Happy Sad Confused - Mila Kunis

Episode Date: October 5, 2022

We've got laughter and tears on tap for this edition of the podcast, Mila Kunis' first visit! Enjoy this chat about LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE and everything from BLACK SWAN, THAT 70s SHOW, and Mila's friendships with Mark Wahlberg and Sam Heughan. Plus, a heartfelt moment discussing her Ukrainian roots. Come see Josh tape LIVE Happy Sad Confused conversations in New York City! October 25th with Ralph Macchio! Tickets are available here! October 26th with Henry Cavill! Tickets are available here! For all of your media headlines remember to subscribe to The Wakeup newsletter here! Don't forget to check out the Happy Sad Confused patreon here! We've got exclusive episodes of GAME NIGHT, video versions of the podcast, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Get after him or have you shot 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, Laughing and Crying with the delightful Milakunis. Hey, guys, I'm Josh Horowitz, and welcome to another edition of Happy, Sad, Confused. Yeah, we run the gamut with our main guest today. The dynamic, the captivating, the very talented. She can do comedy and drama in equal measure. Milakunis, first-time guest on the podcast today talking about her new Netflix film, luckiest girl alive. More on that in a second, but let me just get you up to speed on all the things going on

in the happy set, confused in Josh Harrowitz universe, which is quite a lot. This is one of those weeks where it all kind of like comes to a head. So in New York, where I'm based, we've been having, let's see, in no discernible order, the New York Film Festival has just launched and it's underway with a slew of awesome movies and talent. We have New York Comic-Con starting in a few days. We've got Paley Fest starting in a few days and Paley Weekend, which just occurred. Not to mention just all the usual ginormous output of fall fall fall. films and fall TV. It's an embarrassment of riches, and I'm just trying to keep my head above

water, but it's been a lot of fun. I was at the New York Film Festival's opening night, went to see the new Noah Boundback movie, White Noise, which I really enjoyed. It is a wild, different kind of a film for Noah. Of course, you know from Marriage Story and Squid and the Whale, and it certainly has that idiosyncratic vibe that, That's great dialogue and kind of acerbic wit to it. But it is married with some other kind of genre things that we've never seen in Noah Baumbach do. It's based on the Dondalillo book, of course, has, as bizarre as it is to say, a little bit of a Spielbergian amblin adventure vibe in the middle.

And then it goes to some, I don't know, almost absurdist Cohn Brothers-y places. has some music involved in really unique ways, thanks to LCD sound system. It's a big swing, and it was a fun opening for the festival. It had screened in Venice, but the New York crowd, I think, received it all the more thanks to their hour investment in NOAA, who is definitely a tried and true New Yorker. So that's coming soon. That's going to be on Netflix later this year. So look out for that.

That stars Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig, Don Schen. Teetal, a ton of great folks. So I was occupied with that, but that's just the beginning of New York Film Festival. New York Comic-Con. I hope to see some of you guys out there in person. I'm moderating two panels, as I mentioned before, Saturday at 11 a.m. I'll be moderating the panel for the peripheral, which is the new series from Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan, stars Cole Grace Morett and Jack Rayner, previous guests on the podcast, both of them. Very excited for that. And then Sunday at I've mentioned it before. I'll mention it again. If you can get in, do your best. The Weird Al-Yankevick panel for Weird, the Alliancovic story. It is the new film starring Daniel Radcliffe

and Evan Rachel Wood. Dan, of course, is Weird Al. Evan Rachel Wood is Madonna. It is absurd. It is super funny. I'm sure we're going to show lots of exclusive stuff to you guys. So if you're able to make it over to New York Comic Con come say hi. I know you'll enjoy it. So, yeah, just a lot of moderating fun stuff lately, including these live events at 92Y, and this is another one. So Milakunis came by the 92Y the other night to screen her new film. It's called The Luckiest Girl Alive. A lot of you probably know it because it's based on a bestseller that had a lot of acclaim. It comes out on Netflix this Friday, October 7th.

So for context, this Q&A happened right after. the crowd in New York got a chance to see the movie. That being said, I was pretty careful not to go too deep into the movie in terms of spoiler territory. Suffice it to say the protagonist in this film is a woman who seemingly has it all together. But thanks to an interior monologue that we're privy to, we learn, as the film goes, that there are severe issues and trauma in her past that she is dealing with. so it is it's by turns actually pretty funny but then turns super dark it's a it's a really

interesting mix uh and it features a great performance from milakunis at the center of it um i was so happy to have her on the podcast because i've always really loved talking to her she is you know it's a cliche to say but it's true she's a straight shooter she just um you know there's no BS with her she's funny she's smart she's into like the stuff that i and you are into, like, she's not above, like, the gaming world and genre stuff. She loves it all. And it was really fun to take a deep dive with her. This is kind of an interesting conversation because it goes, it's very funny,

but it also gets a little serious and really sweet at times because her roots are the Ukraine. She was born there. Came over here when she was seven years old, and she and her husband, Ashton Coucher, have done some really amazing, wonderful stuff. You can look it up, but suffice it to say. They've helped raise over $35 million for the cause over there to help the Ukrainians in this really, really difficult time. And as she said, it's a Band-Aid on a horrific situation, but man, they are doing more than their part and kudos to them. So this was a lot of fun.

