Happy Sad Confused - Lee Pace, Vol. II

Episode Date: August 16, 2019

Lee Pace is always a busy guy, constantly jumping from theater to TV to film. Whatever the medium he always makes an impression which is why he's always welcome on "Happy Sad Confused"! On this return visit, Lee talks about his amazing run on Broadway last year in "Angels in America", playing John DeLorean in the new film "Driven", and why he's ready for a comedy.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

D.C. high volume, Batman. The Dark Nights definitive DC comic stories adapted directly for audio for the very first time. Fear, I have to make them afraid. He's got a motorcycle. Get after him or have you shot. What do you mean blow up the building? From this moment on,

none of you are safe. New episodes every Wednesday, wherever you get your podcasts. Prepare your ears, humans. Happy, sad, confused begins now. Today on Happy, Sad, Confused, Lee Pace on theater, Marvel movies, and his new film Driven. Hey, guys, I'm Josh Harowitz. Welcome to another edition of Happy, Sad Confused.

Yes, Mr. Lee Pace, that tall drink of water that is Lee Pace returns to the podcast today. And it's been quite a while. it's been, I think, basically five years. He was one of the first guests, actually, on the podcast if you want to go way back into the archives. Well, Lee, all six, five of him, has been working a lot in the last five years. He's obviously been a key component of the Marvel universe as Ronan, the Accuser, but he did a couple seasons of Halton Catch Fire, the Hobbit films.

Way back when, you know him from pushing daisies. But, you know, in recent years, I've seen him especially do some amazing. work on the stage here in New York. He's just a fantastic actor. Last year, he was in the phenomenal production of Angels in America as Joe Pitt. What an undertaking by that entire cast, and Lee was excellent in it. So, really thrilled to have Lee on to always talk acting and theater and film. He's, you know, a kindred spirit. He's, he's a smart one and a talented fellow and just always a delight to talk to. So thrilled to have him on the podcast, as always. His new film, I should mention, is called Driven.

It is the true-ish story based on true events of John DeLorean, who you may know as the famous, sometimes infamous, perhaps, creator of the Delorean car, car designer, kind of an icon in his own right way back when, you know, I think of, of course, the Delorean from Back to the Future, but he was much more than that, including getting caught up in a kind of a crazy, crazy drug smuggling scandal that kind of undid his career. It's a fascinating, funny, dramatic.

It's kind of a blend of a lot of cool different genres story. Lee plays John DeLorean and he's alongside a great stellar cast of actors, Jason Sudakis, Judy Greer, Corey Stoll. A really fun movie worth checking out. I highly recommend it. I saw it a year ago actually at the Toronto Film Festival and it's finally getting the release it deserves. It's in theaters August 16th. It's on digital and on demand. August 16th. So you have no excuse. Find it at home. Go out and see it in a theater. Support good things. The movie is driven. Other than that, what else to mention? Well, I caught up with our old good buddy Tom Hittleston for MTV. Yes. So that's an on-camera interview. We just dropped it the other day. Getting some really nice feedback from you guys.

out there. It's, you know, it's always always fantastic to talk to Tom. I've been talking to him for nine years now. Met him way back when at the 2010 Comic-Con when they trotted out the Thorcast. I met Hemsworth and the whole gang. And I, you know, it's cliched to say, but I knew it. I knew it from the start when I met Tom that he was someone that I would get along with, but he was also just charming and talented and interesting. And, you know, I'm lucky enough to to call him an acquaintance and a friend and a kind of a work colleague in a weird way. He's done plenty of my sketches over the years, the podcast, and now this new edition of a series we're called, calling Personal Space, which is kind of our intimate, full-on, like,

video interview franchise that I've been doing for MTV in recent months. I did it with Shia LaBoff. I did it with Jada Pinkett Smith, and Tom is the latest victim. He's currently starring in a production of betrayal on Broadway. It's his Broadway debut guys. So seek it out. I think it's only like 14 weeks or something. I'm sure tickets are going like crazy.

But if you have the chance, get tickets to see Tom Hiddleston make his Broadway debut. It's Harold Pinter. It's a great playwright. It's a great piece of work. And I was lucky enough to see this in London, this production. Well worth checking out. Whether you, you know, whether you're a big Marvel Hittleston Stan or not, this is a great piece of work

so yeah those are my recommendations for the week see driven try and get tickets if you're in the New York area if you want to make a trip to see betrayal and also if you can't see betrayal at least watch our personal space episode on MTV News's YouTube page with Tom Hittleston

those are my plugs for the week of course in addition I will remind you to review rate and subscribe to happy say confused spread the good word and in the meantime enjoy this chat with the great Lee Pace

Didn't you love the Fury Road? I loved it. I loved it. Obsessed. It comes up on this podcast like every other week. It's so, so good.

And I heard he was making a movie. It was great. I remember this band of kids? He's just so smart this world he'd created. Oh, my God. That's such a good thing. Well, also his,

I mean, I don't know. I'm sure you are, but like his filmography is amazing. The kind of the, and his backdown. Diverse. Like, so, like, babe. and then...

