Happy Sad Confused - Domhnall Gleeson

Episode Date: January 11, 2016

The exceptionally talented, tall, and dashing Domhnall Gleeson dominated 2015 as an actor. Domhnall joins Josh this week to talk about his sketch comedy past, Brooklyn, Ex Machina, and portraying General Hux in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. There will be spoilers! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Visit rbc.com slash avion. Hey guys, this episode of Happy Say I Confused is brought to you by our friends at LuteCrate, the monthly subscription box for geeks, gamers, and pop culture nerds. We want to believe, with the revival of the X-Files that we've all been waiting for, there has never been a better time for an invasion, an alien invasion, that is. Packed with the thrill of an extraterrestrial encounter this month's Lute Crate features exclusive items from the X-Files, Alien, the Fifth Element, and space invaders, including a contest-winning shirt and a terrifyingly cute plush.

So hop into your power letter and grab your flashlight because the loot is out there. You have until the 19th at 9 p.m. Pacific to subscribe and receive that month's crate. And when the cutoff happens, that's it, guys. It's over. So go to lootcrate.com slash happy and enter the code happy to save $3 on your new subscription today. confused. I am Josh Horowitz, testing out my new greeting. Do you like it, Sammy? A new voice? Was that a new voice? The way I said hello. It was like, hello. Oh, that was before it was like, hello. I was just doing my vocal warm-up live on the podcast. I just was not expecting that at all. Well, it happened and we're living in that world right now where I made that

weird sound. I'm trying out new voices this year. Welcome to Happy Second Fused. I am Josh Horowitz. This is my podcast. This is where I chat to cool folks. I was going to say and Sammy. But no, you're a cool foe. Oh, thank you. Well, calm down. Um, this week's guest on the show is, um, the exceptionally talented, the, uh, tall dashing young man that is Donnell Gleason. Dominal. No. Domain hall. That's an easy mistake to, misstake to make, but you shouldn't make that mistake because it's just flat out wrong. Uh, it is spelled D-O-M-H-N-A-L, but it is pronounced, for the record, Donal. And we all should know that because he dominated 2015, like, other actor, maybe outside of

Alicia Vikander, also a guest, unhappi I'm confused. No, Donnell was in four films, not just four films, four really great films, this past year. You can probably still catch them in a bunch of them. Ex Machina came out early in the year showing up on a lot of people's ten best

lists. Brooklyn, which is one of my favorite films in the year, was on my top ten list. Her and Sercherainen. That's another one. Yeah. They only cast people in Brooklyn with unpronounceable names. It's true. Of course, also in The Revenant, which he came in specifically to promote on this podcast, which is the new, you know, Ritu film with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy,

and that's an intense ride of a film. And then, of course, Star Wars, Star Wars, the Force Awakens, which I've now seen five times. And, well, yeah, I had to see it again one more time before Donald came in. Oh, you did. Just, yeah. Just to get it in there. To really focus on his character. Kind of true, actually. I did. did. He plays General Hux, of course. And before we go any further, let me say this. Yes, there are Star Wars spoilers. I guess you can call them spoilers. Also, by the way, though, it's been out for like almost a month now. I agree. I don't know. Look, if you have a busy life, if you have a life period, unlike me, maybe you haven't gone around to it. That's cool.

If you have a life period, you're not listening to this podcast. No. What are you saying about my listeners? They are awesome people. I'm just kidding. No. So yes, we do get into some Star Wars spoilers in a funny way, like some silly questions that are really almost hysterical. I think he's awesome. I've interviewed him a bunch this past year for all those movies, and he also interesting.

You'll see, like, the whole interview is pretty lighthearted, but we talk a bunch about his sketch comedy past. Watch out Hiddleston. Did you know he had some sketch comedy in his past? No. Yes, he has kind of like a co-writer, and he's made a lot of comedy sketches for charity.

And if you go on to YouTube, as I did in my copious research, I found some legitimately really funny sketches, one of which we talk about extensively throughout the podcast, and I'll warn you right now. Another reason to get away if you are not into scatological humor is we talk. There's a sketch in which he poops into a bottle. He doesn't actually, you don't see the poop. Calm down. I'm calm.

Okay, you don't seem calm. I'm just like. You're absorbing. the moment. Because I feel like you're like trying to be so like delicate and delicate about it. He shits in a cup. But like also I feel like the listener should know that every single time Josh pitches anything, he immediately goes to a poop joke. It's kind of true. There's a lot. There's a lot. So it's like delicate about this. And then the second this goes off, you'd be like, let's do

sketching in Hathaway poops on the office. Hold on. Let me get a pen. It's amazing. That was good. It's true. I have no problem with poop humor. Whatever. You were, what all to say is you were probably extra excited about this. It's true, because I already loved him. And I think he's super charming, super talented. But then when I was looking up his sketches last night and I found a really good poop sketch, I was like, oh, we're both four years old. Sympatico, this is my soulmate.

And we will, by the way, we will do an after hour sketch. We talked about it a little bit during and after. So there's that. Oh, I also want to mention, I'll keep, I'm going to keep this in the, I'm not going to edit this out because Michael can feel shame about it. Michael, who you've heard on the intro to the podcast, the bunch, another close, collaborator on after hours and other things here. We were filming this interview for MTV, so we had cameras on, and Donal spotted Michael

on his phone device of some sort during the interview, and he gives him a little shit for that. So that's what you're going to hear when he lambasts a crew member that is poor old Michael, who was a little distracted for a moment. And no one's seen Michael since. No. He has been eliminated. He's no longer a problem.

