Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade - RE-RELEASE - Steve Buscemi

Episode Date: November 27, 2025

Let's revisit Steve Buscemi’s relationship with Sandler, SNL hosting stories, and the Coen brothers. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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I'd not really hung out with him and he's so much fun and so nice. You know, he's such an intense actor. And we talk about Fargo on this movie. And he can play the bad guy or whatever. But, man, is he a sweet, funny person in real life? And it can sing. Yeah, good dude in everything. People really like him.

He was in Con Air, I remember. That's the part I told him out. I love that. And obviously, I think it was a wedding singer and grown-ups. We did one summer. I think he was in both of them. And just all-around great actor, pretty beloved out there. and does comedy, does drama,

and talks about everything in between. So here he is, everybody, Steve Bishol. Well, you weren't grown, but the one I was in that, I don't know if you, this was the one, you were in the cast, which one is that? Is that both of them or is it? I was in both of them, yeah. Okay, yeah.

So, so the one where, Dana, this is boring as fucking shit. it, but she and Steve will crack up. You're already mesmerized? That's good. Okay, so we're doing a drunk, a scene where we're all around, and it's nighttime, and we're all drinking, and the couples start to pair off in slow dance, and this Joe Walsh song comes on or something, and I, or not Joe Walsh, but sentimental lady, and I go, oh, no, oh, this is a good song, and I'm drunk, and I get up, and I sort of stumble around,

then I interrupt Adam and Salma, and then I wind up falling down. drunk but it's a seven-page scene and we're all in it so it's hard to shoot so we shoot it all night one night and we get to my coverage and they go it's getting light we'll pick that up another time and I'm like another time because I just had it all memorized because I'm doing it all night and I'm like I'm kind of glad I'm last because I have a lot of life so three weeks later McCartney is playing in Boston we're pretty close we might be in swamp squat I just do it yeah McCartney's sounds.

Yes. Sounds like, oh, I thought he was here. I was looking around. When did he jump on? So I go, Chris Rock is in the movie and I say, Chris McCartney is in Boston tonight. And he goes, his ticket lady was my third grade teacher. And I said, oh, my God. And he goes, let's call her right now.

And he goes, we're all dialed in. I said, we're done around six, seven. We haul ass We found it exactly when he goes on And then he goes And he wants to say hi right before you We're like, oh my God Wow

So about right before the end of the day It was maybe Jack or someone came into my trailer And goes, we're gonna pick yours up tonight I go Look up my what And they go Yeah Remember that scene you didn't finish

I'm like like it's my fault I go yeah I didn't finish it right And he goes I think tonight's gonna go No it's not It's fucking Paul McCartney You're just not a worker. You're not a real worker.

Paul McCarney waited until midnight to go on. He's like, are they coming? He's 81 and he's up for half the night. Yeah, so I go, I go in, Steve. And then they go, I said, do not bring that fucking cast in to do all their shit again. I go, I'll do it. I said, I can't do that to them. So they gladly all scrammed.

And then it was Sandler, you know, he's overseeing it. And then I'm doing it to, you know, a bunch of like, tennis balls or whatever the eyelines and I do my whole seven pages I'm drunk and so I come to video village this is sort of the point of the story yeah and uh you know wait and I'm like like Adam like we got it and uh yes I haven't taken any classes but yes I'm really good and I sit there and he's just looking at it going uh huh and I go are we watch the play with that and I'm behind him kind of chuckling like this is working and then he goes Were you drunker last time?

Were you, was it a little, it was a little different. I don't know if it's matching. And I'm like, so I go, play me back something from the last time. You know, and I was, and so we were trying to go, okay, and it was really hard to match the exact tone of the drunkenness. Sounds crazy, but I go, I'm going to go under on this one. And then I come back and then I go, okay, I'm going to go a little bigger. And we did it until it made sense.

Now, when you see the movie, you don't even notice. But it kind of fits it. Oh, you notice. I noticed when I saw it. You go, he's medium plus drunk. David is a little drunker in this line. 50 seconds later, you go slightly less drunk. Just play it six and a half Tito's and Diet Coke's.

And I'm like, ooh, that's a big one. Okay, I can play that. And then, so that just shows you, first of all, Adam's eyes always in the ball. Yes. And little things like that matter. and it's you can't tell yourself when you're acting and you need someone else's eyes to go it was good i just don't think it's exactly what we had and so it took a little bit of a collabing right there and then that's kind of fun when you finish and you feel like you got it right

and everyone goes got it and then you all go home and you go got it got it and you just knock it out i have two questions for you did you make it to the concert not a fucking chance it was until two a m we did that all right well i guess my second question is not a question it's a comment about adam because he's always so involved in like you know all the all the films and i said to him why don't why don't you ever direct yeah i said and he said he didn't doesn't want a location scout like that was the extra extra work yeah it was the he works morning noon night anyway i mean he's yeah there's block he's re-blocking he's doing things that directors all do.