We talk everything from Black Swan to that 70s show, Jupiter ascending, her love of the Fast and Furious movies. we cover it all as we do on the podcast. Plus, I should say, there is a special surprise for Mila appearance. Should I root it for you guys? Okay, I'll just say it's a surprise appearance from an A-list movie star, a ginormous movie star that surprised Mila and really touched her. And I know talking to her afterwards, she was, it really moved her and she was thrilled to have that special moment. So look forward to that. And I will just say, finally, there are more upcoming 92Y events, a symphony space event. It's all in the show notes, but I'll rattle it off quickly.

October 25th, Symphony Space, me, Ralph Machio, talking about his career from karate kid to his new memoir, waxing on, the cobra Kai. We're going to cover it all. That's going to be a lot of fun with our friends at Symphony Space, again, October 25th. And by the time you listen to this, I certainly hope so, because I'm going to say it right now, October 26th, this is a biggie, Henry Cavill at 92 NY. That's right, live in person, me and Henry Cavill, he's done the pod before, but we've never done it like this live in front of a ginormous audience. He is coming into town. We're going to talk his new film, which is Noah Holmes, too, but of course we're going to talk about every. everything, guys. And yes, that includes The Witcher and Superman and anything else I can think

of. If you love Henry Cavill, this is the place to be. So look forward to seeing that one. That's going to be a big one. I'm sure we're going to, if not sell it out. I think we'll sell it out. I hope we sell it out because I want a great big New York welcome for Henry. So look forward to that. And there are more events coming up soon too. Yeah, more to come. As always, the first announcements. The discount codes are on the Patreon. Patreon.com slash happy, sad, confused. Again, patreon.com slash happy sad confused. Even at the lowest tier level, you get the early announcements and discount codes for every single live event. And at the further tier levels, you get all the videos, exclusive videos, game nights, every single thing we

do in terms of video and audio form goes up there first. So get in on all. the action. Okay, let's get to the main event. I'm taking you now back in time, live. It was live at the time, but you'll hear the crowd. Here is me and Milakunis talking. It's the night of her premiere, by the way. She snuck away from her premiere to do this little event, so that was pretty cool. Here's me and Milakunis talking, Lucky Skirl Live, and many more things. Hi, guys. Welcome. It's a miracle. Mila Kunis just appeared out of nowhere after you watch this great movie. It should always be this way, Mila. Let's give it up one more time, just because she's here.

She's cheating on her own premiere. Milakunis. Thank you. Welcome to a very special 92 NY edition of Happy Second Fused. Mila's a first-time guest on the podcast. Despite our many conversations, we're going to both cry by the end of this. We're going to go deep. Do you think so?

No. My mascara. Congratulations, though, on the movie. Thank you. I mean, this is a unique circumstance for this film, which is going to be on Netflix. You know, you're now in front of a crowd that's seen it in an actual movie venue. How archaic. I know, right?

It's going the way of the dinosaur. But I don't know. I mean, this is an intense one, to say the least. Do you get a different kind of satisfaction from something like this than from a bad mind? from a bad mom's, from the comedies we've talked about over the years. I mean, is it a different kind of... No, it's the same. There's an ego that comes with filmmaking,

and if anyone tells you otherwise, they're lying. You want to entertain people, and what entertainment comes in, it comes in multitude of forms, right? I love making people love. I love any form of escapism. This film included. I mean, I don't think that you're going to walk out of it being like,

what a popcorn movie at the summer. But I think that you'll walk out of it with a hopefully, I mean, hopefully, with some sort of feeling or emotion or, you know, a desire to have a conversation or maybe you rethought something. Whatever it may be, it's something new and different that you didn't walk in with. This character, I mean, I can see from the outside looking in, I'm sure this audience would agree, why this would appeal. There's a lot, there's a lot of juicy stuff for this character. We, you know, we often like, you know, hear narration in a film, but often it's like, and you know this better than anybody, it's often, it's often, like, and you know this better than anybody, it's often. like a patchwork. Yeah, just to like mask something.

To help move the story along. This is integral. This is obviously part and parcel of the storytelling and it really defines your approach to the character. Did that jump off the page as soon as you read the script? Yeah. I mean, you nailed it. I think oftentimes people, not oftentimes,

but a lot of times people go like, why did you make this movie? That is like the standard question for a lot of things. And especially when it came to this one, people were like, what made you want to make this movie? I was like, well, you know, there's a lot of films out there, well, not a lot, but there's a handful of films out there where it's a woman who dot, dot, dot, dot.

And I didn't want to make just another, it's a woman who dot, dot, dot film. And to me, what makes this one incredibly special and why I chose to do is because two things. It is based on the writer's life, loosely based on the writer's life, so there's an element to it that you can't argue. You can't say that can't happen. That would never happen.

That's not how it would happen. It is how it happened. That is what happened. And to me that that was really important. And then the other part of it is the writer who wrote the book, who this is based off of, also wrote the screenplay. And her voice is incredibly specific. Like I think about it, this is a first screenplay that she's ever written.

She's got amazing books out there that have all been on the New York Times bestseller list. But she's got a very specific cadence and a very specific tone. And a lot of it has to do with this voiceover element that she brings in that's not exposition. So we're not going to go too much into spoilers because some of the audience at home hasn't seen the movie, the people listening to the podcast, haven't seen it. So we're going to talk a little bit generally, but... My bad. No, no, no, we're good.

We haven't spoiled anything. It's all good. But you mentioned one of the key points, I think, which is, that's very unusual that the writer is the screenwriter. It's never going to happen. The fact that it happened today with Netflix, I mean, that is a lot of people taking rightful risks. I mean, but that is, but nonetheless, this is not the norm, no. So are you the type of actor, like, do you go to the writer? with a ton of questions, because you have the director as a resource always, of course.