That's all good. It's all good. All is forgiven. He said he was checking the time. Maybe he was. Let's give him the bathroom of this out. I got, like, 30 text messages from my old this morning. Saying, ugh, boring interview, help me.

Oh, they're talking about poop again. Get me out of here. So if you're into Star Wars and poop or this is the podcast for you. If you're into Star Wars and poop together. Then this is the mother load. That's the after hours, so to speak. No, this, I had a blast with this one. You guys should check out.

Honestly, I would recommend any of those four films. They're four of my favorite films of the year. If you had to pick one. Brooklyn ranked highest on my list of, like, that quote-unquote official list I put out there. So you're earned a list. But truly, they're all great. I asked for just one. Okay.

Well, well, fine. You've only seen two before, right? I've only seen two. Ex Machina and Star Wars. Okay. And Ex Machina, you were trying to convince me yesterday. I don't want to talk about it. Sammy was trying to convince me it was based on a play, which is just not right.

Any NYU drama students out there Can you back me up? One clap. Yeah. It's like my dad. She was right. It's okay. It's okay.

But not much else to say for this week, except to say, we can tease next week's show because it's been taped and it's another charming and young, talented actor I've talked to a lot over the years. Chloe Grace Moretz

is on the podcast next week. What a gem. She's great, right? You were there for that one. Yeah, she was really, she's like a cool time gal. You want to hang out with her. Way too well adjusted for a 19-year-old

last year-in-law is not. And she's a very nice voice. She does. Listeners will enjoy her voice. Okay, but that's next week. We'll get into that next week. Wait till you hear dumb, ah-hall. I mean, yeah, speaking about beautiful voices,

that Irish, that Irish ser shall revenin-like voice? Is that your Irish? That's my Irish. No, don't worry. I don't speak in that voice for the rest of the interview. So, go see the Revenant. It is now out wide, as they say in many theaters. And while you're at it,

See Star Wars for a 10th time and Ex Machina and Brooklyn and give Donald Gleason all your love because he deserves it. And search YouTube for that poop clip. Yeah, just Google or, yeah, YouTube, Donald Gleason, um, hilarity. I think it's called Hilarity for Charity is like the name of his like benefit thing. You'll, you'll find that soon enough. Um, but enough about other things to look at. Mm-hmm. Get your ears ready.

Here we go. I'm so excited. All right. Here's Donald Gleason. Party time. For the record, and for the record, we're podcasting too. Your full audio is going to be preserved forever. Good Lord.

It's going to be okay. I should have known my vocal warm-offs. No, it's okay, Donald. It's good to see you, man. Good to see you, too. I was doing the math. We've talked a bunch of this last year because you've been a very busy man, and I'm obligated through my job to talk to you.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're sort of a high-class prostitute. Who said high-class? Yeah, yeah, that's true. But in terms of just watching your work, I think I legitimately, I think I spent about 20 to 25 hours of my life last year watching your films.

That's way too much. That's way too much. That suggests you watched a few of them more than once. I may have seen Star Wars five times. Okay, that'll do much. Brooklyn twice. I'm still my first Revenant, but we're going to get back to it

because it's an amazing piece of work. And X Macon a couple times. So it's been a fun ride to at least tag along with you through these adventures That's good. I'm happy So first of all in my copious research Because we've never had this this this research Don't look my cards don't get my cards I'm right here's the creepy thing

You couldn't even print them out No here's the creepy thing what I do What I do is for the podcast listeners working at my horrible questions I write them out in my like six year old handwriting Yeah yeah and then I circle every This is a stretch. And then I circle every single question. There's no point to it.

Like, I circle literally every single question. There's one missing. Can I read the one that you circled? It's long takes. Long takes? It's just with the long takes. You didn't circle that. Well, I don't know why.

Sorry, I don't want to tell you he'll do your job. I'm trying to do it. No, you're not. All right. But in my copious research, because I'm familiar with your work, obviously, evidence of the 25 hours. But on the YouTube, if you go into the Donald-Gleason hole, I watched you I don't like that

Well it'll be appropriate when you see where I'm going Don't type that into you because some weird stuff comes up Well that's what I'm saying I saw you poop into a bottle Last night Yeah you know in Ireland I get I recognize for that About as much as I do for everything else

Is that true? That's true This has not permeated the American culture yet It needs to and I want to help spread the word of this There's some hilarious sketches that you've done Thank you very much Yeah yeah I did uh yeah So I wrote, a lot of those sketches are ones that I wrote with my friend for a TV show called Your Bad Self. Myself and my friend Michael write comedy sketches for that?

Yeah. For your bad self. And then we did a bunch afterwards that are kind of dirtier and more penis-based. I was going to say, and it was totally cool with me, but it did go to those places, I mean, the one with your dad. Is he the one with your dad the talk? Or was explaining sex to me? Oh, my God. My actual father?

Oh, my God. Rehearsing that was the funniest thing ever. Because he thinks, he thinks it's something very, it's pretty weirdly sexual, but he thinks that he understands it to be something to do that. And I realize that's how I was conceived. My mother's also in the room. That's not your actual mom, is it? No.

No, that's a brilliant actor called Kathy Bilton. She's wonderful. So she did us a favor. But that was actually to raise money for the hospice where my grandparents died. Oh my God. So both simultaneously really sweet. Like we raised like $75,000. Yeah.

Amazing because they really, you know, need money and all the rest of it. And then weird because, like, this is for my grandparents. Let's talk about fingering. We were gone there. Let's talk about fingering. That is strange. I hope you siphoned off a little money for your psychiatric bills, which are no doubt very high. My father.

