Happy Sad Confused - Chris Pine

Episode Date: March 30, 2022

At long last Chris Pine joins Josh on the podcast for a chat about 2 news films (ALL THE OLD KNIVES and THE CONTRACTOR), why Chris rejected his early "himbo" status, how he landed STAR TREK, and why he hates his iphone. You can purchase tickets to two upcoming LIVE Happy Sad Confused events now! 4/21 at 8pm -- THE NORTHMAN screening followed by a conversation with Alexander Skarsgard. Purchase tickets here. Don't forget to check out the Happy Sad Confused patreon here! We've got exclusive episodes of GAME NIGHT, video versions of the podcast, and more! For all of your media headlines remember to subscribe to The Wakeup newsletter here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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See Golden Nuggett Casino.com for details. Please play responsibly. prepare your ears humans happy sad confused begins now today on happy sad confused chris pine on his two new films and a possible return to start trek hey guys i'm josh harrow with welcome to another edition of happy sad confused and i am thrilled to say chris pine surprisingly his first trip to the happy said confused podcast many chats with Chris over the years, but the first long-form chat we've ever had. So this one definitely delivers. I'll get into that in a second.

But first, I want to get into the housekeeping stuff. First, big announcement right off the bat. I want to let you guys know that we have set in stone our next live 90-second street-wide, happy, said, confused event. If you are in New York City on April 21st, I highly recommend you coming out to see the Northman, the new movie from Robert Eggers, director of The Lighthouse and The Witch, followed by a conversation between me and Alexander Scarsgaard for a live edition of Happy Say I Confused. A really great new movie.

The Northman is this just bloody, dark, cool Viking film. I don't know how else to describe it. But it's, you know, if you've seen Robert Eggers past work, you know this guy's got the goods. three for three now as a filmmaker. So yes, if you're in New York City, I highly recommend trying to come out and see us live in person. It's going to be great. The movie is fantastic. And then afterwards, you're going to have an hour-long chat between me and Alexander Scarsgaard, who has always been a delight with me. I just respect his career so much. This guy, you know, looks like, you know, he's delivered by the gods. He has one of these just, like, genetic, like,

mutations in that he's a perfect human specimen. But he plays like every manner of character in his career. He's played a lot of like just horrible, horrible men in recent years. He's also done the leading man thing occasionally with stuff like Tarzan or now in the Northman. So there's a lot to discuss with Alexander. He's got a great sense of humor. Always love chatting with him. And this conversation anchored around this great new movie will be fantastic. So as always, The link is in the bio for how to get tickets to be there to watch the conversation. I highly recommend you coming out to say hi. I'd love to see you guys there.

It'll be a fun one. Me, Alexander Scarsguard, the Northman, April 21st in New York City. I believe the screening is at 8 p.m. followed by the conversation. Late night, but hey, it's a big, big fun night. Bring a date. It'll be cool. Anyway, let's see.

Other housekeeping stuff. Oh, cool new episode of the untitled Josh Horowitz show for Comedy Central coming at you later this week with Karen Gillen, one of my favorites. Karen has two new films as well, just like Chris Pine. She's got a new film called Duel, very cool new flick, and The Bubble, which is the latest from Judd Apatow, very funny movie. So look forward to that. I'll tweet it, I'll put it on my Instagram, you know the drill. What else? What else?

Well, this is our first podcast, post- Oscars. I have no more hot takes on the Oscars. You've probably heard them all by now. I'm not going to get into the controversy because I'm exhausted by it myself. I will say, though, I'm thrilled for many of the winners. I loved Sincoda Celebrated. It was just a movie I fell in love with as soon as I saw it. I guess like 14 months ago or so.

So just thrilled that it made it to the finish line and got recognized in this way. I loved that Jessica Chastain, who has always been, for my money, one of the great actors working ever since she came on the scene. Love to see her recognized. Love to see West Side Story recognized in the form of Ariana DeBose's performance as Anita. Troy Kotzer, again, for Coda. Yeah, they spread the wealth, I think, in a good way, and I'm just thrilled that there was a lot of great film celebrated summer of soul and best documentary, my former co-worker Joseph Patel on the stage getting an award next to Kestlove. That was a treat to see. So, yeah, a lot of great stuff. And yeah, a little insane stuff,

too. But let's keep it positive today for the podcast. All right, let's talk about the main event. Chris Pine is on the podcast today. He has two new movies out. One is called The Contractor, him, Ben Foster, Kiefer Sutherland. Kind of a, As Chris will describe it, it's a little bit of like born action, but with some deeper issues underlying it. A really cool new flick. I really enjoyed it. Also, in a different kind of vein, but also in kind of the action spy vein, a little bit, is this movie All the Old Knives. All the Old Knives features Chris, Tandy Newton.