You also, but this is a unique case, as you said, because of the writer's ownership of the material. Is that helpful for you as an actor, or do you just kind of go off like the script as it's locked, hopefully, and go there? No. So, we changed the ending drastically from the film. Not drastically, but I would say we modernized it. And when I read the original script, I was like, I really, I love this, but let me talk to you a little bit more. Since you wrote the script, since you wrote the book, what other evolutions have you gone through that we can implement in this character

that we can jump six to seven years and make it more relatable to today not as relatable to seven years ago and so I would say I ask a lot of questions when I think I ask a lot of questions look we all have trauma

in our past thankfully not as much most of us as hopefully right this character and I know you don't necessarily relate on the specifics of this thankfully but you know, many actors I've talked to talk about like the first approach in, you know, playing somebody is to find the commonality, not the differences, but where they connect. Yeah. So where do you connect here? I mean, to your point, I think we've all had, I wouldn't even call them obstacles,

but we've all had road bone. You know what I mean? Like we've had something in our life that we can always pinpoint it being like that moment changed my opinion on such or this moment made me realize this or here I could have made a different. We all have it. We all forks in road, always, whether we acknowledge them or not. And I think for me, I clearly acknowledge all them. But I, yeah, for me, I think being an immigrant was a big part of this. Like I, the code switching, the understanding of the why do we code switch, I don't have social media. So for me, it would never be relatable to have to put on a persona other than who I am, because I don't have that. So that I won't relate to. But what I do relate to is the idea of assimilation. And,

And, you know, there's a lot of elements. So that to me, but also, like, you make choices throughout life. And you remember those, especially the ones that you did not well. Your interior monologue, my guess is based on our past conversations, and part of why I always love talking to you, is you feel pretty unfiltered and honest, not in an obnoxious way, because it can go a little dark with some people sometimes if they literally have no capacity to control themselves. I grew my filter, so thank you.

Oh, you've been cultivating the filter. Yes, yes. I'm knitting it and crocheting the filter as we speak. Is it safe to say that was always Milo? Like if like five-year-old Milo was like that? Yes, but this is the best case in Oriomi. Okay, so I want you know if my parents were here, they'd be like, well, listen, I think everyone needs a little filter.

Sure. We all, not all of our thoughts need to be heard. You don't, like, we just don't. We're not all that smart. And so I, you know, in my youth, probably had less of one, but not for any reason other than I didn't realize that I needed one. And so I would say, you know, my late 20s, I was like, oh, I really need to stop talking so much. Were you, did you go to, like, media training when you were a kid? Do I need to, though?

I have someone I can recommend, no, no. No, I've never had media training. So they, when like that 70s show happens, you're suddenly like, this career has jumped started and you're the focus of a lot of attention. Yeah. It was just sort of like sink or swim, like I'm just going to be a teenager and just say what I feel. But that's what happened. Yeah. Like I don't, I think I was always a pretty good kid.

Like I was a really good kid. I, you know, was responsible because I loved what I did so much, I never wanted to lose it. And I desperately fought to act. My parents, probably to this day, would be like, doctor. I'm an immigrant. You know what I'm saying? Like, this is not the career that they moved to America for.

But I, yeah, I was just always like, I loved going to work, and I never wanted to jeopardize that. So that being said, yeah, it all kind of was, I was never that obnoxious. I never needed that much handling or. It was never like the asshole year, like if I had met you at like 21, like, oh, she's going through. It depends who you ask.

I'm going to say no. But ask my parents, they'll be like, 12 to 22. I don't think so. I really don't think so. But you should have some of my co-stars. I'm sure they'll have some good story. Start with my husband. That's a good one.

People like last week. Yeah. It was a Thursday. No. So, look, I feel like the legend of the upbringing, the immigration story of Milakunis is now. It is a legend by now. For those that don't know, when and where,

how did you come to our fairer country? At what age? Give us a little bit of the background. I'd like to say, I think a lot of us here are immigrants at some point who come from immigrants. So I don't think that my story is that special or unique, but it is just one of many. How'd I come here?

Well, I didn't have much choice. I was seven and a half, and my parents lied to me and told me that we were moving down the street. Well, thank you for laughing, guys. Talk about something to remember. This is a long street. We're walking down. To a very long street.

And we got on a train, and I was like, well, this is not moving down the street. And then we arrived in this country called what is now known as Russia. Before then, it was just all, imagine USSR. So we arrived in Moscow. And I went to the embassy, the American embassy. And you go into the slotto of whether you get chosen that day or not. And if you don't get chosen, you don't come. And, oh, let me prove.

We came here on a religious. just a refugee visa. Okay, so you get in this lotto, you do the thing. We didn't get chosen, we didn't get chosen, we didn't get chosen. We were there for like 16 hours. I think my parents tell the story. Like I started getting antsy and hungry, and I took a walk down the hallway. I happened to have wandered into the woman's office that ultimately was going to make this decision.

And I was like, I'm so hungry, do you have any candy? And she was like, I guess she struck up a conversation with me. I don't have any recollection of this, according to my parents. I walked out of the room and I said, this lady needs to see you. I'm so sorry. I think I said something wrong. And they were like, what did you do? And I was like, I don't know.