My father's psychiatric bills. Yeah, yeah, we took plenty. Yeah, I saw that, the poop one, and I saw the paper cut, which is amazing. Thank you very much. Is that something you still keep coming back to? Are you going, you need to do more sketch comedy? Yeah, we'll do more this year. We raised, yeah, we raised like, because we raised like $75,000 the last time, and like it cost, I think about $3,000.

Like, I paid for them just to get the make. and everybody kind of work for free and everything but like there's still money involved getting it done right and so when when it makes like sense that the money we would put in would you know what I mean you get enough out on the far end of it that is not better to just give the money to the hospice in the first place right well so we'll yeah but we've got like a couple people said they'll do sketches for us and stuff which is a couple of really cool people so I think maybe we'll go back and do that well FYI my other other side of my life here I mean you've seen my interview

style which is borderline not a style but um six year old you said it essentially. But I do, we do a lot of sketches. It's called after hours and I do a ton of sketches. You're invited anytime you want to participate. Let's do something. Okay next time. You have to give a donation to the hospice. Like, uh, happily of some kind of body liquid or like an actual money. I was going to say $10, but then that makes me just have so cheap. 40 is about my cap of what I can afford now, so that's perfect. Yeah, okay, cool. Done, done, done. So, um, when you look back, okay, I know a lot of people are talking to you about this past year and this exceptional run that you've had of like some really crazy awesome films

does it feel like happenstance are just like I mean were they all scheduled at the same time to kind of come out this way or didn't feel like oh god Star Wars were like when can we really expect for you we just want to make sure that your career benefits yeah because is Brooklyn can maybe we could stick it in right after that oh Christmas week okay this worked out perfectly no no they um it's just totally coincidence like Revenant took like seven months to do Star Wars. I was only in for a few days, but that was right before the Revenue. So they were close together. But Brooklyn was before that, because Brooklyn was in Sundance this, like January a year ago. And then X Machina was done before that. So like it's, they were shot really far

spread out, and then it's just coincidence they look. I look like I've been more busy than I have been. Yeah. Do you, I mean, are you worried that, you know, Jude Law, that was the brunt of Chris Rock a few years ago at the Oscars? You could be the, the Jewelaw of this year at the Oscars. I don't do law. It's great. I'm more than happy to fulfill that. I think Juulow is probably at the Oscars.

That's the difference. You might get an invite? I didn't get an invite to the Globes. I'm not going to the Oscars. Oh God. Got awkward. I know. It's not right.

So you go from Star Wars, straight into Revenant. Is that an odd headspace to, you know, to change kind of rejigger the kind of work you're doing, the kind of environment you're in? Yeah, it would actually. But it worked out really, I didn't, you know, the dates on Revenant were difficult to work out, because it was such a long period. of time and I was doing a play in the middle of it and it had to work with the end of Star Wars so I didn't know you know it was like a you know kind of touch and go for a while sure and then and then when it happened actually I was into it so fast and we started with like this like a boot camp thing what are you laughing at you know I don't know I'm still thinking about you pooping into a cop I'm sorry okay sorry I shouldn't see it the phone make you think like that you don't look at your head don't worry it's okay it's all good okay boot camp yeah and so because we started with the boot camp once we were into it it was

was like, oh, okay, this is a really, there's no time to think about, to think about stuff. You just have to do it. And that was good, I think, for the part. So the script as it comes to you, I mean, does it like come with like a disclaimer, an attachment, a sticky that says, by the way, this is going to be hellish and that's the intent? It should have done. It should have done. Or did that read in the script? In the script where you're like, okay, clearly this is going to be hell in a way. The script was just like, weirdly, and I think this is the thing, it's difficult to explain to people that like it just all the stories about the revenants that I've heard that are kind of out there yeah are like how

horrible it was to shoot and how difficult it was and just how gruesome and there's all this crazy I actually find the film quite uplifting yeah right absolutely and I thought it doesn't feel nearly as long as what it is I feel like it really there's a rollicking aspect absolutely you're on a ride so when I was reading the script that like it was really like a page turner yeah which might say if you see the trailer that might sound weird I think possibly yeah So, no, it hadn't crossed my mind, but then Alejandro just, like, was kind of pretty direct with us about how difficult he wanted it to be, and then it was even way more difficult than that. He doesn't seem like the kind of, I've interviewed him a couple times, but even, and also reading the way he talks about his approach to filmmaking.

I don't think he doesn't cuddle actors necessarily. No, he does not. Is that something that, again, takes acclamation? Is that something that, like, his style was something that you got off on in a way and enjoyed? I mean, what was, give me a sense of working on that? How would you describe? First of all, it's very inspiring. Yeah.

Because he does, like, demand so much of everybody himself included and pushes everybody to a place where genuinely, you're like, wow, like, if I get there, it'll be amazing. Right. There's a possibility that I won't or that somebody else, you know what I mean? Like, just because you're being asked to be so much. You're not being asked. You're kind of just being directed to say, give that a shot.

Right. When you achieve that, you feel very, like the high is huge. huge. On the way home, you know the way, like, the days when work doesn't go well, the ride home afterwards is horrible. And we had plenty of those. Because we were shooting in this like hour and a half of light in the evening. Like the magic hour or whatever, yeah. Yeah, or tragic hour, or panic. Whatever you want to call it, depending on how well the day went. Like, as you're building up to that, there's this adrenaline of like before a play that you get like, okay, like, you know, we have to get it this time. Yeah. We can't just

reshoot or keep on going. That's interesting to me because I feel like I've often talk to actors also that talk about like needing to be in kind of like a very relaxed state in order to like get it to where they need to be yeah so is that contradictory or to kind of can it work both ways in that way you have to get like what you have to do is like find that moment of Zane and be prepared enough and have everything like this weird dance it's like you know like the first time learning a dance step yeah it's learn like Irish dancing when I was a kid you know and so doing all those is really really hard and you can't do anything except for trip over

your feet for the first kind of a few weeks. And then when you can do it and you begin to be able to talk and actually enjoy yourself and not express yourself, that sounds too, whatever, but like really enjoy it. Then it becomes something else. So that's what you're doing every day, is you're getting the steps down to make sure, because they're all choreographs, a lot of it in terms of how you move around, get around the camera, where you're going to be at what time. And then you begin to be able to relax into it. How long was the Irish dance sequence that was cut from the film? And is it, should I state for the credits? It was super long.