I don't know if she's changed the spelling of her name, Tandaway Newton. I want to respect that. I think it's tanned away now. She's fantastic with Chris. Jonathan Price is in it. Lawrence Fishburn. This is kind of more of a old school kind of Cold War, Jean-Lacaree kind of spy thriller.

Really dug this one too. Not like the big action kind of thing, but kind of a slow burn, sexy thriller. If that's your speed, check out all the old knives. Or if you want something a little bit more action-oriented, go for the contractor. As for the conversation, Loved this one. Loved this one. Chris Pine is someone I've talked to for many years. Star Trek,

obviously, as the anchor kind of our conversation every few years, but about a great many films. And as I say to him, sometimes I feel like I'm biding with Chris, and sometimes I feel like he's kind of giving me a side-eye, like, what is this Josh Harrowitz character up to? So part of the joy of this podcast is I can almost kind of dissect my own relationship. with these actors and filmmakers sometimes given the time. And that was a fun kind of added wrinkle to this conversation. And sure enough, Chris confirms he's sometimes a little bit, you know, a little circumspect about me. But maybe I want him over permanently today.

Look, not to say, he's always been very professional with me, always great with me. But like I said, fun to kind of dissect that kind of like weird stuff between an actor and a journalist. Not to mention all the stuff about his career we talk about, which is fantastic. I really loved hearing about his early work in film and how he kind of wrestled with his image as a, you know, kind of a, I think I termed it in the conversation as a hymbo. He really was kind of like cast in that kind of generic leading man or bland leading man kind of guy. at first. And to hear Chris say it, he just didn't relate to that guy at all. And, you know,

you think of him as like this like super attractive dude, but like that's not who he felt like he was in his bones. So I thought that was a really telling part of the conversation. Of course, we talk about Star Trek and the future of Star Trek. We talk about his unique connection with Quentin Tarantino. Yeah, we cover a lot in this one. And I've listened to it back and I'm really proud of it. He, I also, by the way, when I was doing my research, is one of these actors that surprisingly has not done like any long-form conversations, at least in podcast or video form like this.

I mean, I'm sure there have been some, maybe I missed, but I did my research, guys. This is kind of, this is kind of uncharted territory. So if you're a Chris Pine fan and you've been waiting for the deep dive Chris Pine conversation, you've come to the right place. Okay. Enough preamble. Those are all the plugs. Remember once more, Alexander Scarsgaard, April 21st. Truly, come out for this movie, which is a special one. I don't think the critics have weighed in yet. I probably have broken some kind of embargo, but it's the Northman. It's from Robert Eggers. You knew it was going to be good. But come out if you can. I'd love to see you guys there, and it'll be a fun night in New York. All right, here's the main event on the pod this week. Please enjoy me and Mr. Chris Pine. And remember to check out his two new movies.

contractor and all the old knives. Hey man, how's it going? I'm really well. How are you, man? I'm doing well. I'm doing well. We're giving L.A. a run for its money here in New York today. It's a lovely 70 degree day. So, you know, I don't want you flaunting your 80 degree weather over me for me for us. Wow. Good for you. I like that I'm taking credit for it as if it's like an accomplishment. I did it. I did it, Chris. The next thing is referring to yourself in the third person i can't wait for that to happen well we have 45 minutes so wait till the end of this

what happened to the uh to the moses biopic beard you i was ready to go full on 30 minutes just on the beard and you've denied me that well just throwing a curveball see how agile you are i've got nothing left i have literally nothing here great i can i can hit the massage and sauna early perfect perfect um no it's good to see it man as always there's a lot to talk about you got not one but two cool new flicks uh come into folks and um you've never done the podcast so this is this is the time when we can both like cry into each other's zoom boxes and go really deep oh this isn't your oh this is your pot i thought it was your show well it's a show podcasts or shows so you've done every josh harrowitz vehicle over the years you've done the comedy central show now you're doing

the podcast i feel like and i'm going to be honest since we do have time chris i feel like there have been times where to quote Tommy Lee Jones to Jim Carrey you did not sanction my buffoonery where you were you were not on the Josh Horowitz wavelength you require a certain level of I need a key into Horowitz energy sometimes I'm there sometimes I'm not I'm not I'm not a fucking dancing monkey over here dude come on and you don't pay me nearly enough no no no don't worry There's no monkey dance today. We can just have a normal human conversation. So talk to me a little bit first on,

let's talk about these two new films. These are, as I understand, these are your first two features you've executive produced, if I have that right. I think that is accurate. Yes. So where are we at in terms of that side of your career? Is that just a natural?

I mean, obviously, so many actors I talk to nowadays, work on producing their own material. Is that about just finding material for yourself, just being self-generating, taking an active role? Where are you at in terms of that? Definitely all of that, for sure. Definitely all of that for sure. Look, it's about a little bit more power and control.