Babe, happy feet. He did that, remember Lorenzo's Oil? That movie with, like, Nick Nolte. Oh, that's right. He's done it all. And he's a doctor. He's just fascinating. Like a doctor of medicine?

Yeah. He was a doctor before he became a filmmaker. He's, I'm obsessed. Cool. Yeah, yeah. How cool. And Dune, that's going to be something to look forward to... I know, Deney, right?

Do you know anything? I know nothing. I mean, I've done a lot with Timmy, but he went off to shoot Dune, so hopefully I'll catch up with Mr. Schall. Where are they shooting it? Like all over? Yeah, they shot, like in the desert.

It's not like, I forget where, but somewhere pretty out there. Certainly not in Burbank or anything like that. And it's going to be a trilogy, right? They're definitely planning, yeah, multiple. And I confess, I never, did you read the book? I never read the book when I was a kid. The book is fantastic. Everybody says, it's beyond.

And I know people don't necessarily love that movie. Incredible. But have you seen, have you seen that Gerwaski's Dune? Yes, I have. So that's like, it ruins this Dune. Yeah. But again, that hit me at the... I was eight years old, and imagine seeing that at eight, right?

You're like, what the fuck am I watching? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's incredible. But I know for the purists, that's not, that's not like Frank Herbert's dude. It's just not, yeah, no, the book is so... I love sci-fi, and that's... And the book is so, like, cool. I haven't read the sequels and stuff, but I hear they're pretty fun, too.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You were one of the early ones on the podcast. I think I was still in Midtown, and this office wasn't here. but it's been overdue. Yeah, no, I think it was probably, I'm trying to remember the first thing we would have, would it have been on the Hobbit or? No, it was, I can tell you exactly,

because I went back and looked. It was, it was Holden Catch Fire five years ago. Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah. And I think you'd just been, you'd probably just shot Guardians or something, but yeah, it's been fun to kind of like see you every like six months or a year and see what you're up to.

It means I'm still working somehow. I keep convincing people to hide. So far, so good. That's so good. Yeah, are you a veteran a podcast now? Because I feel like back then you were still kind of like dipping your toe into like... It depends on how much driving I'm doing. Okay.

If I'm doing a lot of driving, I listen to a lot of podcasts. If I'm not driving as much, then I don't listen to as many. But, yeah. It's funny. So we ran into each other a few weeks back on the street. I don't know about you. I'm surprised I run into as many people as I do just walking. That's the magic of New York.

You know, it never happens to people in L.A. because they're never kind of wandering around on the street. They've got a life that it consists of everything they've chosen to enter into their life. This is like I think most people's lives in America right now. They're just kind of insulated. Creating their own bubble. Yes. Bubbles.

You can't live in a bubble in New York. You can try to, but you will run into a lamp post. Yes. You will get cussed out on the street if you try to create your own bubble. It doesn't work in New York City. I need it. I don't know about you, but I need that. I fear I've lived in New York.

of my entire life outside of like a few years for college and like I need to like collide with things because I fear I would just hide in a cave and yeah it's the best thing about the city is that like you'll go out to get your dry cleaning or just get a bagel for breakfast and your day kind of takes off yeah you run into someone you didn't expect to see yeah you'll get pulled in this direction you know it's that's I mean the only way to live do you do you so how often do you get recognized you're a tall man you can stick out from a crowd Are you able to kind of walk in anonymity, relatively speaking, in New York? Sometimes, I don't know.

It really depends on the day. There are some days that I get recognized quite a bit, and there's, I mean, most days I don't. Or I'll get, like, someone across the store or the movie theater will be looking at me like. That lingering, that double take, that triple take. Yeah, or that, like, how do I know that guy? Does that guy owe me money? And then there's just, like, Lee running away. Probably.

Do you remember the first time you were, like, recognized for your work? Like, was that a moment to kind of start to get... Well, I mean, I'm trying to think of when it would have been, because the first movie I did, I looked nothing like myself. Yeah. I think the first time it really started happening was pushing daisies, because I really looked like myself in that movie. Yeah, well TV, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, and it was TV and network TV. Yes, yes. but so what okay but people are always so nice I mean I guess I mean people are just nice and complimentary it's never weird right that's what people always

it's true it's like if you want the hate go online if you want to see like you can find it you can find it if you want to be self masochistic go for it it's there

I was just telling somebody I was in my office recently and I was just like yeah I'll check the comments like once every six months I can't that's all I can take it's just like yeah no I don't

I wouldn't even be brave enough good for you to try. But no, when someone when someone says something, it always, to be honest, it makes my day. And it makes me, when I see someone

whose work I like, I'll go up to them and be like, hey, I like doing this. Do you? I do it now. Because it's like, you know, it just, because you know what it means to you.

It's nice to hear, you know. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, so we've covered the background a little bit, but I want to fill in some gaps that we haven't talked about before. The important stuff, like when did the growth spurt happen?