It was super long. Originally, they were going to have an intermission and they were going to screen it for people and then, but I was also going to tour around the country and just, and do the dance for people. That would have been wonderful. Yeah, I don't know why they canceled that. Market research.

I don't know. It was just odd. Yes, the Irish dancing scene was cut. Although I did play the fiddle. You did play, oh yeah, so let me ask you this. I'm curious. You work with some amazing, I mean, Will Polter, Leonardo, Tom Hardy, Again, some really interesting personalities in there too.

I mean, scale of 1 to 10, how crazy is Tom Hardy? Let's just get that out of the way. And I don't mean that in a negative way. A number won't do it. Right? Like a word, super. Maybe that would... He's an eccentric man.

I guess so. Yeah, no, he is. He is, but he's... Like he's gifted. Amazingly so. That makes him sound like he's all so simple. Simple Jack from Trump. Yeah, exactly.

That's not a good word. I'm sorry. Maybe could that. But he's amazing. And the places he goes to are incredible to see. And so there is crazy, really differing personalities on set. And that's one of the great things is when they all come together. And that's also the other thing. It's not like you can be selfish on your take or you can mess somebody else up when you're going.

Because when it's going, we're all in the one shot. You're not doing like overs and doing that sort of thing. So that meant that everybody had to be on this. same page when we were going. Even if you were totally against the other person, you're fighting for your guy, but it's within the constraints of this scene. I don't know how boring I am. It was just, it was interesting. So I'm curious also in terms of Leonardo, I feel like I'm all, I always either see him either intensely like researching or doing something on a film set or he's on a yacht somewhere. Have you been on ever been on a yacht

with Leonardo? Can you have you gotten that invite? No. You're trying to make me and desperate or pathetic? Which one? I guess I'm hoping that you can join the group. You're a weird way of getting me an invite. Yeah, and then hopefully me by extension eventually. It's all selfish. No, my all the way to come, John.

I love the water. The cats swim. Leo! What a wonderful story, Leonhardt. If anyone I want to save me. The Papps would love that. You and your little. Anyways.

Is there a blooper reel from the? of the film, The Revenants? What would that look like? There could be. Well, the thing was, there were, like, laughs to be had, like, lots of them. Because everybody there is also really funny. Like, Leo's really funny. Tom is really funny.

Tom knows some great jokes and tells them really well. Will, like, all those guys were hilarious. So there was lots of fun to be had, but, like, you could feel this hour and a half coming, where if you don't get to that place, and also the weather's changing all the time, too. So, like, you don't just have to be ready to do it as is if, like, a blizzard hits or everything suddenly goes really icy or the snow begins to melt. Right. You also have to be able to do it during that hour and a half in those. Precisely.

Yeah, exactly. So lots of last to be had, but not so much during the hour and a half. When you would screw up during one of these. Me? Hypothetically. If one would. I prefer it that way. One DiCaprio.

There you go. Not again. When one would mess up a take, and whether that's like moving to the left instead of the right or literally getting the line wrong, would you stop it? Or was it just sort of like keep it moving and maybe that could work? They didn't stop too often, yeah. Like what was the biggest mistake, dare I say, that you made if you did make one that you were kicking yourself for? No, I don't know.

There isn't one that stands out in my head where I was like, you know, like if you tripped and fell over in a scene, you could almost be guaranteed that was the one Alejandro was going to use. Right. So you should keep going, you don't stop ever. Like, you know, no one calls cut except for Alejandro. Got it. And no one stops doing it except for Alejandro.

And that's, you can feel that, you know. But again, it's the same as doing a play. Sure. If somebody messes up, it's up to the rest of the people there to work around it. Yeah, to integrate it and to make that work. And sometimes that energy ends up being really amazing. Yeah. So, yeah, it, they were actually pretty.

forgiving of if, okay, a step here or step there. It's like everyone understood we were in crazy conditions. But it was also like and you got to know the process a little bit better as it went along as well. Let's talk a little Star Wars. Sure. It's been I've seen it five times.

Really? Yeah. That's good. Why is that of surprise? You're the reason that's like number one. That's great. I'm $50 of the billion dollars and made in the weekend. No, it's an amazing piece of work and I agree. Well, talk to me first about getting involved in it was it a meeting with JJ and Lawrence Kasden was there a

script or did you know it was all those things it was a meeting with JJ and Lawrence Kasden which first of all just really exciting JJ obviously is wonderful Lawrence Kazan has been like a legend in the business for an incredibly long time and meeting them was a huge thing but like I don't know if I told you before like the the table before the table read oh yeah oh yeah oh that's right yes yes I lied to your face yeah the the thing of Bob the table read was like the day after my meeting with them. So the decision had to be made

that evening and so I was like I feel weird signing up for a job and not reading the script sure that felt and then they said well the script is inside you can read it and that was really nice because a lot of evil you know what I mean unless you were absolutely doing the film you know what I mean you weren't allowed to read the script so that was nice of them to let me read it and

are you checking your phone are you checking your phone just for time we are talking about Star Wars you've got to watch he's got a watch and he's got a watch He's checking his phone for the, yeah, right. Guys, get on the game. That's how I know when my answer is boring, but I just see the guy just,

gaze around. At least it wasn't me. You should do, like, those really, like, I feel like, I feel like. It seems like it's, no, it's working. Really slowly. Good Lord. Time has slowed.