So we walked in there, and long story short, she was like, welcome to America. Wow. And then it got really hard, but you know what I'm saying. Yeah, no, it always starts with candy. They lure you in with the candy. Yeah, get in with the candy. Your connection to the Ukraine over the years has it vacillated in terms of like your own personal connection, how you felt connected, because obviously now we all feel much more connected in the last

couple of years. But talk to me about just, I mean, did you go back at any times? Oh, I went back once. Okay. So I went back four years ago, let's say five, four or five years ago. My husband and I went back with my parents. I was shooting in Budapest at the time. And I was like, well, we're pretty damn close. Should we go? And he was like, yeah, let's go. So my parents flew down. We went to my little town and we landed and everyone looked at me as if I was going to be like have some you know cathartic some sort of emotion and I went well this is nice I mean nothing right like it just I you know I've said this in interviews recently but I very much assimilated to America like I consider myself that like there's no question that being said I walked the

streets and I was like oh I sadly remember this and that but like my heart really was always in the States. Like that is the country that I was raised in and that gave me my whole life and my family life. Okay, so then said work happens and that's when everything changed a little bit but I'll tell you a very quick version of the story.

It happened with my daughter and less with me. So my daughter's almost eight on Saturday. And when all of this happened, Ash and I've got to figure something out. We did it. We were, We're in the process of doing it.

And my daughter goes, there's a war in Ukraine. And I was like, yeah. And she goes, aren't you from Ukraine? And I was like, yeah. And she goes, well, I'm half Ukrainian. And I was like, yeah. And she goes, yeah. And she was so proud.

And that's kind of where I'm getting so teetered. We did cry. Well, we should say, thanks to that connection, $35 million was raised. Yeah. I mean, yeah, listen. Thank you. That is one of the things that I do want people to understand.

$35 million is a lot of money, but it really band-aids a problem for a couple weeks. So this isn't one of those magical, you know, potions that solves anything. Done, we did it. Yeah. Exactly. So we were trying to band-aid a problem until a country could step in with billions. There's no proper segue into working with the likes of Hulk Hogan and Rick Maroon. I know, it's so good.

I love it. Get it. Amazing. But you were a child actor in classics like Santa with Muscles and one of the Honey I Shrunk films. Honey I shrunk ourselves. Sorry. I didn't mean to diminish it.

No, don't worry about it. No big deal. I don't want to rank the films for you. But what were you, I mean, what was it like to be on set as a kid? Was it, I don't know, did it feel comfortable to you? Yeah, I loved it. Really? Oh, my God, I'm such a ham.

I'm telling you I had a very healthy upbringing I got super lucky I have really great parents who worked full time me acting was never a priority for them it was a hobby that I begged them to keep and they were like cool you can do this so long as you go to school and graduated from public school and that's non-negotiable and go to college

and I was like okay dokey and so that's what I did and I couldn't fail at that because if I did I would lose this So when did you go, when's the transition from feeling like, you know, this is play, this is fun, to like, almost like considering yourself, I'm a real actor, like 18. So you know exactly when? Oh, yeah, I'll say exactly when I had to go to college. Okay.

And I was like, I don't know what I'm going to, I got into college, I worked hard to get into college, and I went, what am I going to study? Like, I love what I do? And I'm so lucky that I want to do this. What are they, what am I going to study? What am I going to learn there that I can't learn? through trial and I are here. And so I went to my parents and I was like in tears.

I was like, I'm so sorry. Can I please defer? I promise I'll go back. I just need to defer. And they were like, you know, if you do this, you have to, you know, all that. And I was like, I promise, I promise. So it wasn't until I was 27

that my dad came to me and was like, look, I've been paying this deferrence fee. Can we just assume you're not going back? And I was like, I'm not going back. Amazing. Because that was, you were in the middle of 70s at 18, weren't you? Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. So what's it like to have a constant reminder of like, ostensibly your most awkward years always going to be on television? I know. I know. Well, I don't watch reruns of 70s for a reason. Right. And I never, I don't think I've ever seen a full episode of 70s show in my life.

Really? Yeah. Pretty good. You should check it out. You know what? If it's ever, because right now it's always on streamers, I feel like, if it ever goes back to broadcast, and if it comes on, I think I'd watch it.

Not many people have video documentation of the first time they've kissed their eventual partner. I know, oh, I know, is that, yeah, I know. And further context for this, this was obviously way before they were actually an item and he was acting, of course. I know, I was 15 and he was 20. Crazy.

Yeah, I know, I know, guys, I was so long. ago. So after 70s, in terms of the acting, did you have a sense of what you wanted to do? Did you feel like the industry had plans for you? Did you have plans for it? I had plans to pay my bills and

make a living because that's what I promised my parents I would do. So I did not in 70s being like, I'm so entitled to all these awesome things. I was like, I will audition and I will get what I get and I don't get upset. And that's how I did it. Were you good

auditioner? Did you... I think so, because I've auditioned since I was nine. It is definitely a very specific art skill. Right. And so yes, I would say it was probably at that point a pretty good addition to. And I also didn't go into with an ego where I was like, I'm entitled to offers. I was clearly on that show over there.

Not at all. I was like, I will audition. I will prove everybody wrong because I was going to say remember, but it's not like you were there. But 20 years ago, right? The industry was very different than it is today. And if you were on TV, you stayed on TV. And if you're movies, you stayed in movies, and the two never intersected.