When did you suddenly turn into? Oh, it was between my freshman and sophomore year of high school. I really went away that summer grew so quickly. It's like I felt like my lungs were going to explode. Something's wrong with me, mom. I just stretched out. Yeah, I know. It happened very quickly. I had the same kind of conversation. Gina Davis was just in here. And she's tall. She's six feet tall for, again, for a woman that's quite tall. And I asked her, same question I'll ask you, like, did that have an effect of being, like, one of two ways? You can, you can feel like the odd person out and suddenly feel like the spotlight's on you and feel, like, awkward. Or

you can kind of own it and be like, oh, wait, this is kind of cool. To be honest, I don't even notice it, really. But I, but I, but I, do you remember? Was it, I mean, there are, you know, some days I probably thought it was pretty cool. But most, most time when I look at pictures of myself back then, I'm always, like, hunched over like this, trying to. Still learning how to live in your body, perhaps. Yeah, but also it's like you, I, I notice that I don't hear very well.

And so I, I, I'm always kind of like going like this just to, no, in your later years, you're going to have some kind of like, Goliosis because of us all short people that you've been. Yeah, but I do. I hunched to more than I would like. I wish I would stand up straight. Do you ever work with actors that are as tall or taller than you? There aren't many probably.

Yeah, I mean, I'm trying to think, I'm sure I have, yeah. On The Hobbit, absolutely. Right. Absolutely, there were. I mean, I remember there was the guy who played Ian's body double. Paul was like massive. Really? Yeah.

Okay, so going back, first actors that you looked up to, who were the, and not literally were off the hype thing, but who the first actors that you idolized? Well, Ian McKellen, always, yeah. Well, from what? What did you see him in? Well, I remember mostly because I would, because I was such a theater nerd in high school. Yeah. I would see pictures of him and Judy Dench in Macbeth, a production that I never would have

seen. Yeah. And I still remember that. I remember, like, seeing the two of them looking like, proper actors. Wow. And that was right around the time that his Richard the third movie had come out. I remember that.

What an incredible movie that was. Yeah. What did he direct that or someone? No, it was like Richard Lankran. I remember now. Yeah, it's all coming back to me. Yeah. But it was, I mean, yeah. And then like that was around the time of God's monsters. And so yeah. I'm a camellian too. And so then to get to meet him and work with him on The Hobbit was just like, I couldn't believe my luck. What's he like on set? He seems like such a gentle, fun, kind of mischievous kind of soul. All of those things.

Right. Yeah, gentle, fun, mischievous. I mean, you laugh so hard with him on set because he's, you know, he's got such a great, wily sense of humor. Yeah. Yeah, he seems kind of the model in many ways. Like professionally, certainly he's as great as they come. Yeah. But also just seems so comfortable in his own skin and just like, in.

enjoys his life. He's still like, I don't know how old he is, but he's like still at the peak of his faculty. He's seemingly still doing stage work. Like it's, that's the life you want. He's an icon. He's an icon. And he's also, but like I remember on set, what I remember kind of watching him because you would, I remember thinking, oh, he's just going to, it's all going to be cake to him. But he takes the work so seriously. He was digging into it. He was like, I, you know, there's, I, you know, he puts himself in the fire with it. And that's, that's, you know, I mean, that's admirable. That's fearless. Yeah. So you, you know, as I alluded to before, you're a New Yorker. You've lived most of your life here now. I mean, since you graduated, since you went to Juilliard.

What, like, what, did you kind of daydream in high school or earlier about, like, what a life would be like living in New York? Was that, and where was that from? Was it from TV or film, from friends or family visits? I remember the first time I came to New York, like, because I flew into LaGuardia and I took a taxi to where I went to school. Yeah. And, and I, and I, and I, remember thinking it looked like Sesame Street. That was my first impression of what the city was because my imagination of places before I actually go to them are, you know, they're not very reliable for what they will actually be. But it was, I remember thinking, this looks just like Sesame Street. Did it feel like home when you, when you got here? Did it feel like? I was so excited

to be here. I was just like 17 and thrilled. Yeah. Just so, so, so excited to be here. But But then for the next four years, I didn't really get out much because we were hardcore, Juilliards. Yeah. We would just be like on the plaza right outside the school, right in Lincoln Center there, talking about Shakespeare and Chekhov all the time. That's what my lifestyle was in those days. Did you have to do, did you have to work while you were in school or were you able to kind of just do the?

No, you couldn't. There was no way to work while you. I mean, I worked during the summers, but there was no way to work while being in school. because it was just, we would start classes at nine and then you would have rehearsal until about 11 o'clock at night. So it was pretty full. I feel like in my fourth year,

I managed to squeeze a job in towards the end of the fourth year. Yeah. So, you know, it's a rarefied air when you can live the life you kind of dream of. And in many ways, it seems like you are living that life, which is pretty awesome between the theater work and the film work.

And you have, I feel like you have like the right amount of fame and the right amount of opportunity. Like, I mean, there's always more you want. But like, you're in a, you're in a good spot. You're living a good life. It's nice to hear. No, I'm, okay, I'm your therapist today.