So I think he's listened to so much indie, Wayne, it's sort of just, you know, given and he's going to have a lot of say. But I guess you're right. It's that extra going around. Well, it's a little bit like Saturday Night Live. If you write a sketch, you're sort of the de facto director. We had Davey Wilson.

He's setting up shots. He's got just, it's live. So it's not, but you're still kind of the boss of your sketch. You're the producer and the director if you wrote it. You're casting it with other cast members. And Sandler is like that. He's like a co-co-director. I mean, everyone knows he's the overarching creative force.

He's got his eye on every ball. So I think the way he did it was brilliant. You know, I don't think anybody else in history has done that many movies where they are, in a sense, an autour. Right. It is Adam, you know. And he puts his stamp. I mean, definitely when he, the fact. that he actually cares and even when we're doing movies where you think this will probably

not get good reviews just because they have a sort of bias. He still puts everything into it and really cares. I mean, another grown-up story is, do you have a half-hour? Is, um, I'll get, we'll get you on a minute. Steve. So I, I want to ask Steve and when did he get fitted for the full body cast? And what was his reaction to going, wait, what do I do here? Or do you see the script and go, uh-oh? Yeah, I could tell I was in that one. Even on the day, like, because I remember, and the whole cast was there, you know, because it's like one of the big scenes, and it started and it started to rain.

And they got the scene and then everybody just scatters. I thought, these are like, I thought we were friends. Like, you're left out there. Nobody's checking on me. like everybody just like that and then uh the ad you know then i thought i was done and the ad said well i think they want to get a shot where the dog comes up and sniffs your balls and i actually got mad i went are you you fucking kidding me are your are your real hands in the real sticking straight up my goalpost or do they put fake hands in there so you don't have to put fake

hands. Thank you, God. Couldn't move. Thank you, Jesus. I thought it was real until right now. I just went, wait a second. Could you hold your hands of all day? Because also, the thing about it, when you're like that, like if I was seen like that, I go, well, obviously they're going to shoot me out first. And no one even gives a fat fuck. They're like, nope. Oh, Bouchem, we never picked up. We'll get him at the end. Sit there in the rain. We'll come to you while you're rotting and getting rusty.

Yeah, it is tough. Movies are so complex, and especially grown up, you've got 55 leads. Oh, my God. There's so many people, yeah, that are on set. And I don't know how the producers and the ADs do it, but they somehow manage. And just for the people, young people listening that are in the groundlings or whatever and aspiring to have a career and television or movies, we understand these are first world problems. Sure, stupid.

but but um the thing is you're on a movie said i would say the most tired i i ever been i was because it was one of those 21 hour days and they said okay garth's going to go in the diner i'm going to do this thing i worked on for weeks this dance and i'm going and i was young and fit i go i am as tired as i've ever been in my life i've been up like 40 hours and here's your shot for eternity go for it oh at the very end of the night they get you yeah well that's With Steve's film, I'm assuming, like, Woody Allen would do, like, night shoots would end at eight o'clock. Let's say, you know, I think we should get some Chinese, you know. Did you, were you able to have civilized hours in a sense for the listener?

Pretty much. But we know we wanted to, we knew we had nighttime shots so that by the end of the week, we were going to be shooting outside. So, you know, we started at the beginning of the week, normal hours. And then each day, we would just start a little. a little bit later. By the end of the week, it was night shoots. Going to splits lingo, lingo. You know, I wasn't going to say, splits. Yeah, splits is lingo and I want the people want to hear it. You know, the holidays are here, and that means it's the most wonderful time of year to save with Rackerton.

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Download the app or install the browser extension. That's R-A-K-U-T-E-N. Terms and Conditions Apply. First of all, we're watching your movie this morning. This is the listener, right, Dana? The listener is a heavy film. It's very, very interesting. The conceit of it, this volunteer helpline woman.

I mean, we'll talk to a minute. It is your movie that Steve directed. It's compelling, and it just kind of captures the angst, post-pandemic angst or just human angst and sadness. It's extremely well done and well-acted by Tessa Thompson, who is the only actor in the film. You go ahead, Steve. Well, she's the only actor that we see in the film. Thank you. There's an amazing cast of callers.

