolet. Oh, okay. No, the first one I have, oh, that's what you've got. No, no, no, no, she's got a bug. Oh, a bug, okay, yeah. The cabriolet was, that was the nicer version. I had the rabbit. Gotcha.
Starting point is 00:56:29 It was a hand-me-down from mom, but I like that car. I'm going to go, just take a quick side trip back to Broadway because there is a production that I, to this day, kick myself for not having seen, which was Pillow Man. Oh, yeah, that was a good one, man. And I didn't even, wasn't even aware of it, but when I saw in Bruges, I kind of became I'm obsessed with Martin McDonough and bought, like, literally bought, like, the plays to read the plays. And when I saw that cast and read that play, I was like, God, damn it, I lived in New York City.
Starting point is 00:57:00 Was something else. His writing, I read the first page and a half, and I said, I don't know what the hell this is about. I'll do anything to be a part of it. And I didn't know John, the director, John Crowley, or Martin. So I went and auditioned for them. And then when I got the part, they had already cast, I think, Jeff Goldblum, and then Michael Stoberg, who was at, he was at Juilliard graduated the same year I graduated NYU. And there's a lot of crossover in the teachers
Starting point is 00:57:35 there. So our dialect teacher and our singing teacher, they taught at both schools. So there was like a familiarity. We knew a lot of the same people. And there were, many of them were friends. So my friend Joel Delafonte. He ended up, his wife was from Juilliard in that same class. In any case, I'd known Michael, and I'd seen him originate the part of Lewis and Angels in America, because before Tony Cushner took it to Broadway, he had Juilliard try out Angels in America, and then NYU did Parastroica, which was the follow-up one. So I had already, I mean, it was incredible to see, actually. The Ben Shankman played Roy Cohn in the Paris Royca one. And he's a phenomenal actor was many other people too.
Starting point is 00:58:21 But I had seen Michael's work already. And he's just such a badass. And so to be a part of that company doing something that the design of that particular production was of a really high caliber. They had done it once in England with the same. director and uh but a different cast and the same production design so they knew what worked about it and i i'd never been a part of or haven't seen a show since that was as terrifying to be in the world with as as a pillowman in fact we had a guy had a heart attack during one of the stories uh it it's so unnerving there's the the um i can i want to say it's the little jesus
Starting point is 00:59:14 story, but I can't remember. It's one of them where this young girl decides that she wants to reenact the crucifixion of Christ. And it's just horrifying. But I'm just telling these stories. And behind, they're acted out in Tableau up on, like this space. So it's a kind of macabre thing that you don't often get in the theater. And that was one of my all-time favorites. That's fantastic. Yeah, it was great. Very, uh, we, uh, with, you know, our parents were very similar and, you know, we grew up in suburban New Hampshire and they brought us to, uh, New York to see Broadway shows. Starting when? At what age? Uh, I mean, we're teenagers, I would say, yeah, I mean, we saw those original Angels in America and Parastrika. Oh, did you really? Yeah. And it was like,
Starting point is 01:00:03 you just realized, like, what a, I don't know, man. That, you know, again, that's like such a, I don't know what a seminal work that was, but like, you just could tell even as a teenager, You're like, oh, this is... No question about it. Yeah. That's Arthur Miller. You know, that's the kind of American iconographic theater you want and anticipate and hope for. You know, you've seen it before Sam Shepard.
Starting point is 01:00:25 Boy, there was a production of Buried Child, brought from Steppenwolf, that was of the same caliber where you go, oh, wow, this is what you can do with theater. You know, the kind of scope. that is intimidating and exciting and there's nothing there's nothing minimal about it it's all heightened deeply theatrical stuff that's it's it's a rare and hard thing to do and there's few people who do it well so when you get a chance to see it it's it's electric do you um your mom still with you yes she is with all of us um do you ever travel with her as she'll be listening um did did we yes but they were the same kind of trips that um um they were safe trips, you know, Disney World, going to the grandparents place, going to the beach for a summer.
Starting point is 01:01:22 They weren't the kind of... You needed a balance, I feel like. Yeah, there was no gunplay in those trips. No con jobs. If they didn't have the reservation, my mom would say, it looks like we're going to have to go to a different hotel. If you were going to the beach or going to Disney, would it just be your mom and the three boys? Yes, typically. Okay.
Starting point is 01:01:43 Yeah, dad would be working. We did have a couple of summers that I remember when I was much younger at the beach in North Carolina, where the whole crew was together. But that was pretty rare. Yeah, and would you just get like a house on the beach or something? Yeah, my grandparents, being from North Carolina, they had a big extended family. So even though both of my parents were only children, I didn't have any aunts or uncles or cousins growing up. But both of my grandparents did, and they would all go in on a timeshare at this place called Atlantic Beach near Moorhead City in North Carolina. And it was, you know, great.