Thank you. I appreciate that. You're really putting it all in perspective. Thank you. Be happy. Things are going more. I guess my question is, yeah, let's take a moment to revel in this. Like, are there, like, aspects of your life that surpass even what the dream was? I mean, I was looking, like, at, like, interviews you've done the last couple years,

and it seems like you're, like, friendly with Jessica Lang. Like, how can you even conceive of, like, you know? Yeah, talk about, like, I never. expected that. I wouldn't have expected that. And let me just say she is the coolest person alive. The coolest person. So, so, like, chill and, like, cool. Are those the parts of your life that kind of are the pinch me moments where, like, you befriend, like, in illegitimate way, people that you had on a pedestal? Or is it? I mean, I guess, yeah. Like, if I, if I were to talk to me back when I was in high school, I would think that success meant one thing.

But now looking back, I would have to say, absolutely, it's the getting to meet the people I've gotten the chance to meet and get to know. Absolutely. Because it's, I mean, what is it if you're not sharing it with people that are interesting and cool and add to the experience of life, really, you know? And apropos of that, like, you know, you've done a tremendous amount of theater. You're going to always clearly go back to the theater, especially here in New York. And we always hear about, you know, the theater community. And I want to know, like, what does that mean in practical terms? Like, when you think of, like, the theater community in New York,

does that mean there's, like, a communal spirit where people are cheering each other on? Does that mean you're hanging out of Sardis every night? Like, what is the... They sometimes cheer each other on, but they sometimes don't. There must be less backstabbing than in film or TV in L.A., you would think. Well, it's a smaller community than... Because when I think about the New York theater community, I don't just think it's the people who are making the plays.

and writing the plays. It's that audience. Sure. That audience of people that sees everything that's on stage that year. And they have opinions about the actors. They've watched actors grow. I mean, I feel, you know, part of that audience. So it's like I, you know, I'm going to go see, see Walla Life later tonight.

I just saw it the other night. Oh, is it? How is it? It's great. Oh, good. I'm really excited about it. But I'm just so, Tom Sturge, I've loved everything I've seen him on stage. And I just find him so compelling.

I've never met him, but I find him so dangerous and compelling and fascinating. So I'm, you know, and I remember those performances. I feel like I remembered theatrical performances much more detailed, more clearly than I remember film performances. It makes sense. I mean, you're part of it. You're breathing the air. There's a tangible quality to it. What are the ones that stick out in your mind that, like, to this day?

Oh, I remember, like, seeing Chan. Did you mean to do Jenna McTeer do a doll's house? I never saw that production, but everyone talks about she's like one of those like that always. It was incredible. It was just like, it was just so fun and thrilling to watch. And it was one of those plays that I studied in school. So I, yeah, I just found it was, she was incredible. And I think it was before I went to Julia.

Well, no, it couldn't have been. Do you know what? I don't even know if I saw that production. See, it becomes like in your mind's eye. But I did see her do. I saw her do where she played Queen Elizabeth and I must have

fantasized about her doing a doll's house but she killed it apparently in your mind that's what matters that I, it comes to mind as the thing that I remember most I have that, I relate, I get it clearly. I get it. That's insane I would have to answer that.

I'm glad you fact-checked yourself nobody was going to go back to the tape leave but that's very sweet of you and honest of you to be like, wait, I'm lying. I'm actually lying right now. I'm lying to myself. That's how incredible Janet McTierre is. You don't even have to buy the ticket

and you'll be talking about that play for the rest of your life. Yeah, no, so, God, I mean, yeah. Well, one performance I definitely have seen, I saw you in last year. I paid you a visit, actually. I was there. You might remember.

Angels in America, unbelievable. I mean, a towering achievement. It's more than a point. play. It's like one of these things that's beyond. I don't even know how to describe it for those that haven't seen it. Most people that are listening to this probably know what it is, obviously. But it's a colossal work and not necessarily fun for an actor. It's probably as hard. I mean, fair to say, it was as hard as you've ever had to work for. It was so hard. I mean, it was just, I mean, I cringe as an actor saying, oh, it's just hard work. It's hard work. But it was

to walk in Joe Pitt's shoes was hard. It was hard in rehearsal. It was hard, like, on repeat all week long. You know, it was just so hard. I mean, it was, I mean, I just, I can be, I can speak about it better than that. It was exposing in a way that I didn't, you can't anticipate, you know, but it, the play is, is so rich in detail and is so, you know, dangerous, you know, that there is no way to not find yourself in it. Yeah. Well, I mean, he's a tortured character.

And by just by sheer the act of being in it, I mean, the sheer hours, you're doing four or eight hours a day of it, of living in those shoes. Well, there's like technical things that are stressful because that production was so huge that it was like, there's lots of technical things. And everyone else had done it before, but I hadn't. Right. So I was at a fourth of the rehearsal time, but I also had to just pick up a lot of things very, very quickly for an eight-hour play, but then the stuff that was hard was just

the emotional battering that character takes. It was just, I didn't, I didn't see it coming. I knew it was going to be a big experience. Yeah, you intellectualized it, but the emotion of probably actually going through it is. Yeah, it was just, I mean, I still find myself thinking about it the way you're thinking about a trauma that's happened to you. And I, and I have to kind of be like, that wasn't real. That didn't happen to you. That happened to that character. But it's just the hardest thing, I mean, what that character had to go through, just the hardest thing anyone would have to have to really completely change who they are, you know, when there's resistance from everywhere around him to actually become someone else, to shed your skin and