So wait, did before, okay, so in this kind of gray area, when you're about to, like, say yes, and they finally show you the script, what did they describe the character as to you in the initial meeting? They said he wanted power and he was intent on getting it,

that he had a cool speech. And that, you know, and that was it, really. Like, you know what I mean? Like, they were talking about the film a lot and what they wanted it to be and what it was going to be, and that was fascinating. And, like, really, you want to do stuff

that's different to what you've done before and you want to be part of things which are really good. and, like, it felt like it had a really good chance of being really good. Did you follow the rumors along the way? Because I feel like at some point there was conjecture of every character

who everyone was going to play. I feel like there was, oh, he's obviously going to play Luke's son or whatever. I mean, were you aware? I got asked that question a couple of times just out and about. And so, yeah, I was aware that that was a thing. But you can't say, you can't even give a wry smile

to any question about Star Wars. Because if somebody says, oh, I'm pretty sure that maybe you kill that another. guy and then he tabs you back and if you're like then they're like oh my god that's a tail you know like so so you've got to be careful with that um i have some burning questions after having seen the film five times that i feel like only you can answer oh no well i won't be able to answer them we've been through this before but now we've now i've now the movies out there and we can talk no but you ask me questions about star was the history yeah that was embarrassing

did you fake it that your ignorance or was that an actual was that actual star wars ignorance no i'm not good once i do something i forget everything that must be convenient that's It's good. It's actually really good for moving on to the next job. It is really good. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. What are ventral canons? Look. What are the ventral canons? What do you think they are?

Because it's one of my favorite lines. It's when I get really aggressive. What do you think ventral canons are? It's one of my favorite lines of the year. What is it ready to ventral canons? Something like that. It's fantastic. Get the... Get those ventral canons.

Where are those ventral canons? Yeah. Time for a quick break to tell you that this episode of Happy Sank and Fused is brought to you by our friends over at LuteCrate. Would you classify yourself as a geek, gamer, or pop culture nerd? Well, then this is the subscription box for you, my friends. For less than $20 a month, you get six to eight items of gamer and pop culture licensed gear, apparel, collectibles, unique one-of-a-kind items, and more. Make sure to head to luetcrate.com slash happy and enter the code happy to save $3 on any new subscription. We want to believe, with the revival of the X-Files that we've all been waiting for,

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Remember, you have only till the 19th at 9 p.m. Pacific to subscribe and receive that month's crate, and when the cutoff happens, that's it, guys. It's over. So go to lootcrate.com slash happy. Enter code happy to save $3 on your new subscription today. Here's what This occurred to me Speaking of the read-through

So that picture came out And there was all this conjecture So now having seen the film What did Mark Hamill do During the read-through I don't know if I'm allowed to talk about that But what he did was cool What does that mean?

Roy grin How do it What? Okay Is Supreme Leader Snoke a giant or a tiny man? Hello? Do we lose audio? Do we lose don't know? Check your phone.

Do you know the answer to that? I'm not, I can't tell you anything. Tell me the circumstances of making, the big speech. Yeah. Tell me the circumstances of that. Because that, I feel like you obviously have to go for it and something like that. That's a big moment. Yeah. Like, you're pitching it at a, you know, a high level. I would feel like, what are you looking at? Like, what's the They had loads and loads and loads of stormtroopers.

That helps. Yeah, because it gave you a sense of scale about how many people this is supposed to reach and what it's supposed to do to people, you know what I mean? The fact that he says, you know, would you have built? It's supposed to be a very proud moment for everybody, you know, like in rabble-rousing despite the fact that it's about to cause untold chaos. So that was really useful and I was so happy they did that, that they got in so many, you know, extras and all that sort of stuff.

Do we know Hux's first name? General. That's a coincidence. That's... It's General, General Hux. I'm great with that V. Yeah, yeah. And the reason he's risen up to the rank so quickly

is just because his first name's general. Yeah, because you don't want to be General Lieutenant Hux. Yeah, yeah. I guess that would work because that's a natural call. That would be fine. Yeah, yeah. But what's like the lowest rank? And soon...

Foot soldier General Hux. Yeah, yeah. Like, that's not going to... That's not going to cut it. That might explain his anger towards the world. That was the thing that JJ talked about, was the fact that he was young and that the fact that he, if, for anybody to get to the top of, to a position like that, you have to have really, I mean, it goes for politics or anything. And he's obviously moved up through that side of things, you know, that to get that high up at any point in your life, it means you have really been, I mean, you have to have cut throats in the way up, basically. Exactly.

And to do it, to get there younger, it just means that there's a level of ruthless. Yes, yes, yes, yeah, yeah, and just, and all that matters is one thing, and then a paranoia which goes with that, because if you've done that, right, then that means that there are probably people who don't like you so. And you know how diabolical, if you're that diabolical, you know, everybody else's... That the world can be there, yeah, yeah, yeah, that you're protecting, you're protecting your place all the time. You're not just got your eyes fixed and going up, the thought of going down is like the worst. Totally. So I really liked that, you know, I thought that was kind of interesting. You and Kylo are an adorable pair.