It's nice to have at least contractually stated, you have to listen to me. you know so yeah this is a security blanket you know okay it's the fan hey i can say something here yeah so being involved for many years where you feel like you're just the hired help is it's nice to have a bit more control i also come from you know my parents spent a lot of money to give me a college degree in english so i have a lot of you know i have a lot of i know how to read man so uh and i know how to give story notes so um there's a bit of that I started my production company

with a good buddy, my Ian Gottler at the beginning of the pandemic and it was the perfect timing for it because it just gave me a structure for my life. So really at the end of the day, it gave me eight hours a day of something like, I need to show up. We need to talk about X, Y, and Z, blah, blah, blah.

And I'm getting a chance to hire a bunch of my friends, a bunch of people that I really love and respect that now because of whatever entree I can give into the business, you know, I can do. And that's really fun. That's really fun. Which of these two projects came around and which has been kind of incubating longer, the contractor? As far as I recall, both around the same time. I got both of them. I loved both of them. All the old knives I read and it's, I thought was a nearly perfect script. This one was trickier. It wasn't,

totally there it was going to take some mining but i couldn't stop thinking about it because i thought it was a really sneakily intelligent man's thriller right um that required some unpacking and investigating so well it does it does it has kind of the trappings of that kind of like you know man on the run wronged man born identity kind of thing but like beneath it there's some there's some weighty stuff we're dealing with in terms of like these men and women that are discarded, that find themselves, like, left without a path. It's, you know, you get 30 minutes in the beginning of the film. It's a family drama, essentially.

And then it ramps up, and then it's kind of a freight train that they can't stop. But I had read two books are really pivotal, one of which I'd read before for another part, Carl Marlantis, how we go to war, what it's like to go to war. which is kind of a psycho-spiritual exegesis on going to war all about it. What it's like to go to war, kill, be shot at, deal with your ghost, deal with the trauma. I mean, it's fucking gorgeous writing, gorgeous writing, and so heartbreaking. But he talks about how that, you know, even in very primitive cultures, when you send a warrior off to go, there is like a full, there is a full experience. a week-long thing where they prepare the man to go off to work. And then when the man comes back

from war, similarly, there's another thing to welcome him back in. And it's like over the course of the generations, it's like, we teach him to kill, go kill, and then they come back and they're supposed to go work at Home Depot after like killing people. And I don't know how anyone thinks that's normal or okay. So that was really pivotal. And then the other book, I read was Yuval Harari's Sapiens which I know a lot of people read but the thing that I got from that

is this idea that the human being is the only animal on planet Earth that leads its life telling itself stories we tell ourselves stories in order to give ourselves purpose to live. I thought what a fascinating thing like I never thought about life that way

but it's what I'm involved in it's my business for God's sake but James is a composite of these stories honor country democracy america courage battlefield honor freedom shining city on a hill all these things that are just like america america america america america america but if really investigating it what if all that's stripped away what are you left yeah what are you at the end of the day yeah anyway that's my long winded answer to that no no it's all fascinating and you also surround yourself and i want to talk about this with respect to both films um this is your third i believe

teaming with the great Ben Foster who just isn't capable of giving a shitty performance. This guy is just like the truth on screen always I've always admired this guy. You guys clearly are thick as thieves by now. What's different

about playing a scene with Ben Foster than 99% of other actors? What do you get out of it? Well I remember when we did finest hours and I heard about Ben and I was like ah fuck I don't he's going to be all intent and I just don't

he's an intimidating dude yeah yeah yeah and Ben is intense and he's all of these things but he's also just the sweetest kind he's so sensitive he's like this little butterfly the bear's body and I remember really thinking I was like I don't feel so alone on set

anymore because Ben has a way of thinking and a way of going about things that I find I share with them. I can't really articulate it fully, but I felt a kindred spirit. And as it's just happened over the years, the way that we work, I think is there's not, there's no competitive energy. There's no out alpha in one another. There's no worrying about someone trying to fuck you, fuck you over in a scene or try to steal your shine.

It's really just all about, okay, this is what the scene. what is it about, how do we make it the best? And then we just go to work and we start chisling and then he'll throw me a line. I'll be like, I don't think that really worked. And then he's like, try that. So it's just this great, just so easy. So, you know, it doesn't always necessarily mean it works out, but it's just, it facilitates an easier working environment.

Right. Let's talk titles, this film, The Contractor. Look, at first blush, I mistook this for a Liamneeson movie about a wronged contractor out for revenge. It's not that. Yeah. Is this a tough one? These are both tough titles, honestly.

I mean, like, is this a tough one at your EP, too? Like, is it hard? Do you always know where to zero in? Do you know what the right path is? It's a really fair question. I'm not going to say that it's my favorite title in the world. I understand why it was chosen. There is some, there is some logic behind it.