Yeah, she plays a home helpline worker. She works the night shift. She works from home, and she gets all these calls during the night that she navigates. And we have a wonderful cast of the callers, but you only hear their voices, but you and you only see Tessa on screen for the duration of the film. And she's amazing. Because they are characters also, and I was watching with someone, and the first guy that called in, she was more into the guy.

she was like, I like his voice, I like his tone, I like what he's saying, I like this guy. And so it's actually a big challenge to be a voice and to have any sort of resonance or impact. And Tessa is obviously great on her end. She's got a very calm, soothing voice. And she's, you know, she could get very riled. And it seems she's got a very, you have to to have that sort of job. That's what her whole job is. And very interesting.

I think what she worked with was, you know, because we did everything we could to make it cinematic, you know, if this was pre-pandemic and she was at a call center where she was, you know, kind of tethered to a desk, I don't know how I would have made that film, but because she is able to work at home, we purposefully found a location that had a nice flow to it, that she could walk around, be in different rooms, go outside. And, yeah, what's amazing about Tessa is that, yeah, her voice was, you know, she always tried to keep, you know, like a calm level tone. But then you could see on her face if she was upset about something that somebody said or worried. Yeah, she had a lot of these micro expressions that, you know, sort of gave you an inkling of what she was going through herself. And you know what you really captured, which you do a lot when you're young anyway, where you'll like a girl or something and then you'll talk on the phone at night. It's very intimate. And these two people, Tess's character and the strangers calling in, they don't know each other. It's very dim. It's the middle of the night. And they're having this intimate conversation. And the voice actors, immediately the first one just sounded very, just extremely real. Like your eaves are off, you know, you captured that. Thank you. Thank you so much. I appreciate you guys watching it. Yeah, you know, the voices, first of all, I kind of want to ask you one other question about this, but when I was on the phone as a kid or dating or doing anything in life, the voice was kind of a fingerprint. So when I think of women I've dated in the past or present, a voice is one thing I really appreciate in people because they are fingerprints. It's so unique. And I think I was brainwashed growing up, like, trying to to talk to girls on their phone and talking for hours so many liked. And you always

remember that. And sometimes people get older and everything but you know their voice right away. Right. And so when I go to 7-11 and if I ask for something, they go, oh, I was waiting to hear you talk. That is you. So, you know, it's kind of interesting. So when you have people call in, it's very powerful to have the right

person with the right, because you have to make them all a little different. That's true. Yeah. Yeah. That's a trick. And then you have to make for people that don't know that sort of an indie budget is like if you have one location what you were saying is you have to use some trickery and some movements and some things to keep it alive and you did that and that's the hard part with one subject and one location it's it's less expensive but it's very it's hard to keep it going

so to make a good movie is tough we also we also shopped the movie in six days because Yes, it was still working on Westworld, the HBO show that. Oh, okay. And that was her hiatus. She had seven days off, and she chose to work with us. You know, we were trying to find a window, and she's so busy with other films and other things. But she had that one week off. So we shot the entire film in that one week, which was doable because it is a confined space and one actor.

but still it was it was a bit of a challenge and another interesting uh layer frequency i don't know i didn't i went to state school um is this idea when you take on a role like when you see a teacher outside of school you go they're just normal what are they doing so in this case her character has their own issues and yet she's in the helper mode it's like when you have a therapist and you kind of wonder what's going on with them you know so that was a whole other layer to the film that the people don't you know she's just in the helper mode and then she's in that mode but

she had so many other issues herself so yeah i mean i think most of the people who do that work have been through it themselves and part of the conceit of the film is that tessa's character she breaks protocol because you're not really

supposed to tell you know your personal story callers but she does so for this one call where this woman is in crisis and she reveals, you know, a lot about herself in order to help or save the person that she's talking with. But I know what you mean about the, you know, seeing people out of context, like seeing your therapist on the street or I remember when I was a kid, I went to Catholic school,

and I remember one time during lunch seeing my teacher who was a nun, and eat a sandwich, and I was blown away. What? You eat? It's true. You never see him eat. They never eat. I saw Pastor Jerry.

I was raised Lutheran. Pastor Jerry at the mall. And he's wearing desert boots. And I go, Pastor Jerry wears desert boots? Because those were very cool back in the days. I saw a rabbi on a pogo stick. And I was like, what are you? You're never on that.

Right. I know. You know, Steve, I'm looking at this. There's so much Dana about Steve that we love because he's, oh, actually, one more question about the movie before I get into your illustrious. I have a question about the movie, too. Okay. My last one is being a well-known actor and a name, and I don't want to hype you up too bad,

but, you know, you direct and your well-liked guy out there, is it still hard to get a small movie off the ground? Yes. This is the first film I've directed. in 15 years. And there were others along the way that I tried to do. This one was, you know, hard to get off the ground as well. But, yeah, I think the climate out there is tough for any filmmaker.