become someone else. Yeah, tough character. but very grateful that I'm not actually that character did it change you as an actor you think is there anything that you can think of that changes you going forward from that experience I don't know we'll see

it was pretty recent no I mean I really want to do a comedy now I'll tell you that's the change I need to mouth the runway for a really want to do something funny we did this before your first feature role was as a trans character and you've always like you've done your fair share of queer LGBTQ characters throughout is that something important to you to represent that community you're a part of

yeah i love queer people um might not play them yeah i know i do i think it's yeah absolutely i mean i was so proud to to get cast as calpurnia at that time i just found it so exciting because I hadn't seen characters like her written with that level of complexity and dignity and that was something I was excited about playing at that time. And must have also, you know,

just from a cow's career perspective, it shows like what you can do right off the bat. Yeah, it was a real feast. It was a real kind of... Let me show you. Let me like, it's a calling card. Like, I'm going to go to places. I can do it and get on.

Yeah, what do you need? do you need. Yeah. No, it was like, I looked back on that and I just, and I think I, I imagined at the time that they were all going to be characters like that, you know? That's the downside. You're supposed, oh, hey. Like, they're all going to be challenging in that way. They're all going to be, like, open up sides of yourself that you didn't know were there. But even that, I guess I played characters that have, are far from who I am a lot of times. Every time I look back at the character, I see more of myself than I expected I would. Yeah. You could always talking about marmaduke right now the one that changed everything yes yes and if you liked

phil and debby winslow and marmaduke you'll love them and trivin i was gonna say i was gonna say you and judy group back together again did you guys help each other out back in a marmaduke you're like let's just get through this together we had so much fun doing that i'm sure we had so much fun it was the first time we'd work together and we were in vancouver which is one of my favorite places to work. Yeah. And we had the best time. We saw such good music.

We, I remember there was this one whole scene where we're like arguing with each other, like our marriage is falling apart. And we just acted our tits off. And then we watched the movie. And it's all played on the dog's face. That's classic. I love it. I love it.

Makes me so happy. And it's like Marmaduke looking at the cat saying like the grownups are fighting. And we're like, are you even, can you even hear what you're talking about? It's just like, probably not. It's probably like one of the, like Charlie Brown, like, maw, wah, wah. Little did you know you were just the scenery in a Marmaduke movie. We really gave it everything we had. I would love to work with Judy Greer on every single thing I do.

She seems like a genuinely wonderful life force. Well, let's talk about Driven a little bit. We talked, we, I first saw this. In Toronto, about a year ago, actually, when it debuted. I really liked this movie. It's a really unique piece of work and a great performance from you. And Sudakis, Corey Stoll, a great ensemble. Yeah, it's such a fun group of people.

And, yeah, well, I'm glad you liked it. So it's one of these things that, like, I've got to the Back to the Future poster here. So, yeah, so it's obviously, for those that don't know, Delorean, the namesake of that classic car, was a very unique character, kind of an icon. of the time and kind of a genius, like a master kind of artist in a way. He had designed and manufactured

the GTO, the Pontiac Firebird. I mean, he really created the idea of a muscle car. Like a big engine and a small, cool car at a certain price point. You know, that's cool. So I would imagine there's a bunch of fun stuff beyond just the opportunity to,

you know, wear cool shades and tennis shorts and turtlenecks in this one. Although those are fun. too. Just to hit the highlights. Yeah, just hit the highlights. I'm just trying to bring him in Lee. If you want Lee Pace and tennis shorts. And then stick around for the acting.

But it is. You know what it reminded me of in a weird way? It's almost like the Elmord Leonard book that was never written. It's like these all these quirky, odd characters colliding in this like too crazy to be true, but it is all true story. Yeah. I mean, it's true-ish, you know, in a way that I found really. interesting and fun because you've got at the center of the movie these two

kind of untrustworthy characters you've got jason's character who is basically a you know a con man who is telling the story so you've got that filter that you're telling the story through um and his friend who's i i don't i hesitate to call dolorean a con man because he's i mean to look at his track record he's such an extraordinary innovator and takes responsibility for the things that he does and the decisions he makes. But he also thought a $30 million cocaine deal would save his automobile company.

It all, the demerit in the personality column. But that shows it, but what I see in him is someone who just has like a magical thinking. Yeah. Has it kind of like, well, we have a money problem. How can we get money quick?

Yes. Let's sell some drugs. You know what I mean? Well, and a uniquely kind of like American story. Like, you know, you could be argued that like a lot of, you know, the good and the bad of Americans is sort of like the pursuit of, of material things and status at all costs. And it seems like he's like holding on no matter what, even if it's like obviously a fucking horrible decision to make. Like he needs to maintain the status he's had. Well, there's one of my favorite line, when I watched the movie back at the premiere, I was like,

there was this line that said, he said, you know, I always lead from the front. Right. And he's about to walk into the Coke deal. And there's just this, this level of awareness and fearlessness. Right. Of kind of like, you know, it could all come crashing down in 10 minutes, but I'm ready for it. Yeah. Like, I'm not afraid of it.

