Happy Sad Confused - Kumail Nanjiani, Vol. II

Episode Date: December 13, 2022

It's been 5 years since Kumail Nanjiani was on HAPPY SAD CONFUSED and there's a lot to catch up on -- joining Marvel with ETERNALS, STAR WARS with OBI-WAN KENOBI, not to mention his latest, dramatic t...urn in WELCOME TO CHIPPENDALES. To watch episodes of Happy Sad Confused, subscribe to Josh's youtube channel here! Check out the Happy Sad Confused patreon here! We've got discount codes to live events, merch, early access, exclusive episodes of GAME NIGHT, video versions of the podcast, and more! Come see Josh tape LIVE Happy Sad Confused conversations in New York City! December 16th with James Corden! Tickets available here! December 19th with Daniel Craig! Tickets available here! For all of your media headlines remember to subscribe to The Wakeup newsletter here! Thanks to our sponsors! ATHLETIC GREENS: athleticgreens.com/hsc EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/happysad Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:01:32 Happy, sad, confused begins now. Today on Happy Sayer Confused, Kumail Nanjiani, on Marvel, Star Wars, and going dramatic with Welcome to Chippendales. Hey guys, I'm Josh Horowitz, and welcome to another edition of Happy, Sad, Confused. Yes, a great conversation with a funny, smart dude, Mr. Kumail Nanjani. That is the main event on today's show, and you're going to get your money's worth. We're going to nerd out. You're going to hear us talking about his great dramatic turn, and welcome to Chippendales.
Starting point is 00:02:08 And, yeah, it's a good one, taped live at 92 NY in New York City. But before we get to that, let me just update you quickly on the other adventures in Josh Hardrow's happy, say, I confused land. I have returned from London slash Pandora for the world premiere of Avatar, The Way of Water. The world and you are probably about to see it. It's about to open. You may have heard the buzz, which is all true. It is freaking awesome. James Cameron has delivered again.
Starting point is 00:02:41 I just think he puts other filmmakers the shame. No one does it like James Cameron. We'll be talking about this one for it in the weeks and months to come. But suffice it to say, I have seen it twice. Yeah, you can hate me. And, man, this one was worth the wait. As was this trip to London, which was a big full circle moment for me. I was there in London 13 years ago for the premiere of the first film.
Starting point is 00:03:06 Did a ton with that cast and Cameron, and to get to see them all again, 13 years later, was just a really satisfying experience. I do have an interview with Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana dropping on MTV's platforms this Friday. Also this Friday, a podcast, a bonus podcast this week will be dropping with Kate Wurth. Winslet, Cape Frickin' Winslet guys. First-time guest on Happy Sank and Fuse, one of the best actors on the planet. And she is a straight shooter, folks. It is just fantastic to reminisce with her about her collaborations with Cameron. Of course, a lot on Titanic, actually, and much more. You guys are going to love that one. I was just a big bucket list conversation for me. And maybe more to come on the avatar front. I am working some other angles, some other folks,
Starting point is 00:03:58 Stay tuned. We have a couple big events coming up in New York City before the end of the year. I want to mention December 16th, Friday night, James Corden. Yeah, James Corden. Late Night Talk Show host, James Corden, entering his final year of hosting the Late Late Show is going to be joining me. I've never done a big conversation with him. I met him once on a red carpet.
Starting point is 00:04:19 He couldn't have been lovelier to me. I'm really excited for this one. He is acting in the new series, Mammals. So we're going to talk about his acting, the talk show, everything. If you want tickets for that, the link and all the information is in the show notes. And then next week on December 19th, man, we are ending this year on a big note, maybe my last big conversation of the year. It's a good one, Daniel Craig, guys.
Starting point is 00:04:42 Daniel Craig is going to be on the stage at 92 NY for a career conversation. We're going to screen Glass Onion on the big screen beforehand, which is a treat in and of itself. I will say tickets have been going really fast for this one. I think this one is going to sell out, but there are some seats available. So get in on that. That is going to be a big, high-energy night, which I am so stoked for. So James Corden, Daniel Craig, all the info in the show notes. As always, please subscribe to the YouTube page, YouTube.com slash Josh Horowitz.
Starting point is 00:05:14 You can watch my Kumil conversation there. You can subscribe so you don't miss a thing. And of course, if you want the early access to all the podcasts, all the videos, the discount codes, all the good stuff, go to our Patreon. Patreon.com slash happy, sad, confused. Okay, let's go to the main event. So this is a conversation with Kumail Nanjani, who, of course, I don't have to sell you on.
Starting point is 00:05:39 The guy can do it all. He has had such an amazing career. He was on the podcast five years ago, and to see where he's gone in those five years is remarkable Academy Award nominated for the Big Sick. Of course, Silicon Valley, an amazing stand-up career. And then in recent years, Eternals, Star Wars,
Starting point is 00:05:58 and now in his biggest departure yet, this great new limited series on Hulu, welcome to Chippendales. It is a dark, sordid tale about the founding of the Chippendales nightclubs. And it's a Kumal you've never seen before. This is not affable fun Kumal. This is a dark, true crime story.
Starting point is 00:06:17 Don't read the Wikipedia entry. Be surprised. Go in knowing as little as possible. But enjoy it. There are a bunch of episodes already. out. I've watched the whole series, and I highly, highly recommend it. This is a great chat, though. I always love talking to Kumail. He is a like-minded movie nerd, genre nerd, so he is easy to chat with and obviously just one of the funniest dudes around. So I'm going to take you live back when
Starting point is 00:06:45 it was live on the stage of 92NY. Enjoy this conversation between me and Kumail Nanjani. Hi, thank you. Thank you. How's everyone doing individually? One at a time. Thank you. Thank you for coming. Yes, thank you guys. Welcome to a live edition of Happy Second Feast. We love doing these live at 92 NY. Last time you were on the podcast, Kumil, it was my dingy little office. So we're trying to spruce it up a little bit. Give some love. You've done a great job. I mean, this is a... gorgeous space. Thank you. This is your office now? You like what I did with the place? Yeah, which way does your desk face there or there? I like to face this way, so I can see nothing. I do need to get my Vigo the Carpathian poster in this space, though. I miss it. I miss it terribly. Sadly, Kumail did not agree to do the Chippendale's dance on the way out.
Starting point is 00:07:43 I thought we agreed to that. My parents are here, so. He's telling the truth, guys. His parents are here. Let's give it up for Kumail Nanjani's parents. No, we, oh, was that the secret word to get the lights working? Yes. Kamel Nanjiani's parents was the password. Yeah, and it never works in other contexts with other guests, but finally it works today. Right, Chris Evans was like, why are you talking about his parents? I did have the unique privilege of witnessing a back and forth.
Starting point is 00:08:15 I don't want to reveal secrets, but you did just talk to your parents about this show. I don't know if you've talked to them a lot since they've seen the show. Is it a little nerve-wracking? because this is a different, darker Kumal than they're used to seeing. Yeah. Well, I mean, they've seen a lot of different sides of Camel. Sure.