But, you know, but where there's a world there's a way and we did it. You got through it. Yeah. Single location helps with the budget. And were you like, I was just as you're making your film, first film in a long time, And now it's, it's digital, digital playback and you're going, you'll get six days. And so you're with your DP or your producer or whatever and you're looking at stuff. And are you going at some point, holy shit, this is awesome, or you're being self-critical.

Or I just wonder what you want us who will enjoy the movie. What did you want us to feel? What were you trying to reach for? And do you feel that you got it? Yeah, I just, I wanted to create this really intimate atmosphere and have Tess's, the location be totally her world where you're getting clues about her and for the audience to want to lean in and and and be involved and it is exciting that on set it's also overwhelming because there's so much dialogue in it and so I'm constantly thinking thinking, you know, I try not to think of the editing process while I'm doing it, but yeah, I mean, that's things that you have to think about. And is there enough movement? Is there

is, you know, when should it be still? When, you know, when or if the camera should should move? When should tessig up and move around? And so we spent a lot of time actually working that stuff out before we shot it. Did you ever once on this set after a take just go, what are you doing? And like Sandler? You sound like Sandler. I want to ask a question because Steve's been famous for a long time. So it's hard. You're okay. I get to talk to Steve. It was so much fun hanging out with you at Sandler's thing in DC, you know, because You're one of the people, I'd say, Steve Bisholmi's here. I'm doing this thing with Steve Bisholme, and it's like, what?

You know, it's like, but I just, here's something maybe you've never been asked. Who's more talented, Joel or Ethan Cohen? Do you have three seconds. They're both hacks. Who likes feet more? Whitten Tarantino or anyone else in the planet. Is he like feet or is that like a fake thing or is that like a joke? I don't know.

I don't. And if he did know, he wouldn't tell you. Well, no, he can like feet. It's fine. I like things. I just don't know if that's, you know, how much. Okay. We've got a, we've got a, what's it called when the witness is being very troublesome?

I'm a hostile. Host a witness. We were trying to trend, Steve. We're like, no one knows we exist. We have a sweetheart deal with a Feetfinder. Okay, I'm reading this. This is what I read about Steve Boucheming, because there's so much to know about him.

I know. This guy goes, frequently plays fast talkers, frequently plays cowardly characters. It's funny. And often characters mixed up in crime. Yes. All true. A little generic, but all true.

They're just, Steve's in so many good movies. And he's someone that everyone thinks is cool, which is where, what I'm going for. Not there yet. But I think like con air, cool fucking movie, just a random movie. Yeah. On air, fun, big movies. I miss those kind of. You get to work with Nicholas Cage and his whole Nicholas Cage thing.

It's great. You remember that movie? I've had a great cast, John Malkovich. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Danny Trejo. Can't shoot out he's lying. I'm working on him, Malkovich. Nicholas Cage, why, God, why?

Oh, you know, Dana, to bore the shit, I was Steve again, not to bring it back to me, and it's not about me. I don't care about me at all. I'm timing you this time. I read three times for his part in Conner. For whose part? yours and you probably was an offer i'm sure you got offered it while you were milling it out

and swishing it around they were dragging me to the valley back and forth going do it like this you monkey and then uh they go no we got our guy thanks bye i never knew that wow you would have i have a steep when's the last time you auditioned for a movie yeah good one oh wow it's been a while i i yeah i remember I remember auditioning for a movie and then reading, you know, reading one of the parts and then asking the casting director, can I read for the lead? I was like, well, you know, and she looked at me and she said, oh, no, we're going to get a name for that. And that's the first time I ever heard that expression. We're going to get a name for that.

Like, well, I have a name. And then I thought, oh, I see. I have to get my name known. I didn't know it worked that way. I just thought if you were... Oh, it's so many things I audition for were offers out to people and I was jumping around to kill time to scare them like, we're having auditions right now.

I mean, no one, no one's good yet. Don't worry, no one's good yet. I hated when he walked into an audition room and I saw all these, this is in the 80s, baby face men with no chins. Like I go, okay, I get it. Oh, I get them now. That's your look. Yeah.