I prefer the old title, Violence of Action. but you know as they tested it people didn't understand what it meant or whatever you know look it is what it is all i need is people to get into theaters and if people are going to be attracted by um you know the poster is the kind of poster that you would imagine et cetera blah blah blah i understand all the arguments for it come because you think it's going to be an action thriller and i promise you there's more going on i promise you there's a more complicated story that I would say 99% of these kinds of films, but you can have your cake and eat it too. So that's kind of what the feeling was about. A thousand percent. It totally makes

sense. I'm a big fan, honestly, of all the old knives as well. This is right at my alley. I mean, this is like kind of like that slow burn kind of genre caré vibe. You've got a really, really cool cast, like, you know, every couple of scenes, like another like just a list or like A-list actor just like pops in and just like Jonathan Price wants Fishburn. I mean, the list goes on and on. Again, like, I mean, look, these are apples and oranges. They're totally different kinds of movies. But you've also, like, it's funny to look at the resume.

Like, you've played a lot of different, like, shades of spy, military guy. Yeah. You know, like, is there anything that correlates from one to another? Are you just at the right age where these are all the kinds of roles that are coming your way? No. I don't know. I don't know. Maybe because I have more lines on my face, people buy me someone who's lived a longer life. I don't know.

But is this as much your jam what I'm talking about, that kind of like spy thriller thing? All the old knives I put down, I loved every word of it. It was my, I'm a huge, I'm a huge reader. I'm a huge spy reader. John La Corray is one of my favorite. It's a spy who came in from the cold is a favorite film of mine, a favorite book of mine. It may be the perfect spy book. Elegant, elevated, mature international intrigue. I'm there for like a sexy sex scene.

I'm like, sign me out. That's my speed all day long. So to get the cast, and you mentioned all the A list, but all of the bit parts too, so to speak, the day players and the background, the mosaic, the tapestry, they were just extraordinary they're so good this team of actors we got and i cannot um i can't sing their praises enough nor the casting director that helped us out but um they did a spectacular job i'm also just like a sucker for like a good like mole hunt movie i went back in the day when i was

growing up like no way out was like one of my favorites like and such a good one such a great twist ending people need to check it out the um and yeah there's some twists in this without revealing too much. And then kind of at the heart of this, you kind of have like this almost like little chamber, this little like this little play in the center of it where you really get to like chew on some really great material. You know, some of the writing is, it's a little too poetic for screen, but it's just still delicious to say like all this shit that I tell Jonathan Price from my favorite one is like, um, uh, you accuse you. I'm not accusing you. If I accuse you'll be in a Yeah, maybe the base with your hands tie behind your back, not sitting in a pub or whatever the fucking line.

Totally. I just, I read it and I was like, oh, I can't wait to do that. Oh, I was not anything to do that. Yeah. It's my West Wing moment. Yeah, that's my Aaron Sorin. Totally. Totally.

Hey, speaking of West Wing, there's a segue to family and growing up. Your dad got directed by the Great Iron Sorkan this past year, didn't he? Did any pop up in being the Ricardo's? Do I have that wrong? I mean, you've now caught me off guard. Dude, you're not keeping up with your dad's IMDB? He's literally Googling for those lists today. Here we go, please.

Drum roll. I hope I have this right. If I don't, just for the record, no one will ever hear this. Oh, my God. Chris. Apparently he is. Chris. He didn't tell me about that, though.

Chris. Yes. Well, now you have another reason to check out the great Aaron Sorkin's latest work, being the Ricardo's. How does that happen? You guys just casually don't mention each other's latest performances? I mean, now that I think about it, he did say he, I remember him saying this long time ago. Yes, it works work and something, something, but I didn't put two and two together. I guess that's a good. Yeah. Sorry, Aaron. I haven't seen your phone yet, but I'm on it. No, no, say sorry to your dad. Don't worry about Aaron Sorkin.

It's okay. It's more important stuff. My dad just did a Magnum PI. He just did a Magum PI. The new Magnum. The second Magnum PI, the first Magnum PI he did was in 1984. In a flashback, he played Tom Selleck's father. I love it.

Magnum's father. It doesn't get more 80s great TV than that. Come on. So, okay, so let's go back if you'll indulge me a little bit. You grew up. Dad, obviously, a recognizable face to anybody that was watching TV. in that time on ships and many, many shows. Mom was an actor too.

Did you spend a lot of time on sets growing up and what was your view of like, was it a glamorous business or just like what mom and dad did? I don't remember spending too much time on set. I do remember my dad being with my father and a quantum leap set and being at craft service and seeing Scott Bacula. That's for some reason one of my only surviving memories.

Um, no, it was not glamorous. You know, my, my, we had some very rough years, uh, in my, like for a long time, uh, where money was tight and work wasn't really coming. Um, no, the business is I remember growing up pretty, pretty rough, not rosy colored and, um, not an easy ticket to a steady lifestyle for sure. So how did that color your own pursuit of the business and the craft? I mean, like, was it kind of the last, you weren't like a child actor. You weren't acting, as I understand it, you weren't trying to get in things early. So was it kind of the last thing they were trying to do? And you just were pulled in by the end? I went to college and I was a very shy kid. I'd play sports in high school, but I went to really small school.