Starting point is 00:08:32 On screen. They were there, day one. So they've seen all of it. Yeah, it was very sweet. They love the show. They watch it as soon as it comes out. So when I was telling my parents, like, today is Thursday.
Starting point is 00:08:46 I was like, I don't know if you've seen an episode for it. They're like, oh, we've seen it. They see it as soon as it comes out. It's very sweet. And my mom told me, she's like, I just have a hard time watching you going through difficulties. So it's like very, it's, and I was like, I'll strap in, it gets worse. But I just love that they, that they watch the show and love it.
Starting point is 00:09:05 So thank you. Thank you for watching it. And even though it's maybe not something that they would have watched if I wasn't in it. Right, right. Who would think that a show set in the 80s in a strip club would be sorted at all, that there would be darkness to it? You would think that would just be sweetness all around, right? Right, right. No closets, no skeletons in those closets.
Starting point is 00:09:26 Exactly. But, okay, let's get one of the narratives out of the way, because I think, like, myself, I was victim to this, a lot of people were victim to this. When they heard that you were in a Chippendale show, they're like, okay, let's put two and two together. We know Kumail's now in this crazy shape, Chippendales, but you went the other way in this. Yeah, I decided to be the only one not taking my clothes off. So there's no, just to spoil it, I've seen the entire show, it's great. episode four there's no like dream sequence where Steve is suddenly buff that's not coming actually Rob the creator is here and for a while right at the end
Starting point is 00:10:00 there was going to be a dream sequence where Steve like like dances on the Chippendale stage really I fought it but we've seen your dance moves in Eternals you've got it yeah I think that's enough for everybody no I think that's more than enough I don't think anybody wants more of that. No, I focused grouped it in the Horowitz family. We all need it. Oh, yeah? Horowitz says are on board,
Starting point is 00:10:23 where the Nongiyanis are thrilled I'm not doing it. Steve, as this audience can tell, for those that have been watching the show, he is kind of a miserable guy. He's not comfortable in his own skin. He's not happy with his life. He's seeking the American dream in all, he's making every wrong choice imaginable.
Starting point is 00:10:45 Why are you subjecting yourself to this, headspace for what, six months, I would imagine, of shooting. Yeah, it was a long time? Well, I want to ask, how many people was that the first time that you watched that episode? Okay, so, for a lot of people. Great, I'm glad we showed the first episode. It's, I hope you enjoy the show. Please keep watching it because it really, thank you.
Starting point is 00:11:06 There we go, yeah. It really gets more and more intense as it goes, you know. I just never gotten to play a character like this, you know? I get to play, listen, I have a very charm life, I get to play, like, fun, funny characters, you know, like in Eternals, that job, I had a great time. That was a very easy job for me. I just had to show. Everyone else was crying and screaming at the heavens, and I was like, just shooting things from my fingers. Yeah. It was amazing. And you've literally been studying for that your entire life. My entire life, since I was a little kid, I was preparing to be in Eternals, really was.
Starting point is 00:11:43 And so that's, it's been really, really fun. But when this came along, I was, honestly, I was like, you know, first of all, I want to thank Rob Segal, the creator of this show, who thought that I could do this, you know. I don't get these opportunities. And he was like, I think you can do this. So him having confidence in me made me want to do it. My favorite shows aren't comedies.
Starting point is 00:12:06 My favorite shows are like very dark things. Like, you know, I think a lot about, you know, Breaking Bad is one of my favorite shows, one of everybody's favorite shows. And I was like, if I get a chance to do my own version of Breaking Bad in eight episodes instead of, you know, however many seasons they did, I was like, I can't pass it up. And genuinely, one of my heroes is Robin Williams, you know, my parents can attest to that since I was a kid. I watched the Popeye movie over and over. I did. I watched everything, Mrs. Doubtfire, everything.
Starting point is 00:12:35 Sure. And then later in his career, he started expanding and doing this really dark characters. One-hour photo, insomnia? Amazing performances, right? And you wouldn't believe that that same like guy would be able to do that. So I was like, I owe it to myself to at least try and follow
Starting point is 00:12:51 in the footsteps of the people who've inspired me. So I was like, I have to try and do it. Plus, the story was just too cool, too interesting, too unpredictable for me to not try and do it. I resisted everything I could to not read the Wikipedia entry as I started watching the show. So you didn't.
Starting point is 00:13:09 I didn't. So please, don't read. the Wikipedia entry don't do that my mom's already Googled it she told me sitting in there because I was like it's going to get worse she's like I went on Google so please please just or if you do it's fine but
Starting point is 00:13:25 you know I think it's fun to watch it and see it happen as the show sort of unfolds so okay how much of this kind of challenge this I would argue the biggest challenge of your acting career is is proving to yourself you can do it And how much of it is approving to others that you can do it?
Starting point is 00:13:44 Wow, what a question. Oh, my God. I mean, I don't know if I can differentiate those two. I'll tell you, I've been doing a solid press tour for five weeks, and nobody's asked me that. I finally out to Terry Gross. She made you cry, but I broke your brain. I can't believe she didn't take that out.
Starting point is 00:14:04 That's in there? Yeah, it's in there. Okay. God damn it. You know, I always feel Honestly, it was that You know, that Emily and Rob And Jenny and all the other writers
Starting point is 00:14:17 Thought that I could do it Made me believe I could do it And then at some point, when I started the filming I didn't know for sure I was like, I have to jump into the pool And just see what happens And I knew, you know, the stories get more intense As the season goes
Starting point is 00:14:34 And Steve, my character Sort of gets darker as it goes. So I knew that the water was going to be raised slowly. So I was like, I just want to be able to do these first two episodes. And then once those were done, I was like, I just want to be able to do the next two. And I figured that the scripts would kind of carry me through. But there was a certain point where it did become like, okay, I know I can do this. I can finish out this season. I'm excited to do this. And then part of it is, you know, I do want other people to see me in a different light because it's it you can you know for like many many years I just played a nerd I had to like
Starting point is 00:15:14 work work out like a maniac for two years to be to get the opportunity to play a normal guy to like the extreme not like just like no little bit like go to the other end I had to go to the other end to be like okay now I guess you can play a family man that's what it took to like unglued my fingers from a keyboard. That's what it took. So I was excited for people to see it, you know? And I do want to prove to, part of it is I do want to prove to other people that I can, you know, do stuff that they may not be able to imagine me doing.
Starting point is 00:15:50 That is kind of the exciting part of it, you know. I think the whole thing that's most exciting about acting is surprising yourself. Micro and macro level, like in every take you want to do something where you're like, oh, I didn't think that was going to happen, bless you. Like that. It's in the moment. Always in the moment. Always in the moment. You've got to react, you know. That's what acting is.
Starting point is 00:16:11 But it is startling to look. You're talking about these two major shifts that you've done in the last five, six years, obviously kind of remaking yourself and becoming this kind of leading man, a person in pig sick, but then transforming your body for eternals, et cetera, and now this. It does feel like you're, I don't know, you're setting a very high bar for yourself in transformations. You can't keep up. You can't. First on the... I'm playing a horse in the next one. Oh, amazing.