Starting point is 01:02:26 These very simple houses with screened porches, and we'd go out and surf fish during the day and then cook things if we'd caught some flounder or something. Or my dad would go buy a whole bunch of shrimp, and he'd boil them in beer. and just throw them out on newspaper and we'd have shrimp and drawn butter and cocktail sauce and, you know, it's very romantic. I do recall that there was a forced nap every afternoon, which I thought was for the kids until I got older and I discovered it's because the adults weren't up drinking all night
Starting point is 01:03:02 and they needed to recover at some point during the day and do a little disco nap to make it through to me. The amount I want to say it's now, to my kids who were way too old for nap time. Was it called forced nap? It was not. It was just called nap time. But I have to tell you, there was something beautiful about it
Starting point is 01:03:23 because we were in these kind of tiny rooms and the, you know, it was just the screen. And so you'd hear the ocean and you would. You'd fall asleep. You'd watch a storm roll in. It was really kind of beautiful and romantic when I think about it. Think back on it now. Peaceful.
Starting point is 01:03:40 before the party started. I know I'm at a certain age where I just, now I reminisce back to naps I've taken. That was a good one. Man, let me tell you, I couldn't agree more. I mean, what's better than a good nap? You wake up feeling like you can actually do things. I'm going to take a nap after this.
Starting point is 01:03:59 Good. Yeah. Every now and again, I'll be on the couch and I'll just fall asleep. And I can't tell if I'm wearing socks or not. Like, I'm in a perfect state. I know what you mean. of rest and it's like gosh i don't even know maybe i have them on maybe i don't but this is just perfect i feel that way about my legs being crossed sometimes i can't tell are they crossed or they not crossed
Starting point is 01:04:20 there was one of them going to fall asleep that's where you know it that do you nap on purpose josh or do you rarely on purpose but on the couch sometimes it'll it'll come for me i don't i don't like falling asleep on the couch like at night when i know i'm going to have to then get up and go through the works to get into bed but sure sometimes like on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon it'll come get me you sound like a professional I this uh this morning my daughter who's four has to sleep with socks and if she doesn't have her socks on at night realizes it an hour into the night she'll start screaming that her socks aren't on and then this morning she had this conversation I heard her having a conversation once she goes my hot my feet are so hot at night and she's like well I think
Starting point is 01:05:05 that's the socks honey she's like Yeah, maybe I should try it without. I'm like, what has this been for? Wow. Like, we thought your feet were cold. So, anyway, no more socks moving forward. Well, that's really exciting. That's phenomenal.
Starting point is 01:05:20 Oh, congratulations. Yeah, well, we let her come to the conclusion on her own. Yeah. Yeah, that's the way to do it? Did your, do you think, especially since you said your mom will be listening, do you think, because again, I would say a mom with three boys, that could be a lot. Do you feel like you were well-behaved or just a full of- No, my God. Oh, we were a train wreck.
Starting point is 01:05:41 I mean, I broke my thumb on my brother's head and because I was trying to hit him. And he gave me stitches. That sounds like it sounds like. I remember my poor mom was working too, right? So my parents had been divorced and my dad, there was no income. coming from my dad. She never got any support from him. You know, it got a lot of promises or, you know, cutouts from magazine saying, I'm going to take you guys all on a cruise. That looks like that. Um, but no. And the Brock, there was no point that the Brockabrella was legal tender, right?
Starting point is 01:06:20 Uh, no, I changed. It was always that that was an albatross. Right. I mean, all the things in the basement were just weighing the number of storage units he had, probably in, in the southeastern part of the, uh, United States rivaled the size of any. major arena. But my mom, she had to hold down jobs. We were latchkey kids, you know. So it was us to come home, of us to come home after school, make some snacks or something before she would get back for dinner and do whatever chores we had to do. But essentially, it was just me and my brother's fighting, you know. And so she'd come back to a train wreck each and every day. And so to the point, It's so vivid, and you can't know it until you've got kids yourself.
Starting point is 01:07:09 But when my son was younger and my mom would come over and it would give me half a second to go walk around the block or whatever and get some fresh air, inevitably, I'd come back in and say, I'm so sorry. Everything, everything we did. Tommy doesn't know yet. Brooks doesn't know yet. I know now. And I'm so, so very sorry. And it's interesting As soon as you say that
Starting point is 01:07:37 It's clear that they were happy to do it all As long as there was a sorry coming at some point Yeah And but when you're going through it My God, we put her through hell She did a damn fine job keeping it together God love her What's your name?
Starting point is 01:07:55 What's your mind? George Ann. George Ann, good work, George Ann. Addaway George Ann. Um, it is, uh, it's been a full delay to talk to you, Billy. And, uh, you guys too. I am, as you know, great admires. And Josh, I haven't had chance to tell you, but great admirers as well. Oh, thank you. Gavin on Kimmel is, uh, spectacular. Oh, thanks. And your collected appearance the other day, that, that, that was for, for brothers, uh, who liked to pick on brothers, that was some high class content. It was joyful. It was joyful to do as well. Uh, also we're very excited, uh, Jay Kelly, uh, also.