And I went to Berkeley, which is a huge school. and I just, I was never going to play sports at a level that I wanted to. And I was, I was shy. I didn't want to do the frat. So I didn't really have any friends. So I was trying to find something to do with my, just to do with myself. And a buddy of mine asked me to go, he said, you should try out this audition for this play. And I'd done one play in high school.

So I went and audition for the play. I got the play. And then I just started, that's all I started doing was doing, every play I could do and before you know it I graduated from college and um I didn't I hadn't I just didn't have any direction other than this thing that people told I was good at and I was like well I may as well try that and I did and it worked out I mean I really did it did it early on you talk about kind of like like I mean did it give you self confidence early on it must of like there much was there like a reason why i got involved in it early on is because people

told me i was handsome and talented after having been had horrific acne cystic acne growing up and no girlfriends and to be told that you're like talented and handsome right it was tantam out to like getting uh you know it was manna from heaven so i was like feed me feed me feed me and so that initial drive to get that validation was really, really helpful because I was really hungry for it and certainly really well for many, many years. And then it really didn't. And then ultimately I had to figure other things out. But that's why I got into it originally. This makes me love you all the more. I mean, because the people that have the secret, like Henry Cavill has like the fat kid always inside of him. He grew up a fat kid. That I can relate to. I can't relate to the guy.

I thought, Chris, you were an alien. I thought you came out of the womb like this. This makes me feel a lot better. No, man. No, I, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, this is all a mask. Which always makes me, you know, it makes me, uh, it's always very interesting for me. It was a very hard initially, you know, when you're getting, you know, I'd get cast as like the prince or a certain kind of guy.

but to deeply, almost cellularly not believe that, the kind of internal dissonance that that creates is pretty intense, because you also feel like I can never live up to this idea of what they think I am, which is just not true. So thanks, you know, 20 years later, it's not so much of an issue, but certainly on was definitely one. Well, that is fascinating because you look at the first films, and you're kind of like on this path,

this dangerous path to like hymbo-ness, basically. You're doing like the, you know, obviously Princess Diaries, you're doing Just My Luck. I found like an amazing poster for a movie called Blind Dating that I want to just hang on my wall. You should have it if you don't. But so this is fascinating. This must have been kind of a bit of a mind fuck.

Like it's like, oh, great. Like these are really cool opportunities, but it's also like the thing you probably relate, least to in your soul's the thing i relate to the absolute least like i don't understand that guy i don't understand being that guy i don't understand being cool like that like at all so um and all the stuff i was playing in college was you know uh um uh just different you know different i just had a whole different idea of what the whole thing was going to be about. And it wasn't that. And that's, you know, it's, that's been the journey. It's been super interesting. That's for sure.

How, it must have been nice, though, to, like, start out with, like, a filmmaker like Gary Marshall, like, who must have. God. I mean, first thing, you have to understand that was 2003, like, so just like the tail end of, like, movies are making a shit ton of money and there's money everywhere. especially like you're shooting in L.A. You're shooting a big, fat, $90 million rom-com on the back lot of Universal. And the caterings like sushi and shellfish and steaks. And like, I just had no idea about walking into.

And there was a parade. Gary had a parade that he had all the departments make a float. And then he judged the parade, like at a 1 p.m. on a front. Friday while we were shooting. Sure. Yeah, it was a pretty remarkable way to get a lose to the business, that's for sure. Yeah, you didn't know you were like literally seeing the last vestiges of that model. Like that was, it was over.

I mean, for me, that was the last time that ever, well, yeah, that was the last time that ever happened. Even on Star Trek one, which was like four years later, it would not even, it wasn't that at all. Before Star Trek, were there close calls to the films that you thought were going to put you in a different stratosphere to put you in that kind of thing? No, they were like, no. So what happened? Did you feel like you aced that audition?

Did that feel like it was? The only audition that I felt that I aced at the most important one. So I'm sure people were at all interested in my story. know that I auditioned for it. Originally, I didn't get it. I didn't think anything about it. Then my agent said, can you go in to meet JJ? And I said, why?

They said, you want to audition for it again? And I said, okay. And then I went there and audition, and I definitely knew I did a good job. I definitely want to audition for JJ. And JJ is also the best audience of all time. He's like loving and kind and so positive. and your best friend, and I killed it.

I had a great time. I felt really strongly about it. But at that point, too, I had enough rejection that, you know, you're like, I killed it, but what the fuck is that? Yeah, yeah. Did you have a read on, like, did you know what your take was immediately? I mean, I still, like, everybody does, looks at that initial cast of what JJ put together and you guys as a miracle.