They're all lookalikes of me. No chin. Baby face. Okay. Cherubic. I get it. But I was over 150 at one point, 150 auditions. One time the agent called me, you didn't get it and you frightened them. Oh, I remember auditioning for Barry Levinson once and reading, you know, reading his part. And he liked it. He went, that was good. It was good. Now can you do it? And he gave me a very specific direction. Did it again

exactly the same one. And we both looked at each other. I was mortified. He was embarrassed. And I said, that wasn't that different, was it? She went, no, no, okay. Okay, you know, can't take direction. My fucking acting coach, shocked.

Yes, I had one. They said they might give you direction just to see if you can take direction a lot of people can't i'm like why not they're like it's shocking they can't they go ste boo shemmy they just start listening people but honestly it's like you just say that and you go oh i would just change it and some people are coached so hard or they're with their teacher or whatever and they go this is the right way to do it even to the director they're like i've got the right way you don't right and they're just testing you but i've done that i bomb every every commercial edition, even more embarrassing.

Do the Cohen brothers give you a line by line reading? Like say the line. They, you know, their writing is so specific, you know, that they really want you to, you know, say what's written. And so there's very little, I think I improvised something once on Fargo and I was nervous about it, but they liked it. But I remember in the beginning when I first started working, with them they uh i think in millish crossing the uh they just wanted my character to be even

you know he was a fast he was the fastest talk curve that i think i ever it's hard with lines to do me yeah and they just wanted it even more like they just wanted it more intense or more shrill and um i remember doing the scene where i you know all i do is talk talk talk gabriel burn had like Two words. Then I talk, talk, talk, talk. He would just wait until I stop talking. And then he would say two words. And there was a whole casino of people behind me on my coverage. And I remember on one of the takes, my late wife, Joe, she came to visit me on set, but I didn't know she was there yet. And as I'm doing the dialogue with the whole casino, you know, extras behind me, I see her head poke out, you know, behind some. to watch, and I just stopped talking. Oh, it threw you, yeah. And then, all right, back to one, you know, and it would be a lot of rumbling. And she felt horrible.

I could see the look on her face. She knew what happened, and she just ducked it back out. Yeah. As your brain just switches, you go, wait. I was like, oh, Joe. Yeah, turns you off. You know, Dana, I don't know if you remember this one. Of course you do.

I don't know who you played in this, maybe Travolta. one of my favorite sketches was welcome back Cotter, Quentin Tarantino's Welcome Back Cotter. When John hosted, when John was John was playing John, okay. John's about to host it, and it was Welcome Back Cotter directed by Quentin Tarantino. And at the end of it, yeah, because Michael McKeon was on the show, and they had Lenny and Squiggy pop out, remember? And then I came out at the very end.

as Mr. Pink and said something like up your hole with a jelly roll, something like that. I remember in the rehearsal, where the dress route, the dress rehearsal show, I was late getting out there. And I didn't think it was my fault. I thought I was queued late. But you probably don't remember this, David, but afterwards, you did give me a little shit about that. Shut the fuck up, did I?

You gave me a little bit, a little bit. You did. you did you were like hey Johnny on the spot there what happened something like that and I went they didn't kill me you know how dare I I was I was nervous nervous I was

horse check and I was in character I got to play horse check I loved it I thought that was such a funny idea funny sketch it was great one of my all time memorable ones that's fun you got to be in that and I just watched your monologue of character actors

that was a good idea you were people in the audience cast members were character actors asking you how to be a lead wait you remember this yeah they said like

hey you're a lead but you play a lot of character actors but now you're a leading man I play the girl with all the bags at a store that's the best friend and then she fat falls out of frame and then Kristen Wigg is like I'm the girl running from the killer with a knife, but I don't know where anyone is.

Steve, are you here? So everyone was playing a character, and they were asking for your advice to get past being a character actor. I thought it was pretty clever. I thought that was good. That was good. I should watch that again because I totally blanked that out. I'll send you a link. Thanks.

All right. Let me ask you a question. But now that you say it, now that you describe it, I do remember it. Yeah. I mean, it is a blur because you've got 13 sketches you've hosted, I think, twice. Twice, yeah. Yeah. So it's hard to remember every nook and cranny, but it was a good job.

I thought that was interesting. Like what I remembered about the first time hosting, during the dress rehearsal, I came out to do the monologue, and I spotted a friend of mine from high school, sitting in the front of row. And again, it was just like seeing my wife on set. I looked at him, and I was like, hey, it's Eddie. And I was like, oh, fuck, what's my leg? I don't know what to do now.

On top of your nerves. You see that, throw show off. Oh, scary. One take. That's the hard part. I know. You're like, let me start over. Nope.