Starting point is 00:16:37 I'm joking. Yeah, mocap. I'm joking. Would you want to do the next Avatar? I just saw Avatar. I know you're jealous being a nerd like me. Yeah, I'm seeing it on Monday. I'm so excited.
Starting point is 00:16:47 I cannot wait. Would you do performance capture? Is that intriguing? I would, definitely. I've done some video game performance capture. I wouldn't do that again because it kind of ruined those games for me. Now you're just seeing people yourself with balls on their head
Starting point is 00:17:05 Yeah, and I'm mostly like, you know, if I, I'll watch a movie I'm in, but that's like two hours, I'll watch a show that's 40 minutes a week, but if I'm playing a video game that's 50 hours, that's a long time to spend with yourself. Like, I play video games to get away from myself. Right.
Starting point is 00:17:22 And now suddenly this orc fucking sounds like me too. This is a nightmare. I also found that video game acting is a specific skill, And there are many, many other people much better than me at it. And I think that they deserve that work and not me. Here's what my passing thought when we were talking about kind of the evolving career. I listened back to our conversation.
Starting point is 00:17:45 The last time you did the podcast was 2017 when the Big Sick was out. And it feels like you manifested everything that's happened in the last five years. I'm sure it wasn't just in our conversation, but you talked about wanting to do an action movie. Stuber came. You wanted to play a superhero. Eternals came. You talked about wanting to be in Star Wars. Obi-1.
Starting point is 00:18:04 Did I really? Yeah. Oh, my God. What else did I say in that interview? When I start preparing. I guess my question is, like, is that how your brain operates? Do you, are you goal-driven? Are you, like, right now, beyond playing a horse setting the next goals for yourself?
Starting point is 00:18:24 Since I was a little kid, when I first roared a horse, I was like, I wish someone was riding me. That's... It's a weird way to put it. Wait a second. It's weird that you mentioned the horse. I noticed on IMDB, the one trivia, it says that you're afraid of horses. Yeah, that's not really true.
Starting point is 00:18:43 I'm only as afraid of horses as every rational human being is afraid of horses. It's like a car that has a brain. They're horrifying. You know, I used to. Honestly, that's sort of, I would say, what happened with Eternals
Starting point is 00:18:58 where I was like, I sort of set a goal for myself, a couple years before Eternals happened where I was like, I want to play a superhero. So I'm going to do everything I can to put myself in a position to be able to do that.
Starting point is 00:19:09 So I'd gotten a couple opportunities to audition for other parts in Marvel movies and stuff, not playing superheroes. And I didn't do those auditions because I was like, I want to put myself in the best position to be able to do this.
Starting point is 00:19:21 I have to bet on myself. And were those the kind of roles that I would expect, like, the wisecracking person in the lab or the site? Yeah, it's the guy that Captain America, goes to to be like,
Starting point is 00:19:31 I don't know how to use a computer and don't worry Kumel's got you. I got you. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:19:37 He knows what all these buttons do. And so for a while I really was like that. And honestly now what I'm
Starting point is 00:19:47 trying to do is honestly not be as goal-oriented just sort of try and be like more in the moment
Starting point is 00:19:54 and see what comes my way and see what feels more most exciting to me in the moment I think sometimes, like, looking forward too much or, like, trying to get something
Starting point is 00:20:05 prevents you from being here right now. And Emily's back there going, what a bunch of horse shit. You're not so good at being. Liar! But I'm trying, honey. I'm trying. And so that's what I'm trying to do more is just sort of be more present
Starting point is 00:20:20 and be like, whatever comes my way, comes my way. That would be great. I don't think it's a big spoiler to say. I think later in the show, you cry in an episode. Is this your first time crying? on screen? Yeah, I think so. Is that a big deal for an actor?
Starting point is 00:20:36 Was it a big deal for you to like know that day I'm going to have to credibly cry? That's a good question. For me, you know, I sort of read a lot of, I listened to a lot of podcasts with actors, actors I look up to and heard him talk about emotional scenes a lot. There's an actor called Chuck Woody Iwoogie, who's one of the best actors. He's going to be, you know, he's the bad guy in Guardians 3 coming up. He's just a really tremendous actor.
Starting point is 00:21:04 He was in Peacemaker. And he said the same thing to me, which is what you have to do. Like, if there's a scene where you're like, oh, you have to cry. Don't think of it like that. You can't say, I have to cry in this scene. You just have to be present and see what happens. Take away the obligation to hit any emotional, anything in a scene. All you have to do is be truthful and present.
Starting point is 00:21:27 Because sometimes, you know, when you're sad, start laughing. Like, weird stuff happens. And so in those scenes, you know, that scene where I cried, this is weird to talk about, I didn't really plan on doing it. I didn't really feel like I was going to do it, whatever. But there was one scene in particular with my mom, when I'm on the phone with her, where whenever I read that scene, I would start getting emotional. And so every single scene on the show, other than two scenes, every single scene, I really prepare the scenes. I work on them a lot. I worked on them with my acting teacher. I rehearse. I know all the beats. And then when I go there, I try and forget it all and just look at the person, react to
Starting point is 00:22:07 them, and just see what happens, right? But that scene, anytime I read it, I got so emotional that I decided I would not prepare that scene at all. And I would just go and just do it and see what happens. And when I got to set that day, when I got to the makeup trailer, I was reading the scene and I was getting really emotional, just reading the scene. I don't know what was happening. So much so that I couldn't memorize the words, because every time I looked at it, I would get emotionally. I didn't want to spend that emotion.
Starting point is 00:22:35 So I went to the director, who's Nisha Ganatra, who's amazing. She does episodes 5 and 6, and I asked the other actor. I was like, is it okay if we get my coverage first? Get me on camera first? Because I don't know if I can control this, whatever happens. And so that's what we did. it just sort of happened, you know. It took a couple takes just to get the words right,
Starting point is 00:22:57 because even memorizing the words was too emotional for me. So it's a long answer, but really it's, I just try and take the obligation away to feel anything during a scene and hope that whatever happens is real. And that's a scene, again, without revealing too much about trying to find approval from your parents, and Steve is just going the wrong path. He cannot do it.