And I was like, I'm going to go and do some movies. And everyone was like, you should really stay in television. And I was like, nope, I'm 22. Or 21, whatever I was. I was like, I am going to go and like try other things. And so I had to start auditioning for films. One of the random ones, this is a bit later on that reportedly... I can't wait.

Okay, this is our segue into the geek conversation. Oh, sure. Lois Lane and Man of Steel. Did you ever, did you, you, opposite Henry Cabell, you must have looked tiny if you ever screen tested with him. Never, never screen tested for it. Never, didn't even know about it. Okay, okay.

Nope, what's the next one? I don't have a long list, but it is a segue into the geek side of you, which I remember from our earliest conversations, there was always, it felt like, and it almost feels like dated and vaguely misogynistic at this point. Sure. Like, it was like Milakunis girl who likes geeky stuff? She loves Warcraft and Star Trek?

Can you imagine that? Yeah. Nowadays, of course, like, we're all allowed to like what we like, but it did feel like you were branded as such, and it became like a talking point. Yeah, this was so weird. Do you remember GamerGate? Do we call it GamerGate? Right, so this is preceded GamerGate. But it's of the same concept, like, idea of like, what do you mean, a girl likes video games?

Prove it. Right. You like Star Trek? I'm going to ask you trivia. Right. And I was always like, I can't curse here because you guys are all professionals, but I would get very upset, and I was like, oh, hell no. And it drove me crazy.

But yes, I did play World of Warcraft. I'm currently creating a card game that lives on Web 3 and Web 2 and a comic book. I like nerdy things. And I liked them before other people liked them, when it was super cool to like nerdy things before Barack Obama called himself a nerd, and then everyone was like, nerds are awesome. And I was like, mm, are they, though? Is part of you, like, look, you've done some genre stuff, but the genre stuff hasn't,

with all due respect, you hated it. No, it's not what I was going to say. It hasn't maybe hit in the same way that other things did. I know. I was so excited for Jupiter ascending. So was I. I mean, we all were. We all went in with the best of intentions.

I'm right there with you, buddy. Right? Yep. For those who don't remember, this was Wachowski's and Channing, who we love and Eddie. What's the post-bortem on that? Like, when did you know, like, oh, shit, maybe the scene now I'm cursing. I wish that channing was there, because that's some good stories. When did we know before we started production?

Really? Yeah, because our production got slashed in half. And so the original budget was twice as much, and you can do a lot more with a lot more money. And oftentimes, those types of scripts have a very good storyline, but extraordinary other things. And in pre-production, like right before pre-production, for a multitude of and studios and all these other things, budget got cut. And movie was different. Do you have a favorite?

So you're talking about being into games, but like franchise going right now? Like if the next like Marvel, DC, Potter, whatever, like what's the one that gets you excited nowadays? Fast and Furious. Oh, okay. Well, I guess, oh, I love Fast and the Furious. No irony. I really genuinely do.

Did you call it? How did you know that I love Fast and the Furious? I've seen all of them. I feel like, I honestly feel like you're a natural for that. I'm kind of shocked they haven't come to you. My friend produces it, and I've always made the joke. I was like, I'm just going to pop in in the background, and you won't even know it. Okay, so I do love Fast and Furious guys, don't judge.

No. What do I love right now? Well, I'll say Harry Potter, but only because my daughter and I are reading the first book together. Right. So I can't wait to show her the movie. I don't know that answers it. So Harry Potter, and then, okay, wait, so is this, it's not a franchise. But I'll tell you what I'm excited for the next season is The Boys.

Yeah? Yeah. Right? So, okay, if that's genre, I think that's what I'm really most excited about is for that for the next season, because I think it's so smart. Very smart. Also smart. Also kind of a genre film, and I want to show a clip, is Black Swan. Come on. Okay. The great debt, we were talking backstage about the great Darren Aronofsky. We all love and worship all his films, even if they disturb us to our dying day, in the best possible way. But this was a big moment for you, for Natalie, for everybody involved. Let's start with the clip and then let's talk on the other side, okay?

Here's a little clip from Black Swan. Oh, my goodness. Who is that? Hey. You okay? You can't smoke in here? Well, I won't tell if you won't. So, big days getting closer and closer, huh?

Well, I can't wait. I think you're going to be amazing. Thanks. What? So, do you want to talk about it? Is that hurting? Well, we're playing a little too rough for you. Come on, Nina, he's brilliant. Sure. But it's not like he's all warm and fuzzy.

Well, you don't know it. Someone's hard for teacher. sad for teacher. Oh, come on, it's okay. I don't blame you. I should go home. Oh, Nina, come on. I'm just .

I love it. Amazing. I love it. For the record, the only person that laughed snorted through that clip was Mila herself watching it. Because I saw how young Nat and I looked and I was like, oh my God. That's why I started laughing because we look like, I look younger. Nat looks just, she hasn't aged, okay? She looks amazing.

Not a day has gone by. See, there's that filter. Is it working? You're doing great. Thank you. You said before, though, that there's like essentially a whole different version of the film or the character. What are you talking about? Yeah, because Darren and I shot it.

Well, Darren and I, like, I, Darren shot it in such multiple ways that, you know, was she real? Was she not real? That whole, you know, conversation that he ended up putting it together. So it's a lot of Darren in the edit bay. Did it feel like a change, like, personally, in terms of the kind of material you were getting, how you were perceived, did it feel? Yeah? Oh, yeah. Huge.