But thank God it was a dress rehearsal. And then for the show, I just told myself, just don't look at anybody. Just avoid eye contact. Yeah. So what a run you had in the 90s? I mean, and then the SNL calls. You'd been in at least five giant movies. Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction.

When did Fargo come out? Yeah, that came out like in 96. I was surprised that I got the call for it because I didn't think I had really done enough to like warrant me being like that people would even know me. But John Tartoura was also on that year. And I thought, oh, is this the year that they're like going after independent film

actors or something and I was like I'm so thrilled to like get it but I was nervous that I think I suggested because in the opening monologue it was some monologue about my name Steve and something you know it was and it just wasn't me

and I was nervous about that so I sort of addressed that and then I suggested something I can't remember who came up with the idea that we were going to I was going to take suggestions from the audience and do like an improv with the rest of the cast. And then I would just insert scenes from movies that I was in.

But the ulterior motive was to remind people I was in Fargo or Reservoir Dogs. I'm nervous that people wouldn't know like, who was this guy? But I was glad that they changed it. I was very sort of shy to say, do I have to do this opening monologue? Can we change it? And Lauren was really open to it and receptive.

But that first time you host, it's just so mind-boggling. I was so anxious, and I didn't know if I was allowed to say anything or contribute. Even though they were asking me, like, is there anything that you like to do? Or do you have any special talents? Can you sing? Yeah. Whatever you want. Right.

Did you feel like you're being a problem if you say too much on the set? Yeah, yeah. And then also like, what do I know? Like, aren't like you're the experts. Yeah, you put yourself in their hands. I think they just test you to say, we have a sketch we've been sitting on, but we need someone that can speak Russian or we need someone that can sing and they. And yeah, and you need just dialects and weird shit.

And you go, I can juggle. They go, okay, we can put that in something. And then that helps. Did Lauren call me down or is he? sort of imposing in his own way, but normally he would really take a host, you go to dinner with him, you'll be nervous on the dress rehearsal, and then on air it will all just come together. That's, yeah, he's kind of both. He's very intimidating and comforting at the same, you know, kind of at the same time, because

he's so calm, you know, that it, like, and it's, no, this is what we do and you'll be fine. And it's like, okay, I'll believe you. Do you, you know, we had an old movie you did. It was called Airheads. I saw it again on the flight because we had lovely Brennan and Frayvon, who was a super sweetheart. He's great. And then for Sandler, for seeing Airheads again,

because I went and saw it on Broadway in like 69th, wherever there's that little theater in New York during, I think it was at SNL. And I saw the whole thing again. Pretty fun to see the whole thing again. And Billy Maddick. of course is such a big one and that people remember you from a you know i did one day on that movie and everyone remembers that is that you when you cross the the list of kill who to kill that thing and that yeah yeah so memorable he he calls me up and he apologizes for his bullying behavior in

high school and then i cross his name off the people to kill and then i for no reason at all i just put on lipstick which that was my favorite part you know we went you think I mean being the character actor is great we saw Sandler tape his thing I thought I might see that he's doing his

stander special and Bridget was there yeah Veronica Vaughan the teacher in Billy Madison and and I said you get to be for history

in one of Farley's funniest things saying that Veronica Wong is one fine piece of ace and then Billy goes you went with her and he goes I had a couple fun nights with any other you didn't he goes I know I didn't

or whatever he says it's so funny very very Chris yeah it was like yeah he plays the bus driver in Billy Mad so funny yeah that's fun it's fun to be a part of even

like one scene you did just from everyone remembers i loved and you know yeah and chris was in airheads and i remember when we did the read through and afterwards chris said to me there's a part in airheads where you know like my character gets angry and i'm like yelling at adam and and uh chris says to me wow steve when you were yelling at one time you sounded just like he didn't reservoir dogs and i kind of looked at him like you he's saying and i realized chris really was that way like when he had that sketch on SNL yeah

he would go oh god what you know remember when you were in the Beatles yeah yeah yeah he really was that way kind of but he was excited I'm sure to see you I know I know yeah it's fun and I just you know and I kind of looked at him and he looked at me and then we like

just laughed but it was a really funny thing from the story yeah he's he has a sweetheart Was Fargo the one you get asked about the most only because it won best pitcher, right? No, it's the Big Lebowski. Okay, and that was another. And it took a few years for that to happen because that was the one that followed Fargo. And I think critics didn't know what to make of it at the time.