Starting point is 01:08:29 Also talk about a good group of human beings in that cast. Man, that was awesome. And that was just, that was a lucky chance that, you know, a good director said, hey, do you want to do a weird part? And I was like, hell yeah. And I was actually in London at the time. I'm about to go back to London. I've got a very cool play that a screenwriter named Eric Roth, who has written some of the most, you know, incredible things. I mean, recently collaborated on a Star is born,
Starting point is 01:09:00 but also wrote Forrest Gump and stuff. He decided to write a play, and it's a stage adaptation of High Noon that we're going to do on the West End. Yeah. So starting in about a month, we're going to start rehearsals. So if you're in London, starting December 17th... Ah, I think I literally might be in London for the first time in like a decade, but right before that.
Starting point is 01:09:21 Oh, crap. We'll come back. Maybe it'll be previews, yeah. But we'll go through March. and Noah's movie Jay Kelly with George Clooney and Adam Sandler I mean I'm sure you know Adam I had never met Adam before
Starting point is 01:09:34 I met George and George is awesome He's from Adam's from our Or we are He's your group Yeah We're from his hometown I should say so Yeah
Starting point is 01:09:43 Were you guys on Saturday Night Live at the same time? No he was before my era But has been nothing But he's a prince Just an absolute gem So to be around those guys has been that that was fantastic for me before we let you go Josh is going to ask you our speed round questions oh this is great I usually like to take my
Starting point is 01:10:06 time you can only pick one of these is your ideal vacation relaxing adventurous or educational relaxing what is your favorite means of transportation the subway if you can take a vacation with any family alive or dead real or fictional other than your own family what family would you like to take a vacation with. There's so many bad things in my head right now. Pass. I'd like to return to that one.
Starting point is 01:10:39 All right, we'll come back to it. If you had to be stranded on a desert island with one member of your family, who would it be? Well, I mean, obviously my wife. Yeah, that's a good answer. Don't run from the obvious. Yeah, that's the obvious answer. But I think I'd have a good time with my son, too.
Starting point is 01:10:56 Okay. My brothers and I, we would last about an hour and a half. Okay. But maybe that's just out of your misery then, because who knows how long you'd be on that desert island. Fair and a half. Great point. Great point, Josh. There's a lot of angles to these questions.
Starting point is 01:11:09 I'm not thinking about yet. What do you consider your hometown? New York City. If you had to, if you were the head of the Board of Tourism and you wanted more people to come to New York, how would you pitch that city? best fucking city on the planet all right okay we're gonna have to uh clean up the language for for the new york mass marketing purposes i like the heart and everything but that's not new york all right fair enough um do you want to go back to a family do you want to go on a trip with or Seth has two more questions i'll let you up the hook and just ask you the last two have you been
Starting point is 01:11:45 to the grand canyon i have i mean it's just unbelievable all right that follow up was was it worth it and it seems like. Oh, hell yeah. So, you know, when I answered very quickly because of the whole speed pressure of this. Sure. Yeah. I do, I like a little bit of adventure, but I really like education. In fact, my son and I went on safari. And it was a long story that we got there. I certainly didn't plan it, but somebody planned it for, for us. And when we were out, we were in the Okavanga Delta. and I've ever since Wild Kingdom, which was a sort of National Geographic show back in the 70s day, I have been obsessed with those kinds of nature shows. So I watch them all the time.
Starting point is 01:12:32 So just to be out there and have somebody teach you about the land and the terrain and the kinds of things they're looking to observe so that they can track animals, the most spectacular, and my son was like, don't worry, Dad, we're going to see, we're going to see some animals. I was like, you don't understand. I don't need to see anything. I just learned that most of the sand that makes up the Okavanga Delta comes from the desert, from winds that are blown thousands of miles away.
Starting point is 01:12:59 Can you believe that? And he's like, ah, you don't go back to school and be like, we saw sand. Exactly. So I do like the educational one as well. All right.
Starting point is 01:13:11 Thank you for cleaning it up. Yeah. And if I can think of the family that I would like, like to vacation with it, it'll come to me. Well, well, you can always send us a voice note after the fact. Can we, can we get this going again? Because I love to. It's the best to see you, man. I hope we run into each other soon. Me too. Thanks a lot for having me, guys. Yeah, break a leg out in the West End. And yeah, congrats on Jay Kelly. And yeah, this has been fantastic. Thank you so much.
Starting point is 01:13:38 Thanks, guys. All right. Bye, Billy. Take it easy. Bye. Well, Billy and his grows, Get the word from Pa And at a moment's notice Had two texts Arcana Hotels expecting us The front desk they'd say no Dad would signal Billy
Starting point is 01:14:34 whom he nicknamed Disco And Billy'd be dancing again Try to get some sympathy So they would let them in Never once had a reservation But they would always get a room at the holiday inn If you drink and drive out on the road Then they turned to the eldest bro
Starting point is 01:15:06 Behind the wheel it was quadro When Dad drank those high lives again Daddy always loved the wise guys in the mob. But guess who didn't love them? Would that be Billy's mom? And so the two divorced was that the end of the dream. Well, not so fast because Billy's dad had a kid rich quick scheme. Coffee a elite was a scam.
Starting point is 01:15:57 Take a pound of coffee and turn it into ten. He remarried his first wife again, but no one was too surprised when his ship never came in. I blame his fake secretary, and I blame those who couldn't see, was the rockabrella it could be. When Dad drank those hot lives again. I drank the high lies Go sleep in the back

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