It's not going to knock me down. I know what I'm worth. And I'm unafraid. Yeah. Of, I'm unafraid of the decisions because I know how to handle myself. going forward. And I like that about him. I like that kind of,

he's just never going to say die. Yeah. You know, and even after the Coke scandal happened, he, um, he opened this, a company to design luxury watches.

Yeah. And he had pre-orders, investors. I mean, money was coming in and he never made a single watch. Amazing. And I think he would have, I'm sure if he could have.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think it actually came to that. Um, well, it's, it's, it's a quality.

work and as I said Nick uh Nick uh Nick Ham right yeah the filmmaker uh he did assemble a really great cast I had it's funny you know I had um this a tangent I just you'll appreciate it I had Corey Stoll come in a couple years ago when he was like just starting to like he had done a lot of theater

but he was starting to like really hit it I think thanks to the Netflix show yeah yeah right and it occurred to me that I that we were like grade school friends and like yeah we went to the same grade school together he reminded me he's like wait did you go to PS 87 And I'm like, oh, yeah, Corey. Oh, Corey.

Like, obviously he didn't look the same at 12. Isn't that bizarre? I love Corey. He always plays such, like, tough, hard-ass guys and stuff. But he's like, the sweetest, coolest person. He's doing, I just saw it was announced. He's going to do Macbeth with his wife, I think, as Lady Macbeth. Oh, no way. Well, I knew he was doing Macbeth.

I'm so excited that they're going to do that together. That's going to be amazing. What a dope idea. Yeah. I love that play so much. I'm so excited to see him play it. Yeah. That's going to be a good one.

And it's at CSC, which is one of my favorite places to see stuff. Have you done a lot of Shakespeare? Is that, I mean, you have to, a little bit of Julia, yeah, right? Yeah, not since school. We did a Shakespeare every year while we were in school, but I haven't done any since I'm out. I'm very ashamed to say. What about musicals? You've never, on the corner to the theater list I saw, I didn't see any.

No, I've never done a musical either. Is that surprising? I mean, do you? I would like to. You sang in Pedigrew, Ms. Petigrew. Yes. I would like to do a musical. musical, but, yeah, I just, it hasn't happened yet.

I could see you as a Sky Masterson. I could see you as a... Oh, yeah, that's a good one. Right? Yeah, that's a, that's a good one. I have a sauce spot for Guys and Dolls. That's one of my favorites. In that vein of the classic American standards.

Yeah, well, I do remember, like, having, getting, someone gave me that Guys and Dolls that that Nathan Lane did. Yeah, I went to see that, and it was a famous, obviously, production. It was Peter Gallagher amazing. Oh, yeah. Oh, that's right. Peter Gallagher, but I never saw it. I mean, we can put this next to a doll's house, but I

had, maybe I didn't either. Now I didn't know. I had listened to that soundtrack so many times and looked at the pictures on the CD cover so many times that I knew Nathan Lane, I knew what he was about. And then you became... Yeah, got a chance to work with him, which must have been amazing.

Okay, so jumping back and forth. Okay, so filling some gaps in the film work. Like, you know, we alluded to this a little bit before, like when we were talking about Jessica Lang and people you and like Nathan Lane but like talk to me about how you quiet the nerves when you are being like directed by a De Niro or a Spielberg like is it just you go into kind of the Juilliard training the focus that you know your craft are you able to kind of quiet the half

of your brain that's like in awe of somebody or what what happens I don't I mean I'm not always successful equating the nerves to be honest I'm you know I mean but I think the only thing I can do is just be as prepared as I can possibly be. That's the... That's just, that's it. That's it. Just be prepared. And just remember with someone like that that I'm here to serve your story.

Right. That's the only function I have. So the clearer I am about what you need, the better this will go for everyone. Have you seen Once Upon a Time in Hollywood yet, by the way? No, I haven't seen it. I'm dying to see it. We just went on vacation so I was there was not movie theaters where we were um is it great it's great um the reason

I think you'll appreciate it as I'm sure you know it's about an actor uh Leo plays and he's amazing as you could but well he there's there's without ruining anything I think there's like an amazing like brain freeze like actor moment within a scene where he just like can't like he just shuts down and you just see him like go through the paces of trying to like summon the words and he can't and I'm sure you like I'm sure any actor will what so yeah can you relate that to any Oh, well, there was, yeah, when we were on stage at Angels, I had in early, early previews. It was like one of the first times in front of an audience in that scene where me and Nathan come back as ghosts. Yeah.

With prior. Yeah. I got my line scrambled and like a line came out early and I looked at Andrew's face and I was like, that wasn't right, was it? And he was like, uh, and it messed up his next line. And so there was just like this, uh, where are we over me or how do we do this? It's like everything slows down. Yeah. Everything gets very, you just feel like all eyes are on you and the tomatoes are about to start flying. Reality is like 1% maybe the audience might know it's like going, wait, did something just happen?

But yeah, I remember, yeah, that was pretty good. Oh my God. I'm going to die. No, but that's, yeah. But never in front of Daniel Day Lewis. You got it right for him. Oh, God, no, no, no. Thank God.

Thank God. I'm trying to think if there were any, you know, really, I mean, you know, I can't You're a professional. You got it down. I'm trying to think. I mean, I don't know. I'm pretty easygoing when it comes to, I mean, I just try to be as prepared as I can. So if I know my lines, then I know that I can just listen and respond.