It's a sweet, it's a sweet relationship between the two of you. Yeah. Are you talking about Hoax and Kylo, or you're talking about Donal and Adam? No, I don't care about the real people. I'm talking about the fake characters in my fantasy world. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

The best world. But was that kind of fun to establish that? Because that's the key relationship for your character in the film. That's what you're working off of. It's kind of petulance from both sides in a way. Yeah, because obviously I'm impervious. in some ways. I mean, to talk like that to somebody that powerful, I think, suggests, you know what I mean? Like, you just think, well, okay, so they're not, this isn't as

straightforward as it might have been, you know, and I really, really like that just in terms of a dynamic moving forward of that not being set in stone. I think that was really important. And then also somebody who can challenge him. Right. You know, Kyle doesn't get all his own way. I think that's important too. Have you seen the script for the next one? Yes. I mean, the actual pages or just the cover page? They just show it to you from a distance. No, no, I've seen the script. Okay. Yeah, yeah, it's excellent.

Ryan's, like, he's great. I mean, honestly, it's great. I mean, I obviously love the Force Awakens, but the fact that Ryan is doing this. And in that way, like, we're now, like, we're reset. You know, Star Wars is safe hands, and now someone like Ryan can kind of, like, screw with it in a weird way to a degree.

If he wants to, yeah. But he's like, he's just, he's a proper filmmaker. I think that's what you want, you know. You want real filmmakers making them, and I think that that's just suit. really, really cool. So let's go back a little bit in terms of your development as an actor

and as the wonderful young man that I see before me today that pooped into a bottle once. How you doing? You know that that was fiction. That wasn't a documentary that you saw. You have to understand that your images have power and that when you commit something to film,

they will have repercussions on an impressionable young man. What's the thing in the social network? The internet's not written in pencil. all it's written in ink. Yes. Yes. Exactly. So I wrote that poo in ink.

That's a whole other sketch. Yeah, yeah. It's the sequel. Yeah, yeah, like Blood Brothers. You know the way they write like a death note in their own blood? A whole other level was to do it in printers. Dipping. So did you spend a lot of time on the set of your dad's films growing up?

Like, were you... It's just weird segue, but sure. No, I didn't spend a lot of time, but I got to see a big army thing where they were firing lots of arrows. I was in Braveheart, which was amazing. Yeah. And I got to see him on the set of a thing called the Treaty, which was a thing where he played Michael Collins. Oh, nice.

He was a kind of an Irish. He was a leader in Ireland who fell on one side of the treaty, which was very interesting, but he was a very powerful figure. My father was playing him, his hair was died. You know, it was like weird seeing your dad in a different mode. So they were the two that I remember, and I remember there being free biscuits. And you said, this is the life for me?

whatever it takes whatever it takes but that's not necessarily how it panned out obviously like you I mean it panned out eventually but like it took you a while to kind of decide that you wanted to you think like you're like you're like what were you doing for since you were seven until you were 22 kind of yeah wasting time exactly eating biscuits losing the weight no no it was uh yeah I didn't really want to why why is that I it was uh I've got a feeling the face I just did was probably ridiculous and the the the the the the It just, I knew that it could be cool, but I also knew that it would be a really difficult life.

Like the odds of making a living as an actor, being able to pay rent are much lower than in most other jobs. Like the percentage out of work at any one time or just through the roof. And also my father was well known and was brilliant. And you don't match yourself up against your father. That would be stupid. But it is, you're like, you know, you want to create your own,

path or whatever. And so I was interested in writing and directing because I loved films and I loved telling stories. When people tell me a good story, I'm so happy. And whether that's like a sketch or whether that's a full-end feature film or it's a book or whatever else, it just makes me so happy. And I thought I'd be really interested in doing that, being involved in that. And then I read a script by Martin McDonough and it was just like the best thing ever. And that was the play. That was the play that I ended up doing in New York. Yeah. And it was like, that was, I was like, I was like, I could do this. I think I could, yeah, so that was kind of exciting.

I mean, talk about turning points. I mean, you get nominated for a Tony that's a hugely celebrated play and performance. So that's kind of immediate validation and you're hooked on the biscuits and the validation by then, I would think. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I was, yeah. And it wasn't just, like, it wasn't like a hook

that was, you know, it wasn't a specific, they weren't specific hooks, they were general hooks. Oh, no. No, no, Donald, no. Why would you do that? How long was that building? I felt like you started. Somebody said it to me my accident the other day.

I was talking about the hooks that I needed in my apartment. And they were like, no, no, you don't need bathroom hooks. You need general hooks. And it was an accident. And so I saw the opportunity, but I took such a long way around. It only works with your accident. I couldn't do it. Oh, no.

It didn't even work in my accident. Well, something happened. I know. We were there. We all witnessed that. Is it colder in here? It seems like it got colder. So what were...

God, almighty. What were, um... So what were the... What were the films and stuff that you were obsessed with as a kid then? Like what you talked about loving storytelling? What were, what was your dad? What were you into? I remember, I remember not being able to watch E.T. again because I felt so,

like it made me feel so deeply when I saw it. That I remember thinking, I'm not sure I can go through that again. You know, like Bambi being the same. I loved Mary Poppins. Loved Mary Poppins. I think that's a little strange. like you really loved it. I loved, not the film, the woman.

I'm looking for my Mary Poppins last. Yeah, exactly. Where are you? Yeah, where's your massive bag with all the stuff inside it? It just goes on forever. Yeah, so like that was, and then anything which made me laugh, anything which made me laugh.

Wait, they're doing the Mary Poppins movie. You could do the whole Dick Van Dyke thing. They're remaking it? Yeah, I think they are. Jeepers, whoever's got to take over from Dick Van Dyke, that's gonna be tough. You could be a good chimney sweep. You could do it.

I could, I would love that. I would love to be a chimney sweep, But that, jeepers, that's going to be difficult. Well, in your way, you said jeepers. I mean, that's... I'm already in character. That's half the audition. Chim chimney.