Starting point is 00:23:21 And I was going to ask a lot of questions about your growing up and your parents and maybe it's more or less awkward now having your parents here. It's moroc. Yeah, it definitely is. But sorry, it's on the card. I have to ask it. But no, I mean, is that something you relate to? Was that something that you felt you were, in growing up, you were seeking approval of your parents
Starting point is 00:23:44 desperately and were they eager to give that approval? Or was that something took a while to kind of get to? I would say I was eager to seek approval of my parents but they were also not stingy with approval like genuinely even if they weren't here I would be saying this I truly had like they were like absolutely wonderful perfect
Starting point is 00:24:05 very loving parents they really they know getting emotional again but still I wanted to you know for me since I was a little kid it was very important to me that I got like really good grade you know and that really wasn't just approval of my parents that was approval of everyone around me
Starting point is 00:24:26 the extended family like everybody so yeah it's still a problem i have where i think i work too much to get approval of other people and i really want to just have that within myself just just make myself proud of myself rather than try and get other people's approval it's hard and i think part of it's hard because that's a pattern i've had my whole life since I was a little kid. I wanted to get good grades to get my parents' approval, everybody else's approval. And then when you become a stand-up, you know,
Starting point is 00:24:57 it's really all about external feedback. If they laugh, you're good at your job. If they don't laugh, you're not good at your job. So that just reinforced my sort of feedback mechanism, right? And then now doing more dramatic work, you realize you don't have that instant feedback. So you really, really have to trust yourself and your own instincts in a way that,
Starting point is 00:25:20 You don't really have to when you're getting people's feedback in real time. And so that's been the biggest adjustment for me in doing this is the only gauge I have is, did that feel real to me? Did that feel truthful to me? And having to trust that, having to trust myself rather than what other people are telling me. It's still hard. It's rewiring your brain of how to find happiness and contentment. Like, wait, I can't look to the audience for smile and laughter.
Starting point is 00:25:47 I have to find it within myself. And that's a journey. Yeah, I feel like it's a lifelong journey. I don't think, I don't know how. Does anybody here have it figured out? Anybody raise your hand? We can get a third mic. You know, it's something Emily and I actually talk about a lot
Starting point is 00:26:06 where she says, like, I think you give power to, you give too much power to it. With Progressives name your price tool, you can find options that fit your budget. Because giving you options is the, right thing to do. Oh, yeah, like when I hold the door for someone. Sure, it may be weird if I don't time it right, and they're a little too far away, and
Starting point is 00:26:28 now they're running, and we're both asking ourselves, is it worth it to run instead of just, you know, letting them open their own door? But still, it's the right thing to do. So get options based on your needs with progressives name your price tool. Progressive casualty insurance company affiliates and third-party insurers, comparison rates not available in all states or situations, prices vary based on how you buy. I don't want to harp too much on the physical transformation, because I know you've talked very openly about how, yes, it was great and you're happy you did it, and it's fantastic in many respects, but also it had some weird stuff associated with it, too, given how people treated you differently in the wake of it. Always ask me about it, do you mean?
Starting point is 00:27:05 Yeah, exactly. I'm just getting that out of the way, because people are going to. But here's my question related to it, because you sign on it to Eternals before that transformation happens, yeah? Yeah, like a year, you know, I was signed on to Eternals months and months and months before it got announced. So I, only me, Emily knew about that for like eight months before the news came out. So I knew for a long time I was going to do that movie. Do they give you, does Marvel give you any kind of like guideline? Like you have to be in Chris Pratt guardian shape?
Starting point is 00:27:39 Like, do they give you a photo and be like that? Like, what's the... They give you a Ken doll and they say. We're going to check in in six months. You've got to be 80% of the way here. Remove your genitalia like the Ken doll. Yes. My parents are here, Josh.
Starting point is 00:27:58 They actually, this is completely true, did not want, they did not put any pressure on me to do anything. It completely came from me. They did not want me to, they honestly were like, we don't want you to do anything to change how you look or anything. We hired you because we hired you. We want you. So that really was just me. Honestly, I've been looking for an excuse my entire life to do something like that. And, you know, Emily thinks I signed on to that movie just so I could do that.
Starting point is 00:28:28 I mean, it's a nice byproduct, I guess. Yeah, it is. It is. Yeah. We actually, well, actually, before we get to Eternals, let's talk a little about the Big Sick, which obviously changed your career in many, arguably more even than Eternals, I would argue. This is a remarkable piece of work. You were nominated for an Oscar.
Starting point is 00:28:50 It, of course, for those I don't know, it is loosely or not so loosely based on your own experiences, Emily, and your experiences. I mean, talk to me a little bit about, in retrospect now. Like, that is like the paper of record. That is the official record in a way of a very pivotal life event in your lives.
Starting point is 00:29:10 Is that odd? And did that feel like a pressure at the time? Like, wait a second. This is how people were going to know our story. Well, I did feel a lot of pressure filming the Big Sick because it was the first time I'd done anything that wasn't like completely 100% comedic, you know? Because Big Sick is a comedy, but there's some, you know, there were emotional moments in it. So I felt a lot of pressure that I put on myself because I felt like I owed Emily, you know, telling our story. I have to do
Starting point is 00:29:37 a good job acting in this thing. I felt like I owed Mike and Judd and the people who put in the money and all this stuff would really like bet on us to be able to do it. You know, it's a very low-budget movie, but, you know, it's still a lot of money for just... So I did feel... I felt a lot of pressure. I kind of, now that I look back on it, I feel like I was like low-level panicking,
Starting point is 00:30:00 almost the entire shoot. Does a scene at towards the end of the movie, Emily will corroborate this. There's a scene. It's, you know, we've... So we shot that movie in like 23 days, which is very, very quick. the last scene of the movie is
Starting point is 00:30:14 I'm doing stand-up in New York I've moved to New York and Emily, played by Zoe Kazan, heckles me in the audience and we have this little exchange and that's the last scene of the movie and I really loved that scene and I really loved that ending
Starting point is 00:30:26 and so we were at Union Hall which is a venue here in Brooklyn in Park Slope I think where I used to perform so it's a stage and then on the side there's a little room with like a curtain
Starting point is 00:30:37 and that's the backstage and I kind of I was there in backstage on my own and I kind of started freaking out like I can't what if I ruin the scene? This is the end of the movie the whole movie doesn't work if I don't do this scene
Starting point is 00:30:51 right so I'm like on the phone with my acting teacher I'm really genuinely freaking out one of the producers came in to talk to me I do not remember that conversation at all but I could tell that they were like slowly escalating it every like you know two or three minutes someone else would come like hey buddy how's it going
Starting point is 00:31:06 sent someone else in the talk to Camille yeah yeah Mike came Barry, producer came, and then, you know, bringing the big guns, Emily came. And Emily said, I opened the curtain and you were facing, you were like just looking, staring right into an oscillating fan that was an inch from your face. I was just like staring into a fan like this close to my face. Emily, is that right? I guess you went home.
Starting point is 00:31:40 She's back here. Emily, are you here? I'm here. Did that happen? 100%. And so... Our fact checker, Emily Gordon, everybody. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:31:55 So, yes, I felt that pressure, but I did not feel that pressure. I did not ever really think about... It was just pressure I put on myself. I never thought that anybody would watch that movie. I hadn't thought that far ahead. I genuinely hadn't. When we were sitting at Sundance
Starting point is 00:32:10 and it was going to play like the first screening. And then he turned to me and said, this is the last time this story is going to be our story. And that's when it hit me. I was like, oh, right. Other people are going to watch this if things go well. And I'd never, never considered that. So I think if I thought of it as, you know, the record of that.