I mean, there was like two staples in my career, and there were oddly, like, I would say, close to back-to-back. That changed people's perspective, I think, as to, like, the idea of a TV actor and then be a person who can do comedy. Right. And it was forgetting Sarah Marshall and then Black Swan. So, yeah. Thanks, guys. Thank you. Well, here's the thing about forgetting Sarah Marshall, which was a hit at the time.

Weren't you with us in Hawaii for the press? I actually wasn't, but I appreciate you thinking I was. I was there in spirit. I would have liked to have been. Couples retreat I was there. You weren't there for that one. No, I wasn't. That was came out.

But that film has even grown in estimation. Like, I don't know if you've got in that. Like you, you sensed that, right? Well, only because I have like 16, 17-year-olds coming to me and being like, I love Sarah Marshall. And I was like, cute. You weren't born when I shot it. I mean, you've done a bunch of great. great comedies and there's one that's in particular fascinating because it's and

Ashton I think spoke about this recently friends with benefits versus no strings attached which we were better but it's no big deal I was gonna say wow well you answered my question objectively speaking yeah we were I mean obviously have you seen his yeah of course his little naked butts in it it's all cute how insane did Ted seem at the time when Ted came around oh my god absolutely ridiculous but It was, yeah, right? Like, what a weird movie that was. There's a talking bear.

Okay. Like, it was, by the way, I should talk about this at some point, but I'll hijack the story. He was casting it for a while before Wahlberg signed on, right? But even once Walberg signed on, he was casting other women. And he kept coming to me during recordings and be like, okay, who else? I need someone else. because it took a while for a talking bear movie to get made.

Weird. And I kept throwing out names. I was like, what about that person? She's a great actress. What about that person? She's a great actress. And then all of a sudden, I started getting older and older and older. And in Hollywood, I now can play opposite Mark Wahlberg magically.

And he was like, what would you want to do it? And I was like, I mean, yeah, okay. But at that point, I already went through, like, a year of casting with him. Like, a smoke. You know what I mean? Like, by, like, watching it. But, yeah, it was a movie about a talking about it. bear. So speaking of

Mark Wahlberg. Yeah. A mutual friend. I hit up Mark. He sent something in. Should we take a look? Is that for real? This is for real. Yes. What? Did you bring a bunny rabbit? It's not a bunny rabbit. It's a teddy bear.

Look at this teddy bear. Love and respect me there. Where have you? You're the best. Bevernice. It's a teddy bear. Fucking talking, fucking daddy bear! We're here in Slovenia. Wishing you nothing but the best.

You're the bay. Josh, make sure you give her the proper information that I gave you yesterday. God bless. That's very cool. He's kind of the best. I love Mark. I think Mark and I've done two movies together.

Yeah, three technically. You didn't share a scene in date night, right? We did three movies together, yeah. I love Mark. I see him driving sometimes, and we like, chit-chat. And I'm like, how are the kids? He's like, how are the kids? And I was like, our life's really changed.

It's fun to go through those people with those people on the journey, right? To like check in with folks. When you work with awesome people, there is no. I genuinely love Mark. Like, I think he's a great human being. You can't beat it. Yeah. You mention, of course, your collaborations with Seth.

We haven't mentioned Family Guy, which is like the best gift any actor should ever receive. Guys, I agree. I agree. I texted set the other day. We were recording season Blula 21. And I was like, please tell me that there's more to come. And he goes, well, I hope so. Did you hear something?

I was like, well, I didn't, but I just didn't hear anything from you. So I just want to double check that this is, like, I love this job. What's the strangest? You must get recognized for your voice in strange circumstances at the time. Well, so COVID, right? There's the mask thing that I'm a big fan of. So I, I mean, from multiple to the reasons, also like science. But I love it because it's a nice, you know.

For celebrities, it was an added benefit. Oh, yeah, I bless it. But if I spoke. Right. So where I went, my husband's like, stop talking. What doesn't help? He's like nine feet tall. You're like, by the way, you look like you stand out.

I'm like the tiny person next to you. He was like, me, me, me, me, me, me. I hit up another person. They didn't send a video, but I got some Sam Huin, who... Oh, yes, for sure. We love our Sam Huan, who he did, of course, the spy who jumped with him with. And I asked him what his recollections were of making... I'm so afraid. What is the answer is going to be? It was in Budapest. Okay, go ahead.

He was in Budapest. And he chastised himself. He said that he didn't really go out partying with you guys because he was trying to be really, like, serious. But with Kate Knight? Yeah. But he didn't recall being in an escape room with you guys. Yeah. And that you were the only one that could do anything, basically. I mean, I'm not sure, but I like that story. I mean, I'm pretty good at them. I'm not, like, great.

Like, I wouldn't be like, there's an apocalypse take me and I'll break you out. Like, don't do that. Okay. But, yeah. So it's more about their ineptitude than your prowess. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Yeah.

Some random stuff for you. What are the TV tastes at home? You and Ashton share TV shows? Yeah. You silo into different rooms? What happens? We don't silo. Yeah.

We share TV shows. We also fall asleep. very early. So our ability to consume, huh? This is late for you tonight. Oh my God, last night. Well, yes and no, because I'm still on LA time. So I'm, but I woke up at 9 a.m. today and I was like, look at me sleeping in. And my husband was like, babe, babe, you woke up at 6 a.m. And I was like, ah, so because we go to sleep early, we don't really watch as much television as probably an average person. So I would say everything we watch is together except for. from one show. Well, one show plus some sports. Okay. So football, the football season, there's a lot of football content. I don't need to procure all of it, you know? Right. So he goes, it's just on in the background. So he doesn't go anywhere, it's just there. Right. And then he hates that I watch Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Don't give me a pity clap, guys. It's fine. I have no shame. I've talked about it open.