Like, it was like the uncastable movie, and somehow he, like, figured it out. that negotiating of the honoring the original cast and doing their own thing. Like, did you know the line to toe? No, man. I mean, like, honestly, my take on it, I was just trying to get through it. Like, I was just trying to do, I did, there was no, like, deep, anybody that's seeing any sort of, like, very skilled take on the character is just not. I appreciate it.

Thank you. I was just trying to play, make believe of, like, a spaceship. captain and then i think anytime there was a shatnerism it was either j jay saying you know or it was me fucking around or it was jay j saying right do it as shatner and i'd fuck around but i wasn't trying to at all do some sort of interesting nuanced pastiche of shatner i was just like grateful to the job and you know show up and say the lines sometimes it's that simple well i mean work my ass off and be terrified most of the time but like

yeah just there's so much else going I mean that that's a it's my first hundred and whatever 50 million dollar film so there's so much learning curve there there's like how big is the set right fucking people are on set

there's an EPK crew following you around all of the time there are executives watching everything you do there are I mean it's It's so much that it's just too overwhelming. All you concentrate on is, what is the scene? What are my lines? That's it.

I totally hear, I think people don't realize that. I mean, look, I do a tiny aspect of that in like my carpet stuff or how to do live things. And it's shutting out the noise. That's like, that's 80% of the job is just to like hone in on your, on your specific job and relating to either the camera or the person in the scene. with you and shutting out all the shit that's like right in your peripheral vision. Yeah, and I wasn't, I just wasn't probably smart enough at that point to think of like how I could do it a la Shatner.

I mean, we never, you know, I had a choice between doing an LA confidential sequel that Joe Carnahan was going to do next to Star Trek. And my sister, I was like, well, I really want to do the weird detective who killed Klooney and the fucking thing. And she's like, well, maybe the, maybe Jim Kurt, maybe Kirk is more, is harder because you don't, you can't play the hunchback, so to speak. And I was like, you're totally fucking right.

And that, as I recall, it was the first time I had an inkling of what, how do I say it, that kind of acting is. Yeah. by which I mean it's a movie star acting and I only I only mean that in so far as what is intriguing about that kind of acting is it you are you you're you're bringing all of your qualities to it that that's what you know I talk about Harrison Ford all the time that's four or that's Julia Roberts that's Costner that's Bruce Willis it's like that's the thing And it's actually much harder because you have to mind-fuck your way into this thing of like, I have nothing to hide behind.

Right. Well, it's just, it's just this thing. So that, that was my, that was my, that was the learning curve there, I think. I've had the privilege of having Quentin Tarantino on the podcast a few times. And he has gushed, and you know this, he has gushed about not only Star Trek, you and Star Trek. Like, he was the reason he wanted to do his version of Star Trek. I mean, you know this by now. Have you spent time with him?

Has he talked to you about his love of Trek? At any time with Quentin talking about Star Trek. I met with him years ago for hateful eight for a part that he, within the first two minutes of the meeting, told me I wasn't right for, which I had great respect. I really had a ton of respect for him for that. But I got to go to Quinn's house and see his famous living room with all of his VHS tapes and stuff. And then I used to take my mom to the Academy Awards all the time, and I'd see Quint at the Vanity Fair party afterwards, and he would always talk to my mother.

He loved my mother. My mother knows everything about old Hollywood because my grandmother was in it. And, of course, Quentin knows my grandmother in all of the films that my grandmother did. And then once upon a time that Hollywood comes out, and on the screen at Bruce Stern's whatever fucking at the thing, one of my grandmother's films is playing on the television. And I sent him a restraining order. He might be too interested.

Yeah, I spend him a note about that thanking him. Anyway, he's a luck, man. For him to say those kind things about it, is a big pat on my back. No, it's amazing, man. Talk to me like, okay, in the wake of Trek, which changes obviously your career, a thousand percent. Did you know the path?

Did you have an idea? Are you just sort of like taking the best that's offered to you? Like, what, let me put me in your headspace? Like, suddenly you have new opportunities, new people that want to be able to you. I, just like coming to set as a whole thing, that whole experience happens so fast. And look, my experience is one thing to be like, I think about it with like Harry Styles or something. To have, or Leo, like that catapult, that fucking rocket ship, I don't know if I would have, that would have blown my brain. apart my rocket ship was pretty fast but it was it's a pretty mellow rocket ship nonetheless it's still

it's a lot to take in it's a lot to take in you know all of a sudden you have 17 paparazzi at your gym and they're they're they're outside your fucking 400 square foot apartment waiting for you to come out um and you're getting offers all over the place and i you know i was a really like at that time a very thoughtful, to a cursed extent. And so I waited a long time and then Unstoppable came around. And that was like, I couldn't turn that down. I didn't want to do it because there really wasn't any part. It wasn't anything I was interested in doing, but it was a great script.