Starting point is 00:32:34 Personal moment that would have been. Yeah, I think that would have been too much to take on because already it felt like it's all. already felt like a lot. That was a difference between that and Chippendales. I felt like I was able to really enjoy the entire process, even though it was sort of a descent into darkness of this character. I really was able to enjoy the whole thing and be really present for it
Starting point is 00:32:55 and learn from all the other actors I was working with. That was a big thing. It took me a long time to figure out how to do that. Before we move on, let's take a look at a clip from The Big Sick. This is a great scene between you and Zoe Kazan. Okay, take a look. So what does your mom think about you and me then? She doesn't know about me, does she?
Starting point is 00:33:21 No. Emily. Fuck, five fucking months of red flags. Oh my God, I'm so stupid. You ducking my parents. Oh, my God. The two dame. Rule? Seriously, red flag after red flag.
Starting point is 00:33:45 They're such a liar. You lied to me. You lie to your parents. And those are just the people you like. Is there someone that you're not lying to you? I'd love to meet them. Because then I could tell them what a fucking liar you are! You know what? You didn't tell me about your divorce until recently. So you were hiding fucking something too. My divorce does not mean that our future is impossible. It actually means the direct opposite. I'm not hiding anything from you. I'm an open fucking book.
Starting point is 00:34:12 Do you want to know what's in my cigar box? Stickers. Stickers and stamps. Aren't you're therapists? Don't you supposed to be good at handling this kind of... Where are my fucking shoes? Aren't you supposed to be, like, able to deal with this better than you are right now? I am expressing myself!
Starting point is 00:34:30 You know what we call arranged marriage in Pakistan, Emily? Marriage. Okay? We just call it marriage. There's another type of marriage. It's called love marriage and that's bad. That's bad. My cousin Rehan married an Irish woman, and he was kicked out of the family. Nobody is allowed to talk to him. Why didn't you tell me any of this?
Starting point is 00:34:47 Because I didn't think you fucking understand, and I was fucking right. You don't think that I could fathom your life in any fucking way? Oh, you think you can understand me? I'm finding a 1,400-year-old culture. You were ugly in high school. There's a big fucking difference. I'm sorry. I can't lose my family.
Starting point is 00:35:09 It's a very intense scene. It was intense. Is that what you're like in an argument? Is that an accurate depiction of Kumil? Emily? Emily? Emily? Emily actually said it was hard to watch shooting that.
Starting point is 00:35:30 Accurate, she says. Yep. I'm in, we kind of, they base it on real stuff, you know, so that there's like. we were like how many lines can we cross in this argument and that, you know, Emily was a practicing therapist and that thing of
Starting point is 00:35:47 like, shouldn't you be handling this better? That was one of those things where you're like, oh, can't ever say that in a fight, you know? You can't take that back. Let's not ask Emily if it ever got there. But Emily said she had a hard
Starting point is 00:36:03 time watching it because she could see like you're like your like fighting moves. Yeah, that was like a very intense day of shooting. That was very, looking back, it was like a really hot room. And Zoe's so good in it, huh? She's so good. Let's talk a little more, I mean, I have to talk to you a little bit about some of the geek stuff.
Starting point is 00:36:27 Let's talk a little bit about Eternals because that was such a great opportunity. You were so fantastic in that film. And as you said, you were training for it for basically 40 years. And it must have felt amazing to be in that. that costume, like playing dress-up on that level with Chloe Zhao. Yeah. Did it, I guess, talk to me like the post-mortem for you on that, because you know what comic book fans are like.
Starting point is 00:36:51 And sure, it made a ton of money, but then there was like, it was divisive for some. Did that bum you out that it didn't get maybe the rapturous reception you wanted it to have? Sure, of course. It would have been great to not have that thing, you know, where Emily says, like, you have you have to have more fuck you about all this like fuck you this is good i love it i love eternals i think it's fantastic um it did bum me out that it was sort of divisive um you know i think it's a very very very chloe made a very very ambitious huge movie that's very
Starting point is 00:37:27 different from most comic book movies you know she set up she she she she went for a really really high bar um of course it would have been great if every single person on earth loved it but um But I love it. And, you know, I still think at some point people are going to, like, rewatch that movie and realize that there's a lot more to it than they gave a credit for. I love Chloe. She's such a great filmmaker. When you shot the film, like, because I'm always, I always, I was going to say Marvel.
Starting point is 00:37:59 I'm not going to say that. I'm always astounded by the actors in these films that don't know some of the surprises. Like Zoe Selnana's talked about how she's always seen parts of scripts when she's, shot films. Like, for instance, did you know Harry Stiles was in the movie when you shot that movie? I started hearing rumblings of it here and there, and I thought it was bullshit. I was like, the guy from one direction? No way. And then you show up to work one day and there's gorgeous Harry Stiles. Hey, mate. I'm like, hey, what are you doing here, man? We actually shot a different scene with Harry Stiles because the ending now, um,
Starting point is 00:38:39 My character's not in that scene, but we shot a version where I was with him. And it was a very, it was a different sort of post-credit sequence. What was the dynamic between Kingo and Harry's character? We didn't, we don't really, we didn't really talk. We just sort of like made eyes at each other from afar. No, it was, it was sort of, I don't know if I'm allowed to see. You're in it now, man. It's too late.
Starting point is 00:39:09 You're going to get me in trouble. No, it was a completely different, completely different. How many people saw Eternals? This is another. Oh, wow, most people saw it. Okay. Yeah. And as of this now, you know nothing about the future.
Starting point is 00:39:24 Do you like make appeals like, hey, Kevin, this would? You're a writer. Like, you know comics. You're a screenwriter. You could make a pitch and say, here's what I think my character should do next. I haven't done it. I should have done it. I genuinely do not know
Starting point is 00:39:40 if my character is going to come back at all. I would love to come back and do it, but I genuinely, genuinely, genuinely, genuinely don't know. I believe you. Yeah. It sucks. I would love to go back and do it again. I felt like I lived vicariously through you
Starting point is 00:39:59 when I saw you in Obi-W-Wan. It was just amazing to see you in that world, almost a Jedi, so close to being a Jedi. close to being a Jedi. You kind of have the best of all possible worlds in a way. You get to kind of act like a Jedi, and then you get to have a little fun. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:40:18 Jedi's can't have fun. Yeah, but what if I was a real Jedi who also had fun? Why couldn't I be that? Why did I have to be a liar? Right. Give me a sense. Being on set, not only just being on a Star Wars set, but being in the Jedi robes opposite you and Frick and McGregor
Starting point is 00:40:36 as Obi-Wan Kenobi? It's really, really overwhelming. Every single moment of that, I sort of had to, like... You know, like, we were talking about the big sick. If you realize what the responsibility is, it sort of paralyzes you. And that's how this was.
Starting point is 00:40:51 I had to, you know... I wore the Jedi robes the first time. In a mirror took a secret picture. I wasn't allowed to do that. Send it to Emily. And then you have to forget that you're wearing Jedi robes. You just have to be like,
Starting point is 00:41:04 oh, this is just a random scene I'm doing. But it really feels like fucking Star Wars in here. Like, everybody's got sabers and blasters. It becomes very hard to ignore, you know? And I remember my first scene, actually my second scene, it was the same day. I shot a scene, and then my second scene was with Obi-Wan, was with Ewan. And I had hung out with him, like, you know, back there and talked to him, and he was really great and cool. They yelled action, and he walks up to me and he starts talking, and he does the Obi-Wan voice.