It's the one show that I watch when he, like, has to work late or whatever, and I'm oddly like, finally, like I can catch up on the house. Right. So that's that. And then, okay, so here's what we watch together. Yeah. The Boys. Affirmative, yes. The House of Dragons.

Nice. Right? Right? Okay. The end. Oh, you know what we watched we just finished was all the murders in the building. Yes, yeah, yeah. Okay. And then as far as, like, content that we procure, I love Colts.

Okay, just to clarify, I'm helping you out. Like, I love... Shows about cults. You don't like being involved in cults. No, gosh, okay. See, that's what my filter would come in handy. Let's be mind. So funny you should ask, what I really like to procure is documentaries about cults.

Right. What's your favorite, again, not a cult that you want to take part in, but favorite story of a cult? Like a cult that I, I mean, we can always go with like... Like there was a nexium stuff. Oh, I love nexium for. years. I know. Can I tell you why? Did they try to recruit you? Let me think about my, let me think about my filter. I'll tell you. Okay, so

no, they didn't try to recruit me. I wish. God, that would make the story way better. See, now you're going to be really disappointed. Okay, so Alice and Mac, I used to audition against. And we were sitting down in the office, I want to say seven years ago, and my manager and I were just talking about, like, different actors that I used to audition against when I was, like, 14, right? 11, 12, 13, 14.

And I was like, I wonder where they're at now. Like, where are I had these people? So I started Googling some of the actresses that I used to audition against, one of them being Allison Meck. And I googled her, and I was like, what is this nexium thing? And I started watching the videos on YouTube. This is before anything that's on the news. And I was like, yo, she's in a cult.

And so I started. Are you actually talking to the TV? I'm imagining you, like, just literally. talking to you. I mean, I wish. I was more like, Cammy, she's in the cult. And so then I started like reading about the cult. Then I pseudo forgot about it. Then all the shows came. Then all the things happened. And I was like, well, I know this one. But the one that I didn't know about that I learned about is the Moonies. Sure. And I didn't know about that. So that's like my new favorite one that I just find to be fascinating. Great tips. Good stuff. I mean, high quality

content. You have been nominated for 17 Teen Choice Awards, but you've never won. Yeah, I'm the Susan Lucci of team. Yeah, I know. I know where the show me out. Where's my surfboard? I'm married into a winner, so I have some surfboards. He has a couple. He, you know, had six-pack abs, so he got some.

Right, right, right. Have you ever sung on film, or are you singing? Oh, cool. Okay. So oftentimes people are like, oh, my God, I can't sing. And then they like sing, and you're like, you're just, you're such a good singer. I am awful.

So when I tell you, I cannot sing, it's not fishing for a compliment, it's not me trying to be cute. I truly cannot sing. I sang once on film, and it got cut out, and that little movie is called Ted. And McFarlane made me sing,

and I was going to kill him. So you never did the cats audition, the way Ms. Just to see, just to try it. It was so hot. God, I mean, when I tell you, by the way, I think I'm honest. Like, I want you to know, like, my, I'm like, I'm a really good, I can hear notes.

And I can, you know. Well, well, I can hear when other people are not good. Okay. So that's what? That means I can, like, be on a show, reality can be on American Idol and judge others. Yeah, exactly. I can judge you well. But when I sing, I was told it's more like me changing my volume and less me changing notes, whatever those are.

Just more. No, I got you. Just like a louder or quieter. Sure. It's a note. I know, guys. I don't know. I don't say. All right. Got some questions from the audience, so you can't play me for any of these. I wondered if you'd be interested in a show that you and Ashton would like to star in together. Don't ask me again, and I'll take my time.

You have, I mean, this is big news as we tape this. You've been talking about it. You have a very small cameo, you and Ashton, in the 90s reboot of that 70s show. Yeah. It was really hard for me to do. It was the actual act of doing it. Yeah, like acting with my husband and not being like, why are you making that face? Like, I couldn't, like, it's just, I respect people that do it. I really do.

And I think that it's incredible that they can work with their partner. For a multitude of reasons, we would never work together. We never work at the same time so that one of us can always be home with the kids. Right. So, at technicality, but nonetheless, we would never do it. And then we, like, we want, enough people already feel too comfortable to want to, like, hug and talk to you and, like, feel like they have an ownership in you, of you.

And, um, poor choice of words. And then you add this and you just, it's too much. So, no, but we do do a cartoon together. Right. Yeah, so we do stoner cats together. Right. But that's because he's free labor. Got him around anyway.

He might as well use him in some capacity. He's pretty good, yeah. Vengeance, by the way, he's excellent in the B-D-D-A's film. He's fantastic in vengeance. And then he has his, He did a romantic comedy, which I think we all need, and it's so sweet him and Reese. It's a beautiful romantic comedy. As, you know, a couple that has done so much great romantic comedy work over the years,

do you kind of, what's your take on, like, where we're at where he's made one, thankfully, with Reese, but they're very few and far between now. And I had so much envy. I was like, you get to make a romantic comedy, and I just made that movie. I want to see your movie. I was like, that's what I want to watch. I want to watch that. And so, I'm in desperate need to find a really great, amazing movie into comedy.