Sounds easier said than done the way you say it. But yes, that's the baseline for an actor. Are you able to, do you find that, like, Like when you're, you're, you're most relaxed on a set is when the best work comes when you are in kind of like a, or is being on the edge helpful or not? Yeah, it's always different. There's, I mean, I feel like for Hall and Catch Fire, for example, that first season, I was not relaxed at all. I just felt very, I didn't understand the character as well as I would have liked. And I, I don't, I don't know.

I just felt very anxious that whole first season. I mean, it was also kind of this experience where I had gone from shooting the pilot to doing reshoots in in New Zealand for The Hobbit and then shooting all of Guardians of the Galaxy and then going back to shoot the whole first season. So I hadn't been home in a year. Yeah. And I just... You were out of your comfort zone. You were just... Yeah, I just did not understand the character.

And I watch it back and when I kind of surrendered to that frustration as opposed to being like, everything's fine. I've got it all in the control. I'm going to play this guy. the way I've seen other guys like this on television which I think was the first couple episodes of it I just didn't like relax into that yeah anxiety and chaos yeah and once I had I think I found you know I

so I guess to answer your question it's like always different sure you know there are some situations where it's like I I you know like with with driven yeah it was like the actual acting work in it was a dream because We shot it right after the Hurricane Maria had destroyed Puerto Rico. So the difficult things on that movie were it was getting water to everyone to bring home. Right.

Or, you know, making sure the people had, were safe, you know. So, it sounds like the acting seemed like the easy part. Yeah, the acting suddenly became like, that was like it was imperative to make everyone laugh. You know what I mean? To get to be an entertainer. Yeah. So that, it's like, it's always just different. It's always the way it's going to be.

Well, and also people run their sets in much different ways. A Spielberg set is run in a much different way than David or Russell or whoever. Yeah, I mean, was Spielberg, it was such a kind of creative, like, confident place. I just felt, I was like, gosh, this is incredible. I'm sure every department head is like an Oscar winner. And, like, it's just like you're in Kushner's writing. And like, Daniel Davis, it's like, it's like, oh, it's. the all stars yeah but it like for me like little me in that I was just like I didn't feel as

oh I shouldn't be here I felt like God what a privilege this is I'm taking care of I'm like I just need to keep up and yeah and I just do what I do in this little bit of time that I've got now I do but there have been times that have been a more kind of you know dramatic sets but that kind of creates something interesting too it's like you know when someone pitches a fit and everyone suddenly like the atmosphere lifts and there's that kind of like that sense of danger around. It's great. Oh, you're talking about Marmaduke again.

Oh, yeah. I mean, that dog was unreasonable, but a brilliant, brilliant. A couple random things that I saw in the copious research. Tell me if true or not. Are you an avid skydiver, Leepace? I was just asked that question. I don't know where did you find him. I don't know.

It was probably IMDB or something stupid. But it pops out. You're like, I need to ask about that. Have you ever skydived? I skydived once. So you're an avid skydiver, apparently. I guess so. Yeah.

Did you enjoy it? Yeah. I would do it again. I would definitely do it again, but I mean, I'm not, yeah. Enjoying dance-offs in between takes. Another, like, I've done it once, yeah. That's so stupid, these things, aren't they? Like in the way.

Where is that? I don't, it probably was IMDV or Wikipedia, but those are the two stupid sources. But okay. Yeah, what I did, yeah, I did it once on Twilight, me and me a maestro. because we shot that whole battle sequence at the end of twilight. It was months. We were doing that. Months and months.

And we couldn't leave. You're like, are we in hell? I was just like, well, me and Mia would go down to New Orleans. We would just spend all of our time in New Orleans. And we'd get this call, like, you need to, we're shooting with you. So we would go to it. So I think we did it just to kind of have fun one day. I feel like one of my great regrets is like before I knew you, like I did.

And like you, I didn't talk to you during Twilight, but I working at MTV, I did a lot with Twilight. Like I always say like I think I've interviewed Christian Stewart and Robert Patton more than any other human being on the planet. We did specials and red carpet things and da, like I'm just like, so like someone should have, whether it's me or not, should have done the ultimate doc book, tell all, because it was just an amazing part to be a part of that phenomenon from it was so surreal i mean i because i wasn't super familiar with the movies before i did that um but then yeah i found myself on set

and it was you know there are all these other vampires around and we shot all that stuff that battle stuff in an ag barn in outside baton rouge so this is like where they when they're not shooting movies they're auctioning cattle something apropos of that that's like where so it's like there's basically this big kind of white mat full of paper snow

that they would wet down every day so after months of this the the paper would start to mold in places that would pool with the water so it was like a science experiment you just looked at Bill Condon and be like I trusted you man this is what you

here we are here we are but it's like when I think about like the overhead big overhead wide shot it's literally like a petri dish under a microscope do you how often when you've done running the accuser do you ask the makeup folks for assurances that there will be no lasting damage to your skin oh my gosh yeah how would be like freaking out about that it took for the when i did they figured it out now but when when when i saw the black stuff on for guardians of the galaxy it would take as long to take it off as it did to put it on.