Starting point is 00:41:36 that was when I was like, oh, this is impossible to ignore. This is my greatest acting challenge. I have to play it cool opposite you and as it. This is Obi-Wan, yeah. And it kind of, so I kind of tried to use it, you know, where once he finds out that he's a real Jedi, that it's Obi-Wan,
Starting point is 00:41:52 he's sort of a little bit in love with him, sort of like really looks up to him, is really intimidated by him. And that was all stuff that came very naturally to me. Not much acting required. So you probably have a few action figures by now.
Starting point is 00:42:08 Yes. From the Star Wars and Marvel Universe? I don't have a Star Wars one yet. Yeah, I don't know. You will. I mean, they've made every, as you well know, every single character that's ever appeared. Yeah, it's like that guy in the background
Starting point is 00:42:20 with like a flute face has an action figure and I don't. I have lines. I'm in multiple episodes. That hasn't happened yet, but I do have a Eternal's action figure. And I have Lego of a few things. Funkos, Aglora. I got a lot of fun codes, yeah, and I have all of them, yeah.
Starting point is 00:42:40 But I always, you know, wanted an action figure, so it's great. Like my Eternal's action figure really looks like me. It's awesome. So have you ever, look, you co-wrote Big Sick, have you ever taken a stab at, like, a genre property in terms of writing? Like, have you, I could see you writing a Marvel or Star Wars property. Like, that doesn't seem incongruous with who you are in your skill set. Oh, thank you.
Starting point is 00:43:06 haven't done that. Emily and I have a script we wrote. That's a sci-fi movie. That's something we came up with. It's not an existing IP, but it is sci-fi, and we've sold it. We hopefully get to make it. We're sort of waiting to hear. And then we have another thing we adapted.
Starting point is 00:43:24 Do you know who Edward Gorey is? Yes. A cartoonist. He makes these really awesome, cool, dark. So he has this story that's only nine pages long with no dialogue. and Emily and I have adapted that. And again, we're hoping to get that made.
Starting point is 00:43:41 But we haven't done anything like that Star Wars or Marvel or D.C. or anything big like that. I'd love to, but I'd love to tackle something, you know, do you know D.C. comics? I mean, Broadstrokes, but Tess... You know who Ambush Bug is? Nope. Okay. I want to do an Ambush Bug movie. Tell me more about Ambush Bug. Why?
Starting point is 00:44:02 He's like this news reporter guy. He's just like... It's because there's no pressure on it, you know? You don't know. If I do Superman, everybody's got a different idea of Superman. If it doesn't match up, they're upset. Ambush bug, nobody cares about. Someone out there would be pissed if you screw up ambush bug.
Starting point is 00:44:20 And that guy will be really scary. Is this a vehicle for you? Are you ambush bug? No. No. It's CG. He looks like a monster. Oh, I see.
Starting point is 00:44:30 I don't want to be in that suit. But I am actually, I just did sign on to play another superhero. Stop it. I did. I'm playing Dolphin Man. That's an inside joke. That's amazing. Props to Mike Ryan.
Starting point is 00:44:44 A mutual friend of ours that mentioned dolphin man on stage and only he will laugh. It'll be funny because of how awkward it'll be. I'm so sorry to all of you. What is the joke? I don't even know it. I think we were just talking about just like how absurd superheroes are. Like there is an ambush bug and there should be a dolphin man. And it's wasted on everybody and I apologize.
Starting point is 00:45:06 Where in the stack of accomplishments does appearing on the X-Files stand in your resume? Oh, pretty high, pretty high. Again, you know, you try and X-Files is my favorite show of all time, and I got to do an episode of it with my favorite writer of the X-Files. And again, I was like, this is just a job. I can't, I'm just acting job, do it. And when I got to Vancouver, where we were shooting, the driver came and gave me a folder for, like, all the information about,
Starting point is 00:45:36 about, you know, my hotel and all that. And it had the truth is out there on it. And that's when I started freaking out. And I called Emily, and I was like, Emily, talk me down. I don't think I could do this. I need an oscillating fan to stick my head into it. Exactly.
Starting point is 00:45:52 Where is the oscillating fan? And the first scene was with Mulder and Scully. Again, that was really terrifying. But, you know, I do have a regret about that. I felt like I wish I could do that again. because I love hanging out with those two and it was great, but I felt like my performance in that specifically, I felt like I was too scared and I was too rigid
Starting point is 00:46:18 and I was like stuck in my preparation for it. I've learned to forget everything and just sort of be in the moment. And with that, I think I was just trying to recreate some version of the scene that I had prepared, you know, a couple weeks ago. So I do, it's such a great, great episode. Reese Darby's in it
Starting point is 00:46:38 and he's so good in it. I just wish I was honestly I wish I'd done a better job. Let's look at the clip. No, I don't have the clip. I mean, nobody would maybe even be able to tell, but I just know that I felt when I was shooting it, I didn't
Starting point is 00:46:54 feel, you know, fluid. What should they do with the X-Files at this point? They keep trying to bring it back and... Yeah, put me in it. I'll fix it. Is it Mulder and Scully dependent? because they're so key to it, what would you do
Starting point is 00:47:08 if you were given the reins to the X-Files? I would be Mulder. And Jillian Anderson would be Scully. David Dukovny can go fuck himself.
Starting point is 00:47:22 I think that there's more X-Files possible. I mean, those two are such the DNA of it, and I think their chemistry was so magical. And that thing of like the believer and the non-believer.
Starting point is 00:47:32 But they're both interested. The characters are so interesting because she's a believer about some things and not about others, so she's very religious. She has faith, but her faith means she doesn't have, but her faith in science means she doesn't believe all the stuff that he believes. And he's not a religious person at all, so he has no faith there, but then he has faith in the existence of alien. So it's such a weird crisscross of it, but it's those two that really, you know, bring that, their chemistry is so good. So I think anything that you do with Exfault has such a high bar, and
Starting point is 00:48:05 to leap over. I don't know if those two want to do it again. Talking about high bar. I know you and Emily do the Or the Rings rewatch every holiday season. Yeah, we're about to start. Are you? Yeah, we are. Extended edition or bust?
Starting point is 00:48:25 Of course. I'm just checking. That's the only version that exists. Well, technically, that's not true. Please. Okay. I honestly. Like, I think the extended edition is shit on the theatrical.
Starting point is 00:48:40 I mean, I love the theatrical, but you've got to watch the whole thing. Right. I mean, if you don't want Faromir's whole story with Theodon and Boromir, if you don't want... Wow. And that's when he lost the audience. I feel like I'm speaking in Urdu. Where are you at on The Hobbit? The Hobbit films.