And it kind of fell through the cracks. But then like five years later, I would start to get these like college kids come up to me. and mention it because they watched it on VHS like over and over and then in 10 years time then it was yeah and then I it got to be where I knew the Lobowski fans

like somebody would come up to me on the street and they'd be about to say something and I'd say shut the fuck up Donnie and they'd like look at me like oh yeah wow wait is you yeah yeah yeah God I'm telling you I hear about that like people I'm not in it but people go God have you seen the big Lobowski

like the one of my enlisting movies they like and comedies and it just really did resonate yeah hey i'm the dude man jeff bridges is such a stud such a stud jeff bridges i always say that when he became a cowboy actor he always sounded like it just had a hoagie i'm going to do a take here in a minute but i just had a big deep ride he he you know he his jeff now if he listens to our podcast he just once he did true, true grit, and then he just stayed. His voice got gravely, well, he just sort of, he went post-acting. I think some people, if you see Hell or Highwater, he's being so playful in that,

it's almost like Anthony Hopkins and when he got the Oscar for a couple of years ago. So kind of like, beyond acting, they're just playing. I don't know what I describe. He's like, let's get a giddy up on this car. I don't know. In the Hell or High Water, I went, oh, he jumped the shark. He's not acting anymore. Do you know what I mean, Steve in a way?

Yes, he's just become whatever that, you know, you just, yes, rules are out the window. When's the most in the pocket you feel you've ever been, like in a role, like, okay, this is the most I'm not thinking that I'm acting in a way or I'm just feeling so, so great in each take, if it ever happened. Well, no, I mean, the first feature that I directed, Trees Lounge was a character. that I wrote for myself that kind of was like an exaggerated version of me, but it was me. And so, but it was weird because I was also directing it and I always get very anxious when I direct. So it was hard to really enjoy it, you know, fully in the moment. If somebody else was directing, I think I, maybe I would have felt like, oh, yeah, I'm nail on this. otherwise i'm just like i'm just thinking about the rest of the day and just wanting to get

through a scene make sure i got it right but yeah but my anxiety i think just gets in the way wait a minute an actor with anxiety i mean and in self and in so you're you're telling me a brilliant actor has self-doubt and anxiety except for brando maybe i don't know but everybody else was a little shaky i don't know hard to hard to place brando i'll bet he was insecure go no well he got the ear piece at some point so i think he was like i'm sorry memorizing lines it's too stressful not giving a fuck is is another way to do this you know now i'm saying the word anxiety i didn't know growing up i would have said it every day but i think now that you give people this word like kids they're like i'm anxious at school

i'm like well no fuck i've been anxious since the day i was born till right now like it's a very rough life out there and they're like i don't want to do my homework it gives me anxiety no shit like everything does oh i had panic attacks before i do stand up but i didn't know i was having a yeah you don't know what it's called just like i was i'd give it a name and then i'd have to go talk to a therapist for 225 an hour maybe a talker down to 200 oh that's enough personal information before tip but uh yeah everybody is anxious now and and depressed Steve. True.

We can now, now we know what we are. We know we're screwed up. We have vocabulary. Before I let you go, Steve, because you're a wonderful guy. And you're doing 12 other podcasts after this for the listener. You know, the good thing about Steve is he's not totally out there on everything. Like, that's the interesting mystery of Ushmi. He's just kind of cool, lays back a little bit, doesn't smother up.

He, I don't, it's, I think it's unintentional, but yeah, he's effortlessly. cool. And the fact that you, I mean, I'll just throw this out here because I don't, it's not common knowledge to everybody that you were a firefighter who dreamed of becoming an actor. Yeah. Who became an actor. 9-11 happens. And then you apparently volunteer and you're going into the rubble with the firefighters, not to bring up such a dark subject. But that's an extraordinary thing for a human being to have done, you know. Well, thank you. No, yeah, because I, I, I mean, I was a firefighter for a few years in the early 80s. And then, you know, as the years went by, I got further and further away from it and lost touch.

But then 9-11, yeah, it just put me back in touch. And I felt really honored that they would even let me come back and work with them with my company engine 55. And I had access, but I know so many people who would have done the same thing. that wanted to be there, but just couldn't get in there. And I had, I had the opportunity and the access because I used to be on the job. And I felt very honored to, you know, that I was, that I was able to do that. It's hard for any of us to imagine that scene of what, what you went through. And you were invisible in a sense with the gear and everything. No one knew, hey, that's the Fargo guy. You know, what's weird is that, you know, I still had my, uh,

my turnout coat and my helmet and boots. And so I went there thinking that I would, that I could blend in. But I had been off the job like since the mid 80s. And all the and all the equipment changed and the punk would get here. You look like curious George or something. I kind of stood out anyway. And then people were like kind of looking at me like,

who is this guy? Why doesn't he have like, why is he a relic from the past? Oh, wait a minute. It's that guy. It's that actor, yeah. You know, Dana, that's funny. He did that anonymously, and he helped for weeks in a related story. I brought cookies down and had tipped off TMZ to follow me, and then later, and I was in full makeup.