It was like... Did you feel like encased in a tomb? Like it was like a little bit? And sometimes when I would sweat underneath it, it would form little bubbles and you'd pop it and like sweat when it tripped out. See, it's not all glitzing Twitter. No, this is why you got into it.

Were you as surprised as anybody that you got to come back for Captain Marvel? Like had they hinted like, we might call upon you when needed. Well, I mean, anything can happen in the MCU. Actually, anything, anything, anything. So I wasn't, I mean, I was so thrilled to hear from them because I was rehearsing Angels and it meant flying to L.A. on a Monday.

Yeah, talk to me. What was that? How many, did you have to do that a few times? Like how? Oh, just once. Yeah, we put it all into like, like one afternoon because I got in around right before lunchtime and then we shot a couple things. And then I came in early the next day.

I did one more shot. And then I was on a flight home. they know how to do it efficient good for that yeah they do exactly what they needed and it was I mean talk about surreal to like have been on stage with that for all week and then fly to LA I mean it was great to be honest it was just what I needed I'm sure everybody needs that in a heart wrenching soul searching play yeah this kind of punishing play and they show up and there's like all my Marvel friends there and I'm like hey what's up back in the saddle You know, where's my mark?

What's been the best thing that's come out of your association with Marvel? Is it, I mean, career-wise, it's nice visibility, et cetera. I'm sure you get some cred with nieces or nephews or kids, I'm sure. I would say without question the fans. It's such a, the fan base for those movies is such a cool, committed group of people. And I've been to a couple of the conventions. Right. And just people are so cool about them.

They're so knowledgeable. They're just, like, excited. They're into the storytelling. They're into the size of that story. They're into the characters. And I get it. I like it and I get it. Yeah.

Whether it's even specifically that or not. When you came in, we were geeking out about all these movie posters. That's why we both do what we do. We love the stuff. Yeah. Whether it's Marvel or Dune or whatever, we're talking, or Shakespeare. I know. I know. I like a good story. I like it. And that's what's so fun about those MCU stories is that the stories are big.

They're like epic. Their freedom and size and expression, you know, and diversity. You know what's fun too. I'm sure you've experienced this. So I just did a thing with Tom Hittleston, who's coming to Broadway in The Trail. Oh, cool. And like, I went to see it in London. And like, I saw, like, people were there. There were a lot of, like, Marvel fanboy and fan girls there. because they want to see Tom and they're being exposed to Harold Pinter. Cool. Like, I'm sure that happens. Like, it happened with angels. I'm sure.

Absolutely. Yeah. And that's, that's cool, you know? I mean, you really feel like, I mean,

even though I'm completely buried up and, you know, blue and makeup, it's, yeah, no, I feel like a connection with them, you know,

and I feel, yeah, so that's, that's the coolest thing I found about the, um, what's coming up for you? Do you have a theater film? What's,

the next nothing really right now I'm kind of just looking for stuff I'm yeah I've been reading a bunch of stuff but not really connecting to it and that feels

I mean it actually feels pretty new I've always felt like I want to you know I don't like not working and I want to keep on set or you know with stuff going on and it's kind of an interesting time right now where I'm like well I just want to take a beat

and really make sure I'm connected to the things that I... This is a good philosophy to have, I think. Is there a kind of a kind of material you're not getting that you wish people would think of you for? Well, like I said, I want to do something funny. So I'm really looking for a good comedy. Something fun. Well, I don't know.

I don't feel like people make comedies like they used to. No. You know? Like, I think, but I think that's large part to the audience because the audience is amused in a different way than they used to be. you know um i think so i think it creates like an interesting space for comedy what was your what are your gold standards for comedy when you think back to being a kid or whatever like

what makes you laugh or what made you laugh when you were a kid or even as a grown-up i mean i did no taste when i was a kid so i don't know the things that made me laugh when i was a kid um i mean i mean not when i was a kid but i mean a movie that we watched a couple um months ago that i still think about from time to time is when Harry met Sally. There's something about the humor in that movie that is not like, it's not shocking. It's shocking and laughing. There's obviously that one great moment in it. Yeah.

But you look at it now and there's like, it's like, it's like, it's funny in service of a bigger story. It's not, it's people talking about real things. It's real relationships. You laugh because you get it. you're like you're laughing as a kind of like uh me too fuck me too you know when you're watching it so i i don't know i think that there's something um yeah excellent okay well we'll we'll get something funny to your to the team of leapace okay yeah we'll see that out to the universe um

everybody should there's humor and driven by the way there's a bit of everything yeah driven is really funny yeah that was fun it was funny to make i mean gosh judy grere and and jason yeah you can't And they get going. It's like just about the funniest absurd banter you've ever heard. I'm sure, I'm sure. But everybody should check it out. It's a great piece of work as always. I look forward to seeing what's next, whether it's on the stage or on the big screen or small screen.

It's always good, man. And Josh, you're the best. Thanks for talking to me again. Always a pleasure. And so ends another edition of Happy, Sad, Confused. Remember to review, rate, and subscribe to this show. show on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm a big podcast person.

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