Rom-com or Fast and Furious or Season 2 of House of Dragons. Which is, which one? Oh, my God. We're all going to wait. We have nowhere to be. Oh, my God. Okay, wait, House of Dragons season two. Let's cast you in each of these.

Here we go. Who am I? Yeah. What am I? House of Dragons. Can I be a dragon? Mo-cap suit? Yeah.

Yeah. I mean, I'd be a Tigerian. I mean, you know. Well, you threw away Torgarian. Like, you know, whatever. I'd be that. Or Valerian, but I'd rather write a dragon. So I'm going to choose that for obvious reasons because I get a dragon.

So long as my character gets a dragon. I get the egg hatches. I get my baby dragon. We become friends and homies, and then I write it. Got the vernacular down. God, I have so many theories about House of Dragons. Okay. Okay, okay, what was my other one?

Well, we talked a little on fast, but you want more than the walk-on background. You want an actual role. You deserve it. You're a 17-time Teen Choice Award nominee. God, I want that on a cup. Is it a cue from James Bond? Oh, you want to be like that? I want to be cute.

Yeah, gadget lady, how dare you? What? You're a lady. Gadget lady. She's like the engineer. Okay, let's give her some credit. I would want to be like the cue of. Love it.

Okay, what was the third one? I don't know. What was the third one? Rom-com. And what's the rom-com? Who's your co-star? You don't want Ashton. You're over him.

Oh, yeah. Professionally speaking. Okay, who's my in my mom-com? Yeah. It's a very, and here in lies the question. Here's my agent background going, Jason Mamoa. Jason Mamoa.

No. Gosh, I don't know. Someone fun and awesome who, I love Walburg. I love Walberg. I'm gonna, Mark Wahlberg. There we go. He sent in a video. You might as well throw him a bone. I love, I love Mark. What advice would you give to people in their 20s in New York? I mean, you didn't, you

didn't spend time in New York, but you spent... I did, I lived in New York in my 20s. Clearly, you and I were not friends. It's okay. Wow. We never talked. It's no big deal. So what advice would you give to someone in their 20s in New York? I'm just growing my filter, guys. Wear close-toe shoes. You know what I'm saying?

You know what I'm saying. Have a fan in your apartment at all times, readily available. Stay out late, walk the city. Have fun, because when you get old, you don't have time to do that. Excellent. All right, two more, and then I release you. She's got a premiere to go to. I'm in the middle of, right?

That's happening. So I did it, and now I'm here, and then I have to pretend to go back and send the audience and be like, that was an amazing movie, guys. Main difference, and this is curious, back to the film. Do you consider them almost two different characters? Like the main difference between Tiffany and Annie, and who is harder to play in a way?

I mean, I think that they're both the same. It's just that one is a persona of the other. So if you look at, call it Tiffany, I think the voiceover in Annie's head when she's older is Tiffany. Right. You know, one is the reason why and the other is the outcome. So what's easier to experience it or to relive it? There's a thinker.

That's a good one to go out. Yeah, yeah, got it. And last one will end a little bit more fun back to 70s. Did you audition back for your audition for 70s with a co-star and how many auditions? What was the process? Ashton Coocher. Oh, I've heard of him. What became of him?

Yeah. What do you remember of the audition? Oh my gosh, I think the first person I saw was Tofer, probably is what I should say. So we did like the, you know, not anymore. Everything's changed, guys, but you used to audition, you need a call bag, then you'd do callback, then you'd another call back, then you'd a producer call, then a writer call, then a studio call, and the network, you audition a lot. And towards the latter parts of it, Tofer was there, and then he got cast, and that's

what I honestly remember. And then I had to read with Ashton after I got cast. What did I think? I was like, wow, that's a much older, handsome. boy. Like I was 14 and he was 19 and that's at that age, a gap. When you're, you know, 30, 35, who cares? But when you're, you know, anyways, I was like, you know, I was like, he was, yeah, he was, yeah. Is it going to just be a one-off the, the cameo in 90s? As of now, yeah, for the first season for sure. Honestly, you don't want us in it. The show's not about us. I promise you.

It's such a great reboot, what they did, and it's almost, it is, I think fans, if you love 70s, you will love this reboot. If you've never seen 70s and you want to know about the 90s, you'll love it. But it's just, you know, it's the same story. So it's a relationship of these kids. It's like these little misfit kids in the same basement of the same house with Deborah Jell and Kurtlett Smith going through the 90s. You don't need to see us. We would be a distraction. We packed a lot into this.

from 70s to Walberg Love to the serious, great piece of work. Luckyest Girl Live on Netflix soon, spread the good word. And we even cried. We did it. You did it. We did it together. We all did it together, guys. Spread the good word.

Mila Kunis, everybody. 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 on the big podcast. person. I'm Daisy Ridley and I definitely wasn't pressure to do this by Josh. Hey Michael. Hey Tom. You want to tell him? Or you want me to tell him?

No, no, no. I got this. People out there. People. Lean in. Get close. Get close. Listen. Here's the deal. We have big news. We got monumental news. We got snack. Tackling news. Yeah, after a brief hiatus, my good friend, Michael Ian Black, and I are coming back. My good friend, Tom Kavanaugh and I, are coming back to do what we do best. What we were put on this earth to do. To pick a snack. To eat a snack.

And to rate a snack. scientifically? Emotionally. Spiritually. Mates is back. Mike and Tom eat snacks. Is back. A podcast for anyone with a mouth.

With a mouth. Available wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you.