Starting point is 00:49:01 We don't re-watch them every year. Okay, but you're okay, but they are. what they are okay i love the rings of power the new that's what i was gonna ask you i thought it was absolutely fantastic what a challenge for them to figure that out i mean that's crazy i think they really did a great job i think those actors are so good if you guys are lord of the rings people and you haven't seen the rings of power on amazon go watch it it's so good i i talk about i you know because that and game of thrones were on at the same time uh the house of the dragon i loved them both but they were so different because oh yeah the rings of power
Starting point is 00:49:35 was so pure. Like, it'll have a long conversation with two grown men deciding how they can be better friends to each other. And then the House of the Dragon is like, should I marry this 12-year-old?
Starting point is 00:49:47 It'd be so good for the houses, you know, and we get all her ships. That'd be great for trade. That's the difference between those two shows. I love them both. Is there a stand-up set in that body now?
Starting point is 00:50:03 Like, is there, if someone said, got 20 minutes. Right now? I'm not going to make you, I mean, if you want to, you can. I would have to have to talk to people and do crowd work. I feel comfortable enough on stage to do that, but I don't have material to go to. I haven't written stand-up in, like, over two years. So is that something you think you'll return to, or does it feel like your, you don't need, it doesn't fulfill the need it did, that it once did?
Starting point is 00:50:27 That is true. So there's two, I guess, two answers to it, you know, once I started being able getting opportunities to act and write and stuff. That was so creatively fulfilling and also exhausting that I didn't also want to go out at night and like perform till midnight. You know, I like being home with Emily and watching movies and playing video games. Because I do feel creatively very fulfilled.
Starting point is 00:50:53 However, the juice that you get from doing stand-up when it's going well, there's really nothing like it. It's so exciting. But I haven't really, you know, it's the thing that like falls away if you get cast in something because that's such a schedule. So I think I won't be able to do it next year. So I want to go back to it, but it's going to be a while. It may be, you know, 20, 24 at the earliest. I have a potential job proposition for you, okay?
Starting point is 00:51:24 Yes. I'm Mr. Academy Awards. I'm calling up Kumail Nanjiani. Are you interested in hosting our show? show. Again, very few people have the skill set. What's your show? The Academy Awards? Yeah. Sorry. I didn't set that up. Or are you like putting together another show? We have an
Starting point is 00:51:39 open mic in the back of a bar. No. Let me start over. Let me... Strip will be there. Let me rephrase. Kumel, do you have any interest in ever hosting the Academy Awards? Yes. I would love to host the Academy Awards. I used to watch with my dad. I watched
Starting point is 00:51:55 Academy Awards my entire life. There were some years I watched over and over the year that Dances with Wolfe's one? Yes. I watched it over and over. I know random movies. There's a movie called Malagro Beanfield War
Starting point is 00:52:09 that was nominated for an Academy Award at one point. Robert Redford directed it. Did he? Yeah. I've watched the Academy Awards my entire life, and honestly, I would love to, I would love to host. It's just interesting, because I hear a lot of people say,
Starting point is 00:52:24 like, it's a no-win proposition. You've seen, like, some of the best ever, like, Letterman, who, frankly, I thought way back when did a decent job host. I will say. Yeah, you did great. But it's hard to please the masses. They do say there's no way to win doing it, but there's two different things, right? There are things you do for your career and there's things you do for you. There's things you do for like, would I be able to look at 12-year-old me and be like, I didn't want to host the Academy Awards. Mr. Academy Awards himself asked me and I said, no. Would I be able to say that to that kid? No. So I would have to do it, even if it like hurts my career for three years. just to be able to be like, hey, I host in the Academy Awards. I like how you really went there. You were looking at 12-year-old self.
Starting point is 00:53:07 I really saw myself. Yeah, yeah. And I saw what my 12-year-old self was saying, which was, what are you doing here, weird, man? Get out of here. Get out of my house. The Lago Beanfield War is on. Very unique taste. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:53:24 Very unique. I think we have some audience questions. Can I grab the audience questions? And while that comes out, thank you. I asked you for a comfort movie. I don't know if you remember this. I'm always curious what people consider their comfort movies. And you went with a 90s classic.
Starting point is 00:53:39 Yes. What did you choose? Four weddings and a funeral. All right. Tell us, yeah. It's an absolutely amazing movie. Hugh Grant is amazing in it. Emily and I, when we first got married, like our marriage license,
Starting point is 00:53:54 we went and we got it in Chicago at like the courthouse, you know. And then that day, we came home and watched four weddings and a funeral. I've just seen that movie so, so, so many times. I know every line of that movie. It just makes me feel great. Do you appreciate now having been in the business and acted as much as you have, how Hugh Grant makes it look so easy? Like that's...
Starting point is 00:54:22 Yes, making it look that easy takes a lot of work. It's really hard. And honestly, when I first started doing stand-up, now when I look back at it, I was doing my Hugh Grant impression for the first five or six years. I really was. I was sort of like, like, I couldn't finish a sentence. It was like my own terrible impression of Hugh Grant. I realized years later. So if I wasn't for four weddings and a funeral, I wouldn't have been a stand-up. Amazing. Is there an actor, like, whether it's a Hugh Grant or someone like him of that ilk or someone that's just coming up now, that would be
Starting point is 00:54:59 hard to pass on the opportunity to act against, just simply based on their name, simply based on what they bring to the table and just the prospect of being in a scene with them. Oh, I mean, you mean like a legendary actor? It doesn't have to be. I'm saying, it could be Tom Hardy, it could be
Starting point is 00:55:15 Timothy Shalame, I don't know, it could be whatever. Huh, I mean, I would love to work with either of those two. I would make that happen, okay. I do know Timothy Salome a little bit. Do you? Yeah, I've never met Tom Hardy. I feel like you two would get along. and Tom Hardy? Yeah, I've always thought that. You're cut
Starting point is 00:55:31 from the same cloth. Why is that funny? Why couldn't you even finish that sentence? No, it's more a compliment to you and I don't want to say something. Oh, here you go. Let's see you wriggle out of this one. Horowitz.
Starting point is 00:55:49 You're so affable and he's to talk to and Tom is a little removed. I mean, he's so talented. I'm not going to make eye contact with you. I'm just going to keep talking until you interject. help me Let's go to an audience question I'm not going to be the one to help you here
Starting point is 00:56:04 Let me think Who would it be Who would I want to go back to Timmy How do you know Timothy Chalome What do you guys do for fun together? Nothing But we would
Starting point is 00:56:15 When Big Sick And Call Me By Your Name Came out around the same time So we were sort of doing the festival thing And we would like Run into each other And hang out He's awesome
Starting point is 00:56:25 Who would I love to act with? I mean Hugh Grant I'd love to do, I would love to act with Hugh Grant. I think he's, he's, like, done such great work recently. Have you seen the Paddington movies? He's so good in it. Yes. There's another surprise came here.
Starting point is 00:56:40 We're talking about a movie backstage that's coming out soon. You'll see Hugh Granton. Remember the movie we just saw in L.A.? Which one? I saw you in L.A. We talked about it backstage. There's a great movie. It's a mysterious movie.