It was like one of these scripts that were, it's about a train. It's like, how can this be interesting? and I couldn't put it down and then it was Denzel and Tony who were my two heroes, two of my heroes, so that was the thing. And then I didn't, then I really, really waited until this means war, which

was, but that's a whole nother podcast. All other things. Yeah. Talk to me a little bit about, you mentioned Tony Scott. That was sadly Tony's last film. It must have been a remarkable experience. He was a hell of a guy.

I asked you for a comfort movie and you chose one of his brother's great films and it actually reminds me some of the stuff you were just talking about about that kind of unsung thing about a movie star being a movie star and holding the screen. And I think of that when I think of

Gladiator and Russell Crow. Talk to me about... I mean, that was my hangover movie of choice for when I was hungover. He is, I don't even know how to describe him that film. He is like, he was my touchstone when I made Outlaw King. I was like, I just want to be, I just want to be Russell Crow. It was a mistake because it didn't work out as I had hoped.

But Jesus, man, I mean, handsome beyond all get out, but a man and with such facility with his emotions. and the whole thing. I could watch it all day long. It's a master piece of master class in movie star acting. Like it's just without a doubt, one of the best, I think. What's a scene or speech that jumps out? What's the first thing that that's just like eminently? The first thing that comes out, I mean, the entire final fight,

you're dealing with a crowd, you're dealing with Joaquin doing his thing, you're dealing with fighting, you're also dealing with dying, then you're dealing with thinking about your dead wife and son. It's like, that's a lot to play. That's a lot to play. And he just holds it right here. He doesn't do anything. He just holds it right there.

That's spectacular. It's spectacular. he doesn't even cry it's just like all here holding all of it and then i heard directorially which was like a real coup this maybe this is just hyperbole uh or apocryphal but they ended up going back and shooting all of that hand through the wheat stuff that was all uh either after they previewed or something which makes the film i mean that yeah that makes the phone yeah that the gorgeous score everything about it totally Redd Ridley is apparently

he's like in his 80s and he's still just going making a movie a year it's insane and giant movies crazy crazy he's making Napoleon now I don't know with Joaquin speaking of Gladiator son of Maximus he's going to do the gladiator sequel you ready Chris

yes signing up yes he's seriously going to do it he's apparently that's like his next film I think get team pine on the line I'm here I'm ready I'm so fucking here for that what do you need you got a lot in the can

that I'm excited about you mentioned don't worry darling which we're all very excited about Dungeons and Dragons which comes from the game night folks who I obsess with that film you've described it as a combination of Game of Thrones, Princess Bride Basic Instinct Godfather no not the last two but

yeah you're exactly right game of thrones meets princess bride with a dash of holy grail and a good dose of goonies yeah and what's and what's your function in this are you are you like the dashing hero of our dreams or are you playing with that a little bit or what's uh what's fun for you guys per all of these contracts i can't say anything um but as i described before I'm like the world's best and worst party planner. That's exactly what I would expect out of a Dungeon and Dragons movie, a party planner. That makes total sense.

Did you ever play D&D growing up? I didn't. The first time I played D&D was right before I left. I played with my nephew and my family because my nephew's a huge D&D and we had so much fun. And if there's a group of people that couldn't be more well-suited for D&D, it's a bunch of actors. Oh my God. Yeah.

We had so much fun. It's so much fun. I think it should be du rigour for she teaches like meditation, improv, D&D. Mask work. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, mask work. Exactly. We haven't seen anything of Don't worry, darling, yet.

Obviously, Olivia's next directing effort, Helvacast, Warren's Pew. You mentioned Harry, you, seems like a much. different kind of thing to book smart clearly um what was uh what was fun about that one can you tease a little bit about that experience oh well what's not fun i mean i love olivia known her forever uh she's just incredibly bright incredibly intelligent um wait did you i grid it somewhere did you were you up for tron did you do the the screen test with libya back for tron test it. I was definitely, I was up for it, but I don't know if I screen tested. Maybe I'd blocked that out. I don't know.

It's period. So it's like, and it's my favorite period. So it's like mid-century, 50s, 60s. The outfits were great. We shot at a Neutra house and in Palm Springs. It was gorgeous. So all of that aside. And then I play a fucking cult leader. I mean, oh, I didn't know that sounds juicy that's great and i haven't played a bad guy in a minute so this guy is just such a creep um it was so much fun to do i had a blast uh florence who i love to death uh i mean i've seen the the phone florence is she's just i don't know if there's anyone better she's um yeah talk about an actor that just jumps off the screen like she's just got it I mean, just to be that young and that in charge of her, she's such command of her body, of her voice, of a craft, of her, she's so comfortable, of her sexuality.