Chimony, that's going to be tough. So, get, Mary Poppins. Yeah, so I loved those when I was, you know, when I was a kid. Like, I loved those. And then started liking bits of sci-fi and... Yeah, like, the Cohn brothers, pretty early, I was like, because I was just... I was hooked on that.

would you say it was he you should cut that earlier bit because that's the word joke because I knew it was and I kept going I thought if I stopped talking now I didn't really though there was pity

self pity in my eyes yeah the cone brothers that that way of of me like Miller's Crossing was like yes so funny and then and then like I still think like

that relationship that kind of is like between the two of them Joel and Ethan you're saying or in that film no in the film like the kind of

three thing between you know I just thought that was amazing yeah they're kind of the best filmmakers going and happened

for quite some time and you got an opportunity to work with them in true grit yeah yeah and you don't already work with Jeff, Jeff Ridges

yeah in much heralded a dog gear movie yeah I don't know I didn't even see it but I'm sure it's wonderful it is

he's brilliant he's brilliant in it Of course he is. He's always brilliant. I know. I know. That's kind of what it comes to happy, isn't it? Yeah.

And I love true grip, by the way. That's another brilliant one. Was that by that time had, I mean, did you ever kind of go through the stage of kind of like getting over nerds? Because it's interesting that like you start your... I'm just thinking about the terrible joke. I'm sorry. It's okay. I'm sorry.

So it's all good thoughts. It's all positive. Sorry, what was... Well, I guess the question is like you start your career doing... Off Broadway or Broadway is Broadway, I guess, for Tony's. So yeah. Yeah. and you're, that's a major kind of production.

I was in London first. Okay. And when I was 19, and then I finished college. And then, like, two or three years later, I went to Broadway. It was weird. They, like, took people from different roles from the thing. I guess my question is, like, when did you kind of, like, get... That's a huge way to, like, break into the business.

And, like, you didn't... It sounds like you didn't really have an opportunity to kind of, like, work out the kinks and, like, get over your nerves. What are you trying to say? To get through all your kinky... It just seems like, you know, like, yeah, it just seems like, you know, Like, yeah, it just seems like you never had an opportunity to develop. No, I didn't mean that.

It just feels like you sit here. I mean more like nerves. If I was like starting acting, I feel like the first, if I... No, that's the crazy thing about youth, you know? I read the script and I knew the script was amazing. Yeah. And you feel bulletproof. Right.

You know, there's like, in this Julian Casablanck, it's on a bulletproof glass. Like, that's just what it is. It's like, you just feel impervious to everything because you know it's what you love. Right. And so if other people don't like it, that has to be okay. So you walk out with a certain feeling of invincibility when you're 19. And then... Now you've been beaten down, though.

No, no. And after that, there are... When you start dealing with... Because every job can't be written by Martin McDonough. Exactly, yeah, yeah. So then you're like... Then you realize that you're really... That you really put yourself out there every time.

Right. And that you can fail. So coming off of that, for instance, I mean, you weren't failing, but you weren't getting the opportunities it sounds like no and like some of the jobs I were doing you know what I mean like just that the quality wasn't as good and that's okay like I that was where I start went back like reverse to where most people begin and had to do that and it was really weird because in the back of your head there's this peak yes and you're like but I know that I can do that if I you know if I can get an

opportunity but I but I I wasn't good enough or I didn't get the opportunities but I think maybe I just wasn't good enough enough things right to go to stay up there for a while. So it was like, it was climbing back up. So it was a horrible metaphor. No, but I mean, I guess then, you know, analyzing it as clinically as possible, was it Anna Karenina that kind of like got you back in,

in terms of like, okay, now I'm getting the material of the level. There was a couple of things. I had done that sketch show, which weirdly was great because I thought actually I think that I'm okay at this, right? I had done a film called Sensation, which is very big deal for me. Because of my first lead. And then, and I got on very well with the director

and it was a very close relationship, and I saw what a relationship with the director can be like in terms of just building something together and challenging each other at the same time. And then Joe did push me into a different level and a different area of what I was comfortable doing in terms of just opening yourself up to being in love or, you know what I mean?

And doing those sorts of roles, which I didn't really think I'd ever be considered for. So that was a massive thing. About time, which I know you have a lot pride in it, And I'm a big fan of that one. And it has, you know, it didn't do the commercial success it should have done here in the States. But, like, I feel like it's found its audience or is finding its audience, right? It seems to have people talk to me about it all the time.

It's really nice. So was that, because talking about kind of like exploring stuff that you had it yet and maybe you hadn't imagined yourself as kind of like the quote-unquote leading man or romantic comedy leading man. But, like, stepping up into that role, that's a very specific kind of performance and acting. role that very few people have been able to accomplish and I think you did an excellent excellent job but like do you are you always kind of thinking okay like what would you grant do what would Tom Hanks no you have to do your version of it because they're both amazing like

I don't think weirdly despite the fact that Tom Hanks has however many Oscars and Hugh Grant isn't like the most you know what I mean the top selling things ever like uh I don't think enough credit is given I mean just in terms of how I guarantee they work like demons on getting to the place where it looks effortless. Because, yeah, they're less chameleon-like than they are making it look natural and easy. Exactly, and so you think, well, I mean, they're just gifted.

They're just really good at that one thing. They're just really good at that thing. And I don't think that's the case. I think it takes huge many worse. But you have to do your own version of it. So that's kind of what I was concentrating on, was trying to do a version in the film where it would be believable

while I was doing would be believable and would mean something. So that took a bit of figuring out, you know. You just worked, or relatively recently, worked with a couple people I'm fascinated by, Doug Lyman is another kind of crazy, amazing, talented guy. Yeah, I know. He's just, he's incredible.