Starting point is 00:56:53 Mysterious movie. Oh, my God. Oh, yes. Great movie. Glass Onion is a great movie. Why are we rooting the cameo? No. We do have to edit the podcast. Do we?
Starting point is 00:57:12 I guess we will have to. Okay. All right. Sorry, everybody. It is a great movie. Yes, that's a great movie. All right. Some audience questions.
Starting point is 00:57:20 We talked about this a little bit, but let's elaborate. How is your role in Chippendales expanded your acting skill repertoire and dramatic roles? Like, what do you feel like you are able to do now coming off of this that you would feel more confident than doing? It's just, I think, a lot of stuff. It's hard to articulate. There was a script that I read right before Chippendales. It's a movie that I'm going to do now.
Starting point is 00:57:44 I'm going to do it next year. And when I read it, I was like, the script is so good. I have to do it. However, there are all these, like, scenes in this script that I'm really intimidated by I have to figure out how to do them. And then I read the script again after doing Chippendale's. And I wasn't intimidated by any of those scenes, which is a really, it's a really wonderful feeling.
Starting point is 00:58:04 I think I've gotten a little bit better at not being so rigid about what I think a scene should be. You know, sometimes you, like, try and recreate it and choke the life out of it. I feel like I've gotten a little bit better at just trusting myself and going wherever the scene is going. I think I've gotten better at really reacting to the other characters. And, you know, I learned so much from working with the actors in this. You guys saw Murray, but, you know, in the next episode, Juliette Lewis shows up. Annalee Ashford shows up. And, you know, Robin de Jesus, Andrew Reynolds, and these are like the best actors I've ever worked with.
Starting point is 00:58:46 And I learned so much from doing this with them, you know. Honestly, I really, I was scared to do Chippendales. And now I honestly can't wait to do the next thing that scares me. That's huge. Being an EP changed the way you approached the show. You and Emily are executive producers on the show. Yeah. How does that manifest?
Starting point is 00:59:09 Like, how much are you involved in casting the whole process? Like, what was it like? Yeah. And Rob, who's the creator of the show, was very, very collaborative and very kind. So we got to be involved in every stage of the process with casting. You know, I was there in some of the auditions, reading with some of the other, some of the other actors. And then for me, the most fun part of it.
Starting point is 00:59:30 And he was also very, you know, he would ask me questions about the character, whether Steve would react a certain way or not. I had certain things that I was like, I think we should put in a thing where Steve does this, and he was fantastic about that. And then I love being involved in editing. That's like my favorite part of the process.
Starting point is 00:59:48 So being able to like have input in that. And Rob, you know, Rob is also very good at editing. And Jenny Connor, one of our other. showrunner, so she was sort of, I think she took the lead during the edit, because we had to edit as we were shooting, but to me editing is my favorite part of it,
Starting point is 01:00:05 so that, you know, watching, editing, I think, makes me better at acting, and it makes you better at writing. I think, because you see what works, what doesn't, that kind of stuff, you know, because sometimes you'll, this happened in Big Sick while we were editing, I was like, oh, let's pick, there's one take where I was like,
Starting point is 01:00:23 oh, I really felt it during that take. let's use it and then I watched it it felt like too much and then the take where I just said the words was way better and way more present so like you get those kinds of lessons you know that sometimes just being there
Starting point is 01:00:37 and just saying it is way better than trying to conjure up emotion you know I've heard that story so much from actors talking about some of the greatest actors on the planet where they're like it didn't seem like that guy was doing anything on set and then you see the finished product it's like it's all it's enough it's all there so much going on you know
Starting point is 01:00:53 that's how Martin Star is was in Silicon Valley, because he's so subtle, you sort of act with him, and it feels like there's like he's just so, like, inside of himself, but then you watch him on screen, and there's just so much going on, he's always thinking. Allison has an excellent question. Do you prefer Steve's business suits or Kingo's Super Suit in the Eternals? Which wardrobe would you rather? Like to just go to Starbucks?
Starting point is 01:01:20 Yeah, just your day-to-day. Kingo Super Suit? Yeah, I mean, I can't think of a single situation where that wouldn't trump the horrible suits I wear on this show. By the way, those suits are amazing for the character. Nagy Schnitzer was our costume designer. And when I walked out of my first fitting, it was the first time I really felt like Steve.
Starting point is 01:01:43 The suit, the glasses, the hair, you know, all that. Yeah, the super suit is awesome. I love that you talked about Steve I heard you in another conversation This is so you comparing The way you moved to Robocop Yes He is
Starting point is 01:02:01 He's only slightly Now I can't unsee that Slightly less cool than Robocop But you know Yeah and I didn't realize it Until a little bit Little bit into it Before I started shooting
Starting point is 01:02:12 Where I was like How should he? And I was like oh it's a Robocop He's like Robocop Right I think it's just uncomfortable In his own skin Just ridged
Starting point is 01:02:19 Exactly Exactly, exactly. Yeah, he's Robocop before Robocop has like the thing to take this half mask off. Looks terrible without it. Put that thing back on. I mean, don't tempt me with 45 minutes of a discussion about Robocop because I will go there. One of the greatest movies ever made. It really is.
Starting point is 01:02:39 Do you have a favorite memory from filming? From any filming? Let's talk. I think they mean welcome to Chippendales. Oh, welcome to Chippendales. You know, towards the end of it, episode 8 actually there's a scene
Starting point is 01:02:53 there's a long 15 page scene that Rob wrote that's absolutely amazing but it's really me and Robin de Jesus who plays Ray who you haven't met yet it's just two of us
Starting point is 01:03:05 in a hotel room talking for 15 minutes but there's so much movement in that scene so much happens it's so up and down it's so intense we shot one scene
Starting point is 01:03:14 over three days it really felt like I was in the soup you know like you go home you sleep you sleep you wake up, you go back, you continue that scene. It was just so exciting and fun.
Starting point is 01:03:26 It really felt like every part of my body was in that scene for three full days. So that feeling, I think, was really, really exciting to really, like, live that, you know, and to really sort of, and he's such a good actor, and Richard Shepard directed that episode, and he was so good at just finding shape to that scene. So I've never done anything like that.
Starting point is 01:03:50 that, you know, usually you shoot four scenes a day, but to shoot one scene for three days, there's nothing like it. So, we talked about manifesting stuff a few years ago. What have we done here today? You're going to host the Oscars in the next five years, apparently. Yeah, sure. I would love that. If that happens, oh my God. I'm going to send you a fruit basket. You know the things where the fruits look like flowers? Yeah, amazing. Yeah. Like a fruit bouquet? Wow, this is all worth it. What are they called? Edible Arrangement. There it is.
Starting point is 01:04:19 All of you will get a fruit back. You get an edible arrangement. You get. If I host the Oscars in the next five years. Honestly, congratulations on the show. As you all can attest, I mean, it only gets richer and more. It's an unpredictable story, and it will suck you in if it hasn't already. Spread the good word of welcome to Chippendales.
Starting point is 01:04:43 And let's give one more big round of applause to our guest today. Thank you so much for coming. Thank you so, thanks for having. 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.
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