She's just like a fully formed human being so young. I just, it's, it's beyond me. In such a kind person, such a giving actress. She's so good. Yeah. I'm really, really. excited for people to see it. I don't really want to give anything away other than I think it'll really creep people out and blow them away. That's all I needed. I know it's premature. We don't know like exactly the wins and the wares, but the hope is to get the gang back together at long last about Trek. And I don't know, like, what's like your attitude about like, because there been so many stops and starts the last bunch of years. Like there's been no less than three or four different iterations of this. Like, do you have to kind of like, I don't know, temper, enthusiasm,

some excitement because you've been down this road other times? Or like, what's your attitude now about potentially getting the gang back together finally? I, because I, well, I think reporters think that we know more than we're saying. And when I say that, I honestly, none of us know anything, because there's, I don't know, I haven't seen a script. All I heard was that they said we were making a film. I am so stoked for that idea and possibility,

as we all are, but it's so premature to say anything because there's no date, no nothing. But I'm pretty positive we'd all come back. I mean, I don't see why not. It'll be interesting because, like, this is like you started this character, obviously coming full circle in our conversation at the very beginning of your career. And you're now an aged man in your early 40s. But that's going to be kind of fun, like to kind of like, so it's super cool. I love the idea of, it's very rare to get a chance to play one character over the entire, essentially course of your career.

If I had the chance to do that, and they're going to be so cool. Yeah. So, so cool. So hopefully we get to do it. Did you ever, this is the last track thing, I'm just curious. Have you ever read any of these other scripts that have come and gone, like the Noah Hawley or the not one? That's crazy. Yeah, you are the last to know.

You seem really cool with it, too. You're going to be directing soon? What's Poolman? I am. Pool Man. We start in June. We have Danny DeVito and have Benning and myself. That's a good start.

Yeah. Looking for actors. Come on board. Yeah, this was something. So as we were talking about producing in the beginning, a quarantine hit, and I had to have this idea for this film for a long time. and I looked for a writer to do it

and the writer kind of bailed and didn't have time for it and so my writing partner I sat down and we wrote it in about a month and a half and just started playing with it and over the past two years we've been rewriting and rewriting and rewriting

and you know it's definitely it's an ode to China town seeing through the lens of like a bottle rocket and maybe a smidge of Lobowski and a smidge of being there. It's absurd and heartfelt

and definitely wears its heart on its sleeve. And I'm ecstatic. I'm ecstatic and terrified to do it. Well, these are all good touchstones. You're swimming in the right pool if you're aspiring to hit those notes. Nice. Where are you at in terms of theater?

It's finally coming back to, life here. I'm about to see my first play in New York in two and a half years. I don't have you ever done the stage here. You haven't, right? You've done L.A. I did an off, off, off, off, Broadway, one-man show in 2006 called The Atheist. No kidding. Okay.

I don't know. You seem like Oh, Campbell Scott. I love him. You seem like the ultimate L.A. guy. I don't know where you're at, like your love affair. If you have a love affair with New York or not. Do you want to come back? I have a deep love affair with, with, you know. I was just there, actually. I saw my friends play. Patrick Adams play, take me out, which is incredible. So good. So good. So funny. Really, really

good. Good night out of the theater. Good time to spend after you haven't seen it. I love it. It was going to actually move there a long time ago, and then I started working and it never worked out. But, yeah, I mean, I could see myself. I would love to do theater, live there for a bit. Yeah. Nice. You're welcome anytime. As I said, we've improved the weather just for you. Last, just, it's all in me. Last thing, last time I spoke to you, I noticed and I didn't mention it. You had a flip phone. What's up with that?

Was that an ironic flip phone? Have you upgraded since then? What's, what's, I have a, I had a flip phone for four years. Okay. For three years. And then I just got an iPhone because I felt, uh, pummeled by, uh, how difficult being analog. It was very difficult.

Yeah. It was very difficult. And in fact, but having just gotten this crack machine, it's really bad. No, they're sucking our souls out. It's horrible. It's the worst. Really bad. Yeah.

I may immediately go back to a flip phone. I don't know if I can handle it. I don't know if my soul can handle it. No, I think it drops all of our IQs. Gosh, I used to fucking murdering these books. just 15 books in like three months just and then this showed up and it's I can say everything about Pete Davidson

and Kim Kardashian and say a fucking thing about literature I can't tell you a fucking thing about it but now you can play wordle you can go on TikTok all these pluses you oh I just want to vomit I hate myself such self-loathing about it I love the look You're ending speaking my language

My love language The self-loathing Again I can relate Chris thank you As always for the time I hope this wasn't too I hope my buffoonery Wasn't too painful for you

It was great It was great Congrats on the two new films And I look forward to seeing you When you finally Come to your senses I've moved to my time Absolutely thank you

And so ends another edition Of happy, sad, confused Remember to review rate and subscribe to this show on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm a big podcast person. I'm Daisy Ridley and I definitely wasn't personally do this by Josh. The Old West is an iconic period of American history and full of legendary figures whose names still resonate today. Like Jesse James, Billy the Kid and Butch and Sundance, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and Geronimo.

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