So did he do, because I know he's one of these filmmakers that is a little, you know, like everything's in the shot and everything's like fluid and that kind of thing. Was it that, I mean, I guess after, you know, Ritu, you're like, I can do this, whatever. No, that's the thing is you get challenged every time. And, like, that's what keeps it so exciting, you know? Like, the challenges keep on being different. And so Doug is like, just whatever is the best version, get rid of what was there before and let's try the best version and then is this the best version and if not then let's get something

better right or try something different at least and I just love that I mean there's a like you say there's a fluidity to that but there's a chaos that yes and he just embraces the chaos he causes chaos right you know what I mean like if you explode everything maybe you'll find the little brilliant bits in there right are horrible metaphor you're a master good lord what am I doing Tom Cruise isn't that one yes it's the same thing like is always just going to like everything else out of the way and let's just get the best thing and like that was really inspiring I was only in like a couple times a week on that sort of thing so it was good because you get like a break yes once you walk on

it's go go go go best thing best thing best thing and but really good fun actually I think that film is going to be really fun is um which is cool so are you looking for some slightly easier jobs because you've had some some tough ones in rewarding ways but they've been tough yeah yeah it would be yeah you think well no but you just want to be excited when you go to work yeah And nervous. I think you should be both those things when you're going to work.

So I did this comedy crash pad like in October with Thomas Hayden Church and Nina Doberoff and Christina Applegate who were all just brilliant at being funny and great. So that was good. It was nice to do that. That was a different sort of film.

I feel like you could be good casting you again. You've already got the Mary Poppins reboot. Congratulations. Thank you so much. But it's to play Mary. Well, you can do it all. It's a one man, Mary Poppins. Oh, no.

No, and dropping the chimney and then running over. I'd like to see you a Woody Allen protagonist. I feel like you could do that. That would be awesome, yeah. Right? Yeah, yeah, that would be awesome. I would love that. Are you fan of Woody's?

Is that something that? A huge fan of his work. Huge fan of his work. Favorite Woody Allen movie? Or one or two? This defines a human being. I cried, I'd seen Manhattan before, but I watched it. I made the huge mistake of watching it on an airplane and, like, weeping.

I'm like, look at me. Like, real messy weeping. God, she's gonna go to me. I did that with terms of a German on a plane last year. It was just like, it was just horrible. Yeah, that's rough, that's rough. But I, no, I'm like, Annie Hall is, but I went through a thing, actually,

when we were making Harry Potter, I tried to watch all his movies. Oh, nice. That was the thing that I said myself. I realized I'd only seen two or three, so like I watched all of them. So, yeah, so I love. As a comedy guy, I feel like you would appreciate,

have you seen Love and Death? Yes, yeah, love and death is incredible. Yeah, yeah. But, yeah, Hannah and her sisters as well. Yeah, so, like, anyway, they're all amazing. As we wrap up, so what's coming up next? Do you know, are you taking a break after you've shoved four films down our throats in 2015? What can be...

It's disgusting. It sounds like the Samuel L. Jackson speech in Eighthful Eight. That's what I was going for. Yeah. I have seen it twice recently, so maybe it's there. Oh, God. No, it's not kidding to you that way. No, no, no, it's fine.

How many films am I going to see of yours this year? Possibly none. What? What am I supposed to do? Mena is scheduled. Yeah, yeah, what, 25 hours? They only employ me to talk to you. I don't do anything else.

Watch the rest of the sketch is just on a loop. Okay. That'll be enough penis jokes to last your lifetime. I don't know. I need a lot. I think, because Mena's not due to come out until Christmas, I think. And then Crashpad, I'm not sure when it'll come out. They're editing that at the moment.

So, yeah, I don't know. Perhaps none. Perhaps none. And getting back to generally Huxing soon, hopefully. Yeah, I don't know if I'm supposed to talk about that stuff. I don't know. Yeah, I don't know. Yeah, I don't know.

We'll see. That joke was just awful. No, it was fantastic. I thought I'll take a risk. And some, this is the whole thing you have to. Some risks don't pay off. Clearly. I know, and you have to be okay with that.

You just move on with your life, so I'm going to move on. You don't seem okay with it. No, but now I'm okay. The interview has been talking about the shitty joke you made. You think about how you let yourself down. You take that on board. You learn from your mistake. Are you going to be thinking about this tonight?

And then you just be like, no, no, no, I'm leaving it here in this room with you to stink up the place. I'm going to be thinking about you pooping tonight, so I want you to be thinking about General Huxing. That's, whatever it gets you off. That's fine. Don't know what's good to see you. Yeah, you too. Always a pleasure. Hey guys, here are some things you could learn by listening to The Cracked Podcast.

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Check us out on Earwolf.com, Howl, or your favorite podcast app. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. This has been a Wolfpop production. Executive produced by Paul Shear, Adam Sacks, Chris Bannon, and Matt Goreley. For more information and content, visit Wolfpop.com. I'm Amy Nicholson, the film critic for the LA Times. And I'm Paul Shear, an actor, writer, and director. You might know me from The League, Veep, or my non-eligible for Academy Award role in Twisters.

We love movies, and we come at them from different perspectives. Yeah, like Amy thinks that, you know, Joe Pesci was miscast in Goodfellas, and I don't. He's too old. Let's not forget that Paul thinks that Dude, too, is overrated. It is. Anyway, despite this, we come together to host Unspooled, a podcast where we talk about good movies, critical hits. Fan favorites, must-season, and case you miss them. We're talking Parasite the Home Alone.

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