And then, hey, man, you both, you're both are heroes. And I sent them a bill. You're different kinds of heroes. I want to ask Steve a question, because I don't know if this is true either, because I was a Pips. David and I were Pipsqueaks in high school. Like, I graduated. probably 1.25. Me too. But I heard you wrestled at 105 on the varsity. Oh, really? But you got bigger than that, right? Were you that a freshman 105? I know. I did that up until my senior year. Maybe I went

up another way. I don't think so. 105. Yeah, that's crazy. I know. Were you your heights? I but because I I was pretty wiry and I was pretty strong from my weight I did pretty good during the year you know like in the in the team matches

but then in the tournaments I always I always choked when you started wrestling guys was it harder he says the girl's a little easier and then they started putting me up against guys when I got to 110

and then it was two girls versus Steve and he'd take them down three girls and it was getting hard and then they had an 87 pound of guy no but you were good i mean you were actually you would seem like the kind of guy who would be good at wrestling i don't know why i think that but yeah your intellect and kind of i think wiry people are secretly strong i was i was okay i did i you know i had i had a great coach Mr. Earl and his son, Richiero, was my wrestling partner, and he was, like, the best on the team. So it kind of rubbed off on me. I had one secret move called the reverse cradle.

And if I got you in it, if I got you in the reverse cradle, you know, it was like a surprise. And I actually beat some, like, guys who were probably better than me. But then, you know, that's why I would choke in the tournaments, because then you wrestle these same people again. Oh, they're on to be the old. And they know you're a one trick. It always seemed a little close quartery in a way. You were ever wrestling in a guy and all of a sudden your face was right up against his junk? And you're going, why am I doing this?

It's very homoerotic wrestling. It is. Okay. That's a look at a clip. It's part of the appeal. It's part of the appeal. It does get a diverse audience. Yes.

Yes. That's good. All right, Dana. What do we do with Steve? We let him go. Well, we could do hours because of, he doesn't need our help. But yeah, he's Steve Buscemi. He's a national treasure.

I'm going to use that as a, because you're just been around so long. And if I see one in a movie, I'm just happy. You're like this guy. It's this guy. And I think when you are in your lane, I don't know who your peers are. I don't know if it's Christopher Walken. These are older people. but it's there's the cool factor you're not in you're not a pretty boy in front of a movie doing all the press you're just the guy who goes in and you can't take your eyes off that guy you know i mean it's like you weren't in fargo it was like it didn't feel like you were acting you weren't an actor in that movie they're like they got a real guy to do this they got where'd they get this i had that once with rip torn i saw a movie thought where'd they get this guy off the street he was so good in this movie and i think you

have that vibe about you. Thank you. So I'm not a pretty boy. That's what you're saying. Well, I'm saying you're ruggedly handsome. Thank you. Do you think David's a pretty boy? Yes, absolutely.

Thank you. I've gotten away with every time I date someone, it's beauty and the beast in every article. I'm like, enough for this. Like, just why not just say I'm okay? You don't look like a beast? They say they go, yuck. That's like exclamation is the headline.

And I'm like, all right. You can't do that. You can't do that with the girls. You can't say, look at this great-ling guy with this dog. It's like, you can't. You can do it with me. All right, Steve, that's really what I wanted to get off my chest. Okay.

Thank you for talking to us. You're a stud and we'll talk soon and hopefully. Thank you, both. I love you both. Hey, guys, if you're loving this podcast, which you are, be sure to click follow on your favorite. podcast app. Give us a review, five-star rating, and maybe you can share an episode that you've loved with a friend. If you're watching this episode on YouTube, please subscribe. We're on video now.

Fly on the Wall is presented by Odyssey, and executive produced by Danny Carvey and David Spade, Heather Santoro, and Greg Holtzman, Mattie Sprung Kaiser, and Leah Reese Dennis of Odyssey. Our senior producer is Greg Holtzman, and the show is produced and edited by Phil Sweet Tech. Booking by Cultivated Entertainment. Special thanks to Patrick Fogarty, Evan Cox, Mora Curran, Melissa Wester, Hillary Schuff, Eric Donnelly, Colin Gaynor, Sean Cherry, Kurt Courtney, and Lauren Vieira. Reach out with us any questions to be asked and answer on the show.

You can email us at fly on the wall at odyssey.com. That's A-U-D-A-C-Y.com. Thank you.